The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-18 00:00:00

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that as the sums and resolutions were the same
as had been already voted, he should not detain the
House at that time with making any observations in
addition to what he bore had the. honour of sub-
.
them agreed to. ,The Resolutions sheeere:" thenthey c
arnelaedan
ing secret servicemonev, ,thtdhamt raenspey ofd
-The CHANCF.LLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that the sum was so considerable, amounting to
150,0001. ; it was somewhat less than What had.
been voted in the beginning of the last war, and not
more than occasion may require. The Resolution,
however, was unanimously agreed to.
On that Resolution, which voted 310,0001. for
American claims,
Mr. JOHNSTONE asked whether that was
meant to satisfy the whole of the demands?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
replied, that was no more this year than what the
Americans were entitled to by treaty ; and though
the som is of considerable amount this year, he
believed that in the next session, he should have a
further sum to propose.
The Ilesolutiun was agreed to.
On the Resolution for a vote of 1,400,0001. for
the service of the army in India,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that the sum nose voted would not cover the
wh.ile of the expellees, but that he considered it to
be sufficient for the present.
The other Resolutions were - agreed to without
proLincing any further conversation.
clisTeme.
The CI TANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved, that the House should resolve itself into a
Committee on the Bill imposing Additional
Unties on Customs.
Cent-nil GASCOICNE said, that in the circum-
stancs in which the country was placed, he was
willinf; to join in any sacrifices which may be re-
quired for th.: public honour and safety. What he
kid to propose, he wished it to be understood that
the mercantile interest, in whose behalf he spoke,
did not wish for exemption from • any. tax, but for
the suspension of its operations, if it should he found
expedient. lie wished now merely, to represent
what was the state of the export trade. The
Mini;-
ter inferred the capability of the lest-India mer.:
chants to pay additional duties on sugar, from then
circumstances during the late war. There was, how
ever, no analogy between the two situations. In
the year 17”3, the West-India trade applied to
Parliament for assistance, which, being granted,
not only enabled them to produce profit to them-
selves, but also greatly to assist the public revenue.
In I 798 they 'were under the necessity of applying for
relief again, and he rather feared they would be
obliged to make applications of a similar nature, for
they would have to pay the old as well as the new
taxes, though the trade had since been a losing
trade, and their means of supplying the Continent
were, he believed, entirely shut up. A frigate was
lately stationed off the mraith of the Elbe, to direct
all 141Flisli vessels to return immedi:lely, in. order
to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy. Under
such .circumstances, supposing Hamburghand the
usual channels of conummication to be dosed, he
wished for a power in the King in Council to suspend
the operation of the tax, if necessary, till some Conti-
-nental port should be opened for the exportation of
our East-India and other produce. The same Was the
situation of the tea trade; for • tea and sugar were
ry to be considered as necessaries of life, and not
littirlei,"pkrticularlv in the trianufaCturing counties.
In the out-ports of this kingdom, the merchants, in-
stead ef being like persons in London, the agents for
others, who must he paid, according to their agree-
ment in any case, but were themselves importers, and
took the risk of every loss. The consideration was whe-
ther it was not efeonsequence, whether or not we were
excluded frrnn Hamburgh, firemen, and all the other
ports of the Continent, which afforded us a market.
This was very different friam his situation in the
last war. He had hithsell no personal interest in
this trade, neither was he stimulated to it by others,
for his own constituents had not time, since the in-
troduCtion of the measure, to give him any instruct
Lions. He was, however, alive to what he knew
to be their interests. He therefore moved, that it
be an instruction to the Committee to make provi-
iion for the suspension of the duty on sugar till some
port on the Continent should be open to receive our
,'exports.
The SPEAKER did not think such an informa-
tion could be received. The Hon. Member would
have an opportunity of doiug so in the Committee,
but at present he could not conceive the motion to
be either necessary or regular. .
General GANCOIGNE replied, that he con-
ceived the measure to he at least necessary, if not
altogether regular, and it was of too much import-
ance for him to wish to bring it forward, when there
might be no more than ;30 or 40 Members present.
The CHANCELLOR .of the EXCHEQUER
said, it would be irregular in any Member to call
in question the authority of the Chair.
The House then resolved itself into a Com-
mittee—Mr. Alexander 'in the Chair.
General GASCOIGNE then proposed a dense
that power be given to his Majesty in Council to
suspend the operations of the Sugar Duty Bill, if it
should be found necessary, 'until some port should
be opened on. the Continent to receive our exports.
The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER
said, he was astonished that- a person who had been
sn long_a :lember of thc. House, should be ignorant
that such a general motion could not be madt in
the COrrtmittees 'till the blanks were filled up. •
Genend GASCOIGn: called him to order.
' The CHANCELLOR of the EXCEIr:QUER
begged pan.* for his mistake, in not knowing that
the blanks haelalready hem filled up.
• General GASCOIGNE said, that he was not
surprizact vaiffte"mistareTior though the Right
-Hon. Gentleman had long seen in the chair of the
Houie, he did not know-that, he had ever been in
the chair
nof a Committee. He should however
persist in putting his motion.
It was accordingly'put.and read a first time.
Mr. VA NSIT2 ARl', in objedion, stated, that
the' home consumption of sugar increased under the
operatic's' of the additionsg
,tea
_duty during the
hit war, to tire amount of 700,001. in Great Britain
only, and he had no reason to suppOse that it would
be less at riesent. The Continent had no other
;mato/ 9upplying itself but fiom which
must of'conisedrave a-nionopoly, at least, while the
was cior.tiulket4 As td Hjiruhkirgb, we were no more
exciu ~f jat.no?4,tltB)ti,sve warp the.last year or
war; aud:*.rt ip. that 'year we sold :moat,
.. 2 e• •
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