The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-04-01 00:00:00

TUE BUDGET.

The f louse resolveditseifii-ito a Committee of the
whole House, I/nuke ins. further corsair/el:aim tine
Resolutions tif the Committee of Ways and Means;
in which
Mr. FRANCIS rose and said, he h.rd (nand by
information out of doors, that the notice he had
given of making observatiar.s on the Taxes, had
been much mistaken. He assured the Noble Lord
(IL Petoy) that in what he was about to deliver, he
was not aOnated by any motives of opposition ; on
the contrary, he should consider the matter, as
the Noble Lord had expressed it, rather in the
light of a conversation, in which he should offer his
advice, as well as give his opinion, with openness
and candour, in doing which, he was solely at-Ne-
ed by a desire to serve the public He laid it down
as a matter, which he had frequently seen proved
by experience, that, in all public affairs, these was
nothing so easy or so common, as to de wrong at
I litsr, nor so difficult as to regain the right path I it
was easy to get into labyrinth, hut very difficult
to get out again. The relleßions he had to make,
he said, were not new: they would have come from
him as well last year, or the year before, as now s
hot he had then other things which pressed on his
attention, and preventes: him from makieg them.
lie meant to go into the Ensign t sand the cases he
should state, he thought were deserving of set ions
consileration. He could assure the Noble Lord,
that in what he should say, be meant well to him.
and to the public acre ce god therefore the Noble

~~...

Lord would do v ell to him With ewitee
and 4ttentittn. The Stet poiet *hotted fiance ',4,"
'visited to a pertieular cleft of teen, wea would s:,
materially, be might say, giiievott,le ineeme a fist
Property Tale by which 10. per cent. was to be
on all preperte; above 501. is year, and tea Tat
-
Office was to make the exemptions ; this was, in 1.1
mind, a great grievance. -Here is a mare "emitted
to exemption. and what do you de with I, et
You make him ray the money, in the first itiseien
and then he is to gee in the tax-office to get it be(
again. Hp had better give uo the exemption e,
gethrr, than be at the trouble of going utter it:
especially if be were a poor man. Suppose a nee
has only eoui a year, he would hate 101. la
pay down for this tax ; he cannot, perhaps, 147
down the money; indeed, among men of ee;
description, there are very few
who coal
lay dcrea that sum the moment they were entice
teem ; whereas, if the exemrions were then
lowed, the corn to be paid might lie within tliese/ye
of their ability. He tepeated, the man bad been
give up the exemption than go efter it. He knee
this by experience ; he bed found it in his own rr
more than once, whea he hod occasion to :4t:er.4,
to recover surcharges ; and had lost so much Lime
that it would have been better tor him to have gives
up theenoney ; and it that were the case WWI him;
what mast it be with a man, who has a tradete tee
low, by the exercise of which he has to 'app :;
himself and family ; added to which, the chstee
that the tax-gatherer might have lost or embeerlel
the money, made it a very serious consideration.
The nest point was, there is a great mass of pee
nerty which will escape the tax altogether. lie
here alluded to the unfunded debt ; that pays 5 per
cent. to the helders of the seeittities, which ate
floating about from one to another, and no melee
can be given to the Bank. He asked the Naas
Lord whether he had it in view to secure that as,
on that partieuler property, or to let it escapee:.
tirely ? this would certainly be thought be the case.
He had himself, though very ueintentionally, Clno
minted a fiend against Government ; he had two
Exchequer Bills fur 1001 each, which he had to.
tally forgotten, for which he had nut paid, nor ever
weeile, unless he could find some proper perseate
take it from him. He had conversed with wend
persons on the subjesi; who are conversant in it,
and from all he could coilea, he understood
urfunded propertr would entirely escape the tn.
Much had at different times been said of the pros.
perity of the nation; hut for his part he could tut
conceive any country to be in a state of prosevrite
which maintains its poor, not be their Libour, hem
by a division of the property of the rich. Wee
respeeA to that article Also, he saw great riches is
the capital, but was by no means sure the pre
vinces don't suffer by it. The history of France
gave a striking proof of this, in the time et the
Regency of the Duke of Orleans, ween Pea
was never known to possess so Much apparee
riches as during tee memerable period oldie Mist
sissirpi scheme; but the vast quantities pseee
then in circulation soon afterwards became depe
dated, and lest its value, and down fell the Mites
sippi scheme, and the prosperity of i'aris along wits
it ; therefore, the riches of the capital was no pod
of the national pro‘perity. Ihe slime thing miele
happen in London now, as had been the case is
Paris then. There was, in this country, a vast cie
culetion of pap r ; and. he thought, if a men pand
with his laird, or other real property, for the ;seer,
be parted with it for a mere chimera. The dale
was, in his opinion, fast approaching, and he ser
only one remedy for it. He had frequently head
this tax reprobated for its dangerous tendency in the
House ; and if we are, at this moment, in 4 sum
of prosperity in this country, the only remedy thin
is fir the danger, ought to be applied, and the CA
of England made to May in specie; without whine eta
Charter was, in his opinion. nothing. An eset 01 Pee
!anent may proteet them, but it cennot justify es/ it nJ
paying. Lacking at the taxes colleefvely, as well rl
separately, he objeeled to them. he said, ell In %11, II
then adverted to the sinking fund, which lie thecgt
'hewed no marks whatever of genius—it WA* m
new invention. Sir R. Walpole, and many ether,
had the same idea of a sinking frond, though beget
credit to the Right lion. Gentleman, now iso rem
for having created it at the critical time he had Joe
In this, he said, there wete two things to be cone.
dered—the effea and the objet ; the &Teel was oar
that it kept the 3 per cents. at 60; if it had so
other, he remained to he informed of it. He SAW a
other advantage whatever accruing from it. Ds
country is taxed to a most enormous amount, an
while die fund increases, the taxes increase alit
The argument held out by way of censeig;'
117-", he said. a most curious one. We feet'
very well, said the advocates for the fund, v'e"
knowledge you must pay snore, but don't !nil
that ; the whole mass of the sinking lend steal
nearer the mass of the debt than it did a few ere
ago, and therefore be you contented. It will il"t
rate most powerfully in a course of time.
mean time, however, taxes continue acennette:
and the people were likely to be crushed by ti - •
which ought not to be the case. In csinclasi.
thought this would be more fair, more rtst,
more merciful. It was we duty of the Chancel-
of the Exch.-sitter to relieve the people from then
feels of gliev.ms taxeticn ; and it might be des
and in his Mel I ought to be done now, when
are so enormetis end heavy, hetg thern
tiled
die aiinking Fuad. We were,
with a Sinking Fund of seven tuillious, keopt,
funds at 60, as with a fund of eight millions; a'
then that one million might be applied towares
discharge of the interest of the national deet!..t.
to supply the taxes now called for. He view
hought, as lel
say he was en conversant on this subjeet as he etw
have wished; he had passed the last fire sr
twenty years in studying the interests of the 0,"
Company. in India, without encouragement.,
without assistance; he had war Free distni,"-
discharged from that, and would in future
his time in informing himself niore miuutel) t •
interests of this country.
Mr. Secretary 'r.o)( began with noticing t
servetien of Mr. Francis on the suLine u 1 a
emptiens, and allowed they were esceedinge
venient ; halt his Hnn. Friend was mistakee•
owns, ,I these inennveniences arose from tee •
he had m mtioned. He put the case of
haviag an annuity of 401. a year from ac-,'
„
man of landed estate, well as (he rake of es •

Tr,

4
It

thee.; when the; Y.:Olen:an, or rolu r person, was
called on to !ley the Moll year, he would certainly
dedunt from it the property tax ; he lentils' elm be
chargeable with it, a'd muff take that mode.
The d;ificulties, notwithstanding, were fora r, hie lie
wished to abstain from the itemises Pl' them loos.,
in this particular stage of the business, becaloe the
discussion of them %wend come mnre natural's., and
with greater propriety, in entering on the details, in
various stages of the Bill. It was agreed, en all
bends, that erery fecility should he riven to the
person entnled to reetnption, and that must be done
ny a regular prevision in the Bill. The next
print meotiuned by his Honourable Friend was
the urfunded Ade, and that was also attended with
• ifilficolty. At first view be thought it absurd that
such a mass of property should go scot free; but he
had reason to believe, front the information he had
received on the subjent, that Government would
gain as much by the premium; and the interest, as
they weuld by the tax. [he most important sub-
jeet on which his Hnn. Friend had touched, was
the sinking fund, and in speaking of that, he had
said, " that all Ministers were fond of it." It was,
he believed, instituted in the year 178 i, and from
the first moment of its being so, he had been an ad-
%.%7.1te for it, and given it his constant support ; butt
hei lion. Friewl would not say lie had done so as a
thnioete He was certain that any Administration
selettever that bail come in immediately after the
American war, would bane had some sinking funs(
or other; and that whien was well done, nuglit to he
adhered to. He differed with his Hon. Fiend as to
ale efea it had been capable nt, for he seemed to
think that keeping the Consols at 60 was no ere.tt
adventage; hut he insisted i: was; for if you keep
Consols at 61, it saves the money of the people, by
lowering the interest, and by that means lessening
the effects of taxation. If there were no sinking
fund, where would Consols be then ? When you
take the average of the enormous loans which have,
from time to time, been borrowed, and which
brought down Consols to Si or 5,1, you will find
the people have the anvantage, and that taxes are
far less than they would have been, had not the
sinking fund been instituted. If the funds are
lower, the interest would be hieher. Some friends
of hi., for whose judgment he lied the highest re.
speCt, had doubted this ; but all he had heard
from them or others on the suhjeet, hid asever
produced the smallest doubt in his mind. With
resped to where in is to stop. it by no means follows,
that becato it you now have eight millions, it moo
always go on ; bin, certainly, when it shall stop, was
a question which. in time et war, you cannot go into,
though it may, and doubtless will, be a fair suojetn of
discussion at a Noire period. Ili' Hon. Friend had
said, bike away a milli-in, and consols would remain
• et 60,f0r they had done SO when it was only seven
lious ; true; bat was the debt the same ? no ; and,
if it bad, the fag would heve clearly demonstrated
hose much his Honorable Friend was mistaken. In
considering the finances of a country, people are apt
to be too sanguine. We are now, said he, undoubt-
edly in a situation in which it is necessary to
demand great taxes from our constituent:, and '
we have only to hope their fortitude and
tience viii be. igloo' to the trial. He would not,
he said, go into the argument, how far the only
remedy mentioned by his Henourable Friend, was
prallicoble at present, ley obliging the Beek to
pay in specie. He agreed with him, that tha mea-
sure would be produelive of great good, and when
the subject she:sld come under consideration, he be- I
lieved lie should agree with him in opinion. Ile
said the Property Tax was very heavy ; he thought
so too ; he never was a hien(' to the Pripet ty
Tex, and last year had argued against it; but as
it was agreed upon by the House, he thought,
and said alto. it wottin be better, at once, to
come to a certain extent, to which it should go,
than to keep enlarging and extending it by regular
gradations The present Ministers had conic into
the government of the country at a very critical oe.
siod ; there were certain !nil established, that wete
called War Taxes, and it would he madness in them
to attempt to ores turn the system. lie thought it
would be right, at the commencement of every war,
to state the question of war, and fix the war taxes
for four or five years I to tee, by experience, whe-
ther-they could be diminisOed, or were to be en-
larged ; and so far as the Property Tax had a ten-
dency to :5 system of that kind, so far it bad his ap-
probation. His Noble ln irni, he was certain, had
brought it (onward, in its present form, from a tho-
tough cans lain, that it was most calculated to
meet the pressure of the times, in which it had been
Isis fortureo at so eatly an age, and surrounded by
so many and so great difficulties, to take the ar-
duous situation he At present so ably tilled ; and he
had no doubt but the Hnuse writing consider those
ininculties, and use their utmost efforts, joined witle
in to enable him to surmonut them.
Mr. FRANCIS, in explanation, renewed Hs oh-
servation of a former night, that even after the
Property ax was doubled, there was no security
that it would not be gradually iucrca.ed in the next
or subsequent years.
Mr. HUSKISSON said, that though he slid
twit wish to extend this discussion beyond the limits
of a conversation, yet he was induced to make
some observations on the state cent of the Noble I.d.
(H. Petty) on a former night ; and, as he seldom soli.
cited the attention of the I lotto., he hoped to he
indulged with a patient hearing. It was not his
intention to oppose any of the
the Ways and Means of the year, and he highly
approved of the Noble Lord's pursuing the system
firs: adopted by a Hight Hon. Fiiend of his, now
no more, that of raising a considerable portion of
the Supplies within the year. In the year before
toe adoptinn of that plan, the interest of the Loan
was til. Iss. tide per cent., and from the rapid ecru-
ntlation of the public debt, would have continued to
isterease,had'not that measure been resorted to ; the
leentficial effeett of which were every subsequent year
experienced. The Sinking Fun.i also, by its constant
operation, was a very powerful tresses of keeping
down the interest ; and he deprecated any attempt
to divert it from the purposes for which it was origi-
folly imeeded. It WAS as error to suppose, that
the anfondeJ debt et' the country altogether escap-
ed the operation of the Property Tax. as one hall of
it was held by age Bank of England, which was
always LIOISSI so deal fully by the public. But
uSe principal ehj el hue ben in rising seas. to
...teert to the etetement snide by the Noble

Lord in opening the Budget, th;rt he had pro-,
aided the sum of II 800,0001. for the arresus.
,nrst. provided for in the vote of last year.
!'peas certainly implied a charge against I.is Right
Hon. Friend, deceased, 21 if by negligence or care-
looness he had either m ide inod-quore provisions,
or that there were deficiencies in the produce of the
Ways and Means. Such was, no doubt, the im-
pression made, and intended to be made on the
House ; which injustice to the great man before al-
holed to, he though: it his duty to remove. It was
true. that there WAS in the produce of the Land
and Malt, a deficiency of 333,3681.; but as similar
deficiencies occurred every year, it was not fair to
consider it as pecoliar to the last. The deficiency in
the Ordnance,of 561,0001. was alco a thing that must
always holinen at the time of proposing the Budvt,
unless the accounts could he moths up to, the end of
December, which was hitherto found to be im-
praCticoble. The third article of deficiency was the
debt of one million to the East India Company; hut
though that debt sets cons:antis, claimed, it was not,
he believed, vet ascertained whether it was due or not;
as they were still before the Commissionen appoint.
ed to enquire into them, and, therefore, could not
properly be brought under the heads of the arrears
of last year. These ought not, therefore, to be re.
presented in the invidious sense, which, though he
did not nett e the Noble Lord of using designedly,
yet could not have failed to make such an impression
on the House. The provision also which was pro-
posed to be irnade for the family of Lord Nelson,
had only one former f x.imple in the history of this
country ; and, however desirable the repetition of
such exploits may be, was not lilt, ly, perhaps, to oc-
cur very soon again. The Noble Lord also said, that
he contd not state the precise sum to he provided for
the subsidies, hut would be content to bite it at one
million. This looked as if the 3,500,0001. which
remained for that purpose in the Exchequer, had all
been expended last year; but the House would te•
collat, that when the sum was voted, it was stated
to be for subsidies. if wanted, or for any other pur-
poses the public service might require. Ihe fan WAS,
t hot in January lastorhere was upwards of 1,600,0001.
of that money remaining in the treasury, and that
the rest of it had been otherwise appropriated, so
that it could not properly be called an arrear of sub-
sidy. 'the I tst article he had to advert to in the No-
ble Lord's speech was what he called the clefi..iency
of the Ways and Means last year. He had before
admitted, that the land and malt tax had, as usual,
holed to produce the sum at which it was esti-
mated, but there was no mom to suppose, that all
the war taxes would not he realized. Of the sub-
sidies, the stirs of 1,800,0001. remaining in the Ex-
chequer, was appiied to the naval service of the year
I am; ; or if not the whole, at least a considerable
part of it ; and it would have been only candid
in the Noble Lord to have stated it in that way.
He sail. there was a great degree of intricacy and
complexity in the accounts, in the manner they were
sometimes atated, which rendered them in a great
measure unintelligible to those who did not wish to
undergo the dredgery of long and difficult calcola-
boos. In years of difficolty, it was not untistiol, for
the purpose of making up a favourable remit, so as
to cover the estimates of supplies, to take the pro.
(-hoe of hve quarters instead of four, which must
1,- very confusing and perplexing ro those who were
not extremely wooers:seat with accounts. To ob-
viate this inconvenience, he would recommend it to
His Majesty's Ministers to make up the accounts so
as that the remaining grants in the former year
should go to the credit of the year following. Such
an arrangement would tend to give a more fair and
simple satement of the finances of the coanrry ;
and he hoped the Noble Lord, upon considero-
Lien, would adopt it, otherwise he should feel
it his duty to take some future opportunity
of submitting a proposition to that effed to
the House. The Loyalty Loan, also, which
the Noble Lord had thought proper to provide
for, was not due till this time. arid ought not,
therefore, to he included in the arrears of last
ye.sr. Before the Noble Lord•hod taken so much
credit to himself, he might have stated to the
House, that the large Supply which he moved for
the present year, was meant to meet a touch less
period of expenditure than the last. It should also
be remembered, diet the surplus of the Consolidated
Fund for the Net year was 3,059,0001. which
would go to make good the deficiencies that occur-
red. The Noble Lord claimed great favour for him-
self and his colleagues for the rigid economy with
which they intended to administer the finances of the
year; but as the supplies now demanded were of such
an extent within the year, as it was hoped would
last beyond the close of it, he was not justified, if
any surplus should arise, to place it altogether to
the score of economy. The vote for the service of
the navy was this year 600,0001. more than in the
lost, besides the million which was placed under
the head of subsidy. The vote last year for the
army was meant to cover the extraordinories,
which then occurred for continental service ; but
at present, though our future military system Was
not yet explained, nor the es:imotes of it laid be-
fore the House, there WAS a suns of 80400,0001.
voted for that service, from which the public only
knew, that they were to have eighteen millions
four hundred thousand pounds worth of army.
These observations. he said, wem, by no means,
made for the purposes of opposition, or to thwart
the measures of the present Administration ; but
were meant only to pay the debt which be
thought, in justice, due to the memory of his Right
Honourable departed Friend. He was aware that
His Majesty's Government Was placed in a situation
of great difficulty, one that ratted for the most
streotorus exertions; a situation which required the
continuance of the system so beneficially instituted
by the late lamented Minister, of raising a consi-
derable part of the supplies within the year. He
hoped, that, in this important crisis. the Ministers
of His Majesty could display all the vigour that Ca,
suitable to the condition and clionader of this great
country ; and he wax convinced the people would
sooner suffer whatever burdens it may be necessary
to impose upon them, than compromise the honour
of the nation, or consent to be the rifled' of that
insultirg festive:Hance. which the enemy boasted of
she wing towards the once independent powers of
the Continent.

Lord HENRY PE ITY replied, that though the
Honourable tientleman entereJ into diffuw
vbsstratiout to inrsiidats what was sussfil pj Ile

arrears of Lit year, ho, u Sunni:ately fr his cause,
furnished etrandant mate' hits for his ost'n refutation.
In his st vement, on Friday, of the Supplies slid
Ways and !deans of the year. he disclaimed any de.
sitle of throwing Meme on the Right Honourable
Gentleman, his predecessor, who WAS now no more.
Had he been inclined to do so. 'he senold not have
gone se fully into the deraiis, item by item, but
have mentioned barely the gross sum of five mil-
lions of arrears, mad have left the House to form its
own conclusions on it. He certainly could not
blame his predecessor for not providing for the
1,000,0001. to the East India Company, as he could
not be certain that it was due at the time; but he un-
questionably was apprised, that it would have been
demanded in the course of the present year, and he
had nn hesitation now in saying, that he thought it'
mould be necessary, this Session, to propose to the
House the payment of that sum. In what he said upon
a former occasion, he had omitted to state many iv.
tides of the at rears of last year, because he really
intend el no attack upon his predecessor ; but if
the gentlemen apposite to him were •de:ermined to
make an attack for themselves, for the purpose of
defending the former Minister, he found it hie duty
to meet them on their own ground, and state semts
of the sums which remained unprovided for on the
sth of January, together a it's the amount of the
charges on them, and the assets which remained
to defray them. He then stated the ifullowiag de-
ficiencies:
Ways and Means 1.904,419
A Tieisure Waoant 350,00)
Two 'ftraaury Bitl, unionv,:e 1 for l,l '4,7,10
Arm
Barracks 6/4,0u0
Onloance . 104,1114
9.01,010
Tutal sum, ioc:uMm; thu traet;ous
to which Was to he added the sum of 1,009.0001.
for subeiches. ' The Homee would recolieft, that rate
sum of 3,500,0901.. granted for subsidies, WAS girVl
as a vote of credit ; and that it was only owing to
the failure of the war, that no more then one million
was now demanded. On the contrary, had the war
succeeded, and another campaign commenced, by
the stipulations of the treaties, the House must have
been called upon this year for a vote to a much
gre.itCr extent. His Lordship then entered into
the detail of a num'ser of items, from which he de.
dueed, that the total of the supplies unprovided for
towards the services of the last yen', amounted to
no less a sum than 7,445,0001.; and, when ene sums
unappiied were compared with those unprot icre7l7,e,
the real balance of outstanding a would be
found to be 4,793.0001. exclusive of the Army
extraordinaries, the account of which had not yet
come in. In making his original etetemeet, anti
in that which he was now induced to make, lie had
no other obj-a, but, without any concealment, to
disclose to the public the real state of the finances ;
and he was convinced, that if the same duty was to
have fallen to the lot of his predeceson he would
have found it necessary to have done the same. He
had, however, the setisfaehon of stating, that the
expences of these subsidies was not likely to occur
again ; and that the war, if it should continue for
a longer or a shorter period, would be condo/led
with equal vigour, hut without the same expellee.
The estimates on which he went, nerd those which
be found made up before him, for the use of the late
Ministers, and in the statement he made, he gave
them as he found them. He was exceedingly
Ir .ppy in this, as he should be on every other
occasion, to do justice to the merit of his predecessot ;
and he was free to declare that the system he adopt-
ed, of the war taxes, was produltive of the greatest
advantage to the country. In answer to what WAS
said by his Hon. Friend (Mr. Francis) who openel
the debate or conversation, he would maintain that
the property tax was more fair and equitable than
the income, the assessed, or any other of the taxes
of tle war. A former Minister, now a Member of the
other House of Parliament ( Lord Sidmouth) who
found himself under the necessity of reviving the
war taxes, was also compelle s to mortgage the re-
venues of the war taxes for nine year., to pay the
prinCipal and interest of the sum. before arising from
the income tax, which pro-ceding laid the greend
of that on property, which he found it his duty to
continue aid encrease. Though he did not then
see the Honourable Gentleman (.Ir. Francis) who
made several objeetions to the exemptions, as now
' proposed, to the Property Tax, in hie place, he
thought it right to mete, that all the .difficulties
he mentioned, were rather retrospe4ive than pros-
! .peetive. The mode now proposed would remove
these exemptions, which afforded the greetest dirt-
culties ; at the same tone that it retained such as
were just and equitable on the lace of them. The
annuities, he thought, had a particular claim to
exemptions ; as, to use the Hon. Ce: eemen't cwn
phrase, it was not in their power to make them-
selves-whole again. The lion. Gentlemen w trued
bins not to be driuded by the apparent affluence
which was seen in the metropolis. The admonition
he thought, on this occasion, needless ; as the plan
he proposed would put those, who could not make
themselves whole again, on an equal looting with
the opulent, who might have means of doing so
and prevent the tax from falling dead upon a
fixed and moderate income. Persons of that
description, would be entitled to the re-payment of
the charge; and when the gill was brought in, it
would be found, that the utmost facility would be
given for its immediate rect.:very, and without ex-
pence or loss of time, to the party applying for the
exemption All that would be necessary, Was to
produce the deeds or will, under which an annuity
was held, to the Colleelor of Taxes, or goir.g before
a Magistrate, and obtaining a certificate, to be car-
ried to the Tax Office, where the party would re-
ceive back his exemption. The next objet of ex-
emption was the small trades-people. People in
large dealings might, by industry, oe extending
their business, make themselves whole again; but
the eese wan different with the small deakr, whose
industry was exhausted, and could not, by any
exertions, be rendered more productive. Upon
the whole, it was apparent, that the system would
go on much better, by getting rid of these
complicated enquiries, which were now necessary in
many CAS.. S of exemption, and always tended greatly
to ember' Ass the Commissioners. Nut •cestig the
Hon. Gen:le:min who commenced the debate then
its his place, fie should not trouble the House much
on what was said relating to the sinking 'mid, and
the payment in specie by the Dank ( .41r. Fr4oris,

~~

-7 77: -7,-,

• •
.lust es he oar Off* so, enifeveretr4l Ate am)
on the Oppau'Uln 11,134.) I"Pe Nobie tnen
said, that as the Lion. rseetleroeo was pate gessoes
he should fairly observe, !het h'e did not thihe the
prospeiite cf the come ry so secure with this rerrie-
tem of payment, as without it. Ile beßeved t.• e
thought rather better of the prosperous terve
country, than seemed to be the opinion or eis Hon..
Friend : and he could not assimilate the Ai recc:
which pervaded tq the metrepolfi, to any thing
like the transient glare of prosperity which etteieled
the Mississippi scheme in France. hit was tot rite-
pared at present to propose ro the House A repeal of
the restriaion on the Bank ; but he could assure
them. that in every cremation and interoverie
between them and the t ;overnment, care would ba
taken that the latter would never lose sight of the
demands being paid in specie, and that the restric-
tion should not crettleue one month, or one week,
beyond the time that it may be thought necessary to
retain it. He could not agree with his Honntrrefile
Friend, in thinking that no great herefit was derieerl
from the operations of the Sinking Fired, in
keeping the Fonds so high as 11. ; as,• by so
doing, he felt a great advantage in At die
charge of his duty, in raising the necessary cuppl tie
and was convinced that it would he felt equally
advantageous in all (were loans. He could rot
consent to apply any of the Sinkirrg Fund now to
deti ay the expences of the current year ; a.l he, as
wed, he hoped, as all the gentle torn who heard
him, mast expeel to elijoy their full income, and
the benefits of their stetter, in thirty er fatty years
hence, which expeeetion would be feilee, if the
Siiiking Fund were now diverted-fir-4i the purposes
for which it was orioinally designed. In.ii•penJen;-
ly of these coasiJeretiona, such an apogee:jet/ tit it
at this ti:ne, wmuli. in his ci-inion. he a bteach of
the publie faith, pledged for it. apolicetion to
the tote:Mon of the public debt, at olio
that the fund was instituted. It was a proper
tegeol to the principle of public Lath. wiled%
gave this country so great an advantage. over
all othei s ; which. through every stet", fie'
served its credit unimpaired ; 'and wei:n weed
enable it to preserve its immense resources. . nien-
paired and untainted, upon any emerifeecy which
may hereafter arise. He knew. ard ne telt it wilt
peculiar concern, that the burdens he proposed
would 'fall heavily on the penl.l•; bet he had the
consolation to think, that they would Fell eqnelly ;
and, when the Bill came in, he assured the House
the: he should be fund perreftiy ready to ages- to
any farther ezemptioes tact may Se peorossd, which .
were likely to have en coy and beneficial effe3
Laud CAS I'LL :REACH hoped the Hone would
indnlge him, he made a few otoervetions ;
but, at the same time. he wished it to be generally
understood, tl et he did not mean, in the !Wel-vest
degree, to em‘iaroos the Ministers To the general
principle of the Bitegst, he most completely
-sub.:need: his: come of the Texas, he thuoje,ht,
might be suhjea to obssreation ; Ltd he was coo.
winced the Noble teed who had pr vowel theih,
would, at the' proper time, vrillinoly all, e any ne-
cessary alterations. He was sorry the Noble Lord,
in his atatiment, en a former night. had made use
of the word arreer ; though, from what he had said
on the present debate, he sees convinced, he did not
intend to awe, duet theta was awy deficiency in de
Ways and Means of the last year; bow iver, if he
had nettle use of the word contingencies, bethought
it would have been much better. The Noble L ird
then went into a long statement of accounts, to
•prove the propriety of the money arrangements of
Mr. Pitt ; and said, that he oily wished that credit
should be givers for the overran now remaining on
hands ; and that a balance should be ttruA, 'thee,
no doubt, would be in favour of the Trl-441res of
the late Administration. It was evident. 'hat it wae
not his intention to throw any obstacles in toe way
of the Ministers, or he would nor, %trishaw nbserva-
tion, have allowed a Loan of 97.060,001:1. es be
mode, without kaowing the !adore mouser-
meets for the year were. At present, he thoegot:it
necessary to say a•tew weeds on eats he7d; ,11.; ci .
faced them, by ceding a pasty?* from Hato-,
pre,:edents, by which he ctn.:tired it teas
ed, that burdens shoult not be Laid on the peorle.
unless it was evident that they wete neceset: y.
This principle was now infringed on; as, :,r.
this muni.int, Parliament was eeling on th
mere dictum of the Noble Lord (Lord flews-
Petry), who had said, that he was enallei to stat
that the expenses of the army would he nearly
same as they were kV rear and tnis, although it
was to be quite on a different foot:ng to what V:411
last year. Vs its respeet to the loan neeocieted by
the Noble Lord, he was convinced, that the barg its,
considering ciicumstences, teas Leneficial to ts e•
coustry ; but he was also convinced, that if it heel
not been made so soon, it wnn)d have been much
more so ; as the first payment ot 2,000,000 W 26 to
be made at a time of the year When money would
be scarce in the Market. lie would say no 'on:.
on the subjeet, but he felt it his duty to point this
out to the Hons., as an iriftingement on the general
preake, that on any future occasion it should not be
submitted to, unless neceseite required it. He to-
Lilly disagreed with an Honourable Geneernan
who spoke early in the debate (Mr. Francis).
that the present state of affairs wore a gloomy as-
pect ; he locked back with pleasure to the glcrinus
Administration of .his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Piet).
At the commencement of it, the tax is were so many
burdens,heavily telt by the peopre; M4llUtilain es
and commerce had low encreased to such an event.
that, though the tares were considerably greater,
they were scarcely felt The Noble Lord cow:itel-
ed, by saying, that there never was a more vigerous
Government handed over to a new Ministr,, their
that handed over by his Right Hon. Friend, an.l be
did the Noble Lord (Lord H. Petty) the justice to
say, that. in his financial system, he had shoe n an
inclination to follow it up ; and, by so doing, to
set ve his country.
Mr. VANSITTART entered into a short. but
circumstantial detailiot the financial system t f leis
Noble Friend. He then, after reverting to many of
the arguments made use of in the course of tire de-
bate, pronounced an eulogium on the sy.tcm of war
tarts, which, he said, had saved the nation upwards
of 50.000,0001. ot debt, sad 3,o(m0ool. or per.
magma taxes.

Aar. ROSE went over the same argnments w!l;eh
ha t bleu before used, with te.pz,ri
turward the buJget, balms tus azi.:c4l 1):4:1 bad

...

F

w, • • 4.040P.11; .I - -.'•
711114•11% Lai! baron Mellow*, and Oleo proceeded to
w . It" A t• w nuvervati,,,,s tilk the t.iZEK An.: first,
laid, respett to th.• swim,. tax, he did not think
Ot tight thAt it vz•uuld go to n..te the irts,,est
of the PIA•lonal d.•ht l;is It igiit I forum' Able
Liens', th•ceaserl, h ,d •t in contenip,eion to tr.ilt..
it a wunrolent taz, hit tint to lace it to the
secnilut it is at present proposed ; but is,. 014-
i,
lure ennsiderAtion, he had re....0n to believe,
th it it would ri..t ht preiduaive, as it mist pin-
bahly woul.l neeit i•ln a dinli-.u.inn ni the C•in-
-11:1111i) inn. The taz on i,.no al.n, the late Aden,-

- - -
nistratinn had in contemplation ; but after even
encptiry, it was fun d that a tax of s. a hundred,
woal I not produce more than 100,0001, or 120,000.
TA tax on app►aisemeats was g:ven up as totally
unproduttive ; and the tea tax, they ha•l consi-
dered in a very different light from th.. Nithle Lord.
e lowest-priced tea was on; v.,rcally drank
by the lower class of people, sore Imes instead
of malt liquors; and it being 1..1 mix% easier to
smuggle the common tea, than that which carried
a hiel.er price, the tat upon it was altogether aban-
doned. He also was of opinion, that the high duty
on tobacco was an argument against the additional
tax. as it wt•ould he a greater iniwcement to a con-
traband trade The real value ct tiitracco was alv)nt
six-pence a pound ; the present duty was one shil-
ling and seven pence, and the addi•inn proposed
was six-pence t so that, in an article so easily
smuggled, lie conceived the temptatation would be
reopurt onahly great. The lion. Gen . then adverted
to the difl:.•rent financial measures which had been
adopted by Mr. Pitt, all of which, he said, were of
the greatest service to the country. He coal not
forbear tu-ntioning, what be lately had accidentally
• `.e'en trade acquainted with, namely, •hat the num-
ber of ships taken from the enemy, dining the ad•
.istrat•na of his deceased Friend, was greater
than had ever hefore been captured, since the Revo-
lution. Ile th:•n adverted so the unt ivalled glory of
the British flag and Atlas, and hoped that the Noble
Lord. siel4.ll he ',tired from office, wtaili leave the

Adti ,n at levt in as good state as he lnu:vl it.
Mr. HIANCIS and Lord HI.Ni:Y PETTY

explained
Mr. LONG trespassed upon the time of the
House but to reply to an allusion made by a Noble
Lord, in an earlier scige of the debate. that II- (Mr
Lang) had ride a charge aAairst that Neste Lord,
in his ahleisce, on a previous evening, of unhand!.
comely and unjustly attributing to the late Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer the leaving great arrears of
rearms.. to he provided by his successor. Ht had
made no charge of illiberality against the Noble
Lord, but had merely attempted a ♦indication of
his predecessor. The arrears which now presont►d
themselves in the public accounts. were not the ac-
cumulation of last veer, but arose tram deficiencies
that had been regularly carried forward born year
to year, and the amount of which bad been, in most
years, encreased by, additional items i though, at
the pr sent time, they were not larger than the out-
standing demands of last year.
A desultory conversation then ensued between
Mr. Jonnstuor, Lord Henn• Petty. Mr. Hiley Ad-
dington. Mr. &urges Bourne, and Mr. Ward,
which elicited noth cg new.
Mr. BROOKE offered a few objections to the
additional duty on sugar, as I kely to lessen the
consumption, and consequently prejudicially ale&
our West India islands, which had already suffered
silica ly by the levy of war tames 1 in which light
he thonght the contributions they were compelled
to afford to the french fleet, whilst in tilde qurter,
•nght to be v-insidered.
Mr. A I KINS alto saw serious objections w
the tax.
In reply to a question from Mr. Babington, re-
specling the opeiation of the proposed Property
Tax on the yeoman►y and farming interests of the
countiy, possessing land worth Sol. a year, and
the profit of which they augment's' by their own
labs.ur,
Mr. VANSITTART said, that the scale by
which the tar was to bt collecled, would commence
at 501. and vrocecd by arithmetical progression to
incomes of lOul. per annum, when the highest duty
of 10 per cent. wniild attach.
The several resolutions were then put and agreed
to, and leave given to bring in the Bills purseant
thereto.
The House resolved itself into a Committee on
the Ordnance Bill, whit!) was ordered to be re-

sommitted to-morrow.
Mr. VANSI I' I'AR f moved, " that there he laid
before the House an account of the general quar-
terly average priCes of raw and Muscovado sugar,
eseusive of duties, for the last six years; and an
account of all iron and iron-ware exported during
the la►t ten eats."—Ordered.
Ordered also, that the House will, on Thursday,
the 17th of April, resolve itself into a Committee on
the Tortola Fite Pnrt Bill ; and on Wednesday next
into a Committee fur the farther consideration of the
Ways and deans. •
• hlr. VANS[I•TART gave notice that he
would, on WedaeseLy, move for an issue of Ex-
chequer Bills to the amount of 3,030,0001.
li Adjourned.

FOALIUS INTELLIGENCE.

11AMBURGII MAIL.

aaassiaoa, ssaacis 25.
It is conri-lently asserted here, oil the authority
of pliYilte letters from Berlin, that the following
propo.als form a sonshlerable part ul the negoti-
ations penoin,{ between France and Prussia. It
was intended to ()Juin the consent of the Emperor
a Russia, if possillie; but in (Ale that should not
be granted. France engages, in ce::;uullion with
Prussia. and her other allies. to endeavour to egea
them by force a assns.
Prussia to eel,: *CU arm squarT leagues of her
possessions, and to secure, in hest the, c,f, 701,
which will consist of tic lolli:wi,:g ctiu,;:ries :
Ist, The: DuiVry isilenhu•g!l
who.r Sovet A, •:11:1 tXdbi:V",

ICI
with a pi
deficit. :•,"& '
Al,"
ININIM...- t;',\

nuke up cv..ty

et Tr An;

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LON I KIN.
• TUESDAY, APRIL I.

An interesting conversation took place, last night,
in the House of Common*, upon the subjea of the
new taxes. It is intended that the operation of the
Property Tax •hall commence at 3Ll'i. a year. All
between 501. and tool. a year is to he charged upon
a reduced scale, and all above 1001. a year, is to
pay to the full extent of 101. per cent. with a right,
however, to in-payment to the amount of any ex-
emption to which the party may prove himself en-
titled.

Some French and Dutch Papers, of a day liter
than those from which we made some extraCis
yesterday, have been received at nor office. A
letter from Naples, dated February 211, in a Dutch
Paper, states, that the two Calabrias had submitted
to the French; that the Leo.y.en-Moue had dispersed,
and that the PRI,CC ROYAL had embarked for
Sicily. The Msnriestr, however, takes no notice of
any such event.

The Hamburgh Mail, due on Sunday, arrived
yesterday. - An article, under the head of Ham-
burgh, March 23, gives an alarming view of the
new revolutionary schemes of BONAPARTE in the
North of Germany. It states, urn the alleged au-
thority of letters from Berlin, that he demands from
Prussia a farther cession of 40.) square leagues of
her territory; in exchange for which, she is to receive
a territory of much greater extent, to consist of the
duchirs of Nlecklenburgh Schwerin, Mecklenburgh
Strelitz, and Brunswick, the whole of Austrian Sile-
sia and Gallicia, the Duchy of Holstein, and Swe-
dish Pomerania. Some of the Princes thus divested
of their estates, are to receive pensions, or to be in-
demrdtied in land ; Austria is to receive in compen-
sation, the Turkish Provinces of Bosnia, Servia,
Wallachia, Moldavia, arid the whole of Ottoman
Dalmatia ; but the King of SWCD►N is to be sent
completely adrift, and the remainder of his king-
dom is to be given, part to the King of Dania • is,
and part to Runt*, should the latter consent to this
scheme of plunder and partition. 'Phi: plan is
supposed to constitute a consider:ll'de part of the
nrgiriiiations now pending between France and
Prussia ; but it is said to have- been rejeded by-
Russia ; in which event the contracting pates have
engaged to carry it into etre& by farce of arms.—
The c.inni:ciion of some of di se Pounces with the
House of I ianover, and the deA,!ly hare which Bo-
bears to the gallant and generous King of
Swi.uss, give a strong degree of probability to this

r"""te=~ - .

-••.
•

rep, rt. It is eat. stret.gtheard by the prover ding,
of Swedon and Ilittsia. The Beariargb Cow,
kpandenten, of the 2:ill, Estes, that the Ssce2ish
Army still remains in Lauenherg, where it is to 'r•
ttinforced by a curs of I'2,(k) from the interior ;
and that the Swedish maritime forces are to be im-
media ely got ready for 104. The Ritssi.,n army
under General Mictszt.sos also lingers upnu its
return, And warl;ke prepsrstions ars carticd on
with extratirdiciary aftirtry in crery part of thst
empire.

lite Mediterranean (feat is artived at Plymouth,
under convoy of the Chlias frigate and Marti' .loop.

Yesterday morning, the Dukes of YORK and
C * lit BR IDO E attired at iVindsor, from town.
Princesses ALGUSTA and SOPHIA, accompanied
by Cenci:Al Maio:tag, Count Mtssrts, Colonel
Thy ton, on liorscbAck, and Lady CsAistest, in a
caw i;e and pair, took an airing in Ys'ii:dior Great

I heir Maaaszies had a Concert, at the Castle, on
Sunday night.
The workmen have begun to fit up Westminster
Hall, preparatory to the trial of Viscount MELVILLE.
,:nine Ansetican Papers el the 12th of February
state, that the Committee on that part of the Presi-
dent's Message relating to this country, have pro-
posed several Resolutions, in which, Ist, the President
is required to insist upon the restoration of the Amer-
ican property captured and condemned ; and fldly,
the expediency of the non-importation of British
goods is urged. A motion for putting an erd to
the intercourse with this country has been made by
one of the members. An article from New Yolk,
of the 10th of February, says, 6. the subjea of
the non-importation of British goods has been de-
ferred in the Lower House of Congress, for a few
days ; in the mean time, the Secretary of the Trea-
sury is to lay before the House an account of Ex-
ports and Imports to and from Great Britain."
The Hight lion. GEORGE PoNS/NRY, the new
Lord Chancellor of Ireland, on Lis landing at I)nh.
lin, on Tuesday last, was drawn by the popul vie
to the Castle, where he was snorts into office. .1 rie
populace had waited the whole morning in eager
r-xpeclation of the arrival of the Duke and Duchess
of BEDFORD, and determined to give them a simi-
lar reception.
The Drirgerne sloop of war, on Friday, sent into
Boulogne Roads a boat, with the gunr:er, purser,
and twelve men, to endeavout to cot something
out ; hut they were discovered 11 the Frenchmen
on shore, and are taken and carried into Boulogne.
It is probable that the boat has lest several of her
crew, as she sustained a heavy fire.
'I he Thetis higate, ('apt. Gan', arrived on Son-
day at Harwich from Cuxhaven, with Lord Kiw-
is sow, having on board S90.0.)01. in specie, part
of the Subsidy intended for the Emperor of Cea-
ra ANN', had he not consented to a peace with the
French.
The Hall Perlet, —, from Hull, for New-
castle; and the Versus, Timm pans, from Hull, for
Whitby, were captured, rof Flamborough-head, on
the 23J inst. by a French privateer ; the former is
since retaken, and arrived at Yarmouth.
Admiral Ben-cloves, Gen. Ptcries, the Hon.
Mr. Sstrru's. J. E. KENWARTHE',, and J. F.
liorroson's, F.scps. barouches, vin's, and tandems,
now finishing, are the gaze of New Bond-street-
The disorder of which the Duchess of Devon-
SHlllt died, is not ascertained. It is supposed to
have originated in some coal-conformation of the
brain. this opinion has been suggested by the ex-
cessive pain in that part, and the sinking in of the
protruded eye. It is, we understand, the inten-
tion of the family to have the head opened, for the
purpose of ascertaining the real cause. The remains
of her Grace will be interred in the family vault,
at Hardwicke-hall, Derbyshire.
A Precept was signed, on Saturday, appointing
the trial of Mr. Pao& for the murder of Mr.
BLIGHT, to be held at Horsemonger-lane, in the
Borough, on Saturday next A Jary has been sum-
moned to attend on that day.
The Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council,
of the City or Edinburgh, have appointed a ( ieneral
Meeting, on Siturday next, to determine upon corn,-
poblic expression of the high sense entertained of the
Earl of Mot It A'S merits, by that City.
An order from his Excellency the Lord lieute-
nant has been received by the High Siietiff of the
county of •ripperary, for liberating James Riordan,
a trite prisoner, confined for three years back on
suspicion of high treason.—( Droilin Paper.)

The following is the House List, for Governors
and llsrector, of me Bank of England. for the year
ensuing :

ro■ (DIMINO'S.
REVSIOD Long, Esq. (;uvernnr.
Air kook Watauu, dart and Ald. Uap. Governor.
POD DIRECTORS.
Alexander R.ir;ng, Egg. William Mellish, F.+
Tumnas ',Wampum, Is Sir Richard Nesse, Bart.
Samuel RosaHeusi, Erg Charles rule, Esq.
John Bowden, Thomas Raikes, Esq.
Cornelius ►tulier, Esq. John Bsk►r Richards, Esq.
A'eaa•rder Criamnum, q. rdward Suitor:in, Fa.(.
Esq. Henry Smith,
Samuel Dreier, Earl. Samuel Thornton, Esq.
NatEatriel Bugle French, Esq. Stephen Thoruhm, Ere.
Jeremiah Hannan, Esq. Samuel Furrier, just. Eli.
E-q. John Whitmire, Fog
Thomas Lewi,, b.q. lienjamm Winthrop, Esq.
elettion for Governor and Deputy-Governor
will he held on Tuesday, the Ist; and cf Directors,
nn IVeJoes•lay, the 2.1 of April next, from ten
the tortnoun, till four in the afterncon.