The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-04-22 00:00:00

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PRICE SIXPENC

and ordered to be considered by a Committee of the
whole House to-morrow.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved, that the Order of the Day for the House to
resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House,
to consider of such parts of his Majesty's most gra-
cious Message as related to the commercial concerns
of the country, be now read.
On the motion that the Speaker should leave the
Chair,
General GASCOIGNE. rose, and said, that after
tht notice which had been given by the Right Hon.
Gentleman on a former occasion, he thought the
introdnaion of the measure proposed ill-timed at
the present moment; he was hostile to the measure,
because he understood it had for its objea the Im-
posing of additional duties on commerce. He had
seen a paper, printed. by order of the Lords of
the Treasury, which left this beyond a doubt.
He need not observe to the Right Hon. Gentleman,
that the imposing of new duties was a measure of
such i.erportanoe as to require au extended time for,
consideration. The right of making war or con-
cluding peace was very properly vested in tile King
--=it was his undoubted prerative. But the right
of grouting duties was vest in the House of Com,.
mons, and it was a right which ought to be ex-rtised.
with caution. He was locally interested in the pre-
sent Bill, having the honour to represent a great
commercial city, and having the interests of his
constituents confided to hint. He had another ob:.
jeaion ; he perceived by the schedule that it was in-
tended to render the tonnage duty, which was an ex-
perimental duty, permanent. After the very manly
conduct of an Hon. Gentleman who was now ab-
sent (Mr. Patten), and who had, in consequence of
A declaration made by the Right Hon. Gentleman,
deferred his inotion respelling the State of the Na-
tion. He thought it would be more consistent iii '
the Right Hon. Gentleman to postpone the consi-
deration of the present measure until'that question
was ascertained. He objefted to the present mea-
sure, because he thought it a business of Ways and.
Means to pay the interest of money voted in the pre-
sent Parliament. :The merchants, whose interest
it so nearly concerned, should be consulted on the
iubjea, and informed whether the duties were in-
tended to be applied to the purposes of peace or war;
for there were many duties which would be con-
sidered ai proper in peace, but improper in time of
war. .The Right Hon. Gentleman held out a pleas-
ing promise that he should, in the course of a day or
Itseo, make a satisfaltory communication to the
-House on the State of the Nation. He therefore
thought that the measure should be postponed until
this communication was made known ; and he
hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman would not be in-
clined to press it.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said that the Right Hon. Gentleman had very wisely
changed his position, since he had the honour of
giving notice of the present motion, as he under-
stood the Hon. Gentleman then proposed to give it
his entire opposition. The schedule which the Ho-
nourable Gentleman so ranch objeCted to, went
merely to simplify and consolidate the laws respea-
ing the Revenues of the Customs. It was a rueit- •
sure adopted on the same principle as that of 1787,
when the qutntion of peace and war was not at
issue. The Hon. Gontleman has said that be (the
Chancellor of the Exchequer) had road.: a promise
to make a sittisfaltory communication to Parlia-
ment in a day or two. He acknowledged that he
had expressed a hope to be able to make a commu-
nication to the House in a short time. But he did
not plomise such a communication as was mention-
ed by the Hon. Gentleman, though he was confi-
dent much industry had been used in circulating
such a report. He would not endang,n- pal,iic cre-
dit so much, and in the nature of the thing, it was
impossible he could make such a declaration. He
denied ever having used the term stvi:pctory. Ho
had promised a communication, bat as to die nature
of it not a word had transpired ; indeed it was:i:n-
possible it should, fur as yet he did not the
nature of it himself. As to the subjea before the
House, he would reserve his observations until it
came before the Committee, and lie trusted the
Hon. Gentleman would no longer objal to the
Speaker's leaving the Chair.
The SPEAKER having left the Chair, the House
resolved itself into a Committee of the whole I-lou3e.
Mr. ALEXANDER in the Chair.

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The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, the objeti he had the honour to propose tl the
consideration of the Committee was this : to sim-
plify and consolidate the laws respefting the reve-
nues of the Customs. Indeed, the ohjai went fur-
ther ; to amend every branch of the public revenue ;
to remove every obstrudion to the management of
commercial transactions ; and facilitate the receipts.
It had in its view the compass of every A6t resped-
ing the revenues from the time of William 111. It
was also in some degree intended as the means of
discharging the interest of the late loans. That
most excellent measure, the Consolidated Fund, was
established for the security of the public creditor,
for the payment of the interest of the public debt,
and the surplus to be appropriated to other. services.
He would borrow some hints from tnat wise mea-
sure. It was the objet of this plan to consolidate
no less than *l7O AEts into one. With regard to the
Duties, the principal differences will be in charging
the ad valorem ,into permanent Duties. He should
propose, for regularity in entries, a very small duty
on those articles which were in general duty free.
He would wish the Committee to see and inipeet the
schedule for the purpose of forming their opinion
on it. There may be some difference on the quantum
of the rates, but he thought not on the general uti-
lity of the plan. It was proposed that West-India
produce, with the exception of sugar, should be
rated in the same manner as the produce of other
parts of the empire. There was a mark in the fa-
vour of sugar, but it was not an inviduous one. He
had another ; which was, to counteract the
evils arising from a contraband commerce. _ There
Were several articles
prevent \ eifras

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several articles favourable to =toggling, to
vent the alas of which it was tatassary to 1111i1P
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