The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-07-05 00:00:00

a

COLLECTION OF THE REVENUE.
Ur. Hcsic, in rising to submit his propositions
do the House on this subject, did it from so feeling
of hostility to the Gower 1111 l ref, whom lie was in this
instance not at all disposed to condemn. His first
propeitillisii Oka Merely intend fel to cause Parlor.
Pivot to acknowledge the necessity of inductile the
fniot rigid economy into the collection of the vs-
liiiitlfbratteicis 'UT The revenue. : Such a declaration
had been already 'Omitted in substance if not in
words, by the Chancelkir of the Exchequer, when
'snowing for three millions of new taxes in 1819.
indeed. it was highly satisfactory to observe, that
the utteution of Government had been usefully
directed to improvements in various brooches of the
revenue. He hoped, therefore, that the House
would not refuse the expression of • wish for eco-
nomy. They were ti" recollect, that it was only by
• small savings that economy could be, at any time,
commenced. His second propositiou set forth va-
rious rates at which the revenue had been col.
lected in the years 1796, 1810, and 1820, together
with the gross and net amounts, all of which
particulars he had token from State documents.
In 1796 the charge of collection on the gross re-
ceipt of the revenue was 51. Os. 9d. per cent.;
in 1810, 4/. 124. 661. ; and MO, 61. la. 3id.
From the year 1796 there was an increase in
the expense of collection of twenty per cent.
or oar-fifth. In 1796 the-whole charge of ma-
nagement was 1,174,5251.; in 1820, 3,341.823/.
During the time of the war, when millions were
given away like thousands before, Mr. Pitt said it
was necessary to raise the salaries of the officers of
Government, because the price of all the necessa-
ries of life was raised, and in consequence it was
done; bat now, when we were returning to a me-
tallic currency, and to a reasonable amount of cir-
culating medium, it was a proper subject of consi-
deration whether the promises made by Mr. Pitt to
the public should not be realized, and such reduc-
tions mode in those salaries as to make them cor-
respond to the diminution of income of most other
cleaner in the Sum. Private persons could now carry
MI their ertabbohuients, it was well known, at one-half
the expense they incurred some years back ; there-
fore the House and the country had • right to ex-
pect that his Majesty's Government would make
the public expenses conform to the general prin-
ciple of change. The extent to which they had yet
carried it pas very little indeed. Judging from
papers laid on the table • few days ago, the House
might suppose that great savings had been recently
wSrectrd in this way for the public ; but that was
_riot the fact. It appeared, that on the sth of Ja-
nuary, 1890, there bad been so increase of incli-
vidusts employed in. the collection of the revenue
of seventy-two, which was n small earnest to the
country of the disposition of the Ministers to effect
those reductions they had pledged themselves to.
There wsa an increase of salaries also of 4,9041. ;
there was a diminution in the amount of emo-
luments of about 14,0001. ; awl of 60,0001. in
that of other expenses. Certainly in the deport-
ment of the collection of the Customs • reduction
hod Web Made last yearof mow/. ; but die benefit
of this was lessened by additions under other
heads. He thought, therefore, that the House was
bound at an early period of the next Session to take
this subject into its consideration, not in the man-
ner of these Commissioners, nor of persons holding
office, as they did, but of the watchful guardians
of the public purse. Surely some explanation
should be given why in 1796 the rate of collection
of the revenue should be only five per cent. and in
1820, 6/. Is. std. There was a slight deduction
from the charge for last year; it was only two shil-
hugs per cent. But the great point for the investi-
gation of the House was, how the country was
obliged to pay at prevent 3,341,8231. annually for
collecting the revenue for Great Britain only. These
computations were taken from the Report of the
Finance Committee. There wee one point to which
he particularly wished to draw the 'dictating of the
House. In the year 1819 the support of the quaran-
tine establishment, and other expense. cousiected
therewith, were 82,000/. In the year 1620 it was
recommended that all the charges incident to the
support of the quarantine laws should be excluded
from the gross charges of this year and all succeed-
ing ones, and this recommendation lied been
acted oil; yet the exclusion of this sum had been
almost compensated fur in other branches. A single
fact, that in the course of one reign the bare ex-
penses of the collection of the revenue at one period
exceeded by one million the whole charge on sc.
count of the debt at another, of itself sufficiently
demonstrated the necessity of strict inquiry and
effectual cliange.—(Hear.)—ln Ireland the gross
revenue amounted to 5,291,b291. ; the charge of col-
lection appeared to be 884,9121., being at the rate
of 161. hB5. I Id. per cent. on the autuunt, or above
double the charge on this account in England.
But on the nett income it was tweiny-one percent.,
that was, more than one-fourth of the whole ; in
other words, every four pounds was collected at an
expense of more than one. In 1808 the charge in the
Customs there was eight per cent. Shortly after
• great addition to emoluments took place, so that
in the following year the charge was advanced to
1 I per cent. It was not for him to say what had
been the restos of this, hut be understood that the cause
was the same as that which produced similar effects in
Scotland, usraely, that there was a vast deal of jobbing
there. He was awry nut to see the Hun. Baronet, the
Member fur Waterford (Sir J. Newport) iii his plate, be-
C4tllle he could explain these things much more ably than
lie could pretend to du. He new came to his next Resole.
Lion respecting Scotland. He bad selected the tom prat
heads of revenge there, thiukiog it better to
marks to the increase in these. He had drawn out a maw
tricot at the suggestion of the Honourable Gent
the Secretary of the Treasury (Mr. Lushiligtun). It
be fonud by it, that the increase in the charge of alt
lectiuu of the Customs, was greater Moo in my *OW
department. Is 1810 the charge fur the gross cullonaiMainan
81.45. Sd. per teat.; in 1820, it MM. ltd. He shaadd
now endeavour to state the reason of the increase hi Ilse
Customs, distinct from the other branches of the
The House was out perhaps aware, that the Customs in
all their breeches were within the control and patroo-
age of his Majesty's Goverumesit, while that of the Esciee
partly apperisiued to the Government and partly to the
Commissioners; and on inquiry be believed it woald appear
that in those divisions of the department under the patron-
age of Government as increase had recently taken place,
and iu those under the Commissioners a decrease. The
application of this principle to the Customs might serve to
amount for•ilie aagsaristatioa observable therein. is the
Excise he believed it was • Fri/triple that all individuals
appointed to the aaperior sitiodium should rim from
the lowest. Promotive was cot/ducted meordirig to the
merits of individual*, more than in my other broach
of the public service; the consegiseeee was, that • spirit of
industry, summon to hasiuess, mad emulation, was excited