The National Register.
London, England, 1819-02-15 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

Tue Howse divided -For the motion 133—Agawam it 175
Alatority at.
Lind CasTLaa EACH rase to move for a Committee similar
to that o 1• last year, on the sobjeet of Fluance. He thonglit
lie owed it to the House to explain the general view of es.
pence which Government meant to lay before die House
during the present Session ; but these would lie in a very
narrow compass. Ile did nut think it by any means a mat ter
of cotorse that a COIII.IIIIICC of Finance should he appointed
in every Session. But he had thought the last Cominittee
necessary, in order to sliew to the country that there would
he it surpliis revenue applicable to the liquidation attic tleht.
Upon this groomd he had moved fur the last, and evoulii move
fur another Coinoittee ; ruin he hoped it would be able to
lay before the house a report on the January quarter, which
would citable the House to form a judgment as to the im-
provement of the revenue. 'Eke income of the year ending
January 1818, was 51,2e1,0001. and that ending January
ISI9. was 54,002,00d1. In the account of the 51 millions the
181,8, there were to be taken 2,313,0001. • rrears of Property.
tax. and other War.taxes ; and only '163,0001. of those metals
%me to lie found in the 31,052,0001. for 1819. 'l' eking the
whole into consideration there was an improvement on the
gross receipts of the freeman:tut taxes fur the last year, over
that which preceded it, of 4,616,0001. ; and if, as in fairness
the excess of the sugar ditties should be laid to the account
of 1519. there would be a surplus on the permanent taxes
of 5,3*.!8,0001., being 10 per cent, advance nit them more than
in any preceding year. iiterease was npun the whole
of our tares, sac .pt two, so trilling that they both a:non:lied
only to 1.',00111. Evcu on the article of bricks and tiles there
is an inert ase of tri ic half ; and like inc. ease on all the articles
which wt re likely its show the Met eased property and re-
sources of the countty. The Finance Committee had as-
►umed, that the arcount would stand at the end of last year
1,132,0001. better than the close of the preceding. He
he I already stated that the income of the last year was 54,
062,0001. which made it 1,500,0001. better than the kiptiice
Committee anticipated; and there was a prospect lllht the
total surplus would stand at 3.3.538.0001. applicable to the
reduction of the public debt. There wet therefore no
intention of proposing any addition to the taxes, as long
as such a stint was applicable to tier service of the year.
As far as the present sear had gone it wits not likely
to fail, but on the coutrary „to be even more prodoclive
thou Sept year. For, in the last month, Ow* was an in.
crease of 830,0001. over the corresponding month itr the
preceding yeiti, which had, beside an addition from the re-
venue of the year 13E7. of 300,0001. Since the smitten sum
applicable to iii.• service of the current year. sod. 3,538,0001.
we hail succeeded in bringing the expenditure telt kin the
income or the country. He hoped the Committee of Fonanee
would he mudded to make a report on the quarter ending
next April, before Path:starlit should separate, by which he
trusted it would be still snore clearly skews', that the whole
object of the Committee hail been brought to bear, astutely,
to tiring the expenditure within the yearly r. venue of the
kingdom. It the counts), remained quiet, which there was
every reason to believe it would, there was in it 11141 degree
of vigour and energy that we might hope to. see every
year a progressive state of improvement. 'Elie Ilutute would
now notarially expect him to touch upon the principal points
oldie Estimates which Ministers had snide the subject of re.
duction. He could assure the Right Hon. Gentlemeu op-
posite (Mr. Tierney) that notwithstanding all that had been
done, he (Lord C.) was disposed must sincerely and rigorously
to tooth by all his good advices in the way of economy.
Many circumstances at home and abroad had ocunrs•ed to in-
spire confikleoce iu the general tranquillity, and which bad
enabled Ministers to adopt measures of wholesome and prii.
dent retrenchment, The Finance Coininittee had assumed,
that on the reduction of the Al ins 8,967,0301. woad be re-
, gilded ton the A. my, besld'•s a sum tit 300,0001. for half-pay
and pensions. 11e was happy to itifirrot the Hoose that the
estimate of Monsters was 8,700,00.1. for the Army, nulling
a dill rence of 567,0001. The teilitc,
Oritotauct- Departinems would be 100,0001. for each: total of
diminution 767,0001. But to get at these reductions, a swat of
300,0001. would be required, instead of the suns of 700,0001.
voted last year for the like lauriouNe. This was au expence
always incident to a reduction ; nut not to be expected after-
wards. The total of the troops reduced from France was
20,126 ; at home and in the colonies, 9,4.13 ; artillery, 2,035 ;
grand total reduced, incluihng Officers, 35,130. He had
shown l'ae great prospect of our increasing prosperity, and
too teach praise mould not be bestowed on the firmness,
energy, and industry cf the people of the country.—The
Noble Lord then proceeded to read extracts from the oft ciat
returns, Mating the official value of British commerce for the
last tour years, and he was happy to say, that the last year
bad *acceded any preceding one. even the extraordinary
year 1813. lii milking this statement, he could ualy take the
first three quarters of the year ending in October, as the last
quarter of the last year was nut yet made out. lit ISIS, our
exports amounted to 35,231,0001. greater by nine ur ten mil-
lions than had been known in the finaler year. In 1810, the
amount was 28,537,1)001. 1111 1817, it was 32 millions, and in
ItiV, 35,335,0001. at least 100,000!. more titan any former
year. This statement would, he trusted, operate to expel
all gloomy passages. The Noble Lord said, having thus en-
tered into such a detail as he thought the subject called fur,
he would conclude by proposing the re-appuuttinent of the
Finance Committee of last year.
Mr. Tisstrsev had only expected from the Noble Lord's
notice a lion for the re-appointment of the Finance Com-
mittee. He was not aware the Noah! Lord intended to open
a Budget, and therefore he was nut prepared, as lie would
otherwise hive been, to answer the Nubile Lord. He was
however, prepared to say, that former Finauce Committees
had greatly disappointed his expectations, and he hail only to
look fOr equal disappointment from the lailutirr or the Com-
mittee now to be appointed. He expected that the Finance
Committee would have enquired iota the expenthime, and
have recommended the heads of aetrrnu•auts, tit where re-
trencloneut was practicable. Instead of doing t his,howeeer,
all wthuli die Reports tit this Committee had gives to the
House tin former occasions, and all which► it was probable
we should have from it in the present Session, would be a
recapitulation of the Noule Lord's Budget. With respect
to the thy tering picture which the Noble Lord had now thaw')
of our commercial situation, lie cowld only say, that the Noble
Lord's divot efical opinion dares ed entirely from the practical
expel knee of the Inta chant. Slam Ilse Nu.)l:. Lard's slat • -
inetit it appeared, that there would be a surplus of rucuun•, at
tan• dtsposal uI the Chancel:or of the Exchequer, tit oboist
2,1t0rt,0001. and the Noble Lord said, now no mint be gum;
011 Wl'll, since not only had we raised our income to our ex•
pearditure, but we hail 2,400,0001. to spare i but the Nubile
Lord, whilst talking at this sittplus, fat gut Nat there was a
debt of upwards of 3,000,0001, due to the Consolidated Fund,
as well as other arrears of upwards of 1,000,0001. So that the
utmost we toald expect to do, 11111c33 oar feYCAUC increased

FEB. 15

&iris g the present year, wtmlil he to cry quite with the CITn.
S'ltidated rand in J 411116111, i 826. A. far se lie could see, the
only snot really applicable to she set vier of tlw present ye.ir,
was 7,009.0a01. unless indeed we were to have the I .otro,ouoi.
from Frame, w hick on hornier °erosions we were told ue
were to have ou the withdrawing of the troops. The Right
Him. Gent. made no mention of it, he tlwretore feared all
hopes of that sum was aime fur ever. The Noble Lord bad
heel) pleased to say, that lie had profited by his (Mr. T.'s)
aileice. He was ftirenwly happy, Indeed, in hear that any
advice of his had been of service to the Noble Lord: but lie
could not (latter himself that hi. advice would have horn at
all attended to by the Noble Lord ;sad not teal advice been
hacked by a General Election.-11e 1.'1.011' Lind %%ben he
la.t year proposed to nattier the Arno 5300, the Noble
Lord cried um in alarm, What? reduce the Army SOW)
Men in these (1311C(.100.1 ! mut it Was nut done ; but
here again the Gowen' Election had meld is to aid his (Mr.
T.'s) advice; mot although no eiremnstance had happened
to abate the Noble Lord's alarm, yet the Noble Loirl emir
down, oust of his own secure, proposed a 'eduction or
nine tliensand men. With respect to the Noble Lord's
Hourishisig picture, lie worth) again repeat the coloar;
lug was false ; for with a disposable reveuue of 7,0001. we
should, including the Sinking, Fund, have an expenditure cf
20,000,0001.; dins there would be a detkiency o 13,000,0001,
which no dotted the Chancellor of the Eseherpier mould
rai„e by an issori of Exchermer I%llls. The Right Hounnrable
Gent, could mat deny this was bib DitSl44l4/14, or that he vivid
this night propose a vote for 21,000,0001. Exchequer Rills:
nod there was at this moment, he believed, 41,000,0001. of
Exchequer Bids floating in the mark' t. Yet at this time
there eft a t:U111111iner bitiing above stairs, to settle one
paper circulation. Such a Committee sunder such cis cum-
sumer% was a !leery on the Pahlie, as was the whole
Finance System of the Right. Hon. Gent. Whew Ise said the
Right Hon. Gent.'• system, he did not loran the Right llon.
Gentlemen individually, but Ministers collectively ; for the
Right Nero. Gentleman was' no route than the faithltil organ
of the Prince Regent's as regarded FinfillCe. besotted Ad-
ministration. 31r. Tierney proceeded to comment at hap
on the mistaken system ander which the Government were
acting. which. he said, so far as regarded nsakitig 0611 income
meet one expenditure, was an illusion ; and would ue me till
his Slnjeety's Government would meet tite• evil boldly iD the
faro.

Lord CASTI.ER ISAG T 1 and Mr. TIERSEY
Mr. VaNsITTART defended the statement of his Noble-
Friend, and justified the conduct of the former Fmmutt•e
Committees, to whose suggestions mid advire„ be said, the
Government and the country were gri »rly indebted. Moen still
leavatuied for them to du; and, in parti •nisi, their I tbOllrS
would be utast usefully devoted to the ins estigation of the
present mode of collecting, the public Revenue, and snz_
resting regulations and retrenchment in I hat branch of one
expenditure, in which they would find his slajesty's Go.
vermileat ready to go hand in hand with them. The Right
Gentlemaii then proceeded to take a review of the
Consolidated Fund of Ireland, on which, he said, during the
preseut year throe would be a surplus uf• tidO,Oujl. On the
whole, lie contended, as great a I eitacti.,is ufloldit debt
as possible had taken place since the teriniliatioo of the war.
At the teraninatiou of the war• it was open for Yarliatocut to
adopt one of two measures--either to continne a vigorous
taxation, and a rapid disninutiou of debt or to reiliice to‘g-
and to suspend for a 1111le the reduction Of our debt.—
Pailiament, lie would not now say whether wisely or not, had
adopted the hitter coarse ; bat whilst we ►elieved the Piddle
from 16,04.1U,0301. of taxation, we could not expect to find a
rapid reduction of debt at the sable Right Hoe.
Gentleman supported the coarse which had been adopted ;
but he seemed now to have changed his opinion, and to be
in favour of vigorons system of taxatiosi. If end+ was his
)))) ion, let kiln l•uldly and openly avow it; and in Inat ease
lie should net %sant his as.i,tartce to a plan, which lie had
always cunsideied as the most beneficial which could hose
been adopted. 'flit Right Ilotiourable Gentleman had again
urged WIN to a strieuient uf,hls inteathms for the pt picot y ear
at present he could only give the Right hon. Gent. the
sane answer as out a former night, namely, that he euttlti not
at present, consistent with his sense of his duty, state chat
Iris plans were.
Mr. contended, that the statement of tire Noble
Lord, as to um• commerot. was delusive; there was nut a
market in Earope, to which America had accesl, is which
British manufactures could not be procured at a lower price
than in England. The difficulties of the countly, the ben.
Gent. contended, were great andwei v x4l brought on by a bad
system of Finance, which could not, he said, continue. Yet,
if the question was fairly net, and openly CilliVelsqld, lie bad
still so coutidence in the resources and blind of the•
country, as to remove all doubt from his mind, tbat trey were
fully equal to meet and overcome all those claim:hies.
Mr. alaellowal,D strongly recommended a revision of the
present mode of collecting the publicrevenue, by which lie
was persuaded a sating of 2,000,0001, aught he
etude.

Sir J. SE:BRIGHT COUld not agree that the Exchegner
afloat in the market was At all AO t%il. He was peraa.►Jed
sons wince was necessary for the employment of casual capi-
tal. He was pessnatled that all which was wanting was, that
alibetal support slsoistd be given by the Haul to our agri-
cultmalists and out manufacturers.

The motion for the appointment of the Committee was
agreed to, and Um following peraous were appointed nem^
tires :

Lord Castlereagh 1 ord Clive
Mr. Vansittart Mr. 11. Davies
Mr. Bankes Mr. Gooch
Lord Binning Mr. Wilford
Mr. Ilusitisson Mr. Courbay
Mr. feel Mr. Trema)n4
Viscount Jocelyn I Mr. Lewis
Mr. Littleton Mr. J. Smith
Mr. D. Gilbert M. Caleraft
Sir G. Clack 1 Mr. Cartwright
Sir G. Hill Mr. N. Calvert
Mr. B. Wilbra!:ain
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
_ --

The House then resolved itsi.dint;;Corninittee of Sappry ;
and, on the nruion of Mr. VANs:TrAiIT, a itt!Olilli011 for
raising 24.000,0001. by Exchequer Bills, toward, the Sttitifly
of the year, was agreed t o.—The Report eras ordered to of
ieceived to-morrow.—Adjourned.
TUESDAY.'
'PIE CRIMINAL CODE.
Mt. %Srit enFOttcß►aid,that be had been intrusted sr; th a
Petition which he cOiroderell I au honour to hold; and
yrtiteli, but tur ittilispoattion, he should have laid before the
House mt an earlier day. It came from a input resiteet.tttic
hotly, the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers; :MI
It called upoa the ilOttse to take into its ecrivas considetatilts