The National Register.
London, England, 1816-03-24 00:00:00

TIIr NATIONAL REGTSTER.

f esperiailv the relinquishment of this tax. whi
wa, the• first step to a great relief. At the same time he did not
,oink that the Revenue would lose so much a' might be imagined,
the tax nut prolueiti4 more than two millions.
Mr. BRAND wished to know whether tbe Malt-tax did not
ex:,ite on the aliof July.
Mr. VAN4ITTART replied in the affirmative, and observed
that lie should submit a motion with respect to the stock on
haiiil.

Mr. PONSONBY rejoiced that Ministers had abandoned the
tax. To that abandonment they Intel been driven by the peo-
ple of England. Without their loud and general voice the In-
come-tax would not base been got rid of, and he trusted the
defrat of Ministers in that respect would be an eternal lesson
to the people of England.—( Laud crier of hear, heat ! ) 'rimy
might be assured that their Representatives would attend to
their call, and compel Ministers to listen to the voice of justice
and of reason—( /I, ar, hear !'t
Lord Cssrtineacit conceived the Rt. Hon. Gentleman
could not hate been in the House when his Rt. lion. Friend
had made the communication respecting the Malt-tax, or he
would not have attributed to the exertions of the people, the
relingnishment of a means of taxation which was conceded
only to the distresses of the agricultural interest. With re.
sport to the Propurty-tax, he was prepared to contend that it
was a wise, just, and politic. measure, intended to relieve the
agricultural interest, and the lowerorders of the people.—(Loud
crirs of hear, hear!) Rut the rich had relieved themselves from
burtheit. and therefore he must protest against the decision
of Parliament, which he must ronsider as unwise ; if they had
at muted to the moil tied impositios as proposed by his Rt. lion.
Fe cud, the people would have been more relieved than other-
s% is •--( Ileur, !fear!)
Mt. Gouda expressed his congratulations in common with
the I hope on the abandonment of the Malt-tax. He also wished
to state that 3linisters hitherto had received his support, but
for the Eunice he should only support them so lung as they
adopted and persevered in a ssstein of economy.—( Hear, loar ! )
1114U611A M 1101/Cll, that those Gentlemen se bee generally
ipporteil Ministers would take a lesson from the Hon. Gen-
ts man who spoke last, and oniy give sappou t when it could be
given honestly—thenthe country might be saved, awl the Crown
compelled to do its tlat.y to the natiou —(lfaft, hear!)
Lord Last:m.l.Es coneeised it was not p orient to announce.
to the cc untrv, that because. they had sue, ecded in petitioning
the Income-tax. they were to petit on agaiust all others.
It nicest be obvious to the lion. and I ea neil Gentleman, that
there were a number of v‘penees to win i up the war, and cOll-
- there :mist be a guest 111'111. n I ti r money.
Mr. limn a; t.st had 110 such ide ! had not wished the
peop:e to petition against all taxes.
3lr. Ross: could not sit stet, and hear that the Property-tax
equally affeeted thu poor us the rich. He must deny the posi-
tiou the great landholder and stockholder were more relieved
by its repeal than oily other class of the commimity. It was
ti lie that it Was objectio::ahle, inasmuch as It m ide the private
affairs of the trading part of tho public subject to inspection ;
but in vs ery other point of view it was cue t so. He was per-
boasted the good acuse of the country would come round in
time, and they would find the tax to b:. a Rued one, and infi-
nitely leas oppressive than any other—l heat, heed )
AGIIIi:ULTORAL DISTRESSES..
Mr. Ct nwaa presented a petition from the landholders of
C berland, stating the agrituriiral iiistres-es of the country.
The lion. Gentleman stated the great distresses of the enmity
in particular fr which this peitiati 1 reeeeded, and consi-
dened that the Noble Lord (mold not be aware of the general
state oh the agriculturat Well had miser' in a great
measure ont of the waist of a circulating ruction'', and front the
increase of the importation of wheat and grain, antecedent to
the year 1813. He contended, that thcre were at this monitor
cure men out of employment than at any peril of scarcity.
'Die pressure of taxation had borne so oil the ride, that
they could not tied ciiiployment for the poor. .The abandon-
ment of the Malt-tax was a r:lief to the fainter ; but he still
found himself aggr:eved from the pressure of thee Horse-tax;
and he hoped Ministers would take that pant of the sobject
into consideration. _

..... ...._.......
Mr. LONG WELLENL IA declared, that no man felt more than
himself for the sle-tres,es of the agricultural interests. But
when the Income nod lislt-taxes were removed, what snore did
the people want ? :Moist( is wens iutitled to the thanks of the
country for what they hail done.
.I,..vrEirN expressed his satisfaction that the Ma!Wax
was to be repealed.
Lord CtsTuitiractt triiste 1 the House and the country
VI oulasee it in the light in which it wa• ilteiMedt. a• a
great effort to relieve the distress of the lut.cr classes of the
re ile.
The petition was then re( e'ved and referred to the Agri-
cultural Committee.
Lord SLGENT, after a few worths, moved fur an account of
the number of Clerks, and the amount of slier sittapes, as exist-
' ing in the Admiralty in the year 1815 and lAri and also the
nuinlit•r of persons horse on the Adusiralty licablislanent, and
the aakosaut of CjiliplOgiGioll granted to superanaum.ed Clerks
since NI
Mr. (:stohen di l not see the necessity for the Return for
which Ilse Noble Lord had snored, sing e all sh • information lie
asked for would be found in the Estintatts already laid ou the
table.

•
Lur.l Nuorwr'sinotion a ;reed to.
JUVENILE APPOINTMENTS.

Lord 71111.T0n mo. ed for a ropy of thr• appointment of Master
George, as Serreury to the Province of Nova Scotia ; and also
that the retura snookd state the uge of the young geutlenutu at
the time of his appointmeat.
Mr. Ituot nu AII M allo to add to the Retort) the urn' •
of the ',eland from uhieh the yotutg g ntlemun ma. takeu.—

(is 'angle.) _ -
1.141 MILTON also ino‘ed tbr the app Item nt of another
:Master tieurge to the sank office, with a a atanent of his age,
anti the flame of los deputy. -Ok ilei ed.
sEcRET.% It Y OF THE ADMIRALTY.

Mr. MET/It e, said, he had now to bring forward a gurstion
of a most beritius nature, namely, to enquire into the circum-
smiler+s attending the itlClTibe of the solac,es of the Secretary
and Under secretary to the Admirady. In bringing forward
this rrestion, hr should also advert to the increase made to the
salaries of the Commissioners of Cteaoms and I:seise in Scot-
land; and drawing the attention of the House to this subject,
he truited he should not he suspected of any wish to cavil with
the measures or the Noble Lord and ha COOCHIIIeII. On the
contr.d y, he wished to see public serviet s rewarded, but the
0111 IS laid with Chem ; they it ere to prove that these
mereases of salaties, especially tlia du S.,cretaries of the
Admiralty were coasistent with ecommy and the duty they
owed to the public. The Han. Biennier thin prov,edeil to
ci,mment on the advance which ha l been made to the salary'
of the Seerttary of the Admiralty of lut:A a yi.ar and on the

.-)1

Order in Council directing that the salary should Le 1::( sale e
in time of peace as in time of oar. The reason asAgned
that no decrease took place in the salaries of Secretaries of
other offices, and that all ought to be treated alike; this objee-
Cain might easily have been obviated by allowing the reduetime
in the salary of the Secretary to the Admiralty, and to extend
it also to all the other pnhlie Secretarii,. The objection In
ifielnality would theishave been done away.--Wee hear.)—The
Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving a Resolution, declaring
that the House highly approved of the Order in Council of the
15th of June 1800, but considered the suhsequent order of the
23.1 olJune, Islls, as a misapplication °like public money.
lord CASTLEREAGH world never quarrel with any gentle.
man for putting yeestions regularly, especially when, as the
Hon. Member said in this ease, the ones prohandi laid on Minis-
ters. lie also agreed with the Hon. Member, that this was a
very important question, as related to the general question of
econoiny, aid eli increase upon the particular office was but
small. He could tin:refine, at present, give. the House but a
very imperfect outline of what had been dune, what was doing,
anti what was intended to be dime. The current details wreak/
be laid before the House in a few drys. lie wools' now state,
roughly, that the reduction in the War-Oftiee world he about
10001. In the War Department there would also be a very
considerable deduction --seven clerks and one under secretary.
In the Paymaster-General's office, the establishmenta abroad
would be reduced .;1,0001. a year; and a further saving of
70001. was contemplated, and a reduction of II clerks would
make a whole saving of 11,0001. In the Civil branch of tie
Con 111 l is:ariat there would he a reduction of upwards of
12:40001. In Hu. Storekeeper's Office a reduction of 60001
had already taken place; and a further reduction of 3,tuoi.
was is contemplation. In the Barrack Departuumt, a saving
of 71901. bad already been adopted, and other reductions were
determined on. In the Admiralty, the salaries hail been re•
deuced 501101. and a farther reduction of 20001. would immediate-
ly take place. In the Navy Department, 5000 persons bad
been diseinulred, and a saving of 102,0001. introduced. In the
the N'ictuallifig-Office, a reduction of 25,0001. had been made,
and a saving of 25,0001. inure hail been marked out. The.
Transport E.itablislainent would be almost entirely reduced.
The Ordnance, and some other offices, were not ite this slate
meat; but the rough statement lie had just made prothes'ed a
total saving of 371;0001.; a further saving upon these offices of
til,oool. %sus contemplated, making in all 650,0001. indepen-
dent of those offices not included in the returns. lie trusted
this statement %%meld proie. tuat his Majesty's Government
were not entirely occupied in increasing salaries—' llear, heir,
heuro—With respect to the increase of saki es given to the
Co 11111 l iNsioners of Excise, it dui not originate now; but was
agitated in 1896. when a genelen e h on the other aide of the
Douse were ill suffice. The then uotrin l iss l oners made an ap-
plication tier ate increase of salary, which was slot Ihcn complied
with. renewed their application to air. Perceval, earl
that gantleman, whilst he o ithiaeld an immediate increase, held

out hopes, ultnost amounting to a proud-e. that with the re•
turn ut peace, the advance should be made. The duties of
these gentlemen were weighty; they collected opt% it rd. ut 4*
millions of revenue, and the sum collected by the commission •
ers of I'Vi‘r bad increased gl millions since any advance had
been made to their salaries. This had greatly increased their
boom's, and upon the grounds of increased labour it was that
his Majesty's Government haul acceded to a Chilli long since
made and well reeeiv ed. With respect to the neat question,
he was of opinion the Hun. Member had nut adopted a riOtt
course ; in his opinion the proper course to have pursued would
have been to object to the vete when the Navy Estimates came
before the House; and then, if it should appeiar that the pro-
Posed vote of salary was too much, to reduce it. With respect
to the advance, lie found himself bound to say, that no appliea•
tion whatever was 'natio by hi. Hon. Friend (Mr. Croker) on
the subject : on the contrary, he, as far as his own individual ,
voice went, objected to it, as thinking it :night call for personal
observations on himself; the fact was, that the adv mire was mate
by the advice ut the first Lord of the Treasure, the first Lord
of the Admiralty, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who,
after doe ronsideration, determined tint in every view of jos-
tiee the advance 1/11L:11, to be made. The offiee.4 Secretary
to the Admit ally was one of thy most important in the State—
one of great labour, and by no means less so in peace than is
war; and he must main !Treat, that, as far as his Hon. Friend
was concerned, the subject was fully open to discussion, as be
had taken no sn p whatever to obtain any addition to his ..4141 .
The Noble Lord, therefore, concluded by Moving as au amend-
ment, that the ether Orders of the Dim be now read.
Mr. IL MAR nu was out at all satisfied with the csplanation
of the Noble Lord, and trust. d the House would not be turned
aside tioui entertaining the motion by the speech they had just
heard.

Mr, ROBINSON tlefenil,4l the mea.nre. ft raiiiht indeed he
said that this salary of •Inaol. a year W:t% too min It at any time
but as the Julies of this office were equally efficient in time of
peace as in time of war, he could see 110 reason why a dart rear° I
shintlil be matte, or that the salary should be amok more at one
time than at :mother.

Mr. !Stew:Gili3l said, the Noble Lord had desired, on a for.
tiler night, that the House WuOil wait till be coalel leave an op-
portunity of e‘plaiiiing this circumstance, and till he comet •
enter on Ili i deltii.te. 'floe Noble Lord had said, his statement
of retrencliment was only a rreigti sk cult : he; waniel t 0:, there-
titre. criticise it closely; but he elitist advert tee the hist article
hi the Noble Lord s list of retrenchment. Tiis wit the War
Office, an office erected life the purposes of wit unls, and
which, therefore, he (Mr. B.) hail expected to hear it was v..-
tirely dour away. The Noble Lord, to his great 111.0101)011a-
'toga, stated, that a reducti en of *teen 41A:sand oar meter ai,r,—
lary hid taki: ti place. So much for retretivioni•nt in that wows
ter. Hid there was one article of retrenclime•nt to a hicli t c
Noble Lord had adverted in lofty terms, and that wets the Ail-
minilty and Navy. Here the Noble Lord said. a redue•tion lit
upwards or .inou Offieers had token place, and a •,i‘ dig had
been made of near 100,0001. 'flns indeed looked like it.iiiess;
and he I 11. i was most highly gratified to he at so much had
i
hcen done; but opon enquiry how did the fact titer out i• Whes
that upwards u1..50110 of these officers were poor artifieeni, aha
had for their labours in the Dock•vards received Is, or led. ;IL
(Inv. This was a mockery. The lion. Member then ails erteal
to the reduction of the Censinissariat, and coatenidti., di 1 it
was still more trilling than that its the N svy Departmeot. 'flee
Hon. Gout. said, he begged now to be u:idorstosall us ii.ca. i .g
nothing of pi rsonal ilisnspeet either to Mr. Croker or to sir.
Barrow ; but he most say, that dins taking money I.llt of tile
pockets of the !oxidic to put illtJ their,, wanao less than a gees,
scandalous, and profligate job.
Mr. l's:Ei. said, it w is with a feeling of indignation that he
had heard the iiiifieuileird :111111111iWit iiiipnl -.vitals of the Hon.
Gentleman between the increase of salary now proposed and
other circumstances unconnected with the subject. It w ~t;
anfiir to represi nt this us a scandalous job. He rontende I
that this w..s a question of principle, whether the salaries of
Civil Officers should be less in time of peace than in thus of
war.

SI

Twithev said, the Noble Lord k (luatlereugii) began 11
deprecating ad clantunt as usual. For the purpose of raising
elutnour ami,g, his tmn friends, but In that lie failed
He litchi %vela on to stow that he had alWarl been a
tl:eu.l of eetiatian, cad hi the ii:mepl he made to his frieuaA cur
at elm raeter, lir W,ei as hasaeeesstal a. 4 some people lie had twins
so. the o.il Bailey, Wm called witnesses to their elciracter, hat
tome ANwarvil. Like those aufurttionte person* having net
:my Council or very bail ones) the Noble Lord read a king pu-
pir of the pliteer he had held, in as which he hail proposed
economy, and lie concluded like persons in that unhappy situ-
ut by promising aaieuiltuent.-- (..1 lard lough).
Cutiti.}:a had hatinteuile.l to bare taken a part in this
4lelrate, hot he had attrialed iu his place lo give un :lower to
I.linlevee implittitons might be east upon him. lie ;visored
Valli he had no prtainal interest in the tiaL,action ; and he
could have wished that justice bad liven done to a very humble
class of individua.s, without his uarite having Limn eniatil in

q nest ion.
The Hour then divided—Fur the Amtudineut 151)--Inr
the original Nlotion 1:111 —Majority 29.
Adjourned et on..t.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21.

A, there were only 37 Menthe's present at four o'clock,
4i) bving required at that hour, the Speaker declared We
Haase to stand adjourned.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22.

Mr. Clark, Clerk of the vent Debtor's Coed, presented
Ret mils of the gross amount of the D:.‘bts of rove who have pe-
titioned for relief, and the amount ut property got in by As-
appointed by the Court. Ordered to he printed.
Mr. BLACKBURN presented a Petition from Stamford, pray-
ing a repeal ut the Insolvent Debtors Act.—Ordered to lie on
the table.
A Petition from Grantham was presented, praying the House
to adopt !imam MR of economy and retrenchment.
A new writ fur Lyme Regis was ordered in the room of Lord
Borghersh.
Mr. C. GRANT presented a Petition from the Inverness Agri-
cultural Society, praying a modification ut the Malt Doty, and
an cquilization of the Distillery Law's. Ordered to lie on the
table

MAINTENANCE OF TIE POOR.
Sir It HERON gave notice, that on Tuesday ,e'nnight he
should move for leave to introduce a 13ill to repeal the pros i-
loons of certain local Acts respecting the Maintenatice of the
poor, and to introduce other provisions fur the better regula-
tion of the SinRC.
Mr. I il/IOLON presented a Petition from certain growers of
corn in E,setc, praying the House to taro its attention to the
dist' esstd state of agriculture- Ordered to lie on the table.