The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-16 00:00:00

MALT DUTY.

Mr. WODEHOUSE presented a petition from the Hun-
dred of Haresham in Norfolk, praying for a reduction of
the malt duty.
Mr. STEWART gave notice, that on the let of April
he intended to submit to the House a motion respecting
the revenue and expenditure of Ceylon.

Mr. H. VILLIERS postponed till after the Holidays his
motion, which stood for to-morrow, respecting our corn-
mercial rid ttions with Portugal.

Mr. WARBURTON moved for a return of the number
of Commissioners of Bankrupt in London, and the dates of
their appointment, with the other offices they hold, if any.

THE BUDGET.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose and
spoke as follows :—Mr. Speaker, I avail my ;elf of the
oPpoatunity now afforded me to bring before the House
the view of his Majesty's Government with respect to the
financial concerns of the country ; and I do so, Sir, rot
more in deference to the wish that has been ex-
pressed by the House, than from my own sense
of the justice and the propriety of the course
which I am now about to pursue. I feel, Sir, that in the
present depression which prevails in the minds, and the ge-
neral anxiety which exists among all classes, as to the mea-
sures to he adopted by Parliament, that the House of Corn-
mans have a right to know the views and determination of
Government. I feel also, Sir, perfectly assured, that at a time
when there is such a general anxiety, when there is on the
part of some persons exaggerated expectations, as to the
means of relief which Parliament possesses, and on the other
hand an anxiety to give credit to Government for every
feeling of sympathy or assistance it can affor,l, that it is
desirable on every account to bring measures before Par-
liament, which will show distinctly how little there is of
justification, either for exaggerated expectations or ura
f,nndetl anxiety. Sir, when I last had the honour of ad-
dressing you upon a similar subject, I adverted to the
state of depression in the country which prevailed in
the course of the last year. I then ventured to
express a hope tt at those einharressments were not of a
nature to continue long. I, Sir, am bound to confess that
the hope. I then expressed has not been realized.—(Hear,
hear.)—But circumstances have occurred to prolong those
4illiculties and to increase the pressure on the greater part
of the population. I do not intend, Sir, on this occasion
to enter into a discussion of those particular circumstances
which have aggravated the difficulties of the country.—
,r, hear.)-1 am anxious from personal feelings
to disembarrass the present statement of every thing which
ran at all obscure it, and as a day has been fixed for en-
tering into a discus-ion on the state of the country,
on every account deserv'ng the utmost attention, I
think I shall best consult my own feelings and
the wishes of the House, by not entering into it
at length on the present occasion. But, Sir, when
I take that course, I may be permitted to state
on behalf of myself and my colleagues that I do it more
for the purpose of preventing any misunderstanding upon
the subject which I am about to enter on. I do not, therefore,
put the question of the distrees of the country aside,
because I do not deeply sympathize in the sufferings of
those who arc at present labouring under the heaviest
embarrassments : I shall give the best evidence in
my power of feeling for them, in the endeavour
which it will be my duty to make to afford them
relief. But on the other hand I beg not to be misunder-
sal el when I say, that, whatever maybe the difficulties
which involve particular classes of the country, I see in
them no cause for despondency or alarm, and no reason
to doubt the stability of the resources of the country.—Sir,
without further preface, I propose to enter into the question
more immediately the subject of consideration before us.
I most certainly cannot do so, however, without, in
the first instance, calling the attention of the House to the
state of the Revenue and Expenditure of last year. I
am anxious to do so, partly in conformity to the statement
which I before submitted to Parliament upon them,
and partly because I think the House will hear with some
satisfaction the state in which the country stands, as regards
its revenue and finances. It will be in the recollection of many
present that in estimating the Revenue of 1829, I took it
at an amount considerably less than that of the year pre-
ceding. I made allowances at that.period for what I conceived
to be the probable defalcation of the Revenue, and I then
stated to the House, and I expressed a confident
expectation, that the Revenue of that year would amount
to 51,310,000/. It has turned out, Sir, as will appear
by the reference of any gentleman to the paper annually
presented to the House, that the produce of the Revenue
so estimated has fallen short of the estimate I made by
560,0001. And here, Sir, I may be permitted to observe
though the defalcation in the estimate appears to be to that
amount, part of it arises from a different appropriation of
some part of that sum which I had applied to the Re-
venue of the former year. I mean a sum obtained from
the City Canal, of 130,0001., which has not been
applied to the revenue of the service of the year,
as I stated it was my intention to apply it. The
real deficiency, therefore, below that at which I made the
estimate, must be taken to be somewhere about 430,0001. and
when the House considers the particular circumstances that
have occurred since I last addressed the House, it will see
no great cause to blame, as extravagant, the estimate I then
formed, or to impute censure to me for the deficiency that has
occurred--(Cheers)—that deficiency having occurred on an
article ever which the state of a harvest unforeseen
had powerful influence. I estimated that the Malt
Duty of the last year would fall short of the
preceding years, 600,000/. ; but it has been 800,000/.,
Then the defalcation in beer amounted to 200,000/.,
making together 1,000,000/. ; from which, it the esti-
matedrlefalcation of 600,000/. be deducted, we have a
balance of 400,0001., being nearly the extent to which toy
expectations were not realized. Thus do I trust I have
succeeded in making out the disappointment to have arisen
from catves which no man could have foreseen, and over
which Government could have exercised no controul. Let
it not be supposed that in stating these defalcations, I mean
to say there are not any others, though they are nearly
balanced by the unexpected increase. The way in which
I mean to put it is, that the defalcation of 560,000/. is
nearly accounted for by the failure of revenue in articles
affected by the harvest. I will not conceal from the House
that there are other defalcations, but they are not from
causes which imply any diminished consumption. There
is one article, at least, upon which reduced revenue implies
nothing of diminished consumption—on tea there has been
a defalcation of 150,0001., but so far from that proving a
diminished consumption, the fact is that the consumption
has increased. The House must be aware that the duty
on tea is an ad valorem duty ; and to this is to be attri-.
bated the peculiar deficiency of the past year. Oa other

Articles of the Excise throe are also deficiencies to a eons
Siderable amount. The whole niskitig a deficiency ;ender •
the head of Excise. (as cernpared with. the: preceding
year) of about 1,300,0001. With reference to. the
Customs, on which I ventured lest year to lay a
sort of calculation before the House, I am happy
to say that the deficiency of the Excise has been in
some degree compensated by an unexpected augmentation
in the amount received in this department. The estimate
for the customs, which I laid last year before the House,
amounted to 17,000,0001 , while I am happy to he able to
state that the actual amount received has been 17,200,0001.,
which surplus we have a right to set against the defalca-
tion in the excise. With respect to the customs, however,
I feel it to he but fair and right to state to the House that
a considerable proportion of the revenue in the present
year (and to which the increase I have just mentioned is
mainly to be attributed) is owing to the large augmentation
under the head of duties received upon foreign corn—
(Hear, hear)—and I state this the rather, because it is not
my intention in future statements to snake any allowance
for this variation. I find, on examination of the last year
and of the present, compared avith the preceding one, that
the amount received on account of the duty on corn fluc-
tuated between the excise and the customs, in proportion
as the harvest of the year in this country had been abun-
dant, or the contrary; therefore, although this year it
has epsrated as a means of increase to the customs,
ahou4l the harvest next year be abundant, the increase
will be in the excise. This being the cite, though
I have thought it right to state the amount of the in-
crease on the corn duty this year, it will he seen that
I do not intend to place any particular reliance upon it.
Sir, if we look to the estimate of the revenue for the last
year, and look at the productiveness of it, we shall
see matter of congratulation of no ordinary description.
During that period the surplus applied in redemption of
the debt was 2,490,000/., and that was not an imaginary
surplus made up of surplus on the one side, and none
on the other, but an actual surplus applicable to
the redemption of the debt, after payment of every sum for
which this country was liable. It may here be as
convenient to call the attention of the House to another
subject which obtained the sanction of Parliament in
the year 1528. In that year this House gave a sanc-
tion to a measure for converting a permanent annuity into
one for years or for lives; and when I submitted
that measure to the house, I certainly did so
on the'gronnd, rather, that it would prove a convenience
to the public, than that it would he productive of any
advantage to the revenue. But it will certainly be found,
upon reference to the papers, that whilst that measure
relieved the country in one year of debt to the amount of
2,400,000/. it actually relieved the country in the course
of :30 years of an additional sum of 2,700,000/.—
(Hear, hear.)—With these observations I propose to
enter upon the statement of the estimates for the
ensuing year, and in doing so I must claim the indul-
gence of this House ; and I ant satisfied that, when the
House takes into consideration, the difficulty of
making an accurate calculation upon a subject of this
kind, and the early period at which my anxiety to lay
my statement before the House compels we to make my
calculations, that their indulgence will be liberally extended
to me. I can assure the House that I have spared no
pains in ariving at a just conclusion ; and if I have formed
a wrong estimate of the resources of the country, I am
sure I shall receive from the House that consideration
which the difficulties I have alluded to, entitle me to.—
(Cheers.)—The House has been acquainted in the Speech
fro:n the Throne of the existence of distress in the agri-
cultural and manufacturing classes, but if that statement
had not been made to the House, the personal knowledge
of each individual Member, and the petitions laid before
the House, would be sufficient to prove the existence of
that distress. Such being the state of things, it
became the duty of Ministers to give to the subject such
cowideration as would enable them, if they should still
feel bound to refuse the prayer of the petitioners, to
show that they acted from a sense of the inexpediency or
impossibility of granting their prayer ; or that if they should
feel it their duty to grant the concession, to show that in do-
ing so they were not unmindful of the prayers of the people.
(Cheers.)—Those petitions not only state the distress,
but did that which was by no means natural, pointed out
means of relief from taxation. It therefore became incum-
bent upon those to whom the affairs of the nation
were entrusted to show to what extent relief could be
afforded. In doing so there were two modes open for
consideration. One was to afford relief to the utmost
practical extent to those parties whom the taxes more im-
mediately affected without imposing any fresh taxes upon.
the other classes of the community ; and the other was
to make up the deficiency occasioned by the repeal of
those taxes, by. imposing taxes upon those classes
who are not supposed immediately to suffer.—(Heas.)—
I need not conceal from the House that among the many
plans submitted to the House one was the imposition of a
property tax ; that subject received the fullest considera-
tion, and the advantages and disadvantages of the measure.
with reference to other great measures having been
maturely weighed, it was thought more advisable to
resort to another mode of affording relief than one which
would only take the burthen off the shoulders of one class
to transfer it to the shoulders of another class of the com-
munity. Sir, in considering what mode of relief
it would be most advisable to adopt, his Majesty's Go-
vernment thought that would he most advisable which
would give relief to the utmost possible extent to the lower
orders of the agricultural and manufacturing classes—
for upon those classes, Id() believe, taxation at the present
moment most strongly presses.—(Continued cheers.)—
I know that in this fee:ing I shall have (and, indeed, the
cheers of the House already assure me that I have) the
concurrence of all who hear me ; and I say this the more
confidently, because I am sure that there is no assembly in
any country that has more sympathy for the lower orders
of the community than that which I now have the honour
to address ; and however much it may be contended that
we non-represent the wishes of the people., I am sure that
no measure which may tend to their relief can be pro-
posed without meeting with favour.—(Cheers.)—The
other principle—and not an unimportant one either—was
to act on the plan of reducing those taxes which, while
they gave the greatest relief to the people, produced by
their removal the least loss to the revenue of the country;
for in the taxation of this country, the degree in which
the revenue is productive and pressure inflicted is extremely
different. In some, the amount received is just that im-
posed on the people ; in others the amount falls short ; and
occasionally other taxes have been imposed, in levying
which no benefit has accrued to the public.—(Hear,
hear.)—Taking, then, these two principles for my guide,
the tax which appears for me to call for the revision of Par-
liament is the tax upon beer.--(Cheers.)—Beer, I am sorry
to say, of latter years, has become almost a luxury to the poor.
There was, Sir, a period when instead of beings as
it has been of late years, looked upon by the working
classes as the beverage of holidays and feast-days, it was
looked upon as a necessary of life, which could not he
dispensed with at the tables of the peasantry.—(Cheers.)
—And I trust that the measure which I shall have the
honour of submitting to the consideration of the House
will restore to the people the daily enjoyment of that beve-
rage, and in doing so will restore that which is of miteli
more importance, those habits of temperance and sobriety,
which have in some measure been destroyed by the sub-
stitution of other beverages.—(Hear.)—Beer is heavily
taxed for the purposes of Government; for upon every
quart of beer of the strength of London porter, the duty
to Government is about three farthings, and when the an-
nual consumption of that article by each family is taken
into consideration it will appear that the repeal of this
tax will operate in a way not at. all inconsiderably bene-
ficial to those more immediate classes whose relief is
the object of this measure. For more reasons than
one, it is desirable that the tax upon beer should
be selected as the one to be repealed, for that tax
presses unequally in its operation, for while it leavee
the rich man, who is able to brew his own beer
entirely exempt from it, that duty and the expense of
collecting it, whieh are not inconsiderable when the com-
plicated mode of collection is t Been into consideration, fall
exclusively upon those classes who may he not im-
properly called the exclusive consumers of the commodity.
But it is not only the tax which is paid to Government
that beer has to encounter : like all other taxes which are
raised for the service of the State, the steps which are re-
quisite for its collection are necessarily subject to various
restrictions which operate against its manufacture. Among
others may be instanced, that while a' man mat. brew one
specific quantity of beer, lie may not brew another. So
be is prohibited from varying its strength hut in certain
degrees, besides other circumstances to which I need not
now revert, which in themselves impose upon the article
of beer an amount of duty which mey he supposed to be
represented by the degree of inconvenience and restriction
to which the whole combined give rise. But there is a
still heavier duty cn beer, which I have yet to mention;
and that is, the system under which it is permitted to be
retailed to the public.—(Cheers.)—lt would be difficult
for me to estimate the amount whiCh is thus added to the
Government duty, but I believe that it will be found to be
very consideralds,--(Hear.)—l am net afraid to estimate
it at the very least at one-third of the whole amount of
duty paid to the State ; and therefore we may assume that,
if we repeal the whole beer duty of three millions, we slue I
give to the country a relief little short of four millions and
a half from the measure.—(Loud cheers.)—ln considering
the mode in which relief may be given to the public in the

{ 4

11111,‘" 144:

es,
charge upon this article, three coerses preterit t`,lllietrisee
by which We may proceed. tlso4otleef. trd,irencl age
whole duty on beer, -which is what I propose to do in the
present case.;- or we may remove the whole duty en malt,
leaving the,, beer as it stands ;or we may make a com-
promise between the•tWo,, by taking half off the cue, and
half off the other. I have -preferred to adopt the first of
these three modes sa-(Cheere.) And I have done it on
the firm conviction that by so doing I shall best afford re-
lief to that class which I most anxious to relieve, and
that I shall not be injuring those to whom the other mode
of proceeding might be supposed to have been more advan-
tageous. Among the causes which have induced me to
make the election that I have, is the evident inequality of
the tat. The man who can brew fbr himself is altogether
exempt from its influence.—( Hear, hear.) If he is wealthy
enough to possess the requisite machinery, he is able to
drink beer at a price lower than the peasant who has to
purchase the beverage itself. And I think, therefore, that
this is a circumstance which, under the present difficulties
of the country, should recommend the course that I pro-
, pose. In the next place, by taking off the whole of one
tax, instead of a portion of two, we shall be able to save
the whole of that superincumbent weight which the re-
striction, while existing, imposes upon the country ;
(Cheers)—so that, in this way, we shall have the means
of making a still further saving, as it will enable us to
make some reduction in the estsblishments.—(Cheers.)--
, I think also that the House will perceive, that, taking
beer at the standard of strength at which it is or-
dinarily drunk, the remission of the duty on beer
will afford a relief far larger than a similar reduction
on malt. Upon the London porter, one million of
beer duty affects it to three times the degree that the duty
on malt would ; it stands, therefore, to reason that the re-
moval of such a duty will afford considerable relief.—
To those who have opposed the removal of this duty
I would say, you are, in fact, by the repeal of this
duty securing to the dealer in malt a much greater
consumption of that commodity. Can any one doubt that
the great object to which the maltsters ought naturally to
look to was—not the difference of a shilling, or any thing
of that sort on the duty—but the increased demand, which
was likely to produce a rapid consumption of their cons-
modity.—(Hear, hear.)—The consumption of that com-
modity will necessarily be extensive, in proportion to the
reduction in the price of the article chiefly concerned;
and, if the price of that article be reduced in a large pro-
portion, by taking off the beer duty, we shall be doing
more towards increasing the 'consumption of malt, than
by adopting the other course, and attempting to take a pot,.
tion from one and a portion from- the other, so as to meet
the claims of all classes.—(Hear, hear.)—When I men-
tion the remission of the beer duty, I must say that this
will necessarily depend on the free sale of heer.—(Loud
cheers.)—From all that I have seen of the proceedings of
the Committee which is now sitting, I am confident that
a freer sale of that article is absolutely essential to the ad-
vantage of the community—(Cheers)—and still more cer-
tain is it, that if this tax is repealed, it will he essential
for the health and comfort of the lower classes that the
trade should be opened. At present, while the tax still
exists, in the vigilance of the Excise and the activity of its
officers there was some sort of security against the adul-
teration of the liquor; but if this safeguard is removed,
and the monopoly be still suffered to exist, there wilt
no longer be any protection against the use of drugs
noxious to the health of those who use it.—(Cheers.)—
What, therefore, I propose is, to repeal the whole
of this duty from the 10th of next October.—
(Hear, hear, hear.)—Perhaps the House may consider
that I should state some reason for fixing that date.
It will not 'be possible to bring that measure into
operation till the period when the licenses are granted.—
If Government were to repeal that tax at the pre-
sent moment, in what situation would they place those
who were rot apprehensive of any such reduc-
tion—those who have paid their duties on large stocks?—
(Hear.)—We cannot give them relief without paying to
them an enormous amount of their stocks. By the reduc-
tion of this duty there will no doubt be an increased
demand in the commodity. Besides these considerations,
one great object will be attained by delaying these steps till
October—for it is to be observed that although the tax
on beer will not cease till that period, there will be an
indirect operation in favour of the consumer immediately.
—(Hear, hear, hear.)—Among other advantages also
that will attend the repeal of this commodity, there is
one that will be considered by all as important in a great
degree, namely, the removal of the tax on cider, a
tax, Sir, which amounts to between 25 and 30,000/.,
a tat collected under circumstances of difficulty and
oppression. There was also another thing in which
the remission of taxation would be most importantly
felt. That was the tax on leather.—(Hear, hear.)—The
present amount of revenue derived from that tax is about
400,0001.—a tax heavily felt by the agricultural population.
In one of the long contested debates on the subject in this
House, it was asserted by a Noble Friend of mine—if I
may be allowed to call him so—that the ereater the distress
experienced among the labouring agriculturists, the more
heavily did the tax fall upon them. In removing this tax,
therefore, Sir, I shall remove a tax which is now felt to
press 'With a peculiar severity on a large class of the people.
Moreover, Sir, an abolition of the tax altogether; and then
doing away the restrictions that are now laid on the manu-
facture of the article, which compel the manufacturer to
manage the business differently from what be otherwise
would, which compel one n an to be a tanner and another
to he a dresser of leather; in removing the restrictions we
shall give a relief to the people as well as by the reduction
of the duty.—(Hear.)—At present these restrictions affect
the manufacturers injuriously, and are useless to the re-
venue.—(Hear.)—And in doing away with them, I cal-
culate that we shall give additional relief to the public
equal to the amount of the tax. It is with that object
that I propose the abolition of the whole tax. What
would the public gain by taking off one-half ? While the
Government would lose some revenue, the price of the
article would scarcely be reduced, and little or no relief
would he given.—(Cheers.)—lt is for this reason that I
do not propose the reduction but the abolition of these
taxes.--(Hear, hear. )—lf I had done that the restrictions
must have been continued on the trade—an establishment
must he kept up for collecting the tax—and reducing the
duty one-half would have appeared like doing nothing.--
(Hear, hear.)—ln acting on this principle the Govern-
ment has not looked to keeping up a large establishment,
and it has deferred to what hair been considered necessary
by the Haeste—(Hear, hear.)--e-The amount of the three
duties which I thus propose to repeal will be on beer,
3,000,000/. ; on leather, from 340,0001. to 350,000/. ;
and on cider, 25,000/, making together the sum, speak-
ing in round numbers, of 3,400,000/. According, Sir,
to my calculations, this reduction will give positive relief
to the people, amounting, at least, to 3,400,000., and it
will moreover, if the view I take be correct, give them
relief -indirectly to a considerable amount ; so that in
fact we shall give the people, on the whole, relief which
cannot he estimated at less than 5,000,000/. a-year. We
shall not throw away this relief either, Sir; we shall
not give up anything to epeculation and chance, hut•as it
-appears to me, we shall prudently apply the resources of
the country to the relief of these particular classes-, the
agricultural and the manufacturing; classes-which labour
under the most distress and have the strongest claim to the
'sympathy of Parliament, and we shall adopt the most de-
cisive arid efficacious method of relief that is in our power.
I have now stated, Sir, the amount of taxation which it is
proposed to reduce ' • and I now come, Sir, to consider, the
estimated revenue of the present year, limited as that will
be by the amount of relief I have thought it my duty to
afford the people. I calculate that the diminution of the
revenue during the present year, arising from the loss of
the beer duties, during one quarter, will be 750,0001. ;
and I calculate it at this, because, though I am aware
that there will be some diminution of the trade in the
meantime, in expectation of the reduction of the duty,
yet, if I do not miscalculate, there will be a great
increase in the operations of the maltster, which will
be a compensation to the loss on the beer duty.
Taken at a fair calculation, then, I conclude that the
hies of the revenue from the abolition of the tax on beer
will be about 750,000/. I shall take the loss 'arising
froM the abolition of the duty on leather, which wig begin
in July, at 200,000/., making, with the duty on cider, a
diminution in the revenue for.the presentlyear of 960,C00/.
This, Sir, is the amount of the reduction-fair which, after
giving the subject the most attentive consideration possible,
it appears to tne Parliament will have to provide, in
making those abatements of taxation which are necessary
to give relief to the country. I must, however, say, Sir,
that taxation has been so fully reduced—and it has been
reduced to the greatest extent we think possible—with a
view of giving relief to the people. In doing so much,
some gentlemen may, perhaps, consider that we have
over-stepped the bounds of prudence, and that we do
wrong in trusting so much to our future resources; but
when the House hears the grounds on which I rest my
C hopes of our future revenue, and on which I recommend
the course to be adopted, it will not think that our
determination to afford relief, after attention had been
called to the subject, has been carried too far.—(Hear,
bear, hear.)—l will begin by supposing that the reve-
nue of thepresent year will be equal to that of the past. In
the Customs I do not expect that there will be boy in-
crease, when I consider the large stocks that all
tradesmen and manufacturers have on hand, and there being
no probability that the consumption is likely sensibly to alter.
I am botaid also to observe, that in this estimate I make

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,

• Rio,Cuati fogy%llll.t ttale en7'; n?
of ho f
tl:i't
departitient of the Wilk: service Which may be the exact.
amount of thd redUct;aii, thltugli of confined extent. I
am not able precisely to say, Wit I esiiinate it fit 60,0001.,
which, though not a great sum, is not to he O4rlooked
our present difficulties. Moreover, dining the ilreent
year, there will be a termination of some bounties, which
will give additional relief to the ,amount of 50,0001,—
Taking all these circumstances into consideration, I can-
not estimate the probable amount of the Customs for
the next year at less than during the last, or at
17,200,0001. The Excise Ido nut propose to told at as
great an amount as last year: I feel I might be justified
even in taking the amount at as large anal, for 1 have
been assured, by those on whose authofty f can taly, and
who are well cOraeersant With all the detail§ of the Ex-
cise, and who are likely to foriii a east-red Opinion, I might
be justified in taking the amotfrit at as large a saw as
last year, but I prefer being on the safe side, a4lld, there-
fore, for the produce of the Excise during the next
year, I propose, as compared with the produce of last
year, to make a reduction of 240,0001. According
to the view of many able and skilful men conversant
with the revenue, I might estimate it higher; but I
prefef the lower estimate, in order that I may not disap-
point myself nor disappoint others. I know, Sir, ac-
cording to the returns on the tables of the House, that
there appears to be a considerable diminution in the
revenues of the Excise ; but, Sir, I also know, that ac-
cording to those returns, the great diminution took place
• in consequence of the eight weeks' severe weather, at the
close of 1829 and beginning of 1830, which caused a
diminution of 340,0001. That severe weather prevented
many of the operations which were necessary to the
completion of the articles on which duties were paid ;
but since the weather had become milder, those operations
were renewed with increased. activity and vigour, and a
corresponding augmentation had taken place in the Excise
duties. 1 see in these facts no cause for any alarm as to
the future produce of this branch of the revenue, end I
think, therefore, that we may take the amount of the
Excise for the next year at 19,300,000/. The Stamp
Revenues I calculate this year at the same amount as last
year. There is no appearance of defalcation in this branch
of the revenue ; I see no cause to expect a diminution ;
and I propose to estimate the Stamp Duties at the same
amount as last year, or 7,100,0001. The Assessed Taxes
have suffered little or no variation for two consecutive
years, though the amount has rather increased than di-
minished ; and in particular, there is rather an increase
of duty on articles of luxury, notwithstanding
_the
difficulties of the times. I propose, therefore, to take the
Assessed Taxes at the same amount as last year, or
4,900,000/. With respect to the Post-office, I expect the
revenue will be more productive, and I ant confident that
arrangements now in progress will diminish the charge,
and increase the revenue. I propose to estimate the Post
Office Revenue, therefore, at 1,500,000/. The small
branches of the revenue are subject to little variation, and
they may be taken the same as last year, at 200,0001.
The miscellaneous branches' of the revenue may also be
taken at the same amount as last year, though there was
then a sum of 7,0001. paid into that account, being the
amount of fees impounded in the Court of Exchequer in
Ireland : but I will take the estimate of these miscella-
neous branches at 280,000!. The whole estimate, then,
for the present year, will he 50,480,000/. I will now
proceed to state the probable amount of the expenditure
during the same period, for which I have mentioned the
revenue. The first head of our expenditure is that which
concerns the National Debt, and the interest and manage-
ment of the National Debt during the present year will be
25,670,4251., or say in round numbers 25,670,000/.
Some gentlemen may be surprised that the amount should
be very little different from the expence of the antecedent
year, but that is the result of an operation of last year, by
which a considerable amount of Exchequer Bills was funded
and added to the permanent debt, making a coasidera'de
reduction in the Unfunded Debt. There will also be an ad-
ditional charge on account of the annuities, which have been
created since the Act was passed last year (the sum we did
not hear; owing to the manner in which the Chancellor of
the Exchequer lowered his voice). There are annuities
to which we could assign the period of the extinction, and
some to which we can look forward to become extinct, in
consequence of the deaths of the holders. The sum re-
quired for this description of annuities will be 2,692,000/.
We must add to this the interest on Exchequer Bills,
750,000/., making the total charge for the interest and
management of the national debt 29,112,000/. The next
head of the expenditure of the country is the pensions,
superannuations, salaries, and allowances charged on the
civil list. I will take it at somewhat less than last year,
and say that it will be 2,120,000!. On a previous occa-
sion I have stated to the House the several items on which
I propose to make reductions, and having already explained
in detail the grounds of the reductions made, I shall not
now again enter into the matter. It appears on the face
of the estimates that are on the table-of the House, that
the proposed reductions in the estimates of the year, com-
pared with those of last year, amount to 1,480,7431.
Tie sum of 16,580,000/. for the year 1930, will cover the
different charges for the army, the navy, the ordnance, and
the miscellaneous expenditure. The total amount of the
public charge for the present year, for which the House will
have to provide, will be 17,812,0001., leaving a clear surplus
of 2,6G7,000/. The payments of annuities transferred to the
Consolidated Fund require that this surplus should be as
great as it is after defraying all charges ; and I shall, in
order to keep up the revenue, have to submit two measures
to the House—one is a resolution which I shall have to
place into your hands this evening, and the other I shall
bring before the House in a different shape. The House
must be aware that arrangements had long been contem-
plated to consolidate all the laws relative to the stamp
duties. It is part of that plan to have them levied on one
system throughout the whole empire, and a measure was
prepared during the last summer to consolidate all these
laws, which is now ready to be presented to Parliament. It
will be my duty on an early day to submit this measure to
the House, and explain its details ; at present I shall only
say that it has for its object to assimulate the laws re-
lating to the stamp duties in the different parts of the
empire, to place the management of the whole of that
branch of the revenue under one head, and make similar
articles everywhere subject to the same duties ; although
this measure involves no augmentation of taxation, yet, in
conseqUence of scene stamps being now lower in Ireland
than in England, its effects will be to increase the revenue.
On the people of that country the same stamp duties will
he imposed as are imposed here. The House will not
expect me now to enter into the details of this measure ; I
will only say that it will enable us to dispense with a
separate establishment, and otherwise reduce the expence
of collecting the stump duties.—(Hear, hear.)—From the
effects of consolidating the laws, and the reductions I
have mentioned, I expect that the advantage to the reve-
nue this year will be under this head 110,000!. The re-
solution, Sir, which I shall put into your hands applies to
the regulation of a subject of another kind, though flout it
I expect no very considerable increase of revenue—the
resolution relative to spirits, on all kinds of which male
in this country I propose to levy an additional duty.--
(Hear, hear.)—The House will bear in mind that the
great reduction of the duty which had been formerly pro-
posed was intended chiefly with a view to put an and to
an extensive system of smuggling, which seriously affected
the revenue, at the same time that it corrupted the morals
of the people. In reference to imposing a lower rate of
duty in Ireland and Scotland than in England, the House
would recollect that it was supposed to be necessary to put
an end to a system which was an opprobrium to the
country. Those who proposed that reduction had it in con-
templation, when the duty was lowered, that as soon as
the establishments for illicit distillation should be broken
up, that the duty on spirits should be gradually raised so as
not to endanger the return of smuggling. I propose at pre-
sent the augmentation of the duty on spirits, but not to such
an extent as to risk the return of the evil which we have
now happily got rid of. What I propose, therefore, is, that
the ditty on spirits made in Ireland and Scotland, which is
now 2s. 10d. a gallon, shall be raised to 3s. On the bast in-
formation which I have been able to collect, I am inclined
to believe that this small increase will give no encourage-
ment to illicit distillation, and that the increase oft ,e duty
Will give us a corresponding increase of revenue, without
any corresponding evil, If the House should con•st r with
me, I have no doubt that the operation will le b n fic a
With respect to England, in which the danger from illicit
distillation is not so great, and in which it has never ben
practised to the same extent as in Ireland and Sci thud, I
propose to raise the duty on spirits to a much higher de-
gree. I shall propose to the House to raise the duty on
English spirits one shilling per gallon, and make the duty
eight shillings per gallon, instead of seven shillings—an
increase which is not likely to encourage an increase of il-
licit distillation. The ambunt of the increased revenue de-
rived front this source will be about 330,0001., which be-
ing added to the surplus already mentioned, and compared
with the whole expenditure, will leave us a surplus of
somewhere about 3,000,000!. The reduction of the re-
venue, by the abolition of the taxes on beer, leather, and
cider, will be less than one million a-year, which will be
met by the measures I propose. Some lion. Members
may find thiS surplus short of their wishes, and others may
wish further reduction of taxation ; but I apprehend that
the surplus will be found sufficient to guard against any
unfavourable consequence to the revenue from another de-
fective harvest, and that it will be sufficient to secure us

'IO4N,

Y

„meas., any cit., tersetecea of flat. kind, eleaue,h I adroit
that it is not mere than we may consider desirable. In
the difficulties. we labour teeter, it is my duty to recent,.
mewl Parliament to make such arrangements as will, con.
sideritte "ree distress of the country, guard against future
evils, while we remove that distress to the greatest extenC
ffeellele..--(Hear.)--1 should be unwilling, therefore, tes,
retteteeend ate” measure that the present circumstances OF
two millions of surilliett
eh I consider necessary to repair
env mischiefs that may arieec Vendome:l will bear in mind
i
that the sur
Debt, but also to support public etrelits It is necessary td
diec
.unil'i nel,tteeify, or which would diminish the
plus is not onlv cle.listile to reduce the Nations
guard against possible defalcation. the circumstances;
of the erientry it is also, I believe, necearY as a caut'o_n,.
and as a gear(' agni,t the greatest danger 1. ~, at canbeta
us in ti finatteial point of view—the danger of 1/011"Vin g
eun-
der dietelvinttegeotia circumstances. There is, h0*1".74.
something mate than the revenue and the expendituresv.
the present year to be ;oohed at. It must be obvious to
ells Mese, that in examining the tales to he repealed, and
what i 11 tie the operation of repealing them, they most
hook to the preibelyle effect of the reduction not only on the
present year, lut also oil the. following year, 1t3:31. The
whole reduction of 3,400,0001. -.tilll only then come into
effect. To meet this or a great part of it, the House has
end rely on them with cone
look to those other resources,
for the future de.
• fidence to attain the object of provialjner
many resources on which it may confidently tely. It may
de-
ficiency. The Illiese, by these resources,
end by its clef
dons in maititainitig public credit, might eme-iboy that.
credit very advantageously in the reduction of the inaelre"
of the Nal ional Debt. In examining attentively the pre-
sent state of the country, looking to the state of the ex-
changes with fhtejgn countries, looking, too, to the great
accumulation of capitol end to the diminished state of in-
terest in the public markets for all public and private se-
curities, I cannot entertain a doubt that the House has the
power effectually and conveniently to rcline that part of
the National Debt which now bears ane interest of 4 per
cent.—(Hear, hear.):—lt is, therefore my intention, as
a result of an examination of the revenue, for tbe fu-
ture to look for a part of our resources from a dinjinz-
don in the rate of interest. In a few days I shall have'
the honour to propose to the House to fix a term
for giving notice on some early day of the terms on
which they would offer to the holders of the Four per
Cent. Stork a stock of less annual value. I will not now
enter int,. details Which cannot be complete and satisfactory,
hut I propose on an early day to bring the subject before the
House.—(Hear.)—The country possesses resources which
will, I trust, enable us to make very large reductions; and
I have such confideriee- in the result of the measure 1 now'
propose, and in the coeseqeence of other measures for a
diminution of expentlittfre, which are in progress, that I
do not anticipate any embarrassment in those financial cal-
celations from a failure in nay part of our resourcete• or
that we shall not be able to make still further reductions
hereafter. It may be the fashion to say to the Govern-
ment, reduce the expenditure; but I would aay, that the
industry of that Government has been already exercised to
the greatest extent in making all practicable reductions;
and that, looking at what they have done, and considering
what they have pledged themselves to do, it was but right
to be content for the present, and to wait the result of the
measures which are in progress ; for although the reduc-
tions already made in the amount of expenditure which was
available for that purpose have been great—and that they
are great, no man I think can this night venture to look
at the evidence of it before him and deny ; yet the same
active industry, and the same thorough and anxious de*
site to alleviate the burthens of the people, and to di-
minish all unnecesscry expences, will still be continued in
exercise, and I have no doubt with great additional ad-
vantage to the country. It is not, however, to the reduc-
tions' that have already taken place, however extensive,
that I look for the approbation of the House and the
country. It is to the various departments of the Go-
vernment, all exercised as they are im an examination of
the minutest kiud into the expenditure of every branch of
the public service—that I look for the means of still further
relieving the burthens of taxation, for we are prepared to
engage in an inquiry, indeed, I may say we are engaged iU
an examination embracing every public department; and
we propose, in conformity with the precedent which hats in
one case proved so beneficial—that respecting super:theme,
tions—to confide the execution of that inquiry to gentle-
men connected certainly in some degree with the Go-
vernment, but totally unconnected with the particular de-.
partments to which these inquiries are to he extended,
with a view of ascertaining how far it may be possible to
make still further reductions. The House knows well the
benefit derived by the Government from an inquiry of that
kind which I have already alluded to; and this much I mar
sey, that we are thoroughly convinced of the necessity Of
preparing to meet the deficiencies by every possible exertion
and diet we are determined to undertake no change, and to
propose .110 measure which we are not prepared to justify by
our conduct with respect to the expenditure. I know the
extent of the labour it imposes on the Government ; hut I
also know tint my Hon Friends are determined to spare
no exertion to increase the resources which may be appli-
cable to a diminution of the expenditure. In the same
manner, and to the same extent, the Government propose
to empower a Commission to deal with the whole of the
Colonial expenditure.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—The Go-
vernment are fully aware of the difficulties which lie in the
way of this determination. • They know that it is not
easy to find men conversant with all the details of this
most extensive branch of the expenditure; but it appears
to them that the task will be more effi.iently performed by
men appointed by a Government desirous of concealing no
abuses, and of producing by every practicable means addi-
tional resources for the service of the• country. It is for
these reasons that the Government, relying on the benefi-
cial results which have been generally produced from Com-
missions of Inquiry, have determined to avail themselves
of Commissions with reference to. these branches of expen-
diture. And here I may perhaps be permitted to advert
to a subject which -came • under discussion on one of the
evenings which I had lately the misfortune to be absent
from the House-1 allude to the subject of superannuation
allowances; and for my own part I can now have no he-
sitation in saying, that a regulation has been already made
on the subject. I remain of the opinion I have always
professed on this question, that whatever may be done with
respect to the superannuations already granted, or what-
ever may be the extent of our right to meddle with those
allowances now, we are bound to look narrowly at the
method of granting them in future. I think, however,
that there will not be any disposition to charge the
Government with indolence or indifference on the sub-
ject. It is needless to advert at present to the. circum-
stances which have prevented the regulations from be-
ing carried into effect touch sooner. It will perhaps be
sufficient to mention that by the terms of a Treasury Mi-
nute, passed in the course of last summer, every person
hereafter accepting office under Government is required to
submit to an annual reduction according to the amount of
his salary, and which is to be for Med into a fund out of
which the superannuation allowances are to be paid; and
it will be my duty, in the course of a few days, to bring
in a Bill to authorize the appropriation of the produce of
that fund, and to regulate the method by which it may be
most beneficially managed for the advantage of individuals
and the relief of the public purse. If it should, at the
time that the-Bill is introduced, appear advisable that
Committee be appointed to investigate the whole of the
subject, and to inquire into the necessity of going even' far-
ther into other branches or the public service 'than' the
Govertiment have already proposed, I have no hesitation
in saying that I shall feel it,--tny duty to move for that Conte
mittee, and to gp into any inquiry it may recommend,
with a view to ascertain to what extent, it may be right to
go, keeping, in mind what is just to the; public servant,
and whit'is just with regard to the public;—(Hear, hear.)
—With respect, however, • to the stiperannuation allow-
ances of the public servants in the Civil Departments, I
have en doubt that the provisions of the Bill- will be
found effectual and satisfactory. The alluvium to this
subjecr, which is somewhat beside the question be-
fore the Committee, have drawn me from . the obser-
vations I was applying to the public expenditure. I
have already said that I placed a great reliance on the eco-
nomy 'of the Government as a method of supplying any
deficiency which might arise from the alteration of tax-
ation. But there is one other source on which I rely
with great confidence, and which I think well calculated to
supply a very considerable proportion of any prebhble or
conceivable deficiency of revenue-_I mean the augmenta-
tions which must necessariiy take place in all the remain-
ing branches of taxation, by a repeal
,of those taxes which
have pressed on particular portions of industry and pro-
duction.—(Hear, Lear.)—l think it is almost impossible
to imagine that the melt,. tax should not receive ;every
great increase from the 'reduction of the duty on beer—
(Hear,' hear)—and that the general stiumlua which gene-
rallyreaults from the reduction of taxation will have a
most beneficial effect on every branch of industry which
cont., ;butts immediately or remotely, to die revenue.--•
(Hear, hear.)—lf these calculations should prove faveure
able—and I have no reason to apprehend they will notes
then the application of the further surplus will lie. they
means of adding still further to the comforts of the people;
but, if on the contrary, they prove unfayourable, and. tbet.o
deficiency is to be supplied in .the financial arrangements,
am confident Parliament will know how to deal. with that
mischance, if it does arise, and that it ivill not shrink frinet
the performance of its 'duty to the country, in making 0
provieiuu fur the deficiency. For my own part, I can say

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