The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-22 00:00:00

hi shout 385,865/.. ftoz..r. and
yet, notAi.th.taiclo.,;,; f-9
inc,.:me tor the present year would Lot WI Sotrrt ut
46,000,000/—(llear. hear.) Ile would further,
that it was his belief that the state of the country
was such that he felt warranted in making that antici-
pation. In ordinary circumstances he should have felt
it to be his (hay to go into the state of the country,
hut as the Honourable Gentleman the Metribtr for
Buckingham lied given notice of his intention to bring
the subj-ct forward he would not ~.fo into it now, becau,e
if 'be did it would rpoil the discussion that woud
take place on the Hon. Member's motion. He thought
i,. batter that should be taken as a whole.—(Hear, hear.)
He would only say there was a decided improvement in
the manufacturing districts, and the amount of
bullion in the Bank of England had considerably in-
creased, and he thought
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

SUABLIRY OF THE BUDGET.

The House having resolved itself into Committee of
Ways and Means,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose
to bring forward the Budget. 114 said, that although
the statement he was about to submit was not
as favourable as he should • hive been justified
in making at an earlier period, yet he hoped
that it would not be found altogether unsatisfactory. It
should be remembered that last year had been a year of
g ••eat commercial distress in England, of famine in Ireland,
and of war and disturbance in Europe. The war between
Denmark and Germany had created a large diminution in
our manufacturing exports. The export to Germany
equalled two days' work per week in our munufactuiing
districts. This proved how great was our interest
in the preservation of peace in Europe. Early in
last session the Government had felt it incumbent on
them to recommend increased taxation ; to this the
House did not agree, and therefore the Government re-
duced the expenditure while it was in their power
to reduce, and proposed a loan to meet that
expenditure, which could not; be reduced. Lie
had at that time stated that if the measure pro-
posed had been granted he had every reason
for anticipating that there would have been a surplus of
revenue over expenditure. In that estimate he had ex-
eluded corn, and he had estimated the ordinary revenue at
52,550,0001. That estimate had fallen short by 50,000/. of
the actual revenue. The actual expenditure amounted to
53 287,1101., but which included an item of
389,9901. fur Irish distress, and a naval excess of
the preceding year, making altogether 713,7071.,
which be had not included in his calculations,
The total revenue, including that from corn, was
53,170,732/, so that there was an excess of revenue ever
expenditure during the last year of 269,3791. But if
they deducted the sum voted for Irish distress, and for
naval excess, they,would find that the actual expenditure
of the year was 52,573,4051., showing an excess
of actual revenue of the year over the ac-
tual expenditure of the year of 444,329/,
so that there still remained, making this deduction, a
surplus of iccomo over expenditure of 120,0001. The
receipt of Customs was 21,170,3531., and excluding corn,
20,220,0001.; and he proposed to estimate the receipt of
Customs for this year 20,200,0001.; and hating now a
fixed duty of is. on every quarter of corn, he estimated
the revenue from that source at 250.000/., making the
total estimated sun 20,450,000/, He proposed to take
the Excise at 13,710,0004; the Stamps at 6,700,000/ ;
and taxes at 4,300,000/., and the income-tax at 5,275,000/,
the Post-office at 800,0001.; and the Crown lands, which
last year produced 100,0001., at 180,000/. ; and the mis-
cellaneous at 222,000/.; old store at 285,000/, the sum
it produced last year; and surplus fees at 90,0001.;
making for the whole year 52,252,000/. Then as
regards expenditure— the interest on the public debt
was 28,243,5211., and the total charge for Irish dis-
tress and other charges was 2,831,561/ making a
total charge on the Consolidated Fund under this head
of 31,750.082/. Then there were the Naval, Army,
Miscellaneous, and Ordnance estimates which had been
voted, which with the excesses of last year would make a
total expenditure of 52,157,6961, being a surplus on the
estimated receipt of 104,3044; deducting the expendi-
ture for excesses, the total expenditure would be
51,515,064/. These estimates were between 500,0001.
and 600,000/ higher than they would have been had
not the House determined for the first time to include
the total expenditure of the year with the estimates
of the year. He trusted that when they recovered from
the excesses of former years, that even if no increase of
revenue or diminution of expenditure were to take
place, they would for the;future have a surplus. Then,
with regard to the navy, the most expensive thing
they could do for the navy, as regarded the
year
is.v4s to
un as ;;'h
,7 the i force,at- better
be discussed he thought when the question was imme-
diately under the attention of the House, but this would
account for an apparent increase of expenditure under
that head. There had been an increase since the com-
mencement of the year in stamps, taxes, and
income-tax, which ho considered to be a proof
of the increasing prosperity of the country.
In comparing the present state of the national income
with that of years back they would have a subject for
congratulation. In 1843 it was forty-five million
and a half, and 1844-45 it was 48,110,0004,
exclusive of income-tax ; in 1846 it was
46,000,0004, in 1847 it was 48,000,000/.; that he took
as a fair ordinary year ; and this year he
took it at 46,000,0001 He believed that the
state of the country was such as to warrant his
estimating the state of the revenue at that amount, and
he should have gone on to the subject of the state of the
country had it not been for the fear of spoiling
the speech which he knew the Hun. Member for
Buckingham had proposed on this subject.—(A
laugh.) There was an increase of property in
the manufacturing districts. The amount of bullion
in the Bank of England had increased, and he
thought, therefore, he was justified in declaring
that he thought the country was in a prosperous state.
He hoped to be Doll further enabled to
diminish the public expenditure although the
did nut propose to go back to the expenditure of 1835.
He would only go back to 1845, when the Right Hon.
Baronet, in proposing the removal of the income-tax,
declared it was necessary to increase the expenditure
to which the !louse agreed, and he believed that the
vote for increasing our Laval estimates, prepared
at that time, was most popular with the House
and the country, and those gentlemen who now
joined financial associations—among them the Hon. and
Gallant Member for Middlesex—complained of the ne-
glected state of our national defences. Those works
having been commenced, it would be now most
impolitic and most wasteful to abandon them. He thought
they were perfectlp justified last year in refusing to
reduce the forces of the army and the
navy. They had heard a talk of a mock
insurrection in Ireland. Certainly nothing was more
difficelt to prove than the existence of an insur-
rection, which had been prevented from breaking
out by the presence of a large force, although nothing
would have caused a greater expenditure both
of blood and of money, than to have, by
diminishing the force encouraged an insurrection
to break out. There ,had been a reduction this year
in all the estimates, and the Government at all times
exercised a watchful conduct over the expenditure
of the country. In the civil service estimates there
was a decrease in every class, except those for
the administration of justice. The whole reduction in
the estimates of this year was 1,511,4551., which added
to the reduction of last year, showed a total re,
duction in the estimates during the two years o

2.340,1351., which he hoped would meet the approva

of his Hon. Friend behind him.

Mr. HUME objected not to the reduction, but to the
income.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, thought
they should have credit for the reduction. They had
by consolidating the Bonds of Excise, Stamps, and
Taxes—by that manner they had reduced the number
of persons employed by upwards of two thousand
and the expenditure by a sum of 247,0001.
All persons above sixty were superannuated, and 188
had been re-appointed in the public service; and as the
whole patronage of the Government would be given
up, be thought that in fifteen months all those per-
sons would be re-appointed in the public service.
a similar inquiry was going on with regard to the
Customs, and he hoped that reductions to a great
extent would be made in that department.
He had not reduced the salaries of the
officers, because he thought they were not overpaid, but
he had reduced the number and increased the work
of those retained, because he believed the public
work would he better done by a small staff
of well paid officers thereby a large staff of under-
paid persons.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that next
year that when a surplus of income suffi•
cient to place them in a wore comfortable.

position in that, respect than they occupied at present
Ho did nut think that the present circumstances
would jusify them in going on with so small a sur-
plus, at the same time he did not feel called upon to
prcpose any increase of taxation. He must protest
• .. - . .

against my attempt to get rid of any small surplus they
might have in reducing some small item of taxation.

us such a (3,urse of conduct would preclude them for
ever dealing with taxation on a large scale. Ile would
rather recommend that such surplus should he permitted
to accumulate, in order that we might be in a position