The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

ease perfectly clear, and he must add that the Right
Hon. Gentleman had exhibited skill and knowledge in
the statement he had made. He could not consent
to this new grant to Ireland without he
had some pledge' to compel the property of
Ireland to maintain its poor—(Hear, hear)—and he very
much regretted that the Right Hon. Gentleman had sat
down without saying one word upon the remedial mea-
sures which had already been promised.—(Hear,
hear.) lie must also regret that the Right
Honourable Gent!eman, after stating such undoubted
roof of the wisdom and advantages that have arisen
troin the liberal policy of former years, did not say one
word as to these future reforms which were so much
calculated to increase the commerce of the country.
With reference to the article of tea, he did not think
that tho revenue would suffer anything by the reduction
of the duty on that article. 01 the 600,000,000 yards of
common calico sent out of this country, 180,000,000 yards
of it went to China only. Ho thought thut by a
reduction of the duty on tea a great increase
would be made in the quantity of consumption.
of custornable and exciseable articles. He thought the
Government was takings a one-sided view of the subject
in the course they had proposed. Then, again, with
respect to the duty on copper, which amounted only to
the paltry sum of 40,0001. or 30,000/., he thought that
the country lost three times that amount by the system
of policy pursued by this country. France and the
United States were already beginning to smelt their own
copper because of the restrictions imposed on the
article in this country. There were also 150 or 200
articles the duties upon which should be
swept away from the statute book. The whole
Policy of the Government seemed to centre in
Ireland. There was no doubt that the state of that coun-
try was one of the greatest emergency; the Government
should, however, treat Ireland as an extraordinary charge
and take the surplus revenue for the purpose of libe-
rating the commerce of the country, treating Ireland
by extraordinary means. He was quite dissatisfied with
the policy pursued by the Government ; the
utmost freedom should be given to the com-
merce and the manufactures of the country,
He held a statement in his hands which set forth,
that, during the last two months, a decrease of
1:11;,.ell in full employment, and increase of men
`" half employment had taken place in one
part of the country also, who was to support them?
(Hear, hear.) Such an extraordinary emergency
as the one with they had to deal ought to be
met by extraordinary measures. By a great
change in their commercial policy. The surplus
balance was, he believed, 76,000/. ; this year
it was 2,800,0001., which was to be attributed to
the partial carrying out of rational and proper
measureste for the extension of commercial en-
tarise ; but was not this a strong proof
still
they ought to go on and remove the shackles
imposed on trade, by promoting other
measures having for their object the promotion of
sin-
cerely unfettered by injurious restriction. He
braa h°P that such measures would be
be; brought forward without delay. Even the money
',llg spent in feeding the unemployed in
ofedld Scotland would promote the regeneration
they people.
Certainly there was no hope
of regenerating the people of Ireland, because
they would lead them to believe that, in similar emer-
fencies, they would be supported by the state, and not
Y the owners of the soil who ought to be
compelled to support them. There was more
hope for Scotland, as the proprietors had come
forward and aided them. Then every one of the
estimates had been increased.

THE BUDGET.
SUMMARY.
At ten minutes to six o'clock, the House of Commons
resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then rose
to make the financial statement for the year, and
claimed the indulgence of the House while he
made the statement which he would make as short as
was consistent with clearness. It was many years since a
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had to report such heavy
demands upon the Exchequer, but those demands were
occasioned by the dearth of food, which was a visitation
of Providence. Thousands of starving persons in Ire-
land appealed to this country for sympathy and assis-
tance, and that he could not refuse. Never, however
had the finances of the country being so able to
bear these demands. For the first time there
had been no deficiency bills, and the produce of
the revenue had been sufficient to defray the expenses
of the State. In the Customs, the produce of every
article for the last nine months, had, with the exception
of articles on which duties had been reduced,
exceeded the estimate. In the Excise, with
the exception of soap, the same had take n
place. By the return of the quarter ending 13th
February last, he found an increase of nearly half a mil-
lion. But it was not to be expected that such a
state of things would continue, and after the unexampled
prosperity of the last two years he found they were on
the verge of a check. He, however, saw no symptoms
of a revulsion, but he merely feared a check, for he
thought commercial matters were on a sound basis, and
he considered that the measures for regulating the
currency which, had been passed two years since by Sir
It. PEEL, had tended to prevent such a revulsion, by
placing the currency on a sounder basis, and by inducing
investments in works at home instead of in Mississippi
stock or Pennsylvanean Bonds. He thought, therefore,
that no revulsion' would follow, but still the high price
of food would tell in the diminution of comforts and the
diminution of the consumption of articles of luxury.
which were subject to Excise duties. The whole pro-
duce of Customs and Excise for the last year was
84,500,0701., of this 5.530,0001. was contributed
by articles of food, 21,781,0001.; of drink, and by
tobacco, 4,336,0001.; making 31,653,0001. out of
34'500'0707. This must have diminished ;in con-
sequence of the diminution of employment in
the manufacturing districts. On the 9th of January,
therel,tis
Ivrere working full time 25,845 persons; short time,
; and without work, in consequence of the stop-
Page of mills, 1,690. On the 9th February, there were
working full time 22,949 persons ; short time, 15,862 ;
and out of work, 2,613. The drain of bullion on the
Bank had not been so great as might have been ex-
pected. The amount of bullion was only 1,200,0004
less than it was this time twelve months. The late
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had calculated upon
foreign
sugar.
a surplus of 776,0001., the actual surplus was 2,846,000/.
including 304,0001. paid as duty on the import of
gar. He now would state what the probable
income of the year, from sth April, 1846, to sth April,
1847, would be. Last year the duties on corn
Produced 793,0001. He could not calculate upon such
art amount, but still he calculated in security.
There had been an increase on the importation of butter,
cheese, and silk last year, consequent upon the reduction
of duty, and he calculated that this increase would con-
tinue, and he assumed that the probable revenue from
Customs during the next year would be 20,000,000/.
During the present quarter the increase of Customs
duties had been 204,000/. Up to January
the amount of Excise duties had been
13,988,0001., and he reckoned for the ensuing year
an increase of 13,700,000/. The increase on the Excise
from the beginning of the quarter had been 106,0004,
and in Ireland, extending to January, there had
been an increase. He contemplated from Stamps
a revenue of 7,500;0001., from Taxes 4,270,0001.
from Property-tax 5,390,0001., from the Post-
offices 845,0001., from Crown Lands, 120,0001
from miscellaneous sources of revenue 427,0001.; making
a total of ordinary revenue of 52,065,000/. The ex-
penses of the inerest of the debt and the Consolidated
Fund would be 30,735,0001.; for the army, 6,840,0741.;
The Navy
vote would be 7,561,000/, ; the Ordnance vote
the vote of last year, a great portion of which was due,
as in hee
case of the Navy, to a deferred vote of last year.
The residue was owing to an increase of 1,200 men
and to putting the ports in a state of defence. The
miscellaneous votes, exclusive of votes for Ireland, would
be 3,750,0004, being an increase of 397,000/. The in-
crease was was owing. to the expenses of the poor-law and
prosecution of prisoners, and another portion to the
increase of printing and stationery for the Houses of
Parliament. Tho whole of the estimates would amount
to 20,851,0771., making the whole
51,576,0001. He had purposely
ougi sht rt ewould
s sin
omittedrdinin tryf d ahiesxptentediEntuenret
all allusion to grants for the relief o
Ireland; and he would now state what h
eth
be required for the distress to be advanced
by the
Treasury for whatever burden might
ultimately
be throw upon the landlords of Ireland ; hitherto they
had paid nothing, save indeed 393,000/. of poor-rates.
It was not easy to state precisely what the expenditure
required would be. In four weeks of November the ex-
penditure had been 383,000/., in December 742,0001.,
in January 772,000/. The persons relieved in October
were 150,000, in November 285,000, in January
440,000, and in February 571,000. Up to 20th
February there had been issued by the Exchequer
to Ireland 2,400,000/., in November 2,000,000/.,
of which had been issued to the Board of Works. The
expenditure for the future he expected would not fall
below a million a month. He expected to effect, however
a saving by administering relief through the medium of
the soup kitchen. lie expected that many labouier
would be taken from the public works by the
working of the Bill for the Improvement of Lands,
but to work that Bill, it should be remembered that ad-
vances were to be made by the Treasury. It would be
necessary that relief should continue at least until the
next harvest, and for some short period after the
harvest, advances would be necessary. Taking all
these circumstances into consideration, he could
not estimate the advances to be made to Ireland tinder
8,000,000/., which, including the 2,000,0001. advanced
since August, would amount to 10,000,000/. Now, if
the 16,000,000/, proposed by the Nvble Lord had been