The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-24 00:00:00

and in every. respect it was constantly overlooked. .Every
one who had been in the habit of frequenting the sea coast
must have had ample proof of this. They had seen no doubt
numerous females landing in a very comfortable state of cor-
pulency, who in time were safely relieved from their burden,
and restored .to Abe..„natairal grx.eijaf i shape. There was
no "end to the ingenuitydisplapet ction with proceed-
' jogs of this so:14;c hut it was not -• ,in. nuisy titat was ex-
ercised, for something worse fol , and perjury and viq-
lenee closed the'seene. The evil ". tt stop where it begun—
there was a sort of progenieilivitiosfrieem in the practice. The
House would recollect Nerno repentefteit turpissimus, and hi the
case of smuggling, a young man begun by bringittgpver a piece
o"f sal , perhapstiiterid-ed fork present to a female friend. This:
was a thing which might be regarded as innocence itself, and
almost laudable. But the law made it a crime. `Yuen a man
begun to do that which the law so regarded, he frequently acted
-in the way lie had supposed. But he could not effect his pur-
pose -without deceit. The taking of. .a false -oath then-Vecame
familiar to his mind, and having commenced sr9ugglq to make
a present, it soon occurred to_ him that the art thus acquired
might be turned to his advantage. He then ventured to smuggle
on a larger scale, intrOduced'a variety of goods, and eventually
became a great speculator. The consequence of this course
being taken by many individuals was, that it at, length be-
' came necessary to maintain a navy for the protection of the re-
' venue. This could not be done without, and battle's and blood-
shed not unfrequently occurred, and that' in a great measure
through .the fanciful idea taken up that the,prohibitionS to
which he had directed the attention of the .Honse were neces-
sary to protect the silk manufacturers. of tare country. OUr
silk manufacture had so greatly improved, that with a reduced,
duty. on the raw material we could now meet any, utter
coun-
try in the foreign market on -a footing of equality. It was•a
time, therefore,' to throw down this hollow, gilded :dant' ima-
ginative protection, and erect ',tin its pedestal the statue of
commercial liberty. We derived great. advantages from our
means of obtaining raw silk from the East Indies. It was.
curious to know that our cotton manufacturer had.superseded
in a great measure the original manufacturers, *of,gotton in -
the East Indies. By taking. off the duty op the importatin of
silk, we should greatly benefit .ourselves by giving the inhabi-
tants of the East Indies greater means of purchasing our coin-
modities. He proposed then to reduce the duty on raw, silk
from five and sixpence to' sixpence ; and Oa the raw silk frtan
China and Italy from fourteen and tenpence to seyen and six-
pence; and all prohibitions upon silk Jnanufa'eturett goods to
be withdrawn, he.hoped for ever. He would,then substitute a
duty on plain silks of sixteen shillings, on, figtired twenty shil-
lings, and on all other goods an ad-linloreni duty of thirty per
cent. Shoes, gloves, and articles of that sort, which every
body knew were not kept out at all, he would admit upon pay..
ment of the duty of thirty per cent. He did not say that this
scale ought to
,be liable to no variation, but that would be
matter to be considered in future. The defalcation which this
measure would cause in the Revenue, he estimated at 462,0001
The reductions, then, would stand as follow :

, e
the manufacturers of this country against' which it war, iris"
.
reserve himself
an untilnli
x these
them came
all
upmore
in
the
dicussion
possible for them to compete. As to a better mode of dos'
posing of surplus: upon. different articles, he would
v tlle
of that
them,eser e
night. The roost incredulous, he thought, must now be cel-
vinoed of the eminent advantages proceeding from a due adhs-
renee to the support of public credlo--( Hear !)—lle believed,
hadeed, that an opposite sentiment hid never assumed a shape
more weighty than the huzzaing of a few senseless people at
public meetings. Those who desired to see areduction
of the
debt of the country might now 'perceive how that was to he ac-
complished by honest means, and that it never could be done
otherwise. The Country Gentlemen, who, to do them justice,
had never advocated principles of this sort, must, with satis-
faction, see that the same causes had led to a reduction of their
burthens. We were without doubt daily recovering. front
the disastrous consequences of the confusion and. dislocatloa-
Of interest which•succeeded the late war. But this was not °
be considered as affording; any justification for the system
of paper currency resorted- to during the war;' foe they had
not righted themselves but at the expence of the fortunes of
thousands.--( Hear ! ) —Amongst agricultural classes this was
particularly obvious—many of that class, formerly in affluence'
now were to be found at the miserable occupation of breakieg
stones in the roads. Never, lie believed, had any civilized
country gone through so .00mplete a revolution of property 35
this had.
• The CHANCELLOR 'of the EXCHEQUER explaird
that he had not, in estimating the Revenues of other years, as-
eumed any increase from the increase of consumption in those
articles which were relieved from the drawback of taxation. 1.4'
had not even done this with reference either to the Excise or
Customs. Neither had he made part of his estimate what beee
should have been fully entitled to do, viz. some increase 0f
revenue arising from the reduction of the Assessed Taxes last
year, which in a few.years might certainly be expected to
tdiew itself. And in looking to the four years to. come, he lad
not supposed any other reduction than what must necessari/
take place in so large a charge as that for pensions. But if O'
country continued at peace, the pensions would really be
capable of a far greater reduction than ho had assunied•—•
Pe had in the estimateas he had presented, thought it better
assume increase of diminution front none but• natural sources,
not open to the oyeration of extraordinary causes. But, he had•
always considered, that if he should be disappointed, Parlia-
ment would by .a vigorous effort make up the deficiency.*
whatever it might be. Tnus, he hoped, he had sotisfied the
Hon. Member for Taunton that he was not in danger of meet-
tng any casualty which might produce' a failure of the nature
he apprehended. . .
Mr. BARING did not feel satisfied with the explanation of
the Right /lon. Gentleman. He had received 'no satisfaction,
on the subject of the project for paying off the four percents'
If the country were called upon for 24 millions in October next,
for that purpose, it would be with great daneer to the finances
if there should be war; and the danger would be too great ii,
they had not war. . . .
Mr. ELLICE concurred with his Honourable Friend (111 r.
Baring) in thinking they had better reserve any opinions the/
might have on the details of the statement which they heard for
a future opportunity. Ile wished,
.however, to ask a question
in which he felt interested as representing 'a town more largely
concerned in the Silk Manufactories than any-other in the
kingdom. He understood the Right Honourable Gentleman
proposed to reduce the duty on silks immediately, If he did
so, he was afraid it would be productive of the greatest Vs'
sible distress to the whole population of the great manufactur-
ing district to which he had. alluded. He agreed with him fn
thinking that ultimately this duty should be removed, but great
care must be taken to guard all manufacturers from looses upon
stock in hand. Even within the last week large orders had beg
given for silk, upon which great loss must accrue if care were
not taken. He suggested that it would be better not to press
any such resolution that night, but postpone it to a future
occasion.
' %Ir. MABERLY agreed with the Hon. Member for Twin-
ton, in thinking that the case of the Right Hon. Gentlemen was
weak as regarded 1824, because the surplus of the present Year
had been made up by 1,500,0001. of Austrian Loan. It was not,
however, in his view, weak as they travelled on—on the CO''
traryoit appeared to him that it was a-eery strong case although
the lie
mutes Hon. Gentleman had not made the most of it.
mutessay, indeed„ that the Right Hon. Gentleman had through'
out the whole of his statement dwelt with extreme fairness vat:
the Bouse. He had not anticipated what every man had a rig"'
to assume, viz.—that the reduction of taxation would have the
effect of very much Increasing the estimate. He was not calle"
upon then to say, with reference to the luminous speech of the
Right Hon. Gentleman, how far he approved of all the talc°
proposed to be reduced. But he could not deny that commerce.
ps ltieedw n
thea disposition
recommendationto improveh e
h a i(ni every
would receive great benefit from the removal of those taxes
which pressed upon the springs of trade. In this way, ",'
extending such sound principles, the Right Honourabtf
eGveenr: l
possible way the interests of commerce. He wished, how'
Gentleman
he ehadliadevaedro
him lust year, to make his whole collection on malt, and oe"
at all upon beer. By this course he would save 280,0001. s;
___
e. year, and remove a source of great oppression from the low,e,
£7,3oo,trau classes. He alio thought that in the management of the Fowl"
•
t
It must he gratifying to the House to see the country in its pre- Debt, if the Charier of the Bank would admit of it, a goa. sent state, with an increasing revenue, diminished taxes, and a saving might be made. Having given the Right Honourab/t
debt in the course of being gradually reduced. It must be Gentle Man credit where he deserved it, he could not pass over
„
highly cheering to mark the increase of national wealth, of in- his errors. lie had hoped that some paper would have been
fluence and power,--of power fixed not for the purposes of am- laid on the table of the House, to thew the result of the uri:
bition or aggrandizement, but ready promptly to vindicate our profitable bargain he had last year made with reference to tell;
honour, and defend the interests of the state. The influence we Pension: He had made a calculation which showed that at(
enjoyed was produced by the manner in which our wealth and country bad lost 1,695,000/. by that ruinous bargain ; and if
power were employed
which had rendered them the pledges of .they took the funds at par the loss would be 2429,000'. 'fl'
stedfast friendship and not the menacing instruments of tyranni- bargain the Right Hon. Gentleman had made in pursuance of °
cal aggression. That the country had been brought to this happy system against which' he had been amply guarded by his side
state, he ascribed not to the Government, still less to himself, of the House : for they had divided at every stage of it. Iry
but he claimed the merit of accomplishing it for Parliament,— deed, after what they had heard fall from the Right Hon. Gen'
for that calumniated and vilified Parliament, which they had tleman that night, he could never believe that he had taken that
been told was so vicious in its construction, that it was utterly step with the approbation of his own understanding. •
impossible, unless every thing connected with it were changed, Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY asked,
Exchequer what was the exact
for the country ever to be raised from the difficulties under rate of duty which the Chancellor of the
meant to
which she once laboured.—(Cheers.)—He hailed with unmixed leave on Inland Coals. A part of his Constituents would be
satisfaction this practical refutation of the calumnies to which very glad of that information. He should also be glad 'to be
he alluded, while looking around them they saw but smiling informed in what manner the Right Hon. Gentleman meant t°
plenty, freedom, and independence, while prosperity and order select these holders of Four per Cent. Stock, whom he Mean",
went hand in hand, still receiving unnumbered benefits from to pay off oin October next to the amount f 25 000 000/ being
the sacred portals of the ancient edifice of our Constitutional only one-third of the whole. „ ~
Monarchy, for a happy, united, and grateful people.—(LoudThe CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that his
and long continued cheering.) idea, with regard to the reduction of the duty on silk was, tee
He then moved a Resolution relating to the amendment of it might commence on the sth of July next. He conceived Ws" the Four per Cents. Act.
that would be an interval sufficient to enable the manufacture:l
Mr. BARING said it was impossible not to admit that the to dispose of the stock they possessed. But he did not WO'
general statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman was very satis- der himself bound down to any time; and if the parties int;
factory. But notwithstanding the flourishing state of the rested could make it appear desirable to him that it should , "._
finances of the country, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was postponed, he should have no objection to do so. It was toe
not warranted in pursuing a system which was not sound in establishment of the principle he was more anxious for than
principle. This mistake he must suppose him to have fallen any thing else. It was true, as had been said, that a surplus
into when he talked of repealing taxes to the amount of a mil. (lid not exist, except through the means of the Austrian Let's
lion annually for a permanence, when his only means of doing But then there were particular sources of expenditure ti,"„,
so proceeded from the aggregate surpluses of several years.— year which, could not be looked for again. There were also
These surpluses amounted to 4,135,0001., arising, as lie un- particular miscellaneous charges falling -upon • this year'._,
derstood, from extraordinary resources, which could not be Amongst these was the unavoidable loss of 100000/. in ex'
expected to be hereafter productive. • He thought, therefore, changing Irish tokens for the regular coin of the realm. 'There
he must have misunderstood the Right Honourable Gentle. were also some claims from the United States of America'
man's statement in some part of it, when he was led to respecting some slaves that had been taken from 'then?:
suppose that he was about to venture upon an act per. which were at present matter of negociation. With respect
dull
petual in operation, through the instrumentality of means what the Honourable Baronet had asked of him as to the elttl!,
purely temporary and extraordinary. Such a course of le- on Inland Coals, he could only say, that at present his vice;
gislation could not but have the effect, out of doors, of was to place one shilling a ton,. about fourteen or' fifteen pent'
very materially shaking the credit of the Government. He a chaldron upon them. He wished to place no more than the!
thought the Right Honourable Gentleman calculated too in. ought. to bear upon them, and he should do that after the in"'
securely when he assumed that by the repeal of the Coal Duty minute consideration. . • .
it would only cause a Teal diminution of Revenue to the Sir ISAAC COFFIN complained of the continuation .of tbc.,
amount of 100,0001. from the consequent' increased consump. tax • upon salt. It was a most ridiculous tax, and extrerceet,,,
tion. It might be trueenough in theory ; but it was a dange- oppressive to poor people, and it gave him greatconcein to e
rous and fallacious mode of making Estimates. It was ob. the Chancellor of the Exchequer speak so doubtingly On t"
vious that the great foundation of the present repeal was the subject of' removing the remainder of it. .
large income proceeding from the Austrian Loan ; and. not Mr. ELLICE hoped he rightly understood the Chancert t
from any permanent state of the Revenue. But supposing the of the Exchequer to say, that he was only anxious abeht the
income to go on in its present state permanently, still it would principle of his proposed measure respecting -the duty on.ot ,
tte
not produce a surplus reaching to one half' the amount to which and that he was willing to hear the parties interested as to ttl
it was now proposed to repeal taxes. Then with regard to the most appropriate tinie. With respect to what an lion. Itarftte,
ee
proposed mode of paying off the 4 per cents. he confessed he had asked about the mode of disposing 'of the twenty n'te.,
foresaw many objections. As he understood the Right lion. thousand pounds in October, he apprehended it was of cour'
Gentleman, according to the present state of the law, it wits meant to distribute it pro rata among the holders of stock.
ect
necessary to give six months' notice to the holders of stock. Mr. JOHN SMITH said, he rejoiced in the cheering asPfie
It therefore followed that this stock was to be paid off in which the country began to assume; and the- more so, at ee
October: and that if the holdeis did not accept the terms proved the triumph of the principles of honour and truth
offered to them, twenty five millions would be required had no objection to the repeal of the -taxes on Coals and Ne!bt
for the first instalment towards the seventy-five, which would nor any other articles of a similar nature. He had no Otte_
be necessary to complete the whole operation. It appeared to the Chancellor of the Exchequer had well considered his sultic,;
him very clear, that unless the Right Honourable Gentle- as he was wont to do, and would pay but little attention to ve"e,
man reduced his rate of interest upon Exchequer Bills, he said, but yet he could not but think he had overlooked vt,
he would find a fund created in competition to him by the tax among those. which he had selected for repeal, he meant
natural tendency of his own act. He was exceedingly glad tax upon Law Proceedings,—in other words the tax upon,
;
to see a prospect of their proceeding upon sound principles Justice. Rivas surprising such a tax had so long list-at
of commerce. In all that the Right Honourable Gentleman and sure he was, Gentlemen did not generally know th e",le,
had said upon the subject of bounties he entirely concurred. ofit on the happiness, the peace; and the morals of the Pe,Se,
He had already done away with restrictions upon other No man could commence an action at common law in Engla*".l
ettoe parts of' the system which would greatly facilitate the removal for a debt' of 31. or 4/., without paying 31. or 41. for stampot
of the Bounty Law. There was another question respecting outset. The Legislature by such a course said,—if you can
.eaa
the introduction of foreign manufactures, which it would have pay to your natural creditor 3/.105., you are a tit subject to 1;bl e
given him greater satisfaction had he stated to the House that 3/.los. over and above to us. In Chancery proceedingse:„.
reciprocity might be expected. He did not mean to contend stamp upon every sheet of paper was fourpence. It was his (ttSta
that even without reciprocity the principal was not good. But Smith's) misfortune to have had to put in an answer to a
evil,
it was one of great novelty and importance, and demanded in Chancery three feet high, being a thousand folios; one ,
uitv
great care and attention in the introduction. The immediate left the House to judge of the expellee. In a suit at Equity'
which a reduction of 30 per cent. on foreign silks would the stamps generally cost three hundred pounds, an fie.
have,
e
have, he feared would be mischievous. Ile apprehended this quently much more. In a case of Roe verses Gudgeon? 'fi!,
ere
from the immediate appearance of French silks in the mare in the latter was called upon to render an account, the .defers 00,
ket ; for in the art of dying they had got an advantage over ant stated that he hoped he should net be obliged to a°
I

On Rum
Coals
Wool
Silk

• - £150,000
. - - 100,000
- 350,000
- 46.2,000

Total - - .13,062;000
This would be the annual loss to the revenue, which multiplied
by three, would give at the end of 1827 a total loss of
3,717,0001.—this being deducted from the 4,135,0001. of surplus
income at the expiration of that year, leaves a difference of
418,000/. This was the substance of what he had to submit.
There was one subject on which he could offer a few words—
the duty on Salt. It had been represented to Government that
the total cessation of that duty would yield no ma.erial benefit.
It might therefore be desirable that its total cessation should
not take place in January next. On this the House could-de-
cide; but at all event Government held themselves pledged to
a reduction of taxes to that amount, and it was no part of his
plan. It could not be expected, when taxes had been repealed
to the amount of more than eight millions within the last three
years, that further relief could be afforded than he had now
stated it to be the intention of Government to grant.
The following were the Taxes repealed since the beginning
of 1E121:

DIRECT TAXES.

Agricultural Horse Tax £480,000
Assessed Taxes, England and Ireland 2,520,000

----- £3,000,000
:TAXES UPON ARTICLES OF CONSUMPTION.
Malt J - - 1,400,000
•
Salt (the -
-
entire duty 1,500,000
Hides .). 3
00,000

a
S DUTIESPRa
Er tmi
sorseliptoeil
AOEfNRUDEnaLioIinETFEDRuciAt,i7e,sII,ORNADE,
&C.
f
Repeal of Tonnage Duties - - 160,000
Alterations in several minor branches
of Custom, Session, 1823 - 40,000
Reduction of Spirit Duty in Ireland
and Scotland 806,000

8,200,000
150,000

1,000,000