The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-01 00:00:00

PRICE sd.

sober character.—( Cries of " Hear, hear," and laughter.)
I think I shall be able to show that what I have stated is
quite correct. The Customs for the last year produced
21,700,0001, though there was a period of six weeks in
which the increased duty of 5 per cent. did not attach. I have
placed the estimated income of the Customs at 22 millions,
being somewhat more than the actual produce last year.
The actual produce of the Excise last yeer wa513,673,000/.,
witn some fraction. Of the increase on the 5 per
certte it is impossible for me to say what part at-
tached during the last year, but, with regard to
the Excise, there is this great advantage, that
is many things—as, for instance, the malt duty—it is not
available for a long time, yet you will be able exactly to
tell the amount, and to know what will be paid.
The average for the Excise for the next year I have put,
in round numbers, at 14 millions. The stamps produced
7,183,0001, and I have put them at 7,139,000/. The
taxes produced 3,989,432/., and I base placed them at
4,300,000/. The Post-cffice I have placed at 450,000/.
Ihe Crown Lands at 160 600/., and the Miscelle.
ceous et 250,000/., which last year produced 311,000/.
The total income that I expect during the next year
amount:, to 48,310,000/. The expenditure, as I stited,
said amount to 50,731,0001. Of this expenditure the
House Bill observe that China forms an item of 400,0001. ,
and there is another sum of 191.000/ , the navy debt of
last year, making in all 591,000/. Now that sum does
not form part of what is Ose permanent expen-
diture of the country, and it therefore sloes not be-
come nee •stary to make a permanent provision for it.
With regard to the expenditure, then, I think there is
every prospect that it will not at any rate be likely that we
shall be called on for anything like the sums of former
years. The expenditure for the next year, leaving
eta those two items reterred to, will amount to 50,130,0001.
That leaves 1,800,000/. Luolsteg, then, to the future
prospects, and to the state of tee expenditure of the
country, it is the opinion of her Majesty's Government that
it is impossible, con4istete!y with the stability of the
finances of the country, to leave the position of the revenue
as it stands, and not to make some increase to the income
of the country.—( Hear. ) Taking the whole subject into
consideration, I consider that it will be necessary to
make up the permanent revenue to fifty millions
by such means as Parliament may please to adopt. If I
can makeprovisien fur that I shall h tee placed the finances
of the country upon a stable and sure footing. It was
my fortune last year when I had to address you upon a
similar occasion to call upon this House, and to call
upon the country for additional taxes for the purpose of
placing the revenue in a better position and making up the
deficiency which then existed, and if it become necessary
for me ;Tale to undertake that duty, I should not
shrink f,om hying before the House a pro-
position for a system of taxation, however unpopular it
might be. In my opinion there is no tax so inconvenient
or so injurious that it coulal for a moment be weighed
igainst the great inconvenience and calamity of a per-
manently disordered sate of the finances. Under
these circumstances her Majesty's Government hare
taken into their serious consideration the course they will
feel it their duty to pursue. It becomes necessary either to
fall back upon some of those taxes which we have ourselves
repealed—either the house-tax, or the tax upon coals, or
some other repealed tax. The sum is so large, that it is
absolutely necessary that we should act with boldness. It
is impossible to attempt, by any mitigatMg measure, or by
any small measure, to deal with such deficiency.—( Hear.)
You therefore have the choice either to return upon these
old taxes which you have repealed after due considera-
tion, and upon the opinion that they press severely upon
the trade and commerce of the country, or you must on the
other hand take assay the exemptions and introduce into your
taxation those parties who have been hitherto exempted, as
was proposed last year by an Hon. Member of this House;
you must include the legacy duty, and you must include real
property under the legacy duty—(Cheers)—or you must
take away some of those exemptions by which particular
classes are benefited—such as the tax on agricultural horses,
or some of those exemptions which 1 have no doubt
would add considerably to the revenue, I mean
in proportion to the cost of collection. Or if you do
not choose to adopt that, you must adopt another course
_you must lay a tax upon those new articles of
strength—upon gas and steam, which are so new-
born in the world as hardly to have benefited us
under the system of taxation which, during a lung war,
we were obliged to apply to almost every other article.—
( Hear, hear.) Or, lastly, you must take that which I find
now so popular, although I am old enough to remember
that it was the object of the bitterest attacks and execra-
tions—l mean an extensive property tax.—(Loud cheer-
ing.) It becomes therefore our duty to consider whe-
ther, by some new modification of those taxes which arc
already laid upon the people, we may not be able to
obtain the necessary supplies for the public service, without
adding to the burdens of the country. I apprehend that
the House will have already judged that the two articles
with which I propose to deal in my Budget arc timber aed
sugar.—(Loud cheers.) The House will recollect
that additional duties were laid upon timber during
the last Sear, and the duty on colonial timber
was We. a load, while the duty on Baltic was 655. a load,
thus giving a protective duty of 450 percent, on toe colonial
timber: The subject-Mil teen repeatedly before diffeeerit
Administrations. My Noble Friend Lord Spencer pro-
posed an adjustment of the duties, by diminishing the pro-
tecting duty of 455. to 303., and by raising the colonial duty
from 103. to 204.; what I now propose is to reduce the
duty on Baltic timber from 555. to 50s. The subject was
referred to a Committee which went patertly into ;he in-
quiry, and examined various parties connected with all in-
terests. The Committee made a Report containing
much valuable information, and confirming the views
of my Noble Friend as to the expediency of the
reduction which he proposed. Now, Sir, I propose
to adopt the proposition of my Noble Friend.
I feel satisfied that an arraagemcnt might be made by
which the consumer in the country will be much bene-
fited, and the revenue will receive considerable addition.
( Hear, hear.) I shall also adopt certain other recom-
mendations of that Committee as far as they are practi-
cable. They' recommend that the duty on deals should
be adjusted in a more equal and fair manner. My
Noble Friend Lord Spencer was satisfied in his own mind
that he would derive from this source as much as 75,004.,
but I am willing to take tire estimate as low as 600,0001.
The present duty is his. 6d. upon Colonial timber,
and 565. 6d. on Baltic. I propose to put a duty of
20,e upon Colonial timber, and reduce the duty upon
Baltic timber 505. making the differential duty still 305.
It is exactly Lord Spencer's proposition. He expected to
raise from that plan the sum of 75,600/. I propose to
take it at 600,000/. I now come, Sir, to the other article,
sugar. I am sure I need not call the attenti m of the
House to the inconvenience—to the more than inconvenience,
that for more than the last two Scars has been suffered by
all classes, but more especially by the lower classee:.
(Cheers)—from toe high price—the exorbitant price—of
this article, which, if not a necessary of lite, is at all events
one of the poor man's luxuries. This very circumstance,
to which I alluded in a former part of my address, when
I stated to the Committee the falling off which had taken
place in Ireland, by the people leaving off spirits and
taking to coffee and tea as a substitute, if we really
see that by keeping up the Lieh price of sugar
we would interfere with that which every man who
has any preteesiens to be called a statesman must be ex-
tremely anxious for—namely, the introduction of sober and
industrious habits amongst the people.—if you will look at
ihat only I ant sure the Committee will be most
anxious to allow the poorer classes to obtain something
like a decent supply of this necessary article. I
am not about to adopt any wild, or what my
Noble Friend might call philosophical plan. I propose
still to leave a considerable protection in favour of
colonial sugar. I propose to leave a protection of
50 per cent. in favour of the colonies. The present duty
upon colonial sugar is 245., plus 5 per cent. ; the
duty upon foreign sugar is 635., plus 5 per cent.,
which amounts to an actual prohibition_far better
to state fairly and honestly that they would not admit
foreign sugar at all. I propose still to give the colonial
produce a protection of 50 per cent. I propose to reduce
the duty on foreign sugar to 363.—( Hear, and cheers. )
By my proposition, the duty on colonial sugar will be
245. per cent, plus the 5 per cent. ; the duty on
foreign sugar will be 365. per cwt., plus the fo per
cent., being exactly a differential duty of 50 per cent. for
protecti sta. I have endeivoured, Sir, to go through the
calculations necessary On this subject, and hive stated to
the House what I think it probable the increase will
be. I think it not impossible th ! increase will amount
to nine hundred thousand pounds, but I take it at seven
hundred thousand pounsls. The sum the Committee
recollect I proposed to provide for was 51,700,000/.
The increase of sugar, if it realizes 700,000/ ,
and of timber 600,000/., will produce the sum of
1,300,0001., leaving a deficiency of 400,000/. My Noble
at the commencement of the proceedings
ruing announced to the House a
be brought before them respecting
"ash upon corn.—( Cheers and
Nest of the deepest and
--It I am not willing
the same time I,
4 to make,
"art's

of this L
measure which «1

the duties which now at

coutitcr-cheer?. ) This is asu

gravest importance, and one win,

to treat of in an incidental debate. At
cannot overlook it in the statements I am ahoL.

and certainly I shall have this sum of 40,0001. and up
unprovided for, feeling satisfied that the proposition
my Noble Friend has adopted for that sum, will be
found a sufficient provision in the revenue derived
from it. But whatever may be the tesult it is my
determination to make up the revenue to the amount al-
ready stated, and if I cannot thus make provision for that
sum of 400,0001 , I shall produce it by direct taxation.
I have felt some difficulty as to the mode of dealing with
this question, as I have been anxious to avoid as much as
possible mingling the subject of re, eaue of the e iuntry with
the discussion of so important a question as the Corn-laws:
but at the same time I cannot conceal from mysell;lr
can any gentlemin in this ELhuse conceal from In.m:r
that this is a cpiesti in of principle.—( hear, hear, hear.
It in not a mere scrambling for sums of mooeytot I
lee'e into the revenue, but it i 3 a question whether
you
give a protecting interest to those whom the subject
conce:ns, or whether you will keep the law as ith at pre-
sent stands, and impose additional burdensupon.t e. popu_
If you take it in that
the question. .that pro_
latton.—(Ministerial cheers.)
view you must consider, not only
toots the West Indian interest, or the Canadian timber in-
terest, but you must consider that the Principle of tl a'
protecti in must be given to the
which I growth
consider of corn. I shall
state those points may refer
to the revenue of the c runtry, and my Right Hon. Fri !nd
the Resident of the Board of Trade wil , in his depart-
ment, submit to thd Committee such measures as he may
think may
to Parliament be with safety to the revenue recom-
mendedamect for the revijot of the law which