The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-23 00:00:00

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, in rising to move
" that there be laid before this House account of all
charges of which ,the amount was voted and appro-
priated from the public revenue in 1838, and which were
defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund in 1847 ; also of
all charges defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund
in 1838, of which the amount was voted and appro-
priated from the public revenue in 1747 ; showing the
amount of each several charge in each year, from 1838
to 1847, both inclusive, and whether defrayed from the
Consolidated Fund or voted and appropriated from the
public revenue in each year," said that there appeared
to be a constant and steady increase in the public ex-
penditure from the Consolidated Fund, under the head
of miscellaneous estimates. When we had a good re-
venue as compared with our expenditure, the question
of outlay was not so important; but after a period of
reduced taxation and of revenue, as compared with in-
come, which was not what it had been in former times,
it was of great importance to look to additional expen-
diture. Additional taxation was regarded with the
greatest reluctance, when it was necessary in order to
maintain the balance between expenditure and income.—
((Tear, hear.) He did not see any great cause of a hope
that there would soon be any great increase in our
revenue ; for, looking at the state of the continent
and the prospects which that state of things ex-
hibited, he did not see any probability of an
increase of our exports to the continental states. If the
convulsions which now affected the continent were to
continue the effect might besimilar to that which had
been produced in the last year, namely, the destruction
of manufactures on the continent ; but short of that
result, he saw no great probability of an increase in the
consumption of English manufactures, and he need not
say, that even no regard for the interests of this country
would induce him to wish to see such a result.—
(Cheers.) The great means of national advantage
which we had now in our command was a strict regard
for economy. We did not know that we were not at the
commencement of a great and protracted struggle—he
did not say that he perceived a probability of our being
at an early period involved in a war, but it was obviously
our duty at such a period as this to be prepared for all
political contingencies ; and the best preparation was
economy in public matters—strict economy.—(Hear,
hear.) It was, in fact, the duty of Parliament to show
the people of this country, that the constitution of this
country guaranteed to them as much freedom as
was enjoyed by any people in any country, and
that, not only was the constitution of this country not
incompatible with economy, but that it was ancillary to
it.—(Cheers.) No Government could stand long in this
country which was not purely and strictly economic;
and feeling that conviction, he was desirous of directing
the attontior of their Lordships to the relative expendi-
ture of various years since 1838, at a period when the
reduction of our expenses was of the greatest import-
ance. In 1838 the sum appropriated out of the Con-
solidated Fund was 2,332,0001., whilst in 1847 the sum
appropriated for the same purposes—the purposes
alluded to in his motion—was 3,669,000/ ; thus showing
an increase in ten years of 1,307,0001; and in this in-
crease he did not include the sum of 60,000/. for Irish
colleges, whilst certain charges, to the amount of
150,0001., were transferred; and including those trans-
fierred charges, and the amount for the Caledonian Canal
and harbours of refuge, the total increase of expenditure
in 1847, as compared with 1838, was 805,0001. The
sum for public works and buildings for 1838 was
215,0001., and for 1847 it was 376 0001. After deducting
harbours of refute and canal;, the average increase of
1838, 1839, and 1840, was 185.0001., whilst the average
increase of 1845, 1846, and 1847, was 304,0001. Tne
chargefor building the edifice in which they were at
that moment sitting hadi been for the ten years since