The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

On the motion that the Speaker leave the chair,
Mr. LA YARD called attention to our relations with
Persia, and gave as his reason fir the notice he had
given the esetracrdinary chara:)ttr of the proceedings
of the Government, that of commencing and conclud-
ing war without consulting the house, and also that he
disapproved of our Central Asia policy. He asked the
noble lord Feriou ly if a debate on Persian affiirs would
in tei fere with the negotiations for peace, because, if so, he
must content himself with protesting against the course
that had been pursued by the Government with refer-
ence to Persia.
Lord PALMERSTON said it was imP ossilde to say
what would be the result of a thing that had not
happened. At present he thought if the Government
were in negotiation a debate might have a very injuri-
ous effect. It was the desire of the Government to
conclude a peace ttat should be durable and advanta-
geous to both countries.

Mr. BAILLIE asked:the Government to lay on the
table of the house the ultimatum sent to Persi before
declaring war. This Government said it was in conse-
quence of the Persians attacking Herat, whilst the Per-
iansrepudiated that such was tie case.
Lord PALMERSTON said it would be impossible for

him to comply with the request, because it would
be detrimental to the negotiations of peace.
Mr. ROEBUCK said, the boasted supervision of this
house appeared to be at an end by the course
adopted by the Government The house kcew
nothing and knew that they oueht not to know
anything. If they put a qaes.ion on a subject before
any mischief happened they were told by the Govere-
ment that they were too soon. When the thing was
going on, that they were meddling at a wrong time, and
when it was over that they were too late. When,
he asked, where they to put a question
Lord. J. RUSSELL thought the course that had
been adopted by the Government with reference to the
Persian war, very unusual. Under the circum-
stances, however, he thought it was not desirable to
discuss the question, now that negotiations for
peace were pending, and the Government were
acting right in withholding the papers. The result of
the negotiations must soon be known. They had been
discussed at Constantinople, and the principles were
well known to the respective governments.
Mr. GLADSTONE admitted the force of the remarks
of Lord J. Russell, and the desire of Mr. Layard not to
embarrass the Government, but there were questions
connected with the subject anterior to the war, that
of the Government going to war with a foreign
power—(hear, heat)--without the knowledge and con-
sent of Parliament, that might be discussed without in-
juring the negotiations for peace. The house could not
be precluded by anything said or done that night from
entering into the cause of the war, but it was desirable
to abstain from discussing questions affecting the negc-
tiations for peace.
Mr. DISREALI said that whilst the house could not
withhold its forbearance relative to these negotiations,
yet the bouse oughtto view with jealousy the course pur-
sued, because they might find that the war with Persia
might continue during these negotiations, and the Go-
vernment make it a reason for preventing their con-
duct from being canvassed by the house. He asked
for the production of the papers with reference to the
Two Sicilies.

After some remarks from Mr. M. GIBSON,
The silbject, dropped, and the house went into corn
mittee.

THE BUDGET.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER com-
menced his statement by remarking that he had
acceded to the request of the house out of the,
usual course, and he begged to remind them
that this was the earliest day on which it could be
done, and no committee of ways and means had eat.
The committee must be satisfied there had been no
reluctance on his part to lay before the house the
annual financial statement, (Hear, hear.) In ordinary
times it was necessary that the army and navy estimates
should have precedence, but on unusual cases, such
as this, a contrary course should be adopted. It
was the course of Government to state the re-
quired expenditure 'for the year, and how it should be
met, and there were certain expenses that might be post-
poned from one year to another, and others that required,
more or less, on which a reasonable discretion might
be had. That time had now arrived when they had
returned to a restricted expenditure, and it was
but necessary the house should wish to know the
state of the finances of the country. After alluding
to the remarks of Sir J. Ramsden, in moving the ad-
dress rt letive to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's posi-
tion with Ilia budget, said it was a far more agree-
able task for him to perform this year than in correspond-
ing years, when he had to ask fur the imposition of addi-
tional taxes and loans with which to meet the expenditure
of the country. He called the attention of the committee
to the expenditure and revenue, from .s::h April, 1856,
and ending sth April, 1857, not merely for the purpose of
comparison and information, but to remove miesappee-
henbion relative to the taxation and expenditure of that
year. In the statement he made last session, after
Easter, he estimated the revenue of the current year at
71,740,0001., and estimated receipt was somewhat above
it, 71,835,000/. The article that had proved less than the
estimatewas in the customs. He estimated it at 23,850,0001.

and the proballi result would be 23,600,0001., the defi-
er &es being on the short stock of sugar and on teas.
The expenditure, inc:uding the loan to Sardinia of one
was estimated at 82,113,000/., givinga deficiency
of 10,373,000/., including a margin of two millions.
Deducting that from the deficiency on the esti-
mated expenditure included in the votes
of the Louse, left a deficiency of 8,373,000/. To cover
that deficiency the Gwernment was empowered to effect
certain loans, and 1,499,000/. was raised, being part of
a loan for five millions effected after Easter lest, and
there had been an issue of one million of Exchequer-
bills, making a total of 7,499,0001. borrowed money. The
house had also given the Government piwer to borrow
four millions, but they had only borrowed one million,
and intended to surrender the remainder of the exsrcise
of those powers. (Rear, hear.) The total receipts front
revenue, loans, and cxcbequerbills, had been 79,384,0001.,
and the actual ex?enditure, including the payment ofa loan
to Sardinia, would probably amount to 73 millions, leav-
ing a balance of 1,384,000/. (Hear, hear.) It had been
said that they were now keeping up war taxes in a time of
peace, but it was not so; and although the country
was not actually at war, they had to meet
extraordinary charges consequent on the war, and
in addition to those extraordinary payments there
had been one million paid of the second instalment to
Sardinia, and there had been paid for the rederoption of
an hereditary pension to the extent of 91,000/. In ad-
dition to these extraordinary payments, the war tax on
malt had been reduced to the exent of 220,000/ , and
there had b. ea paid for last year's drawback
800,000/., making the 1 >so on that article of upwards of
a midion, so that it was not right to say that no reduc-
tion of tam stion had taken place since the conclusion of
peace. To show the ela,ticify of the resources of this
country on the removal of the pressure of war, he
quoted the amount
.of British exports. In 1856 they
exceeded all that of previous years, having reached 116
millions, being an increase of twenty rndlione, or 20
per cent. on the exports of 1855, and of 1,695,700/.
cr 17 per cent. over those of 1553, the year immediately
preceding the war. The British and Irish exports were
in 1853 of the val ue of 98,330,000/., which in 1355 fell to
95,638,000/., whil,t they rose last year to 115,890,000/. In
manufactures, he foui:d that in textile articles the ex-
ports in 1853 were of the value of 52,990,000/. ; in
1355 they were 61,123,000/. ; whilst in 1856 they rose
to 59,915,0001. In metal fabrics of all kinds the
exports in 1353' were 19,563,000/., and in 1355 they
fell to 17,392,0001., whilst they rose in 1353 to
23,509,0001. The imports of raw cotton in 1853 were
746,709,000 lbs. ; in 1855, 767,306,000 lbs. ; and in
1350, 877,814,000 lbs., showing that they had doubled
since 1849 ; and if they compared it with the first
year of peace after 1315, they found that, they now
commenced the first year of peace with exports
three times greater than the exports were
in 1316. The right honourable gentleman then
referred to the imports of grain, which were
much larger than in 1855, when Russia felt a loss in
that trade of more than half of the trade with her
in 1854. The trade was suspended in 1855, but in
1356 it increased in exports to 1,208,000 quar-
ters. The entrance and clearances of shipping
showed a considerable increase in 1856 over
that of all preceding years, and, as compared with 1855,
showed an increase of 1,760,000 tons, or 19 per
cent., and 1,906,000 tans in comparison with the
year 1853. To comfort those who thought that
the shipping trade was to be ruined by the repeal of the
navigation laws, he would state the total tonnage. In
1853 it amounted to 15,380,000 tons, but in 1855 it
fell to 15,367,000 tons, which, however, rose
last year to 17,974,000 tons, At the conclu-
sion of the war 200,000 tons of shipping were relieved,
and it was gratifying to find that that amount of ship-
ping had gone back to the ordinary trade
of the country without any perceptible injury
resulting. The number of emigrants that left
tthheeicaosunetrayr
in 1852, amounted to 368,764, whilst during ty
they only amounted to 176,554, which he thoughtspoke
well of the trade and prosperity of the country. The
three years' expenditure of the country during the war,
including the loan to Sardinia, was 228,731,1901, and
for the same period of peace it was 152,323,000/:, so
that if they deducted the three years of pence from the
three years of war they would arrive at a close approxi-
mation of the expenses of the war—viz., 76,398,0001.
The net revenue for the three years of the war was
192,685,000/., including borrowed money, and if they
(le lucted from it the expenditure of three years' peace,
there would remain a surplus revenue applicable to
war expenditure of 40,362,0001. The addition
to the funded and unfunded debt was 41,041,0001.,
and the surplus of war taxation was 40,362,000/. We
left a million in the Exchequer. He calculated the esti-
mate for the current year as follows :—lnterest of funded
and unfunded debt, 28,550,000/. • `permanent charges
on the consolidated fund, 1,707,000/. ; for the army,
ti,nhcelundaivn),g. 400,000/, for the militia, 11,625,000/. ; for 1
including the coast-guard, 8,109,000/.; for the
prevehtive service, 995,0001.
auperann;uocivil service, 725,000/. ;
bodeteto4 215 of the
000/ revenue
now brought into the
g ~.
of the Revenue
April
next.
department 475,000/., and he
Pr
opoessoea to a
u d take b
es
vote towards the Persiapnwy e:ap rg t
ar
The total of the supply
32,904,000/., which, added to the charge of the debt and
unfunded debt, would make 63,224,0001.:
hear, independent
of of the repayment of the debt. (Rear,
After referring to the loan of two millions of
Exchequer Bonds of 1854, payable in 1856,
and a further sum of 280,0004, he said that the total