The Sun.
London, England, 1826-11-22 00:00:00

with other states if by that interference our own population Were
to he loaded with intolerable burdens? What was the object of all
good Government? To make -the greater number of the people
happy; to give them every enjoyment, consistent with their own
seatrity- Was: the House to be told'hy the Right Bon. Gentle.;
man, that, because our intet*rente in the Oahu of Portugal
might or might not be incidentally beneficial, Government were
warranted in keeping up our present immense establishments? If
it were fitting to keep them up, let not the Right Honour-
able Gentleman postpone his explanation ; declaring that, he
could Mat say when he would make it, nor what he would state.
The present was the proper time. The prospects were most
gloomy to the merchant, to the agriculturist, and to the manufac-
turer, whilst in all those branches-of industry the labourers were
placedin situations of hopeless wretchedness. Every ,possible' re-
lief ought to be afforded to people so situated. Was the House to
be set aside from this subject, by a declaration made by the. Right
Hon. Gentlernan, that there could not be' any redUctione made
from the burthens of the people? They had Made' no allusion to
any relief froM taxation in the present instance, and his experience
taught Lim not to expect any. The Government seemed to think
that the 'difficulties were .partial and temporary ; so far &Orli being
of this opinion, he had every reason to believe that 'the distresses
were general, .deep-rooted, and perManent. He would therefore
ask, if it were not fit that the Mute should proceed; without de-
lay, to inquire into the subject, and to duly consider the important
points connected with it. lie did not complain of any
one thing stated in the Speech ; on the contrary, all he com
plained of was, what it did not contain—the omissions. He
would not quarrel with one single expression that fell 'from
the Honourable Gentleman who moved the Address, but he
would enter his protest against the doctrine, that the late war
in India tould not have been avoided. Ifs maintained, that
with only a little moderation, the war might have been altoge-
ther escaped, for we were both the invaders and the aggressors.
lie would now request the attention of the House to a most im-
portant fact. We had now for eleven years of peace been sup-
porting a full war establishment; we were keeping 'up a large
standing army, unequalled in any former period of our history.
Our military establishment was much larger than the military
force maintained even during the American War, which was con-
sidered a war of great extravagance. He wished the House to
proceed, without any unnecessary delay, to the examination and
revision of every one of those public establishinents, which the
Right Hon. Gentlersoin (Mr. Canning) said he would be able to
defend. When multitudes were wanting breed, it was not, to say
the least, very courteous in the Government to put off the consi-
deration of the complaints of the sufferers-to an indefinite period.
If Gentlemen would revert to the proceedings of list Parliament,
they might recollect the anticipations that were held out by the
Opposition, that by a continued reduction of each bead of
taxes, they should find the country after a peace of ten years
prepared, in ,case of necessity, to. vindicate its character, and
to defend its rights against all aggression: It was then alleged,
that by continuing our war establishments in times of peace, we
eventually should not be able to act with independence in our fo-
reign relations. That period had now arrived—we were not at
this moment in a situation to treat foreign insults as we ought to
have done. It might appear to the Right Hon. Gentleman a
mere trifle, that Government only exacted, at the present mo-
ment, ten millions for the Army, or that' the aggregate deMand
upon the country was 59 millions a year. Let him look back, and
conceive the situation in which the country was placed by his re-
fusing to make those reductions which ought to have been made,
in the year 1817, agreeably to the recommendation of the Fi-
nance Committee. By this retrospect, he will at once see what
great • and important services he could have rendered to his coun-
try, had he stopped the lavish expenditure then going on. In
the last nine years, the amount of taxes had been enormous.
• From 1817 to 1825, the tax-gatherer had collected not less than
531,000,0001. sterling, or, on an average, 59,000/. a year was
taken from the productive industry of the country. One hundred
and forty-two millions had been paid to what was called the Peace
Establishment of the country. To his mind, the cause of all the dis-
tresses of the country was so evident, that he was surprised that that
'class, whose property must so materially suffer (the Agricultural
Class), did not see that this taxation was the canker-worm—the evil
that undermined their property. The extravagant expenditure of
which he complained had not been confined to the Army and
Navy. The Civil Establishments had averaged more than
26,000,0001. ; whilst our debt, on an average, had increased by
three millions a-year. It was very fortunate, however, that the
annual burthen of our debt had been lessened by 51,000,0001. a
year, although thia bad been effected by a reduction of the'rate of
interest. • The House was aware of the general outcry upon this
subject. It might to consider whether Parliament, in its first
Address to the Crown, should not declare, and manfully pledge
itself to, a scrupulous examination of Alt the public captures.
(loud Crud, what a situation did the • country occupy !.He
would ask any Honourable Member of that Home to
name the country where privation, distress and positive star-
vation of the people were equal to those which at the pre-
sent moment pressed upon the population of this empire.
The evil had arrived to such a magnitude that it endangered the
very existence of society. However exemplary the conduct of the
people had been under the cruel circumstances into which they
had been thrown, it was impossible for the evil to continue mirth
longer. Would Government expect the people to lie down and,
starve? Ile would say, that taxation was not reduced, and that
the public establishments were even increased. his would state
one instance. The great war expenditure was in the army, navy,"
and ordnance. A reference to the papers on the table of the
llouse,- would show that these heads of expenditure were brought
to the lowest.pitch in 1822, agreeably to the wish of the. House,
aud the Address to the Throne. In that year, 1822, the army;
navy, and ordnance, amounted to 16 millions in round number*.
In 18211,- when they had a Speech stating to the House that great
reductions would be made in the estimates—in that very year
those'eetimatea were increased by a half million sterling. In the
following year, these estimates were raised to 17,500,00 W. In
1825, the same amount was continued ; and in the present year,
those very estimates that, in 1822, amounted to only 16 millions;
are no less than 1'7,800,0001., being an increase to an amount
which ought to induce the House not to let the present mos
mut pass, without expressing :their opinion that it. was by
taxation that the present evils have been brought on. An
Hon. Friend on his left WAS frequently introducing the sub-
ject of the currency to the Reuse. He would ask that Rom
Gentleman, and the Country' Gentlemen at large, who it was
that had to bear the load of this continued taxation ? Let
them compare the relative situations of England in 1817 and
4818, after the termination of the war, when their property
was of high Value, in relation to the currency. Ile would
ask these Country Gentlemen whether, now that the curs
rency is raised in value by 25 per eent., they are able' to pay the
scone amount of taxation which they before paid ? 'Ha would beg
these Gentlemen to consider the manner in which they have to
discharge their obligations. In 1817,, the amount of taxation
migift be estimated to equal 15,000,000 quarters of corn. They
are now called upon to pay 17,000,000 quarters. The actual
difference is at least i,f,pp,ppp gparters, and which is to lie paid
for taxes, in
,many ewe quite unnecessary end extravagant. He
would advise Country Gentlemen to look well to their situation
when they settle their accounts at the end of the yeer, they will
find themselves much worm off than at the end of former years.
Was there a man in that House who could say that the situation
.of agricultural labourers was to he envied, in comparison to that
of rather classes. Every class and interest was suffering, and such
deep anti general evil enuld not depend, as was pretended, upon a
!lgid cause. The *twee of the evil was deeply rooted. This was
apenalayntsittrperr,e
to be aetaalinted for only by taxation. There wan not a merchant,
nihilated. his should again repeat that, if A-Roisters were not
profit" were reduced, if not totally an,
able to give relief to the country, they ought at once to say se..-‘.
07attagriculturist, could deny that pto.
They wished to get over the evil day, and leave the result to the
el'agokf actidertts. With respect to our foreign relation*, Eng..
land had no .boaittriis to meddle with foreign countries ; she had
enough to do with her awn affeirs. The people would not bear to
be taxed so -euurluoudy to pursue the present line of foreign po-
licy. With respect to Portugal, the House would pot dp its duty
if it proceeded without inquiry, whether tacit conduct ought to be
panned. Helena in Government a disposition to render the mi-
litary poWer WO paramount in England. The institutions of the
country were MI shit, but the military were tampering with the
civil power. lie spoke net a Any ioilividnale, but of the system
generally Ministers had thonght proper 'W11441140440 the
couiVol that there existed no prospect or apprehensions of a war ;
if this were sa, what necessity was there to keep up a gaining,
army 0f86,000 men ? If the Foreign Secretary would direet his
agents at each foreign port to tend him an aka:allot of the papule..
thin end taxes of the country in which lie rettilled, he would- find
that England stead uneoaneil iu amount• of taxation,' Eyery
English person, man,
,‘"vama,,, arul ehild, pays at this rate of Bi.
Ithn a bead in taxes, The rental of England was estimated. at
40,000,0001.i' and snore than the rental by one half Was extraited
frear the people. ile would note advert to the corn laws. The
stere.basi promised to meet title subject, and the plan they now pro-
Po" was trilling With the people ; it was 'equally an di ;
stilt to those
who supported soil those who ,04,05e1l the corn laWa. if the Cnin,
Laws ought not to he tuaintaina, What cause ja.4
_jb.z MOT!'
proper than the present to alter them I every inin'in tagletot
looked for that alteration oat the present conjtincture There was
another allijeet- on whieh he bad 'wished to expatiate. There
hit 61 iniat, to 1,,,ve been a Statement from the Throne,
recommending a revision of the whole of tic Ora Lew. At