Star.
London, England, 1812-06-27 00:00:00

to Mine resolution, declaring that Judges should sat be appoint-
ed from political eonaideretions.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER NM, that ha
seer beard a more irregular question asked, nor ens t. we d&
it would be mere Irregular is give an answer. •
Mr. WHITBREAD said, that words had bees used week*
of the bet.

• The CHANCELLOR et the EXCHEQUER grounded the
irregularity of the question on its inquiring into intention radar
than matter of fact.
Mr. KENDRICK (the Gentleman alluded to) said. be had no
notification made to him of the appointment, (that of a Welch
Judge), if so, be would not be sitting where he then was.
A Petition was presented from Captain Eyre, relating to Prize
Money, which was ordered to lie on the table, and Mr. Blil•
DVIMII gave petite of a Motion upon the subject.
11R. IT. JOIIN /SAWN.
Mr. SIIIMIDAN presented a Petition from Mr. St. John Mason,
complaining of certain statements contained in a printed docu-
ment from the Duke of Richmond to Mr. Secretary Ryder, and
praying to be allowed to vindicate himself from the charges
therein contained against him.—Ordered to lie ou the tabl:.

=CHEWIER BILLS.
Leave was given to bring In a Bill, prolonging the time of
papsent of certain Exchequer Bills, advanced last year to Mer-
chants and Manufacturers, in support of common credit. On
this occasion,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated the as.
malty of granting this farther indulgence te these public debtors.
on the grounds of supporting commercial credit for a short time,
when he hoped that it would be able to maintain itself. He also
informed the House of the progress made in discharging the Loan ;
one half was paid, and he had an doubt but that the whole would
be paid off within the time to which the kitended Bill would ex.
tend, which would be no more than six months from the present
time. The first instalment, which is payable next month, he
proposed to defer, and to divide that and the next instalment
into three : the rst to become due in September, and the last
to be payable in January. Having made his glotion for leave
to bring in the Bill,
Alderman COOMBE spoke a few words, explaining the con-
duct of the Commissioners to whom. by the Act, ;he lending
out, and t' e repayment of the Bills. was to be directed.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM also %poke to the same sift ct.
Mr. WHITBREAD complained of this measure. The eaten-
slon of the time of payment was not anticipred by the late
Chancellor of the E;chequrr. There was now an extension of
not less than six months : he thought it incumbent on the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer to inform the House of the number of
those who were now unable to fulfil their engagements, how
their securities were circumstanced, and what were his expecta-
tions of repayment at t!te time propoimil. He desired to know
whether the whole of the Exchequer Bills, lent some years ago
for the relief of the West India Trade, were now paid up. He
feared that some defalcation was likely to be experienced with
respect to the present loan.
The CHANCEL.LOR of the EXCHEQUER entertained
great hopes of relief to trade. from the opening of the American
mai ker. He felt great satisfaction at the manner in which the
Commissioners had conducted thenise yes.

Mr. WHIIIIREAD said, that unless the ai!vances had been
made to persons affected by the Ordt r 4 in Council, the opening
of the American trade would give no rebel.
The CHANCELLOR o► the EXCHEQUER.—" The ad-
vances made to persons of that description were •ery consi-
der.hle."

Mr. WHITBREAD was of opinion, that under suet circum-
stances the Indulgence should be rest, iced, and not be general.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—" "1 hat is to
be kit to the discretion of the Commissioners."
Mr. I.OOKHART asked, if the Loan to the West India Platt.
tern Lad been paid off ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that
not more than .1.10,000. remained due, and even that, as a debt,
was disputes!, and is under investigation at present.
Leave was given tu bring in the HAL
THE LATE RIOTS

Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that it might
be for the convenience of Gentlemen to inform the
House, that he hoped to be able, either tomorrow r
on Monday, to make to the House a communication,
relative to the situation of the Counties s‘hich had re-
cently been in a state of disturbance. The communi-
cation would not be such as would be calculated to
excite any discussion.

MSTAGE arr.r.
Mr. LUSHINGTON !Nought up the Report of
the Postage Bill.
General WILDER ro;e, not with a view of op-
. posing the Bill, but to call the attention of the Right
Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the
charges made by the Post Officer (under the autho-
rity of the Post-Master-General) for every individual
whose business or profession requiring, them to take
passages in any of his Majesty's packets sailing from
any ports in England, but particularly from Fal-
i mouth, amounting to, on an as erage, about 45. 10s.
each, which there is no sanctkn for by any Act of
Parliament, and which has also, on two or three (lit:
!trent occasions, been raised by ordcr of the Secre-
tary of the Post-011ice. The Gent al wis!.ed to ask
lthe Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exche-
qtter, to what purpose the sum of motley so paid was
1 applied ; if it was demanded by way of' licence for
the pleasure .of quitting this country, it indeed fell
hard upon every Officer who was obliged to go to
various parts abroad to serve his King ; and, if it
was not demanded on that head, he wished to be in-
formed by what-autliosity the Post-Office made such
a charge; at any rate, the business ought to be in-
quired into, in order to relieve the very many t flicers
baviag occasion, particularly at this time, to take ad-
vantage of that mode of conveyance to join their re-
giments, and other military duties abroad, and which
is a great and severe burthcn to them, as it appeared
that this sum is charged under the name of " Cabin
Head-Money," and when a servant is a passenger,
under that of " Steerage Head-Money," indeeen.
dent of the sum paid to the Captain for their nressing,,
to which there can be no kind of objection, though
the price is very high. For instance, an Officer pays
for Cabin Head Money to Malta, ie.i. 9s. and if he
has a servant with him £C6. 4s. 6d. independent of
the absurdity of the servant's paying a greater sum
than his master, merely because lie is allowed take his
passage out in a packet, for it is pot contended (and
indeed all the captains of packets positively demand
these sums for the Post-Office) that it is fur any other
purpose, and therefore the General conceived it his
duty to point out this circumstance to the Right Ho-
nourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in order
that Officers, going abroad on duty, either to join
their regiments, or any.other military purpose, might
be relieved from such an extravagant demand, as it ,
fell very heavy, in many instances, orkat body of men
who could ill afford it, and who are alholutely under
the necessity of adopting this anode of conveyance
where no other offers.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
was sorry that it was not jet in 114 power to give a
satisfactory answer on this subject, not having re-
ceived the necessary ioformation. _ General WILDER expressed some surprise at this}
inattention, particularly as he had mentioned this bq,
sinew; to the House on a former 16104 and had ad-
dressed himself personally to him this day, in another
place, requesting him to inquire into this abase,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
apologised for any apparent neglect, and promised
to make the necessary inquiries forthwith.

NMI TAXg& •
On bringing up the Report of the Bills imposing
additional Taxes on Leather and on Servants and
Horses employed in Husbandry,
Mr. BROUGHAM rose, and objected to the pro.;
posed Taxes, not on general lent particular grounds.
If a nation is disposed for war, it is not reasonable to
complain of the payments necessary to carry on that
war. He objected to the Taxes now proposed on ac-
count of their unequal pressure and probable effects,
and as not being the best which, under present cir-
cumstances, might be selected. It would be enough
for him to point out the defects, it was not his busi-
ness to apply a remedy. To proceed to the Tax cn
Husbandry, he thought the best method of exhibiting
their inequality and severity would be to make their
amount on a faint of 100 acres. A farm of that ex-'.
tent would require two pair of horses, and three ser-
vants
for its proper cultivation ; this was a low esti-
mate, as he knew that, in the more remote parts of the
islands, to which the improvements in farming did
not extend, that a much greater proportion of labour
was used ; but on this estimate, the Duty on the
Horses, according to the present rate, would amount
to sixteen shillings • then was to be added the Duty
on Leather, three-halfpence per pound, which would
be a duty on each beast, taking the whole hide at
sixty pounds, of ninety pence ; this was the fair way
to consider it as the hide might be tanned, the evident
operation of which would be the discouragement of
grazing. The Tax on Leather falls unequally, be-
cause it falls heavily on the coarsest kind of leather,
but at present he would consider it as an Agricultural
expense. The addition on this head, together with
the addition of nine shillings on three servants, would
with what he had before stated, make twenty-five
shillings ; harness, with repairs each rar, and other '
trifling charges, would make, in all, forty shillings ;
this was a very considerable addition to his rent.—;-
Taking the average rent of England and Wales at
30s. per acre, the rent would amount to £l5O. Here
then he vrasplaced in a difficulty peculiar to his situa-
tion. He does nut pay in proportion to his gains,
but in proportion to the gains of another man. He
pays one-tenth of RI3O, amounting to £l2, so that,
adding the 40s. it would make one-sixth d his pre-
pet ty tax. He was averse to enter into general to-
pics, but could not help observing, that the more our
rescurces were confined to ourselves, the more desirous
should we be to keep close to our agriculture, and be
ready to give it celery support. The tux on Shoes,
taking two strong pair for each servant, w..uld
.amount to three shillings. The tax on heads had
been taken off,, he said, to be clapped on the feet.—
The Chancellor of the Exchequer h.td got hold of the
lower orders by the feet. He thought it rather unsafe
to lay hold of the people by that part ; but, in truth,
this was a poll tax, and a most unfair poll tax. It
would be much fairer at once to impose a poll tax,
which, at the rate of two shillings a head on ten mil-
lions of people, would amount to one million of
money ; the otl.er is unequal, and, at most, would I
not raise mole than- JCS6O,OOO. In principle it was
a poll tax, and as it was partial, uncquil, and perni-
dons to agriculture, it must meet vt ith his most de-
termined opposition.
• Lord ALTHOR PE prgued against the Tax on
Leather, as likely to be severely felt, from its general
consumption, and pressing too hard on the lower
orders. The time, in the midst of dearth of provi-
sions, and other accounts, was vet y ill chosen,.
His Lordship moved, 4, That the Report, instead of
now, should be taken into considetation this day six'
months."

Mr. BENNET supported the Amendment.
Mr. LOCKHART opposed the Taxes on Leather,
and on I Icrses and Servants, as injurious to farmers,
and as establishing a principle of inequality between
the farmer and tithe-holder. The Taxes fall ulti-
mately on the consumer, and operate as a bonus to
tht tithe-fatmer. The person taking tithe would be
the greatest gainer. The liberty of enclosing is fur-
chased at one-fourth of a man's estates.

General TA RLETON opposed the Taxes, parti-
cularly on Leather, as affecting the Army, particu-
larly the Colonels of regiments, in a vay serious
manner.

Eir THOMAS TURTON spoke against the Tax
on Leather. It would injure the tanning trade in
this Country to a great (stint. They were *heady
labouring under great 'hardships, having eighteen
months stock on hand., the trade had fallen to decay
—and one of the consequences of this tax would be,
to give an unfair pieference to the Irish tanner, as the
tax does not extend to Ireland. It would raise the
price of coarse shoes not less than two shillings.
AldermanCOMßE and Mr. BRAND were against ,
entering into the consideration of the Report inistae-i
diately.
Mr. BIDDULPH complained of the expensive I
manner in which the taxes nere collected, paiticts-1
larly in Scotland, The difference as to the ex' enee
between the two commies, was in seine instances, one
half. He would oppose the motion therefore, on the
grounds_ of the existing taxes nct being duly collected. l
He intended to propose, on some future day, a Reso-
lution, that it was the duty of the House not to im-
pose any new taxes, until convinced that the present
are diligently collected.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that he would arrange the arguments ci the
Gentlemen on the opposite tide, under three beads,
as the same grounds were taken by them all, namely,
is affecting the poor, the husbandman, and the array.
the first place,- it was necessary to observe,
that it was impossible to lay taxes in any way that
would be productive, but as an addition to existing
t ties. Tie Tax on Leather had not been increased
fix 101 years, and, on examination, it would be found
that it did pot bear more than its fair proportion.—
The statement of the Hon. and Learned Gendesn.:n
with respect to husbandry, would be found to amount
to something less than fivepence an acre.—( Hear,
lacerßy the progress of improvement, the tax
woulde less !wavily felt. The poor would not pay
in a greater proportion than in the reign of Anne,
got Even so g,reat. The Hon. Baronet was under a
mistake in what he said respecting the advantage that
Ireland would enjoy in the tanning trade, as by the
operation of drawbacks, Irish leather pays in t
land the English duty, and English pays the Irish
duty in Ireland. As no length ot time would enable
us to get more light upon this subject, he was averie
to any procrastination. The whole case was before
them. and was a simple one, and it was a gross
mistake to suppose that the higher orders would not