Star.
London, England, 1802-04-15 00:00:00

MILITIA BILL.

The Order of the Day for the fecond reading a
the Militia Bill being read,
Sir WILL lAN YouNo, after foie ohfervations,
expreffed a defire to know the exaa way in which
it was propofed finally to regulate the Volunteer
Corps and the Yeomanry Cavalry.
The SICRITART at Wal anfwered, that the Vo-
lunteer Corps and the Yeomanry Cavalry wotlld
be difembodied at the termination of the War,
when he trolled their patriotic and meritorious
fervices would be acknowledged ►y x Vote of that
Houfe, and by the general fettle pf the country.—
Several voluntary offers of fervice hadtten madc.
from thefe corps, but no determination had been
yet adopted by Government midi refpea to the
line of condua which in that cafe was to be pur-
fued.—The Bill was read a hand time, and or.

WORT' AND lIIIPORT DIM' SILL.

The Export and Import Duty Bill was read a
fecond time. _ _ _

General Gascoic its rote on the queffion for the
commitment, and declared, that although he did
not mean to oppofe the Bill, he could not avoid
expreffing his opinion, that the Duty upon Ex-
ports and Imports ought to affea in a propor-
tionate manner that part of the United Kingdom
called Ireland. Were a propotition made to
extend the operation of the Bill to Ireland, he
entertained every well-grounded hope, that the
liberality of the Gentlemen who reprefented that
country would induce them to affent to fo kill a
meafure.

Mr. VANSITTART obferved, that however obvi-
ous the principle was, the.praelice could be regu-
lated only by a comparative view of the circum-
(Lances of the two countries.

Sir ROBERT Put., Paid, that in his mind both
countries fhould be affected by the Bill. They
had been involved in the fame caufe, and they
were equally implicated in the great obje& of the
War. He therefore trolled that a fyllem, founded
upon fo fair a bafis, would meet with the appro-
bation of the Houfe. The regulation was, in
his opinion, unobjeaionable, as it might as well
be maintained that a difference with refpeCt to
bounties ought to take place between Yorkfhire
and Lancafhire, as that Ireland fhould be exempt
from the Duties upon Exports and Imports.
The CHANCELLOR OF THE Excusopsa main-
tained that the objection, as it exit ed with refped
to Ireland, was not at all available in the prefent
Rae of the bufinefs, for the propofition could
only be brought forward in the Committee. The
obfervations of the Hon. General and the Hon.
Baronet were certainly worthy of attention.
The fubjelt, he was _free to fay, had already re-
ceived attention, a2d fhould receive more ; but
at the fame time, Me could not help remarking,
that it was not fair to argue, that becaufe the
fame regulation operated upon two counties, it
fhould therefore be made to affea in "‘an equal
degree two kingdoms, which differed materially in
feveral important circumffances of their relation.

Dr. LAWRENCE entered at fonie length into fe-
veral ftatements refpeding the Export and Import
Trade of. Great Britain with foreign countries.
Lord HAWKESBURY agreed, that as far as it
was prafticable, the principle should be applied to
both countries • but it was alto peculiarly incum-
bent on the Houfe, in the application of it, to
confult with candour and fairnefs the interefts of
the two. Such aft enquiry (hould be ultimately
direded to the common interefts of the empire.—
With refried to any benefits arifing from Com-
mercial rreaties, he could venture to Rate, that
the want of a Commercial Treaty with any power
would fubjth our trade to no difadvantages what-
ever. There was certainly no danger of rivality
in the linen trade from France or Spain, but ra-
ther from Germany. In other points of view, he
would fay that, as under all pail circumflances, it
was evident that France could never rival us but
in the filk trade, no apprehenfiun could be enter-
tained that (he would be able to rival us in the ac-
tual (fate of things.
Mr. O'Haaa begged leave to remind the Houfe,
that though the Lords and Commons of Ireland fat
here, the Exchequers of both countries were dif
ferent, and that the queftion did not relate to the
trade of Ireland, as the Tax went folely to ailed
Great Britain.—The Bill was then committed, and
the Committee poftponed to Friday fe'nnight.

REDEMPTION OF THE NATIONAL DEBT.
The Houfe having refolved itfelf into a Com-
mittee upon the Bill for confolidating certain
AEls of Parliament for the Redemption of the
National Debt,

IIk:CHANCELLOR or THR Excueopss began
by obferving, that as it had been found impoffible
to prepare for the [information of the Committee
thofe accounts and particular flatements upon
which the whole of the calculations refpeeing the
Redemption of the National Debt relied, he should
not then enter into thofe minute details he had
propofed to fubmit to the confideration of Gen-
tlemen. The accounts were, however, making
out with all poffible difpatch, and would be printed
for the ufe of the Houfe early in the enfuing week.
Gentlemen would therefore be enabled to take
them into their confideration during the recefs,
and to form a coffee opinion on the accuracy of
the details, and the conclufions drawn from them.
He should not now detain the Committee for any
length of time, for as the meafures in queftion
had been approved of, he would do little more
than fubmit the refolutions as they were worded.
No man, he was proud to fay, could feel more
deeply than himfelf, the great and folid benefits
refulting to the Public from the arrangement of
1786, for the Redemption of the National Debt.
The confequences were in every point of view
adequate to the molt fanguine expeeation. They
were produeive of advantages which were felt in
all direCtions, and reflefted the higheft honour on
the author of the plan. The Houfe was truly
fenfible of the beneficial refults, and during the
v ici ffitudes, perils, and calamities of the late arduous
conceit, it had uniformly perfevered in giving, to
the fyftem that fupport and cordial co-operation
which could render it effeeive. Gentlemen were
indeed fo fully convinced of its falutary tendency,
that he was confident they would unanimoufly op-
pore any propofal which might tend to weaken its
operation. The great effed of the plan was to
confolidate the Public Debt, and to confolidate
the redemption of it. For that end two purpofes
were to be effected ift, To provide relief for the
prefent moment ; and adly, To accelerate the re-
demption of the debt. When the whole amount
of the national debt was confidered, he would not
liefitate to fay, that it could not be looked at trith•
out anxiety, and a correfponding with to lighten,
and entirely to remove it. The amount of the
permanent taxes was little thort of thirty millions,
and the capital of the debt amounted to 488 mil-
lions. The meafures he had to propofe for re-
moving this hear), preffure were founded upon
two Ails of Parliament—the one paffed in 1786,
and the other in 17A2. The firft was eftablilhed
for reducing the debt then due, and the fecOnd

time contmeed, as well as for what might after•
wards become due. It was determined that when
the interefi amounted to four millions, that flux.
would he at the difpofal of Parliament, and that
the annual Sinking Fund fhould crate. He there
fore had for his object in the refolutions which the
Committee were to take into their confideratiun,
to counteraa that determination, and to •combine
all the refources of the country in one great and
efficient Stock. It was his with that the plus of
1792, for extinguifhing each Loan, fhould alfp be
carried on for the extinction of the whole debt.—
Upon there tyftems the whole of the old Debt
would be extinguithed in the 3 per Cents. in the
comic of 48 years, and the whole of the new
Debt in 47 years. He had the fatisfallion to Rare,
that it appeared from the Accounts which would
be laid on the table, that in confolidating the two
eftablifliments of 1786 and 179 a, the whole of t!,_
National Debt would be paid off in 43 years and
two months. That afTurance he trolled, would
of itfelf be fufficient to difpofe the Houfe to ac-
cede to the meafure, which at the fame time pre-
cluded the neceffity of railing the fum of c,0c,000l
for the interea of the new taxes, the louse:: of the
Income Tax, and left difpofable the Turn of
stamool. in Short Annuities. The fum of
1,500,0001. would alto by this meafure be left as
an overplus, being the difference of interea after
paying off the 4 and s per Cents. The advanta-
ges which would arife to the public he had fairly
(fated, and the object under confide:ation was to
apply for relief to thofe meafures which held out
fuch folid and pleating refources. With retpea to
the two Sinking Funds of 1786 and 1792, they
would, if confolidated, produce 5,667,0001. which.
in the courfe of 47 years, would be equal to the
extinction of a debt one hundred times as much,
or to the extinction of five hundred and fixty mil-
lions, and that operation, it appeared evident from
the tables made out for the information of the
Houfe, would then leave an excels of eighty mil.
lions above the whole amount of the National
Debt, as it called at the prefent moment. In
-
lead, therefore, of Rating the time for effecting
tilt extenfion of the debt at 47 years, he thould
take it at 42 years, and tome months. He had
upon this important fubjea nothing more to oh-
ferve, and was defirous only that the merits of the
meafure fhould be clearly uncleraood. The papers
would be printed early next week, and the tables
completed for the infpeelion of Gentlemen during
the recefs ; and he would content himfelf with
moving that the Houfe do refolve itfelt, for the
further conaderation of the plan, into a Commit-
tee of the whole Hoare on Monday fenii:ght.—
He hoped in the mean time to have the permit%
lion of the Committee to propofe his Refolutions.
He then read feveral Refolutions conformable to
the fiatements contained in his_f_peech.
The Houfe returned, and Mr. ALEXANDER
brought up the Report, which was read and agreed
to, and it was ordered that the Houle should, on
Monday fe'nnight, again refolve into a Committee
on the tubjed.