Star.
London, England, 1824-02-24 00:00:00

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7701.10

R*Prrw-Fr•ml

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and exportihg the delinettleht artiele td a toreigtitetintry
(Continued laughter, and Hear!)—The injuries One td
the morili of the count/ too' by those rpttrittions Were
also worthy of most serious consideration, by ihe.temp- I
tatiorts they offeied tfrengage in wisuggling. How many ,1
conffortable corpulent elderly ladies had been delivered
of their burthen without the aid of an aecoucheur I—
(Laughter.) There was,' in fact, no. end to the ingenuity
of those engaged in smuggling ; fraud produced crime,
fur it was welt known that no person became bad all
at 011 Ce-•-•
" Nemo repeat fit turpissinnu."
When a man began by smuggling an article of dress or
ornament to make a present, he scrupled not the act,
but the law made a crime of it. When a man begins
to do anything illegal, he reels the necessity for con-
cealing it; he begins by smuggling presents ; he is
tempted to extend his practice; and from the smug-
gling of shoes and gloves he proceeds to that of more
important articles; so that in the end it requires abso-
lutely a navy to prevent the'violation of those restric-
tive laws.—And why so ?—under the fanciful notion
that these restrictions are necessary to the security of.
some branch of our manufacture. He hoped this was
the time for throwing down the hollow and gilded idol
of imaginary protection, and for establishing a system
of commercial prosperity. He would now speak of the
commerce of the East Indies.. It was a singular fact,
that the original manufacture of that country, which it
was known possessed the finest-fabrics, had been super-
seded by those in this country. Honourable as this cir•
eumstance was to England, it was not beneficial to our
commerce; for it imposed a restriction upon the exten-
sion of that manufacture. Whatever tended to give to
the East Indies new means of bringing their manufac-
tures into competition, was so much gained to this
country. He would then propose, that the duties on
raw silk be reduced from the present rate of 4s. per lb.
to 2J. thai the dutyon silk from China and Italy, which
was now ss. 6d. be reduced to 6d. per lb.and that the
dtity on Brazil silk, now 14s. 10d. be reduced from
14s. 10d. to 7s. 6d. He would subititute a duty of 115 s.
on plain silk ; and that all other kinds should have an
ad valorem duty imposed of 90 per cent. The loss
which the revenue would thereby sustain Was 469,0001.
and the total loss -which the removal of the duties on
the several articles above stated would occasion might

be given thus:—
The reduction of the duties on Rum . . . £150,000
On London Coals . . ._ . . . 100,000
On Wool , • • ~ • . • • • • 550,000.
And on Silk • • . : • : • . - 402,000
..................,
Waking a total annual loss of . . £1,0654000
which sums multiplied by 3, for the years 1825, 1826.
and 1827, would produce three millions foe died
and eighty-six thousand pounds. wOn the t the
it
ittell
Salt Duty,' many representations had beim'
.'
made that no benefit had arisen from the cessiniao-4.4
portion of the duty. - He was aware that, as far as tbo
consuineiwas concerned, the reductioa could not be
immediately felt ; but he admitted that Government
stood pledged for the abblititin of that duty--(Hear)..
He had now gone through-all the necessary parts of his
plan; and he was sure that the -House would join with
him in expressing gratification that there: was a proba-
bility of * diminution of.the burthens of this country
to the extent of a million.- He bad bestowed the utmost
care andattention in endeavoisring to frame these pro-
positiohs for the best and essential interests of the scam-
'try. It was indeed a gratifying state of prosperity ;
increasing in revenue, increasing in power, in wealth,
and in influence; all the result, as he conceived, of
sound policy and considerate legislation. The object of
that policy had not been directed to aggrandisement,
but to obtain security ; and the country had attained
influence, not by petty intrigue or blustering dictation,
but by preserving a steadfast frienddiip with Foreign
States, and not being the instrument of hostility or
rivalry. He would not assume the merit of 'having
contributed to this enviable situation ; it was not in the
power of individuals to do so; it was that calumniated
and vitiated Parliament—(Cheers)—which had raised
itself into a benefactor ; and it. now .saw the country
Ismiling in prosperity, and, in the unrestricted enjoyment
of industry. It was through the sacred portals of a
Constitutional Monarchy that they now saw a contented,
hisappy, and, they ought never to forget, a grateful peo-
ile—(Load and continued Cheering).
The CHAIRMAN or the Committee then read the first
Resolution, which contained the proposition of the Right
Hen. Gentleman for the reduction of the Four per Cents.
in the way and manner specified in his speech.
Mr. BARING could not but confess, that he had
never heard, and he believed there never had been made
of late years, so gratifying a statement, as that which
the House had just heard-from the Right Honourable
Gentleman. He (Mr. Baring) must, 'however, avail
himself of this opportunity of stating, that several of
the questions which the speech invoFved, and particu-
lady that which had been last treated of, required the
most earnest attention that could be bestowed upon it.
In the first place, the Right Honourale Gentleman's
-plan of finance seemed to him.to want that certainty in
the, results without which no plan of finance could be
,relied upon, or ought to be entertained—( Hear, hear).
ln his estimate of the-Ways and Means for this and .the
ast year, the Right Hon. Gentleman had stated there
was a surplus revenue to the amount of 1,710,985/. in
the former, and 1,520,0761. in the latter. Pursuing his
calculation, he had supposed that in the. year 1825 the
surplus would amount to 372,3461. in 1826, t0477)8461.
and in 1827, to 522,3461. and he concluded, therefore,
'that inure year last mentioned the surplus of the revenue
would amount to 4,135,0991. •Upon this statementhe
called upon the House to make a present sacrifice, in
the way of repealing taxes, and adopting certain 'regu-
lations in trade, to the amount of 1,062,0001. He (Mr.
Baring) thought that the advantages had been too highly
calculated, and that the reduction was too rashly made.
For example, the Right Hon. Gentleman had proposed
to reduce the duty on coals from 200,0001. to 100,0001.
and had calculated upon the increased consumption to
justify to large a reduction. But even if it should turn
out that this was correct, it was obvious that the call for
repeal of taxes was not made upon a fair estimate of die
annual income, but that the addition of the sum to be
received for the• Austrian Loan had been rakeninto the
account. His (Mr. Dining's) objection to the calculation
therefore was, mainly, that the reduction of 1,062,0001.
was intended to be in perpetuity, while the increase of the
revenue bf which itwas proposed to be met,was to depend
uppn cireumstances the success of which no one could
I foresee. With respect to the reduction which the Right
IHon. Gentlehhin proposed in the fobr per Cents. be
thought it was a greater reduction than the - ID taus of
the country warranted. There was, muveoter,- a very
considerable mistake in the calculation. The Right
Honourable GendemarOstated, that he was by la
paled to give six months' ootice of his intention to par

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ight
sure of such vast importan, iiargi
duals, he Would listen to the'representations of the par-
ties interested. • -
'NIT.. MABERLY was willing to 4,lmit that thirChana
cellor of the Exchequer had been extremely fair and ,
candid throtighout his statements sand, though fie did
not think the reductions which the Chancellor of the
Exchequer proposed to make were the best that could
be made, yet he agreed with him in the principle which
lies had laid 'down respecting commerce, which he:hes
lieeed would have ti e•most beneficial reset so. _ •
Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY asked the ChanCellor .of
the Exchequer what was the amount of the duty which
he proposed should be paid on inland coal ? He al o
thought that another pan of the Right Hon. Gentle+
Man s statement required explanation. The Chancellor
.of the Exchequer.had stated that he would pay off a •
third of the Four per Cents. in October. He wished the
Right Hon. Gentleman to explain how he intended to
select the holders at one third of the Four per Cents.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, •
that he would answer the different questions as well as
be could, and in the order in which they had been pro-
posed. In answer to what had fallen from the Hon.
Member for Coventry (Mr. Ellice) respecting the time
when the reduction of the duty on silk was to take
effect, his (the Chancellor of the Exchequer's) idea was,'
that the reduction should commence on the sth of
July next. He conceived, that the interval between the
present time and that period would be sufficiently long'
to enable those persons who had large stocks on hand
.so dispose of them. At the same time, he felt it neces-
sary to state, that he should not consider himself bc.und
to commence the reduction at that particular time, if
from the representations of the pat ties interested it should..
appear to him era bi desirable t 9 postpone the reduction
to a hater pet iod. He would here observe, in reference
to what had•fallen from the Hort. Member for 'faun-
ton, that it'Vasicestainly true that the surplus which he'
had calculated upon would not be established, unless
the payment had been made on account of the Austrian
Loan; but then it should be recollected that an increase:
of expenditure had been proposed in consequence of the
receipt of that money. There' were some incidental
charges this year of a miscellaneous nature, which
would not occur in future. h would not be,expected
that he should particuiatize all thesi charges, which
were inevitable; one of them, however, was occasioned
by the operation of exchanging the Irish tokens for the
regular coin of the realm, acrd amounted to 100,000/.
Another charge arose out of certain claims on the part
of the United States of America, 'respecting some slave
ships. VI ith respect to the duty on inland coals; his
idea was, that it should be Is. per ton. But he wished.
it to be understood that he was not pledged to that par-
ticular sum, if, upon More mature consideration, it
shout(' appear to him to be either too large or too small.
He wished to establish the .principle, that inland coals
should riot he subjected to a higher duty than they
could fairly bear.
'Sit ISAAC COFFIN complained of the continuation
of the tax upon Salt. It was a most ridiculous tax,
and extremely oppressive to the poor people, and it
gave him great concern to hear the Chancellor of the
Exchequer speak so doubtingly on the subject of rt•
movieg the remainder of it.
Mr. B. tLucr, said he was happy to find that the
Right floneurable Gentleman was willing to grant the
persons nue. ested in the silk manufacture, time to make
those arrangements which the proposed reduction tithe
duty , tendered necessary. An Honourable Member
had asked, bow the Chancellor of the Exchequer pro-
posed to pay off a third of the Four per Cents. in October?
He (Mr, Ellice) thought that the Right Honourable
Gentleman had, very Clearly.ttated how that operation
would be performed.; There was to be no selection,
but each person was to be paid off pro rata. ,
•
Mr. JOHN swum had no doubt that the. Right
Hon. Gentleman had well considered every part of the
extensive subject upon which he had addressed the
House; but, among the many propositions it involved,
he was sorry to observe that otre was omitted. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had said not a word about the •
tax which was at present levied upon law proceedings;
that was=a tax upon justice—(Hear, liens). He suss. •
perted that Honourable Gentlemen around him were
not aware of the ruinosts eff.scts of such a tax upon the
peace, the morals, and the happiness of the people at
large. No man could commence an action in England for
a sum of 3/. or 41. without incurring for stamp and other
charges an expense of 31. or 4/. more. There were a'greatt
many actions entered which the poverty of the parties
proceeded against alone prevented them from defending s
—(Hear)—so that in fact, as they were unable to pay •
3/. or 41. in the first instance, the Legislature deter. .•
mined that they were very proper persons to be required
to pay 31. or 41. for the costs. It had been his own mis-
fortune, not many years ago, in a cake of bankruptcy,
to be called upon to answer a bill in Chancery about
three feet high—(a laugh)—anti.contahling upwards of
seven thousand folios—(Hear). He would not, how-
ever, weary the House by going into any detail of the
unfair, oppressive, and vexatious charges uhich were
imposed upon all common law and equity proceedings.
A friend of his had informed him, that some time since
a case occurred in the Court 'f Chancery,•entitled "Roe
v. Gudgeon," in which Roe called upon Gudgeon to
furnish certain accounts. The defendant, in his teply,
submitted to hik Lordship, that he hoped he ilisuld not•be
called on by the 'Court to furnish such accounts; for
that if he did, it would be an expense to him of 29.0001.
Was it fitting that the subjects of this kingdom should be
thus taxed, while seeking- that which . should be the
Most sacred in all Courts of Justice—their own rights?
He now came to another point, on which' he sVished•to
say a word or two before he sat down. He had hard, .
with the utmost possible surprise; the proposition,._
brought forward by the Right lionottrab•e- Gendeu- a”, -
to expend a sum of 800,0001: in this manner—tpomoci.• •
in the improvements and repairs of Windsor Castle, and
500,0001. in the building of new churches—(Hear,kear).
Now, while there were any distresses of the poor 'to lie.
remedied, or any oppr - t.e lightened
relieved, so long wof
and this application
in that House alone.
When so large a poi
the people of_ these
necessary to enable
justice, he woeld in.
be bad almost added a.
Ito the building of riser
beted, " that incr.cy7e
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re/ jn ill!aacit m?•ituttd. tie hapt d that tireßit4.49a9l"- •
venty- obi; Citadel:ran would declare publicly that s• wottid•
s&in consent to postpuoe the reduction pf the duty to some •
time, period when st • would less seriously affect bi i k-owners
:e the and snanufacturets. He trusted, at least, that before ~
Three the Right Honourable Gentleman decided upon a inn- 5,...
,entle- sure of such rastimportance to
.si'istrge elk ,s of indiri4; . t

any oppressive burdens to Le lightened atiti-',-.
[mg would he oppuS'e these improveteelter-:' .. ,
,cation of money, even if he slaould ..tanci..: . •
e alone—(Cheers from the Opposition ).-1...4!.
;e a portion' indeed the • largest portion of ~ •
•
*. these 'kingdoms possessed not- t!le:trie.4l.,` ,
enable them. to pay for the,Wok4:...lC- ' • 1
•
[mid maintain, that k was ,2skei.g, oh 4.40
Gadded a strokzer term—to atipiy4.4o,436lms ' •
ag of new 'cintreliCs. 'LcC it"besiteit4onk t :
!, it ,it
t niercy -was hetterithAtt sactvics—.-14-444, .-
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