Star.
London, England, 1819-06-10 00:00:00

. .
'them by his H`nburable I' rigid; they had certainly
done no more than they were justified in doing, that I
is, exercised a discretionary power as to the course
they should adopt on this occasion. The Right Hon. I
Gentleman, alluding to the new Taxes, suggested
the propriety of imposing a duty on Distilleries in I
Ireland, to counterbalance the duty on Malt.
Mr. PROTHEROE approved the plan of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer in the general outline,
although he had not yet considered it in the minutia. I
Mr. BENNETT strongly opposed the imposition
of any new Taxes on the people, who were already
weighed down, oppressed and crushed by taxation.
To tax a people so situated, was folly sublimed to
madness—(Hear, hear).—Still there were to be found
' 329 Members in that Ilouse who voted for them ;
but indifferent as they now seemed to the interests of
the people, he engaged, when they met their consti-
tuents, 'they would be making apologies for the part,
they had taken—(Hear, hear).—lt was evident it was
a new Parliament, for if such a measure was propo-
sed at the end of a Session, when Members were
going to look their friends in the face, they would
not be quite so hasty in giving their assent to it.
Mr. MANSFIELD had not intended to offer any
observations on this occasion, but from what had
fallen from the Right lion. Gentleman just set down.
He agreed with hint that the country was oppressed,
and not able to pay taxes. lie, therefore, called on
the House to do its duty, and to enable linisters to'
impose a fair, moderate, Property Tax--(heer, hear).
A tax which should fall on persons best able to pay
it—(hear, hear). A tax, in short, which would fall
on that House—(hear, hear). He would not conceal.
his sentiments ; and having uttered them, he should
feel no more fear in meeting his Constituents to-
morrow than the Honourable Gentleman would do
—(hear, hear). If, however, the House would not do.
its duty and tax itself, as money must be raised, he
saw no taxes less objectionable than those proposed.
A NIEMBER said, he agreed in what had fallen
front the last Speaker, relative to a Property Tax.—
The next preferable plan was that now proposed by
the Right Hon. bentleman. He approved of it ge-
nerally, though in detail there were some objections.
He particularly objected to the tax on wool.
Mr. J. P. GRANT recommended, that the same
measures. should be taken with respect to the Sinking
Fund of Ireland as had been adopted here. He much
feared the Right Hon. Gentleman, in holding out a
hope that no future Loan would be necessary, took
too sanguine a view of the finances of the country.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
trusted he had not taken too sanguine a review of our
• income ; it was true our Revenue fell off last quarter,
as compared with the similar quarter last year,
1107,000. He stated this circumstance on a former
1 night, but he had now the pleasure to say, that the
scale had turned the other way. In reply to a ques-
• tion of the Learned Gentleman, he had to state, that
1 a large payment of duties by the East India Company
was made last week, but that had not been carried
to account.

Sir ROBERT WILSON said that therd-vias a cer-
tain limit, beyond which, if the people were pressed,
they would be driven to desperation. Ministers might
hug themselves in their fancied security whilst they
had armies of foot and dragoons to execute their
fiats, but there were not wanting preceden.• of great
convulsions when people were goaded too tar. Taxa-
tion, like every other suffering, had its period of en-
durance, and if it was pushed beyond that, there was,
no answering for tho consequences.—(Hear, hear.)
Let them look to the examples of France and Prussia,
where, roused by the extortions of their Governors, the
people rose on the* and vindicated themselves. (Hear.)
GOD forbid that such effects should follow here! but
it was not wise to tempt them. He thought great
savings might be made, as well at home as in the
1, Colonies, particularly the Cape of Good Hope and
the Isle of Ceylon, the latter of which cost the coun-
try £1,500,000 in getting possession of it, and every
year costs one or £200,000 to keep t. It was only
this day that accounts arrived that the Legislature of
Lower Canada had refused to grant extraordinary
Taxes for the use of the Province, and they did it
wisely. He thought the circumstances of this coun-
try called as loudly on that house to resist all in-
crease of Taxation, and with hat feeling plectged
himself, if no one else was found to do it, to divide
the Committee on each Tax.

Mr. CALCRAFT was also against the Taxes, and
would oppose them in their progress on every fair
ground. He considered that the present was a most
unfit time for imposing them. He thought the
terms of the Loan were unfavourable to the country.
Ile denied the charge, that Opposition had goaded
Ministers to place the country in the situation in
which it was by exposure. The Public knew all the
circumstances as well before as they had done since*
The Hon. Member still recommended economy, and
reduction in the Army and Ordnance Estimates.
Mr. Alderman WOOD could not agree to tax the
people further than they were at present. He parti-
cularly objected to the Malt Tax. He was more
especially surprised at the supineness of country Gen-
tlemen on that head. He understood, however, that
it arose from a compact between them and the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, by which it was settled they
should have a tax on Wool. He should feel it his duty
to oppose all the taxes as they were proposed.
Mr. RICARDO would not consent to a Property
Tax, 'as had been proposed, but he would cheerfully
submit to great temporary sacrifices, to remove, if
possible, the millstone now about the neck of the
country. He could not sit down, without expressing
his thanks to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for
the manner in which he had conducted the affairs of
the country for these few days past—(A laugh.)—A
few days since the Funds were at 65 ; yet he had this
lday contracted for a Loan at 70 ; but this was prin-
cipally occasioned by the Right Hon. Gentleman
having adopted the advic'e of his Hon. Friend (Mr.
IGrenfell). He (Mr. Ricardo) had been represented
as saying, that Government had got all they had a
right to from the Bank. This was a misrepresenta-
tion ; he thqpght the Right Hon. Gentleman should
get all he could from the Bank at all times.
Mr. GRENFELL said it was a proof that the
Fund-holder did not think the application of the
Sinking Fund a breach of public faith, for when on
Friday it was known on the Stock &Change, the
Funds rose from 60 to 69.
Mr. RICARDO put a question to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, if the Sinking Fund was to be ap-
plied-to the 16,000,000 Eor next year?