Star.
London, England, 1811-05-21 00:00:00

These Duties are, of mine, subject to such dimindt
tion as may be occasioned by the discouragentent
sdiich they are intended to produce. The annual
charge created by the twelve millions funded, was
£750,416. 2s. 2J. The amount of the additional
duty on spirits was £751,000. The annual charge
an account of seven millions and a half in the 3 and
4 per cents. was £470,000. This sum he proposed
to charge upon the War Taxes ; but it was to be re-
collected, that by the taxes on foreign timber, cotton
wool, Bzc. he had added above /800,000 to those
taxes, which justified him in taking £400,000 from
them. He had now to submit a very important point
to the consideration of the Committee. His Right
Hon. Friend (Mr. Foster) would, when his statement
was finished, present an Irish Budget, in which new
taxes would be pointed out for the renew; of the two
millions and a half which were borrowed in Ireland ;
but for the four millions and a half borrowed in
this country for the service of Ireland, his Right
Honourable Friend was not now prepared to pro-
pose taxes in the present embarrassed state of the
Irish Revenue. He should, therefore, now propose,
that the interest of this four millions and a half
should, in the first instance, for the security of the
creditors, be charged on the Consolidated Fund of
England. He trusted that no English Members would
feel the smallest repugnance to giving this accommo-
dation for one year, at least, to Ireland, considering
her present embarrassments, and the comparative
abundance of the finances in this part of the United
Kingdom. This would afford a great temporary ac-
commodation to Ireland ; and in the hope that Par-
liameat would agree to it, he had forborne to take
credit for the .whole surplus of the consolidated fund,
leaving a sufficient part of it to pay the charges on
account of this four millions and an half. He hoped,
that this arrangement would be received on the part
of Ireland in the way that it was meant, as originating
from a sincere desire to render every accommodation
to that country, which the superiority of the financial
situation of England allowed her to give. Those new
taxes which were voted this Session, and which he
proposed to be added to the War taxes, had been voted
by the House, not with a view of revenue, but for the
advantage of British shipping, to favour the growth
and produce of our own manufactures and colonial
produce. In order to show the general increase of
our revenue and affluence, be should state some in-
creases which had taken place in our Customs and
Excise, and in the consumption of tea, wine, tobacco,
and other articles of general consumption. For the
year 1807, the Customs were /9.612,000; for the',
year 1808 and 1809, they tell something below
that amount; but for 1810, the Customs amounted
to £10,575,000 ; and for the year ending 1811,
they amounted to £10,523,000, which exceeded
by a million the average of the years 1807, 1808, ,
and 1809. The duties on Excise also for the last .year'
exceeded by a million the average amount of those
three years. The consumption of tea had also in-
creased last year above the average of those years,
which was /2,844,000, whereas that of the last year
was /3,236,000, notwithstanding that the reduction
of the duty on coffee would naturally be supposed to
produce a diminished consumption of tea. He knew
no possible mode of accounting for this increased
consumption, but in the increasing population and
opulence of the country. As to wine, for the years
1785, res. and 1787; the overage yearly consump-
tion was 14,800 tuns, although the duty was then
only £3O ; whereas now that the duty is /95 a tun,
the average annual consumption for the last three-,
years bas been 23,726 tuns. He then shewed that
there had been a nearly similar increase in the con-
sumption of tallow, although the consumption of oil
was also increased. As to the consumption of to-
bacco, it had nearly doubled in the same time. For
the three years ending 1787, the average consump-'1
lion of it was 6,700,000 lb. but for the three last
years it was 12,491,000 lb. When 'he thus saw not
only our revenues, but the consumption of all the
necessary articles of life, so regularly increasing, he
could not have the least doubt but that the country
was regularly and progressively advancing to a
greater height of prosperity and affluence. Indeed,
it was impossible for-any one to move in this country
without being convinced that its wealth was increasing.
He thought it unnecessary to detain the Committee
with any further observations, and concluded by
moving his first' resolution, which was unanimously
agreed to.
Sir T. TURTON objected to the Property Tax as
aneroid and unjust ; but congratulated the Right
Honourable Gentleman on the terms on which he',
had procured the loan.
Mr. BARING said, that when the bill came for-,
ward respecting the tax en cotton, he should oppose k
as one most injurious to our manufacture. He
thought the manufactures of America had been much
improved by the unhappy differences with this coun-
try, and that our laying a duty on the importation of
a raw material, so necessary to our manufactures,
would be a farther encouragement to the manufactu-
rers of America.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
apprized the Hon. Gentleman, that as to the tax upon
cotton, no new bill was to be brought into the House;
but a bill for that purpose was already before them,
and in an advanced state. As to the supply of cot-
ton, he did not fear but that our own colonies and
the East Indies would yield a very sufficient supply,
in case we should get none from America. If some
diminution of revenue took place oh the imports, in
consequence of those measures which were calculated
for the protection of British produce and British ship-
ping, it must on the other hand be considered, that
whatever favoured and served our manufacturing and
shipping interests, would produce some revenue in
another way.
Mr. ROSE said, that he believed there never could
be any deficiency in the supply of cotton wool, as the
East Indies could yield a supply to any extent.
Mr. BARING did not think our manufactores
could do well without the fine cottons of America,
nor did he think the East India cotton would be an
equivalent for it. As to our West India colonies,
they produced but little of that article.
Mr. WYNNE said, that he was very glad to find,
that among his ways end means of the year, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer bad not recourse to a
Lottery.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
told the ►ion. Gentleman, that he was mistakes,
That was among the ways and means,
The Re solutioas were then put &ad carried.