Star.
London, England, 1828-02-05 00:00:00

grounds than hits policl uponthat subject, what appeared
pi le( of the State, operated
to otheri tO constitute him
throughtlien s basitry4 0;01MM) to thousands, nay,
w subjects, who had for years been
millions of their felfo
waiting ,at tfmkthreshold of the Constitution, vaitsky
• a-dmitted beneath its roof—idly sopplica-
_4lr,lelser within its wall:4,01m). He had heard from an
lanai hlember the othermight, that the principles of free
...soleacould not be abandoned. He was glad to hear such
—He hoped that the principles of free,
' vide, with proper modifications, would continue RS bel
'-acted on. With respect to that point, the resent Go
vernment should have his entire and unreserved confi-
dence. .There was, however, one subject on which he
- -again thought it necessary to tooth—rhe'meant the ad-
ministration of the affairs of Ireland. Something, he
felt, -must be done for that distracted country. Con.
cession ought to be resorted to, 'not coercion. If any
• injudicious measures were proposed with regard to Ire-
land—if any measures of a coercive nature were brought
forward before concession was tried to its fullest extent,
suck measures shi old meet his utmost, h:s most decided
reprobation. It was time for them to new-stlape their
soiirse—to choose between peace and war—between
loyalty and rebellion--between tranquillity and convul-
sion. The Honourable Member sat down by declaring
that the course which he had described was the only
one which he could support With justice to his political
character, and to the desire which he should always
entertain to preserve the confidence of the House.
The Mese then went into a Committee, and the Clerk having
read the paragraph front the Speech,
Lord l'at.irsivroot moved the usual Resolution, That a Supply
be granted to his Majesty."
Mr. HUME rase to express his hope, that before the
House was asked to grant one pound of money, the
Noble • Lord would be prepared to bring before it a
eomplsteraccount of what was intended to be asked.
Lewd PALMERSTON said that the Hon. Member
Witl.llWare, that for the three great sources of expendi;
tote, the Army, Navy, and Ordnance,. t!-e Estimates
were founded upon the expenditure of the former year,
and that they could consequently be made up at an early
period. But there were many other charges of a smaller
nature. and depending upon contingent circums,ances
which it was impossible to supply with the same quick-
ness and certainty.
Mr. HUME was prepared to contend that all the
Estimates, miscellaneous and others, could be made up:
As for the impossibility of which the Noble Lord talked,
he Loped the House-would compel them to do the im-
possibility, and net vote one pound until it was done.
Mr. bIABERLEY expressed his surprise at finding
that only the Estimates for the Army, Navy, and Ord-
nance, were ready to be laid before the House. It must
be recollected that the Miscellaneous Estimates had of
late years grown to a fearful amount, and he did not
think the House and the Country dealt with fairly if
they 'were called upon to vote the Supplies before the
whole of the Estimates were produced.
• Lord PALMERSTON said. that tl a Hon. Member
for Abingdon had mistaken him in supposing that he
meant to say the Miscellaneous Es imams /mold not be
produced before the House was c .11ed upon to rote
them. What he meant to say...was, that the Army,
Navy, and Ordnance being rounded upon certain data
wereelways toady, whilst the other Departments, such
as the Civil Contingencies, being founded upon uncer-
tain returns, toad not poss.bly he arranged so soon as
the others. He was not prepared to say—it was not
his business—low anon they would be ready ; but
be woull . undertake to say, that it would be as soon
as p••ssible.
Sir J. SEBRIGHT said, that the whole Estimate of
what was to be tcquired of the country ought to be
toady before any grant was made. I. was the duty of
tl.e House to leek with the greatest care tei the ewers-
diture of every shilling of ire public moray under the
present circumstances of the country. He was not one
of those who expected that any gerst saving or reduc-
tion could be earned; but it was a duty owing from
the House to the Country, that every shilling of expen-
diture should be watched with the utmost exactitude.
There were some espenres lately incurred which be
thought ought to be inquired into with the greatest par-
ticularity. Sums had been voted for the repaiiittg of.
Windsor Castle—a very tailor object ;,and for the
improvement of the !'arks. . lie reetemberei that
Commissioners were appointed for managing the Funds
to be employed upon repairing Windul Castle, and he
ousted they would be able to explain why ihu,e sums
had been exceeded, as be understood they had been.—
Ile was at a loss to know upon %%hat authority the pub-
lic money had been expended upon the alterations in
the Parks, and be hoped to hear some satisfactory ac-
counts from the proper quarters. • He trusted, that the
Horse would withhold every far.hing of the public
money. until ample information was b. fore them.
Mr. DAWSON said he could answer for his Right
Hort. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that
there was no desire whatever to withhold spechc esti-
mates of every item which the House would be called
upon to vote. The usual practice was to have all the
Sstimates ready within ten days after the meeting of
Parliament, and it was his duty, and that of his Right
lion.-Friend, to see that all practicable dispatch was
-made. He would undertake to answer for him that that
duty should be performed, and that every information
-in his power should be afforded to the House.
• Sir J. SEBRIGHT said he was convinced that the
New 'Administration could de nothing so acceptable to
the country as to take the course promised by the Right
Hon. Gentleman, and throw open all the avenues tom
qniry as to the expenditure of the public money. Whilst
'he was on his legs, he might take that opportunity to
Say, that he was influenced by no feelings hostile to the
present Administration. and that he certainly did apt
'mean to oppose it. He had never acted as a penises;
bot,in the instance of Mr. Canning's undertaking to Mal
an Bdministrition, and only until that great man was
'firmly established. As far as the appointment of the
Duke of Wellington went, he highly approved of it....
Some entertained obj-ctions on the score of the Dike'
of Wellington having passed so meth of his life in the
• government and command of an army. To him that
was rather a tecommendation thanother wise. halms° h
as it must have familiarised the mind of the Noble '
Duke with great undertakings, and the responsibility
atsaclietto them. He confessed that he looked forward
to the country deriving the greatest benefit from the
cervices of the Duke of Wellington in his present situ.r-
tion. as it had formerly done here his ezevtionses
military Commander. In him, at least, would be found
• that decision, the absents of which had occasioned so
winch mischief, and he aimlessly hoped that he would
make Manillas popular a Hinkley as-he was renowned
'as a Generals—{Hear I)
W_,..II.IDiEY said, that being one of the Co*..
missienerirer**Repairing of Windsor Castle, he could
`assure his Hoe. Friend. that when the pro Per egoism'
!ions same before the • House, the additional espease
_wed be found to bare prtweeded not from any depart.

a

Iture from the or gitial
possibl y have
plansrhut-korn discoveries as ti
the etatesef the buitding, wfickstoold 1714
4.fomken- „ fis wig coOlient &nit toteimeltleor
Fla the mer teca,eati 446190 f b
Sir J. YORKE th:Ouglit it bihhri new,,pary that the
expenditute of the,countershoutd be made to square
with its !beans, and that, therefore, the !louse ought to
know -what, 'hey had'to vote before they began to dis-
posing cf the public money at all. ' He could 119 t quite
agree with his Hon. Friend over the way, that they were
to find any particular advantage in having a great mi-
litary man to reign over us—(A laugh). He confessed,
that to him it was rather a chnaker—(Laughter). How-
ever, Ile had every confidence in the Duke of Welling-
ton, and if he would no limger girt the great sword on
his thigh. no doubt he would shake a very good Minute!.
At all events, he would keep the new Cabinet in order
—(a laugh)— much better than his Honourable Rela-
tion, who had certainly not shevrir so much spunk as
was required for the rice—(Laughter). He did not
know v.hy it should be necessary for a Prime Minister
to have the talent of making long winded speeches; he
thought it rather tended to blink questions which it
proposed to elucidate, and to make some Honourable
Members ov, rlook them altogether—(Hear, hear, and
laughter). A! to the military qualities of the Noble
Duke, he certainly did not think them at all advanta
genus in his present sittia ian, bat his Hon. Friend, who
was a perfect country Gentleman, no doubt knew much
more about the matter than he did—(Laughter).
The Resolution was then agreed to, and the Report
ordered to be received t,-morrow.

D VALE LAND TAX ASsESSMIttiT.
Mr. G. BANKES rose to mote for leave to bring in
a Bill to measly a grievance which pressed tile n a par-
ticulsr class of his Majesty's subjects, the objects of
which had been sought, though unsuccessfully, by the
Legislature, thi ty years ago. He had brought in a
similar measure last )e or, and cat ried it through that
House, when its course was stopped by the abrupt ter-
mination of the Session. He anticipated no difficulty
from any fecli•T against the measure in the other llouse,
and if obstacles were found, be Was sure they would
exist in the statute of the subject itself, and would be
such as he was not aware of at present. I'etiti .ns had
been .presented to that House complaining that the
Reiman Catholics were liable to a double assessment lot
the Land-tax, and those Petitions were entitled to every
respect, coming from so eminent a body as the Roman
Catholic Peers. The Hon. Member then explained the,
nature of the Act of 1792, under which the grievance
arises, and explained the operations of the law in sub-
jecting the propetty of Roman Catholics to a double
assessment. The attention of the Legislature had been
directed to the subject in 1794, but the proper course
was not then taken, because the real nature of the ori-
ginal measure was not brought under consideration.—
He believed the grievance to be real, and the complaint
of the Catholic Noble men well founded ; and he was
convinced there would be every disposition in the House
to remove it, if it were found as practicable as he be.
lieved it to be. He proposed only in relieve these
cases in which it could be proved that double paymenti
existed as consequences of the Act of William and
Mare.. Thee•Hcia. Member conc'ueled by moving for
leave tisbiiiig in a MR fen; theturpose of relieving the
Roman Catholics from the double Assessment a(
Lind-tax.
Mr. 'HUME seconded the motion: and, as he had
•
men, he would take that opportunity of making one ot
two remarks upon the subject which had been so pro-
,perly brought before the [louse. He perfectly well
remembered, that about too years ago several highly
respectable R, iman Cathol cs had petitiOned for an
amendment it the land t x Asir stood was
en
,just towards them in it.* operation. .One Gentleman
(Sir Richard Beddington) stated in his petition that he
had been unjustly. as he thought, compelled to pay
`5`1,0001. more than Protestant landed peoprietors, who
had property of equal value with his. the Legislature
by its act in 1798. had unquestionably i iteoded to place
the Roman Catholic subjects of his Maj •sty on the same
footing as the Protestants stood, but it had failed so to
do; and when the subject was agitat rd. through the
petitions presented, such was unhesita in):.ly admitted
to be the fact. The then. Secretary for the Treasury
(Mi. Heizies) had very fairly stated that there was
ground for complaint, and that some ametrdment pug' t
to be made in the law. At the same time that Hon.
Gentleman also, and vet y justly, s.id, that as the Re-
venue n.ust serif; r through any alteration, the mean
ought to be well inees'igated before the House pro.
ceded to act. Arid he EMI. Hum ) seas inipresed otth
the idea that Greve, nntent itself in-ended to propose
some measure in due ti I.e, and 11 ed so heiieveil until
jibe lion. Member Oh. G. Banke.s) brought in his Bill
`Eat )ear. He segaided the object of the bill but as an
act of strict justice, and therefore he hid gteat ;armoire
in seconding the motion.
Mr. HURST said that he had been one of the Com-
missioners appointed by that House in 17:,7, to relieve
the Roman Catholics from the mikes' burthen they
suffered through the double Land Tax assessment. The
ICommissioners were &rem& it possible, to relieve the
Roman Catholics without a diminutiona the Revenue,
or increasing the but thens of the Protestant Landowners.
At first they experiences[ great difficulty ; but upon a
eery minute investigation, they found that these werea
considerable number of very small estates which did
not contribute towards the Land Tax at all, and by
imposing a just and proportionate tax upon those pos-
sessions, they were enabled to comply strictly with the
instructions of the House.
Mr. CURTIES thought that the alteration proposed;
would require a much greater sacrifice at the, hands of
the country titan appeared to be imagined ; and he
must also say that it was an alteration which he did not
think justice required. He had looked into all the Acts
of Parliament upon the subject, and he was satisfied
that as the law stood the Roman Catholic could receive
redress whenever his assessment, whether doub:e, r not.-
exceeded 4s. in the pound sterling. He spoke also f torn
experience as a Magistrate, for he had seen relief ad-
Ministered. He saw, therefore, na reason why the other
Miuistetial) side of the House should permit the
;wormed measure to pass, and for his part he should
give it his beet attention. .
' Mr. BARING was glad to briar that the Hon. Meme,
her for Susses-was so perfectly well-veited in the diffe.l
tent Acts of Parliament which 'had releienCe to the
subject; and he hoped that his active attenthns would
also be bestowed on evety measure for retrenchment
which might he proposed. He did not think, however,
that the Hos..Measber's jealousy for the public revenue
haribeen evinced on the best possible occasion. Ti'.
Bpi. used Dill was not to confer any lavour on a part
tithe community to the prejudice of the rest; but it
.was to perform an act of justice—to do that whiclethe
'Legislature had recognised as but simple justice. The"
How Member (Mr. Conies) had said that the Roman
'Catholics could receive relief. of course by appeal, al
their assessment. whether double or single, amounted
to more than 4s. in the pouad sterling, and. *a they