Star.
London, England, 1826-03-14 00:00:00

Lion. 1n1516. it was true, the currOncy-was in That
state that a change becanW necessary. It is true, th*
a depreciation in the value of money took place to tire
amnurit ofs percent so that it may not unfairly- be
'contwicle.l. there has nut been a remission of taxes to

the full Amount of 27,000,0001. but if that depreciation
was not m-re than 5 per c nt. which I presume to be
the fact, the revenue, amounting in 1816, to 61,000,0001.
.3,000,000/. will be sufficient to deduct on that account.
It w;tl thus be seen, that there remains 24,000,000.
over and above what was necessary to be so allowed on
account of the alteration in the currency. Common
sense then tells us, that the increa,ei produce of the taxes
still remaining, must be ascribed in a great measure to
the reductions which I have enumerated. If the taxes
%vele diminished by 24,000,000 that sum deducted
from 58.000,00 W. the revenue of tile following year,
would have reduced the public income to 84,000,1901.
bad the consumption of the country continued what it
had previously been. It is, therefore, clear that the
revenue, after such vast reductions being made from it,
has been raised to what it? is by the greater power of
the country to consume thoseirticles on which the taxes
are imposed. If we try the effect of this on the feelings
of those who pay the taxes, we shall find that it has
afforded-general satisfaction. I see the Hon. Member
• for Wareham (Mr. Calculi) in his place, who so ac•
tively exerted himself to procure the repeal of the duty
on salt. On what ground did he recommend the re-
peal of that impost ? It was this, that it pressed heavily
on the poor man, and while it drained his purse, made
him discontented. Let it be seen if the same party is not
better pleased to contribute to the revenue as be now doe:.
I have no doubt that such is the fact, and that he feels
grateful to the Honourable Gentleman for having in-
duced the House to repeal that tax. I will ask, do the
171,700 persons relieved from the House Tax last year,
feel no satisfaction, when contemplating threzemption
they now enjoy ? And do the 145,000 persons relieved
at the same time from the Window Tax, feel no addi-
tion' made to their comforts by the adoption of that
measure I should like to know whether these indivi-
duals attach no importance to the relief thus afforded,
and whether they, and the other classes of society, who
no longer pay in any thing like the proportion which
they formerly did, are disposed to agree with the Hon.
Member for Aberdeen, that Parliament has done no-
thing for their benefit. It has, however, been said, that
nothing has been attempted for the good of the people,
but that Government continue to plunge into every un-
necessary expense, regardless of the sufferings of the
nation, to preserve, undiminished, their own trumpery
patronage. I declare to Gon, that of this I never had
a thought, and any thing of the kind, I completely set
at nought. I can solemnly assert, that it never, for a
single moment, crossed my mind, " what will be the
consequence rite Government should lose this, or that
patronage." It . would, certainly, have been very con.
venient for me had a different system been acted upon
—bad the Government patronage not been cut down
as it has been; for,in that case, I could have obliged many
of my friends who have been sent away disappointed.
The importance of preseivhig such patronage, never,
for a single moment, suggested itself to my mind.—
WI:do applications
,havi been made to me, my answer
has been, "I am very- sorry I can do nothing for you,
but I cannot put winnow in a situation who is too old
ortoo yoting for it, I tan Only recommend to a situation
under tiorernment the man who is competent to fill it
properly. If yon are not competent I am sorry for it,
but cannot serve you."—This principle has been gene-
rally well lion, and I believe it is agreed on all hands
t rein ttseetficievicy Of those engaged in the public ser-i
vice was never more •complete than it is at the present
moment.' Allow me now to state what has been done
during the period of which 1 have been speaking, to di-
minish the•permanent burden of the country. I mean
that connected with its debt. The charge, on account
of the debt; has been materially diminished—very ma-
ierially diminished indeed. I will, however, not go to'
this point,*till I have touched on another of some inte-
rest. It will not be unsatisfactory to the House to
know, in what ratio the power of consumption has in-
creased in the country. The statement lam about to
make, will [stove to the House how unfounded is the
idea, that we cannot, by possibility, restore our currency
to what we consider a sound state, without making
some extraordinary change in the 'establishments and
expenditure of the country. I hold in my band a list
of articles paying duty, which specifies what the amount
of the consumption was in 1816, and what increase on
that amount has since occurred. This I tined to be as
follows:

CONSUMPTION PER CENTUM OF INCREASE
BEYOND THAT OF 1516.
Incr.per Ct.
. 641
. . 161
. 18$
. 1411
. 11
. 11 1-5
. 1101
. 1131
• 1211
. 101
. 956
. 101
• 104
. IDS 1-3
. t 9
. se

Beer S.

Bricks
Candles
Licenses
Paper
P. Goods
Soap H.
S.
Tee

Clain
Gresa Glass

B. Spirits
F. Spirits I .
'Butter
Sugar
Tallow .
Tiutber
Deals . •
Coffee and Cocoa
Han)
num
Silk It.
T.
Tobacco
'Wine
Wools .
........ C.

Glass Flint
-- Place
Leather
Malt

Ina' per Ct.
. 53 2.5
. . ale
. 3176
. 19
. 201
. 196
. 182 1-3
. 43
. 744
. 121
. 274 i
190
13i
•8
. 443
. 119

•

.
.

.

It may be said, 44 Do you mean to say, that a conti-
nuance of this increased consumption may be expected ?
Do you mean, fur instance, to sly, that an increased
consumption of wool, to the amount of 443 per cent.
may be calculated upon ?" No, Ido not mean to say
this ; but 1 contend, that the paper I have read, proves
a satisfoctory progress to have been made in that power
of •consumption which is indispensable to our great-
ness, which proves the strength inherent in this country,
and.which will enable it, in the pre,ent instance, as it
always has enabled it, to meet and triumph over diffi-
asides of the most formidable kind. I now come to
speak of the debt. While 27,000,0001. have been re-
mitted in taxes since the year 1816 ; and while, within
the last three years, taxation has been reduced to the
antiount of- 8,000,0001. what has been the state of the
debt? On the sth January, 1823, the public funded
debt amounted to 796,529,00 W. It amounted in Ja-
nuaty 5, 1826, to T 78,128,0001. presenting a diminu-
tion of. 18,401,0001. It was thus, during that period,
in the.course of being reduced at the rate of 6,133,0001.
per annum. 1 will now direct the attention of the
House to the uniunded debt. The amount of the
unfunded ddbt was,.
On the Stli January, 1823 • • 426,1111,1100
da the litb January, 11N6 . . .1.703,011
Leaving a redaction of . . . .14.5710100
The total charge' was—and this is the true wad of
looking at the subject, for that which we are interested"