Star.
London, England, 1819-06-08 00:00:00

document contained, there would be found the evi;
dente of a Gentleman of the highest respectability,
and of great eminence in that very professign, which
was principally' concerned in the consumption of
Malt. According to the statement of that Gentle-
, man, it appeared that the ps..e of Malt during the
last year might be stated at about 81s. per quarter,
and Hops at £2l or £25 per hundred weight. In
the present year, Malt could not be above 83s. per
quarter, if even so high, while Hops were not above
£8 10s. per hundred weight. At this rate, the ag-
gregate expense of brewing a quarter of Beer was
£9 6s. Bd. last year, while this year it was only
£6 7s. 4d. leaving a difference of £2 19s. 4d. of which
he only wished to take 9s. 4d. leaving £2 10s. in fa-
your of the Brewers beyond what they had last year.
(Hear, hear, hear !) The total amount of the increase
of Revenue which he expected from this addition to
the duty on Malt was £1,400,000. The remaining
articles of Excise on which an increased duty was in-
tended were principally those on which duties were
now collected both under the head of Excise and
Customs. By the double collection of duty, it had
been found that a great addition was made to the
expense of management. Government now intended
to try the experiment whether the whole amount of
the duty collected under the separate keads of Excise
and Customs might not be effectually cured under
one head. The articles to which he alluded were
those liable to great frauds from adulteration, and
on which, in fact, such frauds to a great extent had
been detected. The Customs had not the means of
detecting such frauds; whereas the Excise had the,
means, and had already successfully use.' them to a
great extent. The articles to which he alluded were
Tobacco. Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, and Pepper. Upon
each of these, at the same time with the transfer of
the whole duties to the Excise, he intended to propose
an additional duty. Upon Tobacco he would pro-
pose such an increase as would give an additional
revenue of £.500,000. But even with this increase,
the article might be afforded to the Public cheaper
than it had been some years ago (Laughter)—cheaper
than it had been before the end of the American war.
On Coffee and Cocoa he proposed an addition, which
would amount to £130,000 ; on Pepper, one which
would amount to £30,000 ; on Tea the duty would
be raised four per cent. the present rate being 96 per
cent. which would be now made 100 per cent. and
would produce an addition to the revenue oft 130,000.
He was aware that it might be objected to the in-
crease which was proposed in the duties on these arti-
cles, and that it would tend to encourage smuggling.
But he trusted that such measures would be taken
for the prevention of smuggling as would be found
effectual for that purpose. Nor did he think the ad-
dition to the duties were such as could afford any
additional temptation to contraband traffic, while as
far as they went they afforded an additional reason,
for vigilance on the part of the Revenue officers. One
other article remained, on which the duty which was
now collected might be stated as being that which
was as fairly collected as any in the country ; namely,
that on Spirits distilled in England. No tax was
better collected, as the trade was confined to a few
opulent individuals. He proposed an augmentation
on this head, which would produce five hundred thou-
sand. The total aggregate of the increase on the
various articles which he had named was £3,190,000,
which, allowing for some accidental deficiencies,
might be taken as affording an increase to the Reve-
nue of three millions per annum. To recapitulate—
the first great article was consolidating various arti-
cles of excise and customs under the head of excise ;
then the increase of the customs on Foreign Wool ;
and lastly, the additional Malt tax, and that on Bri-
tish Spirits. He felt that he could not too seriously
impress upon Parliament the necessity of making a
great effort by these or some other means. Now for
three years he had submitted to the House annual
plans of Finance, founded, as he knew, and as the
House knew, on measures of temporary expediency.
The time had now arrived when such measures ought
no longer to be resorted to, and when the situation
of the country required the adoption of some settled
and permanent system. The House had felt this, so
far as to enter into a minute investigation as to the
financial state of the nation, and one of the results
had been a resolution to return to a sound currency.
The present, therefore, seemed the fit season for es-
tablishing the Financesof the country on a solid and
secure basis. All the points of the weakness, as well
as of the strength of the empire, had become known
both at home and abroad. By the return of the
Army of Occupation from France, the military force
had been reduced to what might be considered the
permanent peace establishment—at least that which
must continue for some time. It was not likely that
any,further great reduction could be made. Some
other expenses which occasionally occurred would
be reduced—especially that of the Militia. But it
would be reasonable to calculate on this, or on the
increase of the Revenue—or the Sinking Fund—or
the reduction of any of the Funds. These were re-
sources slow and gradual in their nature, and it was
impossible to state with accuracy any probable
period when they might be reckoned on. Five mil-
lions, therefore, seemed to him the smallest sum which'
could be safely reckoned on for a Sinking Fund ; arid
the addition of £3,000,000 of taxes would enable us
to proceed with such a fund from the present year.
The Loan for this year provided for the repayment
to the Bank of the sums advanced by them, and for
the Exchequer-bills. It was only the amount of the
several branches of the public Expenditure which
was estimated to leave a sum of £13,000,000 or
£13,500,000 to be provided for; and if that whole sum
I were raised, there would remain a surplus of three
millions. In looking to the increase of this surplus
from the new resources it was not to be expected that
the new taxes would attain their full amount in the
first year. At the same time it was also to be consi-
dered, that all the expenses of the Loan would not
fall within one year. One question, however, might
be asked, of some importance, with respect to the
produce of the taxes. There was a very general ap-
prehensioe that a considerable defalcation in the Re-
venue would be occasioned by the stagnation of trade,
and it might be asked, whether this might not be ex-
pected to have a great effect ? He was, however,
happy to state, that hitherto this effect had not been
produced ; and he hoped that the symptoms of ame-
lioration which already appeared would lead to sub-
stantial improvement. Since the 6th of April, there
certainly had been some diminution in the Revenue,
but it was not of a very alarming nature. Up to the

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