Star.
London, England, 1816-03-13 00:00:00

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heina nano—dable consequence of the transition
wee es peace. The great demand during a
mot of necessity occasion a rite in the price of
.eigturat produce; and as that rise would, of '
yam. be greater in proportion to the length of the
so in the same proportion must be the extent
the distress when the war should terminate. In
Tear 1818, the expenditure in the victualling de.
atom was two millions, in the transport
• . one million, and in Ireland one million s here
was an expenditure of six millions. This de.
, . oust therefore necessarily raise the prices, and
lion of such a demand must as necessarily
to leech agricultural distress. He had, bow-
'
00 doubt but that in the course of the ant year
•
Imo would be mcia materially altered, and his
. were founded on the eaferience of for.
' intioda, In the years 178 g and 1785, the
agri-
aorests of the country were labouring uu--
dismiss equal to thoseatow so justly lamented;
t wombat that time it was necessary to impale
Lews! taxes to a considerable amount, the seri-
awe d the country had since revived and flourish.
.4. re so Wept unexampled in our annals. If then,
two with as increased taxation, the country bad re-
cooed from ks distresses, he saw no reason now to
• , when the next year the burthens would be
decreased at least seven millions. The Noble Lord
occluded, by declaring his decided dissialt from the
neekla•
lase Earl of CAERNARVON contended with
Treat enersy against the keeping up of a large stand-
jog 'My m time of peace, as dangerous and uncon-
stitutional. It had been admitted by his Majesty's •
*asters that the country was suffering great and
esprecedented distress: this then was a subject which
wended serious inquiry, and he should therefore
jar his hearty concurrence to the motion for going
taco a Committee.
The Earl of WESTMORLAND considered that,
ra sufficient reasons had been given to induce the
Bone to a„ieree to the motion of the Noble Duke ;
tend contended. that the military establishment was
slow as
rmed the sevrice of the country could possibly be
info with-
lad DARNLEY did not think that the Noble
Lord who bad just spoken in reply to his Noble
Nod, had weakened any of his Noble Friend's in-
. The Noble Lord had said, that his Ma.
fMinisters would judge what was the peace
dshkihment nest consistent with the interests of the
mom but be could nut see why other Members
eldest House should not be able to form an opinion
also. It was not only. as a standing army, iu time
.01 peace dorms to the liberties of the county y.
that the puma enormous establishment was to be
ieoesideeed; bet it was also connected with the finan-
aid pan of oer system, and at a time when taxation
wen so very buithensome tad oppressive. This was
a coasiderwion of the first magnitude. The taxation
less so row great, tbat to his conviction the revenue I
cold nein collected next year. The great military
eseablithmeat did not agree with the recommenda-
tion of iteseemy from the Throne. He could not
help conning, that the great military establishment
was also iecomistent with the great reduction of the
naval estabhoent: they should remember, that the
navy had been the pride, the glory, and the strength
of England. The Property Tax, if merely a tax on
property, and if necessary, and continued only in a
time of war, be thought, would not be the most ob-
jectionable mode of raising a revenue ; but at present
it had aeither of these characters, and he therefore
thought that Ministers should deter to the opinions
of the nation. Besides, this tax would not be pro-
ductive to the amount calculated. They would find
a very great falling off in all the taxes; and the Pro-
perty Tax, he was sure, would not produce next year
say thing nearly half what it did last year. It would,
therefore, be uselessly offending the people. Minis.l
ens wopld fad they should have recourse to a loan,
tee to the Sinking Fund at last, and would it not be
loner to do this before than alter wounding the pride
feelings of the nation ?
The Duke of BEDFORD briefly replied to all the
artments against his motion. He was far from
throwing the calumny on that great and respectable
lay, the Catholics of Irelana, that it was necessary'
bkeep up a large army in Ireland, merely on their
mint; bat, he said, the frequent refusal of their'
*noes for their rights would tend to excite jealousy
an discontent. He personally knew the Catholic
irdid Ireland, and he Dever could speak or think
thai without sentiments of the greatest esteem
addefion. He at the same time gave great praise
bdeptsent local Government of Ireland, the No.
Wm at the head of which he was well =painted'
, aid a more amiable, more enlightened, or more
imeedeet man, it was impossible for any Govern-
aare to have at its head. The Chief Secretary. too,
?Wills tribute of applause to; but to the Catho-
lic' of Ireland he should ever feel attached ; be knew
their hearts and their minds, and a more honourable,
etre spirited, more noble, or more generous race of
Pelt mid no where be found.
LYNEDOCH, in consequence of an allusion
4 a Noble Earl below him (Caernarvon), to what
"seamed the Military Club, which he supposed to
Ito:tweeted with the military spirit of the capital
• •
to say a few words respecting that lestuti.
114. In another place a misrepresentation had been
!Ilk without any intention, he had no doubt, on
teat subject. It had been said that this Institution '
,_lB so favoured by an Illustrious Person, who from
1
r exalted station he durst hardly name in that
actle• and by another Illustrious Person at the head
Ic'f'tile/tem • •y, cr utingutshed for his impartiality in that
'Eh elfice--and when he named this individual, this
'ln sufficient to convince their Lordships that the
• could not be true—that there was such a sys-
' tic design of supporting this Club by undue in-
ce entertained M a certain quarter, that every in-
was used to induce officers to become members
It; and not only that, but that returns of the per-
who acceded, and those who refused, were made
and transmitted to the quarter in question. From
7seuation on the Committee of this Club, he knew
Boras
no authority for the statement; but he had
Ndered it his duty, besides, to make every inquiry
subject, and
thehe could assure the House there
t4snot the slightest foundation for the imputation
raivhe_ Illustrious Personages to whom be had
I„Z•ica No such reports Earl ever been made. He
7to collect this error which had been adopted also
'Lux most respectable tu palms, coming as it did,
..441nalt ded '
to the House with all the eloquence of

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that vesfiletable pint* by 41,nat the subject bird
been first brought before the poblie. ttl
his support to the motion ,of the N ,ble l)uke. Wit'.
regard to the war be gave iris rt.
'every credit for the able manner in which they ha,l
eotroucted it,to sues a prosperous conclusion; in
voting for t..e present motion, he did not du so from
nay want of confidence in them, hut from a convic-
tion, that from the difficulties in which Olt: country
, were involved, such an inqu;ry was an :rancrious :ay.
Their Lordships then divided—Contents 140
Non-Contents 71--Majority ..gains' the motion 60.
Adjourned at halt past eleven o'clock.
HOUSE OF COMMONS:
The SeuthWark &ids* Bill was read a third Calle and passed.
Mr. hot Lame Fos rga took the oaths and his scat for the
borough of Greet Yarmouth.
Mr. Faults*, from the East India Company, brought up an
Account of tilt Company's iteecipts and Disburscluct.ts. Laid
• on the 'fable.
Mr. CROYER mowed for leave to bring in a Bin !or regu-
lating the Royal 'Marine Forms, while on sham. The MU was
then brought In, and read a tint time, To be read a second
tiSe to.ntotrow.

Mr. FRANKt.AND LEWIS moved for an Account of the
number of Hogshead* of 'tobsee-o, imported Into England hi the
Yeats 1814. IS. and IS; and an Account of the amount of the
Duties paid on them Ordered.

PROPERTY TAX.
Mr. CHARLES GRAN r presented a Petition
from the Town of Nairn, against the Property Tax,
and praying to be relieved from the excessive burden
of taxation with which they were oppressed --Laid
on the Table.

Mr. W. DOUGLAS presented a Petition from the
Borough and Town' of Castle-Douglas, against the
tenewal of the Property Tax, under any modifica•
tion whatsoever.—Laid on the Table.
Mr. HOLME SUMNER presented a Petition
from the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County
of Surrey, against the renewal of the Property TAX,
under any circumstances, or with any modifications
whatever. He said the Petition complained of the
high Peace Establishment in a time of such general
distress and pressure. The Meeting, :it which the
Petition had been agreed to, was called h; the High
Sheriff of the County, and the suhject was fairly and
fully discussed, when the Petition was agreed to by
the infinitely larger proportion of the Meeting He,
therefore, though differing from the Petiilners in
every opinion, excepting that of the neces;tty of :he
strictest economy, thought it his duty to ~.re,:nt the
Petition, and :n stair thus much respecting it.
Mr. SAMUEL THORNTON tr,,te :.st.ninny to
the respectability of the Petitioners, arr.t ro the p7oper
and decorod manner in which the Petition La., In en
agreed to.--The Petition was then livid or* tre Table.
Mr. H. SUMNER prescuttd a P...tition horn lie
Inhabitants of Chertsey agesiust the Property Tax.—
Laid on the Table.

Mr. GOULBURN presented a Petition fr..m the
Inhabitants of Waltham ag.tinht the Property 'fax.—.-
I.aid on the Table.

Mr. WALTER BURRELL presented a Petition
from the Inhabitants of Brighton against the Property
Tax.—. Laid on the Table.

Mr. WESTERN presented a petition from the in-
habitants of the town of Colchester against the Pro-
perty Tax.—Laid on the table.
Sir CHARLES EDMONSTONE presented a
petition from Stranraer against th 4 Property Tax.—
Laid on the table.

Sir MATHEW WHITE presented apetition from
Henley-on-Thames against the Property T.ix —Laid
on the table.

Lord BINNING held in his hand a petition from
the County of Berwick, very numercusly and respec-
tably signed. It represented the Property Tax as a
tax most obnoxious, injurious, and unnecessary ; and
prayed that if it should be adopted, it shout-, at least,
undergo such alterations and modifications as would
render it more equal, and Less inquisitorial. The pe-
tition was then mad, and laid on the table.

Mr. JAMES SMITH held in his hand a petition
from the town and neighbourhood c.f Nottiugham
against the Property Tax, and expressive of much in-
dignation at having such an inquisitorial unjust, and
Oppressive tax proposed in a time of peace. With
regard to the indignation expressed by the petitioners,
he thought they were perfectly justified in it, by the
breach of faith involved in the renewal of this tax.—
It was only a war tax, and, therefore, the petitioners
were justly indignant at the attempt to renew it in
time of peace. The words ‘, and no longer" were
to be sure omitted in the last Act ; but he thought
the omission, and the argument raised from that
omission, unworthy a public officer. He begged leave
to call the attention of the House to another part of
the petition, because no other petition had taken
notice of the subject. It complained of having a large
debt remitted to a foreign power (Austria) in a time
of such great and unequalled domestic distress. In-
deed the remission of his debt was most certainly a
good ground of complaint on the present occasion,
especially when it was considered that the foreign
power was one to which we had before lent millions
of our money without having ever received payment.
The petition also complained of the large military
establishment proposed during a time of profound
peace, and also of the excess of the Civil List. The
military establishment was certainly enormous ;—,
double what it had ever been in this country before.
Lord KANCLIFFE was bony the Noble Lord
(Castlereagh) who had on a former night boasted of
the prosperous state of the country, was not in his
place : if the Noble Lord was there, he would desire
him to go down to the county where the last Peti-
tion was signed ; he would desire him to enter the
doors of the Petitioners, and then he would ask him
whether he could find there that prosperity of which
Ise had so loudly boasted ?—[Here he read a passage
from the present Chancellor of the Exchequer's
speech in 1808, where the Honourable Gentleataa
acknowledged that the Property Tax was only a
War Tax, and ought not Co be renewed in time of
Peace.]—He thought it the duty of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer to represent to his Royal Highness
the Prince Regent, that the country was not in the
flourishing condition which the Noble Lord bad re-
presented it to be.
General MATHEW did not know how many of
his Honourable Countrymen would take any share in
the discussion c 4. the Tax; but he was happy to see
that there were as yet but two of them, and those two,
Ministers, who spoke in favour of this obnoxious
measure. It had been said out of doors, that the
Noble Lord would make use of the Irish Members to
cram this inquisitorial and tyrannical tax down the
throats of Englishmen ; but he woula undertake to

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