The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-30 00:00:00

TIIE BUDGET.

We have to acknowledge the kindness and promptitude
of Mr. Aylward, news-agent, in enabling us to present
the following information thus early to the public.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
the house then went into a committee of ways and means,
Mr. Greene in the chair.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose and said,—
He thought it desirable to avail himself of this opportunity
of bringing under the consideration of the house the view
of the financial condition of the country which the house
is entitled to expect, and which it must be atiiious to re-
ceive at the bands of her Majesty's government. He was
happy—and he was sure those hon. gentlemen who differed
from his views would be happy also—that the views which
he had entertained of a speedy revival of industry and
commercial enterprise had been realised, and that the
alarming forebodings which were indulged in had turned
out to be groundless. He called the attention of the house
to the situation in which they stood when this question
was last before them, touching more particularEy on the
China opium debt. The balance sheet showed on one side
£2,000,000 to have been received from the East India
Company and the China opium claim. The estimate be
had made of the public income during the course of last
y ear, has undoubtedly been very greatly exceeded.' The
amount that has been received from the Customs is
£21,426,000, instead of the £19.000,000 at which he had
estimated it. This included £350,000 arising from the
duties on grain and wines, the importations of both of
which were considerab'y greater than was expected. The
duty on sugar had increased £200,000 and upon tea
0.£n30c0,0
cotton
There w
n.
wool,
oo amoaus antni n
ga utgomxe2notiooat,oon
also
o,an indicationt e duties
o t
increased activity in the manufacturing districts. He es-
timated the excise re,,enue at £13,000,000, and the amount
it yeilded was 12,900,000. The taxes estimated at
£4,200,000, produced 4,192,000. The increase from the
Post-office, he was happy t.' announce, exceeded anticipa-
tion, the receipts were £628,000. The revenue from the
Crown lands, estimated at 130,000, produced 147,000.
The miscellaneous estimates were £870,000, the receipts
were £803,000. The total of the estimates on these
several items were £50,150,000, and they had produced
£52,138,840, being an increase of £2,700,000 beyond his
calculations. The army expenditure last year was
£6,188.000, being a redaction of £500,000! Taking the
sums together he had calculated on a surplus of X 700,000,
but it bad from the causes shown, and £650,000 less
being required for the navy, produced a surplus of
£4,165,000. (Loud cheering). At the close of
last year there was a deficiency of £2,400,000.
He however believed that deficiency to be rather appar-
ent than real, and recommended to the [louse to make no
provision for the payment of that deficiency—not to raise
means by loan for the purpose of getting rid of it, but
that it should be detrayed out of the surplus of future
years, as circumstances, from time to time, might allox ;
and he was ha,ppy to'be able to announce to the House
that the deficiency for 1843, which amounted altogether to
£2,749,000, has been cl-ared off and discharged out of
the produce of the revenue of .the present year, and after
the disclarge of the debt incurred in the course of last
year. it will enable us to present to the public a surplus of
£1.400,000 on the Ist of April last passed.—(Cheers.)
So far then as the past year is concerned he believed the
House would agree with him that his statement was sa-
tisfactory. We will now proceed to consider the estimates
and prospects for the year on which we have entered.
Mr Coeearr (Athlone.)—W hat is the amount of the
property-tax ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—XS,3IS,OOO,
which is somewhat larger than the estimate he had made
last year, in consequence (as we understood) of there be-
ing a larger return from Scotland:than he had anticipated.
Now, Sir, in making the estimate for the year on which
we have entered, he would adhere to the rule he had laid
laid down fur himself on a former occasion, that of not
being betrayed into too sanguine expectati ns, which the,
future would not bear out. He therefore contented him-,
avaf deterterrner-tet lic,le Irllol, them the amount
they have actually produced last year, viz., £21,500,000.
£BOO,OOO of which was derived from corn; and as the
slate of the harvest in this country was not yet ascer-
tained, he thought it prudent to estimate the Customs at
no more than they had produced last year, viz.,
£21,54),(100. He also estimated the Excise as in the year
gone by, at .Z 13,000,000. He took the Stamps at
£7,000,000, the Assessed Taxes at £4,200,000, and the
Property Tax at £5,100,000. To these he added the Post-
office at £600,000 only, and, for this reason, the revenue
of the Post-office made some little progress in the course
of last year, and he doubted not that in the course of next
year it would make a certain progress also. The Crov.n
buds he would take at £130,000, and the miscellaneous
estimates at £250,000, making a total of £51,790,000.
With regard to the National debt the payment for the last
year was £29,300,000—f0r the present, £27,697,000.
(Cries of " Hear, hear.") The deficiency of what must
be paid in the present year, as compared with list, amounts
to £1,400,000; but the House must not be led into the
delusion that that is the real decrease. The real diminu-
tion of the debt, in the present year, was one-half of the
benefit deriveable from the Three•and a-Half per cents.,
being £313,000. The charges for the year on account of
the debt and consolidated fund amount to £3,097,000.
This included the Exchequer-bills, and the interest there-
on. The estimate for the army amounted to £6,616,000.
The estimate of the navy to £6,250,000 instead of
£6,380,000, as in the preceding year ; and, in this expen-
diture, provision bad been mode for the gre.it national
works. The ordnance to a sum of £1,842,000, and the
miscellaneous estimates, he calculated would amount to
somewhere about £3,000,000.

tie then alluded to the beneficial working of the reduc-
tion of the Three. and-a- Hull per cents. The amount of
dissentients in England amount to £60,994, and in Ire-
land to £13,280. He then alluded to the position of Go-
vernment with the South Sea Co. arid the payment of the
grant by the 55th Ge .rge 111., for which a fund had been
sunk which now produced about £300,000 ; and there was
a deficit of £239,000, for which the public were paying
£11,860 a year. He recommended an arrumetnent with
the company. The total expenditure of the year for the
ordinary service is £17,700,000, and for the extraordinary
service £846,000, making a total of £lB 546.000. So that,
if you add that sum to the debt, which is £30,097,170, the
total expenditure of the year will be £48,643.170. Ii that
be deducted from the gross amount of the revenue, that is
£51,790,000, it would leave an apparent surplus.(subject
to the reductions which he had before alluded to.) of
£3,146,000, but if you make allowances for that portion
of the debt which will be due next year, that will 1 ave
the surplus £2,376,000. (" Hear, hear " and cheers.)
The boo. gentleman-then referred -15"ticeiiientne tax,
which had produced in 1842, £5,100,000, and that this
tax was imposed with the double objectof supplying, dur-
ing an interval, the previous deficiency of the regular re-
venue of the country, and for giving time for certain re-
pealed duties to recover. so as to be as productive as be-
fore the reduction was effected. As this question is in-
teresting and important, we will give the
.Clianceilur's
own words upon it. " The income tax was submitted by
my right hon. friend to the house, and he stated his opi-
nion that if this tax were continued for five yeats. it would
have the effect which he anticipated. (Cries of " Three
years.") My right hon. friend took it for a shorter pe-
riod. My right hon. friend indeed took it for a shorter
period—Tor three years—and he did so on this ground,
that if at the expiration of that period the result which he
had anticipated to occur at the end of five years should
not occur; then the house would have an opportunity of
considering whether they would continue that impost for
the same period, or whether they would take another
mode of supplying any deficiency which might exist. I
have no hesitation in saying that, at the present moment,
I cannot form any estimate of what those reductions may
be. When I look at the list of articles in the tariff on
which reductions of duty took place, and at the increased
consumption which has takeu place of those—when I find
that only on five has consumption decreased, while on all
the rest consumption has increased—l must say, I enter-
tain, very sanguine feelings as to the ultimate success of
the experiment. But the house will be good enough-to
bear in mind that in some main articles—timber, 1 will
especially mention—on which a reduction of the duty has
taken place, that reduction did not come into operation
until the middle of last year. The experiment, therefore,
in these instances, has not had a fair ; and I am not
therefore, prepared to say what course ought horeafier to
be pursued in respect of them. In the course of the next
year the property-tax must necessarily come under
the consideration of the house, and .it will be for
it to say what course it would pursue with respect
to the continuance or discontinuance of that impost."
The hon. gentleman then went on to state the reasons
which had induced him to refuse to consent to any large
reduction of taxation. He proposed, however, to effect
some reductions, and the first was to remove the di,tinc-
tive duty between flint and bottle glass, the former paying
a duty of 2d., and the latter of three farthings. This al-
teration is to take place on the sth July, and will only
cruse a reduction of £45,000 a year. He also proposed
to repeal the duty on vinegar, which produced last.year
£23,000. He wished for this reduction, because manu-
facturers would be much benefited by its repeal, and also
be..ause it was an article so generally in use by the public.
He would however allow one year for the dealer to get rid

April 30, ISII

of the stock on hand. The next reduction was an import-
ant one—on marine assurance. "The present rate of
duty," said the hon. gentleman, "is as follows :—For
every £lOO, where the premium dues Jot exceed 15s. per
cent., the duty levied amounts to ls. 3d. per cent : where
the premium exceeds 155., but does not exceed 305., the
duty is 2s. 6d. per cent.; and where it exceeds 305., the
duty amounts to ss. per cent. This presses unduly upon
small insurances. I therefore propose to reduce the duty
and to vary the rates according to the following scale.
For every £lOO insurance, in which the premium does not
exceed 10s., 1 propose to levy a duty of 3d. instead of
of ls. 3d. ; where the premium does exceed 1051
but does not exceed 205., a duty of 6d. instead of
Is. 3d. ; and in some cases 2s. 6d., as at present ;
where the premium exceeds 20s, but does not exceed 30s.
a duty of Is. ; where it exceeds 30s. but does not exceed
40s. a duty of 2s. ; where it exceeds 40s. but does not
exceed 50s. a duty of 3s. • where ii exceeds 50s. but does
not exceed 60s. a duty of4s. ; and where it is above 605.
a duty of ss. I calculate that during the course of the
present year the diminution of revenue consequent upori
this reduction will amount to £lOO,OOO. But I calculate
that during the course of the following two years after.t;
change shall have been effected, there wilt be a sensible
increase in the disposition of foreigners to come to tois
country to effect their insurances, and that the contltt7,
will reap the advantage even if no advantage should ~
derived by the revenue in consequence of this reduction.
He proposed the reduction of the duty on currants from
225. to 155., in consequence of the great consumption of
the article by the lower orders. The duty on foreign
coffee he proposed to reduce from Bd. to 6d. and he in-
tended to increase the duty on chicory root, whiclilo,"
been mixed with coffee to a great extent. The last ertil
in which he intended to propose any alteration was WIT:
and be proposed to take off this tax altogether. -In
duty produced last year about £lOO,OOO. The WI"
proposed reductions would amount, in round numbers'
to £400,000. The hon. gentleman then said he was de;
tsboier
governmentaobrur.
)n
gf
siipt
al
eavwce ii
saidtgi
with
robr
weet
respect
poaertecs
tut thgthoeaer
tt prheiuenab
ttl
intoarticle this
wtthhhiiecsohfd
country
nmt
trl
rie. nyda
BVoaenar;oi
expire in November next, and he intended, in 1130/*
vitig the sugar duties, to recommend to the house,
that from and after November next the duty upon sllqr
produced in those countries which are exempt from the
taint of the slave-trade--that do not raise sugar by means
of slave labour—shall be
_reduced from their present
amount. By this means we shall throw open, under certain
r .gulations, to countries eastward of the Cape of Good
Hope, a valuable trade, and shall most especially encour-
age the growing commerce with China, with which count'!'
hitherto, our relations have been extremely eonfineo.;
In thus speaking of countries eastward of the Cape 41
Good Hope, I must impress upon the house,thete;
refer only to such with which we have relations, and
wherein the sugar is not raised by means of slavery. Sire
the differential duty which I shall propose to this house tf
be imposed on sugars from countries free from the tarnish
of slavery will be 108 per cwt.—that whereas British eo*
lonial sugars pay a duty of 24s per cwt., the sugar from
the countries I refer to shall pay 34s per cwt. lam edit
aware it may be said that although the treaty wit"
Brazil is brought to a conclusion there is a treat/
with America, which contains a similar clause to the
other, entitles America to the rights extended by us to
the most favoured nation. Nothing can be further front
my intention than to infringe the letter of anrenactnien!
existing with that or any other country, but I think the,:
when we take the discussion on the sugar duties I OA'
be able to show tat the sugar produced in the soutbero
states of North America is not calculated to be brought
into competition with the sugar, the produce of free la-
bour, I have now been speaking of. It would have been
desirable to place the reduction of the duty on colonial so'
gar on a solid and permanent foundation; but it is obvious
that till November next it willbeutterly impossible to actuP;
on any principle of that description, for the oing so wont°
paralyseall the trade in the interior. I think d
that the better
course will be to admit foreign sugar at a discriminating
duty, and continue it till that period shall arrive when the
sugar duties come again under consideration. In doing
this, far be it from me to entertain any ill feeling tower:
those countries whose sugar willremain excluded. I thin:
the reduction we have made in the coffee of those coup'
tries proves sufficiently that no such feeling animates the
Government. The hon. gentleman, at the close of hio
luminous address, was loudly cheered ; and was conga°.
lated even by Mr. Hume, on his clear and satisfactorl
statement.

CUSTOMS' DUTIES.—An account of the gross and net
receipts of the Customs' duties collected' at each custom-
house of the United Kingdom during the year ending the
sth of January, 1844, as compared with similar receipts
during the previous year, has been printed in the short?!
a parliamentary paper, on the motion of the hon. inem"—,,
for Montrose. We find that the total amount of the gross
receipts collected in the port of London was, in 1843,
£11,354,702, against £11,422,251, collected in 1842. The
total amount of the net receipts of the same port was in
1843 £10,1784,959, and in the.preceding year £10,836,02h5e.
No grand total is given of the receipts throughout
kingdom, but only the total amount collected
port; and hence it would require several long nad
It
some additions in order to arrive at a general result:
is known, however, that the gross total is
i ng
receipts ar
from our customs' duties amount to between £22,000,000
and £23,000,000 annually ; of which London alone con-
tributes a proportion of 50 per cent.
NrAl4°-
IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN WOOLLEN re
FACTURE.—There is now in full operation, upon the
las
,rises of Messrs. Kinghorn and Gill, engineers, •
las-
hiels, a new wank mill or fulling machine, winch w "
eventually supersede taose now in use. The mechanismis
and complete, consisting of a revolving cylin-

upon which move three rollers with compressing le-
vers attached to them. The web passes round with the
cylinder, and if felted by being compressed between the
rollers and it; being at the same time confined in a box
with shifting sides, which expands or contracts, according
as the piece or web may be heavy or light. The machine--
has been examined by all the manufacturers of the place,
and they are unanimous in pronouncing it as a flrst-rate
improvement. Its advantages are, that it only requires
about one-third of the power required by the old mill' or
stocks—that it can be placed in any part of the factory—'
that it does not occupy one-half of the room which the
present ones do—that one man can attend.to five or six,
as the webs need no redding, and that in relt•ng the goods;
it can be done ether from the length or the breadth. and
in one-ball of the time now required.—G/aNgow
NEW GOVERNMENT POSTAGE STAMPED NOTE-
PAPER.—We have had brought to us, by different hailed
some of the new postage stamped note paper just i,stie
which we understand is to be sold at the rate of 2s. 3d.
for 24 sheets; or 2s. for stamps and 3d. per quire for
paper. This is the most convenient mode of using the
stamp we have yet seen, as, on the one hand, there is n°
need of applying an adhesive stamp, and, on the other
band, the stump being impressed on the sheet itself, there
is no need of any envelope ; and the letter, when writtenci
requires only to be folded, sealed, and superscribed, an
is then ready for posting. The s'amp is the white en'
bossed medallion bust of her majesty, on a pink ground;
already in use for stamped envelopes. Two faint parallel
lines (coloured threads) pass through each sheet at a dis-
tance of about a qua'ter of an inch, the upper one btu;
and the other red, which serve to identify the paper a
manufactured for the purpose. As the sheets are sold
unfolded, we may just state that all that is requisite 1)01.e
writing is to fold each sheet in the form of a sheet of ri°'"
paper. When written, the note is to be folded in three'
in the usual manner, and the postage stamp will then be
found in the top right corner of the space for snperscrir
tion.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPII.-r-ThiS is a very ingenii
ous contrivance or invention of Mr. Bain, by means of
which communication can be made most instantaneous');'
at a distance of many miles, from one terminus t,t anothe'ci
A sheet or plate of zinc is placed at one terminus, e.,!1
a sheet or plate of copper at another; the connection ye:
tween them is by a copper wire. A voltaic battery 2'
thus created, the electric currents being produced by the
earth and this simple apparatus. Toe currents are con-
stant, the variation during eighteen months being 11'"d
to be very small. The mechanical part of the aPPtratus
consists of a clock at each terminus, with an index, and
figures marked on a circular plate, from one to nine
these figures point out certain letters or words, or senten-
ces, in a vocabulary, and by these means intel!igenee of
various events can be communicated from one terminus
to another. The Electric fluid operates upon theee
clocks so as to stop the index at the required figures; the
clocks themselves being put and kept in motion by weights"'
There are some other and more minute and more delicate,
details in' the constructior of these engines, by means.°
which the accuracy is better secured than in former rli;
ventions, and there is a contrivance by means of whlcr
the numbers are printed, without loss of time, on a Pal c
attached to a cylinder or drum. The telegraph has be!o
at work at the terminus of the South-Ea-tern Countiese
Railway for several days, the plate of zinc being at 1"41°0(
Elms, the plate of copper at Wimbledon—a distance
six miles. The results have proved highly satisfactory'
„..y.
and established the rapidity\ and accuracy of comtnuttic%
tion, and the simplicity of the means by which it is ec.
complished. Mr. Bain has proved himself a most inge"..
.1„,
ous and meritorious inventor of a very novel and effic"
dons instrument.—Timer.
THE GREAT BRITAIN.—There is an impression abroad
that this ship is of such huge dimensions as to be 'ot
stand the only one of her class for many years. It
just the public should be set right upon this point. Hie
greatest beam is fifty-one feet, and her beam at thewst
~a
so
line not more than forty-three feet, so that she is u°;:.:
wide as the ordinary paddle-wheel steamers, which fro
quest every large port of the empire except Bristol, s't he
the width of the locks requires that they should not to
much over forty-three feet, or about the water-line be'is
of the Great Britain. The Great Western's beam
lye
fifty-nine feet, and that of all the royal mail vessels is!tiot
are informed, even more than that. It is the unneces46.
height of wall above the float level which makes thei?e'ye,
culty in the Great Britain's case, calculated, we belle
ful. the high springs. If this were lowered about_
o,ly
feet, and what is called a quarter gate put over tb`.,i,,gb
pair of gates which keep the tide out on high st,tt
steamers of the largest class could use the port, auci:Tered
for this purpose that the Great Western CompanY_,.°lo of
£lOOO. When the natural river was s opped up, !!: yen
forty-five feet were considered ample for any tradl3o of
sets that could be even anticipated, but a new f, holf,tt_
vess-ls has sprung into use since that time (near!' their
their
century ago), and for these other ports have alt,,sr_aport,
entrances, and new ports, such as Cardiff and I`..e`'r being
was met that
have made provision, the width of lock of the 1t0.`., the in:
sixty feet !! At Liverpool the difficulty
crease of the Clarence Dock to near 50 feet, and inrorra%
was done of the Cobourg to 70 feet ; and we tredocks '1;1,
by a party interested. that the gates of the s"
Pe enticiP7
not be far short of 100 feet; so they at any Great j3rits- "
vessels of even larger dimensions than the
—Bristol Mirror.