The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-04-20 00:00:00

WAYS AND kfIiANS.

The CIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
having moved the reeding of the Order of the Illy
for the House resolving itself into the Committee,
gloved that the different Acts respecting the Property
Tax shonlri he entered as read. '

Mr. %V Ul'll3ll EAD said, that it must be in the
recollection of the, House that their table had been
covered not long since,. with. Petitions from all parts
of the country a !nisist the Property Tax. -The Chan-
reline of.-the Exchequer hail,. however,. then come
forward, and had forestalled the more general ex-
presiion of the public opinion, by declating that it
nits not his intention to resort 'gain to that tax, un-
less in the event of war; which at' that time appeared
Tem improbable. He had, however, in consequence
of his sinteartit that 19 millions would be necessity
fo'r a pence expenditure; proposed a number of other
taxes in lieu of this Property Tax : all of which,
with Ahe exception of the Assessed Taxes, he now
understood him to have abandoned. This either
proved that he nes i most unskilful financier; and
understood very little about the mode of devising
tikes. or else it showed that the ordinary system of
taxation had completely' failed, and that it was not
phs-ible to raise any more *money by it. lie.
had suggested the possibility of the tax being
revived it case of a war. He wished, there.
fore, now to know ' what was the situation of
the country, whether it was to be considered al in
astate of war or peace? He wished that the Noble
here? (Lord Castlereagh) would inform the House,
wetter it was true that a Treaty had lately been
aihttvil at Vienna, by any Ministers either authorised
itj- this Government or unauthorised. It appeared that
we bed now come to times, when Ministers without
any authority would Venture to commit the country
by their arts. The tiousemight he told•thak what-
vier tie Duke of Wellington might have done would
Ofttlly jutstilied upon home future Occasion: but he
(Sought that they hada right now to learn whether
the Gorernment of 'ibis country was in fact com-
mitted to a war with- Frani*. He 'understood,
that such a Treaty .had beefs sighed; that it was
Glandes! upon the .Treaty of Chaumont; bat that
there wag this additional engagement, that under no
circumstances would they treat with' the present
Ruler of France. Ile also wished to' be informed
whether it was true that there hail been recently an
engagement to ltaly,,between the Austrian and Nea.
pdlitan troops,' and to' the. disadvantage of the for-
mer ? He was also anxious to know whether the No-
ble Lord Meant. to disavow those letters to him, and
purporting to Conte horn Mm, which were now daily
corning forward in the'Pnbfic Papers?' Tie had no
Wee* how those letters Cattle before the public. It
would appear that es if there was i great rent in the
NobleLord'a portfolio, or a hole in his travelling trunk,
for there were daily, letters
,published, which nobody
could doubt were.writtert by him. Indeed his Lord-
tgip wil stow so completely, before the public as a
sielfer, that, 'hom*? buintelligible and ambiguous
Ida fetters were,' the' stile could not be mistaken.—
I twould be for' the consideration of the House, wee.
Iker they would afford the means to Ministers to
ptiingstlitti country' in another war, the issue of which
via ' eierri7ot4y doubtful, and the objects of which
appoared uujastiliahle.
;Lord CAiI'LERPAGII could only conceive two
olljeit's foi the questiisis, proposed. The first alight
be, to endeavour te'pers'ulide the (louse that the mea.
sure to' yip proposed to them this night was unneces-
sary, and ought not to be•adopted. The only,other
object that he could conceive was, to indite! the'
House to pronounce its opinion on those detached
paintsto which the Honourable Gentleman culled their
attention, Now, as to the first object which he had'
sated, the House Would be able id judge, whether
Were was -not already a sufficient case stated to them,
err Woe* theta:to agree to the measure proposed. 7--
Ile thought, however, that the Honourable Gentle-
min reasoned somewhat .ton rapidly, when he in-
(erred, that because his Right Honourable Friend
through? it necessary In propose an augmentation of
the vevenue this year, that, therefore, all the ord!-
naty.souirer of the revenue must hare failed. •The
Ilenourable Gentleman was, fortunately for the
country, very incorrect, in regard to fact, upon this
point.' His flight Honourable Friend had certainly
'sever pledged himself that he wools' not resort to
this Measure, in that sort of mixed state in which
the country now stands between peeve and war.—
[Hear,. hear! Irons -the Opposition Benehes.]—The
Ilostontable Gentleman had asked him whether he
was ready to avow or disavow certain papers? He
should milyaiiswer, that when the proper time should
coon* for discussing those topics, he should be very
ready to submit the whole of his conduct to the con-
sideration of. the House: but when the Honourable
Gentleman talked of these disclosures as necessary
to his justification, he must bay that he was sure the
]louse would not think it right, that merely for his
omit justification he should sacrifice the public inte-
rest, and let Incise all the documents of Government
to the criticisms and cavils of that Honourable Gen-
tleman. He might, indeed, be glad to get hold of all
those papers immediately, in order to try if he could
not pick some hole in the proceedings of Government.
My. Fox, however, acted very differently, and dis-
tinctly laid it down"that he'did not think it right to
press
,Government for their instructions to their Mi-
niver!' or Agents. The -acts of Government spoke
for throve:reit, and were fair subjects of comment ;
but mere instructions, which were often inoperative, I
could not so fairly be bronght before the Houk.. lie
believed that the Honourable Gentleman was the
vlry first Member in (hat Reuse who pressed for
capips of the instructions given by Ministers. As
tai the situation of the country at the presentmoment,
i.e was not now prepared td give any information to
the House; but he was convinced that as soon as it
could be given in any intelligible ARO, it would be
the wish of Government to lay it before the House.
Mr. PONSGNBY thodelit that the Noble Lord
must he wrong in supposing? that Mr. Fut wopld
never have calkil for instnictions givio by Ministers..
Slopasing the case to be such, That he eltotight an
impesellinent should be. breught apinseMinliters,'
how could he have the proper evidence without mow.'
ioefor It Try Of the instructions they fiad Veal—
A s to'inst reclions,.the Noble. I.orsllilii, how6er,'
''....1 th.b ''....1,:i log , efore "the liou4e,. es fir,
t
Ivor Her Olt nit see what detriment •
Id' the public sersice, if the Noble
'fed the (cession, whether there had

e(olsrtited to fliq
Y reyetleok it en,
,r ci.uld m of
Lend bad a;iicPi
- . . •