The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-02-21 00:00:00

MILITIA.

Sic S. ROMILLY gave notice, Slut he should submit a Mil-
lion to the House on the sohject Of the Militia Laws, in conse-
quence of that force being still kept embodied, an to-morrow
sennight.
SIR J. DUFF.
Mr. W DITHR F. AD gave not ire that on Wednesday .ennight,
be should move for an Address to his Royal Ilighneis the I
Prince Regent relative in the conduct of Sir J. Dull and Oene-
nil Smith; and he was desirous that the. night lion. l:entlernan
should in the mean time inform himself whether the memorial of
one of the Spanish prisoners tried at Cadiz had been transmit-
ted by Sir J. Dull to General Smith.
CORN LAWS.
Mr. BAILING rose, to move the Order of the i
Day, for the Rouse resolving itself into a Committee
of the whole Rouse on the Corn Laws. It had ;
been, he observed,
,his intention to submit counter-
resolutions to those proposed by the Right lieu.,
Gentleman. On subsequent consideration, hoverer,
and the suggestion of an Hon. Friend, he was satis-
fied that the most convenient course for him to pur-.1
sue, would be to.move some amendment, the object'
of which would be, In the first instance, to make the
measure temporary, and secondly to introduce some
gradation ef prices. This it was his intention toi
propose in the Committee pn Wedttesda.y,neat.—
Those who agreed with .Isim.its the principle, that
any interfereace with the. Corp Laws ought- to be
temporary, might then support his amendment,, al-
though they could. not conceriwith, his argumeots,l
had they been submitted to the House in the form of
resolu t • . . i') • •.f‘ ‘',:i
The Committee was then find for Wednesday
nest.
Mr, LAhiBTON said, he OhiCl74d in the papers
on the table a sum.of 4QOOI, paid front the revenue!
of the Croats Lairds in his :Royel Wetness the.
Da ke of York, Is defray tie lopence of certain:els-I
tertainmeuts. , .wished., to, knew if the dikes,
Hon. Gentlemnn could afford him any nplanatiou
on this subject. . • . . . I •ti
Thu CIIANCELLCa of the F.xctigcluEß,:i
in reply, as, we understood, said, it was an advance
from a fund enticely under the contrael of kheCrown
to his ftuyal Highness, to enable hies to defray the
ezpence incident to the entertainments given to the
King of Prussia, to whom his Royal Highness was
nearly related.
Mr. BENNETT said a few words, when the con-
versation dropped.
• FirfIANCIL •
The CHANCELLOR of the ERCHEQIJER.
moved, that the House should resolve itself into a
Committee of the whole House, to consider of the
Ways and Means for the preSent. year, and that the
accounts presented during the present and last Ses-
sion, together with the Act. 51 of his present Ma-
jesty,' be referred•to the same Committee.
The Speaker having left, the Chair,]

.
.'he Right Hon. Gentleman began obobserving,in the futsds.7--[4 7out! kaugh.]..-Chis- individual
•that it would on, this occasion be naturally expected would only pay upon his separate estates, nor would
from hint to state in the first instance what the prin. it be possible fer.any nip even to guess at the gross
cipal cause was that now induced him to come for- aggregate of his property. He was, kowever, he
ward and submit certain propositions to the Com. admitted, decidedly of opinion, that the, tax could
mitten. On the sth of April next, the Property not, consistently nith the views with which it was
Tax, and about two months afterwards, the other miginally instituted, be retained for more than
War Taxes would expire. It was not his intentions. another year, or,for any other purpose than the final
as he had already announced to Parliameet, to pro- i settlement of the war expenditure.; and Juttherefore,
pose any further continuance of the Property Tax.— thought it mere. Advisable to lay it aside at tutee,,
11,.fore Christmas last, some doubt existed as 10.1 than to irnitair the principle by any .111MV MOdifleare
K heftier the tax would legally cease in APril next; lions. fp laying before the Committee the amount of ,
but the peace with America, and its .probable rani- supplies wanted for tkie service of the year, it was iat.
cation by the American Government,' had removed i possible for hint to state tiny precise sum,.ontil inlet,,
every doubt of this description. He was satisfied, 1 limae ef tire ratilication of the Tsea•ty by America
however, that the Ifouse, in abandoning that great' 811041 enable him to esculent the.periodwithie which
measure of finance, did not consider itself at all pre- oucdeets and Armies could.be recalled. ,Thi
clud. d from resorting to it again, whenever. the , therefore, which be was about to take of the financial,
cessitiet of the country should resider it expralient.,-- situation of . the country .would be less adapted; to e,
[Hear, hear!]—The Parliament of 1802 end
.1606 , peace ghtablishmeut thaw. to a state of gradatipp
never could hare iittetn!ed to fetter the discretion,of frpm a war to a p.'aco establishment. ft woeJd cep.
either the present or uny future Parliament, 44,1),A/id: Willy, be necessary tp hourow, to a Large emptier,
be know of any distinction between the Commoes bet thi*.aatapitt must depend on the time ritlNrt
assembler; in that (base, and the Commons of the, woeld. be .possilde 'limit. the I,r.ar .4ex•
country at laige. The Representative. and Consti, penditure. The cessation of the
Property Tax•strust,
tueat fledies were one and the,satne branch of the of .course, resider a cou,siderable augmentetion of.
Commonwealth: it was not between them that any the Loan necessary. Looking forward beyond • tlie
contract was binding, because whatever was done by present bear, it ini,sht be desirahle•to indulge for a
the Representative, must be sepposed to
,be,equally moment its a more extended view of our sit uatiow.r—
done by the Constituent. The public never could Upon the whole, he considered (be.prnspect as „veal I
have contracted that Parliament should not enaUt satisfactory. It was, itot,his inteittion to compare i
such laws as were suited to the emergencies of the, our situation wish that at any former period of pe-
country, nor could any faith be broken by the re:., celiar difficulty aui.l.Wearta,sment ; such, fur ea-
j
ttewal of the Property Tax, if it should appear to be, ample, As that. tat,iihe clean of the American war,;
the only advisable means of winding up the.expeuees wben public credit seemed to. be giving nay, .b
of the war. The: renewal, under all the circuit)... should contrast ip with .a, periodiwhen. our reveusies,
stances of our financial situation, it was not his were in the most flourishing state. . lie alluded tio,
tentioit at present to recemmettd ; but. he felt. it to. the year 1791, shortly ibefora the breaking onto( the
be his duty, in proposing the substitution of other revolutionary tsar.. Ikappeared by .the report of a
measures, to call the attention of .the House to the! Committee .9f Finance 4t, that. time, that the pro-
important service which this tax had been, the means duce ..of the dilfervot taxes, composing. the Corls4,o
of rendering to the country. lie had himself been al lidaled Fund was 14,172,0001. and ;hat the &area
party to its introduction; and he. conld•assure the upon it amounted to 11,321,0001. leaving a surplilai.
Committee, that there was no circumstance of his ; of 2,151,0001.. To errs wats,t, he •addell Abe pro,
public life on which he looked back with greaten duce of the Land artd Malt Taxe5,,2,676,0001. con..
satisfaction. In conjunction with the other. war ; stituling a disposable fund of 4,7q6,0001. Qa the
tases, it haul supported the public credit, and. finally ! sth of , January last our *eine ,ernoented
enabled us to assist materially in effecting the, deli- 3/3,250,00U1. to•whieli ,wes.to be added aisetlsereem
verance of Europe. They had saved a funded debt of upwards of .q,c9010001., malting tegetbar ra,
of between 2 and- 300,000,0001., and an annual i gross revenue of 40,062;0001. The principal charge
:.itge of 1 1,0()0,0001. The Property Tax alone upon this is the interest of the funded debt or
had I.rodoce.l 1:)0,000,0001. and had saved a
.bar- 35,420,0001. which ni h the Imperial Loan, made a