The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-02-02 00:00:00

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nary to vindicate the privileges of the House.
He submitted to the Honourable Gentlemen • tbk
expediency of not taking up any narrower line
with regard to the freedom of discussion in the
;mishit, as to what was- done or said in Parliament.
It was a little too much in the Opposition to sup-
pose that there was one party not liable to be assailed,
that there was one against which nothing must
he said, nor any whisper that it could act speonstitu-
tionally, while another was to be aspersed and vilified
at pleasure. The Right lion. Baronet, in reading the
address, he noticed, had not appeared to him to read
it very fairly. He had proceeded as int was entirely
applied to the Hoese, wherein, in fact, it was divided
into three subjects, the speeches of the Opposition,
the blasphemous publications of the press, and (whe-
ther wisely or not) some document that had issued
from the Common Council of London. If for these
observations be called the Learned body to the bar of
the House—if this were to be an example for bring-
ing forward aU similar offences, he would pledge him-
self by to-morrow, to adduce three or four charges
fence addresses of another kind, in wh;cle the most nn-
justifiable accesatioos were lavished upon him and hi
colleague,. site most unwarrantable motives imputed
to them for their Parliamentary conduct, and the most
gross imputations upon the House, of corruption, of
disregard to the people, and of other crimes. If the,
fleutleuien opposite required that they should be thus.
'covered, he begged to offer his counter-projet.—(A.
laugh). If there was to he one protected set, he con-
tended that there ought to be another; but as Govern-
ment Lud disavowed its knowledge and assent to this
puhlication, he hoped that it would be deemed trnike•
cesiary to prosecute it any farther.
Mr. SCARLETT held that the hrcarh of privilege
committed as it was, he conceirod, by an ignorant per-
son, would not have been worty of notice had it nut
found its way into the Gavtic, This was its sting,
for this was its sanction and the acknowledgment that
it had been graciously received by the Crown. lie
contended that it was a great arid violent breach to
characterise the debates in that House as violent and
wiconstitutional. With regard to this specific case he
wudd ask, who were the Opposition thus designated
as insolent and (Attires? Dill the King know any
thing of such a body in that lions.? Did Ministers
tell him of it? If they did, it would be more like a
matter of impeachment, than of breach. of privilege.
Upon the whole, however, if any means could be de-
vised fur putting the explanation and apology upon
the Journals, so that while the Addresses remained, its
verbal crtcuse should not be lost, lie should not be
area se to that course being ailopted.—(liear.)
Mr. BATHURST repeated the explanation which lie
had formerly given, and which Lord Castlereagh had re-
stated to-night. For the Noble Secretary, whose office
it was to select these Addresses, it was utterly impossible
personally to perform that duty, and the present had un-
fortunately passed without • observatieu. As for notifi-
cation of its being graciously received, that was cote 11111 l n
to all addresses, and it was only more publicly applied
to this as it bad appeared in the Gazette. *fie, upon
t grounds, agreed with the suggestion of the Learned
Gentleman who had just sat down, and reiptested-that
motion might be drawn up tit carry it into uffeet.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT alga assented to this ;reposi-
tion, and Lewd Castlereagh, to afford time for this, moved
that the debate be adjourned till to-morrow.
After a few remarks from Mr. It.lion DON, the ques-
tion. was put and carried.
WINAWCII.—TI I E REVENUE.
Mr. NA NEELY rose to move for a string of Papers
explueatory of the finances of the country, and went
at smite length into the various objects which they em-
braced. He %carried that in 2S years there was a dif-
brreuce and loss of eighteen millions in the expense of
collecting the revenue. He then expressed his regret
that the Minister of Finance should use the Sinking
Fund for the resources of the year. During the last
ld years the National Debt had been augmented at
the rate of 20 millions a year, till it now reached the
enormous amorist of 900 millions. They were at die
cud of six years of peace, and all the Sinking Fund
bad done was to realise two millions to discharge this
itutuense load. For to talk of the Sinking Fund at its
ti miinal amount of 17 stallions wait a mere fallacy .
The Chanegilor of the Exchequer borrowed from this
amount the whole difference irf the year, and the coun-
try saw nothing of the real Sinking Fund, which was
in fact nothing more than the excess of the revenue
over the expenditure.—(Hear!)---He did not anticipate
any greet diminution of expenses tram the King's
Mpeecli, for it merely taentioned a rednction in the mi-
litary. And be recollected, that though the Right
Hon. Gentleman had estimated the expenditure of IsSl7,
at 17 millions, yet in two years after they found it at
uiueteen. How then could they expect any more fa-
vourable change now ? Nothing could cause it but a
system of the most rigid economy. Nothing else could
relieve the distresses of agriculture and the other dis-
tresses of the country but a dintination of taxation. It
was with this in view that he moved for certain of these
papers; *at the House might see whether some re-
duction could be med., especially in the boase and win-
dow taxes. In the collection of the Revenue too, be
was certain, there might be a great Saving. In this
country the charge aneonnted w SI. Is. 9d. per Cent. on
the total; and in Ireland it was infinitely greater, at
least Si per Cont., and he believed last year as high as
II& 'lbis was enormous, and be was convinced that a
saving of wee million a year might be wade on Ireland.
This, with the difference between the seventeen and
nineteen minims, already alluded to, and which was
founded on the Right Honourable Chancellor's own es-
timate, would make three millions per annum of reduc-
tion to enable them, should war, or any other event re-
sptire it, to Meet the difficulties of the times. lie bad
only to add, that be made these motions previous to the
period for greeting the Supplies, that every gentleman
might have an opportunity of examining the state of the
finances, and of adopting sock swamies ea their consi-
deration suggested. He concluded with meting for an
account of the deficiency in the Consolidated Fund.
item the nth of Jgly, 1810, to dm bth of Jemmy, Is2l.
specifying bit what means the sew were made good.
The CHANCELLOR of dee EXCHEQUER observed,
that he would met obkct to the motion. It worth; be
more agreeable to hies toilette the lion. Gentleman's ob-
servations when the matters it embraced came regularly
before the Roast t and he should therefore content him-
self at present with only a few brief statements, which
he was sure the thus. would be glad to hear. And first
he had
_to say, tint in the meow last year there was
a coesiduable areeples.—(Heor. hear.) —I t was with equal
pleasure he had is the second place to state, that all the
expenses of the current year wadi he met by the reve-
nge withost having resouree to anyt oar loan, and with-
out the impositiou eifany new tax. ear, hear.)—They
had sow arrived at tie peeled for bch the House and
the Governamet had longed, whit, he trusted, they
might for many years bid adiee to the necessity for new
boasts or near taxes.---(Hear,ltear.)--Uader these circum-
stances, with a swiss revemte, they had every roma