Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-04-20
FOREIGN.
HOUSE OF CONNIONS T !,

L.
Ei'ancigI state ofthe Nation.
L he Chancel or Of the ExchCquer NOV.
ed, that the house should resolve itself into
com mitt"e of supply, and that the eSti-
mates tor the present year should be refer
| red To the same. The house accordingly
went into the committee.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer should
first state to the house how the government.
stood with regard to Excheoner bills
Bills 70 the amount of twelve millions and
a half were to be provided for, which were
issued on the 18th November last.-Others
were becoming due, to the amount of four
millions and hnlf, and one million and
hall had been left unprovided for from the
former year. 1t had been expected that
he should com nence the proceedings Of tie
committee by general statement of the
supply OF ways and means for the year.
watch ne had agreed to, though it had not
oeen usual on flrmer occ9siors. At a
time when this country had csc tped from
the Imminent dangers. by which she had
been surrounded and when, n ltwi,hstapd
ING complaints were made of gre Vt distress.
such a general view might be necessary to
form a Judgment of our precise situation.-
/ ne house would be awIrP, that he would
TABOR under considerable difficulty in max
ing such statement. but he should en,lea.
Vof to state the supply upru such i scale,
as to leave room for considerable altera-
tions, if afterwards fourd necessary. The
house would sre, as well IS he did. the ne
culiar crisis in which we were placed.
which WIS ulcXampled in story, though
not less on that account, re(lcundinp TO our
honour. We had arrived, at lenp,h. at the
end Ut war, which was begun aud conclu-
ded tor the preservation of the liberties of
mankind. With respect to the distress of
the country, the people had only to exer-
else that h?mness from which we had
seen 50 many grand suits /; lne Of con-
duct had been pursued, which had been
recon ended by that house, and he honed
never recommended in vain, ard from such
i,1e OF perseverng conduct, ii was that
the people might look forward to prosper
ity restored, and the commerce of their
country revived He should tate short
vi or the state of the finances It the be-
glnHng OF the present year, aud the close
OF the last. He should likewise be induced
to enter INTO short review OF the difficult
ties OF the country. lie should then take
general view OF the supply that would be
proposed at another time, and of the WAYS
and means which would be most Xix w to
meet TINS supply. FIRST, then, he should
proceed - view Of the state of the reve-
nue. IN the former and pr. sent year. The
customs iii the year ending Jan. 8, 1915.
produced II 059 OOOl and in the wear end
iHg Jan. 6, 1916 10,487. 00OI The excise
in 1914, 24,145, 00Oi. and IN 1915, $780,
OOOl. There had been an increase of IL
censcs IN the excise, and some other SLIGHT
additions, which had produced 100, 00Ok.
extra. The Stamps had in 1914, produc-
ed $3.50 ,U00l. and in 1915, ) SOS ,00OI-
he post Office nd been much more pro-
duct've than in a former year. The AS
sessed Taxes h ID produced LIST year, g.
4ll,OOOl. which was less by SOO,O0OL than
the amount OF former years but tile diml-
mutton arose rather from tine DELAY in pay
ing, than any failure in the tax itself. The
Pre- perry Tax in 1914, had produced A.
213.000L and in 1915, 1878 O0Ok. The
Land Tax, in 1914, /, O49 OO6k. and in 1915.
l,O79,O00k The total of the revenue in
1914, amounted to s., 44O, OOOL. and i'm 1915,
66,443,00 The increase of something
more than million, which appeared IN the
total amount, was satisfactory, inasmuch
as 1t showed the iiouifshirg state Of the
revenue, Notwithstanding all the difficult
ties the country had had to encounter
de should remind the house that several
large sums we're granted 70 meet the dan
gerwhch We were about to encounter du-
ring the last ssss on of Parliament. The
contest was almost miraculousiy ended in
mu shorter tine than had been exDec-
ted, and in a manner that would hand
down our pames ard the deeds Of our coun-
trymcn, with honour, to posteri,y. lac
supply was granted on the 1fth of June. and
he nad remembered that it was suggested
III the house that il would fail as much
snort OF The wants Of the country, as the
| grants OF former periods had done and
! to suppose that the al led armies could
| penetrate into Frame, was ridiculous and
absurd. Scarcely Gay had elapsed from
! me granting Of the supply, when the at
tack upon Charleroi commenced. and wa,
followed ~ the f ght OF the Chef Of the c.
nemy ard the downfall ofhis cmUire.--
! The unfunded debt had been reduced u,