"lessen its operation." Here the matter dropped, and if Lord "SIDMOUTH be wise, he will not again revive it; for he may rest assured that if his object be as above stated, it will occasion much discontent and resolute opposition, as every one of the above limi tations will be violations of the Toleration act, so direct and so flagrant, that surely a man possessing such a scrupulous conscience as his lordship, who has expressed his fears lest the boundaries of religious liberty should be enlarged at the expence of a violation of the Coronation oath, would not dare to recommend the violation of that oath for the purpose of narrowing those boundaries. The act of Toleration which all the sovereigns of Britain, since the Revolution, have sworn to preserve inviolate, and which our present gracious Sovereign has, in addition to his oath, repeatedly promised his protestant dissenting subjects should never be infringed, contains no such restrictions as those hinted at by his lordship: (for we trust he will not have the temerity to propose them in the form of law :) all such restrictions are so many gross violations of that act: his lordship must, therefore, upon calm reflection perceive, that such a proposition will give the lie direct to his repeated deciaration," That he had not the slightest intention of proposing any infringement of that PALLADIUM OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY THE "TOLERATION ACT." THE WAR. The ministerial prints have been for several days past, preparing us for unfavourable intelligence from Lord WELLINGTON. All expectations of the British army being able to advance into Spain are now given up, and all the prospect before us is-a sanguinary conflict, with the forlorn hope that we may still, for a short time, be able to preserve our defensive position in Portugal, or, which pros→ pect we wish may be realized, that our forces may be enabled to secure a retreat, so that they may be re-embarked in safety for their own country. It is somewhat remarkable that our ministerial editors on this occasion, are, contrary to their usual practice during the war, magnifying the numbers of the French army and diminishing those of the British.-SICILY, the French are preparing to attack, and, owing to the wretchedness of the administration of affairs by the Sicilian government, it is feared the enemy will be victorious. What plans for the further prosecution of the war, or what object ministers have now in view, as just and necessary to be obtained, there seems to be no inquiry or thought about. Every year sinks us deeper and deeper in debt, and increases the amount of our taxes, for which we have nothing in return but national disgrace and the aggrandizement of the enemy! Harlow, July 30, 1810. B. F. MONTHLY REGISTER: FOR JULY, 1810. PARLIAMENTARY REGISTER. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Wednesday, May 16. BUDGET. L. 19,238,000 Mr. Perceval stated, that what he should have to say would shew, that in this year, exhibiting, as had been supposed, the most gloomy view of the state of the country; in that very year, our real situation furnished the most evident and demonstrable proofs that we were in the most prosperous state in which - we had been at any former period. He should first state the supplies already granted for the year: For the navy. For the army 13,953,000 For Ireland 2,992,000 Extraordinaries 2,750,000 Miscellaneous services already granted 1,752,000l., which, with others to be voted, might raise the branch to 2,000,000l. There would besides be a vote of credit for England to the amount of 3,000,000l.; for Ireland to the amount of 200,000l.; for Portugal to the amount of 250,000l.; making altogether about 50,500,000l.; from which, deducting the sum for Ireland, there would remain to be provided for by Great Britain 46,500,000l. To meet this there were-Annual duties 3,000,000l.; surplus of the consolidated fund 4,400,000/; war-taxes 19,000,000l.; lottery $60,000l.; exchequer bills funded 8,000,000l.; loan 8,000,000l.—Making, in whole, 46,700,000!; or, on excess of 146,000l. above the sum required. He should proceed to state the different items of which these sums were to be composed, leaving the consolidated fund to the last. First, the war-taxes: these he estimated at nineteen millions; and he esteemed himself justified in taking them at that amount, they having last year produced into the exchequer 22,772,000l. The property tax had, during the last year, produced 13,751,250l. although the assessment for that year was computed only at 11,400,000l. being a dif VOL. VIII. ference of 2,350,000l. This, however, might be supposed to have arisen from arrears, none of which now existed earlier than 1807. The last quarter shewed the income tax to be greatly on the increase, but he did not take it at the increased rate. The war taxes under the As heads, customs and excise for three years, 1808-9-10, amounted to twentyseven millions, being on an average 9,060,000l. being together 20,460,000l. As to the lottery, he knew an hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Whitbread) objected to it as a source of revenue. He hoped the house would not be prepared to deprive the revenue of the amount of income thence arising, the evils effects resulting from lotteries being so nearly done away by the late regulations. to the exchequer bills, he had already stated them at 3,000,000 for the year, and he trusted the house would not be indisposed to a grant to that amount. Now as to the loan, he had the satisfaction of stating, that it amounting in all to 12,000,000, namely, 8,000,000 for Great Britain and 4,000,000 for Ireland, had been concluded on terms the most favourable of any loan which had yet been known in this country. The terms were, that the contractors, for every 100. should receive 130l. three per cent. reduced and 107. 7s. 6d. consols, being in the whole 140l. 7s. 6d.; the amount of the interest thus to be paid for the loan being no more than 41. 4s. 32d. per cent. So that a loan of 12,000,000l. had been negociated at 15s. 7 d. below the legal rate of interest. The total charge on the public, in this manner was in the proportion of the loan of last year, as 41. 4s. 34d. to 4l. 12s. 10d. So that be the country in a worse state or better now than it was last year, 12,000,000l. had been borrowed for a sum intrinsically worth 11,230,000l. The right hon. gentleman then proceeded to state the amount of the consolidated fund, which exceeded, in the year 1810 the surplus of the preceding year by 5,339,000l. He did not wish, however, to take it at this amount, but to prefer an average of the two years, which produced 4,435,000l. This, too, he took in preference to an average of the three years, which would have presented a higher amount. There was every reason to suppose, that instead of a diminution the amount would fully equal that of last year, the quarter of the present al-. ready before parliament exceeding that calculation, and making the amount upwards of 24,000,000l. or comparing it with the year 1808, 24,400,000l." It would be a satisfaction also to the house to know, that the malt duty was now recovering itself, there being an increase under this head, in the last quarter, to the amount of 40,000l.; so that there was little doubt of its equalling, if it did not exceed, the amount of last year. The next head was the assessed taxes. These, for the last year, amounted to 6,440,000l. In this sum there were considerable arrears, amounting on the best calculation, to not lest that 600,000!. There were not of arrears now outstanding more than 300,000/ a fact which would induce the house to see that no negligence prevailed in this branch of the revenue. The stamps he estimated at 5,130,000l.; the post-office at 1,194,000l.; the hawkers, &c. at 20,000l.; producing a total of 37,597,000l. The charge on the consolidated fund, exclusive of Ireland, amounting to 31,900,0007. Jeaving a suplus of 5,637,000l. The stamps had risen very greatly during the last year, to the amount of no less than 1,236,9077. in consequence of the consolidation of those duties arising from regulations which he himself had introduced. These he had estimated, under different heads of management, would produce a saving of 106,000l.; but it so happened that instead of this it had produced an increased revenue of no less than 1,236,9071. The difference between this expected sum of 106,678l. and the actual amount of 1,236,906l. left a balance of 1,130,000l. What he had to propose, therefore, to the house was, not only that 970,000l. which would be wanted for the expenditure of the present year should be taken from this excess of a tax laid on by regulation in the year 1808, but he also thought that parliament was justified in looking to this fund as affording a prospect of defraying the interest of the loan of the year. Indeed, he should feel himself not justified if he did not call on the house to look to this source. He should propose to reserve 150,000!. for this purpose, and then there would still remain 115,0781. as the balance of this one tax after the interest of the loan was provided for. Ever since 1807 it was considered advisable to nourish the revenue; and for that purpose to avoid the imposition of new taxes, if possible, for three years. Another circumstance was to be considered, which went to shew the propriety of the course which he proposed to follow; that was, the great amount of arrears collected upon the property tax and the assessed taxes. The total amount of both, in the last year, was no less than 2,800,000l. Since then there had been so great a sum collected in these taxes beyond the annual average, he thought this a strong reason why no new taxes should be imposed at this period, if it could possibly be avoided. In looking at the consolidated fund, it might not be improper to advert to the state of the trade of the country. The house already knew that the exports and imports of last year had been far above what they had been in any former year. In 1802, a year of peace and of the greatest import and export, the export of British manufactures amounted to 26,995,000l. Last year it amounted to 35,000,000l. making a difference of about 8,000,000l. He then came to the state of the internal trade of the country. On this head they had not the means of acquiring such accurate information, but he was informed that the cloth trade of Yorkshire had increased to the amount of a million and a half. It was indeed impossible to look round without seeing on all sides the symtomps of a general increase of trade and wealth. The general state of the trade and revenue of this country was highly favourable, and fully justitied him in the view which he had taken of our future prospects. He concluded by proposing the resolution, that 12,000,000l. be raised by way of annuity, &c. Mr. Huskisson did not know whether his right hon. friend, in his very able statement, alluded to him as one of those who thought the country in a falling condition. If he did, it was a mistake, because he had neither thought nor said any such thing. What he had said was, that it would be difficult to find new taxes, which would not be extremely objectionable-that there was a limit të taxation—and that we had nearly reached that limit; and that he was correct in all this, the statement of his right hon. friend proved. He must himself have felt its force, before he could make up his mind to propose the mode which he intended to adopt to supply the means of the year. He had heard nothing from his right hon. friend in contradiction to what he (Mr. Huskisson) had stated on a former occasion; and he really wished that something positive could be got from his right hon. friend upon this subject. He wished to know whether he thought it possible, for any great number of years, to continue adding from 1,000,000l. to 1,200,000l. every year to the public burthens? Whether he thought this would be sufficient on the present plan, even if it could be procured?-and, whether he hoped that the war could be continued in this way? His right hon. friend had not touched on these points; but he thought that his right hon. friend owed it to the country to state what his views were on the subject, supposing the war to continue for a great number of years, as, in all probability, it would! He maintained, that without a reduction of the scale of our annual expenditure, it would be impossible to carry on the war for any long time. Even in the event of peace, they would not be without their difficulties, as it would be expected that a considerable share of the public burthens should be reduced. He advised the house to consider to what, if they went on in this way, they would come at last? He here related an anecdote which was current in France before the revolution.Some person asked the minister of finance how they were to go on fora number of years?-His answer was, that the state of things, such as it was, would last their time; and after them no matter what become of the finances. In a few years after came that catastrophe, the French revolution. He did not mean to say that any minister of this country would have uttered or conceived so unworthy a sentiment; but if the house did not take an extensive view of the subject, and provide accordingly, it would not do its daty. He thought that by suitable reductions provision might be made for both alternatives, of peace and war. With regard to the statement on the whole, however, he Confessed he had been disappointed. When the ministers had made up their minds to advise his Majesty to promise that the accounts would be made up with a rigid attention to economy, he had expected that a considerable reduction was to have taken place. He thought a reduction of same millions might be effected without injury to the country. Mr. Rose concurred in the wish of his hon. friend who spoke last, that every practicable retrenchment should be adopted, and that opinion he had already communicated out of doors. He felt strongly, that his right hon. friend (Mr. Perceval) would present himself before the house, next sessions, with a very bad grace, if he did not prove that the utmost attention had been paid to the economy in the public expenditure. How the resources of the country had been so prosperous as the statement of his right hon. friend displayed, he declared himself unable to account. But somehow it appeared, that from the industry and ingenuity of our merchants, every prohibitory measure of Bonaparte's had utterly failed of their object. In fact, instead of limiting our trade, it had rather extended, in spite of the hostile proceedings of the enemy. Mr. Tierney, thought it necessary that some inquiry should be instituted, as even an old member of the board of trade professed himself unable to account for that prosperity upon which the house had been congratulated. As to retrenchment, he heard no proposal of it-he could see no sign of it--notwithstanding all the professions that had been made. He saw a vote of credit equal to that of the last year, when we had Austria and Sweden to subsidize ; and this vote in addition to that already granted to Portugal. What then could be the object of this vote? It certainly required explanation. The right hon. gentleman seemed to have a great deal of good luck to help him out.-In the first year of his financial duties, the loan was provided by his predecessors; in the second year, between 3 and 400,000l. of annuities fell in; and now a surplus produce of taxes offered, which however he thought the right hon. gentleman was grossly misapplying, in setting apart to pay the interest of the loan. The right hon. gentleman broke a wisely established principle, merely to make a fetch at popularity, by a shew of declining new taxes. This, however, all thinking men must feel to be mere delusion. After some further observations from Mr. Huskisson, Sir T. Turton, and Mr. Rose, the resolutions were read and agreed to, and the report, the house having resumed, was ordered to be received on Friday. Thursday, May 17. Mr. Perceval moved the third reading of the Duke of Brunswick's annuity bill. The house divided-for the third reading 51-Against it, 22. Mr. H. Martin stated, that considering the situation of the country, when 200 millions had been added to the capital of the national debt between 1794 and 1808, it was impossible to consider whether this annuity might not be supplied out of the droits of the admiralty, for nobody denied that it ought to be granted in some way or other. From the papers on the table it appeared that the droits of the admiralty were fully competent to answer this demand. It appeared that there were from 4 to 5 millions which had been applied to public purposes. After the large addition which had been made to the royal privy purse, it was hardly fair to load the consolidated fund with this additional burthen, when there existed other means of meeting the demand. He also adverted to the 44 per cents. which had been left at the disposal of the sovereign, and had yielded 172,0001. Mr. Perceval remarked, that the hon. and learned gentleman did not advert to the fact, that 2-3ds. of the droits were granted to the captors, all to be deducted from the sum which he had stated. The fact was, that no more had been left at the disposal of the crown than from one to two millions. The observations which had been made in other respects could not be borne out by the papers on the table. Mr. Creevey denied that it was the uniform practice to give 2-3ds. to the captors there had been a departure from the rule in the case of the Spanish prizes. But what appeared particularly objectionable was, that the crown should have the disposal of such enormous sunis without being subject to be called upon by parliament for an account of its application. Lord Milton observed, that the right hon. gentleman himself appeared to have admitted the other night, that there were sufficient droits to purchase this annuity, though now he seemed to be of a contrary opinion. Mr. Perceval had admitted that there was a sum of 70,000l. which would probably purchase this annuity unaccounted for. Mr. W. Smith said, after the confession that there was 70,0001. in the hands of the Registrar, the point, as far as the reason of the thing went, was decided. He agreed in the monstrous nature of the circumstance, that the crown should have the disposal within a few years of upwards of eight millions of money, independent of parliament. While the King paid his army and navy out of his own possessions, it was fair that he should have the disposal of whatever was captured: but when the country paid 19 miilions for the navy, and about as much for the army, was it equitable that the crown should have the proceeds of captures without account? Mr. Whitbread said, it was known that his Majesty had given sums to several members of his family out of this fund, no doubt upon such exigency, that if be had not this fund he would have been under the necessity of applying to that house, and this too from those paternal feelings which his Majesty possessed as well as others. But here came the fact that 25,000l. had been granted out of this fund to Sir Home Popham, and another sum towards bringing home a governor from a distant settlement. He asked, whether it was wise, whether it was candid and affectionate towards his Majesty, to overlook this fund, and apply to his subjects at once at a moment when the Chancellor of the Exchequer, by the measure which he proposed last night, confessed the difficulty of finding new sources of taxation, and when some who had been in his confidence, whose knowledge of the subject was unquestionable, and who of late had laid the foundation of a strong claim to the confidence and approbation of the country, had urged the necessity of retrenchment? Was it dutiful and affectionate to his Majesty to advise him to come upon his subjects for this 70001. a year, when he himself had a fund out of which to pay it. All that was wanted was, a delay till the state of the admiralty fund could be ascertained, and with that view he moved that the debate be adjourned till this day se'nnight. Mr. Perceval contended, that the grant of the annuity ought to be independent of the consideration of the state of the droits of admiralty. |