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two years would amount to a total of about seven millions and a half.* He added, that it was clear, that the finances of the country were in a state of progressive improvement; and he therefore anticipated a further reduction of taxation. He was not ashamed to avow, that, in his opinion, theories, which every body allowed to be unobjectionable, might, when they were attempted to be carried into practice too rapidly, with respect to such an enormous concern as the revenue of this country, be productive of the greatest mischief. If, however, government were allowed to proceed in a moderate course, he had very little doubt that it would find, in consequence of the acts of reduction which had taken place, the means of extending relief from taxation still further. He was glad to have received from the House the most liberal support of

the views which he and the rest of his majesty's ministers had entertained; and he trusted that the House had no reason to think, that their support had been improperly bestowed. He had taken pains to ascertain the feelings of the country, with respect to the course of policy which ministers had pur sued; and he had found that the people generally were completely satisfied with it.

Mr. Maberly congratulated the country on the statement which had been made by the right hon. gentleman. During the whole time that he had been a member of that House, he had never heard so open, so fair, or so candid a statement; and, indeed, it appeared to him, that the right hon. gentleman had rather under-rated than overrated the grounds, on which he founded his estimate of the present flourishing state of the reve

*The following is an estimate of all Taxes repealed since the termination of the War; and the amount of their annual produce.

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To these must be added the minor reductions mentioned by Mr. Robinson.

3,200,000

£.22,256,202

nue, and of the hopes he enter tained of the future diminution of public taxation. By such conduct, he would secure the confidence of the country. He was also gratified at the liberal principles, which ministers seemed to have adopted, with regard to public trade; for such liberal views would materially contribute to make commerce prosper, and to render the nation prosperous and happy.

Such were the financial measures, brought forward by ministers, and carried into effect. It remains for us to mention some propositions which were rejected.

That

in Mr. Maberly's plan, there was no choice left; because, while it reduced a certain amount of the public debt, it also extinguished a corresponding portion of the re

venue.

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Mr. Ricardo conceived, that the scheme, considered merely as a mode of promoting the redemption of the land-tax, was advantageous; but he agreed with the chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Baring, and Mr. Huskisson in reprobating it as a substitute for a sinking fund. "The whole of the plan," said Mr. Huskisson, was to transfer 41,330,000l. of stock from the Mr. Maberly brought forward purchasers of the land tax, prohis favourite plan of substituting vided the whole 1,239,7017. were for the sinking fund, during seven redeemed and purchased: - for years, an extinction of upwards of what was commonly called the 41 millions of 3 per cent. stock, to redemption of the land-tax, was be effected by the redemption of simply the transfer of a portion of the residue of the land-tax. the debt from one class of indiviredemption was to be brought about duals to another. Suppose persons by offering more favourable terms were found ready to-morrow mornto purchasers than were at present ing to conclude the whole transheld out. And so far, undoubtedly, action, what would be the conseit deserved consideration. In that quence?-The public charge, and point of view, the only question the public income would be equally which it raised was-whether the diminished. By the act of 1786, redemption of the land-tax ought each separate loan was to be connot to be encouraged by allowing sidered as a separate debt. increased advantages to purchasers. the interest of each loan a specific But it was propounded as equiva- sum was provided, by specific taxes lent to a sinking fund: and, con- for that purpose. He would ask, sidered in that light, it was alto- whether, if, with regard to any gether ridiculous; for it had not loan subsequent to 1792, any given one quality which distinguished a tax-the sugar duty for instancesinking fund. The essential attri- had been appropriated to the paybute of a sinking fund was, that ment of the interest on that loan, its operation, while it diminished and we were now to allow that debt, was unaccompanied with any duty to be redeemed, any advanloss of revenue. The interest tage would be gained? It would accruing from the debt so redeemed be very easy to write off all our was left at the option of parlia- debt in a similar way; but, when ment, to be applied either to a we had done so, we should be payfurther diminution of debt, to the ing just the same interest, and be public exigencies that might arise, liable to just the same charge as or to the repeal of taxation. But, at present."

For

Mr. Maberly's proposition was rejected by a majority of 157 to 72.

Several petitions were presented for the repeal of the duties on foreign wool: but government uniformly refused to accede to their prayer. The produce of this tax, said ministers, had risen from 250,000l., to 400,000l., while at the same time the exportation of woollens had upon the whole increased. It was true, indeed, that, notwithstanding the general increase, there were some parts of Europe to which the exportation had diminished; but it was very doubtful, whether that was to be imputed to the operation of this tax, or whether it did not arise from those causes which had affected the agriculture of the rest of Europe as well as our own. The question then stood thus: with respect to revenue, the tax was productive; while, as it regarded manufactures, it was not injurious. At the same time, they professed themselves willing to give up all the advantage of the 400,000l. a year to the revenue, provided the manufacturers would agree to the free exportation of wool; but so long as that class objected to the latter measure, they should not feel justified in giving up the tax. This, they said, was no more than fair, as regarded the interests of agriculture.

Lord Beresford had been appointed, upon the death of sir Hildebrand Oakes, to the office of lieutenant-general of the Ordnance. On the 19th of February, Mr. Hume, who had previously directed the attention of the House to the subject, moved, that, as the commissioners of military inquiry had reported, in their 13th report, that, in their belief, from the in

formation given to them, the appointment of lieutenant-general of the Ordnance was not essential to the constitution of the board of Ordnance, in time of war; this House was of opinion, that the recent appointment of lord Beresford in time of peace, was inconsistent with the recommendation of those commissioners, at variance with the professions of economy made from the throne, and without a due consideration of the situation of the country. Mr. Ward, in reply, contended, that Mr. Hume, had misrepresented the declaration of the commissioners of military inquiry; that these commissioners had misunderstood the evidence on which they formed their opinion; and lastly, that, supposing both the hon. gentleman and the commissioners to be correct, yet such alterations had taken place in the department, such an increase had been made to the business, that it was totally impossible to attend to the recommendations of the report. Mr. Hume had said, that we ought to revert to the Ordnance establishment of 1796: why did he not at the same time compare the present business transacted by the board, with that which they had to perform in 1796? The present ordnance establishment consisted of 8,000 men; that of 1796 was 4,000. Then, there were no horse artillery; now, there was the finest body of that force in the world. Then, there were no sappers and miners; now, there was an admirably-equipped corps. In 1796 the half-pay of the Ordnance was only 20,000l. ayear; now, it was 400,000l. Besides, there was the wider range of duties, which, since 1796, had devolved upon the Ordnance, from the increase of colonial business

in the East and West Indies, and from the transfer to them of the Ordnance of Ireland.

Mr. Canning confined himself to refuting some insinuations of Mr. Hume, that the office was a sinecure, which had been given to lord Beresford from parliamentary influence. He showed, that the duke of Wellington had offered it first to lord Hopetoun, and

next, to lord Hill; and that, both of these officers having declined it as too laborious, his Grace had next tendered it to lord Beresford as another of his companions in

arms.

Some of Mr. Hume's friends recommended to him to withdraw the motion: but this Mr. Canning would not permit. It was rejected by 200 Noes to 73 Ayes.

CHAP. VIII.

Newfoundland and Cape Breton-New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land-Proposed Equalization of the Duties on East-Indian and West-Indian Sugar Mr. Buxton's Motion on Slavery-The Reso lutions proposed by Government on that subject-Lord Bathurst's Circular-Alarm in the West-Indian Colonies-Proceedings in Jamaica and Barbadoes-Insurrection in Demerara: its Origin, Progress, and Suppression: trials of the Conspirators: trial of the Missionary Smith-Condition of the New Settlements at the Cape of Good Hopes

G

REAT and apparently not unfounded complaints were made, in the present session, of abuses in the administration of justice in Newfoundland. A motion for inquiry, which the ministers resisted on the ground that they were preparing a bill to remedy the evils complained of, was lost by a majority of 42 to 27. Some of the inhabitants of Cape Breton petitioned against the late union of that island with Nova Scotia, as injurious to their rights and privileges.

New South Wales, and Van Diemen's Land attracted a considerable share of the attention of government and an act was passed establishing courts, and making other regulations for the administration of justice, in those remote settlements.

These subjects, however, excited little interest, when compared with the discussion of some great questions on the state of our dominions in the East and West Indies and the relations subsisting between them and Great Britain.

Sugars imported from the East Indies were subject to an extra

duty, in one instance, of 10s. per cwt., and in another, of 15s. beyond that which was payable upon sugars brought from the West Indies. On the 3rd of March, a petition was presented to the Commons from a great body of merchants, agents and ship-owners interested in the East-Indian trade, and resident in London, praying a just classification of East-Indian sugars according to their qualities, and an equalization of the duties on them with the duties imposed on West-Indian sugars. The grounds on which the justice and expediency of this alteration were defended were, that, however proper it might have been to have given the West-Indian colonies an advantage in the British market, when they were excluded by law from carrying their produce directly into the other great markets of the world, yet, now that parliament had removed the restrictions which confined their trade to the mother country, and had, by the acts 3rd Geo.4th, cap. 44 and 45, extended their commercial intercourse with the United States of America, with independent Spanish America, and the con

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