Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

given to bring in a Bill for the abolition of certain offices in the cuftoms, and for the regulation of others, and for applying the amount of fees received to the fuperannuated fund. The Motion was agreed to without any debate.

PUBLIC OFFICES.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer proceeded---It was in the contemplation, he faid, of the Executive Government, to abolish certain fees taken in the customs; but he did not yet know how far the fubftitution for these fees would be fatisfactory to the merchants. No decifive arrangements had yet been made. There was one other measure, not only relatingto the cuftoms, but indeed to every other public department; he meant the abolition of unneceffary holidays; to effect which he fhould move that the Chairman be directed to move for leave to bring in a Bill, to reduce the number of holidays kept in the public offices, and to enforce the perfonal attendance of perfons employed in fuch offices.

This fecond motion was agreed to.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer in continuation--- The next motion was founded on the fuggeftion of the Finance Committee; but it had alfo occurred before to the Executive Government. It related to an alteration in the management of Salt Revenues, by abolishing the Salt Office. He moved that the Chairman be directed to move for leave to bring in a Bill, to transfer the management of the Salt Duties to the Commiffioners of Excife. Agreed to.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then ftated, that there was another inftance of a confolidation of boards, which had been fuggefted by the Committee. This was the Board of Hawkers and Pedlars. An idea had been entertained of transferring that Office to the Board of Taxes. But there were fome meafures of police, which had made him doubt whether fuch an arrangement would be proper. He therefore wifhed to defer the confideration of the fubject; but unless that office could be made efficient for fome other purpose, he had no hesitation in ftating, that it ought to be transferred to another board. The next fubject related to the land tax and the affeffed taxes in Scotland, upon which he moved that the Chairman be directed to move for leave to bring in a Bill, for the more fpeedy collection and remittance of the land tax and affeffed taxes in Scotland.

Sir John Sinclair wifhed to know, whether, as the Committee of Finance had stated, that they had not gone through all the fubjects before them, the Minifter intended to move the refumption of the Committee.

The

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that he had exprefsly stated when he firft brought this fubject before the Houfe, that he should conclude by moving the revival of the Committee. Had the Honourable Baronet therefore refrained from interrupting him, and waited a little longer, he would have found that he held in his hand a motion for that exprefs purpose. With refpect to the meafures now propofed, comprifing all thofe points fuggefted by the Committee, he had begun by faying, that few of them required a parliamentary provifion. He had added, that it would appear from the printed papers, that a large proportion of the regulations recommended by the Committee had been carried into effect by the treasury. Many other points were ftill under confideration, which would, in due time, be fubmitted to the House. If it should be found, after all, that any points had been paffed over, or regulations omitted, he fhould be glad to be informed of them, for no fuch omiffions were in the smallest degree intentional. He hoped too, that in the course of the feffion, an opportunity would be given to the Finance Com mittee, after the different Bills had been brought in, to examine and declare how far the meafures pointed out by them had been carried into effect; and how far the reasons affigned for not adopting fome of them, were fatisfactory.---With regard to what fresh parliamentary provifions might be neceffary, he fhould beg leave to move that the Chairman be directed to report progrefs, and ask leave to fit again, in order to keep the Committee open.

The refolution refpecting the land tax and affeffed taxes in Scotland was agreed to.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then moved, that the Chairman be directed to move, that the felect Committee appointed laft feffion to examine and state the total amount of the public debt, and the intereft and charges attending the fame, as it flood on the fifth day of January, 1797, be revived.--Agreed to.

On the House being refumed, Mr. Hobart, the Chairman of the Committee, moved for leave to bring in the feveral Bills, in pursuance of the refolutions paffed in the Committee. Agreed to.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that the Committee of Finance be revived.---Agreed to.

He also moved, that the Commitee do confift of the fame members as were appointed laft year. The names of the members were accordingly called over. As foon as the lift was gone through, which concluded with the name of Mr. Sheridan,

Mr.

Mr. Wilberforce expreffed a doubt, how far it would be proper to name perfons who had evinced a determination to fecede from Parliament. The truft repofed in them was an important one: but as they did not think proper to attend their duty, other names ought in his opinion to be fubftituted.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reply to Mr. Wilberforce, faid, he had before ftated, that if there should not be a fufficient attendance of members, it would be proper to fubftitutes others. In the first inftance, therefore, he was not defirous of making any alteration in the lift. With regard to the obfervations that had fallen from his Honourable Friend, the Houfe could know nothing formally of the circumstances to which he had alluded. It was impoffible for any Gentleman, who had a proper regard for his character of Member of Parliament, to defert his duty and no man, his Honourable Friend knew, could make a motion for feceding. Whether any reprefentations to that effect had been made any where elfe, the Houfe were not bound to know. But he did not recollect that these forts of rumours applied to any of the Members of the Committee. When he first mentioned the fubject of nonattendance upon the Committee, he did not allude to any fuch rumours he faid, merely, that in the prefent ftate of affairs, many Gentlemen who were appointed could not, from the multiplicity and importance of their other avocations, give that attendance which they wished.

The motion for appointment of the fame Members, of whom the Committee confifted last year, was agreed to.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that the Committee do fit again on Monday fe'nnight, to confider further the reports of the Finance Committee.---Agreed to.

SUPPLY.

The Houfe refolved itfelf into a Committee of Ways and Means.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that in pursuance of the notice he had given, he fhould now move for a further aid to his Majefty by loans of Exchequer Bills, to the amount of three millions, being the fame amount as had been voted laft year. Particular motives urged him to make that motion at the prefent moment. It appeared to his Majefteys Minifters, that there were various circumftances now which made it defirable to delay for fome weeks bringing forward the propofition for a loan. Several reafons induced him to believe, that delay would render the terms of the loan more favourable. It was obvious that a full knowledge of the extent to which the public contributions, which, to the honour and credit of the people, were spreading rapidly throughout the country,

might be carried, would be a defirable object to attain befor the statement of Supply and Ways and Means fhall be laid before the Houfe. It would alfo be neceffary to afcertain the effect and operation of the Bill paffed before the recefs, for increafing the affeffed taxes. It was on thefe grounds that he withed for delay, and that he propofed the prefent motion. Thefe Exchequer Bills he certainly meant to have made out for fhort periods, with liberty to pay them out of the early inftalments upon the loan, or out of the produce of the affeffed tax Bill. The policy of the measure, however, seemed to him to be fo obvious, as not to require any further argument in fupport of it. He therefore moved, that towards railing the fupply for the fervice of the year, a further loan of three millions, to be raifed by loans of Exchequer Bills, be granted to his Majeftv.

Sir John Sinclair doubted the policy of the meafure. If any circumitances should happen to render money fearcer, or to create any variation in the state of public credit, Government would have to repent 'this delay. Formerly, Ministers came down to the Houfe, and ftated at once the revenue and expenditure of the country; then he had a diftinct idea of the fituation of the finances: but the Right Honourable Gentlem.n, he was forry to obferve, from his numerous budgets, rencered it impedible to know what were the expences of the year. It must be in conf quence of that fyitem that the finances of the country were more confined than they had ever been fince the revolution. If, indeed, the Right Honourable Gentleman conceived that flocks would be higher, there might be. fome reason for delay; but he doubted whether they would, and therefore he objected to the motion.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved, in reply, that the Honourable Baronet had alluded to a time when men might take a diftinct view of the finances of the country. In anfwer to that allufion, he fhould take the liberty to fay, that there never was a period when the finances had been carried on upon fo large a fcale, in which all men might obtain to clear a comprehenfion as at prefent. The fimplification of all the accounts; the confolidation of the funds, and the manner in which the estimates were made out, fo far from deferving the remark of the Honourable Bronet, afforded a direct contrait to thoic periods when the financial statements were fo intricate as to render it impoffible almost for any one to underland them, who had not made them the ftudy of their lives. From thefe technicalities they were now difembarraffed. formerly stated once for all was true. But did the Honourable Member mean to fay that there was but one explanation? Did

No. 17.

4 G

That they were

[ocr errors]

he mean to fay that the Loan, the Land and Malt, the Ways and Means and Supply were all included in one difcuffion? But he complains now that where there was but one explanation of the ftate of the finances formerly, there are at prefent very frequent explanations: and in confequence of them, he has difcovered, that he cannot understand this object. A circumftance certainly to be regretted, but hardly to be imputed as a matter of blame to us."

Sir John Sinclair replied, that what he'faid was, that he underftood the fituation of the finances better from one explanation than from fo many different budgets.

The refolution was agreed to, and ordered to be reported. Sir John Sinclair prefented a Petition from the Board of Agriculture, praying Parliamentary assistance.

It was ordered to lie on the Table.

On the motion of Mr. Rofe, certain correfpondence relating to the Scotch Diftillery Bill was referred to a Committee. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Thursday, Feb. 22.

The Bills for granting Annuities to the Earl St. Vincent and Lord Viscount Duncan, and for allowing further time to carry into execution the Supplementary Militia Act, was received from the Commons. The first and fecond of these Bills were read a first time; the third Bill was read a first, fecond, and third time, and paffed.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Thursday, Feb. 22.

SUPPLEMENTARY MILITIA.

On the motion of Mr. Dundas, leave was given to bring in a Bill to enlarge the time allowed by the Bill of the prefent Seffion for permitting the Supplementary Militia to enlist in the regular forces.

Mr. Manning withdrew the notice he had lately given of his intended motion, that a lift of the fubfcribers to the voluntary contribution fhould be laid before the House.

EMIGRANTS.

Mr. Johns begged leave to draw the attention of the House to a fubject which materially affected the fafety of the country; it now contained within its bofom a great number of Frenchmen, many of them maintained at its expence, and feveral, he believed in his confcience, difaffected to the Government, ready to avail themselves of the first opportunity to turn their arms against it, and to repay the protection they had received

« AnteriorContinuar »