a ftate of peace, we fhall have a revenue equal to our whole landed annual product. We are now, Sir, at the end of April, and 18 millions are yet to be found. Three payment have only been made on the Loyalty Loan, and there are still seventenths of it to be made good, whieh amount to 12,600,000l.--We are to vote 18 millions to-day; fo that between this day and the ift of January next, we have yet to find for the public exigencies, the enormous tum of 30,600,000l. We have to furnith in fo fhort a space of time as 35 weeks, 30,600,000l. or, in other words, almost 1 million per week, till the end of the year.

So

"But, Sir, there is ftill another point of view in which I wish to place this moft ferious and alarming confideration. In 1796, the new taxes only produced 3 millions. What then, Sir, is the burden which the fubject has hitherto felt? The weight of that fum alone. But the taxes to be impofed this day, with all the others will make 7 millions and a half. that we have actually felt only three millions. We have been told, indeed, very rhetorically, that we were yet but scratched by the war fcratched we are, and that pretty feverely, but very flightly compared to the wounds which are to be inflicted. on us; and the burdens to be impofed upon people which they muft fuffer when they come to pay 7 millions and a half instead of three. That it is right and neceffary to look thefe dangers in the face, the Right Honourable Gentleman himself admits, though he is by no means ready to practise the theory which he proclaims. There ftill remains another article with respect to future expenditure, to which I wish to direct the attention of Gentlemen. I mean, Sir, the Bills to be drawn this year, in St. Domingo, on this country, probably to the amount of 900,000l. The Bills drawn in January amounted to 700,000l. Whether they have been paid, I cannot undertake to fay; but if half remains unpaid, and an additional fum of 9c0,000l. is drawn for, I conceive it very difficult to find how the whole is to be difcharged. I do not blame the Select Committee for proceeding to their report on the calculations laid before them, but I blame both the Committee and the House for not grounding their opinion on others that convey more folid information; I mean those which are furnished by experience. I am fully fenfible of the inestimable value of peace to the country, and it will, by a geometrical progreffion, become more valuable every year. I know no fyftem to obtain the bleffings which it diffufes, and fecures, but an unequivocal and fteady purfuit in the attainment of it. It is not, Sir, in my opinion, likely to be reftored to us by fending Mr. Hammond, or any other man in the hour of impending danger and neceffity to Vienna, but in

openly

openly declaring and vigorously adhering to equitable and honourable terms. But fomething more is requifite to be done. The House must prove themselves the Reprefentatives of the people. They muft fhew the people that they do not blindly confide in a Minister by whom they have been fo often and fo fhamefully deceived; and if there is not patriotifm enough left to force them to act thus, there is, I do not hesitate to affert, an end of the Conftitution. From the meafures purfued, and the system avowed by Minifters of perfevering in them, the country is every day involved in additional perplexities and embarraflments. It is in vain we look round for an open and cheering profpect, for amid this labyrinth and confufion we ftrive to no purpose to rescue ourselves from diftrefs--

"While Alps on Alps arife."

« With respect to the Vote for the Army Extraordinaries, does any man think that the arrears of the army will be extinguifhed by that measure? No, Sir! I am of an opinion directly contrary. The exertion of the public fpirit is in this momentous crifis abfolutely neceffary. The people ought to know, that we should have a complete change of fyftem--a change from a blind confidence in Minifters to a watchfulness and jealousy of their conduct. Sir, I have nothing farther to remark than that if the Right Honourable Gentleman means to take the sense of the House on the measure of lending 200,000l. to the Emperor, I fhall most certainly oppofe it."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that without wishing to go over the ground which the Right Honourable Gentleman had taken, which might remain for future difcuffion, he merely rofe to ftate, that it was certainly his intention to move a Refolution refpecting the 200,000l. as a Loan to the Emperor.

Mr. Grey faid, that there was an article in the Report of the Select Committee, of which he wished to have fome explanation. There was a fum of 1,500,000l. ftated to be unfunded debt not fufficiently provided for. He wifhed to know from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether fums had not been fpecifically granted laft Seffion of Parliament for the payment of. this charge, the Money for which had however been diverted to other purposes? That the Right Honourable Gentleman had violated the Acts of Appropriation, and diverted the Money granted by Parliament to different objects, he had already ftated against him as very highly criminal. The inftance to which he here alluded would fhew that the Right Honourable Gentleman ftill perfevered in this conduct, and would unmask the fyftem of finance which he purfued. The Bank had advanced the fum of one million and a half on the Confolidated Fund. In the month

No. 34.

*

7 S

of

of April last a Loan of seven millions was raised for the purpose of paying the advances made by the Bank; and the fum of 5 millions was fpecifically granted for repaying the Bank such advances, among which this article was included. It appeared now, however, that the Money had not fo been applied. This debt was kept concealed till disclosed in this Report, and now it was to be difcharged from the fupplies of this year. If the House allowed fuch practices to continue, if they allowed a Chancellor of the Exchequer to fet at nought the Acts of Appropriation, and to apply grants of money to purposes for which they were not originally deftined, they would betray their duty to their constituents and to the country. He was very anxious to get an explanation of this circumftance, and he was afraid the Right Honourable Gentleman would not find it easy to give a fatisfactory one.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that from the warm manner in which the Honourable Gentleman had proposed his queftion, it might perhaps be difficult to fatisfy him, but he hoped he should be able to fatisfy the House on the fubject. The objection, however, was founded entirely in mifconception. The fum had not been granted by Parliament for that specific purpose, nor had there been any violation of the Appropriation Act. When the Loan was made for the purpose of paying off the debt on the Exchequer Bills, the Bank had not availed themfelves of the opportunity to fubfcribe, and there was power by the Act of Appropriation to pay them in Cafh. This, at the end of the year, made the grant exceed the fupplies, and the fum alluded to fo far from being concealed, was comprehended in the last Budget, and was paid out of the fupplies of the year 1797.

Mr. Grey faid, he had never heard of this fum not being paid till he faw it in the Report of the Select Committee. He therefore wished an unequivocal anfwer to the question he had propofed. He asked, whether the fum of one million and a half had not been granted for the purpose of repaying the advances made by the Bank? Whether this fum was comprehended in these advances, and whether the grant, to this extent at least, had not been diverted from its deftination?

Mr. Steele ftated the hiftory of this fum in the fame manner as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was furprised that the Honourable Gentleman, with fo little juftice, propriety, or foundation, and uninformed as he was on the fubject, could bring forward against his Right Honourable Friend an accufation of a practice which the House had always reprobated.

Mr. Grey faid, that the Honourable Gentleman's affertion that the House had always reprobated the practice was as ill

founded

founded as his charge againft him of accufing without information. He had proved to the House that on former occafions the Right Honourable Gentleman had been guilty of that practice, and if the House had done their duty, he would not have been in a fituation to repeat his offence. Mr. Grey reftated his charge, and read the evidence of Mr. Bofanquet before the Secret Committee, which proved that this fum was not repaid from the fum deftined to pay the advances of the Bank, but was paid by the Bank keeping back their fubfcription to the last Loan. The explanation attempted to be given would lead the Houfe to believe, that after all the tranfactions that had taken place between Minifters and the Bank, after the former had been folicited day after day, and week after week, to repay the fums advanced by the Bank, that the latter did not avail themfelves of the opportunity they had of obtaining payment of this fum. Let any one look at the Report of the Secret Committee, and believe this story who can. He wished that fome Director of the Bank were present, to give the House fatisfaction on this point.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the Report of the Secret Committee was but recently diftributed, and he was not yet ready for the difcuffion. It was proved, however, that this fum had not been fpecifically granted, and that payment of it had not been withheld. Inftead of having violated the Act of Appropriation, it had been strictly obferved, as there was no power to discharge the debt in cash, and the Bank had not availed themselves of the mode by which the payment must have been made.

Mr. Fox faid that the Right Honourable Gentleman defended himself by comments on form, and special pleadings. It was certain that whether or not the fum had been fpecifically granted for the purpose of paying off that debt, it had been granted in contemplation of that being done. What the Houfe had done in this view, or if the Right Honourable Gentleman was better pleased with his own long word in contemplation of this, had not been complied with, and the money had been diverted to other purposes.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that when he acted upon the spirit of an Act he was accused of violating its letter; and now when he had complied with the letter, he was accused of special pleading.

Mr. Fox faid, that the Right Honourable Gentleman had not complied with the spirit of the Act. He had raised money on false pretences, because it was not applied to the objects for which it was originally asked.

Mr. Grey repeated his objection.

7S2

Mr.

Mr. Sheridan faid, that as the Report of the Committee of Finance had been the fubject of fome animadverfion, he should fay a few words on this point. The Right Honourable Gentleman had formerly mifreprefented what he had faid upon this report on a former occafion. He had faid that he confidered himself refponfible for every part of it againft which he had not diffented. He believed there was no material fallacy in the Report. The inftructions under which they acted, however, had prevented them from proceeding entirely in the manner which his Honourable Friend had juftly preferred.

As to the taxes proposed this night, Mr. Sheridan pronounced them to be as frivolous as they would prove oppreffive and unproductive. They also carried with them this additional calamity, as was truly obferved by his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Fox) that they would not answer the views of the Minifter, who would foon be obliged to lay on the fhoulders of the people an equal or greater load of fresh taxes. The double toll to him appeared a tax which violated every principle of juftice; and the tax on newspapers he could not but regard as a vital blow ftruck at the liberty of the prefs, in the only manner in which a Minifter could dare to aim it, by putting the information conveyed in them at a price beyond the reach of the majority of the public. The reading of newspapers, the Right Honourable Gentleman conceived to be a luxury; it might be one to his mind; but furely it was difficult to conceive what luxury could be afforded by perusing a black catalogue of miferies, calamities, and difgraces, which had continued to afflict the country for these four years paft. This tax he was determined to oppofe in every ftage, as he was convinced that its ultimate effect would be the annihilation of the liberty of the prefs; to fecure which was undoubtedly the intereft of a Minifter fituated as was now the Right Honourable Gentleman.

The Refolutions were then put, and all agreed to without a divifion, except that which impofed an additional tax of 14d on newspapers---On this the House divided,

Ayes
Noes

151

43

108

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Thursday, April 27.

Lord Auckland moved that a Meffage fhould be fent to the House of Commons, requesting the House to communicate to their Lordships the Reports from the Committees of Secrefy and of Finance. Agreed to.

Adjourned.

HOUSE