Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

of measures will take place; but the system which has already proved so salutary will continue to be acted upon by our successors; though we may differ from them in some points, in most there is no difference between us, and while they continue to act in a firm, resolute, and manly manner, they shall have our steadysupport. Our most anxious wish is, that they may receive from your Lordships, and the public, the same support which we have experienced. Divisions, indecision, timidity, and despondency, must, at the present moment, be ruin. It is only by unanimity and firmness that the country can be saved." These manly and liberal sentiments did honour to his Lordship; but, as he so feelingly described the evil effect of divisions, at this critical period, it was naturally enquired, how he could think of disturbing the unanimity which prevailed, by the unnecessary discussion of a question particularly calculated to provoke dissension. Lord Spencer confirmed the accuracy of Lord Grenville's statement of the cause of the change in the Ministry.

On the same day, Mr. Addington notified, to the House of Commons, his acceptance of a high situation under the Crown, and his consequent resignation of the Speaker's chair; and, on the following day, Sir John Mitford (now

Lord Redesdale) was chosen to succeed him. On the eighteenth of February, Mr. Pitt performed his last ministerial act, by opening the budget. In a committee of supply, the House had previously resolved, that the complement of men for the navy, for the current year, should be 135,000, including 30,000 marines, being 15,000 more men than had been employed in 1800;-and had voted for the army 193,187 regulars, which, with 78,046 militias, and 31,415 fencibles, in Britain and Ireland, composed an effective force, independent of volunteers, of 302,648 men. The House, being now formed into a committee of ways and means, Mr. Pitt first directed his attention to that part of the estimates which, under the provisions of the Union, were to be jointly borne by Great Britain and Ireland, describing, first, the charges to be incurred, and then the means by which he proposed to provide for them. The whole of the supplies were as follows:

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

The relative proportion of expences to be paid by the two countries, as settled by the act of Union, was two-seventeenths by Ireland, and fifteen-seventeenths by Great Britain. These Mr. Pitt stated, therefore, under distinct heads. The permanent charge in this country, for the civil list, and other demands on the consolidated fund, not relating to the public debt, were, however, to be allotted in due proportion; they amounted to £1,170,000, two-seventeenths of which being to be borne by Ireland, and being added to her share of the sum before stated, would make the whole of her burden £4,824,000. Whatever else remained, except the national debt of Ireland, was to be provided for by Great Britain. The demands, attaching exclusively to England, were such as arose from causes existing before the period of the Union. The first of these, mentioned by Mr. Pitt, proceeded from the late unfavourable seasons, which had affected several branches of the public revenue; and he did not think it right, according to a fair and liberal construction of the VOL. VI.

PP

articles of Union, that Ireland should bear any share in the defalcation so produced. Other deficiencies to be supplied solely by England were specified, of which the general abstract was:- To make good the deficiency of the income tax for 1800, £1,000,000; discount upon the loan and lottery, £200,000; deficiency of malt duties of 1799, £400,000; to pay off Exchequer bills issued on the credit of the assessed taxes of 1798, the imports and exports, and the income duties of 1799, £1,350,000; interest of the Exchequer Bills, £460,000; for the Sinking Fund, £200,000; to pay off Exchequer Bills issued on the Consolidated Fund, £3,000,000 ;-making a total of £6,610,000. Thus it appeared, the whole charge on the two countries would amount to £42,197,000, of which Ireland was to pay £4,324,000, and England the remainder.

[ocr errors]

Mr. Pitt next detailed the Ways and Means. The permanent resources of the country, including the duties on sugar, malt, and tobacco; the lottery, the income tax, after deducting the interest with which it was charged, the duty upon exports and imports, the surplus of the consolidated fund, the sum to be provided by Ireland, a sum not issued for subsidies, and the surplus of grants, he rated at £16,744,000. So that it would be necessary to raise a loan of £25,500,000 in order to make up the sum

of an

necessary for the service of the year. This loan, though it was now the tenth year expensive war, Mr. Pitt had raised on terms highly advantageous to the country, and highly honourable to the monied men, who seemed emulous to prove the solidity of the national resources, by taking the loan without any bonus or premium, except the discount of £3. 12s. per cent. for prompt payment, which, as they had taken the stock at a higher rate than the market price, would reduce the profit to two per cent. The interest on this sum Mr. Pitt proposed to pay, by a new duty of ten per cent. on all teas* sold at the Company's sales for more than half a crown per pound; by doubling the existing duty on paper, with certain exceptions; by an additional duty of 24d. per yard on all printed cottons, which now paid 3 d. per yard duty; by a duty of 1s. 10d. per cwt. on sugar; by an increase of onethird on the existing duty on timber, and of four per cent. on its value; by new duties on pepper, raisins, and lead; by a new duty on horses, where only one was kept for pleasure, ten shil

* This striking fact appeared in Mr. Pitt's statement.The measures which he had adopted for the repression of contraband trade had been so effective, that, though only 6,000,000 pounds of tea had been sold, before the Commutation act passed, the sale had now increased to 22,000,000.

« ElőzőTovább »