they stood previous to 1793, the customs on wines, in the three last years, exceeded the amount of the three years to 1793 in the sum of 380,000l. This he considered a great proof of the increased wealth and prosperity of the country. But if it were the fact that the revenue on wines had decreased, the assumed deduction would not hold good. It was not true that the increase of the rates had reduced the revenue. The gross amount of the revenue had been considerably augmented upon the entire consumption of malt, of spirits, and of wines, collectively; and this is the only fair view, that ought to be taken to arrive at a just conclusion on the question. The following is a true statement of the aggregate revenue upon the consumption: In the three years, 1790, 1791, and 1792.... In the three years, 1811, 1812, and 1813.... Incr. in the latter Total Malt. £. 439,000 1,114,000 415,000 1,968,000 915,000 3,181,000 1,207,000 5,303,000 476,000 2,067,000 792,000 3,335,000 The right hon. gentleman took a view of the trade and navigation of Ireland. The result of this was highly satisfactory. In the 12 years to 1801 the official value of Exports was... 12 years to 1814, ditto........ Exceeding In the 12 years to 1801, the value of 12 years to 1814, ditto....... Exceeding In the 12 years to 1801, the number of ships entered inward was ....... 12 years to 1914, ditto........ Their tonnage was, Exceeding ........ 12,619,000 Union they had been greater than those who were at that time most sanguine in their hopes had ever expected from her. To give the committee a proper idea of what she had done, he would contrast the total amount of her expenditure in the 13 years before the Union, with the 13 years which had passed since. Including in the thirteen years preceding the Union two years of extraordinary expense, when the country was in a state of disturbance, (which God forbid should ever recur again!) the total expenditure amounted to 39 millions, and in the 13 years which had followed, the expenditure was upwards of 116,000,000l. The actual receipt of revenue for the 13 years before the Union was 19 millions; and for the 13 years since the Union, above 50 millions. Having concluded his statement of the ways and means, he had only to express his hope and confidence that the estimates which he had submitted to the committee would prove to be as well founded as those which he had submitted last year. He, however, felt himself bound in candour to notice a reduction of the revenue, which he should propose in the course of a few days; it was the tax other taxes. The total amount of houseof 3s. imposed upon houses not paying tax was about 24,000l. and the reduction would be about one-third of that sum. If in any part of this statement he had not £.56,155,000 made himself clearly understood, he should 68,774,000 be happy to give any explanation in his power. He concluded with observing, that in congratulating the committee upon the result of the measures proposed last 53,336,000 year, he was not actuated by feelings of a 80,720,000 personal nature; but it was a subject of satisfaction and exultation, to witness great the progressive increase of the prosperity of Ireland. On the only former occasion, on which it had been his duty to bring under the consideration of parliament the general state of Irish resources, he had expressed that opinion to which he still adhered, namely, that it was mainly owing to the system on which we had acted with respect to Ireland, that she had increased as she had done in these resources, and had advanced so rapidly, in despite of the comparative augmentation of her burthens, to wealth and to prosperity. He had then cautioned the House not to press too strongly on these nascent sources of our strength; whilst those who judge from the example of England, might erroneously think that we were able to breast those 28,384,000 88,336 107,505 19,169 12 years to 1801. In reply to the observations of sir Henry Parnell and sir John Newport, difficulties under which any country but England must have succumbed. I then laid before you, said the right hon. gentleman, what Ireland had done; I did not conceal from her the sacrifices which she would be called upon to make; I expressed that hope which parliament has fulfilled a hope that would not anticipate the resources of Ireland, for if you anticipate, you crush them. I presume to say, that in the propositions which I lay this day before you, I give no indistinct evidence of a disposition to meet the difficul. ties of our situation, of a desire not to shrink, through any personal feelings, from the imposition of such burthens as I think the country is able to bear; and if, Sir, at the close of this long, eventful, and triumphant war, in which Britain has made such sacri. fices, and in which Ireland has contributed such as were corresponding to her means; if England has set a splendid example to surrounding nations, her sister island has been far from backward in those exertions, by which our national character has been raised to its present proud preeminence. Let us not be told, then, that we have been a burthen to the empire, to whose success we have contributed so mainly; this House will not forget how Ireland has manned your fleets, and how much your military renown has been added to by her; you have this very day received within your walls, the most illustrious of her sons. (Hear, hear, hear!)-You owe to Ireland, that great Captain who has led you to victory. I will not speak of any one who may be present, for my noble friend is present, under whose auspices that great Treaty has been accomplished, which has sheathed the sword of war, and by which convulsed Europe has been restored to her ancient and regulated form (Hear, hear!) -Full well my noble friend knows how much, in the contest which has just been terminated, our country has done for the common cause-(Hear, hear!)—and if further testimony were wanting, he, Sir, who within these walls to-day received the highest meed of honour, the coronation even of a fame like his, our own Wellington could have told you, how in the fields where he commanded, Ireland has bled, he might have told you in the language of one of her own eloquent men, that Ireland had opened her heart-sluices in your cause; and if Britain justly glories in the battle she has fought, Ireland has a right to participate in her triumph. (Hear, hear!) (VOL. XXIX.) Mr. Fitzgerald said, he was highly sensible of the liberal manner in which the hon. gentlemen opposite had received the propositions which he had the honour to submit. He felt deeply the kindness of the committee, and would not be so ungrateful in return, as to trespass long on their time, after the attention with which they had already favoured him. He hoped he might be permitted to consider the information of his right hon. friend (sir John Newport), and the observations which he had made on the public departments in Ireland, rather as notices of intended proceedings in another session of parliament, than as meant to produce discussion now, into which he should very reluctantly enter, after the example which his right hon. friends had set to him in this night's debate. He thanked his right hon. friend, however, that he did not impute these cases of mal-administration to these times; and he assured him, that he did him justice in believing, that his views had been inflexibly directed to the public service, and to the amendment, as the right hon. baronet would find, of many of those preexistent defects of system, of which he and others had complained. With respect to what had fallen from his hon. friend, (the member for the Queen's County,) on the subject of licensing small stills, he knew not where the discretion alluded to was to rest, if not with the Board of Excise. He should deem himself both ungrateful and unjust if he withheld that testimony which was due to the honourable gentleman at the head of that board, whose zeal, whose exertion, whose increased anxiety for the improvement of that branch of the revenue which was committed to his charge, was far beyond any commendation which he could give, but which he must say set a signal example to those at the head of other departments. If any merit were to be ascribed to those who had to carry into execution the intentions of parliament in that branch of revenue, he would not arrogate it to the superior branches of the government, but had pleasure in ascribing it to Mr. Marsden, to whom it was due; he was not aware that the power vested in the commissioners of excise with respect to licences, had ever been abused, he was sure that none had been partially given or capriciously withheld; he had had frequent and confidential communications (4 M) with the chairman of that board on these Britain, viz, that he meant to except from subjects, and must take his share of any its entire operation, the article of silk. It responsibility attaching to the course was true that, by the enactment and counwhich had been pursued; but the com- tervailing duties, we should protect our mittee would feel that it was essential to internal manufacture from British or fothe execution, nay, to the very principle reign competition. But he still thought, of the act which the hon. baronet had that to raise the duty on that article at referred to, that no distillery of small once to the full amount of the British duty, dimensions working under the provisions might press too heavily on those interested of the law of the last session, should be in that manufacture; and as it had been permitted to interfere with that district mentioned to him, that they would not in which the more extensive capitalist had object to an increase, so as to bring it up been tempted to the investment of his to one half of the existing import duties property, and sanctioned in the establish- in Great Britain, that was all that he ment of his works-he was sure that in the should now propose to lay upon it, leaving counties where illicit distillation had pre-it to the discretion of the legislature to vailed, that every encouragement had been given by the commissioners of excise; and the committee would hear with pleasure, that the means pursued, had been, up to this time, most successful for the suppression of that great bane of public morality and public peace. There was one topic which he had omitted to refer to, when he had stated the equalization of the custom duties of Ireland with those of Great consider how far it might hereafter act with respect to silk, on the same principle upon which it had acted generally. After adverting shortly to the new stamp duties, he concluded with expressing his thanks to the committee for its kindness, and also his obligation to those who had received his propositions with so much candour, and had made allowance for the difficulties in which he and the country were placed. INDE X TO VOL. XXIX. INDEX TO DEBATES IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. Adjournment; Motion of, till February; | Militia Embodied in time of Peace, 93, 693, 623. American War, 367, 494. Barclay, Captain; Court Martial on, 106, 120. British Troops on the Continent, 105, 120. Continent; State of Affairs on the, 548, 620. Court Martial on Captain Barclay, 106, 120. Downie, Sir James, 792, 842. Genoa; Transfer of, 760, 846. Imports; Duties on, 707. Ireland; Preservation of the Peace in, 366, Trial by Jury in Scotland, 619, 720, 789, 999, 1084, 1206. Auction Mart Petition respecting the Pro- Civil List Expenditure, 209. perty Tax, 243. Auditing of Public Accounts, 614. Civil List Act Amendment Bill, 471, 723. Portugal, Embassy to, 784. Prince Regent's Speech on Opening the Ses- Prince Regent's Answer to the Commons' Prince Regent's Message respecting Lord Princess Charlotte of Wales, 112, 638. Gaol Fees; Bill for Abolishing, 738,777, 955, Public Business; Resolutions respecting, 88. 1048. Genoa; Transfer of, 726, 928. Hackney Coaches Act Amendment Bill, 337, 548. Helleston Election Bill, 449, 788. Hulks, State of the, 1004. Insolvent Debtors Act, 635. Irish Glass Duties Bill, 230, 449. Irish Customs Duties Bill, 237. Quentin, Colonel; Court Martial on, 110, Roman Catholics, 395. Rose, Mr. George, 604. Ross; Monument to the Memory of Major Saxony, 398, 523, 550. Seamen's and Marines' Pension Bill, 107, 194. Silver Currency, 1117. Irish Superintending Magistrates Bill, 335, Slave Trade, 511, 1005. 387, 492. Irish Taxes, 483. Irish Peace Preservation Bill, 514. Irish Bleaching Powder Bill, 601, 709. Knights of the Bath, 1088. Streets of the Metropolis; State of the, 920. Liberty of the Subject; Bill for Securing the, Wales, Princess Charlotte of, 112, 638. Donoughmore, Earl of, 101, 192, 366, S67, Darnley, Earl of, 9, 129, 187, 193, 495, 707, Eldon, Lord, See Lord Chancellor. 905, 913, 1166, 1170, 1206. Ellenborough, Lord, 771. |