the liberal proclamation of the liberal king of Hanover. He wished the right reverend prelate of the diocese would take that proclamation and hang it upon the door of his private chapel. He would probably be asked by the petitioners, "What have we to do with Hanover?" as it had anciently been asked, “what good can come out of Nazareth?" He would say, much good can come out of Hanover, if the rev. gent. would read that liberal proclamation. The petition was then received. A similar petition was presented from the archdeaconry of Colchester. Lord Cliften observed, that our church was called a poor church, and so it was if the livings of some of its members were considered; while it must be called a rich church, if its higher emoluments were taken into the account. The inequality of livings was a great evil. We found clergymen with 20,000l. a year, and others with 251. poor curate in his neighbourhood performed the duties of two parishes, and had only 25l. for each. The petition was received. A The Earl of Roden presented a petition from the county of Down, in favour of the bill.-Adjourned at half-past 7 o'clock. House of Commons, Feb. 28.The house resolved itself into a committee of ways and means; and The Chancellor of the Exchequer rose to bring forward his financial project for the year.. In setting out, the right hon. gentleman said he could not forbear pausing for a moment, to congratulate the house upon the peculiarly auspicious circumstances under which it was called on to review the finances of the country. He did not advert to this topic for the sake merely of introducing flourish, or from any desire to lead the public mind to indulge in too sanguine expectations for the future: he had no purpose to do any thing like this; and though there might perhaps be persons in the country, who, jealous of increasing prosperity, and ignorant of the causes by which that prosperity had been produced, might say that we stood on an eminence that was perilous— numerosa parabet, "Ex celsæ turris tabulata, unde altior esset, "Casus, et impulsæ præceps immane ruinæ," though there might be persons inclined to predict this, still he would venture to declare, that their view would be mistaken; and if it should turn out upon a calm examination, that there was nothing doubtful about the present prosperity of England-nothing hollow in the foundation of it, or artificial in the superstructure, then he did think that the house might venture to contemplate that happy state with satisfaction--to admire the harmony of its proportions, and the solidity of its basis; nor could any one look at the situation in which we stood, and apply his mind philosophically to the causes which had led us to it, without seeing distinctly the course of policy which it was necessary for us in future to adopt, in order at once to consolidate our own resources, and to assure the safety and the happiness of the world. Under this impression, therefore, as to the condition of the country, and desiring to keep always in mind the sources from which its advantage had been derived, he would now call the attention attention of the committee more particularly to the present subject of discussion; and he would begin that work by exhibiting a simple comparison of the actual revenue of the past year, with the estimate which he had formed of its probable produce at its commencement. At the beginning of the last year, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had assumed, then, that there would be, at the expiration of it, a surplus of revenue to the amount of 1,050,000l. Upon that assumption, and carrying its views forward as far as the year 1827, the house had proceeded to effect a considerable reduction of taxesamounting, in fact, in the course of the year 1824, to no less a sum than 1,260,000l. According to the estimates then presented, he had calculated, that upon that sum one half would be lost to the revenue in the course of the same year the year now past. If, therefore, at the end of the year 1824, the surplus had amounted to 400,000l. instead of 1,050,000l. his estimate would have been completely realized, and every expectation held out by him would have completely taken place; but instead of merely finding this the case, he had the satisfaction to state, that, notwithstanding the reduction of taxes, and the loss of revenue sustained by it, which loss had proved more considerable in the end, than in the outset he had apprehended, owing to some changes which had taken place, by which the reduction of certain duties was increased ;-notwithstanding all this, he could state to the house, that after applying 5,150,000l. to the reduction of debt, the net surplus of the year 1824 was 1,437,000l. An amount not merely exceeding that which was sufficient to realize all her expectations, but exceeding as by a very considerable sum, even what he had conceived the possible surplus, if no reduction of taxes had taken place. He was sure the committee would pardon him, if he went on to state a short series of details, connected with the particular branches of the revenue in which this increase had taken place. He had calculated, at the commencement of the last year, that the produce of customhouse duties would be 11,520,000l. of those duties, no less than 900,000l. had been repealed in the course of the year. The loss which that branch of the revenue had sustained by that repeal had, no doubt, been at least equal to the whole amount estimated; because it happened that, in order to give more effect to the execution of the new law as relative to silk, 460,000l. had been paid in bounties to persons holding stocks of that article. Add that to the reduction of the duty, and the entire loss to the revenue from that cause could not be less than 900,000l.; and, in fact, exceeded that sum. But, at all events, suppose the customs of last year to have produced only 11,050,000l., and his estimate would have been realized; while, in fact, owing to the improvement in every branch of revenue, the produce had been no less than 11,327,000l.; and this result not only exceeded considerably what was sufficient to realize his estimate, but would have actually been greater by the sum of 460,000l., but for the monies which it had been thought advisable to pay to the holders of silk. Now what were the circum stances stances which had led to this in-gress of the prosperity which we crease? The proximate cause was, partly that greater capacity of consumption of all articles of foreign produce, which the general ease of the community invariably led to; and partly to the increased capacity which foreign nations had acquired for consuming the produce of England, in proportion as they had enjoyed the means of disposing of their own in English markets. He trusted not to hear it said that this prosperity was accidental or uncertain-that it arose from casual causes in one year, and could not be depended upon for a second. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) believed that it rested upon principles quite the reverse of changeable or fleeting-that it rested upon that principle in the very constitution of human society, which disposed one nation always to open its arms to another; thus new connexions created new wants, new desires, new conveniences; and these very wants, creating fresh means for gratifying them, contributed still to the general happiness of mankind. These were principles which might be impeded, but which could not be destroyed. War, or public calamity, might check their progress; but, in the end, they would always assert their sway. That, though diverted from their proper channel, they would not fail to return to it, was pretty evident from the example of England; they had been seriously counteracted with us by injudicious legislation; but their natural tendency was to extend themselves throughout the world, and to confer new benefits on every branch of the community. Therefore, though the pro now enjoyed might be arrested by accident, the basis on which it rested was incapable of being shaken; and if we added to that fact the peculiar circumstancethe new discoveries in the application of steam-which afforded such an astonishing increase of rapidity to our powers of production, he did think, that looking at these facts, no one could fairly accuse him of over-rating the advantages or security which we enjoyed; and that we might properly take the revenue of the last year, as a foundation to calculate upon for that of years to come. The next branch of revenue to which he wished to call the attention of the house, was one which, in point of amount, was the most considerable; and, looking to its connexion with the domestic comforts of the people at large, the most important perhaps of any in the state-he alluded now to the revenue derived from the excise; and, upon this point, he had the satisfaction of stating, that the produce of duties received in the last year had not merely exceeded that of every year before, but had greatly exceeded the amount at which he had presumed to estimate them. The revenue of the excise for the last year, he had only estimated at the amount received the year before. He had assumed that it would produce 25,625,000l.; but, in effect, it had produced 26,768,000l.; being an increase, upon the last year, of 1,143,000l. This would be matter of congratulation and comfort, he trusted, to every one who cared for the interest or happiness of those by whom he was surrounded; nor could he doubt that it would would be entirely so to the hon. persons whom he was addressing. It would be too much, perhaps, to trouble the house with going into so much detail; but he had a paper in his hand from which it appeared that in every exciseable article, except those of very mean importance, an increase of consumption had arisen, which could only have followed an increased state of ease and happiness throughout the country. A few of the items he would mentionnot to dwell upon them, but just to show the relative amounts of improvement. In many cases the increase had not been in the year 1824 upon the year 1823, but upon the three years preceding. Upon the auction duty the increase was 12 per cent.; strong beer, 15 per cent.; table beer, 12; bricks, 40 per cent.; tiles, 15; tallow candles, 9 per cent.; wax candles, 8; coffee, 6; cocoa, 5; glass, 20; cider and perry, 12; leather, 12; licences, 7; malt, 3; writingpaper, 12; and coloured papers, 20. On salt, the increase was 12 per cent.; British spirits, 16 per cent.; tobacco, 6 per cent. The right hon. gent. then enumerated a variety of other exciseable articles on which a very considerable increase of revenue had accrued beyond what he had estimated an increase which, while it afforded great gratification for the present, gave also the most unquestionable grounds for a prospect of still greater increase in succeeding years. He would now come to the item of stamps. The committee would recollect, that after his first statement of finance last session, he gave it as his opinion on a better consideration of the subject, that a reduc last year tion of the duty on law-stamps ought to take place. The amount which that reduction would take from the revenue he calculated at about 200,000l. The whole amount of the stamp duty last year was calculated at 6,800,000l.; but it did produce 7,244,000l. So that by this unexpected increase, we had all the projected advantages of cheap justice, without any deduction from the amount of revenue at that time calculated. The revenue from the post-office might last year be estimated at 1,460,0001. It amounted to 1,520,000l. The committee would recollect, that when last year he estimated the produce of the several sources of income, he kept himself within bounds, and had considerably under-rated the probable amount of each. He was justified, then, in pursuing the same course for the ensuing two years, and in taking for his basis that ground which had last session been adopted by parliament. Having thus explained the amount of the revenue of last year, as compared with the estimate which he had ventured to make, he would now proceed to state the estimate of that of the present year, and the basis on which he went in assuming it: but first he would state the total amount in figures, and afterwards would state the grounds on which he assumed that amount. The total receipts of 1825 he calculated at 56,445,370l. The expenditure he estimated at 56,001,8421. leaving a surplus on the year of 443,5281. The first item of revenue was the customs. In the present year he took them to amount to 11,350,000l. This considerably exceeded the produce of the estimate of the year past, past, and he had already said enough to show the reasonableness of taking the basis of that year in assuming the produce of the present, deducting the amount of the taxes repealed, which would come into operation in the present year. Taking, then, the produce of 1824 at what he had stated, he would add the sum of 50,000l. as arising from the abolition or gradual reduction of certain bounties and drawbacks, which parliament had very wisely determined to cut down. He would then take the payments which had been made last year on account of silk on hand, and the total would be 11,837,7417.; but taking from that the amount of taxes repealed last year, which would come into operation in the present, and which he calculated at 410,000l., the total of the customs this year would amount to 11,427,7417.; but he would not risk the full amount. To give, as it were, elbow room to the several branches of that item, he would take it less sum, and make the whole 11,350,000l. The excise of this year he estimated at 26,400,000l. Last year it was 26,768,000l. but from that was to be deducted the duty which had been taken off salt, and part of the duty on rum, which had also been taken off, it would leave a sum as the probable amount this year, of 26,531,000l.; but to take it at an even sum, and to be rather under than over, he would state it at 26,400,000. The stamps he would take at 7,100,000l.; the assessed taxes and land-tax at 4,875,000l.; the post-office at 1,500,000l.; and the miscellaneous at 750,000l. This was greater than the amount of last year; but in this at a year there was to be added 100,000l. to be received from the Netherlands, in consequence o an arrangement with that power respecting some settlements in India. Thus the total income for the present year would amount to 56,445,370l. The expenditure would be, first, that of the consolidated fund, and interest and management of the national debt, he took at 27,233,670l.; the interest on deficiency exchequerbills 40,000l.; interest on the exchequer-bills, voted as supply, 820,000l. The interest last year was 1,050,0097., but the amount was this year reduced by the reduction of interest on exchequerbills. The sinking-fund he calculated at 5,486,6547. This amount was greater in consequence of paying the dissentients from the redemption of the four per cents. The next amount was the army, which, including the army extraordinaries, the commissariat, and the expense of calling out and training the English and Scotch militias, he estimated at 7,911,7511. It was not his intention to enter on this occasion into any detail of explanation respecting the increase of our army. He had hoped that that would have been done by his noble friend (Lord Palmerston) before he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) made his statement, and no doubt his noble friend would have done so in the course of last week, had he not been prevented by the protracted discussions on another subject. But the committee would see that any discussion respecting the amount of our armed force would be foreign to the question then before them. The navy of this year he took at 5,988,1261. The |