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deal deftruction on the inbred vipers that have attempted to raife their envenomed ftings against their parent foil. He then concluded by expreffing a wish that fomething might be devised in favour of the country gentlemen, that would relieve them from a disclosure of their private circumftances.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that he was ftrongly called upon by the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Tierney) to confider of fome means of extending to the landed gentry the fame exemptions from difclofure that was granted to commercial men, which means of relief, he thinks, may be very easily difcovered. In not, however, bringing forward any fuch means, he must incur the charge of hardnefs of heart and apathy from that hon. Gentleman; but, in fpite of that apathy and hardnefs of heart, he had often difcuffed that subject, and adduced a variety of reafons to fhew that no fuch plan could or ought to be adopted, It was matter of great difficulty to procure perfons qualified for infpecting commercial statements; where, then, find thofe who could judge of all kinds of concerns? Befides, the adopting of fuch a plan would destroy the confidence the public had in the measure when they faw that no diftinction was made between rich and poor, but all were to pay alike, without any concealment, disguise or partiality. This confideration outweighed in his mind every objection, and that fo powerfully, that not only he would not devife fuch a plan, but he moreover would refift it, if any fuch was propofed.

Sir James Pulteney faid, it was his intention to propofe fome amendment to prevent the difclofure of landed property. It was his wish to fee abolished the invidious distinction that vas attempted to be made between the landed and the com.ercial intereft. If the measure was unconftitutional, it was in this refpect; for fuch diftinctions muft impair the strength of the conftitution. It was, moreover, inconfiftent with the principle of the bill to grant any exemption to any particular defcription of men; all or none fhould enjoy that privilege. The commercial income might be estimated at above 40 millions, nearly half the property of the kingdom, and what was practicable in favour of one half, could not be abfolutely impracticable in favour of the other: to him at leaft there appeared no impracticability in it; and whoever reads page 47 of the bill would fee that what was proposed to be adopted with regard to any commercial men, might easily be applied to the landed intereft. The right hon. Gentleman

talks

talks much of the good effect that will arife from the publicity of the meafure. But he could not fee why one half of the community fhould be judged in a particular and different manner from the other half; it was an invidious distinction, and would prove detrimental in its confequences. He had hitherto voted for the bill, because he thought that the extreme neceffity of the present emergency called for fome mode of raising a large fum of money; but it was not a mode of taxation to be had recourfe to in ordinary times. If the amendment he hinted at was introduced, the meafure fhould then have his complete acquiefcence.

Sir W. Young fpoke in favour of the Weft India merchants, and faid, he was fure that they would not have objected to a disclosure, if it had been required of them.

Mr. Percival contended that the meafure would have the full effect upon the enemy which was expected to arife from it; for when it was put in execution, it would cut up by the roots all the hopes the enemy fo fondly entertained from the downfall of our funding fyftem, while it must convince them that we still poffefs refources fully equal to any emergency. Neither would it trench on the liberties or comforts of the prefent race. There were only five or fix gentlemen in the House who difapproved of it, and perhaps a few out of the Houfe. The enemy therefore must fee that they have a whole country unanimous against them.

Mr. William Smith defended the confiftency of Mr. Tierney, who, he faid, might recommend the preference of the affeffed taxes as the preferable one of the two. Although many material alterations had been made in the present bill, yet it ftill remained so objectionable, that he could not vote for it. The radical objection ftill continued, which was, that of unequal taxation, by taking every fort of income in the fame proportion. His other objection was to a disclosure, that had in fome degree been remedied with refpect to one class, yet it ftill remained a great preffure upon the other claffes. The income of a commercial man could not be stated in certain cafes without danger to him; fo, on the other hand, the outgoings of the landed Gentlemen were matters of great delicacy. There still remained fo much hardship, that he muft oppose the measure.

Mr. Tierney faid a few words in explanation.

The Attorney General faid, that the wifdom of the Houfe had decided last year, that a great part of the fupplies fhould

be

be raised within the year; and of the propriety and neceffity of such a measure there could not remain a doubt in the mind of the man who obferved how rivetted it is in the mind of the enemy, that, though they cannot fight our fleets or our armies, yet they may hope to overpower us, by making us perfevere in the funding fyftem; but this hope muft vanish, when they fee that we can carry on the conteft with energy against them, without materially increafing the funded debt. Doubtless, there is great inconvenience in raifing all the fupplies within the year, and the attempt muft prove particularly inconvenient to fome particular claffes, but fuch is the neceffary confequence of every fyftem of taxation. The one now propofed involves lefs of them than any other that can be devifed; it is better and more effectual than a tax upon capital, or upon articles of confumption, for capital in land is not immediately productive, and therefore cannot anfwer the prefent calls, and if you tax articles of confumption, they must not be luxuries but the neceffaries of life, and then you throw the whole burthen upon the middle claffes of the community.

The Solicitor General followed the fame train of arguments. Mr. Elliot and Mr. Tyrwhitt fupported the measure as highly creditable to the fpirit of the country, and as the most effectual that could be adopted to confound the hopes of the enemy.

The queflion was now loudly called for, and the House divided.

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2-Majority, 91

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then propofed a variety of claufes by way of riders to the bill, which were agreed to, and as he had a great variety of other claufes to introduce, and as there remained a number of verbal alterations to be ftill made in the bill, he thought it beft now to adjourn, and to take the claufes into further confideration the next day at three o'clock, that the whole might be gone through at an early hour, and the bill then fent to the other Houfe of Parliament.

Mr. Tierney afked, whether there was any clause for admitting voluntary contributions? and whether those who had given a fifth of their income, were to continue the fame pa triotic generofity under the new plan? ·

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that the clause admitting

mitting voluntary contributions remained till in force, and therefore there would be no impediment to the receiving of fuch voluntary gifts. To the fecond question he had only to fay, that he could propofe no claufe for compelling those who last year paid a fifth of their income to do the fame this year. On the contrary, it was his opinion that they ought to pay only a tenth.

Sir Gregory Page Turner hoped the right hon. Gentleman had not omitted fome clause in favour of widows and fpinfters with fmall incomes.

Col. Mitford explained the nature of fome claufes which he intended to propofe; after which the other orders of the day were deferred, and the Houfe adjourned at half past

eleven.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY, JAN. I.

The Newfoundland Judicature Bill, the bill enabling his Majefty to take up perfons fufpected of feditious practices, &c. and the bill for exempting volunteers in the local corps from ferving in the militia, were brought up from the Commons, and feverally read a first time.

Eight Naturalization Bills were alfo brought up from the Commons, and read a first time.

The Armorial Bearing Bill, and the Annual Indemnity Bill, paffed the committee.

The Houfe again refolved itself into a committee on Mr. Rickett's Divorce Bill, when a claufe was amended, and the report ordered to be received the next day.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, JAN. I..

On petition for the inclofure of fome open land, Sir W. Dolben took occafion to obferve that the growth of timber was an object of great national importance as it regarded the navy. He was forry to obferve that timber was not planted in the grounds which had been enclosed of late years by the authority of parliament, and that in that particular the public intereft had been neglected. He wished to fee an order made in the House that when 50 acres and upwards should be allowed to be inclosed by parliament, a proportionable

portionable quantity of fuch land fhould be allotted for the growth of timber for the navy.

Mr. Pierrepoint approved highly of the fentiments juft uttered by the hon. Baronet, and hoped to see them adopted by the House.

INCOME BILL.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the order of the day, to take into further confideration the Income Bill.

A great number of verbal amendments were proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and adopted by the House.

Sir G. Turner propofed an amendment to one of the claufes, for the purpofe of providing that of the income of any widow or fpinfter, up to the fum of 300l. a year, no more than one-twentieth be taken by this bill. The amendment was rejected.

Sir J. Pulteney, after taking a general view of the bill as it affected landed proprietors and commercial men, maintained the propriety of allowing to the landed intereft the fame advantage of secrecy from the affeffor with regard to the difclofure of income as was allowed to commercial perfons, and for that purpose he moved an amendment in the claufe which inlcudes the oath, &c.

This amendment was fupported by Sir W. Pulteney and Mr. Jones; and oppofed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who retained the objections he had formerly urged against it; and alfo by Mr. Simeon, who, although he once approved of the general principle of the amendment, was now convinced of its danger, if not impracticability. The amendment was put and negatived.

A vaft number of other verbal amendments were then propofed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and adopted by the Houfe, but there being ftill many remaining, fome of them with blanks to be filled up, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at 6 o'clock, moved, that the House do proceed further in the confideration of the bill the next day.-Ordered.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2.

The feveral bills before the Houfe were each forwarded a ftage.

The report of the Divorce Bill (Mr. Rickett's) was reVOL. I. 1799.

3 G

ceived,

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