fucceeded in accommodating the different rates of increase to the circumftances of the different claffes in fociety: they will determine whether I have given a plan that affords fufficient modifications, and juft mitigations of the severity of the impofts. If there be any thing defective, I wish to fupply it; if there be any thing erroneous, I am defirous to rectify; if I have exceeded, I am willing to retrench it is a measure of unprecedented importance, and it must be my anxious defire to be correct in it. I therefore court inveftigation-but I earnestly hope there will be no difference of opinion in the House as to the principle upon which the measure is founded. As I have not been able to find in any man of any party a trace of doubt as to the fufficiency of our refources, I think I have a right to affume that there can be no difference as to our right to employ them; at least I can fay that I have not heard a word.of any avowed difference on that point in any corner of the country-Attefted thus, I have produced a state of resources unimpaired even by this wasteful war on any other account no difference can poffibly arise upon this day. In the interval between this and the day on which I shall finally bring the fubject before you, I will receive with attention any obfervations that gentlemen may please to fuggeft; and I hope all will agree with me that the queftion for confideration is not, whether the burdens propofed are heavy or unprecedented, but whether there is any option left to us-whether they are not dictated by unavoidable neceffity, and whether any better adapted to the circumstances of the country can be devised to supply their places? Sir, having faid fo much, I will not follow it up with particulars, but move a refolution conformable to the general design I have laid before the Committee. And I will poftpone the particular parts of the plan to another day-the earlieft that circumftances will allow.

He then moved the following refolution, which was agreed to: "That it is the opinion of this Committtee, that there fhall be "paid a duty, not exceeding treble the amount of the duties im

pofed by feveral acts of Parliament now in force, on houfes and "windows, and inhabited houfes, by the 6th, 19th, 24th, and "37th Geo. III. and likewife the feveral additional duties of ten per cent. per annum, impofed thereon by feveral acts of Parlia"ment, with certain exceptions and abatements."

Mr. TIERNEY declared, that, after having had the misfortune to be an auditor of a fpecch of the nature with that juft delivered by the right honourable gentleman, he could never again face his conflituents with confidence, if by remaining filent he gave it any fort of countenance. The whole plan of the right honourable gentle

man's proceeding was fuch as the records of that Houfe could not furnish a fimilar precedent; it was that of a man determined, at all events, to raise money, while he could fcarcely tell how; of a man who only fhewed his determination to opprefs, by adding burdens on the Country which they were ill able to bear. One thing he must congratulate himself, the Houfe, and the Country upon was, the dereliction of that peremptory tone which had ufually accompanied his statements of the whole Supplies required for the year. He trufted he was now fenfible of his former inaccuracies. He had stated in the former feffion, that the new fources of Supply he then proposed would not only make up for former deficiencies, but would amply meet the expences of the current year; and yet the Navy Bills had increased the calculation one million and a half: he had proposed five millions for the Extraordinaries of the Navy, and yet, with this sum voted, which he confidered as a moft ample fupply, it now apappeared he had formed erroneous calculations to the amount of three millions, together with four millions five hundred thousand pounds no inconfiderable fum.

With respect to the Extraordinaries of the Army, he apprehended the right honourable gentleman would, in like manner, find himself mistaken. But on that subject, as the account was not yet made up, no opinion could be offered. The fum wanted for the year was ftated by the right honourable gentleman to amount to twenty-five millions and a half, (how far his statements were accurate, he would not now inquire;) but even this fum he would not vouch would be fufficient unto the end of the year. He must remark, that this was the first time, on an occafion of this nature, when the right honourable gentleman had forborne to ring changes on the profperous state of the revenue. To find the revenue of the country in a profperous fituation, he must fay, was that which afforded him pleasure [a cry f" Hear! Hear!"] He would repeat it, though with fome furprife that this declaration fhould excite this kind of notice in the Houfe, that to fee fuch a fum as feventeen millions and a half brought into the Exchequer, in October laft, was that which af forded him confiderable fatisfaction; but this by no means proved that there were not several circumstances which tended confiderably to diminish this fource of confolation. He found a defalcation to a confiderable amount in the fums calculated on the Wine Duty, and the produce of feveral other taxes, impofed in the year 1796, almost one half of what they were calculated to yield. He was glad to find that the right honourable gentleman had taken the Confolidated Fund and the Lottery only at 700,000l.; he must thank him for not exceeding that calculation upon these articles, and mis

leading the House and Country with vifionary expectations. Formerly he had taken the furplus produce of the Confolidated Fund. at two millions, two millions and a half, and even three millions: in all these fanguine calculations he had been from year to year miferably deceived, and he had at last condescended to take it as low as 700,000l.

With regard to the three millions proposed to be advanced by the Bank, he confidered it as a most alarming circumstance, that that body should wish the restrictions which proclaimed their bankruptcy should be continued, exprefsly with a view to financial operations. That the Minifter had obtained the previous confent of the Bank to the Loan which he propofed it should advance to Government, he had no doubt. He prefumed that the Bank was now ready to do what the Minifter wanted, as the Minister was fo ready to comply with what it requested. He found the actual state of the Bank was, that fince it had ftopped payment in fpecie, there had been a confiderable increase of the amount of outstanding paper. Here, Mr. Tierney faid, he should be glad if any Bank Director in the Houfe would stand up and tell him, whether the Bank was fincere in its remonftrances to the Minifter; and, if fo, on what grounds it was now ready to advance two millions and a half on the Land and Malt, and three millions more on Exchequer Bills? The Bank had stated, that its profperity arofe, in part, from the demands made upon it by Government being reduced; and yet now, having, by reducing the advances to Government, in a degree restored order to their affairs, they came forward with a fresh advance to accommodate the Minister of the day, and thereby, on their own former ftatement, to court new hazard, and incur fresh risks.

He wished to be fatisfied on what grounds the Bank refufed him payment in fpecie (which fpecie it had in its coffers), whilft, at the fame time, it increased its advances to Government? He would be content to abide by the opinion of any refpectable body of gentlemen, whether any thing had given more caufe for alarm, than that avowed connection between the Bank and Government of this Country, and its financial operations? This prefent measure would occafion an emiffion of paper to a confiderable increased extent; and he was afraid it would have this tendency, that it would be expected of the Bank to advance fill more and more, whenever future demands were made upon it.

With regard to the measure of raifing feven millions towards the Supply, by additional taxes within the year, he was afraid it would have a very different effect opon the enemy than what the right honourable gentleman had fuppofed; for it would serve to fhew

them that the Funding Syftem was, in the opinion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at an end. It was a hard thing to see the fame man who had brought the country to the extremity of ruin, now virtually confefling his inability to purfue former methods of raising the neceffary Supplies, and crouching, as it were, to the Bank to help him out of his difficulties. This idea, the measures propofed this evening threw out, not to the Houfe and the Country only, but to our enemies; they proclaimed that they were the refult not of choice, but of neceffity. Should this plan fail, the Country would not be in the fame fituation it was before it was proposed and even with this extraordinary exertion to raife fo confiderable a part of the current expences, he much queftioned whether the Minifter would be able to procure the Loan that was wanted, on any better terms. This was the man who now called upon the People of this Country to facrifice, not only many of their luxuries, but conveniences; the man who would wreft from the induftrious their little favings-could he fay that he had exerted himself to the utmost to fave them the neceffity of fuch burdens? He would afk, had not the war been carried on with the most unexampled profufion? Was it not a fact, that England never carried on a war on fuch extraordinary and lavish terms as during the laft four or five years? When the right honourable gentleman wifhed to impofe fresh burdens on the householders, it was obfervable how cafily and anxiously he found out their haunts, their abilities, and refources; what a contraft this to the reluctance which he discovered to let thefe householders come in for a fhare in the representation! The money wanted would be raised, not merely from the people's fuperfluous ftores, but from what was wanted to fupply their real exigencies. The measure, he confidered, as productive of more harm than good. He would afk, what was to be done the next year of the war? For, with the prefent Administration, he held it impoffible that this Country could have peace; the right honourable gentleman wanted the requifites to bring about peace; he wanted the confidence and the refpect, not only of France, but of Europe. It was impoffible that France could have any confidence in the pacific difpofition of the present Cabinet, compofed as it was of men avowedly united by no other bond of union than that of hatred to the French Republic, and at direct variance on every other political principle; a Cabinet, which, if Peace was unexpectedly to arife from their negotiations, could only regard each other with hatred and contempt for having deferted the only profes fions by which they even were, or even pretended to be united. As to refpect, they could not lay claim to it in any Court of Europe.

What neutral power was there we had not attempted to bully? Yet what neutral power was there, however infignificant, which had not fet our threats at defiance, and laughed at the impotence of our menaces of the powers with which we had allied ourselves, which of them was there which had not betrayed, or plundered us, or both together. In what Congrefs could an English Ambassador fit, deputed by the prefent Administration, which muft not prefent to him the Plenipotentiaries of Courts which had either infulted, deceived, overreached, or deferted his employers? He would again ask, if he could even agree to the prefent measure, how would it operate the next year? He muft obferve the ignorance difcovered with regard to the time of bringing this meafure forward; that which should have come first, he puts laft; that which, propofed at an earlier period, might have looked like an effort of our zeal, he has contrived to make appear as a confeffion of our weakness. But this measure is to frighten our enemies. Our enemies have had too recent experience of the right honourable gentleman to be terrified by his vaunts. Before Christmas laft he raised eighteen millions, (called, from the mode in which it was raifed, Loyalty.) This, the right honourable gentleman affured the Houfe, would be quite fufficient for the service of the year; and, from the manner in which it was subscribed, must strike terror into the French. What was the confequence? The fhew of loyalty, on which he fo much relied, difappeared when the discount came to 10 per cent.; and before fix months were expired, the inaccuracy of the right honourable gentleman's calculations were demonftrable by the neceffity of a fecond loan to the amount of fourteen millions additional. After fuch an experience of the right honourable gentleman, can we expect the French to be terrified by any measure he can propose? Mr. Tierney thought this measure, if brought forward at all, ought to have been propofed earlier in the war, as it appeared to be a most extraordinary proceeding that, after exhaufting the country year after year, it was now called on to fhew its vigour; and every finew having been weakened, to proceed to a trial of ftrength. To do this now, could be confidered as no proof of our zeal, but rather amounted to a direct avowal, that all our ufual refources were exhaufted. He should deprecate fuch a measure as this going forth to the public in general, and to the constituents in particular, as meeting with the unanimity of his House. Many of his conftituents might in that case justly ask him, "Why were you filent when the Minister was in your prefence bringing forward his unex ampled refources, and obliging us to give up our little comforts?" He would repeat it; the connection between the Paper Money and VOL. IV.

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