man's own words. If 60,000l. was asked for as the debt two years ago, how came it that 210,000l. was now wanted? As to the idea of redeeming a mortgage of 50,000l. a year on the civil lift, why had not that been regularly paid, fince Government were anfwerable for it?

Mr. Rofe declared that it had been paid, and that regu- Mr. Rofe. larly; but there ftill remained 150,000l. of it to pay, and that

the civil lift had run in arrear 60,000l. in the laft together made up the 21C,ocol. now afked for.

year, which

Lord North afked the amount of the total of the fup- Ld. North plies, and total of the ways and means for the year 1786?

Mr. Chancellor Pitt ftated their amount, and alfo the Mr. Chanamount of the furplus upon the whole, exclufive of the cellor Pitt. 750,cool. to be paid this year, by way of eftablishing a permanent fund of a million a year, to be applied inalienably in diminution of the national debt.

The motion was then put and agreed to.

Mr. Chancellor Pitt now moved the following refolutions:

"That the fum of one million per annum be granted to "His Majefty, to be vefted in Commiffioners, and to be "by them applied to the reduction of the national debt, "and that the fame be charged upon and made payable "out of the furpluffes, exceffes, overplus monies, and other revenues, compofing the fund commonly called the fink"ing fund.

"That towards the purpose of securing the faid annual "fum of one million, every perfon in Great Britain, who "fhall utter, vend, or expofe to fale, any fweet scents, " odours, or perfumes, or any dentifrice or preparation for "the teeth, or any pomatum, hair powder, or other prepa"ration for the hair, fhall annually take out a license for "that purpose.

"That towards the fame purpose, where the perfons fo "uttering or vending fuch wares or articles, fhall refide"within the cities of London and Weftminster, or within "the diftance of the bills of mortality, on every fuch li"cenfe there fhall be charged a ftamp duty of five fhil"lings.

"That towards the fame purpose, where the perfons fo "uttering or vending fuch wares or articles, fhall refide in "any other part of Great Britain, there fhall be charged on "every fuch license a ftamp duty of two fhillings and fix "pence.

"That towards the fame purpofe, for and upon every "packet, box, bottle, phial, or other inclosure, that fhalt "contain any sweet scents, odours, or perfumes, or any "dentifrice, or other preparation for the teeth, or any po

"matum

"matum, hair powder, or other preparation for the hair, "uttered, vended, or expofed to fale in Great Britain, where "the price or value thereof fhall not exceed eight pence, "there fhall be charged a stamp duty of one penny; and "where the price fhall exceed eight pence and not exceed "the price of one fhilling, there fhall be charged a stamp duty of one penny halfpenny; and where the price fhalt "exceed one fhilling and fhall not exceed the price of two "fhillings and fix pence, there fhall be charged a ftamp duty "of three pence; and where the price fhall exceed two fhil"lings and fix pence, and be under the price of five fhillings, "there fhall be charged a ftamp duty of fix pence; and where "the price fhall be of the value of five fhillings, or upwards, "there fhall be charged a stamp duty of one fhilling.

"That the rates now feverally existing upon battens nd "deals do cease and determine.

66

"That towards the fame purpose, the fum of three pounds "fix fhillings and eight pence for every hundred battens, containing fix fcore, fhall be the rate according to which "the feveral duties heretofore payable on battens, fhall in "future be computed and paid.

"That towards the fame purpose, the sum of five pounds "for every hundred deals, containing fix fcore, fhall be the "rate according to which the feveral duties heretofore "payable on deals fhall in future be computed and paid.

"That the rates and duties granted and impofed, or which "fhall be payable upon low wines and fpirits, for home confumption, by any act or acts now in force, be discon ❝tinued.

"That towards the fame purpofe, a duty of fix pence be laid upon every gallon of fermented wort, or wash, brewed or made for extracting fpirits, for home confumption, "from any malt, corn, grain, or tilts, or any mixture with ❝ the fame.

"That towards the fame purpose, a duty of five pence be "laid upon every gallon of cider or perry, or other wash or "liquor made or brewed from any fort or kind of British "materials (except fuch as are before mentioned) or from any mixture therewith, for extracting fpirits for home "confumption.

"That towards the fame purpose, a duty of nine pence "be laid upon every gallon of fermented wort or wash, made or brewed from melaffes or fugar, or any mixture therewith, "for extracting fpirits for home confumption.

"That towards the fame purpose, a duty of one fhilling be laid upon every gallon of wash compofed of foreign refufed wine, or foreign cider, or wafh prepared from fo

"reign materials, except melaffes and fugar, or any mixture "therewith, for extracting fpirits for home confumption." The motions paffed, and the House adjourned.

Thursday, 30th March.

Mr. Gilbert having brought up the Report of the Committee of Supply, it was read a firft time, and the question being put, "That these refolutions be read a fecond time,"

Mr. Pulteney faid, that it would give him much fatisfac- Mr. Pulte tion to know from the right honourable gentleman who pre- ney. fided at the Board of Treafury, whether the million to be applied annually, in diminution of the national debt, with all its accumulations of compound intereft, &c. was intended to be appropriated folely to the payment of the present debt? What he fhould imagine as right would be to appropriate the fund intended to be created to the payment of the debt of the nation, as it now ftood, and in cafe of occafion arifing for a new debt to be incurred, to create a new fund to be applied in diminution of that new debt. Such a fyftem would produce the happiest consequences; it would enable Government to borrow money whenever it wanted a loan, on much better terms than it otherwife could expect to do, and begetting confidence at home and abroad, it would give credit and character to the country. There was another part of the business to which he wished to advert, and that was, the intended increase of duty on fpirits; a measure which he feared would operate in a directly inverfe ratio to what the right honourable gentleman conceived. He doubted whether the high price of fpirits would not become injurious to the revenue, fince it appeared likely to operate almoft as forcibly as a premium to the fmuggler.

fter.

Mr. Dempfter faid, that immenfe quantities of fpirits dif- Mr. Demp tilled in a neighbouring kingdom were run into Scotland already, and he was perfuaded, that if the intended increafe of duty took place, the quantity fmuggled into that country would increafe beyond all credibility. He therefore deprecated the idea of adopting a measure fo pernicious to the morals, the health, the induftry, and the interefts of his

countrymen.

Mr. Chancellor Pitt expreffed his wishes to receive the Mr. Chanfupport and affiftance of his honourable friend (Mr. Pulte- cellor Pitt. ney) in putting into execution the detail of his plan, as he knew how well informed he was upon the fubject of the Funds, and how anxious for the fuccefs of every measure calculated to promote and establish the public credit. His queftion was certainly very proper, and fuch as ought to be well confidered; but it would prove the moft feafonable to enter

upon

Sir William

upon that difcuffion before the Committee. As to the conver fation relative to the tax on fpirits, he imagined that the twe honourable gentlemen had rather a view to a particular part of the kingdom than to the whole; but whatever might be the cafe in Scotland, he hoped that the measures to be purfued to check the contraband trade in general would have fufficient operation to give effect to the new tax. The duty of fix pence to be added would be one penny lefs than what had formerly been impofed, and that at a time when this country derived her greatest revenue from the article of fpirits.

Sir William Cunynghame faid, that the duties already imCunyng- pofed had produced fuch an effect, that although there were formerly many diftillers in the county which he had the ho nour to reprefent, there was not one at present.

hame,

Mr. Jolliffe.

Mr. Gafcoyne.

Mr. Jolliffe trufted that ftill more effectual means might be taken to diminish the debt of the nation. His wishes were for paying off at least three millions of the debt annually: not an impracticable idea, on account of the advanced price of the produce of land.

The refolutions were agreed to by the House.

The order of the day being read for the fecond reading of the bill introduced by Mr. Marfham, for disfranchifing all voters employed by the Navy and Ordnance Boards.

Mr. Gafcoyne rofe, and asked what authority that House poffeffed to take away any man's franchife? He knew of none. He had voted against the bill of an honourable gentleman (Mr. Crewe) to take away the franchise of the revenue officers for the fame reafons that he fhould vote against this, because he condemned the principle. What ftation in life, in public life at leaft, was exempted from a wifh to advantage itself through the medium of Government? And was it there difhonourable to endeavour to arrive at preferment through that powerful influence? If it was improper in one rank of life, it was equally improper in another; and when a reform was fet about it ought not to be partial, but general. Gentlemen were anxious of preferment through the three different profeffions of the army, the navy, and the law. Was there an Enfign who did not wish to be a Lieutenant, a Lieutenant a Captain of a Company, a Captain a Major, a Major a Colonel, a Colonel to have a regiment, and then become a General? In like manner in the fea fervice; and again, in the law, was there a Barrister who did not languifh for a filk gown, a filk gown to be a Welch Judge, a Welch Judge to be Attorney or Solicitor General, and after that to be a Baron of the Exchequer, or a Chief Juftice? And how were thefe purfuits, perfectly honourable, to be accomplished but by the influence of the Crown? Even in the

city, did not men afpire after preferment? Firft they were Common Councilmen, then Deputies, then Sheriffs, then Aldermen, and laftly Lord Mayor; and in all this what was Improper? And where was the culpability if an excellent workman in the dock yard, or a skilful clerk in an ordnance office, endeavouring to gain preferment? Nor would he confent that men fo circumftanced thould be treated to unjuftly as the bill under confideration would treat them, if it were paffed into a law. On this account he felt it his duty to oppofe the motion.

Mr. Drake cenfuring the bill, afked whether the House Mr. Drake would wish to drive the workmen from the dock yards, and force them to take refuge in the dock yards of inimical France, or unfriendly Spain? The Houfe had no right to take away their franchifes, and therefore he should vote against the bill. He refpected the worthy gentleman who differed upon the bill in question; but he could not be a friend to a measure which went to deprive feveral people of their franchises: the Houfe had paffed regulations for qualifying and admitting members into itself, but out of the Houfe, he thought it fhould not be attempted to restrict the liberties of the individual. The influence of the Crown ought always to be kept within proper bounds: he wished to fee it like a tree, of which the luxuriant branches fhould be pruned; but he never would defire the branches of the tree to be leaflefs, or the trunk ftripped. When the vote was paffed, declaring that the influence of the Crown had increafed, was increafing, and ought to be diminished, Mr. Crewe's bill was the refult; but that happened in a divided, undecided Adminiftration, when the Houfe was fcarcely confident of the due reliance it had a right to repofe in Adminiftration he was not always ready to give up his opinion to the ultimate view of any perfon pedibus ire in fentent am; but to propose an alternative to a man, between his inte eft and his duty, was cruel. The artificer who lived in the country, born free, must now be deprived of his birthright: What is then to be done? He must retire to another climate. Our enemies will receive our fhip-builders, who must be driven from us, by depriving them of their liberties at home.

ham.

Mr. Marfham maintained that the object of the bill was Mr. Mar to confer a favour, and not to inflict a punishment; to do no injury, but grant an obligation. The objects of it, he was perfuaded, felt themfelves relieved from a burden after it was paffed. What right had gentlemen to conceive the bill would be deemed a hardfhip by the objects of it? Where were the petitions against it? Had any one petition been prefented to that House against it? Gentlemen well knew the bill had been in agitation fome time, and that no one petition had been fent VOL. XX. F