agreed to, or good reafons given why it was not thought proper to consent to it. Mr. JOLLIFFE said, he had no defire to press any motion on the House at prefent; but he had been told, that if he did not make it now, it would be impoffible to make it at all. Mr. TIERNEY faid, if the report were to be received to-morrow, it would certainly be impoffible for his honourable friend to make any motion with reference to the estimates. If the report were delayed until Friday, he might make his motion to-morrow. After fome converfation it was agreed, that Mr. Jolliffe should delay his motion till after the House should be resumed from the Committee of Ways and Means. • The Houfe having refolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means, Mr. HOBART in the chair, Mr. Chancellor PITT faid-Sir, the Committee will moft probably recollect, that when I furnished in November last an estimate of the total expenditure liable to be incurred for the enfuing year, I then stated it at nearly twenty-five millions and a half to be provided for the exigencies of the public fervice. It is, I confess, no inconfiderable fatisfaction to myfelf, and I truft it will equally prove a matter of fatisfaction to the Committee, that what I have now to lay before them differs but little from the estimate which I then made, and arifes from objects fo close and intelligible as to make it unneceffary for me to take up much of their time in explanation. The total amount of the estimate which I have now to offer is 28,490,000l. differing by a fum of no lefs than three millions of excefs from that which was at firft ftated. This excess has unavoidably arifen from the unforeseen and additional preparations on the part of this country, occafioned by the threats, and produced by the formidable exertions of the enemy against us. I shall now proceed in the fual way, and state the expenditure under each diftinct head, without troubling the Committee with any minute and particular details refpecting the former eftimates, which must have been fully confidered. The first head of fervice which naturally occurs, is, the navy. I stated the estimate of this branch of expenditure, in November, at the fum of 12,538,000l. and the Committee have recently added to that head the fum of 910,000l. making a total of 13,448,000l. The next article of fupply is the army, which the Committee will recollect amounted to 10,112,000l., and with the particulars of which I will not at present trouble them. It is, however, neceffary to obferve, that feveral additions have been fince made. Among these additions is the charge of 1,315,000l. for defraying the expence incurred by the Supplementary Militia, and 130,000l. for the Provifional Cavalry. There is alfo a fum of 350,000l. for the Volunteer Corps, I mean the expence incurred by the dif ferent Volunteer Corps of Infantry: and I have the effective happiness to remark, that the body thus raifed amounts to no less than 40,000 men. The next article is that which relates to the Foreign Corps, and makes an expenditure of 226,000l. I formerly stated, that the extraordinaries incurred in 1797 were likely to amount to about 1,300,000l., and they have only exceeded that fum by 61,000l. The original estimate of the charge for Barracks was 400,000l., to which I muft now add the farther increase of 120,000l., and this addition is easily accounted for. It naturally arifes from the expences incurred in confequence of the additional troops which it has been found neceffary to keep on foot, and in a ftate of readiness for action. But here I muft obferve, that the debt fo created would have been equally caufed in another way. It would have been allowed to innkeepers for quartering the troops, and for the formation of temporary barracks; and the advantages refulting from employing it in the manner in which it has been laid out, must be obvious to every man who confiders the state of the country; as we are enabled by that means more effectually to concentrate our force, and to put ourselves into a more capable fituation of repelling any fudden attack. Thefe, Sir, are the whole of the articles which refpect the army, with the exception of 700,000l. for future extraordinaries. The extraordinaries I had formerly calculated at 2,500,000l. but I fhall take them now at 3,500,000l. items, taken together, will give a total fum of 12,857,000l. Thefe The next head of service which presents itself is the Ordnance, which, with a small addition to what I ftated in the month of November, amounts to the fum of 1,303,000l. There are very few additions to be made to the charge for Miscellaneous Articles, and the total of the fums appropriated to this branch may be taken at 682,000l. Thefe, Sir, are the different additions which are to be made to the former eftimate, which I had the honour of fubmitting to the Committee. There are also, it is neceffary for me to notice, one or two trifling articles, but there appears on the whole an excess of 3,674,000l. beyond the fum ftated in November; but in that eftimate I muft obferve, was in*cluded an estimate of deficiency of grants, and which it is now unneceffary to provide for from two material causes. The Bank has been paid the fum of 500,000l. by the early product of the land tax, which otherwife would have gone to the confolidated fund. Be fides, in the diftribution paper it appears, that of the whole fum of money granted to the island of Grenada, 159,000l. has not been fent, and therefore the deficiency will leave the grofs fum of 2,994,000l. as an excess. Confidering this fum in every point of view in which it may aid the public fervice, I cannot fee any article with refpect to which I fhall be under the neceffity of calling for any future aid. But gentlemen must be perfectly fenfible, that in the particular fituation in which we are placed at this moment, and when every ample provifion is to be made, we can do no more than provide, with all poffible prudence, by specific estimates, for the whole of the expence that is likely to be incurred. It may, unquestionably, be neceffary to meet any fudden exigency of the moment, and it will therefore be proper, to be enabled to have recourse to a vote of credit, which I fhall think it my duty to propofe. I, however, mention this in a curfory way, as it is not my intention to fubmit it to the Committee at prefent. I only lay before the House the expenditures likely to be incurred, and the probable eftimate of them, referving to myself the liberty of making that propofal at any future period, when it may be deemed expedient. I have only to remark, that a measure of that nature will be reforted to at as late a moment as poffible. What I have in contemplation on that fubject, is an eventual liberty to iffue two millions. My next duty, Sir, is to inform the Committee of the Ways and Means to which I intend to have recourfe for the discharge of this expenditure. There is no material alteration in the articles that conftitute the Ways and Means. The firft which occurs is the ufual vote of Land and Malt, in which there is no variation, and which, at the customary statement, is taken at 2,750,000l. The next article of Ways and Means is the Affeffed Taxes, upon which gentlemen are aware, from the various modifications that have taken place, modifications certainly highly proper and falutary, the probable produce muft have been reduced much below the estimate originally made. I cannot undertake to form a present estimate of the probable product of these taxes throughout the kingdom, because we have not had fufficient time to judge of the effects of the measure; and a great number of diftricts have not been yet productive, as time has not been given to make the appeals; but, from the returns already made, and more particularly from the refult of the meafure in the metropolis and the principal and moft confiderable towns, I am warranted in faying, that it will afford a large fum. The propor tion at which I think I may take it, is likely to be that of one-half of the original affeffment added to that affeffment, which is 2,700,000l., and therefore valuing it at a moderate computation, I may fairly state it four millions and a half, which is the only fum on which I mean to take credit in the Ways and Means. Another article, which I am proud to mention, because it must give a peculiar and lafting fatisfaction to the Houfe, is the Voluntary Contributions, which the zeal and patriotism of His Majefty's fubjects have chearfully furnished. It is, Sir, I am happy in having an opportunity to obferve, the most fatisfactory and irrefiftible teftimony of the decifive fentiments of the nation at large, at the prefent important moment, to support with their property the independence and profperity of their country. It forms the moft cordial proof of the unanimity of a great and free nation, to fupport that Constitution, under the protection of which they enjoy fo many extenfive and folid advantages. The great mafs of the people have, by furnishing in a voluntary manner these contributions, told us their manly determination to refift any encroachments which may be attempted on their liberty. They have told us not by words, but by actions. They have felt that they were engaged in a conteft in which their property was at ftake, and they have come forward with a part of that property, to enable the Government to make exertions great and fuitable to the preffure and importance of the occafion. The enthusiasm of contributing to the national defence, has pervaded and animated all ranks and orders of men in the country. Some exceptions I admit there are, but they weigh little in the general scale. Thefe honourable and patriotic contributions have been equally and proportionably furnished by the landed gentlemen, by the monied intereft, by the merchant, by the artizan, by the mechanic, and by the labourer. There is not, Sir, a fingle clafs, or defcription of perfons, in which we shall not find the most fatisfactory proofs of true patriotifm, and diftinguished zeal; and thefe I take to be the best and most effectual answers we can make to the infolent threats of the enemy. Having therefore the happiness of knowing, that the fpirit of the country is rifing with energy proportionate to the danger with which it is threatened, I am led to entertain the most fanguine hopes of a fuccefsful and glorious iffue to the prefent conteft, when I form an opinion from confidering the amount of sums now in the Bank, whether produced by the voluntary contributions, or by our commerce. Having faid thus much on the operation of the affeffed taxes, I am unable to suppose that lefs than 1,300,000l. may be calculated as free gifts, and adding to that calculation, twothirds of the fums fubfcribed for covering the affeffed taxes, the whole may be ftated, at 1,500,000l. The zeal of the country will probably outrun this estimate, but I fhall take it on the loweft fcale. The next article to which I wish to call the attention of the Committee, but which I do not mean to propofe this day, though it is, in my mind, likely to receive the approbation of the House, is one which has occupied a confiderable share of attention in the mercantile world, and which has been already much difcuffed by the Public. It has, I am free to fay, very strong grounds of recommendation as a measure that will in its operation enfure additional protection to the trade of the country, and afford a confiderable fource of revenue to the State. Without troubling the Committee with a detail of the particulars of it, it is only neceffary for me to remark, that it refers to a ftate of war only; but it may also have the farther recommendation, befides producing a large revenue, of furnishing a tax to be principally paid by foreigners, and of taking from the enemy an opportunity and subject for exercifing their fyftem of maritime plunder. I allude, Sir, to the appointment of ftrong convoys for the more effectual fecurity of commerce, with proper regulations refpecting the time of departure, and other points. of importance. I mean fuch a tax upon Imports and Exports as may not tend in the leat to the diminution of trade, as it will in many instances fall on the confumer, not upon the importer, and muft by its effect weaken the prevalence of privateering, to which the enemy is compelled to have every poffible recourse. Confidering this new measure in a moderate view, it will not, I am inclined to think, fall much short of 1,500,000l.; but it is not my inten |