§ The house having resolved itself into a committee of the whole house, to consider further of ways and means for raising the supply granted to his majesty, and the several accounts which had been presented to the house being referred to the said committee,
The Chancellor of the Exchequerrose and addressed the committee as follows: Mr. Alexander; the first article of supply that has been voted, to which I shall call the attention of the committee, is the supply for the naval service. The total amount of what has been already voted, exclusive of the sum of 390,000l for ordnance sea service, is 14,645,630l. exceeding by 2,600,000l. the amount of what was voted last year for the same service. The excess has arisen from the sum of 1,800,000l. for the expences attending the 20,000 additional seamen voted this year, and for the increase in the extraordinaries and transport service. The next article of supply is the army; there has been already voted under this head, the sum of 10,000,000l. for guards, garrison, militia, & c. I will not detain the committee by going over the different items, but there remain still two articles to be voted, the estimate of the extraordinaries, and of the expences of the volunteer corps; in the latter article there may be some small diminution, but I will take the amount at 1,100,000l. The extraordinaries I calculate to amount to the same as last year, 3,660,000l. These two items, added to the total of ten millions, make an aggregate sum, exclusively of the expence under the same head for Ireland, of 14,778,391l. which is an exceeding beyond tile last year of about 300,100l. For Ireland, under the head of army, there has been already voted the sum of 2,838,000l. To these remain to be voted the sum of 300,000l. and the same sum for the expence of volunteer corps, making the whole amount for Ireland 3,838,506l. The total amount of the votes for the army, therefore, for both countries will be 544 18,6l6,89l. The total amount under the same head of service for last year, was 19,143,000l. The next service is the ordnance; the amount for England is 4,246,994l.; for Ireland 600,000l. making a total of 4,846,004l. Under the head of miscellaneous services, there has been al already voted for England the sum of 611,000l. but some further sums remain to be voted, which will make the total for England 800,000l. The miscellaneous services for Ireland, including those usual permanent grants in consequence of the Union, amount to 650,000l. making the total for the two countries, 1,450,000l. The total amount of these articles of supply, which I have enumerated is 39,559,521l. But there is another article of supply to which, though I shall not call upon the committee to vote it at present, I shall still take the liberty of requesting the attention of the house. This article is one connected with a subject of the highest importance to the interests, not only of this country, but of Europe. Gentlemen are aware that we have been engaged in a continental intercourse and correspondence, with a view to objects which we must all admit to be of the highest moment. Sir, I have felt the sincerest satisfaction at finding a general conviction on the part of this house, that the ultimate security of this country is materially and intimately connected with the security of the continent. It must be the wish of every man who hears me, that that intercourse and correspondence should be so prosecuted as to restore peace upon grounds calculated to produce and establish that ultimate security which is the object of all our wishes and all our efforts. But seeing what we do see, and knowing what we do know, it would indeed, sir, be rash and presumptuous in us to entertain an expectation that that great object can be attained without further sacrifices on our part. I will not go into details upon the subject at present; they will more properly belong to a future discussion; but feeling it to be my duty not to postpone the general supply for the service of the year, I have thought it to be of extreme importance to make such an addition to it as to enable his majesty to afford, with effect, any succours which it may be deemed necessary to afford; with that view, sir,. I have deemed it advisable not to postpone making provision for those pecuniary succours, in case they should he called for. 545 I state them at 5 millions. This, added to the total amount of supply which I have had the honour of stating, will make the joint charge of the two countries, under the head supply, 44,559,521l. But the committee are aware, that from this gross sum there must be deducted two-seventeenths which Ireland is bound to pay, and two-seventeenths also for the civil list, and other charges on the consolidated fund, not relating to the public debt. The two-seventeenths of the gross amount of supply amount to 5,242,296l. and the two-seventeenths for the civil list, and the charges on the consolidated fund to 160,806l. making a total of 5,403,102l. This sum, therefore, is to be deducted from the 44,559,521l.; leaving a total of supply for G. Britain alone of 39,156,419l.—But, sir, it is also necessary to take notice of some separate charges which are to be added to that amount, and which do not belong to Ireland. There is a sum which J shall propose to vote of one million on account, towards the discharge of a debt due to the East India Company. A considerable progress has been made in the examination of the accounts; but I am inclined to think, that it will only be necessary to provide one million now. There is besides a sum, for the deficiency of the malt in 1803, amounting to 320,000l.: there is also a further sum to be added, to complete the payment of claims from America, amounting to 4l4,000l. In addition to this, there is to be added the deficiency of the sum voted last year on the growing surplus of the consolidated fund. That surplus was taken at 5 millions, but it appears that there was a considerable diminution of revenue in some articles. But, sir, when the committee consider the average produce of the revenue for the last 3 years, they will see that the diminution is of a temporary nature, and by no means so -discouraging as it may appear at first. It seems, sir, that the calculation of the growing produce of the consolidated fund last year, was made upon the former year, a year of almost unexampled produce; the diminution therefore, will appear to be greater on that account. The deficiency amounts on the whole to the sum of 2,80O,000l. making the amount of these separate charges which I have enumerated, 4,534,000l. which, added to the former sum of 39,156l, 419l. makes a grand total of supply for England alone of 43,690,419l: But for 546 the convenience of gentlemen I will enumerate the different heads of
| SUPPLIES. | |||
| Navy (exclusive of 390,0001. ordnance sea service) | 14,645,630 | ||
| Army | England | 14,178,391 | 18,616,897 |
| Ireland | 3,38,506 | ||
| Ordnance. | England | 4,246,994 | 4,846,994 |
| Ireland | 600,000 | ||
| Miscellaneous. | England | 800,000 | 1,450,000 |
| Ireland | 650,000 | ||
| 39,559,521 | |||
| Further extraordinary expences | 5,000,000 | ||
| Joint Charge, England and Ireland | 44,559,521 | ||
| Deduct on account of Ireland, as below | 5,403,102 | ||
| 39,156,419 |
| Add England separate charges. | ||
| East India Company | 1,000,000 | |
| Deficiency of malt, 1803 | 320,000 | |
| To complete the payment of American awards. | 414,000 | |
| Deficiency of 5,000,0001. voted as surplus of consolidated fund, to 5th April, 1805. | 2,800,000 | |
| 4,534,000 | ||
| Total, England. | 43,690,419 | |
| Deduct on account of Ireland, 2–17ths of the above sum of 44,559,521 | 5,242,296 | |
| Deduct also 2–17ths of 1,366,8511. for civil list and other charges on consolidated fund, not relating to public debt. | 160,306 | |
| 5,403,102 |