§ Mr. Huskissonrose, pursuant to the notice he had given on a former day, to bring forward his promised resolutions, for the purpose of establishing a plan for simplifying and rendering more definite the annual accounts laid before parliament, of the receipts and issues of the treasury for public purposes within the year. After expatiating upon the want of regularity, clear- 1122 ness, and precision, in the accounts annually laid before the house, in consequence of each not being brought up to one general date, the object of his proposition was, that the accounts should all be made out up to the 5th of January in each succeeding year, not of the receipts and issues for the year, but within the year, and that all surplus, if any then remaining in the treasury, should be carried to the account of the next year; and that all floating debts due for the year, and not then brought forward, should be transferred in like manner to the next years account: while the lords of the treasury should be enabled to issue out of the next years revenue, payment for any bills so furnished after the 5th of January, for purposes ordered for the preceding year. There was also another proposition which he had to submit to the house, which would not only tend still further to simplify the public accounts, but to effect a considerable saving to the public annually, by enabling the lords of the treasury to pay off quarterly a certain portion of outstanding exchequer bills, and thereby saving to the public the interest that must grow thereon by longer outstanding, as is usual, while considerable balances were remaining in the treasury. This proposition was to perpetuate the taxes on malt, land, sugar, and pensions, which at present were voted annually, and estimated each year to produce about 2,750,000l.; the produce of these, instead of standing on a distinct account, he proposed should be carried to the consolidated fund; and in lieu thereof, he should propose, that three millions a year should be granted out of the consolidated fund to his majesty, for the purposes to which those taxes were appropriated. He apologised to the house for bringing forward these propositions himself, as wanting that weight and consideration which could give them authority; but he had previously submitted them to the noble lord opposite to him (the chancellor of the exchequer), and had the good fortune to meet his approbation; besides, he thought it the duty of every member of that house to suggest to his majesty's ministers, and to parliament, every project which he conceived to be for the public advantage, and of utility to the state. The hon. gent. then moved—1."That an account of the total receipt at the exchequer, whether from ordinary or extraordinary resources, and of the total issues therefrom, be made up to, and closed on, the 5th Jan. in 1123 each year, to commence from the 5th Jan. 1808; and that such account be laid before this house within thirty days after the opening of any session of parliament which may take place subsequent to the said 5th day of January, 1808, or of any succeeding year, and within thirty days after such 5th day of January, in case the session should be opened prior to that day.
§ Lord Henry Pettyacknowledged that the hon. gent. had submitted to him the several resolutions contained in his plan, previously to his proposing them to the house; and they certainly had his approbation, because he conceived that a plan having for its object to make the accounts as clear and as intelligible to the house, and to the country at large, as possible, was extremely desirable; for which, the mode proposed by the hon. gent. seemed to him well calculated; and he should be glad to avail himself of the hon. gent.'s suggestions for carrying it into effect. Seeing no manner of objection at present to the adoption of this resolution, it should certainly have his concurrence.—The resolution was then put and carried.
§ Mr. Huskissonthen moved—2. "That whatever sum shall remain in the receipt of the exchequer on the said 5th of Jan. 1808, being part of the grants for the service of the year 1807, and also the balances in the hands of the Treasurer of the navy, the paymaster of the forces, and the treasurer of the ordnance, being also part of the said grants, respectively, be considered as a surplus of the grants of the said year, applicable to the service of the year 1808, and so on for each succeeding year." 3. That it should, nevertheless, be in the power of the lords commissioners of the treasury, to direct all such balances, either remaining in the exchequer, or in the hands of the treasurers and paymaster aforesaid, to be used and applied, at any time subsequent to the said 5th of Jan. of the year 1808, or of any succeeding year, in continuance of the services for which they were originally granted, without any further vote of this house." 4. "That an account of all such balances,. as aforesaid, be laid before this house within 30 days after the opening of any session of parliament which may take place subsequent to the 5th of Jan. 1808, or of any succeeding year, and within 30 days after such 5th day of Jan. in case the session should be opened prior to that clay." 5. "That the amount of all such balances, stated in the said account, 1124 be carried to the credit, and taken in diminution, of ways and means which may be granted for the service of the year in which such account may be laid.—On moving, That it would be a considerable saving to the public, that the annual duty upon malt and sugar should be rendered permanent, and carried to the annual produce of the consolidated fund, if not otherwise appropriated,
Mr. Bakerrose to oppose the proposition, which he considered as a striking innovation, introduced at the close of a session of parliament, without any formality or mature consideration that should have accompanied proposal, which, if he understood the hon. gent. must go to trench very materially upon a constitutional privilege of the house of commons, and materially abridge that wholesome check which it held upon the crown, namely, the privilege of voting or withholding the supplies annually. We had been, he said, heretofore frightened at the apprehensions of a standing army; but now we had got that standing army. That it might be rendered necessary by the circumstances of the times, he would not now dispute. But here was a proposal in which the house was called upon, at a moments warning, to vote those taxes in perpetuity, which hitherto had been voted only annually. To such a proposition he should decidedly say Nay, unless it was much more fully and satisfactorily explained to him.
§ Lord H. Pettythought that as the motion had been objected to, the best method would be to give more time; and he suggested the propriety of postponing the consideration.
Mr. Roseadmitted, that the hon. gent. had a right to object to it if he thought proper; but he contended, that it was no dangerous innovation, as it only regulated the mode of the accounts, without adding to their amount.
Mr. Yorkeprofessed that he did not well understand these resolutions. He suggested whether it would not be right to move the previous question on them, which would leave them on the journals, to be taken into consideration at a more suitable time? He had a distrust of any measure which would take away the checks now in the hands of that house, of making it necessary to assemble parliament, after a reasonable interval, which necessity would not exist, if the taxes were made permanent.
Mr. Bastardwas also a friend to the house keeping in its own hands all its present checks on the power of the crown. Amongst these was that of voting the taxes annually. He did not apprehend any approaching difference between the crown and the parliament; but as such differences had arisen before, they might possibly arise again; for which reason that house should not part with such checks as remained in its hands at present.
§ Mr. Huskissonsaid, it would give the crown no power whatever over the public purse, as the supplies must be voted from year to year.
§ Mr. Percevalobserved, that all the resolutions were in his opinion unexceptionable, but the present. He wished the house to retain its power over the means by which the money was to flow into the exchequer, as well as over the subsequent appropriation of it. To simplify the making up of the public accounts was undoubtedly a desirable object, but it was a very inferior one when compared with the abandonment of any of the privileges of parliament.
§ Mr. Huskissonfinding the sense of the house was against him, proposed to withdraw the resolution. He then moved—6. That all demands outstanding, under any of the following heads of service, viz. Treasury, Navy, Army, Ordnance, and Barracks,' and which shall remain unsatisfied on the 5th of Jan. aforesaid, be carried to the charge of the ensuing year; but inasmuch as the amount of these demands may be considered as floating debts from year to year, that provision should be made, in the supply of each year, for the discharge of such part of them only, as, upon the estimates to be laid before the house for these several services, may be stated to be an excess of such floating debt at the commencement, over and above the amount at which it may probably remain at the close of such year; and that the amount of such probable excess (if any) be regularly stated in, and form a part of, the several estimates aforesaid." 7. "That an account of all such floating debts be laid annually before this house, in the same manner, and at the same time, as the account required by the 4th of these resolutions." 8. "That the annual surplus, or growing produce of the consolidated fund of Great Britain (forming part of the ordinary annual revenue), and now granted for one year, terminating on the 5th of April next, in case it should be 1126 thought fit, at the expiration of that period, to continue the grant of the same, be further granted from the said 5th of April, 1807, to the 5th of Jan. 1808, and from thenceforth, from year to year, so that the grant of each successive year should terminate on the 5th of Jan. of the year ensuing." 9. "That, in the account annually laid before parliament, intituled,—An account of the disposition of grants for Great Britain,' the amount of each separate vote or grant of this house, as enumerated in the appropriation act, the sum paid upon each such vote, and the sum (if any) remaining to be issued from the exchequer, be specified separately and distinctly; and that this account be made up to, and closed on, the 5th of Jan. in each year, and not carried on to any later period."
§ Mr. Paullavailed himself of this opportunity to observe, that it was impossible to follow the resolutions as they were read; he suggested the propriety of printing them before they were agreed to, more especially as there was no urgent necessity for their being immediately agreed to by the house.
§ The Speakerreminded the hon. gent. that by the constant practice of the house, every resolution was printed. No resolution had the force of law. It was merely a recorded opinion, which the house might subsequently change.
Mr. Bakerhoped the hon. gent. did not mean to originate any bills on these resolutions, during the present session.
§ Mr. Huskissonreplying that he did not, the resolutions were agreed to.