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raife any fum of money for this head of fervice, but fo far as any calculation to the lateft poffible period could be made, the calculation nearly tallied with that fum. It is here to be observed, that the Extraordinaries of the Army are now, for the first time, brought forward by way of eftimate, at least they were never done fo fully till the prefent war, but they were paid out of the money granted for other fervices, leaving the provifion for those fervices deficient to another year. In addition to this, there has been advanced to the Emperor, by way of Loan, and which will be due to the public 1,200,000l. and a fum of 900,000l. advanced to the merchants of Grenada and St. Vincents, which will also be returned. There are further advances to the Emperor to be fet against the expence of Extraordinaries to a very large amount, for which it will not be neceffary to provide a prefent fund, though I fet them down as fo much credit against fo much debt. The Treasury Bills and Army Warrants at home, did not go to the extent of 2,088,000l. but there were Bills from remote parts, notwithstanding the precautions I had taken to calculate and curtail the expences abroad as much as poffible, which exceeded what was formerly thought upon eftimate to be their utmost amount. This might in part be owing to the unforeseen and incalculable operations of the war; however, I did not think it confiftent to leave them to reft on diftant means of payment, and I chofe accordingly to propose for their provifion, This comprises all under the head of the Army.

ORDNANCE.

"I now come to the Ordnance Departments, for which there has been already voted the fum of 1,623,000l. and to which I do not mean to propofe any addition. I muft obferve, however, that fince the Eftimates were made, a demand of 300,000l. to pay debentures for ftores fupplied and fervices performed, has fince come in for the part of the Ordnance Expences in the fame manner as the Treasury Bills of 1,600,000l. of which I did not then know. To this deficiency may be added another in the Barrack department, in which an outstanding debt remains, not merely for the building of Barracks, but for the expences of provifion and accommodation, in which the foldiers would have been furnished to the amount of the fame charge upon the public if they had not been garrifoned in Barracks, but had been quartered elsewhere. I mention this to remove any prejudice which might perhaps have otherwise been indulged, and fall conclude this article by recommending the provifion advised by the Select Committee of 737,000l. which, in the prefent view of this fubject, will defray the whole demands. I have now proceeded through the Navy, Army, and Ordnance, in which I do not

recollect

recollect to have omitted any extraordinary items, except that I have not mentioned a specific additional fum, which I mean to propofe for the further relief of his Imperial Majefty in the prefent critical period, and the particular statement of which I have referved to a separate difcuffion. As early as practicable, that fubject fhall be fubmitted to the confideration of the Committee; but however important it may appear, it is not expedient with my arrangement to enter on it at present.

MISCELLANEOUS SERVICE.

"The next branch of the fupplies is for defraying the expences of what is called the mifcellaneous fervice, which includes the expences of plantations, convicts, &c. For this there has been already voted the fum of 378,000l. and if I proceed by the estimates of the Select Committee, a further fum of 929,000l, will be found neceflary. In this fum 400,000l. is comprifed for making provifion beforehand for articles which it had been usual to pay in the first inftance out of the civil lift, and to propofe afterwards to Parliament to vote a fum fufficient to repay what has been fo advanced. Under this ftatement, I have not included the provifion of any fum which the important domeftic happinefs of the Royal Family, and the accustomed feelings of the country have allowed as the ufual portion with any of the female branches. That provifion will come better perhaps hereafter under a distinct and fpecific propofition. There is, however, a fum of 600,000l. included, which is propofed to be lent to the fuffering Greneda Merchants over and above the fums which I before ftated, and which are to be ultimately repaid; but I took occafion to include them in my statement of the actual expenditure, because they are fums for which I find it neceffary to provide a temporary provision.

NATIONAL DEBT.

"The next article of fupply is the annual provifion for the dif charge of the national debt of 200,000l.

DEFICIENCIES OF LAND AND MALT.

"To this is to be added, the ufual provifion made for the deficiency of the produce of the taxes upon land and malt, to the amount of 350,000l.

REPAYMENTS TO THE BANK.

"1,054,000l. is to be provided to repay the Bank for advances upon the growing produce of the Confolidated Fund, and 1,3-0,000l. to difcharge Exchequer Bills iffued on the credit of the Confolidated Fund for 1796, and paid alfo by the Bank.

FURTHER DEFICIENCIES OF LAND AND MALT.

"I fhall propofe a further provifion of 900,000l. to meet the deficiencies of Land and Malt not included in the estimate, but which I think may probably arife.

NAVY

NAVY AND EXCHEQUER BILLS.

"The next fum is 1,110,000l. voted in the Committee of Supply, for the difcharge of Navy and Exchequer Bills, raised by an Act of laft Seffion,upon a Vote of Credit in 1796. The Houfe will recollect, that a provifion was made for funding Navy and Exchequer Bills, and relieving the market or fo much outstanding debt. There was a party who did not choose to avail themfelves of the liberty of funding the Bilis they hold, and this fum was to make good their demands.

CONSOLIDATED FUND.

"The next is a fum of 2,177,000l. to make good 3,500,000l. charged by an Act of laft Seffion on the growing produce of the confolidated Fund, for the fervice of the year 1796. 3,500,000l. was the fum granted and thought applicable, but various circumftances had operated to its difappointment. Exchequer Bills advanced to the Merchants of Grenada and St. Vincent's, in confequence of the misfortunes in thofe Colonies were paid in again; a lofs was fuftained in the product both of the new and old taxes, by the ftoppage of our diftilleries, the defalcation of which fums was not made good in the year, and to this was to be added the payment of bounties to feamen, by the Receivers of the Cuftoms out of the produce of that year's revenue, which caufed a defalcation in the produce of the Cuftoms; and laftly, the Bounties upon the Importation of Corn. These circumftances of courfe would not make the whole deficiences good, and leave the Confolidated Fund applicable to the fervice of 1797; and as I cannot fuppofe that the Committee would choofe to have those fums charged like a mortgage on the Confolidated Fund, I have provided for its relief, and taken them as an article of Supply from the 5th of April 1796, to the 5th of April, 1797.

VOTE OF CREDIT AND LOAN TO THE EMPEROR.

"There is only one other fum which remains to be stated, and that is a Vote of Credit to the amount of 3,000,000l. As 500,000l. has already been advanced to the Emperor, I wish, if it meets the approbation of Parliament, to be provided with a further fum of 2,500,000l. in order to make further advances, if approved of, as the time and exigencies may require. I ftate this in order to let the Committee know the ultimate amount of what fums it may be neceflary to provide; at the fame time I defire to have it understood, that I do not mean to pledge any perfon to a final vote upon further advances to the Emperor, unless for a certain fum to a limited extent, which I fhall ftate before I fit down. Suppofing this Vote of Credit to take place, however, or not, I fhall ftate that as part of the fum to a limited extent, which I deem abfolutely neceflary at this critical period,

to allow the Emperor to fulfil his engagements, together with my reafons for it. I have now gone through the whole of the Supply, all the demands for which it was not poffible to calcu late before Christmas, and throughout my ftatements of them I have acted on the report of the Select Committee. I have thus endeavoured to recapitulate all the fums that have been voted before Christmas. I have added every fum for which provifion may remain to be made. Perhaps in fo extenfive a statement, I may have been misunderstood, or may have been guilty of errors, but the grand total of Supply amounted to no lefs a fum than

£.42,786,000!!

For the fake of being more explicit, however, I fhall fum up all the heads of the Supply in a

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Deficiency of Land and Malt

350,000

Re-payments to the Bank for advances on the Con

folidated Fund of 1795

1,054,000

Ditto 1796

1,370,000

Further deficiencies of Land and Malt

900,000

To difcharge Exchequer Bills iffued on the Credit

of the Confolidated Fund for 1796

I,110,000

Deficiency of Confolidated Fund

2,177,000

Vote of Credit

2,500,000

£•42,786,000

WAYS AND MEANS.

"The next part of my duty is to confider the Ways and Means by which this large fupply is to be met. We have already voted the Land and Malt 2 750,000l. Surplus of Grants of 1796---420,000l. A Loan of 18,000,000l. Thefe are the only tums that have been voted; other funs, indeed, have been ftated, but no vote has yet been paffed. The Lottery flated at 200,000l. and Exchequer Bills. The Committee will recollect, that in my former ftatement I took credit for fix millions and a half Exchequer Bills above the Loan of eighteen millions. From the embarrailments that have taken place, I do not rely

upon

upon a calculation to that amount, and therefore I do not propofe to take credit for more than three millions. The furplus of the confolidated fund, the Committee will fee, I muft ftate on a new estimate. On the other hand, various confiderations make it necessary for me not to take credit but for a moderate fum, as the growing produce of the confolidated fund for 1797. These confiderations arise not from any diminution in the produce of the Taxes, becaufe I find that the Report of the Committee confirms the fatisfactory opinion which I expreffed before Christmas, of the flourishing ftate of the permanent Taxes before the War; neither do they arife from any great difappointment in the new Taxes, as far as they have exifted long enough to be productive. In the view of the Taxes impofed in 1793, 1794, 1795, and 1796, they appear, from the beft opinion that can be formed now, though not equal to the fums calculated upon; yet, as fet against the Loan of the different years, the excess of the first three years goes near to counterbalance the deficiency of the fourth year of the War; and that up to the year 1796, the new Taxes are nearly equal to the additional charge impofed upon the confolidated fund. But it is to be recollected, that on the general view, though in enforcing new Taxes it has been ufual in former wars to be contented with whatever they have produced, yet that Taxes cannot be fo productive as to meet the wants of each quarter of the year. It will also be recollected, that we ftand now with the knowledge of two quarters of the year deficiency, being to be made good by future quarters; that on the whole it was estimated much higher by 1,075,000l. than a full fcrutiny would have juftified. But as the heavy total requires a Loan, the intereft of which must be paid before the Taxes can be productive, allowance must be made on that account.

The total amount of the Old Revenue, upon an average of four years, is

The new Taxes impofed in 1793, are stated by the

Committee at

Taxes of 1794

of 1795

of 1796

£13,919,000

245,000

904,000

1,332,000

1,400,000

Total

17,803,000

"In the statement of the taxes of 1796, there is included the duty upon wine. The inftalments on this article will be effective for 1797, and when you cease to take stock in hand, you will, I have every reason to think, do more than make up the deficiency at prefent exifting in the tax. In addition to this we muft take credit for the produce of the taxes impofed in December laft, to the amount of 2,100,000l. Of thefe taxes, fome are under

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