MR. ADDINGTON’S SPEECH.—EARL MOIRA’S SPEECH. 331 
becomes expedient for a Chancellor of 
the Exchequer to make his statements 
of actual revenue at the lowest, to deduce 
his average produce .of the year from 
the unprofitable months or quarters, and 
to bring out his documents when the 
tide of revenue is at ebb. This favours 
alarm among the stock-holders, depre- 
ciates Funded property; and by enabling 
the ‘commissioners to make their pur- 
chases in the different stocks at the lowest 
ssible rate, accelerates the extinction 
of the national debt. 
This speech was made during peace; 
and Mr. Addington has not shown him- 
_ self aware of the propriety of this inver- 
—-24,500,0001. 
sion of former policy. He follows a 
precedent when he should set an exam- 
ple; he hangs out the old show-board, 
and Wilds the figures he should blacken. 
A passage, which may retain some in- 
terest, we shall select. 
«* Tt was not possible till the conclusion 
of the year (when all these accounts were 
made up) that they could be laid regularly 
before the house, or stated with exactness. 
Great pains had however been taken to pro- 
cure the most accurate and complete infor- 
mation which the period of the year admit- 
ted, and he thought himself justified, by what 
had been obtained, in pronouneing the com- 
merce of the country to be in a state of unri- 
valled and unexampled prosperity. It ap- 
peared that the real value of the principal ar- 
‘ticles of British produce and manufactures 
exported during the year ending 10th of Oc- 
tober, 1802, was 27,900,000]. while in the 
preceding year it was something less than 
Supposing these articles to” 
_ bear the same proportion to the whole of our 
_ exports which they had done in former years, 
the total value of British manufactures ex- 
ported in the year 1802, would not fall short 
of 50,000,COOI. sterling, being an increase of 
8,000,0001. above the year preceding; and 
compared with any former year, the increase 
would be still more extraordinary. 
_ © The accounts of shipping were more 
imperfect than those of trade, as no quarterly 
account was made up, except in the port of 
London; but so far as the tact could be as- 
certained, it was no less satisfactory, espe- 
cially with regard to the important circum- 
stance of the increase of British shipping and 
seamen. 
«« In the year ending the 10th of October 
1801, 1762 British ships, measuring 418,631 
tons, and manned with 23,096 men, had en- 
tered that port, and 1331 ships, measuring 
$50,634 tons, and carrying 24,070 men, had 
cleared outwards. In the year 1802, the Bri- 
tish ships which entered inwards were 2459, 
the tonnage 574,700, the men 33,743. The 
British ships which cleared outwards were 
1933, the tonnage 419,067, the men 28,1192. 
The diminution of foreign shipping was not 
less remarkable than the increase of British. 
In 1801, the number of foreign ships which 
entered inwards was 3385, their tonnage 
452,677, their men 20,388. Thé foreion 
ships which cleared outwards were $381, 
their tonnage 445,651, the men 23,302. In 
the year 1802, the number of foreign ships 
entering inwards was reduced to 1549, their 
tonnage 214,117, the men 10,555. ‘The fo- 
reign ships which cleared outwards were 
1868, their tonnage 262,006, the men 14,826. 
These details he feared might be tedious, but 
he was persuaded the committee would ex- 
cuse him for having entered with minuteness 
into the proofs of the increase of our com- 
merce and maritime strength, which were . 
the great sources of our prosperity and of our 
power.” 
Art. XXXIT. The Speech of the Earl of Moira, delivered in the House of Peers 
on Wednesday the Sth of March, 1803, on the present Situation of Public Affairs. 
Svo. pp. 14, 
THIS animated and lofty eloquence 
of the Earl of Moira, called forth by the 
' eritical situation of public affairs on the 
eve of the present war, was admirably 
calculated to rouse the energies of Bri- 
tons ; he conceals not the dangers of the 
conflict, but he prepares us to encounter 
them like men, who fight ‘ for their pro- 
perty, for their hearths, for every thing 
that is dear to sons, to fathers, and to 
husbands: for their honour, their liber- 
ties, and all the cordial relations of so- 
-sial life? The noble earl prepares us 
for an attempt on our country: tle ex- 
tent of coast possessed by our enemy ren- 
ders an invasion not impracticable; but 
though he anticipates the desperate en- 
terprise, he estimates the character of 
Englishmen too highly, to hold forth the 
possible subjugation of the country, as 
an object of the remotest apprehension. 
We are truly glad to seesuch speeches 
as this committed to the press: they do 
honour to the orator, they keep alive the 
noble ardour of the people, and they are 
not read with indifference on the continent. 
' 
