66 
CHAP. IV. 
Finance. —Budget.—Loan.—War Taxes. 
the Loan.—Irregularity of bringing 
Surveyor General of IV 
Bill.—-American Intercourse 
Manufacture Commiuittce. 
HE new ministers, in the mea- 
sures of finance, which they 
pursued during this sessiou of par- 
-liament, were content with follow- 
ing the systems, and. executing the 
plans of their predecessors ; and 
unless in shewing greater vigilance 
and anxiety for the detection and 
suppression of abuses, they seemed 
to be unambitious of any higher 
distinction, in this important branch 
of their public duty. The period. 
of the year when they came into 
office, compelled them to adopt, in 
most instances, the estimates pre- 
pared by the former government; 
and in raising the ways and means 
for the current year, they adhered 
scrupulously to the principles laid, 
down and followed by Mr. Pitt. 
The sinking fund for the redemp- 
tion of the national debt, which 
many persons feared, or afiected to 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
forward the Ways and Means before 
the Army Estimates.—-Property Tax.—Eaemption of His Majesty's funded 
Property from the Operation of this Tax.—Pig Iro 
ery Tax.—Increase of Assessed T ‘'axes.— Assessed 
Trish Budget.—Regulation Bills. —Of the 
nance.—Of the Excise. —Customs.—Stamp 
‘vods and Forests.—Custom- House Officer’s bill." 
Inaudited Public Accounts.——West India Accounts Bill. — Auditors of Public 
Accounts Bill.—Abuses in the Barrack Depar 
of Lord Nelson.— To Lord Collingwood.—Sir Richard Strachan, and 
Sir John Duckworth.— Royal Family Annuities 
Bill.-Tortola Free Port Bill—IWoollen 
_—Tuxes to provide for the Interestof 
n Tax.—Private Brew. 
Taxes Allowance Bill.— 
Office of Treasurer of the Ord- 
’ 
Office. —Post Ojice.—Cw'ce of # 
tment.—Grants to the Fumily” 
Bill —Corn Intercourse 
fear, would be far from secure in| 
their hands, and which some per- 
sons both in and out of parliament,9— 
urged them strongly to encroach 
upon, they determined religiously, 
to respect. The system of war 
taxes, or the plan of raising within | 
the year a great part of the supplies: 
necessary for the public services: 
they took up with zeal, and carried) 
to an extent before unexampled,) 
In the prosecution of this object, 
so meritorious in itself, and benelfi- 
cial to the country, they had re« 
course: to a measure of taxation 
which bore peculiarly hard on the 
middling ranks of life, and oa those 
industrious classes of society, which! 
are removed by. one degree onl ; 
from indigence 5 and as the popus| 
larity of one branch of the admi- 
nistration, lay chiefly among pet= 
sons of that description, their con 
duct 
