GENERAL HISTORY. 



[109 



thus much, he was not inclined 

 to add any more, but was prepared 

 to answer any question put to him. 

 He, however, could not sit down 

 without claiming permission to of- 

 fer a ftw observations on what had 

 fallen from the right hon. baronet, 

 and his hon. friend. He denied 

 that because the revenue had not 

 coveied all the debts since the 

 Union, that it necessarily followed 

 that disorder and corruption pre- 

 vailed through the whole system. 

 He would be glad on all these oc- 

 casioHs, to come to close quarters 

 with the right hon. baronet, when 

 he had no doubt of being able to 

 refute those vague and general at- 

 tacks, which he so frequently in- 

 dulged in. The taxes which had 

 failed did so from unavoidable 

 causes, which ought to be gone 

 fairly into; but the right hon. 

 baronet every session was prepared 

 with a string of accusations, which 

 he threw out against his right hon. 

 friend (Mr. Foster) during his ab- 

 sence. 



Sir John Newport rose to repel 

 the charge in the most direct and 

 positive terms. He had frequently 

 made those observations, which he 

 felt it his duty to make, in the 

 presence of the right hon. gentle- 

 man, and would not suffer himself 

 to be vilified. • 



Mr. Pole said, that he only 

 meant to observe that it had been 

 the constant practice of the right 

 hon. baronet to reiterate those 

 charges which had been already 

 decided on, while he overlooked 

 the improvements which had been 

 made. There was not any branch 

 of the revenue that had not been 

 inquired into, and probed to the 

 quick. It was maligning the offi- 

 cers of tiie Irish government to 



saj' they had not done their duty. 

 The revenue of Ireland had been 

 increased in the last year. In 

 1811, the customs were collected 

 at 25/. 4s. 4(1. and in the present 

 year at 20/. 18s. The revenue of 

 the post office was collected at 21/. 

 per cent. He was sorry to say 

 they were collected at a greater 

 rate than he wished; but this 

 country paid nearly the same. 

 Some irregularities had taken place 

 with a distiller in Limerick, and 

 four revenue officers there were 

 dismissed from their situations. 

 Some improper transactions took 

 place in the stamp-office, which 

 caused eleven of the persons in 

 situations to be discharged. It 

 was the intention of the Irish go- 

 vernment to consolidate the stamp- 

 office. There was not the same 

 facility in collecting taxes as in 

 England. They ought not to tax 

 Ireland as this country — she was 

 shooting, and, if not oppressed, 

 would come to maturity, and be 

 able to bear all the burthens in 

 proportion with her sister isle. Any 

 person who proposed that an in- 

 come tax should be laid on in Ire- 

 land, must either not know any 

 thing of that country or be a ma- 

 niac. He concluded with moving, 

 "That towards rt^ising the supply 

 to be granted to his Majesty, a 

 sum, not exceeding 500,000/. be 

 granted to be raised in the issue of 

 treasury bills." 



The Resolutions were then 

 agreed to, and the report was 

 ordered to be received to-morrow. 

 Of the taxes proposed by Mr. 

 Vansittart, that principally op- 

 posed in parliament was the ad- 

 ditional duty on leather. When 

 the motion was made, June 2Gth, 

 for briuging up the report of the 



excise 



