GENERAL HISTORY. 



[73 



The annual charges paid out of the 



Consolidated Fund, amounted to 



the sum of 39,172,000 



This year there was to be added the 



Russian Loan 130,000 



Making together 39,302,000 



Deducting this sum from the in- 

 come he had stated to be that of 

 the consolidated fund, it would 

 be seen there remained 3,65^,0001. 

 On this there was an arrear on 

 the 5th of April, of 665,0001., so 

 the total produce of the last year 

 was about 2,998,0001.; but' the 

 diminution here to be observed 

 would be covered by the produce 

 of the taxes laid on in the course 

 of the present year ; and , under 

 all circumstances, he thought he 

 might with reason estimate its 

 amount at 3,000,0001. The ex- 

 cise duty, late a war duty, but 

 which had during the present 

 session been voted for five years, 

 had produced 3,6!58,000l." He 

 estimated its produce in the pre- 

 sent year at three millions and a 

 half. He did not see why its pro- 

 duce might not be equal in the 

 present year to what it had been 

 in the last: but the allowances 

 granted on account of the malt 

 duty, made this a matter of 

 doubtful calculation. The pay- 

 ments, liowever, not yet made 

 good, would prevent any great 

 falling off, and he should, there- 

 fore, take it at 3,500,0001., sub- 

 ject, however, to some degree of 

 uncertainty, on account of those 

 repayments, the amount of which 

 must be cojisidcrable, and could 

 not yet be ascertained. The 

 next item was, the first advance 

 from the bank of 6,000,0001. 

 The ordinary feature in the ways 

 »nd means, the lottery, he took 



at 200,0001. This was somewhat 

 uncertain, but he calculated its 

 produce would be somewhere 

 thereabouts. The next would be 

 a most satisfactory item to the 

 House ; it was the surplus grants 

 of the year 1815, which amount- 

 ed to no less than 5,663,0001. 

 An account was on the table 

 showing in what way this sum 

 was made up. Some grants were 

 commonly •left unapplied at the 

 end of a year ; but it was gene- 

 rally found that against these, 

 some services left unpaid were 

 to be set, which frequently came 

 nearly to the same amount, and 

 left little or nothing to be carried 

 to the ways and means of the 

 next year : if indeed they did not 

 leave a <leficiency to be made 

 good, which was much moie fre- 

 quently the case. The sum re- 

 main'ng in hand on the 5th of 

 Jamiary last, had, however, so 

 greatly surpassed any thing left 

 unapplied before, there was no 

 reason to suppose the whole 

 would be called for in any way. 

 The grants unissued at the period 

 he had mentioned, amounted to 

 no less than ll,l'20,000l. It then 

 became a question, how much of 

 this sum it was necessary to re- 

 serve for payments due on ac- 

 count of services of the last year, 

 and how much could be appropri- 

 ated to the service of 1816. In 

 the first instance, when the House 

 met, he had stated the surplus 

 grants were supposed to amount 



to 



