120] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



The Minister of Finance stated, 

 that the above would be the max- 

 imum of the expenditure for the 

 ensuing year^ imless in the case 

 of the occurrence of new and 

 unexpected events. 



He had also to state, that under 

 the head of 23,500,000 florins 

 for the department of finance, 

 were included two new items. 

 Onei of these was the sum of 

 1,500,000 florins, as the share of 

 the Netherlands for the payment 

 of the interest and the extinction 

 of the Russian debt, in confor- 

 mity to the Convention concluded 

 at London, on the 19th of May 

 last. Tlie other was a sum of 

 475,000 fl. for payment of in- 

 terest on the Austio-Belgian debt, 

 which the kingdom of the Ne- 

 therlands had taken upon itself 

 by the Convention of the 11th of 

 October. 



The Minister next proceeded 

 to state the Ways and Means for 

 meeting this expenditure. Among- 

 these were the Land Tax for all 

 the provinces of the kingdom, 

 which is fixed at 16,132,540 fl. ; 

 the tax on persons and movea- 

 bles, fixed at 2, 735, 570 fl.; and 

 the tax on doors and windows, at 

 1,578,330. 



Then follows an enumeratioji 

 of a variety of other taxes, direct 

 and indirect, tlie produce ofwhicli 

 is not stated in the speech of the 

 Minister, though subjoined in 

 schedules annexed to the plan of 

 law. 



The total proihice of the Ways 

 and Means is estimated by the 

 Minister at 75| millions of florins. 

 The amount of the expenditure is 

 estimated at 8'2 millions, thus 

 creating a difference of 6f mil- 

 lions. On the subject of this 



difference, the Minister observes, 

 " that however improvident it 

 might appear, in ordinary times, 

 to fix the expenditure of a year 

 without providing tlie means for 

 meeting the whole of it, yet it 

 appeared inexpedient to his Ma- 

 jesty, in the present situation of 

 things, to propose to the Cham- 

 ber any increase of tlie taxes or 

 other burdens on the country, so 

 long as there was a possibility 

 that the (Hfference would of itself 

 decrease either in whole or in 

 part." He expressed his hope, 

 that the restoiation of general 

 peace would leave a surplus, even 

 after all the necessary expenses 

 of the State were defrayed. It 

 was impossible at present to state 

 how far experience would justify 

 this hope ; but the question would 

 be decided long before this differ- 

 ence of 6| millions could be felt 

 as a burthen upon the finances of 

 the country. If, however, the 

 hope of some considerable dimi- 

 nution of the expenditure in va- 

 rious branches, which had been 

 fixed at the maxinunn, should be 

 disappointed, together with the 

 hope of the improvement of the 

 revenue from the restoration of 

 general peace, then it would be 

 for tlie States General, at their 

 next sitting, to consider of the 

 means of covering this unlooked- 

 for deficit." 



As few particulars of the as- 

 sembly of the states liave been 

 brouglit before the public, there 

 is reason to suppose, that it 

 passed with general tranquillity : 

 Ave find however in a Dutch 

 paper the report of a discussion, 

 whicli, as relating to the forms 

 of a representative body, may be 

 regarded with interest. At the 



sitting 



