Statistic^* 
263 
in the Gucccedin,^ year. lie should therefore take the amount 
of tliQ stamps for the present year only at 5,300,000/. The post 
ofTice revenue v/as estimated by him last year at 1,194,000/. j the 
-actual produce was 1,276,000/., and he proposed to take it for the 
present year at 1,230,000/. He could not pass over this particular 
article without directing the attention of the committee to the great 
increase lliat had taken place during the last two or three years in 
the receipts at the post-office. In 1809, the post-office had pro- 
duced 1,083,000/.; in 1810, 1,194,000/.; and in 1811, 1,276,000/.; 
being an increase on the average of about 90,000/. a year, and that 
not from any additional duties on postage, but simply from the aug- 
rnented commercial communication of the country. It was clear, 
therefore, that by taking the amount for tlie present year only, at 
1,280,000/. an opportunity was afforded to parliament, if they 
should think it wise and expedient to avail themselves of it, to re- 
lieve Scotland, and otlier distant parts of the empire, without the 
danger of any diminution of the estimated revenue. The hawkers 
and pedlars, and sundry small branches of the revenue, he would 
4ake at 106,000/.; personal estates and pensions at 156,000/.; the 
land tax at 1,038,000/. ; the surplus exchequer fees at 54,000/. 4 
the tontine at 24,000/. ; the crown lands, &c. at 66,000/. ; and the 
imprest monies at 200,000/. ; making the total of the estimated 
receipt of the existing permanent taxes for the present year, 
36,322,000/. — To this must be added 3,240,000/. ; being the amount 
of the war taxes appropriated to the consolidated fund ; and the 
grand total would be 38,562,000/. ; which being deducted from 
38,5 62,000/. th,e estimated produce of the consolidated fund, v/ould 
leave a balance of 5,649,000/. He would, however, take the sur- 
plus only at 5,000,000/. and would presently account for the dispo- 
sal of the balance. With the exception of last year, v/hen the sur- 
plus of the consolidated fund was 5,753,715/. ; of the preceding 
year, when (from peculiar circumstances) it amounted to 
'7,019,774/.; and of the year 1803, when it was 5,936,651/.; that 
surplus had at no period exceeded, or even reached 5,000,000/. 
This was a highly satisfactory circumstance, in contemplating the 
state of the finances of the country. 
The next item which fie thought might require some explana- 
tion, was the amount of tfie estimate for the war taxes for the year 
ending the 5th April, 1813. This estimate was 20,384,000/. The 
grounds on which he calculated he would state as briefly as possi- 
ble : The average produce of the custom and excise war duties for 
the last three years, v/as 9,296,805/. The prodijce of tfie last yxM 
