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for the year ended 5th January, 1809, was,

The charge was,

Leaving a surplus of,

£.11,013,454 1 6 9,277,164 2 11

L. 1,736,289 18 6

The net produce of the permanent taxes in GreatBritain, consisting of customs, excise, stamps, incidents, and duties, was, in the year ending

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Public Expenditure of Great-Britain for the year

ended 5th January, 1806,

1. Interest of the permanent unredeemed national debt of G.

Britain, including annuities for lives, and years,

management,

19,598,305 18 11

271,911 11 9

7,615,167 7 9

Charges of

Reduction of national debt,

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Total of 3d and 4th heads. £.1,827,184 10 6

278,281 4 0/1/

25,282 9 6

491,583 12 11

Public Expenditure, &c.

5. Civil government of Scotland, £. 86,918 15 34 6. Payments in anticipation of exchequer-receipts, as bounties, pensions, &c.

646,000 14 7

7. The navy,

14,466,998 3 5

8. The ordnance,

4,732,286 1 3

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Total expenditure of G. Britain, £70,588,547 4 0

Total public expenditure of Great-Britain for the

year ended 5th Jan. 1807,

5th Jan. 1808,

5th Jan. 1809,

5th Jan. 1810,

71,010,718 16 94 71,989,390 4 10 79,391,345 15 22 83,099,186 00

17

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The question now is, what are the means which enable Britain to support this annual burden of taxation and expenditure?

This question will be satisfactorily answered by exhibiting a view of the actual condition of her national resources, in commerce, manufactures, agriculture, finances, and population.

It is remarked by Mr. Burke, Vol. 8th, pp. 414— 417 of his works, that in all former hostilities, the British exports gradually declined in value, and then, with one single exception, ascended again, till they reached and passed the level of the preceding peace. But this was always a work of time. In Queen Anne's war, which began in 1702, ten years elapsed before this was effected; and nine years were necessary for the same operation, in the war of 1739. In the seven years war, which began in 1755, the exports mounted above the peace-mark in the fourth year. In the American war, the exports never reached their peace elevation. In the first French revolutionary war, the tide ebbed in 1793, but rushed back again with a bore in the following year; and from that time continued to swell and run every successive year higher and higher into all the ports of Britain. The value of the exports in 1796 above those of the year 1792, (the mere increase of commerce during the war) was equal to the average value of all the exports during the wars of William and Anne. The true balance of trade in favor of Britain amounted on a medium of the four years preceding January, 1796, to upwards. of £.6,500,000 per annum, excluding the profits arising from her East and West-India trade, which was more than £.4,000,000 per annum, and excluding the profits derived from her fisheries. So that, including the fisheries, without reckoning what the public creditors themselves pay to themselves, and without taking one shilling from the stock of the. landed interest, the colonies, the oriental possessions, the skill, the industry, the commerce, and the navigation of Britain are every year pouring a new annual capital into her dominions.

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Mr. M'Arthur,in his "Political and Financial Facts,' &c. pp. 26-28, observes, that since the revolution in 1688, in every war, except those of 1756 and 1793, the British exports, compared with those of the pre

ceding peace, were always much diminished; but soon after the return of peace, they rose beyond their former level; as shewn by the following average esti

mates.

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Annual average of exports for three years peace, from 1699 to 1701, inclusive, £.7,237,311 Three years war from 1703, to

1705, inclusive,

Annual average excess in 3 years

peace,

0 0

6,165,966 00

1,371,345 0 0

Annual average of exports for four years peace, from 1735 to 1738, inclusive, £.12,324,078 0 0 Four years war, from 1739 to

1742, inclusive,

Annual average excess in 4 years

peace,

10,345,901 0 0

£.1,969,177 0 0

Annual average of exports for five years peace, from

1750 to 1754, inclusive,

Five years war from 1757, to

1761, inclusive,

Excess in 5 years war,

L.13,998,479

0 0

15,989,552 0 0

L.1,991,073 0 0

Annual average value ofexports for five years peace, from 1764 to 1768, inclusive, £.16,075,301 0 0 Five years war, from 1776 to

1780, inclusive,

Excess in 5 years peace,

13,918,677 0 0

£2,057,624 0 0

Annual average of exports for five years peace, from

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