date

1820 Aug. 16. Emancipation Spanish
1820 Aug. 16.

Emancipation Spanish

'. 11. Particular interests adverse

'. 8. Interests adverse

Retrenchmenft

To meet the above total demand, composed of the sum of these two unliquidated items,

/articles/ added to the above liquidated one behold now according to the same

unquestionable authority the amount of the habitual revenue

Reals Vellon Pounds sterling

2. Contributions, as per d o ... 470,000,000 4,700,000

That which the habitual resource wants, /requires/ to bring it to an equality with

the ordinary and habitual expenditure, and this without reckoning the extraordinary

expenditure, permanent or temporary, being thus upwards of 200,000,000 of your reals

vellon, upwards of 2,000,000 of our pounds sterling, to supply this same deficiency

what is to be done?- Two courses /sorts of operations [...?] presenst themselves, and

but tow possible ones: two courses, /operations/ taxation

and retrenchment: taxation, viz raising the amount of the

contribution as above

1. As to taxation any considerable addition to the amount of it seems to be regarded

as impracticable: the quantity of money extractable from this source being considered

as long ago exhausted

2. As to retrenchment, in so far as it keeps clear of those branches of expenditure

the necessity of which and to the amount not inferior to that which has been habitual

seems to be regarded as altogether [...?] as well as [...?], nemely those which are

employed in the preservation of public security against disturbances in every shape

as well at home as abroad, it must in some proportion or other apply itself to this

or some of those great sources of expenditure which by some peculiarities in that

character are placed in a prominent situation above the rest.

These are 1 the expenditure employed in the discharge of the interest of /on/ the

public debt: 2. the expenditure made by the Monarch and his family in support of what

is called the dignity of the Crown: 3. The expenditure made by the Clergy in the

character of Ministers of religion under the notion of maintaining the influence of

the religious sanction on mens minds.

To these branches of expenditure correspond three great interests: that of the

Public creditor, that of the Monarch, and that of the Clergy which, extensive as they

each of then are, can not but be acknowledged to be in comparison of the great

universal interest composed of that of subject many and that of ruling few together,

but so many particular interests: the interest of the Public Creditor, the interest

of the Monarch, /Royal family/ and the interest of the Clergy.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1820 Omitted Apr. 1822 Emancipation]
    Description: 1820 Omitted Apr. 1822

    Emancipation Spanish

    Lett. 1.

    When you have thought sufficiently of the sufferings which the dominion would would

    produce at a distance, and the interests it would would produce, at a distance, and

    the interests it would have to contend with from without think of the sufferings less

    obvious sufferings it would produce, and the less obvious [...?] interests it would

    hve to contend with at home - the [...?] in some quarter or other - retrenchment must

    be made. In no quarter can it be made with near so little suffering - with near so

    little natural and rational resistence - as in this.

    While matter to this effect was writing, in come the accounts of the proceedings in

    the Cortes. Sittings of July 13 th 1820. According to the Finance

    Minister, Contributions, 470,000,000 reals; expenditure 680,000,000, reals: Royal

    family's expences exclusive of the King's 40,000,000 reals: increased to that sum

    from the 20,000,000 of reals which was the amount in the days of Charles 2 d. Proposed on part of Ways and Means, sale of the whole of the

    National Domains, and 1/7th of that of the Clergy.

    As to the change in the Constitution, for an indefinite length of time it is to the

    exigencies of the state that it will make addition,

    rather than to the resources. The relief which it will

    afford to the finances is sure; but its non-immediateness is not less sure than its

    existence.

    With this retrenchment there must be: and at /from/ what branch of the possible

    subject matter? Those branches above in addition to the one in question have

    presented themselves as capable of being subjected to it: that which regards the

    Monarch and his family that which regards the Clergy, and that which regards the

    Public Creditor.

    How then are those interests, combined against that sinister interest by which the

    pursuit of that dominion is maintained: those interests and no one of them a weak

    one. Four contending interests, and which of them stands forth in the order of just

    preference? To this I have no need to answer: that the one which regards the dominion

    stands last, I have answered without difficulty. King, Clergy, and Public Creditor

    have this in common - that retrenchment can not apply to them, without giving birth

    to suffering: to [...?] suffering. To the daemon of ambition it may apply - and apply

    largely - if not without producing any such effect, at any rate without producing in

    that shape any thing like equal effect.

    See

    Mem? [...?] Aug[?] 1820
  • Title: [1820. Aug. 16 Emancipation Spanish]
    Description: 1820. Aug. 16

    Emancipation Spanish

    '. Particular Interests adverse

    ' 8 Retrenchment

    First comes the supply the demand for which has place: this will be proportioned to

    the amount of the several exigencies

    These will in the first place be to be distinguished into

    1. Ordinary or habitual; Extraordinary and incidental, applying /arising/ exclusively

    or primarily to /principally out of/ the presenst conjunction of affairs.

    1. In regard to the ordinary or habitual exigency I observe this authentic document,

    in which the quantity is expressed in figures

    1. Expenditure (as supplied habitual expenditure) per

    Finance Minister Canga Arguilles

    Reals vellon Pounds sterling

    Sitting of the Cortes 13 July 1820 680,000,000 6,800,000

    2. To this expense, setting aside as belonging to another head whatsoever

    retrenchment from expenditure or addition revenue[?] may in turn be produced by

    improved management, will have been /unless it should seem/ already added an

    extraordinary expenditure to an amount more or less considerable, on account of the

    Election of representatives to the Cortes: and this expense must in some [...?] or

    other be a permanent one

    3. Add the above the expense of putting the country into a state of defence against

    the eventual[?] attempts /all attempts/ on the part of the confederated despots to

    put down a constitution so adverse to their sinister interests and correspondent

    affections.

    How dead so ever to the hearts[?] of the ruling few the dominion in question may be,

    still of those already denied[?] the urgency can scarcely fail of being regarded as

    more [...?]

    (a) But even this account of the habitual expenditure does it

    include the whole or any considerable part of the [...?] in the national debt? The

    negative it is believed is but too incontestable. Of the defiency the amount

    whatsoever it be made by this time have been made professedly[?] known at Madrid and

    be it what it may, here will be so much to be added to the amount of the ordinary and

    permanent expenditure
  • Title: [1820. Dec r 30. Revised 1822 March 20]
    Description: 1820. Dec r 30. Revised 1822 March 20

    Rid Yourselves of Ultramaria. Tables to the Introduction

    (d) by net amount seems to be here meant,

    what was considered as the net amount of the sums received in Spain, after deduction

    made of those expended in Ultramaria. But, to find the result in respect of profit

    and loss from the dominion over Ultramaria to Spain, against this so stiled net amount, must be set that part of the aggregate expence

    of Spain, which, but for the dominion, would not have had existence: and which it is

    supposed would not be found so little as twice the amount of this stiled net profit.

    See Table II.

    Table I. Conjunct Revenue Table Spanish ULtramarian including namely,

    Spanish and Spanish-America, at seven different periods

    Public Revenue of Spain: Exclusive of that called Indian Revenue, (b) according to Townsend's Journey

    through Spain 2 d. Edit. 1792. II. 184. 185, 186. 190 ed.

    Reals Vellon

    Pounds Sterling

    Public Revenue termed Indian Revenue

    according to Townsend. II 184, 185 2 d. Edit.

    Reals Vellon.

    Pounds Sterling

    (b.) In articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, the sums are the remainders after

    deducting from those in Townsend the sums mentioned in his Table as the amount of the

    Revenue, called Indians Revenue: those amounts are here

    brought together in the Table headed Indian Revenue.

    (c.) In the Table, in which this infomation is inserted, the year is

    1774. This, however, must have been a mistake: for, in the particulars already given

    (II. 182.) of this same revenue, the years 1785 and 1786, are mentioned.

    (d.) By net amount.