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Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY121 June 1820 - The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, Vol. 5 Speeches and Evidence

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COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY121 June 1820 - David Ricardo, The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, Vol. 5 Speeches and Evidence [1819]

Edition used:

The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, ed. Piero Sraffa with the Collaboration of M.H. Dobb (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2005). Vol. 5 Speeches and Evidence 1815-1823.

Part of: The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, 11 vols (Sraffa ed.)

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY1
21 June 1820

A debate arose on methods of keeping the public accounts.

Mr. Ricardo took the opportunity of objecting to the manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated the budget. He ought to insert, with reference to the former year, a column of expenditure as well as of receipt. He should say, “I have received so much from the ways and means— so much has been expended—and so much remains to be received on the last year’s budget.” He did not believe that the ways and means stated by the right hon. gent. the other evening would be equal to the payments that were chargeable on them. In his opinion, there would be a deficiency of 2,000,000l.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer observed that in future years more detailed accounts might be produced.

[1 ]This debate is not mentioned in Hansard. Ricardo’s speech is here reprinted from the report in The Times.