Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/14

 (ib. xxix. 1119, see 3rd ser. lxxxvi. 1086); this was passed quickly through both houses, and received the royal assent on 23 March 1815 (55 Geo. Ill, c. 26). During the riots in London consequent upon the introduction of the bill, the mob attacked his house in Old Burlington Street, and destroyed the greater part of his furniture, as well as a number of valuable pictures (Annual Register, 1815, Chron. pp. 19-26; see also Report at large on the Coroner's Inquest on Jane Watson, &c., 1815). He opposed Lord Althorp's motion for the Appointment of a select committee on the public offices on 7 May 1816 (Parl. Debates, 1st ser. xxxiv. 334-8), and supported the introduction of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Bill on 26 Feb. 1817 (ib. xxxv. 722-7). He resigned the post of joint paymaster-general in the summer of this year, and was appointed president of the board of trade on 24 Jan. 1818, and treasurer of the navy on 5 Feb. following (London Gazette, 1818, i. 188, 261), being at the same time admitted to the cabinet. In 1819 he spoke in favour of the Foreign Enlistment Bill, which he held to be 'of the last importance to our character' (Parl. Debates, 1st ser. xl. 1088-91), and supported the third reading of the Seditious Meetings Prevention bill (ib, xli. 1051-4). On 8 May 1820 he asserted in the house that he 'had always given it as his opinion that the restrictive system of commerce in this country was founded in error, and calculated to defeat the object for which it was adopted' (ib. 2nd ser. i. 182-5, see 1st ser. xxxiii. 696). On the 30th of the same month he unsuccessfully opposed the appointment of a select committee on the agricultural distress (ib. 2nd ser. i. 641-51), but on the following day succeeded in limiting the investigation of the committee to 'the mode of ascertaining, returning, and calculating the average prices of corn,' &c. (ib, i. 714-15, 740). On 1 April 1822 he brought in two bills for regulating the intercourse between the West Indies and other parts of the world (ib. vi. 1414-25), and in the same month he spoke against Lord John Russell's motion for parliamentary reform (ib. vii. 104-6).

Robinson succeeded Vansittart as chan- cellor of the exchequer on 31 Jan. 1823 (London Gazette, 1823, i. 193). The substitution at the same time of Peel for Sidmouth and of Canning for Castlereagh caused a complete change in the domestic policy of the administration, while the appointment of Robinson to the exchequer and of Huskisson to the board of trade led the way to a revolution in finance. The prime mover of these fiscal reforms was Huskisson, but Robinson assisted him to the best of his ability. He brought in his first budget on 21 Feb. 1823. He devoted 5,000,000l. of his estimated surplus of 7,000,000l. to the reduction of the debt, and the rest of it to the remission of taxation. Among his proposals which were duly carried was the reduction of the window tax by one half (Parl. Debates, 2nd ser. viii. 194-213). His speech on this occasion is said to have been received with 'demonstrations of applause more loud and more general than perhaps ever before greeted the opening of a ministerial statement of finance' (Annual Register, 1823, p. 180). On 20 June 1823 he obtained a grant of 40,000l. towards the erection of 'the buildings at the British Museum for the reception of the Royal Library ' (Parl. Debates, 2nd ser. ix. 1112-1113). He introduced his second budget on 23 Feb. 1824. The revenue had been unexpectedly augmented by the payment of a portion of the Austrian loan. Owing to this windfall he was enabled to propose a grant of 500,000l. for the building of new churches, of 300,000l. for the restoration of Windsor Castle, and of 57,000l. for the purchase of the Angerstein collection of pictures by way 'of laying the foundation of a national gallery of works of art.' He also proposed and carried the redemption of the old four per cent. annuities, then amounting to 75,000,000l., the abolition of the bounties on the whale and herring fisheries, and on the exportation of linen, together with an abatement of the duties on rum, coals, foreign wool, and raw silk (Parl. Debates, 2nd ser. x. 304-37, 341-2, 345-6, 353-4). On 14 Feb. 1825 he supported the introduction of Goulburn's bill to amend the acts relating to unlawful societies in Ireland, and denounced the Catholic Association as 'the bane and curse of the country' (ib, xii. 412-21). A fortnight later he brought in his third budget. Having congratulated the house on the prosperity of the country, and invited the members 'to contemplate with instructive admiration the harmony of its proportions and the solidity of its basis,' he proposed and carried reductions of the duties on iron, hemp, coffee, sugar, wine, spirits, and cider (ib. xii. 719-744, 751). Towards the close of the year a great commercial crisis occurred. In order to check the excessive circulation of paper money in the future, the ministry determined to prevent the issue of notes of a smaller value than 5l. The debate on this proposal was opened on 10 Feb. 1826 by Robinson, whose motion was carried, after two nights' debate, by 222 votes to 39 (ib. xiv. 168-93, 194, 354). In consequence of Hudson Gurney's persistent opposition, Robinson compromised