BEXLEY, NICHOLAS VANSITTART, IsT BARON English politician, was the fifth son of Henry Van sittart (d. 177o), governor of Bengal, and was born in London on April 29, 1766. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he took his degree in 178 7, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1791. He began his public career by writing pamphlets in defence of the administration of William Pitt, especially on its financial side, and in May 1796 entered parliament. In I 8o r he was appointed joint secretary to the treasury, a position which he retained until the resignation of Addington's ministry in April 1804. He became secretary for Ireland under Pitt (Jan.—Sept. 18o5) ; and secretary to the treasury (18°6-07) under the Grenville administration. During these and the next few years Vansittart's reputation as a financier was gradually rising. In 1809 he proposed and carried without opposition in the House of Commons 38 resolutions on financial questions, and only his loyalty to Sidmouth prevented him from joining the cabinet of Spencer Perceval as chancellor of the exchequer in Oct. 1809. He opposed an early resumption of cash payments in 181 i, and became chancellor of the exchequer when the earl of Liverpool succeeded Perceval in May 1812.
When Vansittart became chancellor of the exchequer the coun try was burdened with heavy taxation and an enormous debt. Nevertheless, the continuance of the war compelled him to increase the custom duties and other taxes, and in 1813 he intro duced a complicated scheme for dealing with the sinking fund. In 1816, after the conclusion of peace, a large decrease in taxation was generally desired, and there was a loud outcry when the chancellor proposed only to reduce, not to abolish, the property or income tax. The abolition of this tax, however, was carried in parliament, and Vansittart was also obliged to remit the extra tax on malt, meeting a large deficiency principally by borrowing. He devoted considerable attention to effecting real or supposed economies with regard to the national debt. He carried an elaborate scheme for handing over the payment of naval and military pensions to contractors, who would be paid a fixed annual sum for 45 years; but no one was found willing to undertake this con tract, although a modified plan on the same lines was afterwards adopted. Vansittart became very unpopular in the country, and he resigned his office in Dec. 18 2 2. His system of finance was severely criticized by Huskisson, Tierney, Brougham, Hume and Ricardo. On his resignation Liverpool offered Vansittart the post of chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster. Accepting this offer in Feb. 1823 he was created Baron Bexley in March, and granted a pension of £3,00o a year. He resigned in Jan. 1828. In the House of Lords Bexley took very little part in public business, although he introduced the Spitalfields weavers bill in 1823, and voted for the removal of Roman Catholic disabilities in 1824. He took a good deal of interest in the British and Foreign Bible Mission, the Church Missionary Society and kindred bodies, and assisted to found King's college, London. He died at Foots Cray, Kent, on Feb. 8, 1851. There are nine volumes of Van sittart's papers in the British Museum.