The Sun. — London, England, 1852-12-03 00:00:00

Vbirti Wtittion. SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS—(THIS EVENING.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack a few minutes before 5 o'olock. NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND. The Earl of CLANCARTY adverting to a petition which had been brought forward on this subject, prayed her Majesty's Government to consider how, after a full enquiry, proper alteration could be made in the present system of national education in Ireland. The Earl of DERBY could assure the noble lord that without endangering the destruction of the present sys tem, he did not see any way of interfering with it, and this he could hardly think beneficial. He should be most happy, however, if it should be moved for to grant a committee of enquiry into the subject. The house then adjourned at 10 minutes after 5 o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS—('PHIS EVENING.) The Speaker took the chair shortly before four o'clock PETITIONS. Mr. FITZROY presented petitions from the civil service of the Crown, praying the house to take into consideration the Act relating to the Benevolent Fund, with a view to its alteration. Sir E. FILMER and other hon. members presented petitions praying for the repeal of the taxes on know ledge. Mr. F. MACKENZIE presented a petition from the Jamaica Association of Liverpool, complaining of dis tress in that colony, and praying the house to adopt measures of relief. Mr. GLADSTONE presented a petition from the colonists of New Zealand, complaining of the conduct of the New Zealand Company, and praying the house to withhold its consent to the bill for paying that company a sum of money by way of compensation for surrender ing its rights to the Government. ELECTION PETITIONS. The SPEAKER acquainted the house that he had received a letter from the agents of the petitioners against the return for Clare, stating that it was n o t their intention to proceed w ith the petition. Mr. M. GIBSON presented a petition from an indi vidual in Yarmouth, complaining that the Examiner of Recognizances had declared his recognizances, in the case of the Yarmouth election petition, to be objectionable, although a similar form had been passed in other cases, and praying the house to take the matter into its consi deration. The hon. gentleman gave notice that on Monday he should move that the petition be printed with the votes, with the view of calling the attention of the house to the subject. The SPEAKER stated that he had received a report from the Examiner of Recognizances, stating that the recogniza,nces in the cases o f D er b y and Pontefract were unobjectionable. RAILWAY AMALGAMATION. Mr. HENLEY gave notice that on Monday he would renew his motion on the subject of Railway Amalgama tion, which fell through last night owing to his absence. CRYSTAL PALACE FUNDS. In reply to Lord SEYMOUR, Lord J. MANNERS stated that the Woods and Forests had not received the report of the Crystal Palace Comrnmissioners relative to the disposal of the surplus fund, but as soon as it was received it would be laid be fore the house. LAMPS IN PALACE-YARD.' In reply to another question, Lord SE YiVIOUR stated, thaVe had given directions for additional lamps to be placed in Palace-yard. LONDON BRIDGE. In reply to Mr. LAING, • The NOBLE LORD said, Government were not respon sible for the present state of either London or Black friars Bridge. Sir R. W. INGLIS gave notice, that on Monday he would ask a question of the noble lord relative to the state of Westminster-bridge. LEOPOLD DE ROSE. Lord D. STUART wished to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been the re sult of the inquiry undertaken by the Government into the case of Leopold de Rose, a Polish officer, who was imprisoned in Winchester gaol at the instance of Cap • fain Cospatrick Baillie Hamilton, R.N. Mr. WALPOLE replied, that the case had been fully inquired into, and ho thought the magistrate was justified in the committal ; but, had the magistrate been in possession of facts which had since come to his knowledge, he was satisfied the committal would not have taken place. CLERGY RESERVES. Sir W. MOLESWORTH wished to ask the Secre tary of State for the Colonies, whether it is the intention of her Majesty's Ministers to bring in a bill to enable the Canadian Legislature to dispose of the Clergy Reserves, subject to the condition that the stipends and allowances heretofore 'assigned and given to the Clergy of the Church of England and Scotland, or to any other reli gious bodies or denominations of christians in Canada, shall be secured during the natural lives and incumben cies of the parties now receiving the same. Sir J. PAKINGTON said Government had no such intention. METROPOLITAN BUILDING ACT. Mr. OSBORNE wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Buildings, &c., whether the bill for the regu lation of Metropolitan Buildings is to be introduced before Christmas, with a view to its being pressed to a conclusion this session. Lord JOHN MANNERS said he should not be able to bring in the bill till after Christmas. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. On the motion of Mr. F. MACKENZIE, it agreed that the house at its rising should adjourn un Monday. was THE FINANC lAL STATEMENT. The house then went into Committee of Supply, Mr. WILSON PATTEN in the chair, after which The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER imme diately rose to make his anxiously looked for finan cial statement. He said he trusted that at the present financial statement had to be made under very peculiar circumstances, the House would excuse him if he deviated somewhat from the usual formal manner in which Chancellors of the Exchequer laid the financial affairs of the country before the house. Though they had, for instance, on the present occasion, to consider whether it was possible to make such changes in the mode of levying the revenue as would contribute more to the satisfaction and welfare of the community, and whether such alterations could be effected in our financial taxation as would remove from various classes a well-founded sense of injury and injustice, and principally whether they might not take that opportu nity of establishing the financial system on principles more adapted to the requirements of the time, and espe- cially to the industry of the country, which was pre eminent for its capacity for labour. Still there were topics to be adverted to which were not strictly of a financial nature. (Hear, hear.) He also trusted the House would recollect that only two-thirds of the financial year had been completed. (Hear.) If he deviated from the usual course, it was from a desire to lay with clearness before the house the views of the Government, and the opinion of the country, and he asked them not to precipitately decide on their motives and policy, but to consider the state ment as a whole. (Hear, hear.) After the event of the general election, and after understanding that the principle of unrestricted competition was Permanently adopted, it became their duty to consider whether a commercial system could not be so harmonised as to remove the well founded dis content of the people, and to lay the foundation of a sys tem which would be more beneficial, and enlist the sym pathies of all classes of the people. It was but right t hey should consider the claims of those great interests who believed that by recent legislation they had received o P r ecu no ll ,ar injury, and asce r t a i n w h e th er t h ey were just 'be all u d e d to the shipping in interest, the suga r Planting interes they t, and the agricultural interest. He trusted 'would be enabled to come to an unanimous opinion a s to their peculiar burdens and grievances, and to arrive a t Some permanent conclusi on on w hi c h t h e could concei ve financial system of the state of country could be b ase d . H e than when'inju ry nn was inmestoeciety more to b e d eprecated changes of the law which d u n i °II particular classes, by benefit of the country. (Revaerre)ally contributed to the st, the Government investigated the case of the shipping intere of opinion that, principally i n conse rnment were quenc e of the repeal ought not to bear, s mail of the Navigation Laws, they were suffering at this ment under burdens which they restrictions which impeded their industry, v , -Lear, ear. If it were the opinion of Parliament that such was the case, he thought the better course would be to meet the claims in a just and liberal spirit, and see if it were not possible to remedy the complaints of an influential, i m . portant, and worthy body. The Government had ex amined the case of all those classes comprised under the popular name of the shipping interest. They complained that they were subjected to vexatious burdens under the head of light dues, and of passing tolls, (Hear, hear.) They complained of the present system by which pilotage was carried on, and they made also a great complaint against what were called Ad miralty grievances. (Hear, hear.) They complained also of the circumstances under which individuals be longing to the mercantile marine were enlisted into the royal navy—(hear, hear)—they also complained of the present claims made on account of salvage —of the sums exacted for anchorage, of the restrictions placed upon them in the manning of their vessels, and of the stamp pates levied on marine insurance, and on bills of lading. '"~►,, ,__.. - Hear, hear.) The Government believed that, with re gard to these complaints, the house adopted the recom mendations, which it would be his duty to lay before them to night—the claims of this interest would be satis fled. With regard to the light dues, it was their opinior that these complaints were in a great measure foundec on fact. (Hear, hear.) It seemed quite indefensible that irrespective of the dues which were paid for lighthouse: by the shipping interest should be called on to pay large snm of money in the form of due; which was it fact interest paid to the Trinity House for the purchase of private lights which had been long ago been improvi dently granted by Parliament or the Crown. (Hear, hear.) The Government thought also that all those sums levied under the name of passing tolls, wen vexatious grievances and burdens to which the shipping of this country ought not to be subjected. They also thought that the shipping interest ought not to be called on to pay sums for the support of the charities of a cor poration. Taking these three points into consideration, the Government were prepared to say, with respect to the light dues, that the tax upon the shipping interest ought to be confined merely to payments for benefits which it received, and they were prepared to relieve it from all that was paid for interest upon those loans for the purchase of private lights, and from the contribution to the charities of the Trinity House, and, finally, to re lieve it from all passing tolls. (Hear.) This settlement would probably cost the country about 100,000/. a year ; but it appeared to him that the claimss were so just that it was impossible to resist them, and that they ought to have been considered when the Navigation Laws were repealed. The next point was the question of pilotage, a system which, he might say, was full of anomalies. There had been, upon a former occasion, though a long time ago, a committee of that house on the subject of the pilotage laws ; and, though he himself, in general, was very much disinclined to propose the appointment of committees, still, he thought that it would be eminently worthy of the consideration of the house whether or not a committee should be appointed to investigate the whole question of pilotage and ballast. And therefore it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to recommend that there should be a committee of enquiry and he did not entertain the slightest doubt but that the result of its investigation would prove most satis factory. He now came to remark upon those grievances which he had described as the Admiralty dues. The house was well aware teat a merchant-ship, find ing hrself upon a foreign - station, her captain may be deserted without any ceremony with out any notice—and often without any cause, by any of the crew who may immediately enlist in a ship belonging to the Royal Navy that may happen to be on the station. That was a privilege 'which acted very ingeniously upon the discipline and general conduct of the mercantile marine. (Hear, hear.) He, for one, would certainly be most unwilling to propose any change which would affect the necessary powers of the Royal Navy ; but he was forced to believe that this was a grievance of a most vexatious character. Her Majesty's Government, therefore, intended to propose that no man quitting the mer cantile marine should receive his wages then due to him, until the rest or the crew had been paid. At present he could at a moment's notice, not withstanding his engagement with his master, hoist his red shirt on a royal ship and demand his wages. His master thereby not only lost one of his crew, but he was called upon to pay wages which were not due until the ship had arrived in port. It is proposed that any one availing hiMself of this privilege of enlisting in the Royal Navy, should not receive his wages until the rest of the crew were paid off. It was further proposed that if the Royal Navy should avail themselves of this privilege, that they were liable for any injury which might be thereby inflicted on the merchant ship. The next grievance which he would bring before them was the question of salvage. He believed that, under the present system, the mercantile marine were grievously afflicted. There could be no doubt, although the humanising feelings which actuated the Royal Navy had been much improved from what they once were— that still instances of a most oppressive nature continually occurred, and the Government pro posed that the whole system should entirely cease. He need say very little on the subject of anchorage. That was a regulation which, like salvage, depends en tirely upon the Admiralty, and the Admiralty were pre pared that all vexations of this kind should be con cluded—(hear, hear)—and from henceforth no merchant vessel would not be deprived in its anchorage by the superior claims of ships belonging to the Royal Navy. There was another subject of paramout importance to the mercantile interest, and that was the restriction which at present existed upon manning the merchant marine. (Hear, hear.) They thought these restrictions were in defensible, while they doubted whether even in practice they were beneficial. (Hear, hear.) The time had therefore arrived when these restrictions must en tirely cease, but their removal could only be taken into consideration in connection with the other subject of manning the navy. (Hear, hear.) The whole subj ec t wou ld h ereafter have to be considered, and something would have to be done to remedy the evils of a system which dismissed our seasoned seaman at a time when he was most qualified to do his duty to the country. (Cheers.) Government were awaiting the report of a committee which had been sitting upon this very subject, but they trusted when it was hrought before Parliament, it would be in a manner that should be satisfactory to the house and to the country. (Hear, hear.) He had now touched upon all the points of any importance which were embraced in the care of the shipping interest, except those which referred to stamps upon insurance, bills of lading, and charter-parties ; but the heuse would at once perceive that these were points that affected the general taxation of the country, and, therefore, this was not the moment when they could be fairly alluded to in detail. (Hear, hear.) Government however, proposed to deal with the question lightly, under three heads, they pro posed to reduce the taxation that was paid by the ship ping interest, under the claims of supporting the light houses of the country—namely, the interest upon debt which has been incurred, and the contributions to wards charities, and the passing tolls to harbours, which ships never enter. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He proposed to terminate these three series of unjust taxation, and they belieued that object could be effected by the payment of an annual sum of 1,000,0001. (Hear.) There would then be left for the shipping interest to pay for such lights only which benefitted them. (Hear. hear.) The proposed—the second place to submit to the consideration of the house the whole question of pilotage, and they purposed in addition, that the three admiralty grievances of anchorage, salvage, and enlistment should be entirely terminated or subject to slch regulations as should deprive them of their injurious influence. (Hear, hear.) They proposed that the subject of manning should depend upon the decision of Parliament ; while with respect to the last point, which question related to the army, they proposed that this shouid be considered when the house came to con sider the whole subject of revenue. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman then proceeded to consider the claims of the sugar producing colonies. Sugar had been the battle-field of parties, but they must form an opinion as to the condition of the colonies upon strict and naked facts, and not by any recollection of the past. They might deplore past legislation, and be of opinion that the conduct of this country towards the colonies had been inconsistent, and, moreover, occasioned great damage to sugar growers, but they had to decide to-night, what under the existing state of affairs could be done for them. There was no one more ready than himself to listen to the just complaints of any class, or none more ready to redress their grievances. He had often expressed it as his opinion that the conduct of the mother country to the colonies would occupy no embla zoned page in the history of England. The redress prayed for by the colonies was contained under the fol lowing heads : -I st—Arrest of the descent of the duty on foreign sugar. 2 nd.--Reduction of the duty on British plantation sugar. 3rd.—The grant of additional loans to the respective colonies, for emigration and improvement. 4th.—Permission to refine sugar in bond, for home con sumption as well as importation. sth.--Permission to use molasses in breweries. (Hear.) 6th.—Equalisation on the duties on rum and British spirits. Under these circumstances he would find great difficulty in making such recommendations as were contained in the two first, but especially in this Parliament, which was re turned to support unrestricted competition. Even if he saw that ruin was falling on the sugar-producing colo nies, he would hesitate before having recourse to the im position of a differential duty to mitigate their sufferings. Was there such evidence of a rivalrybetween British and foreign producers of sugar as to justify the Government in proposing any special measure for their relief ? They were told this competition could not be endured, but what were the facts ? In the ten months ending Nov. 1251, the West Indies sent to this country, for home consumption, 2,251,000 cwts. of sugar, and in the ten months ending Nov. 1852, 3,940,000 cwts. From the Mauritius for the same period, there were entered for home consumption, as follows :-1851, 804,000 cwts., and 1852, 977 cwts. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) East India sugar, which in Nov., 1851, amounted to 1 ,037,000 cwt, had in Nov., 1852, risen to 1,300,000 cwt. Our united colonies in Nov., 1851, had sent 4,094,000 cwt. ; in Nov., 1852, they had sent 5,373,000. (Hear-) He now had to show whether he was called upon to arrest the descent of the duties upon foreign Vg_ a r. The quantit y o f unre fi ne d f ore i gn pugar in Nov., cal, amounted to 1,218,000 cwt. • in Nov., 1852, it amounted only to 570,000 cwt. The uantit of refined ' foreign igar was in ov., 1851,. 268,000 cwt. in Nov., would be seNvena: of British sugar entered figures would be that and 1,000,487 cwt. o f f c , • 243 000 cwt. (Hear, hear.) It therefore,, that the general f these r h e q e beingfor homein 1851 c 0 n s 4 l , in 1 00 p 0 i 1. 1: n 6 , reign sugar, and in 5,378,000 cwt. of 13ritih, and 814,000 cwt. of foreignlBs2, sugar, the British production had increased, from vember, 1851, to November, 1852, 1 ,250,000 cwt., while foreign sugar had decreased 600,000 cwt. (gear, m Now, lie might be called a traitor, and he might be called a renegade—(laughter) —but lie would ask if there was any gentleman in the house, who, with these facts staring him in the face, could recommend lalwo THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 3, 1852. the adoption of Parliament. Now, these prin ciples had been definitely established, and which would enable the country to meet the competition which it would have to encounter in the future. The result appeared to him then to be inevitable—that the only principle on which the Government of the country could act, was to cheapen the necessaries of life as much as possible. (Cheers.) He found then, that in 'the case of the very primest necessaries of life, that some of them were subject to the very heaviest taxes in the tariff—(hear)—and he must mention that that was an arrangement totally inconsistent with the new system. (Cheers.) Honourable gentlemen opposite boasted of having given cheap bread to the country. (Opposition cheers.) Acting upon the principles, then, which he had enunciated, the house would not be astonished to hear that her Majesty's Government were prepared to deal with the malt-tax. (Loud cheers from the Govern ment benches.) Herein was a prime necessary of life— (ironical laugh from Opposition benches)—taxed in a manner which greatly restricted industry. He would not recommend the change which he was about to refer to the hon. gentlemen opposite, upon any other plea than that which they had themsefves always declared to be the sovereign plea—the interest of the consumer. (Hear, hear.) He believed, however, that if the interest of the consumer alone were to be taken into consideration, that that would be neither acting up to the principles of unrestricted competition, neither could it be said to be carrying into effect the views which had triumphed at the late election. ) He believed it was possible ( while Hear,e ar, considering, e h n e s a i r d , e ri and ng cihentehr the . first instance, the interests of the consumer to benefit another class also. (Hear, hear.) It certainly was for the interest of the consumer that the malt tax should be dealt with, and in his opinion, if tho tax was properly dealt with, no tax was calculated to be more beneficial to apiculture. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") The question of the malt tax, however, had assumed a very different aspect since the repeal of the corn laws. Indeed, it had been said by a very high authority, that the moment they repealed the corn laws the repeal of the malt tax was inevitable, and he thought there would be no great difficulty in demonstrating the soundness of that opinion ; for when Ministers of State were required to take every opportunity of improving the cultivation of the soil, that he must grow as little wheat as possible to retain restrictions upon the growth of the next generous grain was preposterous. (Hear.) But it was for the interest of agriculture that, in all soils which have been diverted from the growth of barley to that of wheat, should be restored to its original pur pose, because then the market for the production of the soils which were eminently qualified to give us wheat would be greatly improved. (Hear, hear.) Well then, they had to consider, in the first place, how they should deal with the case—in what manner, and to what degree they should deal with the two objects which they ought to have in view were those of establishing industry, and reducing the price of the article consumed to the consumer, and they could not obtain that object if they dealt with this case in a small or limited degree. (Hear.) The existing duty on malt was 2s 74d. and 5 per cent. per bushel, and the consumption was on the increase. In 1849 it was 38,935,000 bushels, in 1850 it r eac h e d t o 40,744 , 000 bushels, and in 1851 it was 41,337,000 bushels ; but there was no article of consumption which had increased less than malt, which he attributed to the large amount of taxation that was imposed upon it. (Hear, hear.) There were some gentlemen, however, who entertained the opinion that the decrease of this consumption of malt, when compared with other articles of consumption, was to be attributed to the circumstances of the taste of the people having changed in favour of other sources of ex citement, but he was in a position to show that this posi tion could not be maintained. Well, then, under these circumstances, Government thought it to be their duty to recommend to the house that the malt tax should be considerably diminished. (Hear, hear.) That they should diminish it by one-half the amount of the present duty. (Cheers.) The sum which they had to deal with just exceeded 5,000,0001. as regarded revenue, and they proposed that they should diminish this duty exactly by one-half—(hear)-- that they should impose a uniform duty of ls. 2d. and 5 per cent. per bushel on the malt ; and Government pro posed that the restrictions which prevailed bet Ween malt obtained from barley and malt obtained from what was called big and bracken—(cries of hear, hear) — They proposed also to do away with the malt drawback in Scotland on the spirits raised from malt, that being a change which they thought ought no longer to be post poned. Sir Henry Parnell, the chairman of a committee appointed to inquire into the excise, statel in a report which he submitted to the house, that if the corn laws were repealed, he would recommend the reduction of the duty on malt to one-half, and this came from a gentleman who was very tender of the re venue, and who could not have anticipated the circumstances which had since occurred The same report also recommended the repeal of the drawback on malt in Scotland. This had been done in Ireland in 1842 without a murmur in accordance with the recommendations of a committee on Irish spirits, and had given general satisfaction, and he was sure the repeal of repeal of the drawback in Scotland would give equal satisfaction. They proposed, then, that on the -10th of October next the malt tax should be repealed one half, that day having been fixed, after due deliberation, at least inconvenient to the trade. They alsoproposed on that day to take the whole stock of malt throughout the country, and to allow a drawback to all holders of it in proportion to the amount of duty abolished. In submitting these propositions to the house they were only following out the principle which had been laid down, that in the present state of affairs they should consider our taxation mainly in reference to the great body of consumers ; and the consequence was that they found the most legitimate and surest, and most efficient means of relieving the agricultural interests, He now came to deal with one as popular, and one sub ject to much heavier taxation. He was about to recom mend to the house to deal with the tea duties. (Hear, hear.) He knew the prejudices which existed among a certain class of persons upon the subject of the tea duties. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") In con sidering this subject nothing had struck him so much as the gradual growth of public opinion with respect to this article. He had been much amused by reading a passage in Mr. Pepy's Diary---" Took a cup of the new China drink—very pleasant." (Laughter.) That article, which was so great an exotic to that gentleman, was now the principal solace of every cottage in the country. (Hear.) It was said that in dealing with tea, it was necessary to remember that it Was an article of limited supply. Seeing that at the beginning of the last century we had had imported 500,0001b5. at a high price, that even under the charter we had imported 30,000,000 lbs per annum, that our annual importation was now about 70,000,000 lbs, last year we had imported 71,466,000 lbs, and our consumption in round numbers was 54,000,000 lbs,—after having consulted those, who from their posi tion, wealth, and otherwise, might be considered as great authorities upon the subject, her Majesty's Government had come to a conclusion that there could be no pro spect of any want of supply of tea to this country. They must remember, that since 1841, the annual in crease in the importation of tea to this country had been upwards of 1,700,000 lb s . The right hon. gentleman then read numerous statistics, to show the great increase which had taken place in the consump tion of tea and sugar of late years. Well, in dealing with the subject of tea, the Government were of opinion, that it would be perfectly vain to attempt to make any difference, either between black or green tea, or between tea of various qualities. (Hear, hear.) If they had to do so, he was perfectly persuaded that nothing but endless trouble would be thereby en tailed, and, therefore, he believed that boldness was the wisest course. (Hear, hear.) He had been always of opinion that the reduction of duties upon articles con sumed as beverages by the people, so faros they were of a similar character, were not found to interfere with each other. Of this he did not know a more striking instance than that of coffee. The right hon. gentleman again referred to official documents to show that, with the lowering of the duties, the consumption of tea and coffee had simul taneously increased. Well, under these circumstances, following the same rule as in the case of the sugar duties—following a precedent which he thought had been most successful, the Government had to propose what he believed to be a very safe proposition, but nevertheless what would seem a very comprehen sive one. The present duties upon tea were 2s. and 2s. Old. per pound, no distinction being made between the various qualities of tea. The Government proposed that these duties shouliike lowered to is per pound. (Loud cheers.) And it lilts further proposed that this reduction should be issued over a period of six years--(oh, oh)—and that the reduction for the first year should amount to 44d. per pound. (Loud laughter from the Opposition benches.) He be lieved that hon. gentlemen might be folind to be a little too precipitate in their laughter. Considering the amount of the reduction to be made, it was quite impossible that the consumer could desire the benefit of it before some considerable period, and until the growth of tea in China had largely in creased, the revenue could not derive much advantage. Therefore the interest of the consumer, in the opinion of Government, W as i n the end best promoted by making the reduction gradual. (Hear, hear.) The- consumption of tea last year was 55,000,000 of pounds, and he had only taken 60,000,000 as the con sumption under the reduced duty ; that was an increase of 6,000,000 pounds ; but looking to the increased con sumption of the present year, it would only be a virtual increase of 3,000,000 pounds. This reduction they could make with pe r f ect safety to our f i nances. W ell, then, they proposed t o reduce the tea dut i es i n t h e first year by 4f d. per lb., an d ever y year afterw ar d s to make a red uc ti on of 2d. per lb. unt il the duty be comes is. pe r lb . (Hear, hear. ) H e b elieved if they adopted that measure there would be but little de crease in the revenue, while the people would be able to obtain a favourate beverage at a cheap rate, and in a manner which would tend greatly to increase the nianu fpeturing and shipping interest of the country. (Cheers.) There was another duty which he was about to deal with that was connected with this branch of the subject, and which, perhaps, he ought to have adverted to before. He referred to the hop duty. (Hear, hear.) There were two duties now levied upon hops, namely, the duty that was established in the time of Queen Anne, and the duty that was im posed at the period of the late war. Those duties were almost equal in amount. In round numbers they amounted to almost id. per lb. each, and what the Government pro posed to do, was to abolish the whole of the war duty which had always been a most unpopular one. (Hear, hear.) At present they did not propose to take off all, but surely something must be left for future statesmen to deal with. (A laugh.) There was a point of some im portance in connection with this subject which he ought to touch upon. He was recommending all'ihese mea sures upon the principle or understanding that the reve nue of the country Was to depend upon the consuming power* of the people, but it has been said, of the propping up of a prostrated industry, which, it ap peared was commrnding the markets of the British me tropolis, or could ask for a differential duty under circum stances such as these ? (Loud cheers from the Opposition.) Certainly such a duty could not bo asked for while an object, and if that object were to give a stimulus to the colonial market, it appears that that object had al ready been gained. To ask for a guarantee for a loan for the purposes of promoting immigration and the ge neral improvement of the country was an object in which her Majesty's Government would readily join, but he believed he could show that they had not been slow in this respect. The subject of the immigration of Chiaese labourers to the West Indies was one which had been urged on the consideration of the Government. The right hon. gentleman proceeded to read a dispatch which related to the efforts made by ehe Government Commis sioners to promote immigration, and from which it appeared that emigration ships had been dispatched by the present Government, and that the island of 'Tri nadad was about to import fourteen hundred labourers. He also referred to official documents to prove that the sums already allotted to the West India Islands, for the purpose of promoting immigration, were still unexhaust ed. Now, that being the case, how could her Majesty's Government be justly called upon to propose any fresh loans to encourage emigration to our sugar-producing colonies (hear, hear) although he believed that there was now at length a chance in the case of Trinidad, of the whole sums allotted to them being required. (Hear, hear.) He now came to the fourth point, which had reference to the bonded— refinement of sugar for home consumption as well as for exportation. He had given the subject his most earnest attention, and he remembered of old that his late lamented friend, Lord George Bentinck, had also most ably investigated the question. No doubt, herein a very great boon might be conferred in the sugar producing colonies. He did not think that he could put the case more clearly before them, than by supposing the year 1854 to have arrived, when all the differential duties on sugar would cease. It had been represented to them, that the saccharine matter in the foreign sugars, which was unrefined, was so much greater in amount than that contained in the colonial sugar ; that it had amounted to as great a difference in the case of the West India colonies as between 90 and 75 ; and in the case of the coarse East India sugars, to no less than between 90 and 60. Well, what was asked was, that the refining process may take place in bond, and that the duty might be taken upon sugar in this state rather than in the coarse state. (Hear, hear.) There were objections, no doubt, to that arrangement, con nected with the revenue of the country, but he did not think considerations connected with financial arrange ments were sufficient to resist the claims which the present position of the colonies had upon them. (Hear, hear.) They had here an opportunity of conferring upon the colonies a great boon—a boon, too, consistent with the principles of unrestricted com petition. The Government was prepared to concede that boon, but, of course, it must be conceded subject to those conditions which were necessary for the security of the revenue. (Hear, hear.) He should not then allude to the, subject of molasses, or to the duty on rum, because he did not believe the moment apposite. He would Row refer to another point of 6he local taxation of the country. It was unnecessary for him to enter into any of those arguments with which the house was so familiar, as to the local taxa tion of the country to show that there were objects of universal interest, which were, in fact sustained by taxation, not upon the general property-- but upon a peculiar division of it. (Hear, hear.) The whole question had been dealt with so ingeniously by one who, though oppos e d to hi s (th e Chancearof the Exche quer's) policy, still had treated this subject in the most lucid manner--he alluded to Mr. Lewis. It could not be contended that the support of the poor was a matter of general, nay, universal obligation, and he thought, as far as the principle was concerned, the complaint on this head of a portion of the real property interest of the country which had suffered most by recent legislation, was ex ceedingly well founded. (Hear, hear.) There could hardly be a difference of opinion about that. Well, then, in the next place they had to consider what was the course to be taken with reference to that part of our taxation which was mainly levied for a purpose of general interest, but which was yet not levied upon the community at large. The local taxation of the country was a subject with which they were all familiar ; it resolved itself, in fact, into three principal rates, namely, the Highway Rate, the County Rate, and that great rate called the Poor Rate. (Hear, hear.) Upon the subject of the Highway Rate no less than six acts of Parliament had already been passed for improving or mystifying its operations, and now with the assistance of his hon. friend the Under Secre tary of State for the Home Department, who had di rected a good deal of attention to the matter, he was prepared to bring in a seventh bill, which he hoped, after the six experiments which he had alluded to, this mea sure would prove satisfactory to the house and the country. (Hear, hear.) He came next to the county rate—a small rate certainly, but still one which had excited a good deal of interest in connection with agriculture, and here he had no hesitation in declaring, on the part of the Government, that with reference to the collection and administration of this rate, they had no objection whatever to the adoption of the representative principle, if it should be the opinion of the house that the rate-payer was entitled to that control over the expenditure of the rate ; but there were two items in the rate to which that popular principle could not be well applied. He alluded to that portion of the rate which was diiected to the maintenance of gaols and lunatic asylums, but the time was rapidly approaching when the house must be called upon to deal with the whole question of punishments, for he thought it was becoming the most pressing question of the day, and probably that would be the proper opportunity for dealing with this porition of the rate, .as well as of requiring the Government to take a more active part in the management of our gaols. (Hear, hear.) As regarded the county rates ; he therefore said frankly, he was not prepared to recommend any change in that portion of our local taxation. (Hew.) late, that the consuming power of the people was rapidly improving. Therein economists had made a mistake, however, in this respect, for n o ev id ence h a d reached him in his official capacity which could tend in any way to support that opinion. (Hear, hear.) But, probably, the opinion was based upon the extent of emigration that had recently been going on. (Hear.) It would be found that there was a greater amount of emigration in this country than was balanced by the number of births. In 1849 the emigration amounted to 300,000 persons ; in 1850, 280,000 ; in 1851, 335,000, and in 1852 (three-fourths of the year) 332,000 persons. The births registered in England and Wales in 1852 were 600,000, and the deaths 400,000; as the births exceeded the deaths by 200,000, it followed that the emigration exceeded the super fluity of births by considerably more than 100,000. If, however, the returns were analysed it would be found that such was really not the case. In the first place, the returns only contained England and Wales • in the second, two-thirds of the emigration proceeded from Ireland, which did not figure in the population returns. The emigration from Ireland was produced by the social system, which was broken to pieces by the misery of the people ; in England it was produced by circumstances exactly contrary. The people of England were never better off ; but foreign inducements had led them to seek better fortunes than they experienced here. The emigration from England and Wales did not in fact exceed 100,000 as against 200,000, which was the addi tion to the population by births. His own opinion was, that emigration, instead of diminishing, increased the consuming power of the nation. Every emigrant from England became an English colonist and an English customer—(hear, hear)—Land our markets were stimu lated by that very circumstance which was looked upon as a sign of decay and dissolution. (Hear, hear.) With respect to Ireland, he was compelled to arrive at a similar conclusion. Though we had lost in that country a million and a half of population, there had been no proportionate diminution in the revenue. It was his opinion, that the consuming power of a people did not depend upon their numbers, but in their condition, and he was persuaded that as Ireland was a much richer country, its consuming powers would not only be maintained, but would increase. There appears to be .an apprehension that the rate of wages was increasing. For his own part, he must say that he had not yet received evidence of such an extra ordinary rise in the wages of this country. But there was another question, and that was the rate of interest. It might be that the employer of labour paid more for labour than he had done before, but it was certain that the employer of capital obiained his capital at a less rate than he had ever done before. (Hear.) The hon. mem ber for Wolverhampton said the other night that the discovery of gold had not affected the commerce of this country any more than the increase of any other article of consumption ; but he could tell the honour able gentleman that, besides this, it had had the effect of confirming credit in this country, and thereby immensely tending to the employment of the people. (Loud cheering.) His own opinion was the present rate of interest would continue. The reduction which he proposed amounted in all to about to between three and four millions sterling, the reduc tion in the malt tax being about 2,500,0001., in the hop duties 300,0001., and in the tea duties 400,0001. He must remind the house that, though this was now only December, in a few months one of the principal sources of the revenue would have ceased, and that if they supported the propositions of the Government they would, in addition, have to deal with the consequences of an expiring law, which produced 5,000,0001. of revenue to the Government ; and it would then become the duty of the House to decide what they would do with the property and income-tax. The right hon. gentleman then read an extract from his last year's speech on introducing the budget, which was to the effect that the views which he had at present entertained on the subject of direct taxation were not inconsistent with those which he had formerly pro pounded. He was clearly of opinion that if they were to have recourse to direct taxation, that it should be general. (Hear, hear.) How far that course would be practicable it would be unfair to consider ; but certain it was that the theme of establishing direct taxation upon a large system of exemption was clearly a pernicious one. (Hear, hear, hear.) Well in laying down the views which he entertained with re spect to the property and income-tax, it was plain that the house must be struck with one very large exemption which attended that tax. That was one which he was bound at once to notice, and that was Ireland. Last year, he had made no reference whatever to Ireland, because he believed that the arrangements which were then pro mised, were only of a temporary nature. But having now to consider the subject more intimately, he deemed that he would be acting inconsistently with his duty if he were to evade the subject. (Hear, hear,) Sir Robert Peel, in his financial statement of '42, when he first introduced the Property and Income-tax, pro posed to place upon Ireland, as an equivalent for that tax two others. There was to be an increase in the duties on spirits, which was estimated to produce 250,0001. a year ; and there was to be an increase in the stamp duties on matters affecting pro perty, estimated at about 160,0001., both together being estimated to produce 410,0001. That was the equivalent which Ireland was to contribute to the revenue, in lieu of her portion of the property and income-tax. Now, though he was upon all occasions anxious to avoid making unpleasant observations to hon gentlemen, yet he could not help remind ing honourable members from the sister country that the expectations held out had not been realised in reference to Ireland. For the produce of these taxes had fallen infinitely below what had been looked for. The state of Ireland had now a ray of hope, and as far as he could form on opinion, he thought he might ven ture to speak of Ireland, without using the language of despair, in accents of desolation. (Hear, hear.) He asked the house to permit him to place before them returns of the poor law taxation of Ireland. (Hear, hear.) He did not want to insult any gentleman by showing him that his country was not ruined—(a laugh)—but all he was anxious to do was to fulfill his duty by stating to her Majesty's Faithful Commons the conditions of the whole kingdom . (Hear, hear.) Well, then, the poor law expenditure in 1850 amounted to the enormous sum of 1,320,000/. ; in 1851 it was reduced to 1,129,0001. ; and for the year ending the 29th of September, 1852, the poor law expenditure was reduced to 855,0001. (Cheers.) The decrease in the expenditure of 1851, as compared with 1850, was in amount nearly 200,0001., is at the rate of fourteen per cent., the expenditure of 1852 as compared with 1851 was in amount 274,0001. or at the rate of 24 per cent., and the decrease in the expenditure of the year just concluded as compared with 1850, was not less than 465,0001., or at the rate of 35 per cent. (Loud cheers.) Nor was that all, for he had just received a return from Ireland of an official nature, which conveyed to him the gratifying intelligence that Ireland was in a position to maintain her own poor without receiving any assistance from any quarter, and he thought with these facts before them they ought not altogether to despair of the condition of the sister kindgdom. (Cheers.) He did not think himself that it would be wise or right to treat with any harshness the men of Ireland. He rather was disposed to say that they should do as much as possible to assist that " wise, just, and beneficial" change which had recently taken place in Ireland. (Laughter.) he did not think it expedient to throw any obstacle in the way of the regeneration of that country. (Hear.) Yet the Government intended to recommend the exten sion of the Income-tax to funded property and salaries in Ireland. (Loud cries of hear, and great sensation.) With respect to the property and income-tax there was another principle which the Government were prepared to assert, namely, to acknowledge a difference between permanent and precarious incomes. (Cheers.) Notwithstanding the large remission of taxation they had recommended, which amounted to 3,500,0001, and which would relieve the consumers of the country to a much greater extent, it was not the intention of the Government to recom mend any increase in any of the schedules of the Pro perty and Income-tax. (Hear,) They proposed to fix the point of exemption on industrial incomes at 100/., and on incomes arising from property, at 501. (Sensa tion.) As regarded schedules for realised property, he proposed that the tax should be 7d. as heretofore. and to reduce the tax under schedule to 51d. The result of all would be including Ireland, would be the average of the last three years, being 4,961,0001 . [Left Speaking.] [The conclusion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Speech will be given in a Later Edition.] (DEFT SPEAKING.) THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) WHITEHALL, DEC. 2. The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Knight of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, unto Charles Robert Mitchell Jackson, Esquire, Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Bombay. BANKRUPTS. Richard Collsf builder, Charlton, to surrender, Dec. 10, at half-past twelve, and Jan. 13, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee, Basinghall street ; Sole, Turner, and Turner, Aldermanbury. John Edward Spicer, paper manufacturer, G u ildf or d, Dec. 15, a t e l even, and Jan. 22, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basinghall street ; Ivimey, Chancery-lane. Richard Eaton Noble, painter, Down-street, Picca dilly, Dec. 14, at one, and Jan. 21, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee ; Col lins, New Bridge-street, Blackfriars. Thomas Corby, builder, Lower Eaton-street, Pimlico, Dec. 14, and Jan. 18, at one, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Rixon, King Wil liam-street. Daniel Coe, grocer, Ardwick, M anc h ester, Dec. 17, and Jan. 7, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Lee, official assignee, Manchester ; Higson and Robinson, Manchester. Patrick Cowan ' brassfounder and gas fi tter, Skinner street, Snow-hill, Dec. 14, at two, and Jan. 13, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Edwards, official assignee ; Appleton, Philpot-lane. Henry Capper, licensed victu a ll er, Gravesend, Dec. and Jan. 22, at half-past twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basinghall street ; Wilkinson, Gurney, and Stevens, Nicholas-lane. Richard Jones, hatter, Oswestry, Salop, Dec. 16, and Jan. 13 following, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court of Bankruptcy. Christie, official assignee, Bir mingham ; Hodgson, Birmingham. Charlotte Julia Pickford, upholsterer and fringe and tassel manufacturer, Cheltenham, Dec. 14 and Jan. 11, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Acraman, offi cial assignee, Bristol ; Bevan, Bristol. to the fullest extent the now firmly established 's tem of unrestricted competition. Foremos t 3131 all the evid ences of this intention on the p at 4 the Cabinet, was the explanation thereupon?. by Mr. DISRAELI, that the Ministry are deflill tis prepared to deal w ith th e M a l t -t ax . The Pref . . th • i-s sition now sub m itt e d t o th e L eg i s l a ture is l that the duty upon malt should be eens ider on e. remitted—that, in f ac t, it s h ou ld be reduced a i t half—while the d raw b ac k upon ma lt should re' Scotland (as had f ormer l y -b een done ill J land) be altogether foregone. It had L';i o asserted long ago that the abolition of of duties on co rn wou ld necess it a t e th e remissi on n the duties upo n b ar l ey . Th a t re mission bad, t o become inevit a bl e . It was un d o ubted, sal i a to Right Hon. Gentle man , th a t an increase 1 1 0 , 540 perceptible si nce th e establishment of the of unrestricted competition, the sum 002 1 1 50, in 1849, 38,935 , 000 b us h e l s , in yet 40,744,000, and in 1851, 40,337, 000- ,,in it would be b u t f a i r th a t F ree T r ade shoo:tient this instan ce , b e carr i e d ou t t o it s fullest D o in this parti cu l ar , an d th ere f ore it has fl°'W to t proposed by the CHANCELLOR of theExoHEQ lo 7 .id. the Malt-ta x — now l ev i e d at t h e ra te of —should be reduced one half, namely, to 15.'1, and that the • new sys t em s h ou ld com e into ° r e o tion on the 10th of next October. i lleP o ol subject treated of by the Right Hon. Gentle 000 f wasthe question of the Tea Duties. The redn 4L t l e of the malt-tax one half, must of course, try sisted, benefit the consumer considerabb 1,1 placing within his reach cheap beer, it woull o r f encouraging the culti va ti on o f b ar ley mate l p improve the condition of agriculturists. atj, reduction of th e T ea D ut i es, h e contei l o l must not less signally benefit the consume r the importer. I n hi s re f erence to this pro Fo e 0 0l diminution h e ma d e f acet i ous ment i on o f the ;rs ., praise of the c hi na p l ant b y PEPYS in his " I) , j i g .l and then spe c ifi e d th a t t h e i mports o f Tea fts reached 71,466,000 lbs. The probable ir° ll ,o of the curre n t year, en di ng on the I s t of 04 January,would amount to full 57,000,000 .03 At present the duties on Tea i lla T yo stated at 240 per cent. or 2s. 21c1. p e r lb. 0 , 0 1 duties the Right Hon. Gentleman now Pr e ?. 011 to reduce very cons id era bl y. H e had Prev,l'io) remarked that it would be unwise to deal i.oB . small manne r w ith th e M alt-tax. He s jloP 6 quently suggested that the old war duty ell i v should be simply and at once remitted. kindred spirit he now unfolded his plan in r e A O to the alteration of the tax imposed P e t Tea. Instead o f ma i nta i n i ng those dwia es , d 1' 2s. 21d., he wou ld suggest that t h ey shot' reduced during the next six years to is."' 10 , in the first y ear b y 4kd . [ s h ould it no t be .31(14 and in each of the five years afterwards bY s idi until it is reduced to Is. as proposed. I t A be especially b orne i n mind, that this r edti f $ ll to is., applies to teas of all kinds, to teas ° ol* qualities, to bl ac k an d green i n di scr imina f t is Turning to generalities, the CHANCELLOR (1 ,4 r EXCHEQUER next spoke o f th e powers of the lar consumption upon which the revenues o r mainly dependent. Th ose powers o f eol ls ) tion he rega r d e d as v i s ibl y on t h e inerease.„ conviction whi c h h e more c l ear l y define d iv reasonable by refer ence t o th e annua l bird ' t ot England and Wales, and to the circumstan ce the principal i mm i gra ti on h a d b een f ro m Ire i b 6 v , The rise in th e r at e o f wages h e cons idered 5 0 advantageous to th e coun t ry, i nstea d o f bei ll, ~ 101 was sometimes prete n d e d, a lt oge th er disa s di tr t iao Meanwhile, there was th e fl our i s hi ng con di of the rate of interests--,and the E ll ', rate of interests he distinctly avowed WS COl tion would continue. 0` Recapitulating b r i e fl y the measures prop ca' to ,be carried out by her MAJEsTY's vernment, the Right Honourable Ge 0 1 man reminded th e H ouse th at th e y sligg c 0 the remission of 2,500,0001. through Ts Malt Duties, of 900, 0001. through th e Duties, of 300,000/. through the Hop —altogether reducing the revenues of the CO v ,; 0 01 , by a sum of bet ween 3,000 , 0 00/. and 4,000, v Bearing this in remembrance, we seemed to f l i° naturally enough to the consideration °' 'i 3Oe s tax imposed from y ear t o year upon in' ;of and property. Th a t t ax t h e CHANCEL -et the EXCHEQUER maintained upon a I°l o° occasion in the House of Commons, ought nt admit of any exemptions. Repeating this f l c tif tion in his Budget, he now yet more distin 01(1 insisted that the P ro p er t y an d I ncome -t a x be general ; and in the enforcement of thi , s,P',o ciple, and in th e d eve l opment of t h e d ye just, and beneficial" measures known as 0 1 4, measures establishing the system of unrean, competition, he now d eman d e d th e extelis i()- r a the Property and I ncome T ax to fun d e d Pr jolt ties and salaries in Ireland. Turning ill 6of of episodical m anner to the consideransoli' the 240,0001, p er annum, known as the 033 re dated Annuities, the Right Hon. Gentlenlaj 1.4 marked that the Cabinet were not P re ' . til e to accede to the recommendations fr° l32 f hog House of Lords' Committee, thouglt s te meditated bringing forward some W w. ..„,itfr rial suggesti on a t an early oppert' he Having explained this matter incidentai l Y'4 reverted ,to the subject of the Propertyit Income-tax—obs erv i ng th at b es i des extending 0( 1 , to the founded p roper t y an d salaries in I re ° 0, Minister were p re p ar i ng t o recognise a diliv" between permanent or realised incomes of incomes simply precarious. In illustrat le eg his meaning, and after distinctly aul leliv Wig that there would not be a prepo nder7 ho increase in a n y sc h e d u l e, h e explained that would henceforth consider the exeraP ti l l o , 9 l ' industrial i ncomes to commence at,_ JP ° per annum n , an d t h e exemption n` incomes on property at 501. per 53 ; 12 , ' Schedule A and C continuing 7d., reducing 6 id' dules B, D, and E, to the rate of merely f Estimating the p rocee d s o f t h e extension 010' Property and Income Tax to Ireland at the fo ol dent sum" of 60,0001. , h e considered that thecaph total would b e , un d er the new arrange; r, r, somewhere about 5,421,000 . Meanwhile ha 11 called to the recollection of the house that ' ni g 6 suggested measures which would reduce the re l l d t 9 by an amount exceeding 3,500,000/. - 4-d ",., e u ey this, came the increased expenditure eons e `l tio n upon the development, or rather orgall i t r iio of the national defences. Remy 0-k f' '. these facts, it became his duty as THE EXCHEQUER to allude now more ~n r je cularly to th e necess it y f or supplying clonal ' / f l u 0 14 [To be concluded in a later edition of ANGE—Taig PAt' --, Gibra1tar.........• • • ' ' 30 % Leghorn „ , ..... 0 " Genoa .......• •••• • • '. --• iMilan .... .... .... ... .••• ' • • • --; 0 Venice ..... " • "i Naples ..... ,„ .• • • 1 9- Palermo „, ~ ~ .....• " ili s i 4- Messina . • • "•. .• - 4 Lisbon . Oporto .............• • • Rio Janeiro.... • • • • ' • .. -- Buenos Ayres ... •"• • • -- New York,6o day's sigh t -- Philadelphia ••• • "" ;:gs ()% g ?mem OF EIILLIOP 9 , 2 a 0 Foreign Gold in Barg ,) 0 v , Portugal Gold Coin • • 0 ; Spanish Doubloons • • New Dollars.• •• ' 1 0 0 °- Silver in bars ••• • • • ___,,,oe fottrthWrittton (Continued from our Third Edition.) He now came to the poor rates, and in con sidering them h e oug ht to look to that which was most expedient for the country generally, and for that class which might have been injuriously affected by the present arrangement. (Hear, hear.) They must remember that a great change had taken place in the burden of the poor -rates since 1849, when he last brought the subject before the house, there having been a reduction of 25 per cent. (Hear.) No practicable proposition which he had brought forward with any chance of being carried—(laughter) —would have effected a greater diminution of the poor rates. The diminution had been equal to the whole amount of the " established charges for the salaries of officers. The expenditure for the relief and maintenance of the poor, as shown by the return of 1849, which formed the basis of his argument in that year, amounted to 6,180,000/. ; in 1851, which was the last return on the table, the sum had diminished to 4,962,0001. (Loud Opposition cheers). He was afraid that cheer was not on account of the di minution —(laughter) —but that it was a cheer for recent legislation. (Repeated cheering). Mind ! he did not wish to dis turb recent legislation, as he would show them to-night, but their cheer was a very illogical one, for he was going to demonstrate to them that recent legislation might not have had anything to do with the matter. It so happened that in 1846 the total sum was less. Mr. BRIGHT—The p r i ce o f corn was the same. ' (Hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER--He had some returns on the price of Corn, which would disprove that assertion, and which Sir R. Peel said ought never to have been published, but they had before them graver subjects than the trial of obsolete opinions. (Loud laughter and general cheering.) He looked on free trade as an obsolete opinion, like protection. Though, since 1849, there had been a reduction of 400,0001. every year, he regretted to say that the return for 1852 showed that it had ceased. The latest poor law returns, which he held in his hand, were somewhat contradictory to the popular opinion. In 1851 it appeared that the number of paupers was 4,000,962, and for the half-year ending Michael mas 2,432,000, which, multiplied by two, gave 4,862,000. The great fact, however, remai ne d , that the pauperism of this country had been reduced by 25 or 24 per cent. since he had first brought the subject under the notice of the house. There was no doubt that there were at this . time circumstances in operation which must considerably affect the amount of pauperism i n this country. He had to consider whether it would be expedient to deal with that sum which were raised by local taxation for the maintenance of the poor, recollect ing at the same time that there had been such a diminu ttiimmesinthetheestnaublimsbhemr establishment charges e t h h a e rg p e o s or h , ad tha b t een fo s u a r ve o d r si fi nvce e 1849, that the incidents of that taxation were less severe, and that all the causes now in operation tended materially to a considerable diminution in that burden. Taking these facts into consideration, and as his means were limited, and being called upon, too, to assist every class as far as they had a claim to the consideration of the house, by means which would contribute to the general welfare of the country, he was not prepared to recommend any change in the present system of raising local taxation. (Cheers from the /Opposition.) He had t now - considered the three interests which had suffered from recent legislation. With regard to the shipping interest, he had offered measures which, to judge from the feelings of the house, were considered moderate and satisfactory—(hear, hear)—and not framed with any ad eaptandum view. He had also endeavoured to view the claims of the sugar colonies, and he thought they must feel satisfied that there had been an anxious desire un the part of the Government to place them in as good a position as present circumstances and the temper of the public mind would permit. He should not touch further on local taxation, but he wduld now approach a more important point, and view the taxation of the country under the new circumstances in which all parties and conditions of men were agreed to remain. As long, then, as men believed that their industry ought to be protected, they were prepared, then, to endure any amount of burdens. But after what had occured, it was obvious that, generally speaking, unrestricted competi tion was not consistent with a restricted industry. In a word, then, the policy of the country ought to be to pat an end, as soon as possible, to high taxes. (Loud cheers.) He had asked himself what were the measures which were best to recommend to E XPRE S S E I TIO N. SUN OFFICE, Half-past Nine o'clock. 4.‘"fiZ.!: • , A ;ja:`; 4 111b` t Int M I % nutina,, SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET. Curiosity has at length been satisfied as to the intentions of the DERBY-DISRAELI Government. There can no longer be any misapprehension in regard to the nature of the measures contem plated by the present Administration. They have now been formally submitted to the conside ration of the country by the Right Hon. the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. It would not be extravagant to assert, that never was there a financial statement more eagerly looked forward to by the population of the United Kingdom. To it exclusively has been deferred every one of the more important official explanations. When ever Ministers have been puzzled by any impor tunate querist, the reply has invariably couched itself in a reference of the inquirer to the pro jected Budget of 1852-1853—the Budget before the community, through the masterly exposition of the state of affairs yielded by the leader of the lower branch of the Legislature. Expectations in reference to this occurrence had been excited more or less throughout the nation ever since the advent of the Earl of DERBY and his sup porters to power during the course of last February. It was only natural, therefore, that an unusual degree of interest was excited on the appearance of Mr. DISRAELI this evening in the House of Commons, advancing from the entrance door, with the red box of office in his hand, and, we were rejoiced to observe, with an evidence of his health having undergone a manifest improve ment. It was yet mote natural, that, imme diately on his rising, the attention of his auditors should become noticeable in the breathless silence of the Representatives. The Right Honourable Gentleman prefaced his statement by reminding the House that his Budget was brought forward under very peculiar circumstances. He asserted, moreover, that he must claim from his hearers the reservation of their judgment until they had allowed him to lay before them the whole of the intended policy of her MAJESTY'S Government. There would be enforced, he observed, through out his argument, the existence of an evil which demanded removal or amelioration. Inju ries, he contended, had been inflicted, especially on the shipping interest, on the sugar-growing interests, and on the interests of the agricul turists. The injuries inflicted on the shipping interests had arisen out of the recent legislation affecting the system of navigation. Of the com plaints of the shipping interest ----such as those relating to salvage and pilotage—he gave a rather startling catalogue. These complaints being, ac cording to the view of Ministers, strictly founded on justice, would be at once proposed to be con sidered by the Legislature. The cost to the country of the projected changes in the Light Dues would be about 100,0001. per annum--.a sum, however, rendered necessary to be expended in consequence of the oversight of this matter affecting the shipping interest in the recent repeal of the laws relating to navigation. Upon the subject of Pilotage, the Cabinet would conceive it advisable to recommend the scrutiny of the whole matter in a committee to be appointed by the Lower House of Parliament. As to the Admiralty Dues the Government would advise the conces sion upon many points to the merchant service, wherein the members of that service have been grievously affected to its particular detriment. The salvage system is intended to cease at once, and it is considered advisable, moreover, that the anchorage system should henceforth be per manently terminated. Speaking of the existing method of manning the mercantile marine, the Right Hon. Gentleman referred in powerful 'and indignant terms to the evils resulting to the Royal Navy from the equally erroneous scheme of manning that service--pronouncing the latter, indeed, to be absolutely irrational. Next were considered the claims of the sugar produc ing interests. Sugar he pronounced to have been the battle-field of parties ; but he besought the House to enter upon the consideration of the present state of those interests with good temper and impartiality. Nevertheless, while feeling deeply the misfortunes which have befallen of late years the sugar-producing colonists, he waived the idea of introducing this clause of his Budget in the character of a sentimentalist. Acknow ledging the suffering of the interests here referred to, he yet did not consider the com plaints borne out by statistics, so far as to con vince him that our colonists could not survive the existing system of competition. Particulars were then adduced from the returns of 1851, compared with those of 1852, showing that the imports of foreign sugar have decreased, while the im ports of British sugar have as wonderfully increased during the same interval. The Cabinet could not regard itself as called upon to yield, or even justified in yielding to the demand of our colonists, either that we should arrest the descent of the duties on foreign sugar, or reduce the duties upon British plantation sugar. Simply, therefore, the Ministry refuse distinctly to pro pose the return to differential duties—having before it the remarkable and incontestible proofs of the happy fruits of unrestricted competition. No wonder the cheers that rose from all parts of the House at this announcement were especially earnest among the Free Trade Members of her MAJESTY'S Opposition! Again, the CHANCELLOR of the Ex- CHEQUER declared that he could not possibly recom mend the increase of loans to the British sugar pro ducing colonists—because the loans already set apart for their advantage is at this moment actually in exhausted ! One boon, however, he would urge should be granted to the interests here referred to—that prayed for in reference to the re fining of British sugar in bonded refineries for consumption : a. boon which, he reminded the House, might be safely and gracefully con ceded, because it is strictly in continuance or development of the system of unrestricted compe tition. Reference was now made by the Right Honourable Gentleman to the whole net-work of local taxation throughout the country. Upon the Highway Rate the Cabinet was, he announced, pre paring a measure which he felt sanguine would prove acceptable to the great majority of the Imperial Legislature. When alluding to the County Rate, Mr. DISRAELI in an impressive tone, which was warmly responded to by the applause of the House, that before long the Par lia.nent would have seriously to take into account the whole of one of the most important ques tions of the day—the question of Punishment ! Altogether the County Rate, according to his explicit remark, was stated to amount to 800, 0001., though in reality it only reached 600,000/. (the police being erroneously included in the tables of the results of the assessment) ; but this rate he would not conceive himself justified in recom mending to be materially or even moderately diminished. Immediately the greatest of all the local taxes, namely, the Poor Rate, was men tioned, a desultory kind of conversational tone was introduced into the financial statement by the cheers and counter cheers upon j the allusions made to the decrease of late years ini the extent of pauperism —the cheers of the Opposi tion being a sort of inarticulate panegyric on " recent legislation"—and the counter cheers from the Ministerial side of the house being a species of ansyllabled tribute to the " obsolete opinions" of Protection. Finally, however, under this head, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought the ap plause of the House of Commons to something like unanimity by announcing that he would pro pose any change whatever in the system of Local Taxation. Hereupon, the Right Hon. Gentleman altered his manner very perceptibly—having at last reached the core, the pith, the marrow of the present memorable Financial Statement. He de clared in the clearest language that the purpose of the Government, at this juncture, is to carry out COURSE OF EXC. Amsterdam ............ 11 17 Ditto, three months .. 11 18 % Rotterdam ............ 11 18 SG Antwerp ..... 25 42% Brussels 25 42% Ham urg... ..... ••• 13 6 % Altona ........ Par, .. 25 22% Ditto, ere* months .. 25 423( Marseilles .. . 25 423 Bourdeaux .... • • • • Frankfort-on-Maine Berlin . • • • • • • • Vienna .. . • • • • , • • Trieste .. • • • • • • Peterslsurgh Madrid .• .•,• • • • . Cadiz Barcelona .. Seville . •• •• .... 120 BIRTHS. OF A SON. On the Ist inst., at St. German's-terrace, Black- 1108lb Mrs. Francis W arw i c k . OP . On the 2d i ns t., the wi A fe of Mr.DAUGHTER H o ffman, of p ° commons, solicitor. MARRIED. F B; On the Ist inst., at Clifton-church, Mr. TV. - of Clapham, Surrey, to . Miriam, eldest daughter o Trapnell, Esq., of Brighton-park, Clifton. DEATHS. Sir Ou - the 26th ult., at Dowlais-house, Glamor 68. Josiah J. Guest, Bart., M.P. for Merthyr T y dvil, On the 28th ult., Mr. J. Rutherford, of 23, Ba r aged 67. On the Ist inst., at 1, Victoria -cottages, New-c-roa* 3fr. J. Pickering, aged 45. Lieut.' 647l. On the 17th ult., at Dunmanway, C ork, Shuldham, E.1.C.5.,, aged 74. of London : Printed and Publiihed by MTIRDO s '4°. No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Ogee, 0 40 115,, of I Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the 0 1 '.' Ididdlentar,, Friday, December a, M. 1 4 10 . 1itioN V IS H E t 4 k 4, 1 1,15, A. EET on kg ° n ATiTI; Ntw l r ee iselY, tor 4 trt :e, the rem 41 $04 1 e1 Thenton UaZorvist 13 / 1 11 A.R1 - .N 4 1101. 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