The Sun. — London, England, 1845-02-25 00:00:00

____,...., —..„.......--...............................--.... fr ee -trade and the impediments to commerce b y suc h a test, t h e villNht Hon. Baronet might have enlight,:ned them from his recent sit to his own constituents, when he submitted t o t eem hie views OVI the subject of that test, as to h.,w far the electors of tke enu ntry were di sposed to approve of his own ()pinions.— (Hear, he ar') The Right Hen. Baronet would see and re cognise his allusion to his !ate reception at Starnfor,l.—( Hear, lahear, and laughter.) Th e weather was at present about the me as then, but h e di d not believe that if he went "wn there now, he would meet the Caine treatment 14 his Honourable Friend the Member for Manchester, would do from his constituents, after his unqualified avowal of the doctrines of free trade. He did not know if the Right 110 °- Baronet had much improved his chance in the district he represented, by submitti ng to t h e House the speech he had just delivered. With all due deference to the Right Hon. Gentle te +lay that en, and with great respect to Lim personally he ventured to he it had not much raised himself in the inion of the 11,.use by that address. He del not mean t op o say that was not 'fair average speech for a functionary of the Go eleertt",ent.( Hear, hear and lauelder. ) It seemed just that l e °. 'peech and argument that might be drawn out of the `4"'oeholee of the Board of Trade, a.ter having been put by some twenty-five years back.—( Laughter. ) It seemed that 1 44 °of corn mon-p'ace—th a t tissue of vague generalities—that l,, Oi se 1, no answer to the question before the I ous them to t 4 of matter that was usually brought before laught ocenpy a certain space or tune.—( Hear, hear, andpractical and 3 er • ) For he did think that, censidering the for liiao,reide question which his Hon. Friend th • Memb er an Ron' Lehr had brought before the House, there never w a s t e Ri a h r centlernan, of mature walesyers, and holding the . pub' ion mull 0th.,: 1 " Gentleman held, e had ever occupied so 61, - ,.,'rce of the House in speaking, without any reference to th e ' r u .'" in question—vrho eontinued so to make hintse that- joa with which he' foueht —alludleg to things i n ,, t'_ad eater fallen from his Hon Friend, and never . answer e„4 ,"e questions that must be answered before the discussion llißht7e, which his Hon. Friend had brought forward.. _ ab sract "On. Gentleman urged an objection to this sort f sift s q cl° " t ion; vet the question was put before them be I to to tk_Praseically, that they might . be pressed West Ike % ''h Rouse what were the claims of . the hail Proprietors to this prof ection what claim y hT„, , to this enormous saci ifice exacted from the e le ,,,l's En to ? He would ask, what were those claims? saerre c - e a , rl t. , il to know what were those claims—what had they atooarw-" did they owe them—what was the large , litee du gout - " w hat ,:latheir loss ' Ttiey were toll of the great sacrifices 'l been oblieed -to make—( Hear, hear)—let 's tn h t irt it -r e ,, s li n e thew account—let ir them , see it—let them know ? l'he Right Hon. Gentle ;heeesaisi he shoyuhire Pa • Y e i tl ig to show what particular claims boil), Ohntlefiell earl Pro'e he (Mr. Villiers) would ask an d y Rho ha r r had the Right Hon. Gentleman—anybo y Illsett, listened to him —and they had paid him . the most re 4if the s'tetention—whether they were in possession from him gener a l sh ldow of an idea as to what were the claims, ? w ere °r Particular, in respect of which the gentlemen wio ,300.,2P ri etors of landed estates in the West Indies, took hear,) -`1,,. a nnually from th e p eop l e o f t hi s country.—( H ear, cou ld NO W , he would put it to the H ouse , w h et h er t h ey Is t e ' e ,haernber—vrhether they could t a x th e i r memories—so g entl e g entl e ` r y and comprehend what the Right Honourable attn e t 'rlarm said, i n or d er to explain why this Wer e ' had been made, and what these claims did o•-''Rear, hear,) The Right Hon. Gentleman said, he wliy -) ; t k now what Hon. Gentlemen opposite proposed to do, Ho yt now this resolution, they proposed to bind . that th e 7 t a principle which, if applied, would do just.ieecta, ttiter"Ple of this country, and by which, as long as mt e d . to k eld,justice was withheld —( dear —and they also waive Isid e 9w why it was withheld ? The Right lion. Gentleman tob)...it had been the policy of this country to protect the of ''?.l interest, that protection was part of great scheme POI , always adopted by this country. Why that was . the „etige which the Right lion. Gentleman's friends in tbe 11,7, a 1te corner of the House . addressed to the Right 4.;lotmrable Baronet at the head of the Government) "Ishoe_ 1m5,,,,t Honourable Gentleman, said they, by _.,.'hisa.r:ays ad„: .proo•ed to disturb the scheme of polt-Yr ly ' what Ilier(7(1 b 5 this country Why th:s was "' C • • I illg rt"enlitlerlt were doing . themselves. They were distur me thtt ti ee rY day, they scarcely ever got up to make a speech gre et 7 did not utter so.lle sentiment at. variance wißi that fr tott th e le sser tle of policy. What was it they heard so much of 14 teech ° n est agrieulteral int erest now ? Wh at was i t t h ey heard so year from the West Indian body ? Wny, that Gent'l'ere deprivine them of protecti oa. The Righ . t Hon, Suer t e i s T an hintself° disturbed that protective principle, and e stiol'°ed round on them, and thinks it an answer to 0 _ a ttre tit s'e?slted bye is Hon. Friend to say that it was part_ t f at they cot:Tole of licy to protect certain interests, and h Would i :'‘'" not be disturbed without injury to the country !. Now 4? -•certs:titidishnost have been more decent to have said nothing at Oil th at it not have been better to have let . it be under -I,° "tits „ruch e Government meant well, that it wished to carry .sp"i'l it t ; t .Ple, but that it did not like to commit itself now ? ice ti- t end to render ridiculous every thing theyproposed Gen t'isteah (I'ciuttered such doctrines ? But the Right Hon. e h e e s ' l lY L b Say something in the course of his speech which li _ ' wi s h ?tight was somewhat to the point. He said t i h li i ii W e e ; to the Honourable Members for Cuinbe_r_l_and_ the ' n it of shei'h were present, because they . knew 3 Wilt' , t ign details of the subject. He was himself utterly t i,Y, theorolce, and knew othing of time matter, but .h he s e We st f..",,°PPosed to him in politics, were connected w he n i a oew ou t . 'lnes, and they would perhaps be so good as to help h p e te rn 000:ithe Right Honourable Gentlem o a n n nee sa d i his oor igeoranj boot it, he . had o a n n fi n dence that th e , atice co lee----( Hear )—and in a th e e clai ms ° d alone justify, had asserted confidence he believed te n Prineitoesn Protection were well founded, and that this was Isee ' r e n !Aly th ine °r Measure of which he professed fire igno joitie 4 "ne't, was esactly , what his Hon. Frien e d n the Alem --th eti t he ester c omlained of. He could tee nothing that le s hould t iL w as tm , ° °ot of the sacrifice called for from the people lal', kri,,•;'.. , to hrtretisely the matter . d e t 0 wh it t t e some statistic information, d h l e sP : i l t io e u . ld like m e thi3Pendeoria'ate these properties were—whether ' their co ,,nmet , I , Thy sti (~' were all in this state, and what there was 1 .300 re- . " the ea ,' 'um of 10s. 6d. that had hitherto P atel '"o0/,' „circ umstances of the case? Here , , aria seee e of the people oi and , out of the pocket, . this - I do e , °0 In formation given as to the . purpos . for which w ere eets atry „ W as that the moment, looking at tn,,state of 4 5 5 ' w t :ld th a " t " t ej , such a sacrifice ought to be made? They stlg ar sae ae income-tax coulenet b . e given up. Now Iseit weereavailalle surplus b which, if it were not for the sts, the inters the people might be relieved from a portion tile: adje,, ncome-tax —( Hear, hear.) If the sugar duties inore det y ! the lusted . produce two or three milli ns __ e , . r tiu s 'i i ° t t 4 IT: rh .. e-tax or other taxes might be reduced . . Th . Outdo'eli greeter `tenuced, so as to lead to its being admitted in (1 ch,se au?ndance ; and thus would our connexion be t hseth, r with that country from which tea was sent to st ia : that itc4:ar, hear ) The Right Hon. Genth m . an told Pie,' roaer: h e had m ' ore surplus, he would apply it in the eoujfW e ldsur- II See h ea r eproposed to apply 1 11) '-', t _ e the existing he , e , t red) It appeared w, ledi a ace more tasee was the nrotection Member fhor lisanotie; ProPrietor H' li n l•riend the t ee t e e, h a , 8. _is o . " i 'Pr, '•' Put in a word for the East India proprietors. ti ' il l 4 Peti East Indians as well as it y tal iao on was claimed for the ?14 'il li'te d '. re. W hY, it was art of their case that that absur- . e t if te'Posi ,',"'„,i, near, hear.) P Particular grounds were stated -,A.t.eWeo't this Penalty nth people of England in the case i Tet t u :ridi,!;_ 'tidis, which di e d not Pin the least apply to the h atel e oel e ---( H ear, hear.) The West Indians told them 'all,;utip „.' g r eund on which they claimed protection was j'eteteana ti l es not cheap. .We want more labour . ," th . e , y i l ' e lle a Wh a ? we should be able to compete with . any e fo_r , e w ig o_ eit t a da y ' were the wages in the East Indies? 1 trl'el had were most.—( Hear, h . ear. ) Well, now, what . t et u en v was there for protecting the East Indians ? i n 4 th 'es'ed interests. ,1-111ii'''stistolie,v,,rereyvi_llt.ere,tgwiichIenhdtmlieeidr to o Cas b e e the Legislature protected ; the gh at t. _et and the protection was then claimed. L " 1 0 Ne t . 'Bri the Member for Cumberland was some et c ,k that ,el.°llB in hi s mod e of arguing ; . for 4, esti, 'olsquesti ik l ep o r th e _ on would nut bear arguing in that light, ( L t i, 1. , sl o s3ue , a s soon a , po„ „hter. ) He t 't s ed to say, p'oei„ i 'ore i i! Now, he (Mr. !millers) eee,g- , :he ch ee , 'lend's motion did not raise that question.— " t acd a sked h . .' from the Ministerial benches. ) His .. on. le tli ile; W est i r e why there shouid be a duty of 1 0 0 f s. Ja le v s a e an o d u t h " . o, ik.,e lie .i:oita sugar, as compared with . twhaast done. His tZther;ol4ld, th e _wanted to kn , ew why this was " Think of Or e riot , of si are 3 e l ?the! for Cumberlan . k, i 'os ole 'or me e 7Y , it is for them that heart beat,. I kli ) * h; tO ~•;,:':cri estate , it is the cause my f y humanity which (Lkted 7 hi,' ,), e ' —(Laughter.) ow . he wanted to lis s ggh '1 th '•00. Friend's benevolent feelings would_ be - ee e ter,) tbe introducti f and Manilla sugar ?- 41tnilistelfeae, th"elZShould p l y t e h n ey • app a y distinctive duties to free la u la t , i4 re in s ..mice of different parts of the world. If they l l ge kti Ll . , the,, te purpose for which they maintained a t `sit) 'alssi o .. c Haght to hasten to eive every encouragemen w ° 4: e tll i ih s "-Ys e 4 e l f a t i L l sugar produced' by free labour.—( Hear, th e : , t eh `q w ow , "ey wanted to present to the wo:Id an ex he J were .‘. Prove that free-la:Amur sugar was better and N e t les, e ,desi ro ') Produced than slave-labour sugar, and that ie: W th a , t oat ~,",°f e ncour a ming sugar produced by free labour, s„`fitst i ` ete ee r''d lead t 0 the abolition of the slave trade. i ,;_N ets of . ;_.',...rnerit had already been made as regarded the tli"te,al7ol:ith the generally ; there Java sugar always i 11: 1, ey - t to e 'ugar of Cuba and Brazil. Why, when they hived b y ,ni x , ri a 'e, aOnse change in their arrangementi, why y 1 Lr ee 1 bo Mei ! . „ markets to all sugar which was pro 41'1 l ' 'd n 5 1. -r;--( Hear,hear.) It was quite clear that et'i Perf ecte thing to d .. •at a t* % ()h righ t to 0 with time mnatter.—( Hear, hear.) He tab le Nee fr ee. , , say this, so long as they made adisinction illt t t s tabl e t our sugar and another ; and it would be, ill,se° Kalilii,thrn, he thought, if they avowed their real 0) 4' ,1 givinff protection to the West C r. e r s t le'Presse-d,,,toe RigCmt P Hoeourable baronet (Sir Cr. vgi ' , l llt ls . "ia p ro `'at the real object was that of favouring the ie dote td tt, si l l i r, r w iee ors. --(Hear, hear. ) Well,. then, I. hey f's,c . ff what advantage this protection h . ad ever th e l aie e i ll e ine . they possessed some confu-ed notion that I . ° e °t, le Ore could b d t fl murish by an Act of Ils t r th e t th em e , ema e ° 'qe def e 6 rst ti 'uow that these people were suffering fteroiitteZted the eil e! --- ( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. 13a- Ri s e' the'''' tha t ~ -"ernMent measure on the distinct and tseet , ' kbotitiw'e West India planters were now suffering roll the Ittl." Prete °4 c i f 'la/ery. There was, he contended, no e r . th er ight ef o r 'ee for Making that assertion; and he would th a te etel e h ed ziwk Baronet that, whether slavery existed or lti t 4al f ri, Th at al:been suffering when the proprietors were N b ho e o such of t w h e s , t he argument used b . y those who n vire re re_ I gad t tot , r. Biays in the West India islands. e e c , te o a -ter te4 , 0 ities as Cropper Maeaulay, and Stephen, I ai t 'lsol y mat the rui nofthese ' islandshad been slavery l'lv ' sea ' -(1 • l ear h to e } ear s ate rnerp. ' e ar- ) The Right Hon. Barone ti. , stl i i a„, ) sSo loosel •• He would remind him that, i s li a d tl ^' a Al e b )* , ' i lk °th eele red . in er of that Cabinet to which he b . e- Ile Po rt ''''' isl "0 that 'louses that the real cause of dis k . 41 41 t t hat 'l ' d ' was tl •"' , e was very 111114 -'Rare th at 4 le existence of slavery. t S4I t . l that th e and, through it, the country, should lU D ' ah ee diely It,'.eY Were not askin for anything that was Ils s f aet t e t all, Ras in to the g West Indian interests, s til : y 111 ro e , f 4 it desirable that they should be disabused of I lme i, „„Z ee, aotistheeeh eperYesstiliant it. . was owing - to the abolition of ,_ t a 4 . by the _sl oe . existed. lie loun A that during the iN r t.) t hq tio4se trade and slavery, a Committee was ap .1 41 , sd t g en, ,of Assembly in Jamaica to make inqui ill: l'i°Oti't c'helaY ev iatrt'hi e Srteaptoertef distress in that ' island ; , and lie , fse, o ur or d f r „_ eh jr, a ~._ r3e made on that occasion showed that ( 141 1 %,,r Ol e a Work 'lofumr, Condition thani which .w h as w a as present. 451: !92 the S•Lpe° atiroprietors th.er.e:swan'Ther sth t hte w . th et t s '. ; :e;of the resultof the e ineuir Pe it was stated by nc ri l od referred to 4 4 1'4! .4t of esta i tes had been sold for debt, and fifty !*4 Bard la tt4led in th eu 'e tis ' t i° ll , and further that ninety-two i ' i t 4 l , !,, , ° 4 t 4 a t W alley l ' t a h e a l . i alaieeHri.l4ecialts asof the t creditors. Now he had t1i, 4 14 i,, ,such a `. the distres . ,11 made that evening. He 1,,, 't ,': ilpr, Pit c h . ~,,,_ 3 in the island of Jamaica had 411 e r 4a. „unde r si ' Mkt Was the state, however, of the ti,UWtl digits reitte - " Cr y Cr y and the slave trade. In 180 r ,tip'es f e that House to inquire into the un ti e ea t ,' ,re, ei. fl the `y has I • ,attb, cat,; a isi,, ing slave s e eidia proprietors. 'They were l e 'ee of 'egr-ld f„ t e !vnt Africa, slavery still existed. le 0 the I , ar . •"e uvpres4on at that time was the con- IflialirrettLtoPetitto,;.,ltf.switti stated that that had produced an ti,,. , h . 'e of I° qt t. °reign markets. Then there was also I , ll t _.51 01 . 5 r.. w e,. t 1. tto Pia" discussion also took place, in le ' e ll wr `a a, ' e abolitf on - , , a 1,,, N .. . nother t • -,, of slavery. In .1 32 44,t:ttbr, d, a in yas to the' great dioress so t4 e kr :shaving a nd s that Committee spoke of the W il e 'th e , and ti!"ged all sorts of inconsistent Av `e s r ree said they 4 1 0. -I 1 4( 1i 'l_ mit conclude that there . was % t he eoet,'_oial ":,°_hose assigned. The Earl ?f Rtp d on, 4 rre llet jier at the time, said that without e- Sn ittY causes ; it wits otaivus that the necessary and permanent source of that distress which almost every page of the West Indies recorded, was to be found in the institution of Si leery. Yet it was to the abolition of this very institution that the Right lion. Baronet (Sir G. Clerk) traced this distress.--t Hear, hear.) He hoped that the Right lion Baronet would consult the Noble Lord to-morrow on the subject, in order to ascertain whether or not he had changed his views.—( Hear, hear ) Lord Belmore, Governor •General of Jam lies, in a parting address to the House of Assembly, said the distress which existed resulted from that policy by which slavery wag established, and the island would never develop the abundance of its resources till slavery was abolished. The Itialit Hon. Gentleman at the Head of the Government had said in his ( Mr. Villier's) hearing that the experiment of the abolition of slavery had answered in a more striking manner than any great experiment ever made. They knew that some islands had flourished since the abolition of slavery—that is to say, they had nut said that they did not.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.) In Batbatioes it was notorious that the people wished for low wages ; that they were well off ; and that the island was ft iurishing. His Honourable Friend had shown that the proprietors were suffering from their own neglect ; and now that they feared the abo'ition of protection, they began to tax their wits to see whether they had not wasted their eirergiva and the resources of the country, by resisting improvement and neglecting vigilance in the management of their estates. The Governor-General reproached them with neglecting improvement in past tines ; and they were all now considerieg what could be done to remove that reproach. If he were not mistaken, the Ho-s. Member for Cumberland had entrusted to a member of his family the superintendence of his own estate. whom he had never thought of sending out until lately. He believed he would confirm the statement that every species of fraud was practised by the iis honest agents of absurd proprietors. Mr. JAMES said he did not know that.—( Hear, hear. ) Mr. VILLIERS--Would his lion. Friend the Member for Cumberland say he had discovered that his relative might as well have stopped here ? Mr. JAMES—No, no. Mr. VILLIERS had asked three gentlemen connected with the West Indies whether it was the fact that they had been cheated in that island. They all said that it was, and gave in !stances to prove it.—( Hear, hear.) Why, it was no uncom mon thing for the agents to represent to the absent proprietrrs that their estates were in such a critical position that unless they sent out money to enable them to cultivate them, it would be better that they should be abandoned ; and there had been in stanees in which, after representatiosts of this kind, the estates had been sold, and the agents, or heir relatives, had becom e the pur c hasers. H e had - been told by a gentleman last year that there was every species of waste, and that there was no spot in the globe where sugar was cultivated in so barbarous a manner; and that he had such a confidence in the island being im provable, that instead of abandoning his own West India estate he had sent out the brother of the head of a great mercantile firm in the City to superintend and cultivate it. Now, he asked them to consent to his Hon. Friend's proposition, in order to eldest a permanent and satisfactory settlement of this Question. They heard in that House an abundance of profes sions of solicitude for the poor ; a vast deal was said as to the dreadful condition in which they were placed.—( Hear, hear.) They saw a number of charities advertised in the newspapers for relieving the extreme necessities of particular classes. Now here was a distinct practical pro position, by adopting which they might diminish the cost of the article of sugar to the consumers, and extend great advan tages to the industrious classes by the extension of trade. 'They had now an opportunity of doing a great practical charity.— ( Hear, hear.) He believed the next week a large portion of the aristocracy were going to dance in the cause of the needlewornen.—( Laughter.) There was to be a grand bail for the relief of that class of society.—( Hear, hear.) Now what was the extra cost paid by such persons, as well as . • others, on account of this sugar monopoly ? Why every week this metropolis alone paid 40,000/. more for sugar than they otherwise would do ; for the whole country the extra amount was not less than 50,000/. fly adopting the proposition be fore the House, they would, besides diminishing the price of sugar, increase trade and commerce, and thus benefit the poor, for whose welfare they professed to b • anxious. He did think, then, that they were justified in bringing this matter before the House, and that the country would expect on that oc casion to get something more than that conventional indifference which was generally exhibited wisen a • motion which was really important to the pub lic interests, was brought under their consideration. They had heard from the Right Hon. Gentleman ( Sir R. Peel) that the army was three times larger than it need be, were it r.ot required for the protection of the colonies. Well, then, it appeared that these colonies did not pay for their own govern ment. Every one must be aware what a cruel service was that of the West Indies. Why, the Secretary at War bad actually refused, on one occasion, to make a return of the mortality of the regiments employed there, alleging that the details, if published, would so horrify and shock the English community that it would be dangerous to the public service. It might be that those islands were of such importance as to justify the out lay on their account ; but let it be understood that it was for the purpose of protecting these islands that the people were called upon to make a sacrifice of 32,000,000/., besides a million more for the army. He would ask whether that presented the colonial dependencies of this country in a very favourable light; and whether, when such was the case, it was not necessary to give some very powerful reason why the people should be mulcted, he might almost say cheated, in order that money might be poured into the pockets of the colonial proprietors ?—(Cheers.) Mr. W. MILES said it was an admitted fact that the West India colonies had for several years been suffering great distress. A fair remuneration was all the West India proprietors asked for, and all they expected to have. The Hon. Member for Manchester seemed to think that it was very easy to make a fortune out of an estate in the West Indies. That was not the tact, which the Hon. Member might discover if he would take an estate there. He (Mr. Miles) regretted that the Right Hon. Baronet did not intend to propose the continuance of the duties for a longer period than to July 1846, and he trusted the Right Hon. Gentleman would re-consider this point. With respect to the motion before the House, he would say, that seeing the large expense to which this country was put in sup porting a force for toe suppression of the slave trade, he thought it would be most unwise and impolitic to admit slave-grovvu sugar at an equal amount of duty as that produced by our own colonies, or that manufactured by free labour in a foreign coun try. He had always supported the principle of protection, and he thought the West Indies ought to be treated as an integral part of the empire, and protection ought to be given to them ; and if protection were given to them, he did not see hew it could well be less than that proposed by her Majesty's Govern. ment. If the experiment of Cooliie labour succeeded, the West India proprietors would not only have a rednction in the price of labour, but also have a sufficient supply. If this were so, then he did not see why the West Indies should not be able to send as great a supply of *agar, and at as cheap a rate, as any foreig n country employi ng slave labour, for he believed th a t a f ree la bourer would accom plish more than a slave, even though that slave were kept under the lash of the slave-driver. All the West India proprietors required was a fair day's work for a fair day's wages. He trusted that her Majesty's Government would not depart from that line of policy upon which they had hitherto acted. Lord HOWICK next addressed the House. He said he hoped that the House and the country would observe that the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down—a great West India proprietor—and the Right Hon. Gentleman who spoke before him, being a member of the Government, had both explicitly and distinctly admitted the fact which had been alleged on that ( the Opposition) side of the House, that the existing system of protective duties must be regarded as a tax on the people of this country to the extent of 2,300,000/. ( Cries of "No, no.") This remarkable feet had been distinctly admitted.—( Cries of " No, no.") Hon. Gentlemen said no, but he appealed to those who had heard the speeches to confirm what he had said. The Right lion. Gentleman the Vice. President of the Board of Trade commenced his speech with an argument which had become so hacknied on the Treasury Bench that it was hardly worth while to reply to it, viz. that this was merely an abstract resolution. No matter what were the terms of the resolution. He thought no man who had listened to the debate could mistake the real intention of the motion before the House. The object of it, as lre understood, was to reduce, and to reduce at once, the duty on foreign sugar to the same rate as the duty on colonial sugar. He confessed that he would have preferred the question being submitted in a Committee ot Ways and Means. But after all, the terms in which the question was brought before them was of little consequence. He, for one, distinctly supported this motion as a motion for equalising the rates of duty on foreign and colonial sugar. It had been urged on his side of the House, and not one argument had been brought a ga i ns t it, that ie effect of the proposed measure of her Majesty's Go vernment was to raise the price of all colonial sugar 10s. at least beyond that which it would pay when sold to the con• Berner. If that were not the object, he was at a loss to under stand on what ground they proposA a differential duty. From what he could gather from the speeches of Hon. Gentlemen op posite, it was admitted that sugar could be produced in foreign countries 10s. cheaper than it could be produced in the British colonies ; and, therefore, they in.posed a duty of 103. en every cwt. of foreign sugar; so that on the 230,000 tons of colonial sugar, 101. per ton was imposed on the price to the consumer. And when he heard Gentlemen call that a system of protection to Witish industry, he was at a loss to understand it. He had been informed, a few days ago, and he believed already some change had taken place in the market in consequence of the announcement of the measures of her Majesty's Government. He had been told, a few days ago, that Brazilian sugar was sold at 18s. 6d., while colonial sugar, of a precisely similar quality, cost 265. Now it was quite obvious that 26 tens of foreign sugar at 18s. 6d. a cwt., and 181- tons at 263. a cwt., each cost precisely the same amount, viz., 481/. That was to say, that the produce of British labour of the value of 4811., would exchange for sugar in bond for 26 tons of Bra zilian sugar, and only 181 tons of colonial sugar. Now it must be recollected that these two sugars were precisely of the same quality; and if the duty were the same, the price to the consumer would be the same. The British manufacturer, therefore, if fiscal regulations did not stand in the way, might in exchange for his goods to the amount of 4811., get, not 181 tons, but 26 tons of sugar. And yet this simple matter of ex change the manufacturer was not allowed to enter into. Fiscal regulations stepped in the way of British labour, and com pelled him to take only 181 tons of sugar when he might obtain 26 tons. Now he (Lord Howick ) would ask lion. Gen . tlemen who had discussed the Factory hill, and had advocated the right of property a man had in his own labour, whether they were consistent in supporting the proposition of the Govern ment ? Why did they not allow the labourer to get as much in return for his labour? The evils of the present system were felt by all classes of the labouring population. The Right Hon. Baronet had told them last year that the Brazilians were so unreasonable as not to admit our goods on favourable terms, un- I,ss we took their goods in return. He had told them that if we would consent to admit their sugar on the same terms as colonial sugar, they would offer no obstacles to the admission of our manufactures. It was, therefore, clear that the abo lition of the distinction in the duties on sugar, would extend our commerce, and stimulate the industry of our manufacturers. If the Right Hon. Gentleman got rid of the monopoly of sugar, he would do more for British agriculture, and other branches of British industry, than if he drew tighter the protection it al ready possessed. Such would be the advantages of simplifying the measure; and this advantage need not be purchased by any sacrifice of revenue. By consenting to accept those advan tages, they would guard the revenue from that heavy loss which the Right Hon. Gentleman proposed to incur. —( Hear, hear.) The Right lion. Gentleman calculated the direct loss to the revenue by the measure he submitted to the House at no less a sum than 1,300"3/. lie (L Ord H.) believed the Right lion. Baronet greatly undor-estimated the loss. He believed the Right Hon. Gentleman's estimate of the probable receipts for the ensuing year would not be verified; but assuming it to be correct, if they admitted foreign sugar at the same rate as colonial sugar, this heavy loss would be covered, if not immediately, at least in a short time. They would thus at the same time confer great benefit on the consumer, and not cause any loss to the revenue by the change.—( Hear, hear.) But he knew they were told that this measure would be unjust to their colonies. Now he would be glad to be informed in what respect it would be unjust. They had already paid no inconsiderable amount on account of the colonies. They paid the whole expense of the civil and military cost of the colonies in the first instance, and in the next they made a large grant for the purpose of education and for the magistracy, and the bishops were paid out of the Consolidated Fund.—( Hear, hear.) Now when they paid so much for their colonies already, why should they be called on to pay a further sum in the way of protection ? W hen it was said that justice to the colonies required this protec tion, he should like that those who talked thus would go a little further, and explain for what particular class justice required that this burden should be imposed on the people THE SUN, LONDON, TtIESTiAIe MORNING, PRI3RITARY 25, 1845. of England.—(Hear, h ear . ) Th e Vi ce -P res id en t o f the but interests lisd beer, formed which the British Parliament Board of Trade had told them that the West Indian would !support it in just. He did not thi n k th e labourers were in an extremely prosperous condition, that they House would be prepared to admit that they ought had two s hilli ngs a d ay , besides prov i s i on foun d , and t h at it was to app l y w ith sudder i hand the principle of free trade to eir difficult to ge t th em t o g i ve a comp l ete d ay s, abour. N ow, h e curnstenees 50 artifl 3ial as those under which tie sugar trade believed that the Hight lion. Gentleman was correct. in that remained. The H on. Member for Wolverhampton hied said representation, but he wanted to know, if they compared his what claim had the W es t I n di a proprietors to (I••ferential duty? condition with that of the peasant in Darsetshire o r S o merset- He wish e d hear . tny tha t equa li ty could be established between shire, where was the ju s ti ce o f taxing the peasant of Dorset or native and foreign protection, but it was the extreme dearness Serrne set, a n d ne t th e negro peasant i n the \Vest I n di es ? a production i n th e West Indies that made the difficulty that Well, it was not justice to the lahnnsrer that required the pro- had always been felt.---( Hear. hear.) Now what was the tection. Was it the merch a nt sir s hip owner th a t required it? cause of all this? Wh y, it was said that the scarcity of No person would deny th a t they would not gain more by labour was the cause o f all Hear, hear.) N ow h e cou l d an unrestricted trade than by protection.—( Hear hear.) Who n n agree with that. —(Hear. ) It was true that that was then required it? It was clear that the only remaining class one great cause of the scarcity, but another cause 'sat the non were the owners of th e l an d i n t h e W es t I n di es —( H ear , re s iden ce of proprietor If they could change the nen•resident hear)—and the planters resident in this country ; and the proprietors to residents he believed the great difficulty would he proprietors ( t on Bear, the West Indian t p i e r n e ip t l people of England coloniese talked dwoefl! it t oconsider eao s t a t t h i n a g t , t hthe when matter ju • plainly arid intelligibly, the planting of a large sum of money in patible with the slaver y system ; for that the Parliament of the the pockets of certain West India planters resident in this country was responsibi:e.—( Hear, hear. ) It was on the ground country.—(Hear. ) If the West Lelia planters had a case of non-re ddence thnt be r es t e d hi s case for the protection of against this country he was prepared to meet it fairly. the sugar duties. Parliament had interfered and abolished If they put forward a good case, he was sure the people of slavery, and, ther afore, it made that which was hitherto %bun- Eneland would meet their demand fairly, as they did when they dant, scarce. Tt,e consequence was—that labour, which was paid the twenty millions for th - abolition of slavery. If they cheap, became d.ear, and those who caused that dearness were proved the case, the people of this country would meet their bound to meet their share of the consequences of their own demands fully and fairly, but in the way least onerous to the acting. It reight be shown that there were estates in the country, namely, by charging the Consolidated Fund with at, West Indies that hail not met with losses ; but wish regard to annuity for those gentlemen.—( Hear, hear. ) But he for one the greater portion of them, perhaps not one in ten, aye, per would not consent to a tax on account of the West India p r o. haps not one i n fifty, stood on the right side of the account. priet ors, which for every pound it put into their pockets, took Tie Nobl e L or d h a d sa i d that the present was a most favour two out of the pockets of the people.—(Hear, hear.) A ri d he able opporeunity for the equalisation of the denies on sugar.— would prove that this was the case, arid that the diff erence was ( Hear, ~ear. ) %%lief was now p ro p o sed? Why, instead of wasted in the way in whiclelabour and capital was employed,— maintain . a `thesytem which gave the West Indians 20s. per ( Hear. ) But he would go further, and cen t en d th a t w hil e h un d re , I w e i g ht, y were about to adopt a system that world this measure was most injurious to the people of Engl an d, and give -only lOs. A severe pressure had been - brotieht to bear was a gross injustice to the manufacturing c l asses o f t hi s coun - upon the West Indian proprietors since the abolition of slavery. try, it would also disappoint the \Vest India proprietors He vas unwilling to detain the House long upon the subject, ( Hear, hear. ) Arid the grounds of that opinion it was not becreuse it was not necessary to argue it farther. Ile was per difficult to explain. Whoever took the trouble of becoming sea -led that the House would deal with the question now before arqua n:ed with the condition of the West India coloni e s, pa r - it s ts it had dealt with many such questions, and that it would titularly whoever had carefully read the Report of the C orn - not be g i n at the wrong end as to the principle of free trade. niittee in 1842, would see at once that the great ground of Let them apply the principle of free trade wherever they complaint, on the part of the planters, was that while there could without producing evil.—(Cries of " Hear, hear ") co W3S great competition for labour on their part, the ages But let them not b eg i n b y applying th ose re iniples against the of the negt were so high that by only working part of the day produce of the W est I n di es.—( Hear. ) They c should not com he was able to supply himself with all those necessaries and pare it with those interests which came before the House with luxuries to which he was accustomed. Of course, like men in out any special claim, whereas the West Indians had this other countries, they did not like work for work's sake. Th e y groun d that the causes which prevented them from competing found that whatever was the price of sugar the planters sought with their f ore i gn r i va l s were brought about by the measures to outbid each other by offering the highest price for labour, of Parli amen t— t h ose causes being principally non 'residence of which the price of sugar at the time enabled them to a ff or d, th e landl or d s , and the scarcity of lahour—which latter was the That was a necessary consequence of a limited supply of labour. consequence of the honourable but costly Act of the British But what would be the effect of raising the price of sugar, and Parliament, in the emancipation of the negro slaves.—( Hear. ) raising thereby the competition for labour amongst the plan- Mr. LA 130UCHERE said that he would not detain the ters? His belief was, that the competition which already House more than a very fen. minutes. But having frequently existed would become more intense—higher wages would be had occasion to take part in the discussion of this question. he offered to the negro. They would then be enabled to supply could not allow the present motion to be disposed of without themselves with all they wanted at a smaller amount of labour, troubling the House with a few words!. He was not disposed and the effect would be in all probability a diminished supply an this occasion to discuss the scheme of her Majesty's Minis of sugar, thus placing the West Indies, as compared with the ters. To it he had great objections.--( Hear. hear.) But he East Indies, in a worse position than at present.—( Hear, hear.) was glad that the proposition of his Noble Friend (Lord J. There was strong reason for believing that such would be the Russell) and those of other Gentlemen on that side of the effect of the measure of the Right Hon. Baronet. And he House would give him an opportunity of stating his objections, thought that the best opportunity now presented itself of One of those objections was, that not only was the scheme in making a change in the policy hitherto pursued, trinsically bail in itself, but, instead of bringing the duties on because after a long perseverance in the protective sugar to the point which they should reach, or diminishing the system, and after quiet was e s t a bli s h e d, h e thou g ht protection, it was proposed to increase the protection which it would tend to great temporary disturbance to make such a already existed.---( Hear, hear.) In fact, by adding to the change. But now that a large reduction of taxation was pro- protection, it greatly increased the difficulty of dealing with the posed, if they made this change of policy they would escape this subject at a future time. The question at present before the serious shock to colonial industry. And it was :Aso to be con- House was really whether at once and completely sidered, that by making the two measures simultaneous, by they should proceed to substitute for the prese n t duty one of coupling together the reduction on colonial sugar and the complete equality. That was the real question before the equalisation of duty on sugar of all descriptions—by making the House. He thought he had fairly stated the question as it hart two conte noraneous they might hope to give the consumer been put by the lion. Member for Manchester, and his Noble the benefit he ought to have from the reduction granted to him Friend the Member for Sunderland.—( Hear, hear.) Now he at the expense of the Treasury. If they were to reduce the conceived that nothing could be more objectionable however duty on colonial sugar without extending the source of supply, much he condemned those duties—than to proceed at once to he thought the great probability was that there would be no equalisation.—(Ministerial cheers.) The cons •11 consequence would fall of consequence in the price of sugar. The consumption be to throw into confusion and to paralyse every interest con of this country was entirely kept down by the price— nected with the colonial sugar trade.—( 'Ministerial cheers. ) it was so infinitely below the real wants of the people—(Elear) He felt bound to say that, on this occasion, he must take the n —that his belief was that if the source of supply were not ex- course which he had uniformly taken when similar questions tended at the moment the duty was reduced, the price would affecting interests in the country came before the House, rise with the demand, and the advantage of the reduction He did not think that the course recommended by would be divided between , the planter and th e l a b ourer em- the Hon, Mover (Mr. Gibson) and his Noble Priend was ployed in the cultivation of sugar. His belief was that if th e that which the Government ought to pursue, and he, for one, supply of sugar was increased by enlarging the sources from as a Member of that Home, would not be a party to force it which it came, it would be absorbed so much by this country, upon theta.—(Ministerial cheers.) The question had been where the richest body of consumers were to be found, that so fully argued that he was not disposed to detain the Heuse at the price would rise of necessity in the other markets of the any length. He was the more unwilling to do so, because he world. Price being thus supported, and looking to the Let that assured them that, althouoth he had thought it his duty not to the price of colonial and Brazil sugar in bond was but 7s. red. a shrink from avowing his dissent from his Noble Friend and the few days ago, and that the remission proposed by the lion. Mover, yet it was painful to him to argue with them Government on colonial sugar was I Is. ; considering that, he upon a subject upon which to so great an extent he agreed with felt persuaded that the price of sugar in all the markets of the them. —( Hear, hear.) He agreed with them, that the danger world would be so supported for a time, that the immediate in that House was not that protection would be too suddenly fall of price in this country c ould n o t go beyond the amount of withdrawn—( Cheers)—but. that it would be continued too the remission of the duty. If that were so, then (and this was long—(Cheers) —to the injury of the country and of the pro what he wished to i m p ress on th e H ous e), this desirable change tected interests themselves.—( Cheers. ) Therefore it was with of policy might be effected without injuring, at all events for unwillingness he opposed motions of this kind.—( Hear, hear.) the present, the c o l o ni a l p ro d uce . if th e f a ll o f p r i ce i n this But it was now proposed to substitute for a system of exclusion country did net exceed the remission of the duty, the consumer and monopoly, one of perfect free trade. That was a course would remain as well off as he was at this moment. No op; osed to even the great and recognised authorities in political doubt in the course of time, the price would be brought down. economy, from Adam Smith to the present day. H e f oun d But then the argument of Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite that they all—however clearly they laid down and il was, that the principles of free trade, which were those of lustrated the principles of free trade—they a ll said common sense, ought not to be introduced at once, but gra- that circumspection and caution should be used in applying dually, and he had shown that if the principle were now in- those principles to interests which had been long cherished troduced its operation would be slow. The Hon. Gentleman under the principle of protection. In that House he had who spoke last had admitted that of late years there was a con- heard the most distinguished statesmen—from Mr. Huski ss o n siderable improvement in the cultivation of sugar, and he had down—and he had never heard . a d contrarya opinion from any no doubt but that improvement would greatly advance if the public man whose opinion t c h a e rri o e lio any g t r il eat y we l i te ht.--( Hear, West Indies were subjected to a closer competition. He be- hear.) And, looking to py-feertheywould lieved that the system of working by agents and attorneys was never see a long-continued protection . suddenly removed.— at .. Looking to this and to the present position the root of - the whole evil, and that when the negroes, ( Hear, hear.) . , who were advancing in material prosperity and in of the colonies, lie did not think that the real interests of the intellectual poster, became proprietors, they would be country would be promoted by ad o pti ng a reso l u ti on o f t h e able to contend with the producers of foreign countries, description of that now proposed. Considering the present When all those improvements had taken place which position of the West Indian interests, and the course of legisla the state of the W,st Indian p o pul a tion required, there tion pursued towards them, there was every reason why those could be no doubt that all the advantages which the advo- principles of caution and circumspection, so just and sates of emancipation predicted from the employment of free reasonable in themselves, and recommended by the labour instead of slave labour, would result. They knew that highest authorities, should be applied to then.—(Ministerial in this country, where farms or manufactories were carried on cheers.) lie laud no more connexion with the West Indies by agents, while the owners lived in Naples or Moscow, much than any other Member of that House, but he snook! not deal profit was not derived from them ; and so it was with re• with the colonial interests more harshly than with any other in gard to the cultivation of sugar in the West Indies. But terest in this country.—( Hear, hear. ) He was, therefore, not they must remember how fast the condition of the negro was prepares! to take the course recommended in the resolution be improving ; and when he had the stimulus of personal interest, fore the House.—( Hear, hear.) He did not think it necess, ry he had no doubt that the cultivation and manufacture of sugar to trouble the House at great length on the present occasion, would be improved in the highest degree. Every day there and he would now only say that whilst he was willing to vote for was rising into manhood, not an uneducated population, de- a diminished protection, he could not vote fur an equalisation graded by the influences of slavery, but enlightened by educa- of the duties upon colonial and foreign sugar.—( Hear, hear.) Lion. By slavers , they might extort more physical labour from Mr. COBDEN, who commenced in a tone extremely low the slave, but they could not draw o u t th e qua liti es o f hi s an d i n di s ti nc t, so as t o be for some minutes almost inaudible in mind. For that purpose slavery was powerless, and accord- the gallery, was understood to say, that when he considered that ingly all experience proved that every business carried on by the arguments upon this question were nearly exhausted, slave labour, whether in their own colonies, or the United he was not disposed to occupy the time of the States or Brazil, in all those cases it was proved that free House at any great length. But he had taken some labour was more profitable than slave labour, and that little trouble with the subject, which was an old acquaintance was emphatically the case in :the cultivation of sugar. of his.—(Cheers and laughter.) That (as we understood) That was the reason why, after two or three centuries, there might be eorne little apology for him in speaking upon this was still observed so little difference between the primitive occasion, —(Hear, and a laugh.) Since he had heard the state of those affected by this question and their conditkm at lion. Member for Bristol and th e H on . m em b e r for Cumber that time. More had been done towards realising their wishes land express themselves quite sati s fi e d w i t h th e scheme of the within the het half dozen years, and since slavery Right lion. Baronet, he was certain not only that the measure had been abolished in their own colonies, than in the two ten- was as b a d as the one of last year, but that it was something turies before. But still, considering the improvements going worse.—( Cheers and a laugh, ) He supposed that the Right on in the trade of Antigua and Barbadoes, the improvements Hon. Baronet wished to have a little flirtation with the prin. in the condition of the labourers was not so rapid as it ought to &isles of free - trade - ..(Laughter) —th ese principles which he be. They still wanted the stimulus of competition, but they (Mr. Cobden) and his friends cherished. But then the might look to this result, that, in three years, free labour would Hi g ht lion. Baronet turned back to his first love—( A laugh) b e so much cheaper than slave labour, in Trinidad and other —and they could not expect him t o f o ll ow them.__( Hear and places, that they would not only be able to drive slave labour a laugh.) The Right Hon. Baronet's Budget took something out of their own markets, but out of the markets o f th e wor ld, out o f th e pockets of the people by means of the income-tax, and, by doing so, not only abolish the slave trade, but slavery and gave it hack by the repeal of some Customs duties. But itself. The great result to which they might with confidence he ( Mr. C.) thought that with regard to the protective duties look, was this, that if they had sufficient faith in the on sugar, the people would be on the whole in a worse position truth of their great principle, sufficient eenidence in the than they were last year.—( Opposition cheers.) He did not realisation of all that was good and great, over that which was think he had any other part of the assertion to deal with, but the opposite, if, instead of shrinking from the inconveniences or the subject of slavery. His Noble Friend ( Lord Howick) temporary difficulties which must result from the change he had been charged with imputing motives. He (Mr. Cobden) recommended, for he did not deny that some temporary incon- would nut impute motives. But he might do Right Hon. veniences and some immediate evil might not arise.—(Hear, Gentlemen some good by telling them what motives were im from the Ministerial side of the House.) He was not pre- puted to them out of doors._( Hear, hear.) Gentlemen pared to deny that some immediate encouragement might not thought that in supporting the scheme of the :Government be given to the slave-trade, but he considered that any tern- they would have the assistanc e of the anti-slavery body in this porary evil of this kin 1 was of minor importance, when looked country. In that they were mistaken.--(Cheers.) He (Mr. at in connexion with such great aud glorious objects. He did Cobden) hail an extensive acquaintance amongst that most not attempt to deny that some inconvenience might be expo- respectable body, and he co u ld say t h at t h e grea ter partf o rienced by equalising at p resen t th e d u ti es on a ll sugars t o th e t h em were su pp or t ers o f t h e principles of free trade.—( Loud exclusion of slave labour fro nt th e i r mar k e t s , b ut h e lik e d cr i es o f " N o , no .) Th ere were Committees sitting in Loin still less their plan of rejecting some, and admitting others— bard-street and Bond -street (in London). But he remem whicher they might think it too grea t a sacrifice to refute— bored that they voted for the Hon. Gentleman now Alet f n their Flan of attempting to bolster up their colonies by pro- for fluntingdon.—( Cheers.the ) But with the great body o t_ teetive duties. He did not deny that those measures, while opponents of slavery they had no influence, no suispon they were utterly powerless to get rid of the evil, might (Cheers, and cries of " Hugh, hugh." and other discordant sl nevertheless answer f or th e time; b u t if, i n order to put cries from the Ministerial benches ) When the Anti-Slavery avery down not only the slave-trade but slavery itself, they continued Societ existed who were it s representativestant thatehester, them, the remedy would be found quite inadequate. If they House - ?—(Loud cheers ) The Members for trusted in the truth of th a t grea t p r i nc ipl e w hi c h th e y h a d f or K en d a l , f or L ee d s, for B a th . . — (Ch eers .) The e were nt all sent trust due considerati on a d o pt e d—if th ey were pre p are d t o M embers upon the Liberal side of the House, an d who trust their own colonies to st rugg l e i n th e mar k e t s w i t h th e t h em t h ere ? Th e anti-slavery body.— (Cheers.) produce of the slave co un t r i es —if it was th e i r op i n i on t h at l ook to L eeds.—(Hear, hear.) 'They (the A reey ( 'terial side) no good could arise witho u t p ursu i ng some s t a t e d p r i nc i p l e — h ad one M ember. The Opposition had another. iini Let them if they admitted s l a v e - grown sugar as t h ey a d m it te d cotton, terial Member represented that party who, to the Minis tobacco, or other produ c t s —if th e y were p re p are d to d o t h e emanc i pation of the negro s l aves. —(Cheers.) e last, resisted The Liberal of those who this, there might be s o me t em p orar y i nconven i ence , it ;Member, on the contrary, was the re presentative was true they mi g ht no t i n d ee d ga i n a grea t h a d ma d e t h e most strenuous an d i n d e f a t i gable efforts for the victory for the c aus e o f h uman ity, b u t th e y m i g h t a b o li t i on o f s l avery .—(Ch eers.) H e was sorry' that the Ho n , rest assured that free labour would triumph in th e str ugg l e M em b er f or B at h h a d a co ld.—( A l aug h.) over slavery. Su c h w as hi s conv i c ti on , an d i n th a t conviction t h e H on . M em b er t o t e ll t h e H ouse whether Butut he would a s k hits anti-slavery tit would support the motion of the Hon. Member for Man- fri e nds in Bath would have th e sugar o f the poor labourers in chester ; and his answer to the Hon. Gentleman on the oppo- Somersetshire kept at a high price to protect the West Indian site side, who taunted him in s upp or ti ng i t, was, that he was interest?—( hear, hear.) The Gentlemen opposite who sup not more indifferent to the horrors of s l aver y now than when it ported this scheme under the pretence of discouraging slavery was triumphant in the colonies, and that it ill became them to were the pe rsons who to the last resisted the abolition of slavery taunt, who were not by those horrors prevented from profiting —(Cheers)—who to the last resisted th- exemption of women by those abuses as long as they lasted, those who were but from the lash.—(lmmense cheering.) Every one of them (the new philanthropists. He was not more indifferent than when Tories),every one of their leaders resisted the exe m pti on o f women them not he had upported those honourable and patriotic men to whose from the lash.—(Cheers.) Let say that h e c h arge d exertions the British nation was indebted for equalizing the sta- them with m o tiv e s.—( A laugh.) He only told th em t h e mo tion of the bondman and the free. lie had humbly supported tives which were attributed to them out of doors. The resolu those, one of whom he could not help remarking they had tion only said that the protection was not to be pernsanent, lately lost—one whom they must all remember for his since- They would vote against that. Let them consider then what rity, his zeal, and his earnestness in the cau s e of the slave—b u t wou ld b e th e op i n i on o f f er e'gnn nations en this subject ? W ou ld Hon. although he had supported -ir Thomas Fowell Buxton, al- th e y no t sa y th a t th e Right Baronet and his supporters though he retained the full feeling that he then advocated, he were guilty of hypocrisy in their proposed hostility to slavery ? had uhoun stated in a mos t was not to be deterred from supporting the m o tio n o f hi s H on . W ou ld th ey not say , as Mr. Col q Friend the Member f o r M anc h es t er , an d h e did h ope th a t th e b o ld and statesman••like document , that they wi s h e d to put people of this country would l oo k on , an d com p are th e i r con - d own s l avery, i n or d e r that they m i g h t h ave duct with the previous cond uc t o f th ose w h o p u t f orwar d t hi s a monopo l y i n t h e pro duction _ of sugar•—(Cheers.) question as the advocates of free trad e , a n d see h ow muc h o f Th e H un. G ent l eman assum ed that the bu s i ness o f sugar sincerity there was at the bottom of their arguments, and then making could not be carried on in competitio n w i t h s l ave la ask themselves, on a ques ti on lik e t h a t, if any Mi n i stry cou ld b oor ; and the Hon. M em b er for Cumberland said, " How passively look on the evils of this country, on the distresses of would you like to carry on the manufacturing i n M anc h ester its labourers, arid still conti nue by thi s mo d e o f l eg i s l at i on to aga i nst competitors abroad w h o paid no wages?"— t h at means, burden the country with its p resen t amount o f pecun i ary aga i nst people who steal the i r workmen, and make them work taxation ? for their food. In reply to this challenge, he (Mr. Cobden) Mr. GLADSTONE said that he for one meant not to dis- would say, that he desired no other competitors than those.— cuss the question of slavery as slavery with the Noble Lord who (Hear, hear.) If the manufacturers of the North of England had just sat down ; but he concurred in the eulogium which had only a gang of slaves to compete with, they could corinnand the Noble Lord had just passed on the principles which had the markets of the world.—( Hear, hear.) Was there ever such actuated the late Sir T. Fowell Buxton, although he could not an absurdity—such a monstrous absurdity, as to suppose that a help thinking that th e N o bl e L o rd was no t parti cu l ar ly happy community of slaves could rival a nation of freemen.—( Cheers.) . in his choice of introducing at that time the taunt of their The very nature of slave labour precludes those economical being new philanthropists. The Noble Lord was an advocate arrangements which freemen are able to effect. Slav er y i n . of extreme measures, and he was prepared to bring v o lv es expenses, he repeated, which freemen do not, becau s e he the question to a final settlement. But he (Mr. Glad- that employs slaves must keep a sufficient number of workmen stone) was not sure that this merit would attach on his premises to meet every possible contingency. If the to the motion of the Hon. Member for Manchester. proprietor be a sugar manufacturer he must have a sufficient Now, the Hon. Gentleman had stated he had heard much said number of coopers about him to minuet his wants, and more, for of the tax that had been paid by the people on account of the he must allon for casualties. In the same way he must retain differential duties. lie did net deny that there was a payment, a sufficient number of waggoners, and other descriptions of la which, if they pleased, they might call a tax on sugar, but why bourers, though he should only want their services once a should they resort to unnecessary exaggeration ? The Noble twelvemonth. Would any one tell him that in such a state of Lord opposite had commenced his speech by attacking the society as that, which precluded the division of labour, the ap- Hon. Member for Bristol, and by stating that 2 , 300 ,€• ) ° 1 • Plicati°n of science, or the march of improvement, slavery could was the minimum tax on the people far sugar; but instead of surpass freed°m• the assumption that pervaded the whole of the showing a difference of 13/. or ltd., he only showed a difference speeches of the Hen. Gentlemen opposite, and p art i cularly of the of 7s. 6d. lember fur Right Hots Gentleman the Newark, was, that an Lord HOWICK—That was after the change. equalised duty would necessarily bring ruin on every one of the Mr. GLADSTONE—Yes, b u t after that change it was colonies. That presumption he characterised as an odious said there would be a rise. The Noble Lord had informed fallacy. He denied the premises. They had b een disproved I them, and truly, that if they granted equa li zat i on t h ere wou ld i n Manilla and Java. f the sugar growers in those places he a rise in the price of sugar, and there would be no diminu- could sell their sugar in Holland in opposition to those of tons of the tax paid by the people.—( Hear, hear.) It had been Brazil, why not the West Indians as well. The Hon. Mem said that the gist of the question had not been met ; he ber for Bristol came here very much in forma pauperis, plead granted that it had not ; but the policy of this country had ' ing for relief in order to carry on the business; but he (Mr. been to maintain a system of protection, and that under that Cobden) submitted that before they doled out the public money to certain engagements had been entered into, perhaps viciously, these gentlemen, they should investigate their accounts. Let us see how they carry on their business. If all he heard was true, sident of the Board of Trade had acknowledged, and the nothing could be more clumsy, more expensive, more extrava- Right Hon. Baronet, in bringing forward his stat emen t, ele gant he should have said, n o thi ng more erroneous than the system dared that it w as t h e i ntent i on of the Government to give the pursued in the West. Indian colonies. He had heard a great colonial proprietor a protective duty of 10s. 6d. per cwt. What deal of this expsnse attributed to the habits of the workmen. was the meaning of a protective duty ? Why, to raise the lie believed the blame was justly attributable to the masters, I price of the co l on i a l p l anter 10s. 6d., 55., or " s. over that of What was the fact ? The wages af workmen, i n th e W est I n- j any other produce. The H on . M em b ers f or C umberland and <lin colonies, was only uric shilling per day. The Noble Lo r d I Br is tol un d erstoo d i t i n this its simple meaning. They did n o t observed, and his observation was founded u p on a statement I take it in any new or nove l sense. They said, " 10s. 6J. for pro ma'de on the wher side of the House, that th e wages we re t wo I tection means th a t th e i r sugar should be raised 10s. 6d. higher shilings per day. But he (Mr. Cobden) sho u ld say advisedly in our market than it would be if there was no protection given that the wages were only one shilling per d a y. to it." It had been s t ate d b y the Right Hon. Baronet, that if Mr. JAMES—The wages are two shillings per day. the West Indies sent 104,000 tons of sugar raised by a law Mr. COBDEN said he had received a letter from Jamaica, passed in that House, at 10s., the natural price wrizzlil be ie which it was stated that the wages were oil's, one shilling per 14,7001. ; 7,350/. for the East Indies, and 4,20 1. fur the Mau day, so that the Hon. Gentleman did not know his own bust. ritius, making a total of 2,62.5,000/. Whilst this was going nes% He would not mention the name of the gentleman from on, it must be borne in mind that the whole exports to the as horn he had received this advice, nor the names of those per- West Indian colonies in the year 1843 was considerably sons contained in it, but he would show the letter to any Hon. under three millions, and yet they were going to vote Member who wished to inspect it ; and the Hon. Gentleman to them as a protectioa the sum f 147,000/. nearly more than the Under-Secretary for the Colonies, who had r e cei ve d a half the amount of the whole trade they had with this country. copy of the letter, would be able to answer fur the authority They were to give to th e M aur i t i us a protection of 4,20 n/., aed genuineness of the document. Relearned from this letterthat whilst the goods imported there from this country, in 1843, men's labour was done by the day, aril Is. 3d was the standard only amounted to 2,a80/. The Right Hon. Gentleman, the:late rate of wages ; but when they laboured at jab work they were President of the Board of Trade, speaking with a freedom able to earn 2s. a day, which was very satisfactory to both which he did not use while in alice, said the Mauritius parties. Ile epprehended that after all this was not such a had no claim to protect on ; but the Right Honourable dispiriting description of the West India labourers. A man Gentleman admitted that the only ground which that received Is. a day for ordinary work, are' by greater could entitle them to protection was the high price dispatch ayes able to earn "s., could not lie such a mere ma- of labour. Now every body knew that there was as great an chine, such a mere log as the West Indian 1 ibourer was some- abundance of labour in the Mauritius as in Dorset.—(hear, times described. Ile thought, as he said before, that hear. ) Every body knew that in the Ea-t Indies—they hail more blame was attributable to the masters than the workmen, the authority of the Chancellor of the Exclie..,uer for it— ana if it would not too much occupy the time of the House, he labour was not scarce. Now, besides all these extra pay would read one or two extracts from the letter alluded to. Tho silents, they were called upon to make, there was another most writer of this letter was a resident of Jamaica, and was ac• serious and important matter. They must bear in mind the quain'ed with everything going on there. The lion. Ge n tl e - great trade carried on between this country and the Brazils. nein proceeded to read extracts from the letter, of which the This trade, according to the last returns of 1840 following is the substance —H e said that the great evil of the and 1841, amounted to two millions and a half. West Indian colonies was absenteeism, and that absentee pro- Of this, the production of cotton manufacture alone prietors could never expect to get any thing out of their exported into that country amounted to one million and a half. estates. Their profits were swallowed up by attorneys, —(Hear, hear.) Now the Right lion. Baronet the Pi ime overseers, bookkeepers, and a host of others. Then Minister, on bringing forward his financial statement, dock the merchant must have his portion before a upon the importance of the cotton trade ; but, notwithstand abiding could be remitted to the proprietor in England. I I ing some of his measures bearing upon this subject were con the proprietor resided on his property, ant attended to it, or sidered by some to be inexpedient. Now, here was trade of let the property to practical men, the results would soon be the same description extending to a million and a half, and yet apparent. The wrier proceeded to say, that a friend of his, the Right Hon. Baronet, by the measures he was passing, was whose name he would not mention, made last year one him- not only decreasing, but absolutely destroying the trade.— dred hogsheads of sugar and sixty of rum, clearing one thousand Brazil naturally mid very justly said, "We will take your pounds. Another, Mr. —, a Creole, and a man of colour, goods if you will take our sugar in return." But he thought the cleared 150/. per annum. Last year he made 110 hogsheads strongest argument in favour of the proposition which hod been of sugar, with the usual proportion of rum, clearing 600/., brought forward to-night had been those that bore upon the although the sealer' was a dry one. Another, who interest of the West India colonist. lie would ask the House held land at a place called St. Thomas (I see to observe what was the progress made in the cultivation of that the mouth of my Honourable Friend the several articles in those colonies for many yews past. Now, lion. Member for Weymouth waters at this description ) in the year 1821, the West India islands shipped to this country (Laughter.) This person five years ago cultivated and ma- raw cotton to the amount of 5,854,5001 b ; in 1840, nineteen ' l ur e d what had been rather a barren estate, according to the years afterwards, 866,0001 b; while the whole quantity which most approved principles, sinking a good deal of money in it, came in now did not amount to more than from 12,0001 b, to but last year he cleared 8001. The writer mentioned the ease 53,0001 b. Now, in 1821, the United States imported of another who commenced some years ago with 6,000/. 116,000,00 alb. ; in le4o 154,000,0001 b. ; and it must capital ; 4,0001. of this he spent in improving the land, and, be remembered that during the whole of this time the West amongst other things, imported from England a stock of agri- In.liea had been enjoying a protection upon sugar as well as cultural implements, and from Scotland some labourers, and in- upon cotton ; but the United States had none whatsoever. And s t ea d of oxen he employed horses. Last year, after every expense, yet the exports of the one had increased, while the exports cf this gentleman,who did not reside on his property, cleared 2,00 in. the other, :n the same article, had very materially diminished. and had he resided op his estate would have cleared 500/. mere. Between the years 1830 and 1835 the exports of sugar into this The surrounding estates belonged to absentee proprietors, they country from the colonies amounted to 3,375,819 cols. ; from were losing money in them, as far as they were sinking it. 1837 to 1842 the amount was 3,868,500 cwts. But in the The radical defect in the system was, that many proprietors article of cetie.e the results were still more striking. Between hail too much land, only a portion of which was cultivated in a 1830 and 1835, the average exports of the West Indies practical manner. The expenses were swallowed up with were 20,837,000/.—from 1836 to 1842 the amount was only attorneys, overseers, and such-like persons, in short the greatest 16,618,5.001., showing that the article of cotton had given evil resulted from this system of absentee proprietorship. In place to the production of sugar. In the article of coffee, short, he (Mr. Cobden) thought that upon examination they they hail made progress also, while the production of cotton would find that the same cause of agricultural depres- had retrograded to less than 20 per cent.—( Hear, hear)— sion in this country operated in the West Indies—Protection. and notwithstanding, there was a protective duty He had always found the very strongest argument for free more or less upon every one of these articles.—(Hear.) trade when he sought for it in the condition of the agricultu- Monopoly acted as an opiate, and at the same time it made rists; and if any one were thoroughly master of our colonial every interest grumblers. The West Indian interest, fifty condition on the question of the sugar duties, it would, he be- years ago, made the most extraordinary complaints, and pro heated, be found the strongest ground for advocating the aboli- posed the most extraordinary remedies ; they prayed that lion of protective duties, and the ultimate welfare and pros- slavery might not be abolished, on the score of humanity ! pertly of the colonies themselves. He would not enter into Yet they treated their negroes so barbarously that their numbers further arguments on this question, but lion. Gentlemen op- constantly decreased. The Right Hon. Baronet recommended pesite must not console themselves with the idea that this was science to the farmers. Lord Elgin, in Jamaica, thought his a final settlement of the question.—( Hear, hear.) Look out Government distinguished because under it the first plough had of doors. Had the principles of free trade advanced or been used in the island. Why was such advice given to two retrograded?—(Hear, hear.) The Right Honourable Gen- such different bodies? Because they were both protected. tleman talked of the small body of free traders—very No attempt whatever had been made to explain the difference violent men he saint. Let him look to the free traders in that that was made between East Indian and Mauritius sugar; and House, and whom they represented. Look, for instance, into it had been found necessary, by the late proceedings of the the City of London, in which every house had a vote, and behold Board of Trade, to write a pamphlet, defending the Premier from the test of the opinion of her citizens on this question. Were the supposition of having attacked the West Indian interest. they the advocates of protection or free-trade ? Let the lion. He maintained that this system was hurtful, not only to the Member fur Huntingdon answer that question, and tell him colonies, but to the characters of public men. On the pre the result. In the metropolis the question ; he repeated, had posal of a reduction on the duty on gloves, silks, and other been fairly tested. It was a fair open fight, protection or free articles, in 1824, the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel) re trade ; or let them turn to Middlesex, or South Lancashire, or minded the House that the eyes of Europa were upon them, the West Riding of Yorkshire, or Manchester, Glasgow, Edin- and called upon them not to yield to the fears of the timid or burgh, Nottingham, or Derby—" violent men," free traders re- the representations of the interested. Why was he not equally presented these great and important constituencies.— courageous in the matter of sugar ?—( Hear, hear.) The (Cries of " Hear, hear.") What were these but Right Hon. Baronet, the Secretary of State for the the great expositors of public opinion ? They were not mere Home Department, in bringing forward his Bill fur pocket burghs, from which votes might he counted in that making an alteration in the Law of Settlement, stated House, but a vote there was not everything, argument that one in ten of the population of England and Wales were should likewise be eoesilered.—(Cries of " Hear.") paupers, and a million and a half subsisted on parochial relief; The arguments of Hon. Members opposite might be very well and that, since 1815, when the corn-law was passed, there here ; but he could tell them that when they went out upon had been spent, in administering parochial relief, the sum of the lobby of the House, they would find very few amongst two hundred millions. Must there not be something wrong in their supporters hut those who were the representatives of the system, when it led to such an extent of pauperism ? pocket boroughs and counties.—( Hear, hear.) Amid whatever The Chancellor of the Exchequer had not spoken on this ques the result of this debate might be—whatever side the vote tion, and he presumed the reason was that he was himself a should be for—he could tell Hon. Members opposite that the West India proprietor. There was certainly mo decision of it would not end here; and if that vote should be (testy in that course; but still he thought the CI ancellor in favour of protection, most decidedly it would be re,isted.— of the Exchequer ought to speak on such a question, arid ( Hear, hear.) It had been said that no more capital Wit, to consider only the public interests. He protested against wanted to be expended by the owners of those distant estates ; the continuance of a system for which none but the lamest but he would ask was not capital required to be expended in excuses were offered ; a system which formed the main barrier the farming districts here ?—( Hear, hear.) He vs ould say, to that successful attack which must at no distant day be made look at the town and neighbourhood of Macclesfield ; would it on that greatest of monopolies, the monopoly of the food of be said that if free trade operated there it would not be a more the people.—( Hear, hear, from the Opposition. ) This debate prosperous town than it was, though it had its Duke? or would had gone on long enough.—(lronical cheers.) It was not at all it be said that Jamaica would not be had recourse to because remarkable that corn and sugar monopolists should be found free trade had been put in force there?—( Hear, hear.) banded together. lie believed no one who had risen on his Irs fact the view taken of ti's whole question by lion. Mem- side of the question had expected to offer anything soothing tiers opposite put him in mind of the sayings of old women, to the feelings of lion. Gentlemen opposite.--( Hear, hear.) that sugar was not wholesome, in order to deter children from They were of another sort.--( Loud ironical cheers.) They using it, because it was so der; but there never was a greater came there to produce an injustice, which they proclaimed out mistake, for sugar, next to bread, was the most nutritious food •f doors, and which they did not proclaim with less freedom in that could be used.—(llear. ) The whole cf the arguments, that House. " Don't suppose," said the Hon. Gentlemen, then, of Honourable Gentlemen opposite, notwith- "that we aro here for any purposes of our own—(Laughter)-- standing all they had said about. their consideration and feeling or for any purposes of yours—( Ironical cheers and laughter for the poor, vanished completely before their support of those from the Ministerial benches.) We are here for the purposes class interests, whether of landlords or sugarlorde.—( Hear.) of those who sent us ; and if you were to do that which those The professions of Hon. Members opposite, in regard to the who sent you profess to represent they sent you to do, or wish poor, when contrasted whim their conduct upon this questi o n, you to d o, l am sure t h ere wou ld not b e another debate wherein led the people to say that the Government were treacherous, a single individual would stand up in favour of this gross injus that all they said was lip service, and that a difference of one tice—an injustice which, by-and-by, you will be ashamed of." In penny in the pound in the price of sugar would make them the division there might be a very moderate minority in fivour of throw the poor labourers and their families to the winds. the abolition of protection; but if they had had any experience Mr. CARDWELL dal not conceive that the ob,ervations of in Parliamentary warfare they must recollect that all the great the lion. Member who had just sat down were at all applicable questions which had been carried had been at one time to the motion now under consideration. The Noble Lord the as far distant from being carried as that before the House. Member for Sunderland had said that the arguments of lion. Why, when their slaves were being wrested from Members at this side of the House were not confined to the them, within three years o f th e ti me w h en t h e Mi n i ster pro question at is sue ; b u t h e (M r . C ar d we ll) would ask—did not posed' the abolition of slavery, the West India papers in their the amendments proposed by the Hon. Alember opposite deal interest stated that the Anti-slavery Society was dead, and entirely with the question in the abstract ?—(llear, hear.) that its last meeting at the Crown and Anchor Tavern was Surely, then, it could r,ot be said that the Government were the effort of an expiring faction.—( Hear, hear ) They might blameable for dealing in abstract principles, when the resolu- depend upon it, that the party which was in favour of a fre e tions of the Hon. Members opposite were more than usually trade in sugar and a free trade in corn, was one that was every remarkable for dealing in abstract principles, and entirely day swelling in numbers, while their own ranks were wanting in facts and circumstances to support them. It was every day being thinned.—(Cheers from the Opposition. ) all very fine for lion. Members to talk of free labour, and all Although they might divide that night, and be in a minority, that; he (Mr. Cardwell) sincerely hoped that the time would yet there would be other occasions before these sugar reso. come when slave labour would be done away with lutions were passed, when they could ask for an explanation in the West Indies ; but he would ask—who first why this tax of two millions was imposed to benefit the East established it ?—was it not that side of the House ?—( Hear, India proprietors and the planters of the Mauritius, who had hear.) He would say to those lion. Gentlemen who were for no claim, and had made no claim for it. doing away with the protection, let them re-enact the slave The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could assure trade if they were anxious to permit Cuba and Brazil to corn- the House that there were many reasons for his not trespassing pete with West India sugar,—( H ear , h ear .) Several Hon. on the time of the House. The subject before the House had Members had sand that th ere would bee grea t i ncr ea s e in the been almost entirely exhausted, and if ho wanted proof of this, consumption ; but the Noble Lord Member for Sunder- he need only refer to the speech of the Hon. Gentleman who land had said that the West Indies would produce sufficient to had just sat down, for in that the Hon. Gentleman had wan bear down all competition; yet, if th e p resen t measure pro- dered into every possible subject but that before the House. posed by her Majesty's Gove rnmen t s h ou ld b e supported by The Hon. Gentleman had thought fit to impute to him (the this House, there need be no apprehension on that ground.— Chancellor of the Exchequer) that he was actuated by feelings ( Hear, hear.) Even supposing that the price of West India if interest on this question, as he had property in the West sugar were materially reduced, and that this country was to Indies. If the Hon. Gentleman had known him during the depend for a supply on Cuba and Brazil, was there to be no number of years he had been in that House, he would not have calculation made for the present price, with a view to doing expressed such an opinion. He (the Chancellor of the justice to the West India growers.—(Cries of "Hear, hear.") Exchequer) thought lie might appeal to his politi- He believed that the calculations made by some of the Hon. cal opponents as to his general political conduct. Gentlemen were erroneous in a commercial point of view, It was not difficult to make these insinuations, and he usually while the evidence which he had brought forward confirmed found them unnoticed, and he would have done so now had the great increase which was now going on in the produce of not the charge been so pointedly made. The Hon. Member the East and West Indies, under a process which a-as entirely for Stockport had in the course of his speech read a letter. unobjectionable, and calculated to promote their own commer- Now he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had seen that letter cial schemes. The Hon. Member who last sat down had intro- and the first paragraph in it—which the Honourable darted into this discussion topics which he could nut help think- Member for Stockport did not read—advocated the ing were quite unnecessary. The Honourable Member had imposition of a discriminating duty of 10s. upon foreign sugar. thought proper to cast imputations on the Government Mr. COBDEN—I gave the facts of last year. which might recoil upon himself.—([fear, hear.) The The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER repeated his Honourable Member said the people would call them statement that the opening of the letter contained an argument "hypocrites," and he gave this as his reason for thinking so. in favour of a discriminating duty. He apologised for being The Hon. Member said that a great number of the persons unprepared to enter into this question, as he intended to do so who formed themselves into an anti-slavery body ten years ago, on the motion of the Noble Lord the Member for the City of were now joined with him in a cry for cheap sugar. Now, peo- London. ple out of doors might draw their inferences from this as well Lord SANDON rose amid loud cries of " Divide, divide." as from what fall from Hon. Members on the Ministerial side He said that Hon. Gentlemen opposite had gone on the as of the House. They were quite as likely to impute hypocrisy sumption that the amount of duty regulated the price of foreign to the one as to the other.—(Cheers.) They were pursuing a and colonial sugar. Nothing could be more fallacious than rudential course now ; but if they were to follow the recom- this. The difference between the duty on foreign and colonial mendation of the lion. Member for Stockport, the slavery sugar now was 635. and 245., and yet in the price the diffe market would be revived, and then they would see those gen- rence was only 7s. The only thing which regulated price was tlemen to whom the Hon. Member alluded getting up a new the supply. agitation against slavery.—( Hear.) Now, on the other hand, he Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House showed them that their supplies were being increased without divided, when there appeared, resorting to this objectionable source, and without disturbing For the Amendment .. the existing interests of the country', and he therefore did not Against it think it advisable to adopt a recommendation which was not Majority —l27 sanctioned either by the commercial body or the public The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the generally. House adjourned at a Quarter to One o'clock. Mr. BRIGHT said the Right Hon. Gentleman who had just addressed the House had taken upon himself to say that the proposition which had been submitted to the House was one of an abstract character. Now, there was sufficient evi dence to induce him to believe that some Members of that House thought otherwise.—( Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Cumberland, who was a West India proprietor, he did not recollect having seen in the House since the time when the sugar duties were discussed during the last session, and if he was not mistaken, the Hon. Member came from a distant capital of Europe for the purpose of meeting this abstract proposition.—( Cheers.) The Right Hon. Gentleman the late President of the Board of Trade, did not consider it an abstract proposition, for he had shown extraordinary symptoms of resuscitation that eveniug.—( Laughter.) The Right lion. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had invested his countenance in more than usual solemnity, notwithstanding the abstract matter of the propositioa. He could say that this proposition was the most plain, the most easy to understand, that had ever been submitted to that or any other House of Legislation.—( Hear, hear.) The proposition which had been made was that the system of taxation pursued with respect to sugar was unsatisfactory to the great body of the people of this country, nor could it he otherwise, unless the duties imposed on foreign and colonial sugar were equalised. They maintained that the Government, by collusion with the West Indies, the East Indies, and time Mauritius planters, were taking from the people of this country a very large annual tax, which they were not paying into the exchequer of the Queen, but handing it over to the sugar plantation proprietors. Now, there had always been a great stickler against discussing this question, and this they found in pocket interests.—( Hear, hear.) What were the grounds on which they claimed to levy this tax upon the consumers of sugar in this country ? No doubt, the same as those advanced in this country in favour of the landlord's monopoly. The lion. Member for Sheffield had given notice of his intention to move for a Select Com mittee to inquire into the burdens which presseedlon. Landlords before on the landed interest, but it would not be granted. No, t h were afraid to bring their especial burdens that House,. and the same might be said of the sugar planters. Now, he was looking that morning over the spe ech Right Honourable Baronet when he madewhat of the he called his financial statement. He found the whole amount of sugar which may be expected from the West Indies, in the com i ng year, was stated to lie 140,000 tons, from the East Indies 70,000, and from the Mauritius 40,630 tons, maki ng a t ota l o f 250,000 tens. Now the Bight lion. Gentleman the late Pre- NEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS. CITY ' MONDAY EVENDTG. The Funds close tolerably well, though not so good as on Saturday.: Consols have been 99% to par. New Three-and a-Quarter per Cents. have continued at 104% to 104%. East India Stock has realised 282 to 283. Spanish Five per Cents. receded to 27%. Portuguese Converted were 60 1 % to 61; Peruvian, 30% % ; and Bra zilian, 88% to 89%. Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents. were 63%. The additional transactions in Railway Shares have been these :—Bristol and Exeter were 12% ; Cambridge and Lin ' coln, 1% to 1 ; Che s t er an d H o l y h ea d, 2% ; Churnet ; Dublin and Galway, 1,4 ; Eastern Co unties, 11; Eastern Union, ex-N ew , 7:%; Edinburgh and G lasgow, Valley , 24 ; 88; Great Grand Junction, 124; Great North of Englan d , Western. Half, 50 to 49; Ditto, Fifths , . 12; Guildford and Portsmouth, 1 3 / 4 to 2 1 A ; Harwich, , Birmingham ' 129; Brighton, 714 ; South-W 38 estern, ; l . roydon, 3 3 / 4 ; London and York, 4%%; Manchester and Leeds, to 27 ; N 65;e11:„Icame andhest and Birmingham, 22% - Midlan d, Berwick, 12% to 12%; Richmond and West-End, 2% 1 A ; South-Eastern, 6%; Ditto, New, No. 1,7 to 6 D Rugby and Tring, 2 1 4 3 o - ,_15! . 43. 2, 7 to 6 ; Waterford and Kil kenny, 1%; 34r; k and North Midland, 54; Do. and S e lby, - 443 ; Boulogne and Amiens, 3% 3 / 4 ' • Bordeaux and Tou louse, % ; Orleans . and Bordeaux, 4% ; and Paris a n d Rouen, 22% prem ium. Direct Northern ha ve b een %; Blackwall, 94, and Greenwich, 2 discount. Commercial Bank of London Shares were 1 premium. (Prot; The Sun of Last Night.) There was but a moderate business traesacted in Cotton at Liverpool on Saturday, the total sales amounting to 3,000 or 4,000 bales, of which 1,000 were on speculation. There was no alteration in prices.—Shares were dull, and prices were depressed. Aberdeen. 2 3 / 4 ; Caledonian 714 ; Cheater and Birkenhead, 38 1 A ; Ditto and Holyhead', 8% 8 ; Dublin and Cashel Extension, ; Ditto and Drogheda, 77 1 / 2 ; Eastern Counties, 17% ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 61 ; Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, 18s. 6d. 16s. 6d. ; Churnet 7% ; Great North of England, 401., 43 ; Kendal and Win dermere, 4 1 h %; Lancaster and Preston, 49%; Liverpool and Manchester, 202 ; Ditto, Half, 102 1 /.. ; London and Birmingham, 237 ; Ditto, 32/. Shares, 42 3 / 4 74 ; Ditto, Quar ter Shares, 29 1 4 ; London and Brighton, 58 1 4 58 ; London and South-Western 79%; London and York, 7% • Man chester and Birmingham, 62; Midland Counties, 12614'125%; Ditto, 401., 8%; Newcastle and Carlisle, 122% • North Union,l3B ; Oxford and Rugby, 31 r ; Scottish Central, 4% ; Sheffield and Manchester, Quarter, 12% ; Shrewsbury and Chester, 2% South-Eastern, 40 ; Ditto,`(No. 3), ; Trent Valley, 19% % •, Paris and Lyons, 3 ; Paris and Stras burg, 2% ; * Orleans, Tours, and Bordeaux 6%; Boulogne and Amiens, 5%; Central of France, 14%; Northern of France, 5%. The only arrivals of importance this morning are the com mercial letters brought by the Overland Mail, the principal portion of which have been delivered. It is satisfactory to and that affairs were steady, and progressing in a favourable dircc ion. There was however still, as respects trade, a con sidirable amount of British manufactures on hand at the three Presidencies. It appears from the contents of some of the private advices, that at Hong-Kong, as well' as at Canton, a prelty general opinion was entertained that there would be a re luction in the duty on tea proposed by Sir Robert Peel, in the course of the present session of Parliament. As this is not to be the case, a considerable degree of disappointment wii be felt when the exposé of the Premier arrives out. Since the Ist of October last, down to the date of the present advices, the exports of tea to Great Britain had only amounted to about 7,749,0971b5.. Very high prices have been paid for green teas, and, for the reason above stated, much excitement existed in the market at Canton. Had there been a change in the duties, green teas would have . advanced here in a greater proportion than black. In the Stock market there has been a very trifling variation this morning. Cons , ‘'s for the Account have been done at 100%, buyers and sellers, while for transfer to morrow the price has declined from 100 1 4 to 99N. The premium upon Exchequer -bills continues to advance ;it has reached 70s. this morning. The Three-and-a -Quarter per Cents. have been at 104% to % . India Stock at 283 282; and Bal; Stock at 212 1 ; 4. A good deal of business has been transacted in the Dutch Four per Cents, to-dav, at prices from 98 3 4 to 99%. The Two•and-a-Half per Cents. have been, pretty steady at %; Brazilian Five per Cents. are firm at 8990; Mexican at 35 1 4 %; the Portuguse Converted at 40%; Spanish Consols at 27% to 28; and the Three per Cents.'at 40% N. The transactions in the Railway Shares have not been very numerous to-day, but, in general, prices have been well supported, especially tor the Birmingham and Glouces ter, the Bristol and Exeter, the Manchester and Leeds, &c. ONE CLOSING PRICES OF DRITISII FUNDS. O'CLOCK. PRICES. Rank Stock . 3 per Cent. Reduced 100 1 / 3 per Cent. Cons u l s New 3 per Ce n t s Long Annuities to expire Jan. 1860 12% 12% India Stock Bank Stock for Account... . 213 213 Consols for Account.... . 100% 100 99% Exchequer Bills, 1,0004, 1 1 d 6B 70 pm. 70 Ditto 500/. . Ditto Small .. 68 70 pm. 70 Ditto Advertised ONE CLOSIG PRICES OF FOREIGN FU NDS. O ' CLOCK. PRIC Es N .: Brazilian Bonds Ditto, New, 1829 an d 1839 87% 87% Mexican, 5 per C ent . 1837 ...... 35%4 Ditto, Account 1 Peruvian Bonds, 6 per Cents - 304 Ditto. Account — 344 Portuguese Bonds, 5 per Cent Ditto, Converted — Ditto, Account Spanish 5 per Cent. 1840. Ditto, Account 2B 27% 27% Ditto 3 per Cent. Ditto Account Ditto, 4 per C en t., C ert i l i c. 99 S% 9 1 ,4 8% PRICES OF CLOSING RAILWAY SHARES PAID. AT ONE O'CLOCK. Birming. and Gl oucesterloo 1311, PRICES. — Ditto New Shares ... 171 Ditto % Shares Bristol and E xe t er Bristol and Gloucester... 30 ...... 56% 57 1 A CaL:tionian Cambridge and Lincoln 1% ...... 32% Chester and Holyhead... 5 Churnet Valley Cornwall Direct Northern Dublin and Galway 9 l / 2....., 3 1 / 1 % Eastern Counties 14/. 16 s 1 7 1% ••• 17 ...... ... Eastern Union Ditto Extension Edinburgh and Glasgow 50 ...... Grand Junction ...100 Great South. and West. (Ireland) Ditto Extension Great North of England..100 Ditto New ............... 5 Ditto New Great Western BO ..... 176 175 Ditto 1 /, Shares Ditto Fifths Guildford, Farn'in,Ports. 2 1 ,4 ... .. Harwich London and Birminghin (Stock)... 231 230 Ditto New Thirds Ditto, Quarters London and Blackwall. 161. 13s 4d — London and Brighton... 50 London and Greenwich 12/ 15s4d 10.36 London and S. Western 4116 s 103 79 Ditto New 21,4 121,4 12 ... London and C ro yd on , 13/. 15s. 9d . 17, 18 Ditto Guaranteed 5 per Cent. London and Yo r k ...... „. 2 1 / 2 74 7 % Manchester and Leeds... 73 Ditto % Shares 32 Ditto Sixteenths Manchester and Birmin. 40 Ditto Quarters Midland 100 12 6 1 '2 I)itto New 2 ..... 8 1 :4 R Midland,Birm„Derby...loo Newcastle and Darling ton Junction 24 ...... 47 48 .... Neweits.le an d B . erwick 1% Newark and Sheffield ... 1 1 / 2 DA North British /2 ip Ditto New 1 Northern and E as t ern... 45 Norwich and Brandon... 10 Ditto, New Oxford and Worcester... 214 l% Ilichmondand West End Junction Rugby,Wor'ster,&Tring 1 Shrews., Wolverhamp., Dudley, and Birm 91, 12 4%5A, 3% 4% 47' South Eastern & Dover 33/ 2s 4d 4O 39% .. ...... 39 Ditto, No. 1 Ditto, N 0.2. Ditto, No. 3 ...2 81 '; 7 1 /iN — South Wales Trent Valley 2 ' 1 9 1 (2 J /4 Wat^ztford and Kilkenny 1 ...... 3h i ••• 'fork and North Midland 50 Ditto 1,4 Shares .. 25 Ditto, Selby Ditto Extension ...... 1 1 4 1214%. 82% 2 1 2 2% 16)76 r.?? 1 10 4 791,i 17 1, 4 71, 138 62% 10 127 - 13% 2 3 4 104 64 1 ,4 FRENCH RAILWAYS. Boulogne and Amiens... 2 Bordeaux and Toulouse 2 Great Nortb. o f F rance .. 4 Lyons and Avignon Orleans and Vierzon ... 2 Orleans and Bordeaux... 2 Paris and Orleans 2O Paris and Rouen Tours and Nantes 1 JOINT STOCK BANKS. Commercial of London... 20 MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, FEB. 22.—We have had a quiet market, without much variation in prices. —London and Brighton, 58 1 % cum new ; Manchester and Birm ingham, 62 ; Sheffield and Manchester, Quarter Shares, 13 ; South-Eastern, No. 3, 87,4 34 ; Barns ley Junction, 6 3-16 • Birkenhead, Manchest er , an d Ch es hi re Junction, 7 1 ,4 ; Blackburn,l Burnley, and Accrington, 51 ,4 ; Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton, 4 ; Caledonian, 7 1 4 ; Cam bridge and Lincol n , 3%; Churnet Valley, 7:!1 •, Hudders field and Manchester Railway and Canal, 5 %; Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction, 4% ; London and York, 7% ; Man chester and Buxton, 3 1 / s ; Newark and Sheffield, 214 ' • Trent Valley, 19% ; W es t Y or k s hi re, 4%; Boulogne and Amiens (English), 5% 7-16 ; Sa m b re and Meuse, 3%. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. LONDON, FEB. 22, Noon.—Wind westerly, fresh breams, and fine clear weather; snowed hard early yesterday morning, but afterwards a thaw set in, and the weather this morning is extremely mild. DEAL, FEB. 22.—Wind S.E. to N.E., light. 23. P.m., N. W., moderate.—Arrd. Will 'Watch, May, Ichaboe. Sld. Ganges, Sydney, N.S.W. ; Vigilant, Cape of Good Hope; Essex, St. Helena; Helena and Lynher, Rio; Mary Ellen, Barbadoes ' • William and Alfred, Antigua ; Houghton, Lea keine, St. Jago de Cuba; and the whole of the outward bound. The Martha, from Portsmouth to Sunderland, got on the Goodwin Sands last night, but was assisted off, and taken into Ramsgate. PLYMOUTH, FEB. 23.—Arrd. Urania, Xnnaga, Batavia, for Rotterdam ; Young England, Fretwell, Ichaboe, forty days from St. Helena. FAudouTil, FErt. 22.—Wind W. fresh breeze. 23. W . And. Rhoda, Hibbs, Ichaboe ; 14th ult. Off, Maid of Athens, Laing, Buenos Ayres, v Pernambuco, 11th ult. ; Jenny, Rio, for Antwerp. Gibral- SOUTHAMPTON, FEB. 23.—Arrd. Queen steamer, Esk, Massey, Bahia, saile d 1, 01 b O u ll t th go to t tar, left 15th inst. Sunderland, got on the damage. RANISGATE, FEB.22. G — o Th od : in M s a a r n tl d i s oil; and proceeded without apparent damage. to N.W., PORTSMOUTH, FEB. 23. e nd a7 th fr is om morning, P.rtsm Li verpool, Wilso n, -iw - i Mac"? Ie IV N.W.—irrd. George Nicholas, Freese, Cuba for Bremen. Arrd. Anna and Emily PorteS c ,.S 3 i7 An ra .e L r e N on o e ‘ ... 1 ( 0 )ff . , Earl JERSEY, FEB. 20.—Std. Trust, harbadoes. h. I FEB. 23.—Wind N.W.—Arrd. Susan, Penton, Ehlers, ori s S A t Lc . Thomas, F s, , f ,,n o r . .1 1 la ; bmu 18.—Marv, g r De u m w er l a , r c a t:s ;_ r /t E l i i t r , a i n,d, a a n. Brock, 2l._A Cape rrd. de Solway,\erds s . t. John's, x.B. SWA.NSEA, FEB. 19.—S1d. Harriet and Cobre, Cuba. Am OFF Tent WIGHT, FEB. 20.—Raphael, Schaal), Curacoa for am. LivEitrooL, FEB. 23.—Arri. Frances, Russell, and Post Boy, Stokes, lchaboe ; Alert, Demerara. 22. Sld. Athena, Calcutta; Maid of Mona, Latham Island ; Lydia, Antigua; Thetis, Honduras ; Kyanite, Vera Cru z ; Bellona Tampico ; Cato, New O r l eans ; Colossus, Ap a l ac hi ola ; Ann, 'New 1 ork ; Diana, Boston. 23. Fulmer, Demerara.. 22. The Valpe• raiso, hence to 'Valparaiso, ashore near Formby, has bean got off, and in h ere to-day. The Sir Robert Peel,• Edwards, from Ichaboe to this port, was abandoned about 200 miles from St. Helena, Jan. 4, with 13 feet water ink her hold ; crew saved. The Sampson, of Irvine, took fire this morning in the Prince's Dock, but sustained little or no damage. CLYDE, FEB. 21.—Arrd. Akbar, Giles, Mauritius; Vibelia, Roberts, lehaboe. Sld. Argaune, Calcutta; Casket, Jamaica. CROOKEAVEN, FEB. 19.—Arrd. Henry Bell, Wood, Ichaboe, with loss of bulwarks, &c., at Ichaboe. SUNDERLAND, FEB. 21.—S1d. Minna, Cape of Good Hope. LANCASTER, EEB. 22.—Acrd. Caledonia, Irvine, Ichaboe. CLYDE, FEB. 21.—Arrd. Argyleshire and Fellowship, St. John's, New Brunswick. LEITB, FEB. 22.—Wind E.—Sld. Capse, Jamaica. CORK, FEB. 21.—Arrd. Spy, Bennett, Ichaboo. WHIT/MAVEN, FEB. 22.—The Alciope, Bennett, from Swansea, ashore near Workington, has been got off and brought in here. Several vessels arrived at Bahia prior to Jan. 14. from Ichiboe, in ballast. The King and Queen of Sweden and Norway arrived at Christiana 011 the 6th inst., and were received there with great rtioieings. 6 i i i 4 2 ')ii ~.-.