The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-16 00:00:00

COMATION " COFFEE.

AN elaborate Ntatillilellt ham been lately pre-
sented to the Prime ':Minister regarding the
systematic adulteration of coffee. This griev-
ance was first brought to light timing the
administration of Sir ROBERT NEI.. It culmi-
nated under the powerful patronage of Sir
Cumu.Es Wool). It was effectively redressed
by Mr. Disnam.r, and it has now been no less
effectively revived by his successor. The
proof•:+ of this unhappy consummation are
manifest, but, before refening to them, let us
take a hasty glance at the true origin and pro.
gress of the chicory and entree controversy.

So tar back as the year lsll, an art was
passed which imposed high penalties on the
adulteration of coffee. This statute is still
unrepealed, but its operation was suspended
by a Treasury minute in 1840, which sanctioned
the sale of this article mixed with chicory.
This relaxation led to innumerable frauds, of •
which the consumer complained more and
inure loudly each succeeding year. The colo-
nist, too. complained with still greater reason.
for his produce, burdened as it was with a
heavy duty, was thus brought into direct com-
petition with the untaxed chicory grown in
England. Lastly, the NW enue derived from
coffee fell off in consequence of its diminished
consumption. In 1849 these matters were
brought before Parliament, but Sir tlitAni.ss
Woo stoutly refused to interfere. The an-
nouncement was received with becoming grati-
tude by the grocers of the United Kingdom,
and the practice of adulteration became more
general than ever. Indeed, the records of our
courts will show that substances of a much
less wholesome kind than chicory were fre-
quently employed. The lioveniment of Lord
DERBY, when in office, very wisely determined
to put a stop to this disgraceful state of things,
and did so, simply by rescinding, after due
notice, the Treasury order of 1840, and thus
reviving the restrictions imposed by the act of
1814.

Mr. G LADSTONE, OD his accession to power.
took a different view of the matter from either
of his predecessors. He was neither for
wholesale adulteration, nor for strictly honest
dealing ; but, with characteristic ingenuity, he
planned it eompromise between these two
extremes. The coffee-dealers, he was well
aware, belong for the most part to a (gams who
exercise a very powerful influence in eleetion-
eering matters, and he would therefore con-
ciliate them by the patrtial restoration of a
privilege of which they had been most ,justly
deprived. He did not, indeed, like Sir e H Anus:at
Woon, lend the sanction of his name to unre-
stricted competition in fraud, but he has done
substantially the same thing, for the restric-
tions ho has imposed are practically worthless.
On the 25th of February last there appeared a
fresh Treasury minute, once more legalising
the sale of coffee mixed with chicory, provided
the compound bears a label to that effeet.
restriction whatever was imposed as to
the relative quonfity of the two ingredients.
This modification of the law has already led
to strange results. The indefatigable editor
of the Lased informs us that he has purchased
at a variety of shops ill the metropolis samples
of this new compound. Whether it has yet
acquired the title of " Oludbtoue's Wiature,"

or " Coalition cottee," among the trade, we are
not aware ; but the authority in question tells►
us that in nearly all his purchases the propor-
tion of ehieory was extravagantly large, while
in some it was scarcely possible to detect the
presence of coffee at all. But why should the
dealers sell the compound in reasonable pro-
portions ? Coffee with the duty paid is about
tour times dearer tha► chieory, and by using
in the preparation of the compound even the
smallest quantity of the former substance
they keep within the letter of the law, and are
the Sainte time to realise an exorbi-
tant rate of profit on their sales.
But. in his anxiety to eonciliate this section
of the ten-pounders, Mr. GLADSTONE has lost
sight of a disagreeable yet inevitable conse-
quence of his policy. From what we have
stated our readers will not be surprised to
learn that the eonsumption of coffee is de-
(gifting, and the revenue of course must sutler
in proportion. From the Board of 'Trade
returns, just published, we learn that the quan-
tity of votive taken for home consumption
during the month ending the 4th of June last
exhibits a decrease as compared with the eor-
responding period of 1$ f. and a still greater
decrease as COMlnired with that of IWI I.
When we find fron► the saute returns that
there is ample evidenee of nut increased de.
mend tin• sugar, spirits, wine, tobacco, and
nearly every other commodity, we eau have no
diffieulty in iteeounting fi► . the diutiui►hed
consumption of entree.

NEW FEATURES or BUSH ELECTIONS.
Sint': fails in the reeent Irish elections merit
part ieular notice. At Sligo and Tralee, Minim-
terialist mobs have been hounded on by
priestly influences, not against Tory candi-
dates or Protestant landlorila (in that there
would be no novelty), but against " popular "
politicians and Boman Catholic. gentlemen.
At Sligo Mr. Soil Ens was opposed under pecu-
liar circumstances. For fifteen years he had
represented the borough, with which he was
eounected by ties of property and kindred. At
the general election last year it was resolved
that a ',rah* of Cardinal Wilonistes—Mr.
Towsimcv of Towneley—should be returned
for Sligo. So Rome decreed, and the priests
deeided. ',Ord PALMERSTON, however, pre-
ferred that Mr. SOMERR should continue to re-
present the town, and, accordingly, there was
a spirited resistance made to the attempt of
Mr. Towsm.xv to become an M.l'. for a place
to which he was an utter stranger. The priests,
together with his purse, obtained for him a
transient success, but the committee of the
House of Commons unseated him, with a
severe vote tit' censure on his conduct. Sligo
being thus freed from the Cardinal's pet, Mr.
SoMERs again offered himself, receiving very
general support from all the Protestants, from
a great number of the Roman Catholies, and
from 501110 oven of the priests. Lord Psi.mEatiTos,
whose estates are adjacent to the town, was
again willing to promote his return ; but Lord
Aut:ancEs hail a. nominee of his own, and Mr.
Lord of the Treasury, entirely UN-
conneried with Sligo—went down from Downing-
street.. Californian influences, it is said, were
resorted to, and, in conjunction with these,
system of bullying without parallel even in
Ireland ; and mill this was directed against a
thulium Cutholie candidate supported by several
priests. if Mr. Soimum had been an Orange-
man of the ohl aseendaney mehool, he could
seareely have fared worse with the savages
who howled at the heels of Mr. Sviima. But
Parliament will again be called on to inter-
fere. and save a Roman Catholie constituency
from being overborne by the power of the Pope
and his agents.
At Tilde° matters were even worse. Mr.
SHINE I ,AWl.oft offered himself for the vu-
cant seat. Ills claims obtained very general
support. lie had talents for public life, con-
. siilerable attainments, and was an estimable
private diameter, though in past times more
of " an agitator" than we could eonsistently ap-
prove ; but on the honour of his character there
could not lie two opinions. Ile wits also
entitled On the score of property and family
a to the position of a representative in the
Legislature ; and it would be a gross insult to
• Mr. LAWLOR to compare WI personal prcten-

abuts with those of the " Brigadiers " who
answer to the whip of Mr. Harm. Yet ..this
gentleman, for presuming to interfere with the
arrogant claim of Priest M'ENNEIIY tO dietatt,
to the constitueney, was knocked down by
what we must call the Minixtorial mob, and
was finally emulsified to retreat from his can-
vass, rather than leave his mortal remains in
the streets of Tralee.
There is something quite new in the facts
of Romps Ontholie gentlemen being assailed
with as much ruffianism on their canvass as if
they were reared in Protestantism. Such
things plainly demonstrate the folly of looking
for public " opinion " amongst opponents to
knowledge, conspirators against property, re-
viler:4 of the Reformation, and foes to freedom
thought. It is impossible, however, that
these things can exist without. a reaction
against them ; awl in the vigorous support
which Colonel VANDELEun received in his
gallant struggle at Clare we see signs that
the Roman Catholics will yet emancipate
themselves from the political bondage in
which they are retained by their domineering
priesthood.