The Press.
London, England, 1853-06-04 00:00:00

JUNE 4, 1853.

poses that the rent due for the period during which hews*
;tidy assessed had been wholly lost by the bankruptcy, in-
solvency, or absconding of the tenant or ocenpier. or that
the huh had been left waste or unoccupied, the buidlord
should be entitled to claint a repayment of the duty. A
second entitled a party appealing, as well as the comtuis-
sioners. to require a new valuation. A third extended the
relief granted to tenant farmers who were occupiers under
the act of Is4l, in respeet to abatement of tax, where the
profits proved hiss than half the rent. A fourth plaeed
clerviten and ministers on the same footing as other pro-
fession* with respect to charges incurred wholly and neees-
sally in the c=erise Or discharge of their professional
duties. A fifth enlarged the VCSIVerS of the commissioners
with reference to bad debts."
These clauses were agreed to, and the bill was
ordered to be reported.

CUSTONIS AtT.
Considerable discussion has taken place in com-
mittee upon ditterent items proposed for remission or
abolition of duty by this act, the result being, that
several of the more important articles are postponed.
The change in the tea duty was, howeverotanctioned on
Tuesday evening, though out of its due course. upon
the representation of the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer that public convenience would bmu
e ch be-
nefited if the Custom-house people could commence
the new system on the Ist of June.
Respecting the duty on raisins and currants :
Mr. Mrreumi. wished to know whether the right bun.
gentleman would consent to the amendment of which he
had given notice for a reduction of the duty on raisins to
Ina. per cwt.?
The CHANCEMAIR of the EXeltE44llllt hoped lie would not
be called on too...rut without " reasons." (A hipple.) At
the time the resolutions were prepared they were under
belief that the reduction of the duty on raisins would lie a
great boon to the community in contalmence of an antici-
pated scarcity of currants. After that a tEli)tion was made
for a reduction of the duty on currants, to which they
could not possibly accede. Popular it might have been,
and, as regarded the holism Islands. from wheims• the
supply wan derived, he was himself desinow of increasing
their commerce with that locality ; awl had it been meet'.
cable, or was he satisfied that the emianment would obtain
the benefit of the reduct. .or that the revenue would have
recoered itself. he would have accee to the motion.
Tlwv accounts of the state of the supplyd wed re, however, such
as to put it wholly out of the viestion. They were told
that there was a sort of famine in currants, and that they
would be double the ordinary price. The Levant supplied
them with raisins, unit also Spain, and they had 'thinning
rumours respecting that crop, owing to frosts and locusts,
so that it was at one time apprehended that they would
have neither raisins nor currants. The apprebensi tttt s
about the crop of raisins, however. passed away ; the frost
destroyed the locusts—(a faagh )—oral the stock of raisins
was extremely large in this country, and would in all pro-
bability be introduced into the market tiar home consump-
tion. Under these circumstances he had no objection to
accede to the proposition of the hon. gentleman.
Upon the cable duty remission :
Lord .1. MANNERS moved that the duty on these articles
be retained. The amount was not excessive; it was not
complained of by any one, and if it were entirely taken
away there would not be any dimi tttt tion in the cost of cool-
lecting the revenue.
The 11"..oxem.i.ovit of the Excuyersu said, that although
the same search was necessary on goods that paid cusnons
olaty and those that. did not, yet then• was a great deal of
additional trouble required in the ease of goods that paid
.qty, which would be got rid of by the removal ut the duty.
lie believed it woud be found that no less sum than
losti3Otsg. had been' saved in expense of vollection by tite
abolitif customs duties during the last few years. lif
ovurseon o
he could not consent to the amendment of the noble

lord.
Mr. Nr.wiirt:Arr. complained that the tight Winona-able
goitlentan was sacritieing 5,11:1/. a year by removing the
anti on articles of luxury:.
Lord .1. MAN NEW. ohserved that daring the last ten years
the cost of eolleetiog the customs anat., hadslightly in-
e.reased, while the cost of collecting tin excise ditties bail
diminished dining the same period in a remarkable man-
ner. In Ist: tlw cost of collecting the excise was tr2:l.ittc.:l
and in IPcil it was 07:1,Prtili., being a ilitni iiii thin of nearly
140,000/. In 1,411, the cost of collecting the customs was
I,2.'it,rilN), and in Is-,1) it was 1.199,7:09. His infen.itee
was, that where you repealed excise ditties von diminished
the cost of collecting the remainder by striking off a
tier of those persons who hail been employed to collect the
duties, but where you repealed condoling ditties not
diminish the 1111 l ober of those who were employed to rob
lest the reinftiniler--you only lessened the ilitlienlties in
the way Of importers.
The committee divided :
For the amendment
Against it 194
—ll6
Majority
The remission of the ditty on pictures was also op-
posed by Lord .1. 31ANNEIts. who remarked upon the
absurdity of retaining taxes on articles of necessity
sir comfort, while throwing away the revenue from
pictures, maps, and gold leaf.
The ClikNcEl3Pß of the Exclmorrit expressed
great surprise at the opposition. He hail not ex-
pected from such a quarter any antagonism to the
slight efforts they (the Government) were able to
make against the prevailing utilitarianism of the

age :
"ytilitarianisnt is supposvil to In. the dew:l*T of this
penvd—aud perhaps it is the danger of thin period ; awl

THE PRESS.

hem we come down to a popular aaaembly, to do some-
thing, if we can, to meet that spirit of utilitsuilmism. This
is a victims (onetime. It is no mere question of 1,000/. or
3,0110/. a year let led upon pientres. The question im thite—
ls it desirable, or not, to make your people familiar with
the work'. of great men, whether it be in an, or in seienee,
or in letters ? Is high culture valuable, or is it not, in a
nation? I think it is valuable in a nation. Upon that
principle we propose to remit this duty. It is not a mere
question of trade. I should have thought that this would
have been the last in this long catalogue of articles which
mould have been subjected to opposite tttt ; and, if subjected
to oppsition. I confess that 1 should have thought that my
noble friend would not have been the foremost to object.
I should have supposed that he would have set himself
manfully against the utilitarianism of the age. 1 should
have thought that if he had it bias, or a leaning in his
mind. it was tovonds what is ancient. arid venerable and
great, anal that he would have been disposed to look 'down
upon the men' acquisition of wealth, and to have desired
to teach the people tht there is much more in this world
than wealth that is worth having, and worth living for.
(Hear, keur.)"
On a division the resolution for remitting the pic-
ture duty passed by a majority of Diti to 40.
The remission of the butter and cheese duty was
opposed by
Mr. Tominucni:, who said:—
That the county of Chester was much more interested
than any other in the question of the import duties on
cheese and butter; and that he, as one of the mentlwrs for
that cuntv, emelt not, consistently with his duty, give his
assent to the proposition of the Chaim-nor of Me ehl..
pier to reduce those duties; On the contrary, ht. prot Kiested
against that reduction, as impolitic as regarded the public
revenue, and as. injurious to the interests of a elnisiderable
portion of his constituents. lie did not at. on agree with
those of his side of the house who looked upon these du-
ties as so small and paltry its to be not worth retaining.
The present duty of ris. tar cwt. on cheette was, taking an
avenge of a year, equal to a 10 per cent. proteeting duty,
and, therefore. Is duty shansl in by a large body of the ma
nufacturent of this country ; and be was yet to learn why
the manufacturer of cheese was to be deprived of an A.
vantage possessed by the mannfaeturers of other articles.
He wits well aware of the reason, or nether excuse, that
was given Our drawing a bowl distinction between agricul-
tiered produce and other productions ;—viz., that fond was
MI article of pressing necessity to the people. Unless,
however, people were savages, clothing was also an article
of pressing necessity ; and if hem. gentlemen were willing
to carry out their principles of free trade fairly and impar-
tially, for the benefit. of the people, they would, in repealing
the duties on agrieultural produce, repeal also the duties
silt all manufactured articles : they would do so to relieve
the former to the utmost. anti thus enable Itim to produce
all kinds of find set the lowest possihle price, and also to
enable the people to purchase all eonmesslities at the
cheapest possible rate. He had no denim to deprive the
manufacturers of their present advantages; on the con-
teary, he was rellaly to Stipple then% in the VOlttillltllltee of
thetas; but although he felt this, 1111111 was tqlposed to high
and excessive protecting duties, still he maintained that,
to carry out the principles of free trails. with the lauded be
Wrest—the interest most overburdened with taxation, and
beset with ditticulties—and not to carry it out equally with
lather interemts less burdened with taxation, and in the
highest state of prosperity, was grossly unjust mid Mom.
sistent. it. was ou that 'pound that he chiefly ofti.red
his
opposition to the proposed reduction, unsueeessfol ass be
knew that that opposition must be in the Haas' of Com-
mons. He might. be told that the price of cheese had
lately risen, and the importation fallen off. The &toast!
among cattle, which had been so fatal in its effects fur
several years in Cheshire, was enough to ace t for a
considerable rise' in the price ; and the falling off in the
importation of cheese had no more to do with the pre-
sent duties, thnn the falling 14 in the importation
of
wheat and Nom. had to its, with free trade. It was the
surplus produce only of other countries that we dial 111111
could receive. Owing to the recent wonderful. unforeseen.
and. he believed ton this country, providential supply a•C
gold, to which he for one attributed. under Gott, all the
prouqwrity now happily prevailing in this comitry, the pros.
verity mid the eonsomption of America had illerefOlell in A
Still greater ratio than the produetion constsplently the
surplus mance of that country hail fallen of, and the
Twenty of cheese exported hail deereosell. his long as this
supply of gold aunt' !11. he believed that the proposed
reduction of the duties would produce muss tWIIOIII. effect.
either its the price sir importation of cheese ; therefore the
proposition of the isincellor of the Exchequer would ow-
ensile' now It eeetAill loss to the Milln.' without benefiting
a single class in the commodity. lint if the present sup-
ply of gold were to continuo, so as to check the present
rate of increase in the prosperity and elassomption
ad
America, then the supplies from that rising and highly
praispensisiniti•freetmleciamtcy %Amid lie immeuse. and the
proposed reduction of duties in that, case would sieved's"' a
consideroble loss to the revenue. and injury to his 'sante.
Hs. knew how impossible it was to resist soccess-
folly the progress of this one-sided free trade in the Mrs'
of Commons; lent for the TeliSollll he NO given hat world
40101$0Se the reduction of duties on cheese and ladter in the
only way he could do as, viz., by dividing the hats'
against it.
Mr. Or.onor supported the amendment, believing
that the interests of Irish farmers wonbl he com-
promised by abolishing the duty on the foreign
articles.
Mr. SeoosEß having referred to the fact that a
duty of 10s. had been imposed upon the articles of
butter and cheese by the late Sir R. Peel,
The CIiAIii:ELLOR of the EXKIIE(4I.I2I Said that

103

when Sir R. Peel had invested that duty upon those
articles he had done so with a hope that after a
moderate period that duty would be repealed.
The Marquis of Gasser hoped that the same
principle would be followed out by the present
t'hancellor of the Exchequer. After alluding to the
feet that, consequent upon the remission of the corn
duty, a large transfer of land from arable into
pasturage had taken place, he proceeded to remark
upon the peril into which the course adopted by
Mr. tiladstone was plunging the revenue of the
country
If premises were kept, and the income tax rivaled,
and indirect taxation were to be abolished to the extent
which the tiovernment proposed, he should like to know
Insist what mauve the revenue of the country was to lw
rived ? The people of this country would not stand the
imposition of an excise ditty, wiles* there were at the
tonne time slinks raised upon importation of the
prosittee of foreign 1411111triCA into this kingdont. He
should warn the right hon. gentleman that, if he followed
out the atatent which he seemed inclined to pursue, he
would tined that the revenue of the yountry would shortly
he insufficient Its meet her espentliturc. (llear, Aner.)"
Two ditis were taken, one on the butter duty,
and a second, upon the motion of Mr.Comixs, for Ti,
tabling the impost on cheese. Roth, however, were
negatived, and the Government resolutions were
adopted by considerable majorities.

SIAVERY.
Presenting, Ott Monday, a petition from some
ladies of Kingston, in isunttica, expressing their ab-
horrence of slavery, their regret to see the slave
trade still prosecuted with so notch itarbarity, espe-
cially in the island of Cuba, and their prayer to the
House of Lords to devise some means by which they
could enforce the treaties entered into by Spain for
the extinction of that inhuman and cruel traffic,
'l' he Earl of Csaitst.r. admitted that the increase
in the evils complained tf by the petitioners was
mainly to be attnbnted to recent alterations in our
colonial policy, anal the encourstgentent which that
poliey had given to the cultivation of slave-grown
products :--
" lie mold not deny his own tmonplicity in the adoption
of that policy, and to the present day he felt great doubt
whether, iu so doing. he was right. or wrong. This he
knew, that in the whole etturse of his parliamentary
Vieth's' he mover temptietsced in any measure with vu much
doubt and hesitation, and then' was no tine with respect tit
which be would be so glad to get rill of all responsibility.
lloweter, lifter several succesaive tiorennuettts, and SOMA
of then 11101 who 'supported the change itt
our policy, and some of them nun who opposumi it, hail
taken the result's of that policy muter their emisideration,
and had found themselves unable to move in the matter, he
vertainly could not entertain anv rlpeetation of then probs•
bility, or even the possibility, of such policy being now re-
vented."
This made it only the more incumbent upon its to
insist on the punctual performance of the solemn
conventions into which the Spittlish tiovernment had
entered with Great Britain for the abolition of the
slave trade:—
" ity a treaty which dated MO far back as 1P417, continued
and acknowletligetl by subsimpient treaties, Spain tadrumly
stipulated to suppress the slave trade on the part of Spa.
nisi' subjects, null in consideration of that treaty she IV*
el'iVed (Mtn this country the stun of 1110,11110/. He feared
there was ito reason to doubt flint ever since the passing of
that treaty its provisions hail lawn systematically, wilfully,
111111 sill lint 191110 111 l 1011141 y l'inintl.ll. Ile feared that, hi the
Long series of captaitts•general mid governors of Cane, very
few, indeed, 'mould be nattiest who had not rereiveil a Wipe
of huslet 11111 l t•y, to use ths• plainest. terms, for every single
slate landed 111101 the it‘lllllll of ('ohs. Itc believett that
litmentl Concha, nod another gine:mot-general, might Ile
'rioted as liontourtible eveeptions : and, considering the
universality of the prtiet ive, mid the amount of tutiortation, it
NUS only just to mention this cinminitstance. lint it was still
mono pninfttl to him to state that Ise feared the suspicion
did not Idol' with then', but isseetedell still higher--( War,
hear)—fur sooner slid one etsptaitet ieneral of Cuba
seem to show a disposition to respect the faith of the
treaty. and to manifest some &gni. of humanity and ho-
nour, than very shortly, for some n'as'al or other, he wan
sore to be remotes!, in 111111.1* to ;lice place to a leas armpit-
loos Mill more aventesmodatimt funetionary in his 'stead.
He feared that under the present captain•general ( I foment!
estiteiltt ) the shoe trade was bring rimiest on with Intel-
minded vigstur and audacity upon the mast of the unhappy
island of I 'Win, which he et ail.l state from his own owe-
ris•nce 4 ;IA IPA Whit Iso a paradise, hot which ever shorn
the first white mint put his foot upon it had been Hinted
into a hill. ( Hear, beer ) lle regretted too find that there
was a large tool smast• mot importation of fresh 11110.11 Ph.
Ile linfirr..lollo4l that 111.11V1.1.11 the titortith4 of November aosl
Febroury lust rotoo slates sere landed in the island
of
I 'film. and by had no doubt that a gnat many landings had
been effeeted on different parts of the island to which no
Pospivitas Httts.homl.-
Among other pritetieal measures which might he
suggested, Lord Carlisle poweeded to recommend
an itnntediate change in the regulation by which
supposed slave-ships, when captured, were taken to
the Havannah or other shoe ports for judgment.
By the present arrangement, even if a condemnation
ensued. it too often proved of very slight benefit to
the captured slaves. He suggested, therefore, that
the taken vessels should be transferred to some free
port, when they could be tried before a mixed com-

mission, with a result of surer justice in the sentence
and greater advantage to the liberated slaves. The
papers transmitted to Parliament showed that when-
ever the captured negroes were brought to Sierra
Leone and Jamaica they always exhibited the
most satisfactory conduct and the most rapid int-

provement.
The Earl of CLARENDON was unable to deny the
truth of the melancholy and appalling facts related
by Lord Carlisle, and confessed that the treaties with
Spain, while they bound up our hands in many re-
spects, were by the Spaniards systematically violated.
Respecting the proposal to change the venue for the
trial and judgment of captured slavers, we had no
discretion on the point. It was provided by treaty
that there should be two mixed courts, one on the
colonial territory of Spain, the other in a British
colony in Africa, and the naval officer who effected a
capture was bound to take it to the Havannah or
Sierra Leone, whichever happened to be nearest.
For any immediate practical relief he could trust
only to the vigilance of our own cruisers in arresting
the slavers in transitu. Hereafter, however, he ex-
pressed some faint hopes that the Spanish authorities
themselves might be roused or shamed into a better
- observance of their old pledges
"He would refer to two or three despatches which had
recently been received by her Majesty's nment. Gam
was from the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, who
stated that tieneml Canedo was making, and intended to
make, every possible effort, even to the prejudice of the
other exigencies of the service, for extinguishing the slave
trade, and be expected the slave-dealers would be coin.
yelled to desist from their unlawful avocations. Another
comtunnication was front Lord Bowden, in which his
lordship said that, he bud heel a conversation with the
minister, and hail now the pleasure of stating that there
was a new and growing desire on the part. et' Spain to
listen to the just, expostulations of England. A report
had been forwarded to the Minister of Foreign Affairs re-
cianmending that additional 'rowers should he conferred on
the Captain-Ueneral of Cuba, tin• the purpaise of giving hint
sulditional facilities tOr the discharge of his duty. That
NAM the first. time any such measure haul emanated foam
what might be called the Spanish colonial officer. This
was all the information—small in eunount—which he had
it in his power to give., lint it. was not of so unsatisfactory
or hopeless a chanter as that which he communicated on
a recent occasion. Ile could only repeat the laiSaraliCa
which he then gave, that it was mainly to our owls exer-
ti that we must look for an etrectual cheek to this
abominable traffic. ( Ileac, hear.) lie had been in com-
munication with his right hon. friend at the bead of
the. Admiralty all the subjeet, and could assure their hard-
ships that use Ctrort would be spared to lad WI cad to the
s)stetn."
BOROUGH (W MALI lON.
The consent of the Veers to the appointment, of a
committee of inquiry into alleged corrupt' in the
borough of Malden way moved for on Monday by the
Karl of Aneunees, and opposed by
lord ST. LEONARD'S, who remarked upon the in-
sufficieney of the special evidence of corrupt practices
on which the Commons cemmittee had based their
report. Mere general charges of corruption were, he
contended, not enough for them to proceed upon in
undertaking to sanction an investigation which as-
sumed a penal character, nor were they bound to
endorse the decision of the Lower llonse as to the
appointment of a committee, without examining the
evidence for themselves, and deciding upon its
sufficiency.
lord lluouoiitem preferred to take the conclusion
arrived at by the Commons' committee, who had
heard all the evidence, of which they (the House of
Lords) had before them only the minutes.
lord Sr. LeoNAnn's reiterated his persuasion,
founded on a careful study of the evidence, that it did
not warrant the committee, and went on to explain
the bearing of the existing statutes on this case, when
he was interrupted by Lord CAmettet.t., with a remark
which other peers sitting no the Ministerial benehes
followed up with derisive laughter. Breaking off' in
his address, Lord St. Leonard's sat down fora moment,
mid then quitted the house.
The Lotto eittNeEt.t.on spoke in support. of the
motion, and
The Earl of Dennv argued strongly against the
jastice, of adopting a course which inevitably led to
ulterior proveedings towards a parliamentary borough
without first. satisfying themselves of the grounds of
accusation against. it. Adverting then to the dis-
courtesy shown towards Lord St. Leonard's, lie con-
tinued:—

" Having stated generally the argnment as it occurs tome
on this Subject. I st depn.eate the limner in which it
lifts been brought to an untimely close, and caused my
noble and learned friend t lowa St. losonoll's) to abandon
the case, and leave the house ; for. my hints, I do think
that. whether you hlok to may noble and learned fiend's
great judicial abilities. his great skill, and the deferenee
which ought to be paid to his high position and his age—
Wear, hear)—or whether 'on 10.,k to the eireimistimers
of the ease and the illtereMs this is 11111 an occa-
sion for that levity and otfen,he and sneering laughter
which I regretted to see the noble earl (the Karl 4,t' Aber-
deen) permitted on the part of some of his subordinates.
I think my noble and learned friend has acted in the maw
net due to his own character mid position, in refusing to
continue to discuss the question under circumstances