The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-08 00:00:00

HEETPORDSHIRE ELECTION.-(THIS DAY.)

(Br man= Tamura.)
The nomination of the candidates to represent
the county of Herta in parliament, in omisequence of the
death of one of the late representatives of that county, L.
Mee Puller, took plea to-day at 11 o'clock.
me high sheriff of the county, Sir A. P. Cooper, presided,
and opened the proceedings by requesting that the eleetore
would give every gentleman who might wish to address
than, a fair and impart& healing.
Mr. Bossmirrr prepared, sad Mr. Aiwa seconded:
" That Yr. Cowper be sleeted se aAt and proper person
to repnwent the county of Hate ia pl►ce of the lat.,
lamented member."

Mr. Swan waa proposed by Mr. FUMES, sad seconded
by Mr. BRANDRaII.
On a show of band' being taken the majority was declared
to be in favour of Mr. Suttees by the High Sheriff of the
county.
' • " " '

This claclaratiou was naiad with loud chain by Mr.
Batas' supporta'.

A poll w-aa demanded on babel[ otNr. Cowper.

EQUALISATION OP THE SUGAR DUTIZ..
(THIS DAY.)

A meeting in favour of the eqtialisation of the
sugar duties was held at one o'clock at the Loudon Tavern,
Mr. It. W. C 141170111), M.P., in the chair. Among those
present ware PM James Duke, M. P., Mr. James Clay,
M.P., Mr. Grepon, ILY., Mr. Lindaay,l M.P., and Mr.
White, M.P.

The CHainsati, in opening the proceedings, said the
object of the( meeting was to procure from parliament •
reconsideration of that important question ; end seeing
men persons preseet, who, 24 hours ego at least, were
not in favour of thatlobject, he begged to say that the
meeting was convened especially to obtain in equalisation
of duties. The question was by no means a new one.
Until the year 1826 the West India colonies had a virtual
monopoly of the British market, bat the government then
allowed the produce of other English colonies to be imported
on the same terms as the produce of the West Indies.
After tracing snocesive changes in the sugar duties, be
remarked that in 1853 the ingenious mind of Mr. Wilson led
him to the conclusion that it would be fairer to all parties
if the duty on sugar was levied according to the saccharine
value of the article. After ten years' experience he (Mr.
Crawford) ventured to say that Mr. Wilson was is-
elderly mistaken in his view, and that so far
from having been as advantage, what he proposed
bad proved detrimental to the public. (Cheers ; and cries
of " No, no.") In 1861 there was a committee by which
the whole question was fully inquired into. Upon econo-
mical grounds he adhered to the views of Mr. Potter and
Mr. Orepon ; but he proposed a compromise, and fell be.
tweets two stools, the committee recommending
the continuance of the differential duties. A great
deal of discussion bad taken place on the subject
since, chiefly by means of pamphlets. They wets now in a
new sea lon of parliament. Heaven knew what the Chan.
Geller of the Exchequer meant to propose with respect to the
werr duties ; be certainly did not know ; but there was such
dissatisfaction with the present system of duties that if
the Chancellor of Exchequer should not propose what those
who convened the meeting desired, an appeal would be
made to,parliament. (Cries of "Oh, oh.") He supposed
that the opponents in the room viewed this as • rennet's
question. He (the chairman), on the other band, contended
that a system of differential duties was against the public
interest, and entirely opposed to the principles of free trade.
(No, no.) In some colonies there was so abundance of
labour, in others there was a want of it. The West Indies
was suffering under the inherited curse of slavery—a want
of =equate labour, and they most submit to it;
and the colonists said they could not afford to
buy expensive machinery. Mauritius, on the other
hand, had plenty of labour and an excellent soil, and had
turned itself energetically to the improvement of sugar.
While, on the use hand, the West India planter pro-
vided sugar of a quality which had to be
prepared by the refiner, on the other the planter in the
Mauritius provided an article which was at once fit
for domestic use, but the improvement which he effected
was counteracted by the duty in England. (No, no.) That
was certainly the ease, and it was plainly opposed
to the principles of free trade. (Bear, hear.) Was it
consistent with free trade to tax a man's industry, intern-
pace, and capital, in the way in which differential duties
taxed it l An ad valorem duty was all very well in
the abstract, but it was not fair, practically
when labour and Intelligence entered into the (pro-
&action of the article affected. The effect of the differen.
tial duties had bees to impose on the consumer • higher
duty than he would otherwne pay. (No, no.) Wby did the
refiners and the West India interest oppose the change!
Was it bemuse they thought they would be undersold!
(No, no.) He maid not understand the objection on any
other supposition. The meeting being in favour
of the equalisation of the sugar duties—(cab, oh,
and laughter)—he supposed it would not object to • declare-
lien that the present system was opposed to free trade, at
that it restricted the supply of the sugars which were fit for
use and stimulated the supply of those dirty sugars which
were fit only for refiners ad out of which they made than
profit. (laterruption.) As to the refiners, they had made
so much money in the last 10 years that thew could
aaroely want any more for a century. (Laughter.)
He must treat the question as • consumers' question ; bat
at the same time he did not believe refiners would be per.
=neatly iojured.
Mr. FAILRIC [ON amid cheers to make some remarks in
opposition to those of the Chairman, but the latter decided
that be could not be bead.
Mr. Gams= moved the following resolutime : " That a
law which imposes differential duties upon
qualities of sugar is opposed to the prim:My:en
free trade. and has been proved by experience to
be prejudicial to the imam= of the consumer by pro-
hibitiag practically the importation of the finer qualities of
sugar fit for immediate use, and stimulating the supply of
the inferior descriptions until they have passed through the
hands of the British refiner."
Mr. MUTH Tasvme, in seconding the resolution, said be
appeared there as the representative of the rulers of Far
land—a statement which was met with vociferous cries of
" no, no," and laughter. H. added that he had hitherto
bees their exponent, and petitions from Liverpool, Edin-
burgh, Glasgow, a.d many other large towns proved hit
amertion.
Mr. Taaysan was still speaking when our report left,
at which period the feeling of the meeting, as 'Timed by the
manifestatious, seemed to be rather =vase than favourable
to the object.

THAMES TUNNEL COMPARY.-(THIS DAY.)

The annual general meeting of proprietors in
this undertaking was bald this day at Radley's Hotel,
BridgeMffeet, Bleakian • Kr. Woureroir in the chem.
Mr. Kenos, the secretary, read Use Seamed statement
for the past year, which showed the total receipts to be
5,7191. 17a 10d.. and the total payments 5,6661. lea.
lam* a balance of 6601.195. 93.
on the maim of the CHILISMAI the accounts wars
VeStILLIZYLN then mid the =detain wen ell aware
of the proceedings taken at the menial meeting, when
the mammon% saint of the proprietors waa gives to the
bull authorising the director to dispose of the Minna to the
East London Railway Company. The bill would receive
the support of the government, and there was no doubt of
it. pawing through parliament.
Mama !instils and Vaughan, the retiring directors. wan
re-elected, and *arra. Whitmore and Werringtoo as
auditors.

147emsly toe quiiitios, the CHAIRMAN maid there was seem
alight oppositiou to the bill, but nothing that could affect
its ultimate adoption.
A veto of thanks to the Cbairmsa concluded the meatialt.

THE DISTILESB IN Laktit:AAlUN& The monthly
meeting of the Ceetral Relief Feed wee held is the Man-
chester Town-hall, yesterday, the Mayor (Mr. J. M. Ben-
set) in the chair. The report of the executive committee,
which was unanimously adopted, stated that, compared
with the preceding month, there were in the last week of
February 183,864 factory operatives working short time, sad
152,864 wholly out of work ; whereas in January the num.
bee working shalt time • u 123,856, sod the somber out of
work 158,653. In consequence of the determination
of the executive oommittee to mot owe a forteight
instead of oace a week for the future, Mr. Roes
moved, and Mr. G. L. Ashworth seconded, that
the general meeting should now meet one* in two mouths
lashed of 'Deathly as before. The resolution was unani-
mously adopted. Mr. Machu.. (the bon. sec.), in reply to
Dr. Watts, Meted that in Staleybridge there were in the
week audio( the 2411 of February 36 men on day work.
averaging 15s. per week, sod 54 men on piece work, aver-
aging 15s. 50. per week. —The usual weekly meeting of
the cent al executive committee was also held yesterday.
Bird. H. Shand/worth, But., presided. The boo. secretary
reported that 6941. ss. 4d. had bees received during the
week, end that there was a balance at the bank of 149,6171.
Os. Id. Two packages of clothing had been received. Mr.
Parnell promoted his weekly report, which stated that
in 27 unions there had been a decrease of 1,606 peewee
receiving relief is the weak coding Feb. 27, se compared
with the previous week. The draft of the monthly report
to the general committee was then read. and adopted.
Mr. Rawlision reported as to the proems of operations in
the cotton manufacturing districts under the Public Wake
Atk A .ember affiliate were then made.
GRIAT SHOP RoßßEep AT BRADFORD.—A bold
sad sueemsful robbery was committed on Sunday lest ca
the premises of Mown. Brown and Muff, tailors and
Market-street, Bradford, goods to the value of neerlydrlW.
having bees carried off. From what can be gathered of the
manlier is which the robbery hoe been carried out, it an-
imism to have bees the result of a maturely comidered
scheme, and the work clan organised gang.