The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-10 00:00:00

CUSTOMS' REFORM.

DEPUTATION FROM LIVERPOOL TO LORD
JOHN RUSSELL.
The deputation appointed at the recent Liverpool
meeting to wait upon herd Juhn Russell, fur the purpose of
couveyiog to him the representations of the mercantile
community of that town upon the subject of the present
Custom-house system, had an interview yesterday, at one
o'clock, with his lordship. The recent accident to Mr.
Horgan bad caused a delay in the reception of the deputa-
tion of a week, the second of this month having been the
day originally fixed on by his lordship to receive the depu-
tation.
The deputation consisted of the Mayor of Liverpool ; Mr.
C. Turner, chairman of the 'Dock Company; Mr. H.
Hornby, vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce ; Mr.
F. Shand, chairman of the West India Association; Mr.
R. Rankin, chairman of the Shipowners' Association ; Mr.
J. Aikin, and Mr. J. Hooch.
Mr. CARDWELL. M.l'., introduced the deputation, and
the gentlemen who addressed his lordship were Mr.
llonsuiv, Mr. TURNEII, and Mr. SHAND, each gentleman
being very brief in his observations.
Mr. HORNBY said that the deputation had no wish to
enter into all the details of the subject, believing that the
present was not the fitting occasion for doing so ; and with
regard to the general question brevity would be most con-
sister.t. Ilia lordship hail already heard the main features
alluded to by similar deputations on the same subject, and
the present deputation was to be considered delegated for
the purpose of preferring complaints of special local evils.
lle could assure his lordship that there existed an universal
conviction amongst all mercantile men that the present
Custom-house system was seriously defective, occasioning
individual annoyance, without any benefit whatever to the
general trade or to the public interest. This was the
almost unanimous and decided belief amongst the
merchants of Liverpool. The merchants of Liverpool, how-
ever, did not merely ask what the merchants of London
asked for. In Liverpool a certain feeling had sprung up
averse to generalisation in regard to Custom-house organisa-
tion. The merchants of Liverpool, therefore, might not
urge a general reform, but a particular and special reform,
and this reform to consist of the institution of a local board
of customs in Liverpool, which could be adapted to dealing
without delay with the local matters in regard to trade as
they might arise. This was the sum and substance of the
object of the deputation, and of all whom they represented.
They did not, however, look for immediate legislation on
this subject ; the deputation merely ventured to suggest to
his lordship the expediency of obtaining the re-appointment
of the customs committee of last session. The various
causes which had retarded a conclusive report from that
committee could not operate, and the community at
large would look with confidence to the fluid report of a
parliamentary committee.
Mr. SHAND and Mr. TORNRR then addressed the Pre-
mier, Mr. Shand dwelling specially on the urgent in cessity
of a change in the existing arbitrary regulations of the
Board of Customs in respect to the transit trade, stating
that the delays and cost incurred by the merchants by these
regulations were perfectly unendurable.
Lord J. ItUsSELL briefly responded, and in his obser.
vatione there were three points specially prominent. Up to
this period his lordship said private merchants and not the
government must be held responsible for whatever defects
were to be found in the system of the Customs. Lord
Granville, as Vice-Preeident of the Board of Trade, and
Mr. Hayter, Secretary to the Treasury, had applied them-
selves during a considerable period of time to the minute
investigation of the as,erted evils, and they had experienced
the greatest difficulty in inducing persons to come
forward with any really useful information on the subject.
(A laugh.) llis lordship was of opinion that it would be
very desirable to have eminent gentlemen in the commer-
cial world, or at least gentlemen eminent for commercial
knowledge, at the Board of Customs ; but the salaries were
such that the fact was that merchants of standing could
not accept such lasts; and it was evident that the opinions
of a s..coml-rate class of merchants of no standing or poai-
' lion would not he attended to with respect, and could not
meet with confidence. Thirdly, his lordship said that the
government desired to act in a manner which would be
satisfactory to the trading world, and the gentlemen com-
posing the present deputation might rest assured that the
' whole subject should lie fully inquired into and carefully in-
vestigated with the least possible delay.
The deputation, after an interview which lasted about
three-quarters of an houx, then retired.