The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-04 00:00:00

PUBLIC B! •INE•.S.

. .
PETITIONS.—Ey the Earl of Sr. Greens., from the county of
Cornwall. against the admi,oinn of Jew, to in:Eamon( : from the
ect : from
gealtyaropfortond'acr (Wea Tr'ge
tnhCe'renr"l.‘ty.l;lW ofthJec -I`,Lff
Lord Cnurrazu, from the Town Council of Cum.., muiplaihing of thp
mode of repng highways to Scotia
Dui:,. of Ito mecum.
from relieving and other °dicers connected with the wlntinkt at inn of
the Poor-law, praying for the establishment of a nuperannuntion fund.
—Lord ;dowry-win, from the parish officer. of St.Gtorge'n, I (mover.
moor., to the came effect—Lord C00n..., from Van lbernenbs
Land, against transportation to that colony.—The MArquis of Woo.
roverna, from Chentor, for the removal of Jewi•h diva Shies.—Earl
Frreennontos, from Gloom-ter, in favour of a memore for the la.
provement of the health of towns; from the name place, for the ad.
mignon of Jews into parliament; from the town of Cheltenham
(signed by 1,400 moons), to the name effect
sana OF MOTIOX.—Wwr INDIA COLONlill—Tund Suwon',
on presenting a petition from Tn. latency, in Jamaica, on Monday
neat, to call attention to the subject of OUT West ludia agar colonies.

NATIONAL DEFENCES.
The Earl of HARD WICEE tuiderstood that Lord John
Russell was about to give notice, that it woe his int, ntion to
bring the subject of the nations] defences before the other
house of paliament ; and he wished to know whether it
was the istuutinn of the noble marquis to adopt a similar
course in that house, as upon the answer of the noble mar-
quis would depend the course which he (Lord Ilardwicke)
should ado's-.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to ray
that it would be better that the subject should originate in
the othir house of parliament; but he could assure their
lordships that at uo aslant day it would be brought under
their consideration.
Their lordships then adjourned, at half-past five o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Tnrean.►r, Fr e. 3.
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly before 4 o'cl,,ck.
Several new :ambers took the oaths.

PCBLIC BI'SINESR.
ELECTION PETITIONS.-The SPAM: Alt informed the house that
he had received a communication from the examiner of reeer...emcee,
informing him that the r. cognisancem for prosecuting the emulous
against the returrn for the following Alarm were neubjecti nab's, :-
The borough of Dundalk, the borough of lkirtmouth, the ooutitv of
Lincoln, the city 01 Dublin, the city of Cork, the of Longford,
anti the borough of Sligo. In the petitions agatutt the returns for the
borough of Athlone the recernisanees were insuffieient And the
petitions agaisst the rttunis for the (cloning places bad been with.
drawn: the eirouch ot Drogheda, the borough of Ilythe, and the
bffrough of Staffowl.
PETMONS.-By Mr. BAIN FIN from shipowners and others of HMI,
for an amendment of the bankruptcy lava.-]tr. Ltantrivrorr, from
St. Clement Donee, against interment in large towns.-Mr. Bee-
-71.r.t1031, from Marettemer, m tavoar of a sodomy MB.-Mr. Woo
(place not heard). in favour if the empleyment of militia officers in
public workk-Mr. ~rre, from Birmingham, for the removal of
Jewish diaabilitiee.-Mr. THORMI.F.V, worn Wolserhampton, for the
same object -Sir It. loot IN from inhabitants of St. al ,chael, Corn.
hill, from Isumington, Whitinft, and eeivral other places, ageing
the removal of Jewish digabilittek -By the AAIIIT HON. Mt many from
rev cral proteetent assoriteions, agsmst the known Catholie
Relief BilL -Dr. Bow atau from the unitarian congregation of
Brixton (Surrey); from the Roman catholic, of totter; from
the township of Turton (Lancaahire); front the in lepentlent
congregation o' Fairy on (Lancashire) ; from the inkabitanta
of Tuley (Ilurdingdon), in lATOUT of, mancipation of the few.; also
a petition from Tuley, against any increase athe royal and military
expenditure.- Sir B. Isd 10, from anti em; lie. Ilene, teem Nevis;
West India merchante Claltow ; lie. Doyley:is, Born the Virgin
island.; Mr. Euxe, from 'Them"; Mr. Nitta., :rem l ornwall, Ja-
maica ; Mr. T. !Cense, front IbeelAINfilt!:,01111iIIIIN 01 q.e Wee( ledis
abllifleltiballMA I from lbee.$11111•II Barbadoes •
Lord Mitotorit, from Gr. mock, complaining of the dArtw. originated
by the ulteratam of the sugar dune., nod praying Pr relief ; Mr.
WATOI4/%ooBy (roar Itorbertoes, and other place., praying for the im-
position of a las. dote.-Sir E. Kearns, from the BMW. sot Foreign
Anti-slatery SUCITAN complaining That a mw demand for slaws had
mining up in is arequence of the passing ot the recent Sugar Duties
get and praying that slave.grewn sugar may be excluded from the
British market.
NOT ICES OF MOTIO)1.-Lsanto0o AND Tr.sawv.-Sir W. SO-
IMATILLN DO the I Ith inst., to move for leave to bring m a. bill to
amend the law of landlord and tenant in I teland.
NAIIONAL DEFANCIN-Mr. MI•MN t••-•tatrivie (this day), to more a
Perks of retchit tons showing the mauls, ot perwma t maimed in the
31114, ordraore, sad other n.i‘ltary estahlishwente, stove the report
of the finance committee of len, and showing the state :cod amount
of the military force existing in Great Britain and Ireland to the pre-
sent time.
Chismsda or MADFIPA.-Mr. Dreamt!, no the 17th inst., to call
the attention of the house to the elm of the chaplainry( Madam.
ENGLAND AND llottom.- An Hon. Mamma on an early day to
draw the attention of the houge to the infraction of an externs treaty
between England and Holland.
Very ax hatun.-Mr. H. 141:1.SELET, on the 17th inst., to more
that the votes for member of ;wham nt be taken by ballot,
ROMAN Carrioric Snunssw-Mr. 0.60101A21 MAXON On u mrly
day, to mom for a am; of memorial from the Roman CALIIIAN arch-
bishops and bishops of Ireland and view-general of England. on the
subject of grievances suffered bysoldiers profiumg the Boman esthe-
tic Mini.,
811IBEAT AT CITCTIONN-SIT J. PAICINOTOIN on the 17th inn., to
move foe lean to bring in • bill for the purpcee of preventing bribery
at elections.
ITALIAN COMIZACIAL TJUOVT.-Dr. Bowen., on the lath inst.,
to move for paper& retztive to this subject.
MTITUIGI.AI.IIIC DAFAAIMENT.- Mr. Howe, on an early ley, to
move for a statement of the expenses attending the hydrographic de-
portment in England and India.
LII.ITTIMI,OA..-711r.. Hour, on an early day, to move for returns
relative to certain flniahed and unfinished lighthouse.
THE BUDGET.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that he would on an early day
make the financial statement of the year. He could not at
present fix whether be would do so on Monday, the 14th, or
Friday, the 18th. but he would make it on one of thee* days.
NATIONAL DEFENCES.
Mr. HUME said that strong statements having been re-
cently made that the defences of the country had been neg-
lected, and it having been reported that men of high
ant'uority hail made representations on this subjcot to suo-
cessive governments, and that these governments had
neglected their duty, he wished to know it there would be
any objection to lay those representations on the table of the
house ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said he did not think there were any
tincutireote of on official nature on the subject to whisk the
hon. gentltman referred which could be laid b.tore the
house. He said on a former occiusion that he should take an
opportunity ot stating what had been done both by former
governments and the present in the way of naval and mili-
tary defence, and he now begged to inform the how.e that he
would take that opportunity on making the financial state-
ment. (Hear, bear.)
NAVIGATION LAWS.
In answer to Mr. ROBINSON,
Lord PALMERSTON stated that a correspondence had
taken place between the American minister and himself on
the subject of the navigation laws, in which the former in-
timated that the government of the United States would be
ready to go hand in hand with the government of thee
cou.dry in any r.laxations which parliament might make in
these laws. (Hear, hear.) He had no objection to lay the
eorreeponilence before parliament, and he would do so
to-morrow (this day).
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND) BILL.
In answer to Mr. OSBORNE,
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the bill for the sale of en-
cumbered estates would be introduced in the other house of
parliament in a few dal a.
OMNIBUS NUISANCE.

Col. SIBTIiORP begged to call the attention of the
right bon. gent. the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment to the danger that arose from the furious driving
of omnibuses in the metropolis.
CRIMINAL LAW.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in moving for leave to
bring in the following bills—a bill to facilitate the perform-
ance of the duties of jussces of the peace out of sessions
within England and Wales, with respect to persons charged
with indictable offences ; bill to facilitate the performance
of the duties of justices of the peace out of 'melons within
England and Wales with respect to summary emvictiens
and seders; bill to regulate the holding of courts of special and
petty sessions; bill to proteetstices of the peace trom vex-
atoms actions for sets done by them in execution of their office;
said that hire object woe to consolidate, as far as possible, the
I laws and deciaious which governed the megietratee courts,
and which were now so scattered through various acts, that
it was impressible for meglstrates efficiently to perform the
duties of their office. He felt that it would be in vain for
him to put into one code all the laws relating to this im-
portant subject. Ile would be satisfied if he could grapple
with a ponion of the subject, and reduce to something like
uniformity the various processes argl terms which now re-
gulated the proceedings of magistrates. He bad collected at
great trouble the various statutes and decisions applicable to
the discharge of the duties of roagistrates respecting the com-
mitment of reons charged with indictable offences. This
flamed a code which, when placed in the hands of magis-
trate., would enable them to en what they were about. He
tool the same course with respect to summary convictions
and ceders. In neither of these had be introduced
anything new. By the third bill ho proposed to
enable magistrates to provide, at the expense of the country,
places for the holding of petty sessions. (Hear, hear.) It
was most objectionable that those sessions should be held in
public-hosiers where there was so much temptation to
drunkenness and irregularity. (Hear, bear.) lie also pro-
posed to provide fir too pajment of magistrates' clerks by
salaries from the county rates. In the fourth bill he collected
all the laws and statutes relating to the prntection of magis-
trates from vex .tious actions for acts done in the discharge
of their duty, by which be hoped they would be rendered
more secure from such retinas.
Sir 3. PAK' NOTON expressed his thanks for the intro-
duction of these measures, the object of which was most
praiseworthy.
Mr. CRIPPS wished to know if there was any intention
to restrict the power of the judges of the county courts as to
their trying vexatious actions brought against magistrates
for acts done is the discharge of their duti, v, where the
damages were under 201. He knew three magistrates who
were o-. the point of resigning their commissions, in conse-
quence of the expenses to which they were put in defend-
ing actions of this kind.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said his attention had
not been before called to the subject.
HUMS hasped that, if the public were not to be pro-
tected against the frequently improper proctediuga of jus-
tices of the peace, her Msjssty 'a ministers would adopt some
mode bi which the fitness of persons who we re to bo made
magistrates might be tested.—Leave was then given to bring
in the bills.

SUGAR DUTIES.
Lord G. BENTINCH said it bad been represented to
him by many persons interested, that the course he pro-
posed was not consistent with the necessity of the case, and
that there was something pusillanimous in the motion for a
committee of inquiry, because, in fact, the West Indies and
the Idsuritius were new in the agonies of death, and while
the question was being discussed up-stairs their interests
would perish, and before the committee could report they
would be past recovery. But it was for him to consider
what his power could do to of twin substantial relief by SS
direct vote of the Louse. And when he r, collected the
in July, ISti, the measure of her Majesty's government was
carried by 265 votes against 130, he felt it was hopeless for
him to endeavour in that house, where he ba,l no reason to
suppose that there wan any ulditioa to the number of mem-
bers acquiescing in leis views of protectin. ts expect that
I that minority would be converted into e InnieritY—the ,that

i

earciallv when he remembered that only five gentlemen
connected with the Eau and West India interests recorded
their votes in his favour. He therefore thought these in-
terests had not a good eau against him when they blamed
him !Or adopting the present course. For hinawlf, and be
believed for the 130 gentlemen who voted with him,
be might say that no committee of inquiry wan
necessary to convince them of the necessity of some
immediate and substantial measure to relieve them
from the position into which they were thrown. I
But he wished it to be understood that he precluded neither
himself nor others from supporting any measere of substan-
tial relief that might he berme.% forward. Looking, how-
ever, at the state of the East and West Indies—having in his I
hand a list re 48 houses in England, whose liabilities I
amounted to 6,301,04001., which had fallen mainly from the I
ruin t, ht on them by the change in the sugar law—be
did hope that, by a caln inquiry been a committee. he
might be able to succeed in prevailing on the house to change
its policy as regarded that great question. The Vice- Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade had stated elsewhere that he
considered the account between the mother country and
the enlonies was cloud in 1833. He should be enabled to
show, however, that the twenty millions grant d for slave
ementination bed in practice proved no compensation fur the
losses of the West Indian and Mauritius interest. He was
aware that the feeling eeriest slavery had very much sub.
sided since the period when it was abolished in our colonies.
The cry was all for a cheap article. Those who were omni-
potent at the election of 10112 had become silent and in-
Ooliotlll in in 46; and although he retained his opinion un-
changed that men were hound in honour and good faith to
exclude slave.prown sugar, yet he was well aware that it
would he hopeless to propose it. (Hear, hear, hear.) In
the ration now before them the West Indian. asked for
differential duff as, for the free admission of their molasses
and rum, the rep al of the navigation laws, and for free
pauses ti the tout of Africa in order to °Soaks labourers.
Now in respect to the navigation laws he was bound to say
that he (oath' not go along wait the West India interest in
that dem roil. Was it not a fact that if the repeal of
the navigation laws would reduce the rate of freights from
Jamaica to England, it would equally reduce them frem
Cuba or the Brazils to England ? If Jamaica .agar, there-
fore, wee cheap, rod, the sugars of Celia and the Bruits
wont,' lie chi mimed also ; and so, by the same process and
in the name proportion. the freights and prices of sugar from
Java and th, sett would be reduced. (Hear, hear.) He
came greet to the question of the admission of rum
upoi an equality with British spirits. If the
West Indiana could prove that an equality in name
was an equality in point of justice, then he would be
prepared to support their views upon this point. But his
opinion was that, when the gnestien earns to be considered,
the distillers would be able to show that the incumbrancto
put upon their trick at home rendered a difference in favour
of their articles absolutely necessary. With respect to the
admission of molasses, that was a question in which no one
was concerned but the Chancellor of the Exchequer; but
fur that meaaare as proposed by the cologists he must else
own that he could see no vast benefit likely to accrue to the
West Indies. But then he came to the great question of
immigration. For one he was not rhymed to interfere with
the right of British planters to obtain labour wherever they
could get it, so long se the slave trade was not infringed on ;
but it must be borne in mind that if the people of Demerara
could do the great things they predicted with additincal
labourers they would seriously iaterlere with the cultivation
of the old coloni, a of the crown. For his own part he must
say, upon this point, that he could not thick any description
of free labour would he able In compete with slave labour, and
he thought this was proved by the case of Barbadires, an island
more dense'y populwed than China, or any other country in
the world, hut in which the inhahitante, numerous as they
wenn we, quire unable to compete uith the slave auger of
the Brazils. lie bail heard it nail that Porto It:co was an
example to the contrary and that in that island additional
lab cur hid been attended with the twat effects ; but it must
be recollected that the export of sugar from that island had
never ex ceded 47,000 tons, and that even that quantity
was produced by slaves. Ile knew that Col. Flinter had
held a different view; but Col. Flinter wrote nearly twenty
years ago, and circumstances in Porto Rico since that porker
had greatly altered. But he might cite upon this
question of Wave labour and free labour, the evidence of
Earl Grey himself, for, in the delge. of 1133, that noble
lord maintained that it had been proved beyond dispute
that the average coat of a slate's keep did not excect 475. a
year. For what number of hours did these slaves then
work ? Five days and a half a week, at nine hours per day.
In Jamaica, now, it was difficult to get the former slave to
work seven hours for four and a half days in the week, and
the cost of such diminished laseur averaged, its addition to
provision fund., no lees than la. 3,1. a day ! lie had it on
the authority of a noble lord, that on his .state in Jamaica,
which maintained 1,500 negroes, the labourer who worked
last year for the greatest number of clays was a
woman who worked 164 days in the entire twelve
months. The titan who worked the greatest number of
days, worked wily 151 days. How could it ever be sup-
frethat labour like this could compete with slave labour ?
etba at the present time the slaves worked 16 hours •
day regularly, and in crop time, no lees than '2O hours a day.
It war mid that the ar, rage life of a slave in that island
was only 10 years. A friend of his, who had visited one of
these estate., told him that when the gang was turned out
in the morning, it was found that two slaves had banged
themselves, but that this was so ortlinary an occurrence that
it appear, d tr excite little or no surprise. lie remembered
th.t. they used to feel great horror in that house when they
heard of a driver going into the ei• lets with a whip ; but in
Cuba nu driver or planter went out without a cutlass and •
dagger, awl sometimes he teen armed himself with a
pistol, and took a couple of blwalhounae to run down aity
unhappy runaway. This wan the system we were
stimu-
toting by the admission of free-strewn sugar. (Hear,
hear.) Yes • this was the system, and how could it
it be supposed that free grown lab iur could compete with
such forced labour as th• ? (lime) Hs had In his hand
a statemeht of tiovernor Light, as to the wages of the
!adman re of Britiah Guiana, and ho found it therein dated
that 25,000 labourer, were receiving no less than 300,000
dollen • month. Surely the Eeglish people, when they
granted arid paid for emancipation, never iiitended that the
negroes should be raised to a condition sup rior to their own
—that they saould repay their generosity in em .ncipating
them by idleness and neglect. Governor Light stated the
wages in the colony as follow*: for cutting and carrying,
for 6 hours, 4.. 62. a day; fur shovel p!oughing, sometimes,
Is. 102. a day; relieving and auppleing, 2s, 8.1. a day
hoeing, Is. 8d a day; wattling young canes, ls 6xl.
a day ; cleaning trenches; Is. 61. a day ; thresh-
ing, between 4 and 6 hours, la. 6d. a day ; and he
calculated, that on the whole, the average payment was
2e. bid. for a day's work, averaging 5 hour; an 54 minutes.
Them were people in Britedi Guiana who thought they
could beat down this rate of wage by emigration ; but he
(Lord G. Beeline's) thought that idea visionary, for of course
immediately you beat down wages to a very small sum, immi-
grants would cuse to desire to settle. And it would he
neeeseary, as he had shown, to heat down wages to the
very lowest point, in order to compete with slave labour.
As regarded i emigration much might be done by removing
restrictions and cheapening the conveyance of immigrants.
The limitation placed upon the planter, which pre-
cluded him from engaging labourers tier a longer period
than five years, operated most injuriously Wall partici'. Why
should immigrants be restricted from binding themselves for
what period they chow, or why should they have a right to
call upon their employers to convey them back to their own
homes in India, or Africa, or Chino, at the expiration of the
five years ? It apeearell to him, on the contrary, that they
should not be allowed to depart the colony, until they had
reimbursed the employer tho amount he had expended in
their transit. He now came to the CU, of the East Indies,
and demanded fur the plimite re on the Banks of the Ganges
the same jUntiel which he vinilic reed for the West Indian
planter. Next, as to the Maori We. 0.. the lest day of the
last session, Mr. Howes hail triumphantly put forward, in op-
position to him, the proposition that in the Mauritius
nothing was wanted but tree trade competition to give the
planters the utmost prosperity they could fairly aspire to.
The committee *ought fur, however, might by its inquiries
show the government that it had been woolly erroneous in
attributing to the Mauritius a high state of prosperity—sod
recent fin:cars would alone show them, iudecd, that out of
the nix houses principally representing the commerce of the
Mauritius, or.. alone remained Mending, the other five
having suspended payment, with liabilities amongst them of
not less than '2,900,0001. (Hear, hear.) They had all heard
of the I'ons Asinorunt, but a bridge was certainly now re-
quired whereon the wise men of the north might retrace
their steps, with arras reversed, from the fillaciou* tree trade
position they had %seemed. Why, in Mauritius, so far
from more labour being required, the igenters could not
provide work enough for the labourers they had already.
The deprecietiou in value of the produce of Mauritius was
perfectly ruinous to the teer.hants connected with the trade.
Thew merchant* had advanced 4.eir money wake the old
system, on the hypothecation of the lands in Mauritius and
their produce. What had bees the effect of recent legisla-
tion on this produce ? Why to reduce its value just BM per
ton, so that the annual consignment being 28,000 tons, there
was et once a loos to these merchauts of 2e0,0001. per annum,
a sum which in ten years represenied the entire liabilities
under which the great Mauritius merchants had lately sunk,
not from their own overtrading, but from their over.
confidence itt the faith of the British parliament.
Had the change benefited the cotton districts
Manchester had opened the cry, shouting : Give us free
sugar ; it is not a luxury, it is a necessary of lite. Give us
sugar. Open the trade with Brazil and Porto-Rico for us,
and bricks cannot be made for it enough to raise mills
wherewith to sopoly the trade that will he crested. How
stood the ease? Ile had a return furnished him by Mr
Richard Byrne, of the cotton gouda exported to Brazil in the
16 months preceding free trade and in the 16 mor,the after.
True, the experts had increased, fur in the 16 months
before free trade, the exports of cotton to the Brazils had been
1,981,620 Ilea, while in the 16 month. following it they had
risen to 2,264,3116 lbe.—an increase of 282,766 lbs. ; but this
afforded no test of actual progress, fur a large amount of '
these exports had been disposed of by forced sales, on long
credit, theiurchaxemnotiey not being yet to our
exporters. In point of fact, the only real benefit had
been derived by the Brazilian government, which, from the
export duties it placed on its sugars, had, by our concessions,
increased its revenue from 7,000 notes to 16,000 contos ;
while, on the other hand, it gave us no advantage whatever,
but extended all the favour to France, America, and Bremen.
If we turned to the state of our exports to Cuba and l'orto
Rico, the result was wholly unsatisfactory. The exports of
cotton to Cuba, which, in the sixteen months pre-
ceding free trade, amounted in value to 322,4881.,
feß off, in the sixteen months after it to 210,7321. •
while those to Porto Rico fell off from 4,8201, to 1,8294
same period our cotton exports to Mauritius had
- from 99,7821. to 41,1891.1 to Bombay, from
to 1,579,0001.: to Calcutta, from 2,816,5851. to
.In reverence to Madras alone, there had been
▪ insignificant increase; but in the whole, upon our annual
exports to our own Eastern pus,...Wks, we hail sustained
diMaaution of not less in Value than 1,871,0001. And

what compensation had our cotton manufacturing operatives I
got ? It was understood that there were 500,000 persons
engaged in the cotton manufacture, and it was further un-
der,tood that each of these peruse consumed some 23 or 24
or 251bs, of sugar per annum. Well, the effect of the
change had been to reduce the pries of this sugar Id. per lb.,
so that the entire amount consumed being some 7000 tons per
annum, these operatives had saved them some 70,0001. per
annum, to set against a low of 1,871,0001. on this one article
of cotton exports. (Meer, hear.) The noble lord next re-
ferred to a circular received by the last Indian mail, exhibit-
ing the state of trade at Calcutta. In the year ending May
1, 1835, the year in notice, we altered the duties affecting
East Indian sugars. The entire export trade of Calcutta
amounted to 1,574,1821., of which 753,6471 consisted of
cotton manufactures. The exports in the years 1434-5 from
Calcutta to Egghead amounted in value to 1.5,026,4751.. of
which sum 134,2261. was the produce of the augsr-cane. The
sugar of the East Indies had been let in, and what was the
result ? Why, that in 1845-6, before the law of 1834-5 had
come into operation, the sugar trade from the East Indies
had increased from the value of 13(,2261. to 169,0321., and
in other respects the general export trade from Calcutta had
increased during that period by 181 per cent., whilst the ex-
port trade in sugar had increased by 1,159 per cent. within
the same apace of time. Aud the falling off in the import
trade to Indio, which he had shown to have taken pee
since the admission of slave-grown sugar, was to be compen-
sated by the increase in the exports to the Brazils of 107,0001.
1 he fell in the price of sugar was one of the chief causes why
the East Indies could not eontiaue to furnish the same sup-
plies that they had done. Wnen the price was good, Bengal
alone could supply enough for a great portion of the con-
sumptiu of the country; but when the price fell below It
rupees 2 annas the mound, the producers could not export it
with any profit, and the trade was consequently destroyed.
The exports of manufactures from England to Calcutta had
also very considerably diminished within the last six months.
But would that diminished export of cotton manufactures
be confined to that branch of trade alone ? Ile thought not.
The export of machinery had fallen off within the last few
years, and in the year 1647 the value of machinery
was only 10,0391., about one-third that of the pre-
ceding years. The Went Indiana had been told that
they ought to go and reside on their property
and superintend the cultivation thernselv. s. Whoever
bad with, wed the exertions made by them in late years must
admit that there bad been no lack of energy on their part.
Me (Lord O. }Sentinels) must acknowledge, however, the
utter impomibility of putting down the slave trade. The
coat of endeavorring to do so had been more than one hun-
dred MilliOan But to return to the But:beet of eman-
cipation • let him again ask, what had bun the cost of that
experiment ? The advocates for emancipation urged that the
maxims of political economy authorised them in predicting
a greater produce of sugar from free than from slave labour,
and yet the very contrary had taken place. The planters
had gained nothing by the change, nor did he exaggerate
when he asserted that the abolition of the slave trade and
emancipation had together cod the country, during the last
40 years, more than 115,000,0001 •, and yet after this enor-
mous sacrifice had been completed, and at a moment when
some of the slave holding colonies were actually defacing
the question whether it would not he advantageous for them
to liberate their %laves in order to er.joy the premium given
tofreselabour sugar, the government had chosen ro knock down
all the country had achieved during 40 )ears, and by the
expenditure of a hundred millions, by admitting all sugars
to consumption. To enter more minutely into the question,
he would call the attention of the house to the fact that the
planters did not get the value of their 'laves when the
Emancipation Act was passed. The value of the slaves in
the British colonies was estimated at 45,00,0001., and this
estimate had been greatly reduced as compared with the
value of slaves in other colonies. The government then
came forward and said that 20,000.0001. must pay for
15,000,0001. worth of slave property. That gave an average
of about 121. 14.. for each slave. During the war with the
Unit, d States there were captured about 3,400 slaves, and
England was hound to compensate their owners. The
claim made for 3,401 slaves was 380,0001., and the question
was subsequently settled by the arbitration of mixed Eng-
li-h American commißaioners, who neve the price as
against England an average of 731. per head for thee
Ami rican slaves, whilst the British planter and citizen only
got from his own government 251. per head for property
equally if not more valuable. The noble lord here entered
into some details respecting the subject, the result of which
he summed up to be an aggregate loss to the planters during
the twelve years that elapsed since emancipation tak place
of 42,242,7401. ( Hear, hear.) Was it therefore surprising
that the West ledians were grumbler' ? As to the user-
Con that the bargain was closed with them when the com-
pensation money was granted in 1433, let him ask whether
part of that bargain was not the seven years' apprenticeship,
of some years of which the planters were subsequently
robbed. And was there no other bargain than that? When S:r
Fowell Buxton was examined on his oath before the com-
mittee of the Lords—not that Sir F. Buxton's oath was
better than his word, in his (Lod 0. Bentilick's) estima-
tion—that ardent supporter of emancipation was asked what
security the planters bad for the numerous benefits in respect
to increased prices and produce. He answered, " Who ever
suppose that,whibt the people of England are emancipating
their slaves, they will hereafter admit slave sugar to
consumption in their country 1" It was only due to the
memory of Sir Fowell Buxton to state that he opposed
granting freedom to the slaves without first payu.g fir them.
Others were not so honest, and the quaker:. exemplified, in
that instance, the truth of the poet's observati .n, that

saints themselves will sometimes be—
Of inns that cost 'ban nothing, free.
lie recollected having been told that th first cargo of slave-
crown sugar that arrived after the duties went reduced was
consigned to a quaker at Cowes, and the union of sanctity
and avarice was well exemplified in the story of the
grocer who called out to his ahophoy " Have you sanded
the sugar ? Then come in to prayers." So likewise in the
case of the emancipation of the West Indian slaves; the
saintly class had made a great pretence of religion, but they
cared little about justice. The noble lord then referred to
letter which he kid received from a naval officer, describing
the horrors of the slave trade as carried on in the swift-
mailing vessels which are equipped expree-ly to escape the
cruisers off the coast of Africa. Ile (Lord U. Ilentinck)
agreed entirely with the writtr of the letter referred to in
deeming it a ruinous task for England to have to blockade a
coast of 2,630 miles in extent. He would, instead of pur-
suing the blockade and preventive system, strike a blow at
the chief resort of 0 c slavers, and would smother the hornets
in their nest at Cuba. He had recently seen in the Times
a paragraph taken from a New York paper, wherein the
views of England upon Cuba were very broadly specu-
lated upon, and the reasons which would justify her
in seizing that island in payment of the debt
due by Spain to her citizens set fully forth.
Every one knew that the slave trade could not be put down
as long as a market existed in Cuba. Destroy that mart
and you would at once be able to withdraw your blockading
squadron, and further the ends of justice in liquidating the
claims of the Spanish bondholders. He would say take
paserssion of Cuba, and settle the quest.nn for ever. (Hear,
hear.) It would be only &straining for a just debt, and it
would have the effect of completely destroyinir the slave
trade, . .

Mr. LABOUCHERE—WouId you also take Brazil ?
Lord G. BENT INCK—Thero was a material difference
in the two cases: we bad no just claim against Brazil. In
possessing Cuba England would have the key of the thilf of
Mexico, as she had in 17132, when she took it with six sail of
the line. Then we need have ro alarm for our American
colonies, because we could cut the trade of the United Stritis
in two by destroying the communication between New York
and the Miesiirippi. We should then hear no more boasting
from Uncle Sam about stretching his length from California
to the Pacific, and turning Cuba into a kitchen garden. He
(Lord 0. Itentinek) thanked the house for the patience with
which he had been listened to, and he had only to add that
in not taking a more decided step for the relief of the planters,
ho did not preclude himself from supporting more decided
resolutions, if proposed by another. He would go into the
committee determined to see if anything could he done
for the planters, and he was willing to accept whatever
relief might he the result. He moved, " for a select com-
mittee to inquire into the present condition and prospects of
the interests connected with and dependent on sugar and
coffee planting in her Majesty's East and West Indian pos-
sessions and the Mauritius; and to consider whether any
and what measures can be adopted by parliament for their
relief."

Mr. ROBINSON seconded the motion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he did
not rise for the purpose of opposing the motion of the noble
lord. Early in November his noble friend the First Lord of
the Treasury had promised, that if a committee were moved
for he would not oppose it. The noble lord had stated se-
veral points of inquiry respecting the West Indies, in which
government concurred with him in thinking inquiry neces-
sary; but he should deceive both the noble lord and the
hoie‘e, and also the West India interest, if he led them to
suppo.e that, in consenting to th- apimin..ment of a
committee, Lrr Majesty's government moot to imply the
slightest doubt ea to the soundness of the policy of
1846, or the slightest intention of departing from that policy.
(Ili ar, hear.) He thought that this statement should be
made as soon and u decidedly as possible, because he consi-
dered that in matters of this kind uncertainty was the worst
of evils. (Hear, hear.) He proposed, at the same time, to
state fully what the views of the government were, as to the
various points of minor importance in which he believed re-
lief might be afforded to the West India interest. He would
not follow the noble lord through his various statements re-
specting the general state of trade during the :last
12 months, because the peculiar circumstances of the
time precluded the possibility of sound inference;
neither would he go into his proposition for fore-
closing our Spanish mortgage by seizing the island
of Cuba—(a laugh)—in other words, Wring possession of
the dependencies of our ally to secure the claims of tLe
Spanisb bondholders. (Hear, hear.) He would confine
himself to stating shortly what the government intended to
do, and what were their reasons for not intending mere.
The claims put forth by the noble lord, and which had pre ,
viously been submitted to government in the statement of
the West India body amounted shortly to this—that the pre-
se price of sugar was not sufficient to maintain its cultiva-
' tor, that that low price was caused by the act of 1846, and it
' was asserted that nothing less than a protecting duty of ten
shillings per cwt. would enable the planters to
maintain cultivation and to preserve their property. (Hear.)
He was anxious in an thong he should say to avoid giving
offence to the West India body ' • and if, in defending the
rights of the community at large he should occasionally deal
hardly with them, he trusted that it would not lead to any
inference that he was hostile to their fair rights or interests.
In the first place, he thought it necessary to separate a tem
porary depression of prices, arising from peculiar circum-
stances, front that which was owing to the increased quantity
of sugar imported ; because, when a reduction of price had
fallen upon almost every other foreign and colonial commo-
dity, lit would be absurd to attribute the reduced price
of sugar wholly to the act of 1846. (Hear, hear.)
It was notorious that many articles of colonial

increased
while, on tl
but extend(
If we tam
Rico, the re
cotton to
ceding fro
feU off, in
while those
In the earn
fallen off
1,843,6061.
2,174,0081.
an insignia:lc
exports to r
dimagutio