The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-01 00:00:00

SUGAR DUTIES.

The house then went into committee on the sugar duties. '
On the first resolution being put from the chair,
Mr. BRIGHT r -se to move the amendment of which be
bad given notice. The question was whether there should
be • large or • small increase made in the amount of the pro. '
tectioe now given to West India sugars. The debate that
had just cloned had entirely destroyed the pros eeltions
brought forward by the noble lord, but there was one thing in
particular wh.ch could not have failed to strike any petsan who
had heard the discussion—namely, that one great party to the
question had been totally overlooked, and that was the great
I clan of sugar consumers in the three kingdoms for whose
benefit the act of 1846 had been paned. Now, he goad 'here
on behalf of that ,4rrat claw by whom sugar was chi. fly con-
sumed ; and he asked the committee to refuse to alter the
act of 1846. The question had been debited on two prin.
cited grounds—namely, slavery and protection to the Went
Indians. Great in mpatity h .d been expressed for the slaves
in the Bruits and the Africans yet in their native country ,•
and the hon. baronet opposite (Sir J. Pekington) had talked
about the holy struggle which ended in the Emancipation
Bill of 1832. But numben of those hon. nu mbers (includ.
ing the hon. baronet the member for Oxford) had abstained
during the debannon the Slavery Act from making any efforts
in support of that luw,and man, indeed, had voted against it.
It had been urged that there was a great falling off in West
Indian produce, but to come to a correct cenclusion on that
point they should take en average of • number of years, be-
cause in the ordinary course of trade it happened that one
year's importation was, from accidental cause., greater than
that of another. In 1845 the importation of slaves into Culla,
as stated in the r, turns prepared by the Went India brg;y,
amounted to 32,000, and in 1846 it had risen to 64,000.
Now he wished to call the attention of the house to the dig.
honesty with which these returns had been prepared. It
was intended to prove that the impulse given to the slave
trade by the bill of 1846 was felt directly. But it should be
recollected that the government which passed that bill did
not come into power until that year, and that the bill itself
was introduced on the 20th of July. No positive information
respecting it could reach Cuba until the end of August, after
which the slave ships must be sent to Africa. Now, he would
ask the house whether,under such circumstance, the bill of 1846
could have had any effect on the importation of slaves during
that year ? (Hear, hear.) What became of the argument,
when it was known that in 1847 the importation had gene
down to 63,000? (Ilear, hear.) Ile contended that the
whole case broke down as regarded the impulse given to the
importation of slaves into Cuba and Brazil by the bill of
1846. The right hon. member for Oxford University had
said that what the planters wanted was money ; and that
the compensation they had received amounted to only 4.5 per
cent. of their value. Well, granting that to be true, how
much that compensation come to, as compared to the
previous trade of the colonies, to Which compeneation was
awarded ? lle would take Jamaica, Trinidad, and Guiana.
The largest exports of Jamaica were in 1833, when it
amounted in value to 3,148,000!. That amount, allowing
10 per cent., would leave a profit of 314,0001. Now the share
of the compensa ion money which was received by Jamaica
was 6.150,0001 ,and that sum if invested at five per cent.
would yield an income of 375,0001., being within 7,3001. of
ten per cent. on the whole export. (Hear, hear.) In Tri-
nidad and Guiana a similar calculation would give an income
of thirteen per cent. on the entire export' of both colonies
That was certainly a higher profit than the majority of
traders looked for in this country, but he believed that ii the
whole of the West Lidice were taken the interest of the cora-
l:caution money would give an income of fifteen per cent.
on the whole previous annual amount of their exports. But
that was not all. Besides getting such an enormous compen-
sation the planters retained they estates, their buildings,
their implements, and all th, it floating capital. Surely,
then, they h received ample equivalent for the diflerenre
of price between slave and tree labour. (Hear, hear.) With
respect to the apprenticeship system, it had beea said
that it had lasted only lour years instead of six.
He was not going to upbraid the planters with the
cause of that sudden change, but of this he was sure that the
feeling which bad caused the abolition of the apprenticeship
was caused by well authenticated complaints that the planters
did not mean to abide by the state of freedom. Something
had been said of an implied contract between the planters
and the parliament of England at the time of emancipa
lion. He hal never heard of such a contract, hut if such had
ever existed, it was highly dishonourable to the contracting
parties. No such contractcould bind the people of England
to submit to a monopoly. But the colonists had a monopoly
for upwards of eleven years, to the extent of 15e. per cwt ,
which, looking et the selling price of sugar in all the other
markets of the world, gave them a sum of not
less than thirty millions sterling in addition to the
twenty millions granted in 1834. If this were true, he should
like va know whether parliament owed anything to the cote-
cite, or whether all was not due to the people of this coun-
tzerewouh
padut heedan en grievously
v:yaatltys iroarltf461y .
'Phee noblemaa at
yd
the member for Lynn seamed to contend that it was the duty
of parliament to make the production of sugar in the British
West Indies a profitable occupation. Suppose they took that
for granted, was the sugar trade the only trade requiring
elegance? (hear, hear.) Ile could take the noble lord
round all the staple trades of this country, and show him
that during last year not one had been carried on at • profit.
(ling, hear.) There was not one of them which could
point to '2O years of monopoly, with a profit of 60 per cent.
How was it in other parts of the world ? In India the
ryot had no prom ction in the cultivation of his cotton, nor
had the Australian any for hie wool. Did the noble lord
know that the price of that article had fallen from It 9d. to
Is. the pound ? Why, parliament could do nothing else, if
it were to entertain such questions as these. (Hear, hear.)
This heavily taxed country was new called upon to give
assistance to the colonies, and at such a time it would be a
proper subject of inquiry to ask whether the colonists had
done their duty. He had had a good deal of con-
versation lately with gentlemen from Guiana, Trial- 1
dad, and Jamaica, who told him that in Guiana
such • thing as a plough was unknown, there was no drain-
age, and, in point of fact, everything was done in the
rudest possible manner. From Trinidad he had the most ,
express information that sometimes hogsheads of surfer were
kept from the beach because the roads were impassable, al-
though only for a distance of five miles. (Hear, hear.) In
fact, he was informed that, with the finest soil and climate
in the world, Trinidad was almost wholly without roads.
(Bear, beer ) Then, in Jamaica: had the planters con-
structed the Jamaica Railway ? (Hear, hear.) On the con-
trary, had it not been begun and finished with funds supplied
by men who repudiated protection altegether ? (Hear.)
He now came to their trade regulations, and being in trade
himself, he could speak with some confideace on this point.
What were the trade arrangements in the colonies ? In the
first place, the great majority of the estates were 'amigo, to
be in the hands of mortgagees. (No, no.) It was • fact,
and had been acknowledged. (Hear, hear.) What was
the course with an estate which was in the hands of mange •
gees? The nominal owner had no control ; the mortgagee
was the real owner, and what the British parliament was now
asked to do, was to pay off the mortgages, and allow
the planter to work as if he had never mortgaged.
(Hear, hear.) How could business so carried on
be profitable ? The mortgagee residing in England took care
that the produce came over to him and in his ships, making
such charges for freight, brokerage, and commission as he
thought proper. Besides, everything required in the shape
of stores or machinery went through hie hands, and every
one could guess the terms on which such transactions were
conducted. (Hear, hear.) It had been complained that the
West Indies bad no trade except with this country, the fact
being that they could not send to America, because the
mortgagees instated on the produce coming to England.
Another evil attending this was, that the American ships
which brought provisinn, not being able to get retires
cargoes, took away nearly all the specie of the islands, and
paid it away in Cuba for cargoes of sieve-grown sugar. (Hear,
hear.) On the subject of the impediments which stood in
the way of colonial success in trade, he held in his hand a letter
which he had received from • member of the Jamaica
House of Assembly, and which he would take leave to read
to the house. The hon. member proceeded to read the
letter, the purport of which was that the West Indians could
not prosper until relieved from the exactions of absentee
mortgagees. That in addition to other means by which they
were plundered, the mortgagee was at the same time a ship-
owner, and sent out his ship to his planting attorn, wi.h
positive orders to fill it from certain estates indicateey The
attorney then wrote to the overseer, who, perhaps, answered
that the canes were not ripe—in fact, that the number which
would make 100 hhds. of ripe would only make 60 at that
moment. The attorney, however, fearirg • supersedeas, was
imperative, and canes were frequently cut at eleven months,
when, at least, fifteen would be necessary to ripen them pro-
', perly. The writer stated that he had frequently followed the
sum to the wharf, and had seen the molasses dripping from
the casks. Now, on this alone, considering that the profit on
rum as compared with sugar was as one to two, the lose
must be enormous. (Hear, hear.) The writer continued
to state that ho bad offered himself to ship sugars at cheaper
rates, but the general answer of the planter was,
_that he
must ship in the vessels Cl his mortgagee. Indeed, sugar
might be seen lying in the whorls for months tagether, and
iu one case a lot bad lain for five months to be shipped at
last at • freight of ss. per cwt., while several ships had some
and gone which would have taken them at 4s. (Hear.)
He (Mr. Bright) considered it would be a great bless-
ing if such burdeas were removed, instead of pro-
posing to re-euact protective duties and increase
the taxes on the British people. (Hear, hear.) He now
came to a point which had been alluded to by the right bon.
member for Tamworth ; he meant the extraardieary ex-
pences of the colonies. There was no doubt but that the
oolenists had great and just cause of complaint en that sr re.
(Hear, hear ) His conespendent before qu Oed informed
him that one great grievance of the colonials was the am,

mem soma el taxation. Any memorial passed by the
Hose Met Assemblysin tbe direction of reform in the expendi-
ture Mee sure to be rejected by the coutwil, she members of
I whisk with one solitary exception, were placemen.
There was the Lord Bishop, with 3,0001. a year • the Chief
emcees, 3,0001. ; the general commanding, 4,0001. ; and
the Yiee4Jbascellor, 2,6001. ; with several others of lesser
neeeetille. Besides this there was a council fund of 6,0001.,
he dr eependiture of which the council invariably refused
Fet. Besides all this, the governor (Sir C. Grey) had
: 7 • year, and the secretary 1,8001. He maintained
mush a scale of expenditure was an intolerable grievance
so the colonists. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord the weat-
her for Lynn had alleged that in consequence of the reduc•
den in the price of niter several large West India houses
bad fallen. Why, they were insolvent before. They had
departed altogether from the regular course of trade, and
less consequence was that their estates would now pay only
three or four shillings in the pound. Was it to support houses
of description that parliament was about so largely to in-
crease the taxation of the country ? (Hear.) He was sorry that
the noble lord at the head of the government had again
raised the much-vexed question of protection. He should
recollect that in 1841 his government was broken up on that
question, and that in 1846 that of the right hon. baronet
opposite met a similar fate. Even so lately as that morning
the present cabinet of the noble lord was sn «mica& mortis,
and was only saved by the extreme unction of fllteen votes,
the givers of which differed entirely from the noble lord on
the principle of the question. (" lieer," and laughter.)
The tact was—and he deeply regretted it—that this discussion
had been carried on without any reference to the interests
of the people of this country. The noble lord had rained
the question of protection again after be had himself
burled it. If he Lad been the noble lord he
would have demanded the bill of 1816 to the list on its
results, for never had beneficial results flowed more ra-
pidly than upon the passing of the bill of 1846. (Hear )
Lord J. RUSSELL.—I stated that.
Mr. BRIO HT.—The result had been equally favourable
as regarded consumption and revenue. He would take
three periods of eight months each; one before and the
other two after the pniaing of the bill of 1846. The whole
consumptiou was:—ln the first eight months, 3,550,000 cwt.;
in the second eight moths, 4,319.000 cwt. ; in the third
eight months, 4,235,000 cwt. Showing an increase of the
second period over the first of 795,000 ewts., and of the
third over the first of 680,000 cwt.. With regard to revenue,
equally favourable result. had accrued. The amount of
revenue received was:—ln the first eight months, 2,516,0001;
in the second eight months, 3,405,0081. ; in the third eight
months, 3,021,0001. So that the revenue gained nearly a
million. (Hear, hear.) He disapproved of the proposal
for immigration, as calculated to che pen labour un-
duly as against the coloured population of the West
Indies, and to demoralise them by introduzing amongst
them the vices of the African tribes. There was
another point in considering this part of the ques-
tion, which must not be lost sight of More than one-half
of the sugar imported was not the produce of those ccnonies
where there was a defic,ency of labour. From Barhadoes,
the Mauritius, rad the hose Inures, where labour was
abundant, we imported 163,000 tons, leaving only 137,000 as
coming from those West India colonies which were com-
plaining of want of labour. Yet by the proposition of the
government this amount of pea, ction was to he given not
only to those colonies where there was an insufficient supply
of labour and consequent distress, but to those also where
labour was phmtiml, and where there we. no necessity for the
protection. Why, was ever a more monstrous proposition put
firward ? It woe in effect that because one man alleged that
there was a debt due to him, therefore not only should
he be paid, but that compensation should be awarded to all
who were related to him. (Lieu.) If anything were due to
the West Indian coluniee, let them send in their account
of what there was to pay, and let it be paid and done with ;
but let not this country be called upon to pay not only these
who considered they had claims against us, but those who
had no claims whatever. [An Ilon. Member : " You would
never get a receipt in furl."] He agreed with his hon. friend
that the West India body would never give a receipt in full.
They were like Oliver Twist, alwaysasking for " more, more."
And the concession which was now about to be made would
hereafter be made the ground for new demands. It would
be urged hereafter--" You admitted by your measure of
1848 that the settlement of 1846 was no settlement, there is
still something more due to us,"—and they would continue
to make new claims until they were in a state ul prosperity,
which under the protective system they would never be.
(Hear, hear.) The bon. member for Westbury had put for.
ward a theory, or rather two theories—one in the house and
the other out of doors—(hear, and a laugli)—the one in the
house being that full compensation would be obtained E.r
any increase in price by the fell of duty to 10s. a cwt. He
admitted that as a general ru'o low duties were advantageous
to the revenue to a certain extent, and to the consumer eto-
gether ; hut out of doors the hon. gentleman had
another theory, which was that the highest dote regu-
lated the price, and that the price regulated the consumption
(" him, hear," from Mr. Wilson). But by the prop-isi• ion
of the government it would nut be until the year 1652 that
the consumer would be is any better position, fur any reduc-
tion of the duty on colonial sugar could not have the effect,
according to the hen. member's own theory that the highest
duty regulated price, until the lowest duty on foreign sugar
came into operation. (Hear, hear.) But again, an to any
advantage resulting to the consumer as accompanying this
proposition, it might be had without any increase of protec-
tion. (Hear.) It was the duty of government to stimu-
late consuropion, not increase protection. (Hear.) The
noble lord (J. Russell) said be looked to increased consump-
tion for the prosperity of the colonies ; and there could be
no doubt if the noble lord could steer the colonies through
the present storm, and facilitate consumption here, he
would be conferring a great benefit both on the grower
of sugar and the consumer. Those who had spoken
in favour of the present measure had estimated the lass
that wculd result to the revenue at from 10,0001. to
40,0001. lie hoped the hon. member for Westbury would,
in the course of the present debate, explain the rounds of
that calculation. If there should be an enormous increase of
consumption it was probable that the loss would not exceed
that amount; but if, as the hon. gentleman (Mr. Wilson) had
said, the highest duty always regulated the price, and
price regulated the consumption, there would be no increased
consumption—except iamb as sense from increased population
—tor some years to come. He would assume the quantity
of sugar returned for home consumption during those years
at 240,000 tons of colonial and 60,000 tons of foreign ; and
taking tne highest duty under the bill of 18-16, and coin
paring it with the highest duty under the bill of 1848, he
found that the loss on the first year's revenue would be
16.5,0001. ; on the second, 405,0001. ; on the third, 645,0001. :
on the fourth, 88.5,0001.; and on the fifth, 935,0001.
These were very different amounts from 10,0001. or 40,0001,
as stated by the noble lord and the hon. gentleman. (Hear,
hear.) He thought the noble lord must have founded his
calculation on the supposition that the fall of duty was on
the smaller quantity and not on the larger ; whereas the
at
fall of duty was on the colonial sugar, which was the
larger quantity, the loss upon which would commence from
Ju y in the present year. The total loss he estimated at up-
wards of 3,000,0001, against which any revenue arising from
increased consumption, consequent on increased population,
or greater power to comae me (which t • hoped there would be),
was not to be set, inasmuch as that revenue would be ob-
tained independent of this bill, and without this loss. (Hear.)
And certainly, for a Chancellor of the Exchequer who was
at his wits' end for money—who had to bring forward ano-
ther budget before the session closed—(hear, hear)—and to
state in what way—whether by imposing an additional tax
on real property or otherwi-e—he will raise the money stow
miry for supplying the deficiency in the revenue and carrying
on the pudic service ; for a Chancellor of the Exchequer
and the government to which he belonged under such cir-
cumstances to attempt to tinker a measure passed only in
1846, and which had already produced such admirable re-
sults to the commerce and to the revenue of the country,
was a spec:men of statesmanship he should have thought
much too extraordinary and absurd for the middle of the
nineteenth century. (Hear and a laugh.) Bat had the Chan•
cellor of the Exchequer considered that he war not now
legislating on a matter of revenue, but for protection to the
West India body ? (Hear.) And protection being the
issue, he protested against the increase of duties the resolu-
tion proposed, and contended that it was a most unstates-
manhae proceeding, and at the same time most unjust to
those who were engaged in the sugar trade. Ha had letters
from a gentleman stating that, trusting to the act of 1846,
and to the declaration of the government in May last that
the duty of 18s. 6d. on foreign sugar would commence from
the 6th of July, orders had been sent out for 60 or 80
cargoes, and in some cases vessels had been sent out in
ballast to bring back foreign sugar. lie asked, was it con-
sistent with the dignity of the government of this treat
country thus to break faith, and probably to inflict ruin on
those who had trusted to their declarations ? (Hear, hear. )
Never before had parliament been called upon to take a step
so completely in the dark, and so contrary to all experience,
as on this occasion. The noble lord had no reason to believe
now, any more than he had on the 30th of May, that the
measure would benefit the West Indian body. The hon.
member for Westbury—whom he had hitherto looked up to
as an authority, and at whose feet he had sat as his Oamaliel
—(a laugh)—but who now, contrary to all his former
opinions, advocated this measure—he was sure had co faith
in it. (Heat, hear.) No member on the Treasury bench
really believed that it would do good to the West Indies,
while they must be convinced that it could do no good to the
consumer or the revenue. (Hear, hear.) On the other
side of the house, and amongst the representatives of the
West India interest, not one had spoken in favour of the
measure; nor were there scarcely two opinions agreed as to
the nature of the relief which the West India colonies really
required: and the right hon. baronet the member for Tam-
worth had distinctly given it as his conviction that protec-
tion would be injurious rather than advantageous to them,
and, that being his view, he took it that the right hon. baro-
net would vire with him against the government proposal.
(" Hear," and a laugh.) The noble lord had said that all
that was required was capital: but with this system ot
legislation--a fiscal measure in 1846, another in 18414
and another which would be clamoured for three =who
hence—what encouragement was these for the %we-
ment of capital ? If there was one thing which capital
shunned more than another, it was uncertainty. I
The noble lord had told them that immigration had failed ;
yet he now proposed • grant of 500,0001., to promote imigra-
tion. Again, the noble lord said that a 10s. protection
would raise the wages of labour and increase the evil now
complained of ; but if 10s. would do it, surely 7s. would do
it to a corresponding degree. (Hear, hear.) Why did not
the noble lord leave the protectionists to fight out their
battle on the question of protection? If the noble lord was
still a free trader, if he still professed the doctrines of Adam
Smith, and the published doctrines of the hon. mess
bar for Westbury—(hear, hear)—why did he not adhere
to them ? He knew not on which aide to look for
the most conclusive arguments against the govern-
ment measure. It was repudiated by those for whose benefit
it was brought forward ; all parties condemned it, and
there were hardly two opinions agreed on the question
it was brought forward to meet, lie objected to the

measure as being • departure from the settlement of 1846,
totimree.-opoien.orth
)erLequeatit the principle
sugar, corn, en l other articles, and the decision then come
:o was in accordance with the opinion of the vest majority
were determined at ttedhat
oinfdfreem Übe:albs sound or not, it was adopted in 1846 as to
of the people of this country. Let that principle have that
fair trial which even its opponents admitted it ought to have.
(Hear.) The noble lawn was now about to disturb that
principle u regarded sugar, and before long he might be
called moo Coyle re open it to another article. (" Hear, hear,"
from Mr. y.) The hon. member for the North
Biding of Yorkshire cheered when he (Mr. Bright) said that
corn would be the next article on which they would be called
OD CO retrace their steps. He hoped, however, the noble lord
would be more firm with regard to corn than he was with
regard to sugar—if he was not, he doubted whether he
would escape even by a majority of 15. (" Hear," and a
laugh.) The noble lord was without blame to himself at the
head of a government which wes in an unfortunate position
in retard to finance, and it was his duty to consider now he
would make up the present deficiency before he increased it.
That he had done that which would sacrifice revenue, he
injurious to the sugar consumer of this country—that which
the West Indians themselves repudiated, and which the
committee of the house did not recommend—that which
would unsettle • great settlement, was, be thought,
matter of blame to the noble lord and his government.
Standing by the bill of 1846 they might have defied any
combin itiou of mistaken philanthropy on the one side, lied
of monopoly on the other. As it was, they hail given to
their opponents an advantage they would not recover ; and
as he thought the measure alike pernicious to this c mntry
and the West Indies, he would move as an amendment,
" That it was not desirable to make any alteration in the
sugar duties of 1846." ( Hear, hear.)
Mr 0. BERKELEY thee to oppose the motion, and to
defend the planters of the West Indies from the imputations
thrown oat against them by the hon. member tor Mau.
cheater. He must say that that respectable body was
in the position the hon. member asserted they were. But the
hon member was in the habit of running a tilt against any
party or interest from whose views he differed. It was not
long /Once that the hon. member stated that he (Mr.
Berkeley), when he was made a legislator, was a good game-
keeper or poacher spoiled. (A laugh.) lie was the pro-
prietor of six estates in British Guiana from which since
emancipation he had had no return. He had abandoned
sugar cu tivation because it so longer paid. The hon. member
said they were a colony of ban rept& They were so •
but it war owing, not to their own faults, but to the
legislation of the imperial parliament. What they wanted
was protection, and without that the grant of 500,0001. was
as nothing. His estetes, previous to emancipation, re,urned
from 3,0001. to 6,0001. a year generally. Those estates
cost his family more than 100,0001. He received as compen-
sation when slavery was abolished 14,0001., and would it be
said that that 14,0001. should be looked upon u • sufficient
payment for property which had cost 100,0001. ? He deeied
that the distress generally prevailing in the West India co-
lonies was consequent upon any exti avagance in the manage-
ment—it was the consequence of the failure of the expert-
me
nt of emancipation.
Mr. BAGSHAWE also opposed the amendment.
Mr. TOLLEMACHE having made some explanations of
the evidence he gave before the committee, said that he
conceived that excessive protection would be not only unjust
to the peop.c of this country by making prices high, but in-
jurious to every class connected with the West Indies. At
the same time, as free labour never could compete with
slave labour, seme protection was necessary. lie possessed
five estates in one of those islands. lie tad succeeded in re.
ducing co• eiderably the cost of production, and he believed
it would be reduced still further. (Hear, hear.) lie was
prepared to run some risk, and even to sustain • loss, rather
tbau desert the pe ,ple living on these estates, which had
been in the possession of his family for centuries. (Hear,
hear.) Ins, me instances a protection of 74. would be suffi-
cient, but, taking the \Vest 'cities as a whole, he thought it
skuld be 10s. for a certain time, say two years, tnen Bs.,
and then G.., where it sh,uld remain as long as slave labour
existed. He bad felt it his duty to vote for the amendment
of the hon member for Dr6iterich, which he did with re-
gret, and he had now only to hope that the government
would reconsider the subject.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he
concurred in a great part of the speech and in most of the
principles uttered by the hon. member for Manchester • but
circumstances sometimes rendered necessary the modifica-
tion of a principle which he thought might be done without
any saerdice or dereliction of it. In this case they were past-
ing from protection to free trade, and they proposed a tem-
porary compromise between them, softening the evils which
would arise inert ao abrupt change. The hon. gentleman
said, and truly, that he (the Chancellor of the Ex
chequer) deckled last February that the bill of 1846 ougnt
not to be departed from. But he should be utterly deaf to
all information if he maintained that opinion merely for con-
sistency sake, and in the lace of the evidence of the com-
mittee and the cbcnge of circumstances that had since taken
place. Under those circumstances he considered that the
government were bound to make en attempt to cheek the
dedruction of property which was threatened from utter
want of credit. If they gave protection they would have in-
terfered with that process which was now going on in the
West ladies for reducing the cost of production by reducing
the price of wages ; and, in departing from the bill of 1816,
the government must have been influenced by very strong
reasms—it being a bill which the honourable gen
tleman admitted to have been most suocesetul as
regarded the revenue and the consumer, and of
'mesh the government might therefore be naturally
proud. Now, it was of the brat importance to know hew
the present proposition of the government would affect the
revenue. It would doubtless create risk of loss, but he did
not think of much toes. Ile could not admit that it would
even b,, as great, nor anything like as great, u the loss that
would be sustained by the 10.. differential duty suggested by
the noble lord the member for Lynn. The proposal of the
government would give a first loss of 240.0001, but after-
weeds it would be made up by increased consumption, while
that of the noble lord would muse a loss of 960,0001. The
first loot under the government proposition would arise from
the reduction of colonial duty from 14s. to las., and he did
not look to any increased consumption to make good that
lose in the first year. The question then was what probable
increased consumption would there be in the course of the
next year, and he estimated it at from 15,000 to 20,000 tons
The year 1847 was clearly exceptional, owing to the imports
being greatly stimulated by the admission of sugar in dis-
tilleries. It was probable the consumption of next year
would be 309,000 or 310,000 tons. Theconsumption had in-
creased from 193,000 tons in 1842, to 288,900 in 1817,
being about 50 per cent. ; and in the last four years the
sugar imported into Ireland had increased from 362,000 to
about 500,000 cwt, notwithstanding the distress which had
prevailed in that country. Taking the consumption at
215,000 tons of colonial, and 85,000 of foreign sugar,
there would thence arise a revenue of 4,625,000/., being en
increase of 284,0001. It was true the amount of revenue
would depend on the proportionate increase of foreign and
colonial sugar; if the increase were in the proporte.n of
15,000 tons foreign to 5,000 tons colonial, there would
be a toes of revenue of 55,0001. But the probability
wee that it would not exceed 45,0001.; perhaps there would
be no loss at all. this referred to the first year only; in
future years he confidently looked for an increase ; for as the
increasing reduction of duty on foreign sugars would stimu-
late the consumption, an increased revenue would be the
consequence. As much reference bad been made to the
prospects of the revenue, and the probability of a loss, he
thought it his duty, before asking the house to consent to a
resolutioa which might involve some loss, to give a general
view of how the government anticipated that that would be
met. Already a deficiency of about 2,000,0001. had been
estimated on the current year • the house had refused to
entertain a proposition for making up that deficiency by an
increase of taxation ; and the matter had ever since occupied
the serious attention of the government. So far, the revenue
of the current year had produced quite as much as could
have been anticipated. In spite of the calamities of last year,
so sound was the system of our finances, that the
income of the year 1847-48 was actually higher
than that of 184546, after the great reductions in
duty which had been made by the late government. Of
course it was impossible to compare the lest year with any
year preceding 1845.46, the circumstances and the amount
of taxation being so different. The expenditure proposed
war far below that of the last or the preceding year. Two
committees had been appointed to investigate this subject;
but neither he nor any member of the government supposed
that they thereby shifted the responsibility from their own
shoulders. He had stated at the time that he conceived it
would be impossible to make any large reduction either in
the amount of the regular expenditure, or in the outlay for
works in progress. The house was already in possession of
the amount of reduction which they had been able to effect
in the miscellaneous estimates. It had been estimated that
the probable charge would e 4,006,0001. ; the it, ms laid on
the table amounted to 3,777,0001. ; being a reduction of
230,0001. With regard to the army, the efficiency of the
service was so important • consideration at this moment,
that it was impossible to make any reduction in those esti-
mate; the house had decided by a large majority that it
was not possible to effect any such reduction. The govern-
ment had abandoned the intention of proposing an addi-
tional rote for the militia, whereby an outlay of 150,0001.
would be avoided. He had gone through the navy and ord-
nance estimates with the First Lord of the Admiralty, and
they had satisfied themselves that, without in any degree
impairing the efficiency of these service'', a reduction on the
year of 300,0001. might easily be effected. (Hear, hear.)
His hon. friend the secretary to the Admiralty had stated
that a much larger reduction might be expected in the en-
suing year; but with the existing contracts, it was impos-
sible to carry the reduction in tne yoresent year beyond
what he had stated. The result of this was to reduce
the whole expenditure by 685,0001. To effect this it might
be necessary in some was to postpone works which,
under other circumstances, it might have been de-
simble to accomplish in the present year. He was in hopes
that further reductions might be effected within the year ;
but be thought it right to state only those of which he was
confident. Howse anxious to have postponed his statement
to a later period of the session, when he might have been in
a condition to form a more correct judgment as to the pro-
hable amount which the revenue would yield. On this
head, however, be would afford some information. Owing
mainly to the exceedingly fine crop of barley of lest year, the
quality of which was better almost than was ever known,
melting bad been carried en to a much greater extent durimg
the year, and the consequent increase in the excise digital
amounted to a very considerable sum. (Hear, hear.) Oa
the other hand, other sources of revenue were not quite se
productive as he had anticipated; but, upon the whole, after
consulting with the chairman of the revenue board, he fond
himself wairanted in anticipating an increase of revenue hie-
yond what he had stated in February, of 350,0001. (Hear.)
He left out of consideration all receipts from corn ; it wee
utterly impossible to say what they might be ; but it would
be so much in addition to what he had stated. He also an-
ticipated relief from anoth r source—the appropriations in
aid, which had usually been applied only to the service of

current
te
years wimluptihbaled, rendered their
inthdeii,rectaip:l4capetilin
the year succeeding that in which they an—
hitherto been prevented from applying these seer
current year, by the supposition that an act of
would be necessary for the purpose; but it had tut
td
ago ; and there was therefore no ion longer cut
sons
yeldheausnt had accordingly directed that the soma produced abnrde
sales of old stores and other matters, well knovinus,
priations in aid," should be paid directly into the excheLV
and the receipt from that source in the present ",-Z.;
would be applicable to the service of the
Its average produce was about half-miatillion'
year it was only 430,0001. That, of enure_ ,e was 0,1".
temporary source of income ; but it might be clearly 1,,,L'"
applicable to the see vi col the present year. The
was a diminution of the probable excess of expeuditure income by by 1,535,0001.; and therefore, inroad of 014 tea,
being two millions, it would be. under half a Dem..—
( Hear, beer.) He had thought it right that the
should be in possession of this information, for he was ass...—"
that out of the house, as well as in it, great antlers
hs
been felt on the supposition that there would be a d
on the year's ue of two milions. At • later -7„
might be his duty to recur to this suli!ect ; but he had
that he could not ask the house to consent to the read,
be had proposed without putting them in possession of
statement he had now made, and which he did with mere
promising inasmuch as the prospect was certainly much Ili;
promising than many hon. gentlemen might suppose,
Mr. HASTIE said the hon. member for Muichestaio
forgotten to state that the cotton manufacturers of 16.,
chester and Glasgow had fora series of years enjoyed,
teetion of 100 per cent. against the manufacturer, of Indy,
until they were enabled to get cheap cotton from Anterita
If the house looked at the returns of experts frouoty,
Bri'ain during the last seven years they might form
sir
idea of the importance of our co.onies. We had mot toy,
West Indies every year ne less than 2,700,0001. Tay
of goods, and at least one-half of that export must bey,
peeled to cease if we withdrew protection. It was a canine
fact that these exports had increased sines the Emmet •
Act, vlthough the produce of the West ladies had et
He attributed this to the a feet of the labourer being p.
wages, and the social condition of the negro having
ccsn-
quently improved. He felt thoroughly convinced in Pam
mind that the proposition of her Majesty 'a gore
would do much to relieve the planter and to increas ey
expels by raising still more the condition of the neve, gs
should, therefore, Rive it his support.
Mr. CARDWELL came down to-night curious teen
how the Chancellor of the Exchm,uer weuld defend bang
against the attack of his bon. friend the member for yea
ehester. The right hon. gentleman had scarcely ram
his curiosity. But he had made • speech infinitely mart is.
teresting than any parliamentary repartee into whiett h
might have entered. The right hon. gentleman badly",
them a second budget (laughter); yes, but he had admit's(
frankly that his second budget was not satisfactory, lady
had very considerately promised them a third. Be thattt
they had great cause to congratulate themselves on then,
luctance t replace the alleged two millions by inertly
taxation at a time when it would have been peculiarly 11.27
to hear, for without any exertion on their part no lent*
1,500,0001. of the amount had disappeared. (Cheers.) lk
did not know that they had very much otherwise y
congratulate theneelvee upon in the budget now la
fore them. The miscellaneous estimates appeared sets
as high as they ever were in previous years, than
they were much below the amount ori.einady proosedai
year. Then, as to the aporopriations in aid—it did new.
t.inly appear to him that the new arrangement provost
would prove a saving, for it was only, in point of fact, aka,
money out of one column and putting it into mother, •
Neither did it appear to him that they had much subjects),
consolation in the arrangement proposed with repel y
these sugar duties. The noble lord, the first minister,*
them last night that the first year's loss would at
he above 10,0001. In she last year we mama
288,000 WWI of sugar, of which 24,000 was British plea,
Cation. Upon each of those tons there was to be a &maw
tion of 11. But woe there to be no lose on the fortip
sugar? If their measure did anything at all, surely it
would displace a portion of the foreign sugar. Emil via
so displaced would involve • loss of 71. per ton, and if they
took a quarter only of the 48,000 they would haat a long
nearly 80,0001. to be added to the 210,0001. before emplane
There was, be it recollected, nothing in the consumista:a to
com,ansate for this loss. In the second year the loss would
be nearly double. The right hon. gentleman appeared to
fouud a por:ion of his anticipations of increased reveres
upon the large quantity of barley to be converted into malt,
but though this might benefit the farmer and the excise, it
was not shown how it would benefit the cuatoms, whith
branch of the revenue bad more immediate relation to the
subject under discussion. It was said by the hon. member
for Manchester and others, that the act of 1846 bad
not been proved to have aggravated the slave trade, whereas
all the evidence went directly and distinctly to establish that
it had been productive of this effect. Government offleen
them•elves had shown that the almost immediate come
gamice of the act of 1846 had bean to raise the money velite
' us *levee 15 per cent. in Cuba •it was stated that the pining
of that measure had been celebrated as a sort of jubilee;
from Jamaica the government commissioners reported tbs
opinion that if free trade principles were at one.
applied to slave labour produce, more crimes :would
be committed in the slave trade, and more owes.
sions exercised upon the slaves, than had ever be.
fore been heard of. Capt. Burgess stated, upon the in-
formation of various Spanish and Portuguese elate dales,
that the increase of late in the slave trade had been solely
occasioned by the freer introduction into England of slaw
grown sugar, while the hon. member for Cheshire had
shown that from the same cause, slavery, which had bees

altogether dying away in Cetba, had resumed new Me
there. (Hear, hear.) He could have no hesitation in re-
cording his vote against the motion of the h•m. member for
Manchester. He admitted that protection was in itself and
in its nature an unsatisfactory remedy, but he
felt, at the same time, that we could not substitute free
labour for slave labour in our West India colonies without
affording those colonies something in the character of tem-
porary protection. Without this aid it would be impossible
for the planters to complete the glorious task which, at so
great a sacrifice, we bad commenced. (Hear, hear.)
Lord NeoENT and Mr. WILSON rose at the same time te
address the committee. There were general cries for the
noble lord, but Mr. Wilson remaining on his legs also, atter
confusion prevailed throughout the house for full tee
minutes. At length
Mr. BERNAL, who had been ineffectually demanding
order, said : I must put it to the committee—doe s the com-
mittee wish me to leave this chair ? If so, I will leave it at
once ; but so long as I have the honour to fill it—(hear,
hear)—l will to the utmost of my power maintain order.
(Hear, hear.) I call upon Mr. Wilson.
Mr. WILSON then proceeded to say, with reference to
what had been suggested against him by the hon. member
for Manchester, that when the West India committee was
granted, the noble member for Lynn, without any previous
intercourse between them on the subject, ask. d him to be a
member of that committee, as he believed solely on public
grounds, and certainly not because he expected that he should
become a partisan of the noble lord's views. At the same
time, he should have thought himself unworthy of a seat in
that house had he not, in entering upon the duties of that
committee, firmly resolved, se he had done, to divest hie
mind of all preco:.ceived opinions on the subject, and to
listen to the evidence that might be brought belore the com-
mittee with the fullest determ nation to Five it his perfectly
unhiaseed and conscientious consideration—(hear, hear)—
and be believed the noble lord would do him the justice to
admit that, though he had been opposed to him in the
general view of the question, he had evinced throughout
an earnest desire to promote full and fair inquiry into
the whole subject. (" Hear, hear," front Lord 0.
Bentlnck.) He would not detain the house—(hear, hear)—
by going in detail through the reasons which induced his
to consider it unwise to adhere strictly to the act of 1846.
He had been taunted by the hon. member for Manchester
with having changed his opinions on this subject since he
had become a member of the government ; but he world
appeal to the hon. member for Liverpool whether, before he
had been nominated a member of the government, or, he
might add, had thought of becoming a member of the go-
vernment, he had not, during the inquiry, confidentially ex-
pressed to him the opinion that this law could not be alto-
gether adhered to ? When it became evident that relief wee
requisite so an act of justice to the colonies, and that the
government came to the determination to grant that relief,
the next consideration was how to make it most effectual to
tt ern, least oppressive to the consumer, and also to bring it
into that immediate operation which the necessities of the
colonies required. All these reAuisites were, he considered,
',whined in the propositions of the government. The
consumer also would be greatly benefited by the pro•
posed rate of duties, and would be enabled to obtain segue
at a rate not greatly above the present prices. The hon.
member for Manchester had read a letter tending to show
that a loss of Is. 6d. per cwt. on sugar would result to the
merchant from the alteration of the sugar duties ; but he did
not think this was a just view, and he could only say, as be
had always done, that the propositions of the government
gave the greatest allowable boon and inflicted the least pos-
sible loss on the community. The hon. member at down
amid loud cries of " Divide."
Lord NUGENT said that the statements of the noble
lord (J. Russell), and the arguments urged in support of
his propositions,had only confirmed him in his views of the
act of 1846 ; and he was therefore resolved to vote against
the amendment of the hon. member for Manchester.
Mr. MOWATT moved that the chairman do report pro-
grew and ask leave to sit again on Monday.
Lord J. RUSSELL begged of hon. gentlemen to recollect
the position in which the question stood. On the sth of
July there would be a further alteration of the sugar duties
under the act of 1846, so that it was necessary they should
came to a speedy decision. If the hon. gentleman persisted
in his motion he hoped the house would agree to their sitting
on this day (Saturday). (Oh, oh.)
Mr. M. GIBSON apprehended that they could not be
sitting in a committee of ways and means, as such a commit-
tee could not sit on any days but Monday, Wednesday, end
Friday. Yet it was usual to move resolutions on the sugar
duties in committee of ways and means.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he had asked the opinion of the
Speaker on the subject, and his opinion was, that resolutions
on the sugar duties should be moved in committee of ways
and means if they were annual duties.
Mr. GIBSON was satisfied on that point, but as the ques-
tion moved by his hon. friend (Mr. Bright) was a most
important one, he thought it but fair that these who re-
presented the manufacturing interest, and held free-Vas
opinions, should obtain further time for discussion.
Colonel SIBTHORP said that the government were alone
to blame for not introducing the question at an earlier
period of the session. (Hear, hear.) What would the noble
lord opposite have done if a Jew had a seat in that house ?
(Laughter, and hear, hear.)
After a few words from Sir J. PAYINGTON and Mr.
lllowart,
Mi said that the present was a free-trade qua.

eon, and s the
bad not been an
anent of the rig
Ezehrquer, Mhi
was but fair ai
had so much int,
Lord J. RUdI
hon. member I
thought the hot]
'abaft, d with th
port of it. (Ls'
Mr. COBDE
and he Omura
After a few w
Mr. BRIGIV
measure should
gentlemen oPf.O
be thought it hi
shut out from di
conclusion.
The gallery a
formed, the ma
division taken c
For the
Against
After a short
The CHAIKN
On Monday ro ai
'ion of the ques
FARM

Sir D. L. EN
Mr. FORBE
to procee.l with
Col. SIBIII
supported by C
tlemen.
Capt. PECII

Monday 117te,

ELECTION
wti continu d
sitting tnerab,

V

The West Intl
Ilonduract, New
including those
Chaves, Panarni
Nicaragua, will b
The mails for t
bumm. Itatua, Nay
evening 1,1 lite 41
The lead. for
will be made
The nutr, for
Will be o.ane up
The overland c
Egypt, Aden, et
evening of the •t
The overland
Egypt, Men, C
ton. will be iamb
The Tali,. for
Zealand will be
The moth for
up on the evens

NOTI

The ntuabe
Btamp-othoe,.

DAILY

Thin, we be
boned to the
Monti's,/ Posi
In addition
Ye►nino Pao
TUE E

Which was
the Oiche or

Two Dm
To-anal
LONDO.

TILE CIL%
communicat,
veries which
that the exc
seat year w
WIN Expects
excess b-ins
half a milli

through the
First Lord a
fled themscl
the efficienc:
might eaail3
name of his
economies.
We have
no time in
timations.
favourable
cipated, we
we have hs
minutely I
grounds f(
confess tha
the annou
picion.
of going i
inevitably
ministers
face on th(
The ann
duction of
departmen
its merits
has show'
fected, " v

of theme
impossibh
uttered b'
who quesi
pense of
indignant
CHARLES
parently
which he
condescen
with the
We tru
Less maw
with by i
formers.
Indian
scraped c
may rest
urgency
sibility o
We wi

TUE g
those w
and dire(

or me:
were a
fume,
three,
the "
nee t
of foo

.

ghe Orpregos.

MAULS.

The West India Mails, excluding Bermuda, Nunn, Havana,
Honduras, New Orleans, Vera (.Ims, 'Tampico, and Porto Rieo, and
including those for Madeira, Jactnel, earth:wen+, Santa Martha,
Chagres, l'anaroa, West Coast of South Americo, and St. Juan-de.
Nicaragua, will be made up on the evening of the Tat. July.
The mails for the Brazils, the River ''late, Monte Video, Perham.
buco. Bahia, Madeira, and Buenos Ayres, will be made up on the
evening of the 4tb July.
The mails for Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Madeira, Cad* and Gibraltar
will be made up on the morning of the 7th July.
The Mtli:, for British North America, and the United States,
will be mate up on the evening of the 7th July.
The overland ckr'od made, rid Marseilles, to the Mediterranean,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, (long-Kong, &c., will be made up on the
evening of the ;di July.
The overland mails lot Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Mends,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, 'long-Kong, and China, cis Southamp-
ton. wilt be made up on the morning at the 20th July.
The mails for New South Welles, Van Diemen's Land, and New
Zealand will be made up on the evening of the Slot July.
The mode fur the Wt at -avast of Africa and Medeire will be made
ap on the evening of the Slat July.

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS.
The number of STAMPS issued by the authorities of On
Stomp-orfice, during 1847, to the
DAILY NEWS was 3.447.009
This, we believe, is within eight per cent. of the number
issued to the Mornsng Herald, Morning Chronicle, enJ
MOTtlifti Post, Am. PUT TOOETHEK.
In addition to the above, issued to the DAILY NEWS,
Newnan? Paver, there were issued for the Evenits7 Edition,
TUE EXPRESS 778,714
Which was more, we believe, then were issued either to
the Globe or Standard, Evening Papers.

HIGH DAVID AT LONDON SMOG&
T.,. D,,—ltomtA,,..!ala mot I; ittsgreu l 9 ANA.pul :
To-soasem—Mamou. sia.uot 2: Afteneek, WA put 7.

LONDON. SATURDAY, JULY 1.

THE CHANCELLOR OP THE EXCHEQUER last night
communicated to the House of Commons two disco-
veries which ministers have recently made. One is,
that the excess of expenditure over income in the pre-
sent year will probably be less by 1,335,0001. than
was expected ; in other words, that instead of the
excess being about two millions, it will be less than
half a million. The other is, that he has " gone
through the navy and ordnance estimates with the
First Lord of the Admiralty," and "they have satis-
fied themselves that without in any degree impairing
the efficiency of those services, a reduction on the year
might easily be effected." Sir CHARLES also, in the
name of his colleagues, held out hopes of some further
economies.
We have deemed it our duty as journalists to lose
no time in directing attention to these important in-
timations. As to the prospect held out of a more
favourable yield of revenue than was originally anti-
cipated, we must decline pronouncing an opinion till
we have had time to examine more deliberately and
minutely the CHANCELLOR OP THE EXCHEQUER'S
grounds for becoming more hopeful. We frankly
confess that to us the time and circumstances in which

the announcement is made, appear to warrant sus-
picion. With only a majority of 15 in favour
of going into committee on a measure which must
inevitably increase expenditure and diminish income,
ministers most naturally be tempted to pat the best
face on their financial prospects.
The announcement respecting the contemplated re-
duction of expenditure in the naval and ordnance
departments requires no delay before an opinion of
its merits be expressed. Why was the inquiry which
has shown that these reductions may "easily" be ef-
fected, " without in any degree impairing Me efficiency
of these serrices," not earlier instituted ? It is
impossible to recall the denunciations so recently
uttered by ministers and their abettors against all
who questioned the necessity of augmenting the ex-
pense of our defensive establishments without feeling
indignant at the easy pick-tooth tone in which Sir
CHARLES intimates the result of the late and ap-
parently perfunctory examination of the estimates
which he and the first lord of the Admiralty have
condescended to make. They have trifled egregiously
with the public in a matter of vital importance.
We trust that this confession of the desultory, reck-
less manner in which the national expenditure is dealt
with by ministers will not be lost upon earnest re-
formers. If, to gild the pill of the ministerial We.t
Indian measure, so much gold can be " easily"
scraped off the navy and ordnance estimates, they
may rest assured that closer inspection and resolute
urgency will enable men in office to discover the pos-
sibility of still further curtailing expenditure.
We will return to this subject.

TIIE greatest enemies of the working classes are
those who teach them to disregard economical laws,
and direct their hopes towards impossibilities for the
improvement of their condition. To this class alike
belong the seemingly benevolent, who tell the sons of
labour that they can obtain a greater reward for their
toil by compulsory limitations of the hours of labour,
thereby lessening its productiveness, and the land
schemers, who from sheer ignorance, or with indirect
objects, preach the occupation of two or four acres of
land at extravagant rents as the salvation of the work-
ing classes. We have given our readers some notion
of the delusive character of that modern instance of
charlatanry, Mr. F. O'Corligoa's " Land Company,"
and of its ludicrous absurdity as a means of establish-
ing any considerable number of labour ing men as cot-
tage farmers. And though it is obvious that only
a few of the subscribers to the " company
can ever hope to obtain an allotment ; yet such is the
confidence of each in his own good fortune, that we
have no expectation that any amount of exposure will
prevent many of the working men still becoming
dufe"nd yielding to the temptation of a land lottery.
It may be said that the impotence of the scheme to
work out its professed objects will prevent it from
being extensively mischievous. But that is a mistake.
The number of Mr. O'CONNOBN illiOtteti may not be
very numerous, but indirectly, the scheme will be
most extensively mischievous. In the first place, the
project places in the hands of a man not remarkable
for sagacity or knowledge, large funds, which he may
or may not apply to the p for which they
were subscribed. He may amuse himself with buying
farms, and laying them out in plots of two,
three, or four acres, and employ the funds of
the "company" in erecting cottages; or he may
use the money in supporting " conventions"
of foolish instigators to disorder and sedition. He
may expend his collected thousands in illus-
trating practically to the people of Hertfordshire
or Worcestershire, the evils of Irish pauperism; or he
may assist—unintentionally, doubtless—in promoting
turbulence in the streets of London. But, whatever
he may like to do with the " company 'a" funds—
whether to enact the squire Bountiful, and build
pretty cottages, or to preside over a " national
convention" of patriots paid by himself, he is abso-
lutely uncontrolled. The worst and most enduring
evil, however, is, that it teaches large numbers
of uninformed men to look to the realisation of
the scheme as the means of improving their
condition. Such a delusion may operate widely—far
beyond the members, numerous though they be, of

the " Land Company." Already we have seen that one
proprietor in Lincolnshire has been endeavouring,
under the auspices of Mr. O'CONNOR, to let out his
land upon the same plan ; and who can tell that other
benevolent landed proprietors may not be smitten with
a promised rental of 51. per acre, and over-
look the reversionary pauperism it will en-
tail ? For, let it not be forgotten that
pauperism must increase in this country
in an accelerated ratio, wheresover any number of
labouring people shall attempt to make a living by
the cultivation of plots of land of four acres and
under. The greatest sufferers front this state of
things must, of course, be the poor deluded workmen.
Of this, we have no doub', Mr. o'oo:grimes opera-
tions will soon furnish abundant illustrations.
We note that in the Northern Star of last Satur-
day, Mr. O'CONNOR gives a long account of
what he has done with the funds subscribed,
which, though not very explanatory, we shall on a
future occasion advert to, as affording glimpses that
may be useful; and, at the end of that account, he
complains that nobody ever comes to look at his farms,
simply because they are his, though all other " im-
provers" of land in any way notorious, are inundated
with curious visitors : and then he proceeds to comfort
himself and his neglected allottees in this strain :
But, never mind, you and I will go on—your confidence
and my exertions—undiminished b, the eland. r of the hy-
pocrite or the je.,lotoy of the rival, till I see every son of
labour who is willing to live in the sweat of his brow located
in his own sentry-box, upon hit own labour-field—my sys.
tern making the rich richer and the poor rich—until I see
net a pauper or oppressor in the lead.
_ _ _

Brave promises these, butwhat of the performance?
Now, it the reader will accompany us, we will con-
duct him over one of these settlements, and let him
see what we have learnt in this present month of
June, 1848. At Herringsgate, about two miles from
Rickmansworth, iu Hertfordshire, there was a small
farm of 106 acres, the soil being a light gravelly loam
on a chalk subsoil ; the situation is elevated, and the
value of the land could not have exceeded 20s. per
acre. This farm was bought by Mr. O'CONNOR for
rather less than 191. per acre, and forms his first settle-
ment ; the commencement of his plan for making " the
poor rich." The fences and all the original buildings
having been cleared away, the farm was allotted out
into lots of two, three, and four acres each ; on each
lot a cottage was built ; and in April, 1847, thirty
fortunate prizeholders in the land lottery were located.
Every lot had been in part planted with potatoes and
barley, and 7!. 10s. per acre was allowed in money to
each person. The rent of each was five per cent.
upon the outlay, including the cost of purchasing,
clearing, laying out, and planting the land, building
the cottage, and the advance of 71. 1O per acre.
This the allottees expected would be about 41. rr
acre, but there was nothing defined, and no title
whateter had been made to the settlers. A
few of them had a little money of their
own, but the greater number had nothing more
than the sum we have named, and some of them were
so poor that a part of their money allowance was ex-
pended in removing them to the location, then desig-
nated O'Connorville. _ .

Last summer at harvest time the prospects of the
settlers were not promising ; they had no outhouses,
their crops were extremely scanty, and very few 01
them had the means of making any effective prepara-
tion for the next year's crops. Even then some were
desponding, while others, finding that it was some-
thing worse to cultivate land without capital than to
work for wages, had disposed of their lots at a pre-
mium to persons rather above the condition of
labourers, and possessed of some money. Others,
again, were hopeful, though their hope seemed
somewhat of the forlorn. How they all con-
trived to get through last winter we cannot
well understand. They, however, have not as yet
been called upon to pay any rent—indeed their rents
are not yet fixed—and they all had a further sum of
51. per sere granted by the " company " to enable
them to get in their spring crops. Some boards and
materials for rough outbuildings had also been brought
to them. They may therefore be said to have been
fully started on the road, according to Mr. O'CONNOR,
to grow " rich." If so, their path is a thorny one.
On visiting the settlement last week, we found that
a few of them—six or seven at most—being men
with some capital had fair crops of wheat,
potatoes, and barley, but not better than those of
the farmers in the district, who pay a rent of
about 20s. per acre for the same kind of land.
When,' therefore, the most successful allottees are
called upon to pay their three or four pounds per
acre, it is difficult for a practical farmer to
understand how they can possibly pay such rents and
live. Their cottages, though smart—stuccoed and
white-washed—to the eye, are very slight, the walls
being only four inches thick, will soon want constant
repair, while their outbuildings are of the most fragile
construction. If, therefore, the most successful con-
trive to live, it will be by incessant toil, or by adding
some other °mutation to that of a cottage farmer.
But the condition of the majority was really pitiable.
There was not one, whose means had not been much
beyond the " company's " allowances, whose crops
would even pay the rest, should any rent be de-
manded, or keep him through the winter should there
be no demand of rent. That four out of every five
can go through the winter and crop their land for
next year, to say nothing about rent, without extra-
neous assistance, is out of the question. They have
scarcely anything beyond a few potatoes. Some of
the oats and barley' will barely return the seed sown,
and their wheat will not average ten bushels to the acre.
Since last harvest several have left, and there are now
eight of the settlers anxious to dispose of their allot-
ments and get back to their weekly labour and weekly
wages, from which they have been so unhappily
lured. Nothing but very high cultivation could en-
able them to live at all, and then only by growing
market-garden produce, for which in fact they have
no available market.. But they have no means, nor
any chance of procuring the means, to cultivate their
land highly ; and the moment any attempt is made
to collect their rents they must become mere potato-
eaters, like the Irish, or fall back upon parish
relief. Such is the aspect of " O'Connorville,"
where the " sons of labour " are to be made
" rich," by farming without capital at a high rent.
Our limits do not permit us now to give details
which would illustrate the scheme, but we say to the
incurious public, take Mr. O'CONNOR at his word and
visit his location. No man need fear that he will be
seduced by his visit from any industrious avocation, to
become " rich" as a cottage farmer under the auspices
of the "national bailiff." One word more: in the
letter of last week Mr. O'CONNOR enumerates amongst
his grand doings the erection of " four magnificent
schoolhouses." Now at Herringsgate the schoolhouse
has never yet been furnished with forms or desks;
the master, who has been appointed only s few
months, has no salary, and is unable to induce the
settlers to pay for their children's schooling. He has
two pupils only, and they do not belong to the settle-
ment. His only remuneration is the dwelling-house
and two acres of the worst land on the place, hope-
lessly overrun with weeds, which obtained complete
mastery before his appointment.

BELGlUM.—Bauesms, JUNE 29.—The committee
appointed by the senate to draw up the address in reply to
the King's speech has already laid it before the chamber.
The following extracts from it will show that it is something
more than an echo of the royal discourse: "Belgium, calm,
confiding, and strong, in the presence of the agitation which
excites Europe, is happy to acknowledge that she is indebted
for that situation as much to the wisdom of her King, who
has understood and carried out the rules of constitutional
government, as to the good sense and patriotism of her
children. This attitude of the nation has gained for
us the esteem and sympathy of all the powers; and,
notwithstanding the changes which Wave taken place
in the political state of our neighbours, our official rela-
tions with them have undergone no alteration. We
congratulate your Majesty that our relations with France
are established on terms of mutual good. will. • • • •
The senate learns with satisfaction that the subsidise voted
have been prudently employed, and that they will suffice to
attain the end of the year, if unforeseen complications do not
arrive. The taxpayers, after two bad years, can scarcely
satisly the wants of the moment. They will only be able to
respond to new calls by imposing on themselves the severest
privations. In conjunction with your Majesty's government
we recognise the necessity of fundamentally modifying seve-
ral imposts ; but in such matters it is nectssary to proceed
with prudence and ripeueas of judgment. We acknowledge,
above all, the necessity of seeking out the most suitable
means of ameliorating the condi ion of the laborious classes.
It is not, however, by artificial ani temporary measures, nor
with the aid of dangerous utopias that such a result can
be obtained, but by morally improving the working
population, by restoring commerce and industry, snd by
employing the unoccupied in the cultivation of waste lands.
The sound practical sense and philanthropical sentiments of
our fellow•citirens will cooperate with the government in
securing the moral and material welfare of that interesting
portion of our population." This afternoon the senate was
occupied with the discussion of the address in question. Id.
Verbaegeo has been elected president of the Chamber of
Representatives, which is still occupied with business of a
natal.