The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-12 00:00:00

It is not when our trade has suffered to the e:

tent of millions, that we are to caution the tran

sors on the peace of Europe,

may expect if they

The gift of common sense was not confined to the
Scottish nobility, and therefore we are not bound
to bestow our entire homage on the good sense or
manly parts of the Scotic Peerage.

If LORD ABERDEEN thinks to serve the cause of
humanity, by waiting " a little longer," we tell
him that such a course has already endangered the
welfare of the Empire, and if it be pursued further
the responsibility will not fall upon stones. If a
bold and becoming attitude had been taken in the

first instance, by the representative of this country,
the invasion of the Principalities would never have

taken place. Russia was unable of herself to un-
dertake such a step. And if she had been shown
what the real feeling of Europe was towards her,
she would not have run to risk of her existence

even with the war cry of " Orthodox Faith.'
ler column will be found the Manifesto of

In an

the Emperor NICHOLAS, to which we shall recur on

Monday

UNJUST and impolitic taxes on food we had hoped
were for ever abolished throughout the British
dominions. But what will be the amazement of
the public when they find that we have a local tax
upon bread-stuffs imported into this town, which
are, if anything, more unjust, oppressive, and pro-
hibitive, than the imperial tax levied upon food
under the late " protective" system. The magni-
tude of the Liverpool bread tax is greater than the
public are at all prepared to hear. For every 100 T)
quarters of wheat imported the consumer has to
pay the Dock Committee, in dues, Xll 2s. 3d.

We will discuss at once the justice and propriety
of this one item, before we bring forward the long
addenda to .swell the ;total to an intolerable impo-
sition. Dock dues are sums paid to the public
estate of this Borough. The management of this
estate, or what is called the "Dock Trust," is given
to a Committee, elected jointly by the Dock Rate-
payers and the Town Council, for the public or
general weal, totally irrespective of profit or emolu-
ment. This being the letter of the trust itself, and
the spirit evinced by the legislature in amplifying
and perpetuating the estate, we deny boldly the
right of the Dock Committee to levy any dues
which are unjust and oppressive, and which are
most inimical to the public good. A direct tax
.upon the bread of this Borough, which swells the
price of the chief necessary of life to an inordinate
degree, is at once a violation of the Trust and the
spirit of the legislature. It is even more. It marks
out our town as the dearest market, while it stamps
our port with a character for high charges. These
are both highly prejudicial to the general good
We need not travel beyond the Mersey, fortunately,
for an example of better judgment and greater pro-
priety of purpose. The dues to which we have
thus far alluded are but a mere shadow of the
great taxing spirit which presides over the Council
of this martyred Borough.

Added to the excessive Dock dues, we have most
exorbitant charges for cartage, warehousing, and
On 1000 quarters of wheat the two for-
mer charges amount to £l6 135.• 4d. When we
speak of this item as excessive, we do so from a
well considered comparison., as we shall presently

Insurance

show. In the meantime, we have a perfectly usu-
rious rate of fire insurance exacted in this town.
The charge for three months is 7s. 6d. per cent.,
which, if we estimate the value of 1000 quarters of
wheat at £2,200, we have an additional impost of
£8 55., which brings the aggregate amount of
charges on 1000 quarters to the enormous

sum of

£36 Os. 7d. This is the modest total of the tax
upon bread in the boasted free trade port of
Liverpool ! .
Why, the Borough tax upon wheat is upwards of
three-fourths of the bread tax required to meet the
wants of the Imperial Exchequer. To show that

we do not approach this subject without t

,ry to prove our case, we now give a table o

charges on foreign wheat warehoused in Bii

head contrasted with those of Liverpool, in which
the figures are placed in juxta-position.

One thousand quarters, free on board, at 35s

BIRKENHEAD,

Dock Dues . ..
Cartage & ware-

housing
Fire Insurance,
£2,200 for 3
mos. at 2s. 9d.