The Express.
London, England, 1850-06-12 00:00:00

THE LOktll-LIEUTENANCY BILL.

Sir G. GREY, in mama to Mr. ANKTIT, et. ted that the
adjourned debate on this bill would be taken on Monday ;
he believed it would be the first order of the day, but nstice
of that would be given in the interim.
RAMSGATE AND MARGATE HARBOURS.

Mr. MACKINNON moved for leave to applint a select
committee " to investigate the revenue, condition, anti ex -
penditure of item-gate and Margate harbours "
After some disenikion two divisions took place, one on a
motion by Sir O. Pechell, for adding /over harbour to the
subjtcts of 'agility, which was negatived by 71 votes to 60.
The original motion, for appointing the select committee
was afterwards carried by a atrjerity of 78 to 47.

HOME AND COLONIAL SPIRIT DUTIES.
Mr. PAGAN presented a petition from the distillers of
Cork, in favour of the motion of the noble member for
Kildare (Lord Naas).
Lord NAAS, in rising to move "that the house do resolve
itself into committee, to take into consideration the present
mode of levying the duty on home made spirits in ',nod,"
-aid he was not going to detain the house by any reference
to statistics. He res.ed the motion on the oround of equal
justice to the home and colonial distillers; and he trusted
that, on these grounds alone, the house would accede
to his motion. (Hear, hear.) The cue, as between
the home and the colonial distillers, was this, that
in the ease of levying the excise duty on spirits of home ma-
nufacture the quantity was measurable from the period at
whic-. it was bonded; and the distiller, on releasing it from
hood, was compelled to pay duty on the quantity originally
bonded, no matter what consumption or diminution it might
have undergone dm that period. (Hear, hear.) Whereas,
in the case of the colonial manufacturer, no matter what
quantity he bonded, he Ind only to pay doty on what was
measured cut from the worm's month when released from
bond. (Hear, hear.) 81 that, whatever lose or cdmistution
the article sustained whilst in bond, the home manufac-
turer had to pay duty on, whilst the colonial ma-
nufecturer emir paid on the ac'ual quantity in-a-
ura out. (Hear, hear.) That, in his opinion,
was of itself aufficieet to show the injustice end hardship to
which the home manufacturer was subjected. . Hear, hear )
Now to illustrate his position the more clearly, he wouist
suppose a case of U re' arks of spirits, one of brandy, one of
rum. and one of home spirits, to be bonded, and that they
remained in bond three years. At the end of that time, on
twine released, if the rum and brandy should he found to
have lessened by two stilton, each, these two gallons of ab-
sorption would not be paid duty on, whilst the home spirits,
no matter to what extent it had diminished. would be com-
pelled in pay duty, not in the quantity Wien out at the end
of the three years, as in the case of the runt and
brandy, but on the quantity originally entered.
(Hear, bear.) lie (Lord Naas) might be met
with the argument that as the home dire.lers enjoyed a
differenti .1 duty of 41. per gallon on the colonial rum, that
was equivalengor all the restrictions ut.dir which they were
placed. But in'o that question he was nit then ale nut
to co. He thought the tram distillers had a very fair cause
of complaint, in the fact of their being obliged to pay duty
on consumption which took plate in the article of their ma-
, nufacture, even whilst that article was under bon, of the
QUM'S seal. (Hear, h•ar.) Now be supposed the right
hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer would tell
him in rip'y that he could not agree to a committer, a. my
a:teration in the present mode of I vying the ex .ise duty
would lead to a reduction in the revenue. But probably the
right hon. gentleman was not aware that the revenue
already suffered, and in this war : mane manufacturer, when
measuring off the article, employed large-surfaced reservoirs,
and, as the excise officers took no note of any qu unity under
the tenth of an inch, which, spread or. r a large surface,
must he considerable, there was consequently a lice of
revenue. (Hear, hear ) But, as to the falling off in the
amount of revenue by reason of alteration in the present
mode, those best acquainted with the trade in ad its details
were of opinion that it would lead to an increase, and that
the revenue would he a gainer. (Hear.) There was another
mode in which these restrictions interfered with the distil-
lers. It was a great object to the traders to be allowed to
take advantage of the market, and to small themselves of the
prices that might offer there if favourable. But the restrictions
prevented that, inasmuch as they deterred the distiller and
trader from keeping on hand large stocks, knowing very we 1
that by resalleast the occurrence of deficiency or absorption
they would be lasers in the way of duty chargeable for such
absorption. (Hear, hear.) The Irish distiller distilled Irons
a mixture of malt and corn, whilst the Sc itch distiller dis-
tilled from malt alone, and consequently th, Scotch distilla-
tion sooner arrived at maturity than the Irish, so that a
greater time of bond, and consequently a gr motet
of excise duty fell on the Irish article of distillation. (Hear,
hear.l These restrictions were most obnoxious, and their
tendency was to re luce the numb r of die:Weed. ei
whilst at the nine time the consumpti en increased. That
reduction in the number of distilleries was injurious in more
ways than one, because it threw a number of peening out of
employment, es well in the distilleries as in the turf tracts,
much of which article wee used in the localittes where it
abi'uuded. (Hear, hear.) In these days of free trade, and
wh. n the removal eat -estrietions on every amide of nee-s-
-tidy WAS the cry, he could not think tile house would redtse
to remove these heavy and pressing restrictions n an im-
portant branch of home industry. (Loud crii bof Haar,
hear.")

Lord J. seconded the motion, vilach hing pot
Mr. WILSON observed that the noble 1 oral, in introduc-
ini the motion, wished the house to infer it was a question
of tree trade. But if the noble lord bad paid attention to
the subject—as, indeed, his speech showed he had—he might
have seen it was the intention of the house, in arranging the
spint duties in ISIS, altogether to disregard the q u scion of
protection And to place the home and colonial manufacturers
as near yas possible oa a parallel position. ( Hear, hear.)
01 the r viral questions that engaged the attenti .n of the
auger committee of 1848. there was none that occupied so
much ot their time, or to which they gave m ire laborious
'mishit ration, thin that of fixing the relative duns. on
Lome and colonial spirit. The noble lord 'silvered to the
fact that ou•y should .be paid on the quantity of home
spirits originally bonded, whilst, as r. gsrded the coion,sl,
duty waa only paid on the quantity taken front bend. ( Hem-,
hear.) But the noble lord forgot that that was the chief
consideration which entered into the minds of the house end
committee in fixing the duty on colonial sp. " at 44. pee
gallon more than on home spirits • and cows, qu. utly that
was the matter to be considered. (llear, hi are) He c nei-
dered that after a committee of that house and the h .use
itself had resolved that the difference between the two
class a ot consum es was settled at 44. per gallon differential
duty, it woitio be unfair ot the house now to
disturb that arrangement—both unfair to the We.t
Indiana as well as to the producers of aid ri ~
in the other parts ot the empire. It was clear the Wept Indian
committee was rght or wrong in tieing 4d. per gallon
as • differi ntial duty between the home and eolooial
producers; arid ifs.), it was cltu.r that that arrangement would
tie disturbed by any alteration that at present might he mote.
therefore he suvested that It could nit roe tor the interest
of the home distillers that that arrangement sneuW be dis-
turbed, made, as it had been, after mature cave and delibe-
ration; and, after every opportunity hail been gores them
to, come Ireton the committee, it would not ix: g.,ir jest ~,
to seek that that arrangement should be ditatubed.
(Herr, hese.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose Italia
lout and pr longed cries tor a division, *ll,Ol rendered hi.
opening observations inaudible in the melt. ry. He was under
stood to say that the present mdt 1111 l , .i.theugh nut parisat-
ing that appearance Wail aimed with a view to reduce the
set., iptol she alchey:aer. Tile proposal was, that instead ot
lissom duty on the amount ot cords bonded, duty
should only be paid on the quantity—snowing tali dims
alutm or absorption—that was nasally released trout bond,