The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-16 00:00:00

CONSOLIDATION OF Ti-iE EXCISE.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved the Order of the Day, for a Committee to
consider so much of his Majesty's speech, as related
to affording accorgmodation to trade, by the con-
solidation of the Excise.
The Howse having resolved itself into the Com-
mittee, he said he should only trespass on the time
of the Committee for a few moments. It was well
known to the Members of the House, that the:
was no part of the revenue of the country, to which
so many regulations applied as the Excise, none to
which so many aas of parliament related. The
consequence had been, that the duties cf Excise had
been divided into more fratlional parts than any.
other, and the whole system was more complex
and intricate, than any other branch of the reve-
nue. There was scarce any leading article, to
which the Excise laws referred, that was not of i:-
self of such difficulty, that it was impossible, among
all the officers, to find one who knew all that related
to it. It had long been the wish to consolidate the
dirties, and simplify the regulations. An "attempt
of this sort had been considered as hopeless. It
had however, berm undertaken by Mr. Burton and
Mr. Jackson, gentlemen to whose knowledge, ta-
lents, and exertions, the country had been much
indebted. They had arranged a system, in conse-
quence of which all the duties were to be consoli-
dated. It wes not intended under this systein, to
derive any considerable augmentation of revenue.
There were but few instances, in which there weeld
be any 'alteration in the plan of consolidation; there
were. however, some articles with reeped to which
there would be- material alterations, in would state
one or two of the leading ones. It would be re.
crelleded, that List year efben it as proposed el
augment the duty on malt and beer, there had beers
a complaint by the country brewers, in consequence
of the applicatioa of the duty being different
from what it was in London. A London brewer
had an allowance in thirty-six gallons, but the
allowance to country brewers was in thirty-four.
It was proposed to put them upon an equal footing,
the same as those were who dealt in wine. It wee
intended to add something to the London brewer, and
dedudt something from the country one. He shout,l
add four to the London brewer, and dedua
from the country one. It was also intended to put
the duty on table beet to correspond ; it was intend-.
ed to reduce the duty on coffee and cocoa-nuts ien-
ported from the East-Indies. To the duties on cyder
and perry it was proposed to addu duty of 20 shil-
hogs. It was also proposed to make some altera-
tions with regard to the duties on nieai, made for
sale, and the duties on tobacco impor esti from Rus.
sia, Turkey, and the East. Indies. It was intended
to impose some duty on salt provisions, cured ire
Scotland, where the duty on salt was less rhan it
was here. It was proposed, in order to countervail
the difference, to lay a duty of 2e. 6d. per cent.
These were all the material alterations in the duties.
If the Committee agreed in his resolutions, he
should have them reported and printed in order to
afford the House an opportunity of consideriog die
schedule before the Bill was leroeght in. He wished,
however; that Gentlemen would lose no time in tak-
ing them into consideration, as, till rho dill was ine
traduced, !reams:, of iruponance coati not be
tursught forward; he , means the Bias ore dee Resoles.
coons which the .raise Lai a.greed .o east eight its
the Committee efWey s axed Kears. He crenclnded
by moving. that the stir:sal eat/ respell/me Duties.
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Cftmmissioners of Excise, except the
in the Schedule, should cease.—

EAT) said, he wished to give an
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Vaiisittart)
was or was not under a mistake
observed, when he gave notice of his
- an additional duty on opium.
.c his reason-ferPtniaviig the duty
halting been used 'by the brewers.
general, —a- great many-of whom he
the subjel, had felt themselves ag-
assertion, as it had been reported.
..great penalty for using any drugs.
conscious Ito improper drugs were used
the thought it hard, such an impu-
.. cast upon them. He,therefore, in
their name and .his own, called upon the Hon.
Gentleman to state, whether he knew of any trades-
man Who had been guilty of a pradice, for which
be was liable to he punished by law. It was but
just he should relieve.the trade in general from such
an imputation.
Mr. VANSITTART said, the Hon. Gentleman
'must be aware that many things which came to the
knowledge of persons in othce, it was not pro-
p.n. to explain. lit had certainly stated that the
dity was founded on information that opium had
b .en used in the adulteration of beer. He believed
the principal persons in the trade would co-operate
with Government in preventing such adulterations.
He was happy to state that his observation on a for-
mer day did not apply to the brewers in London:
every measure ought to be taken to counterad such
a practice. He was sure he was actin g equally for
the trade, the health of the public, and the revenue.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, that as far as concern-
ed tee London Bre ers, the explanation was satis-
&dory. He understood that the Hon. Gentleman
had said he knew of instances in which opium had
Web Used. It was his duty to take care that Par-
liament should do all in its power to prevent such a
prat-dee. It was rather hard, if there had been only
one or two instances, that the Brewers should have
been subjected to a general imputation. As tar as
respelled London, he was obliged by the explana-
tion.
Mr. VANSITTART said, he did net mean to
throw out any general imputatiop, and bit, words
. bore no such interpretation. He had stated, that
information had been received of the pr.uiice he
hall mentioned. He trusted it was nut true, but
coupling it with the circumstance of a large im-
portation of opium, he thought it necessary to aft
as he had done.
Mr. LANGMEAD (Member for Pl)mouth) said
he had been concerned 30 years in the trade, and,
God knew his heart, he had never heard of opium
being used.
Mr. VANSITTART said, he had no objection
to relieve the mind of the Honourable Gentleman,
as well as he had done those of the brewers of Lon-
don, by assuring him, that his observations had no
application to Plymouth.
Mr. SHERIDAN observed, that it was a prac-
' tice most injurious to health. If the Honourable
Gentleman knew of an intended importation, it was
. his duty to prevent it. if the proposed duty was
not sufficient, stronger measures should be resorted
to. If the duty would not prevent the use of the
article, Parliament were only trying to go halves in
endeavouring to poison the People.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that his Honourable Friend did not state that
it was his intention to propose a large duty because
Government had received an account of opium hav-
ing been used. He did not mean to state that it
WAS of general use. The information received by
Government, though not such as to admit of pro-
ceeding in a legal way, was such as would have
made it criminal in his Majesty's Ministers, not to
have urged Parliament to adopt measures of preven-
tion. His Honourable Friend had stated gravely
and with truth, that he had received information,
which induced him to propose a duty on that arti-
cle, which could not form an ingredient in the com-
position of beer without a violation of the law.
Whatever could have the effect of discouraging such
a pradice, was proper to be resorted to. He thought
it therefore right to have recourse to higher duties as
well as penalties. He trusted the House would not
press for information, which it would be improper
to disclose.
Mr. SiIERIDAN said, his doubt was, whether
the duty of ss. would prevent the use of the article.
He was persuaded the quantity of opium required
was comparatively small.
Mr. VANSITTART observed, that opium, as a
medicine, could affiard to pay the duty, but he did
conceive that with such a duty it would not answer
the purpose of brewers using it.
• Mr. WHITBREAD stated, that some convic-
tions had taken place for the use of other drugs.
It was unfortunate for the fair tradei, that those
who had used opium .were not. liable to be prose-
cuted.
Mr. HOBHOUSE said, he did not wonder at
the anxiety of the Hon. Gentlemen on the subject ;
had they been in the House on the former day,
when his Right Hun. Friend mentioned his inten-
tion of imposing the duty, they would not have
thought it necessary to have brought forward their
complaints. He had expressly stated, that he ex-
empted from the imputation all the respedable
part of the trade. It could not fix upon the Hon.
Gentlemen unless they meant to acknowledge they
were not of the respedable
ofd
of the trade.
'the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
stated, that what his Right Hon. Friend had said,
had been incorrectly repotted.
The resolution was agreed to, and the Report or-
dered to-morrow.
The Order of the Day was moved for bringing
up the Rep, rt of the East-India Shipping Bill.
Sir W. PULTENEY said, he understood the
second reading of the Bill had been appointed for to-
day. He regretted his mistake, as the House was
now so thin. He would, howeser, state his reasons
for opposing the Repots being brought up. His
objections were to the principle-of the Rill; the ob-
jed of it was to allow the East-Liclia Company to
send out eight voyages instead of six. Now he had
seen a Report by an able surveyor, in which it was
rated, th.tt the txpence of repairing a ship, after she
had been six voyages to India, was greater than
building two new ones.
After some conversation between Mr. Prinsep,
Mr. Johnson, Lord Castlereagh, and Sir William
Pulteney, the Report was brought up, read, and
agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third
Lime tosmorrew.--Adjourned.

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