The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-06-08 00:00:00

=

:
. ,
•-
~ ,
110116111111
T..m•

.4.
, •
• .

IR' ,

-

5..•,,3

~. eat vexation it gave the issanufacturers; firms the seeet aconite
calculations it appeared that the quantity .seal tie staking a
Wand of males coot but 4d., the duty wee id. nom. mid.yet the
witmanater was charged bd. ; in fact the sisesimbseer Min es con-
sum pay for all the annoyance he endured from the alludes of
the las, Another evil consequent on the preemie system as the.
seismabs•devula which it gate rise to. and which preveiled more
ik the tilitess width ware the sautes of his motion thin Is aay
Wish -no tea was a most oppressive grievance—it was in fine a
" ifiaaliram hornesidom iothrrite Wen, ---." he was sorry he
could not add, " Chi hones odeopihms." (A laugh.) In addi.
tiou to the heavy Excise duty on the we useetiol, there was an ad-
ditional import duty on foreign tallow. Thema' is die costraband
trader on soap was 100 per cent. ; during the late war whim the price
of tallow wu higher, the smuggle?. molt did not eseeed Sim ant.
The Government he could prove was at present defrauded hymang.
bledlen of more than a million a year ; in fact the smugikeves ens-
bled to sell snap at a price infinitely lower than the ex 'of the
pqms
raw materal to the fair dealer, 11:10 was therefore coin driven
one of the market. In addition to these circumstances was
use more which should be decisive in the view of ever yandollittog,it
was that the duty on wrap had, sa appeared from the papers bid
Wore the Hesse, menially decreased (Hear); if then in the face
of sn increased consumption, and in the face of those habits of
)saucy which were every day gaining round, it were found that
not only was there no increase in the duties bat rather a marked
,decreaae, the tat was no longer tenable.. It appeared that the
! satiount of the duty on seep and candles in 1823 was less than the
amount of 1824 by 3,2601. 'f he quantity of foreign tallber imported
. • is 1524 was 31,000 tons. It had always been admitted that the
home produce wax not more than the amount of that imported, and
indeed all specislations on that article were founded on that takula-
dos. It was calculated that 40,000 tons were consumed in menu-
&stoats, and the rest used for machinery and other purposes. The
duty on soap was 3d. a pound, and Id. on candles. It was sup.
posed that 24,000 tons of tallow were consumed in the manufacture
dump, sod as much more in the manufacture of candles ; it was
also calculated that 20,000 tons of tallow produced twice that muts
city of soap. The Hon. Member went into some farther details,
and proceeded to say that it was the persaasion of every man cons
earned lit the trade that the Exchequer was annually defrsuded 01st
boat one million. The duty at present on soft soap was one penny
three farthings, part of which duty was returnable in the shape of
a drawback ; the net duty on soft soap was but MOW.. Was it
Om wise or sensible to enntinue a tax which was first exacted, teed
thou shanty remitted. The tax on soft soup he wished so repeal
li , and reposed to rob& the duty Go hard soap ow
birdiu (set, he
n the Iloilo amid never knock the mugs* on the
heed, inakss they reduced the Mafia ; they may cover both land
red two with their preventive forces, but could never selected in
pantri down ameggling whilst the duties were so high. Another
Waste of his motion applied to the duties on candles, and as the
scout objections applied to that tee as to the other, he Asa* pit '
dwell long on it. The cheapness of the raw material, dip fholMy
with which the artic'e wis manufactured, and the consequent M.
souratrasent afforded to smugglers, applied to both ; the duty ca
sondes, to beware. was not AO high as that on soap, but then the
facility to the contraband dealer was rester, in addition to which
the as on candles pressed peculiatly on the poorer classes; fon
=es of the variety of those contrivances to which philosophy
Mimed to the wants of luxury. the toe of tallow candles was
I•ll,4more to the higher orders of society, the peoralene used them,
i amid not work without them. The tax also pressed heavily on
• large portion of which was performed by candle light—t
way in which it affected the poor was this: there were twe
tallow candles, namely, moulds and dips. (A laugh.),
• =s ofon the duties on these two, three misted a mischievous dies
lieetioo, which still more tended to oppress the poor; for fie whir
Ned the humbler sort of candles, pawl a higher rata of taxation-
ales he who used those of a better description. He asked was that
• It pricciple of taxation ? which plated the heavier burdens-eft
dimes least able to pity them ? He bad now shown the House**
do duties were so high as to encourage contraband trade, and the
great extent to which that trade was carried. lie had made out
a ease strong enough to justify his calling on the House to pledge
itself to the reduction of those duties—not this Session, but early
in the next Session, if the dnancial state of the country admitted of
it. He was most anxious to be able to state something to his eats
aliments, and so ought rimy Member. Indeed he had latel
some letters, from which it appeared that Andrew Marvel, a
bee of that House in the reign of Charles 11. was in the
bit of daily accounting for his conduct to his oonstituents,hhe
worse° well pleased with him as frequently to make him
acrd in the list of those presents still extant, was included lit=
ale. (A laugh.) The Honourable Member concluded by spirit.
ellng his motion, which was to the effect--that it was expedient Ida
early in the next Session of Parliament, if the financial state lathe
country admitted of it, the duty on candles and soft soap should be
repealed, and the duty on hard soap reduced one half.
On the question being put from the Chair—
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he was
reedy to do justice to the Hon. Member, and to bear testimony to
his constituents that he had done his utmost to des:rre that &swear
which was presented in the days of Chinks 11. to those M embers
who had well discharged their duty. He could not, of course. pre-
Ned to say what reward might be adequate to the great deserts of
41111 Hon. 3lember. (A laugh.) If such presents are,to be revived
(lea the Right lion. Gentleman) I think I too ought to put in my
claim, and as 1 have done much to repeal some taxes, I think that
at least two hogsheads of wine should be deposited in my house.
(A laugh.) I however entertain no wish that the custom should be
revived-. even though it have the recommendation of much anti.
quity, rather more, to be sure, than the tax on soap and candles
(hear), which tax. be it remembered, has existed for a century and
• belt The Right Hun. Gentleman went on to say, that he had
allipely watched the Hon. Menthe?. speech, to discover, if postai-
, Illea whether ha had devised any new argument in support of his
... , jesposition. He did not know whether the lion. Member followed
eerppulously the example of Andrew Marvel in writing daily to his
titnenta, to give an account of his conduct : if so. he (the
. . of the Exchocould enable hint to send them* Mc simile of two
of his, in which hepositively refuses applications to reduce the
n 40 on soap sod candles. He begged, however, to remind the Hon.
Member that he had already reduced taxation to the amount of
• 1304880/. i and that he had also gone great lengths in reducing{
,
• sitans which, though in themselves all of small amount, tended
Much to throw difficulties in the way of commercial interchange.
He also beKged to remind the Hon. Member that during the
present Session a great many motions had been brought forward
for the redaction of taxation, to none of which the House agreed.
When the House refused inquiry into the duties on tobacco and
foreign spirits, and would not accede to the proposition for the
further reduction of taxation, it was enough to remind him that it
would DID then turn so rapidly on its own decisions. He eonfessed
he nosey knew a proposition brought forward in a more objection-
able drape than the present; it was not for the absolute reduction
of any tax, but was merely calculated to throw into confusion the
trade to which it referred. It proposed to reduce the tax on soap
and candles, provided the revenue of the country were in a mete to
admit of it. It the House countenanced such a motion, would not
its obvious cilitt he to confound every individual concerned in the
trade, to throw them into the most annoying state of uncertainty,
in fact, to puzzle them to death ? (hear, hear, and a laugh.) But
suppose the motion acre agreed to, it could be but conditional
after all. The House might next Session be able to reduce taxa-
tion, but it slid not follow that they should wish to remove that
particular tax. He did not mean to 'import the tax on soap and
candles on abstract principlle lie knew tun well that duty was
high when the cheapness of the article was considered. Still he
thought the Hon. Member to be rather wrong as to the amount
smuggled. The Hon. Member took pains to compare the Mattes re.
ccired in the years 1824 and 1823, and thought he had a wonderful
ewe made nut when he showed that in a tax amounting to
1,200,CW. there ass a falling aro( 3,000!. In 11114 there had been
duty paid on 78 millions of pounds of candles, while in 1624, a
otlierere. of (oily ten yews, there had been duty paid on 109
millions of pounds. So that there did not appear to be quite so
great a telling off as the Honourable Gentleman imagined •
The Honourable Gentleman had inside great lamentations upon
the sebiect of want of light, and the miseries of some kind
of darkness visible; but he should have recollected that the
whole amount of the tax which he declared to be so oppressiv
was only one penny a pound, while the whole price of the &rile
was shout 4s. Uhl. per dozen pounds, the whole price being, in
1814, Ils. 2d. per dozen pounds. Whatever, therefore, might be
t said of the pact of candles pressing heavy on the poor, it was
perfectly clear the amount of the tax was not the cause of that price
being higher than it was calculated they might be sold lot in the
(market. The Right lion. Gentleman concluded by observir.g that
he did not torte agtirett the Hon. Gentleman's propositions on
acenvm of his considering any tax to be good (hear, hear), which
pressed upon the poor and industrious, but he really consiet
eh". tosea .0 ...thy °diem sonar Might Wet:bete, In cafe of-a
power of reduction being afforded-60 many which premed much
morn severely on all classes than those which the Hon. Gentleman
mentioned, met he cooled not give his consent to any pledge for
their immediate tepee'. 'He felt too the motion was in itself so
inconsincrt :t1 pont of form, and so likely to lead to consequences
which min': he finind inconvenient, that he would upon that, it lie
bad no othri ground, resist the Non. Gentleman's proposition.
Mr. 11L/31 li objected to some supposed inconsistency in the
Right lion. Gentleman's asstohons with regard to the tax of Id.
on the pourd of candles. In point of fact. that tax was Is. on the
deem pounds. as his Hon. mead (31r. Sykes) had asserted, and
making an addition of 20 per cent. on the cost of an amide used in
ail workshops from absolute necessity, an article which could not
he dispensed with by the poor and industrious classes, and which
amen the lowest were compelled to use. In the same manner the
duty preesed upon the consumers of soap; but as the Right Hon.
Gentleman had not attempted to disprove the details, he would say
no more on that subject. He would, however, beg the attentioa
of tD.T House to the general principle. that it was extremely de.
visible as little m passible should be levied from the people beyond
the sum white, is actually paid into the Exchequer. Now the
price paid for tallow was about 4d. a pound. the ditty Id., making
a tax, as he said becore. of 20 per cent. on the gross amount.
Candler, however, were Bd. a pound. as any one might find who
kept a house, instead arid. or eil., the price at which his Nom
Friend had shown that, but for the interference of the Excise,
trey might be sold : AO that by that inter( rence the coo.
sumer was made to pay, by some process or other, thirty.
three per cent. over the price he should pay. according to the Right
Honourable Oen, lemons statement. The House would judge how
far that was cooliornable to the principle laid down by the Right
Honourable Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the
Pres dent of the Baird of Trade, on other occasions, that every
tit should he as nearly as possible wha' WAR actually paid inm the
Zscise; hit here they saw the very act of the interference of the
Lae se rain' t•ii, vire of the article 30 per cent. They had reduced
a tee duty 0 t salt , red other artich s with great benefit to the public.
trd he saw no maven why they ithutild our dispense with tile excite
sang:that act candles, and by allowing the poor to purchase OE

.4

Z•

i