The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-04-07 00:00:00

LEATHER DUTIES REPEAL HILL

UM! A i.;tioar usovrd the Order tot the Day,
dint Ike blither Dutie. Repeal Bill be then mad a
stcoad time.

Mr. C. GRANT rose to mike a few observations
on the general measure, and submit to the consi-
deration of the House those arguments which hail
determined him as to the expediency of proposing
an amendment to the motion now before the House.
He felt no hesitation in :avowing that there was
nothing condemnable in any body of the coin-
moony, 'whether a trading coiuirxiou or otherwise,
applying to Parliament by Petition, in any
case where they felt or even intigined them-
selves peculiarly aggrieved. lint he could not help
adverting strongly to the peculiarly singular cir-
cumstances under which the iiiii neimis Petitioners
ou.the subject of the additional Tax on Leather
had come before that Home. This trade, in com-
mon with all other branches of our trade, had beets
for the last century making rapid advances. All
other species of trade Had progressively contri-
buted a larger share to the necessities of the State,
in the shape of taxes, whilst the leather trade
alone enjoyed an elemptiuti from increased taxa-
tion, from the days of Queen Anne up to the year
181 e, a period of 100 year.. It would be difficult
to say why it had been exempted, especially when it
was considered that it was not merely the sionnual
amount of the tax that r•luruld hare pointed it out
as a Lit subject fur add& I taxation ; but also
that its amount, one would naturally suppose.
would•have been considered ivith reference to the
increase of the revenue on oilier berm-heti of trade,
and the gradually increased irriee of every other
article, as totally inadequate to the share the trade
should hare contributed to the exigetivies of the
State. The fret upon which he rested his opposi-
tion was, that whilst all other trades, increasing aids
the growing prosperity of the contrary, have borne
an equalized share of a layabout continually
creasing, this trade, although also increasing with
the common prosperity, has not for a century had
any additional demand made upon it ; and when
in 1812 the Legislature avails itself of the as-
sistence of the leather trade as ■ snake or ro-
refine, the table is crowded with► Petitions, en-
trefoil% the House to allow them to remain in the
same state of exemption as they lonl done for 100

years before. Would such confined he faielowa‘rle
other trades? Certainly not. The only posisible
;4rotind 'you which the ruplicution of the Petitionera
could eland at all would he. exhibitieg proof that
the trade hid declined immediately upon the impo-
sition of the tax, and 'continued to decline; and
eveteltere it won'd be necessary to prove that the
trade bad suffered through the tux, exclusively of
any other iinpediment or unpropitious cif...em-
inence. But an far from this hiving been the fact,
the trade will he found to have tits wets in a most
eximotilinary immiter doling the three rears which
fidieseed the imposition of the additional ditty. It*
depression sleet' that rwriod•could nut he nitribilted
to the tax, but to well-known causes connected
with the peace, which had in the same 'mustier le-
l...elect other trades. The tax had been imposed in
July, 1818, when the produce of the revenue on
this article was only 363,890/. per minium ; in the
quarter ending July. 1813, it amounted to nearly
double at once, 654,000/. ; in July, 1814. it con-
tinued to incregiee, nsul amounted to 667.000/. ; as
it dui also in 1815, whets it amounted to 677,0001.
So far the experiment of three years proved the
tax had not injured the trade. But was it not
clear that it must have no prejudicial consequence.
for the nature of triode is. Vest tisie description of
tax is paid out of the pocket of the coneutner ?
—lle contended, that the arguments of the Yeti.
flutters went to cnuiround the whole nature of the
diffienltint affecting their trade, which merely suf-
fered in contains' with every other branch wham the
eti insilus was withdrawn which gave it activity. They
forgot the effect of the Act or 1816. nud its tea-
Aeitcy to create the reduction to which they alluded
in the amount of leather no which duty was !mid.
Prior to 1816, the tanner was obliged to pay duty on
the whole little putilown to undereo the processor tan-
ning; he could me touch or alter it during that pro-
cess.; he was liable to pay for all the supernuitiesof the
hide, which were intavailnitle. to hint in the way of
his trade. But by the Act of Isl 6 this Hwy was
remedied. and he had now may to ;me duty on the
real productive part of the hide. *The obvious
effect of this was to reduce the general amount of
ditty, because leas weight was paid for since the
alteration than before—and, of course, a radii tires
in the niaiii ailment of duty was the consequence.
Celculate this reductiott at one-third, even
one-sixth, and see how far it %slobd account for the
apparent comparative (1. without summit-
leg that the trade itself had suidergone any ad-
verse couree. shake also the fact, flint in a number
of cases mei was eulealiiited for leather; this,
with the ;risen', ilepiesstset of trade at the parti-
cular period alluded to. would account for the ap-
parent reduction' winch was urged by the !retie
tiouers as a proof of the decline in their trade oc-
casioned by this tax.—(//ems f —I-le would go fur-
ther, and chew thst early is' 1817. when other trades
retired. this also felt itself extruding., lit the year
1817, the revenue from this trade may be computed
us chargeable at 611.000/.; 595,0001. bad been ac-
tunny collected. lit the very last quarter there
had been an augmentation, as cemparid with, the
preceding one, of 1,7001. the year ending 5115
January 1811, this revenue was 348.000/. ; in the
year 1012, 395,0001. ; in 1813, 674.0001. ; during
1914. the first year of peace. it fell to 656.0e0/. ;
then in 1813, it renamed to 674,0001., amid the
augmentation was, in the early part of the year, •
when the demand for the article hewn' to revive
from the Got eminent orders and other cnitsee:. It
rose and ft II precisely from the game causes that
affected other melee throughout the country, amid i
not from the operetta,' of any particular dilly tone
posed upon it. The hankrupteies in tins trade
were elm urged as a proof of its *decline; now, in
his opinion. they were to Ise accounted for exactly
oil the aloe principle as those its other pursuits. For
just tit time period when they occurred, at the close of
the war, vpectilntions its trade were carried to the
highest pitch, and throe who proceeded too rashly
were of course sufferers. That the tax slid lint
press on the trailers wt's evident (rem the facility
with which they paid the Government ilesnands, and;
from the fact, that dwelt: the last year extents to
the amount of only ‘2,0c0/. had heat issued against
them. It was also urged, that the number of li-
censes decreased; the number in 1816 was
8,500 ; in 1817, 8,272. Another Inert of the argu-
ment was, that it was it tax ott the industry of the
country, and reseed haul on souse of the necessa-
ries in life. De +sifters' that these should be pressed
upon with a light halal ; but he raw no reason why
the leather trade. which fur near a century had
been left untouched, should have now a special ex-
emption. when time exigencies of the State required
that the necessaries of life should, to a certain de-
gree;
he trenched upon. Ne was astonished to see
this trade appear all lit once so anxious fur the inte-
rest of the agricultural branch, when the latter had,
its the case of the Coro Bill, beat actually inter-
fered with for the benefit of the manufacturing
iu-
terests. To say that this tax ;stewed on the ueces-
series of life, was to press an argument more speci-
ous than solid. This was a qsievtion, in fact, con-
casting the general liwincee of the country. rather
than of any particular trade.—(Hear. hear.)--
Gesstletuen opposite were loud in their declarueons
that the revenue was muclequate to the expendi-
ture of the country, and yet in the very same
breath they called fur an important reduction its
that which, according to their own statement*, was
already too small. —(liear.)—This messy he a mere
debating argument agnisist Ministers; but ass this
repeal to be tolerated for such a purpose ?—war
that which was pledged by the natiuntil With as a
security for the public creditor, to be thus lightly
lakes' from him by a vweeping is:olio's of this
kind ? This was the way to view Ilse sal ject—it
must be taken top its a general gotealion, and with-
out reference to lucid Caries's. The revenue of
time country had weathered the storms winds aloud-
eil it, and he trusted would still he preserved fur
the solid and necessary interests of the State. and
for the security of the public credttor. Hear. e—
lle would. Ise these remelts, decidedly oppose the
motion.
Lord A LTltOlit." Does the Don. Gentleman
mean to 44444 se any Amendment ?'r.
Mr. C. Gus tun begged pardon. lie would now
move as miss Amendineut, dirt which he meant to
Inure dour, but had omitted. at the conclusion of
lea apeechommely, That this Bill be read a second
time this day six months,.
Lord A LTHOltr fully agreed with the lime Get,
Ileinau, that the revenue ought to Ile adequately
supported; but he would ask, wile it libt also ileCar•

.

nary that the menufeeturing interests, which led
that revenue. si 1111 l Id be allowed to trade so as to
have the means of pitying it ?—(Bear, hear.)—The
Noble tpril. in a very low tone of voice, replied to
Parts of the [lon. Gentleman'e !speech who hail pre-
ceded him, and pointed out the peculiar situation of
the leather trade, which was not free, as was tl►e
ease in others. The reduction of licenses evidently
'thrived the depreciation in the trade, and a review
or all the details mititifestly chewed that a repeal of
the additional duty was indispensably necessary.
Lord Damien ? said, that some of the Peti-
tioners merely prayed to be enabled to meet the fo-
reign int ttttt favorer the market, which they could
not do as the duties now stood.
Mr. DANT DAVIS begged to explain the vote
that he was slow about to give. which worth! Ire
different one from that which lie had recently given
on this question.—( Hear, front the MThisteriol
Beackes.)—During the holidays he had taken great
pains to inquire into the state of the leather trade,
and the result of his inquiries among tl►e moat in-
telligent into was, that the repeal tilled for was
minecesenry.—elfene. I—tie held in his hand a let-
ter from a very eminent tanner in Bristol. who had
as thorough knowledge of his own interest as any
other Milli iii the trade.--(Hear, from Me Opposi-
tion Reaches.)—Here the Honourable Gentleman
read au estrivet from the letter. which set"fortle,
that the town and neighbourhood of B,iatol had
not petitioned liar any repeal, from u cotivictiOn that
neither the manufacturer nor the consumer required
it, and also becesute there was at present a visible
alteration and improvement in their business—it
further stated, that the reduced amount of the
duly paid by bunters fur the last year or two was not
occasioned by a Ealing off in the trade. but to the
large manufactured stock on halide, from the ex-
tenvive purchases made from South America after
late, and which being laid ill largely under fa-
vourable circumstance,. answered liar the years
during which the reduction alluded to had tti*
corred. The trade of course suffered with the ge-
nera mass, but was now fast reviving. The greater
facility of cot ttttt totication through improved roads.
&c. throughout the country also made some tunnels
embark on a very large scale, and supply the neigh-
bouring towns; this necessarily reduced the number
of small traders, and created the diminution of
licenses alluded to. He would, for these reasons,
oppose the repeal.
Mc. METHUNN said. that from all the informa-
tion he had been able to collect io his county, the
tanners were %Institutin it' calling for this repeal.
The one alluded to by the Hun. Member, was the
only exception that lie had Iteittd.of.—(Hear.)
Lord COMPTON had also local knowledge of the
complaints of the tanners to the existing duties,
and of their oppressive effect on their trade.
Mr. HART DAVIS explained.
Mr. 111 ARNY ATT begged 'to explain his vote,
which, instead of being opprised to that he had for-
merly given. like that of the Hoie Member for
Bristol, would be in perfect consistency with his
former opinion.—(Hear.)—Respectable its might
be the opinion of the Hon. Member, and of the
tinnier whoni lie load consulted, he (Mr. Nl.)'nuld
Dot help thinking that the House had a far better
criterion to go by on a subject of thw kind, and
that was the opinions of the tanners throughout the
country, who, to hundreds of I'etitiutts, loyal laid ,
their grievances before the llouse.—( !fermi—lt
would have been as well, in viewing the subject, if
the Hon. Gentleman near him'( Vli. Grant); hie
stead of dealing in general p Soles, had confined
himself to particular facts.—(llear.)—lle would
have then found that the export of the umnuou-
factured article had doubled since the additional
duty, while tl►at of the itianufaCtured had der:retie..
eat to less thalamic-half what it had twevionsly been.
For the five years prior to 1914, the *mown or
un-
rnanufioctured export was 5,003,695 lbs. weight—
for the five years since it :vas double that. During
• the same perinda, the expurt of the manufactured'
article was. before IN ht, 2,449,79.0 lbe.—siiice, it i
was less then one-half that ninotsid, so that the .
operation of the Act was to doubt, the export of
the raw material, staid to 'educe in the proportion
of one-half that of the manufactured article. The
foreign manufacturer was, therefore, thrown into
other countries, of course a great home
than must necessarily coetinue. But how war it car-
tied on ?-.W114 it Wit obvious that ;he sum thus
raised was drawn from une pocket into another ?
The tvoor, therefore, paid their part of it, and the
rich were obliged, in the shape of poor's rules. to
supply the means thus withdrawn from the lower
classes, by an au impolitic tax of this kind. The
wealth of the manufacturer was the great source of
the revenue, and by his industry and activity taxa-
tion was largely supplied for the interests iii the
State. This tax vitally affected the reproductive
power of the manufacturing interest. and it only
viewed three or four such lei tidietous initials to cut
tip by the roots the resources of the State. He
should, therefore, vote for the repeal.—(Hear.)
Mr. BENSON said, that lie had nip doubt what
was said by the Honourable Member (4r. H.
MAO, correspondent the Ginner, namely, that
he knew his own interest right well, wa. true.—
(Hear.)—lle also thought the II sable Mem-
lor knew his sawn interest vilso, by withiliniseig from
this vide of the House to the opposite.—(Hear,
bear.)—from every quarter of the country this re-
peal was called for, and he trusted the House would
yield to the players of the prilli tttt era.
Mr. IlauT DAVIS—" 1 desire to know on what
grounds the Honourable Member, or may man,
presumes to say, that in any vote 1 give in this
House I am actuated by motives of self-interest ?"
( Hear, hear, frost Me Ministerial Beaches.)
The SPEAMER—" Had I conceived that the ex-
pression complatried of by the Hon. Member was
iiitended to convey the personal reflection which lie
seems to summate I should, as It Ntlitiit liner beet'
lily duty, here at once interfered, and called on the
Hon: Member to have given a suitable expiator-
tion. He will no doubt explain the interpretation
tint upon his words."-s-(Hear.)
Ms. Bassos—" I really meant no personal re-
flection on the Hon. Member for Mimed in what
said. I merely thought that on the eve of an
election the Hon. Gentleman might have resorted to
' a little manoeuvre of this kind to promote at purti-
cubit' vtill—( Hear, bear)—but I meant nothing
personally offensive to him."
Mr. LUSHINGTON stated, that the result of every
inquiry he had been able to make was ugainst the
alleged necessity for• this repeal. The Hon. Mem-

• ..•
ber (Mr. Marryail) had entered into some calcula-
tions which were wholly inaccurate ; fur so far from
the difference being as he stated, between the ex-
ports for the five years before the additional duty,
and the five years subsequent, the amount et* duty
paid during the former lie* was 52,000/. and in
the hitter something over 51,0001.; the difference
was therefore but very trifling; and it was not fair
to expect, when the duty was doubled, that the
antomit received should be doubt priodOctfve in a
time of ovace, on the comparison of the sum re-
ceived during a war demand, if this repeal were
curried, the effect would be, that 160,0001. of reve-
nue would be literally taken from the publiclond
put into •the pockets of the tanners. The public
must also see, that if this tax were reduced, another,
of equal amount, must at once be substituted to
spoke up the deficit.—(Cries of Hear, hear.)—
He fully agreed with the statement that a reduc-
tion of 21 licenses by no means chewed that the
trade was iu adversity, but rather that the large
tannerie. were absorbing the smaller establishments.
He could state one circumstance as a positive fact,
amid it was, that the great hoiise of Brewed, of Her.
niondsey. had /ten gradually increasing their trade
durifift the last ten years. They had gone up in
stoma payments of duties from 5,0001. to more
than I'i,oo/.—( Henr.)—The price of leather had
also this year increased 20 per cent. The leather
tax was, lie maintained. not taken from the pocket
of the homer. but from that of the consumer, for
the former was not celled to pay It until he had
sold the stamped hide; Until HIM this aside had
for a century been left untouched, while all others
were coiled upon for contributions. If the measure
were conceded, the drate6ek must necessarily be re-
pealed, and the currier would lose the benefit of it.
Mr. Msitays.rr explained that he had taken his
calculations from the official returns signed by Mr.
Hobseu, the Accomptant-General. • The returns
had been presented to the House on the 9th of
March.

Mr. LUSHINGTON said, it was Hobson against
Hobson, for he also held the Returns of the Ar.
comptant-Generat and they bore more on the point,
for they stated the export of the manufactured

Mr. BaoUGHAM, in reply to what had fallen
from the Secretary of the Trietsury (Mr. Limiting-
ton), &sited that if this tax were repealed, a new
one should be I lid on in its place. This was not
the practice of Gentlemen opposite, out of whose
book he would now taken leaf—fur tem years ate),
when the Property Tax was taken from them, in-
stead of calling for a new one, they very properly
revised their Estimates, and reduced them within
their hear.)—The same course
they would again pursue if this measure were re.
pealed. They isoohl stud for their Estimates, mid
look over the many useless items they contained,
so us to make a reduction adequate its the
ltin,ooo/. which this tax furniehed.—(lieur.)—
The House would hear in mind, that no one actual
estimate had yet been speCifically voted, so that
they hid all before theta open to revision. The
flonourithle :Wernher for Briitol had given as the
reason why he altered has vote, the opiniots of a tan-
ner in Bristol.--(Nr. H. Doris here said, ." I did
not give that as my reason."/--Them (comiuued Mr,
Brougham) the Honourable Gentlentass has given
au reason whatever for his change of sentiment. It
was said that the tax did not fall on the tanner, but
on the consumer: be it so, and that was the very
reason why lie objected to it; for it must be obvious
when it fell so heavily upon the consumer, the con-
samption must be reduced pro taste, and the ma-
trufreturer thereby suffer. His chief objection was
the unequal pressure of this tax—it involved an ab-
surd principle. fur more is indirectly lost by its opera-
tion than is directly obtained by the enactment—its
sheet tendency was to increase the price of labour.
Like the Poll Tax, it fell upon every body, without
having the same equality of bearing; nay, worse thou
this was its effect. for it bore most heavily on those
who were least able to pay ; for inetaace, the peasant
who necessarily wore heavy shoes (stud the duty, be
it remembered, was paid ou the weight) paid con-
siderably more than the Getitleanan who only wore
light outs. He lied uniformly opposed this tax
since its enechsteut, and would now usust cordially
vote fur its repeal.--(Hear.)
Mr. 111USKissON observed, that the Honourable
Getidestran who had jest sat down forgot the
ference between the Property Tax and the Leather
betties. The former arms merely a part of the sup-
ply for the year, while the latter was solemnly
pledged on the faith of Parliament to the public
creditor, as a pert of the permanent taxes car-
ried into the Consolidated Final. The Right
Honourable Gentleman said, he had 1 stened
to all the arguments made use of by the Noble
. Lord opposite, and by those iedividuals who sup-
ported hits motion ; he had also read the volume.
sows tracts published by the gentlemen connected
with the leather trade. on this subject.--and, after
'Vying the must mature coneideranou to both, he
was prepared to say, that if the circumstances of
the country Minified the Legishiture in revising all
•the taxes, and in removing those that were most
obnoxious. the leather tax was lint the one winch,
in the first instance, he would recowtuend to be
abolished. There were many others that operated
inure unfavourably on the consumer thau the tax
in question. This tax did not fall on the tamer,
lint on the public. who consumed the article. Tine
Winer was the person on whom the tax was origin-
ally levied, but the public alone paid it. He be-
lieved, that those who voted ag dust the tax could
ant lave read the statements of the tanners, wh i.e
interests were said to he so immediately concerned,
or they would not have argued as they had date.
The statements of those (stemless's.* proceeded un
this itestimption, that the tax operated, oat to the
iiOry of the consumer, but of the tanner. This
tax had the inielforttine to be laid on three yeses
ago, at a period immediately preceding one of the
greate.t piessere and difficulty that this country
had ever experienced. Navin been theft intro.
deceit, and not having produced the full amouut
at which it was estimated, the Noble Lord came
birwaril and made that a ground fur repealing it.
But, if he rested his case alone on the diminutive
of the tux, and not on the public pressure, or its
operation is inducing individuals to give up the
trade, he might have found a much stronger rea,
of the saute description, for removing other tat o.
The business of a maltster had been already allud-
ed to, awl s Noble Lord had stated the diminutee

e