The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-25 00:00:00

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exertions of the Brazilian Governments But the Nobba' ''
'se'
Earl is in error, when, in speaking of Cuba, he elthBe- '-:
- that the slave trade is put down, or that ati Liaise m ult,e--- -Jell
it is in course of diminution.—(ilea-, near.) e The laatilin. en•-f
el
is, and I regret to say so, that the alave trauelsintuiti
on the increase; and no two subjects can be more- ,
connected than the effects of free trade in sugar. J,
West India colonies, and the increase of the slave trach fn
Cubs. At this moment, when, as has been admitted by the
Noble Earl, Jamaica is in a state of deep depression and
distress, the steam machinery of Jamaica is being transfer-
red in large quantities to Cuba, thus withdrawing it from the
cultivation of free-labour sugar to the cultivation of slave-
labour sugar. I believe there can be no doubt whatever—
the Noble Earl has admitted—that although in some of the
colonies there has been an increase in the production of
sugar yet that in Jamaica there is a state of deep depressionand distress existing, not arising from a diminution of pro-
duction, but from the unremunerative prices obtained for the
produce. The opinion I entertained on this subject in 1846
I entertain now; and it is, that in the long run it is not pos-
sible for free-grown sugar, except in some very favoured
situations, to compete with the slave sugar of Cuba and
Brazil; and although it be quite true that at this moment
there is an increasing amount of sugar imp°, teinfrom B itish
colonies, yet if the Noble Earl will look at the Price
.Currents, he will see that the increased amount
is more than compensated by the fall i i price,
so that the planter has not the alternative of
abandoning the trade, and at tee sate tima he has no
hope of carrying it en with advantage. But. my Lords, I
say that the question of sugar is wholly Levert from the ques-
tion whether we shall or shall not continue the income-tax
for the present year.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Earl has
introduced the question of the sugar duties, not apropos to
any measures proposed by her Majesty's Government, or
statement made or announcement given, but beceuee he
understands, or has heard some rumour, that in another ses-
si n of Parliament her Majesty's Government intend to re-
trace past steps with regard to sugar. I apprehend that this
is not a question upon which the Government are called at
this moment to make a' declaration, more especially ander ties
engagement we have entered into—namely, that we are not,
in the course of this session, to submit any fiscal or financial
measure to the consideration of Parliament. The House will,
therefore, agree with me that nothing is more impolitic, im-
prudent, or improper than to suggest or hold out any expec-
tation of fiscal change, at a time when it was impossible to
discuss them, or to decide upon them until another Parlia-
ment. The Noble Earl who has just sat down said that the
speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the course of the
present session shows that the subject of free trade is neces-
sarily connected with the consideration of the income-tax.
or finances
Now, it was the bounden duty of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequerto go into every detail connected with the revenue
finances of the conutry, setting forth, not the merits of
this or that
had Plan, but to show what the progress of the re-
venueand the expenditure of the
bees, before the House could be expected to agree
to any measures for the
purposecountrye.f—sq(uHaelaisrinhgeatrh.e)
consequently impossible for him ' ' • • revenue
l a
to avoid dealing with those
questions of duties in the large articles of consumption—more
especially in respect to sugar
of those articles which enter
and corn, and the importation
largelyfthe Chancellor of the into the revenue of the
country. I-. was impossible or
Ex-
chequer to overlook these facts.
the Noble Lord opposite, " Oh, (gem,)
recollect(gem,)But, then, says
that last year
you admitted that if you were in office
income-tax." I am ready to admit you would reduce the
time, and I say so now, if I had t that I said so at that
(Hear, hear.) But, subsequent tee means of doing so.—
Majesty's Government having at their that declaration, her
command
consider-
able surplus, thought proper to do away a
abolition of other taxes, and thereby renderingaith it by the
then of the income-tax, which I then thoughtthe redac-
tion
impolitic tax, and now think is an impolitic tax,was
alto-
gether impossible.—(Hear, hear.) Therefore I do not think
that the Noble Lord is justified in pointing to any aPparen
inconsistency on my part because last year I expressed an
opinion favourable to the gradual reduction of the income-
tax during these times of peace. You have, however, de-
parted from your general financial system, and I submit
that you must now submit to this tax for a single year at all
events, because you have no surplus upon which you can
confidently rely.—(Hear.) lam not going to follow the
Noble Lords who have spoken from the other side of the
House into a general discussion of the abstract measure of
free trade, or what is called our commercial pplicy. To
one portion of our commercial policy I confess I was a wil-
ling party. I willingly assisted to reduce the amount of
our differential duties, because I was desirous of placing the
home and the foreign producer upon a footing of a real—
not a nominal—equality I was desirous of intro-
ducing a bond fide competition, so as to give a fresh
stimulus to this as well as to other countries. lam not igno-
rant, nor does it take me at all by surprise, when I am
told that so far from diminishing, it had greatly increased,
the amount of consumption. Whether the principle upon
which this system was founded was introduced by the late
Sir R. Peel or any other party—to that principle I am
willing to give my utmost support, provided it inflicts no
injustice upon any party, nor entai's any loss upon the re-
venue.—(Hear, hear.) It may, no doubt, be practicable to
give the people a greater command of the comforts and
luxuries of life. No doubt, if the reduction of duties will do
this, and not act unjustly to other classes, it must be a
matter of rejoicing to any man that the price of these ar-
ticles is brought so low as to come within the reach of the
masses of the population. I will not deny but that there has
been a great boon conferred upon the consumers of this
country by the diminished price of sugar, consequent upon
the reouction of the duties. No one doubted but that such a
measure would give a greater addition to the comforts of tha
people. But the question which we have to consider is, not
singly or simply whether a great advantage has been con-
ferred upon the class of consumers in this country, but
whether that advantage is bought by an act of injustice and
spoliation to ether parties, and by involving in ruin a large
class of those who, upon the faith of your own Act of Parlia-
ment, embarked their all in the cultivation of the article the
duties upon which you hare so reduced? - (Hear, hear.)
When those things are done, it is difficult to ieverse them.
But I confess in the face of this great advantage which the
people have derived from the importation of save-grown
sugar, I would much rather have seen a smaller advantage
derived by the improved cultivation and encouragement
given to those who have a natural and rightful claim upon
us than an increased advantag by an amount of cheapness
gained by what I the-oven, and still think, wits an act of in-
juatie, —an act the ten•!tncy of which so, a to stimulate and
encourage the production of sugar by means of slavery, and
lay that of increasing the infa le.ous traffic in slaves.—(tlear,
hear.) Ido not deny that it is possible that the consump-
tion of the comforts and necessaries of life has been increased
in con-equence of the reduced price of corn; but that such in-
c -ease has been in anything like tee p - por.ions stead by the
Noble Lord opposite, I say is contrary to the fact ; and if I
bad the figures here before me I could show that they have
been grossly exaggerated. Noble Lords opposite have talked
of an increase of 10,000,000 quarters of corn in the consump-
tion of the people of this country. Now that calculation I
believe is taken upon an average of years which includes
some years of famine, in which of course the imports had
been considerably larger.
The Duke of ARGYLL was here understood to say that
the highest amount of corn consumed within the years
quoted were 11,000,000 quarters.
The Earl of DERBY—But even supposing that all that
quantity
lass been consumed, you are not to suppose
that that is a gross increase of the consumable produce
of this country. In the first place, the average in"•
portation
before the year 1846 was, I think, 3,000,000, or
4,000,000 of quarters, and if I deducted these from the
10,000,000 alleged to have been consumed, will reduce it to
6,000,000 or 7,003,003 of quarters. I say that from these
10,000,000 quarters, assuming this to be the quantity
the average in the years quoted, you must
consumed upon 4,000 00 of
deduct something between 3,000,000
quarters which were imported the yeaand
dre bef ' h ore tuo n
t i
Tat tear
which the alteration of he law was
an increase of consumption to the amount of h
something
like 6,,,
000 000 not of wheaten flour, but of corn of all
I believe
descriptions. The Noble Lord asks me whether
that 800,000 acres of wheat land had gone out of cultivation
in the face of the immense enclosures that have taken place.
Now, in the first place, a large portion of those Enclosure
Acts did nothing whatever towards adding to the cultiva-
tion. They were the enclosure of lands generally which
were held in common. But they are just as much in culti-
vation now as they were before those Acts were passed
Although no doubt 800,000 acres had not gone out Of c ulti.
-
ration, does the Noble Lord mean to say that there has been
no diminution in the amount of produce received
from
Ireland to this country? s V by, there has been
lake a diminution of 300,000 darters of wheat something
Within the
last few years of what was usually receiv d
mean Co say that there has been no increasee • Ido not
con-
sumption of corn; but I say that when in the
such a fact that there has been an additionyou argue upon
ing powers of the people to an to the consum-
quartere, that you grossly exaggerate.ything like 10,000,000
increased consumption purchased? But how is this
lightly over this part ofthe The Noble Lord passed
very well for him, or for the subject. It may be
that we can afford to receive 1 large proprietors, to say
the power of consuming less in order to afford the masses
incomes. But there '
more—we shall still have sufficient
is a
and farmers—so that large class who are ban land-
lordsalso suffer. Now, when one suffers, the other must
They are small , what is the condition of that class?
whom this loss fpalrsliprietors, cultivating their wit lana',„litra
of this class have been so
a double weight. Alargellu—-
that they have been
pressed upon by !ear recent
legis-
lation,
utterly
cultiva-
tors of the soil in this extinglugheddrieren to seek
a refuge in other co nsenntrY, and
have.e I confess I see with
tries.—
the greatest satisfaction (H
believe it to be true, that
and
.I
the labouring classes aruen, ping a considerable amount Of
prosperity, and I should be the last man that would desire
by any measure to deprive them of say P,Titijeoll ,°f 1!lat
prosperity. But undoubtedly the prospeeitY ott" auouring
classes is wholly dependant upon the prosper]. y of_ the ern-
of the employed, the
ployer. If, then, you diminish the means
1 labourer, sooner or later, will fail in obtaining employment, and
on him ultimately the injury will fain/ The wages,t no doubt,
have not been diminished is proportion _ o the reduced
price of corn; but that is merely to seaydthtat the burden is
at present sustained by the landis he tenants, and
shoulders of the labourer.
has not yet been cast upon
thed
the
This I believe to be the fact; " *derablconsequence is that
a corm e degree of
the labourers are enjoYiy pros-
t is also true, as stated, that in the
perity.—(Hear, hear.) three three years both tenant and land-
course of the last two
lord have made extraordinary'.exertions to improve the
land. The stimulus of necessity has ope-
ratedcultivation of the
and to a certain extent most wholesomely
upon them, pe nevertheless with great severity, oppres-
and advantageone . , ,
, . And have very great doubts whether
sion, and hardsh p ii I
althoug great expenditure is undertaken by
in many cases,
the great portion of the outlay is not a loss to
those classes.
* advantageoushe tenant, althouh at the present time
the proprietor
to the labordo not deny but
it may be
ofren I . has
the course the last few years there
that in of exportation.
tom a great increase of our articles
I am not going to enter into the question
Now,
in reference to the discovery of gold in various places
but of this' I have no doubt, if it had not been for these
influx of
great and increasing discoveries, and the large .
gold into this country with rapidly increasing speed, you
would hare seen a different state of commercial affairs her.e
than what you see now.—(llear, hear.) And although it
be quite true that the amount of our imports has
may
largely increased, as w,ll as our exports, although it
may be true that the amount of our productions has greatly
increased, I very much doubt, if we could look into the
balance-sheets of our commercial men, we should see that
increased amount of traffic of these exports and imports ac-
companied with a corresponding pr,fit. On the contrary,
with the largest amount of trade almost aver known, it has
been less profitable to them during the last foy. :years than in
any period ce ithin [heir experience, except in years of panic.
As a proof of the prosperity of the country, the Noble Lords
are fond of quoting statistical returns of the reduced amount
of pauperism. The Noble Lord opposite commenced
with
the year 1848, and congratulated the count' y on the im-
mense reduction of pauperism since that period. Well, but
is it fair to take the year 1848 as a starting post for these
calculations? In taking up this
part of the argument We
have had a vivid declamation from the Noble Earl
who has just sat down. But thatof a most
exceptionable character, inwhichwas a yearclasses almost
all
were involved in absolute •
ruin. That was a year of famine,
SD that the amount ofpauperism
then cannot be fairly said
to be a data upon Which calculate f" you have a right to