The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-15 00:00:00

MARCH l5, 1852.

THE ONE SHILLING DUTY ON
CORN.
(From the Manchester Examiner.)
" I see no ground why, if there be a general system
of imposing duties upo❑ foreign imports, the single arti-
cle of corn should be made a solitary exception."—The
Earl of Derby's Speech in the House of Lords, on Friday,
27th February, 1852.
"He then proceeded to argue, that however small
might be the duty which th'e Protectionists sought to
impose under the delusion that it was only for revenue,
it would pro tanto be a duty imposed for protection. It
they admitted of eve❑ a ls. duty on oorn—(' No, no,'
and cries of We'll have none')—if they admitted this,
away went the whole system at once.—(dear, hear.")
Mr. Garbutt's Speech at Leeds, on Thursday, 4th March,
1852.

A somewhat extraordinary error has lately been pro-
mulgated at Leeds and at Westminster. Mr. Carbutt
may be excused, perhaps, for saying at the former, on
Thursday, that there would be danger "if they admit-
ted of even a one shilling duty on corn," because he
only repeated what Lord Derby said in the House of
Lords on Friday week. The Noble Lord's error indeed
is much more glaring than the error of Mr. Carbutt,
and being positively greater, is in him much more in-
excusable. The one fact which Lord Derby and Mr.
Carbutt seem equally to forget is, that corn is
actually subject to a " one shilling duty," and
the other fact of which only Lord Derby, the Prime
Minister, is ignorant, is, that about 460 articles con-
tinually imported are exempt from all customs duties.
Quito contrary to Lord Derby's two assertions, corn is
not an exception; it is subject to customs duties, and a
great many articles habitually imported and used are not
subject to any customs duties. Such assertions betray
astonishing ignorance in the man who has taken office
to alter and revise our system of custom-house duties.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is a profound finan-
cier, and has been closely studying the question of the
public burdens for several years, yet he leaves the Noble
Lord profoundly ignorant of the sources of the revenue
he has taken office to administer, and, if his views be
acted on, most probably to dry up. In the year 1849
corn wheat, the Noble Lord says, as the solitary article
exempt from custom duties, yielded to the customs a re-
venue of 549,128/. 17s. SJ. We have not yet seen the
official return of the revenue for 1851, but, according to
the quantity of corn imported, the duties levied on it
must have amounted to 484,305/. 18a. Thus in the three
years the duties paid on corn have been in-
-1849 ... £546,128 17 5
1850 473,169 4 5
1851 ... ... 484,305 18 0

Total duties levied in three years 1,506,703 19 10
Of these facts; printed in the Parliamentary papers,
and published in half the newspapers of the kingdom,
our new Prime Minister has no knowledge whatever.
As the question of imposing duties on corn, or ex-
empting it from them altogether, is again forced on public
attention by our new Minister, the effects of the existing
duties ought to be taken into serious consideration. Mr.
Carbutt, expressing, we believe, a very general opinion,
thinks it alike dangerous and disagreeable that any
duty—any rag or remnant of the old feudal tyranny,
should still flutter in spiteful triumph over our food.
It is a nucleus for increase. It serves as a precedent, and
as long as it continues, bread is not sacred from the
extending grasp of the tax-gatherer. It raises and keeps
up rent to a considerable degree. Carried on as trade now
is, on very narrow profits, a shilling a quarter often
making it profitable or not profitable to import wheat
or sour from New York or New Orleans, this shilling
duty does practically and considerably narrow our sup-
plies. It must be advanced by the importer to the state
before he sells the corn, and, consequently, it enhances
the price something more than its amount, of all the
foreign corn and flour sold in our markets. It raises
rent pro tanto, and bestows ou the landowners—who are,
according to report, to corrupt and bribe the constituen-
cies,'to increase this tax—a very large sum annually.
Let us state exactly, from tho words of a corn circular
lying before us, what is the tax :
" The customs duty upon foreign and colonial corn
entered for home consumption is, for every quarter, one
,hilliug. And upon meal and flour, for every c wt.four-
pence halfpenny; and so on in proportion for a less
quantity; and the duty must be paid on importation, as
cone is not allowed to be warehoused in bond."
But this term corn has in the customs a very wide
meaning, and includes peas, beans, maise, or Indian
corn, buckwheat, beer, or bigg, and malt; and the words
• meal" and" flour" mean in like manner not only wheat,
meal, and flour, but barley meal oatmeal, rye meal, pea
meal, bean meal, Indian meal, and buckwheat meal.
Thus, every species of grain and pulse, and of flour and
meal, is still taxed when imported, at the rate of Is. per
quarter, or 40. per cwt. Now, according to Mr. M`Cul-
loch's latest estimate, the total average quantity of corn
at id pulse produced in the empire is 58,020,000 quarters,
wliich at Is. per quarter, making no allowance for any
but the duty, gives 2,901,0001, as the sum for which the
corn grown at home is sold in our markets above its
just value in consequence of the Is. duty. No doubt the
whole of that, and more than that, is put by this tax into
the pockets of the landlords, who thus, in fact, are still
enabled to levy on the people's food, by taxation, about
3,000,0001. a year.

This tax was not levied for revenue, nor yet for pro-
tection; it was levied at the suggestion of statisticians and
philosophers, merely as a means of obtaining an account
of all the corn brought in. A farthing per quarter, on
merely requiring the quantities imported to. be announced
at the Custom-house, as, in fact, they are, would have
answered the purpose quite as well. But we have been
so accustomed to plunder the multitude by taxation, that
the minds of the most intelligent and most conscientious
men are on this point completely perverted, and they
unthinkingly recommended a measure which is practi-
cally fraught with impediments to commerce, and injus-
tice to the people.
It will be aeon, by the above enumeration, that the
coarsest meal, oatmeal, or Indian meal, pays the same
duty per cwt. as the very finest French flour, and that the
cheapest grain pays as much per quarter as the finest
wheat. Confining our attention only to grain, the
wholesale and import prices of which are better
known to us than those of flour and meal, there is a
difference in the price of oats imported from Archangel,
selling at 205. per quarter, and wheat imported from
Dantzic selling at 525. per quarter, of no less than 325.
On the value of the former the duty is five, and on the
latter less than two per cent. A similar proportion, but
exaggerated, exists between the finest French flour and
Indian meal, and thus the food of the lower classes is
taxed by this shilling duty, at the very least three per
cent. more than the flour for the pastry, or luxuries of
the opulent classes. At the same time, those who re-
commended the tax, never supposed that corn would fall
as low in price as it has fallen, and that a shilling duty
would be such a large proportion as five per cent. Le-
gislators, philosophers, and statesmen, are as much
cheated by words as the humblest of mankind; and se-
veral different articles being indiscriminately classed to-
gether, as corn or meal, have a uniform duty imposed on
them, which for the rich is a perfect trifle, while for the
poor it is a heavy burden.
This tax must be paid, to on importation, not like
duties on sugar and -coffee, when the article goes into
consumption ; and the consequences of this, never dreamt
of by our statisticians, philosophers, and legislators, aro
remarkable. It much impedes, if it do not entirely
prevent, the transhipments of grain. It has of late hap-
pened very repeatedly that there has been a demand for
low-priced wheats from the continent, and it has hap-
pened that the owners of mixed cargoes would have been
very glad to have retained a portion of them here, and
shipped another portion for Holland or Belgium, but the
ls. duty prevented them. It destroyed all the profit they
could make in the transaction. In consequence the cargoes
of foreign grain that happen to be fitted for the markets
of Germany or Holland instead of coming into our
ports, though belonging to our merchants, are sold afloat,
or ordered directly to other markets. The tax, there-
fore, hinders England from becoming, as she otherwise
would, the great entrepot of corn for all Europe. It is a
great impediment to free trade in grain, as well as a
great injustice, and we ought to take advantage of the
subject being mooted by the Protectionists, to compel
Lord Derby, who professes obedience to public opinion,
to abolish the one shilling duty.
We shall not now dwell on the Noble Lord's igno-
rance, that Well articles as alkali, barilla, East India
piece goods, cotton yarn, unwrought steel, gause, fish
oils, &c., that come into competition with our own
manufactures; and such articles as animals, provisions,
hides, hemp, flax, &c., that come into competition with
the products of the soil, are amongst the 460 distinct
articles exempt from all customs duties. We have said
enough, we think, to show that he has very imprudently
taken on himself the Government of the country for the
very purpose, it the public will permit him, of imposing
additional taxes on food. So thoroughly unacquainted
is he with the system he would rudely and rashly de-
stroy, that he totally mistakes its principles; and in the
House of Peers, on Friday week, he solemnly represented
the measures of 1842, which he cordially supported andapproved of, as imposing customs duties, while the world
knows, except Lord Derby, that their essence
ab Nsas to
iog,
relieve commerce, by reducing, or wholly livh
more than one-third of the duties of which our trade had
previously been the victim.

N Y.

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND cOMP-A-
took place on
The annual meeting of this company
were adopted.
Friday, when the report and
- was also brought for-
The report of the committee appointed to investigate the
general affairs of the undertakingf
receipts and expenditure
to the 31st of
ward. It gave a suminstryoiPop
ions
from the commencement .
appeared that the total of
operations
December, 1851,
don had been 301,913/., of which
whence It .
cash received in 1,1,2921.,
sales of agricultural stock
The gross expenditure had
the calls produce
10,9871., and wool
72922,12,
22,7231.
Lleaving a balance of assets of
amounted to 0
30 '
1,1211• The largest items on this aide of the account
comprised 162,
the
024 for bills drawn by the company's
agent in
colony, 64,000/, purchases of stock
and
stores for shipment,. and 32,100 L salaries in London and
Van Diemen 's Land. Extraordinary and ruinous as the
expenditure had been, the committee, because it was
sp„ad over a period of twenty-five years, had arrived
at the conclusion that it showed little for comment,
since, although the affairs of the company had
not proved remunerative, the outlay had been
directed with the view to a profitable dovelopement
of the property. They recommended, now that ar-
rangements had been made for reducing all current
charges to the lowest possible point, that in future
the land should be let on lease for short terms in pre-
ference to sales in fee. The report of the directors de-
tailed the measures they had adopted fur abandoning
farming pursuits, and for confining operations to the
Selling and leasing of lands. They had been advised
from the colony that their instructions had arrived out,
and that the necessary steps had been taken for pro-
moting those objects. The last call of 10s. per share
had been well paid, but the proceeds were nearly I
ex-s, 1
hausted. Although no call was at present regal'.e a, the
, .

shareholders were informed that in the absence of re-
mittances from Vaa Diemen's Land there are no funds
to meet ordinary expenses. The annual rental pos-
sessed by the company was 8181., against 759/. last year.
The total of land sold up to the last advices was 4,144
acres(the amount of purchase money being 8,0470, of
which 771 acres were at Circular Head, and
247 at Emu Bay, making 2,079 acres sold since
the last annual report, payment in most cases having
been taken in long dated bills. The stock on
hand on the 30th of Juno, 1851, was 113 horses,
2,825 cattle, and 6,179 sheep. It was stated that the
only apparent effect of the rich mineral discoveries in
Australia had been to raise the price of provisions, &c.,
by which the:tenints of the company had been benefited,
and that no disposition had been yet manifested on
their part to migrate to the gold regions. The two re-
ports having been discussed, and the large amount of
the draughts drawn from the colony and the defalca-
tions of the late secretary having been taken into con-
sideration, the general feeling appeired to be that there
was at last a prospect of affairs being brought into a
manageable compass. The reduction of expenditure,
when it shall have been finally accomplished, together
with the restriction of business to the disposal of land,
may, it was thought, ultimately produce some return
upon the invested capital. If, however, the idea be
persevered in that the best class of colonists will take
short leases, or leases of any kind, in a country where
the passion for freehold possessions can be gratified to
its full extent, there would still seem to be little pro-
spect for the company other than that of continual dis-
appointment. At the close of the proceedings the for-
feiture of 440 shares was agreed to.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
TIMES.--We shall not waste many words on a
question already decided. The various sections of the
Liberal party, having agreed to merge their differences
for the present, have resolved to compel Lord Derby to
dissolve Parliament as soon as the public service will
allow. Six months' supplies, involving, we suppose, the
renewal of the income-tax for another year, are the ut-
most that will be allowed, so that we may expect the
new Parliament to meet in the summer. This is re-
solved at all events, whatever the policy which Ministers
may or may not think fit to announce. They sill be ex-
amined this evening in both Houses as to their intent ions,
not, however, as any guide to the course of the Opposition,
but merely for such minor advantages as may be picked
up in the game of questions. Whether the new Go-
vernment declare themselves or maintain their present
reserve, the same use will be male of their hesitation
as of their candour. As Lord Derby has not sum-
moned his adherents to St. James's since his acceptance
of office, the secret of his policy is still confined to
his Cabinet; but there appears to be a general impres-
sion that, finding an early dissolution inevitable, he
will propose a five-shilling duty as the question for
the country to say Aye or No to at the ensuing
general election. It is said that he is driven to
this course, so little in unison with the neutral
position he and the chief of his colleagues have main-
tained for the last two years, by the circumstance that
" the country party," especially the electors in the small
country towns, require an intelligible and definite object
of political interest, and that without such an object
they will sit still, or fall off to the enemy. Of course we
can only give reports, but Lord Derby's impatience of
reserve, his sensitiveness under challenge, and his own
wish for the earliest possible settlement, make it at least
very conceivable that he will do as we have indicated.
We know not whether it is to be considered a merit or
a demerit in this course that it is evidently that which is
dictated by the Opposition. Nothing is more usual than
for people to assume the direction of an antagonist's
conduct, in addition to their own, and to insist on play-
ing politics as a chess player will occasionally play his
right hand against his left. If Lord Derby can be made
to do on the point of honour that which he has long
ceased to do ou the point of duty, he has put his con-
science into the keeping of his rivals, and is, to say the
least, very accommodating. But besides the con-
venience of the Liberal party, Lord Derby is
bound to consult the well-being of the State,
and that well-being, as it appers to us, does
not require so immediate and definite an issue. People
who advocate this course seem to think that it is the
largest, the most national, and the most conclusive of
those which have been suggested; whereas it is emi-
nently small, partisan, and inconclusive. It settles no-
thing. It effects no peace. It makes no alteration in
the status quo except for the worse. Let us follow it out.
The new Government, driven, will or nill, to the country
on the question of a five-shilling duty, will find itself
next July either in a minority or a majority. That
minority will probably not be a less one than the pre-
sent. Being returned expressly in answer to a particular
question, it will be mere pledged, more obdurate, more
impracticable, more factious, and altogether a greater
impediment to legislation than Mr. Cobden says the pre-
sent minority has been for the last six years. In this
case, then, where is the advantage of having driven
rorthneerd
Lord Derby to divide the country on this question, and
this question
case,toa
ffi
n affirm
utterly
five-
shilling
Is it for the advantage of the country
aofnl a y ? m
a Tj
oarl
icte y the
etu
impossibdleu,t
that a majority of the Commons should be pledged
to a measure which the country will not tole-
rate? Oa the contrary, it
-- appears to us a very
lamentaale conclusion—though a conclusion of course it
will not be. There are only two ways of escape from
that difficulty. Either the population will assume so
menacing an aspect that the House of Commons, which
professes to have been just returned by them, will lay
down its functions and declare its majority a political
falsehood; or Loul Derby, justly dreading that result.,
will himself disarm his own majority sent to support
him, apparently in answer to his call, and will summon
his lieges, absolve them from their pledges, and recom-
mend a milder form of Protection. This course, how-
ever, is described by anticipation as being treacherous to
the electors, tyrannical to the representatives, and im-
moral to the public at large. Lord Derby, we are told,
cannot adopt it without utterly damning the present
House of Commons as a lair representative of the people.
But bad as this course may be, it is obviously better than
the other; that is, better than driving the House of Com-
mons to such a pass that it shall no longer be a free
agent, and its debates shall virtually be interrupted by
the masses. Yet one of these two unhappy alternatives
we shall certainly be reduced to if Lord Derby shall
go to the country on a five-shilling duty, and get
a majority upon it. As nothing is to be gained by the
more summary process, so a great deal will be lost.
Lord Derby is not to be allowed to do anything except
what is absolutely necessary to conduct the public ser-
vice the meeting of the new Parliament in summer.
Should he once show his hand at government—should he
carry a single measure through Parliament, should he
have the opportunity of doing one good thing, the Li-
berals affect to tremble for the consequences on the
fickle-minded people. All this means, of course, that
nothing can be done this session. Thus do we go on.
Nothing was done last session, and nothing is to be done
this. There was one excuse last year, it is another ex-
cuse now. But it is equally evident that nothing will
be done in the summer or autumn, and thus another
year will be lost to legislation. Law reform, and all
the other reforms, either left undone by the late Go-
vernment, or done and then undone, must wait trill
they are done by a triumphant Administration,
able to ride roughshod over its opponents.
That Administration must, however, be more
for whatever party is doomed to be
Opposition for the next three or four years, it
itnh an triumphant,
will most assnredly be factious beyond ordinary
precedent, for it will have suffered great disappointment
and bitter provocation. The forms of the House will be
stretched to the utmost for the purpose of obstruction
and annoyance, and no pains will be omitted to prevent
that which is now to be prevented, viz , the acquisition
of Ministerial credit by popular measures. Of course,
as we have intimated above, every constitutional malady
or obstruction has its practical remedies; bat they are
generally violent ones, sometimes worse than the disease,
and always drawing largely on the comfort and health
of the patient. Such appear to us the inevitable ill con-
sequences of the special appeal to the nation with which
we are threatened. We will not charge the blame on
one side more than another. The country party in being
driven to that appeal are paying perhaps the proper
let
proper of the very factious course they
haves
th
nd if ret
-
proper to pursue since February, 1846;
tribution has overtaken them just as wi
they
were shorn__
1
some signs of repentance, that is no uncommonconam:" case
ut we
th© instance of even more serious
so Ile
d
aaa of personal or
would rather not treat this as a
that whoever is most in fault,
concern, and we must say
ustituency n a five-shilling
deserts. We take it
an attempt to poll the co
ood, buto a great deal of
duty is calculated
to do no g
asquaecisuestion of national
party
harm.

SEABORNE MAILS.
by
[ the night—and Mby tN signifies that the
by
morning—dispatch are sent front the
.] General POlit-Ofilee
he

.-.• --___-.L-_=_______---- When made up in I From what
pLACES• -----
General Post-office' port dia- When
London. patched. uue.
--. ---___........ --......--.. —....._
America (by Brit. pkt.)N March 19 .. .. Liverpool .. March 15
America (by U.S. pkt.) N March 23 .. • • iLiverpool .. March 17
America (by U.S. pkt.) M'March 31 • . :Southampt. March 12
Africa (West coast).. Nil4th of the month !Plouth Arrived Alexandria* ••.. • • • • Nll9th & 30th of mo. 'Dover .. March 18
Belgium .. .• .. N Daily .. Brazil Dover .. Daily
• •
.. ' • • • M 9th of the month !Smithampt. Arrived
Buenos Ayres
.. M!9th of the month Southampt. Arrived
CCaaplifeoronif
flood
CHhcagger)lifi44,24dtt 17th of oofnmthontb i Southern pt. March 5
°uth• • Arrived
Constantinople* •„.. N, 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover •. March 20
Central America .. If r2d & 17th of men. ISouthampt. [arch 5
Channel Isles .. •• N Mon., Wed., Fri.:l3:sou:theerr
March 20
Ohili .. • •
• . M 17th of the month BouthamP..
Twicedany
Southampt. Tu. Th.sat
Prance .. .. it & N Twice daily .&.
Greece* • . • • N 7th 17th 27th of mo , .. March 20
'London .. Tees. Sat.
Hamburgh •
•• .. N Tuesday & FriclaY ! London
.. Men• Thur
Holland ... .. ~ 2,f Wcdnes. & Satur.
Southampt. March 20
month
Honduras .. .. N 17th of the
..
!Holyhead .• Twicedally
Ireland .. .. M& N. Twice daily
month Sonthampt. March 21
India (via Southamp.) M 20th of the
India (viaMarseille.s) Neth& 24th e m 1 f onth'Dover • • March 17
Mediterranean (via i
Southans,,fon) •• M--
20th of the month (Southampt, March 21
Mediten anean (via
Marseilles) • . N Sti.t& 24th ofmonth Dover • • March, 17
• ..
M 2d of the month.. ISouthampt. 'March 5
Mexico • • •• ... m 9th of the month ,Southampt. Arrived
Madeira •• •• c 7tb,i7th,l9th,27th } Dover March IS
t ' & 30th of month
Malta* • • • •
.. ioth 15th 25th of me Dover .. March 22
Naples* • • • •
..
.I.i sth 15th 25th ef mo Dover; .. March 22
Papal States* ••
.. hf ,''7th 17th 27th ef mo'Southampt. !March 16
Peninsular • • • •
.. Ninth of the month Southampt. March, 20
Peril • •
•, • • • • .. Nisth 15th 25th of mo Dover • • March 22
Tuscanr`
West In dies ••• • M 17th of the month Southampt. March 20
• •
West I
annndies (except
a & Nassau) M 2d of the month .. Southampt.pt. March 5
amails
Ilav
The to those c ountrias thus marked (*) are cenveye4 by
French packet via Marseilles.
The Capo of Good Hope mails will be made up on the evening of
March 15, in consequence of the 14th falling on a Sunday.
...........—_

EXTENSIVE DEPREDATIONS.—The particulars have
been given of a very extensive robbery of jewellery and
plate, committed on the 28th ult., at 36, Portland-place, and
a description has been given of a female who had absconded
from. No. 4, Catherine-street, St. George's-in-the-East, car-
rying off quantity of plate, jewellery,
property. apparel, and other