The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-10 00:00:00

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LITERATURE.

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Lives of the Sovereigns of Russia, from Batik to
Nicholas, including a History of the Empire,
from its Foundation to the Present. By George I Shr,
Fowler Esq. Shoberl. Four vols. Vol. I.
The ancient history of Russia is but little known, St.
and it is only from the casual mention, by ancient 20
classic writers, of the barbarians who were the ter-
ror of the frontiers of the civilised world for cen-
turies before the Christian era, that we can obtain 31
any information on the subject. It appears from
the best authority that the northern portions of 27_
Asia and Europe were inhabited by numerous No-
madic tribes, known as Samarians and Scythians, 22
who, even before the time of Cyrus, made predatory St.
incursions into the southern provinces between the 50
rivers Don and Dnieper. They, however, gave way 50
before the more powerful colonist, and the country 50
was successively overrun by the migratory hordes of 25
Alans, Huns, Avarians, and Bulgarians, until 25
the sixth century, when the Sclavonians a 25
race coming from the northern Danube--drove
these tribes towards the northern and western 18
provinces, and becoming more civilised by their 29
intercourse with the southern States, became
Christians, and founded in the country, afterwards 25
called Russia, the cities of Novogorod and Kiof, 25
which early attained a commercial importance. St
But the wealth and prosperity of the new state 50
soon excited the cupidity of its neighbours, the St
most powerful of whom were the Varangians, a St
race of bold pirates who infested the coasts of the st
Baltic ; and the Sdavonians finding their case St
desperate, offered the government of the State to ,T
these warlike rovers as an only means of safety.
In consequence of this, a celebrated Varangian
chief named Rurik arrived in 862 with a body of si
his countrymen in the neighbourhood of the lake 1:
Cadoga and laid the foundation of the present 5(
Russian Empire, by uniting his people
with those who already occupied the soil. 2,
It is with this prince that Mr. Fowler commences 1,
his history, and he states in the preface that he 5
is surprised that no complete history has been 2
hitherto published of an empire which has lasted so
many centuries. He finds half of the first volume s
quite sufficient to detail, and that rather minutely, 2
all the events of importance which took place in that 2
vast empire up to the end of the seventeenth cen-
tury, when Russia first became a nation ; for until
the master mind of Peter the Great first awakened 4
the dormant energies of the country, Russia was 9
but a wilderness, inhabited by savages. The life
of Peter the Great, which occupies the latter half
of this volume, is, of course, highly interesting, and
abounds with anecdotes, of which the following are
a specimen :
" The Tzar, during one month's residence in London,
saw almost everything that was worth notice ; he visited 1.1
the manufactories and workshops of _various artisans, and.
made large purchases of things the most curious and use-
ful ; amongst others, he bought `the famous geographi-
cal
clock, made by Mr. John Carte, watchmaker, at the
sign of the Dial and Crown, near Essex-street, in the
Strand, which clock tells what hour it is in any part of
the world, whether it is day or !night, the sun's rising
and setting throughout the year, its entrance into the
signs of the zodiac, the arch which they and the sun in
them make above or below the horizon, with several
other curious motions.' He was very particular in exa-
mining the mechanism of a watch, and it is said he could
take one of these ingenious machines to pieces and put it
together again, before he left London.
" Peter was much amused at visiting the Courts of
Westminster, constantly inquiring about the busy peo-
ple in black gowns and wigs, and what they were doing,
and on being answered that they were lawyers— Law-
yers I' said he, with much astonishment, why, I have
but two in my whole dominions, and I believe I shall
hang one of them the moment I get home.' He was
introduced to the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth
Palace, to whom he expressed a desire to see the differ-
ent churches of the metropolis, and to observe the mode
of worship. The Primate appointed Bishop Burnet to
accompany his Majesty, from whom we have a long
report of the Tzar's character and conduct in London,
amongst which is the following He is a man of
very hot temper, soon influenced, and very brutal
in his passions • he raises his natural heat by drink-
ing much brandy, which he rectifies himself with
great application ; he is subject to convulsive motions
all over his body, and his head seems to be affected
with these ; he wants not capacity, and has a larger
measure of knowledge than might have been expected
from his education, which was very indifferent. A want
of judgment, with an instability of temper, appear in him
too often and too evidently ' - he is mechanically turned,
and seems designed by nature rather to be a ship-car-
penter than a great prince. This was his chief study and
exercise while he stayed here ; he wrought much with
his own hands, and made all about him work at, his
models of ships. He was desirous to understand our f);
doctrine, but he did not seem disposed to mend matters
in Muscovy ; there is a mixture both of passion and se-
verity in his temper ; he is resolute, but understands
little of war, and seemed not at all inquisitive in that
way. After I had seen him often, and conversed much St.
with him, I could not but adore the depth of the provi-
St.
dence of God, that had raised up such a furious man to
so absolute an authority over so great a part of the world.' 20
" The Tzar dined with the King at Kensington, when st.
he was prevailed upon to see the ceremony of his Ma- 15
jesty going to the House of Lords to pass some bills of
Parliament ;he had a great objection to being seen, but 6,
he must gratify his curiosity : they therefore put him on 6
the top of the house, where, from a window, he could
see all that was passing, when his grotesque figure occa-
sioned so much merriment to the King and all below, that
his Tzarian Majesty was obliged to descend quicker than 7'
he intended.
" The Marquis of Carmarthen acted as his guide to all
places of public amusement; he went two or three times €
only to the theatre, but, from not knowing the language, pc
he took very little interest in what was going on. At a 2C
ball at St. James's, to which the Tzar was invited, instead
of mixing with the company he was put into a small room,
where he could see all without being seen. His aversion to SI,
the public gaze was so great, that he could not be pre-
vailed upon to go into the body of the House of Com-
mons to hear the debates, but looked down upon it from s
a hole in the ceiling. Never was any monarch so shy
as the great Tzar of Muscovy. His delight was, when S
at Deptford, to get into a small boat belonging to the S
dockyard, with Menzikoff and two or three others, when
he would be the helmsman, and teach them how to com-
mand ships when they go home. Having finished their ,
day's work they used to resort to a public-house to drink
beer and brandy peppered; brandy was the Tzar's fa-
vourite beverage. His Majesty was a hard drinker;—
on one occasion, when coming from Deptford, he was I
lodged at the house of Mr. Morley, where, for his
morning entertainment, he drank a pint of brandy and a
bottle of sherry, at dinner he drank eight more bottles
of sack, and after that went to the playhouse."

Business done —
this Day. 50

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 10, 1852.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
On the motion of Lord COLCHESTER, the Com-
mons Inclosure Bill was read a first time.
On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, the
Oaths in Chancery Bill was read a third time and
passed.
On the motion of the Earl of DERBY, the Bank
Notes Bill was read a third time and passed.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—{YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at a few minutes to four
o'clock.
Mr. SPOONER presented a petition from Glouces-
tershire, praying that the grant to Maynooth be dis-
_

continued.
Mr. J. W. FOX presented petitions from Wisbeach
and other places against the taxes on newspapers ; also
a petition from the Metropolis, in favour of the Crystal
Palace being opened on Sundays.
Mr. DUNCAN presented a petition from the Cham-
ber of Commerce at Dundee, praying that the laws of
Scotland be assimilated to those of England, and also
for an alteration of the banking and commercial laws of
both countries.
Lord STANLEY presented petitions from Ceylon,
Jamaica, and British Guiana, complaining of the dis-
tress in those colonies, and praying for relief.
Mr. COWAN presented a petition from Paisley,
praying for a revision of the parochial school system in
Scotland.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from native inhabi-
tants of Madras, praying that the East India Charter
should not be renewed until their grievances were
inquired into by Parliament ; also a petition from Mr.
Grantley Berkeley, praying for an investigation into
the practices at the last election for West Gloucester,
On the motion of Mr. GRANVILLE BERKELEY,
the petition was read at the table.
The SPEAKER said he was of opinion that it was
open to the same objection as the last petition, which
was presented to the house on the same subject, as it
questioned the vandity of the return of the Member for
Vest Gloucester ; it ought, therefore, to have been
presented by the day fixed by the house for the recep-
tion of election petitions.
Mr. HUME did not see how they could close the
door against petitions containing such allegations.
Mr. HILDYARD thought if they received the pe-
tition they would depart from the salutary practice
which had been adopted by the house.
After a few words from Mr. T. DUNCOMBE, Mr.
HUME consented to withdraw the petition.
Sir J. PAKINGTON presented a petition from
Liverpool, and another from Jamaica, complaining of
the dreadful distress in that colony, and praying for
relief.

RETURN.
On the motion of Mr. HUME a return was ordered
with respect to the appointments, &c., of Judges of the
Court of Session of Scotland.
On the motion of the same Hon. Member a similar
return was ordered in regard to the Sheriffs Courts in
Scotland.

THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE CHANCELLOR
OF THE EXCHEQUER.
In reply to Mr. HUME in regard to the order in which
the Chancellor of the Exchequer intended to move his

resolutions,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I un-
derstood it was the general wish of the house that the
discussion should be taken on the whole financial scheme
which would be laid before them. I understood that was
the general wish of the house; it was certainly the wish of
the Government. That was the reason why I placed all the
resolutions on the table—that there should be placed
before the committee the whole of the measures which
we propose. It will be necessary, of course, formally
to take the decision of the house on the first resolution.
We shall look on the decision of the house on that reso-
lution as conclusive as to the general policy recommended
to the house by the Government.
Sir J. SHELLEY gave notice that to-morrow he
would move as an amendment to the right hon. gentle-
man's first resolution, that the consideration of the
whole subject of the Budget be postponed until after

Christmas.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
there was a controversy the other night in the house
whether the first resolution as to the house tax should
be proposed in a committee of ways and means, or in a
committee on the bill. Having consulted the highest
authorities on the subject, he found that it might be
considered in either committee. He therefore proposed
to go into a committee of ways and means on the house
tax, and subsequently on the tea duties to move to go
into a committee on the act.
REPEAL OF HOP DUTY.
Mr. FREWEN gave notice that, when the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer brought forward his motion for
the reduction of the hop duty, he should move, as an
amendment, that the duty be totally repealed.
TEA DUTIES.
Mr. MACGREGOR gave notice that he would move
as an amendment to the proposed resolution of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on the tea duties, the fol-
lowing resolution :—" That, in lieu of the duties on
customs now payable on tea, the following duties shall,
from and to the respective days herein mentioned, be
charged on tea imported into the United Kingdom,
when entered for home consumption—
" For every pound weight of tea imported into the
United Kingdom when entered for home consumption—
To sth January, 1854, inclusive, Is. 9d.
From sth Jan. 1854, to sth Jan. 1855, inclusive Is. 6d.
From sth Jan. 1855, to sth Jan. 1856, inclusive ls. 3d.
From sth Jan. 1856, to sth Jan. 1857, inclusive ls."
QUARANTINE.
In reply to a question,
Mr. STAFFORD said the Admiralty had nothing to
do with the quarantine of the steam-ship La Plata (as
we understood), but she was kept at a sufficient , dis-
tance to be qnite out of danger.
GENERAL SCREW STEAM SHIPPING
COMPANY.
Mr. WILCOX moved for copies of all correspon-
dence which has taken place between the Board of Ad.
miralty, the General Screw Steam Shipping Company,
and the General Post-office, relating to the application
of that company for the substitution of Southampton
for Plymouth as the port of departure for the steamers
which carry the mails to the Cape of Good Hope and
India : of all official papers which have been forwarded
to, or sent from, the Board of Admiralty, within the
last six months, in reference to the accommodation
which the port of Plymouth affords for ships of the size
and length employed by that company in the conveyance
of these mails, and of the replies teereto : and of all
reports connected with the subject which have been re-
ceived by the Board of Admiralty during the year 1852.
TEA.
Mr. GREGSON wished to ask the Under Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs, whether any arrangements
had been made, and, if not, whether any negotiation is
now pending, for the admission of tea into the United
States of America via Great Britain on the same terms
(duty free) as when imported direct from China, tea
being admitted into Great Britain via United States on
the same terms as from China direct.
Lord STANLEY said the hon. member had given the
house all the information he had upon the subject.
Communication had been made to the United States on
the subject, but no answer had yet been received.
THE BUDGET.

In reply to Sir DE LACY EVANS,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
was not his intention to make any important alteration
in the details of the general statement that he made last
week.

not approved of by that interest which it was supposed
the Government had heretofore represented, and he was
therefore anxious to have the matter more definitively
set at rest. It was a remarkable fact that ever since

not fallen off, or only in a slight degree, that the hon. gen-
tleman should have dwelt on these results was to have been
expected, but to say that our West India colonists had not
suffered, was a statement for which ho was not prepared,
and from which he must totally dissent. Personally ap-
pealed to, as he had been on this subject, he trusted he
might be excused if he brought forward proofs of the tre-
mendous sufferings inflicted on our colonists—sufferings
greater, ho believed, than any country in the world had
ever inflicted upon any portion of its subjects. His diffi-
culty in approaching this part of the subject arose out of
the mass of matter which had accumulated within the last
few years. His duty had been to make a selection of the
proofs which might best illustrate the extent of those suf-
ferings. He would begin with a pamphlet written by his
noble friend the member for Lynn. He believed he had
read this extract before, but what did his noble friend say?
He said, " I was prepared for desolation, but not for wha
I saw. The whole land was strewed with ruins of houses
and mills, and those not old, but new buildings." He then
goes on to say, after alluding to other matters with which
I will not trouble the house, and remember this statement
was not made at a distant period—it was made with regard
to what he saw in 1850. He would now read another ex-
tract from the pamphlet, again referring to British Guiana
in which he said, and he believed the substance of this
was taken from a very important report presented by
certain Commissioners in British Guiana, which gave a
most gloomy account of the condition and prospects of
that island. The pamphlet went on to say,—" Of a
total of about 600 estates now or formerly existing in
British Guiana, the commission reported of 80 as having been
placed under sequestration between 1847 and 1849. I
have it on private authority that in the last year 19 more
have been placed on the list, while 33 have been disposed
of by execution sale. In one month seven estates were
sold. Their collective value at one time was upwards of
170,0001. Their price last year was between 14,000/. and
15,0001. (Hear, hear.) Then Lord Harris, in an important
dispatch, referring to what the hon. gentleman had dwelt
on so much to-day, namely, the increase of the exports,
said, " Notwithstanding, it can be shown without much
difficulty, that not only has there been no profit during a
term of years on all the estates together, but, on the et n-
trary, there has been a dead loss of British capital to the
amount of at least a million sterling." This was the evi-
dence of Lord Harris, referring to the effect of increased
exports. He would not dwell now—though it must be
fresh in the recollection of the hon. gentleman—on the
fearful events that took place in the Mauritius in 1848,
which almost ruined that country, which, he was happy to
say, had almost passed away, and given way to much better
prospects. He would now take the liberty of reading a
letter ; and, as it was a private communication, he would
not mention the name of the writer, but would give it is
the hon. gentleman. The writer was a respectable planter
in Jamaica, and he said—" So utterly do I despair of this
colony rising from the load of distress under which she
has suffered, and still suffers, that lam now offering, quite
voluntarily on my part, to give up my estate for a debt of
less than one-fifth of its value, while my parental estate
in this land is abandoned, though still in my own hands.*
This was a letter dated June of the present year. He now
turned to another extract of tho same kind ; and here again
he would not mention the name, but he also was a pro-
prietor. He said, "In 1819 these estates netted the pro-
prietor 22,0001."
An HON. MEMBER— In one year ?
Sir J. PAKINGTON—Yes, in one year. The writer
proceeds to say—" They now return no income whatever ;
and this is the case with thousands." And here let him
add that that very morning he had'received a letter from a
gentleman with whom he had no acquaintance, but he pre-
sumed he must be a large proprietor, for he told him that
he had 32 properties in Jamaica belonging to him, and that
if some change did not speedily take place, it was his in-
tention to write out by an early packet to abandon the
whole of these 32 properties. Now he appealed to the
house whether the hon. gentleman was justified to take such
a view as he had done of the effects of this legislation. Be
it just or unjust, be it beneficial to the consumers at home
or injurious, he said the hon. gentleman was not justified
in attempting to helt, out that this legislation had not pro-
duced a most frightful ruin of our West India colonists.
He would now read an extract from a letter to a gentleman
of very great intelligence who had come lately to this coun-
try from Jamaica. He came here about six months ago in
an official position, and he would give his name to the hon.
gentleman if he wished it. This was a letter received a
few days ago by his brother, describing what had taken
place in Jamaica since his departure. He said—" I have
duly received your welcome letter of the 21st ult." This
was dated the 21st of November, 1852. "It found me in
low spirits. You can form no conception of the depression,
day by day, going on here. You have not yet been away
six months, and the change would alarm you. Our lower
orders are becoming daily more reckless ; putting aside all
decency ; and vice and crime are walking the streets. Our
better classes are losing all hope, and the aspect of things is
truly distressing." The last evidence with which he would
trouble the house on this part of the subject—for he
thought the house would believe that evidence was not
wanting—was an official paper. It was headed " A return
of public taxes, rates, and dues lately raised or to be col-
lected for the coming year, 1852." It was a general state-
ment of the rates and taxes to be levied upon Jamaica
generally, and the first column showed the value at which
the property of Jamaica was assessed for the purpose of taxa-
tion. It gave every country and every parish, and the
result was, that in the year 1851 the rateable value of
Jamaica property by this return was 9,499,7901. ; but the
rateable value of Jamaica property in the precedng year,
1850, was 11,556,3791. (Hear, hear.) Now, he asked the
house if ho could adduce a more painful proof of the hor-
rible distress in which their boasted legislation had involved
the West India colonists, than by showing them that in one
year the value of property in Jamaica had decreased up-
wards of two millions,of money, and two-elevenths of the
whole of the property of the country. The hon. gentleman
said the effect of the act of 1846 ought to be seen in
five years. He quite agreed with him, and thought he
had shown them the effect of the act in five years. But the
hon. gentleman talked of unrestricted competition, and
he was astonished to hear such a momentary forgetfulness of
the facts. Instead of five years of unrestricted competition,
these five years had been years in which, though they had
admitted slave produce to a great extent, they had, neverthe-
less, been years during which the British grower had been
protected by a high, though a gradually descending pro-
tective duty ; and at this moment, when the hon. gentle-
man talked of unrestricted competition, they had, in fact,
a differential duty in favour of the colonial grower, of up-
wards of 30 per cent. During the whole of the present
year, British Muscavado sugarlhad been admitted at a duty
of 10s. per cwt. (Mr. Wilson here made a remark which
was not heard in the gallery.) Ho begged the hon. gen-
tleman's pardon • he spoke of unrestricted competition;
but whether he did or not, it did not affect the
facts. It was not unrestricted competition. (Hear,
hear.) While British Muscovado sugar had paid a
duty of 10s. during the present year, foreign sugar
from the Ist of January to the sth of July paid 15s. 6d.
and now was paying 14s. 6d. Consequently, at this time
the British producer was protected, and had, throughout
the present year been protected, by a duty amounting to con-
siderably upwards of 30 per cent. The hon. gentleman
spoke of adopting this policy once and for ever, and he
boasted of the policy of 1846. Now, he must say that, if
there was ono thing which ho had learned from his expe-
rience in that house, it was to disavow, if not to
treat with ridicule, any idea of final settlement by Parlia-
ment of groat financial and commercial speculations. (Hear.)
In matters of indisputable principle, on great principles of
right and wrong they might come to a final settlement ;
but when they came to deal with matters concerning the
comforts of the people, with fiscal arrangements, he said
that final settlement was an absurdity; and what was more,
that if Parliament were to attempt to arrive at final
settlement, it would be binding the first functions of the
Legislature. Why, it was their duty to consider the de-
mands of the people—it was their duty to consider in these
fiscal and commercial matters what the interest of the
country mainly required. He was not now speaking of any
of the questions of the present day more particularly. He
was only laying down a rule, that he thought every sen-
sible man, whatever his feeling might be, must subscribe to.
He said, they must shape their legislation, from time to
time, as the necessities of the country required, and as the
comforts of the people required.. Why, was there not
to make them very cautious how they embarked in final
enough in the proceedings of Parliament on this very sub-
jectwhen he proposed this measure in declared
settlements ? Why, the noble laorfidntlhBle4szietemlxebmpererensitsfolvr
aLnodndhoonw,
that he did it with a view to
long did ititlalsvta9s.—Not
etwom gyheta rbs
0.
pI
et
rvi sma
ts
tie)
(al s
os e d
eioni
nA
au g un
new
tw,
1846, and
word—unfinalised in July, 1848. In 1848 it was found
that the Legislation of 1846 was no longer tenable, and his
right hon. friend the then Chancellor of the Exchequer,
was obliged to come down to that house and propose an im-
portant modification in the bill of 1846, but the distress,
the very great distress, which had previously existed, did
not pass away. The alteration of the law, however, had a
great effect. In 1848 the price had fallen to an amount
lower almost than it had ever been. It fell to 235. Bd. per
cwt. The quantity of foreign sugar retained for home con-
sumption had risen under the new act to the enormous
amount of 1,120,783 cwts., and the consumption of colonial
sugar had fallen to 3,500,381 cwts. The result of the
change of the law in 1848 was to check this groat consump-
tion of foreign sugar, and to give an encouragement to
home-grown sugar. He found that in 1849 the figurese
materially altered. The foreign sugar consumed at home
amounted amounted to 496,475 cwts., while tho c_o_nuswimnptileo
oar
olnn roseythtee
eolonial sugar had risen to 4,054,981 owls. B t
ti
1850 this state of things was again Chang
ue4
foreign sugar retained for home
to
3,786,000 cwts. It
820,967 cwts., and colonial sugar fell
great distress of these
was in this year, 1850, that
his, no
Parliament. He joined
colonies was no longer a member of
honourablewasa Buxton, in pressing the matter
this house, Sir Edwardgfariinenpdreosfsedh
s then defeated, but he saw no
on Government.
H© vas he then took. The year 1851
reason to regret the
renewed effort, except that at the
passed by without any
he himself pressed upon the ho in
close of the session
as he then thought, and still thought,
the strongest terms,
co mists, and that
to the British they
the injustice done
the
adopt the plan which Chancellor of the Ex-
chequershould
consented to adopt, namely, that the ' •
had cense _ British
refine • b
grower should be allowed to bond. This was the only
movement which was made in that session. He now came
to that which had been pointedly commented on, and very
justly said—he made no complaint—by
the hon. member,
namely, the notice which he himself gave at the close of the
session of 1851, that at the commencement of the session of
1852 he should draw the attention of Parliament to this
subject, and press upon them the necessity of modifying the
law of 1848. The hon. gentleman had stated, with perfect
truth, that at the commencement of last session he renewed
that notice, and at the time when the present Government
came into office that notice was standing in the order book
in his name as a dropped notice. After he came into office
he gave explanations which the hon. gentleman had advert -
ed to why it was not his intention to bring it forward last
session, and he was now prepared to say why he gave that
notice, and why he concurred in the announcement made
by her Majesty's Government now. The state of things as
regarded the sugar trade at the commencement of the last
session was this : The foreign sugar entered for home con-
sumption had risen to an amount entirely without prece-
dent ; it had risen to 1,297,041 cwts., and the consumption
of British sugar had fallen to 3,596,868 cwr•Theythus
found an immense increase in the ocoanstua on of
fallingloff in colonialiarel
slave-grown sugar, and a simultaneous
the end of 1851
sugar. But that was not all. Towards
the price had fallen to an extremely low amount,
an amount
at that time ' without precedent, and far lower than the
price which had caused such panic and distress in 1848.
b •of that year, the highest •
ar, price
In November and December
of any week was 21s. 10d., the lowest price 19s. Well,
what took place at the commencement of 1852 ? Why,
tl They ranged from 225. to 21s. in
February ; in the first two weeks in March they fell to
and in the last week the price was 20s.
The first week in April it was 18s. 5d., the lowest
price that sugar had ever been known iu this coun-
try. This was the state of things in which he was pre-
pared to move in the spring of last year. The year 1851
had been distinguished by three circumstances of the
gravest importance connected with the sugar trade of the
country, namely, an increase of foreign sugar, a simulta•

the war the consumption of sugar had remained almost
stationary, and he thought that fact sufficiently
proved that something had been wrong in the laws
which regulated the supply and demand of the
article. The consumption of sugar in the three years
preceding the passing of the existing law was consider-
ably less than what it was in the three years subsequent
to the passing of the act. The consumption of British
sugar had increased nearly fifty per cent. during the last
three years ; and that fact, coupled with the stationary
nature of the previous consumption, was a satisfactory
woof that the act of 1846 had been successful.
But it was argued that the increased supply had
been obtained from the Mauritius and the East Indies ;
but if the house would look to the returns, it would find
that there had been as great an increase in the produc-
tion of the West Indian colonies. The average produc-
tion of the West Indian colonies during the five years
preceding the adoption of free trade was 216,000 tons a
year ; but after the adoption of free trade, taking the
average of five years, dating from 1847, the average
production had been 266,000 tons, showing an average
increase of 50,000 tons per annum. It was unnecessary
for him to go further to establish the efficiency
of the present law, but if they looked at the returns
of the British sugar colonies during the time of slavery
they would be found to he not equal to those of
the last five years. For instance, the average pro-
duction of the five years from 1831 to 1835 was
only 221,000 tons per annum, while during the five
years succeeding the adoption of free trade, the produc-
tion had averaged 266,000 tons per annum. It was
true, also, that there had been a large increase in the
production of the slave growing States, but that increase
was not attributable to an increase in slave over free
labour, but to the increase of machinery, which had been
exported to those States from this country ; and it was
to be regretted that the delusive hopes which had
been held out to the British colonies had pre-
vented their making use of similar means to
increase their production. But in spite of all the diffi-
culties which the British producer had to contend against,
he had surpassed the foreigner considerably ; for while
the produce of the slave-growing states had only in-
creased 25 per cent. during the last five years, that of
the British Sugar Colonies had increased 38 per cent. It
was, therefore, preposterous to argue that free trade had
proved ruinous to the latter ; it had, on the contrary,
greatly assisted the West Indies, while it had supplied
increased employment for our artizans at home.
Nor had the revenue suffered from the change in the
system, for whereas the revenue yielded by rum and
sugar previous to 1846, when free trade was first applied
to the West Indies, was 5,981,0001. a-year, while in
the present year it was 5,446,0001., showing a very
slight falling off indeed, when it was considered that
the change had saved the people something like
12,000,0001. a year in the price of the commodities of
rum and sugar. He made these remarks with a view of
showing the house that the subject had not been neg-
lected, and that every pains had been taken to extend
to the colonies the privilege of refining in bond. If
however, the right hon. gentleman could satisfy himself,
for he admitted it was a matter more for the details of a
department than for legislative interference as a principle
—if they would safely introduce refining in bond, with-
out imposing any serious difficulty or inconvenience upon
the refiner, he thought it would be attended with advan-
tage—in oft, be a great boon to the colonists. He
apologised to the house for making this somewhat length-
ened statement, and would not have done so had he not
thought that, in the peculiar position in which the ques-
tion now stood, it was the duty of the house to vindicate,
not the conduct of a party—not those who were instru-
mental in bringing forward the measure, but the Parlia-
ment of Great Britain, in dealing with our colonial pos-
sessions. He hoped he would never see the day when
that house could be justly charged with indifference to
the interests of the colonists ; and did he not sincerely
believe that the policy which we had adopted in 1846
was calculated, eventually, to benefit the colonies them-
selves, as well as the whole of the empire, he, for one,
would never have sanctioned it. (Hear, hear.)
The motion having been put and seconded,
Sir J. PAKINGTON complimented the hon. gentleman
upon the extensive knowledge and great accuracy of detail
he had displayed in addressing the house ; and proceeded
to say that the hon. gentleman had so pointedly referred
to the course which, for some years, he (Sir J. Pakington)
had taken on this question, that he hoped the house would
listen to him while he offered some observations in reply.
The hon. gentleman had said that his motive on this occa-
sion was to vindicate the policy of the last five years, and
he (Sir J. Pakington) asked for as great an indulgence
while he defended the view ho had taken during that time
in regard to that policy. Ho did not wonder that the hon.
gentleman should have taken every advantage for the pur-
poses of his argument, of the remarkable circumstances of
the sugar trade in the present year ; but with regard to the
present state of this most important subject, and with re-
gard to the prospects of the sugar colonies, he (Sir J. Pa-
kington) would endeavour to speak with the most perfect
candour. He was never disposed to shrink from an avowal
of his opinion, or of a change of opinion ; and he thought
that the part a public man should be really ashamed of
was any hesitation in the confession that in any former
view he had been mistaken. But in this instance, in jus-
tice to himself, and after reviewing all that he had said or
done on the subject, he was bound to observe that he was
not now disposed to retract anything. He admitted frankly
that the figures which marked the sugar trade for the cur-
-1 rent year were figures which ho had not expected to have
seen • and, on the other hand, he thought it probable that
if he had asked the hon. gentleman himself twelve months
ago, or oven so late as last February, whether he antici-
pated such figures as those which bad been referred to the
other evening by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he would
have considered them as very extravagant. The hon. gen-
tleman had recited on this occasion the objection urged by
him (Sir J. Pakington) and his friends to the policy of the
noble lord the member for the city of London : those ob-
jections being that in the first place the act of 1846 would
encourage the slave trade ; next, that it would stimulate
the produce of sugar produced by the instrumentality of
slaves ; and thirdly, that it would injure the interests of
our own sugar-producing colonies ; and the hon. gentleman
had contended that in every one of these respects the pre-
dictions had been falsified. Here he joined issue with the
hon. gentleman ; and he would maintain that in each in-
stance his predictions had been fulfilled. First, as to the
slave trade. The hon. gentleman mentioned the circum-
stances of the slave trade in m
1846 ; an
on in d he then apde pea during
to
the great and gratifying nuti ti
the last year (1851). Bet the hon. gentleman neglected two
important points. Ho did not advert to the condition of
she slave trade previous to 1846 ; and he made no reference
to the state of the slave trade during the years which inter-
vened between 1846 and 1851. All that the hon. gentle-
man had said, in the way of distinction, was, that the
import of slaves into Brazil in 1846, although large, was not
to be taken into calculation, inasmuch as that was the
year in which the legislation in question took place, and
hence the circumstances of that year could not have been
affected by our legislation. But there was a Parliamentary
paper on the table which showed the whole facts very
conclusively. In 1812 the import of slaves to Brazil was
17,405 ; in 1843, 19,095 ; in 1844, 22,849 ; and in 1845,
19,453. He passed the year 1846 as not in question, and
he came to 1847, in which the import was 56,173 ; in 1848,
60,000 ; in 1849, 54,000 ; in 1850, 23,000. The difference,
therefore was prodigious; and it was impossible to resist
the conclusion, looking to the nature of our legislation,
that the act of 1846, introducing slave produce into this
country, had given an enormous stimulus to the slave trade,
and had been the cause of that rapid and startling increase
which the figures he had read would show. In 1851, how-
ever, as the hon. gentleman pointed out, the import into
Brazil suddenly dropped to 3,267. He stated the fact with
great pleasure ; and in the present year it would be found,
he was glad to know, that the slave traffic to Brazil had al-
most ceased. But he hoped the hon. gentleman would not
think he was very unfair if he stated his suspicions that the
glut, as he might call it, of the slave market in Brazil in
1851, and the almost complete cessation of the trade in
1852, were not wholly unconnected with the enormous
number of slaves forced into Brazil in the four preceding
years. The circumstances of the traffic in thotre rilrocaNnall
years were such as, he believed, had
Government some alarm, so that a sudden fall in the num-
bers imported took place ; would confessed he was not
a sanguine that future years be marked by the same
sabnsencle of a slave trade to Brazil which distinguished the
present year. In regard to Cuba, much the same
hon circum-
stances and results were observable. (The right . gen-
g
tleman here read the figures illustrating his argument.)
The number imported into Cuba had fallen from 8,749 in
1849, to 5,000 in 1851; but the hon. gentleman was no
doubt aware of the fact, which it was melancholy to state,
that in the present year the slave trade to that island had
been increasing, and the new Captain-General of Cuba was
not, it was to be apprehended, by any means disposed to
discourage the trade. Putting the whole of these facts to-
gether, he thought he had said enough to show that on this
point the results had borne out his and his friends' predic-
tions. He came, then, to the second argument urged
against the act of 1846, that it would tend to give a stimu-
lus to the production of slave-grown sugar. Here he had
in some degree to complain of the figures used by the hon.
gentleman, though no doubt the hon. gentleman was en-
titled to use those figures which best assisted his own view
of the case. But, here, again, he was prepared to show, as
far as an inference could be drawn from facts, that the act
of 1846 had given an enormous stimulus, as a consequence
of giving a stimulus to the slave trade itself, to the produce
of sugar grown and manufactured by means of slave labour;
and that while this country had been making prodigious
efforts to suppress this disgraceful traffic, this unhappy le-
efforts
of 1846, as he would still insist on calling
iioto
had had the effect to the greatest degree that
reduced by
could have, of forcing the growth of sus y
slave labour. The hon. gentleman was no.fidaroruebstperacwtatroe that
the information which was obtained with
subject from Brazil, was given in
oregaarnat; "casks " and
and ho (Sir J.
other quantities little known in B gi
Pakington) had therefore reduced thet 4rteattu:nosf
ttboo
sclwi
gtasr.
The hon. gentleman had not tout had only admitted the
market of Brazil prior to 1846
great uhed
But attention to the figures
great increase since 1846•
The average exports of the
which represented the state of things previous to 1846 in
Cuba was also very necessary.
4 years ending 1845,f from Cuba, were 3,191,706 cwts.; and
the average exports rum Cuba in the four years ending
1850 (passing over the transitive year 184 G) were 4,945,814
cwts. He would now show the house the aggregate re-
sults, taking the produce of these two slave growing coun-
tries. The average exports of the four years to 1846 were
4,290,841 cwts., and of the four years ending 1850 were
6,266,770 cwts., showing an increase in the latter four years
of 1,975,839 cwts. Well, he thought he might appeal to
these figures with the same confidence that he did to his
figures on the slave trade, to show that the effect of the
legislation of 1846 was to give a great stimulus to the pro-
duce of sugar by slave labour. He now came to the third
point--namely, the effect on our sugar producing colonies.
Now, the hon. gentleman had met this part of the subject,
he must say, with great coolness. That the consumers in
this country had derived great benefit he was perfectly
willing to admit. The imports to this country had swollen
from somewhere about two millions of cwts., at the be-
ginning of the century, to about four million cwts., at the
extinction of slavery, and now amounted to upwards of six
million cwts., cheapened enormously by our recent legisla-
tion, in consequence of which, while the comforts of the
consumer had been greatly promoted and the revenue had