The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-12 00:00:00

Mr. Cobden and the Sugar Duties.

Mr. Cobden has forwarded the following reply
to a memorial from the Rochdale Tradesmen's As-
sociation in reference to the sugar duties :

London, March 10, 1864.

Gentlemen,--I have to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter respecting the sugar duties. lam no friend of custom-
houses, as you know, but if duties are to be levied on im•
ports, the most equitable mode for the consumer of levying
them is on the ad valorem principle, This no one will; I
suppose, dispute. It is said that this mode is impracticable
in the case of sugar, owing to the difficulty of assessing the
value of the different qualities. lam not quite clear that
this is true. But if it be. it is another argument against cus-
toms duties, because it is an admission that they cannot bo
imposed equitably. As an approximation to the ad valorem
principle, the present sugar duties are framed so as to impose
a different specific duty on several qualities of sugar. It is
urged in opposition to this plan that it operates as a protec-
tion to the lowest qualities, and to the refiners; and the fact
adduced to prove this is that a very large proportion of the
raw sugar imported is of so low a quality as to require re-
fining. I cannot, however, regard this as a conclusive argu-
ment in the matter, for we know that large quantities of
upper ore are imported tobe smelted in thiscouutry, though
there is no duty on copper or copper ore ; and I know the
proprietors of an iron works in Wales who import largely of
ironstone from the Mediterranean, although they raise the
same materials at their own doors. It is quite possible that
if there were no duty on sugar of any kind, it would be ad-
vantageous to import low qualities of sugar to be refined in
this country, inasmuch as the cheapness of fuel, the greater
capitals, and the superiority in labour and machinery,might
more than compensate for the expense of transporting the raw
material from the place of growth to our shores. This ques-
tion has been much forced on my attention, and I really do
not know why, as I have no voice in the Chancellor of the.
Exchequer's arrangements. In writing to you, however,
who stand in the position of my constituents, I think it re-
spectful to offer this explanation, and to add, as my opinion,
that if it should lie within Mr. Gladstone's competence to
reduce the duty to a very small rate, it might then be al-
lowed to remain a uniform fixed duty. But if the present
rate, or anything like it, be ratained, then I think injustice
to the consumer there ought to be ad valorem duties
(which I am by no means convinced is impracticable), or a
discriminating scale similar to what now exists.—l remain,
&c., BICILARD COBDEN.

Meesrs. Joseph Handley, Thomas Brandon, and others.

Vacancies, Promotions, and Appointments

in the Civil Service.

(From the Civil Service Gazette.)

BOARD Or TRADE—Mr C. Pettit and Mr W. W. Leaker
have been appointed to clerkships.
SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT—Mr P. C. Owen and
Mr J. H. Pollen, M.A., late Fellow of Merton, Oxford,
have been appointed museum keepers—Miss Trulock to be
lady superintendent of the female training school—and Mr
H. E. Acton a second-class clerk, South Kensington
Museum.

OFFICE or WOODS-Mr A. M. hart has been appointed
to a clerkship,
LAw DEPARTMENT-Mr T. Swain has been appointed to
be a clerk in the Master's °flee, Exchequer of Pleas,
London.

TEE POST OFFICE-Mr E. Si. Pratt has been appointed
postmaster at Coventry—Mr Briscoe from the probationary
to the third class of clerks in the Secretary's Office, Lon-
don—and Mr. W. B. Challice a temporary clerk, London—
Messrs. B. Perkins, G. Dameldenger, E, Fisher, T. Pitt,
and 0. Stanbridge have been promoted from the second to
the first class and Messrs R. Wilson, P. Cross, W. Lums-
den, T, Winkskill, and D. Commins, from tho third to the
second class of clerks, in the Circolation Department,
London.

EMIGRATION OITIOE—Mr. R. Reece has been appointed
an extra temporary clerk.
STATIONERY CIFFicE—Mr J. A. Guppy has been ap-
pointed a snb-warehouseman.
INLAND REVENUE—Stamps and Tax Branch—Mr W.
W. Jackson has been appointed to be assistant-surveyor of
taxes. Excise Branch—Mr J Kemp, officer, Alloa, fifth
division, Stirling collection, has been appointed examiner—
Mr 11 Cullinan, officer, I3rentford, first division, to Ham•
mersmith, first division—Mr W. Reeves, officer, Camden-
town, fourth division, to Brentford, first division —Mr J.
F. Snowden, officer, Norwich, fourth division, to Camden-
town, fourth division—and Mr. G. H. Madden, officer,
Woking ride, to Norwich, fourth division.
IRELAND.—Mr G. 0, Hanlon has been appointed a clerk
in the Commissioners of Metropolitan Police-office, Dub-
lin--and Mr T. "%Murray, Mr R, J. Brow, Mr T. F.
and Mr C. H. 'feeling, clerks
in the Registrar-General's-office,
Taylor, Mr J. De Glanville, Mr A. C. E. Hill, Mr J. F.
Beveridge, Mr W. Bayley,
THE EAST INDIES.—Mr R. F. Stack has been ap-
pointed to officiate as Solicitor to the Government of India
Mr J. W. Twalling to be registrar in the Financial Secre •
tary's-office-11ir I. G, Hewson to bo probationer in the
Financial Secretary's-office—Mir A. T. T. Peterson to be a
member of tha Council of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ben-
gal for making laws and regulations—Lieutenant-Colonel
J, C. Houghton to be commissioner of Cooch Behar—
Captain G. F. S. Browne, deputy-commissioner, first-class,
Central Provinces, to be Commissioner of the Jubbulpore
division, vice Mr A. H. Cocks, CB, resigned—Mr E. F.
Lantour, to be additional judge of Bhaugulpore—Mr W.
Ainslie to be civil and sessions judge of Patna—Mr A. E.
Russell to be civil and sessions judge of Behar—Mr W. B.
Buckle, officiating civil and sessions judge of Moorshedabad,
to be civil and sessions judge of that district—Mr W. T.
Tucker, officiating civil and sessions judge of Backergunge,
to be civil and sessions judge of that district—Mr T. E.
Ravenshaw to be a magistrate and collector of the first grade
in Midnapore—Mr R. Alexander, to be a magistrate and
collector of the second grade in Rungpore—Mr E. G.
Birch to be a magistrate and collector of Balasore ; Mr. E.
W. Molony to be a magistrate and coilector of the second
grade in Jessore ; Mr li, F. I. Kean to officiate as joint-
, magistrate and deputy collector of Behar; Mr H. A.
Mangles, officiating civil paymaster, a Government director
of the Bank of Bombay; and Mr W. M. P. Coughlan, to
be senior assisiaut and sessions judge at Broach, vice Mr
Sgud with.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

LREITTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

FRANCE.

PARIS, MARCH 12.
The Emperor received the Duke of Saxe Coburg
Gotha yesterday.
The Minister of the Emperor's Household has
just charged M. Chenillion with the execution of a
bust in marble of the late Cardinal Morlot.

The Emperor, on the proposition of the Minister
of War, has extended his clemency to 599 military
prisoners. Out of that number 402 have had the
remaining period of their punishments remitted,
and the 197 others have had their terms of confine-
ment reduced.

BOURSE, 111:Irch 11.—The market remains with•
out any material change, bat with little business
doing. Threes, for the Account, are now at 66f.
40c. Mobilier have receded to 1,040 f. Very little
doing in Railway Shares. The market closed as
follows :

41 per Cents. 93 5 lltalianLoan —

moni

Do. em

moni

3 per Cents - - - - 66 40
Do. end month 66 45
Credit Mobilier 1045
Do. end month 1042 50
Bank Shares 3310
Credit Foncier 1250
Roman —

New ditto
Do. end month....
Russian .. —
Austrian
Spanish Threes 5l 75
Rome Debt
Deferred

BAIL

Cash. Account.
1002 50 .. 1005
955 .. 953 75

Orleans
Northern ....
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 927 50 .. 927 50
New ditto
Southern
Western
Eastern ....
Sanlinian .. 372 75 373 75
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa 585 552 50
Ditto to Barcelona