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

Mr. Cobden and the Sugar Duties,

Mr. Cobden has forwarded the following reply
to & 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. I am 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 be
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 thafact
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
copper ore are imported lobe smelted in this country, 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 theraw
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-
-1 lowed to remain a uniform fixed duty. But if the present
rate, or anything like it, be r3tained, 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 whet now exists.—l remain,
&C., RICISARD COBDEN.

ilessrs. Joseph Handley, Thomas Brandon, and others.

Vacancies, Promotions, and Appointments

in the Civil Service.

(From the Civil Service Gazette.)

BOARD OF TRADE—Mr C. Pettit and Mr W. W. Le4ker
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 Office, Exchequer of Pleas,
London.

THE POST OFFICE—Mr E. H. Prat( 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 O. 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 the third to the
second class of clerks, in the Circulation Department,
London.

EMIGRATION OFFICE—Mr. R. Reece has been appointed
an extra temporary clerk.
STATIONERY OFFICE—Mr J. A. Guppy has been ap-
pointed a sub- 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 E Cullinen, offices, Brentford, first division, to Ham.
reersmith, 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, Trenton 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.
Taylor, Mr J. De Glanville, Mr A. C. E. Hill, Mr J. F.
Beveridgv, Mr W. Bayley, and Mr C. H. Teeling, clerks
in the Registrar-General's-office, Dublin.
T ILE EAST INDIES.—Mr R. F. Stack has been ap-
pointed to officiate as Solicitor to the Government of India
Mr J. W. T walling to be registrar in the Financial Secre-
tary's-office—Mr I, G. 'Howson to be probationer in the
Financial Secretary's office—Mr A. T. T. Peterson to be a
member of the Council of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ben-
gal for making laws and regulations—Lieutenant-Colonel
J. C. Haughton to be commissioner of Cooch Behar—
Captain G. F. S. Browne, deputy-commissioner, first-class,
Central Provinces, to he 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-11h 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 Rut ;pore—Mr E. G.
Birch to be a magistrate and collector of Balasoro ; Mr. E.
W. Molony to be a magistrate and collector of the second
grade in Jessore ; Mr H. 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 asaisiant and sessions judge at Broach, vice Mr
Saudwith,