The Sun.
London, England, 1830-07-27 00:00:00

COAL TRADE.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

Earl BATEIVRST presented. the Report from the
Committee on the state of the Coal Trade, which
was ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed,
and the evidence to be delivered out.
THE MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY.
My Lords, the Report of the Committee up-
pointed to inquire into the state of the Coal Trade
having been laid on your Lordships' Table, I cannot
help taking advantage of this opportunity, of con-
gratulating the House and the country, on the re-
sult of the labours of this Committee, and on the
fact that the Report is so very favourable to the
views of those who pressed this subject upon
the consideration of his Majesty's Govern-
meat. Having been the humble individual
who persevered, under every discouragement
from his Majesty's Ministers, in forcing this
subject on public attention, and having con-
tended that the unjust monopoly which was alleged
to exist amongst the coal-owners, which had the
effect of keeping up the price of coal, had no foun-
dation in fact, it is beyond measure gratifying to
me, to have it proved before your Lordships Com-
mittee, that this article, which is justly considered
as a necessary of life, is not improperly taxed by
those who are the proprietors of coal mines, but
that its high price is the effect of those improvident
and impolitic arrangements made subsequent to the
article being removed from the pit's mouth, and
after its arrival in the port of London, when it gets
into the possession of those who dispose of it to the
consumer; and who, in consequence of the arrange-
ments which exist, raise the price of coals to the
consumers of the metropolis and to the poor.
With your Lordships' permission, I shall shortly
stets the result to which the Committee have come
on this inquiry. After giving an account of the
several clauses in the Act for regulating the coal-
trade in the City of London, the Committee state,
" that in every stage from the port of shipment to the
coal-merchant's wharf, and from thence to the con-
sumer's cellar, the enactments are productive of delay
an aggravation of expense, and an encouragement to
fraud ;" and they add, that an entire revision of the
Act of 47th Geo. 111, is indispensable, whether the
duty be hereafter to be levied, as it is ut present, by
measure, or by weight, which is strongly recom-
mended. The ascertaining the duty by weight, and
selling by weight, instead of by measure, the Com-
mittee are of opinion would obviate many of the
temptations to fraud which at present exist. In
another part of their Report the Committee state,
" that after paying the working meter and providing
vats, the duty of 4d. per chaldron metage paid to
the corporation of London leaves a clear annual sur-
plus of about 10,0001., which is applied to the ge-
neral purposes of the corporation."
The Committee, my Lords, report distinctly, that
as long as competition exists, as it now does amongst
the coal-owners, it is totally impossible that they can
raise the price of coals in the manner alleged. On
the whole, I earnestly recommend the whole of the
evidence as reported, to your Lordships' perusal.
Such a mass of information was never before deli-
vered on the subject. The evidence of Mr. Huddle,
the secretary of the Tyne and Weir Committee of the
Trade, is at once so comprehensive, luminous, and
satisfactory, that it is impossible to read through it
without being struck with the force of all that is
ulleged, and with the ability of the witness, as well,'
indeed, as that of many others who have given va-
luable information. This mass of evidence shows
that the assertions made on the side of the corpo-
ration of Landon and others, are wholly erroneous.
The entire cause of the 1411 price of charges exists
in the metropolis; and it clearly appears to be the
dues levied -by the city of London, that occasion the
high price of the article, and in no degree to be at-
tributed to any conduct on the part of the trade.
I trust, my Lords, that this Report will be fol-
lowed up by the introduction next year of a Bill
which will entirely new regulate the coal trade, and
repeal the Act of 47 Geo. 111. ; and I, as an
humble Member of this Committee will have to
congratulate myself on the result of its labours,
when we shell see the nefarious and improper
charges made on the consumers of coals largely re-
duced, and the poor of the metropolis reaping the
benefit of having their coals cheaper than heretofore.
I regret, however, my Lords, that the Committee
have not touched or reported upon, one importantl
branch of this subject--I mean the King's duty of
Os. a chaldron on cords brought to London. The
power of Noble Lords in the Government was not
to be shaken on that point. The Report is, never-
theless, exceedingly valuable, as it points out the
way in which the metropolis may be benefitted by a
reduction in price, and shows, at the same time,
that the insinuations against the coal-owners are ut-
terly false and unfounded. And it is to be hoped, if'
Ministers seriously look into all the circumstances
connected with this trade, that they will, for their
own sakes, come forward in the next Session, and
largely diminish the direct impost of the Gs. duty ;1
for if they do not, they may be quite sure, from whet
lies occurred during the present Session, that it will
be pressed with effect and energy in the other House
of Parliament.

1.1110111 CIF MUMS THIS
Bank stock .... ..... .4 322 221
3 per Cent. Red. ............93%14
3 per Cent. Cons. .92% 3 2
3g per Cent. lOl
nide qed....... 100% 1 100 i,
New 314 per Cent
4 per Cent. 1,26 lod 6
lank L. Ann
Ditto 30 years ...
Ditto 30 year
India Stock .......... .. . -..-
Mtn Month 93 pm.

!RIM OF FOREIGN FUNDS
Austrian Bonds lO2
Brazilian Bonds ......
Buenos Ayres Bonds
Chinn Bonds ...........
Colombian Bond"s
Ditto, l4
Danish
6 sax Bonds —
Ditto, 1825 .............
Guatimala.
Mexican Bonds
1823

?RIM OF SHARKS THIS DAY AT ONX o'cLoct.
Paid. Per Shart
Brazilian Imp. Min. Co. (in. at 5/. pm.) £2O
Ditto National 12%
I)itt oCocaes
Heal del Monte Mining Co.
Canada Company

al
7
65
14 153.

Arrived.