The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-24 00:00:00

WOOL TRADE.

The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition signed
ISI respectable farmers of Romney Marsh, praying
their Lordships to alter the duties on Foreign Wool. The
N 4,1,1, Duke took this opportunity of correcting a mistake
which had gone abroad relative to his intention to make
en tain motions respecting the Wool Trade. The Noble
Duke Legged to say he had no intention of making such
nantions unless numerous petitions were presented on the

,object.
The Houee adjourned at a Quarter-put Five o'clock to
Thursday next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(LAST NIGHT.)
Tho SPEAKER took the Chair at Ten liinutes to Four
o'clock.
A great number of private Bills were brought up and
read a first time.
EAST INDIA TRADE.
Mr. W. DUNDAS presented a petition front the Cor-
poration of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, praying
for a removal of the restrictions on the trade between this
country and the East Indies.
MALT TAX.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL presented four petitions from
places in the county of Kent, praying for a repeal of the
Malt Tax ; and also several other petitisrus front the same
comity, complaining of distress, and praying for relief.
Colonel SIBTHORPE presented a petition from Horn-
castle, which he read at length. It set forth in strong
language the distress under which the country was labour-
ing, and prayed the Honourable House to retrace its steps.
After a few observations from Sir W. INGILBY, the
petition wes ordered to lie upon the table.
Mr. WELLS presented a petition from the inhabitants
of Tonbridge Wells, praying fur a repeal of the Malt Tax.
The Hon. Member said the petition had his most hearty
support.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from the city of
Waterford, complaining of the conduct of the Mayor in a
late election, and also a petition from Drogheda, set-
ting forth the evils that daily resulted front the operations
of the Sub-letting Act, and praying for a repeal. The
Hon. Member then moved for certain Returns connected
with the Coal Trade of Dublin.
Sir JOHN OWEN presented a petition from Narbeth,
complaining of general distress
REDUCTION OF TAXES.
Mr. ROBINSON gave notice that on Friday, the 19th
of March, I,e should submit a resolution to the House to
the effect—That it was expedient to relieve the labouring
classes, by a repeal of the Duties on Sugar, Candles,
Soap, Malt, and Beer, and every other article practicable
of reduction, and that it was advisable that an equitable
Property Tax should be resorted to.
CLARENCE BRIDGE.
Mr. CHARLES PALLMER brought up a Bill for
erecting a Bridge across the River Thames, from Church-
street, Lambeth, to the Horse Ferry-road, Westminster.
Mr. HUME moved for returns relating to the
collection of the assessed taxes. The Hon. Member said
that he had received information from all parts of the
country, that there was more difficulty in collecting these
taxes than all the others put together, which fact, when the
returns ware presented he should be able to prove, and
also that the public revenue would be much benefited by
a repeal of them.
Mr. FIUME then moved for a return of the salaries
and expenses of the Receivers-General of Assessed Taxes
in Ireland.—Ordered.
Mr. HUME said, that he did strongly object to the
'Naval Estimates being all voted in one sum. lie wished
to have the expenditure of the Marines under a different
head, which was necessary to enable him to ascertain tire
pay of the officers and men of that corps, so as to form a
correct estitnute of the expenditure of last year.
Mr. HUME then moved fur a return, which lie hoped
the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not object to, it
was fur the amount of the rental of each parish within the
hills of mortality.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had ne
objection to the returns, but would rather hare a little
time to consider of it.
Mr. HUME would not press his motion.
Mr. WESTERN presented a petition from a place in
"sex, preying for a repeal of the Malt Tax.
R. COLBORNE was of opinion that the tax on
1 beer was not of that injury to the country
.'enerally supposed. It did not increase the
't of porter more than one halfpenny.
sake this opportunity of calling the
-,Friend, the Chancellor of the
eystem.—(Hear, hear. )-
-see up that important subject, it would
..core advantage than reducing the duty on beer.
it would also in his (Mr. Cc 'Thorne's) opinion be of con-
siderable advantage to the let touring classes if the duty on
spirits were raised 2s. or as. a gallon. lie threw out
these hints as worthy the co.e.sideration of his Right Hun.
Ft lend.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
was his ;intention on an early-day to move for a Committee
to inquire into the present sta.te of the Licensing System,
particularly as related to the licensing of houses fur the •
sale elf beer.—( Hear, hear. )
11r. WM. SMITH said that the reduction of duty on
BritiZa spirits had bees attended with very bad results.
He had no hesitation in declaring that it had not at all
benefited any part of the community. The introduction
of Irish and Scotch spirits, at a reduced duty, into Eng-
land, had been the means of causing that abominable
beverage to be taken by the lower classes instead of beer.
That one Act hail done more harm than any Act had done
gook. since the time of the union of the countries.
lir. HUME said that when this subject came properly
forrard for discussion be should be able to show that •
r same outcry kad been made fifty years ago against
the general consumption of spirits, in consequence of
I the eluty upon it being so low. The notion of benefit
sariaw ig from a high duty upon spirits was quite erroneous.
Tile duty that had been removed from spirits in Scotland
Feed . completely put an end to the practice of smug-
tiling; The smugglers throughout the West High-
tatde who bad been so numerous, had now
beee ed to their sober and industrious habits. It was ex-
'yt
eg. y bard that those who chose and could indulge in
e 4 of whit, and who had been so anxious to have the
dui f: ef off it, should grudge the use of spirits to the
y ee
of society. The lowering of the wine duty had led
poorer cleft ed consumption, and greatly to the advantage
to an merest A beery duty either upon spirits, or any
~of the revenue ,ort, was calculated only to demoralize and
-article of that ciety. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
greatly injure 8G erred the duty upon spirits, and also to
ought to have lo\ salt duty when the duty on wine was
tihsve lowered the 1.
eat lured.
The CFIANCEIL
ribjeet was to mar e fen
ing system with, re4Per'l_,
means of a fr „r sale
those interest' for osiii to
,imposed.
Mr

OR of the EXCHEQUER said his
a Committee to consider the lieens-
to beer, and if possible to give the
beer without at all endangering
',ose restrictions were originally

st his Right llon. Friend
'ear away the difficulties
tw than by any other

-14 was
.lauio.

SMIT
,rood d® stare in this Wily to ct, not a single shilling of their duty was taken off.—(llear,
;Nance: rally regardi.ng the Parochial I. , hear, hear.)—He requested the House to remember also
ing' e act it was po,-sible to reduce. the opinion, and that the West India body had been deceived ; because Mr.
G meral GASCOIONE concurred in Id not be inti- Robinson, now Lord Goderich, when Chancellor of the
ow 8..,,,j,t Hots; Gentleman won.- the Repro- Exchequer, had declared that if the additional Is. 6d. a
1 t Is oped
i ajai -ed by any opposition he met with Iron. 'nly was of gallon on ruin were found to be a prohibitory duty, the
t entiv sues of Ireland And Seotland. He certat
on beer, West India body would have a fair claim to demand to
ougltt to be a reduction of duty have these duties put upon a level with those on other
ovinii in that there
ought to be increased.r the spirits. Yet, what was now the case ? The duty levied
1 t bat the duty on epirit.i. nu
'lu'l/ .. CORD greed agreed itt the propriety tt el . t
..,.... z_ r on British manufactured spirits was l's. a gallon, while
1 e ' • but tiould not concur in the prO;riornm,,i7,o tkat on rum was Si. 6d., and that on the Scotch and
-)e- ' "Ze' duty on ,Pivitm. He thought gentle'. ,e i '
„..,., :visit spirits was 2s. 10d. Therefore, it was clear
"ti
litei4t most willing to indulge in the useofNtViile ~,, .t.,:u.t
tl,.t the introduction of ruin into these two last court-
to
era thetoo ept to view with antinfair feeling thoseto he things t.
i tries
,-,as neat to imkossible; the planter being like-
igul therefore, ,-6, (Aslg,..--d to pay one guinea far the cask, inde-
x-A intributen to the happiness,
to amusements,
e I the poorer classes of society. ...
''-ven hull-baiting, cock- pen .• of frei.g.llt, .insurance, landing, and sale charges.
-there were those who railed against )
the 'irst to But there was anotn:r matter which pressed still more
fighting, and tio on, who nevertheless; were
it,
.ol,e
in heavily upon the West :ndian body, and created a still
keep their hunters and hounds, and toi d
t. ,old not greater giievance, and that NV,W'4 the advantage in the in-
sports of another tiort,---(Hear, hell'.) 1! .‘
in troduction nf their sugars into the European markets af-
bell) thinking that while the higher classes indulgedi(„olo.
forded to Cuba and other foreign enL,llieS and states,
-.their luxuries they did not sufficiently consider t Le
.0
ia
Nyliere thy bLIYe-trade exiattid M its Breatcat exttl,t, A
- 04. the pour; their Duly mut vol requentli w' - t
Tart

WAS extremely hard that this country should have been
put to an expense of upwar,ls of two millions, for the pur-
pose of putting down this traffic, and that our vessels
should be still kept cruising on the unhealthy coast of
Africa at a heavy annual expenditure, and yet that our
colonists should be the only persons prevented from im-
porting slaves to the West India Islands, while such im-
mense advantages accrued to the foreigners %rho continued
to pursue the practice ; that the only result to be antici-
pated was, that we should be ere long altogether driven out
of the market by other powers. Without entering into
more details, he would content himself with saying, that
there was a prima
.facie ease before the House and the

Administration, which deserved their consideration; an,

he trusted he would not call in vain upon the Right lion.
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to say, if the West India
body would be justified in entertaining any hope of relief
final the burdens under which they were then suffering
He had one more observation to make. He understood
that a treaty with Austria was in progress. The produc-
tions of the British West India Islands were at that time
shut out from the markets of Austria and Russia ; but he
thought that if Government conducted the provisions of
this Treaty with a firm hand, an opening might be sift:cad
for our Colonial pt °duce into these countries.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER bogged to
assure the Noble Marquis (Chandos) and the Hon. Gen-
tleman (Mr. Bernal), that if he (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) had forborne making any observations upon
the subject of that petition, it was not from any want of
respect towards them, or front any want of sympathy for
the distresses of the petitioners; lint compelled as he had
been on many preceding occasions, in accordance with the
line of duty he had laid down for himself, to withhold in-
formation respecting the intentions of the Administration
as to the revision or repeal of any portion of the taxes_
he felt that it would be equally a deviatio❑ from his duty,
as one of his Majesty's Ministers, in this, as in any former
instance, if he spoke one word respecting that petition.
He believed, and had always expressed this belief, that no
course could possibly be Inure inconvenient than that of
promulgating the opinions or proclaiming the views of
Government upon the occasion of some petitions being
presented ; and in the present instance, it would be pecu-
liarly inadvisable and unnecessary, because the Sugar
Duties came annually under the consideration of Parlia-
ment, and so presented his Majesty's Ministers with the
best and most desirable epportnnity of explaining their
views and opinions upon that question.—(Hear, hear.)—
It was for these reasons alone he declined giving the Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Bernal) or the Noble Marquis (Chandos)
any satisfaction with respect to the intentions of Govern-
ment respecting the questions touched upon in the peti-
tion. But this much he could say, that he was not one
of those who was insensible to the value of the Colonies ;
on the contrary, he gave them hie most sincere sympathy
under the pressure of their present difficulties, and he
would be most ready to take' all means to alleviate their
distresses which were compatible with the general interests
of the country.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. SMITH had it in his power to controvert the
statements which had been made ; he would, however,
postpone all observations fort the present.
Mr. C. GRANT reminded the House that it had been
his lot, for the last two Sessions, to recommend for their
adoption a reduction in the tax upon sugar. The opinions
which he had then professed were abundantly confirmed
by the statements he had heard that night—by the prac-
tical experience with respect to the price of sugar—and by
the distress existing in the Islands. He would accordingly
wait for the Chancellor of the Exchequer's explanation
with respect to the financial state of the country, and the
reductions that might be contemplated in taxation ; and
then he would introduce some measure upon the subject.
Ile would not wait for the opportunity of the annual ques-
tion with respect to the price of sugar, for it came on at
too late a period of the Session.
Mr: HUME was extremely surprised at the Hon. Mem-
ber for Norwich declaring that he could controvert the
statements that had bee❑ made. With respect to the ques-
tion before the House, he thought it should be taken up.
not as a Colonial but as a National question, for it was
one in which the people of England were deeply interested.
He had always been an advocate for Colian;al interests ;
and his idea was, that it was useless to attempt to keep up
the price of West India sugar above the European average.
He would advise the reduction of duties both on East and
West India sugars, and the free admission of both, whereby
both would gain, as they would then have an ad valorem
duty of 50 or 60 instead of 100 per cent. He thought
the duty ought to be the sa:ne upon all the different kinds
of sugars. The next thing was to set the Colonies free,
to let them be no longer bound by those iron chains which
fettered their best exertisne. They ought to be allowed to
purchase stores and all kinds of supplies in the cheapest
markets that the world would afford them, if they could
find, which be did not expect, any market cheaper than
that of Great Britain ; and then they ought to be allowed
to export their produce wherever they pleased. If that
course was pursued towards the Colonies, we should make
them able to maintain themselves, instead of being, as they
now were, a burden to this country.

Mr. HUSKISSON should nut feel himself bound at
this moment to follow the non. Member for Montrose
through all the points on which he had touched, but still it
was quite true that this question did claim peculiar atten-
tion, and at a fit opportunity he should be prepared to
show that by a long course of measures, Government and
Parliament had given peculiar claims to the West India
proprietors to their protection. He would state his con-
viction, that great as might be the pressure and the diffi-
culties upon other interests in this country, there was
none labouring under more difficulties, and requiring more
urgently that relief should be given to it, than the West
India interest.

The petition was brought up and read.
The Alarquis of CHANDOS, as he had no wish to
take the Government by surprise on this subject, had in..
formed them more than four months ago of the nature of
this petition.
Mr. BROUGHAM wished to take this opportunity of
asking the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite a question re-
lating to the admission of slave evidence in the Courts of
Justice in our Colonies. He begged to remind the Right
Hon. Gentleman, that when he was about some time since
to introduce a Bill for that purpose, he was told that it
would be unnecesattry for bins to do so, for that it was the
intention of Government to bring i❑ a measure for the
amendment of the present system of judicial administra-
t,ion, of which the admission of slave evidence formed a
part. He now wished to ask whether the Goverment still
entertained the same intentions, and at what time the Right
Hon. Gentleman would introduce the measure?

Sir G. MURRAY said, in reply to the question put by
the lion. and Learned Gentleman, that he had a perfect
recollection of what had occurred on the occasion to which
allusion was now made. Ile still entertained an anxious
wish to bring forward the measure he then spoke of, as he
was fully aware of its importance, not only with respect
to the.ainelioration of the slaves in the West Indies, but of
the colonists generally. De begged to assure the Hon and
Learned Gentleman that he was ready to do all in his
power to promote the object of the admission of slave evi-
dence in the Courts, as he felt perfectly satisfied of the
benefits that must result from it. The only obstacle that
at present existed to it was, the expense that must be in-
curred in affording compensation to the Judges, for losses
that would he occasioned, in consequence of the alterations
proposed to be made. On that account, and with a view
to save expense, he had abstained from making out the
appointments of the Chief Justice of Tobago, and Chief
Justice of St. Vincent's; and he hoped that that delay
would have the effect of reducing the amount to be pail by
way of compensation. He hoped this statement would be
considered a sufficient pledge of the intention cf the Go-
vernment to pursue the measures previously promised.
Mr. KEIT El DOUGLAS had understood from the
Right Hon. Gentleman that the same reason existed last
yca • r for not then bringing forward this measure. The
consequence of this had been that for two, years the Island
of Tobago had been without a Chief Judge to administer
the law. Ile thought that was an evil of no small magni-
tude, since there would then be no others to administer
justice to the inhabitants hut the resident proprietors. In
his opinion the benefit of the saving by no means compen-
sated for the evil of thus leaving the Colony without a pro-
per Judicial Officer.

Sir G. MURRAY felt called upon to say a few words
in consequence of what had just fallen front the lion.
Member. The lion. Member was mistaken in supposing
that the situation of Chief Justice of Tobago had been
vacant for two years. The fact was, that soo❑ after the
vacancy occurred, a legal gentleman had been appointed
to the office ; but just as he was about to take his &pa--
Lure for the colony, another situation fell vacant, to which
he was iemoved. Ho had already pointed out to the
House the reason for the delay, and he was not aware that
any practical inconvenience had resulted from it. If there
had been any, he would have found means to remedy it
liv making a temporary appointment without filling up an
(Ace that would create a greater expence than usual to
the country, in consequence of the intended alterations.

Lord NUGENT thought the evil of haying no other
persons but the resident proprietors to administer justice
was greater than the benefit obtained by the saving of the
compensation referred to ; and be trusted the delay would
soon be terminated. He wished to ask whether the evi-
dence to be given by the Commissioners, as to the state of
the Colonies, had closed?
_

Sir G. 31.1.1111tAY said the Commksion had ceased, au:l

there was no other obstacle to carrying. the report of the
Cornmi,sioners into effect but the expence.
Lord NUGENT conceived the expence to he so neces-
sary, that lie for one would not oppose itv being ineurrol.
The petition was then received, and ordered to lie on the
table.