The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-07 00:00:00

THE INDIAN TARIFF.

A movement has been commenced in East Lan-
cashire to urge upon the Government the necessity
of at once repealing the remaining duties of 5 per
cent. on cotton goods and 31 per cent. on cotton
yarns imported from this district into British India,
with the view to create an improved trade, and
thereby alleviate the vast distress and suffering now
endured by thousands of factory operatives. A
large out-door district meeting on the subject is to
take place near Blackburn this afternoon, when a
deputation of from 16 to 20 persons representing
the various manufacturing towns in East Lanca-
shire, will be appointed to wait on Lord Pal-
merston and Sir Charles Wood. On Wednes-
day evening a meeting of the operatives of
Great Harwood, five miles north-east of Black-
burn, was held in the National school.
Mr. Richard Chippendale presided. He said he
was surprised that Mr. Wilson should have adopted
any policy antagonistic to free trade, and more
especially after he had seen the blessings experi-
enced by the people of the manufacturing districts
through it, in increased employment, plenty, and
prosperity. Mr. Laing had found a surplus in In-
dian revenue of about £1,600,000. Of this he pro-
posed to spend £146,00 on educational purposes,
in addition to what they were spending, and spend-
ing, and £38,000 on public works. Sir C. Wood,
on finding a surplus, had foregone a portion of the
import duty on cotton goods, and they had there-
fore a plea for the injustice of the tax,and a surety,
if they would but work, that it would be repealed.
The best way to understand the effect of the tax
was to see how it affected Great Harwood. They
had 3,500 looms in the town, and if they produced
six "cuts" each per week of 811 b. shirtings, their
weekly produce would be 21,000 pieces.
Allowing 50 weeks per year for working they
would produce 1,050,000 pieces of the value of
£525,000. Each loom paid a duty to the Indian
Government of £7 10s. per year when engaged in
the manufacture of Indian cloth. All they now
asked for was the carrying out of the policy
free trade, believing that the abolition of the
Indian tariff would do much towards alleviat-
ing the existing depression in trade. William
Fielden moved—" That the Government policy in
retaining the duty of 5 per cent. on cotton goods,
and 3f per cent. on yarns, now levied under the
Indian tariff, is a grievous hardship on the suffer-
ing people of this district, in opposition to the com-
mercial tendencies of the age, and destructive to
that freedom of trade which has been attended
with such happy results ; we therefore
pledge ourselves never to cease agitation until
the duties are entirely repealed." They bad
learned in the past, he said, what agitation could
do. It carried out the Reform measure in 1832, the
repeal of the Corn Laws in'lB46, and the passing
of the Ten Hours Bill more recently, from all of
which they received material benefit. Moses Rede-
beard seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously. Isaac Bradshaw proposed and Allan
Duxbury seconded the adoption of a memorial to
Lord Palmerston and Sir Charles Wood, from
which we extract the following clauses:—" That
your petitioners have borne with patience and re-
signation the distress which has resulted from the
American war, believing that the cause of the dis-
tress is beyond the control of the Government of this
country, but they protest against any acts of her
Majesty's Government which shall add to their
distress by protective duties upon our exports
of manufactured goods. That your petitioners re-
gard the imposition of duties upon yarns and manu-
factured goods imported into British India as a vio-
lation of the principles of free trade, and injurious
alike to the interests of her Majesty's subjects in
India and to the inhabitants of the British isles.
That your petitioners have seen with satisfaction
the desire on the part of her Majesty's Government
to reduce the duties upon manufactured goods im-
ported into India during the present Session; but
they would earnestly impress upon her Majesty's
Ministers the importance of an entire and imme-
diate abolition of the Indian tariff, as being in ac-
cordance with the policy and principles of all Libe-
ral Governments." A committee, consisting of
eight operatives, was then formed to carry the
object of the meeting to a successful issue.