The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-11 00:00:00

!TABLES OF THE TRADE NAVIGATION OF THE
J PROVINCE OF CANADA FOR THE YEAR 1853.

(Prom the Quebec Chronicle.)
Such is the title of a large volume of 486 pages, pre-
sented to both Houses of Parliament, by command of
his Excellency the Governor-General, and bearing the
signature of the late Inspector-General. The volume,
it. is stated, is compiled from official returns. Viewed
in the light of information furnished by the Executive
Government to the Houses of Parliament, and through
them to the people at large this ♦olume is a very impor-
tant one. It forms the balance sheet of our Import and
Export Trade. It is our own statement of this trade
put thus in an official and conspicuous manner before
the world. It shows the sources from whence taxes to
the amount of 1,028,6761. 15s. 7d., during the fiscal year
of 1853, have been derived. Commencing with the class
of dutiable articles, which presents itself first in order in
the " Summary Statement of Imports" we will take a
cursory glance at the principal articles from which the
larger amounts of revenue have been derived. Promi-
nent among this first class of-articles, subject to a speci-
fic as well as an ad valorem duty, stands the article of

Haw Sugar. Hero we find 282,220 cwt. ; value,
251,919/. ; duty, 107,6921. ; that is, the sugar consumed
by the working man at two meals of three, to sweeten
his coffee in the morning and his tea in the evening, is
taxed 40 per cent., or for every shilling's worth he con-
sumes he pays sd. taxes to the Inspector-General.
Next comes the article of Tea. Hero are 5,292,3551b5. ;
value, 390,105/. ; duty, 70,814/., which show that this
article of every day's consumption, " the cup which
cheers, yet inebriates not," is taxed 18 per cent., or 2d.
on the shilling. Next in importance comes Molasses,
an article of healthful luxury to the working classes.
Here we find 1,406,525 gallons; value 53,371/. ; duty,
19,128/., or 36 per cent. ; that is, 4d. on the shilling
is paid in taxes for each shilling's worth consumed.
Next comes Wine of all kinds. Here are 358,471 gal-
lons ; value, 51,332/. ; duty, 24,306/., or nearly 47 per
cent., or sd. on the shilling. Now, take up Spirits and
Strong Waters. Brandy, for instance, shows 147,828
gallons; value 34,891/. ; duty, 23,506/., or 67 per cent.
Gin shows 129,273 gallons ; value, 12,942/. ; duty,
16,163/., or nearly 125 per cent. That is, brandy is
taxed Bd, on the shilling, and the taxes on gin amount
to more than the original cost of the article itself by 25
per cent. The consumption of imported whisky ex-
ceeds in quantity nearly that of all the other strong
liquors put together. We have whisky, 324,074 gal-
lons ; value, 24,453/. ; duty, 7,1071., while brandy,
gin, and rum put together, show 341,858 gallons. Turn-
ing up to page 466 of the book of tables, we find the
"Inland Revenue Department" shows that 2,728,692
gallons of proof spirits, the produce of 1,390 stills, have
been manufactured in the produce during the year
1853. Deducting 14,485 gallons exported, there re•
main for consumption in the province 2,714,207 gal-
lons, of our own production, which, added to oar
import, show a total of 3,038,281 gallons of whisky
remaining for consumption. We leave the advocates
of the Maine Law and their opponents to deduce
what conclusions they please from these figures,
but we wish respectfully to suggest to the Inspector-
General the policy, nay, tke necessity, of reducing the
present duty of 47 per cent. levied on wine. Increase
the consumption of wine, and you pro tanto decrease
the consumption of these noxious alcoholic liquors. The
total value of the articles subject to a specific as well as
an ad valorem duty, entered for consumption during
18.53, was 1,042,7911.; duty, 331,153/., or nearly 32 per
cent. Now, while we admit that on some of the articles
included in this class we would gladly see a higher rate
of duty levied, because we consider their consumption
noxious to the publio health and morals, yet we firmly
believe that the duties on many of the articles, namely,
raw sugar, green coffee, molasses, tea, and wine, ought
to be lessened considerably, and in such a way that the
poor as well ai the rich man should reap the benefit
somewhat proportionably. We consider that the total
abolition of the ad valorem duty would benefit the
rich man more than the poor man. Abolish the ad
valorem duty on wine for instance ' • then the poor man
who requires a bottle of wine for his sick wife or child
atiust pay the same duty per gallon on wine which costs
him at the rate of 10s. per gallon, as will the rich man
or the epicure, who guzzles his daily quantum of crusty
port or sparkling champagne, which costs 255. a gal-
lon. The tax would be more equalised by being levied
on the value only. This, it may be said, would open
the doer to fraud ; impose, then, a discriminating duty,
which would be a happy mean between the two ex-
tremes. The 2d class, or 30 per cents, preserved
spices, maccaroni, fruit, dried and undried, might be ad-
mitted at a much lower rate of duty, and at the sane
time increase, not decrease, the revenue. The reci-
procity act will admit dried and undried fruits, the
growth and produce of the United States, free of duty,
but this will be very limited in operation, as apples and
peaches are perhaps the only fruits the United States
produced in any quantity for exportation. By reducing
the duties on the above-mentioned articles, the consump-
tion of these healthful luxuries in our northern climate
would be much increased. 3d class, or 20 per cents.
The duties on this class will undergo considerable al-
teration by the reciprocity act, in fact theywill be nearly
all abolished; 19,0001. out of 32,000/., the total value
imported, comes to us from the United States. 4th
class, or 12. per cents. The total of this class shows a
value of 5,121,173/. ; duty, 640,1461., or 62 per cent. on
the whole amount of duties levied on imports. The
largest item of this class is cottons ; value, 1,315,6861. ;
duty, 164,461/. Next come Woollens ; value,
1,254,2561.; duty, 155,7821. Next Iron and Hardware;
value, 648,720/., duty, 81,090/. Next Silks ; value,
350,330/. ; duty, 45 011/. We notice what are termed
" Unenumer,,ted Articles" among this class, showing a
value of 354,058/. ; duty, 44,257/. What these unenume-
rated articles are the tables do not tell ; nevertheless we
consider the amount sufficiently large to make it desira-
ble, nay, necessary, that these articles should be specified
at least in part. The articles at present, paying 121
per cent. which it would be desirable to admit at a lower
rate of duty are, we would suggest, thread and yarns of
all kinds, oils, except linseed oil, paints and colours,
starch, wrought spikes, and wrought nails, drugs and
medicines, cider, earthenware, glassware, curled hair,
and manufacturers of hair, such as hair seating for cabi-
net-makers, varnish, writing ink, bees' wax, honey,
arrow-root, sago, glue, sze. There are many more arti-
cles, we have no doubt, which it would be desirable to
add to the above, but as the " unenumerated articles "
are not specified, we cannot particularise them. In a
young and growing country like Canada some amount
of protection is required in order to foster domestic
manufactures, or at least those manufactures which tend
to create industrial enterprite and develope the latent re-
sources of the country. Experience has proved that a
duty of 124 per cent. is a sufficient protection for this
purpose. Those articles which it would be desirable,
nay, even necessary, to tax as being the sources from
whence the public revenue is derived, we would reduce
to say 10 per cent., or not lower than 7{l per cent., The
former rate, 10 per cent., we deem sufficiently high for
purposes of revenue. We think the feeling of the country
is not in favour of imposing a protective duty on
5,121,173/. out of 7,551,381/. the total of dutiable goods
entered during 1853.
IE,We will now take up the sth and last class of dutiable
articles, namely, " Articles paying 2i per cent." Here
we have, value, 1,296,8951.: duty, 32,422/. By a
regular gradation of decrease it would be supposed that,
if the duty imposed on the articles composing this class
were decreased, it might be reasonably expected that
such articles would be placed among the "free goods."
There are some articles of this class we consider which
ought to be allowed to enter into consumption free of
duty. But they are few in number, we are of opinion.
Coal and coke, which cannot be procured too cheap, for
our river steamers, our manufacturing establishments,
and for the domestic hearth, these articles are of the
number. Very many of the articles we would wish to
see reduced to the nominal duty of 1 per cent. ad
valorem. All materials for shipbuilding purposes
should be reduced to the lowest rate of duty. This
lowest rate we would make 1 per cent. Anchors,
chains, copper and 'yellow metal, sailcloth, rope
yarns, sheathing felts, prepared rigging, pitch,
tar, resin, flax, hemp, tow, pig iron, hoop iropi,
sheet iron, pipe clay, palm, pine and cocoa nut ,
treenails, bunting, and likely some other articles These
h
do not suggest themselves just at this moment ;
all
we would desire to see reduced to 1 per cent. ad

valorem.
The Free Goods we deem to be pretty numerous al-
ready, and we confess we have no particalar desire to
see them increased. These suggestions ,which would be
found pretty general in their results, we have made in
a rather hurried manner, with the view of preparing
public opinion for the canvassing of the changes in our
present tariff, which changes all parties seem to think
absolutely necessary. We shall again resume the sub-
ject, and go somewhat further into our relation with the
different countries, including of course the United King-
dom in our remarks. The tables before us form a very
useful, we should say a very necessary, expes6 of the
trade of the province, got up too at considerable ex-
pense and trouble. The information they contain should
be as correct as possible. If the statements which these
tables contain have been found necessary for statistical
purposes, for the information and guidance •f the Mi-
nister of Trade and Navigation, for the information and
guidance of the commercial interest in the province, and
for the purpose of being a text-book of our imports and
exports, for the mother country and the world, surely
it is important, nay necessary, that these official data
should be correct, or nearly so. Their correctness will
much depend on the capacities of the compilers of the
the
official returns from the different ports throughout
province. Their correctness will depend mtoreerhaps
on the capacity of the official who is immedia:lyacharged
with• the superintendence of this deparetre t
head-
quarters. Now although not altogether
matters of this kind we submit with fihduep-doefteerdenucep to
n
these official tables, that some of the fig
outs
are
given
featly incorrect. If different heads of imports are g
the values under each of these dsihffoeureldnt!,etadhienggsisvhenoulliti
be correct. If not correct theey
159 the total value ef car-
petsall. Let us explain : art
rpoavgince during tho year 1853 is
imported into the
stated at 4,0651. No there is no merchant connected
with the Dry G.
sethrade but will shake his head and
laugh outright. at
thesu eaerstBaBte6Tent as that. Hamilton
377/. only imported cal.
importing during 4
pets to the value of 981. s. 11d. ! 'Absurd. Montreal
a
Kingston seem to have imported all the carpets used
in the province ; surely this is incorrect. Take-the
heading of clocks and watches : Toronto imported not a
single clock or watch during,lBs3 ! Can it be that our
friend the "clockmaker" has smuggled them all across
the frontier Again take clothes ready made : surely
the value of these articles imported into Montreal
during 1853 exceeds 8201. lie. 4d. Torontolwith her total
imports only one-third as large as those of Montreal im-
ported 6,7501. of the same articles; there is something
wrong and very absurd here indeed. There is another
dabs called "Fancy Goode,". While Toronto imported