The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-22 00:00:00

THE''SUNr, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 22, 1853.

ments.
SOUTH SEA AND OTHER ANNUITIES' COll,l
MUTATION BILL.
This bill went through-committee-pro forma.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
Mr. DISRAELI called upon the Government to state
what their views were with respect to the progress of
public business. It was understood that the house had
agreed to the resolution relative to the funds as a mere
matter of form, and he must therefore complain of the
manner in which the bill founded upon those resolutions
had been brought in and read a second time. It was at
a late hour of the night that the bill was read a second
time, and as the bill stood for committal to-night, he
should be glad to know if it was intended to adhere to
this order of things. He must also complain of the
complicated nature of the resolutions which were to be
brought on on next Monday. He had understood that the
discussion next Monday was to be confined to the pro-
posed change in the customs and the legacy duties.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
was the understanding which had been come to, but with
regard to the other matters; it certainly had been under-
stood that another discussion should be raised upon it,
though the time was not fixed when that discussion
should be raised. The bill had been_pushed forward out
of consideration to the large interests involved in it :
but, considering that the right hon. gentleman objected
to going into committee to-night, he should have no
objection to postpone the committee until to-morrow
night, when a discussion might be raised upon
the principle of the bill. It would, however, be neces-
sary to go into committee pro forma to-night, for the
hbe
et o
convenient
on
ni hay tedrneai
yCeel
named
certaintnmoged
print,
prone
eshould
u whichld amendmentsbe which
required
gouuilrd ed pro-ti
ot
purposevwi od ue
dt
enter their names in a book at the Bank of England,
and the new stock to be created should be distributed to
them pro
13S ll'alttaA
Mr.EL I said he had gathered from the finan-
cial statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that
the income tax was to' be extended to incomes below
1501. a-year, but he found no resolution to the effect
amongst those which had been issued by the Treasury.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
original resolution would embrace all incomes whatever,
but when that was passed it would be for the house to
make an exception in favour of incomes below 1001.,
and to fix the limit of sd. in the pound on incomes be-
tween 100/. and 1501. a-year.
Mr. WILLIAIVIS wished to know when it was in-
tended to take the miscellaneous estimates.
Lora J. RUSSELL was not yet prepared to name the
day.

CUSTOMS' DEPARTMENT.
Mr. WILSON, in rising to present papers in relation to
the recommendations contained in the report of the Select
Committee on the Regulations of the Customs Depart-
ment, and to state the views of the Government in relation
thereto, said, it would be remembered by the hmse, and
by many out of the about three years ago a
h
most unhappy controversy arose between the Customs' de-
partment and two of the large Loildon dock companits.
In consequence of that controversy a Parliamentary corn_
mittce was moved for by the hon. member for Bridport,
and granted, and that committee sat for
of the Customs
two year, to
inquire into the whole management
department, and presented their report at the close of the

last session. In that report various alterations were sug-
gested in the Customs department, and it was soon
afterwards deferred by the -Government of that dal
to the Customs Commissioners, for their observe-
i'eens thereon. The commissioners accordingly made
their observations And presented them to the Trea-
sury in October last, and on the present Government
coming into office in December they found matters in that
state. A few weeks ago a most important and influential
body of 'city gentlemen waited on his right hon. friend the
Chancellor of the Exchequer upon this subject, in which
they took a most lively interest, and on that occasion his
right hon. friend promised to that deputation that a b5ll
should be prepared in the present session, first, for the pur-
pose of consolidating all the existing acts of Parliament re-7
lating to the Customs, and, secondly for the purpose of
i itroducing all the improtrements the Government might
th;nk fit to recommend to the house. His right honour-
able friend also promised that 'deputation that the bill
should be printed and laid on the table as early as possible
for the purpose of enabling every person interested in
this most important question to consider well and leisurely
the improvements and alterations the Government pro-
posed, and for the country at large to express their opi-
nine on the subject before any actual legislation took place.
In consequence of the pledge given to the deputation which
waited on his right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer a few weeks ago, he (Mr. Wilson) was about to
state to the house and to the public the alterations and
amendments which the Government proposed to introduce
into the Customs regulations, in pursuance of the com-
mittee which sat thereon. The report which the committee
presented to that house was divided into 14 several heads,
and he thought he might safely appeal to the house for a
yetient hearing while he went through the great variety of
topics, in order to explain the views of the Government on
matters so intricate, and involving so much detail. He
must, however, in the first place, say, with respect to the
unhappy controversy between the Customs department and
the docks to which he had already alluded, that that having
been settled during the inquiry which took place before the
committee, the committee thought it consistent with
their duty not to express an opinion thereon. He thought
that they followed a very wise course, and- in the same way
he should, in the statement he had to make, carefully avoid
any observations which could in any way tend to ree lye
that controversy, which ho was happy to believe was now
allayed. The first matter on which the committee repeated
had reference to the constitution of the Board of Customs;
but in that particular subject, important as it might be ie
itself, did not form any part of the bill he was about to
introduce, the Government not intending to deal with it on
the present occasion, nor was it included in the Treasury
minute he should lay on the table that night. Nevertheless,
he could assure the house that the subject was under the
consideration of the Government; and no long time, he ex-
pected, would be allowed to elapse without a second minute
being passed with the view of settling that important
question. Ho could only state, on this head, that iu the
meantime the Government had desired that, should any
vacancies occur in the present board, they should not be
filled up until the whole question was considered, and a
conclusion come to thereon. (Hear, hear.) The next topic
on which the committee reported was ono interesting to a
large number of persons in this country, and regarded the
appointment and promotion of Customs officers. He was
glad that the committee had thought it i ight to take that
important subject into consideration, because, whatever re-
forms the Government might introduce into the Customs
department, their success would be dependent, in a great
measure, on the disposition and efficacy of the officers to
carry them into effect. Therefore, he could not express
too strongly the feeling he entertained that the condition
of that body of men ought to be made in every respect as
enticing and advantageous as the circumstances of the case
would permit. The observations which the committee
made on this important topic referred chiefly to the exclu-
sion of certain Customs officers from promotion from one
class to another. In the Customs establishment no fewer
than 10,80 persons were employed, and of these 1,000
were in the position of weighers and lockers, and 1,720
in the position of tidewaiters; and the committee very pro-
perly animadverted. on the fact of these 2,720 particular
officers being confined in their promotion, and under no
circumstances, whatever their merit might be, being per-
mitted to pass a certain line: (Hear.) No doubt it was
the case that the persons entering the different departments
of the Customs required a different description of ability
and examination upon entering ; but the Government were •
of opinion that, notwithstanding the different qualifica-
tions required in the first instance, it was not inconsistent
with their duty to permit those ho might enter qualified
at first only for a lower position to rise according to their
merit to the higher classes. Undoubtedly, in the evidence
taken before the committee there was very much hesi-
tation expressed as to the prudence of such a step, but
on consulting with the authorities of the Customs, he
thought he was authorised to say that many of the officers,
having made successive advances in the lower grades until
they became superintending lockers, had, from long ex-
perience, acquired so much information, and were in every
respect so deserving, that they might fairly be promoted
to the higher appointments. In the minute therefore
which had been prepared by the Government, it was di-
rected that when any person had been for three years su-
perintending locker, he should be entitled to demand an
examination from his superior officer, and that on paesing sa-
tisfactorily through the examination, a certificate should be
given, to be forwarded to the Treasury, and that then his
name should be enrolled as being at least eligible for pro-
motion to the higher ranks. (Hear, hear.) The Govern-
ment were disposed to go still further, and to give to the
Commissioners of Customs the right to nominate or to re-
co-:nmend to the Treasury, in respect to one in every five
of the appointments made, the most meritorious officers as
landing waiters. In making the,eeechanges the Govern-
ment. were of_ opinionethat there was nothing, perhaps,
in this country more contrary to the feeling of the
great mass of the people than that there sould be
distinctions of classed, and lines drawn beyond which
men, whatever their merit, could not pass—(hear hear,
hear)—and when it was obeerved, in • the great pro-
fessions which adorned this country, that men rose from the
lowest to the highest situation, it was though that a de-
partment so large and of so important a character as that
of the Customs ought not to be an exception in this parti-
cuter. The Government also thought that, in remodelling
the Customs establishment, they would do much by hold.
ing out a fair reward to merit to secure a better class of
servants, and a better feeling between them and the com-
mercial classes, and introduce a better tone into the ser-
vice, whereby the Government would be enabled to effect
a number of reforms, to which he should hereafter refer,
with greater confidence in their final success. The next
topic to which the committee alluded was that of fines and
satisfactions. He admitted that, in the present state of
the law, nothing was more unsatisfactory than the posi-
tion which the Customs' officers bore in reference to the
mercantile classes with respect to this matter. The com-
mittee intimated, in the first instance, that in consequence
of the Customs' officers getting the amount of the fines im-
posed for wrong entry, and half the profits of the sale of
goods seized for undervaluation in the case of ad valorem
duties, an impression prevailed among the mercantile coin-
munity that the officers were sometimes rather actuated by
speculative views with respect to their own interest than by
considerations for the interest ofthe Crown. Howeverlittle
lie might be disposed to concur in such an imputation, yet
he was willing to admit that.there was on the face of the
arrangement considerable ground for the suspicion. The
character of the officers, who were in the receipt of from
2001. to 6001. a year, should, however, shield them froth'
the charge of being actuated by a desire to share in these
small emoluments, amounting on an average to only 2/. a
year. But the smallness of the sum was perhaps a reason
why the perquisite should no longer be continued, espe-
pecially as it created such an unfortunate impression. The
nature of the .seizure and stoppages to which these fines
applied might be divided into two classes. First, the nomi-
nal detention of goods for inadequate description or non-
compliance with the law through inadvertence. It was
the practice for these, which were called minor or nominal
offences, that the goods should be seized, but, on applica-
tion, returned to the owner on payment of a small fine, if
it appeared that the offence was committed through mis-
take. Com Plaint was made that that fine was levied, but
he thought it would be wrong to relax that system, so far
as it went, lest such relaxation might facilitate fraud.
Therefore, while the Government could not recommend the
Commissioners of Customs to relinquish these fines alto-
gether, yet they recommended that not only greater facili-
ties should be afforded for amending the entries, where
the error appeared merely the result of mistake, but
that the fines should ba levied to a very small amount, ,
and that the officers should have no interest in these
fines. (Hear, bear, hear.) The second class of seizures
and stoppages had reference to the detention of goods for
insufficient valuation of goods on which ad valorem duties
were imposed, to goods taken in smuggling, and in the
commission of decided fraud. The house would perceive a
great distinction between these two classes, for in the
second class there might in all the cases be, and perhaps
usually there was, fraud intended. The Government had
thought it necessary to remove, as much as possible, the
inconveniences which had arisen from the frequent seizure
and stoppages of goods, in consequence. of the ad valorem
system, by the measure which the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer had already explained to the house ; but, as re-
garded the remainder of these duties, which it was found
impossible to transfer into any other list, the. same rule
would apply as heretofore, with one exception, that while
the seizing officer should in all cases, as hitherto, bring the
seizures before the Commissioners of Customs, yet, what-
ever might be the result of the sale, he himself should
have no interest in the profit which was derived from it.
All. the fines and satisfactions, therefore, which had.
hitherto been paid to the officers connected with seizures,
would, as was at present the case under the Board
of Inland Revenue, be converted into one common
fund, which fund would be disposed of at the and of
the year, either by dividing it among all the officers in
common, or by giving it as rewards to officers for special
merit. (Hear.) The Board of Inland Revenue has al-
ready discontinued the practice, because it was found that
the officers were not considered by juries as credible wit-
nesses in such cases, or, at all events, as not being so good
witnesses as they otherwise would have been, they being
considered as interested parties. Now, although the same
reason did not apply with respect to the Custom-house
officers, yet he must say that the commercial community
might not unfairly consider that the officers who had to
deal with them in respect of their goods had an individual
interest which it were better they should not have ; and no
deubt the doing away of such an arrangement would tend
to introduce between the officers of Customs and the com-
mercial community with whom they came into contact a
better spirit and a more confidential tone in the manage-
ment of business. (Hear.) But there was one department
in which the Government did not propose to make any
alteration on this particular point—and that was in the
department of the Coast-guard. In the Coast-guard ser-
vice, where the officers were often not only placed in
unhealthy situations, but exposed to great personal dan-
ger in seizing smuggled goods, the Government agreed
with the committee in thinking that it would be ilnevise
to weaken the inducement which they at present had
to incur risk and danger in the discharge of their duty.
(Hear.) So far, then, as regarded the Coast-guard officers,
the whole advantages which they at present enjoyed in re-
ference to direct seizures of vessels and goods, where the
cases were distinctly and clearly cases of smuggling, would
thewe arrangement
.payer
proposed
e wpon
of gus goods be still retained by them. But, with that exception, it was
e
the intention of the Government, that the Custom-house
officers should have no longer any direct interest whatever
in
(oaidloi
would
adloosffln omsareatiiftzeaceesatisfactions,
iwifhoiortarhet
wutrhnheoir:
respect
neret
wholesome
otaaemlurutyneoalt profitsundervaluation
o f
ae rdi v
valoreme d f rom
duties. He hoped that the officers affected by this new
which'arapurndogmbeemottteieonrntssimn u it
tas
to good conduct than that which they at present derived
front the precarious and invidious profits of fines and satis-
factions. The nexthead on which the committeehad reported
was that with respect to ad valorem duties. After what the
Chancellor of the Exchequer had said a w
fevenings ago, it
would be unnecessary for him (Mr.
subject, because the house must have seen that it was the

object of the Government, in the arrangement which the ,
Chancellor of the Exchequer had proposed, to do away as ,
much as possible with ad 'valorem duties, chiefly with the:
view of getting rid of the difficulties connected with the
entries of goods and the valuation of the Customs duties.
He believed the report of the committee would bear him
oat in the belief that those duties had been one of the
most fruitful sources of dissension between the commercial
public and the Custom-lumse authorities—(hear, hear)—
and therefore, whatever might be the necessity for them in
past times, when high duties were charged on all descrip-
tions of goods, it was considered by the Government that
now, when the duties were, with few exceptions, reduced
to small and moderate rates, they might be almost entirely
abandoned. With respect, however, to the few that would
be left, they would still be treated as they had hitherto
been. It would be a question with the Government whether
the 10 per cent. which was at present paid by the Govern-
ment upon goods stopped for undervaluation, over and
above the value the importer put upon them, should not
be reduced to 5 per cent., in order to reduce the limits
within which the persons desirous of sailing as near the
wind as possible might think it safe to enter their goods ;
but the number of cases would be so few, that little incon-
venience would arise whether this regulation was altered
or not. The next point the committee reported upon was
that of seizures and stoppages, and adjudications of them.
With respect to this important subject, it was well known
that it had led to great and very ang,ry discussions • but he
was happy to say that the Board of Customs, before the '
committee had made their report, had already taken steps
in pursuance of the recommendations that had been made
to them by the 'committee, and removed two .of the
most serious evils which had been complained of. At pre-
sent, a Custom-house officer seizing !goods gave no notice
either to the owner cr his agent of the reason why. he had
made the seizure, so that the owner, being left in igno-
rance as to the cause of the seizure of his goods, was often
placed in a most embarrassing position. (Hear, hear.) As
early as August last, however, the Commissioners of Cus-
toms published the following notification of their own
accord—a fact which he thought it only fair that the house
should be made acquainted with. (Fear, hear) :
" Notice.—The Commissioners, of her Majesty's Customs
hereby give notice that directions have been issued to the
officers of the Customs in the united kiag,dom' .that whenever
they may seize or stop a vessel, boat, or goods, they are to
furnish the owner, when he is known, or his agent, with a
written notice, specifying the grounds of detention."
Therefore, so far as that complaint was concerned, he hoped
it had been entirely met by this notification. It had also
been objected that the Board of Customs was a sort of
secret tribunal, a kind of small Star Chamber—(hear, hear)
—where cases were decided without the knowledge of the
parties interested—(hear, hear)—and where no fair means
were allowed to persons to protect their own property. He
hoped that this complaint Lad also been entirely met by the
circular which was issued by the board on the 23d of
August last : _

" The Commissioners of her Majesty's Customs hereby give
notice that they will be Prepared, 'in any case of seizure in
London, under the Customs laws, upon application being
made to them in writing, and where the owner of the goods,
etc., may be desirous of such a course, to appoint one of the
Members of the board to take the evidence, on oath, of the
merchants or other parties claiming the property on the one
Side, and of the detaining officers on the other, supported by
that of any witnesses that may be necessary for the proper
investigation of the case, and to report the same for the board's
decision, agreeably to the practice observed in cases of com-
plaints by merchants and others against officers."
He need not say that with these two regulations the Go-
vernment entirely concurred. (Hear.) It might be said
that this latter regulation would be inapplicable to the out-
ports ; but the Government had also had that point under
their consideration, and had provided by a treasury minute
that a similar inquiry should be allowed to take place be-
fore the collector or controller at any outport. (Hear,
hear.) He begged also to state, that considerably greater
powers had been extended to the landing surveyors with .
regard to amending entries than they had hitherto
possessed. Landing surveyors would now have the power,
in cases of small and unimportant amounts, to maintain
'entries, or to allow them to be amended, without a direct
appeal to the Commissioners of Customs, which, in small
and trivial cases had very unnecessarily created consider-
able delay. (Hear, hear.) Ho might add that the Govern-
ment had desired that the Commissioners of Customs
should carefully.watch how far this experiment was found
to answer its purpose; and, if they saw no reason to object
to it, to take every °ppm:amity of extending similar
powers. The next case which the committee had reported
was one of very grmt importance. He referred to the law
of costs and penaties. Au impression prevailed that the
Crown and the subject were not placed on an
tea w
in
prosecutions in Customs cases. Now, the sta of the l
was this :—With respect to civil cases—that was, where
the Commissioners of Customs brought an action for the
recovery of bonds, or whore there was a dstiffeoorencexae o
ctly if opi-
nion with respect to the law, the Crown d n
the same position as the subject—that was to says
the
, the
losing party paid the costs, whether that party. wa
Crown or the subject. Then, with res ect to the arrears
p
of duty and the recovery of penalties in cases of smuggling,
which were partially of a criminal nature; the rule had
been for each party to pay its own costs. The Customs in
such cases never recovered coats from a defendant, and the
defendant had no claim for costs against the Customs.
But, with respect to a third class of cases, which probably
constituted the great majority of cases—he meant cases of
prosecutions against the Crown for goods seized—undoubt-
edly, as the law at present stood, the Crown was entitled
if the
defendant,Crow•n w
although thu h successful,
to demand a bond from the defendant to the amount of
it claim
was for
generally costs againstcon
1001. for costa before going into court,; but in case the
ao g
practiceit had
a defendant was successful he had no claim for costs, whereas,
fined to the bond of 103 l. taken in the first instance. On
considering this important subject the Government had
come to the conclusion that, on the whole, considering the
altered tone of feeling of the times of which we live, as
compared with the times when these laws were enacted,
the time had come when the Crown might safely place
itself in the same poition as the subject—(hear, hear)—
that was to say, that if the Crown should be found to have
been right it should have a claim for costs, but that if
wrong the subject should have a claim against the Crown.
(Hear, hear.) There ware by one of the acts which contem-
plated prosecutions in cases of divet:•Smaggling stringent
powers put into theahands of Government ' • and with re-
. spect to those powers, he thought it would be unwise for
the 'Government to give them up; .but, so far as regarded
costs, the CroWn and the subject should henceforth be
placed on the s.ane footing. There was, however, one
very important feature of this matter to which he wished
to call the attention of the house. It frequently happened
in cases where vessels or goods were seized that there was
only a nominal ow-ier, or perhaps no owner at all, or seine
person was put forward who was incapable of bearing costs
should an action bo brought against him. It had been
suggested that, in all such cases, the Crown should be en-
titled to insist.that, before going into court, security for
costs should b 3 provided, in case the Crown should be
successful. This appeared, at first sight, to be a very
reasonable proposition, but, on carefully considering it in
all its bearings, he (Mr. Wilson) had felt that, if adopted,
it might perhaps preclude poor • men, who were unable to
furnish security. for costs, from an opportunity of fairly
defending themselves. Considering, besides, that the
Crown was in possession of the good.; seized, he thought,
on.the whole, that the Government might venture to allow
the law to remain in this, as in other respects, as between
subject and subject, (Hear.) But there Was another im-
portant alteration which the Government proposed with
respect to prosecutions. It had been suggested by the
committee whether a quicker and more economical tri-
bunal might not be allowed in cases which involved
only small amounts. He thought .they would show
themselves not aliVe to the great advantages which
were being .derived from the establishment of County
Courts if they passed over this suggestion of the com-
mittee without feeling-that, instead of the lengthened in-
vestigations and loss of time which occurred in Exchequer
trials, besides the heavy costs, it would be better, in cer-
tain cases of small amount, to make it imperative upon the
Crown to resort to the County Cons 'es, or to some other
local tribunal, as the Treasury should direct, according to
the convenience of the locality. (Hear.) The Govern-.
ment had therefore come to the conclusion that it should
be made imperative upon the Crown, in all esees where
the duties or.penalties to be recovered did not exceed 1001.,
to resort to the County Courts, or such other local tri
bunal as the Treasury might direct. They would, how-
ever, give the defendant the option of removing the case,
to a higher court, if he thought proper, to be tried by a
jury ; and they also proposed to give the Commissioners
*of Customs a similar power upon an appeal to the Trea-
sury, because it must be evident to the house that even in
cases of small amount, there might be large, comVicated,
and unusual principles involved—(hear, hear)—out as a
rule they would be obliged to resort to the small court in
all cases where the fines and penalties did not exceed 1001.
(A. Member, "Together?") Yes, together. But they
proposed to go even a step further,. and say that, oven in
cases which involved a larger amount of duties and penal-
ties than 10.01., where the Commissioners of Customs
should certify to the Treasury that, from the simple nature
of the cases, they might be safely left to the local tabu-
nals, the Treasury should be empowered to authorise the
step so recommended.. (Hear, hear.) At present also if a
merchant found himself aggrieved by a seizure, and wished
to bring an action, he was obliged to proceed against the
Seizing officer only. Now this was a serious case ; because
the merchant might have been put to great inconvenience
by the seizure of his goods, and if he found that it was
only a Custosmhottee officer of an inferior rank against
whom he must bring his action for damages, undoubtedly
he might feel himself placed in an awkward and disadvan-
tageous position.- (Hear, hear.) If the law was closely
looked into, it would be found that the seizing officer was
only nominally concerned in such transactions, and that
the real party was the Commissioners of Customs ; but if
there was any uncertainty as to the state of the law on
this point—ho believed there was none in reference to the
practice—that uncertainty would be removed by the Trea-
sury minute now passed, which made it imperative that
in every action under the Customs laws, the Commis-
sioners should be, if not nominally, yet really responsible.
There was another complaint which had been made 'a ith
respect to the limit of time within which an action might
be brought against a Custom-house officer or the Commis-
shiners of Customs. As the law now stood, the limit was
six months from the time of the cause of action arising,
but it not unfrequontly happened that the trial was post-
poned, and that a delay olet
mad s ocean Patties
were thus placed in a very awkw posiion from the un-
certainty of the result, and the lone delay which took
piece, and were thereby apt to be deterred from bringing
actions. To remedy tins esil the Government proposed
that in future the defendant should have the right to bring
an action for damages Within one month after the final de-
termination of the court e,gainst the subject. A complaint
was also made with regard to the law of " prescription" in
the case of the Crown Winging actions ; but for this there
was something to be said. At present., in the case of
" civil" actions, the Crown area hound to the limit of six
years, as in every other case ; and, with regard to actions
for offences against the Customs laws, the right of the
Crown to bring actions wag limited to three years in cases
brought in any of the Superior courts, and to six months
for those brought before magistrate-a He did not think,
therefore, there was any occasion to make any al-
teration in this respect (Hear, hear, hear.) The next
recommendation of the committee referred to a most
important subject—the transl sae t sin. The traalsl trade
of this country had,. for the last few years, exhibited fea-
tures of remarkable interest. It would. be remembered that
during ear d upon the navigation laws, two or
three years ago, one very great and important advantage
anticipated from the change of those laws was, that th y
would be able materially to extend the shipping trade of
Great Britain wiih the United States and other countries
by inducing European nations.which had previously sent
their goods directly to the various parts of the world, at
mse to themselves, to use the
gre ,at inconvenience and expense
shipping of this country he conveyance of their goods.
That anticipation had been realised in a most remarkable
degree. In order to give facilities to this trade, arrange-
ments had been made at the ports of London, Liverpool,
hall, Goole, Grimsby, al Southimpfo 1, whereby goods
night be landed from ships arriving from foreign calm-
-1 ',lst
tries, and without being opened or examinee., mio

be dispatched by vans and railway to other ports, wherer
they were again to be re-shipped. Goods might,
for; instance, be sent _Across the country in this manner
from Hull to Liverpool, and they were thus removed'
almost directly from one ship into another without being
examined or disturbed. Now, several objections were
raised to this arrangement, the most important of which
were, perhaps, that some description of goods, the itnpor-
ation of which was altogether prohibited, such as copy-
right books, might in this way be introduced, and that the
Customs laws might be contravened by goods bearing Bri-
tish marks being sent through this country and sold
in foreign countries as British goods. There was, no
doubt, considerable force in these objections; but, after
fully considering them, the Government had thought
that they could not be sustained, because if people found
it to be their interest to imitate British marks, they
could send their goods direct to continental ports as easily
as they could bring them through this country, and, there-
fore, if they insisted upon opening an examining goods,
such goods as ho had alluded to might be sent by other
channels, over which this country could exercise no manner
of control. It had, therefore, been resolved, with reference
to goods in tran situ, that they might be landed and conveyed
by railway, under the superintendence of a Custom-house
officer, from one port to another, where they might be
re-shipped and exported to. other parts of the world, with-
out being opened or in the slightest degree disturbed. These
arrangements had only been in existence about two years,
but they had been attended with remarkable success,
and had exercised a most beneficial influence upon
the trade of this country. The following was the
quantity of foreign goods which had been entered
for trans-shipment in this country in the year 1852 :
Butter, 203 cCa ; cheese, 5,026 cwt. ; corks, 15,010 lb. ;
grain (all kinds), 1,641 cwt. ; ditto, 8,637 quarters ; glass
(all kinds), 44,416 cwt. ; ditto, 131,598 lb. ; spirits (all
kinds), 400,852 gallons; sugar, 21,482 cwt. ' • wine (all
kinds), 78,874 gallons ; tobacco, 1,474,160 lb. ; but, in addi-
tion, articles not requiring specification, comprising silk,
leather, woollen and cotton manufactures, watches, per-
futhery, confectionary, and other manufactured goods the
value of 3,414,4511., had also passed through this country
dining the last year. In the very last month (March), the
value of goods entered under the latter description was
420,0001., or at the rate of 5,000,0001. per annum. Now,
the effect produced by this traffic on the shipping trade
of Liverpool was very remarkable. He would take two
periods, the one previous to the repeal of the navigation
laws, and the other since these new facilities were afforded.
In 1845 the total British shipping entered inwards and out-
wards amounted to 1,838,449 tons. The total British and
foreign shipping entered inwards and outwards in that year
was 2,819,014 tons. .In 1848 the total entries of British
shipping showed a slight decrease, for they amounted only
to 1,817,000 tons, the total entries of British and foreign
shipping being 2,924,000 tons. The increase in the
total entries was, therefore, between 1845 and 1848,105,000
tons. Now in 1852 the amount of British shipping entered
inwards and outwards at Liverpool had been 2,185,000
tons, and the total entries of British and foreign shipping
had been 3,785,000 tons, so that the increase of British
shipping bet Ween 1849 and 1852 had been 868,000 tons, and
the total increase of shipping 861,030 tons. (Hear, hear.)
He did not mean to say that this increase was to be entirely
attributed to the transit trade, but when they took it in
connexion with the fact that goods of the value of about
5,000,000/. were annually in transitu through this country,
he thought a very large portion of the increase might be
attributed to the transit trade. (Hear, hear.) It was,
therefore, the opinion of the Government that every pos-
sible facility, under which the revenue of the country
might be defended from risk of fraud, should be afforded
for the extension of the transit trade. He thought when
they had exposed the shipping interest to competition with
all the world,. that it was their first and bounden duty to
afford that interest to all those facilities which mightmake
them the carriers of the world. (Hoar, hear.) They had
this advantage—that,. whereas many continental countries
were so unwise as to impose transit duties, not onlydid the
British Government impose no transit duty, but they went
to considerable expense in order to afford all possible
facilities for the transit of goods ; and the Treasury minute
called upon the Commissioners of Customs to extend those
facilities which had been partially given with regard to the
towns he had mentioned to every town where railway
communication existed and where transit was practicable.
In the case of Grimsby, and all the ports on the eastern
coast, the arrangement made was that upon the arrival of
a ship the cargo might be immediately removed to railway,
vans, and conveyed by railway, in charge of a Custom-
house officer, across the country to Liverpool, where it
might be reshipped for the Brazils, the United States, or
any other part of the world without being disturbed. It
was now necessary that each individuagproprietor of goods
should give bond to the Custom-house for the amount of
duties Co which such goods would be liable; but in order.
to increase the facilities of transit the Government had '
provided that one single bond should be received from those
railway companies who were willing to give it, and the i
companies would be held responsible for the safe delivery
of the goods in a bonded port or dock. The committee I
had suggested that a similar facility should be afforded
with regard to coasting vessels, but he was sorry to say i
that the Government Pelt it impossible to comply with that 1
suggestion. There was a great deal of difference between 1
sending goods coastwise in small vessels and sending them 1
across the country by railway in charge of Custom-house
officers. If they allowed goods to be re-shipped in coasting
vessels unexamined, they would not know the contents of
the packages, which might be tobacco or anything else,
but entered, perhaps, as flax ; and such a system would, 1
undoubtedly, open the door to very extensive smuggling. 1
With regard to goods which had been examined, however, i
the Government did not intend to withdraw the privilege 1
which now existed of removing them from one bonded 1
warehouse,to another, either by coasting vessels or by rail- r
way. The Government proposed to introduce another im-
portant modification which was not recommended by the
committee. At present, in the case of large transactions
between London and Liverpool, when goods were removed •
in bond, the merchants so removing them had again to
give separate bonds for every transaction, and until very
lately they had to give bonds for double the amount of
duty. He thought it would very much facilitate these
transactions if one single bond was given, to run from time
to time (as we understood), and covering a certain amount
of transactions. (Hear, hear.) He hoped the great success
which had attended the facilities that had already been
aftiorded with respect to the transit trade would lead the
house to support the Government in extending these
facilities still-further. The cananittee expressed their opi-
nion that there was no fiscal reason 'why the importation of
arms of all kinds in transit should be prohibited. In that
view the Government agreed, and therefore arms would in
future be allowed to pass through this country in transit,
but in each case the party importing would be required
to obtain a Treasury order, as an intimation to the
Custom-house officers of the extent and character of the
transaction, that no improper use might bo made of the per-
mission. Tho Treasury orders would be issued as a matter
of course, and were only intended as a precaution to prevent
the law from being contravened for political or other par-
poses. The committee made some observations in the re-
port
as to the size of packages, and sug-,e.ited that with
respect to goods to be exported there need be no restriction
on this point. With regard to spirits, tobacco, and some 4
other articles, which , presented great facilities for smug-
gling, the lavaprovided that they could not be imported in
packages below a certain size. Ho thought the mere cir-
cumstance of goods being lnsported with the object of being
exported could make no difference as to the opportunity
afforded for smuggling. Suppose a ship approaching these •
shores was boarded by Custom-house officers, who found
that the cargo consisted of brandy in small casks of five
gallons or ten gallons, the captain might say, " Oh, this
brandy is for exportation, but the officers would have no
means of knowing whether it was intended for exportation
or for home consumption. The present practice of the
Custom-house, however, he thought entirely mot the views
of his hon. friend (Mr. Mitchell) because speeifiod regula-
tions had been sanctioned by the Treasury, under certain
securities, for the introduction of brandy and some other
articles in very small packages for the purpose of being re-
exported. If, therefore, persons wished to export brandy
in casks of 15 gallons, or wine in cases of one or two dozen,
for exportation to Mexico, Peru, or Chili, they were
enabled to do so ; but it was clear that if there was a gene-
ral regulation, whole cargoes of goods might be introduced
in small packages, ostensibly for the purpose of exportation,
but really for home consumption. The next point was
with regard to fines on shipping, and on this subject the
committee reported :
‘‘ Your committee are of opinion that the criminal respon-
sibility of the crews of vessels for an act of smuggling on their
part, ought in most cases to be a sufficient security to the re-
venue; and that it is therefore not expedient to detain the
ship or to fine its owner, expecting when the fraud has been
committed by the captain or chief-mate, or when such exten-
sive preparations for fraud have been detected as to argue
great negligence on their parts."
In that recommendation the Government entirely con-
curred, but he believed the practice at present coincided as
nearly as possible with the recommendation. The act of
Parliament provided that, if it should be made to appear
to the satisfaction of the Commissioners of Customs that
smuggled articles were on board a vessel without the know-
ledge or privity of the owner or master, and without wilful
neglect of reasonable care on their behalf, the commis-
sioners were authorised to deliver up the vessel to the i
owner or master. He had made special inquiry on this
point, and, as far us he could ascertain, it was the rarest
possible thing for vessels to be detained unless it was quite
clear that the captains and owners were implicated in the
fraud. If it should be found that the present law was not
sufficient to carry out the spirit of the recommendation of
the committee, he would be quite ready to consider any
suggestions which might be made for its improvement.
The next point of the report was one of extreme import-
ance, relating to the bonding or warehousing system—an
institution to which they were, perhaps, more beholden
than to any other commercial regulation for the growth of
the trade of this country. It was now 100 years since that
system was first proposed to the House of Commons by Sir
Robert Walpole, who was compelled to abandon the
scheme by the violence of mobs who attacked members on
their way to the house, by the opposition of the City of
London, and by the general spirit of insubordination which
was excited throughout the country. In 1733 Sir Robert
Walpole first recommended to the House of Commons to
adopt a bonding system with regard to tobacco and wine
only. The previous system was, that a merchant on im-
porting paid the duty, and on re-exporting received a draw-
back. That the system of drawbacks afforded great facilities
for fraud there could be no doubt, but whether the mer-
chants of that period were influenced by such considerations
it was not for him to say. Certainly, however, when Sir
R. Walpole proposed a bonding system, even to that limited
extent, the mein-hers for the City of London, directed by the
Common Council, presented petitions from all classes in the
city expressing their strong objections to the measure. In
consequence of members being mobbed on their way to the
house, the house adopted resolutions declaring their deter-
mination not to be deterred from the performance of their
duty, but, the bill having been read a second time and
passed tluough committee before it was reported, matters
assumed so serious an aspect in the country that Sir It.
Walpole called a meeting of his friends, which was thus
described in Cobbett's Parliamentary History :, -
" On the evening before the report Sir Robert summoned
a, meeting of the principal members who had supported the
bill. It was very largely attended. lie reserved his own
opinion till the last ; but perseverance was the unanimous
voice. It was urged that all taxes were obnoxious, and there
would be an end to supplies if mobs were to control the Le-
gislature in the manner of raising them. When Sir Robert
had heard them all, he assured them that he was conscious
of having meant well ; that iu the present inflamed temper of
the people the act could not be carded into execution without
an armed force ; that there would be an end of the liberty of
England if supplies were to be raised by the sword. If,
therefore, the resolution was to proceed with the bill, he
would instantly request the King's permission to resign, for
he would not be the Minister to enforce taxes at the expense
of blood.' "
Accordingly the bill was dropped ; it was postponed to a
clay besond the period to which Parliament was likely to
sit ; and it was not till 1803 that we had the advantage of
this system. With regard to the present practice, the com-
mittee made a complaint, which appeared on the face of it
an extremely just one. The theory was, that you got
credit for the duty till yen wanted your goods, and you left
them in the possession of the Crown as a security for the