The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-20 00:00:00

WAYS AND MEANS.

...........
The report of the committee of Ways and Means was
received, and leave given to bring in a bill founded upon
the resolutions.

CUSTOMS, &c., ACTS.
The report thereupon was received.
EXCISE DUTIES ON SPIRITS BILL.

On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Captain JONES said he was bound to express his
strong apprehensions of the results of this bill. In 1842
the Government of the late Sir R. Peel proposed to raise
the duty on Irish spirits by is. a gallon, and he then
told the house what would be the consequence of the
measure. He told the house then that it would not in-
crease the revenue, but that it would have the effect of
encouraging illicit distillation, and of filling all the gaols
in Ireland. Such turned out to be the case, and ulti-
mately the increased duty had to be abandoned. From
1834 to 1839, the consumption of spirits in Iroland varied
from 10,000,000 to 12,000,000 gallons, but in 1842,
when the duty was increased by is. a gallon, lithe
spirits brought to charge in Ireland fell to 5,000,000
of gallons. It must not be supposed that this was owing
to any falling off in the consumption of spirits in Ire-
land, but it was owing to the increase which took place
in the manufacture of illicit spirits. Now, such would
be the effect of the present measure. He calculated that
if the law was allowed to stand without alteration, the
quantity of spirits that would come into charge
in Ireland would be something between 9,000,000
and 10,000,000 of gallons, but if the bill passed the re-
venue would be injured and the gaols of Ireland filled as
before. He must therefore protest against the second
reading, though he should not put the house to the
trouble of dividing upon it. (Hear, hear.)
The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed on Monday next.
CUSTOMS DUTIES ON SPIRITS BILL.
This bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed on Monday next.
AFFAIRS OF INDIA.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in moving that the Speaker
do leave the chair for going into Committee of Supply,
took the opportunity of stating, that on Friday, the 3d
of June, his right hon. friend the President of the Board
of Control would state the views of the Government
with regard to the Government of India.
Mr. RICH said, with reference to that notice,
he must be allowed to express his opinion that it
would be both for the interest of the Government and of
India that the subject should be more maturely consi-
dered before it was brought on for discussion. (Hear,
hear.) The appointment of the Indian committee took
place at a very late period, while the heads of inquiry
that were submitted. to it were exceedingly numerous.
The house had only just received a report upon one of
these heads, and much information remained behind to
be communicated to the house. He therefore contended
that it would be most inexpedient to legislate in the
matter until the vrholo inquiry was brought to a close.
He believed that the agitation of this question would be
conducive to the ultimate tranquillity of India itself. He
therefore thought we ought rigidly to inquire be-
fore legislating. The committee which had been ap-
point.-d, although coomposed of the mof=t eminent men in
chat home, had coirunitten sUCh blund4-rs as would have
cii,graded tile younpe,L members. Instead of inquiring
into the condition said well-being of the people of India,
they had confined themselves simply to inquiring into