The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-08 00:00:00

selecting any part of the country on which to bring evidence
before the Committee. The Report of the Committee would
speak for itself, and he was quite sire it would answer the
statements of the Hon. Member for Oldham.
The Report was then ordered to lie on the table.
Lord MORPETIi brought in a Bill to restrain the aliena-
tion of Corporate Property in Ireland, which was read a first

time.
Mr. SH AW brought in a Bill to provide compensation for
certain officers of the Corporation of Dublin, which was read

a first time.
THE EXCHEQUER BILLS BILL.
The Exchequer Bills (Public Works) Bill and the Four-
and-a-Half per Cent. Duties Bill passed through Committee,
and were ordered to be reported.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EX-
CHEQUER, the Lords' amendments to the Royal Exchange
Rebuilding Bill were agreed to.
The Slave Trade Treaties Bill, and the Duchies of Corn-
wall and Lancaster Bill went through a Committee. The
Bills were reported, without amendments, to the House.
TIN DUTIES..
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
, QUER the House went into Committeeon the Tin Duties

(Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster) Bill.
On the Bth clause being proposed,
Lord G. SOMERSET moved as amendment that the
import duty on foreign tin should be reduced to 12s. per cwt.
His object was not to interfere with the fair remuneration of
all parties concerned in the trade, but he thought it right,
wben the country was called upon to pay from 20,0001. to
25,0001. a year, that they should obtain some public advantage.
The Noble Lord then entered into calculations to show that

the duty he proposed would amply remunerate the home ma
nufacturer, while it would open a fair competition with him
and the foreign importer. The Noble Lord concluded by
calling upon the House to try the experiment of lowering the
duties to the extent which he proposed, and not continue in
the hands of the Cornish miners the monopoly which they at
present held.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the Government measure, which proposed to lower the duties
to 15s. per cwt., would give more protection to the Cornish
miners than the 12s. per cwt. proposed by the Noble Lord ;
and it at the same time afforded to the public the advantages
arising out of foreign competition. The main benefit of the
measure proposed by Ministers was, that it would afford
Government an opportunity of practically ascertaining some
mode by which to settle the duties to be paid upon the import
of tin upon some just and equitable standard. The manufac-
turing interest admitted, through Mr. Smith, the Chairman
of their own Committee, that they would willingly acquiesce
in a reduction of the duty to 155., and yet the Noble Lord,
professing to be the advocate of the manufacturing interest,
insisted upon a lower duty. It had been said of his (the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer's) countrymen, that they were more
Catholic than the Pope ; and be might say of the Noble Lord
that he was more anxious for the interest of the manufactu-
rers than the manufacturers themselves, or than the Chair-
man of their Committee. It had been argued that a duty of
15e. would amount to an absolute prohibition. This might
prove to be the case, but as the Bill was an experiment, if it
turned out to be so Government was prepared to make a fur-
ther reduction. For his own part, he considered that the
practical experiment which they were about to make by means
of the Bill would be better than any measure founded upon ab-
stract calculations; for if no importation were found to follow
upon the enactment, the duty, as he had already stated,
would be further reduced ?—( Hear, hear.) It might be
asked why Government did not at once make a further re-
duction ? His answer was, that if they made too low a reduc-
tion in the first instance, they might perhaps find it very
difficult to retrace their steps. Besides this, a too sudden re-
duction to too great an extent would, most probably, prove
seriously injurious to the capital at present employed in the
production of tin at home. Government did not propose
this as a final measure ; but, on the contrary, they were ready
to re-consider the subject if the result of the experiment did
not prove satisfactory. He hoped, after this explanation, that
the Noble Lord would not object to the experiment which
they were about to try in passing the present Bill this year.
Mr. HAWE S complained that in the discussion of this
measure the interests of the consumers were totally over-
looked, and those of the manufacturers and miners alone
taken into account. In his opinion, a duty of 15s. would be
still a prohibitory duty. The object of the House ought to
be to lower as far as possible the charge on the consumers,
taking care at the same time to inflict as little injury as possible
upon the capital now employed in the trade. He felt himself
called upon to support the proposition of the Noble Lord.
Sir C. LEMON entered into some detailed calculations for
the purpose of showing that a duty of 15s. would afford a fair
chance of competition.
Mr. P. THOMSON said he himself was of opinion that
there should be a greater diminution of the duty than was at
present proposed by the Bill, but he was willing to take the
15s. in the first instance to try the test of actual experiment.
He was the more inclined to this when he found the parties
most peculiarly interested in the reduction content with that
proposition. The question they were about to try, and to try
practically, was, whether with such duties foreign tin would
come into the home market. If the duty were found, as it
was said it would be, a prohibitory one, it would be easy to make
a still further reduction.
Lord ELIOT said it should be recollected that there was
great capital invested in those mines, and an immense number
of persons deeply interested. Whatever duty the House
agreed to lay on it should have a reference to the effect it
would in all probability produce upon that capital and those
interests. It might be thought that foreign countries would
have no objection to exportation to this country at all periods,
and that their own pecuniary interests would sufficiently gu t-
rantee the continuance of that supply at all periods. -Expe-
rience had not proved that this would be the case. Holland
had not done so with regard to her spices, nor did he think that
it could be at all calculated upon. If they adopted a course
which would have the effect of reducing the profits of the pro-
prietors of the mines so low as to cause a partial suspension of
the works, a most serious injury would be thereby inflicted, for
any Hon. Member acquainted with the mining districts must
be aware that the increase of water rendered the working of
mines, after they have been once discontinued, a very diffi-
cult work.
Mr. WARBURTON thought that so great an advantage
ought not to be given to the mining interests in Cornwall
without securing a correspondent advantage to the public.
Mr. AGLIONBY would wish that they had more specific
information upon the subject before they legislated upon it.
If, however, they did make an experiment, they ought to be-
gin at a lower rate than that which had been *fixed, and this
would render the experiment less hazardous. The mining
proprietors in Cornwall had already great advantages, and if
they required any additional benefit they ought to be ready to
give some equivalent to the public.
Sir H. VI VIA N advocated the amount named by the Go-
vernment. He was not a holder of mining property himself,
but from his knowledge of the vast numbers vitally inte-
rested in their success he felt the necessity of affJrding them
protection. No experiment could be attended with greater
risk than one which would incur the danger of throwir's the
miners out of employment. Any Hon. Member who had ever
seen the effect of stopping the works in one of the large
mines produced upon the district would dread to see such an
occurrence repeated. The advantage which it was proposed
to give the miners was not new. The tin plate workers had
at present a bonus of 20 per cent. ad valorem.
Mr. FINCH was of opinion that the duty upon the impor-
tation of foreign tin ought to be as low as possible. That
truly great man, Mr. Huskisson, had reduced the duty upon
the importation of foreign lead, and although it had been
much opposed by the proprietors at home, who felt themselves
most interested, it had proved highly advantageous to the
country. The proprietors of mines in Cornwall at present
received great advantage from the drawback upon timber
which aaq allowed to them.
Alter a it,r words from Mr. PENDARVE S,
Mr FRE SHFI E LD assured the Committee that if they
encouraged in too great a degree the introduction of foreign
tin they might inflict a serious injury upon our tin mining dis-
tricts in Cornwall. Even the tin plate workers were anxiouthat the home producers should not be driven from the markets
Lord G. SOMERSET said that he would not press his
motion, but he would introduce the subject at a very early
period of the next session.
The other clauses were then agreed to and the Report was
ordered to be brought up to-morrow (this day), after which,
the House resumed.
The Coal Trade (Port of London) Bill went through Com-
mittee, after which the House resumed.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned to two o'clock to-morrow (this day).

HOUSE OF L()RDS, AUGUST 7.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at
Five o'Clock. -•-•

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented petitions
from Southwark against idolatrous worship in India.
The Bills on the table were forwarded a stage.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented petitions from
Edinbugh and Dalkeith, against idolatrous worship in India.
The Earl of CARLISLE presented similar petitions from
Whitby.