The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-21 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, WEDNESDAY MARCH 9.0.
Lord ORMOND (Earl of Ormond in Ireland)
took the oaths and his seat, as a Baron of the
United Kingdom. He was introduced by the
Earl of LIMERICK (as Lord Foxford) and Lord
CALTHO RPE.

An Account of the Balances in the Hands of
the Deputy Postmasters of Great Britain was
presented at the Bar:
Mr. WODEHOUSE and others from the Com--
mons brought up the, Norfolk Gaol Bill ai.sl a
Road Bill, which were read a first time.

The Laud Tax Commissioners' Names Bill
was read a second time ; and, the standing orders
on the progress of Bills having been suspended,
it was afterwards read a third time and passed.
The Aliens' and Denizens' Bill, the Annual
Indemnity Bill, the Army Mutiny Bill, and the
Marine Mutiny Bill, were read a third time
and passed.—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
SHOP AND HOUSE TAX. •
Mr. HOBHOUSE gave notice that after the holidays he
would move for the Repeal of the Shop and House Tax.
TALLOW.
Mr. SYKES presented a Petition from certain Ship Owners
in Hull interested in the Whale Fisheries, praying that the du-
ties on the importation of foreign Tallow should be increased.
—Ordered to be printed.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.
Mr. CURWEN, with a view of showing the great extent of
Agricultural Distress, and that it pervaded every part of the
country, moved that there be laid before the House an Account
of all Petitions complaining of Agricultural Distress, during the
years 1820, 1321 and 1822 ; specifying the places from whence
presented.—Ordered.
LOCAL TAXATION IN DUBLIN.
Mr. ELLIS rose, in pursuance of his notice, to move for a
Committee on the state of the Local Taxation in Dublin. The
Hon. Gentleman said it was a subject on which much anxiety
existed ; although it was one altogether divested of party feel.
ing. At present it frequently happened that the most opulent
portion of the inhabitants of the City of Dublin were taxed but
slightly, while the burden of the local taxation fell almost ex-
clusively on the poorer districts. It was desirable that the sub-
ject should be investigated by a Committee, in order to pave
the way for some measure of regulation which should render the
local rates less partial and oppressive. After some further ob-
servations on the existing evil, the`Hon. Gentleman moved that
a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the local taxa-
tionof the City of Dublin, and to report their proceedings and
observations thereon to the House.
The motion was agreed to, and a Committee appointed.
VAGRANT LAWS.
Mr. CHETWYND, with a view to the illustration of the
Bill Which he had obtained leave to bring in, and which he
was about immediately to bring in on the subject, moved that
there be laid before the House an account of all the sums
which had been paid by the Treasurers of Counties in England
and Wales to the various officers of Those counties for the ap-
prehension of vagrants, and of all the persons who had been
committed under the Vagrant Laws.—Ordered.
Mr. CHETWYND then brought in his Bill for consoli-
dating into one Act and amending the Laws relating to Rogues,
Vagabonds, He observed that it was not his intention to
move the second reading of the Bill until after Easter, that the
Magistrates in the country might have full opportunity of
ascertaining its provisions. The Bill was then read a first
time, and ordered to be Rrinted.
SCOTS JURt,'IIEN.
On the motion of Mr. KENNEDY, an account was order-
ed to be laid before the House of the names, designations, and
residence of the persons who had been summoned to serve on
Juries in the Court of Justiciary in Scotland for the last ten
years, with the names of the counties and towns whence they
were summoned.

HIGHWAYS IN SCOTLAND.
On the motion of Mr. HUNTER BLAIR, a Select Com.
mittee was appointed to take into consideration the Acts
now in force respecting Turnpike Roads and Highways in
Scotland, for the purpose of consolidating and amending the
same.

DUTY ON CANDLES.
Mr: SYKES fixed his dropped notice of yesterday for a
motion to repeal the Duty on Tallow Candles, for Ttiesday,
April 30th.
SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS BILL.
Mr. CHET IV YND, in moving the Commitment of the Sum-
mary Proceedings Bill, said that he had been favoured with
many suggestions on the subject, both from Members of that
House, and from Magistrates in the country. It was his in.
tention to introduce these amendments into the Bill in the
Committee, and on the bringing up of the Report, to move
that the Bill should be recommitted and printed.
The Bill then went through a Committee, in which the
amendments were introduced. The House having resumed,
the Report was brought up, and ordered to be taken into fur-
ther consideration on Friday se'nnight ; and the Bill, as
amended, was ordered to be printed.
LAND TAX ASSESSMENTS.
On the motion of Mr. HUME (who complained that similar
Returns throughout the Bills of Mortality, ordered on his mo-
tion last Session, had not hitherto been made), a Return was
ordered to be laid before the House of all Assessments to the
Land Tax in Kensington and Chelsea, in the Hundred of Os-
sulstone, in the County of Middlesex, for the last seven years.

MR. HUN .
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a Petition from certain
Inhabitants of Ashton-under-Line, praying that the restric-
tions on Mr. Hunt might not be renewed.—Ordered to lie on
the table.

Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a. similar Petition from
the inhabitants of Mosley, in the parish of Ashton-under-Line;
it also prayed an inquiry into the transactions which took
place at Manchester on the 16th. of August.—Ordered to be
printed._

The Hon. Member presented similar petitions from Oldham
and Manchester, with a further prayer for a radical and effec-
tual Reform in Parliament.

After a few words from Mr. DICKINSON, the Petitions
were read and ordered to be printed.
PROTRACTED IMPRISONMENT BEFORE TRIAL.
Mr. WESTERN gave notice that he should, on Wednes-
day the 27th, present a Petition from the Grand Jury of the
County of Essex, complaining of the length of imprisonment to
which persons were at present subject before trial; and also of
the long period which intervened between the Summer and Lent,
Assizes. He should follow up this Petition by moving that the
question be referred to a Committee, or such other measure as
hould to him appear most expedient.
- A 7 IP TITPTV

MXLT DUTY. REPEAL BILL.
On the Order for the third reading of the Malt Duty Re-
peal Bill,
Mr. C. SMITH and Mr. H. GURNEY made a few obser-
vations, after which the Bill was read a third time and passed.
On the motion of Sir G. CLERK, a motion made by the
Member for Aberdeen on the 7th inst. was discharged (it hav-
ing been found inconvenient to comply with its terms exactly.)
The documents moved for were laid on the Table (up to the
latest period to which they could be made out.)
Mr. HUME moved for a Return of the Sums deducted from
the Wages of the Officers and Men in the. Sea Service, under
the 7th and Bth .of William 111. or any other Acts, and paid
into Greenwich or Chatham Chest, together with' its applica-
tion.—Ordered.

COLONIAL DISTRESS.
Mr. MARRYAT presented a petition from the Council and
the House of Assembly of the Island of Grenada, complaining
of the Distress to which the inhabitants of that Island, in com-
mon with those of all the other British West India Colonies,
were reduced, and praying that the House would afford them
such relief as was absolutely necessary to save them from im-
pending ruin. The Honourable ➢Member stated, that the dis-
tress of the agriculturists at home had a prior claim to the at,
tention of the House, but that the next subject, in point of im-
portance, for their consideration, was the distress that prevailed
among the agriculturists of our West India Colonies. We read

in a pamphlet, said to be published under official authority,
that the total of all the sums raised upon the land, in Great
Britain and Ireland, under the several heads of Beer, Malt,
Hops, and Land-tax, for the year 1821, was in gross receipt
about 9,000,0001. ' • and that the Customs and Excise on our
Colonial produce afforded little less than 8,200,0001. to the Re
venue : so great, according to the author of the State of the
Nation, was the claim of our, sugar colonies to a degree of poli-
tical importance, next _only to our landed interest; pee longo
intervallo proxiputs. .The petitioners stated the sources of
their distress to be, the want of their former intercourse with
the United States of America, and the very low prices of
their produce. In consequence of the former circumstance
the prices of lumber and provisions in the British Islands
were double those paid in the foreign islands, into which
American vessels were admitted. This difference was partly
owing to the prime cost of some of the articles being higher
in the British provinces in North America than in the Unit-
ed States ; partly to the communication with Canada, and,
indeed, most of the ports in the British North American
provinces, being interrupted y the ice or tempestuous weather
during,a considerable part of tlle year ; and partly to the mar-
kets in all those ports being so overloaded with. rum—the arti-
cle in which the returns for lumber and provisions were made
—that they would take no more, and therefore discontinued
sending the necessary supplies. The fact was, that the whole
consumption of rum in the British provinces in North Ameri-
ca, including Newfoundland, did not exceed 25,000 puncheons
per annum, which was only the produce of two small islands,
and did not exceed one-eighth of the whole. The consump-
tion of the United States of America, while the intercourse with
them was open, was six times the quantity taken by the Bri-
tish provinces, which was nearly equal to the proportionate po-
pulation of the two countries : but, since we had excluded their
ships from our colonies, they had excluded the produce of our
colonies from their ports, and the loss of this market had been
grievously felt by the British West India planters. The con-
sequence was, that the redundant quantity sent to Europe had
so reduced the price, that it did not actually defray the charges
of distillation. Leeward Islands' rum, of proof strength, lead
been selling for several months at la 4d. per gallon ; the freight
and charges upon it were Bd., the cask that contained it cost
4d., and the remaining 4d. did not reimburse the planter for
the coals sent out from England, and the cost and repair of the
stills and worms vats, and other utensils, necessary for distil-
lation ; so that the rum, instead of providing, as formerly, for
the greater part of the island expences of a sugar estate, was
now a total loss to the planter. The price of sugar was also
so much depressed, as not to pay the expence of cultivation ;
and the British planter, notwithstanding his utmost skill and
economy, now found his labour lost, and his property annual-
ly diminishing. The petitioners ascribed the present depre-
ciation of their staple commodity to the increased interference
of :East India sugar in the consumption of the mother coun-
try, and to the augmented produce of the Spanish and Por-
tuguese colonies where the slave-trade was still carried on.—.
With respect to the first of these circumstances, the addi-
tional duty imposed upon East India sugar was intended as a
protection to West India sugar, unless the price should advance
upon the consumer beyond a reasonable rate; but it did not
at present answer that purpose. Since the opening of the pri-
vate trade to India, the number of ships sent from Great
Britain to that part of the world had greatly increased. The
only commodities. they could find there to use as ballast in the
voyage home were saltpetre and sugar ; and as the quantity of
the former was very insufficient for that purpose, they made up
the deficiency with the latter. Sugar from India, therefore,
being merely a substitute for ballast, might be considered as
coming home freight free, an advantage which was never con-
templated when the duties were arranged ; and the quantity
introduced into home consumption was annually increasing.—
The petitioners contended, that as their trade was restricted to
Great Britain, they were entitled to a preference in the British
market; and that such countervailing duties ought to be im-
posed upon East India sugar as to ensure the West India
planters a fair price, before it was admitted ;nto competition
with them. The other and far more important cause of their
distress was the vast increase that had taken place in the culti-
vation of sugar in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, where
the slave-trade was still carried on. It was long ago predicted,
that unless this trade was abolished by Great Britain in concert
with the other Powers of Europe, the great objects of huma-
nity and philanthropy would be defeated, and the British West
India colonies be ruined. The former prediction had already
been accomplished, and the latter was-in a fair way of being
so. The abolition by Great Britain had served as a stimulus
to other nations to continue it to a greater extent than ever,
and under circumstances of accumulated barbarity, that made
the heart sicken at their recital. The growth of sugar in the
inundated
every colonies had thus increased to a degree that
every market in Europe, and brought great distress on the
British planter, who depended upon those markets to take
Off the surplus of his produce beyond what was required
for home consumption. The first remedy prayed for by the
Petitioners was the renewal of the former intercourse between
the British West India colonies and the United States of America.
He (Mr. Marryat) was an advocate for the navigation system ;
but he could not forget the observation of Mr. Burke, that " if
that law be suffered to run the 'full length of its principle, and
is not changed and modified according to the change of time
and circumstances, it must do great mischief, and frequently
defeat its own purpose. It will not only tie, but strangle."
This was, in his opinion, a case of that description ; for the
effect of its enforcement was not only to double the cost of the
supplies necessary for the British planter, but also to deprive
him, of the best market for his rum, and render it of no value
whatever. The only interests that could possibly be affected
by this measure were those of the British provinces in North
America, and the British ship-owners. The objections of the
former might be done away, by the imposition of a duty upon
such American articles as came into competition with those that
were the growth and produce of our own provinces ; this would
give them all that colonies could reasonably claim—protection
without monopoly. The interests of the British ship-owners
wouldauffer more by driving the West India planters to ex-
tremity and ruin, which must be the consequence of continuing
the present system, than by granting them the relief prayed
for. If they were incapable of continuing the cultivation of
sugar and rum, without loss, they must give it up, and raise
provisions for their own subsistence, and that of their slaves.
The ship-owners would then lose a far more important branch
of their carrying trade than the cross voyages between the
West India Colonies and the British Provinces in North Ame-
rica.' The next remedy to which the petitioners begged to call
the attention of the House was the effectual abolition of
the slave trade by the other Powers of Europe. That his Ma-
jesty's Ministers had not only made great efforts, but also
great sacrifices, in order to accomplish this object, he readily
admitted ; and therefore had only to express his hope that
their persevering endeavours in this good cause would be
crowned with final success. Appearances, however, were at
present far from promising. The Government of Spain had, in-
deed, lately passed a law, inflictingpunishment on those who car-
ried it on; but it was well known, that for many years past, neither
the laws nor treaties of Spain had been observed in the island of
Cuba. By the treaty between Spain and Great Britain, the final
abolition of the slave trade in the Spanish Colonies was to have
taken place in Oct. 1820, and the Judges and Commissioners
appointed by the Powers to try all violations of the abolition
laws arrived at the Havannah previous to that period ; but in
the face of them all, the intendant at the Havannah took upon
himself the responsibility of admitting every slave 'ship that
came to that port, whether under the Spanish, French, or Por-
tuguese flag; and the Judges and Commissioners had never
been allowed to interfere. So late as the month of October
last, a friend of his (Mr. Marryast's) sailed from the Havannah
for this country, and he informed him, that on the same day
four vessels left that port, that were avowedly fitted out for the
coast of Africa, to bring back slaves. The Portuguese Go-
vernment still refused even to fix a period far the abolition of
the. Slave Trade ; and the Emperor of Russia, who, at the Con-
gress of Vienna, approved of the proposition of the Noble Mar-
quis on the Treasury Bench, to exclude the produce of those
Colonies who refused to accede to the abolition, had so regu-
lated his late tariffs of duties, as to give a monopoly of the
consumption of sugar in his dominions to the colonies of the
only powers by whom the Slave Trade was carried on. Under
these eirciernstances, the most strenuous exertions of his Ma-
jesty's Ministers would be necessary to secure the effectual
abolition of the Slave Trade ; and the prospect of relief to the
British West India planters from this event was, he feared,
very distant. The petitioners also urged, that the duty on
sugar ought not to be arbitrary, but to depend upon its value,
because, as at present regulated, it fell on the planter, and not
on the consumer. He confessed, however, that in the present
distressed state of the country, no expectation of any diminu-
tion in the duty could reasonably be entertained. Another
mode of relief suggested by the petitioners, and which appear-
ed altogether unexceptionable, was permission to export their
rum, in British ships, to any port' m EuroPe—a permission

' which had already been given them as to all their produce,
to any port in Europe south of Cape Finisterre. The great-
est part of the rum sent from the Wesklndies to this country
was re-exported at a double set of charges, which ab-
sorbed a considerable portion of its value, and which might
be saved by shipping it direct to the places of its consump-
tion. This permission would not only be useful to the
.planters,
but to the British ship-owners, who would receive an increased..
frieght for the longer voyage ; and, upon the same principle
that ships going from the West Indies to ports south ci,t Cape
Finisterre were permitted to load back with certain enumerated
articles, they might be allowed to return from the Baltic with
lumber, and from Harnburgh with staves, direct to the West
Indies ; which, under the present system, must, in the first
instance, be landed in Great Britain, and then reshipped to the
West. Indies at an enormous and unnecessary expence. lode-
pendently of the advantage of procuring employment to the
British ship-owners, by thus increasing the sources.of supply of
'lumber for the West India Colonies, the price would be kept
down ; and in case of war (for we could not expect the world
to remain always in a state of profound peace), the -planters
Aould be less sensibly affected by the loss of any {)ne market,
than if they depended for a supply on that one only.. It ap-
Feared highly advisable to extend the permission p.rayed for,
to sugar as well as to rum, as was already the case with vessels
bound from the West Indies to any port of Europe south of
Cape Finisterre. The present Russian tariff; if it continued In
force, would soon induce our planters to resume the practice of
slaying sugars, in order to secure their admission into the Rus-
sian market. Under the present system, they must first be
landed in Great Britain, and then reshipped from hence at a
double set of charges ; but if permission were given to send them
direct to Russia, they would then come' into competition with
the clayed sugars of the Brazils and Cuba, which were sent
there direct on equal terms as to freight and charges ; and he
was persuaded that any advantage given to our planters over
those foreign colonies where the slave-trade was still carried on,
and which, of course, would tend in some degree to dis
courage and check that abominable ,traffic, would be highly
gratifying to the feelings of that House, and of the country
at large. Perhaps the House was not aware of the 'extent
of the distress that at present existed in the British West
India Colonies. One planter wrote, that no credit could be
obtained for • provisions and clothing, except under a law
of the island, which gave those supplies a priority even over
mortgages, if furnished within the last twelve months ; and
that this credit was purchased at the rate of 50 per cent.
advance on the cash price of the articles, with the certainty of
actions being- brought to recover the amount, within the time
prescribed by law for securing the priority. Another stated,
that one-third of the last year's taxes remained unpaid, without
any possibility of being collected ; and that the Legislature of theisland in which he resided were now imposing new taxes,
under which those who could pay must make up the deficiencies
of those who could not. Another declared his determination,
unless thingsishould take a more favourable turn in the course
of the present year, to abandon the cultivation of produce, and
divide his land among his negroes, whom he could no longer
support, in order that they might raise provisions for their own
maintenance. As an instance of the depreciation of property,
which was the necessary consequence of this severe and general
distress, he might mention a fact that had come within his own
immediate knowledge. An estate in Demerary, that was pur-
chased about 7 years ago for 40,0001., was sold at the Marshal's
sale last spring for 13,4001. Great as the distress of the Agri-
culturists in this country undoubtedly was, it fell short of that
which prevailed among the Agriculturists in our West India
Colonies; and he trusted that some measure calculated to meet
the urgency of the case, or, to use the words of the Petitioners,
" to save them from impending ruin," would speedily be
brought forward by his Majesty's Ministers, and receive the
cordial assent of that House.
Mr. WILMOT said, that the state of the Colonies had not
escaped the attention of his Right Honourable Friend the Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade, who meant in the ensuing week
to submit a motion on the subject of regulating the intercourse
of the Colonies with Canada.

Air. ELLIS confirmed all that had been said respecting the
severe distress under which the Colonies now laboured. That
the planters had not sooner appealed to Parliament was, he be-
lieved, owing to the confidence they reposed in the protecticn of
the Legislature.
Mr. _BRIGHT begged also to express his concurrence in the
opinion that the distresses of the Colonies required immediate
sabernkatext.
The- Petition was then brought.up, and read ; it was after-
wards ordered to lie on the table.

IMPORT DUTIES UPON TALLOW.
Mr. CUR WEN, in pursuance of the notice he had piven,
rose to call the attention of the House to a subject, noredy
relating to the agricultural but to the general interests of the
country. It was the opinion of a great numlier of individuals
well conversant with the subject, that the importation of
foreign tallow had a tendency to aggravate and increase the
distress under which agriculture now suffered. No subject
demanded more seriously the attention of the House ; for what-
ever might have been the degree of distress which prevailed
before the assembling of Parliament, it certainly had not les-
sened since that period. The necessary conclusion, therefore,
was that the measures adopted by the Government had not
produced the result expected from them. He by no means
meant to blame them, or to take exceptions to what they had
done, for he had undoubtedly hoped, as he had no doubt they
did, that the distress would be considerably relieved by the re-
mission of the tax upon malt. But the country differed with
the majorities of Parliament, and with those who said that suf-
ficient relief had been granted, and thought that wifh the very
considerable surplus of income over its expenditure which the
country now possessed, more might have been done, and more
efficient assistance might have been yielded to the distressed.
He therefore called upon Ministers in the name of the country
to do something more, for there was scarcely a man in the
country. who did not hold the relief granted to be perfectly dis-
proportionate to the degree of suffering which prevailed. If
nothing in the shape of relief should result from the labours of
the Committee, he did call upon the Ministers to see if they
had not something further in their power to grant. He was
sure that it would be Most gratefully received by the country,
and would, perhaps, be the only means of inducing. it to bear
up with patience and fortitude in the hope that time would
more materially better the condition of the suffering classes.
If, therefore any thing presented itself to Parliament which
appeared likely to produce that effect, it had not a more
sacred duty than to give it the most serious attention. If
he could even shew the probability of affording relief by
any particular measure, it was entitled to the first considera-
tion of the House. The Honourable • Member then alluded
to the effect of agricultural distress, contending that it fell
upon all classes ;' and that it was alike detrimental to the in-
terests of the producer and the consumer. He argued that the
importation of foreign tallow had a share in causing this gene-
ral distress. The quantity of foreign tallow imported was in
the proportion of one-third to the English tallow used in this
country. The English farmer could not compete with tie
Russian fanner when the differences of his expenses were
considered. The land upon which he prOduced his tallow
stood him, upon an average, at. a rent of two pounds per
acre, while that of the Russian farmer cost him nothing, and
the animals were frequently killed for their tallow alone.,--
He therefore called upon the House to give that protection to
the English f6mer which he had a right to have at their hands.
What they now imposed upon the importation of Russiin tal-
low was not more than a duty of 10 per cent., whilst 35 per
cent. was imposed upon the importation of hemp—an article
not in competition with the produce of this country. Could
any system be so bad, either with regard to its policy or its
justice, as that which imposed a high tax upon the importation
of what was not grown in the country, and a comparative low
one upon that which was its natural produce ? How were they
treated by Russia in return for the favour bestowed upon her
producers ? Why by an export duty of 8 per cent. upon the
very article ; thus we paid to her 70,0001. aear for being al-
lowed to purchase her tallow. He contendeyd, that the con-
sequence of increased importation duties would be to remove
those to which he had just alluded as in the case of Spain and
Holland. As soon as we put on the import duties upon wool,
the Government of Spain took the exports off. In the same
manner Holland removed them when we put a tax upon the
importation of butter and cheese. And if they were to put on
the increased importation duties upon tallow, Russia would
take the same course, and take off her export duties. He
contended also, that Ireland would be benefitted by the mea-
sure. In proposing that a Committee be appointed to examine
into the subject, it was his object to go the full extent of put-
ting a duty of 20 per cent. upon the importation of foreign•tal-
low, instead of the duty which it now paid. The Russian far-
mer would then have twopcnce-halfpenny per pound for his
tallow instead of threepence-halfpenny, which was quite an
adequate remuneration. The effect of such a duty would be
to give about 300,0001. annually to the grazier. Ile calculated

that as there was about thirty thousand tons of tallow imported
annually, the increased duty would produce 700,0001. besides
the difference which would be saved, if Russia took off the
exports. The effect would be to raise the price of tallow to
the consumer about five pounds ten shillings per ton ; and L.-
conipensate the consumer, he should propose to take off the tax
upon candles, which was about 390,4)01. although it did not
bring that to the Government. (inc seventh of the duties was
spent in collect:7lg them; and both the manner of its collec-
tion, and the oppression of the tax itself, independent of its
eativreliesutn'rnredtiVnnv
reduction. He
-endeavoured
svoou rgredietovoussh eaws ,tealtao,
fe°orm
by calculating the expenses, that a bounty of fourpence per
pound would accrue to persons who could make their own -
candles. From other advantages which he expected would
arise from the measure he should have the honour to propose,
the sum which it wottlel bring in would amount to above a mil-
lion, the remainder of which would be at the disposal of the
Government. If therefore the farmer could gain by such a
plan, a relief to the annual amount of 300,0001:without any
detriment to the consumer, it must be for the general benefit
of the country to adopt it. If the Government were afraid that
it might be injurious to our commercial relations with Rus-
sia, why not commute the tax upon candles altogether?
would be a great relief to us, and not invidious towards that
country. Upon these grounds lie should submit his motion to
the House, unless Ministers themselves should have the sub-
ject under their reflection. He would not have brought it
forward if he had thought they meant to do so, and if they
still proposed to take it into their consideration he would with-
draw it. lie always thought it better that such measures should
originate with the Government, because they came with more
weight than from an individual. They were bound to apply
their utmost attention to the subject, with the sincere determi-
nation to do all they could to relieve the distresses of the coun-
try, and particularly that of the graziers, whotn he believed to
be suffering most of all. With the view of affording them
some relief, he should move, " That a Committee of that House
be appointed to inquire into the propriety of increasing the tax
upon the importation of Foreign Tallow, in order thereby to
take off the tax upon candles.'
Mr. SYKES agreed with his Hon. Friend that it was the tax
upon candles which it would be most wise, just, and useful to re-
peal, as one which pressed upon the lower classes of the people,
and was very oppressive in the manner of its being levied..
But his Hon. Friend called upon the House to makes up the
deficiency of this reduction by making an alarming increase
to an already high tax upon the importation of an article of
foreign produce. He conceived it to be most material to the
commercial interests of this country, that it should have a good
understanding and proper influence with the Cabinet of Peters-
burgh, and that no measure of an irritating tendency towards
that country should be adopted. Under the peculiar circum-
stances in which Russia now stood, it would be invidious and
suspicious to lay on these large prohibitory duties, and mus 7.
be followed by retaliatory measures. It ought to be remem-
bered also,- that great speculations were now going on upon
the article in question, and the House ought to be extremely
cautious how it lent its sanction to such proceedings.--( Hear !)
The only effect of the measure, as it appeared to him, would be
to put money into the pockets of speculators. He agreed that
the tax in question was one which ought to be reduced. It
pressed more upon the poor than upon the rich. The rich man
used wax-lights, Argyll-lamps, and other elegant inventions,
which the luxuries of the age created, whereas a great portion
of the labour of the mechanic was done by candle-light. He
was convinced that nothing would be more beneficial to the
poor man than the reduction of this tax, and that it could be
reduced without materially affecting the general revenue. He
was one who agreed in the necessity of maintaining a clear sur-
plus of revenue over the expenditure, but that was all he
would support. With regard to Sinking Funds he though:
them very well in theory, but he knew, from the history of al:
Sinking Funds, what they came to in the end. They knew
how Sir R. Walpole's Sinking Fund had been destroyed ; and
they had seen in their own day how the Right Honourable
Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had treated
that of Mr. Pitt's. He could 'not agree to the motion, be-
cause it was likely to disturb our commercial relations with
Russia.
The Right Hon. F. ROBINSON felt it his duty to oppose
the motion. Although one of that class to support which the
Hon. Gentleman professed so much anxiety, he -could not
satisfy himself that the aeT'ml&__el_iqsresers were likel to be at
air SCI'VCCr
any of the Hon. Gentleman's expectations were likely o
realised. He should consider the question in either of two
points of view. Either the present Tax upon Tallow-ought to
be raised or it ought not. If raised, the effect would be to raise,
pro tanto, the Duty upon Candles.--(Hear, hear !)—The total
of the existing Duty on Candles was between 9 and 101. per
ton ; that on Tallow about 41. per ton—in all about 12 or 131.
per ton. The-Hon. Gentleman proposed to reduce the duty on
candles altogether, and to increase that on tallow from 41. to
201. per ton ; and that this would be laying an additional tax
upon candles could not be denied. The real object of the mo-
tion was the relief of the agricultural interests, and to throw
upon the people the burthen from which that class was sought
to be freed. But even in that view the Hon. Gentleman's plan
was liable to objection, for the agriculturists themselves would
have to bear their proportion on the articles consumed by them.
He had heard that the great advocate for the measure was a
gentleman deeply interested in the question • he begged not to
be understood to mean the Honourable Gentleman opposite,
but another party.—(Hear, hear !)—A report certainly was
widely circulated in the city that the great advocate for the
repeal was a Gentleman deeply interested in the success
of the measure.—(Hear, hear.)—The Honourable Gentleman
said that his proposition, if acceded to, would only have the
effect of raising the duty on tallow to 51. 10s. per ton. But
the effect of that increase would be an additional tax of 3s. per
bead on consumers.—(Hear, hear !)—He would resist the mo-
tion on the ground taken by the very individual Honourable
Gentleman who proposed it. He (Mr. Curwen) suppokd it
would not raise the price of candles at all, for the Honourable
Gentleman said, the price of tallow only would be raised. The
agriculturist would be thereby served, and yet theaalvante
would not press upon the consumer ; for, said the Honourable
Gentleman again, it will not raise the price. The argument
of the Honourable Gentleman went to say, that the tax would
be laid upon the importation of the article, and would there-
fore be borne by the foreign &rower. Were our system of com-
merce to become thus restrictive, the natural effect would be to
compel other countries to have recourse to every trick, by
which to force upon us their produce to the, full amount of all
their purchases from us. Was the agriculturist to come in,
the moment any tax became productive, and say, " you , must
repeal that tax for my benefit ?" We might as well shut up the
shop at once.--(Hear i)—ln either case, the proposition of the
Hon. Gentleman was equally objectionable. When we come
to consider our commercial relations with all foreign powers, no
result could be foreseen by adopting the proposition of the Ilbn,
Member than jealousy, perhaps hostility ; and which might
produce, in the end, greater mischiefs than those the Honour-
able Member sought to deliver us from.
Mr. RICARDO entirely concurred in the doctrines of the
Right Hon. Gentleman as far as regarded restrictions on trade ;
he only hoped that Government would act consistently by re-
pealing some protecting duties, as they were called, at present
in existence—such as that upon cheese and butter.—(Hear,
hear !)—lt was astonishing to see how rapidly his lion. Friend,
the Member for Cumberland (Mr. Curwen), had got over his
ground ; he made most sweeping strides and calculations, with-
out any sufficient data, and had told the quantity and quality of
every thing, the means of consuming, and theexpense of rais-
ing, with as much precision and apparent certainty as if he
had himself possessed exchisively all the methods of getting at
the truth.--(Hear !)--Hdev he had arrived at his result, that
the price of tallow was to be raised exactly to the sum of 51. Ios.
per ton, was an absolirte mystery. He (Mr. R.) believed that,
in point of fact, and taking an average of years, the tal-
low received from Russia was at the lowest price for which the
producer could afford to sell it; so that this-increase by the new
duty could not fall upon the producer, as was contended.. He
objected most decidedly to the imposition of a tax upon the
whole people of England, for the particular benefit of a class,
although it was by no means made out that even that class
would be advantaged. The Hon. Member 'for Hull (Mr.
Sykes) had adopted rather an extraordinary line of argument;
he was in favour of a surplus, but as decidedly against a Sink-
ing Fund, when in fact a Sinking Fund was nothing hut a
surplus beyond the expenses of the country. He would not
remove taxes because this surplus must be maintained ; if the
surplus. were maintained and taxes were not removed, what
could be done with it if it were not, applied to the reduction of
the debt ? He (Mr. Ricardo) was,
.an enemy to any sinking
fund it had been his constant argument, that the country
ought to make a great effort to get out, ofedlet, and a sinking
fund directly interfered with that objectee n principle and
theory, nothing-, could be better than a shilsitig fund ; but in

-practice it had been found to be little more than a delusion. '
On this account he had 'always supported a remission of taxes,
as opposition to the maintenance of what was called a sinking
lurid. Each Honourable Member had his favourite tax, and
one that above all others he wished to see abolished. This
Member was for the repeal of the tax on candles, another for
the repeal cf the tax on salt ;' for his part, he (Mr. Ricardo)
was for the repeal of the tax upon law proceedings—that tax
whiriv operated as a denial of justice upon every poor man
in
the country.---(Hear.)
Mr. 'l'. WILSON concurred in all that had fallen from his
Right Hon: Friend (Mr. F. Robinson,) but could by no means
Fro the length of the Hon. Member for Portarlington (Mr. Ri-
eardo.) 'When it was proposed, for the sake of the agricultu-
rist, to impose-a new tax upon tallow, he begged to be inform-
ed whether any, and what, benefit had resulted to that class ,
from the additional duty upon foreign wool ? He apprehend- 1
ci that it had been wholly inoperative ; and if this new project
of it had not. the same result, the difference would probably be
that the farmer would find his burdens increased; instead of
berg diminished. He objected to any derangement of the
-,-z7nmercial relations of the country. If the policy of Russia
wkli regard to the expected tariff were doubtful, it would at
_least be wise that this country should not throw the first stone.
He would encourage a free trade by all means, and not by a
tax like that now proposed, invite measures of retaliation.
Mr. BENETT (of Wiltshire) contended, that protecting,
duties were granted to Manufactures and not to Agricultural
.produce, and that all interests ought to be alike protected. If
`those who talked of free trade were sincere in their professions,
let them repeal all prohibitory duties, if they altered them at
. all. He did not conceive that the country could exist without
protections against Lmportation, while it struggled under, such
a load of debt, and other counties were comparatively free.—
After slightly noticing the tax upon imported wool, which fell,
he conceived, on the wool growers, the Honourable Member
-said that only one-third of the tallow consumed in this cour.
try could be called foreign. The repeal of the tax, however,
would, he thought, relieve the poor rather than the, rich, and
he should therefore vote for the motion for a Committee, be-
cause in that Committee the subject might be fully considered.
Mr. PHILLIPS observed, that it had been asked-why had
not the Manufacturers come forward in the present state of the
country ? - He conceived that a reference to the Petitions on the
table would shew 'that they had come forward in considerable
numbers. He thought it most extraordinary to suppose that
we could not protect our own manufactures against the manu-
factures of other countries. The tax upon the importation of
raw silk, might, he-thought, be repealed with advantage, and
would be the means of assisting the Agriculturists. Indeed,
he considered, that every repeal would be attended with advan-
tage to them ; for in his opinion Commerce was the chief sup-
port of Agriculture.
Mr. CURWEN shortly replied. He thought it hard that
an individual had been mentioned iii the course of the present
discussion. He (Mr. C.) had had communication With that
individual on this subject in the course of last year; but his
opinion had had no influence whatever upon his own. He
thought all the principles of the new school of political eco-
nomy contradicted themselves; and that a dangerous crises was
approaching. The revenue of the country could not, in the
-present state of things, be collected much longer; and when
the revenue could not be collected, the ruin of agriculture
could not be far distant. He should not press the question, as
the sense of the House appeared to be against him ; but he
wished Ministers to recollect, that although the people of -thiS
country had hitherto borne their bufthens with exemplary pa-
tience, they might; when they found their grievances remained
unred.resseci, lee induced to a different line of conduct.
, The motion was then put, and negatived without a division.
LEATHER TAX.

Colonel DAVIES, for his Hon. Friend who had given notice
of a motion for repealing the Leather Tax, postponed the mo-
tion from the 24th to, we believe, the Ist of April.

SUPERANNUATION BILL.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the
discharge of the Order for the second reading of this Bill, and
that the Bill be read a second time on Friday.
After a few words from the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER and Mr. HU3IE, we believe on a point of form,
Mr. lIUME said,'he wished a schedule of the proposed Re-
solutions had been added to 'the Bill. He disapproved of the
making any reduction from salaries of less than 1001. a year,
and should opposq any such reduction if it shguld be suggested.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, the
schedule should be added.
The SPEAKER laid, the forms of the Houp would not
permit the adding of any'schedule at present. The question
for the second reading of a Bill was merely to raise a discus-
sion upon its principle. Its detail could be considered only in
a Cammittee.
Mr. BENNET said, that in the present instance the prin-
ciple of the Bill could not be rightly understood without a sight
of the schedule.. The difficulty as to form might be removed
by ordering the Bill to be recommitted.
The motion was then agreed to.
Lord PALSIERSTON presented an account of all Officers
in the Army discharged within a given period, upon whom no
cop.. their
inc account was, on the motion of Mr. Husii; ordered to
be printed.