The Sun.
London, England, 1836-06-22 00:00:00

PAPER DUTIES.

Sir G. CLE RK said that he was desirous to put a question
to the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, the Chancellor of the
Excl equer on the subject of the proposed alteration of the
duty on paper. The House was aware that the Right lion.
Gentleman had declared that it was not the intention of the
Government to grant any drawback on the stock of paper re-
maining on hand after the 10th of October next. The effect
of this declaration was to cause a total suspension cf the paper
trade ; and as this was likely to lead to great embarrassment it
was only right that the parties should clearly understand in
what position they were to stand. Ile hoped, however, that
the Right 1-1-m. Gentleman would nut act upon his declara-
tion, because to do so would not be just. Ile understood that
it was intended, after a certain time, to allow paper to be taken
from the mills and placed in wareheeses in bond, without, of
course, the duty being paid; and he therefore wished to know
at what time the Right Hon. Gentleman proposed to give this
permission ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
although he did not mean to take the course suggested by the
Hon. Baronet, his object in the course which he meant to pur-
sue would be the same as that which the Hon. Baronet had in
view, namely, the relief of the trade by means applicable to
the reduction intended to be effected in the duty on paper.
The course he meant to take was this—on stained paper the
proposed duty to take place at once, but on thi first class of
paper it was intended that the duty should not take effect till
the 10th of October. In the meantime, however, to relieve
the owners of paper mills from the inconvenience of being bur-
thened to a large extent with stock, they were to be allowed
to pass a portion of it to the warehouses of their customers,
but this was not to be duty free, as the Hon. Baronet supposed.
The duty on it was to be paid of course ; but should any excess
remain in the hands of the stationers on the 10th of October
they were to be entisled to a drawbrck on that excess. By
this means the owners of wills would be enabled to con-
tinue their work, and the stationers to continue their pur-
chases, inasmuch as on the 10th of October they would be en-
titled to receive back the difference between the higher and
lower rate of duty. He could assure the Hon. Baronet that he
was as anxious as any one to afford every possible relief in his
power to the trade. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded
by giving notice that he would, on the House going into Com-
mittee on Ways and means to-morrow, bring forward the annual
sugar duties, and that he should then propose the assimilation
of the duties on East and West India sugars.—( Hear.)
COUNTY RATES.
Mr. HUME rose to bring forward a subject which be consi-
dered of very great importance, and he thought he should be
able to lay before the House ample grounds • for inducing
them to give him leave to introduce the Bill which he was
desirous of bringing in. The subject to which he adverted
was one on which a great many petitions had been pre-
sented. He had placed on the table of the House peti-
tions from Marylebone, Stafford, Hertford, and a great
many other places, complaining that the county rates were
the only tax levied in this country by parties who did not re-
present those by whom the rates were paid. The petitioners
all prayed that they might be allowed a voice in the expen-
diture of the money raised from them, and his object was to
have the counties in this respect placed on the same footing as
the new borough corporations, so that the ratepayers should
have controul over the disbursement of the money taken out of
their pockets. The Hon. Member went into a great variety of
calculations, to show that there was great irregularity in the
manner of levying county rates, and that many places, such as
inclosures and new towns and villages, were exempt, although
they ought to contribute to the general expenses of the county.
His Bill proposed to keep the financial and judicial functions
of the magistrates separate. The financial duties he proposed
to vest in a board elected by the ratepayers in the counties,
which board should sit for three or four years. Every
ratepayer was to have a vote, as in the municipal cor-
porations., He saw no difficulty in dividing the coun-
ties into electoral districts for this purpose, proportionate
to their population and the amount of their contributions,
the representatives so chosen to sit under the name and
title of the county board. By this arrangement the magis-
trates at sessions would have no power of interference with
the levying of the rates, or deciding on any questions con-
nected with the rates.—(Hear, hear.) The county board so
elected would, by his Bill, recommend to his Majesty a cer-
tain number of individuals to bo appointed magistrates for
local county financial purposes, leaving the magistrates ap-
pointed by the Lord Lieutenant in possession of the ordinary
judicial functions. The Hon. Member concluded by moving
for leave to bring in a Bill to separate the financial from the
judicial affairs of the counties in England and Wales, and to
authorise the rate-payers in counties to choose representatkis