The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-16 00:00:00

SUGAR DUTIES.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that it became his
duty to bring forward the subject of the sugar duties, and in the outset
he thought it right to explain that it was his intention to move two re-
solutions—one for continuing the duties under the 7th and Bth of Wil-
liam the Fourth, the Act of last year—and the other for making an altera-
tion with respect to drawbacks. What he intended was, to propose
his resolutions, to have them reported at an early period, and then
to introduce the Bill and fix the Committee. It would be recol-
lected that when this subject was on a former occasion under dis.
cussion Lord Althorp, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, di.
reefed certain experiments to be made by Doctor Ure, the result of
whose inquiries had been laid upon the table of that House. Although
some of these experiments were inapplicable to the present subject,
having relation as well to Foreign as to British sugar, still the result of
them proved most convincingly that a greater amount of drawback was
paid on refined sugars than was received as duty on the raw material.
Such was the result of the experiments made by Dr. Ure; and the in.
quiries which his Right Hon. Friend the President of the Board of
Trade hail subseqnently made on the subject proved that Dr. Ure was
right when he affirmed that there was an excess of drawback over duty,
and that this excess might be regarded as a bounty. He would use
Dr Ure's excess, hut he admitted that the fact must be proved by
other means. Ho would refer to one experiment made with the k now-
ledgeof his Right Hon. Friend. It was with respect to 9,100 weight of
raw sugar. The duty paid on this quantity was 10,9451., while the
drawback receivable on it, when refined, amounted to 15,911/. This
showed an excess in that one instance of 4,966/, or an average of
10s. 10d. per cwt. Should the fact be controverted on any future occa-
sion he would be prepared to enter into the discussion. He knew that
all the experiments did not lead to the same result, nor was it his
intention to propose au alteration to the extent of the result of the expe-
riment to which he hail referred. What he meant to propose was, that
the drawback on double-refined sugar should be reduced from 435. '2d.
to 365., and single.refined sugar from 3l;s. 10d. to 30s. The reduction
which he proposed making would therefore be 7s. 2d. on the first class,
and 6s. 2d. on the second, or one.sixth of the present amount. The
Right Honourable Gentleman, in conclusion, moved his first resolution,
to the effect that the present sugar duties should be continued.
Mr. PEASE complained that 9s. a cwt. was quite too low a duty to be
imposed on the article of molasses, and expressed it as his opinion that
the duty which this article ought to pay was '24s. The Honourable
Gentleman then moved, as an amendment—" That the duty on mo-
lasses, the produce of British possessions, should be 245. per cwt., in-
stead of 9s.
Mr. P. THOMSON said that the Hon. Gentleman said that his ob.
ject was to give the poor treacle at a cheap rate ; but did he wish to ar-
rive at that object ? Why, by raising the duty on molasses 300 per cent.
(Hear, hear.) It was evident that the Honourable Gentleman had
brought forward a statement without being prepared with facts to jus.
tify it ; and this he would be able to show when they came to the next
resolution.
Mr. CLAY pledged himself to prove that the bounty paid on refined
sugar last year, in the way of drawback, amounted to 500,0001., and
that this bounty increased the price of sugar in this country 1,000,0001.
or 2,000,000/. per annum. The sum which he stated was paid by the
people of this country as a distinct bonus to the West India proprietors.
He thought that this bounty ought to have been given up at the time
when the twenty millions compensation was paid to the West India
proprietors.
Mr. 111/ME said, when the amendment of the Hon. Member should
have been disposed of, it was his (Mr. Hume's) intention to move that
the duty on sugar be reduced from 245. to 20s. per cwt , which would
be an advantage to the consumers without any material injury to the
revenue.

Mr. THORNELY regretted that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had not carried his reforms further. He thought that we ought not to
be confined to the consumption of sugar and coffee which were the
growth of our own colonies. The trade of the Brazils was moSt valu.
able to this country, and yet we were not allowed to import into this
country the sugar of the Brazils.
After a few words from Mr. ASHTON YATES and Mr. PEASE in
explanation, the latter Hon.'Member withdrew his amendment. •
Mr. FIUME rose to move an amendment to the resolution before the
Ilouse that the duty on sugar be reduced from '24s. to 2.05. per cwt.
His object in this proposal was to increase the consumption of sugar
without reducing the revenue.
The CIIANCELI.OIt of the.s,,_eon'rieofii-eibehrentahink.t hat the
3CCIUUS expectation that it would be carried. The Honourable Mem-
ber had raid that by a reduction of the duty they would still be able
to robe an equal amount or ..„a it this wcro curtain it would
be a great advantage to be enabled to add to the comforts of the public
at large without any diminution of the revenue. But, considering the
state of the sugar duties and the present state of the revenue, which it
had been his duty to explain to the House on a recent occasion, he was
not in a condition to ask the House to concur with him in any such ex-
periment.
Mr. HUME, in reply, contended that the general consequence of a
reduction of duty was a great increase in the consumption of the article
on which the reduction was made. He would take the sense of the
House upon his amendment.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, before the Committee
divided, wished to remind them that at present the expenditure of the
country exceeded its income; and was that a time to ask them to sacri-
fice half a million on the strength of the Non. Member's hypothesis ?
After a few words front Mr. CLAY.
Mr. A. YATES said that the consumption of sugar had been sta-
ionary for the last twelve or thirteen years, and had not increased even
in proportion to the increase of population. A reduction so small as
that proposed would have no effect in increasing the consumption.
Mr. GOULBU•IN said that reduction of taxation did not necessarily
produce increased consumption, unless in cases where the reduction was
large. When he was Chancellor of the Exchequer he reduced the duty
on sugar to the extent of 3s. the cwt. ; what was the result ? The year
previous to the reduction the consumption ofsugar in the United King
dom was 3,700,000 cwt of sugar. The next year but one after the re-
duction the consumption of sugar was 3,600,000 cwt., and it con-
tinued the same in the following year. So far for the increase which
the Honourable Member for Kilkenny said would be the consequence of
reduction.

Aft,r a short diFcussion,
Mr. lIU 51F. ‘c ithdrew the amengment for the present, but would now
give notice that in the Committee on the Sugar Duties Bill he would
move that this reduction do take place.
The amendment was then withdrawn, and the original resolution
agreed to.

The second resolution, with respect to the reduction of bounties, wss
then put from the chair and agreed to; after which the Chairman re-
, ported progress, mid the House resumed.
The Sodor and Man Bishopric Bill went through Committee, after
which the Howe resumed.
Mr. ROBERT STEUART moved that the House go into the fur-
ther consideration of the Report of the Courts of Justice Buildings
(Scotl.lnd) Bill.
Mr. GOULBURN opposed the motion.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, Mr, WALLACE, and Sir GEO. CLERK op.
posed it.
he House then divided, when there appeared—
For the in, tion
Against it
Majority against it —3o
Upon the motion of Mr. HUME, the Bill was ordered to be coed_
flitted that day three months.
VESTRIES IN CHURCHES.
Dr. NICHOLL moved the second reading of the Vestries in
Churches Bill.
Mr. HUME opposed it.
Mr. BROTHERTON moved the adjournment of the debate as an
amendment.

The House then divided—
For the amendment
Against it ...........

Majority
—25
After a few words from Mr. P. Thomson, Mr. Goulburn, and Dr.
Nicholls, on the motion that the second reading of the Bill be ad-
journed to this day,

Mr. BAINES objected to it, and said he would take the sense of the
House on the motion.
The House then divided—
For the motion .
Against it .

.. 26
Majority
—3l
Th.: Bill was accordingly fixed for a second reading this day.
The Leases and Exchanges (Ireland) Bill went through Committee.
The Grand Jury Cess (Dublin) Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Pilotage Bill went through Committee, pro forma, for the pur
pose of receiving certain amendments.

The Freeman's Admission Bill was read a third time.
Oil the question that the Bill do pass,
Sir C. STYLE moved the adjournment of the further debate on the
subject to next Wednesday, on the ground that the Bill had never re.
eeived a due discussion as yet.
The House then divided—

For the amendment
24
Against it
57
Majority
—33
A ftcr a short conversation the House again divided, on the motion
that the Bill do pass, when there appeared_
Ayes ...............

No6s

Majnrity
The Bill was then passed.

-38

Lord MORPETH obtained leave to bring in a Bill to continue the
Arms' (Ireland) Act. The same Noble Lord moved for leave to bring
in a Bill to continue the Procession Suspension (Ireland) Act.
Sir R. BATESON pressed the motion to a division, as one which
should not be considered at so late an hour.
The gallery was then cleared for a division, but none took place, and
leave was given.
The other orders were disposed of, and the House adjourned at Two
o'Clock.

The Hon. Mr. R. and Lady Charlotte Talbot have
taken a splendid mansion in Belgrave.square, which is fitting up in the
most costly style of modern taste.
THE HOSE FANCIER'S MANUAL.—BY MRS.
Goss.—Since the establishment of the Horticultural Society, the art of
gardening has made greater progress in England than in any European
country. In the culture of roses, however, France still maintains the pre-
eminence. With a view, therefore, of rendering our gardens indepen-
dent of borrowed attractions, this work, upon the culture and propoga-
tion of roses, as practised in France, has bee❑ written for the use of the
iiiiwcpprienced English amateur; and in order to make it practically
available, scientific terms have been, as far as possible, laid aside, and the
simplest form of language adopted. The main object of the work is to
render every amateur a tose.grower,

TH E CORONA y lON.

THE CEREMONIES TO BE OBSERVED AT THE
ROYAL CORONATION OF HER MOST SACRED
MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, IN THE ABBEY
CHURCH OF \VESTMINSTER, ON THURSDAY,
JUNE 28, 1838.

The Peers and Peeresses, in their robes of estate, and
others, summoned by her Majesty's command to witness
the ceremony of the Coronation, will be conducted to the
places assigned to them in Westminster Abbey previ-
ously to the arrival of her Majesty ; the Lords Spiritual
on the north side of the area or sacrarium ; the Lords Tem-
poral in the south transept ; and the Peeresses in the
north transept.
Th® Great Officers of State, the Archbishops of Canter-
bury and York, the Noblemen appointed to carry the Re-
galia, all in their robes of estate, and the Bishops who are
to support her Majesty, as well as those who are to carry
the Bible, the Chalice, and the Patina, will assemble in the
Jerusalem Chamber, adjoining the Deanery, before Ten
o'clock, where the regalia, having been previously laid on
on the table, will be delivered by the Lord Chamberlain of
the Household to the Lord High Constable, and by him to
the Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, as Lord Great Chamber-
lain, and by his Lordship to the Noblemen by whom the
same are to be borae in the following order, viz.:—