The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-06 00:00:00

THE SUN,

Hidgelee 75
Tum look ... 85
24 Pergtmnahs ... 95
Chittagong ~ . 87
Bull ooah 87
Cuttack . . . . 113 ... 100
Balasore 118 87
Khoorda ... 119 ... ... 98
Madras 62 56
It will be seen that in one instance, that of the 24
i'er,gunnahs, the cost of manufacturing the salt has
been found to be in excess to that which Government
was accustomed to charge the public ; the price has,
therefore, been increased 2r. the hundred maunds.
It is, of course, well known to those familiar with
the subject, to be a part of the plan of Government
to keep a quantity of salt always in store, equal to
the consumption of from one to two years • on the
just ground that if the State forbids the manufacture
of salt by private individuals, it is bound to guard
.against the remotest chance of a deficiency. The
reduction now made will, of course, affect in the first
instance the salt now in store, and reduce the price
for which it may be sold to the extent of 321 lacs of
rupees • that is to say, the stock in hand on the 31st
March, 1847, being equal to 85,94,000 maunds,
-die reduction of duty will be equal to 21,48,000 r.,
Auld the diminution of that which was assumed
zs.3 the original cost to 10,96,000 r. If the
dquantity of indigenous salt 'consumed in
:the country, which has been " estimated at
,50 lacs of maunds the year, is made up from the con-
trlbutions of each agency in the sane relative pro-
eon which is exhibited in the salt in store, then
ereduction of the selling price of the year's con-
sumption will be equal to about 19 lacs of rupees-
-namely, 12,50,000 r. of duty, which is a clear sacrifice
,of revenue, and 6,37,000 r. the reduction which has
'been effected in the original cost of the article. In-
'by the reduction of duty on the salt imported
sea,it may fairly be assumed that the new tariff
will benefit the consumers of salt in the lower pro-
-Awes to the full extent of about 22 lacs of rupees a

yknr.
T' the country at large this reduction of the price
is a gf,nt blessing ; but we have also to inquire in
-what manner it may affect the new interest which has
riatql in India, that of the English salt proprietors.
The reader mzy not have forgotten that one of the
tiaree request,
made by 1
the salt deputation to the
=Court of Directors, mBl5 was that six months'
previous intimation should
of
ldbe:giyen of any proposed
alteration in the
Court promised to ecat,m indigenous salt .
local The
Gwvernment of Calcutta
on the
with the
the alteration we have noticedt hasllesubject ; but as
now been made
v,, it or a
hout the previous noticesingle day, we
no,tu rally conclude that reasons of a
very imperative
c banicter have presented themselves
~,nce,,ssion. Indeed, it will naturally suggestagainst this
to the mind of any one who looks beneath itself
fa ce, that while Government holds a stock oftlr-sur-
lacs
of maunds of salt in store, any intimation of its res°
lut.€on to reduce the price of the article at the end of
six .months would lead to the immediate interruption
of all further purchases during this period to a very
torsi derable extent, paralyze the traffic of the coun-
try,
;and materially affect the interests of Govern-
ment by the stoppage of sales, and the welfare of the
by the limitation of the supply. The reduc-
tionpeople of c)sr the 100
of the duty to the extent - • maunds,
though .sudden, is an undoubted benefit to the Eng-
lish impo?ter, because he finds on his arrival in
the port that he has a smaller sum to pay Go-
vernment, for the privilege of the traffic, than
he had calculated on. But the sudden diminution
of the selling price of the article can scarcely fail to
operate to his disadvantage, by the unexpected re-
duction of his profits; and it is very probable that, in
the present temperament of the public in England,
this circumstance will afford a handle for a fresh at-
..tack on the "monopoly."
But those who are interested in the importation of
vi, It from England must necessarily perceive that the
r et luction of the cost price of the indigenous salt,
ho A,vever it may in the present instance affect the value
of C,-irgoes already dispatched, is a circumstance which
the, Y must always bring into their calculations.
lin. 'les,' th:v can import salt and sell it to advantage as
the ap
ets that article can be manufactured in the coun-
try,, there is no hope of their ever being able to engage
suc
,s fully in this traffic. This is a broad commercial
c't
fact, which the imposition of a duty by Government can-
not' the smallest degree affect, whether that duty be
in smail. We believe it is fully admitted that
grea tOl
aetare of salt on the part of Government
nf
the 12'511,--

has no other effect than to enhance its cost, by adding 1
the expense of the agency of the State, which is by
no means small, to the price at which the native
manufacturer delivers the article to Government.
But this circumstance is so entirely in favour of the
English importer, that we have been not a little sur-
prised to find it employed at home as an argument
against the so-called monopoly. Those who have
taken the field against this system of Government
manufacture, under the idea that it impeded the free
introduction of British salt, appear to have entirely
overlooked the fact that if the monopoly were to cease
to-morrow, the profits of the importer of salt would be
at once deteriorated, inasmuch as their salt would then
be brought into competition with indigenous salt,
which, being relieved from the cost of the public es-
tablishments, would be sold at lower price. Thus,

the 24 Pergunnahs salt, the cost price of which is now
calculated at 97r. the 100 maunds, might, we think,
be sold to advantage in Calcutta at 75r. the 100
maunds, if the manufacture was thrown open,
for the Molungees seldom receive from the _ con-

tractors more than 50r. The monopoly, as it is de-
signated, so far from telling against the interests of the
importers of English salt, is one of the greatest safe-
guards of their profits, as it augments the price
of the article with which they have to compete ; and
the outcry which has been raised against it is only
one of those popular delusions which may be safely
described as " the madness of many for the gain of a
few." Unless the Cheshire manufacturers can send
salt to India which shall be able to stand its ground
against the lowest price at which the salt can be
manufactured in India, there is not the slightest
chance of their success ; and all the Acts which it is
in the power of Parliament to pass, always supposing
the Acts to be dictated by political wisdom and honesty,
cannot alter this state of things.
But it is in the matter of bonding the salt on its
arrival in this country, that we think the complaints
of the English manufacturers are just and reasonable,
and entitled to consideration. It is here that the
competition of the present system of Government
manufacture interferes with their expectation, and
places them in a disadvantageous position, from
which they may equitably demand relief. At
present they are obliged to pay the whole amount of
I the duty down on the nail, and that duty is
more than three times the value of the articles.
The present value of money in Calcutta may be
taken at 12 per cent. per annum. The duty on
every 100 maunds is 275 r., or 33r. a year. Every
month, therefore, that the salt remains unsold the
cost of every 100 maunds of it is enhanced by the in-
terest of the duty, to the extent of 2r. 12a. Sup-
posing it to remain unsold for six months, the price
of it would be raised 16r. Ba.—that is to say, if the
salt was landed at 80r. the 100 maunds, the mere in-
terest of the duty would increase its price to 96r. Ba.
in this period, before a purchaser could be found. It
happens, that the internal traffic in salt has been gra-
dually monopolized by six or seven great native
dealers, who command the market, and alone are
able to take off the cargo of a ship at once.
Knowing that the profits of the importer must
suffOr at the rate of nearly 3 per cent. for every
month that he is constrained to hold the salt, they are
enabled to a far greater degree than should be allowed
to exist to make the importer bend to their terms.
The English salt does not, therefore, stand on the
same advantageous footing with that which is raised
in the country. If, by a fiction of the imagination,
we could separate the two-fold character of Govern-
ment in these salt arrangements, and consider it only
in one point of view—simply as the manufacturer,
paying duty to the State, the disadvantage under
which the importer labours in this competition
would be rendered more. apparent. Let us suppose,
then, that the Government, as manufacturers, hold
85 lacs of maunds as they now do in store, ready
to supply the demands of the market, the capital
which has been required to create this article, at
an average of 80r. the 100 maunds, will have been 68
lacs of rupees. Supposing the English manufactu-
rers to have imported and stored the same quantity
of salt for the supply of the market, the capital which
they must have expended will be equal to 300 lacs
of rupees, and unless they can-always procure an im-
mediate sale, their profits must be deteriorated to the
full extent of the difference of the interest on these two
sums. Until equal privileges have been bestowed on
both descriptions of salt—on that which is ma-
nufactured by Government and that which is
imported—the English manufacturers will have
just reason for complaint. We require there-
fore that the importers should be at
liberty to hold their salt in store, with no other loss
than that which Government sustains from holding so
large a stock in their golahs—that is to say, the inte-
rest of the capital expended in the manufacture
and conveyance of the salt to the port.
The Government in Calcutta has now re-
ceived instructions from England to allow salt
to be bonded in the same manner as any other
article, and we have the fullest confidence that
this measure will be carried out in a spirit worthy of
the Government of this great empire,which is anxious
to remove every shadow of complaint from the
merchants. If after this equitable indulgence has
come into full effect—if after the stores of the mer-
chants, and those of Government have been placed on
precisely the same level of privilege, the importation
of English salt is not found to answer expectation, or
to afford a fair commercial profit, the manufacturers
at home must regard it as an indication that India
can supply itself with salt cheaper than it can import
the article ; and that any application to Parliament
to extinguish the monopoly—that is to say, the
Government exclusive manufacture—so far from
affording them any relief would only render their
hopes more nugatory.

lAILWAY COMMITTEES.

HOUSE OF L ORD S.—(YE STERDAY.)
Room C.
OLDHAM ALLIANCE RAILWAY.
The Committee were occupied during the day with
hearing evidence in favour of the proposed line.

PETERSFIELD.—Within the last few days, the pre.
sent Member for this immaculate borough, Sir W, G.
Jolliffe, Bart., has issued an address to the electors, an-
nouncing his intention of soliciting their suffrages again
at the forthcoming election. The number of electors at
present on the registry amounts to upwards of 300, a
considerable part, more than one-third, of which are
tenants of the Hon. Baronet's. It is expected that no
opposition will he offered, although a strict watch has
been kept in the registration courts ever since the last
election, by several professional gentlemen in the Liberal
interest, who were deputed to attend to defend the Libe-
ral voters objected to. It is now quite evident that the
influential parties have joined the Whitelock ranks, and
left the Liberal portion of the constituency to be repre-
sented in future by a high Protectionist, also a gentle-
man of the Bentinek and Disraeli clique. The Jolliffe
interest has been predominant in this borough upwards
of half a century, but at the election which took place
on the 7th of January, 1835, John Cornthwaite Hector,
Esq., succeeded in routing this interest, being placed at
the head of the poll by a majority of sixteen. He
continued to sit uninterruptedly until July 25, 1837,
when the present Hon. Gentleman was elected by a
majority of one, but was unseated on the 14th of Fe-
bruary, 1838, by a Committee of the House of Com-
mons, who declared the petitioner, J. C. Hector, Esq., to
have been duly elected, and ought to have been returned.
He discharged his duties in a most consistent manner up
to July, 1841, always voting with all the leading Radical
Members of the House of Commons on every important
occasion, much to the satisfaction of his constituents.
This part-pocket borough has been severely contested
on several occasions ever since 1818 ; and, previous to
the passing of the Reform Bill, the present Liberal
Member for Carlisle, W. Marshall, Esq., being the
highest bidder in the market that aspired to a seat in
the Legislature, the then Tory patron, Colonel Hylton
Jolliffe, allowed him to be returned, jointly with himself,
but on all occasions, when a division took place, both
were voting in opposition to each other. We hope soon
to see this borough again represented by a gentleman of
independent principles.—From a Correspondent.
EXPORT OF BRITISH MANUFACTURES.—The value
of British manufactured goods exported from the port of
London on the Ist instant, was as follows:—Alicante,
•
3001.; Aden, 301.; Adelaide, 4,700/.; Algoa Bay, 6001;
Berbice, 60 - , Bombay, 4601.; Bilboa, 4001.; Bermuda,
~ 2001.; Corfu, 200/.;_ Cey-
lon,Calcutta, 2,747/.; Cherbourg,.
165/ - Barbadoes, 1061.; Cape of Good Hope, 1,3911.,•
Town, 3,080/ . Genoa, 101.; Galati, 1,085/.;
Deme-
rara 3001.; Gibraltar, 601.;
250!. ; Canton, 401.; Constantiople, 001.; D.eme-
Guernsey and Jersey, 200/.; Hong-Kong., 1001.; Hobart
2,330/.., Port' Philip, M
Lis-
bon, -too/ •
Launceston, 9 900 Z ; Madras, 301.; Montreal,
551.; Madeira, 601..
neiro, 1,5001 ;
Sours.bayft, a:851 Y. dneY, 8,02
Leone,
cutta, 601.; Cal-
Stettin, . • • 3501.; New Zealand,
Hamburgb, 1961.;
_Jamaica, 1,541/.; Lis-
s thp, 9501.; Rotterdam,
St. Helena, Mauritius,
0/.; Syra and Smyrna, 30/.;
Helena and Cal-
ena, 140 L ; St. i Sierra
Leone, ;
st.nrih3ll..;.
Swan River,
510.1.1hteiq
iJna.-.
Vincent's, 6001.;. ---"
581--"•
and Canton, 50/1
exported on the let of Juvlalu47 620 L; St.
Sierra
Trieste,Total value
100 t; Trinidad, 500/. ; Victoria
THE FELLING COLLIERY T.' SRt.ivJerAnl'Ss,a ;
of British manufactures
sterling.
quest on the body of the sixT-xPl)si°l`i
was caused by
plosion at the Felling Colliery,n sufferers by the recent ex-
sumed on Wednesday. Mr. '
T. 71:1Gateshead, was re •
stated that in his opinion the exploo?
the kindling of one of the engine firession
Foster, the viewer,
of which gas had accumulated. T
h
e
nfier the boiler
boiler was "smothered" by the engineman beeof under the
for the night, and the ..damper" shut to preventl the
eaving
draught' The ignidon of the coals therefore ori
the accident. This opinion was confirmed by sevesal
practical men, and the jury decided that the explosion
was accidental, coupling with their verdict - •
a suggestion
that means should be adopted to prevent its recurrence.
GLASGOW" PIG IRON TRADE. Our Pig Iron
Market during the week has much improved; and a
much better feeling now prevails, than has existed for
some time. The strike of the miners, which, of late,
has been spoken of as likely to take place, has
now taken place very generally, both in Lanark-
shire and Ayrshire, which must tend to raise the price
still further. Our market to-day closed at the following
quotations :—No. 3, 655.; mixed, Nos. 665., and No. 1,
67a. per ton, f. o. b.—National Advertiser.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, July 5.
The Lord CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
MESSAGE FROM TEE COMMONS.

Messengers from the House of Commons brought up
several Bills.

POOR RELIEF SUPERVISION (IRELAND) BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM begged to call the attention of
the Government to a provision in the Poor Relief Super-
vision (Ireland) Bill, by which the Treasury had the
power of making the salary of the Chief Commissioner,
who was to have a seat in Parliament, what they
pleased. By the regulations of the House of Commons
the House of Lords could not make any alteration in
any money clause in a Bill ; he trusted, therefore, the
Government would introduce some new Bill on the sub-
ject, for it was monstrous for the Treasury to have such
power over an important officer.
The Earl of AUCKLAND said the attention of his
Noble Friend the President of the Council should be
called to the subject.

BRIBERY.
Lord BROUGIIAM gave notice of his intention to-
morrow to move certain resolutions in order to prevent
bribery at elections.
MILITIA BALLOT SUSPENSION BILL.
The report on this Bill was brought up and agreed to,
and the Bill read a third time and passed.
TRUSTEES RELIEF BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
CORN IMPORTATION BILL.
The Report on this Bill was brought up, agreed to,
and the Bill read a third time and passed.
POOR RELIEF SUPERVISION (IRELAND'