The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-26 00:00:00

contending interests, which, if they could not influence,
would at least embarrass the Right Hon. Gentleman.
Though his (Mr. Hogg's) Parliamentary experience was
not great, he knew that when a Minister was thus circusn-
stenced—when he could not summon resolution enough to
accede to the motion, and when he did not wish to defeat
it—he generally sought for refuge in a Committee of In-
quiry. He hoped, however, that his Hon. Friend would
not accede to any proposal for a Select Committee, and that
he would, if necessary, pray for a division on the subject.
He (Mr. Hogg) would rely with entire confidence on the
justice of that House, and that confidence was increased
When he made his appeal, not on behalf of any party, or of
any particular interest, but on behalf of the inhabitants of
a mighty empire, whose destinies had been committed to
their care. He believed that the House of Commons
would show itself regardless of distance, or climate, or
colour, and would ever be ready to uphold the just claims
of all the subjects of the Crown, no matter whether in the
West or in the East.—( Cheers.)
Mr. L A BOUCHE RE said that he certainly did not
rise for the purpose of expressing any difference of opinion
with the Hon. Member who had introduced the subject to
the House, either as to the importance of the question he
had brought forward, or as to the weight which the subject
derived from the petitioners who had appealed on the occa-
sion to the House. He would beg leave to say that the
subject was further recommended to their notice by having
bees brought before the House by a Gentleman uniting so
many claims to their attention on the subject—a Gentle-
man who, after having passed through a most eminent and
distinguished career—( Hear)—was now sitting among
them while Chairman of the East India Company, and
their Representative in the House. He would, therefore,
assure the Honourable Member that he approached the
subject in any thing but a hostile spirit, either towards
him or towards the petitioners.—( Hear.) He trusted,
however, that it would not be considered that the Govern-
ment, with whom he had the honour to act, could not be
thought to have come to any unfavourable conclusions with
regard to the arguments of the Hon. Member, when it was
remembered that it had been the good fortune of the Go-
vernment in the year 1836 to have been able successfully
to propose to the House that first great and important step
towards placing the interests of our East India subjects on
the same footing with other Colonies through the rest of
the world. He meant the Bill which allowed coffee and
sugar to be imported from the East on the same terms as
from the West Indies. It he (Mr. Labouchere) felt it his
duty on the present occasion to urge on the House the
strong objections which he felt to their pledging them-
selves to the resolutions of the lion. Member, he trusted
that it. would not be imputed to him that he had been ac-
Mated by any hostile spirit towards the interests of the East
India Company. But it was impossible to look to
those resolutions and! not to see on how many points they
affected the political, manufacturing, and colonial policy of
the country. The House would not, he thought, be acting
with the deliberation and the care which the importance of
the subject required, if they were on the motion of the
Hon. Gentleman to accede to his resolutions. He should
say in the outset that he thought that many of the points
to which he had objected, though they might appear at
first sight to show an unfair treatment as regarded our
East Indian possessions and other colonies, did not, when
closely looked at, bear the same construction. Before he
Called the attention of the House to the resolutions in
question, he wished to allude to that step which
had been taken in 1836, of allowing the introduction from
the East Indies of the great staple articles of coffee and of
singer, The Hon. Gentleman who had seconded the
Motion bad read returns to the House which showed the
great increase which had taken place in the importation of
toffee in consequence of that measure. In 1832, the sugar
imported from India was 83,000 ewt. ; the quantity en-
tered for home consumption, 79,000 cwt. In 1833, im-
ported, 120.000; home, 98,000. In 1834, imported,
77,000; home, 98,300. In 1836, imported, 125,000;
home, 110,000. This was the year the alteration took
place. In 1837, the quantity imported was 297,000 cwt, ;
entered for home consumpfion, 207,000. In 1832, im-
Ported, 440,000; entered for home, 480,000; and in 1839,
the quantities were yet more increased. Was not the re-
sult most satisfactory ? ( 'leer.) The Government was
really desirous of remedying any anomalies or inconve-
niences unjustly imposed on the East Indian trade. But
then they would look carefully into the grounds and the
reasons of the complaint, and complaint had been made
that the East Indies had not been treated in the same
manner as the West Indies.—( Hear, hear.) Now,
what was the real case with regard to the West
Indies ? By an ,Act of the Imperial Legislature
the West Indian possessions were prevented from export-
ing coffee or sugar into foreign ports, but under the same
provision they were allowed to import all those articles
into this country. But the regulation as to India was, that
it should be reserved to the Queen in Council to decide
whether the prohibition of the importation of foreign sugar
had been sufficiently complied with before the exportation
allowed to this country on the equalized duties. It was
now asked that that should be reserved for the Governor
in Council. All he (Mr. Labouchere) had to say was, that
the question was one that ought to be confined to the
direction of the Executive Government—to the superin-
tendence of the revenue officers at home. He thought it
right that they should receive instructions and directions
by an announcement, not from the Government of India,
but from the Government at home. With regard to coffee,
the Hon. Gentleman allowed in his statement that the
present system was working well, but still the Hon. Gen-
Oman complained that they did not admit as British cof-
fee that produces in tributary possessions or allied states.
That was an important question, and he counselled the
House against rashly committing themselves. He (Mr.
Labouchere) thought, as regarded that question of coffee,
that the West Indian colonies had a right to expect that
care should be taken to ascertain, when you were admit-
ting the produce on an equal footing, that the produce was
bona fide British, And ha much doubted whether, if the
door was opened for the produce of these territories,
ground would riot be afforded fer the claim of a similar
privilege on the part of those foreign countries with whom
they had reciprocity treaties. Now as to tobacco. It
was undoubtedly true that there was the difference be-
tween 3s. and 2s. 9d. per pound in the duties on East
Indian and our American Colonial tobacco, to the disad-
vantage of the former ; but he held in his hand a return
showing that the real disadvantage had been very slight,
and in fact a nullity. The quantities imported from our
American colonies were :

MAN UF ACTURED. UN MANUFACTURED.
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836 ...... 1,200
1837

1838
1839 None, either manufactured or unmanufactured.
So it was evident the East India colonies had not suffered
much prejudice from this.—( Hear, hear.) But when he
was asked if he would consent to admit all East Indian to-
bacco at a duty of 2s. 9d., he must say it was a most im-
portant financial question, for tobacco was an article in
which an immense revenue was easily collected on a very
loan prime cost. Then as to cotton and silk manufac-
turers he must say that he believed the alteration in the
export cotton trade of India, and the substitution for it of
the immense cotton trade of this country, was owing, not
to the duties, but to the progress of machinery and the ex-
penditure of capital in this country. The duties looked
formidable upon paper, but he believed there were but very
few articles on which there was 20 per cent. duty, and
that the general average was 10 per cent. only on all
goods likely to have a sale in this country. On this, as
ou all other subjects, the Government were sincerely de-
sirous of doing substantial justice to India. Now as to
the tea trade.—( Mr. Hogg, "Rum.") Yes, as to rum, and
this was one of those instances in which gentlemen were too
apt to say, " Oh, it is all very simple, very easy," but
upon which there was very considerable difficulty. Un-
doubtedly he admitted, the general principle having been
*quilled, the same ought to be conceded to rum. But
there would be great difficulty in carrying this into effect,
for it would be almost impossible to prevent the exporta-
tion of arrack, which might be disguised so as to render
it impossible to be distinguished. With regard to tea, the
consumption of Assam tea had been very trifling, but, ad-
mitting the justice of conceding to it the encouragement
asked, there was the same difficulty here as in the last
Cue, for it would be difficult to prevent the importation of
Chinese tea into the Indian ports, and the exportation of it
hence a,s Assam tea.—( Hear, hear.) With regard, nee-
to the last point, that of the Lascars, all he could say W•l9,
that it was a point of very great difficulty, and one which
he hoped the House would not pledge itself rashly, who-
ther a principle should be recognised which would go to
place the Lascars on the same footing as British seamen.
Indeed, on all toese points he entreated the House to pause
before they pledged themselves to measures that would
have a most important effect upon our empire in the East.
Not being prepared to consent to these resolutions he
should oppose the Committee, but at the same time he
assured the Hon. Gentleman that the Government would
give to the subject their best consideration. All he en-
treated of the House was, that they would look to the
maintenance of the revenue—that they would look to con-
flicting interests,—in one word, that they would in their
zeal to do good do as little harm as possible.---( Hear.)
Mr. HUME considered that this country had shackled
India by the exorbitant duties it had placed on their pro-
duce. He agreed with every proposition of the Hon.
Bart. opposite, except two ; the first, that of increasing
the duty on tea; and the next, interfering with the Colo-
nies in laying on their own duties. With regard to the
duty on spirits, Ise could lee no reason why spirits, the
produce of India, should pay a larger duty on importation
than those which were the produce of the West Indies. Ile
had no objection to the utmost duty on spirits, in order to pre-
vent smuggling ; and looking upon them, as he did, as the
opium of this country, he should be always anxious to place
as great a duty as possible on that which he considered de-
leterious to the human constitution. With respect to
tobacco, if the Government wished to increase the reve-
-1 nue of the country. they would reduce the duty on all
tobacco to 18d. With respect to coffee, he thought the
resolution of the Hon. Bert. was most essentially called
for. He did not think that the Right Hon. Gentleman
had treated India fairly with regard to its cotton manufac
tures. He did not see how with respect to cotton one
duty should exist in one place, and another in another.
He trusted that the Right Hon. Gentleman, the President
o! the Board of Trade, would think it but fair and just that
the duty on the manufactures of India should be placed on
the some footing with those of other countries. He hoped
that the Hon. Baronet who had brought forward this sub-
ject would persevere.
Mr. A. CH APM AN trusted that the Government
would go on, not stopping at the particular duties that had
been adverted to in the petition, but would equalise every
duty that tended to effect free trade between this country
and India.

Mr. EW ART rejoiced that this question had been
brought before the House, because it was a question in which
these Members who advocated free trade took a great in-
terest in. Whichever way they looked at the question,
there were two points that presented themselves—justice
arid self-interest; justice as far as India was concerned,
and self-interest with respect to this country. He ( Mr.
Ewart) could not accede to the arguments adduced by
the Right Hon. Gentleman the President of the Board
of Trade, with respect to pledging the liouse to the reso-