The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-24 00:00:00

DRAINAGE OF BUILDINGS BILL.

The Marquis of NORMANBY presented a peftion
f cm the inhabitant, of All Saizite, at Mile End New
Town. and adjacent parts, signed by 2 000 persona, in fa-
vour of the Drainage of Buildings 811. The petitioners
expressed their gratitude fur the care taken wi'h respect
*o their religious and moral education, but stared that much
of the value of that care would be riirLioiihed if sufficient
attention were not paid to the condition of their health.
BOROUGH IMPROVEMENT BILL.

The NOBLE MARQUIS then moved the second readi.lg
of the Borough Improvement Bill, which gave power,
under special cncumstanecs, to corporate bodies to make
improvements out of the corporate funds as wai nccossary
for the health of towns. Fie would move that it be re-
ferred to the Committee on the Drainage of Buildings
Bill, as he wished to have the opinion of that Committee
on it. _ _

The Bill was then read a s'-cond time and referred to
he above Committee. . _

_
A message from the Commons brought up the Glasgow,
Pa;Eley, and Greenock Railway 13 11, which was reid a
first time. _

EAST INDIA RUM BILL.

The Marquis of L ANSDOWNE, in moving the second
reading of this Bill, stated that it was a measure of some
in-pertance; end, after sta'ing the object of the Bill, said
the Committee nhich had been appointed on the subject
had presented a mass of important evidence exhibiting the
sta2 of Indian produce and Indian commerce. It ap-
peared to him at that time, 01111-nigh he did not then think
it necessary to say so until he saw an opportunity of carry-
ing the view into effect, that the most advantageous mea-
uro of relief that could be given to the Indian cultiva.

tion, conside.ieg sugar as one of the most important arti-
cles of produce, would be, after reducing the duty on
sugar, to effect a corresponding diminution on rum. The
Committee undoubtedly, in the Report, exprested an opi-
nion that they were not prepared at that moment to
recommend such nn alteration to take place.
Ile was not himself the author of the words
,o inserted in that Report, but he did not oppose
their introduction, because he was not at that time
prepared to propose any such measure to their Lordships.
Ile ell not think, however, that the Noble Baron who
am the Chairman of the Committee, at all intended they
should bar relief to the Indian cultivator. All the in-
quiries made by the Government, had tended to convince
the Government that there would be no danger whatever
of the introduction of rum, the produce of rice, or other
substance, by allowing the free introduction of rum the
produce of the sugar cane, and the date tree. The equa-
Fzation of the duties on East and West India sugars in
1836, had proved of essential benefit, not only to India but
also to England. Without troubling their Lordships with
details, he might state that the importation of sugar from
India in 1836, was only 50,000 cwts. ; ii 1840 it had risen
to 400,000 cwts., and had it not been for such increased
importation from the E tat, the alarming rise which had
taken place in sugar during the last two or three years,
an the most alarming decrease in its consumption in the
name poriod, would have been molt greetcr. It 11?..3
been thought nece.3ary to facilitate he introduction of
rum, the produce of that most useful productim of
nature—the date tree. He was not prepared to
state the respe' t've quantities of sugar produced from the
cane, and the date, but he believed a very considerable
partioa.of it was t'e produce of the, latter, aid it was
thought necessary to afford the same facility to its intro-
tn as to that the produce of the cane. The find re-
gulations to be adopted by the Governor-General, and
ent to this country before being acted upon, would effec-
tually prevent the int-oduct'on of a spit it produced from
rice or any other prohibited article. He would not t tke
that occasion to dwell upon the act of fairne 1, of justice,
and of lib, rarity their Lordships were the t called upon to
perform towards the natives of India, from whom they had
taken the most valuable branch of their industry and
traile. They had been the cause of actual depopulation
in India by the extinction of their manufacture of muslin
by the introduction of our manefactured goods, and had
refused any adequate redress by refusing to take their pro•
ducts upon the same terms as the cell ,r colonies bound to
us by the same ti,s. There must remain a difference in
favcur of the West Indies. Nature had drawn a per na-
nent line for their advantage over those to whom, never-
theless, eee owed the same duties, and felt the same inte-
rest. The Noble Marquis then moved the second reading
of the Bill.

Lord ASHBVRTON rose, but was almost altogether
inaudible in the gallery. We understood the Noble Lord

to say that circumstances were in faveur of the measure.
The only doubt war,events whether, from recent in
wasthe
West Indies, tl e altered condi ion of th population
such as would admit of such a chsnge ; but he took it for
granted the G:Nerement had looked carefully into the
subject. He wished to know whether it was the Lee:-
tion of the Government to let in fo:eien sugar also. There
ware great apprehensions as to the ietentien of the Go-
verment on this subject. He was the more indeced to
refer to it in consequence of a Report of a Committee of
the other House of Parliament, which had been commu-
nicated to their Lorships, and which bad been circulated
through the eountry at the expense of cAttain pets ens who
had formed themselves inte a society. This Committee
was appointed in May last, but it did not sit until July.
They summoned before them some three or four great
free-trade philosophers, some of whom were connected
with the Boni d of Trade, and who had male the most ex-
travagant, exaggerated, and absurd staiements that could
possibly be listened t-. The Committee was composed
specially of persons got up for the purpose, and took the
evidence of these persons as fast as they could take
it, but refused to hear evidence on the other
side ; and thus their procee lines were as
unfair and as absurd as could well be conceived. Their
proceedings were founded upon vague theories of free
trade. The Noble Lord was then understood to cmimeet
upon the subj, ets comprised in the R.Tort, and particu-
larly upon the opinions expressed respecting the Corn-
taws, and said that such theori:s, if carried into practice,
would completely overturn the principles upon which the
commercial wealth and greateese of this country was
founded, and introduce the wildest and moat rhino..
changes. A-strong opinion was expressed in the R,port
with respect to the subject to which he had just alluded,
namely, that of lotting in the sugar of the Brazils, and
other foreign sugar, at arc onsideeable reduction of duty.
It was this circumstance hich fieluced him to put the
question, which he would thank the Noble Marquis to
answer, respecting the intentions of the Government on
the subject.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, that although
his Noble Friend had an undoubted right to enter into any
statement of his opinions with respect to the Report of a
Committee of the other House of Parliament which had
sat last year, he was sure their Lordships would not ex-
pect him (the Marquis of Lansdowne) to enter into any
discussion as to the merits of the Report,
or the great
variety of topics introduced into it, comprisirg, as it
Ilt by
liad bestowed
the Government, but
did, alatost all subjects connected with the revenue
and econ of the country, eacl
"of which would
require berg omy
and full consideration. He was aware
th a the Committee had sat at a late period of the Session.
It was not a Cir ec propose
:d.
one in which hey a itet quis
consider-
able attention on the subject, but circumstances made it
inconvenielt for them to receive evidence which would
o.m
have been ef a different nature to that which they should
have received.
But at the same time he considered a
Committee extremely fitted to consider the subject. Ile
c
did not feel himself called upon to enter into any general
discussion upon that subject. He could assure Noble
Fsi end that the WI( was tet,_ lily disconnected with any
did not grow out of the Report to
other measure, and
to shish he alluded. The measure was proposed upon its
own merits, and was merely an accompaniment to the
measure of 1836, and. in order to give that measure full
effect, he was convieced their Lordships ought not to
hesitate in passing the Bill.
Lord ASHBURTON made a few observations that
were not heard in the gallery.
Lord MONTEAGLE
rejoiced that the attention of
the House and the public had been drawn to the
Report on which the Noble Lord opposite (Lord
Ashburton) had observed. No doubt it was a very
that if taxation is reduce.]
popular argument to say
the revenue will be increased:. b,eu.t p
view eople
and to say give
out of doors
were very apt to take a °nee- a
i ,
us a reduction, and take your chance of an increase of re-
venue. The extravagance of some of the suggestions that
had been made before that Commi
Httee
l l
were impediments
e wou
in the way of improveme.nt • allude to one,
which his Noble Friend had
being the great question on
observed, the corn question.
What was the evidence given
by some of those gentlemen on the subject of the protec-
tive duties on corn? It was that the existence of those
protective duties caused a charge up 94 the people of Eng.