The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-04 00:00:00

THE SUGAR QUESTION.

The present losses under which the cultivation
of the West Indies is carried on, cannot long be maintained ;
they must speedily reduce both planters and merchants to in-
evitable and irretrievable ruin. The law passed in the last Ses-
sion of Parliament, to permit an intercourse with the United
States of America, and other countries upon that Continent,
seems likely to effect little at present, further than the supply-
ing of our Colonies with lumber and provisions, and taking a
small quantity of sugar and rum in exchange for them.—
This, however, will do some good, and in time we may hope,
the taste for rum in the United States will, in some degree, re-
vive. The other Act, to' allow the produce of the West Indies
to be shipped directly to Europe in British vessels, was passed
more in conformity with the'principles of the Boar& of Trade,
than with the view of- benefiting the West Indies who have as
yet received no advantage from it, and are not likely, to de-
rive any, Unless refineries should be established in the West
Indies, a branch of business not in the power of the planters
time, which
it
opt„fromeonthsuemweasnt
But of knowledge,
measures,ledge,ofpointael,oafnwdhtiliche
indeed holds out some little immediate relief, and the other,
'something in process of tune only, are yet totally insufficient
to arrest the impending mischief. This can only be done by
more active and certain remedies, viz.—lst. By a higher duty
on East India sugar, so as to keel) it out of the home con-
sumption until the sugar of the West ladies beat a remunerat-
ing price, which cannot be estimated atiess, in time of peace,
than 455. per, cwt., exclusive of duty. 2dly. By diminishing
the-duty as the average price of sup', diminishes, exacting only
what the planter can afford to pay. The operation of such a mea.
sure would be to• increase the home consumption when sugar
is cheap, and to make the Government, as it ought in fair-
ness to be, a partner in the prosperity or adversity of the
_planter. Silly. By diminishing the duty in Ireland, where the
population is numerous, but poor, and therefore, cannot afford
to consume much sugar at the present high duties. 4thly. By
granting, when tram is too low, an increase of bounty in pro
'portion to the diminution of the average price. This, if the
bounty be sufficient and persevered in for a few years, would
enable the British grower of sugar to undersell the planters of
Cuba and the Brazils in the markets of Europe, and therefore
compel them instead of ourselves to reduce their cultivation.
Besides rescuing our own Colonists from ruin, it would do more
towards the effectual abolition of the Foreign Slave Trade than
any other measure which perhaps it is within our power to em.',
ploy. These means of relief are the leading ones that appear
now to be practicable to avert the destruction of the Bntish
Nest Indies, Whose cultivation of sugar must other Wise be re-
duced to the quantity requisite for the' home market, and if
East India sugar be allowed to occupy it, the cessation of the
cultivation of sugar altogether must in them follow.
As attempts are now making, and hopes have long been en-
tertained by the private traders to the East Indies, to sup-
plant the West Indies in furnishing sugar for the consump-
tion of Great Britain, and very erroneous statements in their
suppott have lately been advanced in so important a place as the
llouse of Commons, it is material that a right notion should be
entertained of the advantages derived to Great Britain from the
Colonies in the West Indies. It has been there said that the
difference between the prices at whieh East India sugar can be
imported, and West India sugar sold for, is so much taken out
of the pockets of the people of England to' be put into the
pockets of the planters of the West India. Let us join issue
upon the assertion. It is not intended, however, as our adver-
saries do, to form an account with only one side, but to pro-
duce both sides, and to strike the balance of profit or lost to
the Mother Country. East India sugar, it is known, can be
imported, the inferior sort at 20s. per cwt., and the best at 40s.
Let us, therefore, take the mean for the average; and Calculate
that East India sugar can be supplied to the people of Great
Britain at 1/. 10s. per cwt. East India sugar, however; is Tess
sweet than West India sugar, in the 'proportion; it launder-
stood, of two to three. The people of England, for the same
quantity of sacchatitie matter which 1 cwt. of West India sugar
contains, would have to purchase 1 cwt. of East India sugar,
costing them 2/. 55.. ;. and therefore they' Would still pay the
very same amount for their year's consumption as' for West
India sugar at such it price as would give the planter a remu
iterating profit. We' will, however, for the sake of argument,
suppose the sugars to be the same in quality ; we will also sup-
pose the advantages totheshipping,merchants, &c. would beper-
fectly equal, and, that the effect would be merely to displace those
, who now have the trade, for the purpose ofgivmg it to those who'
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yittaotf:r
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oe ea tuiina country out
eov :iv: ye(
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talotl teat inra ly . to do good
do not possess short, that nothing more is wanted on the
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turningptoa rt
it
• be, that it might be enjoyed hy those who-have now no pre.
perty ; by, which trifling changes, in both eases, their re.
spective advocates assert, the country would be a prodigious
gainer. The qatentity of British plantation sugar annually
unported, Nee returns to the House of Commons-, in 1821
and 1822) is about 3,700,000 cwts. The part of it which
enters into the home consumption, from the same decuments,
may be computed at about 2,500,000 cwts. the remaining
1,200,000 cwts. being exported as raw and refined. This
,2,500,000 cwts., if the planters were getting a remunerating
price, ought to be sold at an average of 455. The excess of this
above 305., at which East India sugar may be imported, would
be 15s. per cwt., equal to a sum of 1,875,0001. according to the
• notions of the Honourable Member, and asserted, as we tinder-
stand him, to be taken out of the pockets of the people of Eng-
land to be not into those of the planters'. ft is; -however, to be
observed, that the average price of West India sugar is at this
moment a mere trifle more than :10S. per cwt. But we are
willing to take the debtor side of the account at a remunerating
Value of sugar. Now let us aseertain what the West Indians
are creditors by. Alieut 200,004 casks of auger are annually
• imported from the West Indies. Most of the proprietors are
resident among us and spend their incomes here, as much to
' the advantage of the farmers, manufacturers, and shopkeepers
of Great Britain and Ireland, its those whose' incomes are de-
rived from lands or funds of this country. The proprietors of
sugar estates in Jamaica, and probably in some of the other
islands, have most of them considerable penns, or grass farms,
which raise oath, for the sugar estates, and are dependent for
their prosperity upon them.
There are ooter proprietors of panne, whO have no sugar estates
of their own, end many, of them are resident in Great Britain.
The incomes of these must be added to those of the earners of
estates, and could not forM, if sugar were at a remunerating
price a less aggregate of profit and expenditure than 4,000,0001.1
• sterling a year. This large sum goes Out of the pockets of the '
planter, into the purses of the people of England. When
sugar is selling. for less than 4155. the income and expenditure of
of the planter is diminished in proportion to the difference of
price, so is also what is said to be taken out of the pockets of
the people of England, which at this moment the average price
of 'West India sugar being very little higher than would be paid
for East India sugar, we may call nothing. To this sum on the
credit side of the account, must be added the amount of the ex.
ports' of British manufacture. to the West Indies. They are
stated by Lord Liverpool, in his speech on Lord Latuidown's
motion for a Committee oh the Foreign Trade of the Country,
on the average of sit years from 11114 to 1819 inclusive, to have
Item 5,434,714 The present limited means of the planter and
his dependents, it is probable, will not allow of the same ex-
portation for their use, biit only a small part of-it can be dis.
permed with. Ilowever, as we cannot say what the defalcation, on
an average of years, will be, it will be safest to take it at what
his. Lordship has made it. Add it to the 3,000,0001. of expen.
diture of the Welt Indians at home, and .you have no less a
sum than nearly eight millions and a half annually put into the
pockets of the people of England by the West Indianse in re-
turn, if the statement be still insisted upon, fez. their paying a
liberal price for their West India sugar. Deduct 1,875,000/.
from this sum, as the honourable .Member would probably wish
to he done, and the hahince in flivotir of the people of Eng-
land, by their connection with, the British 'West Indies,
Will be found to be no less than 0,500,0001. sterling , a year,
an amount which leaves mo rational hope that Great Britain can
ever discover the means of supplying herself with sugar up-
on more advantageous terms. But, in truth, the whole eight
millions and a half is profit, considering the difference of qua-
lity, the peOple of this country would still haVe to nay as much
for their sugar, if the supply were to change hands,because they
niust use more of it.

But the planters of the West Indies, as we have shewn, have.
a right to be considered as Englishmen, 'and though their pro.
perty Is situated; at a distance of 4000 miles, they are neverthe.
less entitled' to the same protection in their persona and fortunes,
as our brethren in Great Britain and Ireland. They have been
encouraged by the Proclainations of ,the Sovereigns, anti the
acts of the Parliament of England, to possess their estates.
Prom the time they have owned them, they have paid quit.rents
to the Crown of Great Britain fOr their lands, and still continue
to do so. They have expended for their fortunes upon them. And is
it now stated as ajust principle of Government, that they should
be Sacrificed, by the creation of a disadvantageous competition,'
to the conquered people of ilindooitan, who exclusively own
the soil 'of India, who difnr from us in colour, and.are Gentoos
in religion ; entitled, as a conquered nation, to no benefits from
his Majesty, but such as flow spontaneously from his will ?
And we humbly hope-that' hone will ever be granted to them
by the King, or the Parliament, to the injury of other subjects,
not conquered in war, but Englishmen., enticed by his ancestors
upon the throne, as their proelainittions witness to emigrate, for
the advantage of Great Britain, and possess what they hold in
the 'West 'Julies.