The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-12 00:00:00

mulate hative industry, by throwing it open to the rivalry of
other nations—the sound and wholesome docttine was dealt out
to the manufacturers—" that if 30 per cent. duty
.will not suf-
ficiently protect you, there is no wisdom in bolstering your in-
dustry by higher duties." But the producers of Sugar, Coffee,
Timber, and Corn, are exempted from the wholesome stimulus
of foreign competition ; their productioniare fenced round with
prohibitory duties, amounting to from 100 to 450 per cent.
The object and end of alt just government being to place all
on the same footing, it is inconsistent•with this object that he
Legislature should impose taxation for any other than purposes
of revenue. It is obvious that the Corn, Sugar, Coffee, and
Timber duties are imposed, not with the view to raise revenue
for public purposes, but for the solo object of enabling particu-
lar interests to obtain for their commodities a price beyond
their real value, equal to the amount of the duty imposed—a
system of legislation opposed to every principle of equity, inas-
much as the increase of price operates as an indirect taxation
upon consumers, and diminishes their means of paying the
taxation required by the State. Mr. J. D. Hulme says, "I
have always considered the increase of price, in consequence of
protection, amounts to a tax. If lam made to pay Is. 6d. for
an article, which, in the absence of the law, I could buy for Is.,
I consider the 6d. a tax, and I pay it with regret, because it
does not go to tbe revenue of the country." (1132)*
The enormous amount levied upon the community by being
obliged to pay for their Sugar, Coffee, Timber, and Corn,
higher prices than the same articles may be purchased at in
the markets of the world almost exceeds belief.
By the evidence taken before the Committee of the House
of Commons on " Import Duties," (August, 1840) it appears
that we cbuld supply ourselves with foreign Sugar and Coffee
at less than half the price we pay for these articles from our
West India Colonies. Brazilian -Muscovado Sugar could be
purchased in bond at 20s. to 225. per cwt., whilst similar qua-
lities from the British possessions were worth Ms. to 565. per
cwt. Brazilian white Sugars were 245. to 265. equal in qua-
lity to British white Sugar at 625. to 665. per cwt. St. Do-
mingo Coffee in bond was worth 445. ; the same quality of
West India Coffee 925. per cwt.
The duty on British colonial Sugar is 245., and on Coffee I
565. per cwt. • but the protecting duty on foreign Sugar is
Ms., and on Coffee 140 s. per cwt.f The effect of this pro-
•
hibitory duty of 63d. per lb. is entirely to exclude the use of
foreign Sugar, and to give the monopoly of the supply to our
Sugar colonies. The high monopoly price has also diminished
the consumption. Mr. Porter, of the Board of Trade, in his
evidence before the Committee on " Import Duties," says,
" In 1831 the nett revenue on Sugar admitted for home con-
sumption into Great Britain, amounted to 4,219,049!., and in
1839 only to 4,183,2571., although the population of 1831 of
16,539,318 had increaitied in 1839 to 18,524,036." (2688.)
The monopoly of Sugar and Coffee, by raising enormously
the prices, not only deprives a largs portion of the working
classes of the means of purchasing These articles, but it occa-
sions great loss to the revenue. If foreign Sugar and Coffee
were admitted at the same rates of duty as British, there is
little doubt the consumption and the revenue would both in a
short time be doubled. The consumption of Coffee in 1824,
when the duty was Is. per ib., was 7,993,0411b5., the following
year Mr. Huskisson reduced the duty to 6d. per lb., and in
1831 the consumption had increased to 22,704,6271b5., yield-
ing at the.low rate of duty a greater revenue by 40 per cent.
per annum than at the high rate of duty.
The tax imposed upon the consumers, by being obliged to
give above double the prices for Sugar and Coffee to our co-
lonies that these articles can be purchased at from other coun-
tries, amounts to upwards of 6,000,0001. per annum, levied for
the exclusive benefit of the colonies, to whom a few years
ago the British people paid 20,000,0001. for the abolition of
slavery. t
The total value of British and Irish produce and manufac-
tures exported to the British West Indies in 1839 amounted
to 3,986,598/. of which about one-fourth is re-exported to the
South American and neighbouring States, so that at the pre-
sent time, including the interest on the slave compensation
money, the British people are paying 7,000,0001. per annum
to our West India Colonies for the privilege of selling them
products to the vallitie of 3,000,0001. a-year.
The plea set up by the. Colonies for claiming the monopoly
of the British market is that they are restricted from obtaining
their supplies of food, timber, and other products from the
cheapest markets, and that they also pay Imperial custom
duties. It seems but reasonable, that at the same time that
all protection is removed on die produce of the Colonies, that
they should also be relieved from all restrictions to a free in-
tercourse with other countries. That they may .be relieved
from the payment of Imperial duties without loss to the colo-
nies or the mother country, appears from the astounding fact
that these duties are almost entirely absorbed in the expenses
of collection. From the accounts laid before Parliament in
1832, it appears that the produce of the Imperial duties in the
West Indies was 75,340/. and that the charges of manage-
ment, and the payment of Custom-houses, amounted to the
sum of 68,0281. leaving only 7,3121. for the revenue.
There is perhaps no monopoly which is calculated to excite
so much surprise as that of timber. It would naturally be
expected that the greatest maritime country in the world
would take especial care to procure, at the cheapest rate, and
of the best qualities, supplies of an article necessary in the
highest degree to its welfare and security ; but a striking in-
stance of the manner in which the interests of the country have
been sacrificed by the Legislature, is afforded by the existing
law, which imposes a duty of 555. a load upon the Oak and
superior Timber of foreign countries, whilst for the benefit of
the Timber monopolists, and a certain class of shipowners,the
inferior Timber of our North American Colonies only pays a
duty of 10s. a load.
Sir Robert Seppings, one of the Commissioners of his Majesty's
navy, stated, in his evidence before a Committee of the House
of Lords, " Thr.t Canada Timber is pecoliirly subject to dry
rot. That frigates built of Fir the growth of North America,
did not average half the durability of other Timber ; and that
the Royal Navy had suffered so much from the use of Canada
or North American Timber, that its use was now altogether
discontinued, except for deals and masts."
The evidence of eminent Timber Merchants, Builders, and
Carpenters, is to a similar effect as to its purposes for build-
ing. "It is not allowed (says Mr. Copeland) to be ued in
Government building's, nor is it ever used in the best buildings
in London. It is only speculators that use it, from the price of
it being much lower (in consequence of its exemption from
duty) than the Baltic timber."
Mr. Porter, in 1833, estimates the annual loss to the public,
through adherence to the
.present system, at 1,500,0001. which
is the amount of the pecuniary sacrifice we, consent to make, in
order that our ships arid houses may be inoculated with dry
rot, whilst the whole declared value of British and Irish pro-
duce and manufactures exported to these colonies in 1838,
amounted only to 1,992,4571. §
The monopoly whiil star ds at the head of all others, is the
Food monopoly. Whilst the removal of restrictions on trade
has bern unattended by the removal of restrictions on corn and
provisions, the working classes of this country have obviously a
just ground of complaint, that they are thereby exposed to an
unequal competition with foreign labour. To call upon our
artisans to enter into rivalry with foreign manufactures in our
home and in foreign markets, but at the same time to compel
t' em to pay a monopoly price for their food, is so manifestly
unfair, that this Chamber will stand excusedin the eyes of every
reasonable and just mind, if it have evinced some impatience
under the continuance of such a partial system of legislation.
Their opinions on this question have however been so fre-
quently expressed, and are so well known', that the Board will
only now refer, in confirmation of their views of the magnitude
of the evils produced by our corn and provision laws, to the
testimony of men of official station and great experience, who
were examined before the Committee of the House of Com-
mons on import duties in July last. The evidence of these
gentlemen, unbiassed by interest, having access to the best
sources of information, and therefore the best means of forming
a deliberate and correct judgment of this important question,
is entitled to the highest respect.
Mr. James Deacon Hulme, who, for 38 years, held an
official situation in the customs, and, eleven years, was Se-
cretary of the Board of Trade (the gentleman whose assistance
in preparing his free trade measures, Mr. Huskisson said en-
titled him to the " lasting gratitude of the country,") in his
evidence before th's Committee, says—" I consider myself that
food is the last thing upon which 1 would attempt any protec-
tion, and is the first thing upon which I would remove the pro-
hibition and protective duties. We want more food than we
can produce, the exclusion of supply, in such a ease, is cruel
privation" (1192. 1193.) " I conceive every limitation in the
importa'ion of food, and every rise in the price of food, places
us at the risk of beiog surpassed by the manufactures in other
countries, and if ever the day should arrive that we should be
put to a severe trial as to our manufacturing power, I can
hardly doubt that the prosperity of this country will recede
much faster than it has gone forward (119 i.) I cannot help
believing there can be no other cause for a decline in our
Fosperity than other countries having cheaper food (1199.)
The Corn-laws cripple and limit the industry of the country
(1230.) They have a tendency to throw the people out of
work, and to diminish their employment (1217.) They di-
minish the revenue, because having paid the private taxes on
food, the people are less able to pay the public taxes" (1229. )
Speaking of the burden of the food monopoly, as computed in
money, he says, " I conceive the actual money paid, and the
evil effect computed in money, would be more than the whole
rerenue of the country." (1231.)
Sir. Mc. Gregor, the present Secretary of the Board of
Trade, in his evidence before the same Committee, entirely
coincides in, and expresses similar views regarding the Corn
and Food monopoly with Mr. J. D. Hulme. He says, "I
consider that the taxation, imposed upon the country upon the
production of wealth through labour and ingenuity, by our
duties on corn and the provision duties and prohibitions, are far
greater, probably much more than double the amount of taxa-
tion paid to the treasury." (1014. )
Mr. Mc. Gregor speaks in a warning voice to the makers
and,
that
htpaholders of these unwise laws. "If (says he) the pre-
sent Corn-laws are continued, the inevitable consequence will
he
pr•rsons of capital and skill, in this country, will do
whattheir tchaepilua nandalorddshistry, to o
cannot do ; that is, o
otohenytiwrielsl,whereasremove, h
with
lands
cannot.
be removed. The rents of those lands, without
manufactures,would decline, as in various parts of Germany,
where rents are net one-tenth part of wkot they were one hun-
dred years ago, occasioned entirely by IhworeereTov.al ofh manu-
factures. e
os .f
trade
eAugsburg, h
uthfaectluanr
odsl,orldos
to were,
fpaocrtiut
ins!mteeortoisio-
bt uordnye di s intoliri
living
in post-housesthem o
forthionnhsa,moor
or family
oofrthhoosspeimta,hlso;
finest palaces of Europe ; those palaces are now deserted, or
con-
structed them. The same may be said ofyevery town where
manufactures once flourished, and which bad laws and bad go-
vernments have been instrumental in destroy ing ;_desolatTon
has been the consequence of the withdrawal of that flourishing
industry ; and the same is to be found in every country in
everyperiod of the history of mankind under similar circum-
stances.p ( 1045.)
The great neglect of the Government and the Legislature,
in not following up the commercial reform s commenced by Mr.
channels, both in our own
Huskisson, has been fraught with evil consequences—capital
has been diverted into unnatural . . . d .
te to yield up
monopolies,
attended with the mosttemporary inconvenience
forced in foreign countries—lcom.
and foreign countries, and an indispositioncrea
—manufactures have been
•
our refial 'to
had customers—our trade has been crippled by.
petitors have been raised up where we should otherwise have
__------'—
take in exchange for our products the products of other nations

evidence Th° figures
tsherecoferninitoittothee
onf utinhebeHr
oonf
stehe tioofqucoesnin2nonins the
" Import Duties."
from the Cape of Good Hope, is construed to be " _
t By a curious fiction of the law, foreign Coffee, imported
of a British possession East of the Cape," and as such, is ad-
mitted into British ports at the reduced duty of 84s. per cwt.
being 6d. per lb. less duty than if the Coffee were shipped from
the foreign direct to a British port. Many cargoes of foreign
Coffee have been taken out of bend in Liverpool, shipped to
the Cape of Good Hope, landed, and then immediately re-
shipped on board the same vessel and brought back to Liver-
pool. By this process it is purified of its foreign origin and
then pays only 94. instead of a duty of 15d. per lb. A Liver-
pool merchant suggested to the President of the Board of
Trade, the easier expedient of purging Coffee of its foreign
origin by sending it three times round Ireland !
It is a singular anomaly that foreign Sugar, refined in
bond in England, which the law prohibits the people of this
country from using, is allowed to be sent to the Colonies, who
thus supply themselves with refined Sugar at one half the
price of the mother country. Mr. Porter says, " The Colo-
nies buy refined Sugar re-imported from England at a much
less price than they sell their raw Sugar." (2675. )
The exports to our North American Colonies, since this
period, have increased; but this arises chiefly from the in-
creased supplies of our military and naval establishments during
the late disturbances in Canada. It is much to be feared that
the increast of exports will fall much short of the increase of
expenditure eeeasiened by these disturbances.