The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-27 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION

RUM DUTIES.

Several communications have been received on the
proposed equalization of the rum duties, chiefly from
parties advocating the West Indian side of the ques-
tion. Among the matters bearing on the subject, none
seems to hare excited more interest than the opinion
expressed on the East Indian side, that the profit of
making► rum has caused the West Indians to send less
sugar to market, sacrificing some of the material for the
purposes of distilling. It is singular enough, that in en-
deavouring to refute this notion, completely opposite state-
ments are made by parties advocating the same interest,
one endevouring to prove that molasses and what are
called " skimmings" are, in reality, the same thing, and
another that they are perfectly distinct, though both
would prove sugar has not been sacrificed for rum.
The process is thus described by one Correspondent :
The " skimmings" are taken from the sugar while boil-
ing ; this sugar when sufficiently boiled is put into
coolers, and when it is settled into perforated hogs-
heads, through which the moist residue or " molasses"
escipes, a reed being used to prevent the escape of
sugar. The " skimmings," according to this Corre-
spondent, are them elves fined, and thereby become
pure molasses, the only ingredient used in the manufac-
ture of rum, which also therefore pre-supposes the
manufacture of sugar, 'and cannot he the cause of a
deficient supply. Another advocate of the West
Indian side of the cause, distinguishing the molasses
from the " skimmings," admits that rum is dis-
t lied from both these substances, but denies that
it is worth while to increase the ". skimmings"
at the expense of the sugar. Neither of theze state-
ments however would seem to outweigh the objection
of the East Indians, which is not founded on the iden-
tity or difference of the materials for, making rum, bu t
on the opinion that such materials may be so sur-
charged with sugar as to be made more available for
distilling purposes, while less sugar is in consequence
sent to market, and that the possession of a monopoly
must conduce to such a practice. That it is possible
to surcharge molasses with sugar is shown by cases of
smuggling, in which a material called " molasses" has
in reality contained an extra quer& ty of sugar, so con-
cealed that less duty might be paid. It need scarcely
be repeated, that we merely record the arguments of
both parties, regarding what appears to be the validity
of each, without any reference to the interests they

advocate.
The present state of our western possessions is itn-
medi,ttely connected with the same subject. A cor-
respondent sends a sketch of the profit and loss of a
West Indian estate, showing from the year 1833 to
1839, both inclusive, the respective profits of 1,501/.,
1,2321., 1,892/., and 463/., whdt for 1840 and
18.41 the losses are estimated at 239/. and 701.

Here the total profit for the first three years
amounts to 4,993/., and for the last three to less
than 1601., which, by an addition of 140/. per annum
interest on compensation money, gives an average of
about 1901. per annum ; the average income for the
first three years being 1,661/. per annum, and the
difference amounting to 4,415/. From Guiana the
falling off of importations generally is stated at
1,150,0001. from 1836 to 1839, and this decline is con-
sidered the more important as it is said that Guiana in
1836 took 31. 12s. 6d. per head of British goods, while
the North American colonies took 175., and France
Ild. per heal.
The Association of West India Merchants and
Planters of Glasgow have, in a petition, opposed the
equalization, on the ground that the East Indies enjoy
privileges of trade denied to the West, that an ar-
rangement made in India can afford a guarantee against
the introduction of spurious rums, and that the position
in which the West Indies are placed by the abolition of
slavery is such as ought to preclude any measure un-
favourable to their interests.—Times.