The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-08 00:00:00

IPSWICH DOCK BILL.

REASONS FOR POSTPONING THE CONSIDERA-
TION OF THE REPORT ON THIS BILL UNTIL
FRIDAY THE 14th INSTANT.

This is a Bill to authorise certain Commissioners, appointed
by virtue of an Act passed in the first year of the reign of her
present Majesty, for improving the port of Ipswich, and con-
structing a Wet Dock there, to raise the sum of 20,0001., in ad-
dition to the sum of 70,000/. authorised tobe raised by that Act.
Both the above sums are to be raised and secured by dock
dues to be collected from shipping using the port of Ipswich,
which.dues are regulated by a schedule to the Act ; but, ac-
cording to that schedule, all British vessels not belonging to
Ipswich are to pay half as much more, and all foreign vessel.
double the amount paid by Ipswich vessels. With regard to
foreign vessels, however, the Lords of the Treasury have the
power of reducing the rates.
The preference thus given to Ipswich vessels over other Bri-
tish vessels is so completely at variance with sound policy and
every principle of justice, that it could only have been suffered
to pass from the attention of Parliament not having been called
to it. In other ports, Ipswich vessels are charged no higher
duties than those belonging to those ports, and consequently,
by the Act now referred to, Ipswich vessels have an undue ad-
vantage over all others.
'I he injustice of this being generally acknowledged, and
hardly disputable, it was intended to crave of the Committee
to whomthe Bill was referred, to introduce a clause, repealing
so much of the Act Ist Victoria, as made a distinction in the
amount of duty between Ipswich and other British vessels;
and it being found that the Standing Orders of the House of
Commons prevented a clause of this nature from being intro-
duced, application was made to the Committee to adjourn until
the proper notices had been given, but the application was re-
jected, and the Committee reported the Bill without alteration.
If the principle is conceded, that it is unjust to raise money
for the construction of the Ipswich Dock, by laying a heavier
impost upon British vessels belonging to other ports than upon
those of the town of Ispwich, which will be most materially
benefitted by the dock ; it follows of course, that Parliament
ought not' to pass an Act authorising further money to be
raised by the same objectionable means ; and as the promoters
of the Bill have refused their concurrence in the plan sug.
gested for enabling the parties aggrieved by the impost to come
fairly before the Committee with a clause for remedying the
injustice, no other course remains than for the House to post-
pone the consideration of the Report, that the Bill may be re-
committed when the necessary form has been gone through for
enabling the question to be brought before the Committee.
Should it be contended, that however improperly these dock
dues may have been regulated, thoy cannot now be altered
without injustice to those persons who have advanced money
upon the security of them ; the answer is obvious and satisfac-
tory—the whole money has been raised, and for payment of the
interest of it, and for the rest of the annual outlay, authorised
by the Act, the Commissioners do not levy more than a moiety
of the dues specified in the schedule. Let then the dues be
equalized, and if the present assessment should not be sufficient,
let the Commissioners avail themselves of the ascending seals
to which they are entitled, thus bearing equally upon all parties.
It is, therefore, humbly hoped that the House will not permit
the Bill to pass in its present state.