The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-13 00:00:00

EAST INDIA RUM.

The Older of the Day bring read for the further con-
sideration of the Report of the abcve Bill.
Mr. H AWE S presented a petition from landowners, ma-
nufacturers cf sugar, and others, of British India, complain-
ing that tie Biel ha] been so altered that it would fail:ir
effecting tie objects it was intended to carry out, and
praying that it should not be so clogged with r.strictions
as it at present was.
Mr. LABOUCHERE movel that tie: Report le now
received.

Mr. GO ULBURN suggertcd that as there were seve-
ral verbal amendments to be male it would be much let-
ter to re-commit the Bill. lie did not mean it for the
purpose of dely, but tEe amendments would be cash r
understood.

Lora J RUSSELL Lai no objection, and if no im-
portant aherations were made, probably there woull be
no obje(tim to the Report beirg brought up that right.
Tic Eloise then went into committee.
On dame 1 being read,

Mr. GOULBURN thought it would he:ricc ereary to
make some a'teration in the wording of the clause in
order to render it effective. It repealed all the existing
duties on rum, old substituted a duty of 94. 4d.,
which was to be paid under certain conditions ; but it ap-
peared to him that where these conditions were not corn-
Flied with no provision wha'e er was made by the Bil'.
Mr. LA BOUCHERE contended that the wordirg of
the clause we: seffieiently ext licit.
Sir ED \VA RD SUGDEN thought the all, as it
ttood, would meet all difficulties, without any alteration
being required.
After a few wcrls from Mr. HOGG,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
he quite approved of the propriety of altering the words,
if any doubt existed respecting them.
The clause was then ag ecd to.
Oa clause 2 being proposed,
Mr. HAWES said he rose to propose an amendment.
The former Bill did not require the Qucea in Council to
approve the regulations, and the effect of the elteration
would be t- bring about a delay, of which he csrnpleined.
That de'ay was until the Queen in Council here could ap-
prove of regulations that were made in India. Again,
the 7um to be imported was the produce of sugar. From
whatever the sugar was obtained, when it was in a state
of sugar, it would produce rum, and that rum would come
into this country at the lower rate cf euty. Now an attempt
had been made to make a distinction between sugar pro-
duce] from the sugar cane, and sugar !roduced from any
thirg 41 .e. In the West Indies it was not produced from
anytnieg but the sugar-cane, but in the East Indies it was
produced from two teings, the sugar cane and the daee,
and it would he imposible to decide from which the sugar
was made. It' no rum, the product of any other sugar
than that of the care, were to he admitted under this Bill,
it, would shut out a great quantity of the rum of the East
Indies. It would throw great difficulty in the way cf the
manufacture of rum, and also of sugar, in the East.—
( Hear, hear.) In the first Bi 1 introduced on this subject
by his R'ght. lion. Friend, there was no such distinction
as ir, this; and he believed that the distinctive words we e
introduced at the suggestion of West India merchants,
without giving to those who were connected with the
East Indies an opportunity of pointing out the unfei.-
tffeet which would be thereby produced upon their i
ite-
re,ts. He would move his amendments, and take the sense
of the Home upon them; and if they were rejected he
would, at. another stage, take the sense of the House upon
the win le He concluded by mooing—That. in the
,hird clause. all the words after the word "operreiem" in
the second line, down to the word " nor," in the seventh
liar, be omitted :—Af.cr the words " sug sr-cane," ie the
eleventh iii to to insert there word!, ":le other substances
from whico sugar is made, and alloreed to be impor.el,
under the Act of 6 and 7 Will. 4, c. 21.; "
After a f a words from M. GOULBURN,
Mr. LABOUC HERE observed, that h hod no wish
that the question should m t he fairly discussed ; :eel it
was for that purpose he had ollowe I cf the delay in I r,.
cee.lirg with the measure. Ili: floe. Friend :he Mem-
ber fur Lambeth secure i to labour under an erroneous
impression with regard to the power of the Governor-
Gerieral of India, in making out certain rules and regula-
tione. That provision would not cot fx on the Governor-
Gcnera: a y undue authority, as it was merely proposed by
it that he should construct such regulations a; he might
think adsisable, subject afterwards t r the approval of
Parliamert The real demand made by the East Indians
was, that the produce of the sugar-cane, whether rum or
sugar, should be admitted on (-limit terms to the Engl,sh
market. The Bill was brought in as a sugar Bill and as
a rum Bill, but nut as a spirit Bill. It eves true, sugar
and spirit might 'ec made frsm beet-root, or potato, or
date, but no one ever called that spirit rum. He could
rot admit spirit from date, for if he did he did not see
where he was to draw the line. The object t f the Bill
was net to admit all East India spirit, but merely to admit
rum, the producer of the sugar-cane ; and he should be
unwilling to depart from that principle.
Mr. HOGG had called the attention of the R'ght Hon.
Gentleman to the fact that the Bill would have the effect
of excluding rum, the produce of the date. He con'endtd
that everything was runs that was made from the refuse of
sugar. The manufacturer of sugar in the East ladies
cou'd not tel whether the goor brought to his rra-
nuf..ctory was tie pt oduce of the date or the cane,
so that it was utterly impossible that any conscientious
man could make the declaration required. The Hon.
Gentl roan must stand upon the broad principle sugar
that was good and whetemme must be admi,ted. They
nr el riot lin in themselves to the produce of the sugar
care, leeau,e in ti e West Indi:s, they might make the ir
sugar front whet they please and maple suga- might he
import d from Canada. Rum was not made from the raw
material, but from the refuse of sugar. If the ram from
India was not good, people would not buy it, and that was
their best security.—( Hear, hear.) The iatroducti in of
the manuractur e cf sugar from the date was very rec ,nt,
and he trusted the House would not check the ingenuity
of the Indian manufacturer.

Mr. GL ADSTONE th:,,ug'at that some delay ought
to take place, as the We,t Indians hal be ea led t) expect
that no change would take place for some time;
therefore he must vote against the first motion.
With regard to the second motion, he could not
imagine upon what ground it was sought to make
a distinction between cane and date sugar. For
years past the Customs had been in the habit
of admitting spirit the produce cf the date, as rum.
He had known rum cf the very first quality brought to
this country which had been made from the date. The
Right Hon. Getit'emm had announced an alteration of
great importance, and that was with respect to the dis-
criminating duties on rum in Canada. Ile thought he
was right is that alteration. Afer the statement of his
Hon. Friend he coull not conceive it possible for the
Right lion. Gentleman to hesitate as to the course he
ought to pursue. If ate Right Hon. Gtnileman suc-
ceeded in carrying his proposition through the Committ e
it was impossible anything so inconsistent could 11:.aly
Perm part of the permanent commercial system of the
country.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said if the Committee would
allow him to consider this question he would on the Lext
st ‘ge of the Bill sta e the cs:urse he was prepared to t:ke.
As to the first amends ent cf his Hon. Fr:end he muA g ye
it his most d &sled °pi:o66°n.
Mr. WARBURTON hoped his Hon. Fsi nd would
withdraw his first amendment.

S:'r A. GRANT was of opkian that the aevantae of
equalizing tl.e (Mies on East and West India rum hsd
bc...n very much exaggerated. Ile hoped the Right Hon.
Gentleman would conduct the investigation he had in:-
mised wi It perfect fairness.
Mr JOHN O'CONNELL rz.gr(ttel ;hat the proont
Bill I a I no s'ngle prcvLien besting open haman a:very in
the East

Sir JOHN HOBHOUSE thought the qurstion that
had betn raised with resptct to slavery in the East Indies
by the Hon Gentleman, was of far too great importance
to be introduced into the clause of a Rum all

Mr. HA WES bad no objPcti nto itadrAw. . Lit first
amecdom,t.

Tire first. amendment tars then vs ithdrawr

GOULBURN would suggest to the Right Hn'.
of stating
aftr
)ee
i ofbi si
s vcioenwse,eli
in
g the
ord(r
tGbaetntflaeimr oanpptohreturi:Ytoypty
mightile L
pr rri.iorts of t' e Bill.
Mr. L ABOUC HE RE said he had no objection to re-
port the Bill on Monday, in order to give ample opportu-
nity fur consideration.
Mr. GOULBURN said that by the third clause of the
Act it was provided that it should not be lawful to import
any foreign sugar, or any sugar the growth of any British
possession, into which foreign sugar could ho legilly ire-
per e,. Ceylon was slose to the Indian coast. If they
allowed the rum as spirit of Ceylon to be brought into
India, and exported thence to England, in any sugar
grown in Ceylon exported into India, sad made ir,t, rum
to be exported to England, they would viol:to their own
print iplcs. Rum should be put precisely u; on the san.c
f)oting as sugar.
Mr. HOGG said that under :le third clause rum could
not be imported into any country, but that from which the
i nportation uf foreign sugar was prohibited.
GOULBURN said the alteration which he pro.
posed to make in the third clause was this—that insteatt
of ‘g rum and foreign rum shrub," it should read, " tha•
rum and rum-shrub, the produce of any foreign country,
or any British possession into which fel e'ga sugar can be
legally impoi
Mr. LABOUC HERE had no objection to the alter:,
tion.
The amendment was then agreed to.
Mr. GOULBURN then proposed to inrent, Instead of
the words " Until the Guvernor-Generil its C.mneil 01,11
have passed an Act contair.ing those reffulations," the
words, " And adequate regulations have "b, es made by
law in such B itish pcsses,ions " Ha Ind before sta.
Li; %i •ws upon this point. Ella objet naa to give to the
parties who i a l griLvances the power of obtaining spec !y
redresr,

e
IE,
itob,rj.eoeeattledd
eatouseth!
and bee; uialteration be-
cause Mr. LAB 0 U C liwizi,,ilte
great
ai empire like India at a
e. it
lad a very exceilent reee,me
down the pi inciple, they
of tte delay
excise regulations of India
was impossible to treat a .
small colony. Th, IC was in
e:teiliihinent, w..d Laving
might safely t.ave the details to the
objccted to the clause,
Government of India.
Mr. fl AW E S said the
owuerrmeorw.r,,,Gme.oorukutiat,Ll)yß.. sutrßinNganstatquhiete as stringent as those of
because, it it pa3sed, there would be no power of obtaining
redress except from the Governor-General in Council.
They were giving certain advantages to India, and they
had a right to impose an efficient control.
Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE obsetved that if any injury
were unreJressed a final appeal could at any time be lad
to the British Parliament, who could revise the proceed_
iags of the Indian Government and correct any error that
might have occurred. Of late years great fiscal changes
had been left to be wade by the Governor-General in