The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-21 00:00:00

Rider also that the revenue is a considerable sufferer by
the mode in which those duties are raised. We con-
sider it rr lost necessary, for the sake of the public, for the
sake of the interests must concerned, for the sake of
trade and ea:amerce in this country, to endeavour
to melee a: a permanent settlement, and not to expose
thisf
question to discussion and doubt from year to year.
"eßear, hear.) With these motives, however unpre-
Pated we may seem to be, I am now, Sir, about to
state to the Committee the general. reasons on
which we have conceived the plan which I am
new about to propose to this House for
the permanent settlement of. the question. Sir,
it has been generally acknowledged by all, by the most
intelligent writers or really years, that the sugar duties
have been enormor.sly increased. Mr. M'Culioch, in
his "Dictionary of Commerce," as well as in his
tee work, on taxation, states, that the in-
creaseia the prices of sugar, supposing foreign
to rise from 21s. to 255., is in the last
thre° years not less than 3,240,0004 a year.
During these and the following years, by the advance in
h
t
e Place of sugar, it was rendered unattainable to a
~'argf, class of consumers, and, consequently, extremely
Wetted in the demand. Passing now from what has
11aPPened in former years, I will take notice of the
),'au proposed by the Right Honourable Gentleman
the late First Lord of the Treasury, the effects of that
and the views with which it was introduced.-
(near, bear.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer at that
time in speaking of Java sugar, said that, observing the
PHce ttt some months to be 225., and at other times at 245.,
he weadd take the average to be 20s. per cwt., which
u'llt):1(1 give a total consumption of 43,000 or 44,000 cwt.
4;4 in the course of the year a very considerable rise
taking place, and the Gazette prices averaging in the
four first weeks of April at 30s. a cwt.,
and in the four last weeks of December at 355. a cwt.,
the hopes of the Right llon. Gentleman were to a great
o egree disaointed. I will next take the financial
.. pp
tement of the First Lord of the Treasury, who said
ho considered it probable that the reduction of
ttihe duty would equally increase the consump-
i-g") which he estimated from 120,000 to
,i"°,4o tons, giving a return of 2,240,0001.
, night Hon. Gentleman proceeded upon the reduc-
'34 of sugars, and reduced the duties to the amount of
11s. per cwt. on the colonial sugar which was more than
sufficient but by limiting the field of supply, and raising
the duty with reference to other sugars tobe admitted to
different from the truth . With reference to the
ether kinds of sugars there is the actual facts of the
zstse with reference to sugars from the Ist of January,
1845, to January Ist, 1846. The Right Hon. Gentle-
/Zhu calculated upon 160,000 tons of colonial sugar ;the
actual consumption was 237,632 tons sugar, clayed or
equal to white clayed. The Right Honourable
Gentleman calculated upon 7,000 tons-the consump-
ti°ll had been 1,107 foreign free-labour sugar ; the
atuount estimated was 5,600 tons; the actual consumption
Was 3,809 tons foreign free labour clayed, or equal to
White clayed 180,000 tons, the actual consumption only
4,000 tons. British Plantation Muscovado sugar was
estimated at 2,240,000, the actual consumption was
3326,904, instead of 1,140,000 clayed sugar ; the
receipts were 18,000/. ; the difference between fo-
reign free labour and Muscovado sugar was 116,700
and 88,000 tons. The total decrease, according
)the estimates, in the revenue received was 481,000/.
That was not the actual decrease, as a large proportion
1)f this sugar entered before the Right Hon. Baronet
1331.°Posed his plan, for the actual difference is only
41'5291.tj, Now, Sir, I think these accounts are sufficient
show that, while the Right Honourable Baronet
Ite,
k..7`i upon the principle of reducing the duty for the pure
°E effecting au increase in the consumption he was per-
-I)oeetly right.
But it was an absolute failure when he peo•
epto introduce different classes of sugar at differential
led
~,uigh duties, and it was only there that he failed
I ake up his revenue according to his estimate.
tre,"l Low proceed to state what are the general
aet'ets, as obtained from various sources as to the pro-
see
sate, ep,,
y of sugar for the coming year, taking the
141'44 from the sth of April, 1846, to the sth of April of ,
1%21 the estimate which I now hold in my hand, which ,
it is der extreme, and by no means likely to be realized, ,
110%74 that the quantity of colonial sugar in ware-
hzt4l r,1440,000 tons ; that statement sets forth the eel- ,
atsoll'oltSntity, and is considerably less than t e usual
esth• The estimated imports, calculated from
‘ppe.°:' April, 1846, to the sth of April, 1847, ,
Ivlttu,,T°ll, to the West Indies 125,000 tons ; from the
80,01Vills, 50,000 tons ; and from the East Indies, ,
seeo,‘,°,tclus ; amounting in the whole to 255,000 tons,
r4/0,-.1,""Ig to this estimate ; and the most sugar which
%),"0„,"° expected from other foreign countries would be ,
eihi -0 toes more, making in the whole 275,000 tons, to
of 40,000 tons have to be added, giving a total
must 315,000 tons ; from this 45,000 the usual amount
have deducted, leaving 270,000 tons. Now, Sir, I
other returns with respect to the ,
41,,,bere various
the period I have mentioned, which
;Pear
of sugar
to be no nearer the case than this. One
Iva ar to me
a statement put forth by those interested in the ,
Ikde ot the West Indies, which gives to the West Indies ,
125,000 tons, the Mauritius 50,000 tons, and the East
Ladies
75,000 tons, making altogether 250,000 tons. ,
4ttere is another statement with respect to refined sugars,
th!licla apportions to the West Indies 115,000 tons, to ,
e Mauritius 40,000 tons, and to the East Indies 70,000
'as, making altogether 225,000 tons. I have another
tolls,
which gives to the West Indies 110,000
ills, to the Mauritius 45,000 tons, and to the
ittst Indies, 35,000 tons, making altogether 180,000 tons.
IWe another from persons engaged in the trade;_which
231104 es the whole supply 230,000 tons. Now, Sir, about
'OOO tons may be taken as a fair estimate of the supply
Sugar for the forthcoming year. I have had a statement
Pared of the effect of the Right Honourable
Beutle
`is loan's plans, from January, 1845, to January
e present year ; but the statement from April to
APn gives 250,000 tons. I think we cannot say,
aer:tling to that statement, supposing the duties
that-fis
t° be nominally what they were last year,
s"ere was less than 20,000 tons of increased con-
g~etion. There was a statement made by the Right
lobe'Gentleman Gentleman at the commencement of this year,
Z he stated his general plan with regard to the
aild finances of the country, in which he proposed
to there should be a reduction on free labour sugar
tel ,s, 10d. from 235., but that the duty
al ad foreien sugar should remain the same.
Laoc'w Si I have an extract from a circular, published at
rakT,_rPool, and which is dated Feb. 2, 1846. It says,
e effect of the alteration in the sugar duties will be a
Caetiou of 3s. 6d. per cwt. for foreign free-labour sugar.'i
' here that statement is made by a person of experience
`4cle, and which is thoroughly borne out by the fact
iliat,,You will be disappointed in obtaining an increase
the "te revenue proportionate to the increase in
it Consumption of sugar ou which a heavy tax
that Paid. Now, let it be borne in mind,
supposing the consumption is 250,000 tons, there
;0),14' be a tax upon the people of this country, under
regent circumstances, of 1,500,0001.--(llear, hear)--
"tad that is a tax which does not flow into the Ex-
t.'tequer.-(llear, hear.) I should, therefore, be na-
ttrally disposed to propose the admission of other
i'reign sugars into the markets of this country
t:aurply the deficiency under which we at present suffer
%,,,Y materially. But, Sir, we are met by an objection
b7iela has hitherto prevailed upon this House, contrary
,;" the system which has prevailed during the last four
pt'is years, but which has not prevailed here during the
4:sent year, viz., that the people ot this country
herenot be allowed to buy in the cheapest market,
ta:re is also another principal objection raised against
that removal of the duties on sugar, and that is,
try' if all sugar was admitted free into this coun-
steel that
should be encouraging the slave trade,
t there are other considerations which
°literei2ha
Nlieh all financial and commercial views, viz., those
ibeclPle a-tel:°ztleeted with the comfort and welfare of the
do n -rge• Sir, in examining that argument which
out aot Propose to do at any length, I will just point
NtWh„at I think to be the weakest part of it.
%tit° argument fails, because while you refuse admis-
ealizitr Your home markets of the sugars from foreign
°ther tea' You place no such barrier on the admission of
vse Productions-of cottons, tobacco, copper, and
•Leas
had, thecAber things which are produced by slave labour;
r Poerefore, Sir, you do not actually carry into effect,
shack: Pretend to carry into effect, those humane views
of eers
Islaons who are most opposed to the admission
hand.va Produce consistently maintain. I hold in my
After a circular with respect to the sugar duties.
la the Pointing out the increase which had taken place
pre,e4roduce of cotton from 1790 to 1845, the paper
'IN Bto call down the indiguation of all moralists
point,at slave r)'•
,1.3. But the paper omits one important
exec It states no reason why the United States should
hear)
ed from the principle of exclusion.-(Hear,
quest NOW, nobody can have forgotten the elo-
a, stele,
tae ents that were made in this House a short
b"hek
ilk re by a Right Hon. Friend who sits near me,
gess.) reek
to slavery and the slave trade.-(Hear,
ket, I
the
Member
the Right Honourable Gentle-
s ember for Edinburgh. Nobody can deny
foreei fact of
.the observations which he made,
eeNe quaric which he then st..tod. We admit a
te:t44l/4 eotteltY of the produce of Auserica, and thus, to a
ei tme !It, hold out an encouragement to the slave
" P"lierYo our ousielency upon this subject,