The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-28 00:00:00

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to be expected from that quarter. It had also been
stated that large quantities of sugar would be had from
the East Indies, but to that expectation he would reply
that the inhabitants of those territories were enormous
consumers of sugar, and when it was cheap they con-
sumed the most of the produce, and scarcely any of it
was exported to this country.—(Hear, hear.) On the
contrary, when sugar was dear, they allowed it to he ex-
ported in considerable quantities, but not before. Now he
had it on the authority of Messrs. Allan and Duppa, the
great merchants and sugar brokers of Calcutta, that in
this enormous extent of territory, comprising a popula-
tion of one hundred millions of inhabitants, when
sugar was at the price of eight rupees the inhabitants
consumed it largely, but when it was 11 or 111 rupees it
was exported, and not before. This showed that the
rate of price regulated the amount of exportation. He
had it also on the authority of Messrs. Allan and
Duppa, as well as some others he had conversed wAh on
the subject, that the natives of the East had consumed
no less, in some years, than .500,000 tons of sugar, but
that quantity in other years was reduced by the price
and demand for it from this country. He was assured
by those who were best able to give him an opinion upon
the subject that there was every reason to suppose that
next year the importation of sugar from the East Indies
would amount to 100,000 tons more than last year.—
(Hear.) Such, indeed, was the abundance of the
present season that those who had plantations were
told by their agents that the increased production of their
estates above that of last year would be no less than 30
per cent. He had also other information on the subject
from which he gathered that several engines of 242
horse power, and 15 engines of more than 180 horse
power, were in the course of erection in a district, which
in 1844 manufactured no sugar at all. At this place
the sugar manufactured last season was 2,000 tons, but
this year the quantity was likely to be increased to
9,000 tons. This was in a small district on the banks of
the Ganges. But he had other information on the sub-
ject. He was told that there was a company called the
Richmond Company, who had just expended 70,0001. in

the construction of engines for the manufacture of sugre
in the East Indies. The next letter which he received
was from Buhratnpooter, and was from a gent!eman
connected with the East India House ; it was
written in a familiar strain, and the writer
desired that his name should be concealed ;

it was dated the 22d of May last. It stated that on
8,0001. he had cleared 1,3001. in a season ; had built ene
set of sugar works, end was " well on" in a second. He
had also produced four tons of sugar from an acre,
which was an immense crop. He was informed that
the native cane was no thicker than a man's finger ;
while the Otahetan cane was as thick as a man's arm,
and was of a superior description in all respects. He
felt assured that if protection were continued, and in-
ducements given to the British planters, a great
deal more capital would be invested in the cul-
tivation of sugar before the expiration of five years,
at which period it was proposed to reduce slave-
grown sugar to the level of British grown sugar ;
before the expiration of those five years the pro-
duction and exportation would be largely increased.
A. letter from Madras, which he had received from
Messrs. Scott and Bell, the largest sugar-bakers in Lon-
don, stated that there could be no doubt that the quantity
of sugar this year from Madras would amount to 10,000
tons, and there was every probability that the sugar
from Madras would next year be 15,000 tons; and, judg-
ing from the production of the last three years, it was
difficult to say what quantity would be produced in
future. He had stated on a former occasion that the
produce of the Mauritius this year was 46,000 tons, and
with what had not yet been shipped, it would amount to
49,000 tons. It was no longer a matter of doubt that
the sanguine expectations of those who counted that
when slaver)/ was put an end to is the West Indies
the free produce would double the amount produced by
slaves had been bitterly disappointed.—(Hear, hear.)
It was known that the heat of the climate relaxed their
energies, and even the negroes themselves could not be
induced to work by the large wages which were offered
to them. He would submit to the House a comparative
statement of the produce of sugar by 300 slaves in
Lousiana, and the produce of sugar of 300 free labourers
in the Mauritius. The statement came from the different
parties. The produce of the 300 slaves in Lousiana was
1,500 tons, and the produce of the free labourers was 5,000
tons. What with the favourable climate and soil of the
Mauritius, and its being so well adapted for the cultiva-
tion, it was clear it could successfully compete with those
colonies who were obliged to employ free-labour, and
were not so well situated in respect to natural advan-
tages. It was not true that the West India planters
would be able to compete with the slave-labour of Cuba
or Brazils, and therefore he maintained that the colonies
who were obliged to employ free-labour were entitled
to protection. In estimating the probable produce of
sugar, his Noble Friend (Lord John Russell) did not
precisely state the quantity that might be expected
from the Mauritius. He calculated that 240,000 tons
would be imported from the colonies, and he expected
that, with what there was in bond, there would be
20,000 tons of foreign slave-grown sugar, and 20,000
tons of free .grown sugar—making a total importation of
280,000/. As he had already stated, the price of the ar-
ticle in the East Indies regulated the exportation
of it, and even then the freight to this country was from
41. 10s. to 61. 10s. Now the sugars from Brazil and Cuba, he
was informed, could be imported for 30s. a ton, or at the
utmost 2/. 10s. So that independent of the advantage of
cheapness of freightage, the Brazils and Cuba had the advan-
tage of slave labour. It was, therefore, impossible that the
East Indies could compete with either Cuba or Brazils. There
could be no doubt that the effect of the free importation of
Brazil and Cuba sugar would be to lower the price of sugar,
the produce of the British Colonies 6s. per cwt. ; and with this
reduction in price it would not pay. the British planter to
keep his estates in a state of cultivation. His Noble Friend
calculated that 280,000 tons would be required for the supply
of the present year. Well, if they assumed that 180,000 tons
would come from the West Indies, 100,000 from the East
and 55,000 from Madras, the aggregate wou!d make
mare than 280,000. But he greatest consumption
which this country had experiened was only 246,000 tons,
and it was perfectly absurd, with the figures he had
mentioned before them, to say they required to let in slave-
grown sugar, to insure a proper supply of that article for the
people of this country. There was at the present moment a
stock on hand of 71,000 tons, which exceeded by about 10,000
tons the stock on hand in the corresponding period of last year.
In setting the increase against the smaller amount, the state of
things would be exactly the same this year as they were last.
He was not aware that there was such a want of our manufac-
tures in the markets of the West Indies, for, according to the
last accounts, it appeared that they were glutted with the ma-
nufactures oithis country.—( Hear, hear.) They had already
ruined the natives of the West Indies by their manufactures,
and by encouraging the trade of Birmingham, Manchester, and
the manufacturing districts. On the grounds that he had laid
before the House, he must submit that his motion should be
adopted. He would now come to the question of revenue.
His Noble Friend calculated that by his scheme, as contrasted
with that of the Right Hon. Baronet, the Ex-Chancellor of
the Exchequer, he should gain no less than 725,5291., by the dif-
ference between his proposal and that of the Right Hon.
Gentleman. Really he was quite at a loss to understand how
his Hon. Friend arrived at that conclusion. He presumed that
if he let in so many tons of British plantation sugar at 14/. per
ton, it would not produce more than under the proposition of
the Right Hon. Baronet opposite. The effect of his Hon.
Friend's measure would be that as slave-grown sugar was ad-
mitted at a lower rate of duty it would take the place of free
foreign sugar. On these grounds, therefore, he was against
the policy which was proposed. There was no just ground for
the alteration in the sugar duties. Above all, in the last week of
July, when half the members of the House of Commons '
had gone out of town, it was not proper to bring forward such
a sweeping proposition. He had already shown that he had
no desire to embarrass the Government.—(Hear, hear.) The
crop could not be increased at present, and the profits must go
into the pockets of the Bratilian merchants instead of into those
of the English consumer. He had many communications
from men engaged in the trade, which stated that they who
were rich now, should these measures pass, would be im-
poverished in a month. He considered, therefore, that there
ought to be some justice—some mercy—shown to these men.
They had made engagements which could not be recalled,
trusting to the faith and honour of the Parliament. He re-
membered that his Hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland
observed, that things were coming to such a pass that no man's
property was safe.—( Hear, hear.) He conjured them,
therefore, to be careful over the interests of those
who had trusted them. Mr. Huskisson, in 1831, opposed the
sugar question as brought in by the then Chancellor of the
Exchequer. He (Lord George Bentinck) supported Mr.
Huskisson in that opposition, but he was defeated. He was
consistent in opposition, and he did not wish to embarrass the
Government. The question for the English people now to
decide was, whether they would have sugar two-thirds of a
penny less in every pound with slavery, or sugar two-thirds of
a penny dearer with freedom. They would not beeitate
to decide. The question was well put by the Honour-
able Member for Cork—" Take a larger loaf with a
father's curse," and he would ask were the people of England
tired of their exertions in the cause of freedom 2—(Hear,
hear.) Did they repent the 20,000,0001. which they paid to
redeem the negroes? He had never heard that such was the
case. Were the people of England aware that they main-
tained 7,000 men and 7CO guns to put down the infamous
slave traffic? The Noble Lord then gave a frightful account
of the treatment of slaves employed in the manufacture of
sugar, and said that Mr. Buxton, when speaking, sixteen years
ago, of the infernal traffic in slaves, stated that it consumed
250,000 persons in one year, and, that Lord Aberdeen, him-
self, in the year 1844, stated that in hit opinion the average
number of slaves imported from Africa to the coast of South
&merlin, and the Spanish West Indic'', was not less than
100,009 r.-year. He asked ,ehether it was right that re
should continue to suffer the natives of Africa to he
butchered and lashed to death for the purpose of
Holingenabn
the West India planters to amass splendid fortunes?—( )
The people of England wished to obtain their food without in-
justice, if they were then to have the sugars, let them
eat and drink the sugars in the remembrance that the blood of
the negro had been shed to obtain it.—( Cheers.) He did not
believe there was a man in England who grudged the
20,000,0001. he had paid for the emancipation of the slave ;
and he did not believe they cared for the half-million more
which the country had to pay annually fcr the suppression of
the slave-trade. It seemed to him that the arguments brought
forward were nothing more than the old argument, where it
says, if we arc to be hanged for a lamb, we may as well be
hanged for a sheep—(Laughter and cheers)—that because the
people of England have made the sacrifice, they would continue
so to do. 20,000,0001. had been paid during the last twelve
years, 24,000,000/. besides, and half a million more every
year for the suppression of the slave-trade. Ile
humbly trusted that the mighty sacrifice which they
had made, and which they wished to continue to make,
might be accepted, and might be recorded above, side by si,le
with the widow's mite, as the offering—the free-will offering—
of the 28,060,000 of generous warm-hearted Englishmen, who
constitute the great, the virtuous, the religicus, and the
Christian people who inhabit the British Isles. (The Noble
Lord resumed his seat amid loud and prolonged cheering front
the Protectionist benches. )
The NOBLE Loan then moved the resolution of which he
had given notice.
The resolution having been read from the chair,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that, on
the present occasion, the Noble Lord deserved sincerity for the
course he took. The course his Learned Friend had taken he
would propose to follow, which was the supply of sugar and
the effect upon the slave trade by the introduction into this
country of slave-grown sugar. The Noble Lord had traced
the history of the sugar question in all its details in a manner
which he could not undertake to equal. He stated that when
the East and West India colonies were not sufficient to supply
the country, he and his colleagues had opened fresh ports, and
he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) hoped to show
to the . House that all the consideration which induced
the Government to Wroclaw foreign free-labour sugar

• -
into rd
os existed et the present period. In 11843, the
consumptio:: of sugar wa.` Jess than in 1841. The consta.llP-
:)er cwt. then in June last, and'
lion of last year oc.fr that of _1843 was 36,000 tons. The rite
at this moment is higher by 4s.
the average of three preceding mot a ss. 3d. higher than.
the preceding quarter. Mr. GladstoCe
Shad estimizted the con-
sumption of free labour sugar at 20,00 tom, wi:ereas the•
whole, in fact, instead of 20,000 was undei- 4,000 tons. Last.
qu'irter the consumption of free labour sug.iir had been only
118 tons, and in the five quarters precedine i, had been on ;v
4,113 tons instead of 20,000 tons. The amount of revenue
from free labour sugar produced, ending sth April last, was
45,0001. less than was estimated in the preceding year. He
believed that if the price of sugar was law, it was alinastim-
possible to place a limit on the consumption of that article.
The quantity of sugar consumed had always varied with the
price of sugar. The following table will show the ,effect of
the prices upon the consumption:—
Consumption
per head.
151bs.

In the year
1840

Price.
~....... 48s. Od.

••.• • .•
1845
1846
1846, 30th June, 365. y; d.
The great body of the people of this country consumed a con-
siderable quantity less than could be supposed. If every individual
in this country were to consume 201bs. pee head, the consump-
tion would be: considerably greater than stated tcr be by the,
Noble Lord the Member for Lynn. The total consumption
this country for the year ending April 5, 1846, was :152,000'
tons. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had taken
great pains to find out the amount of sugar likely to be im-
ported; the highest amount he had received was 255,000 to ws
He had received other estimates, such as 250,000 tons, 225,000
tons, 230,000 tons ; and the estimate he had received from ant
Antwerp merchant was 220,000 tons. The Noble Lord the
Member for Lynn had said, that 240,000 tons would be im-
ported from the East Indies ; for the comfort of the West
India growers, he would say, that he did not think it at all
possible that such a quantity could be produced from the
East Indies. He, therefore, now showed that they could
not look to the East Indies for a supply, for the price of that
sugar would be as high, if not higher. than the present
prices. With regard to free-labour sugar, the highest
estimate of the importation into this country was 20,C001
tons, but he thought the amount nearest the truth was
15,030 tons. The amount imported last year was only 4,000'
tons. It was well known that the greater part of the sugar
from Java went into the Dutch market. But taking the whole
supply at 12,000 tons, the largest amount of colonial and free
labour sugar would not exceed 250,000 tons. What their nen-
sumption would be newt year he could not say,
but his
seas, that if a larger supply were afforded to the people of this
opinion
country at a lower price, there would be a greater Ccrlsomption
than at present. It was computed. by all acquainteo:
with the
subject that the price should be 455. per cwt. to give a
con-
sumption. That quality of sugar was at present 603. the
market. His Noble Friend said a good deal about the rise' of
foreign slave-grown sugar. It had already risen in the Con-'
!inental markets, party owing to the deficiency of the crop
and partly owing to the anticipation of having
the privileges of importing it into this country. Bat
latterly it had fallen, even since these measurer
were announced ; and he thought it very unlikely that it
would rise to any great extent. (The Right Hon Gentleman
here read two letters from commercial firms, to show that 21s.
was an amount of duty which would allow a large quantity to
come in, and bring down the price to such a rate as to allow
it to come into general consumption.) This duty would not
only, continued the Right Hon. Gentleman, brine in a larger
supply, but also reduce the price. The increase of consump-
tion last year was 42,000 tons ; and why they should not look
to a consumption proportionably great this year he could not
see. He had now shown that the estimates of the Noble
Lord, as to supply, were too large, and his estimate of the
consumption too small ; and he had also shown that by
fixing the duties at the rate of the proposed measure,
a proportionate increase in the consumption might be expected.
He would now speak of the question of revenue. The state of
the revenue up to the present year was prosperous, but he watt
afraid they could not look so sanguinely to the future. He
was sorry to see by a circular from Manchester that stagnation
in the trade prevailed to a very great extent. His Hon.
Friend said on a former occasion that he would wish to know
what the income and expenditure of the years 1847 and 1848
would be, presuming this measure was in full operation.
He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) stated that,
deducting the China money from the income of this.
year, the remainder would be 50,950,000/. and de-
ducting from the expenditure of this year an item whish
might not occur again, an item of 200,000'., the income
would be 50,673,0001. at the present moment. But, adding to
that, the expenditure necessary for the maintenance of the
fresh constabulary, namely, 175,0001„ and adding 283,000/.
for purposes of a similar nature—adding one half-year"'
expenditure for the maintenance of the Poor-law establish-
ments and officers in the country ; also one half-year's ex-
penditure for the prosecution of prisoners, and for their main-
tenance when convicted (for which purpose one half
year's expenditure only had been voted in the esti-
mates for this year, and for which it would be ne-
cessary to vote a whole year's estimate) supposing that-
the expenditure would be the same as it was estimated by the
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, there would be added to
next year's estimates 628,500 L, making in all a permanent
expenditure of 51,302,0001., and leaving, supposing the'
income and expenditure to be made as he had stated, a dei-
ciency of 352 000/. That being solved the House would see
how necessary it was that from some source or another addi-
tional means of income should come. He did not see in the
course of the past sessions any such prospect of reduction of
expenditure as would justify the cabinet an believing that it
would not be necessary to provide additional resources. Let
them look at the estimates. Let them compare the estimates
of the last ten years, from the year 1835 to 1845, and they
were not estimates prepared by any gentleman on that side of
the Hons. He took the year 1845, because it excluded any in-
ct ease made this year, and which the Hon. Member for Coventry
vented inclined to put. down for next year. Let them compare
the expenditure of 1845. and they would find in the charges
on the consolidated fund, that other duties had increased
492,0001. The expenditure of the army, the expenditure of
the navy, and the rrdnanee bed increased 4,700,C00/. The.
increase on miscellaneous services had been 582,0001., so that
the whole increase between 1835 and 1845 had been no less
than 5,0e1,0001. lie confessed that he did not see any disposi-
tion or tendency in the estimates of the present year to
reduce that expenditure, especially with reference to the
army. He did not think that, when they considered the
hardships of the colonial service for our soldiery, the in-
crease of our colonies, and the necessity of providing means of
defence for China and New Zealand, that they could see
any probability, with justice to the soldiery, of diminishing
the numbers of the army, which was at present exposed ass ser-
vice such as no other army in Europe was enduring.—( Hear.)
He did not think, in common justice to the soldiers, and the
maintenance of protection to the colonies, that he could sug-
gest any reduction of the standing force of the country. The
Hon. Gentleman, the Member: for Tavistock, wished to put
down corporal punishment, and another lion. Member said
that it would be necessary to increase the pay of the army ; and
there were various other means of expenditure suggested,
which rendered it impossible to reduce the expenditure of the
military establishment. It was impossible to reduce the expen-
diture caused by the steam-vessels, and other classes of ships
with which it ha,l been thought necessary to increase the navy,
and which caused additional expense. An Hon. and Gallant
Member was anxious to increase the provision for worn-out
officers; it might be necessary to increase the pay for active
service in the navy—the new ordnance and the improvements
in gunnery required a large expenditure, as it was necessary
to have very heavy guns. A large amount of expenditure•
might, before long, be incurred in providing harbours of re-
fuge for the steam-vessels which had been lately built. He
had been in hopes that more had been done than he had
found executed, though he knew that there had been great
obstacles in the way of improvement. It would be absurd to
attempt to conceal from the House the necessity of consi-
derable expenditure upon that head. In the fortification of
the coast and the colonies the introduction of steam navigation
had involved the necessity of a great expense, for they were
no longer safe as they were before from sudden attack,
and it was, therefore, necessary that the forces of this
country should be put in a state to repel invasion-
He did not exactly mean invasion, but those inroads and
attacks to which it was impossible for this country to submit,
and which it would be impossible to repel without taking
proper means of fortification. He had come to the miscellaneous
estimates. The increase in them was of such a nature that
he was sure that the House would be willing to pay the tax
required for the purpose. There were many other subjects of
improvement pressed on by various Members of that House,
involving the necessity of an increased expenditure under that
head. There was one subject which weighed very heavily on
his mind, and that was the necessity of providing in some way
for secondary punishment in this country. The evils and
expense arising from transportation had already been fully
entered into, and he would say nothing of them • but he
thought that in some way it was necessary to provide for the
inflicting of secondary punishment, and that could not be
done effectually without a large expenditure. Under all
those heads he was afraid that they must look forward to an in-
creased expenditure—at any rate they could not look for any
reduction, but rather to an increase, for which it was absolutely
necessary to provide adequate sums. Mr. Gladstone, whentla his
Noble Friend brought forward his resolution re-
ductionagainst
sconceethe
otthninokvietryproebxatbrale-
ww hma
et
ho
.Tatf
Nobleduty
mold
Friend
nb
e sugar,
couldremoved,said
nhclee rs sg
it that IseYto'h;aet that
suggested to avoid its renewal. He (the Chancellor of the
orE
dsei Exchequer). ;ter/
estilegohutgihnt
sayingthat his h
aFriend showed
id n
that the Income Tax could be removed at the end of three
years. It was said a year and-a-half ago that it could be re-
moved, and in the second year there was a surplus of some
3(10,0001., and now, he was sorry to say, that even with its
continuance, a deficiency of 350,000/. was to be apprehended ;
and therefore his Friend was justified in saying that the pro-
bability of its being taken off was small. He did
not know how far the resources of the country might
go ; or how far, under the increased development. of industry
which would be occasioned by measures which had passed this
sessions, they would progress, he did not pretend to say ; but
this he said, that looking to the present state of the revenue
and expenditure—to entertain any view, however distant, of
removing the Income Tax—to indulge it, that hope, it was
moat essentially necessary to increase the sources from which
the income of the country was derived, in order to maintain
the credit of the country for the payment ef her debts to those
establishments necessary for her honour end her name. He
did not know if he should make any further statement on the
sugar question, because he depended on an increased con-
sumption of sugar. Let them take 240,000 tons at
I,lq. per cwt. duty, and that would give 3,460,0001. ;
and if they gave 15,000 tons for free-labour at 21s.
per cwt., it would give an addition of 315,000/., making
3,775,0001. That would, however, only be 255,000 tons
of sugar ; but he hoped to get 200,04 X) tons of slave-grown
sugar, which would raise the slim to 4,195,000/. If, as he was
inclined to hope, they would have a supply of slave-grown
sugar beyond all the colonial supply, of 30,000 tons, and wh ch
he believed they !night have, they should hive an income of
4405,000/. Ile hopiel be had now disposed of the two first
branches of his Noble Friend's argument, anal he would pro-
ceed to the 'ast, which had reference to the raising and en-
couragement of slave grown sugar, and which his Friend had
stated with so much pathos. It was to increase the consumption
of sugar, and to benefit the revenue, that it was expedient to
adopt the measures proposed by her Majesty's Government,
and he dial not think that they would have obtained either of
these objects if they had not gone so far as they had done. It
would not only provide as large a supply as the sugar pro-
ducing world could alforel, but it would produce as
large an increase as any other measure that could
be proposed. ( Hear, bear.) Some gentlemen
Lad wished that they could have reduced the duties to 10s.
per cwt. on the produce of the colonies, and to 15s. per
cwt, on slave-grown sugar. fie did not. think (and lie
trusted that the House would agree with him) that under the
present state of the revenue they would have been justified in
running So 'great a risk as that. Ile did not believe that
there was then sugar enough to create, at lOs duty, any-
thing like the revenue he anticipated from the present
measure. The time would, however, come when the in-
creased supply of sugar to this country would render it im-
possible again to reauce the duties on sugar, but in the presen
state of things it would be madness to attempt to go beyond
what they had already done. His Noble Friend then cause
to-the last topic, the encouragement of the slave-trade... Ith
was impossible not to admire and respect the oPilliP.tirE,
he gave on the subject ; nevertheless, hartowinii,l,l;e at
descriptions of the slave trade as n0w,0414111111
meat they received, in Cuba, theyttil
present measure tended to ?MOO