The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-17 00:00:00

THE ,SUGAR BILL.

P ROTESTS AGAIc ST TILE SECOND ,BEADING.
Dissentient,—`
1. Because, aftr the Legislature heo nearly half a cen-
tury, and the country above half a century- ago, condemned
,1
the African slave-trade as the worst of human crimes, coin-
prising almost all others, and AS the greatest vracties evil
that ever afflicted the world, we cover ourselves with a dies-
' grace never to be effaced by adopting a measure whsose
avowed object is immediately and largely to increase axe
mass of sugar grown in the slave-trading countries, an&
which can only be grown by an immediate and large im-
portation of Africans. Consequently, the avowed object of
the measure is the encouragement of the African slave-
trade, as much as murder, and not robbeiy alone, is the
avowed object of the felon who destroys his neighbour in
order that he may possess his property, by reuoving him
out of his way.
2. Because it is in vain to disguise from ourselves and
cover over the guilt of slave trading thus iucur.ed, by
pretending that we do not directly offer any premiu.ol for
its encouragement. We as directly partake of that enornavaa
crime by knowingly and wilfully augmenting the amount Of
the traffic which lays waste the villages of Africa, and de-
solates her coasts, as those do whom we brand with the
name of felons, and visit with the pains of felony, for only
letting to hire the ships employed in the traffic, although
they have no more direct participation in the Africanvoyage..
3. Because nothing can be more futile than the defence of
our conduct drawn from a reference to the importation which
is allowed of cotton and other articles, the growth of slave-
dealing countries. if that importation be an encouragement
' of slave trading, it was criminal to permit it, and the fact of
our having once been guilty is no excuse for extending and
multiplying our offences. But the great bulk of such com-
merce is notoriously carried on with countries in which
slave tradingthas long ceased to be practised. Moreover,
the chief branch of the importation, that of cotton, was
established nearly a quarter of a centory before we our-
selves abolished the slave trade ; and there is the greatest
possible difference between refusing to give up a trade or a
practice of any kind already adopted, and enten.ng for the
first time into a novel career of crimes not yet beg.:m to be
perpetrated.
4. Because the question now under the consideraft.'m of
Parliament differs from every other part of the discus-
sion so long carried on respecting the slave trade and
slavery. In all former cases our offence was that we
delayed to abolish a criminal system already, and for
ages, established ; we only refused to do that which was
clearly right. But now we are doing that which is clearly
wrong; and are for the first time beginning, not continuing,
a slave trade. We are actively creating' a slave trade which
does not now exist, and not passively suilrfring <anAlociating
•
-traffic to go on.
5.- Because it La vain to expect that other n..Ntiona will shat
their eyes to thewarb-of blypowisy•in which tht.uit conduct oi°
ours clothes all our professions oFzeal for the abolition.
When we urge them to join in putting down the Ozecrable
traffic, they will point to our act encouraging it; sand, re-
quired by us to abandon the gains which they derive from
conniving at the traffic, they will marvel at our boldness' in
expecting such sacrifices from them when we all the while
are encouraging it ourselves for the avowed purposes of
cheapening a luxury that we relish, and adding a small -sea°
to the mass of our revenue.
6. Because it is altogether preposterous to cite in such if
debate the principles of political philosophy, and to call this
a sacrifice to the doctrine of free trade. The highest autho-
rities have long ago proclaimed that in this measure there
are involved no considerations of commercial or financial
policy ; but, as one of the late Ministers said, " the honour
of this country," as another asserted, " the credit and repu-
tation of this country," and as all impartial men who con-
sidered the subject have said, the creating or the prevent-
ing an amount of suffering among peaceful and unoffending
nations, so frightful to contemplate, that no calculator of
profit and loss can be hard-hearted enough to weigh against
it the largest amount of gain, whether commercial or finan-
cial, which could be conceived to result from our legis-
lation.

7. Because, finally, the hurrying through Parliament at
the very close of a long and laborious session, and in the
absence of nearly all its members, a measure of so desperate
a character, and which is connected with other measures
seriously affecting our whole colonial policy, as well as the
trading interests of the mother country, betokens on the
part of its authors an impatience of delay and of full dis-
cussion, only to be explained by the supposition that the ex-
traordinary state of parties at the present moment offers
them the
.only chance of carrying their measures, which
would assuredly have been rejected, as they were five years
ago, as soon as those parties had resumed their wonted po-
sition.
BROUGHAM.
Dissentient,—

Because, beside all the other reasons of justice, humanity
and sound policy, which prohibit a measure so alrectlY, so
inevitably tending to the encouragement of the slave trade
it is wholly intolerable, as it is altogether unprecedented, to
hurry through Parliament, at the very close of the ses,Nion,
and after almost all its members have left town, such i.•n-
portant measures, without the possibility of full discussion',
and without giving the mother country, or the colonies, any
notice of them—measures which at one blow alter the whole
commercial system of the country, and affect in the most
serious manner, and to the greatest extent, the manufac-
turing and trading community of the empire.
ASHB URTON,

BROUGHAM,
DENMAN,
S. OXON (Wilberforce).

AMERICAN TARIFFS OF 1842 AND
1846 COMPARED.
(From the Washington Union.)
A Comparison of the Rates of Duties upon some of the arti-
cles as actually paid under the Tariff of 1842, and to be
levied on the by the Tariff to come into operatiao
December 1, 1846:
Wines—Champagne ...
Burgundy ...
Madeira ...
Carpets—Wilton carpets ...
Turkey ... •
Glass—Polished plate, 22 in. by 14 in.
woves— Gentlemen's real kid
Ladies' ... ••• •••
Gentlemen's real French buck ...
Braces—lndia rubber, costing 17 each and
above ... ...
Paper—Billet-doux, or fancy note
Gilt --
-Balt

LUXURIES.

1842.

... 23
... 28
... 27
... 29
.. 21

30
30
25
25

_tastes—Balsams, cosmetics, and perfumes...
Silks—Pocket-handkerchiefs made from fine
silk ... ..• ••• •••
Silk velvets ••• •••
•••
Brocade silks for dresses ...
Flannels—Archer's unshrinking, costing 60c.
Silk and wool flannels, costing 1
del. the square yard ...
Hair curled fur mattresses
Chocolate ••• ..• ••• •.• •.•
Sardines, and other fish prepared in oil ... 2,
Furniture of cedar wood, satin wood, &c.
Gems—Pearls and precious stones when set 7
Imitations thereof
Cameos and imitations thereof, and on
mosaic ...
Jewellery—Composed of gold, silver, or platina 20
ARTICLES OF GENERAL USE, &C.
Wines—Sicily Madeira (low-priced) ... 49
Spices—Pimento
Ginger ••• •.. ••• ••• 5::"
Cassia ••• ••• ••• ..• 6'
Carpeting—Treble ingrain .•• 7:
Ingrain ... 3
Iron—Bar or bolt ... ...
Nail or spike rods ..• ••• • ..
Cut or wrought iron spikes ... 1
Sloop iron
Blacksmiths' hammers and sledges
Iron chains other than chain cables ... 1
Wrought for ships, locomotives, and
steam. engines
Smoothing-irons, hatters' and tailors'
pressing ditto ...
Wood screws
Glass—Plain, moulded, or pressed tumblers
Gloves—Yellow sheep, called Hoxamtan
(waggoners' and reaping gloves) ...
Imitation buck
Women's imitation kid
Braces—lndia rubber, costing sf. or 93c. the
dozen .. ••• ••• ••• ..•
Paper—Medium, foolscap, &c. "IF •••
Sugar, commonly called brown sugar •.•
Vinegar •.• ..• •.. •.• •.•
Salt •• ••• ••• •••
Cloths of wool Broadcloths, cassimeres,
coatings, and padding ...
Low flannels, bockings, and baizes •"
Silks—Calcutta and other silk pocket-hand-
kerchiefs, costing in India 2 dolls. 50c.
for the piece of 7, and weighing 8 0z....
Diitt2o,ozc.ostin!. 3 d 0115.... 75c...,.and.k
w.B.7llghin:.
Black gros de Naples, or ta tr et a , f
dresses, weighing 1 oz. to the yard, and
costing in England or France 32c. ...
Black crapes, low priced ...
Pins—Called pound or mixed pins
Velvets—Cotton
Shirtings—Costing 64c. per yard ...
Cotton prints, or calicoes, costing 12c. the
running yard
Mousseline de laine Cotton worsted, 24
inches wide, costing 12c.
Cotton and worsted Orleans and alpaca cloth,
costing 18c. the square yard
MISCELLANEOUS.

Linseed oil ...
Cables and cordage, tarred ..
Unmanufactured hemp .
Wool, coarse, innnanufactured
Chain cables ... ...
...
Anchors ... ... ...
...
Anvils ... ... ...
...

1846.

66
66
69
137

62i
53
62
52
76

30
30
30
30

25
25
25
30

30
30
30
30

30
30
30
30
20

25
25
80
30
30

HaswELL COLLIERY.—CARELESSNESS a PITMEN.—
The tearful accident which occurred some months ago in
Haswell Colliery, in the county of Durham, cannot be for-
gotten. The following statement, extracted from a letter
written by Mr. J. Scott, of the Haswell Colliery-office, ex-
plains the origin of some of those casualties which are con-
tinually occurring in the mining districts, and which involve
the destruction of so many human beings. "A few days
ago," writes Mr. Scott, " while a boy was brushing with hay
the tram plates in one of those districts of the pit called the
broken or pillar working, a lucifer match, which had by
some means got amongst the hay, struck fire, and in an in-
stant all was in a blaze. Fortunately the fire was speedily
got under, ur the consequences must have been tremendous.
There were at this time, in this district of the pit, great
numbers of men and lads working with the Davy lamps, and
had not the air of the pit been singularly pure, the fate of
these poor fellows might have been but the repitition of a too
oft told tale. Being in the pit at the time of the occurrence,
I instituted every inquiry, and on the following day it was
renewed by Mr. Forster, but we got no trace of the defaulter."
Such an occurrence goes far to prove that, however well ar-
ranged and scientific the plans for ventilation may be, so
long as the recklessness of the miner continues accidents
will occur.
DEATH FllO3l BURNING.--On Friday afternoon Mr
W. Baker, jun.' held an inquest at the London Hospital on
the body of iNtary Anne Rotheram, aged eight years, the
daughter of a labourir-, man residing in Split's-terrace, St.
George's-in-the-East. It appeared in evidence that on the
llth of March last the deceased was standing on the fender
in the kitchen, reaching for a candlestick, when her clothes
caught fire. The flames rapidly spread, and she was soon
in-one mass of tire. Her screams brought the assistance of
her mother and sister, who with great difficulty extinguished
the:flames. She was admitted in the above hospital on the
same day, where she lingered until Thursday morning, when
she expired. Verdict, " Accidental death."
CAMBERWELL FAlR.—This annual
pleasure fair will
notwit.
.
commence to-morrow (Tuesday) on the Green, hstand
ing great exertions made by the inhabitants for teeup.
preeeion.