The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-04 00:00:00

DOCKS.

Dividend Amount
same of Company. per of I Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
•---- - --
£ 8. d. X 8. d.
C Anmercial ••••• • . • • 4/. per cent• Stock. 70
East and West India.•• 6/. pr cent. Stock. 117
East Country
London ••••••• • .• • •• 5/. pr cent. Stock. 98
Ditto Bonds ........ 41. per cent.
St.liatharine •.
Ditt• Boads 4%1. pr cell).
Southampton • •

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
ROUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 3.
The SPEAKER took the 'Chair shortly before Four
o'clock.
THE NAVIGATION LAWS.—THE UNITED
STATES.
Mr. ROBINSON wished to know from the Noble
Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
whether any correspondence had taken place between
the Government of this country and the Government
of the United States respecting the navigation-laws ;
and, if so, whether he intended to lay copies of the
correspondence on the table ?—(Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON Correspondence has
taken place between the American Minister and
myself on the subject to which the Honourable
Member refers. The American Minister ex-
plained to me the position in which the Govern-
ment of the United States stood with reference
to these laws, and stated that that Government
would go hand in hand with the Government of this
country with respect to any alteration which the
Government of this country might deem advisable in
these laws.—(Cheers.) The answer I returned
expressed the satisfaction which the Government had
derived from the communication, at the same time
stating that it was the intention of her Majesty's
Government to make a proposition to Parliament with
respect to the navigation laws. I have no objection
to lay copies of the communications before Parliament.
THE WEST INDIAN INTEREST.
Sir R. 11. INGLIS wished to know if it was the
intention of the Noble Lord (Lord G. Bentinck) to
bring forward the motion which stood in his name
on the paper (No. 5) respecting the West Indian in-
terests, as he had a petition to present on the subject
from Antigua ?
Lord G. BENTINCK—Not anticipating any op-
position, it is my intention, with permission of the
House, to bring forward the motion at any hour of
the night at which I may be afforded an opportunity
of so doing.
Sir R. H. INGLIS then presented the petition to
which he referred. It was from Antigua, complaining
of the injury to which colonial landowners were
subjected from the admission of slave-grown sugar
into this country, and praying the House to devise a
speedy and effectual remedy.
Mr. Hume presented a petition from the Council
of the island of Nevis to the same effect, and
another with a similar prayer, from the associations
of West Indian merchants in London and the city of
Glasgow; as also did Mr. Goulburn, from Bermuda
Mr. Ellis, from Tobago; Mr. Macgregor, from a
number of places, praying that a duty of lbs. might
be levied upon all foreign sugar above the duty levied
upon British ; and by Sir E. N. Buxton, from the
British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Association, stat-
ing that the Sugar Bill of 1846 had led to an
increased demand for slaves, and praying the
House to use its utmost exertions to repress
the horrible traffic. As a preliminary step the peti-
tioners prayed the House to institute an inquiry into
the Act, as far as it bore upon the slave trade, and
to substitute a measure which would wholly exclude
slave grown sugar from the home market.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES BILL
In answer to a question put by Mr. B. Osborne,
Lord J. RUSSELL stated that it was the intention
of the Government to:bring forward the Encumbered
Estates Bill in the course of a few days in the House
of Lords.

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MISCONDUCT OF OMNIBUS DRIVERS.
Colonel SIBTHORP stated that in consequence
of the gross misconduct of the omnibus drivers, there
was great danger to aged and infirm persons who
were in the habit of travelling in the metropolis.
lie had himself, upon several occasions, very narrowly
escaped receiving serious injuries, and he trusted that
the Secretary of State for the Home Department
would adopt some measure to put down the nuisance.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL rose for the pur-
pose of obtaining leave to bring in four Bills to
facilitate the performance of the duties of justices
of the peace. It would not be necessary for him to
interpose between the House and the motion
of the Noble Lord (Lord George Bentinck),
by entering at any great length into the details of his
measures. Although there might be differences of
opinion in that Iloase with respect to the quantity
of power to be given to the magistrates, still there
could be no doubt that it was the duty of the House
to protect those persons in the due discharge of their
duties.—(Hear, hear.) It was at present very
difficult for the magistrates to discharge their duties
without being subject to many vexations actions.—
He thought that he should be able, by means of these
four Bills, to combine the provisions of the numerous
acts now in existence relative to the subject. In
three of the present acts he had introduced
nothing new ; his object had been to se-
lect and embody together the various enact-
ments and decisions which regulated the conduct
and performance of the duties of magistrates. One
of the present Bills contained a provision for enabling
magistrates to hold special sessions in a more fitting
and appropriate manner than they were at present
held, by causing suitable buildings, when required, to
be erected for the purpose, instead of holding their ses-
sions, as they were now frequently compelled to do, in
public-houses ; also a provision for the payment of ma-
gistrates' clerks by salary instead of by fees. The Bill
would also contain a proviso for equalising the fees in
all parts of the country. The power of receiving the
fees was to be accounted for to the country. The
other was a Bill to facilitate the performance of the
ditties of the justices of peace out of sessions within
England and Wales, with respect to persons charged
with indictable offences. The third Bill was one to
facilitate the performance of the duties of justices of
the peace out of sessions within England and W ales,
with respect to summary convictions and orders.
The last of the measures was to make the whole sub-
ject complete, and was calculated to afford adequate
protection to the magistrates in the discharge of their
duties. Should the House agree with him upon the prin-
ciple of the measures, and affOrd them a second reading,
he should be quite content to allow the next session
to intervene before they proceeded to Committee upon
the Bills. Numerous improvements might, no
doubt, be made in the course of the discus-
sion upon the Bills ; and he should be
most happy to receive the assistance of
Hon. Members on either side of the House. The
subject was a very large one, and although the
present measure might not be perfect, still he thought
that it was a step in the right direction.
Sir JOHN PA.KINGTON would follow the
example of his Learned Friend the Attorney-General,
and refrain from making any extended observations
on the sketch which his Learned Friend had given of
the Bills. He confessed, however, that he had listened
with some anxiety to hear what the intentions of his
Hon. and Learned Friend upon this subject were,
and he could not help briefly expressing his thanks
for the admirable, though concise, sketch which he had
given of the measures. The object his Hon. and
Learned Friend had in view was certainly most
praiseworthy, and he for ono sincerely trusted
he would be able to accomplish it. He entirely
concurred with his Honourable and Learned Friend
that any arrangement that could be made for prevent-
ing the holding of petty sessions, was of the greatest
importance ; but he was afraid the expense of such
a change would be found a great difficultyin the
way of accomplishing it.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. CRIPPS wished to know whether the Bills
would limit the power of the
.judges of the local courts
with regard to actions fer limited damages. He
did not know whether the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman had heard any complaints
upon that point, but he could assure the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman that they were exceedingly
common, for actions for damages, with the view of
harassing magistrates, were daily being brought in
these local courts.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the Bills did
not embrace the point alluded to by the Honourable
Member; but, of course, if the Committee and the
House determined that the Bill should take cognizance
of this matter, he could have no objection to it.
Mr. lIUME hoped, if the public were not to have
the protection of the law agaiDst the improper
proceedings of justices of the peace, Government
would adopt some rule, providing that no indi-
vidual should be appointed a magistrate, until
he was fit and duly qualified for the
office. For his part, however, he was opposed to all
unpaid services. Such an opinion, coming
.from
him, might seem strange; but upon taking ali of
the public departments, he had generally found from
tie highest to the lowest offices, that were unpaid
services appeared, it invariably happened that they
had to be paid for indirectly, or in some improper
mode.—(Hear, hear.) He, therefore, held that they
were
in error, in having so many unpaid magistrates.
Leave was then given to bring in the
Bills.
WEST INDIES.
Lord G. BENTINCK then rose, pursuant to
notice, to move for a Select Committee to inquire
into the present condition and prospects of the inte-
rests connected with, and dependent on, sugar and
coffee planting in her Majesty's East and West In-
dian possessions and the Mauritius ; and to
consider whether any and what measures
can be adopted by Parliament for their relief.
If he had consulted his own convenience and wishes,
as he was aware that no opposition was intended to

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be offered to his motion, he should have merely
moved it, and made no statement at all with
respect to it ; but he believed he should
not consult the wishes of the House or the
wishes of those who were interested in the growth
of the sugar-cane, if he made the present
motion without" some statement. It had been repre-
sented to him by many who were interested in her
Majesty's colonies in the East and West Indies, that
the course he was proposing now to take was not
consistent with the necessities of the case, and
that there was something pusillanimous in the
motion which he was going to propose to the House,
and that, in fact, the East and West India interests,
which had already been so severely attacked,
would perish while the subject was being
discussed in a Committee of the House. They had
told him that a Committee of Inquiry would be to
them—

" Like cordials after death, come too late I"
for that before a Committee had reported
the West India interest would be past re-
covery.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") It became him,
therefore, to consider whether he could obtain
any special relief from a direct rote of that
House ; and when he recollected that in the
year 1846 he had made a motion in that respect,
and obtained only 180 gentlemen to support him,
while 265 votes had been tendered against him, and,
in favour of her Majesty's Government, admitting
slave grown sugar, he felt that it was hope
less for him to adopt any other course than
the one he intended now to pursue, more
especially when he recollected that upon that occasion
he had but five gentlemen connected with the
West India interest who had recorded their
votes in his favour. Such being the case, he thought
the -West India interest had nothing to say
against him for taking the course he bad re.-
solved to adopt on the present occasion.
Those who voted with him in 1846 did not
require a Committee to convince them that ree
medial measures were required. They were of
the same opinion now ; but at the same time
he felt bound to say, if remedial measures were
brought in likely to meet the wants of the colony,
he and the petitionerswould support them, irrespective
of those by whom they might be brought in. Holding
a petition in his hand, signed by 48 heads of houses
in London, Liverpool, and elsewhere, whose liabilities
amounted to 6,300,000L,he felt that he war justified in
calling upon the House to grant the committee for which
he was moving, and to state, with confidence,
that he believed he should be enabled to per.*
suade the Committee to suggest new and
salutary measures. The Right Hon. Gentle-
man the Vice-President of the Board of Trade
had stated elsewhere that he considered the ac-
count of the home country and the colonies closed
in 1833, when emancipation and millions of
money were given to them; hut he was in a
condition to show that the colonies had not derived
much benefit from the millions thus paid. Both the
money and the emancipation of slavery were pressed
upon them. They derived no advantage from either;
and the cry of virtuous indignation against slavery
had materially subsided ; even at the last election
so much had the cry for cheap sugar
and free instead of slave labour died
away, that the subject was scarcely mooted. He
retained his opinion that by the treaty of Utrecht
they might have entirely subs:..!tuted free for slave
labour sugar. lie should not moo. the question
now. He would not, therefore, whatever might be
his opinion, propose, that this principle shou3
be upheld, as the refusal to admit thirty thonsand
or forty thousand of slave-grown sugar
might, by renewing the agitation, not only prevent
the salutary measures which he looked
forward to, but endanger the stability of
any Government that might be in power,
With respect to the repeal of the navigation-laws he
could not go along with those who advocated a repeal
of those laws. At the same time no thought it
inconsistent that the West Indians should for
any protection for themselves, which they wished
to deny to others. He agreed with the
Noble Lord at the head of the Governrhe3t,
that the system of protection went in a circle, aid it
thought that it could not therefore be confined to tie
West Indians. Letters had appeared is one of the
journals signed by five commissioners, which
stated that the large amount of different,*
of freight to several of the West India'
islands was owing to the navigation laws.'
He did not see how the repeal of the navigation-laws,'
affecting the question of freight between Jamaica
and Demerara and the other West India islands with'
England, could affect the question of the West India
interests, because any alteration in those laws would
equally cheapen freights as between Brazil and
Cuba, Java or the East Indies and this country. The
freights of slave grown sugar would be equally
cheapened with the free-labour sugar of the colonies.
The West Indians is their petitions asked for several
things; they asked for the exclusion of slave grown
sugar, for differential duties, for the free admission of
molasses into the breweries and distilleries of this
country, for the admission of rum on an equality with.
British spirits, for the repeal of the navigation-laws,
and for access to the coast of Africa and other places,
in order that they might obtain free labourers in any
way they pleased. It was necessary he should state at
once that he could not concur with the views of the
colonists with respect to the navigation-laws ; and fur-
ther, he must take leave to say, that it was most incon-
sistent on the part of the West Indian and East Indian
interest, whilst asking for protection to themselves, to
seek to deprive other interests of the protection which
they enjoyed.—(Hear.) He recollected that the Nob!.
Lord, on introducing the measure for the alteratmaltlif
sugar duties, said that protection must travel in t vicious
circle, and that protection to tke West India interest was
a part of that circle which he was disposed to break
through. The Noble Lord was right. Protection must
go on in a circle, and it was irreconcileable with the her'
monious working of the system to take protection from
one interest and give it to another. But, so far as the
West India interests are concerned, he was at a loss to
understand how they eould expect to derive any benefit
from the repeal of the navigation-laws. He was aware
tottnta letter
um brh a b
ad
gentlemaneen wr written e
who underhad there meennatlye
tohfr.o.wJaeonoffb
his disguise, so that there was hope that the Committee
would have the advantage of his evidence, and in that
letter it was stated, that whilst freights from St. Croix
were 10,., frelg freights
existedfrom
wDemerarasuppose
Assume lty 31.
the
differencehatwas owing to the navigation-laws? Then how would e 4
aldti it
benefit the West India interest to repeal the navigation-
laws, unless they meant to say that they were to be
repealed only as far as themselves were concerned, and
to continue in force against all the rest of the world ?
Suppose that the repeal of the navigation-laws could
reduce freights from Jamaica and Demerara to Great
Britain from 6/. to 8/., would not the same cause operate
to cause a proportional reduction in the freights between
Cuba and the Brazils and this country ? Six-soventhe
of the whole trade between Cuba and the Brazils
and this country were carried on in British bottoms. To
all intents and purposes, as far as the navigation-lawe
were concerned, that was as much close trade, as much
monopoly, as the trade with any British colony. It was
indisputable that if the repeal of the navigation-laws
would reduce freights for free-laboar sugar it would
equally reduce them for slave-grown sugar. As to the
freights from Demerara, however, they were not 61., as
" Jacob Ominum" said, and never had been except when
the times were out of joint. They were more often
21. 105., and that he believed was the rate at the present .
moment. He understood from those who were best qua'
lified to give information upon the subject, that the
freights from Jamaica at the early part of the year were
from 3/. 103 to 41. 45., and from Demerara not 61., but
21. 10s. to 3/. ; whilst from the smaller islands, such as
Barbadoes and Trinidad, they were from 81. 10s, to
31. 15s. The last mail from Pernambuco and Bahia
brought advices that British ships were carrying
freights at the lowest rates. The Cuba freights were
always lower than the Jamaica freights ; but
it ought to be recollected that this was in
consequence of there being no draggerage charge st
the former place. It was the custom of the country at
Jamaica to unship goods in small boats, and the ship-
owners had to pay draggerage. At Demerara, there
was no draggerage, a circumstance which perhaps was
attributable to its having been originally a Dutch
colony. The freights from Demerara were generally as
low as from any sugar-growing country in the world.
Having disposed of the navigation-laws, he came to the
question of the admission of rum on an equality with .
British spirits. On this point he retained the opinion
which he held last year—namely, that if the West
Indians could show that they were in equity and justice
entitled to be placed on an equality with the manufac-
turers of British spirits, their claim ought at ones
to be acceded to. He thought, however, that
when the subject should come to be investigated
the British distiller would be able to show that
as long as he remained under the restrictions at
present imposed upon him, justice demanded that
the differential duty should be continued.—(Hear.)
That was his present opinion, but he would go into the
Committee with an honest desire to come to a just deci-
sion on the question. As to the admission of molasses
into breweries and distilleries, it appeared to be a ques-
tion which might properly be left to the decision of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer ' • but ho did not think
the West Indian interest could derive much benefit from
a compliance with their wishes in that respect. He now
came to the great question of immigration. Some of
the West Indian proprietors who lived in the thinly
peopled colonies, Demerara, Essequibo, Berbice, and
Trinidad, imagined that if the free immigration of la-
bourers were assured to them they would be able to
compete with all the world. For one, he was not dis-
posed to object to the British planter colonists enjoying
every facility for the immigration of labourers
providing only that it did not verge upon slave
trading. If, however, the immigration of 150,000
Africans would, as was alleged, enable those colonies
to produce 400,000 tons of sugar yearly, the effect of the
proceeding would be altogether to swamp the old
colonies of the Crown. But whilst he thought that no
unfair advantage should be given to one colony over
another, he very much doubted whether any amountet-
free labour would enable the planters to compete with
rivals who had it in their power to extort from slaves
all the energies of their bodies. If the case were not
so, how happened it that in Barbadoesi--chwl=az
more densely populated than China,
750 persona to the square mile—which had a population