The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-03 00:00:00

COLONIAL SPIRITS.

Mr. P. STEWART wished to know what were the
intentions of her Majesty's Government respecting the
duties now charging upon colonial spirits, and also the
restrictions in force against the use of spirits and mo-
lasses. He would not ask the question if he thought it
would interfere with the arrangemen ts of the Governm en t.
The duty on native spirits was 7s. 1.0 d., while
that on colonial was 9s. 4d., making a differen-
tial duty of ls. 6d., or one hundred per cent.
He rose for the purpose of calling the attention of
the Right Hon. Baronet to these prohibitions, which ho
found were untouched by the Right Hon. Baronet in his
new scheme of impart duties.
Sir ROBERT PEEL rose, and said that her Majesty's
Government did net propose to make any alterations in the
duty on rum and molasses. The rates of duty in England,
Ireland, and Scotland he was sure the Honourable Gen-
tleman would not wish to see altered, as there was no
legal prohibition to the use ofsuch articles as those alluded
to. There was no legal prohibition to the use of sugar and
molasses in distilleries, under certain regulations, which
it was necessary to carry into effect for the protec-
tion of the revenue.—(Hear, hear.)
DRAINAGE BILL (IRELAND).

On the motion of Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE, that
this bill be read a second time,
Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH said that he felt

his duty to oppose the Bill. He had not had time to read
much of it, because it had only been printed that morn-
ing ; he had, however, read enough of it to see that it
was one which the House should not sanction in its pre-
sent state. There had been an attempt on the part of the
Commissioners, that had been appointed some years ago
for the improvement of Ireland, to introduce a clause into
a Bill for the drainage of that country similar to those in-
serted in the present Bill. Those Commissioners under-
took to deal with matters which they had neither the
ability nor the knowledge to interfere with, and this fact
it was that created the great complaints that were at
that time expressed by the landowners of Ireland ; and
the Earl of St. Germans, who was the head of the Select
Committeebeing fully informedof the intentions of th eCom-
missioners, protested againt the introduction of the clause
proposed to be introduced by them, for he saw that the
powers sought by the Bill would be most extraordinary
and also injurious to the landowners of Ireland. The
Commissioners thereupon declared that the Bill, when
deprived of the clause objected to, would be utterly use-
less; but the Noble Lord, who saw the injustice of the
proposal, persisted in his opposition to the measure, and
the Bill was ultimately abandoned. Now it was
on the same grounds that he (Mr. French) opposed
the Bill now under the consideration of the House.
This Bill proposes to appoint a board, at the head of
which was to be Colonel Jones, a gentleman for whom
he had the highest respect, and of whose abilities he
(Mr F. French) had the highest opinion. This board it is
proposed is to take upon itself the direction o ithe public
works of Ireland. Now, he was of opinion that the
people of that country were perfectly adequate to super-
intend the drainage of their own property. Let the
House take a case where the owner of a th9usand
acres of land, all of which the board should be of
opinion required draining, but the proprietor objects
to the expense which this step would entail on
him. He complains to the board, but he is then in-
°rimed that he must be at the expense. This was indeed
what he objected to; it gave the board a most absolute
power to order the carrying out of any project
which they thought proper, regardless of what
cost they put the owner of the land to. They
had power by this Bill not only of putting a die.