The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-11 00:00:00

GAME-LAWS.

Mr. COLLETT said, seeing the Member for Vest Glou-
cestershire in his blare, he wished to ask him whether it was the
intention of the Hon. Gentleman to bring the subject of which
he had given notice before the House, or whether he was to
bring forward the grounds of the allusions to him (Mr. Cel-
lett)? He would certainly be present, but he wished to know
'what the Hon. Nlem her meant to do.

Mr. G. BERKELEY said he certainly meant to bring the
subject of the game-laws b fore the House, and would allude
to all who had lent their aid to bring those laws into con-
tempt.— (Laughter.)
ARMS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the order of the day being read for reading this Bill a
second time,
Mr. LA BOUC HERE said he wished to take the discussion
on this Bill, and the second reading of it, on Wednesday, as
several were absent whom he thought would better be present.
Mr. T. DUNCOM BE expressed his amazement at the
course proposed to be pursued by the Government. He won-
dered especially who those gentlemen were for whom the dis.
cussion had been postponed.
Mr. L ABOUCHERE thought it would be better for all
parties that the second reading should be postponed, that all
night have due notice, and especially the Irish Members. He
was afraid also that it would be late before the House could
enter upon it ; but, if it was the wish of the House, he had no
objection to bring on the second reading to-night.
CUSTOMS DU TIES ACT.
On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
Haute went into Committe on the Customs Duties.
On the article spirits being read,
Mr. MACKINNON said he begged to press the motion
of which he had given notice, on the eeualisation of duties
on colonial spirits with British spirits. In Ireland the duties
were 2s. Bd. ; in Scotland, 3s. 4ti. ; and In England, 95. 4d.
The consequence was, there was a differential duty between
England, Scotland, anti Ireland. He asked the Government
why they should violate the principle wl.ich they had recog-
nised in the Sugar Bill ? Nay, more, recognised in a late
measure, which admitted spirits made from sugar in the
Channel islands, at a lower rate than spirits from the colonies.
That only encouraged a monopoly, which discouraged the co-
lonial trade. He should wait till he heard what the Govern-
ment would say on the subject.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the Hon.
Member was under no obligee ion of apologising for the intro-
duction of the subject On which he had occupied the attention
of the House. It was one of great importance. With regard ro
the duty imposed on colonial rum, the difference between the
duty imposed en it and British spirits was made, he would not
say whether rightly or wrongly, in order to equalise the fiscal
burdens upon the two classes of producers. It was quite clear
that colonial rum should not be admitted on the same duty as
British spirits, when they considered that there was a duty on
the raw material of the latter—malt, which was not imposed on
the raw material of the former. He was perfectly willing,
equal burdens and fiscal impositions considered, to place colo-
nial spirits on the same footing as British spirits ; and it was
in the spirit of this proposition that the present alteration was
submitted. If this change was not a sufficient equalisation
between the two products, he would do what he could
hereafter to make it so. With regard to the duty imposed on
Irish or Scotch spirits, when the duty was high, continual at-
tempts were made to evade the duty, anti illicit distillation
prevailed to a great extent. But since the reduction of the
duty had taken place, illicit distillation had almost ceased, while
the consumption of regularly produced spirits had greatly in-
creased. The present duty, therefore, was as high in each
country as could be, without giving great encouragement to
illicit distillation. The facilities for evading the revenue in
Scotland and Ireland, from the nature of the countries, were
so great that it would be impossible safely to retain any higher
duty than the rates now imposed. In England the spirit
duty was regulated according to the circumstances of
the country, and if it was higher, smuggling
would inevitably prevail to a great extent. There
was a large amount of unprotected coast in England, especially
in the west, and to raise the duty higher, would be to offer
the greatest inducements to smuggling. He did not throw out
these observations as an answer to the objections of the Hon.
Gentleman, but rather to show that great care and considera-
tion should be observed before any change was made. Tee
Hon. Member concluded by a review of the scales of duties
mposed on British spirits, at various periods from 1802, with
he object of illustrating the course of argument he had been
ursuing with regard to the duties that should be imposed.
Mr. HUME was satisfied with the exptanation of the Right
Hon. Gentleman with regard to English spirits, but he was
not so satisfied with that relating to Scotland and Ireland. He
could not see any reason why the people of these two countries
should be obliged to pay more for colonial rum than they paid
for whisky.
Mr. GOULBURN would take the proposal of the Right
Hon. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) as an in-
stalment of what was due to the colonies. In the year 1830 he
had occasion (being then Chancellor of the Exchequer) to re-
vise the whole subject, and proposed an additional duty of Is.
upon British spirit. Corn was then subject to a higher duty
than it was by the existing tariff, and then it would be three
years hence. Unfortunately, he was unable to carry his ar-
rangement into effect. With respect to the differential duties of
Scotland and England, he thought there were departmental
difficulties in the way of their equalisation ; but these were not
insuperable. He considered that in consequence of the disad-
vantage under which the West Indian colonies laboured by
the recent measure, which affected their interests,
to adopt the proposed reduction on rum was an instalment of
what they were justly entitled to. He thought, therefore, the
equalisation of the duties on rum and British spirits was a
measure to which they were entitled in accordance with
every principle of justice.
Mr. P. M. STEWART told the Right Hon. Gentleman
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to proceed in the course he
had commenced. He deprecated the anomaly which existed
between the duties en Irish and Scotch spirits, and contended
that on one article, drawing a revenue of five millions yearly,
such a principle should not be applied. He hoped they would
not attempt to settle the sugar question without eqnalising the
duties on rum and British spirits, and regulating the supply of
labour, two measures which the West Indies were entitled to
in consequence of the measure which had lately passed for the
equalisation of the sugar duties.
Mr. BERNAL said, if the West Indies and British Guiana
were to be considered as integral parts of the British empire,
there was no reason why their commodities should not be
allowed to come in on the principle of competition with the
same commodities the produce of the United Kingdom. He
said 'ne would not say a word on West Indian grievances, all he
would say was, do justice to the colonies and the West Indian
interest. He remembered well that the landed interest in
this country was always made the foundation of these differ-
ential duties ; but he hoped the House would deal with the
sugar grower as they had done with the corn grower, and
equalise the duties.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL
rose to explain, and said all that
he meant was that some time was necessary for the Govern-
ment to consider this question, lest injustice might be done to
any parties. It was certainly his wish to avoid this, and he
hoped his Hon. Friend would allow the Government time to
take it into their consideration.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in answer
to a remark from Hr. Goulburn, said that the duties in the
tariff, of this year, were put down exclusive of the 5 per cent.
Mr. GOtILBU RN said when rum was put in the schedule
reduced to Bs. 10d ,he hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer
was aware there was a 4d. additional to the nine shillings of the
former tariff. He wished to know whether the Chancellor of
the Exchequer was aware that he might only be reducing the
duties on that account by merely 2d.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
understood the suggestion, and would see that his intention was
attained.
Mr. MACKINNON then withdrew his motion.
The several articles were then gone through and agreed to.
The report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow.
The House then resumed.
ARMS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the order of the day for the second reading of this Bill
being read,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said it was with extreme reluctance
that he rose to move the second reading of this Bill ; but that
feeling, he said, did not arise from the Bill as a whole, for the
Government, and he agreed with it, was of opinion that this
Bill was necessary for the well-being of Ireland. He did not
agree with all the provisions of this Bill, and had he been con-
sulted on it, he could never have been a a party to the introduc-
tion of it into the House.--( Hear, he.lr.) But he hoped to
show the House that it was perfectly in consistency with this
opinion that he rose to move the House to pass the measure for
so limited a period as would give the Government time to con-
sider what might be the best course to take in the Govern-
anent of Ireland. He said the House would agree with
him in this, that it would be no fart of a wise
policy
to have the peace and security of that country
g ,larded. He said this was net a continuance Bilt ; the Go-
vernmentun- in that respect had adopted a most novel course, ior it
came into the House, and asked it to pass this Bill only till the
E:•st of May
next, that v it might have time to consider the
opt.
pursued on this He did net know any other coursee°urle
the Government could have
question, as the
of policy it should a
d
terms of the Bill made it imperative that the whole question
should be fully considered early in the next session of Parlia-
ment. It might have been said,ruby not withdraw the present
Arms Bill, and introduce the Arms Bill previously in opera.
tion ? But he had objections to that Bill, greater objections
than he had to the present one, and, therefore, the best course
he thought w,uld be to renew the Big for the short period he
named. While he proposed this, his objections to the
present Bill, which he had stated on
a former
occasion. still remained, both as regarded the
registering of
arms and " branding." With regard to, the former, the re-
gistrations were over, and no harm could arise from that
clause between now and next May ; and with regard to
branding that hail already taken place. No harm could there-
fore arise from the continuance of the Bill for nine months
oneer. By so doing her Majesty's 0 ,vernment would have
the opportunity of fully considering the question. A great
deal in the meantime would depend on the way in which the
Government would carry the provisions ‘at. the Act into opera.