The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-05 00:00:00

COLONIAL MONOPOLY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sea—On behalf of the agriculturists and of those
numerous parties who are to lose the advantages they
have derived from protective duties, a measure Sir
Robert Peel will endeavour shortly to carry into effect,
it is important to inquire of what crime or fault these
parties have been guilty—what offence they have com-
mitted that they are to be so much punished, as Sir
Robert Peel's project would inflict on them? He pro-
poses that they should sell the produce of their
labour and industry, at whatever • price it may
coremand, in markets open to competition with
the world, and at the same time be compelled
to purchase some of their necessary supplies at the mo-
nopoly price. This is indeed hard upon them ; it may
be favouring the colonial interests to continue their
monopoly, but it is actual cruelty to the consumers of
this country, especially those who will be obliged to sell
at an unprotected price, to oblige them to buy their
sugar, coffee, and a leng et cetera of articles, at a price
vamped up by monopoly,—that is, raised fictitiously
beyond their actual value. This would be a queer kind
of justice, and would show that Sir Robert Peel's
conversion to free trade principles must have
been of a peculiar character. Certainly he has taken
a one-sided view of the great question. If he
should be induced to expose the many branches
connected with the landed interest, to the abominable
hardships of selling the results of their labour at an
unprotected price, and at the same moment dicree them
to buy all the colonial produce they may need at a
monopoly price, of what earthly utility will taking
3s. GI per cwt., little more than a farthing per pound,
off the duty now imposed on certificated free labour
foreign sugar be to the farmer? He will never enjoy the
advantages of the reduction; the benefit will never reach
him ; the three shillings and sixpence will be swallowed
up by the importers and the wholesale dealers long be-
fore the sugar reaches the small shop at which the farmer
deals. No man ever addressed stranger arguments to con-
firm this view of the question than Sir R. Peel himself did
when last year he reduced the duty on British sugars
from 245. per cwt. and 5 per cent. to 14s. per cwt., and
5 per cent. He then clearly showed that unless the
reduction of duty was equivalent to a penny per pound,
the consumers of sugar would dsrire no benefit whatever
from the diminution. No remarks could be more to the
purpose than these he then used. Why should he be
oblivious of them just now ? He knows full well the re-
duction of the said 3s. 6d. per cwt. can never be of use
to the farmer ; in fact, on the announcement of his
scheme the sugar market improved nearly a shilling
pr cwt. Will it be commonly honest and fair to
the landed interest, and to all others who have had
the shield of protection removed from their
labours, to compel them to enter the field of
competition, to commence a struggle with the
world as it were, under the crippling facts that have
been described? As well might it be expected that a man
with his hands tied behind him is in a proper state to
fight another who has his hands entirely free.
It is a lamentable circumstance, and very unfortunate
for the multitude of straitforward and well-thinking men
amongst the agriculturists, that their leaders should not
be more conversant with the ordinary rules of life, the
business of the day ; and instead of uniting their abili-
ties to stem the tide of public opinion flowing surely and
steadily in on them, they do not at once give up the
futile attempt, and change their position; and declare, as
protection is to be cast to the winds, let all classes stand on
the same ground, as protection is to be removed from us,
let it be also removed from all others. We are to hale
no favour, give us a clear stage Concomitant, however,
with such an arrangement, it' would be equitable only
to the colonists to sweep away the absurd regulations
imposed upon them by the mother country. The colo-
nists undoubtedly should be free to sell in the dearest
markets, andibuy in the cheapest. Let them obtain food,
lumber, and freight where they like—also labour, pro-
vided they do not, in the last particular, infringe
the laws of humanity—then might all differential
duties on colonial produce be cleared away, with-
out injustice. A revision of the sugar duties
ought likewise to be made, and a more
equitable mode be adopted; for it is evident, from the
letter of your correspondent B. S. R., who appears to be
intimate with the regulations of the sugar market, that
some of our sugar-producing clonies possess consider-
able advantages over others, through the laws governing
the duties on sugars imported into this country. His
plan for obviating these difficulties is undeniably good,
and merits the attention of the Legislature. To place a
like duty on an article worth 20s. per cwt. and on one
worth 40s. per cwt., because the two happen to be
Muscovado sugar, an undefinable term, is clearly
unjust—and reminds one of the hodge-podge
patchwork measure Sir Robert Peel is about
to introduce—a measure clearing away all duty here,
by halves there, and by thirds elsewhere. Why,
in the name of common sense, instead of this confused,
does he not produce a comprehensive and comprehensible
plan? If protection is to be thrown to the winds, as he
says, why not act on his opinion at once?
It would appear by Sir Robert Peel's proposition, that
the colonists are to experience a different kind of treat-
ment to that meted out to us. If he and they think
protection will serve their turn, let them enjoy it
amongst themselves ; but, in the name of fair play, let
us, who are to be deprived of all protection, have the
colonial monopoly utterly removed. They may take our
produce or leave it; confer the same privilege, as regards
theirs, on us.—Your obedient humble servant, _

AN AGRICULTURIST.

AUSTRALIAN EXPLORING EX-
PEDITION.

To those of our readers who are not already aware
of the safety of Captain Sturt it will afford much
gratification to learn that the gallant leader (in the ex-
ploratory expedition to the northward, which left Ade-
laide more than a year ago) was, at the date of his
dispatches (18th of July), at a temporary depot, formed
at the distance of about 500 miles from Adelaide, in
longitude 141 deg. 30 min. east, and 29 deg. 40 min.
12 sec., being about 90 miles east by south from
" Mount Hopeless," and near the turning point of Mr.
Eyre's expedition in 1840. With the exception of the
late much lamented Mr. Poole, second in command,
whose sudden decease is officially announced in the
Government Gazette notices, the gallant party has
suffered no fatal casaulty during the long and
arduous journey into the mysterious interior from which
" the veil" is yet to be lifted. Mr. Piesse, the store-
keeper of the party, accompanied by four men and a
single bullock team, has been the bearer, as far as
Moortmde, of the captain's dispatches, which are so
voluminous as to have determined the Government to
defer the publication of their intended digest until the
next issue of the Goverraneht Gazette; we can, there-

•
fore, only lay before, our readers such particulars as we
have been able to glean from sources which, though
unofficial, may, we believe, be relied on. Mr. Piesse,
who was commissioned to procure for the party fresh
supplies of provisions, with the view of further explora-
tions in another direction, is said to have left the
depot with his small escort on the 18th of July last,
three days previous to which date the remains of
Mr. Poole had been interred. When within four days'
journey of the Government station (Moorunde) on the
Murray, Mr. Piesse found means to anticipate his
necessarily slow progress through some friendly
natives, by whom his brief note, stating the general
safety of the party, found its way to the station, and
thence into Adelaide, many days earlier than the news
could otherwise have reached us. The extreme northern
point to which the party had attained was about 28 de-
grees of latitude (only one degree further than Captain
Frome reached), and to reach this they had to en-
counter a country of such extreme desolation, aridity,
and high temperature that the thermometer frequently
stood for hours at 140 in the sun, 130 in the 7 shade,i.eur
and 90 underground. In short, during
n -
omoonni
pt leilsl
oodf ttloi e
remainperiod oi fn theirthe
i absencety theo f party,eiaa ater-
r were
yvv
extreme to have made either a forward or a retrograde
hole." from which it would have be perilous in the
movement. They had all suffered from scurvy, but were
recovered, and in excellent health and spirits. When
the party arrived in the surmised vicinity of Lake
Torrens, they found little to represent the large body of
water heretofore so circumstantially described. With
- waterT
)ro gr ePsesr through diem,it
such
c.eha.say
an expedition which could not subsist with less than ono
the
difficulties gal lons
of ofa
we have endeavoured to described tcoouimntargYinaes
; but it is not so easy
to appreciate the courage, conduct, and enthusiasm
which have not only been equal to the task of extrica-
tion, but are even now protracting Captain Stuart's re-
turn, in the hope of reaping for his adopted country
some valuable fruits from his self-imposed, but hitherto
unsuccessful, toils. It may be some months before we
witness the return of the hardy expeditionists ; in the
meantime we hope that enterprise so daring, and explo-
ratoratory ardour so enthusiastic, will not be without
their reward. It is most satisfactory to know that the
natives met with have in every instance been inoffensive
and friendly.—Adelaide Observer.

MEDICAL PROPERTIES OF TAR.—At a recent meeting
of the Westminster Medical Society, Mr. Weatherfield read a
paper en the external and internal use of tar in senile and
other chronic eruptive diseases, and from the success which
has attended Mr. Weatherfield's practice it would appear that
in many obstinate chronic cutaneous diseases, tar may be
considered as a specific. He administers it externally in the
form of tar ointment, and internally in the forma of capsules.
ASHTON. COAL-PIT ACCIDENT. —On Monday, a
report was very prevalent in this town, that a most serious
accident had taken place at the Broad Oak colliery, attended
with the loss of many lives. We are happy, however, to
ray, that the accident, though serious, was much exaggerated.
It appears that, for some days past, the coal behind the
boiler and engine-house wall, at the bottom of one of the
pits belonging to Lees, Jones, Booth, and Co. has been on
fire; the miners have bees engaged, ever since this was
known to be the case, in endeavouring to put it out, but the
task has
tear found extremely difficult, in consequence of t
50
he
great he sing from the burning mass, which is ahuuot__,
yards in extent. The In en have for some days been unahiae t geu
directy had
near, so as to throw water upon it, and a drift
to be cut in order that they might takencontinbueoa
com-
a water by means of a fire-engine which 11
• es
got into the roof,
the pit for the purpose. The steam bar effhang.ng
1 "shifts,
d 0 twh,
ne
on Monday morning, just as the men
nearly one hundred tons of the
terl
a tremendous crash ; f°11,%-would have been no less than
menced work, otherwiseerethy
it crushed to death. The persons
o; Anaienil dirt ahbaodv en foetl l
twenty poor fellows the engineer who was
seriously injured ".etrof a pipe, near the boilers, when a por-
struck him, and broke his collar-bone, put.
tion of the roof
shoulder,
nearly cut on I• o his left
examining tile
his right thumb, and
out
a piece jo°frockThs.tirsucpkoolrlifuel
• • d him on tho lead and other parts of lii' bdo v. k
1 nj u re
d John Garside N •
miner, name , \as buried in the mass,
boilers;
iloonwawleashefordcdnaega.rainthset
ricks in the fire-hole, and when itxtri-
a , making a
c zth most
tee nearly
e 1
aidirril,7b. dreadful gash.
red-hotNgv tta sshfb.o u n d
to b e
almost
boy, named Henry tiariand, burned to a cindcir. A
miner named Marland,ceived a slight injury on the
log. No others v ere hurt. There great praise to a
father.of menthe give
yvewho was hurt, for
the exertions he used in extricating those who were partially
buried in the ruins. The sufferers are doing as well as can
be exne t a rri, 4,.
i -- • -c‘t -, ••••e ..e is not opt.—Manchester Guardian.