The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-29 00:00:00

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value ; the great difference which has taken
plaoe of late years in the cost of their production must
leave the rates now without any certain relation to the
real value;

It is indeed a questkn raised by Denmark, as to
whether, by the treaty of Christianeple (1645) or any
subsequent treaty, it was ever intended that the duty cn
the enumerated articles should be charged ad valorem,
and practically at present there is no guide but the tariff
for determining the amount of duty. It appears, how-
ever, that all the urenumerated articles were intended
to he rated upon that principle ; and open the general
belief that the dues on these gaols ought to be one per
cent. only, there is much complaint that, in fact, the
duties are much higher, rated even according to their
value in 1841. It is but just also to state tl a; it bat
been shown that in the case of some go'f ds exported
from the Baltic the rate is less than one per cent.
There can be no doubt, however, that on many im-
portant articles, whether named in the tariff or not, the
duty levied is actually much higher than one per cent.
Mr. Bowring, registrar of the Board of Trade, says
"I have a list of articles here upon which the duty la
more than one per cent. They are sugar, coffee, sulphur,
spices, salt, cotton, rice, saltpetre, wine, shun= ; all of
which are chiefly imported into the Baltic."
Mr. Riggen, of Liverpool, salt manufacturer, who ex-
ports largely of salt to the Baltic, says that the duty
now levied upon that article, according to its present
value, is 12 per cent., and the trade is more limited than
it would he in consequence ; and he consid.rs that not
less than 6,0001. a year is paid fur dues on English salt
to tfie Danish Government. And Mr. Stephen West,
an importer of wood, says r—" We are a this moment
importing deals from Russia which will cost us 51., and
probably in the same ship shall have others that will
cost us 101., but the same charge is made upon us for
Sound dues." And he further alleges that the does pay.
able on deals from Russia are only Is. 9d. per hundred,
whilst those from Prussia pay 2s. Si.- Mespearson, of
•Rull, says that indigo pays at the rate of .10s:1 to 12s. a
chest, while the who'd fre_ight upon that to,St,Teters-
--bus4 . thAtilt:lirdtttAVltsaa_the
actual
opt freigbt, and that upon won e yarn,e Jamearly
Id. a pout.d, the freight eing ab t 63. a foot, equivalent
to 20s. a ton, while at ld. a pound the Sound dues a ill
amount to 91. 10s. a boa.

The Sound dues, therefore, as they aro levied at pre-
sent, combine in them what is must objectionable in
taxes that fall upon trade; they are unequal in their
operation, and they occasion great loss cf time and much
needless expenditure in the collection of a comparatively
small revenue, and, as far as the cargoes are concerned,
without professing to be raised for any service rendered
in return, tend to impede and burden an important
branch of trade. Under these circumstances, your com-
mittee have no hesitation in declaring that these dues
are the cause of annoyance and injury to British com-
merce, and they deem it therefore highly desirable that
they should be abolished.
Your committee are the more induced to form this
opinion by the circumstance that Denmark, from her
geographical position, appears to possess a territorial
monopoly in all the practicable routes that could be sub-
stituted in passing from the German Ocean to the Baltic
Sea, by which the payment of these dues could be
avoided ; and while her continuance to,levy tolls on the
passage of the Sound is allowed, she can always protect
this source of her revenue by imposing countervailing
duties on the transit by land through her territory.
It appears to this committee that Denmark has already
manifested her intention to act upon this policy, seeking
to confine the trade to its ancient course by sea, for, shim!.
tan?ously with any railway cnntinunication being opened
through her territory, transit dues have been imposed,
which, from their amount, practically operate as a pro-
tection of the Sound revenue.

Mr. Buchanan, the British Minister at Copenhagen,
has stated that it was notorious in that country, and.
that he had no doubt of it him,elf, that this was the
object of the duties which have been imposed on goods
passing on the railway between Hamburg and Lubeck,
and be feels equally confident that upon the abolition of
the Sound dues they would at once be greatly reduced.
Other witnesses have expressed their opinion that, but
for the transit dues, a much snore extended use would
be made of this railway, especially at seasons of the
year when relief from the risks of sea would cumpe nsate
the merchant for any loss or inconvenience occr =log
from the transshipment of gond,.
It has been given in evinenee that a rail way late ly has
been completed between Tonningen and Flenabor g, and
which passes through Danish territory; and whic h pur-
ports to convey goods clear of the Sound dues, b ut the
committee have not been informed of the extent to which
they have already been made subject to transit dayee.
Your committee would strongly recommend that in
any negotiation that may take place for the abolition of
the Sound dues, the fullest consideration should boo given
to the means of securing a like freedom. for trade in the
transit through any part of the Danish territory.
By means of documents that have been directed to
laid before this committee; as well as by statements wade
by Mr. Buchanan on the subject, your committee have
become informed of the proposal that has lately been
submitted by the Government of _Denmark to the. Go-
vernment of her Majesty, as well AS to other fa:reign
states, with a view to the abolition of the Sound dues,
and they have bawd from some of the witnesses opinions
as to the justice and practicability of The plan. Other
measures have also been brought under the consideration
of the committee, having likewise in view to remove or
mitigate the evils connected with these duos of which
the trade so earnestly complain.
Your committee does not feel in a position to pronounce
any confident opinion upon the respective merits of these
propositions, but they deem it important to notice, that in
all of the plans, whether the one which has been made by
the Danish Government, or those which have 'either ori-
ginated in other countries, or been suggested by indivi-
duals in this country, there seems to be no difference of
opinion as to the data on which the calculation for a just
settlement of this question should proceed, namely, the
payments annually ma.'e to the Crown of Denmark on
account of Sound dues ; neither does it appear that the
accuracy of the returns to his effect, which are exclu-
sively derived from Danish authority, is seriously called
in question.

kr. Buchanan says that theiraccuracy was vot doubted
at the congress assembled at Copenhagen to consider the
subject, and that ho is satisfied from the freedom and ab-
sence of reserve with which access to the entries at the
Custom-house was offered to himself, as also from the
coincidence with the financial accounts presented to the
Danish legislature, that there is no reasonable ground
for mistrust.

Doubts have been expressed to this committee by some
witnesses, whether, in ca,se of compliance with the propo-
sition of Denaiark, namely, to receive at once a suns re-
presenting the capital value cf the payments annually
made on account of Sound dues, any guarantee would
remain for the maintenance of lights and buoys so eesen•
toil for the safety of navigation in that sea ; and whether
on:this account it would be expedient that any pecuniary
indemnity should consist of annual payments remitted by
this Government to that of Denmark. It is difficult, hoes
ever, to express any opinion upon this matter, without
previously knowing what other arrangements Denmark
might propose to make for this purpose.
The question on. which there appears to be some real
difference of Opinion is as to the mode of providing in
this country for the payment of the sum required for
the redemption of these dues, should that course be de-
termined upon ; whether the bin dee should to borne ex-
clusively by the merchants and shipowners engaged in
the Baltic trade, or whether by the country at large.
The view taken by some of the most intelligent wit-
nesses, that the chief exports from the Baltic being
of general consumption in this country, the duties on
them (though borne at first by an especial branch of
trade) enter into the cost of the article, and fell ulti-
mately on the general consumer, appears to be well-
founded, and so far to warrant the opinion that compen-
sation in this case might properly be charged on the ge-
neral resources of the country. The committee, how•
ever, have observed that among those whose interests
would be affected by it, no strong objection has been ex•
pressed to the charge being cast on the particular trade,
and the reason assigned against this plan has been less
on the ground of injustice than that of the difficulty and
inconvenience that would be found in giving it effect.
There can be little doubt that the trade would, in con-
sideration of being relieved from the burden and incon-
venience connected with the present payment of these
dues, gladly agree to substitute ie their place a direct
payment either to this Government or that of Denmark,
equal in amount to that which can now be legally
claimed of them ' • but it is manifest that great practical
difficulties would arise in giving effect to a system of
differential duties imposed upon produce imported into
the United Kingdom from the Baltic, and which would
be thus rendered necessary.
On these points, however, the committee forbear to
express any opinion. It will be for the house to decide on
the means that may be proposed by the Government of this
country for carrying into effect any arrangement with
' the Crown of Denmark for the abolition of the Sound
dues. Your committee deem it, however, their duty to
the
b e receiptsdem an d
demanded
Den-
mark that the longer the settlement of this question is
.the course recently
delayedntib!, ry
if.
ao
ehwie.thi largerrict irco
ta willle
rneprobably
w bi
el
thatl
"k.„ by the Goverionen.t.oi.thL7in!,,ed St,otes has cre-
ated a state 41thine$1 wlach from tnis country
a speedy and practical solutito.n: conimittee have
learnt from Mr. Buchanan too, the Government of-the
United State, have announced their intention of discon-
tinuing the payment of the Sound dues after the expire-
tio,, of a year, dating from the month of June last, and
that a specific offer of compensation has been made by
that Government to the Crown of Denmark, calculated
on the same proportion to their previous payments as
the proposal which has been made Ly Denmark to this
country, and which it is understood the Danish
Government are ready to ace( pt. If an exemp-
tion from the Sound dues could be granted by Den-
mark to one nation, it vv,..uld g;ve to that rf•Ation an un-
due alvatitsge in the carriage of the trade with, the
Bal;ic. Your committee therefore think that the pro-
posals made by the Danish Government to the Govern-
meats of the different States interested in the naviga-
tion and trade of the Baltic, amongst which Great Bri-
tain holds the first placo, should revive immediate Con-
sideration, and become the foundation of a final-and
satisfactory settlement 0f the question.

The accounts from Limburg state that tle demand'
for money is again increasing, the rate of discount h:.v.-
ing advanced to 51 per cent.
The bld" arrAvats yesterday consisted of 157fiOCZ.
from New York, and 240,0001. by the o!ivtr Lang fn m
Australia, making a total of 397,0001., nearly the who
of which is expected to be seat to the continua.