The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-06 00:00:00

THE ' SUN,

,RICHARD ATKINSON AND co., The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and the Howe
Irish Poplin Manufacturers to the Queen, 11.R.H.: the adjourned until Five o'clock.
Nnicuess of Kent, his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant, &C., At Five o'clock,
31, COLLEGE-GREEN', DUBLIN. Sir.. G. GREY moved the second reading of the Metro-
R. ATKINSON and Co. beg respectfully to acquaint the Nobility
and Gentry of Great Britain, that they transmit specimens for In- pouts Water Bill.
spection
to per post free, and any Poplins ordered are Bennt free of ex- Mr. B. COCHRANE moved, by way of amendment, that
FALMOUTH, or GLASGOW, sense NDON, LIVERPOO
from L, BRISTOL, LOTwhende they are forwarded , no Bill for the supply of water to the metrop,dis be pro-
as addressed, without any delay, and at the risk of Atkinson and Co. ceed ed with, unless the works required for an improved
supply be put up for competition upon a contract for a
term of years. He ultimately, however, at the sugges-
tion of several Hon. Members, withdrew his amendment.
Mr. MOFFATT moved that the Bill be read a second
time that day six months. He did not consider the
measure likely to remedy the abuses of the present
system.
Sir B. HALL and Mr. W. WILLIAMS both denounced
the Bill U 3 creating a gigantic monopoly.
Sir G. GREY hoped the Bill would be suffered to pro-
ceed to a second reading. If it were read a second time
he should propose that the Bill be referred to the Com-
mittee of Selection to be dealt with judicially.
The second reading was opposed by Mr. MoWATT,
Viscount EBRINGTON' Mr. WAILEY, and Sir 1). L.
EVANS, and supported by Sir W. CLAY.
Una division the numbers were—
For the second reading 95
Against it
Majority in favour —l6
Mr. T. BARING moved a resolution, " That it is the
opinion of this House that the directions of the Lords
Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury to the officers
of the Excise, signified by orders of the 6th and 25th
That no objection be made on
August, 1840, 1081.40 ;
hneamreevleyn'tle to dealers in and sellers of
coffee mixing chicory with coffee,' are opposed to the
Excise regulations in force regarding other articles of
consumption, have encouraged very much the practice
of fraud, and ought therefore to be revoked."
Sir J. TROLLOPE, as the representative of the chicory
growers in Lincolnshire, opposed the motion.
Lord HARRY VANE said the motion would not inter-
fere with the interests of the chicory growers. All it
required was, that chicory should be sold by its right
name.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER praised the
wholesomeness of chicory and the mixed beverage. All
that was done by the Treasury order was not to sanc-
tion a fraud on the public, but to exempt the dealer
From the Excise penalty to which he would otherwise be
iable.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE
Madame SONTAG.
Last appearance but One of Madlle. CARLOTTA GRIM.
It is respectfully announced that TO-MORROW EVEIiLNG will
be presented Donizetti's Opera,
DON PASQUALE.
Norina, Madame Sontag ; Ernesto, Signor Calzo/ari ; Doctor Ma-
latesta, Signor Ferranti ; Don Pasquale, Signor Lablache.
To conclude with the admirable Ballet (arranged in one act) of
LE DIABLE A QUATIOE,
By Mdlle. Carlotta Grist, Mdlles. Rosa, Esper, Julien, Lamoureux,
Allegrini, Aussandon, Kohlenberg, Pascales, Dantoine, MM. Charles,
Ehrick Paul Taglionl, Goariet, Venefra. and Di Mattis,.
The Opera wilt commence at Eight o'clock.
Applications for Boxes, Stalls, and Tickets to be made at the Box-
office of the Theatre.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
A GRAND CLASSICAL, DRAMATIC, MISCELLANE-
OUS. CONCERTED MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT, IN
ITALIAN, FRENCH, ENGLISH, SPANISH, and GERMAN, will
take place on MONDAY MORNING, June 16, selected from the
following authors :—Weber, Spohr, Cherubini, Spontini, 11055101,
Gawk, Mercadante, Cimarosa, Beethoven, Zingarein, Purcell, Auber,
mezari, Meyerbeer, and Mendeissohn ; and embracing many highly
interesting novelties.
On this occasion will appear Mesdames Sontag, Caroline Dnprez,
Alaimo, Giuliani, Ida Bertrand, Fiorentini, Marie Cruvelli, and
Sofle Cruvelli. The valuable assistance of Madame Ugaide, of the
Opera Comique, Paris, has also been secured. Signori Garden' and
Calzolari, Mr. Sims Reeves and Signor Pardini, Signori Coletti and
Ferranti, F. Lablache, Balanchi, Massol, and Lablache.
Some oft he Original Manuscripts of the celebrated Paganini
having been discovered, the Direction has secured them, and M.
Sivort (engaged expressly for this occasion), win execute the cele-
brated Concerto, and also the se-much admired " Stregghe," or
" Witches' Dance." These pieces have never been performed by
any but Paganini.
Applications for Boxes, Stalls, and Tickets to be made at the
Box Office of the Theatre, Opera colonnade, Hayinarket.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
SOIREE EXTRAORDINAIRES.
It is respec
tftillY announced that THIS EVENING will be pre..
seated Bellies Opera,

NRMA.
Norma, Madlle. Sofia CruveiliO ; Adalgisa, Madlle. Giuliani; Pol.
lone, Signor Pardini ; °roves°, Signor Lablache.
To be priceded by the second and third acts of Auber's celebrated
Opera,

Mr. STANLEY contended that the same principle
should be applied to coffee that was applied to tea and
tobacco.
Colonel THOMPSON said the difference in price be-
tween the ground and the uoground coffee sufficiently
pointed out the adulteration of the former.
Sir J. TYRELL was a grower of chicory, and should
therefore most certainly on this occasion support the
CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER.
Mr. WAILLEY said that the continued use of chicory
was most deleterious, and occasioned a variety of dis-
eases. The conduct of the Government was an encou-
ragement to the disreputable and an annoyance to the
honest dealer. He should support the motion.
After some further discussion the House divided,when
there appeared—
Ayes ...
Noes ...

... 89
... 94

Majority ...
The House then adjourned.

... -5

We are no friends to the Excise system. We
would gladly see it abolished root and branch, so
that no vestige might remain of the monster nuisance
that has so long paralysed the energies of the people,
and obstructed—if it did not prohibit—improvements
of every description. It possessed, however, some
redeeming features. Although the beneficial regu-
lations bore an infinitesimal proportion to those of
an opposite character, and were overwhelmed by the
mass of evil by which they were surrounded,
they yet accomplished some good for the community.
These rules were framed for the purpose of pro-
tecting the revenue ; but they had the effect of pro-
tecting the public, also, from frauds of a very serious
description. In order to insure the collection of the
fall duty on each article, measures were introduced
prohibiting with the utmost severity any adulteration
or fraudulent admixture. Not only was the actual
adulteration of the article subjected to stringent pe-
nalties, but even the possession, by licensed dealers,
of matters that might be used for the purpose, was
made a grave offence. The ordinary rules of law were
deliberately set aside, and every presumption made
against the accused, so that it was almost impossible to
obtain armecquittal if there was even a possibility of
guilt. The enormous duties imposed under our fiscal
code, quadrupling, or in many instances more than
quadrupling the prices, and thus exposing the dealers
to almost irresistible temptations, these penal, and in
some respects highly vexatious enactments were
framed, as we have already stated, for the purpose of
protecting the revenue, but they had also the effect of
protecting the fair dealer from being under-
sold by fraudulent competitors, and the public
from being injured by deleterious compounds, and
also to a certain extent afforded security that the
purchaser obtained the article fur which he contracted,
and which he believed he was buying.
It would almost appear, however, as if the Lords
of the Treasury were anxious to increase the public
disgust to the utmost degree by removing the only
defensible regulations, so as to leave the evils of the
system without mitigation. Under the sincien regime
it was considered essential to guard against any adul-
teration of coffee, which, as an article of general con-
sumption, heavily taxed, might otherwise be mixed with
various ingredients of an inferior kind. At first the sale
or even possession of matters such as roasted corn,
peas, beans, parsnips, Sec., that might be mixed with,
or used as substitutes for coffee, were prohibited under
very heavy penalties. After a time persons not being
dealers were permitted to take out a licence for the
sale of such articles under their real names, it being
very properly considered, that if the people chose to
use such decoctions with their eyes open—they not
being absolutely injurious to health—they should be
permitted to do so. Every precaution was, however,
still taken to prevent imposition or deception.
About; twenty years since chicory, which had for
some time previously been used on the continent
along with coffee, was introduced into this country,
and there is no doubt that the inferior descriptions of
coffee were improved by the addition of a small por-
tion of pure chicory. The Excise Corn missioners,
however, wholly disregarded the public interest. The
salubrity or agreeability of the mixture was a matter
of the most perfect indifference ; their only object
was to extract the largest possible amount from the
pockets of the people. Prosecutions were
accordingly instituted against many coffee
dealers for having chicory in their possession ;
but these were stopped by a Treasury minute, in
August, 1832, declaring " that the sale of chicory
powder UNMIXED should not be interfered with,"
but that the sellers of coffee should be informed
that " they must abide the consequences, if they
should continue to sell coffee mixed with any other
ingredient, contrary to law." This was a wise arid
judicious course. Those who preferred the admix-
ture of chicory might obtain it, and choose
their own proportions. They could also have
the compound at a much cheaper rate
than if they purchased it under the name
of "coffee," and they had some security that the
separate ingredients, viz., the coffee and the chicory,
were each what they purported to be, as any adulte-
ration might still be severely punished, and things
should be sold by their right names. Nothing could
have worked better than this regulation during the
eight years it was permitted to remain in operation.
Bat August, 1840, saw another alteration—" my
Lords not considering that any measures should be
enforced to prevent the sale of coffee mixed with
chicory," and it being accordingly
ordered, that " no
objections be made on the part of the revenue to
dealers in and sellers of coffee, mixing chicory with
coffee, or to their having the same mixed on their
premises."

- It is impossible to calculate the extent of the mis•
riled._ on nf teo
carried
unwise regulation. The
chief occasioned by this
igreatest difficulty
adulteration of coffee was
rivalrsa,ndsosu
dealers such
an
ex-
tent that it became a matter of the
found
were
nfor them-
selves obtain coffee in a pure. Btate, u
chased in the berry. Many respeactaeb"l it Was pur.
refused to lend themselves to .1,
practised by their unscrupulous that
selves almost driven out of the market;
small proportion of the community had the wisdom
a
to know that they could not obtain really good ar°t7
ties at the ridiculously low prices that were flaunt-
ingly put forward, or that it was worth their while
to support tradesmen of high character and unble.
wished integrity,who were really satisfied with smaller
profits than their competitors. The natural result
followed : the parties were not satisfied with the
profit derivable from the mixture of pure chicory ;
a cheaper substitute could be found, and accordingly
beans, TAT !"s dogdbiscuits, powdered
~
" burnt
intreduced, muchan earth, damaged
dealer than thel a variety of other articles were
have
u more
re o tof
the
ee
consumer.
tmoefr the. dishonest
quite euonntneenicepsosraarryy, .
These fraudi:
exposed by ourave
been so clearly and ably
that it is •
subject; we cannot, however, I
to enter
en Ltearneeat ;
any length into the