The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-17 00:00:00

TEA DUTIES.

The transactions in tea, under the new system, still form a
very prominent feature of London business, and several valu-
able experiments have been made for the purpose of collecting
facts decisive of the utility or otherwise of discriminating
duties, and of ascertaining whether London or the outports
afford the best market for the commodity. One mercan-
tile house, that of Jardine, Mathieson, and Co., by way
of putting this latter question to-the test, consigned three
vessels from Canton—the Camden, to Glasgow ;
Georgiana, to Liverpool ; and the Frances Charlotte,
to London. The cargoes of these vessels were made up
of assortments of a similar quality, and in some in-
stances a " chop" of tea was parted and divided among
them. All were sold at about the same time, and un-
der similar circumstances, except that in Glasgow there
prevailed a great scarcity of tea, the stocks of the dealers, on
the arrival of the Camden, having become extremely low. On
a comparison of the respective sales, it appears that the London
prices were rather more than 31 per cent, higher than Glas-
gow, and 7-1- per cent. higher than Liverpool, and the differ-
ence would probably have been greater, but that the London
dealers were large purchasers at the sales of both those out-
ports. A striking proof of the uncertainty of the present mode
of levying the duties occurred with respect to the cargoes
above-mentioned. In the " chops" of souchong divided among
them, and being of the same mark and quality, the tea which in
London and Liverpool has been charged a duty of 3s. as
souchong, in Glasgow was charged 2s. 2d. as congon tea.
A remarkable case of difficulty arising out of the discrimi-
nating duties is thus stated in a letter from a correspondent,
and refers to a sale now in progress at the Coramercial-
rooms, Mincing-lane :
" The Postboy, which arrived about ten days ago from tho
Cape, contained, in addition to a parcel of fine ouchain or
young hyson (a tea hitherto almost monopolized by our trans-
atlantic brethren), a quantity of black teas of the lower class,
but many of them good of that class. In America nearly
all black teas are customarily called souchong, and even
bohea is packed in what we call souchong chests, bearing also
the name ' souchong' legibly on the outside of the package,
and it is within the memory even of' the writer when the finest
souchong teas were invariably ordered by the highest families
in England by the designation of your best bohea.' It will
be seen, then, that the most descriptive names are arbitrary,
and subject to much confusion when taken as a standard of
value. The black teas ex Postbag are declared for sale, and
are entered and posted up as bohea, subject consequently to the
lowest duty—viz., Is. 6d. per lb. : the three first chops, how-
ever, which are in strong chests, and marked souchong, have
been stopped by the inspector, and the broker subjectod to fine
for alleged false entry."
Another correspondent furnishes the following argument,
which we are in fairness bound to state also, in favour of the
discriminating duties :
" The tendency of the new-rated duties is to can the atten-
tion of the retail dealers, and the public generally, to the dif-
ferent descriptions of tea by strongly marking and distinguish-
ing them by name, under duties approaching as nearly as a
fixed rate possibly can to an ad valorem, and the know-
ledge thus gained is the only protection of the public from
the mixing and other expedients of the wholesale dealers.
Circulate this knowledge, or the means by which such know-
ledge will be called forth, throughout the country, and good
and genuine teas, being understood, will be circulated by
17:..me, and not by price, as hitherto ; the public taste will be-
come ::',Vroved, and the consumption thereby increased to such
an extent as to enable the Government ultimately to afford
cheap tea to the pblic, and yet to maintain the revenue by
one moderate and unifoin rate of duty."
In whatever way this quest nn may be disposed of, it is evi-
dent in the meantime that the tract: in this article is proceed-
ing with a degree of activity which cannot fail to benefit both
the country and the Government, though the eagerness of the
competition may subject some of the importers at _first to serious
losses.—Morning Paper.

It deserves to be generally known, particularly since
the Whig-Radical paper here, a while ago, took upon it to
assert to the contrary, that Sir James Graham declined the
retiring pension of 2,000/. per annum, when he resigned the
office of First Lord of the Admiralty.—Carlisle Patriot.

MR. BURKE'S HISTORY OF THE COMMONERS
of.f. yilE UNITED KINGDONI.-The Eighth Part of this impor-
tant rod interesting Work, completing the Third Volume,
will uppt, ar, we are informed, with the Magazines on the Ist
of Jaliaary, Among numerous other distinguished families, it
will contain curious particulars of those of
Holyoak of Sti:dley Castle Norliffe of Langton
Granville of Calvviek Abbey Bythesca of Wick House
Sandford of Sandford Middleton of Leam
Sandford of Rossall Beckwith of Frimdon

O'Grady of Kilballyowen
Irvine of Drum
Huddleston of Sawston
Staunton of Longbridge
Greame of Sewerby House
Ashe of Ashefield
Philips of Heath House
Philips of Bank Hall
Morrall of Plas Yollin
I3e.aurnan of Hyde Park
M'Cai ty of Car. ignavar
Grant of Kilgrastone
Gregor of Trewarthenick
Halsey of Gaddesden Park
Bullock of Faulkbourn
Gale of Scrutcn Hall
Fosbrooke of Ravenston Hall

Naper of Longherew
Turville of Husband's Bosworth
Michel of Dewlish
Selby of Biddleston
Greswolde of Malvern Hall
Newdegate of Harefield
White Melville of Bennschy
Surtees of Bedworth
Freeman of Castle Cor
Gray of Carntyne
Hargreaves of Ormerod House
Davies of Marrington Hall
Parker of Petteril Green
Williams of Temple Home
Gray Farquhar of Gilmilnscroft
Pryce of Gunley