The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-30 00:00:00

CUSTOMS BILL.

On the motion for going into Committee on this Bill,
Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE presented a petition
from a gentleman trading in chicory in favour of the
reduction of the duty on chicory.
Mr. T. BARING then rose to move, " That it be an in-
struction to the Committee to make provision forpreventing
the mixture of chicory with coffee by the vendors of coffee."
He said the late reduction of the duty on coffee had
,naturally acted as a stimulus to the consumption of
coffee; but when the public could buy for 4d. per lb. an
article which passed for coffee, but in reality was not,
they could not expect this consumption to continue. He
was ready to admit that chicory was the dearest article,
with which coffee was adulterated, for beans, lupins, and
mahogany shtivings were much cheaper, but even adultere
ate d with this an article could be concocted for 7d. which
was called coffee, for which, to obtain pure, the
public would have had to pay 103. If persons
chose to prefer this mixture, well and good, but
this was far different from proclamations by a Govern-
ment that chicory might pass for the real article of coffee.
Ho thought it would be a most improvident sacrifice to
rw,ke the repeal of the duty on coffee altogether, but at
the, same time that they had reduced the duty, by nut
allowing it to be mixed, but even enjoining that it ought
to be mixed with coffee they had destroyed the full benefit
of that boon. This, however, was not a question of
mere fiscal duties, but one of fairness and justise, and
involving the prevention of fraud. Let them allow
ch3cory to be sold to those who chose to buy, but still
he thought they ought not to allow it to be sold for what
it was not. It was no answer to say that adulteration
had existed before this Treasury minute and would
mist after it; but ie was one thing to stamp an
act as a fraud and brand it with disgrace and
an other to do all in their power to encourage it. They
hod not attempted to ccouraga the mixture of sloe leaves
wiala tea, and all that he asked was that they should be
consistent with themselves, and not endeavour to pass
one law for one trade and a different one for another.
The country and the Government had but one common
interest in this matter, and that was to prevent fraud
attd protect the honest trader, as well in the dealer as
thee producer, lhe agticulturist as the manufacturer.—
(Hear, hear.) That was the rule which ought al-
ways to guide the Exchequer in its Customs and
Excise departments. The public had means otherwise
of protecting itself against frauds. In the present instance
the rich man might secure himself against adulteration
by making large purchases for his own use, bat the poor
ma,n, who had an equal right to protection, was not able
to lay in any amount of stores. He had to buy what he
wanted in a state which should be ready for use, and no
extent ofprecaution on the part of the Excisecould prevent
the adulteration necessary to defraud him. In spite of the
declarations of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, ho could assure the House,
upon the best possible authority, that this Treasury
minute had greatly reduced the consumption of coffee.
--(Hear, hear.) In 1830 the importations were
22'991,000 pounds; in 1840 they were 28,722,300; and in
1860 they were 41,226,0001 b. In 1846 the duty on
West India Coffee was 6d. per pound, on East India 9d.,
and on foreign ls. 3d.; but in 1850 the duty on East
India was 41, and on foreign 6d., showing an increase
6,900,0001 h. when the duty was highest and of only
2,000,0001 b. when there was a reduction of 50 per cent.
in the duty of 60 per cent. in bonding
charges. Now how came the large discrepancy? Surely
it did not arise from any want of trade or a lack of means
to consume, because our largo towns and manufaciuring
districts had in the latter period enjoyed more than as
average share of prosperity. The consumption of
to a had increased, it was true, but not in any
way disproportionate with the increase in the
population, and the state of things presented the extra-
ordinary anomaly to them, namely, that while tea with
its high duty had maintained a gradual increase, the con-
sumption of coffee, with a large reduction, had seri-
ously fallen. He could attribute the fall to
no other circumstance but the minute permitting
the adulteration with chicory. (Hear, hear.)
These were the grounds on which he proposed the in-

struction to tho —Committee; and this instruction would

not have the effect of making them go back to
the law which previously prevailed, and prevent
grocers from selling chicory, but would allow them
to keep it in stock, and only prohibit the
sale of chicory under the name of the dearer
article. He wished to propose no interference with the
trade, and only asked the Government not to become

godfather to the illegal christening of chicory and coffee.
The great body of grocers in the metropolis were a
very respectable class of people, and he con-
sidered that if the sale of chicory in the
way he had mentioned was once declared to be illegal,
the practise would at once discontinue among them.
Many of them had resisted the temptation for a long
time, because they could not reconcile their minds
and consciences to the fraud, and it was only
when starvation stared them in the face that
they found themselves compelled to mix chicory with
coffee. The Hon. Member concluded by proposing the
motion which is given above.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
Hon. Member had acted under the delusion that coffee
was the only article adulterated, whereas almost every
other article of consumption was in many instances
mixed with deleterious ingredients. He (the Chancellor
of the Exchequer) did not think it expedient that the
grocers throughout the country should be subjected to
Excise interference to prevent their mixing chicory with
coffee. Any Government interference in regard to this
alleged fraud could only take place on two grounds—
either that the article was adulterated with dele
terious ingredients prejudicial to the health of
the public or that the revenue suffered in

consequence of the practices adopted. Now he
was in possession of facts, which showed that chicory
was not injurious to health, and that its mixture with
coffee was actually preferred by a great number of
persons. The revenue had suffered to a very inconsi-
derable extent, if at all, by reducing the duty on coffee;
he thought he had adopted the best means of preventing
the continuance of the adulteration by chicory.
(LEFT SPEAKING

ROMANTIC SUICIDE OF A SOLDIER.
The Cork Constitution gives the following romantic
account of the suicide of a soldier in that city, in the
frenay of love
Some weeks since a private of the 40th Regiment,
named Alfred Winstanley, an Englishman, about twenty-
eight years of age, who had been in the service about
ten years, became acquainted with a young woman
named Mary Low, the daughter of a military pen-
sioner. His proposal of marriage was accepted, with
the proviso that he got leave to marry from his com-
manding officer. This ho was reluctant to ask, for
some cause which remains unexplained, and her pa-
rents, considering it imprudent to sanction the mar-
riage of their daughter under any other circumstances,
determined to conclude the intimacy between her and
Winstanley by sending her on a visit to an uncle in
London. On Wednesday ho got leave to remain
out of barracks until eleven o'clock, and visited
Low's house, where he remained until half-past
ten. During this time he learned that Mary
was to leave Cork the next morning at seven
o'clock by the Ajax steamer, for London. He re-
turned to barracks within his leave, and, after reporting
himself, scaled the walls and escaped, and again re-
turned to Low's, and entreated to be admitted, but was
refused, though he threatened, if not, to throw himself
into the river. Early the next morning he again endea-
voured to gain admittance into Low's, but was refused,
and eventually left, declaring he would destroy himself.
He then went into an adjacent house, and borrowed
a breakfast cup. From this ho proceeded to the oil
and colour shop of Mr. Dennis Connor, in the North
Main-street, where he asked fur half-a-pint of oil of
vitriol, for, as he said, removing stains from his cross-
belts. Having got the vitriol in the cup, ho hurried
along Kyrrs-quay to Levitt's-quay, where he met
Mary Low with her mother and sisters, on her way
to the steam-ship. In a frienzied manner, he asked
her if she would deceive him—if she was about to
leave him who was so fond of her?' She moved
on, and he followed, and holding up',jhe cup said,
Mary, you know I love you, and if you don't stop and
marry me, this will end my existence. You know I can't
live without you, and this must put me out of pain.'
Her mother then pushed her from him, when he im-
mediately drank the vitriol, threw the cup into the
river, and leaped several feet from the ground,
screaming frightfully. At this moment a private soldier
of the 84th Regiment came up, when Winstanley,
poitting after Mary Low, said, There—there she is ;
she's the cause of it—it is she's to blame." Acting-
constable Edwards then came up and removed the un-
fortunate man to the North Infirmary, where he was at
ones attended by Dr. Popham and Surgeon Gordon,
who administered carbonate of magnesia, and the usual
anedotes, but the corrosive effects of the poison were
so id.mediate as to render all efforts unavail-
ing Dr. Haverty, the surgeon of the 40th,
sutsequently saw him, and continued with Dr.
Popham to attend him until his death, which took place
at two o'clock yesterday morning, after indescribable
suffering, which he bore with patience. During Thurs-
day, although writhing with pain, he asked everybody
who entered the ward in which he lay, 'ls she coming?
for if I get but one glimpse of her it will remove all my
rain, and I shall die easy.' Deceased had a medal and
star for several engagements in Indio, where ho had
served with credit.