The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-03 00:00:00

the raw material. But this prohibition was not a matter
of importance to the British cork trade, and for this reason
that the Catalonians were superior corkcutters to the Eng-
lish, and these corks were of so high a price as to prevent
their being exported to England. Now, so far from the
act of '42 being injurious to the corkcutters in this coun-
try, its effect had been the reverse, for their numbers had
increased from that period, when there were only 1,200 in
the trade, and now there were about 2,000. The demand
here for corks at present could not be supplied, and British
merchants were actually importing French and Spanish
corkcutters into this country, and probably some hon. gen-
tlemen would be of opinion that there should be a duty
laid upon such importation. (A laugh.) The Spanish cork-
cutters received higher wages here than the English, be-
cause they were better workmen and made less waste of
the material. The hon. gentleman here exhibited to the
house specimens of both kinds of corks. The Catalonian
cork, he said, being a perfect cylinder, while the English
had corners all round. But the real difficulty which beset
the trade in this country, he contended, was unions, and
strikes, and societies which distracted the usual course of
labour. Perfect freedom of trade was required not merely
for the benefit of the country, but for the benefit of the
workmen themselves. (Hear.) ,
After a few remarks from Mr. POTTS and Mr. CLAY, the
amendment was negatived without a division,
On the article silk,
The SPEAKER put the amendment moved by Mr.
Newdegate in Resolution No. 3—" That the present duties
on silk manufactures imported into the United Kingdom
be retained until the let day of October, 1861."
Mr. E LLICE had a great respect for the opinions of the
hon. member for North Warwickshire, but he thought the
motion he now brought forward would do more harm than
good to the silk trade. He believed, in the first instance,
that no treaty with France would be entered into, and
in that case he would be prepared to admit French silks
into English markets at a reduced rate of duty. He
voted for a repeal of the Corn-laws in 1818, and was
willing to admit that since that repeal took place the
condition of the silk trade at Coventry had materially
improved. But the quarrel he had with his right hon. friend
was, that if he entered into treaties of commerce he ought
at least to get an equivalent in favour of his own country-
men, and the parties who so suffered had aright to complain
of it. He hoped therefore he would do his endeavours to
have the duty taken off altogether, and then there would be
something like reciprocity to the silk merchants and silk
weavers. Free trade, no doubt, was a right principle to
establish the commercial relations of a country, but there
were exceptions. When they talked of the duty on import-
ing silk in this country being an absolute protection he de-
nied it altogether, and certainly, in his opinion, it was the
last that should be removed from the permanent taxes of
this country.
Mr. BOLT approved of the amendment of his hon. friend
and believing that the delay of a few months would be meat
beneficial to the 200,000 English people who would be af-
fected by the treaty, he should support the amendment.
Mr. BASS thought the request made to grant delay in
this matter was most reasonable. He certainly agreed that
silks should not be made an exception, and that as gloves
and other articles were not so dealt with, the delay asked
for ought to be granted. (Hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER begged to
say that he had very great respect for the appeal which
had been made to him by those hon. gentlemen sitting in
the House of Commons who were connected with the silk
trade, namely, the right hon. gentleman the member for
Coventry and his colleague. The appeal of his right hon.
friend, and of the hon. gentleman who had just sat down,
was to give to the silk manufacturers a remission of duties
on goods in their trade. He assured his hon. friends
that nothing could be more gratifying to him than to
comply with their request if in his power. He did not
venture to predict the degree of success which might
attend the treaty ; but he felt that France had taken such
a step as would throw her markets open to the great mass
of the English people, and that they ought in this country
to encourage the movement. Henceforth, if this policy
were carried out, they would stand in a different position to
what they had hitherto done in relation to France. For
instance, there was a fallacy- that free trade was a scheme
by which this country wished to rob all the rest of the world,
and until they got rid of that fallacy, free trade with other
countries would not make progress. The hon. and learned
gentleman, Mr. Rolt, said that silk was made an exception;
but the reason why silk was made an exception was that
they all looked upon it as a whole, and looking upon it as a
whole, it ought to be dealt with immediately, and the course
which the Government were taking was not an adverse
course.

Mr. NEWDEGATE, in reply, said, while this country,
under the operation of free trade, exported only 124 per
cent., the trade of Belgium, with protection, exported. 200
per cent.
The house then divided—
For the amendment of Mr. Newdegate 51
Against it
Majority against ---128
The remaining resolutions and the report were agreed to,
and the house went into committee on
CUSTOMS ACTS,

resuming at the following article :—" Goods being either in
part or wholly manufactured, and not being enumerated or
described, nor otherwise charged with duty, and not pro-
tected, to be imported into or used in Great Britain or Ire-
land ; but if any such good, shall be composed of any article
liable to duty, as a part of the ingredient thereof, then such
goods shall be chargeable with the full duty payable onsuch
article, or if composed of more than one article liable to duty,
then with the full duty payable on the article charged with
the highest rate of duty."
Mr. AYRTON wished that the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer would explain how wood used in the manufacture
of furniture would be affected by this article. The duty
was paid on the wood as imported, but there was, of
course, a certain amount of waste in making it up, and
there ought to be an allowance for that waste, as in the
case of timber partially worked up, where there was an al-
lowance of 2d. per foot.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied
that at present no duty was levied upon wood used for
making furniture. It was intended to propose a uniform
duty, and that would be the proper time to discuss the
question raised by the Len. member.
WINE LICENCES.

In answer to E. JANIEs,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
hoped to be cue to lay th. MO wan rerence to wine licen-
ces on the table in the oourse of three or four days.
The resolution with respect to corks was agreed to, with
the omission, on the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER, of the words, " squared for rounding."
The other part of the resolution, fixing the duty on chip
and haKae hair hats and bonnets at ls. 3d. a lb. was also
agreed to.
On the resolution having reference to the duty on gloves,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
wished to make an explanation. The Government had been
led to believe that the trade were anxious that the new
scale of duty should not come into operation within a short
period, and therefore they had in the resolution fixed the
time for the Ist February, 1861. The object of the trade,
he understood, was to save the present season, which would
close for them on the Ist of August this year, and he had
received from Yeovil a memorial, numerously signed by
those engaged in the trade, asking that the duty should
come into operation at an earlier period ; he therefore gave
notice that on the bringing up of the report on this resolu-
tion, he would move that the words, " Ist of August,
1860," be substituted for the words, " Ist of February,
1861."
The resolution was then agreed to,
On the articles, paper as denominated in the tariff after
the Ist of July, 1860, and pasteboard after the Ist of July,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it had
baen arranged with respect to those two articles to vote in
terms of the treaty. lie did not mean to enter now upon
the discussion of the Excise duty on paper, which ought to
be deferred until they should Ile better prepared to con-
sider it. But there were two questions upon which he
would ask the house to give a preliminary vote, it being un-
derstood that the discussion should be revived if the decision
of the house on the paper duty should render it necessary.
The duty which they proposed on paper hangings would
still leave it a protective duty, and pastebNird was also a
particular case depending on the paper duty. A report on
the subject had been prepared, and he asked the house to
consider the resolution in reference to the two articles
named, with the understanding of returning to them if the
decision of the house on the paper duty should render it
necessary,
Sir F. KELLY wished to ask when an opportunity would
be afforded of dealing with the general question.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
had addressed a letter to the hon. baronet the member for
Somersetshire to say to him that the form in which the
paper-duty question would be raised would be that of a bill,
and that as it would be open to him to oppose that bill at
any stage, he wished him to say at what stage it would be
convenient for him to take the sense of the house. As yet
he had had no reply to that communication.
Mr, BRIGHT suggested that the hon. and learntd gen-
tleman the member for East Suffolk could name a day for
the hon. baronet,
unthie catSinirgFw. ii(thEtlee Yhosnai.
convenience of the house.
d bhaer
ohnaedt ni
no os opportunityc
no
of ct
oo msuit
In reply to a question from Mr. PvLLAR,
tee were got through that if
tTbheereCslolluAtNionepiLnLeoonißmoifl the EXCHEQUER said that,
even-
ing, he would on Monday move an address to the Crown
approving of the treaty.
The resolution was then agreed to.