The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-13 00:00:00

HOP DUTY.

This morning a very large deputation from the hop-
growers of East and West Kent, Sussex, and other placers,
had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, :in
Downing-street, to urge the right hon. gentleman to defer
the payment of th e last instalment of the hop duty of 1859,
which becomes payable in a :few days, until November,
1861.

Sir BROOK BRIDGES having introduced the deputation,

Mr. BERESFOB D HOPE proceeded to present the memo-
rial to the effect above stated, and remarked that the blight
of the present year, and the late unfavourable weather for
the growth of hops compelled them (the growers) in order to
escape ruination to ask the favour embodied in the memo-
rial. They did not ask any favour with respect to the
duty payable on -the hops grown this year, as they wore
perfectly willing to pay the Excise duty on that the
moment it became due.

Mr. CARTER, of East Kent, said the blight had been so
great this year that no grower had any stock to sell.

Mr. JEREMIA H SMITH, on the part of the hop growers
of Sussex, also Urged the necessity of granting the prayer
of the memorial ists.
The CHANCE Lion of the EXCHEQUER asked whether
any of the gentlemen present were aware of a case in which
so long a postponement of the collection of the duty as that
now asked for had been granted.
A member of the deputation said in the year 1822 one
half of the duty was finally surrendered, and the other half
postponed for two years.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER asked whether it
was considered that the present crop was the smallest sine 3.
1822.

Mr. Donsex replied that it was not, but most undoubt—
edly it was one of the worst since that time.
Another gendaman said they could not dispose of the,
little crop this year at any price, the quality was so bad.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the Govern -
ment would carefully inquire into the circumstances (
their case, and he would take the earliest .opportunity
making their decision public.
The deputation then withdrew.

The "Bohemian Girl" is in rehearsal at her•
Majesty'a Theatre.
General Count de Groeben, on his Teturn to
Berlin from his journey in Syria and Palestine, tas had an_
interview with the Prince Regent, to whom he presented a•
report on the situation of those cowp.tries,

"After the deputies had, as they thought, concluded their
labours, a very pressing message arrived from Mr. Cobden
to send over a party competent further to assist the commis-
sion in connection with cotton fabrics. Your deputies en-
deavoured to secure the services of a qualified gentleman
from several of the leading firms in Manchester, but with-
out success ; and the message being most urgent, Mr. Slagg
undertook, at great personal inconvenience, the fatigue of
another visit, the importance of which can scarcely be over-
rated, as will be seen on reference to his minute of the same
annexed. " MALCOLM Ross.
HENRY ASIIWORTR."
On the Ist October, the gentlemen named as representing
Manchester, assembled in Paris with the following, who
had been deputed from Glasgow :—Messrs. S. R. Brown,
Hugh Beckett, David Anderson, George Thomson, and
Gavin Walker.
" As a preliminary proceeding, the deputies agreed to ac*
upon the conclusion already notified to the public, that it
was the desire of the French Commission now sitting to
procure the advice and assistance of those who were prac-
tically acquainted with the various branches, to enable them
to determine upon a scale of duties upon the imports of cot-
ton and other British manufactures which in their opera-
tion in France shall have the threefold effect of conferring
upon the consumer the benefit of cheapness, of affording
gain to the public revenue, and, having regard to existing
interests, supply a salutary impetus to the enterprise, the
capital, and the ludueti-y of France already embarked in the
production of the articles in question. The deputies urged,
in accordance with instructions, the propriety of ad valorem
duties being adopted, and it was only on this being declared
as generally impossible that they proceeded to consider in
what other mode the duties could be levied to mutual ad-
vantage."
On the 2J October the deputies, soon after assembling,
proceeded to meet M. E. Baroche (son of the Minister of
State), who, they were informed, "had devoted six or eight
months of his time to the study of the cotton branch of
manufacture, with a view to acquit himself as the exponent
of the interest involved in the case of the spinners and
manufacturers of France." Having before them many
samples from Manchester and Glasgow, the deputies entered
into a long discussion with M. Baroche. The deputation
" insisted very strongly that all grey goods of 2oz. or up-
wards per square yard should be admitted at one rate of
duty charged by the pound weight, and all lighter goods at
a duty which should be ad valorem." M. Baroche ob-
jected decidedly to the simplicity of the arrangement pro
posed, and he maintained his adhesion to " a scale which he
claimed to have discovered," for levying duties "upon the
investigation of fabrics by length, weight, and count of
threads. The use of the glass by the Custom.houseofficers
he considered to be indispensable, and the largeness of the
number of officers required in the service quite unimpor-
tant." He "hoped that seven-eighths of the Manchester
goodswould come in underthree classes, and that, in order to
effect this, some light grey fabrics might suffer a little."
His views were to the following effect :
" That sewed muslins would be ad valorem.
" That all mixed fabrics should be charged by weight, at
a low rate of duty.
" That all dyed goods or goods composed of dyed yarn
should be charged first the duty that they would be charged
in the grey, and have a low supplementary duty, to be
charged by weight for the dyeing.
"That the same process would be applied in the case of
printed geods, but with this difference, that five colours and
under would be admitted at one rate, and those having
above five colours at a high rate. The supplementary duty
to be charged by the yard."
Upon this scheme M. Baroche admitted that the French
would now receive the raw material at the same cost as the
English ; and he urged that " low rates of duty were in-
tended," it being desired " not to impose duties that would
throw obstacles in the way of trade," nor had the French
Government "in view the prohibition of any article, or any
intention to exact the full limit of 30 per cent." The duty
to be imposed, he said, was "solely for revenue, and to a
certain extent to afford protection to the native manufac-
turers." The deputies selected samples to illustrate their
own views. 4
On Wednesday, the 3d ult., the deputation having met
M. Baroche, who was accompanied by M. Herbet, the for-
mer gentleman "introduced the subject of cotton yarns,"
erhe;iagdwhshai:s.
suggesting "a separate rate of duty upon each euceere
10 numbers." He would take Mr. Ross's highest quotation
as the basis. Mr. Ross, of course, protested that t
.is was
very unfair ; but M. Baroche endeavoured
htoarfaocrttedyf his
position by "quotations of an exceptional
Messrs. Houldsworth, Messrs. M4Connel, a nedf Mr. Thomas
omroalus
Clegg." Mr. Ross explained that then lass o
the usual pro-
ductions of the market, but were Of " extra quality, and
therefore exceptional, more particularly in the case of Mr.
Clegg." M. Baroche was inexorableob.l.tA.hse taAovidiereauthgbled yarns
M. Baroche agreed to accept Mr. Ross's prices of
low
u oss numbers,
consideredan d to b
undohis tariffo
Mr.
Baroche proposed to charg for duty upon per 100 yards ;
and he indicated a mode of valuation that appeared, on the
whole, to be unobjectionable.
As to goods, Isl. Baroche said that, as a rule, the French
Government were unwilling to entertain the ad valorem
system. The deputies insisted that the easiest mode of
levying the duties would be to adopt a uniform rate per lb.
weight : and they suggested that all grey goods should be
classed into two categories—those of 2oz. and above per
square yard at a price to be fixed ; those below 2oz. at an
ad valorem duty. M. Baroche admitted that by his scheme,
dyeing, printing, &c., would be subjected to a slight supple-
mentary duty; and he endeavoured elaborately to support
his proposition. Referring again to his plan founded on
counts of picks and lengths and weights, M. Baroche said
that he had tested its accuracy by 2,000 samples, and that
he intended to submit it to the Commissioners that evening.
He stated further, that grey clothes would be classed in two,
three, or four categories, embracing all descriptions of the
cloth. After an interval of an hour, the deputies assembled
to discuss M. Baroche's plans and views ; but the members
only "became more and more confirmed" in the belief "that
his scheme wee too minute for all practical purposes, and
therefore altogether unsatisfactory." Accordingly, the de-
puties considered how they could supply information
to Mr. Cobden "whereby he might be enabled to coun-
teract the mischievous tendency involved in the scheme
of M. Baroche." Mr. Ross undertook the yarn depart-
ment; and he justified his valuations by a tabular state-
Jaeut, exhibiting 1‘ strong ground for rejecting, as nn-

Mr. Banks presented on Saturday the Gth, " his state-
ment of the prices of cotton yarns, and the values in Eng-
land and France were carefully compared, showing as they
did that they were nearly alike in both countries when the
charges of transit were included. The comparison on
which the deputies rested most confidently was upon Nos.
21 and 36 single, and on Nos. 70 and 140 double, being the
only yarns of which French samples were furnished for
comparison to the Manchester deputies." The deputation
had to regret that while English firms published so many
prices-current of yarns, they could not hear of one pub-
lished by any French commercial firm ; so that they were
"thus enable them to carry out the comparison to other
counts besides those named." The results of the compari-
son were pressed upon Mr. Cobden, "who was much pleased
with the disclosure, and appeared quite alive to the exact
position in which the matter stood." Mr. Cobden specially
pressed for some of the deputies to remain and assist him ;
and Messrs. Ashworth, Slagg, Anderson, Thomson, Brown,
and Beckett promised to do so. Mr. Banks promised to
send samples of all other French counts to Manchester for
examination by Mr, Ross, if such a course should prove to
be necessary. The report contains a compendium of the
tables relied upon.
M. Baroche's plan of classification was laid before the
deputies by Mr. Ogilvie on the Bth October. "After due
consideration of this plan, the deputation came to the con-
clusion that it was quite unworkable, and would if adopted
lead to endless and vexatious errors. They entirely repu-
diated it, and recommended Mr. Cobden to insist upon the
simple plan they themselves had furnished."
On the 9th, after consulting with Messrs. Cobden and
Ogilvie, it was arranged to see M. Baroche, and to endea-
vour to effect a compromise between his plan and that of
the deputation. M. Baroche came at Mr. Cobden's request ;
but he had a previous engagement, and promised to come
again next day. Several of the deputies agreed to make a
longer stay in Paris in order to facilitate the business instead
of alerting for home that day as they had wished to do.
At the meeting on the 10th, M. Baroche and Messrs.
Cobden, Ogilvie, and Mallet were present. M. Baroche
gave further lengthened explanations, but he persisted in
his plan ; and he " would listen to no modification of it
which would dispense with the use of the glass, or would
effect a reduction of his categories from 20 to three or four,
as proposed by the deputies." White quiltings, he said,
would be admitted ad valorem ; and upon mixed fabrics
a very low duty would suffice, " as the French feared no
competition in this class of goods." Again, M. Baroche
stated that "in the light class of cotton goods we must
calculate on having a higher rate of duty in proportion
than in the higher qualities, as the French manufacturer
required more protection in this class of goods than in the
heavier. This matter, as affecting a large proportion of
Manchester, but more particularly Glasgow productions,
was considered of sufficient importance to bring it under
Mr. Cobden's special notice, with a view to getting him to
exert his utmost influence to establish such a rate of duty
in this class of goods as would at least allow of a competi-
tion between the French and the English producer."
Having now been engaged more than ten days, the depu-
tation considered that they had "left on record in the
hands of Mr. Cobden a systematic arrangement, of great
simplicity, by which they conceive a large amount of com-
mercial intercourse might be conducted ;" while M. Baroche
h'td drawn up a plan, "of which he expressed a very con-
fident opinion that it would be found unexceptionable."
It was on the 10th of October that the fourth and last in-
terview was held with M. Baroche; but after it had lasted
more than two hours, it was brought to a close as "one
entirely hopeless of any results." Subsequently it was
sought to demonstrate to M. Chevalier and Mr. Cobden
"the utter absurdity as well as injustice of any attempt to
establish a system of Customs' investigation of cotton
fabrics based upon the counting of threads by a glass!.
Amongst other cases, these were submitted :—Two fabrics
specified as belonging to the same category would be entered
at the same rate of duty, although one was valued in the
market at 4:1-d. and the other at 2d. a yard. Two fabrics of
like nature as demoted by the number of picks or threads
would stand as dutyable, one in the ratio of 10 and the
other in the ratio of 55 centimes per kilo. Every step only
confirmed the deputies as to the superiority of the mode of
classification submitted to Mr. Cobden about the 4th of
October.
In consequence of Mr. Cobden's urgent wish, the deputies
/not again to-day, to see if anything could be done to facili-
tate the general business of their visit : or in default to give
further information to combat M. Baroche's plan to sup-
port their own. "After an interview with M. Chevalier,
it was stated that nothing further could be done until Tues-
day, the 16th; and as Mr. Cobden is now possessed of all
the facts that the deputation could give him, they deter-
mined to return home, leaving him to fight the battle."

T.HIS DAY'S MARKETS.