The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-22 00:00:00

THE BUDGET.

Mr. Gladstone has addressed the following letter
to " The Committee of Importers and others,
Mincing-lane" :

Downing-street, Feb. 21.
Gentlemen,—l have the honour to acknowledge your
[otter of the 17th.

I must beg you not to constrae the present communica-
tion as the answer of the Government to your representa-
tion. It is intended only to narrow any apparent ground of
difference between us, and to suggest the ground of proceed-
ing most convenient with a view to the progress of public
business.

Your letter refers to that portion only of the financial
proposals of the Government which is intended to meet, by
compensating charges upon trade and exchange in one form
or otter, a share of the loss anticipated from the approach-
ing remissions of duty.
You eamment more or less adversely upon the Penny
Registration Due, upon the charges for removals and opera-
tions in-warehouse, upon the stamp proposed for Dock
Warrants and for Contract Notes ; and besides, you ob
servo that any tax meant for revenue should be imposed,
not upon traders as a class, but upon the community.
I distinguish carefully between your particular and your
more general objection. And with respect to the latter, I
respectfully ask you to consider whether the financial
scheme of the Government, viewed for one moment as a
whole, is really open to the charge of relieving the commu-
nity at the expense of traders as a class ; and whether, on
the contrary, the head and front of the attacks upon it be
not this, that it too greatly relieves trade, and therefore re-
lieves traders also in a primary and special sense, and this
by means of a tax to be imposed on the community.
It is with reluctance that her Majesty's Government re-
commend to Parliament any new charges upon trade in any
form. But the case is a very simple one. They found that
in order to give the requisite breadth to their scheme, and
secure some of its main ends, it was necessary to give a re-
lief from present taxes amounting to nearly four millions for
the year 1860-1, and to nearly five millions if we include the
residue to take effect in 1861.2. They found that they
might obtain this great relief, and along with it largely re-
duce establishments and patronage, and effect collaterally
great administrative reforms, at a charge of something over
three millions to the revenue of the corning year. They did
not conceive that they could ask for more than about
£2,100,000 from that revenue, with the present high scale
of expenditure, even for the great purposes which they have
had in view. It is, therefore, no wanton infliction which
they suggest ; but they are desirous to arrange, with your
assistance and that of others who are well .informed, a bene-
ficial commutation. They rely with confidence on your
willingness to venture something for the public good.
They wish carefully to consider with you how to keep the
pecuniary demand within bounds, and, above all, how to
prevent creating new obstructions in tho course of trade
where their main object is, wherever possible, to destroy
old ones.
I now pass to your comments upon details. Most or all
of the resolutions on which you comment may require to
be modified, but you will agree with me that definitive medi-
cation had better be reserved until it cau express the
final
intentions of the Government.
Nor will you bo surprised or offended when I tell you
that, as the Minister most directly responsible, I am reluc-
tant to ask my colleagues to give the subject their final con-
sideration, until I am myself able to pay a less divided
atntin to the details than will be possible until the
House of Commons shall have dealt with the larger and
more vital questions involved in the scheme for remission of
duties.
I may, however, give you certain limited assurances, on
which you may rely apart from anything that the neces-
sarily technical language of the resolutions may appear to
suggest.
With respect to the Penny Registration Duo, its basis is
this. We have (I trust) arrived at a stage in our legisla-
tion when the whole pressure of Customs' Duties will cease
to be felt beyond a very narrow list of articles, and when
the largest share, possibly four-fifths or more, of the entire
Import and Export Trade of the country. thus absolutely
relieved, will continue to receive important services from
Customs' establishments that (including superannuations)
cost the country above a million a year. The Registration
Due is intended, without affecting the operations of trade
as duties do, to make a moderate contribution from trade
itself towards this heavy charge. The requisite classifica-
tion is of necessity, but inadequately, expressed in tho re-
solution. lam satisfied that it will not be difficult, and
that the measure is in principle generally admitted and ap-
proved.
The warehousing charges aim at the same ; and like-
wise at establishing a greater equality between certain
classes of places, with regard to warehousing advantages,
than now exists. I admit that many of them are too
high. I further admit that it may be open to consider-
ation whether, in respect to some of them, at
least, and especially in regard to removals, a
different form of proceeding may be preferable. A most re-
spectable deputation from Liverpool has urged that all
dealers in bonded goods should be required to take out an
annual license; and the Government are desirous to obtain
the opinion of the commercial world upon this suggested
alternative.

With respect to Dock Warrants and to Contract Notes I
refer to what I have already said respecting the proper time
for definitive explanation or improvement. I beg, however,
to assure you that the former are not intended to bo liable
to those frequent repetitions of the charge imposed which
has been apprehended ; and, in regard to the latter, that
it is not, and never has been, the intention of Government
to ask fur a tax even of one penny upon bills of parcels, or
upon anything that essentially belongs to that class, inas-
much as the trail, actions to which they relate are already
regulated, and when they exceed forty shillings, taxed by
law.
Should the faithful application of this pledge be found to
diminish the estimated fruits of the stamp, it will neverthe-
less, be redeemed.
After giving your obliging consideration to this let.tecr
you may perhaps be enabled to draw into more
it is for the
specifi
forms any suggestions it may be agreeable to you t Maki
u e
•
I shall be most ready to communicate with you,l
-n
writing and personally, at the proper timo; ncl
general convenience, rather than that of the Government,
if I venture to recommend that by mutual communication
the classes best informed and most directly concerned should
as far as possible represent to us on behalf_ o f London and
other places their collective wishes and opinions.
with
As this letter appertains wholly. to matters. of general in-
terest, I make no apology for sending it at once for publica-
tion ; and I have the honour to remain, gentlemen,
faithful servant,
much respect, your very
W. E. GLADSTONE.

VERY LIKE TIE SEA SERPENT.—WhiIe the ship
Typhoon (just arrived at Liverpool from Bombay) was on
her voyaqe home, and when lin lat 6 24 N., long. 22 W.
the captain saw a large tree, upwards of 90 feet long, and
without branches, but with long fibrous roots, extending
from Bto 10 feet from the trunk. The tree was very thick,
and, frßin its general proportions, the captain believes,
would be very destructive in the event of a collision with a
ship. This is probably the great sea serpent, and the fibrous
roots the mane so much talked of by other navigators.