The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-16 00:00:00

REPEAL OF THE MALT DUTY.

IMPORTANT DEPUTATION TO THE CHAN'
CELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.
Yesterday afternoon a very numerous and influen-
tial deputation of members of Parliament and other
gentlemen, representing the Central Anti-Malt TO
Association and the Midland Counties Association/
had interview by appointment with the Right Hon.
B. Disraeli, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at his
official residence in Downing street, for the purpose
of urging upon the right hon. gentleman the neces-
sity of taking steps for the abolition of the malt tax.
Lord Cuizzox, M.P., introduced the deputation/
and in doing so said that the object of the deputa-
tion was to urge on the right hon. gentleman that
the present was a fitting time for dealing in some
measure with this most important question. He be-
lievedthat the malt tax repealers had a very strong'
case, and they had confidence in the intentions of the
right hon. gentleman to dealjustly with their claims.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER expressed
his extreme regret that as he had to attend a Cabi-
net Council at three o'clock he was under the neces-
sity of requesting the favour of the respective
speakers of confining their remarks to as brief a
term as possible.
Mr. PUNNETT (of West Kent), as chairman of the
Central Association, expressed the pleasure with
which himself and colleagues waited upon the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on the present ocea'
sion, the right hon. gentleman being the only states-
man of the present day who had, when in office,
made a practical attempt to abolish the duty. The
members of the deputation were grateful to him for
what he did on that occasion, and they believed that
all that had since transpired still tended to strengthen
the case for the repeal of the malt tax.
Mr. FOWLER, of Aylesbury, complained that be
as a farmer found the tax seriously to interfere with
.
the due and natural rotation of crops by restricting
the use of the inferior qualities of barley—which
were well qualified for the production of good beer
__which, in consequence of the weight of taxation/
could find no market with the brewers in comparison
with the higher qualities of barley, upon which only
the same amount of taxation was levied. lie als°,
urged the consideration of the serious question o'
rearing stock which was involved in the malt-tag.
Young stock was growing more valuable, and it was
well known amongst dealers that no better article
of diet could be given than malt, but its use Was
practically denied by the existence of the present
duty. Another reason which brought the deputa"
tion there was that the consumption of beer by the
labouring poor was greatly restricted by the duty
In his own case he paid in beer between £5O and
;
£6O a-year to his labourers, and of that amount
some £2O or £25 went for duty. Upon one of his
farms there was a heavy clay soil, which he was
unable to turn to the best advantage, because be,
found it unprofitable to grow certain descriptionsot
barley which but for the tax now levied would be
most valuable for conversion into beer..
Mr. PELL, as chairman of the Central Chamber
of Agriculture, and a considerable farmer, said that
he found amongst the labourers he employed beer
was really a necessity of life and essential to the re-
storation of their strength when it had become
hausted on the field or by other work. He hoped
that as there had been very beneficial changes .113
the legislation of the country with regard to the
i
duties on the great necessaries of life, justice would
not be allowed to stop at malt.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, having
heard the arguments of the various speakers, said
he need scarcely assure the gentlemen present of
the pleasure and willingness with which he had
tre-
ceived the deputation. The case had been ably and
fairly put before him—he might indeed say 11,1
quite an artistic manner. His sympathies, they ari
knew, were deeply with the cultivators of the s°
and the labouring classes of the country generallii;
He had never concealed his opinion that the 1113
duty was a bad tax, and he had shown that
by the proposal which he made when Chancellor
00;
the Exchequer in 1852 to reduce the amount
the tax by one-half. But he must remind thee,
that when that proposal was made it was not ree
ceived with any enthusiastic support from tilt
agriculturists themselves. The opponents of tha t
measure told him that his proposal was not sufaelea.,
to be appreciated by those who might have be%
expected to feel the greatest amount of intere.o
5
in the question ; and he was also told that the
repeal of one-half of the amount of the malt lie
would not meet the exigencies of the case. But of
(the right hon. gentleman) would tell them lae„
that if they had then assisted him, and the recbluv,
tion of one-half the duty bad been effected, DO 131%0
tion of the tax would now have remained. ,To
Government of that day, however, did not receive
support where they might have expected it; but sine
then the malt duty had become a question which ci
doubt excited a very large amount of interest at'bo
anxiety throughout the country. He assured., o
gentlemen before him that all that had been said
well that day would have the best attention of
Majesty's Government, and would be fully reale
bered and considered.
Lord CURZON having thanked the. right ,
gentleman for their courteous reception, the deP
tation then retired.

Two IMPORTANT LITERARY' ANNOUNCEMENTS
made by the Messrs. Routledge. First and f°l-,4
most that they about to publish is a new edition of I.°o
Lytton's novels, at ls. each ; and secondly, that the
'`tus,
Wood is preparing a companion book to his large
,11
trated Natural History, under the title of " Routle7tile
Illustrated Natural History of Man," in all countries c". st
world. The work is to be issued in 32 monthly lost6;:io
ls. each, and will be embellished with designs illusfr3,tss,
of the manners, customs, religious rites, superstitions, d/'-oo
habitations, weapons, instruments, implements, 30.,
among the inhabitants of every part of the .

Part I. is to appear at the end of March. tii°
A Cabinet Council was held yesterday. at
official residence of the, First Lord of the Treas,",-.,1rl
Downing-street. The Ministers present were —the ;10,
of Derby, the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Buckiegill'O.
the Earl of Malmesbury, the Right Hon. Spen, 8
Spence.„
Walpole, Lord Stanley, the Earl of Carnarvon, 11
Peel,Viscount Cranborne, the Chancellor of the E011.,e4,100
Sir John Pakington, Sir S. Northcote, Lord John
the Eight Hon. Gatkorne Hardy, and Lord Naas.