The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-04 00:00:00

figures as compared with 1860 ; and I state them in millions I
of francs. In cotton goods France exported 69,500,000 f. in
1860, and 93,750,000 f. in 1864. In linen goods France f
ex-
ported 15,500,800 f. in 1860, and 24,500,000 f. in 1864. In
woollen goods France exported 229,250,000 f. in 1860, and
in 1860, and 43,000,000 f. in 1864. The total amount of
356,000,000 f. in 1864. In
yarns,France exported 12,500,0
bethefoseregtoohodstreeaxt7rtweasd f3ro2;o,FdraninlB6aof
imthmedeiandthloyf
00e0ef ~ and
four years the amount rose to 517,000,000f.ffpossible, (H
in a (Hear, hear.)
The exports to England increased,still
more remarkable degree. In order to spare the time of the
house I will not give the details ; but these are the exports
with respect to which great alarm prevailed in France.
The exports to England of woollens, linens, cottons, yams,
metal goods, earthenware, salt, glass, and fish amounted in
value to 58,500,0001. in 1859, before the treaty ; and in 1864
they rose to 141,000,000 f. (Hoar, hear.) Since the treaty
with France we formed, through the energy of the depart-
ments of the Government and the able assistants which
have been employed (1 include, especially, the diplomatic
service, as well as the permanent Civil Service of home),
an advantageous treaty with Turkey, which admits of a
small increase of import duties to a uniform 8 per cent.,
but stipulates for a liberal reduction of the rate of export
duty, and a further reduction of the transit duties. We
also formed a treaty with Belgium in 1862, which insures
to us all the advantages previously given to France, to-
gether with a deduction of pilotage, tonnage, and naviga-
tion dues. The treaty with Italy in 1863 secured to us the
reductions given to France by the favoured nation clause,
and a similar treaty with the Zollverein in 1864 gave to us
the reductions given to France. A treaty of a more notable
description has been concluded with Austria. That was of
all other countries, perhaps, the most rigid in thepreserva-
tion of the protective system. I know not whether Russia
could compete with herin that respect. Certainly, those two
countriesprotective
atehtayberm ;egarded as the last strongholds of the
pure
pr ontf
but Austria has entirely abandoned
her great tenacity for that system. While we own that that
abandonment is beneficial to us, we maintain that it is in a
far greater degree beneficial to herself. In effecting this
result, the Chambers of Commerce in the north-east of
England took an active part, and Mr. Alhuson did much
to enlighten the people of Austria and to make them
sensible how cruelly they were impoverishing them-
selves by a rigid system of protection. The able agents
of the Foreign-office and the Board of Trade, Mr. Morier
and Mr. Mallet, by the knowledge and skill which they
brought to bear on the discussion of the matter, greatly
contributed to the settlement of the question (hear, hear);
and I am glad to mention a name, which I would more
gladly mention if the bearer of it were now present in the
house—Mr. Somerset Beaumont —who felt, not a personal
but a most keen interest in the prosecution of this subject,
and took a very active and beneficial part in promoting the
proceedings connected with the Austrian treaty. (Hear,
hear.) The right hon. member for Gateshead also laboured
with Mr. Beaumont in the same cause, and I congratulate
him on the result which has been achieved. The upshot
Of the Austrian treaty on the Austrian side is that the
French standard has been adopted, and the Customs duty
in Austria, after an early date, is not to exceed 25 per cent.
ad valorem on any description of British goods. That 25
per cent. in France and elsewhere is still a very serious
obstacle, and I think the time has arrived, after the expe-
rience we have had, when we may begin to ask ourselves
whether or not our powerful neighbour France should not
take a further onward step. (Hear, hear.) I am persuaded
that matters will not rest here. We have found the benefit
of the reduction of small duties to be quite equivalent to
the reduction of great. Therefore, I speak of the 25 per
cent. with satisfaction only in reference to what has gone
before, and re.-4 in reference to what will follow. Here I
have to mention two changes which have to be made in
our tariff, which we were the more readily induced to
make because they greatly assisted the Austrian Govern-
ment in concluding the important national engagement
entered into. We propose to reduce the duty on timber,
and to equalise the duty on wine in bottle to the duty of
wine in wood.- The duty on timber is a very low duty,
and that is the best thing that can ha stated in its favour.
In any other point of view the duty on timber is as bad a
duty as can be. If is a protective duty on a raw material
of which this country stands in great want, and which '
is of vast bulk, and the imposition of the duty, which has
the effect to accumulate the cost, is the very essence and
quintessence of political folly. The consumption of timber
in this country is remarkable. In 1811 the consumption of
timber amounted to 417,000 loads. At that time the duties
were further raised, and in 1814 the consumption fell as low
as to 218,000 loads. However, the growing wealth of the
country brought about a gradual increase, and I will pass
over a long period of years to 1841, from which time, the
house will observe, that every reduction of duty has been
answered by more than a corresponding increase in the use
of this essential material. In 1841 the duty on foreign
timber was reduced from 565. 6d. to 31s. 6d., ar.d in colo-
nial timber from Ils. 6d. to Is. Consequently, as a rule, the
reduction only took effect in October, 1842, but in 1843 the
consumption was 1,298,000 loads. In 1850 the duty on
foreign timber was further reduced from 15s. Gd. to 7s. 6d.,
and on deals from 20s. to 10s., and the consequence was
that, from a consumption of 1,723,000 loads in 1850, the
consumption rose in 1859 to 2,408,000 loads. In 1860 we
went to work, and further reduced the duty from 10s. to
25., and from 7s. Gd. to is. At that time a highly respectable
gentleman from the colonies, who represented Launceston,
predicted that ruin would come over the timber industry
of New Brunswick; but. nip consumption, which in 1859
was 2,408,000 loads, increased in 1865 to 3,706,000 loads, or
to 16 times the consumption of 1814. The whole revenue
from timber is as follows for the entire year:—£3!;o,ooo
from various descriptions of wood goods, and £7,000 in
wood manufactured into the form of ships, being a total of
£307,000. I shall reckon the whole of that as loss, because
we propose that the repeal shall date back from the Ist
of April, 1866. With respect to wines in bottle—the
other subject I have to touch on in connection with the
Austrian Treaty—the case stands thus,—we charge for
wine in wood by one or two rates. Supposing it is real
wine, and does not exceed a certain strength—for if it
does it is charged as spirits, but if it is under 26 degrees
the charge is ls. a gallon. When the alcoholic test is
adopted it must be applied in great frequency and to every
parcel of goods, and thus great injury is entailed on the ar-
ticle. Wines imported in bottle being for the most part of a
more expensive character, it was thought best, when these
duties were fixed a few years ago, to levy a duty of 2s 6d
upon all bottled wines, while wines in wood were charged
according to their strength. Now, however, we are able
to work the system with much greater accuracy, and the
alcoholic test is much more rarely applied. Representations
have been addressed to us by the Austrian Government, and
I am bound to say by the French Government also ; and
one piece of evidence, of a kind almost peculiar in history,
has been forwarded a document addressed to myselt by a
large number of Burgundian winegrowers, a document
which I received with very great pleasure, as a sign of the
increasing sense that is felt of the common interest of the
two countries in matters of this kind—(cheers)—and from
these statements we find, and there is no reason to doubt
their perfect accuracy, that there is great deal of wine
which will import safely in bottle which it is very difficult
to import securely in wood. This is the case with many
Hungarian, as well as with Burgundian wines ; and there-
fore, according to the request of the Austrian Government,
we propose to equalize the duties on wines in bottle with
those which are now paid upon wines in wood. That is to
say, they shall be charged according totheir strength, 2s 6d
per gallon if over 26 degrees of alcohol, and ls. if they do
not exceed that standard. The effect of that change would
be a total loss of £71,000, without any allowance for re-
covery ; or, with some allowance for recovery and also for
the portion of the year that has passed, a loss of £58,000.
This I have to add to the debtor side of the account, to be
set against the surplus. I have done with the subject of trea-
ties for the present ; and there are three changes which I
propose to make, apart from any treaty duties. We propose
to remove the duty on pepper. (Laughter.) The fate of pep-
per might well excite the commiseration of any humane
man. The duty, which it is difficult to defend, has often stood
to be abolished, but when it came to the last moment there
has always been some more bulky and important neigh-
bour to thrust it out of the way, and the consideration of
the subject has lain over till this year, when there happens
to be a moderate surplus, which does not admit of the duty
upon malt or any other great subject being satisfactorily
withouthaonyptrooetsteeneprx:ce: f
ntherefore,gfeel
i nagpsp
of
esjealtooutes)yafugotohde
entertained,oaae eduthlttou justice do noTclass
Tofnethneasc isma uhnairtdy,onwee,
andcan
wealthierfor -
ss have
s:a] l the
an spicesex exclusive
andustv condimentse
interest
have in whichbeen l
ot
nh e
set free from duty. But pepper is a condiment common tgo
all classes of the community—and, though I cannot say
whether this is so or not, I am told that it is largely con-
sumed in Ireland. (Much laughter and cheering.) It is a
commodity that can well be dispensed with by the wealthy
classes, and even by those portions of the labouring com-
munity that partake largely of animal food, but is really
very useful and very necessary to those whose diet consists
in a much larger degree of animal food. (Cheers.) Another
very strong reason for the abolition of the duty is that
pepper is abominably adulterated. (Hear.) Adulteration of
food, I am afraid, is, in a very special manner and degree,
doubt that in any other country in the
an English vice. I
proportion of that adulteration is
world the same amount of adulteration of food take.s
place—(hear)—but the
of
article, is very high. The
propor-
tioned to the short price of the
violently stimulated whenever the rate duty,
say, the duty stood at 61 when the price z
duty on pepper is not less than 200 per cent.—that
or
321 d.
deducting
egver2e,ofrom f theor
the£l24,ooo,r
rind the net loss to be £112,000, which is to be added to
articletenth ofof tpheepri nein. niscial. year, I
the items I have already mentioned. Now I come to
a subject which I am unwilling to leave wholly un-
to_uched, but which, at the same time, neither the state
outsotuorfinancial resources nor other considerations enable
which, I
somei
n tahye
odauyt duties maybe
s
deal with in that conclusive and effectual.. manner,
—I meanhaopoPert, burpoounghlotcrintohtlinono.urafpoewaerr,
hear.) Ido not hesitate that I think in principle—
although I admit that great difficultiessayn. would present them-
selves in practice great distinction
be-
tween the locomotion of luxury and
dionl should be drawn
theasure and that which
is of necessity. Ido not enter into
we can distinuirat between them, the question of how far
t 4 C 0315111011.
•