The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-13 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENIN G, AUG UST 13,

IMPERIAL PARLIAIsyI:!,'I:IT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Lords' Amendments to the Herne Bay and
Faversham Railway. B lls were considered and agreed to.

NEW MEMBER.

C xptain HAMILTON took the oaths and his seat for
Falkirk Burghs, in the room of Mr. Merry, unseated on

etition.

I over, prevents the consumer from obtaining the full be-
nefit which might be derived from the existing rate of
duties. If I bad delayed making aey proposition upon
the subject of a change in the duties payable after April
next until the month of February cr March I should
have been told, and truly so, that that was too short a
notice to give to the trade. I therefore thought it was
incumbent on me to make my proposition at the end of
the present session, in order to give ample notice to all
persons interested in the matter. I laid upon the table
at the beginning of July a very full return on the subject
of the duties oo tea and plgar,.and if hoe. gentlemen
have pet used that document I am sure they have found
it contain more complete and more authentic informs-
. tion open the subject of the consumption_ of tea and
sugar in this country than was ever before included
within the same compass. Assuming,
_therefore, that the.
committee have had an opportunity of consulting that
document, it will be unnecessary for me to make any
lengthened statement upon the subject. I would, how-
ever, venture to call the attention of the "committee to"
one eis two facti bearing uporethe subject. The amount
of revenue raised from the sources we are now consi
-
dering may be taken in round figures to be about
10,500,000/ 'a
-year. The sugar duties in the year
1855 produced 5,058,0001. ; and in 1856, 5,120,6401.
The tea' duties in 1855 produced 5,810,275/. ; and in
1856, 5,536,6261. The average revenue for the, last
two yeais from tea and sugar has been 10,517,5251.
Therefore it wilt be seen that a very large revenue is at
stake with reference to the duties of tea and sugar.
There is also another fact to which I beg to call the at=
tention of the committee. 1 fully concur with all_ that
can be said as to the benefit which all classes of the com-
munity, and especially the working classes, would derive
from a reduc ion in the duties on tea and sugar. The
returns on the table show ho*increasedseoussunoption has '
been the consequence of reduetion in the price of those
articles. They suggest strongly the making,- and I regret
that it is not in our power, looking at the present and
prospective expenditure of the country, to, be able to
make—further reductions in tho.es duties. There, is, how-
ever, this consolatory consideration, that the duties fixed
by the present act are le wer with respect to tea and sugar
than they have been at any previous time. With regard
to sugar the duty may have been lower at some time in
the last few years, but with regard to tea the duty is
lower than at any previous time. The war duty on tea
last year was ls. 91, and it is fixed at present at ls. 54.
per lb. The average duty on sugar last year was 14s.
6d., and it is now about 14s. per cwt., though in the
common sorts there is a difference of about 2s. 61 per
cwt. With regard to tea, there is a very material reduc-
tion as compared with the year 1852. In 1852 and up
to that time for a series of years the duty was 2s. 21d.,
whereas it is now Is. Si. Mean) The committee will
find in the papera before the house an account which I
have obtained shoes the end of last session with a view
of showingthe comparative consumption of tea and sugar
by different classes of society. Such a return has never
been obtained before. and I will, with the permission of
the committee, state what appears to be the comparative
consumption of different classes in different parts of the
United Kingdom.- With regard to tea, it appears on the
best information that can be obtained that in England
the upper and middle classes consume 60 per cent. of the
whole quantity, and the poorer and working classes con-
sume 44 percent. In Scotland theupper and middle classes
consume 54 per cent., and the poorer and working classes
46 per cent. The proportion in England and Scotlnad
is very nearly the same: But with regard to Ireland
the ratio is reversed. The upper and mid Ile classes con-
sume 351 per cent., and the poorer and workine classes
cousurms 64,4,, per cent. There' i, considerable difficulty
in accounting for this difference, assuming the returns to
be correct, and the only suggestion. that I can mace is
that, owing to the smallness of the middle class in Ire.
land compared with the rest of the community, and the
great proportion of perm- to the entire community, in
comparison with England and Scotland, the consump•
tion is greater by the poor of Ireland, though it is smaller
by the poor of England and Scotland. (a„,) With
regard to sugar, it appears that in England the upper
and middle classes consume 60 per cent. and the poorer
and working classes 40 per cent. to the total quantity.
In Scotland the upper and middle classes consume 62
per cent. and the poorer and working cliesee3B per
cent. Again, the same ratio is reversed in Ireland. In
Ireland-the upper and middle classes are stated to con-
sume 34 per.cent., and the poorer and working classes
68 per cent.
Mr. STAFFORD—How do you divide the classes ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—They
are not divided by me, but by the persons who made tne
return. Like many other divisions it is a division de craie.
There is no precise line to be 'drawn between moderate
heat and Excessive heat. Nevertheless there is an in•
telligible line which any person can draw.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY—Upon what bases are those
calculations founded ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The
returns are obtained in Ireland and Scotland from the
Poor Lax Commissioners, and in England and Scotland
partly from ,the Board of Inland Revenue, and partly
from the Board of Customs. The returns have been
obtained with great care, but may be liable to error.
I give them to the committee as the best information
it is in my power to obtain. I think they will admit
that the subject is worthy of 'cersideration. I shall
be, of course, very happy if'any correction can be sug-
gested, and all the materials are submitted to the house'
With regard to the sugar duty I cannot, on the whole,
consider it a very excessive duty as compared with the
price. The average price of singer in bond for the six years
from 1851 to 1856 was 1/. sa. lOd, per cwt. The average
duty may now be taken to be 14s. Therefore, the com-
mittee will see that it is a duty which, as compared with
the price, is not excessive. With regard to t.,,a; I regret
to say the duty, as fixed at present, bears a greater pro-
portion to the price; and undoubtedly, if our financial
position admitted of any moderation of these duties, the
duty on tea would seem to have a stronger claim on con-
sideration. The average price of tea in bond for the same
six years was Is. 2Ad. per lb. The euty at present is
la. sd. Therefore the duty on tea, taking the average
price, is more then 100 per cent., which is a high duty,
and, looking to the consumption of the country, it would
be very desirable, if our financial position permitted, to
reduce it. But there is one circumstance to which I am
desirous of calling the attention of the committee with
respect to the operation of these duties. What really
affects the onesurner and the extension of consumption is,
of course, the price which he has to pay. The price is
partly affected by the duty, belt also by other causes in-
dependent of the du y. Therefore, in -looking at the in-
crease or diniaution of consumptior, it is necessary to
bear in mind not only the increase of duty, but the
variation of price, which may be greater than any altera-
ti(n of duty, although by different causes. I will venture
to o 11 the attention of the committee to an illesfration
of this remark. The smallest cos:sump:ion of tuger per
heed since 1316 was in 1840. Comparing the two years
1830 and 1840 theceneumption standsas follows:—In 1839
3,830,393 °vt.; in 1840, 3,594 412 cwt. In 1839 the average
dut-- 11 45.; in 1840 it was 1/ 21 Increased duty

Indian Exchequer. Under these circumstances, her
Majesty's Government, as at present advised, subject, of
course, to information which may at any moment arrive
—do not feel called upon to submit tb Parliament any
proposition with regard to assistance to be afforded to
the East India Company. I can say, therefore, that the
Ways and Means which tlae liberality of Parliament has
placed at the disposal of the executive Government ap-
pear, as far as I am able to judge, to be ample for meet-
ing the probable wants of the present financial year.
(Hear, hear) If the Government had any reason to
doubt their sufficiency they would not be slow in bringing
the matter under the consideration of this house, in full
confidence that any want which could be eetabiiehed with
regard to finance, and that any demand for expenditure
which could be proved by demonstrative evidence to be
required for the interests, the defence, and the welfare
of the country, would be furnished by the liberality and
public spirit of this House. (Cheers.) The Government
are not restrained by any doubt of the willingness of this
House to meet any reasonable demand cn their part ;
but, as far as they are able to judge, there is no imme-
diate reason for making such a demand. I will merely
remind the house that up to the present time all the de-
mands upon the Exchequer of this country have been,
satisfied from the Ways and Means of the current year.
We have already discharged 2,000,000/. of Exchequer
bonds which fell due in the month of April last ; and
within the last f6w days a considerable sum in respect of
the redemptiori'of the Sound Dues has been paid. Not-
wiihstaudiag those large payments, one of which was in
redemption of debt, and the other in a matter equivalent
to the extinction of debt, yet tbe rowing revenue of the
year appears at present adequate for the demands of the
country, and notwithstanding the large shipment of troops
to India, I do not anticipate at present any inadequacy of
Ways and Means to cover the expenditure of the year. I
will merely add, in reference to what fell from the hon,,
baronet, that he is no doubt aware that as soon as ra-
giinents are transferred to the service of the East India
Company they become chargeable to the revenue of India,
and cease to be chargeable to the revenue of this country.
Therefore, so far as measures have at present gore, they
have produced relief rather than burthen to the Ex•
chequer of this country. The dissolution of the Bengal
army, however disastrous an event to the Indian empire,
is n vertheless immediately attended with a diminution
of expense, inasmuch as the pay of 40 regiments, with
the exception of the British officers, at once ceases.
The immediate effect is not to bring any great charge
upon the Indian oeEoglish Exchequer, and the principal

lass to the Indian Government arises from the plunder
of. their treasuries, and the cessation of the collection of
taxes in the disturbed provinces. But the places of the
regiments sent to India will be filled by recruits. Re
cruiting is, of course, a gradual process, and the ex-
panse attending the supplying the regiments shipped for
India comes on by degrees, and when it is carried to the
full extent only creates a obarge equal to that removed
by the departure of those regiments. My noble friend
at the head of the Government has already explained,
with regard to the embodied militia, that it is our inten-
tion to call out regiments only so far as may be neces-
saly, in consequence of the slow process of recruiting ;
but it is not anticipated that the vote to which the house
agreed 1 s; night of 100,0001. will be insufficient, and
possibly the whole of that vote will not be required.
Under these circumstances, as I stated before, I do not
at present anticipate that I shall have to make any further
propositions to the House in Committee of Ways and
Means, or in Committee of Srpply beyond what are now
on the table, and I trust that, after these (xplanations,
the resolutions in the bands of the Chairman will re-
ceive the assent of the committee. (Hear, hear.) The
right hon. gentleman concluded by moving the following
resolutio . . .

"1. That towards raising the supply granted to her
Majesty, in lieu of the duties of Customs now chargeable
on the fallowing articles imported into Great Britain and
Ireland, and in lieu of the duties of Excise now chargeable
on eugar made in the united kingdom, the following duties
shall be charged until the 31st day of March, 1860, inclu•
sive (that is to say) :

s. a.

Candy brown or white 'refined sugar, or sugar ren-
dered by any process equal in quality thereto,
per cwt
White clayed sugar, or sugar rendered by any pro-
cess equal in quality to white clayed, not being
refined, or equal in quality to refined, per cwt l6 0
Yellow muscovado and brown clayed sugar, or
sugar rendered by any process equal in quality
to yellow muscovado or brown olayed, azd n
equal to white clayed, per cwt l3 10
Brown muscovado or any other sugar, not being
equal in quality to yellow muscovado. or brown
clayed sugar, per cwt l3 S
Mel tssee 5 0
Cherries, dried, per lb
Comfits, per 1b...
Confectionary, per 1b...
Ginger, preserved, per lb 0 2
Marmalade, per lb
Plums preserved in sugar, per 1b... 0 2
Succades, including all fruits and vegetables pre-
serredin sugar, not'otherwise enumerated, per lb. 0 2
Tea, per lb.
" 2. That the following drawbacks shall be allowed on
the exportation to foreign parts, or on removal to the Isle
of Man, for consumption there, of the several descriptions
of refined sugar hereinafter mentioned, until the 31st of
Marsh, 1830, inclusive (that is to say) :
Upon refined sugar in loaf, complete or whole, or
lumps duly resnad, having been perfectly clari-
fied and thoroughly dried in the stove, and being
of a uniform whiteness throughout, or sugar
candy, or sugar refined by the centrifugal ma-
chine, or by any other process, and not in any
way inferior to the export standard, No. 3, ap-
proved by the Lords of the Treasury, per cwt l7 2
Upon such refined sugar already described, if
pounded, crushed, or broken in a warehouse ap-
proved by. the Commissioners of Customs, such
sugar having been there first inspected by the
officers of Customs in lumps or loaves, as if for
immediate shipment, and then packed for ex-
portation in the presence of such officers, and at
the expense of the exporters, per cwt l7 2
Upon rained sugar, unstoved, pounded, crushed,
or broken, and not in any way inferior to the
export standard sample, No. 1, approved by the
Lords of the Treasury, and which shall not con-
tale more than 5 par cent, moisture over and
above what the same would coutainif thoroughly
dried in the stove, per cwt
Upon bastard or refined sugar, unstoved, broken
in pieces, or being ground, powdered, or crushed,
not in any way inferior to the export standard
sample No. 2, approved by the Lords of the
Treasury, per cwt.
Upon bastard .or refined sugar, being inferior in
quality to the said export standard sample No.
2, per cwt. 12 8
"3, That towards raising the supply 'granted to Her
Majesty in lieu of the duties of Customs now chargeable on
rice imported into Great Britain and Treland, the follow,
rug duties shall be charged, (that is to say) ;

15 1

s. d

Rice and rice dust, for feeding cattle, per cwt. ... 0 4
Rice, rough, and in the husk, per quarter ... 0 9
/leaf, not otherwise enumerated or described, per
cwt. ...

... 0 4