The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-16 00:00:00

THE WINE DUTIES.

Mr. CRAWFORD drew attention to the complaints of
the wine trade, and the nature and object of the alterations
desired, concluding with an inquiry as to whether Govern-
ment intended a compliance with the prayer of the wine
trade for a uniform duty on foreign wines, and whether
they intended to adhere to the existing principle of classifi-
cation by means of the alcoholic test.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, before
giving his reply to the hon. gentleman who spoke last on the
subject of the wine duties, adverted to the other topic
which had been opened by the hon. and learned gentleman
(Sir H, Cairns), namely, that of the Suitors' Fund in the
Court of Chancery. Except in a question asked the other
day by the right hon. member for Buckinghamshire, he had
never before heard from any quarter of the existence of such
an alarm as that which seemed to exist in the hon. and
learned gentleman's mind, and he was exceedingly sceptical
as to its general prevalence. The hon. and learned gentle-
man said that many Chancellors of the Exchequer had had
a lunging after the Chancery funds. Now he (Mr. Glad-
. stone) was not conscious of any such sentiment, nor had he
ever known any Chancellor of the Exchequer who had any
such longing. But he would tell the hon. and learned gen-
tleman this—that he had had a feeling of a very different
sort with respect to judicial funds. A burnt child would
dread the fire, and unfortunately when defalcations occurred
in those judicial funds, or funds in the custodyef the courts
of justice, recourse was had to the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer; and he himself was obliged, six or seven years ago, to
ask the House of Commons to vote £60,000 or £70,000 of
public money for the purpose of making up the defalcations
in a judicial fund—namely, that of the Court of Admiralty.
And then, when they complained of the insufficient arrange-
inents for the security of those funds, they were told that
the judges were not financial officers, and that it was the
fault of the State, or of the House of Commons, for not
having adopted wiser rules to prevent such defalcations.
In fact, it was the State that:was ultimately liable for all
these funds—that at least was the practical working of the
system. Therefore, although he did not entertain any such
feeling as the hon. and learned gentleman supposed with
regard to those funds, he did feel very great anxiety
that the management and security of them should
be placed on the best footing, and he thought it
was his duty, in the office he held, to provide,
as opportunity should offer, against any recurrence of
such very disagreeable incidents. Now, as to the appoint-
ment of the Chancery Funds Commission, undoubtedly it
did not arise from any suspicion on the part of the public
or the Government that there had been any neglect or de-
ficiency whatever on the part of the Accountant-General
or the officers of kis department ; on the contrary, he be-
lieved their duties were performed with great integrity,
accuracy, and zeal, and that they were entirely equal to
their task. But the hon. and learned gentleman had not
correctly apprehended the answer which he (Mr. Glad-
stone) gave to the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Disraeli) on a
former occasion, for, in addition to the two reasons alluded
to, he gave a third reason, which was more general, and
sufficient itself to justify the appointment of the commis-
sion. It was true that the most important recommendation
of a committee of that house had remained to this hour un
fulfilled, and he did not believe that it was a matter that
could prudently be settled by an order of the head of the
court, but one to involve a more extensive change, to get
rid of all those transactions in the market. The hon. and
learned gentleman had heard a report that the Govern-
ment had some plan for the creation of a Chancery stock,
in which it should be obligatory on the suitors to have their
moneys invested. Now he would have the satisfaction of
telling the hon. and learned gentleman that he had been en-
tirely misled by such a rumour. The Government had no
such idea whatever; so far as he was concerned in the finan-
cial arrangements, and so far as he knew the opinions of
the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney-General, there never
had been to his knowledge anydream or notion of any such
scheme as the creation of a Chancery stock, or above all,
that of any interference with the liberty at present enjoyed
by the suitors. On the contrary, if there was any object
which they cherished more than another, it Would be to
give a greater extension to that liberty, and to improve th.„
position of the suitor, But he must not be roi6unJe37,tood.
The hon. and learned gentleman bad referred to the legis•
,La
fromla it
oftion.N
lasto wy,eaaar,iatnappdheoapreedd tthoehyimwe\rtehneocincellor of the
Exchequer) to recede
Exchequer) that was most extraorkary legislation in
regard to its bearing on private tr:aSis ; and he had never
assented to its principle, for he thought it involved a very
great error. The immediate occasion out of which the
commission arose was indeed the concentration of the
courts of law, but if that was the only point they would
not be justified in proposing a commission which presup-
posed the passing of a measure for that purpose, There