The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-02 00:00:00

The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion
Against it

Majority against it
EXCISE ACTS.
On the order of the day being put for going into Com-
mittee on these Acts.
Mr. F. BARING wished to call the attention of the
Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer
to a point of some importance connected with these laws.
At present a wine merchant could not sell more than
two gallo:s of spirits at a titre, and this restriction was
attended with great inconvenience to the public. Now
he wished to know whether some change could not be
made in the present system. He believed a change was
advocated by the Commissioners of Excise.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was
afraid the quesdon which the Hon. Gentleman had put
to him, was one which it was not in his power
to answer satisfactorily. He had been assailed in
strong langusge by parties who entertained different
views on the subject—by those who wished to obtain the
privilege of selling spirits in small quantities without a
special licence, and those who opposed such a step. He
had, therefore, had some difficulty to encounter in the
matter ; but however forcible some of the arguments
might be in favour of the Hon. Gentleman's proposal,
he could not conceal from himself that the change would
not only result in a loss to the revenue, but tend to give
great dissatisfaction to a large number of parties who
had provided themselves with special licences for selling
wine or liquors in less quantities than two gallons. He
thought it would be only fair to consider the interest of
those who paid the high duty for permission to sell in
small quantities. At the same time, it was his disposi-
tion to reconcile both interests as well as he could; and
if he should determine to propose any measure on the
subject, he would give all parties sufficient notice.
In answer to a question from Mr. T. DUNCOMBE,
which was not clearly heard in the gallery,
Sir J. GRAHAM said that he would not object to
lay before the House the dispatches of Sir Hamilton
Seymour, referred to in the course of the evening.
EXCISE —THE GLASS DUTIES.
The House then went into Committee upon the Excise
duties.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved
a resolution for the remission of the Excise duties upon
glass. _ _

-14

- Mr. HAWES said that, in the absence of his lion.
Friend (Mr. Pattison), it had been his intention to move
" that drawbacks be allowed on the stocks of the London
bottle merchants, the same being certified to be new bot-
tles only, and also on all new bottles in transit from the
manufactories, the same being shipped previous to the
sth day of April, and being provided with certificates
from the manufacturers of their having paid duty ; and
drawbacks to be made, on the same principle, as to the
other manufacturers and dealers in glass." But he was
disposed to leave the matter in the hands of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, in the hope that the Govern-
ment would be as liberal as it could.
The CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER said that
it would be impossible to comply with the demands
made for drawbacks upon bottles without opening the
way for great frauds, several parties having already
made large purchases of old bottles in the hope that they
would be able to cheat the Government out of the
drawback.
Mr. BOUVERIE thought there could be no fraud
connived at by the Government paying back the duty
which had already been received.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ~aid that
all parties had had sufficient notice, and that the duty
upon glass manufactured since the announcement of the
Government's intention, would not be demanded if the
bottles were packed before the sth of April.
Mr. SPOONER would propose that the time should
be extended to the sth of April, 1846.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the remission of the Excise duty, and the continu-
ance of the protection, was a sufficient compensation to
the manufacturers.
Sir R. PEEL hoped the House would not press the
Government to go further in meeting the demands of the
glass manufacturers than they had done. The extension
of the protection of 100 per cent, for eighteen months
was required, to enable the manufacturers, who had
been long oppressed by the Excise duties, to compete
with foreign countries.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought that there were no fair
grounds of public feeling for acceding to the present
demand.
After some observations from Mr. HAWES and the
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the resolution was
agreed to.
The House then resumed, the CHAIRMAN reported
progress, and leave was given to bring in a Bill to repeal
the glass duty.
The other orders of the day having been disposed of,
the House adjourned at a quarter past Nine o'Clock.