The Sun.
London, England, 1819-06-08 00:00:00

which be proposed to lay the additional
'The Hoese was itiready aware that he pro-
posed to consolidate various of the Customs
duties. This Svould inclode •tt variety
slL!iit alterations in the, ditties on various
articles. The first, and one of the most consi-
derable of the articles on which en additional
(tiny would be laid, eas foreign wool. The duty
on that article was at present only a penny per
pound, which wasethotia,,ht too low with a view
to the interest
.of the hone -gfonte-r•-. of .tnateitn-
port ant article. He proposed that the duty
should be increased to six-pence per pound. This
additional ditty would operate as a protection to
the growers of the cortoots kinds of wool in this
country.—(Hear, hear, heel. 1)-1By this increase
of duty, he calculated that an- increase• of the're-
venue would he effected ;to the amount of
250,0001. or 300,0001.. Under the same head of
Customs, thet:e were slight additions to the 'On-
'ties on various small articles., which it was esti-
mated would give a further increase of about
'200,0001.
..111 'all, -under the fetid of Customs,
he proposed an increase- of -duties which would
prduce 500,0001. Remaining articles on which
new duties were intended, came all under the
head of Excise. In this branch., the most consi-
derable article was malt. It would be recollected
that the war' tax on malt had ceased in 1816. He
did not now intend to propose that it should he,
renewed, but he would show the House how he
intended to modify it. In 1816 it had been stat-
ed that,great and extensive benefits would he pro-
duced by the cessation of the war tax on this ar-
ticle—that it would afford relief to the agrienl-
tural interest—that ,it would even be benefi-
cial to the revenue and, above all, that it
would give great. relief to the lower classes.—
None of these expectations had been realized
-and in all points of view the cessation of the tax
had failed of that operation which had been pro..
mised, It appealed front Accounts before the
House, that the number of bushels of melt on
which duty had been paid in 1816 was 2E;400,000,
whereas in the next year, which was the first af-
ter the cessation of the tax, • instead Of any in-
crease, the number of bushels fell to 17,000,000.
It therefore appeared that the consumption
.va-
ried withrnit any reference to the amount of ditty
*paid ; and When the tax was taken off,-instead of
the promised increase of the revenue, there was a
great reduction. In the second .Ydatt alter the
cessation of the tax, the-amount of ,bushels
on
which duty was paid rose again to 26,400,000;
bat beyond that it had never since gone. Be
meant to increase the duty. on this 'article to the
amount of Is. 2d, per birdie!, making the whole
amount of duty
.3s. 6d. per bushel. He hoped
that this increase would not only be no justifica-
tion for increasing the prices to the public,' but
not even for continuing the price so high as it
now was.—(Hear, hear,beat 1. from all • sides of
the eflouse.)—ln order to fortn int accurate jodg-
ment on this subject, he must request • 'the
attention of the [louse to the Report of the
Committee which had .been • presented in the
last. Session. Among the mass of important •
evidence which that document contained, there
would be found the evidence of a Gentleman.
of the higheSt respectability and of great 'cod-
neuce in that very professioo, which was prin-
cipally concerned in the consumption of malt.
According to the statement of that Gentleman, it
appeared that the price of. Malt,during the last
year might be stated at about 81s, per quarter,
and hops at 241. or 251. per cwt. In the present
year, malt could not be above 83s. per quarter, if
even so high ;• while hops were not above 81. -10 s.,
per cat. At this -rate, the aggregate expence •,of
brewing a quarter of beer was 91. 6s. Sd. last
year, while this year it was only 61. 73. 40'. leav-
ing a' difference of 21. 19s-40. of which he only.
wished. to take' 9s. 4th leaving '2l. 10s. in favour
of the brewer, beyond what they had.last year.—
(Hear, hear !) The total amount of the increase
of revenue which he expected from this 'addition'
to the duty on malt was 1,400,0001. The re,
maining articles of excise, on which,an increased
deity was intended were principally those ou which
deities were now collected both tender the head ofex-
else and customs. By the double collection of duty,
it had been found that a great addition was made
to the expeoce of management. Government now.
intended to try the experiment,.whether the whole
amount .of the -duty collected under-the separate
heads of excise and customs might not be effec-
tually secured under one head. The articles to
whiCh he alluded were those liable to great frauds
front adulteration, and on which, in fact, such
frauds to a great extent had been, detected. The
Customs had not the means of detecting such
frauds ; wiiereas 'the Excise had the means, and
had already successfully used them to a great ex-
tent. The articles to which be alluded were To-
bacco, Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, and Pepper. Upon
each of these, sit the saute time with tee transfer
of the whole duties to the Excise, he intended to
propose an additional duty. •, Unto Tobacco he
would propose such an increase as would give an
additional revenue' of 500,0001. But even with
this increase the article might be afforded to the
public cheaper than it had beemsome years ago—
(Laughter)—cheaper than it had been before the
end of the American war. On Coffee and Cocoa
he proposed an additiou, which would amount to
'130,0001. ; on i'epper, one which would amount •
to 30,6001. ; Tea the duty would be raised 4
per cent. the present rate being 96 per cent.,
which would be now made lOU per ceot. and
would produce an addition to the retenue of
130,0601. Ile was aware that it might be ob-
jected to the increase which. was proposed in the
duties on these articles, that it would tend to en-
courage sniuggliog. - But he trusted that such
measures would be taken for the prevention of
smuggling would be found effectual for, that
purpose. Nor did. he think the additions to the
duties were such as could afford any additional
temptation to contraband-traffic, while, osier as
they went, they afforded an additional reason for
vigilance on of the revenue officers. Otte
other article remained, on which the duty which
was now collected•might he stated as being that
which was .as faitly collected as any in the coon
try---namely, that on spirits. distilled in England.
No Tax was better collected, as the trade was,
corn teed to a.few opulent. individuals. He Prd-
l'o'sed an augmentation on this head, which would
produce 500,0001. The total aggregate of the e