The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-02 00:00:00

BRITISH LEAD.

Viscount LOWTHER presented a petition from Alston
Moor, in Cumberland, signed by above 3,000 persons en-
gaged in the lead -works, complaining that they were seri-
ously aggrieved by the low rate of duty at which lead ore
from foreign countries was allowed to be imported into
this country.
Mr. C. GRANT expressed his conviction, that the re-
duced condition of the lead mining property was chiefly
attributable to the excessive speculations of 1825, which
had caused far greater quantities of ore to be raised than
there was any demand fur; and the consequence was, that
there was a complete glut in the market.
Sir. P. THOMSON observed, that the utmost amount
of tke importations from foreign countries did not much
I exceed 4,000 tons per annum.
The petition was then brought up, read, and ordered to
lie on the table.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH presented tno petitions from
the county of Roscommon, in Ireland, praying for Catho-
lic Emancipation, and also a petition, the object of which
he was happy to say, was no longer necessary fbr him to
lutist on—the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts—
from that highly respectable body, the Provost and Town
Council of Edinburgh.

Lord NUGENT gave notice of a motion for tl:e let of
May for leave to bring in a Bill for the Registration of
voters in Cities awl Boroughs.

Mr. CHARLES PALLMER had to present a petition
to the House from the West India Planters and Merchants
of the City of London, fur a reduction of the tax upon their
sugar. Ile presented the petition to the I.louse divested of
any political expression or feeling, as a plain, arguments.
tive appeal to their justice, founded upon figures which
could not err, and facts which could not be denied. The
petition described the rise and progress of the sugar duties

from the sum of 3s. sd. per cwt. to the present high rate
of 275., and it particularly adverted to the great addition
which had been made to the duties during the late war,
under the express provision of the Act of Parliament,
that the same were for the purposes of the war alone.
Twelve Years had since elapsed—every other war
duty had been renweed—niany other taxes had been taken
off altogether ; but the duty on sugar remained the same.
Upon representations having been made on the subject to
former Ministers, it had been answered that the West
Indies derived certain advantages from bounty upon the
export of refined goods—that bounty had been since taken
away, and the tax still continued. At the close vi the war

a large accession was made to Colonial possessions, and
these, with the addition of the Mauritius, helped materially
to add to an oppressed and overloaded market; and yet,
from the heavy tax chich it had to sustain, not only had
the consumption of sugar failed to keep pace with that of
other articles, but the psorer classes bad been entirely de-
barred from it ; and even with those classes accustomed to
its use, its consumption had not increased, as the petition
shelved, in proportion to the increased population.of the
country ; and it is proved by the most authentic documents,
that the consumption has been sensibly augmented or dimi-
nished, as the average price of the article has risen or fallen
—,that the article of sugar, if placed within their reach,
would he consumed by the very lowest classes, and in such
case the consumers would be scarcely less numerous this
the consumers of bread ; and that to the inhabitants of the
sister kingdom, if it could be supplied at an attainable
price) it would nut fail to afford not •only comfort, but
great moral benefits--that the West India Planters are
essentially British land owners, cultivating articles in
amount from eight to nine aaillions sterling value, creating
a revenue of nearly six millions, being upon the whole
produce about '75 per cent., and upon sugar upwards of
100 per cent.—that sugar and .coffee are to the colonial
agricultural interest what grain is to the British agricultu-
ral interest, and the export to the West India colonies, di-
minished as it is, by theirpecessities and other causes; still
amounts to nearly five millions; their commerce employs
4,000,000 tons of British shipping, and from 20 to 25
thousand then—that the average price of sugar during the
last year, which was higher by many shillings than the
five preceding years, was 635. per cwt., of which 275.
was paid to the Government, eight shillings to the British
shipowner and merchant, eighteen to the expellees of
cultivation, leaving about 10s. to the grower, or some-
where ahout one penny per lb., the Government receiving
a tax of 300 per cent. on the profit of the gro.ver.—
The petition referred to a Report of the House of Com-
mons in 1307, strongly depicting the bttrthen of the
duty upon the planter; and recommending a scale of duties
at the point of 20s. per cwt. ; and the petition con-
cluded by praying such an ample reduction of duty as would
ensure to the grower and consumer a participation in the -
relief, give encouragement to British shipping; and the
consumption of British -ms.nufactareN and increase in a
very material degree the comforts of the labouring poor of
the Itliole empire. Such was the petition which he requested
to present to them. He trusted that it would, at least, have
the effect of laying before a misinformed public the real
merits of the case, and the remarkable fact, that the tax
to the Government, and not the profit of the grower of
West India Seger, 'Tat the real cause of its high price to
the eenst.tinily.

Mr. C. GRANT declined at that moment to enter upon
the important subject referred to by the petition. He was
not insensible to its importance; but another and snore
Sitting opportunity would arrive for discussing it.
Mr. C. PALLMER p'es.miltd a IV: tition from the
Colnnial Asstiflay of the island of Antigua, complaining of
dMeess in the island.

The petitions were read, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from a Friendly
Society in the City-road, against the Friendly Societies'
Bill.—Referred to the Committee on the Bill.
On the iwitlbri of 'Sir il. INGLIS, returns were ordered
showing the amount of annuities lapsed to the Government,
and other particulars.
Mr. A. DAWSON presented a petition from certain
journeymen silk weavers of Macclesfield, praying a mea-
sure of regulation for wages, Ordbred to be printed.
Mr, MALCULAI presented a petition from the Mayor
and Corporation of Boston against further concessions to
the Catholics. Ordered to be printed.
FAMILY OF THE LATE MR. CANNING.

Lord MORPETH gave tidtice, that on Tuesday, the
13th of MV.,-; lie should move an Address to the Throne,
playing that his Majesty may be graciously pleased to make
some provision for the family of the late Mr. Canning, if
in the mean time he did not bear that it was the intention
of his Majesty's Government to bring for Ward a similar
Fopositilet
b. *. HARVEY moved for Returns of the Ex-
pense of Building the Parliamentary Stables. Ordered.
Mr. HARVEY presented a petition front a Mr. Cruden,
a Member of the Corporation of Gravesend, and a Magis-
trate, against the Licensing of Ale-houses 1%11,-3-Ordered
to lie on the table;

Mr. Alderman iiIIOMPSON 'presented a petition from
certain Hackney-coach and Chariot Owners, complaining of
the Commissioners of Hackney Coaches, and praying fur a
Committee to investigate their preceedings.
Mr. HUME supported the petition:
After a ftw Words froth Mr. WA MIURTON, Mr. Alder-
man Woon, and the CHANCELLOR of the E XCHEQULR,
the petition was read, and laid on the table.
Mr. FIUME gave notice that, on theist of May, he
would move for leave to bring in a Bill to establish the
practice of taking the poll by ballot at the elections for
cities and boroughsl
Mt. HUME presented petitions from the ikdviisi and
Magistrates of Montrose, and front the Guildry and Corpo-
ration of Perth, against the Corporation and Test Acts.
The Hon. Gentleman also presented a petition, praying
for the repeal of the Irish Statute, the 21st Geo. 11. which
entitled the non-resident Prottetahts tb btcoine freerneit of
Corporatitlns, and for an extension of the English Statute
31st Geo. 11. which obliged those who had the custody o'
Corporation deeds and evidences to submit them to the in-
spection of individuals on the payment of a small regulated
fee to Ireland. The petition was signed by Thomas Fla-
nagan.—(Laughter.) Read and ordered to be printed.
The LORD ADVOCATE brought in a Bill to regulate
the licensing of mad houses in Scotland, which was read a
first time, and ordered to be read a second time on the 21st
of April.