The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-05 00:00:00

. ,
of this impolitic tax, that proof was clearly afforded by then
consistent arguments of the Right Hon. Gentleman 14171
just sat down. The Right Hon. Gentleman, it appear
him, seemed, from the latter part of his speech, to be on
desirous to give time to his friends to come to the divisioe
( Hear, hear.) In the latter part of his speech he said that th_,a
tax inflicted no injury on the coal trade, while in the first Pro
of his speech he said there was much force in what had fah%
from the Honourable Member for Kendal as to tu,,
danger of the supply of coals being exhaustead
Their argument must be one or the other. If they imposeoi
this tax to husband the supply of coal, then there was an a
to the latter part of the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech. _
they rejected this argument, the question must then be Ow
sidered with reference to the effect of the duty on the trade";
( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman must have en
confidence in the gullibility of the House, to come fawn,
with the argument that the coal mines were in danger
being exhausted.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member,
Kendal, who had a sort of monomania on this subject—(Had'
hear)—was the only Member who took that ground. In see,
dition to the supply in the North of England, the best got.
logists told them that the Welsh field contained a supplY
2,000 years; and, besides this, they must not forget the suPPi
to be expected from Scotland and Ireland.—( Hear, Writ
Now as to the trade being injured by this tax, he really thong
that her Majesty's Government had confessed that the case s,`,ls,
against them.—( Hear, hear.) The fact was clear and in le
putable, that they had had a trade thriving beyond all esail,.
—a trade created by the repeal of an impolitic tax upon `,l
ports. For eight years this trade was growing faster aote
faster. The Government were warned what would be :of
effect of imposing the tax ; it instantly caused a falling el',
the trade; and Hon. Members knew that there was only 31.'11
between the falling off and a total stoppage in comineel
,
matters. His Hon. Friend, the Member for Kendal, had ,„
ferred to the regulation of " vends," and had defended that 'b,-
gelation. For his own part, he would only say that he
jetted to all combinations, whether by masters or workto7o
He was perfectly persuaded that great injury had b.e,.
inflicted by the coalowners upon their own bad
terests by the injudicious course which they .iOO
pursued. They had brought upon themselves the competl'l4
of the coalowners in the neighbourhood of the Tees, and t
were now bringing upon themselves the competition of SI,
land and Northumberland. In Northumberland, a very vs
able coal field had been discovered, and the coal of that diatr'e
would very shortly be brought into the market. They Wse,j,
profiting by the mistakes which had been made by the CO
owners of other parts of the country. Large contracts for,,
exportation of coals had, however, been thrown out in thel.':o
mediate neighbourhood of Northumberland by the impositl,
of this tax, and he contended that it was not just to Panisof
on that account, those who were no parties to the regulationte
" vends." Allusion had been made to the unfortunate strre,'
which now existed among the pitmen of the north. He "so
garded with the deepest anxiety the dispute between the 01; t
ters and those whom they employed ; but he must confess the
he deeply deplored the circumstance that his Hon. FriendL'a
Member for Durham, and the Hon. Member for Finsbury,'"„
thought fit in that House to discuss these painful differenffrot
He thought they had no right whatever to interfere intrnd
matter, and, as the House had no right to interfere, he
Howick), as an individual Member of it, would abstain ""e0
doing so. He would only express a most earnest hope tha,
both sides there would be a strong desire for an amicable tele
nation of those disputes. With these few observations e,
begged most cordially to support the motion before the o°7ol,
Mr. Alderman HUMP HERY said he should not have
110
dressed the House, if it had not been stated by the sok
Member for Sunderland that it had nothing at all to do 0,
the differences between the coalowners and their worknb'eore
A case had come before hint within the last week which ,
upon that question. There were 50,000 sailors employea_to,
the coal trade; a number of these men who had been et ot
ployed in bringing coals to the port of London complained
they had made an agreement with their masters for 4"010
voyage from Newcastle and back again. They arrived in Le ies
last April, and had remained here up to the present day f the
coals were not sold, and in looking at the charterparty 0 iv
masters and coalowners, he found that it said, " if Y°•tlthe
main in London after three market days you," that lotto.
owners of vessels, " shall have lid. per ton for each atitig
day." The owners were thus secured from loss by recelr 41,
4d. a week. But the poor men who had contracted ~I°oo
were placed in the position which he had stated to the rs,„ to
He would be glad to know whether the House had nolintlit; to
do with such a case as that.)—( Hear, hear.) What sst
become of these men, many of whom had wives and fares' the
home with eight or ten children ? Now, with respect treosi
question before the House, he begged to say that the salt,
which in London cost 20s. per ton, could be bought in tbst
for 15s. Why should the French manufacturers have, bat
advantage over our own?—(Hear, hear.) He confessed 00
he was rather for increasing than diminishing the duty. than
Frenchmen, he concluded, should not have coals cheaper 011
ourselves.—( Hear, hear.) It had been said that, if tneosl'
were continued, Belgium would supersede our own 7/
owners. Why did she not supersede them in Fran logo'
(Hear, hear.) He was anxious that the 95 eer,
'pent should not give way on this question—they sh°u• terio
tainly have his cordial support.—( Cheers from the Mires
benches.) • 6eo'
Mr. HUTT said that if the men whose case the Hon'_„ 0'
tleman commisserated found the terms in question 7001
favourable to themselves, they would take care not to c°,,,foet
to such terms in future. With respect to the question,;sted
the House, he had hoped that this tax would have been
in the same manner as the augmentation of the Irien4re•
duties. The tax was imposed in distinct opposition to 70 re,
commendation of the Committee ; and the argunient_ropleta
Terence to the exhaustion of the mines had proved a eu,„iba
fallacy. He must protest against what had been said woJrpoll
Hon. Members near him on the subject of the o°,oo
of the coalowners. They had attempted to raise a cry Intsbia
that class of persons, and the author of that very reins! sot
and entertaining production " Coningsby," said that s 0 to
upon popular feeling there was no better instrument •sistig°
raise a cry.—( Hear, hear.) A monopoly created by leg' ,
enactment was a gross abuse, and he would go as far a° an'i.tioa,
in denouncing it. It was a robbers committed on on_e,P;0010
of the community for the fancied benefit of another. 11,4„0erl,
ask the Hon. Gentleman if the monopoly of the coaffeet,
was a monopoly of that description ? Was it the soiroiod
special legislation ; or was it not rather a monopolY, oiels
from the very institution of private property ? The eol'attbel
had a right to dispose of their property in the best market 101
could find ; they had a right to sell it when, where, an uit 0
they liked, and they had a right to abstain from selling ;old
all if they thought proper. It was a most impolitic proeee
to raise a cry aninst the coalowners on that account. eos?
would ask why this cry was specially directed against the.
owners ? Did not the same species of combination .',
every other department of trade? Did not the iron-It
assemble together in some large town, and agree to rairfitb,
price of iron? I.)id 'they not hear the same statemers'ttd
regard to the manufacturers of copper, of tin, of soaPtusd
various other articles, the produce of industry ? They
tbY ba.l
business to single out the coalowners in particular ; the}
no right to denounce any of these parties. He was as Pri,
to find those who set up for transcendental philosor_ of tb
economists mating the coalowners the subject
character.-- ( Cheers, and cries of " Divide.") _A to
Mr. HUME rose to explain. He would with regnkier,
question of the coalowners' monopoly, refer his o°aiierefi
to the evidence given before the Committee.—(„pre
Hon. Gentleman was interrupted by loud cries of
order !" " Chair, chair !") nfine
The SPEAKER said the Hon. Member must en
A a,
self strictly to an explanation. of attaclfs
Mr. WALLACE agreed with his Hon. Friend who
aid oil
tb
oil
been permitted to go on just now in his denunciations
monopoly, which was one of a most injurious kindtooteidha
been carried to the utmost possible extent. He was ratia,
to find the Noble Lord the Member for Sunderland,„ gcl
Hon. Friend below him for laying before the House tn. Feel;
antes of 30,000 of the labouring population. His 11°13140°,
had done his duty by directing the attention of allied fnet
that subject, and their interference was certainly cad whettoO
such a case as that which his Hon. Friend had state,
noor,o,
parties were rich and powerful on the one side air
powerless on the other. The statement made ut pre
Friend Friend that this immense body of working men wer
_sod t
toe
to submit the questions in dispute between themselves js
masters to arbitration, was well worthy the atter!ttt°oo7oo
Government. His Hon Friend on his left had Inr disP„re
law for providing for the settlement by arbitration °'nfaet'oe
between matters and men in one branch of nwit:a bY
but the meaning of the Act had been so pergrfa-11
lawyers in Scotland, that the people had not had ti° of ,s,ort
of it. As a representative of a considerable nulneueihis
owners he must protest against the continuance 0' as!,
duty on coals as most unjust and injurious, causinegtbe
800,000 tons of coal to lie wasting at the bottom 0'
rte.
stead of being brought to the surface and e%Pourdfaceloe
coal was not even suffered to be brought up to the f this
sent to London, and that was one of the effects it) Gordo
He should cordially vote for the motion of the N°lsethe
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, an
divided, when there appeared— 74

For the motion
Against it ....... •. 1,„,
Majority against the motion ......•••
THE COMMERCIAL MARINE' ie, .0e;
Mr. LYALL then moved for a Select Coootti otor
quire into the state and condition of the commere—ort °
this country, and to take into consideration and ref;0000
best mode of encouraging and extending the el" y itfe
British shipping. 1441)1'1'ot
Dr. BOWRING moved, as an addition to Mr• fpct.4
tion, that the said Committee do examine into the oeuipPieo°
taxes on the materials used in the building and,!,,t'of
British ships; also into the effect on wages and '""l,o'ce ifodp
our restrictions on provisions (in respect to the ea to then oriL,
vigating British ships), and to consider and report 59 th; ylie
on the expediency of removing the same, in 5° f 3 raped aneti4
be found to prevent the British shipowner from cook
A''
cessfully with the foreign shipowner. t 0500
Mr. GL ADS TONE supported the motion, but
to guard against misrepresentation of the object' O corta'jdoe'c'e
ment. It had been industriously circulated by ai abs o, '`ors
that the reciprocity treaties were about beitti^
Now, so far from this being the case, the Govergr'y
most anxious to adhere to them. It was absolottella go"to
to adhere to them—there was no alternative hue.) so e,g,
war, which they must all deprecate.—( Hear, hearooe ,
Sir C. NIPIER gave his cordial collcuroe %tele
motion of the Hon. Gentleman opposite. b of ejst ittoy
interest had declined. In 18-1,) the non' ejle
vessels registered was 77 ; in only 54. with"
Committee would consider the subject fullY,
rjh
reference to party ebjects.—( Hear. hear.),
After a few words from Mr. CHAT'.' that the
Mr. HAWES proposed, as an amendment,idet-.
tro°ll°.ti
to inquire into the causes of distress," be of j°
Mr. GLADSTONE doubted the expeclienp4b had Jr'odoe',J
the words which the Hon. Member for Laatut`t if io'd oattol,l
into the motion. He thought that the wor:,:tieo Sg°
would lead to the belief that reciprocity.trereo,
the distress which existed in the shipping trit„bject'eaiV,'uti)
lead the Committee into an inquiry into that'd the Mir host
Mr. HUTT recommended his Hon. Frien,a (lk co,
Lambeth to withdraw his amendment. ." site
ono
wished to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman 13rit,
that a return relating to the tonnage duties,ui:rt pa
toe
foreign ports, which he had moved for last yea
i of ."
dea'
produced. a great „r, be e
Mr. GLADSTONE said it required , boo- or
to make the returns required. They Wolin to
, 4.31) As, eo
as early as possible.
the Sir
inquiry\VA LT
beforeE R
o4iJAMESs
Committeesaid
fouullida:bdet
ba °as
tefs;i(ro. a st_rei
Mr. WAWN could assure the Hous
which he had the honour to represent, the ,
mw
Ltstoei
rend
would
uAlmosttLi idEe
suggestpalos deplorable
.arsb(ol:neNes
didtrae tm. e ,endoaytn dstoe
erh et
hatrar
t;_scidtojej,ifiet
ret
tthrt•,:e:o,l, tros:l4;,
the proposition of his Hon. Friend and I,,tt,'_.ese or iatoeoiti
tleman opposite. It had been said that n.,d to po,tbs
qt ruoedsut
icoend
of, t ht
he e Commpolicy iot
ft ereecwi•opunlcl treat to eve
utf odcd
nof o those
itnr
itatteieesw.
ullide
tthhi ukgliti
open that question. The Right Hon. ei Frieltd
that if the words proposed by his lion.o, door, ss cotari,oo,.,
either the Committee or the public out of door-
of the,
objet',„ol
that such was the intention of the proposue,d be any,bet
Now he (Lord P.) did not think there coe', ,0 him tc,ierrit,',eir!:,
the introduction of the words. It appearf o
o.(fltiley
thought that ‘verece"°l
owpapsonsietcee.sslaireily(
Lirmhiejadlminerthsteonm)ottii,oonu, tai
if
they'
el:
of
ne_. e
into the statii of the mercantile navy, nu
athey tps"tiPieF
quire how to encourage and promote it,
inquire into what was the cause 0 the OP'