The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-17 00:00:00

quarter the total amount of duty was 292,0001.
The proportion, heqefore, between the timber
duties receieved in the two quarters was as 100 to 45.
But in the quarter ending the sth of January,
1844, the duty being then settled, the amount re-
ceived was 268,0001. as compared with 158,0001.
The reduction in the timber duty made by the tariff
was !about one-sixth. My opinion is, though I am
willing to admit that the stocks of timber are
larger than the stocks of sugar, that it is highly

He thought, therefore, that the proposition of his
Hon. Friend for the reduction of the duty to take
place, upon a stated day, would be most unwise.
We ourselves are accused of having encouraged ex-
portation, that there should have further consideration
of those duties ; and that there might be a farther
reduction, contingent upon the result of the Income
Tax and its renewal or discontinuance. But that
vague exportation is very different from a
fixed assurance, that a certain reduction shall
take place and shall be effectual on a particular day
If there be any inconvenience arising from holding
out such vague expectations, her Majesty's present
Government alone have incurred the blame. The late
Chancellor of the Exchequer has before now held out
expectations of an alteration in the sugar duties contin-
gent upon circumstances. When he brought forward his
proposition in 1841 for an alteration in them, he said
that the West India interest had no right to complain
that they were taken by surprise, because Lord Sy-
denham had informed them in 1839, that they must
prepare themselves for a change in the sugar duties,
and that that change would take place in 1842, or
possibly earlier. So that the late Government cannot
be said to have given the word with) the blow—
(Laughter)—but they told the West Indians to pre-
pare for the blow. But we have not said anything
more than what was known to every
one. We said that the income tax will
expire next year, and that when the time
for its expiration arrived, the consideration
of its discontinuance or renewal must be combined
with the consideration of these and other im-
port duties. Surely that explanation and avowal
could not have the same effect as the particular an-
nouncement that the reduction is to take place upon
a stated day. Sir, on another ground the Government
cannot assent to the proposition of my Hon. Friend.
They cannot acquiesce in the proposition that there
should be a discriminating duty of 14s. on certain
sugars.—(Hear, hear.) I will not now enter into the
question whether a classification of sugar, according
to certain processes of manufacture, or according to
certain qualities, be desirable or not; all I contend
for is this, that if a classification be desirable,
it ought to be universally applied,—(Hear, hear.)
and that to do justice to the consumer, if you classify
sugar the produce of foreign countries, you ought to
classify sugar the produce of your own colonies.—
(Elear, hear.) lam of that opinion, because there is
as great a variation in the quality of sugar the
produce of your own colonies, as there is
in the quality of sugar the produce of
foreign countries. There is as much injustice in
subjecting the coarse descriptions of brown
sugar coming into competition with sugar of
the highest quality, such being the produce of
your own colonies, to an equal rate of duty
—there is as much injustice in that arrangement, as
there is in subjecting your own sugar to compete, at a
corresponding rate of duty, with sugar the produce of
foreign countries, and in subjecting the inferior classes
of your own sugar to competition with the inferior
classes:of.foreign strgar, as the superior class of sugar,
the produce of your own colonies, with the superior
class of sugar the produce of foreign countries. But
I cannot admit the justice of taking a classification
of foreign sugar, until you are prepared to
make it in the case of your own sugar.
and therefore, Sir, if we ever come to that part of the
proposition of my Hon. Friend, her Majesty's Go-
vernment will still retain their original opinion, and
they cannot consent to ask for an escape from their
present difficulties by undertaking to give an in-
creased protection to West India sugar.—(Opposition
cheers.) Now my opinion on the sugar question,
:and the effect Of 'duty on sugar, is worth very
little. It can only be formed from general reasoning
as to the effect of prospective duties on the sugar trade;
it can only be a speculation by me in watching and
experience with regard to other duties ; but I have
received by the post of this morning, front a high
practical authority, strong confirmation of the views
which I have expressed in this respect, that there
is danger in a prospective reduction of the duty, and
that there is no sufficient ground for a discriminating
duty in favOur of white cloyed sugar, the produce of
our colonies. The gentleman from whom I received
this letter states that he has been engaged in the sugar
trade for 20 years, that he turned over near a million of
money per annum, and was most wishful to see the
duty on foreign sugar, and more particularly on colonial
sugar, reduced as much as possible; but he was quite
certain if Mr. Miles's proposition was carried into
effect as it stood, it would be most disastrous to all
parties interested, as well as to the revenue, for no
person would engage extensively in the trade, know-
ing that the duty would be much lower in No-
vember, when the 4s. duty would be taken off.
He would likewise strongly recommend them to place
the same extra duty of 4s. on the better class of
foreign colonial sugar as Mr. Miles proposed to put on
what he called white-cloyed free-labour sugar.
It was well known that extensive refineries had been
recently erected near to Calcutta, and in other places,
for the purpose of making a fine strong-grained
sugar. This fine kind of sugar had of late got very
much into use, and bade fair to supersede the use of
refined or lump sugar; s 9 much so, that scarcely any
other was used. This fine crystallised sugar
was likewise made in Demerara, and was
now selling at 705., while brown Muscovado
sugar was selling at 565. Now, observe (continued
the Right Honourable Baronet), the brown Mus-
covado sugar which sells at full price for 565., is
exposed to a competition with sugar the produce of our
own colonies, which is worth 705.; and it is exposed
to competition with it at exactly the same rate
of duty ; there is no discrimination whatever.
These processes of manufacture, the result of the
application of great capital, are bringing into the
best market, in competition with the ordinary pro-
duce of the West India colonies, great quantities of
fine sugar, at the same amount of duty. After
taunting the West Indian interest with their junc-
tion, on this occasion, with the members of the late
Government, the Right Hon. Baronet declared, " he
the consequences what they may, the Government wil
abide by its original proposition."