The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-15 00:00:00

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.

Mr. WILLIAMS asked if the Right Hon. Baronet in-
tended bringing in the estimates on Monday?
it R. PEEL said that it had been his intention to bring
forward the Army and Navy Estimates before Easter, but
other matters of greater importance would prevent his doing
s). Those questions which affected the settlement of our com-
mercial policy, and the affairs of trade, must be first disposed of.
It was, however, absolutely necesstiry that the Government
should have a vote of money before Easter, and he hoped the
House would make a sufficient grant, which would not at all
prejudice the discu'sion of the Estimates.
Mr. HUTT said that certain documents had been trans-
mitted to the Government by the East India Company, relative
to the trade in grain and flour, which had not been yet laid on
the table of the House.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had,
made some inquiries, but could not account for their non-pro-
duction.
Mr. HUTT said he had taken great pains to obtain this do-
cument. He spoke to the Hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir G.
Clerk) four or five times, and, finding it of no use, mentioned
the matter publicly to the house. He had offered to ropy the
document himself, or send his servant to do it, but the offer
was declined, and the document had not been produced.
Really the business of the country ought to be more punctually
attended to.
Sir G. CLERK said he bad made inquiry and found that
no official notice had been Sent to the Board of Trade from
th,t. House for the production of the document. He had
notwithstanding given directions that the paper should be laid
on the table of the House.

Mr. HUTT said he was the more anxious about it, because
he had intended to make a motion on corn and ti,tur, grounded
upon this document, and that notice he intended to place on
the paper before Easter.
Sir H. FEEL said he would take care that the Hon. Mem-
ber should have the document.
TIIE SUGAR DUTIES.

On the motion that the Speaker leave the chair for going
into Committee on the Sugar Duties Bill,
Sir WILLIAM CLAY presented petitions on the sub-
ject, and
Mr. HAWES presented a petition from wholesale houses
in London, praying for a drawback of duty on sugar now in
bonded warehouses.

Sir W. CLAY, in the absence of Mr. Wallace, wished to
move, on going into Committee on the Sugar Duties 13i 1, that
compensation be made to such refiners as have paid the duty of
2bs. 3d. o❑ their stocks undergoing the process of refining,
and who shall nut have had time to get quit thereof, previous
to the new scale of duties taking effect.
A long discussion ensued as to whether this motion or that
of Air. Ilawes, which followed on the paper, should have pre-
cedence.

sir H. PEEL observed that it was of the greatest import-
ance that, in respect to moving questions, they should adhere
implicitly to the rules of the House. However, he did not
wish, in consequence of mere technical formality, to prevent a
full discussion.

ltirnately the SPEAKER decided that Mr. Hawes's motion
sli,uld come on first, then the Bill be recommitted, after which
the othi r motions on the subject could be brought forward.
:Ir. HA WES then moved " that provision be made in the
Bill for the drawback of the amount of the duty reduced, on
such duty-paid sugar as now remains in the Queen's ware-
house," 'I he course pursued by the Government in this
matter was altogether unusual. A change was about to be
made in one of the great articles of commerce at a most unu-
sual period—at a time too when the dealers in this commodity
were wholly unprepared for such a change. A great quantity
of sugar lay in bonded warehouses in this country, over which
nobody had any control but the Government officers. How-
ever anxious the House might be to confer a great publio
benefit, he was sure they would be anxious to avoid doing so
with the certainty of causing great individual losses. If some
suet' motion as he proposed were not sanctioned this would
certainly be the case. The petition he had that night presented
was signed by six of the principal London sugar dealers, and he
begged the earnest attention of the House to the situation of
those individuals. Messrs. Conway and Co. had in bond
10,000 cwt. of sugar; Messrs. North and Co. more than
3.000, and Messrs. Stubbs and Co. about the same quantity.
Now, in one instance, there was a stock in hand of not less
than 550 tons, ard one house had experienced a loss of not less
than 5,000/., and several others bit ween 2,0;'0/. and 3,0004
Not only was this the case with respect to houses in London,
but in the country also, as might at any time be seen by the
ci7cular of the trade. Liverpool and London, two great
depots of sugar, the wholesale dealers there were in the habit of
retaining considerable stocks in their hands, for, in consequence
of railroads and steam, the communication was so rapid that
the retail dealers could order whatever they required almost
from day to day, and thus the large houses were the parties
who held the stocks for present consumption. lle (Mr. Hawes)
could draw precedents both from past times and the present. The
firsi, precedent lie would draw was from the year 1838, when the
Right Hon. Barnet was in office. They allowed the drawback
on glass. In the case of glass, the glass manufacturers had the
power of exporting glass, and demanding the drawback ; and if,
in consequence of any peculiar circumstances, the trade was
depressed. the merchants could resort to the Act of Parliament,
and get the drawback ; and this actually took place on one
oc:asion. The whole of the stock in hand was extorted, and
the foreign market was flooded. Tice Government then en-
tered into a compromise, and granted 75 per cent. reduction of
the duties. In the case of wine, also, the duty had
been remitted on the stocks in hand. In 1843 a me-
morial had been presented to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
in she case of French wines, and the Right Hon. Gentleman
had promised that, although the negotiations with Portugal
had terminated without any favourable result, yet that, in any
future treaties, the claims of French wines should be attended
to; and with respect to the stocks in hand, the drawback was
allays allowed—when the alteration of the ditties took place,
in 1787, by the 27th Geo. 111., and when again, in 1314, by
the 54th Geo. 111., the drawback was allowed; and by 6th
Ceo IV., in 1825, the drawback was again allowed. By the
Ist and 2d William IV., the duties were equalised, and the
drawback was again allowed. When application was made to
the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, he had pro-
mised that, on the reduction of the duty, consideration
should be made for their case. Now the sugar on which the
remission of duty was prayed for, the goads were in the iden-
tical state, of the same colour, and in the identical place where
it was when the duty was paid. He held in his hand the me-
morial of the sugar dealers, upon whose representations the
Right Hon. Baronet had said he had thus early brouglit on the
reduction of duty, and by that it appeared that the memorialists
did not expect the change at this unusual period of the year ;
and the memorial does not justify the argument which had
been used for the unusual course which had been pursued.
What the memorialists desired was a permanent set-
tlement of the question. The trade wished the continual
changes to which they were liable to be done away with—they
did not look for a settlement at this early period, and certainly
anticipated that time would be allowed them to work off their
stocks in hand, for, if not, they certainly would have invested
to tlie extent of the stocks which they held. It was the cus-
tom to make the vote for the sugar duty an annual duty, and
they desired that the fluctuations to which they were subjected
should be done away with by some permanent enactment. If
this early settlement, and not the permanent settlement, had
b: en the end the memorialists sought, their object would have
been attained. It was, however, said that the allowance to the
wholesale dealers would have been an injustice, unless the