The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-04 00:00:00

SUGAR DUTIES.

The resolution having been put from the Chair,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
it would not be necessary for him to occupy the time of
the House at any great length, inasmuch as, on previous
discussions, they had decided on the propositions which
he should have to submit to them. They had decided
that a differential duty should be imposed in favour of
colonial sugar; and with regard to foreign sugar, they
had decided on the imposition of a duty of 10s. 6d. in
favour of sugar, the produce of free labour, over
that which was slave grown. Only one other, point had
arisen, which had been discussed on the motion of his
Hon. Friend the Member for Beverley, the other evening.
It appeared, with regard to that point, that it was the
opinion of the House that further time should be
given for the consideration of the question, and that
it would be better that the consideration of the
subject should be deferred until the Committee on the
Bill. Until that period, therefore, he would not enter
into details on the subject. With respect to the intro-
duction of the words " sugar of equal quality to clayed,"
he did not see that there was any objection. But,
with respect to the further words suggested, he was
still of the opinion he had expressed the other
evening, that the insertion of those words would
create greater difficulties than their omission. As
these words were understood at present, he believed
there would be little objection to them; but, at the same
time, having made inquiries on the subject, both with
respect to the practice of London and other parts of the
country, he should be prepared in Committee to state
both the decision to which the Government had come,
and the grounds of that decision. He had al-
ready stated that the 14th of the present
month was the period at which he proposed that the
resolutions should take effect, thus allowing one month
for those who had had sugar on hand to dispose of their
stock. (The Right Hon. Gentleman then proposed the
amended scale of duties to come into operation on the 14th
of March.)
Mr. WILLIAMS had hoped that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer would consent to extend the time be-
yond the 14th of March. If he did not, he could assure
him a great and ruinous loss would be sustained by
thousands of persons who dealt in sugar. He still
trusted that the Right Hon. Gentleman would consent
to extend the time to the Ist of April, or, at least, to the
25th of March.

Mr. HAWES was quite sure the House, when a few
simple facts were laid before them, would see the pro-
priety of modifying and altering the plan proposed by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, whi h was full of hardship.
The Hon. Member then read a letter from an eminent met,.
cantile house in the City, in which the writer sought for him-
self, and on behalf of his trade, permission to clear off
duty-paid stock before the Right Hon. Gentleman's
plan came into operation. This writer declared that
in the event of the Bill being carried, his house would
ose to the amount of 2,0001. The house was the most
respectable in the city of London. With regard to what
had fallen from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he
understood that he would pass his resolutions through the
Committee, reserving to himself the opportuity of stating
his precise intention with regard to the duties. If he
was still going to maintain the principle of a distinctive
duty according; to the quality, he was bound to say so
to the House. If, on the other hand, he would admit
there was a practical difficulty in the way of arriving
at a satisfactory arrangement, as to ascertaining
the quality of the sugar, then ho was bound
to state the fact, that they might know what
they were to do. He did not know ' what
course the Hon. Member for Beverley (Mr. Hogg)