The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-31 00:00:00

POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS.

Col. SIBTHORP gave notice that he would, early
next session, take the sense of the House, by moving
for the removal of the Assistant Poor-law Commis-
sioners.

PORTS AND HARBOURS.
Colonel DAWSON DAMER appeared at the bar as
Comptroller of the Household, and stated that he had
to acquaint the House that her Majesty had received the
address relating to the several tidal harbours, ports, and
rivers, and that her Majesty had been pleased to return
as the answer, that consideration should be given to the
subject.

THE RAJA OF SATTARA.
Mr. HUME moved for copies of all correspondence
relating to the deposed Raja of Sattara, which has taken
place between the Government of India and Major Car-
penter, the officer in charge of the Raja, from September,
1839, the time of his Highness' departure for Benares,
to the Ist of January, 1844. The Hen. Member said it
had been his intention to submit to the House, in moving
for these papers, a short statement of the injuries of the
Raja of Setters, ; but as he had been informed that there
was no objection to their production he was unwilling
to take up the time of the Houie by entering into details.
Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion. This unfortu-
nate Prince had long been waiting for justice, and he
hoped he would not have to wait for it much longer.
Mr. B. BARING said there was no objection on the
part of the Company to produce the return.
After some observations from Mr. HOGG and Sir T.
COLEBROOKE, the motion was agreed to.
The Debtors and Creditors Bill was read a first time,
and ordered to be read a second time on Thursday.
The Transfer of Real Property Bill was read a first
time, and ordered to be read a second time on Thursday.
THE COOPERS' TRADE.
Mr. HUME rose to call the attention of the House to
the depressed state of the coopers' trade in Great Britain,
and to move that the House would, early in the en-
suing session, take the petition of the coopers into
consideration, with the view of relieving them
from their present distress. Great changes had been
made in our tariff, and the coopers considered that
their interests had been neglected, and their trade in-
jured. They complained that the colonial market had
been thrown open to the Americans, while a duty of 25
per cent. was maintained on the raw material used in
this country. It was, therefore, impossible for them
to compete with the Americans in the colonial market.
All that the British coopers wanted to prevent them-
selves and their families from being ruined was, to be
placed on the same footing with foreigners, with regard
to the raw material. The greatest benefit had
been experienced by those engaged in the cabinet-
making trade from the reductions which took place
in the duties on mahogany, Amboyna wood, and rose-
wood. If a reduction took place on the raw material of
the wood from which staves were manufactured, he had
no doubt the change would be soon beneficially felt by
the coopers.
Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion.
The question having been put.
Mr.,GLADSTONE said he was sure the Hon. Gen-
tleman did not desire to obtain the sense of the House
on this subject; and that his wish only was to raise a
discussion. He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman as to
the hardship which the coopers suffered, and he had
doubts of the expediency of imposing a heavy duty on
wood, or 4 ekes of articles like staves. He had said
that the coopers attributed their distress to causes
to which it was not to be properly attributed, and the
Right Hon. Gentleman appeared to him to be under the
impression that it was owing to the change in 1842, that
distress had fallen on them. He would not hesitate
to assert that their position was improved by the
change in the law which had taken place in 1842.
At the time the change was made he had reason to sup-
pose that the trade were satisfied with the arrangement.
He now came to the alteration of the colonial duties
and the duties charged on the importation of staves
into the West Indies. The parties said their posidon
was materially worse since the change in the law,
and. to that they ascribed the distress under which they
were suffering. But the Hon. Gentleman was 'misin-
formed as to the extent of that change. The Hon.
Gentleman stated there was a prohibitive duty on
timber, which was not the case. A. most exaggerated
degree of importance had been attached to the change.
The causes of distress must be sought for elsewhere. It
arose from the falling off in the general production of
the West Indies, which had caused a diminution in the
importation of staves both from this country and the
United States. It arose in some degree also from the
decay of the whale fishery, which had been reduced to
an insignificant amount ; and another reason fe„r it
might be found in the high price of staves tom the
Baltic. Another cause had also operated 'ag
adoptedainst the
trade in London. The great brewers had t ely
a new system of collecting their ensW.,y casks from the
publicans, in consequence of whi.ch."Che quantity of empty
casks in the cellars of the aitic-houses was much re
duced, and that acted injurirp misi_ y on the coopers of Lon-
don. Again, a certain po-42
'on of the coopering of Lon-
don had been transferre,d to other places. The trade of
brewing had lately c‘sosiderably increased at Burton-on-
Trent ; that had affected the trade of the coopers in
London; but, a`,,, the same time, the state of the trade was
at the preser..4.c moment not so bad as it had been repre-
sented ti:l be. There had been a great increase in the
unlx"Aation of staves during the first six months of the
rTesent year as compared with the first six months of last
Year. The duty paid on staves during the first six months,
of 1843, was 8,6694, and during the first six months of
1844, it was 15,9001. This justified him in saying that
these figures showed at least a revival of trade. Then,
as to the benefits to be derived from a reduction of duty,
he should be glad if he could re-echo the sentiments of
the Hon. Gentleman, and state, that since the alteration
in 1842, the furniture trade had revived. The declared
value of the export of cabinet ware in 1840, was 78,0004
in 1841 it was 76,0004, in 1842 it was 75,0001, in 1843
it was 80,0001, and during the first six months of 1844,
it was only-35,0004 showing a smaller amount of trade
than during any previous year, and showing it was not
so easy to get back a trade that was lost. The House
must not suppose that this question was free from diffi-
culty. It was not a mere question as to whether, by the
sacrifice of a revenue of 20,0001., they could save an im-
portant trade, but there were other trades in a position
analogous to that of the coopers. There were the im-
porters of wood for the making of packing cases. They
paid a duty upon the raw material, whilst
foreigners imported their packing cases free
from all duty. Perhaps the Hon. Gentleman wonld say,
admit all packing-case wood free from duty.— (" Hear,
hear," from Mr. flume.) That might be all very well,
but the wood imported for this purpose might be ap-
plied to very different purposes. Now, with regard to
the coopers, wood imported for staves might be used for
wainscot, and for other purposes. He did not say
that was any reason why the House should not take the
question into consideration ; but he would remind the
House that this was not a simple question on the subject
merely of the duty on staves, but that it went into the
general question of the wood duties. He hoped that there
were symptoms of a revival in the coopers' trade ; and, at
all events, he believed that the coopers were not correct
in attributing the distress under which they were suffer-
ing to the continuance of the duties on staves, but that
that distress was attributable to other causes which were
in the course of removal, and he hoped that the coopers'
trade would soon be in a better state than it had been
for some time past.
Mr. BUTT thought that the question between his
Hon. Friend and the Right Hon. Gentleman as to the
cause of the distress was matter of, minor consideration;
the fact of the existence of that distress was
admitted by the Right Honourable Gentleman,
and that was the great point for considera-
tion. He had frequently called the attention of the
Right Hon. Gentleman to the subject, and he had been
gratified to find that that attention had always been
earnestly and feelingly given.—(Hear, hear.) He ad-
mitd that this was no simple question. It was mixed
up with the question of West India distress, and with a
•
variety of other questions. Owing to this state of things
the coopers hid become Chartists, and if he were a
cooper himself he- should have great difficulty in not
becoming one. He would take every opportunity of
forcing this subjeCt on the attention of the Government.
Mr. HUME replied. ' The -Right Hon. Gentleman
had not candidly stated the question at issue. The re-
lative situation of the coopers now and the coopers in
former years was not the question. His complaint was,
that no drawback whatever was allowed on the manu-
factured article, and without that not one single cask
could be sent out of England. There was a shop in the
Strand where the cooper's work from the United States
could be purchaSed at twenty per cent. under the cooper's
work of this country. As long as they levied a duty