The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-19 00:00:00

500.000/. from the importation of corn, it would have been
1,110,0001. The Right lion. Gentleman opposite said, in
answer, that if they had imposed thlt fixed duty on corn, the
effect would have been that the revenue stated would have been
produced, but it could nol have relieved the people. He (Lord
Howick) believed this was the correst answer given by the Hight
Hun. Gentleman to his ( Lord Howick's) Right Hon. Friend.
Now really he thought the Right Hon. Gentleman who used
that argument must have laughed to himself at the extreme
credulity of his hearers.—(Laughter.) The Right Hon. Ba-
ronet opposite taunted them (the Opposition) on that side the
House wish a want of power with whirl they argued that com-
mon question. Right Hon. Baronet said the Ss. duty raised
the price of the article, therefore the ' consumption became
less, and the expected revenue failed. But how did this apply
to the existing shifting duties on corn. He believed it ayes a
unanimous opinion, that if the Bs. duty had been adopted last
year the price of corn woule have been considerably less. Ile
would net go into betties already fought ; but from the rout
of his inquiries he found that if there had been a fixed duty of
Bs., the burdens would have been less to the consumer than
under the sliding scale. This being, the case, the answer of the
Right Hon. Gentleman was totally misapplied, for while there
would have been less burdens upon the consume*, the revenue
would have been increased. He asked those gentlemen who,
like himself, were anxious for the welfare of the landed interest
—he asks d them seriously to consider themselves whether they
were quite c nvinced that they had made a good bargain for
the land n maintaining a sliding scale, and in consequence
of that determination subject themselves to an income
tax.—(Loud cheers.) He asked them if, when they carne
to cast up their accounts' to consider whether they would
not find the sliding scale after all rather expensive?—
(Laughter and cheers.) But after what had passed in that
House, he was willing to admit that they must not now look to
corn for an increase of revenue. The Right Hon. Baronet
had stated on a former evening that it was in vain to look for
an increase of revenue by a reduction of duty. He said that
reduction of' duties in many instances was attended with con-
siderable loss to the revenue, although there was an increase
of consumption, and that many years elapsed before the revenue
approached •to 'its former state. He ( Lord Howick) entirely
concurred with the Right Hon. Baronet. As had been ob-
served by his Hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, the
Right Hon. Baronet was dealing with shadews. He first
created the enemy and then destroyed him. Was there any
thing in common between the principle of 'coking revenue by
mere reduction of duty, and the principle of endea-
vouring to increase the revenue by reduction not
merely of taxes, but of differential duties ? Now, what was
the operation of this? They could import any given article
from two countries, and they paid duty upon that country
from which it could be obtained the cheapest; the conse-
quence was, the price was raised to the consumer, although no
revenue was brought into the Exchequer, If they remitted
that duty, on the other hand the consequence was, that a
sum was paid into the Exchequer which at the same time re-
lieved the consumer. He would take, for instance, sugar, and
compare the present rate of duties and the system with that
of the change proposed fast year. He was not going to argue
the merits of that change—that was another question. The
duty on foreign sugar was at that moment a prohibition, ex-
cept when prices rose to an exorbitant amount; but at other
times foreign sugar was excluded. Sugar came in at
present at 245. per cwt:, and the proposal of last year
was to admit fo:eign sugar at a duty of 365. Now, what
was the necessary effect of this? In the first place, every cwt.
ef foreign sugar introduced was a positive increase to the revenve
of 12s. ; and, besides this, it had a tendency to increase con=
sumption, and still further, increase the revenue. Suppose
110,000 cwt., which was the amount the Right Lion. Mem-
ber for Portsmouth calculated to be the average increase—sup-
posing this amount was imported, here was a great increase to
the revenue and the consumption of the country, while the con-
sumer of the article received it at a lower price. Therefore,
so far as the increase of consumption was concerned, measures
of this kind produced a diminution of taxrion ; and, on the
ether hand, so far as the revenue was concerned, there was a
positive increase. The Hon. Baronet had told them that the
duty on wine had been reduced—there had been no increased
supply or consumption. But there was no protection reduced
on this article, therefore the public was not benefited
by the reduction. This remark applied to coffee and tobacco
—there was one exception ; but it did singularly enough happen
that the Right Hon. Baronet, in stating the articles upon which
experiments had been made by reducing the duty with a view
of increasing the revenue, that in making that statement lie
admitted that with respect to one article the experiment had
been successful. What was that article? If he mistook not it
was rum. The Right Hon. Baronet stateddhat with regard to rum
the reduction of the dat.y was not attended with an immediate
falling off in the revenue; but, on the contrary, there was an
increase. To be sure it was, and why. Because on rum,
and on rum only, of all the articles to which the Right
Honourable Baronet had referred, he WAS dealing with a
protective duty.—(Hear.) He was dealing with a diffe-
rential duty; for this duty on ruin was, •in effect
a differential duty in comparison with that raised on British
spirits for the consumption of the country. Therefore, as far
as the reduction in the differential duty on rum was concerned,
it was at ti uded with that very effect which they (the Oppositson )
contended would result. NoW this principle would equally
apply to sugar. He would not say that the measure proposed last
year was a right one or not, but he would say that that principle
could be applied. The Right Hon. Gentleman who had just
sat down said that the proposers of the change only calculated
an increase of 7e0,000/., and yet he said that with no altera-
lion whatever that increase had been provided. To that argu-
ment he. ( Lord Howick) would make the same answer as he did
the last evening. He did not care what they had received. Ile
had nothing to do with the estimates they made as to the con-
sumption of the country. He took his stand on the broad prin-
ciple, and said that if foreign sugar could come into the market
with a differential duty in fa"our of British sugar of 50 per cent.
it entitled them to say that if those differential duties were re-
duced, it would increase the revenue and relieve the consumer,
and if they could thus increase the revenue they were bound
to do so, and not resort to an income tax.—( Cheers.) He would
not go into the argument against that question by the Gentle-
men opposite, but he would take the liberty of telling the Right
lion. Gentlemen opposite and her Majesty's Government, that
he believed that the country had seen through that fallacy.—
(Loud cheers.) It was last year brought forward, and he could
not help thinking that for consistency sake the Right Hon. Gen-
leman was bound to adhere to it. But. he would say that the
country did not go with him on that point. A great number of the
Hon. Gentlemen opposite had proved their sincerity to the
question of slavery; he (Lord Howick) would venture to say
he had not been insincere on the subject of slavery ; but a
great majority of the country did not think that the question
of slavery affected the produce. They had great suspicions
respecting these great advocates of slavery and monopoly.—
(Cheers.) But this was by no means the oely article to
which the principle could be applied. The Right Hon.
Baronet had told them of coffee, and the Right Hon. Baronet
told them that a revenue amounting to 170,0001. he expected
to lose. Now he was very glad to hear that there was to be
a reduction on the article of coffee. Ile thought it would be
a great advantage to the consumer. But when the que:stion
of whether they were to make it necessary or not to
impose so odious an impost as an income tax, he did think it
became the House to pause before they determined respecting
coffee in the manner in which the Right Hon. Baronet had pro-
fessed. It was in their power to deal with coffee in a manner
that, instead of producing a loss to the revenue, there would
be a considerable accession of the revenue. The Right Hon.
Baronet proposed to reduce the duty to 4d. in equal rate on
colonial coffee. Now, instead of this, suppose the Right Hon.
Baronet bad levied an equal duty on all coffee, by %illicit
he would remove the absurd necessity which now existed of
transhipment, and a voyage from the Brazils to the Cape,
and bringing it home. By-the-bye, he could not help ob-
serving I.ow consistent this was with the doctrine held by
Gentlemer opposite with respect to slavery. —( Loud cheering.)
Now suppose the Right Honourable Baronet had merely
applied one uniform duty of 9d. to all foreign coffee, the result.
would have been that instead of a loss to the revenue of
170,000/., it would produce a large addition to it. They
would throw into the Exchequer all the money uselessly ex
pended in a voyage to the Cape ; all the expenses of a
double voyage, a double loading, all this would be sent direct
into the Exchequer, with a relief to the consumer. droll,the Right Hon. Baronet proposed another article for reduction,
and he proposed to deal with timber, from which he
calculated a loss of 600,000/. He believed that great relief
would be felt by the consumer, and that the diminution
would increase the revenue; but he would not enter into
that point then ; but he thought many would ageee with him
that it was not wise to deal with timber in the manner pro-
posed. He agreed with him that the duty on timber required
revision, and he called on the Right lion. Baronet, the dome
Secretary, to deal with the question as he pro,-osed in 1831.
(Sir James Graham made an observation across the table
which was inaudable. ) He had listened to the Right Hen.
Baronet with great gratification on Fri lay last, and lie
heard with great delight from a Minister of the Ciowit the
liberal principles of commercial policy he then relvocated But.
be confessed when he came to look through the propesed scale of
duties, he was surprised, to find that the scale so little
accorded with those principles. lie could not agree with the
Right lion. Baronet in establishing differential duties in
favour of the coloniee In the filst place, the operation of the
differential duties was undoubtedly to impose a tax on the
people of this country, on the articles produced in the col-miss.
And this could Only be considered in the light of a bounty on
colonial produce, and thus the extra price fell on
the consumer to the whole amount of tux,e
(i r• )
and
diverted industry from its natural sources. :
Ile was persuaded that the really sound policy was that there
should be no monopoly allowed either as regoded the mother
country or the Colonies. That was what lie was perruaded was
the right policy upon which the Governmeet should act ; but
the contrary was the principle adopted by the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman opposite. The Right lime Baronet said the principle
adopted by her Majesty's Government was to give the same
advantages in essence though not in degree, to the Colonies
which her Majesty's subjects enjoyed in this country. If it
was pos,illle to establsh a completely free trade between this
country and the Col-Ines—such a trade as existed between it
and Ireland—it would be different. If the Colonies were to
share our burdens it would be dill, rent; but the Right
Hon. Baronet WAS aware that that was not possible. He
knew well that the Colonies could not be included in the
same revenue system as the people of this country had,
and therefore when a great measure like his was introduced—
a measure which was to affect the conntry at large—the very
first thing he proposed in it was to tax unnecessarily ,the
people of this Country.—(Hear, hear, and (leers from rho
Opposition benches.) 'I he Right Hoc. Baronet fu st laid a
heavy burden upon the people ef this country, and next he
greatly and materially injured the colonies themselves
by diverting their industry from its natural channels.
hat was the effect of the policy of the Right Hon. Baro-
net, but what he (Lord Howick) would recommend was to
deal fairly and impartially with the people of both c iontries.—
(Loud cheers from the Opposition and counter cheers.) He
was for extending advantages to the people of the Colonies,
anti also to the people of this country.—( Renewed cheers. )
That was the principleof the policy to which he (Lord Howick )
was at all times, and should ever be, favourable.—(lncreased
cheers.) He was, at the same time, aware that opposite prin-
ciples were now Nit) long in existence to expect that his views
could be carried out, No doubt habits had grown up, and in-
terests were created by the present policy—interests which it
would not be thought prudent or desirable to disturb. He
did not mean that the principle of policy for which he contended
should be at once carried to its fullest extent; he was not
anxious for violence, or for the disturbance of the re-
lations and interests which at present existed ; but what
lse considered to be the correct policy was that when
the House had to deal with those inter. ste—when they
were to make changes in the existing state of effeirs, those
changes should all be made under the diiectien of a mind
policy.—( Hear, hear.) When they had to deal with differen-
tial-duties, they should diminish them, and not increase them.—
(Cheers.) Was that, he woulel ask the House, the -principle
which was to be found embodied in the plan proposed by the
Right lion, Baronet? No. On the contrary, the very oppo-
site was the principin which the Right Hon. Ilaroeet scented
to have adopted.—(" Beer, hoer," and cheer:.) The Right
lion. Gentleman advetled to the duties upon eau-de-cologne,
and other matters of comparatively little consequenee, het there
was one article of which he (Lord Howick) could not but take
mgietr—he meant tobacco. It appeared that now tobacco
might be ire-opted from America and the West Indies at a duty
of 2s. 9d. a pound, whereas it pad 3s. a pound when imported
from all other countries. In the returns yiiiptt were laid on
the table of the House, he found the item of duty on to-
bacco votive(' in British possessions was—"
None."—
whereas it appeared that the whole amount of duty received for
tobac-_e, this produce of foreign ementties, was 3,498,000/.
What would be the mettle of the Right Rijnpropo-
sition? Practically, the West Indite; could have no advantage
whatever from the Right Hon. Baronet's measure, for it gave