The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-27 00:00:00

and even 755. This was the effect of this event on the
slave-trade ; enclaves he speaking without authority in
this matter ? UndOubtedly not. He would refer Hon.
Gentlemen to the returns on the books of the House.
By those returns it appeared that the vacuum which
the proceedings in St. Domingo had created had been
supplied by ithportations into our own islands,
and they enjoyed the benefits of those pro-
ceedings. The planters in the Nest India islands
had been blamed for entering so extensively into this
trade; but he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was
not one of those who imputed that blame. It appeared
by the returns, that after the discontinuance of the cul-
tivation of sugar in St. Domingo, the number of ships
chartered in Liverpool for the West Indies was not 88 in
one year, and 92 ships in another year ; but the number
had risen to 122 in one year, and 150 in another. From
those returns it also appeared, that the number of slaves
who had been entrapped and deported was not ac-
tually, as it had been, 9,000, 10,000, and rising to
12,000 slaves in one year ; but the number had risen to
30,000 in one year, 32,000 in another, and as high as
36,000 in another. Such had been the effect when the
increase of sugar in our own islands had given an im-
p,tus to the slave trade. And what had been done in
our own islands, the motion of the Noble Lord would
effect in Brazil. The same impetus would be given to
the introduction of slaves into Brazil. The slave trade
would be revived in full force, but it would be revived
with tenfold horrors, for it would be conducted without
any of those humane regulations which had been intro-
duced into our own vessels. He (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) must also be pardoned if he presumed to
doubt the assertion of the Noble Lord that the success
of his motion would produce any permanent benefit to
the consumer; for he did not believe in a certain
calculation into which the Noble Lord went to
show what would be the high price of sugar after
the new rates of duty had come into effect. The Noble
Lord objected to a protective duty, and yet he was de-
sirous of imposing some duty, and could not vote for
the amendment of the Hon. Member for Manchester.
According to the Noble Lord's calculation, the sugar
of Java and Manilla could not be brought into the
market under 485., when the price of West Indian sugar
was 425. If this were the case, there would certainly
be a protection of 6s. on West Indian sugar. Now, he
believed the Noble Lord to be wrong in this calculation,
for he believed sugar, whether from our own possessions
or from abroad, would be subject to the same rule as
every other mercantile article. When two articles came
into competition, under similar circumstances as colonial
and foreign sugar, the natural result was, that one would
be a little raised and the other a little depressed. He
did think the Noble Lord had been wrong in his figures.
Ndw, Java sugar was quoted the other day at 225.; the
best at 245. 6d.; and he believed that ordinary Java
sugar might be bought at 235.; the average quality
might generally be bought at 20s. Now, to take the
average of these prices at 235. 4d., and to impose the
duty upon it, the long price would be about 425. The
average of West India sugar was 295. 7d. ; add
to that 14s. for the duty, and West India
sugar would only be about 3d. dearer than Java sugar.
He had taken the average upon the whole, and of course
to the higher class of Java sugar they would have
to add 16s. 4d. This would make a difference in the
results ; but upon the whole he thought the calculati,ns
he had made might be relied on. The Noble Lord next
entered upon the subject which had more connexion
with the state of the colonies than the immediate ques-
tion before the House. The Noble Lord had entered
into a description of the happy state of those who were
formerly slaves in the West Indies, but who were now
enjoying the blessings of freedom, with occasional re-
laxations from labour, and receiving wages quite ade-
quate to their respective merits. The Noble Lord had
said that a loan had been effected in the island of Ja-
maica to ensure emigration ; and, to provide for the in-
terest of this loan, a tax had been imposed upon the
labouring population. Now in this the Noble Lord was
entirely wrong. No loan whatever had been effected,
and of course they could not impose a tax on the working
man to enable them to pay the interest. With
respect to Demerara and Trinidad, in those places
the Government had sanctioned no duty whatever which
pressed upon the labouring community. Still the Noble
Lord had spoken of loans being raised there also,' but it
would be gratifying for the House to know that such
was not the case.—(Hear, hear.) The taxes imposed on
those colonies were limited to a tax on the exportation of
sugar, and of course this bore upon the proprietor of the
produce, for whom the immigration was intended. The
Noble Lord had said the House should have considera•
lion for the artizans and mechanics employed in the colo-
nies, as well as for the proprietor. The ar:izans, whe-
ther in the West Indies or at home, were, he admitted,
entitled to every indulgence, and every remission of
taxation that could safely be made. But what he con-
tended for was, that those classes were not willing to
purchase exemptions from burdens by the sacrifice of
principles for which they had been all their lives con-
tending ; and he thought he could produce to the House
evidence to show that, if they would not consider imme-
diate but permanent interests, the course recommended
by Hon. Members opposite, of overwhelming the
planters, would only give temporary relief, and would
not in the end answer the views for which it had been in-
troduced. With respect to the financial part of the sub-
ject, the Noble Lord objected to the reduction of the duty
on sugar, as one of those articles which should not--

Lord JOHN RUSSELL—What I said was, that the
reduction you effected went partly to the planter and
partly to the revenue, and would not much benefit the
consumer.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ad-
mitted that the burden arose from the protective duty,
but the Noble Lord had agreed with him that there
should be some protection. He believed it was gene-
rally admitted upon both sides of the House that some
reduction in the article of sugar was desirable.—(Hear,
hear.) That was the sentiment which had been gene-
rally expressed, and if he had formerly resisted the re-
duction then proposed, it was only upon the ground
that as the supply of sugar on which we relied was ne-
cessarily drawn from a great distance, it could not arrive
contemporaneously with the reduction then effected. He
wished to make a preparation for the period when they
would be able to make the reduction in sugar, and
so as that reduction might not operate upon
a limited supply.—(Hear, hear.) When the in-
come-tax came under the consideration of Government
this year, he thought it necessary to review this part of
the subject, and whilst he would propose some protec-
tion, he would nevertheless afford a material reduction
to the consumer, and so contribute to the general good.
They might either have retained the existing law, made
without classification, or adopted the proposition now
submitted to the House, making a division into two
classes, and imposing a lower duty on one class than on
the other. And this scheme appeared to have this ad-
vantage, that it enabled them to lower the protective
duty on the cheaper class of sugar, and thus contribute
to the comfort of the lower orders of the community.—
(Hear, hear.) The reduction of duty, whether right or
wrong, under the present proposition, would admit of
the sale of the article to the consumer at 1 id. per lb.
cheaper than at present. They were prepared to sink
the amount of revenue, that the change might be felt
universally among the lower classes. The Noble Lord
talked of a gradual reduction. He would propose to
take off 3s. this year, and 3s. next year, and so on. Now
he confessed he did not expect to hear such
opinions from the Noble Lord. The Noble Lord ended
his resolution by rather a captivating announcement to
the country, that no portion of the income-tax would be
remitted at the end of three years. No vhe (the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer) did not believe that any man,
whatever his latent ingenuity or experience might be,
couli possibly speak with certainty of the changes
which would take place either in politics, commerce, or
finance, at the end of three years. But this he would
say, that upon reference to former periods during which
taxation had been remitted, that the pressure which had
thus been taken from the springs of industry, had been
attended with the best effects, not only to the consumer
but the revenue itself. Events might occur which might
defeat the best considered arrangements ; but if they
looked to the past, he found that in three years, after a
judicious remission of taxes had taken place, the revenue
had not only recovered itself, but was placed in a better
position. He had looked for many years back,
and found that the resources of the country had
exhibited the same elasticity. In 1816 the
income of the country was 51,500,000/. ,and in
that year taxation to the amount of 3,250,0001.
of positive taxation had been remitted. Now, upon ordi-
nary calculation, the revenue should have been reduced to
little better than 48,000,000/ But what was the fact ?
Three years after its repeal, in 1819 the revenue, instead
of being 48,000,000/, amounted to 52,000,000/.. ; thus
surpassing the revenue previous to the reduction of the
taxation. Take again the year 1822. The revenue in
that year was 55,000,000/. It was then thought expe-
dient to make a large reduction of taxation. A reduc-
tion of 2,400,0001. had then been madP.Now the effectshould
be the reduction of the income to 53,000,000/. But in the
very next year the revenue exceeded the original
amount. In the year 1823 the revenue was 53,100,0001..
in 1823,1824, 1825, and 1826 taxation had been repealed
to the amount of 11,000,000 L The ordinary effect of
this reduction would be that the revenue would stand
at 42,000,0001. ; but in 1829 the revenue amounted
to 51,000,000L.—(Hear, hear.) The same thing followed
in 1830. when a large reduction was made in
the malt duty, and in 1834, when the Right
Hon. Gentleman opposite proposed a reduction
of 1,000,0001. Thus the remission of taxation had in
all these cases been attended with advantage. What
occurred before might occur again; and: if so, there was a
fair prospect that the income-tax might be, if not alto-
gether remitted, at least the duty upon other articles
which came into geaoral consumption might be lowered
without any loss to the revenue. Was the House pre-
pared to abandon the object for which it had so long
contended ? Were they prepared to give up those prin-
ciples which they had so long cherished ? Were they to
cease exerting themselves in making treaties with Spain
and Portugal for the suppression of this odious traffic ?
If they did so, they might be sure to find some tem-
porary relief, but they would tarnish the high character
of Englishmen, who had, at much expense, and
with such zeal for so long a period contended
for the abolition of the slave-trade. He believed
that if Honourable Gentlemen would consent to
abandon the slave to his fate, the horrors which those
creatures suffered in their passage,when they came to the
knowledge of the people of this country would excite
the sympathies of the benevolent, and create such sensa-
tions and such a feeling that it would be impossible to
withstand.—(Hear, hear.) There was no doubt but a
great impetus wonld he given to slavery by sanctioning
the free importation of all foreign sugar, for this was
the article on which slave labour was chiefly expended.
Upon the whole, therefore, he was strongly opposed to,
the proposition of the Noble LAO as impolitic, and in-
expedient, and above all, because it was subversive of
those principles fCr which they had been so long con-
tending.—(Cheers.)
Lord J. RUSSELL explained—He did not contem-
plate any such gradual reduction as that mentioned by
the Right /lon. Gientlempt, Whet be meant, Was, a

moderate protective duty, which was not to be of $
porary character.—(Hear, hear.) l3°l3'
Mr. LABOUCHERE gave credit to the right re
Gentleman for his sincerity, but did not think the
sent nu asure based on sound principles. Se tb°
the attempt to draw a distinction between foreiga Ay
slave-labour sugar, a most unsuccessful one, and 1 lit
generally so considered by the mercantile classetrof
did not think it had been conducive to the _i°,.-tbeo,
of the colonists themselves. He thought thah,%st
never was a more untenable supposition than. f
the Right Hon. Gentleman, that the proposition
Noble Friend would promote slavery. But wilsB,TV
the statement of Hon. Gentlemen opposite ? o 0
computed that 60,000 tons of free-labour sugar onJ
be produced in Java, Manilla, and other placis:o,o
they calculated, that while this country tom,
tons, the remaining 40,000 would be sold 1"„ o
general markets of the world. If that were the 10
the price of 20,000 tons sent to this coo
tbi
would be govei ned by the price ° the
40,000 tons sent abroad, and their legislation 01'soJ
20,000 would affect the sugar sent into Germilffee
elsewhere The present measure would clearly_
rer
the sugar of Cuba and the Brazils, and as far as the,
position therefore went, they were not giving °, gt
labour sugar the advantages they pretended to giv, tbef
would, for the sake of argument, suppose thilbota
were enabled by the measure to exclude slave dog
sugar (he doubted greatly the possibility of 's,e.d tbel
however) from the markets of this count* al pot
imagine that frauds upon a very large scale woe!, or
be attempted ? He had it from a person intimate) goo of
versant with the sugar trade, that the very
Manilla sugar which had arrived in their port 9, w2oco,
mised to be the production of Surinam or porgerh'
Now his first objection to the proposition of the Gto
importance, ment was one which, if well-founded,.was of the 1. to
importance, as proving ti-at this was not like ),,h the
a permanent measure. He perfectly agreed "'rks fr)
Chancellor of the Exchequer in some of the rear° to;
first cos
sor,
had made, but he (Mr. Labouchere) must sari/A° s'eteif
when the Chancellor of the Exchequer was 5" sage
upon the advocates of a gradual reduction of the oglit
irides, he was astonished at the conduct of the de
Hon. Gentleman in thus pronouncing a censure nrogfr
Government, and upon those who supported Re-"( srstie`i
ter.) Never was so unfortunate a course as that tyest
by the Government upon this question. TheYlss-5, tb°
made such an alteration in the sugar duties p
made such an alteration in the sugar
01te ratio
they left no doubt of a further a 013 r
this year, and now he hoped that, :after the ?Tiechtls
warnings of the Lord Chancellor, they would not vrai °
peril the other branches of the trade of the countrtheir
similar manner.—(Laughter and Hear, heal'-) tpor
trade with the Brazils was interfered with by the
sure which was now proposed. There was als°;tsper:
went introduced into it which could not add t° fraud;
manency, and that was the encouragement to
re t,
upon the revenue.—(Hear, hear.) He would yen; otr
say, notwithstanding the smile of incredulity nosite'
served on the faces of some Hon. Members ert':boe
that the West India cultivators themselves, farcoutsB
benefit they were asked to sanction that anomainle
of legislation, were alarmed at the course ertioolt;
vernment were pursuing. His eye was eaught,tstellie%
ing over a newspaper of that morning, by 3 .ojoo
copied from a respectable organ of public OP.I t
the West Indies. It stated that the Pr'llete 13r1'
the admission of Venezuelan sugar to Gre3oo3l
tain had caused the utmost excitement that
the agricultural interests of those colonies ; GQ;
meeting had been held to memorialise her lktaiesieel
vernment upon the subject, and the writer supt,°; island'
those meetings would be held in every part 0 t' but per;
He (Mr. Labouchere) greatly feared, therefore, to ttt
manence did not attach to the sugar duties Ito
present proposition of Government was intended slain
It proposed to draw a distinction between free 313„erfitlfA'
labour sugar which would be useless and inAo
and yet nevertheless irritating to the feelings c" ;`the 10`,f
try.—(Hear, hear.) In that way they entailed • Jost"
10 ot
unfortunate consequences on the commerce and
red t
of their colonies and of the country. He oht,....eigs ado
this measure was not likely to increase in '°";re t° ril
tions a belief in their sincerity, and in their cif.stil reef with the slave trade and with slavery. 14,1 mt
to the other points, he could not understand `seltio';e
were discouraging the slave trade by 01;0
slave-grown sugar from this country. Could
say, that when they admitted free-labour sugsr'olleh to
not raise the price of slave-grown sugar just asbeaelltbie
if in the first instance they had given the, .he `use
them? He agreed with the other portions the
Lord's resolution, that this plan, without anY,.„"paif,' J
benefit to the consumer, tended so greatly te,„';orSe:;o'
revenue as to render the removal of the .7,,-toelf;re
property-tax, at the end of three years, ex' -toy 'lO
certain and improbable. Without entering inL°ooll,o
calculations on this question, and taking the 1101°;)
mere financial merits, he was afraid that it hair,
answer the expectations of the Right Hon. 13air, chy,et
under these circumstances he could not he tt" so he
tensing it as trifling with one of the greatesgifellte
of revenue. He believed that they might have that,
consumers of sugar the same advantages, an,- ~..(P-ttie
by a more moderate protection to the colonistsivjeeswl
hear.) But by this important distinction hell jouv,op,
sugars of free and of slave countries, he 03°0010
whether they would receive in amount of ce,nlost t°,bey
at the end of three years, the sum at present, ears
revenue of the country. At the end of three Ytse-tillii
would find it still necessary to continue the ine°oeoeta
a part of the permanent revenue of the countrY. 13ar°fitlid
not enter into the details of the Right ss°,l.-
measure. His own view was, that that P"„° se; eee
not discourage the cultivation of slave-10°,"ftrael ``(rrisi
foreign countries further than to the amour' agar that
that they in England consumed of free-labctria't,
those countries; and exactly to that ame...„ of s the
only, would they encourage the productr,opecr,"beo
labour sugar in foreign countries. He would upon "spoll
first part of the resolution of the Noble lona pat, re'
grounds, and he would also support the see 7 gr'oole
cause he was convinced that while they In; te the same
ductions in the duties on sugar, they coulut„,s tier; tera
time place their differential duties on a,,h; eoasud'e
though diminishing the cost of sugar to t""keeP,,, for
in this country, they would at the same tirile,tecess': ,
revenue in such a manner as to prevent the
any continuance of the income-tax. per
Mr. GLADSTONE said that he might beethe the
by the House to speak on the amendment o,i' had '7„105'
Lord, both on account of the share he ha'„ Cyst loce,
decision to which Government had come ufe"„t offbee°
tion, and as he was most anxious, although !)- bad the
hich
to claim his share of the responsibility w- d seated'
incurred. He thanked both the Noble Ler, 010
gentleman who had just sat down, for the t°lloe
per they had manifested on that occasion-td whiteou'
that the Noble Lord and his supporters won' to tnersble
vocating their own opinions, yet give credit hoossel.
vernment, for not perhaps very high or verY h's is of
motives, but at least for having acted in suehs estl:t,be
as to render the charge of lukewarmness te frord is
the oppressed inapplicable to them. With ralte.isetasil,.
motion of the Noble Lord, he had to thank Geo' toe"
for submitting it in such a form. If the liolitiroog otr-
who had just sat down had no difficulty le rd, be each
and all of the propositions of the Noble rinieuying ete;
Gladstone) had equally little difficulty in "lie obleervea
and all of them.—(Laughter and cheers.)._ pre' Oa
first, that the distinction sought to ne oss,eoeo
between free-labour and slave sugar, 0 v
. op, e
sory and impracticable ; that it gave b,, its th
to the consumer; and'that the income DO, up°l;disi
tion was likely to be continued a ?burden shoulpte
country. With regard to the income-tax jug his iflid
ti de
very little; but lie could not help "pees. thav
nishment that the Noble Lord should abe,to.9ol of
exhibit so strong an opinion on the inanntbe Whid the
the Noble Lord expect a revolution in 13001;0
fortune ? Did he consider what parties tilt faelloble
reins of Government, and that that tax n 3 1g The yiefa
their doings three years hence ?—(Cheers.) bee ito
tip hi.
Lord said that the distinction kept ,ticsu,,,the
free labour sugar and slave sugar was iniP7os,oPorbich
untries goer
granted that the real and practical questio
they should exclude sugar from certain The 04,4
at present carried on an African slave true
9, our 0;
tion of the exclusion of sugar from arta ;;;e 3 !cos
might be principally confined to Cuba ea,,„. Gent,i,,t it
and one of the grounds on which the Pyre was epee'
founded his arguments against the meoll, there evioeof'
gave scope to the perpetration of frauds uifh,t gat,. or.
He was prepared to contend against. of souse iglu
The Hon. Gentleman quoted the opinzork Ivo e-40,-
porta r "
tlemen, that sugars from Surinam and„„ezuela (.)00
enter the country as the produce of v opin' jot'!"
to meet d tiler f nilla. Now it was impossible woul d o his
pressed in those general terms, and he
he gotta a rot:
request the Hon. Gentleman to
on thu_ooo.,
He would not ask the House to deal toortioll
opinion, in order that it might bgeivuentddeersteed s- valuv
of an opinion given in this loose and g
t_cof this P _oar
He last session went into the paranoia 5 ,tly OP; die
perm,
rut;
other sideh tru
of the subject, and he (Mr. Gladstone)
beret! that the Hon. Gentlemen on the.e of ttese_ii.,
Hcuse had expressed their full COny' jaa
g'otris
those lion. Gentlemen made use of very
mot ext f
of those assertions. During the discuss:L:lo,g lareatti.
nary law—such a law as was nevere
tti__;psdatiostsi:otr ore
in speaking of some law of Americabelre bes.rdllo_
law by which, through some strange 3"i
other, thl'thorit tie
payment made by one hand toms
countrY vl,O a °tail'
That was
to °lie;
pAamymereincat
ewfusaniyntrodduutycedwihnuttoevter.
t of the inlagt,tl_4ol
pthoeptpiluahr,liea
mmionsdt,tueluldinegeravreguthmeenptiurpaensearegfurp-arttoloirno
palmed on the credulity of tee public
believed t wou
that was a mere fabrication, a,figree and goo•oiori
men opposite, by
a purpose worm. Oen'
upon them and serve
ed
all of.
not be of any avail now.
heated interrupt
The Hon. Baronet was his appl
th
• „
some person,.aLirbe
Members opposite, who depre
.0y sal it
common report.
coadd not arta! wont e
Mr. GLADSTONE--He ated or' from Veils
whom the report
originated, b norniat • h the e.
and he had read it in the Et o
unient, which
ir case'
h wasd ceprrta7nalgy, atrd :.,Itsinn'aptehra.t 11110tionaL•
any rate, it was one of those a
rgfor proving t wbi
Gentlemen °nate had used. , question cos.
Bthuety
emsugar was illrrod, forels
li
sugar for under ir
ihnisthoiphsintoanttert.uu it was oroA,;ed,
sequence from whence the
thishOuwldastnuront, Lion
that
he (Mr. Gladstone) be
11 did not believe LI e
uld rbr
duties imposed last session
Cues and Brasil not
e_.
uNI Gladstone) Llie differ 179
countries would be readily introduced' est the be
troduction of sugar from
if tu 1,1
that Wloue-_,iog
a conviction
strata to expressthat
ealed
a paying transaction. He
it
tial duties were reP slavery mlisborled
ies wh svi
Joe 'rd gyp'`
the produce of those countries
Noble,, were ngditlast
found to give a stimulus. to
employed for its production.
decided feeseers
taS of
too. 10,
him ; there was in this coentreysadvan_vs of up
aware that common feeling and °Pull—
every thing that promoted h
t tlemen °PP°SI by she
the slave trade, Mon. Gen
ork ou- er
..1,1
they (C(/'''.
great national principle. But
politicalj dogma, and expected to w pep

400
i .
, ,