The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-19 00:00:00

SUGAR DUTIES.

On Friday evening last Sir Robert Peel stated that the
consumption of sugar during 1844 had been 207,000 tons ;
he also admitted that, although 10s. per cwt. protection to
British sugar was the sum named last session, yet the protec-
tion had been practically 10s. 6d. per cwt. Since the admis
sion of free• labour sugar to the home use—that is to say, that
during the debate last sessien—the question was treated as
though the duties were 245. to 345. per cwt., and therefore
the difference only 10s.; but the fact of adding 5 per cent. to
these duties, made the one 255. 3d., and the other 355. 6d.
per cwt., conferring the protection of 20 guineas a ton for
the benefit of the British sugar producers. Now, 207,000
tons are 4,140,000 cwt., which at 10s. 6d. per cwt. exactly
demonstrates the amount of this protectioa, and that amount
is no less than 2,173,5004, being more than the value of the
sugar itself before charges accrue on it. What says Sir
Robert Peel this session ? He announces that he proposes to
reduce the duties on all sugars, maintaining, though, the
difference. of 10s. 6d. in favour of British sugars; and he
expresses a hope that such reduction of duty will augment
the consumption of sugar in the course of the year from
207,000 tons to 250,000 tons—which are 2,500,000 cwt., at
10s. 6d. per cwt., the cost of protection. By this operation
he expects to lose 1,300,000/, but the consumers will have to
pay to the British sugar producers 2,625,0004 the amount of
their protection. Sir Robert further thinks, that abstracting
from the pockets of the public indirectly, through the opera-
tion of the differential duties, the enormous sum of 2,625,0001.
is not enough for the people to lose in these days of prosperity ;
he therefore proposes to continue the obnoxious income-tax
for three years longer, in order that he may reimburse the
contemplated loss to the revenue of 1,300,000/. The people
are first of all to be fleeced out of 2,625,000/, for the benefit of
a particular class, and then to be worried and annoyed by a
vexatious and inquisitorial income-tax, with a view to make
good a deficit in the revenue of 1,300,000/,, occasioned entirely
by the crafty plan in which the sugar duties are arranged.
Now, let us glance at the party for whom this tremendous
sacrifice is to be made. First of all, let us look at the sugar
producers in the East Indies—do they need protection ?
Assuredly not I The cheapness of labour and the fertility
of the soil in those possessions will notoriously enable the
planters to compete successfully with other sugar- producing
countries. Secondly, do the planters in the Mauritius require
a protecting duty of 103. 6d. per cwt. ? For years past they
have, by employing the labour of the East Indies, participated
in its cheapness ; they consequently require no protection.
Thirdly,'
.the West Indians—do they deserve protection ?
they who have already cost the mother country so much—
they who never did, and probably never will, be able to
make sugar so cheaply, or so well, as other colonists between
the tropics—and who now enjoy the bad pre-eminence of
shipping to Europe the very worst manufactured sugar that
enters the European markets ? And yet it is for their sakes
that the consumers of sugar in Great Britain will have to
pay protection money, if Sir Robert Peel succeeds in carrying
out his proposition, to the tune of two million six hundred
and twenty-five thousand pounds, and be saddled with a
most vexatious tax (the income-tax) into the bargain.
And these things are allowed to pass in the enlightened
days of 1845

4, THE SUN" EXTRAORDINARY
jEXPRESSES.

• THE BUDGET.
FROM THE PRIVATE SECRETARY OF TILE LORD LIEU-
TENANT OF IRELAND TO MR. JOHNSTON, EDEN-QUAY,
DUBLIN.

" Castle, Feb. 17.
" Mr. A'Court is touch obliged to Mr. Johnston for
his attention in sending for his Excellency's information
the Extraordinary Edition of The Sun, on Saturday
evening."

FROM THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL OF IRELAND, THE
RIGHT HON. T. F. 'KENNEDY, TO MR. JOHNSTON,
EDEN-QUAY.
___ _

" Treasury Chambers, Feb. 17.
"Mr. Kennedy presents his compliments to Messrs.
Johnston and Co., and begs leave to offer his best
thanks for sending, him an Express copy of The Sun on
Saturday evening. "

From the Dublin Morning Freeman's Journal of Mon.
day, the 17th instant.)
UNPARALLELED TRIP TO LONDON AND
BACK.

" Mr. Johnston, of Eden-quay, left his office on Thurs-
day, at five minutes to six o'clock, for London, for an
Express of The Sun newspaper, with Sir Robert Peel's
financial statement, where he arrived at six o'clock on
Friday evening ; left London with the Express at nine
o'clock, containing eight columns and a half of the state-
ment printed in The Sun up to the close. The Premier
having sat down at ten minutes past eight o'clock, after
occupying the House of Commons exactly three hours
and a ball, and Mr. J. arrived back with the Express
at Eden-quay at five minutes past six o'clock on Satur-
day evening, being absent forty-eight hours ten minutes,
travelling in that time upwards of 700 miles, including
three hours' delay in Liverpool, and three hours and -a-
halfin London.

" We received the Express Edition of The Sun from
Mr. Johnston on Saturday evening at a quarter past six
o'clock."
Acknowledgments of receiving the Extraordinary
Edition of last Friday's Evening Sun, appear in the
Dublin Times, Saunders' News Letter, and Monitor of
Monday, in an equally rapid manner througk Mr.
Johnston.

THE BUDGET.—Tho spirited proprietor of The Sun
newspaper, by an Extraordinary Express, conveyed to
Mr. Horn, of this town a Fourth Edition of that paper
of Friday evening last, containing upwards of eight
columns of Sir Robert Peel's speech on the Budget, and
which we received on Saturday morning, an hour before
the Post-office delivery.—Newcadle Advertiser.

FIRE IN THE WESTMINSTER-BRIDGE-ROAD.--
About a quarter before two o'clock this morning a very alarming fire
broke out on the premises occupied by Mr. Thomas Wright, book-
seller and stationer, No. 42, Westminster-bridge-road, near the
Orphan Asylum. The flames were first perceived by a policeman,
who while pursuing his beat observed a bright reflection through the
- fanlight over the Shop door. An alarm was instantly given, and
after the lapse of some minutes, during which the fire made rapid
progress about the lower part of the premises, the only person
sleeping In the house was aroused, and in a state of comparative
nudity, with considerable difficulty effected his escape into the street.
The engines were sent for on the first alarm being given, and two
being stationed in the Waterloo-road, a very short time elapsed before
they were on the spot. There was, however, as usual on the Surrey
side of the bridges, a lamentable delay in the supply of water, and
great fears were entertained that the fire would extend its ravages to
the adjoining houses. By the very excellent management of the
firemen, when enabled to work, this calamity was happily prevented,
and, indeed, the upper portion of the premises was also saved from
destruction. The whole of the stock and furniture in the lower floors
was entirely destroyed. The origin of the fire could not be ascer-
tained, but it was supposed to have originated in the shop, probably
from an escape of gas. Police-constable Stratford, 50 L, at the
imminent risk of his life, when the door was opened by the party who
escaped, rushed up stairs, and searched each room, with a view to
extricate any person that might have been sleeping therein. The
poor fellow on his, return to the street was much exhausted, and
his intrepid conduct was rewarded by the cheers of the assembled
crowd.

SUDDEN DEATH.—Mr. W. R. Barber, an ex-
ceedingly promising young man, twenty-two years of age, third son
of the Rev. J. R. Barber, M.A., minister of St. Paul's, Vauxhall,
and chaplain of Lambeth Union, arrived at Preston, in Lancashire,
in which town and neighbourhood he had business to transact as
agent for a wholesale house in London, and, before retiring to rest
on Monday evening, requested to be called in the morning, as he had
to proceed further by the railway. Mrs. Newton, at whose house ho
had been in the habit of stopping whenever he visited Preston, pre-
pared his breakfast, as usual, on Tuesday morning, and having
went
into at his door several times without receiving any answer,
into his room and found him quite dead.
CHEESE AND BREAD SELLERS.—" How can you
think of coining to set up in opposition to me In the mine street? I
have been here alone thirty years ; nobody has opposed the ; and, I
assure you, it has been as much as ever I could do to get a living. I
think such as I ought to be protected." "My answer to you is this,
that when prices are reduced, and good articles sold, people will be
attracted to the street, instead of being driven elsewhere, and there
will be plenty to do for us both. lour articles have been dear, your
shop dirty, and your customers uncivilly treated. Your not having
made money has arisen chiefly from want of opposition. You will
see, when I start, the people will be better used, and we shall both do
better than you have done with all the street to yourself."—Not a
bad illustration of agricultural protection and fregloni.—VieStruge.