The Sun.
London, England, 1816-05-10 00:00:00

LLATHER TAX.

Lord Ar:rnoerT. apologized to the House for
Intruding two motions on them in the same neck.
He had only been induced to make the motion
Wild' he now took opon hitnself to bring for-
ward by.the circumstance of his
.own constir
tuenN being particularly interested in it. But
for he, in all probability, should not have
Ong pit himself forward in the business ; but at
the some time his feelings oit. the subject were
such, that into whatever hands this task had
Cillen, it would certainly have' had his most cot-
dint gupport, „Ile,tnost, undoubtedly,, have been
itaxioue f-tir tLe SUCCCii of such a MOtiOD) as he

considerea -the question, affecting as it ;lid otie
of the Staple commodities or the.country, to ha.
one Of no common importance. The taxes upon
Leather necessarily pressed on all classes in the
community. The poorest labourer in the country
felt it, and its effect own' trade, in which, as he
Vt' a S informed, aboht 500,000 persims were em-
ployed, deserved the.most auxions consideration
of Parliament. It was desirable that the Leather
Trade Should flourish at this period, when it might
en.riploy.many of those who had long been tight-
jog our battles. A friend of -his, Mr. Brunell,
had a large manufactory, in which not one per,
sou was employed who had not lost a Mal) iu the
service of his conotry. The trade was at present,
be was sorry to say, its tire lowest'state or
de-
pressiou. A view of the statements contained in
the nurnerous'petitions now on their table, to the
tr rah of Which, in many' instances, be could bear
testimony from iris own observation, Would este-
bliSh this fact. In various parts Ail the country.
ihoirSands bud been thrown on their parishes'for
support, front riot being able to obtain employ-
ment. No v, if he was, able to prove either
that the tax was the cause of this distress, or
that the taking it., off would remove the cala-
mity, or if he proved that the mode: of collect-
ing it constituted the evil so loudly complained
Of, iu tory one of:these eases, he thought. he should
established tile necessity of,rdieving the pe-
titioners from the pressure of this impost. The
Noble. Lord then .proceeded to liberty, Irmo the
comparative falling off in the tax in the two last
years, that the cohsumpt ion of leather mi.; dimi-
nished, and consequently the distress complained
of, occasioned by it. On the secohil point, to•
prove tire taking off the tax Would relieve the,
trade, he argued, that to remove the depression
now felt. it was necessary to increase the expor
tation trade. 'f he leather tax removehl, would
reduce the pride of leather. sixpence in the
pound, and this would enable the manufac-
three to, sell his shoes for a shilling a pair less.
•tli.tur he could do at present ; and thus reliev-
ed, he could find an easy St le for them.; in it •
foreign market, as the superiority of our ma,
torfactorers woalti enable thr:m to triumph over
any opposition. lie now came to. the. most ini
portant part of the subject, the mode of Collecting
the duties on 16ther. This he strewed to:be such
as tended to discontage the !borough tanning' of'
leather, as.the einder-tanned hides arid leather paid.
one-third less Allan thost2.properly tanned; The
rettrictions.which grew out of this eircunistanee
he proved to be highly. injurintis tO the trade..—.
Ile stated the single duty our feather. to Inive pro-
duced the sum. of 2-16.5201. The double duty
then ought to have given 493,0101. The actual
produce, however, fell short by very considera-
ble stint of what it might have beers expected to
be, on such a calculation. The number of ox
hides consumed by the tanner, he stated to have;
been considerably diminished, and be looked for
a decrease on the ditties paid in the present year.
The stock of the tanner being kept its hand a con-
ideraLle time, be might estimate the leather I»a»
Iltifiletured in the present year, from the hides
added to the Tanner's stock in the last, and the
leather manulactured in the last, flout the' bidet.)
taken by tire Tanner in the year before the last.
Tire hides in process of being tanned were—

In 1814
In 1315
From this it would be seen there was a failing off
010,1,695. The weight of each hide wad on the
average about 261 b. and thus it would be seen that.
rthont 6,626,0701bs- of leather 'would be Mann'.
factored less than formerly. On this, however,
and on the decline of the duty, he was not dis-
poted to lay tuueli stress, as, if its produce Were
double what it had been,he should still be opposed
to an impost so injurious to the trade of the coun-
try. Ile concluded by moving, 't That leave he
gyento bring in a Bill to repeat the Duties on
Leather.".

MEM. SMITH rose to support the motion of
his Noble Friend. He had no hesitation in con
sintering that it was a serious evil, in the present
state of the country, to take off a tax which"pro-
dttcctl 600,0001, unless there was some adequate
means for reimbursing the- Exchequer to this.
amount. He believed the restrictions on the 1111.,
nufacture of Leather to be extremely prejudiciaL
It would be easy to impose 's tax upon Raw Hides,
withont any stamp, 4,ltich would produce nearly
as much as the Taxon.Leat her. For this purpose
he wankl propose the imposition Of a tax of three
•shillings on each raw ltide, and a penalty of 30.
or 401. It would Myter be worth any tanner's
while to try to save so small a sum as' 3s. at the

risk of ' losing 401. The mount of hides anninflly
tanned in -the kingdom was three millions, which,
at a. duty ,of even 21. a-piece, would produce
300;0001. to the revenue; and at 3s. 400;000L

Thus there would remain a deficiency of 200,0001.;
but then IM did not think that the Immense ad-
vantages to the country, which would be obtained

by the removal of the present restrictions on the
manufacture, would be dearly purchased at the
price of 200,0001. Although be:had the utmost
respect for the authority of. the Chancellor of the
Exchequer on this subject, on account of the su-
perior sources of information to which he hat)

access, )et the present system, by throwing the
monopoly of titti leathertratleinto the 11}111(13 of a

tev., gir.ai tanners, and these being of course very
much interested in maintaining their monopoiy,
would he very urgent in their applicatious to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose opinions
would thus be much t.ortitiell- by having on his
side persons engaged in the leather trade.. In the
view of the sutiect which he (Mr. Smith) took,
it would be much better to give up only half
of the tax at present imposed, awl to /hike the
.alteration which he had mentioned in the -mode
of imposing the other half.
The CuetNcet.Lott of the EXCITEIIURR.---'fbe
opinions of lion. Members on this question seem-
ed to be very much framed according to-local in-
terests, and to snit the feelings of their Consti-
tuents. But the Noble Lord, whose motion was

before the House, had argued the question as it
concerned the interests of the nation at large.—
If going on this grouted, the- Noble Lord had

moved that a Coma there should be appointed,' to
which the Petitions which had been presented to'
the House might be refthed, he would hs've Made
no opposition to such a motion ; because-when
so many sp.plications WC0:1 wade W FArlifiukeut

front ail harts of the kingdom as there, bad been i Mr. Ctiawate
of his Constituents-
on this subject, the utmost attention was tin- 1 a large and respectable body
felt himself
. ,
having presented a Petition froth
doninedlY (hie to these Petitions, and it was the 1 against the 'lax in queition,hfeelNt
olikireszlofnciapleleid.
duty of- the. House to inqUire into the facts of the 1 upon to say a few words... 1f t N.
.•
_.„
case. Tf.a ComMittee Was appointed, he was sure l severed in his motion, he would. find himself.,
that the result of their inquiry would be to re-14 obliged to vote for the motion, but at the same:
commend some 'measure far different from the ; time be was compsNetho allow•that theproeosat
motion of the Noble Lord ; because it would be : of the .Chancellor of the Exchequer was very fair,
felt proper to preserve every branch of the reve- and he owned be did feed an inclination to go into
nue, the operation Of which was not prejudicial to 1 the Committee.
the interests tit the country. .As to the proposi- Mr. Itoseee--When restrictions on any !stench
tion for Modifying-the duty proposed ()yids Hon.' iof trade were complained of, _certainly the proper
Friend (Mr. W. !....ailith), it wee one which might i course was to appoint a Committee to inquire into
dteeeve consideration.. lnde.ed he recollected that the facts. for his own part,. he admitted that rite
stone suefiniCasure hail been proposed to the COM.' ' restrictions on the leather trade were very incon-
mittee which sat in 1813 to inquire into the re- 1 yenieot; but not such as to be sufficient reason
strictions on the Leather trade. If the. Hon. 1 for giving up so large a part of the revenue ; at
Gentlemen however, .0 ight ifsprOper to hott,i- :•theeamatime he thought the best plun•Was to' in.
, 1 to, _
.tote an eolithy into tf e. subject at this time, with' quire into the facts.. • .
a view to the propose] of such an alteration inA Sir JOSEPH Yoata only wished to observe, that
the duty, he could only say, that he would be i even if the Noble kiord's motion was agreed to,
pet reedy agreeable to concur in such an inquiry, i he did not think it was at all certain that we
and to assist it by every means in his power.— should walk with cheaper shoes: He Made tine
One of the arguments' (teed by the Noble Lord in observation merely because he thought the inte-
faeopr of his =thin was an alltiSion to the dii- , rest of the consumer Should not he quite over.
tressed state of the Leather Trade. But then the - looked by the House.
Noble Lord had, at the saute time, it; a great de- 1 Mr. S. THORNTON said a very few words ie fa.
tree auswered himself. as to this point, .by notic- your of going into the COmmittee, and wished this
lug that-all the other branches of trade were at Noble Lord to withdraw his motion.
this time iii an equally distressed state. The fact = Mr. THompsoN eotlillhi;oell
_very much of the
was, that the trade its Leuther only bore its share • restrictions on the Leather Trade. the tax ha
in the general depressiou. The Leather trade cer- considered very nneqeal in its pressure. He I'
teioly was one which perhaps of all others was the proved sery much of the proposal for appointing
most liable to he suddenly and severely affected by a Committee, and hoped that a Bill would be .
• a revulsioo of Prices.sech.as that which bed re- brought in -this Session for the relief of thoie CO.'s.,
• cently taken place. The cause of this was 'the : gaged in the Leather Trade. , .
great quantity of Leather which Goeernmeot ye"- Mr. CARTWRIGHT' spoke in favour of the mo•-
(tithed to Jake up in coos tact for the supply of the , thin. By removing the taxes on leather a !par .-.
army during war. lithe Honse would agree to,ap- . would be given to the friar, which would pro•
point such n Committee us diet Which he had men- duce-a beneficial effect on the
dolled, , and it that Committee were to enter upoi'a! • .Me. Bp.ooxe said, he sheidal support the ritnende,
the imp uy with candour and 'iMpartialhy, the went, ,becatise be thought that in a Conoaittie.:
.result would be very notch .'to denim-di , that : the question would be much narrowed.. Ile hoped.' '
impression which a good deal existed ou this sub- every assistance would be given to the leather',
.ject,. and which the Noble Lord bad'in the course ; manufacturers, consistently %silk Cx advantage 'et'
Of -his speech endeavoured to increase. The Noble ' the revenue.
-
Lord had. enlarged upon the evils which haul, been Mr. Pntettes observed that the Report of the'
.caused by the rtstriciions•hoposed on the Leather '. Committee which sat in 1813 sufficiently proved.
menufacture, Bee did.the, Noble Lord recollect .•
the evil of the restrictions,- and unless, therefore,
that manew restrictions bad been imposed upon it''''' the Chancelhir of the Exchequer was prepared to
since, she time of Qacen Anne. Nose', as to the say that she restrictions which were neeeSsary in '
way.in which these restrictions operated toalis- • 1813 were not necessary notv, he really cohld not
courage the manufacture, he only begged leave,to see what advantage would be derived front another
refer. to the facts. Under ail invite restrictions, ComMittee.
e•
during the last 60 pars—tbat was to.saetesinee 1 . The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHSRUZR said, thas.,,.
,the: year 1754, the manufacture had tioubled.----.. his ohject in proposing a Committee,. was to obe„.
(Hear, hear !)—As to the argitmeet which the• fain all the informatiOn which could be hied, as ta•
Noble Lord had attemptedd to found upon the the practicability of raising a revenue on. hidess.
aliment of our imports, he maintained that it had without those restrictions. He should go into
totally failed. The fact WaS, that the political , the Committee with every disposition candidly to-
distractions-in South America bed naturally (HMI- , receive any plans that might be proposed, and ha, •
nished the amount of 'Out imports fr.titit -the River , had no dOubt • a remedy might be • found, where,
.Plate. But the Noble Lord,liad left' several itii- . there Was a sincere desire toseck for one. ' ' '"'
portant points quite untouched, He had .gahl no- . Lord MILTON thought that no adequate revea,.
thing of the effect which. the removel of the tax . nue could be raised without the restrictions', tine
would have. upon the iolerest,of theconsimier.— ' opinion which he believed was also entertained by,'
It could not„ on this part
,of the subject, but be : the 'lliglit -Hon. Gentleman, and that the real obl
satisfactory to notice,. that since 1812, -when the : jcct in appointing the CoMmittee, was Merely tie'
tax upon Leather hash been increased, the_ price of lull ehe petitioners into security, ' and takesedvan",,
the artiche haul fallen lower than it.se*!S before the tege of their relaxation. He should eertainly,,voil
increase on, the' ditty. 11 the prices cat the tome- for the motion of his Noble Friend.. ,
..
risk used by taunters had not also (ellen, of course, I islr: LUSIIINGToN supported the amendment„',
by'ilits decrettsee of price in the commodity, E and Mr. METHUEN and Sir J. NEWFoRT the ori4
. ,
they must have been great dosere. :Berk, which gloat motion.
was one olthe principal materiele used, by their,. ' Mr. rMA R RYATT thought there might Ise soma
had fallen in price about fifteen per cent. The I means devised of continuing the tak, and taking
price of 160'4, ten, had fulleu,aholit.. twenty, per i off the restrictions, which were tench more rniue
cent. One restift, from the iequiriea made by the ohs than the tax itself. • •
Committee of 1813, seasethat even, if the whole; Mr. Wee, $141711 thought that something. might
tax upon Leather s repealed,, the enntiouance.. be pitted hyping into the CemMittee, and
'of the restrictions upon the manufacture .would ' thefefore rote for the amendment.
still he ithsoletely necessary.
.I.i'teding a moet a General GatcOtritea-fUllowed on the same side.
.... , •
aexunis appreheesitm that if the hot se went on; Mr. BENsoN maintained that the trade was iii
repealinl taxes, troru merely,feeliogeleet it wapiti. it most ruinous condition, and thought that the
'be eonvenieut to by relieved from themeit svould be removal of the tesWetions would
,46
.still: grt etec
a most thingerotts,prectice, ,that it would tend
..to: good than that of the duty.
rein public credit and. destroy all the means
~of ' 'Mr. noises' was understood to wish to suP4.
publiesecority, .lie could not but oepose. the mo- port the Noble 'Lord's motion. If it failed ie
tom of .the Noble. Lord. He concheled by nitsv-. Would beeline to :..;0 iuto a Committee. -
iog as tin amendment, " That 0 Committee ahnuld Mr. PHOTHRROR :vas 011derSIO0d to speak in fee
be appointed to consider the state of the Leather voilr of tote moiine. - '
manufaatere, and .of the. laws rehiting thereto." • : Lord Avemoaea shOrtli• replied :be ••te If pei sts e ,
LoedeCONlertite, as- h(! ito ended to , vote Joe , in his motion, as; were a Committee •appointed,
night for the repeal, of the .Leather Tax, foaled it it Would be too late in the: Session to bring iraoy.'
necesstery.to expleio lite gromols on which he measure.
would do so, and the more. especially as. he was i ' Alr. P. Lewis wished the House to give leave
one of I hose who
.ha(l voted its favour of the Ine to briog in the Bill; tied then to go into the Cont..
come 're*.., . might be thonght, perhaps, some-, mictee if it thought proper.: That cons se feud al.'
• what ieconsistent, that he .who had voted in fee l ready been adopted with respect to the Insolvena
your ot thv Income:l' 9( should now vote against Debtors* Act. If a Conamittee were. appointed;
that in qiiestion ; lint he could state,sotne pretty means would be ehewn of preserving Ilse half mil-
stroog.reasons to thew that- there was no ineon- lion of revenue, and removing at die sinte tins;
sistelicy in his conduct. He believed that the. ree. this ebooxious fax
Tit Howe atm divided. -•
Far the t;rigmwia:jasotrtitituhyeesfatoiroantrptairainetuednid:
peal of this tax .wOuld oot produce any loss ..to
the revenue., His Fight Hon. Yriend (the„Chape : •
It
cdfOr of .the Exchequer) had said, that the fall' - • For the amendment ~ -
' ei'---5.1215". .
,
~„ oliernfiva
of price in leather, since 1812,, wise. a proof that .
, AiltC'.°Lmt.'lliTirteree.eTote obtained leave to brie g, in ei
the .tax, had produced .no bad effecteto -the mole. • e
• Bill to prevent the issuing and circulation.on
But_then it. was evident, that this fall sees owing
.ttitl;llllll:ust'icortyi
of the
tsutitlitiietioolfl,- I. h,e.ehttt.attulex—ittioitstehief itqces. of copper or other metal nsualy calcd
was one to which there was. the .greatest, possible
OTTESLEY obtained leave tn.brings iin'atilit
notectoms. lodhettrst Owe., it 'vas verY expels
last
to ,exPla
,•-.. . • ~
in and tend an Act passed, in the
- Bill
Session for ;be Abolition of Gaol. Fees, T4i;
eive he collecting e secondly, it fell upon the poorer:, lan
woe broughtins . read a first time, and ordered
classes of society inoreehan,upon the tich.; thirdly,.. -
it pressed chiefiyon agricultute ; ,fourthly„ it -was. I
fora second reading on Monday next,„.,. : e : eei
local ill it,; isressure. He.thought his Rie,ht Hort.
Friend was too late ,in proposing-a Committee l.ll e 'C"I4qE-10LPA of Abe --E2tau#sau,s.a.
.thoyast
an earlier pee
upoo the subject. It, would, have been mach,
better for -him to heve proposed it at that all the, Petitions peesentedto
.thy; ;Hut
main .t the faßatliec.:l:las beTefgrmd to the COO3l
~rind of the . Forbis- own part, he wale as, :mittee on that subject.—Aereed to.. .:..T. , .eat
anxious.as any num to support ,the,financial sys- The Bank aestriction..Bill was read a third time
tent of the country; and. of this he. had given' .11114"8"d" ' - •' - '‘; - ' - •
„. . .
. proofs. But .the very pound, on
.which he sup. day.
Colonel WOOO gave notice, drat. on Wednet4
;poeted the present motion was, that it
.vyas advis- ay nest he should, move fora Committee :to iitiff
,able .in a financial point of view, .lle had
no qeire into the propriety of Legalizing the Sale of
doubt that if the tax was removed,. the effect, hie. ' ' '' ' ' ~,•s
would lee in the end to produce, a great 'net ettse '
~ The Irish Malt Ditty, the.iriah.Stamp DOTI'
to the revenue;. whereese if the tax were ~eonei., Repeal, and the Irish Vearths Duty Amendment
lined, the effect svotitcj be that our whole. Conti.-- Bills - were, brought in by Mr. V. .Frreoefteesis'-
tiental tredein Leather would be lost for ever.- 11eattl:a first time,• and ordered for a second read-.
11ewould only add,
,that, whateeer reilif was to' incto-tuorrow. - , : .
. , e a ai / • l,
be given to those engaged iu the Leather Trade eMreV. /.i.ll..ziteann presented Papers from Oa
(and it was eygued on all hends.ciltat'snutereliet 40erd of Custotns,in Ireland, respecting Seizures.-
wee ore scar it was of the tonieit Itriportance ' Ordered to lie on the table.—•Adjoorned. e.......a.ee:•
quick should he speedile,soletipitered ;' hoot the j
Ameodment was eye eed teue• Hod the o,mielettee ,
_appointc:h,it wotdd opleietemea lters'Zif time:
The C:iwiqui,.t.ott of th,e E4SHEitti sit c 1 • d
'e • - soe- .a--.-- -, NP allte ,

,ONI)t)N Print yJ.B, eA RST I as, No. 7, crash:
buildings; anti published by IV. A. SCRIPS, ul Brixtoßtt
at the XtrN-Orrice, Na. 112, StrAtid ; IC:4re Advtrtisvt
went:, Or4trs3 Listterrs (post-pairl),&c, to tut hu 1444014'