The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, _MARCH 8, 1845.

cause it was only reasonable that the public should know what
the money was really for.
The amendment was then withdrawn.
Mr. HOGG rose, not for the purpose of entering into a dis-
cussion upon the course the Gsyerninent now proposed to
pursue, but to express his concurrence in the alterations the
Right Honourable Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer had made in his resolutions. He originally
objected to the rule the Government wished to establish
of ascertaining the quality cf sugar wi'hout reference
to its colour. The Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of
the Exchequer had since consented to fall in with his views, and
ho had only now to thank that Right Hon. Gentleman for the
attention he had paid to his suggestions. He had communicated
the alteration to the Committee of the East India and China
Association, from which it would be remembered he presented
a petition to the House some short time age on the subject,
and he was happy to say they were perfectly satisfied with the
measure as it now stood. With regard to the practicability of
working the measure, he thought that part of the matter ought
to be left to the Government.
Mr. C. WOOD wished the whole of the correspondence
which had taken place between the Government and the Bra-
zilian authorities to be laid on the table of the House. The
Right Hon Gentleman contended that one rate of duty ought
to be applied to all sugars, and that no distinction ought to be
made on account of saccharine matter, granulation, or colour.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that there
would be no difficulty in making the classification with respect
to white clayed sugar, as it was a commodity well known.
Mr. F. BARING did not expect that there would have
been a classification during the present year. He had always
been in favour of the classification of sugar, considering it a sys-
tem that would ultimately he beneficial. He thought the quali-
fication by far the best mode. The duties were generally ad
valorem, but the greatest inconvenience arose from that. He
should be very glad if the Chancellor of the Exchequer would
give the House a short estimate of the benefit he hoped to de-
rive from the ditties he now proposed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that his
original expectation was that a greater quantity of the higher
classes of Java sugar would he introduced into the country.
There had, however, been no opportunity at present to bring it
to the test, as no vessel had arrived from Manilla.
Sir W. CLAY said that all the orders which had been sent
out by merchants:to Java and Manilla were orders for a higher
quality of sugar, for which, therefore, the higher duty would be
paid. In compliment to the Hon. Member for Beverley the
Government had partly given up the test of colour, but the
explanation given by the Hon. Gentleman had not removed
the difficulty.
After a few words from Mr. C. WOOD, which were inaudible
in the gallery,
Mr. GLADSTONE said the roasin why the principle of
discrimination had been given up before was, not because it
was impracticable, but because the mode of discriminating was
glaringly unjust. The effect of that mode was, that low sagars,
which had undergone filtration, often had a high duty imposed
on them, while upon many excellent sugars a low duty was
charged. It appeared from the returns of the United States
that a considerable quantity of sugar entered there
at a higher rate of duty, and this proved that the
principle of discrimination could not be carried out.
The fact was conclusive as to the possibility of establishing a
discriminating duty. It was as yet altogether matter of conjec-
ture what foreign sugar would he introduced into this country.
Mr. HUME did not know whether the Hon. Member for
Beverley had read the paper put into their hands a few days
ago. The words of the Act of George IV. were, " clayed or
otherwise refined sugar, so as to be equal to the quality of re-
fined sugar." These were the words demanded by the Hon.
Member the other evening, and now conceded to him ; but he
did not believe that they would remove the difficulty. Who
was to say whether sugar was cloyed or not cloyed? Was the
party to be a custom-house officer, a refiner, or a generul
trader ? The volume to which he had referred pointed
out the grossest contradictions on the part of men
who were the best informed on the subject.
R' hat conclusion had they come to ? That " they deemed
it right to state the great difficulty existing in obtaining an
unbiassed opinion on the question of fact, which sort of sugar
should pay the higher, and which the lower, rate of duty. As
to sugar that had undergone any process for the purpose of
discharging it of its impurities, and making
it equal to clayed
sugar, it appeared impracticable to put in force the Act of the
Ist of Geo. IV., and that the only course was to repeal that
Act and impose one rate of duty." The whole of the volume
pointed oat the utter impossibility of levying the duty. The
owners of cargoes continually asked to know what they had
to pay. Scarcely a cargo was introduced that did not pay the
lower duty, a bond being taken for the payment of the dif-
ference, if it was found necessary ; in some cases the higher
duty was paid to escape delay. If this was the case
where there was only one distinction taken, he asked
the Honourable Member for Beverley what he could ex-
pect under a plan so much more complicated? In compliance
with the recommendation:of the Cemmissioners, that distinction
was withdrawn, and from that day to this there had been no
trouble at all. He had thought that the Right Hon. Baronet,
in the simplification he was introducing into the Custom-house
business of the country, would have considered more carefully
the complicated plan he now proposed. He could not agree
with the Hon. Member for Beverley as to the classification of
sugars, unless it could be done in a manner that could not be
mistaken. They might draw fine distinctions, but he (Mr.
Hume) did not like these lines drawn between night and day.
They,would have different distinctions drawn in London, Liver-
pool, and Bristol, and the whole plan would be impracticable
to earry oat ; he regretted that so complicated a scheme should
have been introduced. No two dealers would agree en one
line of distinction, and the consequence would be, that
some cargoes would be stopped, and some would be allowed
to pass, thus producing utter confusion. When any
doubt existed, they ought to encourage the importation
of the best article, but these regulations would discourage the
introduction of the highest qualities; he regretted that the
Government should have gone against the recommendation of
their own officers. He would rather take the opinions founded
on their experience, than try any new; experiment ; he could
only enter his protest against it. He had no objection to a
revenue being raised on sager, provided it went into the
Exchequer, but he did object to the indefinite premium and
advantage that were given to particular interests. He thought
that protection ought to be given to the West Indies, till they
could be supplied with labour, or they would be unjustly
treated. But there was no reason why this protection should
be extended to the Mauritius and the East Indies; they could
already command labour, and stood in a different position.
He wished the Right Hon. Baronet had stated distinctly what
was the amount of protection he would give, and then they
would know what they had to trust to. He hoped the Hon.
Member for Beverley would find reasons for the satisfaction
he had expressed with the proposals of her Majesty's Go-
vernment.

Mr. HOGG said the Hon. Member for Montrose had ex-
pressed astonishment that he should be satisfied with the plan
of the Government. He did not understand what ought to
be the measure of Parliamentary contentment ; the standard
might be as difficult to ascertain as that of the qualities of
sugar. He had made certain objections to the manner of
levying the duties on sugar, and the Government had been kind
enough to attend to those objections and to remove the cause
of them. The Hon. Gentleman was astonished that he (Mr.
Hogg) should be satisfied and should hold his tongue. He had
heard of parties in a case, who having judge and jury with
them, by their impudence in talking, had turned both
against them. He believed he had the House with
hire, he had got the Government with him, and
that being the case he was perfectly content.
It was proposed that the duties should be taken according to
quality, but as this appeared likely to lead to great discussion,
he, to guard against that difficulty, proposed that the word
quality should not be left to the caprice of Custom-house
officers, but rhould be defined by the Act of Parliament, to be
founded on three elements, colour, percolation, and the amount
of saccharine matter. This had been adopted ; the whole of
the difficulty arose from this, that the Custom-house officers
persevered in asserting that all sugars from the East Indies
that had gone through a certain process of percolation by which
they were freed from molasses, were liable to the higher duty;
all the difficulty had arisen from the dogged adherence of the
Custom-house officers to this practice of charging the higher
duties on sugar that had undergone any purifying process.
4ir R. PEEL said he had been surprised by ono of the ob-
servations made by the Hon. Member for Montrose. He in-
ferred that the Hon. Member thought it desirable protection
should be granted to the West Indian colonies, for some time at
least, till they could be provided with the means of commanding
labour, as they were placed in a peculiar difficulty, to which
the East Indies were not liable. A protection might, therefore,
be claimed by the West Indies, which could not with equal
justice be extended to the East Indies. Then the Hon. Mem-
ber must revert to the practice under which different rates of
duty were applied to West Indian and East Indian produce. Ile
did think, till the Hon. Member for Montrose declared that
there ought not to be any distinctive duties, it had been almost
the unanimous opinion of the House that the produce of the
West Indies should have some protection. Bat the Hon.
Member now seemed to advocate a return to that practice under
which differential and discriminating duties were levied on
West and East Indian produce. He thought the Hon. Gentle-
man who sat below the Hon. Member would be rather sur-
prised at that doctrine. The lion. Gentleman had an objection
to discriminating duties, but he said, if they could establish a diffe-
rential rate of duty on the higher and lower qualities of tea, then the
principle of a discriminating duty would be perfectly just.
Well, but the Government was about to apply that prin-
ciple. He had never concealed the difficulties of the
case ; he had stated them the ether night, and the interval
that had occurred since then had been employed by them
in inquiring of the most experienced Government
officers, whether this principle of a discriminating duty, with
respect to the qualities of sugar, could be carried out. Tho
opinion of these officers was that they ought not to abandon
these discriminating duties. After considerable experience
they said there would be nice shades of quality, which
might create some difficulty, but that after some prac-
tice with respect to the great bulk of sugars imported,
there would be no such difficulties as would be found in-
superable. Almost every Honourable Gentleman who
had spoken, had admitted the principle of discriminating
duties was not unjust. If they abandoned it now for an
equal rate of ditty, ho belieied they could never revert to it
again. They were about to make a considerable change in the
sugar duties, and the experiment must be tried immediately, if
. .

it was to be tried at all. If they abandoned the discriminating
duties" now, they could not revert to it on a future oceasion.
Therefore, on the whole, the Government had decided that
the experiment ought to be tried, because they believed the
principle was a good one, and because the best experience
proved that the difficulties attending its operation might be
overcome. In Bristol, Liverpool, and London, the greater
quantity of the sugar consumed in this country was
landed. A small sleantity was brought into the Clyde, but the
greatest amount, not less than four•tifths of the whole, was im-
ported into those three ports. Liverpool was now within ten
hours of London, and by bringing the officers of these ports
into close communication with each other, they hoped it would
be possible to establish a unity of action, and conduct the exa-
mination of the sugars in such a manner that the trade would
not be subjected to great injury. Thst was the conclusion the
Government had drawn from the inquiries they had made since
the subject was last under the consideration of the House.
The preponderance of practical opinions was decidedly in favour
of a trial of the experiment. He thought the House would
have inferred front the general course of this debate, that opi-
nion was in favour of trying the experiment. He could not
help thinking, too, that a great change was to be made in
carrying on this manufacture, by the application of new
machinery, greater skill, and fresh capital. They seuld not
judge of the future state of this trade by the past.
Sir WILLIAM CLAY thought the Right Honourable
Baronet was bound to show some grounds for these
differential duties. Ho thought the House and the
country had a right to expect this. Seeing that the
prime cost of sugar was not more than 108. per cwt., it was
too much to impose a duty equal to 100 per cent, on the prime
cost. He thought this was neither just to the people of
England, nor prudent to the colonies themselves. He believed
the time was fast approaching when British India would settle
the question as to the comparative productiveness of slave and
free labour. He believed that British India would produce
far more than enough to make up any deficiency that might
take place in the supply of sugar from the colonies.
Amid loud cries of " divide, divide," the Honour-
able Baronet proceeded to say that he believed that this
endeavour of the Government had only reference to purposes
of revenue, but he believed that those purposes would be
served better by the adoption of his ( Sir W. Clay's) plan. His
object was to impose a duty of only 4s. Bd. per cwt., which
was equal to 41. 13s. 4d. a ton, and by the adoption of this plan,
no less a sum would be saved to the consumers in this
country than 1060,000/. The Right Hon. Gentleman the
Chancellor o f (Exchequer bad said that he wished to apply

the whole of the experiment, that it was necessary to look at
the matter in its full bearing, and as it affected every variety
of interest. He (Sir W. Clay) was anxious_ that that sys-
tem should be tried, and he was confident that if applied to
sugar it would be found to prove the truth of his position, and
give a great boon to the consumer, without in the slightest de-
gree injuring the revenue, or increasing the price to the con-
sumer. By the experiment of putting a duty of 4s. BcL on
sugar a benefit would be derived to the revenue, without im-
posing any additional burden on the consumer, and this he
thought was the best mode of protection, and he, therefore,
proposed it as an amendment.—( Loud cries of " Divide, divide.")
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
while he could not but allow the value of the labours of
the lion. Baronet, yet he thought that a duty devolved on
the House and the Government to secure a sufficient protection
by the duty they imposed for the colonies ; and the main spirit
of the argument lay, as he must submit, whether there was a
sufficient protection provided by the amendment which the
Hon. Baronet had proposed. This was the only position that
he could submit on the present occasion. He (the Chancellor
of the Exchequer) felt that it would be unfair to put the
sugar produced by free labour in comparison with sugar which
was the produce of our colonies. He did not think that it was
necessarily a matter of course that there should be a rise of
price in the article by the imposition of differential
duties—( Hear, hear)—bnt, on the contrary, he be-
lieved that there would be a reduction in the price
of which the consumer would derive the benefit. It was his
opinion that the rise and fall of price did not depend on the
amount of duty, but on the extent of the consumption. If the
supply were to progress less than the amount of demand, the
practice would be with sugar, as it had been proved in practice
with every other article, the proportionate increase of con-
sumption would cause an increase in price. In his (the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer's) opinion, the benefit to be derived
from a fiscal measure ought to be divided between the pro-
ducer and the consumer. The producer would obtain more
by the classification proposed by the Government than by the
plan of the Hon. Baronet, and he believed that so far from
the prices being enhanced by the imposition of the
differential duties, they would on the contrary be reduced.
He was satisfied of this, front the slight operation of the mea-
sure to which the House had agreed during the last session of
Parliament, and this benefit, he thought, had been greatly re-
gulated by the amount of protection. He believed that if
sufficient protection were given to our own colonies, both
the East and West Indies would so increase in the amount of
their supply that they would be able to provide for the whole
of the wants of this country with an ample sufficiency, and
that the price would be in accordance with the supply, while,
if they threw additional obstacles and discouragement' in the
way of the colonists, and prevented the full and fair effects of
their efforts, their property would he so depressed that they
would be unable to compete with the sugar brought frore other
parts of the globe. The difference of circumstances in which
the several sugar growers were placed would act very inju-
riously to the interests of the colonists and the quantity of sugar
grown for the British market would be reduced, and a con-
siderable rise of price would ensue to the censosner.—(Loud
cries of " Divide, divide.")
The Committee divided, when there appeared—
For the amendment ... ••• 69
Against it ...
Majority against the amendment, —B3
On Clause 4th being read,
Mr. M. GIBSON said that the Government adopted a
highly disproportioned rate of duty on foreign as compared
with colonial molasses, for, while they rated the latter at 51. 3d.
11. 3 a6td,.hdeustlyio?u_ld
likeper to cwt.,
know,th e y chhaadr gbeedco the
me
offormerthe
ei n
tao;n9dde I What,
(Hear, hear.) What had become of the principle that they
were to raise their duty according to the variation in the quali-
ties of the various sugars ? If they imposed a duty on foreign
molasses proportioned to the quality of the article, they ought
to impose a duty of 7s. on foreign molasses, and 51. 3d. on
colonial. He did not ask them to equalize their duties, because
that had been already disposed of. Let them deal with
molasses as with sugar.—(Hear, hear.) He called upon the
agricultural gentlemen to support him in his amendment.
They had been calling for cheap molasses to feed stock, and
hero was an opportunity for agricultural reduction, and, at the
same time, to relieve the rest of the community from a heavy
burden ; and this, too, by carrying out the very principles of
thel Right Hon. Baronet. The Noble Lord the Member
for Newark and other Gentlemen would, by supporting him oa
that occasion, gain at least cheaper treacle for the agricultural
labourer.—(Laughter.) He would, therefore, move that the
duty on foreign molasses be reduced to 75., in order that they
might adhere to the principle laid down by themselves on this
question. He would move this as an amendment, upon the
clause.
Mr. EWART seconded the amendment.
Mr. M. GlBSON—Perhaps the Right Hon.. Gentleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer would be inclined to state what
amount he would accede to ?—(Laughter.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER begged to
remind the Hon. Member that the molasses he proposed to
admit at a reduced duty was the produce of slave countries ;
in fact, by the House acceding to this proposition they would
be reversing what they had already agreed to- As to what
had been said about agricultural distress—why, if any of the
Hon. Members at his side of the House were to make such a
proposition as that of the don. Member opposite, he would
be the very first to oppose it.—(Laughter.)
Mr. HUME hoped the Government would not be so hard-
hearted as to refuse this proposition, as molasses was an article
which the poor starving wretches of this country used when
they could not afford to bay butter.
Mr. COLLETT rose amid loud cries of " Divide," and said
he could not understand what the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had stated.
Mr. M. GIBSON said he would now move, that mo-
lasses imported from China, Java, and Manilla, or any other
foreign country, whether under reciprocity treaties or other-
wise, be admitted at a duty of 7a. ; that he conceived would
meet all the difficulties of the other side, and do no harm.

Mr. EWA RT, amid renewed cries of " Divide," was un-
derstood to say, that he agreed with the Hon. Member that
the high duty on molasses was a great hardship,
Mr. WARBURTON.—If the sugar to be imported under
the new regulations was to be in an improved state, and lot
like muscovado' then an additional supply of molasses would
be required, and therefore the duty ought to be reduced.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
would have no objection to the amendment being introduced
in its proper place in the Bill.
Mr. WARBURTON.—It would be only fair to make the
proposed redaction, for at present the different duties bore to
each other were as 28s. was to 215., so was 7s. to ss. 3d.

_
After a few words from Mr. BARING, the amendment was
withdrawn.

Mr. WILLIAMS hoped that the Government would allow
the holders of stock time until the 14th of March, and give
them the benefit of a draw back, in order that they might dispose
of their stocks without loss. He should propose that the altera-
tion should commence upon the sth of April.
Mr. HUME begged to ask if the Government would allow
a drawback upon sugar in stock, purchased after a given day ?
He thought the question was a very fair one.

Sir ROBERT PEEL said that it had been the invariable
practice, in changes of the Customs' duties, to carry them
into effect without any drawback. If it were in the present
instance allowed to eine class of traders, the great holders of
sugar would also demand it. What the Government had pro-
posed was, that the Bill should not come into operation until
the 14th of March, which was giving them a month from
the original announcement. He hoped the House would not
require the Government to extend the time to the sth of
April.—( Hear, hear.) The probability was notorious, before
the meeting of Parliament, that an alteration would be made in
the sugar ditties. It was stated in connexion with the income-
tax. He would give the House a proof of this. Shortly before
the meeting of Parliament he received a memorial signed by
seventy houses in the sugar trade, and by the Chairman of the
East India Association, the Chairman of the West India Asso-
ciation, Mr. Stirling, chairman of the Charnberof Commerce,
and by every house in the sugar trade. The memorial was
prepared in December, and set forth that, as a sum of not less
than ten or twelve millions was annually invested in that
trade, the memorialists approached the House most earnestly
to entreat that any change which was contemplated should be
announced early after the meeting of Parliament, and should
eome into operation as speedily as possible.—(Haar, hear.)
All that they proposed was acquiesced in. A month was
' gives ; and he submitted that there was no reason why the
time should be extended to the sth of April.
Mr. WILLIAMS said that the memorialists were persons
connected with the import trade, and they would not be such
sufferers as the growers. He thought that it was only just
and reasonable to give the growers a drawback upon the stock
in hand.
Mr. TIIORNELY said the gentlemen who had signed that
memorial were importers, not dealers, and all their goods were
sold in bond. Those who were most affected by the proposed
alteration had made their purchases, believing that the existing
duties would continue until the sth of July.
Mr. SHELL said he had received a letter from a grocer in
Clonmel, who stated there was not a bonded warehouse in
Clonmel, and the consequence was that the grocers had been
compelled to take a large quantity of sugar for home consump-
tion for Tipperary. New the Right Hon. Gentleman must see
that injustice would be done to those parties by the proposition
of the Government.
Dr. BOWRING thought that if they were to establish a
drawback on sugar, it would lead to great embarrassment, see-
ing that the Right Hon. Baronet proposed to take of the duty
from 430 articles.
Lord EBRINGTON said he had received letters from
several of his constituents, complaining of the probable effect
of the Government with respect to sugar.
Lord SA NDON—Though he perfectly concurred in the po-
licy of the Governmegt, yet he thought it would press exceed-
ingly hard on certain parties, therefore he thought some draw-
back should be allowed.

Mr. TRELAWNEY inquired if a drawback had not been
allowed under similar circumstances?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said a draw-
back of 3e. had been allowed in 1838, under similar circum-
stances, but in that case no notice was given. The general rule
with respect to Customs' articles was, that no return should be
made in the articles themselves, because the dealers were not
obliged to take those articles out of bond unless they required
them. He thought the refiners had less to dread from the com-
petition of a low duty than any others, for they were a small
body and could protect themselves by keeping up the price.
Mr. BRIGHT considered that that debate ought to teach
them to place their duties on a sound principle. That would
prevent a renewal of those debates every year, and the merchant
would know how to make his calculations, which he could not
do now.
After a few words from Colonel FOX,
Mr. BRAMSTON said that if the Hon. and Gallant Mem-
ber divided the Hons., he would support him, because he
thought the case if the sugar refiners was a very hard; one.
Lord EBRINGTON thought that the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer was best answered by his own resolutions. If the re.
liners could keep up the price, what became of the advantage of
the reduction of duty ?
After a few observations from the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHXQUER and Mr. HINDLIT,
Sir R. PEEL said he trusted the Hon. Member would not
divide the House.
Mr. HUME advised his Gallant Friend not to divide the
House.
The amendment was then withdrawn, and the resolution
was agreed to.
The House resumes!, and the Report was ordered to be re-
ceived on Monday.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM moved the second reading of the
Justices' Clerks and Clerks of the Peace Bill.
Mr. B. ESCOTT trusted that the Right Hon. Baronet
thesfetceornad
would postpone the second reading of the Bill to a future day.
A frcewadwinogrd,
Sir J. GRAHAM postponed it until Wednesday next. s from Mr. HENLEY, in opposition to
The LORD ADVOCATE obtained leave to bring in the
following Bids :—A Bill to simplify the form, and diminish the
expense of obtaining infeftment in heritable property in Scot-
land ; and a Bill to facilitate the transmission and extinction of
heritable securities for debt in Scotland.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, Mr. Cardwell was aided to the Hull Docks Committee.
Mr. JOHN ABEL SMITH moved for copies of all corres-
pondence between her Majesty's Government and Captain
Elliot, Sir Henry Pottinger, and others, relative to the differ-
ence of 406 chests of opium.—Agreed to.
The House then adjourned, at One o'clock.

lIEDWORTII LAMBTON, ESQ., M.P.—This gentle-
man, we are glad to hear, has returned from the Continent
strong and renovated health.—Tyne Mercury.

appearance of prisoners, where the offence imputed is bail-
able, and also the recognizances of witnesses in the case, by
the principles we have ventured to prescribe; and the evil
will be mitigated, if not wholly removed.
STANDARD.—Mr. Williams has not much reason to
exult in the effect of his attempt to insult the Duke of
Newcastle. His display of last night did not greatly mend
his condition, while it gave to the Earl of Lincoln an oppor-
tunity of performing the difficult task of pronouncing a more
handsome and eloquent vindication of himself and of
his noble father, than on Thursday—a more com-
plete vindication was impossible. Mr. Hume, too,
came out very honourably last night, and fairly left the
Member for Coventry upon his back, explaining that he
(Mr. Hume) had dissuaded his friend from making the
motion, and had earnestly advised him "to be sure of
his facts," of which it appeared, by Mr. Hume's admis-
sion, that he was anything but sure. We are not
much in the habit of recommending the gnomai
of Mr. Joseph Hume, but in this case we are happy to press
his advice upon Members of Parliament. If Mr. benjamin
D'lsraeli had only anticipated it, he would not be in his
present pitiable but, we fear, unpitied plight. True, with
orators of a certain class, the care about facts would involve
a serious sacritlce. Incapable of commanding attention by
learning, character, sense, or real eloquence, they can obtain
hearers only by the attraction of startling personalities,
founded upon extraordinary facts, but extraordinary facts
are commonly no facts at all; they are, for the most part, of
that class of propositions for which we have a short and ugly
name. And how are the ignorant, obscure, dull, and merely
pert to perform the part of statesmen, if precluded from this
resource? The public it may be said, can do without them
—this is very well, but can they do without the public?

BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, MARCH 7.—Nothing
whatever is doing in our market, nor will there be until the
trade know the final intentions of Government, respecting
the duties. From what transpired in the House, however,
last evening, it now seems evident that the Minister intends
to adhere to his original proposition as regards the classifica-
tion of sugars—a plan full of difficulties and objections, as
acknowledged by all practical and unprejudiced parties con-
versant with the sugar trade.—Bristol Mercury.
STOCKTON-ON-TEES, MARCH 7.—The brig Alpha,
of Whitbv, struck on Shields Bar in coming out, and put
into the tees, this afternoon, leaky.

COAL 11TAIR8ET.
Prices per ton at the close of the market :—Adair's Main,
15s 6d; Buddle's West Hartley, 17s ; Hasting's Hartley,
16s 6d ; Holvwell Main, 17s 6d ; Jarrow low Main, 158 6d ;
Morrison's Hartley, 158; Nelson's West Hartley, 16s 6d;
Ord's Redheugh, 15s 6d ; Pott's Primrose, 15s; Tanfield Moor,
19s 6d ; Taylor's West Hartley, 168 6d ; Townley, 16s 6d ;
Twizell Main, 15s 6d; Wylam, 15s 9d; W.E., Bell and Rob-
son, 17s ; Bewicke and Co., 18s 6d ; Gosforth, 188 3d ;
Heaton, ISs ; Hotspur, 17s 6d; Killingworth, 178 6d ; New-
maroh, 17e; Urpeth, ltis ; Eden Main, 198; Braddyll's Het-
ton, 20s 3d ; Hougtall, IBs ; lletton, 20s 3d ; Lambton, 20s;
Morrison, 17s 9d ; Pemberton, 18s ; Russell's Hetton, 20s ;
Stewart's 20s 6d ; Caradoc, 20s ; Heughhall, 188 3d ; Kelloe,
19s ; Trimdon, 208; Adelaide, 19s ; Brown's Deanery, 18s 6d ;
Cowndon Tees, 18s 3d ; Seymour Tees, 18s 9d ; The Dukes,
18s 6d ; Hartley, 168; Lewiss Merthyr 21s 6d ; Tenant's,
178 6d; Derwent-water Hartley, 15s 6d; Sidney's Hartley,
16s 6d ; West Hartley Netherton, 16s 6d.—Ships arrived, 63.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.
The Sub-Committee, No. 3, resumed its sittings yes:
terday, in Committee-room No. 8. Present—Mr,
AgliOnby, chairman, Mr. T. Egerton, Mr. Stansfield, Mr.
Thoinely, and Mr. E. Buller.