The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-26 00:00:00

ABUSES IN TRADE.

.TO THE EDITOR. OF THE TIMES.
SIR,--The various expositions you have made
of the abuses in trade evince the general ac-
curacy of your informations and are very im-
portant, as they affect, more or less, every member
of the community ; for it must be evident to
every person of comprehension, that the prospe-
rity of the nation has chiefly arisen from the skill
arid industry of our artisans and manufacturers. It
ins to this-we owe our great commercial pre-emi-
nence ; and whenever we lose that pre-eminence,
the agricultural as well as all other interests, must
sink under the pressure. If, then, a system
of fraud and deception is to be pursued, whereby
our manufactured commodities become debased in
quality,—if a set of unprincipled persons are al-
lowed to commit these depredations upon the fair
trader, and to defraud the public by vending all
manner of trash, by the mere allurement, of low
price,—if such system of fraud and plunder is to
be encouraged, and by those in the upper ranks
of life, it must inevitably lead to the most serious
injury to our home and foreign trade, and tend
to destro) that high honour, integrity, and con-
Hence, that has marked the conduct and formed
the pride and boast of British merchants and
traders. We shall be superseded by foreigners,
who have already made considerable advances
towards rivalry ; and we shall find, by sad expe-
eiegce, that a trade once lost is not easily ee-
called.
I may yet,' as was my intention, furnish you
with some further particulars to aid you upon
this subject, but wave my intention for the pre-
:sent, to notice the very extraordinary circumstan-
ges that you have brought to light of mal-praeti-1
cos and abuses that had existed in the baggage
department of the East India Company ; for if
these could be carried on, and the persons con-
cerned can escape with impunity, and even with-
out publicity, it is in vain to look for any thing
like honour or integrity in the middle and subor-
eiinate classes of society. Goods imported from
India by private individuals, which are subject to
a duty of 75 per cent., are often allowed to pass
by private valuation instead of being put up to
leeiblic sale to ascertain the amount of duty
to be paid thereon ; this valuation is left to an
officer in the baggage department, and an officer
at:der the board of customs. It appears by the
statements, that these officers have acted in col-
, fusion With certain dealers, who are mostly the
purchasers of such articles, and whom they have
called in to make a valuation, and who, in fact,
would, in such case be the valuers of their own
goods ; that, in one instance, the articles were
undervalued about 200 per ceent. ; that in ano-
ther instance at little more than one-half, which
would have left so much as the difference in the
aal4 duty of 75 per cent. would amount to, to
put into the pockets of individuals. The extent
ro which the revenue must have been defrauded,
and the fair trader injured, cannot be ascertain-
ed ; but some estimate may be formed, when it
has been stated that the year previous to the de-
tection of this practice the amount of duty paid
on such articles was only . 20,0001., and that
the following year it amounted to 40,0001.
;You have since inserted a paragraph wherein
you have stated,, from information, that a stop
has been put to these practices,' and that the per-
sons concerned were dismissed : but, Sir, is it
enough, after these practices have been publicly
noticed, to say that they are at an end, and the
parties dismissed ? Will that satisfy the public ?
Why have thess transactions been .smothered,
and, the paitiee screaneci fraim justice ? Who
were these officer", and who were these traders ?
At present unjust suipiciOns may attach to in-
dividuals who are no wayi implicated. The ho-
nour and character of the Directory and of the
Commissioners, and even of the Government.'
itself, are involved. If such transactions are to
pass in privacy, why, it will be asked, are petty
offenders to be prosecuted at the instance of
officers of the .Crown ? Why are poor wretches
fined and incarcerated in gaols for smuggling a
few pounds of tea, or a few pounds of tobacco ?
Sir, I trust that some' independent Proprietor
will not suffer this matter to pass without some
inquiry, AN OLD TRADER,