Star.
London, England, 1822-03-21 00:00:00

whole quantity Itf tallow 'AIM Raid* produebd an•
nasally
Yd
wasco tirctutcn;lrsy% and
dßuot of this
35wrthwase effecti
which the low rate of duty on tallow bad upon Raw.
sia herself? It was this: Russia, taking advantage,
of the facilities with which her produce was admitted
to this market, made a demand which amounted to
£70,000 annually, for permission to bring the tallow
here. One effect, then, which laying on a duty would
have, would be to induce the Emperor of Russia to
take off the duties which existed at his side ; or, at
least, the Russian grazier would square matters, so
as still to meet the market, though with increased
I duties. This consequence would as certainly follow
in the case of Russia, as it did before in those of
Spain and Holland, when we put additional duties
on wool, cheese, and butter. The effect of these
duties was to make these States take off the duties
which they imposed ; and, so far from decreasing
the quantity, particularly in the articles of cheese
and butter, there had been an increase last year of
no less than 800,000 casks of butter. And, whilst
be was upon this subject, he would say the duty upon
batter and cheese was not yet high enough. The ob-
ject was to protect Irish butter and cheese ; but, from
the increase of Dutch cheese and butter, it had not
'this effect. But the Irish butter and cheese were en-
titled to protection, for a state of pasture seemed most
natural to the soil of Ireland. The produce of that
species of farming should therefore be protected
and encouraged in this country as much as possible.
Hitherto the effect of the duty upon Dutch butter
had been to increase the supply, and to diminish the
import of Irish butter in the same proportion. Some
means ought to be taken to give the Irish fanner
further protection. His object in this motion would
be to increase the duty upon Russian tallow to WI.
per ton. The effect which it would have, as he said
before, would be not to raise the price of candles
here, but to take off a portion from the profits of the
Russian grazier. The price of the article to the Rus-
sian grazivr would be educed from 3 d. per lb. to 24d.
—By the increase of duty, English tallow would be
raised .51. 10s. per ton, and this,upon the whole quan-
tity of tallow, would yield 300,0001. to the English
farmer. Then take 201. a ton upon 35,000 tons, the
amount of duty would be 700,0001. of which 600,000/.
would be a surplus over and above the present amount
of duty. He would then take off the tax upon can-
dles, which produced 560,0001. annually ; but the ex-
pense of collecting it cost full one-seventh. This
was a most onerous tax upon the consumer ; and,
when it produced so little to the Revenue, it ought
to be done away with.• Besides the high duty upon
candles required the manufacturer to take larger pro-
fits. The tallow for candles cost SJ. per lb. and the
manufacture 1 d. but the Public were obliged to pay
9d. per lb. for the manufactured article. In every
sixpence the consumer paid twopence profit, and a
penny to Government. By this it appeared, that if
any person was allowed to manufacture his own can-
dles, which would be the consequence of taking off
the duty, he would save 4d. on every pound, viz.-
2d. profit, ld. to Government, and Id. manufacture.
—Or, if the tax was done away, he would suggest a
commutation of it by charging every man 10s.a-year,
as in Scotland. The grazier then would be a gainer
of 300,0001. a•year by the rise in tallow ; and with
the 600,00(3. excess, the consumer would in fact gain
900,0001. Ile estimated the quantity of English tal-
low made into soap at 35,000 tons, and into candles
at 18,0(X), making 53,000 altogether. But he should
also a.id the duty of 20,000 tons more, which were
illicitly manufactured, and this would yield 400,0001.
more. By thus taking off the duty on candles, and
imposing a duty on Russian tallow, the price of
English tallow would be raised,whereby the English
firmer would be benefitted, and the pi ice of candles
to the consumer would not be enhanced. But if any
difliculties occurred, owing to the relation in which
we stood to Russia, he would advise that the duty
upon tallow might be compromised for that upon
hemp. This exchange could not be prejudicial to
Russia, and would be beneficial to the graziers ard
to the shipping interest. At no time was the shipping
interest mole distressed than at present. It wuula
also be a considerable relief to the fishery trade,which
was upon the decline, as was proved by the number
of ships engaged in the Greenland whale fishery being
10 less last year than in the year before. By the increase
of duty upon tallow, oil would be raised 31. Gs. and
thus 40,0001. would be gained to that trade. Having
thus stated the nature of his proposition, he wished
to say, that he vt ould not have brought the measure
forward, if Government had shewn any disposition
to take it up. He was sure such motions were always
most effectual in the hands of his Majesty's Minis-
ters. The measure would relieve the graziers and
the fisheries. He would not press upon the Right
lion. Gentleman the necessity of applying some re-
medy, for the Right Ilon. Gentleman himself knew
that the country was in such a state that, if some-
thing was not done, it could not go on. He hoped,
therefore, as he bad pointed out a mode of relief
which would not be burthensome to the consumer,
that his proposition would meet with the support of
Gentlemen opposite. The Hon. Member concluded
by moving—" That a Committee be appointed to
consider the propriety of imposing an additional duty
upon Russian imported Tallow,with a view of taking
the Taxes off Soap and Candles."
Mr. SYKES said he concurred in the necessity of
reducing the burthens of the people, in the present
state of distress ; but he did not entirely approve of
the mode which the Honourable Member had sug-
gested of making the reduction. It appeared to him,
that whilst the question of peace or war was still un-
settled between Russia and Turkey, it would be im-
portant that we should do nothing to affect the in.
fluence which we might possess at the Court of the
latter—(Hear, hear).—lt might happen also that
Russia would retaliate, by imposing duties upon our
imported goods, which would be alarming. He had'
heard of a speculation in the City respecting Russian
commodities, and, without saying that this motion
had any connection with it, he would just express a
hope that this House would not lend its sanction to
any speculation of a private nature—(Hear, hear).—
He was at a loss to see the Honourable Member's
motives for wishing to enlarge those duties. It ap-
, peared to him, that so far from benefiting the ship-
i ping interest, such a measure would be prejudicial to
r•at. He was clearly of opinion that he should injure
! that interest by giving his support to this motion.
By raising the duties on Russian tallow, the import
of it would be diminished ; and as all the carrying