Star.
London, England, 1831-02-18 00:00:00

No. 13,712.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MANCHESTER.
Mr. WOOD brought before the Chamber the subject of the new tax
on the importation of raw cotton. The satisfaction be felt at the re-
moval of the tax co printed calicoes was very great, as it was unjust and
impolitle, and was of necessity removed; but that satisfaction was
pntly modified at finding that the tax was laid on in another form.—
We were in fact obtaining the repeal of a tax which was likely soon to
fell by ha own weight, and which was decaying in produce, and were to
be burdened, in lieu of it, with a tax which would be dutable and more
pteductive.
Mr. J. S. Josss expressed someanxiety to know what was meant by
the allusion in Me. W. Patten's letter to the subject of drawbacks. He
it was net delseded mot to allow a drawback on the stocks of
lt• kW of drapers and dealers, which had already paid a
4
--•_. Voir gemmed that it could not be dm Walden of
Ommomesualpdipihir the drawback on stocks ; but he bad no doubt
the getithfiliffEllMhan wadd tale are to have that matter pen upsn'
an equitable foram
' lb. W. Gaastarr....-It was intended to impose a duty of Id. per
lb. on all raw cotton imported, and this was to be in addition to the six
per cent. ad vaioreas duty which was already established. This new
tax was proposed as a substitute for the duty taken off, and the Chan.
cellos of the Exchequer estimated that it would produce about the same
amount. As to the duty, he was convinced that ld. per lb. on all the
anon exported, would be equal to 20 per cent. upon the average cost of
the different descriptions imported ; and this was a tax which would
render it impossible to carry on extensive cotton manufactures. The
answer was, that a drawback would be allowed upon the exports. If
they were to have a system of drawbacks, they would again experience
all the inconvenience which had been already complained of, as respects
she paatpg of goods. The system of drawbacks could never be es.
mkifihed as a fair principle of legislation without the Custom-house
*Maas havbwthe power of opening all bales when exported, or without
having the -m.. ain their warehouses to examine the goods when
packed. Lord Althorp was reported to have said that he was Informed
by a gentleman in the trade, that his proposal would be satisfactory;
but the person, whoever he was, that said so, must be entirely ignorant
of the feelings and interests of those concerned in the trade. In the ar-
ticle of twit, for instance, it was packed by means of hydraulic
presses, for the sake of security, In order to save freight, which is
charged according to the cubic foot of measurement, and not accord-
ing to the weight, and also in order to prevent pilferage. But if
the bales were to be opened by the custom-house officers, the advan-
tage of packing with hydraulic presses would be completely done
away with, and twist would sustain gently more Injury from being
thus unpacked, than plain cotton goods. Then, with regard to the
goods usually exported in tin eases. How could they rely upon the
goods in tin cases being unpacked, and then re-packed with the same
care and in the same state as they originally were ? The whole system
of drawbacks was as objectionable as any thing could possibly be, in l
reference to trade, especially as so large a proportion of the conceals.
nufactured goods were exported. The quantity of cokes goods and yarn
exported was equal to three-fourths of the whole manufacture. (Mr.
Robert Garnett here observed, that from authentic documents It ap-
peared that four-fifths of the whole cotton manufactured were export.
ed.) With regard to raising a revenue equal to the amount lost by
the print duty, Lord Altborp bad acted on data that were not to be
relied on. If one penny per pound additional duty were to be levied
on the quantity consumed—which was one hundred aid eighty mil.
lions of pounds—and if four-fifths, or even three.fourths of that quan-
tity were exported, and received the drawback, his lordship would
never realise from the tax the amount which he contemplated. The
thing was quite impossible. If it were put down in Spires it would
be far short of the sem he named. This tax therefore, viewed as a
mere article of revenue, was highly objectionable as a substitute for
the print duty. There were ether pants of view in which the matter
was still more important. He presumed the drawback system would
not be persisted in if the trade were one and all opposed to k, sod he
took it for granted that it would be objected to by the whole of the
trade. Mr. Garnett concluded. by moving, that a Committee be no-
minated to prepare a memorial on the subject, and that a deputation
be appointed to wait upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to pre-
sent it to his lordship.
Mr. R. GAUITT said, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer com-
puted that ld. per pound would yield 500,0001. which was the amount
Met by the repeal of the print duty. But by a calculation he (Mr.
Garnett) had made, he found, that in order to raise 500,0001. a tax of
ror 3d. instead of Id. would be required. The whole amount of
eotton consumed In this country did not exceed 45,000,000 pounds,
or from that to 50,000,000. A tax of led. per pound u that gum.
that
thy would produce only 200,0001. so that Lord AI was com-
pletely mistaken as to the amount the tax would yield. He stated that
there were imported into the whole kingdom 246,000,000 pounds of
cotton (including Scotland, which imported 14,000.000). From this
quantity, which was the gross weight, was to be deducted the waste,
amounting to about 26,000,000 ; leaving 220,000,000 to be manufac-
tured. Of this quantity there were exported annually 64,000,000 lbs.
of yarn, and 77,000,000 lbs. of cotton goods. The quantity sent from
Scotland could not be ascertained ; but there were only left in this
country for home consumption between 40 and 50,000,000 lbs.
Mr. Gaza, in reference to the calculations of Mr. R. Garnett, read
a statement from Mr. Burn's Table of the Exports and Imports of
Cotton at the ports of London, Liverpoo4 Hull, and Goole, for the year
1830. From this statement it appeared that the amount exported in
yarn was 62,694,302 fin ; in thread, 1,074,9311bs ; in manufactured
goods, 77,272,820 lbs. Estimated quantity of yarn sent to Scotland
and Ireland, 5,000,000 lbs. Exported in mixed manufactures not
stated in the above-named articles; consumed in cotton banding, healed.,,
candle and lamp wick, wadding, and loss in the process of manes&
turing goods, 8,000,00011 m Balance left for home consumption and
stock, 42,528,489 lbs. The duty of Id. per pound would require to be
paid upon the gross quantity imported, namely. 146 millions: whereas,
supposing
the whole to be manufactured, and to be exported, the draw-
back would only be allowed upon the net weight of 219 millions. The
manufacturers, therefore, would lose the whole of the duty upon the
waste, ac.
Mr. RAILTON said, that he had had a sale that morning at his ware-
house, which was attended by persons "out of all nations." In parts.
colas, there was a gendeman from Mexico, who said he was come to ob-
tain consignments for a house at Mexico ; but that the proposal of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer put a new feature upon the case ; for if
the goods sent to him were opened and re-packed at Liverpool by the
Custom-house officers, and then, on the arrival at the coast, were sent
up to him in the interior, unless they had been extremely well packed
they would bear no comparison with the goods he could obtain from
Saxony or other parts of the Continent, the packing of which bad not
been disturbed. He would not be able to get within 20 per cent. of
the price he would obtain for the same sort of goods sent to him from
the Continent. ,
Mr. P. EVART observed, that the plan of the Chancellor of the Re.
1 chequer seemed to be a crude and undigested one, and that no time
should be lost in remonstrating against it.
Some conversation then took place respecting the most eligible course
of proceeding, and
itlr. H. H. BIZLItY at length proposed a Resolution, to the effect
that the intention avowed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to im-
pose a tax of ld. per lb. on the importation of cones, and to allow a
drawback upon its exportation, is highly objectionable on various
grounds, and ought to be immediately and vigorously resisted.
Mr. R. Rossars was of opinion that Id. per lb. which would be
about equal to two per cent. making the ad valorem duty eight per
cent. instead of six, would yield more than the Chancellor of the
Exchequer calculated upon ; in other words, an eight per cent. ad va-
lorem duty on the quantity imported in 1890, and on what might be
expected in the present year, would yield more to the revenue than Id.
per lb. which his lordship proposed to lay on.
Mr J. AILMITSONG said, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
proposed the present alteration for the avowed purpose of affording re.
lief to the power classes. But the new tax would press more heavily
upon the poor man than even the prints duty. Hitherto, by abstaining
front the purchase of print, he avoided the tax ; but by the new law be
will have to pay the tax of Id. lb. upon his shirt, his sheets, his fustian
jacket—and we all know the weight of a fustian jacket,—and, in short,
upon every article of his apparel and bed-clothes, except the blankets.
Mr. Hilmar's Motion, which was seconded by Mr. GARNETT, wall
then put from the. Chair, and carried unanimously.
After a good deal of desultory conversation respecting the beet mode
of proceeding, Mr. W. OAIIIITT observed, that we should have bass
much better as we were, even with the print duty, than with the magma
new tax. In the course of two or three years the print duty wadl net
be worth collecting. The Chancellor of the Exchequer mod des priM
duty at5OO.OOOL but it was only 350,0001.
Mr. WOOD and other gentlemen strenuously opposed the idea of el.
lowing the print duty to remain.
Mr. CHIPPMIDALL said, that the trade should endeavour to gut
quit of the print duty without imposing it on any other. It would be
Injurious to retrace their steps, and to say to the Chancellor of the Ei.
chequer that he might retain the print duty, if he pleased, es it would