Star.
London, England, 1831-07-12 00:00:00

WINS DUTIES.

Lord ALTHOR P, in proposing the alteration of the du.
ties on wires, commenced with stating that a principal
objection to the measure had been rested on the Alethuan
treaty with Portugal. His Lordship recapitulated the
terms of the treaty, which arranged that the wines of
Portugal should he admitted into this country at a duty
of one-third Ices than the wines of France, on condition
that the woollen cloths of England alone should be permitted
free importation into Pottugal ; but that if England chose
to forego the privilege relating to her woollen cloths, she
might do so, and submit to this as the penalty to be paid if
she altered the tate of duty on the wines of Portugal. His
Lordship proceeded to argue that the terms of the treaty
left the government quite at liberty to make any alteration
on suffering the above penalty, without incurring any
charge of breach of the treaty between the nations. With
regard to the policy of the measure it ntight be another
question ; but the fact was, that this rate of duty had
been preserved by England without having any equi-
valent, because Portugal had admitted the woollen
cloths of other countries on the same terms as she
had admitted those of England. It was true, that towards
; one branch of our trade Portugal had made a distinction in
preserving a prohibitory duty in favour of the produce of the
' Newfoundland fisheries ; but should the policy of Portugal
be altered in this partiaular, his lordship did not deem It of
so great importance as the produce of these fisheries would
sot by it be closed from the competition of other maikets.
He thought the duty which he was about to propose might
be adopted on fair principles, and would be the means of ac-
cumulating an increase of revenue. The present duty on
French wines was 7s. 3d. per gallon—on other foreign wines
4s. 10d. and Cape wine 2s. 3d. He proposed that all foreign
wines should be equalized this year to 55.6(1. per gallon, and
Cape wine be rated at 2s. lid. per gallon, until the year 1834,
when an indiscriminate duty of 5.. Col. per gallon should be
laid upon all wines imported. His lordship stated the im.
portation of wine to be annually 6,700,C00 gallons, which
yielded an aggregate revenue of 1.340,0001. but by the
equalization of duty there would be increase of 250,0001.
lie was convinced that the importation of the wines
of Portugal would not decrease by the addition of
81. duty on the gallon, while the abridgment of Is. 9d.
of the duty on French wines would very much in.
Mere se their importation. With regard to the Cape wine,
which the equalization would most materially affect, he
did rut deem that so very momentous, when it was con.
sidered how small was the direct trade in Cape wine, and
bow very different the article sold in retail as Cape wine at
home front the real Cape, it was of very minor imror-
toner. But, besides the advantage to the revenue, the mea-
sure would be opening an additional intercourse with France
(Hear, hear), which at the present time took but a small
portion of our manufactures ; and it was a subject of regret
that this commercial country should be so limited, and this
would be an advantage in a commercial point of view, in re.
lation to so powerful a country as France ; but in a practical
point of view he considered it to have another advantage.—
He did not anticipate any probability of war with that coun.
try; but he always considered that war was to be avoided,
for under no circumstances could it benefit a country—it
always brought with it mischievous consequences; and this
accession of intercourse with France would be the most
likely means to secure an amicable understanding for a con-
tinuance, by increasing the commercial intercourse of the
countries, and would render the prospect of war more im.
probable, although at present he hoped that the prospect
was improbable enouFb.
Mr. ROBINSON was ready to admit that the proposi.
den of the Noble Lord was quite consistent with any exist.
ing treaty with Portugal, but he would oppose it because it
was inconsistent with sound policy. The Noble Lord would
have done well to consider what Portugal would do, for, in
&commercial point of view, it would lead to measures most
injurious. The lion. member did not wish to remind his
lordship particularly of some measures which he had brought
forward and then abandoned, but he hoped and trusted that
he would in like manner abandon this measure. He might
have looked, as a guide, to past experience, to see that it was
a false data to suppose that by increasing the means of im.
portation from a country, that exportations from this country
would be increased. Theduties on gloves, silks, and other
articles had been removed, and the importations from France
had increased from Ito 3 millions, while the exportations
(tom this country hrd fallen to six hundred thousand
pounds The state of the French markets excluded exporta-
tion from this country, but not so it was with calumniated
Portugal. He was afraid that this question had been
looked upon with rather a political feeling by Hon. Gentle.
men in the house ; but he was convinced that If it was
adopted it would lead to commercial reprint's from the
hands of Portugal, whose trade with this country was
most important to the commercial interest. Ile would ask,
then, why should the Noble Lord give an advantage to
France by taking off the duty from Champagne, Burgundy,
and Bourdeaux, and add to that of Port and Sherry.
The advantage that would be derived in our domestic policy
would be so trifling that it would confer no real benefit on
those who were accustomed to drink wine. The present
Ministry, if they persevered in measures such as they had
proposed, would inflict more injuty on the country than any
ministry that had ever preceded them ; but yet they had an
opportunity of contetring greater benefits on the country if
they chose, by providing means for venting the superfluous
part of our manufacturing and agricultural produce. This
was a question connected with Ireland as well as this coun-
try ; for there was a vast quantity of butter and other pro-
duce exported from Ireland to Portugal. He suspected that
his Lordship had been led away by his love of liberal opi-
nions, for which be was famous in the public estimation.
He (Mr. Robinson) was favourable to liberal opinions, if
they could be made general, but he begged to be excused
by honourable gentlemen present. He did not. approve of
that liberality which was to he conducted on the principle of
Irish reciprocity. America and every other country had not
been even affected by any concession that we had made to
them ; they had all acted on the prohibitory system, and
none of them took as much of the produce of this country
as Portugal. He did not oppose this measure from any hos-

file feeling t.•can!• the presort
ledged that he hat: an interest in the N,

ries, and proceeded to show that Portugal
duce of these fisheries on liberal terms, and
no other country could compete in that mail
mended that bane any concession was made
atioth:r year would be suffered to pass over,
perhaps then have a more stable governme.it
alt. C. PELHAM opposed the measure.
Mr. C. P. THOMPSON defendtd the
alluding to the slate of commerce with Poi
member said dug s'te had done all in her

that she did not value the reciprocal advbrr
given her, and that she had beta regbr
'trances. He said that the 3lethoan trca

in passing the p esent 173 moire. He Trot.
particularly Adam Smith, to show that
against all commercial treaties of that ra ure
were foueded on false policy. The ho: curable
in speaking of Portugal, had omitted a
particula-, while he was speaking of the
tugal, he had not noticed at all the Opt n°
the treaty alluded to, the wines of Portugal
mined in o this country at a third less du
France; but did the hon. gentleman know
as 1636 a Company had been formed at Op ago,
Poised unbounded power, a power exceed:
regal authority. The boo. member here few.
their charter, which empowered them to net,
,00lflinillyeewut.oghaiccootuernt
should not be amenable to any tribunal who
countries. theirCompany
sttrlilosacretoitipaolluintsecd:a:tilic'i
nage' direct from those who had it for sale,
ket could only be supplied through the .
Oporto Company ; anti it bad been stated by
in that house, during the last session which he sat in it, that
this circumstance alone had raised the price of the wines ot
Poringal to Faiglish purchasers 161. per tun. Mr. Pitt, in
1787, declared, in a letter to M. de Pinto, the then Porto.
gucee miniver in thie country, that if they did not relax in
their commercial syseiu, and above all .it. an end to the
abuses of the Oporto Company, he was Bete mined to equa-
lize the duties on Portuguese and French wines. His steps
to this etieet were stopped by the breaking out of the French
war. ‘Vthen the treaty in 1810 was entered into, it was sup.
pored here that ample steps had been teken to retires, the
grievances : but that not being the case, itt 1813 expel.. or-
ders were salt out by the government to declare to the Por-
tuguese government that unless redress was afforded, mca.
sures would be proposed to parliament to ei courage the
planation of the wines of other foreign counties. Since that
time no material diminution had taken lilac a in the authority
of the Company. What was then to be done ? to ren. w
negotiations so protracted and so often violated, or to adopt
at once legislative measures, taking on ourselves the tie -
natty, while we received the benefits of an equaliest on . f
the 'duties on foreign wines ? What was the penalty under
the treaty of 1803 ? That Portugal would prohibit, it• t
our woollen goods specifically, but all foreign woollen
goods. The whole amount of the declared value (winch
was grea:cr than the official value) of woollen goods int•
ported from this country into Portugal in 1830 was
214 0001 be. ((tear) The whole of our woollen goods ex-
ported, independent of those to Portugal, was 5,500.00f8b5.
( Hear, hear.) Thus, suppo•ing that the Portuguese Go-
vernnient would prohibit all foreign goods, a hardship to
which he denied that the Government would subj• ct the
habitants, the penalty would amount to 214,0001bs- But
it was said Portugal would break through the treaty of 1810
also. That treaty had DU connection with the Methuen:
it was to continue in force for fifteen years, to be prolonged
or not, at the pleasure of the parties. The trade of Portu-
gal had, for a series of years, been in progressive dee el. In
1816 it amounted to 2,9:!3,3001. and In 1828 to 1,018,00a1,
He denied that our New feu ndland fish (on which, instead or a
duly of 15 per cent. as agreed in the treaty of 18.0, the Pee-
tuguese levied a duty ot 18 per cent ) would be subjected to
a heavier duty. The Newfeurdland esparto( fish amounted
to 788,000 tons, of which 300,100 •on. went :o Portugal—a
large amount certainly : but would Portugal tax her own
consumers ? In the late Cones such a preposition had been
advanced, but the public demur had prevented its being
executed. The house of Braganca was wont to ingratiate
itself with the people by lowering the duty on ealt.fish.—
(Hear, and laughter.) But, supposing Portugal had the
impolicy to prohibit our fish, we coo el send it to other
foreign countries, since in tbo e markets where we bad
to compete with the Americ. n ..nd Norwegian fish,
we had the supply by preference. He then adverted, in
answer to the argument that Frost ce had Inc eased het
duties on our manufactures, while we h.d dee eased the
duties on her exports, to the absurdity her sy-tem : the
augmented price wh.ch her Inhabitants lad to pay for their
manufactures ; the capital rashly Loth: eked fm th. if promo.
tion, and the distress which had eve; tak.n them engaged in
the wine department. He felt contidtnt that England had
but to show the example, to induce France to follow a coo.
duct similar to hers. (Hear, hear )
Mt. ATTWOOD said, the nal truth was this: we
mimed an additional tax of 188,0001. upon our countrymen ;
is a conimercial point of vie es, we tranefetted to France part
of the wine made of Portugal, and, in the course ot a few
years, the whole of the wire trade to the tape.
(clear.) 1,700,0001. augme; ted .o 1,848,0001. tax on (outgo
wines was the unfit% thing of all these tortuous and myna.
rious statements by which it web mint to make the house
believe that what was in fact simply an augmeetation set the
public burdens, was the result el ministerial dexterity. The
duty of Os. 6d. a gallon was to be imposed on all wines, that
is, the same duty was to be imp. sal on wines of 2s. as on the
wir.e of 6s. or a duty of WO per cent. on the one land, said
50 per cent. on the other; and the wine on which this bounty
was to act was that of France, and that on which the dia.
couragements. the wine of our own country, the Cape ! The
measure would ensure the destruction of British it dusay
and capital engaged in the Portuguese wine trade. An equal
augmentation of duty on all foreign wines would have se.
cured a greater revenue without deranging the existing re-
lations.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that the epithets of indirect and
tortuous, would rather apply to the comerehension I f his
hon. friend than to the noble lord, who in his tint sentence
had stated that the object of Guveenment was to raise au
additional import. It was objected that an additional tax
on French wines would have been preferable. But he
considered that the presets. opportunity should not be loss
of extending our relations with a great country, capable
of furnishing at a low rate our own waren, and of con.
suming our manufactures to a large extent. Commercial
treaties he objected to as causing much him of time,
and exciting jealousies. With respect to the Cape wine, the
protection of that commodity was to have expired ill
1833, when an increase of 7d was originally to have taken
place. Now the Noble Lord deferred en increase on that
duty till 1834. What had been the effect of the present
protection ?—ln 1827, the Cape wine imported amounted
to 698,000 gallons; in 1828, to 652000; in 1839, to
579,000; in 11130, to 537,000; showing that it was a corn.
nsodity which no protection could sustain, and that a timely
notice for the withdrawal of the capital engaged in its pro-
duction was no less advantageous to the colony titan to the
revenue of this country.—( Hear, hear.) He considered that
the increase of taxation on the aggregre of foreign wine,
balancing the decrease on the Fre..th with the increase on
the Portuguese, was so minute, as net materially to di-
minish the consumption. Therefore there was an addi.
tioaal revenue arising from as article rcost fit tot taxation,
while sound policy was consulted by (spades the trade with
a counry in an article in which that country employed a
large proportion of her inhabitants in producing; an open.
ing which, he trusted, was the dawn of an trended com-
mercial intercourse with that great and adjoining nation.—
( Hear, hear.)
, eer. BERRIES said, the Methuen treaty secured rights
and advantages to the British in Portugal, such as had never
been conceded by any other country. He admitted repeated
violations of it on the part of Portugal. But our ancestors
had considered our connection with the Peninsula of such
importance, that they had never sought redress but through
negotiations. And the time which government chose for de.
pat ins (tom this policy, and for distressing Portugal, was
when she was threatened by an enemy, against whom be was
not sure that we were not bound to defend her! (Ileac.)
The hon. gentleman went on to say that Mr. Canning scouted
such a system of policy as that contemplated in the prepo.
sition before the !louse; he begged to ask the House
under the present circumstances of Europe, it were a wise
and politic course to pursue ? Madmen might avail then..
selves of one clause in the Methuen treaty ; they night act
neutrally as respected Portatpd, but that was a mode of get.
ring over a difficulty which could not be acted ou between
two amicable parties. Tke proposition of ministers would
have the efect of substituting French wines fur those ot
Portugal, or at least of very considerably reducing the trade
in the wines of that country..—(Leud cries of " question.")
The 188,000 L intended to be raised by a charge in the wine
duties he contended would be raised in a much less objee.
tionable manner on any other commodities both polaicially
and commercially; the noble Lied could sot have chosen a

`SO Pe ,
• --..4.
4y.
.
ttl .
government. lie •:. t. . -.-
it the Newfoundland Iterrifi7t j •
Portugal received het ro• • -
terms, and on that acc too he;
in that market. Ile mom- .
,
an was made to Fran e, tit t , t
P*
o pass over, when it mig t
governmeo ,t. ..
he measure.
rendid the measure. After .. • 1
e with Portugal, the hon. I
all in her power to show
. .
meal :Aran:ages that were -1
beat reps-Arts of rettion• t i
ilium, treaty was no restraint -t ,
He quo:. 4 luthoritits, and
show that judgment was
that ra ure and that they
The ho: ourable gentltman,
• •
ontitttd a very impor ant bUs ..'t %,
ing of the conduct of Por.
the Opi.rto Company. Hy 1
of Portugal were to be ad- ..11
tird less duty than those of
Altman know that as early 'i•
‘.
rmed at Op•trto, which pos. 1., I
met exceeding even that of y '.l,
aer here rea.l an extract from
them to act, and that they
...
:'144k''11'..i1.1.1'.1'..1....1‘...':'41.'.1'1'.:1'.'
tribunal nit tever, but had
Lions to their ftlleCtl4lol3 in
pained as it had done, and
purchase the wines of Por. l'•
it for sale, the English mar
trough the medium of the
een stated by Mr. liuskisson t,•ll'
•
wino %Oaten he sat in it, that
red the price of the wines of
101. per tun. Mr. Pitt, in
de Pinto, the then Portu.
that if they did not relax in ..
i 1
drove all Fit. an end to the
he a as tit te mined to equa. 1:,1
id French wines. His steps
e b:eakieg out of The French : '••
was entered into, it was sup.
al been taken to redress the
t,.i
the case, itt 1813 express or- .1
anent to declare to the POT- : t ‘ •
I redress was afforded, nu•a.
lament to et courage the it::.
orrign counties. Since that
.1 - 1
I taken plae r. in the authority 'l. . I
then to be done ? to ren. w
io often violated, or to adopt
:eking on ourselves the fe-
enetits of an equalizat on • f : ••••,.
What was the penalty troth r
etugal would prohibit, o. t
y, but all foreign woollen
. .
f the declared value (winch
due) of woollen goods rm. 7i: • ,
ito Portugal in 1838 was
i ale of our woollen goods ex- t
Portugal, was 5,500.000ib5.
'
ig that the Portuguese tio. i
foreign goods, a hardship to
mama %moil subj• et the it..
mount to 214,0001b5. But
A through the treaty of 1810 t
union with the Methuen:
ifteen years, to be prolonged
suttee. The trade of Punta.
een in progressive die it. In l'':
11. and in 1828 to 1,018,0001.nd iish roe which. instead of a og;