Star.
London, England, 1831-10-01 00:00:00

WINE DUTIZI.

Lord AUCKLAND moved the order of the day for the
third reading of the Wine Duties Bill. In doing so, the
noble lord took occasion to repeat the scale of duties which
had been fixed upon by his Majesty's Ministers ; these were
calculated to protect the trade in Cape wines. It had been
stated dust the present measure had been brought forward
with undue hostility to Portugal, and of partiaity to France;
that statement he begged moat distinctly to deny—(hear)_
he could not think that this measure would lead to any dia.
agreeable results as respected Portugal.
The Earl of ABERDEEN was of opinion, that the pre.
sent measure, viewed as one of finance, would be a failure ;
lead taken in a commercial point of view it would be ruinous ;
there were other reasons which induced him to give the
measure his opposition. He dewed not the right of
his Majesty's ministers at any period to annul the Methuen
Treaty. He complained that it bad been violated without
due notice having been given. He had already stated that he
doubted if the noole lord would derive those hnancial advan-
tages he anticipated from the measure. In 1825 ihe number
of gallons of the wines of Portugal imported into this coun-
try was one million; last year, afters diminution of duty bad
taken place, the number of gallons imported were reduced
to 3620.00. He contended that the reduction of duty
intended by the present measure would be accompanied by a
corresponding diminution of the impor.ation of the wines of
Portugal ; and that would be followed by an equally
great reduction in the amount of those commodities
exported under existing treaties by this country to Por-
tugal. He could abets to their Lordships that a lose to
the trade and commerce of England, to the amourt of
upwards of 700,0001. annually, had taken place, in eon.
sequence of these equalization measures t the English fish
trade with Portugal had fallen off in a most remarkable
manner. Newfoundland, at present, did not send to
Portugal one-tenth pan the quantity of fish that colony
furnished for twenty years; and it was a fact, that a cor-
responding increase had taken place in the exports of Nor.
way and other countries to Portugal. By his present mea.
sure, the noble lord was treating Portugal most unjustly.
Many complaints had been raised against the Oporto
wine company ; he believed that the affairs of that company
were but indifferently understood, both in that house and
by the country ; but as its chartet expired in two or three
years, an arrang raent of existing difficulties might then
easily be effected. He would ask whether the Government
of Francs had, by any liberal acts, entitled that country to
so much favour ? Had the Government of the Revolution
acted with more liberality than the Government of the
Bourbons ? He should think not. In support of his ar-
Igurnent, the noble earl toes: quoted the price of coffee in
France, which w..s at present 66, whilst the same commo.
dity was only 45 in 'England, and yet the British trader
was not allowed to seed it as an article of commerce to
the former country. In the treaties with this country
Portugal had paid pretty dearly, and she had a right to ex-
pect all that England had promised. The resat attacks
upon Portugal, he considered as nothing short of attacks upon
the existing government of the country. He could ass-re
their lotdsbips that the people of Portugal were a high•

minded people, and would not readily submit to be dictated
to by England, in conjunction with any other nation. When
woe these attache upon the Government of Don Miguel to
cease he should ask. He looked open the present mea-
-1 sure as one which would break the last remaining link
of the chain which bound Pcet*pl to this country ; in-
jurious at once to the commode! interests of both cam-
tries ; and looking at it in apolitical point of wits, he deemed
it most inadvisable for these reasons he was bound to op-
pose the bill.
Viscount GODERICH would not enter into a lengthened
discussion with his not le friend (Lord Aberdeen) respecting
all the treaties odometers referred to by him in his observa-
tions; he denied that the measure proposed was one of hos.
tility towards Portugal, or its existing Government ; the
present system upon which the trade of the two countries
was conducted, was highly detrimental to this country, both
In apolitical and a commercial sense ; and this was no new
opinion of his. for he had, hi 1829, written in a private es.
pocky (for he was not then a member of the Government)
to the President of the Board of Trrde, that so far from the
Methuen treaty being beneficial to England, it was nothing
else but a nuisance. (Hear.) Neither could be view the
present measure as a violation of any of the existing tree.
ties : by the treaty of 1810, it was specially provided that
the toms of the :Methuen treaty might be departed from
without any notice being necessary, there was therefore no
violation; the Oporto Wine Company, which had been re-
presented as the bond which united Portugal and England,
had been a source of perpetual bickering and complaint ; and
what was the fact, looking at it in another important point
of view ? The Oporto Wine Company was not able to con-
fine its importation Of Port wine into this country to a we..
taro 'anent, and the result has been that the people of Eng-
land were obliged to drink a villainous compound manufac-
tured here under the name of Port wine. He readily ad-
mitted that it was an advantage for England to get her
woollens into Portugal at a reduced rate of duty; still he
contended that nothing but a reciprocity in the trade of
the -two countries ought to exist; any other system must
of necessity hied to oincant inquietude. 'But did Portu-
gal exclude the woollens of -England; that moment in
which the endusive system was adipted, the woollens would
be smuggled into the'scountry prohibiting them. It ought
to be remembered nith satisfaction, also, that all the rest
of the world was leo to England. The noble viscount
concluded by disclaiming, in the most positive terms, that
the present measure was founded in hastily to Portugal,
or undue partiality to France; he therefore, trusted their
lonlships would give It their support.
At this period a messenger from the Commons brought
up the game bill, with the amendments agreed to by the
House of Commons.
The Duke. of WELLINGTON observed, that viewing
the measure Is one of finanee,shis noble friend (Earl Aber-
deen) had received no answer. He contended that the pre-
sent measure held out great advantages to France at the ex-
pense of Portugal. Noble lords opposite wished to effect a
change in the commercial treaties with Portugal by revolu-
tionary means, which-would lead to a war of opinion in that
country. He *as bound to state all be knew on the sub-
ject.He was informed that loans had been set on foot to
be raised on the government property, and the church pro-
perty of Portugal, for the purpose of establishinirkDoo Pe-
dro on the government of that country. (Hear. He was
sure that these were transactions unworthy of aßritish Go-
vernment, end calculated to disturb the peace not only of
Portugal, but the whole of the Peninoda.
The Marquis of CLANUICARDE contended that it
was not the duty of Ministers to consider what was alone for
the good of Portugal, or the good of France, but what was
for the good of the British nation.—(Hear.) The present
measure was just as a commercial measure, and be was per-
suaded it would be found effectual as one of finance. The
Noble Marquis then quoted the opinion of Mr. Pitt, to show
that it was no new measure, or one entirely originating with
the present Government.
The Bill was then read a third time end passed.
The Appropriation Bill and the Welsh Charities' Bill
were severally read a first time.

LUNACY BILL.
The LORD CHANCRLLOR directed the attention of
the House to the conference which had taken place in the 11
Painted Chamber, between a Committee of their Lordships'
and the Commons on the Lunatics in Chancery Bill, which '
had been brought up from the Commas' House with their
Lordships' amendments re *.t4, thereby lacing the Bill in,
its original shape. He move that-the Bill, together
with its rejected amendments, be_prlnted...—Agreed to.
Adjourned at a Quarter-peat Ten.