Star.
London, England, 1821-06-19 00:00:00

TOBACCO DUTIES.

Mr. LUSHINGTON moved the Order of the Day
for the second reading of the Tobacco Duties Bill.
Lord BELGR AVE opposed the Bill. He consi-
dered the measure to be both frivolous and vexatious.
It was only favourable to small retail dealers.
Mr. LUSHING'FON proposed that the House
should go into the Committee on Friday next, if
not sooner.

Mr. IiERNAL considered the Bill to be objec-
tionable in many respects. He suggested the pro-
priety of its being withdrawn, in order that it might
be brought forward next Session in a less excep-
tionable form. •

Mr. CUR WEN concurred in the opinion that the
Bill, as it was now framed, was very objectionablo.
Mr. LUSHINGTON said, that any necesary al-
terations in the Bill might be made on Friday, should
the House agree to the Committee.
Air. Alderman WOOD said, if one or two clauses
were expunged, the Bill might be adopted with ad-
vantage to the Public.
M. BARING said, that no persons were more in-
terested in having frauds put an end to than honest
dealers; and though the clauses might militate against
them to a certain extent, yet in the main they would
be f)und advantageous.
Sir F. BUR DE f r had a decided objection to any
increased power b..!ing given to the Excise. Under
this imp essioa he 3h on:d move, that the Bill be read
a second time this day six months.
Mr. W. SNIITH considered it peculiarly severe,
that while Tobacco was imported at five-pence per
pound, a duty of four shillings should be laid upon it.
Mr. BRIGHT was must anxious that the Bill
should go into the Committee, hoping that, during
the summer, the fair trader might be protected
against the unfair trader. He would not, however,
be understood as wishing in the slightest degree to
increase the power of the Excise, which already was
so severely felt.
Mr. HOIIHOLISE understood that the frauds
complained of did not take place in London, but in
the country, yet the provisions of this Bill went di-
rectly to airect the interests of the traders in London.
In his opinion, the system provided by the Bill would
rather increase srnug-gling than prevent it.
Mr. CALCRAF I wished to have a clause ex-
punged, which prevented retail dealers from selling
more than one parcel to one person in a day. This
clause he thought was most oppressive.
Mr.C.CALVERT contended that all the provisions
of the Bill were liable to the strongest objection.
After a few words from Mr. Alderman WOOD,
Sir F. BURDETT, Mr.LUSIIINGTON, and Mr. MuNCK,
the House divided—

For the original Motion - - 75
For the Amendment - - - - 45
Majority in favour of the Bill - —32
On the re-admission of strangers to the gallery, the
House were in discussion on the motion lot going into
the Committee to-morrow.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sup-
ported it.
Mr. C. CALVERT wished that the Bill should
be printed, and copies of it circulated among those
whose interest it affected. He deprecated precipi-
tancy in proceeding with this measure.
Mr. W. SMITH, though concurring in the prin.
ciple, would still vote against it entirely, if it was
urgently pressed through the House.-
Mr. HART DAVIS was in favour of giving the
subject all due consideratiOn. He bad had some
communications respecting it from several dealers in
tobacco, and the whole of them approved of the Bid.
I%lr BERNAL wishe4 to know from the Honour-
able Member if those dealers resided at Bristol, or
were from among the general body ?
Mr. H. DAVIS said they did reside at Bristol.
Mr. BE•RNAL then insisted that the general body
of traders were against the Dill.
General G A SCOYNE felt assured that thetraders
Were in general hostile to the measure. He should
reserve for another occasion the observations he in-
tended to bffer upon it.
Mr. BRIGHT thought it very improbable that the
great manufacturer, who had probably £50,000 or

PRICE SEVEN-PENrE.

1E60,000 vested in the trade, would like to destroy
the rend dealer, by whom he hoped to profit.
After a few words from Mr. HART DAvis and
Lord BELonAvE, the Bill was ordered to be com-
mitted to-morrow.
Lord A. HAMILTON presented a Petition from the Ma-
nufacturer.; of Snuff and Tobar:o in Glasgow, against the To-
bacco Duties lii I.—Lail on thc!
Mr. CALVERT pr.:: ,ntad two P:titilna fcc,nl ceruin :111-
nufactt.rers and iirt;:ili-n; of Tobacco, agailsc the To-
bacco th,tics Pi;l.—l.:(id on the table.

Mr. LW:MI:MT presented a Peition from Mr. Joseph
Pitt, a aii!rchant of London, against any a!eratiou in the
Laws.
Sir W. 1)7. CRESPIdNY supported the Peri:ion ; which
wis read, and laid on the tabk.

I.crd HA Al I Imo N presented a from the Brewers
f (itas?ow, praying the rep...a! of tae addiaanal Malt Duty in
Scotland.

Arvr a few words fram'ill? Cir...N•zrt.tore of the FACITTArn:.'t
a:A I. mi A. 11.otil.roN, the PetitiOn was bid on the table.

Mr. GRENFELI. presented a Petition from P...nryr.,.in
vnur of the Bill f.,r punishing Cruelty to Animals.--Laid
zit:

Lord NUCENT gave notice that he would take an earl;•
portunity, next Session, of mOvitir, for I?avc to hrice, it. tv.o
'for better securing the lint:Tem:once of the JiJges
in the Civil Courts of tfic West India• Islands; the other for
securing the better Administtation of Justice in the Criminal
Courts there.

HUSBANDRY nonsrq DUTY.

Mr. CURWEN, in rising to move the Order of the
Day for the House resolving itself into a Committee
on the Husbandry Horses Duty Repeal Bill, said he was
happy to understand that his Majesty's Ministers did
not intend to oXer any further opposition to this Bill
—(Hear, hear).—He considered that the boon which
they thus gave, in the handsomest manner, would
proW, highly acceptable, not only to the agricul-
turists, but to the country at large ; because it sheaved
that there was an indispensable necessity for the in-
troduction of a system of economy and retrench-
ment, which would make up fin. the want of this tax,
and might lead to still further indulgencies to the
country in general —(llrar, henr).—For himself, he
had now only to express his grateful thanks for the
handsome manner in which the Noble Lord came
forward on this occasion.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
that he was at all times ready to bow to the decided
opinion of the House, and in this instance, if he
waited as long as possible, it was only from a wish
to ascertain that the majority of the House was in
favour of the repeal of the tax in qttestion. From
what he had heard, he now felt no doubt upon that
point ; and, being thus assured, he did not mean to
set up his own opinion agaiest that of the House in
general. In ail case that was not of vital impor-
tance, lie and his colleague,, would defer to the ex-
pre.eed sense of the House. Ile had only to say,
tit tiler, that if the consequences should follow from
this sacrifice which the lion. Member for Cumber-
land expeeted,,he should net regret thaohe had given
way on this occasion, but he could not avoid, intima-
ting that the agriculterists t.Lott id feel that the giving
up this tax was 3 great sacrifice on the part of Go-
vernment—( Hear).
Mr. BIRCH said, that this was a useless abandon-
ment of one tax on the part cf Government, if it
was intended to substitute another for it of a differ-
ent kind, but of equal amount. In that case it might
be a relief to a particular portion of the community,
but to the country at large it would be no benefit
whatever. If it were intended that a new tax should
be imposed, by way of compensation, he would have
preferred that things had remained as they were;
and, under this view of the question, if he had been
in the House on the previous evening, he would
then have voted with Ministers for the continuance
of the tax—(heard.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said, that he
had felt it his duty to give up this Tax, after he had
ascertained what were the sentiments of the House
with respect to it. Considering also the amount of
the Tax itself, and the great depression of the Agri-
cultural Interests, he considered that it might be use-
ful to repeal this 'fax, if not as a Measure of relief,
at least as a measure of sympathy. Under those im-
pressions he had resolved to make no further strug-
gle. With repect to the Report of the Committee
on this question, he hoped that the ciictinistances
under which that Report was nude, would be con-
sidered as a pledge that the House was willing to
apply relief to existing distress, as far as it was possi-
ble, and that the Report itself would be received by
the country as a proof of the diligence and zeal of its
Representatives, and of their particular attention to
that invaluable branch of industry. As to the sup-
position of the lion. Member opposite with respect to
a compensation for this Tax, he might be pernated
to express his hope, that if his lion. Friend did not
briug forward a proposition for that purpose now, he
should not therefore be precluded {limo doing so at a
future period, if it was found nice-. sary. When
nisters should, next Session, bring fin ward those
measures of economy and leirenchment which they
had in contemplation, and the House should be satis-
fied that they bad done all in their power towards
effecting that object, lie hoped, if it should then be
found necesetry, that theme would be to objection felt
to the replacing of this T.ts. At least, he t; usted that
when, next Session, statements of the Revenue of the
country should be nude, it would not be forgotten
that this Tax had beeu given up Itoni a Revet,ue not
over abundant, and that, too, without a prezent com-
pensatiue—( Hear).
Mr. A. 13,1111:s;G expressed his hope, that after a
Tax had been given up, which certainly was et great
importance to the credit of the country, they should
not be told that little or nothirs bad been surren-
dered by the Government. He owned it did Lot ap-
pear to him quite char that the Right Hon. Gentle-
mall opposite was actuated on this occasion by ntv-
Lives quite so honourable as he had assigned. He
believed that the Right Hon. Gentleman Lei received
a pretty strong hint from -several of the Celiac:men
who,thiaally voted with them, that if Mitioteis
not give way on this question, they would vote with
his Lion. Friend, the Member or Aberdeen, tin