Star.
London, England, 1820-05-05 00:00:00

TAX ON WOOL.

Mr. THOMAS WILSON rose, for the purpose of
presenting a Petition from the Wool-Manufacturers
and Merchants concerned in the Wool Trade of the
City of London. Adverting to the duty which was,
imposed upon foreign wool in the course of last year,
the Honourable Gentleman observed, that it ap-
peared to him, from the very first, a proceeding of
an unwise and impolitic nature, considering that the
manufacturing interest of this country was at that
time even involved in great distresses, and that a'
very large number of individuals were all that while I
suffering under heavy difficulties add privations.--
He had always felt the truth of that maxim, " that
the imposition of a new duty upon the raw material
is a measure newel justifiable, except when the trade
is in a flourishing condition." The Resolutions which
had been founded upon these considerations, and
transmitted to his Majesty's Ministers, were-such as,
he thought, would make out a very strong case. It
was evident that the great price of the raw article,
would enhance the price of the manufacture in pro-
portion ; whereas a tall, such as would be occasioned
by the withdrawing of the duty, would enable us to
meet the competition of foreign markets. It was
very true, as had been stated, that a great number
ut merchants in the City had refused the order which
was transmitted to England for the clothing of the
Russian army ; and he mentioned the circumstance
in corroboration of the view be had taken of the'
question. The more he WWI wended 'his observa-
tions, the mote information he bad been enabled to
collect upon the subject, he was so much the more
lcoavineed that this Tax must operate like a mill-

stone round the neck of the manufaCturer. He sliaula
not detain the House further upon this matter ; but
he implored his Majesty's. Ministers to consider the
state of the country, the condition of the manufac-
turing classes, and to reflect with how much better
grace it would, come from them to repeal this Tax
in pity to that country, and to those individuals,
rather than to wait till the distress had increased to
a degree which should make it imperative upon'
them to do so.

The Petition was then brought up: it prayed that
Parliament would be pleased to confer upon thc
Wool.trade that protection which it had always re-
ceived under all former reigns.
Mr. ALEXANDER BARING thought, that a
more important subject could not be brought under
the consideration of the House than that which had
been just submitted to it by the Honourable Member
for the City of London. He could not, entirely un-
connected as he was with the wool-trade, or with
persons. embarked in that trade, allow the present
opportunity to pass, without saying that he consi-
dered this most ancient and valuable manufacture to
be in very imminent danger—( Hear, hesr).—lt
could hardly be expected of him to speak more par-
ticularly to the subject. He was not exactly pre-
pared to say whether the manufactures of the coun-
try could or could not bear this duty of 6d. per
pound upon the importation of wool. But of this
he was quite satisfied, that the duty last year was
imposed without a sufficient consideration. It
seemed to have been laid on by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, more for the purpose of conciliating
some Honourable Gentlemen who were reluctant to
adopt another tax, probably almost equally severe
upon diem—the Malt Duty, rather than from other
motives. He was quite sure, if it should appear that
the manufactures of this country could not stand
foreign competition while this tax existed, that to
suffer it to continue for one or two years only, might
be the means of establishing manufactures abroad,
which would entirely overcome that competition
which we bad sustained in their markets for centu-
ries, and which would get to such ahead, that no
subsequent efforts of ours, no mitigation of duties
even, would be able to undersell or put down. As
far as regarded the Agricultural Interest, he would
say, that if the Manufactures of the country were at
stake by reason of the price of wool, the Agi icul-
tural Interest was equally so—a fact which could be
easily made out. He did not know what course the
Honourabk Gentleman opposite meant to pursue,
but he could not suffer the matter to pass, without
begging that the House would allow him to say,
although it was not usual to give that sort of notice
in such cases, that be (Mr. Baling) should on Mon-
day next present a Petition from the Merchants Of
the City of London; relative to the general restric-
.tioas under which the Commerce of the country was
at present labouring. In conclusion, he begged to
observe, that he could not allow a Petition like that
which had been just presented to be brought up with-
out offering a few words upon it, or without de-
claring that he considered it one of a most import; I
ant description. He would say, that no Parliament
had; ever been guilty of greater remissness in the
discharge of their drtty than the last Parliament had
evinced, by the inconsiderate manner in which they
had imposed such a duty upon the importation of
wool.--(Hear, hear).
Mr. WILSON said, that he intended to follow up
the Petition, according to the prayer contained in it,
by calling the serious attention of the House to the
subject. But he should let the Petition rest at pre-
sent, until the House were in possession of numerous
others upon the same subject, which he expected
would be forwarded from all parts of the country. -
Tbe Petition was ordered to be printed.
SCOTCH BURGHS.

Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON rose for the
purpose of moving the re-appointment of the. Co-
mmittee of last year, to inquire into the state of the
Royal Burghs of Scotland. He was hippy to find
that Ministers did not intend to resist this proposi-
tion; and, on this account, it would be unnecessary
for him to detain the House at any length. The
importance of the subject would be admitted on all
hands; and such Gentlemen as had not been Mem-
\hers of the last Parliament might have an opportu-
nity of informing themselves very fully regarding it
by the perusal of the Reports already prepared by pre-
vious Committees. This great question had excited,
and continued to excite, the strongest interest in
' Scotland, and it was the duty of Parliament to in-
vestigate it thoroughly. With regard to the Mem-
bers he should propose for the Committee, some of
them were new, because all the Gentlemen who
served upon the last occasion did not now belong to
the House. One of the new names he had first in-
serted, he understood, would be objected, to on the
other side; and, as he did not wish to produce any
disagreement, he had consented to withdraw it. To
his motion for the revival of the Committee, it would
be necessary to add another, for the purpose of sup-
plying them with the previous Reports of the years
1793,1818, 1819, and 1820. Ile then put his mo-
tions into the hands of the Speaker.
On the question being put,
Lord BINNING expressed his high sense of the
liberality with which the Noble Lord had acted upon
this subject.—The names of the Committee were then
read over. Among them were,
Lord A. Hamilton Sir R. Fergusson
Sir James Mackintosh Mr. Finlay
Lord Advocate of Scotland Mr. Maxwell

Mr. Stuart Wortley Sir G. Clerk
Mr. J. P. Grant lion. W. Dundee
Mr. Mackenzie Lord Binning
Mr. Minter Blair Lord Provost of Glasgow.
The Reports of the dates mentioned by Lord A.
Hamilton were referred to the Committee.