Star.
London, England, 1819-03-19 00:00:00

SALT DUTIES.

Mr. CM:CRAFT, in moving for the Papers for
,:hies: he had announced it to be his intention to call
tt;if7sl he knew the motion was not to be opposed,
take this opportunity to offer a few remarks,
a"d to state what he as an individual should think it
I: ; duty to do in the course of the present Session
16:Jr:a the subject. The impression on his mind against
ti o ta, was now as strong or stronger than it was
before he went into the Committee, but at the same
enee he could not shut his eyes to the importance of
supportirog the Revenue. The Salt Duties brought
no less than a million and a half into the Exchequer.
He should be sorry to diminish the Sinking Fund by
thatlion. Unless Salt was taken from the Excise,
it totdd.notbc made o useful generally as could be

wished; and when taken Om the Excise, there
would be an end of the revenue arising from Salt.--
Udder all circumstances, he thought -he should best
do his duty by calling on his countrymen to bear the
present duties some time longer, till the state of the
country should be such as to entitle them to look for
permanent relief. There might, however, be regu-
lations made that would afford considerable relief. A
Bill was shortly to be introduced, which he was sa-
tisfied Would be fully commensurate to the object in
view, and to this he should not fail to attend in its
several stages, in order to make it as efficient as pos-
sible. Among the hardships endured under the ex-
`isting laws, those felt by the bleachers had been par-
ticularly noticed by the Committee. A regulation
had been made to relieve them from the operationof
the Salt tax, on their taking not less than 50 bushels
at once. This, however, did not afford generally that
relief which it had been the object of the Legislature
to afford. If the same allowance were made to
those who took 20 bushels, much good might be ac-
complished. At present the great master, who could
take 50 bushels at once, paid but at the rate of 7s. per
cwt. while the master who was obliged to have it in
smaller quantities paid no less than 1/.175. per cwt.
fir all he consumed. He now wished to state, that
he had no intention of making any motion on the
subject in the course of the present Session. He men-
tioned this as he had been called on to take it up from
many quarters, and to move either for a Committee
on the subject, or for a total repeal of the existing
duties. If he were to take the latter course he was
sure of meeting with considerable support, and there-
fore it was n-it through fear of meeting with no sup-
port that he abstained from doing so ; but at the
present morn:nt he felt as he had in the lait year that
it was of gr.2at impoi tance to keep faith with the
public creditor, and to keep up the revenue of the
country, and therefore it was impossible for him to
act as he should be inclined to do in another situation.
The relief afforded with respect to salt used for pur-
poses of agriculture, which had reduced the duty to
halla-crown per bushel, had proved of great impor-
tance, and an important increase in the consumption
of salt had followed. Twelve thousand and some
odd hundreds of bushels of salt had been used in agri-
culture, in consequence of the alteration. This was
sufficient to make an e x perimeat of its utility on a large
scale, and thus one important beacfit was derived
from the labours of the Committee in the last Session,
and more he hoped would follow, as more, he wac
of opinion, might be done to relieve the country. He
concluded by moving for an account of the quantity
of Salt, delivered, duty free, is the year 1818, distin-
guishing the purposes fur which the same had been
so delivered.

Mr. WALLACE regretted, that the state of the
Revente made it impossible to give up the Duty on
Salt, and agreed with the Ronan-able Gentleman
that the Committee of last year hal done great good,'
and it was advantageous, as it enabled them to ascer-
tain which of the evils could be renedied, while the
present laws remained in force, ane what could el:1y
he removed with the duties themselves. Many of
the evils had been greatly exaggerited, and though
one great branch of the industry tf the country had
been relieved from the operation cf the tax, that
effect which had been looked for by the opponents
of it had not taken place, and the increased con-
sumption was not more than a thousandth part so
great as some had anticipated that it would become.
Phis caused him some disappointment : but though
disappointed ne atcl not despond, and he hoped in
future years the consumption would so increase as to
enable Government to reduce the duty. It was to
relieve some of the most important branches of our
trade that he was about to introduce a Bill, and he
should be happy to regulate this important source of
revenue from the suggestions he had received, in a
way that would be sausfactory to all parties. Every
effort had already been made to render the collection
of the duty as little inconvenient and as little embar-
rassing to those from whom it was collected as cir-
cumstances would permit.
Mr. CURWEN considered the Tax to be most op.
pressive in its character. The Right lion. Gentleman
had expressed disappointment that the quantity of
Salt consumed for agricultural purposes had not
been greater, in consequence of the relief afforded,
than it had been in the last year. Sanguine as he
(Mr. Curwen) had been in his anticipations, he had
net expected more would Eb^ done titan had been
done in so short a time. lb bolieved it would be
found that 308 tons of Salt had been used for agri-
cultural purposes, and this was as great a quantity
as could reasonably be expected to be so consumed
within so limited a period. He thought he might as-
sume that not one of those who had used it would find
it fail to produce those advantages which it had been
predicted would arise from it, applied to cattle,
sheep, and horses. He looked forward to a great
additional increase in the consumption, and thought
it probable that the quantity used in agriculture
would soon be ten times as great as that used in this
year, which was forty times greater ti'an that so con-
sumed in the last, till coming into general, into uni-
versal use, it enabled Ministers to diminish the duty,
without prejudice to the Revenue.
Mr. DAVENPORT hoped that, at no distant pe-
riod, the consumption of Salt ::.or agricultural pur-
poses would be much greater than at present. In
the Bill to be brought in, he hoped the agricultural in-
terest would be' onsidered. Many things might be
done to relieve the agriculture of the country, with-
out injuring the revenue.
Mr. KENNEDY complained of the regulations
connected with the collection of the tax as trouble-
some, and hoped the country would in some way be
relieved from them.

Dr. PHILLIMORE spoke against the Tax, which
of all others he held to be most pernicious to the in-
terests of the country. His objections to the tax were
not removed by the relief proposed to be afforded.
Ile would ask the House to consider if this tax did
not go directly against eur fisheries, and press heavy
on the poorer classes of the community, mixing itself
with every article they consumed ? It might in fact
be considered the income tax of that class. By di-
minishing the duty the tax might be made more pro.
ductive. If it were to be gradually extinguished,
taking five years to accomplish this, and re4cing it
by degrees, he thought the country would benefit
much by the measure.
Mr. eALCRAFT shortly replied. Though in the
Fresent year he, did not think it advisable to proceed
urther,a time would come when he, or when earn,

0.11, 4.

one who thought as he did, would not scruple to
move for a total repeal of the Salt Laws. Next year
the subject must come under consideration, as a law
would then expire which would bring the question
before the House as relating to the duty paid in Ire-
land. At present the duty paid on salt per bushel
was 15s. in England, 6s. in Scotland, and 2s. in Ireland.
Mr. TREMAYNE was of opinion that Salt would
never be much used by farmers for agricultural pur-
poses while the excise remained en it.
Mr. V. FITZGERALD, whenever the subject
came before the House, would protest against a re-
vision of the Salt Laws with respect to Ireland, or
at least equalizing the duties with those of Scotland
and England.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, if the laws respecting
the Salt and Coal Duties were revised, other subjects
must come into consideration connected with the
Act of Union, which, perhaps, those who would
equalize the duties would not care to enter upon.
Mr. GRENFELL wished the country relieved
from the Salt Duties, but apprehended, in the pre-
sent state of our finances, these could not be given
up till a substitute was provided for them.
The Motion was then agreed to.
WINDOW TAX IN IRELAND.

Mr. C. HUTC•IHINSON presented a Petition from
Cork, against the Window Tax in Ireland. To re.
peal the Tax in question, he contended would be
not only a measure of humanity, but one of sound
policy and justice. The Member for Dublin had
given notice that he would bring di's subject shortly
under the consideration of the House, or he would
have taken upon himself to do so. 11Are the thy
of the discussion arrived, he hoped the Chancellor
of the Exchequer would give Ow question his most
serious consideration.—The Petition was read and
ordered to lie on the table.