The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-24 00:00:00

THE TEA DUTIES.

The popularity of tea as a wholesome and refreshing be-
verage, amongst all classes of the British people, is now so
firmly established, that to adduce long statistical ac-
counts of its import and consumption, were as superfluous
as to produce voluminous evidence of a truism. Tea
forms, in fact, in almost all families, the sole liquid portion
of two important daily meals; and it has from habit be-
come indispensible, not only on the well plenished tables
of the rich, and on the plainer boards of the middle
classes ; but, descending in the scale, we find tea to be (if
we may so express it) the grand mollifier and assistant in
the pleasurable, mastication of the otherwise dry crust of
the poor, to whom, in the absence of dainties, it becomes
more of a necessary than a luxury of life.

With respect to the wealthy, the price of the article is
of less moment, their means being adequate to meet a high
expenditure ; but as regards the other two classes, it is es-
pecially important (more particularly with reference to the
last) that the consumption of tea should be encouraged,
be its being afforded to them at moderate prices, which
might be accomplished, were the secondary qualities not
smothered up and repelled from the market by exorbitant
duties, which positively defeat their own purpose, ani at
the same time impolitically deprive the greater numerical
portion of the community of a comfort and a means of
sustenance, not only perfectly innocuous in itself, but con-
ducive to social domestic habits and to sobriety.
Were there something poisonous in the tea-plant—
something destructive to the public health (as, for instance,
the use of opium in China), we should have appreciated
the levying of large duties as a means of arresting an evil
which, from the easy process of smuggling in so portable
an article, they could not altogether put down. But, in

t;.e absence of all such plea, our legislators have through-
out taken advantage of the very virtue of the lieges—for
it is a virtue to prefer lea to beer. or other potent drinks
of former times—to fill the coffers of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer for the time being, without reference or con-
descension to the comforts of the masses.

If tea were obtainable at half its present price, the con-
sumption would be more than doubled, and the enhanced.
price to the consumer is solely attributable to the " mon-
ster" duty. The people would prefer a strong cup of the
beverage to one so diluted and watery that it may tend to
produce nervous affections. Successive administrations
have, however, stinted us of the tea, though they have
somehow contrived to keep us in hot water.
As we now stand with relation to China, and having,
moreover, possession of several valuable ports in that im-
mense and rich territory, it behoves us for our own sakes
as well as for the interests of humanity to pursue a dif-
ferent line of policy. The present system acts as a deadly
check upon our commerce;' and upon commerce, more
than ever, depends our national strength and supremacy
in the present day, in the partial failure of some of our
agricultural pursuits. A variety of articles, particularly
cloth, can be manufactured in this country at a smaller
cost, than other places; and why not promote a profitable
traffic with China, which is willing to meet us, by a re-
duction of the tea duties? Such a consummation would
afford employment to many thousands of our operatives,
and the means of transit to and fro would form an impor-
tant extension of our mercantile marine, and our school
for navigators. _ _

The reduction of the duties on teas would, we feel as-
sured, be acknowledged as a " boon" by all classes of the
community, and would not, in our view of the question,
involve a loss to the government, but rather tend to in-
crease the finances and resources of the country.
The facts of the case are simple, and may be briefly
stated from a work now before us—A Letter to Sir R.
Peel, dated December last, by Mr. Edward Brodribb, a
member of the Liverpool East India and China Associa-
tion, and published by " The Liverpool Association for
the Reduction of the Duty on Tea." This small but in-
telligent work exposes, beyond the reach of contradiction,
the impolicy of the system hitherto pursued in regard to
the tea trade, giving valuable statistics of the rising duties
on its import, from time to time, over nearly a century.
We anticipate that the meeting in this town, on Wed-
ded and will help powerfully to forward
the present agitation.
nineesrdoauys,i
y( (to-morrow,)
no rro , ) convened by the Mayor, will be nu-

For SALE,

The line new Ship SOBRAON ;
W,„4.,-„. Len aloft
-UM?, Exremgth 173 e
breadth 35 feet, 0i inches,
Depth of hold 24 feet.
Registers 1024 old and 1280 new tons. This extremely sub-
stantial vessel was built in Quebec, under the particular in-
spection of the Surveyor for the Registry of Shipping ; is
constructed of the very best materials the country produces ;
is very handsome in model ; a large carrier, and salts exceed-
ingly fast ; her fastenings are heavier and more numerous than
usual ; her outfit is ample, of the best Liverpool manufacture.
She has a full length poop? forecastle, and figure head.—For
particulars apply on board, in the Brunswick Dock or to
HOLDERNESS and CiHLTON.

Apply to

GRAVEL,
CLEAN SEA-BEECH, ON SALE.
RIGBY and SALKELD,
Atherton Buildings, Dale-street

DAMAGE'S CONCENTRATED COMPOUND
_LI, SOLUTION OF IRON. The well-known tonic proper-
ties of Iron have made it a medicine of daily application in all
cases of debility, produced by a poor and impoverished state of
the blood.
THE SYMPTOMS by which this state of the system is
known are the following :—General weakness, languor, inapti-
tude to exertion, loss of appetite, imperfect digestion, flatu-
lence after taking food, a feeble action of the heart, palpitation
on the slightest exertion, cold hands and feet, irregular action
of the bowels, and severe headaches.
THE EFFECT of this Preparation of Iron is to act as a per-
manent Tonic. By strengthening and invigorating the sto-
mach and digestive organs, the appetite is not only increased,
but the food taken is properly digested, the blood is made in
better quality and larger quantity, thereby the action of the
heart is increased, rendering the pulse fuller and stronger, aug-
menting the temperature of the body, and improving the tone
of the muscular fibre.
This Medicine is much assisted by using RAMAOE'S LAXA-
TIVE PILLS at the same time.
Sold in Bottles, at 4s. 6d. each, Wholesale and Retail, by the
Proprietor's appointment, at JOHN SANGER'S, 150, Oxford-
street, and may be procured of Carter, Johnson, Jones.
Ross and Co., Schole-
M`Guffie, Priestley, Rawle, Roberts,
field, Troughton 'Wagstaff, and all respectable Medic:we Ven..
Cr! throusbouetbe country.

PATRONISED BY HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY

OFFICE.
LT MORRELL'S REGISTRATION .INK, Mann-
.ll. • factured for the use of Registrars of .Births, Deaths,
and Marriages, and warranted made with Galls.
This superior Office Ink has received its present reputation
from the results of Chemical Tests made under Authority.
Sold Wholesale at the Manufactory, 149, Fleet-street, Lon-
don ; and may be had Retail of all the.principal.Stationers and
Booksellers in Liverpool.