The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-26 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY, APRIL 19

Mr. CHAS. TURNER presented a petition from the in-
habitants of the district of St. Baraabas, Liverpool,
against opening the Crystal Palace on Sundays.
Mr. DUNLOP presented a petition from the working
classes in the district of St. Saviour's Church, Liverpool,
to the same effect.
COCKERMOUTH ELECTION.—Mr. HAMILTON reported
from the Select Committee that Mr. Aglionby and
General Wyndham had been duly elected.
LAW OF PARTNERSHIP.—In answer to a question,
Mr. CARDWELL said that a commission of inquiry on the
subject was about to be issued, but the report would not
be ready for legislation during this session.
THE LATE ADMIRALTY BOARD.—Sir B. HA,LL, in 8
long speech, called attention to a charge against the late
Secretary, and the late Lords of the Admiralty, for
alleged interference with the patronage of the dockyards
for electioneering purposes, and he concluded by moving
for a committee of inq,uiry.—Mr. STAFFORD entered into
a long explanation, but made no opposition to,the mo-
tion, and after some further discussion it was agreed to..
MALDON ELECTION.—A motion for an address-to the
Crown, for a commission to enquire into the existence of
corrupt practices at Maldon, was carried by a majority of
71 to 50. WEDNESDN.Y, APRIL 20.
Mr. MACKENZIE presented a petition from theWesleyans
of Liverpool, and also from the working men of Bverton,
against the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sundays.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.--Mr. FIELDEN presented a
petition from the members of the Blackburn Commercial
Association, suggestive of. divers reforms in the legislation
of India, irrespective of the form that Government may
assume, and praying that the same have statutory: effect in
any legislation for the future government of that country.
SCOTCH PUBLIC-HOUS-ES.—The Public-houses (Scot-
land) Bill passed through committee, and severaLamend-
ments moved by Mr. MACKENZIE were agreed to,
MAYO ELECTION.—Lord H. VANE reported from the
Select Committee that Messrs. Moore and Higgins had
been declared to be duly elected.
JUDGES' EXCLUSION BILL.—In committee on this Bill
Mr. HUME moved that the Recorder of Londowshould
be disqualified from a seat in Parliament, but after, some
discussion the amendment was withdrawn.
COUNTY BATES.—The County Rates and Expenditure
Bill was deferred until next Wednesday.
THURSDAY, APRIL 21.

BAUNSTAPLE ELizarzow.—Mr. W. 0. STANIJEY re-
orted from the Select Committee that Sir Wm.. Fraser
.nd Mr. Bremridge had not been duly elected.
CUSTOMS REFORM.
- - -

Mr. J. WILSON stated the views of the Government in
relation to the recommendations of the select committee
respecting the department of the customs, and the altera-
tions and amendments- they proposed to make- therein.
Under the head of costs and penalties the government had
thought the time had come when the crown should be put
upon the same footing, as the subject ; and, further, that
it should be imperative on the crown, in all cases where
the amount to be recovered shall not exceed £lO4, instead
of an exchequer trial,. to resort to a county court, or such
local tribunal as the treasury should direct. Other
ameliorations of the law under this head were detailed by
Mr. Wilson. With respect to the transit trade, it was
proposed to allow all. goods in transitu to be conveyed by
railway, under the superintendence of Custom-house
officers, from one port to another, and re-exported with-
out opening the packages, and without reqpiring bonds,
except from the railway companies. Other relaxations of
the law would be likewise adopted in order to give
facilities to this trade. On the important subject of
bonding and warehousing, he stated that, in order to
obviate a complaint of the committee of the hardship of
the present system of charging duties upon deficiencies,
it was proposed that the importer of bonded goods shall
be liable to the crown until he parts with possession, when
the goods shall, be re-entered in the name of the pur-
chaser, who shall be responsible to the crown ; that stock
shall be taken every five years, the duties then paid on
the ascertained deficiencies, and the goods re-entered.
The government proposed to introduce another important
modification. which was not recommended by the com-
mittee. At present, in the case of, large transactions
between Lennon and Liverpool, when goods were removed
in bond, tho- merchants so removing, them had again to
give separate bonds for every transaction, and until very
lately they, had to give bonds for double the amount of
duty. He thought it would very much facilitate these
transactions if one single bond was given, to run from
time to• time, and covering a certain amount of trans-
actions.. With regard to the codification of the laws, the
government had given instructions for reducing the exist-
ing Customs Acts into one (to be expressed in plain and
simple terms), which would be shortly laid before the
house, and had given directions to the commissioners of
the customs to publish monthly all new regulations, which,
would from year to year be incorporated in a new act.,
He now came to the subject of the outports, which was
one of very great importance.. When the present consti,..
tution of the Board of Customs was framed, and the pre-
sent regulations were laid down, a very different state of
things with regard to the outports existed to what was
now the case. In 1817 the amount of shipping in the-port
of Liverpool was only 700,464 tons, whereas in the year
1850 it amounted to 3,786,000 tons. In 1817 the tonnage
of shipping in the port of London was 1,226,855 tons; in
1850 it was 3,289,000 tans, being 500,000 tons less than
in the port of Liverpool. The total exports in 13SO
amounted to £71,300,000. The value of exports from
Liverpool was £34,894,000; from London, £14.,13:,000;
from Hull, £10,366,000 ; from Glasgow and the, Clyde,
£4,150,000, making together £63,544,000, leaving the
balance of £7,75M00 exported from the various other
ports of the kingdom. These facts showed that the time
had come when there must be a change in the organization
of the Custom-house establishment. Circumstances had
totally altered since the time when London was almost
the only place of export, and seat of Custom-house au-
thority. In the early part of his speech. he stated that it
was not the intention of the Government at the present
time to make any statement with regard to the recon-
struction of the Board of Customs, but that the subject
was under consideration. But this he might say, that
whatever reconstruction might take place in regard to
that board, he had stated enough to show that Liverpool
must be placed in such a position as that it should be able
for its merchants to have decided day by day all impor-
tant questions that might arise under the Customs,
whether by means of a board ar by any other form which
it might be considered necessary to establish. That was
the decision to which the Government had arrived ; and,
considering that Liverpool was rapidly increasing in im-
portance, they felt they should not be justified in post- ,
poning such an arrangement even for a day. The
Commissioners of Customs had therefore been audio-.
rized to extend the existing authority at Liverpool to ad-
judicate upon all cases not exceeding £lOO value, without
requiring the parties to wait, as they were now obliged to
do, till the Board of Customs in London could he ap-
pealed to. The inquiries were to be conducted in open
court, and a report of all decisions was directed to be
made weekly to the board in London, for the purpose of
preserving uniformity in practice. The county court of
Liverpool would also be open to those who wished to go
to it in all cases limited to the sum he had mentioned.
The government were more induced to extend this advan-
tage to Liverpool because it could not be denied that that
town was becoming the great commercial emporium of
this country. All these proposals he laid before the
House in order that they might be well considered, with
the distinct understanding that the government were not
bound to them.
Mr. CHAS. TURNER would leave the details of the
plan to the judgment of the various commercial associa-
tions of the empire, but could not refrain from thanking
the hon. gentleman and the government for the great
boon they had conferred on Liverpool by giving it a local
board, and thus saving the merchants the delay and an-
noyance of references to London. He also thanked them
for giving jurisdiction to the county court in cases up to
£lOO, but thought the penalty should not be included in
that amount. The judge of the Liverpool County Court
was a gentleman of great ability, and was able to give
satisfaction in cases of far larger amount, if left to his
decision. _ _ _

MR. 'W. BROWN said his constituents would be exceed.
ingly gratified by the plan his hon. friend had propounded
to-night, though there might be some points of detail on