The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-18 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SECOND EDITION.

Standard-office, Nine o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Last Night.

Statement of Sir Robert Peel on the
Sugar Duties Bill.
Before five o'clock the house was exceedingly full with
members on both sides, and the space below the bar ap-
propriated to strangers was also crowded. Amongst
those present we noticed Lord Morpeth, and a number of
Peers.
Sir R. PEEL entered the house a few minutes before five
o'clock. After a short pause,
The Right Hon. Bart. said it was probable the house
would expect some statement from him of the course her
Majesty's government intended to pursue in consequence
of the vote on Friday night on the subject of the sugar
duties (hear, bear.) He had a statement to make, but if
the house had no objection, he would make it after they
had resolved into a committee on the Sugar Duties Bill.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, there could be no objection to
the course proposed by the right hon. bart.
The house then went into committee, Mr. Greene in
the chair.
Sir R, PEEL said, the house having resolved into a
committee, he would state the views which her Majesty's
government entertained on the subject of the Sugar Du-
ties Bill, and the course they intended to pursue (bear,
hear.) The right hon. bart. proceeded to state his opi-
nions upon the question of slavery as connected with the
duties on sugar, and reviewed the various discussions
which had taken place. Her Majesty's government
thought it would be unjust to the British planter to enter
into competition with the foreign grower who used slave
labour. He could not, however, help thinking that if they
encouraged the introduction of sugar from Cuba, Java,
and perhaps China, the produceof freelabour, itwould tend
to discourage slavery in those parts. The•bouse was aware
of the plan which they had proposed to effect this intro-
duction. They proposed that there should be a differen-
tial duty between foreign and colonial sugar of 10s. per
cwt. They wished the growers of free labour sugars to
know the opinion of parliament on this subject, in order
that, at some future period, no party should be taken by
surprise. What they had proposed they believed to be a
safe measure as regarded the revenue arid the consumer,
and not injurious to the West India interest. They had,
however, teen met by a counter resolution, proposed by
the hon. member for Bristel, who proposed different scale
of duty. Her Majesty's government had considered the pro-
posal of thehon. member previousto and since they had been
left in a minority (hear, hear.) The rt.hon.bart. said, after
full consideration her Majesty's government retained
their former opinions ; they could not adopt or acquiesce
in the proposition of the hon. member for Bristol ; they
were of opinion that their original resolution would be
most advantageous to the revenue and the public, and
not injurious to the West India interest. (Hear, hear.)
His hon. friend proposed to make a retraction of about
o ie-sixth in the duty on sugar. He believed that reduc-
tion would not benefit the West India planters, the sub-
jects of their commiseration, but the benefit would go
into the pockets of the retailers of sugar. (Hear, hear.)
The West India proprietors ought not to complain of
being taken by surprise. Lord Sydenham told them in
the year 1839 that they must prepare themselves for some
alteration. Next year the property tax expired, and then
the question must be raised, whether it was to be renewed
or discontinued ? And this question mast greatly depend
upon the continuance of the sugar duties. Another ob-
jection to the motion was, that the government could not
consent to a discriminating duty of 14s. on certain de-
scriptions of sugar—they could not consent to give in-
creased protection to the West Indian colonies. (Hear.)
He differed with the hon. member for Bristol on the me-
rits of his proposition, and he felt bound to oppose it on
political grounds. If the question was one of unimpor-
tance, it carried with it distrust in the government, and
had a bearing on their existence as an executive;' and if
acquiesced in by them, it was giving encouragement to
future attempts. He believed,. however, the motion was
carried by preconcert—(hear)—with hon. gentlemen op-
posite. (Hear.) He did not complain of combination
parties had a right to combine if they pleased—(hear
but as a minister of the crown, !wiled a right to say whe-
ther he would adopt the recommendations of such com-
binations or not. He declined acquiescing in the propo-
sition of the hon. member for Bristol, let the consequences
be what they might. Under these circumstances the
course her Majesty's government intended to pursue was-
this : for the purpose of giving the house another oppor-
tunity of reconsidering the questionrif the hon. member
proposes to make 20.4. as the amount of duty, he (Sir R.
Peel) shall propose that the duty be 215., and on that
question he should take the sense of the house. (Hear.)
He was not answerable for the state they were in as re-
girded the progress of legislative business. Many of the
government measures had been opposed, and they had
not been carried, and there must be an arrear for the close
of the session, which he deeply regretted. The wish of
the government had been to protect the-great institutions
of the country, at the same time to reform them as much
as con&stent, to relax as much as possible restrictive
dot es, and to mend the ecclesiastical establishment. He
deeply regretted if they had lost the confidence of friends,
but he could not ask for their voting that night under
professions, which could not he realised. Her Majesty's
government would go on in the course of steady legislation.

Considerable anxiety has been displayed in the metro-
polis, caused by the movements in the neighbourhood,
and various rumours were in circulation on Saturday and
Sunday as to the course to be pursued by ministers. On
Sunday a numerous meeting of conservative members was
held at the Carlton Club, which was adjourned until yes-
terday, when a resolution of entire confidence in Sir R.
Peel's government was proposed and carried unanimously.
A Cabinet Council was held on Sunday, after which Sir
Robert Peel proceeded to Buckingham Palace, and stayed
to dine with her Maje,ty ; and another Cabinet Council,
summoned by Sir James Graham, was held yesterday, the
result of the deliberations of which is, no doubt, the mi-
nisterial determination above. The London Standard
of last night urges the Conservative members to retrace
their steps. and intimates the retirement of Sir Robert
Peel as the result of their remaining intractable.