The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-06-20 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-FRIDAY.

Mr. STAI7FC;RD moved for a new writ for the borough
of Derby, but on a division, the motion was negatived by
a majority of 89 to 36.
Lord J. ItossLELL then entered upon his statement as
to the intentions of the government in reference to the
distressed state of our West India colonies. He insisted
that the emancipation act of 1834 was eminently success-
ful in its object—that of liberating upwards of 18,000 per-
sons, and raising up a class of happy and independent
labourers. The acts of 1845 and 1846 were equally suc-
cessful as regarded the objects in contemplation those of
obtaining a large supply of sugar to the consumers of this
country, at a lower rate of charge, and an increased
revenue, by means of an increased consumption. It could
not be denied, nevertheless, that however successful might
have-been those acts in the objects they had more imme-
diately in view they had been attended with some serious
disadvantages to the colonists. In order to enable the
latter to bear up against these disadvantages the the noble
lord' stated that the government proposed to make ad-
vances on the security of the colonial revenues, or to guar-
antee loans, for the purpose of giving bounties for the
encooragement of emigration to the West Indies— such ad-
vances and guarantees not to exceed five hundred thousand
pounds, in addition to the sums already advanced by
the house for the same purpose. With respect to
contracts of service, squatting, &c., the Colonial Sec-
retary a Quid agree to any reasonable, practicable re-
medy which might be suggested by the colonial legisla-
tures. In reference to the act of 1846 he said he
did not think it would be fair to the British consumer
to keep up the differential duty of 103. It was, therefore,
intended to propose that after the sth of July next the
duty on colonial sugars should be reduced to 135., and be
further reduced ls. per year until it fell to 103., at which
sum it should become fixed. It was also intended to
propose that the duty on ordinary foreign Muscovado
sugar should remain according to the act of 1846, but
that a new distinctive duty should be framed with respect
to clayed sugar, and sugars equal thereto. Thus, for the
year from July 1848 to July 1849, the duty should be 205.,
and be reduced at the rate of Is. 6d. per year until it came
down to 103., at which sum it should become fixed. The
Government had also come to the conclusion that in the
case of rum the justice of the case would be met by a duty
of 7s. 4d. ; but he believed it would be necessary to with-
draw the permission for the use of sugar in breweries,
though not S 3 in distilleries. The noble lord concluded
by intimating that on Monday he would bring forward a
formal motion on the subject in a committee of the whole
house.
Sir R. INGLIs said if he had not had the evidence of
his ears he could not have believed that the noble lord in
dealing with this subject should have kept so entirely out
of view the encouragement which would be given to
slavery by the admission, under such a system, of slave-
grown produce for home consumption. The real question
was, not whether the people of this country should have
cheap sugar, but whether they should have sugar stained
with the blood of thousands. _

Lord G. BENTINCKsiid that the noble lord's plan would
be read with despair and dismay by the West India colo-
nists, and with regret by those who had marked the pro-
gress made of late years by the slave trade. Ruin was not
to be averted from our sugar-producing colonies by such
measures. They were not to be saved by a differential
duty of 7s. on first-class, and ss. on second-class sugars ;
and lending £500,000 to a ruined trade was a mere mockery
when that trade could not be continued without loss. Ile
hoped the colonists would not infer that the proposition
of the Minister was the edict of the British House of
Commons, or consonant to the feelings of the British
empire. The noble lord, before concluding, complained
of the withholding of dispatches by the Colonial Office, from
the sugar and coffee committee, and this brought up.
Mr. HANvEs, who said the Colonial Office had withheld
no documents with the intention of influencing the report
of the committee.
Mr. DISRAELI contended, at some length, that England
had broken all her contracts with the West Indian colonists;
and-now the Government were bringing forward a propo-
sition which would inevitably terminate in bttter disap
pointment.
After a protracted debate the motion was agreed to.
On the question of going into committee on the Navi-
gation Laws the house dieided, when the motion was car-
ried by a majority of 87, the numbers being 119 to 32.
The house having gone into committee, Mr. J. STUART
objected to proceeding on account of the lateness of the
hour, and moved that the Chdrman report progress, upon
which question, after a scene in which Mr. HUDSON took
the principal part, the committee divided : ayes, 48; noes,
144'; majority, 96.
At length, without progress, the chairman reported and
the house resumed.
Lord Jonx RUSSELL posponed his notice for bringing
in a bill to repeal the assessed taxes clause of the Reform
Bill until Friday.