The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-25 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

representative, Sir Howard Douglas, amongst the
list of those voting against Mr. Mi'es's amendment,
on Monday last, and thus, in effect, affirming the
principle of the Government measure from which he
had on a former evening dissented ; but we must dis-
tinctly he understood to impute no unworthy motives
—nothing of a time-serving character—as having
actuated him in so doing. Such an imputation on
our part would have been most unwarrantable, di-
rected towards a highly honourable man and faith-
ful representative, whose votes and conduct in the
House, since his election, have been all that we
could have wished. Entertaining the opinions
which Sir Howard did, of hostility to both proposi-
tions, he could scarcely have pursued any other
course, unless, on the last occasion, he had with-
drawn from the House, which might have given
occasion to a charge (that of shirking the straight-
forward course), which we feel assured, from the
manly character of Sir Howard, would be more
grievous to him than any which the ribaldry of our
Radical friends can bring against him.
We are happy to he able to do something towards
allaying any ill feeling, and removing any miscon-
ceptions, which might result from the anomalous
position in which Sir Howard has been temporarily
placed, by the publication of a correct report of his
speech (extracted from Hansard), from which it will
be seen that the gallant member expressly guarded
himself from the imputation that he voted on Mon-
day with Mini•ters on account of any change of
opinion, or any wish to avoid the consequences of
his former vote :

" Sir Howard Douglas was desirous of saying a few
words in explanation of the vote he was about to give.
After having maturely considered the measure proposed
by her Majesty's government, believing that it would be
greatly injurious to the British West India, and Colonial
interests, he bad voted against that measure. But he did
not approve, and therefore could not support, the amend-
ment of the hon. member for Bristol; because he (Sir
Howard) did not think it provided adequate protection or
security, as a remedial measure, for the prejudicial effects
which that proposed by her Majesty's government was
likely to produce; and because by voting for that amend-
ment, he would be committed to some propositions and
admissions to which he was opposed. For these reasons
he (Sir Howard) had come to the resolution to vote
against both propositions, previous to the discussion of
either ; and he might appeal to friends around him, and
to the hon. member for Bristol himself, whether he (Sir
Howard) had not made this intention known. By nega-
tiving both propositions, he (Sir Howard) would keep-
himself in a position free to go into the discussion of
that large question, for the settlement of the sugar duties,
in a more permanent and beneficial manner to all parties,
to which the attention of the house must' be called in the
next session of parliament.

" Sir H. Douglas, in explanation, begged to say, that
he had changed no purpose on the present occasion, nor
had he swerved from the vote which he had from the first
intended to rive on the hon. member for Bristol's amend-
ment. He had voted against the proposition of the go-
vernment on Friday night, because he did not approve of
it, and he had openly stated his intention, to vote against
the proposition now before the committee, if it should be
brought forward. That course had been pursued by the
hon. member for Bristol, and he should feel himself called
upon to act as he had prescribed, and to vote against the
amendment."

THE FUNDS, Saturday n;ght.—The English Stock
market his further slightly improved to-day, notwith-
standing the limited hours of business. A few orders
on behalf of the public were concluded early in the morn-
ing, and these gave the better tone to prices. Consols for
the account finally closed 98i to .1. Bank Stock, 1971 to
1981; Exchequer-bills, 735. to 755. p.m. ; Three per
Cents. Reduced, 981 Three-and-a-Half per Cents.
Reduced, 102; to ; 'Long Annuities, 121; and India
Bonds, 94 to 95 p.m. There was also an improvement
. .

noticeable in the foreign• securities, which in most cases
were quoted the shade better, though no great deal of
business was transacted. Spanish Five per Cents. left
off 23a to 1. ; the Three per Cents, 351. to a : Portuguese,
4G to 47 ; Peruvian, 27 to 28 ; Mexican, 341 to /; the
Deferred, to ; Dutch T.vo-and-a-iialf per Cents.,

6lj to 62: the Five per Cents., 1001 to 101: Danish, 88
to 89; Colombian, 13.; to 1-; Buenos Ayres, 35 to 37
. .

, .
Brazilian, 811- to 821 ;-and 'Belgian. 1031 to 1044.
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.—In Friday night's Gazette
we had the return of the quarterly average of the weekly

liabilities and assets of the Bank of Engfind for the three
months from the 23d March to the 15th instant. Com-
pared with the quarter from the 24th of February to the
18th of May, the following are-the results :—The circula-
tion has decreased from £21,393,000 to £21,327,000,
being a difference of .£66.000 ; the deposits have increased
from £13,345,000 to £13.483,000, being a difference of•
£138,000, making the total liabilities £34,810,000. The
securities have increased from £21,786,000 to £21,916,000,
being a difference of £130,003. The bullion has decreased
from £16,010,000 to £15,900,000, being a difference of
£llO,OOO, making the aggregate assets £37,816,000. The•
surplus or rest has decreased from £3,058,000 to
£2,006,000, being a difference during the month of
£20,00.
LORD SANDON.—A letter from Lord Sandon appears
in the Times of Wednesday, in which he complains of an
incorrect report of his speech on the Sugar Duties' Bill.
His lordship says :—" I am represented as urging the go-
vernment not to be depressed by the difficulties of their
present condition, nor to exaggerate them. This lan-
guage, and all that follows, I addressed to the West In-
dian proprietors, to whom I recalled the great natural and
acquired advantages which they possess for the growth of
sugar, the prospect which now opens for a really adequate
supply of labour, and the knowledge of the protection
which they are likely permanently to enjoy, as reasons for
not de9aonding, but rather for looking at last to a hopeful
issue out of all their difficulties."
STATE OF OUR SUGAR COLONIES.—We find in the
Morning Herald of Friday last, an article in which the
writer—who is evidently well acquainted with the sub-
ject—condemns the " make-shift and momentary legis-
lation which has hitherto been the bane of our West
India colonies"—contends that it can no longer be pur-
sued—that the evil may be cured, though not, he admits,
without difficulty—that this is not to be accomplished
either by protecting dirties or a reduction of duties; and,
after an exposition of the culpable idleness of the negro
population, concludes by submitting what he conceives
would prove an efficacious remedy. It appears that at
the period of emancipation, the number of slaves, young
and old, employed in sugar cultivation in all our colonies
was about 500,000, out of a total of 718,000. These in
1832 produced 4,678,272 cwts. of sugar, or 91. cwt. for
each: after the addition of about 40,000 Africans and
Coolies, only 2,980,701 cwts. were produced, or only
about 51 cwt. for each. Probably not above one-third of
the former number now engage in work, the remainder
having either relinquished the cultivation of exportable
produce, or will only work occasionally at wages so high,
that no price that can be obtained can remunerate the un-
fortunate proprietor. According to the evidence given by
several well-informed parties before the House of Com-
mons, in 1840, the ironey wages paid and other advan-
tages bestowed in Guiana were equal to 4s. 2d. per day,
and in the other colonies the rate is proportionably high,
and labour equally scarce. With such a defalcation of
labour no exporting colony can exist, or compete with
countries where labour is abundant and wages low. This
excessively high rate of wages, and the abandonment of
labour by the mass of the negro population, are the real
causes which bear down the West Indies ; and the writer
contends that this country ought not to be further taxed
to enable negro labourers to earn in colonies where there
are no severities of seasons and no taxes to pay, 4s. a day,
rapidly to enrich themselves, while the British agricul-
tural labourer can but obtain 7s. to 9s. for incessant toil,
in this inclement climate, and is, moreover, heavily taxed.
When the £20,000,000 was paid for the emancipation of
the negroes, the reasonable condition that should have
been exacted for the boon—for such it was—was that they
should, like other populations throughout the globe, work
for reasonable hours and for reasonable wages, in order
to supply the customary quantity of sugar at a moderate
price—not materially differing from what it can be ob-
tained for elsewhere. In this there could have been no
hardship or injustice, as we are told that the free men can,
without difficulty, do much more work than the slave.
Unfortunately, in the hurry of emancipation no such con-
ditions were thought of or required; but surely no really
good and honest men would contend that liberty was to
be exempt from labour ; and that " a rebellion of apathy
and idleness"—the parent of poverty, misery and crime—
against activity and industry—was to be endured? The
writer, after some amplification of these views, says :
" By just, energetic, and prudent conduct and counsels on
the part of the Government and the colonies, much, if
not the whole, of the evil may speedily be removed. The
road is safe, the remedy is simple. Let the British Go-
vernment peremptorily command all the colonial gover-
nors and authorities to inculcate on the minds of the net-
gro population that if they will not labour continuously
and for reasonable wages, like other men, the inevitable
result will be the introduction of foreign sugar into Eng-
land without any protecting duties, when they will receive
no wages at all, and when any exportable produce which
they may attempt to cultivate for themselves will be
beaten out of every market by productions raised by more
industrious and reasonable beings ; they will understand
this, and act accordingly." He says that it would be well
to " try this simple remedy before the colonies are lost ;"
and is of opinion that if the government will but do so
honestly, firmly and fairly, with all the weight of their
authority, he has no fear of a successful result. We con-
cur with him in the propriety of the attempt. At all
events, we consider it little short of suicidal In Sir R.
Peel to reduce the protective duties on our own free grown
sugar, without an energetic effort to extend to the almost
ruined planters, the means of obtaining labour by immigra-
tion , orotherwise as will enable them to compete with slave-
employing states. On this point we are corroborated by
the colonists themselves. In an article on the subject in
the Guiana Herald of the sth of April, the editor urges
" the necessity of a petition to government, numerously
signed, but principally by the labourers, praying that no
alteration in the present protecting duties be made until
extended immigration has not only been conceded us, but
but sufficient time has been allowed to feel its effects."