The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-02-18 00:00:00

of yte country. I alai qatatinierhat would be the state of America and China, and even in our own colonies.
the-finance •cifi the &nista, on the sthlbf April, 1846. ( Hear, hear.) Therefore, we conceive that to repeal the
( ear, hear.). It is quite clear, that if the income-tax duty upon this article, and abolish it altogether, will be
estU:ratitste be renewed, toeless Nil, „..„1,14„ some con- followed by the very best results. (Cheers.) The esti-
siderable Increase in the pdblic revennefr4 other sources, mated loss which the revenue will sustain by the abolition
there would probably be a deficiency. I have thus of this tax—taking into account the amount of the revenue
attempted to lay before the house deg present financial received upon it last year, will not be less than £680,000.
conditions of the country, and estimated the revenue to (Hear.) Her Majesty's government did not intend to
the sth of April next, and for the year ending the sth of recommend to the house any further alterations in the
April, 1846; and I have also laid before the house what duties-upon any other articles of this description. (Hear.)
amount of expenditure her Majesty's government, with a The particular branch of duty lam now about to refer to,
provident care for the public interests, shall feel it their though the attention of the government may not have
duty to recommend to the house. The next question that strictly been called to it, 1 will demonstrate is one more
arises is—and it is a most important one—in what man- entitled to reduction than many of the objects I have hi-
ner this increase of expenditure is to be provided for ? If therto adverted to. - (Cheers.) The daty to which I refer
we receive the sanction of the house for the continuance is the duty on the free transfer of property, or rather what
of the Income-tax, we shall feel it to be our duty to make is called the auction duty. (" Hear, hear," and cheers.)
a great experiment with respect to taxation, and we shall The total amount which you receive from the auction
hope that the general prosperity that will result therefrom duty in England, Scotland, and Ireland, is about £300,000.
will continue to fill up the void caused by the cessation of There is no duty the remission of which could, in my
taxation. We do not propose eto maintain any material opinion, lead to so great a reduction in the expense of
surplus of revenue or expenditure, confident that, what- collecting. There is no duty, I think, which is so ob-
eyer may happen, this house is determined to maintain the jectionable in principle as a duty on the transfer of
public credit. We have determined to recommend property. We propose, therefore, to reduce the duty
extensive reductions in those taxes which, in our opinion, upon auctions, and to substitute for the present system of
press more onerouslyon the community than the Income- licensing one uniform license, the maximum cost of FRANCE.
tax. I first propose to take those taxes which are imposed which will be £l5. With respect to the article of glass, In the Chamber of Deputies, on Monday, after the pre-
by the customs duties, and I shall submit to the conside- I must say that it is one which has especially occupied my sentation of several bills, M. Duvergier de Hauranne
ration of the house, on that point, what are the views of attention. The duty upon glass has been doubled since ascended the tribune to develope his proposition for sub-
her Majesty's government in respect to a reduction of the 1815, and I think I can show with respect to this article, stituting public voting to the ballot, or vote by scrutin
duty upon sugar. (Hear, hear.) The house will recol- there are grounds of exemption more than can be alleged secret. The Minister of the Interior (M. Ducheld) did
lect that upon this subject last year an arrangement of a for almost any other article. In the first place let me not oppose the taking into consideration of M. Duvergier
temporary character was made, by which sugar, the pro- recite some of the objections to this charge. The amount de Hauranne's proposition • and the President putting it
duce of settlers who used free labour, was admitted into of tax is £2OO or £3OO per cent. upon the value of the ar- to the vote, the Ministerial as well as the Opposition
competition with sugar the production of our colonies. tide ; for instance, the tax was one shilling per foot, and Benches rose together, and the proposition was ordered
There was no reduction proposed to be made upon Bri- a manufacturer was asked what he could supply the arti- to be examined by a committee. The Minister of the
tish free labour sugar ; but a proposition was made for Iles for if the duty was taken off ; and be answered that Interior then presented a bill on Secret Service Money.
the admission of sugar the produce of foreign free labour, he could sell it for 3d., or at any rate the price would not The bill was ordered to be sent into committee, and the
which has induced her Majesty's government to call at- exceed 4d. (Hear, hear.) Take the case of glass, and Chamber, after some unimportant business, broke up at
tention to the subject of the sugar duties generally, with see what a much greater effect the reduction of the duty three o'clock. The following are the heads of the treaty
the view to proposing a reduction in them. (Hear, bear.) on that article will have on the comfort of the working concluded by M. de Lagrenee with the Chinese Commis-
The amount of the discriminating duty, by which foreign classes than a reduction of the window duty. It is esti- signers, at Macao, on the 24th of October last :—" 1.
sugar, the produce of free labour, was admitted, was mated that in Great Britain there are 3,500,000 houses ; France is to be placed on a footing of equality with the
Ms. 6d. ; and her Majesty's government now propose to of these not more than 500,000 are charged with the most favoured nations as respects customs' duties. 2.
admit to general competition sugar upon the terms to window duty ; therefore, there are 3,000,000 of houses She is never to be subjected to the payment of any peri-
which allusion was made last session. (Hear, hear.) We which require glass to be used in them, and which, by the odical tribute to the Sovereign of the Celestial empire.
also propose the admission to competition of sugar, the removal of the tax, would benefit by the whole amount of 3. She may establish a factory at Canton on the plan of
produce of free labour in our colonies, upon the same the remission. I am afraid lam wearying the house by those possessed by the English, Dutch, Danes, Swedes,
terms as sugar the produce of free labour in those foreign these details, but I wish to satisfy those who hear me and Spaniards. 4. She will be permitted to -trade at
countries with which we now have what are called those that these remissions are not made from any desire to Tchang-tcbeou, reserving the right of the Crown of
" reciprocity treaties" that have heretofore been made. court popularity, but that there is good and substantial Spain, which enjoys a privilege irothat city. 5. She may
(Rear, hear, and loud laughter.) We propose, therefore, cause which leads me to adopt the reduction of this duty. establish factories at Hiamen, Tchao-hine, and Nin o
with regard to all sugars except the produce of our own (Immense cheering.) All parts of the united kingdom 6. Finally, she will have the right of trading in everygl
. colonies, to make this reduction. In respect of brown will be benefited by it : Ireland, Scotland, and England place that may hereafter be opened to the most favoured
Muscovado sugar, which is now subject to a duty of 255. will be equally heneotted. Ireland will de rive a direct nations." The quantity of snow which fell in Paris on
3d., we propose to make a reduction of I ls. 3d., and to benefit from the reduction of the duty on glass, and Ido Monday rendered it extremely difficult for carriages to
reduce the duty to 14s. (Hear, bear, from the commis not see any reason why Ireland should not become the proceed through the streets. The contents of the Paris
tion.) With regard to Muscovado sugar, that reduced
_seat of a successful glass manufacture. If it should not, wipers of Tuesday are of little interest. The Journal
duty will apply to all British Plantation sugar—to sugar it will benefit by the reduction of the duty, which now des .Debats invites the opposition to a contest on the
the produce of the Mauritius—to sugar the produce of amounts to between 200 and 300 per cent This reduc- Secret Service Money bill, in a tone which seems to indi-
our West India Colonies; and with regard to the produce tion will give to the people of Ireland, as well as the peo- cate that Ministers are perfectly secure of a majority; nay
of those districts in British India, with regard to which a ple of Great Britain, the command of an article essential more, that the battle will be decisive as to the position of
different rule now applies, we propose, in the case of those to their convenience arid comfort. (Hen .) The right the Government during the remainder of the session.
districts, to retain the same relative proportionate duty, hon. gentleman sat down amidst loud cheering.
It is reported that the Prussian and Danish govern-
We and that duty shall be 18s. Bd. This is appicable to those Lord J. RUSSELL said he would be ready to proceed
merits have agreed to refer their differences aboutg the
of India which are permitted to import sugar. with the discussion on• Monday, when he would take the
Sound-dues to the mediation of France.
We propose that the amount of protective duty shall not whole of the propositions, including- the proposition re-
exceed 9s. 4d., and the duty on free sugar will, therefore, specting the sugar duties, to which he had serious objec- be 235. 4d. Of course, in countries with whom existing tions, into consideration. A letter from Hanover, of the Ist, states that the Prince
treaties are in force, we cannot deprive them of that which In reply to a question from the noble lord, Royal, who had been for some time suffering from an
is their right. With regard to white, or clayed sugar, or Sir R. PEEL stated that he proposed that all the duties attack of the eyes, has recovered sufficiently to be able to
•
sugar which by some process is made equal to clayed su- should be immediately abolished, with the exception of appear in public.
gar, we propose that the duty on British Plantation East that on glass. Letters from Rome state that the Pope's new treasurer
India sugar should be reduced from 255. 3d. to 16s 4d., In reply to a question from Mr. 'Williams, finds the revenue of his holiness in a state of the greatest
and that the duty on sugar imported from India, or those The Right Hon. Baronet said that no allowance would confusion. Cardinal Torte, the former treasurer, has
parts of India from which sugar may be imported, shall be made for stocks on hand. been recently dismissed, and it is found that he is a de-
be 21s. 9d., and that the duty on free labour foreign sugar After some observations from Mr. 'Warburton, Lord faulter to an immense amount.
—that is clayed—shall be 285., thus retaining the whole J. Manners, Mr. S. O'Brien, and other hon. members, 'We learn from Zurich that the great council has de-
amount of discriminating tluty which last year was lOs Gd, the discussion was adjourned. cided, by a majority of 106 votes, that the deputation to
but applying it in a different manner, giving 9s. 4d. pro- .
mair,serammetwo..memagzemll7lo2.9.t the sovereign canton of the Diet shall vote fir the expul-
tection on Muscovado sugar, and increasing the protec-
sion of the Jesuits. This resolution contributed to trans
tion to Ils. 4d. on white sugar. The amount of discrimi- PuREIGN AND COLONIAL. quillize the canton.
nating duty would remain the same as it was last year.
The duty on molasses we propose to preserve in the same THE REV. DR. WOLFF.—Letters from Erzerourn,
proportion. It is necessary that I should make UNITED STATES. dated the 3rd of December, announce the safe arrival
tentions of the government well understood. the in-
there of this intrepid traveller, but in so debilitated a state
Without
going into minute details, reserving them for considers-
The splendid new royal-mail steam-ship Cambria, Capt. of bodily health as to be unable to journey on horseback,
tion when the :agar duties come under the attention ofeduceion on re- nine,
arrived here on Thursday morning, at half-past and therefore he will probably be induced to avail himself
the house, we propose to make a further
nine, having left Boston on the Ist and Halifax on the 3u, for awhile of the hospitality of the British consul, Mr.
fined sugar. We propose on refined sugar, that it should r
She brought fifty-six passengers, among whom was a James Brant, in order to recruit his strength, before pro-
be imported at a duty of 14s. instead of 18s. Bd., and that
bearer of despatches front the American government. needing onwards to Trebizond, in route for Europe, es-
double refined sugar should be imported under a duty of
The demand for foreign bills was not extsnsive, but pecially as the intervening road is covered with snow, and 215., the 145., including the 5 per cent. We consider that prices were firm at the following quotations :—London 9 the winter season this year unusually rigid. From Tee-
the effect of the reduction uon sugar will be, on the to 10, Paris 5.224 to 5.23. bizond he can travel by steam all the way to Southampton
whole, a reduction of duty, so far as duty is connected
According to the New York Morning Herald of the 31st ult., the condition of the principal cotton markets
with price, Amounting to 1-4-d. per lb.. or not quite so
had been decidedly improved by the favour hie advices
pony a high rate of duty, we think the full effect of the
much as 1. d. But if you add other charges that accom-
from Liverpool by the Cambria, and an advance of from
i i on
reduet on of the duty will not be much short of lid. per to of a cent. per lb. had been realized. The stock
lb. (Cheers.) Now, postponing any discussion on the hand in the southern markets was rather light for the
subject of the sugar duties until a period when it will come season, the shipments to foreign ports had been large, and
for some time past the receipts from the interior had been
immediately under consideration, I proceed to enumerate
limited by the low state the other duties of which we shall propose, as a conse-
different ports from f the rivers. The receipts at the
Sept.p 1 up to the date were 984.602
quence of the continuation of the income-tax, the re hoc- different
against 860,712 during the same period last year,
the tariff passed, in the year 1842, there were some small
tion or the extinction. It will be recollected that, when
and 1,143,641 the year before; the exports during the
duties still retained upon exports from this country—ex-
same
ports either of raw materials, or manufactured articles so 684,67peri0d , respectively, were 612,315, 346,739, and
bales. The circular of Messrs. Wright and Lewin,
.
nearly approaching raw materials that they could scarcely
of New York, differs from these figures, giving the re-
tier distinguished from them. At the same time it will be i.e.t_s for the three periods at 968,815, 889,734, and
remembered that we abolished generally the duties on ex- e 1162'454 bales, the exports at 600,878, 337,000, and
ports. They were all abolished, with the exception of a
110.928 bales
both of the Herald and of l
bales.
few articles, such, for instance, as china stone, and some
The calculation
others of the same description. We propose to adopt, Wright and Lewin is that the crop of this year wiMlrange
as a general rule, the abolition of export duties on all somewhere between those of 1813 and 1844. Freights
articles of this nature, and from the application of that were stationery at 11.32 per square to Liverpool.
rule we no not propose to except coal for consumption. The debates on the Oregon and Texas questions were
I shall, throughout this reduction, be entirely indifferent still going on.
to any temporary triumph. (Hear, hear, and loud cheers Mr. Webster has been elected, almost unanimously, a
from the ministerial benches.) I and my right hon. friend
menstier of the U. S. Senate of the Legislature of Massa-
will do that which we believe to be our duty, without chusetts.
`Nu
caring for such considerations. But, applying this gene.
Mr Mhingt lty, Clerk of the House of Representatives,
ral principle to exports of every description, we do not at Washington,ingtori, on, had proved a defaulter to the tune of
think it would be wise to exempt coal from its operation. 44,500 dollars. Mr. Lovett, teller of the Commercial
Bank at Albany, had also "defaulted" to the amount of
(Hear.) We do think tint it will be an important prin-
ciple to establish, that with respect to all exports there 35'300 dollars'
shall be no duty leviable (cheers) ; and in establishing On the 9th instant, the steamer Potomac burst a boiler
that principle, we think that coal ought nat Mobile, by which two men were killed.
single to be the The expectation that Pennsylt ania would pay the es
to
exception. lam bound to say also that the revenue
rest on the state debt, due on the lst instant, proves to
derived from coal has not r quailed our expectations. We be erroneous.
calculated upon an amount of revenue, after the reduc-
The accounts from Canada are unimportant.
tion, of about £160,000, whereas the net revenue received
in the last year has not exceeded £120,000. The export ther had been very severe.
of coal has been impeded in consequence of the combine- Accounts from Vera Cruz to the 4th ult. state, that a
P
tion between the coal proprietors, and that has been the
battle had taken place between Santa Anna and
repo t
main cause why the duty on the export has not been equal near Puebla, and that the former was routed. A r,aredos,
to our expectations. But Ido not rest my unwilangness via Galveston, states that Santa Anna had been taken and
to make coal an exception upon the ground of its unpro-
shot. Both accounts stand in need of confirmation, and
ductiveness, but upon the principle which I have stated,
more especially as the insurgents of Vera Cruz were most
that there should be no duty on experts. (Hear, hear.) actively engaged in the fortification of the city, and the
I have said that the amount is £l2O 000, but I believe I citizens of Mexico were similarly employed under General
say more correctly £llB,OOO. This,,sir'
Bravo. A letter from Tampico of the 14th mentions a
we shall have in giving up the export duty is the
desperate battle at Appa, between Santa Anna and Bravo
on loss which
coals. I
come now to the duties leviable on articles of raw mate-
and Paredes, terminating in the defeat and capture of the
rial used in manufactures. The amount on these is very former, but its authenticity is doubted.
Accounts from Texas to the 18th ult. had been received
small. We have given the subject a great deal of consi-
at New York. The President, (Jones,) who is an anti-
the kis a difficult and important one. But, upon
annexationist, has annulled his recognition of General
the whole, sir, we have arrived at the opinion that it
Duff Green, as American Consul, at Galveston. Green's
would be desirable—retaining the power of examination
effence is said to have been an attempt either to bribe or
—retaining the power of ascertaining the quantity and
ofbully the president into annexation doctrines. The to
weight—we think, in making a great reform this kind
in the rest of the customs' duties, it would be better to Committee of Finance had reported adversely of the mea-
sure of free trade ; though the subject of a reduction of
abolish duties altogether than to maintain them. (Loud
cries of " Hear,' from the opposition benches.) The the tariff continued to be discussed, and the Finance Corn-
articles on which we propose to abolish the duties Ni mittees of the two houses had made separate reports, va.
Rill be
those generally which are the raw materials of our menu-
tying but little in substance, end both recommending a
factures. The list of these, att'cles contains 430 specific very limited reduction in the tariff.
items, and, as that list will be printed, Ido not think it The Houston Star says, "It is reported that an officer
necessary to make such a trespass on the patience of the engaged in the collection of the revenue on the Sabine,
house as to read over the whole of them. I think it, has lately fired several shots into an American vessel en-
therefore, better to postpone the minute consideration of gaged in smuggling on that river. There being no treaty
these articles till another opportunity; but I may state between Texas and the United States prohibiting the
r
that the total number of articles that will be absolutely right of search, this officer is determined to take the re-
sp(!nsibility, and compel all American vessels to submit to
swept away from the tariff will be no less than 430. These
will include those fibrous materials, such as silk, hemp. visitation; and if they have contraband goods on board,
they will be liable to forfeiture and sales, as the law di_
and flax, which would be admitted at a nominal duty ;
le Sam's vapouring to the contrary notwith-
U ta, n c yarns, twisted, of different kinds. I propose also to oho- rects, f
lish the duty on furniture woods. On animal and yeee- standing.
'
table manures the duty will be entirely abolished. We
propose to remove the duty on ores and minerals, with
the exception of copper ore, with respect to which an ar-
rangement was made in 1842, which had worked exceed.
ingly well. The duties on iron and zinc in the first
stages of manufacture would be abolished, and on all
dye-stuffs and on drugs universally, with the exception
of some that were very obnoxious. There are some other
articles with respect to which, on other considerations,
this total removal of duty will not take place. I do not
propose materially to interfere with the general principles
which we have applied to the timber duties. With regard
to the great article of foreign timber, there has been re-
cently a large import of Baltic timber ; that import is in-
creas ng, and I confidently hope that eventually the in-
crease will be found to be not far short of what I had
estimated it at. The amount received for timber duties
during the course of the last year is not far short of
£950.000. There is one particular article, in relation to
the timber duties, which rests on special grounds, and
which takes it out of the general category of the timber
duties—l mean the article of staves. We have given the
most deliberate consideration we can to this subject; we
have read various memorials which have been presented
to us on behalf of the coopers, and we do think that they
have made out a case of peculiar hardship, entitling them
to an exemption from duty on an article which in point of
fact should be considered as an article of raw material.
The coopering trade has been gradually failing of late. I
hope that by the remission of this duty we shall restore
prosperity to a trade which finds employment for some
of the most ingenious and respectable artizans of this
country. (Cheers.) The house, I hope, will consider
that we are justified in taking these articles out of the
category of the timber duties.

vidends. She has, however, 157,946 dollars on board,
£3OO in British coin, 7240 ounces of gold dust, 1303
ounces of silver, 54 ounces of platina, and 15 serons of
cochineal.

The Dee does not bring any important additional news
from Mexico to that previously received by the American
packet-ship Ashburton and the Sea. Santa Anna bad
left the city of Mexico, and was proceeding towards Vera
Cruz, with the intention of attacking that place—at least
it was so reported. Martial law bad been declared there
on the day the Dee left, and the inhabitants called upon
by the government to defend the place to their utmost.
They were consequently actively engaged in fortifying the
town to the greatest possible extent. No collision had
taken place between General Paredes and Santa Anna,
but the former was following him as closely as possible
for the purpose of attacking his army, which it was re-
ported now consists only of about 5000 infantry and 2000
cavalry. At Queblo the country people had come in from
the mountains, seized all the arms and ammunition they
could possibly lay hands on, with a fixed determination to
give the Governor a warm reception. The whole country
generally were strongly in favour of the existing govern-
ment.

EDICT AGAINST FLIRTATION--Letters from Rome,
dated the 22d ult , state that the Pope has just annulled
an edict issued by the Bishop of Sinigaglia, which prohi-
bited young men visiting families where there are marri-
ageable daughters. under pain of imprisonment and ex-
communication, unless they presented and declared them-
selves as suitors, and then the nuptial ceremonies were to
be performed within three months after such declaration.
The inhabitants of Sinigaglia loudly protested against that
decree, and Pt itioned the Pope, who, in an autograph
letter, testified to the Bishop his disapprobation of the
edict, copies of which have been brought up by numerous
foreigners at two Napoleons each.

MEXICO.—The following letter, received by a commer-
cial house of Liverpool, may be relied upon, as showing
with fidelity the position of affairs in Mexico :—"Mexico,
31st December, 1844. The rapidity with which the whole
country has declared against Santa Anna has, I believe,
even surprised the parties themselves who sought for it.
At this moment he can merely call the ground his troops
occupy his own. All that were with him have to a man
remained faithful, and as they consist of the best troops
of the country, and amount, it is said, to about 10,000
men, he may still give the existing Government trouble.
He is. with all his forces, between this and Rio Jico ;
but whether his intention be to attack the city or march
on Puebla or Vera Cruz, is unknown."

THE OVERLAND JOURNEY TO INDIA.—The following
details of a journey recently performed by Lieutenant
Waghorn prove that a trip to India and back is quite as
practical as any of the common continental tours, and we
have no doubt that in a short time we shall find it the
fashion of the day. Mr. Waghorn left London on the
26th of September; he reached Marseilles on the filth of
October, arrived at Alexandria on the 11th, remained in
Egypt 11 days, where he had audiences with the Pasha,
left Suez on the 22d, and arrived at Bombay on the 10th
of November. His stay at Bombay was 23 days. He
left it on the 2d of December, got to Suez and Cairo on
the 20th, had another audience with the Pasha, left Alex-
andria on the 23d, was detained at Malta a day and a half,
and arrived at the Motherbank on the 9th of January,
and landed on the 11th, after performing two days' qua-
rantine. The total absence from London to Bombay and
back, including stoppages and the delays abovementioned,
was 107 dews, or 70 days' only actual travelling.

The wea-

THE GERMAN Romtsx CHURCH.—The priest John
Ronge, in Breslau, and his followers, have, after several
meetngs, finally constituted their church, and adopted
the confession of faith put forth by the priest Czerski,
the leader of the community of German Romish Christians
in Schneidmubl, in East Prussia. Subscriptions have
been raised in many towns of Germany for the purpose
of providing Czerski with the necessary funds for build-
ing a regular place of worship of his own, the service ac-
cording to the new ritual hitherto having been held in a
private dwelling. Two Romish priests in the province of
Posen—Hubert, priest in the town of Raszkow, and a
country curate of the name of Wodzinski—hate declared
in his favour, and their Polish flocks have followed the
example of their pastors. An officer of the Prussian
army, who asked the King to permit him to join Czerski,
received the answer that there were no objections to his
doing so, the new German Romish confession being re-
cognized by the state, and as such under its protection,
and there is little doubt that the number of these sece-
ders from Papal authority will rapidly increase throughout
Germany.

ZURBANO.—The execution of Zurbano was attended
with such distressing circumstances that it continues to
excite much sympathy throughout the Peninsula. The
death of his sons had driven Zurbano into raving idiotcy.
At times he was quite beside himself, and his companion
Muro several times endeaboured to snatch him from the
spot, and to carry him far from those woods, so fertile in
sad recollections for a father. All was in vain ; the
shrieks which the father of the victims uttered in his
frenzy, rendered it impossible to traverse in any direction
where they might have been heard ; it was necessary to
keep him in a solitary place, and Muro, in spite of all
the danger, would not abandon a maniac who might have
destroy d himself. But the approach of death restored
him. All accounts agree that Zurbano had completely
recovered his faculties at his last moments, and he walked
to the place of execution with the serenity and valour
which he had shown during his whole life. Having beg-
ged to be allowed to address the escort, he did so in the
following terms ;—" Soldiers ! The only charge I give
you is to remember always that you belong to the people,
and that you defend till death the Constitution, the Con-
stitutional Throne of Isabel 11., and the liberties of the
country. Now fire ! "

AUSTRALIA

Port Philip papers to the 15th of October describe the
business of the colony as improving. The demand for
agricultural stock had increased, and, generally speaking,
things were better. Clean sheep and stations were in-
quired after, but owing to the rainy weather experienced
of late, there had not been much done in the market.
Good fat wethers were selling at 6s. to 6s. 6d. average
weight 601 b. to 651 b. 1,000 head of clean ewes with lambs,
and 300 wethers, not shorn, without station, were bought
in at 6s. 11d. each. The best hid was 6s. Fat cattle of
8 cwt. each had sold at £3 ss. The butchers were buying
beasts of 6 cwt. to 7 cwt. each at £2 to £2 12s. 6d. for
slaughtering. A flood at the Yarra had done some da-
mage to the neighbouring country.
Sydney accounts of the 18th of October state, that bu-
siness continued exceedingly dull. A few bales of new
wool had been received in the market, which being shorn
from wethers ready for the slaughter-house, could hardly
be called of the clip of 1845. The price paid for these
samples was Is. Id. to is. 2d. per pound. Skin wool was
dearer, and more scarce than it had been, from the fact of
the few drays arriving, and a decrease in the quantity of
dried skins. Butchers skins, which were not previously
contracted for, were in demand, and one lot of 1,000 we-
thers that were boiled down, was refused to be sold at
2s. 10d. Fat cattle had declined in this colony, and the
average quotation is not more than 325. per head. Sheep
for slaughter were ss. 9d. to 7s. per head. The weather
had been bad at Sydney. A gale, worse than any expe-
rienced since 1834, had done some trivial damage to the
shipping. It lasted two days.
Hobart Town papers of the 25th of October give no
news of interest.

M. LABOUCHERE.-:Do.you remove the duty alto-
gether ?

The accounts from Adelaide to the 6th of October bring
the melancholy intelligence of the massacre of an overland
party by the natives. The victims, it is understood, to
the number of 15 out of a company of 20, were murdered
while asleep, and their flocks dispersed in d fferent direc-
tions. Despatches had been received from Capt. Sturt on
the subject, who, with his companions, was quite safe,
and proposed to proceed to investigate the matter on the
spot where the catastrophe is alleged to have taken place.
The circumstances, related by some natives who had come
into town, agreed in every substantial particular with
those asserted by Captain Sturt. The Governor of Ade-
laide bad sent off a force to join the captain, and if ne-
cessary to protect him and his followers in making the
proposed inquiry.

Sir R. PEEL—Yes, we take it off altogether. It
amounts to £32,000. We diminish the temptation to
fraud for ordinary purposes by making a simultaneous re-
duction on all cabinet timber. I now come to that article
which is the most important to the prosperity of the
country. I now come to cotton-wool--(hear, hear)—and
the duty upon it. The present duty on cottop wool is, so
far as the revenue is concerned, 5-I6ths of a penny a
pound. The six-seventeenths or three-eights of a penny
a pound would be the total amount of duty on cotton wool.
Now when the price of cotton wool is 4d. a pound on the
average, three-eighths of Id. a pound is a duty of nine
per cent. on the value of the raw material. If the price
of cotton wool is as it has been of late not more than 3d.
a lb„ three-eighths of Id. per lb. is a duty amounting to
not less than 124 per cent. on the value of the raw mate-
rial. This duty as levied falls with peculiar severity on
the coarsest descriptions of cotton. (Hear, hear.) L pon
the finer muslins you can hardly estimate the amount of
duty, but the coarser the fabric the higher ie the amount
of duty. It is in respect to the manufacture of that
coarser cotton that the manufacturers of this country are
exposed to the most formidable competition in South