The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-26 00:00:00

WHO IS TO BE THE NEW LEADER OF THE

OPPOSITION ?

We have learnt within the last few days that Lord John
Russell has signified to Lord Palmerston, in answer to repre-
sentations made by the latter, as to the necessity of the
liberals advancing with the popular feeling, thst closely con-
nected as he (Lord John Russell) is with the Bedford family,
he could not consent to be a party to further reform ; and
that, therefore, he thinks it were better if the opposition
would louk out for some other leader before the commence-
ment of another parliamentary campaign.—Morning Adver-
tiser.

[Who must be that other leader ? Lord Palmerston, we
should say. He has, at least, the required " assurance."
Or what say you to Richard Cobden, who has, at least, a
sufficiently good opinion of himself? Or William Ewart—
but he is blown? Or Joseph Hume, who is, by his own
confession, the greatestfool in the house? Or Tom Dun-
combe or Admiral Napier, the one the best player, the
other the best fighter, in parliament ? Or why not, if the
liberals must " advance with popular feeling," hoist
Feargus O'Connor or Joseph Sturge into the house, and
follow the hero of the Northern Star, or the Chartist
Quaker ? You have a rich lot to choose amongst. Gen-
tlemen—choose you wisely !—Ed. L. S.]

STATE OF THE AMERICAN TARIFF QUESTION.

For the information of our readers in the manufacturing
districts, who may be not so well acquainted with the result
of the late tariff discussions as we are in this locality, we
give the following official notice by the United States'
government, as containing the basis upon which, it is now
almost certain, this year's fall trade must be done. It will
be seen that it is one highly favourable to the British manu-
facturer. _

" Treasury Department, Controller's-office,
July 1, 1842.

" The bill passed by Congress on the 25th day of June,
1812, to regulate and fix the rate of duties on imports from
the end of said month until the Ist day of August, not having
become law, by reason of the President having returned the
same to the House of Representatives with his objections
there, you will proceed to levy and collect duties, in ready
money, on all goods, wares, and merchandise imported into
your district after the 30th day of June, 1842, at the rate of
20 per cent. on the value thereof at the port entry ; except
those articles which are enumerated in the fifth section of
the act of Congress on the 2d day of March, 1833, and in the
first section of the act of the 11th day of September, 1841,
or in either of said sections, as being thereby made free; and
excepting also muriatia acid, sulphuric acid, and the other
articles expressly mentioned and provided in and by the said
act of the .11th of September, 1841, to be admitted on the
payment of the rates of duty imposed on them respectively
under then existing laws ; but these rates, except such as
were specified, must be levied, however, on the value of the
article at the port of entry ; and this value is to be deter-
mined by the appraisers in all cases, and just reference to the
quantities and manner in which articles are respectively sold
by importers, and to the prices which they obtain for them
at cash sales, in the fair and regular course of trade at the
port of entry.
" The sum of the duty to be paid, at the rate of 20 per
cent. on the value of any article at the port of entry, will in
each case be the one-sixth part of the price, ascertained as
aforesaid, at which importers sell said article ; and the officers
or persons appraising any article, having ascertained the price
at which it so sold, or will sell, should report the value of
such article at a rate or sum which, with 20 per cent. added
thereto, will amount to said price. For instance, if a bale of
cloth was under their examination, and they found it would
sell, in manner aforesaid, at the price of six dollars per yard,
the appraisers should report the value thereof at said port to
be fire dollars per yard ; because this rate, with 20 per cent.
added, would produce six dollars, the ascertained market
value of said cloth. '
" I remain, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Controller."

The above are the terms upon which, up to our last ad-
vices, merchandise has been admitted into the ports of the
United- States •, and we may here explain the meaning of the
duties having been paid hitherto " under protest." It has
entered into the head of some wise people that, pending the
recent tariff discussion, no duties were payable,—that, in the
words of the New York Morning Herald, America has had
" no revenue laws, no duties, no tariff, no nothing ;" and the
device of protesting has been adopted to make importers to
take advantage of such an absurdity being declared to be law,
of which there is assuredly no earthly chance. The advices
by the Great Western bring us the certainty of the latest
attempt to overthrow this scale of duties being vetoed by the
President; and although it is still thought that a "revenue
bill" will be passed, the best private letters agree in assuring
us that no measure will be sanctioned by the President, im-
posing higher duties than 20 per cent., unless it be accom-
panied by the appropriation of the proceeds of the public
lands to the purposes of the revenue; and to such a proposi-
tion the majority of the states will never be brought to agree.

POPULATION OF TWO DUTCH COLONlES.—According to
the last official returns. from Surinam, there are in that colony
2,500 whites, half Christians and Jews. Not 600 are natives
of Holland. There are 7,000 coloured persons (4,000 free
and 3,000 slaves.) There are 4,600 negroes, of whom only
1,000 are free. Total population, 56,000. Paramaribo has
15,000 inhabitants, of whom 8,500 are slaves, and 6,500 free.
The whole number of whites is 2,000. There are 1,200 Jews.
3,000 coloured persons, and 10,000 negroes.—Dutch paper.