The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-03-19 00:00:00

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solidation of the various Custom- ouse Duties impos.
ed since 1,100, no, before the. I use. The Irish Do.
ties, it Seems are to relettictooth , and no alters.
tion it to take place in the duty on Timber. Theta
valorem deity on manufactured goods is to be lowered •
from 70 to 50 per cent. and theduty on untnanufactured
`goods from 30 to 20 per cent. The duties on goods N.
tied coastwise are to continue in their present state,
except those on stone and slates, which are to tis
rendered more simple. The duties on East India
goods are to be assimilated to the duties tie light
articles imported ftom other parts of the Britislt
dominions. lie considered it 104:able that the
variable duties on sugar, should lie reduced to ooe
kfixed rate; but this would be a subject for (worsen.
•
.sideration. If, however, the proposed filled defy
was established, East India Sugar would be subject
to the same regulations as the West India Sugar...
The success of the East India Trade, since its being
laid open.; has, it seems, exceeded the molt sanguine
ezpectations of those concerned in it. It is proposed
to allow thrown silk to be imported from India, in
order to give our fellow-subjects there the same pri.
alleges as other traders. The duties on erticles of
boot, cqnsumption are equally desersieg of re.
vision.._ Those upon Salt and Leather are pe.
coliarl
appay oppressive and impolitic. , Bat as we have
a . '
another another column to the exposure of
'tie onerous and impolitic Dawre of the lazes upon
theie 'articles, particularly the universally injoiioss
duties upon Salt, we shall abstain from expatiating
in this place, and content ourselves with expressing
a desire that the CHANCELLOR of the Exciagrxe,
would condescend to take such topics iuto his serious
coosideratioo, during the recess, or before hit nest
Budget, for we can assure him a due attention to mot
of his duties in this respect, will do more towards
raring his bacon, than all the Saving Banks formea
who have nothing but their souls lattice, which he
and his Colleagues are so earnestly recommending.

•
If we may judge from the beelines, which Mini.
sters are still originating in Parliament, the dissoln.
(inn is not likely to lake pl.rce for sotne time, not.
withstanding all the rumours to this effect. New
Hilt have been brought in by Ministers themselves,
which sill occasion some discussion, and we may
flow therefore expect that the business of the year I
will be gone through before a uew Election take place.

The
,conduct of the present Ministry towards.
wounded Officers of the Navy is unaccountably un.
just. The fact is too glaring, that the merits and
importance of the Navy have teen allowed to give
place to the more favoured (pretensions of the Army,
or rather to the hiss in a certain quarter towards mHi.
tory establishments. It is well known that the
wounded
_Officers of the Navy are far from being on
the seine footing as to pensions as the Officers of the
itirsny. We ought riot to overlook what passed io
the House of Commons en Tuesday night. Mr.
Cn.lllll ronstsi Who has most rneritorionSry, and un.
ostentatiously espoused the cause of the neglected
Naval Officers, whose claims from wounds sod,sersice,
plead so strongly for attention, brought this subject
before the House, and in the course of his in-
teresting observations, stated some facts, whith
evince in a striking degree the partiality (we could
call it by a stronger name) of the Government in this
respect. Not. only is an inferior attention paid to
Officers of the Navy, compared to those of equal
rank- in the Army, bot es Mr. Fottais observed,
Sir Trlowts Tnomesou, Treasurer of Greenwich
Hospital, actually enjoys a Pension or 7001. a year
for wounds, whilst intim:m.l can be adduced, 'of
Lieutenants, who have lost an eye and a leg, betts4
doomed to subsist upon only half the usual Pens*.
The worthy and independent Member whom we have
mentioned, stated an instance of a Lieutenant, wbo,
though wounded to this event, received only half the
usual Pension, because he was an Officer of Green-
.reich Hospital, while the Officers of the Military
Hospital of Chelsea, have full Pensions! Mr.
Fonasis also alluded to the case of a very useful de-
scription of persons on board the Navy, namely
Pursers' Clerks, many of whom, after eleven years
of service and upwards, are thrown upon the world,
without income or support of any description. Itir.
CROKER'S defence of this neglect and injustice, nei-
ther freed the Admiralty nor the Government from
the alms so justly imputed to them. Th, pert
and flippant Secretary thought it in the highest degree
unreasonable thnt he should have to answer such
-sivemenit more than once. lie complained that the
prinripies and information adduced by Mr. Fogel)
w•eta likely to prove mischievous in the country; but
'he dill not seen. to be aware, that, unless they were
founded in fact, no mischief could accrue—and in no
part of his speech did he attempt to disprove the,
alleged preference given to the Army, and thus dipi-
pate the existing jealousy between the two servicerr.—
Ou Mr. FOltass's statement respecting Pursers'
Clerks, he flattered himself he was very clever in-
'deed in discovering that they would he more pre.
rely designated Captains' Clerks. Mr. Fogies 14
entitled to great praise and credit for the distinct and
pointed manner in which he brought forward a sele-
jeer which has excited so much interest in the public
mind,
The total numbers of the Army end Navy Peace
Establishments, are now printed in the Estimste,.
From these it sppears, that the number of seamen
and marines, including an additional thousand voted
this year, amount only to tiTenly thousand, whoe
tie numbers of the Army, after all the reductions
already made, and in contemplation, are upwards of
one hundred thousand, erclusire rf Officers, and 01
Me Artiller,r, and Engineers, which will be stated or
, the °Wismar, Estimates) as ensconced by Mr. *mut