The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY

In reply to a question from Mr. Hutt,
Sir R. PEEL said that the Government had altered its in-
tention with respect to the duty on exported coal. They
would now propose a duty of 2s. per ton on round and Is.
per ton on screened coal.
It was then arranged that the discussion on the coal duties
should be taken to-morrow (Tuesday).

In answer to a question from Mr.-Childers,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the great-
est depreciation of the gold coinage would not exceed from
one and a quarter to one and a half per cent. The utmost,
therefore, that should be exacted for a light sovereign was
three-pence. .
.. _

The second reading of the new Poor Law Bill was then

fixed for Friday (this day).
Mr. O'CONNELL asked if the Government would object to
lay before the house the coroner's inquisition on the bodies
of those persons who were killed in the late dreadful transac-

Sir R. PEEL said that a barrister had been promptly sent
down by the Irish Government to inquire into the whole
matter, and as the parties implicated by the inquest must
undergo a trial, he hoped nothing would be asked for which
might have a tendency to prejudice the proceedings.
The house then went into committee on the new tariff.

Mr. MITCHELL proposed to raise the duty on cables from
£6 to £8 per ton, being of opinion that the duty proposed by
Government would not afford sufficient protection to the

interests concerned.
After a short discussion, the motion of Mr. Mitchell was
negatived by a majority of 163 to 35.
Mr. G. BANKER moved that the existing duty on stones
for building purposes should be maintained, with a view to
the protection of the Isle of Portland quarriers.
Mr. CHRISTIE opposed the motion, as likewise did Mr.
GLADSTONE, who said that the present duty was more than
even the parties most interested asked for.
The amendment was then withdrawn.

Lord Howicx moved that the duty on foreign coffee be
reduced to 7d, instead of 8d as proposed by Government,
which was tantamount to a duty of 230 per cent. on the value
of the article. The Government proposition created a dif-
ferential duty between foreign and colonial coffee of 115 per
cent., which was so great that it would have the effect of
stimulating unnaturally the produce of the colonies, and
must ultimately prove injurious. His proposition would, he
believed, materially benefit the consumer, without seriously
affecting the revenue.

Mr. aIA.DSTONg said, that upon its own grounds there
could be little objection to the proposition of the noble lord ;
but the government, nevertheless, were compelled to resist
it, owing to the state of our commercial negotiations with
coffee-growing countries, with which we might be enabled to
make better conditions for the introduction of our manufac-
tures by holding out as an equivalent a reduction of the du-
ties on coffee.

Mr. HImIE supported the proposition of Lord Howick.
Sir R. PEEL was of opinion that we should not lightly
throw away those inducements which we possessed to cause
foreign nations to receive our manufactures.

LOAD Howicx could not approve of the practice of mak•
ing these reductions of duties matters of barter between
nations. To keep up duties for such a purpose was to ex-
hibit jealousies ourselves at the very time we were seeking
to induce others to abandon them.

The motion of Lord liowiclCWas negatived on a divsion,
by a majority of 81 to 48.
Lord SANDON moved an amendment to the effect that all
foreign coffee now in bond, and all which shall arrive on or
before the Ist of August, should be admitted at a duty of 7d.
per lb. He thought that those merchants who held large
stocks of foreign coffee, imported under the present system
of different duties, would be exposed to great disadvantage
unless they received the concession he suggested.
Mr. GLADSTONE said that in all great changes cases of in-
dividual hardship must occur, but those cases should not be
allowed to interfere with the interest of the community.

Sir R. PEEL did not think that sufficient grounds had been
stated to warrant the house in acceding to the motion of the
noble lord. It would have been impossible to have framed
the tariff if they were in every instance to consult individual
interests.

After some discussion, the amendment was negatived by a
majority of 133 to 69.

kr. T. DuNcomsz moved an amendment, to the effect
that corks squared for rounding should be admitted at a duty
of one shilling per ton.
On a division, the amendment was negatived by a majority
of 137 to 81.

Dr. Bowsaw°, in the acheduleon straw hats and platting,
proposed that an ad valorem duty of 20 per cent. should be
adopted, instead of the duty of Bs. 6d. per lb. proposed by
the Government, nn straw hats, antl Ari For lk esrs
platting.

Mr. GLADSTONE opposed the amendment, which was ne
atived without a division.

Great progress was made with the tariff, which Sir R.
Peel hoped would be finished to-day, the few remaining arti-
cles to be taken after the duty on coals shall have been dis-

posed of.

The house then resumed, and the chairman obtained leave
to sit again to-morrow.

The Other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS-TUESDAY

In accordance with a request from Lord REDESDALE,
Viscount DuNCANNON stated the nature of the resolution
to be moved by the Marquis of Lansdowne on Friday next,
on the third reading of the income tax bill. It was to the
following effect :—" That while this house is unwilling to
obstruct the progress of measures calculated to supply the
present deficiency in the public income, and to make it ade-
quate to meet the public charges, it cannot refrain from re-
cording its opinion that a judicious alteration of the duties
affecting corn, sugar, and timber would have greatly dimi-
nished the amount of additional taxation required by the ex-
igencies of the state, and would at the same time, from its
effect in increasing the comforts of all classes, and lessening
the privations of the great body of the people, together with
such addition as might have been obtained from other
sources, have been preferable to a tax on income in the pre-
sent circumstances of the country."
Lord HOWDEN asked if any official reports had been re-
ceived by the government corroborative of the intelligence
which he had himself received from private sources, of the
rapidly retrograding state of the people of Syria, and the
complete disorganisation of affairs in that quarter? The
noble lord was proceeding to comment on the policy which
led to the existing state of things in that country, when
The Duke of WELLINGTON rose to order, and complained
of the great inconvenience of bringing forward such matters,
and making a speech upon them, without having given any
notice whatever on the subject.
The matter then dropped.
The copyright bill was committed, and ordered to be read
a third time on Tuesday next, when the discussion is to take
place upon the principle of the bill.
A petition was presented by Lord WHARNCLIFFE, against
the law by which prisoners were called upon to plead to an
indictment. This led to some conversation, in the course of
which Lord DENMAN and other law peers contended that
calling upon a prisoner to plead not guilty was in effect, if
guilty, asking him to add the crime of falsehood to that of
which he was accused. He should be tried at once without
forcing him to confess his guilt or to tell a lie.
()n the motion of Lord BROUGHAM, Mr. Roebuck's bill
for giving indemnity to witnesses to be examined before his
committee on elective compromises was read a second time.
The standing orders were then suspended, and the bill was
suffered to go through its remaining stages without oppo-
sition.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF. COMMONS.—TUESDAY.
Mr. SHAW moved a new writ for the borough of Belfast;
uP(ri which
Mr. O'CONNELL moved, as an amendment, that a select
committee should be appointed to inquire intoa corrupt coin-
Pinr°fTeits,e which was alleged to have taken place, and which,
was no
Plarrozeefiyo f
pbrriberyt denied. He had in his possession ample
and corruption, and personation of voters,
transa,tionacatlsed at the last election for Belfast, in which
After uu,neucth Parties were implicated.
Sir tl. B.,_e_bc,servations from Captain POLHILL,
keep back e';`•:',le N said that a sum of -£6OO had been paid to
Sir R. PEEL, thought
from the Belfast election committee.
upon to convince the House of Commons was called
termination to put aes(mntry that it was sincere in its de-
fore felt the necessity 01) to these proceedings, and he there-
He also thought that the an inquiry into this case.
limited time. th writ Should be suspended for a
After some discussion' Isir SHAW was desirous of with-
drawing his motion, but not tieing permitted to do so, a di-
vision took place, when the issue of the writ was rejected by
a majority of 170 to 73.
being agreed to, it was ar-
-31 r. O'CONNELL'S amendrnsehn_t_be,
ranged that the committee
oe nominated on Wed-
nesday.
The house then went into committee on the new tariff.
The CHANCELLOR. of the ExcilEcoaEß. then moved a duty
of 2s per
ton on coals exported to foreign countries.
ty lotf4vasaas
the original intention of the government to fix
a
ton on exported coals, which it was estimated- would produce
a revenue of £200,000. On consideration of the interests
involved, however, it was deemed advisable to adopt the
lesser duty, which would produce a revenue of about
which
might compensate for some portion of the difference.for increased exportation,
without calculating anything
Mr. BELL assented to the amended proposition of the
right hon. gentleman.
Lord Howicx referred to the negotiations which had ta-
ken place between the government and the
as coal owners, and
which had led to the present propositihon, a compromise
the amount of the
to obviate their opposition. Althoug
duty might appear to be small, it would, nevertheless, mate-
rially affect our export trade in coal, which was already open
to a competition which threatened our hold of the continen-
tal, and more particularly of the Mediterranean, markets.
The distinction between large and small coals would, in levy-
ing the tax, lead to additional custom-house supervision and
expense, and diminish the amount of net revenue. Under
all these circumstances he thought the tax injudicious.
Mr. HUTT also contended that the tax was injudicious.
The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER denied that any
Compromise had been entered for the purpose of avert-
ing' o
the opposition of the coal owners.
After a few observations from 31r. Liddell and Mr. Ber-
nal,

Mr. GLADSTONE said that the great argument in favour
of the tax on exported coals was the advantage to be derived
by the revenue from as unobjectionable a source of taxation
as could be devised. The right hon. gentleman then con-
tended that the trade was not likely to be so injuriously af-
fected as was supposed by this tax.
Mr. LAMBTON opposed even the modified proposition of
t , ;pment, as likely to prove extremely injurious.
aretiON supported the Proposition of the i-phtgovern-
), r,,e3 groopitthot we should husband our stores of
• 1,1 it
•1.

coal, and as was said by a witness before a committee of the
house, " prevent foreigners from eating into the vitals of our
posterity."

Mr. P. T. BARING said that the principal reason for this
tax was an increase to the revenue, but the amount to be de-
rived was insignificant when compared with the important
interests endangered by its imposition.
Sir R. PEEL ridiculed the charge of compromise in a
matter of this kind, and asked if government were to be de-
barred, when about to legislate, from all communication with
parties interrested in the changes they were about to pro-
pose. The simple fact was that government was endeavour-
ing to supply the deficiency in the revenue, and looking at
the fact that coals were incapable of reproduction, and that
the foreign demand was increasing, he thought their ex-
portation a proceeding most legimately open to taxation.
Mr. HUME thought this tax opposed to all sound princi-
ples of commercial legislation.
Lord J. RUSSELL supported the proposition of the govern-
ment, though he thought there was some risk in the experi-
ment. He did not, however, think there was any such
danger as should induce him to refuse the•government the
amount of revenue they demanded.

Mr. C. BuLLER opposed the tax,
But on a division the government proposition was carried
by a majority of 200 to 67.
The remaining items of the tariff were then agreed to, and
the house adjourned.