Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-05-10
BRITISH PARLIA MEMT.
CUSTOMS CONSOLIDATION ACT.

House or Commons, -huTch 20.
Upon the motion OF MIR. HCSKISSON, the
house resolved itself into committee upon the
Customs Consolidation Act.
Mr.. Huskisson then said, that IL rising to re-
quest the attention Of the committee TO the reno
val oil certain duties now paid upon the importa-
ton of foreign articles, or rather 10 a modification
OF the duties paid upon the importation of foreign
articles used in the manufactures of this country
and also TO the rate of protecting duties imposed
with view TO encourage those manufactures,
against the manufactures of foreign countries, he
trusted that he should again experience their kind
indulgence. Whatever evil predictions had attend
ed his former measures for the removal of restric-
tons had been BY experience completely falsifed
The house would recollect that in the course of
the last session, when entire change pro-
posed to be made in the laws relating to i'm
portant branch of our manufacture; he meant the
silk laws, it was suggested that instead of the en-
tire prohibition of foreign silks, import duty OF
thirty per upon the value of the article should
be paid. Some gentlemen at the time thought that
duty too high; not the manufacturers, for they
thought it inadequate to the protection of their own
article; but Others, and he mir. H. for one, be-
leyed that it too high for very different rea-
son, and that was, that it would still leave too
great latitude for the operation of the smuggler-
The fears of the manufacturers had, he hoped, by
this time subsidized. Indeed, if any fear remained
he believed that it transferable the manufac-
turers of other countries, whom, he had reason to
know, already felt much apprehension and uneasi-
ness at the progress which silk manufacture had
made, and the Improvements which were still go
ing on in it. If then protecting duty of 80 per
| cent, sufficient, upon the only branch of our
manufactures in which we were in some respects
behind hand with foreign countries, it became them
to consider in respect TO other branches which had
long fodrshed and maintained superiority in all
parts of the world, whether they should continue
10 preserve system of useless prohibtory duties,
which only placed the trade in those articles of
foreign produce in the hands of smugelers instead
of the legitimate merchants OF the country. With
this view he should first call the attention of the
Committee to that which branch vast he greatest &
most extended of all the manufacturers of this coun-
try---the manufacture of cotton. He appreheuded
no would doubt, that we excelled all rivals in
the manufacture of this article and that we had the
preference in every market of the world, both in
respect price and quality. He believe there was
quarter of the world in which our cotton goods had
not decided advantage those manufactured
in any other country. If it were necessary to
bring forward proof OF this, he should refer the
committee to the returns upon the table, by which
it appeared that the value of the export of cotton
goods in the last year exceeded the enormous sum
of EDO, 900, 900. Ye, Notwithstanding this, with
the certainty that the English consumer could pur-
chase the articles so much cheaper at home than in
any other market in the world, what would the
committee conceive the amount of protecting
duty upon the Importation of the foreign M nuf C.
turer? No less than seventy per cent ad raIo-
rem upon one description OF goods. Upon anoth-
| er, 1t was E67 los; and he certainly enved the
sagacy OF the man WHO could thus calculate 20 a
! fraction the precise amour, of duty which woulc
| keep foreign article out Of he market. Upor
the lowest description of goods, the duty was sc
per cent ad paiorem, Before he proceeded fur
Their, he would ask he Committee whether no i'll ef-
fects were produced upon foreign states by the i'm
position of such duties But they not OILY sppli-
cd to foreign countries; had at this moment
under our protection, country the most produc-
TWEEN the article of cotton of any country in ths
world and where the manufacture OF cotton wa:
4 the oldest manufacture in existence, and against
that country (the East Iudies), 10 which we ex-
ported annually many millions OF our own manu-.
featured articles, this duty of 10 per cent. en-
forced against own subjects, and who were
compelled TO receive manufactures without IN,
payment of any duty whatsoever. There was
} small al UGlorem duty upon the importation o
the material into this country, which he propos
ed to reduce. And in order to satisfy the fears o
some parties, and to keep up Unnecessarily as h
thought) some idea of prohibition, he meant 10 re
duce all the duties to Of per cent? thus TO al
low India and all other parts Of the world to i'm
port their goods upon the payment of % per cent
the next great staples of this country---w oollen
This was manufacture which more than any 9th
er had been nursed, and fostered and fonded by tn
legislature, and indeed appeared to have been III
favourite child Of legislature. Like many other ia
vourite children, it had received more injury thai
benefit from its additional pet'ing, and failed Il
thrive whilst its younger bro;her, cotton, ben
more left to ITSELF had made more rapid strides an
grown up with far more vigorous constitution
He would not trouble the Committee with goin
into all the laws which had passed for centuries bac
relating to the manufacture Of wooilen. Some r
them provided Tor the mode in which the shee
should be clipped, some described how the woo
should be packed, and others pointed out the tim
aud manner in which it should be transported fror
one place TO another. All these were attende
with penalties which ended only TO the vexatio
Of the subject, and, he believed, 10 the injury
the general manufacture and trade in the article TIL
duty on wo'lens imported from foreign countrie
was so per cent. upon the value. The committe
. would be aware that we were ourselves great expor
tiers OF woolen goods, that our articles found the
. way into foreign markets TO large extent. Ur
der these circumstances, and with full consider;
ton OF every fact connected with the question, i
was not afraid to reduce the duty from so TO II
This branch Of our manufactures, as well as Il
manufacture Of silk, had been too much interfere
with by ill-advised legislative protection. II
would here beg the attention Of the committee viii
he stated, from official returns, what was the con
diiion of the cotton and woollen manufactures i
the year 1865, and what it is at the present tim
showing 'he comparative progress which the tvs
had made First, he would state the imports Of II
raw material. In 1865, the quantity Of cotto
wool imported was 1850, 900 lbs weight. In ii
year ending the 9th of January, 1926, the qIantit
was 100, 10000 lbs. In 1865, the value Of a
the cotton goods exported from this country W.
100000, in the year 1924, it was E50, 00O, 10
In the year 1865, the quantity Of sleeps wool IN
ported was 1907, 900 lbs. weight, in 1924, il WI