Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-29
Extract of letter from The Dae de Dama'ie 10 General

consura,ion France, with leglrA 70 looaccp aie "
and ID tr the protection Of the national culture and,
ss,us tlv re preud,cial 10 the of the prodnc
;,ps Of t!. nion Is erroneous. The dulifs ~ gu $.
ion ,.c tended only produce free coisu"iptoh'
.,1 next 10 t.nsc the use Of that Indispensable ar.
tc, salt; (Which are, proPoritonaIly, much heavier)
there is ncuc more important TO me pnnc ie!ehus'
Wine special projection oi The French se Is also
,.r,cd To 4 dutY consumption; and The system OF
in1ncs regulating the duty on 'hr consumption OF %
tn based solely the necessities o the treasury,
and is limited only BY the fear Of stopping the consnnp
ton o.: the article. ,,,;
,u, Effect Since The passage oil the law OF February
J., l-5 increasing Tie proportion oil iorecn tobacco
h; may be manufactured III The royal manufacturers
,ho nn,ch.ses Of American tobacco made IN france,
havr been muct mere considerable tsn 'hev hao ever
to =. anv preceding period. These purchases IN
g.. = hicb had during Tie interval between 1917
,a 81 never exceeded mean Of three millions OF
LIo,,a.,,aes per year, and which were moreover al
mast exclusively co;cncd 10 those oil Virginia, have
t r..aJ 10 SIX millions of k,logrammes IN $50, and
to SIX nall on fear h1ndTed Thousand kosfah"i'S ~
l.3, including tobacco iEom Virginia. Maryland and
Kentucky. $1,000,
..l.,JrI such circumstances the American planters
c,nno, certainty have Tor complaint and, more
vc, the recent increase IN the price OF American 10
kcc nroycs that the cultivation OF is not, yet sui
6c;.ntr extended 10 satisfy the demands OF Europe
esoecav Of France, where the daily has mol had The ell
fee, Of stopping the progressive aud continual increase
of the consumption
.sWb,n the trade in tobacco in France, free, MS
also lis cultivation TO Tie price OF the consumer was the
s,,, ,s Il now is the only difference being that the
nannlv WAS in the hands ut five hundred manu-.
fc,nrer whereas il is now turned to the profit OF the
Stale.
Efraet orn letter from Nr Sisrerson to Mr. Forsyth
"hEGsTIoN OF TrE I. D,
London, January Is, lo39.
"They said that the duty tobacco was one eSclu,
svcly rerenut and not protecon as was evidenced
hy the fact that their laws prohibited the culture OF
the plant both in Great Britain and lfeland II
was therefore, far subject for taxation, like the TAX
on spirits and partook or less, OF The character
of voluntary payment, being imposed on an art
Gle first necessity; that regarding the duty solely wan
to raising the greatest amount ot revenue rom
the article the interests oil Great Britain and the L. >
we're in great measure, the same. Hence, the I'M
oor,ant question 10 be settled this: how the great
es: possible quantity Of tobacco could be consumed
bringing with il the greatest return; or, in o.her
words what Of duty would give at the sane lme,
the greatest amount Of revenue and produce inc afs
est consumption Of The article.
Without Welding 10 all the arguments advance Il,
they concurred Of the views had taken, as 10
the effect Of diminishing the present hugh Duty BON Is
to rs effect on consumption and revenue
'They agreed that, inasmuch as The duty recc"eu al
present was about t3OG OO0 sterling, while The va
uc OF Tie tobacco which the duty was paid was 1t
tie more than onc,enth of that sum, the duty vas too
hiul aud that reduction, while 1t increased The con-
sumption al duty. paid ubacco, would not only mol
diminish in the end but would, in all probability, adc
to the revenue received; that the height to winch ,axa
ton was iusliabe, the height which enabled 'he
fair trader to undcrsel the smuggler; and that tue pre-
sen, dniy tobacco had therefore, greatly overs'ep
ped the mark
"lndeed, the Chancellor Of the Exchequer expressly
said that he had difficulty in declaring that the pre-
sen: duty of three shil!ngs infinitely higher Than
cav Just policy would sanction.
"rAe President of the Board OF Trade, Also sad Ina
le admitted the force of the opinion had referred 10
As expressed by him IN $3.50 a"d lo3l, when he su9
mted 20 Parliament las OF the ministers oil lhe
GoycrnmenD plan for the reduction OF the dn'y OF
tobacco These opinions lie still entertained and che
rshed and was DESTROYS of seeing carried into opera
ton.
The great difficulty, however, which presented ii
SELF was 10 try the experiment ta'ry: both conceVet
that, in doing so, very large reduction oil tne GUY
would be ndispensably necessary; that the taking oil
s;xpence or even one shilling, from The eS's3g duty
of ihree s.lIlings, they believed would do tl!e to III
crease The consumption Of duty paid tobacco, "h!e III
effect Guild be 10 diminish Tie revenue
"rhey admitted that, 10 put down smuggling ant
adu!;era,on and bring the article into consumption by
hose classes vino could not afford 10 purchase
would he hiriy important and beneficial; but to at
iiis il would he necessary TO lower the duty To ont
shilling and sixpence, at leas.-proaa5!y one shilling
That this would involve too large an amount OF revenue
millions Of pounds s,crng-for the second, perhaps
mii!on-and for some years 10 conc, very consider
able sr;l-not reckoning the return, IN the irst IN
stance upon stock in hand, which must be ve!y con
siderabc--and large portion Of which would Proba
biy-nay, ce.tainlv-have paid no duty. That while
therefore, increased consumption might certainly FOL
low it would not be Immediately, nor IN the same pro
nor. ion with the amount Of revenue sacrticed-and
consequen,ly il the reduced duty realized one-halt o
the existing revenue, now amounting 10 d1uUuUUU
It ,.,1l Ia at
haznrd-and that it would moreover, take some TIM
10 double The consumption Of the United Kingdom
Nth the sncefest desire, therefore, 10 see the experi
ment tried, and with sangnne views OF its nltimat
success, they forced to confess that, under exist
ing circumstances, il at this time linpracticaGe
The admitted that, with on o"criiowing treasury
there vas duty OF customs IN which her Majesty
| Government would be so much disposed TO make In
experiments as that on tobacco. Such, however, wa
not the condition of their treasury at this time In re
ation 10 all my views as 10 the extent OF Inc beneht
which would result from the reduction OF the duty
connected with consumption, and the extension OF tn
trade, ;hey did not cnllely concur. They thought
mi,s!.t we'll le doubted whether the reduction Of tn
duly would increase the consumption, or extend tn
trade in the manner and the extent supposed.
was SAID that the tobacco still! came from the IT, s. and
however much Ike trade Of smuggling TO be re
creted, it was still trade They, moreover, though
that the actual consum?ton al the present time, va
greater than generally supposed or ayowed. They
however, admitted that II tins was all so, lcrhishe
no valid defence of the present system.
"Both, therefore, concurred in opinion that the eS
pertinent Of reducing the present high duty was yer
desirable % well IN relation TO the interests OF the
5 as those OF Great Britain
"They said they wished they could entertain the hop
that il would he in Tie power Of their Government /
do early day. hul of this they could give no as
They begged me, however, to be satisfied tia
It it was possible, they would be ready and within
as could be u make the experiment; but that, L
this the case, it 10 be hoped that our Go
vernment would unite with that Of her Majesty in wait
ing pa;icn'l; un'jl existing mpedincnis to chang
could be removed, and the experiments fairly made.
sThe Chancellor oi the Excheqner, in my last inter
4 view, empAacally assured me that he would not los
sight Of the subject but tina, the moment 1t was in hi
power he would submit plan for the reduction L
larament; that additional motive and qualification
in his being able do so, would he the advancement
oil! the domestic interests of country which, next Il
his oan, he regarded with the deepest respect and al
cciion.
Having ascetalncd that they were 10 be regarde'