The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-13
The Duty on Tobacco in England.

The Duty on Tobacco in England.
We reproduce the following from the
London Telegraph, Of the 25ih ultimo. II
indicates the effort being made in England
10 help her obacco-manufacturingi interests,
and incidentally the shippers OF leaf ana
strips from Virginia, and will doubtless be
read with great interest by every man
handling this staple for export 10 The British
Isles:
Poets, philosophers, and m0ralsts have
often debated whether in the qualification
OF their appetites the aDcients were more
or less .seIf.induIgent than the moceTns.
scholars are well aware that the third Sa-
tire Of Juvenal. which affords, perhaps, the
closest insight that we now possess into the
Rome Of Tiberius. lent itself readily TO
,ransmulation by DR.. JOhnsOn's skilIGl
hand into picture OF London as 1t ap'
peared under George ILL.,, nor as regards
the vices Of the two capitals is 1t easy to de-
termine whether the balance inclines IN IA
yor OF the old or OF the new. But
while the craving for sensual and appe-
Using Measures existed beyond question
in both alike, il is impossible 10 deny
that ancient Rome was far behind modern
London in opportunities and materials Tor
INDUCING it. Thus, for example, the mid
stimulus OF tea, coffee, and cocoa was wholly
unknown to the Roman, nor was MS 1000
made grateful TO the palate by the employ
ment Of sugar. In nothing, however, was
| the ignorance OF the ancient masters OF the
world more pronounced iban in their want
of knowledge OF that fragrant and narcotic
vegetable which now exacts an almost uni
yersal tribute from the whole family OF
man. Just three centuries have passed
since Sir Walter Raleigh introduced to-
bacco into England, and now It dODi-
mates mankind, and is an object OF in-
terested attention to Finance Ministers in
every pant of the world. About a month
since we referred TO q question upon the
subject, of which Sir Henry Drummond
Wolf gave notice in The House of Commons,
but which, for reasons unknown to US, he
then abslained from propounding to Mr.
Gladstone, in his capacity of Chancellor OF
the Exchcquer. Public attention, how
ever, has since been so fOrcibly attracted
to the present depressed condition OF the
trade in manufactured tobacco that 1t is
The Intention OF the most influential mer-
chants connected herewith TO seek an
interview with Mr. Gladstone IN order
10 demonstrate with him about the adj
ditional fourpencc laid three years since by
Sir Stafford Norlbcote upon every pound OF
raw tobacco imported into these Islands,
and 10 solicit from the Chancellor OF the
EXcbeQuef return 10 the old duty OF three
and twOpence a pound, under which the
trade prospered and worked well in every
department for forty years. Mr.. Gladstone,
thus appealed 10, Will naturally turn for in
formation 10 experienced officials attached
10 the Customs and the Board OF Inland
Revenue, and he will find that the chair
man OF the latter Board, in his re-
port for the financial year ending
March 81, 1880, stated that the
quantity of tobacco cleared for con.
sumption during the past year is slightly
less than in 1878, when, as stated in my last
report, it was lower than ia any year since
1874. II is clear that The increase OF duty
In the early part OF 1878 checked the con-
sumption of tobacco, which for many years
had been steadily increasing even in great
er ratio than The population. Manufactu
rers explain this by stating that the working
classes insist upon having on article at the
same price as before the increase OF duty
to wit, threepeDcc an ounce. The result
is that the manufacturer has to produce one
containing more water, and the proportion
of duty.paid tobacco has been cOrrcspondly
less.
II, then. a deputation of tobacco.manu-
facturers in Great Britain Is admitted to
Mr.. Glad,tone's presence, we would recon-.
mend them especially and empbatcaly to
dwell upon three arguments with a view
10 obtaining the concessions which they
SEEK at his hands. In the first place,
let them remind him that the revenue
derived from tobacco is beginning to
fall of instead of progressively increasing !;
secondly, that three fourihs OF the duty
upon tobacco arc paid 10y The operative
poor and thirdly, that in order TO make it
possible for the tobacco manufacturers to
exist at all in England under the crushing
burden of an impost seven times greater
than the value OF the raw material upon
which il is laid, the customs and excise
have for years been ay0WedIy conniyiDg at
barefaced adulteration OF the article sold in
order to rake eight millions Of pounds ster-
ling into the Golfers OF the State. AS regards
the first OF these arguments Che falling re-
turns OF the revenue now derived from to-
bacco), Mr.. Gladstone is too good Il political
economist not TO perceive that the duty is SO
high as to be struggling the trade. As regards
the second and third arguments-thatt the
tobacco duty Is mainly paid by the poor, and
that the article sold is heavily watered-the
Chancellor Of the EXcbeQuer has. ever since
his first budget in 1853, covered himself
with honor as having always tender heart
for the humber classes. Let it then be made
clear TO the Chancellor OF the EXchoqucr
that the tobacco smoked by the lower
orders belongs TO the class Of what are
called in the trade drinking tobaccos,"
which easily imbibe water to the eX-
tent of from 40 TO 40 per cent.
OF their weight, and, further, that
this power of sucking up moisture is
only possessed by the low-class leaf which
comes from Java, Japan, and Mexico, and,
being flavorless and free from gum, is a
ready and greedy absOrber, while simulta.
neously it does not lose its burning proper
ties. To this inSlpid aud water-laden leaf
there Is added just q sDrinkling OF Ameli-
can tobacco to give favor to what might
otherwise be undistinguishable from tow
or dry hay. Thus 1t will he apparent to
Mr.. Gladstone that the poor working.
man, who, together with his fellows.
pays six out OF the eight millions
which tobacco brings annually Into the
EXchequer, is put off with an article so
adulterated and deterlorated by the intro
duction OF water Into il that it can hardly
be called tobacco at all. On the other hand,
the fine and highly-priced smokIng-tcbac
COS used by the middle and upper classes in
this country contain almost exclusively Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Mary
land brands, which, being naturally gluti.
nous and full OF gum, are almost impervious
TO moisture at all. The upper classes pay,
in fact, for the finest smoking-tobacco in the
world, unadulterated with water. the same
duty which operatives pay upon the poorest
stuff entitled 10 the name OF tobacco, and
which, into the bargain, when sold for three.
half a hale ,o 81,