Salt-Tax.
The Times, 1824-04-16T00:00:00

(From a CorresDondentL AJV-hjJ.~, -IpW -br In the session of 1822, an act of Parliame;t was passed for the re- peal of 3s. per bushel of 561b. on duty on.white salt, on the Sib ofI .12nugry followinir and on tde 5th of J.nuary, 1825 to repeat th renatnngfmgs. perz'busnel; bus aster the puWic had received this pledge for so long a time, to my great astonishment, on the Stb in- stant, AMr. *Vodehou5e, member for Norfolk, gave rotice of a mo-. tion for the 6th of Mlay, for the continuance of the piesent salt.duty- of 25. per bushel, after the ith of January nexL It is much to be regretted that any attempt should be made to continue so odious a. tax ar, the salt-tax which operates very much to the prejudice of our fisheries and many branches of comnmerce a nd agriculture ; for unless salt can be made use of unfettered of excisebonds and regulations, it is ouite hopeless toexpectthepublic wrill makeuseof it to anygreat extent, ben they are subject to endless trouble, which will ever be the case as long as a farthing of excise duty remains upon it. If Ministers were to repeal the temaining tax of 2s. per bushel immediately, the benefit that would 3rise from such a step to the fisheries, &c., -would be so great, that I do not think Government would loseaany thingbyit; but in the present flohrishing state of the revenue, and when Mllinisters can do so well without.the salt tax, I do hope they will fulfi their pledge, by allowing the act of Parliament to be carried into effiect on tic 6th of January next, and the public to receive one of the great, est boons that can be given them-that is, the free use of salt. The present salt:tax produced, from the 5th of April, 1823, to the 5th of Aprl 1824, only 268,7651., in collecting which, the same nuumberot ookcers are employed as when the dutywas lSs per bushel, the same expensive bonds required, and the same excise regulations in all branches of trade it is used in. The above sum cannot be r taken of' any other tax whatever, that would render so much general good as the total repeal of thte salt-tax, of which I hope ministers are well aware, and that they will notbe influenced by those representations which are continually made to them by in- terested inuividuals. The mortification must have been very great to those gentlemen who have for yearsl hack used their beat endeavours to obtain a total repeal of the salt-tax, and free use of salt, when they heard the no-- rice given of a motion to continue the tax, after so solemn a pledge had been given them and the country; but those gentlemen, as well as all those who are for the total repeal, should lose no tlme in ex- erttig all their influence to opposeany attempt to continue the pre. sent unnecessary tax. The Chancellor of the Exchequer named in the Mouse of Com- mons in the month of Dlav last, that the salt-tax was to expire on the 5th of January, 1825, ind as those persons whomight be injured by a total repeal were relieved, by allowing them two years to snake the best use of their capital invested in the trade, I do hope the Chancellor will allow thetax to expire at the time it ought. The present Ministers seem desirous to remove all unnecessary restrictions on commerce and have a free trade, and, so far as they have acted, have given satisfaction; in wkich good work may they proceed, and give the public another proof of their good intraions, by repealing the salt-tax, and granting them a free trade the3ein. In such case the consumption would be considerably increased, mni cause an increase of labour in mainy branches of trade. In order to do away with anly f'alse impression that the public do, not receive the full beneLit of the repeal oi' the salt-tax, 1 can state positively. that the manufacturers' price in Clieshire, prior to the repeal of 13s. per bushel in 18:2, was, fbr fine salt, 30s. per ton, ex-. clusive of duty; and now the samie sort is only 22s., and coarse salt. lOls. per ton, exclusive of duty. "e'ou will please to.observe, the present duty on salt only produces. 261,7651. , and that the duty Ls 400 per cent. on the onrginal cost.; and that the poor man, when the duty is repealed, will only pay one farthing per pound. ' As per official account nmade out to the 5tk of April, 1824. SALT-TAX.