The Tea-Trade.
The Times, 1824-06-18T00:00:00

- ACCOuOts relating to the tea-tra4eof the East IndiaCompany, from 181g to 1823 inclusive, have been presenced.to Parliament, aifd dis- tributed to the members 4f the.House of Commons. The subject is one which must be of -considerabli interest to this tea.drifilng na. tion: The China trade being the only monopolr now remaining in the hands of the East India Company, its operation upon the price of tea has been the subject of much observation; for though it can- not be denied .by any one, that by meajns:of tle monopolya.tax is levied upon the people of England for the benefit of the Iidia Coni, panvt the amount of that tas; is disputed. That it is of no trifling amount, the accounts beforus would' lead us tdbelieye. The Com.. pany exported- from Canton,' it appears, in tbe'year- 1820-21, 1,964,9271b. of Bohea tea, tle prime cost of which was 75,3303., which makes s3mething between 9d. and Oid. a pound. The average price at wbich this quality of tea wats Eold in England,. iD the sales of 1822, was 2s. 5d. 8-10-2s. 6d. 3.10-2s. 5d" 5-10-and 2s. 4d. 7-10. On Congon, the specie of tea of which the greatuest iuantity is consurm-ed (about 19 mi !ionsout of 27), the sale price attheCom_ pany's sales in England is about 2s., Cd., while the prime coat bas been about ls. 4d. The Government duty, moreover, is reguilated by the price at the Comnany's sale*.95 per cent. on that produce; so that the Bohea, which is bought in China: at 9d., costs, daty in-. eluded, about 5s. at the weholesale price in England ;' so that, when duly intermingled with ash and blaclk thorm, it may fairly go into the tea-pot at 6s. The Company must levy about two millions a year upon the tea-por. The' -enormous tax which is thus levied upon tea.drinkers does - not go all directly iuto .the pockets of tlhe Proprietors' of India. Stock, for the mode of conducting the trade seems to be wasteful in the extreme. The freight paid by the Company from :China in the years 1822 and 1823,ha3 been, on the average, atthe enormous-rate of 211. uls. Id.*er ten. There is also a ptretty establishrnentkcptup atCanton, in which eight gerntlemen,undier the modestnamne of st4pra.cargoes.andwriters,j receire various salaries and emoluments, frs 4,6001. to 10,5001.per annum eachd ; while eleven.others, who, from the comparativamo. deration of their sal'aries, we suppose-are not full-grown writers, but merely makers of pot.hook-s and hmngers, are paid at various rates, rapidly ascending from 701. to 2,5001. per annum.. It. is -not to be- supposed, however, thlat these gentlemen maintain tlemselves on their salaries ;for a sum of 13,000L. to 14,4781. a year is set down for their maintenance. -It must be extremnely consolatory to the drinkers of bobea at6s. a pound; thatste hiiinessofshipplgitat Canton is managed, among others, by tivo Baronets I e shall gire olu re a frl the ,.ln,pr of th-.e P in -lt2l2- wuanuty et L ea soia ay tue ast Inuiz yomppny in i : Pounds. Average Price. Bohea 1,904,435 ... 2s. 5d. Congoa . . . 18,681,8 ... 2s. Sd. Campoi 408,769 ... 3s. 6d. Souchong . 1,285,230. 3s. 6Ad. Pekoe -. . . 46,005 5s. 7d. 1-10 Twankay. 4,158.355 ... 3s. 3d. Hyson S!in 319,425 3s. 41d. Hyson 916,846 4s. 4d. 1.0 Total . . . 27,720,949 Tea exported from Cauten, in 1823, 27,478,813 lb., at the prime cost of 1,924,7381.- Total value of Ifritish imporisiii6 Canton, for the year 1825, 604,9751. They would have amounted, but for the loss of the. cg;nt outward.bound Fhi to 738,5981.:- TUIB TEA-TR.DE. ..