The Express. — 1849-12-28 (London, England)

ADDRESS OF THE LIVERPOOL TEA. ASSOCIATION. " The Liverpool Association for the Reduction of the Duty on Tea onee more call upon the public to support than in their endeasours to get this most impolitic end unjust tax reduced. In urging a reduction of this tax, the assiciation are governed by no exclusively selfish or close motives. For years they have been endeavouring to accom plish this, and the only object, but have always been met with the objection—and the only objection—that the stets of tbe revenue could not afford it. It ii, however, gener have.lly understood and admitted, that the government yid a surplus of two millions at the end of the present fi,ancial year. The association, therefore, now put in their claim and urge it by almost a right of promise, that when such 's surplus did exist a large reduction in the pre rent rate of tea duty should take place. Abundant evidence was Riven before the select committee in 1847, that a reduetiim of the duty to Is. per lb. would not jeopardise a greater loss to the revenue in the first year than 1,200,0001., arid that in the sewed year the revenue would fully recover itself. Of all duties on articles of consumption that on tea is the most objectionable. Its injurious effects are felt in some way or other by all classes of society. Its evils are universal. It may well, therefore, be selected as the first to be reduced; and the association feel convinced that amidst all rival claims it can maintain, upon its merits, and per se' its priority. 111'Culloch says, " We incline to thick that this is the most objectionable duty. in the Eaelish tariff;' and epic, " Tea in this country is not a luxury, but a necessary of life, which is d•cidedly more indispensable to the poor than the rich." The rate of duty is, on the average, 250 per cent. The entire. imports of 1818 cost somewhat under two millions while the amount of duty paid n that year ranbeil nearly five millias and a half. On low qualities it is 300 and 400 per cent., and on the lowest 800 to 1,000 per cent. As a matter of fiscal policy, the rate of duty is much too large. Nothing is more certainty proved, now by experience, than that inordinately heavy dwies defeat their own object, and that moderate duties US most productive to the Exchequer. To this general experience tea is no exception, as has been demonstrated by actual results en I former occasions, when the duty was reduced, mere copeegally in 1784, when toe population was not so large, nor the use of tea, so general as now, bat when the consumption. was trebled by the reduction. The present consumption is under 50,000,000 lbs., employing about 100 ships. A similar nerrant, therefore, to what tuok place in 178 i, would give 3.. for every 25. 2d. now paid to the revenue, and would employ 200 additional ships, thus calling into exercise all the various industries requir.d in building, rigging, victualling, and navigating them. It is besides a direct tax on industry. A piece of shirting worth in Blauchester Ss. 61. towill exchaoge in China tor 12 lbs. of tee, our import duty on which is 265. 3d. In consequence of this duty the exchange of shittings fur tea is limited, the manufacture interbred with, and industry to tnat extent destroyed. In effect it is a duty of Ns. 3d. on every piece of shining exported to Chine, and exchanged far tea. Its operatiun in impeding the distribution of tea, and by inference is crempirg the expansion of commerce, and thereby lessening profitable employment of many Kinds, rebuking, as it were, industry in its every effort to be air-supporting, has been well des.ribsti in the following 11 words : t " The capital which purchases cotton and manufactures it, 1 Welding machinery, paying wages, rent, rates, and charges lif conveyance to and from the seaport; which provides ships. eistualling,manning, and insuring them, to carry the calico to Ana; which incurs all the risks of delay, fluctuating marla% an: local charges then; which brings tea in r.turn, again manning, vie:spline, acid insuring the ships ; paying lees for bah harbourage, warehousing, and all the atteadant chains, besides interest on its own amouwhant; rf thatwhen capce ital, though it land the tea on the very the eilico was shipped which went to purchase it, is not swoosh:: three times more capital is required to pay the duty ea the tea." As an impost on the chief article of export from a country area which' we forced a commercial treaty by war, it is extremely unjust, and colony at •,riance with the spt of our recent commercial le.islation, toeing an imp•st on cur part of en less than 26e. 3d. on the tea we receive for a piece of shirting admitted by.the Chinese into their country at the leeepetatie.4 nominal duty of 71d. Surely, we cannot wonder, while such an inequaiity exists in our commercial relations, that the Chinese nit only consider but plainly soli us " Barbarians." But the most injurious effects, and those which render it I peculiarly desirable that this should be the first tax dealt I with, are tl/4oes which press upon the phys:eal, social, and moral condition of the great mass of the people. Ia the limits of this address they can be only iudicated; but the gross oppression of taking more than 2d. from every 3d. laid out in tea by the overworked, Ill.paid, and all but starving needlewoinan, to say nothing of the toiling artisan, or still worse off peAeent, needs no illustration—it speaks trumpet-tongued in condemnation of the tax, The statesman, the philanthropiat, an the mora dlist, will here alike find ample scope for reflection d ; and each, &car ing to the peculiar phase in which he looks upon soc national grievance. The association, therefore, cell upon the public to support them in their endeavours to remove this Head folly—this 'immortal suicide—this social wrong.