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the honourable member has laid so much stress, it would be placed on the same footing as the trade in fish of other countries. Though we might not retain all, we should still retain great part of it. I very much doubt whether monopoly does not in all trades lead to expense, indifference, remissness, and negligence, on the part of those who possess it. Only give fair competition to the British fish-curer, and I shall not be afraid of his being able to meet his rivals in the Portuguese markets with complete

success.

Be that, however, as it may, this is not the period for us to discuss the question; but it is the province of his Majesty's Government to arrange with Portugal, as soon as the political circumstances of the two countries will permit, the footing on which the trade between them ought to be permanently settled. All that I contend for at present is this,— that we should not exact from Portugal, conditions which we ourselves would not be willing to grant. I state it to be my deliberate opinion, that the trade of Portugal would be most effectually promoted, by its not being placed under the care of Government, as to its details. I admit that our chief trade with Portugal is indeed carried on directly with that country, but indirectly through it with Spain. Every body knows that the fish and the manufactured goods which we send to Lisbon and other places in Portugal find their way thence into Spain, and are there consumed. As to Portugal, it is evident that she is every day becoming more and more a weak and impoverished country; but that is no reason why she should not be treated with all the regard which is due to her as our ancient ally, and with all the moderation which is best calculated to advance our trade and promote our general interests.

The motion was agreed to.

MR. HUSKISSON'S MOTION FOR THE REDUCTION OF

THE SUGAR DUTIES.

June 21.

On the 14th of June, the Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, in a committee of ways and means, "That there shall be charged the following duties upon Sugar imported into the United Kingdom; that is to say-upon all brown, or Muscovado sugar, being the produce of, and imported from, the British possessions in America, or the island of Mauritius, according to the average price of brown or Muscovado, published in the manner directed by law, viz.-If the value of such sugar shall exceed such average price by more than 19. the cwt., 278.: if such sugar shall not exceed in value such average price by more than 1s. the cwt., 25s. 6d.: if such sugar shall be of less value than such average price by 2s. the cwt., 24s. if by 4s. the cwt., 22s.: if by 5s. the cwt., 20s.: Upon all brown, Muscovado, or clayed sugar, the produce of, and imported from the British possessions in the East-Indies, the cwt. 37s.: upon all other such sugar, the produce of, or imported from, any other places, the ewt. 63s." The resolutions having been read, the discussion upon them was adjourned, at the suggestion of Mr. Huskisson, to this day; when the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that he was prepared to allow the East-India Sugars, of a low price, to come into the market on a proportionate reduction of duty; but that the higher description were to remain in the same relative condition as to duty, as they were before the contemplated alterations. Upon which,

Mr. HUSKISSON rose and said :—

As I perceive, Sir, that it is not the intention of my right honourable friend to propose any other alteration or modification of these resolutions than the one which he has just announced with respect to East-India sugars, I must crave the indulgence of the Committee, while I offer a few observations on what appears to me to be the most extraordinary, the most incomprehensible, and the least practicable proposition, that was ever submitted to the Parliament of this country. I am glad that the discussion upon it was postponed to this day, since it has given time for consider

ation; and I believe there has seldom been a proposition which, when duly considered, has created more doubt and alarm, or been calculated to produce more trickery and endless confusion.

The proposition, if I understand it rightly, goes to reduce the duty on sugars, of a certain description and price, from 278. to 20s. per cwt.; and my right honourable friend alleged, as the reason for the reduction, the distressed state of the West-India islands. In order to prove this distress, my right honourable friend cited the case of two estates, and explained the extent of the produce and the cost of cultivation. These two estates were, I presume, in the same island, and probably the land of the same individual; but if he had taken the whole of the old islands belonging to Great Britain, as proof of the distress of the WestIndia interest, I believe the illustration would not have been inapplicable or exaggerated. I believe all the ancient colonies belonging to this country-Jamaica, Barbadoes, Antigua, St. Christopher, Dominica-are in a state of much greater distress than those which have been more recently annexed to our possessions. The land of those islands produces now a much smaller quantity of sugar in comparison, than the colonies which have been taken into cultivation at a later date, and which are not so worn out and exhausted by repeated crops; but, at the same time, by the superior skill employed in their cultivation, and by the judicious application of capital in their management, the sugar that is produced in the old colonies is known, although small in quantity, to be of a very superior quality.

Now, the measure of my right honourable friend is intended to relieve the distressed colonists of the West-Indies; but that distress, from these peculiar circumstances, prevails to an infinitely greater extent in the old colonies than in the new. The resolution therefore, by extending the sale of coarse sugar produced by the new colonies will tend, of

course, to increase and perpetuate the difficulties and distress of the old colonies, where relief is most required. The islands of Barbadoes and Antigua, though two of the most fertile of the old colonies, do not produce more than onethird of the sugar grown in Demerara; and therefore, the proposition which goes to increase the sale of the sugar of the new colony, will diminish, in a proportionate extent, the demand for the limited produce of the old colonies; which, for the reason I have stated, stand most in need of assistance.

But, Sir, this great objection to my right honourable friend's proposition, is not the only one. I would ask him, before I go further, to explain to me the meaning and bearing of his resolution; for notwitstanding that it has been extensively circulated, I know, from the best authority, that there is not a person in the city, whether planter or merchant, buyer, seller, or broker, who thoroughly understands the manner in which it is proposed to bring this plan into operation. Sugar, it is well known, is sold at what is called " the long price;" that is, the price including the duty. Now the result of this measure will be, that whether a man sell his sugar at 548. or at 478., he will in the end obtain just the same price. If he sell his sugar as worth 548., it will be considered 78. better, and the duy paid must be the high one; so that as the duty in one case might be only 20s. and in the other 278., the price obtained by the planter may be just the same.

Now, I should like to know how, according to my right honourable friend's proposition, the price and the conservative duty are to be regulated in a sale of this kind; how collusion can be prevented, by which the price will be fixed at a low duty, while the article may be of a finer quality, and the Government thereby defrauded. If sugar be sold as I have stated, how, I repeat, can collusion be prevented between the sugar broker and the purchaser, by which a 54s. sugar

may be sold for 47s., in order that the difference of duty may go into their own pockets, with a consequent injury to the revenue.

But supposing, for a moment, that this collusion is impracticable-how, I should like to know, does my right honourable friend intend that the duty shall be levied? Is it to be taken on the general amount of the sugar purchased, or on each portion? Sugar is not sold in small quantities, but generally in lots of fifty or a hundred hogsheads at a time. Is this purchase, then, to be made with no better consideration as to quality and price than fifty or a hundred sheep at Smithfield? Some sugars are worth 30s., some 60s. How are the gradations of my right honourable friend's scale to be established, if the whole fifty hogsheads are purchased at 20s.? Is a broker to be at liberty to pick out a hogshead, and say, "I like this," and is he to take it at the price of the others? How does my right honourable friend propose to guard against tricks of this kind? Is the valuation to be upon each hogshead of a whole lot?

Again, how are the duties to be paid? Are they to be paid when the purchaser pleases? If that be so, then the purchaser will watch his time, tender his duty when the price is low, keep the sugar till the price advances, and then sell it at a great gain to himself, and a great loss to the revenue. In taking the averages, too, how is my right honourable friend to guard against receiving the lowest duty on the primest sugar? of trick and delusion will be resorted to, for the purpose of evading the duties; by which the object of my right honourable friend will be completely defeated.

These, and fifty other modes

I can conceive also many cases in which, from the nature of my right honourable friend's scale, it will be utterly impossible to ascertain at what price the sugar is sold, or what is the duty payable upon it. I will take a particular instance. Suppose my right honourable

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