was the simple principle of one fixed rate | circumstance was a strong inducement to of duty. What the amount of that duty try it here. It was material for the House should be it was not necessary to discuss; to observe that the hon. member for Lonit was enough to say, that as it need not, don had taken the lowest price of congou so he believed it would not, bear with any in comparing it with bohea, and he had increased weight on the poorer class of certainly made a statement which showed consumers. It would render unnecessary that the varying duties were a great the whole of that corps of tasters and in- temptation to fraud. He perfectly agreed spectors otherwise about to be enrolled. with the hon. Member, in reference to the It would prevent the necessity for, and, collection of the tax, that no doubt could therefore, save the merchant from the exist so far as a simplification of the matrouble and vexation which would attend chinery was concerned, that the interest a Custom-house examination of every of the Government would be greatly afchest to be imported, and would at the fected by a fixed duty. Upon the whole, same time protect the Revenue from fraud, however, he thought it of such vital imand, in his judgment, promote its pro-portance that the lower classes should obductiveness.

tain cheap tea, that he should feel very reluctant, notwithstanding the forcible arguments that had been used by the hon. Member, to abandon the system without having made a trial.

Lord Althorp said, he felt the petition to be one of the greatest importance, and one that deserved the serious consideration of the House. It was impossible to hear the very able speech that had just been ad- Sir Robert Peel said, there could dressed to the House without giving the hon. scarcely be a subject of greater importance Gentleman credit for great knowledge of brought under the consideration of the the subject. The graduated scale of duty House, than that which had been introwhich had been imposed by the Govern-duced by the presentation of this petition. ment was not with a view to force a change in the consumption of tea. The hon. Member was well aware that an ad valorem duty had been paid by the old law, and it was admitted on all hands, that a fixed duty could not be continued. The great object of the Government in the course they had pursued was, that the poorer classes of the country should be supplied with the commoner teas at a low rate of duty, and that those consumed by the higher classes should be subject to a greater duty, in proportion to the quality of the

A great objection had been made by the hon, Member as to the practicability of making a distinction between the qualities of the various teas which were imported into this country. With that view an experiment had been made at the Board of Control. Several persons were called in who had an extensive knowledge and experience of the value of tea, and they were called upon to decide upon the quality of the different samples placed before them. The result was, that out of all these individuals, who perfectly understood their business, only one instance of mistake occurred. This circumstance led the Government to suppose that no difficulty could occur in distinguishing the varieties of the teas. The experiment had been made in America, and had been found to work most successfully, and this

The House was discussing what was to be the future duty, and the mode of levying it, on an article of general consumption, which yielded last year a revenue of 3,300,000l.-a source of revenue which was collected at less expense than any other, and imposed a smaller burthen on the public than any other tax of one-third its amount. They were about to try a most important experiment with respect to the mode in which that duty was in future to be collected. Let the House bear in mind, that by the regulations about to be adopted, tea could be imported into any portion of the kingdom. Let the House also recollect, that this was an article, the amount of revenue derived from which was subject to the greatest possible fluctuations. Previous to the alteration of the Tea-duties made by Mr. Pitt, in 1784, a great portion of the teas imported into this country was smuggled. To such an extent did this practice of smuggling prevail, that Mr. Pitt found it necessary to introduce the Commutation Act, in order to put it down; for at that period, 13,000,000 lbs. of tea were consumed in the United Kingdom, and yet but 5,500,000 lbs. of tea were furnished by the East-India Company, the rest being secured by illegitimate means. The duty on tea, at that time, amounted to between 700,000l. and

In 1833, the finest bohea

per

3,404,000 9,116,000

Ito give to the inspectors at the different ports. The noble Lord said, that he was anxious to try this plan, which he proposed as an experiment. He (Sir Robert Peel) maintained however, that they ought not to incur a risk which involved such serious consequences, without well considering the practicability and the policy of carrying the system into execution. The whole system was, in his mind, so complicated, and the danger to the revenue would be so great, that he besought the House not

sure which professed to bestow a benefit on one portion of the people, but was, in reality, fraught with the most pernicious consequences to all classes of the community.

Lord Althorp moved, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of Supply. The debate was adjourned.

Notwithstanding so large a consumption, he would venture to say, that the difference of price at the sales was not above 1d. in the pound. What was it they were now about to do? It was proposed to make a difference in the duty of 8d. lb. on these two classes of tea. What would be the consequence? A direct encouragement would be given to the consumption of a bad article. What was the course pursued by the East-India Com-to come to a hasty conclusion on a meapany with regard to bad teas? Why, they destroyed all teas of a very inferior quality, because they were of opinion that if the article were brought into discredit, and strong prejudices entertained against it on the part of the public, its extensive use would, in a very short time, be seriously endangered. It would become, under the proposed regulations, the decided advantage of China to send an inferior article into this country. Now, with respect to the fine class of bohea, as had been proved by the hon. Gentleman, the member for London, in the able speech which he addressed to the House, he (Sir Robert Peel) should be glad to know how it was possible to distinguish it from congou ? The plant was the same, and the difference in quality resulted from the nature of the soil on which both kinds were grown. It was proposed that there should be inspectors appointed, not alone in the port of London, where persons of long experience might, perhaps, succeed in discovering the difference between these two leaves, but in every port into which teas could under the recent change, be imported; so that to the opinion of an inspector, in one of the outports of Scotland, was to be left the decision of fixing the rate of duty, which might often involve a question of the highest importance to the trader. Suppose an inspector, though an honest man, desirous to increase the revenue, and that, for that purpose, he should fix a higher rate of duty than he was justified in imposing, what protection, in such a case, had the honest dealer against such a decision? If, for instance, a vessel from China were to bring 20,000 chests of tea, each weighing 80 lbs., it might make no less a difference than 50,000l., according as the duty were paid upon the tea, as bohea or as congou. This was, perhaps, an extreme case; but it showed the power which they were about

SLAVERY ABOLITION ACT.] Mr. F. Buxton took that opportunity, seeing the right hon. Gentleman, the Secretary of the Colonies, in his place, of asking a question or two which related to a subject of very great importance, and was deeply interesting to many both in and out of that House. He wished to know whether the great experiment of last year, with reference to negro emancipation, had, as far as it had hitherto proceeded, satisfied the reasonable expectations of Government? A Report had been circulated, that very important intelligence had been received from Demerara, manifesting the most cordial and conciliatory spirit on the part of the masters of slaves, and exhibiting at the same time the best disposition on the part of the negroes. It was also reported that in the island of Antigua the House of Assembly had passed an Act for immediate emancipation, without the intervention of the term of apprenticeship. With regard to Jamaica, he had also heard, indeed he had seen a letter from that quarter to the effect, that but for some unaccountable misapprehension, that the parent Legislature was anxious that the apprenticeship clause should not be dispensed with, they would have followed the same course, by passing an Act for immediate abolition. He was anxious to know whether Government had received any official information upon these points? There was only another thing to which he would allude. There had been a strong apprehension, he believed, in many instances,

f

honestly entertained last year by many the feelings and intentions of Parliament hon. Gentlemen, both in and out of that in saying, that it would not be competent House, that in consequence of the mea- for them to substitute for the system of sure then adopted, the ordinary quantity apprenticeship any other and different of provisions and stores would not be sent species of coercion, drawing a distinction out to the West Indies. Now, he had been between the state of the negroes and that given to understand that the quantity of of the rest of the population. They must stores sent out fell very little, if anything, either embrace the apprenticeship in its short of the usual supply. Feeling the main details and principal provisions, or, importance of the subject, and well know- doing away with it entirely, admit the ing the great interest attached to it out of negroes to a full and equal participation doors, he was anxious to ascertain whether in the rights of their fellow-subjects. the right hon. Secretary for the Colonies What the result might be of this commucould give any official information to the nication of course he knew not. He must House upon the points he had alluded to? add, that he had found it necessary to be Mr. Secretary Stanley said, although he precise upon this point, because the prowas not prepared to go extensively into posal of immediate abolition without apthe different questions which had been prenticeship had been associated with an put to him by the hon. Member, yet he attempt to introduce the discussion of the could not but embrace with great pleasure four-and-a-half per cent duties, which he the opportunity thus afforded him of re- had undoubtedly said, could not be taken ferring as far as he could satisfactorily up by that body, and the annexing of and distinctly to each of them. And first which, as a condition of immediate emanof all, he had to thank the hon. Member cipation, not being sanctioned by Governfor having privately communicated to him ment, would at once defeat their object, his intention of putting the questions spe- and risk the loss of the entire Bill. With cifically on the present occasion. As to regard to Jamaica, he was not at present the success of the Negro Emancipation sure that he could speak with entire conBill, and whether it had answered the fidence, although he had undoubtedly expectations of his Majesty's Government, heard reports similar to those referred to his hon. friend was well aware, that the by the hon. Gentleman, and that a desire Act had not yet come into operation in had been expressed to pass a Bill terminany one of the Colonies, and it was, there-ating the system at once, without the infore, difficult to give any further answer tervention of apprenticeship. They had, than that contained in his Majesty's however, passed an Act to which his MaSpeech, that so far as they could yet judge, jesty's assent had been given, fully carrythey had every reason to form the most ing the principle, and almost all the desanguine expectations of its ultimate suc- tails of the original measure, and thoroughcess. With regard to Antigua, it was un-ly and completely entitling them to comdoubtedly true that the Legislature had in progress a measure for doing away with apprenticeship altogether, and thereby to carry into effect emancipation on the 1st of August next. They waited, however, till they should ascertain from his Majesty's Government whether, in the event of such a Bill passing, the British Parlia-dated the 26th and 27th of January; and ment would object to it as being in fact a variation from the original plan. He had no hesitation in assuring the inhabitants of Antigua, as indeed he had previously communicated by means of a circular letter, anticipating, in the case of some of the colonies, that measures of that nature would be proposed, that as they had the power of generally regulating and abridging its period, they had also the power of doing away with the apprenticeship altogether; but he hoped he had correctly expressed

pensation, for full and free compliance with the provisions imposed by the Imperial Legislature. With regard to Demerara, he could only say he had a still more gratifying announcement to make to the House. He had received, on the 13th of the present month, two despatches

although two papers, to which the Governor referred, had by some mistake not accompanied the documents, yet the language made use of sufficiently showed what the scope and tendency of those enclosures were. He stated, in the first place-"I cannot show you in a more gratifying manner the tranquil state of this colony than by submitting to you the Returns for the last month from the three fiscals and the protectors of slaves, the one containing all cases of punishment imposed

to

on the slaves by the judicial authorities, and slave; and they had added to this the other all cases of complaint throughout the wise provision, that no master should the colony, comprising a slave population give his voice upon the question of any of 80,000, against their masters." For punishment proposed to be inflicted on a Demerara itself, by some accident, the re-slave belonging to himself. He need not port of the fiscal has not been forwarded, say, he had advised his Majesty with the but the total punishments awarded in the greatest satisfaction to express his approother two districts in the month of De- bation of this wise, humane, and liberal cember, (an holyday month, be it recol-policy adopted by the colony of Demerara lected, when some little excitement was which he was bound to say, afforded to naturally to be expected), "amount to no Government and the country the best more than thirteen-no one of them being security for the final and complete success of a corporal nature, and varying from one of the great experiment itself. He had three weeks' imprisonment."-"The also had the satisfaction of expressing his total number of complaints from 80,000 Majesty's approbation of a proclamation slaves against their masters amounted also issued by the Governor, pointing out to to thirteen; while all of them were of the the slave population, most justly and promost trivial and insignificant nature." perly, that for this anticipation of the benefit He had also to state, although the returns conferred on them the slaves were indebted alluded to could not yet be submitted to to their masters, the colonists themselves; the House, that the governor used these and it afforded additional satisfaction for expressions, as to the amount of produce him to have the opportunity of making and the diligence of the slaves-"I beg that statement in the House, in order also to lay before you, and draw your that, together with his Majesty's approbaattention to returns, showing the quantity tion, he might be able to communicate of colonial produce gathered this season, to the colonists, as he confidently anticias compared with preceding years,"-he pated, the applause and sanction of the (Mr. Stanley) regretted much not having House of Commons for the wise and the identical documents -"a consider- liberal course they had pursued. ably increased quantity has been made last year, although the season has not been by any means peculiarly favourable. This increased quantity is solely attributable to the increased good-will and dili- Mr. Cobbett rose to offer to the House, gence of the slaves, and this good-will with very great submission to its better and diligence of the slaves are the conse-judgment, a Motion, in the following quences of the milder treatment they now words-"That from and after the 5th experience, and the cheering prospect they October next, all Duties on Malt shall have before them." He had only one cease and determine." To make such a other, and not the least gratifying state- proposition without reasons given, would ment to make that the Court of Policy be very presumptuous in jany man, but to of Demerara, composed, as to one moiety state all the reasons would require more at least, of colonial planters utterly un- time than he was in the habit of consuming connected by any tie with Government, in that House, and much more time than and not very sparing in the course of the he should like to consume on the present last few years in venting their feelings of occasion. He would, therefore, bring his anger at some of the Government mea- observations into as small a compass as sures, had unanimously passed an ordi- possible. Before he proceeded to state nance, without one dissentient voice, abo- the divers grounds for repealing this tax, lishing, from the 1st of March, 1834, the it was necessary for him to state something power of the masters to inflict corporal as to the number of the nation which punishment to any extent, and for any would be affected by the Repeal of the cause whatever; thus by five months anti-Malt-tax. It had been represented, that cipating one of the principal enactments of the British Legislature. They had constituted Courts of petty Sessions, not to be attended by less than four Magistrates, and to be presided over by the fiscal, for the trial of all causes between master

MALT TAX.] Lord Althorp again moved the Order of the Day. On the question that the Speaker leave the Chair,

the agricultural part of the community was comparatively very small-that it was quite insignificant as contrasted with the manufacturing population. The hon. member for Middlesex had recently said, that this was a nation of manufacturers,