§ Mr. Horatio Ross, on presenting a Petition from the Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers, and of Merchants, Ship-owners, and others, of Dundee, for equalizing the duty on Flax, and for a drawback on Hemp in bonded warehouses, &c. said, this Petition was signed by almost every merchant and ship-owner in the town of Dundee; and the prayer of the petitioners was, that they might be relieved from the present high duty on hemp. Being well acquainted with that part of the country, he begged to inform the House, that the great mass of the population, not only of Dundee, but of all the neighbouring towns and villages, were employed in the manufacture of hemp and linen goods. Having for about eight years received bounties upon the exportation of these goods, which had varied from fifteen to twenty-five per cent, they had been enabled to compete with, and even undersell, the foreign manufacturers; and hemp and 469 linen goods to an immense amount were now annually exported to various parts of the world from Dundee and that part of Scotland, giving employment to many thousands of our countrymen. In 1825, a gradual reduction of those bounties commenced, and, at the same period, as a bonus to the manufacturers and shipping interest, the duty on hemp was reduced from 9l. 6s. 8d. to 4l. 3s. 4d. per ton; and he believed he might state, with perfect truth, that there was, at that period, a distinct understanding between the Government and those who were interested in that branch of trade, that the duty on hemp was to be taken off entirely when the bounties ceased. On the 5th of last January these bounties ceased; but this oppressive duty on hemp was continued. It required no argument, he should think, to satisfy the House, that if our manufacturers were obliged to pay a high duty, amounting to 4l. 3s. 4d. per ton, on the importation of hemp, it was quite impossible for them to continue to export goods made of that article, and to compete with the Germans and other foreigners who had the raw material so much cheaper. It was evident that the consequence of persisting in exacting this very impolitic duty must be, that that branch of trade would be entirely lost to us, and an immense number of unfortunate people thrown out of employment. If, however, this duty were taken off, we should not only be able to maintain our present export trade, but even to extend it; and it would be attended with another advantage. At present almost all the vessels employed in the Baltic trade supplied themselves with cordage in foreign parts; but if the duty on hemp was taken off, they would naturally purchase their cordage at home, which was, in general, very superior to the foreign, and by this means an additional number of hands, indeed to a great amount, would receive employment in the manufacture of ropes and cordage. He was quite aware that, owing to the state of the revenue, this was not a very convenient period to call upon the House to relinquish any duties; but, looking at the great benefits which would be derived by so many industrious individuals who were interested in this question, and looking at the inevitable consequences that must result to them if it were continued, he did think that the trifling loss of revenue was not worthy of a moment's consideration. At 470 present, the amount of duty received upon the importation of hemp, amounted to only between 60,000l. and 70,000l.; but from this must be deducted a large sum, which had been annually repaid in the shape of bounties upon the exportation of articles manufactured from hemp, so that the sum actually received by the Treasury must be very small; and, for the future, it will be still less, as the high duty would operate as a prohibition, and little or no hemp would be imported. He, therefore, did trust, that as great benefits would be derived by many thousands by taking off this duty, and as the loss of revenue would be so trifling, his Majesty's Government and the House would take the prayer of the petitioners into their earliest and most favourable consideration.
The Lord Advocatehoped that the Government would be able to put these duties on such a plan as to bring the trade of this country into a natural state of competition with that of others.
Mr. Humesaid, the prayer of the petition was of considerable consequence to the whole community. Although the tax on linen had been withdrawn, that on hemp and other raw materials was still continued, for which reason it was impossible for this country to compete with others. In his opinion, the tax ought to be taken off: the loss of revenue was of no importance in comparison with the evil caused by the tax.
§ Petition to be printed.