VISCOUNT TORRINGTONasked the noble Earl at the head of the Government the intentions of Her Majesty's Ministers with respect to the Minute of Privy Council, dated in 1840, authorising the mixture of chicory with coffee?
§ The EARL of DERBYsaid, it had certainly appeared to the Government fit that that Minute should be rescinded; but the effect of rescinding it would be to revive the former prohibition on all dealers in coffee, that they should not have on their premises chicory or any other article usually mixed with coffee. What Government proposed therefore was, at the same time they rescinded the Minute of 1840, to give instructions to the Excise not to file informations, or to press for penalties, upon the mere fact of the dealer having chicory on his premises, provided that it was made up in packages of quarter or half pounds, marked with the size, and bearing a label on every packet, stating that it was chicory. There would be no interference with the trade: the public, if they desired to mix chicory with their coffee, could do so, and they would have the opportunity of knowing the amount of mixture. Thus the revenue and the public would be pro- 1259 tected, and no injustice done to the fair dealer.
§ In reply to a question by the Earl of MINTO,
§ The EARL of DERBYsaid, the grocers, as dealers, would not be permitted to have on their premises any article for the purpose of mixing with coffee, except in packages marked with the weight and nature of the article. He should also add that as there was a considerable amount of mixed coffee in stock in the hands of dealers, it was proposed to allow them a certain limited time during which no penalty would be enforced for the sale of such mixed coffee.
§ LORD REDESDALEclaimed the same privilege for mangold-wurtzel, as would be now ceded to chicory. He thought all articles used for mixture with coffee should be placed in the same category.
§ The EARL of DERBYsaid, that all articles that might be mixed with coffee would be on the same footing; whether mangold-wurtzel, roasted corn, or roasted horse beans, they must all be in packages, and marked with the weight and the name of the article.