WEST-INDIA COLONIES.

HC Deb 10 August 1807 vol 9 cc1152-3

Mr. Ellis ,

pursuant to notice, rose to call the attention of the house to this most important subject. He did not mean to detain the house by going at any length into the question, because it must be obvious to any gentleman who should examine the report of the committee on the commercial state of the West-India Colonies, that some relief was necessary to maintain the interests of those colonies. It would be impossible to carry into effect, during the present session, any remedies to which that house was to be a party, but he must recommend it to the right hon. the chancellor of the exchequer, to direct his attention to this most interesting subject during the recess, in order that he might be prepared with some means of alleviating the distress of the West-India planters in the ensuing session. He wished to direct the attention of that right hon. gent. to the subject more anxiously, because he had reason to apprehend that it was the opinion of that right hon. gent., that a reduction of the duty upon sugars would not be any relief to the planter. The hon. member then went into a consideration of the Report, to shew that all the duty laid on sugars, after a certain amount, fell on the planter, and not on the consumer; and contended that even if the reduction of the duty should not immediately relieve the planter, it would have the effect of increasing the consumption, by which means the market, at present overstocked, might be cleared, and the increase of the consumption would augment the revenue. The employment of sugar in distilleries would also have contributed to the relief of the planters, by adding to the consumption of the article, but the objection that existed against it rendered that impossible. Whilst the market was unrestrained, the price of sugar had kept pace with the rise of the duty, but the contrary had been the case ever since the year 1800. If the ports of Europe were to be shut against them, the planters would have but the home-market to look to, and what would be their prospect with an import of 100,000l. above the consumption, unless that consumption should be encouraged? Another remedy suggested in the Report he should not then dwell upon, because he did not wish to force his majesty's ministers to any premature declaration upon the subject, nor was he disposed to give rise to any discussion which might assume that intemperate tone that characterized the proceedings in another country. He hoped, if a reduction in the duty upon brandy was in contemplation, that it would be accompanied with a reduction of the duty upon rum. On all these grounds he moved a resolution, "that the house should, early in the next session of parliament, take into consideration the report of the committee on the Commercial State of the West-India colonies."

Mr. Rose

jun. seconded the motion. He expressed his conviction of the urgent necessity of the case, and was sorry, that the state of the session would not allow the house to go into it.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

had no objection to the motion of the hon. gent., and certainly the handsome and candid manner in which he had brought it forward claimed the attention of the house. For himself, he could answer, that the subject should have his most serious attention. He did not think it necessary to go further into the question then, though he should say, that it was impossible to read the Report without feeling how interesting the subject was from the circumstance of so large a mass of property being involved in difficulty, not to use any stronger terms. He could therefore assure the hon. gent., that his majesty's ministers would not lose any time that could be profitably applied to this subject, and that next session some measure would be brought forward to obviate the difficulties at present existing.

Mr. Lushington

was glad to find that the attention of the house was at last directed to West-India interests. The circumstances in which the colonies were placed by the abolition of the slave trade, contrary to the opinion of the planters, gave them a claim upon the legislature. The Report said, that unless some immediate remedy were to be applied, ruin would be the consequence to the West Indies; but it would be five or six months before any legislative remedy could be applied, and this was one of the circumstances that contradicted that passage, which ministers had introduced into his majesty's speech at the close of the last session, that the dissolution took place at a time when no material inconvenience to the public business would arise from it.

Mr. Hibbert

was happy to observe the very candid manner in which this subject had been brought forward, and which was much more calculated to produce an impression on the house, than the use of stronger language. The hon. gent. then warmly urged the claims of the West-India proprietors on the legislature, agreeing with the hon. member who preceded him that the dissolution of parliament had been the cause of inconvenience in this respect; and contending, that the justification of that measure was unsatisfactory to the West-India interests, as well as to many persons in that house, who had no ambition to obtain any place in the administration.—The resolution was then put and agreed to.