§ Mr. T. Wilson, in presenting a petition against the present high duties on foreign wines from Mr. James Warre, a wine-merchant in London, called the attention of the chancellor of the exchequer to it, as proving beyond a doubt that, in matters of revenue, two and two did not always make four. It appeared from the statement of the petitioner, that in 1801, when the duly was 8s. 9d. per gallon, the sum paid into the revenue was 2,307,000l. and that from the year 1821 down to the year 1823, the average sum paid was only 1,927,000l. though the duty was nearly doubled. He called upon the right hon. gentleman to increase the comforts of the people by reducing these duties, and thus allowing them to have their wine at 3s. and 3s. 6d. instead of 6s. a bottle.
§ Mr. Humeexpressed his surprise that the right hon. gentleman had not taken some notice of the observations made by the hon. member for London. He trusted that the right hon. gentleman would give the House some information on this point on the 23rd; and that if he did not then give some prospect of having these duties reduced, some hon. member would bring forward a specific motion for their reduction. He was convinced that by taking off half the duty on French wines, tire quantity consumed would be more than doubled, and that the benefit to the revenue would in consequence be considerable. Besides, smuggling would be prevented; and by that means a sum of a million a year now expended on the preventive service, would be entirely saved to the revenue of the country.