§ Mr. H. Davispresented a petition from the manufacturers of Tobacco and Snuff in the city of Bristol, praying for a repeal of the duties on those articles. The petitioners, many of whom were large capitalists, complained that the encouragement given to smuggling, by the high duties, rendered it impossible for the fair dealer to compete with the illicit trader. He could not state a stronger instance of the impolicy of high duties, than that, when the duties amounted to 1s. 5d. the quantity, paying duty in Ireland, amounted to 11,000,000lbs. whereas, when the duty amounted to 4s. the quantity amounted only to 2,500,000lbs. There could not be a more striking fact to shew that large duties were injurious to the revenue. He trusted that, therefore, in justice to the public, as well as to those interests more immediately affected, the chancellor of the Exchequer would consent to repeal this most impolitic tax.
§ Mr. Brightexpressed his regret, that the chancellor of the Exchequer had not afforded more effectual relief to the public, by the repeal of taxes which were not only oppressive and impolitic in a financial point of view, but most injurious to the morals of the people. The right hon. gentleman had described most eloquently last night the progress of immorality, commencing in an invasion of the revenue Jaws, and ending in the commission of the most atrocious crimes. His description was most eloquent and ingenious; but why had not the right hon. gentleman applied his own principle to the repeal of a tax, which was perhaps a more fertile source of crime than any other branch of, the revenue? The, duties on tobacco amounted to 1,000l. per cent upon the original value of the article; the temptation to smuggling was therefore great, and every artifice was resorted to, to introduce this article. It was a remarkable circumstance, that so many large capi- 370 talists should come forward on the present occasion to petition for the repeal of these duties; a measure which could not fail to be highly advantageous to the smaller capitalists. It was a strong proof of the difficulties to which they were driven by the extent to which smuggling in this, article was carried. In fact, the capitalists in this branch of trade had, for many years, been conducting it without profit, or even at a loss, from their inability to enter into competition with the illicit trader. He trusted the House would shortly take this subject into its serious consideration.
§ Ordered to lie on the table.