§ Mr. Huskissonpresented a petition from certain wool growers, praying for a reduction of the duty on the importation of wool, the petitioners conceiving that the tax on the importation of that article was injurious to their interests.
§ Mr. Bennetcomplained of the duty on the exportation of wool having been raised from ld. to 2d. at a late hour on Friday night, no opportunity having been afforded to those whose interests were affected by that alteration to petition the House against it.
§ Mr. Curteissaid, the landed interest had been hardly dealt with by that measure. His constituents would certainly have petitioned against it, if sufficient time had been afforded them.
§ Lord Miltonsaid, he had been no party to the alteration of the duty on exportation from 1d. to 2d. he still, however, considered the measure a boon, as the exportation of wool had been prohibited altogether. He thought the hon. member for Sussex had no reason to complain of the landed interest having been harshly treated by his majesty's government in this respect.
§ Sir E. Knatchbullagreed with the hon. member for Sussex, that the landed 1448 interest had been hardly dealt with. A duty of 2d. a pound on exportation would, in point of fact, amount to a prohibition.
§ Mr. Bright said,that in consequence of the new bonding system, this measure might operate most unequally on different classes of merchants. Many dealers in the town which he had the honour to represent, had a quantity of wool in bond; others again had a large quantity not bonded. It was incumbent on the right hon. gentleman to make such arrangements as would prevent those who had paid the duty from suffering in consequence of this measure.
§ Mr. Humecontended, that his hon. friend, the member for Shrewsbury, was fully justified in asserting, that the chancellor of the Exchequer had been guilty of a breach of faith. At the same time, the right hon. gentleman had been quite right in listening to the representations of all parties interested.
§ Mr. Bennetobserved, that if the chancellor of the Exchequer had listened to all parties, instead of attending to the remonstrances of only one party, he should not have complained. The right hon. gentleman ought to have obtained full information as to the propriety of the course he was about to pursue, before he commenced it.
§ Ordered to lie on the table.