Mr. Alderman Thompsonrose to put a question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer respecting the intentions of his Majesty's Government, on the subject of the Tobacco Duties. He wished to know from the right hon. Gentleman whether it was intended to make any alteration in the relative duties on stem, leaf, and the other kinds of Tobacco. He also begged to know if it were 1404 intended to make any change in the laws relative to the growth of Tobacco in Ireland. He was sure that the right hon. Gentleman was sensible of the importance of this subject, considering that at present 1,000l. worth of Tobacco paid 10,000l. duty.
§ Mr. W. Smithsaid, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would, perhaps, be good enough at the same time to give the House information respecting another part of this question, in which his constituents were deeply interested. He alluded to the Is. per pound duty, which he believed it would not be necessary for him to describe farther than by calling it the "Dropped Duty."
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that with respect to the subject alluded to by the hon. Member who spoke last, he believed that it would be included in a motion which was to be made by the hon. member for Southwark. He had, however, no hesitation in stating at once, that the constant answer which had been given by the Board of Trade to petitioners on this subject, since 1825, was, that the parties complaining had no right to compensation for this dropped shilling. If the hon. member for Southwark had been there to bring forward the motion of which he had given notice for that evening, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should have been prepared to state to the House the reasons upon which he and his colleagues had come to this determination with respect to the dropped shilling. In answer to the questions put to him by the hon. member for London, he begged to state that he had no intention of altering the relative duties on stem and other Tobacco. He proposed, however, to move tomorrow that the House should resolve itself into a committee upon the laws with respect to Tobacco in Ireland, and then he should be prepared to go more fully into the question.