HC Deb 27 February 1845 vol 78 cc52-3
Mr. W. R. Collett

wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury, whether, in the newly revised Tariff, it was his intention to retain the present protection duty on straw plat, as a numerous body of industrious persons in the counties of Bedford and Hertford were deeply interested in this branch of national manufacture.

Sir Robert Peel

said, that as a doubt had arisen, in consequence of the expressions used in the description of this article, he would briefly explain how the case stood. There were three different articles; there was what was called straw or grass for platting; then there was platting of chip; and lastly, there was straw platting. The Government proposed to take off the duty on the raw material, namely, chip for platting, and the straw or grass for platting, being the unmanufactured article; but what is generally called straw plat, he proposed to let stand as it is at present, that being a duty on a manufactured article.