§ The House went into Committee on the Customs' Duties.
§ Sir R. Peelmoved the first Resolution—
That the Duties of Customs chargeable upon the Goods, Wares, and Merchandize hereafter mentioned, imported into the United Kingdom, shall cease and determine.When the Chairman came to basket-rods peeled and unpeeled,
§ Mr. M. Milnesreferred to some communication he had had with Ministers upon this subject, and to the amount of capital invested in the growth of willows, which was in the hands of small proprietors. The cultivation was extremely expensive, and the returns slow, as it took four or five years before a crop could be procured. If foreign 1042 willows were admitted, Holland, where labour was cheap, would undersell the home grower, and numbers now engaged in the trade would be ruined. He hoped, therefore, that the right hon. Baronet would do a gracious act, and omit basket rods, peeled and unpeeled (with the growers of which, from his mere name, he ought to feel a sympathy) from the list of commodities, the duty on which was to be abrogated.
§ Sir R. Peelwas sorry that he could not comply. If he gave way upon this article, there were many others in the same predicament which would have an equal claim.
§ Mr. Ferrandbegged to confirm the statement made by his hon. Friend (Mr. Milnes). The price of willows had already been reduced to nearly half in the last two or three years.
§ Article agreed to.
§ On the Chairman reading the article "Brazil wood,"
§ Mr. C. Bullersaid, that the right hon. Gentleman had stated in his Budget that it was intended to take off the duties on furniture wood; he had therefore thought that they would have been placed in one category. It appeared, however, that the names of several new kinds of furniture woods had been omitted out of this list. Was it intended to place such woods under the general heading of woods unenumerated? He could give the names of several Ceylon woods which were extremely well adapted for this purpose, which had been omitted.
§ Sir G. Clerkreplied, that only those furniture woods were inserted which had hitherto appeared in the Tariff. Any new descriptions of woods used for furniture could hereafter be inserted in the Schedule.
§ Mr. Laboucherethought that Her Majesty's Government should encourage the introduction as much as possible of all these new kinds of wood to be used as furniture, and therefore, as far as they could, they should at once specify those woods in the Tariff. He believed that there were several kinds of woods to be met with in our Colonies, and more particularly in New Zealand, extremely well adapted for this purpose. To carry out the purpose of the Government they should allow all these new woods to come in under some general head.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, 1043 that it was absolutely necessary to state what furniture woods were; for if they did not, all kinds of woods might be introduced under the name. It should be known that the woods so introduced were used simply in the manufacture of furniture. If they inserted a general head, all kinds of oak would be endeavoured to be introduced under the name. When any new article appeared, the Treasury would take upon itself to admit the article on the same terms as other purely furniture woods, until Parliament could deal with the subject. If any new furniture woods were reported to the Treasury, they would be admitted free of duty.
§ Mr. C. Bullersaid, that there were several Italian woods adapted for furniture, besides other wood. For instance, orange wood, one of the prettiest of these woods.
§ Lord John Russellsuggested that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should consult the officers of the Customs, and see whether they could not make an alteration in the way that had been suggested.
§ Mr. Mitchellstated that wainscot logs were used only for furniture. English oak was not adapted for articles of that nature, If Government would not consent to take the duty off those logs, he should propose that it be added to the list.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that if the words, "all woods used for furniture," were inserted, they might introduce any description of wood under that name. If wainscot logs were to be admitted, what was to prevent all oak from the Baltic being also admitted free of duty, as it was adapted for articles of furniture.
§ Article agreed to.
§ Mr. Greeneproceeded to read the list.
§ When the Chairman came to the article "grease,"
Mr. Milessaid, he wished to come to some understanding as to the mode in which the Committee was to proceed. There were several articles in this list the admission of which acted entirely against British agricultural produce. Now, he did not wish to retard the business of Government, by preventing those articles being passed to which no objection was made. What he desired was, that all articles objected to should be left open, to be the subject of discussion on some future day. He objected tto he article grease.
§ Sir George Clerksaid, it was butter in an unfit state for human food, and mixed with tar.
§ Mr. Brightwas astonished that the hon. Member for Somersetshire should not object to the introduction of chalk; for it might be called an agricultural produce, since it formed, he believed, a great part of London milk. It was very extraordinary that in order that goods should be admitted into this country, they should have the especial quality of being unfit for human food. The next article on the list was greaves for dogs. He did not think the House ought to be called upon to legislate upon food for dogs, whilst food for millions of human beings was to be protected from all legislation.
Mr. Milessaid, he was determined that this list should not pass without discussion; if, therefore, it was not agreed to postpone those items to which he objected, he would immediately move that the House should adjourn.
§ Mr. Escottobserved, that if the hon. Member for Somersetshire wished to bring the principle of protection into utter contempt, he was pursuing the very way to do so.
Mr. Mileswas not to be told how he was to discharge his duty in that House; but he had observed that the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Escott) took every opportunity he could to act directly contrary to the agricultural interest. He had noticed it over and over again, that whenever it was possible to throw out hints and scoffs against the agricultural body that hon. Member was the first to jump up and utter his scorn against them. But he was not to be deterred by the scoffs or sneers of the hon. Gentleman. He would tell that hon. Gentleman (and he ought to have known enough of his character to believe) that whenever he stated his intention to adopt any line of conduct, he was always determined to carry it out. It was his intention not to allow this Tariff to go through without discussion. As to what had been said by the hon. Member for Durham about chalk, he for his part should have no objection to the introduction of chalk free of duty, because it was on some lands a most valuable manure.
§ Sir Robert Peelhad not any wish to press any particular article against which there existed any particular objection; but he thought the Committee were going on very harmoniously. Whenever any serious 1045 opposition should be raised against any article, he was willing to postpone it, but the trade of the country was so much affected by this measure, that it was extremely desirable to proceed with it as speedily as possible.
§ Mr. Escottcould not imagine why the hon. Member for Somersetshire should attack him as being an enemy to agriculture, because he (Mr. Escott) had stated that such a Motion as that which the hon. Member threatened tended to bring the principle of protection into contempt.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, he should have no objection to consider it as omitted if it could be done.
§ Resolution to be reported.
§ The House resumed. Committee to sit sit again.
§ House adjourned at a quarter-past two o'clock.
§
We append the Resolutions moved in Committee, and the articles included under them. They were as follows:—
1. Resolved. That the Duties of Customs chargeable upon the Goods, Wares and Merchandize hereafter mentioned, imported into the United Kingdom, shall cease and determine; viz.:—
| Agates, or Cornelians, not set | Bar Wood |
| Bark, Extract of, or of other Vegetable Substances, to be used only for Tanning Leather | |
| Alganobilla | |
| Alkali | |
| Alkanet Root | |
| Almonds, Bitter | Bark, for Tanners' or Dyers' use |
| Aloes | |
| Alum | Bark, Casearilla |
| Alum Roche | Bark, Peruvian |
| Amber, rough | Bark, of other sorts |
| Ambergris | Basket Rods, peeled and uupeeled |
| Amboyna Wood | |
| Angelica | Beef Wood |
| Annatto | Berries, Bay |
| Annatto Roll | Berries, Juniper |
| Antimony, Ore of | Berries, Yellow |
| Antimony, Crude | Berries, unenumerated |
| Antimony, Regulus of | Birds, Singing |
| Argol | Blackwood |
| Aristolochia | Bladders |
| Arsenic | Bones of Cattle, and other Animals, and of Fish (except Whale Fins,) whether burnt or not, or as Animal Charcoal |
| Ashes, Pearl and Pot | |
| Ashes, Soap, Weed, and Wood | |
| Ashes, unenumerated | |
| Asphaltum or Bitumen Judaicum | Box Wood |
| Borax refined | |
| Borax or Tincal, unrefined | |
| Balsam, Canada | Boracic Acid |
| Balsam, Capivi | Brazil Wood |
| Balsam, Peru | Brasletto Wood |
| Balsam, Riga | Brimstone, refined in Rolls |
| Balsam, Tolu | Brimstone, in Flour |
| Balsam, Balm of Gilead and unenumerated Balsam | Brimstone, not refined |
| Bristles, rough, or in any way sorted | |
| Barilla | Bronze Works of Art |
| Bulrushes | Goods unenumerated, not being either in part or wholly manufactured, nor enumerated or prohibited |
| Camomile Flowers | |
| Camphor, unrefined | |
| Camwood | Guano |
| Candlewick | Gum, Animi |
| Canella Alba | Gum, Arabic |
| Canes, Bamboo | Gum, Assafœtida |
| Canes, Reed | Gum, Ammoniacum |
| Canes, Rattans, not ground | Gum, Benjamin |
| Canes, or Sticks, unenumerated | Gum, Copal |
| Gum, Euphorbium | |
| Caoutchoue | Gum, Guiacum |
| Cardamoms | Gum, Kino |
| Cassia Buds | Gum, Lac Dye |
| Cassia Fistula | Gum, Mastic |
| Castor | Gum, Seed Lac |
| Cedar Wood | Gum, Senegal |
| Chalk, unmanufactured | Gum, Shellac |
| Chip, or Willow for Platting | Gum, Storax |
| Chesnuts | Gum, Tragaeanth |
| China Root | Gum, unenumerated |
| Chrystal, rough | Gun Stocks in the rough, of Wood |
| Cinnabaris Nativa | |
| Citrate of Lime | Gypsum |
| Citric Acid | |
| Civet | Hair, Camel Hair or Wool |
| Coals, Culm, and Cinders | Hair, Cow, Ox, Bull, or Elk |
| Cobalt | |
| Cobalt Ore of | Hair, Horse |
| Cochineal | Hair, Human |
| Cochineal Dust | Hair, unenumerated |
| Cochineal Granilla | Heath for Brushes |
| Coir Rope and Junk, old and new, cut into lengths not exceeding three feet each | Hellebore |
| Hemp, dressed | |
| Hemp, rough or undressed, or any other vegetable substance of the nature and quality of undressed hemp, and applicable to the same purposes | |
| Colocynth | |
| Columbo Root | |
| Copperas, Blue | |
| Copperas, Green | |
| Copperas, White | Hones |
| Coral, whole, polished | Hoofs of Cattle |
| Coral, whole, unpolished | Hoops of Wood |
| Coral, in fragments | Horns—Horn tips and pieces of Horns |
| Cork | |
| Cotton Yarn | |
| Cubebs | Indigo |
| Cream of Tartar | Inkle, unwrought |
| Iron, Bloom | |
| Divi Divi | Iron, Cast |
| Down | Iron, Chromate of |
| Drugs, unenumerated | Iron, in Bars, unwrought |
| Iron, Hoops | |
| Ebony | Iron, Old Broken and Cast Iron |
| Feathers for Beds, in Beds or otherwise | Iron, Ore |
| Iron, Pig | |
| Feathers Ostrich, undressed | Iron, Slit or Hammered into |
| Feathers Paddy Bird undressed | Rods |
| Feathers unenumerated and undressed | Jalap |
| Jet | |
| Flax and Tow, or Codilla of Hemp and Flax, dressed and undressed | Jewels,—Emeralds and all other precious Stones, unset |
| Flocks | Jewels, Pearls |
| Flower Roots | Juice of Lemons, Limes, or Oranges |
| Fustic | |
| Gallic Powder | Kingwood |
| Galls | |
| Gamboge | Lac, viz.: Sticklac |
| Garancine | Lapis Calaminaris |
| Garnets, cut or uncut, not set | Latten |
| Latten Shaven | |
| Gentian | Lavender Flowers |
| Ginseng | Lead Ore |
| Glue Clippings, or Waste of any kind, fit only for making Glue | Lead Red |
| Lead White | |
| Lead Black |
| Lead, Chromate of | Ore, unenumerated |
| Leaves of Roses | Orchal |
| Leeches | Orpiment |
| Lignum Vitæ | Orris Root |
| Litharge | |
| Logwood | Painters' Colours, unenumerated, unmanufactured |
| Losh Hides | |
| Palmetto Thatch | |
| Madder | Pink Root |
| Madder Root | Pitch |
| Mahogany | Pitch Burgundy |
| Manganese, Ore of | Plaster of Paris |
| Manna | Platina and Ore of Platina |
| Manures, unenumerated | Platting or other Manufactures to be used in or proper for making Hats or Bonnets, of Chip |
| Metal, Bell Metal | |
| Minerals and Fossils, unenumerated | |
| Models of Cork or Wood | Pomegranates, Peel of |
| Morphia | Prussiate of Potash |
| Moss, Lichen Islandicus | |
| Moss, other than Rock or Iceland Moss | Quicksilver |
| Quills, Goose | |
| Moss, Rock for Dyers' use | Quills, Swan |
| Mother o'Pearl Shells | |
| Musk | |
| Myrrh | Radix Contraycrvæ |
| Radix Enulæ Campanæ | |
| Nicaragua Wood | Radix Eringii |
| Nickel, Arseniate of, in Lumps or Powder, being in an unrefined state | Radix Ipecacuahnæ |
| Radix Rhataniæ | |
| Radix Senekæ | |
| Radix Serpentarias, or Snake Root | |
| Nickel, Metallic and Oxide of, refined | Rags, old Rags, old Ropes, or Junk, or old Fishingnets, fit only for making Paper Pasteboard |
| Nickel, Ore of | |
| Nitre—Cubic Nitre | |
| Nuts, viz.:— | |
| Nuts, Kernels of Walnuts, and of Peach Stones, and of Nuts or Kernels thereof, unenumerated commonly used for expressing Oil therefrom | Rags, Pulp of |
| Rags, Woollen | |
| Rape of Grapes | |
| Red Wood, or Guinea Wood | |
| Rhubarb | |
| Rosewood | |
| Nuts, Cocoa Nuts | |
| Nuts, Pistachio | Safflower |
| Nuts and Kernels unenumerated | Saffron |
| Sal Ammoniac | |
| Sal Limonum | |
| Oakum | Sal Prunella |
| Ochre | Salep, or Salop |
| Oil, Castor | Saltpetre |
| Oil, Cocoa Nut | Sanguis Draconis |
| Oil, of Olives, except in Ships of the two Sicilies | Santa Maria Wood |
| Sapan Wood | |
| Sarsaparilla | |
| Oil, Palm | Sassafras |
| Oil, Paran | Satin Wood |
| Oil, Rock | Saunders' Red |
| Oil, unenumerated | Saunders' White or Yellow |
| Oil, Train, Blubber, Spermaceti Oil, and Head Matter, the produce of Fish or creatures living in the sea, caught by the crews of British Vessels, and imported direct form the Fishery or from any British Possession in a British Vessel | Scammony |
| Seeds, viz.:— | |
| Seeds, Croton, commonly used for expressing Oil therefrom | |
| Seeds, Hemp | |
| Seeds, Sesamum | |
| Seeds, unenumerated, commonly used for expressing Oil therefrom | |
| Senna | |
| Oil, Seed Oils, viz.: | Shumach |
| Oil, Hempseed | Silk, Raw |
| Oil, Linseed | Silk, Knubs or Husks and Waste Silk |
| Oil, Rapeseed | |
| Oil, Walnut | Skins and Furs, viz.:— |
| Oil, Seed, unenumerated | Skins Marten, undressed |
| Oil Seed Cake | Skins Seal, in the hair, not tanned, tawed, or dressed |
| Olibanum | |
| Olive Wood | |
| Orange Peel and Lemon Peel | Skins Squirrel, or Calabar, undressed |
| Skins, Furs, Pelts, and Tails, viz.:— | Skins, Kid, dressed, not dyed or coloured |
| Skins, Badger, undressed | Skins, and Furs, or pieces thereof, unenumerated, tawed, curried, or dressed |
| Skins, Bear, undressed | |
| Skins, Beaver, undressed | |
| Skins, Cat, undressed | |
| Skins, Chineilla, undressed | Skins, and Furs, or pieces thereof, raw or undressed, unenumerated |
| Skins, Coney, undressed | |
| Skins, Deer, undressed | |
| Skins, Dog, in the Hair, not tanned or dressed | Specimens of Minerals, Fossils, or Ores, unenumerated, exceeding fourteen pounds weight each |
| Skins, Dog Fish, undressed | |
| Skins, Elk, undressed | |
| Skins, Ermine, undressed | Speckled Wood |
| Skins, Fisher, undressed | Spelter or Zinc, Rolled, but not otherwise manufactured |
| Skins, Fitch, undressed | |
| Skins, Fox, undressed | |
| Skins, Fox Tails, undressed | Spelter or Zinc, crude, in cakes |
| Skins, Goat, raw | |
| Skins, Goose, undressed | Sponge |
| Skins, Hare, undressed | Squills, dried and not dried |
| Skins, Husse, undressed | Stavesacre |
| Skins, Kangaroo, raw and undressed | Staves, not exceeding seventy-two inches in length, not seven inches in breadth, nor three inches and a quarter in thickness |
| Skins, Kid, in the hair, undressed | |
| Skins, Kolinski, undressed | |
| Skins, Leopard, undressed | Steel, unwrought |
| Skins, Lion, undressed | Steel, Scraps |
| Skins, Lynx, undressed | Straw or Grass for Platting |
| Skins, Marten Tails, undressed | Sweet Wood |
| Sulphur Casts | |
| Skins, Mink, undressed | |
| Skins, Mole, undressed | Talc |
| Skins, Musquash, undressed | Tar |
| Skins, Nutria, undressed | Tar Barbadoes |
| Skins, Otter, undressed | Tarras |
| Skins, Ounce, undressed | Tartarie Acid |
| Skins, Panther, undressed | Teasles |
| Skins, Pelts, undressed, of Goats | Teeth, Elephants' |
| Teeth, Sea-Cow, Sea-Horsc, or Sea Morse | |
| Skins, Pelts, of all other sorts | |
| Skins, Racoon, undressed | Terra Japonica and Cutch |
| Skins, Sable, undressed | Terra Sienna |
| Skins, Sable Tails or Tips, undressed | Terra Verde |
| Terra Umbra | |
| Skins, Squirrel or Calabar, Tails of, undressed | Tin Ore, and Rcgulus of |
| Tornsal | |
| Skins, Swan, undressed | Tortoise Shell, or Turtle Shell, unmanufactured |
| Skins, Tiger, undressed | |
| Skins, Weasel, undressed | Tulip Wood |
| Skins, Wolf, undressed | Turmeric |
| Skins, Wolverings, undressed | Turpentine of Venice, Scio, or Cyprus |
| Skins, Furs, Pelts, and Tails, tanned, tawed, or dressed, viz.:— | |
| Turpentine, unless above the value of 15s. per cwt. | |
| Skins, Deer, — Indian, half dressed, tanned, tawed, or in any way dressed | Valonia |
| Skins, Ermine, dressed | Vases, antient, pot of stone or wood |
| Skins, Kid, dressed and dyed or coloured | Vermilion |
| Skins, Lamb, tanned or tawed | Ultramarine |
| Skins, Lamb, dyed or coloured | |
| Dressed in Oil: | Walnut Wood |
| Skin, Mink, dressed | Water, Mineral |
| Skins, Pelts of all sorts, tanned, tawed, or in any way dressed | Wax, Bees, in any degree bleached |
| Wax, Bees, unbleached | |
| Skins, Deer, Indian, undressed or shaved | Wax, Myrtle |
| Wax, Vegetable | |
| Skins, Goat, tanned, tawed, or in any way dressed | Weld |
| Whale Fins, of British taking, and imported direct from the Fisheries, or from any British Possession in a British ship | |
| Skins, Lamb in the Wool | |
| Skins, Sheep in the Wool | |
| Skin, Sheep tanned or tawed, dressed in Oil | |
| Skins, Squirrel or Calabar, tawed | Woad |
| Wood, for Ship-Building, now admitted at the | |
| Skins, Wolf, tawed |
| same Duty as Teake Wood | Wool, Beaver, cut and combed |
| Wood, Birch, hewn, not exceeding three feet long, nor exceeding eight inches square, imported for the sole purpose of making Herring Barrels for the use of the Fisheries | Wool, Coney |
| Wool, Hares | |
| Wool, Cotton | |
| Yarn | |
| Yarn Camel or Mohair | |
| Yarn Raw Linen | |
| Wood, Teake | Zaffre |
| Wool, Beaver | Zebra Wood |
2. Resolved, That, from and after the dates specified against the articles undermentioned, the Duties of Customs now chargeable upon such articles imported into the United Kingdom, shall cease and determine, viz.:—
| Seeds, from and after the 1st June, 1845, viz.:— | Seeds, Lentiles |
| Seeds, Lettuce | |
| Seeds, Acorn | Seeds, Linseed and Flaxseed |
| Seeds, Anniseed | Seeds, Lupine |
| Seeds, Burnet | Seeds, Maw |
| Seeds, Colchicum | Seeds, Millet |
| Seeds, Cummin | Seeds, Parsley |
| Seeds, Fenugreek | Seeds, Quince |
| Seeds, Forest | Seeds, Shrub or Tree |
| Seeds, Garden, unenumerrated | Seeds, Worm |
| Spermaceti | 1 January 1849. |
| Sperm Oil of Foreign Pishing | 1 January 1849. |
| Train Oil, or Blubber of Foreign Fishing | 1 January 1847. |
| Whales' Fins of Foreign taking and not prohibited | 1 January 1847. |
3. Resolved, That in lieu of the Duties of Customs now chargeable on the articles under mentioned, imported into the United Kingdom, the following Duties shall be charged, viz.:—
| Isinglass | 5s. per cwt. |
| Oils, Chemical, Essential, or Perfumed | 1s. per lb. |
| Pickles preserved in Vinegar | 4d. per gallon |
| Pickles or Vegetables preserved in Salt | 5l. for every 100l. value. |
| Refined Camphor | 5s. per cwt. |
| Smalts | 10s. per cwt. |
| Turpentine, above the value of 15s. per cwt. | 2s. per cwt. |
| Verdigris | 5s. per cwt. |
| Yarn Cable | 3s. per cwt. |