§ VISCOUNT SANDONbegged to put a question to the President of the Board of Control, whether he had received intelligence of a notification published by the Deputy Governor of Bengal, on the 31st day of March, 1847, by which, on and after the 1st of April, 1847, the prices of salt in store in Calcutta, manufactured under the Government monopoly, and the duty on imported salt, were to be reduced, but unequally, and without notice to the importers; and if so, what steps the Go- 127 vernment in this country were prepared to take in respect of such enactment?
§ SIR J. C. HOBHOUSEstated, that it was quite true that the Indian Government had reduced not only the price but the duty upon salt, and the reduction extended not only to native salt, but British imported. He had received a communication from the agents of the salt mines at Calcutta, expressive of the alarm of the merchants and importers at this notification. He had, therefore, thought it his duty to look into the subject, and he would as speedily as possible present to the House the papers which had accompanied the notification, and which would fully explain the motives of the Indian Government in making this important change. But before the papers were read, after looking into the matter, he might state that there was nothing whatever of which the British importer had any right to complain. The reduction was the same to the native producers as to the British importers. The reduction in British imported salt was twenty-five rupees; and though there seemed a great difference between that and the reduction on the native salt, it arose from a mistake in the calculation, caused by reckoning the price and duty together. The reduction was, however, the greatest on the Cuttack salt, which came most in competition with the British; but for this the Indian Government had assigned very satisfactory reasons.
§ VISCOUNT SANDONwished to know whether the representation of the right hon. Gentleman was, in effect, that the British importer was unaffected by the change?
§ SIR J. HOBHOUSEobserved, that it was a mistake to suppose that the parties had been taken by surprise, as would appear from the papers. On March 25, 1846, it was notified at Calcutta that no alteration would be made in the duty or in the wholesale price by the Government before April 1, 1847.
§ SIR J. PAKINGTONasked what was the date of the despatch?
§ SIR J. HOBHOUSEwas understood to state, that there was nothing in the circumstances to indicate a disposition to counteract the measures of others.