MR. MOFFATTinquired of the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it was the intention of the Government to impose any duty upon the article of chicory; and if so, whether there was any intention of reimposing the excise surveillance which had existed for so many years? He asked these questions more particularly in reference to certain memorials which had been addressed to the Government by influential parties interested in the colonies.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, that he had stated some weeks ago, in answer to the hon. and learned Member for Youghal, that this subject was under the consideration of the Government; and he also stated then, that which he believed to be true, that to a certain extent the use of chicory promoted the use of coffee, but that if it were employed to a great extent it would interfere unjustly both with the colonial producer and the revenue of the country. He said, also, at that time, that it would be extremely unjust to impose a duty in the course of this year on chicory, the cultivation of which had been carried on under the expectation that no duty would be imposed; but he wished persons to take warning, that if upon further inquiry it should appear that the use of chicory interfered to a great extent with the growth of coffee, a duty might be imposed upon it next year. The result of the inquiry which he had made since that time, showed that there had been a considerable falling-off in the growth of coffee, and had led him to the conviction that the use of chicory, roasted and used as coffee, had interfered to a considerable extent with the growth of coffee, to the injury alike of the colonial grower and the revenue. If further experience should show that that still went on, he should feel it necessary to impose a duty upon chicory roasted and used as coffee. It was not his intention to re-establish the excise surveillance, which he believed to be perfectly useless; but he should take the same course with regard to home-grown chicory as was taken with foreign chicory before home-grown was known—namely, to impose a small duty, which would afford the consumer the benefit of the use of chicory, whilst it would not injure the revenue or the colonies.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEinquired whether the duty which the right hon. Gentleman contemplated would be imposed on chicory grown in England?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERDecidedly. It would be a duty imposed on chicory grown in England, and roasted for the purpose of being used as coffee.
§ MR. HENLEYasked whether the House was to understand that the British grower of chicory was to be subjected to a tax if it were used as a beverage, without being mixed with coffee?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, that chicory, roasted for the 155 purpose of being used as coffee, would be subjected to the tax.
§ MR. HENLEYinquired whether the right hon. Gentleman intended to tax, in the same way, burnt bread, which was not unfrequently used by the poorer classes as coffee?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERCertainly not.
§ Subject dropped.