§ MR. CRAWFORDsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer. What steps he proposes to take with reference to applications made for an allowance of Drawback on Duty paid Sugar in Stock on the close of Tuesday the 12th day of April last?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, in reply, that the Government had taken into their careful consideration the applications made to them with reference to the drawback on sugar that had paid duty and been in possession of different persons in this country on the day named by his hon. Friend—namely, Tuesday, the 12th day of April last, and they had come to the conclusion that the claim of one class of claimants ought to be admitted—that was sugar-refiners other than those who were originally admitted to be entitled to the return of drawback on their sugar. With regard to these refiners, those who manufactured by machinery what were called pieces and crystals, it was proposed that the Customs Department should ascertain and satisfy itself as well as it could—and it had already taken steps for doing so—what amount of sugar was in their possession on the 12th of April last on which they had paid duty; and it was proposed that they should have a return of that duty, with this qualification, that they should be put as nearly as possible on a level with the refiners of all those sugars that had been admitted, and who had been allowed to export their sugar to get the drawback. It was computed that the expense of exporting sugar to get the 1410 drawback and re-importing it was about 3s. per cwt., and what the Government proposed was to give to those other sugar-refiners the same drawback on the quantity of sugar they had in their possession on the 12th of April, deducting from each cwt. the sum of 3s., to place them on a level with other refiners who might have exported their sugar to get the drawback and re-imported it at the lower rate of duty. It was not proposed to grant any other drawback.
§ MR. CRAWFORDsaid, the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, he was sure, would not be satisfactory to the dealers in sugar. ["Order!"] He begged to give Notice that he would bring the matter under the consideration of the House at a future stage.