§ MR. CHILDERSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, What is the average amount of the Customs Duty received on Tea during a fortnight; and, what was the amount of such Duty received during the last fortnight of March 1879?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERTaking the receipt of duty for the year just concluded, the average fortnightly receipt is £163, 512, whereas the actual receipt within the last fortnight has been £474,213. I ought to add that in the last fortnight of the preceding year there was a very large extra receipt of tea duty, amounting to £258,989.
§ MR. CHILDERSMay I be permitted to ask, Whether the large extra receipts last year were not then alluded to as occurring in consequence of the proximity of the Budget and the expectation of an increase of duty?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERCertainly. I should think most people would know when there was an expectation of an increase of duty there is a rush to get that particular article out of bond.