§ MR. CHARLES M'ARTHUR (Liverpool, Exchange)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the sanction of Her Majesty's Government has been given to the notifications issued 1st May, 1899, by the Government of Lagos and other West African possessions of the Crown that any increase in the duties on spirits imported into those possessions on or after 1st March last and not bona fide sold before the date of the commencement of the law imposing a higher rate of duty will be liable to duty at such higher rate; whether these notifications apply to the increased duties recently imposed; whether goods on which the original duty had been paid, and which had been deposited in the warehouses of British merchants but not sold prior to the promulgation of the increase are to be liable to the further duty; whether the increase will be chargeable in respect of goods which had been cleared at the Custom House and placed in the hands of native traders for sale prior to the imposition of the new duty; and whether it will be chargeable in respect of goods which were sold or contracted for, but not delivered, prior to the imposition of the new duty.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.The notification in question was issued by my direction; but it has been superseded by the action subsequently taken with my approval in Lagos and the Niger Coast Protectorate. In Lagos the duty was raised to 3s. a gallon on 13th May, and this rate will only be levied on spirits imported on and after that date. In the Niger Coast Protectorate the duty of 3s. a gallon was to be charged from 16th June on spirits imported or in stock, but I have not yet received the full text of the notice which has been issued, and am therefore unable to state precisely how it will be charged.
§ MR. CHARLES M'ARTHURI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, having regard to the recent increase in the duties on spirits imported into certain West African 66 Colonies, and to the disadvantage attaching to differential tariffs in British possessions closely contiguous, arrangements have been made to assimilate the tariff of the Niger territories to that of Lagos and the Niger Coast Protectorate as from 17th June.
MR. J. CHAMBEREAINYes. I am informed that the duty on spirits in the Niger Company's territories has been raised to 3s. per gallon, as in Lagos and the Niger Coast Protectorate.