§ Earl Bathurstmoved the second reading of the Irish Duties and Drawbacks Bill.
The Earl of Lauderdaleexpressed his astonishment that the noble earl had not given some explanation on the subject of this Bill, containing, as it did, a clause ruinous to the Distilleries of this country.
§ Earl Bathurstcontended, that the noble earl's objection only applying to a particular clause, the time for discussing it was in the Committee, and that to the principle of the Bill there could be no objection; its object being the annual continuation of the Irish Duties, which would expire on the 5th of July.
The Earl of Lauderdalerecurred to what he had stated on a former day, on the clause relative to the Drawback on Spirits exported from Ireland to Great Britain, and observed that by the operation of this clause, the Irish distiller would be actually enabled to land his spirits in London at an expence amounting to 10d. less per gallon than the prime cost of a gallon of spirits manufactured here. It was evident, therefore, that the distillers in Great Britain would be thus rendered wholly unable to sell their spirits, and must suspend the working of their distilleries. He was aware that government, conscious of the evil which would thus be inflicted, had prepared another Bill, which was now in the House of Commons, and the object of which was to suspend the drawbacks in England and Scotland until the next session; but this also would be a great evil, as the Distillers, particularly in Scotland, had not capital enough to go on under such circumstances, His object, therefore, was to postpone the second reading of this Bill, until the other came up from the Commons, that they might have both Bills before them; and with that view moved to postpone the second reading till this day se'nnight.
§ Earl Bathurstobserved, that if the clause now objected to was not agreed to, the Irish Distiller would, as the law now stood, be entitled to a greater drawback than he would under this clause, and the evil complained of would of course be the greater. He thought the proper time for discussing the remedy for the evil would be when the other Bill came up from the Commons, and therefore objected to delaying the progress of the present Bill.
The Earl of Rosslynstrenuously recommended the propriety of adjourning the second reading, till they could have the whole of this measure before them.
The Earl of Liverpoolconsidered all the objections suggested as applicable to the provisions, and not to the principle of the Bill, and therefore they afforded no reason why they should postpone the second reading.
§ After a few words from Earls Spencer and Lauderdale, in favour of the postponement, the question was put, that the Bill be "now" read, and the House divided—Contents, 22, Proxies 32;—54. Not Contents 21, Proxies 20;—41; Majority 15. The Bill was then read the second time, and ordered to be committed on Thursday.