HL Deb 09 February 1824 vol 10 c106
The Marquis of Lansdown

stated, that he wished to move for copies of two papers, the first of which was calculated to show the state of the intercourse between this country and Ireland, with respect to the cotton trade, and the increased intercourse, notwithstanding the distress which had prevailed in Ireland. He meant to move for an account of the cotton goods imported into, and exported from Ireland, between the 10th July, 1822, and 22nd February, 1823. The other paper would exhibit the extraordinary effect which had been produced by the reduction of the duty on spirits, and to which he wished to call the attention of all those who doubted the possibility of improving the revenue by taking off taxes. The account he meant to move for was, for the quantity of spirits which had paid duty between the 10th Oct. 1822, and the 11th February, 1823; and he was informed that it would be found that the sum paid in the last quarter of the account, at only two shillings per gallon, exceeded that which had been paid during the same quarter of the preceding year, when the duty was five shillings. Thus the effect of taking off three shillings per gallon of duty on spirits, had been not only to increase the consumption, but to produce an augmentation of the revenue. The noble marquis concluded by moving for the accounts he had described, which were ordered.