a fate to which the present Government | would account for the increased production had decided they should be submitted. of sugar. It appeared that in 1846 the He would go to the time of slavery, when importation of slaves into the Brazils was they had the advantage of the slave trade 50,324. It was not pretended that the and the advantage of an absolute monopoly importation of slaves in 1846 could in any of this market, and he would show them way have been the consequence of the Act that the average production was consider- passed towards the close of that year; but ably larger now than during the last five the importation of slaves had dwindled years of slavery and protection combined. | down in the year 1851 to 3,287. It must From 1831 to 1835 the average production | be a most consolatory reflection to the right of the whole British possessions was 221,000 | hon. Gentleman to think that, notwithtons, while the average production of the standing the Act of 1846, which at the whole British possessions in the last five first blush might be supposed to give enyears of free trade was 266,000 tons. | couragement to the slave trade by encou So that, whether they viewed the sugar raging the production of slave sugar, the possessions belonging to this country as number of slaves imported into the Brazils subsisting under a state of slavery, with had during the last five years sunk from the advantage of protection and absolute | 50,324 to 3,287. He did not find either monopoly, or whether they viewed them that there had been any reduction in the under a state of free labour, with the ad- quantity of sugar produced; on the convantage of the monopoly prior to 1846, trary, the production in the Brazils had they found that in either case the produc- increased. In Cuba, he had reason to tion of those Colonies had enormously in- believe, down to a recent period, there creased, and that during the last five years, had been a sincere anxiety to put an under unrestricted competition and free la- end to the slave trade, and it appeared bour, that increase had been greater than that in 1851 only 5,000 slaves were imat any former period under slavery and strict ported into that island. It was not his monopoly. It was said by the right hon. | duty to show that the Act of 1846 had had Gentleman the Secretary of State for the any effect whatever in reducing the slave Colonies, that the Act of 1846 had had a trade. He did not pretend it. All that prejudicial effect in encouraging the slave he wanted to show was that it had had no trade. He would do the right hon. Gentle-effect in increasing the slave trade. He man the credit to say that among numerous said the slave trade had diminished, but he arguments, such was the reason which he did not say it was in consequence of the urged for the line he took, and he was quite Act of 1846. At the same time that he willing to admit that the view the right hon. moved for the paper to which he had just Gentleman adopted was sympathised in by referred, he moved for another paper which this country, and had for its object motives threw some light on the subject. It was much larger and more defensible than ever a return of the quantity of machinery of were connected with commercial restric- various descriptions which had been shiption. They were told, that although the ped from this country at two periods, production of sugar had increased in the namely, in 1845 and 1851, to those slaveBritish possessions, yet they had given a producing countries, for facilitating the great impetus to production in the Slave production of sugar. In 1845 the official Colonies, and thereby contributed, most | value of the machinery, the wood, iron, inconsistently with their professions, to the and copper, exported to Cuba and the Braencouragement of the slave trade. But zils, was 50,700l.; and in 1851, instead of what were the facts? It was true that 50,755l., it was 158,7717. All that he while in 1846 the production of sugar in wanted to show was, that although there Cuba, Porto Rico, and Brazil, amounted had been a considerable increase in the to 342,000 tons, it had increased in 1852 production of sugar, it was not owing to to 406,000 tons, or 18 per cent. But this an increase of slaves, but to the more legiincreased production was not the result of mate influence of an increase of machinery any increase in the slave trade, because from this country. Then it was said that there was reason to believe, from a paper the planters of the West Indies had not which was laid before the House at his had the same advantages as the planters of (Mr. Wilson's) request, in March last, that Cuba and Brazil with regard to capital; but the reverse was the fact, because any one who looked at the Reports, in 1848, of the Committee on which he and the

increase of the slave trade took place during the period to which he had referred, at least to such an extent as

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right hon. Gentleman the Secretary for the | acteristic of that energy which marked the Colonies had the honour of serving, would British people, that while the slave-prosee that the whole evidence of that Com- ducing colonies had increased their producmittee went to show that in Cuba and tion 18 per cent, the British possessions had those countries where slave labour pre- increased their production 38 per cent. It vailed, the interest of capital was about 12 was quite obvious from the first, when per cent; and while those planters were they embarked in this controversy, most increasing their production by the employ- interesting and hardly fought as it had ment of capital on which they paid 12 per been, that it was impossible not to put cent, our planters were charged by their in the van of consideration the inteagents in this country not more than 5 per rests of the consumer at home. He had cent. Turning to the quantity of machinery shown that for years they had pursued a shipped to the British possessions, he found policy which confined the consumption of the official value in 1845 was 225,000l., so necessary and common an article of and in 1850 only 138,000l. He thought food as sugar to the same quantity for that return would have given a very dif- thirty-five years. It would have been quite ferent result if the British planters had impossible, and if possible unfair and immade up their mind to the change in the politic, to have allowed such a state of law, if they had not been deluded by falla- things to exist. What had been the effect cious hopes, by Motions made continually, on the consumer of the alteration of the year after year, in that House, which led law in 1846? In 1845, the amount conthem to believe they would recover some sumed was 207,000 tons a year, which at part of that protection which they had 601. a ton, would represent 12,420,000%. lost. He thought if they had, like the expended in the article of sugar. Suppeople of Porto Rico and Cuba, applied posing the duties to have remained the more machinery they would have improved same, and the supply the same, what would the quality and increased the quantity of have been the difference to the consumer? sugar more than they had done. These Taking the 382,000 tons purchased this few facts demonstrated that the increased year at the same price, it would be no less production of the slave colonies was not than 22,920,000l., so that the consumer by the bone and sinews of the slaves, but was at the present time enjoying an absoby the encouragement of English artisans lute advantage equal to 10,000,000%. a making machinery in which they invested year by the alteration of the Sugar Duties. capital, and were enabled to improve the But then they were told, perhaps, the revequality and increase the quantity of their nue had suffered. When duties were réproduction. Although the advantage of duced, the inference was that the revenue machinery was on the side of foreign coun- would suffer; but he would here call attentries, he was prepared to show the in- tion to a fact which must afford a great encreased production of the British posses-couragement to Her Majesty's Ministers to sions was even larger than theirs. He found, as he had already stated, that in 1846, the production of Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Brazils, was 342,000 tons, and in 1851, 406,000 tons. The production of the British Colonies was, in 1846, 220,000 tons, and by the last Report, 305,000 tons. So that, while the increase in those five years in those foreign countries was 18 per cent, in the British possessions it was 38 per cent. Therefore, notwithstanding the disadvantage of an unsettled state of the law by continual agitation out of the House, and by continual Motions in the House, under all the difficulties with which they had been surrounded-and he did not deny those difficulties, but he was ready to trace them to their right cause, if he thought he was justified in inflicting such a statement on the House-it was highly to the credit of those men, and highly char

pursue the policy which, he thought wisely, they had marked out for themselves. In 1846 the duties paid on sugar were at the rate of 25s. on colonial, and 63s. on foreign, and 5,000,000l. was the amount of revenue produced. The duty on rum was 9s. 10d., and it produced 981,000l., making a total of 5,981,000l. After reducing the duties from 25s, to 10s., and from 63s. to 15s., the revenue for the present year, on the 5th of July last, stood thus Sugar, 4,346,000l.; rum, 1,100,000l. ; making a total of 5,446,000l., as compared with 5,981,000l. before the duties were altered. So that during this short period, excepting 500,000l., the whole revenue had recovered, whilst they had conferred on the consumers of the country the real advantage of 10,000,000l. annually. Taking into account the increased supply from the plantations, the planter

found his receipts larger at the present di- Committee of 1848 as to the cost of prominished price than at the former higher ducing sugar, and it was stated at about prices. A fair average price previous to 20s. per cwt, or 201. per ton, in the Mauthe introduction of slave-grown sugar was ritius. He (Mr. Wilson) had been informed 351. a ton, at which rate 207,000 tons lately by, he believed, the largest planter would amount to the gross value of in Trinidad, that the cost of producing 7,245,000l. The present price might be sugar there, had been reduced to 13s. per taken at 251. per ton, and the present pro- cwt. now; and with regard to the Mauduction, 309,000 tons, would amount to ritius, he had been informed, within the the gross value of 7,725,000l. So that, last month, by a gentleman who believed, as far as the planter was concerned, the in 1848, that without protection Mauritius gross price he received for his sugar was was doomed; that he believed the whole larger by more than 500,000l. than what crop this year would not average more he received with the higher price and than 10s. a cwt. But sugar was not the smaller production. But then it was said only article in which the West Indians he did this at a much greater cost. He were interested; there were other producbelieved, as the noble Lord (Lord Stanley) tions, if not equally important, yet very pointed out in his pamphlet, that the plan- important to them. Now, during the five ter had not only the advantage of a reduc- years preceding the adoption, in 1846, tion in the price of labour, from a more of "that fatal policy which was to ruin continuous supply of labour, but a reduc- the Colonies," the production of coffee in tion in the prices of a number of articles the British possessions was not quite with which he supplied his estate. He 27,000,000 lbs.; in the last five years it (Mr. Wilson) met the other day with a was above 38,000,000 lbs. No doubt, paper, with which the right hon. Gentle- if the noble Lord (Lord Stanley) took man the Colonial Secretary was doubtless the case of the West Indies alone, he conversant, containing the evidence taken would find a large falling-off, and a in the island of the Mauritius, upon a ques- proportion of this increased production tion relating to the currency of that island, was from Ceylon; but the question must which had disturbed the equanimity of the be viewed as a whole, and you could people there, and was not easy of solution not separate one Colony from the rest, at home. He found in that evidence which, or exclude any part of our possessions was laid before Parliament about two years from all fair advantages. Of cocoa the or eighteen months ago, a very singular production in the five years preceding admission, which was so extremely perti- 1846 was 2,400,000 lbs., while in the five nent and apt, as showing those advantages years following that date, there had been of reduction in the price of general arti- an augmentation of production to the excles, that, being very short, he would read tent of 3,028,000 lbs. In rum, also, the it to the House. Mr. Robinson, a large increase had been very large. In the five planter in the Mauritius, and a merchant of years preceding 1846, the production great eminence, whose opinion was very amounted to 3,859,000 gallons, while in valuable, talking of the currency of the the last five years it had reached 5,324,000 island, and adjusting the exchanges, said-gallons; and all this had occurred under the "I conceive that the balance of trade is fatal" system of free trade. Whatever 600,000l., and we are realising 50,000l. in paper. view, therefore, was taken of the factsThe cost of raising sugar is at least 167. or 177. whether the enormous increase in the proper ton. The cost of all articles imported from duction of sugar or rum was looked to-or England is now so low, that if we require only whether hon. Members looked to the great the same quantity of goods, then the balance is diminution which he had shown to have taken place in the cost of production, it was to his mind a plain and clear fact that these Colonies, if they were not now prosperous, were at least more prosperous than they were before. Whatever ground, therefore, there might be for the allegation that the West Indies were in a state of distress, that distress could not be traced to the Act of 1846, or to the consequences of that Act. The three great complaints made against that Act were, in

in our favour."

In rice alone he estimates the saving at 800,000l. last year and this year, as compared with preceding years. Now, here was an article, a first necessary of life, with which the planter had to feed his labourers; 800,000 dollars, upon a crop of 60,000 tons, gave a saving of about 18 per cent upon the value of the whole crop of the island in rice alone. There was great deal of evidence offered before the

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those restrictions, than the advantage they would derive from being allowed to refine in bond. That question having been raised, the Government of that day was asked to defer the measure for a short period, and it was suggested that an Excise officer should be sent to the larger refining houses in London to ascertain what restrictions would be necessary for the protection of the revenue on the one hand, and the interest of the trader on the other. They did so, and at the end of three or four months the Government received a report from the Excise officer, which convinced the Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue that it was perfectly possible for the revenue laws to be evaded unless the refining system were placed under the surveillance of the Excise. When the refiners were informed of this, they came to a unanimous decision that it would be unwise, under such circumstances, to accept the proffered boon; the proposition was therefore abandoned. Early in 1851 another agitation was got up upon the subject during a temporary depression of the refining trade, and applications of a similar character were again made to the Government. The sugar refiners of London were asked to join the refiners of Scotland, and a meeting was called in London upon the subject. At that meeting, out of thirty persons summoned twenty-two attended, and out of those twenty-two two only voted against the Resolution then proposed to be adopted, which Resolution was in these terms:

the first place, that it would increase the slave trade; and he thought he had satisfactorily proved that this was not the case. Secondly, it was predicted that the Colonies would be ruined by it; and he believed he had shown that the Act of 1846 was not responsible for their ruin. The next complaint was that dearness and not cheapness would be the result of that piece legislation, and he believed he had satisfactorily shown that this anticipation was unfounded. It was said, that ultimately, through the ruin of the West Indian Colonies, there would be a greater scarcity; but the community found them selves supplied with a cheaper article than before, and more abundantly. There was just one subject more to which he would ask the House to allow him to refer, and it was a matter of immediate interest, because it was connected with the plan announced by the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Friday last. When the right hon. Gentleman had concluded his statement on that occasion, he (Mr. Wilson) felt it his duty to ask him whether he intended refining in bond to be optional or compulsory upon all refiners. The distinction, as he should show, was a very important one. It was by no means a new question, for it was mooted in 1848. He believed that great advantages might be derived from refining in bond, but he wished to point out to the right hon. Gentleman and the House the position in which the question stood in 1849, and how it stood at the present moment. It was asserted that foreign sugars That on referring to the report made by the contained a greater proportion of saccha-officers of Excise when the subject of refining in rine matter than British sugars, and it was bond was investigated by them in 1849, wherein it was stated that in order to protect the revenue said that if the system of refining in bond from fraud it was necessary to impose inconvewere practicable, it would bring the sugar nient restrictions on the working of the sugar duties as nearly as possible to a system of houses, and having fully considered the present ad valorem duties. If refining in bond state of the sugar trade, it does not appear to this meeting to be for the interest of the trade to had been practicable, he thought there was press upon the Government at the present time no doubt that the system would have ac- the introduction of a law for altering the system complished that end. There were deputa- of working the refineries." tions from the refiners, and the subject was much considered; he remembered sitting in Downing-street with the then Chancellor of the Exchequer and a deputation, from 11 in the morning till 6, discussing the question. But all agreed at last that to make it at all fair you must make it compulsory. It was also found that if the sugar refiners were permitted to refine in bond it would be necessary to place them under Excise restrictions; and the question with the refiners was, whether the evil would not be greater to be subjected to

The House should be aware that until the year 1854 the Government would have two kinds of duty to deal with-one on Colonial sugar, and the other on Foreign sugar; and if they admitted both kinds into the refinery how would they be able to apportion the duty on the two in a refined state? Upon the whole, when they considered the great complaints which were made by every trade that was subjected to the restrictions of the Excise; and when they considered that the spirit dealers, in fixing the relative duties between Home and Colonial

spirits, actually claimed a difference of so often brought to bear, on the question; 1d. a gallon duty because of the Excise and as the hon. Gentleman had alluded to restrictions to which they were exposed, him so pointedly, as having taken a prohe, for one, thought, if there were any minent part in the question on previous justice in that claim, the sugar interest occasions, he trusted he should not apwould do well to pause before they sub-peal in vain to that House for their inmitted to a system of restrictions which might add to the amount of duty they now paid to the Government. He had only made these remarks with a view to show the House that the subject was not neglected by the late Government; that every attempt was made to extend to the Colonies the advantage of refining sugar in bond, if advantage it were; and what were the difficulties the Government met with in that respect. If, however, right hon. Gentlemen opposite could satisfy themselves that they could introduce a system of refining sugar in bond which would impose no sort of difficulties either upon the Government or the parties themselves, while it would be the means of introducing a system of ad valorem duties on all kinds of sugar, he had no hesitation in saying that it would not only be an advantage to the refiners, but also to the Government itself. That, however, was more a question for the Inland Revenue Department than for legislation. In moving for these Returns he had only to apologise to the House for making a lengthened statement, and he should not have done so had he not thought that in the particular position in which this question now stood, it was the duty of that House to vindicate the conduct of the Parliament of Great Britain in dealing with the interests of our Colonial possessions in every part of the world. The hon. Gentleman concluded by moving for the Returns mentioned at the commencement of his speech.

Motion made, and Question proposed"That copies of Reports made by the Board of Inland Revenue in 1848 and 1849, in reference to the refining of Sugar in bond, be laid on the Table

of the House:

"And also a Return of the quantities of Sugar, Molasses, and Rum, and the amount of Duties received thereon, in the year ending the 5th day of July, 1852; also, of the average price per cwt. of Muscovado Sugar, exclusive of Duty, from the London Gazette; and the average prices per cwt. of Havannah Sugar (ordinary Yellow), exclusive of Duty, from the London Mercantile Prices Current for that year (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 296, of Session 1852)."

SIR JOHN PAKINGTON said, the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wilson) had addressed the House in an able speech, which evinced the extensive knowledge and accurate details he brought to bear, and had

dulgence in granting him a patient hearing while he answered the speech of the hon. Gentleman. The hon. Gentleman had stated that he felt it to be his duty to vindicate the policy of the last five years: that, he thought, was a very natural desire on the part of the hon. Gentleman, and considering the active part he had taken in the question during the same period, it was no less natural he (Sir J. Pakington) should also desire to vindicate the part he had taken. The hon. Gentleman, when addressing the House on the present occasion, in a manner which he could not make the slightest objection to, proceeded throughout to take advantage of the remarkable and unexpected circumstances which the sugar trade presented this year. The hon. Gentleman availed himself of these remarkable circumstances to give to the policy of the years 1846 and 1848 the most favourable aspect of which that policy was susceptible. He could assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that so far as he was concerned, and as far as the party he represented were concerned, that with respect to the present or the future state of the question he should approach the subject in a spirit of perfect candour and unreservedness. So little was he disposed to shrink from the avowal of any change of opinion which he might have undergone, from a feeling of shame, he thought that a person ought to be always most ready to come forward and make the circumstance known when he had arrived, upon any great question of public policy, at a different conclusion from that which he had previously conscientiously entertained. In justice to himself he must premise that in reviewing the whole of this question and its details, which involved considerations of most enormous importance, not only to the vast body of consumers in England, but to those impor tant dependencies of the Crown which send sugar to this country-that considering the important interests involved in the question, he was desirous of approaching the subject in a spirit of candour and unreserve. The hon. Gentleman had adverted to what he had done, and he must say, in reviewing all he had ever said or done on the question, he was not now dis