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L-ETTER, TO THE REV. W. JONES,…

Uauettcs.

iri I can ill gs.

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HOUSE OF COMMONS, THURSDAY,…

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FRIDAY,…

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HOUSE OF COMMONS, FRIDAY, JUNE 16. Mr. Stafford moved for a new writ to be issued for Derby, but was defeated, on a division, by a majority of 89 to 36. THE WEST INDIES. Lord John Russell made his promised statement with respect to the alleged distressin the West Indies. He began with a review of past legislation concerning the West Indies, referring especially to the Emancipation Act of 1834, and to the admis- sion of foreign free-labour sugar in 1845, and of all foreign sugar in 1816. Taking credit for the complete success of these measures, and showing, from financial returns, that the consumption of sugar had increased from 214,000 tons, in 1845, to 290,700 tons, in 1847, with a continuous increase and that the revenue from the Sugar-duties, which was £ 3,745,000 in 1845, had swelled to C4,,596,000 in 1847, he adverted to the measures which had been passed for introducing labourers from- the East Indies into the Mauritius, and from the Kast Indies and from Africa into the West India-Colonies. These, he admitted, had not been very successful. At present, labourers might be introduced from any British possession in Africa, provided that there were an officer on board to prevent any transactions resembling the purchase of slaves or the Slave- trade, and to see that the emigrants went with their own con- sent. lie proposed to make an advance to the colonies on the security of the colonial revenues for the purpose of meeting the expense of immigration or rather he should say, that he pro- posed to guarantee a colonial loan not exceeding £ 500,000, in addition to £ 160,000 which the House had already guaranteed this session. With regard to the complaints m-ulp nf the too rapid operation of the Act of 1846, he frankly avowed that he did not think it fair to the British consumer to impose a differ- ential duty of 10s. on sugar to last for ten years or more, for the purpose of reviving the industry and prosperity of the West Indies. He therefore looked to the experience of late years, in which he saw, that, with regard to many articles en which the duty had been diminished and the price lowered, the revenue had been no loser, whilst the consumer had been a great gainer. From 1825 to 1841 every fall in the duty on sugar had been accompanied by a rise in the consumption, an-i every rise of duty by a fall in the consumption,—a fact also shown by the returns for 1845-7. Complaints had been made by the West India proprietors of the differential duty on rum. Last year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed, that it should be 6d.; but, some difficulty arising, he raised it to 9d,, although he maintained that 6d. was quite sufficient. Now, the Chairman of the Board of Excise thought 4d. sufficient; and he (Lord John Russell), therefore, could not agree to impose a higher differential duty on rum than that sum. This reduction of duty, however, would make it necessary to withdraw thy permission given last year to use sugar in breweries. On that subject, no change in the present law would be made. The proposed measures have been thus summed up J. A loan of £500,000 on the guarantee of the colonial revenues for immi- gration only. 2. The captured Africans to be landed free of charge to the colonies in the West Indies. 3. Contracts to be allowed for three years. 4. The restrictions of the Navigation- laws to be removed. 5. The duty on rum to be reduced by fivepence per gallon. 6. The duty on colonial sugar to be reduced annually, until it reaches 10s. per cwt. in 1851, and the effective protection, in place of being 4s. 6d. in the next year, 3s. after July, 1849, Is. 6d. after July, 18o0, and equalised on the 5th of July, 1851, to be according to the above scales-- 7s., 6s. 6d., 6s., 5s. 6d., 4s. 6d., and 3s., in each year respect- ively, from the 5th of July next, until the duties are equalised on the 5th of July, 1854, at the low duty of 10s. the cwt. 7. The privilege of refining in bond for home consumption." He concluded with moving, that, on Monday, the Houso should resolve itself into a Committee to consider the Act 9 and 10 Victoria, c. lxiii. read at the commencement of his speech. In concluding his statement, the noble lord said it would be convenient, if the House would allow him, to print his resolutions now, and he would then propose to submit them to a Committee of the who'e House on Monday. Sir Robert Inglis and Sir John Pakington condemned the scheme on the ground cf its encouraging the Slave-trade. Mr. Bernal, Mr. Barkly, Mr. Henry Baillie, Mr. Hu:ne, Mr. Henry Drummond, Mr. Philip Miles, Mr. Henley, Mr. Hudse; and Mr. Evelyn Denison, all condemned the plan ai total! y insufficient to avert ruin from the West Indies. Mr. Barkiy also declared that the loan of f 500,003 would e useless for purposes of immigration, and might as well fc-o thrown into the sea. Mr. Bernal claimed, on behalf of the West India prop Teton*, the right to import their produce into this country flee from all duties whatever. Mr. llerries, Lord George Bentinck, and Mr. Disraeli, in succession, vigorously urged both objections -the encounmo- ment of the Slave-trade, and the insufficient aid to the West Indies. The measure was attacked on Free-trade grounds by Mr. Bright, Mr. Cobden, and Mr. Charles Villiers. In his reply, Lord John Russell complained that meirbcr- had not taken his advice to reserve their objections till Monday. The House then decided that it would go into Committee on the Government proposition this evening.

--HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY,…

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY.