Customs' Duties Bill.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 547, 12 July 1851, Page 3

Customs' Duties Bill.

We dave stated the conclusions airived at in Committee on tins important measure, so far as we had learned them. The following are the details of the proceedings on the 6th of June. Mr. Hickson moved, the fuithpr consideration in Committee on the Schedule of duties. Pepper, black per lb. Jd. white do. — Mr. Hickson mo \ r ed that both descriptions should held, which was agreed to. Pickles, pipes, pitch and provisions were passed as per schedule from is. 6d. to 2s. Itosin, sago, salt, salt-peter, slates, soda, soap, spades and shovels, as per schedule. Mr. llichsoN moved, that all spice 9 should pay 6d. per lb. duly. His object in raising the duty on these, and other articles, vt as to meet the dimciency made, if the repeal of thu I,ist should bo sanctioned by tho Council. Seconded by the Collector of Customs, and agreed to. Mr. llichsoN, on moving that the duty on spirits should stand at ss. per gallon, &aid it was with the understanding that the duiy on these articles should be ag.i b taken into consideration, and probably, increased. It had been intimutod to him that the Mnrchants were anxious to have an interview with him on the subject to know what v>as intended to be done.

Colonel iM'Ci Ivi iii-i wn-> j;lad tins ij icstion «ast<> be further considered, pai ticulcirlv .15 tl:t* Colonial Tieasurer wits üb-ent who, lie understood, had a motion to make on the subject of tbe duty on spirits. Starch, steel, stones, sugar, (including crushed), tar, and tea as per schedule ; blocked tin, Id. per lb.

Tobacco. Mr. IhcksoN, said the remaiks he made on the duty on spirits applied equally to that on tobacco, that it should be reserved for further consideration. Mr. Cauii.iv lose to move (in amendment that the word " undamaged" should be added to the item tobacco ; and he did so to bring the subject before the Council. The petition lie read yesterday was signed by all clashes of poisons resident in tbe Wairau, and the signatuies were obtained in a tew days. He believed that if time had been taken erei3 r inhabitant able to wtite in the Nelson Settlement would have signed it ; so stiong was the feeling in favour of the total remission of the duty on tobacco for the purposes of shpep washing:. lie lii inly believed a great national benefit would be the result if tobacco were admitted free ; and that if its cost had been reduced two years ago there would not be a single case of disease amongst the sheep. He intended to piopose that the duty on tobacco for sheep wash be totally remitted. lie was in favour of tbe adoption of any measure for the eralication of this disease. It wa9 not unusual that one third of a flock of sheep afflicted with the scab was lost — nay it was not uuusal for one half of a flook to peash by this disease. If a ceitain number of sheep would produce when sound 10,000/., but through this disease tins receipt would be only 5000 J., what a loss was this to the owners to the colony, and to the revenue j for it lessened the means of purchasing tbe romfort and luxuries of life from which the revenue was chiefly derived. It might be desirable that tins measure should only be in operation one or two years, and then the tobacco used for sheep wash and for smoking might be put on the same footing. As regarded the trouble of preparing it, two boys could cut up a keg in an hour, and spirits of tar and turpentine with which it would be mixed would unfit it for human use. To prevent fraud only a limited quantity for a given number of sheep might be allowed, and the agent might give bond that it should not be disposed of for any other purpose. He believed the high duty imposed on tobacco was in cons quence of its being a luxury merely, and perhaps also because it was acknowledged injurious. But for the purpose of curing tho scab it was absolutely necessary, and its use therefore in this case, is an individual and a national benefit. Sir GioncE Grey thought the wo-d undamaged would hardly meet the puiposes of this Ordinance; tobacco only slightly damaged might be admitted fiee under so loose a term. Tbe question he thought was whether a higher duty should be placed on tobacco for common use, and for the purpose of sheep washing admitted duty free: or whether we should leduce the duty on tobacco to 3d. per lb., putting all consumers on the same footing. It should not bd forgotten that tobacco was more easily smuggled than any other article, not only on arcount of Us nature, but on account of the gieat number of whalers which frequented the coast. These vessels veiy seldom brought spnits but they always brought large quantities of tobacco. The natives would lay infoimation against parties smuggling fnearms or spirits, but the smuggling of tobacco they consider harmless. lie thought the scab would never be entirely eiadicated, and that tobacco would tbereforo always be required to be used. Hence an inciease of revenue might in tbe end be the result of the reduction of the duty on tobacco. Jt might pi event the cultivation of tobacco in this colony, but he believed that such cultivation would never be a profitable pursuit. The effect of raiding the duty would be to place a protection duty on it in favour of the colonial producer, which would enrich a few persons, but be of no benefit to the people at large. (Hear, hear.) On the other band the eflect of lowering the duty would be to prohibit tbe growing oi tobacco altogetliei, and then all tobacco consumed would pay duty. 'I he question therefore is, whether the duty on tobacco should be consideiably raised, admitting damaged tobacco free ; or whether we should considerably lower the duty and put the ordinary consumer of tobacco aud the ship owner on the same footing. After a remark fiom the Attorney-General, Mr. Cautley observed that he had likened with much pleasure to the observations of his Excellency; that he believed the disease might bo thoroughly got rid of if the flocks could once be got thoroughly clean. He thought it was but just that the flock owners in this colony should be put on the same footing us those of some of the Australian colonies. Sir G. Grey — Can flock owners bear any duty 1 Mr. Cautley — There were instances of small flocks being perfectly cured, but in many cases when large flocks became diseased, the owners were nearly or entirely ruined. Sir G. Giiby — Would so low a duty as 3d. per lb. defeat the object? Perhaps some enquiries might be made on the subject previous to the question being again brought for waul. This tobacco duty was reserved for further consideration. The duty on Oars was altered from %A. to Id. per foot ; that on Wine was reserved for further consideration, and the other enumerated ai tides agreed to as per schedule. The Committee then adjourned. [Our readers, (says the Independent), will please to remember that the duty on articles in the Schedule is the same as that now in force, only altered from an ad valorem to a fixed duty.] As respects the further progress of the measure, we can only repeat that the journals containing the report of the next succeeding discussion are missing from our files ; but that we gather from an article in the Independent of the 21st ult., that it had been agreed that the duty on Flour should be altogether remitted for one year ; and that we have learned on the authority of a passenger by the Lucy James, that the duty on Tobacco had been fixed at two shillings per lb.