venue of 6,000,000l. in the form of duties: and 5,000,000l. value of manufactured goods are annually sent to the West Indies.

The same number of seamen and the same tonnage would be requisite, if the sugar were brought from other places. The same revenue would be collected by Government on the imported sugar. Now only from three to four millions' value of goods are sent to the West Indies, of which a large part goes to South America. The profit on the remainder bears no proportion to the expense of keeping the islands; to which is to be added, the loss to the people of England of so large a sum annually, in the extra price created by the monopoly, without which the colonists declare that they cannot afford to cultivate sugar.

"V. Sugar is the staple production of the West Indies, and England ought not to transfer the cultivation, and ruin the West Indian colonies, for the sake of the East Indian colonies.

'Sugar cannot be properly called the staple of a country, which can only afford to produce and sell it under the artificial aid of bounties and protecting duties. When this happens to a country, it loses its commercial staple, and becomes agricultural for home consumption. This transfer would neither ruin the West Indies nor the proprietors, as is evident from the instances of the Bahamas and of Hayti, and indeed of all countries purely or chiefly agricultural. The only result would be, that West Indian landowners must live upon their estates in a plain moderate style, instead of residing in England, and eclipsing the landowners of a great commercial country. Suppose the islands were independent, they could have no staple of sugar, for no country would pay the extra price.

'VI. South America, Mexico Hayti, and China are not British possessions, and therefore no reasonable man would wish to destroy the trade of British proprietors to transfer it to them.

If the traders of these countries take British manufactures in exchange, it is commercially quite immaterial where they reside, or where the goods are brought into use. The articles are paid for, and therefore the purchase money is spent in England. If the colonial ports are now free to the traders of other countries, the colonial commercial character is at an end, and the colonists are not British proprietors commercially considered; but they are the inhabitants of a neutral country, trading to other countries and also tỏ England. Moreover, a sugar trade, which can only exist by means of bounties and protecting duties, at the expense of the people of Great Britain and Ireland, is not a trade, but a contrivance for transferring money, from the pockets of the people of England, into those of West Indian proprietors. This dexterous transfer

and not the sugar trade, is their boasted staple. It is no more than a system of pauperism on a large scale.

VII. The East Indian Proprietors can exist without the production of Sugar: the West Indian Proprietors cannot.

"The West Indian Proprietors, by demanding protecting duties and bounties, sufficiently show, that they do not exist by the production of sugar, but by the sums levied on the people of this country, to uphold their improvident speculation, in the form of bounties and protecting duties. Besides, the question is not between the two classes of producers only; the consumers in England have an interest in the matter, deserving of consideration. As well might the people of Malta insist on protecting duties, to enable them to furnish England with oranges.

VIII. The East Indies were not colonised for the purpose of producing Sugar: the West Indies were.

'The West Indies were partly colonised with a view to sugar cultivation; but that was in order that England might obtain it cheaper, not dearer, than from elsewhere. This argument, like all the rest of the arguments of the West Indians, proceeds upon the notion that the interests of the mother country are altogether undeserving of regard. Even the acquisition of the vast empire of the East is to avail England nothing, in order that a few owners of land, in West Indian Islands, may not descend to their proper station as landowners in countries non-exporting and purely agricultural. The idea of colonizing to purchase, at a dearer rate, the tropical

productions, is quite new.

'IX. West Indian Protecting Duties were imposed, because they were British Colonies and cultivated by the aid of British capital; and also, because the West Indians were not allowed to have their wants supplied from any other source but the mother country.

'The same is the case in the East Indies; and if it were not, the real object is attained, if foreign countries take our manufactured goods in exchange. The latter objection does not now apply, as, with some few exceptions, the colonists may obtain their supplies from whence they please. On the other hand, when the English landowner is obliged to sell his corn at a minimum of profit, he can only be reinstated by the diminution in price of those other necessaries of life, which he and his tradesmen and labourers must purchase. This the English landowner has a right to expect. 'X. One argument is employed by the West Indians against the removal of the Bounty and extra Duty, which stultifies all the preceding. They affirm, that the Bounty does not exist, and that the Protecting Duty produces no effect in raising the price of Sugar to the British consumer.

'If the Protecting Duty produces no effect in raising prices, why

do the West-Indians contend for its continuance? Does not the very struggle they are making to retain it completely disprove their allegations on this point, even if the case were not otherwise as clear as the sun at noon-day? As for the Bounty, it is true it has been reduced to one half of its former amount in the last year. But that half still remains, and, of itself, adds considerably more than 500,000l., annually to the cost of the sugar consumed in this country. This has now been distinctly admitted by the Government. Mr. Hibbert, also, the respectable agent of Jamaica, himself engaged in the sugar trade for the last fifty years, thus addressed his constituents, the Assembly of that island, in a letter dated the 11th of March, 1824: "The advantage we (West Indians) enjoy, in the principle and produce of calculating the drawback on the export of refined sugar, is little, if at all, short of a gratuitous bounty of six shillings per cwt." Since that time, the drawback has been lessened by three shillings. Of course, three shillings remain. This bounty affects the sugars of the East, as well as those of the West-Indians.'

The following observations on the Trade to the East Indies have lately appeared at Manchester. They are so closely and intimately connected with the subject of this paper, that no apology is necessary for inserting them.

'There is nothing connected with the policy of England, (says a late writer,) more remarkable, than the degree of apathy which her people generally appear to experience, with reference to the affairs of the most important of all dependencies, the Eastern Empire. At a moment when the influence of Great Britain is felt and acknowledged over the whole continent of India,—where an hundred millions of people, directly under our own sway, and millions upon millions besides, who dwell under the nominal rule of their Native Princes, look to us as the arbiters of their destiny, and the guardians of their happiness; and when it is avowed, that the loss of this influence would affect us more materially than almost any other calamity, it is surprising to behold the neglect with which every question, relative to the proper management of British India, is treated.

'At a moment too, when the manufacturing districts in this country are suffering most heavily for want of a market for their goods, and when the manufacturers of other countries are treading closely upon our heels; * it is of great importance, that the people of Great Britain should be fully acquainted with the restrictions, which cramp our trade with our own Empire in the East Indies,that they should be fully aware of the vast field which India opens for our relief; and of which we are only prevented from availing

'France now manufactures about as much Cotton as we did only fourteen years ago.'

ourselves to an extent almost unlimited, by heavy duties upon imports from the East Indies, beyond what are laid on similar articles from the West Indies.

A duty of 101. per ton more, (being 50 per cent on the prime cost,) is laid on East than on West India Sugar; the duty on West being 271. on East India 371., per ton.

281. per ton more is laid on East than on West India Coffee; the duty on West being 561., on East India, 841. per ton.

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281. per ton more is laid on East than on West India Cocoa; the duty on West being 561., on East India, 847. per ton.

71. per ton more is laid on East than on West India Turmeric ; the duty on West being 31., on East India, 10l. per ton.

'11s. 6d. per gallon more is laid on East than on West India Rum; the duty on West being 8s. 6d., on East India, 20s. per gallon.

61. per cent., ad valorem, is laid on East India Cotton Wool, while West India is admitted free of duty. *

'The Cotton Manufacturers of India are liable to a duty of 101. per cent. while English manufactured Cottons are admitted into India at a duty of 21. per cent.

"The Silk Maufacturers of India are liable to a duty of 30l. per cent., while those of France are only chargeable with the same duty.

'There are also higher duties on a variety of other articles, such as Dye-woods, Mahogany, Hides, &c. &c., than on similar articles from the West Indies.

The Mauritius, a small island, (ceded to us by France,) is cultivated by Slaves; it has lately been selected as the object of favour, being the only spot, in our Eastern Empire, put upon the footing of the West Indies, with regard to import duties.

'Notwithstanding these disadvantages, under which our EastIndia Trade is placed, it is a remarkable fact, that our exports to that country have increased in an astonishing degree.

'Export of Cotton Goods to India from Official Documents, but divided by 28, to give the quantity in Pieces 28 yards each.

"We are also shipping to India considerable quantities of Cotton Twist.

We lay the same duty on Cotton from our own dominions in India, as on American Cotton, while America imposes from 25 to 100 per cent, on our manufactures.'

What, then, would be the extent of this trade, were the produce of British India put upon a fair footing, as regards import duties, with the produce of our other colonies!

'It may be objected, our Government is not in a situation to reduce the Revenue; but, on a little reflection, it will be evident, that, as an increased export of the manufactures of this country to the East Indies would enable the people of England to consume an increased quantity of the produce to be received in return, the Revenue would be benefited by the change;-besides, we are now paying a bounty of 31. per ton in the drawback allowed on refined sugar exported. To take off this bounty, would be some saving to the Treasury, and a large saving to the people. It is not only a clear loss to the nation of 31. per ton, upon the sugar exported; but mark, it also raises the price of all sugars consumed in this country, 3. per ton, and is a tax on the nation, paid to the sugar growers, of not less than SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS PER

ANNUM.

'It must in fairness be stated, that the East Indies have some advantage from this bounty in common with the West Indies, though comparatively only to a very small amount, as the sugars imported from the East Indies bear a small proportion to those from the West. Until last Session, the bounty was 61. per ton; 31. per ton was then taken off. This was a wise measure on the part of Government, and we rejoice in it, there being no good reason why the people of this country should pay a bounty on the produce of either the East or the West Indies. At the same time, it must be observed, that, as no equalization took place in the duties, this measure places the East India trade in a worse situation relatively than before, inasmuch as that, while, by the operation of the bounty, all sugar in the British market was sold 61. per ton above its natural price, some of the finer qualities of East India could be imported in return for our manufactures, and were brought into competition with the West India monopoly, even paying the extra duty of 101. per ton. Now receiving only 3l. per ton, (an advantage, as before observed, to which neither the East nor the West is entitled,) and remaining subject to the extra duty of 101. per ton, the measure is calculated still more to limit importation from the East Indies.

"The plea of the West Indians, (for the continuance of this bounty, and of those protecting duties so injurious to our commerce, and expensive to this country,) used to be, " You have the monopoly of our Trade and Navigation." Even the Colonial Assemblies have repeatedly admitted, that, when the restrictions on their trade should be taken off, they would no longer have a claim to any exclusive privilege in our markets. THESE RESTRICTIONS ARE TAKEN OFF.The carrying Trade of our Colonies is thrown open-they may send their produce where they please; and, excepting a few prohibited articles, such as Gunpowder, Arms, Books, &c., may receive their