have no ship at Tunis of a larger class than the Condor. The Fleet under Sir Beauchamp Seymour is cruising within four days' call, and, if further occasion arises, more iron-clads will be sent. THE ROYAL PRINCES-FALSE RUMOURS. MR. W. H. SMITH: I wish to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether he has inquired into, and can give the House any information as to, the PEACE PRESERVATION (IRELAND) painful rumour circulated in London yesterday of a disaster to one of the Royal Princes? ACT, 1881-GUN LICENCES. MR. O'SULLIVAN asked the Chief MR. TREVELYAN: I am very glad Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ire- to be able to state that we received a land, Whether it is true that over one telegram to-day, a little before noon, hundred respectable farmers and others from Lord Clanwilliam, the commander in the district of Newcastle West, county of the Bacchante, dated yesterday afterLimerick, have been waiting for a licence noon, from Melbourne, in answer to our to carry arms for over a month, though inquiry. His telegram runs as follows: they hold duly qualified recommenda- No. 16 received. No foundation tions; and, if so, will he inform the whatsoever." House why it is the resident magistrate does not perform this duty? MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that the resident magistrate in the district of Newcastle West informed him he was unable to give as much time to the examination of these applications for arms licences as was necessary in consequence of the disturbed state of his district. He had already granted 400 licences, and would attend to the other applications as soon as possible. SOUTH AFRICA - THE TRANSVAAL SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the Secretary of State for the Colonies has received an application from Mr. Forssman, Consul General for Portugal | in the Transvaal, for compensation for losses and injuries incurred by him during the siege of Potchefstroom, and what is the amount of compensation which he claims? WAYS AND MEANS REVENUE RE- MR. LAING asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he is in a position to afford the House any information which will explain the unfavourable account contained in the last Revenue Returns, as regards a considerable falling off in the Excise duties? The MR. GLADSTONE: Sir, the general state of the Revenue is not very familiar to me; but as to the particular point of my hon. Friend's inquiry, I think I can give satisfactory information. The House will remember that, on examining the year's Returns of the Revenue, they could not but be struck with the ominous fact that there was a decrease of £420,000 odd on the Excise. Now, the reason of that decrease, which is the one and distinctly unfavourable and striking feature, is the different distribution of the Malt Duty and the Beer Duty over the four quarters of the year. MR. GLADSTONE: Sir, the Secre- Beer Duty, according to the estimate tary of State for the Colonies has re- which has been formed and according ceived such an application as that to to experience, is receivable in the four which my right hon. Friend has re-quarters of the year in very nearly four ferred. The amount claimed by way of compensation is £219,000. Probably it would be premature, and not altogether decorous, for Her Majesty's Government to give any opinion as to the first impression which they formed with respect to the claim. Therefore, on that ground, I will withhold any such opinion. But the claim itself will have to be forwarded to the Commission to be duly examined by them. Mr. Trevelyan equal portions; but the Malt Duty varies in the four quarters, according to normal experience, as much as from 14 per cent in one quarter to 40 per cent in another. There is no such inequality in the present case. If there had been, the discrepancy in the Excise would have been very much greater; but the difference in the present case is that 30 per cent of the Malt Duty was received in a normal quarter, in the three months ending the 2nd of June, and only 24 per cent of the Beer Duty. Now, when we remember that 1 per cent of duty amounts to £87,000, and that 6 per cent amounts to £512,000, it will be obvious to my hon. Friend that these figures dispose of the whole of the apparent decrease. PARLIAMENT-BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. MR. ARTHUR ARNOLD rose to Order, and said there was no Question before the House. VISCOUNT SANDON said, he would conclude with a Motion. The conduct of the Government had made it absolutely necessary for him to take that step-["Oh, oh!"]-and he would remind hon. Gentlemen opposite below the Gangway, who had not been so long in the House as himself, that he was only following the example of the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who took the very liged to take, of intruding the subject MR. STEVENSON said, that the first Order of the Day for Wednesday was the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors on Sunday Bill. He wished, therefore, to ask the Prime Minister whether, hav-step he (Viscount Sandon) was now obing regard to the general interest taken in that question out-of-doors, there was any hope that precedence would be given to the second reading of the measure with which he (Mr. Stevenson) was charged over the Land Law (Ireland) Bill? MR. GLADSTONE: No, Sir; no hope whatever. to the notice of the House from those very Benches when he was last in Opposition a few years ago. He would just ask them to remember why he was obliged to take that step. It was quite obvious from the answer that had been given by the Prime Minister that private Members had no chance of bringing forward any subject whatever; and THE NEW FRENCH GENERAL TARIFF. yet the present subject, by general con MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT. VISCOUNT SANDON said, that after what had passed on the previous day on the subject, he rose with regret for the purpose of making an appeal to the Prime Minister for a translation in English of the Return of the French Tariff. In doing so, the House was aware that he was within the fact when he said there was no question at that moment which was more discussed, and more constantly in the mouth of every workman in every factory, workshop, and yard in the country than the question of their commercial relations with France. He was exceedingly sorry to make that appeal to the Prime Minister; but hon. Members on both sides of the House would be aware that he had in no way interrupted or interfered with the progress of the Business of the House. During the discussion on the Land Bill he had restrained his feelings. But the conduct of the Government in persistently withholding all or any information with respect to the French Tariff, and the position of this country in regard to its commercial relations with Francewhat he should call the persistent concealment on the part of the Government with regard to what was going on in reference to their Treaty relations with France con sent, was one which was exercising the great masses of the people very much more than the Irish Land Bill. He should, therefore, have been happy to obtain a discussion on the subject at half-past 12 at night, and should have been perfectly content to have divided the House on the subject at that late hour, not caring for a long discussion; but the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Chamberlain) had thought fit to take a course which, in former Sessions, was sidered most unusual, and had prevented him proceeding with the Motion for a Return of the changes contemplated in their commercial relations with France. He (Viscount Sandon) was one of the last men to allude to former services; but he must just ask hon. Members to recollect that when he asked for a Return of this kind he did so, not in his personal capacity, but as one who had borne an important Office in the last Government, as President of the Board of Trade, and as one who, owing to his connection with the important port of Liverpool, had some right to assume that he knew something of the commercial feeling of this country, not only as to Chambers of Commerce-for he was happy to say he did not confine his inquiries to Chambers of Commercebut among merchants and the great mass of men who gained their living by | lowed to see but a few favoured memmeans of commerce. He believed it to bers of the Chambers of Commerce; be unprecedented to refuse a Return of this kind when asked for, and he was fully aware of the great responsibility of taking this step. The question, he would point out, was urgent; and it was urgent, because the commercial relations with France must be concluded within a very few weeks. Now, the House of Commons, the Prime Minister told them, was to adjourn about the 6th of August -just four weeks' time, and if the French Chambers prolonged the negotiations on the subject, they would only be prolonged, they were told, for three months, so that the country would have no opportunity whatever of expressing an opinion upon its great commercial relations with France in the few weeks that remained of the Session. He said that hon. Members on the opposite side of the House treated this subject as a light subject; but the constituencies did not think so, and he would recommend hon. Members to visit their constituents, and see what they thought about it. He thought he had established urgency; for the House was to be up in four weeks, and negotiations for the Treaty must proceed very shortly. Perhaps hon. Members thought he was making a good deal of a Return which they had not seen, or perhaps the Prime Minister had not seen, and if the right hon. Gentleman would allow him, he would make him a present of one. [Laughter.] Some hon. Members regarded that as a joke; but it was no joking matter. He (Viscount Sandon) observed the President of the Board of Trade regarded it as a joke; but the Return was a very serious thing. It was not his desire to have a general account; but what he requested was that the people of this country should be put in possession of a statement of their former commercial position with France, and of the changes proposed to be introduced, so that they might compare the two. The Return he wished to have in English was in three columns. The first was the old Tariff, the second the commercial arrangements with France, under which we had worked some years under Cobden's negotiations and under the Most Favoured Nation Clause; and the third column gave the new Tariff as proposed by the French Chambers. It did not give that mysterious document which nobody was al Viscount Sandon and it did not give what the hon. Baronet (Sir Charles W. Dilke) had called the tariff à discuter in the French terms which had been offered by the French Commissioners. There was a tendency to use French terms; but he thought that was a practice rather to be avoided in the House. He thought it was right to use English terms in this country. This Paper contained about 600 articles in print. It was not a very heavy book, but one of modest extent, consisting only of about 52 pages, and it would not be a matter of very heavy cost if given in English. He moved for the Returns in April in a very simple and natural manner, and as it was produced it showed the various facts in English. He therefore expected the Returns would be given in the same language; but, to his astonishment, when he was prepared to send them to some working-men's associations in Liverpool, who took a keen interest in this matter-[Ministerial laughter]-he was not at all ashamed to own that he had sent it to a workingmen's association; he was saying that to his astonishment he found it to be in French, and that he would only make himself utterly absurd if he sent it to the working men in that language, with which they were not familiar. So the matter first came to his notice. After a while, hon. Members from other commercial constituencies said the same thing, when the constituencies asked for them. He had asked for an English translation; but it was refused, the Returns remaining in French; and that, he thought, was an unprecedented course for the Government to take at a time of great excitement on commercial matters. That was, however, a course reserved entirely for that most enlightened Liberal Government to adopt. Now, some of the supporters of the Government might regard that as a slight matter; but that it was not so would be apparent when he stated that the new Tariff increased by about 24 per cent the duties on the great bulk of the important articles of British manufacture; and, beyond that, converted to our detriment into specific duties the existing ad valorem duties, which appeared to have been raised. It also made a change in the classification, which the English people would have difficulty in understanding if informa tion such as he asked for was persist- | pray do not read them. When you are ently withheld, and which would increase grown up you can read them." So this the duties. Anybody who knew any- was saying to the working peoplething of commercial matters was aware "When you know French, you can read that the change implied a great bur- it; it is not for the present working den upon the British trader. It was a people, and you shall not read what change which would also be very fatal your betters around you shall read." to the English people. ["Hear, hear!" He would venture to remind the House, from the Opposition.] It might be said from his own knowledge, what was by some that the proposed changes the feeling of the commercial classwould affect but few industries; but the working-men, manufacturers, shippingcontrary was the fact, as their influence people-with regard to the French on British industries would be wide- Treaty. It was this, that they cerspread and most serious. If the House tainly ought not to have a worse French would allow him, he would show how Treaty than the Cobden Treaty. That, multiform were the interests affected, he thought, was a universal feeling on and what the articles affected were. both sides of the House. They could They were stone and slate, marble and not afford to have a worse Treaty than stone, all minerals and stones, iron and the Cobden Treaty, and he believed steel, chemicals, soda, soap and starch, that they ought to have, and might feathers and down, earthenware and have by careful and prudent negotiachina, glass and glass ware, prints and tions, a better Treaty. Hon. Gentlemen textiles, table-linen, hosiery, cotton, opposite, no doubt, might say that they poplin, velvets, silk, tissue and fancy ought to have confidence in Her Mapapers, skins and leather, furniture, jesty's Government in this matter. But carriages, musical instruments, guns, he (Viscount Sandon) did not wish to fowling-pieces, and breech-loading rough raise the matter as a question of configun-barrels. These were but a selec- dence one way or the other. It was tion of the articles upon which a seri- very much too serious a question in the ously increased Tariff was proposed to interests of this country for that. In be placed; and the selection he had the interest of truth and facts, he must given would show how widespread and say that it had not been unobserved by serious were the changes which were those interested in these industries that proposed by our French neighbours. in the division led by the hon. Member Surely by this time we could understand for Gloucester (Mr. Monk), both the that the matter was a very important right hon. Gentleman the President of one. He would ask just one simple the Board of Trade and the hon. Baronet question, which perhaps would tend to the Under Secretary of State for Foreign bring this discussion to an issue. Why on Affairs voted against his Resolution-earth should there be any concealment whatever on the part of the Government on a matter of such importance to the people of this country? If they did not want to have Returns, why did the Government grant it in French six weeks ago? But the Government did grant a Return, full of important particulars in three columns, showing the particular VISCOUNT SANDON said, he wished position of the country at this moment. to point out that the names which apIt was important that the country should peared in the Division List gave the know what the position of the country impression that the right hon. and was. The Return was granted without hon. Gentlemen to whom he had rehesitation in French; what possible ex-ferred were not staunch, and the concuse could the Government have for not giving it in English? He was quite sure the position of right hon. Gentleman opposite was utterly and entirely untenable. It was almost like saying to a boy, who was growing up-"These books are only for grown-up people, so SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: I stated at the time that the Government would vote for going into Committee of Supply, agreeing, as they did, with the terms of the hon. Member's Resolution, but thinking it undignified to pass such a Resolution while the negotiations were going on. duct of the President of the Board of Trade with regard to the Sugar Bounties had, he (Viscount Sandon) ventured to say, probably done more to shake the confidence of the working people of the country-[Cries of "No, no!"]-he hoped he might be allowed to finish the sentence - had done, perhaps, more | (Mr. Chamberlain) said so-were all than was imagined to shake the con- acquainted with the French terms used. fidence of the working people, not with regard to his economic views, but with regard to his sympathy towards those engaged in the sugar refining industries, as indicated by the tone of the letters signed by the Board of Trade. He would now run over the several reasons given by the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade for refusing to give the information which they had a right to demand. MR. CHAMBERLAIN: I beg the noble Viscount's pardon. The noble Viscount attributes to me a statement which I did not make at all, and in regard to which I have on more than one occasion endeavoured to correct him. I did not refuse the translation of this Return. I never have refused it. ["Oh!"] I merely asked the noble Viscount to wait the result of inquiries which I was making of the representatives of the commercial classes with regard to its utility. He If that were so, it simplified the matter, for it would have been a very easy thing to have sent a Circular from the Board of Trade to the different centres of artizan population, asking the working men what was the meaning of the terms? That, he thought, threw some light on the negotiations which had been proceeding. It turned out that those grandees sitting in Whitehall did not understand the meaning of some of the terms they were discussing, and the whole subject was wrapped up in so much mystery, so much confusion, that he thought it would be best cleared up by the Prime Minister giving the Returns in English, so that the country might know exactly what the position was. There was one thing, however, which stopped the way. The President of the Board of Trade told them that the Return might be an expensive one. (Viscount Sandon), however, could not think, when so much expense was being VISCOUNT SANDON, continuing, said, incurred in connection with the Comthe right hon. Gentleman seemed to for-mercial Treaty, that translating into get that he was asked by the hon. and English a little Return of 52 pages learned Member for Sheffield (Mr. would be a very heavy burden even Stuart-Wortley) to give this transla- upon the exchequer of a Liberal Governtion. He did not give it, and he re- ment. He was supposed to be crushed peatedly refused it. He declined to by the answer of the hon. Baronet the give it for the following reasons:-He Under Secretary of State for Foreign said that it would cause a great deal of Affairs, who said that they were discussdelay; but the real delay was in de- ing the French General Tariff in the clining to give the Return, because if it Commission; but nobody supposed that had been put in hand three weeks ago, they were discussing the French General when the Question was asked, the Tariff, seeing that the Commissioners translation would have been made and from France brought their terms in in the hands of the public by this time. their hands. It was no answer whatThe right hon. Gentleman went on to ever to his appeal to say they were not say that "there was considerable diffi- to know what the Cobden Tariff was, to culty in translation." He also said he enable them to compare it with the new was at a loss to find English equivalents French Tariff, because of this mysterious for some of the French denominations. document which they were not allowed He (Viscount Sandon) thought that to see in the Chambers of Whitehall. rather strengthened the reason why He thought it was a great misfortune they should have the translation. The that the document should be communiwhole of the commercial community in-cated singly to the different manufacterested in the question of the French turers, so that each manufacturer sepaCommercial Treaty were told that the rately should be made aware of the Government could not find in the secret proposals of the French GovernForeign Office, in the Board of Trade, ment. He maintained that the country or among the experts in London, men had a right to be made acquainted with competent to find English equivalents the question of the French Tariff as a for these French terms. One comfort whole. Anybody who knew anything was, however, given to them. They of the feelings of the industrial classes were assured that the working men- was aware that there was what might the artizans the right hon. Gentleman be called a great solidarity between Viscount Sandon | |