ubject to a duty of 10 per cent, on importation; while cottons
made up, as cotton stockings, &c, were subject to a duty of 20 per cent.
With respect to the former articles, he proposed that they should
be duty free; and that the duty of 20 per cent, on the manufactured
articles of cotton in a more advanced state should be reduced to 10 per
cent. He proposed also to call on the manufacturers of linen and
woollen to relinquish protection on the coarser manufactures used in the
clothing of the great body of the people. There would be some loss
to the revenue; but he believed that the importation of some articles
competing with the production of our manufacturers would stimulate their
skill; and, with the capital and enterprise of this country, he did not
doubt but they would beat foreign manufactures. At present woollen goods
which were made up were subject to a duty of 20 per cent.: he proposed
they should be reduced to 10 per cent. Flax was a raw material, he
continued, imported free of duty: the duty will be taken off the coarser
manufactures; on the finest and made up kinds it would be reduced one
half. Silk enjoyed apparently a protection of 30 per cent., practically
ranging indeed to 78, or even 145 per cent, on some made up articles,
such as net and bonnets, or turbans: but a false reliance was placed
on that protection. It was a delusion: many houses in London and Paris
undertook to introduce silken goods into this country at half the
duty. The revenue and the trade were robbed by the smuggler; and the
manufacturer was deluded by an unreal protection. With respect to silks,
he proposed, therefore, to adopt a new principle. The general rule would
be, enumerating each article of silk manufacture, to levy a duty of so
much per pound, giving an option to the custom-house officers of levying
for every L100 value of silk, a duty of 15 per cent. Sir Robert Peel
went on to explain the reduction of duties on paper-hangings, carriages,
metal manufactures, soap, &c, most of which articles are noticed in a
subsequent page. By the measure of 1842, he continued, the tariff was
greatly simplified. There were one thousand articles still on the list,
five hundred of which were free of duty: he proposed that many other
articles should be relieved from duty. Brandy and foreign spirits were
to be reduced from 22s. 10d. per gallon to 15s. With respect to sugar,
he could not enter into details; and he feared his proposition would not
sati