TEA TRADE.—Deputations have arrived in town from Liverpool, Glaagow, Hull,
and Greenock; and they are to have an interview with the President of the India Board on Monday. The subject is the Tea trade. The out-ports have taken alarm at the restraints which it is said the Customs intend to impose on it, with a view to the protection of the revenue after the monopoly shall have expired. The apprehension of danger to the revenue is quite illusory ; but the Tea trade having always been a monopoly in this country, and the East India Company having skilfully mystified the public in regard to it, statesmen and financiers are very ill-informed on the subject, and hence the threats to oppress the trade with most pernicious restrictions. Tea, in a free trade, is not a convenient article for the smuggler to deal in. The duty or charge, in- cluding the monopoly price, is but 300 per cent. ' • being about one half the duty on Brandy, one third the duty on Geneva, and from one half to one fifth of the duty on Tobacco. As long as these continue to be the proportional ditties, the smuggling will be in Brandy, Geneva, and Tobacco and not in the bulky and perishable article of Tea. In 1825, there was laid before Parliament a return showing the quantity of all these articles seized by the Preventive Service ; from which it may be collected, that the whole value of Tea captured did not exceed 8,0001.; whereas that of Brandy, Geneva, and Tobacco, exceeded half a million ! The quantity of Tea taken was short of 20,000 pounds weight, and that of Tobacco near a million. Financiers must really learn to look beyond their noses, and not attempt to hamper a great branch of commerce to sa- tisfy their own unreasonable apprehensions. The Tea revenue within the last few years has fallen off by a clear million sterling, or by one fourth of its whole amount; and in order to recover, instead of shackles, it has need of the utmost freedom. At present, full five millions are yearly taken out of the pockets of the people, of which but three find their way to the Treasury ; and yet the East India Company, who pocket or squander two fifths of this amount, have the ludicrous effrontery to tell us that the Tea-duties are collected at no expense to the nation!—From a Correspondent.
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