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BUTTER AND CHEESE.

place, because they placed well nigh a prohibition on the consumption, by the poorer classes, of articles of the greatest importance to them; in the second place, because they operated as a great restriction upon our trade and commerce; in the third place, because their repeal, so far from injuring the revenue, would increase it; and, in the fourth place, because, when they were imposed originally, it was with no intention of their being permanent, the object of their being imposed, at the close of the war, being to give an impulse to the sale of Irish produce. As to the poorer classes, these duties had the effect of doubling for then the price of these essential articles. As to our trade, their repeal would infallibly extend our commerce with Holland 50 per cent, and that with the United States from 75 to 100 per cent.; this extension, moreover, especially applying to those states with which our relations required to be established on a greater and more friendly footing. Experience had fully shown, in the case of coffee, tea, and other articles, that a reduction of duty was sure to produce more than an equal amount of revenue, from the greater consumption of the articles, while in every other respect the results were clearly most beneficial. His proposition, doubtless, would be resisted by agricultural members; yet their constituents were deeply interested in the repeal of these duties, so large a proportion of what butter and cheese they did manage to get being of foreign produce, and the price of this being, as he had said, doubled to them in consequence of the tariff. He would not trouble the House farther at present, but simply move that the House go into committee. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said he would be as brief as the honourable member. He felt it to be his imperative duty to resist the honourable gentleman's proposition. The financial views of the government had long since been fully laid before the House and the country, and their financial arrangements for the year completed. Those arrangements in-