114 Statistics of Van Diemoi's La?id. 



i\s an opinion prevails that the commerce of our ports has 

 been somewhat crippled, especially the Sydney trade, by the 

 16 per cent, ad valorem Duties' Act, which came into opera- 

 tion in 1847, it may be useful to trace the history of 

 these duties, and to ascertain their actual effects. In 1840 

 the exemption in favour of tobacco grown in New South 

 Wales, being found to be injurious to the revenue, was 

 taken away by the Act 4 Vict. No. 28 ; and the duty of 

 1.9. Qd. per lb. was imposed, the same as levied upon 

 tobacco grown in foreign countries. This led to reprisals 

 by the Government of New South Wales, who at once fixed 

 a duty upon our exports to that colony. In 1845 it was 

 deemed necessary, in order to support the revenue, to 

 increase the ad valorem duties' from 5 to 15 per cent, on 

 tea, sugar, and other foreign merchandise ; but on this 

 occasion articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of 

 New South Wales (save in respect of tobacco) continued to 

 be specially exempted. The principle, however, of differ- 

 ential duties having been condemned as objectionable, and 

 the state of the revenue not permitting a recurrence to the 

 previous rate of 5 per cent., in the absence of a provision 

 for charging a similar duty upon British goods, they were 

 abolished by the Act 10 Vict. No. 7, which came into oj)era- 

 tion on the 1st April, 1847, and at once subjected equally 

 the goods, wares, and merchandise of New South Wales to 

 the uniform duty of 15 per cent, ad valorem. On the Gth 

 October, 1848, the Act 12 Vict. No. 8 was passed, wholly 

 exempting wool, coal for steam navigation, metallic ores, 

 seeds, manures, and specimens of natural history from duty ; 

 and the Customs' laws were still further relaxed by the 

 13 Vict. No. 8, exempting metallic ores for smelting from 

 wharfage dues. 



The subjoined statement of the extent and value of 

 the trade of Van Diemen's Land with New South Wales 



