ABSTRACT
His main objects were to relieve the consumer, to give a reasonable preference to the colonial grower, and to exclude entirely sugar grown by slaves. At first he had hoped it might be possible to negotiate a treaty with Brazil for the abolition of slavery there, but this proved to be impossible; and the sources of supply were virtually limited to Java and the Philippines. I It was also doubtful whether the revenue could stand any reduction of the duty on colonial sugar. This might however be possible next year, and Peel accordingly adopted a suggestion of Gladstone that the measure be divided into two parts, the second being kept secret till the 1845 session to prevent reactions on the market.2 Thefirsthalf of the plan, announced in the Budget of 1844, was simply to reduce the duty on foreign free-labour sugar to 34J., leaving a preference of lOS. on colonial. The proposal was greeted with a storm of criticism. The Whigs, with Lord John Russell at their head, objected-though Peel denied it-that the importation of such free-labour sugar would simply leave a gap in the markets of the Continent, which would be filled by the produce of the very slave labour which Peel professed to be discouraging. They pointed out once again that we cheerfully admitted and consumed other slavegrown produce. They were willing to allow the West India interest a preference as against the foreigner, but nothing more. Their amendment was lost by 197 to u8. The Free Traders moved that there be no preference at all. The energies of freedom, said they, would enable the labour of the free man to hold its own against the exacted labour of the slave. Their amendment was however defeated by the crushing majority of 259 against 56. Peel was in fact in most danger from the West Indians.
