Imported Cattle, Sheep and Pigs, Meat, Fresh and Salted, Butter and Cheese

The prohibitions or duties practically prohibitory imposed upon the importation of foreign cattle, sheep, and pigs, and foreign beef and bacon, were removed by Peel on his first revision of the tariff in 1842. To take the article bacon, so important in the food list of the people—the duty was reduced from 28s. the cwt. to 14s. for foreign bacon, and 3s. 6d. for bacon from British possessions. ¹⁸ The other reductions it may be unnecessary to state in detail, for in 1846, the tariff was cleared of the duties on cattle, sheep, and pigs, which were given to the people untaxed, together with beef, bacon, pork, and all other meat, salted or fresh, except only hams, for which a reduced duty was charged, of 7s. the cwt. These repeals and this reduction formed part of Goulburn's budget of that year. The duty on hams was repealed by Gladstone in 1853.