"Then there are two ways of demolishing the practice,--lowering the duties, so as to remove the temptation to smuggling; and increasing the difficulty of carrying on a contraband trade."
"I should say there is but one," replied the first speaker. "Difficulties have been multiplied till we who have to administer the law groan under them, and smuggling is still on the increase."
"What is government about all the time?" asked the Lieutenant. "They must know this, and yet they let their own power be mocked, and the interests of our manufacturers and commercial men be sacrificed."
"Of our manufacturers, but not necessarily of all our commercial men. Contraband trade is a fine thing for certain shopkeepers; and you might hear some curious stories below there," (nodding towards the Custom-house,) "about certain methods of obtaining drawbacks, and then re-landing the goods by the help of our night-working neighbours. However, government is getting a glimpse of the true state of the case, as we shall soon see."
"Because," observed the other magistrate, "government is beginning to look to the right quarter for information. It is nonsense to consult collectors of the revenue, and persons in their interest and of their way of thinking, about the best method of rendering taxes effectual. The only way is to contemplate the interests of the tax payers. This done, it is easily seen that there is not much wisdom in a system, the enforcement alone of which costs the country many hundred thousand pounds a year."
"And which is not enforced, after all, and never can be. No, no; the government sees now that the only way is to lower the duties down to the point which makes contraband trading a speculation not worth attempting."
"What makes you suppose that government views the matter in this light?"
"It is said, and confidently believed in London, that government has taken into consideration this petition from the principal silk-manufacturers in and about London."
The Lieutenant read the petition in the newspaper, of recent date, now handed to him.
"Hum. 'This important manufacture, though recently considerably extended,'--aye, so it ought to be, from the increasing number of wearers of silk,--'is still depressed below its natural level'--they are tired of Spitalfields subscriptions, I suppose, and of living among starving weavers, who throw the blame of their starvation on their masters;--'by laws which prevent it from attaining that degree of prosperity which, under more favourable circumstances, it would acquire.'--Well! what thinks the House of this petition?"