Although the war with China, coupled with the simultaneous distress in the manufacturing districts, caused a temporary check to importation, still the conclusion of peace and the repeal of the Corn Laws had their due effect in an opposite direction. Hence, in 1849, the quantity imported reached very nearly fifty-three and a half million pounds, while in the year of the first Great Exhibition, the importation had augmented to about seventy-one and a half million pounds. In 1853, an Act was passed reducing the duty immediately to 1s. 10d., and gradually to 1s. Owing, however, to the outbreak of the Crimean war, this measure was not carried out. From April, 1855, until April, 1857, the duty remained at 1s. 9d., being at this latter date reduced to 1s. 6d. Five years later a reduction of 6d. took place, and again in June, 1865, a further reduction. Since then no fiscal change has been effected. The effects of these fluctuations have been sufficiently marked, probably demonstrating that no further reduction, short of absolute abolition, would prove much of a boon to consumers. In 1861, the imports increased to ninety-six and a half million pounds; the following year to close upon one hundred and fifteen millions, in 1863 to nearly one hundred and thirty-seven millions, in 1866 to one hundred and forty millions, and in 1877, to the enormous figure of nearly one hundred and eighty-eight million pounds (187,721,050 lbs. actually). Thus in two centuries, since the time of Thomas Garway’s handbill offering a few pounds of Tea to a select public, the trade has grown with prodigious strides into a highly flourishing branch of commerce representing value to the extent of some twelve millions sterling, and an addition to the imperial revenue at even the existing duty, of over four and a half millions, irrespective of the value of the thirty-two million pounds re-exported from our shores. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER VI. THE COLOURING OF THE LEAF. Previous to 1834, the Honourable East India Company, possessing the monopoly of the Tea trade, were responsible, under very stringent regulations, for the quality of the leaf imported, while heavy penalties were inflicted on those who coloured or adulterated Tea in England. Now that the trade has been thrown open, and the duties so largely reduced, little inducement exists for having recourse to malpractices in this country, even had there been no Adulteration Act in force. Yet is there no protection against what is done in China. Some years since, the City Commissioners made a commendable but abortive effort to seize “Lie Tea” and Teas artificially coloured and otherwise adulterated; but inasmuch as duty had duly been paid on the rubbish, it was found that nothing could be done to arrest the distribution of such vile stuff.