The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-02-21 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM.

At a meeting of the United Towns' Association of
Licensed Victuallersat Birmingham on Monday evening,
it wu resolved that "the budget should be strenuously
opposed by the whole of the hammed victuallers of the
country, et/pee/ally those portions of which iumediately
affected the vested interests of their trade."
THE COMMERCIAL TREATY.

The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce met on Monday
to discuss the commercial treaty with France and the
financial propositions of the budget. Mr. C. Robertson
presided.
The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Iforsfall in
reference to the 3rd article of the treaty, which seemed
to establish differential dirties as between English and
French ships. It was thought to be an omission that
the treaty did not deal with these restrictions, and, if
not too late, it was desirable to get the treaty amended
in that respect. As regarded the Budget, he regarded
it as the must important budget that had ever been pre.
minted to the House of Counnona.
Mr. J. T. Dawson said, speaking generally, British
manufactures were prohibited at present in the ports of
France, and the main effect of the treaty was that they
would now he introduced at duties not eset,sling 30 per
cent., and the question was whether that 30 per cent.
would enable our manufactures to enter France. Mr.
Cubdtu thought it would, the French manufacturers
were of the 11:111.1e iq , and there was no doubt about
it on his own 11l i l el, while those engaged in the principal
branches of British manufacture were of a similar
opinion.
Mr. W. Brown regretted that the treaty had not
gone a little further, and particularly that it dot not
Ham the shipping of both nations on an equal footing ;
hut he approved the treaty as • step towards the adops
tiun of free trade. He Minuets', that British manu-
facturers generally hail no doubt that the 30 per
cent, would enable them to introduce their goods into
France. . . .

Mr. Bushell argued at great length that the present
moment, when a large reduction of the wine duty was
propte.ed, which would place a wholesome anti WOO in.
toxic.ting stimulant within the means of all classes, was
a must favourable time for the revision of the spirit
duties ; that those duties should be equalized to the
amount now levied in our Australian colonies— say 10s.
per gallon. which would produce a clear revenue of two
&LiWOOS sod a half. . . -

Mr. Clint urged that that part of the treaty which
exempted the shipping oi France from the principles of
reciprocity Wsa moat unsatisfactory, and lie trusted that
the attention of the French Government would be called
to the subject.
Mr. SiTie contended that the treaty was one•sided,
and that the effect of many of its provisions would be to
benefit French manufacturers at the expense of those
in England. The adoption of the treaty would involve
the abrogation ot thorough reform of the patent laws.
The French colonies were remembered, but our own
were not mentioned. That was an injustice. lie
objected to the proposition for interfering with our
bonding system. On the one side we were about to
ignore protection ; on the other, the French Emperor
was taking care to secure, not • monopoly, a sort of
protection, a system by which every possible inducement
would arise for transferring the trade and manufactures
of England to other countries.
Mr. C. Holland app-uved the treaty on general
grounds.
Mr. Johnson argued that the objection to the treaty
on the ground that we should be supplying France with
war materials fell to the ground as far as coal was con-
cerned. Mining stational snowed Uwe was no (oar of

the coal supply bein4 exhausted for the nest thousood
years. Therefore this country was in • safe 'tato is
rvganled that subject.
Ilr. lit'(onmodale referred to the proposed tenni of
the paper duty. France prohibited the export of top
which were from 30 to 44) jar cent. cheaper there thM
n England, and, as paper could lip manufactured mod,
cheaper in France Nom in Englaird, it was easy to per.
ceive that considerable injustice would be done to m
important trade in this country if our parte were
opened to the importation of foreign paper under them
circumstances.
it was resdred, ,nor sonic further deliberation, to
postpone the discussion till Friday next.

At a meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Cons.
inerce, held on Monday week the following resolution, 0,,
the motion of Mr. Malcolm Ron, seconded by Mr. John
Pewter, was carried all but unanhuotply :
"That the cordial thanks of this chamber be accorded
to Richard Cobden, Esq., not only for his put aervi,,,,
in connexion with commercial legislation, but for his
voluntary and patriotic exertions m negotiating the
recent treaty with France."
The following petition to the House of Commons was
also adopted :
" That your petitioners have had under their anxious
consider.ition the treaty with Fraoce, the budget and
financial statement as presented to your hon. House by
the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on
Friday evening week, the 10th of February, lint. That
your petitioners congratulate your hon. House on the
comprehensiveness of the entire budget, believing it to
be a sound, fiscal, industrial, and commercial measure,
which will confer great benefit on the entire community,
and be the means of giving increased energy to those
pi inciples of free trade, to the adoption of which by this
country, your petitioners believe, may be traced much
of the prosperity and happiness at present enjoyed by all
el...es. That your petitioners, while admitting the
necexsity for the large amount of revenue sought to be
raised from the taxes on income and property would
respectfully ealicit your bon. House to take into its
immediate awl earliest ixinsideration the possibility of
collecting such taxes in a ~,,, re equitable and judicious
mode, not only as being due to the minority of the popu-
lation who furnish so large a portion of such revenue,
but as a means of raising it with less irritation, and thus
increasing it by a more willing compliance with the law
the amount sought to be collected. Your petitioners,
therefore, pray your Lou. House to afford the measure
its calm and impartial consideration on its many impor-
tant details ; to pass the same with all convenient
speed, and thus check the mischief arising from the
uncertainty no naturally affecting many important
interests. And your petitioners will ever pray.—
Edmund Putter, President."