The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-22 00:00:00

—both as a Treaty and as a Budget—but as a
Treaty first, and then the Budget that is based
upon it. And it was no answer to this argument,
we humbly conceive, to maintain, as the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did, that since times
were changed, the mode of proceeding must be
changed also. No change of times can ever alter
the principles of the Constitution. There is a
right way and a wrong of going about a. thing.
There is a regular and an irregular mode of pro-
cedure. And surely it would have been better,
on every account, that the right and the regular
way should have been preferred to a wrong and
an irregular course, Even if it were true, that
three quarters of a century ago commercial treaties
were regarded mainly in their political character,
whereas now they are significant chiefly in a
commercial aspect, there can be no argument in
that circumstance, far violating constitutional
preeeieiits,

But the fact is, there is throughout the whole

ministerial proceeding far too great a desire to
prefer the commercial to the political importance
of the question. Not that we would be under-
stood, by, any means, as in the slightest degree
disparaging commerce. But, like everything
else, it has its proper place ; and, all-important
though it is to the prosperity and progress of
this country, it can never be wise to sacrifice to it
great constitutional principles. We have said
commerce ; but it is not even commerce in 84
national point of view, SO 1111101 A as ,ruder that
mere Manchester aspect in which it is so ex-
clusively regarded by the COBDENS and BRIGHTS.
of the day,—the men under whose inspiration
both the Treaty and the Budget have evidently
been framed. "This city," observes QUO of our
Manchester contemporaries of yesterday, "is by
universal admission the prikilie of the commercial
policy which receives so comprehensive an appli-
cation and derives so powerful an impetus from
the proposals of the CHANcman of the EXCHE-
QUER. We are the trustees for free-trade prin-
ciples, 444 pledged to defend and propagate them
by our solicitude for the maintenance of the poli-
tical reputation which we have won. We are
bound, however, to the advocacy of the same
ease by more material obligations. The doc-
trine on which the whole conception of the Bud,
got is founded is, that the encouragement of in-
dustry is the surest method of pronaGting national
prosperity. It makes heavy sacrifices—and aw,
crifices in which we shall surely bear our part---_-:
in reliance on obtaining abundant com.pensation
in the extension of commerce. and the consequent
development of nmnufactures." .Here have a
confession that is at once candid and sugges-
tive. The Budget do m indeed make heavy
sacrifices 1 14ncl our Manchester men may well
he. content in hear their part in such sacri-
fices, "in . reliance on obtaining abundant com-
pensation." But will this be so with the great
body of the people; will anything. like a majority
of those who must be called upon to pay an in-
creased Income-tax, Lave any compensation
whatever ? We more than doubt it.
Let us film, however, from Manchester to
Liverpool. Her great staple is, not manufactures,
but shipping ; and see what one of the ablest ad-
vocates a the Budget, as a whole, says as to its
operation as regards British shipping. " The
abolition of the distinctive duties on goods im-
ported into France in English bottoms," observes
the Saturday Review," ought to haVe been made
an indispensable condition of the signature of the
treaty.

If the trade which Mr. GLADSTONE

anticipates springs up between the opposite
shores of the Channel, French vessels will nq
only secure an rov4ntve in their own ports, but
they will be able, by carrying a freight both
ways, to undersell their English rivals on the re-
turn voyage also. The consequent discontent
will not be diminished when it is found that the
same treaty secures to French vessels the facility
of coaling as cheaply at Havre as at Southamp-
ton. The shipowners were greatly impeded in
their recent agitation by the demonstrable jus-
tice of the laws which formed the main subject
of their complaint ; but Mr. GLADSTONE and
Mr. COBDEN, by reviving the system of reci-
procity, have done them the service of pro-
, viding them with a legitimate grievance." Now
this " legitimate grievance " must, of course,
be taken to imply injury and loss, tlii!!
will be the grievance, so that the Shipping
Interest, at any rate, vfkhilst bearing their part in
the heavy sacrifices which the Budget will im-
pose, can have no reliance whatever on obtaining
compensation for the same. We see, therefore,
how much will be sacrificed to mere Manchester
interests by the Treaty and the Budget; surely,
then, under these circumstances, were there no
other reasons, it would have been wise and pru_
dent to have considered first the Treaty, as that
from which all the mischief will ipevitably pro-
ceed.