The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-30 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

British merchandise would hem present itself !
Smyrna might be declared a free port. In place of
substituting on the Bosphorus an Hellenic empire,
which the Christian powers ►could hare to uphold just
as they are now doing the Sultan, and which would
make Constantinople a focus of intrigue anti rival
jealousies—another Athens, in fact, on a larger scale
—the Grand Duke Constantine, seeond son of the
Emperor of Russia, should be called upon to assume
the Byzantine crown, having for a new and indepen-
dent kingdom Moldavia, Wallachia, Bulgaria, and
Roumelia east of the Rhodope mountains. Bosnia,
Ser•ia, and the Herzegovine would be given to Austria.
Greece would be enlarged by the addition of Epirus
and Theasaly, and some islands in the Archipelago.
England, in possession of Sarpente, Nlyteline. and
Rhodes, would be ►n a position to maintain her maritime
influence in the Mediterranean. Egypt and Syria would
be erected into one kingdom, of which the crown might
beoffered to his Royal Highness the 1 hike ofeambridge•
The Christian sects in Syria, so jealous of each other,
would thus be secured from the evil effects of secta-
rian hatred, under the tolerant sway of a Protestant.
dynasty. The Christians of Asia Minor might be at
liberty to emigrate into► this new Christian state. The
Mosque of Omar at Jerusalem should be restored to
the Jews, who might thus once more offer up wor-
ship to Jehovah in their beloved temple. How the
sons of Judah and Israel would flock to Palestine
under such a dispensation ! How soon would Syria
become the glory of all lands, with its harbours
cleared out, its communications facilitated, the capa-
bilities of its wondrous soil evoked ! France would
extend her sceptre over Tunis and Tripoli, and, having
one or two of the islands of the Archipelago in addi •
tion, would be enabled to take her fa►r share in the
balance of power in the Mediterranean. Morocco
would be guaranteed for ever its independence. Thus
at each end of the Mediterranean would exist two
bond
fide Mohammedan states, while Christian king-
doms would arise along its shores. Now, sir, I ask, with
such an arrangement what has England or France—
what has any power—to fear from seeing the Grand
Duke Constantine at Constantinople ? Nothing, ab-
solutely nothing. Greece would he the natural ally
of France; Egypt and Syria, together with the new
Turkey, of England. Would it not be much more
sensible for the Chr titian powers to act thus in con-
cord, for the benefit of humanity and civilisation,
than to proceed in the mad career of squabbling
about the maintenance of a power which is virtually
defunct? Christianity has only to will its ascendancy
over Islamism, and it is effected, and, when once ac-
complished, the Mohammedans themselves will be
the first to bless the change.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
July 27, 1853.

CHEAP CORN AND DEAR BREAD THE
RETAILER AND THE CONSUMER.
TO THE EDITOR (IF " THE PRESS."
" Though the beat wheat in London at present is three per
cent. cheaper than at Paris, and though the first Hour los three
per cent. cheaper, the beat 41b. loaf iu London in twenty-three
per cent. dearer than at Paris."—Afkm, July 21, 1553.
Why is the consumer in England denied the benefit
of cheap bread when corn is cheap? Why aro not
the prices of flour and bread of first anti second
quality made to adjust themselves in fair proportion
to the prices of wheat, as is done in France by a law
which has survived all the revolutions in that
country? How conies it that monopoly and combina-
tion among millers or bakers, or both, are allowed to
defeat free trade in wheat? II ow comes it that the public
submits with hardly a murmur to the extortionate
prices of beer? It would be a curious investigation,
and the result worthy of a place in the columns Of
the PRESS, to trace throughout the time which has
elapsed from 1700 to August 1M53 the average prices
of wheat and barley, and the concomitant prices of
flour, bread, and malt liquors, placing the figures in
striking juxtaposition, so as to lie obvious to the
"meanest capacity." The subject of a self-adjusting
fairly-proportionate scale of prices is one of rapidly-
increasing importance; the tendency in a wrong di-
rection between raw material and manufactured ar-
ticle having been evident between 1543 and 11453.
B.

WHAT IS FREE TRADE ?

Hear Mr. Press,—Can you tell me whether the
" Advisers of the Queen " of Britain, when accepting
office, undertake the government of this country, or
of the world at large'

You may smile at so very simple a question ; but
if British patriots in office think that British labour
should have "no favour " anywhere—pot even in
British field 4 and in British markets—it clear that
they fancy their funct to be to attend, like the mad
philospher in " Ita.ssela s," to the general affairs of'
universal man.
If so, then surely British labour is at least entitled
to a " fair field" on the broad earth, if to " no favour"
at home or abroad ; for every step towards perfection