The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-12 00:00:00

To cositrJiroslilditS.

• .eirrol Millis .1" The Zipress." seataistog the SIMI o.llllole,
rattr "Is pubtilied Mt, TuNi. .a hiday Mem. la Yoe

Mr post. . .
a 1 set t. weds Mewled fur.. The Es prem. Males Imam meet,
Nem be e the 01/ko. 10, Suover*stnel. ty Tee eelost ea tM
day et peltheadem

MOE! WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tots Ds—lientsg. I In. Ism. _Mbomou, I lb. S.
I aosessaw—lieralag. On. 03 Afterassa, Ob. 17..

LONDON, THURSD.4r, AUGUST 12.

NOTWITHSTANDING the anticipations and assur-
ances of the Paris l'rotectionist journals to the con-
trary, the Treaty of l'ommerce between Belgium and
France of December, 1815, has been allowed to ex-
pire on the 9th inst.. without any temporary pro-
longation of its provisions, or any substituted ar-
rangements of a permanent nature. Accordingly,
the Mogaitrur of the 10th has announced that
Belgian trade with France, after that date, be-
came subject to the general tariff of duties appli-
cable to the commerce of uufavoured nations.
The consequence is, that, for a while at
least, Belgian coal will, on importation into
France, have to pay the same duties as English coal;
and that French wines will cease to have undue ad-
vantages over the wines of Germany in the Belgian
markets.
This, however, is, in all probability, much too
simple and fair a position long to be preserved in
countries still so wedded to an artificial and complex
system of trade as Belgium and France. It is, in-
deed, quite true that, in the negotiations which were
in progress for a new treaty, there were some very
substantial differences between their governments
but they were of detail, not of principle; and
that the treaty of 1845 was not prolonged
until those differences had been adjusted, is chiefly
owing to the disorganised state en which the Belgian
ministry has continued fur some time. But as the politi-
cal difficulties have now been tided over for a season,
in all likelihood some provisional arrangements on
the subject of trade will be the immediate conse-
quences of the suspension of the ministerial crisis at
Brussels.

Meanwhile, England has some interests in the
question requiring attention; for the monopolist
prints of the French capital have openly
announced that one object of their government in
the negotiations is to require advantages for
their saline productions in Belgium over those
of this country; and that ought, of clime, to be
stout y resis'ed by the British government. Much,
however, in the way of resistance is not to be
expected from the DERBY cabinet, seeing how
seriously it has injured, by its explanations and addi-
tions, the Treaty of Trade and Navigation with
Belgium which constitutes the last substantial ser-
vice to commerce performed by the late administer''
tion. Let us explain tho state of this question, awl
what that injury is.
Belgium is mainly dependant on foreign supply
for salt. It possesses no mines producing roc or
mineral salt. It receives that article when for
culinary nee from England ; when for manufacturing
purposes it takes the coarser commodity of France ;
and in the list of countries receiving the eighteen or
twenty millions of bushels which we annually export
—worth some quarter of a million sterling—Belgium
stands fourth. Though thus disadvantageously
situated, Belgium has pursued a fiscal policy very
adverse to her own interests in respect of salt;
for first it levied a duty of 4f. 20c. per
100 kilogrammes on the importation of raw
salt • then it imposed an excise of 12f. 72c.
on the refined article ; and lastly, to protect the
excise, it prohibited the transit of salt through its
territories. Yet, all that the import duty produced
the Belgian Treasury was about 120,00 W. a year;
whilst the effect of it, and of the excise, was greatly
to restrict the use of salt; the Belgian population
not consuming more than 151bs. a head annual.lTs
- -^.

against 2•2lbmit bead in this country, where salt
now happily free Gem all taxation, and from any
government interim/wen
Were Belgium ts sink on equal terms the refined
salt d ether ammeelea, it would be supplied much
more amply ibma it now is from the valley of the
Weaver, in Climeire. But, excluding salt
by heavy dud s% and giving advantages to the infe-
r= French salt when refined at home, France baa
been able to carry on a considerable trade in this
article with Belgian. French salt is manufactured
by license under strict and expensive supervision,
and yields • revenue of nearly three millions sterling
to the state ; and though it is, of course, exported
duty free from bond, it is • high-priced, coarse, and
bad commodity. Still, favoured, it maintained a
footing in Belgium.
From the period of its independence down to last
autumn, we had no Treaty of Trade or Naviga-
tion with Belgium. The Treaty of Separation from
Holland of November 18, 1831, stipulated generally
for the regulation of tolls, canals, and rivers, in
which other powers were more concerned than Eng-
land; but it did no more commercially. The want
of a treaty was indeed little felt by Belgium; for,
though she imported considerably from England,
she could only export articles in which we were
her superiors. To this country the absence of •
treaty was, however, a serious evil; for, wanting
general stipulations of fiscal eqoality in the Belgian
markets, our trade was constantly liable to excep-
tional disadvantages. And, as we had at lenveehsn
set-
tled the principles d our own tariff, it
important to have some general arrangement with
Belgium. Accordingly the late administration am-
eluded the Treaty of October 27, 1831, which, far
reasons to be stated, the present government did net
lay before parliament until the April following.
This Treaty, as explained in its preamble, is sat
each a simple convention as the real interests of the
two counties require; but, Belgium being em-
barrassed at the date by its stipulations with
other nations, it professes only „to remove, as
far as may be possible at the present moment,
the obstacles which impede the commercial rela-
tions between the two countries." It contains,
therefore, no most favoured nation clause; but ap-
proximate' only to that useful provision. By its
second article, goods of any kind, irrespective of
their origin, imported directly into Belgium from
the United Kingdom and its colonies under the
British flag, enjoy the same advantages as if int•
ported under the Belgian flag. By the third, such
goods are to be admitted at the same rate of duties
as if imported under the Belgian flag from the place
or in the manner mast privileged under the General
Tariff of Belgium; and by the 4th article, these
privileges were extended to British ships bringing
goods from other than British ports.
Nothing could be better in principle than these
gener.-.1 stipulations. But, having incorporated them,
the Treaty next proceeded to except from their ope-
ration the great articles, sugar, coffee, tobacco, cot-
ton, and other commodities, including salt. But
when consenting to exclude salt, Lord PALXERSTON
at least gained three meet important points stly,
That the Belgian duty on British raw salt imported
under the British flag should be " reduced imme-
diately by two-thirda ; " that is from 4f. 20c- to
If. 40e. ; 2ndly, That British spring salt should be
assimilated in the tariffs of customs and excise, and
in exemption from excise, to raw salt ; and 3rdl7, that
the prohibition on the transit through Belgian ef
British salt should be removed—three most valid&
concessions.

Such woos the treaty as signed on the 7th of Oc-
tober, 1831, by Lord PAU/Ea/nom and Mr. LAI9OO-
- It hos, however, subsequently been sadly
injured by Lord Mni.sassuar and Mr. ilanur is

a declaration as to the meaning of the provisions re-i
lating to salt signed by those two members of the
DERBY Cabinet on the 7th of April, 1852.
Lord PALMERSTON'S treaty had, Article V., pro-
cured the assimilation of British spring salt to raw
salt, " As regards duty of customs, duty of excise,
-exemption from duty of excise in case it is destined
for manufactories and warehousing." The greater
part of this concession Lord MALMESBURVS declara-
tion abandons; fur by it " British spring salt shall
be considered as raw salt, on importation into Bel-
gium, only in those cases in which the legislature of
Belgium permits the granting of exemption from
excute;" thus giving up the advantages Lord PAL-
MERSTON had obtained " as regards duty of customs
and duty of excise."
Again; not content with this sacrifice, Lord
MALMESHURT has further conceded by his declaration
the principle that French salt, refined in Belgium,
shall, notwithstanding the expiration of the treaty
u hieh gave it advantages, always continue to enjoy a
preference in the duty of excise of 7 per cent. over
iltritish salt refined in Belgium.
And by these two concessions, Lord MALMES-
!IVRY has, of course, substantially thrown away,
so far as spring and refined salt are con-
' corned, the important advantage gained for En-
glish salt by Lord PALMERSTON. When then
the French negotiators shall, as announced by the
C,Jostitutionnef, insist on further advantages to the
saline productions of their country in Belgium, small
indeed is the security the salt pans of Nantwich
will find in Lord MALMESI3I3II%

I Tut: axiom that Necessity be no Law deserves
a wider application than is generally given to it;
for, of all misfortunes, Necessity obtains tho least
protection from Law. The boater cheats the ill-paid
operative without hindrance ; the bill discounter
swindles the distressed gentleman with impunity,
because time and money—the want of which is the
essence of Necessity—are indispensable to going to
Law against him. Those, therefore, who have at
their command but little time and but scanty purses
form that unfortunate class of the community who
are the most cheated and the least protected. Of
that class, the largest section and the greatest ea-
ferers are the humbler orders of emigrants.
From what occasionally oozes out in the public
newspapers, and from facts which have come pri-
vately to our knowledge, we are warranted in saying
that, at the present time, extortion and deceit are being
practised against emigrants at thevarious English ports
in a fashion which is as systematic as it is disgrace-
ful. There is an extensive, infamous, but no less profit-
able, trading upon Necessity, which it is impossible,
in a majority of cases, for the Law to reach. As the
fare who has been driven to a railway station
just as the train is starting has no time
to battle with an extortionate cabman, so
the emigrant, the anchor of whose ship is being
weighed, can get no redress against an exacting
shipbroker or dishonest emigration agent. Occa-
sionally, however (too seldom), such gentlemen catch
• Tartar in au injured client who has some money,
and can afford to throw away a little time. When
such is the ease, we hold it to be a duty—inasmuch
as the text presents itself so infrequently—to " im-
I prove" it. As law is unattainable, public opinion
should be made to operate as stringently as possible.
It will be seen by our reports of the police courts
in yesterday's and to-day's papers, that a gentleman
IT.. Portsmouth appeared before the LORD MAYOR
at the Mansion-house, to complain of the expense
sad inconvenience to which his son had been sub-
jected in consequence of repeated delays in the de-
parture of the ship Prince Alfred, bound for Port Phil-
lip,in which the young man had taken, and partly paid
for, a lunge. This ship was advertised to sail on
the 7th of July, and the complainant came to Lon-
don about a month before that time, to engage
a cabin in her, paying one-half the passage-
warsey by way of deposit. The departure of
the vessel was postponed from the 7th unto
the 17th ofJuly; then until the 23th of July; then
vigil the 30th of July ; then until the sth of August ;
=Meetly—she has not sailed yet ! It happens that
Itho present sufferer could afford to run up and down
Um Portsmouth in consequence of these repeated
postponements ; but supposing—and the case,
ekhough extreme, is not uncommon—he had come
darns • remote part of these realms, and that his
swans were limited to his journey-money to London
and to hie passage-money to Australis : —in that ease
he must have simply starved, and the remedy pro-
vide& by law would of course have boen a dead letter
too hiss. Happily for Mi. Itnrinzo—the plaintiff in
question--he had time, strength, and money enough
to arms the evil by which his son had suffered, and
to obannedress for him under the 32nd clause of
the Pastrapeie Act (12 & 13 Vic., c. 33). By this
elsess--which in these times cannot be too widely
Maws to emigrants—it is enacted that when a ship
car nista within forty-eight hours of the time ad--
mask the pesimoger shall,provided he present him-
esN he Ilegbillmliga aid have paid his Passage.
nosy, slaw he smut Is his destination by the
spat hi male ship, or be paid subsistence money
at the NO et Is. per day, and also such further sum
not oummetinim 101. as shall be decided by the =gin-
buts to be Tosseosble compenastioa for loss and an-
eenvesissee esdimeod by the delay—the
to be retuned in addition. In the
eeniiiatioa, the award was 61., besides s refunding
of Mr. assumes deposit.
Doubtless, daring the present demand for passen-
ger ships, and the consequent paucity of seamen to
man thee, this clause should be liberally construed
in Wiser of the eherteren; bat the delays in the
depestors of the Prises AL&ed appear to be unwar-
rantable. Yet her siesta wenn to consider it a
heal* Ilualbsp eftild ban Imo suaimuil. The
truth wadi wpm to bo thetas sod won Ind to
blunt matt massestabis anon of the
dishonest" of lasaldag am wslosst, to the
'stoat al andiedeinnsK wbsa slid be account,
a said no and a viten, who demerves, and
deeelbes obtains, the sympathy of his brother
arrgents.
eent cues, however, do not and cannot come
hen the public, because they wear at the point of
slarnig. It is not uncommon for passage-mongers
to MIS S sort of decoy cabin to be fitted up in a
ship about to sail, while she is "on view." Delighted
with the completeness and neatness of the model
berth, the intending emigrant engages space and
orders a similar man to be fitted up for himself.
When, however, he arrives on board, bag and bag-
me, he looks in vain for the dandy decoy. It has
been desred away ; and the hots allotted to him
bears about the same sort of resemblance to it so s
St. Ciles'e cellar bean to a St. James's drawing-room.
That is not all—although he has engaged and paid
for his cabin, so much of his luggage as he chooses
—at his own diminution of convenience and space—
to place in it, is miaowed ; and he is charged for
the epos at the lest moment, when he cannot expose
or remedy the fraud. Another sort of fraud is de-
scribed in that most agreeable of all redressers of
public www, Dickens's Household Words, in an
article psurtraying from personal observation a
oleos on beard a starting emigrant ship :
The beams haviag shipped more peasesgeis due could
be seememeibled, a done persons had bees, two days be-
ton, emend hem the ship by tho oselgeseles diens ; bat
in their plus at hoot a own non lad loss mat ea beard,
sad when they won to Awl tom woo new the
The oeptais ha bee. trying to pine two secs sees
single bertha.
But this, I aseertaleed, we. set all of the misname.
meet, or imposition, or both, from 'Yoh these eniertessee
emigrants suffered. A great soessiessilbem be:o Ihr
their passages through some bed
seemed room Ix them in the eta :=Figigna Mew
_.l
however, at the twelfth hour, these we vow Urni
that the broken had demanded two a nu um
from the society, owing, it was seat goers rin is Whiff
were; sad dig accordingly found yes celled apes
ecregis
to make good the amount from their essay purses.
It is one of the curious features of commercial,
as well as of public life, that ma will, under the
pressure of competition and beim excitement,
commit, or become accessary to, nefarious acts from
which they would shrink in their private relations
with the world. Even a small ship involves large
transactions. Consequently most shipowners and
charterers are wealthy, and are held, as s body, to
be amongst the most respectable members of the
community. They are liberal donors to charitable
institutions; and appeals to their private benevolence
i are seldom made in vain. To that, therefore, setting
right and law aside, we would now address our-
selves. The mitigation of much misery, and no little
ruin, is in their power. Let them, therefore, be en-
treated to do their part amongst their agents and
subordinates to suppress a system of fraud, which is
as disgraceful to those who practise it as it is ruinous
to its victims.