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

291

should he by the road of fairness. Free trade should
ever be fair trade.

Do we discover any effort to make the field of the
world a fair field for British industry"
Have we a fair field in the United States ports and
markets? No; we reeeive their cotton free, and their
wheat and breadstittrs almost so, and yet on our
wales and manufactures they levy a heavy du'y, in
many eases equal to :10 per cent. ad naoress.
Is there any country which reciprocates "free
trade " with us ? I would like a list of the reeipro-
eating countries—l know of none.
I Rai told not to ask foolish questions. Our duty,
it seems, is to do what is right ourselves, and leave
the rest of the world humbly and meekly to follow
our excellent, and, under all the eireutustances, mag-
nanimous, generous example'
Very well, I admit that it is my individual duty to
he honest and true, &c., &c., wheth r other people
are so or no; but have I any right to be generous et
other people's expense, or specially at the expense of
those who entrust their affairs in my keeping? And
have British ministers anti British legislators a right
to be generous to foreigners at the expense of this
generation of British labourers of all classes? Oh,
but the British people wish to have it so, and there-
fore it is their own generosity. It is no such thing :
the mass of the people do not as yet understand
the question, though cabmen, perhaps, and sea-
men, who are crying out against unmitigated compe-
tition with foreigners on board British vessels, an' be-
ginning to feel the true state of the case ; and, when
the various classes see the matter as it is in reality,
it will probably be bored that those who kindly en-
couraged them to squander their privileges and lode
nude themselves of their rights as Britons will enjoy
a not very enviable popularity. In deference to your
space, I remain, dear Mr. Press, yours respectfully,
A•wort.o-ny: CONSISTENT FREE-TRAM:a.

EASTFAIN I'ISIoN RAILWAY MM.—This bill,
which had provoked much remonstrance', was closely
discussed, and disposed of for the time, in the House
of Commons on Thursday. The remonstrant peti-
tioners were chiefly preference shareholders, whose
right of preference is by the bill destroyed in return
for a supposed equivalent, although that right had
been formally and solemnly guaranteed by act of
Parliament. The supporters of the bill met this
complaint with the counter allegation, that those
preference shareholders Intel once agreed to take
commutation, but had revoked their consent on find-
ing their shares rise in the market. Thus, one side
condemns the bill as a confiscation, while the other
accuses its opponents as repudiators. In the course
of the debate Mr. Cardwell (who, from his official
position, spoke with special authority, although, as it
turned out, without influence) expressed his con-
viction that the preference shareholders had never
given their consent to the bill; and he condemned in
a pointed manner the report of the committee to the
contrary. Out of :100,000/. of preference stock, of
which 50,000/. was registered, one half of the holders
of the 50,000/. were dissentient. The right bon.
gentleman therefore resolved to vott against the bill.
Similar views were expressed in various forms by Sir
George Pechell, Mr. Wise, and Mr. Hume; the con-
trary being maintained by Mr. Corry, Mr. Cayley, and
Mr. Agl. by. Notwithstanding the weight which
might have been expected to 'Mail' to the official
position of Mr. Cardwell, on a division the promoters
of the bill carried the third reading by a majority of
twenty-four. Without expressing any 'Tinian on the
merits of the question between the opposing parties,
we feel bound to say that the case la one for con-
sideration in a quarter where the railway representa-
tive interest is not so strong or so well organised, and
where the deliberate opinion of a President of the
Board of Trade on a question peculiarly within his
province may perhaps not be treated in a way so
little flattering to his official pride.

A I.v.rrEtt FROM CoNisTANTINori.E, dated July 14,
states:—" The banner of the Prophet will be hoisted
shortly. The Egyptian fleet is expected in the Golden
Horn. The troops she brings are to join the army
at Shumls."
AuSTRIAN Criswl. at Smyrna arrived at
Athens on July 14: he was dumissioned in eonse
quence of the last events.
Welt AMTATIHN has been excited in Rome among
the French forces in consequence of the many revo-
Int. ary pamphlets circulated by the London and
American Propaganda. Numerous arrests have been
effected, and precautionary measures taken against
the revolutionary agents in the province, and espe-
cially in the Romagna.
Tut: Sr HseturnoNs for the new Dank of Discount
at Vienna amounted to forty-eight millions of
florins.
THE ENTEROR HP AUSTRIA will go to Tschl the
first days of August.
Tna Qt7F.Es OF THR N
Interlaken for a month.

has pee to