The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-17 00:00:00

Eh erprelOS.

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 17.

LANDLORDISM will quote figures and consequently
get its ignorance and fully perpetually exposed.
Again and again has its inaptitude for discerningblack
from white been made painfully and pitiably mani-
fest; vet again and again it repeats the exploit of
statistical suicide, to the admiration of all true lovers
of protectionist martyrdom.
The performance of Lord Naas on Tuesday last
was a signal specimen of this unhappy species of
valour. Casting his eyes over the disenchanting
proofs of prosperity under free trade, the noble
member for Kildare lights upon two items, which
put together make up, he imagines, a conclusive case
against the system. The export of linen yarn from
Ireland to France has greatly diminished, while
the import of French flour into Ireland has consider-
ably increased. He seeks for neither cause nor ex-
planation in the contemporaneous facts that crowd
on all sides the darling figures he has discovered;
and trusting to the landlord instincts of the House of
Commons, he coolly proposes these isolated incidents
for their consideration,—nay, invites a decision
affirming the failure of free imports on the strength
of the scraps he has deliberately cut out of their con-
text, in the returns of the Board of Trade. And we
are bound in justice to the noble lord's sagacity to
admit that since in the middle of July, when two-
thirds of the members of parliament have left town,
93 individuals can be got to vote for such a motion
on such a statement, it is not perhaps unaccountable
why it should be made.
The quantities of flour imported into Ireland from
France have during the last three years very much
exceeded those previous to 1843. Therefore, says
Lard SA.I4, it is clear that the Irish millers must be
on the high road to ruin. He carefully omits to state
that while the imports of flour have increased, those
of unground wheat had gone on increasing likewise,
—funnshing, as Mr. LABOUCIIERE justly argued, a
demonstration that the millers had as much, if
out more than ever to do. Milling is, strictly
speaking, a manufacture. Most manufacturers
are supposed to be served by an abundant and limit-
less supply of the raw material. But milling, ac-
cording to the protectionist theory, is like to be
extinguished by the abundance of the material which
keeps its capital and labour busy.
Nor was the noble lord more logical in his various
subordinate arguments. An anonymous corn-factor
(of course of the greatest respectability) had written
hint a letter, declaring it to be his opinion that the
Irish millers could never compete with the French;
and his lordship proceeded then to explain how this
rather singular circumstance was to be accounted for.
It was not by superior machinery that the Celts of 1
Brittany were able to beat those of Leinster ; for
• great portion of the mechanism used, perhaps by
both, was sent from England • and amongst the
former the common name made use of was " the
English mill." Nobody, we presume, is likely to
ascribe the superiority complained of to ;greater
amounts or facilities or obtaining capital. The sole
remaining cause is to he sought, we are assured, in
the difference of the price of labour : as if wages in
Ireland were not proverbially too low already, or as
if the comparatively few hands employed in the im-
proved system of flour-making could affect so vast a
change as that which parliament was asked to de-
clare substantiated.

The truth is, that in totally different directions are
to be found the real occasion of that depression
which the smaller capitalists in many districts of
England, as well as Ireland, have had to sustain.
The application of steam power to the grinding of
corn has inevitably tended to tho concentration of
the trade in the fewer and larger establishments.
This must have occurred had the alteration of the
tariff never taken place. During the past year there
has, moreover, been a vast influx of flour from France,
owing to the singular superabundance of the wheat
harvest of 18.10. Already the markets of Paris show
that the speculative export to these countries during
the winter has been overdone; and it is no secret,
we believe, that considerable purchases have begun
to be made of French flour on this side of the chan-
nel fur re-shipment to France. By way of meeting
this part of the case, Lord Nate assured his hearers
that the French millers were by no means exclu-
sively dependent on the produce of their own soil for
supply. They might import from other countries
where wheat could be grown even cheaper than
at home, and grinding it in bond re-export it
as flour ; a proof of the paternal and fostering care
which the French government took of its industri-
ous and enterprising subjects. But this appears to be
about the climax of irrationality and non-sequence.
Irish and English millers have not only the power to
import at certain states of the foreign corn averages,
materials for manufacture in bond, but they can im-
port at all times and at all prices from all countries,
and grind their foreign purchases into flour, without
troubling their heads about Customs regulations,ofß-
cers, or penalties, or deducting a shilling from the net
annual profits on account thereof. Herein our fel-
low-subjects of the milling interest have obviously
all the advantage over their much-dreaded com-
petitors.
Not more successful was the attempt to show that
in the article of linen yarn Ireland had been •
sufferer of late years. Here likewise a single column
of' figures being alone seized upon, a conclusion is
drawn absolutely delusive and contrary to notorious
' fact. We do not accuse Lord Naas of mis-stating
wilfully the circumstances of the export trade in
yarn to France; but we shall in a few sentences con-
vince every intelligent and impartial man, how
utterly erroneous is the impression that would be
created by attending to those cited by his lordship,
without comparison and combination with other
, facts to be found in the same documents whence the
former have been drawn.

_- ---
About eight years ago the French government, in
one of their protection freaks, placed a duty upon
imported yarn, which 6s amounted, as it was in-
tended, almost to a prohibition. The professed, and
doubtless the sincere, aim of this tax on the raw
material of their lawn and cambric manufactures
eras to force the extension of spinning mills in
' Prance, whereby it was argued great profit and much
employment would be secured to their native industry.
"• By dint of smuggling, this was to some extent de-