The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-25 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25. 1851.

En aiod with a view to abolish the preferences given
to native over foreign shipping—America, Holland,
Sweden, and Sardinia. Lastly. reductions in the
customs duties on foreign merchandise have been
conceded in America, Turkey, Austria (to
commence in February), the Zollverein, Norway
and Sweden, Sardinia, and Spain. Every one of
these international treaties, all these lowerings of
, customs' tariff+, are practical recognitions of the
soundness of the principles of free-trade.
Whatever may be the theoretical views of com-
mercial policy entertained or professed by a ma-
i jority of the governments of Europe and America,
their actions show that they. feel that protective
duties, and exclusive immunities conferred upon
their own merchants, manufacturers, and ship-
owners, do not benefit the whole community ; that
the liberation (partial or complete) of commerce from
such artificial trammels augments the national
wealth, diffuses affluence and comfort more egnaily
through society, and enables their citizens or subjects
, to contribute more largely to the public revenue with
less of inconvenience to individuals.
It fares with free-trade as with freedom of all
kinds. In the history of all civilised nations it may
be remarked that a greater latitude of thought and
action is conceded to the citizens, in proportion as
wealth and education are diffused, even where old
forms of government arc rigidly adhered to. In Eng- '
land we cling to a hereditary monarch, a pnvilegcd
aristocracy, and an established church; but are
property and personal liberty less secure, or is the
expression of opinion less freck,in Englund than in
the United States?. And so with free-trade. It is
rapidly becoming the animating and guiding prin-
ciple of international intercourse, notwithstanding
the retention of many obsolete forms of restriction
and protection. Artificial regulations of trade—the
short-sighted and mischievous laws meant to force
it into unnatural channels—are being sapped and
undermined. They will soon be little better than
mere empty forms—conventional forms of expression
upheld by the power of habit after they have ceased
to influence men s opinions or actions.
Already protection is in this country, and in the
United States, little more than the rallying cry of
factions: an empty word to which even those who
use it attach no distinct meaning. In the mouths of
Lord STANLEY, and Mr. Insnaw, and Lord NIAL-
MESEWRY,“ protection " means readjustment of taxa-
tion, if indeed it is anything but a mere shibboleth,
whereby their partisans may recognise each other—
the word which they must give before they are ad-
mitted into the ti4ll meetings of their secret lodges.
We would not be understood to imply that the
empty cant and hollow phrases of " protection.' are in-
nocuous. The most unmeaning conventionalities of
language retain a power of doing harm so long as
they arc allowed to pass current. Thus, for example,
the nonsensical distinction between the liberty and
the licentiousness of the mess was turned to good
account by the tories of the days of CASTLEREAGH
and SlD:norm, although even then no man was
shameless enough to defend the gagging of the
press in the abstract. In like manner, no intelligent
and educated ltonian catholic regards the puerile
inuminerits of his sect with anything but distaste ;
• and yet, because they have not the courage to insist
• upon their being repudiated, they are obliged to con-
, nive at their emasculating and demoralising opera-
tion. It is the same with the slang of "protection. It
cannot much longer influence the broad general
policy of this or any nation, but it is a convenient
cloak for a multiplicity of swindling jobs.
No compromise, then. ought to be made with—no
quarter given, even to the words and phrases of" pro-
tection: The politician who uses them ought to be
shunned and pointed out as a suspicious character. It
is not without an object that he talks gibberish, any
more than the professional conjuror does so. Ile has
some sleight-of-hand trick from which he wishes to
divert your attention by the volubility and redundance
of his slang. lle has some selfish and sinister job to
promote. As soon as he begins with his jargon—
whether it be at a cattle show or a dock meeting—
button your pockets, stand at a wary distance, and
invoke the aid of the political police.

THE
REVOLUTION IN FRANCE.

THE ELECTIONS.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY MORNING.
Yesterday the consultative commission met in the
Palace of the Conseil dlltat, under the presidency of
NI. Baroche. After the six youngest members had
been called on to act as secretuics, M. Baroehe pro-
bposed to the commission to divide itself into seven
ureaux, which should examine the votes given on
the 20th and _'lst inst., according as the returns
arrived at the hotel of the Ministry of the Interior.
This proposition having been acceded to, the bureaux
' were then formed by lot, and the first of them at
once proceeded to examine the votes of the navy,
the only returns as yet forwarded to the commission. •
These were as follows: Voters, 10,09d—oui, 14,820;
non, 1,875 ; abstentions, .107.
Some uneasiness was felt about the votes of
Havre, but the result is a ma iority of 3,525 against
1,567 iu favour of the Prestdent. In 1818 Louis
Napoleon obtained only 2,432 votes, while 3,407
were given for Cavaiguac.
The Bishop of Marseilles has written a letter to
the Cuurricr paper of that city to announce that he
was against abstention, and had urged all his clergy
to support the government.
The Orinena Publiqew dues not publish the results
of the poll of the 20th and 21st. It says that iu this
it imitates the reserve of the Mot/deur, which waits
for the sifted result of the consultative commission.

The law of June 13, Itisl, for regulating the sugar
duties which, according to the vote of the legislative
assembly, was to come into operation on the Ist of
January, has been put off by a decree until the Ist
of June, 1552. It will be remembered that this law
substituted for the old basis of types which served
for the determination of the duty, a scale of valua-
tion, according to the saccharine richness, and the
returns on being refined; and subjected to the excise
duty refineries hitherto exempt.
'1 he Pays reports that a decree is expected to
appear in the .11taliteur, fur the indemnification of the
damages sustained, in consequence of the revolution
of February, by proprietors, manufacturers, and rail-
way companies.
Various reasons are assigned by the Patrie and
Constitutionne/ for the fall yesterday at the Bourse.
It is said that the success of the President's election
was foreseen, and put to profit by speculators before-
hand. The Constitutionae/ contradicts the report
that some productive taxes were to be repealed. fhe
Patrie denies that an income and property tax is to
be levied. _ _ .

The Constitutional, in referring to the hint it gave
yesterday as to the conversion of the Five per
Cent. Itentes, says that it only meant that this roes-
sure might possibly be taken when the country was
settled, and order, security, and confidence restored.
In consequence of the energetic note addressed by
France to the Swiss government, on the subject of
the Jews of Bile-Campagne the federal council met
on the same day. and resorted to the dilatory measure
of sending a federal eommissioner to Liesthal. On
the 20th M. de Salignac, the envoy of the French
government, would arrive in Berne, where he was
charged to hold the most decided language.
The Canstitatioßncl, in commenting upon the
news front Morocco, says, in reterence to the report
that the Emperor Abdelvahman was ready to treat
directly with the French government without the ,
intervention of the consul at Tangiers. if the
question is reduced to these terms, it will be easy to
bring the Emperor to reason. But in all events the
French squadron has only left Tangiers momentarily,
and because the anchorage is not secure. It can re-
appear as soon as its commander has received the
orders of the government for this purpose.
Larochefoucauld, l)uke de Doudeauville, addresses
a long letter to the G0:7...Hr tie France, which is the
most outspoken composition I have seen in a news-
paper sing Dec. 2. He recommends the President
to Mini an heroic duty in restoring Henri V. He says :
" It would be dangerous for society as well as for the
President to force the nation to seek itself a remedy
to PO many evils, and to reclaim liberties, which it
may momentarily sacrifice Mr the common interest,
but which it will exact later.- _ _

M. Jules Simon, a profes.sor and member of the
constituent nsKtubly of 1.645, has been dismissed
from his chair.
. .

A scree appears reorganising the cadres of the
gentlataurio, so us to multiply the officers, and to
render the service more attractive to officers of the