The Express.
London, England, 1856-09-23 00:00:00

THE CUSTOMS CONGRESS.

(molt ore OWN COMMISSIONER.)

BRUSSELS, Seri% 20.

The Hotel de Suede appears to have been made the
headquarters of the gentlemen who, representing the
various nations of Europe, are about to meet for the
discussion of the principles of Free Trade. The na-
tions, it would appear, have responded to the invita-
tion of the Belgians with alacrity. Even Spain,
generally torpid in these matters, has sent two com-
missioners; while Holland has proved, by her repre-
sentatives, that she is advancing bravely to that style
of commercial freedom which we enjoy.
It mast be confessed that the moment for the Con-
gress is opportune. The King has just completed a
round of triumphs in the various cities of his king.
door. The principles which he propounded when he
stepped upon the throne have been faithfully adhered
to. Encompassed by great despotic governments, he
has been enabled by proper conceesio3s to publics
opinion, and the honest transaction of the public
business, to respect the freedom of his people, and to
maintain order, when surrounded by the clamour of
en European revolution. A quarter of a century has
shown that the Belgian people know how to govern
themselves I and there is perhaps no stranger con.
treat upon the face of the earth than that presented
to the traveller who approaches Brussels from the
French frontier. On one side of a railway station
you must talk politics in a whisper—you mast be
chary in the use of names. On the other, you may
talk loudly about the imperial policy, and, if it so
please you, deploy a sheet of L'llomme upon your
knees. Well, it is on this, the free side, that a
certain number of gentlemen, interested in the
simplification of tariff., and is the general march of
nations towards commercial freedom, determined to

meet to discus the principles of Free Trade, and
their iotlueno, upon the world.

Since last the question was raised on the Conti-
nent the world has seen many and astounding politi-
cal changes. And men have grown on the whole
wiser; because every civili.ed nation has become
daily better acquainted with its neighbour.. We
need not look beyond this city to be convinced of
the fact. The prejudiced men who, while
crying for political freedom, es loudly called
for commercial bondage, are di+appearing. Lttle
knoteofc'ear•sighted men—generally, let us allow,

moved by their personal interests—are arising
all over the Continent to do battle with high tariffa;
to point to the greatuees of free trade England in
comparison with protected France or Belgium; and
to demonstrate the necessity of competing with Great
Britain by a loyal rivalry on lair grounds, rather
than behind solidly built custom•housee. Among
the continental nations where the policy of free
trade has been ventilated, we mutt place Belgium
first and Holland second. There are men—and
eminentcommercial men in this city, in Antwerp, and
in Liege—who bare openly pronounced in favour of • '
policy that should end in complete commercial free-
dom. Only on the lith of last February the Belgian
Ara:elation for Promoting Customs Reforms met to
point out to the public the absurd construction of the
Belgian tariff. And absurd enough does this tariff
appear when we find that Belgium—after England,
the largest producer of iron and coil upon the face of
the earth—is compelled to buy her iron ships from Hol-
land; that theshipbuildere of Bremen and Hamburg
can build at 23 per cent. leas poet than the Belgian
ship-builder. And why ? Because, in the absence of
competition, the raw materials cost the Belgian
builder GO per cent. more than their intrinsic 'aloe.
If you turn to the article of spun cotton for a second

illustration—an article without which lace manufac-
I cannot exist—we find that while spun cotton
above No. 170 English, pays an import duty of only
five shilling, per 2001ber.; all coarser threads are kept
out of the country by a tariff so exorbitant as to
amount to prohibition. The consequence is, according
to one of the leading Belgian houses,r hat the manufac-
ture of tulle with threads below N 0.170 is impoesiblein
Belgium. The foregoing instances may suffice to give
the reader au idea of the state in which the Customs
tariff of Belgium remains. It is at once as ingenious
and as Illiberal as that of France; for while the
French custom-hone officer is kept on the look-out
for wolfs' teeth that he may levy a duty upon every
hundred, the Belgian dousnier is directed to prohibit
the transit through the Belgian territory of
nightingales and linnets. But it is when the
French and Belgian Governments meet to ar-
range mutual treaties that we discover the
extravagances of which a protective system
L capable. In • treaty passed between the
two countries on the 27th of February, 1854, we
dud spun hemp and flex placed upon a alidiog scale
of 180 step. Thus there are no lees than 180 distinct
duties oo them threads. Such ingenious protective
ladders require exceedingly clever custom-house
officers to are them. And the result is significant.
The Belgian custom house officer appears sorely puz-
zled when called upon to place any article upon the
endless sliding scale of the country. He may bonen
measuring and weighing, cutting, and ►pplying his
magnifying glees to cotton thread., to iron, to seed, to
tobacco, to pottery, dried fish, &c., sorely puzzled
where to clue any single object. Indeed, so utterly
bewildered were the Customs authorities on the pass•
lag of the memorable treaty to which I have referred
that on the morrow of its signature an international
emigres was held at Lille to endeavour to trowel it.
And what is the result of all this protective lug,.
unity ? Why, that a romans of eleven or twelve
millions of francs costs between 25 and 30 per ant.
In colleotioc. More, the heavy protective duties
levied in Belgium upon raw materi•l—apoa iron and
cotton thread, for instance—far from swearing labour
to the working classes, limits it. As I have already
remarked, the free ports of the Baltic can build iron
*hi ps2s per onto:lmam than theßelgian ship- Widen.
Holland almost mocopolisee the iron ship-building of
Belgium. And why ? Because free-trade Holland
receives English iron at the rats of 10a. per 200 lbs.,
while protected Belgium has to buy iron raised from
her own soil and smelted with native cad, some
three shilliogs dearer l But this is not all. The
iron•mestere of Liege, while they compel their coun-
trymen to pay upwards of thirteen shillings for 200
lbs. of iron, are able to sell the same quantity at Rot-
maim (where they are not protected) at the English
price. Thus the natural richness of the soil is made
a curse, instead of a blessing. It is the commerce of
Holland—not of Belgium—that the duty on iron
protects. If we turn to the coal trade we find the
same story repeated. The Frenchman buys Belgian
coal between 10 and 20 per cent. cheaper than the
Belgian himself can get it. And why ? Because the
Belgian is protected—or was protected—against the
importation of foreign coal.

This glance at the Customs tariffs of Belgium will
explain to the reader the eagerness with which many
Belgian manufacturers have joined as association
destined, let as hops, to rid them of proem.
tiara altogether. From the organisation of such
a national association to the development of
en international Congress was a natural step, more
especially in Brawls, where universal peace and
penal reforms have already been questions of wisct
tic., that have drawn commissioners from varlets
parts of Europe to King Leopold's capitaL And, so
far as I am able to judge from the names of Dome of
the gentlemen who compose the forthcoming Con-
gress, I think it will probably result in a revision of
the Belgian, if not of other tariff?. As already stated
we see even Spain represented. As the Belgians bad a
right to expect, England has responded to their invita-
tion by sending about forty commissioners, iocladiag
six gentlemen who have come to represent the decimal
system proposed by the active association of the
AdelphL Among other interesting popery to beet&
milted to the Coogreas are—one from the authorities
of Birmingham, comparing the tariffs of various'
nations, and ende►vouring to show their results upon
the industries which they respectively govern; and
a history of Free Trade, from Newcastle.
Count Arrivabene, the President of the Ecommisties
Bel9es, is, I believe, to preside over the sittings of the
COWING.

THE DANUBL—The DameOa, of VielllMlllooloool
Viet lb* primmest committee of tbe imolai,. mama by
Dasab• wto meet, wit swath, at Vi...., to dolibs-
Ms ea Ike polies sogolationo seaseraioi tiko 86TO/sties of
tbo Om.

&CAPE Of • PRISONER PROM Till MANCEIBffiI
CITY ()UM —O. Saturday eterssee. about 3 o'clock, •
pekoe*, embed Ti... Brady shoo Kiley nods • rather
slaver rumps beat th, City Gaol. It appears that be was
la the hap yard, delag see. work, fa sespasy with •
member of otiose pelimserr, sad all sailor IS. sharps of one
keeper. Tb keeper rifle, outages to 'move Out other
prlsosors to 'mower yard, I.ft Brady aloes sad sawstobod ;
cad he, takiag advailtage of the hbany the sasspostedly
essiforred epos hie, scud two paiistan' ladders (paoaters
being at present espied I. th. primps), sad, Gams tbs.
together by ropes, *solid the wall, upwards of 20 feet
la
height, sad made off. Ile le • young ma. about 22 posts
of IR*, tad was seetestard at the February *miaow to 1.
noetbe loprisessaset, se Oat, if be kw dear oC Ito
has saved about two-thirds of kb thee.— Cogigi.
as. out Tooth
burn Mt/etc-1W polls. of the tow. of Breathe,
is Silesia, haws awa iestmesd I. ass to tbe te•mg lb
bead ("pas which are allowed le bs play.d Is the mugs,
lei tab sari that they do sot .an plata sad
ammo to t y es pleasisg discords, to reveal whisk they en
sehj •ttea see to a meekly laspesdes mot trial by the
ft:4mnd Ann et the a soisipailtp