The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-22 00:00:00

one' figure to prove that it would be prudent
to embark in the large expansion of corn
merce required to meet the excessive pres-
sure of taXation. -On the contrary, it applauds
the existing state of the Money market, because
it " deters" men from embarking too largely in
trade and foreign bubbles, such as Russian rail-
ways, and Credit Mobilier scheming. And while
we dare not attempt to engage in those pursuits
which contribute most to the Exchequer, it con-
gratulates the country on the position of its
financial affairs! This is all very fine, but the
truth is, that the beginning of the end of our whole
monetary and banking system has overtaken us.
Our bullion nostrums have broken down in an
age of gold, and the amazement and confusion of
its advocates are so great, that they will say
anything, and know not what to think.

TO-DAY the world's Free Trade Congress will
meet at Brussels, and the Liverpool Chamber of
Commerce has escaped from the horns of a dilemma
by the course they have taken. They have sent a
deputation to that important Conference without
restricting them to any opinions, or any particular
course. They are, in fact, to repro s.Tit the corn-
mercial views and interests of Liverpool. But to
go beynnd this would ho obstrusive awl impolitic,

and will not be attempted. The Congress will
have something else to engage their attention,
besides discussing the political objections which
might be raised to defeat the material changes
they hope to effect. They have to collate facts and
disseminate the unadorned truth ; and if they were
to exclude the Free Trade growth of the port atad
town of Liverpool from their illustration of the good
that partially unrestricted commercial intercourse
has done for us, and has yet to achieve for other
arge seats of population and trade, they would fail
:o make the desired impression on surrounding
Liverpool, according to our political

nations.

prophets, was the first place which was marked
for desolation by the hand of the Free Trader•
It was predicted that the besotted stupidity of our
merchants, and the unpardonable ignorance of the
working classes who clamoured for a cheap loaf,
was to have stopped up the mouth of the Mersey
long before this.
There were not a few who ventured to assert that
the State would be left without a revenue, and the
millions without employment. The Tories opposed
it, because they did not understand it, the Whigs
kept aloof from it, as they could not see how it
would effect their family and party compacts, and
the Chartists denounced it because they had
forgotten to include it in the " five points." And
the same fate awaits the Free Trade movement on
the Continent. Every little huckster who has a
monoply in the manufacture and sale of a few balls
of cobblers wax, cakes of pipe-clay, or half-a
-dozen
yards of tape, every man who owns a score of
spindles, or one poultry plough-share. The con-
sternation of these selfish mortals, will be seized
upon by public spouters of every denomination,
who will make immense political capital of their

fears. In almost every country there is a numer_
ous class of people' who seem to have an
instinctive dread of being benefitted in any way.
The world is full of beings who look for a certain
measure of. misery in life, and are only surprised
when they find that it has not been filled quite as
soon as they had promised themselves. It is
impossible to help such creatures. They have no
spirit of emulation or sense of gratitutle to work
upon. They can only mourn over what has not
come to pass, and cannot be made to understand
that there is any possible good in store for man-
kind.

Millions cf people of this deplorable stamp aro
to be found on the Continent, and the cause of
Free Trade will never be supported in any of its
States unless the rulers of Europe can be con-
vinced that it will remove their pecuniary wants,
and carry them over their political dangers. And
what hope is there even in any direction for Free
Trade in cotton bales, and other equally bulky
commodities, where there is no liberty of transit
for a band-box or carpet bag ? The police of
France, Austria, and Russia, must be consulted
before their respective governments dare venture
on thinking of entering on any line of policy which
would increase the intercourse between the Freo
Traders of Liverpool, the Radical operatives of
Manchester, and the Democrats of Birmingham.
They would require to know the political opinions
of each of our shippers, and to be perfectly satis-
fied that our manufacturers were no friends to
fraternity and equality. In what direction, then,
are we to look for Free Trailers on the Conti-
nent? Will not the Brussels Conference have to
make supporters for their cause? They must go
forth as our Anti-Corn Law agitators did, and
proclaim the truth in every hamlet, town, and city.
They must publish reports of their proceedings,
tracts, and set the whole machinery we employed
at work. Those who wish to see the social condi-
tion of their country advanced, will readily believe
that we enjoy the incalculable benefits which have
followed our partial adoption of Free Trade.

Industrious and hopeful Europe will listen to
them, but political, bigotted, and tyrannical Powers
will hear them with wrath and trembling. Still
this does not make it a political question with
England. It can only become so when the average
price of wheat returns to 60s. instead of being 735•
per quarter, and a certain number of noisy people
begin to discuss the dangers of the cause and
effect. When the Tories begin to quake for their
rents, and the Whigs undertake the incubation of
their fears, then, indeed, the Chamber of Commerce
would be unwise to interfere prominently in the
discussion. But while all is going on swim-
mingly against usury, the worst evils of war,
and every other species of odds, they could not send
a man to the Congress who could say too much in
favour of Free Trade, even in our modified accep-
tation of the phrase. The results obtained by its
operation have completely demolished the accuracy
of the theoretical conclusions arrived at by both its
advocates and its opponents, and all we can under-
take to do, in order to convince others that there
reallyss some good in it, is to invite all those who are
sceptical on the subject, to come to Liverpool and
judge for themselves. It is not necessary we should
enter into the whys and wherefores, to account
for our not being better or worse off. We need
only put into their hands the statistics of the port,
and tell them that the population of the Borough
does not amount to 400,000 souls.

whole of the factory operatives employed at the sheds of
Messrs. Whalley and Hardman, at Kirkham, near Preston,
STRIKE OF FACTORY OPERATIVES AT KIRKRAM.—The
struck work on Thursday for an advance of wages. The
and state to their employers that they are
w
been for some time past, paying tnem at the
hnraoatned'osafenoodnmehpalaav niednt a half per cent less than is now paid by the
Preston manufacturers, and that the material they hare to
work up is of an inferior quality, consequently they are
utterly unable to earn ample compensation for their labour.
During the week the operatives have held several meetings,
and ultimately came to the conclusion to ask an advance of
a half per cent. On Wednesday morning a deputation of
the employes waited upon the above named gentlemen. to
whom they stated their grievance, but, after an attentive
hearing, their app'ication was refused, and the df potation
told that, if the men did not resume work the following day,
the mill would be eksed for a month. The men, however,
refused to follow their employment, and the mill has sinus
been standing,