The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-11 00:00:00

aid =idle =throes the several sestes." Bat the foal
meeting; teak pie= =we than thirty pass bask ; w al the
delPlip, The hare appal to ase ea =pm=
=lasessandfmt the spelled Weep
ealp a whisti the Awed= mora-
ines ash. au% =ea pesing that P sad the
other German slates were iodised to overlook trodshis bras= of
formality, sad to attribute it to no sinister mode Via,
=maim the apprehoulea whit= the il
of ea arrianopowelo le ralemisesd to inspire, ems side el the
quondam, end= met she to the cable= et
into
nod thitirthedistabanee *Meld he three= into the
relations of Prussia with Beglaad by the proposed altera-
tion et the tariff, just when the opening of the Eng-
lish market to Prussia's most important anion
of tornados, ought laterally to he answered
by lowering the barriers to Eoglish trade lane=
of heightening them. The ends of Austria would
be admirably served by thus sowing dimension between two
countries, both equally the 'sterol foes of the Russian
policy of Primes Sehwarsenberg. But Prase= is by no
means Wad to the advaangse whist may be drawn from
the English ellianee, so long as Austria seems earnestly
beat upon disputing her supremacy in Germany. Hence
it appears quits oatmeal that the organs of the Prussian
government should forestall diplomatic negotiation on this
subject with the declaration that it is impossible to entertain
the Austrian ashes& "A guest," says the Rearm, " who
eanotutess himself with the declared intention of demolishing
our house, will scarcely And the door open " As if to avenge
this unfavourable reception, the Wiener Zeitung publishes
the despatch which was sent with the memorial to the
Federal Commission at Frankfort. in which it is remarked,
somewhat spitefully, that "it would not be satisfactory to
the Austrian government to eater upon special negotiations
with the Premien gammas= up= this subject." So that
for the present we see that this se for commercial union
has hitherto seemed= in fomenting only political disunion,
end in placing a still wider barrier betwixt the two great
Clomp powers; while to Prude is left only the alternative
of pushing the rupture to extremes, or of 'Mali up her
scheme of the smaller band.
If we pass from the political to the commercial question,
the worthiness of the Austrian project would be not lees
apparent. Besides the noisy in money, weights and mea-
sures, in commercial legislation, poet, and railway menage-
meet, which was long ago decreed by the National Assembly
at Frankfort, the memorial proposes a customs-union of all
German states upon the base of a protective system, in con-
formity with the tariff proposed by the society for the pro-
tection of German labour. The Austrian dominions

contain a population of 374 millions.; the territory of the
Zollveritia 28 millions ; the commercial union of the north-
ern states of Germany 41 millions. Of these three areas
that of the Zoliverein conning the greatest proportion of
manufactories. The greatest trade in Germany is in the
Hasse Towns. Holstein, Meckleaburgh, and Hanover bear
away the poles in aviculture, which oleo preponderates in
Austria. In the Zollverein, 10 per cent. of the population
are employed in various kinds of manufactures; in Austria
only 11 per cent. All the more important manufactures
befog completely excluded by the Austrian tariff, the im-
ports of Attains amount, according to the latest official
reports, only to twelve millions sterling, and the exports to
eleven million. sterling. The Z .11verein, which admits all
foreign manufactures at moderate duties, imported during
the some year to the value of thirtri ight millions ster-
ling, and exported to the value of forty millions sterling
The customs duties in Austria are computed at 16 per cent
oa the value of the importation ; those of the Zollverein at
11 per cent. The amount of the exportation, in proportion
to the population, is, In Austria, 6s. a head ; of the imports-
-64. Bd. ; the receipt of customs, 111 d. a head. In the
Zollverein the amount of exportation ii 11.75. a head; of
importation, 11 8s 61 a head ; of customs, 3i. • head. The re-
fore, whether the extent of trade, of production, or of the
revenue arising to the state from the interchange with
foreign countries is concerned, all is in favour of the Zo'l-
verein tariff as compared with that of Austria. But,
according to the Austrian proposition, not the Zoll-
verein's tariff, but the tariff scheme of the society for
the Protection of German Labour is to be adopted in the
new commercial union. Bach a charge would differ from
the introduction of the Austrian prohibitive system only in
name, as a glance at some of the duties will prove, when we
compare them with the average price of the articles out of
Germany, in England for instance.
Duties proposed
English average price, by Austria.
rix rte Per et.
dollars. dollars. of value.
Cotton yarn (German owt) 30 5 161
Cambria
Jacconet
Fancy muslin
Pion es
Velvet. (soltia)

Brushes'

Iron

.
Iron wire
300
Common quincsillerie, steel
pen., needles, &c.
Linen yarn up to No. 26
from 26 to 60
Zarthenware
These duties would manifestly have all the effect of com-
plete prohibition : the great gainers would be the smugglers.
The duties levied by the Z ,llverein ou the same articles are
in some instances one-half, in others one-third of the above ;
and it may be safely affirmed that the adoption of the Aus-
trian tariff would very soon bring down the flourishing com-
merce of the Zollverein to the unsatisfactory condition of
that of Austria.
. . .

The weak points of such a proposition are an obviocs that
it is s rising that a scheme of the kind should even have
been used as the mask of a political intrigue, for the arith-
metic of a child is sufficient to demolish it. But the
Austrian cabinet goes upon • principle, which• is indeed
sufficiently applicable to the population it governs, that few
read, and still lees count.
It might be supposed, from the zeal with which Austria
advocates protection, that she had an important manutactur-
ing capital over which stiff was bound to cast her shield.
Nothing of the sort. The sum total of manufacturers, big
and little in Austria, amount" to 8,000, out of whom,
perhaps, not more than 2,000 would extend their
gains with the extension of their markets,—mad
perhaps some 600 might become losers from that exten-
sion. The memorial of 104 Bohemian manufacturers de-
precating any relaxation of prohibition, lately presented to
the government, proves that this fact is not apprehended in
al its meaning by the manufacturers themselves ; and I have
already adverted to the respect with which the government
is constrained to treat the prejudices of this class. But these
prejudices exist not only among the manufacturers, but co.
exist to an extent quite remarkable with the profession of
the Romau catholic religion. Meanwhile the Austrian
government, whose influence outside as well as inside its
own dominions is built upon the adhesion of the Roman
catholic', has not improbably aimed this blow at
the material interests of the protestant. of North
Germany in orJer partly to flatter its religiuua
and partly its commercial superstitions. Nevertheless,
even the organs of the protective and Roman Catholic party
abstsin from praising the Austrian commercial scheme,
because thee know that the price demanded for it is the
sacrifice of German unity and liberty, and the adoption of
principles of government which fortunately are detested in
the south as much as in the north. But the question
lies no longer with the manufacturers or with
the people to decide. It lies with the cabi-
nets; and when one remembers the small leaven
of upriglAnees and intelligence which struggles against
Austrian influence at Munich, Stuttgard, Dresden, and in
the inferior states, it seems possible that the scheme may be
not wholly unsuccessful in sweeping up a few effective

adherent': _ -
On the other band it cannot be denied that a customs
union with Germany would be of infinite benefit to Austria.
The majority of the Austrian manvfacturers would gain a
more extensive market for their produce ; the superior in-
telligence and superior capital of the ZAlverein would
partially settle in Austria ; the imports from the Zeillrerein
into Austria would be hampered by the monetary embarrass
ment and the silver ado as by • duty; and if
the aid° were removed the Zollverein would be deluged with
Austrian paper; so that in the event of Austrian bankruptcy,
which seems sooner or later once more inevitable, the
burthen would be shifted in a great measure from the
shoulderslof the subjects of the insolvent imperial government
on to those of foreigners. But one argument more than all
others ought to weigh with Germany against the Austrian
proposition, and that is the dependence to which all
Germany would be reduced upon the integrity of an
empire continually voted by rebellions nod wars as
well as misgovernment. Every Austrian pest would
then agitate the exchanges of Berlin, Hamburg, and
Frankfort. With what satisfaction could the G rmans con-
template the security of a commercial frontier, whose cordon
would be snapped by a Wallachian tumult or a Servian
foray ? What guarantee would there be against a vast sys-
tem of smuggling such as already exists on the Bohemian
and Italian irontier of the Austrian monarchy? On the
other hand the interest of Germany in the security and peace
of Austria would be a temptation for the German race to
unite to rivet the fetters of Hungary and Italy. and to help
the cabinet of Vienna to pile the weight of her crushioo
tyranny upon those unhappy countries; au obligation from
which every liberal mind throughout Germany shrinks with
abhorrence. The cause of freedom may thank the Austrian
ministry for having woven its intrigues so coarsely.
Finally, according to the constitution of March, mat-
ters relating to customs and csrameree must be referred for
deliberation end derision to the Reichstag. Therefore, be.
fore the government can legally undertake to negotiate upon
each propositions, it ought to get a commission from the
Reichstag, which supposes the convocation of that paella-
ment•iry. body. Such an assembly would soon give a very
different aspect to the question of commercial union ; partly
because the present ministry would probably be turned out ;
partly bonuse the great majority of the members, the Polish,
the Hungarian, the Czechish, and Italian deputies, would, in
the interest of their several countries, vote for Erse trade.

VIENNA, MARCH 5.
The Emperor presided at a meeting of council on
the 3rd, at which tho proposals of the four kings
were taken into consideration. The result has not
been allowed to transpire. The presence of Count
Benningsen, president of the Hanoverian misistry,
among us has elicited a mass of unmeaning comments
from the press. It is intimated, in dark, oracu'ar
phrase, that his suasion has reference to the German
question. There "needs no ghost from tho rave"
to tell us this ; but what overtures is he authorised to
make ? Hanover has taken up an isolate position;
feels, as a matter of course, rather uncomfortable in
it; and would fain find itself on more stable ground.
It is possible, however, that the journey of the Hano-
verian ministerial president may have a quite con-
trary result.