Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-30 00:00:00

THE COMMERCIAL PROGRESS OF

FRANCE 1N71859.

(From, the ,Sieele of the 23rd.)
The programme•traced by the Emperor in hificele-
brated letter addressed to Fould confers- a special
importance on the table of our imports and exports
published by the Minister of Finance. •At the moment
~when a new legislation is about to modify oar economic
system, suppress, prohibition, and lower or totally remove
certain proteoting duties, it behoves us 'to call the attain-
• tion our readers to the impoitance of events accom-
plished under the influence of the old legislation.
Let' net the words " customs," " tariffs," '" prohibi-
tion," "protection," &c., frighten' those who are not
familiar with them, nor lt them imagine that the know-
ledge of such matters is moncrpolised by certain adepts.
A htticattention is all that is necessaryto familiarise us
with a-subject so interesting in every point of view, and
which to closely affects the public prosperity, as well 'as
the internal welfare of our families._ . . The mate-
rials which enter into the construction of our habita-
tions, our food, our clothing, must bold an important
place in our thoughts. We believe that the influence
over -the public and private fortune of France which will
flow from the new customs regime will be a hippy one,
provided, the reforms preserve an eqaal distance from the
exaggerations of the protective system and from those, of
free-trade. PrOtection accorded 'to certain trades is a
priiilege temporarily accorded tcecertain chiefs of those
trades—a privilege whose object is to permit them _to
attain to the pitch of perfection already gained by our
neighbours in similar branches, so as' to be able to stand
competition. It is very 'evident that this privilege, or
we should rather say this tax, inflicted on the mass of
consumers for the profit of manufacturers praiseworthily
intending to struggle ,with equal arms with the foreign
is very evident, 'we, say, that this privilege
cannot be eternal, that this tax cannot be endlessly
levied on all for the benefit of a few..
Under the actual legislation the duties received by
the Customs on raw material and manufactured goods
imported into France in 1859 reached nearly 190 mil-
lion francs. In this enormous amount there is no donbt
,ter excess of protection paid by the general consumer.
No doubt the producer .has a right to the solicitude Of
Government ; but the mass of consumers who pay have
also a good nght to the -same consideration. Govern-
ment may well say to manufacturers, "Either you can
produce as cheaply as your foreign competitors, or you
•can not ; if you can, you should have done so while you
enjoyed protection against all competition ; or if yen
can not, we, the Government, ought no longer to sacri-
fice the interests of consumers to yours, and we there-
fore must diminish the charges they have so long sub-,
mitted to for your profit."
This reasoning -is applicable to many articles which
figure in the table of imports. Thus, foreign coal in-
troduced into France figures for forty-four millions of
metric quintals, and if we add the quantity of carbonised
coal and coke, we have a total of fifty-one millions, pay-
,ing, on entry into France, eleven million francs. This
Amount has been fairly paid by the consumers in order'
:to enable the producers of French coals to support foreign
competition. But the day must at last come when we
shall say. 'to those produocro Cannot you compete
with foreigners? .'lf you can, then .do so, make an
effort, improve your. machinery ; if not, acknow-
ledge yourselves beaten, and allow us to supply our-
selves in. the cheapest market, and cease to pay you,
under. pretext of protection, a premium, a tax, an
annual Fabiention of eleven millions ! We are as
far removed from the theories..of free-trade as from the ,
system of prohibitions or of immoveable protection.
What we seek is right, justice, and truth, and these
teach us that any man who boldly attempts to introduce
a foreign branch of trade into France. should be pro-
tected,—that is to say—he should have the privilege of
exhausting the national market, only on condition that
this should not be done indefinitely. The charge im-
posed on all for the benefit of -the few is not alone for
the purpose of enriching those few at the expense 'of
the rest, but to enable them to,-make their experiments
untrammelled. When these are unsatisfactory—when
protection becomes a'pillow on which the, manufacturer
goes snugly to sleep, the State has a right to pull away
the pillow and awake the slumberer.
The prqjected legislation will occupy a middle place
between the two schools : its innovations will be intro-
duced prudently. It will banish one of .the most
monstrous .conceptions ever produced by the old economic
system—prohibition—and will replace it by protective
duties. To maintain prohibition 'in our commercial
code would be, in 'our day, an anachronism in political
economy equal to the continuance of torture in judiciary
law. Certainly we render all due homage to the strength"
and intelligent activity of men who have endowed their
country with 'important branches of trade, but that:.
these men should rise up against the suppression of
prohibitions, is what we cannot understand. What !
You say you are prepared to rival England, you
have the patriotic.boldness to struggle with her in foreign
markets; and yet, because you do not, can not, or will not
attain to a certain degree of-perfection, you still demand
prohibitions. It cannot be ! To ask protection, good
and well, provided that protection enablet you to im-
prove assiduously your productions; but prohibition is
cowardly it means that you accept a challenge on con-
dition
,that your adversary shall have a button on the
point of his sword. French fairness could no longer
hear the prohibitive system, and we applaud its legal
suppression from the bottom of 'our heart. Suppress
prohibitions and establish within fair limits such pro-
tecting duties as may be found necessary, and you also
suppress smuggling—that immoral protest against the
' exaggeration of the prohibitive, system,

. .
ANTAGONISM AT ROCHDALE TO THE NEW POOR
LAW.—On Friday,. the Rochdale 'guardians, - on the
motion of Mr.. Alderman Livesy, resolved :—" That this
board is of opinion that the Poor Lair Board have ex-
ercised their powers antagonistically to the independence
and dignity of. gentlemen acting a .guardians of the
poor "and that the powers now exercised by the said
boarh• are at -variance with the fundamental principles
of the constitution of,England, and have a tendency to
sap the fouridtition of parochial self-government; and
this board. is also of opinion that as, the titne is fast •
approaching when the powers of the said board will
require to be renewed, every effort should be made, to
prevent the renewal of the said powers." • , '
The latest edition. Just published. Sent free per post for.
three Stamps, (ll' may be had on application. TEETH: Tim&
Loss AND RESTORATION. On the best meansof restoring teeth,
by the new principle of self-adhesion, with vulcanised gum-
coloured India-rubber in lieu of bone or gold, and by means of
a flexible gum, without springs or wires, and without extract
ing mots, at half the ordinary • cost. , By Messrs. Gabriel, •
DeptistS to the Prince D'Ottajana. A multum in'parvo bro-
chure, which all requiring the aid oft 'dentist will do well to,
peruse, as, emanating from such a Source, it may be confi-
dently relied on.-- United Service Gazette. Dental Establish-
ments : 134, Duke-street, Liverpool; 33, Ludgate hill, and ,
110, Bigent-street, London. Note name and number. Estab-
lished 1815 Tide diploma. .
EXTRAORDINARY AND USEFIIL INVENTION.—There 11414%14
that housewives complain of with greater truthfulness than
the breaking of sonic favourite piece of glass, valuable china,
or earthenware, In hundreds of cases such .thing cv.nnot be
=itched, and of course cannot be mended. The latter want•
has been obviated by an extraordinary and effective invettion,
by Mr. Adshead, of Derby Pottery, near Derby. It is a cement
that may be said to heal= a perfect manner, all cracks and
breaks in the artieles spoken of, and not only in these, but in
marble, alabaster, &c. The benefit of this article need not be
dwelt on. We have seen some of its effects at Mr. Hall's, our
neighbour's, an* the glass that has been cemented by it is
stronger in that part than in any other. The article is very
cheap, and no house can be long without it. Mr. Hall is the
agent for its sale in Liverpool, and all interested can judge for
themselves. by looking in at ,his establishment. Agent for
Liverpool, E. T. Hall, 23, South John-street. Sold in bottles,
lls. each ,or sent free on receipt of sixteen postage stamps.
N. 8...--11040 arc genuine except bearing
Hall - the signature, "g. T.