The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-18 00:00:00

the principle of which is unrestricted competition, to
my mind it would be more dignified if they were to hold
aloof, and did not pretend to negotiate these treaties. (Hear,
hear.) Every day we are told that we have had a success-
ful commercial treaty with France, and we are asked why
not with Austria—why not with Italy ? You cannot have
the same result with Austria and Italy as with France.
You had something to give to France. You had the prin-
ciple of reciprocity to act with, which no man in the present
day can claim the merit of discovering, but which was the
means looked to for the accomplishment of these objects by
some of the greatest statesmen who have ever existed. It
is past. (Cheers.) The age of commerciel treaties is past,
because you have no means and no materials for negotia-
tion. (Cheers.) All that you can do is to exercise that
moral influence of which we hear so much with the various
countries with which you are placed in communication, to
induce them. from your own example, from your own pros-
perity—(ironical cheers from the Ministerial benches)—tor
the old as well as the present system of commerce has
equally brought prosperity to this country—from your own
prosperity, and from the conviction that must grow in those
countries that they are not raising a revenue in due relation
to the resources with which nature has endowed them, to
adopt the principle of reciprocal exchange in commercial
transactions. (Hear.) But you will gain that as soon, if not
sooner, without the embarrassment of commercial treaties
as with those conventions. I regret that, through the con-
duct of the Government and through the extraordinary be-
haviour of the Free Trade party in pa' ronising artificial
agreements of exchange, there has arisen in this country
the impression that the best d most politic mode stimu-
lating commerce is to have recourse to that method.
That was a good theory twenty years age, and not only
a good theory but a good theory which could be put in
beneficial practice. (Hear, hear.) I will not enter upon the
barren controversy whether if, 20 years ago, you had fol-
lowed the principle of commercial exchange you would
have derived more advantage than by suddenly adopting
the principle of unrestricted competition. You have adopted
unrestricted competition as the principle of your commer-
cial code. By accident certain articles were excepted, and
two years ago you used them as the means of negotiating
a treaty of commerce with a great country. having a large
population and rich and tertile resources. You have played
all your cards, and to attempt at the present moment to assist
and Support commerce by commercial treaties is a mere de-
lusion. No doubt the Government may make use of its
legitimate influence to obtain commercial advantages, but
to obtain treaties on commercial and political principles are
two different subjects; and my hon. friend is perfectly
right in pointing out how important it is that the Govern-
ment, when holding out the principle of commercial treaties
as one highly advantageous to our allies, should not follow
at the same time a general policy which irritates the feel-
ings and offends the pride of foreign Governments. (Cheers)
In taking that line my hon. friend is highly to be com-
mended, and no doubt what he has said will lead to sug-
gestions in the public mind which will be very advanta-
geous. (Hear.) I regret very much that the hon. gentle-
men opposite, who have held with so much tenacity abstract
opinions on commercial exchange, should now seem to
foster a policy of artificial arrangements which is not only
not founded on right principles, but cannot practically be
carried into effect, because any commercial treaties which
England now negotiates must be negotiated by political in-
fluence, and not by the influence of commercial principles.
(Cheers.)