The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-01 00:00:00

Foreip Commercial Treaties.

The Right Hon. W. Hutt, the Vice-President of
the Board of Trade, took the chair at the annual
meeting of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce on
Monday. In his opening address Mr. Hutt said,—
The Board of Trade is desirous to see Chambers of
Commerce not only established, but generally and
actively supported by the great firms and houses of
business in their respective localities ; because, by
this arrangement the Chambers of Commerce can
act most efficiently as organs of communication in
all commercial and industrial matters between the
communities they represent and the Executive Go-
vernment. It is very desirable at this moment that
Chambers of Commerce should be well :supported
by the country, for we are apparently on the eve of
some great and important changes in the commer-
cial policy of 'most of the States of Europe. France,
as you know very well, had the honour—and it is
an honour that belongs to that gifted and glorious
country—of initiating on the Continent of Europe
the application of scientific principles to commercial
regulations. This important step is now manifestly
about to be followed by one still more grave and
equally important—l mean the thorough revision of
the navigation laws of France. Well, this is a
movement of great interest to you ; it is of great in-
terest not only on account of its own commerce, but
because France, in adopting this measure, will really
be setting an example to the other States of Europe,
which, whether they likq tor not, they will of ne-
,-I)6,compelled ttritinitate. We know what ii;fis.
the force of principle in regard to the ordinary
affairs of trade by,the present commercial treaty be-
tween France and this country. By the commercial
treaty the other States of Europe have discovered
lltkotiiatar
that unless they are prepared to purchase equal ad-
vantages in their commerce with France, and to
purchase these advantages by a. considerable reduc-
tion in their own tariff, they must of necessity
abandon the markets of France to the more fa-
voured and enterprising manufacturers of this
country. Well, the consequence has been that,
although free - trade was very little in favour
on the Continent of Europe, we find that all
the States on the eastern frontier of France
have been actively engaged in negotiating
commercial treaties . with that country. Prussia
and the Zollverein were the first to enter the field.
I have no doubt in the other States, particularly in
Bavaria, some objection was made. The course
which Prussia proposed to recommend caused a
great many wry faces. But it was only a choice
between those two alternatives, and they wisely
chose what they considered to be the lesser evil of
the two. Following this movement on the part of
Prussia, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland, it is true
this country can only claim the advantages conceded
to France in the commercial treaty, but when these
treaties come into force we shall have the full benefit
of all these advantages. This, I think, was inti-
mated by Mr. Ward when he came here in October.
I have reason to believe that these States, when they
come to revise their tariffs, will listen to reasonable
and moderate proposals for some future reductions.
This is not all. Some very intelligent and energetic
gentlemen, who know more of what is going on in
Vienna than I do, give us the assurance that even
the Austrian Government is disposed to remodel
their singularly absurd tariff. For the last five
years the Austrian Government has been holding
this language, and I shall be exceedingly pleased
to find that they are now about to adopt a
more liberal policy. No doubt, they feel the very
great disadvantages of their position, for they are
most disadvantageously placed with regard to other
States, both commercially and politically, by the
tariff they have long supported. Though they have
been talking a good deal about the matter, yet up
to the present time they have been acting very much
like Mr. Pecksniff's horse ; they have always been_
going to go, but never going. I hope, however.
that we have arrived at a new era. in the history of
their tariff. In Turkey, also, they are entering on
a new era, mid I believe the subject is also occupy-
ing the serious attention of the Russian Govern-
ment. You will see that many subjects of great
importance connected with the modification of the
t
different tariffs will come under the consideration
with. the_eapinspelfft.yief:
of Government, and we shall
ttainitnhtleseYrests, and
technical points.
those who are perfectly conversant
on they can to the Executive
ofn tishethtariffen,
exfocerediinsntgniyitoctdioetsnhireoairnblaeollwnr
tions should be active and looking about them, and
Government.. _
sgiuvpeplythweirhatainttefonrtlinoanti

CIIRISTIAN'S MISTAKE. By the author of "John
Halifax, Gentleman," &c.—" Everything that emanates
frreoandl the authoress of John Halifax, Gentleman,' is worth
ing- There is a healthy moral tone in her stories ;
simple, natural style of writing ; a knowledge of human
nature, and a power of describing it.in its best aspects—
the last by no MORTIS a common talent—and a capacity for
bringing before her readers everyday incidents, and im-
parting to them an interest, by making use of them in por-
traying character and giving life to the picture, a charac-
teristic which can never fail to attract readers. The whole
story of Christian's Mistake' is full of the lesson of com-
mon life suggested in a singularly pleasant manner."—
John Bull.

A BOROUGH FOR SALE.—A considerable portion
of the borough of Bridgnorth is to be sold by auc-
tion on the day after the meeting of Parliament. The
property consists of about 90 freehold houses, including
some of the most desirable residences in the town, with
nine hotels and public-houses, several shops, building pre-
mises, wharves, &c., with attractive building sites in the
best situations. "It presents," it is said, "considerable
attractions to an enterprising capitalist, not only for in-
vestment, but as tending towards securing a seat in Par-
liament." The population of Bridgnorth is about 7,900
and the number of electors about 700. It always returns
two Conservative members to the House of Commons.
Mr. Whitmore, the Tory whipper-in, is one of the present.
representatives.

a
i

HE 1' ALL-MALL GAZETTE.
An Evening Newspaper and Review.
It is difficult to des ribe the plan of an enterprise like the
PALL-3IA LL GAZETTE without seeming to boast, or to
decry the efforts ot others. But we are unwilling to lose the
advantage of a few words of explanation, and we therefore
trust the candour of the reader for a just interpretation of
our meaning.
The PALL-MALL GAZETTE will contain all the news
proper to an Evening journal. But, addressed as it will be
to educated men and women, the space of the paper will not
be occupied by trifling chronicles, nor by that excess of words
which adds nothing* to the interest of newspaper records,
orts
while it destroys their significance. Literary considerations
written
alone would determine us to have our News Rep
Li plain English ; bat beyond these there is the fact that the
lessons to be found in many an accident of human
they life or
so tat polity are lost in the turgid lanavuage inavnich are
commonly narrated.
vents made the 3lorning Papers may be dis-
cuss .Eed in tre PAknownLL-MAby LL GAZE rr E of the same day,
but they wi 1 not be reported anew. Trustworthy advises
from the Money Market will be included in the news of the
Day.
'llie rest of the paper (by far the greater Dart) will be made
up of origami articles, upon the many things which engege
tne rho gh:s, or employ the energies, or amuse the leisure cf
mankind. Public Affairs, Litelature, the Arts, and all the
influences which strengthen or dissipate s-eciety, will be dis-
cussed by men whose independence and antic), ity are equally
unquestionable, and who are aseusto ed to regard the public
ex, ression et opinion as a serious him,. This is the Llref
aim a the PALL-MALL GAZETT :to bring into daily
journalism that, full measure of thought and culture which is
now iound only in Reviews.
At the same time, we by no means intend to make the
paper pedantic or solemn. Rumour is too owerful, as well
as too pleasant, to be lett out ot the design; which will lose
none of the aovantages of occasional trifling. If a thing can
be said better in verse than in prose, it will be said in verse.
k:pigram, but not spite—burlesque, but not vulgarity—will
be rea ldiy admitted into its columns ; and since a joke is
often as illustrative as an argument, good jukes will be wel-
come too.
It will be understo,d that this adiertisement is rather a
proclamation of idea and of effort than of promise. But
the proclamation is not made befcre a large number of able
writers have accepted the idea, and pledged themselves to
the effort.
Office of the Pall-Mall Gazette,
14, Salisbury-street, Strand, W.C.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
Sole Manager and Director, Mr. W. Harrison.
THIS EVENING the. performance will commence with
the new Open., LARA. Principal characters by Al essrs.
Swift, G. Honey, Forbes, Terrott, and Renwick; M saes
Lou,sa Pyne, Cottrell, Burrington, and Homer.
Conductor, Signor A RDITL
After the Opera will be given the Burlesque. entitled THE
LION AND THE UNICORN. Piincipalcharacters, Messrs.
Rouse, Anderson, Arc. ; Misses E. Button, Cottrell, Furtado.
To conclude w.th the GRAND TRANSFORMATION
SCENE.