The Sun.
London, England, 1822-06-01 00:00:00

FOR TIIE SUN.

MR. EDITOR. =Fro the observations wweb
were made last night in the House of Comtooo9
by certain Honourable Members, on the ocra;
sion of Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE presentingsnli
Petition for the appointment of a Committee t°
ascertain the value of every British interest tot
State, with a view to protect each accordinglyo
from foreign competition, and, subject thereto4a
let commerce have the freedom of air, it nto°!
appear that the -principles of my system %We,',,
those Honourable Members who spoke in ope
sition to it, completely misunderstood. I -Pet"
ceive I was taxed, among other follies, with Pt'?
posing measures that should restrict us to the tise
of native sugar and wine. This I. admit w°l3,la
have been an absurdity (had I been guilty of t 0
which would be a tolerably sure indication n
madness; and I have merely to observe, oitit
t
reference to it, that no such proposition
emanated from me.
I perceive also that I was taxed 'with bringil
forward a system similar to that which was act%
on by Buonaparte. This assertion, however/
equally incorrect, for his system was prohibitinmP
mine is merely protective. And as for
.my sYste'-.
being utterly destructive of Imteticial foreign
commerce, 1 contend, on the contrary, that its
effect will be the reverse ; for as foreign commerre
is limited by our ab7:ty to consume the nett
payments of our exports, my system, by increa.9ii
ing the profitable employment of our people, 01
enable them to pay fog and consume a greater po,rii
tion of such foreign imports, while our exports n't
consequently keep pace with ssch consumpti°
The effects of my system will be to cause Prt;
tection and taxation to go hand in hand, so a 9
enable the Foreign and producer tome,
each other in our markets on an equality of tern--
I deny also that my system is full of 0111;
plexity. I conceive that in simplicity it is °e t/
to nature itself, since it merely requires an ;4
valorem duty to be charged on all foreign article
in proportion to the value of the like Brit 15h
articles to the State.
ea
Now, although the reason which was assign.
by one Hon.. Member for granting me a I'°u',;
mittee is not quite so gritifying to my feelihnigj
as I could-have wished, still I shall be than%y
for the boon, as being a public good, on ant
terms ; and as I am certain that the Hon. Met-Jibe-
motives are patriotic, and also that he possesses
Ito'a comprehensive mind, I shall feel highlY
floured by his -being a Member of that C°;;
mittee. By its decision, be it w hat it mays jact
ready to stand or fall ; and if 1 do not proves n 5,
only the correctness of the principle of the sf
tem which I advocate, but also its. practicabilit.l:-
I admit that the system itself and its ant,'i,lo°J.-.
ought to be consigned at once to-their merit.
oblivion. Until such decision, however, st°o
have taken place, it will be fair for the intblicbo.,
bear in mind that it is as easy to Pronounce t°
erroneous the system of a man (oat understo°,(
who has had 40 years practice and study oft
as-it is to scout that of a mere theoretical 01.'a
writer, whose whole stock of knowledge has be
•,
acquired within the precincts of his chambers'os'
One of the strongest reeornmemlations
of my system, is, that it is in direct opposititea
our present measures, %vide!' are acknoWlele.'
on all hands to be fast working our political 0-
struction ; and although my syseeM is not sitil4f,
to Buonaparte's, still it has no claim to Jo
for it is merely the perfection of that systee;
which was devised and practised
_by our flirt
fathers, and to which we owe our pre-eminence
shipping and manufactures. Our ancestors
the political wheel round and well poised ; 6:1'4
and the alterations to which it has been subjecie
have elongated it in parts, and the only inerito
lay claim to (if indeed I am entitled to anYl to
for attempting to re-adjust its proportions an"

restore its original movement. , at
I do not expect, nor ought I to feel bur't it
any man's not understanding in a week, ol'¢
has taken me seven years to hring to matoril,l:p
If my system. be adopted I will engage th,.B-no ►
the course of a few years there shall not be; 'ft;
the.want of profitable empkymet;t, a whiteiiie
or pauper in the E:r.pire ; nor shall it be Inrac•
power of a foreign nation to stop our roanore
to;:ies fur the want of raw materials, or tit),o.
vent our navies from putting to s?a, by witTi„l- or
ing the supplies necessary for their out': for
finally to drain us of our specie in paYrl'enT;ges
these articles, and tints to turn the exclir'
against us, as was the case during the last rfr
I remain your very uhelient servaot74.,r
22, Birchin-Lane, May 31. JOSEPH RINSE

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