The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-23 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH

FRANCE.

During the debate in the French Chambers on the cus.
toms laws, the different articles which formed the subjects or
discussion were considered from time to time in the French
journals, which thus constantly brought forward the most im-
portant commercial relations of the country. The article re-
lating to the importation of foreign grains embraced two dis-
tinct questions—one, the question concerning oleaginous
grains in general, the other that of linseed in particular. The
customs laws of 1836 had assimilated grains introduced by
the frontier to those brought by sea—an enactment which at
the expense of navigation gave a great impulse to frontier
imports. Hence it was, that the Administration brought in
the proposal that oleaginous grains coming by land should bear
a distinctive duty. The seeds of flax, however, it was observed,
required to be considered quite in a different light. The
great improvements in woollen and cotton stuffs from
the application of machinery seemed to render it de-
sirable that linen also should be open to similar advantages.
The interests concerned in the question of duties affecting
linen were very numerous. To the growth of flax 160,000
hectares of land are devoted, while the western population
gain a subsistence by baud spinning. The founders of es-
tablishments, in imitation of English manufactures, the
weavers employing threads of every kind, whether pre-
duced by the hand or by machinery, the vine-growers
and silk-manufacturers, who, if the duty on the seeds were
raised, feared a retaliation on the part of the countries that
furnish them,—all these were important interests which had
to be consulted. As it was considered expedient to eneou-
yage French linen manufactures, _it was remarked that
'any elevation of the duty on the flax-seeds should be
balanced as far as possible by an increase in the duty
on linen webs, as otherwise one interest would be
sacrificed to another. Such a plan, however, would, it was
considered, be attended with great inconveniences; for the
threads are indispensable to the manufactures, while the impor-
tation of foreign webs is but small; so that while the manutt
turer paid a higher price for his thread, the difference it:cc,
importation would not be sufficient to cause a cOrr,esT7_ot
g
increase in the price of the web. The relations with BB ,knie
had also to be Considered with regard to this queesbiy a I
reduc-
reduction of the duty on webs in 1836 was follobw d
roauce. and
tion in Belgium on several articles of Prole
hence it might be inferred that a contrary
.mov,el:irn, Tte
soirdietloief
side of France would be followed by retallinat,
Belgium, and the consequent loss of auara b
the French agri-
i;orncial ally.
'With respect to the complairensim d
portation of linseed, the
culturists against the progressive
question was at last considered whether in fact these complaints
were well founded—whether, indeed,_ the foreign •grains had
really been substituted for those ofFrench produce, and this
portion
not yet been answered, while it is not to
he forgotten it is said, has
that the oil manufacttheures
importations of the Koff
foreign
France
havebeen greatly benefited by
gra ins. It will be remember:dtthedat. the proposed augmenta-
tion of the duty on flax was r jec
Another important subject that was brought forward was the
importation of foreign cattle. Here it was observed in the
journals, that in 1823 more than 41,000,000 kilogrammes of
meat were consumed in Paris, and that by a population of
714,000, while in 1836 it was but 43,000,000 kilogrammes for
909,000; so that in the former case the consumption was tk,
and in the latter 48, kilogrammes for the individual, the price
rising according to the diminution of the quantity. The pro-
posed amendment of the duty,: on foreign cattle was less to
diminish than to rectify the impost, merely substituting a duty
levied by weight for one levied. per head. The amendment
was, however, withdrawn, so that small and large cattle neces-
sarily pay the same duty. Some curious statistics have been
brought forward with reference to this article, by which it ap-
pears that if 50 kilogrammes is the extreme allowance for the
inhabitants of towns, it is only 24 for those of towns and country
places taken together', which is much less than the rations
allowed to soldiers and prisoners ; that for the former being 90,
and that for the latter 70, kilogrammes per Tittles.