The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-03 00:00:00

POLITICAL ECONOMY A:•D

CONTROVERSIES.
On Tuesday evening Professor Cairnes delivered at tb
London University College, a lecture on "Politic?

P:conciny in relation to some Modern Controversies.,
After alluding with regret to the general neglect ei
the science of political economy at the Metropolito
colleges, he combated the prevalent notion that Alia base'
n the principle of Plisse:, fire. . Thoec ,s-113 101'
the laisiez faire doctrine assumed, he remarked, that
viduals knew their own interests in the sense'in which they'
were coincident with those of others, but that
a fallacy against which in these days especially it 1W
necessary to guard. It was utterly untenable, as vi°
shewn by the conduct of landlords not long since
maintaining the corn laws, and now in creating settle'
ments of their estates, which were opposed to the interests
of society, and also by the conduct of trades unions, which
had passed rules against machinery and in favour of is"
efficient manual labour. No one could seriously consider
the • present condition of the inhabitants of till°
island, where, though industrial freedom had for
half a century had greater scope than in alsa°'t
any other country, one in thirty of the population svo's
apauper, and the rest contented with laissez fatre. The able
men who led the agitation for the repeal of the corn law'
declared that workhouses would ere long become obsolete,
but this part of the programme had scarcely been fulfilled.
The rule of laissez fatre was, like other rules, liable to greltt,
exceptions, and must not be allowed to stand in the waYe`
practical mid industrial reform. But if political econowY
were something else than the doctrine of laissez faire
what was it ? It was the science of wealth, and for the.9e,
who understood what science was in the proper sense el
the term, that ought to be sufficient, but unfortnnatelY
many who perfectly comprehended the term, as aPPlied
to physical nature, seemed quite at a loss when it''
employed in reference to social existence. Political es°'
nomy was a science in the same sense as astronoroY,
physiology, or chemistry was a science, and it dealt with
the phenomena of wealth as those other sciences dealt
with the phenomena of the physical universe. It stood
neutral between competing social schemes, as CheraistrY
stood neutral between competing plans of sanitary improve'
ment ; it supplied means of estimating all social schemes'
but refused to identify itself with any. It had too oftes,
made its appearance in the guise of a dogmatic code, c;
cut-and-dry rules, sanctioning one social arrangement any
condemning another, requiring from men, not considers'
tion, but obedience ; and when working men have beep
often told that political economy was against them, it
not unnatural that they should be against it. It was 0111/
when its benevolent bearing towards all sorts of men vu'°
recognised that the deep-seated prejudice against it of tZa
most numerous class of society could be removed.
conclusion, the Professor traced the present position
France partly to the neglect of economic science. AV11,.3t,
was it, he said, that led France to surrender her libel"),
into the hands of a Saviour of society but the spectre °`
socialism ? Economic ignorance produced socialise'
socialism despotism, and despotism, combined with other
Causes, war, misery, and ruin. The lecture was ePeu ts°l
the public as well as students, and its close was follow °
by applause.

CONFLICT BETWEEN ENGLISH A :51)

HUNGARIAN SAILORS.
A serious dispute has taken place between English n_l3ll
Hungarian sailors at Turu-Severin, on the Hung ;a
:Roumanian frontier. It appears that a number of s"
had been ordered in England by the Hungarian Steati',:
boat Company, and that when the ships arrived in he
Danube the company made a deduction from 'tig
stipulated price, on the ground that the 61141 i
were not ready at the date agreed upon, 4e
that a 'fine was payable on account of the delay-
English, however, refused to give up the ships unless the
English,
full price was paid, adding that any fines which mightt,
due should be made the subject of future settlement. `-1::`,1
dispute soon. became so warm that the Englishmen an
Hungarians came to bloWs. Several pistol shots I,Ferii
fired, and the Roumanian authorities were at List ohh-!(3,,,
to interfere, placing a guard in-ea,cli ship in to .I)'`
vent a renewal of the disturbances. —Eruster4