The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-20 00:00:00

PURR TRADE OR PROTECTION.

A' statement of facts has been put in circulation
to illustrate the working of free trade upon the
commerce of the British Empire. It shews that
the total real value of British produce and manufac-
tures exported in 18138, including exports of for-
eign and colonial produce, amounted to R 227,778,454,
The imports for the same year amounted to
£294,693,608. From an analysis it appears that,
excluding silk goods, our total import of manufac-
tured articles amounts to about one-eleventh of the
value of our exports of British produce and
manufactures ; and that the bulk of our exports
Consists of manufactured articles. Referring to
the " staff of life," the statement stews
that under Protection the best wheaten loaf of
41b. frequently stood at one shilling, and sometimes
higher. Under Free Trade it has rarely exceeded
eightpence and is now sevenpence. Reference
is made to the operation of the Corn
Laws. Statistics are given to show that in
return for increased exports of articles manufactured,
sree trade has given us a vast increase of food at a
much lower price than heretofore. The present high
price of butchers' meat, it is contended, proves that
the consumption and the. ability to purchase are both
greater than under protection ; that were it not for
the free import of foreign provisions and cattle, wo
should at this moment be labouring under a dearth
of animal food.

THE BROTHER OF AN EMLNENT STATESMAN.

How Mr. Hardy—the Mr. Hardy—must moan
over the exploits of that impetuous brother of his
He is always in small difficulties. Hardly great
enough to make large mistakes either in the House
,of Commons or out of it, he is yet continually haying
publicity given to his name in connection with some
indiscreet action. The latest appearance of the
member for South Warwickshire is in the police-court.
He was on Tuesday committed for trial by the
magistrates of Burton-on-Trent charged with- libel.
The whole facts of the case did not ome out in
the evidence. It is clear, however, that Mr. John
Hardy has been having a quarrel with some of his
tenants or neighbours. Last December he was success-
fully sued by an owner of land adjoining his own for
cutting down trees ; and damages were assessed at
£2O. One of the witnesses was a tenant of Mr. Hardy
--a Mr. Knight—auctioneer and land agent. His
evidence seems to have annoyed his landlord exceed-
ingly. Mr. Hardy wrote a few days afterwards—
As you were not ashamed to lend yourself to bolster up
the claim for fictitious damages against me, at the county
court, or did not shrink from nearly doubling your former
valuation in order that you might keep pace with the un-
scrupulous evidence of other persona so called respectable,
I give you notice that for the future there will be an addi-
tion of £l2 to the low rent which you now pay for the
house and land as my tenant.

Mrs. Knight replied to this mild epistle, and re-
ceived, in reply, another communication from Mr.
Hardy, in which Mr. Knight was charged with coin-
mitting a " gross fraud." This was too strong for Mr.
Knight, and ho took proceedings against his land-
lord. That gentleman is on bail in £4OO until the t
trial.

UILDIIALL, 13th January, 1870.—The
Or Committee for LETTING the CITY LANDS will
MEET at GUILDHALL, on WEDNESDAY, the 26th
day of January inst., at Half-past One o'clock precisely,
to receive PROPOSALS for a LEASE of a HOUSE, No.
222, Tottenham-court-road, in the county of Middlesex.
Also to receive Proposals for a Building Lease for Eighty
years, of the site of the premises, No. 48, London-wall, in
the City of London.
Flans of the property may ho seen,
and further particu-
lars and forms of tender obtained, upon application at the
Architect's Office, Guildhall.
FERDD. BRAND, Comptroller.

T [FE ANNUITIES.-MANCHESTER
PORATION WATERWORKS.

The Waterworks Committee of the Corporation of tho
City of 'Manchester is prepared to issue, free from all
olicial charges, ANNUITIES for LIVES, jointly or sepa-
rately, in such amounts as may suit investors, ou security
of the Borough Rates of the City, and the Rates, Rents, and
other Waterworks Property.
pplkations, personally or in writing, may he made or
Fent to the City Trensur r, or to Mr. Perrey, Waterworks
offices, Town Hall, Manchester.
By order,
JOSEPH HERON, Town CIA*.
Town Hall, Manchester, January 6, 1870.