The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-20 00:00:00

FRENCH COMMERCE:

The three Councils-General of Commerce, Agricul-
ture, and Manufactures, commenced their Session on
Thursday morning in one united body at the Ministry
of Commerce, under the Presidency of M. Cunin-Grie
daine, the Minister of Commerce and Agriculture. The
meeting was very numerous. The Minister, after having
announced that the duration of the Session would be
one month, addressed the Councils in a long speech, the
first part of which was a retrospective view of the laws
which had been passed, and the measures which had
been adopted for the encouragement and protection of
the three great branches of industry represented by the
Council. The Minister then said :—`• All these interests
had been the objects of the most earnest solicitude on
the part of' the Government. He alluded particularly. to
the law for the definitive establishment of the metrical
system, the encouragement of fisheries, the law relative to
the responsibility of owners of vessels, the ordonnance
respecting quarantine, and the law relative to public
sales. Alluding to the important law for the better re-
gulation of child-labour in factories, the speaker said that
nothing could exceed the sympathy and zeal which had
been manifested in all the departments, in order that this
measure might be carried out in the spirit in which it
had been conceived, and he had consequently been able
to choose from amongst the most respectable men the
inspectors who were to see the law executed. The Mi-
nister then announced that a bill for the protection of new
inventions had been carefully prepared, and would be
brought forward next Session—and remarked on the
appointment of new professorships at the Conservatoire
des Arts et Metiers for mechanics, descriptive geography-,
chemistry, and agriculture. The want of scientific
schools in the south of France was next noticed by the Mi-
nister, and he observed that something must be done for
that purpose. M. Cudin Gridaine then noticed the cattle
and sugar questions, at which, however, he merely
glanced, as subjects of deep importance, which the
Councils would have to take into their most serious con-
sideration. He next enumerated the various measures
which the Councils would have to discuss,. and said that,
with a view to the increase of the commercial relations
with foreign countries, they would be led to inquire what
modifications could be made in the tariffs, particularly as
regards iron, woollen, and cotton manufactures, glass, &c.
The Minister then proceeded to say that, as a general
means of enlightening the Councils in their examination
of the French customs tariff, and the commercial
relations of France with foreign countries, he
would call their attention to the commercial situation
of France during the last few years. At no epoch had
the foreign trade of the country become .ati much de-
veloped as at the present moment; since, in 1840, the
total amount was 2,063,000,0001., which was the largest
sum hitherto attained, and surpassed by 33i per
cent. the average of the 10 years from 1830 to 1839 in-
clusive ; out of the above total, foreign produce con-
sumed in France, and French produce or manufactures
exported, amounted to the sum of 1,442,000,0001.
This was to be divided as follows :—lmports: natural
products and raw materials, 697,000,000 f. ; manufac-
tured goods, 50,000,000 f. Exports: natural products,
184,000,000 t.; manufactured goods, 511,000,0001. These
facts were sufficient to show the increased occupation
given to France by the extension of her trade. Trans-
ports by sea entered into the total system of interchanges
of goods for 1,481,000,000 f:, or about 71 per cent., and
this occupied ships, the burthen of which was measured
by 2,896,000 tons, a figure which would have been
increased to 3,330,000 tons, if the old system of measure-
ment had been adhered to :—thus giving an increase of
43 per cent. over the tonnage of the years from 1830 to
1839. This result included the tonnage of ships of all
nations employed in this branch of French trade; but
the augmentation of French tonnage alone was 422,000
tons, or 49 per cent.; all branches of French maritime
trade had not, it was true, been so prosperous. Thus the
navigation between France and her colonies had lost 11
per cent. compared with 1831 ; 13 per cent. com-
pared with 1836, and 20 per cent. compared with 1838.
This formed one of the subjects connected with the
Sugar question, which the councils would have to
examine. In some particular markets, such as those
of North America, Egypt, Portugal, and the China Seas,
the total of French commercial interchanges had
shown a slight falling off as compared with preceding
years ; but this was compensated by the increase in
other quarters. Government was watching these vicis-
situdes with care, and was
.on the look-out for applying
effectual remedies and. improvements. The general
amount of exports had exceeded by 25 per cent. the
average amount from 1830 to 1839 ; but this had not
held true, for all branches of French manufactures ; thus
jewellery, watches, clocks, articles of modes, and worked
skins, had fallen off in exportation. The Government,
wishing to facilitate and encourage the export trade as
much as possible, had been occupied with the question of
directing commerce into as wide and liberal a path as
possible. Thus treaties of commerce had been formed with
several nations, and the Customs tariff had been revised ;
useless prohibitions had been abolished ; two heavy
duties had been reduced ; and others had been modified.
Government, with a view to facilitate international com-
munication, had ordered the building of steamers for
Transatlantic expeditions, and was, at this moment,
diligently occupied with the preliminary measures for
establishing a line of steamers between Suez and the
island of Bourbon. The Minister concluded by stating
. .

that, charged as he was by the King with the direction
of three great interests, in which sometimes there ap-
peared to be -differences as to the degree of encourage-
ment
and protection to be given to each, it was neces-
sary for him earnestly to solicit them to cultivate con-
ciliatory feelings amongst themselves, and so to facilitate
the important task imposed upon the Government,
which had need of assistance and support from the re-
presentatives of the three interests. It was only by their
coining to a cordial understanding with each other ou
the great questions which they would have to discuss,
that they could enable the Government to give due dove-
lopmeut to the productive and commercial resources of
the country. When the Minister had concluded, the
members of the three Councils retired to their respective
Committee-rooms to select their Presidents and Vice-.

Presidents. The result was announced as follows :
Council-General of Commerce, M. Legeutil, President
(no Vice-President) ; Council-General of Manufactures,
M. Mimerel, President, M. Berard, Vice-President;
Council-General of Agriculture, the Duke Decazes,
President, M. de Gasperin, Vice-President.