The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-30 00:00:00

FREE TRADE CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS AND.
TILE MANCHESTER CHAMBER OF COAT-
TIERCE.

The deputy sent to represent the Manchester Chamber
of Commerce at the Free Trade Congress recently held
in Brussels made his report to the board of directors on
Thursday last, being the first meeting of that body held
since his return from the continent. He represents
the spirit which animated the proceedings to
have been admirable, and nothing seems want-
ing to a successful diffusion of the principles of sound
political economy throughout Europe if the resolutions
adopted at the close of the Congress be enforced by an
energy which shall not fail, a determined persistence in
the dieseraination[of them, and a resolute resistance of the
obstacles with which they will have to combat. The term
assigned for the duration of the Congress was found to be
too short to admit of a full development of the benefits
which would attend a universal adoption of free trade ; but
the speeches made by gentlemen from various countries
showed that the principle had taken root extensively and
only needed cultivation. The written communications
which bad been made to the Congress were so numerous
that it was impossible to read them in detail, and it was
therefore resolved that a history of the proceedings of
the Congress should be forthwith prepared, and should
contain these documents. Avnong them an address from
the Manchester Chamber of Comtherce, of which the
following is a copy :-- •

To TIIE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CON-
GRESS FOR PROMOTING THE ,REFORM OF CUSTOMS' DUTIES, NOW
SITTING AT BRUSSELS.

" Gentlemen,-1t will not be difficult for this grave
assembly to appreciate the motives which have induced the
Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures at Manchester to
inrgade occasion,Association appear by a deputation, in order to offer, on this interest-
ing
s .of si nßc eerlaie
Belgium
congratulations
l gep to the
u .Treehan
T
tat ratin 'convening, thia. itADortaiiit- l:,COngrees, and to ex-
pr... if. Awl, gratitude for being permitted to take an hum-
ble part in its proceedings. No similar institution can know
more intimately than this Chamber the nature and im-
portance of the work upon which the Free Trade Associa-
tion of Belgium has resolved to enter; none more
clearly foresee the difficulties by which its progress will
be impeded for a time—none can give more secure assur-
ances of ultimate success if present resolves be carried out
with firmness, assiduity, and perseverance. From 1820,
the year bf its institution, the Chamber of Commerce and
Manufactures at Manchester never ceased to avail itself of
every opportunity of protesting to the Government and
Legislature of Great Britain against the impolicy and in-
justice of imposing heavy duties upon the importation of
food, but its remonstrances were not regarded, its argu-
ments fell upon deaf ears, its motives were even vilified.
Firm in the conviction of the truth of the principles which
it had deliberately espoused, the chamber continued to re-
peatits demand for the limited application of them which
at that time it advocated, until out of thediscussions which
took place among its own members in Dec.t 1831, arose that
great and beneficent confederation which, diffusing sound
and enlarged principles of political economy among the
masses of the British people, spread conviction on every
side, and finally brought a power to bear on the Govern-
ment and ParliaMent which could no longer be safely re-
sisted. It is to be feared that though the proceedings of the
League cannot, if studied, fail to render the work more easy
to all who wish to follow its example, the Belgian Free
Trade Association will yet, even at this day, with the re-
sult of 10 years' British experience before them, have the
same obstacles to overcome, and will consequently stand in
need of the same energy and the same resolute persever-
ance which carried our great free-trade organisation to its
triumphs. As it was in Great Britain before hercommercial
emancipation, so is protection now in every country in
which it is dominant—unreasoning, impolitic, and unjust.
Protection isunreasoning, because, seeking selfish and indi-
vidual ends alone, it will not see the obvious truth that to
foster any industry, whether important or insignificant, by
taxation to such an extent as to prevent importation, is
pro tanto to raise a fictitious price upon the whole
people of the country for the mere purpose of enrich-
ing a few individuals. It is impolitic, because, while it
absorbs, in enhanced prices, a large portion of the means
of the people which would otherwise be applicable to the
purchase of other things which would minister to their
comforts and enjoyments, it diminishes every incentive to
reduce the cost of production, and fixes a permanent high
price upon the consumer ; it is unjust, because, by the ex- ,
ertions of a despotic power, it forbids the mass of the peo-
ple from expending the earnings of their labour in a man-
ner most advantageovs to themselves, These are incon-
trovertible primary truths, which the Free Trade Associa-
tion of Belgium will have to teach and fix upon the minds
of the intelligent people of Belgium. Great Britain has
learnt them, adopted them, and having tested their value
will maintain them. Regardless of the unwise suspicions
with which her policy is regarded and the obstinacy with
whfch it has hitherto been resisted by other Governments,
she' holds on resolutely by the system which she finds to be
so advantageous to her own people. She heeds not the
blindness of others ; she is determined to provide untaxed
food and untaxed raw materials for the industry of her
artisans. Not entertaining any jealousies, she exposes the
labour of her people to a healthy competition, and admits
from all countries alike cotton, woollen, and plain linen
manufactures without duty, andonly retains a dimi-
nished duty on silk manufactures until the revenue
will permit the -abolition of it. nor rule is to purchase
that which she wants in the markets in v.., -1k
cure it at the cheapest cost, and to sell that which sh he as-to
dis Pose of wherever she can obtain' the best price. She ig-
nores as a phantom that which 'statesmen call reciprocity;
BIM repudiates differential-duties of every kind; she has
abandoned a long-cherished error in abrogating her naviga-
tion laws ; and, irrespective of other tariffs, opens her ports
to all the world. And what have been the consequences ?
The following table, compiled from Parliamentary papers,
supplies the answer; it indicates the average declared value
of the exports of British produce and manufactures only
for each four years therein specified, and, consequently,
represents that which, after supplying her own require.
ments, Great Britain has actually distributed through the ,
markets of the world :
EXPORTS OF BRITISH PRODUCE AND MANUFACTURES