The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-04 00:00:00

away from Europe it is probable that an increase of evidence, and Superintendent Howard. called other
witnesses, the first of whom was Philip Kennedy, trade between the two countries will follow the
the bugleman, who -said—On Saturday morning I adoption of the new tariffs: Much, however, will
WE-IS on duty outside the guardroom, and I heard depend on the French Government. The wide mar-
the prisoner say, (g I'll make the --'s head bleed .gin which the Emperor has reserved to himself
before night." I didn't notice whether Private Cox places it his power to open any branch of trade, or
was there. I didn't hear the deceased's name men- to keep it almost as much closed aftbefore. Mr.
tioned at all. Cobden tells us that all is progressing favourably,
By the prisoner—You were not talking to any and we trust that the apprehensions of the com-
one in particular at the time. It was when you were mercial community on this score are unfounded.
coming out of the guardroom after being scaled. This country has made many sacrifices in this
Prisoner (to witness)—Yon never said nothing business, giving a certain price for an uncertain
worse than that.
benefit, and what is perhaps of most importance,
Police-constable Cox said—l took prisoner into surrendering the principle of free trade by con-
custody on the 29th, about half-past 2 o'clock. He eluding a treaty of reciprocity. To r'eive a foreign
was in the cell at the guard-room. I said to him, power the right of interfering in our financial ar-
rangements and forbidding us to place import
You stand charged with the wilful murder of
Sergeant Chipp and Corporal Cole." He turned duties where we please is a divergence from the
his back and said nothing. I told him I must take laws of political economy which should at least be
him to the police-station, but he made no answer. justified by great expectations of advantage.
I went to the barrack-room and found his rifle
against the wall where Sergeant Chipp was lying.
It had beenrecently fired. The cap was still on it,
and there were marks of blood near the lock. It
was numbered 862.
Private James Walsh said—l was one of the
escort who took the prisoner to the guard-room
after Sergeant Chipp was shot. In the room at the
barrack he said " Boys, don't touch me ; it was not
intended to harm either of ye, nor Corporal Cole ;
it-was only for the one." He didn't say for whom.
Prisoner—l never spoke in the room at ail.
Witness—l didn't hear him say anything going
to the guard-room. I must have heard him had he
spoken.
Private Alexander eMeen said—l was one of the
escort. I heard the prisoner say ho didn't mean
any harm to Corporal Cole or any other man. I
didn't hear him say " only for the other one." I
didn't hear him say any more. I didn't see Private
Cox on the way to the guard-room.
The witnesses Walsh and' Meen were called by
the prisoner, but their statements only tended to
confirm the belief in his guilt.
Private John Morley said—l was in the barrack-
room on Saturday when the men were shot. I took
the rifle away from the prisoner. I was leaning on
the table while the two deceased were playing
draughts. I heard the report and saw the prisoner
standing between the cot and Sergeant Chipp's right
hand. I took the rifle, but let it fall between Ser-
geant Chipp's legs. The prisoner said " You need
not fear me, I didn't mean to do you any harm nor
the corporal; only the sergeant." There were about
eight more in the room. I had hold of him by the
collar then. Ile said he was sorry that he shot the
cOrPoral. Sutcliffe and Walsh were there at the time.
By the Prisoner—You were standing between
the cot and Sergeant Chipp, and had the rifle in
this position (against his hip horizontally).
This being the whole of the case, the Coroner went
through the evidence, and in doing so he reminded
the jury that neither at the time of the shocking
occurrence nor at the time of his arrest did the pri-
soner once assert that the deed was the result of an
accident. On the contrary, he said enough to induce
the belief that the act was premeditated, and the
plea had only been made since his arrest.
The room was then cleared, and after a short
time a verdict of wilful murder was unanimously
returned.
The inquiry lasted from 11 till 3. The jury after-
wards assembled to hear the reading of the evidence
in the case of the corporal, after which a verdict of
wilful murder was again returned.
While the inquest was going on the funeral too
place,
.and hundreds of military men and civilians
including the regiment, were present.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

TILE COMMERCIAL TREATY Tr 71171

FRYINCE.

The Commercial Treaty with France, almost
forgotten amid the turmoil of Italian politics, once
more makes its appearance, and stands like a
factory chimney seen in the distance through the
smoke of a battle. The long negotiations are now
drawing to a close, and we are about to enter into
that trading millennium for which the Manchester
School is more enthusiastic than Manchester itself.
The Ztloniteur publishes the first part of the new
Tariff. It applies entirely to metals the produce
of the United Kingdom. Napoleon, though desir-
ous, it is said, to carry out the principles of Free
Trade with all countries, contents himself for the
present with performing the conditions of the Treaty
and permitting the entrance of English goods. The
Tariff is certainly a great improvement on the old
one. It was in the department of metals that the
spirit of prohibition most completely reigned in
France. The Governments of the last 40 years
seem to have imagined that national greatness de-
pended in some manner on the number and skill
of the workers in iron. England was rich
through her coal and her metals. England wished
to supplant the manufactures of every other
country. It was necessary to prevent the French
foundries from being:ruined, and a branch of trade
being taken away from France which was necessary
for the defence of the country. So we have had
in two generations a system of Custom-house regu-
lations more worthy of Japan or Paraguay than of
the most enlightened Continental Power. Almost
every kind of manufactured article in iron, steel, or
brass was burdened with duties which placed it be-
yond the reach of the French consumer. Steel, even
in an unmanufactured state, paid'until within the
last few years a duty which entirely prevented the
public from being supplied with the best material
from abroad. What a French knife or a French pair
of scissors are we need not remind our readers. It
has often excited the wonder of the intelligent tra-
vellers that a people should go on year after year
using such implements when a neighbouring coun-
try was ready to supply them with the best in the
world, and it is still stranger that this should pro-
ceed not from ignorance, but from financial perver-
sity. In fact, cutlery is one of the articles that
has been totally prohibited in France. Like the
pirated edition of a copyright work, a packet of
knives might be seized at the outports and confis-
' cated in spite of any offers on the part of those who
were desirous of having an implement that would
' cut. Cutlery, however, now comes'in at a moderate
duty ; iron ore enters free ; the duties on cast iron
' and steel in bars is reduced by one-half; but per-
• haps the most important change is the admission
at a moderate duty of objects manufacturel of cast
• iron, which were formerly prohibited. In every
department of industry or household economy such
objects are of the first necessity. and the factory of
• the millionaire as well as the cottage of the peasant
has hitherto paid its tax to the monopolists of the
French iron-foundries in the shape of exorbitant
prices for inferior goods. The tariff came into
operation on the Ist of the present month. In
1864 a still further reduction takes place, and
though even the French will be far from free
trade in iron there can be no doubt that the com-
forts of the people will be very largely enhanced
and other branches of industry invigorated by the
• cheapening of objects of such necessity.
These changes are certainly of the greatest
moment to France. The timidity of the French as
traders has been long proverbial. Though at all
I times as much desirous of gain as any Englishman
I or American, though patent and industrious,
though possessed of great manufacturing skill, of
exquisite taste, and a happy faculty of imitation,
• .yet until lately they have remained poor because
they lacked the one requisite of mercantile cou-
' rage. Instead of launching out into the great
ocean of enterprise they crept timidly along the
coast, putting into port at every ruffle of the sur-
face. The coolness with which au Englishman
will stake his all on some bold venture which is to
bring him a large profit, :and will eat, drink, and
' be merry in the meantime, is even now unknown to
our neighbours • but their more unreasonable fears
they are gradually' overcoming, If the present Em•
parer is to have the glory of inaugurating free
trade, it will be:because the increase of business, the
efforts of an active school of political economists,
and the decay of ancient prejudices make it possible.
Louis Philippe could not have done it. Had his cha-
racter been as daring as that of his successor, had
he exercised equal supremacy over his country-
men, he must have shrunk from outraging the feel-
ings of a nation who firmly believed a liberal tariff
to be the ruin of France and the exaltation of Eng_
land.
We must not, however, suppose that the battle is
already won, and that France is about to adopt in
their integrity those maxims of finance which have
already triumphed here. The treaty between the
two countries was a bargain, by which the French
been
opened
have gained great advantages. Our ports have
opened to their most important productions, and
should. the taste for French wines spring up,
as anticipated by the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, the peasants of two-thirds of France will
be gainers by the treaty of 1860. The tariff
which has just been published is part of a bar-
gain in which wo have given valuable considera-
tion. Though simplified and reduced, the duties
are still considerable ; and it must be remembered
that the increasing industry of France requires an
approach to free trade in iron, which is, after
coal, the great agent in modern production. To
obtain the coal and
hb
edneirigcnof England is becoming a
necessitytreaty
they foi;
ou
would probabolyurbse, faonr de l vn eg havenwi th
iE d. onu t ae
astute to make us
eir own interest to :themF
some important
modifications.pay But they have eon
rfaonreedobiansgrwemhaotvei(7
without
prohibitions and reduceddo.
sible her duties as far as is pos..
raisin g • a storm, among the monopo-
lists ; but for this she has received in exchange ‘lllecon-
cessionssr which she will no doubt turn to good use.
When the present gloom and uncertainty pass