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

THE ANGLO-FRENCH TREATY.

The following communication from her Majesty's
Government has been forwarded to the different
Chambers of Commerce relative to the working of
the Commercial Treaty with France, in order that
they may be put in possession of any facts that may
make the measure more perfect, and at the same time
be in accordance with the practical views of the ma-
nufacturing interests of this country :
" Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
March, 24, 1860.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Lords of the Com-
mittee of Privy Council for Trade to request that you
will inform the Chamber of Commerce of

that, with a view to negotiations which are in pro-
gress for the purpose of arranging the details of the
new French tariff of import duties upon the articles
of the produce and manufactures of the United
Kingdom enumerated in article first of the treaty of
the 23d January, 1860, they are desirous of obtain-
ing any information which the Chamber may be
able to supply in connexion with the branches of
the British exportation trade in which that body is
more especially interested. These are the three
questions in regard to which my Lords more espe-
cially desire accurate and detailed statements at the
earliest convenience of the Chamber :

" 1. As to the classification which, in his opinion,
it would be desirable to adopt in respect of such
manufactures with a view to the arrangement of
specific duties by weight in the French tariff.
" 2. As to the average prices of each class of such
manufactures with reference to such classification.

" 3. Upon what description of each class of goods
it is more especially important that the duties should
be reduced below the maximum of 30 per cent. ad
valorem, whether such duties should be charged ad
valorem or the ad valorem rate be taken as a basis
on which to assess specific duties, and upon what
special grounds such reductions are important.
" In reference to the second head I am to observe
that the 13th article of the treaty with France, of
the 23d January, 1860, provides that the average
price of the articles of British produce and manu-
factures enumerated in the treaty during the six
months last preceding its signature shall be taken
as a basis in fixing the amount of the import duty
upon them ; my Lords would therefore desire to be
furnished with a statement of such average prices
during the period therein mentioned, but they
would be glad at the same time to obtain
a similar statement of such average prices
during each of the three years immediatrely before
the date of the treaty. lam to add that my Lords
will be happy to receive any statement or sugges-
tion with regard to the branches of trade repre-
sented by your Chamber which the body may think
likely to be of use to her Majesty's Government in
the present negotiation. I am, in conclusion, to
state, with reference to a desire which has been ex-
pressed in certain quarters, that deputations should
be sent to Paris on the subject of the treaty, that
my Lords would s aggest for the consideration of the
Chamber of Commerce of - whether it may not
be possible and desirable that a delegate might be
selected from each branch of the industries with
which the Chamber is connected to represent the
common interest of such particular branch, and to
proceed if it be necessary, to Paris, to supply any
information on the spot which may be required in
the negotiations of the French tariff.
" I am, sir, your obedient servant,
" JAMES BOOTH.
"To the Secretary of the - Chamber
of Commerce,