The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-21 00:00:00

HUDDERSFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

REPORT OF THE DEPUTATION TO PARIS.

A special meeting of the Huddersfield Chamber
of Commerce was held on Monday—Mr. T. Malin-
son, president, in the chair—to receive the report
of Mr. Charles Weiss, who represented the Cham-
ber before the Commission appointed to arrange
the details of the Commercial Treaty. The follow-
ing is an abstract of the report:—
" It is at present generally accepted as a fact, that the
duties to be imposed by the new French tariff on all union
and woollen goods of English origin, will be 15 per cent.
ad valorem until 1864, and after that date, 10 per
cent. At a meeting of the United Coancils of the
Huddersfield, Leeds, and Batley Chambers of Commerce,
resolutions were passed recommending a 124 per
cent. ad valorem duty as the only arrangement which would
give British goods a chance of admission into France.
These resolutions were communicated to Mr. Cobden ; and
it fell to my duty to explain verbally to him the reasons
which guided us in the adoption of these resolutions." The
report goes on to say that "Mr. Cobden, who had thoroughly
mastered the subject, informed Mr. Weiss that he would
lay the matter before the council in a very palpable form ;
adding, that he believed the French Commissioners would
see the justice of the claim for ad valorem duty. From that
moment Mr. Weiss never doubted that this point would be
carried, whatever the per- centage of the duty m ight be. After
referring to the steps taken by the united deputations to se-
cure unanimity among themselves, the report proceeds to
state that the deputations came to a resolution to try and ob-
tain a duty of not more than 10 per cent. ad valorem ; but
when the counter proposals of the French Government were
made known to them a difference of opinion arose, and Mr.
Weiss found it better to operate on his own understanding
of the case. He adhered throughout the negotiations which
followed to his first representations, trying to strengthen
his case by new illustrations, and encouraged by Mr. Cob-
den, who, from the first, recognised his claims to be reason-
able and just. The different classifications proposed by the
French Government had been abandoned one after another ;
and on the day before Mr. Weiss's departure from Paris, he
was given to understand that the ad valorem principle bad
won the day. The last French proposal was-10 per cent.
ad valorem for all woollen goods; 15 per cent ad valorem
for union fabrics. This proposal was accepted by the
Leeds and Scotch deputations ; but Mr. "Weiss thought it
his duty to protest strongly against it, for these reasons :
Having had many opportunities of seeing French
woollen goods, and of comparing the same with our Eng-
lish fabrics, and the process thereof, Mr. Weiss had cc n-
♦inced himself that the woollen industry of France, more
especially in the bettor class of textiles, is in no way behind
ours as far as cheapness is concerned; and as for quality
and finish, as well as taste, French manufacturers are, to
say the least, on a par with the English. The trade in all
woollen goods with France will therefore Le a limited ono
as long as any duty is charged on the importation of Eng-
lish fabrics, and few our staple woollen goods will command
a large sale even without any duty at all. Goods that are not
made in France, new styles and designs, and at times some
plain goods, will probably form the chief proportion of our
exports in all woollen goods to France ; but the lower union
fabrics, made of cotton weft and wool or mohair weft or
mixed wool and cotton articles, are not yet made in large
quantities in France; and where they are made, they do
not equal those manufactured in Yorkshire. It is in these
useful and cheap goods, suitable for the million, where a
large trade may be expected. After referring to the differ-
ences of opinion between Mr. Weiss and the other deputa-
tions on these points, the report proceeds to say :—Fortu-
nately the final settlement of the duty on the part of
England was left, to a firm and just negotiator, who had
heard patiently all that the different interests had to say
for themselves, and who had honestly tried, and most for-
tunately su :ceeded, in striking a good bargain for his
country. It was true that they had not succeeded in get-
ting the duties on union goods reduced below 15 per
cent. ; but the fact that in 1864 these goods will be ad-
mitted at 10 per cent. was ample compensation, and gave
them the guarantee of a large future trade with
France. All the different deputations who had been over
to France looked upon the treaty as the first step of Louis
Napoleon's anti-Protectionist policy. Already a move-
ment was set on foot to bring the new tariff into force at an
earlier period than what is stipulated for the treaty, and
should the French Government decide to make any altera-
tion in the original stipulation of the treaty, the publica-
tion of the new tariff might possibly be delayed. A strik-
ing feature of this treaty was, that those whose interest it
most deeply concerned had been consulted beforehand as to
what they thought of it. He believed it was the first treaty
of commerce between two great nations where the advice
of the public had been sought, and where the details had
nearly been based on the information obtained by such
public consultation. As to Mr. Cobden's labour, it was be-
yond all praise ; and when the nation came to a full under-
standing of this treaty, the great apostle of free trade would
be acknowledged a second time as the benefactor of his
country.

The report was adopted, and, at the close of the
meeting, cordial votes of thanks were accorded to
Mr. Cobden and Mr. Weiss.

THIS DAY'S WRUNG.

LONDON, Nov. 21.—Wind this day at noon, S.E. to S. ;
moderate breeze, and hazy.
GLOUCESTER, Nov. 20.—Arrived—Frere Vicendia, from
Now York.
HOLYHEAD, Nov. 20.—Wind S., blowing strong.—
Arrived.—Royal William, from Quebec.
COWES, Nov. 20.—Wind S.S.W.—Arrivod—Maria
Lucie, from Rio Janeiro ; Unoas, ditto ; Anna Catherina,
from Fignera, for Elsinore, with crow sick and sails split.
CLYDE, Nov. 19.—Put back—Camden, for New York—
leaky.
DOVER, Nov. 20.—The Jackson, of Shields, foundered
about 14 miles off the South Foreland last night. Crew
landed here.

SitoßElum, Nov. 20.—The Jane Howard was in con•
tact with the Clio, whilst coming into the harbour this
afternoon, and had her stern completely knocked away.
She also stuck on the rocks at the foot of the pier.
SOUTHAMPTON, Nov. 20.—The Dublin, steamer, from
London to Bordeaux, has put in here to-day with damage,
and is making a little water, having struck on something,
supposed to be a wreck, off St. Katharine's last night. She
will discharge and go into dry dock.

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
SOUTHAMPTON, Wednesday Morning.
Wind S.S.W.; strong, with rain.
Arrived, Nov. 20—Edward and Mary, from Paimpol ;
Hero, from Seaham ; Ceres, steamer, from Dublin; ♦lli-
ance, steamer, from Havre; Lady Constance, from Sun-
derland ; Bandon, from Kinsale ; Dublin, from London ;
Saltram, from Cardiff.
Sailed.—Jessie, for Aberdeen ; Pere, steamer, for Alex-
andria; Ceres, steamer, for London; Charlotte, for
Guernsey ; Courier, steamer, for Jersey; Main, for Perth ;
Havre, steamer, for Sunderland.
Arrived, Nov. 21.—Atalanta, steamer, from Havre.

(BY SUBMARINE AND MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning.
Wind southerly, light, and fine.
Arrived, Nov. 20.—Prerogative, from New York ; Refuge,
from Berdianaki ; Albion, steamer, from Boulogne ; Balder,
from:Quebec ; Tonle, steamer, from Cronstadt.
Arrived, Nov. 21.—Planter, Mermaid, and Iris—all from
Guernsey ; Holland, steamer, from Ostend.
Sailed, Nov. 20.—Montague, steamer, for Lisbon.
Sailed, Nov. 21.—Charles Brooks, for St. Vincent;
Matchless, for Antigua.
DEAL, Wednesday Morning.
Wind S.S.W. ; fine.
Passed—Wellington, from Minatitlan, for London ; Ve-
ronica, from Whampoa, for London; Mintage, steamer,
from London, for Cardiff.
It appears that the American ship Flora Macdonald,
Capt. Fuller, from London, for Mobile, has been in col-
lision with the French brig Sauveur, Capt. Oufon. Part
of the crew of the brig got on board the ship and landed
here, and the fate of the brig and remainder of crew is at
present unknown.

TILE MAILS.

MAILS DUE.

Australia, Ceylon, and Mauritius (via South-
Nov. 18.
stnpton) •
• -Hies) Dec. 13.

Do. (via Marseilles) L.
Brazil and Cape Verds .. .. 5.
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &e. • • • •
• • "
Nov Nov.
. —.
Bahamas and Havana (via New York) .. .. Nov. 22.
Canada, &c. (via Galway) Nov 18.
Cape• • ..
••
Cape of Good Hope, &c... • • • • ' • Dec. 2.
China, Penang, and Singapore (via S'ampton) Nov. 18.
Do. (via Marseilles) Nev. 18.
Gibraltar (via Southampton) . • .. .. Nov. 18.
India (Calcutta), Ceylon, &c. (via Southampton) Nov. 18.
Do. (via Marseilles) Nov. 26.
India (Bombay), (via Southampton) .. • . Nov. 25.
Do. (via Marseilles) .. • • Nov. 19.
Lisbon ..
Cuba and Mexico ..
Malta, Egyr, and Men (via .................Nov.outmpt .. ov. 25.
Po.
(via Marseilles) ~ Nov. 19.