The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-22 00:00:00

FRENCH PAPERS.

(From the Moniteur, June 18.)
(OFFICIAL.)—REPORT TO THE KING.
SIRE,-The treaty of Navigation concluded between
France and Great Britain, the 26th of January, 1826,
stipulatcd that the two flags should be treated in each of
the two countries on the same footing. Thus a French
ship pays in England no higher duties than the national
duties. The same thing takes place in France with re-
spect to English vesse's.
But when it was in contemplation to agree on this re-
ciprocity this difference was perceived in the regime of the
two countries, that in England the national vessels were
subject to duties which became common to the French
vessels, so that the stipulations only freed us from a sur-
charge, whereas in France French ships returning from
abroad paid absolutely nothing.
Thus the reciprocity would have had different effects in
the two countries, not with regard to the navigation, but
to the public revenue.
Now, to avoid a double duty on the one part, and a
double exemption on the other, the treaty added that
France reserved to itself the faculty to impose a duty on
its own ships when they returned from the ports of Eng-
land, or from its possessions in Europe; and in fact the
Ordinance of the Bth of February, 1826, carried this mea-
►ure into execution, by means of which, and the promised
equality having been established, the English continue to
pay the navigation duty of 3f. 75e., which, with the de-
cime, makes 4f. 1.2 c. per ton. The law of the 17th May,
1826, sanctioned this regulation imposing on French ships
a new burden, from which the law of 27 Vendemiaire,
year 2, intended to free them.
But the treaty, which allowed a tax on our own vessels
only for a time, and in the expectation that England should
relieve their flag and ours at the same time, expre.sly says,

" Art. 1. That the Government of France expressly
reserved the faculty of regulating its tariff according to the
rate to which it is, or should be, established in the United
Kingdom; and that at the same it will always be ready to
make a proportionate reduction on it according to the re-
duction which may be made in the sequel on the duties
levied in the ports of the United Kingdom."
In this state of things the English Government, which
at the time the Treaty was concluded bad it not i❑ its
power to reduce certain duties on navigation, because they
had been alienated to corporations or to towns, has just
proved by the tariff of each of its ports that the charges
equally borne in England by English and French ships is
very far below the duty of 41. 12c. per ton, which we
adopted provisionally, after an approximation ❑ot founded
on any official document. In fact the mean of all the ta.
riff, (England has not, like France, one simple and one
uniform tariff) does not quite amount to If. per ton ; but
this, it is true, includes a great number of places which
our ships do not frequent, and the moderate duties on which
cannot compensate for the higher duty levied in the most

frequented ports.
It is therefore only on account of the latter (London,
Liverpool, Sunderland, Bristol, Swansea, Shoreham, and
Dover) that we admit a mean of If. 61c.
This point being established and once proved, it is our
duty, Sire, in order to comply with the Treaty of 1826, to
ask your Majesty to pronounce in favour of French ships,
which the law of 27th Vendemiaire, year 2, exempted
entirely the reduction of the duty of 4f. 12c. which they
now pay, according to the English tariff, which is not
what it formerly was.
The reduction ought, as I have just pointed out, to be to
If. 61c. This is precisely what will be effected. The
Ordinance which I have the honour to propose to your
Majesty since the duty of If. 50c. per ton, which it
would fix, augmented by the decline to which it is liable,
would amount to If. 65e.

This requisition will be entered in the project of law on
the Customs, which you have ordered me to lay before the
Chambers in their next Session, though it does not impose
a change oa any body, and is the consequence of a diplo-
matic stipulation.
I am, with profound respect, Sire, your Majesty's very
humble and obedient servant and subject,
The Peer of France (Minister of Commerce)
Count d'ARGOUT.
ORDINANCE OF THE KING.
Louis-Philippe, King of the French.

To all present and to come, greeting.
It having been reported to us that the tonnage duty
which the ordinance of February 8, 1826, has hitherto
authorized as an exception, and only till otherwise ordered,
on French ships entering from the ports of the United
Kingdom of Englsnd and Ireland, and its possessions in
Europe, far exceeds the duty levied in the English ports on
the national vessel•, though it was the intention of the
said ordinance to place the respective tariffs as far as pos-
sible on the same footing, seeing Art. I. of the Treaty of
Navigation concluded between France and Great Britain,
the 26th of January, 1526 ;
On the report of our Ministers of Commerce, and Fo-
reign Affairs, and Finances, we have ordained and ordain
as follows :

Art. I. From the date of the publication of the present
Ordinance, French ships returning from the ports of the
United Kingdom of England and Ireland, or its possessions
in Europe, shall pay for duties and half duties of tonnage
only lf. 50c. per ton.
The same duty shall be levied on British ships coming
with or without cargoes from the said ports.
Art. 11. Our Ministers of Finance and Commerce are
charged, as far as each is concerned, with the execution of
the present ordinance.
Given at the Palace of the Tuileries, June 16, 1832.
By the King, LOUIS-PHILIPPE.
The Peer of France, &c., Couat d'ARGOUT.