The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-21 00:00:00

REVISION OF THE FRENCH NAVIGATION

LA IFS.

(From the Shipping Gazette.)
When, towards the close of last November, we
assured our readers that a revision of the French
Navigation Laws, so far as they affect British
shipping, was at hand, we spoke advisedly, and we
pointed, in confirmation of our statements, to the
urgent appeals of the shipowners of the leading
ports of France, made at that time to the head oi
the French Government, against the adoption of
any such policy ; and while we admitted the pro-
priety of such appeals, we felt ourselves justified in
assuring our readers that, so far as they were de-
signed to effect any change in the determination
of the Emperor, they would be made in vain.
Such an assurance was, under the circumstances,
easily given, for had our information respecting
the intentions of the French Government been
less exact than it has proved to be, considerations
of the necessities of the French trade, into which
we fully entered at the time, and on subsequent
occasions, made it apparent that the opening of the
French ports must follow, as the necessary conse-
quence of the removal of prohibitions and the remis-
sion of import duties involved in the commercial
treaty. We do not say that the French government
contemplates the immediate abolition of all differen-
tial duties in favour of French shipping, but we are
so satisfied of the intention of the Emperor, that we
shall not be surprised any day by the appearance of
an imperial decree placing British vessels on a foot-
ing of equality with French vessels, in an important
branch of the French trade from which our ship-
owners are practically excluded by the operation of
the existing system. In which direction this de-
sirable change will commence remains to be seen.
Foreign flags supply already more than one half of
the tonnage required in the French foreign trade,
under which designation is included the trade be-
tween France and the British dominions in Europe,
the British colonies, and other foreign countries.
The French coasting trade is absolutely reserved to
French vessels ; and the colonial trade, so strictly,
that of 625,252 tons entries and clearances in 1858
but 112 tons were foreign. The French Govern-
ment, in revising the Navigation Laws of France,
will no doubt be guided in the first instance by a
consideration of French interests alone, and there
is no branch of the French commerce more seri-
ously affected by the operation of the existing
law than the trade between France and her
colonies. That it is so has been recently esta-
blished by the memorial of the merchants and ship-
owners of Martinique, addressed to the home
Government, and praying for a change in those
regulations which, by excluding foreign shipping
from the ports of that island, have pressed so inju-
riously upon her commercial prospects. What is
true of Martinique is true of every other French
colony. We have before us a circular, addressed by
a house of eminence in Calcutta to their correspon-
dents in Liverpool, in which we find it stated that
the shipping of coolies for Re-union under the recent
treaty with France has commenced—the St Bernard,
a British ship, having taken a cargo at 70 rupees
a head. This trade will probably be done
altogether in British vessels, the French having
few, if any, ships adapted to the trade. " But in
that case (we quote from the letter referred to),
they (i e. British ships) must ballast their lower
holds with grain for the. Mauritius, for French
vessels alone can import food into the island—
unless, indeed the French Navigation Laws are
altered in that respect, which is not improbable, as
the Bourbonnais are now clamorous for free trade,
and for the same advantages as their countrymen
enjoy under British rule in the Mauritius." We
cannot doubt that the French Government are
fully in possession of the opinion of the French
colonists at Bourbon and elsewhere; and they
who are at all acquainted with the Imperial policy
need not be told of the great importance attached
by the Emperor to the advancement and prosperity
of the French dependencies. He has already
liberated the trade with Algeria, and we may be
quite sure he knows that the commerce of the out-
lying colonies demands the adoption of a similar
policy in respect to them. It is impossible, with
the limited amount of tonnage at the disposal of
those colonies, that their commerce can develop,
and, as a matter of fact, it has not developed, or at
all kept pace with the demand for colonial produce
in France.
We shall not bo surprised if the Emperor applies
himself in the first instance to remedy this state of
things, and that the first extensive breach in the
French Navigation Laws will be made in favour of
;he colonial trade. But the principle once admitted
the French Government cannot stop, even if they
were disposed, and that it was consistent, which it
is not, with the present commercial policy of
France to do so. The opening the foreign and
coasting trades to British vessels, and, eventually,
to the shipping of other nations, will be sure to
follow. The opening of the French colonial trade
to British shipping will be, so far as it goes,
an advantage to the British shipowner. Not that
it will afford anything like a harvest of freights—
for into ig
anyhts—
for the admission of additional shippi:s
trade must bring down the rates—bat b,: cause it
will give him the choice of two markets occasionally
instlad of one, and enable him to make a profit
"on the round," where it may be impossible to do
so outward or homeward bound. These, however,
are not considerations which we need expect would
enter into the mind of the French Emperor and his
government. No doubt they aro fully sensible of
the advantages which have accrued to the French
trade from our system of open poyts, and the Em-
peror is sufficiently well-informed and liberal to
admit the cruelty and injustice inflicted on the
British shipowner by an exposure to competition
with the shipping of non-reciprocating states.
But the approaching revision of the Navigation
Laws in favour of British shipping will be
effected, just as the commercial treaty was framed
and concluded, from a conviction that the com-
mercial interests of France imperatively require
it. From the moment the Emperor was con-
vinced of the necessity of a change, he has never
wavered or hesitated in giving effect to his con-
victions; and he knows as well as any economist
can tell him, that the revision of the French tariff
must be followed by a relaxation in the French
Navigation Laws. Those who have had the best
opportunity of forming a settled opinion as to the
views of the Emperor speak with the utmost confi-
dence of their settled character. lie has resolved
to make the commerce of France free by sea and by
land. In effectinc, so great an achievement there
must be great difficulties to be surmounted ; but
the present ruler of France has proved himself
equal to them, and so satisfied is he of the wisdom
of the reforms he has so recently effected, and of in-
creasing the commercial intimacy of this country
with France, that he is about to anticipate the
time originally fixed for the complete operation of
the commercial treaty. We are not given to pre-
dictions,
but we need not withhold the expression
of our conviction that the complete revision of the
French Navigation Laws, so far as they affect Bri-
tish shipping, is at hand, and that, before another
year has expired, France will cease to appear in the
category of non-reciprocating states.

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THE BANKRUPTCY OF JOS. HA. re TLEY,

CALVERLEY.

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS.
On Friday, at the Leeds Court of Bankruptcy, beforo
Mr. Commissioner West, Joseph Hartley, cloth manufac-
turer, of Calverley, near Leeds, came up on his last exami-
nation. He stated that he commenced business in 1852, but
that his,balance sheet was commenced on Jan. 1, 18599,
" because he could have a far better idea as to how be stood
than in any previous year." Ascertained that he was in-

solvent in 1860, and told his creditors he had lost money by

alpaca wool. The firm of J. Asquith and Co. appeared in
the balance sheet for £34 but this was a mistake, and file
item ought to be struck out. Israel and Co. are stated tot*
creditors for £263 13s 9d ; the sum should be about £l,lOO,
There were other mistakes in the balance sheet, which, it
corrected, will make the profits appear to be nothing at
all. He put down in his balance sheet "manufactured"
to everything which was marked consigned. Had no
losses by bad debts during the period of the balance sheet,
although he had "estimated" losses to the extent of £3OOO.
Some goods, the bankrupt acknowledged, might have

bean sold under cost price. He delivered goods on the
sth Oct. to the amount of £214, and on the 11th Oct. goods
to the amount of £275 to Messrs. Hargreaves and Nussey,

of Leeds, and the last cash he received from that firm was
on 29th September, when he obtained £4lO 7s. The goods

thus delivered were in consideration of previous advances.
When he received the £4lO on 29th September, he gave

the firm a bill for £2OO. Had also dealings with Messrs. A

Cooper and Co., from whom ho received on Bth September
a bill for £270, which he got discounted at Beckett and Co.'s.
Could not recollect what he did with the money. On 30th
September ho delivered the goods to Cooper and Co. to the
amount of £751 3s. On 3d October he received £7O more

from that firm, who were now creditors for £4 6s. On 4th
September he purchased wool to the value of £1,330 front
Messrs. Musgrave, wool merchants, of Leeds. Told.
these gentlemen that he wanted that kind of wool to
make army clothes of, but did not recollect whether
ho told them that ho had an order for army clothes.
Did not tell Mr. Musgrave that he was about to
invest £3,000 of his surplus capital in the Airedale Mill.
In the balanco•sheet was this entry, under date September
25, "S. and J. Birchall and Co., cheques given 14th Sep-
tember not presented, £5OO ; " and this entry under date

Sept. 25, on the opposite side of the sheet, " W. W. Brown
and Co, cheques not presented, £500." He gave Birchall
and Co. cheques for £3OO and £2OO on Sept. 14, and took
them up on the 25th and 26th Sept. He purchased wools
between the 14th and 22d Sept. from Dodgshon, Dickinson,
and Co., of Leeds, to the value of £559 ; from Rayner and
Co. £77 17s 11d, £2B 5s sd, and £ll9 4s—the latter pur-
chases being on the 17th. He pledged these wools with
Padgett and Co., of Leeds, on the 25th Sept. for £550, at
five per cent. per annum, as he understood. Obtained
goods on the 9th Oct. from Mr. Riley, to the amount of
£lOB 2s 11d, but did not remember telling that gentleman
that he purchased it because he had no greasy wool by
him. Bankrupt called his creditors together by a circular
dated October 12, or three days after this transaction•
The wools bought of Messrs. Musgrave had been con-
signed to Padgett's on the 13th and 18th September.
Messrs. Israel and Co., to whom bankrupt only paid in
cash £66 on the 26th September, were in possession of
eleven bales of their wool, the remainder being sold as
above stated. When bankrupt paid this £66 for his first
transaction with the Messrs. Israel, ho did not remember
telling them that he wanted wool for an army order. When
he purchased wool of Mr. Israel, on the 26th of September,
he told him that he did not want all of it delivered imme-

diately, but only a part. Twenty bales were sent on the 27th
of September to him (bankrupt), by the Messrs. Israel.
Bankrupt learnt the wools were at the Calverley Railway
Station from the way bill, which he brought with him to
Leeds on the 29th September. Went with the way bill to
Messrs. Hargreaves and Nussey, and asked them to advance
some money upon it, and Mr. Nussey did make an advance,
but not upon that wool. Mr. Nussey had learnt that Mr.
Coverdale, the railway superintendent, had found fault
with the way bill. Mr. Nussey advanced £4lO. The rest
of the wool ordered from the Messrs. Israel (25 bales) was
sent by that firm on the 4th October, in consequence
of a letter which he (bankrupt) addressed to them to that
effect. Had not made any entry of this wool in any of
his books. Had done business with Messrs. White and
Grayburn, in Russell-street; had pledged cloth with them
on certain terms agreed upon; but had made no entry in • '
his books of these transactions. Bankrupt had no cash-
book; did not keep the bill book after Sept. 15, or the day
book after July 19.—0 n being cross-examined by Mr.
Simpson, bankrupt said—According to the estimate I have
made, Messrs. Hargreaves and Nussey will make £2,000,
by reason of the reduction below the market price, and
they would also get the advantage of there being no profit
on the cost price. During the month of September, I
bought wool to the value of £1,550, and of that wool I
pawned more than £2,400 worth. When I bought the wool
of Mr. Riley my goods had been stopped at Messrs. Roberts,
Ross, and Co.'s. I sent Mr. Riley's goods to them. I got
the goods back fromlMesars. Roberts, Ross, and Co. by pay-
ing the money they required. I consulted Mr. Cooper on
the Monday in the week in which I called my creditors to-
gether. 1 was with Mr. Cooper at Harrogate, a few days
before the meeting. Wo went for the " out." I asked his
advice on different matters. The wool that went to Roberts,
Ross, and Co. was used for the purpose for which it was
bought. The Commissioner adjourned Hartley sine die,
without protection, and also gave an order to the trade
assignees to prosecute him criminally.