The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-25 00:00:00

THE SECRET OF THE WINE DU2I
DISTURBANCE.

It would appear that Mr. Gladstone has again abandoned

himself to the tender care of the London Custom-house
officers. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is indeed to be
pitied who is obliged to take as his guide the present beads
of this department. For some time the wino trade has
been agitated by a rumour to the effect that further change
in the duties is in contemplation: The specific form into
wh;ch this rumour has now shaped is, that the proposed
change shall be in such manner as will be most favourable
to French ,growth, and • most prejudicial to wines of all
other countries. For this purpose further inquiry was
deemed necessary, and so a staff of Customs officers has
been despatched to the wine countries. The object of this
mission is, it appears, to inquire into the mode of preparing
wine for the English market and the per tentage rate of
alcohol which the various sorts of wine contain. But it
has been stated, further, that something like a pledge has
been given to the French Government to the effect that the
arrangement referred to shall be carried out. This, how-
ever, has been denied, and it is now alleged that no such
change has ever been contemplated, and further, that no
such promise has ever been given. In reply to a question
put to him on the subject, Mr. Gladstone Ftates that no
such pledge has been given by the Government for the
purpose of placing " French wines on a preferential footing
over those of other countries" in this market. We think
we are in a position to state that this is perfectly true, so
far as it relates to the Government ; but it is equally true
that a promise has been made by one not in the Govern-
ment, and which promise, it appears, Mr. Gladstone has
adopted. The history of the whole affair is this :—When
Mr. Cobden was in Paris it was pointed out to him that the
present rates of duty were not as favourable to French
wines as they might be; end that the French producers
considered they were entitled to have their wines admitted
in to this market at less rates than those charged upon the
wines of any other country. It is to be presumed that Mr.
Cobden must have viewed the matter in the same light; for
there can be little doubt that he gave something like a pledge
to the French that the change, as suggested, should be made
in the English tariff. On his arrival in London he re-
ported to the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he had
done in the matter, and urged upon him the necessity of
redeeming the pledge given. To this Mr. Gladstone at first
objected, foreseeing, as he did that it would be in direct vio-
lation of the intentions and the wish of the legislature
But our amateur envoy extraordinary prevailed ; and so
the apostle of free trade and the disciple of the late Sir
R. Peel are committed to a measure of protection as ob-
noxious in form as it is unsound in principle. For what
can be more objectionable than to establish a system the
effect of which will be to protect goods admitted into our
markets which are the produce of one foreign country to
the prejudice of all others? And yet this is precisely what
Mr. Gladstone is now about to do. The Government is not
pledged, it is true; but experience has taught us that Mr.
Gladstone does not very often trouble himself as to what
his colleagues may think about his fiscal legerdemain. In
pursuance of the scheme, four officers of Customs have
been, as already stated, sent to the wine countries for the
purpose of ascertaining in what manner the alcoholic test
can be regulated so as to favour French wines. It might,
perhaps; have been wiser , if those officers shad not talked
about this matter on their arrival in Paris. Still, this can-
not alter the strange character of their mission. It is odd
that the consular service has not been deemed trustworthy
enough to discharge such task. But Mr. Gladstone can do
nothing without a Custom -house officer—without Sir T.
Fremantle he is helpless. It is upon this latter official and
his associates that the Chancellor of the Exchequer now
relies for such data as will enable him to carry out Mr.
Cobden's promise. But it is difficult to say what the exact
plan will be. We believe, however, that we are not far
from the truth when we say that the alcoholic test will be,
altered in such a way as to admit all French wines at one
and the lowest rate. Put the matter in this way. Suppose
that all wines containing under 27 per cent. of spirits were
admitted at is. per gallon, and all over that, arid under 45
per cent., were charged at 2s, per gallon. The effect of this
would be to admit all French wines at the low rate, for
it is well known that, as a rule, they do not contain 27
per cent. of spirit—while all other wines, more especially
port and sherry, contain considerably more, and would,
therefore, be subject to the higher rate. Notwithstand-
ing all the deniids we have had, and the special plead-
ing we may have on the subject, this is what was and is
in contemplation, if the thing is not upset by the posh-
Hefty now given to it. The scheme is a very plausible
one. Two rates of duty are to be imposed, and applying to
all wines, no matter of what origin, according to the pro-
portion of spirit which they contain. Then, who cen com-
plain ? Not Spain, nor Portugal, nor yet Italy. If they
choose to add more than 27 per cent of spirit to their wines
the fault is their own, not ours. The French are wiser ;
wo make a low rate in the tariff, and they avail themselves
of the''advantage accruing therefrom by sending us wines
with a less admixture of spirit than that contained in the
wines of their competitors. The policy of this country should
not be established and carried out by such means as this.
It can never serve a good end. We are freetraders from
principle,' and very jealous of any measures, no. matter by
whom propounded, which are in their operation likely to
endanger that commercial system which has confericd
within the last ten years such benefits on the empire. That
this new scheme for the protection of French wines is in
violation of our present system of free trade, and in direct
opposition to our own interests, there can be no doubt, and
we therefore trust its originators will be defeated in their
object. Let us have wines at a low rate of duty by all
means, or free of duty, if the Legislature wish; but let us
not have any such 'bolsteting up of foreign interests as that
proposed by this notable scheme. Let our markets be open
to all,, and under the same conditions, and let us not, as a
nation, stoop to this practice of huckstaing which is now
being pursued.—Liverpool Albion.

THIS DAY'S 111ARR_ETS.