The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-04 00:00:00

CONTINENTAL INTELLIGENCE.

A letter from Paris, dated (Wednesday), 6 p.m.,
says :

" The Council-General of the department of the He-
rault, presided over by M. Michel Chevalier, has just held
its annual meeting, and has unanimously passed strong
resolutions in favour of a revision of the French Customs
tariffs. In these resolutions the cause of free trade is
argued with all the vigour and lucidity that might be
expected from the high reputation of the distinguished
President of the Council. The existing restrictions are
shown to be, for the most part, injurious to the agricul-
tural in. erect and uncalled for by the state of French
manufactures. In the infancy of industry it might be
needful to put it in leading strings, but now the produce
of French ingenuity and skill is found competing in '
foreign markets with those of England and other manu•
factoring countries. It is stated in the resolutions, which
constitute a report concerning the effecte to be antici-
pated ou French commerce from the adoption of free
trade, that the value of the manufactures exported from
France to markets where they meet with foreign coin-
petition exceeds 1,000.000,000 f., whereof at least
400,000,000 f. consists of articles which the French tariff
protects by prohibition. It is estimated that nine-tenths,
at least, of the manufactures of France are protected by
absolute prohibition, and that the greater part of the
maieing tenth are subject to duties so high as to be de
facto prohibited. In short, French industry is swathed,
fenced in, and fostered as if it were a puny child, instead
of a robust adult, well able to hold its own among com-
petitors. Such a system, contrasting with that of all other
countries, which nave reduced their tariffs while France
has strictly maintained hers, is calculated, in tee Opinion
of the Council of the Herault, to reflect unfavourably on
the French name, at the same time that it is in contra-
diction with the spirit of the times, with the closer rela-
tions establi: bed by railways among the European nations,
and with the c ,mmuni,y of interests sought to be
created among them. It is pointed out, by coining for-
ward as candidates for tee highest prizes at the Univer
sal Exhibition of Parrs, where cheapness was one of the
conditions of success, the French manufacturers clearly
proved that they were able to brave foreign rivalry. 0,,
the other hand, it in certain breeches they are inferior
to the foreigner, this is attributed to the security and
sloth into which they have been lulled by the certainty
of a monopoly of the home market. The question of re-
prisals is next touched upon, and oil this head the Coun-
cil of the Herault speaks feelingly, since that great vine
district naturally sees a grave obstacle to the full deve-
lopment of its prosperity in the tax levied by foreign
Custom-houses on its excellent wines. By the reduction
of duty effected by the Imperial Government on some of
the most important alimentary articles, such as corn
and cattle, as well as on wool and other farm pro-
duos, agriculture, unquestionably the most important
branch of French industry—since it is estimated that
20,000,000 of Frenchmen live by it—has ceased to en-
joy the advantages of the protective system, whose
charges, however, it continues to support when it pur-
chases the iron indispensable to its operations, farming
implements and machines, guano to fortilise the soil,
household utensils, and many articles of raiment. The
effect of the prohibitive system is particularly injurious
to the consumer in the case of certain manufactures
limited to a few great establishments, which thus erjoy
a monopoly and impose their own terms upon the pub
lic. This kind of combination, says the resort, has a
tendency to increase, and to extend itself to manufac-
tures not confined to so few hands. Against the factiti-
ous dearness with which the public is thus threatened the
sole resource must be sought in foreign competition. The
report points out the great difference in the rate of im-
port duty levied on certain articles under Napoleon I.
and under Napoleon 111. Thus, as regards iron and
steel, under ttie first Emperor the duty was 44f. on
the former, aed 99f. on the latter article. The
decree of 1853 found it augmented to the enormous
rate of 2061. and 1,320 f. for the qualities most de-
manded ; and, even after that decree, they re-
mained treble what they were under Napoleon I.
The less amount of protective duty under which
certain mauufacoirers thrive and increase in other
countries, less forward than France in manufacturing
skill, is exemplified by the article of cotton yarns. The
project of law of 1856, which encountered such strenuous
opposition, proprosed a graduated scale of duty from if.
sc. to 71. 50c. per kilogramme, while the German spin-
ners prosper, according to the report, with a general
duty of 22c. on all numbers indiscriminately, and those
of Russia, still less skilful, multiply with a protective
duty lower than a minimum laid down in the prejeet of
law. After expressing its gratitude to the Government
ior the reduction made in the duties on several articles
of subeie ence and raw materials, the Council-General
concludes by expressing its wishes on the subject bet, re
lo It desires that all the reductions of duties provision
ally decreed may be rendered definitive, and that a revi-
sion of the wh de tariff may be at once proceeded to ;
that all export duties on French merchandise nosy he
suppressed, ai:d the forenAlties of xporta•ion simpl,fied ;
hat all commercial prohibitions of importation way be
immediately abolished, and replaced toy duties suitably
adjusted ; that the duties, for the most part excessive, of
the present tariff. be reduced to rates which would p relit
foreign competition to stimulate French industry, hence-
forward strong enough to benefit by such a syetetn instead
of suffering from it; that duties on raw mat,rials of all
kinds be gradually reduced, so as to disappear a ithin
a short term of years ; and that the same be done wit i
respect to the Kees, inaehine,, and apoaratus which are
the instrume its of work in agr.cu turd, manufactures,
trade, and navigation ; and especially that the duties on
iron, on raw cast iron, and on steel in bore may return
a; soon as p )ssible to the peitit at which they wets in
the reign of Napol ;on I. ; and that, in the diplereatic
negotiations welch shall be opened to ensure to French
industry a just reciprocity, particular efforts shah be
devoted to obtain the rein ival of the int-rdiction which
has everywhere boen laid, in Europe and eesewhere, on
the wines of France.

" The Empress on Saturday made an excursion by sea
on board the Ptlican. Thi+ light t.teamer entered the
Bidassoa and came to an anchor eff Fontarabia, where
her
,Maje..ty landed and visited the town in the mid t of
enthusiastic acclamations from the crowd, some of whom
afterwards ex-cuted several national dances in the pub-
lic sqlare. The Empress on again embarking went to
the opposite bank of the Bidassoa and landed at Hen•
days, where she was received by the cure, at the bead
of all his parishioners. The Empress returned to the
villa at a late hour in the evening. The next day plea-
sure-trains from.Toukuse and Bordeaux conveyed about
3;000 visitors to Bayonne. The regatta took place on
that day, and was honoured by the presence of her
Majesty, who also attended the bu'l-fight in the
afternoon, and remained during the whole of the repre-
sentation. In the evening there was a reception at the
villa, the company being vtry numerous, and the enter.
tainmente kept up to a late hour.
" There is very little doubt that the much-talked-of
interview letween the Emperors of France and Russia
will take place in G-ranany this year. Stutgardt or
Darmstadt, it ie said, will be the place of meeting. A
deputation from the department of the Moselle waited
on the Emperor the other day at the camp, to ask hint to
visit Metz. lam assured that his reply was that per-
haps he would go thereon his way to Germany.
" The date (so long uncertain) of the inauguration of
the railway from Nioit to La Rocbe'le and Rochefort is
officially and irrevocably fixed. This solemnity will take
place on Sunday, the 6th Sept., at La Rochelle, and on
Monday, the 7tb, at Rochfort.
"Tae works which are to j )in the railway to Geneva
with that of the Mediterranean have been carried on
for some time past with redoubled activity. The viaduct
of the Rhoce is finished, likewise the viaduct (composed
of ten small arches of solid ealtb) which join it, and
which are ktended to ai.sit-t in drawing off the water,
which overfl ,we during the great fieods. The masons
are now occupied in fixing the hand-rails of these two
important works, which in reality form but one."

THE GLASGOW POLYTECHNIC INSTITIITION.—Tbis
(avowi e Oita() ~f ententertainmentent was' totally(lt kr led by
fire on Wednesday rntng. The damage to stook and
property will amour/. to upwards of 20,000/., and among
the articles destroyed was the first bteaw engine con-
structed by arlilll6l Watt.