The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-20 00:00:00

Baronet when 'the papers connected_ with the Commis-
sariat estimates would- be ready to lay. bellre. the
House.?

Sir G. CLERK said that the documents were in the
bands of the printers, and would be laid before the
House next week.

INDIA.

Mr. MACAULAY inquired what had caused the delay
in the presentation of the papers ordered respecting the
late occurrences in India..

Sir R. PEEL said he was sorry if any delay, had
taken place, but he had, not been certain whether the
House should get the papers printed or not.
The SPEAKER was understood to say that they
should be printed by the Foreign-office.
Sir R. PEEL again said he was sorry for the'delay.
POOR-LAW (SCOTLAND).
.
Mr. a ELLICE, junior, inquired of the Right Hon.
Baronet (Sir 'J Graham) when the Commissioners
of Poo!:-IaW Inquiry in Scotland would send in their
report ?
Sir.J. GRAHAM understood from the Noble Lord at
the.head of .the Commission that the report would be
ready tea be laid before the House soon after the recess. ,
THE TARIFF—FOREIGN 'RECIPROCITY. _

Mr. RICARDO rose to bring forward the motion of
which he had given notice, to the effect---That an humble
address be presented to. her Majesty; praying that her
• ~. •
Majeity'ivill -be 'graciously pleased to -give
_directione,
to her servantsnotto enter into any negotiations'AfritliTO
reign Powers which would make any contemplated altera-
tions of the tariff of the United. Kingdom contingent on
the alteration of the- tariffs of other countries; and hum.:
bly • expressing to her Majesty .the opinion of this_House,
that the-great object of relieving the commercial inter
Course between this country and foreign nations from
all injurious restriction 4 would be best promoted by re 7
.gulating our own. Customs' duties as may be most
suitable to the financial and , commercial interests
of this country, without reference 'to the amount
of duties which Foreign :Bowers might think it 'expe-
'dient for their own interests to levy on BritiSh goods.
The effect- f the 'course. which had been, hitherto pur-.
sued was altogether unsatisfactory. Having. signally
failed in obtaining their object 'by means of nego-
tiations ' to extend . their exports, it became them
to inquire whether they might not 'arrive at
the Sallie end by simple legislation.' on their
imports. The . treaties .- which were in question
in 1842 were those with Brazil, with Portugal, Spain,
and France. The faterof the first of these treaties had
been most pathetically described by . the Right Hon.
• Gentleman. the President of the Board of Trade. It was
now clearly understood that the ;result of all these: pro-
tracted'negotiations with Brazil was a handsome propo-
sition on the part of the 'Brazilian Government
not to raise the, duties on our commodities more than
-25 per cent., in return for concessions on our-part.' What
the-concessions were the Right Hon. Gentleman had not
shown; but he ventured to say, however. preposterous
were the.proposals of the Brazilian GOVernment, those of
ourown Government were so in a four or five-fold degree-
GreatuswaS his respect for the abilities -of the Nobleliord,'
at the head 'of the Foreign Department; and of the
Hight Hon.' Baronet at the head of the Government,.
displayed-as these•last were so•conspicuouSly, in making
a good case out of bad materials, he could not imagine
what arguments they had used in. order to entice the
BrazilianCrOverninent to adopt the course which they're-
conunendedCertainly aproposition to reduce restrictions
would not come well from a nation which had imposed a
duty of 400 or.soo:per, cent. upon Brazilian produce.—
(Hear,! hear, •and laughter.). A convention for the sup-
pression.of slavery, was one thing, and a treaty of (tom-
Meree was another, and if slavery were the ground upon
whiph they voted, he would suggest -to the Right Hon.'
Geritleinan the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it
.would not bebest togrant compensation to the Brazilian,
sitiveholders, as they had done to the West Indians.—
(Hear,) In Spain they had done • more than negotiate.
The Government ofSpain oould not but know that upwards
of 300,000 of her people. were employed in smuggling,
and in smuggling only._ And yet with every.circum,
stance apparently .in our favour to assist and encourage
our commerce, it was a fact that we were further off our
point than ever. British influence hadnever heen so low
in the Peningila IS at -the present' moment. • The next
commercial., :Convention ..which . had miscarried was
that with .Portugal, ;.and ,he need .not now
point: 'out- the derangement in the , wine, trade,
which had been occasioned by it. Owing, to this,
4ircumstanee alone. there had been 'a diminution in the.
Usual quantity of wine, amounting to not less than
I,oBo,ooogellons. Those interested naturally remonstrated
blithe sikteet with the Chancellor' of the Exchequer;
hut, instead of redress, their position had ,been aggravated
by fresh impediment, which had grown up to a reduction
in the. duties on wines,' in the shape of -a drawback,'
ivhich.the Chancellor of. the EXchequer had granted to,
the merchants. So that before any,. arrangement can be
Made with Portugal, for every one :shilling.. of. duty that.
maybe reduced an enormous sum of money must be
paid by us -as compensation.- This was what had
been' happily termed by. the Honourable Member for
Tantiton(Ur.lgaboudhere), always eriding, never ending.'
The:.Hon..Gentleman 'then ,referred to a paper which'
had beenlaid.on'the* table of *the Reuse, containing .4
Mluable series -ofcommereiaLtariffs.drawn up by Mr.
ackregor; TA French gentleman,- Mons. 'Saint Terrier,-
had laid down *system of commercial policy pursued by
France. Amongst other things, he said that 'in the
negotiations of France with England, mos,t of. the, con-
ditions proposed by the latter should be avoided. . •The.
French Government had lost great sums of , money in
fostering its own manufactures; which they might have
had at less expense from'other countries:- It was usual
• 'to' introduce some clause .relating .to 'commerce in most
'treaties. . Therem was such a clause the late•treaty with
'AfrieriCa. Lord Ashburton had a clause introduced that
;the agricultural produce of Maine might be admitted on
the same footing as the produce of the Araeriean colenies.
But, Maine being now as.much a portion of the United
States as New York, the: .other States might claim to.
have their corn: admitted on the same terms' its that of,
!Maine., . The - Right Hon.. Baronet had admitted
American sice on the same. terms as the rice frettsqtan
west coast of Africa.- The -Right Hon, Baronet admit-
'ed; in answer 'to a' question from the -Noble Lordf the.
Member for London, that great diffieultiesexistedin ne-
'gptiating,commeroial treaties, and that even greater dif
ficulties existed innegotizting them Where constitutional
lgovernmenti and the representative system..had existed
lltrtivad! unwise and impolitic to wait to see 'what
other countries world do. It would be better for them
to efflintence-with,their own CustemLhouse: M. Gnizot,• in
' answer_ to, a qnestion put to him by, one of the
f Members-' of the Chamber of Deputies, announced
hisAntention of not following the ignis fatuus of- com 7
'er-cial" treaties, 'but 'would -adopt such' measures' as
might • be 'necessary for . the , welfare of • the
country without reference to foreign. countries.
He also
inedification, of tariffs
would produce that the
the:: benefit desired • by, - all par 7
ties -in--extending their- commercial relations. If this
were true, no person could find fault with him' (Mr.
Ricardo) •for riot btingiitg 'llk' Motion. before.
Which was surrounded
b that their 'trade was
Wittyibrteesepteive6t,tdoti Rti ihn
e,
.srhoonuni tdrys a y
Much greate:r. The imports from that country amounted
to five, millions sterling, :while the expOrts. amounted to
only 1,80(1,000/. It was, asserted that this balance would
have :to :be paid. in -.g01d,: cOnsideied That a
profitable trade could be carried on in gold. He thought
there was no supernatural 'attribute in the word gold.
The exports' to 'Russia during the year 1841', consisted
chiefly of cotton twist,. . sugar,' coffee, wine, rum, ,
aharilarticles, which - came frOmi • the 'bonded t
wareliethes in this conntry, where• they were sent!
by the Brazilians, who received' 'in -return cottbe,!
a 001 l en, and other' manufactures from England. -If they
could.not find Ministers bold enough to carry out those'
principles which Would tend to abolish restrictions which;
crippled tritde,they might bid adieu to the greatness
and prosperity which this country had so long enjoyed.
Ile -hoped that the -Right Hon; 'Baronet would not.
content himself with contemplating the present years of
plentiful. harvests.' Ile trusted, •that the same causes:
which were in operation in past years were in Operation
ILOW,.anct it was possible 'that' they might hate 'years of
scarcity again. He hoped he_ would throw :aside all the,
old .principles of protection and inon'opnly,- and see the
absurdity and- .injustice of -forcing 'the people into such
costly 'sacrifices., He trusted 'that their Ambassadors
would receive instructions to tell the different Courts of
Europe that Great 'Britain had aroused herself from' her
delusions; nnder-, which she had so long laboured; that
she'lkoivskneVv-sliedould not sell without buying,-_or buy
without selling ; that in using the productions br other
cOuntilek they 'were only Using their,•own in another
'shape:' 'lle hoped they Would be able to say that all the
ports of the country were 'Opened, and that the only
limits to:their CoMmerce-were 'these which they' thein4
selves: imposed. , He concluded by proposing his motions
Mn EWART seconded the
motion. In referring tti,
the history :of . commercial- t treaties, - he asked what
Bond result 'had this -country ever obtained- from them ?
Thb first treaty to. w Inch' he would refer was-the celei-
brated Methuen treaty-of 1703; which was for a :lone
tinie the wonder of the' Cominercial World.' The -effect
of Civ ias to introduce 'into this 'country a taste f
:the wine of Oporto, which then superseded French win ,_
that -until then was,the only wine consumed in Englan
The next great treaty was that which was concluded wit
France in 1788; by Mr. Pitt; of which it was said that t
was advantageous to the 'English
.nation' that t
French otfght never again to •make•-a 'commercial treat .-
lle
turned'froni biir own country to other countries, a
he..tisked whether the reduction ~of , the duty: on ime
not been:highly beneficial. The niostobvions.
country in reference to this. part of the question was-the
-United States of America. For a -long series Of.years,
while the United Statei Of America Were steadily pro-
grewing,• their -imports, largely exceeded their exports,
andtheattentitne of One of • the most acute 'observers of
H human Nature,-Dr.' Franklin, was turned to the' subject.
HO said, that if the-importation, of foreign. luxurfes
could ruin a people,)they, the Atnericansovinild proba-
bly haVe been ruined gong igo, -for the British nation
hadr • claimed . and.. - . ex,e
superfluities her
_exercised • the right: of
importing, :not
own. ,1
production, , but, Of every, nation under
heaven. But setting aside. these questions of the past;
43..11y _
'th
succeed in' future.' There appeared to be no approxinia-
the simply
tion on the. part' of France towards' a commercial treaty.
, .question was, whether they were likely to
the world, an
!Trance, and in alMost every, nation ing
With this country. believed
United, States contern
fextremejealousY of English corrinereei .I;?eeve something
that. they© exist", in
:that the
preyailed in GernoPY• ne' did net
,h; toward a
010 only, in our thro„
c unewith them
re connext
eorlimprcial connexion.,•• consist *pew our ports o
-,lated epProtte.
thein;-- and taking whatever we- • • 'us what-
that they would in the end take thy.- ' + think
.ev.ekl: :they
:wanted, in return. He .did
that the answer or the Minister would, ,
wanted, convinced
satisfactory., to the.
,countryi' The Taitid. of. the coVntry
was-Made up on the-sabieet. The .Vrench.Government had
given adeeided answer on the question,;andhecl‘WestYs •
:-,Li64,eritttin=ugtil,- to taice-theasitme courses .aud relieve
'll-ht '''OPtliti-:entuterseeirtnie:the,,inisehihfai Aiwa-
sioned by the uncertainty.