The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-04 00:00:00

EXTRACT.

"As respects the trade of this port, I never remember
its being in a more unpromising state," a leading Libe-
ral and Free-trader, and one of our most considerable
merchant importers, a man very cautious in saying any-
thing that could reflect on recent measures, observed in
my bearing a week ago; " there is no one article on
which a capitalist can lay his finger that will pay for im-
porting." With respect to the navigation-law repeal.
he observed, " Ministers ought first to have taken oil
the timber duties, and the other burdens on shipping;
and also the taxes on all articles consumed by seamen
and their families." These remarks were wrung from
the party in question by the exigency of the facts al
touching his trade and pocket. I considered them on
every account notable, as coming from a man most un-
willing to say anything deprecatory in any way of the
policy of his party.
There is a growing impression through the country,
among men of business, that Ministers are on the wroi4
tack. Free-traders, to be true to their principles, sr.
compelled to fling Ministers overboard. For my part, I
shall cot part with approved principles out of respect t,
Ministers; lam a Free-trader. Ministers are putting
free trade under crucifixion; they are determined, it
seems, to maintain the burdens on industry; their policy
is a mass of contradictions. Sir James Graham showed
(what everybody else knows) that the major half of the
entire revenue is exacted from industry and production.
It requires no wire-drawn argument to demonstrate the
folly of this; it is palpably the story of the goose anc
the golden eggs. A ridiculous and sophistical attempt
is made in the Economist, of the 2d inst., to support the
views taken in a childish pamphlet, by Mr. Norman, or,
the relative taxation of this and other countries, re-
ceetly out. Neither the pamphlet nor the review in
support of it touch the question. The clamour against
the distribution of taxation, and the share of it allover
to industry, cannot, be tried down by the declamation of
political ecollomists, whose principles are of a late date.
however old- they may be. I take in the Economist, bu
am astonished at its casual nonsense. The topic, how-
ever, is of the first importanne; the difficulties of the
country must be solved upon this topic. Free trade anti
burdens on industry cannot co-exist; an election must
be made. Ministers, like the intending Bishop, choose
" both;" they must go down. The country will have
free trade; Ministers have given it by initiation, am
cannot be allowed to destroy their own child.
I am sorry to see men of local influence, here and
there, hitherto ranked as staunch Liberals, going over
to the Protectionists. They do not see their way out uf
the existing and prospective depression. The depression
of the moment is of less consequence; it is the pro-
speetive appearance. Ministers deny that prospects art
bad; these people use their own eyes, and see nothing to
hope in the future; unwilling to enter on economical in-
quiry, they denounce the proximate cause, free trade, and
go over to the Protectionists. This is a daily occur-
rence; our late mayor is one of the number. It requires
a hero to deal with the question of taxation, overlaid as
it is with the public debt, and people will not be heroic.
Ministers have placed the country in a predicament be
a c( ntre-temps, and seem to have made up their minds to
leave us in the lurch; they have given us one-half of a
great measure which is fatal without the other. The
country is awakening to the position, and will carry out
the policy which Ministers seem determined to vacate.
I do not find Mr. Cobden's precise views much in
favour. The reduction of expenditure is not so much
what is wanted; distribution of taxation, not amount, is
the mater evil. Industry, protected or unprotected,
canna afford the sums it is mulcted in. Property can,
it required. But how is either industry or property
advantaged by discharging several thousands of subor-
dinates, civil and military, the majority of whom must
he thrown instanter upon the labour market, already
greatly overstocked, and by the labour market upon the
public purse? This is the question asked among plain
people, " We are now supporting the said thousands in
a particular industry (civil or military, it matters not).
receiving in return a certain quid pro quo, is not this
better than placing them in the lamentable category of
the distressed, and so admitting them by a legal neces-
sity to a charge on the public purse without a return of
any kind?" I beg to say, that from all I can gather
here and elsewhere, these dismissals from the army,
navy, and dockyards (that is from the Government in-
dustries) are excessively distateful to people of all poli-
tical colours; the question put is, " Cut bono?" It is
remarkable the coolness with which Ministers announce
reduction of force in the dockyards and the army, the
effect of which is starvation, while the real burdens they
do not put a finger to; the same holds of the dismissal
of civil employees at small salaries. The country will
derive no immediate benefit. This division of labour is
as much oppressed as the other. The fact is, topical
treatment of this kind will not do. If we are to have
free trade we must have simultaneously an entire revi-
sion of taxation; every interest demands it, not this or
that interest, but the whole industry of the kingdom;
we shall be swamped by foreign competition without it--
as a Free-trader I say it. The country labours under a
grand anomaly--an oppressed trade invited by Ministers
to free competition.
Ido not hesitate to say that if the taxation of the
country, with the interest on the national debt, is to be
raised as heretofore from industry, we may as well re-
turn at ones to protection, as our ruin will be longer de-
layed; and on that ground those who think with me
would (to gain time) support a protective policy.
The prospects of the country, if Ministers do their
duty, are, I conceive good; we cannot, however, expect
to jump all at once into a stn's of prosperity. It may
be some time before the real effects of free trade (when
we get it) can ensue. The consequences of a long course
of bad legislation will not be effaced in a day; some
years must elapse before the question can be truly put—
" W hat permanent advantages have we derived from
change of policy ?" It is preposterous to talk of free
trade having had a trial; we have not got it yet. Five
years, at least, must elapse after its accession before the
question can be put.
Seeing, however, that for many years past distress has
been the order of the day, I look for early good results
from the real institution of said policy, the national debt
notwithstanding. I believe it is perfectly practicable to
pay off the whole of the national debt within five years,
and that the best results would attend its disbursement.
I say this advisedly--half-a-dozen business men would
readily propound the modus operandi, the question
only wants looking at, the operation would be harmless.
I imagine the year 1860 will see the country without a
debt at all. We have entered on a course which cannot
be arrested. Lord John would be alarmed could he
foresee half the good he has unwittingly done the coun-
try : there are other public men competent to the task.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer need not be under any
apprehension for the good faith of John Bull. John
Bull's moral qualities are far beyond the Chancellor's
perception. He can pay the debt, and he will. No
thanks to the Chancellor, however, whose three-quarters
cf a million is perfectly entertaining.
As respects the actual state of trade, really the pub-
lished lists of imports and exports are no certain crite-
rion; it is well known that the great bulk of imports
have lett a loss; the lists certainly show the quantity of
trade done, which is showing just nothing ; in fact, a
very large trade is a suspicious circumstance, and has
often been the causative forerunner of the most disas-
trous periods; certainly neither labour or capital have
room for congratulation in this part—the former is
undergoing a modified starvation, existing on half a loaf,
the latter is on the tramp for employment.
As respects shipping, the prospects for English ships
is very bad this year. lam sending out foreign ships
on long voyages at rates that no English ship can sail at.
Like all the other industries of the kingdom, British
' shipping will require to be relieved of all the burdens, of
whatever kind, susceptible of removal. We do not re-
' quire folio volumes to decide these matters. While Mi-
nisters put their spectacles on the country is placed
hors de combat.
March 18, 1850.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Stu,—As a paragraph in your police report of yester-
day, relative to the escape of two prisoners from a cell
at Marlborough-street, is calculated materially to
damage the reputation of my patent looks, will you
kindly allow me the following statement:—
I have carefully examined the lock on the cell door,
and I can most positively state that not only was the
lock not picked, but that no attempt to pick it has ever
been made. This is also the opinion of all the authori-
ties at the office.
For obvious reasons, I cannot at present give any fur-
ther explanation.—l am, Sir, your most obedient ser-
vant, JOHN CHUBB.
57, St. Paul's Churchyard, May 4, 1850.

The mackerel fishery for the season may be
considered as finally closed, the boats, with two or three ex-
ceptions, having left Plymouth for their respective destina-
tions during the past week. Immense quantities of fish have
been taken, and we learn, that from the competition of the
buyers, higher prices have been paid here by them than the
returns from London and various other markets would jus-
tify ; so that the fishermen have fared better than the fish-
monger. Many thousands of pounds have been paid the
railway company during the season, and large sums of
money have also been spent in Plymouth, not only in sup-
plying the crews of upwards of 200 boats for nearly four
months, but in defraying the cost of landing, packing, and
conveying the fish to the railway station. The mackerel
fishery, which has only been known to Plymouth for
the past few years, as no one imagined that the fish
was off our coast at so early a period of the year—has now
become a strong feature in the trade of the port, conferring
considerable benefit on the town. Taking each boat and
nets to be worth 5001., a sum, we understand, below the
mark the value of the fleet would be 100,0001., and as the
beats average seven men each, the number employed and to
be fed is about 1,400, making no small addition to the num-
ber of consumers. In addition to this, many French vessels
visit the port during the reason, fiir the express purpose of
being supplied with mackerel. The benefits, therefore, aris-
ing to the trade of the port generally, from the fishery, is so
considerable, that it behoves all classes to assist as far as
possible, the enterprising spirit of the owners of these craft,
and to allow them every possible facility which the port
affords on their periodical visits. The men, are in general, a
fine set of hardy fellows, and, on the whole, their behaviour
has been very orderly.—Plymouth Herald.h
LEICESTER TRADE.—General trade continues dull
for the
col
coldness
sseoasf season
eo f
stphrei
nyg, e, a r,
but, whichas
fineis partly
weatherattributablea
nt o
im-
provement is confidently anticipated. Prices of miterial
remain as last reported. Stock hands who have been out
on " strike" for nine weeks, it is now fully expected, will
have to resume work immediately .—Xottingham Journal.