The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-26 00:00:00

FLANDERS MAIL.

GFIZNT, JAN newa of the deaths of
Messrs.. Lalahie and Pontieoulant is absolutely
false ; these Gentlemen have
.not been bung in
`the Brazils, to which they hate not gone.
(Sur manufactures are still languishing, not-

*Wit:tending ;Anse .assistance,, owing to the mu-
nificence .of the Sovereign. The worm which
corrodes our industry is in the legislation, an it
must necessarily sink, notwithstanding all the
succours, which
.4-protecting but too powerless
band might bestow upon it. -
There is no qnestlon better decided by the na-
tiolial.no,i'mity thenlltat relative to foreign ma-
nufactures„ Which tlte Whole nation rejects with a
vpd of borror. IF we ilci.pt some individual spe-
ctilatiirs, strangers to every Passion but the love
of 'gold;
,We, have beheld the noble spectacle of
. the flower of our fellow-cititens proclaim in the
midst of;, tiniverial applattse, that the preference
whiCh we rive to the prOduetiOns of our own
country is, one of. the first principles of our
•
poli-
iical erred.
The national rritmne:,has re-echoed.the-Sathe
'cries, and if, itawithstandiog the public. h6Pes,
otir dirt not reqUirei already iti the last
the ,changes carted' for by public- Opinion,:
:and by
.Our it "is
.teeatise the Legislator
wished ter:_cOrroboraiel;is'onvieion by the ex-:
yuio.r, experience has been
actittired,..)ind it nothing is "nOw known„ it is Le-
l.
eanse tete: is a te ertntoatton to known'nothing.
.The Commerce renew ' their corn-
t - s'
ain mon(' otts teetooriats ssed totlie Re-
se.ot atiaes ee pres '`the trortir faint s and the
law; of Chamber of Commerce
of Naroor hits itist eittetil the lists. The follOw-
big ?ere, some na.ssages of the Memorial which it
la.) iota itictifessed ro the Stiteii:Oener a/ on the de-
yloratilx tote innonfact tires and. com-
merce of a great part of the kingdom., anti' on the
causes of the ruin ofonir indcstry. It [wove*
itt-
"contestittly the caeses'of the rapid decline of corn-
inerce, and points out* the means of re:storing it to
'that artivity which hut lately was the admiration
of rror neiAtibimtrs, who now rejoice at its inacti-
..vity, by which they profit.:—
" The. Chamber does. not enter upon the ques-
tion, whetbei the fetters iMposed nit commerce.
,both by vices Cpl our system of et:A:toms, and by
the wan, of a general treaty Of cr4anierce with the
neighbouring countries, are the result of policy.
It ii a difiloniatic question which it does not pre-
tend to fathom.
4$ It "c;,tifiOct itself wholly within the sphere of
its duties, which consists in laying before theeyes
of the King the desperate condition of our ma-
nufactm ing industry, which the prosperity of the
State, and the happiness of the citiztuai, would lead
him to protect, if his generous heart and benevo-
lent Views slit/not induce him to it.
" Commerce and industry are the riches of na-
tions ; without riches a people is not strong, and
without strength in the people the throne has no
splendour. In a state of war a courageous and
intrepid nation may maintain itself, and even
prosper by the power of its arm alone; but the
experience of ages teaches us that in a state of
peace it can do nothing without commerce and
industry.
" Every nation has its peculiar species of emu.
inerce, which is determined by its locality, and
even by nature ; the inhabitants of the coast have
the country trade (Cabotage>, exchange, and
commission; the inhabitants of the interior do
not enjoy these advantages, but they have in their
stead either the prodacts of a soil fruitful in agri-
cultural riches, or by those mineral treasures with
which the province of Namur is amply provided.
It contains more than 300 manufactories, which
maintained themselves in the most flourishing con-
, ditiou as tang as commerce was favoured by a
protecting
.hand; but now that the manufactories
arein a state of the most complete ruin, what
truit can the merchant derive from time innume-
rable- efforts which he had to make to raise these
tine nitittoments of his genius arid his glory.
" happens when an intelligent
and industrious people, who have attained a in-
perior degree of perfection in the productions of
its manufactures, is obliged by circumstances to
abandon thent all at once ? What happens ? it
depetols,, it, is discouraged ; then the State is en-
dangered,. for discouragement produces idleness,
and idleness
.produces demoralization; as many,
Empires have been extinguislied. by their com-
mercial inattention as. by the reverses of their

arms.
The extraordinary successes which at thi day
.place 144"ngland at "the head of nations.
,to the fortune of lier arms than 16 the
..powcrtullifOtection which her Government gives
'to merce.,
" From all quarters the sane cry arises against
the dangers which threaten our commercial inde-
pendence. Belgium awaits with anxiety a tteci-
NlOll which may at length fix the tall of its moo
-
factories.
"'lt is for you, High and Mighty LOrds', whose
most constant solicitude ought to he directed to
whatever can contribute to the prosperity of the
cuuntry—you, who ought to.confontid tbe interests
of the Monarch and the nation---you,' the liePre-
,sentatives of this nation, whom you have
to defend against the attacks Of all that is
; it is to you that it belongs' to restore to
conunerce and industry the splendour acid activity
of whi-lt we have nothing left but the rctoctii-
bratice."_