The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-20 00:00:00

BOULOGNE.

Much discussion is going on, at present, in the
commercial circles of France, and England, and Bel-
gium, as to the proposed duty to be put upon linen
yarns imported into France. The English press and
the Belgian, we think, are right in their views ; we
consider the imposition of the duty a very unwise.
measure as regards France, and we are led to this
comclusion by two reasons.
1. If the duty be imposed, it is a general tax upon
all France, for the benefit of some few manufacturers.
Is it right to tax a whole people for the benefit of
a few ? We say no, especially when it is considered
who thoie few are. No person will deny that they
of
fo
w
are almost all foreigners; men who began the
stspeculation with their eyes open,—with a full
haveto
knowledge o
contendfthe
against; n law and ;
w
to carry on their trade and not natives, excluding
prod
it thereby from national einhaptloty they
foreigners
would
uctions and the
protection national productions, extensively grown or
manufactured, and employing thousands, may have
some claim to ; men who Have embarked in the spe-
culation for self-interest, not caring one sous or giving
one thought to France, or any benefit the country in
general may derive from their speculation. Now, are
such men or their speculations of such importance as
to merit the particular consideration of a foreign State
to that degree that the whole population of a country,
34 millions, are to be taxed 20 per cent., that they
should grow rich and drink champagne, and drive their
carriages, at the expense of rich and poor, through
the length and breadth of the land ? We say no.
These opinions may be unpalatable to many in this
town who have thrown their money into the concern
at Capecure. But we see no reason why, we, and all
the country should be obliged to pay 20 per cent. more
for our sheets, table cloths, and linen, that these
foreigners in the land should be paid 6 or. 10
per cent. for their capital in the speculatiOn. It is in
our humble idea unjust to the nation at large. Had
the duty been lowered after the enterprise was com-
menced, and disappointments and losses been the re-
; suit, we should have been silent. But we do not
think, because speculators have formed bad calcula-
tions and knew but little of the expenses or profits
arising from the trade into which they sanguinely,
and without due consideration, threw their capital,
that, therefore, the whole nation are to be 'taxed for
their benefit. We lay aside the political considera-
tions attached to the question, reprisals of foreign
countries, higher duties put on French industry,
heart burnings, discontent, &c., with these we have
nothing to do. We look on it as a purely domestic
question, and in that point of view only do We treat
it ; every thinking mind will soon see it in all its
.bearings.
2. The second point in which we consider it of
immensee-importance is that of the loss of duty which
must follow. The diminution of the revenue must
be great. In 1840 no less than 13,137,368 pounds
of linen yarns were exported to France from England
alone ; what were imported from Belgitun we have
no means of stating ; no doubt it was one half of
that from England, else the Belgian Chambers would
not be so roused, as it will be seen they .were by the
extract we give below from the debates. Any person,
then, the least acquainted with the subject, by mul-
tiplying these number of pounds by the duty at pre-,
sent levied, will see the loss the Customs of the country
will sustain. But that is not all, not only will the re-
venue suffer, but all who are engaged at the ports as
commission agents, and workmen ; all engaged in
transporting the merchandise inland, and the thousands
benefited by. the employ that this thread has created.
Almost all these are Frenchmen, to them a fruitful
source of industry will be dried up and employment
taken from them to benefit wild speculation. Now,
we maintain, of course with all due deferenee to wiser
heads, that the above considerations should induce a
wise Government to' pause ere they taxed a whole
; people, and took the bread out of the mouths of
thousands, merely to benefit a few foreigners
who have been so foolish as to speculate in under-
takings which have proved unprofitable. We
consider it very unwise to ransack the annals
of a country and go back nearly two hundred
years, when the spirit of commercial prosperity was
totally unknown, to defend a measure similar to what
we now notice. Suppose England, in order to pro-
-tect Bettis .patent brandy, and Taylor's gooseberry
"nine, was to place an extra duty of 20 per cent. on
Wench brandy. and.wine
, what would be the exclama-
tionS on this side of the Channel ? England has not
done Afis.;- on the new tariff Sir Robert Peel has
considetAt diminished the duty on boots, shoes,
gloves, silks, -trinkets, and various objects of art, all in
favour of Fretieh manufacturers_; is the proposed 20
per cent. a return of gratitude? Nations can reta-
liate ; but God forbid that, to please some eight or ten
foreign speculators who have settled in France, the
present good understanding existing between the two
countries should suffer the least diminution.—Boulogne
Gazette.

M. Carlo 130 lucci has just been elected correspond-
ing member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts. The other
andidates were the Count de Dietrichstein, of Vienna; M.
Schiavoni, of Venice ; M. Mereadante, of ; and mesas;
Agicola and Campana, of Rome.