The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-03 00:00:00

cripple the monster power, which periodically
crushes us to the earth, and against whose cruelty
no prudence or foresight is a protection ; and then
gentlemen we shall believe that you are seriously in
earnest in the work you have undertaken.
We are perfectly willing to go with the Associa-
tion in another effort; to which we at first under-
stood that their particular attention was to be
directed, viz., an effort to substitute a system of
direct Taxation for the present imposts upon some
of our leading necessaries of life, and to enable us
to remove some of the most injurious of our excise
restrictions. For the euty upon Tea, especially,
we should be glad to'sce a substitute found. But
we are afraid, after our experience of the repug-
nance with which the proposal of an increased
income and property tax was received last Session,
that the difficulty world be almost insuperable in
devising any plan which would be, at once, just and
tolerable; which would reach alike the owner of
tangible and of floating capital. The suggestions
and discussions, however, of a body of practical
men upon such a subject would be most valuable;
and might smoothe the way of the legistature to the
solution of this difficult question in financial
science. And it is mainly from a conviction of the
great usefulness of the Association, if employed in
the legitimate field of enquiry, that we regret that
its attention has been drawn aside to enquiries, the
publication of the results of which, during a period
of excited popular feeling, aggravated by severe
distress amongst our working classes, was most
injudicious.

WITH whatever amount of sympathy the ultra-
Liberal party in this country may have regarded
the spread of anti-monarchical principles on the
Continent, there can now be no longer a doubt that
the recent changes, which have been effected there,
have not at all tended to promote the recognition
of their pet theory, Free Trade. Indeed, in addi-
tion to the check which has been given to com-
merce generally by the disturbance of the politi-
cal world, the idea of a universal communism, and
the free interchange of commodities amongst
nations being brought about, appears more distant
than ever. The boasted triumphs of Mr. Cobden,
in his proselytizing tour of last Year, have told for
nothing. That gentleman had to do only with the
effete coteries and the crotchety theorists of the
last regime—the empty bubbles which the policy
of a Louis Philippe permitted to float upon the
surface of the political world. These feeble things
have been succeeded by men of action and of
facts, who recognize the principle that a nation is
bound to prefer and protect the industry of its own
artizans against the competition of the foreigner;
and, as the result, we see signs, most palpable, that
exclusion of our products, wherever they come
into injurious rivalry with the artizans of other
mntries, is to be rendered more complete than
ever.

We remarked lately upon the fact that the
manufacturers of France were not only competing
with, but beating, the British manufacturers in the
finer fabrics of merinos, in our own market. The
home consumption of Great Britain will shortly be
almost entirely supplied with this article from the
foreign loom, and of foreign printing. So far,
free trade has been a losing game to the Yorkshire
manufacturers, at all events; and they have re-
cently been knocking most lustily at the door of
the Exchequer and the Foreign Office with
demands for further protection—they, who va-
poured so largely, during the agitation for corn
law repeal, of their ability to meet any com-
petition, and laughed at the idea of protection
for them as a farce and a mockery ! We have now
the silk manufacturers in a similar position. The
new republic of France, in order to give increased
employment to the distressed and disaffected arti-
zans of Lyons, have decreed that a bonus shall be
allowed on the value of their silk manufactures
exported ; and they are now pouring these goods
into our markets, and into those of the Continent,
at prices which defy competition. We are our-
selves helpless in such a case as this. We are
firmly and blindly pledged to the carrying out of
our insane system. We have thrown away our
armour, in bravado, whilst the foreigner is adding
to his, and has strength given him for the contest,
wherever and whenever he finds himself naturally
weak. But other countries, who have manufac-
tures of their own, and know the advantages to be
reaped from their prosperity, reserve to themselves
the right to retaliate, and are doing so.
The German Zollverein ,has just been raised,
in order to meet this movement of France ;
..... .1.47 Ort---11.1,07•01 .nonssfaG-
tured articles imposed, sufficient to neutralize
the bonus on French exports. We are assured,
indeed, that the increase in question is not intend-
ed to affect the export tradeof this country ; that
it is directed against France alone ; and that other
nations are to be specially exempted from its opera-
tion. But the spirit is exhibited nevertheless. The
principle of protection is recognized in its full force.
The German Government will hot allow France, by
a simple device, to supply the German people with
goods at a cheaper rate than they can be produced
by Saxon manufacturers. They intend their own
artizans to live by the sweat of their brow; and
they will not be seduced into tolerance of a system
which will transfer the reward of their labour to the
foreigner, whether that foreigner be Republican
France or Great Britain, and whether the instru-
mentality of cheapness be a drawback on exporta-
tion, or improvement in machinery and reduced
wages. _
_

We are inclined to suspect that the experience of
a few more years will bring the nature of their real
position, under our present free trade system, home
to a large portion of our manufacturing classes.
Already the scales are dropping from before their
eyes; and the bombastic promises of the Cobdens
and the Brookses are being compared most scruti-
nizingly with actual results. Probably another
election will tell a startling tale to some of these
gentlemen.

PROPOSED CLOSING OF THE LIVERPOOL GENERAL
POSTOFFIOE ON THE SABBATH. - Yesterday, a private
and preliminary meeting, convened by notice posted in the
Exchange Newsroom, was held at the Clarendon-rooms,
South John-street, for the purpose of considering the pro-
priety of adopting immediate measures with a view to the
closing of the Liverpool General Postoffice on Sundays.
The worshipful the Mayor took the chair, and the meeting
was attended by the Rev. Frederick Barker, the Rev. Thos.
Nolan, the Rev. Mr. Pollock, and other clergymen, and
also by several lay advocates of the observance of the Sab-
bath, and we believe that the result was that a numerous
sub-committeo was formed for the purpose of waiting
upon the members of the Town-council with a view to
inducing that body to memorialise the Postoffice on the
sliaject. We understand that the Postmaster General has
intimated an opinion that if such memorial is presented
no objection will be made to complying with its prayer.
On Wednesday the Prince Albert, Birkenhead steamer,
came in contact with the Queen, Woodside steamer.
The latter was run ashore close to the Birkenhead pier in
a sinking state, where she now lies, having sustained very
erious injury.
DEATH BY BEING RAIN OVER.—Yesterday an inquest
was held before the borough coroner, on view of the
body of a carter named Thomas Kehoe, aged 26 years.
It appeared that on Saturday fortnight, the deceased and
several other carters overtook each other on their way
from the town, by Park-road, to Aigburth. They went
into a public ouse, and some of them had been drinking
rather freely ; but the deceased was apparently sober.
Ile drove another man's laden cart in front of the others,
at his own request, while the carter to whom it belonged,
and some of the others, rode in an empty cart. When
they reached Aigburth, and the deceased was at the head
of the shaft horse, some of the others attempted to pass
him on the wrong side of the road, which he endeavoured
to resist. In doing so a collision took place, the wheel of
one cart striking that of the other, ;.)y which deceased was
thrown down, and the wheel of the laden cart passed over
him. He was much hurt, and was conveyed to the
Southern Hospital. He died from fracture of the pelvis
on Friday. W. R. Sandbach, Esq., witnessed the acci-
dent, and attributed it to the conduct of the carters in
trying to pass the deceased—not to wilful mischief, but
to an act of folly, as they were all joking at the time.—
Verdict—" Accidental Death."
IMPROVEMENTS AT EGREMONT FERRY. We have
much pleasure in noticing the great improvements now
nearly completed at Egremont Ferry. The newly con-
structed pier appears to be a piece of substantial and
excellent work throughout, whether as regards strength
or convenience ; and reflects great credit upon the parties
who have carried the design into execution. There are
now three distinct platforms or roadways,—one the move-
able, and two standing wooden ways on the pier, of different
ele- ations from the strand, so as to suit the different
heights of the tide from the lowest ebb to the highest
spring. The platforms are sparred across, and protected
on each side by stout wooden railings. Altogether the
length and width of roadway is such as to afford safe and
easy access to any number of passengers to or from the
boats. We particularly noticed a great improvement to
the telescope stage, namely, the addition of an additional
length of stage, shooting out from the extremity of the
moveable stage, and forming a foot bridge. By this pas-
sengers may land or embark at the lowest time of the
tide during springs, without being required, as formerly
on such occasions to go by a small landing boat. This
outshooting footway is 60 feet in length, which, added to
the length of the former stage of 360 feet long, makes
the entire length of the projecting pierage into the bed of
the river 420 feet. The hotel is a very spacious building,
with fine, large, lofty sitting-rooms.