The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-06-06 00:00:00

Jane 6, 1848.

THE RESULT OF FREE TRADE AS REGARDS
OUR COLONIES.

(From Fraser's Magazine.)
- England sent out certain of her people to take posses-
sion of outlying territories in the West. These people re-
tained the character of English subjects, and their pro-
ceedings were governed by the English parliament, and
regulated, checked, and circumscribed with the intent of
Promoting English interests. They were not permitted to
trade with other nations, and were made peculiarly ame-
nable to the provisions of our navigation code. The West
Indies feel these restrictions severely. They are close to
the continent of America. The natural trade of these
islands would be with the United States ; but this trade
Ilas been prevented flowing into this, which we term its
„natural channel, and has been forcibly brought to Eng-
Land. In return, however, England said, We will make
You our exclusive suppliers of sugar. All other nations
who can produce it shall be subject to a duty on its impor-
ation, which will amount to a protective duty. We shall
thus forward our own interests as respects our marine,
r make a sacrifice for that benefit, by paying higher for
▪ sugar we use than we should do were the trade open.
while the restrictions and advantages were thus recipro-
yid, the system at least was just. But the moment that
°ne-half of the old system is changed, the remainder be-
eOnles a gross injustice. For example, if we determine
to have a free trade in sugar (to say nothing of the
element of injustice resulting from our legislation on
-ttery), all the restrictions which then remain upon
west Indian trade are violations of every principla
of fairness and honesty. We hope, therefore, that
every man who seeks for free trade in sugar is prepared at
he same time to throw open the ports of the West Indies
to the world at ,large, and to allow the West Indian the
whole benefit of the rule of " buying in the cheapest,
_gelling in the dearest market.' Our colonial dominion
will then be a thing wholly different in its nature from
that which it is at present. That which is just and neces-
sary as regards the West Indies, is just and necessary also
as regards the East, and Canada and the whole of British
North America, Australasia, and the Cape of Good Hope;
in fact, of all our colonies and outlying possessions. They
cease , in fact, to be colonies in the old acceptation of the
rrrn, and England can derive one only benefit from them
"Y retaining her dominion over them. She will be able to
Prevent any adoption by them of a restrictive commercial
't. She will have free access to her colonial ports,
°°" neler manufactures will not be subject to any exclusive
tax, or in fact to any tax not sanctioned by herself. But
'?"e will have to meet the most complete competition in
every branch of commerce. Her fabrics, her ships, her
capital in every shape, will have to meerforeign fabrics,
ips, and capital on terms of perfect equality ; and if the
doctrine of free trade be fair and true as regards corn in
England, this large consequence from it is also true. Our
colonial empire goes to the ground—for who can say that
Canada, trading with the United States as she pleases for
all her cotton, woollen, iron ; with France direct for her
wines ; with the Brazils for her sugar and her rum ; who
will say that Canada is English ? True, she may be just
as profitable to us as at present. But if there be any use
in the possession of colonies, such as we have hitherto
held, we shall have them no longer; and again and again
We must warn all who are the advocates of a free trade,
that this is the fair and necessary deduction from the new
theory which has found supporters in the leaders of both
the great parties of the State. There are persons, indeed,
Who will accept the consequence we have here set forth
without shrinking—who, so far from lamenting over this
result, will openly avow that such is the very end of all
their present endeavours; that the description we have
liven of the condition of our present colonies under this
new legislation, is precisely that which they desire to see.
With these hardy, unflinching reasoners, we have no guar-
.l—we understand them—differ, indeed, from their opi-
nions, but admire their honest, open speaking. But we
,are curious to know whether such a result is contemplated
how
Sir Robert Peel and Lord John Russell; and if not,
nom do they draw the line ? and how can they deny the
Onsequences we have described as that which is the fair
deduction from the celebrated rule laid down by Sir Ro-
,oe, rt Peel himself, of " buying in the cheapest, selling in
o dearest market." He at least must have seen that
„T
axiom destroyed with one blow our whole ancient co-
lonial system, and brought as a necessary result the utter
annihilation of our old and dearly-maintained Navigation-
-111/r. But the die is cast, and we must stand the hazard
of the throw ; and all that remains for truly Conservative
statesmen is at once to accept the new doctrine as a
triumphant, though erroneous, creed ; and by insisting
Upon its being consistently applied, to lessen its mischie-
vous effects. This statement may at first appear a para-
dox, but upon reflection, we think, will be found accurate.
Uncertainty is the greatest evil which can visit the corn-
tnerce of any country. A long-protracted period of tran-
sition is but a prolongation of misery. Half free trade, if
such a thing can be, is worse than the complete application
of the principle.

A PLEA FOR THE MOLES.—The Essex Herald pub-
lishes the following letter from the Rev. G. Wilkins to a
farmer, who wrote to him inquiring how the wireworm
had been exterminated in the rev. gentleman's land. It
contains much sound, though, we dare say, unpalatable
doctrine, to the owners of smooth lawns and trim-bedded
gardens :—" Some 10 years since, when I came to my
living, and commenced cultivating the little land I hold,
it was, I may say, full of wireworms. Nothing could have
been worse, for my crops were in some places ruined by
them entirely. What, then, did Ido ? I adopted a plan
Which I recommended and published in periodicals many
years since, viz., encouragine moles and partridges on my
lands. Instead of permitting a mole to be caught, I
bought all I could and turned them down alive ; and soon
toy fields, one after another, were full of molehills, to The
amusement of all my neighbours, who at first set me
down for half a lunatic ; but now several adopt my plan,
and are strenuous advocates of it. My fields became
exactly like a honeycomb ; and this continued even among
my standing and growing and ripening crops ; not a mole
Was molested,e but I still bought more. This summer I
bad 14 brought, which I turned down, but they were not
Wanted ; I have nothing for them to eat—all that moles
live upon is destroyed, and so, poor things, they must
,starve, or emigrate to some distant land, and thus get
bowstringed by savage men whom they aim to serve.
Adopt my plan, and it will be sure to answer. If you
have a nest of partridges, also encourage them; all the
Summer they live upon insects, wireworms, &c., and con-
sider how many millions a covey will destroy in a single
summer! Again, always remember that moles feed upon
Insects, and of which the wireworm is the chief ; if you
doubt this, open a mole and peep into his stomach.
Again, do not fear that moles injure your crops, either in
a field or in a garden ; it is a low and vulgar error to sup-
Pose that they root up young corn,—they never go any-
Where untill the wireworms have first destroyed the plants,
and then, innocent things, they are punished for others'
faults. If you do not like to see their hills, knock them
about with a hoe, as I did ; in is a healthful amusement,
and they will do your lands good. Do not despise any
plan because the farmers will not adopt it in your neigh-
ourhood ; farmers will adopt nothing till driven to it,
and nothing that is new and good."
WHAT AUSTRIA HAS DONE FOR HER ITALIAN PRO-
VINCES.—Burke, in one of his prophetic anticipations,
pronounced that the first ruin of Europe would be in its
finance, and that every kingdom was, even in his day,
Wading into a boundless ocean of debt. Austria, of
-course, had felt its share ; and after the desperate wars of
1805 and 1809, nothing is more wonderful in the history
of finance, or more honourable to the great statesman
Who for forty years presided over her fate, than that she
should have escaped bankruptcy. But her liberalty to
her Italian provinces never failed. Some of the details,
Which have already reached the public, give an extraor-
dinary conception of the almost prodigality with which
Austria has lavished her means upon the bridges, roads,
and general public communications of Lombardy. We
give those items in francs. Five millions spent in repair-
ing and constructing dikes in the Mantuan province.
rour millions in completing the canal of the Naviglio.
A million and a half for roads in the mountains of the
tergamesque. A million and a half for the great com-
mercial road of the Splugen. Two millions and a half
for the road over the Hiffer Jock. Three millions for
Continuing it along the shore of the lake Como. Three
Millions and a quarter for completing the cathedral of
Milan. A million for improvements in the city. Half
a Million for the fine bridge over the Ticino. Twenty-
four millions for cross-roads, between 1814 and 1831,
besides miscellaneous expenditure ;—the whole being not
lass than sixty-six millions in the fifteen years preceding
4834, in the mere matter of keeping up the means of
intercourse in a country where, half a century ago, the
Foss-roads were little more than goat tracks ; besides the
annual expense of about a million and a quarter on the
repair of the roads since. And this munificent liberality
„.‘vas expended in Lombardy alone. The expenditure in
venice in the latter period of its possession has been
nearly equal. The first French conquest had given it
the name of constitution, and nothing else. The famous
'republic was plundered to the last coin. On its second
seizure its treasury was again emptied by its French
!Inancipators ; and when it was restored to Austria in
1814, its population presented a pauper list of fifty-four
'thousand individuals. Its commerce was in a state of
tdain ; its palaces and public buildings were in a state of
Y ; its charitable establishments were without funds ;
and a few years more must have filled its canals with the
!reeks of its houses. Within the next twenty years the
reparations cost the Austrian treasury not less than fifty-
three millions of francs ! Thus Venice rose from a eon-
which which all our travellers, immediately after the
Peace of 1815, pronounced to be irreparable ruin, and is
2w- one of the first commercial cities in Italy. But the
Istrian overnment had not been contented with a mere
141iproverngent of he soil or the modes of communication
---q had employed extraordinary efforts in giving edu-
ea,wi`,!°n to the people. We are to remember the difficulties
impede all such efforts in Romish countries.
j" here the priest regulates the faith, he must always be
:41°Ils of the education. But the German habits of the
114cierninent predominated over the superstition of' Rome,
co_ a sPecies of military discipline was introduced, to
le '"Pel the young Italians to learn the use of their indo-
ofritiosinderstandings. Within a few years after the peace
the
a national school system was put in action in
the ardy.o Within a few more years it had spread over
sear whole country, with such effect, that there was
Thece_ly a commune without its public place of education.
sato schools for boys amounted to upwards of two thou-
otuelki.'ee hundred, and for girls to upwards of twelve
tzto„,7o. Nearly a hundred of the schools for boys
very extensive course of practical knowledge.
grit,ylgher classes learned architecture, mechanics, geo-
%Jul , drawing, and natural history, in the vigorous,
Still 1,9' for which German education is distinguished.
Paetilr. e,r schools, or portions of the former, were
of the k`_ chief towns, for the practical acquirement
offices. naWledge most important for servants of public
Mat There the chief studies were history, commerce,
IJodes this, chemistry, and French, German, and Italian.
able .s system, it is evident that very solid and vain-
the "euirern,pts might be made •. and those were solely
Work of
Lae Austrian sovereignty.—Blackwood.