The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-02-19 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. BOOTH'S PAMPHLET ON FREE TRADE, AND
ITS EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST.4NDiIRD.

Sta,—l resume the consideration of Mr. Booth's pamphlet.
He proceeds to complain that we give
_an undue preference to
our woollen, cotton, and silk manufactures, and by protecting
duties, prevent the introduction of foreign goods of similar de-
scriptions; he considers these regulations as the fruits of a
"narrow policy," founded on "ideal apprehensions," and that
were we to repeal them, the nations of the continent would not
only supply us with innumerable articles of convenience and
luxury, but that they would willingly take payment in such as
are produced by our labour and ingenuity, which, he says, our
peculiar advantages enable us to supply.
I am not able to discover what are the descriptions of cotton
and woollen goods to which Mr. Booth means to refer. That
such duties continue to find a place in our book of rates is true;
but can they be otherwise considered than as nominal, when it
is well known that cotton and woollen goods of British manu-
facture, form nearly three-fourths of the whole value of our ex-
ports, and that both on acceunt of quality mull-nice, they meet'
with a preference in every foreign market where competition
is permitted? Is it not then "ideal" to assert, that if these
duties were repealed, such articles of foreign manufacture
would find a market here, and is it not a delusion to suppose it?
That these duties remain in our tariff, unproductive of any
benefit to either our trade or our revenue, may fairly be im-
puted to an oversight.
As regards silks, there are still certain articles of French
manufacture, which female taste, ever fond of novelty, prefers
to those of home production; yet, even in such, it is not to:-
frequently imposed upon by the substitution of British of simi-
lar appearance; and is it not also known that some descriptions
of our silk goods, light handkerchiefs for instance, are sought
for and smuggled into France, the direct importation being
prohibited, and not admitted on countervailing duties, such as
exist here ? At no inconsiderable sacrifice in our intimate
connection with Portugal, we have set France the example of
what is called a "liberal commercial policy," by the admission
of her wines at the lowest duties, without any concession in re-
turn being as yet made on her part: if she sincerely desires to
cultivate a reciprocal intercourse with us, (but which I must beg
leave to doubt) let her invite us to repeal the duties on her
manufactures, on the condition that she repeals those on ours;
but, until then, let us not be taunted for protecting the industry
of our operatives, and the beneficial application of our capital,
in preference to encouraging the foreigner at the expense of
both! Mr. Booth has told us that if we were to do so, certain
articles of ingenuity and labour would be taken from us in pay
ment ; but he at the same time keeps us in perfect ignorance of
what he means to refer to; perhaps he may yet think proper
to enlighten us by explanation.
_ _

)4r,. *otli next advances, and advocates a principle in the
most unconditional manner, which, wero it to be confided in,
even by the e. reduieus, might be! prodictiye of the most

LIVERPOOL TOWN DUES.

ir. Po:11.: '"liletionb
3\,v)o::hvit etroernecootll.eiarbelee.rtain
chievous and injurious consequences—it is as follows;
COURT OF KING'S BENCH.—Tistu
whole system of change and innovation appears to rest 711
TA:1) opposed
thCORPORATIONecase
bO
IF. LIVERPOOLstating,
th
He has stated, that if we were to withdraw all protectieN• The 11,,
open our markets generally to all foreign productions, 01111 ..
AND OTHERS.
or manufactures would be willingly taken in payment
rought by the Mayor Bailiffs and Burg(
recover certain tolls from the defendan
foreigners to the full amount of such importations. I 4 pool, to
suppose that he means to propose as a condition, that this', Rle h
the" ants of that town. The defendants had
behe
isntiepaunl as ttehda for.ti t wil Si uhceh
ea propositionveluritary
e e its
ei in
titselfhe
part menial"ef ti:oir J
being acted on, and would be in the teeth of all his theori6 coons.,43l•Es SCARLETT said, he had the honou
for the Mayor and Corporation of L
reigner, I must deny the correctness of such an assertio tu sh
seldod --° tolls whichhad been re
from the most ancient period, and •
past experience is against it, and that is our only safe 1 sole ''' been disputed, but when disputed had
ma been •
we know that if the foreigner can buy what he wants on sespeetabeection of the law. The defendants, v
terms from us than he can elsewhere, we shall be sure off,' - Proper t ' American merchants, had, how(
i wet 0 set the plaintiffs once more to prove the
him for a customer; but if he can purchase what he reit the Permitted to any advocate to mix up a persc
on better terms in other markets, he will take our mone).s whiettlitsts of his clients, he must express the :
not our goods in payment for such as we receive from hini; lie liewaa felt in the prosperity of the Corporation
is human nature, and every day's experience, in even the °I his eadebted to the county of Lancaster for
siottaiLtst professional hopes ; there he was crai
mon concerns of life, tends to confirm it.--I beg to refer' the ‘llotel dand he indebted to that C
si first,. , e ge,
Booth to past times, that must live in his recollection as a„ f therefor which he ever held in that county.
merchant, when deficiency in our crops was necessarily foil lie slio4 reflect with peculiar pleasure, if, upon
by heavy importations of foreign corn ; and then to as" feeble e,,, contribute to uphold their interests, kno
will venture to assert that these were paid for by an ince; Erseht4orts were exerted in assisting his late
export of our manufactures? Ido not hesitate to say, col , Oistto eui asserting their rights. He felt, also, E
not ; I challenge a proof to the contrary. After exhaust/4' of Lied improvement which had nevertken plac
existing favourable lialance, arising from our general traue'l Mere. rPOOI, and its advancement in y sp,
its application towards the payment for these importatio It i5-'
4°444 with rapid strides, it rivalled the me
further cost has been paid for in the, precious metals, sr reeere,,Q more than a century since the Cory
those alone. Let those who may. doubt, refer to the state to the 't
„ %eking those improvements which he
of their exports during these periods as furnished by theL worid.liesent day. In comparison with every at
of England, and to the invariable fall in the rates of Esre' nes; 'ie port of Liverpool was distinguished 1
in Holland, Germany, and the North of Europe, from so`; althbu'Lespatch, and facilities afforded to col
these supplies of foreign grain have been chiefly drawn' toiniju ion London, and almost every other port,
there I think they will find enough to satisfy them that sus had bee re had last year decreased, yet in Liverpc
the fact. Let us not then delude ourselves by
useg tare, 1 the other way. It was known, that, i
dangerous theories, nor permit them to induce to mall to L t'; est India Ship could enter, discharge he
hazardous experiments, by withdrawing protection from ,of fooruPrard-bound one, and leave the port, in ti
branches of manufacture that may still requite it—for tio, been days. In no other part of the world had so
sent I leave this subject, as I may probab y have again cice, thetkPended in affording facilities to commc
to revert to it, when I come to consider Mr. Booties reasr Pool the time might arrive when the Coiporat
advocating, and propositions for, a free trade in corn. A stilt itweold decay or be crushed by the hand
Previous to examining these propositions, I must adt great benefits
long be remembered for its public i
Mr. Booth's observations on the Trade with China,, 4, "enelits which had been derived from its ex,
forms his next subject •of complaint. It must be oho' barftuuly sought to be recovered, had been rec
every intelligent person, that the restrictions to which be d as human memory could reach, if parole e
trade has hitherto been subject are very dissimilar ill, 11e ~,51),euded upon ; if he wished other evidence, o
nature and objects to those others, on which this gent i , leceiTid show, by the Corporation books, that tl
have animadverted. He has discussed such branches e'• hi ever ever since the reign of Elizabeth, and
commerce and manufacture as it has been deemed exp ' hen r authority, he could trace it to the time of l
to protect from Foreign invasion, or that have now rea ' Jehn? Vl.' Henry IV., Edward 111., Edward
state in which they are competent to protect themselves.; bee. nebelieved, that so clear a deduction of ti
the Trade with China is not a question to which the Forel ereagetoade before a jury. In point of magnitude
is a party, being one between a privileged body of our fei `if it tot cause ever tried in this court, and the grea
subjects, and the public at large. The claims of the East 4 the public equally claimed the attention
Company are about to come under the consideration of r. IN! Plaintiffs shoutd be defeated, the public in
meat.
In the infancy of British commerce, extensive n ' r
Li‘eit, the continuance of those improvements i
enterprise, such as the trade with India and China, was be he pool which the increasing demands of the y
the means or capital of private individuals ;it was the „tearried counsel then proposed to class his ci
necessary, in order to encourage and induce numerous :: ,er"ring the title of the Corporation to exact 1
to form themselves into companies, and embark in such cl ht.l?ost ancient times; and
peltten to show the n
undertakings, to grant to them the protection of exclusil rte
ri was claimed under tle. Those he we
viieges for -limited periods ; and such was the origin 0 ier,, o and parole evidence. First, as to the
China Trade. These motives have long. since ceased 0 '
ports aware, that, in ancient times, a greater I
arrd yet, notwithstanding, these exclusive privileges have re; its °f England were in the possession of the
edly been most liberally renewed for additional periods ttegt4s'ea -dues on imports and exports at pleasu
East India Company. The time is now at hand when kid?' time, those ports were conveyed, in son
will terminate ; and as regards the China Trade, as throe ea victuals, along with the right to collect the
not likely to be renewed, the trade must then be open' early periods, it was the practice of the crown
public at large. Until that period arrives, it must be arts, particularly by King John, who farmed t
that no British merchant can engage in it, and it is ( Abarcts the tolls of many ports, that of Live
that the Foreigner has the power of doing so, to ii the That continued until the reign of William th
their original enterprising arrangements, the East Indus k Doomsday Book it appeared that Roger Poic
pany paved the way for lin. Kau all lands between the rivers Ribble and 11,
Before I close this letter, I must venture to notice ,ea Liverpool. King Henry 11. granted the tc
dogma, or proposition, put forward by Mr. Booth, as toone Fitzwarrenovho afterwards exchanged m
tionable and conclusive, but which I confess I ameither tot u•ne other lands. Henry 111. granted a charter
to understand, or too ignorant to concur in. He says ch' among other things, were included all "t
~ ,-.
it ought never to be forgotten that a certain amount of • It gave the right of all foreigners to tra
and labour is more beneficially employed in manufactt fed by the King; and in the same reign, the l
article for exportation, in lieu of one imported, than Corporation of Liverpool all dues at a rent
lecturing a 'protected' article for home-consumption. Henry 111. afterwards granted all the lands
venture to suppose, that in other, but plainer words, hi• 'e and the Mersey to Renald, Earl of Chest
to say, that we should at once abandon the manufacture daughters, the youngest of whom married
such articles as are now protected, whatever may 1.4 Earl of Derby; (that family did not deri
nature, or the probable consequences of doing so, rby, in the county of that name, but from
ceive such from the Foreigner alone, but with the imp. At,i Derby in the county of Lancaster.)
proviso, that he is to 'take other manufactures of ours, it 'ted, leaving his son Robert a minor; and
them. Now as no such condition can be made, lin the custom of 'those times, appointed his el
here, and say, there is the answer; but were it even pl ,he
a . guardian of the person and property o
to act upon it, I should still doubt its policy or expediel during the minority of 'the latter. .An accour
Most manufactures require protection to nurse and Prince Edward, during the minority of E
iage them in infancy; the supplies they afford it ma) b
0 produced in which mention was made of
important to secure for home consumption, and their ‘;'' and customs at. Liverpool as "tolls, stalk
growth may afford a reasonable prospect of a change , When Robert, Earl of Derby, became
racter, and ultimate competition with the productioni 't to joiu Simon de Montfort in a rebel
Foreigner; and under such circumstances are we to at
h" 1. 1 upon which all his property was cord
Booth's sweeping principle, and at once extinguisl -g Conveyed his estates to his youngest son,
Does not common sense say no? But let us go a little who was created Earl of Lancaster. After
—as the basis of commerce, whether external or intern' lee, an inqteisitio post mortem was held, as t.s
exchange of productive labour through the convenient to ascertain what lands and manors, with
of money ; when we sell the fruits of ours to the Fore ' Property of the deceased; and the jury fc
are to that extent benefitted, but in receiving his in 1 , that he had Liverpool, whose tolls, &c. w
reciprocal benefit is conferred on him. So far the pr 'tt
Lit) a-year. Edmund, Earl of Lancaste
sound ; but if in the first instance we can exchange the to whom the property descended, and on
of mutual labour with our fellow-subject, and protnote an of Lancaster, succeeded. The con
perity as well as our own by doing so, is not this a't, As then made a county paltatine, and
place of a single advantage, whereby both will be better Duke of Lancaster. Henry left three
to discharge their national duties, and bear their share 'ftigest of whom (Blanche) had for her do
heavy public burthens, to which the Foreigner does r el a
'34 possessions, among which was Liver
bute. This surely is also sound doctrine; but it does s "d John of Gaunt, who then became poss,
here. I contend that beneficial Foreign trade can ( 3perty, and the Duchy of Lancaster had ci
founded on, and supported by, internal prosperity c°ttveyed to it, which at present existed, am
that prosperity, created by the interchange of the the jury were aware of. John of Gaunt wa
of our mutual industry, that affords a surpus to 'pry IV. and, from the accession of Henn
plied to the purchase of those articles of Foreign pry the tide of Duke of Lancaster had vested it
which are and must be received in payment for nearly
,bees Scarlett quoted several documents in ord
of our exported manufactures; and without such. a he port of Liverpool belonged to the town of
market for their sale and consumption, the export tradt 'e adverted to a singular fact, that was on
not exist.—ls not then the home-trade the basis of the F 148, though it is recorded in the Exchequer
,
and is not the home-market therefore the more safe, 4 his used to be sent to Liverpool to be shie(
and preferable of the two ?—if, so, it follows that it is ales• Henry - 11. used to send expeditions
to protect it. 'Qui Liverpool and Chester. Edward the Thi
I conclude for the present; my next is intended to
__, the different ports,—Liverpool among the re,
the facts and principles on which our present corn la ,the to detain ships in order that they might t
founded, and the, grounds on which Mr. Booth rests bis lipped to proceed to Scotland and assist in (
position for their repeal, and the substitution of a free 14'0n in that country. The writ was sent to th
in this necessary of life.—l am, yours, &c. nit a I,P, ,°°l, who were supposed to have control ov
12th February, 1833. MERCArry tra '",, Henrythe Sixth granted a lease of th
ea „ ry
ho„ with all the profits and commodities to t.ll
'eat g, save and except the prisage of wines." Ti
°I tlotl £2l a-year. Edward the Fourth also gram
ttetf,e"'wn• of Litherpoole, (Liverpool being then
~..(1 belt With " all dues,• customs, and liberties an
....jk iltil_, aging," for twelve years, at £l4 sterling. TI
r,t'til theu in the crown, subject to the same mode
,eeti e time of Charles the First. Many of thou
sef tongranted to the ancient family of Molyneux
ii --, yr
4;.,,, ho were anciently the King's Bailiffs of
Itiet`°, the King, having occasion for money,
0 Yof • '
01, ye posessions, and, among them, . was a leas,
Nstee stallage, toll's, and customs, to Ditchfield an(
'Yee, for the Corporation of London, by whom
0 the family of Molyneux. In 1777, the Cor
ureh °', who had obtained a long lease from Lord
ie ita'ed the reversion for, we -believe, £37,000.
150 fiaitttlre of the title of the Corporation. It is
'lOl a Y or sixty years since persons could recoil
) La tuere fishing town. Lord Erskine, whet
tid ti:leaster, to defend the rights of the Cc
r, 4 at he had seen Liverpool at an early pei
',I'M tl:4kwas astonished at seeing forty years
' Ifette nand of improvement had done. The tolls,
CoerY VIII. and of Elizabeth hardly exceeded
'tieen toration paid for them. It was not until t
utrces`!'utie that the Corporation, having expen
'eks. 41 improving the town, solicited an act le
the' „L'lrd from that period might be dated the iin
‘ll
' eVt, so that the tolls that then did not amot
ttesoi°'Ant to a very considerable sum indeed. 'I
kis, b t'en recapitulated a variety of leases, showin
ratio, whom granted, and the payment of rents 6
II of L• th r ceded to state
'ery ea , iverpool. e en poc . ,
Iraete IV period, it had been the practice of the C
' the by-laws, imposing fines on all foreigners tra
ed, ''°oks of the Corporation, as far back as anl
11 a (Queen, Elizabeth's reign,) it appeared that ti
1:,, pPolnted an officer to collect the dues, and to
le 0; the amount. The very tolls now claimed v
e i,,, ueen Elizabeth, very trifling.
"34 16)they were £22
- • 23
16,51 .
1670 l3
1720
.729 (after the 1 . . 3
first docks were built,).... 425
• • • s 5Bl

THB LATE BELL-RINGING.

TO T'HE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST.4NDARD'dJ
Slll,—The Albion, in its notices to correspondents, titt',,
thinks proper to style the ringing of the bells to annointlie
the inhabitants at large the result of the town's dues' queBer
" very. bad taste." Is the writer aware that every rate-pa)bei
materially interested in this result, as would soon have 00
discovered to their cost, had the decision t een a different 0
The town's dues are assessed at their full amount to the P
rates, and have this year contributed £6000: to.raise this 0
from the parishioners, as must have been done had 084
poration lost their cause, would have entailed on everY,',ji
payer, from this time forth, an addition to the poor-rate 01',
in the pound. at least. Knowing these facts, I for one wa5.4
at all displeased to hear the merry peal strike up on Sati!'"l
night, and it is very possible that many, who now learn tb'll
the first time, may agree with me in opinion, rather than
the Albion.—Yours, &c.
February 18, 1833. A PARISIIIONO

To Fire Insurance Companies, the Corporation of Linear
extensive Owners of Vessels and other property.
so
GENTLEMEN,—The want of an effectual plan in large tt),)
to defy the progress of a fire in crowded as well as detail
buildings, and on vessels at sea, has long been a subject 05
gret, too much suffering, loss of property and valuable liven
been a consequent to need an attempt at proof.
in time will save nine," is the rule of all economists, and,i;
truth of this motto will justify an attempt in endeavour,'
bring it to bear on the most important point—which I are°9l
to say is accomplished, and which will be acknowledged °.„O
hands, is a most efficient cheap, simple, and practicable ,p
And it is to be regretted such ranges of buildings as 'liod
street, Lord-street, the Exchange,_ our fine Custom-house•
vessels, and other places where there is so much valuable re
perty every day and hour in danger of this devouring ele,,
should remain a single moment without its adoption. Ito
versal use will be the means of saving property and • lives -
incalculable value. The plan is on sale, see advertisemet
is one on which there is not a shadow of doubt as to its P'
cability.—l am, Gentlemen, Yours, &c.

JOHN
1.
CLOSE
M
llorradanezan Pottery, Tazteth Park, 1 8 Feb. 833