The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-31 00:00:00

FREE-TRADE

FREE-TRADE, a very fine thing—if you can get it.
TO THE SHOEMAKER.
Are you in favour of Free Certainly. Free Trade must
Trade? be a good thing.
Is there any duty on Fo- To be sure there is. How
reign boots and shoes ? could we exist without it ?
Have you any objection to Take off the duty on foreign
taking off this duty ? boots and shoes ? You must
be insane to think of such
a thing. Why, as it is,
there is a Frenchman
now in Regent-street, Le
Hocq, getting over hun-
dreds of dozens of French
boots and shoes every
minth. He has run away
with a good many of my
customers already. The
duty ought to be doubled.

TO THE GLOVER.
What is your opinion of lam quite in favour of Free
Free Trade? Trade.
How do you find business We are sorely pressed by the
just now ? competition with French

gloves.
But you are protected by a Of course we are. Would
duty? you expose us to an open
competition with the con-
tinent ?
Then you are not prepared The notion is absurd. We
to consent to the repeal could not carry on busi-
of the duty on gloves? ness for a month without
the protecting duty.
TO THE SILK WEAVER.
Will you favour me with How can you doubt? Free
your opinion on Free Trade is a great principle,
Trade? and ought to be carried
out.
Certainly. What is the lam happy to say, that after
present state of the Silk a period of considerable de-
Trade ? pression, we are now stea-
dily reviving, and our peo-
ple well employed.
Very glad to hear it. What From 25 to 30 per cent.
is the amount of the
protecting duty in favour
of British silks ?
Do you consider that a Barely sufficient. In good
sufficient protection ? times we can just manage
to hold our way against
the French competition.
What would be the effect How can you ask such a ques-
of repealing that duty? tion ? The whole silk trade
of the country would be
ruined, and every man em-
ployed in it be thrown out
of employment.
But then with respect to Oh, it is utterly inapplicable
the " great principle" of to the silk trade. No man
Free Trade ? in his senses would attempt

TO THE TAILOR.
Are you in favour of Free I am for freedom in every-
Trade ? thing.
Good. Is there any duty A duty on foreign-made
on foreign-made clothes? clothes ! Why, would you
have those French tailors
allowed to send their
clothes here free of duty,
and no protection given to
the hard-working tailors
of England? We should
have half the people get-
ting their clothes made in
Paris.
Perhaps we might. But Take off as many of them as
these protecting duties you please ; but as to al-
are all against Free lowing foreign coats and
Trade. trousers to come in free of
duty, it would be infamous!
TO THE CLOCK AND WATCHMAKER.
Have you ever considered To be sure. Everybody talks
the subject of Free about it just now.
Trade?

What is your opinion of It is a very good thing, with
it ? certain limitations.
Pray explain yourself. I think corn should be per-
fectly free. It is dreadful
to think of a tax on the
staff of life. But manu-
factures must be protected.
We cannot exist without

protection.
Then you think that the lam quite sure that you can-
principle of Free Trade not apply it to the clock
can only be partially ap- and watch trade without
plied? ruining us all.

TO THE COTTON SPINNER.
Are you friendly to the Every enlightened member
Principle of Free Trade? of the community is so.
What is the state of cotton A greatly improved one. We
manufactures at present? have now full employment

for all hands ; but we have
had a long period of de-
pression.
It is the most important in
the kingdom.

Your branch of manufac-
ture has attained great
importance?
Are you much affected by Undoubtedly. The manu-
foreign competition? facturers of the continent
are meeting us in all mar-
kets abroad, and they
would take away a great
part of the home trade but
for the protecting duty we
have.
What is that protecting Ten per cent. on cotton
duty ? yarns, and 10 to 20 per
cent. on cotton manufac-
tures.
Then it would not be a safe You must not think of such
thing to remove that pro- a thing. It would be mad-
tecting duty, even to ad- ness to attempt it. Re-
Vance the principles of move all restrictions from
Free Trade ? trade ; but above all things
protect your cotton manu-
factures.
TO THE FUNDHOLDER.
What is your view of the I think it delightful; I re-
Free Trade question ? joice in seeing this great
principle brought into dis-
cussion.
The interest of my money in
the Funds.
How is that interest paid ? Out of the revenue, of course.
Which is the largest branch The customs produce 21 mil-
of the revenue? lions per annum.
Are not the impot t duties Extremely so ; most burden-
on goods great restric- some and abominable.
tions on trade ?
nave you any objection to What ! reduce the interest of
see the interest on Con- the public debt ! violate the
sols reduced from 3to 2 Rational faith ! disgrace the
per cent. in order to national honour! Sir, you
carry out this great prin- are a wild theorist ! Carry
ciple of Free Trade? out your principles of Free
Trade by all means ; but,
above all things, secure
your revenue.

What do you live upon ?