The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-10-29 00:00:00

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41,01/1.

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Tl 9 THE EDITOR OF MK STATE.SAMS.
Sta—ln politics, it is ,tidirult to advance unbiassed
opinions. Virulence of feeling and debasing sentimentel
are too often produced by the exercise of our talents in
matteill, whether marhed by slareWilness of
intellect ur superiority of understanding. This
irritation cannot lead to rational or sound con-
clusions, and our progress in knowledge becomes
thwarted by a narrow and contracted judgment, the
too frequent result arising from our indulgence in
these our common prejudices. Commerce is too much
interwoven to be entirely separated from political feel-
ing, hut, discussions upon its state and condition may
be conducted with temper and moderation. In offering
some observatiot.s upon the present stateof our trade, I
may be considered as one presuming too much upon his
practical experience; but, as my sentiments cannot af-
fect detrimentally the interest Of the mercantile com-
munity, 1 am buoyed up with the hope that such pre-
sumption, upon my part, may induce some of your
mere intelligent readers to turn their talents to the
consideration of this important subject—a chatge of
system so essentially reqnired by the alarniing state of
our trade, and the impoverished condition of our fi-
nances, which, (notwithstanding the flourishing state-
ments of our revenue, which :sing be admitted to exist
only in the brain of the thencellor of the Exchequer,
so long as fictitious etatemmis are issued quarterly)
to use a homely expression, keeps the necks of all or-
ders of the community (men In office excepted) conti-
nually at the grindstene. A subject if this nature can-
not well be treated as a whole, the system must there-
fore he reviewed under its various and multiplied
heads or:l:Tani:tents ; in the absence of official accounts,
and possessing no other informaticn, than what arises
from practical experience, errors may be expected to
arise, and inferences be drawn from a basis which may be
shaken. 1 hazard the attempt, in the hope that some
one more qualified for the task, may supply that in-
formation which, from a limited and circumscribed
knowledge, I have not the means of adducing.
The repletion of our commerce has 'leen the
result of eggs of experience, and still it is so dif-
fuse that the facuhies of few merchants can define
the bearings of that policy, which has graduated our
trade upon it scale favourable to our interests as a
nation in some respect, yet equally so in other re-
spects to those cenntries, which are now monopoliz-
ing a vast proportion of what rely be termed our legi-
timate trade, and by a wiser system of policy, are
rapidly with:lt-se lug from us that lucrative branches
of trade, whirls our conquests ought to have made our
own. We are loaded with a national debt, we can never
pay off; year after year, rolls on, and the same apathy
and indifference to the state of our commerce conti.
nevi to exist. Sorely the enormous load of taxation
which we are eompelled to hear, ought to be a suffi-
cient stir:mins to induce our government to study, by
every prudent means, to place mercantile men upon a
b -tier footing. that they may with the greater satisfac-
tion to themselves, and, what is more important,
with more substantial benefit to the country, com-
plete upon terms bordering mere.rtearirwpeirequality,
ith other commercial nations.
The system adopted at home in collecting our Reve-
nue, and regulating- our expoit and import trade, is
iil calculated to inspire the commercial man with ar-
dour, and too frequently tends to induce many an ho-
nourable man to abandon his profession with disgust.
Sit injuriously restrictive is our policy ; so fettered
by securities which are put in force at the caprice of
underlines in office, actuated more by selfish motives
than the desire of exposing fraud, that no honest man
Carl. so long as be is engaged in trale, consider bin:-
self safe. Our forefathers saw the importance of en-
cottraei tie our commercial relations to the greatest ex-
te'at, and our enterprising merchants were treated
mitt' the respect due to their character and reputation.
woefelly has civilization and the more enlarged
views of this enlightened age altered our condition As
our commerce extended, so'did corruption in the State;
extended commerce and extended patronage went hand-
ia-han,l ; corrupt practices became cominon " as the
Sun at noon day." The collection of our Revenue
must be divitlod forsooth, and eby ? to multiply offices,
afro- 1 mare extended patronage,and encrease difficulties.
Hord% of illeOtinsate offspring,hutlers and even footmen
of noblemen and great Ministers, spies. informers,
and n it a few members of families who possessed po-
litical interest sufficient to procure the return of mem-
bers to Parliament, have been put into offices of trust.
Oar Customs and Excise Offices throughout the King.
dont swarm with these excellent Clerks, and their
bright lucubrations, doubtless, have raised our present
mode of collecting our revenue, and regulating our
trade to its present pitch of refinement. I must, hew.
ever, admit, that in these departments there are many
gentlemen employed, no less conspicuous for the supe-
riority of their t..lents, that: their high characters and
the purity of their conduct. When irregularities oc-
cur in exports or imports, and they do incessantly oc-
cur from the perplexity of our multiplied enactments,
they are set down as frauds upon the revenue, and there
is no possibility of being relieved from the penal cense•
queaces of a prosecution at the instance of the Crown
trir.t:ut a handsonw fine to t'se vigilant officer. Character
is o,t of the Inestio», for since the fees scere abolished,
in cstimai ion of these bright ()peers of Excise and
Customs, there has nut been any honest man engaged
in mercaatile ptv suits. This unnatural disgusting
system, subversive of every feeling of equity, has
operated ~,,, st harshly for a length of time. The in-
come' which these upstarts in office derive from
this punishing system are enormous, and their inso-
lence is insutfee able; but here the evil does not stop.
In Rolland, Vrance, and other continental countries,
such vile policy does not exist ; the consequence is
that such vessels as are not by colonial laws, compelled
to return to this country, or by extraordinary demand,
yes irt in numbers to the continent, where they ex-
perience nothing hut civility, and are never exposed
to such degrading insult and suspicion. The conti-
nuation of this *abject and the policy which has
ruined our t.ansient trade, with remarks upon the
injurious consequences attending our restrictive mea-
sures, as applies to the colonial trade, must forte the
subject of another communication: What is stated I
hope will induce some more able correspondent to
treat apes this, a subject of no slight itnpurtanco at
the present alarming crisis.
toes. 96, 192.

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