Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-06-25

the councils OF this country, expressing scnme ns
like these, regard TO The cxsi,rg siae Of these
English laws have LeNer said, indeed, thu, p'o-
hibnors laws did not exist in England we all know
they do but the question is, docs she owe her pros
perty and greatness 20 these laws? l venture TO
say, that such rs mol The opinion oil the public men
now M England, and the cOnIinu ance Of the LAWS,
even w'i"out any ale, aiiun, would not he evidence
that teu opinion is different iiom what hate repre-
scented IL because the laws having existed long, and
great interests having been built up the faith of
,heu ,hey cannOi now he repealed, without g,eat
ann overwhelming Inconvenience. Because "a thing
has been wrongly done, does not there fore follow
thai IL now he unoue !; and ihis is the reason,
as understand II, upon which exclusion, ptobibi-
''", aud monopoly, ate suffered TO remain IN amy
degree M the English system aud for The .
son, viii be wise IN take measures, all
subjects oil this Kind, with great caution. We may
moi he able, but =, the haz ird Of much injury IN
ds,'iuals hereafter TO our steps, Aud yet,
Whatever, y extravagant, OF unreasonable, is not
like & endu o. ThrTe may come Of
shoig rc-"ci"o and IL no M dera,ion he shewn in
'y"s N du''', there may he bue scruple IN taking
t'em oh IL may here be observed, that there - a
broad AMI marked distinction between entire prohi-
| hiton, aud reasonable cncouIageme Ii
hine 10y duties or taxes on Ioreign articles TO ava
| Ken "A home competition IN the production of the
same articles 1t 10 another thing remove all
peii'icn by total exclusion Of the foreign article ;
ihu u Is quite another thing sill, by loisi prohibi-
noo, 10 rass al home ,nuiaciures suited TO the
climate, the nature tf the country, the state Of the
popuia'isD. These substantial distinc IONS aud
although o. may NOT be easy IN every to deter
4
me Distinctions ,hemssl,es exist, and IN cases,
VIII be suihci. uly cleai indicate the true coui 80
"' pole! and, unicss have greatly mistaken the
prevailing sentiment in the councils of ENGLAND. II
grows every day more and favorable to the d.
m'hu'on Of RESTRICTIONS aud 10 the wisdom Of lie wing
much u do not say every thing, for that would he
"ue) To the entesprize and the discr elton of lndyid
uais should certainly not have taken up the time
the COMMITTEE TO state al any length the opinions
oil Other governments, or Of The public men of other
counties, upon subject like this but OCCASION
an fha tI,avff
directly conirovered, especially by Mr.. Speaker, in
nus observations yesterday, must take occasion to
reier 10 some proofs Of what have stated.
| What, then, Is the stale of English op,u,us Eve.
~ body ksows that, after the termination OF the late
European war, there came tim Of great pressure
~ England Since her example has been quoted,
let be asked IN hat mode her goyeran,en HI
relief. Dad IL aim mainiain artificial and unu.t,r
al prices! Did il MAINTAIN a swollen and exuaya-
CANT paper circulation Did it carry further the
Laws OF proh'bi''on aad exclusion Did il draw
closer the cords of colonial restraint No Sin, bu,
precisely The reverse Instead OF relying on erisa-
i've conrivancrs and artificial devices IL trusted 10
I'e enterprise a"d industry OF the people which il
seIuousis sought To excite, not by imposing restraint
but by removing IL, wherever It's removal was prac
t'ch"ie la M'y, 1920, the attention Of the govern
mem having bee' mnch turned the state Of foreign
u'de, distinguished memberr of ,he House of p els
brought forward parliamentary motion upon ,ha,
subject, followed by an ample dscus and full
sMeairot OF ms own opinions In the course Of his
" proiibory duties, as such for thai il was ey;.
deh', mat where manufacture could not he
carried on, or IL production raised, but under the
- projection oi proh'buoy Duty thar manu- fac ,urs
" or tisi produce, could not he brought IN m,rLst
" but al loss la his opinion, tho name of s,rict
" prob,h'lion might, therefore, IN commerce. be go,
" III oil altogether hut he did not see the same oh
" ec'ion 10 projecting duties, which, while tbey aJ
m"'ed OF the introduction Of commodities l,om
" abroad similar 10 those which we ourselves mann
" iaciured, placed them & much on a level ,s IN
low competition heween them" /" No axiom. I"
he addded, was more than this thai IL AZ i,v
growing WHAT The territory oi country could grow
a. mosi 'heaply, aud ny receiving from Other coun-
" tries whnt II could produce except az too y,.,,
" AN expense, that the greatest degree Of happiness
was 10 he communicated To the greatest exten, of
population 10 assent,ne TO the motion, the fist
Minis,erf Of the Ciawn exp, essed his own opin,on
OF the great advantage resulting from unrestricted
freedom o trade. 90 or the sour,ness of Thai pene,,
princip!e, he Observed " can entertain no doub,
" can entertain" no d0ub; OF what would have been
g the great advantages 10 the civilized world II The
system OF unresricied trade had Irsn a.c,eJ mon
10y every n"''on from the earliesf period of s com
- merciAi intercourse with its nein,bors If IN hos.
" advantages there could have been Hny excen,;ons
am persuaded that they would have bee N but few
" aud AM also pei suaded that the cases, 10 which
:. hey would have reierred would not have been, 10
themselves, connected with the trade and com
- mrrce OF England Bot we are now IN n siluation
IN WITCH, will not say that q reference 10 the
pr'hc'pie vi unrestricted trade be Of no use
" because such "a reference may correct erroneous
reasoning-bnt IN which IL is impossible for us or
Tor any country IN The world but The United
ni America, 10 aci unresersedly that princ,ie
ne commercial regulations Of the European world
" have been long established, and cansot suddenly
" he departed from. Having supposed a proposi.
non TO he made 10 England, by n foI egn state for
lee commerce and intercourse, and an unre strict
ed exchange Of agricultural PRODUCTS and of manu-
ac'"res, he proceeds TO observe IL would be i'm
iossioe 10 accede 10 such proposition. We have
" risen 10 our present greatness under "A t,feren,
system. some suppose that we have risen in conse-
" qu,hce OF That system others, of ,rhom am one
| oe'nfe MAJ 'e hare risen az SPITE OF THAT .Ys.
! TEN But whichever Of these hypoil,eses Inc ,,nS
certain II II, thai have risen under a very 80
" icrcnt sysien Than that of free and unre,tY,cted
| lf"de: u Us utterly Impossible with our Uebt and
taxation, even II they but half their ex;s,;n.
ah'o"h', h"i we can suddenly adopt the system OF
| " irer irane Lord Peterborough ,n the same debate
sad That he attributed the general ,s,rese ,bs
existing ~ Europe, 10 the regulations tia, had ,. on
pi &c since the destruction OF the French ,o,v.r
M"s' OF Tie states on the conIineDr had surrounded
themselves as win walls Of brass, TO inbibu inter.
course with other states. Inter course was nrob;
bict, even IN disfic Of the same s,atr ss Co.'S
| " me case IN Austria and Sardinia. Thus ,hough
| Tue taxes on ii,e people had been iighieprd ~.
| seSef"y OF their condition had been Increased -
] :, 'e ocneseu maj The discomfort which pervaded
mos' paris 81 Europe, and especially Germany, wa
more owing ~ commercial res ic,ous tha q, no
heofe"cai ooc'Iines on government; and that a
= Her communication among them would do mo, .
" 10 restore tranquility, than any other step that
co"iu oe adopted. ne objected TO all attempts TO
Illustrate HE benevolent intentions of Proyideuc,
which had gwen 10 various Countries various wants
" IN order To bring them together He obec, cd n,
" II as antsocial he objected TO il, MS making com.
merce The means of EMBARRASSING, instead OF e.I;rb,
Z" enIug nations The slate Of The lrade with Fence
" was The most disgraceui to both countries the
" two gieaiest civilized nations Of The world placed
" AT distance OF scarcely twenty miles iom each
oiher had conrived, by their artifc ia regulations
:. 10 ,oduce ibe,r commerce with each other TO =