The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-02-23
NEW YORK. THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY %, 1s43.
Commercial Treaties.

Commercial Treaties.
We see the idea of seeking to form commercial
treaties between the United States and other ma
tons, is entertained at Washington with more or
less favor.
The only commercial treaties which should ever
exist between nations, are those that very gene
raj in their nature and objects They should merely
relate to rules and regulations for the greater secu-
rity OF trade and navlgatlon-the speedy adjust
ment OF disputes, the regulation OF potage, harbor,
and lighthouse dntes-the protection OF property
and persons of each nation, on reciprocal terms OF
good will, and to admit the residence of CONNER
cia agents, or consuls in each respectively: Wneh'
ever these general objects are lost sight o. ana one
nation endeavors 10 gain exclusive privileges In It's
trade and intercourse with another, al the expense
OF third parties the policy Is fraught with such ao-
surd sefhness, that it never fails to result In loss
or injury TO one or both OF the contracting Parties
These exclusive treaties have always been favorlte
projects with selfish and shOrt-sghted statesmen,
who imagine the prosperity OF country promoted
by singeness OF trade win one party, wnlie all
tariffs, which unreasonable exclusion never fails to
drive third parties into countervailng measures OF
retaliation. For centuries. to the disgrace OF man.
kind, nations have been fighting each ether with
prohibtory tariffs Notwithstanding in many in
stances, their proximity 1t has been of no conse-
quelce how much surplus one produced, which the
other required, or how much the other had to give
in exchanges; yet, such has been the ignorance,
folly, seshness, and bigotry of Government rulers,
that laws have constantly been enacted to prevent
the interchange OF commodities. And in place OF
free interchange OF articles, not only trade, but in
the courteses of life, they have encouraged isoa-
ton, absolute hatred and unreasonable prejudices
which have frequently led to the most wasting and
bloody wars.
Whenever negotiations have been set on foot to
break down these absurd barriers between nations,
they have too often assumed the selfish forms In
dicaed, thus dsastrousiy lnterruptng the advance
ment of the people in wealth and civilization.
II there be any country OF consequence with
uh 10 fatp hay cfin troa
tended to embrace those general objects alluded TO
above, let provision be made tor concluding such.
Bat, if it Is intended by our government to
seek treaty exclusive privileges and grant in
turn similar mmunities to Great Britain or any other
nation, nothing can be more Objectionable, and the
sooner the idea is abandoned the better.
The proper course for the United States to pursue,
to reduce their present tariff to revenue stand
ard, regardless of the course of other nations, and
endeavor to trade with all, like general merchant,
selling to those who will pay the most for our pro,
ducts, and purchasing from those who will sell
what we want in exchange on the cheapest terms.
With Great Britain we formed commercial
treaty of general character in 1876 which has been
continued by mutual consent I'll the present time.
We have similar treaties with all the respectable go
verRments with whom we have intercourse. These
may occasionally require Modification; but we
The English have great many commercial
| selfish character, and she has reaped the bitter
fruits of her folly. Of this class is the cele-
brated treaty made with Portugal by Mr. Methuen,
on the part OF Great Britain, in 1903, of which we
shall presently speak more at length. Previous to
the accession OF William H., the import of wine
from France into England, amounted TO l3 800 tuns
per annum "a tun contains twenty-five Imperial
English gallons.) The import of brandy was pro-
portionably great. But Louis the XIV. having af-
forded protection to the Suarts, the British govern
ment, in 1893, proceeded to impose discriminating
duty on French wines of fS sterling per tun. And
in 1897 raised it to E33 per tun Ii is supposed this
cyl Uould hay lied
the circumstances which gave rise to it had SUBJ
sided, had 1t not been for the unfortunate COM
mercial treaty of Methuen with Portugal,
which led TO the announcement of the Pc
ninsuar inferior Wines to the exclusion of those OF
France. BY this treaty, England bound herself to
charge one-third higher duties French wines, in
troduced into Great Britain, than on Portugal wine
The Portuguese IN return, agreeing to admit British
woolens, at nominal and fixed duty, by which
means the Portuguese enjoyed the monopoly of the
English wine market. Al this period, France COM
menced the augmentation of her antl-commercial
measures against England; and to this day, have
the two countries sustained the most isolated and
disastrously antagonzing relations towards each
other, and the civilized world has and felt the
result
BY her treaty with Portugal, England exchanged
the trade of over twenty-five millions of rich and
productive inhabitants of France, for two millions
OF poor and beggar'y popu alton in Portugal. This
into England to the exclusion of French wine was
monopolized by the Oporto Wine Company, char
tered by the government of Portugal, with exclu-
sve privileges of cultivation and purchase, within
the most valuable vine district the upper Douro,
by which means they heeced the English by charg
ing from f5 to ESQ per pipe.
The quantity of Port wine thus given to England
more for money than tor woollen cloths was paltry
in its amount 1t was also saddled with an export
duty equal 1884 to 81 9s per pipe for INFERIOR and
for separated f5 o. per pipe The total export in
1884 was only 26 lO7 pipes, OF which CT Britain only
took 5000 In 1888 the export was 20 600 pipes In
1927 the total produce 81 600 pIpes OF which CT.
Britain took "a 1000, and Brazil 1000 In 1881 Brazil
only took 13l pipes. In 1888 about q million ofgal
Ions were retained in England for consumption
while in 1881 the declared value OF all exports from
England to Portugal amounted TO the paltry sum of
only f975, 991 sterling.
For this exclusive privilege OF this limited trade,
let us examine what England lost in losing the French
market, and what France herself has suffered by
the retaliatory anu.commerclal measures recollng
upon her own people when aimed at England.
In France,i 1923 there were engaged in the cult
| walton OF the vine alone, three millions OF people,
whose interest and prosperity were sacrificed to
tain about 100 900 persons engaged in manufactures,
| such as iron founders, cotton spinners, &c.
By the able petition ct men,oue PAppni," sign.
ed by over $4,000 cuvators. and presented to the
Chamber of Deputies in 1928, it appears, that, in the
Gironde alone, there a population of 432 $3.50
PERSONS of whom 226, 900 were directly engaged in
| the cultivation OF the vine.
The annual produce OF France, in wine, amounts
TO lO6O 900 900 gallons equal in value of from 80 to
E4O0OO 600 or between $50 100 millions of dol
lars and produced 10y the labour of to millions
of people OF this vast production only 297 257 gal
Ions exported to Great Britain, of the declared
| value of Eos 2S7, sterling, while TO the United
| States, with only about IL millions of people, were
sent over one million of dollars worth of French
wine. In 1892 the entire trade between England and
France, stood thus. England exported TO France OF
all articles, to the declared value of f674 79l, and
received IN imports of all articles the declared value
| of CO 27I, 249 While in 1884, the United States
sent TO France 1921, 766, 755 worth of Produce and
received in exchange the value of 1923 1893 S2 in i'm.
| pors-thus showing, although poorer nation, and
| less populous than Great Britain, our trade with
| France was vastly greater
Instead of doing any thing TO extend the trade in
wine and silk with England, the government has