The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-05

mas Dceh IN THIS Guy Inucf the sdnculOn OF
Mr. Duehatel, minister of the Interior. IL is 20 be
hoped under its auspices, thai the commercial sys-
TEN Of France will be speedily changed. The
present basis upon which IL rests, IN Intercourse
with other countries is one conceived IN the spirit
OF ereluspsr,os IL is not characterized by single
feature Of reciprocity. We trade with China, as
Tar as her governmental regulations are concerned
on Infinitely farer terms than we do with France
The imports Of our staples into the ports OF France,
which not re-exported in their state, amount
to not more than SIS 600 annually, while the
revenue which the administration will derive this
year from one artlce-tobaeco-i estimated at go
100000 francs, nearly $4,000, 5000. Our imports
from France exceed our exports 10 her about 50
per cent. II the royal monopoly in tobacco could
be broken up, IL would not be long before this inc
quality Of trade would cease. The vastly extended
consumption of this staple, from the universal dis
position OF the French TO enjoy il, would remove
the heavy annual balance which we have to pay
now.
From recent demonstrations in Parliament, there
Is reason TO believe that the enormous tobacco du
ties existing in Great Britain will be reduced TO
reasonable scale. The measure is demanded on
the score OF philanthropy. About two weeks since,
IN the House OF Commons
"Dr. Bowling rose 10 call the attention Of the
members to a return, No. 1885, moved for by Mr..
Hume, and ordered TO be printed on the 18th Of
May last, exhibiting, in a record of nearly one hun
dred folio pages the mzeres and the crimes created
by the enormous duties levied on tobacco. Tobae-
co seizures were more in number than those upon
any other exclseable article, and the augmentation
OF convictions within the last four years was near.
ly $50 per cent The increase per annum in l945,
as contrasted with 1912, was in England 100 per
cent, IN Ireland two hundred and hfty-two per
cent, and in Scotland 45l per cent. The steady
increase IN convictions forbade the superstition that
II arose from greater vigilance on the part Of the
revenue officers; there could he no doubt that the
offence OF smuggling tobacco had gone on increas-
ing with the number Of CONVICTIONS and the state of
things, bad as IL was last year, would be worse
this, and the present system would go on degrading
demoralziDg, and increasing the misery Of the peo-
pie The cost oil prosecuting persons guilty Of the
offence Of smuggling tobacco was very heavy, and
It all fell upon the public. The average period of
imprisonment VAS ninety-eight days, and within
short time ,4Io persons had been imprisoned for
the offence at charge Of upwards OF 5,000l, with
out reference 10 the cost Of prosecution, or the
charge of conveying them to jail. II was high time
that tax entalng such enormous evils on the
community should DO repealed [Hear hear, hear
great number OF persons convicted Of the offence
were sailors, who II was known were constantly en-
gagged IN defeating the revenue. They mad evidence
TO show that there were smuggling schools, in
which persons were educated from infancy for
the purpose OF carrying on smuggling The great
profits to be realized induced the rich to enter into
the speculation, and the poor engaged in it for the
sake Of smaller gains The machinery requisite 10
prevent smuggling cost the country between f600,-
900 and 100000. IL was clear that this expense
might be greatly diminishedby lowering the duty to
a reasonable amount. Ii was difficult to ascertain
the precise extent to which smuggling was carried
on, but there was every TO believe that the
amount Of Struggled goods equaled the amount Of
goods that paid duty. IL would appear that no less
than 81 900 pounds Of tobacco, manufactured
and manufactured, had been smugged into the
country. Lately, more minute microscopca obser.
n IN he of
Of detecting adulterated tobacco, but the same power
enabled the smuggler TO eyade the minutest search
Of the microscope. Ii was, besides, most unsatis-
factory mode Of detection, and the revenue had on
more than one occasion found themselves bound in
honor to restore the goods which they had seized
The only way Of putting end to smuggling in to-
bacco was to lower the duty to such an amount that
II would not offer such great inducements to the
smuggler great proportion of the population
was engaged in the demoralizing practice of SNUG
Cling. He trusted the government would look Sc
riousy to the subject. .......
"Mr Hume said he had taken the greatest interest in
this subject and if the evlcoud be edied the coun
try would gain morally, and in every other respect
The only objection was the diminution of revenue
likely to arise, but ii was worth while to make the
experiment, and he hoped the government would
take II into their serious consideration"
Our government should, as | am sure it readily
WILL bring every proper influence to bear TO abolish
the tobacco rege in France, and to procure reduc-
ton oe duty the staple in Great Britain. If our
own tariff has been modified, which do not doubt |
by the accounts of the "Waterloo" from the United
States, extending to the llth ult, the period ia IA
vorable for the commencement of negotiations with
both governments upon the subject.
The sugar question, you will perceive, IL settled |
in Great Britain. Lord John Russell has been no. |
bly, sustained in the "Commons" After 1851, no
is to be made in favor of free grown
sugar. Until them the scale of taxation is upon the
sliding principle, when it ,scends to a uniform |
duty Of IA shings per hundred pounds on the pro- |
ducts Of all countries. This a recognised failure
Of the abolition scheme scheme which has cost |
the government a no less sum than one hundred |
millions of pounds! English statesmen now begin
to talk upon the subject like sensible, practical
men. They say are convinced that slave labor
will not be dispensed with as long it is cheaper |
than free labor; and that to admit cotton and to-
bacco, produced almost entirely by slaves and pro-
hibt sugar because 1t is cultivated by them, lis to
strain at gale and swallow sa,o-miH" |
The West India planters are in more prosperous
condition since the introduction of the coolies upon
their estates, than they have been at any time since
the emancipation act This description Of labor is
not only vastly more cheap, but dependence can be
placed upon it, which is not the with that of
the free blacks, who generally are not only lazy,
but vicious; SUCH in fact, is the state of their de-
that rigid police is necessary to pre-
vent them from inhcting all sorts of cruelties upon
The coolies as they go to and return from the fields
in which they are employed. Next in importance
10 the settlement of the Oregon question: as relates
10 the relations between Great Britain and the
United States, is the decision upon the slave,
through the sugar question, last Tuesday, in the
popular branch of Parliament. America and Eng.
and can now be friends indeed. Our prosperity is
essential to her well being and this fact has been
ully acknowledged, and for the first time in our
history Justly appreciated by her, our countrymen
should "let by-gones be by-gonesn
About the first of March, the Messrs. Cunard will
commence their weekly line of steamers from Liver
POOL to the United States, alternately to New York
md Boston. They are building four fine vessels,
similar to the Hibernia and Cambria, at Glasgow,
or this service, for which, with the compensation a,
his time allowed them, they to receive from the
British government $4,000 pounds per annum.
They originally contracted to perform 90 trips to
Boston and back for $1,000 pounds. They now
contract to perform "a trips to New York and back
or $4,000 pounds. As large as the amount may
ppear (about $685. O0) which they received for
he service, the line stated by the chancellor Of
he exchequer in the House, on the Oath ult., has
Yielded handsome revenue to the government and
was confidently believed by him that the additional