Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-10-06

We are not surprised that our faeenous nsighbot OF the
STANDARD does not relish the {" proposition " made by us a
lev dsJssinee.w with a view Of testing the alleged influence
OF the commercial legislation OF Great Britain and the u.
states upon the prices OF produce, 5y facts. hereafter to
he developed. We arc not surprised that the free traders
are 80 unwilling to subject their theories to such n Test
Their air-built castles have been so uniformly dissolved by
the hat touch ol the spear of lthuriel, thai, they wisely
avoid the contact whenever It is in their power to do So
They have a lofty dlsdain OF every thing practical. Soar
ing among clouds aud revellng amidst distractions. the
fact. evolved by experience are entirely TOO u~netherial for
their use. Hence they avoid them, as instinetiyely As a
rsbid dog flies lroa water.
We assumed, in tho article upon which the Standard
comments, and We think fairly, that, If the recent increas-
ed demand abroad for certain articles Of produce, and the
consequent rise in price, Were produced by the re-
peal Of the Brush Corn Laws and the modification of
the American Tarif-either or both combined-,hey
would continue as long rs tho cause TO which they
are ascribod and. on the other hand, tina, If they re-
suited from the failure of the European crops, their du.
ration would be limited by the continuation Of tho de-
iciency in the supply occasioned by tha, failure. The
free traders contend for the former position, admitting how.
ever that the failure in the crops exerts a partial influence
on dcmsnd and prices. The Wings occupy the latter
ground. lsnOt the proposition, that the soundness of these
antagonist positions shall be respectively tested by the DER.
mancncy of the present state Of things, a fair one7 What
isthcro in it, either "sly" or unfair to our opponens1 The
'lanuaId uus oltel u CnaractcrZC ~ by a rathor
discoureous ~epithet; but it has not even attempted to
showis applicability. We lot that pass, however. for wb,,
IT is worth.
While we admit that tho reduction Of duty on corn and
wheat by the British government may have a tendency to
increase the price, whenever, from the failure Of the British
crops, there may be a demand for those products, as at
present, tbecause the effect OF the protective duty hereto
fore imposed upon them could not, by home competition.
augment the quantity ~producedO we at the same time con.
fdently express the opinion, that, in the absence of n CT.
sualy such as that which has recently occurred, the reduc-
ton OF duty will never create a demand for those articles
fas' experience, we think, sustains this opinion, which
will be not less eOnclusivoly vindicared by future events.
Last year, for example, the British Corn Laws were in
full operation on the other side OF the Atlantic, and the
wing Tarri OF 1912" on this. What is there, we ask.
IN the existing condition Of the commercial world, different
from what we then witnessed Then, as now. umor,
reached US Of the failure of the European potato crops
and then, as now, a remarkable activity was exhibited in
the great commercial maTts. The New York Express. for
example, gives the following table of the pnee Of flour in
the New York market, atthe several periods:
1886. Sept /. Oct I. Nov. 1. Dec. l. Jan. l.. ,4s.
"a 81 81 62 IS IS 81 90 SIS IS.
Prices, 1t will be seen, ruled nearly as high last year as
they do now, for this leading article, aud continued gradual
" TO increase until the LIST of December. The anueipa.
lions OF a heavy demand, however, were not fully realized.
as they may not be this year-and hence the rapid decline
in price which succeeded the arrival Of the steamer from
Liverpool about the middle Of that month. II will be seen
that while in both Great Britain and the United States. pro.
ieciiNo tariffs were in full operation, results similar TO those
which are now transporting under what are absurdly called
FREQ trade" tariffs, were Witnessed. With what pretence
81 Plsnsibiiiy, then, can the existing demand for provisions
for expectation be ascrbed to the modification of the re-
sticuvc systems Of tho two countries, when, twelve months
ago, there was 4 similar demand, while those restrictive
systems were IN full force II is obvious that the demand
last year and this bad a common origin-the failure of the
European orops-and that To that cause alone can II be nro
perly ascnbed at either period.
But again; The New York Journal Of Commerce. N
free trade paPcrJ Of Saturday last, contains the following
statement VI the value Of imports and exports at thot mort
during the month Of September, compared with the same
month IN lei5-to which we invite the special attention of
the reader;