State journal & flag., 1846-12-04
A False PrOpheL---Erec Trade in
Food.


A whg representative from Pennsylva.
MIA Mr.. Strohm, made speech in oppo-
sition TO the tariff IF 1916, in which he
prophesied, in the event the bill was passed
the downfall of American manufactures,
and the loss, thereby. of millions of capital
In reference TO the repeal of The corn laws
OF England, he said -
"And how would agriculture be affected
One of the chief arguments IN favor of the
bill was the alleged benefit which it would
confer on the agricultural classes. The
doctrine sounded in the ears of our farmers
was, that the tariff of 1912 was directly
against their interest; and if any doubted
this, they were met with an air of triumph.
and pointed 10 The repeal OF The corn laws
The British ports were 10 be thrown open,
and a rich market furnished for American
bread stuffs. But moments reflection
was sufficient 10 teach any man of common
sense, that il the British ports we're thrown
open, the British market must at the same
time be open to the competition Of all the
world, and when the American farmer sent
there his wheat he would find that the far.
mers from the Black Sea, and from the
shores of the Baltic, would be there before
him. The wheat Of Odessa, The wheat from
Hamburg. the wheat from Danizic. would
all have anticipated his, and at prices for
which they could not sell. He would now
discover, in spite of all the fine doctrines
which had been told him by the advocates
Of free trade, that. after all, it was the de-
mand that regulated price, and not the du
ty alone"
Mr.. Slrohm, like other wing prophets
happened to see through glass darkly.
The manufacturers are increasing their blu.
siness; new mills are in process of rection,
all over the country; nobody is concous
Of having lost their money, and the repeal
of the corn laws, has proved benz fetal not
only TO our farmers, but it has enabled the
poor, starving, pesantry Of Ireland. to obtain
cheap and Wholesome food. The following
paragraph, showing the effect of free trade
in food, copied from the N. Y. Evening
Post, is similar to hundreds of others that
are to be met with, in the commercial pa
pers of the Eastern States.
"LARGE CARGo.-The ship Huguenot
which cleared Yesterday (Nov. 14th.) for
Liverpool, has on board
1868 bales cotton, averaging 400 lbs.
1913 barrels flour,
500 barrels meal,
14,600 bushels corn,
1880 bushels wheat.
5000 hogshead slaves,
The dead weight is l l43 tons-estimated
bulk of cargo in barrels 1920. The ship
measures as per register 934 tons. and draws
but Is feet inches water. Freight e..
400 sterling. Hundreds of other ships are,
says the journal of Commerce, going off
for the same destination, and an extra bun-
dred beyond all which come, would be loa-
ded, and all for that market which Mr.. Clay
says the people Of the west do not think of
much Importance. But there is no virtue
in England's buying such heaps of food Of
us; it is only because her people are star
wing, that she does it.. She would not buy
bushel fus if only she had plenty with.
out. This last is TO be said when denying
the fact fails, aud you have actually nothing
else to say"
This is fair illustration of the effect of
free trade. Agriculture is benefited, and
commerce is, also, benz fitted. The depen.
dance of the English on shipments of food
from the Baltic, is not new argument in
the mouth Of Mr.. Strohm. 1t was worn
lhreadbare IN the late congress; but facts
of recent date. overthrow that argument
1t will be remembered, that information was
received by the Great Western, that the
English Premier was anxious that Parla-
ment should meet on the Oath Dec. in order
to insure full supply of food by the repeal
of the A shillngs duty on wheat.-A cabi
net council was held few days before the
arrival of Mr.. Bancroft, in London, but it
adjourned without coming to any determi,
nation on the subject-the council was to
NEE, again. In The interval Mr. Bancroft ar.
rived, and com nunicated to the ministry,
that there was an ample supply of bread
stuffs in the United States, to supply home
consumption and the foreign demand. An
early meeting OF Parliament was deemed
unnecessary, when this fact was ascertained
AS it insured a supply of food for the
people. Our farmers have not only facii-
ties for the supplying Of England, and other
countries with food, equal to those Of the
"farmers of the Black sea- and of the Ball.
tic, but they possess the additional advan-
tage of receiving their pay in part in man.
ufac'ured goods. If England buys food from
The Germans, or the Russians, she must paw
for 1t mainly in specie but we are one Of
her best customers, and il the duties or cot.
ton and woollen, and other goods OF British
manufacture, is brought down TO, and kept
at, revenue standard, we can secure for
the farmers of our country, the English, the
French, and other European markets.
The foregoing reference to Mr.. Bancroft,