The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-05-21


she, SO. DC.
The French government are now in the COM
mencement of several very important move
ments, affecting trade and commerce, which may
end in great revolution in the commercial sys-
TEN of the nation. A few days ago, proposition
was introduced into the Chamber, reducing their
tariff on nearly 300 different articles OF import
some to be free articles. law is now also I'M
der discussion for Increasing the paper system, oy
reducing the denomination of the bills hitherto Is
sued nv the bank. from 500 francs TO 200 francs 1t
isalso proposed TO suspend the old navigation laws
for another year, and to allow grain to be import
ed duty free in ships OF any country
These liberal movements all proceed from the
government, and indicate that the doctrines
of free trade prevail with the present Cabinet
The high tariff and restrictive system of France
grew up under the long foreign wars of the re-
public and the empire; and in some respects, the
like classes of society in France, as in the Uni
ted States, entertain these doctrines. The manu-
acturers of all kinds are the great sticklers for
high and exclusive tariffs-and heretofore they
have possessed great influence in the Chambers.
The foreign trade and shipping interest in France
have not influenced legislation; and the numer-
Gus landed interest, which consists OF three or
four millions of small farmers, have little con-
troll in the government at all. In England it Is
exactly the reverse. There the landed interest
has been the high tariff infuence-the conf
merce and manufactures for liberal principles
Since the repeal of the English corn laws, and
the famine the commercial restrictive leglsa-
ton of both France and England, has received
a blow, which will, in time, introduce total
change in their fore gn trade and other branches.
The ideas of the paper money system, are slowly
extending in Europe, particularly in France and
England Their vast debts-their vast taxes
their vast railroad expenditures-the increase of
population-the scarcity of food-the amount of
gold and silver set back to America, all concur to
force on the governments, bankers and merchants,
some shift that may stave off the day of settle
ment to future period. This shift for the evil
day is composed of two expedients-one bad, the
other good-one leading TO ruin the other to safe
~. They are, first the return to low tariffs, and
the removal of monopolies and restrictions on
foreign trade, which are good the second is the
extension and spread of paper money and paper
credit, which is bad, and will lead to worse
The advantages of these mixed movements and
principles are only temporary to Europe, but al
most permanent to the United States. The good
dollars for the -four, and they give the paper to
their people.
On Sunday evening last, a large group of Ame-
rican dplomatists visited Louis Philippe in the
palace of the Tuilleries. They consisted of Mr.
Bancroft, from London, Mr.. Ingsrsoll, going to
ST. Petersburgh, also his son, an attache to the
same embassy, and Mr.. Martin, the charge in
Paris The King and his family, who all live in
tionate family in asort of an extensive hotel or
fashionable boarding house, received the Ameri-
cans with great kindness, the King himself talk
ing kindly, knowingly, and sometimes amusing
ly, of the United States, it existed in the time
of Jefferson Indeed, the success with which
Louis Philippe has managed the French for &C.
venteen year, may be attributed to the lessons
which he learned during his residence in the
United States. He was there about the time that
Jefferson was organizing the democratic party,
and saw how popular party could be formed
and maintained by combination of popular SEN
timent, and the judlcious distribution Of Office
In popular vote Of limited numbers, such sys-
TEN could be maintained for an average period of
twenty-five years; but universal suffrage always
breaks downsuch systems, and throws the action
Of the masses into the current of general princi-
pies and universal passions, while the mere indi-
viduals in power are so many accidents, changed
with the rapidity of lightning. Mr.. Van Bu-
rem attempted, under the mantle of Jackson, to
establish the old system in the United States,
which he had succeeded with for few years in
the State of New York, but universal suffrage is
too unwieldly an element to be managed by indi-
viduals and so he failed in the attempt. Louis
. IL. a..
hence the French government opposes all at
tempts to increase the electoral body In France,
which is only 200, 900 in population of 36,OoO,-
000 body Of electors easily managed by CEN
trail government, with ,OO0 900 Of rich Offices to
bestow on favorites.
Louis Philippe, however, like shrewd man,
as he is, always speaks kindly and pretily of the
United States-particularly to'Americans and to
American diplomats-but for all that, the French
government, in the concrete, does not like the
United States, rather breads the United States
thinks the United States are too republican-and
does not hesitate to state, in the newspaper
organs, all manner of objections and taunts on
her policy-her morals-her prncpes-and es-
pecially the justice of the Mexican war. There
has been scheme put forth in one of the leading
organs here, looking towards the revival OF
monarchy in Mexico-probably having for its OBJ
ject to place the Duchesss de Montpensier on the
throne once occupied by her ancestors. Paredes,
the ex-President Of Mexico, has been several
months in Paris, living at the Hotel de Paris in
rue Richeiieu; saw him the other day at the table
dhote have the best reasons for believing that
some intrigues on these points have been going
on; but, singularly enough, as long as Palmcrston
is foreign minister in England France will be
kept in check, for have no doubt England would
sooner see Mexico entirely under the dominion
of the United States, than that France should
have footing in that country Louis Philippe,
however, is all kindness to our diplomatlsts, fol
he may hereafter require few more barrels o.