The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-01

Foreign Corresp. Of the ". Y. Jour. of Commerce.
Mr. Matthyssens, one of the most eminent polti-
cal economists of Belgium, has issued copious
tract the Commercial Legislation of Holland,
Engl land and Belgium. His main object is TO pre-
serve Belgium from illusions on the point of free
trade, and to show that England, Holland, and
Sweden might relax and concede much for which
his country is not yet equally prepared. He enters
thoroughly into three quesions-Would it be adj :
vantageous for Belgium to suppress her system Of
diIerentiaI duties and adopt unlimited freedom of
trade? Can she expose her domestic industry, her
commerce, and her navigation 10 the chance of un
limited competition? Ought she, after the example
OF France, cling to the prohibitve system, and re-
fuse all concession! The author decides all these
points i'll the negative. He would have Belgium
shun extremes absolute theories; advance moder
ately and cautiously in the iavorte path of the
economists, and rcnouncc protection only when in
dnstrial and commercial progress, stimulated by
professional cducation-when manufactures, arts,
and navigaton-were 30 far developed and cheap
ened in production as that little risk would be in
Cured in extensive reforms, called Some
branches Of Belgian home industry, he thinks,
might now bear the freest foreign competition;
others need merely certain measure of protection,
coniormabie to that continued abroad, similar
ones; not few, on the other hand, should be en-
dued with strength to grow and prosper, if not by
larger protection, least by efcacious encourage
ment. The professor views for Belgium may de-
serve little heed with reference TO your vexed
tariff question.
If we can presume them to be exact the details
of the public debt and customs revenue of Spain,
London Morning Chronicle of the 23th ult., chal-
lenge more wonder and compassion than do any
statistics Of Turkey. In fourteen years-from 1920
To lS34-the Spanish government borrowed from
the capitalists of England, France, and Holland,
the every considerable sum- of forty eight millions
OF pounds sterling Irregularities always prevail
ed IN the payment Of dividends; and in 1884 all
dividends ceased on some Of the loans. compro-
mise accepted by the creditors; no dividends
followed; another compromise in lS4l. From this
period-affrms the ChrOncie-thc Spanish nation
has not paid one farthng of dividend; the arrears
now amount to about fifty per cent. the capital;
and IN 1850, there Is an attempt to annul, at one
stroke of the pen, four fhs of all the outstanding
claims. With regard to the customs, ''the we'll
informed correspondent at Madrid" of the C1ron-
ic, conceves that during the present year. the nett
produce will not surpass "A million sterling. owe
only repeat" says the Chronicle, ian opinion
rent among welliniormed Spaniards, that the Gus
tom-house does not pay its own expcnses-does not
yield any nett revenue. Ii employs fifteen thou
sand agents retaners, and the host OF sInuggers
is admitted to be at least a hundred thousand
Such confession or testimony the following Of
the Chronicle is curious enough;
% In lSiS we sent cotton goods To Gibraltar, OF
which the declared value was i5l9,0l0. For what
purpose To be snuggied into Spain. Between
the port of the Bayonne and the Spanish aide OF the
Pyrenecs there is likewise d systematic, regular,
and well-sccured contraband intercourse. The H.
hcit trade at Bayonne is conducted in the most
business like and public manner There
chants, and brokers, and contractors-there is
regular tariff of insurance rates-and there are the
mot complete facilities for transporting across the
frontier in perfect defiance of the Spanish custom
house all Of packages, whether great small.
light heavy. Precisely the same arrangements
prevail on the frontier and small part OF the
trade between Barcelona and the Gulf of Genoa
consists in the contraband introduction into Spain
of English manufactured goods that were originally
shipped TO Italy. There Ia every reason TO believe
that the annual value of the contraband commodi-
ties introduced into Spain through these various
Il. l.. a.