New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-13
GENUINE FREE TRADE.

Inc OOVtIDmtLl vi Louts NdpOItOH uns Just
made further step in the direction Of increased
protection to anufactures, by abolishing the du-
ties on dye.stufs, marble, bambOos reeds, odor-
ferrous woods, and various other raw materials
required for manufacturing purposes, when i'm
ported in French vessels aud greatly reducing
them on such as may be imported in foreign ones.
This is a step in the right direction, and properly
follows the one made not long since in reducing
the duties oD foreign wool.
1t has cen the policy of both England and
France, while labOring to prevent the estsb-
lishment of manufactures in Germany, Russia,
Turkey Spain, Portugal, and throughout this
continent, to impose heavy taxes on all
the raw materials sent by those countries,
even when the came destined to be
returned in manufactured form to the
country whence they had come. Thus German
wool. when imported into England, was subject
ed to duty Of II cents per pound on its passage
through the EDgli,h mills where it was converted
into cloth for Germany. Thirty years since Ger
many supped the people of Epgland with nearly
thirty millions of pounds, receiving cloth in ex-
change and paying more than three millions OF
dollars for the privilege of so doing. The French
Government did the same, and has continued so
to do until now. The system is now changed,
and England gladly receives German wool free
of duty, while France is looking everywhere to
see how she may increase her supplies, now that
German wool has in great degree ceased to
come to her market; and the csu.e of all these
changes is that, under Efficient protection, Germany
has made at home a market for more than she pro-
duces aud has become dangerous competitor Nth
both France and England for tie sale Of cloth in
foreign markets. Protection has thus given to
the wool grower Of Germany choice of markets
in which to sell his raw material and buy his
cloth, and bias exempted him from all taxation
on bis way to market.
So was it with cotton. While exertiug every
effort to prevent the establishment of the manu-
facture in this country and to destroy that of
India, and th1s to compel all the cotton pro.
ducers of the world to make their exchanges
through England, that country imposed a tax
upon all the cotton that was imported, aud thus
obliged the planters everywhere to contr oute to
the support of its government. Our tariff Of
ls2S compelled change in part, and the German
Zollrerein compelled another but it was not IN Ill
our tariff Of 1872 had been nearly three years in
operation and had demonstrated our power to
make q market at home 10 an almost unlimited
extent, that the British Government found itself
forced TO proclaim freedom Of trade in raw cotton.
The protection of Germany and of this country
has led TO freedom of trade for the planter, who
wastbereby enabled to put into his own pocket all
that before had gone into the British treasury.
continuance Of the protection that he enjoyed
under that Black Wing Tariff" would have
before this time enabled him to put into his
pockets fire times as maA that he now pays for
the maintenance of British ships, British seamen,
British merchants, British warehousemen, rail-
road men and manufacturers, for he would before
this time have been exporting cotton yarn
and coarse cotton goods to all the world, while
the mills of the North would be furnishing finer
products tbatwould be making market for more
cotton than is now consumed in the whole Union.
France low admits beet-rcot nearly free, and
the farmers ofother countries may there exchange
beet root for sugar, with little charge for the
maintenance of the French Government. Nothing
has tended more to produce this change than the
protection we have afforded even under the tariff
of'46, to the production Of sugar. Without that
protection the sugar culture Of this country could