The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-17

New FINANCIAL Policy OF SPAN-Itappears
by the mails by the Lebanon, that new finan-
cial policy is about to be proposed to the Cor
ties by the Ministry Of Spain. According to
the rumors that were current in Madrid,
this policy would be sort of revival of
the old plan of colonial protection abandoned
by England with regard to her colonies within
the past ten years. It would consist in the
admission of colonial produce-such as su-
gars-free of duty, or on payment Of very
small duty-into Spain; the deficit in the re-
venue to be made up by an increase of duties
on imports of breadstuffs into the colonies.
At present Spain draws most Of her sugars
from Cuba; they pay heavy duty, which it is
proposed to remove in order to give Cuba the
monopoly of the trade. On the other hand
the colonists are expected to remunerate the
home government by submitting to a further
increase in the duties levied at the colonial
ports on foreign breadstufis. Those duties
have hitherto been so high that the revenue
rom them is now, with the exception of the
export duty on segars and the hushmoney for
| the slave trade, the dearest and largest item
| in the income of the colonial treasury. When
| -four was Sc barrel here, it sold at the Ha-
| vana for 324.
| 1t is the business Of the creoles and not OF
he United States to satisfy themselves with
| regard to the necessity of measure which
will have the effect of raising the price of the
first necessary of life. If they are content to
pay dollar or two more for their -four, in
order that the people of Madrid may buy
cheap sugar we have no business to interfere.
If they are satisfied to tax themselves in order
to raise revenue to pay the twelve thousand
trained soldiers who are kept on the island for
the purpose of suppressing insurrection and
keeping out the flibusteros, again we say it is
their business not ours
We are interested in the proposed alteration
in the Cuban tariff only inasmuch as it ex-
cludes our produce from the island, and reveals
the tendency of Spanish feeling. The former
consideration is not very weighty. Cuba, I'M
der the present tariff cannot afford to take
half a million worth of our -four and wheat
in the course of year; it would matter very
little if so small trade were cut off altoge-
Their. But as an evidence of the lurking hos
tility toward this country which animates the
Spanish people, the fact is noteworthy. 1t
was understood when Mr.. Soule was recalled
and Mr.. Dodge sent to Spain, that the conces-
sion to Spanish pride and the substitution of a
lamb-like Christian for a Southern fre-eater
would bring the Spaniards to our arms, and
lead to period of halcyonlike harmony. 1t
was further asserted, when Mr.. Dodge rolled
himself in the dirt before Isabellas feet, that
the performance was polite one, as Spain
was about to establish q new tariff in Cuba
which would largely enure to our interest.
We now see the fulilment Of these prophecies
Spain is about to exclude our produce alto
gethcr from the island; and while Mr.. Dodge
is borrowing court speeches from the records
of the Eastern satrapies, the Spanish govern
ment is endeavoring and almost succeeding in
extorting from the Western Powers q full ter
rtorial guarantee against aggressions from
any side.