Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-10-05

That is already proposed 10 DE raised by direct
taxes.
But am depressing from the train of nv
argument. ! was enumerating the circum-
stances in the conditions IF Great Britain
which gave her great advantages in the
! contest for the trade of the world in which
she is embarked, and in which she invites all
nations to contend with her upon principles
of free trade, and the causes of her
unparalleled SUCCESS in manufacturing in
dustrv. ] alluded to the abundance of
British capital as one great element of her
success: hut did not notice one advantage
derived from that source, and that is. that II
enables the more wealthy class of MANN
| factrrers occasionally TO submit to great
sacrifices in the sale Of their manufactures. as
| it is known they often do, TO strangle rival
interests sprnging mp in other countries.-
That combinations for this purpose are often
entered into by British manufacturers /
presume viii not 30 disputed.
Nor have 7 treated rs fully as shnnld do
nf the truly wonderful progress which has
been made in Great Britain in substituting
mechanical for human power. An able and
approved economist Of the frap-trade school
computes that Iy this substitution an
| available force. ouual 10 the combined
energies Of six hundred millions or two
thirds the rop"lation of the globe. have been
crowded into n country not cxcncding in ey-
tent some Of the separate States Of this Union
and the entire population of which does not
exceed thirty million. What prcportion Of
| this vast power or force is employed in the
various branches of industry connected
directly or indirectly with manufactures
have no means Of estimating but it must he
! very large. All agree that what we call
| manufactures would he more properly
described as the product ofmachinery than OF
| the handS-the bone and sinew of man. The
mechanics, properly so called. make the
| machines. and the machines convert the raw
| material into artificial forms and textures
| II has been estimated that the wholesnumber
| of machines and operators. men, women, and
children, employed in the production of
! British manufactures does not exceed one
million and half though many millions
more are dependent upon them for their
support.
1t is upon this vast accumulation of me-
| chanichal forces. it is up0n this general SUI
periOritv over other nations in the mechanic
arts that the free-trade advocates base their
belief that Great Britain will enjoy virtual
| monopoly in supplying the world with GER
tain descriptions Of manufactured articles
1t is upon these broad and truly wonderful
charlottesville creations of British invan-
ton. skill. and energy. aided by wise policy
on the part of the GOvernmCnt-that those
advocates predict still greater triumphs of
| British art. claiming that British cotton and
linen goods British iron and hardware will
become a kind of current money throughout
the globe = that British commerce will he so
extended that Britain will become the factor
! for the world-'-its vast capital rendering il
an industrial agency for diffusing and ppualiZ-
ing the collected affiuence of mankind -
| These are the calculatiOns-the dreams per
| hapS-of enthusiasts; but when we reflect up-
on the past success Of that great people in all
that constitutes the glory Of nations we
| should not b. surprised at any future triumph
they NAV achieve. How proudly erect she
now stands amid difficulties that might well
appaI the most powerful nation Not alto
gether free from apprehension of the hostile
designs of the first military Power of the
world vet with cool determination subduing
India. with its one hundred and fifty million
inhabitants. to more perfect obedience to
her rule: and mt the same time debating to
the Sovereign Of three hundred million sub
iacts on the eastern verge of Asia the terms
upon which he may he permi ted to occupy
his throne in security; and what is scarcely
less admirable in her bearing at such a time.
her apparent Indifference. whether or not she
gives offence to this cOuntrv-nO dcspicahle
| antagonist. if she had no other. But what is
most wonderful. not to say mysterious, in the
cool and mistaken attitude assumed nv Great
Britain at this time. is the enormous financial
burdens under which she still moves onward
| in her cOursP-the immense amOut of taxes
levied upon the industry and resources of her
| people for the support of her vast public es-
Establishments. and to pay the interest unon her
public debt of $500 100000. equivalent to
! $4,000 600. 600. | see by the returns made to
Parliament that the nett revenue collected
and paid into the eXchcquer in 1857 was e72
2lS.9SS, equivalent to $500, 900 0OO Though
there is something truly wonderful in all this
yet there is no mystery in it. The port and
majesty with which Great Britain moves
among the nations are justified by her mex
haustihle natural sources of whealth which
she early discovered, aud had the wisdom to
cherish and develop. II it were fit aud lust
! that any one country should make all other.
! tributary To il, the small group of British
isles the seat OF British power with their
comparative diminutivc population, by raising
themselves to their present pre-cmnence.
have won the right to make the world tribu-
tarv to them; and now. having attained the
full measure of the benefits which protec-
tive policy could hcstow. well may that great
people challenge an exchange of their pro-
ducts for the commodities of other nations on
free-tradc principles. II remains to be seen
whether the challenge will he accepted This
country already takes from Great Britain
within "A fraction of 500 900 600 worth OF
her manufactures in exchange Tor her raw
produce. that being One-ffth Of the whole
amount Of British exports to all the world
and one-third of her entire exports. exclusive
of the amount exported to her own possession
and dependencies. But what is more remark,
able still in the policy of this country is
that far the largest portion of all the products
of British industry brought TO this country
could. in a comparatively short time, be sup.
piled 10y native industry and resources.
Mr. President a desire to close my remarks
Undue : me to pass over many points / should
like to hotice; but there are a few, out of
which so much capital has been made in tbi.
country ly the champions of tree trade. thai
am not willing to slur by silence They ex
patiate largely upon the success of free-tradt
principles in England. and 10y this means they
have succeeded in imposing on the credulity
of large numbers of the people of this coun
try After all what does the free trade o.
England amount to? She still imposes duties
on her imports to the extent of f20. Q0O, 00C
on an average. Last year they Amounted tc
e22 ,000, 900 {; and how much of the Gl7 O0O
600 raised by excise duties is imposed upon
the same commodities before they are con.
sImcd cannot state. What do Won think
sir, of the iree-trade principles, or ratherprac.
tice of England when she imposes duty Of
sevcnty-two cents upon every pound of to-
bacco imported into the kingdom, and five
per cent upon the value in addition? What
do you think Of an annual revenue of from
SIX 10 seven lhllllon pounds, equivalent IT,
thirty or thirty-tive million dollars, derived
from tobacco alone. the largest portion oil
which is exported from the United States
How does this consist with the idea of free
trade? That. however, j. the character Of the
free trad of EIglandl But even here We
may learn something from the wisdom OF
English statesmen. Why do they impose
such large duties on this articlc Because
tobacco is an article which enters into what
is called unproductive consumption. Though
il has become an article necessary to the com
fort of the toiling million. yet il is taxed tc
the maximum thtt II Will bear because IL per
Ii Ill. L.lL-.. n h