The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-26
THE POLITICAL STATE OF EUROPE.
Especial Correspondence Of the Union. ]
vIExNA. oct. l, ls5e.

ed here that the conferences of the Zoveren held in
Hanover would lead to better understanding be-
tween the Zoueriea and Austria are for the present
at an end /; the leading propositions made by Aus
tria to the Verein having all been declined by the
Verein, or coupled with conditions which it is not
in the power of Austria to grant at this moment
The two leading propositions OF Austria were the
abolition of the transit duties and reduction of the
duty wines Both have been declined, and it IL not
yet absolutely certain whether reduction in the
transit duties the river dues will be effected this
These dues however, very seriously interfere
not only with the domestic commerce of Germany,
but also with her foreign commerce, which 10 thus
indirectly taxed through the States of the Verein.
Thus cotton, which is duty free, is taxed in the i'm
terror by river and transit dues amounting in
instances to more than dollar per hundred weight.
In the same manner is tobacco additionally taxed in
the Interior and its passage from State TO the
other and into Austria and every article Of bulky
nature which proceeds from America or the colonies
To give but instance Austria, in addition TO its
importation of cotton by the way OF Trieste, re-
ceives, through Saxony, (by way of the Elbe some
10000 cwt. Of coffee, $4,000 cwt. OF sugar, l22-
900 cwt. of tobacco leaves 100000 cwt of cotton,
SO 900 cwt. OF cotton twist, and some 100000 cwt.
of coal The transit aud river dues these articles,
especially on the Elbo--called by the Meeklenburg
chamber of commerce the "Niobe of German riv-
ers amount to very considerable sums OF money,
and to that extent, impede trade by diminishing i'm
ports and manufactures. The value of these articles
may be estimated between S3500,000 and S4 00O,-
O00 and the United States furnish by far the great
est part of that sum. To such extent do these
river and transit dues interfere with commerce that
merchants and manufacturers have employed now
routes to avoid them and that bale OF twist is car
ried from Leer (between which place and Hull in
England there now exists regular steam commu-
ncation) to the Wppetal one Of the largest manufac-
turing localities Of Germany at little more than one
rix dollar cheaper by railroad than by steamboat on
tho Rhine by the way of Rotterdam and Dusseldorf to
the same locality. Austria yet receives in round num-
bers S 100000 worth ofcoton and cotton twist by the
way of Prussia, and til. lgh Switzerland by way
of Vorarlberg Switzerland, understanding her inter-
ests better than the States of the German Zoirerei,
and having less regard for mere fiscal revenue than
for the progress of industry and commerce, which
increase the "taxabity" Q know there is no such
word in Johnson but you will understand me) OF the
citizen or subject, has diminished her transit dues
to ccntmes (half cent per cwt, while France
and Holland have almost entirely abolished those
dues in their own enlightened selfinterest. What
these river and transit dues asks ministerial
Austrian pen Remnants of the good old times when
the German chivary descended from their mountain
Businesses to plupder the poor trader on the high
ways. They committed afterwards the robbery into
toll the piratica States of Algiers, Tunis and
Tripolis committed their depredations the high
seas into an annual tribute, which, however, had to
yield to the advancement of civilization and
merce. This is truly handsome coming from an
Austrian pen, and shows that the experience of past
years Is far very far, from having been lost her,
and that it is she who now advocates progress in
the German fatherand. Practically, it is mmaterial
who advocates progress SO it is actually made AS
long as the States constituting the German tariff
league, or Zoli-Uereia, have other object in view
than the raising of the largest revenue and the pro-
lection of the domestic manufacturer, it will neither
act cement of international interests, will il
act promoter of the national economy of the
| Germans.
| OF all the various species of taxation the river
dues are the most vexatious and detrimental to COM
merce. The navigation of the Danube is free SO is
| that OF the German river Weser but the Elbe is
taxed from its mouth to the head of navigation. Poor
Niobe Of rivers! Not only must you shed tears at
| Stadc, where no tears ought to be shed, but you
| must continue to weep till you get into Bohemia, the
| heart of the manufacturing districts of Austria! |!
Query: Is it not duty to help to dry up these
tears, when, by so doing, we can free our own COM
merce from onerous and irregular exactions? 1t is
now very evident that Prussia opposed the abolition
of the transit duties, apparently from fiscal
sons; while Austria, Saxony, and Hanover itself. adj
vocated it, As to the Ilanse Towns, there is no diff
Guilty in coming to an understanding with them.
Their inhabitants thorough merchants and navi-
gators, and they understand mere allusion to
mercial interests well elaborate article on
the subject They will always advocate the abolition
of the transit and river dues but Meckenburg and
Denmark seem to be pleased neither with the pros
pect of the abolition of the other Is it for
| that purpose that we have concluded commercial
treaty with the small State of Mecklenburg Have
we not literally and handsomely paid Denmark for
| the abolition or the Sound dues? w
Great States like the United States can always af-
ford to be generous to smaller States and as gen
era rule, ought to be So The United States are able
to pay for concessions made to them by smaller pow
ers, and ready to do SO; but the demand must be
made in respectful manner, and not insisted on
as a right without show of reason, beyond the
mere submission on the part of other States. The
United States cannot be governed by such precedents
without loss of selfrespect and cannot be true to
hor great mission by following such precedents.
The reasons which Austria has put forward, through
the press and by the memorials of her statesmen for
the abolition of river and transit dues are so striking
Ineligible to the humblcs capacity, that they
must sooner later prevail in the Zoll-verein. Till
they do prevail the tariff league between Austria
and the Veren is impossible and it is now generally
admitted that that impossibility will continue until
change of administration in Prussia. The cabinet
Of Vienna in the opposition to her propositions
on the part of Prussian statesmen political reasons
far beyond the interests of commerce and navi-
cation, and boldly asserts that this is not the way
that Germany be strengthened to resist the
possible aggression of western northeastern pow
or. On the other hand, there many things which
Austria take into consideration before she can ex
peca cordial support public opinion of Germany.
The Coaeodat has certainly done her good in the
mation Of the Protestants and she must regulate
the condition of her Protestant subjects in
satisfactory to her German Protestant neghbors to
regain the confidence lost in that respect. She must
further introduce greater accountability in her Off
GERS OF customs, and greater regularity and uni
formity in all their transactions Her finances, it is
we'll known, are in shattered condition, and she
must re-estabsh the credit of her National Bank by
every possible sacrifice compatible with her safety
She ought also if possible, diminish the crown mo-