New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-06
THE CUSTOMS TARIFF OF BELGIUM.

Belgium has territory of 1880 square
miles, or less than one fifth the area of En-
gland and Wales, Its population in l649 was
4, ,357, 900, giving it 395 to the square mile
three times the density Of Massachusetts,. three
and half times that Of Rhode Island, and 20
per cent. dsnser than England and Wales.
The productive industry of country required
to support such population within such limits
is presumptively very great The statements Of
exports and imports, found in English and
American books, do not distinguish the native
products from the foreign that enter into Bel.
eian commerce. Antwerp, the principal sea-
port, serves largely as an entTepof for goods
entered for regxportation. No customs or duties
whatever are charged upon such goods. The
trade overland with France, Germany, Swift
zerland, and the Baltic, is very considerable,
but how much of 1t is exchange and how much
transit, we cannot easily determine. The eI-
ports to and imports from Great Britain, which
are only second in the scale of her foreign
commerce, do not relieve the difficulty, but they
show very clearly the high rank of the Belgian
native industry, and lead us to expect the pro-
tective care which the Government gives it In
it's tariff of customs. For instance, Belgium
exported to Great Britain, in 1857, raw fax
to the amount of one million and half dol
lars value; but she must have manufactured
her own linen, for she took from England that
year but sixty thousand dollars worth. There
is, therefore, no proof here that Belgium makes
bar Lshn ha apf IN nlo nd
81 800 600 worth Of raw wool, and received
$5O0,000 worth; but the exchange in wooden
yarn and wooden piece goods shows a balance
in favor Of Belgium of 100000. England,
therefore, is not the manufacturer Of wOolens
for Belgian consumption. In the same year,
Belgium exported 81, 100000 Of refined sugar,
and $1s5,OO0 of window glass to England, re.
ceiving none in return. The imports Of En-
glish iron, cutlery and hardware, amounted to
no more than 100000. The exchange Of
oils the exports to England were quite double
the imports. The mutual trade in cotton yarns
was equal, while of cotton piece goods Bel
GUM imported half q million, exporting none
to England in return. Of silk manufactures,
she took million and half from Great Brit
ain, and sent that amount in return.
From all this, it is obvious enough that Bel
GUM does not cOnfne herself to the cheap la.
Dor OF raw materials, nor give away the
higher-priced work to the foreigner. Where
the excess in the raw material trade occurs,
it is to be explained by her transit or indirect
trade. population Of only fifty to the square
mile would soon be impoverished, and one Of
1886 would starve, in the first year of produc.
ton confined to raw materials.
The schedules Of the Belgian tariff of Gus
toms-better than any statistics attainable, and
clearer than the most perfect account Of her
foreign trade, as given in the books--show the
policy, and indicate the state Of the industrial
arts of the country. .l-
The following selections from the official ia.
bles, with the rates of duty, as compared with
.le stolTil taIiG, WI sGord the data ior o.