The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-11-17
Free Trade.

TIE following shows some Of the views of
EasllsA wOrkinxmcn In regard 10 Free
Trade
We lvsru from the lrcsssas,sor. that well
attended mceting. convened ~ The Trades
os Grcs, Britain Defense Association "a
AoSiy which. Il Was stated. WAS iuaugursted
ey Tie masters aud i0arneymca lsthrenders
Il London. al a meeting In Nay lsst,-NSs
rcccntly held al the Saorcditch Town Hall.
Ito take into consideration the present crit.
teal state of the eo0ntry, the depression OF
trade, and the gcncrsl want ot emaloymene
consequent On the importation u crclgn
nssrpfsetnrVa s,,cas, ana 10 petition Fariia-
ueut for commission of inquiry IS to the
werkiuS of our commercial policy" The
following resolution was moved BY Mr. =
Bartlett: I" Thai the principle o. froe trade
should be based uron an equality OF inter
rational exchanges but, other nations not
having adopted the principle. u has become
hilarious - knciand, aud Is the cause ot TIE
present aerreSSloo Of trade, the want Of eua-
plOymcnt, and the Increase Of pauperisu.
his meeting thcreforVs consider Il their
ietv to the Government 20 institute an Inn
mediate INQUIRY into the working 90 our
commercial poliey. with the view Of aseef-
tanning hoW tSrthtS aareciprocatcd troe trade
e,aatri0utcs towards producing this dcprcs-
Siou want OF employment, and pauporisul,
sud to what extent Il may DC limited, 80 as
10 praSuce an ctfcctuAl rcmety." The mover
SAID the suejeet OF the meeting was not 10
protest against free trade, pr ~. but against
tie manner in which the policy iuaugurated
ey the Manchester school Of economists had
aaeeicd the manufacturing aud Industrial in
terests II the country. Tue free Trade policy
cs EuSiaud was not reeiprocated BY other
countries. and ne m0rc striking proof et this
could Se found than the fact that, according
to the Board Of Trade rcturnS. the imports Of
this COUNTRY exceeded the exports in value BY
esT. .0oO oo0 Mr.. Cobdeu aud his co-laoorers
Promised the worStugmen increased wages
ard 4 reduction Ia the cost Of provisions, but
What Was the result Industry after Industry
Was being suniailated. and emigration was
tie ouiy panSces suggested. There was
crcyilus error az the bottom Of this stale of
things. aud he hoped the working classes
would unite a. one mAu in the request to the
Gave-umeut 20 inquire how far our so-calied
free-tratc pniiey had produced the present
dccreSSioE in trade, and the consequent paa-
perism and want Of employment Mr.. sang
S,eT. IN sseoodiug the resolution, asserted
that We lost immensely hy the French treaty,
which he said WAS Of = pr0tectiOnist chaFac-
ter. ard ignored the free trade principle as
far IS England Was concerned. and IL IL was
not put au end 10 would cause the ruin Of
I English commerce aud industry. English
exports Were heavily taxed by every nation,
aud IL was time that something should be
Z done to insure fair play. else foreign manu-
I fzcturer> would inundaie our market, and the
representatives Of our manufacturers would
/ become ths hewers Of wood and drawers Of
waters ot Europe. Mr.. Brooks, in an anima-
I ted speech. attributed the Increase Of pauper-
[ ism aud its accompanied ills 20 our CONNER
cal poliey. aud denounced the notion that
nothing bat emigration could improve the
condition Of the working population. The
resolution Was unanimously adopted. and
I petition 10 Parliament. embOdying the views
/ Of the speakers having been adopted, the
/ proceedings terminated