New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-15

these latter, eighty eight establishments nave
| been closedp He cOnfesses that the Cotton
trade is languishng'-but he accounts for IL
by over production, which, however, ne con-
fesses within his confession to have been stlmu-
lated by the Treaty. The trade III iron
manufactured from charcoal is suffering ac-
kpowledges Simon-but he lays the fault on
Bessemer and his COMPOUNDED steel. 1.-THE DIS
"tress in the silk trade" he is sorry for; but
IL ia not due at all to British Free Trade. Inc
plaguey silk-worms must needs go and get
sick. "Wool has suffered also, but only IN the
" finer sorts, by the impOrtations from Aus
"tralia and La Pla ta." And so on through the
dreary rgmaroe of confession ana avoidanco
with which the purposed sale of France to the
nation of shOpkeepers is justliied
On the contrary, the debate against the BRIT
;sb Treaty and in behalf Of the suffering In
dustrv of the French establishes these truths:
I. Under any circumstances the superiority
of tbe English in coal enables them to manu-
facture from 20 to 30 per cent. cheaper than
the French can.
Q. To this tremendous advantage the Treaty
adds the virtual gift of the markets of France
to the English-inasmuch as the duties imposed
on English goods by the Treaty amount IN
reality to no more than from to and $40
per cent.
3. The Treaty has been Of no advantage
whatever to the silk trade OF France.
a. It menaces the Cotton manufacture OF
France with utter ruin. Out of 1913 spinning
factories in ROuen, 81 have been closed. or
her 20 weaving mills, 10 have been abandoned.
OF her II shops for building cotton machinery,
l3 are empty and idle. Lille has 1,2OO'oOo
spndles. Of these, 10000 ale idle. AT Rou-
baix, 100000 spindles out of 100000 are IDLE.
This is a picture of the present of the cotton
spinning business of all France
8. The British Treaty is surely crushing out
the Linen manufacture-on quarter OF the
firms engaged in that Industry having already
been ruined.
G. The Wooden manufacture is in critical
condition. and must go down unless guarded
from the flood of cheap sh0ddy from York
shire.
2 The Treaty is transferring the commerce
of France to Great Britain. Ship-building In
the French harbors has ceased. Only fishing
smacks are now being built in Dunkirk, Bor-
deaux, and Hayre.
g The Agriculture of all France has suffered.
In many localities, the value, of the land has
diminished from II to 80 per cent.-the farmers,
far from being able to make improvements can
scarcely pay their rents-and capital is avoiding
the cultivation of the soil and seeking other
investments.
Q. The Treaty is killing the production of
Iron in France, and making the Empire de-
pendent for this article of prime necessity on
England and Sweden.
10 On a comparison of the last nine years of
Protection with the first nine years of the
Treaty's free trade, the export trade of France
has fallen off from lis to g.
If. The Empire is threatened with the ex-
tinction of its famous breeds of fine-wOO sheep.
The Treaty has diminished their number from
10000 to 10000 The importation of wool has
arisen to $50 million pounds, against 70 million
pounds sheared at home.
u. The Treaty has inundated France with
cheap, machinery made products; has turned
aside the mechanics of France from their
career of perfection in work; has lowered the
standard of production over the Empire; and
has plunged the French into a ruinous cOmpe-
tition for cheapness to the sacrifice of quality.
The appointed career of France was perfection.
The mission of England is cheapness. The
Labor OF the world in dragging down the
French to a miserable struggle to produce rails
and bars of iron as rotten the English calicoes
as flimsy and rs homely rs theirs, cloth as
largely made of shoddy, and linen as extern
siyey filed with starch. OF the widespread
paralysis Of Labor which it has caused, and
will yet in greater degree cause-of the pow
erty, distress, savagery, and crime, with which
it will afiiict France-history will tell if this
Treaty of Commerce is not permitted to ex-
pire If its renewal shall be forced on the
people of France, prayers will ascend from
millions of suffering hearts there for the speedy
coming of the day of punishment of British
sefshness predicted by Theirs, who said in the
Assembly, THAT little island embraces the
"whoe world. Yes, but in doing so it makes
"itself vulnerable everywhere. France has her
Consumers at home. Her market does not de-
"pend on the peace of Europe England, on the
contrary has an artificial existence. and the
"day may arrive rhen she wiH find no pur-
" chdSers for her productions, wh'ch efceed ten
~ o A.