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

in England. He made the bargain ten years
ago. He made it secretly and in the dark
| The price he paid was the industrial independ-
ence of France, and the supremacy OF the
French in the production of textile and metal
lie fabrics combining in the highest degree
taste in design and excellence OF materials and
workmanship
Michel Chevalier one of the negotiators OF
| the French treaty of commerce with Great
Britain, has placed on record his confession
that when the imperial government in 1896
presented its scheme to break down the pro-
tective Tariff founded by the really Great Ma
poleon, "the Corps Legislatif, generally so sub
"missive, gave violent reception to the DILL
"and the Government, in spite OF Its oycrwheim-
q" ing power was forced to yield and withdraw
" the measure" France was Protectionlst-
overwhelmingly so. To carry the measure
which he had bargained for, the Emperor availed
himself of a power given to the Government
by the Imperial Constitution to negotiate
treaties of commerce without the sanction OF
the legislative body. To do so, he knew was
a crime against the interests of France, ana a
violation of the public sentiment of the En-
pire. SO he took extraordinary precautions to
wrap his treason in secrecy. Two men, Glad
stone and Chevaler, framed the Treaty and
virtually settled its terms. When the fatal work
was done, but one Frenchman in all France
knew of it. He was the ncgOtiatOr. Chevallcr
communicated the Treaty to the Prime Minis
ter Rouher, and Rouher communicated 1t to
Louis Napoleon. The negotiations in Paris
were conducted without the knowledge of the FL
nance Minister or of the DirectOr-Gcneral OF the
Customs These both were PrOtectiOnlsts. with
such determined secrecy and craft was the bad
business managed that none of the clerks III
the Ministry of Commerce were employed IN 1t.
No bureaucratic aid no clerical help Whatever,
was used. Rouher's notes were copied by
Madame Rouher, and C0bden's by ChevaIier.
1t was not until the Treaty was complete in all
its details, and till the scheme was set, that
the Emperor revealed it to his Council of Min
listers This extraordinary secrecy and this
eowardly cunning furnish measure of the
strength and intelligence of the Protectionist
sentiment of France, which will be complete
when we consider that in December, 1859, Louis
Napoleon was the most despotc and power
ful sovereign in Europe; that his Ministers
were the unresisting creatures of his will;
and that the Corps Legisatf was filled with
his nominees. The absolute master of France
burst not approach his legislature with Free
Trade treaty with England, but was driven, by
the overwhelming sentiment of his people
against British Free Trade, to fasten that deadly
policy on his country by negotiation which
never had Witness, and which never saw the
light until it was accomplished. 1t is as true
now as it was true then, that France is q ma
ton of ProtectOnists.
The ten years term Of this commercial bond
age to England approaching its end, the In
dustry of France, partially represented in the
Corps Legisatif, pleads for emancipation from
the matricidal treaty. Jules Simon, advocate
for the Imperial desires and attorney for
British Free Trade bases his demand for the
renewal of the Treaty, first, on the new lie
that it has immensely increased the trade Of
France, and 10y consequence enriched the
French people; second, on the old lie that
revenue officers on frontiers make the frater-
nifty ofnatiOns impossible. Commercial liberty
"is an indispensable condition of peace crates
Simon. Deadiest of sophistries! Better for a
developed nation uninterrupted war, one hairs
breadth short of final conquest, absorption, or
extinction, than the crushing. debasing peace
of continuous Manchester Free Trade. The
latter makes POrtugals. The former can but
make Irelands. War may not kill the soul of
nation. The peace whose olive-branches are
imported through the ever-open doors OF q
Custom House destroys national life.
To the new liepleaded for the renewal of the
Treaty, Deputy Estancen replies with proofs
that the imports from England into France
have been conducted with the same perjured
ndervaluatiOns with which our revenue has
been systematically swindled and that the
Custom House accounts have been falsiiied so
as to show vast preponderance of exports
over imports thus TO enable the Government
to say, " You see, Messieurs, how prosperous
France is! Her expectations have been doubled
"by this Treaty-they have been tripled by
" it. OF what do you complain, Messieurs p
Deputy after Deputy proves this false figuring
in the Custom-llOuse returns, and rubs the
fraud into the Imperial Government. Over and
over, during the debate, is the claim that the
Treaty gave French Industry Protection of
from 80 TO 40 per cent shown to be wholly I'M
true--on the contrary, that it was lamentaby
true that it afforded Protection N only from
five per cent. to seven per cent. eight -tenths,
which practically is free trade. And the Gov
eminent itself, Through its apoiogists and advo-
Gates, snperabundanty confesses the mischief
the Treaty has wrought the people Of France.
Jules Simon, in debate acknowledges, 1t ia.
" however incOntestable that somo manufao-
tnrors are in a suffering state among them
the ship builders aud tho iron -founders- or