, 1877-02-24
FRANCE.

PATTts MARTIAL RELATIONS.
PARls, Feb. G;.-Thc Figaro names distln-
Eulshed pr!ma donna whom It charges with Ilav-
ing elopcd from st. Petersburg With The tenor
Nico]ini It states further that the Marquis Of
Caux followed them, urld that judicial proceed
ings for separation hnvc been commenced.
REVISION o. THE rnKScl! TARIFF.
PAnls &C. iFi1sc 4.@F1as'cs s' ss JUL Sccn revising
her general talin-a duty she con6dcd to the
supcfior Council Of Arts and Manufacturing and
to the Superior Council Of Commerce, These
not, properly speaking, work OF revision; It Is
tiacd to them. n. do Mcanx, the late Minister
Of Commerce aud Agriculture, III vtcw Of tho
tho Chambers Of Commerce OH Their pref
crcnecs for ad volorc,n Or speeli!c .lu-
ties, The great majority Of thc Cham
specific dulles, and The t|in!ster Of Commerce,
concurrtng In TINT ye~', tntrustcd to two Special
Commissions tho care Of drawing up specific du-
tes wcrescr thsy asa n9a sxls LUZ Gaansra
tutIoU, teenMat scrunIioMs producers were tho
victims OF their lcss serupu'ous cutnpetltors;
for It Ind become too cotl.llos, 10 make double
necount,-tte first destined for thu Custom.
the second addressed 70 tho buyer, and
declaring the real value. Tho customs.
It is known, hav: two means Of assitFlng tho
sincerity OF declaration. Tbs drat consists in
IN e7rtritse eoHtradstoire, tue second III detc.
ton Ut tho merchandise on tho payment of 10
per cent nbovo thu declared value II Is easily
seen that M unscruptous cxportcr can, with.
out any dnnger diminish ~ ~ or u per ceut
tho declared value, for thu detention would be-
eomc dangerous to the customs II It ha,l only
such n narrow marxin. sun, Z dinlinution Of
Is per cent deprtvca the Treasury Of ~ per
cont OF import duty, mud reduces to ~ per cent
Instead Of 10 per cent the import duly for the
greater part Of existing nj yalure1l duties.
mention this TO slow that the honest pro-
duccrs and the French Government ha4 like
I'D yalorctn duty. but to this there IL annexed
au absolute condition. 1t Is that the substllu-
t!on Of specific duties fur I'd saioEem duties
,s et, s sa n ssss'os ssssnT + S tGsn1 %eaa @
h manner that this substitution docs not consti-
tuto In any dcEren Al aGgrayat!on Of exist
ing duties, aul slall not lnercasc this pru-
to many Of the gEcat manufacturers. Here
th.s nou.ent aof'iciousiy." Thcs tfansforma:
tlou Of The taIits such as It has been elaborated
subm!tsgl to the deliberations Of tho Cabinet,
hns not been. and could not be, officially COM
munteatcA 70 the contracting Powers. hut
"otIl.lously ;, ttls work y perfectly well known,
ernn,c.lts, md notably tue three most isterc4.-
Cd toyerunlcnt.--Eng1anI, Switzerland, md
Belgtuni-sublntttc1 SOME observations to the
French tioscrnsnant. Tho last haa replied that
indeed, been communicated u)rtal1y to thcsu and
that tho conventional tarf WIS not In question;
thst in consequence, 1t r1ull nut rccelyc tllelr
n Tug nsstt9'a sf tn t general
lux to tho declarations ol u. do Alcaux hl.naclf,
the general tariff WIS afterwards to heEyo tho
basis of tic negotiations wlliri, would be opcle1
tur tho TeytsInI Ut tho expiring treaties Of run.
that II rSIl11Il
It II they ualtei till It Ind been adopted by tlu
Cabinet md approved by thu Chambers. Suw
IT. sectas ccar thut on tho articles eac1'y Inter-
esttpx Hclgiun and Switzerland the specific
Lutlrs substituted for tue al valorcln did
not 1espond Il, the programme traced by u. Do
| Nfeaux, anu tEnt the calculations Ut substitu-
tion Which appiy = cGtton @ fabrics aro a9'nost
| natural ana logival iuct, Az t.e liking Of tho
| al yalosen duty rcsuEts only ttom this derlasa.
to,* 0t the producers, xllrl, DESTINATIONS epuld
not By taken as baas for the srasom above
| atAtel, the French producers Werv apulictl to
| lor their valuations Ut particular articles Tue
| average 0f thesc valuations has been t2kcn "a
duties. Nov tho French makers, aftheF from
g.xl faith, On nccount of tht Interests OF the
revenue being II stake, or from it, balnx
question of eo,npstltton. must naturally have
possesses On reaching ths consumer, and the
result Is that the Two Commissions wloptea
sptclac yaIuc alkss.ust which toseign tauyeEu.
Iuents hars Lost no time in protesting. tbs
matter, however. Is still far frDM hetng settled,
for ut present 1t Il sncrc'y scleu,s uot otcIAl-
ly under discussion.
|. /. alii1nieA to-day from ths best source.-
tic lews conlug that the French cabinet, strurk
y tAe ble.tion4 'ottlciot,sly" preferred axaiast
tho new specific tanacatio,l, aEe. disposed ~
adnpt the Idea VI q meeting Of N luteFuA Com
Missiou, toF tho purpose VI collecting and .lts.
| cusstug IL Views, before dedn!styely obsaiulux
the scheme Of tht two French Commissions. II
| ha4 always bctu an understood thing, lcs n,s
add, that the speridc duties already cxls.tns tn
lew spcclhc duties bcing fixed ouly for a.tirles
hitherto subject to I'd yalorca duties,
THE kEoh0ASixHN FRENCH AMY.
Lss4ipa Stanst.irJ, yax. n.
All Europe watches With interest, friendly OF