, 1881-05-15

/ u
equivalent amount in specific duties. Lord
Granville replies that 1t will afford much sat.
isfaction to learn that Francs does not con-
template departure from the status
| quo. II. Chalfonlel Lacour's assur.
| ance, however, depends entirely on the
negotiation OF new treaty, which
IS doubtful Under the general tariff, not
modified by treaty, the status quo will GER
tainly not be maintained. the Liberal
Chiefs. conspicuously Mr.. Bright, have no
patience with the reta!iatory program. which,
they say, and with good reason. would be a
practical surrender to the Protectionists.
But this heroic attitude
DOES NOT COMMEND ITSELF TO THE ME-
| CHASlcS
| who IS out work, or whose employer, who
sees his annual output continually decreas-
ing; and you may rest assured that, il the
French Government persists in its present
designs there will be an outcry
for reprisals such as no Govern
ment can withstand and live It
Is notorious that the English silk
and sugar trades have been ruined by
France, and it is astonishing how we'll the
grievance of the country silk weaver and the
Clyde reiiner is understood by the working
| classes One-sided free trade seems to be
doomed. a standard argument at work
ingnen's clubs and Institutes is
| that England can no more contend
| against rivals who are excluding her goods
| than she could hope to thrash them by dis
| banding her army and navy.
An active agitation Oh this question may be
| looked for during the autumn. Matters will
! not be improved by
ANOTHER SHORT HARVEST
| of which there is now great probability.
| A long-continued drought, accompanied by
drying winds, has arrested the growth Of
| the crops. In many districts through which
1 have lately travelled the wheat is
blackened and cut down by night
frosts and want Of rain. It Is not
too late yet to save the cereal crops, Dat an-
| other fortnight ofdrouglt will be ruinons.
| Oats and barley are almost destroyed. Eng
| land has not had really good harvest sine
1874. Let us hope that this will be the last of
TIE SEVEN LEAN K1NE.
In 1875 the harvest was almost total fail
| ure. In 1876 and 1877 1t was what the Mark
Lane people call unsatisfactory" In 1875
it was fair. That of 1879 was the worst ever
known, and last years was far below the
| average
TIE GENERAL TRADE
OF tile country Is also more depressed than
usual at this season OF tile year. and, unless
there Is an extraordinary Improvement De-
lore Chrlstnaas-of whlch t'lefe IS no sign at
present-tlle popular demand 1or thorongh
REVISION OF the duties on Imports WILL oe-
come well-nigh Irresistible
THE PnEM1ER's DIFFICULTIES
increase daily. The TransvAal affair has ap-
parently sunk deeply into the minds of the
people, and the present attitude of the Beers
is regarded as extremely menaclng to British,
interests IN South Afr1ca- lne Bra0IanEn
business has also injured the Premier among
what may be called religious people. The
junior member for Northampton is not mere
ly an avowed unbelicvcr, but blatant ;lt!le-
ist and blaspheuler, and in his pcrlpatetlc
lectures he loses 10 opportunity Of jeering at
matters which the English people hold
i'll reverence. In the House, however, he
restrained his zeal, and made rather a good
impression. That he is a man Of consider
able ability and force Of character cannot be
questioned, and he has a certain degree of
popularity among the working classes. Brad-
laugh served rs a private in tile army for
some time, and since he attained fame, or