Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-10
COMMUNICATIONS.

Are distractions to Trade Beneficial!
To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
1t should be unnecessary to ask question
which seems SO absurd. But when it is re-
membered that many nations have really and
soberly raised distractions to trade with q
view to their own benefit, it may be seen
that, however absurd the question appears,
it is not an unnecessary or useless one to ask.
We will not stop to discuss the desirability of
removing physical distractions to trade,
which nowadays nearly all men seek to over
come, but will confine our attention to the
distractions which may be raised or removed
by our present methods of legislation. Let
us glance for few moments at some of the
distractions formerly placed in the way of
trade by legislation.
NJ. Blanqui says, in his History of Politi-
cal Economy in Europe" that most of our
present commercial prejudices have no other
origin. than the exclusive and intolerant legis-
lation of the thirteenth century" About
that time ordinances that merchandise of diff
ferent kinds should neither be exported nor
imported seem to have been quite frequsnt.
In France there were ordinances which for
babe the exporting of grain, of silver and of
gold A celebrated ordinance of Philippe ".
forbade the selling of many kinds of grain
above certain prescribed prices. This ordi-
nance was followed by famine and barren
markets The ''infraction of the eternal laws
of trade was not long in aggravating the evil
which it aimed to prevent" The ordinance
was soon revoked, and it was ordered that
whoever in our kingdom has any of the
above mentioned grain, may sell it in market
at such price as he can get for it" As 81.
Blanqui says, 'fhe ordinances of Philippe
Ie Bel are very instructive, because
they form, as it were, little economic drama
la1xs de
precisely according to the rules of science;
that is to say, to the advantage of freedom.
About the same time We have good in
stance of the effects of the opposite policy,
that of greater freedom of exchange, in the
prosperity of the Hanse towns. 1.-THE most
perfect freedom reigned among these cities
in transactions which to day are fettered by
the exigencies of public policy, custom duties
and all the delays caused by mistaken yea
for the interests of the public treasury" The
prosperity of Florence in the fourteenth CEN
fury seems to have been largely due to the
absolute freedom of traden which she en-
ioyed The prosperity of Venice seems also
to have been largely due to the same cause.
M. Blanqui says, I'VE could wish 20 other
| argument in favor of free trade than the
| prodigious development of Venetian indus
| tries during the long reign of that freedom.
| In 1000 the city of Lyons petitioned for the
establishment of free trade, saying that
''the merchandise which came from the
! Levant to Marseilles and thence to Lyons,
has already left the old way and sought other
routes" So true is it that, do what we may
commerce will go in the direction of least re
sistsnce and most profit.
| In trying to settle questions of politica
economy, can there be any wiser course thar
| to consult the experience of the past Many
a nation has tried successfully high tariffs
and free trade. italian republics did SO long
before our day. What does their experience
teach One thing, at least, that excessive
| taxes have never increased the revenues of a
| State, because they cause loss on the whole
| of what is gained on the parts"
| 1t may possibly be thought by some tina
| the question which we have asked, at the
head of this paper, is not only absurd bu
without practical bearing upon the daily
| affairs of life. But we are fully persuaded
that Mr. John Bright was entirely right wher
he said that the true interests of the indi
vidual evil be found to be advanced bs
| those measures which conduce to the pros
perity of the whole" and that there is n,
bad law wehch can be passed by government
whose infuer ce is not felt in the smRlles
cottage in the most remote parts of gu
country" L.
! March s, 1882.