Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-07
.sHRITlsH GOLD.,,

Not long ago MT. David A. Wells of Con- necticut declared that not scintilla of evil dence could be adduced to prove that money had ever been sent from England to this country to influence political action on the tariff. The Philadelphia North American ventured to differ with Mr. Wells and re- ferred to statement in the London Times to the effect that money was subscribed dur ing the year 1844 to be used in circulating free trade documents in the United States. The Nation asked for the specific date of the statement, and subsequently referred to the subject. closing with B quotation from the Chicago Tribune which predicted that "the editor of the North American will go to the grave with that secret locked in his breast. ,"
 But it now appears that the editor of the North American has no disposition to go to the grave and leave his questioners in ignorance. He calls attention to the fact that in Niles Register, September 21, 1844, page 39, the eoi- tor, after quoting from the London Atlas of recent date long paragraph concerning the effect of the election of Mir. Clay as Presi- dent, adds ssBut 1t is not on mere essays and editorials that the interest of those for eigners are to be reposed in the case. We inserted short time since notice of large fund having been raised by subscription in England for the purpose of affecting their views on the suhject. The item was no doubt read with incredulity by others, as it was at first by ourselves, though we were satisfied of it's truth before we inserted it. A late number of the London Times has the following paraeraph-syith xefsrence to the matters A suhseEi gssf recently opened to raise funds to oirculaks fFee trade tractsin foreign countries hoAs four hundred and forty thousand pounds Wsgs subscribed. Some of these tracts ars to be printed in New York for circnlation in the United States ]" ..-@.ssasez-zzss
 The editor of the Register also gives an ao. count of meeting at Manchester, England, at which the announcement was made that e1OO, 900 had been raised in aid of the fund above alluded to. And at 8 political meeting held at Lowell, Mass., on the 21st of Septem- Der, 1s44, Mir. Duncan, 8 man from Louisi-
 ana, who had recently returned fromEurope,
 and who was present at the Manchester meet ing, told the audience ct Lowell what the facts were He said that he was in Ranches ter, England, about six weeks ago, and while there he attended a meeting of British mer- chants and manufacturers, called for the pur- pose of disseminating fres.trade principles | throughout the world ostenaiblE, but through out the United States in particular. A conn
 nittee reported to the meeting that they had | succeeded in raising one hundred thousand 1 pounds for this purpose. .sNow,' said Mir. Duncan, s'I heard and saw this, and it was stated in that meeting that 8 large portion of
 the publications should be sent to the United States. I have besides in my possession the evidence of it, an English newspaper, with | the facts stated as I have stated them. and 1 with the names of the contributors Mr.
 Duncan then took the paper from his pocket | and read the account of the meeting and
 the names of the subscribers to the free trade fund. Mr. Duncan's speech was re- ported in the Lowell Courier and extracts
 therefrom were pablished in Niles Register
 October 5, 1s44, page r. sss65 s3zsi sssy
 It is evident that the editor of the North American has got the editors of the Nation and the Chicago Tribune in 2 rather diaA- greeable corner. His answer to them is an interesting contribution to the history of the tariff controversy.