New-York tribune., 1884-02-20
Ellis Fl. ROBERTS At CORNELL.
THE SECOND OF Ills LECTURES on THE AMERICAN
REVENUE SYSTEM.

THE SECOND OF Ills LECTURES ON THE AHEhiOAN
REVENUE SYSTEM.
ITHACA, NY, Feb. 19.-Ellis II. Roberts de-
yered the second OF his lectures before Cornell Un'er
sity this evening on the American Revenue System
After reviewing the varions taxes levied by France Mr.
Roberts went on to say that among the many evils whch
Napoleon III brought upon France the partial over
throw of the protective policy He was overreached Dy
Coden Not little OF the popular repulson to the En-
miro came from this pocy President Theirs bravey re-
turned protective policy which is stu reVneu oy
the Republic and President Grevy within the past year
refused to renew the reciprocity treaty WIN "i0"'
Britain Ont of this policy France has surprised europe
bypaying $500 100000 OF Its dep1 anu Ie'i"cs " "N'
by 100000, 600 year.
The British system has for three centuries Deeh ueceu
TO building up commerce. For commerce adventures
were sent over every For commerce COLONIES
were panted. For the eighteenth century WIS
made century of warfare in the New World and for the
prze of India 1850 Parliament forbade the making
of iron in any His Naiesys colonies and ms was D
an expression OF strong purpose TO hold control Oh le
worlds Inanuiacture for the sake OF supremacy h com
merce The same policy was followed toward lreianu
with deadly effect At the close or the NaPo-
Ieoni wars the British came from customs ex
cse stamps land and assessed taxes on properly income
including pensions and salaries. lottery profits besides
heavy loans which had become regular dependence in
Rrtoin os well as in France and IN all Europe The GUS
toms were levied with immediate view to develop III
ternal ustres and enable them to compete with the
pToducts OF countries Cp TO 1872 IN considerable
part to 1852 the British policy was more rgidy protec
live than that of any other land The present BIlsA sys
tenn does not stand unassaulted. movement for fair
trade has secured foothold in Parliament and the FL
nancsl Reform Association" through elaborate pubca
ton insists upon direct taxation and the readjusment
OF the land tax.
span and the Netherlands add little to the theories Of
revenue except examples of bad administration
| ana evcessvo rates No recent manifestation
has been more suggestive than the movement
| in EolIand for the return 10 the protective
nolcy Wages there have been reduced to the minimum
and vet the Belcians compete successfully Wlth the
Dutch upon their own soil Gr0npns modern countries
we shall nd that example exists of failure TO secure
a considerable share oi revenue rom commerce, tne
tive ana in Europe Austria France northern tiermang'
RUSSIA italy SPAN and Switzerld are strongly ana IN
creasnEN a0. " ME Great bII'nIh La go
] trade policy at home, her colonies luASt ,ior
cnnect pTotecfye duties on food Even India, til 1882
nroterted Itself against British cottOns The commercial
Western nations alone the protective system has for sup
portels 34OOOOOO0 people, or eigheen tnes rs many.
vested interests and face the fullest discussions
are to found IN Germany since its untao1 III fLthce'
| which followed Western methods All or tncse changes
Of recent years have been in the same direction; toward
~PiSs''0- TRe credit of establishing the princi-
pies OF 1I0'eclonc ecu cI7sIt mn'n We beye seen to
belong TO much earlier period In the worlds history.
ther forces 30 that they might not become independent
st az nearly eighteen hundred years later England re-
Guired the American colonies 10 do AIisophnes play
df the Achanans proves that when Athens was greatest
sbe was master her markets AID the protector OF
her own industries At her beginning the struggle ne
| tween industry and commerce, between Athena ana
PoseiiOn began and resulted IN the defeat OF the sea
cod p preference OF the industrial arts TO commerce
| Auclstus Caesar restored the protective p0lCy
which had originally prevailed on Rome The wOrd-wlde
war, of the eighteenth century were for supremacy al
commerce The lesson is as eloquent as tne ages can
render it, that every government with Two exceptions III
recent days has relied il large part upon charges upon
commerce fO its revenue and with direct purpose "a
own 3boTers and to enlarge production upon
it, own soil Under certain restrictions this apDeal tC
authority mas Just weight considering the extent OF TIME
covered by ouT Investigations aud the array OF nations
Wl,scver strength can be derived from the approval o
mankind from general acceptance, Semper d6 0mntOu
WHINE belongs to revenue system which protects hon
| industry by levying impOsts upon commerce.