, 1897-03-24
WEDNESDAY,. MARCH "a. 1887.
DETRIMENTAL DUTY PROPOSED
IN ENGLAND.

IN E.Nbl,AND.
Right at the very moment when Brit
ish interests are being exercised against
the enactment OF an American law that
VIII protect American shipping by n
diferential duty. We find that the Bril-
ish imperial federation policy is being
strengthened by a precisely similar sug-
gestion, The enactment OF n differential
duty that will operate in favor Of colo
NAL products. 1t is the same old story
over ngain. What the Britisher wants
to do is all very right and proper. He
can bluff and %bulldoze, discriminate or
diferentiate all he has II mind TO: but
we poor Americans must not think OF
adopting similar tactics when they
would interfere with his profitable bust
ness.
On February 10 last. an address was
delivered before n specia, meeting of
memebers of the London Chamber of
Commerce by Mr.. Faithful Begg. an
Old member OF the chamber and an ex-
member Of parliament, who had Just
returned from a globe-trotting expedi-
ton. Mr.. Faithful Begg's text was.
British Imperial neutrality-suspicious.
OF n Foreign Tour" He touched upon
the almost universal colonial opinion
now existing ut the untipodes that Eng
land should establish a preferential
trade" OF course giving her preference
as n buyer to colonial products, and
equally, Of course, discriminating
against those OF other European coun-
tries and against those of the United
States. In order to accomplish this OBJ
ject, Mr.. Faithful Begg has found il
necessary to modify his views in regard
to free trade, as follows:
Coming to the question of the food
supply, We were today in 4 dangerous
position. The Golden club view that the
nation was the best-fed nation in the
world, although the country produced
the smallest amount of food-stuff, was
true; but that was u weakness. We
we're being accustomed to his continu-
Gus supply OF cheap food, and becom-
ing oblivious to the sources from which
it came and the danger which lay in the
path Of this country in the interruption
Of these sources. He did not wish to
argue the question as u question of free
trade versus protection, but he wanted
to remind them Of that which was fire.
quently forgotten in connection with
these discussions, and that was thai
Cobden's proposition was a double
headed proposition. 1t was double
headed in this sense, that he believed
other countries would follow the lead
OF this country, and he anticipated, as
the result of the adoption OF his prin-
ciples. an era of universal peace. We
were no nearer an err Of universal peace,
but were further away from it than we
were in the times of Golden, and it is
from that standpoint that this great
question must properly be considered.
He had always been, and was still, n firm
believer in the principles of free trade,
if they could be safely applied"
Mr.. Faithful Begg finds that his
natural born British desire for British
prosperity prevents his being a faithful
beggar in the free trade ranks of the
Golden club. Should the trouble with
Greece result in a general European war,
the British people would at once bitter
ly regret their dependence upon other
parts of the world for their food sup
plies. The immediate advance in the
price Of bread would bring home to them
in all it's hideousness, the folly OF free
trade, and not even a "differential duty
in favor Of colonial products" would
help them. :.
Mr.. Faithful Begg is now only "a
firm believer in the principles Of free
trade"-if they can be safely applied.
There are hundreds more in England
who are Of the same belief. The policy
Of free trade is now very generally TAX
en- throughout England with an "if."
Even the continuous supply OF cheap
food" has not obliterated all common
sense from u British friends, and the
more they travel-as Mr.. Faithful
Begg has-and the less insular they be-
come, the more they will take their free
trade medicine with an "if."-Econo-
mist.