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Leader (1850-1860), 18th September 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 976, Untitled Article

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    • V .. ,?* V /ir ? I 3xl^rrillinl? MtU UbflfltlttttnilL
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      Untitled Article

      Cochin ia the Madras Presidency , to the great benedt of AtNowshera , in the Daman division of the Punjab , on the right bank of the Indus , about fifty-eight miles IT . W . of Mpoltan , a new station has been built . It is unfortunately built in a hollow , and dust-storms are very frequent ,, so that during the hot months N-owshera is as hot and uncomfortable as any station in the plains of Bengal . The barracks are pucka built , and there are many good bungalows in the ¦ station , particularly those on tne bank of the Abool river .

      At Nynee Tal the temporary barracks for English troops are enlarged , and it is expected a considerable force will be placed there . At the last advices there were one hundred and ten convalescents among the invalids . Of these sixty had come up as bad cases , but the number of bad cases had been reduced by the beneficial effects of the climate to twenty-four . At Mnssoorie , in the beginning of August , the rain was setting in very heavily . . ^ .. The Jumna canals are the only works of irrigation in the North-West Provinces which have suffered any large falling off in revenue during the troubles , and none of the works have suffered .

      The bone and bone-dust trade in India has been very much neglected on account of the prejudices of caste , and thus much valuable manure remains unemployed in Indian agriculture , and a considerable article of export trade has been lost . Were the bones of Madras , Bomhay , or other presidencies employed , they would be very valuable for many articles of culture .. The prejudice about bones has been so strongly felt that a sugar factory in Madras was hampered in its operations because it worked at one time with : animal charcoal or burnt bones ,. and . all the workmen were afraid of losing caste . Thus what has been found , a most useful process in Europe was abolished .

      In Scinde some enterprising merchant has succeeded in creating a bone trade , and it is amusing to find not only that it is successful , but that a regular bone gathering mania has started into existence at Kurrachee . One shilling and sixpence per maund is the price paid for the bones by . the dealers in Kurrachee . So attractive has this proved . to the pious natives , that high-caste Mahommedans and Hindoos go out daily for miles into the country to collect the bones of dead horses , bullocks , camels , &c . This is a new resource given to India . It is well known how considerable is the trade in bones from the River Plate .

      At Kurrachee they have received the plan of a sheep farm , for supplying the shipping of the port with good meat , and . this-will be found very acceptable to the large body of mechanics taken out by the Oriental Inland Steam Navigation Company-. The undertaking was brought forward before , but fell down for want of support ; now the European community and the shipping in harbour have greatly increased . It is proposed likewise to supply salted provisions for shipping . FromOude we learn that the rebels are taking full

      advantage Of the large jungle forests and patches , of which Mr . L , E . Kees has given a rather Jong list . These jungles are kept up either as private hunting grounds , or as shelter for the predatory chiefs , for there is hardly one of them but has one fort or more ensconced in it . In fact , the jungles constitute one of the difficulties of the war in Oude . The mutineers from Bareilly took shelter in the Bhansi jungle . Ram Buksh in May ensconced himself at Dounda Keira , where General Hope Grant found him in a strong mud fort in the midst of jungle 681 .

      Another Bengali , named Baboo Rajendrochunder Chunder , has been received as an assistant surgeon in the Bengal service . Colonel Baird Smith is talked of as Master of the Mint at Calcutta ,

      Untitled Article

      FREE TRADE IN FRANCE . Our title expresses what ought to be , not what is or what we may reasonably hope will , in a short time , be . Though public writers in France preceded public writers in England in demonstrating the true principles of trade , in carrying them into effect France has remained very much behind England . We adopted her theories and reduced them to practice , while she forgot them in a wild chase after republicanism and military conquest . No person acquainted with the subject can doubt that Dupont de Nemours and Mercier de la RiviSre understood

      and explained before the time of Adam Smith , and better than Smith , the true principles of free trade . Nor can any student of political economy doubt that the greatest modern teacher of the science in France , M . Bastiat , preaches free trade in a much superior manner to Malthus , Ricardo , M'Culloch , or even Mr . J . S . Mill . But the mere teaching of the French authors , illustrating the inefficiency of writing to promote improvement , which glares on us in every walk of life , particularly m morality and religion , had little or no effect , and now has little or no effect , on the opinions of the people . These are in a great

      measure inherited and transmitted from generation to generation ; they are continually modified by facts * but are very little influeiicea by abstract theories ; What effect can a few soft speeches have over the stormy passions or the harsli nature of millions ? The French found the destruction of chateaux , the overthrow of an oppressive aristocracy , the improved division of the soi ] , and the glory of foreign spoliation , more attractive than the calm teaching of a few philosophers . Accordingly , the Economisles were entirely lost sight of by the French through the long period of the Revolution and the first Empire , and their voice in the midst

      of all the subsequent changes has been little noticed . Taught by these facts , we cannot reasonably hope that France will in a short time , even by the help , of our example , practically adopt the free trade which we have slowly and gradually , step by step , worked only partially out in half a century . Free trade is another name for allowing every individual to engage in any honest enterprise he likes , and in any manner he likes , uninterfered with , and those who expect that it should speedily become law in France must have formed a very inadequate conception of the people and Government of that

      country . The two theories of imperial centralisation and individual freedom are so opposed to each other in principle , that we cannot conceive them to coexist . The Government of France meddles with all things , from blacking shoes to marrying wives , or building bridges . No man can engage in any enterprise without its permission , no new trade can be started till the Prefect has been consulted , and the good opinion of the minister taken ; and it may be years before the project is sanctioned . For trade 'to be free and to prosper in France , the opinion of the people and the nature of the Government must be changed , which can only be done by time . We have no doubt that the thoughts and habits of the French will be

      changed , but they cannot be changed by any human power , nor is it possible that they should change suddenly in the wished-for direction . Amongst their many revolutions no on , e has ever been based on a regard to individual freedom . The Republic was merely a different organisation of force , and led to more new regulations and restrictions than the Monarchy j the first and the last revolutions alike strengthened the conviction that society could bo and must be coercively organised , and increased the number of persons who took part in the organisation . They gave full scope to the meddling spirit which multiplied regulations . The present tariff—the high duties on iron , coals , cotton , &o . &o .--is nothing exceptional ; it is only a part—but a part which peculiarly affects foreigners

      —of a system common t ^ tlio ^ la ^ KmarcnyTTijro' republic , tlie empire , the restored monarchy , and the late republic . However much it is opposed to facts and reason , such an old system cannot bo speedily abolished . The interests of tl » o vinegrowers may make thorn favourable to free trade , the interest of the consumers requires it j tho interest of the manufacturers themselves would bo promoted by it , as the interest of our agriculturists has been promoted by the abolition of the corn-laws ,

      exported , and can be procured by the French at the same cost as we procure them . There are parts of manufacturing France not more remote from the sources of supply than parts of manufacturing England or Ireland . The cotton of America , the silk of China , the wool of Australia , and the timber of the North of Europe are equally accessible to both nations . French artisans are naturally equal to our own ; they are renowned , in fact , for their ingenuity and their skill ; many of them come hither and find employment . Than the skilled artisans of Paris there are no cleverer workmen in the world . For them the Government does all that a Government can do except leave them at liberty . It provides them with models , schools , instruction , and

      mubut one and all these , people are favourable to regulations for trade . None of them can conceive the possibility of trade being carried on , any more than . agriculture , without the care of the State , and all will be opposed to the principles of free trade generally though asking freedom for themselves . ; We may help in a small degree to shame thein out of their foolishness by remarking that their apprehension of foreign competition is opposed to the vain confidence m themselves which is proper to them . Our machinery , our coals , our wool , are all at the service of France . They are freely

      seums . For the French to fear competition is to acknowledge inferiority utterly at variance with their lofty pretensions . They may be shamed out of their errors or convinced of thera p y facts , they will never be scolded into improvement . In treating this Subject the Daily Newsis , in our estimation , wiser than the Times . Our prosperity may enlighten them , and they may , from our example , become favourable to free trade ; but this carries with it a complete alteration in their habits of thought and the principles of their Government . To this French statesmen will be so much opposed , that till the nation generally be enlightened we shall not see free trade in France .

      We are sure it is for the interest both of the people and of the Emperor . It is necessary for their prosperity , and unless they be prosperous his throne and dynasty are not safe . At present arguments are not required to show that without trade , internal and external , one being only an extension or continuance of the other , rio nation can be prosperous . Trade , then , is a matter of necessity , and in France , where people are leaving the country for the towns , of urgent necessity . One man cannot do the business of another ^ each must do his own . Government cannot carry on trade . It must then

      leave this to individuals , and must , in the end , whatever presumptuous ignorance may fancy of regulations being superior to private interest , leave them to carry it on entirely by their own judgment and in their own manner . All that Government can really do in its favour is to remove the obstacles it lays in the path of trade ; and to force the Government of China to remove some of its obstacles the Emperor of the French has joined us in an expedition against that country . Much us his people may be against free trade with us and with one another , they as well as we are extremely desirous to force the Chinese into freer

      communication with Europe , The French , too , arc desirous to get more cotton , more silk , more wool , and to make and sell more textile fabrics . With other countries they contract treaties to promote trade . All the tendencies of thc ijovernment have latterly been in this direction , llw duties on iron , on coal , on cottons , have all been reduced , or . protective duties ^ b . sjtitutcd for total prohibitions , and furthor reductions in duties arc only postponed till 1861 . The iron-masters indeed point to the fact that iron from Scotland and Wales is sold at a lower price in Paris and Lyons , notwithstanding the duties , than iron from Franchc-Comte , and demand that tho duties should bo increased .

      But tho French arc groat consumers of iron ; they manufacture many , machines and many articles oi this motal , and havc on the whole , as strong »» interest in procuring iron cheap as ever ^ vc imcl m procuring cheap food . In fact , ono is as indispensable as the other ; and wo must suppose tho Ircncu ^ o ^ be » bereffc"of ^ commoiir"Senso . and ^ tli 04 ^\ Y . C ^; . 5 ^ L £ ! . . Iw- ^_ , sorvation to believe that they will for cvor maintain their present high protective duties on iron . ^ J now foreign market opened to thorn and to us . compels thorn to compote with us there on equw terms . In third markets they can havo no a « . / . fp "' and can only hope to oompoto successfully witli ouio * nations for their duo share of tho cjoncml tr « do 01 tho world by produoing every artiolo at the iowj » practicable cost . This i * only to bo acoomp l » 8 llcH

      Untitled Article

      Oudb Raii / way . —A general meeting was held on Thursday . The chairman , Sir W . Stephenson , said lie had little doubt the railway would be constructed for 6 Q 0 p / fl a , mile , and with tUe rolling stock completed for 80007 . a , mite . The original" intentionr wiis to have a line connecting Lucknow with Cawnporc . He need scarcely point out to them what the effect would have been if this line had been made two years ago . Negotiations had been going on with the Government till recently . They had not boon brought to a close , as Government wished that they should be delayed till the country was more tranquil , implying that the company might look with confidence to obtaining the guarantee . Another point which he referred to was the

      amalgamation with the Central Qude Company . An amalgamation had been entered into ; but he need not enter into the details now , inasmuch as another meeting would be called specially to consider them . He had to notice wftirn ? % f 6 tr'th ^ r ^ eT ^^ Christopher Rawson , the cause of which—the failure of the , house with which he was connected— -they greatly regretted , Tho financial position of tho company , he thought , wan satisfactory . Out of tho small amount of IX , 000 / . . which had bqen nfieed they had still more than 7000 & in hand , after paying for the survey and defray * ing tho expenses connected with obtaining tho net of parliament . Ho trusted that tho council would see tho pOltoy of this work being proceeded with at' tho earliest possible period . The report woo adopted .

      Untitled Article

      970 THE LE AI ) ER > [ No , M 3 , September l $ 9 1858 .

      V .. ,?* V /Ir ? I 3xl^Rrillinl? Mtu Ubflfltlttttnill

      3 f £ matitilt attit Cumtumml * ¦ ¦ ¦ " . ¦ ' ¦ ¦ . - —¦?—— .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 18, 1858, page 976, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2260/page/24/