REVERSION TO PROTECTION DOCTRINES.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1237, 21 February 1878, Page 3

REVERSION TO PROTECTION DOCTRINES.

Another impediment to commerce and industry consists in tho tendency of several European States to revert to the obsolete doctrine of protection. The German Chancellor has lately favoured an increase of duties on competing foreign products, and tho Austrian manufacturers clamour for protection. Spain proposes by a forced construction of treaties to deprive England of the privileges of the most favored nation, and Switzerland attempts to exclude English commodities from the market. Any extension of the Russian dominions will increase area which is almost closed to foreign commerce ; and in some of the English Colonies Legislatures returned by working men are bent on the discouragement of trade with England. It is, perhaps, not surprising that, a few English manufacturers, under pressure at home and abroad, are beginning to waver in their adherence to sound economic principles. More than one eminent politician has, consequently, thought it necessary to expound in public the cardinal principles on which modern English legislation is based. Notwithstanding occasional defection from the true economic faith, there is no danger of recurrence to the theories of reciprocity which were current thirty or forty jears ago. The anomalies which are involved in commercial treaties arc more fully understood since it has appeared that they tend to countenance and confirm the prejudices of foreign countries. The expiring treaties wdll probably be renewed, if the other contracting parties abstain from requiring additional restrictions; but probably no English Minister will consent to an increase of foreign tariffs for purposes of protection, though he may not. be able to prevent perverse legislation by foreign States. AMERICAN FINANCE. The commercial prospects of America seem to be improving, and perhaps the balance of public opinion is in favour of maintaining the law which provides for the resumption of specie payments at the beginning of 1879; but the question is complicated by a movement for the admission of silver coin as a legal tender in the interest of the mine-owners of Nevada, and for the purpose of paying the National Debt in a depreciated currency. The House of Representatives, in which the Democrats have a majority, has voted for the repeal of the Resumption Act and for the remonetization of silver j but the Senate has not yet. given a decision, and the President has expressed the intention of interposing his veto on measures for postponing resumption or tampering, by the establishment of a double standard of value, with the national credit.

THE FISHERIES COMMISSION.

The Mixed Commission on the Fisheries, constituted under the Treaty of Washington, has lately published an award, by which compensation of a million sterling is given to Canada, which had claimed a much larger amount. The American Commissioner has, unfortunately, refused to concur in the award ; and it is found that, by a culpable oversight, the negotiations of the Treaty had not provided, as in the Alabama case, that, the decision of the majority should be binding. It is not yet known whether the American Government will raise a technical objection to the award.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

The German Emperor has conceded several points in connection with the arrangement of Ministerial responsibility which have been insisted upon by Prince Bismarck, and particularly that of placing the Prussian railways under the control of the Imperial authorities.

It is stated that the Russian Government has given orders to Herr Krupp to supply 1200 field guns. The Viceroy of India held a Chapter of the Order of the Bath on January Ist, at which Scindia was invested with the Grand Cross of the order.

M. Gambetta was lately at Rome, but the rumor that he was endeavoring to effect an understanding with the Italian Government for a common course of action in relation to the Eastern Question has been contradicted. Madrid will be very gay when the King of Spain is married. The fun will last five davs, during which time theatrical representations and bull-fights are to he provided for the people free. A banquet is to be given to a thousand of the poor at Madrid, and there are to be historical processions, the nobles of Spain being invited to take part in the cavalcades.

Spurgeon (who, by the way, has been sick) in a recent sermon deplored the prevailing infidelity of the age, remarking that clergymen were not afraid to profess principles which formerly only the most daring atheists had the temerity to avow.

Henry M. Stanley, the African explorer, arrived in Rome on Jan. 10th. The medal which had been decreed to him by the late King was privately presented. Dr. Newman has been elected an honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1820. A Versailles telegram, dated January 19th, says —It is understood that the members of the Right were deliberating at the commencement of to-day’s session of the Chamber of Deputies whether they would resign cn masse, or simply enter a protest against the invalidation by a majority of the election of many of their party. Subsequent arrival of Conservatives caused them to delay action, arul their decision will not be made known until the next sitting. The elections of three Deputies were annulled.

A Paris correspond cut states that Renan’s boot “ Les Evangilie,” Bishop Reincken's treatise on tlio unity of the Catholic Church, and Dr. Friedrich’s History of the Vatican Council, have been placed on the Index Expurgatorius at Rome.

At Salt Lake hanging as a mode of punishment has been abolished, and a murderer was sentenced to be shot.

Currant pudding has been duly recognised in the British Constitution. The Birmingham Board of Guardians, desiring to alter the dietary of the workhouse, bad to apply to superior authority in London for permission, which it received in the following terms : “ The Local Government Board approve of the proposal of the guardians of the parish of Birmingham to give the children in the workhouse currant pudding occasionally instead of suet pudding. With regard, however, to the formula of the currant pudding, the Board are advised that a little sugar should form one of the ingredients of the pudding to make it more palatable.”

MR. J. A. FROUDE. M.A., ON THE EASTERN QUESTION.

Mr Fronde has written the Preface to a little volume of letters by a Russian lady, entitled “ Is Russia Wrong ? ” just published by Messrs Hodder and Stoughton. Mr Froude explains that the letters, which are written in an honourable attempt to remove misconceptions, ought to he “welcome to us, especially at the present crisis, when the wise or unwise conduct of English statesmen may affect incalculably, for good or evil, the fortunes of many millions of mankintl.” sfe

goes on to say that the task of introducing European civilisation into Asia—a thankless labour at the best —lias fallen on England and Russia, and its success depends on the relations between those two Powers. “On the broadest grounds, therefore, it is our interest to bo on good terms with Russia, unless there is something in the Muscovite proceedings so unqualifiedly bad that we are positively obliged to separate ourselves from them.” Mr Froude presumes that we have no idea of “crumpling up” Russia; and “ there remains, therefore, the alternative, either to settle into an attitude of fixed hostility to a Power which will always exist side by side whh us, or to place on Russia’s action towards the Asiatic races the same favorable construction we allow to our own, and to ask ourselves whether in Russia’s conduct there is anything materially different from what we, too, accept ns necessary in similar circumstances.” Mr Froude commended the war of 1854, then as well as now. “ That war had been made inevitable from the indignation of the Liberal party throughout Europe at Russia’s interference in Hungary. Professedly a war in defence of Turkey, it was fought really for European liberty, European liberty is no longer in danger, nor has the behaviour of Turkey since the peace been of a kind to give her a claim on our interest for her own sake.” The Ottoman Empire having existed for half a century on sufferance, and the G reat. Powers being all agreed that, the Porto cannot be left to govern its Christian subjects after its own pleasure, the question was, “in whom the right of supervision is to reside.” The Treaty of Paris provided a general European protectorate; but it seemed to many bkely i hat the real occasion of the war would be forgotten in the otberobjerts that were secured by if. and that, “ after a very few years, the problem of how to compel the Turk to respect his engagements wo add certainly return.” Such anticipations had been ridiculed as absurd ; but “ the Turk has gone back, not forward. He remains what ho has always been—a blight upon even- province on which he has set his heel.” The Christian subjects having appealed once more for help, “ Russia, unable to trust further to promises so often made and so uniformly broken, has been obliged to take active measures, and at once the Crimean ashes have again been blown in a flame ; there is a cry that Russia has sinister aims of her own, that English interests are in danger, and that we must rush to the support of our ancient friend and ally. How are we decently to do it, under what plea and for what purpose after the part we took at the Conference, is not explained.” The rest of Europe is not alarmed, but is indifferent. “If we go into the struggle, we must go in without a single ally,” and when we have been successful we should be obliged to become sole protector of the Bulgarian Christians. “ A British protectorate is too ridiculous to be thought of ; and if the alternative be to place Bulgaria under a government of it sown, (hat is precisely the thing which Russia is trying to do. To go to war with such a dilemma, staring us in the face, and with no object which we can distinctly define, would be as absurd an enterprise as England was ever entangled in.” Still there was room for misgiving. Politicians snatch at passing gusts of popular excitement to win a momentary party victory. “Our Premier, unless lie has been misrepresented, has dreamt of closing his political career with a transformation scene—Europe in flames behind him, and himself posing like harlequin before the footlights. Happily there is a power which is stronger than even Parliamentary majorities in public opinion, and public opinion lias, I trust, already decided that English bayonets shall not be stained again in defence of Turkish tyranny.”