FRANCE,

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 269, 18 May 1860, Page 3

FRANCE,

TREATY OP COMMERCE WITH PRANCE. The following is an additional article to tho Treaty of Commerce, concluded at Paris on-the 23rd January, 1860, between'her Majesty and the Emperor of the French, signed at Paris on the 25th February, 1860, and ratifications exchanged at Paris on the 28th February, 1860 :—

"By Article VIII. of the Treaty of Commerce between her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom oft Great Britain and Ireland and his Majesty the Emperor of the French, signed at Paris on the 23rd January last, her Britannio Majesty undertook to recommend to Parliament the admission into the United Kingdom of brandies aud spirits imported from France at a duty exactly equal to the excise duty levied upon homemade spirits, with the addition of a surtax of 2d. a gallon, which would make the actual duty payable on French brandies and spirits Bs. 2d. a gallon. Since the ratification ofthe said treaty, the Government of her Britannic Majesty have ascertained that the surtax of 2d. per gallon is not sufficient to countervail the charges with which, inconsequence of the operation of the law of customs and excise, home-made British spirits have now to contend ; and that a surtax limited to the rate of 2d. a gallon w-ould still leave home-made British spirits subject to a differential duty in favour of foreign brandies and-spirits; " Consequently, the Government of her Britannic Majesty having represented these circumstances to the Government of his Majesty the Emperor of the French, and his Imperial Majesty having consented that the amount of the said surtax should be increased, the two high contracting parties to the said Treaty of Commerce do, by the present additional article, agree that the amount of such surtax shall be sd. per gallon, and her Britannic Majesty engages to recommend to Parliament the admission into tlie United Kingdom of brandies and spirits imported from France at a duty exactly equal to the excise duty levied upon home-made spirits, with the addition of a surtax of sd. a gallon.

" Done at Paris this 2oth day of February, in the year of our Lord IB6o.—Cowley, E. Barocho B. Rouher."

The Patrie says:—" We are assured that the. measures relative to the reorganisation of the French establishments of the Oceanic has been carried out,_and that a recent decree separates the administration of these establishments into two great divisions. One of these divisions will assume the title of'government of New Caledonia,' aud the other that of ' government of Tahiti.' "

The correspondent of the YMYorniny Post writes: —" I am sorry to say the debates in the House of Commons are doing much mischief in the commercial world, and probably in the political world also. On this side of the water what is taking place in the British Parliament touching the question of Savoy and the treaty is regarded here as showing an airfount of hostility towards France which may lead to a coldness between the governments. The language of persons iv high places is not satisfactory. The Emperor is reported to be annoyed at finding his efforts to consolidate the alliance by commercial ties received with audi hostile political passion as some members of Parliament have displayed. We know not, said a statesman the other day, where all this will end. Napoleon 111. may abandon his long-cherished and constant aim to remain on friendly terms with England. His majesty may be looking about even now, and contemplating new alliances.' "

A paper has arisen from the ashes of the Univers. It is the same in form and size, is printed with the same types, and has the same contributors, with the exception of M. Veuillot. The title, too, is not dissimilar; for the word Monde, or World, is substituted for the hardly more ambitious one of Univers.

M. Ferdinand de Lesseps and the Duke of Alboufera have been received in a private audience by the Emperor, who, it is said, gave them the positive assurance that M. Thouvenel has already received instructions to seize the first opportunity of entering into negotiations with the English Cabinet, with the object of removing the last ob - stacks which oppose the realisation of the Suez Canal project.