21 OCTOBER 1876, Page 3

Mr. Shaw-Lefevre on Tuesday read a striking paper on Free-

trade before the Social Science Association, in which he showed tow far the world still was from accepting the principle of Free- trade in all its fullness. America and the British Colonies were strong Protectionists, and in every country of Europe some arti- cles—salt, for instance—were subject to duties virtually pro- hibitory. He was of opinion that Free-trade would make no farther great advance till each industry was made to understand that Protection did not benefit its special manufacture. We should have thought it easier to teach the multitude of voters that Protection involves a heavy tax on them, but it is true that the example of America is in Mr. Lefevre's favour. ale people there do not see that the protective duties tax them for the benefit of small bodies of shareholders who own the iron- works and manufactories. We regret to see that Mr. Lefevre once more repeated the old fallacy that Free-trade can prevent war, by so interlacing the ties which connect countries that it is diffi- cult to cut them even with the sword." Free-trade cannot be more perfect than it was between North and South, and they hated each other and fought one another all the same. It would be almost as reasonable to say that people could not quarrel who live in the same house, and rests on the same fallacy, namely, that the more one man has to do with another, the better he would like him.