The news from France this week is very scanty. The
Chamber of Deputies has been occupied with the discussion of a new Cus- toms Bill. A small reduction of the duty on foreign iron and rails will probably be carried; but even after the reduction, the duty will be equivalent to a prohibition. This wise mode of legislating on commercial questions is worthy of the men who in discussing the advantages of free trade took no notice whatever of the influence which low duties on foreign products would have on the prosperity of the wine-growing districts. TRIERS pretends to be an advocate of the prohibitive system; but in one of his speeches, he let out the ugly fact, that since 1787 the maritime trade of France has remained stationary, and that not one more ship or sailor is employed now in commercial navigation.
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