gioullautaus.

Mr. GLADSTONE ON THE PROGRESS OF FREE TRADE.—Some time since, the Manchester Chamber of Commerce prayed the Foreign Secre- tary, in a memorial, to use his influence at the Paris Conference to further commercial freedom in Europe. The example seems to have had its effect on other commercial bodies, and Mr. George Hadfield of Sheffield. consulted Mr. Gladstone On the subject. The letter he received in reply has been published, and on account of its admirable presentation of the- question involved in the prayer of the Manchester Chamber we transfer that letter to our columns.

"4 Carlton House Terrace, Feb. 11, 1856. " My dear Sir—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th- and to assure you that I strongly sympathize with the feeling which has prompted the Chamber of. Commerce at Manchester to present a memorial to Lord Clarendon with a view to his using his influence at the approaching Congress in furtherance of commercial freedom in Europe. I fun also con.- fident that they will find Lord Clarendon most anxious to give effect to their views. Nor can I desire in any manner to discourage your constituents at Sheffield from following the example, which has been set at Manchester. " At the same time, I feel bouint to point out a danger, the existence of which I too well know from experience. Between 1841 and 1846 I held of- fice in the Board of Trade ; and this was the period during which England- was most actively engaged in the endeavour to negotiate with the principal states of the civilized world treaties, for the reciprocal reduction of duties upon imports. The task was plimbon our side with sufficient zeal, but in. every case we failed. lain sorry to add my opinion that we did more than fail. The whole operation seemed to place us in a false position. Its ten- dency was to lead countries to regard with jealousy and suspicion, as boons to foreigners, alterations in their laws which, though doubtless of advantage to foreigners, would have been of far greater advantage to their own in- habitants.

"England, finding that she could make no progress in this direction, took her own course ; struck rapid and decisive blows at the system of proteo- tion, and reduced, as far as the exigencies of the public services would per- mit, the very high duties which in many cases she maintained simply for the purpose of revenue upon articles of import that had no domestic pro- duce to compete with. W hue our reasonings had done nothing, or less than nothing, our example effected something at least, if less than we could have desired ; and commercial freedom has made some progress in other countries since the year 1846, whereas shortly before that time, even while we were relaxing our tariff, it had actually lost ground, " When we endeavoured to make treaties, we were constantly obstructed4y the idea prevailing abroad that the reduction of tariffs could redound to our advantage only, and would be detrimental to other countries. Politicians and speculatists continued to propagate this idea. It was certainly shaken when the world saw us expose our own protected interests to competition, without making a condition of corresponding relaxations elsewhere : but 1 am fearful lest it should again make head; if we too actively employ politi- cal influence in urging the adoption of measures for the relaxation of foreign tariffs. For we hold, and hold rightly, that foreign states themselves would be the great gainers by the change ; butsit is obviously the general rule to leave each country to judge for itself of matters in which the interests prin-_ cipally concerned are its own. "I am sure, therefore, that great caution must be used by the represent- atives of England in any attempt to draw foreigners by direct persuasion into following our course along the path which we have pursued, with much' advantage to the commerce of the world at large, but with more to our own. people. The example of a country which, with a view to freedom of trade, has contended against its most powerful interests: discarded many cherished maxims, disturbed, and even for years disorganized,, its system of Parlia- mentary government, and which yet feels cause to rejoice in the changes it has made at so heavy a cost, must tell upon the sentiments and upon the legislation of other nations, at least by degrees. Our persuasions I Mn afraid, would not only be less effective than our example, but, encountering prejudice on their way, might even tell in an opposite direction. " And yet this is a great opportunity. The alliance with France, ce- mented by community of interest and effort in war, would receive further consolidation from measures judiciously calculated to enlarge our commercial intercourse. Russia now sees her manufactures reduced by the war to a narrow compass. Will she again put them into the hothouse of the com- mercial system, to force them into puny growth, at the cost of the great mass of her landholders and people ? To say that a pound made by agri- culture is worth a pound made by manufactures appears like a truism ; but the question for Russia to consider is not now this—it is rather whether a pound made by manufactures is worth five pounds made by apiculture: Russia is yet young in that career of error in which we grew old. Among the best wishes we can entertain for her is this, that now, when as we hope she is to cease to be our enemy, she may take advantage of an opportunity offered her by the state of her trade and manufactures, to withdraw some part at least of the artificial stimulants which she has of late years so la- vishly applied to them, and may thus do justice to the immense capabilities of her widely-extended territory. " There is one domestic picture which I wish it were in our power effec- tually to exhibit to the governments and inhabitants of foreign countries. They know, by statistics which are open to the world, the immense extension which our commerce has attained under and by virtue of freedom in trade, and the great advancement that has happily been achieved in the condition of the people. But they do not know what it has cost us to achieve this beneficial nay this blessed change; what time, what struggles, what interruptions to the general work of legislation, what animosities and divisions among the great classes which make up the nation, what shocks to our established modes of conducting the government of the country, what fears and risks, at some periods, of public convulsion. These were the fine and penalty we paid for long adherence to folly. We paid this fine and penalty upon re- turning to the path of wisdom, which we then too late wished that we had never left. It is not easy to calculate its amount, but if it could be exactly

reckoned, and fully exposed to the eyes of other nations our juniors in trade, it might supply them with a timely warning against imitating our former errors, and with the best encouragement to the adoption, before they them- selves become deeply entangled In the creation of artificial interests, of our recent and better example. " I do not know whether my view of the subject will meet in all points the purposes of those on whose behalf you have addressed me ; but, such as it is, it has been derived from a long acquaintance with the attempts made heretofore so ineffectually to apply diplomatic instruments to the furtherance of commercial freedom. You are quitAtrelconte to make such use of it as you may think fit. "I have, &c. W. E. GrAnsrosa. " George Hadfield, Esq., M.P."

THE BALTIC Commesns.—Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Saunders Dundas rehoisted his flag as Commander-in-chief of the Baltic fleet, on board the Duke of Wellington, at Portsmouth, on Wednesday. Rear-Admiral Baynes remains second in command, in the Retribution, now at Sheer- ness. The third command has been given to Captain H. J. Codrington, who is to hoist a broad pendant as Commodore on board the Majestic. The four divisions of the gun-boat flotilla will be commanded by Captain Henry Heppe", Captain Yelverton, Captain W. Peel, and Captain A. C. Key.

An advance squadron consisting of screw and paddle frigates and a screw sloop, are to proceed to the Baltic forthwith.

THE CRIMEAN COMMISSION AND THE GENERALS.—The report of Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch is taken to imply a censure on several officers as having contributed to the disasters of the winter of 1854-'55. Prominently among them are Sir Richard Airey, the Quartermaster- General, Colonel Gordon, Assistant Quartermaster-General, Mr. Filder, Commiaaary-General, the Earl of Lucan, commanding the Cavalry Divi- sion, and the Earl of Cardigan, commanding the Light Brigade. These officers have put in statements and explanations in answer to the Com- missioners ; and the Government have determined to appoint a Military Commission to inquire into the matters adverted to, and receive expla- nations on the subject of complaints made, by certain officers. The charge against Lord Lucan in the report arises out of the loss of horses in the cavalry division. It is stated that Colonel Darby Griffiths, of the Scots Greys, made a proposal to the Lieutenant-General to shelter his horses - that Lord Lucan menaced him with arrest for so doing ; and that this mode of receiving propositions deterred the other cavalry colonels from incurring a similar rebuff. Lord Lucan's reply to this statement is, that he was very anxious about the horses ; that he was in daily communication with Lord Raglan on the subject ; and when Colonel Griffiths referred "in a plaintive tone to the state of his horses, and in one of reproach," Lord Lucan, knowing that he " felt, to say the least, as much anxiety for the horses of the Greys as Colonel Griffiths, replied accordingly' ' • whereupon "this officer allowed himself a manner and the use of words so disrespectful," that Lord Lucan told him, if he did not desist he should be placed under arrest. At that time, (some time after the 14th November,) there was not " a single structure within the cavalry camp excepting Colonel Griffiths's kitchen." Lord ottican also insists that the stabling for the horses was begun early in December, and that it was completed by the 11th of February. - The charges implied against Lord Cardigan in the report are, that he declined to permit the troop-homes to go down to Balaklava to fetch forage, when it was in plenty there, and could not be brought up to the camp on the plateau in consequence of deficiency of transport. The chief time of scarcity was between the 14th November and the 3d December when the Light Cavalry moved down from the heights. Lord Cardigan resigned his command on the 28th ; so that the period for which he considers himself responsible is reduced to fourteen days. In opposition to the evidence of the Colonels of regiments, he cites the testimony of the Brigade-Major to show that up to the 22d November the horses had very nearly full rations of barley. No pro- posal to send down troop-horses was ever made to Lord Cardigan by Colonel Douglas, Colonel De Salis, or any other officer of the brigade ; "but on the 24th, the Commissariat officer of the brigade did propose that the troop-horses should be sent down for forage." Lord Cardigan Objected, he admits, that such a step would cause a greater loss of horses than the deficiency of forage. Lord Cardigan states that he sent in re- ports of grievances to Lord Lucan as early as the 16th November, but that Lord Lucan did not transmit those reports to Lord Raglan.

Charges have been preferred against Lord Cardigan in the newspapers, that he slept on board his yacht, the Enchantress, during this dreary time. Lord Cardigan replies, that Lord Raglan not only sanctioned but recommended him to take that step. He adds, that he visited "the camp daily with scarcely an exception, and sometimes twice a day." He does mot deny that Lord Raglan censured him for employing troop-horses to take messages from the yacht to the camp.

DEATH or THE Durta or Noaroi.x.—The Duke of Norfolk died on Monday, at Arundel Castle, unexpectedly. He was born in 1791; in 1814 he married Lady Charlotte Leveson Gower, eldest daughter of the first Duke of Sutherland. When Earl of Surrey, the late Duke was the first Roman -Catholic who took the oaths and his seat in the House of Commons after the passing of the Emancipation Act of 1829. He sat for Horsham from 1829 till 1832 = then he was elected for West Sussex, which he continued to re- present till he was summoned to the House of Peers, in 1841, as Baron Maltravers. In 1842, on the death of his ' father, he succeeded to the Duke-

dom, with the hereditary office of Earl-Marshal of England. He was Treasurer of her Majesty's Household in 1839; in 1846 he succeeded Lord Jersey as Master of the Horse ; and under Lord Aberdeen's Government he held the office of Lord Steward of the Household, till December 1853, when he relinquished it to Earl Spencer. The late Duke was a Whig in politics. Incensed at the Papal aggression, he renounced the Roman Catholic creed in 1850, and entered the Anglican Church. His successor, who as Lord Arundel and Surrey married the daughter of Sir Edmund Lyons in 1839, is well known as an ingenuous and liberal politician, though he is a faithful Roman Catholic ; he was born in 1816.

Loan BAGOT.—Lord Begot, the second of the title, died last week, at Blithfield, Rugeley, in theeighty-second year of his age. In political life he belonged to the school of Eldon and Castlereagh, and consistently sup- ported the Tory party for upwards of half a century. Two of his brothers were the late Bishop of Bath and Wells, and Sir Charles Bagot, former- lyAmbassador at St. Petersburg, Paris, and Washington, and Governor- General of Canada.

SIR .1.0113I STODDART.—Sir John Stoddart was formerly Chief Justice and Judge of the Admiralty Court at Malta. Since he retired he published the

first volume of a work on Universal Grammar, leaving the second volume unfinished. He died on Saturday, at his house in Brompton Square in his eighty-fifth year. At a meeting of the Law Amendment Society on Monday evening, Lord Brougham took occasion to announce the death of Sir John, who had been united with himself by the bonds of an affectionate friendship of more than half a century's duration.

Lord Palmerston received a number of Members of the House of Com- mons to dinner on Saturday.

The Earl of Derby had a Parliamentary dinner on Wednesday ; and Lady Mary Wood held an assembly at the First Lord's official residence at the Admiralty.

The Speaker's second banquet, on Saturday, was to the Conservative sec- tion of the House of Commons.

Mr. Bright is absent from Parliament, and has been since the opening of the session, from indisposition—an affection of the liver.

The funeral obsequies of Prince Paskiewitch were performed with great pomp, at Warsaw, on the 4th instant. The body was afterwards removed for interment at the village of Iwanowka, in the family-vault, where the Prince had desired his remains should be deposited.

Count de Lowenhjelin, Swedish Minister at Paris, has resigned his post there after filling it for thirty years. He has been a general favourite : King Charles John looked on him as a devoted friend, and heaped honours upon him ; King Oscar has bestowed on him a special pension. Baron da Manderstrom, lately Minister at Vienna, has succeeded him.

Heinrich Heine, the celebrated German poet, died at Paris on the 18th.

The Common Council of Vienna applied to the Archbishop of Vienna for permission to erect a monument to the memory of Mozart in one of the churches; but his Grace refused to grant it, as he cannot countenance the worship of genius, which is but a kind of idolatry: A work which was in- troduced by the Ministry of Public Instruction into the schools has been prohibited, because it teaches that there was no deluge after the creation of man, "as no fossil remains of human beings have ever been found."

The commission for a statue of the late Mr. Baines, to be placed in the vestibule of the new Town-hall at Leeds, has been given to Mr. Behnes. The statue is to be of Sicilian marble, and is to cost 800/.

Mr. Sergeant Wilkins was seized with sudden and dangerous illness on Monday, while examining witnesses in a railway ease in the Court of Com- mon Pleas at Guildhall. It was feared at first that the attack—a spas- modic affection of the chest—would be fatal on the spot ; but eventually Mr. Wilkins so far recovered that he could be conveyed home, and he has since gone on favourably.

A large Protestant church is to be erected in Pere, by means of subscrip- tions from the English there. A temporary English church is also to' be raised at Ortakoi, on the Bosphorus.

Sergeant Brodie, who has been regarded as an ill-used man—having been " marked" [by the Horse Guards] for stopping a duel at Canterbury—has been appointW, by the Secretary for War, Inspecting Foreman of Saddlery at Weedon Beck. It is understood that Lord Paumure personally announced the appointment to Brodie in very flattering terms.

Military reinforcements are about to be despatched from this country for Canada—the Eightieth Regiment, a battalion of Rifles, and other corps.

Soldiers who have lost a limb are in future to be provided with an artifi- cial area or leg of the best construction at the public expense.

The Wiener Zeitung contains an edict ordaining that in future moneys lent in silver shall be repaid in silver, and not in bank-notes, if so specified in the bond. This is a partial abolition of the "forced course" of the paper money.

The Austrian Government have granted a concession for a railway from Vienna to Linz, and thence to the Bavarian frontier near Salzburg on the one side, and to Passau on the other.

A young Mulatto woman has become free by breathing the air of Liver- pool. She was secreted in the ship Asterion at New Orleans; and in spite of a reward of 500 dollars offered by her owners she was not discovered the boatswain, a Coloured man., hid her in his berth, and kept her secret till the ship arrived in England.

A commission appointed by the Bishop of Durham have pronounced an unanimous decision that charges of drunkenness have been so far proved against the Reverend Alexander J. Howell, Perpetual Curate of Darlington, as to require the Bishop to commence penal proceedings against him.