A specimen of the wisdom of the French anti-free-trade system
has just been luntioned to us, by a steam-eugine maker of emiuence in Yorkshire, who has recently returned from France, where he has been employed in setting to work some of the steam-engines constructed by his firm. According to this gentle-. roan's statement, a pair of steam-engines of a given .power made in England 8001., while a pair made in France of the same power cost 1400/. ; but the French laws, in their great wisdom, impose a duty of WO/. upon the importa- tion of the English engines, and in that way raise the price, with the carriage and cost of the travelling to set them up to work, so as to make them cost nearly as much to the French manufacturer as the engines of his own privileged engine makers. This is a strange way of upholding the manufacturing interest of France.—Leeds Mercury.
There will be time enough to sneer at French folly, when Eng- lish Corn-laws are repealed. Our neighbours tax steam-engines and other foreign manufactures, very absurdly, no doubt ; but every thing which an Englishman produces is enormously enhanced by the obstinate adherence to taxing the necessaries of life. This gigantic folly battles in comparison all the mistakes and blunders of foreign nations.
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