A Congress of British Chambers of Commerce opened its proceedings
in Paris on Wednesday, Lord Avebury (Sir J. Lubbock), as Chairman, delivering the address. His speech touched on many topics, as, for example, the evil of investors displaying faith, hope, and charity towards company pro- moters. but on the relations of the two countries it was full of kindliness. He could not believe in war between them while France exported £53,000,000 of goods to England, being one-third of her whole export trade, and imported from her £22,277,000,—a curious difference, which must be in some way nominal, as France does not give away her products, but which Lord Avebury did not
explain. Trade, unhappily, does not always prevent dislikes, or Ireland, which sells 96 per cent, of her sale- able produce to Great Britain, would always be devoted to her ; but it is true that the mercantile class has now large influence everywhere and sometimes dislikes war. It helped materially to prevent an outbreak between Great Britain and America over the Venezuela question, and probably steadies the relations between Great Britain and France. We do not suppose French soldiers think much of political economy, but the taxpayer has always a voice, and the French taxpayer has a vivid idea of his position if trade between the two countries were suddenly arrested.
Previous page
