43G

THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF

per cent., of the rate or value, was laid upon all French goods : while the goods of other nations, were, the greaterpart of them, subjected to much lighter duties, seldom ex-ceeding five per cent.. The wine, brandy, salt, and vinegarof France were indeed excepted; these commodities beingsubjected to other heavy duties, either by other laws, or byparticular clauses of the same law. In 16UG, a second dutyof twenty-five per cent., the first not having been thought asufficient discouragement, was imposed upon all French goods,except brandy; together with a new duty of five-and-twentypounds upon the ton of French wine, and another of fifteenpounds upon the ton of French vinegar. French goods havenever been omitted in any of those general subsidies, or dutiesof live per cent., which have been imposed upon all, or thegreater part of the goods enumerated in the book of rates. Ifwe count the one-third and two-third subsidies as making acomplete subsidy between them, there have been five of thesegeneral subsidies; so that before the commencement of thepresent war seventy-five per cent, may be considered as thelowest duty, to which the greater part of the goods of thegrowth, produce, or manufacture of France were liable. Butupon the greater part of goods, those duties are equivalent toa prohibition. The French in their turn have, 1 believe,treated our goods and manufactures just as hardly; thoughI am not so well acquainted with the particular hardshipswhich they have imposed upon them. Those mutual restraintshave put an end to almost all fair commerce between the twonations, and smugglers are now the principal importers; eitherof British goods into France , or of French goods into Great Britain . The principles which I have been examining inthe foregoing chapter took their origin from private interestand the spirit of monopoly; those which I am going to exa-mine in this, from national prejudice and animosity. Theyare, accordingly, as might well be expected, still more unrea-sonable. They are so, even upon the principles of the com-mercial system.

First, though it were ceitain that in the case of a free tradebetween France and England, for example, the balance wouldbe in favour of France , it would by no means follow that sucha trade would be disadvantageous to England, or that thegeneral balance of its whole trade would thereby be turnedmore against it. If the wines of France are better and cheaperthan those of Portugal , or its linens than those of Germany ,