Essential Writings Volume 1 by William Cobbett

Author:William Cobbett [Cobbett, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783849651763
Google: JqnWzQEACAAJ
Amazon: B07BL46ZG1
Goodreads: 39402448
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2018-01-15T08:36:56+00:00

FINANCE AND TRADE.

The deceptions on these subjects are kept up with unremitted attention. The following article we have extracted from a daily paper called the Oracle:—“Notwithstanding the croaking that prevails amongst people in trade, it appears from the accounts of the Custom-House now lying on the table of the House of Commons, that our exports amounted last year to 48,500,683l., which is 6,800,000l. more than the foregoing year, and this only the British produce and manufactures. Our foreign merchandise augmented also still more in proportion.—Our exports of foreign merchandise have trebled since the year 1792, and that of our manufactures and produce has increased 50 per cent. Our imports have not increased nearly in an equal proportion; thus the balance in our favour is great beyond example. Last year our imports were 1,750,000l. less than the year before, which, added to the excess of the exports, makes an augmentation of balance in our favour in last year of 8,550,000l.” This article has been inserted in all the daily papers, and has not, perhaps, cost the public less than the paragraph inserted in the Morning Post on the 5th instant, comparing the conduct of the opposers of Lord St. Vincent to that of the traitor Despard. Blessed liberty of the press! Blessed “palladium of free men!” Not only does it deceive the people, but makes them pay for the deception!—As to this article on Finance and Trade, however, we cannot much blame the editors of the daily papers for inserting it. The subject is one that they do not understand, and, such is the nature of their publications, they have not time to inquire into the truth of any statement of this sort which is sent to them. It arrives at their office at midnight, perhaps, and it is in print before three o’clock in the morning. But we request the editor of the Oracle to look into the Register of the 23rd of April, p. 584, et. seq., and that of April 30, p. 614, where he will find the deception, with regard to British produce, and manufactures exported, completely exposed.—With respect to the animation in our imports, which he seems to have been led to view as a favourable circumstance, what would he say, if he were told that our own West-India and North-American produce, our own sugar, cotton, and furs, are included in those imports? This discovery would certainly overset his “balance.” But, the truth is, that there has been, during the last year, no other positive diminution in our imports than that which has arisen from the falling off in the importation of corn, meal, and flour, which was brought hither in such great quantities during the preceding year, for the sake of the bounty offered by Parliament.—We shall take an early opportunity of going more at length into the state of our commerce and navigation. If articles, such as we have here quoted, are inserted from inadvertency, we have said enough to prevent future impositions of

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