Free trade

legislation completed.

Of the $1,528,395 collected from duties on articles in a raw state to be used in manufactures, nearly the whole sum, to wit: $1,150,790 was collected from the imports of timber, not sawed or split. $377,325 of the remainder was collected from the import of tallow, leaving only $280 from other articles.

Of the $2,076,495 collected from articles partly manufactured, $1,985,115 came from wood and timber sawed or split.

Of the $3,032,575 collected from duties on fully manufactured articles, over one-half, or $1,537,800, was derived from duties on silk goods. The other portion was divided between the several articles upon which duties were imposed as follows:

There was no necessity then for continuing the duties on manufactured and partly manufactured articles for the purpose of providing

revenue. The comparatively small sum derived from these sources could easily be obtained by increasing the duties on food products, from which $116,746,050 was already collected. Only slight changes were necessary in order to reach a purely revenue basis and subject every industry to the influence of free competition. The free trade element of England had reached a point in its efforts to extend the proposed policy to other countries, at which it became absolutely necessary to take the lead and go to the full extent of applying its principles to every home industry. By 1862 this was virtually accomplished. In 1860 a Reciprocity Treaty was made between England and France, under which it was agreed that English manufactures should be admitted into France under ad valorem duties not exceeding 30 per cent, while French silks were to be admitted into England free of duty. This treaty was negotiated by Richard Cobden with Napoleon III., who was in England from 1837 to 1839, and had imbibed some free trade notions which were favorable to Cobden's plan.

After the adoption of the French Treaty, parliament was induced to take the final steps in the free trade legislation of the country. In 1861 duties on butter, cheese, silk manufactures, etc., were repealed. In 1862 paper and other articles were put on the free list. In 1867 duties on pepper, wood and timber were repealed, and in 1870 the insignificant duties which had been continued on corn and flour, were removed. In 1871 duties on sugar and molasses were reduced and were finally repealed in 1875. It is not necessary to follow through in detail the various changes which were made in the customs tariff by parliament after 1860. While slight changes have been made in readjusting, reducing, or increasing duties, the general policy as it was perfected in 1862, has remained unchanged to the present time.

The British customs

The following table shows the customs tariff of the United Kingdom, tariff, 1891as published by the International Customs Journal, printed by the International Customs Tariff Bureau, in 1894:1

Currants,

Figs and fig cake, plums, prunes
and raisins,

Tobacco :

Unmanufactured, stemmed or
unstemmed --

Containing in every 100
pounds weight thereof-
10 pounds or more of
moisture,

Less than 10 pounds of
moisture,

Manufactured

Cigars,

Cavendish or negro-head,
Snuff, containing in every
100 pounds weight thereof:
More than 13 pounds of
moisture,

Not more than 13 pounds
of moisture,

Other manufactured tobacco and
cavendish or negro-head man-
ufactured in bond from unman-
ufactured tobacco.

Wine :

Not exceeding 30° of proof spirit
Exceeding 30° but not exceeding
42° of proof spirit,

And for every degree, a, or part
of a degree beyond the highest
above charged an additional
duty,

Sparkling wine:

Imported in bottles, b, ..
Imported in bottles when the

market value is proved not to
exceed 15 shillings per gallon.
To countervail excise duty upon Brit-
ish beer:

Beer and ale, the worts of which
were before fermentation of a
specific gravity of 1,055° (and
so on in proportion for any dif-
ference in gravity), .

Beer called mum, spruce or black
beer, and beer called Berlin white
beer, and other preparations,
whether fermented or not fer-
mented, of a character similar to
mum, spruce, or black beer, the
worts of which were, before fer-
mentation, of a specific gravity-
Not exceeding 1,215°.
Exceeding 1,215°

Per cwt

do

.

Per pound.

70

04

$0.49

1.70

.08

do

a The word “

'degree" does not include fractions of the next higher degree. Wine includes lees of wine.

The duties on sparkling wines are in addition to the duties in respect of alcoholic strength.

AMOUNT OF THE IMPERIAL REVENUE (EXCHEQUER RECEIPTS) of the
UNITED KINGDOM UNDER THE PRINCIPAL HEADS THEREOF.
The revenue derived from duties on imports under the foregoing
schedule in 1894 (Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom of 1894,
page 16) was as follows:

Expenditures.

Total revenue of the United Kingdom in 1894,

AMOUNT OF THE IMPERIAL EXPENDITURE (EXCHEQUER ISSUES) OF
THE UNITED KINGDOM UNDER THE PRINCIPAL HEADS THEREOF.