Why England Desires Free Trade

A contributor to the London Enquirer writes that sorne time since lie was in the same rallway carraige witli the director of a {rreat tradinr company, who was an ardent free-trader, who sald: "Free trade was at one time a necessity for England and she vvould now be the greatest naüon on the face of the earth hadother nations adopted free trade principies. As matters now stand, as events have turned out, free trade on her part and protectlon on the part of other nations wlll be Brittain's ruin. We manufacturera cannot now change our policy, and the longer the agricultural population reuiain in Ignorance of tiis power the better ; but I give Britain ut the most seventy years before her downfall, and that downfall will be due to the transfer of her capital to protccted nations, and to the clrcumstances that the country will be entirely uniible io lind eniployment for its populalion. Tlic wrlter, in sending the name of the speaker, quoted in conlkleuce, "You will see liow eminent a free-trade authority he 3-" Tliis conclusión seems warranted by the professional position of the Ènquirer anil its known support of all Enirlisli inanufaeturing and commercial Interest?. In centres of industry, where a few years X the name of Cobden was a spirit to conjure with, a spirit of inquiry has now arisen, and workingmen are asking not whethersuch and such scheme is consistent with the theories of free trade, but whetucr it will give Euglishmea an adrantage in the commercial struggle. The problem to be solved is how best to compete against the daily increasing att mpts of foreigners lo drive English manufacturers out of the market.