FRANCE.

"SITUATION ECONOMIQUE ET COMMERCIALE DE LA FRANCE."

THE French Ministry of Commerce has just issued a statistical abstract for France, with the above title, for the period of fifteen years from 1847 · to 1861, inclusive. Heretofore every ten years a volume has been issued, entitled "Tableau Décennal du Commerce de la France," etc., the last of which was for the years from 1847 to 1856; so that the additional returns we now receive are only for the five years from 1857 to 1861, both years inclusive. In the last Tableau Décennal" the effect of the revolution of 1848 upon the trade of the country could be traced, extending through six years, as will be seen by the following table of importations:

The customs received during the same period were as follows:

Since the disturbing effects of the revolution have passed away, the progress of France has been decided, except during the commercial panic of 1857, as is abundantly shown on an examination of this new statistical abstract. We are indebted to the London Economist for the figures, and in a great measure for the review we give, not having seen the volume which is just published.

COMMERCE.

The quinquennial averages of imports and exports from 1847 to 1861

have been as follows:

These figures are exclusive of bullion and specie, which amounted in

the same periods to:

The large increase of trade in the last period was partly owing to the operation of the commercial treaties with England and Belgium during 1860 and 1861; but, making allowance for the trade under these treaties, the commerce of France steadily increased under the old régime up to 1860.

The proportion of the imports taken for home consumption did not vary much within the period, ranging from 70 to 72 per cent of the total imports. The exports of domestic produce likewise formed about 72 per cent of the total exports throughout the period.

Imports and Exports.-The following table shows the chief countries with which France traded in 1847, 1859, and 1861. The column for 1859 is introduced to show the extent of trade in the year preceding the conclusion of the commercial treaties with England and Belgium. The amounts are given in millions sterling:

On examining the figures in this table, it will be seen that a consider

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able change has taken place in the relative positions of several countries as sources of supply. Thus, in 1847 Belgium stood first on the list, followed by Italy and the United States. In 1859 and 1861 the United Kingdom occupied the first position, and the United States the second, (except in the case of imports for 1859,) both as regards general imports and entries for consumption. The United Kingdom also affords to France the largest market for the disposal of French produce, taking about onefourth of the total exports, and the United States comes next.

With the exception of grain, the importations of which varied with seasons of good and bad harvests, the value of other articles maintained a nearly similar proportion during each of the fifteen years. Up to the year 1860 the imports consisted chiefly of raw materials and produce, manufactures of most kinds being either virtually or entirely prohibited. The value of raw silk imported in 1859 was £8,500,000; of raw cotton, £6,000,000; and of raw wool, £5,000,000; these three articles are the most important in the list of imports.

The line of commercial policy pursued by the French Government best appears in the tariff changes made in past years. Between 1816 and 1859 the principal reductions of duty were made on colonial produce, skins, dyestuffs, chemicals, and raw products. The only exceptions, so far as British produce was concerned, were the reduction of the linen duties in 1836, which were raised again in 1845, and the reduction of the duties in 1855 on pig and bar iron, steel, coal, and machinery. The duties on the last named articles, however, although reduced, were in many cases prohibitive, and were of no benefit to English producers. It is easy to perceive that all the changes were made solely in favor of the French manufacturer, and were intended either to give him increased facilities of production, or to prevent foreign articles from coming into close competition with his own in the French markets, and thus to secure to him a large margin for profits. The necessity of legislating for the consumer was not then understood.

As the protective character of the French tariff before the treaty with Great Britain was concluded is not generally known, it may be as well to state that by it the yarns of Manchester and Leeds-the textile fabrics of Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford, Leicester, and Coventry-the stoneware of Staffordshire, London, and Newcastle-the glassware of Birmingham, Newcastle, and London-the hardware of Birmingham and Wolverhampton-the cutlery of Sheffield and many other large branches of our trade, were entirely excluded from the French markets.

These articles were not only prohibited from England but from all other countries, and consequently the French manufacturers had the monopoly of supplying French consumers on their own terms. Happily the barrier of protection has been broken, and the large importations of cheap goods shows how glad the French consumer is to be relieved from the thraldom of the French producers.

The following are the principal articles of French produce exported from France in 1860:

Silk manufactures.... £18,000,000 | Ready-made linen.... £4,000,000

Woolen manufactures.

Wine ..

Grain

9,000,000 Tanned leather....

8,750,000 | Leather manufactures.
4,750,000 Smallwares...

1,750,000

3,500,000

3,750,000

The value of silk manufactures forms about one-fifth of the total exports of French produce, and the silk industry in France occupies a corresponding position in that country to that of the cotton industry in England. Woolen manufactures and wine are the next in importance. The export of grain is very variable. The increase in the value of wine exported in the year 1860, as compared with the exports in 1847, was very large, being eight and three-fourth millions sterling against two

millions.

Customs Duties.-The revenue received from customs duties in 1847, 1859, and 1861, was as follows:

The articles which produced the largest proportion of duty in 1859 were sugar, coffee, raw cotton, and coal. The falling off in 1861 was partly due to the depression of trade during that year.

Port Trade. The amount of trade at each of the principal ports in 1861 was as under:

Transit Trade.-The transit trade of France increased very largely be tween 1847 and 1860. In 1861 there was a decline caused by the falling off of the Swiss goods sent in transit to the United States. The value of merchandise exported from France in transit in each of the three years

Temporary Importations.-Besides the general imports, certain articles are admitted duty free for the purpose of being manufactured and exported. The value of these imports in 1861 amounted to 2,000,000 sterling, and the value of goods manufactured from materials imported temporarily duty free was £5,500,000.

NAVIGATION.

The following table gives the total mercantile tonnage belonging to France on the 31st December in each year from 1827 to 1861, which amounted

Thus it appears that during the first twenty years the amount of ton

nage belonging to the country remained stationary; that between 1847 and 1857 it increased by 57 per cent in the ten years, and that since that date it has gradually declined, on the average by about two per cent pèr annum. It is not improbable that the temporary progress made between 1847 and 1857 was in great part owing to the demand for transports during the Crimean war.

As far as the shipbuilding interest is concerned, it is evident, then, that it has not gained any advantage from the French Navigation Laws, and as regards the employment of French tonnage, it will be seen that the protection afforded to French shipping has failed to secure to it as large a share in the carrying trade of the country, as is enjoyed by national vessels in other countries which admit free competition in trade and shipping. But there is another important point which we must not omit to notice; it is seen by reference to the figures above quoted that the present system is leading to a decrease in the amount of merchant shipping belonging to France, while, on the other hand, the trade of the country is rapidly increasing. What, may we ask, will be the result of this? It must naturally follow, so long at least as the French merchant or manufacturer is forced by the present differential rates to employ French tonnage, that freights must rise, and the general trade of the country will suffer for the benefit of a small class of the population, viz., the shipowners. But this state of things cannot last, as the French merchants will not consent to remain restricted to a limited supply of shipping at high rates, when their foreign competitors enjoy the privilege of employing the shipping of any nation that will carry their goods at low freights. Let us hope that the labors of the Commission which sat in Paris last year, for the purpose of considering the effect of the present navigation laws on French shipping, may not have been in vain, and we are anxiously awaiting the appearance of their report.

TONNAGE BELONGING TO FRANCE, ON 31ST DECEMBER, 1861.

Small fishing boats employed on the coast are not included in the above

return.

Steam Tonnage.-The number, tonnage, and horse-power of steam ves. sels belonging to France on the 31st December, 1861, was—