But Providence has taken care that trees should not grow quiteup to the sky.Lord Castlereagh gave over the commercial policy ofEngland into the hands of the landed aristocracy， and these killedthe hen which had laid the golden eggs.Had they permitted theEnglish manufactures to monopolise the markets of all nations，Great Britain would have occupied the position in respect to theworld which a manufacturing town does in respect to the opencountry； the whole territory of the island of England would havebeen covered with houses and manufactories， or devoted to pleasuregardens， vegetable gardens， and orchards； to the production of milkand of meat， or of the cultivation of market produce， and generallyto such cultivation as only can be carried on in the neighbourhoodof great cities.The production of these things would have becomemuch more lucrative for English agriculture than the production ofcorn， and consequently after a time the English landed aristocracywould have obtained much higher rents than by the exclusion offoreign grain from the home market.Only， the landed aristocracyhaving only their present interests in view， preferred by means ofthe corn laws to maintain their rents at the high rate to whichthey had been raised by the involuntary exclusion of foreign rawmaterials and grain from the English market which had beenoccasioned by the war； and thus they compelled the nations of theContinent to seek to promote their own welfare by another methodthan by the free exchange of agricultural produce for Englishmanufactures， viz.By the method of establishing a manufacturingpower of their own.The English restrictive laws thus operatedquite in the same way as Napoleon's Continental system had done，only their operation was somewhat slower.
When Canning and Huskisson came into office， the landedaristocracy had already tasted too much of the forbidden fruit forit to be possible to induce them by reasons of common sense torenounce what they had enjoyed.These statesmen found themselves inthe difficult position of solving an impossible problem -- aposition in which the English ministry still finds itself.They hadat one and the same time to convince the Continental nations of theadvantages of free trade， and also maintain the restrictions on theimport of foreign agricultural produce for the benefit of theEnglish landed aristocracy.Hence it was impossible that theirsystem could be developed in such a manner that justice could bedone to the hopes of the advocates of free trade on bothcontinents.With all their liberality with philanthropical andcosmopolitical phrases which they uttered in general discussionsrespecting the commercial systems of England and other countries，they nevertheless did not think it inconsistent， whenever thequestion arose of the alteration of any particular English duties，to base their arguments on the principle of protection.
Huskisson certainly reduced the duties on several articles， buthe never omitted to take care that at that lower scale of duty thehome manufactories were still sufficiently protected.He thusfollowed pretty much the rules of the Dutch water administration.
Wherever the water on the outside rises high， these wiseauthorities erect high dykes； wherever it rises less， they onlybuild lower dykes.After such a fashion the reform of the Englishcommercial policy which was announced with so much pomp reduceditself to a piece of mere politico-economical jugglery.Somepersons have adduced the lowering of the English duty on silk goodsas a piece of English liberality， without duly considering thatEngland by that means only sought to discourage contraband trade inthese articles to the benefit of her finances and without injury toher own silk manufactories， which object it has also by that meansperfectly attained.But if a protective duty of 50 to 70 per cent(which at this day foreign silk manufacturers have to pay inEngland， including the extra duty(3*)) is to be accepted as a proofof liberality most nations may claim that they have rather precededthe English in that respect than followed them.
As the demonstrations of Canning and Huskisson were speciallyintended to produce an effect in France and North America， it willnot be uninteresting to call to mind in what way it was that theysuffered shipwreck in both countries.Just as formerly in the year1786， so also on this occasion， the English received great supportfrom the theorists， and the liberal party in France， carried awayby the grand idea of universal freedom of trade and by Say'ssuperficial arguments， and from feelings of opposition towards adetested Government and supported by the maritime towns， the winegrowers， and the silk manufacturers， the liberal party clamorouslydemanded， as they had done in the year 1786， extension of the tradewith England as the one true method of promoting the nationalwelfare.
For whatever faults people may lay to the charge of theRestoration， it rendered an undeniable service to France， a servicewhich posterity will not dispute； it did not allow itself to bemisled into a false step as respects commercial policy either bythe stratagems of the English or by the outcry of the liberals.MrCanning laid this business so much to heart that he himself made ajourney to Paris in order to convince Monsieur Vill鑜e of theexcellence of his measures， and to induce him to imitate them.M.
