country or from the French colonies, of from 50 centimes to 1 franc per ton measurement; while Articles 1, 3, and 5, of the law of the 19th May, 1866, were repealed.[1]
The object, however, of this new law seems to have been, more especially, directed against the vessels of those countries which were in some respect protected by commercial treaties, and would, otherwise, have been free from it. It was introduced by a report of M. Ancel, of a very discouraging character, who charged the law of 1866, which had abolished the surtaxes de pavillon, with the sufferings and depression of the French maritime interests. Among the injurious effects attributed to that law, M. Ancel's report alleged the diminution of the imports under the French flag from India and the South Seas. Thus, he stated that, previously to 1860, the foreign flag carried only a small portion of these goods (they never carried any on account of the prohibitory differential duties then in force), whereas,
- ↑ It may be remembered that when the Assembly rejected certain important clauses of this foolish Bill, M. Thiers resigned. He, however, knew full well that at that moment the Assembly would submit to his wishes sooner than let itself be deprived of his services. It was only, therefore, in subserviency to him, that the retrogressive law of 1872 passed the Assembly. It may have been the case that, at this period of disorder and financial pressure, there was a rush of Protectionists to propound their schemes for raising revenues—schemes for making other people pay these debts—the cherished but delusive theories of bygone ages; but the main spring of action was the influence of M. Thiers. He was the Government of the day. He abhorred any opinions different from his own well-known principles in favour of Protection, which he urged with all his might, and, being then all-powerful, he carried the Assembly with him; and, that such was the case, is clearly evident from the fact that, immediately after his overthrow, the laws he had forced upon France were changed, and the limited liberties of its people, which he had removed, were again restored.
