LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
FREE-TRADE AND THE COLONIES.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.")
Sut,—Probably Mr. Chamberlain and his friends would attach some weight to the opinion of Mill. Now what Mill would have thought of the idea of instituting preferential tariffs between England and the Colonies may be gathered from the following
:-
"The vicious theory of colonial policy—once common to all Europe, and not yet completely relinquished by any other people [than England]—which regarded colonies as valuable by afford- ing markets for our commodities, that could be kept entirely to ourselves : a privilege we valued so highly, that we thought it worth purchasing by allowing to the colonies the same monopoly of our market for their own productions, which we claimed for our commodities in theirs. This notable plan for enriching them and ourselves, by making each pay enormous sums to the other, dropping the greatest part by the way, has been for some time abandoned."—(" Representative Government," chap. 18.)
Is Mr. Chamberlain wiser than Mill ? Let him not escape by saying that he aims at no monopoly. England and the Colonies are to satisfy their wants by selling to and buying from each other ; when their wants are satisfied, there will be no more buying and selling. I hope, Mr. Editor, you will persist in your protests, even if you stand in a minority of one.—
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