admit English cottons at from 20 to 25 per cent. _ad valorem_
duty, if England would admit Spanish brandies at 50 per cent. _ad
valorem_ duty, sherry wines at 40 per cent., and other wines at 30 per
cent., exclusive of the excise. Moreover, that tobacco should be
prohibited from coming to Gibraltar, except what was necessary for the
wants of the garrison. The English Government, in a note dated last
month, declared the Spanish proposals inadmissible. If the Spanish
Government did not admit the other articles of English produce, the duty
on Spanish wines could not be reduced. English cottons were an object of
necessity for the Spanish people, and came in by contraband; whereas
Spanish wines were but an article of luxury for the English. Senor
Sanchez Silva concludes, that it is quite useless to renew the
negotiations, the English note being couched in the terms of an
_ultimatum_.

CORRESPONDENCE AND ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

London, September 13, 1843.

Sir,--I have read your preliminary number and prospectus, and the first
number of your new periodical, the ECONOMIST, and it gives me pleasure
to see the appearance of so able an advocate of free trade, the carrying
out the principles of which is so necessary for the future welfare and
prosperity of the country, and the relief of the distress which is more
or less felt in all the different departments of industry.

I belong to the class who have their sole dependence in the land, and
have no direct interest in trade or manufactures; and feel as strong a
wish for the prosperity of agriculture as the Duke of Buckingham, or any
other of the farmer's friends; but I consider the interests of all
classes of the community so intimately connected, and so mutually
dependent on one another, that no one can rise or prosper upon the ruins
of the others. Like your Northumberland correspondent I am fully
convinced of the impolicy and inefficiency of "restrictive corn laws,"
and of the benefit of "the free-trade system" for the relief of the
agricultural, as well as of the manufacturing, the shipping, or any
other interest in the country; and I should also be glad if I could in
any way assist "in dispelling the errors respecting the corn trade that
have done so much harm for the last twenty (eight) years."

The intention of the corn law of 1815 was to prevent the price of wheat
from falling below 80s. per quarter; and it was the opinion of farmers
who were examined on the su