PROTECTION AND FREE commercial country such as the -United Kingdom is deeply interested in the subject of its foreign trade—its imports and exports. In connection with that trade a number of important questions are for ever being debated, and perhaps the most important of these is whether the present policy of free trade shall be modified or abandoned in favour of a policy of protection. It is noticed, in particular, that there is an enormous and constant excess in value of imports over exports; and that certain home produce and manufactures are unable to compete in this country with produce and manufactures of the same character imported from abroad. It is urged that an excess of imports means practically a corresponding indebtedness of this country to those foreign countries from which the imports are derived, thus entailing a loss in the operation ; and that the effect of certain foreign competition is to stifle home production and manufacture and, consequently, diminish the opportunities for the employment of capital and labour. It being a fact that other countries impose various prohibitive duties upon most of their imports, and grant bounties on some of their exports in order that the amount thereof may be restricted or increased, as the case may be, and their home productions and manufactures encouraged, a very influential class in the United Kingdom persistently agitate that this country should adopt a similar policy. Such.a policy is one of protection. The British policy continues, however, to follow the principle of free trade ; it declines to tax imports except only for the purposes of revenue, and it refrains as a rule from granting bounties. To those who demand a policy of protection it is answered that, as a matter of fact, the excess of imports is more apparent than real, for it is fully accounted for by, amongst other items, the dividends earned by 13ritish capital abroad and by the freights earned by the British bottoms that carry the great bulk of the world's commerce. And even if so precise an answer could not have been given it is contended that the "excess of imports" argument is a fallacious one, inasmuch as it assumes that international trade is one of actual international competition, whereas it is necessarily one of international co-operation conducted by means of mutual exchange of goods, or barter. An important factor in the doctrine of free trade is the theory that "nations only engage in trade when an advantage arises from their doing so." To the further contention of the protectionist the free trader replies, in effect, that a country should produce and manufacture only that for which it has special facilities, as compared with the facilities of its competitors, and that a defeated or decayed industry has no right to extraordinary support. Such,
in brief outline, is the nature of the conflict between protection and free trade. And until all countries having commercial relations with England accept and put into practice the principle of free trade, it is fairly certain that a policy of protection for England will continue to be agitated. See INTERNATIONAL TRADE; ZOLLVEREIN.
PUBLIC a view to the protection of persons acting in the execution of statutory and other public duties there was passed, in 1893, a generalising and amending statute called the Public Authorities' Protection Act. The statute applies particularly to legal proceedings, civil or criminal, which are commenced against some person for an act done in pursuance, or execution, or intended execution of an Act of Parliament, or of a public duty or authority, or in respect of an alleged neglect or default in the execution of any such act, duty, or authority. The relevant provisions are as follows :—(a) The proceedings cannot be instituted unless they are commenced within six months next after the act, neglect, or default com plained of, or, in case of a continuance of injury or damage, within six months next after the ceasing thereof : (b) Wherever a judgment is obtained in such proceedings by the defendant, it will carry costs as between solicitor and client: (c) Where the proceedings are for damages, tender of amends before commencement of the proceedings may, in lieu of or in addition to any other plea, be pleaded. If the proceedings were commenced after the tender, or are continued after payment into Court of any money in satisfaction of the plaintiff's claim, and the plaintiff does not recover more than the sum ten dered or paid, he will not recover any costs incurred after the tender or payment; and the defendant will be entitled to costs as between solicitor and client as from the time of the tender or payment ; but this provision does not affect costs on any injunction in the proceedings: (d) If, in the opinion of the Court, the plaintiff' has not given the defendant a sufficient opportunity of tendering amends before the commencement of the proceedings, the Court may award to the defendant costs as between solicitor and client. But these provisions do not affect any proceedings by a Government department against a local authority or its officer. So much of any public general Act as relates to the matters the subject of the statute now under consideration is expressly repealed ; but there is no repeal of an Act which applies to Scotland only, and which contains a limitation of the time and other conditions for legal proceedings against public authorities.