246 CHRISTIAN ALLHUSEN 



pression of a desire to benefit the people do 

 not appear to have been consonant with his 

 views, and he is not singular in the opinion, 

 that the man who, in pursuit of his own 

 personal enrichment and who with broad and 

 intelligent conceptions of the science of busi- 

 ness seeks his own interests, is a benefactor 

 of the people. His prosperity affords occu- 

 pation to hundreds of families ; his wise 

 expenditure of capital fosters invention ; his 

 business becomes a nucleus whence other 

 trades and occupations spring, and a fine 

 works erected on a site that, by its suitability, 

 attracts other similar works, gives a character 

 to a population, and tends to promote the 

 institutions that elevate and enrich social life. 

 Undoubtedly, there is much to be said for 

 such acts of benevolence which are prompted 

 by those elementary virtues of sympathy, 

 compassion and goodwill. 



It was only as politics were connected with 

 trade that Christian Allhusen took much 

 interest in them publicly. He was the chief 

 promoter of a banquet to Mr. Gladstone at 

 Newcastle in the year 1862, but this was to 

 celebrate the successful conclusion of the 

 Treaty of Commerce with France, a negotia- 

 tion in which, as we have already noticed, 



