10 Statistics of Van Diemen’s Land. 
merchandize had been imported from the United Kingdom 
free of all duty, while imports from the adjoining Colonies 
and Foreign Countries were subjected to the high rate of 15 
per cent. ad valorem. This discriminating duty in favour 
of the Mother-country will be at once abolished; and in 
future a fixed and uniform rate of 5 per cent., raised solely 
for revenual purposes, will be levied upon all goods imported 
into the Colony as well from Great Britain and Ireland as 
from Foreign Countries and British Colonies. This assimi- 
lation will impart considerable simplicity to mercantile trans- 
actions, and be advantageous in the removal of obstacles 
which have been found to impede the freedom of com- 
mercial intercourse. The best interests of Van Diemen’s 
Land are connected with this proposed change, as it is 
evidently her policy to extend her connections with all 
nations of the earth that will trade in her waters. With 
Great Britain, of course, not less as a matter of feeling 
than of benefit, her connection will remain unbroken. A 
common sympathy arises out of the tastes and habits of 
both, while a common interest as naturally ensures reciprocal 
dealings. Into her ports will continue to be poured our 
wool and oil and whalebone—if not our wheat and flour— 
to be exchanged for the unrivalled products of her manu- 
facturing skill and industry. The principle, indeed, which 
should guide and regulate the extent of our commerce 
with other countries has been already dwelt upon in former 
papers ;* and as its soundness remains uncontroverted, any 
further discussion of it now would be superfluous. 
Table 19 is a return of Exports from Van Diemen’s 
* Vide Tasmanian Journal, vol. iii. pt. 6,and Papers and Proceedings Royal 
Society, vol. i. pt: 2.—The principle is simply this,—that while it is desirable 
to encourage the consumption of domestic manufactures, yet it is indispensable 
that they should relatively be as good in quality and cheap in price as foreign 
articles. 
