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The following communication from Mr. J. C. Dyer, 
Honorary Member of the Society, was read : — • 
The extensive knowledge of the economical sciences, and 
the eminent talents, of Professor Jevons, give to his opinions 
the highest authority on the several questions treated in 
my two papers, to which the Professor referred, at the last 
meeting of the Society, as given in the proceedings of the 
9th. I am very glad to perceive that Professor Jevons 
“ concurred generally with most of the remarks ” in those 
papers, whilst protesting against some of them concerning 
Free Trade. 
In tendering my thanks for the concurrence of his views 
as therein expressed, I trust he will not take it amiss that I 
now submit a few words, in explanation of my application 
of the terms — “ Free Trade, viz., that the principles of 
Free Trade “were not consistent with the existing imposts 
referred to.” Those principles, if adopted in practice, would 
apply alike to our domestic trade and manufactures, as to 
the importations from other countries; “taking the case, 
stated by Professor Jevons, that the Customs and Excise 
Duties — on some twelve articles — raise nearly two-thirds of 
the Revenue the present Revenue, as given for the year 
1868, is over seventy- two millions, and two-thirds of this 
sum, say £48,000,000, would leave the sum of four millions 
per month as taken mostly from the producing classes, and 
applied to the public expenditure. Such a constant with- 
drawal from the surplus wealth of the country must greatly 
impede our wealth- creating powers ; and thus far at least 
those taxes are in violation of Free Trade principles. In 
fact, those principles are set aside just as much in the cases 
of taxing Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Molasses, Malt, Tobacco, and 
Snuff, as they are by “ the small remaining duty on corn.” 
It would be a great benefit to the middle and working 
classes if the taxes were remitted, and free production 
and consumption allowed, as to the articles above-named. 
