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[ must repudiate their testimony. They are doubt- 
less, as a body, ‘all honourable men ;” but, they 
are interested witnesses, inasmuch as the more spe- 
culation that takes place, the better for the factor, as 
he obtains a commission on the sale every time a 
parcel of wheat changes hands ; and the oftener it 
does so the better for him, as, whether the specu- 
lator gains or loses by the chances of the market, 
his commission is sure ; and as a fixed duty would 
tend much to stop, if not entirely, at least par- 
tially, that speculation to which the sliding scale 
gives rise, it cannot be wondered at that they ap- 
prove of the present system, and, with the silver- 
smiths of Ephesus, raise the cry of “ Great is Diana 
of the Ephesians ;” as, like them, their craft is in 
danger” by a change. 
In laying before the public the foregoing state- 
ment at this interesting juncture, I wish to address 
myself to those men only, let their politics be what 
they may, who will give themselves the trouble to 
think, and not treat a change from a sliding scale 
to a fixed duty as a matter of party question only. I 
have in the outset stated, that I do not attempt to 
say what the fixed duty should be, but only to show 
that a fixed duty, though it may be attended with 
some small evils, will still have some good ; whereas, 
the sliding scale, (even if the scale of averages were 
owered, as proposed by some,) is still fraught with 
much evil, and no essential good, being at all times 
able to be evaded and made of none effect, by the 
speculating capitalist,