| Author(s) | Karl Marx |
|---|---|
| Written | 20 October 1857 |
102
MARX TO ENGELS
IN ST. HÉLIER IN JERSEY
[London,] 20 October 1857
DEAR Frederick,
You must excuse my long silence. In the first place, we've had a visitor for the past week, to wit Imandt junior (aged 13), who has arrived here from Trier en route to his uncle,[1] and I have had to show the lad round. In the second, much work.
Now d'abord[2] your plan to return to Manchester. You must know whether or not your presence is necessary. It certainly won't do your health any good, for the weather over here is ABOMINABLE. Allen thinks that you owe it to yourself to spend far more time recuperating in a better climate than the Manchester ONE, since any relapse might be fatal. But it must be supposed that you consult your doctor[3] before coming to a decision.
The American crisis—its outbreak in New York was forecast by us in the November 1850 Revue[4] —is BEAUTIFUL and has had IMMEDIATE repercussions on French industry, since silk goods are now being sold in New York more cheaply than they are produced in Lyons. The lamentations of the English MONEY ARTICLE WRITERS, who complain that, while their English TRADE is SOUND, their customers abroad are UNHEALTHY, are as original as they are diverting. How are the Manchester manufacturers getting on? Those in Glasgow have, it now transpires, sent off a great deal on consignment.
What do you think of the English in India? As usual the chaps are lucky even in adversity. I now have a pretty detailed list of their troop shipments since 18 June, along with the dates on which, by the government's reckoning, they ought to arrive and the locus[5] of arrival. The following is a resume:
DAY OF ARRIVAL TOTAL Calcutta Ceylon Bombay Karachi Madras
SEPTEMBER[6] 20 214 214
OCTOBER 2 300 300 15 17
1,906
288
124 288.
1,782
20 4,235 3,845 390 30 2,028 479 1,549
OCTOBER 8,757 5,036 3,721
NOVEMBER 1 5
3,495
879
1,234
879
1,629 632
10 12
2,700 1,633
904 1,633
340 400 1,056
15 19
2,610 234
2,132 478
234 20 24 25
1,216
406 1,276
278 406
938
1,276 30 666 462 204 NOVEMBER 15,115 6,782 3,593 1,542 1,922 1,276
DECEMBER 1 354 354 5 459 201 258 10 14
1,758 1,057
607
1,057
1,151
15 948 647 301 20 25
693 624
185 300 208 624
DECEMBER 5,893 185 607 2,559 2,284 258
JANUARY[7] 1 5 15 20
340 220 140 220
340
220 140 220
JANUARY 920 340 580
30,899 12,217 7,921 4,431 4,206 2,114
DAY OF ARRIVAL TOTAL Calcutta Ceylon Bombay Karachi Madras
OCTOBER
TROOPS DESPATCHED BY OVERLAND MAIL 2 235 ENGIN- 117
EERS 12 221 Artill-
erymen
14 244 ENGIN. 122 EERS
OCTOBER 700 460
118
122
240
The 30,899 men are composed of:
INFANTRY: 24,739
ARTILLERY: 2,334
CAVALRV: 3,826
Of the ARTILLERY, only 100 men arrive at Calcutta in October. The actual ARRIVALS commence on 15 November. The first cavalry arrives on 10 November.[8]
Now that I'm onto figures, here are a few more particulars about Bonaparte's economy. T h e FUNDED DEBT authentic. T h e FLOATED for 1856 and 1857 based on an AVERAGE estimate; for the other years, the Moniteur. (The French maintain that this FLOATED DEBT is 2,000 mill., which is what it seems to work out at.)
FUNDED DEBT
Year 1831 1832 1841 1844 1847
Louis Philippe (18 years)
Total AVERAGE for 18 years:
Mill, frs
.... 162>/2.... 150
.... 187V2.... 325
.... 87V2
912V2
50
Bonaparte (6 years 1852-57)
Year Mill, frs
DECREE OF APRIL 1852 100
MARCH 1853 250
DECEMBER 1854 500
J U L Y 1 8 5 5 750 August 1855 (Filiated from EXCESS
of the SUBSCRIPTION) 3l'A,
1857(BANKOFFRANCECOIN) 100
Total 1,731,250,000
AVERACVE for 6 years:
300
FLOATING DEBT Increases under Bonaparte
Mill, frs Mill, frs
Louis Philippe ABOUT 1,000 1852 50 Republic end of 1851 no more 70° 53 262'/4 than 54 205[9] /4 55 152'A,
Total 1,005 and FRACTION
Increases since the time of the Republic 700
1,705 mill.
In addition, all MUNICIPAL and DEPARTMENTAL treasuries also u p to their eyes in debt, par ordre de Muphti.[10]
If one reflects that, at the fellow's accession, the FUNDED DEBT was ABOUT 4,000 mill, frs—i.e. from the time of the First Republic's Tiers consolide[11] onwards—and that in 6 years he increased the FUNDED and FLOATING DEBT by ABOUT 2,700 millions, there can be no contesting that his stay in London was a fruitful one. Moreover, in his estimate of the dette flottante such curious tricks are played with the SINKING FUND, etc., that the AUDITING is exceedingly equivocal. But the fellow is not without a certain gambler's humour. By his reckoning there was n o deficit whatever and n o FLOATING DEBT in 1852—the 1st year of the imperial millennium. For he placed 50 million frs to the ACCOUNT of 1851 (in accordance with the absurd French practice, the 1851 budget was FIXED in August 1850, but not CLOSED until 1854), and debited 1853 with the balance. Unlike Louis Philippe, he ushered in his régime with a No DEFICIT, but in 1853, the very next year, unblushingly presented the biggest FLOATING DEBT France h a d known since 1800. When in 1849 the Finance Minister, Passy, proposed that he limit and fund the FLOATING DEBT, he dismissed him forthwith and appointed Achille Fould. Come to that, his financial system is the same as Louis Philippe's save that it is sans gêne,[12] is taken to extremes, and SLEIGHTS OF HAND are the rule.
I shall send you what you require for the Cyclopaedia as soon as I have a moment to spare.
K. M.
Thank you for sending the articles[13] . The one name you failed to decipher was Lord Burleigh. Best regards to Schramm.