The Express. — London, England, 1849-12-18 00:00:00

ghe elangt/40. OUTGOING NAILS. TM mails for Gibraltar, Melte, Gr. Kr, the lonian Napa, Cellos, India, sad Chime, vie Southampton, will blies& up es the monies of Dee. 20. sjd blareeilles, to the Ilediterramas , Egyp t, liastiosg, de., will be 'tads up ea the wales et Die. 24. The ant mails for Lisbon, Spain, and Gibraltar will be mob up inDret. 27. TM MU/ for British North America and the Valeta BMW trill be made up on the armies of Dm 28. TM Brest India Mails, including andaveas Renderas, New Orleans, and Mexico, maladies *Me ter fin, St. J aa n-de-Nicarague, New Grenade , Ohill. eel Pim will be maderup on the morning of Jae. 2. The sob he Medals, the &arils. stet R ui n s Aymeonll be meta up on tbe males of Jae. 4. ow WA?IR AT LONDON ARM& TONI D 4 sn 4-46444.44, 41. ....lesce. Os. Twasaso4-144.10414 49. A. Alumna, 4 A no. LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18. Tits present moment is one, which strikes us as imparatively requiring that all men visited with fiscal beefless should be called to partake in the final de aths of how they are to be borne. On this sublect thin 'exists the greatest diversity of opinion; of =not merely t h eore ti c ally entertained, but I s y li , passionately, interestedly disputed. The comary has avowedly come to this pan, that its most wealthy chimes declare their inability or reluctance to bear their share cf tho barbels of the state, unless they are protected, or in ether words helped to do so. T his is the case with the landed aristocracy of the country, not indeed with its more intelligent members, or thaw most versed in the practical silence of politics and finance, but still with a majority of that class. To get that protection, or to shake off the analogous snare of burden, is but too certainly the aim of this powerful interest. On the other hand, with the con tinuance or restoration of the old dearness of corn, all that ca pital which derives its profit from the prodnc tics of manofaeures mast become profitless and idle, sad the hands which live upon it destitute. The in terest of the common mass of consumers is identical with this; and so indeed is the interest of the farmer and the labourer, could these dependent clams, rightly understand ii. But in the division of the country into two camp, many a man hastens blindly to the standard which is not his owe. In this war of opinion, and amidst the despe rate efforts of the party, against which judgment went, to reverse it, a ministry or any toed of officials is comparatively powerless; and political party, in its present fractionery state, is equally with out the authority or power duly to resist, or perma nently to decide. There must come the necessity of an appeal to the country at no very distant day. That such an appeal will be mo:e than usually solemn, serious, and critical in its results, no the can doubt. And if ministers have a due nose of their position and of the danger of the country, they will render that appeal more solemn and effectual by calling to the hustings and admitting to the franchise the large but not enormous body of ratepayers in every locality.. Could there in each locality be second to all an independent vote by means of the ballot, and to each interest its fair influence in representation proportioned to its wealth and population; then, indeed, a decision of parliament might be considered so authoritative and final, as to stifle the very murmur of discontent. It is impossible, however, to hope for all reforms en masse. And even one of these re orms, however in complete without the rest, should be welcomed. Of these reforms, the extension of t: :s franchise to all ratepayer is most to be pressed, because it is that which even the whigs must contemplate. There are now of them, indeed, who must not s e that to leave the Irish with their present limited franchise and dwindled electoral body, is neither mere nor less than to give up that country and its parliamentary influence to malcontent ass frantic landlordism. There is but the one re medy, the one safeguard, the extension of the fran chise to ratepayers, 'Mich, however imperative and indispensable, would still be impossible to adopt as a principle in Ireland, without extending it to England likewise. Ministers, we are convinced, cannot meet parliament without a large measure de aling with the Irish franchise, and how they are to do this without enlarging the English electoral body at the same time, we are at a loss to ornceive. Nor is it merely the great questions of protection and free trade, which demand that the country at large should participate in them by their representa tives—there is the question of tisanes bound up with them, and of expenditure bound up with finance. If through any dexterous, and party handling of the cry of protection, the landlord class should once more get possession of the government of the country, and of a working majority in parliament, we must be prepared to submit to a large increase of indirect taxation. Property will not pay, and industry must. Anl whilst property is not made to pay, the holders of property, however nominal, and of the government together, will scout economy, and con tinue to the utmost the present lavish expenditure ; nay, perhaps we shall see this ex p enditure th anes in order to support the despots of Europe, their tyranny and their reaction. However the fears of such danger may be elm geratedtthey are still not to be slighted. And over con fidence is as much to be deprecated as extra-panic. To meet such danger, all that the popular party can do is to be done by slow degrees, by those popular associations for electoral and financial reform, which have spread their rami fications throughout the country, and the freehold land societies, which seek to raise to an independent franchise the poor industrial, which the franchise will not stoop to reach. It would, however, be a great advancement to all the patriots engaged in efforts necessarily so tedious, if the government of the day were compelled by its necessities to fling itself into ever so partial an extension of reform. The carrying of even one article of Mr. Hunt's programme would be a great achievement for so early an epoch as the commencement of 1550. Nor should the efforts of reform associations bar loft dormant with such a prospect in view. APPARENTLY there have been few of what are called " thirsty souls" among the financiers of France and England. On the contrary, they might reason ably, be suspected of a predisposition to hydrophobia, so inveterate has been their persecution of drink ables, by subjecting them to heavy taxes. The ordinary revenue of the United Kingdom amounted, in 1847, to 56,000,0001. Of this sum, nearly one-fourth was derived from taxes upon drinks and drinking. The customs duties on wine yielded 1,700,0001. ; on tee, 5,000,000/4 on coffee 750,0001. In England alone the exc ; se duty on m alt yielded 4,000,0001. ; on hops, 400,0001. ; on spirits, 3,300,0001. Ths licensee of beer brewers ant retailers in England brought 300,0001. to the exchequer. Here we have 14,430,0001., @daunt counting the melt, hop, and epirit duties end licenses of Scotland and Ireland. The impartiality with which English financiers tax all kinds of drinkable@ is remarkable. The tea and cease of the teetotallers, the wine and beer of the moderate drinker, the gin and whisky of the confirmed tippler, all must bear a COMMIII burden. Water alone escapee them. 'lle hostility of French financiers to potable liquids is almost as strnng!y mrrked. The annual average of receipts from indirect taxes during the four years ending December, 1840, was 942 millions of francs, or about 4600.0001. Of this sum 72 mil lions of francs, or about 2,900,0001., was derived from duties on wine. Wine is to the Frenchman what beer and tea are to the Englishman : the wine duties in France are the counterpart of our tea and malt and hop duties. AmooS other insurrections, which France has been visited by during the last two years, is an insurrection of the thirsty throats of the community. The provi sional government b3sved before the urgency sf the public thirst, and abolished the tax on drinks. The late ministers of Louis NAPOLEON did not venture to restore the obnoxious impost. Bar, M. Fottzt ant his colleagues have resolutely taken the field, with a view to restore the hydrophobia system of finance. Dories the greater part of last week the Assembly was buy debating the pros and cots of the impost upon drink. '1 he dub,' e elicited some of toe meet creditable displays of sense and stalesnisnl.ke views that have been witnessed in the French lesisla tune, end also one of the moat lamentable exhibitions of mystical oracular absurdity. I THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, DECBMBER 18, 1849• M. BASTL4T attacked tie imp ost on wines gas sound growth of Wealth hap. moreover, raced th e WWl tool omical principles; he demonstrated the inequality tees in a position the reveres of that which of the promote of the tax, and its tendeafy . dl ,emery their. test for istended; for whilit he meant them to be Ike mere distributon and conduit one of the most important branches of French sgrif cultural industry. M. LEON rapist pa i nted to the wpm of his specified bounty, which at his demise ex immense and continued deficits 'ln the national in- tasted the rental of hls.proyerty, time has placed come as compared with the expenditure. He in their power no lees a sum than 7,0001. a year be , reminded his hearers that the government yond the original income devised for charitable pur -1 which had re, -- "e. IMpbe on drinks had poe. r: anti Witt tto: enplaning KM ilia Durham neglected to provide a reliable substitute, and " dignitaries" do Ina as they please. They showed the inadequacy of any substitutes which manage it without system, without control, have been recommended on the present occasion. without responsibility, without publicity He de.knowledged, therefore, that with a view to gratifying by a grant high church friends, now avert a ffnanaa: I crisis in France, and the attendant punishing by the refusal of all aid a low church in risk of new disturbances, it was neressitry to cumbent ; at one time investing large sums yield to Use re-impositioa of the impost for the year to support the distant and uninterested, but 1850. But to that brief period of critical urgency Romantic episcopal . church of Scotland; at another be limited his acquiescence in a tax every way so in- overlooking the vice, ignorance, and spiritual deans expedient, so unequal, oppressive, and impoverish- tion which lie under their reverend noses ; sometimes mourning over their own poverty, at others needlessly la te staling contrast with the wound abstract views accumulating money in the public securities. But, at el M. BAsTIAT, and the practical good muss of M. no time or under any circumstances letting the inks- Laos FAUCHER, was the oracular mysticism of M. bitants of the diocese know aught of the affairs of a Di MONTALEMBIRT, a good sample of what trust in which they are the oat interested objects ; the • y toryism of France is given to doing som e little good undoubte ly with the charity ; Ha oration was an nnversified hymn but the cause of mach more good being intercepted in worship of taxation in the abstract. 'fax- and denied to the diocese. ation, according to him, "is one of the For one hundred and twenty years the Durham principal signs" of civilisation, for "it is only in sae- " dignitaries " have been revelling in this trust, with ties of savages that no taxes ere paid." "France," all its attendant advantage, at Bamborough Cantle, =liaised M. DE MONTALEMBEILT, hes no longer and on Blancbland Fells. Bat of its concerns all efiry norporationo, traditions, great institutions, great that is known is the publication of a single year's essiid interests; its religion, justice, public instruc- accounts, now some twenty years old, in an old tiss all its gnat and exclusively moral force s, have charity report. The time , then, we submit to the their roots in the budget, that is, in taxation." Re.i- new Charity Board, ha at last name when something glom find property had been attacked, bat to defend more must be ascertained of their property and its them was easy ; nett so with taxation. In defending application ; when this their privacy mast be in taxation in the abstract they were defending "the vaded : when this their secrecy must be disturbed; moral interest of most importance." 11. DE MONTA- when their 7,0001. must be applied on some known, LEMBERT had seen with grief and indignation the authorised, and duly proclaimed public scheme; when, attack upon the postage of letters, and upon the salt in short, the Durham " dignitaries" must be re-' duty ; but when the audacity . of the party which lieved of the power and importance of the CREWE seeks to sap morality by reducing taxation assailed trust; and its benefits be bestowed on the diocese. the impost on drinks, he could hold his The putlio in the northern counties of England tongue no longer. Although " neither a fioancier expect, and it will be our task to see that they get, nor an economist," be must enter the arena no less. against them. M. DE ISIONTALEMBEET appeared We insert, tan, in another column a letter on the to forget that the abolition of the tax upon salt, that scandalously abused Brentwood Grammar School, great provocative of thirst, in a manner rendered the which, with funds to educate some 600 or 700 lads,hati abolition of the tax on potable liquids inevitable. We not for sixty years past turned out three scholars a have fairly stated the sum and substance of the arra- year. Here, again, however, the Arroitterr-Gannat molts in a speech which occupied nearly one-half of is doing his duty ; and by his exertions a great the sitting of Thursday last, and will be bound to say educational establishment will be secured to the county that never before did a lmrisletive assembly hear a of Essex, with ample university provision for financial question discussed in such a fashion. Yet the most distinguished of its pupils. In truth, the IM. DE CHARENCET almost equalled his colleague, amount of good that may be effected by extending when he pathetically adjured the Assembly to per- this crusade against abused foundations and charities, paste the impost on drinks, because it had origin- especially in the education of the middle classes of Sly' been imposed to tans= hiog Joint when a society, is incalculable. By Mr. WHISTON'S disci°. prisoner in England. sures, ere another session is over, our cathedral gram , The iniquity of the impost on wines is easily mar schools will be put on a sound looting ; and the summed up. It increases the price of wine to the day of reformation of the Charter-house draweth nigh, consumer, and promotes its adulteration. It dimi- for if government will not issue its commission to in nishes the consumption of wine, and thereby the pro- quite ihto its state, the Daily Netts and Express will duction of one of the best articles of export produced send their commissioners; and they are quite as in France. It presses with undue severity on one class effective. of agriculturists in a portion only of France. Lastly the manner in which the duties on wins are imposed and levied makes them rest with greater weight on the poor than on the rich. The duties on wine are: those on circulation (paid when the wine quits the producer); on entry (paid at the entrance into different towns) ; on the retail of wines; and the license. Tae duties on circulation (averaging seven millions of francs per annum), and the entry duties (ave raging eighteen millions) tall principally on the rich consumers ; the retail duties (averaging forty seven millions) and the licenses (avenging three millions) fall almost exclusively on the poorer classes. Twenty-five millions are paid by the wealthy and fifty millions by the poor consumers. The discussion of the impost on drink in the I French Astutely has a more immediate inte rest for Englishmen than the majority of dis cussions in that assembly. The case of the op- ponents of the impost in France is exactly the case of the opponents of the malt, hop, and tea duties, here. The taxes on malt and hops in England, like the tax on wines in France, are of unequal premium, and tend ' to depress agricultural industry. Thu tales upon malt and hops raise the price of what is most espe cially the beverage of the working classes, and the less affluent of the middle classes. The tax on tea falls with a much heavier per mange on the common teas consumed by the poor, than on the finer kinds consumed by the rich. The arguments employed against the impost on drinks in the French Assembly may with advantage be re-produced, almost in the same words, in our own parliament when the customs duty on tea and the excise duties on malt and hops come to be discussed. And be it remembered, too, that the crisis in French finances before which M. Farcriza has given way, does not exist in England. Will Mr. DISRAELI, or any of our young Englanders, mist these arguments with plagiarisms from M. DE MONTALEMBERT ? It may be doubted ; English o k etackery and mysticism is audacious enough, but M. DE MONTALEMBEIT has soared to a pitch of sublime insanity beyond its reach. FRANCE. PARIS, MONDAY, 530 P.K. The debate on the excise was steamed today in the Amenably. M. Fould appeared first in the tribune, to correct some mistakes in numbers which he asserted M. Mauguin had committed, and which (he said) the hon. member had announced as official. M. Fould denied that they were official, and if he knew the agents of the administration who had thus furnished false documents, he would not hesitate to separate himself from them. The speaker then repro. duced the figures he had brought forward at the commencement of the debate as to the number of hectares under cultivation in vines, the number of hectolitres of wine produced, &c. He maintained that these figures alone were official. He would say a word as to the petitions against the tax, which he had already stated, there were strong grounds for supposing to be spurious,. He had received several letters revealing some of the means used to attain these petitions. They had been hawked about from cabaret to cabaret, and signed by foreigners, and even by the hawkers themselves. Often the same individuals had signed them several times, and under various names. (Laughter on the Right, and signs of disapprobation on the Left.) The minister then read two letters from public functionaries, giving him si milar information. M. Charamaule presented two petitions from the department of the Herault, signed, he said, :by 111 names. He defied the functionaries of that depart ment to assert anything against them. M. Jules Favre opposed the project of law. He announced that he should examine three questions : 1, the intrinsic value of the tax ; 2, the necessity of the continuance of the tax by the treasury ; 3, the financial disorganisation of the state. M. Cirevy had already disposed of the first question, by showing that the constitution required the abolition of the tax, that the Constituent Assembly had examined, dis cussed, and judged it, and that the Republican As sembly had declared it to be an unjust tax; and had decided on abolishing it. The Republican Assembly had wished to give effect to promises made to the people by previous governments, but which they bed always neglected to fulfil. It is wished to strike a blow at drunkenness. What right had the Assembly to tax the sole pleasures of the poor ? Let the members begin with themselves. (Applause from the Right.) When they gave brilliant feces the excise did not interfere; but the narrow lodgings of the poor did not permit them to enjoy family reunions within them, and they were compelled to seek their pleasure in the cabaret. Let them respect the family enjoyments of the poor, and not destroy the only spot where they could assemble with their friends. Drunke..ness was certainly the greatest enemy which the working classes had; but let them consult the statistics of those classes, and they would find t'Ait it was only with low wages that drunkenness increased —when their misery became extreme that the °eerier visited the cabaret. No one in the Assembly would, he believed, defend the vice of drunkenness ; he himself would only say, let them endeavour to ameliorate the condition of the labouring popnla ' don, and give them their food and wine at the cheapest possible price; that would be the death blow of drunkenness. (" Oh, oh," and laughter.) The tax was condemned by the public conscience as well as by the law. The second question which he had to examine was its necessity. He denied the existence of any necessity of the kind. On all occasions when France had demanded the reform of an abuse, they had been laid that it was necessary ; and when France had said that it would pay no more, they were told they were factious, and that they shout be watched by the gendarmes. (Applause from the Left.) An unjust act was never necessary—above all, an unjust tax. (Cheers.) M. Mauguin had proposed a series of measures which might be substituted for the tax on drinks, but the Assembly would not even examine them. But he did not agree with M. Mauguin. Ile (M. Jules Fevre) believed that there were other things to be done than to re-impose taxes upon coa -1 eamption—above all, the expenditure of the country should be diminished. (Cheers from the Left.) Beronomy should be exercised in the war and naval departments, imwhish more than 100 millions might be sated. He now came to the question of the reorganisa tion of the public service. M. de Montalembert was full of the most profound admiration foe the French fiscal ffstem. He (M. Julie Favre) did not know whether M. de Montalembert would be the apostle of this new religion, but he c mid cite to him authorities who did not participate in his admiration. Vauban, Napo'eon, and recently one of the ministry, had .opposed this complication of administrative combination, and had renounced against the impossibility of cohesion between all the parts of the great machine. M. Leon Faucher had made a umarkaole speech in the former chamber of deputies, in which he con demned our system of taxes, their foundation, and the iniquity of their assessment. He compared this system with that of England, and _praised the latter at the expense of the former. Before such authorities he (the speaker) thought that M. de Montalembert would abate some of his admiration. What was it that M. de Montalembert approved of in this system? It could not be its justice; was it the interest of the army of parasites who shackle the work? or was it the expense of 155 millions for administration P If there were proposed a new financial system which should reduce these 155 mil lions to 15, and which should license this army of parasites, would M. Montalembert give the preference MERE are two charity cases, besides that of the Meer hospital, on each of which a fee words may, we think, be usefully given in season at present. The one is that of our tough old friend his severer ce the Earl of GUILDFORD, at St. Cross, who, by this time, is (thanks to the Daily News) very effectually in the gripe of the ArroRREE-GENERAL; the other is that of the trustees of Lord CREWE, in the diocese of Dur ban, on whose affairs the Daily News desires to fix tie attention of the new charity commission. Theis eases are, each in its bad way, very fair speci- IBM flt two different sorts of abuse, to which our charitable foundations have for centuries been sub jected. In St. Cross may be seen the also of misap propriation to the pecuniary advantage of a bishop's son. In Lord CREWE'S trust will be found the abuse of management, which, without conferring pecuniary advantages on the trustees, is made to confer great social and political power on pluralistic ecclesiastics, and to support a vicious church system. The ArroareET-GENERAL has, our readers know, in obedience to the QUEEN'S answer to an address of the House of Commons, filed an information against Lord GUILDFORD, to irquire into his past management of the Irbspital of St. Cross, to ascertain the amount of its property, and how that property can be ha proved, and to procure the sanction of the Court of Chancery to a scheme for the application of its large revenues to some really useful purpose. With Ole public wealth of St. Cress Lord GUILDFORD has, it is understood, been paying off the mortgages on his family estates. Now, it is confidently expected that the ArroisEE-GENERAt's proceedings will, if reeo lately carried on, recover, for the public benefit, some portion, and a large portion, too, of the funds thus scandalously applied. Lord GUILDFORD. with characteristic greed, is, however, desirous, at all events, to retain all he has deprived the public of ; and 1 for this purpose a compromise, we hear, either has I been, or is likely to be proposed, to the Arroßtetter- ' GENERAL. Its terms are said to be these,—that Lord GUILDFORD shall at once resign the great benefice of St. Mary's, Southampton, and, if insisted on, the hos pital of St. Cross, also, on condition that ingaili into the legality of his past proceedings with the hospital property be dropped, be assisting the ArroßnEe-GENERAL in his efforts for is future improvement. Now, desirable as we thick Lord OLILDFORD'S resignation of all his ecclesiastical benefices—of Alreeford as well as of St. Mary's—ir, we hold any compromise with so flagrant a clerical delinquent to be quite unjustifiable ; for his " day" has been already too long. And now let ts turn to the great CREWE Charity. Great may it well be termed; for twenty years ago its rental was upwards of 8,0001. a year, and it is now probably nearer 10,0001. All, too, in ghostly keeping of four of the Durham " dignitaries!" Our readers may well tremble for its safety at the very thought. Yet its safety—for of that nothing is known—is not wiat we impeach. I.s distribution and appropriation are what we press on the in vestigation of the charity commission ; and on very sufficient grounds. The trust was established by Bishop CREWE for the benefit of the diocese of Dur ham : it is therefore a public trust in which all the inhabitants have en interest. Yet this publics charity has for 120 years been privately, secretly, and coprictouely administered by c.:nrch "dignitaries," who treat all inquiry into its affairs as lay imper t'nence—who, by its management, lave augmotted their personal power and impoetabee, and who have made it a buttress to prop up and support the de testable system of Durham cathedral. The .4.44 • -~ to it! The time had coats when taxes on articles of consumption, which are in reality nothing. but taxes of priiation, should be osnitt.d front our budget. It was necessary that the grand and noble idea of the Constituent Assembly in favour of the people should be realised. History, continued M. Fevre, will reproach the Constituent Assembly with an unpardonable fault, which was to have surrendered its place to the legis lative. Had it understood its duties, it would have li berally executed its work, the constitution, and, instead of yielding to unjust chums, remained at its post, and endowed the country with those organic laws, which the legtive bad not yet dared to look in the face. What bad the legislative done ? It had re face. sedition ; but history may yet charge it with having fomente it. M. Fevre was here interrupted by loud cries of " Order " from the Right. The President having invited him to explain, he justified himself in such • long-winded manner, that M. Dupin told him that if the remainder of hi s speech was accompanied with such oratorical precautions, there was no fear of his being called to order. (Laughter.) , M. Fevre added only a few words, and left the ; tribune. M. litugnot then deposited on the table the report of the committee on the bill relative to primary in structors, of which it proposed the adoption. M. Pussy next rose, and was left speaking. M. de Saint Priest has presented to the Assembly an amendment, the object of which is, ors', to sup press the octroi duty on potable liquors, and to replace them by a charge on manufactured articles, and by a tax on coffee, on private carriages, horses for pleasure, and billiard tables; and 2nd, to reduce by one-half the entrance duty of the Treasury on potable liquors, with the creation of a tax on paper, and a duty of one per cent. on personal property. The Minister of Finance has addressed the following circular to the heads of the different branches of the finance department in the provinces: I have duly appreciated. the cake of the services ten dered to the state by the administrati on of the finances dur ing the difficult efircumetanose through which we have passed -• The greater pleasure I have in paying homage to the intelligence and devotedness of which it has given proof, the more I regret to find, from information which has reached me, that some of the agents of the &dance depart ment have been gailty of serious faults with regard to their political conduct. Without demanding any account of those sweats as to their private opinion of the ac's of the govern ment, I have • right to require that they should not make use of the influence and authority which they derive front their 'unctions, to second the projects of anarchists, and to propagate doctrines subversive of society. To let forgetfulness of duty proceed to this length, is to commit a real act of treason. am willing to hope that the agents of all ranks in the ser vies of the finance. whose good spirit is generally known, will be more than ever influenced by the necessity of keeping aloof from the proceedings of the enemies of order ; that thiy will continue to exercise their functions with that real and ex-ctitude which the government of the republic has a right to demand from them. If any one should neglect their duties, you will have to point it out to me without hesitation, men tioning all the facts. Disposed on all ccavions to reward faithful services, I shall show a just severity with regard to those agents who shall allow themselves to be misled from the path which I have pointed out to them. You will be pleased to make known this warning to all your sutordi notes it will, I hope, have the effect of rendering unneces eery any measures of repression which it would he painful to me to carry Into effect, but from which I should not shrink in case 01 need. ACHILLE FOVLD, The Patric, alluding to the petition for the aboli tion of the tax on potable liquore, has some observa tions which will be read with interest. The fact of there being in France a wine shop for every hundred inhabitants or thereabouts, is one which mast speak volumes as to the state of society. The Patric says : Toe 700,000 signatures to petitions against the tar on pdmble liquors of which the red jouraale 'sulfa such • for midable argument is at bottom much less frightful than it appears to be. If, in fact, we deduct the 322,000 retailers of wine who eaiit in France, and who are too peculiarly in wrested for their signatures to have much value, we find 368,000 real signatures ; but even as regards these it may be doted whether they are really serious, as there is not a re tailer who has not some customer dependent on him— namely, in a position which would not allow him to refuse his signature to • man who vuld reduce him to the regime /[cold water. year occupy only thirty-five pages small fol;t3 all de tails being entirely omitted this year. There are no accounts of the proportions of revenne contributed by each province and department, or how large the expenditure has been in particular dis tricts, but the whole income and expenditure are alluded to only under the general heads of land tax or class taxes, army and embassies, &e. A com parison with the accounts for 1849 shows that the income for the ensuing year is estimated at 2,735,973 dollars, and the expenditure at 2,787,079 dollars more than in that year, so that the expected surplus of 9,213 dollars is 51,106 dollars less than in 1849. The extraordinary expenses for 1850 are estimate& at 734,106 dollars less than in 1849. I shall return to this subject to-morrow. HAMBURG, Dec 14. The city of Lubeck has negotiated a loan at Berlin through the royal " See Handlung." It bears 44 per cent. interest, and its amortisat►on begins from the let January, 1856. The nominal capital is 3,200,000 Prussian dollars. Stocks of it were sold 7esterday on oar Exchange at 97j per cent. Accord ing to the statement of tue contractors, the proceeds are for the purpose partly of aiding the construction of a railroad from Lubeck to Buchan, there to join the Berlin and Hamburg railroad, and partly of im proving the bed of the river Trace. At the same time, a subscription is opened by a company to under take the same railroad, the distance of which is stated to be 04 German miles, and estimated coat to be 2,668,000 Prussian dollars. PAM, Dee. 17. For I Money. Opening !fished. Lowest. Closing - 5 psi Cents. ...... .... MI 25 58 25 58 40 56 23 38 35 6 par Cants- 3 do. New Loan „ a a 09 01 4 pee Cents.... - 4 par Cents a . a • a bzi.lnunte on Landau: 30 osys, .5 45; 90 as" 25 324 lite.sixt, 1., ISM I De. 5, 1842 Do. 44 Do. 24 , Boossa.—St. Germain, 415: Vandlies (right bank), 205 ; Do. (left bank), 161 50; Orleans 753; Paris and Rouen, 051 55. Rouen and Havre, 240 ; Strasbourg and Bale, IN 23 ; Centre, 331 25 ; Barneaus, 4ni, North, 461 25; Pais and Strasbourg. 382 50; Too:sand Nantes. 275 75; Montereno OW IMO 115; Dieppe and Primp, 180; An. vets and Oend, 280. We have received the following letter from a cor apondent : BELGRADE, Nov. 20. I have previonely had oecivion to remark the in tense interest with which the Christian populations of the Danubian provinces watch the most trivial signs from which any indication can be gathered of the de cline or rise of Russian ascendancy at Constantinople. In this principality, over which Russian intrigue has contrived to keep revolution chronically impending, the news of the apparition of a British fleet in the Dardanelles has already been productive of more than the effect which I had ventured to anticipate. In a recent communication I endeavoured to explain that on the politics of this seemingly unimportant province hinges to a great extent the question of the future integrity of the Porte, and to show your readers how completely the subservience of the majority of Serbian politicians to Russia was owing to the prevalent impression (industriously prpularised by Russian agents) that England was tacitly with drawing a fruitless resistance to the irresistible match of Russian influence in the East. The earliest of support given by Lord Palmerston to tne Turks has had here the effect not only of modifying the views of those whose worship of the donh!e beaded eagle was clearly the result of fear, but of unexpectedly occa sioning the defection of personages always hitherto ostentatiously devoted to the Russian interest. It has been generally believed here that Turkey must accede to the pert mptory demands of the Czar, and yield up the refugees. Its refusal, backed or occasioned by the presence of a British equadron, has produced a beneficial and amusing revulsion of feeling and opinion, which it is to be hoped that the Porte will not impair by inconsiderate concession on this question. Amongst the first fruits of this change have been the removal of the Russian Consul-General Loveine, who had hitherto taken up his quarters in the most convenient quarter of the house of the Pe trouovitcb, the Serbian Minister for Foreign Affairs. UNITED STATES. MEETING OF CONGRESS. By Electric Telegraph. [PROW OUR OWN COIRWSPONDENT.3 LIVERPOOL Dzo 18 . The steam-ship Caledonia, Captain Leitch, ras just arrived in the river. Her date from Beaton is to the Lth inst., the day of selling, and her call at Halifax to land and receive passengers was made on the 7th inst. In addition to the usual mails, the Caledonia brings a considerable num ber of passengers. She reports the arrival at New York of the Ca nada. The Europa steam-ship, which sailed hence for Beaton on the 24th inst., had called at Halifax, previous to the Caledonia's arrival there. She does not bring the President's message. Toe principal item of intelligence is the meeting of Congress on the 3rd inst., at Washington. The Se nate was organised, after whick an adjournment took place. The House of Representatives met on the same day, when a ballot took place for the speakership. For this post there appeared Mr. Winthrop on the whig, and Mr. Cobbe on the loco-face interest. After three unsuccessful balloting!, the numbers stood: For Winthrop, 96 ; Cobbe, 102 ; Scattering, 23. In coniequence of no decision on this point, the house could not be organised, and the President did not, therefore, deliver his message. There is nothing new of interest in our advices from California or Canada. The commercial affairs of the Union are represented by our present advisee as being favourable. The money market is still easy. Money at New York was very plentiful. Treasury Notts, Illt. Pennsylvania Fives, 891. Toe market for breadstuff., was inactive, and prices are without change. Western Canal flour, 4 dole. 75c. to 4 dole. 871 e. Gennessee prime wheat, 1 dol. 22c. to 1 dol. 24c. per 601b5.; southern wheat, 1 dol. 12c. to 1 dol. 14c. per 60Ib. Indian corn, round yellow, 60c. to 62c. ; flat, yellow, 60c. per bushel. Indian meal, 3 dull. to 3 dole. 121 c. per bushel. In cotton there has been a fair amount of business doing at New York, former quotations bting steadily maintained. New Orleans and Mobile mid. fair to fair, 101 c. to 111 c. per lb.; Uplands and Florida, 111 c. to 111 e. Provisions have advanced in price. Mess park, 111 to llt; prime, 81 to Bk. Freights remain unchanged, asking rate being— Flour, to Liverpool, Is. 6d. to Is. 9d. per barrel ; grain to Liverpool, 41d. to sd. per bushel ; cotton to Liver 3-16d. to Id.; cotton to Havre, Id. to ad. Exchange on London, 1081 to 109, steady ; on Paris, 5.27, sales small ; on Hamburg, 33 to 351 ; on Bremen, 78 to 781. for Account MLDBID. Dee. 11.—Three per Cuts., 3011.16 paper. Roar wr Ceuta, 121 paper: rive per Casta.,l3l= .. =eon. 6. beak of St. Yermaaatl,lo paper. Ezelkasse on ITALY. SARDINIA.—From Turin, the news of the 13th ;net. is, that, out of 168 known elections, the conserva tives had obtained 102, the remainder being for the radicals and the Left and Left Centre. Twelve elec tions in Piedmont were still neknown, and those of Sardinia Proper were not yet published. The Con cordia states that M. Pinelli is appointed ambassador at Madrid. Nnw REGULATION RESPECTING ALDERMEN AID Common CouxciLNEN.—ln the new Act of Parliament for the government of the City of London, which will be en forced on Friday next, in the election of Common Council men, there is a provision in reference to the disqualification of Aldermen and Common Councilmen. According to the ninth section of the Act, (12 and 13 Vict. cap. 94, local) if any person holding the office of Alderman or Common Councilman for the City of London, shall declare himself, or shall be declared bankrupt or insolvent, or shall apply to take, or shall take the benefit of any act for the relief of in solvent debtors, or shrill make any composition with his cre ditors, or shall altogether absent himself from his duty for more than six calendar months consecutively, unless pre vented by illness, or other reasonable cause, or shall be convicted of fraud or of any crime, then, and in every or any such cue, such person shall thereupon immediate ly become disqualified, and shall cease to hold the office of Al !omen or Common Councilman, as the cue may be, and the court of Mayor and Alderman of the City of London shall there upon forthwith adjudge the said offioe to be vaunt; but any person becoming disqualified, and ceasing to ho'.d such office, by reason of having made any comoosition with his creditors, shall, on payment of his debts in full, be capa ble (if otherwise qualified) of being re-elected to such office. All acts done before an Alderman or Common Connadman shall be disqualified, shall be as valid as if the party had not been disqualified. FIRE AT BELPER.—DESTRUCTION OP MS Ho- HIRT ESTABLISHMENT OP WARD, STURT, SHARP, AND WARD.—On Sunday night the town of Belper, in Derby shire, was the scene of a most terrific conflagration, which terminated in the total demolition of the hosiery establish ment of the above-named firm. It appears that some of the hands were at work until 11 o'clock on Siturday night. At that hour the premises were closed, and, as is believed, left in complete security. On Sunday morning two men were employed in the store-room doing some repairs. About eight o'clock on Sunday evening the watchman on duty perceived a strong smell of fire, and immediately gave the alarm. At that time people were leaving the dif ferent nieces of worship, and numbers were soon congregated about the prenriaos. Mr. Taylor, one of the managers, and. the otoer heads of departments were speedily on the spar, and it was found that the lower windows of one warehouse were so hot as to render the touch unbearable. Tha fire engines were soon got into play, but witlr.ut immediate effect. About 9 o'clock the film*. burst forth in terrific fury, and extended with such rapidity that the whole building was in a general blue. A very small quantity of goods were removed; and the remainder, comprising an extensive stack of 'ilk, cotton, and other goods, were totally consumed. At 5 o'clock last evening the enuines were still playing upon the smouldering ruins, and it was evident that part of the walls must fall. The stock tnd buildings were insured in the Norwich and other unions to the extent of 21 4 ,5001. Nothing is known as to the origin of the fire. GERMANY. We make the following extracts from letters re *lived from oar correspondents : VIENNA. Drc.l2. It appears from the ministerial Reichs Zeitung that the preliminary difficulties to the installation of the interim have been removed, ani that the Prussian rommissioners, MM. Radowitz and Batticher, will join the Austrian without delay at Franktxt. This journal says:—" It is fortunate that, after long inter. ruption of harmonious action, the cabinets of Vienna and Berlin have at last come to an understanding to form the organ of the German confederation for con ducting the general affairs of the federal states ; and we hope that such an approximation will exercise an important influence upon the definitive settlement of the German question. A tax upon beer is going to be introduced. Daily conferences take place in the finance ministry on this subject. The brewers are bound to assign a certain definite place for the deposit of their malt, which is to be always accessible to the excise officers, they are also to declare the quantity of beer to be brewed from so much malt ; pure malt mast not be need in brewing. A society has been formed at Vienna with the ob ject of discoura gi ng the wasteful expense attending pompous fune ral s. The Preaburger Zeitung contains correspondence from the Lower Theirs, stating that the moat exag gerated notions prevailed there among the Megyare, es to the sympathies of the English government for their cause. They believed that Kossuth was in England, where he had been received with a salute of 101 guns. VIENNA, DEC, 13. It appears that the ministers have returned upon their purpose to defer indefinitely the convocation of the principal laidtags. The feelers put forth in the government organs have roused eo dangerous a feeling throughout the country, that this daring vio laticn of the constitution will, in all probability, not now be ventured. lam given to understand, indead, that the ordinance for the convocation of the trindtags is already in the hands of the government printer. BERLIN, Dec. 14. It would be quite impossible for me to state within the limits permitted me the variety of reports in cir- , culation respecting the convocation or non-conv.:ca tion of the Erfurt parliament; and if 1 had the power of oor.densiog them into a small compass they would throw no new light on the subject. One fact is quite certain, which is that the interim is on the j point of being constituted, and it is indeed the only fact in connexion with the German question that can be asserted with anything like certainty. There is one other point though which seems to be gaining implicit credence; indeed I have been assured by I very good authority that the ministry here are fully \ prepared for the int.) , vention of Austria in Saxony, and that they are taking the necessary Ave for counter demonstrations of the most energetic kir.d. Meanwhile, the Verwaltungsrath is to adjourn for a fortnight. The official accounts of the reverse and expendi ture of the country, the principal points of which I communicated yesterday, have been published to day. The accounts of 1849 were contained in two i very large and one small volume; those of the present Ebe Court, OSSORNE, Doc H. The Qin en and Prince and her ]loyal Highn ess the Duchess of and pork of (ThorneKent walked this f orenoon in the groooso Hi s Royal Highness the Prince of Wales the N u ., Royal, and the younger members of the roy a l :family mi l ked and rode as notiol. There was no aldi•ion to the Royal dinner party me , * A deputation from Goldsmiths' Hall bad an bites, view with the Chancellor o f the Exchequer yesterday at h i , official residenre in Dawning-a'reet. The deputati on e on . s i de d o f Mr. B gle Smith, Prime Warden ; Mfr A, Co pes 44 land and Mr. Johnson, Wardens ; atten d ed b y me / clerk of the company, and Mr. Mayne. His Excellency the Danish Minister had an i ti t e , view with Rae Gres yesterday at the Coloniatofflee, Sir Francis Baring returned to his residence at tin Admiralty yesterday, from his seat in Morayshire. The Solicitor-General had an interview yesterday with the CnancelLir of the Exchequdr —Mr. Higimm, Seer s . Lary and Comptroller•Oeneral to tie Coramiseioner s for m o Reduction of the National Debt, and Mr. Tidd Pratt hat also an interview yes erday wile the right hon. baronet, Mr. Moyle had n interview yesterday with E l d Ole y. Despatches were received yesterday at the Colony]. (ace from the Governor of Gibraltar. --- The Judicial Committee of the Privy Connell sot yesterday and resumed the hearing . of the ~npeal from the Court of Arches, " Gorham v. the B ishop of Exeter." u s came was adjourned until this day. Mamore-Houss.--The Lord Mayor entertained g dinner last evening Mr. Aldermen Humphrey, ?cp.. Ga vernor of the Irish Society, the deputy. K. vernor, Mr Alden man and Sheriff Lawrence, Mr. Sheriff Nicoll, Mr. Under sheriff Millard, Mr. Under-sheriff Wire, the chairmen o f the several corooration committees (previous to the lapin. tion of their office), the master, wardens, and aseetant of Ma worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlen (his lordship's company), and several private friends. From the faespirin ni comineutemrnt it may be readily inferred wet during in, present mayoralty ttere will be no d i min ution of the spl it . did hospitality which generally dasticgauebet tte men of the chief magistrate. TUN POST-OFFICIS SUNDAY DUTIES. —The of the district surveyors to the °emend Foy:Office is lig country have been summoned to St. Illartia's-leHreas, sal have been muted with Mr. Rawland Hill several tweaks hours together. The precise obji et of the crp subsions his not transpired ; but it is understood they hare rstrrence the best and most satisfactory plan for abolishing the blank day circulation of letters and relieving the provincial tn. warding offices from Luoday labour. The district eurves rg; seven in number, are very superior officers of the P.st.Officis department, and their official residences b , iog in distant parts of the country they are never all summoned to wow is London but fur some important purpose. Tire offieisl dences of the surveyors are at Ipswich, Dab), Olotower, Dorking, Patrick, Leeter, and O.westry. RAILWAY MEETINGS. LONDON AND BLACKWALL. • special meeting of the proprieters was tel.! yesterday, at the London Tavern, to take into consideret.on the report of the committee of prn'rietore app the last her yearly meeting ; Mr. J. N. Damn., in the ei air. The meeting having decide ; against hearing the reporter the eununitiee read, en the ground that they were fully acquainted with it, Mr. CiOLDSMI.D, as the chairman tel V . ia committee moved that the report of the committee and the circular eon mining the observations of the directors, shetnd be catered on the minutes. He ecmplained that the latter document had been issued so recently that there had net liven time to prepare an answer. The three allegations of the toonnittes were: that the company paid more than it ought. that it rid not gain so much as it ought, and that it did not really refin what it gained ; and ha maintained that those Cereal had not been shaken by the eireetors. (Hear, here) iVidt regard to the taking of the tickets, the committee were 61 o,.inion that the arrangements afforded great opportasitiesfw fraud, in support of which statement he would oteens that t the whole of the tickets were sent in every night os ohs superintendent's office, and burnt without being eurainell. To show that there was an undoe exteneion of tte principle of free passage, he need only mention ' , hat two members et this committee, before they were well known to the con. pany's C Ric; rs, had found no difficulty in tray Bing free. As regarded the wharf accommodation, there bed been mach eagle for complaint. The accommodation palled by stem. boats might be debateable. As to the level creasing at the junction at Poplar, the alteration suggested by the eommittee might, he believed, have been egret: d out, as Lord Shaine bury's clause aid not apply to a case in which a company wished to act far itself. The grand question woe what the company should do? (hear, hear.) The ecmmittes recommend. d that there snould be a m wager of the whole concern, whose interests should be made identical with those of the company. (Cheers.) That, he believed, was the best mode of securing the greatest smile able degree of zeal, promptitude, and vigilance, the party appointed receiving a liberal eatery, and its inmate depend. fug on sure 's Further, the committee recommended that the ardente of the directors should be reduced trout I,oooLto 7001. (Caren ) Mr. TOZER thought this wharf should be made entirely open. He objected to the appointment of a manager as he consistent with the proper auterrity of the bused. It wet net as a railway but a. a terminus that their prorerty wee most likely to peeve valuable. It would be impo sible, hoe• ever, to n. goeiate with the Eastern Counties Company mil. oat obtainteg tom parliament increased pewees. Es believed that the London and North Western Company aid the Great Northern Company were more likely to use the line than Eg , tern Counties Company. Mr. LEVY opposed the proposition to appoint a manager. Tne CHAIRMAN reminded the meeting that the lurs, althou:h good is itself, was met by much com;.etitioc both from lend used trom water; and advised the meeting see to be led away by statements made on the authority of its enemies. As regarded the servants of the comply, not wchstanding the observations of the committee, he Wend they were neither too numerous nor overpaid. Mr. BATES addressed the meeting at some length, in explanation of his views u to the general principles of nil• way miner ment. The motion wan then carried, with two or three die sentieuts. The meeting th n proceeded to consider and dimes@ ofi seriatim, the recommendation , contained in the report of the commiVee. On the motion of Mr. GOLDSMID, seconded by Mr. Ma gee, the meeting adopted, on the recommendation of the committee, the tollowing resolution:—" That none of the officers shall hold any . office in another company, soy pant of the duties of which is to be performed during the busmen hours of this company." There were two or three dissentients. Mr. GOLDSMID then proposed the following :—" nuts general manager and superintendent be appointed, who, under the control of the directors, shall have the manage mem of all the affairs of the company." Mr. COLEMAN seconded the motion. Mr. HICKSON said that on this paint he had, as a mem ber of the committee, differed Iran the other members; is that respect the report was that of the chairman. (Hear.) Mr. TITE moved, as an amendment, "Test the further recommendations of the report of tbs committee be referred to the directors, wi h a recant to them that they will consider and report upon them at the next meeting of proprietors, and adopt such of them ss in the meantime they may consider would conduce to the interests of the company." Mr. J. WILSON, a new director, seconded the sued mint. The CHAIRMAN said the appointment of a managers , * the main point of difference between the committee and the board ; but if the proposal of the committee were adopted, the directors would be disposed to appoint Mr. Wight:ear the present superintendent. A SHAREHOLDER—Why not throw it open to com petition ? The CHAIRMAN thought that, after his 9 years' faith ful service, that would be very unjust to Mr. Wightenth whose unpopularity with opposing interests we. the bid proof that be deserved the confidence of the proprietors. After some con ion the amendment was Almon atte nimously adopted. On the motion of Mr. GOLDSMID, two resslutioas were agreed en, one reducing the remuneration of the d irectors from 1,001. to 700/. per annum ; the other requiring dal the accounts should ne gent to the proprietors at league week before each half-yearly meeting. On the moticn of the CHAIRMAN, a Tote of Umbel* given to the committee. The meeting then separated. but EAST ANGLIAN. Yester'ay a special meeting of this company was held al the London Tavern, to receive the report of tne commits* of bondholders appointed at the lost meeting to take Ws consideration the Klan recommended by the directors fr* relievingth b e y D flna ancinaimldziffi, z difficulties al the company. was taken The disir Kr. RUSSELL, one of the committee, then read the fe. por had wb takesinhamte i d uto eo that sniaiedeertaltetionlastthmeoetainoingunotef bonoyezadhogll they tbe company, and found the total of the , debt, due and undue, to be 2 80 , 8001 . Th e member A the bend meditate was 191. Sevin of these, holding tor th e ! 17,0001., had resorted to legal proceedings. The amount the simple contract debts amounted to 30,00d1. Teo st the ore ditors were suing the company. The committee bei also considered the beat course for the bondholders sad _, simple contract creditors to adopt, and were ananimwsllw opinion, that it wan b 5 taking measures to couatemet all individual rom geting judgment to the predice id dm r al body f of creditors t . The opinion of co unsel lisd bel l ,,„ a taken, and it was that this course was strictly legel committee had prepared a deed for this 'steno!, ar which the simple contract creditors end. bondvoldr would be placed. on the same tooting, by their agreellj, to the extension of time required, namely, seven /sera ,ffr the 31st December, 1849, on condition of thsirreetel, 5 per cent. per annum. lf this should be agree d to, ala` the largest creditors would be chosen to co-operate to lee future operations and business of the companylt settee trusted no further intention woul d h e MiAlkate 6 '. f other creditors to take advantage of the , it neva body , ^ their only remedy would be to take the. legal steps rea °llr _ mended by counsel in self•defenee. In cony 'lutioo, %I ' urged the propriety of every creditor giving tho decd no prepared his hearty concurrence, A long discon the "litree6a ourrai , ' took p.rt. PROPRIE <1 ". " theo ft thanks w: rl d TTo ei v Att totA P T i ochhirintenc committee hnsata b ll ib i l or erdr l e D e nw.e otilea t i Y d o dvsdt : i :: :: pp. e L t n p owt, tfi t re. seiehrito:i(eahre,l:, LONI Last eaTnit & B rion was he coasideration el bit Palle Du form were Ald , Carroll, A.der s r . COMIDiSPI Under -She tiff number of met Sir JAMES which the mee Mr. PULLI tion of the law referring parti with Beverley t following resol " That the according to b the weed City for the space c the said COME welfare of dm within theme members of i wient having r i g hts and du don, it is ne entire repeal certain act reign of (icor reference to, Mr. ACL, that the nth terfered with with the loci After som resolution we Mr. T. SM following eff< " That, it charge their don, the occt do meet in su on the tenth 6unday, and the attempt) , calculated t corporation ina quu ; and Court of C brought bet instruwed acconlingly. That reed volvc much adjourumin nnderetood the election Mr. PUI not quite ea ur tia n th . e i Mr. Act. would be u, contested adjourned of Fridsy. Th *snits hay for hia cow At the Committee An adj tiding an i held heat e' the object previously George th 4 the 11th I advertised On the warden 01 the pros that the the met , objects to them full; had be 4 to proci politan pi more col (Hear, ill would do day next, tion. Ai not funk clerk of which hi Mr. D sent olio rious pat from nes assoeistii Mr. td tun chair the mee in Saud Mr. E pat and Mr. I sity of on the 13 water q individc plied duty as his hest a cheep Mr. • Mr. Chelem this me which ; Mr.. conded Mr. CI — Thar Ceeding AN: A nezer puutti( attend tation Hall, The