The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-19 00:00:00

PAPER CURRENCY.

(From the Derbgshire Courier.)
That stern bullionist, the Times newspaper, has
occasionally lucid intervals when it utters opinions
on the currency question, bearing a wonderful re-
semblance to those of common sense. The other
day, in a leading article, in answer to the question,
" How far may we count on the speedy exhaustion
of Russia I" after discussing the resources of Russia
as to men and provisions, the writer proceeded to
treat of the " financial embarrassments" of the
empire. Russia, he observed, is above every other
country, "sufficient in itself, and may be isolated
without feeling the want of anything but luxuries."
And he then proceeded to propound the following
opinion :

" For the purposes ofi internal trade, paper may be
largely substituted for the precious metals without dis-
tress to the people ; and it is evident that the more they
are disconnected from foreign countries, the more they
are independent of the metallic currency, which is ne-
cessary for international dealings."

Now what is sauce for the Russian goose, is
sauce also for the British gander. If in Russia
paper money may be largely substituted for the
precious metals, for the purposes of internal trade
without distress to the people, why may not this
be the case in England ? During the period between
1797 and 1815, we know that we had Paper Re-
presentative, " Inconvertible " Money " without
distress to the people." And much more than
this, Paper money enabled the people to endure
all he evils of a protracted, to support an enor.
mous load of taxation, and nevertheless to make
advances in trade, commerce, and internal national
improvements, greater than had ever been known
in the world's history, in a similar space of time.
Well, we are at war again. We have heavy war
expenses ; we have thointerest of an immense debt
' pressing upon us ; and we have at this moment
the impending evils of an exceedingly high price of
nearly all the necessaries of life. If Paper Money
can do anything to lighten these burdens, now is
the 61E3 to make use of. Are we merely to main-
tain an abstract opinion of certain Currency
" dreamers " about Gold at 3/. 17s. 10id. an ounce ?
to risk the infliction of ruin on our merchants and
manufacturers, and distress and suffering on thou-
sands of the patient and enduring working-classes
during the coming winter ? Is England to endanger
its capability of carrying on a just and necessary
war with vigour, and at last $o descend from
its high position among nations merely to uphold
the Currency Crotchets of Peel and Jones Lloyd ?
The latter part of the dictum of the Times be-
, trays its scanty information on the subject which
it professes to teach. It is by no means " evident"
thatethe more disconnected with foreign countries
a nation is, the more independent it is of the me-
tallic currency. Our merchants found no difficulty
during the war in carrying on all "international
' dealings" with " incontrovertible" paper money,
and " gold at its market price." The " deficiency
of these metals, which have been adopted as a
standard for measuring other values," did us not
the least harm. In fact in an industrious, enter-
prising, commercial community, such as we have
in England, this " deficiency" cannot exist--unless
you call into existence an artifical drain of the pie.
cious metals by such absurd and unnecessary enact-
ments as the Bills of 1819 and 1844.
Can any one who for a moment gives attention
to the subject believe that we cannot, with our
iron, with our cotton goods, with our manufac-
buy from other nations what.
want gold and silver to
teuvreerswoef owvaenryt
?kinAdn,
And
if
we
pay our balances of trade, these " precious metals"
are just as easily bought with our commodities as
our commodities are to be bought with them.

THE NON•OOIIRATANT PRISONERS AT LEWES.—AIout
a fortnight since the Russian prisoners on parole in
Lewes, who held civil offices under the Russian govern-
ment, memorialised the Admiralty for their release ; and
a communication was made on the subject with the Rus-
sian government, which has declined to entertain any
proposal on the matter, and the prisoners will, conse-
quently, remain as prisoners of war. They are seven in
numlar, namely, two Fins and five Russians. The Fin
are Dr. Okerman, military surgeon ; Mr. Oebruhuni
sheriff of Bomarsund. The Russians are Mr. Kortcakoff
chief of police at Eupatoris. ; Mr. Lekochoctoff, lieuten•
ant of police of the same place ; Mr. Cirigo, police inter.
preter at Eupatoria, ; Mr. Bakanoff, au engineer ; and
Mr. Kortojanoff, sheriff of Kertch.--3104C4 Express.