The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-31 00:00:00

SWEDEN.

In Sweden the question of the Western alliance
becomes every day more and more canvassed.
Since last year the journals have asked whether
Sweden was to unite herself to the West ; what was
the most opportune moment for doing so ; and what
would be the position of Finland if taken away from
Russia. These questions have been lately treated
at length in a pamphlet recently published at
Stockholm, and entitled "The policy of Sweden in
the war of the Western Powers with Russia, and
the question of the constitution of Finland, in a
distinct state." The conclusions come to in this
pamphlet are thefollowing:—"The policy of Sweden
cannot differ from that of Europe, that is to say it
must tend to form a counterpoise to Russia. This
cannot take place except the threw Scandinavian
states—Sweden, Norway, and Denmark—are united
together under the same Government and form ono
single State, preserving their distinct constitutions.
Sweden cannot take part against Russia unless she
can look forward to the formation of a union of the
North, guaranteed by the Western Powers."

THE PACIFIC.
PANAMA, Oct. B.—The Pacific Steam Naviga-
tion Company's Royal Mail steamer Bolivia, W.
B. Wells, commander, arrived here this morning.
Her dates are—Valparaiso, Sept. 15 ; Coquimbo,
Sept. 16; Caldera, Sept. 17 ; Cobija, Sept. 19 ;
Iquique and Arica, Sept. 20 ; Islay, Sept. 21 ;
Pisco, Sept. 23 ; Callao and Huacho, Sept. 26 ;
Gamma, Sept. 27 ; Payta, Sept. 29 ; Guayaquil,
Sept. 30.
She also brings 267,00 dol. in specie, 650 pack•
ages of cargo, and 24 passengers, among whom!. are
General Belzu, ex-President of Bolivia, and suite.

HIE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT ON THE
SCARCITY.

-
The Belgian Moniteicr publishes the following
report, addressed to the King, under the date of
Oct. 25, by the Minister of the Interior :
" Sire,—When the price of provisions is high, the
people regret to see them turned aside from their natural
destination, and always seek the intervention of govern-
ment to prevent manufactures absorbing articles which
are necessary fur public sustenance. Thus, at this time,
there are demands from all sides that the manufacture of
starch should be limited, without considering that such
a measure would immediately injure the various work-
men who live by working at industrial occupations in
which the use of starchy matters is indispensable. Your
Majesty is aware that corn and potato starch are neces-
sary in manufactures, whether as the basis of glue, for
preparation of paper, the stiffening of cloth, &c., and
surely no one would contemplate putting serious ob-
stacles in the way of important fabrics by which thou-.
sands of workmen live.
" All that can legitimately be done is to encourage to
the utmost every effort to replace by other substances
the feculant matters which are now used in manufac-
tures. Experiments have been made with that view,
and, if I have been well informed, in some cases not
without success.

g, Everything seems to promise that well-conducted
investigations will be able to point out some non-alimen-
tarywhich may be advantageously substi-
tutedsufubstrsatnarceeh,
starch. I believe, Sire, that it will be useful
to encourage such researches, and I therefore have the
honour of proposing to your Majesty to offer a reward
of 10,000 francs to any inventor who may find means of
attaining the above results.
" P. BEDECKER, Minister of the Interior."
This report is followed by a royal decree of the same
date, which authorises the Minister of the Interior to
dispose of a sum of 10,000 francs, to be taken from the
funds allotted to the home budget far the encouragement
of industry, for the purpose of instituting a prize for the
discovery of a non-alimentary substance to replace the
use of starch in industrial occupations in which the hit-
ter is at present employed.
Another royal decree, of the 25th October, prohibits
the export of buckwheat.