The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-07 00:00:00

LIABILITIES.

Capital ... .. •-• ... ... f. 67,900,000 0
Ditto of the Branch Banks ... ... 23,350,000 0
Reserve fund ... ... ... ... 10,000,000 0
Ditto of the branch banks ... ... 2,980,750 14
Reserve-immobiliere ... ... ... 4,000,000 0
Notes to bearer, in circulation ... ... 451,776,600 0
Ditto of the branch banks ... ... 128,126,650 0
Ditto to order (post-bills) ... ... 6,875,574 26
Account-current with Treasury creditor 78,927,434 30
Various accounts current ... ... 118,522,732 16
Ditto in branches ... ... ... 26,192,867 C
Bills payable at sight ... ... 8,791,500 0
Ditto at branches ... .. ... 3,025,931 0
Dividends payable ... • • ... 776,422 25
Liquidation of the Algiers Bank ... 6,790 0
Expenses anticipated ... ... ... 117,108 39
Discounts, interest, and expenses ... 287,596 47
Ditto of branch banks ... ... ... 495,473 0
Re-discounts of the last six months ... 168,450 0
Ditto in branch banks .. ... ... 240,432 0
Interest on protested bills ... ... 178,404 2
'Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... 337,193 52

L 933,077,908 51
Certified by the Governor of the Bank,
D'Aua OUT.
It appears from the preceding account that the cash
in hand has decreased by 947,000 f. The commercial
bills discounted have decreased by 3,049,000 f. The
Bank notes in circulation have decreased by 7,868,000 f.
The balance to the credit of the Treasury has decreased
by 1,535,000 f. The sundry credits have increased by
5,916,000 f.

THE ARMY AND NAVY:
(From the United Service Gazette of this day.)
THE NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY'S FIRST ACT.—We
regret to hear that the first act of the new Foreign
Secretary has been that of truckling to America, in the
affair of her Majesty's sloop Express, 6, Captain Fead,
and the American packet Prometheus, at Graytown. To
conciliate the Government of the United States, the
Express has been ordered to leave the West Station, and
to proceed to the Brazils.
rIE COMMAND OF THE NEW ARCTIC SEARCHING
EXPEDIIION.—it is now certain that Captains Sir E.
Belcher and Henry Kellett, C.B. (1842), will command
the ships of the new searching expedition. The gallant
officers are already making their arrangements. Com-
mander M'Clintock, of the two last expeditions, will
also have the command of a ship in this squadron.
IMPORTATION OF GUNPOWDER AT THE CAPE.—After
the determination of the Governor to restrict the impor-
tation of Gunpowder, her Majesty's sloop Grecian, 12,
Commander the Hon. G. 1). Keane, was ordered to
cruise elf tho west coast, to intercept all vessels having
cargoes of gunpowder intended for the colony.
Her Majesty's screw corvette Encounter, Captain
Gordon, now in the Mediterranean, has been ordered to
Lisbon, as we have already stated. Fresh instructions
have been sent out, ordering her to Spithead for Channel
service.

REDUCTION CF TEE COAST OF AFRICA. SQUADRON.—
We StltA some time wilt© that the Gladiator steam-
frigate, Captain Adams, had been ordered from the coast
of Africa to the Cape. We now hear that the other
post ship on the coast station, the Sampson steam-fri-
gate, Captain L. T. Jones, together with the Archer,
12, screw-sloop, Commander Strange, are also to be de-
tached from the coast station, and are likely to join Com-
modore Martin, at Lisboa.
Her Majesty's sloop Pantaloon, 8, Commodore Hyde
Parker, may be expected at Portsmouth every hour.
She sailed from the Mozambique for England without
touching at the Cape, for very particular reasons.
Her Majesty's steam-vessel Harpy, on the Brazils
station, has been surveyed, and in consequence of the
detective state of her boilers, she has been ordered to
England forthwith to be paid off and repaired.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Inflexible, 6, Commander
H. P. Dyke, has been ordered to leave the West India
station, and to proceed forthwith to Lisbon, to join the
squadron of Commodore Martin.
Her Majesty's steam-frigate Dragon, 6, Captain 11.
W. Giffard, now at Gibraltar, has been ordered to pro-
ceed to Lisbon, and join Commodore Martin's squadron.
Her Majesty's frigate Indefatigable, 50, Captain
Smart, K.H., has been ordered to be detached from the
Mediterranean station, and to join Commcdoro Martin's
squadron at Lisbon.

NEW DOUBLE-BARRELLED RIFLE.—We have seen a
letter from an officer of the Artillery at the Cape of
Good Hope, giving an account of a double-barrelled rifle,
which seems to eclipse every projectile of the kind
hitherto °tiered to public notice. According to the
writer, the rifle has ranged (with a false sight) two
thousand and twenty-four yards. He has himself, with
a Minie bullet, shot with precision at twelve hundred
to fifteen hundred yards! There can be no mistake
about these factr, for we have seen the letter—that of an
officer well known to us personally—in which he gives
an order for the immediate supply of another such rifle.
EXTINGUISHING FIRES.—The Admiralty, with the
view of ordering the most effectual means for preventing
or extinguishing fire, have called upon the Dockyard au-
thorities to state whether any organised system has been
established for extinguishing firo afloat or ashore.
ORDNANCE.—There are 217 pieces of cannon mounted
on the forts, towers, and batteries in Ireland, and 13 dis-
mounted.

'ROOPS FOR FOREIGN SERVICE.—The following corps
are held in readiness to embark for service-Ist, Royal,
2d Battalion; 31st, 40th, and 57th Regiments.
Of the allowance of 1001. a-year granted to twenty
Lieutenant-Colonels, having the Brevet of Colonel upon
half-pay after thirty years' full pay service, there is 9004
a-year unappropriated at the present moment.
Captain D'Aguillar, of the Royal Artillery, has suc-
ceeded Major Harvey as Aide-de-Camp to the Lieu-
tenant-General commanding the South-Western District.
Tho following depots of Infantry, stationed in Ireland,
are first on the roster for Great Britain, viz., 66th, 34tb,
73d, 6th, Royal; 41st, 49th, 59th, 47th, 92d, Gordon
Highlanders; 68th, Light Infantry; 55th; 3d Buffs;
74th Highlanders; 60th Rifles, 2d Battalion; 2d, or
Queen's Royal; and 43d Light Infantry.
The following Infantry regiments, stationed in Ire-
land, are first on the roster for foreign service-71st,
Highland Light Infantry, Ist Battalion; 89th, 39th, 14th,
9th, 62d, 17th, 52d, Light Infantry; 63d, 81st, 35th,
27th (Inniskilling); 90th, Light Infantry, and 91st, Ist
Battalion.

THE ENGLISH PRESS.
(From the Times.)
Destined, as we believe the press to be, to occupy a
position of continually increasing importance, and to
exercise a power over the formation of public opinion
compared with which its present influence is but slight,
it is most desirable that a true theory of its duties, re-
sponsibilities, and field of action should be enunciated,
or, at any rate, that it should not be fettered by the ap-
plication of erroneous tests and arbitrary principles. The
ends which a really patriotic and enlightened journal
should have in view are, we conceive, absolutely identi-
cal with the ends of an enlightened and patriotic Mi_
nktcr, but the means by which the journal and the
Minister work out these ends, and the conditions under
which they work, are essentially and widely different.
The statesman in opposition must speak as one prepared
to take office; the statesmen in office must speak as
one
prepared to act. A speech or a dispatch with them is
someth:ng more than an argument or an essay.-_it t
ofa
measure. Undertaking not so much the investigation
political problems as the conduct of political ait airs, they
are necessarily not so much seekers after truth as ex-
pediency. The press, on the other hand, has no practi-
cal function; it works out the ends it has
argument and discussion alone, and beingpeirnfevcitelyw un-
connected with administrative or executive duties, may
st
hvi
eh ich
press ment o
obo p
aso-
and must roam at free will over topics
h action dare not touch. Werpic
Lord Derby wishes to see it, confinede within the same
narrow limits as practical statesmen, it would lose at
once its power and elasticity, and sink into a dull chro-
nicle of passing events. It is because it can discuss
things which political men in
and throw off the conventional•buckram must not assail,
tone which they are or