The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-18 00:00:00

between the Imperialists and the TAEPING
Revolutionists, threatens so alarmingly to cut off our
supplies of tea, and that, moreover, sooner than the
majority perhaps anticipate. Whatever the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer may decide, however, in
respect to hops, to tea, and to sugar—we do ear-
nestly hope that his new Budget may be remark-
able above all things by its evidencing a firm reso-
lution on his part vigorously to undertake at length
to hasten a comprehensive revision and an equitable
readjustment of the Income Tax. Upon this head
Mr. HUBBARD has happily assumed to himself the
task of endeavouring at least to keep our Financier
up to the mark—so far, at any rate, as that may be
accomplished by a timely reminder.

VOCAL ASSOCIATION, ST. TAMES'S

HALL.

We learn with great pleasure that the next sea-
son of the Vocal Association Concerts, St. James's
Hall, will commence on Wednesday, March 19th.
This Association now holds its place among the first
Musical Societies in England, and reflects the
highest credit on M. Benedict, who founded it in
the year 1856, and who has conducted it ever since
with the most cordial support and applause from
the Public and the Press.

Motetts, Madrigals, Chorales, Part Songs, and
Glees, form the leading features of these entertain-
ments, and the repertoire of the society now holds
some of the choicest specimens of this order of music
ever possessed. The artistes, both vocal and instru-
mental, are first-class, as the following names fully
prove :—Miss Louisa Pyne, Madame Lemm,ons
Sherrington, Miss Banks, Madame Laura Baxter,
Signors Gardoni, Guglielmi, Belart, Belletti,
Garcia, Herr Fo rmes, Miss Goddard, Lindsay Sloper,
M. Benedict, M. flaitton, Ole Bull, Aptommas,
Herr Oberthur, and the well-known and appre-
ciated Quintette Union ; with others, too numerous
to mention. The " Conversazione" will be on a
grander scale than usual this year; and, to meet the
extra interest attached to the season from the Inter-
national Exhibition, will not take place until the
last week in June.

Most warmly do we wish the Association may
enjoy the patronage and praise it has hitherto
secured. It would be superfluous to wish it more.

THE LA ST DEVICE OF A MERIC A N
71N.A1V OIERS.

The Note Bill which is soon to regulate the Ame-
rican currency has not yet become law, and any
account of its provisions must, therefore, be prema-
ture, and might be inaccurate; but it is now stated
that it will for certain contain a clause so important
to English exporters as to require immediate atten-
tion. The note is to be a legal tender everywhere
except at the Custom-house. The Government will
pay away its own paper, but will not take its own
paper. It will pay its creditors in a currency
which it manufactures and they must take, but
it will not receive that currency from its debtors.
The duties at the Custom-house are to be
paid in gold. The effect on the English
exporters to America is evident. They will have
to find gold on the spot for the purpose. They may
have " credits" on America, but these credits will be
ordinarily cashed in the currency which is the legal
paper will be rejected. The
tender of America—that is in paper—and at the
Custom House that
merchant must change his paper into coin, and this
exchange he will only be able to effect at a heavy
premium. The depreciation of the paper which is
about to be issued in large quantities must be heavy
and must be uncertain. It may be one thing to-
day and another to-morrow. A sudden demand
for a large payment in foreign countries may raise
the premium on gold to a very high point quite
suddenly and without warning. Any sudden
event that impairs domestic confidence may
do the same. Of all elements connected
with the foreign exchange, the premium on
gold, as compared with an inconvertible
currency, is the most uncertain and difficult to
anticipate beforehand ; and yet an English exporter
to America is now asked to pay his premium in
addition to the existing heavy burdens on him. The
inevitable effect must be to depress foreign importa-
tion and protect native industry. A more disas-
trous device even American financiers do not as yet
seem to have thought of. Their principal revenue
is still derived from foreign imports, and yet they
impose, in addition to the heavy tariff charges, upon
that importation a tax of incalculable amount,
which no merchant can fcresee, which may be 5
per cent. when his goods are shipped and 20 when
his goods arrive, which may easily absorb all his
profits. If a financier had wished to annihilate
foreign importation and Customs revenue, he could
not have adopted a more effectual remedy than this.
—Economist.

BEDDING .PLANTB WITH CRIMSON AND
PURPLE LEAVES.

Of late years quite a new feature has been intro-
duced in ornamental gardening by the substitution
of plants with strikingly coloured foliage in the
place of plants producing gay flowers. The inno-
vation was at first regarded by many as opposed
to principles of correct taste in gardening, and
it was regarded as one of those freaks of fashion
which ate popular for a time and then pass
away. But events have not justified such
criticism. What are called " foliage plants "
have become more and more popular every
season since they first acquired importance, in
the disposition of colour masses and ornamental 1
groups. There is one good reason why plants of
this kind, if possessing the properties requisite in
bedders," that is, if adapted to form masses of uni-
form colours for purposes of contrast and harmony
with other plants, should be held in high esteem.
That good reason is, that from the production of the
first leaf till frost kills them down in the autumn,
foliage plants maintains the same character as
colour agents, and produce the effect required of
them throughout the whole period of their
growth. In this respect they are superior
I to all flowering plants; hut on the other hand
the colours they afford are not generally very
decisive, and the high colouring of flowers ;s needed
to bring out the foliage tints with due effect.
Rightly used, foliage plants enlarge the sphere of
colour designing, and produce combinations for
which we should seek in vain for materials among
plants with green leaves and gay flowers. The
system of bedding, now so elaborately developed,
derives some of its most important features from
the association of plants with characteristic
foliage with those that afford rich floral colour-
ing. Thus Lobelia speciosa, which forms the
most beautiful bands of bright blue on the
margin of beds of scarlet geraniums, shows
with tenfold effect when edged externally with
Cerastium tomentosum, a silvery.leaved plant of
low growth, which may be clipped to a low close
line, so as to furnish beds and ribbons with a finishing
boundary, which by contrast with bright colours is
most beautiful. There are hundreds of plants of
similar character, varying in their habit of growth,
for the most part easily kept and easily propagated,
which may be used in the summer decoration of the
garden, both to increase the variety of subjects and
add to the brilliancy, by the contrast of neutral
tints, of the most highly-coloured flowers.—The
Gardener's Weekly Magazine.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess
d'Aumale have returned to Orleans House, Twickenham,
from their seat in Worcestershire.

His Excellency the Spanish Minister will leave
Hereford-street on Thursday next for Spain.
Frances Anne Marchioness of Londonderry comes
to town to-day from Wynyard Park, Durham, for the
season.

Lady Caroline Mame held an assembly last even-
ing at her residence in Upper Grosvenor-street, which was
attended by the diplomatic corps and the members of the
aristocracy at present in town.

Mr. and Lady Edith Hastings are expected in
town in a few days from St. Leonard's-on-Sea. Mr. Hast-
ings has taken a residence in Grosvenor-square for the
season.

A Vienna letter of the 14th states that Prince
Windischgraetz had become so much worse that no hope
was entertained of his recovery.