The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-01 00:00:00

THE CURRENCY QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The following is taken from a copious statistical
table in Archibald Ahson's work entitled "England in
1815 and 1845, or a Sufficient and a Contracted Cur-
rency," published by Blackwood and Sons in 1846 :
Bank of England notes in cir- 1814. 1843.
culation £24,801,030 £19,361,410
Aggregate of Private Bank
notes in circulation 22,700,000 7,114,458

Total of cash note circtdation 247,501,080 £26,475,868
Commercial paper under dis-
count at Bank of England —.213,285,800 No return.
Shipping employed (tonnage) 2,616,965 4,781,341
Population of Great Britain 13,200,000 19,200,000
Revenue £71,134,503 56,935,022
Commitments for crime in Eng-
land and Wales, despite all
efforts to improve the people,
stand thus 6,390 29,591
Price of gold, per ounce
Price of wheat
We cannot carry on war (or commerce either success-
fully) with a restricted currency, as the above statistics
prove. The absurdity of basing our circulating medium
on the precious metals can only be exceeded by an
attempt to base it on sunshine. The Bank of Eng-
land is correctly named, and ought no longer to be
monopolised by a joint stock company, whose interests
are adverse to the national interests.

The Government ought to issue all the paper money
that is issued and conduct the National Bank. Country
bankers should derive their supply of paper money from
the National Bank upon security, and at a certain charge
which, with other operations, should give the National
Bank a very large revenue.
Paper money ought to circulate strictly in accordance
with the legitimate requirements of commerce, and alto-
gether irrespective ofgold or silver, which should become
articles of merchandise ; but, according to Peel's Laws,
the reverse is the case. The spirit of the vile bill of
1844 is—the more you want, the less you shall have. If
gold goes out of the country to buy corn or pay the
troops, the paper is to be withdrawn ; and with-
out a circulating medium, the land cannot be culti-
vated nor profits made, out of which Mr. Gladstone
proposes to derive so large a revenue. In fact, it
amounts to a resolution, that because we are obliged
to buy our corn this year we won't grow any next year.
To curtail the circulating medium, and depress prices
at such a time, can only be equalled in absurdity by an
order to destroy all agricultural implements.

A. B.
A Constant Reader of your Paper,

I BIRTHDAY OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ARTHUR.
—This being the fourth anniversary of the birth of his
Royal Highness Prince Arthur, the day was ushered in
with the usual demonstration of loyalty on the occasion.
The royal standard was hoisted at the churches of St.
Martins-in-the-Fields, St. Mary's, Abbot's, Kensington,
and St. Margaret's, Westminster. The bells pealed
forth their merry sound, and the flag of the commis-
sioners appointed to execute the office of Lord High
Admiral was hoisted at the Admiralty and Somerset-
house. Her Majesty gives a large juvenile ball at Buck-
ingham Palace in honour of the occasion.
The Earl and Countess Cowper and family have ar-
rived in Stanhope-street from Panshanger.
The Earl and Countess of Portarlington have arrived
in town from Brighton.
The Right Hon. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli have
returned to Grosvenor-gate, from Hughenden Manor,
for the season.

Mr. Harcourt and (Frances) Countess Waldegrave
entertained Lady Palmerston and a distinguished circle
at dinner on Saturday evening, at their residence in
Carlton House-gardens,.,
Sr. JAMES'S THEATEr.-011 Saturday evening the
second representation :;of., the short season for French
comedie and vaudeville, under the direction of M. Lafont,
was honoured with the presence of her Majesty the
Queen, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, her Royal
Highness the Princess Royal, attended by the Countess
of Charlemont, the Hon. Miss Macdonald, Lord de
Tabley, Lord Charles Fitzroy, and Colonel Seymour.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rent, accompanied
by her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, and
her Royal Highness the Princess Mary, attended by
Lady Anna Maria Dawson, Colonel Liddell, and Sir
George Couper, also honoured the performance with
their presence.
THE LATE MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.—DEATH OF
MR. HALSEY, M.P.—The wreck from which Sir Robert
Peel had so providential an escape has proved fatal to
another member of the House of Commons, Mr. Thos.
Plumer Halsey, one of the colleagues of Sir Edward
Bulwer Lytton in the representation of Hertfordshire,
in which Sir Henry Meux, the eminent brewer, is also
a representative. Yesterday (Sunday) a telegraphic
message was received from Marseilles by Mr. lalsey's
solicitor, corroborating the announcement first made
known to them by the public papers—a source from
which, by the way, Lady Peel has alone been in.
formed of the narrow escape of her son from a watery
grave. Of the lamented gentleman's party there
were drowned five—namely, himself, Mrs. Halsey,
an infant son, and two servants. His son and heir,
a youth 14 years of age, is studying at Eton. The de-
ceased was first returned for Hertfordshire in 1846 on
High Tory principles. In 1847 he came in without
opposition, and on the occasion of the last serious contest
in 1852 he was at the head of the poll. He was the
son of Joseph Thompson Whateley, Esq., who assumed
the name of Halsey on his marriage with the heiress of
the Halseys of Gaddesden, one of the oldest families in
the kingdom. Mr. Halsey was a nephew of the Arch-
bishop of Dublin. He was born in 1815, and married in
1839 the daughter of Colonel Johnstone, of Helton, who,
as well as her lamented husband, has been prematurely
cut off. The family property is very extensive, and is
almost entirely situate in the county of Herts. , A nu-
merous circle will regret, as well Mr. Halsey 's early
death as the melancholy circumstance from which it
resulted. The maternal grandfather of the deceased
represented Hertfordshire during the years 1768, 1774,
and 1781.
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