The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING. MAY 18, 1 54,

BRIGHT, could not be restrained, perhaps it was
not wished, from a cannonade in the trans-Danubian
style of the Turks and Russians ; but the mover
of the resolution wasted none of his powder ; he
barely intimated that he had plenty of it ready
for instant use, but he adhered with almost logi-
cal severity to his strong point.
A strong point, too, it is. With no little un-
easy writhing and wriggling on their part—not,
however, quite so violent as that of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer to avoid surrendering the whole
advertisement duty—the two law officers of the
Crown and our versatile Home Secretary were
compelled to acquiesce in Mr. GIBSON'S motion.
They seemed but too happy to escape with the
accompanying verbal assurance that the Govern-
ment officials had done nothing in their
newspaper stamp prosecutions from personal
favour and partiality a charge which
they perfectly well knew Mr. GIBSON
never thought of bringing against them. They
plainly thought it a case for caution, and that
accepting an explanation was better than a duel
with an adversary who had so well selected his
weapons. The innocence of the Government law
officers, however, only makes Mr. GIBSON'S case
the stronger. Even under such blameless ad-
ministration it had to be confessed by the whole
House of Commons that " The laws in reference
to the Newspaper Stamp and periodical press are
ill defined and unequally enforced, and that the
subject demands the early consideration of Par-
liament."

Modest enough in appearance, such an unques-
tionable fact, and with only such a guarded
pledge in reference to it, is an impregnable posi-
tion from which to commence the grand attack.
Mr. GLADSTONE preferred giving up ultimately
his Income Tax to attempting an equitable
adjustment of it. He felt that a confessedly
unequal tax was doomed to extinction, and only
saved it for a time by promising some years hence
the means to supersede it. With what grace
therefore can he face hereafter the resolution
agreed to by his own colleagues, that the tax on
news never "can be equally enforced. The
English public will never long consent that
the Treasury should have the arbitrary work-
ing of a definition which depends on the
will or whim of Government officials. What
"news" is, no one yet, no lawyer, no judge,
no jury, has been able to determine with precision.
Public occurrences and facts, if told to the public
at intervals shorter than 26 days; are taxed as
news, but comments including or implying the
facts are not news ; literary journals, with a cer-
tain minor portion of news iu them, generally
escape; so do " class journals," if powerful enough
to fight Mr. Timm, who, however, incontinently
indemnities himself on journals not backed by a
proprietor who refers Mr. Trull to his solicitor.
The "Times," in every form—Musical, Law,
or Racing Times—seem to stay for no Mr.
TIMM ; and the Athenceum, with the Literary, and
the Medical Gazettes, appear also to use him as
they please. But when that awful functionary
sends his missive to the Potteries Free Press, or
the South Coast Journal, the penny preachers of
news and politics are obliged to bow to a five or
a twenty pounds penalty, and to accept the remis-
sion of the fine as an act of sovereign mercy.
They, simple souls, had supposed that the law
could and would be equally administered, and
that it the Builder, the Eating Times, &c., escaped,
they might escape also. They quite forgot that
the Newspaper Stamp Law was, and must be,
Treasury-made law.
This, then, was the sum of the whole deb de.
Mr. BRIGHT'S earnest appeals against the stamp,
as a tax on knowledge and education, will have
t:ieir weight, of course, but were irrelevant to the
main fact to which Mr. GIBSON compelled the
assent of the Rouse of Commons, Government
offici ds included. He has recorded on its jour-
nals the truth, which proved fatal to the defence
of a perpetual Income Tax, that the tax cannot be
administered with any approach to fairness ; a
defect which once distinctly acknowledged, no
impost can long survive. In this Mr. GIBSON
showed a skill worthy, we think, of a leader of i
the House of Commons.

Of course the discussion pointed to the abolition
of the tax, and on that subject Mr. BRIGHT'S
speech will be read with interest. He calculates
that with a penny stamp for such papers as pass
through the post the Treasury would realise as
much as it does now. The number of papers
would be increased, he thinks, tenfold, and that
one-tenth would thus pay the same stamp duty as
' they now do, but as bona fide postage. No one will
wish that the Post-office should be charged for no-
thing, with the conveyance and delivery of news-
papers, or other printed documents, but we must de-
cidedly maintain that here the American practice
is the sound one. They charge all printed paper
at half the rate of letters ; and certainly it wouli
be most unreasonable to expect the Post-office fb
carry the largest paper and its supplements for the
same charge as that made on some small penny
journal ; and, on the other hand, unfair to the
small newspaper that it should pay as much as
the large one. The newspaper postage-stamp must
commence from one halfpenny upwards, and we
feel confident that this atrangement, as most just,
would be most profitable also.

At the present time, when it is impossible to
say what way be the consequence of the war to
the mercantile and trading community of the
country and those dependent thereon, it is incum-
bent upon all, while in their power, to provide
for the hour of misfortune, should it arrive ; and
we therefore direct attention,' as we have before
had the pleasure of doing, to the account of the
tenth election of annuitants on the Benevolent
Fund of the Provident Clerks' Association, when
three clerks and four widows of clerks were elected
to annuities, making, on the whole, ten clerks and
thirty—me widows annuitants on the fund.
It is gratifying to find that the benefits of this
excellent institution are distributed alike in town
and country ; and we feel satisfied that, as its ob-
jects become more generally known, it will receive
the support of the many benevolent individuals
in this couutiy.

THE EARL OF LICHFIELD.—It iS stated that this
nobleman (late Lord Anson) ha,i purchased the Gondola
yacht from Mr. Woodhouse, and intends to emhark ou
an extended aquatic excursion early in the season.
DEATH OF TIM COUNTESS OF PORTSMOUTH.—This

noble lady, we regret to say, expired on the 12th inst.,
at her mansion at Eggelsford, in her 78th year. Her
ladyship was widow of the last Earl of Portsmouth, and
sister to the present Earl Fortescue.

RATES OF EXCHANGE.—The French rate of exchange
continues firm at previous, rates. Another favourable fact
is that silver and dollars are in the market here, and
that prices are heavy, notwithstanding the last quota-
tions from India and China.

DRINKING THE HEALTH OF THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.
---A few days since a dinner was given to the tenants
of Mr. Heathcoat, M.P. for Tiverton, of which it will
be remembered Lord Palmerston is the other represen-
tative. After the cloth had been removed various toasts
were proposed, and'among the rest was that of "The
health of the Emperor of Russia, and may the war last
for seven years," which was proposed and seconded by
two farmers, named respectively Densem and Hewitt.
As might have been expected, the toast was received
with indignation ; and its proposer has since been
taunted by all with whom he has come in contact.
Indeed, it was questionable whether he would not have
been mobbed by the women who assembled on the fol-
lowing market-day. Such sentiments of disloyalty, it is
scarcely necessary to state, are not generally entertained
by the Devonshire farmers, notwithstanding their fond-
ness for high prices for their wheat.

THE WAR. ---ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN.—The following
is a copy of the address of the corporation of Cork to the
Queen, on the subject of the Russian war, and of the
reply thereto, received from Lord Palmerston :
"To THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
"May it please your Majesty— We, your Majesty's duti-
ful and loyal subjects, the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses
of Cork in council assembled, at this momentous crisis of
the commencement of the war, approach your Majesty with
the humble expression of our devoted loyalty and attach•
men t to your Majesty's throne and person, and we f :rvently
pray that the Supreme Disposer of events may vouchsafe
to bless your Majesty's arms and those of your august allies,
SO that, speedily vanquishing your enemies, you may secure
to Europe the blessings of a solid and endurinc, peace.
" J. N. MUIiPHY, Mayor of

" ALEXANDER M"CatiTtiY, Town Clerk,"
" REPLY.

" Whitehall, May 8, 1854.
" Sir—l have had the honour to lay before the Queen
the loyal and dutiful address of the mayor, aldermen, and
burgesses of Cork in council assembled, which accompanies
Your letter of the lst inst., and I have the satisfaction to
inform you that her Majesty WC2 pleased to receive tho
same very graciously —I am, air, your obedient servant,
The TOTTII Clerk of Cog." " rALREIIS79N."

MONEY MA RILL r

AND
COMMER,CIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWO o'CLOCK

The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday
were estimated at 5,000 bales, including 1,000
American taken for export and on speculation.
The market closed heavily, with a downward ten-
dency. Compared with Friday's rates, prices of
American were nearly id. per lb. lower. Railway
shares were quiet.

The following is the report of Messrs. H. W.
Jewesbury and Co. upon the indigo auctions :
"Since the last February sale, the demand for indigo,
in common with most other descriptions of produce,
has been exceedingly limited, and as prices were very
generally expected to rule lower, the sale just concluded
opened heavily, at a serious reduction upon February
rates—the limited amount of orders from the con-
tinent, also the home trade operating very spa-
ringly, and the advanced rate for money, have alto-
gether caused one of the flattest sales ever remembered.
Fine shipping indigo has declined 6d to 9d, and in some
instances is per lb. ; upon the ordinary and good de-
-Bcriptions the fall has been about 6d per lb. Madras
ood and fine (being scarce) sold at about last sale's
rates ; the ordinary sorts were 3.1 to 4d per lb. lower, a,
was also good and fine Kurpah, the ordinary qualities
being 4d to 6d per lb. under February prices. Of the
quantity brought forward, it is estimated that 2,808
chests are bought in, 5,048 withdrawn, and 3,300 sold.
to which may be added about 200 of the bought in and
withdrawn, making the total quantity sold about 3,500
chests, of which 1,800 are said to be for export, and
1,700 for home use and re-sale. The following are the
quotations as compared with the last February sale :--
Fine shipping 6d to is lower ; good ditto, 4d to 6il
lower; broken and consuming, 4d to 6d lower; Madras,
good and fine, par to 3tl lower ; middling ordinary, 3.i
to 4d lower ; Kurpah, good and fine, 3d to 4d lower ;
middling and ordinary, 4d to 6d lower ; Oude, 4d to 6d
lower ; Pondicherry, 9d to is lower.
The letters by the Overland Mail have been de-
livered this morning, and they represent business
as being rather dull generally. The insurrection
in China seems to make progress, and at any rate
the Imperialists have not gained any material
successes.

The ship " Flying Dragon," arrived at Ceylon,
furnishes advices to,the 15th February from Mel-
bourne, in which we find a few additional items.
It is stated in one letter that business had been
circumscribed, but that there was a decidedly
firmer tone generally, with a tendency to improve-
ment. When the cessation of shipments from
Great Britain begins to be understood, a marked
advance was looked for in all articles of general
consumption, but, nevertheless, a further decline
in spirits was probable. The alteration in the
tariff, imposing a duty of 6d. per gallon on beer, had
an effect in causing that article to decline slightly.
There was a considerable demand at the various
" diggins" for supplies. The quan ti tyofgold brought
down to Melbourne from Jan. 28, to Feb. 14, was
63,833 ounces, and the shipments had been
80,632 ounces, of which 250 ounces were to Syd
ney. The arrivals were large, comprising 53 ves-
sels from British and foreign ports of 19,812 tons.
The addition to the population, allowing for the
departures, was 2,709 persons. Timber was in re-
quest, but the price was not high, owing to the
difficulty of procuring storage.
The Honourable East India Company have
taken up the Royal George to convey troops, and
the Barham for stores to Calcutta.

The rate of exchange for bills drawn by the Hon-
ourable East India Company, has been reduced id.
per rupee—viz., to is. 111 d. on Madras, and 2g.
on Ilmbay. Tois would appear to indicate either
a falling off in the demand for remittance , that
may result in smaller specie exports hence, or
otherwise larger payments to he made here by the
company, which desires to offer greater temptation
to purchasers.
The value of money has been getting up steadily
here to the Bank of England minimum, and the
discount houses are doing the best bills very cur-
rently at 51 per cent, and according to date, still
more is asked. The Bank of Belfast has advanced
its rate of discount from 5 to 51 per cent. The
French Government, as was expected, has lowered
the interest in Treasury bills, and money is very
abundant at Paris. The exchanges will be favour-
ably influenced when the new law is in force, allow-
ing colonial produce to be brought here, as the
stocks in France are small.

A meeting of the shareholders in the Albion
Gold Mining Con3pnny is now in progress, the
object being to expose the mismanagement and
promote the winding up. The proceedings have
not yet concluded.

Public Securities are still advancing, the ener-
getic course pursued Ly Austria having the effect of
strengthening the impression that Russia cannot
long resist such a coalition. Consols have been 88
to 89 for transfer, and 88a to for account. The
New k per Cents. have been marked 88. E to 88,
and the 3 per Cents. 87a to Bank Stock has
been firm at 204, and India Stock quiet at 235.
Exchequer Bills are Is. discount to 2s. premium.
The foreign market has been dull as reg irds
Spanish American and speculative stock, but there
have been several bargains in Northern Bonds•
Russian 5 per Cents, have declined to 95 and 941-,
and the 41- per Cents. to 811. Belgian 44 per Cents.
have been at 90, and Dutch 2 per Cents. at 58A
to 59. Spanish Deferred Bonds are 18g- to
The railway share market has been very firm,
with, however, only a limited business doing.
French shares are steady, and Northern higher.
The other foreign lines have been in moderate
request.
Gold Mines are merely nominal, the Oriental
Bank shares have risen about about 1/., and Aus-
tralian Agricultural Land are buoyant.
The last week's railway receipts ascertained up
to this day are in round figures as under :

1854. 1353.
Great Western
North-Westf rn
Sauth-Western
Brighton
Midland
South- Eastern 16,142 14.210
Czledonian, and Edin. and Glasgow 16,385 14,086
Great Northern 18,069 15,742
Lancashire and Yorkshire
York and North Midland.
Newcastle ai.d Berwick } 23,308 26,339

Leeds Northern

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
irront the Official L‘st.

lank Stock
per Cent. Reduced Annuities B7l I
:3 per Cent. Consols Annuities BB4 1 9 83
yew 3i per Cent. Annuities BB.t
onq Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860 4 9-16
4ttG 30 Years, Expire 10th Oct., 1859 4 5-16
law, Stuck
;ensols for Account tth June BBl I
4xcliequer Bills, 2d.
1:1000
Small
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
4ussian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £ St 951 5
Ditto for the Account .
iardiniau Bonds, 5 per Cent............
ipartish Now Deferred, 3 per Cont.
Ditto for the Account.. lB/
Ditto Passive (Converted) 3i
Dividends on the shove payable in London.
Belgian Bonds 4i per Cent. ex. 25 fr
Dutch Exchange, 24 per Cent. 12 Gu11...., 59 8i
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates ....
HALF-PAST TWO.

Consols
Ditto June Account BBl i
88/ i

OPENING THE NEW STREET TO ST. PAUL'S.--The last
portion of the new thoroughfare of Cannon-street West,
opening up a direct communication between the south
side of St. Paul's Cathedral and London-bridge, is now
being paved, between Old Change and the churchyard,
with blocks of granite, and the Commissioners of City
Improvements have definitively fixed that this import-
ant line of thoroughfare shall be opened throughout on
Monday next, the 22d inst.
SHIP MAILS DURING THE MONTH. —Notice was
issued from the General Post-office yesterday that ship
mails will be made up for Melbourne, to be sent by the
Great Britain, which leaves England on the 10th of
June next ; for Constantinople, by a steamer which
loaves May 27 ; for Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Ayres, and
Monte Video, by a steamer which leaves June 1, and
for Hudson's Bay, Vancouver Island, and Sandwich
Islands, by vessels which leave England during this
month.

SHIP ON FIRE.—MELI3OURNE, Feb. 2.—On the 16th
of December, Captain Grant, of the ship Tay, recently
arrived at Adelaide, discovered smoke ascending from
the main hatchway, and upon making the closet
evarnination of the la len hull, ascertained that the
coal had become ignited by spont.tneous donibustnni.
To attempt to extinguish the fire by removi. g any
portion of the cargo, and so giving the air free ad-
mission to the hold of the vessel, would probably
have proved a most destructive course. A more safe
remedy, that of battening down the hatchways, was
' adopte.i, and the captain, the first offieer, and a few of
the crew, to whom alone the perilous accident was
known, watched with anxious solicitude for the general
safety, and whilst tee captain cracked on the ves-el with
sedulous earnestness, the cause of his eager efforts to
terminate the passage was unknown to his passengers,
whose ignorance, whilst it did not exaggerate their dan-
ger, preserved them from unceasing and torturing alarm.
Above the coals were 150 barrels of gunpowder, and a
large quantity of spirit:, The Ere was subdued, and
there is little doubt but that she will deliver her cargo
is good order,—S/iipping apt*.

LA [EST FOREIGN NEWS.

THE WAR.

CONSTANTINOPLE, MAY B.—Nainik Pacha, who
was lately charged with the negotiation of a loan,
is appointed Ambassador at Paris.
Maslum Bey, Minister of Commerce.
Nemet Pacha, Minister of Police.
Vely Pacha, Governor of Candia.

The Sultan, after having paid a visit to Prince
Napoleon, invited his Imperial Highness to dinner.
Marshal St. Arnaud arrived at Smyrna May 6.
A division of the French army has left Gallipoli
for Biazur.

An Egyptian-Turkish squadron goes into the
Black Sea, probably to Varna.

THE BALTIC.
THE FLEETS NEAR CRONSTADT.

Letters received yesterday from St. Petersburg,
dated the 9 h inst., state that the British fleet had
!seen seen within 25 to 30 miles off Cronstadt, and
had captured a number of Russian gun-boats.
COPENHAGEN, May 16.—The houses on the right
bank of the Neva, at St. Petersburg, have been de-
molished. The telegraph to Stockholm is open.
COPENHAGEN, May 11.—The leprosy is spreading
so rapidly in Norway that fears are entertained of
its becoming a general sickness, as in the middle
Age. Strong efforts will therefore be made against
it, and the Parliament have made large grants for
hospitals, in which the incurably sick will be al-
[owed to reside. No one will be allowed to marry
while afflicted with this disease. A ship loaded
with cannon-balls has been stopped by the local
customs officers in Newcastle, and it will not be
permitted to sail until further instructions arrive
from the English Government. As this was a
Norwegian vessel, the subject excites interest in
that country. The French fleet, or rather its first
division, is in the Great Belt. The ships distinctly
stated to have reached the Swedish coast, may pos-
sibly have been the Swedo-Norwegian squadron.
The last number of the Aftonbladet contains a
long letter from a female correspondent, residing
on the island of Muskeg, descriptive of the death
of Lieutenant Freeland, his solemn burial, various
visits and adventures on board and ashore. The
whole is so graphic and charming that it ought to
see light in an English dress, but its length forbids.
The following is extract of an interesting letter,
written by an English gentleman now cruising in
a yacht in the Baltic, to a friend in Paris. It is
dated May 5 :
" A. wet c'ay at anchor in a smooth water cove on the
Swedish coast has tempted me to write to you, as no
loubt you will not be sorry to hear a voice from the
fleet. I left Southampton in a yacht on the 10th of April,
with very rough weather, and a continued he id-wind to
'fight against, and at last made the fleet in Landsart Bay
(or fiord), about 60 miles north of Stockholm, in a small
cove of which we are at anchor, while the fleet is bang-
ing away at practice in the fog outside. Napier has
22 ships here--14 line-of-battle ships, arid the rest
:iaddle-wheel steamers. The remainder of the fleet,
-crew-frigates and paddles, and about six more liners,
ire cruising about the Baltic off the Gulf of Finland.
Ile fleet has come here a month too soon, the ice having
oily just broken up at Sweaborg and Cronstadt. On
'Sunday there was a thick snow storm, and ice falls froni
the rig4ing frequently of a morning. We have had
fogs, lasting 36 hours at a time, so thick that we could
not see twice the length of the yacht ; and when it
cleared; not knowing where we had drifted'to. I saw old
Napier yesterday. I believe, from all I can hear, that
something is to be done on the Finland coast, or in the
Gulf, the moment the weather lets them see their direc-
tion for firing. You can conceive nothing finer than
this finest of all fleets. The Swedes and Danes are, to
a man, with us, and every tolerably fine day brings
crowds to cheer as. The Sin, and Court at Stock-
holm, too, I understand, would' be glad if an excuse
offered to make them join us.. 'We have sent about 17
prizes home to England, setting the crews at liberty on
parole on Danish or Swedish ground. Many of these
poor iF rdanders arid Courlanders offered to enter our
!Inv)? ; many begged to be sent to England, and on
leaving ti.e ship they were taken by to the shore, they
shook hands all round, and gave three cheers for
England.

"The fleet in the Baltic now is 45 sail, 2,250 guns,
►nd about 23,400 men ; this is inclusive of the French
fleet of five ships of the line, four frigates, and four
steamers.

" I don't think Cronstadt or Sweaborg will be bom-
barded ; they are in such difficult channels that without
the steam power it would be quite impossible to get into
position to attack, as stone walls and casernated batte-
ries must be fired at from not more than 200 yards dis-
tance. No doubt an attack on Sweaborg might and
would be entirely successful, but of course not without
severe loss and much damage to our ship: ; immediately
after which out would come the untouched Russian
fleet of twenty-seven sail of the line and thirty-eight
large frigates from Cronstadt, and fall on our disabled
fLet. Napier is bold enough ; but if the Russians ex-
pect. him to commit some rash folly through love of
fighting, they are much mistaken. The St. Jean d'Acre,
Captain Keppel, is unquestionably the finest and most
efficient ship here—ninety-one heavy guns on two clear
fighting decks. The Austerlitz, the only Frenchman in
this quarter yet, is a very fine ship, the men very clean
and smart aloft. We have not seen their target practice..
Thqir great gun exercise is not so quick as ours, the
command being 'en, deux, trois,' instead of 'one, two.'
I don't expect to go home before next month, but I hope
to see something worth seeing before I leave."