The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-07 00:00:00

* " The Isthmus of Darien in 1852: Journal of the
Expedition of Inquiry for the Junction of the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. By Lionel Gisborne. With four
maps." Bvo, pp. 238. London : Saunders and Stan-
ford, 1853.

It would be well if the advocates of a fettered
and restricted commerce, of onerous import
duties, and all the numerous phases of indirect
taxation, would study the statistics of different
nations, examining the different productions and
manufactures of each, the genius and charac-
ter of the inhabitants, and the nature of their
requirements. Nothing could be better calcu-
lated to correct erroneous opinions, remove exist-
ing prejudices; and generally to produce sound
views on fiscal subjects than such an exami-
They would find a mutual dependence
tnhaetioonne on the other, or at least, if not a de-
pendence,a ppowroesrp
erioft,mafterially assisting in the
commodyitioes.each other by the in-
welfare and
in one re The one giving of
terchange of
her superfluities,
she is" unable to produce on as
for that which
as her neighbour. R
is with avoarable terms
as with
families. A large and industrious nationsa •
possibly be enabled to get on without Ina 7
extrinsic
aid, but it will be badly. There may be a sulliciencY
of the actual necessaries of life, but many con_
forts will be wanting that could be obtained
under a more judicious system. The tailoring
and shoemaking work might be done coarsely, and

the baking and brewing likewise in an inferior, man-
ner, while the time bestowed on the matters imper-
fectly executed might have been far more pro-
fitably occupied in some other branch of industry,
in which the members of the family were pro-
ficients, and the disposal whereof would enable
them to obtain the required articles in greater
abundance, and of much better quality. What
madness would it be of such a family to place im-
pediments in the waT of receiving articles from
the neighbouring shops, certain that measures of
retaliation would be adopted, the result whereof
would be to curtail the demand and depreciate the
prices for their own productions ? They would
incur boundless ridicule for their folly so long
as the rash experiment was persisted in. Bitter
experience would, however, speedily convince even
the slowest of apprehension of the absurdity of
such conduct, and induce them to adopt imme-
diate measures for putting matters upon a more
politic foundation.

Nations, however, that erect Custom-houses,
and levy heavy import duties, are acting in this
objectionable and impolitic manner. They know
that similar measures will be adopted by other
countries—that the magnitude of their own import
duties will lead to hostile tariffs by those who
under a different state of things might be their
best customers. The effects of this imprudent
course are not, perhaps, as easily perceptible as in
a single family, but they are not less certain, and
may be as accurately ascertained by a close ex-
aminer. The pride, the prejudices, of the diffe-
rent communities prevent the first step from being
taken in the right direction. But if one were to
adopt the laudable precedent of throwing her ports
open to every comer, of receiving the products of
every nation, and giving her own in return, with-
out tax or duty, others would speedily follow the
example, and endeavour to meet their kind
neighbour on reciprocal terms. The greatest
benefactor to mankind would be the man who
could persuade any important country to enter on
the initiative, by taking even a single step in the
right direction.

Let us, for example, take the cases of France and
Great Britain, perhaps the two most important
nations of the world. They would willingly and
freely take our cottons, cotton wool, woollen
yarns, machinery, cutlery, coals, &c., if we ac-
cepted of their silks, wines, fruits, &c., in return.
We foolishly levy enormous duties, equal, perhaps,
on an average, to 200 per cent. on their cheap
wines, which practically prohibit their introduc-
tion into this country. The natural consequence
follows : the commerce is limited in amount ;
we do without a very beneficial and useful article,
while they abstain from commodities for which
there would otherwise be a considerable demand ;
and great injury is done to both parties, to the
industrial interests of both countries.

The valuable statistics teaching such salutary
lessons have hitherto, however, been difficult of
attainment. They were as sealed books t 9 the
community in general, who could not afford the
time and research necessary to the acquisition of
this useful information. This evil has, however,
been remedied, and no excuse will henceforward
be afforded for ignorance on this all-important
subject. Thanks to Mr. H. FRASER, the veil has
been uplifted, the mist dispelled. That gentleman
has just published, in a cheap and useful form, two
excellent charts,* exhibiting a synoptical view
of the resources of all nations, comprehending the
area, chief town, population, and religion of each
country ; the principal produce and manufactures,
description of the general imports and exports,
particularly those from or to Great Britain and
Ireland, receipts, expenditure, and public debt,
with a variety of other topics, affording altogether
an unprecedented quantity of valuable information.
It would, indeed, be impossible without an inspec-
tion to convey any adequate notion of the quantity
and quality of that information. On these points
the public must judge for themselves. This, how-
ever, we may say, that this information will enable
Fiscal Reformers to meet and confute their
opponents and provide unanswerable arguments
against the injudicious system of indirect taxation
that has so long paralysed the industry of the
country, and prevented it from attaining the
prosperity that could otherwise easily be achieved.
We need not say that Mr. FRASER has not
attempted to inculcate any political views. He
merely states incontrovertible facts, the knowledge
whereof will lead to the other matters above
alluded to.

* A View of the Resources of all Nations. Parts I.
and 11. By H. Fraser,
.Esq. London : Smith, Strand;
Wyld, West Strand ; Sherwood, Piper, and Co., Pater-
noster-row, &c.

Elsewhere in our impression of this evening
will be found a rather curious chapter of Parisian
gossip, furnished by the correspondent of one of
our morning contemporaries. We have considered
it advisable to transfer the narrative to our
columns, not merely from the interest with which
our readers cannot fail to peruse any account,
however shadowy, that tends to illustrate the
family history of the house of BONAPARTE, but
also because, by so doing, we are enabled to warn
the public mind in its regard against one or two
very singular misrepresentations. It will be ob-
served that the account transcribed from the
Morning Chronicle has reference to the expulsion
from France of the Countess de SoLMs and her
brother by order of the Imperial Government.
The writer therein states that the lady in ques-
tion is the daughter of LETITIA (fourth child of
LUCIEN, Prince di CANINO, brother of NAPOLEON
the Great) by her marriage with the Right Hon.
THOMAS WysE, who has been for several years
past, and is still, accredited to the Court of
Athens as her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador.
Not long since we ourselves fell into a similar
error inadvertently. Shortly afterwards, how-
ever, we took occasion to correct the uninten-
tional mis-statement made by our journal in this
particular, by announcing, " upon authority,"
that the only offspring of those nuptials were two
sons, both still surviving, namely ALFRED NAPO-
LEON and WILLIAM BONAPARTE. Remembering
that, as we have just remarked, we were once the
means of promulgating the same error which has
now been reiterated by our morning contemporary,
we are the more anxious to avail ourselves of the
opportunity here presented to us, by again rendering
this journal the medium of an authoritative con-
tradiction.
Besides the blunder already pointed out, it
should be observed that there are others which
have crept into the communication of this same
Paris Correspondent. Not merely is the writer
mistaken in stating the Countess de SoLms to be
the daughter of the English Ambassador in
Greece—his Excellency having, as already ob-
served, only the two children before particularised
—but, if our memory does not fail us very mar-
vellously, he is also misinformed in his allusions

to the wedding of the lady in question ; and this,
moreover, both in regard to the time and circum-
stances of its celebration. Unless our recollection
of events on the opposite shores of the Channel
deceives us very wonderfully, this wedding—the
'wedding of MARIE STADHOLMINE LETITIA and
the Count de Soims—instead of occurring in
1849, as stated by the Correspondent of our
contemporary, took Pace in 1848, being, conse-
quently, before and not after the election of the
Prince Louis NAPOLEON to the chief magistracy
of the Republic. Equally erroneous, if we mis-

take not, is the assertion that the marriage was
attended by the various members of the Imperial
family, who thereby afforded it their countenance.
Whether this latter circumstance, however, be
accurate or not, there can be little doubt that

the incident recently described by the Morning
Chronicle is not very likely to terminate at the

)int at which it has now arrived. There are

lights and shadows in the picture—dim enough
at present—that must, before long, we conjecture,
be rendered in some degree, at least, more ap-
parent. Whatever events may transpire out of
these occurrences, we shall endeavour to place
the facts before the public accordingly as they
may arise, as befits the duty of impartial and con-
scientious journalism.

A deputation of the Board of the Atlantic and Pacific
Junction Company had an interview with the Minister
of the United States, at his official residence in Port•
land-place, on Saturday.