The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-08 00:00:00

" The state of the produce of this year shows that
private colonization is progressing.
" The establishment and development of the agricul-
tural colonies are continued with zeal and perseverance.
" Our fleet, which protects our colonies and makes our
flag respected in every sea, is composed—
" Of the active sailing fleet, comprising ten ships of
the line, eight frigates, eighteen corvettes, twenty-four
brigs, twelve transports, and twenty-four light vessels.
" Of the active steam fleet, comprising fourteen fri-
gates, thirteen corvettes, and thirty-four dispatch boats.
" Besides the active fleet there are advanced ships and
ships in ordinary. This reserve is ready to act on the
shortest notice. It is composed of ten ships of the line,
fifteen sailing frigates, ten steam frigates, six steam cor-
vettes, and six mail steamers.
" To man these vessels there are required 950 officers
of all ranks, not including cadets, and an effective of sea-
men not less than 28.500 men.

" No serious tumult has appeared in the bosom of
colonial society, which has rested on the solid basis_of
civil and political equ tlity. To the benefit of liberty to
the blacks has been added a compensation of indemnity
to the planters. An equitable division will prove, it is
to be hoped, an element of peace, labour, and prosperity.
" As far as it is possible consistently with the budget
of 1819, the Government hopes to maintain intact the
naval and eele dal establishments, until it can propose an
improvement and further developemeut to the Legisla-
tive Assembly.

AGRICULTERE, INDUSTRY, AND COMMERCE.

" Agriculture, that source of all wealth, has been en-
couraged as much as was possible in so short a time.
" Since the 20th of February last 21 farming schools
have been opened. Added to the 25 schools of the kind
which existed before, they form the first step in agricul-
tural instruction. Some more of these schools will be
established.
" The institutions of Sanshie and Grand-Jouard have
assumed the rank of district schools. They are now
establishments of the state, according to the law of the
3d of October. _

" The Administration has caused itself to be put in
possession of the farms in the little park of Versailles,
which is intended for a national agricultural institution.
" 122 agricultural societies, and more than 300 minor
institutions, have taken part in the distribution of the
funds which were voted for the encouragement of agri-
culture. _ _

According to the decree of the 25th of April, 1849,
a special commission has undertaken the study of the
question of agricultural colonies. The Government
wished to discover the most efficacious means of assist-
ing the labouring classes, by inducing the labourers to
leave the cities for field-work, and, imitating the ex-
ample of other countries (the documents relating to
which have been collected), to make use of the profits
arising from waste lauds to the advantage of the poor.
" The organizstion of the national suds has bee❑
greatly modified by the decree of the 11th of December,
1848.

" The breeding of horses is progressing. All the
establishments which depend on that branch of industry,
and which once thought their existence threatened, have
succeeded in finding their proper level.
"The judicious use of the credit of 500,00011, which
were allowed for remounting the cavalry, has promoted
this result. The remounts have never been so consider-
able and so splendid as during this year.
" The supply of food in the country is satisfactory; the
harvest of 1848, though less abundant than that which
preceded it, is more than sufficient to meet the wants of
the country.
" The returns of the condition of the growing crops
are very favourable. It is a comfort amidst all our trials
to find in the abundance of produce a hope of cheap food
for our population.
"The exhibition of objects of industry, which exer-
cises a favourable influence on business, opened on the
4th of June. The former number of exhibitors was
3,919, their present number is above 4,000.
" The execution. of the law on the associations of
workmen continues and approaches its end. Of 600
claims which were made to the Trade Department, only
80 are still under consideration. 2.292,000 f have been
allowed to 47 associations out of a vote of 3,000,030 f.
" The Consulting and Commercial Committees arc
about to be established on another basis. _ _

" The foreign trade of France amounted in 1847 to a
total of 2 milliards and 614 millions. 1,343 millions of
these were imports, and 1,271 millions were exports.
" Sorely tried by political events, the year 1848, as
might have been foreseen, witnessed a considerable de-
crease in French commerce. An exact computation of
that decrease has not yet been made, for the administra-
tion of the Custom-house cannot as yet determine the
exact amount, though there can be no doubt but that the
supposed sum will be considerably reduced. The con-
sumption of raw materials has fallsn greatly. The iron
trade has sunk from 95,941 tons to 45,553 tons; coals
from 2,173,000 to 1,796,000 tons; wool from 138,000 to
80,962 cwt.; silk from 15,000 to 7,683, &c.
" The variation of our foreign trade in 1848 can be
accurately judged by the Customhouse returns.
" Ia 1847 the monthly average number was 11,000,000 f.
" The average number in January and February,
1848, was 8,700,000 f. March and the next three months
showed a steady decrease down to 5,000,000 f. The
average number of July, August, and September, rose to
a littl above 8,000,000 f., and, finally, the last three
months of the year presented an average of 9,000,000 f
that is to say, double that of the most agitated months.
" It is clear that iu the course of the last three months
and in proportion as the country approached the regular
and definitive constitution of power, the improvement
in trade and public confidence went on steadily in-
creasing.
_ _

" This influence told especially upon our exports. Al.
most every article had in the first half-year experienced
severe losses. The increase and extension of bounties
(decree of the 10th of Jane, 1848) imparted an activity
which lasted to the end of the year, when most articles
returned to their level, and some (wines, brandy, silks,
and linen) had even risen, if compared with 1848.
" But this improvement is most strongly shown by an
examination of the results of the first months of 1849.

"If the diffirence is not so striking in January and
February (in comparison with the same months in 1848)
a decided advantage will be found on the side of March
and April, 1849, in imports as well as exports. Thus (to
quote but a few of those articles which support our na-
two industry), cotton rose in April to 21 millions of kilo-
grammes, instead of 13; coal, to 567,000 tons, instead of
447,000; wool, to 45,765 cwt., instead of 21,480; raw
sugar, to 26 millions of kilogrammes, instead of 16; in-
digo, to 894 000 kilogrammes, instead of 289,000; ma-
hogany, 700,000 kilogrammes, instead of 505,000; and
the return of the total receipts of the Customs on the
30th of April, 1849, amounted to 39,000,0001., instead of
to 26,787,000 f. in April, 1848. That this amelioration
continued in May, in spite of the agitations which trou-
bled that month is proved by a return exceeding that of
May, 1847, by 5 millions and a half, and by the fact that
Paris has seen the amount of its exports, compared like-
wise with thosa of May, 1848, rise to the sum of 6
millions.
" The decree which for the time raised the amount of
bounties on exports having Ceased on and from the Ist
exports pjoarntsuary, wouldl fall
849 it might have been expected that our
off from that date, and that this legis •
lative measure would have lost in 1848 the profits of 1849.
Nothing of the kind has happened; our spun goods of all
kinds showed, on the 31st of Mai last, a very marked
increase. The same may be said of our refined sugar,
our cured skins, glass, Ece.
"In short, the condition of French trade was preca
rious throughout part of 1842, It improved towards
the end of the year, and since the commencement of
1849 it has been steadily progressing. This is a result
which gives us present advantages and hopes for the
future.
•4 The question of penal reform and the question of
prison labour are bound up with the interests of indus-
try. Each of these systems has been subjected to a
special examination; strenuous efforts have been made
to re-establish discipline, and the Administration is
especially occupied with the idea of, perhaps, making
agriculture play a part in the organization of convict
labour.
" The number of county prisons is ••• 400
" Of central depots 21
"Of houses of correction for juvenile
offenders ... ••• ••• ••• 12
" Agricultural colonies founded by the
Government ..• ••• ••• ••• 5
" Agricultural colonies under private di-
rection . . 7

" In January, 1848, the number of pri-
soners in the cuunty prisons was ... 26,653
"In the central depots „.. ... 17,789
"In the establishments for juvenile
offenders 3,600

48,042

" There are in France above 1,300 public establish-
ments for the sick, the aged, and for children. The
annual income of these establishments is above
53,000,000'.

" We ought to mention 8,000 charitable offices for the
distribution of domestic relief. Their ordinary incomes
amount to 13,300,000 f.
"There are other charitable institutions relsting to
pawnbrokers, hospitals for foundlings, the aged, the deaf
and dumb, the blind. About 50,000,000 f. are expended
by these institutions. Thus there are no less than
111000,0001. annually expended in public charities,
without
ttahkoinugghintthois reliefcons
consideration private benevolence,
the amount of which it is of course impossible to calcu-
late, even by approximation.
appear
still small in comparison with the stillimmense,
greater amountseits
Of
want. The Government is fully aware of this tact, and
it is firmly resolved to make up for this insufficiency.
" Measures for the preservation of public health have
been taken everywhere throughout France. Medical
and sanitary committees have been established, and are
likely to have beneficial results. Even at the present
day they are usefully operating ag tinst the cholera.
"The votes of credit of the National Assembly have
enabled the Government to assist the parishes which are
infested by the epidemic, and of which the resources did
not suffice to give the poorer families the relief of which
they were in want.

"PUBLIC WORKS.
"Though an increa,e of public works would have
been advantageous, inasmuch as it would have found
work for the unemployed, the state of our finances in-
duced the Constituent Assembly to decree considerable
reductions, which were effected in the works on the
roads, on the banks of rivers, and in the seaports.
"Our 4,800 kilometres of canals were curtailed by
similar reductions.
" Even the two new canals which were decreed by the
Assembly, one between Nogent and Marcdly, and the
other in the rear of the Sauldre for the supply of the
Sologne,
i were interrupted by the want of funds, al-
though t was the original intention to procure a fixed
salary for the workmen.
" Nevertheless two of the most important lines were
continued, They are approaching their end, They are