The Sun.
London, England, 1814-10-29 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE SUN'.

SlR—The leading article in 'rap. SUN of the
1-211 i instant, relating to the Bonding System,
l:ntains several assertions and conclusions, which
I,l,pear to me very disputable, and, if taken for
•anted, may produce bad effects to trade,- hnd
con-imerce.

Frn.to your well known candour, I amled to
!tope you will grant the following remarks a place
in your Paper. The experience of a long series
of years enables me to make them : what appear
to Ims errors or mistakes, must be readily excused
in au _Editor, not professionally couversunt with
the subject.'

It is stated in the above paragraph, " that the
Bonding System arose out of the circumstances of
the Continent, under the anti-commercial Code
4)f- IitioNAPARTE, and was at once a great conve-
n'euce and indulgence to the Merchant, and of
service to the trade of the country."
in reply to this I beg leave to observe, that the
Bonding System has been congenial to our Ex-
cise and Custom Regulations these fifty years,
and acted upon during that wh0146-Period, though
ext.onded since the tyrannical conduct of the
French Ruler inhibited British Commerce on the
Continent of Europe. The Bonding System was oil:
•
ginally applied to articles on which the Home-con-
stunption Duties were heavy, and which were mostly
again exported to foreign countries. For instance,
Coa'ee paid originally under this System a Custom,
Duty of 3-fourths per cwt. inwards ; it was bonded
under Customs and Excise locks, and when ex-
ported within the course of three years, had the
full drawback of three-fourths allowed. The
same was the case with cocoa, rum, &c. includ-
ing all prize goods, antecededt to the American
Rebellion in 1774. The Merchants received the
tobaccos under bond for the duties into their
own ware-houses, and had eighteen months to
pay the home duties in, or might export them,
nor could payment of duties be sooner inforced.
NiThen, in the course of our late eventful wars,
the necessities of the State caused the duties of
many-articles to be trebled; yea quadrupled, for
home- consumption, it was the bounden duty -of
government, and a. wise policy, to grant these
fleilities in the payment of duties, securing their
safety at the same time. If this arrangement had
Dot been adopted, the Commissioners of the
Customs and the Excise would have bad frequently
to resort to the expedient of selling goods imported
to obtain the duties payable, and there would'have
been instances where they. would not have met
with purchasers, for there are at times goods im-
ported not worth the duty.
I therefore do not join in the opi&on to con-
sider the extension of the Bonding System as so
great a boon to the Merchant, but as a conse-
quence of State necessity, felt by the Managers
of the Revenue. The Merchants residing in this
country would have only once fallen into the
snare of Revenue Officers' Sales for Duty on Goods
imported, and the loss the Revenue would have
reverted on those who might be solicitous to kill
the goose that laid the golden eggs. In short, Mer,
chants would have checked their imports ,to avert
ruin, and the Revenue must have ultimately suffered.
To induce the commercial part of the nation to
submit to Mr. FREWIN'S plan, to have all Ships
and Goods imported, landed, and kept in Docks
encircled with walls, and locked up, the Bonding
System was held out as a great 'inducement, and
greatly enlarged, though in most cases the delay

;and charges attendant on Mr, FREWIN'S System
are such, that they will prove a heavy burthen on

our commercial rivalship with other nations ; but

though the Merchants may rattle their chains, the
thorough-bred Revenue Officer never minds—if

one penny is secured to the Revenue, no matter

•
it cost Commerce a pound !
•
The Continental System of NAPOLBON certainly
did contribute to a still more enlarged Bonding
system, both as to quantity of goods, and the en-
- largement of the time for paying the duties ; and
tl;,(t very justly, when it is considered, that at one
period we had only Heligoland, Anholt, and Ice-
hnid to export to, and this at the very time when
Great Britain was the sole receptacle, for all the
,irmports from both Indies, to an amount inexpres-
sible in quantity and quality, such us these king-
,t4onis neither could, nor were ever intended to con-

une. A vast quantity of bonded goods are solely in-
!tended for exportation ; loaded with prohibitory
civ4iesTrofotnia,bywayofsecuringßritish manufae-
-t.,y or produce, that preference of home constimp-
Aioir they, in a national point of view, are justly
nudpreferably entitled to. Yet I very much question,
wbcther these prohibitory 'duties are not a part,
md‘a considerable one too, of the four millions
`erling Government is said to be entitled to claim
out the merchants for duties on Bonded Goods,
ot;glr this branch of duties was imposed in the
1 expectation they would never be payable, be-
prohibitory. • We may justly consider the
yes on another kind of imports in nearly the'
t light. The West India produce of our late
nests was not permitted to be imported into
country for home use, that is, on British
%Owl duties, but subject to a prohibitory

duty ; the Planters in those conquests were con-
strained to send their produce to this-country, and
no where else. Yet these,. as Bonded Goods„.ail
on high.dritles, swell-the four millions demanded.
Barely six` months have elapsed since the great
marts on the Continent have been accessible to
British produce and shipping ; and Government
conies forward to demand the duties on Bonded
Goods, apparently blaming the Mercantile Com-
munity, as being slack in emptying the ware-
houses. That seems the real sense of the appli-
cation. Such goods as are wanted for horse con-

sumption, or exportation' either, are no doubt
taken out, and the duties satisfied before delivery.
SENEX.

Oct. IS, 1614.

cro he continued.)

NO It WAY.

HEAD-QUARTEIIS AT FR F,DERICKSHALT„ OCT. 9, 1814.
The Swedish Commissioners to the Norwegian
Diet, viz. their Excellencies Baron Rosenblad,
Baron Watterstedt, Bishop Rosenstein, and the
Secretaries of State • Count Horner, and Mr. De
Wirsen, left this on the 4th inst. and arrived
next day at Christiania.
The Deputies from all the districts having met
at Christiania, the Assembly was occupied the
whole of yesterday in the verification of their
powers. The Director of Police, Dirichs, has
been elected Vice-President, and the Soren-
Scriver Christie, Secretary.
The question was agitated whether it was ne-
cessary to receive powers containing special in-
structions, and it was alindst unanimously de-
cided in the negative. This is important, inas-
Mod' as it is said that the Deputies from Trond-
heim and Bergen were provided with instructions
hostile to the union.
According to all the information received, the
tone of the Deputies is marked by moderation.
Prince Christian yesterday transmitted to Mr.
Rosencrantz his act of abdication. The Council
of State will to-morrow communicate it to the
Diet. The Prince has nevertheless expressed a
wish that a deputation. should at the same time
wait upon him, meaning to place in their hands
a duplicate of this act ; after which he will de-
part without delay.
HEAD-QUARTERS at FREDERICKSITALL, Oct. 14, 1814.
Prince .Christian intended to deliver on the
10th his speech to the Diet.; but that Assembly,
in order to conform-exactly to the Convention of
Moss, having, declared itself constituted on the
Bth, Mr. Rosencrantz, after having communicated
that the health of the Prince did not permit hint
to appear in person, read the speech, which-is an
exposition of the conduct of Prince Christian sihce
the peace of Kiel.
On the 10th, a deputation of 25 members, hay--
ing at its head the Counsellor Treschow, repaired,
at the request, of the Prince, to Ladegaardso, to
receive front his hands his act of abdication. This
formality being gone through, the Prince departed
the sante night, and went on board a Norwegian
brig of war.
The Diet is already divided into Lag and Odals
Ting. The Sarenscriver Christie has been elected
President for the occasions when the two soctions
shall unite ; and the , Sorenscriver Weidernann is.
appointed Secretary. A Committee is about to
be nominated, to examine the state of the king-
dom, and to receive the communications which
the Swedish Cominissioners have to make in the
name of- their King. The number of- Deputies
amounts at present to 78. Those from Nordland
and Finmark have not yet arrived.
Admiral Baron Platen has just been appointed
sixth Commissioner of the King to the Diet.
HEAD-QUARTERS AT FREDERICKSHALL,Oct. is, 1814.
The Swedish Commissioners having been in-
vited in the name of the Diet of Christiania to corn-
mimicate their propositions, they appeared in that
Assembly on the 13th. Baron Roseublad there
delivered a discourse, in which he announced the
object.Of their Mission.... Mr. Christie, President,.
replied, that the Diet would deliberate- on these
communications with all the promptitude which
their inipci.lance would admit of.- The Commis-
sioners then presented their powers, and the plan
oh canstithtion.
,When they had quitted the As-
sembly, this plan was there read. It is known that
the liberal principle there laid down, and the dis-
course of the Commissioners, have produced a
vourable impression on the minds of metubers.
Mr. Christie-has been elected President of the
Odals Ting ; and Count Wedel-Jarlsberg, of the
Lag -Ting.
The Diet has elected two, new Counsellors of
State;Colonel llegerman, and Mr. Fasting, cola-
wander of the brigs of war.