The Sun.
London, England, 1825-03-31 00:00:00

[MORNING HERALD.]

We have always endeavoured to view the sub-
ject of Catholic Emancipation as an abstract ques-
tion, unconnected with the machinery employed,
on the one hand to promote, and on the other to
defeat it. We have no doubt but that Sir Fran-
i 7, A
cis ouruett and Mr. Plunkett, on the one hand,
and Lord Liverpool and Mr. Peel, on the other,
with many more, are perfectly sincere and dis-
interested in their respective views and conduct.
But we doubt whether the same concession can,
with truth, be made to all the prominent advo-
cates of either side of the question. To say no-
thing of the vast exceCof zeal beyond discretion,
which marks the conduct and the speeches of many
of them, it is impossible not to perceive that
some of the former have views of personal ambi-
tion to gratify, with no small share of factious-
ness to boot ; while among the opponents are
persons who evidently tremble for the safety of
the loaves and fishes they enjoy ; while others
are the slaves of antiquated views and prejudices,,
upon which the light of reason and of argument
has no effect. Still the abstract principle, that
men should not suffer in their civil rights on ac-
count of their religious opinions, remains im-
mutable, and must, sooner or later, prevail
over the indiscretions and inveteracy of
friends and foes. The struggle on the second
reading of the Bill will he tremendous, and
as nicely balanced, probably, as any question
that ever came before Parliament. A question
of so. much import, which has been carried by so
small a majority, must, of course, remain in sus-
pense ; and where so much will depend upon
the forbearance and good sense of those who
have, unfortunately, hitherto shown but littre,
of those qualities, the issue must be very doubt-
ful. The silly sanity of imputing to Mr. O'Con-
nell the drawing of the Bill, is an instance of
the indiscretion we allude to ; and the tone
of triumph in which some of the Catholic
Deputies have spoken of their cordial recep-•
tiou in this country, are proofs how puerile
and unstatesmanlike a race they are for the
most part composed of. The old farce of The
Upholsterer would form an admirable satire upon
the quidnunc-ism of their pretensions. On the
other hand, all attempts to raise the infamous
cry of " No Popery !" seem to be, as we trust
they always will be, wholly unavailing. Like the
cry of " Wolf !" in the fable, it. has been too
long a fiction to be now taken for a reality. The
English people begin to discover that they have
as little to fear from the Pope as from the Pre-
tender—those joint bugbears of former times ;
and, though they have quite as little attachment to
the errors of Popery as their ancestors, they
wisely consider, that to worship God in his own
way can be no real obstacle or objection to a
man's enjoying, in common with themselves, the
rights and privileges of civil society. Still we are
aware that the question has many and serious
difficulties to contend with ; and, though we
think it is makik rapid progress towards accom-
plishment, we would not have the Catholics too
sanguine as to the probability of an immediate
favourable result.

LTUE PUBLIC LEDGEII.I
The Paris Papers, which arrived last night,
possess no intelligence worth noticing. There
is an article, however, in one of them, which, if
it could be relied on,'would form an exception,
as it alludes to the existence of a misunderstand-
ing between Portugal and Spain, of so serious
a character, too, as to threaten an interrup-
tion of all diplomatic intercourse between the
two Powers. The cause of the alleged differences
is not. mentioned, but it is sufficient that the pro-
ceedings of the Portuguese Government have a
taint of liberality, to provoke the Spanish Mo-
narch to the adoption of some such intemperate
resolution as that stated in the Quotidienne. More-
over, the Portuguese Court is on the most friendly
terms with our own, which is another substantial
cause of offence in the present irritated state of
King Ferdinand's feelings towards this country. At
the same time, the determination which Portugal
appears to have taken of settling her differences
with the Brazils in an amicable manner, is in
-such contrast with Spanish policy, that we should
not be very much sutprised were a suspension of
diplomatic intercourse to take place. But, hap-
pily for the two nations, the. King of Spain is as
impotent as he is irascible ; and his resentment
against Portugal would evaporate, from necessity,
in the mere act of recalling his Ambassador. Prince
Metternich still remains in Paris, but no light IS
thrown on the object which detains him in that
capital. As the Emperor of Austria, it is said,
will set out in a few days for Italy, we suppose
his Minister will soon proceed for the same des-
tination. The route of the Emperor will be
through Padua and :Verona ; and it is not ex-
pected that he will reach Mantua, where the
,Empress is to join him, before the end of
next month. His journey cannot therefore be
Of a very urgent nature ; and' there may not
be the least foundation, after all, for the
rumours, which have attached to it so much
impOrtance. At Milan their Imperial, Majesties
are expected to make a long stay ; but there is
no intimation about holding a Congress in that
city ; and, if such an idea was ever entertained,
it appears to have been wholly abandoned. Not
a .word, too, is said of the journey of the Empe-
ror Alexander and. King of Prussia to Italy ; and
this rumour, and that of the Congress, may be
coupled together as equally improbable.

ENtw TIMES.I
Tho.,e of our Readers who have made their ar-
rangements to visit Rheims in the middle of May,
will be somewhat disappointed on learning that
the Coronation of the King of France certuinly
cannot take place before the end of June.—
Chartps the Tenth, will out be crowned till

the Session is closed ; and the Chambers have
taken and are likely to take so unconscion-
able a time to discuss the laws for indem-
nifying the emigrants, and for reducing the
Interest of the National Debt, that the Ses-
sion cannot possibly be brought to a termina-
tion before the period we have mentioned. In
all probability, the Indemnity Law will undergo
some modifications in the Chamber of Peers,
which of course will require the Bill to be re-
turned to the Deputies and re-debated there.
Should the same thing happen to the Reduction
Law, there is no saying how long the Session
may last. The French are following our Mi-
nisters, haud passibus trquis, in the discus-
sion of the Custom Duties. Three articles
which have come under consideration in the
Committee on the Douanes will serve to give an
idea of the enlightened views of the French
Statesmen in matters of commerce. A duty
amounting to a prohibition is imposed on the ex-
portation of horses from France. Why ?—Be-
cause exportation might make horses scarce, and
thus render it difficult to mount the cavalry in
case of a war ! Our neighbours forget that ex-
portation implies demand, and that demand is the
surest way to augment supply. Again, the expor-
tation of wood fit for making casks is prohibited,
lest the price of casks should be increased in the
Wine Provinces. What is the consequence? Great
part of this wood is burnt in the forges. Once
more.—The Duty on Salt is from 30 to 40 times
the prime cost : and the demand has decreased
in the proportion of from 10 to 1. If the tax
were reduced nine-tenths, the consumption would
increase in two years from 1 to 10. But the
Treasury cannot dispense with the tax for those
two years ! Valuable salt mines have been found
at rich; but they will probably not be al-
lowed to be wrought, lest they should injure
the existing salt-works. The mania for spe-
culation has spread across the Channel ;
one instance of it is characteristic enough.
A Company has been formed at Paris to con-
vey individuals from thence to Rheims and
back again, finding carriage, lodgincr, boarding,
and a seat in the Cathedral to see the'Coronation,
—and all for 1000 francs-401. We have already
spoken of the Company who are to convert Paris
into a sea-port. The sum required, however,
Li greater than was at first stated. It is now
said to require 180 millions of francs. With a
trifling allowance for expellees beyond the esti-
mate, we may call it Eight Millions sterling.—
M. De Chabrol estimated all the goods brought
up the Seine to Paris by land- or water, at 1000
tons per diem. Suppose 400,000 tons come by
the new canal in a year, then in order to pay the
shareholders 5 per cent. on their eight millions,
the canal dues must be one pound per ton.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
There was not much fluctuation in the English
Money Market yesterday, but the transactions
were rather extensive in Consols for Account, at
eu(
93Z-34- and at 93R. The closing price was 93-r.
There was no intelligence of
t some
political nature t
sensa-
tion t)
affect them. In the Foreign
was excited by a rumour that a revolution
had broken out in the City of Mexico, and that
the populace had shouted " Live Ferdinand,"—
although the propagators of this rumour did not
state how it was received, and a speedy contra-
diction was given to it from what has generally
been considered good authority ; it had the'effect
of lowering the Scrip of the Mexican Loan to
par ; towards the close of the Market it was
quoted at par to 4 premium. After the most di-
ligent inquiry, we were unable to trace the ru-
mour which caused this depression to any source
worthy of confidence, and the real cause for the
fall appears to be the great quantity of stock held
by persons who have been too sanguine of a rise,
and who, being unable to pay up the instal-
ments, are compelled to bring it to the Market.
The Scrip of the Danish Loan remains at par
to one-half discount, but as it is well supported,
a further fall to any extent is not expected, not-
withstanding the high price at which it is issued,
making the Five per Cent. Loan, which was the
other day at 1011, equal now to 125, if it were
to remain in the market. The Private Letters
from Paris state, that the Law for the conversion
of the Rentes will not pass the Peers without se-
veral amendments, and consequently that there is
very little business done in the new Stock in anti-
cipation. The last, bargains reported in anticipa-
tion were at 80 for the stock, upon its first ap-
pearance, without reference to any modification
may be made in the law in the Chamber of
Peers, and on Saturday, one sale to the amount
of 750,000 francs, was made at 85, supposing
the law to pass without amendment. From
the high price at which this bargain was ef-
fected, it was considered fictitious, notwith-
standing the great respectability of the par-
ties.
In the Share Market our fluctuations
to-day were hardly worthy of notice. The
Pearl and Coral keep their price, owing to
the means which have been adopted to
support them ; but as a proof that the Jobbers
consider this price purely fictitious, offers are
made to sell Shares, for the end of .July, at just
half the premium which they now bear. A
new Pearl and Coral Fishery is announced, in
opposition, as it is supposed, and the Shares
are expected to be speedily in the market. At
present the new Companies, in which business is
doing by anticipation, are the Borneo and the
Egyptian Trading. If one may judge by a list
of Directors, the former of these will also excite
a rage among the Jobbers. The mere Premium
Hunters, however, are very careful now how they
commit themselves.

FlRE.—Yesterday morning, at half past three
o'clock, a fire broke out in the melting-house of
Mr. ItUFE, tallow-chandler, Upper Ra thbotte-
place. It raged with great fury, and soon com-
municated to the dwelling-house, which
was to-
tally consumed, and the houses of Mr. )1111,
pawnbroker, and of Mrs. Smith, dress-maker,
adjoining, were much damaged, before it #vas
extinguished.

The Committee appointed by the Swedish
Government, to arrange the working of the coal mines in
Scania, have created a joint capital of 200,000 rix dollars, by
a
means•of 4,000 shares 5OO dollars each.