The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-24 00:00:00

J EsTY can never want opportunities for the indulgence
of a taste for the ridiculous.

The QUEEN indulges the hope of a speedy adjust-
ment of all differences with the Holy Sec. Her MA-
JESTY did the same two years ago, so that this para-
graph is not remarkable for its novelty. We, how-
ever, wish for the sake of the Portuguese nation, that
this question was amicably settled, as it would set at
rest the pretensions of the Miguelitcs—so detrimental
to the national interests at home or abroad.
The paragragh relative to the ❑on-conclusion of a
treaty with England for the suppression of the
Slave Trade, is rather framed with a view Ito
spin out idle negociations, than to accelerate the put_
ting a stop to that infamous traffic. Her Majesty in
introducing the question of the " respect due to the
contracting parties," intimates pretty plainly that Por-
tugal objects to the acknowledgment of a right of
search—without which all slave-trade abolition treaties
with Portugal are preposterous. The apparent anxiety
of the Portuguese Government to abolish the slave
traffic, in conjunction with France and England, is
wholly feigned ; and therefore our Government should
take decisive steps for cutting short negociations de-
signed to be in terminable.

The paragraph on the subject of the war in Spain
is quite'laconic. Not a syllable about the Quadruple
Treaty, nor a word of sympathy for any object but the
person of her Most Catholic MAJESTY ! `Phis is
certainly taking the affair of a war on the Portuguese
frontier as coolly as possible. Her Majesty of Pon-
TUGAL could hardly allude with more indifference to
an insurrection in the Sandwich Hands.

of the Roca

Among the " hopes" and '' trusts"
Speech, we observe one for certain improve
ments in the revenue before the end of the en
suing year. We unite with her MAJPsTy in de
siring its real►zation ; though a year is a very
long time to look forward to in the working of any
system in Portugal. Before alluding to tl►e other
financial improvements announced in the speech, we

shall await the arrival of some confirmatory evidence.
We regret that, in alluding to the national creditors,
her MAJESTY was not advised to recommend to the
especial consideration of the Cortes the claims of the
brave, but hitherto shamefully neglected foreigners,
by whose swords she was seated upon the throne of
Portugal.

We direct the attention of the Rate-payers of the
county of Middlesex to the manoeuvre by which the
Macristrates, as is shown in the proceedings at the
Session-house in another column, intend to attempt to
defeat the decision of the Court of Queen's Bench in
the appeal of the Parish of St. George, Hanover-
square, against the county rate. We are inclined to
think it one of the grossest insults ever offered to the
majesty of the law, which, even upon the ex-parte
statement supplied by the Justices themselves, we ever
remember to have seen ; for in their case to the AT-
TORNEY-GENERAL they say, " the consequence of
the judgment ought no doubt to have been that the
rate should be quashed."
We witnessed on Friday last this same Sergeant
ADAMS, Chairman of the Middlesex Magistrates
(who, was the mouth-piece of the Magistrates in an-
nouncing this determination of his colleagues, as to
the decision of the Court of Queen's Bench), sentence
to transportation several individuals to periods varying
up to ten years.

We have had to announce the frequent " mistakes"
of the Middlesex Magistrates, and we are confident
that every honest man will rejoice if this manceuvre is
another mistake.

The Paris Journals of Friday have reached us, but
those of Saturday have not yet arrived, owing to the
stormy state of the weather. Friday's Papers bring
the progress of the Votes in the Chamber of Dvuties
on Thursday, for the election of Vice-Presidents. Of

the Deputies 368 voted ; and the requisite majority
being 185, the first scrutiny ran thus :

M. Calmon
M. Passy lB9
Al. Duchatel
AI. Odillon Barrot
Al. Jacqueminot
M. Cunin Gridaine l6B
M. Delessert
M. Tcste
M. Dcsabes
Messrs. Calmon, Passy, and Duchatel were declared Vice-
Presidents.
These three alone having had the requisite majority, another
ballot took place, which gave to—
M. Barrot
M. Cunin Gridaine
Al. Jacqueminot
M. Teste 9
This ballot being null, a third took place on Friday
—the Ministers taking all possible pains to defeat M.
ODILLON BAItROT, when there appeared :
For AI. Carlin Gridaine 198 votes.
M. Barrot 162
Cunin Gridaine was accordingly declared fourth Vice-
President.

160 votes

The result of these elections proves that the Ministers
can no longer count upon a majority in the Chambers.
A change of system or of men is therefore inevitable.

FRENCH FUNDS.—PARIs. DEcEmßrut '2 I

Five per Cents.. 100 r. Isc 30c. 50c. 40c.: Latest Prices---109f.
Four per Cents., 101 E 60c.
1 hie,. per Cents., 78r. 15c. 25c. 50c. 60c Ditto 7811
Bank Actions, 2,080 f. Ditto 2,68.1.•
!tome fie Naples, 98f. Bf. 3-c. 50c
Roman Five per Cents., 160 y, IA 100 Ditto 100
Spanish Actives, 16 1514
Belgian Five per Cents., 96
Belgian; l'hree per Cents., 67f. 50c. 68f. 25c.
Belgian Bank, WE 550 f. 570 f. :75f Ditto 59011
Hay tian Loan. 370 f.
EX CH SSW It ON LONDON.—One MUM h,paper,.sf. 22%c ; money, 25f. 20c;
P.iree months, paper, 251. 5c ; money, 25,. 5 :

BELGIAN UNDS—BaussELs, DEC. 22
Actual Debt, 2!q per Cent.

~
Rothschild's Lain; 5 per Cent. 9B
Loan of Thirty Millions, 4 per Cent.......... 86
3 per Cent, —
Loan of City, 1832, 4 per Cent --
Society of Commerce, 41i, per Cent. l3O
Bank of Belgium, 5 per Cent.. ...........
—Brussels Papers, Dec. 2'2.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.-.-VINNNA, DEC. :4
Five per Cents. Metalliques 107%
Fottr per Cents.
Three per Cents.
Bank Shares
--AfigemcitzeZeituv. Dec. If.
HAMBURG BORSEN HALLE, Mc. 18.
BIBS-. Money.
A„ utiiiin Metariques, 5 per relit.
Dir•o ditto .i per cvnt.
Ditto mitt° 21 per cent -
Ditto Bank shares l4BO 1,,,77
.A.Ogte-ttrissioir Loan 10614 10014
Russian 5 per cents. Metal.
Paper Inscription, 6 per cent L 2%s 102 VI
Russian inscription, Dope anu CO., 3d and 4th
Series
Ditto, Certificates
Portuguese Regency Bonds, 5 per cent
Dutch 11Y, per Cciits. . 52,44 52;4
Ditto .siTr Cents 99 _
Polish Bonds, 3 per cents.
New Tickets
Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per rtnitS 7114 7114
Norwegian Loan of 3834, 4 per cents.
Spanish, in piastres, 3 per Cents
Cortes Loan, 5 per Cent — _
Greek I per cents. HOW, guaranteed by France

Britsroi., SUGAR MARKET.—DEC. 21,--Sugars
are looking downwards, as we have along anticipated : we
have repeatedly and emphatically stated that there was
nothing, in the operation of themeasure which extinguished
slavery in every part of the British dominions that justified
the panic which, for a time, shook our market, and caused
prices to he realised that there were no circumstances tki
justify. We knew, from an authority that had never de-
ceived us, that the accounts, industriously promulgated in
this country, of the insubordination of the emancipated
slaves were grossly exaggerated, and that the rumours of
probable failure in the future crops were fallacious. The
reduction of the bounty, too, as must have been expected,
had an important influence in keeping sugars dnwn, It now
turns out that the rise was the fruit of speculation, fur
which there was never any smand reason ; and prices are
therefore again tending to their proper level. Some few
sales may have been recently effected ; but the com-
plexion of the market is flat, and there is little general
business.—Bristol Mercury.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.—The Message has, for
the last six years, been brought to us by the New York sail-
ing packet Independence, Cnptain Nye. That vessel is
now daily looked for in the. Mersey, but our own steam-
vessel, the Liverpool, has in the present instance, interfered
with her long-established prerogative.

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 18,