The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-14 00:00:00

convulsed or overlaid children, who have stepped over the
threshold of life.

" It was buried with little ceremony, and never more
thought of till the reign of King William, when in the strange
vicissitudes of might and vigour, of good and ill-success, that
attended his wars, in the year 1695, the trade was distressed
beyond all example of former sufferings, by the piracies of
the French cruisers. This suffering incsased, and, as it
should seem, very justly incensed the House of Commons.
In this ferment they struck, not only at the Administration, but
at the ♦ery constitution of the Executive Government. They
attempted to form in Parliament a Board for the protection of
Trade ; which, as they planned it, was to draw to itself a great
part, if not the whole, of the functions and powers, both of
the Admiralty and of the Treasury ; and thus, by a Parlia-
mentary delegation of office and officers, they threatened ab-
solutely to separate these departments from the whole system
of the Executive Government, and of course to vest the most
leading and essential of its attributes in this Board. As the Ex-
ecutive Government was in a manner convicted of a dereliction
of its functions, it was with infinite difficulty that this blow was
warded off in this Session. There was a threat to renew the
same in the next. To prevent the effect of this manaauvre, the
Court opposed another manesuvre to it; and, in the year
1696, called into life this Board of Trade, which had slept
since 1673.

" This, in a few words, is the history of the regeneration of the
Board of Trade. It has perfectly answered its purposes. It was
intended to quiet the minds of the people, and to compose the
ferment that was then strongly working in Parliament, The
courtiers were too happy to substitute a Board, which they
knew would be useless, in the place of one which they feared
would be dangerous. Thus the Board of Trade was repro-
duced in ajob ; and perhaps it is the only instance of a public
body, which has never degenerated; but to this hour preserves
all the health and vigour of its primitive institution r'

In 1826 Mr. POULETT THOMSON, following the
example of the honest but taciturn citizen of Bristol,
would have cried " ditto to Mr. BURKE ;" but then
he was not a Cabinet Minister, nor had he the sha-
dow of a chance of ever being placed at the head of
the Board of Trade. For all efficient Legislative
purposes, and even for the purposes :of inquiry, the
Board of Trade is as valueless now to the country as
it was in the days of BURKE. There is not a single
branch of commerce legislated for on the authority of
facts supplied to Parliament solely by the Reports or
other documents presented by that Board. The whole
business of inquiry is thrown upon the shoulders of
Committees of the two Houses. It may be urged,
perhaps, that titled ignorance of the details of business
no longer presides at this Board—that its Pre-
sident is not, as in times past, a mere Court
favourite, but a merchant as much talked about
for his business talents as for the ultra-liberalism
of his political opinions. , There is something in
the principle of choosing for the conducting of any
department a person who may be fairly presumed
qualified for such an office ; but we doubt whether the
history of the Board of Trade affords an example of
blundering equal to that of Mr. POULETT Tnom-
soN's Trading Companies Act of 1837. We defy
any Lordly Noodle in the British Empire, to give a
stronger proof of Ministerial incapacity, in any depart-
ment, than Mr. POULETT THOMSON has exhibited
in the passing of an Act inoperative from its inherent
clumsiness. So much for the practical knowledge dis-
played by Mr. POULETT THOMSON, in conducting
the business of a Board, which, in the emphatic lan-
guage of EDMUND BURKE, " if not mischievous is of
no use at all." Let us now hear Mr. BuftKE's plan
for relieving the country from the mal-administration
of this Board—a plan neither hastily framed, nor
lightly recommended, by one of the most cautious of
Whig Statesmen :
" It is therefore, Sir, on the opinion of Parliament, on the
opinion of Ministers, and even on the opinion of the Members
of the Board, of their inutility, that I should propose to you
to suppr.ess the Board of Trade and Plantations; and to re-
commit all its business to the Council, from whence it was
very improvidently taken; and which business (whatever it
might be) was much better done ; and without any expense ;
and, indeed, where in effect it may all come at last.'

Here we must conclude for the present. Howerer,
our Correspondents may be under no apprehension of
our forgetfulness of Mr. P. THOMSON'S Ministerial
existence. We, of the Liberal Press, have something
like a right of property in the " sayings and doings"
of the Right Hon. Member for Manchester.

A Correspondent signing himself " A Traveller"
has this day called our attention to the strange conduct
of the Commissioners of Customs. One would sup-
pose that their intention, if they have any intention at
all, is to make all communication with the Continent
as inconvenient as possible, in order that we may re-
main an isolated people as much as we were under the
dominion of the old Tories. We know from sad ex-
perience that there is a great deal of the leaven of
Toryism in most of our public establishments; and
the apathy which the Government has shown in the
instance adverted to, independent of many others,
proves that the Whigs have no small portion of the
same leaven. Complaints 'without number have been
made against the annoyance to which persons are sub-
jected on having even the smallest quantity of luggage
passed through the Custom-House, yet not the slight-
est abatement of the nuisance has been effected.
What can be more absurd or more insulting to a free
people than to see a satellite of these Commissioners
coining on board a vessel as it comes up the Thames,
taking from tie passengers even hand-baskets with the
remains of provisons, and other articles of the most
trifling value, throwing them in a heap into the hold,
detaining them for four hours at the Custom-House,
and not releasing them even then till a charge of 6d.
is paid for every separate package, however small.
What could be more easy than to issue an order that
all ordinary luggage should be examined immediately
on the vessel reaching its destination? But unfor-
tunately most political parties only think of the people
when they are out of office ; and the Whigs, the pro-
fessed friends of the people, are not an exception to
the general rule.

Another communication which we publish to-day on
the Mosaic Deluge will convince the public that bold
confidence in dogmas to arrest the progress of correct
knowledge must give way. We daresay something
more to the purpose than is said by BEREAN can be
brought to support the opinion that a knowledge of the
whole extent, globular form, and daily rotation of our
earth on its own axis, was familiar to MosEs, and the
generations of men who lived long before him. In the
meantime as BEREAN has " come to the rescue," and
to the aid of the Times, we give his communication for
what it is worth.

The Paris Journals of Wednesday seem especially
flattered by the appointment of the Duke de FRIAS
to the Presidency of the Spanish Council. The
Duke, it will be remembered, figured as Spanish Am-
bassador at the French Court, and is therefore pre-
sumed very favourably disposed towards the policy of
the CITIZEN-KING. Whether such an impression
be well or ill founded, matters very little at the present
moment. The Journal des Debats copies from the
ullilan Gazette of the 6th inst., the following amnesty
for political offenders of the Lombardo-Venetian king-
dom, conveyed in a letter from the Emperor of Aus-
TRIA to his uncle, the Archduke-Viceroy of ITALY :
My dear Uncle—On the occasion of my Coronation in the
Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, I have thought proper to de-
termine as follows:
'" 1. I remit the remainder of the punishment of all the
individuals belonging to the Kingdom who have been con-
demned for State crimes, and who are now undergoing their
punishment.
,c 2. I desire that all trials begun for political machinations
before the tribunal of this kingdom be immediately suppressed,
and that they do not continue for the future any political act
antecedent to my present resolution.
3. The
and compromised in the political plots against the safety of
the state, have been exiled to places expressly designated, shall
be immediately set at liberty.
,4 4. I desire that any political measures or surveillance
(precetto politico) imposed up to the present be suppressed.
5. The political emigrants belonging to the Lombardo-
Venetian kingdom who wish to re-enter their country may
profit by the disposition of paragraph 2 ; they must, how-
ever, make a demand for permission and wait the answer
which I shall think fit to make to each application, taking
into consideration the interest of the public welfare; and con- k

formably with my paternal intentions, I desire that political
emigrants who do not wish to re-enter the kingdom be au-
thorized to emigrate, provided they make a demand to that
effect in the regular forms.
" 6. The demands for leave to re-enter into as well as
those to obtain the authorization to emigrate from the king-
dom must be presented by the petitioners within the space of
a year from the publication of my present resolution. That
time expired, those who shall not have made such demand will
be treated with rigour according to the laws now in force. In
communicating this to you, I pray you to take the necessary
steps for its prompt and entire accomplishment.
" Milan, Sept. 6. " FERDINAND."

This very comprehensive Act of Amnesty will not
fail to render the EMPEROR extremely popular in
Italy. The patriots GONFALONIERI, PALLAVICINI,
POND, VISCONTI, UGONI, and SALVIA TI are no
longer in the situation of criminals exiled from their
native country. Austria has dared to set a liberal and
generous example to France.
What remaining news is to be found in the French
Papers of Wednesday may be gathered from the fol-
lowing paragraphs :

ENGLAND AND PlRSlA.—Details of the English expedition
to the Persian Gulf have been received, as the Courrier Fran-
cais states, via Bagdad and Egypt. " The numerical force of
the expedition," this Journal adds, "is small, but its conse-
quences will not be less important, as 2,200 men landed at
Bushire will serve as a point d'appui for Farsistan, and the
other Persian provinces that have refused to submit to the
Russian influence which rules Mohammed Shah. The
resistance of these provinces commenced before the land-
ing of the English, whose support, however, has repeatedly
been solicited since the death of the late King ; and
the nature of the country is such that Russia can
never gain there the same footing which she has ob-
tained in the north and north-east of Persia. The last ac-
counts from Lahore lead to a belief that Runjeet Sing has
decided to join the English without reserve. The positions,
at this time, occupied by his troops on the immediate frontier
of Kandahar and Cabool, sufficiently indicate the events they
are destined to provide against. It is also worthy of remark
that the East India Company has within a few months fur-
nished the Rajah of Lahore with a considerable supply of arms,
which are not, as in former times, such as have been rejected,
but the same as are put into the hands of the Sepoys in the
British service. It appears that Russian officers have been sent
to Runjeet Sing, and that hopes of a successful result to the
negotiations entered into with him have been entertained, but
have hitherto been deceived."

M. GISQI7ZT, Ex-PREFECT OF POLICE.—The Messenger
makes a long statement seriously inculpating Gisquet, ex-
Prefect of Police. The accusations are, first, the crime of
having seduced the wife of his friend, refused to fight tho
latter, and of having fled into the country, leaving an offer of
150,000 francs fer satisfaction. The injured person has do-
cuments to prove that in his situation of Prefect of Police
M. Gisquet committed exactions of every kind, and that he
gained 427,250 francs by the famous musket contract.

The following is the official notification of the birth
of the Count of PARIS, addressed by the KING to the
Swiss Federal Government :
" To my very dear and good friends, allies and confederates,
the President and Deputies of the Twenty-two Cantons com-
posing the General Diet of the Helvetic Confederation :
" LOUIS PHILIPPE, King of the French, to our very
dear and good friends, the President and Deputies of the 22
Cantons composing the General Diet of the Helvetic Cenfe-
deration, greeting:
" Very dear and good friends, allies, and confederates,
the intimate conviction we have of the interest which the
worthy Cantons of Switzerland take in all that concerns us,
induces us not to defer announcing to you the happy deli-
very of the Duchess of ORLEANS Princess Royal of France,
our very dear and well-beloved daughter-in-law, who has
just been delivered of a Prince, who has received the names
of Louis Philippe Albert, Count de Paris. In participating
in the joy occasioned to us by an event so important to our
family, our happiness, and the prosperity of France, you will
give us new testimony of the sentiments you have so fre-
quently manifested towards us. You mnst be convinced of
our constant desire to give you proofs of our attachment, and
it is with true pleasure that we seize this opportunity of re-
newing the assurances of our sincere esteem and our unalter-
able good-will. Upon this, we pray God to have you, our very
dear and good friends, allies, and confederates, in his most
holy keeping.
" Written at our Palace of the Tuileries, this 24th day of
the month of August, in the year of Grace, 1838.
" Your good friend, ally, and confederate,
(Signed) " LOUIS PHILIPPE.
(Countersigned) " MOLE."
SPAIN.

The Eco del Cumercio, says that Cabrera has already levied
contributions on the kingdom of Valencia, to the amount of
11,000,000 of reals, (3,000,000 of francs). He has besides
obtained large supplies of provisions, and added 600 to his
cavalry. It seems that some apprehensions were felt at Sara-
gossa, respecting the intentions of some Royalist Chiefs, since
the great triumph at Morella. The Christino General Par-
dinaz, with part of his division, has hastened to Saragossa.
Great exertions are made in repairing the fortifications of
Morella, which were injured during the siege.—Gazette de
France.

There is nothing official in the Moniteur this morning.
The " Adone" corvette, Capt. Fornier Duplan, arrived on the
7th of the month in the road of the Isle of Aix, from the Isle of
Bourbon, bringing back Rear- Admiral Cuvillier, late Governor
of that colony.
A letter from Toulon says that the " Cyclope" and " Vul-
cain" bombards, and the " Zebre" brig would sail on the 10th for
Mexico. Off Cadiz they will meet the " Nereide," Rear-
Admiral Baudin's flag-ship, the "Medea," " Creole,"" Gloire"
and " Currassier." This little flotilla, consisting of eight
vessels, will proceed to the Island of Sacrificos.
The " Chimere" steam-boat, which left Gibralter on the
25th August, which arrived yesterday, the 7th, at Toulon,
left Barcelona on the 6th, and has brought despatches, which
are said to be important.

The " Eugenie," corvette of burden, which arrived on the
7th, left the Galetta on the 29th August, with despatches
from Admiral Labarda. Nothing important had happened.
The English squadron had not appeared again since the 12th,
and nothing was known of the Captain Pacha's squadron,
which is probably on its way to Tripoli. The " Phare" steam
boat, for Algiers, arrived at Toulon in th? night of the 7th.
It left Algiers on the sth, with despatches for the Government,
which are supposed to be important..—Le Constitutionnel.

FRENCH FUNDS.—PARIS, Sarramaza 11.
Five per Cents.. 109 f. 25e. 20c. 15e.
Four yin* Cents., 10.2. f. 50c.
I hree per Cents., SOf. 90e.
Mente tile Napits, 100 f.
Roman Five per Cents., Hay.% .
Spanish'Actives, 20% %.
Belgian Five per Cents., 103%.

EXCHANGE oN LONDON.

One month, paper, 25f. SNe.; money, 2r.f. 33c.
Three months, paper, 25f. 25e.; money, 25: 20c.

LATEST PRICES.
Five per Cents. 109 f. 30e.
Three per Cents., 50f. iioe.
Romans, 10174.
Belgian Loan, 103%.
Spanish Actives, '20%;

We have Madrid Journals and letters of the sth,
but they do not contain a syllable of news of any in-
terest.

Brussels and German Journals of the latest dates
have been received this morning. The former contain
no news. From the latter we take the following

extracts :

HANOYER.—A letter from Hanover, datz.'d Sept. 2, in the
Leipzic Gazette, mentions the report of an intealled marriage
of the Crown Prince to a daughter of the Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg Strelitz. The public go still further in ti,Cir
conjectures, and do not stop at the marriage of the Crown
Prince. The melancholy state of the eyesight of our beloved
Crown Prince may one day give occasion to a political pro-
blem, as there never yet was an instance of a Sovereign's
ascending the-Throne in a state of blindness. Any thing that
in the public or feudal law of Germany that might be applied
analogica.llylb such a case would decide against it. And as
the present RoYal Harfoierian theory that the Councillors
of the Crown are responsible to that only, and not
to the country, might appear even to the Crown itself
too hazardous in the case of a blind Sovereign ; and
as there is no intention of giving up this main point of the
present system, even in a new Constitution, it was necessary
to think •of some other means of getting out of the difficulty, in
case, as it is to be feared, the operation which is to be per-
formed should fail in restoring the Prince's sight. The insti-
tution of a Regency might•be liable to difficulty because the
collaterals could not well be passed over; and it seems re-
solved once for all that they shall be left out of the question.
With which view the proposed new Constitution left it to the
King,- in appointing a Regency, to pass over the collateral
relations, and appoint a Prince of some German house, not
actually reigning. The Assembly of the Estates, indeed, in
the discussion of the new Constitution, demanded that
this Prince • should belong to a Sovereign German
house, to cut off the possibility of appointing a Prince
of S. (Solms) Regent, instead of the collaterals; but
whoever might be appointed Regent, there would still be
objections to a Regency. First, on account of its long dura•
tion, and then because the Regent might abuse his power.
Now it is thought that these difficulties may be in part removed
by the marriage of the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince
had a on (which is taken for granted), this son might be of
age, or nearly so, by the time his Majesty the present King
should be called away. The Crown Prince would then re-
sign in favour of his son, and the discussion of the unpleasant
question whether a blind Prince can ascend the Throne
would be wholly avoided. Even should the young Prince be
a minor, the Regency would•not be of so long duration as if
it were instituted on account of the blindness of the Sove-
reign. Many persons conjecture, too, that on the death of the
present King, if the country or the Assembly of the Estates,
did nothing with respect to the succession, yet the collaterals
would raise objections to the capability of the Crown Prince
to succeed; but if he had already a son and heir, the case
would be very different.
GOTTINGEN, SEPT. 3.—His Majesty the Ktng has been
pleased to appoint Professor Feisciisi Wurzberg to be Pro-
fessor in Ordinary of the Medical Faculty in this University.
—..;Flanover Gazette, Sept. 10.
113atissims, SEPT. 12.—The Moni(Mit Beige of this day