The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-17 00:00:00

FRAN CE.

-
The Ordre says—" The Patrie announces that M.
Drouyn de I'Huys, Ambassador of France at London,
who has just arrived in Paris has received from the
President of the Republic the offer of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in the room of M. de Rayneval, who
has declined it. M. Drouyn de I'Huys has, it is true,
come to Paris, en conge, to settle some urgent affairs ;
but we believe that the Patric is mistaken in its con-
j ectures as regards the portfolio of Foreign Affairs.
We were assured at the Assembly yesterday that, on
the refusal of M. de Rayneval, this portfolio would be
offered to M. Thuriot de la Rosiere, ex-secretary of
the embassy at Rome."
The Patrie has an article in favour of more enlarged
and liberal views in French commerce. Considering
the semi-official character of this journal, the article
will be read with some interest. It is as follows :
" We think it useful to return frequently to the great
reforms in matters of political economy effected in 1842
in England. Our legislation in that respect is far from
being perfect, and, without servilely imitating the
English reforms, could wo not take them for model,
in modifying them so as to suit the particular neces-
sides of our country? One of the principal argu-
ments brought against a moderate reform of our
tariff is this : Of what use will it be to lower the rights
in foreign Merchandise if foreign countries do not act in
a similar manner towards you? You may import more,
but can you increase your exports in the same propor-
tion ?' Thanks to the experiment in England facts can
beibrought to give the answer to the objection. Although
England has effected her reforms without de-
manding any reciprocity, she has seen both her im-
ports and oxporLa increased under the empire of free-
trade. The following were her exports before 1842 :
Ft 1836, 53,368,572/. ; 1837, 42,070,7441.; 1838,
50,060,9704; 1839, 53,233,5804 ; 1840, 51,406,430/. ;
1841, 51,631,6231.; 1842, 47,381,023/. Sir Robert Peel
Dame into power, and effected his reforms. The following
was the account of the exports : —1843, 52.279,7094; 1844,
58,584,2924; 1845, 60,111,0824 ; 1846, 57,786,8761;
1847, 58,842,3771.; 1848, 52;849,445/, The falling off in
1848 is explained by the troubles which agitated
Europe in that year, and by the crises which wt.re
the consequnce of that state of things. And
we may remark en passant that this depression in
the trade of. England refutes peremptorily the popu-
lar prejudice that England is interested in the nations
of the continent being poor and wretched. Her interest,
oe the contrary, is to see them flourishing, for in that
state they evidently can purchase more. The
i depres-
sion of 184 S has fortunately not continued n 1849.
According to the Economiste, the amount of exports
arc likely this year to go beyond the average of the
nae:C pr. .sperous years. This may be imagined by
comparing the results of the first month with the ebr-
re:,p,,ndi:)g months of the preceding years. We give the
amount from January 5 to September 5 of each year-
-1845, 36 408,595/.; 1846,34,531,4351.; 1847,35,309,7981 ;
1848, 31,633,2147.; 1849, 39,203,392/. But it is only in
1849 that the experiment of free trade has been made
on a really large scale, for the sliding-scale of corn
remained in force. in 1848, and that article entered
free only siece January, 1849. It is in particular
in the intercourse between England and the Uni:ed
SLites that the aindioration is apparent, England
has, it is known,' suppressed the duty on cotton,
aed imported large masses of bread-stuffs from Ame-
v:c I almost without duty during the period of dearth.
The following are successively the figures of gar expor-
tations to the American union—in 1840. 5,283,0001. ;
1841, 1,098,6121. ; 1842, 3,538,8071; 1843, 5,013,5141.;
1811, 7.938;0791.; 1845. 7,142.8391.; 1846, 6,830,1601.;
1847, 10,974,1641 ; 1848, 9,564 9091. Yet in return for
the favours which she accorded to the United States, as
to all other nations, Engband neither asked for nor ob-
tained any reciprocal concession. Thus, therefore, facts
are now in accord with theory to demonstrate that the
diminution of import duties is sufficient to increase the
exports of a country, in other word:, the sum total of
labour, wages, and profits. Shall we know how to
FrAt by this !eseon in political economy given us by
Eegland ?"

The following appears in the National:—
" Conciergerie of Versailles, Nov. 14.
" Ciiizcn Felitor,—The judgment of the High Court,
of Versailles belongs to history; it will judge it
impartially, but that it may he able to decide the facts
must be exectly known. It is said in the judg-
ment:--‘ After heaing the udeucates of the accused.'
Wh,!,n the Prcsiflent pronounced those words. all
the pri4oeers declared that there had been no
defence. It is true that, contrary to our expectations,
some advocates of the le:r of Versailles consented to
take their seats on the benches of the defence; but, on
the one hand, those advocates in accepting a responsibi-
lity of which they will alone bear the weight, declared
that they only appeared to obey the requisition of the
llth Court, and that none of them would speak; and
on the other hand, their presence on the benches of
the defence was formally disavowed by Citizen
Devine, one of the aemeed, in the name of all. It is
then incorrect for the judgment to say, ' After hearing
the advocates of the :mused.' None of them spoke ;
they could not speak, the privilege having been in-
terdicted. We have been condemned without being
heard.

" GEINARD, LANGLOIS, MAIGNE, DANIEL
LAMAZIERES, MENDET, SUCHET, LE-
BON, VAUTAIER, 130 CA, DUPELIX, FAR-
DOULET DE CHALANDAR, COMMISSAIRE,
SCHMITZ, MAYA, CHIPRON, ANDER,
PASQUET, GAMEON, FARGIN FAYOLLE
DEVILLE."

The Committee on Stamps on Commercial Bills
has terminated the !discussion of the second part of
the measure relative to shares of companies. In-
stead of a duty of one per cent. on the nominal
capital, the committee adopted, for existing com-
panies, one-half per cent. paid annually on the
average price of shares during the last five years.
The companies which are to be formed after the pro-
mulgation of the law are to pay one-half per cent. on
the nominal capital. The Committee has decided
that any agent de change or courtier who may have
taken part in the sale of a share liable to the stamp
duty, but not stamped, shall be subject to a fine of
10 per cent. on the capital.