The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-02 00:00:00

Legation, enjoys at this moment. He has almost daily con-
ferences with the Ministers, and as he speaks the Turkish
language fluently, he needs no interpreter, and therefore
less is known of his negotiations than is usual in such cases.
It is, however, known that they relate to the new system of
Customs which is to be introduced, and in which Mr. Ur-
quhart's ideas will be followed by the Porte. These consist
in the fixing of a very low tariff of import and export duties,
and the total abolition of teskeris (licenses), which, in the
hands of the Armenian bankers of the Porte, have become
real monopolies, and an almost intolerable burden for the
agricultural population. This new tariff is to be confirmed
by a commercial treaty with England ; and by this means
the arbitrary alterations to which the system has hitherto
been subject will become impossible. Thus, for in-
stance, the chief director of the Customs suddenly
raised (a few weeks ago) the export duty upon raw
silk from 15 to 32 piastres, by which all those houses
that have made contracts for the next season will
sustain a loss that will counterbalance all conceivable profit
on their speculations. To prevent those abuses, the tariff
must be fixed once for all by commercial treaties. The
abolition of the teskeris will be much more difficult, be-
cause they do not immediately affect the Turkish mer-
chant, but the Turkish producer, and as long as the pachas
are farmers of the taxes, and therefore in the power of the
Armenian bankers, who answer for them, these privileges
will continue to appear under new forms. But the great
internal reformation which the Sultan has been carrying on
for ten years will enable the Porte to relieve the Admi-
nistration from all those mischievous intermediate Members.

We are sorry that we are obliged to postpone till
to-morrow the notice which we had prepared of Lord
W. BENTINCK'S appearance before his constituents at
Glasgow on Tueslay last.

Dr. BowRING arrived at Leghorn on the 9th No-
vember, where a public dinner was given to him by the
British merchants, and the progress of the principles
of free trade celebrated in a country which, under
LEOPOLD 1., gave one of the earliest examples of com-
mercial liberality and wisdom. To the enlightened
policy of Tuscany, in this particular, the general pros-
perity of its trade may be attributed. A railway is pro-
jected between Leghorn and Florence—the yearly
number of travellers being more than 300,000. Dr.
BoievalNG has had several interviews with the Grand
Duke at Florence.

We are glad to see the Reformers bestirring them-
selves, in the anticipation of a dissolution of Parlia-
ment. To be first in the field is always esteemed a
point of good generalship, and in nothing is the ad-
vantage of taking time by the forelock more strikingly
exemplified than in electioneering proceedings. We
therefore greatly applaud the Reformers of North-
ampton, who, it will be seen by a report in another
part of The Sun, are already taking active measures
to whip out the Tory whipper-in who contrived, by
means but too common among the clique to which he
belongs, to worm himself into the representation of
that borough at the last election.
The gentleman whom the reformers have resolved
upon inviting to occupy the place at present filled by
Mr. CHARLES ROSS, is Mr. RAIKES CURRIE, the
wealthy banker, whose high personal character,
staunch Reform principles, and vigorous talents, point
him out as eminently qualified to take part in that ar-
duous struggle which the people have yet to maintain
against the enemies of popular liberty and national im-
provement. Mr. CURRIE appeared before his future
constituents on Wednesday last, and made a confes-
sion of his political faith, which met with their cordial
approbation. Like every other man of sense, he is
friendly to the practice of the representative pledging
himself to the represented on leading points of po-
licy. This he showed did not involve any surrender
either of judgment or principle ; because, on all great
political questions men of reflection have made up
their minds before they offer themselves as candi-
dates for the suffrages of the electors, while on other
matters—on subjects of minor importance, which may
depend on circumstances of temporary expediency—
the Representative is, and must ever be, left to the
unbiassed guidance of his own understanding.
Mr. CuRRIE's political creed contains the follow-
ing articles :—Household suffrage—the ballot—trien-
nial Parliaments—Peerage reform—repeal of the corn
laws—free trade—abolition of church-rates, and a
more eiFectual Church Reform.
Our readers will, we are sure, agree with us in
thinking that Mr. CURRIE is sound in the faith, and
in wishing that he, and many such as he, may replace
in the next Parliament, come when it may, both the
inveterate enemies and the lukewarm friends of Reform
who unhappily found their way into the last.