The Sun.
London, England, 1823-03-12 00:00:00

CITY, TyrspAy EVPNING.

Duilog last week • the sales of Cotton amounted
tenderly 2500 bags, a great proportion of which was bought for
exportation; and there was no alteration in its value. In Liver-
pool the dvmand was dull, and prices were 4 to,l The
arrivals amounted to 14,310 bags, about 10.000 bags only were
dispoSed of. • '
In the value of West India produce there is littlenheration.
The public sales of Coffee last week were very considerable, and
the whole went otFlreely, and obtained the prices of the sales
matle:bypriVate contract. This day inferior quality is- dull,
but the finer descriptions are fully as dear. On the 23th
Feb. 1022, the Stock in London amounted to 4,100 tons, and
on the same day this year it was 4,440 tons. Sugars also con-
tinue in demand, and the late advance'in their value
.has been
fully maintained. The stock of British plantation sugar on
hand here on the 28th Feb. last, was. about 25,000 casks. 6200
chests and 300 tons of foreign, and 33,000 bags of East !ndia,
being considerably un ler what remained over on the same day
last year.
Thertrbas been. a demand for rice, probably for the South of
France, and considerable stiles have been effected, bitint low
prices.
Baltic produce is rather dull tale. In tenon, very little
business has been done, and 375. per cwt. is the extreme value
of St.'Petersburg yellow candle. The General of the Specula-
tion is as inanimate as if be had received a check-mate, and
lookers on are consequently deprived for a time of the pleasure
which they have been accustomed to receive from thii well
played game. Hemp has declined to 411. per ton, and is doll
sale, notwithstanding the prospect of a Government contract for
3,000 tons. •

Rums are very dull sale, and 'are not nearly so valuable as
coarse Englislispiritiare. .The trade is not, however, so ably
conducted. The duty last year paid on rum in Great Britain
amounted to about l i millions, and the' duty on English spiriti
was about tii. millions, making on British spirits consumed in
England, and on rum consumed in Great Britain, a revenue of
only about 4 millions sterling. A free trade in British spirits at
the present high duty, should produce at least C millions of ditty
on this article, consumed in England alone; but the great
temptation to smuggling, under the. present system, prevents
this benefit, and it consequently is as injurious to the revenue as
it is to agriculture and to the morals of the people ; for under
different regulations, one half of the duty might be remitted
without any loss whatever to the revenue, and the consumption of
rain by the distillers might be tripled without in any degree
interfering with the produter ; of rum, for rum consumers sel•
dm or never use any other description of spirits. Snuggling
alone would be injured by a complete change in the Distillery
Laws, for a reduction of duty would render the risque of de-
tection much greater than the profit. The people besides
would have a really pure and tine spirit to use at half the pre-
sent value. This is one of the benefits which unrestricted and
free trade would confer on the community, anti; the President
of the Board of Trade cannot too speedily renew the useful la-
bours of hit predecessor on this most important subject.--
(Morning ('hronicle.)