The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-20 00:00:00

t he emancipation of the present thraldom of the conti-
;aental commercial interests, broke up.
N. Blanqui made an eloquent speech on the abuses
of the custom-houses, which was followed by one
from Mr. Ewart, whom I left speaking, the bad ar-
rangements of the Belgian post-office obliging me to
le Ive the hall to post; my letter. lam happy to say
that a reform of these postal regulations is shortly to
come under discussion.

A grand banquet takes place this evening in honour
of the members of the Congress. I forgot to mention
that among the letters received was one from 11.1 r.
Cobden, regretting his absence.—Ckronicle.

The following is a translation of Colonel Thomp-
son's speech, delivered at Brussels on the first day of
the Free-trade Congress, September 16, 1847:
" Since English speakers appear to be the fashion to-
day, I, too, must say a few words, but allowance
must be made for the disadvantages under which I
stand. After thanking you for the honour done me
in placing me among your vice-presidents, permit me
to remark that I think your President began by
stating the object of the present meeting to be the
discussion of the general principles of the freedom of
trade, and that possibly there has been some little
digression from that mark. I therefore implore this
assembly to consider whether there is not one prin-
ciple which may be called the key that opens all
locks, the passe-partout, on this subject. I must
state that I have had no great luck with my
principle in England ; for I have laid it before our
political economists there and every one of them de-
clares he can have nothing to do with it. Driven
thus to the wall in England, I come to see whether
fortune will do more for me in Belgium.—(Cheers.)
The point, then, to which I beg to call attention is,
whether in all cases, without a possible exception,
where any article is bought at more than the natural
price, by which I mean being bought at a price that
is raised in consequence of some protection, there are
not two losses for one gain • and if so, then, as long
as one and one make two, I hold that this must make
a difference of one. Take, for instance, an omnibus.
As you see, gentlemen, I put myself into the posi-
tion of what is called the Devil's Advocate—(Laugh-
ter)—l am going to make out a case for the protec-
tion of hackney-coaches. I shall say, then, ' So you
fancy you have done a fine thing by setting up an
omnibus that is to carry people for a franc, where
the old hackney-coaches took them for a franc and a
half. You call that for the good of the country.
You have saved half a franc to the traveller, but
have not you, at the same time, taken away halt a
franc from the hackney-coachman ? -What, then, is
the good of it after all ?' This is what a hackney-
coach-protection man ought to say for himself. But
I ask you, is it not plain he has dropped an item out
of his account ? This half franc that the traveller
saves, what becomes of it ? I never heard of its
being thrown into the river. What did the traveller
do with it ? He bought anything he liked ;
for what I know, he bought tarts and cheese-
cakes. So that this half franc was laid out on some
kind of trade, as effectually as if it had been laid out on
hackney-co.-Amen. It appears, then, that as concerns
what,emay be called trade, the thing is as broad as it
is long. But for the traveller it is not the same thing
at all ; for, in one case he gets his tarts and cheese-
cakes fur his demi-franc, and in the other he gets
nothing. I think, gentlemen, that if you will carry
forward the application of this principle t 3 the more
complicated questions connected with free trade, you
will find it bring you to the same conclusion. It mill
be needless, therefore, for me to trouble you now with
what you readily make out without it. I beg
to clofe entirely with the assertion of a preceding
speaker, that Englishmen eat a great deal when they
can get it. Admire the wonderful ways of nature.
What were these great eaters made for but to be first
and foremost in the battle for free trade? What
better motive can be given than to say to the
Englishman, Move forward, or you get no
dinner.' Most especially when the man has got
an appetite for three. Gentlemen, if other na-
tions had seen, as has been seen in England,
the probability of getting no dinner at all, they would
have thought as we do on the necessity of getting rid
of prohibitions on trade. One word that has been
heard I must make an observation on. Somebody spoke
of Bonaparte. The next time, might I beg that he
would say the Emperor ?—(Long continued cheer-
ing.) Is it the fact that he was Emperor or not ? Do
not deprive the old soldiers who have looked his
armies in the face of the honour of saying they have
fought against the Emperor. Above all things, I beg
you to believe that the English Free-traders are not
men of the old order of things, but are eager to ac-
knowledge greatness under all forms, and to prcve
themselves the friends of progress everywhere. Be-
lieving, gentlemen, that this feeling is common to us
all, I cannot but hope that your proceedings here
will end in good to all the countries whose repre-
sentatives we see."

THE LATE FAILURES.
The following is the statement of affairs of Messrs.
W. and J. Woodley, whose suspension took place on
the 27th ult. It will be observed that the assets fall
short of the liabilities to the extent only of 9,0001.,
and we may add that the wheat held has been esti-
mated at 455., while it would now fetch 48s. to 505.,
and the flour at 235., which is now at 275. to 285.
Under these circumstances there is every prospect
that the expectations of the creditors to escape without
loss will very , nearly be borne out. It was hoped,
however, at the time of suspension, that a surplus
would remain to Mr. Woodley of 15,000/. :
STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS.