The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-25 00:00:00

--
•
late that its value would be nearly doubled by a reduction of
this duty to one-half the present amount.
The consular returns for the past year are not yet pub-
lished, and as no other statistical accounts of imports are
kept, excepting the stocks of cotton and yarn, we
are unable
to enter so fully into the state of our trade as
this usual
Chinese
at
this season, the lists of sales furnisheddeus b
Wye
ith respect to
being too imperfect to serve as a gut .
cotton, the deliveries of this year haveßo magain fallen off ;
there Igo— increase in the quantity of bay staple, but
this me accounted for by the short supplies of other de-
ecriptiolas. Prices have been most ruinous—lower than was
ever before known. The following table. of the deliveries
this year, compared with the three previous years, speaks
volumes:
Bombay. Bengal. Madras. American. Total.
18,371 82,108 2,898 258,632
1846 205,255
31,10, 2 60,151 3,015 278,587
1845 ... 183,719
1814 ... 229,123 46,126 66,564 6,192 348,005
1843 ... 231,540 231,540
The decline in our cotton trade deserves particular atten-
tion : the consumption of the raw material is no doubt
seriously interfered with by the increasing imports of menu
factured goods ; but there is a much greater drawback in the
excessive land-tax imposed on the producer by the East
India Company. The shipments of this article are now
early decreasing ; the losses of the past year will still
further curtail them; and it is evident that the cultivator of
India, burdened so heavily, cannot compete with the native
of this country. The abolishment of most monopolies in
England has taught us that increased consumption is the
result only of a decrease in cost price—and in this age
of retrenchment and commercial reform, the Government
of India will do well to make some alteration in their
policy before it is too late ; it is unnecessary to predict
the consequences should they not remain satisfied with
the " golden egg." But besides the prostration of the
cotton trade, the working of the salt and opium monopolies
also deserve the particular attention of the lords of Leaden-
hall-street.
The re-establishment a Chamber of Commerce in this
city has created consi.lerable interest during the month.
At the time the Chinese imprisoned the foreign rsi-
slants in the factories, April, 1839, it was dissolved, and
we have since experienced many difficulties from the
absence of that union which constitutes strength. As a
body we shall now be able to protect ourselves against
the illegal encroachments of the consul and super-
intendent (2) of trade. The events that have lately
occurred it is hardly within the province of a trade cir-
cular to recount, but they must be fresh in the recol-
lection of ail. The collection of information respecting
our trade, however, is the principal object for the re-organi-
zation of the Chamber ; the only regular accounts, as we
observed before, being kept in the Con,ular-office; t•ese an
published but once a year, and, fo, m the omission of opium
as an illegal article, present a very incorrect view of the
business carried on, the value of the drug alone being equal
to that of all other imports aggregately. There is also a
prospect that several abuses of the old Hong monoply sys-
tem still remaining rill he swept

UNDER THE SANCTION OF HER MOST GRACIOUS MA-
JESTY THE QUEEN.
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
EXTRA NIGHT,
For the Benefit of the Fund for the Relief of the Distressed Irish
and Scotch.
The Queen has been pleased to sanction a performance at the
above Theatre, in aid of the Fund for the Relief of the Distressed
Irish and Scotch, and has been pleased to approve of THIS
EVENING, Feb. 25. The performance will cousin of Doulzetti's
celebrated Opera of;

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Proprietor, Mr. W. Batty.
Under the patronage of the Queen, Prince Albert, And other
Members of the Royal Family.—Mr. BAT i'Y's Fox-Hounds meet
every Evening at Half-past Six, during the week.
THIS EVENING
Will be performed THE ROYAL FOX-HUNT; or, Life's Course
of Men and Steeds.
Entire change of the SCENES of the CIRCLE, by the doable
Company of Foreign Artistes.
To conclude with a Faroe, entitled THE RUNAWAY
HORSE ; or, The Forest of Savoy.
Box -ortlce open trout eleven till five o'clock.—Doors open at six
tart o.mmence at ball-past six o'clock.—Stage Manager. Mr. W.
firoadfoot.