The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 26.
There being only 21 Members present at Four o'Clock,
the House adjourned till to-morrow.

LITERATURE.
THE WYE, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS
Longman, London, 1841.
The picturesque beauties of the river Wye are
but a stale subject for description, having already
employed the pens of several scores of small
tourists; Mr. Ritchie, however—despite the
hacknied nature of his theme—has contrived to
manufacture a very readable volume, possessing
much vivacity of description, and illustrated with
several cleverish embellishments. His sketches
of Tintern Abbey, and of Piercefield—oae of the
principal lions of South Wales—are quite as good
as anything that has yet been written on the sub-
ject; and he furnishes us with some interesting
particulars respecting John Kyrle, from whom
Pope drew his celebrated character of the " Man
of Ross." The work is a sort of Picturesque An-
nual, and is neither better nor worse than the
generality of such ephemera.

MATINS AND VESPERS.
Green, London, 1841.

In this volume we have a collection of Hymns
and "occasional devotional pieces," from the pen
of Doctor Bowring, whose "Dutch Anthology "
—as may be surmised from its title—was a very
airy and mercurial production. We consider the
work before us to be by many degrees the best
that the Doctor has yet penned ; and the poesy
—though in places it reminds us somewhat of
Sternhold and Hopkins—is, generally speaking,
chaste and spirited in its character. The hymn,
in particular, entitled " Friday Morning " is a
charming canticle, and might be sung with great
effect to the tune of the Hundredth Psalm.

TOPOGRAPHICAL AISTORY OF SURREY.
Part B.—Ede, Dorking, 1841.
The present Part of this usetul and unpretend-
ing publication contains three cleverly executed
engravings, and much curious information re-
specting the Abbot's Hospital at Guildford.

IMPORT DUTIES, 4.c. By Thomas Smith.
William Hoperaft, London..
One of the objects of this pamphlet is to supply
the deficiency in the Appendix to the Report of
the Select Committee on Import Duties, by
quoting the prices, and estimating the rates per
cent. which the duty bears to the cost of the ar-
ticle. The table in which the rate per, cent. on
each article is given is an important document,
and is entitled "A copy of a Return to an order
of the House of Commons, for the Select Com-
mittee, completed with the price of the articles in
bond on the average of 1839, and the rate per
cent. which the Customs' duty bears on the first
cost, or bonded price of each article." This table
gives the quantity of each article imported, ex-
ported, and left for home consumption, with the
rate of duty, the price in bond, the rate per cent.
which the duty bears to the cost, and the
yearly nett receipt ; for instance, the quan-
tity of coffee imported from British Plantations
is 22,506,3041b5. at a duty of ls. ld. per lb. and
at the rate of 46i per cent., producing a nett re-
ceipt of 564,1761.; Foreign Spirits, 3,408,529 gal-
lons, at 642 per cent.; Rum, 4,643,811 gallons,
at 200 per cwt.; Sugar (British plantation)
4,555,560 cwt. at 64 per cent., while that on
foreign amounts to a prohibition. Tea,
40,413,7141b5. at 104 per cwt., and tobacco
30,135,7581b5. at 436 per cwt., giving with
each the nett receipts. Another object of the
writer is to impress on the Government, when
they revise the duties, the importance of pre-
serving the system of fixed duties, both as a
convenience to the Government officers and the
merchants or dealers. On this point he gives a
good authority, who urges reasons that are quite
unanswerable. He says—
In reference to the objections to ad valorem duties and
to show the advantage of fixed duties, we adduce the
opinion of John Travers, Esq., and we know of no one
of higher standiag as a trader of the City of London ;
from a letter, in which be successfully combated the
Ministers on this matter, we take the following ex-
tract :—" Of an ad valorem duty I need say little. Under
any other system than monopoly it is equally liable to
objection with a scale of duties, for a single importer
only, apart from all combination, might easily by public
sale depress the market with a supply beyond what
was wanted at the moment, so ark to fix a low duty,
and .then by employing somebody to buy in the Teas
thus offered for sale, re-sell them most advantageously
for himself, but of course to the great injury of the re-
venue. A fixed duty is therefore inevitable, amci one duty
npon tea of every description, I beliqo honestly to be
the only safeguard to all classes of the community. It
will shut the door upon fraud ; it will not only give to
every body good tea at a lower price than was ever yet
known, but also augment the consumption and improve
the morals of the people ; it will at once place the honest
trader upon a firm footing, and through him furnish to
the Goveanment a sure, au abundant, and au increasing
revenue."

THE QUEEN'S POISONER-3 Vols.
Bentley, London, 1841.
In this historical tale—which is the production
of Miss Costello—we have a spirited, and tolera-
bly accurate sketch, of the internal condition of
France, during the last half of the sixteenth cen-
filth when the disputes between
.the Catholic
and the Huguenot party were raging with the
bitterest acrimony. The Queen-Mother, the un-
principled Catherine de Medicis, of course figures
prominently among the characters, and next in
importance to her, is her crafty Florentine ad-
viser, Rene Bianco, from whom the story derives
its name; for he was the chief agent hi her nu-
merous acts of murder, generally taking off his
victims by poison, as the least troublesome mode
of getting rid of them. This character is the
best sustained in the tale ; it is forcible, without
being exaggerated, and satisfies us that the au-
thoress thoroughly understands the temper of the
period of which she treats. Of the young King
of Navarre—afterwards the famous Henry the
Pcittrth—we have but a feW cursory gliMpses,
which we do not regret, for Miss Costae has not
been so successful in her delineation of' this dis-
tinguished personage, as might have been ex-
pected. ftis character is so faintly poilttrayed,
that we have some difficulty in making out the
lineaments. The story, generally speaking, is an
interesting one, though it is not very skilfu ly
conductect; and the details' of the massacre of
St. tlartholoinew—that " bloodiest re-cord' in the
pages of' French history—arc given with singular
boldness and energy.

WOMANI A POEM.
album Ltditidn, 1841,
A republication or a spirited poem on the most
welcome of all subjects, by the late Eton
Stan-
nard Barrett. The poem, which is penned in
Pope's favourite heroic measure, is remarkable
for its ease and mellifluous versification. The
author, however, succeeded better in
.prose than
in poetry; and his " Heroine"—a quiz upon ro-
mantic novels—is by far his best production. We
have many such poems as " Woman," but we
have very few such amusing prose satires as the
" Heroine," the republication of which would,
we should conceive, be an experiment likely
enough to be successful.

THE HUSBAND AND THE LOVER.
An old militaire, named A., who fills the post of Mayor
in a commune in the environs of Paris, was returning
home from a sporting excursion a few days since. He
had killed nothing, and was in a su,fficiently bad humour,
when a very beautiful- pigeon clove the air within shoot-
ing distance. A. fired, and the bird fell to the ground.
On lifting up his prey, the sportsman perceived that the
poor pigeon carried under its wing a small piece of
paper artistically fastened with a silken thread. It proved
to be a mignon billet, which A. opened, and read as
follows :—" Mon bien ame Charles, viens, lo tyran est
parti." The Hon. Magistrate turned pale ; his brow
was covered with a cold sweat. It was his wife's hand-
writing I The " Charles "of whom she made such
tender mention was a rich landed proprietor of his ac-
quaintance, whose frequent visits to A.'s house had al-
ready appeared suspicious. The Mayor's emotion was
vehement, but lasted only for a short time. He drew
forth his pencil-case, wrote at the bottom of the billet,
" Prix fixe, trois mille francs (price 2,000 francs), and
signed it with his name. Then, without further hesita-
tion, he proceeded to the residence of the person to whom
the billet was addressed.
" Mon cher voisin," said he, " here is a superb pigeon
which I killed a short time since: I want to sell it to
you."
The cher voisin became greatly disturbed on recog-
nising his messenger of love ; but, putting the best face
he could on the transaction, he replied, "It is a singular
fancy of yours, Monsieur A. ; but I am fond of bizarreries
How much for the bird ?"
" Look at the ticket. I shall not abate one farthing."
And he showed the billet which was still fastened
under the pigeon's wing. The gallant opened the billet
with a tolerably good grace. ; then he appeared to reflect,
and said, I rack my brains to no purpose, my dear Mon-
sieur A. I cannot find le mot de code enigme.
"Le mot ! There are two of them, and here is one,"
replied the sportsman, slipping a ball, quietly, yet so so
to be perceived, into the barrel of his fowling-piece.
The comedy was hastening to a tragic denouement.
The lover was slightly frightened, and replied with po-
lished grace, " But as I have not the slightest difficulty
in honouring your signature, mon cher Monsieur A.,
shall hand you the sum."
The 3,000 f. were counted into the chasseur's hand,
who took them and retired without saying another word.
But all did not end here. When Monsieur Charles had
recovered from his fright, he began to regr.et the loss of
his gold, came to Paris, took counsel's opinion, and com-
menced proceeding,s against the Sigur A. for extorting
money by threats of .personal violence:The latter re-
pliodby instituting an action for adultery, supported by e
ceztain number of very racy letters, a-which he had ma-
nagpd to secure possession. No doubt.this affair, if ever
it is brefught before the courts of law, 'will be fruitful in
scan* ~-Pavia. Paper.. •
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