The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-15 00:00:00

FRENCII CUSTOMS BILL.

The Connzerce of Thursday has the tollowing on the
aew Customs Bill :

" The most important parts of the Bill are those re-
specting the admission of coal, machinery, thread, and
linen. The object of the clause respecting foreign coal is
to give the legistaiive sanction to the ordounance of
Na-
vember, 1837, by which reductions in the duty were made.
The towns of Nantes and Rouen have addressed peti-
tions to the Chambers, praying for a further reduction.
The object of this petition is opposed by the proprie-
tors of coal mines in France, who state that the im-
portation of English coal, which was fits: years ago
only a kw hundred thousand metrical quintals, now
amounts to more than 3,000,000 quintals, and that if
the duty be still further reduced, the importers of Eng-
lish coal will be able, with that saving, to transport
their coal a greater distance, and thus compete with
the proprietors of coal mines in the interior. The ques-
tion as to the introduction of machinery is at length
about to undergo a solution highly favourable to mari-
time navigation. The present tariff imposes an ad va-
lorem duty of thirty per cent. nisei' all steam-engines of
foreign manufacture, without distinction, in favour of
those which are not used in France, and are merely
used for steamers between the ports of France and
other countries. The ports have petitioned against this
duty, and the Government, in accord with the Committee
on the Bill, have recognised that foreign steam-engiuse,
under these circumstances, should be exempted from duty.
We must hero observe that the more machinery of this
kind is indispensable;:the more it lacomes important to
encourage our own manufactures, to compete successfully
with those of other nations. In order to attain this object,
it is proposed by the Committee to grant a premium of
30 par cont. on the value of French engines employed on
board vessels in international navigation. This premium
would comprise, at the same time, a drawback on the raw
material, and an encouragement for the constructors.
The article respecting thread and manufactured goods
of hemp and ilex will undoubtedly give rise to the
longest and most serious discussion. This question
arises out of a revolution in manufactures, by which
machinery has been substituted for manual labour.
Ergland, where this revolution had its birth, has
availed herself of it to introduce everywhere, and prin-
cipally into France, the thread made by machinery,
end against which it is impossible for that made by
hand to compete, either as regards price or quality. The
importation of linen thread into Franco represents an an-
nual suns of 25,000,000 f. What is to be done ? Shall
we, as is proposed, increase the duty, and adopt a protec-
tive system ? We have all the elements fur making thread
by machinery 83 cheaply as the English ; for if they havo
some advantages over us, we have others over them—such,
for instance, as the price of labour, and the production of
the raw material on our own soil. Cannot we imitate the
English, and compete with them, without having recourse
to an increase of duty ? As this is proposed the linen-
manufacturers, in their turn, petition for relief ; and, to
satisfy them, it is proposed also to increase the duty oa 18.:-
iifactured goods. There is, however, another important
question, as to agriculture and commerce, connected with
that of the duty on thread. If we receive English thread,
it must be on the condition that England shall receive our
brandy and wines. And what is to become of the promised
reduction of duties on these productions? We put these
questions in the hope that they will be fully discussed on
the occasion of the Customs Bill, and that every necessary
explanation will be given by the Government."
We have no other observation to make upon the above
extract than that the Commerce is in error in supposing
that the manufacturers cf thread in England are entirely
indebted to foreign countries for their raw material. It is
raised in abundance within Scotland and Ireland ; and not
long ago an important company was formed in Stafford-
shire for the cultivation of flax and hemp in that county.
We may, however, also add, that it is only in the manu-
facture of thread of the finer description that high wages
are paid. In the north of Ireland, where the commoner
description of thread is made, the wages are quite as low
as they can be in any part of France ; fur, with a redun-
dant population like that of Ireland, and the unity and
cheapness of potato food, there are too many thousands of
persons glad to obtain employment at a rate of wages
which is so low that it is hardly possible for the popula-
tion of any country, however miserable, to work for a
slighter remuneration.

WANT OF DRAINAGE.—At a meeting of the
subscribers to the London Fever Hospital, held en Friday
at the Freemasons' Tavern, Mr. Houghton stated that
there was a subject of vast importance connected with the
institution, which ought to be known to the public. He
meant the want of drainage in certain parts of the metro-
polis. Only yesterday no less than nine persons were re-
ceived into the Fever Hospital, all from the same neigh-
bourhood, and seven out of the nine were of one family
and out of one house. This was from Dairy-lane, and
in consequence, as he understood, of there being no drain-
age. Dr. Southwood Smith said there was really no
drainage at all in Drury-lane ; the result was that fever
was very prevalent there. Mr. D4uty Corney stated
that formerly in a part of Aldgate fever was found to rage
dreadfully, but since the excellent arrangements of the
City authorities in the erection of sewers, it had enth ely
disappeared.
TRIAL OF PEERS. —Bentham observes—
That when a Peer commits a crime, more mischief is
done by his trial than by his clime. The time of the Le-
gislature, that time which is the property of the nation,
and which ought to be employed on great plans of ns
tionul reform, of which there is such abundant need—that
time of which there never can be found enough, even for
the routine of twaveidals!e affairs—is wasted upon this and
a thousand other petty businesses, which could be a
thousand times better transacted elsewhere. To the na-
tion, the life of an idle Peer is worth as much as that of
an idle porter, but not so much as that of an industrious
one. To the Peers, their right of being tried by their own
body in capital cases was of use when Peers were in a
stile of perpetual hostility with the Crown, and juries
were at its devotion. It is now a burthen to the nation,
and of use to nobody, unless it be to-the Lord Chamberlain,
and to make a rarer-show."—Judicial.Estal_ilishment, page
321.

SICILIAN ATROCITIES UPON BRITISH SUB-
JEcTs.—On the 15th of December, as Mr. James Hopp,
a wine merchant at Mazzara, was returning home with his
two eldest sos.s, at about two hours after sunset, they were
murderously assaulted and wounded, all more or less dan-
gerously, by six assassin:, who lay in ambush near the road
ywhere they were obliged to pass to their residence, which
is only four minutes' walk from the town. Mr. Hopps was
shot in the back and shoulder, and wounded very severely ;
the youngest of his sons was most brutally beaten, and sc-
ceived a dangerous wound close to his heart; the eldest
was only slightly wounded, the assassins having missed
their aim. The three defended themselves, however, moi t
bravely against their six assailants, until one or twe people
came to their succour, when the villains made their escape.
But for the resistance made and the timely assistance which
was rendered, no doubt the dwelling of Mr. Hoppa would
have been cleared out, end all the inmates murdaed. We
arc happy to announce that the wounded hare been de-
clared out of danger, though such is the state of the coup.
try that they are obliged to bolt and bar themselves in their
dwellings at sunset, as neither life nor properly can be con.
sidered safe. We trust that the Sicilian authorities will
see the necessity of leaving no means untried fur detectieg
and bringing the delinquents to justice ; and it is roue 'a to
be regretted that an English man-of-war or steamer is not
occasionally
sent to visit the ports ofSicily,
?h
where British
subjects have such a considerable interest at stake, and so
s
many difficulties to encounter in getting' their grievances
redressed, redressed, from the circumstance of wes, of
the British
V.ce-Consuls along the coast king S.cili • •
ara, —Malta
Chronicle.
It is whispered at the liaise Guards that on the
first vacancy in the command of eitb
regi-
ments of guards, or of the Household'er of the three
Highness Prince Albert will be Brigade, his Royal
in that ise Prince George of Cambridgeappointed Colonel, and
unques-
tio: ably succeed Prince Albert would
in the command of the
11th H Assars.—Court Journal, -