The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-23 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

On the 15th Oct. the news was spread through
Berlin of a suicide committed under very singular
circumstances. An apothecary's apprentice here (17
years of age, the son of a respected physician in the
little town of P.) was found dead in his room. The
investigation that took place immediately showed that
poisoning by means of sulphuric acid had taken place.
A letter of the victim contained communications of
the following import : that he was afraid of being
rendered unhappy for life, and that he therefore
preferred a quick death ; that he was a member of a
union which had imposed upon itself the task of
opposing the reaction by all the means in its power;
that there had been a meeting of the union on
Sunday evening, and that cheers had been given for the
chiefs of the revolution and the radical party; that
thereupon all of a sudden an old man, whom they had
not previously remarked, stepped into the midst of
them and called them traitors ; that they were thrown
into much confusion by this incident, but that they
drew their daggers with the intention of assaulting
the old man, who fled and escaped. While they
were deliberating on what had just happened, a
scrap of paper was thrown into the room, with
these words written on it :—" All is betrayed, in-
stant flight is your only safety." This scrap would
be found in his waistcoat pocket, and further that
be himself could not escape, as he had no pecu-
niary resources or means of subsistence in a foreign
country.
After reading this they searched his waiscoat
pv.ket, and found the scrap of paper as indicated.
The strangetieze of the incident was increased upon
its perusal ; for some people in the house, who knew
the deceased very well, positively declared that the
scrap of paper was written by himself, for they recog-
nised his handwriting.
The next thought was that the whole story in the
letter was a pure fiction, but then, if this were so
there seemed no motive for self destruction, since the
deceased had enj Dyed good health, was not in love,
and had always conducted himself to the satisfaction
of his superiors, neither had he any debts. These
facts being ascertained, the affair will be submitted
to a most rigid investigation, and if the occurrences,
as described in the letter, really did take place it is
not doubted but that the old man will give the in-
formation required.

HOLLAND.
The _Ministerial crisis still continues, although
there seems to be some hope of its termination.
The Staats Courant announces that the King has
received from M. Thorbeke, by the hands of M.
Donker Curtiss, the list of some persons who might
be taken into consideration as heads of the chief
ministerial departments.
thfore arriving at any decision his Majesty desired
M. Thorbeke to consult with the persons designated
by him; and to draw up a programme of their prin.
ciples on the offices of government, to be laid before
the King.
In commenting on these official statements of the
&cuts Courant, the Handelsblad this day says that
many assert that it is evident from the above that
the King himself has no confidence whatever in the
persons proposed by M. Thorbeke, but that it may
rather he looked upon as a sure indication that he
approves of that list, for that he scarcely would re-
quire a body of men to give an official statement of
their opinion, unless he bad considered them likely
to be such as would be approved by the nation, and
that the King is sincere in his declaration to form a
Ministry whose view shall accord with the majority
of the Second Chamber.

The Stoats Courant of this day publishes the state-
ment of the expenditure of the first quarter of 1849,
compared with the first nine months of 1848. The
total increase of that period of 1849 was fl 39,175,064
23i. The items are as follow :
Direct taxes ... Fl. 13,995,350 751

Post dues ... •• ... 3,656,181 57
Excise .. . • .. ... 13,626,522 34
Registration ... ... .. 6,483,561 321
Duty on gold and silver manufactures 110,925 96
Post-off co ... .. ... 1,015,639 16i
Lotteries ... • • ... 286,873 50

The expenditure of the pant nine months of 1848
was 11.39,149,775 55k. The items were as follow :
Direct taxes .• • •.. ... F 1.13,735,584 024
Port dues ... . • .. 3,17.2,766 21
Ex.eice
~. ... .., .. 13,244,510 13}
Itc.gistration ..• ... • • 7,587,563 32
Duty on gold and silver manu-

factures
Poit-office
Lotteries ...

101,053 01
1,053,957 35
264,341 50

The increaae in 1849 was :
Direct taxes .••
Port dues... .. ...
Excise ... ..

259,766 55
413,414 35i
382,012 20i

Duty on gold and silver mann-
factares
Lotteries...

9,872 75
225 32

Total .. ••• ..
The decrease in 1849 was on—
Regi3tration . ,
.. .. F!. 1,104,001 99/
Poet-office ••• ..
... 28,318 181

Fl. 1,157,598 85

Total
Dutch Papers, Oct. 20.
dI
AMSTERDAM, OCT. 17.—Tua BOURSE
e-casioned some animated transactions to. ntegrals
ey
ere steady. The Four and Five per CaeYnts had
an upward tendency. Spanish .Debt Wa,;g
n
offered at a depreciation. Not much
fluctuation in
the Portuguese Funds, in which business was very
animated. Russian and Austrian rather down,
French stationary, and Brazilian offered at a depre.
ciation.

••. Fl. 1,132,320 18

HAMBURGH.
(From the Borsenhalle.)
liamnunon, OCT. 19.—8 y an order of the High
Court of Justice at Schleswig, a commission has been
sent to Duppel, under the protection of Swedish
soldiers, to investigate the affair of the destruction of
the German entrenchments.
A protest of the chief clergymen of the Duchy of
Schleswig, against the proceedings of the Admini-
stration, has been published.
At Flushing brawls between the Danish and