The Sun.
London, England, 1823-09-12 00:00:00

[BRITISH PRESS.]

The fanaticism of the Serviles is still at its
height in Spain, though opposed by the French
officers and troops. The Monks and their fol-
lowers take every opportunity of resisting An-
gouleme's decree from Andujar: they organize
resistance, not only in their mysterious private
meetings, but they oppose its execution in their
journals, published under the eyes of the French'
authorities. The object of Talmud°, Montemar,
and Calderon, with the legion of monks and bigots
that follow in their train, is tocoverSpain with ty-
ranny and mental darkness. The French squad ron
that blockaded Barcelona, has, it appears, quitted
that Port and gone to Cadiz ; a few light vessels,
unequal to any thing like a blockade, only re-
mained ; in fact, Barcelona is now almost com-
pletely open. The few troops who came over
with Manso, were, it appears, returning fast to
their Constitutional friends again. Eight horse-
men bad already passed over, and the fidelity of
their remaining comrades was more than doubtful.
The heroic Milani', with his division, had arrived
at Tarragona. He occupied the important po-
sitions of Oliva, Lorito, and Hermitage. Moncey
had taken position at Altafulla, Vallf, and Reuz.
Fifteen battalions of infantry compose the corps
preparing to act against Milans. All Moncey's
intrigues, both at Figueras and Sou, had utterly
failed. The Governor of Figueras would hear
of no proposal, though the hopes of the Consti=
tutionalists were represented to him as lost,—
From Seu the Officer sent to Head-quarters,
declared to Moncey, that the officers and sol-
diers of Seu d'Urgel had sworn destruction
to the bands of the Faith, and that the Go-
vernor of Seu would bear of no proposition
made to him to recognise the Regency. Means
were then adopted to try and seduce the Consti-
tutional soldiers, and withdraw them from their
officers. A manifesto, addressed by the Faith
banditti to the garrison of the forts; was, it is
said, printing at Manresa, for distribution. 'rhe
Journal de Toulouse, under date of the 428th,
from Seu d'Urgel, states, that even on the festal-
day of St. Louis, the Constitutionalists were un-
feeling Pagans enough to fire from the break of
day to midnight on the town and besiegers
eighteen bombs fell in the town, and five houses
were utterly destroyed, and several others
greatly injured. Five days before a sortie took
place on two different points, on the side of
Monferre, and not far from the walls of
the town. On the elst, a booth fell
on a guard-house, occupied by some of the
Faith banditti, and five of these cut-
throats were wounded. All the disposeable
troops at Madrid had received orders to proceed
by forced marches to Andalusia. A company of
artillery marched with such haste, that they were
expected in ten days before Cadiz. Nothing fur-
ther has arrived from the besieging, army, nor is
it yet known to what extent the Trocadero has
been carried. The next accounts, detailing pro-
bably the attempt on the Isle of Leon, will be

most important. This will be a most hazardous
and fearful adventure for the French troops.

[MORNING HERALD.]

We yesterday gave the report of the Commit-
tee of the House of Commons, relative to the
West India Docks. It appears to be drawn up
with strict impartiality, and enters very fully
into the subject. The West India Dock Com-
pany wish for an extension of their charter. The
concern appears to have been profitable. They
have realised in the space of 21 years, the time
granted them by their charter, three hundred
thousand pounds. It also appears that independ-
ent of the 300,0001. realised, that during all,
or nearly all this period, dividends have been
made. Had there been no dividend during the
21 years, and the 300,000/. only had been realised,
it would have been no great gain for dividing
300,000/. by 21 years, gives only little more than
fourteen thousand pounds a-year. There can be
no doubt that the Parliament has a right to say
to this prosperous Company, " the privilege for
which you contracted with us for your monopoly
is expired, you ought not to expect us to re-
new it ; it becomes comparatively public pro-
perty. You cannot complain that the specu-
lation has not answered your purpose, for, on the
contrary, your own statements show great pros-
perity ; we think that the public have now a right
to the reversion of the thing in which you had a
legal exclusive interest for a certain number of
years. Had you come forward to state that
the concern had been unprosperous—that you
had laid out more than you intended—that
you had been mistaken in your calculations
as to the Dock dues to be charged for the
West India vessels received into your Dock, that
you had been obtaining too little, and that you
had been losing instead of gaining, and that
at this period you were minus 300,0001. in-
stead of having a surplus to that amount, then
we, the Parliament, pitying your situation, and
being sorry that you had spent so many years
in doing no good to yourselves, will con-
sent to a renewal of your Charter for a term
to be agreed on." Had such circumstances
as these have occurred, then there could be
no doubt but that the Committee would have
recommended the Parliament to have extend-
ed the Charter. But the result appears to
have been the reverse of harship, and conse-
quently, we cannot see how, with any reason,
the Committee could do other than they have
done—namely, say that they could not take
upon themselves to recommend an increased
period. At the same time we must be free to
confess, that if we were large holders of this
good thing, we might be very cautious in ex-
pressing an opinion either as to the policy or the
justice of giving it up to the public out of pure
patriotism ; we should naturally like to keep it
as long as we could,
and especially if we thought
it probable that what we had, a year or two since,
been so improvident as to give 1001. for, was, in
consequence of the non-renewal of the Charter,
likely to fall down to 601. It is possible, under
such circumstances, that our love of self might
get' the better of our love for our country.—
Interest is so strongly implanted in men, that
is hen it comes into contact with what is called
love of country, we too generally see the latter
give way to the former. But to return to the
" West India Dock Stock Interest" subject, from
which we have a little wandered, it appears that
as the Committee mention that the London Dock
Charter does not expire for three years, it
would he but fair to continue the West India
Dock Charter for tire same period. To this we
imagine there can be no objection ; but when
that time arrives, we think that the Charter of
each should cease, and that both Docks should
become comparatively public property. At
the same time there is no knowinz what sort of
a case the London Dock Company may then
be able to make out as to the propriety
of extending their Charter, for, in a pecuniary
respect, they may not have been so fortunate
as their West India Dock neighbours. As a
principle, the Committee of the house of Corn-
mous there is nothing for the
publielaybs t
benefit("ts.:;u' al to open competition, and
leaving things of every description to find their
own level ; but they also add, that cases may
occur in which it may be judicious to depart from
such general principle.

NEW YORK SALT SPRINGS.—The Syracuse
Onandugo Gazette, speaking of the increasing
manufacture of salt at Salina and the works
adjacent, says the manufacture is yet compa-
ratively in embryo. Many strangers have visted
the works the present season, to witness the
process both by solar evaporation and boiling.—
The following calculation will give an idea of the
amount now manufactured :--At Salina there are
about 50 blocks of buildings ; at Liverpool, 20 ;
at Geddes, 13 ; averaging
14 kettles each, and
making in the -whole, 83 blocks ; each of these
is capable of making 40 bushels of salt per
day, amounting to 3,320 bushels, or 6G4 barrels,
;
which commands a quick sale at 14s. and 14s. 6d.
per barrel making
the amount manufactured
in a day equivalent to 1,162 dollars, and ex-
ceeding 300,000 dollars a-year. 1 t is expedient
to add, that formerly many complaints were made
respecting the quality
of the salt, which had been
obviated by the laws
enacted the last Session
of the Legislature, direiting the manner of
inspection, which renders it impossible for the
manufacturer, if disposed, to defraud the public, as
no salt can be sold previous to inspection, and
the inspectors are faithful in the discharge of
their duty.

BALLOON FOUND.-011 the Gth inst. a large
balloon, with a car,
or boat under it, but without
any person in it, was
picked up at sea, near
Wych-op-Zee, by fishermen, and, carried into
the Texel, where,
it is said, it was taken in
charge by
Mr. TIEDE CHRISTIANS. It is made
°t. ['Phis and has the arms of England upon it.--
i 4 probably the balloon Of Mr. GREEN,
with which he ascended from Leeds on, Friday
last, and the loss of which was described in the
account of that event.l