The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-04 00:00:00

" DECREE.

" Representations from so many Chambers of the empire
that they form a majority of the Brazilian people, having
reached my Imperial presence, representing that the plan of a
Constitution which I offered to them has been unanimously
approved with the most patriotic enthusiasm, earnestly entreat-
ing me to swear to it, and order it to be sworn to as the Con-
stitution of the empire ; and considering the justice of these
entreaties of the loyal Brazilian people, from the incontestable
advantages which will result from their possessing, as soon as
possible, their constitutional code, I have resolved, with the
advice of my Council of State, to swear and order to be sworn
to the said project, that it may be established as the political
Constitution of the empire. This oath shall be taken in this
capital on the 25th of the present month, and elsewhere, as
soon as this my Imperial Decree shall be received by the re-
spective authorities. Joao Severiano Maciel da Costa, Mini-
ster Secretary of State for the Affairs of the Empire, shall take
the necessary steps to execute this Decree.
" From the Palace, March 11, 1824.

" Signed by the Emperor,
" J. S. MACIEL DA COSTA."
—lt does not appear from the Rio letters
whether any of the French ships of war in that
harbour had sailed, but no mention occurs on the
other hand of any accession to their number hav-
ing been made. The Blossom has brought no
accounts from Peru of later date than those pre-
viously received. The advices from Chili extend
to the 19th of January, but supply no political
levents; the country was perfectly tranquil. The
Blossom has brought specie for the merchants to
the amount of 800,0001., who in this instance,
however, have been made to pay dearly for the
protection of a British ship of war, by the delay
which has occurred on the voyage, a great por-
tion having been on board near twelve months.
Notices of remittances having bee❑ shipped on
board of this vessel have been received full six
months ago.

[NEW TIMES.]

Advices were yesterday received from Rio
Janeiro to the 20th March, by his Majesty's
ship Blossom, whose arrival had been long ex-
pected, having on board a considerable quantity
of specie on account of merchants. The French
squadro❑ lying at Rio, respecting which so many
absurd reports prevailed a short time since, con-
sisted, at the date of these advices, of two
frigates and two corvettes, the other vessels hav-
ing departed, after taking in provisions, for their
different stations in the Pacific, &c. The Em-
peror had appointed the 25th for the ceremony
of swearing to the Constitution. Letters had
reached Rio from Monte Video stating that the
Portuguese troops were embarking, and the
Brazilians under General Lecor were to enter
the city on the 28th February. It was reported
that two Spanish seventy-fours had touched at
the Island of St. Catherine (about five days' sail
to the South of Rio) for refreshments, on their
way to the Pacific. By the Blossom letters were
also received from Valparaiso, Lima, and other
parts of the South American States; but their
dates are full one month antecedent to our pre-1
vious advices. The Royalist troops, it appears
by letters written by British residents at Lima,
consisted of 16,000 effective troops of various
denominations.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]

It appears from the extracts from the Dutch
and Brussels Papers in another column, that the
Belgian Landholders are exerting themselves to
put an end to the freedom of importation of
agricultural produce, which, though beneficial to
the nation, has a tendency to lower their rents.
It would appear from the majority in favour of
the Address to the Crown, that the Landholders
are as 'formidable in the Legislature of the Ne-
therlands as in our own, and we begin to fear that
the wise policy which the Dutch have steadily
pursued for centuries, is at length in some
danger. It is natural that a Legislature of Land-
holders should think less of what the na-
tion gains by a free trade in corn than what they
themselves lose by it,though the one may bear no
proportion to the other. The Belgian land-
holders we believe, placed in more favour-
abl(c.e rsare,circumstances than our own with respect to
the effect which Corn Laws would produce. As
little corn is grown in Holland, the country
very

cannot, even in the most abundant years, supply
the whole population with food, so that by means
of a duty on importation the price can be main-
tained at any prices the landlords wish to have.
The English landholders, on the other hand, can
raise the prices as high as they please, in years of
scarcity, but, unfortunately for them, there are also
years when England produces more food than can
be consumed, and when no laws can prevent
prices from falling. If the English Legislature,
indeed, were to follow the Dutch policy in the
Indian Archipelago, and in years of abundance
to keep the supply below the demand, by de-
stroying part of the harvest, then our Land-
holders might build securely on their restrictions.
The great problem is to keep the supply always
below the demand. So long as the rest of
the population have the means of purchasing
they must purchase on any terms. As, how-
ever, this bold policy is somewhat beyond the
courage of our country gentlemen, and they cannot
secure themselves by restrictions against the mis-
chief of abundant years, it may fairly be ques-
tioned whether they had not better at once con-
sent to a free trade. There is in fact no other
method (the above bold policy excepted) of pre-
venting a fluctuation of price, ruinous to the
owners of landed property, and to all persons
connected with its cultivation. The advantage
given by the restrictions is necessarily temporary,
and against that advantage must be set off the in-
jury sustained in periods of abundance and de-
pression.