The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-25 00:00:00

of his Predecessor's Sinking Fund otierations.l
Perhaps, then, he means to abandon the delusion, I
though attended with the advantage of giving Mi-
nisters an available fund in their emergencies
(an advantage urged for the first time in the Mi-
nisterial Pamphlet), and as the country has long
been satisfied that debt can only be reduced by
the application of a surplus revenue in extinction
of it, he may think it no longer necessary to give
complexity to the public accounts td nq pqrpose.
however the day is near at hand when, in the
language of the French showmen, " we shall
see what we shall see."

We have elsewhere given extracts from the
Blade. The tone is decidedly warlike, and the
movements of troops are in accordance with it.
The opinion of influential persons at Paris is by
no means, however, so decided. We have it from
most respectable authority, that M. Chateaubriand
stated distinctly 0,1 Wednesday to an English-
man of rank, " If your Government is sincere
there will be no war, and if M. Villele go out
there will be no war." It would seem from
this that the French have still their suspicions
as to the reality of the friendship of our
Government for the Peninsula. The old King
is almost driven to madness by the man.
ner in which he is besieged, or rather perse-
cuted by the different parties. To a man like
him, whose veal for the faith is understood never
to have been very ardent, who loves tranquillity,
and is by no means insensible to the good things
of this life,even the chance of being obliged to set
out again on his travels, should this very hazard-
ous expedition fail to be attended with the hoped
for success, is by no means a pleasing subject
for his contemplation.—We shall not, however,
take up the time of our readers with unprofitable
speculations on this subject.—W here accident
may determine, it would be absurd to speak
with confidence.—We shall merely further ob-
serve, that we have reason to believe men in
office here still entertain a conviction that. there
will not be war.—(fbiel.)

[MORNING POST.]

An Express arrived yesterday from Paris with
he Etoile of Wednesday evening, the only
Paper which made its appearance on that day.
They would be of some importance, if any re-
liance could be placed on their correctness. But
this Journal has put forth of late so many
statements which have not been confirmed,
that its claim to public confidence is destroyed.
Amongst its new assertions is one that France
had twice refused the proffered mediation of
this country between her and Spain; and another
that the Russian, Austrian, and Prussian Am-
bassadors were to be accredited to the Regency
of Spain, as soon as they should arrive at Paris
from Madrid.

Bayonne Papers to the 17th inst. reached us
at a late hour last night. They had hitherto
displayed strict impartiality in the communi-
cation of intelligence from Spain ; but now

that the balance-seems to incline in favour
of war, they begin to follow the example of
the other Journals, and 'to give a colouring of
their own to the events which they record.—
Opinions are united to facts, and facts them-
selves are made to undergo the alterations ne-
cessary to render them palatable to the prevail-
ing party, anti to arm it with the means of
damping the secret hopes of some, and allaying
the open apprehensions of others.—(ibitt.)

CITY, FILIDAY EVENING.

The Consuls for the February account, which
closed last night at 77k, opened this morning at 774, and ad'
winced during the day to 774; but when the gloomy news from
Paris were made public they fell to 784, and closed at this price.
A report that several line of battle ships were getting ready for
sea, assisted in rendering the depression more complete.
Amongst the holders of Foreign Securities the panic is very
great. Thetlecline.in the French Reines is at least 4 per cent.
since yesterday, and there is no confidence in their maintaining
even the closing price of this day, which was only nominal at 79.
The Scrip of the New Spanish Loan, and the Bonds of the same
nation of 1821, are fully three per cent. lower, and no sales of
any consequence can be effected in them. It is rumoured that

. ,
the French Government has guaranteed the Loan to the Re.
geney of Spain, and that his Holiness the POPE has granted a
divine dispensation, permitting this Regency to give security
om the lands of the Church for this money, to be employed in
the holy cause of the Inquisition, indulgencies, bigotry; and
ignorance.

Although the Emperor ALEXANDER appears to have for-
gotten his loans in England, the possession of his bonds de-
prives Englishmen of the same convenient want of memory.
These Securities have this day fallen fully 4 per cent., and the
holders are very anxious to get out even at a heavy loss. The
Bonds of his PRUSSIAN ,MAJEsTY have also undergone a still
greater depression.
Several articles of commerce are dearer this day on the Royal
Exchange, in consequence of the prospect of war. Saltpetre has
risen 2s. per cwt. :The improvement on hemp is fully:W. per
ton, and it is not unlikely that there may be a considerable de-
mand for Small Cord:, for Various purposes, before the termina-
tion of this threatened legitimate war. " Very little- business is
doing ingrain, for home-consumption, in consmuenee of the se-
vii.ity of the weather; the chance of,exportation, however, be-
comes stronger, which renders the holders of bonded grain
more sanguine that events may yet save them a heavy loss on
the quantity of this description now in granary. British spirits
coining from the proper quarter fully maintain their extraordi-
nary high prices, hut those' who intrude Irish spirits on the Eng-
lish market, in vain attempt to make sales at 10 to 15 per cent.
under the arranged prices. If sales could only be made, the
Irish distillers would have pretit enough even at a greater re-
duction in the value, but at present they cannot be effected.—
( Morning chronicle.)

Ftar.---It was stated yesterday, upon the au-
thority of a guard of one of the north country
coaches, passing through Biggleswade, early on
Thursday morning, that a fire was blazing at
Woodley Cottage, the seat of L. W. PoTrtgratt,
Esq.; and that after the destruction of the house,
the stabling had caught fire. It, however, turns
out, that the fire broke out in the stabling, at two
o'clock in the morning, through the carelessness
of a youth, in setting fire to some straw in the
loft where he slept. The stables and roach-
house were in a short time a heap of ruins, and a
strong easterly wind communicated the flames
to the house, the interior of which ►vas totally
destroyed. It had been purchased and fitted up
by the owner last spring in an elegant style, and
was insured for a trifling sum only.