The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-27 00:00:00

before the assembly of Commons. Hence, in one portion of
his address he actually has the coolness—the consummate
coolness—to speak as follows :—" It would suffice for him to
pledge his word to the House that ever since
machinery had been introduced into this country
for the purpose of manufacturing goods, the wages of the
working people had been gradually falling." " It would suffice
for him to pledge his word to the House !! ' What a very
miserable estimate the Member for Knaresberough must have
of the discrimination and memory of the representatives,
ADDISON tells us of his friend, Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY,
inflicting a severe punishment upon a certain BULLY DAw-
sox. Would that we could resuscitate the shade of Sir
ROGER, and introduce him to the Parliament House.

We regret to find (and our regret will be shared by every
free-trader throughout the country), that the Duke of NEW-
CASTLE'S unconstitutional influence has prevailed in South
Nottinghamshire, and that his son, Lord LINcoLN, has been
defeated in the well-fought contest by a majority of about
690. The total number polled was 2,780, the consti-
tuency, according to the last returns being 3,614; so that
a fair proportion of voters had recorded their sentiments,
or more properly speaking, as regards the majority, the
sentiments of the Noble Duke. Sir R. PEEL has thus been
deprived of the services of another official assistant in the
House of Commons, and the defeats of Lord
Lrscor and Captain Rots, though proceed-
ing from different causes, produce nearly the
same effect. They weaken the power of the Minister and
encourage the protectionists to continue their opposition by
foul means as well as fair, and obstruct the accomplishment
of measures of the very first importance to all
classes. Unfortunately the landlords, and some of
their retainers, cannot yet discover this, but they
will in time. Sir ROBERT PEEL'S plans are too well laid and
too sound to be defeated by a faction in opposition to all the
rest of the community, and in a very few years after the new
tariff has come into full operation we reckon to a certainty
that the farmers will be the loudest in its praise.

Madrid journals of the 18th have been received. The
Ministry appear to be acquiring more strength in public
estimation from openly avowing the constitutional principles
on which they propose to act, and from a determination to
continue the financial policy of Senor MoN, which has done
much to improve public credit. "We learn," says the Castel.
lano, "that the new Minister of Finance will adopt a sys-
tem of publicity in all his operations. The receipts
and expenses of last year are about to be published,
and they will henceforth be published every month, so that
the Cortes and the country will be acquainted with the real
situation of the Treasury. M. PENA Y AGUAYO will omit
nothing to establish a balance between the Active and Pas-
sive of the Treasury."

Accounts from Corunna state that Pon llEsny had re-
signed the command of the corvette Villa de Bilboa ; and
one of the Opposition papers adds, that the persecuted
INFANTE had arrived at Santiago in the public diligence on
the 12th, amidst the cheers of the inhabitants.
The Three per Cents. closed at 3234 for cash and at 60
days, and the Five per Cents. at 23% at 60 days.

A brief, but important discussion took place in the French
Chamber of Deputies, on a motion relative to the octroi
duties on cattle, and this led to remarks on the impolicy of
imposing heavy import duties on the necessaries of life. The
movement in England has manifestly extended to France,
and we despair net of seeing Sir ROBERT PEEL'S commercial
policy adopted in a few years by that country. The Minister
of Commerce, in adverting to the high price of butchers'
meat, said, every proposition tending to diminish the duties
and lower its price ought to be received with favour.
M. DE LAMARTINE considered that the food of the people ought
not to be left at the mercy of self-named protectors ; and, ad-
verting to a- remark of M. BERRYER, who belongs to that
expiring class, the protectionists, he added, "M. BERRYER'S
was the ophiion, not of the poorer agricultural population,
but of the rich proprietors, whose first object was to secure
a high price for their produce, without any attention being
paid to the t:itaulties and straits of the working classes.
Notwithstanding the efforts made by the protectionist party,
it would be found necessary sooner or later to satisfy the
legitimate demands of the people, and take off those burdens
which now bore so heavily on them, for the advantage of the
rich." He then referred to the declaration of Sir Roman'
PEEL, in the House of Commons, that in France the popula-
tion had increased in a far greater proportion than the cattle
of the country, and that, consequently, she required a cer-
tain quantity to be imported each year, which caused the
present dearness of meat. The lion. Deputy, after dwelling
on the necessity of removing as much, and as soon as
possible, all protecting duties, concluded by declaring that
the whole discussion might be summed up by these words:
—" Let us vote cheap food for the people." These noble
sentiments appeared to produce much sensation, and were
loudly cheered by a considerable potion of the Chamber. A
protectionist Member of the name of Tins, said the Hon. De-
puty, seemed to allow that the proposition chiefly was good,
inasmuch as it prepared the way for other reductions, so as
to eventually suppress all prohibitive duties on foreign
cattle. M. DI LAMARTINE replied, "he was far from de-
manding the immediate abolition of the prohibition alluded
to; he knew that in such matters it was necessary to pro-
ceed by gradations-; but the general tendency ought to be
to establish an equilibrium between the products of all coun-
tries, and to break down the barriers which opposed one na-
tion's profiting by the advantages which the soil conferred
on another." The Journal des Dibats contains the following
very striking statistical detals respecting the falling off in
the consumption of butchers' meat in France :

" There is one fact which rules over the debate opened yesterday
on the entrance duties to be paid upon cattle brought into cities and
towns—the consumption of meat in France has been diminishing for
more than 50 years. The following are the incredible results of a re-
port published by the Minister Of Conitherce in 1842 :—ln 1830, the
people of France consumed 394,000,000 kilogrammes of meat, or,
upon the average, 12 1.3 d kilos for each individual. In 1840 the
consumption fell to 370,000,000 kilos., which, taking into account the
difference of the amount of population, gave 11 kilos a head. Thus,
in the short space of ten years, the annual consumption of meat In
France was reduced by 23,000,000 kilos., and that per head by eleven
per cent. It is true that the correctness of this official publicatfon
has been disputed : but what cannot be reasonably questioned is the
perfect accuracy of the accounts of the entrance duties of
Paris. These are very ancient. The Walls of Paris were
raised prior to the revolution, and the vigilance observed at
the gates is well known. It results from then accounts that the
quantity of butcher's meat consumed in Paris in 1789, when the po-
pulation Was 600,000, amounted to 62,000,000 kilos. ; and that in
1839, when the population was increased to 900,000, the consumption
was only 59,000,000 kilos. If the calculation per head he made upon
this, it will be found that in 1789 a citizen of Paris ate, upon the
average, 74 kilos. of meat, and that In 1839 this consumption fell to
48 kilos. per head. What does this tell? Before the Revolution did
the people live in abundance?—did they gorge themselves with the
necessaries of life ?—did they enjoy an excess of the good things of
this world? Alas Before the 'Revolution the people did not find
themselves in this happy condition, It has been singularly ame-
liorated since this great and memorable reformation—this is a
truth of which we have ample evidence. One thing is certain,
that in one essential article of food—that of meat—it is less
fortunate, and has a much more scanty supply than before the
Revolution. It is sad to say—but it is not the less true—
the people of France have not meat enough to eat to supply their
wants. This fact alone deserves all the serious consideration and
anxious solicitude of our statesmen. Its deplorable gravity becomes
more and more unveiled, when all the consequences it brings with it
are reflected upon. A want of substantial nourishment engenders a race
of puny degenerate beings, and thus nations have become impoverished
and degraded. We may, without falling too deeply into error, mea-
sure the productive capabilities of men by the quantity of meat they
consume. Many examples of the justness of this estimate have been
cited. By the side of this main fact conies another, which is its
corollary. As the meat has become more rare, its price has sen-
sibly increased. The price of beef of inferior quality, such as is re-
served for the labouring classes, was, twenty years ago, less than
35c. or 400. the demi-kilo., and this day it is up as high as 50c. or 55c.,
and that ofsuperior quality kas risen in the same period of time from
55c. or 60c. tolik. or 75c. and upwards. This increase of the price
of meat at the butcher's shop will be found to be very nearly in the
same proportion upon the best in the market. Consequently one of
the most urgent necessities of the country is for it to be supplied as
quiekly as possible with meat in greater abundance, and at a lower
price."
The Constitutionnel says :—" M. Guizot formally declared on Mon-
day that the Government had abandoned all idea of the expedition
against Madagascar. The garrison of Bourdon and Mayotte will
merely be reinforced. The Minister for Foreign Affairs added, that
the English would not act any more than ourselves against the
Novas. . _ _

The committee of the Extreme Gauche of the Chamber of Depu-
ties has just sent a circular to all its agents In the departments, ap-
prising them of the probability of a general election at an early pe-
riod and urging them to exertion,
The Marseilles journals announce the arrival there of a vessel from
Algiers, with accounts of the 18th, bnt the,information which they
communicate is without importance. Nothing new of a positive na-
ture was known as to the movements of Abd-el-Kader.
The Throe per Cents, closed at 84f. 83c. ; the New Loan, at 84f.
DOc. ; the Fire per Cents., 123 f. 45e. ; the Orleans Ra frond shares,
1,330 f,; Rotten, 1,057 f. 5c.; Havre, 750 f.; Great Northern, 778 f. 75c .
Avignon, 1,020 f. ' • Vierzon, 735.; Bordeaux, 655 f. ; Bast., 2521.
50e. ; Fampuox, 480 f. ; Dieppe, 480 f. ; Paris and Strasburg, 55Gf.
50c,; TOUT; and Nantes, 591 f. 20c.1. ; Par s• and w 030 f. ; spa-.
nigh Three per Cents., 38% ; Ditto, Domestic Debt, 325 ; Spanish
Passives, 6%.
The following are the quotations for other lines:—
Lyons arid Avignon (Talabot), 810 f. 50c. ; ditto (Lecointe). 505 f.
50c.t ditto (Compagnie Ideridionale), 502 f. ; ditto (Definitives),
572 f. 50e. ; Bordealt and Cette (31ackeszie), 504 f. ; ditto (Espeleta),
510 f. 50c ; Charleroi, 500 f. _

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREDIN RAILWAYS AT THE
IiONDON STOCK MICHANGE, FEB. 25.
Bottlogne and Asitiqns, 11%—Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Cette (Es-
peleta), 2IA —Dendre Valley, 34 —Dutch Rhenish, 634—East Indian,
I—(heat Northern of Franee Constituted, 16% —Great Indian
Peninsular, 4—l 1 all an and Austrian, i% —Lyons and Avignon, 2%
—Luxembourg, 2% —Madill and Valenti'', I—Namur and Liege,
3—Orleans and Vierzoa, IS —Orleans and Bordeaux,
11''X—Paris and
Orleans, sl—Paris and Rouen, 40%•

Lord Ingestre, In his speech on Tuesday night in
opposition to the Governtient measttresr stated that "he
was sprung from an ancient root ;r' this is a polite way of
calling his father an old turnip." Now, although Lord
Itigettre tied his Whet, Earl Talbot, hold opposite opinions
on this question, he might have treated his parent with a
little more respect, During the whole of the contest in South
Nottinghamshire no such disrespectful allusion to the Duke
of Newcastle was made by the Earl of Lincoln.

QtigEN ANNE'S ourdf.—tin Wttittestly the annual
account of all moneys received and disbursed by di tirPirelMOTS o
Queen Anne's Beeinty during the year ending the 31st of Dedetteitt,
1844 Whitli htth beim presented to Parliament, were printed. The
receipts were 181,8011. 12s. 511., and the disbursements 178,7961.95. 9d.
The yearil, tenths iu atteat were 901. 2s-Ad.
Stit. 14; PEEL' MEAPtinr,--The Manchester Guardian
says, it is now confidently stated diet gr, taut Clintern, M.P.; the
Member for North Lancashire, will vote with the prOteeflOnlsta, thus
neutralising the vote of his colleagne, Mr. Wilson Patten. The
pirntinviurt Journal states that Lord Ward, of Dudley, has given
1114 proity 111 faVotir of the Government measure, when it comes be-
fore the llEntle of Lora:
M. \YAW:Wiwi—The Court of Directors of the East
Fr is CUrilpatiY fitige presented sir. WtighOrn with the sum of 3001.
in consideration of his useful and zealous services, and of the ex-
penses which he has incurred in the establishment and during the
progress of steam communication between Great Britain and India.
—Area's India
Sialloa TA.UhtTitixi.—Every admirer of this great
singer Will be delighted to learn that, after he has completed his en-
gagement at St. Petersburgh, hem ill pass this season in London. We
have great pleasure in making this agreeable announcement to onr
usical readers. Tamburini is still unrivalled as a barytone.
OBsEnvER-orFicE, 169, STRAND.—With a view to
itirnish full particulars of the highly important achievements In
India, the Observer purposes publishing a gratuitous half-sheet Sup-
plement of twenty folio columns on Sunday next, March 1. The
price of the Observer (including the Supplement) Sixpence. A Mon.
day afternoon Edition of the Observer is regularly published at Four
o'clock, which edition is best adapted for the country and readers
abroad. The Observer was the journal that first announced the in-
tended alteration in the corn-laws, mad which paper has in its subse-
quent numbers anticipated all the official moVellle.nta In progress,
Ponneete4 ‘lllll that highly important meant '