The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-12 00:00:00

which has reduced them to such a state be their own,

or that of the persons from whom they have derived
the properties, it is not reasonable that the nation
should be the sufferer.

The Swiss Diet, assembled at Zurich, was occupie3
during the sitting of the 4th instant in discussing the
question of the League of the Catholic States. 101
cantons voted that it should be dissolved without in-
vitation or summons. Geneva has yeserved her
opinion—Neufchatel, St. Gall, and Bale Town will
refer the matter to their cantons. In the event of re-
sistance, ulterior measures will be taken.

In the Hamburgh Boersenhalle of the 4th inst. we
find a letter announcing the failure of the commer-
cial policy of the Zollverein, both as regards the
United States and the Brazilian empire. The Con-
gress at Washington has rejected the terms of the
commercial treaty which the Zollverein had proposed
to conclude with them as disadvantageous and insuf-
ficient, and the Duke of AIIE.ANTES, the Envoy Ex-
traordinary from the Brazils to Prussia, whose
mission related to the question of a com-
mercial treaty between the Zollyerein and the
Brazils, has arrired at Paris en route
for the Brazils, having been unable to mine to any
understanding with the Zollverein on the subject of
his mission.

We find it Stated in the Nuremberg Correspondent
of the sth instant that the project for marrying the
Queen of SPAIN to Count TRAPANI was defeated by
the Austrian Government. The Northern rowers,
although they would have preferred the Count DE
MONTEMOLIN for the husband of the Queen, of SPAIN,
have determined to abstain altogether from active
interference.

A meeting of the principal inhabitants of Kiel
(Holstein) took place on the Ist, to consider as to the
best mode of proceeding relative to the arrest of M.
OLSIIAUSEN, one of the leaders of the anti-Danish
movement. An address was voted and presented to
the burgomaster, calling on him to use his utmost
energy in procuring the release of M. OLSHAUSEN,
whose arrest the document declared to be arbitrary
and illegal.

Madrid papers to the 4th inst. have been received.
The news of the marriage of the QUEEN with a
Spanish Prince has been received with universal sa-
tisfaction throughout the provinces. "El esposo de
neustra adorada Reins al fin es un Espanol," is the
general observation. The marriage of the INFANTA
with the Due DE IMIONTEENSIER, however, is looked
upon with feelings of abhorrence by all except " the
miserable monopolising minority " composing the
Afrancesado faction. The Eco del Comereio goes
so far as to declare that Spain will not suffer so
" exotic a Prince to take up his abode even for a
moment in the palace of her kings."
The Herald() says—

" The English Minister, who has recovered from his
indisposition, returned to Madrid, from Carabanahal, on
the Ist instant. Ho had intended to repair to St. Se-
bastian for the benefit of his health, but it would appear
that, owing to the important questions under discussion,
he has given up the journey, and determined to return
to this capital."

The brig of war. Ebro, sailed from Carthagena for.
Civita -Vecchia on the 31st ult., having on board dis-
patches for the Spanish Minister at Rome, and the
Esperanza states that positive orders have been given
to have the QUEEN'S trousseau ready by the 18th of
this month.

MADRID BoIAA, SEPT. 4.—The Three per Cents.
were done at 3.54- for cash ; the Four per Cents. at
213 ; the Five per Cents. at 22A- ; the Debt, without
interest, at G ; and the Coupons, 201.

We have received the Paris papers of Wednesday.
With two very significant exceptions, the Debuts,
the organ cf the Government, and the Presse,
the organ of the Court, they all comment
on the proposed marriage of the Infanta of
SPUN and the Due DE MONTPENSIER7 but
the only additional information on the subject
in any of them is to be found in a short paragraph in
the Constitutionnel, in which the writer expresses a
belief that on the 3d Mr. BULWER sent a note to M.
Isrumuz, expressing his surprise at not having been
duly apprised of the proposed marriage between the
INFANTA and the French Prince.

The Journal des Dads has, we are rejoiced to see,
declared itself in favour of the principle of free trade,
The following is its declaration :
"We do not hesitate to say that our choice is made.
We are advocates for free trade, in the sense that we
consider it an object which ought to be attained
gradually, and by constantly approaching towards
it as far as circumstances will permit. The pro-
tective system, interpreted by prohibition, for it is
always in that sense that the term is used, may be
very favourable to a particular branch of industry
specially protected, while in its infancy, but once that a
country has taken great strides in a manufacturing career,
the system, it will be,seen, becomes injurious ;' it arrests
the progress of the arts which it pretends to protect,
and which often believe themselves efficaciously pro-
tected ; it opposes the natural order of things, in
causing prohibition by way of reprisals against foreign
countries, and in impeding, by restrictions and aug-
mentations in the price cf the raw material at home, those
branches of manufactures in which the country succeeds
the best. It gives a bad direction to national capital, and
maintains an artificial and burdensome state of things,
by creating factitious industries, which live as in a
hot-house, and do not produce results equivalent to the
labour they absorb. It institutes and tends to perpetuate
inequalities when the law has wished to give to every
citizen equal facilities. The great majority of those who
support it are led astray by prejudices and by false cal.
culations. They have not correctly estimated and placed
in parrallel what it costs and what it produces, not only
to the State and to the country, but to themselves. They
only see the apparent profits, and deceive themselves as
to the charges. The preser t moment offers, for the
organization of international exchanges on a more
liberal footing, conditions extremely favourable, and
which may perhaps never be again found, if not now
taken advantage of."
The Debats then proceeds to examine a number of
cases in which branches of French manufactures and
produce, now under the protective system, are mani-
festly favoured, not for the useful purpose of aiding
their development, but in order to put money, at
the expense of the consumer, into the pockets of

the capitalist. After dwelling on the injustice o:
such a system, our Contemporary concludes as fol•

lows :

" For him, who is not led away by the mere jingle
of words, who does not take the shadow for the sub-
stance, behold the last cry of the pretended protective
system; a duty, or rather a multitude of duties, which
cross and clash with one another, are levied on the
public, and when every account is drawn out and
balanced, these innumerable taxes resolve them-
selves into a premium for the benefit of three or four
branches of manufacture, which hold their privilege either
from blind chance, or from political combinations, of
which even the remembrance is lost, but the influence of

which survive the idea that dictated them. These duties
have not only the effect of taking money from the
pockets of those who have been persuaded that they
were to gain by them; but they cramp labour by
taking up its time, and by imposing advances which
are often above its strength; they cramp it because
the restrictions with which they are attended exclude

the use of better materials; they are, in fact, injurious
to it in a thousand other ways. The protective system
is only supported by the effect of a misunderstand-
ing. The opinion of the public, of statesmen, of
legislatures, and of the majority of those interested,
has gone on a false scent. The result. of public discus-
sion ought to be to demonstrate this fact to the most
incredulous, and after the explicit and striking avowal
made by Sir Robert Peel in full Parliament of the error
which he had up to that time entertained on the point in
question, we cannot see what it could cost any one to
admit on which side the truth lies, and to follow in that
path, taking at the same time every precaution recom-
mended by prudence to avoid sudden shocks and mis-
fortunes."

The Presse takes up the cudgels for the protec-

tionists, but our monopolists will not thank it for its
aid, for it argues that a free trade in corn is all right
enough, because the corn trade is governed by laws
particular and exceptional, but that a free trade in
manufactures is a thing to be abominated.
The fallacy of the doctrine of protection is
proved by comparing the arguments of the upholders
of that doctrine in England and France. They are
inconsistent. If the one is right, the other must be
wrong. Not so with the doctrines of free trade.
The arguments of the free-traders of France and

England. or any other country, are, if not identical,
perfectly consistent with each other. Truth is ne-
cessarily always consistent with itself, and free trade
is truth.

A royal ordonnance appears in the Moniteur, or-
dering an augmentation in the number of officers of
the royal navy. Captains of ships of the line are to
be increased from 100 to 110 ; captains of corvettes,
from 200 to 230 ; lieutenants, from 600 to 650 ; and
enseignes from 500 to 550. The funds necessary for
this increase of naval officers have been already pro-
vided for in the supplementary credits of the Budget.
The names of the officers promoted in consequence
of the above decision are given in the ITloniteur.

" A report is in circulation," says the Courrier