The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-18 00:00:00

plainly demonstrating how, $o far from assisting
its progress, they only clog the wheels, and act
as a drag-chain upon, commerce, Dr. BOWRING
is conferring upon France, England, and Bel-
gium, the most incalculable national advantages.
Old prejudices will no doul-it still continue here
and there, to thwart his good intentions, but his
diligence and perseverance, backed as these quali-
ties are by a vast range of sound, practical informa-
tion, will eventually, and this at no distant
period, surmount every obstacle, and bear down
all before them. The Belgian Union, a re-
spectable and influential journal published at
Brussels, speaks in the most encouraging terms
of the success that the Doctor has met with in
almost every Belgian town that he has yet
visited.

We take the earliest occasion to notice the
honourable conduct of Prince TALLEYRAND,
in respect of the smuggling transaction in which
his Excellency's name his been so shamefully
abused. The packages having been opened in
the presence of his Excellency, the French
Consul-General, and the officers of the Customs,
were found to contain lace and silks, as antici-
pated by the officers, and the Prince, thereupon,
expressed his desire that the whole should be
taken back to the Custom House for condemna-
tion, which was done accordingly. A proces-
verbal, stating the result of the examination,
was afterwards drawn up, and signed by the
officers, and attested by the Consul, in order to
be forwarded by Prince TALLEYRAND to the
French Government, for the purpose of further

investigation.
From the first we disbelieved the possibility
of there being the slightest ground for suspect-

ing the honour of the French Ambassador in
such a transaction. But this occurrence shows

the inconvenience, to say the least, of allowing
diplomatic privileges to the extent to which they
are at present tolerated. It is impossible that
any right-minded foreign Minister can feel
otherwise than hurt at the mere supposition of
his winking at a smuggling transaction. Yet
so it is, that smuggling by Ambassador's bags
is notoriously a constant practice. We have
heard rumours affecting the honour of the Brazi-
lian Embassy on more occasions than one, and
should much like to know what became of a
certain heavy bag, addressed to that Embassy,
which we understand was not long since imported
from France, and claimed by his Excellency the
Chevalier de .MATTos? Was that bag
(detained under suspicious circumstances) de-
livered to the Brazilian Minister himself, or to
whom, and by whose authority ? Was satis-
factory proof given to rebut the suspicion of
smuggling, and if not, does the blame rest with
the Commissioners of the Customs, or with
whom ? We should like to know what was the
result of that affair. It made some sensation a
short time ago, and in justice to the Brazilian
Minister, it ought to have been properly ex-
plained to the public.

We stated yesterday that a steamer had re-
cently left for Portugal with several officers on
board for the army of Don MIGUEL. We have
since learned that a description of this steamer
(the Lord of the Isles) has been sent to the
Constitutional authorities in Portugal, and that
a sharp look out will be kept for her, in the hope
not only of preventing the intended addition to
the force of the Miguelites, but also of making
a capture of the vessel, which, considering the
nature of her freight, the Constitutionalists may
legally do.

The Austrian, Russian, and Prussian Am-
bassadors in this country, have been very active
lately, in their correspondence with their respec-
tive Courts. They continue to assert that
their Sovereigns do not intend to interfere
in either the Portuguese or Belgian questions ;
but their assertions, if we may judge from past
occurrences, are not entitled to much weight.
If the Allied Sovereigns do not interfere, it will
be because they see the British and French
Cabinets acting with cordial unison on these
points.

The French papers of Monday do not contain
any article of importance, nor any later intelli-
gence from Portugal than that in the Journal
de Paris of Sunday :
FRENCH FUNDS.,,PARts, SLIM 16.
Five per Cents., 102 f. 45c. 20c. 10c.
Three per Cents., 75f. 70c. 65c. 6Cc.
National Loan, 102 f. 20c. ,
Bank Actions, 1,720 f,
Rente de Naples, 91f. 50c.
Rente d'Espagne, Five per Cents., 16%,.
Rente d'Espagne, Three per Cents., 40%;
EXCHANGE ON LONDON.
One month, paper, 25f. 50c. ; money, 251. 45c.
Three months, paper, 25f. 35c. ; money, 21f. 35e.
—Cours Authentique.

By a Parliamentary document, which will be
found in another part of The Sun, on the sub-
ject of Naval and Military appointments, it will
be seen that the Ministry are still proceeding
with the work of reduction. For this they de-
serve, and will obtain, great credit, though, all
things considered, they do not use the pruning-
' hook with sufficient energy, seeing that the abuses
in both Army and Navy are so luxuriant, and
the growth of so many years, that they should
be lopped away without mercy. What should
we say to an emigrant who, in the depths of an
American forest, should attempt to cut away at
the trees with a pen-knife instead of an axe ?
Yet Ministers, who are placed, as it were, in the
very heart of a forest of long-standing Tory
abuses, are laying about them with the knife
instead of the axe. If they really desire to do
good, they must provide themselves with the
latter implement, and wield it with unsparing,
unflagging energy.

Sir JOHN CAM HOBHOUSE has taken Basil-
don Park, Berkshire, for a short time.