The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-19 00:00:00

THE SPANISH DEBT.

The Madrid correspondent of the Morning Chronicle
extract
communicates the following
ernadct from a letter of Mr.
Cobden's, addressed to Mr. H
reply to a letter T.( ceived from the lerson, from Cadiz, in
latter gentleman. Mr.
Cobden says, 4. You are strong
claim, and you must try every in
the justice of yourpal to the honour and
honesty of Spaniards, and, appeal to the honour and
honesty of Spaniards, and, if necessary
shame them into the payment of their debts.
endeavoure to
b
with your circular as to the ability of the Li. I agree
Government
to meet its engagementF, provided ordinary talente and
integrity preside over its finances. Never was there a
country whose resources were so neglected andwasted
as those of Spain. Its tariff is a ruinous farce, fulfilling
no rational object, but failing ridiculously as a measure
of protection, as a means of revenue, and as a
national
policy. Instead of affording the proposed protection
in
to
the Catalans, everybody (manufacturers included)
Spain is an avowed contrabandist when opportunity
offers; and I am convinced that a duty of 20 per cent.
on foreign goods, honestly levied, with the accompanying
facilities to the Catalonians for the free admissionthe
of
their raw materials, would be more favourable to
manufacturers than the present system. Ido not think
you overrate the direct loss to the revenue from the
prohibitive tariff. While in Madrid I had the opportu-
nity of speaking to M. Mon upon this point. I told him
if he would farm his customs duties for 20 years I would
undertake to guarantee him four times the amount of net
revenue at present derived from that source, upon one
condition only, that I should be allowe heto reduce the
duties at discretion, but not to have power of in-
creasing the taxes upon any article in the tariff. Indi-
reet gain to the revenue would, however,
of be only a part
the benefit of a modification of the tariff. With free-
dom of exchan
i and ten e years internal tranquillity,
g ,
Spain would increase in wealth and population faster,
probably, than any nation in the world, and her present
debt
would become, in proportion to her resources, the
lightest in Europe. I wish you success in your applica-
tionA drid treasury."

BANK OF ENGLAND.-011 Thurs.ri ayi a • quarterly
as
general court of the proprietors of this corporation was
held at the Bank of England, pursuant to the terms of
the charter. There were but few of the proprietors pre-
sent, as it was not generally believed that any discussion
would take place. At twelve o'clock, the Governor,
the Deputy-Governor, and a majority of the Court of
Directors entered the audience room; and the secretary,
by the direction of the Governor, read the minutes of the
last general court. It was r:solved that the minutes
read, in which are contained votes of thanks to the past
Governor, the Deputy-Gov( rnor, &c., for the able man-
ner in which they had Exercised the duties of their
va-ious c dices, should be fully confirmed. No other
business having been brought forward, the Court ad-
j ourn ed.

THE SWELL-MOB IN THE PROVINCES.—The ap-
prehension of Shaw and Wood, two members of the
swell mob, for the robbery of the Half-moon Inn, in
Gateshead, has elicited communications from the pro-
prietors of inns in carious parts of the country, detailing
losses of a character exactl}• similar to that experienced
by Miss Murray, and identifying the prisoners by their
description, as parties who were suspected at the time,
but whose adroitness saved them.from punishment. Mr.
El. Baldock, landlord of the Hand and Sceptre Inn,
Tunbridge Wells, has written to Gateshead, stating that
two men, corresponding in appearance with the prisoners,
robbed his house in September last of 1571. Wood's
wife, who was remanded on a charge of being concerned
to robbing the George and Angel Inn, at Stamford, ha,
been discharged, her connexion with the affair being of
the same doubtful character as at Gateshead.