The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-11 00:00:00

closed at 31 3-16 at 30 days ; the Five per Cents. wore
not quoted ; the shares of the Bank of San Fernando
were 280 ; ditto of Isabel, 170.

We have received the Paris papers of Wednesday.
On the previous day the Minister of the Interior had
stated in the Chamber of Deputies, in reply to M. LEDRU
ROLLIN, that it would be attended with danger to the
public service to give any information at present on the
subject of the disturbances at St. Etienne ; but that,
hereafter, he would give every information in his power
on the subject of these disturbances.
1 The Courrier de Saint Etienne of the 6th instant

says :
" The strike still continues, but it is easy to perceive that
the mass of the miners are only restrained from resuming
work by the moral influence exercised over them by the most
ardent of their companions. Yesterday morning the men
of the Cate Thiolliere were about to go down into the pits,
when a large troop of the dissentients came and forced them
away."
The Courrier de Lyon of the same day has the follow-
ing :
" At the moment of going to press, we learn that the
directors of the Compagnie Generale des Mines have taken
measures to satisfy their men that the reports of the inten-
tion of the company to reduce the rate of wages was totally
unfounded." . .

The subj.,ct of free trade seems to be progressing in
France. The following article on this subject, from the
Journal des Dehats, will be read with feelings of interest
by every free-trader. It is evident from this article, for
the Debats is a semi-official journal, that the French
Ministers are much in advance of the Legislature in the
science of political economy.
"The absolute isolation of nations, which is the object of
prohibitionists, is a countersense in the present day. Is it
peace or war which exits in Europe ? Is it peace or war
which ought to be encouraged? Is the most evident proba-
bility in favour of peace or war? What is a peace in which
commerce, destined to bind nations together, is subjected to
a thousand obstacles, a thousand delays, a thousand vexa-
tions? If it is the maintenance of peace that Governments
demand and ought to demand, they go right against their
object in placing at each frontier excessive tariffs, like an
unscaleable wall. Foreigner remains synonymous with
enemy, just as if the cannon was still roaring, for a free trade
between two nations is publicly qualified as a tribute paid to
a foreign power, in place of becoming in the official language
what it really is, a profitable arrangement for both parties, what
is done but to excite relative to commerce those ideas of
hostility and implacable jealousy, of which the political
effects are so justly dreaded? It has been declared a
thousand times fir the friends of prohibition, without their
being able to give it an answer, that these abso-
lute prohibitions, these exorbitant duties, place every-
thing on a wrong footing, and in the end injure the very
persons they were intended to protect. Let us take, for
instance, the fabrication of linen threads and cloths by
machinery. Great Britain, in whose manufactories work is
done on so immense a scale, had produced a complete revolu-
tion in this article, and it was necessary to raise ourselves
to a level with her. The principal impediment in this
improvement consists in the deaniess of the spinning
machines. What, however, is done ! At the moment
that England permits the exportation of these machines,
hitherto prohibited, in place of opening to them every
entrance free of duty for a period of four or five years,
which would infallibly produce the creation of numerous
spinning factories, the duty on them, already elevated, has
been augmented to an extreme amount. This, forsooth, is
called protecting the national labour. It must be stated
that this most ill-judged measure is one of those which the
orators of the League delight in referring to most frequently,
to prove to their auditory to what inconsistencies the prohi-
bitive system was sure to lead. Quite lately even ideas of
free trade, presented with extreme moderation, and with due
regard to the prejudices of nations, excited a sort of disdain.
They were considered mere Utopian schemes, young men's
dreams. Adam Smith was a madman, *ideal economists
light heads ; and in order to merit the title of a practical man,
the first condition was to greet free trade, even in a miti-
gated point of view, with a smile. The practical man in
commercial matters was he who had no fixed principle;
who had neither read nor written anything on the subject,
if not to cause a laugh against political economy. What do
practical men think of the matter at present? is Sir R.
Peel a practical man? Is the avowal which he has made of
his old prohibitive illusions an error, or the act of a great
statesman, strong in his knowledge and his conviction? Is
the striking homage which he has rendered to the memory
of Adam Smith the enthusiasm of an unthinking scholar?
We know well that our prohibitive gentlemen will say—
' Oh, this is another Machiavellian trick of la perfide Albion.
England, which produces everything cheaper than other
nations, has nothing to fear from the general reduction of
duties; let us not be the dupes of this ruse de guerre.'
What England, however, produces cheaper than others is
not wheat, which is certainly as important a matter as any
other; nor glass, paper, silk goods, nor articles of fashion, or
bronzes. The act of the English Government is a sincere
one, inspired by a profound conviction. This conviction
takes its origin in facts, and the result is, that the English
Government takes this step the first without demanding a
return from any one ; it is not a bargain which it makes
with other nations, but an example which it gives. It is an
act of enlightened policy, a decisive demonstration in favour
of the peace of the world, which thus receives a precious
pledge. From what passes in England it must come to pass
that in France, as elsewhere, in consequence of the move-
ment that has declared itself, the old prohibition system will
be shaken, and that the duties will be successively modified
so as to facilitate free trade. The formidable phrase of a
tribute paid to foreign powers will lose its power and prestige.
It will be generally understood that commercial trans-
actions profit the two contracting parties, nation and nation
as well as individual and iadividual. Already some Govern-
ments, shaken by the example of Great Britain, give the
signal. Absolute prohibitions will disappear from the
code of nations, from ours at least, where they are still so
multiplied. It will be admitted that it is good for foreign
competition to make itself be felt, in order to stimulate ma-
nufacturing improvements. The various great interests of
the kingdom are as little tractable in England as with us,
and yet we find that they yield to evidence, and accept what
is commanded by the general interest. We do not deny
that absolute liberty of commerce is, like perpetual peace, a
Utopian scheme ; but still it is one of those schemes which
we ought to endeavour to approach as much as possible, and
towards which we ought each day to make a step. The
ultra-conduct of the partisans of the prohibitive system has
at length produced a reaction which will impel us strongly
in the course just alluded to. Such is the state of things,
and we consider it fortunate for the country."
The National gives vent to its Anglo-phobia in en
article which only proves that the writer is annoyed by
our recent triumphs in India, representing the victories
of Moodkee, Ferozeshab, Aliwal, and Sobraon, as being
merely gained by disciplined troops over a horde of
barbarians, forgetting that those barbarians had been
drilled, trained, and instructed for years by AVITABILE,
ALLARD, and VENTURA, who had learned the art
of war under NAPOLEON, and who had fre-
quently led the Seikhs to victory. The men,
however, who shrunk not from Seikh cannon will
hardly be " frighted from their propriety" by the
"paper pellets" of the National. The account given in
the Semaphore of Marseilles of the defeat of a large
Arab force near Tlemcen, by General CAVAIGNAC, is
confirmed. The combat, it appears, was very obstinate,
and the Arabs lost 100 killed. The French also had a
great number killed (among them one officer), and
Colonel CAGNON, of the Hussars, had a horse killed
under him.
The France Algerienne (an Algiers journal) of the 2d
says :—" As we were going to press we learned that a
telegraphic dispatch had been received announcing that
ABD-EL-KADER, having been surprised by General
YUSUF, has withdrawn with a small number of horsemen
to the tribe of the Ouled Sidiai Skihs, to the south of
the Chots, and consequently to the south of our posses-
sions in the west, towards the frontier of Morocco.
This news appears certain, and it is added that the Ex-
Emir, beaten, pursued, and hunted by our troops, ac-
knowledges himself that he is unable to continue any
longer the struggle in which be has been so long en-

gaged."
M. OGIER, late Colonel of the 7th Legion of the
National Guards of Paris, and who was a candidate for
reelection, has been rejected by a large majority, because
as a Member of the Chamber of Deputies he voted for
the indemnity to Mr. PRITCHARD; such, at least, is the
cause assigned by the Si ecle for his rejection.
The Stocks and Shares again improved on the Paris
Bourse on Wednesday.
The Three per Cents. closed at 83f. 75c. ; the Five per
Cents., 120 f. 30c.; the Orleans Railroad shares, 1,237 f. 50c.;
Rouen, 1,040 f. • Havre, 747 f. 50c.; Great Northern, 765 f. ;
Avignon, 917 f. 50c. ; Yierzon, 695 f.; Bordeaux, 635 f. •
Boulogne, 505 f.; Troyes and Montereau, 420 f. • Basle, 232 f:
50c.; Dieppe, 450 f. ; Paris and Strasburg, 525 f: ; Tours and
Nanadn-tael4.llas4lf7pfers°Ccen; Pts.,asr6is%aud
;spLaynoisnhs,ThsrBeoef. ;
perßcelegintsan.,'3r6wlAo-.
The following are the quotations for other lines
Lyons and Avignon. Railroad (Talabot), 508 f.; ditto (Le-
cointe), 503 f. ; ditto (Compagnie Meridionale), 502 f. 50c. ;
Bordeaux and Cette (Mackenzie), 502 f. 75c.; ditto (Espe-
leta), 509 f.; Charleroy, 490 f.
LYONS, APRIL 6.—Marseilles and Avignon, 921 f. 25 e.;
Paris and Orleans, 1,232 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 1,032 f. 50c.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TILE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, APRIL 9.
Dutch Rhenish, iN —East Indian, %—Great Northern of France
Constituted, 15—Great Indian Peninsular, %—Great Western Ben-
gal, %—Louvain and Jernappe, 1% —Luxembourg, I%—wanin, and
Liege, 1% —Orleans and Vierzen, 163,4—Orleans and Bordeaux,
1014 —Over Yssel, 3—Paris and Strasbourg Constituted, s%—Rouen
and Havre, 29.

EXPORTATION OFROH IB WHEATED FROM BARBARy
PIT.
Gibraltar, March 31, 1846.
Sir,—l have the honour to communicate that credible
information, though not official, has reached this place,
of the Emperor of Morocco having prohibited the ex-
portation of wheat from his dominions, owing, it is said,
to the continued drought causing fears to be entertained
for the growing crops.
Saffi, Casa Blanca, and Mazagan, on the western eoast
of Barbary, were the principal ports for the shipment
of wheat, and many cargoes were recently sent from
thence to Marseilles and Genoa.
The exportation of barley has been prohibited for a
long time past. Rain is much wanted in the south of
Spain.—l am, Sir, respectfully, &c.,
(Signed) LLOYD'S AGENT.
W. Dubson, Esq., Secretary, Lloyd's.

MORTALITY OF THE METROPOLIS.—The total number
of deaths registered in the metropolis during the week ending
April 4, is 1,080, including deaths from violence, the total
number of deaths, except from violence, is 988, showing a de-
crease in the number of deaths from disease, as compared
with the preceding week, of 25. iseases of the lungs and
organs of respiration, appear to have been the most fatal
diseases of the week, no less than 316 persons having died
from them.

CUSTOMS' APPOINTMENT.—CharIes Sholl, Eeq., Col
lector of Gweek, has been appointed to the office of Comp•
troller at the port of Laucaoter.--Fg/mouth Packet.

THE WEST INDIA MAIL.
The Royal mail :steam-ship Avon, Captain R. S.
Norton, arrived at Southampton last night, bringing the I
mails from Mexico and the West Indies. At Tampico
and Vera Cruz there had been some severe gales. The
weather at Bermuda was very bad, a gale having com-
menced on the 17th, and continued to the 23d. The
Avon left on the following day (after the arrival of the
outward-bound packet, the Thames), and made the run
rom Bermuda in sixteen days. Her latest dates are—
Tampico, Feb. 25; Honduras, Feb. 26; Carthagena,
Feb. 27; Chagres, Feb. 27; Vera Cruz, March 2; De-
merara, March 5; Trinidad, March 7; La Guayra,
March 7; Havannah, March 10; Jamaica, March 11;
Barbadoes, March 13; Grenada, March 14; St. Thomas,
March 17; and Bermuda, March 24.
She brings home fifty-five passengers, besides a very
valuable cargo, consisting of 2,014,085 dollars (49,481 of
which are from Vera Cruz, on account of the Mexican
dividends), 1,000 dollars in gold dust, 10,000/. worth of
pearls, 2811 b. 3oz. of platina, 146/. 15s. in British coin,
38 serails of indigo, and 91 ditto of cochineal, besides
other minor packages.
The following ships of war were lying at Vera Cruz:—
Her Majesty's sloop Rose; the United States squadron,
under the command of Commodore Connor, consisting of
the Falmouth, 22 guns; John Adams, 22 guns; St. Mary,
22 guns; and Porpoise brig, 16 guns; also the French
corvette La Perouse, 18 guns; the Spanish brig Patinta,
18 guns; the Mexican squadron Montezuma and Guada-
oupe steamers, of 7 guns each; two brigs of 16 guns;
and five schooners of 5 guns.

At Havannah, the Spanish ship, Sovereigns, 74 guns ;
and French brig Griffon, 10 guns ; at Nassau, ber Ma-
jesty's ship Thunder, surveying vessel ; and at Ber-
muda, her Majesty's ship Endymion.
Her Majesty's ship's Vindictive, bearing the flag of
Vice-Admiral Sir F. Austin, and Eurydice, arrived at
St. Thomas's on the 21st of February from 14fartinique,
and sailed the same afternoon for Jamaica. The Vin-
dictive was expected at Havannah on the 19th ult., on

her way to Bermuda.
Her ,Idajesty's frigate America was at Mazatlan, west
coast of Mexico, on the 10th February. She was to
sail, however, in two days for Valparaiso and England
with upwards of 2,000,000 dollars on board. Her Ma-
jesty's brig Frolic was also at Mazatlan, and the Talbot
at Saint Blas.
The American squadron, consisting of two frigates,
three sloops, and two store-ships, under the command
of Commodore Host, was also at Mazatlan ; and several
otber American vessels of war were daily expected.
The Avon exchanged colours, on the 4th of April,
with the Wellereden, homeward bound ; on the Bth,
with the Caroline, of Poole, outward bc.und ; and on the
same day with the Duncan, also outward bound.
The Company's steamer Medway bad left Havannah
for Vera Cruz, the Tweed had gone to the Windward
Islands, the Forth was at Carthagena, the Severn a'
Jamaica, the Thames at Bermuda, and the City of Glas
gow and Reindeer at Grenada.
MEXICO.

Mexico, when the Avon left, was quiet but uneasy,
and it was generally expected that the Federalists would
shortly assume the reins of Government. The Mexican
Government still refused to recognise Mr. Slidell, the
American Minister, who continued to reside at Julapa.
Several more American ships of war were expected at
Vera Cruz, and it was surmised that on their arrival the
coast would be declared in a state of blockade. There
was a report current in Mexico that 3,000 of the United
States troops had marched to the Rio Grande. The
Americans who were cruising off Matemoras had forcibly
taken off two Mexican pilots, and forced them to navi-
gate their ships. The Mexican steamer Guadeloupe bad
landed 300 troops at Tampico from Vera Cruz. She
had likewise on board several guns for the batteries, but
as the weather was tempestuous she was unable to get
over the bar, and was consequently obliged to return ts
Vera Cruz without landing the guns. Santa Anna was
still at Havannah.

JAMAICA.
The accounts of the crops are most favourable.
A memorial of the planters, merchants, and inhabi-
stnts of the island to the English Government, praying
For a reduction of the duty payable in England on the
importation of West India spirits, has been sent home
by the Avon.
The inhabitants were anticipating the formation of
the promised railways. The traffic on the Kingston
Railway continued to improve.
From the thirteenth report of the Planters' Bank it
appears the directors have declared a dividend of 5 per
cent., and added nearly 2,0001. to the reserved fund,
which now amounts to 11,283/. 19s. 10d.
On the sth ult. the shock of an earthquake had been
felt in the southern part of the island. It had not, how-
ever, caused any damage.
Lieut. B. Young, R.N., of the Persian, had been sen-
tenced by Court-martial to be dismissed his ship, and
put at the bottom of the list of lieutenants, for drunken-
ness. The Court-martial was held on board the Imaum.
The arrival of the Canopus was hourly expected, when
the Avon left.
1 per cent. pin. ; 90 days,
Bank, 30 days, 14 per cent.
EXCHANGES ON LONDON.—Planters' Bank, 30 days,
pm.
impper..;r
6ec
oen nt
days,
ap
yrn,
s!: .1;
pa6er
Jamaica
a cidays,cean cent.
p m
; 90 days. 4 per cent.
pm. Colonial Bank, 30 days, 14 per cent. pm. ; 60
clays, 1 per cent. pm. ; 90 days, per cent. pm.
DISSOLUTION OF S. RAILWAY
CO MPANIES

The railway public is indebted to Mr. Labouchere, for
extracting from Sir Robert Peel an intimation of the
course by which he proposes to place them in possession
proposed by the
of scripholders to ofthe Go-
vernmentgeneral
for eon ua tbl
inne g o
af themajority
ob-
tain a dissolution of the Companies by petition. The
more that this matter is canvassed, the stronger the
opinion becomes that the Government scheme is totally
inadequate to meet the crisis, and that it will be diffi-
cult, if not in many instances impossible, to carry it
out in practice. Not that there is much weight given
to the difficulties that have been started against the
right of scripholders to sign the petitions, because the
sale of railway scrip previous to complete registration
has been legalised by a solemn decision of the Courts of
Law. The allottees who have sold their scrips have di-
vested themselves of their interest in the companies, but
they have not been relieved from their responsibility.
The parties entitled to sign the petitions are the
immediate holders of the scrips, and for that
purpose possession of the scrip is held to be a sufficient
warrant. It is necessary, however, to draw a line
between signing petitions to dissolve, and voting at any
meetings that may be called to consider such a purpose.
To obtain a dissolution of any company, it seems to be
required by the Government plan that a majority in
value of scripholders mast exhibit their signatures to a
petition to Parliament, praying the House to interfere.
The number of signatures is of no importance. Unless
they represent a majority in value, the petition will not
be sufficient to stay the progress of the Bill. Should
scripholders imagine that they could increase their influ-
ence by giving 100 shares to as many porters, they will
find themselves mistaken. The 100 porters would still
represent nothing more than their single author. If
he was the holder of 100 shares, they would be so and
nothing more. Their signatures would be worth just
that amount of value, and nothing would be gained by
such a device. It would be requisite, nevertheless, to
guard against splitting of scrips in the event of meet-
ings being sanctioned. In that event there would
appear to be difficulties to be encountered at-
tending the working of the Ministerial scheme
that are almost insuperable. But we have already
said that the plan itself is now looked upon as totally
insufficient, and that the prevailing opinion is to adopt
the converse of it as the proper remedy. We cannot
say that the reference by the Premier to the Railway
Department of the Board of Trade is calculated to in-
spire confidence for the efficiency of the measure. There
has been something ominous and disastrous in the past
proceedings of that unfortunate tribunal, with respect to
railways. Everybody looked upon it as defunct, and its
resuscitation at the present moment looks as if Sir Robert
Peel merely used it for the nonce, to get rid, for a time,
of one of his pressing difficulties. The heavier descrip-
tions of shares have fully maintained to-day. the slight
improvement we noticed yesterday. There is no new
feature in English Scrips. The principal attraction in
Foreign Shares has been the meeting of the shareholders
in the Dutch Rhenish line, which is understood io have
passed off satisfactorily. Independently of a detail of
the prospects and merits of the line, which were pre-
sented in a copious report by the directors to the meet-
ing, the leading results are that the shares are ordered
in to be registered, a call of il. per share is to be an-
nounced, and a dividend is alluded to of 2s. 6d. per share,
to be paid in the course of a few months.—Chronicle,
City article.

THE LATE FATAL OCCURnENCE AT THE MILE-
IND•GATE.—On Thursday an inquest, which was twice ad-
Journed,
was resumed and concluded at the London Hospital,
before Mr. Baker, on the body of James Eastmead Bradley,
aged twenty, the son of the collector of tolls at the Mile-end-
gate, who died in the above institution on Sanday morning
from injuries received the day previous by the wheels of a
cart passing over his body. After a long discussion relating
to the tickets and the mode of collecting tolls on the road,
the
pre-
vailed, were locked up. After four hours' deliberation, twelve
jury, among whom a great difference of op inion
of the fourteen jurymen returned a verdict that the de-
ceased came by his death by the wheels of a loaded cart
passing over his body, but by what means he was forced
under the said cart there was no satisfactory evidence before
them. Two of the jury were for a verdict of manslaughter
against Roll:
SUDDEN DEATH IN THE STREET.—Thursday evening
Mr. Bedford held an inquest at the Two Chairmen. Dart-
mouth-street, Westminster, on the body of 'John Minnes,
aged fifty. two. The deceased was a discharged soldier, and
obtained a precariouslivelihood by hawking prints at publi
houses. On Wednesday evening he left left home, apparently
quite well, and about twelve o'clock he was found by .a
police-constable of the B division, on the steps of a door in
Great George-street, Westminster, in a senseless state. He
was conveyed immediately on a stretcher to the Westminster
Hospital, where Mr. Sibley,
the house-surgeon, pronounced
life to be quite extinct, and it was further discovered that he
died from long-standing disease of the heart. Verdict—
Natural death.