The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-06 00:00:00

THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 6, lsis,

high protective duties, excluded from the greater part
of Germany, we ought at least not to prevent them
from maintaining the balance, by providing us with
colonial produce. If the maintenance of such balance
be rendered difficult, the natural consequence is, that
the rate of exchange will become unfavourable,
German produce will in the consuming countries be
rendered dearer, and the foreign consumers will thus
he obliged either to reduce their supplies of these
goods, or to draw them from other states instead of
from Germany. _ _ _

But even this danger is of minor importance when
compared to the much greater evil that would ensue,
should the European states look upon the proposed
German customs law—and, particularly upon the no
tice to determine all treaties, which must precede its
introduction—as a hostile measure; and if, instead of
being induced thereby to follow a more liberal sys-
tem, they should adopt more stringent measures even
than hitherto against German vessels and German
imports in their ports; what an incalculable loss
would it not entail upon Germany should, for in-
stance, Ilo!land and Belgium feel themselves called
upon to impose higher duties upon German corn than
upon American and R ussian corn ; or if, in England,
German clover seed were taxed higher than the
French—German zinc were placed under disadvan-
tages in comparison with Polish or Belgian zinc, and
German woal should be superseded by Russian and
Hungarian, or even by ..kmerican wool, which might
under these circumstances soon be able to compete
with it. It may, perhaps, be objected hereto that
such fears are exaggerated, and that the different
European countries could have no legitimate reason
for such retaliation, because Germany avails herself of
measures which they have previously enforced against
her. It may also be that foreign states would be de-
terred from adopting retaliatory measures by consi-
derations similar to those that make us deem the pro-
ject unadvislble for Germany. IVe must not, how-
ever, overlook the circumstance that the articles here
enumerated are such as will in future not be consi-
dered so indispensable to other European countries ;
that further, the project in question here appears in
the light of a coercive system, which cannot be exclu-
sively applied to the states against which it is parti.
cularly meant to bear ; and that, finally, the European
states cannot help seeing that the practical workings
of the system will injure their trade, while it favours
the trade of transatlantic countries ; for throughout
our inquiry we have supposed that the difference be-
tween indirect and direct importation was to be consi-
dered only as a difference between European and trans
atlantic produce. Should an attempt be made to go
further—which would however be but consistent—and
also to impose higher burdens on imports of such
goods from American con 'Aries as should not be their
own produce, the transatlantic countries might like-
wise be induced to adopt retaliatory measures, which
would complete the ruin of German industry ; because
it cannot for a moment be doubtful that the United
States, for instance, would resent any measures by
which their transit trade should be obstructed, when
we consider how strictly those states adhere to the
principle of reciprocity, and what great quantities of
goods are brought front North American ports to
Germany, which are not the produce of those coun-
tries. We have already alluded to the Brazilian,
West Indian, and Asiatic produce, which reaches us
by this route. Should this route, however, remain
unimpeded by the new system (as has been presup-
posed during the whole course of our investigations),
these measures will lead to a kind of custom house
warfare declared against the transit trade of European
states in favour of that of transatlantic countries—and
this will be a reason the more for the firmer to have
recourse to retaliatory measures.
Herewith we conclude that part of our inquiry
which relates to the effects of the projected system of
differential duties, without the attainment of a uni-
versal system of free trade. The conclusions come
to by us are, that a German navigation Act, for the
promotion of direct trade with transatlantic countries,
and for the benefit of the German shipping interests,
would, with regard to these two points, be partly
superfluous, partly ineffectual; but, with regard to
commerce, it would be ruinous to the import trade as
well as the transit trade' while its beneficial effects
on German exports and German industry would be
very dubious, and at all events, more uncertain and
less important than the dangers with which its intro-
duction threatens these sources of public prosperity.
Under such circumstances the introduction of such a
system would be perilous, even were it certain to work
out its ultimate object—namely, the abolition of the
restrictions which are imposed upon the foreign com•
merce of Germany. That such certainty is far from
existing, we mean to prove in the third section, where
all that we have to say will he grounded upon what
has been already said in our first and second sections.
(To be continued.)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSIOA-HOUSE.

John Harvey, a well-known, insolent beggar, who
goes upon crutches, was charged by Mr. Leddington,
of the King's Head Tavern, in the Old Jewry.
The defendant walked into the complainant's house
at twelve o'clock that day, and demanded a penny-
worth of meat or soup, and, on beitig told that he
could not be supplied, tried to break a large plate-
glass window ; but not succeeding, on account of the
thickness of the article, dashed his crutch through a
pane worth about lOs.
Mr. Lloyd, relieving officer to the City of London
Union, said the defendant was a resolute beggarman,
who could not be prevailed upon to stay in the parish
in which he had claim, and had been passed to
Somersetshire a short time ago, soon after which lie
appeared in the streets of the City.
Mr. Leddington—l offered him some bread for
nothing, but he said he didn't want bread, and must
have the meat or soup.
The defendant—What he says is true enough. He
offered me bread.

The LORD MAYOR—And how could you do an in-
jury to one who had offered you bread fur nothing ?
'The defendant—Why, I wanted to see your Lord-
ship. I belonged to the Masonic Order for upwards
of forty years, and I thought you might do something
for me.

The LORD MAYOR—You belong to a very bad
order evidently. The defendant—Why, the worst
order is the want of money order, and that I cer-
tainly want. I had plenty of it at one time, but now
it's all up
Mr. Leddington—l do not want to punish him, my
Lord.

The LORD MAYOR—But I do ; he is a thorough
rogue and vagabond, and he must go to Bridewell for
two months.

BOW-STREET.

An omnibus conductor, named Thomas Shouler, ap-
peared to answer two summonses charging him with
using abusive language to a passenger, and refusing
to show his badge.
Mr. Stafford, a solicitor, of Northumberland-
street, Strand, got into a Putney omnibus at Chelsea,
(No. 2,236), intending to alight at Charing-cross.
On reaching the Haymarket, he found the driver
taking them round by the National Gallery and
Duncannon-street, upon which he called to the defen-
dant to put him down at Charing- cross, through
which the omnibus was bound to pass. He refused
to do so; and, aster some remonstrances, both from
the complainant and other passengers, exclaimed to
the driver, " that there was a fellow wanting to go
to Hungerford-market for 3d., and he'd see him some-
where else first." As there was a lady sitting close to
the door, complainant insisted on seeing defendant's
badge, but he refused to show it, and used disgusting
language. The driver, however, turned down to the
Charing-cross post-office, and complainant was put
down there, the defendant continuing to abuse him as
he got out. The complainant added that he had fre-
quently had occasion to complain of omnibus con-
ductors, but had forborne to summon them at
the request of the company of proprietors, who
undertook to inquire into the complaints, but who, in
the last instance, took no notice whatever of his com-
munication.

Kr. HENRI' feared there was little chance of any
remedy emanating from that quarter. There could
be no doubt that the cheap fare system had given rise
to increased abuses, and daily impositions upon the
public ; and passengers who would take the trouble
to prefer these complaints really did a public service.
The defendant, who had expected the solicitor of
the company to defend him, offered no excuse, but
admitted that the statements of the complainant were
correct.

Mr. lIENav felt that he ought to commit him for
two months, for his conduct was most disgraceful.
The only circumstance in his favour Wm,' the appa-
rent fact that he had not been convicted before. His
Worship then fined him 31. for the abusive language,
21. for refusing to show his badge, and ordered the
suspension of his license for two months, or, in de-
fault of paying the •fines, to be committed for two
months.

One of the conductors of Wilson's " Favorite"
omnibuses was fined a similar amount by Mr. Henry
a few days since, for abusive language to Mr. M'Crea,
a barrister, of King's Bench-walk, Temple.
WORSHIP-STREET.. . _ _

A powerful oldlrishinan,narned Richard Richard-
son, was charged before Mr. Hammill, with the
following brutal outrage on his own daughter, a
middle-aged woman, named Mary Briant :
The complainant, who presented a very shocking
appearance, her hair being completely matted with
blood, which had poured from a fearful gash in the
side of her head, run down her face and bosom,
and thoroughly saturated her clothing, stated
that she had some time since, out of natural affection,
taken her father into her house, and provided him
with board and lodging, hut that ever since she had
done so he had conducted himself so offensively that
he had been the constant cause of discord and quar-
rels between herself and her husband; in addition to
which he was of such n, violent and uncontrollable