The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-29 00:00:00

HIGH WATER Al LONDON BRIDGE

THIS DAT —Morning 0 min. after 0 I Evening 20 min. alter 12
To-Mossow —Morning 47 min. after 12 I Evening 13 win. after 1

THE WEATHER.—SuII OFFICE, JANUARY 29.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
44—highest since noon yesterday. •
39—lowest this morning and during the night.
49—this day, at noon.

BAnozmun, 29.75.
WIND W.S.W.—light breeze and dull weather.

DAILY WEATHER TABLE.

State of the Wind and Weather at each of the following
places at Nine o'clock yesterday morning.—The stations
are arranged in order of latitude. .

KINGSTOWN (DUBLIN)—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—
overcast.
Preswum—Wind N.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
Pootat —Wind W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
PORTSMOUTII—Wind W., gentle breeze—cloudless.
BRIGHTON—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
HASTINGS —Wind S.W., strong breeze—partially cloudy.
SOUTHAMPTON— Wind S. W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
FOLKESTONE—Wind S.W., strong breeze—overcast.,
TinfriamaE.—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—partially. cloudy.
GREENWICH—Wind S., gentle breeze—cloudless.
SWEIDON —Wind S.W., light airs—partially cloudy.
COLCFIESTEIL —Wind S.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
CA3IBRIDGE —Wind S.W., gentle breeze—cloudy.
RUGBY—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
PETERBOROUGH—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—partially
cloudy.
YARMOUTH—Wind S.W., strong breeze—rain.
CREME—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—cloudless.
CONWAY—Wind S., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
HOLYHEAD—Wind S. W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
MANCHESTER—Wind S., gentle breeze—rain.
LEEDS— Wind S.W., gentle breeze - partially cloudy.
YORK—Wind S., strong breeze—rain.
LANCASTER—Wind E., gentle breeze—principally clear.
CARLISLE —Wind S.E., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
Biurrocx—Wind S.W., gentle breeze - partially cloudy.
The returns from the following places indicate the state of
the wind and weather on Monday morning at nine
o'clock:— •
Co).M —Wind N.E., gentle breeze—frost.
Lim"lcx—Wind W. gentle breeze—cloudless.
Ca &LOW—Mind S.
hard wind—cloudy.
DUNDALK—wind N.W.
gentle breeze—frost.
POOLE --Wind W., gentle breeze—cloudless.
PORTSMOUTH—Wind S Eirre btier breeze -4a rtially cloudy.
LEIGHTON - Wind S.E.
eeze—partially cloudy.
PETERBOROUGH—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—cloudless.
CREWE—
Wind S.W , gentle b eeze - partially cloudy.
LivEßpoor,_Wind calm—cloudless.
LEEDS Wind S. IV., gentle breeze—rain.
YoRK Wind S., gentle breeze—overcast_
DARLINGTON—Wind S., strong breeze—rain.
WurrEkravEN— Wind W., gentle breeze - partially cloudy.
lizarrocx—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—overcast.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean daily
reading of the barometer was above 30 in. on Thursday and
Friday ; the mean of the week was 23.830 in. The m
ean
th
ily temperature was 450.8 on Tuesday,. when it was
highest; and 31°1 on Friday, when it was lowest. The
mean of the week was 40°•1 which is 2°•3 above the average
of the same week in ten
years The daily mean was from
4° to 8° above the averages of. the several days, on Sunday,
Monday,and Tuesday; it then declined till it fell consider-
ably below the average on Friday, when fog prevailed, and
continued below it on Saturday.' The wind was, for the
most part, in the southwest.

THE FIRE AT THE HOUSES OF --------
PARLIAMENT.—
It is satisfactory, after a minute examination made by the
brigade authorities, for the purpose cf learning how the fire
• occurred on Monday afternoon, in the clock tower of the
new Houses of Parliament, to be able to state that the flames
were, not wilfully caused by any person,
as was at one time
imagined. The ground• floor of the tower, it has been stated,
was used as a general store for carpenters' building mate-
rials. The firemen, however, found that a pipe, formed of
iron, used for carrying off the smoke from the plumbers'
workshops adjoining, ran into the wall of the tower, and
owing
to the great heat applied for melting the lead, had
fired the soot in the pipe, which fell amongst the building
materials on the ground floor, and hence the fire. This is
fully confirmed by Wing, one of the firemen, who was on
duty within the buildings at the time of the discovery.
For a long time before he saw the fire he experienced a
. strong smell of wood undergoing the process of embus-
tion. So fully convinced was he
__us.e that something must be in
an incipient stage of combustion, that he went into the
roofs and carefully examined round the flues, leading from , The admirable letters which JOHN MACGBEGoit,
but without finding anything to the honoured and efficient representative of the largest
the various fire-places
confirm his suspicions. Although a quantit of smoke kept •
civic constituency in the United Kingdom, addressed
to the electors and non-electors of
hovering about, the exact seat of the fire couldy not be dips-
during
Glasgow
covered ur.
tower on t 44E4 ffi- the last
Itierti side. The damage done is th_usi 0. two years, immediately before the meeting of
games shot forth from the apertures of the
Parliament, have led to a general expectation and
cially rept; _
- ' ' lir. Braidwood :—" A quantity of t mer
on the grouncl•lL .
anxiety on thofall fiscal
e part
of the clock-tower, and the scaffolding.
formers throughout the length and breadth of the
b34*.-,o7ari.F,k and stone work Re-
dows datnaged round the win-
COBRE Cri ‘C
land, for the continuation of that exceedingly able
nmPArly. A meeting of the
shareholaen /, s company was held yesterday, when a
His "annual Ines-
- divideadaW share was declared, amounting to 36,000/9i and interesting correspondence.
as it has been sneeringly denominated
- from- - ra of profits. The quantity of ore raised to I sage,
the-36th Navember last was 16266 tons which although Iby a morning contemporary, is eagerly looked for
less than IstAhe corresponding period ' • I
of 1849, is 'fully corn- I
all who are in any degree acquainted with the
pensated by the superiority of its quality. The ore sold at 1 by
public ticketing has fetched a fair price; and affairs of the company are most satisfactory. altogether the i qualifications which he so pre.erninently possesses for
A vote of I '
task which he has voluntarily undertaken.
thanks was unanimously passed to the directors and audit- ; the arduous
ors, and the retiring members were re-elected. The divi- ' His practical knowledge, great experience, and sound
dead will be paid on and afterthe 2,tla February next.
judgment, are fully appreciated, and afford the best gua-

rantee that he will put forward no propositions which
may not readily be brought into operation. He pos-
sesses too, a happy facility for presenting his views,
in a singularly clear, and lucid form, so that any
p-,rson of ordinary capacity may follow and
clearly understand his meaning, and compare
the existing financial system with that which
he brings forward as its substitution ; or, in
other words " taxation as it with " taxation as it
ought to be." He unravels the various complicated
details with a master-hand, and arranges all in
smooth and perfect order, so that " he who runs may
read."

Mr. MACGREGOR, too, possesses no ordinary
claims on the public attention. He has afforded the
most unequivocal and unanswerable evidence of the
purity and disinterestedness of his motives. He com-
menced his Parliamentary career where that of others
usually terminated. In order to serve his country he
relinguished a distinguished and lucrative situation—
the Secretaryship of the Board of Trade, which would
have satisfied the ambition of most men and been
considered an ample equivalent for long-continued and
valuable services in the Legislature. But Mr. MAC-
GREGOR unhesitatingly sacrificed place and emolu-
ment when he felt that he could better promote the
national interests in another sphere of action. He
abandoned the Board of Trade that he might become
the member for the city of Glasgow—the commercial
metropolis of his native land; that he might deliver
freely in his place in Parliament, and to the commu-
nity in general, the free and unfettered opinions,
the genuine sentiments of an unplaced and
unpensioned patriot. Such a man is, indeed, worthy
of honour, and he is honoured by all whose respect
and approbation are worth having.
The powerful and convincing document, which
will be found in extenso in another part of this day's
impression, affords the best and most satisfactory
evidence that the general expectation will not be
disappointed this year. The taxation and expendi-
ture of the country are the points to which, as usual,
he chiefly directs his energies. He does not
underrate the importance of the other questions
that must inevitably arise during the forth-
coming session, but he justly considers that
fiscal and financial reforms have paramount claims
upon the attention of those whose exertions are
paralyzed under the extraordinary burdens to which
they are subjected, and he is well aware of the golden
opportunity afforded by the termination of the law
under which the income and property-tax is levied
to let slip the fortunate moment for a general revision
and amelioration of the existing system, by a large
fe luction in the amount of taxation, and a large
and comprehensive alteration in the mode of col-
lection of the national revenue. Happy, in-
deed, would it be for the nation if Mr.
MACGREGOR'S views should receive an official
imprimatur, and still more fortunate if he himself,
whom we believe to be, longointervallo, the first living
financier in the United Kingdom, if not in Europe,
should be enabled to deliver these statements as the
annual budget of the Financial Minister of this
mighty empire. Then, indeed, the people would
have real cause for rejoicing—then, indeed, we should
have reason to hope that the taxes which unduly
press on industry would be forthwith repealed,
and that without any considerable addition
to the charges on the fortunate few—the
fruges consunsere nati, whose best interests
would be promoted by the change. Every man
would then contribute to the support of the national
establishments and the liquidation of the national lia
bilities, secundem statem et facultates, according to his
means and the position which he occupied in the

social scale.
The instructive history of the national debt—the
mode in which it was contracted, and from time to
time increased--is eminently suggestive, and serves as
an excellent preface to his direct propositions. It
shows the imperative necessity of a complete
measure of Parliamentary reform ; for if we
owe the public debt of 800,000,0001. sterling,
requiring the annual payment of 28,000,0001.
sterling for interest, to " a House of Commons not
representing the people, a House corrupted by the
Crown and the Ministers of the day," it is manifest
that, until that House be thoroughly reformed, until
it reflects the popular feelings and popular wishes, we
can scarcely anticipate the removal of all the griev-
ances, the abatement of all the nuisances which
naturally spring from its defective and corrupt or-

ganization. We shall,. however, for the present, fol-
low the example of Mr. MACGREGOR, and not further
allude to this all-important topic, which in due time
will force itself on the consideration of the House and
Country.

The economy and retrenchment practicable withou'

violation of the public faith, or injury to the public
credit, and without the efficiency of the national esta-
blishments being in any degree impaired or deterio-
rated, is first appropriately noticed. The Hon. Gen-
tleman does not name 'a round sum, taken at hap-
hazard, within which the expenditure must be re-
stricted ; and which, although it may form an excel-
lent mode of embarrassing an opponent, could never
be acted on if the party by whom it was suggested
were required by his SOVEREIGN, with the consent and
approbation of the community, to carry his own designs
into execution. He is, however, well aware that with-
out " a thorough reform of our expenditure" and its re-
duction within the narrowest limits consistent with
honour and safety, it is absurd to call for the abolition
of the taxes which are so loudly and so greatly com-
plained of by the country. There will be a surplus
of from 2,000,0001. to perhaps 2,500,0001., the greater
portion of which will be absorbed by the removal of the
infamous tax on light and air, and the balance may afford
some little relief by being spread over other obnoxious
imposts, such as the charges on knowledge and clean-
liness, &c. ; but to render the aid absolutely required
by the people, the pruning knife must be freely and
unsparingly applied to all useless and unne-
cessary outlay. To use Mr. MACGREGOR'S
own words, he has " too holy a reverence
for our national credit; and the maintenance of trar,-

quillity and order in our houses, streets, highways,
and fields, and peace with all the world," to risk
these inestimable blessings by the abolition of any
tax whatsoever,- at the expense of that honour, secu-
rity, and peace. On close examination, however, he
finds that the expenditure which, for the year ending
the sth of January, 1850, reached the enormous sum
of 55,481,6581., may be safely diminished to
49,180,000 L, being a saving of 6,301,6581., and he
states the various beads under which these reduc.

tions can be effected, all of which he empha-
tically declares himself able to prove to be
"practicable and equitable." We must, however,
refer our readers to the document itself on these
poins—the sale or demising of the Woods and Forests,
the reduction of the army expenditure, and the im-

mediate breaking up of the establishments at Dept-
ford, Chatham, and Pembroke, are particularly worthy
of notice.

With respect to the fiscal changes that would then
be practicable, Mr. MACGREGOR would send all the
assessed taxes (except the unredeemed land-tax) to
the limbo to which the window duties are already
consigned. He would also abolish the hop duty, the
paper duty, the railway passengers' tax, the soap duty,
reduce the malt-tax 25 per cent., and modify the
duties on licences, so as.to render them more equitable
and less onerous to the payers. The stamp duties he
would also re-arrange, excluding the duties on marine

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The (fibril of the new Minister of Justice, M. DE
ROYER, in the Assembly on Monday, is universally
regarded as most successful, and he is complimented
thereupon in many of the journals: the defeat of the
Burgraves is considered complete and decisive. An
attempt in the Assembly yesterday to inflict a heavy
blow on M. BAROCHE completely failed. The busi-
ness before the Assembly was the discussion of a Bill
requiring an additional credit of 500,000 f. for various
expenditures incurred by the. Ministry of the Interior
in 1850.

M. NOEL PARFAIT observed that in that sum
figured an item of 160,000 f. for works executed in the
citadel of Belle Isle, for the accommodation of politi•
cal prisoners. That sum had been expended without
any authorization of the Assembly, and, to give a
lesson to future Ministers, he moved a reduction of
10,000 f. in the credit.--(Murmurs on the Right.)
M. BAROCHE, former Minister of the Interior, re-
gretted that the works had been executed d'urgence
by the military engineers, under the control of his
colleague of the War Department, in virtue of a de-
cree of the PRESIDENT of the Republic, which con-
verted the citadel of Belle Isle into a prison fur
political offenders.
After some further conversation, the reduction was
put from the chair, and rejected by an immense ma-
jority. M. BAZB was the only member of the Right
who voted with the Mountain against the late
Minister.

The entire Bill was next adopted by 463 to 191.
The Five per Cents. went up in the Passage de
l'Opera to 95f. 55c. on Monday, in consequence of
the Ministerial victory in the Assembly.
The Bourse was more than usually animated, and a
considerable rise took place in the price of public secu-
rities. The Five per Cents. opened at 95f. 75c., and
rose to 961. 20c., at which they closed; the Three per
Cents. closed at 57f. 80c.; the New Loan at 961. Orleans
Railroad Shares, 8601.; Rouen, 687 f. 50c.; Havre, 2751.;
Great Northern, 475 f.; Avignon, 1881. 75c.; Vierzon,
398 f. 75e.; Basle, 143 f. 75c.; Bordeaux, 4001.; Paris and
Strasburg, 360 f.; Tours and Nantes, 250 f.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCK EXCHAisTa,TA:N72I/:
Boulogne and Amiens, Wit—Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 15% ex int.—East Indian, 111/2—Namur
and Liege, 814—Northern of France, 14% ex int.—Orleans
and Bordeaux, 3%—Paris and Rouen, 271,b—Paris and
Strasbourg, 9% Rouen and Havre, 103ja—Tours and
Nantes, 4%.