The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-20 00:00:00

' cBmmercial convention, respecting which so
much has been said, was to be published at
Munich on the 9th inst. We subjoin the
quotations of the Dutch and Belgian funds:—
DUTCH FUNDS—AMSTERDAM, DEC. 14.
Actual Debt, 24 per Cent. 49 15-16
Amort Syndic, 43,; per cent B9
—Dutch-Papers, Dec 18.
BELGIAN FUNDS.—BaussEts, Dec. 15.
Actual Debt, 23j per Cent.
Rothschild's Loan, 5 per Cent 951
Loan of the City, 1832, 4 per Cent.
--13russeis Pagers. Dec. 18.

We are sorry to hear that some " good
natured friend" has revived the dispute between
Sir JOHN MILLEY DOYLE and Admiral SAR-
ToR I us, and that a hostile meeting between them
is expected. It is to be hoped, however, that as
the personal courage of these gentlemen is un-
doubted, they will disappoint the lovers of such
rencontres, and by mutual concessions pave the
way to a renewal of friendship.

It has been stated in a German paper, that
nearly 700 Poles had, at their own request, been
sent off to the United States by the Prussian
Government. We have seen a letter from one

of these unfortunate men, giving a very different
account of the affair. He states that the Polish
refugees in Prussia having received an intima-
tion that an arrangement had been entered into

by the Prussian and Austrian Governments to
deny further asylum to the Poles, most of the
number above alluded to applied for pass-
ports to France, or this country, but were
told that they had only to choose between a
return to Poland and a voyage to America.
The fate of their unfortunate countrymen, now
labouring in chains in the dock yards of Cron-
stadt, after having been induced to retur❑ to
Poland by the assurances of the Prussian Go-
vernment that they would all enjoy an entire
amnesty, had the effect of making those 700
victims of arbitrary power prefer being sent to
America, with all the difficulties of providing
' themselves with subsistence before them, to a
return to their native country. The only re-
deeming point about the conduct of the Prus-
sian Government, is the fact that the means of
conveyance have been found for the refugees,
and a small stun, of about 8/. each, secured to
them on their arrival in America.

At a Court of Common Council, which took
place yesterday, and a report of which will be
found in another part of The Sun, it was re-
solved on, after some discussion, that the Com-
missioners of Inquiry should have the most
ample information given them, both oral and do-
cumentary, through the officers of the Corpora-
tion. This was a liberal and sagacious resolution
to come to ; and our only regret is, that it was
not adopted before, in order that it might have
induced some of the refractory provincial Cor-
porations to follow the same example.

Sonic of our contemporaries on the Corr

nent appear to take a much more alarming view
of the projects and means of Russia than we
have taken in this country. Le Polonais of the
12th inst., in the course of a long article on
Russia, makes the following remarks
Russia, which may be said to have been only born
yesterday, already covers a third of the globe. She is
still barbarous, wild, and brutal ; hut her barbarianism
makes her the more terrible. She will not enfeeble her-
self by the vices of a decrepid civilization : strong and
bold, she will proceed direct towards her object, and the
obstacles which she will meet with will merely irritate
her, and force her onward in her course of invasion and
spoliation.
" Nothing now opposes her progress. Her armies of
Cossacks and Baskirs may traverse the world sword in
hand, and impose their yoke upon nations. Tee resist-
ance which they will meet with will be powerless : sooner
or liter Europe and Asia must fall, and universal empire,
which has been the day dream of so many Monarchs,
will be realised by the chief of the barbarians of the
North. The Turkish empire, decayed and tottering, will
disappear, and the Greek cross will take the place of the
Crescent.

" Our predictions may be erroneous, but we think the
moment is arrived when Russia is on the point of taking
possession of Constantinople. Surrendering some few
fragments of his easy conquest to Austria, the Csar will
obtain tranquil possessio❑ of the shores of the Bosphorus,
and of that Constantinople so long coveted by Rassian
Emperors. Greece will share the fate of Turkey—once
masters of Thrace—the Russians will claim Lividia, the
Mores, and the islands, as part of the Oriental empire.
" By her conquests in Circassia and Georgia, Russia has
opened to herself the gates of Souther❑ Asia. In the
east Russia will attack the English possessions in India.
Persia cannot prevent ber progress. That nation is even
more tottering than Turkey, and will fall under the same
stroke. The empire of the Beleulgis, of the Afghans, and
the who'e of India, will be conquered without difficulty.
There will thus remain only her rival China to conquer.
" In Europe Russia will come into contact with Prussia
and Austria. Russia wants the whole of Poland, and
will claim the portions now possessed by Austria and
Prussia. Germany, divided as she is, will not be able to
resist the invasion.

"We do not speak of Sweden. It is easy to see that
the Baltic cannot fail, any more than the Caspian and
Black Seas, to become an interior basi❑ of the empire."
The writer having thus predicted the future
conquests of Russia, gives an historical account
of those already achieved by Russia since the
middle of the 9th century. We have room only
for a few lines, which are devoted to the con-
quests of the late Emperor :

" Alexander added to his already vast possessions, and
by the most culpable means, the Circle of Bialystok in
Poland (1807); Friedland (1809); the Circle of Tarno-
pol (1809); Imerithia (1811), and a third of Moldavia,
as far as the Prutb, the fortresses of Choczim and Bender,
and all Bessarabia, with Ismail Kilia and Akeman. I❑
1813, the peace of Seuva with Persia, gave him Daghes-
tan, Schirvan, Derbent, and all the western coast of the
Caspian Sea, and in 1815, the Congress of Vienna gave
him the greater part of the Duchy of Warsaw."

The above is a very exaggerated estimate of the

Power and resources of Russia, and yet if her
conquests were to be in the ratio of only one
fourth of what they were from the middle of the
ninth century up to the death of ALEXANDER,
all that our Contemporary has predicted would
happen. Circumstances, however, have altered
much of late years, and whatever folly there may
have been in allowing Russia to make head so
much under the late and the present EMPEROR,

Ls not likely that NICHOLAS will be suffered

to proceed with impunity. We agree with
Le Polonais in thinking that if Russia is not
checked, Austria and Prussia, after having been
her tools, will become her victims. The Austrian
and Prussian Cabinets cannot be insensible of
the danger of yielding so much to Russia ; but
they are for the present much more anxious to
prevent the encroachment of liberalism in their
own states than to secure themselves against the
effects of the increasing power of Russia. The
Emperor NICHOLAS is the head of the Anti-
Liberals, and therefore the Emperor of ,Aus-

TRIA and the King of PRUSSIA adhere to his
policy. Were they wise they would turn from
an alliance which sooner or later must be fatal
to their interests, and cultivate a good under.
standing with France and this country. In that
case, however, they must make up their minds
to give free institutions to their subjects, for
there could be no permanence in an alliance
between nations enjoying freedom and states
under despotic government. The rulers of
Germany will never consent to purchase the
friendship of Great Britain and France at such
a price. They deserve, therefore, to meet with
the fate which awaits them. As to the pros-
pects of Russia in the East, Great Britain and
France know what course to take to defeat
them.

On this side of the water the minds of all
men are pretty well made up on the question of
the Repeal of the Union, as Mr. O'CONNELL
quietly calls his plan for keeping up the excite-
ment, and retarding the prosperity of the people
whose passions he makes his playthings. It is
therefore for the benefit of our Irish readers, in
particular, that we notice a pamphlet of RlDO-
wAy's, entitled " Repeal or No Repeal ?" The
author boldly says, " No Repeal," and suc-
cinctly brings together the grounds of his opi-
nion. He is willing, he says, to argue the
question upon the ground of benefit to Ireland
alone, a ground much narrower, we think, than
he need have chosen, considering that a united
Parliament, by whom it has to be decided, must
look to the benefit of the whole empire ; but
even upon that narrow ground, the author ad-
vances enough to satisfy every reasonable man
that Ireland would be any thing but advantaged
by a Repeal of the Union. We give a specimen
of his proofs:—
" In 1830 a Select Committee of the House of Com-
mons was appointed to take into consideration the state of
the poor in Ireland. The Committee state, in their report,
The wages of labour do not appear to have fallen very
considerably. By returns made from the County Trea-
surers throughout Ireland, the rate of day labour appears
to average 10d., as charged in the accounts of presentment
work. During the last five years, it does not appear that
the wages of labour, paid by the Board of Works, the
Government Engineers, or the Directors General of Inland
Navigation, have fallen. A very extensive contractor, Mr.
Mullins, considers that there is rather a tendency to in-
crease the rate of wages, than otherwise ;' and in comparing
the present wages with what was received during the war,
the same witness adds, that the lahourers can now pur-
chase as much provisions for 6s. as they could formerly for
125." Clothing,' be further states, 'is less than one half
cheaper ; linen is to be had for one half the price ; cottons,
calicoes, and checks, three kinds of fabrics, which the
poorer classes of females wear, are now to be had for one
fourth.' Mr. Mahoney observes, that the state of the
peasantry has improved very much of late years, that the
country has greatly altered for the better, that the peasantry
are better clothed, and in every way seem more comfort-
able, and that their houses are improving.' Ia the county
of Mayo, Mr. Livingstone, a merchant of Ballena, observes,
that the ' habits of the peasantry, their clothing, and their
houses, are all improving.' Mr. Wiggins, an English land
-agent, describing the South-West of Ireland, says, A
very great improvement has taken place, in all respects
during the last twenty-two years. With regard to food,
there is not much change; but in the habits of cleanliness,
and order, and regularity in their clothing, and sense of
propriety, in all respects, I conceive, in their moral cha-
racter and conduct altogether, the improvement has been
very strikiag. In a subsequent part of his examination,
he add,, ' I think the improvement of Ireland has been
more rapid than any improvement I ever saw in England
in any large tract of country.'
" This is a most important statement ; for the last two
years we have been repeatedly told that the effect of the
Union has been to enrich England, at the expense of
Ireland. How is this to be reconciled with Mr. Wiggin's
statement, that the improvement of Ireland has been more
rapid than any improvement he ever saw in England in
any large tract of country ?'
" Again, we are told how much Dublin and its neigh-
bourhood have suffered from the Union. But this state-
ment is also quite at variance with evidence. ' Formerly,'
observes Mr. J. D. Mullins, the labourers of the county
of Dublin wore a coarse kind of cloth called friese, now
they uniformly wear cloth which is dearer, and is an
evidence of an improved notion of comfort.'
"An instance, if indeed any is requisite, bow much the
welfare of the lahourers is connected with the general
prosperity of the country, is to be found in the evidence
given to the Committee by Mr. Ilianconi. Speaking of
the improvement of roads, and increased fertilities of trans-
port, he mentions, that the day-cars, which were intro-
duced into Ireland so late as 1815, have so widely ex-
tended, as to travel over 1,600 miles daily, and that this
establishment gives support to more than one hundred
families.
" If we look to the fishermen, Mr. Barry, an Inspector-
General of fisheries states, that the clothing, furniture,
and comforts of the fishermen have improved decidedly
within his observation, and that the progress of improve-
ment in Ireland during the last ten years, has been ex-
ceedingly rapid.'
" The inhabitants of Liverpool are stated, by a resident
in that town, to be quite aware of, the altered appearance
even of the Irish reapers, which no longer come in the
tattered clothes they formerly appeared in ; they are
ashamed of their rags, and are apparently in a different
class of persons.' In the county of Armagh,' Mr.
Green observes, that the consumption of wheaten bread
has considerably augmented, and that at Lurgan, so far
from there being a considerable mass of the people out of
employment, the witness did not know any man able to
work that cannot get work there.'
" After perusing these statements, what becomes of all
the declamations about the miseries inflicted by the
Union ? Is there proof of that misery to be found in the
fact, that the labourers can now purchase the same provi-
sions for 6s. that they could formerly for 12s. ; yet that
wages have not declined ?"
There is a topic frequently dwelt upon by
Irish agitators which receives some light from
the substance of various official documents
quoted in these pages. We allude to the ex-
port of Irish provisions. It is the fashion with
Mr. O'CoNNELL and his partisans to speak of
the Irish provisions exported as so much of
which the Irish are deprived by their absent
landlords. No doubt it is much of it the raw
material, so to speak, of rent ; but were the
landlords resident, a large portion of it would be
still exported for the very same purposes that
the remainder, not sent abroad in payment of
rent, is now exported. The Irish want many
things besides beef and butter, and they pro-
cure them from the colonies, or elsewhere, by
exchanging for them their agricultural produces
the commodity they have which is most saleable
in the only market open to them. Let us see
what increase has taken place, since the Union,
in the importation into Ireland, of luxuries and
comforts but little known before. Our author
says—
" In order that we may judge more fairly of the condi-
tion of the people, let us see what has been the amount of
the imports of various at tides of general use since, as con-
trasted with those before the Union. The quantity of
loaf sugar imported, on an average of three years, ending
in 1800, was 8,393 cwt. ; on an average of three years,
ended 1811, 24,905 cwt. ; the quantity of raw sugar
imported, on the average of the former years, was 217,122
cwt. ; on the average of the latter, 330,299.
" Then in the article of tee, in the average of three
years, ending in 1800, the quantity imported was
2,773,070 lbs. ; on an average of those ending in 1811,
3,340,334 lbs.
" Of tobacco, the quantity imported on the average of
three years, en ling in 1800, was 7,386,2821b5. ; in that
of three years, ending in 1811, 8,361,1471b5, Of coals,