The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-23 00:00:00

overlook the advantages of a due maintenance and
organization of a lighthouse department, and the
establishment of depots of provisions and other stores
at the points about the mouth of the river where
casualties are most frequent ? The extraordinary
facilities afforded for traffic by the Erie Canal, and
the large return yielded on the expenditure (15 per
cent.) should act as a stimulant to develop the supe-
rior resources of the line by the St. Lawrence. Tha
line is really superior in two respects; in transport-
ing the commerce of the western states to Europe,
and vice versa—and as regards the internal
traffic between the eastern and western
states of the American Republic. In the
former case, supposing a vessel laden with
cargo for Europe coming down Lake Erie—if it make
for Buffalo on the New York side, the cargo must be
transhipped, sent 364 miles by canal, and then down
the Hudson to New York, and be again transhipped
at least once before it can be dispatched to
Europe. If it enter Port Maitland on the Canadian
side, it passes the canals without breaking bulk, and
descends to Quebec in four days; whence it may
proceed direct to Europe, and with a fair wind may
pass the banks of Newfoundland before it could reach
New York by way of the canal. The cost
of transport has likewise been proved to
be considerably cheaper. These considerations have
been fully and ably put forward in Professor Jonsr-
STUN'S "Notes on North America,"merica," which has been justly
pronounced by the Dublin University Magazine, in
lan admirable article in the number for the present
month, to be " the best exposition we at present have
of the agricultural, social, and economical condition
of the northern portion, of the New World." In
the instructive pages of that work, we find it stated
that—

" The w heat and other produce of the valley of the
Ohio, which was intended for the European markets, has
hitherto, for the most part, descended those rivers, and,
after a voyage of some thousands of miles, has reached
New Orleans, whence it was reshipped to its European
destination. But this long-water carriage, in the hot
and humid climate of the regions through which these
rivers Hum, is found to affect the quality of the 'wheat;
so that it rarely reaches Europe in so good a condition,
or realises so high a price, as similar wheat does which
has been conveyed through the eastern states to the
shores of the Atlantic."

A further proof of the high commercial estimation
certain to be insured. In the second point of view,
an inspection of the map will show the connexion of
the St. Lawrence by means of the river Richelieu,
the Canal of Chambly, and Lake Champlain with the
Hudson. The hitherto exclusive line of the Erie
Canal must yield in, cheapness and certainty of time
for the conveyance of goods to New York to tbis
route, which can be even further shortened by a canal
between the opposite bank to Montreal and Lake
Champlain. A little patience and perseverance,
and we may confidently expect to witness
the great river of North America become
" the most important medium of communication
between the various sections of the New
world, as well as between the Old World and the
New, and giving to the provinces of Canada a far
more extensive and commanding influence over the
commercial operations of North America than any
other State east of Louisiana can ever aspire to ;
whilst the outlet which it affords to the produce of
Ohio and the other north-western districts of the
Union, will become of incalculable importance in case
of•any rupture between the free and slave States, as
the mouth and keys of the Mississippi are com-
pletely in the hands of the latter."

The subject is, in all its bearings, one of such deep
Imperial importance as to deserve attentive and wide
consideration. Mighty states have yet to be called
into being along the shores of the great inland seas
of the northern continent of the New World, and
whatever tends to the most favourable intercommuni-
cation with those extensive regions is worthy of
being fostered by the exertions of our fellow-subjects
on the other side of the Atlantic, and the sympathy
and support of the British Government and people.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Ordre has the following observations on the
high rate of postage between England and France :
" Every one admits the advantages of a uniform post-
age. In Franco it is only 25c. for letters to every part
of the territory. International letters in France and
foreign countries on the frontiers are only subjected to
the additional postage of the country from which they
coese, and that of the country to which they go. Single
letters from France to Belgium for instance, and vice
versa, only cost 40 centimes. But there is a strange
exception to that practice. The postage in England for
a prepaid letter is a penny, equivalent to two sous of
our money, and for one not prepaid twopence. That
postage, added to what is charged in France, ought to
be, one would think, the sum charged on a letter
passing from one country to the other, or about 35c.,
or, at most, 45e. If something is to be added for the
passage across the channel, sc. would more than
cover the expense of the steam-packet service. In that
case, the postage of a letter would be 40e. or 50c.
However, contrary to the general rule laid down for
letters passing between different countries, the letters
between France an England are made to pay mUoh
more; and, by a aMond anomaly, the letters s;nt from
France and paid in England are not charg "t the same
for the differ-
as letters coming from England and in France.
e`'.4 not according to the
We say paid in England and in Fro:ace,
enee of the postage is eatablish
e and arrival, but of the
different places of departure
PaYeler..*G is effected. Thus a letter
from London to Par',,, not prepaid, or a letter from
Paris to London
place where the
from Pcostsaraist nilthpdroenpaildf., orwohnye pirsepthaaidt
prepaid, costs 80c. at Paris. On the
coat iaLt roahrdyo,
flte:rare ra
ris,
additi:enal increase of postage over the amount of the
tvi"o postagos added together? Why that difference for
letters prepaid or not prepaid between the postage at
Paris and that at London? We cannot explain the
matter."
The Permanent Committee met yesterday, at noon,
at the National Assembly, under the Presidency of
M. LACROSSE. There were about twenty Members
present. No discussion of any material interest took
place on the subject of the state of the siege of the
Ardeche, the Minister of the Interior declared that he
did not consider it necessary to have recourse to that
extreme measure. The President authorised such
Members of the Committee as belonged to Councils-
General to leave Paris and to take part in the labours
of those bodies, and fixed the next meeting for Thurs-
day, the 4th of September.

The fe,liowing are the chief items of the Bank ac-
count for the week :

Francs.
Specie in Paris 474,811,424
Ditto branches •.• ... 132,244,376
Paris portfolio ••• •.. ..• 35,267,259
Ditto branches ••• 64,131,254
Bank-notes in circulation ... 415,011,500
Ditto branches
... 114,661,775
Credit to Treasury ... ..• ... 118,234,994
Private credits, Paris... 87,624,969
Ditto branches ..• •.. ... 29,547,884
There is a further increase of six millions in the
Paris specie account, and a slight decline of half a
million in the county account. The portfolio has de-
clined five millions for Paris, and 1,300,000 f, for the
departments. The Bank-notes circulation in Paris
is less by nearly nine millions, remaining station -,r,
in the departments. The credit to TreasuP-y is more
by 2} millions. The aacounts currP-
.. by
upwards of five millions in
nt are more
one
million in the departments.°rj and nearly one
The Bourse continues to
'oe deserted_ by the usual ape.
culators. The Five r-
closed at 951. `"
eer Cents. opened at 9.d. 65c., and
r,
Three per -ac. for the end of the month; the
•aents. closed at 57f. 40c.; Orleans Railroad
Share'
, 885 f.; Rouen) 6081. 75c.; Havre, 241 f. 25c,;
.eat Northern, 4671. 50c.; Avignon, 207 f. 50e.; ;
436 f. dsc.; Basle, 1521. 50e.; Bordeaux, 393 f. 75c..
Paris sad Strasburg, 361 f. 25c.; Tours and Nantes, 271 f:
f.s3c.; Amiens to Boulogne, 270 f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, AUG. 22.
Boulogne and Amiens, 10%—Dutch Rhenish,
—Or-
leans and Bordeaux, 4%—Paris and Strasbourg, 144._
Sambre and Meuse, 3%.

SPAIN.
Madrid journals of the 17th have arrived.
Their contents are without interest,
The Bolsa was closed.

PORTUGAL.
Accounts have been received from Lisbon to the
12th.

The country was perfectly tranquil, and the elec-
tions were proceeding favourably for the moderate
Chartists and the rrogresslstas. 2.4LDANIU. was at
Coimbra,