The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-23 00:00:00

_LON DON,

or enedieal practitioneee, should contribute ES highly
to the
,uation,i zpe ceh.t rentseiitueea of
as the di ieviirdzindo circumstanced
public funds, or
real estates. the another, when the Abilduze injustice
of sone- fiscal impost is clearly Rip aced anti uospsr-
ingty denounced, without caring to defend its pro-
priety, he declares with enviable nonchalance that it
produces so many thonsatid- per annum to the reve-
nue, which be is certainly nut prepared to relinquish,
and thinks, or at least appears to think, that
this stereotyped argument, which he has repeated
untie ed nauseam, should carry with it conviction
to the minds of independent Members. Again,
be puts forward as the perfection of " free trade"
a system of charging the home producer with duty on
the quantity of spirits originally made, as measured
at the worms-end," without making any alluwance
fur leakage, soakage, or evaporation, in fact, for
waste of any description, while the foreign or colonial
competitor is only liable for the quantity brought
into consumption, arid for which he is remunerated.
It would be an endless task to undertake the recapi-
tulation of the amiable weaknesses of our Mod,'
Minister of Finance. Many nien are said to " have
lived before tbrir age," but the great Whig financier
has unquestionably been born a century too late.
He would have been an invaluable assistant to some
Ministers of former ages, for never was there an
abuse, however flagrant, a grievance, however cry-
ing, which Sir CHARLES WOOD could not have de-
feuded with arguments at least as powerful as those
put forward on the Income and Property-tax Bill,
the Home. made Spirits in Bond Bill, and other men
sures of a similar character.
But he has recently gone, perhaps, to a higher
pitch of absurdity than he ever reached before. It
would really appear as if his object were to
render the Cabinet of which he is a member as un•
popular as it can possibly be made. The entire
Customs system is bad enough. It imposes, even
under the most favourable circumstance, sufficient re-
etrictions on the trade and intercourse of nations,
without being extended beyond the spirit in which it
was originally framed. Sir CHARLES WOOD, how-
ever, endeavours to render it more stringent in its
operations, and to take away every indulgence here-
tofore afforded, that might render the burden in any
degree less vexatious and onerous. His present
attack is on Manchester, which he seeks to deprive
of the privilege of bonding goods conferred upon it
six years ago, simply because the town council of the
borough has refused to bear the entire expense of
collecting the Customs' duty in the manufacturing
metropolis of England. He will not, however, be
permitted to inflict this serious it jury on the even-
sive district, of which Manchester is the centre, with•
out being resisted to the utmost. Mr. Allergen
Gipson bas given notice of motion for to-morrow
evening, for the appointment of a Select Com-
mittee " to inquire into the working of the system
of warehou,ing foreign goods in bond in Man-
chester, as it affects importers, dealers, and con-
sumers of goods liable to Customs' duty, residing
in Manchester and the neighbouring towns; also as to
its effects on the Customs' revenue, and to report to
the House as to the expediency or otherwise of
placing Manchester on an equal footing with all
bonded towns in the United Kingdom," and we
cannot for a moment suppose that the representative,.
of the people will refuse to grant the investigatien so
urgently demanded by no uninfluential body, an in
vestigation which can only render more apparent the
equity and justice of their claim.
It may, and doubtless will, appear strange to the
majority of oar readers, that Manchester should now
have any well-founded cause of complaint—that
Manchester, which stood forth as the champion of the
remainder of the kingdom, and was the chief agent
in removing the infamous bread tax, should have to
seek justice for itself. But so it is. Sir Cueless
WOOD has, notwithstanding the almost miraculously
successful result of the experiment tried in 1844, in-
timated his intention of depriving Manchester of the
privilege of bonding goods, unless the town council
will continue to bear the entire expenses cf
the Customs' establishment, and to collect
the whole revenue without deduction or draw-
back of any kind. Unfortunately he possesses
the power of so doing under the Act
passed ilth VICTORIA, and there is every reason to fear
that he will exercise that power unless the feeling of
the Legislature and of the community in general be
unequivocally exhibited in opposition to the attempt.
It is right, too, that the other members of the Cabinet
should know the amount of odium which their un-
popular colleague is endeavouring to inflict on the
Ministry of which he is a member.
In order that the question should be clearly under-
stood, it is right that we should set forth briefly the
facts of the case. When the privilege of bonding was
first conferred, it was only granted to certain seaport
towns of considerable size and importance. We need
scarcely say that no special or additional charge was
made against these localities. Toe Customs' depart-
ment in every instance bore the expense of the staff
which it considered necessary for the security and
protection of the revenue. In some of the larger dis-
tricts they were fully recompensed, but in others
the expenses were found to exceed the gross receipts,
so that considerable cautien was exercised before ex-
tending the privilege to new towns. It was felt, how-
ever, that it might safely be granted to some inland
towns, and in 1829 a Bill for that purpose was intro-
duced by Mr. POULETT THOMPSON, then President of
the Board of Trade, and afterwards Lord STDENHAM.
It is right to add that the measure did not coittem-
plate the imposition of any additional or peculiar
charge on the inland districts. In 1840, Mr. LA.
nouctunta, who had succeeded Mr. POULETT
sob, at the Board of Trade, introduced a similar
Bill. This Bill was referred to a Select Committee,
of which Mr. WILSON PATTER was chairman, and
Messrs. LABOUCHERB, J. PARKER (nOll/ Secretary to
the Admiralty), Geuenuers, and Lord G. SOSIER•
SET were members. This Committee, after a stringent
and searching investigation, sanctioned and teem,-
mended the principle of the measure. The Right
Hunourable Gentleman the Member for the Univer-
sity of Cambridge dissented from his colleagues.
He proposed an amendment to the eff-ct " that it WSs
inexpedient to recommend any general system of
admitting inland towns at the discretion of
the
the u To
rreesatsr I
irnye d or the
privilege
erfevweneruseheusbihogardfesreigteo
gotomd.s,freeof
Gentlemand uty. objections The
e e t
ho
ef the
necessary
H
were founded
outlay for maintaining such effective establish.
ments as were essential for the protection of
the revenue, the expeeaes of which " could
only be defrayed out of the general re-
venue, or by the imposition of some new charge on
goods warehoused in inland towns ;" adding that "to
the latter there appear very substantial objections."
Lord G. SOMERSET also brought forward an
amendment, in which he drew an exception in favour
of Manchester, using these remarkable expressions—
" Your Committee feel that there are peculiarities in
the situation of Manchester which, both in regard
to the revenue and in respect to the an-
ticipated advantages, form a decided dis-
tinction between Manchester and any other
nland town of manufacturing and commer-
cial importance," and concluding with these no less
remarkable words in reference to the opposition
to the measure, that "if experience could show
that the benefits which are anticipated by
Manchester are not exaggerated, however much
your Committee may regret the inconvenience
to individuals, they would be acting on the most
erroneous principles, if, on account of suchaneafpptrhee-
hension, they recommended no relaxation
elistingmsaynsutfeamctuirningregdaiertdriettowthhicaht
Is
argeand im-
portant
expected
to
in Manchester."
be benefited by the permission of bonding goods

men►ioned .tun of 319 3001. was only 2,7071. 2,2 d.,
or about 164 pffr cent., the general average
throughout a the kingdom being 51. ] 9s. 61.
per cent.; and yet, although the trial has been
so singularly succe.rful, our blessed CoAscELLott
of the Excut-QUOR threatens to remove the
privilege unl.ss the council will continue to hear the
expense of the entire establishment. This is really
too bad. it is " out-lleroding Herod," it is even
going beyond any former freak of Sir CHABLII
WOOD himgelf. We trust, however, that the inde-
pendent Members will muster strongly to-morrow
evening, and teach a salutary lesson to the Financial
Minister that he cannot be permitted to carry on such
♦agaries with impunity.
THE F

Cll ft PUBLIC,

We have received the Paris journals of Saturday
imeTi,b.reityAr‘htbili3l7 for tontinuit,g
and of yesterday.
on Swurdsy adopted by a large
for another year th.,
is* for the 6uppees•
r,f clubs. In the course of the
discussion, M. JULES DE LASTETRIF, who supported
the Bill, directed the 'mention of the Government to
the procsediogs of the Bonapartist club, the "Society
of the 10th Decemb.-r," who were the
sole getters up
of pptitis.na for the prolongation of the powers of the
PrteSIDICIT. 11. Bac also accused the Government of
partialits in p esiriw over without notice the illegal
proceedings of the Bonapartist clubs.
The Committee on the revision met on Saturday.
M. PAYER, wits in favour of a R-public, and opposed to
the restoration of 'Monarchy, but he wits al-o in favour
of the re-election of the PRESIDiNT. LARANIT
proposed,
to coisult the nation on one point,
tine
on, pont only
—the re-
s RESUPENT.
M. CE ETON proposed that a constituent Assembly
should be electei to decide between the Rs-public and
the Monarchy. 21. BOUIIIER DB L'ECLUSE would
have, in addition, a Provisional President, whose
powers should expire when the Constituent should
have decided the question between Republic and
Monarchy.
The re6lvi, (n Saturday, passed off quietly. The
cries of Vice la Republique drowned those of 'Five
Napoleon.
Ttie Committee on the treaties of La Plata recom-
mends the Assembly to adopt the Bill proposed by
the Government for the ratification of the Le
Predour treaties,

club of the Rue des Pyramides
•
The Parliamentary
held a sittii.g to proceed to the monthly renewal of its
bureau. M. MONTALEMBERT was elected President
in the room of Admiral r
vlt MLLE, avid M. AUBER-
' TIN, questor, to replace M. AUGUsTIN GIRAUD. The
bureau is now composed as follows :—MM Baocluft
Da FLAYIGNT, DE MONTALEMBERT, presidents; and
MU. DARIVTD, rOUPOT DE 131114. AUX, and AUDEETIN,
questors.
It is said that M. THIEBII is about to proceed to
Vienna, where be will meet the Duke DE Namouas
and the Duke a 8 Rouffpueux, and make another
effort to brinit sOout a fusion.
The MmliteurAlgerien of the 15th contains the
following:—
" We stop tba Frees to announce the receipt of favour-
able news art ived by the snail frim the East. General
St. ktnand, in spite of the bsd weather and the great
difficulties of the ground, had beaten in several engage-
msnts the continwnts of the tribes to the west of Djitl-
i"lly. Who enunariarrd to resist him. All the circle of
Djidjelly to the West, and even several tribes, have made
their submission. The losses of the French column are
cui,fined to a few rneu wounded. General Cimuu, atter
inflicting some chlatitement on some tribes on his route,
had just arrived amoogat the Beni, Slimoum, at tel,
kilometres fr. m Bogia. The garrison of that place had
marched to join tile column. General Camou, with that
reinforcement, fallimarch to the esst to the Beni-Slit:mu,
where tbv proximiy of General St. Arnaud will fsciii-
toe his Henn,. Gooeral Camou has also received nu-
merous submiasiont."

The Uotomittet on the Internal Administration
Bill assemb ed on Friday, in the 14th bureau, to vote
on the report of N. DE VATIMESNIL, concerning com-
munal organization. A warm di.cussion took place
between MM. Minim. (de B,urges), E. ARAGO, DX
VATIMESNIL. FALICONNUT, end DE LABOULIE, on the
passage in the preamble of the report containing a
eulogy of the electoral law of May 81. A division
then toi;k place of the subject, when it was decided
by a majority of 16 to 11 that the pMaage should ha
maintained.

The Committee on the Avignon Railway Bill com-
menced on Friday the examination of the propaition
of M. DUIAURII. It decided by a majority of 9to 5
(one Member abstained from voting) that the State
should take on itself provisionally tbe execution of the
works. This decision, however, doss not pledge tilt
future, as it is well understood to be subordinate to
the question of wltys and means, and that of know-
ing whether or not the State will be able to find the
necessary resources.' ,
The Five per Cents. were done yesterday on the
Boulevard at 92f. 95v.

dUtil ESS .‘ j.N FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, JUNE 21.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9 Dutch Rhenish, 2X—Namur
and Liege, 6A—Northern of France, 154,—Paris and Stras-
burg, 101 —Sambre and Meuse, 31,4.

SPAIN.
Madrid journals of the 17th have arri►ed.
Oa the 16th BERMUDEZ DR CASTRO brought for-
ward his vote of censure on ths Ministry in the
Chamber of Deputies. He was replied to by the Mi-
nister of the Interior, BERTRAM DE Lys. Tne debate
was adjourned, and it is thought the motion will be
withdrawn.

MADRID BOLeL, JUNI 17.—The following ars
th, pricps of Stocks :—The Three per Cents.,
36 13-16 to j ; Five per Cents., with current coupon,
161; Coupons, 81 to ; Paseive Debt, 7 7 1-16.
Exchange on London, 51.

GERMANY.
Prince PAIXIKWITCH LA Berlin for Warsaw on th•
20th.

the conference• relating to Schleswig are ter.
'singed.

The Cologne Gazelle asserts that the Minister of
War, General Von Srrocanausist, has resigned his
post on the ground of ill-health. It is not known
whether the KING will accept his resignation. The
resignation of the Minister of Fit-ther, M. Von
RANI, on the other hand, is spoken of as certain.
The Prussian Staats Anzeiger publishes the new
jaw on the mobilisation ~f the army.
The lnalpendance of Brussels states, on authority
of a letter trout Berlin. that there is no truth in the
statements of certain German journals, that an A us..
trian corps (farmed is to be sent to the Swiss
frontier, and a Prussian corps to the French frontier.
We learn front Vienna that the Austrian Minister
of the Interior has called upon all Frenchmen in the
states of the EMPENOIL to snake a declaration of their
bring there, and to state whether they are residents
or merely travellers. This order has been issued at
the rt quest of the French Government, in order that
the new census of the population of France may be
complete.