The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-16 00:00:00

SUGAR REFINING.

A memorial addressed to the Members of both
Houses of Parliament by Messrs.. John Craven and
Co. has been widely circulated in the City on the sub-
ject of sugar, refining. It involves two matters of
complaint, one of which may be questioned, while the
other is so remarkable, yet at the same time so ludi-
crous in its character, as almost to defy belief in the
fact that_it has been pressed upon the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, without being met by an instantane-
ous remedy, although the way in which the coffee
question has been dealt with has prepared the com-
mercial public against surprise at anything that may
transpire between them and the Government. The
case in question is described by Messrs. Craven as
follows :

" As the law stands at present we, as refiners in bond,
are only permitted to export our sugars to foreign coun-
tries; but as the Dutch and Belgian Governments allow
their refiners a bounty of several shillings per cwt. upon
the export of their refined sugars, they have so mono-
polized the foreign markets by being enabled to under-
sell us, that we aro compelled to sell our sugars at
great sacrifice.
"In this dilemma we have repeatedly applied to Go-
vernment to admit our goods for home consumption
upon payment of the same duties which are charged
upon Dutch and Belgian goods when entered for con-
sumption in this country; butlincredible as it may ap-
pear, we have been denied even the privilege of being
placed upon an equal footing with the Dutch and Bel-
gian refiners in our owe markets.
"Being thus shut out of the foreign markets by the
Dutch underselling us by means of their high bounty,
and from the home market by the Government re-
fusing to admit our goods for consumption, we are
driven, in order to prevent our works from being stopped
altogether, to adopt the following most siugular and
most absurd course:—
Under the Custom-laws British refined sugars after
being shipped to foreign ports and touching foreign soil
are, upon their re-importation into this country, held to
be foreign goods, and upon payment of the duty charge-
able on foreign refined -sugars, they. become admissible
for home consumption. In order to meet these require-
ments, we adopt the following course :—The sugars are
put on board a steamer and conveyed to Jersey or
Guernsey, and after being landed in either of these
islands, they are reshipped on board the same vessel,
and biought back to this country. The Government
then consents to receive the duties, the highest which are
levied upon any description of foreign sugar, and by
this roundabout process the home market is at length
opened to us.
" It is unnecessary for us to point out that the expense
we are thus put to, viz., double freight, double landing
charges, double dock dues, double insurance, &c., is a
mere wanton waste of money, in addition to the loss of
time, and damage done to the goods by being tossed
about and exposed to bad weather during the various
processes of transhipment. To lessen the expenses and
absurdity of ell these proceedings, we have proposed to
Lord John Russell, that in place of sending our goods to
a foreign soil, we should be permitted to bring the fo-
reign soil to our goods, by importing a cargo of foreign
earth with which, being placed in a bonded warehouse,
our goods could be brought in contact, under the surveil-
lance of the Customs authorities. This no doubt would
be a very absurd proceeding, yet it would be wisdom
itself compared with the system which we are now com-
pelled to adopt."
The other point of complaint is founded on the
alleged circumstance that the Dutch Government by
granting a bounty to their sugar refiners enable them
to undersell the English houses, who could drive
them out of the field if the trade were left to its na-
tural course. But although this is undoubtedly in-
jurious to the firms in question, it is not a matter
calling for interference. If the Dutch Government
think it desirable to cause foreigners to be supplied
with the article at a price below the actual cost of
production, there is no reason why they should
not be permitted to do so. They will soon become
tired of taxing their people for such a purpose, and
then the trade can be resumed here with the certainty
of not being interfered with for the future by any
similar experiments.— Times.

HER MAJESTY'S TFIEATREL—Amongst the noble
and distiaguished individuals honouring her Maje4y's
Theatre with their presence yesterday (Thursday) evenimg,
noticed his Grace the Duke of Wellington, the Duke and
Duchessof Cleveland, the Marquis of Sligo, Marquis of Clan-
ricarde, the Earl of Lonsdale, Earl and Countess of Stam-
ford, the Countess Dowager of Hopetoun, Earl Bruce, Earl of
Malmesbury, Earl Talbot, Viscount Dupplin, 'Vscount
Clifden, kc.
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—His Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge honoured the performances at the
Royal Italian Opera with his presence last evening. Her
Majesty's box was occupied by Mr. Cavendish, the Hon.
Caroline Cavendish, Bliss Emily Cavendish and party.
ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET,
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness I'rince Albert, accom-
panied by their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Prussia honoured the performances with their presence
last evening. The royal suite consisted of the Countess Hacke,
the Countess Oriulla, the Hon. Eleanor Stanley, Count
Puckler, Colonel the Hon. C. Grey, Lieutenant-Colonel
F. H. -*epilog'', U4Or You 13gyeu, and the Marquis of
Orland.

-del,

rf'r-r" F--lEPTCH

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
M. EMILE DE GIRARDIN pub ashes along article in
the Pres.ve denying that he is the supporter of the
candidateship of General CAVAIONAC for the Presi-
dency ; he merely stated as a fact that the candidate-
ship of the General was making rapid progress, but
he mentioned the fact merely for the purpose of
counteracting the candidateship most energetically.
lie concludes his communication as follows :
" Who made the rut in which M. Bonaparte is over-
throwing us? It was M. Cavaignac. Thus if I were to
live a hundred years I would never pardon his inexcus-
able conduct, during a month, from the 22d May to the
22d June, 1848: the state of siege without necessity, the
transportation of 11,000 Frenchmen without judgment,
the suppression of the Gazette de France and of the Re.
presentant du Peuple on the 20th August, that is to say
two months after the 24th June, when one hundred
thousand soldiers were encamped in all the public places
of Paris. General Cavaignac, I admit, very honourably
descended from power, to which ha ascended less honour-
ably;lB4B,
hasa n ddotthcaeta
shise cd
onduct
be bothvery
since
thfierm2oth n
dDveecre3m, Igor:
derate; but in my eyes that does not suffice to redeem
the irreparable errors of the past, and to give certain
pledges fur the future. Thus, during several months,
my idea has been fixed, for the President of the Repub-
lic, on a candidateship which would be that of no known
political man, which would, consequently, be neither the
victory nor the defeat of any party, but which would be
the triumph of the idea the most noble and the cause
the most just."
M. EMILE Dg GIRAaDIN does not vouchsafe to
reveal the " local habitation and the name" of the
mysterious " coming man."
M. DE LAMA.RTIIVE-plitfrighbrib- the Pap an elo-
quent reply to the attacks which have been made on
him in the Assemblie Nationale by the Fusionists,
under the inspiration of M. GutzoT. The following
is the conclusion of the article :--.

" You say that bands of demagogues invaded the
Assembly by surprise, and owing to the bad manage-
ment of its chiefs. That is true, but in an hour after
who mounted on horseback at the Hotel de Ville, at the
head of the civic columns which formed with enthusi-
asm? Who entered there? Who arrested the pro-
gress of the factions, and restored liberty and dignity to
the outraged representative body? Where was the van-
quished, where was the conqueror? But the days of
June, you add! Even those days, similar to all days
which try the strength or the weakness of new-born
Governments, who had foreseen them? Who had armed
the beforehand? Who had brought from Africa a
Republican chief in order that the necessary defence of
the Republic should not be suspected by the people of
royalism? Who gave him the command? Who had
assembled sixty thousand men under his hand? Who
was it that made no reproach to him except for not hav-
ing brought forward rapidly enough, and in a manner
sufficiently imposing, a body of troops strong enough to
stifle in an hour indecisive demagogy under the
hand of armed democracy ? Who was every-
where present ? Who marched to the attack
with our heroic soldiers? Who wept at the fate of
the brave men who died for the cause of order? Who
fought and conquered with them? There again is de-
magogy or democracy. Where is the conquered, where
is the conqueror? Wherever you state a defeat, facts
prove a victory. This is how the Republic has been
since February 24th the constant plaything of dema-
gogy! This is the history used by the fusion. We do
not wish to recriminate by writing the sadder or truer
history of the defeats of your cause and of your states-
men; our motto you well know is not " Woe to the van-
quished!' No. ' Respect to the vanquished!' is the
motto of the true Republic; -stud where would you have
been if the Republic, vanquished as you pretend by de-
magogy, had adopted another motto? Voltaire relates
in his • Candide' the accidental meeting at Venice, dur-
ing the Carnival, of three or four dethroned Kings, re-
duced to the condition of private individuals, and consol-
ing themselves with their incognito by supping together
at the Rialto. Now it is no longer dispossessed sove-
reigns who enjoy the Carnival at Venice; it is fallen
Ministere who make fusions in their journal at Paris.
There is between the romance of Voltaire and the poli-
tient romance of the Assemblee Nationale only this
trifling difference—it is, that at Venice the face is
masked during this carnival of Kings, and that at Paris
it is only the name that is concealed. For our part, we
speak with our face and our name unmasked, and we
sign as a simple citizen—LASSARTINS.”
We read in the Ordre

" The Illessager of yesterday evening spoke of a se-
cret understanding between the President, M. Viicon,
and M. de Lamartine. According to this combination,
M. Faucher, and even M. Baroche, would quit the Mi-
nistry, and be replaced by MM. de Lamartine and Bixio,
and M. Odilon Barrot would be President of the Coun-
cil. We believe this statement to be incorrect, but it is
considered certain that an interview has taken place be-
tween M. Veron and M. de Lamartine, and that it was
after this interview that the Doctor, who has personal
motives of irritation, commenced his campaign against
the law of the 31st May."

The following is the article from the Messager :
" Representatives whom we could name, and who are
acquainted with the secret views of the Elyi4e, say
that Dr. Wren was the faithful organ of the President
when he laid down as an ultimatum the alternative of
the prorogation or the repeal of the law of the 31st of
May. The same representatives assert that the Presi-
dent is very much dissatisfied with M. I.6an Faucher,
and even with M. Baroche, who hesitates in his appre-
ciations of that law. The telegraphic dispatch of M.
Faucher has filled the measure of irritazitn already ac-
cumulated against him. M. Fould and M. Rouher have
alone retained the affection of the President. There is
a talk of a new CabinVt, from Whicli M. Faucher would
be excluded ; but it is hoped to compensate for this
by tho accession of MM. Bixio and ',smarting, who
would adopt as their programme the repeal of the laws
of the 31st of May and the prolongation of the powers
of the President by universal suffrage. M. Odilon
Barrot, who makes no secret of his aversion for the law
of 31st May, would be the President of the Ministry."
The Gazette de France states that the Marquis
DE LAROCHEIIQUELEIN is confined to his bed by a
rather severe indisposition.
The members of the Republican Opposition of the
Assembly are to meet on Sunday at LEMARDELAY'S,
to 'deliberate on the course which it will be advisable
for them to adopt with respect to the revision of the
Constitution.

The Messager was seized at the Post and at the
offices of the journal, by order of the Procureur of
the Republic, for the article announcing that an
order of the day had been issued by the Minister of
War calling fourteen regiments to Paris. A prose-
cution has been commenced against the publisher of
the journal and the author of the article, on a charge
of having intentionally published false news of a
nature to disturb the public peace. The Messager of
yesterday persists in . declaring that its statement is
true. It says :—" We again guarantee the correct-
ness of our information. The confidential order of
which we have spoken was given by the Minister
of War."

The Bourse was not so firm as on Wednesday. The Five
per Cents. opened at 90t. 30c., rose to 90f. 50c., ;fell
subsequently to 90f., and closed at 90f. 30c. ; the Three
per Cents. closed at 55f. 90c. Orleans Railroad Shares,
910 f.; Rouen, 616 f. 25c.; Havre, 255 f.; Great Northern,
472 f. 50c.; Avignon, 225 f.; Vierzon, 425 f.; Basle, 143 f.
175 c.; Paris and Strasburg, 365 f.!
BUSINESS DUNE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, MAY 15.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9%—Luxembourg, 31/B.—Namur and
Liege, 7%—Northern of France, 145 A—Orleans, and Bor-
deaux, 3% Paris and Rouen NlA—Paris and Strasburg,
1O —Sambre and Meuse, 374—Tours and Nantes, 5,15.