The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

both for the adornment of the literary annals oc
his ege, and for true acWrietinent of the
interests of those less successful aspirants for
fame, whom it appears to be his pride to
acknowledge as his brethren, and his ambition to
befriend as his fellow-labourers. The indomitable
energy displayed by him in the development of his
own splendid and comprehensive abilities, has been
only equalled by his perseverance in furthering the
cause of authorcraft, by his generosity in maintain-
ing the rights of his class—a class which he rather
boasts of belonging to, than is ashamed of recog-
nizing—and, above all, by that elevated magnanimity
which has impelled him to advocate the organization
of a system of international copyright in spite of all
the miserable insinuations which he must have fore-
seen might be directed against him by the more
evilly disposed among the Pococurantes ofhis genera-
tion. Hence it was that on Tuesday afternoon we
listened, not without the warmest emotions of pride
as well as of pleasure—pride at a courage which alto-
gether despised the sinister inuendoes of calumny—
pleasure at an announcement which illustrated in a
vivid manner the largeness of his popularity—to that
candid avowal of Sir BULWER LYTTON to the
effect, that bad such a law as the one here required
been formally established, when first he began to
write, he himself would have been richer at this day
by no less an amount than 60,0001. I The fact was
instanced, remember, merely by way of showing the
importance of carrying out the reform here demanded
if we would benefit literature itself by benefiting its,
speaking, ill-cared-for cultivators. True,
that the case of Sir BULWER LYTTON is
gnoneoneedorosfullabYt' singularly exceptional character, being that
of a writer who has ascended to the very topmost
round of the ladder of celebrity, an intellectual
athlete who has been not merely a competitor, but a
victor in nearly all the arenas or departments of
literature. Poetry of the satiric, the idyllic, and the
lyrical character he has crowned by his national epic
of "King Arthur," a work which in many respects
must be regarded as his masterpiece. Romance
he has applied to the resuscitation of life in the
bones of antiquity as in his " Last Days of
Pompeii," to the delineation of society in
the mediaeval epoch as in his beautiful
narrative of " Harold," and to the portraiture of mo-
dern times in its revolutionary aspect as in " Za-
noni," in its artificial aspect as in " Pelham," in
its criminal aspect as in " Lucretia," and last, and
" best beautiful" of all, in its home or domestic aspect,
as iu his exquisite story of the " Caxtons." An
essayist he has proved himself to be of no indifferent
order by his charming melange " The Student." A
traveller more than usually observant he appears be-
fore us throughout every chapter of his " Pilgrims of
the Rnine." An annalist of distinguished veracity, as
may be seen by reference to his " History of
Athens." A political writer of considerable power, as
was sufficiently demonstrated by his "England and
the English," a creator of minor and perhaps more
graceful fictions than those implied under the generic
title of The Nuvel, such, fur example, as "Lida," or
as "Falkland," Sir BULWER LYTTON has at the
same time secured to himself a prominent position as
the most popular and successful dramatist of his age,
whether in the romantic drama, as in the " Lady of
Lyons," in the comic drama, as in "Money," or in
the tragic drama, as in "Richelieu." Against
a reputation of this Protean character it would
be idle to suppose that we could find many
emulators advancing, and frivolous, consequently, to
imagine that his case should be regarded as otherwise
than exceptional. Nevertheless, while the proceeds
of their literary industry might be less in amount
than those obtained by the energetic genius of Sir
BULWER LYTTON, they cannot be regarded by any
means as less to them in proportion. On the con-
trary, we might in most instances designate them as
larger and of more serious consideration. Another
argument, put forward with equal emphasis by
Sir BULWER LYTTON, was one calculated to
" tell" *rather powerfully on the citizens of the
United States, seeing that it threatens them with the
extinction of their rising but already nearly exhausted
literature. Referring to Belgium as a testimony of
the pernicious influence of any country flourishing
upon the piratical reprinting of the writings of a neigh-
bour, he insisted that America was even now giving
evidence of the same lamentable decline in this
phase of her intellect. " Their COOPER and their
IRVING, their JONATHAN EDWARDS and their
CHANNING were children of a past genera-
tion," said Sir BULWER LYTTON, at this
portion of his harangue, " and not one," he
added, "is rising in their stead" worthy of being
regarded as their successor. From this we pre-
sume that the English author scarcely regards as his
contemporaries the historical antiquary PRESCOTT,
the annalist BANCROFT, the essayist gMERsoN, or the
poet LONGFELLOW. The omission of such names
appeared to us somewhat of an oversight. Yet, even
with them, it must be allowed that the United
States has, of late years, given but indif-
ferent tokens of vigour in reference to the de-
velopment of any thing like a national or indi-
genous literature. Nor can this be in any way surpris-
ing, seeing that whereas the publishers of New York
would have to pay BRYANT for a new poem, they
wound have to pay nothing to TENNYSON, while they
would be compelled to hand over a sum of money
to N. P. \\Turas for a new satirical fiction, they
would be required to hand over not one farthing for a
much better work of the same kind by W. M.
THACKERAY, and while they would be reduced to the
necessity of remunerating W. H. PRESCOTT for a new
volume of history, they would be expected to do
nothing of the kind in return for a similar book by
T. B. MacAulay-. These are home truths which it
would be welt for America to con seriously and
betimes. By advancing such " stubborn facts" as
these Sir BULWER LYTTON is most effectually ad-
vancing the cause of au international law of copy-
right.

t 4 ff••ri the Ana ". tl,O

otto-r, • •,
substitute might, if they pleased, obtain pure
coffee, a matter of considerable difficulty under
the existing system. _ _

But the question cannot be disposed of even on
these grounds. There are other and even more power-
ful elements that must enter into the calculation.
It has been proved that the adulteration is not re-
stricted to mere chicory, but that the most horrible
abominations—horse beans and lupins, dog biscuits,
mahogany shavings, tan, and other even more objec-
tionable matters are mixed with the article, and
"strongly recommended for family use." There
can be no doubt that these things are dele-
terious, but Sir CHARLES WOOD contents
himself with saying " that he believes
it is not a general practice," and that "he found some
persons who dealt in coffee were naturally indignant
at the imputation they conceived to be cast upon their
honesty by its being said that other things than
chicory were mixed with coffee."

Now, on the first point, we must say that, if it can
be shown that the system is at all recognised, if even
a small proportion of the dealers are guilty of such
gross misconduct, it is quite sufficient to justify
stringent regulations being adopted and enforced.
Respectable chemists would not recklessly dispose of
arsenic or other deadly poisons to every applicant.
The persons who did so were few in number, and yet
it was found necessary to introduce a new measure
for regulating the sale, although the parties acting
indiscreetly amounted to but a fraction per cent. of
the highly respectable body who were affected,
by the enactments. The question is not whether
it is " a general practice," but whether
any instance could be adduced of such acts ; and, un-
fortunately, the evidence on that point is too conclu-
sive to admit of any doubt or difficulty. The
extreme sensitiveness of the parties who are so
" naturally indignant" at the imputation does not by
any means alter the nature of the question. If the
cap did not fit in some degree they would not be
quite so ready to assume it.

Even on the only point which Sir CHARLES WOOD
considers worthy of notice, the " protection of the
revenue," vie are ready to join issue with him. The
diminished consumption of duty•paying coffee, while
all other beverages of a similar description, tea, cocoa,
&c., are increasing in proportion to the population
and the improved circumstances of the working
classes, sufficiently prove the injury to the revenue
arising from the practice. It is sufficient to
say that an untaxed article is substituted for
one paying a heavy duty to show that there must
be an injury to the revenue unless the consumption
of the mixed article should be so greatly increased
(by reason of the admixture) as to occasion a greater
consumption of the pure berry than would be ob-
'alned if it were sold without the adulteration.
On this point every particle of evidence
is against Sir CHARLES WOOD, and proves
-hat the revenue is vefy seriously injured by the
practice. . .

There might be some weight attachable to the ar-
gument respecting the inconvenience of any Excise
interference; but when it is known that such inter-
ference is tolerated with respect to tea, tobacco,
pepper, &c., &c., it is too absurd to adduce it as a
reason why the coffee dealers should be allowed an
exemption not afforded to any other persons subject
to the Excise laws, and to which they themselves are
subjected in other matters in which they deal. In
this and in other matters we must trust to the voice
of public opinion to enforce the retirement of Sir
CHARLES WooD, and to obtain for him a successor
who will pay some attention to the wishes and feel-
ings of the community.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Moniteur publishes the following telegraphic
dispatches with reference to the PRESIDENT'S journey :
" TOURS, TUESDAY, HALT PAST ONE P.N.

" The inauguration train arrived here at a quarter-
past twelve. The President of the Republic was received
with enthusiasm by the populution, the National Guard,
and the garrison."
"POITIERS, HALF-PAST FITE, P.M.

"The train arrived here at half-past three. An im-
mense crowd, assembled at the station, saluted the Pre-
sident with its acclamations. After the benediction of
the locomotives, the President of the Republic paFsed
through the town on his way to the Prefecture. De-
putations from six departments and the inhabitants of
the neighbouring country show the same anxiety as
the inhabitants of Poithrs to give a worthy reception
to the head of the Executive power."

A grand fête was given by the Mayor to the PRE-
SIDENT of the Republic, at which the Mayor proposed
the PRESIDENT'S health, prefacing it by the following
speech :-
6' Monsieur le President,—Permit me, in the name of
the city of Poitiers, to thank you for having by your
presence added to the solemnity of our inaugurating
tites; with the railway there opens for us a new era of
importance and of activity; we now touch the gates of
Paris and of Bordeaux. This is valuable conquest for
our commerce and our manufactures, the happy augury
of what we may expect from our being brought closer
to the two great centres of population. We, on this
day, owe to it the advantage of having amongst us our
illustrious visitors and the power, in presence of a
powerful and sympathetic auditory, to request the
establishment of the faculty of sciences which has been
so lung promised to us, and to solicit the support of
the Government to give to our new lines of communica.
doss all the developments which they call tor. On
this happy occasion, however, we must not be
egotists, and when on all sides we see crowds
hasten within our walls, we teal the necessity
of turning our ideas towards our dear coun-
try. Long enough rent asunder by violent
shocks France will have no more impious and tratri-
cidal struggles; she recognise's no other arbitrator but
legality, nu other contest between her children but that
wnich ttikes place in the electoral arena. Let na have
confide.nce in the enlightened patriotism of our fellow-
citizens; be persuaded that on the great day of voting
the nation will know how to dictate iu a pacific, but
powerful and irresistible wine, the supr( me decree before
which all Frenchmen will bow with respect. Then will
have ceased much of our uneasiness; a feeling of security
will revive,_ republican institutions will boon become
strengthened, and the numerous ameliorations proposed
by so many enlightened minds will be realised. On
those ameliorations, you, in particular, Monsieur le
President, have fixed your serious and deep attention,
happy thus to prove that you well comprehend the duties
of the high mission which has been confided to yon, and
the wants of the period in which we live."

"The great chicory question" has been disposed of
for the present year. Sir CHARLES WOOD has flung
the mantle of his protection over those who indulge
in an innocent predilection for adulterating a good
and wholesome article, subject to a heavy import
duty, with another, of an inferior and cheaper de-
scription, and thus committing a gross fraud on the
purchaser by giving him something very different
from that for which he had contracted, and which
he supposed he was about to receive. We had sup-
posed that the Government would never directly sanc-
tion a fraud that could be regarded as neither more
nor less than receiving money under false pre-
tences. Sir CHARLES WOOD has, however, com-
pletely disabused our minds of this erroneous impres-
sion, and proved that so far as he is concerned the
amount of revenue to be obtained is the only object
deemed worthy of consideration—the Alpha and
Omega of his solicitude. It is true that he joined
another matter which might justify Government in-
terference, viz., " if the article mixed were delete-
rious ;" but that he slurred over so rapidly as to
show that was quite a secondary question in his
opinion.
Now, without in any degree entering into the
question as to the salubrity of chicory as an article of
daily consumption—a point, however, on which we
believe there is a great difference of opinion amongst
persons capable of arriving at a sound conclusion—
we should say, that it should, at least, be optional
with the consumer whether he should be allowed to
drink the pure coffee or the " Wood admixture."
Tiktes will differ as well as doctors, and constitutions
are not so exactly similar that what will agree with one
person may not be injurious to another. Why, then,
we ask, might not the coffee and chicory be sold
under their proper names? Those persons who ac-
cording to the re entations made to the Right
and even •
Honourable Baronet referred the " mixed etude,
plain chicory to
improve the beverage, might gratify their tastes to
any extent that might be agreeable got athibional quantities of
ble without let or
e agreea
hindrance. Tbey might even, if
they thought proper,:
take plain chicory
being without its b ‘' adulterated'
or spoiled by the addition of an iu
quantity
of coffee. They could suit
tiafiniteBicaal
rate without being compelled tOr tunny at a cheaper
Pay
tastes of those who still clung with d sperate for the depraved
to the "Indian berry," v.r.d liked the
n tenacity
they could not obtain the reality. They, a
then,ttle, allhough
riot in any degree be damnified by the more would
ent
enforcement of the Excise regulations, that evert.iyiigltti
should be sold under its tight denomination that
" coffee" should be called "coffee," and "chicory"

This toast was drunk with loud applause, after which
the PRESIDENT of the Republic replied as follows
Monsieur le Maire,—Be my interpreter with your
fellow-citizens, and to thank them for the reception, so
kind and so cordial, which they have given me. Like
you, I look to the future fate of the country without ap-
prehension, for its safety will always proceed from the
will of the people freely expressed, and religiously ac-
cepted.—(Applause.) And, therefore, I anxiously wish
for the solemn moment when the powerful voice of the
nation will boar down all kinds of opposition, and place
in accord all rivalitiea. For it is most afflicting to be-
hold revolutions convulse society, heap up ruin on ruin,
and yet leave still upstanding the same passions, the
same exigencies, and the same elements of disturbance.
When one traverses France, and beholds the varied
riches of her soil, the marvellous products of her in-
dustry; when one admires her rivers, roads, canals, and
railways—her ports bathed by two great seas—one is
obliged to ask to what degree of prosperity she would
not attain if a durable tranquillity would permit her
inhabitants to co-operate together, with all their means,
for the general good, in place of yielding to intestine
' dissensions.—(Applause.) When, under another point
of view, one reflects on that territorial unity which has
been bequeathed to us by the persevering efforts of the
monarchy, to that political, judicial, administrative, and
commercial unity which has been given to us by revo-
lutions; when one contemplates those populations, so
intelligent and laborious, animated as they almost all
are by the same belief, and speaking the same lan-
guage—that clergy so venerable, inculcating morality
nod virtue—that magistracy so renowned for impar-
tiality, which causes jastice to be respected—that army
so valiant and well-disciplined, which is only ac-
quainted with honour and duty—(Bravo, bravo)—
in flue, when one learns to appreciate that crowd of
eminent men capable of guiding the Government,
and to adorn assemblies as well as the sciences
and the arts—when all this is borne in mind, one seeks
with anxiety what the causes can be which prevent this
ration, already so great, Irom becoming still greater,
and one is astonished that a society which contains so
many elements of power and prosperity c.n expose itself
so frequently to seek its own ruin.—(Loud applause.)
Can it then be true, as the Emperor has huid, that the
old world is ended and that the new one is not yet
firmly fixed? Without knowing what it will be, let us
do our duty to-day in preparing for it solid tuundatit DA.
—(Beer, hear.) I am well pleased to employ Ibis lan-
guage to you in a province remarked at all times for its
patriotism. Let us not forget that your town was,
under Charles VII., the centre of a heroic resistance—
that it was fcr fourteen years the reuge of nationality
in France when invested.—(Applause.) Let us hope
that it will be still one of the first to gtvc the example of
devotedness to civilisation and its native land.—(l4, ud
'awe ) I now drink to 'The prosperity or the town
uPP , , D
of P4l4lerit. roionged cheers.)"
M. AIELUN (du Nord) has been named reporter
of the Committee appointed to classify the petitions
the
Constitution. tt h e s bh
e
y numberpraying
for a
of revisionsignatures
(including marks) attached to these petitions
amount to only 880,126, and when all
of

THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 8, 1861.

0,111 !10-n 07.rr

300,000 4,4114.;:10.:t.r,e6 who are in the pa) of the
Government, and who are distributed all over France,
have for the last three months been assiduously en-
gaga' in endeavouring to get up a revision agitation,
it must be admitted that a more notable failure has
seldom occurred. The Bonapartist journals confess
as mucl^, and do not attempt to conceal their disap-
pointment and chagrin.
The Committee on the Lyons and Avignon Rail-
way examined yesterday a new proposition, pre-
sented by one of its members, relative to a system
for farming out the line, designed to furnish funds
sufficient to continue the works. In the end this
proposition was set aside. The Committee appears
inclined to persist in the system of M. DUrADRE, on
which M. DuroußNxi, has proposed a modification
aiming at a mixed system or farming out the line.
The Speech of the President of the Republic at
Poictiers was favourably received at the Bourse, and
produced a rise in the price of Government Securities.
The Five per Cents. opened at, 93f. 85c., and closed
at 94f. 25c.; the Three per Cents. closed at 56f. 850. ;
Orleans Railroad Shares, 852 f. 50c.; Rouen, 648 f. 75c.;
Havre, 251 f. 25c.; Great Northern 488 f. 75c.; Vierzon,
458 f. 75c.; Basle, 155 f.; Bordeaux, 402 f. 50c.; Paris and
Strasburg, 373 f. 75c.; Tours and Nantes, 277 f. 50c. ;
Amiens and Boulogne, 255 f.

s• .14, Is !!!! • 11,;• '.!•'• • ,

BRITISZ Sias.l3AW

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, JULT 2.
Boulogne and Amiens, In —Dutch Rhenish, 2% —East
Indian, 18%—Luxembourg, 2%—Orleans and Bordeaux, 4
—Paris and Rouen, 25N.

Nonizal Priem

17%
100

Btudness den
to-day.

11 % %
4% % %

79 7$
11% 11
17