The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-13 00:00:00

THE AUSTRIA STEAMER.

Mr. Williamson, the Custom-house tide-surveyor
at Southampton, states that the ill-fated Austria had
only 513 souls on board when she left that port,
and. not 600, as has been represented. It was stated
last week that 18 out of the 68 who were saved
were taken to Fayal and 50 to Halifax. Accord-
ing to the Persia's news 12 only went •on to Halifax,
and the rest were taken to Fayal. The published
list of persons saved, with tile places they sailed
from, shows that the emigrants to the United States
are from all parts of the German dominions.

We have received the following communication,
dated Fayal, Sept 28 :
" The Maurice (French brig), from St. John's,
Newfoundland, to the Mauritius, put in here on
the 19th of September to land 38 male and 6
female passengers, the first, second, and third offi-
cers, and 7 of the crew, saved on the 13th of
September from the Hamburgh steam packet
Austria, from Hamburgh to New York, destroyed
by fire. Twelve other passengers were saved by
the Maurice, and put on board the Lotus (British
ship), bound for Halifax, N.S. On the 14th the
Maurice saw no more on board. A Norwegian
ship was close to the wreck. Three other vessels
in sight that rendered no assistance.

" The passengers saved ex Austria proceed to
New York in her Majesty's steamer Valorous. The
officers and crew leave tor London in the Ireland,
steamer, from Hong Kong."

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND

FREE TRADE.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, TUESDAY.
A document of considerable importance has been
published in the local papers this morning.
The Count de Maricourt, French Consul in this
town, has addressed to the presidents of the Agri-
cultural Societies of Northumberland, Durham,
Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, the substance of a de-
spatch received from the Minister of Agriculture,
Commerce, and Public Works, in France, through
the French Foreign-office, respecting the result of
the repeal of the Corn Laws in this country. Simi-
lar communications were addressed to the Newcastle
Farmers' Club and the Tyneside Agricultural So-
ciety, with a request that all these societies, as ex-
pressing the sentiments of the agricultural interest
of the north of England, would communicate to the
French Government their opinion as to the effects
of free trade in corn upon the landed and agricultu-
ral interests. Accompanying the despatch is a
schedule of questions calculated to elicit their
opinions upon every phase of the free trade ques-
tion.

The French Minister commences by stating that
in the month of April, 1854, his department had
communicated to that of Agriculture, Commerce,
and Public Works, a report emanating from the
Consul-General of France in London, and contain-
ing divers returns and information on the result of •
the repeal of the corn laws in England. These re-
turns closing with the year 1853, the Minister of
Agriculture, M. Migne, had expressed a desire to
receive similar information for the succeeding years,
and without wishing to fix the limits of the inves-
tigation necessary to inform him completely on this , -
subject, he had indicated in an enclosure the points
on which he wished particularly to possess exact
returns. M. Migne further desired to know the
average price and the amount of importation of
foreign corn in each Tear since 1853, as well as the
produce of the grain harvests in England for
the • greatest possible number of years. The
Minister requests the Consul to place him in a
position to reply to the questions of M. Migne for '
his district in the north of England, and in case the
officially published documents of the United King-
dom could not furnish sufficiently accurate returns
on the points noted for examination, to address
himself to the different agricultural societies, which,
he doubts not, would without hesitation communi-
cate to him the information which they possess.
The category of questions intended to elicit this
information is as follows :

1. Whether the breadth of land devoted to the
culture of grain has been extended or diminished ?
2. In the event of the same having been dimi-
nished, whether the extension of drainage has not
had the effect of compensating in a certain propor-
tion for the diminution of breadth under cultiva-
tion, in increasing the quantity of the produce ?
3. What has been the effect of the repeal of the
corn laws on agriculture in England ?
4. Since the period of that repeal, has the pro-
duce of the soil experienced increase or diminution ?
5. Has the rotation of crops been changed, and
in what manner ?
6. Has the rent of land risen or fallen ?
7. Has the income of those who cultivate their
own land increased or diminished ?

8. Give the same information with respect to
those who occupy their land as tenants, that is to
say, as farmers. In the examples given state also
what are the most useful conditions of leasing, and
what is the usual term of the lease ?

9. Has the selling price ofind increased or
diminished ?
10. What has been the influence of recent legis-
lation on the consumption of bread and on that of
butcher meat ?