The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-20 00:00:00

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Composition of the House of Commons.

•
MB Spectator finds that the members of the pre-
sent House of Commons are sons, brothers, uncles,
nephews, sons-in-law, or brothers-in-law of the
presenthead,s of the 31 houses known in its columns
as the great governing families of England, exclu-
sive of members standing in relation to the great
Scotch and Irish families. At least another 30
might be added were the relationships extended to
first and second cousins. The landed and county
family interests are further represented by 170 near
relatives of peers, 15 of them heirs apparent or pre-
sumptive, not included in the 31 families and 60
baronets. In short, but little under 300 out of the
656 members of the House of Commons are more
or less closely identified with the great land-owning
caste of the country, exclusive of the scores of
many-acred squires, who appear with the plain
" J.P., D.L.," in their respective county directories.
There is no fear, during the present session at least,
of cows being lost without compensation, or of Mr.
Bright making a false quantity in the name of a
hunt without castigation in the shape of ironical
cheers. One hundred and four members have
either served or are now serving in the army, and
150 are officers in the militia, yeomanry, or volun-
teers, while nine only have held naval rank. Ninety
five barristers, of whom about one-fifth are in ac-
tual practice, have seats. Ninety-three members
were educated at Cambridge, while 127 of his con-
stituents have the privilege of sitting under Mr.
Gathorne Hardy. Slightly under 100 members
appear ostensibly as merchants, manufacturers,
bankers, brewers, or shipowners. The Spectator
further gives a singular table showing the form and
extent of business enterprise in the house. A hun-
dred and twenty members are more or less con-
cerned in the management of railways, while 115
are directors of insurance,• banking, discount, and
financial joint-stock companies, and 104 directors
of miscellaneous companies, including nearly all
kinds and forms of joint-stock associations before
the public. Fourteen legislators occupy their lei-
sure in attending to the affairs of hotels, from the
Star and Garter downwards. One worthy baronet
is concerned in the management of a fishery com-
pany, a coffee company, a brewery company, a fresh
provision company, a library company, and a gun-
powder company. One or two gentlemen are direc-
tors of necropolis companies, but do not apparently
relieve their gloomy duties by uniting with them
directorships of more convivial associations.

MARKETS.—This Day.

HAY

SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover,
£5 5s to £6 158 Od ; and straw, £1 16s to £2 2s per load.
A slow trade.

CUMBEHLAND.—Meadow hay, £4 10s to ..£5 15s; clover,
£5 5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 5s per load.
A fair demand.

WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover,
£5 5s to £7 Os Od; and straw, £1 16s to £2 2s per load
Trade heavy.

COLONIAL.

TEL—Business bas been very dull, the trade having
deforred their operations until to-day, when about 12,000
packages China produce will be offered for competition.
SUGAR. —There has been rather more animation, and
superior qualities of West India have brought slightly en-
hanced prices. In the refined market there is not much
animation, and quotations remain steady.

COFFEE.—A very limited business has been done, but
full rates are current for both Plantation and Native
Ceylon.

Mex.—Only moderate dealings have been effected with-
out any material change as regards values.
TALLOW.—There has been rather a better tone, and at
one time a slight advance was exhibited, but sellers then
came forward and a reaction was the result. P.Y.C., on
the spot, is quoted 47s 3d 47s 9d; and March, 48s ; April
to June 48s, 50s, 50s 6d, last three months' delivery.

Liverpool Cotton Market. —TLis Day.
--
The market opens rather steady. Sales will pro,
bably foot up 7,000 bales.

THE TAX REFORM IN AMERICA. The
great feature in the Report of the Commis-
sioners to revise the revenue system of the United
States is, that instead, as in European countries,
a public debt, constantly increasing, being regarded
as no evil, in America the principle which seems to
be agreed upon is that the existence of a debt is an
evil, and that the interests of the community require
that it shall be reduced and paid off as soon as pos-
sible. If the whole amount of the United States debt
can be got rid of in the course of twenty or thirty years,
provided taxation is not too heavy, the Americans
will relieve themselves of a grievous burden, and
insure that that taxation shall decrease as they
reach more nearly the final discharge of their obli-
gations. At the same time the Commissioners be-
lieve that it is their duty to advise such reforms as
will relieve the country from its heaviest loads, and
they are of opinion that the object can be reached
by judicious discrimination in the objects of taxa-
tion, insuring a revenue equal to all necessity, and
relieving many interests from impositions which are
grievous, and which do not produce the returns
which were expected. In 1865 the amount received
from internal taxation was $211,129,529.17. In
1866, at the same rates, it is calculated that there
will be received from $272,000,000 t 05300,000,000.
By the changes recommended by the Commis-
sioners, they estimate that there will be received in
1866-7, for internal taxes, $237,000,000. From
customs they estimate the receipts at $130,000,000,
making a total of $367,000,000. The estimate of
the Secretary of the Treasury is, that during the
same time there will be needed for the expenses of
the Government $284,317,181, leaving, if the
amount received equals the Commissioners' esti-
mate, the large sum of $82,682,819, which might
he applied at once to the reduction of the public
debt. In round numbers, it may be said that the
Commissioners recommend a reduction of the in-
ternal taxation about $40,000,000.
THE PRESIDENT. A recent issue of the
Independence Beige contained the following tribute to Pre-
sident Johnson :—" How greatly, indeed, have the opi-
nions of our governmental spheres changed with regard
to President Johnson. Estimates the most unfavourable
have been altered to the most admirable anticipations. In-
deed he is a great teatesman, whose wise and profound
judgment in the management of affairs will leave its shin-
ing mark in the annals of the United States."
Tables are now in course of preparation at the
Treasury Department for transmission to Congress,, to
show that the average duties upon the various manufac-
tures of cotton imporied into America during the years
1863 and 1864 were 36 per cent. ; upon woollen, 381
per cent. ; upon silks, 37 per cent. ; on hemp and flax, 331
per cent.; and upon iron and .steel, 33/ per cent.
In 1865 the duties on cotton were raised to 40
per cent. ; woollen to 52 ; silk 60 ; hemp and flax, 381:
and on iron and steel to 41 per cent. In the lalt year the
Government received less custom than in any of the two
previous years on account of the falling of in the importa-
tion of the articles enumerated, the revenues on the total
of the imports haying fallen off from 35 millions of dollars
in 1864, to 27 millions in 1865. It is also discovered that
the protection on these manufactures afforded by the pre-
sent rate of tariff is reduced quite as low by the charges of
the effect of duties upon them at home as it was before the
war.

The libel suit of McCabe v. the proprietors of
the New York Sunday Mercury, has been undergoing :a
lengthy trial, and has come to a result thus stated :—The
Court held that an editor or reporter is not legally liable
to prove the absolute truth or accusation which may be
embodied iu a fair report of proceedings before a legal tri-
bunal, and that it is sufficient justification to show that
the facts reported have transpired as narrated. If the de-
cision were otherwise, every conductor of a newspaper
would be forced at the will or caprice of a litigant to
become the plaintiff or defendent alluded to in any report
which might appear in his journal, the accuracy of which
might be questioned. The ruling thus decides that an
editor is the mere publisher of actual occurrences, and can-
not possibly assume in law the position of a litigant in
cases which he reports, and of the merits of which he must
necessarily be wholly ignorant.

GRANT AND BUTLER.—It should not be supposed
that because Generals Grant and Butler are given to sharp
mention of each other through their public reports they
entertain such bitterness of feeling that they cannot meet
socially. Within the last few weeks they have met and
chatted most amicably.
New York was in a state of excitement lately
over two vessels which sailed from that port, snpposed to
be Fenian privateers. One turned out to be a pilot boat
and the other a merchant vessel.

On, Tuesday evening the annual sale of the pews
in Henry Ward Beecher's Church, Brooklyn, was held.
Tho highest premium given was $4,000 by H. B. Chaffin.
The rent of the pews is 5120. The income from the sales
it is expected will exceed 830,000.