The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBIWARY 7, 1866.

lE.—This Day.

York August 2l
Plymouth
Lichfield
Devon and Exeter 2B
Tunbridge 2B
Derby Summer 29
Weymouth 3O

W. L. BANKS, Cnairman.
- J. KEMPTHORNE, Secretary
No. 1, Westminster-chambers, Victoria-street,
Westminster, S.W., Feb. 5, 1866.

THIRD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, 7 o'CLocK.

TkIE MALT TAX.

--0--

DEPUTATION TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THE
EXCHEQUER.—(THIS DAY).
The deputation appointed at the great meeting of
the farmers of England, held at the Freemasons'
Tavern last Monday, had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer this afternoon at his
official residence in Downing-street.
Previous to waiting on the right hon. gentleman,
the noblemen, members of Parliament, and gentlemen
composing the deputation, assembled at Westminster
Palace Hotel, and at the suggestion of Sir Fitzroy
Kelly, the different points that were to be brought
under the attention of the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer were agreed upon and arranged as follows :-
1. The injustice of the malt-tax on the growers
of barley.

2. The effect of the malt-tax and the beer con-
sumed by the labouring classes.
3. The influence of the malt-tax upon the pro-
duction of cereals, wool, the prico of meat, and the
raising of live stock, and
4. The reason for stopping short at the malt-tax
in carrying out the principles of free trade.
A member of the depiztation thought that the
question should be asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer why he did not do for the Malt-tax what ho
had done for the hop duties. (Hear, hear.)
Sir F. KELLY said the different points could be
urged shortly upon either of the subjects desired by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Colonel North
would introduce the deputation, and intimate to the
right hon. gentleman the readiness with which any
of the above points could be illustrated.

The deputation then proceeded to Downing-
street, and having been shown into the library
of the hon. gentleman's official residence, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer in a few minutes entered the
room, and Colonel North formally introduced the
deputation. Mr. Reed, Mr. Fielden, Mr. Inwood,
Mr. Biddell, Mr. Cayley, and other gentlemen ad-
dressed the right hon. gentleman, and strongly
urged upon him the propriety of reducing the malt
duty, which they said was oppressive and unjust--
oppressive because it compelled the poor man to
pay double the price he ought for his beer, and un-
just because it was levied on one particular article,
whilst all the rest of the articles entering into
the consumption of population of the country had
been either altogether modified or greatly re-
duced.

The CIIANCELLLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply
to the deputation, said that last year he had a large
surplus to deal with, and the income tax was
greatly reduced, a proposition which met with ge-
neral approval. He was afraid the expectations of
the deputation as to the finances of, the State were
not based on correct data. He was not aware that
the state of things for the next few months would
render it possible to look in the face such
a gigantic question now under discussion. The
agriculturists were no doubt right in being the first
to put in their claims for consideration, but nothing
but a magnificent surplus could raise the question
of a reduction of the malt tax. With respect to the
opinions and suggestions that had been placed
before him, it would be the duty of himself and
colleagues to give a question of such importance
give their best and deepest consideration.
The deputation then withdrew.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
_PARIS, Monday Evening.
Some amendments are to be proposed on the
Address, but hitherto few adhesions have been made
to the Opposition suggestions. Fourteen members
of the Right only have signed an , amendment in
reference to Colonial policy, and urging that the
three important islands of Martinique, Guadaloupe,
and Bourbon ought to be placed in the same cate-
gory as the departments of the Empire.
At a meeting of Opposition Deputies, which was
attended by M. Thiers, it was resolved that three
amendments to the Address should be proposed.
One respecting Algeria, another for a committee of
inquiry into the state of agriculture, and the third
demanding the " completion of the edifice ;" this
vague phrase, I suppose, means extension of popu-
lar power.
The rapid transmission of the Emperor's Speech
by the electric telegraph has excited curiosity and
satisfaction. In most of the provincial towns of
France the whole Speech was received in less than
half an hour, and in an hour at the most distant
ones. The telegraph came into full operation in
Paris in 1861. The chief office is in the Rue de
Grenelle St. German. The Director-General is the
Viscount de Vougy. Two hundred electric wires
communicate from the central office, which is in
direct communication with the 89 prefectures, the
principal sub-prefectures, the other important cities
of France, and the great centres of Europe. About
200 clerks are employed for the service of the de-
spatches. I have not ascertained the exact number
of females, but the number of female clerks is on
the increase. The service is carried on day and
night by two divisions of clerks. The first division
is engaged from 8 in the morning till 11, and is then
relieved by the second. The clerks of the former return
to duty at six in the evening and leave it at nine.
The second division relieves it in its turn. At mid-
night half of the latter take repose till three o'clock.
The second sleeps from three till eight o'clock in
the morning. The average number of private
despatches is 5,000 a day, but in some days the
number is much greater. The service in general is
performed with much correctness, but occasionally
strange errors occur. (What human institution is
free from them?) When Algeria was first placed
in electric communication with Marseilles across the
Mediterranean, a French gentleman was in the
habit of going to hunt the lions, and was accom-
panied by a well-known shot very conversant with
the localities frequented by the lions of the Atlas.
The rest of the family also lived in Algeria, with
the excention of a brother who resided in Belgium.
On one occasion a telegraph messenger brought the
latter a despatch at Brussels. It was sent from
Al We hunted lions yes-
terday.geria a
011udrwuasn unclew
e fdevouredollos:--(d"e yore). All the f amily
in joy." The young gentleman was stupified. An
explanation took place at the office, and it was dis-
covered that the word devore had been used instead
of decort (decorated). A v instead of a c made a
wonderful difference.

One of the Paris papers, in an article on the In-
ternational Electric Company of London, ascribes
the great success of that company solely to the
exertions of M. Gamble. Those acquainted with
the details of the management know that the
activity and zeal of Mr. Charles Boys, the superin-
tendent of the Intelligence Department, aided by
Mr. James Parry, have tended greatly to the de-
velopment of the resources of the company.
A good deal of amusement was caused at the
time of the Exhibition of Paintings in 1864 by the
erection of a room appropriated to paintings which
had been refused admission to the general saloon by
the Committee of Selection. The leading artists
have improved upon this idea. A building has
been hired at Montmartre, in which will be exhi-
bited the pictures to which admission may be refused
at the next Exhibition of living artists. A com-
mittee of artists will be appointed to select pictures
for admission. All, however, have a place, but the
pictures vetoed by the committee will be exhibited
in another room. Thus there will be the refusal of
the refused. -

The official tables respecting the progress of rail-
ways in 1865 show that the total of new lines con-

AFON VALLEY RAILWAY.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, That the FIRST
HALF-YEARLY GENERAL MEETING of the Share-
holders of this Company will be held at their Office, No.l,
Westminster-chambers, Victoria-street, Westminster, on
THURSDAY, the 22d day of February inst., at 3 o'clock
p.m. precisely, for the transaction of the general business
of the Company.
(Signed)