The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-20 00:00:00

FRENCH FIN INCE.

The following is the article in La Patric of which
a telegraphic summary has already appcarcd :
" The first care of the Minister of Finance in
taking the direction of the Ministerial department
entrusted to him is naturally the study of the
Budget of 1863.
" Thus, M. Fould (so we are informed) has lost no
time in examining the modifications which must be
made in the receipts and expenditure of the State,
according to the new regulations which he has in-
duced the Emperor to adopt, and which will be con-
firmed by a Scnatus Consulte.
" The problem to be resolved is this : to increlsc
the receipts by diminishing the expenses, and at the
same time to provide suitably for the public
service.

"If we are rightly informed, the first reform
under consideration is a reduction of the army
without infringing upon the sytem so happily
established—that is to say, maintaining the actual
organisation (cadres actuels).
" Thus the military power of Frame would re-
main in full force, and would assure to our policy
the influence which it has achieved, at the same
time that the war estimates would be sensibly
diminished.

" The creation of new resources, rendered neces-
sary by the suppression of supplementary credits,
is a delicate question, which the new Minister of
Finance will certainly examine NN ith that maturity
and reserve which such great interests command.

"We believe we may state that he does not pro-
pose to add any additional tax which might fall
heavily on industry, agriculture, or commerce, and
which would affect the working classes.
" A tax on lucifer matches is spoken of. This
measure is in fact contemplated at the Ministry of
Fiflance, and in such a manner that the consumer
will scarcely feel the difference. An increase on
stamped paper (polders timbres) is also under con-
sideration.

" We are not acquainted with the Minister's views
on the tax which weighs upon the transfer of per-
sonal property (sur la transmission des valeurs tnobi-
lieres), but, on the one hand, the revenue from that
tax is so small, scarcely reaching 6,000,000 f., and,
on the other hand, the liberal ideas of M. Fould are
so well known, that we may be allowed to suppose
that a modification of the law of the 23d of June,
1857, is not impossible.
"If this modification is carried out it will, we
trust, lead to the suppression of the tourniquets."

The Constitutionnel also has a few lines on the

same subject, but not very connectod in the infor•
mation given. They run thus
_ _ _

"If we are well informed, the Minister of the In-
terior has submitted to the Emperor a project,
which may be called both political and financial,
consisting of a disarmament, with the maintenance
of the staffs. This measure would be complimen-
tary to the new financial measures confided to M.
Fould. The disarming would not only be anew
and favourable guarantee of confidence and pro-
sperity for France, but also a fresh and powerful
one for all the Governments of Europe. It would
to, general peace crowning the glory achieved by
the French army on fields of battle. If we are well
informed, the Emperor will visit the Queen of
England during the Universal Exhibition of Lon-
don. The project of Count de Persigny, submitted
to the Emperor, will therefore be at the same time
a new and great political and financial measure."
The same journal publishes an article on the
great increase which has taken place in French
commerce of late years. It commences in these
terms:—

" A little more than a year ago, in studying
the movement of the foreign commerce of France
for 1859, we remarked that that year, the last of
the protective regime, was also the most bril-
liant, for French transactions amounted to the
enormous sum of 4,904,000,000 fr. official value,
and 5,412,000,000 fr. actual value—that is to
say, precisely double the amount of the
most prosperous year of the monarchy of July
(2,437,000,000 fr. in 1846). Ia distinguishing the
total value of the imports from that of the ex-
ports, we find that the increase in the national
production had been still more rapid than that of
the commercial movement itself, for in the amount
0f1846 the imports represented 511 per cent., and
importswhilwhile
tbe exports represented noamounted
m or et
o thanm 2 4p3e *i.
the exports only 481 per cent., whilst in 1859 the
general movement. In otherwords, the .
1859 showed an increaseof
com-
pared with those of 1846, h.
propor-
tional augmentation amounted
the exports." 8c
el:let: oc
fentht.e,
imports of
70.88 per cent. w
Ile the same
to 1331 per cent. for

-Such prosperity, the article observes, told strongly
in favour of the excellence of a system which the
Protectionist party supported so strongly in oppo-
sition to free *trade. The -moment was not Mtn