The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-19 00:00:00

COUNT CAVOUR'S LAST DESPATCH.

It was some time ago announced that the Italian
Government had withdrawn its exequatur from the
consulates in Italy of Bavaria, Wurtemburg, and
Mecklenburg. The following despatch contain the
explanation of this proceeding, and is additionally
interesting, as being probably the last diplomatic
document penned by the great statesman :--

TURIN, May 29.

M. le Comte,—The King's minister to the Germanic Diet
lately had occasion to address, by order of his Majesty's
Government, certain letters and legal documents relating
to private interests to the ministers of Bavaria, Wurtem-
burg, and Mecklenburg, accredited to Frankfort, with a
request that they would be good enough to transmit them
into their respective States.
The envoys of these powers refused to accedo to the re-
quest of the Count de Barra'. and hastened to return to him
the documents in question, alleging as a reason of their
refusal the fact that the envelope containing them bore the
seal of the Legation of his Majesty the King of Italy—a
title which, in the case of our representatives abroad, is
the only possible one, since it is prescribed to them by a
law which has received the sanction of the constitutional
authorities of their country. The Bavarian Minister did
not even choose to open the communication which was ad-
dressed to him ; and, instead of stating his reasons by
letter and in a polite way, he confined himself to saying,
through his secretary, to his Majesty's Minister, that he
knew of no Legation of Italy at Frankfort. On their
part, the Envoys of Wurtemburg and Mecklenburg, al-
though they conveyed their negative answer in a more
proper form, nevertheless arranged the same reasons as
their colleague of Bavaria. That act, which could not in
any way have been foreseen from the nature of the com-
munication which gave rise to it, has necessarily caused us
reasonable and painful surprise.

The King's Government, you are informed, M. le Comte,
has scrupulously abstained from taking any step with re-
gard to the German powers, which might seem to oblige
them to recognise the kingdom of Italy ; still less would it
attempt to obtain their recognition in a surreptitious man-
ner. On the contrary, while it attaches a high value to
their friendship, and confides in their loyalty and their
wisdom, it has, declared that it left them absolute judges of
the moment at which they might feel themselves able to
recognise the new title of the King, and to recognise it is
the only way suitable to their dignity and to ours—
that is to say, openly and officially. This line of deference
and reserve we had kept, and were disposed still to keep,
especially towards the Governments in question, and to-
wards Bavaria even more particularly, in order to show
them that we make full allowance both for their political
position and for their family relationships.
But though we do not in the least claim to impose on
them any decision whatever, we cannot suffer them to re-
spond to a moderation by a proceeding in which one looks
in vain for any regard for propriety. This proceeding,
moreover, is so mach the less justifiable, since Austria her-
self, who had not only clearly signified that she would
not recognise the new kingdom, but had formally pro.
tested against all the changes which had taken place in
Italy since the peace of Villafranca, had, in order not to
disturb individual and commercial relations between the
two countries, taken the initiative in permitting her agents
to viser the passports and other documents issuing from our
chancellories, even though they should bear the title of
King of Italy. Accordingly, being unable to remain in-
different to acts which are injurious and which affect the
dignity of the Crown, the King, my august sovereign, has
taken the resolution to withdraw the erequatur of the con-
sular agents of Bavaria, Wurtemburg, and Mecklenburg,
in Italy.

I think it my duty to bring this decision to the know-
ledge of your Excellency, because it appears from informa‘
tien you were good enough to give me on another occasion,
that your Excellency has been authorised to undertake the
official protection of the subjects of the Powers forming
part of the Germanic Confederation whenever, from any
cause whatever, they should have no diplomatic or consu-
lar agent in Italy. In asking you, M. le Comte, to be so
good as to inform your Government, I am happy to believe
that the cabinet of Berlin will form a proper estimate of the
conduct of the states which I have mentioned, and of the
step which their proceedings have forced me to take.---I
have, &c.

C. DI CAVOUR.

THE ;BENCH COMMERCIAL TREATY.

The report of the Customs Commissioners for the
past year has just been issued. It commences with
a history of the French Commercial Treaty, and
shows the results so far as it came into operation in
1860. These were very small on the French side
but large on our side, the importation of French
clocks having risen 24 per cent., of watches 50 per
cent., of leather gloves 15 per cent., of silk manu-
factures 17 per cent., and of shawle, &c., of woollen
manufacture, 300 per cent. Of wine the increase
in the imports from all countries was 50 per
cent., while the increase of consumption was little
more than 1 per cent. This, however, is attri-
buted to the fact of the retail dealers delaying their
purchases until the full reduction of duty on the
Ist of January last. Already the tendency of
French and German wines to supplant those of
Spain, Portugal, and the Colonies has been
strikingly developed, the consumption of Spanish
wines having risen only 3 per cent. in the face of
an increased import of 40 per cent., while that of
Port has actually decreased 13 per cent., and of
colonial qualities 46 per cent., an increase being at
same time shown of 61 per cent. in French and 77
per cent. in German wines. The depression of the
silk trade in Coventry during the year is alleged to
have been caused, not by the French Treaty, but
by the change of fashion, which led to an almost
entire discontinuance of ribands as a trimming.
The general result of the fiscal changes of the year
has been the reduction of the number of articles
liable to duty from 428 to 142. The value of
the exports of British and Irish produce in 1860
was £135,842,817, showing an increase of 4 per
cent. even over the extraordinary total of the
preceding year, and our best foreign customers
were the United States, the Hanseatic Towns,
France, and Brazil. The exports of foreign and
colonial merchandise have also increased in similar
proportion, the total being £29,827,836 against
£25,203,163 in 1859, showing that this country well
supports her position as an entrepot through which
the wants of the rest of the world are supplied.
The computed real value of the imports of the year
was 210,648,643, showing an increase of 17 per
cent. over 1859. These included £44,000,000 from
America, £6,000,000 of which represents grain, and
£30,000,000 cotton, out of a total value of the latter
article from all the world of less than £36,000,000.
Of the 14 principal articles of importation four
showed a tdecreose and 10 an increase. The
decrease was in unrefined sugar, hemp, raw
silk, and spirits. The increase was in coffee, grain,
cotton, flax, provisions, tea, timber, tobacco, wool'
and wine. As regards the consumption of foreiea;
articles of food and luxurysthat of cocoa shows ba
n
augmentation of 1 per cent., coffee 3 per cent.,
corn 39 p'r cent., flour 53 per cent., currants 33
per cent., spirits 11 per cent., refined sugar 6 per
cent., tea 6 per cent., and tobacco 1 per cent., the
only articles of general use which exhibit a decrease
being raisins and unrefined sugar, in consequence
in both cases of advanced prices, Notwithstand-
ing these favourable returns, the total gross receipt
of Customs duties has fallen from £25,065,066 to
£23,165,764, showing a deficiency of £1,899,302,
owing almost entirely to the reduction of duties, the
loss on wine alone amounting to £808,506. The
only towns of sufficient commercial importance that
have claimed the advantages of the Act for inland
bonding during the year have been Bradford, Leeds,
and Halifax. As regards smuggling, the general
tone of the reports from the officers at the outports
gives no great increase or decrease. The extension
of the practice of authorising the county constabu-
lary in certain of the maritime counties to act as
revenue officers continues to work satisfactorily, and
a large seizure of 1,9811 b. of unmanufactured to-
bacco, a waggon, and two horses, was made by the
Hants constabulary in June last, the guilty party
being convicted and sentenced to 12 months' im-
prisonment. The report of the medical inspector of
the health of the establishment is very satisfactory,
but its favourable character is partly due to the
superannuation of many old officers in consequence
of the alterations lately made. The reduction in
the expense of the Customs service as the result of
the changes of 1860 is £82,870, but from this must
be deducted the pensions and compensations neces-
sitated by those changes. Many cases of hardship
remain still to be provided for, and the commis-
sioners appeal to the Treasury-with regard to them.
On such matters, in a country like this, there
ought to be no possibility of complaints of shabbi-
ness or want of good faith.—Tirnes' city Article.

"ESSAYS AND RETIEws."--We are requested
to state, for the information of members of the Lower
House of Covocation, that the deb ite upon the Report of
the Cammittee on "Essays and Reviews" will be taken to-
morrow morning, the 20th inst.
SOLDIERS' DAUGHTERS' HOME.—The annual
meeting and festival of this institution took place yesterday
at the Home, High-street, Hampstead. The chair was
taken by the Rev. G. R. Glen Chaplain-General of the
Forces. The secretary, Mr. Marsh, then read the report,
from which it appeared that the number of inmates wea
170, and that no deaths had occurred during the year; also
that the educational progress bad mot with the approbation
of the Rev. C. F. Cook, one of her Majesty's Inspectors of
Schools. General Sir Hope Grant moved the adoption of
the report, which was seconded by the Bishop of 89aor
Ind
Man, who in the course of his speech enloc,;
the exer-
tions of Major the lion. 11, L.
of the institution. P. :wys Kea, the founder
r..."
and a ‘7,-,1 -ne motion was carried unanimously,
~,ts of thanks to the chairman closed the proceed-
ings,

FIFTH REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS
OF CUSTOMS.

The Commissioners of Customs are perfectly
justified in assuming that their fifth report, which
has just been published, embraces the commercial
transactions of a most remarkable period. In the
pages of this document we get an absolute reflection
of Mr. Gladstone's budget. Here there can be no
delusion, misapprehension, or dispute. From the
regions of speculation and estimate we pass to those
of reality and fact. We learn, as far as such matters
can be expressed by arithmetic, exactly what we
have lost and what we have gained. We see the
whole of the sacrifice made in the way of duties and
the whole of the advantage derived in the way of
imports and exports. If our information, indeed,
still remains in any respect imperfect, it is only be-
cause time enough has not yet elapsed for the deve-
lopment of results. As far as our recent commercial
legislation has become entirely operative we know
the exact truth of the case.

Up to the date of the French Treaty the most
important manufacture: of this kingdom were ex-
cluded from France, either actually by direct prohi-
bition, or virtually by extravagantly high duties.
The object of the Con vention was to provide for the
admission of these commodities into France, and for,
the corresponding reception of French produce in
this country. Especially was it sought to establish
a free interchange of staples—of coal and iron, for
instance, against French wine, and in this spirit the
Treaty was framed. Without further preface, there-
fore, we subjoin, in the words of the commissioners,
the results actually ascertained up to the close of the
last year :

" Of the general effect of the Treaty as regards our trade
with France, it is impossible as yet to speak with any cl,egree
of certainty. The only portion of the new French 'Tariff
that is as yet in operation, is that decided upon by the
first Supplementary Convenfion, and relating to metals,
minerals, and machinery, and metal manufactures. A
very large contract for iron water-pipes was taken up at
Glasgow for the French Government in the course of the
autumn, and the returns of our exports to France up to the
end of the year 1860, as compared with 1859, give us an
increase in hardware of 49 per cent. ;in pig-non of A per
cent ; in bar and bolt iron of 6 per cent. ; in copper of 8 per
cent. ; and in lead of 35 per cent.
" On our side, where the execution has so promptly fol-
lowed the Treaty, we find, on looking at our account of
goods imported from France, that the importation of clocks
has risen 24 per cent. ; of watches 50 per cent. ; of leather
gloves 15 per cent. ; silk manufactures 17 per cent. ; shawls,
scarfs, and handkerchiefs of woollen manufacture 300 per
cent. Of wine and spirits we shall speak hereafter, when
we present to your lordships, in the usual way, a compari-
son of the returns of goods imported in 1860 and 18.59.
"We may here, however, mention that the depression. a the 'silk trade, and the consequent distress among the
Coventry riband weavers during the last year, has been
erroneously attributed to the operation of the Treaty. It
cannot be denied that the importation of ribands has in-
creased in the year to the extent of about 10 per cent. ; but
the whole of that increase was in the last month, December,
and up to that time the importations had positively fallen
off. The distress in Coventry was at its worst at a muck
earlier period of the year, and is, in reality, to be attributed
to the alteration in the fashion of female attire that took
place last year, and the almost entire discontinuance of the
use of ribands as a trimming. The effects of this change
were as much felt in France as in England, and the work-
people of St. Etienne suffered as much as those of Coventry.
The great depression of the silk trade also in America caused
the return of large stocks of goods manufactured for that
market to England, thus glutting the markets here and
stopping production for a certain time."
From these general statements we proceed to the
particular statistics reserved by the Commissioners
for special analysis—viz., those of the wine trade :---
"But the increase most deserving of special notice is
that which has taken place in wine. This was, no doubt,
to be expected both from the reduction of duty we have
above alluded to, from ss. 6d. per gallon and 5 per cent. to
35., in pursuance of the terms of the Treaty with France,
and from the prospect the trade had before them through-
out the year of the still further reductions that have now-
come into force. The returns for the last six years of the
importation of wine are as follows :-
1855
1856
1857
27
10,336,845
1858
1859
1860
These figures are certainly impressive, hint they
become still more so when closely examined. It
will be seen that the imports of wine gradually in-
creased from 1855 to 1857, and that in 1858 they
suddenly experienced an enormous reduction, due
to the grape disease and the failure of the vintage.
From this decline they rallied considerably in 1859,
until at length they rose to an unprecedented
height under the stimulus of the new tariff. Of
course, it would be unfair to contrast 1860 with
1858, but if we take 10,000,000 gallons as an aver-
age return, it will be seen that 25 per cent. has
been gained even upon this standard in the year
just past, and that increase the commissioners re-
gard as the true measure of the effects of the treaty.
These imports, however, have not come from France
alone. Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Madeira
have also responded to our invitation, and largely
augmented their contributions to our stores. The
following figures, showing the exports from each of these countries to our ports in the two years of
1859 and 1860, will give the leading points of the
case at a glance :

1859. 1860.
Gallons. Gallons.
PortugalFrnce ......
ain 1,010,888
Sp 3,629325
Holland (for Germany) 194,, 5,325,943203
Madeira
The Commissioners naturally anticipate some
surprise at the last item, seeing that the vineyards
of Madeira have been almost wholly destroyed, but
they explain the statement by observing that the
wines of Teneriffe are first transported to Madeira,
then manipulated by the skilled manufacturers of
that island, and finally exported to this country as
the genuine growth of the old fields. Even yet,
however, the curiosities of these statistics are unex-
hausted. The truth is that, though we have im-
ported all these extraordinary supplies of wine, we
have not consumed them, and the Commissioners
are compelled to observe that the practical" advan-
tage" of the Treaty in bringing wholesome wines to,
English tables has not yet been felt to such an ex-
tent as might have been anticipated. The con-
sumption of Spanish wines—i, e. sherries, has risen
only 3 per cent., with a rise in imports of 40 per
cent., while the consumption of port, with increased.
ap
de
vr
acne
enetd. a
tAal troagteetl(3.)
fe
50 wp
ehrerea
cent.,s
imports of the article, has actually decreased 13
icmanpsoarmtaptitoiana
has
increased at a rate of 1 per cent. only, or a little
over. Nevertheless, although this discrepancy is
remarkable, we consider the general results deci-
sive as to the success of this part of the Treaty.
Light wholesome wines of a character little known
in this country have unquestionably been brought
into use. The actual consumption of French wines,
for instance, has risen 61 per cent., and that of the
German wines imported through Holland 77 per
cent. There is another point, too, which merits
notice. By the equalization of foreign and
colonial duties our dependencies lost the pro-
tection which they had long enjoyed, and the con-
sequence has been that colonial wines, and those
alone of all descriptions of such produce, are im-
ported in smaller quantities than before. There can
be only one inference from this fact—viz., that free
trade enables us to get better wines than formerly.
With the choice between the foreign and colonial
article the consumer prefers the former. As for the
rest of the enigma, it is explained by the remark
that, with a further reduction of duty in prospect,
the trade held back their stocks, instead of pouring
them into the market, so that consumption ceased
for the moment to keep pace with importation.
We have confined our observations to this parti-
cular
branch of' the subject, as the most immediately
interesting, but there is another material andirect
importance which must not be left unnoticed. these advantages, whether actual or prospective,
the way of trade, were acquired only by a,
or sacrifice
of in
that
of the Cus-
of revenue ; and the ascertained amount
sacrifice is now returned at £1,899,302,
that being
the difference between the gross yield
toms duties in 1859 and ini
1860. Theres only one
article unaffected by the treaty which is accountable
• for any part of this loss, and that is sugar, Sugar
and molasses have been imported in less quantities
than before, but the decline is not absolutely jrnen
portant, and is ascribed to accidental causes, Alt
the rest of the decrease is due to reduction of duties
with wine.
deliberately- made, an
h ow
principally to our dealings
Even here, wever, there is
Pal agreeable
symptom of elasticity and compensation, for,whereas
the decrease of duty was 50 per cent., the actual
loss of revenue is but 41 per cent. Such is the actual
state of the case, in so far as it can be certified at
the present time. We think it must be considered satisfactory in every point o f
view
, and if the ulti-
mate purposes of the Treaty should be realised in
the stron6, and enduring amity created by identifi-
cation of interests, both co • wil • l untrieshave reason
to rejoice over the legislation of 1860.—Times.
MR. S

,PURGEON AT THE LAKES.—Mr. Spurgean is
at present Staying at the Derwentwater Hotel, at the foot
of the lake, where he has been sent by his doctors for quiet ;
but though he walked into the Baptist Chapel, at Keswick,
on Sunday morning, as quietly as any other stranger, he
was presently sought out in the corner where ho had en-
sconced himself, and, at the request of the minister, made
a .nost admirable address and eloquent prayer. Nor could
he escape preaching again in the evening, the dale's people
—as if some bird in the air had carried the news—stream-
ing in from all parts, so that the little chapel \vas soon filled
to overflowing. Mr. Spurgeon mentioned that although ho
had come down for rest c.nd quiet, he had been so much
gratified by the liberality of the incumbent of St. John's,
in Keswick, who had invited him to attend his weekly
prayermeeting at the lecture-room, that he intended, after
the evening service, to go and assist thero.—lenda
Mcrocryl