The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Steele publishes the following :—" It is cur-
rently reported that the question of the dissolution
of the Legislative Body has been again discussed in
the recent Cabinet Councils. It is even said that
the Minister of the Interior has addressed a private
circular to the Prefects, calling upon them to send
in a report on the opinion of the populations rela-
tive to the proposed measure, and on the probable
result i❑ case it were carried into execution. The
answers of the Prefects will vary according to the
more or less intimate nature of their relations with
the clerical and Legitimist party ; but the senti-
ments cif the populations admit of no doubt—they
are most impatient for an opportunity of breaking
with the partisans of the temporal power. We are
little inclined to set up for prophets as to the results
of the future elections, but we are certain that the
members of Antonelli's congregation who may re-
sume their seats on the benches of the Legislative
Body will not be very numerous, and that the new
deputies will be more in harmony with the spirit
of the decree of the 24th November than those we
have at present."
BOURSE, Aug. 31.—There has been some little
buoyancy apparent in the market, and priees have
obtained a slight advance on the closing rates of
yesterday. Threes, for the Account, are now at
68f 90c. Railways quiet, but firm.
The following are the last quotations
4t per per Cents ... 98 50 Credit Foncier 1250
Do end month.... 98 50 Belgian 4± —
3 per Cents
Do. end month 69 05 Roman —
Bank Shares 2900 —; Austrian
Credit Mobilier.... 766 24; Spanish Threes 49k
Do. Account 768 75 Home Debt

RAILWAYS.
Cash. Account.
Orleans l4lB 75 .. 1420
Northern
New ditto

Lyons and Mediterranean 1025 .. 1026 25
Geneva 350 .. 350
Southern
Western
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 536 25 .. 537 50

The ship Liberator, 695 tons, Captain Martin,
belonging to John Duthie, Esq., of Aberdeen, and chartered
for Messrs. Mackay and Co.'s Black Ball line of packets,
was off Plymouth on Saturday evening, from Sydney May
19, bound for London. She landed a small mail and one
passenger at Plymouth. She brings 95 passengers, 1,773
bales wool, 7 bales skins, 328 casks tallow, 37 casks oil, 23
bundles whalebone, 4,570 hides, 507 coils of lead pipe, 40
bags copper ore, 40 ingots copper, 1 cask old metal, 101
cases wine, and several cases of sundries.

A correspondent, writing to the ilkhbar of Algiers
on the subject of the present year's harvest, says I am
in possession of information relative to the pricy of wheat
and flour in the Paris market since 1820, and in taking the
average of those prices for each year, I come to the fol-
lowing conclusions :-1. All the good, middling, or
bad harvests come by groups of three to six years. 2. A
single good crop is never isolated between two bad ones. 3.
A bad crop is never isolated between two good. 4. The
second year of an ascending group is always higher than
the first year of that group. 5. From 1857 to 1860 was a
series of good years succeeding to one of bad (1853 to 1866).
G. The present year (1861) has commenced a group of bad
harvests.

THE SILK MARKET.—According to a circular
of Messrs. Arles Dufour and Co., of Lyons, it appears that
the support afforded to the silk market by the hope of a poli-
tical and commercial reaction in the United States, which
alone caused manufacturers to keep their looms employed
during the early part of the year, has been entirely disap-
pointed by the succession of advices lately received, and
that conseqently the tendency to inactivity and depression
has assumed a more serious character. Holders show much
anxiety to sell, and prices are receding rapidly. The fall
since the highest period of the year may now be estimated
at from 10 to 20 per cent., according to qualities, leaving
still, however, a margin of about 10 per cent. upon the
lowest rates of 1857.

FINANCIAL POSITION OF RUSSIA.—The latest
advices regarding the financial position of Russia continue
bad. Silver is with difficulty to be obtained, and the pre-
sent issue is in a depreciated currency of 72 parts fine to the
81 of the old currency. General business is very dull, and
the chief subject of conversation is the probable effect of the
emancipation of the serfs. The most gloomy result is pre-
dicted by some, while those favourable to the scheme, and
who look for much eventual good, speak of great interme-
diate difficulties. The harvest in Central Russia is poor.
The Nishni fair commenced on the 12th of August, but the
attendance was not good, and it was anticipated that it
would pass badly. After Jan. 1, 1862, there is to be an altera-
tion of the duties on tea. The present duties for overland tea
are 75 and 40 kopecks per Russian lb., according to quality.
These are to be reduced to 25 and 16 kopecks, while the
duties for tea introduced by sea to St. Petersburgh are to
be 60 and 30 kopecks per Russian lb. Notwithstanding
this difference of duty, it is anticipated that tea from Eng-
land via St. Petersburgh will come cheaper than the over-
land tea, and this fear was influencing the sale of tea at the
Nishmi fair. About 12,000,0001 b. of tea are said to be
sent via Kiachta annually, partly by caravan and partly by
boat, and aro usually six months on the road. The rail-
way from Moscow to Vladimir, about half the distance, is
now open. The remaining 220 versts, or about 130 miles, are
in course of construction, and if funds were available
might be completed for the fair next year. There is goad
steam communication on the Volga, as also on the Caspian j
Sea,