The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-18 00:00:00

TEA AND SUGAR, DUTIES;

A deputation from the Grocer Commercial Assorcia
tion waited yesterday on the Right Hon. the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, upon the subject of his proposal, with
respect to the duties upon these articles of uni.,ressal
consumption.

The deputation comprised the chairman and ma- tip of
the leading members of the association, who were ac eom-
panied and introduced by Baron Rothschild, .111. P.
Several of tie speakers remon,trated with the Cha noel-
lor on the unexpected nature of his proposal, and the
shortness of the time afforded for its contideration, arid
earnestly pressed for the postponement of its discussion
in the house, so as to afford the trade in all parts of the
empire an opportunity of considering its bearings upon
them and upon the community at large. It was Jul •-
ther urged that the scheme of the Chancallor was in d i-
rect violation of the existing act of Parliament, and cal
°elated to involve trade transactions in uncertainty ails d
obscurity.

The 'light Hon. Gentleman listened with great attel •
tion to the arguments adduced, but declined giving au y
other assurance than that they should have his best con -
sideration. It was not his intention or desire to take ;
the trade or country by surprise, or to precipitate tlu 3
passage of his resolutions through the house; but hi I
stated that it was impossible for him, in the present con -
dition of the finances of the country, to adopt the datiet ►
of 1855 as a standard.

In reply to this it was urged, on behalf of the deput4
tion, that the trade generally regarded a single duty fo r
three years, both upon tea and sugar, as highly prole:
able to an oscillating scale. Many arguments were ad -
duced in favour of this proposition.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference ti )
this suggestion, promised to give it his best attention ,
and observed that he saw no objection to some such ar -
rangernent.

The deputation withdrew, highly pleased with theil
courteous reception.

SIR JOHN FRANKLIA'S EXPEDITION.

The following letter has been addressed to the Edite r
of the Times :

Sir,—On my arrival in London my attention we
caned to a letter lately addressed to the Times by Capt
Sherard Osborn, in which he gives publicity to an ane
nymous communication from Red River Settlement .
wherein it is stated that information, which I kept secret
reached me at Norway-house in July last, from Mt *.
Anderson (of the late expedition down the Great Fie!
River), of traces of Sir John Franklin's party bavirl ;
been discovered on the Back River by Indians. Tb.p
secretary of the Hudson's Bay Company-, in my absenc
pointed out the improbability of this story, and my on iiy
object in now troubling you on the subject is to confir to
Mr. Smith's statement, by assuring you that no inform la-
tion of the nature alluded to by Captain Osborn, or of al ay
kind whatever respecting the Franklin expeditio
reached me from Mr. Anderson or aay other person, a it
Norway-house, or anywhere else, in the course of tb
past year, although Mr. Anderson had occasion to a. 1-
dress me frequently, his last letter being dated at t' he
latter end of July.
In order that there may be no room for misappre
sion on this point I beg to state that no informal tion,
bearing in the most remote degree on the Franklit t ex.
pedition, has ever reached me, directly or indirt ctly,
officially or privately, except that obtained throng's Dr.
Rae in 1854, which was confirmed in 1855, by the expo-
dition under Messrs. Anderson and Stewart to then tooth
of the Great Fish River. The reports of those Le; .)ntle-
men were given to the public without one hour of .unne-
cessary delay.—l am, &c., G. Sine; sc
Hudson's Bay House, Feb.l7.