The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-26 00:00:00

THB SVW, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 26, 1844,

with him—below what the worst enemies of that r abolitionists recommend—the shutting our markets'.
House could ever bring it to. But if it is the , against slave-grown sugar, and opening them to the
erronerais. • opinion which Mr. Ferrand is re- produce of free labour. The plan of the extraordi- 4
quired to retract; ask by what authority nary, though perfectly well-meant letter, of which '
does this new iequisition —the house of Com- you have sent mo a copy, is one from which
mots—claim to exercise a despotism over men's opi- surely no reflecting person ever can hope for
ni. n ? And in what a base light would Mr. he smallest practical effect, namely, the "power-
Ferrand appear to the country if he should be the ful operation of English anti-slavery opinion upon
first to submit to such tyranny. The House professes Brazilian slavery opinion." The, proposition is to
to be wonderfully chary of its honour, as committed offer them gold ',to continue the slave-trade, and
in the . honour of its _Members. Be it so; let the preach them a sermon to give it up. One can hardly
House guard its honour and the honour of its doubt which of these exhortations:•-will prove the
whole household, with :he jealous vigilance of a most efficacious. Even the " benevolent exertions of
Spanish husband. .Let its self-elected sentinels .of individuals, or of anti-slavery Societies," to which the
Parliamentary •and personal honour—Mr. Papineau writers of the letter would confine all our efforts with
Roebuck, Mr. Black-is-White Hume, and Mr. I.foreign States, seem to offer a most remote and doubt-
Mexico Ward keep watch, and Lord John ful prospect of any real good. When coupled with
Russell take command of the guard, confident the
,grand remedy for slavery and the slave-trade, of
that he will not be compelled to fly from his post, admitting all:at once into our markets as much sugar
as he did from the Castle-yard, Exeter, by the cry, ai negro slave -labour can yield to the lash, such a re-
" The Bishop is coming," with a certain source can hardly be seriously relied on by any
Totnes speech in his hand! let the House, rational person.
we say, jealously guard the honour of its I hope and trust that the warmth with which I
whole household, but let it be impartial in have expressed myself on this important subject may
the exercise of its guardianship ; and let it not expose me to any suspicion of having been want-
not, in order, to protect two of its Members from a ing in due respect to three estimable persons of
loose, doubtful, and wholly unsuccessful aspersion, whose pernicious opinions I have spoken. At this
insist upon the solemn degradation of another, by moment their support of a party measure so
compelling him to state what he thinks a falsehood, fraught with mischief to a cause for which I have
or ensure its own degradation, by challenging from laboured for nearly half a century, seems to me
him that refusal which it is almost certain to most dangerous to that - cause. It may revive at-
receive. - • tempts of mere party men, which had appeared
• _ to expire under the almost universal scorn of

-ph.
abolitionists—attempts under the plausible name of
free trade and cheap sugar, not merely to perpetuate
negro slavery, which would have been bad enough,
but to revive the detestable slave-trade, and extend
its ravages over new regions. Assuredly there are
no peaceable measures which I would not cheerfully
support, to prevent so grievous a crime from falling
upon our times as the voluntary encouragement of
the slave-trade, and the voluntary extension of slavery
by the apostles of freedom.
Believe me truly yours,
(Signed) BROUGHAM.
J. Scoble, Esq.

DUELLING.-THE ARMY.

In the amended articles relating to duelling, just issued from i
the War-office by her Majesty's authority, " for the purpose
of more effectually discouraging and prohibiting a practice
which is a violation of her Majesty's orders, and a flagrant
breach of the law of the land," we find that—
" These articles declare that it is suitable to the character. ,
of honourable men to apologise and offer redress for wrong
or insult committed, and equally so for the party aggrieved
to accept, frankly and cordially, explanations and apologies
for the same.
" If such redress be refused to be given, or to be accepted,
and the friends of the parties have failed to reconcile the
differences, a reference should, in conformity with the sig-
nification of her Majesty's pleasure in the 106th article, be
made to the commanding-officer on the spot, who will use
his best advice and influence to reconcile the parties ; and
the differences having been honourably settled by the good
offices and responsibility of the commanding oflicer, ought
never to be revived b 7 either party, er by any other officer,
or body of officers ; it, however, the commanding officer fail
to reconcile the parties, it will become his duty to take such
measures as he may deem necessary in order to prevent a
duel, orto maintain good order in her Majesty's service, and
the person refusing- to be reconciled will be liable to be
brought to a court-martial, and, if convicted, cashiered, or
suffer such other punishment as the Court may award.
" All parties implicated in duelling are liable, on conviction
before a general court-martial, to be cashiered.
"Her Majesty's pleasure is expressed in the 107th article.
that officers, being the friends or seconds of the parties, shall
exert their influence to adjust a difference on terms consis-
tent with the honour of each of the parties. The failure in
settling a difference being generally attributable to excessive
demands for reparation made by one of the parties, the con-
duct of the seconds, by the 107th article, is made liable to be
investigated as well as that of the principals, in all cases in
which a dispute shall be referred for the consideration of a
general court-martial.
" Personal differences between gentlemen living together
as brother officers can seldom fail to be honourably and
promptly adjusted, in the first instance by explanation be-
tween their mutual friends ; the propriety of an early ex-
planation and acknowledgment of error was so forcibly
pointed out by Field Marshal the Duke of 'Wellington, in
confirming the sentence of a general court-martial, in 1810,
that Sir Henry Hardinge inserts the following extract of his
Grace's sentiments on this point :
" The officers of the army should recollect that it is not
only no degradation, hut that it is meritorious in him who
is in the wrong to acknowledge and atone for his error, and
that the momentary humiliation which every man may
feel upon making such, an acknowledgment is wore than
atoned for by the subsequent satisfaction which it affords
I him, and by avoiding a trial and conviction of conduct un-
becoming an officer.' "

THE SUGAR QUESTION.
(From the Anti-Slavery Reporter.)
APRIL 6, 1844.
Dear Mr. Scoble,—l am much obliged to you for
haying sent me the letter of Messrs. Spencer, Blair,
and Anstie; together with the answer of. my worthy
friend, Joseph Sturge.
My opinion upon this important subject, which
you think it desirable that I should state, has been
more than once given by me from my place in Par-
liament. I believe no one ever - was adventurous
enough in the House of Lords, to undertake the de-
fence of the Brazil or Cuba slave trade, or,which is tlae
same thing, the plan of 1840 for admitting Brazil and
Cuba sugars, after the plain facts had been brought be-
fore that house. The argument lies in a small compass.
Had the question been of increasing the export from
Cuba and Brazil of any produce which could
only be increased in amount by natural and innocent
means, as the growth of Baltic wheat is increased
by our increased demand for it, no one could for a
moment have doubted that the people had a right to
benefit by this free importation. But it is a matter
of absolute certainty that no additional hundred
hegsheads of sugar can be obtained' from Cuba or
Brazil, without an additional hundred negroes being
brought over from Africa. Consequently, every
hogshead imported by us from thence 'in the United
Kingdom means an addition to the African slave
trade; and consequently the plan of 1840 was neither
more nor less than a project for increasing the slave
trade, as certainly, and almost as directly, as if we
had given a premium for every negro kidnapped or
forced on board the slavers,' and carried from Africa,
through the unutterable horrors of the middle
passage, to American bondage. How could any
one ever dream of support from its to such a
horrid scheme—us, who for half a century had
been labouring to extinguish that execrable traffic ?
Above all, how could any one expect that I, whose
goad fortune it had been to pass for the first time an
Act making slave trading a felony, should join in en-
couraging the Spaniards and Portuguese to commit
the acts proclaimed by my Bill of 1811 a crime, and
in encouraging our countrymen to be accessories
after the fact to the same heavy offence ? No one
ever attempted any answer to this. It is in truth un-
answerable. It is and was said, indeed, in these de-
bates, that we took slave grown cotton from
America without scruple. Is there the least resem-
blance between the two cases ? None whatever. But
I will suppose a ease in which the cotton trade might
resemble the sugar trade, and then I will admit my
principles to govern that case. If we all of a sudden
were called upan to increase by a large amount our
importation of cotton, so that our demand could only
be met and supplied by an increased importation of
negroes from Africa, then I giant that my principles
would forbid that increased demand. In the existing
state of the cotton trade, any increased demand
gradual, and never can cause one slave more to be im-
ported from Africa. Besides, we have long been de-
pendent on foreign countries for cotton, and we have
no means of stopping the trade, even if its increase
should afford some little stimulus to the slave traffic.
The sugar question stands on wholly different
ground 4. We never have as yet had any sugar trade
with foreign slave settlements.
I confess that I have r.ead tlO. letter in favour of
ths hateful project with astonishment. .There are
things in it which nothing hut the evidence of my
own senses could have made me believe that any men
of ordinary reflection could have set their names to.
What shall we say of the practical wisdom of men
who have actually penned and signed the following
strange proposal ?----`• Permit importation freel v.,- and
then, where conscience forbids the use of slave
prodUce," indulge only in the consumption of that
which is grown by free labour ! "
• That some one individual should write this astound-
ingsentence is • barely conceivable ; bat that three
men should have met, and discussed, and penned,
and adopted, and written, and copied, and signed,
aril printed such a thing, is truly the most marvel-
lous instance of haste and thoughtlessness which
I ever had occasion to witness. Will any
One of them be pleased to point out by :what test
the conscientious purchaser is to discover slave-grown
sugar in the market; or by what means the seller is
to satisfy his customer respecting the origin of his
wares ; or in what mode he is to be prevented, even
if he knew it, from telling the purchaser that his
sugar is free-grown, when his confessing it to be
slave-grown would put a stop to the bargain ?
There is, however, nothing in this letter more sin-
gular than the constant assumption, that the only
objection to the Brazil and Cuba sugars is the
" conscientious. scruples entertained by a few persons,
who are as nothing compared to 27 millions,'! against
Using slave-grown sugar. There were some few per-
sonssastr who, before emancipation, would never con-
sume
but the great bulh of the abolitionists and
thee re n
e sugar;
party were sound in this view of the
Matter. It is utterly untrue that the present objec-
tion' to the slave trading scheme of 1840 rests on such
scrliPlies• Nothing of the kind. These objections
rest
h t, by ae:tlednuYe'rST clirffererit and only practical ground,
that, tting the- Brazil and Cuba sugars- into
our markets, we certainly, immediately, directly,
commission some' scores of slave trading vessels to as-
sail and
Parliamentto haupnast the.sed fo
Arrritebains
.pcouarspto,ies a ati that an Act
of
effectual encouragement as inevitably
an Act for the more e
African slave trade as if it.hnnestly andge shamelessly
e
African
bore that name. Another extraordinary assumption
runs through this letter. There is mention always
made of free and slave grOwri sugar ; as if any foreign
sugar were free grown, save, perhaps, the produce in
Java and Manilla. Assuredly, in America there is
not raised, out of our own colonies, one hogshead but
slave grown.
As to any commercial policy . which this country
may adopt, exerting much influence upon
lanters, the legis-
latures of the slave settlements or their pmy
hopes' are, I confess, not sanguinebecawusheichl
pweerl.l
know the spirit of gambling speculation
vades those nations, alvvays agitating the mass, and
and mixing itself with the great body of the people.
But, ifany_course.of conduct can have any such an
influence, it is assuredly that which-all- reitedilig

THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS IN

FOLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
. . • • MANSION-HOUSE.
G.b.fe, the_ contractor for the cleansing of the streets
of the City of London, appeared upon a summons
issued by the Lord Mayor, upon his Lordship's own evi-
dence, to answer for having neglected to remove an im-
mense mass of filth from Puddle-dock.
The Loup MAYOR - had, in passing through Earl-
street, 131ackfriars, been assailed by a " compound of
villainous smells," which he considered to be calculated
to cause a pestilence amongst the inlfabitants of the
neighbourhood, and, having ascertained that the nui-
sance proceeded from Puddle dock, directed Inspector
Todhunter, of the City police force, to examine• the
place, and to report the result of his observations, and'
also to deliver a summons to the contractor, against
whom so many complaints have been made in the City
for neglect of the tenor of his contract with the Com-
missioners of Sewers.
The defendant, upon being called upon by the Lord
Mayor to account for his conduct in sutferin the filth
to accumulate, said that the laystall at puddle l)oe was
-a public laystall, in which everybody who pleased might
deposit loads of offens;ve matter, and that he had it, not-
withstanding, regularly swept every day.
The LORD MAvoa—The Art of Parliament directs
that all the abomination with which the lay stall abound'
should be removed every day. It is a falsehood to say
that such removal takes place. lam surprised that dis •
ease has not sprung from the kng continuance of the
nuisance, for I know the.t it has existed for a great length
of time, and it is- most disgraceful in you to permit it to
remain. But I shall see whether the law is to be violated
by you with impunity.
Inspector Todhunter said that he had gone to exa-
mine the laystall, and certainly nothing could be more
horrible. He saw a person on the spot who called him•
self Mr. Gore, but he was not sure whether that person
was the defendant. In answer to some questions. the
individual alluded to declared that people resorted to
Puddle-dock for the benefit of their health, and received
all the advantages they expected from such a course.
The defendant here declared that he was not the per-
son who was addressed by the Inspector on the occasion,
as he happened to be at Romford at the time of the
officer's visit to the laystall.
Inspector Todhunter said the man who represented
himself as the contractor most certainly resembled the
defendant very much, and appeared to be in authority at
Puddle-dock. He used the argument in defence of the
system of accumulating the masses of filth in the lay-
stall, that he was always sure to get an appetite by being
so frequently in the neighbourhood, and- that ho could
always eat a good beefsteak for his breakfast on the
-apot.—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—The defendant has acted in a
most disgraceful manner in not abating the nuisance,
which he is paid so largely to remove. I will at once
give directions on the subject, and ascertain whether we
cannot show that the law is stronger than he. I re-
peat that his conduct is most disgraceful, and I expect
that the inhabitants will actively look after him, and
assist me in compelling him to do his duty. I shall dis-
charge the summons, and instruct the City Solicitor to
proceed at'once by indictment against him.
The defendant was evidently annoyed by the strong
terms of indignation used by the Lord Mayor, and left
he justice room in a state of alarm.
MARYLEBONE.

SPAIN.

The following is the substance of the newly-
enacted decree respecting the liberty of the press in
Spain : •
"The right granted by the second 'article of the
Constitution to all Spaniards to publish their opinions
freely is secured to them on certain conditions. Every
printer establishing. himself in the provinces must
make known his intention to the Political Chief,
place over his door a board mentioning his pro-
fession and name, and not deliver a single copy of
the work he has printed without having previously,
given one to the Political Chief or Alcalde, and ano-
ther to the riscal. No newspaper can be published
without a responsible editor, who, to he qualified to
fill that station, must, Ist, have been domiciled during
a year in the district where the paper is to appear;
2d, pay annually taxes to the amount of 1,000 reals
in Madrid, 800 at Barcelona, Cadiz, Corunna,
Granada, Valencia, Malaga, Seville, and Sara-
gossa, and 300 elsewhere ; and, 33, have con-
stantly deposited in the hands of Government a
sum of 12,000 reals at Madrid, 8,000 at
Barcelona, Cadiz, Corunna, &c., and 4,500
elsewhere, should the periodical appear from one to
seven days in the week. If it be published half-
monthly, the deposit required will only be one half
the above sums, and the quarter if monthly. The
same person cannot be the responsilole editor of two or
more papers. Editors ofjournals confined to lit-rary
matters will not be required to lodge any money as
security. All subversive, seditious, obscene, or im-
moral writings constitute offences of the press. Sub-
versive writings are 4rticles and works con-
trary to the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion,
or in which its dogmas or worship are ridiculed ;
those tending to overthrow the fundamental law
of the State ; those attacking the sacred person
of the Sovereign, his dignity, or constitutional prero-
gatives; and those attacking the legitimacy of the co•
legislative bodies, insulting them in their honour, or
tending to impair the freedom of their deliberations.
Seditious writings are those published with a view to.
create disorder, or disturb public tranquillity, and
those exciting the people to disobey the laws and the
authorities. Obscene writings are those contrary
to public decency, and the immoral those con-
trary to good morals. Editors of writings de-
clared subversive by the jury will be liable to a fine
of from 30,000 to 80,000 reals, and deprived of their
honours, distinctions, offices, and public functions.
If found guilty of sedition, the fine will vary from
20,000 to 50,000 reals, and of obscene or immoral
writings, from 10,000 to 30,000 reals. The editor
who shall have translated or copied any article liable
to prosecution in Spain shall be punished as if he
were the author of the article. The Government and
the Political Chiefs may suspend the sale and cir-
culation of journals or other writings calculated
to compromise public tranquillity, but proceedings
must in that case be instituted within the twenty-
four hours against their authors, who will hare to
be tried in the shortest possible way by the jury. The
jurymen are to be chosen from among the citizens
paying 2,000 reals direct taxes in Madrid, 1,200 at
Barcelona, Cadiz, Corunna, &c., and 600 elsewhere;
doctors of canon law, theologians, physicians, sur-
geons, lawyers, and academicians, who shall pay 500
reals direct taxes ; the proprietors of public establish-
ments of education, the retired functionaries enjoying
pensions of 1,200 reals at Madrid, 1,000 at Barcelona,
Cadiz, &c., and 800 elsewhere. A jaryman must
be thirty years of age, and know how to read
and write. The accused must be interrogated in
the twenty-four hours following the prosecution.
'The printer will be held to produce the original
writing, and if the incriminated article be signed, he
will have to prove the signature. The members of
the jury are to be drawn by.lot in presence of the
accused, and the list communicated to both parties,
who are to be allowed to challenge each twenty at
most. The jury will consist of twelve mem-
bers, and should their votes be equally di-
vided, the accused will be acquitted. The
secret deliberations of the jury are not to
be made public, and the publisher will incur from
one month's to six months' imprisonment, and a fine
of from 500 to 2,000. reals. Cases of defamation and
calumny are to be tried by the ordinary tribunals ;
all works treating of the dogmas or morality of the
Christian religion are to be submitted to the previous
approbation of the ecclesiastical authorities. Dra
matic works cannot be performed without the per-
mission of the authorities.

Susan Doherty, aged 20, was placed at the bar on a
charge of robbing her mistress, Miss Hodgson, of 17,
Old Cavendish-street, Cavendish-square, of notes and
other property to the amount of nearly 801. The pri-
soner had lived as housemaid with her, but had on the
Sunday week last absconded with a cash box containing
the amount stated. She was apprehended in Rochester
by Superintendent Fough, and many articles identified
by Miss Hodgson were found in her plssession.—The
prisoner was remanded for a week in order to give the
police some time to trace the stolen notes.
James Parrot, an infamous miscreant, NU fined 51., or
in default sent for two months to the House of Correc•
tion, for committing an abominable assault on the person
of a country lad named Henry Ford, in his master's
house. The particulars are unfit for publication.
CLERKEIVIV.ELL.
Catherine Green and Anne James, sisters, were
charged with stealing a large quantity of pieces of
woollen-cloth, silk velvet, satin, and silk, the property of
William Lambe, a woollen-draper, residing at 100, Hol-
born-hill. Mr. Humphries was for the prosecution,_ and
Mr. Robinson for the defence.
It appeared from the evidence, which was very volu-
minous, that the prisoner, Green, entered the prosecu-
tor's service in April last, and was discharged on the 29th
of November. During her stay James was in the habit
of visitingjier, and so was a man named Shaw, who has
since been tried at the Old Bailey for a robbery, and
sentenced to fourteen years' transportation. A few days
after Green's discharge, information reached Mr. Lambe,
which he communicated to the police, and she was ar-
rested at the dwelling Of the prisoner James, in Crown-
court, Goswell-street. On her person was found a bunch of
keys, one of which opened a box of the prosecutor's, in
which the key of the warerooms was kept. In one of Green's
boxes there was another key which opened the ware-
rooms, and also several small pieces of velvets, silks, &e.
On further search nearly forty duplicates were discovered,
all of which related to portions of the stolen property.
It would appear from the dates of these duplicates that
from the time Green entered until she left her master's
employment she had scarcely ever ceased from phinder-
ing. The greater part of the velvets, cloths, and silks
she had manufactured into bonnets, cloaks, and dresses
by a milliner in Sutton-street, Clerkenwell, who was,
however, unconscious of the means by which they were
obtained. Shaw pawned the dresses, &c., at various
pawn offices, as also several pieces of the velvet and sutie.
It did not appear that James was in want, for in her box
was found a book from the Savings' Bank, in which she
made frequent deposits. Twenty-five yards of cloth,
eight of silk velvet, eighteen yards of satin, and a piece
of silk were produced, besides a satin dress, value about
seven guineas.
Mr. Lamb identified all these articles as his property,
and the prisoners were fully committed for trial.
A little urchin named Doyle, aged about 14, whose
head could hardly be seen over the bar, was charged
with threatening the life of his mother, e;widow, living
in Elder-walk, Islington.
The prisoner has been repeatedly convicted at police
courts, and was even tried at the Old Bailey. On the
previous evening his mother remonstrated with him on
the folly and wickedneis of his conduct, but he seized a
chair and flung it at her head ; he then took up a pair
of scissors and swore he would put them through her
body, and in the excess of his rage actually jobbed them
into his own hand. The poor woman declared she
feared he would murder her.
Mr. GREENWOOD committed him to prison in
,default
of bail.
On his way to the cells, and in the hearing of the
Court, the little ruffian exclaimed, " When I come out
of prison I will break all her windows, and serve out the
d—d old b—h," meaning his mother.
Mr. GREENWOOD directed him to be brought back
again, and in default of bail, sent him to the House of
Correction for two months.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
EAST INDIA SHIPPING.

Arrivals—Ariadne, Campbell, from China, in the
Downs, sailed Dec. 26, St. Helena March 4; Mertown,
Renn, from Bombay, at Liverpool, saved Dec. 12. Mau-
ritius, Jan. 23, St. Helena March 1 ; Simon Taylor,
Brown, from China, off Portsmouth, sailed Dec. 6, St.
Helena Feb. 28; Nith, Grahapa, from Bengal, at Liver-
pool, sailed Nov. 26, Cape, of Good Hope Feb. 20;
Tartar, Luce, from 'Mauritius, off Falmouth, sailed Feb.
8, St. Helena March 8i .11umayoon,. M‘Kellar, from
Bengal, in the West. India Docks, sailed Dec. 20, St.
Helena Feb. 26; Kandiana, Hogcrs. from Bengal, in the
Downs,. sailed Dec. 2, St. Helena Feb. 22.
Arrivals.at Mauritius—Augusta Jessie, Sparkes, Feb.
1,. fr.can Bombay;_ Isabella Watson, Macdonald, Ist;
Baugahrre,lilsrith, 3d, from Calcutta; Manchester, 'fur-
ner,"frlam Madagascar; Duchess of Argyll, Tait, 6th,
from: Caldutta; .‘1 .

Dept. t ure s Scran'Mauritius--F :Ir] of Lon sdal e, Pelle,
Jun. 3I co :Catoutta ; it a d of Mona, Rake, to Algoa
Bay ; Ifindoaan, Lamb, 31st ; Louisa Bail ie, Reming-
ton, Feb. 1. ;. Martin Luther, Palmer, 3d, all to the Cape
and Londori.i:john Fit-mink, Clarke. Ist to Madras ;
Ocean Pride, Vaux, 2d to Ceylon ; Vulcan, Patrick, 3d
to Greenock; Buteshire, Currie, to Calcutta ; Orator,
Chester, to Colombo ; ?lary, Caitloneis, to Algoa Bay ;
Dodels, 4th to Calcutta ; Augusta, Vaulk-
ing ; and Lady Kennawav, Spence, to Bombay ; Trek-
boer, Cobern, to Algoa Bay ; Souvenir. Fleury, sth to
Bourbon.; Adelaide, Wharton, to Point de Gall? ;
Charles lleddle, Micouin, 6th, to Madagascar ; Briton,
to sail Bth for London.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS.

FROM THE stoassteo PAPERS OF THIS DAT.
CITY, THURSDAY EVENING.
TIAES.—A sort of rum ur has got afloat to-day re-
lative to the property-tax, which is to the effect that the
Minister will considsr it good policy to propose the con-
tinuance for a further limited period of the tax on in-
come from fixed property, and along with it the repeal
of a corresponding amount of taxes and duties affecting
consumption and the middrrig classes, trusting to the
saving from the tax on personal income from trade and
professions to increase consumption. We give this as a
version of the case which has been adopted in very re-
spectable quarters, but without placing any great faith
in it, as these secrets of office have been too well kept
under the present Ministry to permit any anticii ation of
them by the public. It amounts, perhaps, to a plausible
conjecture, and nothing more.
A letter from the Max isan agents, dated yesterday,
has been received by the Committee of SpaMsli Ameri-
can bondholders, in reply to their last cemmunication,
already noticed. Messrs. Lizardi and Co. stet contend,
that as asents of the Mexican Government, to that Go-
vernment they are alone responsible and accountable,
declaring that without express directions they will not
render statements to any other party, and alleging that
such is the established customs with regard to mercan-
tile houses acting as agents to foreign Governments. As
to their intentions respecting the dividend, they refuse
to give any further information.
Several other csrrespendents have adverted to the
mode of proceeding adepted at the Bank of England in
retaining the assets of hollers of stock who are do cea,ed,
or, it' living, ignorant that they possess it ; and it is
asked on all sides whether there is any difference in
this respect between the Bank and a private firm in-
trusted with the property of others, which would render
the natural course of proceeding, by a bill of discovery,
for example, less eligible in one case than in the other.
This is a question wich might easily be brought to an
issue by any executor making a formal demand of the
Bank to furnish hies with an exact account of all stock
whatever standing in the name of his testator. and upon
refusal taking proper measures to compel an answer.
We think this mode of proceeding well worth trying in
any case where large assets of the kind exist, without
proper information concerning them, and that it could
hardly fail to have the desired effect. At the same time
it is not to be assumed that the Bank is acting crimi-
nally by adhering to the old form of business in refm-ing
information, because it presented in general a sort of
protection against fraud, and it had not till lately become
fully apparent what great inconvenience resulted from it.
Now that the attention of the public, however, has been
drawn to it by the late investigation and disclosures, the
Bank is placed in a different position. The Proprietors
have no interest in retaining these forgotten assets, which
pass after a lapse of ten years to the account of the Na-
tional Debt Commissioners ; and it would be a most
proper and acceptable course in them to apply imme-
diately for the assent of the Government to some plan of
publicity, which, while it precluded any fraudulent use
of the information, would enable all parties entitled to
such assets, or their representatives, to obtain them.
Mr. Hogg's position in the city as an East India
director, and otherwise well known to a large circle of
merchants, has rendered his very explicit disclaimer
made on Tuesday night of having ever sought, directly
or indirectly, any Ministerial patronage, a subject of
very general remark. • Not a doubt is attempted to be
thrown on the truth of Mr. Hogg's declaration, but it
has nevertheless been found difficult to reconcile with it
the fact, perfectly notorious here, that in May last, after
the death of Lord Fitzgerald, the report was so general
of Mr. Hogg's approaching appointment to the vacant
post at the Board of Trade, that a canvass was com-
menced for that seat in the India direction which would
have been left vacant upon the recent election of Direc-
tors if that report had proved true. Of course the whole
was a mistake, but it may furnish, nevertheless, some
excuse for those who yielded to the belief that it was not
without foundation.
The highest price of white wheat of the first quality
in Paris is 331. per 14 hectolitre, which is equivalent to
50s. sd. per quarter English ; and the highest price of
white wheat in the London market being 60s. per
quarter, it follows that wheat is 19 per cent. dearer in
London than in Paris.
The highest price of flour of the first quality in Paris
is 40f. 75c. per 100 kilogrammes, which is equal to 40s. 9d.
per sack of 2801 b. English ; and the highest price of
town made flour in London being 50s. per sack, it fol-
lows that flour is 221 per cent. dearer in London than
in Paris.
The price of bread of the first quality in Paris is 36c.
per kilogramme, which is equal to rather more than 64d.
per 41b. English weight ; and the price of bread in the
shops of tke full-priced bakers in London being 84d.
per loaf of 41b., it follows that bread is 384 per cent.
dearer in London than in Paris.
SUN.—At the close of business Consols were 994 to
par, both for Money and Account. Exchequer Bills ad-
vanced to 765. and 775. premium. The other investments
were quoted as in the morning.
Spanish Three per Cents. maintained a firm appear-
ance, being 364 to 37. The Actives were 254; Colom-
bian were done at 154; Portuguese Old Stock, in which
we have not had a bargain for a long time past was done
at 794 to 781,
The additional transactions in Railway Shares have
been these:— Birmingham and Derby, 39; Caledonian,
; Eastern Counties, 104 to 104 ; Greenwich 74 ; and
Strasburg and Bale, 24 discount. Chester and Holyr-
head have been VI ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 164.;
Manchester and Leeds, 41; Manchester and Birming-
hani 154 to 17 ; Newcastle and Darlington, 244 ; Paris
and Rouen 174 to 174 ; and Rouen .and Havre 84 prem.
Messrs. Lizardi have forwarded an answer to the
Committee of Spanish-American Bondholders, stating
that they can give no further information upon the sub-
ject of the dividends, than that contained in their letter
of the 17th inst., and that, as'to the eleven thousand and
odd pounds, they have no intention of relinquishing it.
Information was received to-day by a member of the
Stock Exchange that all the money raised by the New
Dutch Four per Cent. Loan, and also the ten millions
of money of the first call of the Three per Cent.
Loan will be applied to the re-payment of the Co-
lonial Dutch Five per Cents., the amount of the
latter to be paid off, being forty-five millions.
Parties not wishing to be paid off may exchange for the
New Four per Cents., which will bear interest from the
Ist day of May next, with a bonus of 5 7-10 per cent.,
so that for every colonial five per cent. bond of 1,000
florins' the holder will receive, one bond of 1,000 florins
of the. New Four per Cent Loan, with the coupons from
May ; 57 florins as a bonus, and 4 florins, 17, being one
month's interest on the Colonial Five per Cent. B.nds ;
the price of the New Four Cents. being thus 94 against
the Colonial Five per Cents. at par.