The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-16 00:00:00

PRICE OF SUGAR.

Tho average price of Brown or Muscovado Sugar, com-
puted from the returns made in the week ending Fsbraary
12, 1850, is 265. 6 LAd. per cwt.

THE WORST OF TAXES.
(From Putteh.)
Seppose, readers, that there existed a tax upon water,
which, in its operation, compelled the poorer classes to
elute their thirst at cesspools ; to drink sewage. and
mere sewage, qualified "with no allaying Thames."
Such a tax there is, which renders living water—the
knowledges of good and truth--dear, and so withholds
them from the many; whom it drives to swill abeminable
slush, replete with all manner of pollution.
That tax is the tax on parer. ewr a full view of its
workings, see Mr. Charles Knight's remarks on" The
Struggles of a Book against Excessive Taxation."
Mr. Knight shows that, by teasonof this impost, cheap
and good publications do not pay; whilst the cheap and
nasty, weekly rented in myrtais by the ecoundrelood
of the Press, are remunerative. The former class of
works he typifies—we thank him for the use of the
figure—as the Fountain ; the latter as the Sewer ; and
he gives an estimate of the comparative coat of their pro-
duction. The Fountsin can only be set up at a eor.-
sidersble expense, boti in materials and architects'
wages. The Sewer is established at small charge, and
fed by scavengers, for scavengers' hire. The Sewer can
be turned on, at e low rase, with profit; the Fountain—
in consequence t f the Paper-tax—not. Take of the
Paper-tax, and the Fountain can compete with the
Sewer. if farther reason is wanted for the removal of
this Protection to Literary Filth, let Government ponder
the following words of Lir. Knight:—
" Upon a tolerably accurate calculation, I hare, rom
my own ura:ded resources, expended during the last
twenty years, eighty thousand pounds upon copyright
and editorial labour. During the same period 1 have
paid fifty thousand pounds paper duty, which sum has
become a double charge to me by the inevitable opera-
tion of a tax upon raw material. May I venture to
ask what, during these twenty years, the Government
has done for the encouragement of learning and litera-
ture, equal to the sum which it has exacted from me
in the shape of a tax upon knowledge?"
Mr. Knight ought not to lose his investment. Some
few crumbs, at less?, of the bread which he has cast
upon the waters should be restored to him. He asks not
a pcmion, but the repeal of tho Paper-tax. Grant it,
my Lords and Gent:emcn, and if good instruction has
the effect it is sail to have, the amount will soon be saved
in prison expenser. Do an act of justice to Mr. Knight,
and remove a prohibitory duty on wholesome beverage*,
and a bonus on the sale cf poison.

EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY

OF ALL NATIONS.
Yesterday a very numerous meeting of the City cf
London committee for promoting the "Exhibition of
Industry of all Nations " was held in the long par-
lour of the Mainion-house. The most lively anxiety
in favour of the object prevailed.
Several gentlemen addressed the meeting, and
spoke in the most enthusiastic terms of the object,
applauding the generosity of the idea of extending
the class of exhibitors to all the world. Many
questions were asked as to the nature of the articles
to be exhibited—whether they were all to be manu-
factured or whether raw products and natural pro-
ductions, articles of elegance and luxury or articles
only of utility whether manufacturers o r whole-
sale houses were to be each class exhibitors, or
whether manufacturers alone were to have the privi-
lege—whether the building to be erected would be
sufficiently capacious for home and colonial and foreign
exhibitors.

Most of these questions were satisfactorily an-
swered by Sir James Duke and Mr. F. M. Forster,
and by the honorary secretaries, the Rev. S. R.
Cattley and Mr. D. W. Wire, after which two reso-
lutions were adopted, appointing persons to canvass,
and authorising the sub-committee to apply from
time to time to the Royal Commissioners for informa-
tion as to plans determined upon, so that the public
may be fully instructed upon all the points necessary
for the guidance of the exhibition.
Some gentlemen connected with the American trade
gave every reasonable assurance that the project would
be hailed in the Unit-ed States with great delight; and
said that large
subscriptions might be expected from
that country.
A rum of 1,0001. was announced in the room, in-
cluding 5001. from the Feast India Company. Amongst
the company were Alderman Humphery, M.P., Al-
derman Salomonc, the Baron Rothschild, M.P., Sir
James Duke, Bart., M.P., Alderman Musgrove, Mr.
M. Forster, Mr. W. Tite, and a numerous at-
tendance of some of the leading merchants and other
gentlemen connected with the city of London.

•
SACRED HARMONIC SOClSTY.—Mendelssohn's ora-
torio, St. Paul was repeated last evening, by the
Sacred Harmonic Scciet3, at Exeter-hall, at the special
desire of Prince Albert, who, with some members of his
suite, was present cm the occasion. The performance
was in every respect up to the high mark attained of
late by this society. The solos were given by Miss
Dolby (who sang with unwonted fervour and effect),
Herr Formes ho strove,
t ineffectually, to tone
down his voice and soften the natural ruggedness of his
style), Miss Birch and Mr. Loebey, Mr. C. Beale, and
Mr. Smytheon. The aural and instrumental effects
throughout were magnificent. The Prince paid a marked
attention to the performance, which evidently was satis-
factory to his juogment. Mr. Costa presided.
THE LORD- LIEUTENANT OF IRBLAND.—We u
derstand that his Excellency the Earl of Clarendon is
expected to arrive in London trout Dublin on Monday
next. The visit of the Nobie Earl will not extend, it is
said, over this day vvekk.
GENERAL THEATRICAL Edw.—The eleventh an-
nual meeting of this institution was held in the saloon
of the Lyceum Theatre, Mr. Buckstone in the chair.
From the secretary's statement it appeared that the re-
ceipts for the past year amounted to 8961. Is. 3d., and
the expenditure, consisting
neatly altogether of payments
to .al9s. Bd., leaving a bslanse of
enpuenitdanittusre,con4si3sstil.o
4601. Is. 7d. ' to
The officers fltriuresent year having
boon eleotody the WI WI le