The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-04 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR, —You have often called attention to our
monetary system, and made remarks which must
have appeared to those who understand the subject,
appropriate, as well as forcible.
There are few persons who do not profess to un-
derstand the subject of free trade ; it is, however,
too evident that nothing is less understood by those
who are the victims of the present system than free
trade in money.

I will, at ptesent, only ask your attention to a
few matters which probably may induce a more
popular style of reasoning than has hitherto been
adopted. One of my ignorant neighbours says,
" What is the meaning of gold being six per mille
dearer in Paris than in London ?" I reply that it
means that they will give 1,006/. for every 1,000/.
of gold, according to our London price, or six
thousand pounds more for a million pounds of our
gold. He then asks why we don't raise the price
of gold, if we want to keep it ? and how much it
would add to the price per oz ? I tell him it would
only add to the price about si, making, what is
now, 31. 17s. 10i cost 31. 18s. 4d. ; but that course
does not appear practicable.
He then says he thinks the French are making a
very good bargain, and that our rich capitalists
must ,be in league with them, and if we gene-
rally have 5Q to 1.00 millions of bills afloat, which
cost two per cent. more for discounting them, all
this loss mhst fall in some way upon trade, and
only benefit the classeS who are rolling in plenty.
Another neighbour stepped in and said that all the
builrings in his own neighbourhood were either
stopped, or going on very slowly, because no mort-
gages could be procured now, while money was so
dear. This has already had the effect of throwing
vast numbers of workmen out of employment, and
reducing the trade of all the little shopkelyrs,
which is a state of things that ought not to exist,
when, according to the published accounts of Joint
Stock Banks, they are making their 18 er 20 per
cent., after allowing their customers interest for
their money ; and, of course, private bankers, who
do not allow interest, must be lucre sing their pro-
perty enormously.
May I ask you to consider whether there is any
folly on the part of the French in paying an extra
price of only 6,0001. on every million, to enable
them to possess themselves of the means of dis-
counting to any extent, taking care to charge such
rates as will enable them to re-discount their bills
on England in the English market, at any rate of
discount which our monied authorities please to fix
upon them ?
Let it be assumed, for a moment, that the opera-
tions are somewhat of this nature, and can we expect
any remedy to be devised by the parties who best
understand (the bullionists) the subject ? There
is nothing to be hoped for unless the public have the
question repeatedly before them, and argued in all its
bearings till a general conviction is produced that
until there is a free trade in money, all our com-
mercial people, who are not great capitalists, will
notelse.
ederive real benefit from free trade in anything
•

I am, sir,
Your obedient servant,
A CONSTANT READER.

May Ist, 1857.

FUNERAL OF THE DUCHESS OF
GLOUCESTER,

The funeral of her Royal Highness the Duchess
of Gloucester is expected to take place on Friday
next at Windsor. The interment will take place in
the daytime, in that respect differing from the usual
course of royal funerals at Windsor, which uni-
formly take place in the evening, with the excep-
tion of that of the Queen Dowager, the precedent
in which case will be followed on the present occa-
sion. The funeral ceremony will be conducted in
a private manner.

The last hours of the Duchess of Gloucester were
free from pain. The immediate cause of dissolution
was an entire decay of vital power ; the proximate
cause was, doubtless, the severe attack of spasms
which prostrated the little remaining str,ngth she
had, and though dropsy or water on the chest su-
pervened, yet it was not that which proved fatal
in its effects. The royal duchess was unable to
make the least mark of recognition to any of the
members of the royal family.
The funeral of the duchess will most probably
take place on Friday next, following the precedent
of the late Duke of Cambridge, who was interred
eight days after his decease. Should it, however, be
determined to embalm the body, in the same
manner as was done with her sister, the
Princess Augusta, the interment may be de-
layed till the following Monday. But, as in all
these matters, the deceased duchess may either
hive expressed a wish or left instructions, im-
mediate directions caunot be given by the
authorities. Without an expressed wish has been
made by the royal duchess to the contrary, the in-
terment will take place at Windsor, Prince Albert
and the Duke of Cambridge being chief mourners.
The Duchess of Gloucester's house is not free-
hold, as has been stated ; her interest in it was
only the remainder of a lease for a not very long
term. Her Royal Highness, besides a large sum
of money, was possessed of much valuable pro-
perty, and was especially rich in jewels, her dia-
monds being as fine as any possessed by the Royal
family, the .
is Queen alone excepted. Of laces, too,
of that quality the art of making which, if not ex-
tinct, certainly not now practised, the late i
duchess had a large store, and of very great value ;
her collection is, perhaps, not to be surpassed in
this country. The accumulation is easily accounted
for. On the death of Queen Charlotte al her laces
and jewels were publicly sold, and it was known
that the choicest specimens were purchasei by the
princesses, her daughters ; and the same system
has been pursued on the death of every female
member of Geca-ge the Third's family, till the most
beautiful specimens of each collection have centred
in the possession of the last survivor—the Duchess
of Gioucester. Of the nature of the will her
Royal Highness has left, nothing is formally
known ; but it is supposed that the bulk of the
jewels and the rarest of the laces will be inherited
by the Princesses of Catnbridges, especially by the
Princess Mary, who was her godchild, and a great
favourite of her venerable aunt, with mementoes to
the other metuhers of the Royal Family.--Court
Jo