The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-31 00:00:00

COMMERCE OF FRANCE IN 1848.

(Front La Prcsse)
The total value of our imports and exports
in 1848 was thus divided :—General commerce,
2,014,000,000 f. (official value), and 1,644,000,0001.
(actual value); and special commerce, 1,390,000,000 f.
(official value), and 1,164,000.000 r. (actual value).
This total is thus subdivided :
GENERAL COMMERCE.

Official valu'. Actual value.
Imports ... ... 862,000,000 ... 708,000,000
Exports ... 1,153,000,000 ... 956,000,000

SPECIAL COMMERCE.

Utficial value. Actual value.
Imports ... ... 556,000,000 ... 474,000,000
Exports ... 533,000,000 ... 670,000,000
Thus, from whatever point of view we regard these
figures, the same fact strikes the eye—viz., that the
amount of the exports greatly exceeded that of the
imports. What is the signification of this reversal of
the ordinary course ? It signifies that in 1848, work
being slack under the influence of the political crises,
we drew from abroad less raw material; it also sig-
nifies that the internal consumption having fallen off,
our producers were compelled to seek foreign outlets
at any cost, in ;which they were aided by the pre-
miums and sur-premiums granted by the Govern-
ment (to the amount of 21,399,451 f. in 1848). There
is, therefore, no reason to rejoice at this circumstance.
The carriage by sea plays the most important part
in the general movement of our exchanges. It figures
for 71 per cent. In this movement the share taken
by our sown navy is, unfortunately, anything but
considerable. We shall discuss the subject in a
special article.

Let us examine what goods and what powers oc-
cupy the first rank in the ensemble of our commercial
operations:—

Goods—As regards the imports, cotton wool occu-
pies the first °place, although the quantity was less
than in former years,. The total quantity imported
was 80,000,0001. (official value), or 40,000,000 f.
(actual value), nearly the whole came from the
United States; 39,000,000 f. out of 40,000,000 f.
There follows 26,000,000 f. (actual value);
coal, 39,000,000 f.; common wood, 30,000,0001. ' •
colonial sugar, 23,000,000 f.; olive oil, 21,000,0001.
undressed skins, 14,000,000 f. ; indigo, 12,000,0001.;
and copper, 12,000,0001. As regards the exports,
tissues figure most conspicuously.
Silk tissues alone figure for 139,000,000 r in the
mass of the value exported. Woollen and cotton
tissues occupy a far more humble place; the first
figure for 66,000,000 f., and the second for 44,000,0001.
(actual value).

After tissues come our wines, 43,000,000 f. ; corn,
nearly 37,000,000 f.; dressed skins, 31,000,000 r. ;
brandies, 24,000,000 f. ; toys, 24,000,000 f. ; and works
in metals, 12,000,000 f.

It is interesting to ascertain what countries are
our best customers, what is the nature of the pro-
duce which they buy from or sell to us, by what
means our intercourse might be extended, and so on.
The following are the countries which furnish us
with the largest supplies :

Amount of the Imports.
Francs.
1. United StAtm 101,000,000
2. Belgium ... 63,000,000
3. Sard:nia 46,000,000
4. Russia ... ... 45,000,000
5. England .. 28,000,000
6. Inds 24,000,000
7. Turkey ... 22,000,000
8. Germanic Confederation ... 21,000,000
9. Spain ... 20,000,000
10. Swi zerland 14,000,000
The above figures indicate the offiicial values, which
are fictitious. The real values are as follows :

Francs.
1. Belgium 74,000,000
2. United States 57,000,000
3. Sardinia... ... 39,000,000
4. Russia ... 31,000,000
5. England... 30,000,000
6. Get manic Confederation ... 23,000 000
7. Spain ... 18,000,000
S. Turkey ... ... 17 000,000
9. India .. . . 17,000,000
10. Saita,..rland
.14,000,000
'Thus Belgium 'passes from the second to the first
rank ; the United States from the first to the second ;
Sardinia, England, and Russia keep their places; the
Germanic Confederation and Spain rise at the ex-
pense of English India and Turkey. Switzerland
remains the last.

Coal constitutes the largest item of the commodi-
ties supplied from Belgium. In 1848 we took from
that country nearly 12,000,000 of metrical quintals,
valued at 26,000,000 f. Cast iron figures fir 5,500,000 f.;
horses for an equal sum ; linens for 3,000,000 f.; and
woollens (en masse) for 3,000,000 f. The Belgium
imports thus consist fur the most part of raw material.
Cotton wool it is needless to say is the great staple
of import from America. In 1848 it figured for
57,000,000 F. After cotton comes tobacco, nearly
6,000,000 f. ; and oak staves, nearly 3,000,000 f.
Sardinia sends us twilled silks, olive oil, articles of
goldsmithery, and raw silks.
From Russia we receive nearly 17,000,000 f. of
corn. It is our granary of abundance. We also re-
ceive oleaginous seeds, linens, hemp, common woods,
and raw tallow.

England pays for our own exports with coal
(9,500,000 f.), pure copper (3,500,0001.), cast iron,
iron, and steel (nearly 3,000,000 f.), and woollens,
en mane (nearly 2,000,0001.)
From the Germanic Confederation we take com-
mon woods, refined sugar, and coffee (a rather curious
circumstance, as the Confederation has no colonies),
woollens, cattle, and leaf tobacco.
Spain supplies us with woollens, olive oil, oranges
and lemons Turkey with corr, grain, tobacco, and
oil.

We have recourse to the English Indies for indigo,
rice, and nitrate of potash. Out of a value of
17,000,0001., indigo alone figures for 10,000,000 f.
Lastly, Switzerland sends us a little of everything,
it being the great transit country. It supplies us
with no staple commodity of its own.
Such are our most important purveyors.
Let us see now which are our most eager custo-
mers. They are as follow :

Amount of Exports.
Francs.
1. England ... 189,000,000
2. United States 116,000,000
3. Algeria ... 72,000,000
4. Belgium ... 66,000,000
5. Spain ... 63,000,0'30
6. Switzerland ... 48,000,060
7. Sardinia 46,000,000
8. Germanic Confederation ... 35,000,000
9. Brazil ... ... 16,000,000
10. Mexico ... 15,000,000

These are only the official values. If we take
the actual, we arrive at a different result. England
and the United States still march foremost. Algeria
yields the third rank to Belgium, and descends to the
fourth. Russia, which did not figure at all in the
above list, now takes the ninth rank, and Brazil falls
to the last. _

What do we especially export to England ? Silk
tissues, 52,000,000 f.; corn, 14,000,000 c.; woollen
tissues, 12,000,000 f.; brandies distilled front the
grape, 10,500.000 f. ; dressed skins, 10,500,000 f.;
and wines, 5,000,000 f.
Silk tissues also take the first rank in our exports
to the United States of America. The Engli,h race
in both worlds is the chief customer of our Lyons'
manutactures. The other exports to the States in-
clude woollens, cottons, wines, dressed skins, and
hosiery.
Next to England and the United States the Bel-
gians best appreciate our silk tissues. They pur-
chased more than 9,000,000 f. in 1848. They also
took 7,000,000 f. of woollen tissues, 5,000,000 f. of
corn, and 3,000,000 f. of woollen yarns.
The importance assumed by Algeria as an outlet
for our produce since the year 1843 is worthy of
special notice. In 1848 that colony took 11,000,000 f.
of our cotton tivues, and 6,000,000 f. of our wines.
Cotton tissues are also the great element of our
trade with Spain, besides woollen and silk tissues,
linens, and hemp. We give the Spaniards clothing
in return for their oranges, nor do they lose ky the
exchange, for we send them necessaries and take their
superfluities in return.

CHATPAM7 JAN. 29.—Private Robert Gordon, of
the 18th Foot (Royal Irish), was tried this day by a
court-martial at Chatham, for going it to his barrack-
room and loading his fireluck with ball cartridge: It is
supposed that he intended t) do some serious injury to
Colour Sergeant APllsra'o, being the nor.-commissioned
officer in charge of the prisoner's room. It appears that
on the 21st inst. the prisorer was confined in the guard-
room by the colour sergeant, and be is as released by
the commanding officer of the battalion, after five days'
drill. At the close of the last day be went down to his
room, in which was the colour sergeant nursing his child,
when the prisoner deliberately took up his musket and
loaded it, but,he was secured before he had time to die-
charge it. The court's decision not known.