The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-23 00:00:00

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THE START DITTIES TREATY.
The treaty was signed in London on the 22d of July,
by the Earl of Aberdeen and Mr. Gladstone on the part
of her Britannic Majesty, and by Count Kielmansege.e
and the Sieur Hupeden on the part of Hanover.
The first article provides that Hanoverian vessels ar-
riving in British ports, and British vessels in Hanoverian,
shall be subject to no higher dues or charges than na-
tional vessels respectively.
By the second, third, and fourth articles, a reciprocity
of free advantage is given to the British and Hanoverian
vessels in carrying of goods to and from the dominions
of either Power to the dominions of the other.
Article five declares that, for the convenience of com-
merce, the advantages detailed in the preceding articles
shall be extended to Hanoverian vessels entering British
ports from the mouths of the Meuse, of the Ems, of the
Weser, of the Elbe, or from the mouth of any navigable
river between the Elbe and the Weser, or between the
'I rave and the Memel.

The sixth article ordains that, from the Ist of October
next, the Stadt charges on British vessels shall, with a
few exceptions, be the same as those:specified in the con-
vention between the " Elbe-bordering States," signed at
Dresden on the 13th of April last. The excepted articles
are to be charged only the two-thirds of the duties speci-
fied in the Elbe convention.

By article 7, the contracting parties engage that no
reduction of duties, nor any powers, privileges, or immu-
nities whatsoever, in matters of commerce and naviga-
tion, shall be granted by either to the subjects of any
other State, unless Hanover or Great Britain, as the case
may be, be entitled to the same advantages and on the
same terms.

The eighth article provides for the continuation of the
treaty until the Ist of January, 1854, and to a further
period of twelve months after either party shall have
giten notice of its intention to terminate the same.
A conference was held at the Foreign-office on the 9th
of August, between Lord Aberdeen, Mr. Gladstone, and
the Sieur Hupeden. At this meeting the Hanoverian
Plenipotentiary stated that it was not certain whether all
the parties to the convention of the 13th of April would
have finally ratified the articles of the convention on the
Ist of October next. He, therefore, proposed that, until
all the Elbe-bordering States have ratified the conven-
tiOn, the present duties shall continue in force with the
exception of those on the articles distinctly specified in
the 6th section of the treaty of July.
To this proposition the British Ministers agreed, upoa
certain precautionary conditions being conceded.

THE STAMP RETITRNS.—After the passing of the
Reform Bill, the Times newspaper, acting upon its pro-
fessed declaration of considering that enactment as a
measure of finality, by slow degrees took up the advo-
cacy of Conservative principles, in which course it has
since consistently persevered, with what advantage to
the party and with what benefit to the country it is um-
necessary for us here to discuss. It became bruited
abroad that such a line of political advocacy had in-
jured the interests of the journal—that, having ceased to
run with the current of what was conceived to be public
opinion, it had deteriorated in character, and declined in
circulation. Perhaps it was not unreasonable that such-
a report should find circulation, and obtain credence ;
and those who wished it true were disposed to believe it.
Two objects were to be attained by proving this fact, if
such it were, to the world. The first the ruin of the
journal in question, which was sure to be a consequence
of the exposure ; and next, an accession of strength to
the Ministry, by showing that the opposition to their
policy, so ably evinced by the Times, had destroyed ita
influence by decreasing its circulation. One mode sug-
gested itself to the prolific mind of Mr. Spring Rice, the.
then Chancellor of the Exchequer, by which both those
important objects could be achieved—move, quoth he to
himself, for the number of stamps issued to each journal
in the empire for given periods—the returns to be made
up quarterly—and the thing is done. This was a pro-
ceeding against which the Whigs—whether in power
or in opposition—had hitherto set their faces. But
the exigency was extreme—the Times was to be
crushed, and the politics of the Government jus-
tified—and the thing was done. But the precedent
being once established, the returns from thenceforward
could not be withheld, even though the result of the
move was diametrically opposite to that which had been.
anticipated ; and accordingly the issue of stamps con-
tinued (alas ! how reluctantly, but still relentlessly) to be
published at stated periods, as a Parliamentary paper, so
long as the Whigs held office. On the accession of Sir
Robert Peel to power, the practice was persevered in ;
but at the close of this session, Mr. Goulburn, acting
upon the converse of Mr. Spring Rice's proposition, and
finding that the two papers in England, and one in this
country, which advocate the policy of the present Go-
vernment, had so forfeited political confidence, and so
fallen off in general circulation, that it was essential so
unerring an indication of public opinion, and one so da-
maging and so damning to the Ministry, should be con-
cealed, discontinued the publication of the Stamp-office
returns—and the barometer that indicated with too fatal
a certainty the variations of public opinion, and the rise
and fall of Cabinets and statesmen, was withdrawn from
the philosophic gaze of a too scrutinising generation. The
Evening Mail and journals of the same independent
spirit, which have had the probity and the courage to
decry and denounce a cowardly and treacherous system
of policy, ungrateful to our party, and fraught with ruin
to the country, will bo losers, to a certain extent, by the
cessation of periodical advertisements (for as such the
stamp returns operated) by which their position might
be estimated and their progress marked : but the paltry
device at concealment, and the palpable reason for dis-
continuing the publication of the returns, are too appa-
rent to make us apprehensive of any serious injury being
inflicted by the cessation of the practice.—Dublin Even-
ing Mail.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT THE MAIDENHEAD STA-
TIoN.—A destructive fire broke out in a range of stabling
within the yard of the Great Western IlailwaAstation
at Maidenhead, in the middle of the day, on Tuesday
last, which it is strongly feared was not occasioned by
merely accidental means. The flames, when first dis-
covered, burst forth with inconceivable rapidity, and
within less than half an hour afterwards the whole
building, which was composed of wood covered with
slate, was a heap of burning ruins. There were twelve
horses in the stable at the time, eight of which were for.
tunately rescued, after considerable difficulty, without
sustaining any damage. Three horses, which obstinately
resisted every effort to extricate them, were literally
burnt almost to a cinder. Their cries and moans while
they were undergoing the horrid torture of being abso-
lutely roasted alive, were distressing in the extreme.
The other poor animal was got out alive, but in so
dreadful a state that it was necessary to kill it imme-
diately afterwards to put it out of its agony. Its eyes
were burnt out of its head, and its body singed and burnt
all over. A beer-house, for the accommodation of pas-
sengers waiting at the station for the train, situated
within not more than two or three yards from the build-
ing in which the fire broke out, and constructed of wood,
most providentially escaped uninjured. The station,
which is an extensive building, and likewise composed of
wood, and within twenty yards of the burning mass, was
fortunately preserved. Bad not the wind blown from a
contrary direction, it is more than probable that the
whole would have been consumed. The stabling and
horses were the property of Mr. Lovegrove, the pro-
prietor of the Bear Inn, at Maidenhead, who provides
the omnibuses which convey passengers between tho
town'and the station. We are informed that the stabling
was only insured as late as Friday last. Mr. Lovegrove,
however, will sustain a loss of upwards of 1001. Had it
not been for immediate assistance being at hand, not one
of the twelve horses, in consequence of the rapid pro-
gress of the flames, could, by any possibility, have been
preserved.
POTATOES.---A letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Hereford Times, by Mr. W. Godsall,
strongly recommending all persons interested in the
potato crop to pull off the flowers as soon as they appear.
Experience shows that flowers of the potato are pro-
duced at the expense of that oganisable matter which,
gives its value to the tuber, and which is diminished in
quantity in proportion to the number of flowers that
have been fed. For flowers must exist and feed on
something, and that something is what would, if not re-
moved by the flowers, descend beneath the ground and
collect itself in the tubers. The mere production of
flowers is a loss; but the mischief is infinitely increased
if the flowers are succeeded by the berries. The actual
amount of loss produced by each truss of flowers is not
ascertained; but it is probable that if the flowers abstract
one ounce of organisable matter, the berries consume at
least twice as much. A bunch of potato•berries weighs
half a pound. suppose that each potato plant bears half
a dozen bunches, that makes 31b. of worthless produce..
An acre of potato-ground carries about 20,000 plants on
the average; this gives 60,0001 b. of waste. But of this
54,3941 b. will be water, according to Mr. E. Soly's ex.
periments, and only 5,3221 b. organic matter. The latter,
however, or 2 tons 7 cwt. 581 b., would, according to his
calculation, be the amount of the loss sustained per acre,
by
ralolpowuLinAgntohNe potatoor
SOUTHto flower
Aaunsdr a
1.
fruit.A --The first
settlers landed in South Australia in July, 1836. Com-
parativelyfew emigrants have arrived in the colony
year 1840: yet the number of Euro-
sineeth e
Euro-
pean inhabitants, according to the latest state-
ments, amounts to 16,516. The numbers were
ascertained by a personal visit to the house of
each of the settlers. They are classified thus :—ln
Adelaide and neighbouring villages included within the
municipality, 6,139 ; in the country districts, 10,377
total, 16,516. Males, 9,152 ; females, 7,364—t0ta1,
16,516. Adu1t5,9,507 ; children under fourteen years of
age, 7,oo9—total, 16,516. Male adults, 5,516 ; female
adults, 3.991—t0tal adults, 9,507. Male children, 3,636 ;
female children, 3,373—total children, 7,009. Tots/
males, 9,152 ; total females, 7,364—grand total, 16,518.
Male adults in Adelaide and neighbourhood, 1,854 ;
ditto in country districts, 3,662—t0ta1, 5,516. Fe-
male adults in Adelaide and neighbourhood, 1,6224
ditto in country districts, 2,369—t0tal 3,991 ; grand
total, 9,507. From these statements, it is appa-
rent that the complaint formerly made of the people
congregating in town, and neglecting the country, is no
longer applicable—that the proportion of females to males
is very considerable (an unusual circumstance in the Aus-
tralian colonies); that it is in the country districts
chiefly that the disproportion of the sexes which does
exist is found, and that the number of male adults in the
country districts is very nearly double the number of
that class resident in Adelaide and neighbourhood.
Onthe e e
rnsi night t
Abscon,of the
namedl 0t 1 , twoNic
Nicoll and
mounted e cnui
Denis,
to n•hous house eeach with
pur-
suedoudandnaryof h
attackedte de Calais smugglers
At the vi
on horsebackilatoe ofltfe
b
Grandremy they seized two of the smugglers,
300 kilogrammes of foreign tobacco.
s took
Nvi t h part stones, wThe inhabitants
ithret rescued e d thesmugglers, in ane n.
°ofdtlalettavciklliangge, thheowoeffivceer;
such an overpowering force,
and the goods. The officersancdouwlderedoebnliegtheid'ngtoargeatiunrnst
to Abscon, covered with blood and mud, with only the
the smugglers,
lodgedmuggle againstrs, both
the village of Gran-
valuable animals. A
ctlonphloarinsets of
has
been
4 dromy.—French Paper.