The Sun.
London, England, 1828-10-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

AN ESSAY ON THE SCIENCE OF ACTING.
LONDON. 1828.

We have been gratified by the perusal of this
little volume ; not, however, with the original,
but the anecdotical portions of it, which abound
in traits of dramatic character, gleaned as the
author assures us from the experience of nearly
forty years on the stage. During so long a
period the most common-place inobservant per-
son imaginable must have seen and heard things
worth writing about ; and it is for this reason,
and this only, that we have derived entertain-
ment from the present treatise on acting. With
regard to the author's own remarks, they are so
completely in the dead flat of intellect, so smootla,
shorn of all eccentricity, that it is impossible
either to ridicule or praise them. They are per-
suasions to slumber not laughter.

FARR ON CANCEROUS ULCERATION.

In our yesterday's notice of this Treatise we
find that we attributed the authorship to Dr.
Farr, the physician, instead of Mr. Farr, the
surgeon. We are the more concerned for this
mistake, as the Treatise was really so good, and
so generally lucid and explanatory, devoid alike
of mysticism and pretension, that it would have
reflected honour upon any scientific pen.
Luckily, however, Mr. Farr's celebrity does not
rest on this publication only—it is based on the
surgical experience of years, to which every
month has added something practically valuable.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Plymouth Journal of yesterday.)

PLYMOUTH, OCT. I6.—The Antelope, tender to
the Ramifies, and the Royalist, tender N the Bri-
tannia, arrived on Tuesday, the former from the
Downs wi th men for the Windsor Castle; and the
latter vessel from Portsmouth.

The Spartiate, 78, Capt. F. Warren, and the
Warspite, 74, Capt. William Parker, C. 8., arrived
yesterday from Portsmouth, the former to accompany
the Windsor Castle to the Mediterranean, for which
station they are expected to sail about the end of the
week; and the latter ship to be paid off for recom-
missioning.

The East India ship Robarts, Corbynne, from
London for Calcutta, which put in here on the 29th
nit. with damage, has been repaired, and will sill on
Monday next, wind and weather permitting,
The Meteor bomb, and Orestes sloop of war, were
spoken with on the 25th ult. off Cape St. Vincent.
The Pearl, Pylades, Trineulo, and Orestes, are
to return to the Cork station. The latter from the
Mediterranean.

APPOINTMENTS.—Lieut. Thos. Colman and Capt.
lierriott, R.M., to Spartiate ; Mr. Clarke, Surgeon,
to the Ocean; Mr. Dallas, Surgeon, to Pelican; Mr.
W. Thompson, to Zebra.
Mr. Richard Green ( 1811) is appointed Purser
of the Jaseur, vice Mr. Wm. Reeve, appointed to the
Ranger.
Mr. Geo. Moorsom, Foreman of Portsmouth
Yard, who was under tuition at the School of Naval
Architecture, at the age of ten years, has resigned
his situation, Mr. Moorsom was an excellent and
useful officer.

All was well on board the Tyne, 28, Capt. Sir
R. Grant, in Halifax harbour, on the llth Sept.

His Majesty's ship Ringdove, 18, Commander C.
English, having sprung a leak on the North Ame-
rican station, has been taken into Halifax harbour,
to lie up for the winter; and if found seaworthy, to
be sent home in the ensuing spring, in consequence
of general decay, discovered in tracing the cause of
the leak.

The Samarang arrived the 20th September, at
Gibraltar, and sailed the same evening, from thence
to Malta all well.

The Wolf arrived at Malta, from Smyrna, 25th
Aug. Weasel arrived at Malta from Candia on the
27th Aug. Kingfisher arrived at Gibraltar, from
Falmouth, on 20th Sept.

Bread is now selling in this town at Is. the
quartern loaf.—Dorchester Paper.

The quartern loaf rose one penny in Edin-
burgh on Monday, and the finest quality now sells at
elevenpence. Yesterday oatmeal rose 2d. per stone.—
Scotsman.

LONDON MAIL.—We request the attention
of our readers to the proceedings of the Chamber of Com-
merce of this city, as they appear in an ably-drawn-up re-
port in our first page, on the subject of the acceleration of
the London Mail. The Chamber, having been unsuccess-
ful in an application to the Post-office department, have
resolved to petition the Treasury; and when the general
importance of the object is considered, and that this object
is to be effected merely by shortening the distance, and not
by any additional application of animal power, which is
already tasked to the utmost, their exertions cannot but
meet with the cordial approbation of their fellow-citizens,
and of the inhabitants generally of the west of Scotland.
It is proposed, by the new plan, that the mail shall arrive
'at two o'clock. On this subject we think it due to the
public, as well as to the Editor of the Glasgow Courier,
who has laboured much and zealously in the cause, to
transfer to our columns the following extract .from an able
and spirited article written by the above-mentioned gentle-
man a few publications back :—" When the mail coaches
were established, taxation by them, or revenue from the
proceeds of the Post-office, was nut looked to, but, on the
contrary, the accommodation •of the public alone, All
that was
looked to was the payment of the expences in-
cuffed by the conveyance. This establishment, however,
is risen to a prodigious importance in the scale of revenue,
ae
and now yields a clear revenue of nearly 1,600,0001. per
do not grudge this T-they do not
i
• modosta-
tion which it is the interest of the Government, is theco m utmost
possible n -OTf
it--allhepu
askuncadtel
begvenx—
this ta
possible accommodation
which
on account
of the revenue, to bestow. Gla • sgow has irresistible claims
for what she requires. We
pay at this
moment Id.
upon
every letter from London more than we ought to pa y
than by law we are liable to pay—mare
pays, and which on letters which go and than
come Edinburgh
don, -is probably equal to 1000/. a-year.
submitted for years, and are yet called up
on to submit;
from Lon-
To this we have
and while we do so, surely an additional outlay in convey-
ing our mail, if that additional outlay is really necessary,
ought not to be withheld. Nor is this all. By the ina-
dequacy of their Government pay, the contractors say that
they are obliged to raise and to keep their fares to passen-
gers on the Glasgow line, higher than in any other part of
the kingdom, and every traveller from Glasgow going south
or going north, pays perhaps Id. per mile more than be
would otherwise have to pay, and which amounts to a very
large tax upon.our mercantile citizens annually, while the
Post-office taxes them Id. on each letter more than they,
ought, and draws from us a revenue of upwards of
86,0001. per annum besides."— Glasgow Frei Press.

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LONDON.
FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 17, 1828.

We have no further intelligence in the French
Papers from the theatre of war—and till we have
some authentic news, it would be as idle as un-
profitable to launch out into a field of probabili-
ties. The success of the Russians at Varna will
give a new feature to the war.. According to
accounts from Odessa, Varna had not fallen on
the 21st of September, nor had the Russians
made any attempt to storm it.

Accountshave been received from St. Thomas's
which state that his Majesty's ship Victor, cap-
tai❑ LLOYD, has taken the pirate vessel which
captured the Carraboo, fi-om Liverpool to
Buenos Ayres, and carried her into St.
Kitt's. She proves to be a schooner of
90 tons, armed with one 18-pounder, and arms
for 70 men. The crew on board, consisting of
40 men, have been safely secured in gaol, and
will doubtless meet their deserts. The system
has been carried on with so much impunity, and
attended with such dreadful crimes, that it is to
he hoped a severe example will be made on these
savages in the human shape.

The public will be gratified to learn that the
price of corn has fallen considerably since last
Monday, and is likely to fall still lower by next
Monday. For particulars we refer our readers
to the Mark-lane Report in another column.

The increase of our Annual Revenue to the
amount of 786,4201., to which we adverted briefly
in our Paper of Saturday last, is in every view of
the matter a source of satisfaction ; for first it dis-
proves the idle clamour of those who hold that a
liberal system in regard to trade, i. e. the repeal
of restrictions, is ruinous to its interests as well
as to those of the Revenue. It is net easy, to be
sure, to see how it should have this effect. But
then we were told that it was actually the case,
that the trade and Revenue of the country were
ruined by Mr. HusxissoN's schemes ; and
hence, when we find the Revenue flourishing,
we rejoice to' sce experience so decidedly
confirming on this subject. We rejoice to see
an improving Revenue, the consequence of
a flourishing trade. We rejoice to see all the
anticipations of national ruin falsified by the
event. We never could conceive, indeed, con-
sidering trade between nations to be the mere
exchange of their surplus produce, and that
the benefit consisted in the one getting rid of
what was superfluous for what was in demand,
how it could possibly be of the smallest benefit
to obstruct this free interchange—to hinder
France from selling her wines or her silks to this
country, and from carrying away our cotton goods
in exchange. But the convulsions of commerce,
and the decline of the Revenue, though altogether
unconnected with recent political measures, yet
gave a handle to those who wanted a handle for

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clamour mad abuse. Even this p6or pretext is
now done away by the improvement of commerce
and the general prosperity of the country.
But there are other and more solid advantages
attending the unprovement•of the Revenue. It
will give the Finance Minister a surplus fund
which he may use as an instrument of the most
useful reforms. There is, perhaps, no branch of
our system which it would be more politic to
revise than our scheme of taxation ; not that we

mean to arraign it in any unmeasured terms of
severity ; for considering how this fabric hus been
gradually reared—that our taxes were imposed
during an ardueus and threatening war—that
there was frequently no time during the pressing
emergencies of the public service to cast about
very anxiously for the most equitable or easiest
tax ;—and that, by direct and indirect taxes, the
enormous sum of seventy millions was at length
annually drawn from the country, we rather
wonder that so few errors were committed. But
now that we are happily at peace, it is just the
time to review and to amend the deficiencies
necessarily introduced into our system during
the hurry and alarm of war.
The great problem in taxation is to find out
the point at which a tax will yield the greatest
amount to the Revenue, and there to stop—to
lay on all the duty which the article will hear,
and to lay on no more. This point varies in
different articles, and our financiers have com-
mitted the error of overtaxing certain commo-
dities, while in some others they have unneces-
sarily lowered the duty. They hare neither
acted on any comprehensive system in laying on
nor in taking off the duties. We may remark
that on all articles of general consumption, such
as wine, spirits, beer, tea, candles, soap, &c., the
taxes ought not to be high ; while on such
articles as salt, sugar, &c. which are used as sure
accessaries along with other articles ; and on to-

Jam), which forms a trilling article of each

man's expence, the taxes ought to be high. It
will be observed that in the first class of articles
where a duty of 20 or 30, or at most 50 per cent.
has been imposed, it has always produced more
than one of 100 per cent. Thus the high duty
of 150 per cent. on wine produced less than the
previous low duty, it so restricted the consump-
tion of the article. The duty on wine, in 1793,
was 501. per tun on French, and 321. on Portu-
guese ; it produced 603,416/. Now we main-

tain that, if it had never been increased its pro-
duce would not have been less than it is at pre-
..sent ; and we are warranted in this, which may
appear to be rather /paradoxical assertion, by the
experience of the other taxes. The duty on
candles was only hi. per pound in 1793 ;
it has never been increased. It produced, in
1793, 213,9961. per annum ; and the same
tax, let that. be marked, produced in 1826,
481,037/. The tax on soap was, in 1793,
lid. per pound ; it produced in that year
3E4,8081. It was increased in 1816, by the
moderate addition of id., making the whole tax
3d. per pound, and its produce was, in 1825,
1,179,6121. The same results appear in the

history of the paper tax ; it was raised too high,
and afterwards lowered, in 1803, from sd. to 3d.
per pound, and what has been the consequence ?
—its produce was, in 1804, 324,588/. ; the
same tax produced, in 1825, 652,4481. These
are facts taken from the Parliamentary accounts,
and do we suppose that if the low duty on
wine had been allowed to remain, its prcoluce
would not have increased in a similar ratio ? We
can have no possible reason for any other sup-
position. But if some duties have been inju-
diciously raised, other duties, since the conclu-
sion of the war, have been as injudiciously re-
duced. First, in place of concentrating the whole
Revenue that could be spared in one great article
of consumption, it was frittered away among a
variety of trifling articles, so that the consumer
reaped not the smalleit benefit from the reduc-
tion of many taxes. The Revenue was abso-
lutely thrown away. Thus, the duty on leather,
which was a light duty, and scarcely felt, was re-
duced one half, but shoes did not fall one farthing
in price. The duty on malt, which was a pro-
ductive tax, and a light tax, making a very small
proportion of the price of beer, was lowered, and
Revenue to the amount of 1,500,0001. per
annum uselessly sacrificed ; while the remission
of duty was too small to be allowed in the retail
of beer, which did not fall in consequence one
farthing in price, and hence the consumption was
not increased by the reduction of the tax. We
have no roots to multiply examples—these will
suffice to shew the want of system ; the double
error which has been committed of laying on
too high duties on certain articles ; and in other
cases of throwing away Revenue by the unneces-
sary reduction of duties. There are many articles
however, on which a smaller duty would un-
doubtedly yield an equal Revenue. To these
we may possibly advert in a subsequent Paper.

Our City Correspondent says that two agents
have been despatched from th 3 Queen of POR-
TUGAL, one to France and the other to Vienna,
w;th proposals to assist her in regaining her
Crown. It is said our Government is willing to
aid, provided the other Powers agree to it.

The Times of this morning has the following
article respecting the Funds :

" Of the decline in Consols we do not think it neces-
sary to say any thing—it is too slight to need observa-
tion. But the Bank of Scotland, it seems, has been
selling stock for the purpose of effecting a high mort-

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gage. A system most mischievous in its consequences,
we have nn hesitation in saying, has been introduced
by the permission granted to the n itional banks to
advance money upon mortgage. A political importance,
unknown to the Constitution, will thus attach to
These corporate bodies; they may be able to force their
Members into Parliament by their influence in the
districts where their money is vested in mortgage ; or
what is to prevent them in some cases from foreclosing ?
ind then thay become landed proprietors in violation of
the spirit of the statute of Mortmain. On the other hand,
the very principle of banking is violated when the dispo-
sable finds of banks are laid out in securities which are not
readily available in case of a run."

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.)

FROM LLOYD'S.

DEAL, OCT. 15.---Wind W.N.W.—Arrived from
London, the Duke of Norfolk, for St. Kitt's;
Harriet, Kinsman, for Sierra Leone ; and Nelson,
Daniel, for the South Seas.
FALMOUTH, OCT. 15.--Wind N.--Sailed the
Marchioness of Salisbury packet, for the Brazils.
Arrived off Port, the Ada, Friend, from Demerara.
DOTER, OCT. 16.—Arrived the Kale, Barnes,
from Malaga.
ABERDEEN, OCT. 14.—Arrived the Middleton,
James, and Alexander, Allen, from Davis' Straits;
Superb, Paton, from Stettin.

PETERHEAD, OCT. 14.—Ari ived the Hannibal,
Barnes, and Traveller, Simpson, from Davis' Straits ;
and Union, Mackie, from ditto.

The Catharine, Mason, from Anclam, in going
into Yarmouth Harbour on Wednesday, struck the
Bar, and filled with water.

The Mangrove Bay, Ritchie, from Liverpool,lwas
totally destroyed by fire at Demerara, the 26th of
August ; very little of the cargo landed.
The Harmony, Barrow, from Liverpool to Hull,
was on shore on the Holm Sand yesterday; cargo
discharging.

THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TivE o' Cr.ocr.

The general appearance of the English Stock
market has been heavy, and money has become
more scarce in the City; on the Stock Exchange
such has been the demand that it has been lent at
5 per cent. Consols opened at 851 6 for account,
but shortly after some few lots of money stock being
sold brought them down to 8.51 for money, and 851 ;14-
for account; the Commissioners bought reduced at
94i. India Bonds, 84 6 ; Exchequer Bills,- 75 6 pm.
Little or nothing is doing in the Foreign Funds;
Russian Stock appears weak, the price is 914 21;
Chilian and Peruvian Bonds have declined in value,
and Greek may also be quoted on the decline;
below the nearest quotations will be found:
Shares continue without business or variation in
price.

In the City this morning there is no intelligence
of importance from any quarter, and what has created
some surprise is the non-arrival of the French Mail
due. The merchants in connection with the Bra-
zils seem completely at a loss to account for the
non-arrival of the Redpole and Lord.Mclville packets
from Rio de Janeilb ; both these vessels are stated
to sail well, and from the circumstance of their not
making their appearance, and no arrival of merchant
ships, a surmise exists that they must have been de-
tained by., the' orders of the Imperial Government
for some political purpose, or perhaps, as some sus-
pect, an emkargo has taken place at that port.
Three per Cent. Consols, 851} 4; Ditto, for the Account,
85i ; India Bonds, 81 6 pm. ; Exchequer Bills, 75 6 pm.
FOREIGN.-Brazilian, 62 ; Buenos Ayres, 46 8;
Chilian, 27 8 ; Colombian, 19 1; Danish, 604 I ;
Greek, IS+ i; Mexican, Five per Cent., 28 9 ; Ditto,
Six per Cent ,38 4 ; Peruvian, 184 191; Portuguese,
56 s ; Russian, 911 2+; Spanish, 11+ 4. .
MINES.—AngIo Mexican, 70 68 die. ; Brazilian, 49
51 pm. ; Ditto, National, 5 4 pm. ; Ramos, 180 200
pm. ; Colombian, 7 6 dis.; Tlalpuxahua, 10 15 per
share; United Mexican, 201 19+ dis.

TWO O'CLOCK.

Consols for Account have slightly improved, and
are now quoted 86i -I. The Mark-lane repert gives
a fall of 10s. per quarter on Wheat, from last
Monday—the supply has been immense both of
home as well as foreign, and the knowledge of still
further quantities being on their way, gives rise to
an expectation that a still further fall may be ex-
pected on Monday next.

THREE O'CLOCK.

Consols for Account, 85i 86.
It is confidently stated that two couriers have ar-
rived to Government. By the French mail just ar-
rived, two reports prevail, one that the Russians
have been again defeated near Shumla; second, that
an Armistice has taken place.
FOUR O'CLOCK.—CLOSING PRICES.
Consols 851 j Danish 601
Do. for Ac. 85i 6 Greek, 1825 171
Brazilian Bonds Mexican, 1825 374
Buenos Ayres Peruvian
Chihli Do. Russian 92
Columbian, 1824 Spanish 111

SECOND EDITION.
S UN-OFFICE, Quarter Past Four.

The Journal du Commerce received by the
mail brings accounts from Frankfort to the

9th instant, stating that although no official
accounts had been published for several days
past, private letters have been received from
Berlin, saying, that the second army under
the command of Count WITTGENSTIEN, was
dispersed. Whole Regiments of Cavalry were
dismounted ;—the want of water was so

great that, three roubles were given for
a bottle of water. It was reported fon the

'Change at Frankfort that the siege of Varna
was raised, and that the Russian Army was in

full retreat to the Danube.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sir—As the public are daily suffering the loss of pro-
perty by means of fictitious and forged written orders, an
evil to which London tradespeople are more particularly
subjected, permit me to suggest, through the medium of
your Journal, as the means of mutual protection, the pro-
priety of the general adoption of printed check-books in
all cases of orders for goods " per bearer ;" this, I think,
would prove an effectual " check " to that class of public
plunderers, the annual expense attending which, in most
cases, would not exceed a few shillings.—l am, Sir,
Your's respectfully,
AN OCCASIONAL SUFFERER.