The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-21 00:00:00

[nnr•rrsil PRIM.]

It is greatly Co be regretted that the priori.
pies favourable to the unrestrained intercourse of
nations should find any obstacle to their applica-
tion, and that Great Britain, which has benetitted
beyond all others from her acquirements in art
and her discoveries in science, should, unhappily,
not be in a coridition to follow in that train which
the speculations of thinking men are taking in the
present day, and which, in other times, might,
perhaps, have conducted her to the summit of
commercial prosperity. As it is, however, she
has only to be thankful that, having set out from
an opposite point, and having gone on in a con-
trary
course, she has attained to that height of
power end greatness to which she has been
raised. The machinery of a great commercial
kingdom is extremely complex, and is very liable
to be thrown out of order by the very attempts
made to improve it. The best-intentioned rulers
cannot always mould things according to their
liking, without endangering the safety of that
order of affairs which they would endeavour
to benefit. We make these remarks with re-
ference to that system of policy which would
throw open the ports of Great Britain to
the commerce of foreign nations, and promote
that facility in the interchange of commodities
which is supposed by many to be essential to our
interests as a manufacturing and mercantile
people. As far as the liberal policy has hitherto
been tried, the result has not been such us to
promise much to perseverance. As far as it has
been applied to our Navigation Laws, its conse-
quences are becoming every day more fatal to our
superiority as a maritime power. The increase of
foreign shipping in our ports shows the extent to
which we are furnishing other States with the
means of raising a great marine, and of success-
fully disputing with us, one day or other, the
empire of the sea. We have applied the new
system to our Combination Laws, and the effect
has been to let loose upon the Masters all the
worst passions of their workmen. The manufac-
turing interests in every brunch of trade, and
in every quarter of the kingdom, have suffered
extensively from the repeal of those statues
which had hitherto kept down that mischievous
spirit which broke forth so destructively under
its newly-acquired freedom. As far as this sys-
tem has been applied to our staple manufactures,
the present deplorable condition of the Silk
Trade will bear melancholy witness to its opera-
tion. The result of itself presents an experience
of evil more than sufficient to dissipate the delu-
sions of theory. But we feel assured that Mini-
sters will not suffer that important branch of
trade to be sacrificed. They will not put foreign-
er& to Possession of those resources which, till
now, have reared an honest, industrious, and
loyal class of our population. That there are
certain Foreigners who have been most industrious
in the way of deception we well know,—
but let
them not countloo securely upon their success:

—the reward of their labours may even yet be
ntercepted.

[NEW TIMES.]
The English Funds were in a slight degree
agitated in the course of yesterday morning, in consequence, as
was stated, of bad news from India; Consols for Account
opened at 804, and advanced to 80k, but, from the reports al-
luded to, they declined to 79i. They closed at 80, and same
price for money. There was a considerable scarcity of Stock,
anti the backwardation was about h per cent. Exchequer Bills
1,0001.2 dis. ; 5001. 1 pm. ; small Bills par ; India Bonds,
12s. pm.—The Foreign Market presented but little variation ;
at one period the various Securities evinced an evident tendency
to rise, but left off much about the opening prices ; Colombian
Bonds, 57a ; Mexican Bonds, 651 ; Buenos Ayres declined to
72 ; Greek Bonds, I,q ; Russian Bonds, 83A; Spanish Bonds,
13; French Rentes, 90f. ; 8 per Cent. qt. 81)c. ; Exchange,
25f. 20c. The Expresses yesterday morning brought the prices
from Paris rather better on Wednesday evening ; 3 per Cents.
were 68f. 35c. ; 5 per Cent. 99.—1 n the Share Market there was
rather more doing yesterday. Anglo-Mexican were about
pm. ; Brazilian, 44 pm. ; Pasco-Peruvian, 3 dis. ; New
United Mexican, 66 pm. • Alliance Fire, If pm.; Australian,
11 pm. ; British Iron, 10f dis.; British Rock Salt, pm. ;
General Steam, 1i dis.