The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-28 00:00:00

operatives" and of masters, manufacturers or others ?
This, that after allowing for all further re-
ductions and modifications of taxes in the interval
subsequent to 1821, the taxes up9n,inclustry, to the
amount of 30,000,0001. per annum—which, at all times,
ought to be,, and heretofore had been, paid by the
rich and unproductive consumers of goods—were and
still are, levied from our industrial poor. An enor-
mity of injustice this, more flagrant than the des-
potism of empires, wherein the sovereign authority is
maintained by brute force alone, would be prepared
to perpetrate. In truth, this sum of 30,000,000/.
does not adequately represent the total aggregate of
diminution in the wages paid under an established
standard of gold currency from the wages paid under
that previous currency, which was " repudiated," so
to speak, by the Bill of 1819. -Now, because the
amount of labour supplied by the working classes has
since been not merely not less, but (owing to the
greatly increased amount of manufacturing production
in the same interval) prodigiously more ; it is clear
that this working community has been wronged, not
only in the amount of the depreciation of wages in the
latter, as compared with the former period, but in the
further ratio of increased and excessive devotion of
their physical existence, as well as powers—of their
time as well as their manual labour, which has be-
come the sacrifice demanded in return for the mo-
dicum •of wages which the manufacturer can pay.
The substitution of a dear for a cheap currency, the
legalisation of an exclusively gold standard, compels
the latter to dispose of his goods at prices minus the
taxation cost, which would otherwise enter into those
prices; and this ccst, it is evident, is borne
by the unhappy artisan, not, as the Legisla-
ture itself intended, by the competent consumer.
The advantage is self-evident of their position who
are the recipients of fixed incomes—who are Govern-
ment or other official servants, at salaries either still
paid on the scale to which they were raised pending
the days of paper currency, with a view to meet the
higher prices of those times, or on a scale since but
little modified:; and of mortgagees and other creditors
who are now, by law, receiving payment under an
enhanced standard, for advances made by them in a
depreciated currency. Prices are already enormously
lowered to their hands. They get in their debts in
gold, they receive their incomes in gold ; and they
command all the greater quantities of goods for the
same denominations of money value, which coin of a
natural scarcity artificially enhanced, will always
produce.

A little tract has been put into our hands, pur-
porting to be the copy of a letter addressed to the
editor of a very influential journal, on the 9th ultimo,
on this important question of protection to British
industry. We are not at all astonished that our
Contemporary, who has all along given so decided a
support—interested or otherwise—to the Bill of
1819, and endeavoured to vindicate its operation, in
the face of all its disastrous results, during
the last four-and-twenty years, should have
refused admission to such a document. It
is a plain and able exponent of the principles we
have thus endeavoured to uphold. If the object of
those from whom it emanates were that ominous
" protection" which has been so recklessly conceded
to what are falsely called the interests of British
" agriculture," we should be the last
.to countenance
or assist it. But the claims of our working classes—
of those to whom the accumulating capital and in-
creasing'commercial returns of the empire, never seem
to find their way in anything like a fair propor-
tionate distribution, under our existing monetary
system—their claims shall always command our
earnest and sympathising assistance, to the utmost
extent of our ability.

The Liverpool Peninsular steamer has arrived at
Southampton, with favourable intelligence from Por-
tugal. The accounts are to the 21st inst., and an-
nounce that the foolish attempt at insurrection had
utterly failed. The few revolted troops in the neigh-
bourhood of Elvas had retreated across the Spanish
frontier, and been disarmed by the Spanish au-
thorities. At Abrantes, a great number of the dis-
contended soldiers had joined their regiments; the
number that still held out did not exceed 250, and
the population had not in any place given them the
slightest countenance. The Cortes, after con-
ferring extraordinary powers on the Government,
adjourned on the 21st till the end of March.

Madrid journals and letters of the 20th have been
received. The butchery of prisoners at Alicant and
other places was still going on. • The Phare de
Bayonne says BONET, by Way of reprisal for the ex-
ecution of the officers, has thrown General LASSALA
and the Political Chief CERAM into a dungeon, and
told them to prepare for death. It was hoped at
Madrid that he would reflect before executing the
two prisoners, and that he would not persevere in a
determination which could not but aggravate the pre-
carious
r wasuwhich
he was placed. RoxcAta,
on the s situationtbhuer t
t o hand,decimate
theannounces to the Government that
he prisoners taken at Alcoz.
The savage conduct of this ruthless people renders
them rather objects' of horror than sympathy, and
e ioother in
blunts the feeling of other nations towards their me-
lancholy condition.
On the 20th the Three per Cents. were done at 30
for cash, and 301 at 60 days ; the Five per Cents. at
201 for cash, and 21 at 60 days.

Moni-
proceedings appeared in the
oceedings of Admiral
that the French Go-
vt
eeurTrn hmoefe on
mffit coi
ndisowned
n en nottuh
nwe
chi
ni
DUPETIT THOUARS, has caused much excitement at
Paris, and if we may judge from the scanty intelli-
gence yet received, the affair will be seized by the
Opposition, probably with. M. TRIERS at their head
as a means for ousting the GulzoT Cabinet. On
Monday, in the Chamber of Deputies, after some
routine business had been transacted, M. CARNE
mounted the tribune, and said, " You must have seen
in this day's Moniteur a piece of news which must
have astonished you as much as me. In consequence
of Queen POMARE having failed to execute the treaty
entered into with France, Vice-Admiral M. DUPETIT
THOUARS has deprived her of the government of
Otaheite. This act seemed a just one. Yet what
does the Moniteur tell us? Admiral DUPETIT
THOUAIa conduct is disavowed.—(Murmurs.) I
beg the Chamber to fix the day on which I may ques-
tion the Minister on the subject." M. GUIZOT
said he was ready to enter into any explanation the
Chamber might require. M. BthiauLT said, in order
to arrive at the true bearing of the question, the dispatch
of Admiral DUPETIT THOUARS should be laid before
them. To this M. GulzoT had, no objection, and
Thursday was fixed for the attack on the Govern-
ment. The Patrie of Monday evening gives the fol-
lowing additional particulars relative to the course
adopted by the French Cabinet, but we cannot be-
lieve it likely that M. GUIZOT, or Lord COWLEY would
let the 'public know what private discussion took
place between them on such a grave subject :—" For
carrying into effect," says this journal, " the decision
of the Ministry in the affair of Tahiti, the Govern-
ment has resolved to send a corvette to the South
Seas, with the special mission of recalling Admiral
DUPETIT THOUARS, and of establishing the authority
of Queen POMARE. This resolution of the French
Government was taken on Saturday, after a long con-
ference between Lord COWLEY and M. GUIZOT. The
Minister had brought forward the question in
several meetings of the Cabinet Council. It was
known that he was much embarrassed about it ;
that he hesitated between national susceptibilities on
the one hand, and the remonstrances of England on
the other. Lord ConTLEy made very warm repre-
sentations to M. GUIZOT, and in consequence the
latter gave way. Lord COWLEY immediately dis-
patched a courier to his Government with notice of
the promises he had received from M. Guizor. A
few hours afterwards he received a copy of the official
notice about to appear in the Moniteur, which he also
forwarded to London by another courier. It was de-
manded of the British Government, and promised by
Lord COWLEY, that the missionary chief, PRITCHARD,
should be recalled. M. GUIZOT thinks of presenting
this to the Chambers as a concession forced from
England, and which will re-establish the balance of
concessions between the two countries."
The Funds fell considerably on Monday, owing to
various rumours on the Bourse. Among other re-
ports it was stated that thirty-six Members of the
Chamber of Deputies had resigned their seats in that
assembly, disgusted with the acquiescence of Minis-
ters in the demand of :England; and that a meeting
of Opposition Deputies is to be held to-night at the
residence of Al, pause to discuss the expediency of