The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-15 00:00:00

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%411

LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1844.

The conduct of Mr. DUNCOMBE, on this occasion,
deserves every praise. We have adverted to the
subject in a separate article.
The House went into Committee on the Sugar
Duties Bill, when Mr. MILEs, the Member for Bristol,
moved the following amendment, on the first clause
being proposed :—" That from and after the 10th
day of November, 1844, the duty upon sugar, the
produce of British possessions, be reduced to 20s.
the hundred weight ; and that the duties on sugar,
certified to be the growth of China, Java, or Manilla,
or of any foreign country, the sugar of which her
MAJESTY in Council shall have declared to be admissi-
ble, as not being the produce of slave labour, shall
be as follows—namely, brown, Muscovado, or clayed,
the cwt. 305.; white clayed, or sugar otherwise pre-
pared, and equivalent to white clayed sugar, the cwt.,
345., with five per cent. thereon."
Mr. BAILEY seconded the amendment.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opposed the
amendment, and contended that, taking every cir-
cumstance into account, the measure proposed by the
Government was not adverse to the interest of the
Colonies.

Mr.LAnoucuEßE condemned, in several respects, the
Government measure. It was ostensibly founded on the
principle of excluding slave-grown sugar, which was
impossible, while they offended their best customers
merely to keep up a hypocritical pretence.
Other Members addressed the Committee, when the
House divided, and Mr. P. MUM' amendment was
carried by a majority of 20 ; the numbers being 241
for it, and 221 against it.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of,
and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Two o'clock.

The discussion upon Mr. MILES'S announced
amendment upon the new scheme of Sugar Duties,
brought forward by her MAJESTY'S Government,
has been looked to with great anxiety by all
parties—in and out of Parliament. It took place,
accordingly, in a full House (of 466 Members) last
night, and resulted in what must be considered a
great defeat of Ministers. But it should be clearly
understood (and the more so, as most of our
Morning Contemporaries seem to have fallen
into some error on this point), that the division
of last night did not affirm Mr. MILES'S amend-
ment. Upon that, a vote remains still to be
taken ; for, as Lord HowlcK carefully expounded the
question for the information of Hon. Members, the
question to be put by the Chairman (and so entered in
the printed " Votes" delivered out this morning) was,
" that the words proposed" (by the amendment of
Mr. MILES) " to be left out of the first clause" (of the
Government Bill) " stand part of the clause." On this
question there divided, Ayes, 221; Noes, 241, leaving
the Government in a minority of 20. After the an-
nouncement of this division (which was greeted by
the Opposition with much cheering), and when the
House had resumed, Sir ROBERT PEEL gave notice
that the first business of the House on Monday next
should be to proceed further with the Committee,
in which he would announce the intentions of her
MAJESTY'S Government on this most important subject.
The Government proposition, it will be remembered,
was to reduce the duty on foreign sugar, not being
the product of slave labour, to 345. per cwt. (The
duty under 1 and 2 Victoria, cap. 33, was 3/. 3s. per
cwt.) The machinery of certificates, by which the
Chancellor of the Exchequer appeared to imagine that
it would be possible to secure the fulfilment of this
condition of free labour, whicg was made the prelimi-
nary of the admission of such foreign sugar, was
much distrusted and even ridiculed in former debates.
We have endeavoured to show, in former articles,

that any sugars supplied under this reduction of duty
by the United States, even assuming the genuine-
ness of their free labour production, would be
assuredly replaced either in the home consump-
tion or the export trade of America by slave-
grown sugar to the same extent. It will be per-
ceived that this impression is now generally enter-
tained. But Mr. MILES'S amendment proceeds not
so much on the principle of effectually discouraging
slave labour in the production of sugar (an object
which he also is apparently very doubtful of seeing
accomplished, for the same reasons as we have just
assigned), as on the principle that the alteration of
the duty on foreign produce to 345. renders it indis-
pensable for the protection, nay, the existence, of
our West India interest, to reduce the duties on Bri-
tish West India sugar to 20s. per cwt. The other
modifications of duty which this gentleman proposes
may be collected from the terms of his amendment :
" That from and after the 10th day of November, 1844, the
duty upon sugar, the produce of British possessions, be re-
duced to 20s. the cwt. ; and that the duties on sugar, certified
to be the growth of China, Java, or Manilla, or of any foreign
country, the sugar of which her Majesty in Council shall have
declared to be admissible, as not being the produce of slave
labour, shall be as follows—namely, brown, muscovado, or
clayed, the cwt., 30s. ; white clayed, or sugar otherwise pre-
pared, and equivalent to white clayed sugar, the cwt., 345.,
with 5 per cent. thereon."

The debate was very ably sustained ; but we really
think that Mr. MILES'S supporters had the best of it
in every way. The benefit of his amendment would be
by no means inconsiderable to the consumer, and is
sufficiently low, as to its scale of protection to the
West India body, to have elicited much grumbling
from some of its members in the House, as they
carefully qualified, with this unsavoury element,
their support. The Hon. Gentleman himself de-
livered a very animated address, commencing it by
reminiscences of the Premier's past promises to his
party, and subsequent acts, which we can imagine to
have been anything but palatable to Sir Ronzaz--
whose temper, by the bye, is represented to have be-
come acclimatised to the 'Vest Indian weather of last
night —after the announcement of the numbers.

Mr. MILES complained with good reason, that upon
the only feasible means of rescuing our plantations
from absolute ruin for want of hands, namely, the
immigration of free labourers, large and abundant
professions of their readiness to permit and promote it
had been made by Government; but nothing, or almost
nothing, carried into effect. On this subject we have
written so often and so earnestly in The Sun, that we
merely quote this confirmation of our opinions, reserv-
ing other comments which we have to offer on the un-

fairness, if not impolicy, of the boon of a reduced duty
to the production of Java to a future opportunity.
But we think we may congratulate the British con-
sumer on the certain prospect of his ere long obtain-
ing sugars of all qualities at a considerale reduction
on their present cost to him.

In the Commons last night Air. T. DUNCOMBE
brought forward a subject of vast importance to the
community. In some foreign States it has been the
practice to open letters at the Post-office, to pry into
the secrets of private life, and to obtain information
by stealth, which may, for some State purpose, or
some selfish private purpose. be used against indi-
viduals ; but in this country, till under the rule of Sir
JAMES GRAHAM as Home Secretary, such a breach of
confidence, except in the worst times, never was ,

contemplated. When a man puts a letter into the
post-office here, he confidently believes he puts it
into a secure place ; he believes the communi-

cations he makes to his family and friends will not be
read either by Postmaster-General, or penny post-
man, or Secretary of State, and that no human being
will venture to break a seal which has hitherto, in
this free' country, been regarded as sacred as the
door of his private residence—denominated by the law
of the land, his castle. But it appears Englishmen
are subject to as tyrannical proceedings as the most
barbarous serfs of Russia. No letter put into
the Post-office is safe. It is opened and read by

the authorities ; if they think proper, it is detained,
and perhaps destroyed, at the will and pleasure of
an informer, or to gratify the malignant and jealous
spirit of some man in office. The fact was

L.lttle business was done in the House of Lords
last ecening. In answer to a question from Lord
MINTO, relative to parochial schools in Scotland, the
Earl of JIADDINGTON said the attention of the
Government had been turned to the subject, and next
session some measure would be introduced to grant
better remuneration to schoolmasters in Scotland.

last night openly admitted by the Secretary of
State for the Home Department. He admitted that he
had issued a warrant for opening and detaining a letter,
but that warrant had since been withdrawn—in other
words, he had opened a letter without just grounds,
and had been compelled to withdraw the warrant,
because he had acted improperly. On being further
questioned, he refused to give any explanation. He
called the SPEAKER to his aid, who possibly acted in
accordance with the rules cf the House, and would
have quashed the discussion but for the ready vigour
and flee spirit displayed by the Member for Finsbury,
Mr. DUNCOMBE, who on a subject so interesting to free
men, was not to be put down by the decision of the
SPEAKER, or the stern, dry rules of the House. When
the SPEAKER bad decided against any further discussion,
as the motion was not a matter of urgent necessity,
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE claimed his right to address the
[Louse, and made a motion which entitled him to

The Bill introduced by the Bishop of EXETER, for
the suppression of immoral houses, was read a second
time. The brief conversation which took place on
th:l occasion will be found very edifying, though not
suite to the liking of the Dean and Chapter of West-
minster. The House adjourned at Half-past Seven.
In the Commons, leave was given to bring in a
Bill to make a railway between Dublin and Cashel.
After the presentation of several petitions, Mr. T.
DITNCOMBE presented petitions from W. J. LINToN,
WILMA: NI LOVETT, JOSEPH MazziNl, and others,
complaining of the detention and opening of their
letters at the Post-office, and prayimg for redress.

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 15, 1844.

doing was, that scarcely anything was then
known about railroads, and that no company had,
at that period, come forward to take part in
their execution. Since then, two great compa-
nies had sprung into existence, and had executed the
Rouen and Orleans lines. He had also another mo-
tive—that they then "possessed a milliard, which had
since been expended in increasing their naval and
military strength, and in supporting for some time a
considerable army. If they had a similar sum at
present, he should side with the Hon. Gentleman's
views."

After speeches for and against the amendment the
general discussion closed, and a vote of 54,000,000 f.
was taken for commencing the line between Tours
and Bourdeaux.

On Thursday the French Funds had improved.
The Three per Cents. closed at 82f. 70c. , and the
Fives at 122 f. 20c.

THE BOURSE-THURSDAY, JUNE 13.
First Highest Lowest Last
Price. Price. Price. Price.
French Five per C mita • ••• • • 122 10 .. 122 15 .. 122 .. 122
Four per Cents. lOB 30 108 30 .. 108 20 .. 108 20
Three per Cents•• •• • 82 55 .. 82 60 .. 82 55 .. 82 60
Bank of France
Lailitte Bank, I,ooof. Sharesll32 50 ..1132 50 . • 1132 50 ..1132 50
5,000 f. Sharesslos —5105 ..5105 ..5105
Belgian Bank.. •••••• • • • • • • 660 .. 660 • • 660 .. 660
Belgian Fives, 1831.•
1840 •••• • • • • 1051 .. 1051 .. 105/ • . 1051
1842 •••• • • • • 1091 ••• 1091 • • 1091 .. 1091
Spanish Active •••••• • • • • • • 301 ••301 301
Threes •••••• • • • • • • 34i • • 341 • • 34* .. 34/
Portuguese Five per Cents • • 46; .. 461 .. 461 .. 46f
Neapolitan • •••• • • • • • 99 70 .. 99 70 .. 99 60 .. 99 60
Roman
RAILWAY SHARES.
St. Germain • • • • • • • • • • 1185 885 .. 885 .. 885
Versailles, •• ••••• • • • • 372 • 372 50 .. 375 .. 370 .. 372 50
248 75 • • 248 75 .. 245 .. 247 50
Rouen ••.••••.••
Rouen to Havre.. ••••• • • • • • 750 .. 750 .. 742 50 .. 742 50
Orleans .................•• 960 .. 960 .. 950 .. 955
Strasburg to Bale • • • • • • • • • • 237 50 .. 237 50 • • 236 25 .. 236 25
Avignon to Marseilles— •• • • 748 75 .. 758 75 .. 748 75 • 750
• ----

- - -
RAILWAY SHARES FOR 15Th JUNE.
St. Germain 875 .. 675 .. 870 .. 870
Versailles, MB— •• •• •• •• 372 50 .. 375 .. 372 50 372 50
L.B•• •• •• •• •• •• 250 .. 250 .. 245 .. 245
Rouen .............• •• •• •• 940 * .. 947 50 . 938 75 .. 945
Rouen to Havre•—• ••. ..... 755 .. 755 .. 740 .. 742 50
Orleans . 965. .. 965 .. 950 .. 957 50

Strasburg t08a1e.......... 240.
Avignon to Marseilles.— •• 748

•• 240
•• 755

•• 233 75 .. 235
•• 747 60 ....750

THIS DAY'S NEWS.

The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by
their august visitor, the King of Saxony, and at-
tended by the royal suite, returned to Buckingham
Palace this day fr-om Claremont.

A Cabinet Council was held at one o'clock this af-
ternoon at the Foreign-office, Downing-street. All
the Ministers attended.

MONEYAND COMMERCIAL NEWS.
CITY, QUARTER TO TIIREE.
The transactions in Cotton, at Liverpool, yesterday, were
rather extensive, amounting to 6,000 bales, at steady prices.
There was a stronger market for Grand Junction and Bir-
mingham Shares. Eastern Counties, 11/ ; Grand Junction,
217 ; Belfast Junction, 31. 1 ls. ; Leeds and Bradford,
21. Bs. 6d. ; Birmingham, 219 ; Ditto, Thirds, 36 ; Brighton,
47j ; Manchester and Birmingham, 57j ; and Leeds, 107 ;
Midland Counties, 931; Bicester, 37 ; Paris and Lyons, 3i ;
Ditto and Orleans, 38j ; Orleans and Tours, 2i ; Lyons and
Avignon, 21.35. ; Paris and Strasburg, 2i.
The American advices received yesterday read tolerably
well; but we apprehend, from all we hear, that the domestic
manufacturers of the States are supplying a very large pro-
portion of the home consumption. In the Canadian produce
markets, ashes had declined considerably upon the advices
per Britannia, and flour was dull, owing chiefly to the firm-
ness of the holders, in the face of the rather discouraging
accounts from England.
It is justly a matter for congratulation, that the commerce
of New Brunswick, so long and seriously depressed, is likely
to revive. A party writing from St. John's states :
" As soon as the navigation opens, business of all kinds
must take a start. The merchant from above will be down
for supplies, which are generally pretty well exhausted by
the spring, and new life and animation will pervade all classes
and conditions among us. Then, again, on the left hand side,
we shall have the spring fleet coming into port, some laden
with merchandise, and others less richly freighted, to carry away
the staple articles of the country for the English market.
We likewise have reason to believe that a new field of enter-
prise will be opened this summer, by some of our merchants
in the prosecution of our fisheries, since the Legislature has
been so liberal in affording means of encouragement. If this
business be entered upon with anything like spirit there will
be no lack of employment for the labourer, as well
as the fisherman. All have enough to do. Nova Scotia
employs 10,000 persons in the fisheries. In fact, it is this
business that maintains that province, in a commercial point
of view. A stranger to go round the wharves in Halifax, would
have undeniable proof of this fact, for during the greater part
of the year, the wharves, one and all, we had almost said, are
literally strewed with fish, drying in the sun ; and hundreds
of labourers employed in attending—in turning, gathering,
packing, screwing, and in fact shipping them for the West
India markets. This business likewise gives employment to
coopers and carpenters, in the manufacture of hogsheads and
boxes. Why should not our wharves present something of
this aspect?
" Again, the ship-building business will revive ; this like-
wise must be attended to; we must not lose sight of the
substance in trying to grasp at the shadow. Even
though other inducements be held out for the encou-
ragement of industry, the ship-yards must not be de-
serted. They have hitherto given employment to thou-
sands; they have been the strong means of building the
city, and spreading the name of our people far and wide, as a
people possessing an enterprising and commercial spirit, and
worthy of the land that gave them birth. Let our ship-
yards, then, be re-opened. Let our lumberers attend to their
occupations—our farmers to theirs. In short, let no business
be deserted."
We are happy to hear that when the Britannia left, some
of these favourable anticipations had already been realised.
The determination of Sir Robert Peel, it appears, is, to
adhere to his Bank Bill, as printed, unless Parliament
force him into modifications.
The division on the Sugar question having
gone against the Ministry, has had no effect upon
the value of the funds, although rather unexpected.
Consols for the opening have realised 98 to being full rates.
Exchequer Bills have been marked 745. to 765. premium,
which are again rather better prices. Bank Stock is 197 i to
1981 ; and the Reduced Three-and-a-Half per Cents. have
been 1011 to
An improvement has occurred in the value of Spanish
Stock, the Five per Cents. being 23 to j, and the Three per
Cents. 341 1. Mexican Bonds have been also better, as the
accounts per Britannia advise the subsiding of the Texas an-
nexation excitement. The quotations are 34i to Portuguese
Converted Bonds have been steady at 47 ; Colombian are
13 to 121; and Peruvian, 27 ; Dutch and Belgian Bonds
maintain their value.

The Railways are steady, with the exception of the South
Western and the French lines, which droop a little; Great
Western and Birmingham are at full rates.
BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
(From the Official List.)
Bank Stock 197% 128%
8 er Cent. Reduced Annuities
giper Cent. Annuities, 1818 lO2
per Cent. Reduced Annuities 1098133,%%
Consols for Account
Exchequer Bills, I%d. 136 d
1 0001..1.
......, ...... ..........
.."•„."" 75 pm.
Ditto 5mai1"........ ..."""""•'..... 75 pm.
Ditto Advertised "
,_— pm.
FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Belgian Bonds, 5 per Cent 103%
Buenos Ayres Bonds, 6 per Cent ......... .....- 36
Columbian Bonds. l3 12%
Mexican Bonds, 1837, 5 per Cent.
.... ........ J 341
Ditto for the Account,
%34
Ditto Deferred Stock 8414
Peruvian Bonds, 6 per Cents. 27
Spanish Bonds, Five per Cent 1840 .........
Ditto Deferred l3
Ditto Three per Cent. —
Ditto for the Account
34 s
Dutch 2% per Cents ...... .............. ........ .
Dutch 5 per Cents ......... .. ...................».r lOO k
PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ONE.
RAILWAYS. PAID. PIER SHARE.
Chester and Holyhead. ........... ... 5
Chichester and 8right0n............ 6
Dublin and Cashel 2% ... ... 5%
Great Western
Ditto 36 Shares
78
to 77%
Ditto Fifths l2 . ..... ... 823 i% ... to
London and Birmingham lOO .218 to
Dit,o %.Shares '2 ..... .... 25 .. to
London and Brighton .......
London and South Western 41% ...... 8514% ... to
Newcastle and DarlingtonJunct 2l ... ...... 43%
Northern and Eastern 45 57)4% ... to ._North Midland
Ditto Thirds 2l/. 138. 4d. 3l ..... .... to
South Eastern and Dover 323fs
Ditto New
ts
York and North,Midland .........50 .... ..... 119%
Ditto 34 Shares .................».. 25
Paris and Orleans ........ 2O •••• ..... 38 -••••••••• to 37% it
tarisand,R•uen ..... ........--..... 21 ..... —.. sa% ...„, to so
or Mans, Tours, and Bordeaux... .... ..... IM%
PRICES OF IRISH STOCKS, Jtnin IS.
-

3 per Cent. Consols
08%
Three and a Half Stock lOl%
Ditto New, 1830 lO2
316 per Cent. Debentures 94
Bank Stock —
Grand Canal Stock 13%
Grand Canal Debentures, 6 per Conk
LAST PRICES OF SHARES.
RAILWAYS. PAID. PER Slugs.
Dublin and K. Road
Drogheda 55
Dublin and Cashel ditto 2%
Hibernian sank 25 3
National Bank
Royal Bank
National Insurance 25 36
Patriotic ditto
Wicklow Copper Mines
City of Dublin Steam Company lOO lOO
British and Irish Steam Company ... 50
Steam Ship Building. Company
MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, JUNE 14.—We cannot
report any improvement to-day. Edinburgh and Glasgow,
66i ; Manchester and Leeds, 107 ; Manchester and Birming-
ham Quarters, 4A premium.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-( THIS DAY.)
LONDON, JUNE 15.—Wind this day at noon, light north-
westerly breeze, and fine.
DEAL, JUNE 14.—Wind, A.M., W.N.W., moderate;
W., fresh ; 9 p.m., W.N.W., light.—Arrd Corsair, Grieg, Port
Adelaide ; Columbia, Bombay ; Louisa, Munro, Ceylon ; Iris,
Fisher, St. Helena. Sld. Princess Alice Maude, Halifax.
PORTSMOUTH, JUNE 14.—Wind W. to W.N.W.—Arrd.
Lion, London for Calcutta ; Westminster, London for New
York.

COWES, JUNE Lt.—Arrd. Coverdale, Benson, Bahia; Tele-
graph, Alder, and Amo, Havannah.
PLYMOUTH, JUNE 14.—Arrd. Kerswell, Newport for Bos-
ton, with loss of mainmast.
GLOUCESTER, JUNE 14.—Sid. Lord Stanley, St. Jago de
Cuba.

FALMOUTH, JUNE 14.—Wind N.W., fresh.—Arrd. Theresa,
Rio for Hamburgh ; Henrietta, Surinam for Amsterdam ;
Margaret Parker, Tobago; Johann Julius, Porto Rico for
Altona ; Catalina, Havannali for Antwerp; George Stevens,
New Orleans for Amsterdam ; Isaac Hicks, New Orleans for
llavre ; Hansa, and Mary Phillips, New York—both for
Hamburgh.
MILFORD, JUNE 13 —Arrd. Venilia, Sierra Lecne. The
Margaret, Rees, from Porthcawl to Waterford, sprang a leak
and foundered in St. Bride's Bay yesterday ; crew saved.

TIIE SHIPPING INTEREST.—Shipping to a value
exceeding 40,0001. has, it is said, changed owners at the port
of Sunderland within the last month.