The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-21 00:00:00

DUTCH MAIL

THE HAGUE, MARCH 7.—The Minister of Finance
has published a notice, stating that the total amount of
the Treasury bonds issued by virtue of the laws of
Dec. 27, 1840, and June 19, 1843, still in circulation on
the first of this month, was 2,461,80011.
We observe, by the Amsterdam Stock list, that the
New Four per Cents. were sold on Saturday last at 100
for the first time since that stock was created.
THE HAGUE, MARCH 18.—The Government has pre-
sented to the Second Chamber a project of law for modi-
fying the budget of the national debate for 1844. This
budget, as modified, amounts to 35,790,941 florins 95
cents. The Government has given notice on this occa-
sion, that of the eighty millions of florins (in francs
169,312,000) of the Two-and a-Half per Cent. Debt
due by Belgium, only 6,420,000 florins had been
disposed of, and that consequently the remain-
ing sum of 155,765,800 francs had been negotiated
with Messrs. Rothschild at the rate of 60 per.
cent., which, by the reduction into francs, may be 601.
So that, with these 80 millions, a capital sum of
86,420,000 florins of the national debt at 2i per cent.
has been paid off._

Tho accounts from the rivers say that the water is
falling, but the ice is still quite firm, the frost being very
severe.

IIAMBURGIT, MARCH 14.—The ice in the Elbe is still
very firm in some places—two feet thick. Thermometer
to-day is at two degrees above zero.
A steamer was seen off Cuxhaven on the 13th, but
was obliged by the ice to put to sea again.—Ham-
bursh Borsenhalle, March 14.

DUTCH FUNDS.—AmsTsansm, MARCH 18.
Money. Bills.
Actual Debt, 2% per Cent.— .• •• • • 63% 64%
Ditto, 3 per Cent • • • •• 78% 79M
Ditto, 4 per Cent.• ••• •• ••• • •• 99% 100%
Ditto, 5 per Cent.. ... ..........
Amort Syndic, 4% per Cent
Ditto, 3% per Cent .. • • 93% 91%
Commercial Company, 4% per Cent • • 150% 151%
-Dutch Papers, March 19.

THE PREMIER'S DREAM.
(From Punch.)

Scene, Downing-street, the PREMIER, in the garb of
RICHARD THE THIRD, on a sofa, with a tapestried
window at the back.
(Six figures are seen to pass at the back, each of which in

turn addresses the PREMIER.)
FIRST FIGURE (a small Tradesman).
Let my approach Tour soul with anguish fill,
See my small profits, my exhausted till;
Feel thou the pain which now my bosom racks,
A wretched victim to your income-tax.
SECOND FIGURE ( a briejless Barrister).
Another martyr, Peel, behold in me,
Without a brief--almost without a fee ;
Briefless I am, but so would not appear;
I pay the tax on what I do not clear.
THIRD FIGURE (a lean curate).
Alas! you're made me feel what I endure;
Mine is a wound, but not without a cure.
Out of that cure an income-tax I give;
If I've no living, how am I to live?
FOURTH FIGURE (a half-pay Captain).
Peel, my allowance could not be well shorter ;
To my half-pay why will you give no quarter ?
FIFTH FIGURE (a poor Widow).
Why dig your hands into poor widow's purses ?
But, with the widow's sevenpence, take her curses.
SIXTH FIGURE (a poor Artist).
E'en the poor artist is compelled to give
Out of the means on which he scarce can live.
'Tis hard the income-tax on him to lay,
Whom even princely patrons poorly pay.
[The figures all vanish, the PREMIER
starts up, rushes to thefrant of the stage,
looks round, and sees nothing.
THE PREMIER.
'Twas but an idle vision fill'd my brain:
Shadows, avaunt! ROBERT'S himself again.
[He begins making some calculations
about the Sugar Duties, and the scene
closes in.]