The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-08 00:00:00

owners have had to; encounter difficulties in many
countries where they formerly found an advantageous
commerce. At Mexico our produce has been sud-
denly loaded with an increased duty. At the Brazils
the Custom-house officers have adopted a new mode
of measurement, so arbitrary that it has become im-
possible to land merchandise there without ruin to
the shipowner. At St. Domingo the tonnage duties
have been raised 100 per cent. At the United States
the maintenance of the tariff of 1842 prevents the
extension of all mercantile speculation. In Europe
commercial affairs are not on a better footing. Coun-
tries with which we traded Wave decreased their pur-
chases without any reasonable motive, and the Ger-
man markets have been closed against much of our
produce. To characterise our foreign commerce in
one figure, it may be asserted that in the year 1842
our exports diminished to the amount of 126,000,000 f. !
The returns for the year 1843 are not yet published,
but we are confident our exports during that year
have not equalled those of they ear 1841."
The Journal des Debats has a curious article on
the late doings of NARVAEZ and Co. It evidently
has no wish to blame them much for violating the
Constitution, provided only the plan could be made
to succeed. "Itis to be believed," says that Minis-
terial paper, " that the Progressist party would not
resign itself to such Platonic acts if it had any hope
of being able by any means of again throwing the
country into a state of agitation. But in the pro-
vinces, as well as in the capital, people are tired of
agitation. Catalonia, the permanent focus of insur-
rection, seems, by a strange anomaly, the part of the
kingdom the least disposed to incur the chances of civil
war. We certainly, at long intervals, hear reports of
the interminable siege of a small castle at Figueras,
the sound of which is smothered by the more noisy
debates in the Congress; but Barcelona has evidently,
for the moment at least, lost its taste for
bombardments, free battalions, and volunteers en
blouse, and seeks to raise its manufactures and its
commerce from the ruin into which they have
been thrown by so many disasters. This state of
tranquillity leaves to the Government the exercise of
its powers. Whilst the Opposition are making cate-
chisms, the Ministers are making laws. Already
hare they promulgated the law which re-organises
the ayuntamientos, or municipalities. This law, with
the exception of one provision relating to the nomina-
tion of Alcaldes by the, Crown, is the same as that
which was enacted by the Cortes in 1840, and in
favour of which the Progressist party voted. The
Government is also preparing a law on the provincial
deputations, another on the creation of a Council of
State, and again another on the electoral system. We
simply note the above facts, without speaking of them
with enthusiasm. We are not in any way disposed to
make light of constitutional regulations. We admit
and appreciate the good intentions of the Spanish
Ministry ; but to attempt to do well for a country
without the concurrence of its representatives must
ever appear to us to be playing a hazardous game
in a constitutional State. We do not wish
to discourage M. GONZALES BRAVO. We ac-
knowledge the weight of the reasons by which he
justifies the suspension of the Cortes. In the state
of excitation created by the debates on the conduct of
M. OLOZAGA, into which the public mind was thrown,
all serious discussions of affairs of State by the Con-
gress was almost impossible. The Opposition had
adopted a system calculated entirely to fetter the ac-
tion of the Administration, and sacrifice to the in-
terests of party the general interests of the country,
which imperiously demanded fundamental laws. The
constitutional Government is, truly, not on a bed of
roses—it is a Government of debate and contestation.
We are apprehensive the party—' Young Spain '—
which is in the actual possession of power, may prove
itself to be too young, and that to make experiments
of such a serious nature it would, perhaps, have been
more desirable that the Monarchy should have been
surrounded by men of riper years, and enjoying a
less disreputable authority. We are aware that
Spain is a country of exception. We wish, and are
willing to hope, that the policy of force majeure now
being followed by the Ministry, may have a happy
issue, and be absolved by a bill of indemnity. But
we cannot help regretting that these happy results
should have been obtained only by exceptional mea-
-1 sures, having need of absolution."

BOURSE—PARIS, SATURDAY, JAN. 6.
First Highest Lowest Last

Price. Piice. Price. Price.
French Five per Cents. 124 40... 124 40... 124 15... 124 15
Four per Cents 105 25... 105 25... 105 25... 105 25
Threes. B2 70... 82 70... 82 50.. 82 50
Bank of France 3205 ...3210 ...3205 ...3207 50
Laffitte Bank 5,000 f 5075 —.5075 ...5075
...5075
Belgian Fives, 1840 108/ ... 108/ ... 108 i 108/
1842 109 ... 109 109
... 109
Dutch 2/ per Cents 55/ ... 55/ ssi
... obi
Spanish Active
Passive
Portuguese Fives 441 ... 44/ ... 44/ ... 44/
Neapolitan
1 1 ... 104/
Roman ... 104/ ... 104 .. 104

RAILWAY SHARES.
Versailles, L. 8... .... 182 50... 183 75... 178 75... 182 50
Rouen
Rouen to Havre t,6o • 660 ... 645 ... 652 50
Orleans.
Strasburg to 8a1e... 213 75... 213 75... 213 75... 213 75
Avignon to Marseilles 672 50... 672 50... 660 ... 667 50
RAILWAY SHARES, FOR THE ACCOUNT.
Versailles, LB lBO ... 183 75... 180 ... 183 75
Rouen
Rouen to Havre— •. .• 642 50... 655 ... 642 50 .. 655
Orleans . 845 ... 845 ... 835
... 845
Strasburg to Bale 213 75... 213 75... 213 75... 213 75
Avignon to Marseilles 675 ... 675 ... 657 50 .. 668 75

His Grace the Duke of Wellington is expected to
arrive in town this day from Strathfieldsaye. The
Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived at his residence
in Downing-street this morning. Lord IVharncliffe,
Lord President, is expected to arrive in town in a
day or two.