The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-22 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY SKETCH BOOK.

The present number of this delightful periodical is
quite equal in interest and variety to any of its prede-
cessors. The illustrations increase in beauty every
month. The view of the entrance to New York is a
perfect gem.

ECONOMY; OR, A PEEP AT OUR NEIGH.

BOUItS.

Our neighbours referred to here are the good people
of Guernsey, a place, says the author, where you can
live on 3001. a year, sumptuously, and on 2001. a year
sparingly. This, it must be admitted, is a very imper-
fect des•miption of what may be considered sufficient for
domestic expenditure. In this country, which some
people say is the dearest in the world, many thousands
live not sparingly but very comfortably on 2001. a year,
and many on a less income ; but the mystery is soon
cleared up by a statement which all can understand, for
in Guernsey, she adds, 3001. a year will go as far as
1,0001. in Englaud. It appears, however, there are
some little drawbacks. " /No one keeps their (his) car-
riage—the thing is rare—a sort of show—a Mr. Sams
driving into town, cven to see such a thing, an airing in
a fly, where you can vic.y your bounds all round, is
really quite sufficient for a drive." And then people lose
their taste for wine when they become naturalised—
" the gusto disappears." This many would consider a cala-
mity, for which no cheapness could compensate, and but
few Englishmen, we suspect, will risk the experiment.
Here is another drawback :--
"At the drapers we find every thing dear. They get their
goods from England, and the carriage of such goods is no doubt
carried out in the price of them ;—and beside this, there is
little taste, and less choice, to be found in any of these es-
tablishments : they are, in short, inferior sort of shops al-
together to those of the same class we meet with in England.
.‘ The thing which you expect to find at every turn—a
French shop—and a French person—is the greatest rarity to be
seen in the island. At first we fell into the same mistake com-
mitted by most of the new-comers; and misled by the foreign
look of the people behind the counters, we addressed them in
French : and, frightful to say ! at the same time our re-
marks upon them in English."
Wo may add, the place is noted for its excellence in
fish, such as turbot, brill, and mullet, but they are not so
reasonable as on the coast of Devon, and salmon, which
sells at Teigninouth for sevenpence the pound, costs in
Guernsey one shilling and threepence. Butcher-meat is
not cheaper than in England. Where, then, is the eco-
nomy ? The following extract shows that the mode in
which taxes are raised is not the most agreeable
The Queen's revenue consists of the great tithes of all
corn, grain, and flax, the growth of the island, and in some
parts the chart:part is also levied—first the tenth sheaf for tithe
end the eleventh for champart, when the fief belongs to the
crown: chempart implies that part reserved by the lords of the
manor and fiefs, by way of chief rent, which is generally let
out or farmed at certain rates by private individuals. The chief
rents, and rents paid in corn and money, with the customs,
anchorage, tonnage on vessels, wrecks at sea, amercementa of
court, forfeitures in estates, goods, chattles, &c., constitute the
chief revenues of the crown in Gurnsey."