The Sun.
London, England, 1820-06-13 00:00:00

square.

. .
The Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne gate another
grand entertainment yesterday to the Duke and Duchess of
Hamilton, Earl Minto, Lord and Lady Ehrington, Lord
Clifton, Lord Saudon, Lord Fitzharris, Mr. Luttrell, Mr.
Rogers, Mr. Fazakcrly, ex. at Lansdowne. place, Berkeley-
square.

Countess NVemys cave a splendid ball yesterday evening at
the Royal Hotel, St. James's-street, which was very elegantly
attended.

ARItIvALS.—Lord De Clifford, at his house is Bruton-
street, Berkeley-square,• from his sent, Kings Weston, near
Bristol ; the Marquis of Exeter, at Thomas's Hotel, Berke-
ley-square, from a tour; Colonel G. Smith, at the London
Hotel, Albemarle-street, from a tour; Owen Wynne, Esq.
M. P., at the Pniteney Hotel, Piccadilly, from Ireland ;
Alexander Murray, Esq. at ditto, from. Tunbridge Wells;
Lady Eleanor Lindsey, at the Claremont Hotel, pond-street,
from France.

DEPARTURES —The Earl of Essex, from his !intik. in Hill-
street, Berkeley-square, to his seat Cashiobury Essex;Park,
Earl Lisburne and Lord Vaughan, from the Prince Saxe
Coburg; Mite!, Charles•street, Groseenor-square, to Paris;
Colonel Frazer and Captain Hobert Hay, from the London
Hotel, Albemarle-street, to Sir John Hay, Bart.'s seat in
Scotland.

The Court ot Paris on Friday last con-
firmed the sentence of rite Court ot Correctional
Police against Sir JAMBS CBA, FORD. which con-
demned him to six months' imprisonment:
Mr. YOUNG is new making a professional tour
ro the North. He was ro commence an engage.
molt at the Durham Theatre, in the character of
Hamlet, yesterriAV evening.
The stores of the cellars and the larder at Wynnstay, were
immediately thrown open, on the arrival of the account of the
delivery of Lady Charlotte Wynn of a son and heir, since
which time the rejoiciugs in the not then, Counties of Wales
hate been continued.
In consecinence of the outrages of the mob in
breaking skindows in tht west end of the town,
the streets are traversed at night by patroles of
Ilnrse Guards. A detachmet,t paint' up the
traud hut nig4t Dint o'clock.

FOR THE SUN.

ON THE RECENT PETITIONS FOR A FREE TRADE

(No. I V.)
M. EDITOR,—We have had ages of Gold, Si

ver, Brass, and Iron, and seem- now to have cot
into the age of Experiment. In Natural Philo-
sophy and Chemistry, this may do very well ; and
‘rhether we attempt to dissipate the diamond by
fire, or to transfuse the blood of the calf in:o the
veins of the sheep, the danger of failure presents
no impediment to the man of science.

Bait it is nor so in Political Economy—there
the risk of failure presents, or ought to present,
us will) tile necessity of ascertaining the conse-
quences of an unsuccessful experiment, arid nor

only its cons•-quences, but its accompanying cir-
cumstances, whilst the matter of experiment is in
the crucible, lest it get so hot that, before the
process can be stopped, we should burn our
6nizers !

In Political Chemistry, before we dissipate the
Diamond, we must be certain of our ability to
collect and restore its scattered elements ; in Po-
litical Anatomy, we most he on our guard not to
infuse the blood of our own calf into the veins of
our neighbour's sheet►, lest the young BULL die
under what will become to hint, literally, an ex-
pe,imentum (-fuels !

In plain English, Mr. Editor, we must not
hreAlc no a c.douial Trade, to see what will he

the results of a Foreien one until we are certain
that we can collect its fragments, and remould
dim into a whole ; nor even 'hen, if our poli-
tical diamond is to lose by the experitnent—vve
must riot transfuse the ativanta,zeg of our Colo-
Gimmerre into the Ships and Coffers of our

'European rivals, until we are certain that we can
spare what we must inevitably lose ourselves ; nor
even then, if in doing so we shall increase the
tisk Whenever they choose to become our enemies.
St. MARTIN himself, the very Saint of Liberality,
only gave I.alf his cloak ; but we are now asked
more—to give half the cloak from our own

backs, and to strip our children in the Colonies.
In fact, Sir, even if such palpable political
risk co►►ld at any time he prudent, this is surely
not the moment to interfere rashly with our large
cud wide snreAding interests. Of existing (14 •
culties we have enough to contend with ; and

is not the distant, even though certain prospect
of an ultimate gond, that ought to induce us to
meddle incautiously with our Commerciai Fabric,
xhich is only settling upon its new foundatiOn.—
Ar preient, it is but a house of cards at child's
play : take away one, it totters, trembles, falls,
leaving us our cards in- confusion, but perhaps
with the knaves uppermost
But, to waive all metaphor, I must observe,
that as in my former communications I have
gone at some length into the various details of
'his subject, SO is it my intention to do, now
that I. resume it, At present, however, I shall
content myself with more general observation, to
spew to my fellow.emmtrymen of all classes, to
politicians of all parties, that this is not a' mere
insulated question bet ween the Shipping Interests
and the Baltic Merchant, or between the spirit of
Our ancient British Shipping Laws andihe Genius
of Modern Liberality, but actually strikes at the
very vitals of general interests of tbe. Empire,
and more particularly at some of those in which
national enthusiasm has, recently, been • most
warmly engaged.l
must first premise, as I now hope to gain
some readers beyond those immediately affected
by changes in commercial policy, that our pre-
sent system has existed upwards of 200 years, tin-
der a course.of never-failing experiment, during
which our Shipping and Navigation in general have
progressively -increased, 'adding- to the strength,
prosperity,
,and safety of the Empire; and I will
ask, shall tve• risk any branch of this for an un-
certain good, especially when we know that spe-
cific loss is certain under the meat favourable
results ?
Shall we suffer ourselves to be led to this by
loud clamour about liberality—by assertions that
our restrictive system has been the example, and
not the consequence, in some measure of foreign
restrictions ? Or, even for a moment granting
that to be the case, shall we be so infatuated as
to believe that any change in our existing policy
would be met with commensurate liberality by
Rival Powers ?
But, to leave the Timber Trade for the present
as an insulated question, it must be recollected
!hat if we open our ports, by lowering the Baltic
Dillies., it is not on Timber alone that these du-
ties must be relaxed ; our boon Will be consi-
dered as nothing, and merely for our oven imme-
diate interests, it we do not extend the principle
to every other branch of Baltic produce.
I will ask, then, of those connected will the
English and Scottish Sailcloth Manufacturers, are
they prepared;_to meet SWED6,I in the home mar-
ket ? It they are not, then they must, consider
this as a question connected with their vital in-

terests.
I will ask chase connected with.our 'Newfound-
land Fisheries, with our Portugal and Italian
Trade, are they prepared to submit quietly to a
system, whose first effects will be to throw the
whole of the Fishing Trade into the hands of the
United Sates ? Must I remind them how much
chcler Ainericit VAU supply her k lib wilco with