The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-20 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE Three o' crock.

A curious correspondence has just been printed by
order of the House of Commons. It is entitled,
" Copy of a Letter addressed to the Earl of RIPON,
by Messrs. B. Moons and. Co., of Liverpool, praying
for leave • to import foreign sugars for agricultural
purposes and for fattening cattle ; with the Reply
of the Board of Trade to that appliCation.". These
gentlemen inform his Lordship that sugar can be
advantageously used for the purposes specified, inas-
much ar.3 it may now be obtained at from 13s. to 153. per
cwt., or about three halfpence per lb. They further add,
that they had just sold a cargo of 300 tons of Brazil
sugar, of fair quality; at 14s. 6d. per cwt., and that
they tendered to his Lordship another cargo of better
quality about to arrive at Plymouth for 15i, per cwt.
The President of the Board of Trade not being engaged
in that line of business, of course rejected the offer, and
the Privy Council to whom the subject was referred,
directed their Secretary to acquaint the applicants
that their Lordships could not recommend the adop- ,
tion of any such partial admission of foreign sugar.
Of course, they never expected their Lordships would,
but they have, nevertheless, done some service
by brivging these important facts before the public.
There it is proved that sugar of fair quality can be
sold for one-fifth of the price that the half-starved
poor of this country are now paying for it, so that, in
order to keep up the incomes of West India pro- '
prietors who have already pocketed from the public
purse twenty millions sterling, a tax of 400 per cent.
is to be raised on one of the great necessaries of life.
Sugar, next to bread, is the most important article of
consumption at the table of a poor family ; bread too
is heavily tatted, and tea another necessary is taxed
100 per cent. The upper and even the middling
classes are littfle affected by these imposts. The
load falls almost entirely on those least able to bear
it ; and when it is known, though not perhaps by our
rulers, that this unfortunate and hard-working class
are robbed, in addition to this, from 50 to 100 per-
cent. by means of false weights, false measures, and
not a little adulteration, the public need not wonder
that cries of distress are heard in every cottage.
Could such things be, if all who pay taxes had an in-
fluence, even in proportion to what they pay, in the
making of our laws, and especially those laws which
regulate the price of food ? Those who use false
weights and false measures, and who thus disobey
one of the great commandments, would then be com-
mitted to prison like felons, as they are ; the burden
of taxation would be proportioned to the ability to
pay; and even the rich themselves would find greater
security than they find with all the protection of
theyeethanry andthe.standingarmy, Let us hope, from
the- answer of the Privyr Council, that better measures
are in store, and as they cannot recommend a partial
admission of sugar, that they look forward to the time
when when it will be made general. European Go-
vernments aro laying additional duties on our pro-
duction's, and when the present treaty with Brazil ex-
pires the Government of that country, unless we
change our system, will imitate the example.

The Madrid' Journals of the 10th instant contain a
report of a most extraordinary debate in the Senate,
on the previous_ day, relative to the proposed commer-
cial treaty with England. The late President of the
Council, M. MoxzaLliz-, having denied the assertion
of Sir ROBERT PEEL in the House of Commons, that
a commercial treaty was in course of negotiation, M.
MAZLIANI, who conducted the negotiation with
the British Ambassador, felt it due to his honour.
to detail all the circumstances to the Senate, which
he did in such a way as to cover the. late Xinister
with infamy. He stated that at the end of December
last the British Minister 'received from his .Govern-
ment proposals for a commercial treaty with Spain.
They were read and approved by M. GoNzALEz, who
waited upon M. MARLIANI, requesting him to conduct
the negotiations, as the Minister himself had
not time. M. MARLIANI did so, and prepared a report
which filled 99 pages. He was, however, requested
by M. GONV.LEZ to keep the whole affair a profound
secret. The English Minister supplied the draught
of a Treaty, upon which M. MARLIANI proposed
fifteen amendments. In this state it was returned
to England, where all the amendments were adopted.
M. MARLIANI requested a Secretary to copy out his
Report and Treaty, and the Minister, named Don HA-
JABAT. Yet when the Treaty was ready to be
signed, M. GONZALEZ turned round and pretended that
he knew nothing about it, and that it had no existence !
After this expose the new Minister, the Count ALMA-
novAR, rose, and said that he believed M. GoNzaLcz, as
he Could:not find any papers about the Treaty in the,
office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. M. IN-
TAIITE, the ex-Home Minister, followed, and admitted
that there was such a Treaty, bUt that it had been
drawn up for the mere purpose of humbugging Eng-
land ! He thought M. MARLIANI might as well be
writing reports 'about commercial treaties with Eng-
land as anything else, and • so his colleague set him to
work to humbug Great Britain ! .

The KING of the FItII*CII. must 1-13 one of the
strongest-minded men in his dominions. So late as
yesterday an Express from Paris informs us that his
31AaiesTy had resolved to open the new Chambers in
persdn. The Regency Bill is already drawn up, and
although M. TIMES' organ, the Constitutionnel, com-
plained on Monday of the precipitancy of Ministen,
and darkly hinted that the little parodist of NAPO-
LEON intended to set up the Duchess of ORLEANS as
Regent in the room of the Duke de NEMOURS, it was
known yesterday that he had been persuaded to join
the friends of the Duke. 3L TRIERS had arrived- at
Neuilly on Sunday, and was at once admitted to the
Royal presence. What arguments were employed to
dissuade him from a course which would represent
France as by no means agreed upon the Regency
question, are of course unknown. Most likely they
were strengthened by 'the prospect of M. Tutrts'
appointment to fotne place in, the establishment of the
Ileir-Spparent, and a speedy restoration to office.
The Royal family of France continues in the ut-
most affliction. ',When the news of the death of the
Puke of OrmtANs was communicated to the King
and Queen of the BELGIANS, the cries of the QUEEN
were heai'd throue;hout the Palace of Lacken. Their
MAJESTIES arrived at six o'clock on Sunday evening
at the Palace at Neuilly, and were received on alight-
ing by the King awl Queen of the FRENCH. They
retired in tears to the Q,unEN's apartments, where
they. remained till retiring to rest. Deeply do we
pity the many trials of the poor Queen of the
FnENCu. Her's, indeed, is a lot which the poorest of
her subjects need not envy, and which nothing but a
firm reliance upon the goodness and mercy of GOD
could enable so affectionate a parent to sustain. ,
The'Regency question is tile of great difficulty.
We now
,have it stated for the first time in the
journals, that the Duke of NEMOURS is the least
popular of the. French Princes, and that he has not
the art of enchaining the affections of persons in close
intimacy with him. On the other hand, the Duchess
of OnLEANs is Ea,id to be a Princess of superior firm-
ness of mind, with all. the qualifications necessary for
acquiring unbounded unpopularity. Here are the
seeds of a world of fature intrigues, unless it should
please Heaven to spa7e the life of Louis PHILIPPE
till his grandson attain his majority. The late Duke
has left a will, which has been read in the Council
of Ministers. In it he recommends harmony among
_ -
his brothers, and speaks tenderly of his wife
and children, whom he recommends to the protection
of France. Would it not seem from this, that the
Duke:qctually had a presentiment of his early death'?
The will contains a clause, in which he reeommendo,