The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING,
,FEBRITARY 28, 1845.

slave-grown sugars ; repacking, or otherwise preparing
them in their warehouses, and then bringing them into our
London or West India Docks, or into the Ports of Liver-
pool or Bristol, or Greenock, as veritable, genuine free-
labour grown ? And will the evil--(for we conscien-
tiously admit the extension of slave labour to be in itself
an enormous evil, whilst we doubt if its eatirpabilify)—
s ill the evil stop here ? By no means. The vacuum
created_in the supply necessary for the consumption of
the countries which have re-exported this slavery-tainted
sugar to us, will be supplied by the enforced increase of
production in the slave states of its original growth.
We are now discussing the question of dicriminating
duties only ; and are therefore not called upon here to
enter into this larger and more serious part of the
question, " how to reconcile the just and reasonable
demands for cheap sugar of our highly-taxed British con-
sumer, with the progress of negro emancipation." It is
enough to show with how much reason Lord J. Rossinn
denominates the attempted distinction of origin to be
" impracticable and Magary." We have seen, that so
far us regards the protection to our West India
planter, which the discriminating duty levied on foreign
sugars imported here, extends to him, it is, pro tint),
a grievous tax on the home consumer, and therefore an
" evil." This evil might be alleviated, in his estima-
tion, if it could be shown that it carried with
it undoubted tendencies to diminish the exten-
sion of slavery. But if, instead of these pro-
perties, the Ministerial proposition works rather
to encourage the cruel practice of agrestic slavery, it is,
as his Lordship forcibly puts it, an " aggravation of the
evil," at his expense, who, of all the world, has made the
noblest and most costly sacrifices to blot it out of the list
of those fearful crimes which civilization, in some regions
of the world, has not yet had courage or virtue enough to
abjure and abandon ! The third defect imputed by his
Lordship's amendment to the Ministerial plan, is, that it
goes so largely to diminish the revenue, as to make it
very doudtful whether, at the end of three years,
the property and income-taxes can be removed—(as
Government pretends to assume they will be). If, in
our repeated protests against the tax thus indicated, we
had wanted an argument to enforce our demonstration
of its impolicy, its injustice, its terrible improvidence,
this branch of the Noble Lord's resolution would have
supplied us with it. Vote an income-tax, and the Mi-
nister will immediately set himself to consider, not so
much what portions of the fiscal revenue can be re-
mitted with the greatest immediate advantage to the
community at large, and the least practicable disturb-
ance to organised interests, as those which may offer to
his choice the most tempting aspects of an immediate
popularity resulting from their repeal. Our own opinion
is, that without the income and property-tax, continued
as they are to be, by an unheard-of stretch of Minis-
terial influence on the one hand, and public credulity or
apathy on the other, in the thirtieth year of profound
peace, for three years to come, without those odious
imposts the Minister would have been compelled to
mature and carry through a far more large,
sweeping, and )1 t productive measure of com-
mercial and fiscal reform, in the same direc-
tion, indeed, with the bold advanees towards free
trade, which the Premier must be allowed to
have made,—but to a point much nearer that which it
it is essential to the maintenance of the national pros
perity >should be attained. The difficulties that beset
the isolated question of the Sugar Duties present an in-
structive lesson to statesmen on the danger of embark-
ing upon round abstract principles, and attempting then to
trim their timid course upon them by half and ill assorted
measures. The question for the present, however, ap-
pears to be settled by the division of last night. The
Minister had a large majority, and two motions on the
subject have thus been disposed of. We fear the only
remaining one will meet the same fate, and the public
will thus be robbed of the advantages which they had
been led to expect from the opening speech of Sir Ro-
BERT PEEL.

Madrid journals of the 19th publish some particulars
of the insurrection at Vittoria, which appears to have
be( nof a purely military character. Some of them also
mention that a Carlist conspiracy had been discovered
at Burgos. The following appears in the Heraldo of tha
19th:—" Government received this morning a dispatch
from the military authority at Vittoria, gibing the most
minute details regarding the conspiracy among the
troops of the garrison. Eight officers, several sergeants,
corporals, and soldiers, are prisoners, and will be tried
directly. Immediate punishment sill fall upon the
guilty. Government received at the same time news of
the discovery of a Carlist consptra•:y at Burgos."
The Three per Cents. closed on the Madrid Bourse
on the 19th inst. at 32 13-16 for cash, and 334 at 60
days ; the Five per Cents. at 231 for cash, and 244 at
GO days ; and the Coupons at 26, for the 4th of March.

On Monday the Secret Service Money Bill was pre-
sented to the French Chamber of Peers by M. Du-
CILITLL, the Minister of the Interior, who of course
anticipated no opposition in that quarter. On intr.,-
ducing the Bill, he adverted to the decisive vote in the
ether Chamber, after a lengthened discussion, and said,
" We considered it our duty on that occasion to call our-
selves for the discussion, the incidents of the debate on
the Address having rendered it necessary. Before you,
Messieurs, the same necessity does not exist, for not two
months back you gave, by a large majority, after a
solemn and mature discussion, your adhesion to the
domestic and foreign policy of the Cabinet. We have a
firm confidence that your sentiments have not changed ;
but we are not the less ready to accept every discussion,
and to give you on every question the most complete
explanations."
On Tuesday the Chamber of Deputies resumed the dis-
cussion on the Council of State Bill, which was strongly op-
pos;cl by M. CREMIEUX. A long discussion took place in
the Bureaux, or Committees, on the Great Northern Rail-
way Bill ; but as the majority of the Committee are
favourable to the measure, it will
,be carried with cer-
tain modifications. The penal enactments are objected
to, as well as the clause which requires the deposit of
thirty millions of francs. The Finance Minister said
the Government had no objection to reconsider that
clause. The Members composing the Committee are
MM. DUPRIT, LUNEAU, GALLOS, BERRYER, CADEAU
D'ARCY, ARDANT, LAUYER, MURET DE Bonn, and GAR-
NIER PAGES ; all of whom, with the exception of MM.
G. PAGES and LUNEAU, are decidedly favourable to the
Bill. •

Accounts from Berne and Zurich to the 20th instant
had been received at Paris, but they add little to our
previous information. General SONNENBERG, who has
been appointed Commandant of the Lucerne troops, re-
viewed several regiments on the 20th instant, and it is
said some of the officers on the occasion threw up their
commissions, as they could not take the required oaths
to the Government. The Grand Council of Zurich
came to the resolution of authorising the Executive
Council to assemble such forces as might be necessary
to protect the Diet during its sittings. Hopes were en-
tertained that the interference of the great Powers would
prevent a civil war.
The French Funds again declined on Tuesday. The
Three per Cents. closed at 84f. 75c.; Ditto New Loan
at 851. 80c.; the Five per Cents. at 121 f. 65c.; Orleans
Railroad Shares at 1,195 f.; Rouen, 1,1151.; Havre, 912 f,
50c.; Belgian Two-and-a Half per Cents., 61f. 75c.; Spa-
nish Three per Cents., 404 ; Ditto Domestic Debt, 33k.

OPENING OF THE BRAZILIAN
LEGISLATURE.
SPEECH OF TIIE EMPEROR.

" Most worthy and honourable Gentlemen, Representatives
of the Nation,—
" I always experience a great pleasure in finding myself
amongst you. The precarious state of the health of the Im-
rial Princess, my dearly beloved sister, placed me under the
cruel necessity of seeing her depart from me. Yielding to
the solicitations of the Prince, her august husband, and my
very much esteemed brother-in-law, I was under the neces-
sity of granting her a twelvemonth's leave of absence, for
the re-establishment, in Europe, of her very precious health.
" The contiued proofs of the valour and loyalty of my fleet
and army still deserve my approbation. Their endeavours
and my clemency have put an end to the disturbances which
lately afflicted the province of Alagoas, and afford me like-
wise the best founded hopes that those of my subjects who,
in the province of St. Pedro, Rio Grande, and Sul, who have
for more than nine years kept up a civil war, will shortly lay
down their arms. _ _ _

~"The peaceable andfriendly relations with all foreign nations
continue unaltered, and I shall be very anxious to maintain
them without compromising the dignity and interests of the
empire.
"The national industry, in all its various branches, engages
my especial attention, and claims equally yours.
" My Ministers and Secretaries of State will give in their
respective budgets an account of the matters coming within
their several departments.

" Most worthy and honourable Gentlemen, Representatives
of the Nation—

" From the perfect harmony which subsists between the
political powers of the State, and from your patriotic and
well-directed labours, in unison with my zeal, I hope to see
the institutions of the :country and the public peace more
firmly consolidated throughout the empire.
" The session is opened."

THE BUDGET.—It; instead of abolishing the auc-
tion duty, Sir R. Peel had either reduced the duty., under
the income-tax, upon trade and industry (leaving it as it is,
upon the real and the funded property), or had not taxed
trade and industry beneath 3001. or 500/. (the real and the
funded property as it is), the country generally (the land-
holders excepted) would have been by far more satisfied.
A line or scale ought, in justice and honesty, to have been
applied in this respect when the 'Property and Income-tax
Act was passed. If Sir Robert had not courage to do that
on passmg the Act, he might now accomplish it, as he has
his team of landholders more " in hand" in 1845, than in
1E 4 2.—From a Correspondent.

UNITED STATES.

LIVERPOOL, WADNESDAY.

By the an ival of the packet-ship Penick Henry, Captain
Delano, we have received New York papers to the Bth inst.
inclusive, being seven days later than the last intelligence
The news is of considerable interest. The House of Itepre,
sentatives had passed the Bill for the occupation of the
Oregon territory, after much discussion and some violent
speeches by certain members against Great Britain.
of which the following are specimens :—Mr. Douglas, who
seems well fitted for a lawless borderer, said, " Give us mili-
tary posts in that territory, garrison them with American
officers and soldiers, and he, tor ene, would not care much
about laws. It was not laws, nor civil authority, by which
possession of the country could be maintained, but it was by
military force that we must take possession of it as well as
keep it. If the question should bring us to war, much as he
deprecated it, much as he loved peace, he would be ready to
meet it. Let us establish our military posts, have our naval
forces on the coast, and be in a condition to repel any egres-
sion on the part of Great Britain, and punish any invasion
on our rights, and then, if war shall come, we will be ready
to meet it."

_
Mr. A. Brown said, that Great Britain could not make war
against the United States for anything contained in the Bill
before them ; but if she should consider it cause for war, he
would say, " Let her have it—on the first day and hour that
she desires it let her have it."
On the Ist inst. Mr. Winthrop addressed the Committee in
an able speech against the Bill, in which the spirit of war
and of aggressive acquisition which was prevalent in the
House was severely and justly rebuked, and the violent and
abusive language indulged towards Great Britain, as it re-
spects her policy in this conduct, shown to be wholly with-
out warrant, either of history or of contemporaneous circum-
stances.
On the 3d the Bill was finally passed by a majority of 140
to 54. It was introduced into the Senate on the following
day, read twice and referred to a Committee. The Committee
of foreign relations bad reported against the Bill fur the
annexation of Texas.
The correspondent of the Courier and Enquirer, dating
Washington, February 10, says upon the question of an-
nexation :
" The Committee on Foreign Relations, through their
chairman, Mr. Archer, made a report to the Senate to-day,
adverse to the project of annexation. The Committee con-
sist of Messrs, Archer, Choate, Morehead, and Buchanan ;
and they were, with the exception of Mr. Buchanan, unani-
mous in the report and the accompanying resolution, which is
as follows
" Resolved,—That the joint resolutions from the House
of Representatives for the annexation of Texas to the United
States be rejected.'
" They also reported an additional resolution, which merel
recommends that the memorials on this subject referred; :
the Committee be laid upon the table."
On the following day a Bill was presented on this question.
which provides for the annexation of Texas as a State. Coin-
taissioners are to be appointed by the President to negotiate
with Mexico and Texas, for which purpose the Bill ap-
propriates 100,000 dollars. The Commissioners are to re-
port, and in next Congress their communication will be
considered.
The creditors of the repudiating States will be glad to learn
that Pennsylvania has paid the February interest on her
debt. A Bill to that effect passed both branches of the Le-
gislature by a unanimous vote in each, on the Ist instant.
The payment took place on the 3d, and was signalised by
the firing of cannon. Pennsylvanian stock has risen consi-
derably. _ . .

There had been little or no business in the New York
markets iu the course of the week prior to the sailing of the
packet, on account of the great snow-storm, which had inter-
rupted communication.
Foreign exchange was firm at 1094 to 110 and 1101, with
a moderate demand. _ _ _ _

Freights to London-355. to 40s. for tobacco, 3s. for flour
naval stores 3s. 6d. to 45., measurement goods 30s. to 40s.
per ton ; seeds, I2s: ; rice, 10s. Provisi ins in tierces, 6s. 6d:
The latest news from Mexico is contained in the Diaria
of Vera Cruz of the 13th of January, at which period Santa
Anna was still alive, and in freedom, but despairing of suc-
cess. He has sent three of his officers to treat with the
supreme Government, the troops on both sides withdrawing
into cantonments. The revolution was believed to be en-
tirely at an end, and Santa Anna's submission complete.