The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-19 00:00:00

claration that the existing law, so far from an-

svvering its object, has been followed by serious
abuses, and has given
_birth to outrage and
alarm, distrust and disunion. At the first sight

of the proposed enactment, particularly the
second and third articles, which profess to point
out the nature of the offences against which it

is proposed to provide, it is impossible to avoid
the observation that every thing declared to be
offensive is left so extremely vague and indefinite,
as to be capable of being applied to every pos-

sible shade of opinion, without any of those
characters of clearness, distinctness, and preci.
sion, so necessary in the promulgation of a new
law of libel.

" Allow me to dip once more into the lately
published work of M. DE CITABROL, for the
purpose of exhibiting some particulars which
may perhaps be advantageously compared with
corresponding facts in London. I allude to the
establishment which has existed in Paris since
the year 1777, called the Mont de Piete, which
is nothing else, in fact, but one immense paWn-
broking establishment, with innumerable ramifi-
cations throughout the capital, placed under
the jurisdiction. of the municipal authorie.es, and
producing, as appears from the tables of M. 74
CHABROL, very considerable revenues, part of
which are said to be applied to benevolent and'
charitable purposes, while of the remainder no
satisfactory account is given. By the law of its
institution, the borrower was entitled to, receive
two-thirds of the estimated value of the property
left in pledge ; but the rule now practically
adopted by the officers of the establishment, is
to advance only a fourth part of the estimated
value, which has given rise to a professiOn in
Paris, in some degree analogous to that of the
common pawnbroker in England, with this dis-
advantage to the miserable individuals who are
obliged to have recourse to such means for sup-
plying their immediate wants, that they are com-
pelled to go first to the Mont de Piete, in virtue
of the monopoly created in favour of that esta-
blishment, and then, to increase the pittance
thus acquired, they resort to these unlicensed
and unrestricted usurers, who either make
some further advance on the security of the cer-
tificate, or redeem and purchase the property ; in
either case, of course, at an enormous disadvan-
tage to the parties who are reduced to such
means for relieving their temporary wants.
" It appears that in the year 1826, the last
referred to in the tables, there were 1,200,104
pledges deposited at the Mont de Piete, on
which there was advanced 24,521,1.57 francs.
During the same period the number of articles
redeemed amounted to 1,124,221, and the
money advanced on them to 21,569,457 francs.
There remained, therefore, in the bureaux of the
Mont de Piete 75,883 pledges, on which had
been advanced 2,951,720 francs. If there

were any means of instituting a comparison be-
tween these figures and the sums advanced by
the pawnbrokers of London, some interesting
facts might be disclosed. The rate of interest
exacted by the Mont de Piete is at the rate of
twelve per cent. per annum ; what it is in Eng-
land I have not access to know, but here it is
surely exorbitant, considering the small fraction
of value advanced, and the disadvantages to
which the poor are subjected by the cruel mono-
poly under which the establishment exists.—
Even if the whole profits were applicable to
charitable purposes, what object could be more
benevolent, or more useful, than that of dimi-
nishing the usurious rate of interest exacted, en-
larging the proportion of value advanced, so as
to destroy the trade of those harpies who thrive
on the miseries of the poor, or at least lengthen-
ing the terms of proscription, after the lapse
of which the impignorated property is liable to
be sold for the purpose of realizing the pecu-
niary advance which has been made upon it?

Those landed proprietors who attended the
Meeting lately held in London, to petition for a
reduction of the Malt and Beer Duties, proved
that they well understood their own interest, by
representing an actual and tangible grievance
which diminishes the sale of their barley. We
are glad to see influential land•owners;.like the
Duke Of BEDFORD, Lord TEYNIIIM, and
Colonel SIBTDORPE, disregarding the idle
clamour against Free Trade, and the abolition of
the Small Notes, and pressing for relief in a case
whete it might be afforded them with as bene-
ficial effect as it would likewise have upon the
comforts and morals of the people, and, we
think, also upon the Revenue.

Upon all the discussions on the Corn Laws
it has been perpetually insisted that the Assessed
Taxes and Poor Rates were burthens upon
agriculture, which entitled it to particular pro.
tection. Nevertheless their pressure cannot be
at all put in competition with that of the Malt
and Beer Duties. For firstly, the amount of the
Assessed Taxes is but 24 millions a year, of
which not more than a million and a half can fall
upon the agriculturists ; and, secondly, the pro-
portion of the Poor Rates (amounting by the
last return to 7,715,0551.) levied upon land is
not more than five millions, from which a large
deduction should be made for the value of the
labour paid, by a mischievous abuse, out of
this fund. Now, the produce of the Malt Duty
at 20s. Bd. per quarter amounted, in 1828, to
3,241,6101., and the Beer Duty, at the various
► rates of 9s. 10d. per barrel for strong, Is. 1