The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-23 00:00:00

unreservedly offered for sale. If this should be the
case, it is highly desirable that the matter should be
set at rest, by a declaration from the agents of what
they mean to do, since, if the stock is to be sold, it
would be better for them to take the chance of what
it may produce in the open market, than to resort to
any course like that practised heretofore. This re-
mark will, of course, only apply to the Active Stock,
for it is not to be supposed that it would be worth
while in any case to bring the Deferred Stock to
market, seeing how small a sum it yields, and the
great additional liability it entails on the Mexican
Government.
The English Funds continue to droop, under the
depression occasioned by the fear of a collision be-
tween our Government and that of France on the
question of the Barcelona affair..
By mercantile letters received in the City from
Brazil yesterday, it appears that the treaty with this
country is continued to the 10th of Nov., 1844.
A letter from Madrid of the 12th inst., written by
a party conversant with what is going on there in the
high financial circles, says that the propositions stated
in the journals to have been made by the house of
Baring, are by no means accurately described. All
that they have done is to declare their intention,
through an agent sent to Madrid for the purpose, to
enter into the competition for the quicksilver con-
tract, and to press upon the Spanish Minister
the propriety of sending some person to London
to treat with our capitalists regarding that con-
tract. Their agent has received from Senor Cala-
trava a polite assurance that he was unfettered by
any other engagement, and could, therefore, treat
with them, and there the matter for the present has
ended. The account given in the Madrid papers was,
that this house had tendered to the Finance Minister
a loan of 400,0001. on the security of the produce of
the Almaden mines, and had declared their inten-
tion, moreover, in conjunction with other London
capitalists, to make proposals for the loan of
6,000,0001., which the Minister is authorised to raise,
if he can. Senor Calatrava is said to be making
great exertions to organise anew the Carbineros of
the Finance Department, so as to render them an
effective and creditable force fbr the especial service
of the Customs. He is endeavouring to give them
the combined advantages of military discipline and
the moral force which attaches to a pecuniary trust
in the hands of men of some education and charac-
ter. These officers are to give security for their good
conduct, and are to receive regular pay, a point not
provided for under the old regime, so that these
guardians of the public revenue, in default of sa-
lary, , necessarily live upon bribes for betraying their
trust—a state of things utterly incredible in any
other country than Spain. The Minister who has
these most salutary and necessary reforms in hand is
well aware at the same time that his measures for the
better organisation of this force will have little chance
of success until a treaty of commerce with England
and a reduced tariff come in aid of his efforts. The
smugglers, while the present system lasts, can afford
to give " silver" against 'A is " copper," not to mention
the uncertainty of the final payment.
Doubts having been expressed in some quarters of
the reality of the distress in the island of Madeira, it
is but right to say that this is declared, by persons
well acquainted with the state of the case, to be a
most erroneous view of the subject. Not only does
the distress appear to be extensive and terrible, but
this further motive is assigned for stepping forward
at once to give timely assistance, that owing to the
simple manners and abstemious habits of the people
generally, very small sums will go a great way in re-
lieving them, and would save hundreds in danger of
perishing from want in the streets of Funchal. A
well-written letter, describing their situation, says—
" It is impossible in so expensive and luxurious a
country as England to imagine the low scale of ex-
penditure, the simple life, of every one in Madeira,
nor to guess how far a small sum goes in doing good
to the ill-fed, half-clothed, patient population of Ma-
deira. The greater part of the labourers (except
those working for the English residents), never in the
course of the year receive full pay for daily work,
except in the brief season of the vintage. Numerous
other classes and trades derive their chief support
rom the wants and wishes of the English visiters of
the winter season. Even in that comparatively pros-
perous time, I have known charwomen and others
glad to give a hard day's work for a meal, saying
' they are better off than those at home who will have
none.' From amongst the gentry I could cite, did
not delicacy to them forbid, instances to prove how
hard the times do indeed go with the once rich lords
of the soil ; add to all this the yearly decay of trade,
a treasury with often less than 51. in it, and it is clear
that never has a more legitimate case occurred for real
unsophisticated benevolence:"

Tile practice which is.adopted by.the West India
Mail Company of making their vessels call at
Corunna and Madeira on the outward voyage, is
spoken of with great dissatisfaction among the
merchants, who conceive that the English public are
thus made to suffer an unjustifiable delay for the sake
of the Company getting a few, additional passengers.
Considering the undertaking to be altogether a public
one, the least appearance of an attempt on the part of
the Company to reap a private benefit which in any
way interferes with the prompt transmission of letters
to the West Indies, is an additional reason for the
merchants wishing that the'whole scheme should be
undertaken by the Government. Hence there are all
sorts of suggestions as to modes of rigging sailing
vessels so as to insure a swift passage, given in the
hope that the steam system may finally be super-
seded. A Correspondent asks with some indignation,
why vessels carrying mails should make two stop-
pages, instead of proceeding direct to St. Thomas's,
for the mere purpose of taking out a few Spaniards
and Portuguese, who might as well employ our Penin-
sular steamers, and come to Falmouth, if they are
anxious to go to the West Indies ? The necessity of
taking in coals is alleged as a cause for stopping at
Madeira; but as the American steamers are enabled
to come direct from Liverpool to New York, this ne-
cessity is by no means admitted.

ST. THOMAS'S DAY.

CORN MONOPOLY AND INCOME-TAX.

St. Thomas's-day draws out what is passing in the
minds of the citizens of London. Two subjects
chiefly engaged the attention of the wardmotes—the
Corn-monopoly and the Income-tax.
For the hostility to the Corn monopoly we were
prepared. But we confess we were not aware that the
short trial of the Income-tax could have produced so
rooted an aversion to it as was yesterday manifested.
The ward of Aldersgate, presided over by Sir Peter
Laurie, adopted the amended resolution proposed by
Mr. Besley, in preference to one embodying the reso-
lutions of the Common Council, proposed by Mr.
Ward. Mr. Besley " was satisfied in his own mind
that the Corn-laws were passed away—that they
were in effect abrogated, and that it was only
for the convenient concurrence of time and means
to arrive, for them to be for ever wiped away from
the statute book ;" and his amendment severely stig..
matised the Corporation of the City of London as a
corrupt body, and recommended the pruning knife of
economy and the reform of abuses which hindered
population of the
erried ; but no one
ecoimtym. ercTehe amanddeenedpmlyenafft
was
affected teha
stood up for the Corn-laws; though it is but justice to
Sir Peter Laurie to notice that he has not yet found
it convenient to make ui) his mind on the principle in-
volved by these laws. We suppose he has made up
his mind as to the Tariff by this time, and he now
waits for a signal from Sir Robert Peel to make up
his mind as to the Corn-law.

In Farringdon-within, which returns fourteen
members, before the last election there were eight
monopolists, and six free traders. That election re-
versed the state of things by giving six monopolists
and eight free traders. One of the free traders had
become renegade, but the inhabitants of the ward
having determined to improve on this state of things,
met on Tuesday evening, and resolved—
" That the time has arrived when the prosperity of
this country—the safety of its institutions—and the
loyalty and attachment of the people to its constitu-
tion and laws—greatly depend upon the repeal of
those laws which restrict the freedom of trade ; and
particularly of those which restrain the importation of
food. That this meeting determine to support the
following gentlemen, viz.: Deputies Westwood and
Pritchard, together with Messrs. Ashurst, Bonsor,
Fisher, Holt, Morris, Ridley, Taylor, Virtue, and
Hartley, having ascertained that they are prepared to
support a repeal of those laws, and they earnestly
hope their brother electors will use their individual
exertions to secure the above-named eleven gentlemen
by a triumphant majority."
The show of hands having been in accordance with
this resolution, two of the rejected, Messrs. Eagleton
and Rutter, demanded a poll, which we trust will not
better their position.
In Billingsgate Ward a vacancy, caused by the re-
tirement of Mr. Potter, was supplied by the election
of Mr. James Roberts, a Liberal, the rejected Tory
candidate_ having declined a poll,

In 33ishopsgae Ward, Bir. Deputy Stevens de-