The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-25 00:00:00

THE ,SUN, LONDON

,solight s the unhQught-r4ghts—of a free citizen for
vr4l9lle.Y. •

The, dreadful destruction of the British army in
Caubul has reduced to misery some thousands of women
and children, many, of 'whom have no legal claims upon
the Go7oinment. It is estimated that the number of
camp. followers Who quitted Caubul, with the British
troops, after the murder of the lamented Sir WILLIAM
AFNACHTEN, was not less than five thousand, nearly the
whole of whom have perished, the rest still remaining in
captivity. The mass of misery produced by this terrible
catastrophe is so frightful that the Commander-in-Chief
of the British .army in India has authorised the raising
of a subscription for the relief of the sufferers. This
course is so unusual on the part of a Commander-in-
Chief, that its adoption on this occasion is the best
proof of the utter destitution of those for whom
the appeal is made. Heavy as are the demands
upon the charity of the wealthy classes, we trust that
the prayer now addressed to them for the relief of the
soldier's widow and .orphans, by a Gallant Veteran
Officer will not be made in vain. A fraction of the
sums squandered by the affluent upon useless luxuries
may suffice to save the lives of hundreds of our fellow-
subjects now dying with hunger in a foreign land. We
never scruple to profit by the victories of our gallant
troops. We ought as little to hesitate to relieve the
sufferings of their wives and children, when,.for a brief
space, victory deserts, the British standard. .

We really ought not to be angry with our French.
Contemporaries when they seek to persuade their Go-
vernment that a people are never so patriotically em-
ployed as when resenting fancied insults by blowing out
the brains of their neighbours. Fighting is with them
as much a passion as the love of dress is a passion with.
the fair sex. On the slightest fancied provocation, they
are ready to-day to make war on their dearest friends of
yesterday. This is well manifested in an article in the
Courrier Francais .Sunday, upon a discussion in the
Chamber of Deputies, on the previousday,relative to the
French and United States' tariffs. M. LEGENTIL com-
plained that the proposed changes in the United States
tariff would greatly injure the trade of France. This
was admitted by M. Gutzor, who said that the French
Government had made remonstrances, which if not at
tended to, recourse might be had to reprisals in the shape
of increased duties upon the importation of American
producu. Now this "war of tariffs " is openly denounced
by the Courrier Francais. That journal is for remon-
strance at the cannon's mouth. If the Americans will
not modify the tariff to please France, the Courrier
affirms that the true remedy is at once to declare war
against the Republic. Why it is not four days since
the Courrier Francais assured its readers that the Ame-
ricans were the dearest friends and allies of France,
ready to join them in crushing England, should she per-
sist in enforcing a right of search. And now war is to
be declared against them for choosing to increase their
tariff ! Verily, public writers in France regard war as
a very trifling affair.
As this tariff question is important, we subjoin a sum-
mary of the debate in the French Chamber of Deputies
concerning it :

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.-SITTING OF SATURDAY.
FRENCH AND AMERICAN TARIFF.

M. Legentil directed the attention of Government to a sys-
tem of imposition practised by the American authorities to-
wards foreign merchants, which, if it continued much longer,
must, he said, end in the complete rupture of all commercial
relation between France and the United States. According to
the new tariff, now before Congress, the import duties of 20
-per cent. would be shortly raised to 30. This tariff, combined
with a duty ad valorem, another on the weight, so that cer-
tain goods, and the silks amongst others, ,would be liable to
pay a duty ad valorem and a weight duty, which on an average
would amount to 15 or 20 per cent. also—in all to 35 per
cent. The wines and other products of France were to
be subjected to similar extortions on their importation
into the United States. The latter. on the other hand,
with a view to compel foreign nations to consume
their tobacco and flour. were about to lay a tax of
10 per cent. on the products of the countries which did
not admit those two articles on the same terms on
which they were introduced into America ; so that the pro-
duce of France will shortly be burdened with another duty in
addition to the general duty of 30 per cent. M. Legentil then
recapitulated the advantages which France had conferred on the
United States, and which entitled the former to more gratitude
on their part. France imported 175,000,000 of American pro-
ducts, whilst she exported to the United States only
136,000,000. Of the 85,000,000 of kilogrammes annually pur-
chased by France. 79,000,000 were of American growth ; of
the 7,000,0000 f kilogrammes of imported foreign flour, 6,000,000
proceeded from the United States, and of the 13,000,000 of to-
bacco, 8,500,000 were raised in America. M. Legentil then
showed that the duties levied in France on Ameriean products
did not exceed 10 or 11 per cent.; and concluded, should the
Americans persist in their pretensions, by recommending that
France abrogate the Navigation Act of 1822, which assimilates
the vessels of the United States to those of France, and recur
to reprisals.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, in replying to M. Le-
gentil, admitted that the measures about to be enforced by the
United States were likely to be most injurious to the trade of
France. Impressed with that persuasion, the French Govern-
ment had, during the last year, repeatedly addressed to the
United States the most urgent remonstrances, but it was im-
possible for him to tell what would be the result of those repre-
sentations and negotiations, because of the financial and
internal crisis now prevailing the United States, which
prompted the latter to adopt extreme measures as respected
I reprisals. 111. Guizot observed, that if they militated
against the United States without injuring France,
recourse should be instantly had to that expedient ,
but he thought that France could not with safety increase the
import duties on the raw materials constituting the great de-
' ment of her manufactures. With regard to the navigation
duties the cue was different, but M. Guizot would not express
any opinion on that subject, the question nos' undergoing se-
rious examination before a Committee composed of most com-
petent and enlightened men; but when they should have made
known to him their advice, he would propose to the King's
Government such measures as appeared to him practicable
and expedient, and be ever guided by the principle that re-
prisals are good only. inasmuch as they effect the interests of
others without injuring those of France.
M. Grandia, who followed the Minister, denounced another
vexation to which French merchants were exposed at the
hands of the American authorities. There being no bonding
stores in the United States, as in France, goods intended for
re-exportation are subjected, on being landed, to pay the same
duties as if they were intended for domestic consumption.
The payment of those duties was required in specie ; but when
the merchants claimed the restitution of the duty, on the re-
exportation of the bonded goods, it was paid back in paper at a
loss of from 15 to 20 per cent. This was, he said, a real spoil-
ation, and a prooceeding unworthy of acivilized country.
M. Mermilliod, the deputy for Havre, who spoke next, ex-
pressed a hope that the decision of the American Congress
would be influenced by the representation of France and the
other countries, ard advised the Government to renew them
with additional energy.
The question was then dropped, and the Chamber proceeded
to dismiss the other items of the budget.

We have the following letter from Toulon of the 17th of May :
" The journals are in the wrong in announcing the speedy
arrival of the Prince de Joinville. The despatches received by
the second in command of the Belle Poole, announces, on the
contrary, the departure of the Prince far London, and orders
have been given to the frigate to join the Vice- Admiral, in
order to take part in the manoeuvres of the squadron. It is to
be presumed that the Belle Poule will afterwards go to Cher-
bourg, if, as has been announced. the Prince is to go to the
South Seas; but it will wait for him in our port, in case no
change is made in hie proposed cruise in the Mediterranean.
Nothing, however, is yet fixed."— Constitutionnel.
The Medea frigate sailed for Toulon on the 17th, to join
the squadron of Admiral Hugon off the Hyrres Islands. That
squadron left those islanls on the 18th, and it is thought that
it will not return to port for some time. All the vessels of the
squadron sent on that day all the sick they had on board by the
Veloce steamer to Toulon.

AND

The mail from Africa, which was expected every moment
had not arrivedat Toulon on the J Bth.

A letter from Munich, of the 15th of May, which has been
communicated to uq, says that amidst the enthusiasm which is
everywhere manifested to relieve the sufferers by the fire at
Hamburgh, it may seem surprising that Bavaria shows no sign
of sympathy. The sole cause, says the writer of the letter, is
the absence of the King, who is so jealous that no person can
venture to propose a subscription, however urgent the necessity
may be, without his previous permission. I am persuaded,
says the writer, that as soon as the King is informed of the dis-
aster of Hamburgh, he will be as generous as the other Ger-
man princes, and will allow his subjects to follow their chari-
table inclinations; but he is in Sicily, arid the delay which will
result from this circumstance will deprive those acts of genero-
sity of the promptitude and spontaneousness which constitute
a great part of their merit.—Commerce.

SPITALFIELDS
,BALL.—The splendour of the last
ball fur the Spitalfields weavers at the Italian Opera House, in
1837, will be well remembered,by all who witnessed it. The
forthcoming ball will, however, it is expected, far exceed the
former in the decorations of the house, as well as in the bril-
liancy of the company, and, being under the highest patronage,
will, no doubt, be the most brilliant assembly during the season.
The interior of the house will be greatly altered for the occa-
sion ; the pit will be floored over level with the stage. The
box entrance, we believe, will be open as usual, with the addi-
tion of the private entrance used by her Majesty. The prin.
• cipal entrance, however, will be nearest Pall-mall, where a new
entrance, with wide staircase, will be made expressly for the
occasion. The side scenes will be cleared away entirely from
the stage, which will be hung all round with rich drapery ;
and a range of Corinthian columns, in white and gold, across
the back of the stage, will be introduced, in the centre of
which will be a trophy of armour, &c., and men in armour on
each side. Devices, also in armour, flags, Bze., will decorate
the columns. On each, side of the stage the red curtains at
present in the front of the-boxes will be removed, and replaced
by a profusion of various-coloured satins in festoons, tastefully
interwoven with each othei, and trimmed with gold-coloured
fringe, with gilt drops. White and gold-fluted columns will
be placed in front of the partition round each tier of boxes,
each column surmounted with a crown connected with the dra-
deiadc.h pavilionfest festoon wills
erecting pa s
r throughth
the
goldperi the columns
laurel wreath.
Queen, which will occupy the centre of the house, and reach
nearly up to the gallery, surmounted by the royal arms; the
curtains and linings are to be of crimson silk velvet, lined with
splen
tati i and trimmed with gold lace. Three glass chandeliers are
to be suspended in the box; and, in addition to the chandelier
in the house, there will be seven other large gas chandeliers from
the ceiling.
SINGULAR AND MELANCHOLY AiTIDENT.—On
Saturday a mason's labourer, who was employed at work on the
roof of the mansion in the course of erection in this neigh-
bourhood (the property of C. Whiteford, Esq.), was blown
from the roof, and, singular to relate, fell into a well seventeen
feet deep, with seven feet of water in it. Being, however,
almost immediately missed by his fellow-workmen, they, on
searching, discovered him in this situation, and having quickly
released him, he was taken to the Devon and Cornwall hos-
pital, where he lingered until Mofiday, when he was released
from his sufferings by death.—Falmouth Packet.
ELECTION BILLS.—We understand that writs have
been served upon fifteen gentlemen constituting the commit-
tee of the out parish of .St. Philip and Jacob, for conducting
the last election on behalf of the Conservative candidates,
Messrs. Miles and Fripp; the writs were issued at the instance
of Mr. Mountain. landlord of the Lamb public-house, West-
street ; and his bill, which amounts to 290/., is for refreshments
afforded to the voters on the day of polling,—Bristol Gazette.

AY t," S

Oubitt evittion.

" Who runs may read."

FOREIGN...
In the debate on Saturday in the. French Chamber of
Deputies, M. Guizot bovine*, in: reply to M. Legentil,
who had complained of the measures adopted by the
United States, as being injurious to French commerce,
said, that if France could by way of reprisal adopt mea-
sures which would cause more injury to the United
States than to France, it was the duty of the Govern-
ment to do so. The Courricr Francais, with a singulor
notion of the rights of nations, says that the only re-
prisal worthy of a great nation is war ; but as to com-
mercial reprisals, a war of tariffs, whether against Eng-
land or the United States, it can see in it but a puerile act.
The National disapproves, though complaining of the
conduct of the United States, that AL Guizot, in the de-
bate on Saturday, used the word reprise's, and adds,
" Certain is it that the United States shows such an ill-
feeling to our commerce, that the Trench Government
cannot submit to it."

Count de Pontois, the Frene.h Ambassador, now on
leave of absence, is to reach' Constantinople once more
in June, and the Baron de BOurqueney is to return to
Paris in July. from whence he will come to London as
Minister to this Court, during the temporary absence of
the Count de St. Aulaire, who will, it is expected, remain
three in‘ hs in France. _

The state of Syria continues to be most deplorable.
The revolting cruelty of the conduct of Omar Pacha to-
wards the sheiks of the Druses has excited the indigna-
tion of the whole country, whose inhabitants have risen
to resist their oppressors. Violent collisions with the
Turkish troops are daily expected. In the meantime the
Porte has taken no serious steps, in conformity with the
strong representations of European diplomacy, against
the new system of violence adopted in Syria. The
energetic efforts of Sir Stratford Canning, which have
been again renewed, appear to have been forgotten in
the celebration of the feast of the Prophet, which has
been done with a degree of unwonted splendour.
The Gazette of Upper Germany, of the 19th inst.
states, that M. Pageot has but little chance of succeeding
in his mission to the Court of Berlin, as the Vienna Cabi-
net rarely abandons a resolution once adopted, .on which
they previously consult the .Courts of Berlin and St.
Petersburgh. The Gazette asserts that M. Guizot in-
sists on the necessity for negotiating the marriage of the
Queen of Spain, in order to prevent Espartero from dis-
posing of her hand to^ the son of Don Francisco de
Paula, or to the son of the Duke de Medina Celi, as Es-
partero threatened the Court of the Tuileries he would do.
A letter from Hamburgh of the 20th inst. says :—" A
few small failures amongst houses here trading in manu-
factured goods have already taken place, and an exten-
sive corn-jobber has this week stopped for an amount of
60,0001. These events cannot be ascribed to losses oc-
casioned by the fire. They have arisen amongst over-
traders and speculators whose affairs were previously
deranged. It is now ascertained . that three out of the
four Hamburgh Insurance CoMpanies are insolvent, and
the amount of their insolvency must of course depend
upon the ability of the parties interested to pay up their
liabilities. The course of Exchange on London fell
again to-day schilling banco, and would have probably
fallen still further, but for the arrival by the steamer of
a considerable amount of silver from London, per account
of the Royal Exchange and other Insurance Companies,
whereby the coffers of the bank will be replenished, and
heavy amounts, which would otherwise have been nego-
tiated on London in drafts, are kept out of the market,"
The Madrid Gazette of 15th May publishes accounts
of the sales of national property down to the 31st March,
1842, from which it appears that a number of 50,309
national properties, lying in 41 different provinces of the
kingdom, have produced by sale 1,821,562,093 reals.

N'ESDAY MORNING, MAY 25, 1842.

mommlr—TuAnT.,,s—colnrezEncm.

-Ciently indicate its source acd origin. Trace it back, and pit
will find it in the robbery of the poor man for payment of the
landlord's bread-tax."

That section of the village of St. Mauves, which constituted
the late borough, was sold by auction at Truro, last Wednesday.
This obscure village, which so long, retained the elective fran-
chise, had, since the days of Elizabeth, been the pleasant re-
treat of the Tredenhams, the Clams, the Nugents, the 13,15-
cawens, and the Grenvilles. The dilapidated quay, and its
few adjoining houses, were purchased by Sir Samuel Spry.
The United Law Clerks' Society held their tenth anniversary
festival at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, on Monday. Vice.
Chancellor Knight Bruce, and many leading Counsel of the
bar were present. The balance in favour of the Society on
the transactions of the past year was nearly 5,000/. Subscrip-
tions also, to the amount of 3001., were announced.
LAW /1.111) PO IaXCZ,
William Halford, a fellowship porter, appeared at Guildhall
on Monday, to answer the charge of Charles Howcroft, the calf
of whose leg he had severely bitten, while being conveyed on
conviction by that turnkey to the Giltspur-street prison. Mr.
Alderman Thompson ordered, that as the prisoner had behaved
like a mastiff, he should be treated as one, and his teeth filed or
drawn by the prison surgeon. The defendant having repeatedly
cried for mercy on this score, he was permitted finally to make
compensatien,
On Monday, Wm. Wheels, the conductor of one of Powel's
Brentford omnibuses, was charged with as,aulting a gentleman
of the name of Burrell, residing at No. 111, Long Acre. The
plaintiff had refused to pay ls. for what he considered a six-
penny fare, upon which the defendant made efforts to throw
him down. The Magistrate severely remarked on this ruffianly
conduct, and fined him the highest penalty, 5/., which was
paid.
L7TERIVR4 AND SCIENTIPIC.
Sir Robert Ker Porter, the celebrated traveller, died on the
3d of May last, at St. Petersburgh.
Eighty-two unpublished letters of Henri IV., have been
lately found by parties employed by the Archwological Com-
mission in France.