The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-21 00:00:00

emananated from the Post-offica itself. Till the pm iod I men-
tion speculation was immense at Paris and in London, but
principally in the latter capita,. The funds and markets
were deeply affected by every mail. It was most
important to learn what the British Government might Un-
dertake in the midst of news of such gravity from India.
But there was a subsequent affair of greater gravity, displaying
an extent of bad will on the part of the Post-office au-
thorities unexampled in these times. A letter sent from the
Paris Post-office, and placed therein by the correspondents of
the London Papers, was stamped the 2d of April, and was only
delivered to the Boulogne agent on the 4th, bearing the Post-
office-stamp of the last date, and kept back twenty-four hours.
Here is the proof. (M. Eerryer here displayed the envelope of
the letter.) Thus the Post-office not only refused to tolerate
expresses, but it kept back despatches, for some inexplicable
reason, twenty-four hours. Let the fact be explained
how it will be, or rather hew it can be. It sometimes
happens that letters are delivered too late, but it has very
rarely occurred that the letter itself explains and
proves that this delay arose from the Post-office ad-
ministration itself. To resume this affair. This pretended
contravention affects the greatest interest in relation to the
public journals, and in respect to the facility and rapidity of all
communications. It is an indisputable right that of sending a
letter by a courier. This is the cause. Couriers of commerce
have never yet been prosecuted. There is not a case on re-
cord. The convictions have invariably been for those persons
seeking to save the postage. There is not one instance of a
similar prosecution where the expense of sending a despatch
has been so great. The great commercial interest must not,
cannot, he left to the mercy of a Minister, be he who he may
It is unjust, it is absurd, and if the Court admitted even the
conviction in this'case it would decide nothing, for a person
could evade the law by making the weight of his despatch ex-
ceed the kilogramme. Such judgment would be illusory and
of no value. Maintain, than, the law—protect the Post-office,
but do not interfere with long-standing usages.
(The speech of M. Berryer, of which the above is but a
feeble outline, produced the greatest sensation in the crowded
Court, and it was some time before silence could be obtained. )
The substitut of the Procureer du Roi then began his speech.
He could not enter into the various considerations put forward
by the Learned Orator. He had to invoke the law as it ex-
isted, with all its severity ; for the judges were the slaves of
the law, and cited from the law books various cases of persons
convicted of illegally being the bearers of letters, to save the
postage. He argued that no exception could exist, and that if
Ministers had granted privileges that they were disobeying its
provisions The Post-office alone had the exclusive tight.
The substitut therefore insisted that a conviction must fol-
low, and he called for the infliction of the maximum of the fine
of 150 francs.

M. Berryer then replied with great power, dwelling on
the letter of the 2d instant kept back by the Boulogne
Post-office. The aubititut of the Procureur du Roi then
read an examination of the postman, and he stated that the
latter had neglected his duty in the non-delivery of the let-
ters. To remedy his fault, he had surreptitiously placed the
stamp of the 4th on the letter. It was, said the substilut, a
most unfortunate event, but it was susceptible of explanation.
M. Berryer explained, that there was one letter stamped the
2d, addressed to the Boulogne agent, another of the 3d, and
ore of the 4th. Two of these letters were regularly delivered,
but the third, one of great importance, containing instructions
to the agent to have a steam-boat for the Cabinet courier, and
having also the news of the India mail. The substitut said
that the postman would be discharged ; be was already sit,-
pended.—( A laugh in the Court.) M. Berryer again dwelt
with great force on the retention of the letter of the 2d for 24
hours. After the pleadings had ceased, the President an-
nounced that the judgment of the Court would be given oil
the 20th, at the next sitting. The Court then broke up, the
case having excited the deepest interest.

NEW TAX ON COALS EXPORTED
We have received the following Statement of the
effects that will be produced on the English Coal
Trade by the proposed Tax of 4s. per ton on Coals
exported ; and Reasons for opposing the same :
The several statements • recently submitted to the
public have clearly demonstrated that the export
trade in coal is one of very recent growth, and
that its rapid extension since 1834 has been
owing to the repeal of the previously existing duties.
The proprietors of those collieries whose coal is chiefly
exported, seeing the demand that has followed, have,
under the fancied protection of the law of 1834, ex-
pended a large capital in opening out their collieries.
An entirely new coal district has been recently called
into existence, and a public harbour lately constructed
at Warkworth, in Northumberland, at the expense of
the owners of colliery-works which would never
have been undertaken but under the sanction of the
law of 1834. If the effect of this proposed measure
was such that the tax could be realized to the reve-
nue, the coal owners would have no right to
complain ; but it must he conceded, when all
the facts are fairly stated, that the real effect
of this tax would be, not only to . disappoint
the expectations of the revenue, but destroy this
important and increasing industry at the same time.
This assumption will not only be amply demonstrated
by reference to the state of the export trade in coal,
before and after the repeal of duty in 1834, but a glance
at the history of the coal trade in other countries, un-
der the existence or the absence of import duties, will
still more clearly demonstrate it. It should be recol-
lected that England is not the only country from Which
tie continent of Europe can draw a supply of coal. Eng-
land has the advantage over other countries, inasmuch as
a great part of her coal lies to seaboard. Nothwith-
standing this, the greatest rivalry now- prevails in
foreign markets between . the English and Belgian
coal, besides Which there is the great basin of Saar-
bruck, in Rhenish Prussia, from whence a large
supply is now drawn, both by France and Germany.
Again, both in Belgium and Rhenish Prussia, coals
are brought to bank at a cost equally moderate with
that of England, and the proposed tax will more than
compensate those collieries for the single advan-
tage possessed by England in her seaboard.
it appears from parliamentary returns that the
quantity of coal exported in the year 1840 amounted
to 1,606,313 tons; of this quantity one-fourth part,
or 394,934 tons, was shipped to France alone, while
in 1828 the total quantity exported from England,
including the colonies, did not exceed 355,800 tons.
A reference to the facts connected with the past
progress of the French coal trade, as influenced by
import and discriminating duties, will fully con-
firm the opinion that any, the slightest, tax on
coals exported will cut• off at once one-fourth of
Our entire exports, independent of similar results
which may be expected in regard to other countries.
In 1788, before the French Revolution, English coals
were admitted into France on payment of an import
duty of 6s. 11d. per ton, while Belgian coal was sub-
jected to a duty of 10s. ld. per ton. The quantity of
Engligh and Belgian coal admitted in 1788 was,

English Coal 184,773 Tons.
Belgian Coal 51,819 „

After the peace in 1814, and on the opening of the
Canal of Conde, the French Government,. with a view
to exclude English coal, and favour those of Bel-
gium, placed. an import duty of 13s. 9d. on the one,
and '2s. 9d. on the other, which discrimination con-
tinued up to the year 1834. During this period, the
twenty years' average annual imports of English coal
into France did not exceed 30,000 tons, while the
quantity of Belgian coal which entered 'rance had
increased from 90,000. tons in 1813 to 620,176 tons
in 1834.

In 1834, simultaneously with the abolition of the
export duty in England, the French import duties
were re-modelled. and the following table will show
with what rapidity the English coal trade has
developed itself in France when freed on the ouc
hand from a tax on exportation, and on the other by
the equalisation of import duties.
Quantities of Coal, omitting fractions, imported into
France from Foreign countries, from 1834' to
1840.

English tons. Belgian tons. Saarbruck tons
1834
1835
1836
183 7
4"1838 .....
1839

1840
Add to tons 15 lb. to equalise the quintal metre to Eng-
lish weight. _

By the foregoing statement it will be seen what are
the consequences likely to result to English enterprise
under the proposed coal tax. Under the influence of
the same state of things as is now sought to le re-esta-
blished, the Belgian I rench coal trade increased from
90,000 tons in 1813, to 620,100 tons in 1834, and ulti-
mately to 740,800 tons in 1839, while the Eng-
lish French coal trade, which was in 1788, 184,000
tons, did not average after the peace, from 1814
to 1834, more than 30,000 tons annually, but since
1834, under a new modification of duties on both
sides, has increased from 48,000 tons in 1834, to
395,000 tons in 1840. To this may be added the
development of the French Coal basins under the ex-
clusive systems that were in vogue from 1814 to 1834,
the total produce of French Coal Mines being in

1768
1814
1839

225.000 Tons
..... 788,300 „
3,133,200 „

It is evident that the proposed tax will give an in-
creased stimulus to the working of coal mines in
France itself, and which exists in no less than fifty-
six departments. And further, it will be found that,
without offering any equivalent to the revenue,' it is
calculated to ruin our foreign export coal trade, and
seriously affect the multifarious employments and
capital connected therewith.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

DEPARTURES.

Colonel Austir and Mrs. Autir, from the Berners Hotel, for
Belle Vue, Kent ; Rev. G. Brathwaite and Mrs. Brathwaite,
Irom ditto, for Brighton ; R. Woolfield and Mrs. Wool_
field, from ditto, for Brighton ; Hon. Mrs. Reid and family,
from ditto; the Bev. C. Luxmore, Mrs. Luxmore, and famdy,
from ditto; Mrs. Cullum, from ditto ; Rev. C. Wetter, bum
ditto.

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE THROUGH DREAD or
THE PREDICTED EA RTHQUA IC E.—Yesterday an lorries
was held at the King's Arias, Roupell-st reit, Cornwall goad,
Lambeth, before W. Carter, Esq., Coroner for Surrey, on the
lyirly of Emma Edmonds, 19 years of age, who was found
drowned in the Thames. Ann Heatable deposed she was in
the service of Mr. Grover, 44, Lower Belgrave-place, Pimlico.
The deceased had been her fellow-servant. .On Thursday
three weeks, about nine o'clock in the morning, the deceased
left her master's house for the purpose of going to a neighbour-
ing apothecary's for some medicine, she complaining of a pain
in her head. She never returned; and notwithstanding every
inquiry had been set on foot by Mr. Grover, no tidings were
heard of her until she was found in the river. Witness could
Five no other reason, than she supposed she had destroyed her-
self, as she (deceased) said she would do, if she thought the
earthquake, at that time spoken of, should come to pass. Other
evidence was adduced to show that there was nothing likely to
have caused the deceased to commit suicide, other than
the dread of the late foolish prediction relative to the earth-
quake. The Jury returned a verdict of Found Drowned.