The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-17 00:00:00

AMERICAN NEWS.

ARRIVAL OF THE BRITANNIA.
LIVERPOOL, MONDAY MORNING.
__

The; steamer Britannia, Captain Hewit, arrived
here last night, at midnight, after a voyage of ten
days, from Halifax, having left that port on the sth.
She brings thirty-five passengers, amongst whom
is J. R. Brackett, Esq., bearer of despatches. Her
papers are to the 30th of April, the Ist of May.
her day of sailing being Sunday, from New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, and from
Halifax to the sth inclusive. We regret to learn that,
though the Britannia waited two days for the Cana-
dian Mails, she was finally compelled to sail without
them, they not having arrived at Halifax up to the
sth at noon.

The Caledonia arrived out at Halifax whilst the
Britannia was waiting, having made the voyage from
Liverpool in 131 days ; this, though not so quick a
voyage as some made by this line of steamers last
season, is still a very good voyage, and the Britannia's
voyage home has only been excelled by the Acadia's
voyage home in 9 days 15 hours.
The steamer Medway, one of the West India line,
had arrived at New York from Havanuah, calling at
Nassau, Savannah, and Charleston. She proceeded
to Halifax on the 30th, and arrived, along with the
Britannia, on the sth.

An invasion. of Mexico by the Texians is said to
be contemplated, in retaliation for the insults offered
by Mexico; they threaten that they have a large
and well armed and disciplined force at command,
who would conquer the whole country in a few
months, if Great Britain did not interfere.
Business is said to have improved at New York in
the cotton and corn markets, and in manufactured
goods generally. Stocks very dull and declining; no
more than 50,000 dollars originally subscribed for has
been taken. The rate of Exchange on London for
this packet was 108 c. 108ic.
NEW. YORK TRADE AND COMMERCE.
MONEY MARKET.—CITY News, SATURDAY.—It is
amusing to see the constant speculations that are put
forth in the various journals, on the subject of the twelve
million loan of the Federal Government. At one time.
it was generally conceded, that any portion of this loan
would not be taken, unless at a very great discount ; but
it has been recently stated, however, that the house of
Hope and Co. would take it at par. This quite changed
the complexion of things, and inspired new confidence.
Now it is asserted that no negotiation has been had on the
subject. Thus, we are moved about by every rumour.
There has been a surprising change in the credit and
condition of this country, and, as we contend, without any
adequate cause. In 1833 our Stocks were above par,
both in this country and in Europe, and now it, appears
our credit is well nigh annihilated. If the comparison is
made with any of the tax-Paying, debt-ridden nations in
Europe, our condition is immeasurably below theirs. For
instance, the National Debt of Great Britain is about five
thousand millions of dollars, the interest on whichis. set
down by Sir R. Peel at about ,'-,,'150,000,000. The ex-
gendi tures of the Empire, including Poor-rates, are about
400,000,000. Thus that extraordinary nation, with
only about one-third greater population than our own,
pays annually about five hundred and fifty millions of
dollars. How contemptible the debt of this Government
appears, viz. eighteen millions, to these sums ! How in-
significant all our State debts of about two hundred
millions of dollars appears when put by the side of these
immense sums! The very interest of the British debt
exceeds our whole debt, national and State.

With all this immense debt, however, their Three per
Cent. Stocks sell higher than New York State Six's.
In 1839 Great Britain had a navy of 557 vessels and
an army of 109,189 men, exclusive of the native Indian
army of 290,000. England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales
have only 121,000 square miles, France 130,000,000 Of
acres, and the United States, exclusive of her territories,
600,000,000 of acres.

France has a debt of $1,000,000,000, and has an army
of about 300,000 men. The expenses of the Government
about $250,000,000. France boasts of her 2,300 miles of
canal, and 5,130 miles of river navigation. The United
States have over 4,000 miles of canal, 6,000 miles of rail-
road, and 10,000 miles of river and lake navigation. The
tax on every person, men, women, and children, in
France, is about $l2 a-year—in Great Britain $36 a-
year, and in the United States about $1 20c. a-year.
This is the difference in taxes.

The debt of the General Government, and that of the
States is about two hundred and thirty millions of dollars,
viz. :

Maine 1,678,367 Mississippi
Massachusetts 7,372,839 Tennessee
New York
Pennsylvania ... 36,331,839 Ohio
17,119,820
Maryland . ...„ 15,213,184 Indiana ......
Virginia
South Carolina ...5,560,000 Illinois 17,846,130
Georgia 1,460,930 Missouri
Alabama 10,859,536 Arkansas
Louisiana 94,530,2701
Total States. 212,474,036
United,States

:$230,474,036
The State of Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New Hampshire, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Ca-
rolina (seven States) have no debt. The annual interest
on all those debts, at five per cent., is about 12,400,000
dollars ; but the interest on a large portion of this debt
is no burden whatever on the people of this State. For
instance, the income from our canal has paid the interest
on the debt, also the expenses of the State Government,
and reduced the original cost.

Although the State debts appear large, they are in the
whole but little more than the National debt was at th©
close of the last war, which was wholly extinguished five
years ago. The debt was contracted in supporting
our arm►es and navies, whereas the debts of the States
have been contracted in constructing more than ten thou-
sand miles of railroads and canals which have enriched
the nation more than a thousand millions of dollars, and
which are increasing in value constantly.
The table of the wealth of this country cannot be
reckoned or estimated—axd yet'with all this untold and
uncreated wealth, the paltry loan of one of the richest
nations on earth, and one least in debt, is traduced, to
such an extent, that it is questioned whether it can be
negotiated at a par for a Six per Cent. Stock.
When the parallel is run out as we have endeavoured
to do in this article, it is hardly creditable that the
Three per Cent. Stocks of the tax-ridden nations of
Europe are taken by capitalists of the old world in pre-
ference to the Six per Cent. Stocks of this young, grow-
ing, and comparatively taxless nation.
Official notices from the Comptroller of the State are
published, calling on one-fourth of the United States de-
posit fund on the Ist June. 1843, and all persons having
given bonds or-mortgages are called upon to pay up.
The Western Railroad freight train, on the 29th, took
from Albany for Boston 1,330 live hogs, 28 head of cattle,
340 barrels flour, making in all 58 cars !
The Report on the British Colonial Trade that fills so
large a space in our columns, deserves the attention of
every man of business.

RATE OF SALES AT THE STOCK EXCHANGE,
APRIL 30.

$l,OOO Illinois Bonds
$9,000 Ohio G's, 1860
$2,000 Indiana Bons i9i
$2,000
$4,000 ... slO 194
$7,000
50 Shares Delaware and Hudson.... 954
150 do. Bank of Commerce.
G 5 do. U.S. Bauk 331
5 do. Canton Co
50 do. Mohawk R. R.
160 do. Harlem R. R
10 do. Utica and Senectady
30 Mutual Inns Co.
450 do. Long Island R. R.
50 do. Stonington

16i

NAVIGATION AND PORT OF LON-
DON COMMITTEE.

THE GREENWICH PIER COMPANY AND THE FLOAT-
ING PIER COMPANY.-Yesterday being the day appointed
for the consideration of the several petitions for and
against the lioating-pier at Greenwich, by the Lord
Mayor and the members of the Navigation Committee,
several of the persons connected with the permanent pier,
and many of those whose interests are involved in de
property of the floating-pier, attended at the Guildhall,
tbr the purpose of hearing the decision of his Lordship,
and the Committee. '

Mr. C. Phillips and Mr. Clarkson appeared for the
Watermen's Steam-packet Company, and the other in-
dividuals connected with the floating-pier, fur whom Mr.
Nelvbonmacrt.edcaarststottlri,eitaonrd;
Mr. ui
and. itrri hambers, the bar-
rister,stow, solicitors, ap-
peared for those connected with the permanent pier.
There was a petition from five hundred persons, who
were described as inhabitants of Greenwich, in favour of
the floating-pier.
Mr. Clarkson, who represented the Directors of the
Wate: men's Steam-boat Society, using the stairs at
Greenwich called Garden-stairs, stated that the question
upon which the Navigation Committee was called to de-
cide so unnecessarily was one of the utmost importance.
The principal ground of the complaint against the float-
ings pier was, that it was a public nuisance, and he was
convinced that they would not attempt to
aelxleegrcaitsieonwllivaats-
ever power they might possess for the removal of that
true.pie pier
having
vvas fu lalyr,rpjeodv proved
somethat uch
length
upon that al-
legation, the Learned Gentleman proceeded to contend
with great fOrce against what he considered to be the
monopoly of the solid or Permanent Pier Company, to
whom, in fact, no exclusive privilege attached by law,
any more than an exclusive privilege attached to the first
pier Company formed at Gravesend, about which so much
had been said and done. He called upon the Committee
to look at all other parts of the .
Thames, which presented,
in the numerous piers projecting into the River, both
above and below the great bridges, grand evidences of
the competition excited by steam, and he ridiculed the
snotiono beneficial permittingof
a
G re e nlwt,ilsc h,
salo
withn eeat togr confidence he
be exemptedfrom
looked to the Committee for giving. to the Floating Pier
Company the opportunity of applying to he only tribunal
capable of legally deciding upon the merits of the case—a
jury. In thus expressing himself he delivered the sugges-
tions of those officers of the Corporation who acre best
qualified, from their knowledge, skill, and experience, to
advise the gentlemen lie had the honour to address. To
a jury the question as to whether that which was charged
as a nuisance was or was not a nuisance ought surely.
to be submitted, before the Committee could proceed to
punish it as a nuisance. The Committee could not,
under the circumstances, omit the serious consideration,