The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-12 00:00:00

FORNIA TO ENGLAND.

By late arrivals at New Orleans, we learn that it is currently
reported in Vera Cruz that Santa Anna had negotiated a loan
with England for several million of dollars, and had agreed to
deliver the Californias into their hands, until the money
should be returned.
The yellow fever carried off four or five persons daily.
Trade is represented as dull in Vera Cruz.; A conducta,
with money from the interior, was looked for by the 15th inst.
The captures lately made by the Texian vessels of war,
had tended to cast a gloom over the commerce of Vera Cruz.
A Mexican armed steamer and an armed schooner were
lying at Vera Cruz.
A letter from General Bravo, dated at Chilpancingo, March
23, gives an account of the defeat of a band of native
Mexicans or red men, who had taken up ar.ns against the
Government.

It appears that the city of San Miguel has received with
open arms General Morazan, whose defeat by Carrera, two
years ago, is so vividly described by our traveller, Stevens.
Dr. Rafael Gutierrez Martinez, and some other Mexicans of
note, were on the 20th of March assassinated in their houses,
by a band of fifty aboriginals, nenr Quechutenango.
MArantottAs. Aram 21.—1 herewith transmit a printed
paper, containing an official account of the capture of San An-
tonio de Bexar. on the sth ult., by 800 Mexican troops, under
command of General Vasquez.
The memorial of the American merchants taken with the
expedition to Santa Anna has been published. The Mexican
Government purposes to build a railroad across the Isthmus
of Tehuantepec, in the south of Mexico; but as the distance
is two hundred miles, the project will scarcely be carried into
execution.

Air. Dickens arrived in town yesterday, from St. Louis, and
took lodgings at the Broadway Hotel. fie leaves to-day for
New York via Columbus.— Cincin. Gazette, •20th.
NEW YORK MONEY MARKET.

SALES AT THE STOCK EXCHANGE, APRIL 28.
1,000 Dols. New York Fives-and-a-Half, 1860 ...... Bsi
2,000 Do. Ohio Sixes, 1860 7li
2,000 Da. Indiana Fives s 3 days 20
76 Shares Delaware and Hudson. cash 951
20 Do. Phenix Bank

'75 D. North River Bank
70
10 Do. Bank of Commerce
70 Do. Firemen's Insurance Co BO
5 Do. United States Bank._ 36
200 Do. Low, Ida id Railroad
2.5 Do. Mohawk Railroad cash 51
25 Do. Do.
b Do. Do. s 10 days 51
25 Do. Do. cash 51A
5 Do. Utica and S lieneetady
6 Do. Boston and Providence .. 9O
Do. 4itrltm, Rallroed iok

The business done at the Stock Board this morning was to
quite a moderate ei:ient, and with but slight variations in prices,
Ohio Sixes irnp,'ftved 'Bank of. Commerce 1 ; Indian Fives
fell off 11, and Delaware and Hudson
The intelligence which goes out to Europe to-day by the
Great Western is of a more favourable character than any
which has been transmitted for a long time. The shocks
which have affected our monetary system, and caused great
fluctuations in our currency; have in a great degree subsided,
and appearances generally indicate that we have at last passed
the crisis, and that henceforward the tendency of business is
toward improvement: A much better feeling exists through-
out the community, and considerab:e activity is manifested in
all branches of business. We arc not able to learn that much
improvement in the prices of merchandise is realized, if we
make one or two exceptions, but the market presents much
firmness, and purchases are freely made at the prices.
Thu gloom and despondency which have so long over-
shadowed the community, are giving way rapidly to cheering
anticipations of a prosperous and healthy state of business.
Little exists, that is likely to defeat these calculations. The
condition of the South and Wear, as regards their currency, is
perhaps the most serious obstacle we have to contend with,
and may retard us somewhat in our course of improvement.
The general impression is, that the portion of 'the lean adver-
tised for by the Secretary of the Treasury, 3,51)0,000 dollars,
will be taken on favourable terms; and the impress on has
:lone much to improve the market, especially iu State and
heal stocks.

EXCHANGE—FOREIGN.—For transmission per the Great
Western, there has been a fair business in sterling bills, closing
at 7to 7* per cent. premium. On Paris the rates still remain
at sf. 371. to sf. 35c.

Every person who heard Sir ROBERT PEEL on
Tuesday, or wtho has read his speech, must have
echoed his remark, that there was " no country in the
world where greater skill might be exercised in the
making of furniture (and of other things) than in
England." Every person, too, must, like him, " not
despair, by the reduction of duties, to enable us to
export a considerable quantity of furniture, the pro-
duce of the skilful mechanics of this country."
Nothing, in fact, but a great mass of onerous taxes,—
portion of which does Sir R.
optil
touch,;lEyLthperolepOistelitlfleountal
i leaving the heaviest duties
virtually undiminished,—prevents our skilful artisans
mechanics, and labourers, from rivalling and sUrpal..s-
ing, in the cheapness of their-products, those of all
other nations. Now that Sir ROBERT PEE T, is sen-
iible of that, it becomes his duty as a humane man;
as well as a Minister, to remove every restriction,
every monopoly, every tax, not absolutely indispensa-
ble, from the shoulders of the people.

In our opinion there are far higher motives
for such a course of policy than merely to in-
crease the wealth and comfort of the people, though
such is sure to be the result. It will also increase
their happiness and their morality. The immense
:lumber of frightful crimes lately committed, in al-
most every part of the empire, in conjunction with
general distress, is enough to startle the most unre-
fleeting of our routine statesmen. The criminal law
—the police—the Magistrates—have all been as,
powerful and as active in these latter times as ever
they were ; but, in spite of their exertions, there can
be no doubt that frightful crimes are rapidly on the
increase. Precisely those crimes, too, are increasing
for which the penalty of death is still inflicted. The
instant it is remarked that these crimes are, as the
rule, confined almost exclusively to the lower classes
—that we never hear of murder being committed by
the easy and opulent classes—the suspicion that they
are the result of poverty and wretchedness, and will
increase in spite of penalties, seems deserving of the
name of a proof, and the Prime Minister and the
Parliament are required, by their wish to lessen
hateful crimes, to remove every impediment which
the law places in the way of the physical well-being
of the people.
At present there is great distress in the land, and
we hear continually of frightful crimes. Between the
years 1833, however, soon after the Whigs began to
remit taxation, and 1836, the country was very pros-
perous. Till the latter end bf 1836 trade flourished.
Now in those prosperous years, namely, from 1833
to 1836, there was not a single person executed in
London and Middlesex. "No conviction for mur-
der," says the Parliamentary Returns (No. 36), " took
place during the three years ending December, 1836."
In the three following years, when our prosperity
was blighted, the convictions were 21, and what they
will amount to in the three years ending with 18-12,
we must wait for the Returns to see.

Something similar took place at an antecedent
period. From 1818 to 1821, the country generally was
prosperous, and the number of convictions for murder
in Middlesex, in those three years, was 25. It was
comparatively prosperous until_ 1824, and the number
of convictions for murder was 36. In 1825 and
1826, the country was a prey to commercial
difficultie3, and in the three years ending 1827, the
convictions increased to 64. A pretty strong proof
we apprehend, that violent and frightful crimes mul-
tiply with distress, and diminish with prosperity.

In the Report of the Assistant Poor-law Commis-
sioners, sent to inquire into the state of the popula-
tion of Stockport, we find such passages as these
:
"In the course of these inquiries, the general character
and condition of the operatives employed in the cotton
trade have beta peculiarly objects of our observation.
Wo have seen, that in an ordinary state of the trade,
those of the operatives who arc employed (as the mass
of them are) in connexion with steam power and ma-
chinery, appear to command, by the value of their labour,
the means of enjoyment of the comforts of life to an extent
and degree unknown to a large portion of the population of
this country."—" We find, in connexion with the large
earnings of this class, industrious habits of no common
stamp, regulated and secured in a great measure by the
peculiar nature of their employment, and a degree of in-
telligence already much in advance of other classes of the
working psople, and still growing with the general
growth of popular education. It appears, also, that
when in the enjoyment of prosperity, they avail
themselves, to a great extent, of the provi-
dent institutions; and partly through them, and
partly through other circumstances equally credit-
able to their character as a working class, they
avoid almost altogether dependence upon poor-rates.
On the recurrence Of distress we find them neither a
pauperised mass, nor readily admitting pauperism amongst
them, but struggling against adversity,beating far and wide
for employment, and in many cases leaving their country
for foreign climates rather than depend upon any other
resources for subsistence than their own industry and
skill."

Can any person read that passage and not at once
see the intimate connection between prosperity and
intelligence, between high wages and comfort, and
between comparative wealth and all the decencies,
moralities, and virtues of life ? When these people
were prosperous they provided against an evil day,
but the unexampled length of the present depression
of trade has reduced these provident and intelligent
cotton manufacturers to very severe distress. We
hope that our readers will remember that this is
,a
description from authority of a class of men whom
certain Tory writers have vowed to destruction,
and on whose present distress, caused by mischievous
legislation, certain Tory legislators have looked with
placidity and pleasure. What we;however, insist on
is this, what we call on the Members of both
Houses of Parliament to attend to, what we
say every opulent gentleman and every clergyman
will suffer if he neglect, is this, that the morality
and the prosperity of the people go hand
in hand. We say, therefore, that infinitely higher
motives than a mere desire to add to the national
wealth make it the especial duty of the Parlia-
ment, and the especial duty of the clergy, and the
especial duty of Sir R. PEEL, who has recognised
the skill and industry of the people, to remove
every monopoly, every unjust tax, and every impe-
diment now placed by the laws in the way of the
free exercise of their skill and industry.
We can supply the landlords and statesmen
with even a pecuniary motive for being honest
and just. By a return just presented to Par-
liament, on Real property, we perceive that the
annual value of an acre of land in Middlesex,
where the people are most crowded, is 11. 14s. ;
Leicester follows, 11.75. ; then Somerset, 11. Gs. ; -Wor-
cester, 1/. 6s. ; Lancaster, I/. 5s ; Warwick, ii. 5s.—
while the value of an acre of land in Sussex is 135.;
in Devon, 15s. ; and in Suffolk, 196. If the land•
lords wish to have the value of their acres increased,
let them, by doiwg justice, encourage that prosperity,
wanting which is the cause, as we think we have
shown, of many frightful crimes.

F
SUDDEN .., T 1 EATIF OF /I,ALET, TIIE COM-
POSER AND LEADEh.—A great sensation was created on Mon-
day, in the theatrical circles, in consequence of a report, which
soon obtained very active circulation, that Mr. Healey, the po-
pular composer and leader, had been disco-rered dead in his bed
that morning, at his residence, Shepherd's Cottage, Vine-terrace,
Waterloo-road. Mr. Healey was the leader at the Adelphi
and New Strand Theatres, and formerly occupied the
same situation at Astley's Amphitheatre. He WAS considered
a first-rate musician, and was the composer of a number of po-
pular airs and melodies.
A few days ago, as a cobbler, who had his stall un-
der the wall of the barracks of Saint Raphael, at Bordeaux,
was beating one of his children with brutal violence, a gentle-
man passing by interfered, and remonstrated with the man
for his want of natural feeling. The savage only turned his
rage upon his humane adviser, and, seizing his cutting knife,
wounded the gentleman so severely, that he died almost im-
mediately. The murderer was immediately secured and
placed in the hands of justice.
Viscountess Villiers (daughter of Sir R. Peel and
Lady Peel) this morning gave birth to a daughter, at her resi-
dence in Grosvenor-place. We are happy to state that her
Ladyship and infant are going on well.

N ATIONAL LOAN FUND SOCIETY:
The Annual, .Gcieral. Meeting of this excellent Insti-
tution took plaCe•yesterday at the London Tavern. T.
Laurie Murray, Esq., took the Chair shortly after one
o'clock.

The advertisement calling the meeting was then read.
'rheibliowingltwortwasalso read

"THIRD --AN UAL REPORT, MAY 11. 1842.

"The Directors have again, for the third time since the
institution of the Society, to express their satisfaction in
meeting the Proprietors on the occasion of the Annual
➢leeting.

" In the number of new policies the Society ha 3 not
made so great a progress during the past as in the pre-
ceding years. In this respect it has not been singular.
The severe and continued pressure experienced through-
out every departments •of productive industry has un-
questionably diminished- the means, and with it the faci-
lities of the community,and in consequence. the security
of future provision atlorded by life assurance has in the
general embarrassrn -et been to a considerable extent
neglected. Notwithstanding this severs pressure, which
has so generally affcted•the business of Life Assurance,
the Directors have to congratulate the Proprietors that
it has not fallen on this Society with unequal force. The.
number of Policies issued by the Society having now
augmented from 1,230 in the year 1840, to 1,775 at the
close of 1841, and to 1,890, at the present period.
" At the next general, meeting, and afterwards annu-
ally, as provided for in the Deed of Settlement, it will be
the duty of the Directors to lay before the Proprietors
the result of the mathematical investigation into the
affairs of the Society, which will take place at the close
of the present year, with a view of making such division
of profits, by way of bonus, to the Policy-holders and
Proprietors as the result will justify.
"In carrying out this object, the Directors will
take care to discriminate between the several interests
involved, so as to render equal justice to all, and to pro-
vide that too much of the burden of the first institution
of the Society shall not fall exclusively on those who
will be entitled to share in its general prosperity.
" The advantages of the principle of an annual distri-
bution of profits amongst the assured, instead of a sep-
tennial, or even longer intervals of division adopted by
other Assurance Offices, were foreseen at the formation
of this Society. It avoids the disproportionate appro-
priation of the profits, which all who are assured have a
right to share, and which, were the division of profits is
pretracted, falls by chance on those Policy-owners
only who have outlived certain arbitrary periods, to the
disadvantage of those whoSe policies have become claims
during the long interval of division, while, at the same
time, it is so deceptive in the apparent over the real
amount of bonus distributed over all the policies. This
principle adopted by the National Loan Fund Society,
of an equal distribution of profits, is in every other re-
spect so self-evident, that, when once brought into action,
besides the constant vigilance, it will call fOrth on the
part of those interested, towards the administration of the
affairs, will, the Directors feel assured, tend largely to
incretve the public 'confidence and favour towards the
Society. The benefits will be equally felt by the Pro-.
prietors of the Guarantee Capital, as the third of the
profits reserved for them, in addition to the five per
cent. per annum, will reach them annually.
" It afibrds the Directors much gratification at this
early period—the fourth year since the commencement
of the Societyto refer. the Proprietors to its advanced
position, Which, in respect to its increasing business, and
the. security -afforded in the number of its policies, is
enabled to take its rank amongst those of much older
origin, and undoubted security.
"Another source of satisfaction to the Proprietors, is in
the fact that amongst those assured by the Society the
actual has been less than the expected mortality, and
which affords the best proof of carefulness in the selec-
tion of lives.

" The sums already paid, and for which claims are ad-
mitted, being 12,9981..181., while the sum expected,
according to the tables, would have amounted to 19,000 L

" The former amount is even augmented by the sum of
3,0001 caused by the accidental death of an otherwise
healthy member.
" The arrangement recommended by the Directors in
their Report of last year respecting the conversion of the
capital of the Society into 201. shares has been eff,eted,
with the exception only of 1,100 shares in the hands of
Proprietors whose residences are not easily accessible.
"This object being so nearly accomplished has enabled
the Directors to settle the account of preliminary ex-
penses under the Deed of Settlement.
" The business to be transacted at the present meeting
is the election of four Directors in lieu of

John Griffith Frith, Esq. ;
Hunter Gordon, Esq. ;
John Rawson, Esq. ; and
John Riddle Stodart, Esq. ;
whose period of office has expired, all of whom are eli-
gible to be re-elected, and otter themselves accordingly :
, and the election of two Auditors, in place of
Professor Wheatstone, F.R.S., and
Professor Graves, A.M., F.R.S.,
whose term of office has expired, and who are also re-
eligible, and otter themselves accordingly.
(Signed) "T. LAMM MURRAY, Chairman."
The CIL/LIMAN rose to address the meeting. Since
no Proprietor seemed to be dissatisfied with the Report
of the affairs of the Company, which had been laid
before them, there was very little for him to say. The
Directors had very candidly referred to the state of in-
dustrial embarrassment that had prevailed during the past
year, and for a much longer period, as tending to de-
crease the means of the community to effect Life As-
surances ; he would, however, say this for themselves,
that the whole subject connected with Life Assurances,
its influence upon the public mind, and its progress
among the several classes of the community, had been
very closely watched by the gentlemen composing the
direction of the Society. This was natural to all those
who had, like themselves, started with new principles,
and the subject of Life Assurance was with them re-
, garded with much interest. They might take credit to
themselves for having largely increased in the public mind
a disposition to obtain security for the future, by means
of Life Assurance ; if they looked to facts, they would
find that, since the institution of the National Loan Fund
Society, little better than some four years ago, nearly 40
offices had been established by a kind of impetus, the
consequence of the publications of the National Loan
Fund, and the pains taken by the Society to disseminate
its principles. Notwithstanding the numerous competi-
tors the Society had to contend with, it was a great
source of satisfaction to the Directors to observe the
elevated position in which the National Loan Fund So-
ciety was placed, and the great confidence that was given
to it by the public. Any person acquainted with the
calculations upon which the security of offices of this
kind was founded, would say that an office which
had been able, within a period not longer than
four years, to issue 1,890 policies, had arrived at
as high a point of security as could be desired of longer
standing. All that was required in the calculations of
life assurance was such -a timber of policies as would
form an average, and this had been fully attained by the
Society. He was ready to admit that the business had
not been so extensive this year as in former ones, but the
average of the whole years had been greater than the
success ever attained by any other Life Assurance Insti-
tution previously established. He thought, with these
observations on the part of himself and the Directors, the
meeting would agree with him, that he had very little
more to say. It was not their business to praise them-
selves, their only object being to call the attention of the
Proprietors to the principles of the Society, and to pray of
them to extend them as much as possible in obtaining
new members and new insurances. The Directors would
be happy to listen to any gentleman who was anxious to
make any observations upon the Report.
Mr. Munno 'Vous° said he had very great pleasure in
moving that the Report be adopted. He felt extreme
pleasure in being connected with this Society. Having
had much to do with its origin, and being convinced of
its great utility, by the statements which the lion. Chair-
man had laid before him some four or five years ago, he
had given the Society all the support which a public
journal could give.—(Efear,- hear.) That support, how-
ever humble, was given on public principle, and public
principle alone.—(Hear.) It was gratifying to find,
from the Report, that notwithstaading the embarrass-
ment that had prevailed throughout the country during
the last year, the number of insurances had increased
more than 50 per cent., while the liabilities were less by
33 per cent. than in the ordinary course of nature they
would have been.--(llear, hear.) The object of this
Society was one of interest to the public at large. In-
surances were effected for the benefit of those who sur-
vived us ; and he thought no man could lay out his
money for better or more useful purposes, than by stimu-
lating economy and good conduct in his own children,
through his own example.—(Hear, hear.) That this
Society had applied a stimulus to other societies was a
fact greatly in its favour. Ho was 'happy to hear
that as many as forty similar societies were pros-
pering, if not in the same ratio as the National
Loan Fund, yet to an extent which afforded
good promise of the future prospects of such insti-
tutions. With these feelings, he had great pleasure in
moving that the Report be adopted. He thought the
Directors deserved very great praise for their efficient
conduct during the last four or five years'; for, notwith-
standing the general embarrassments in trade, and among
persons disposed to ensure their lives, yet the Society
had continued to prosper under their able management
and sound discretion.—(Hear, hear.) . .

W. STUDLEY, Esq., said he felt very great satisfaction
in seconding the resolution. He had only been connected
with the Society for a short time ; but, feeling convinced
that it had already succeeded beyond all reasonable ex-
pectation, he had been led by that conviction to double his
interest in it.—(Heari hear.) That, he thought, was the
best proof he could possibly give of his confidence in the
future prosperity of the
,Society.—(Hear, hear.)
The CELtiamAN said, before the resolution was put, he
wished to mention that, in the next year, it would be
their business to make a division of profits. The Pro-
prietors were aware that one-third of the profits
would reach them, and considering the large capital that
was now guaranteed to the Policy-holders, one-third of
the profits would not be considered extravagant. He was
quite sure, however, that it would be sufficiently large for
all the risk which the Proprietors had run. The risk
in reality which a proprietor in a life insurance office
incurred existed only on its first institution. After the
policies had accumulated, there was no investment which
was equally secure ; there was scarcely any investment
which was equally profitable. The division of profits
would occur annually. The Shareholders who were en-
titled, under the deed of settlement to five per cent. in-
term, upon their capital, would also receive, annually
afterwards their share of the profits in add; inn. He
trusted that at the next meeting the Directors would
be able to show that they had not laboured in vain
- during the prel ions five yeah.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN thrill pat the question that the Report
be received and adopted, Which was carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN then stated that the next business of
the meeting would be to elect four Directors in the room
of those who went out, of office by rotation. The
names of those four gentlemen were—John Griffith
Frith, Esq., Hunter Gordon, Esq., John Rawson,

• and John Riddle Stodart, Esq. The principle of the
Office was that—Directors...went out .every two years.
These gentlemen, were all candidates for the office, and
if it was the pleamre of the meeting to re-elect them, he
would put the question.
The CHAIRMAN then put the question, that the four
Director, he re-elected, and declarel it to be carried
unanimously:.
Professor 'Wheatstone, F.R.S., and Professor Graves,
F.R.S., we Ns unanimously re-elected as Auditors.
A PROPRIETon-,-vished to ask the Chairman if he had
any objection to state' the amount of the income of the
Society during the last year? •
The CHAIRMAN said was about 25,0001. per annum,
but they were so near malL`ug their mathematical state-
ment, that they thought it .unnecessary to give the
amount in the Report. The Clociety had done a great
deal of business in connexion `, with money lending. 1
They had- published two tables, A. and -Be which
were favourable for loans for chart periods, not
only loans which they made thems'aives, but loans
which were made unconnected witii tliem. The
sums which had been received on those Aieies which
were now lapsed and become extinct arnomitt‘d to about
7,0001. There were many other things which m'ght have
been stated, but the Directors had i:cnfined them.s.'ires to
those points only which they considered necessary. At
the same time, he would be most happy to answer i-LIV
question which might be put by the meeting.
No Proprietor intimating a wish to put any question
to the Chair,

Mr. HINTON moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman
and Directors. The motion having been seconded,

The CHAIRMAN returned thanks on behalf of himself
and the other Directors. lie hoped that they would be
found worthy of the trust which had been reposed ia
them. They would do all in their power to make the
Society prosperous, and to manage its business with care,
vigilance, and honesty.—(Cheers.)
The meeting then separated.