The Sun. — 1829-04-17 (London, England)

SINGULAR SUICIDE.—On Thursday night last, between eight and nine o'clock, a circumstance occurred in the Garrison of the Tower, which has terminated in the loss of life. At the time mentioned, a dispute occurred in the Stone Kitchen Canteen, between ROBERT KERR, a private belonging to the Royal Artillery, and some of the guards, stationed in the fortres,, on the subject of Catholic Emancipation. KERB, who was a Roman Catholic, boasted on the pre-eminence of his faith, and the ascendancy which those belonging to it must necessarily obtain on the setferrient of the question. The guardsmen were offended at his observations, and a quarrel en sued, in which blows were exchanged. One of them reached KERR, who rushed out of the Canteen, ran up the Devil's battery, and flung himself into the ditch. The parties who were with him hurried to his assistance, and having recovered the body, used every means to restore animation, but in vain. The deceased was a fine young man of about 25 years of age; he never, up to the calatnitnus occurrence that has led to his death, was known to express any opinion on religious subjects.— York Courant.  It will be remembered that, during last Session, and at the commencement of the present, the vine- i growers of France complained of the stagnation of their trade,—of the diminished consumption and low price of wine,—and of their inability to support the heavy burden of taxation with which they were loaded. They therefore prayed the Legislature to take their distress into cousiderition, and to grant all the relief in their power, by an alteration either of the present commercial system, or of the fiscal exactions to which they were subjected. These petitions were referred to the Minister of Finance, who engaged to inquire into the causes of the sufferings complained of, and to propose a remedy, if possible. On Monday Count Roy, the Minister of Finance, presented to the Chamber of Deputies a Bill for reducing the excise duty on wine, and M. BACOT DE 110NAND, Director-General of Indirect Contributions, stated the grounds and explained the details of the measure. He totally denied that the distress complained of was attributable to excessive taxation. The proprietors of vineyards found great difficulties in disposing of their produce, but the glut was owing to causes distinct frost Government duties. The great accumulation of wine in the cellars of the proprietors had been produced by abundant vintages, combined with other circumstances of a temporary or acci• dental nature. These ci!•cumstances the Honourable Deputy stated to he the increase of the land under vine cultivation,—the means eropioed to augment the quantity of wine at the expense of its quality„the'minute division of landed property favourable to the extension of vineyarth,—the use of other substances besides wine in the slistti,thition of brandy, and the diminution of wined, inking jA eprtaig classes of society. The remedy for those evils is expected more from the increasing prosperity of the country, and the increasing facilities of communication, than in the alleviation a duties ; but in the mean time Government expressed a disposition tn try the latter experiment. A great reduction could not 'he expected, as the state was not in a situagiseable tion to surrender any g,re•it part of the four millions sterling Which it 'derives fromthe duty on wir.e and other xc liquors. In looking for the mode of stimulating goosumption by reducing duty, it was thought best to cancel thitt portiori of the Excise which is levied on wine at the gates of towns, This duty was often evaded, while the means employed foF its 40tion imposed restrictions on trade disproportloned to ita produce. The alleviation of the tax would amount to about ir,,0,000 or 16,000,000 francs, or more than 600,000/. sterling. From the mode in which the excise on liquors is apportioed an towns of different amounts of population, Paris alone will b,; benefited by the remission to the amount of half the whole reducii..n. Most brandies of French industry are now in a state of depression as well as the wine cultivation. Would it not show more reflection, patilotisin, and wisdom in the French Government, to revise the whole of their commercial system, th in to apply patch-work expedients to particular parts? Their restrictive principles of trade are producing their natural fruit.— Tlltes,