. The food and money questions. are still in a
state to occasion anxiety. Not that we pay, much attention to the meeting in Hide Park on Stinday as a proof of popular suffering from " dear bread." [LATEST EDITION.]
Bread has been far dearer in England than it is now, or is likely to be under free trade ; but our abundance will in some degree depend upon the still unascertained degree of scarcity in France. From that country the latest reports are rather favourable. It is admitted that the wheat and rye crop is short ; but the grain is unusually sound and full, to a great extent compensating the de- ficiency ; barley is abundant, and many other auxiliary crops, such as maize, buck-wheat, potatoes, chestnuts, beans, are peculiarly abundant.
The new decree to regulate the price of butcher's meat came in force on Wednesday last. The number of butchers in the French capital is limited, and as they have a monopoly of the market, they regulate the prices more according to their own desires than the desires of the consumer ; and since the butcher likes a price which is popularly considered unreasonable, Government steps in as an arbitrator, and an excise of meat is established to correct the artificial evils created by monopoly. It is rather curious that France lately established free trade in corn, avowedly on the ground that free trade alone can secure amplitude of supplies ; but that she still retains a working model of " protection, ' as if for the very purpose of confirming opinion against that species of interference. Both French and English will be able to watch the operation of this meat-excise. Of course-we cannot -expect an improvement in the ebeaniclity, since there is no premium iffhigh price for great excellence in quality. It has been said, that in this country every country gentleman who killed his own mutton paid two shillings a pound for it; but that two-shillieg mutton was -fostered to a degree of excellence which constituted it a standard for the ordinary butcher ; and there was competition in the trade, not only to supply the public at moderate prices, but to give something like that two-shilling mutton at the current rates ; .hence a constant progress of improvement, as well as of cheapness, quite impossible' underan excise. The inimey question has net Mired ft At *red.* Aiss-drais of gold appears to continue, though more mod y. Our NMI of England has thought it expedient to advance the discount from 5i to 6 and 7 per cent; which, shows the recognition of a necessity for continuing define* precautions. The Austrian Government has confirmed the eorpeotitibii lhat it will endeavour to set up an Austrian copy of the grefich Credit Ifebilierl 04 the If Hypethek -Bank" is to be established tinder the superinteedenee- of Binh 33rUck, but apparently with the capital of the house of Rothschild. The Credit Nobilier than appears to be setting a fashion adopted
by the magnates of money ;moiety in Europe. And it is reported that the Spanish Cortes will be invited to discuss the foundation of " a general bank of public credit " on a similar pattern for Spain, —at if credit bould be made by decree of state!
