The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-03-19 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL

The aggregate railway.tra.f6o. far the Unitaa Kingdom,
for the week ending, March 10th, exceeded by £38,260
the same- week -last-year,
The half-yearly. dividend announced by the Oriental,
Bank will, with the amount previously paid, male a
total distribution: at the rate of 17 per cent.- for the'year.:l
The -4100,000 preference capital authorised by-the
Great Ship Company, has all been applied for by the
shareholders, and the subscription list was closed yester-
day
The Daily News. says that Mr. William Sharpe;
-underwriter at Lloyd's,_ has found himself unable to.
,meet7liis• eurgemetrits, which are said to be rather
considerable. •

It is understood that a heavy loss by fire at Barbadoes
has been sustained by some of, the English insurance
offices. The total 4 repotted at £130,000, and the Sun
office is said to be the largest loser.
In the proiuce market during the week there has
been an improved feeling, and a renewed demand for
several leading staples, at an occasional advance, and
few purchases being made on speculation.
• •Advices from China have been received to February
15th._ At Shanghai the rate of exchange had receded,
and was between 2 and 3 per cent. more' favourable to
this country.. ,At:Hong Kong the exchange wag without
alteration. , •

Great ,satisfaction was expressed in the city yesterday
at the receipt of a ielegram from Calcutta in six days,
The announcement of the burning of the Redgauntlet,
last Saturday, will probably affect many pecuniary
interests, since it is likely that the letters by the next
mail may bring orders for insurance.
A Calcutta telegram, dated the 28th February, men-
tions a further rise of 10s. in' freights at Calcutta, and
that the' import markets were without alteration. Also,
that it is proposed to increase the export duty on 'salt.'
petre from its present rate of about 9s. per ton to £6 per
ton. The duty will, therefore, produce about £150,000.
The total eiport of saltpetre last year, from Calcutta
alone, was 25,803 tons.

THE POLITICAL , EVIL.—An interesting movement
is now proceeding in most of our principal boroughs
with a view to the suppression, if possible, of that
system of bribery and corruption which has been deno-
minated the Great Political Evil. 'The Town-hall is,
by permission of the Mayor, opened on certain evenings
to the degraded portion of the constituency, invited by
the zealous pastors and other philanthropists who have
devoted themselves to the good work, to attend . and
partake of beer and pipes ; it being felt that persons of
that class would be insensible to the attractions of tea
and muffins. Cards of invitation are left at all the
low public-houses. The corrupt Voters are received at
the place'of meeting by 'the' benevolent preacheri and
ministers who are endeavouring to reclaim the sold, and
who, in the character of missionaries, appear appropri-
ately attired in reverend black, with white ties. These
messengers of purity address the multitude of depraved
beings who have bartered their privileges as Britons for
a few shillings and a quantity of ale, as •creatures who,
however deeply sunken in infamy, may, nevertheless,
still emerge, and by genuine amendment retrieve their
lost character. They also take individual voters apart,
and talk with each beery and brandy-and-watery sot;
,reason and remonstrate with him, and endeavour to
point Ont the iniquity off his' path, awaken his almost
extinct sense of shame, and beat some notion of respon-
sibility into his head. Some few manifest signs of
emotion, scratch their beads, and mutter resolutions of
amendment ; and o.ie or two occasionally clasp the hand
of their instructor, and, with a voice tremulous and eyes
suffused 'with drink, declare that they will vote the
next time according to their consciences, confirming the
promise generally with an ithprecation. The majority,
_however, listen to what is said to them with stolid indif-
ference, sit smoking and swigging, and at the conclusion
of the proceedings withdraw winking and grinning,
rather the worse for the liquor 'which they have had,
and nothing at all the better for the exhortations which
have been addressed to them.--,Putich.