The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-22 00:00:00

MINCING LANE.-(THIS DAY.)

SUGAR. —The market continues quiet, scarcely any Moa-
mar doing, both buyers and sellers being indispAed to
operate in the present state cf the market. At public Ws
200 colic* Barbadowi sold freely at 430. to 465. Banned ;
Brown lumps °options 6.m, at 52a. 61. to 53e. ; bat than is
not ninth business doing.
Comm—There u a good mood demand. and tke pan
eels beought to public sale 1.41,0 sold at very firm rata'.
Tea.—The market is bat steady.
It/CL.—No sales reported.
Rum.—Only a few casks have been disposed of ; Demerara
at 1.. IW. _ . . . .

Faury—Tbe demand for cornets is 1311101 lets active,
and prime show a slight decline.
SALTPETIM CallaillUell dull of sale; redoed quoted et
40s. esl.
Corroe is only in limited request at anthem' tykes.

TALLOW MARKET. —(T El IS D A Y.)
The market is firm at the subjoiLeil 'mote:ions :—Town
tallow, 40e. ;Peterabord Y.u. ou the spot, 41a.; all
the month, 41a. ;Jasaary, 41a. Gd. ; March, 121. GL

SMITHFIELD HAY MARKET.--CFHIS DAY.)

Mears. Harrow mad Easton report trod' slow at the 1817
low* price.:—Prime meadow bay, 71e. to 80.1. ; suresior
ditto. 84a. to 90.. ; ildetior ditto, 65e. to 701. ;
old, 90.. to 110.. ; ditto, sword eat, 901. to 100 s. ; straw,
24e. to 30..

PROVINCIAL SMARR MARKETS.

MremMoL, D2C. 21 -Pales today t Lancisbire and Yorkshiro
110 i 11-London and North Westenk 1n; j-mawhester. BN:t-
-iled. and Linenhishire. tel p.-divith Emden,.
pdt 1-Birkenhead, 1/14-Liocester and Carlisle, I 2- Maisie and
Lake B eron. et all-OmA. 3.51-Mesican 1 here per Cant, 3.4 if
-rpanish Passivist, its-Band A Fachtinge I4wkiug Vontnalsy
p.-Merrentlle sod I.:change hank butt, 4S 1 3-161 p.
-National dank of Liverpool new, issued at ptu., p.-
Albion Marine . : -Ltitii and For. Marine .111114. ti Di-
London and Lan. lasnrante. g p.-Union Marine Atm.,. 15-16 p.
-"suits hat Oold Mining Company, fs. id. p.-Metropolitan
Nye per C. nt . 107.
Mknoultlitn, Dec. 21. -.Mar Valley Hallway Mares ware sold
at ti BO rningtam Old Mill skates at 71: Meteopolityz=
nes, I 140 p.. and Birm z4ingham Bank, at 271
Ousrmteeti offered at 7 an Birmingham and lletby at Vt.
Routh Ststfordshire e'xce'l 11 11 1.16-111rnsingbsm Balk. 27 to
i-end Mantis Meted. lls. 3d. dis , buyers.
MsScHISMA, Dan. 21.-The niarket was toilet with steady
pekes. Great Eastern, 401-Great atipt 4.. .ref.. is. Pd.-Great
W m a e-tern Canada. 111.16-Greets, 2 rest Western. 64-
Lamm!. re and Yorkshire, 1101 Il 1, -London and North
Western, 1071-51miehester. libelirkl. and lartrakohlta. 40-
11 eirepolitain, 1111 1-Mexicans, 3:4 I d 5; d 1-amath
Eastern, 116 4 6 f -Leaden and Caledonian Marine, 4 p.-Chester
and Holyhead, 021-Metcantilo 'task, r 1 p.-Lantashire in-
meaner, 4 p.-Confederate Lops, 35.

THE PRINCE MID THE TAILOIK—A Prague I.ttter
remsticna that the Duke of Coburg has ordered 30,000 uni-
forms, for the army of the Doke of Augusteuburg, from a
tarp tenons' establisbniont in that city. This order is to
be executed with the least possible delay.

TII E LANCASHIRE DISTRMS.

CLNTRAL RELIEF Mak

---
A meeting of the General Committee of the Fund
for the Relief of the Distress in the Manufacturing Districts
was held yesterday in the Manchester Town hall; the Mayor
of MANClrEareit in the chair. Amongst those present were
Lord Derby, Lord Egerton of Tattoo, Major Eserton Leigh,
00lonel Wilson Patten, 51. P., Sir J. K. ShenklMO, BSA.,
Mr. G. L. Ashworth, Alderman Wright Tamer, Dr. John
Watts, Mr. E. Ashworth, Alderman Worrell, Mr. H. B.
Fermi!, Mr. Hugh Mason, Dr. Hopkinson, Mr. E. Glad-
Mom, Mr. John Platt, Mr. Dewbaton, Mr. Cheatham,
Ire.
Mr. J. W. MACLUILI (hoe. secretary) read the minutes,
and then the report of the executive committee, which
stated there bad been, accordiag to the last returns, au W-
awae dining the last month of 723 in the number of the
recipients of relief from the boards of guardians, and of
1,957 in those solely dependent upon the local committees.
The number relieved by guardians only ea compared with
the last week in November, 1862, show a decrease of 25,775;
the number relieved by guardians and supplemented by local
committee., • decrease of 124,653; and the number re.
lieved by local committee' only. a decrease of 127,577.
Various causes have contributed to reduce the presmure of
distress upon the operatives of the cotton districts • not
only has there been an increase in the amount of goods
manufactured, but the production of the same amount of
cloth or yarn from inferior cotton requires the employment
of more operative. in preparatory processes, and at the
looms ; and as during the last two years few cotton work-
men have been trained, the ordinary annual mortality has di-
minished the whole number of skilled mill operatives. A
considerable cumber—estimated by the honorary secretary
at fourteen thousand—have also been absorbed in other local
employments within the cotton districts. In order to ascer-
tain the extent sod character of the migration to the West
Biding of Yorkshire, Mr. Corbett, the inspector of the Poor-
law Board, at the request of the vioe.cbairmaa of this com-
mittee, has caused an inquiry to be made, through the
clerks and officers of the unions of the West Riding, from
the chief manufacturers and others. From this it would
appear that it has probably not exceeded 3,500, Melodies
children. Many of them are heads of families left in Lan-
cashire, end many are single young men and women. So
many are in lodgings that it is likely they will return to the
cotton districts es soon as their labour is required. Similar
inquiries in neighbouring agricultural counties show that
Mane young men and women, who hail obtained employment
in the cotton factories before the distress, have returned to
rural work, with the intention of resuming factory labour
when the demand for at revives. The vaunter of operatives
to other textile manufactures has, therefore, not been con-
siderable. and the migrationwhich hen occurred is, to Appetit
extent, of • temporary character. Meanwhile the improve-
smote shindy undertakers, or about to be commenced under
the Public Works Act, will probably absorb a comiderable
amount of the unemployed labour, and, if dee care is taken
by the local authorities to employ factory operatives,
without cattalo; a withdrawal of skilled workmen of
cotton mills from the seat of their ordinary occupation.
The central committee cannot pus by the subject of public
works without expressing their regret at thesmallfprogrese
made in bringing the act into operation during the period
of the year most favourable to out-door employmest.
Their inquiries, however, lead them to believe that this
delay is mainly attributable to the late period at which the
act was used, to the various formalities required by it,
end to the omission from it of any simple forms of eecnrity
to be given by the local authorities. A representation
which tue committee felt it its duty to make to her Ma-
jesty's government as to the unnecessary multiplication of
deeds, and consequent increase of expenditure, has met
with prompt mid favourable attention ; but the charges in
the case of-small loans still appear disproportionately high.
The committee hopes that before the relief afforded by
these works and the sums at their diaper' shall he ex-
hausted, a steady and permanent augmentatior; in the sup-
ply of cotton may be expected ; and in the anticipation of
the revival of the trade, • considerable number of new mills
are already in coursed construction. The jammed, how-
ever, of the immediate future is not free from embarrass-
meat. Hitherto the price of cotton has, with occasional
fluctuations, increased no as greatly to augment the amount
of modal employed in the import of the raw material and
its manufacture. Circumstances connected with the change
in the sources of the supply of cotton increase the absorp-
tion of the precious metals, and speculation adds its disturb-
ing force to cause the value of money to rise. This rise,
while it restrains speculation, tends temporarily to check
employment. An mamas of import., with • temporary
diminution of factory work, would moiler probable the com-
mencement, at no distant period, of a fall in the price of cot-
ter, whi. h, whatever may be the ultimate advantage derived,
L likely to cause much embarrassment for shorter
or looser periods, according to the rate of progress in this
fall of price. The duties of your committee, under these
circumstances, will be complicated by frequent changes in
the amount of employment, axial will require the exercise of
constant vigilsace on the part both of the central and load
committees. This prospect is among the motives which
have caused your committee to husband its resources. In
this duty it is aided by the growing skill of the local com-
mittees., who, whileon the one hand they have secured the
health of the population by diligent and gentle care, have,
on the other, in most instance', co-operated with this corm
mittee in all expedients' to promote economy in the manage-
ment of their resources, and to prevent the administration
of relief from undermining the independence of the work-
men. The balsam held by Mama. Heywood Brothers and
Co. on the 19th last. amounted t0219,5M. 17.. 7d. ; by the
Bridgewater se 88.27 W. 17s. ; and by the Liver-
pool Committee, 397161. lie. 7d.
The seoeption and adoption of the report was moved by
the CPLAIRKAII, and saionded by Lord EGERTON.
Dr. Warm said he wished to ask one or two questions.
On looking back over past reports he found that the num-
bers of operatives were accoanted for by the hon. secretaries
up to March last. In that month the number was 549,075.
Prom that period the tots' in various months bad alter-
nately increased and decreased. At the present time
524,764 operatives were soeounted for. But there ma a
deficiency of 13,311 quite unaccounted for, after allowing
the hon. secretaries' estimate of 13,000 or 14,000, who had
migrated or become embodied in other occupatiooa Whet had
become of this deficiency! From the November eneethly
return it appeared that there had been • demos of
persons in full work of 17,577 ; an increase of per-
sons on sheet time al 9,758 ; and an increase of
persons wholly oat of employ of 4,898. The
numbers of those forming the increase on short time
and the increase out of employ should balance the demure
of permn in full work in the sum total. But this wee sot
the case by 2,921. How had this number dropped out of
account is the month of November ! Turning to the items
represented tinder the school list, it that
November there was • demean of men and boys at salted
of 1,510 men and 742 boys; while there was as blames ei
wee ia* the out-door work list of 1,247, sad 480 boys
leaving again • deficient' of 545. The former should
amount for the latter; but how could this of
545 be accounted for' There was • decreased 499
women and girls, and what had become of them! Since
the last meeting he bad discovered that the average of ex-
penses upon the sums distributed by the various corn-
nAttees was is. 94d. per cent. Some, however, ran
much ligher. Manchester and Chorlton were the highest
on the

Yr. blecr.trßE--Choriton, Mame. and Ardwich.
Dr. Warm said he wished took whether there was any-
thing peculiar in the conditions of Slaachester or Chorlton
to callus the expenses to be double the average. lo Novem-
ber the total number relieved amounted to about 170,000.
The ordinary pauper return, of 1861 showed the corres-
ponding numbers to be from 47,000 to 50,000. This, sub-
tmeted from the total number relieved in order to get at
the exact pressure of the distress, left 122,300 ; bat the
number out of work at present was given u 159,000. It
therefore appeared that, after two years of distress, pro-
viding the toe. secretary meld account for the 13,000 or
14,000 referred to, there were at the present time 30,500
persona who, notwithsteadieg two years out of work, were
still living without relief either from the guardians or from
the relief committees. This was a feature worth noticing.
One-fourth of the whole number now out of work were
diactually not in receipt of relief, after two years of continuous
stress.

Mr. litartuax said that the large number of persons out
of work, and the comparatively few receiving relief, was to ,
be accounted for by the fact that it was impossible to Mae
e. regular census of the operatives in all the towns every
month. In Manchester this never had been done, as the
only returns were those formisherl by the police. la such
towns as Bolton. Wigan, and Ashton the insane was only
Mimi at intervals varying from three to twelve month..
As. however, the police got their retinas from the mills,
and nut from the operatives themselves, there appeared
to bu • larger number out of work than really
was disease. In estimating the number of operatives un-
accounted for Dr. Watts had deducted from those
really accounted fora number which should have remained ;
and this would make the reduction 37,622. In March
10,00(1 persona from Macclesfield were withdrawn from the
list, cs they belonged to the milk trade. This was the first
reduction, and the subsequent fluctuations had nista from
the numbers receiving outdoor work, or returning to the
mills. But the groat redaction had arisen from migration
into asighbouriog districts. This had taken place to the
number of 5,000, while 6,000 had been otherwise absorbed.
Substantially it was correct that numbers bad goes sway
into Yorkshire, mid even Devoosbire. A census, however,
would be made of every place excepting Manchester, and this
would show the exact number of operatives still remaining
in the detricti, and those who were working. These re-
turns would be reedy at the January meeting. In all towns
but Manebeder the miens would be taken by Louse to
house 'A/Ostia) • in Manchester the mills must be takes in.
The redaction of children attending the schools areas as a
neeessary consequence from ths reduction of adults mese,
ing relief ; the local committees had only the authority to
pay the school pews of cbildreb whose parents received
On account of the division of some districts between
the guardians and the local committees, the guardians had
provided the school pesos of some. Respecting she expen-
diture, the retina of one month was not a fair criterion of
the whole. The amount of per cartage on the various
unions ged 31. la per cent., but is some mess it was
higher, and in some lower. Manchester and Rochdale were
the highest. The returns of Halms and Blackburn were
not yet ready. Rochdale was positively higher than Man-
chester. It did not follow, from various reasons, that the
lumens of persons employed in outdoor work should ppm.
'pond with the decrease vise and boys at school.
Mr. FAZNALL read the following statement :—" A few
eyed's loco I isined circulate to the relieving °M-
IMS of the unions is the cotton maaufactnriug