The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-02 00:00:00

IMPARTIALITY OF FREE TRADE.

The following letter, wldreesed by Mr. Cobden to •
gentleman in Devonshire, will be found interesting:

" Westbounie terrace, Dec. 3.
't Dear Sir,-1 send you the paper. you watt. By re-
ferring to the imports, you will see that I have marked cu•
lain articles which are admitted free. Now, there is nothing
upon which there is greater ignorance amongst the aericul•
tura! classes than this. They are constantly crying out that
the manu'acturers are protected with 10 to 20 per cent.
duties upon foreign articles, the foe being, that ail oar great
staple manufactures are entirely unprotected. For in-
stance, cotton goods and cotton yarns come In duty
free. Printed calicoes may be brought from France or
Smits-eland, end sold in Manchester, without paying
a farthing Sul. 83 also the coats the farmers wear ; and
their waistcoats and trousers may be bought from the
foreigner, instead of from my constituent, the woollen
manufactures of Yorkshire, without paying one farthing of
duty. So also of their shirts or ducks ; they may buy linen
manufacturers from the Germans without paying a farthing
to protect the flax spinner or weaver of Deed., or Belfast.
There is still a small daty on foreign silk g ;ods, irides of
luxury, which are eeeeee Ily worn by the higher classes; but
the Chancellor of the Exchequer may abolish his duty to•
morrow if he likes, and the silk manufacturers will not ob.
jeet. The only articles that pay a small duty are those things
partly made up by the hand atter they come out of the loom,
such as stockings and shawls.
'• Bear in mind, too, that Sir Robert Peel removed the
duties on foreign manufactures before be abolished the corn-
law, or rather before be reduced the duty to Is., for there is
still a duty of 21 per cent. on foreign corn at present prices.
-Last manufactures are free. I supported Sir Robtrt Peel
in his measures for abolishing the duli s on manufactured
goods. At that time I was largely engaged in business
u a cotton printer, and the effect of removing the duty
wee, that several French houses established themselves
bee the sole of prints in Lindon. It the turners were
nide to understood that they are not placed in a
IMMO position than the manufacturers, they would, I
think, see that they have no fair right to complain.
They say that they cannot compete with the foreigner, be
eases they are so heavily burdened. The manufacturers
have their ful; share of taxation, and they are anxious to re
dues the govern= at expenditure. Will the farmers help
them ? Hitherto the member. for counties have almost
invariably voted against every or ition made by Mr. Rune
or myself in favour of retrenchment.
" By the way, how sadly the protectionists have been
dece.ved in their predictions about gold going out of the
country. Notwiths &riding the vast importation of foreign
corn, the Bank of England is encumbered with goal:
I rentals, truly yours,
" RICHARD COBDEN.

" Mr. W. H. Peewee."
—Liverpool Albion.

REPEAL OF THE NAVIGATION LAWS.—ADMISSION
OF GOODS TOR Rory Usa.—lt having been made a sub
jeet of irquiry whether goods which may Lave been rec.* '
eerily warehoused for exportation only under the Navigation
Act of the Bth and 9th Victoria, imp. 88, for having been
imported contrary to the provisions of the law, and therefore!
inadmissible into this country except for the purpoge of ex-
portatkin, will, if they have not been re-shipped and are still
lying in bond, be admissible to entry for home consumption
on and after the Ist day of January instant, under the pro-
whims of the Act 12 and 13 Victoria, chap. A, repealing the
existing restrictive laws of navigation with respect to the
importation of f reign goods, which came into operation on
that date,—the commissioners of customs have caused the
several officers of the department in London to be apprised
that no goods warehoused under the law above teamed to
for exportation only, are to be admitted to entry for home
use, and an intimation to that effect has also been given to
the collectors and comptrollers and other principal officers of
the department throughout the several ports of the United
Kingdom for their information and government.
- - -

ACCIDENTS PROM FIRE-ARMS.—An accident from
the incautious placing and playing with fire-arms, by which
Mary Ann Dines, a girl about 12 years of age, lost her life,
occurred at Hatfield Peverel, on Thursday last. The gun
had been left at the corner of a MID, and WM taken up by
a youth, the s.usin of the deceased, who amused himself by
exploding cane on the nipple, and had done so more than
once before it west off. On Friday, an inquest was held on
the body before W. Codd, Esq., ard to the surprise of the
coroner and jury, en going to view the body thee found a
gun in the same corner of the rrnm, which on examination
proved to be loaded ; the coroner ordered the charge to be
drawn. The following evidence was adduced :—W. Dines,
the father of the deceased, said about 3 o'clock on Thursday
afternoon, while in the bun near the house, he wee informed
of the asident, and on going iato the sitting.room be found
the deceased in the chair with her head on the table ; there
wee a large wound on the right side of the mouth, her face
wee blackened, and she was apparently dead ; when he left
the room about ten minutes before a long gun was Wending
up a Gorse, near the clock, but he had not the slightest idea
it was leaded, as he had not used it for eighteen months ; he
left In the room his three little boys, the deceased, and their
cousin John Jolts, but they were not meddling with the
gun ; he was not aware that them was a cap on the nipple of
this gun, but before he left he took the cap off another gun
to see if it wee a good one, sad there appearing to be no
composition in it be Lid it en the table, ea also another taken
from a box, which appeared to be detective ; his little boy
Charles silted if he might have the cape, and he tnld him yes,
and left the house with the other gun ; he never allowed his
ebildrea to touch the gum, and had no idea that the caps would
be used upon it. The coroner, after noticing the reprehensible
practice of taking fire-arms loaded into a house, told Mr. Dines
that both the jury and himself were reluctant to sg4ravate
his feelings upon such as occasion, as they must nemeserily
be very acute, but he could not but express their surprise at
finding another gun standing loaded ta the same pinee—a
feet which he presumed had, from his distress of mod, as
aped his recollection. Mr. Dines assured the coroner and
jury he would • ake a loaded gun in'o the house again.
John Jelfs, aged 14, who had been living with Mr. Dines,
said as soon as his uncle had gene out of the room, he took
the long gun from near the clock, put one of the cape on,
and pulled the trigger; the cap snapped, hut he did not
smell anything, nor did he see any smoke. His cousin
Charles then put the other cap on, and held it
about a foot from the floor, and pulled the trigger,
and the ;cap snap :d. Witmer immediately took the
broken rap off, and threw it upon the floor, and as he
was la the act of taking the gun to put it back in the COM,
of the room, it went off acd shot the deceased, who wee sit-
ting on a chair by the window, the charge entering the right
side of the month and cheek, aid moklag a hole about the
use of lkslsserown ; her head immediately fell upon the
table, end she fetched her breath only two or three tie's.
Theist, returned a verdict of " Accidental death."—Os
mi
y)Tharedaanother amides% from firearms occurred in the
same hbourhood. A boy named Pritchard Lwley was
standinglooking at some parties firing at •mi whew
some Met god in ono of his goo. The boy km siiiotod
cal joln, and It in donbttal wbotbor tits eight Is not

JANUARY 2, 1850.

SHItBUILDINO AT

Tba ship-brokers, Mews. Tongs, Carry, and Co.,
is t►eir elmalee, dated Livapool, January 1, 1860, say :

. _
The year fast eland lea bees ens of unusual anxiety
to all mewls maseeted with the building or owning
of British ebiligine, caused by that change la the navigation
laws tibia inaela, that ea sad after this day all foro*n
st 'pains be sinfteed le the same privilrges as British, with
the eneliglien of the emoting trade. The prospect of this
=tamama WINI acenapaak ts d with doub and anxieties
bad the offset of wheeling the operations of the
most ineing, and. as might be expected, of reducing
prime mmelderably. Under this pressure of doubt many
vessels han been forced upon the market and sold, in some
isolation siowet without user,.. In comparing the enrage
prime for the year 1849 with the previous year we find a re-
denial upos the whole of about 61 per cent , while upon the
number of sales there is an inmate of 60 per cent. In our
local yards we eh coved a falling off of about 30 per cent.
until the het two months, during which time more
connects have been made, end more keels laid, than
we were prepared to expert. So soon as it wee de-
cided that the old navigation laws were doomed, an increased
disposition to act evinced itself—the native hue of resolu-
tioa,' ehickhad been 'sloshed o'er with the pale out of
thoaght,' mind, and under the assurance that the position
of the British shipowner could not be further compromised,
oar balers and builders resolved to be up and doing.' At
present there are eight vessel' in octane of building in Liver-
pool; the aggregate tonew, 2,800 tons • and as our port is
esesedielly mere intereeW in ship rePairiog than in ship•
aelbrnot ander the avenge number la proems of
alkowl tins We." t
The gnotations of prices of ships for 1849, are :—New
British brit vends, with Baltic outfit, to Class A 1, 13
years, 161. to 171. 10s. ; ditto, 12 years, 161. 10e. to 171. ;
ditto, 10 years, 101 10s. to 131. ,• ditto, 9 years, 101. to
121. 10s. ; ditto, 8 years, 91. 9s. to 101. 10s, ; ditto, 7 years,
81. 10s. to 91. ; New M irsmiehl, ditto, 8 years, 61. 60 to 71.;
Now Bt. John, N. B , 6 years' 81. 60. to 71.; New Quebec,
6 years, 61. 6s. to W. ; other colonial, 4 years, 31. 181. to
61. 6a

CONTINENTAL Taavatuao.—Arrangement that
will greatly facilitive our continental travelling have been
enmirleted between the South Eastern Railway Company
and the administrations of the Boulogne and Amiens and the
Northern of Fr►nce lines, to come into operation this day
( January 1, 1850). Travellen will now be able to bee le
themselves tnrougb, and obtain direct tickets from London
to Paris, Brussels, Malines, Aix la Chapelle, or Cologne,
and there is to be no elimination of luggage until the pas-
senger snivels at his destination. The direct tickets issued
at the Lonion-bridge station of the South Eastern Railway
are to be avrilable by soy of the South Eastern Continental
Stun ship Company's steamers running between Folks-
stone and Routine, and by the English and French govern-
ment mail boats, u will as the seam-ships of the South
Eastern and Continental Company between D.vtr and
_ _ .

---
CVLTIVATION OP HEMP.—Hemp has been culti-
vated in the counties of Lincoln and Suffolk from time ine•
memorial, but chiefly for the purpose of local manufacture,
sad although it has been very little attended to in Ireland,
some experiments made this year by "the Royal Flax Im-
provement Society" to grow this plant in the south turned
out very well. In county Limerick some 'talks attained the
height of seven feet. Hemp may be cultivated on the
western cast of Ireland, where it would be of great use as
affording material for the nets, liner, and cordage of the
fishermen, who are generally destitute of these neerssiry
articles. It might be grown by themselves, and scutched,
apun, and twisted, or netted by their wives and daughters.
The quantity of this article imported annually
into Great Brit tin and Ireland is about 45,000
tons, valued at 1,600,0001. About one million sterling 01
We carom fr m Russia. In entering on the cultivation et
hemp, the first thing to be attended to is the selection of pro-
per soil ; the bast suited for hemp is a deep vegetable black
et tied, with a low situation, and inclined to moisture ; it
does well on a rich clayey mould, and old meadow land is
well adapted for it. The mode of pre'nerition and the place
in the rotation are the same as for flax. The proper season for
'owing is April, so soon as ti ere is no danger of the young
plants receiving injury from the frosts. The seed is sown
broad cast from two to three bushels to the statute acre,
according to the quality of the land. The quality of the
seed must be mesh, heavy, and bright in colour ;
hemp is one of th, few plants employed in the agriculture of
three countries in which the male and female Bowers are in
different plants, which circumvent* his some influence In
its management, so far as taking it off the ground is con
eerned. When the crop is grows entirely for the fibre, it is
pulled when in flower, and no distinction made between the
male and female plants. But, as is most commonly the ease,
when it is cultivated with a view both to fibre and seed, the
usual practice is to pull the mate plants, the stalks of which
are easily known by their yellooish bus and faded flowers,
se soon as the setting Of the weds In the females shows that
their presence is no longer necessary. The reason for thus
pulling the male so ling before the female is, that the latter
requires tour or five weeks to ripen the seeds. The opera-
tion of pulling the females commences when the seed is ripe,
which is known by the brownish hue of the capsules, and
the fading of the leaves. The after treatment, such as steep-
ing, rite., is the same as flax.—Prom a Correspondent
NEW BLASTING CARTIUDGL—Mr. (3. Copeland,
of Pendennis, Falmouth, has been directed by the Honour-
able Board of Ordnance to forward to the Tower, London, a
considerable number of his blasting cartridges for transmis-
sion to Bermuda and Gibraltar. It would appear that the
master-general and the engineering department of the
board duly appreciate the int rits and utility of Mr. Cope-
land's invention. The Admiralty, also, propose to furnish
the Enterprise and Investigator with a supply, the cartridge
being intended to be used in breaking up the ioe. By
a cartridge of 16.bs. net weight, a block of granite of
14,688 cubic feet, or 1,130 tone, was successfully removed
for working purposes on Monday last, at Carnes, quarry,
under the inventor's direction. The depth of the hole for
the charge was nine feet by five inches in diameter: the ex-
plo.ion sett dto the depth of eighteen feet. The Moue was
broken into four parts ; and, notwithstanding the weight of
the charge and its execution, the collar of the hole and the
vamping remained perfect.

MONEY MARKET.

TrZIDATEVIINIST..

The stock market was much Eimer to-day, and is
the absence of any counteracting influence, either
domestic or foreign, the English funds experienced a
further advance of 1. Consols were first called 96„
to 3ex div. for the opening, being d above the
closing price of yesterday; they then advanced to
961, at which they continued firm for the greater
pert of the day, and closed at 96„ to „. The Three
per Cents. Reduced marked 961, I, and last 961.
The New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents. were first

done at 971, and next and last at 98.
Exchequer Bills, of all sizes, were negotiated at
58s. and 61s. pm. • Long Annuities were done at
8 918 ; Bank Stock at 201 ; India Bonds at 88e.
premium.
The transactions in the foreign house were chiefly
speculative, and of no great importance. Peruvicn
left off at an advance of over the highest point at-
taint d yesterday. Mexican left off at 29, and Spanish
Actives at 191 for the 16th instant. The business
consisted of—Braz;lian Bond. at 89. Buenos Ayres
at 47. Eqaador at 31._ Mexican for account at 281,
1, and 29. Peruvian our per Cents., 1849, for to-
count at 581, 69, and ; ditto, Deferred, at 191.
Portuguese Four per Cents., for account, at 361 and
. Five per Cent. Spanish Active, for account, at
181
and 191; the Passive debt at 31; the Three
per Cents., (or account, at 371 ex die. Two-and-s-
-hall per Cent. Dutch at 66 ex die. ; ditto Four per
Cent. Certificates at 86.
Some interesting statistics of the cotton trade,
derived from the circulars of several eminent Liver-
pool houses, will be found in another column.
Hamburg advice., of December the 28th, have
been received. Very little was doing in the produce
market, as usually is the case at this moon of the
year. The speculative demand for coffee continued,
and 1-16 whining advance had been realised, alto-
gether about 16,000 bags bad exchanged hands du-
ring the week. The
_pries for good ordinary Brazil
was quoted 61 to 6 13.16 'chilling. per lb. The
holders of sugar were not anxious to press sales, and,
therefore, business was limited, but prices were firm.
Cotton attracted little notice. Of tobacco (Cuba)
about 7,500 'ems had been disposed of for the in-
terior at current rates. In cassia lignea more busi-
ness had been does, 4,000 chests on the way from
China were disposed of for delivery, pries not known.
A small parcel on the spot had been taken at 131
"chilling.. Whalebone was very firm in price. In
metals there was no change worthy of notice. In
wool a fair amount of business had been
going forward, and several parcels of fleece had been
realised at 18 to 21, and in the grease at 16j to 16
@chilling' banoo. The grain market was quiet, sever-
theless more business had been dons in wheat far
spring delivery. Funds and railway shares were very
firm. Tree exchange ea London had declined to
13.84 for three months; and the price of gold was
438} the mark fine in banes.
The house at Hamburg whose failure was an-
nounced last mail. is Messrs. J. Meinhold end Co.

Their misfortunes were almost entirely occasioned by
unfortunate extensive speculati ma on the spot in
stocks, shares, epelter, and oil, so that parties out of
Hamburg are not likely to be in the least affected by
the circumataroe. The business of the firm being
principally speculations and jobbing for account on
the turn of the market, many, et which were still
pending, the extent of their habilitioss cannot yet be
correctly ascertained.
Letters from Bergen of the 13th ult. state that
owing to the lateness of the season, and also to the
reduced stocks of exportable articles. very little was
going forward in the market The stock of train oil
was computed at 2,000 casks brown, and 120 casks
white, the former was held at 14 Sp., and the latter
had realised 18 Sp. The amountof stockfish on hand
wee computed at 25,000 waag, chiefly second sort,
for which, in the absence of business, prices were
merely nominal. The stock of round fish was laid
down at 20,000 waag, entirely in the hands of specu-
lators. Some sales had been made at 1 sp. 30schilling.
The stock of grain in store was considerable, especi-
ally of rye. Salt was quoted 96 to 102 schillings the
tonne.
Advice. have been received from Odessa to the
17th Dec., being three days later than those pre-
vio, sly to hand. A change had taken place in the
weather, with the wind to the S.W. The ice was
earned eirszoind vrember being mild,
reading ng of vessels had been resumed with much
activity. In wheat there was not much doing, and
the price was about the same as last quoted, say equal
to 245. to 30s. 61. per qr., f.o.b. In tallow transac-
tions had taken place for transmission to Oallicia,
which would reduce the supplies, and holders had
consequently become very Arm, and demanded 1t.117,
equal to 361. 19s. per too, under which it could not
be obtained. In linseed and wool there was no alte-
ration to notice. The exchange also remained without
variation. Dates from London of the 30th Nov. were
to hand.
DUBLIN STOCIDL—Dic. 31.
S per Cent. Camels for opining
961 I
31 per Cent. Stock 961 1
Four per Cent City Deb. of IML Si. M. 74
Wicklow thrmr Mine 101 U 1
Dublin and Inogbeds Rail.
Great Southern and Waters (ex. int.) 291
S.XOIIA NOBS AND OTOCIS ABROAD.
41111.7111. DAY, Dee. 10.—Tres Bar um—lnland funds ware again
very steady to-day. Spanish rather lower in prior. Por-
tuguese steady. Russian and Austrian without fluctuation. French
rather varLkk. Of South American, Peruvian ant Mexican were
most In demand. Dutch Funds: Active Debt, Two-and-a-Half par
Cent., 331 94; Ditto, Three per Cents., 641 641 ; Ditto, Four per
Cents., 84 1.41; East India Loan, Four:par Cents., MI $3l. Ex-
changed: on London, 12; two months, 11.95; Hamburg, 34.93;
two month., 34.75; Part% 36.62; two months, 56.37.
11A11111:110, Drc. 29.—Prkee of Funds: Hamburg Tbree.and-a.
Half per Cent., 861 bills, 161 money; Hanoverian Five per Nees.
1051 money; Russian English Loan, 1061 bills, 1061 money; Five
per Cent. Ilamb. Certif., 89 bills, 99 money; Ditto, Hope and Co ,
3rd and 4th series, 93 money; Four per Coats., &Menthe, 85 bills,
841 money; Pruardan Five per Cents., 106 bills, 1051 mosey;
Danish Three per Cants, 701 Mlle, 701 money; Ditto in 1008. shares,
711 bills, 701 mosey ; Ditto, Five per Gents., 95 bile; Norwegian
Four per Cents., 99 bills, 99 money; Spanish Five per Cents., 111
bills; Ditto, Three p r Cents.. 271 bills, 2/1 money ; American Six
per Cents., 105 bill.. Exch.nges: on London, Dee. 18, 13.9/ ; ditto,
three m laths, 13.84; Christiana, Dec. 15, thr.s months, 4.74;
Bremen, Dee. 27, two months, 6.13
Beaus, Dec. 29 —Voluntary Low, nom. National Debt, 884.
Bank Shares, 921. The funds and shares remained firm to-day.