Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-12 00:00:00

STAFFORDSHIRE IRON TRADE,

Mr. Samuel Griffiths, in his weekly circular, says :-
" The more friendly tone of the Parisian press has been
amply reciprocated by the in-tropolitan free press of our
own country, the strings of both being set to the wel-
come song of peace. The political horizon becomes
brighter day by day, the-solution of the Italian difficulty
being left now to the European Congress, who are to
Meet in January, on the banks of the Seine. Time and
circumstances, however, are hourly rendering the un-
revelment of this embroglio less difficult ; for although
Eimanuel, the King of Italy, is not openly, for the
present,. to include in his kingdom the 'Romagna,
Parma, Modena, and Tuscany, the patriot Farini
represents. Italian majesty on the Roman side .of the
Appenines, while Buoncompagui, who by the consent of
all the peoples, the King, and the Emperor; is to be
the Regent of Central Italy, will administer the Go-
vernment, if not. in the name of the King, ,in a truly
Italian spirit, and until the action of the Congress..
is made known, will; .by his mild government, fore-
shadow the advent of Emmanuel as the King of Italy,
the 'choice of the peoples, and the elect of the coming
Congress. • The preliminary meeting of Ironmasters
will be held at the Hotel, Dwlley, on Thursday, the 29th
instant. ,(The official announcement is not yet made.)
It is not expected that any change will be made in the
prices of Staffordshire Iron at this meeting, which
a ways takes place to regulate the price for the ensuing
quarter. The Iron trade of South Staffordshire con--
tinues steady ; most of the leading firms being tolerably
well occupied, and although the demand for sheets and
pletes is not so brisk as it was, being now in the last
month of the year, and at the close of the quarter, the
demand for Staffordshire Iron is quite as good as could
be expected, taking into account the season and the
late_ political _disq_uietude which so much affected all
heayy trades. We have no • change whhtever to note,
either in the tone of the market, or the price of finished
Iron since our last. The files of Indian papers received
this week complain of the scarcity of permanent way for
most of the lines now in course of construction there,
The orders from the East Indies are light, being princi-
pally for Sheets, Angle Bars, and the usual Indian
specifications. The ad ices from Australia represent the
stocks in Melbourne as being, above the average, and
the same may be Said with regard to the supplies in the
warehouses of Sydney. The orders from .the 'United(
States received this week are on the seine moderate scale
for which they have lately been noticeable. On' the
other hand, the accounts from China are More'
encouraging ; more business had been done in imports,
and the demand for Nail Rods at Shanghai, Canton,aid
.Voo-chow-fow had increased,• and several
orders have
been'given out this week in this district for those ports.
The specifications are out for 90500 tons of rails, and
700.t0n3 of Fish Plates, 6,500, tons rails being required .1
'by the Seinde Railway Company,: and. 3,000 tons 'of
rails by the Eastern Counties Railway Coinpany. The
Indian contract will be required -to be delivered
promptly, 1,000 tons per month being the specified
;,quantity, commencing withthe first 1,000 in january next.
ITn.der the impulse of this improved situation a - mar-
vellous change for: the 'better has, taken place in the
public mind. The Paris- Bourse pulsates in perfect
harmony with the. London Eichafige, Rentes and Con-
sols advancing day by day. Railway property has im-
proved considerably in Value,, the discount Market has
become settled and steady;. a much greater amount of
confidence ,in the; future is engendered throughout the
kingdom ; Scotch Pigs are advancing, and all the staple
trades of the. country present a decidedly improving
aspect. Pig Iron : A more cheerful feeling prevailed at.
the 'meetings' at Wolverhampton and Birmingham e
, the improved tone, was, more marked- on Thursday,.
at Birmingham, where inquiries for pigs Were more
numerous than they have been for some weeks past,
and several parcels changed hadds at current rates..
During the week a good business has been done in pigs,
'several lots of 1,000 tons in a line having been disposed
of, the price being £3 10s. for best all mine brands.-
The official hit of prices of Finished Iron is as
follows :-Common Staffordshire bars, £7 10s., at
the works ; best 'bars, £8 10s. ; sheets, £9 ; doubles,
£lO 10s. ;, mail sheets, 10s. ; latin, £l2 ;
boiler plates, /49 ; best and best best in_ pro-
portion ; common rods, £7 10s. ; hoops, /8 10s. ;
gas strip, £8 ; canada plates, £l2, and ail other sorts
in 43roportion. Current, prices of Pig Iron : Stafford-
shire cold blast, £4 10s. ; best native .hydrate 'pigs,
£3 15s. to £4 2s. 6d. ; first-class all mine grey forge
pigs, £3 10s. to £3 15s. ; `good mine
epigs, with a
modicum Of fine cinder, £3 to £3 ss. ; mine pigs, dete-
riorated by cinder, £2 12s. 6d. to £3 ; grey forge cinder
Pigg Ironl £2 'a 6d. to £2 12s. 6d. ; melters, Nos. 1,2,,
and 3, £2lss. to £3 2s. 6d. superior makes of. all mine
melting iron, £3los. to £4, according to make and quality.
Favourite Shropshire and Forest of .Dean Brands,
£4 MS. The Glasgow market for Scotch Pigs has been
very, animated during ;the week, with a strong market,
and a very extensive business. The market opened. at
54d. 3d. and gradually advanced to 555. on Wednesday
morning. A:slight' reaction then took place, and a few
parcels were loosed on slightly easier terms. On Friday
the market, again became strong, and closed firmly with
a very large business doing at 555. 3d;, buyers e 555. 6d;,-
sellers, for Mixed Nos. Warrants. No. 1 G.M.B.
545. 6d. ,buyers ; 555. sellers ; No. 3 G.M.B. 545. 3d.
'buyers; 545. 9d. sellers ; all prompt cash. No. 1 Garteherrie
575. ; Calder' 565. 6d: • Coltneis 555. 6d„- No. 1 Glen-
-garnook4sse,-The•shipmente-fer-theeweek-were-10,459
tons, against, 10,531 , tons in the,correspondiAg week of
last year.-Oepper :
,Theunarket.quiet, but steady, with
a maderate.business doing. Sheet and :sheathing, is.
Old. per lb.'; old, 11d. per lb. ; yellow metal, 101 d. per
lb.; tough cake and tile, £ll2 per ton; best selected,
£115• per ton; Barraßurp., L£ll3 to £ll4 per
ton. Lead : Considerably more business has been
doing this week, smelters having received orders
for shipment. The price of Food soft English
Pig is £2l 55., to £22 ss. ;. Spanish Soft, £2O 158. to
£2l ; Shot Patent, £25 10s. ; Sheet, £22 10s. to £22-
15s. ; White, £3O. The import and export of Lead
during the month of October last,.and the first ten menths
of this year, as compared with. 1857 and 1858, has been
as follows ' • • '
IstPonT-Tons.
Mo. endg. Opt.' 31. le mos, endg. Oct 31

1857.18:' 1859. 18iF.'18t. 1859.
Lead, Pigr, and Sheet... 1377 1462 2607 9243 11570 17648
Ex P 0 RT—Tons.
Do. do. do. :.. 1686 1275 1168 20642 16411 17591
Tin ::--In our last we reported an advance in this metal,
and' as some . parties have e4ressed surprise, we may
mention that the low price at which Straits and Banca
,were Old during the, early part 'of last month attracted
the attention of buyers, Straits being sold at that time
•as,low as £l2B. The Dutch market for Banca about
the' middle of the month began to and this
called attention to the price of Straits in London, which
shoived more than an average margin 'in favour of
buyers, as -compared with the smelters' list 'here for
English, and the` price of Banca 'at Amsterdam.
At this period fifty tons of Straits were taken
off the London market on French account, at
£l3O, and by rendering. Straits (which was decidedly
the cheapest of all kinds) more firm, gave an improved
tone to the market in Amsterdam for Banca, where the
price immediately advanced to 80 florins; from 2,000 to
3,000 slabs changing hands at 'this period at about the
above figure. At the same time (the 25th ultimo), it
became known that ships with - 400 tons" of Straits
consigned to this market, and.lonk overdue,.had run
into' the Mauritius . and Algoa Bay, in distress, causing
their cargoes 'to -be - discharged, thereby delaying the
arrival-here to 'a more remote pried. All these cir-
cumstances increased the , demand' for English upon
tsthe-
smelters
'here, and as 'very- large- business -had been
done at Amsterdam in anca, and Straits became scarce
and more inquired of er here, the demand turned upon
English, and the smelters' had nu alternative but to ad-
vance the price.. ' English block, £l3s;' bar, £136;
refined 4139 • Banca, , £139 ;
,Straits; £135. • The
'Market for inglish- is exceedingly' firm, and tithehes—
. are refusing -contracts at present rates. 'We think
another advance in the price of this metal not at
all 'improbable. -- Tin Prates : The demand, we ob-
serve, is reported better, and prices improving. We
are sorry to say .that there.. is no Champ to, notice,
either in the price or the dem,and, as' far as this' district-
is concerned. Spelter : Market quiet. Price, £2j 10s.
cash ; £2l 15s. spring shipments.. W. H. plates,
£21,158. The stock has 'decreased about 300 tons ; it
stood on the3oth u1t.,'3,429 tons against 4,497 tons in
1858, and 2;528 tons in 1857. Zinc :. English Sheet,
£27.. Regulus : French. Star,' £5O er ton. Swedish
Steel,, £l9 per ton; faggot, £2l. Quicksilver,' L 7 per
bottle, and ut fair demand: '

I- _MONDAY,' DECEMBER. 12, 1859..

, THE DAY'S NEWS.

The official , arrangements in progress by the
various Powers with reference to the approaching
European Congress still continue to form the sub-
ject of greatest interest in our foreign intelligence.
It seems the Papal Government has not ~ yet
formally replied to the letter of convocation U.'
the Cdhgress, addressed to it by France. It is,
therefore, still an open question whether the Pope

will send a repiesentative to the Congress. This
officj.al delay on the part of his Holiness ispkoba-
bly for the purpose of influencing the Aoman'
Catholic Powers in the adjustment of the basis
to be adopted fofthe procedure at the Congress,
when it does meet, as well as in their selection of

-Plenipotentiaries, whose views = and anteFdents
are least likely to be objectionable to the -Holy
Father. This supposition receives illustration and
corroboration to some extent from the report that,
after all, it is uncertain whether .Count
Cavour, who is particularly obnoxious to the
Ultramontanists, will represent Piedmont' at the
Congress. The Austrian circular despatch, issued
by the Foreign Minister, still maintains, the
object of the approaching Congress to be the re-

storation of the Papal power in the revolted.
States, and of the expelled sovereigns to their
duchies; but by what process these ends are to be
accomplished. is not set forth.

The Spanish accounts of the results of their
late encounter with the Moors have, it appears,:
been considerably falsified—their own loss being
represented as less, and that of the Moors as
much greater than the facts as now ascertained,
justify. Pestilence is doing its fell work, equally
with the ravages ,of war in the ranks of the
Spaniards. Those dreadful scourges, cholera and
and dysentery, have • appeared among them, and
are thinning their numbers most fearfully.: In
consequence of this, orders have been issued to
the effect that they should rather fall back, at
this season of the year, to recruit the health of
the army,-than make any movement in- advance
to challenge the Moors to another engagement.
Whilst the forces of the Spaniards are thus being
diminished, and 'their action entirely suspended
for the time being, we learn by the latest
intelligence that the Moors are taking successful
measures for increasing their strength. -The
Emperor of Morocco, it is stated, has increased
the pay of his troops, which has had the of
causing a great accession of volunteers.
There is rather an important item in our latest
intelligence from Parii,—one, however, not so
much of political as of commercial interest. The
Council•of State, it is said, is preparing a project
of law, reducing the customs duties. It is not
stated upon what articles it is in contemplation to
reduce the duties ; but as articles of primary
necessity are mentioned, it is not improbable that
some •of our own products may be included
therein. Certainly it would be to' the advantage
of both countries, were there such a reduction,
respectively, of customs duties as would promote
a greater exchange of their native or staple
products. -
We _have already anndunced
_the appointment
of Sir Henry Singer Keating, the Solicitor-
General to the puisne judgeship of the Common
Pleas, vacant by the death of Mr. Justice Crowder.
With respect to the vacant • solicitorship, we
understand that, as yet, there• has been nothing
done upon the subject. But it is not too much to;
presume that the:claims of gentlemen who have
had some parliamentary standing will not be
overlooked in filling up an office where legislative
as Well as legal. duties are to,be fulfilled,

For a considerable time past the ultra-Liberals,
with Mr. Bright at their head, have been making
a great fuss—a kind of "-puff preliminary," as
such cackling is -called in " The Critic," as

to what they shoUld essay and achieve in- the
way of Parliamentary reform, in course of
the ensuing session. True the.'. chief declaimer
in the Radical gatherings—Mr. John Bright—has
been gradually shifting.his ground, in each °this •
numerous and voluminous orations, to such an
extent as to render it exceedingly 'difficult to
guess what he really
,intended to propound. Still
we-were systematically informed that something
definite was to be developed' and insisted' on.
The past week, however, appears to have
completely dissipated all such expectations. •At
the Reform Conference Mr. Bright intimated

his adhesion to the scheme propounded by
Lord John Russell as part of the ' covert
tactique by which the Derby AdMinistration
was overthrown. This was sufficiently stag-
gering, no doubt, to those who had pinned their
political faith to the sleeve -of the hon. member
for Birmingham ; but they are now told to accept
that small crumb. of comfort with thankfulness,
and make the most of it ! Nay more, the Observer
and other radical organs have taken the matter
in hand, and are earnestly demonstrating that as
no Other course was open to Mr. Bright, with any
chance of success, it is the best policy for both
him and his admirers to accept what they can
get. Sic transit gloria mundi.

To the complaint of the apathy on the question
o? ReforM existing among the classes that usually
busilliemselves about political subjects, perhaps
the agitators might think jit a sufficient answer
that the 'boon which is to be demanded is not for
them .but for others. But this 'plea, *apt it
might go far to fix the charge of selfishness"upon
--not the upper, but—the virtuous middle classes,
Would leave as before the fact; that the classes for
whose intended benefit reform is 'asked, do not
'ask for it themselves; or 'give the remotest evi-
donee that they feel. the want whiOt theirit.dvo-
cates 'Offer to our Sympathies. This is the more
remarkable because the franchise, unlike ques-
tions which involve profound; dootrines of political
economy or of the science ,of government, is a
tangible, positive thing; which the unenfran-
ehised ,are familiar with as a thing -:often in
operation before their eyes ; 'which their friends
and neighbours possess and exercise ; which
is at stated and frequent periods spoken of
and sPeeUlated:about 'in' _their own • immediate
circle, at their favourite pot-house or their family
table. We don't mean to, !ay:that the better
informed and the men of leisure are not to use.

theii skill and knowledge in, devising remedies
fof evils under which the lower and worse edu-
cated, are seemingly content to labour without
so much as feeling that there is a remedy at

much less that there is a practicable one. The
working-man might for instance feel that the
burden of taxation pressed heavily uponlim, and
hate a vague'wish fdr relief,. without knowing
that he pays more than his proportion, or ,being
acquainted with.- the :sublime doctrine of spme
Financial iteformers, that he has an abstract
right to be untaxed. - We do not expect him to
be able to grasp the whole machinery of the
State, or fathom all the intricacies of a complex
system of government. It is right, therefore,
that profounder or more• various minds than his
own, shQuid,,press the demands of that justice

_ .
which possibly re,lt* upqn, an abstract political
propositiom

.But, by the consent of all moderate 111051 the
franchise does not rest upon any abstract ri,ght'
If there is one thing in our present embroilnlent3
clearer than another, it is that all our forernosi
leaders of opinion—omitting that republican
school which is trying in vain to create an 'opi-
nion of its own—have arrived at agreement upon
this Conservative maxim ; namely, that such Ile-
forms as are wanted are in details and not in
principles. Party considerations do, indeed, lean
some of the vacillating and less conscientions
among the Liberal leaders, to compromise' °r
seem to compromise this great constitutional
rule ; and we are prepared to see- -Lord Jo°
RUSSELL, who delivered himself of an interesting
exercise upon this borrowed text at Aberdeen,' bid
for extreme Radical votes to keep himself in
•
office, when in the Parliamentary arena.

If the franchise, therefore, were a right de'
pending upon abstract and inalienable considers"
tions, which an advanced political science has
rendered plain to educated persons, the unenfraw
chised an d uneducated poor, would, we adroit'
have a claim up)n the unsolicited advocacy ei
those who wish to instruct them in privilegeS of
which they have been deprived so long as to
have lost the sense of deprivation. Now, We
shall not assume that the present noisy advocates
of Change- base their suggestions upon this es'
ploded theory of abstract right, simply because
it is useless in these days, when the revolutionutY
spirit finds no favour with the eommunity
large to argue any question except upon the basis
of the Constitution. We will not admit the claila
of any set of reformers to the condescension of
argument or refutation who pretend that then'
mission is to reveal to the six-pound or no-pound
householder a right which belongs to him in the
_nature of thing,s,_and_by_ the rigid necessity' el'
theory. We take it that any man who conies
before the public except upon the principles
which for more than. half a century ha're
.gradually developed themselves as innate ill
the constitution under which we live, cuts the
ground from under him, and invests his reasonid
with an antecedent disability, and a right tot
to be heard. Reduce the , question, then, of 411
extended franchise to its- proper dimensions-0f $
privilege on the one side, and of expediency
the other—and we at once see that the disposition
of the unenfranchised classes has a material
bearing in the inquiry. Our, political systera
nothing but a device for discharging the functions
of government in the most effectual and the west
widely beneficial manner. As regards the fralv
chise, it has at all times been the theoretical ma%iej
DI the English Constitution that all should possess
it who are qualified for its safe and judicious eSOJ
cise. Verbose and speculative theorists alai
warm up an audience into vain enthusiasm for the
most .fanciful spenlations, to no better puree
than to find at ,the end, that the platform is uet
the most suitable place to estimate these quUb
cations, which yet it is a fatal weakness in Wirt
arguments to assume or to disregard. It is Ile
taking an outrageous view of the matter to sal'
that when a class has -become qualified' for the
due and responsible exercise of a political prifi'
lege, they will give some signs of a decided Wieh
to .have it granted. We know that. there

some disingenuity in the plea of a suffrage Pllr
portioned to qualification in days when the uPP jet
and middle classes of English society endeavour'
to keep the unenfranchised disqualified; buti°
days when the way is open to every man thee;e;
may be much reason in the arrangement i7flit
givesthe vote to one- who pays four shillings
week rent, and withholds it from the other ill
pays two-and-sixpence. The plea of the slicte;
owner against the enfranchising of his slaves, tl°
they. are not fit for freedom, we know to be cli8;
honest and sophistical. For it is a ready ansW,e
that they who do their best to degrade and 13';
talise the slave, who make it a legal offence
reform him lest he should be fit, have no .right
such an excuse. But the state which puts a
the
on no man, as such, has a right to replate
path along which its privileges are to be acquiP-d
Leaving open to every man a practical* $llO.
reasonable mode of obtaining qualification, it h t
ifei;
a right to affix a limit which with the le
individual defects, shall, on the whole, protector
from the incumbrance of weakness 'and ille°

petence.

__

- 4. . 0
THE , topic ,which apparently, now
.occupy of
attention of the political circles of Pariso all'oe
,most of thj Courts of . continental; Enrope, i° tio
approachirig Congress. . The importance of
reot
' subjects to be there discussed deepens the irate 0
of the, public mind; 'as the time announced ter
• , ioo
meeting approaches. Various are the •speciu°t-
' ' do°.
as to what may be the issue of its delibera 0
Many are disposed to think that' d instea d.o 0
•r ref
councils unravelling the very equivocal cone.' A
of the present political'state of Central Italy,tb
the
f f f
are much, lore likely to render the affairs °
oita
Peninsula yet Morn ' diffiCult to arrase_s;•o
...-- -
some go even so far as/ express 00.°
that the eventual solatio yAll have tobe 4eo lit
by the arbitreMeni of the; sviord. Some fors
so
attempted to be gathered from the eharactie .0
Of it.e'prSlSAbre determination of' the Corigi4-44 a
questions.:OE. Governments.'
41.i:t..
deputed from the different Powers, toanreP°P:clee4it
conclusion
in-that august assembly--the -interests of- !ere4
the Plenipote4lll4, ot
diplomatic- '-'reputation of
respective l.,—ould it be 0:Ott)/
a favourable opportunity to discuss the,,.6, its
:40
-tranquillise'to that
,spirit: of dissa-t7.-ic;tioso
willu rotpeneadn
rpaothierics,teweirfreiatartelb4:::
which is so widespread among the . the
:,.. are . ~..
on the 'continent. What'. we ass., ocy
advantages abiding. or substantl9.l .OOl
have flowed froze 'the , clriscussiell