The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-05 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BUN.

Srn,—Although not a regular reader of The Sun, I
accidentally saw your editorial remarks of last Wednes-
day evening respecting the Farmers, their Crops, and
the War.

With respect to the farmers being constantly a race
of complainers, I can fully bear my testimony from fifty
years' experience as a miller ; but to say that the prices
,f wheat, flour, and bread are unnecessarily kept up this
year, I must beg to differ from you, and, as I have now
retired from the trade and am in no way interested in it,
beyond my family consumption, you may, perhaps, be
the more willing to pay some attention to my remarks.
First, at the close of the harvest there was less old
wheat on band than usual, notwithstanding it was gene-
rally acknowledged that the wheat crop of 1854 was un-
usually productive, whereas the crop of 1855 proves to
be on an average one-third deficient of 1854, and one-
fourth short of an average.
Secondly, although you are doubtless interested in
keeping up the war cry, you are, I trust, not so unbe-
lieving as to suppose that our foreign supplies are not
impeded by it. Here, then, is the cause of the famine
prices. It does not rest with farmers, millers, or bakers,
who are a race of men like all others of "common sense"
(not excepting newspaper editors), who endeavour to buy
" at the cheapest market and to sell at the dearest,"and
whenever an article is scarce and in demand, you might
as well try to cheapen it by writing it down, as to turn
the wind out of its course. Speculation may possibly
run up an article beyond its legitimate value for a time,
but this must in the end fall on the heads of imprudent
venturers.

You will find that, with the present crop, wheat will
reach 100 s. per quarter on the average, unless prevented
by enormous foreign supplies, and I am sorry to be
forced to believe that this year will prove to be one of
great distress to Old England.

A NORFOLK VILLAGER.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.—Nov. 3.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Our fashionable visitors are fast leaving us for the
season. During this week the Earl and Countess of
Desart and family have left Cambridge Villa ; G. R.
Stephenson, Esq., and family, Harriet Lodge ; Colonel
Gawler, the 4th Cliff Cottage ; Lady Franklin, No. 1,
Solent-terrace ; Captain Harby, Rosetta Cottage ; W.
M. Dansey, Esq., Egypt House ; Admiral Williams,
Busigney House ; and there are but few applications for
houses for the winter, though they are offered at almost
nominal rents.

MORE GUN-BOATS.—The Messrs. White are construct•
ing four more gun-boats for the Government. They
could not undertake to build any more, from the diffi•
culty they have in obteiniog shipwrights.
NEWPORT.—A MAIDEN, A WIFE, AND A WIDOW IN
FOUR SHORT DAYS.--The uncertainty of life has been
forcibly impressed on us within the last few days by the
death of Mr. Edwin Caplin, of this town, in the prime
of life. He was married on Thursday, the 25th ult., to
Frances, youngest daughter of Mr. Wm. Hill, of Stone,
near Newport. They left the island directly after the
wedding, proceeding by steamer from Cowes to South-
ampton, intending to spend a week or two in London ;
but on reaching Winchester Mr. C. found himself too
ill to proceed any farther that night. The next day he
became worse, and the following night he died. The
shock to his young wife (not yet 21) who can desur:be
He was borne to the grave on Thursday last, when the
whole of the shops in Newport were closed as a mark o
respect, to which his conduct through life had entitled
him.

THE AMERICAN AND ATISTRALIAiV

MAILS.

LIVERPOOL, Saturday.—The United States mail steam.
ship Pacific, Captain Ezra Nye, sailed from the Mersey
this afternoon, for New York, with the usual mails for
the United States and British North Americln provinces,
181 passengers, and full cargo of valuable merchandise
on board. Previous to the departure of the Pacific,
copies of the London morning journals of this date were
placed on board by Messrs. \Vintner and Smith, of
Liverpool, for the press and public institutions of the
western continent.
The Royal Mail ship
Canada, Commander C. H. E.
Judkins (with advices from New York to the 23d, Bos-
ton to the 24th, and Halifax to the 26th ult.) passed
Queenstown at noon to-day, bound for Liverpool.
The "Black Ball" Royal mail-ship Ocean Chief, Capt.
T. J. Tobin will sail on the morning of the Gth inst.,
with the mails for the Australian colonies. Letters
posted in Dublin, London, and GlaFgow, on the even'n
of the sth inst., will be in time. In Liverpool lettere
must be posted before six a.m. on the 6th, with late fees
up to seven a.m., and at the floating receiving house,
at the landing stage, to eight a.m., at which hour the
ship will proceed tof sea.