The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-25 00:00:00

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, DEC. 24.

SPOOR EXCHANGE.—The Share and Stock market opened
rather flatter this morning, but improved in the afternoon.
The following are the quotations :--Caledonian, 33} ; Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire, 844 ; London and North Wes-
tern, 1254 ; Midland, 79i 80 79i ; South Eastern and
Dover, 241 k 5 4k ; York and North Midland, 29g.

MANCHESTER, DEC. 24.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The business to-day was tolerably
good, prices having a downward tendency. The sales
were :—Kendal and Windermere, 14R ; Leeds, 841 ;
Sheffield, 31i 30i ; Midlands, 80 79i ; North Stafford-
shire, d. ; Caledonians, 358 ; Leeds F., p. ; Dovers,
241 11-16 11-16 ; North Westerns, 8t; lank of Man-
chester, ; Edinburgh and Glasgow,
39 ; London Stock,
1251 5.; Manchester and Salford Ban , 4 1, ; Eastern
Counties, 13k ; Manchester and Birmingham (e) Quarters,
1i p.

BIRMINGHAM, DEC. 24.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—There was very little business
transacted in the railway share market. Among the closing
quotations were—Midland sellers, 80i ; North Stafford-
shire, 4d. ; Shrewsbury and Birmingham (guaranteed by
London and North Western), 80; Shropshire Union, paid-
up stock, 52 per cent.
BRISTOL, DEC. 24.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—lnactivity prevails in the market.
Bristol and Exeters, which brought an advance, were done
at 107; Great Westerns, Hi.

A SHEET OF PAPER.—We had the pleasure of inspect-
ing on Friday last, at Airthrey Mills, an enormous sheet
Or web of white paper. The web is without a break,
being one continuous sheet, 3,000 yards in length—
within a little of a mile and three-quarters-54 inches
broad, and weighs 4001bs. This web was made, dried,
and finished ready to be dispatched within three hours,
and might have been at its destination (Edinburgh) that
night, had it not to wait until the next morning for the
excise officer to charge it with duty, and then an
additional number of hours to give the supervisor
and opportnnity to re-weigh it, insuring a delay
of about two days. In reference to this, a corre-
spondant says :—" For this delay and careful super-
vision there is charged upon the web 21. 11s. 6d. as
duty. The manufacturers will receive rather under 101.
for the above sheet. They have the risk of bad debts,
but, allowing all to be good, they have to pay for the
rags, bleaching powder, alkali, rosin, &c., used in the
manufacture ; then rent, wages, wear and tear of
machinery, as well as the above duty of 21. 1 ls. 6d., all
out of the 101. If it were not for machinery, hat
would be the price of paper at present ? or where would
information for the people be ? are questions that readily
suggest themselves to us. They leave no doubt on the
mind that, if the stamp and paper duties were abolished,
we would have as extensive a circulation for newspapers
as brother Jonathan. Besides the impetus that would
be given to the spread of knowledge, the repeal would
benefit more than one branch of industry, which to a
great extent is dependent upon the gleaning of the manu-
facturing fields, for, after the staple textile manufac-
turers have made the most of their materials, the paper-
maker uses up that which would not only be waste in-
deed, but a nuisance to the land."—Stirling Journal.

ARAP FOR THE WEATHER ASTRONOMERS:—M. Arago,
the celebrated French astronomer, has published a de-
claration which some English almanack makers would
do well to take
~anote of. He protests that, he never

anthorii:ed one of tl mnny rweclietiors wideli 'nave been
imputed to him, and declares that never, be the progress
of science what it may, will learned men that are honest
and careful of their reputation hazard it by predicting
gip weather.