The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-19 00:00:00

The Approaching Trial of Muller,

Some time since we stated that Franz Muller, the alleged
murderer of Mr Briggs, would be tried at the ensuing ses-
sions of the Central Criminal Court, which commence on
the 24th inst. This statement was contradicted by a con-
temporary, who stated that there were no grounds for any
such assertion. And again yesterday morning even, we
find a quoted paragraph in another paper, stating that the
announcement that Muller's trial will come off on the 24th,
" has but little foundation in fact, as up to the present time
neither the committee of the German Legal Protection So-
ciety nor Mr Beard, the solicitor, who has the management
of the case, nor Mr Maynard, his managing clerk, have
decided whether the case will be fit for trial at that time."
Now, wherever this information has been obtaiaed is of
course no business of ours, nor should we trouble even to
refer to it were it not that the correct statement had been
contradicted in terms so unqualified. Notwithstanding this
contradiction, we are able to state that so far as Mr Beard
is concerned, his brief is not alone prepared, but it is actually,
at this very moment, in the possession of Mr Sergeant
Parry. True, a communication was received from the
Treasury inquiring whether Mr Beard would bo prepared
with the defence of Muller this session. Mr Beard, with•
out loss of time, replied that he was prepartd, and saw no
necessity whatever for postponing the trial. With regard
to the "great masa of additional oral and documentary
evidence said to have been obtained within the last few
days," scarcely anything more has been elicited than that
with which Mr Beard was thoroughly cognisant before the
prisoner was committed even, but, with a discretion which
cannot be too much commended, he has held it over till the
day of trial. Thus it will be seen that, so far as the defence
is concerned, the trial will take place this session about the
26th or 27th.

Muller, during his confinement in Nowgate, has con-
ducted himself with the same air of coolness and indiffcr-
ence to his position that has characterised him fr. m the very
moment of his apprehension. He spends his time in reading,
and upon several occasions when questioned he has asserted
his 'nnocence of the crime with which he is charged, ad-
mitting at the same time that it was " strange ho should
become possessed of Mr Briggs' property." He positively
denies that the hat in question ever belonged to him. He
persists that in repudiating the charge he has told the truth,
and has coolly remarked, "If telling the truth hangs me, I
can't help it." At times during his incarceration at New-
gate he has shown some signs of depression, and has occa-
sionally been observed to shed tears.

The Confederate soldiers seem to have lost their
antipathy to the Federal coloured soldiers in Grant's army,
and have ceased to fire upon them, as they formerly did,
whenever the negroes made their appearance. That part
of the line where the coloured troops are employed is now
as quiet as any other, and it is noticed that when deserters
come in they are afterwards frequently found eating with
the negroes, having apparently lost their late prejudiee.-
41n( )aver.

Septennial Parliaments.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE Sir.N.

Six,—At this time, when the people are looking forward
to the meeting of the new Parliament, vice the old one,
deceased, the following information for your readers may be
acceptable, or, at least, for those who may not be already
acquainted with the facts offered for publication.
The Triennial Act was passed in the sixth year of the
reign of King William 111., whereby no Parliament should
have any continuance beyond three years, "to be ac-
counted from the day on which, by the writ of sum-
mons, the said Parliament should be appointed to
meet." The Septennial Act, passed in the year 1715, recited
this act, and it also recited to the effect that much expense
and animosity had been excited by reason of the enactment,
which at that time, on account of domestic turmoil and
riot, might tend to destroy "the peace and security of the
Government." Therefore it has been enacted that the then
existing Parliament and all future Parliaments should have
continuance for seven years, and no longer to be accounted
for by the day on which by the writ of summons the then
existing Parliament had been, " or any future Parliament
shall be appointed to meet, unless such Parliament there-
after to be summoned shall be sooner dissolved by his
Majesty, his hairs, or successors."

This Septennial Act, enacted chiefly to meet tho par-
ticular national exigency of time—after almost 150 years,
existence, is still the law of the land, which regulates the
calling together and dissolution of the Parliament.—Yours
obediently, Cult, CooxE.
October, 1864.

STATE OF TRADE.

-0-

MANCHESTER, Oct. 18.—We have to report the gloomiest
market to-day that has yet occurred since the present
crisis commenced. Some of our spinners and manufac-
turers had been led to expect, to use their own phrase,
that things had taken a turn, and that prices had reached a
minimum. In consequence of this feeling manufacturers
in several instances had written or telegraphed to their
Manchester agents to advance selling quotations for their
cloth Id to 2d per lb. To such persons the market has
proved a great disappointment, In shipping yarns we have
had very little business, and in yarns made from short-
stapled cotton prices are decidedly easier than they were
last week, while for those made from long-stapled cotton
the market has been moderately firm, though without much
business being practicable at the quotations. In this branch
of the market (shipping yarns) business closes quiet, with a
tendency to lower prices. In home trade yarns the rumours
of failures have had a depressing effect, and there is a want
of confidence, so that we have had a more stagnant market
than previously. Low cop yarns as well as low-bundled
yarns are cheaper. Cloth has been exceedingly difficult to
sell. We have heard of some fair sales at a price, but gene-
rally the market is flat. The few buyers who were in the
market have been making very low offers, and low as prices
were before they had not touched the bottom. On the whole,
cloths have been cheaper than they were before. Wo hear
of six or seven more manufacturers having stopped payment
to-day, wad the feeling of gloom seems to be increasing as
the knowledge of these failures come to the public ear. The
commercial public have, of course, been awaiting advicos
from India with some anxiety, and a private telegram has
been received to-day (the first since news of the crisis had
begun to arrive out), and it bears out the fears entertained
here that a reflex of the advices sent hence would be dis-
couraging. According to the telegram the markets there
had been paralysed by the bad accounts to hand from this
side. The large purchases of cotton at Liverpool to arrive
are producing their effect, and we hear of stocks purchased
at 24d per lb selling at Ifid, and in some instances as low as
15d and 14d per lb,

LEEDS, 18.h.—The woollen cloth-markets to-day have
been thinly attended by buyers, and those present confined
their purchase to small parcels of a miscellaneous charac-
ter, including both heavy and light goods. All things con-
sidered, the market had as active an appearance as could be
expected, and there was a stronger tone of confidence in the
proceedings than was maintained on this day se'nnight. As
winter stocks may be said to have now fully passed into the
hands of the retail dealers, attention is directed by the
wholesale houses to spring goods, and on such and ordinary
fabrics manufacturers are mostly engaged, The trade is
certainly not so buoyant as we lately had to report it, yet
the mills are running full time and the manufacturing ope-
ratives are in full employment. Tho failure of the Leeds
Banking Company still engages a good deal of attention.
The ..-05 notes of the company are selling at from £4 We to
£4 1.3 s each, and some speculative individuals advertise to-
day that they will give £4 12s Gil a piece for them. The
committee of shareholders of the bank have signified their
acquiescence in the appointment of Mr. Turquand as the
solo liquidator, and have issued a circular recommending
them to unite in an application to the Court of Chancery to
make the appointment of Mr Turquand, which is now only
provisional, permanent. There is no likelihood of any op-
position to this application, and in the meantime all that
can be done at the bank, under the superintendence of the
committee of investigation, is being done to forward the
winding up of the unfortunate concern. Till, however,
the liquidator be fully appointed the real work of winding
up can scarcely be commenced.

NOTTINGHAM, 13th.—At this Exchange-hall to-day
there was a fair attendance of merchants and manufactur-
ers. Spinners asked higher rates for lace yarns, which
buyers were reluctant to pay, and business was eventually
done at fully late prices. For hosiery yarns the demand
was slow, but prices were unaltered. bilks about the same
as last week. .the demand for brown nets was dull, and
prices had a downward tendency.

ROCHDALE, 17th.—The attendance of buyers in the
flannel market to-day has again been small, and they pur-
chased cautiously, so that less than an average amount of
business was done, Though the trade is undoubtedly rather
dull, the manufacturers are well employed, and as yet there
is no great accumulation of stock, and a fair amount of
orders are in hand, The Yorkshire goods trade is also rather
quiet, and will probably remain so till the cold weather has
been the means of reducing the stocks of the retail dealers,
and fresh supplies are needed, Prices of goods are steady.
In the wool market there is not much business cluing, but
the staplers maintain late prices.