The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-14 00:00:00

SHIPPING-THIS DAY,

LONDON, Sept. IC—Wind this day at noon—South-
; fresh breeze and cloudy.

CARDIFF, Sept. 13.—Wind S.W,—Arrived—Gaffredo,
from New York. Sailed—Alexandra, for Matanzae—Eliza
Nelson, for Bermuda.

BRISTOL, Sept. 13.--Wind N,W.—Arrivetl.-President
Filmre, from New York.

KINGSTON, Sept. 13.--Mind N.W.—Arrived—Orchid,
from Barbadoes.

MILFORD, Sept. 12.—Arrived—Witch of the Wave,
from Liverpool for &mos Ayres.
PiTMOUTH, Setit. 13.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Matilda,
from Rangoon--Rozburgh Castle, from London and sailed
for Melbourne.

PORMIOUTII, Sept.. 13. —Arrived—Dumiotta, from
London for Rio Janeiro. Sailed—Her Majesty's ship En-
hap:tress, for Marseilles.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning.
Arrived, Sept. 13.—Adler, from Quebec—Vicking, from
Riga—Flora, from Calcutta—Rengi, from Riga—Sophie,
from Malmo--Marys, from Guernsey—Alphine, from
Wasa—Amor, from Dantzic—Albion, from llorsens—An-
nnnciacion, from Porto Rico—Saxon Ville, from New York
—Pepe, from Porto Rico—Nestor, from Archangel—Reso-
lution, from New York.

Arrived, Sept, 14.—Magnum Bonum, from Colombo—
Citizen, from Prince Edward's Island—Prince Albert, from
Pugwash—Triton, from Wismar—Carrie M. Lord, from
Prince Edward's Island—Frances, from Riga—Albert and
Anna, from Dantsic.

Sailed, Sept. 14—Aurora, for St. Michael's—Boldera
steamer for Konigsberg—Cornelia Gertrude for Batavia—
Beivedere for Madras—Early Dawn for Singapore—Lord
J. Russell and Flandre steamers for Dunkirk.
DEAL, Wednesday Morning.
Passed—John from Quebec for London.

Anchored—Helios from Uleaborg for London—Bengal
from Odle for Port Philip—Orient from London for Mar-
seilles—Mid-Lothian from London for Demerara—lroquis
and Sacramento, American corvettes from the eastward—
Plantagenet from Sunderland to Rordeaux.
Sailed in tow to repair damages sustained by collision—
Solon for tho river.

A letter from Mexico, 10th August, says—" The
Emperor left this morning to commence a tour
through his empire. The first journey, however,
will not be a long one, and the expectation is that
his Majesty will return to the capital in about a
month, after having visited Queretaro, Leon, and
Guanajuato. He will return to be present at thefete
of Mexican Independence, which is to be celebrated
on the 16th September, when ho will lay the first

stone of a monument which he has ordered to be
erected in the centre of the open space before the
Palace, in commemoration of that event. His Majesty
will, however, soon after undertake fresh excursions,
particularly to Vera• Cruz at the commencement of
the winter. The Emperor thinks that his presence
in the provinces may materially contribute to pacify
them : in the first piaci) because the measures
adopted to give security to his journey leaves no
' point unexplored, and nett, because the visit of a
sovereign always induces a certain number of mal-

contents to come over to him. Moreover while the
military and finance commissions are at work, the
presence of the Emperor in the capital is less neces-
sary. During his Majesty's absence the Empress,
being named Regent, will hold the reins of Govern-
ment. Her Majesty, as is well known, is possessed
of !great intelligence, maturity of judgment and
much tact and firmness.

ADULTERATION OF SNUFF.---Mr. Phillips, the
Principal of the Government Laboratory, states in
his report this year that while ho can say that few articles
of consumption are now sold in so genuine a state as tobacco,
and that the use of prohibited materials in the manufac-
ture of snuff is uow but seldom attempted, ho has to repre-
sent that there is a form of adulteration of tho latter article
far more injurious than the comparatively mild sophistica-
tions sometimes discovered. The:law permits the use of
lime water in the manufacture of high-dried snuffs, such as
Irish and Welsh, but it does not state what proportion of
limo shall be present in the water, although there can be
little doubt that a perfectly clear solution of lime in water
was meant. Many manufacturers, however, assert that
such a solution is useless, and persist in the use of what
may be termed " lime wash," or a thick mixture of undis-
solved limo and water. &ye? al unsuccessful attempts have
been made within the last two years to suppress the very
gross practice, which is still growing, of using such a
mixture; and probably until the use of life in the manu-
facture of snuff is absolutely prohibited the fraud can
never be crushed. It has been generally understood
that lime was essential in the preparation of high-dried
snuff.; but a fine specimen of such snuff, made by an emi-
nent firm in Ireland, has recently been analysed, the re-
sult being that no more limo was present than what may
be found in normal American tobacco ; and it is believed
that the same firm strenuously opposed the legalising the
use of lime-water, and still maintain that lime, even in
small quantity, deteriorates the quantity of snuff. The
vicious term of adulteration referred to is almost entirely
confined to the north of Ireland, where it appears the habit
is very prevalent among the women employed in the linen
and other factories cf taking snuff highly charged with lime,
and which is known as "white snuff;" and the manufac-
turers allege, in extenuation of their dishonest practices,
that no other description of snuff is acceptable to their cus-
tomers, apparently forgetting that they themselves have, by
their long-continued illicit practices, engendered the habit
which they now seek to bring forward as a plea for their
ft audulent transactions. There have lately been submitted
to Mr Phillips several samples of snuff obtained from
manufacturers in Belfast, in which it was impossible to say
from a mere inspection whether lime •r tobacco predomi-
nated; and he has received information from respectable
members in the trade that some manufacturers do not even
care to use a mixture of lime and water, but actually grind
up dry lime with the tobacco in the procesa of manufac-
ture. The evil in qusstion appears to demand, both upon
social and fiscal considerations, an immediate remedy. It
can never be suppre,sed under the existing law, and the
only effectual course to be adopted is the entire prohibition
of the use of limo in the manufacture of snuff. Mr Phillips
has reason to believe that the obnoxious practice is distaste-
ful to many manufacturers, who, however, feel compelled
in self-defence to adopt it, and that its continuance is
mainly due to the unscrupulous operations of one or two
members of the trade.