The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-14 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

The Debats has the following on the commerce
of Belgium :
a We consider it important to frequently examine the
state of commerce in Belgium, to which the negotia-
dons which France has entered into with that country
give a particular interest, Belgian commerce appears to
have hitherto prostcd largely bythe
revival which almost everywhere
ha marked
s characterisedcommercial
revival
185
1852.
The monthly tables published by the Belgian Govern-
merit show that the exporta of coals, machinery, linen
threads an c! cloth;
plate and window glass, and cotton
stuffs hod much increased up to the Ist of August
last. In coals the augmentation has been 125,000 tons,
and that altogether in imports into France; in liiien-
vireads the difference is upwards of 238 kilogs., the
greater part of which has also been sent to France; in
linen-cloths the increase is upwards of 60 per cent., and
4130 bears mostly on our purchases. Pig-iron has in-
creased but little, and wrought iron and small castingQ,
particularly nails, show a diminution, which seems to
prove that the competition of Germany is increasing.
The exportation of slice in masses has also fallen off,
but sheet-zinc has considerably increased, England,
where building is going on at present to a great ex-
tent, taking a large quantity. The exportation of
books has not much varied. Belgian imports have na-
turally felt the effect of this acceleration of sales. In
place, for in,tance, of 6,545,000 kilogs. of raw cotton,
Belgian manufactures had consumed up to the Ist of
August, 13,189,000, or nearly double; in raw bides the
inereaso had been from 639,000 to 985,000.
The amoant of corn gives a fair idea of
the extraordinary wants of Belgium; the quantity
of wheat has risen from 269,000 to 600,000. The
same is the case for ail articles of consumption,
ouch as coffee, coarse sugar, tobacco, salt, all of
which shoe a large increase; but it is English salt which
this ;car has had the advantage over curs, the imp.va of
which has notably decreased. Salt is one of the articles
mentioned in the treaty, the renewal of which is now
proposed, and it is annoying to remark that cur wines,
woollen-threAls, silk-tissues, and woollen and cotton
cloths, which aro in the same case, have hot gained,
but have even lost. Such is the case with the com-
merce, properly so called, of Belgium. Now, if we
examine the state of her transit, which her position, her
railway from the Rhino to the sea, and her canals tend
to render so important for France, we shall find that it
has also considerably increased. By the Belgian-Rhenan
Railway alone the transport from the east to the west,
that is, from Antwerp to the Rhine, was during the
last three months 15,992 tons, in the place of 9,229,
Or on augmentation of 73 per cent. The movement
of corn towards Northern Germany, the wants of
which have been exceptional, counts no doubt for
much in this increase; but the greatest part of the prin-
cipal manufacturing matters have participated in this
improvement. The same has not been exactly the case
for the transit from the west to the east, that is from
Cologne towards Antwerp, which has slightly fallen off.
But that is one of the consequences of the extraordinary
amount of corn which Germany has on this occasion
caused to be brought to herself is place of sending it, as
usual, to England. The boats en the Rhine are also mak-
ing, and not without some success, grand efforts to turn
aside to the profit of the passage down the Rhine a part of
the Belgian transit. However that may be, that of
Prussia by Belgium in manufactured produce appears as
yet not to have lost anything of its habitual importance.
From all that precedes, it may be concluded that the
commercial affairs of Belgium are at present in an excel-
lent position, and in what regards our relations, that
country has sensibly increased the opening which it finds
in our consumption."

SOMERSETSHIRE CENTRAL RAILWAY.
A public meeting of landowners and others, resi-
dent in the neighbourhood of Wells, was held on
Friday afternoon, at the Town Hall, in that city, for
the purpose of taking steps to promote the formation
of a railway for central Somersetshire, for the making
of which an Act of Parliament has already been ob-
tained, and for which the support of many influential
parties is fully expected.
Among the gentlemen who attended on the occasion
were M. Castle and W. Watson, Esqrs., directors of
the Bristol and Exeter Railway, E. F. Gregory, Esq.,
C.E., Capt. Seymour, Mayor of Wells, Capt. Giles,
G. Baron Northcote, Esq., E. Sanders, Esq., G,
Warry, Esq,, Thomas Forcbporch, Esq., T. H.
Roach, Esq., Toogood, Esq., Robert Davies, Esq.,
the town clerk of "Wells, Ste.
Esq., having been called upon
G. B. NORTHCOTE,
to preside, said the present was a boas fide attempt to
supply the city of Wells with railway accommoda-
tion, and looking at it as sensible and practical men,
the question with them should be not so much, was
it the best possible line which could be constructed P
but, was it not the only line which there was any,
chance of their getting ? Having secured by pur-
chase the canal between Highbridge and Glaston-
bury, having obtained an Act of Parliament, and
having fulfilled all the preliminary requirements, the
directors of the Somersetshire Central Railway were
of opinion that they were only paying the inhabi-
tants of Wells a proper compliment, and, at the same
time were not asking more than might be fairly ex-
pected of them, when they came among them to ask
them for assistance in carrying out the under-
taking successfully to completion. The sum of
10,0001. more was required for the purpose, and ,
surely the citizens of Wells would find no difficulty
in subscribing for the whole, or at any rate for a con-
siderable portion of that amount.—(Hear.) About
500 shares only remained to be taken, and those
would be issued in such a manner that if the
line was not completed there would not be any liabi-
'w"eYattaching to the holders. As soon as those shares
re
It would
th • subscribed for he might venture to promise them
not,
before
t" not a month, or even a fortnight, would be al-
enter at that lowed to elapse the works were commenced.
to the advantagest,che presumed, be necessary for him to
public generaly s3tfh
upon any general observations as
the line to the county and to the
all, and he would must be sufficiently obvious to
y
their attention to therefore content himself by asking
of fact which would be observations upon matters
Clark. addressed to them by Mr.
Mr. CYRUS CLARx then brought before the meet-
ing some elaborate statistical tables, which had been
prepared to show the probable traffic over the line,
and from which it appeared that when cometed it
would yield a return to the shareholders
of 81.
capital invested
18s. 6d, per cent. upon the
said, had been The calcu-
lations, Mr. Clark made with the
utmost care and with a desire.f not to overrate the
thing, and he believed that_b gentlemen would in-
vestigate them there could be no
redifficulty experienced
in obtaining not only the capi al . quirFd to complete
the line to Highbridge, but sufficient also to carry it
on to the city of Wells.
Mr. WILMOT inquired whether the directors had
informed themselves of the probable cost of carrying
on the undertaking to Wells ?
Mr. GREGORY, engineer, said the amount estimated
was 35,000/. or 40,0001.
Mr. Dams said he was not at all hostile to the
undertaking, but he was desirous of securing the
advantage of railway accommodation for Wells, and
therefore he would recommend the citizens to make
terms with the directors for the completion of the
line to the city before they at all pledged themselves
to its support. The citizens of Wells were not indis-
posed to exert themselves for the attainment of so
desirable an object, but they had been promised so
many lines, and had been so often disappointed, that
they had become to some extent supine. It would
seem, from the statements which had been made, that
10,0 m. only
was required to complete the railway
to Highbridge, and that a further sum of 35,0001. or
40,000/. would bring
it on to Wells. Now he be-
lieved that if the directors were pledged to come on
to Wells there would be much less difficulty •
raising
the necessary amount than they would in raising
even the 10,000/, to finishthe
ghbridge
only. Let them at once go to Parliament and pro-
cure powers to continue
the line to Wells, and he
believed that the
thm citizens and owners of property
would well second
with the requisite capital.
If, on the contrary, that were not done,. het feared
that there would be little d
Mr. EDMUND DAVIES Ciresirtiond to.nassls
views
of
the previous speaker, and
said there
the
to have
been ought
been a meeting of the' citizens of
Wells convened by
themselves a determine as to the degree of support
they would give the undertaking.
Mr. C.tSTLE, 53 representing the Bristol and Exeter

When made up in From what
I
PLACES, General Post-oedce port dig- When
London: patched. due.
America (by Brit. pkt.)N,Sept. 24 ;; • . 'Liverpool Sept. 18
America (by U.S. pkt.) NlSept. 10 .. Liverpool .. Sept. 14
America (by U.S. pkt.) M ;Sept. 17 .. Soathampt. Sept. 22
Australia (via South-
ampton)
20th of each ir oath Southampt. Sept. 24
Ditto (via Marseilles) N 24th of each month,Dover .. Sept. 9
Ditto, via C. of G. Hope N,2d & 14th each mo. 'Plymouth.. Sept. 29
Africa (West coast).. N 14th of the monthlPlynsouth (Uncertain
Alexandria* • • ...... Nll9ll & 30th of rao.lDover .. Sept. 18
Belgium .. • • N,Daily Dover .. Daily
Brazil .. • • .. M 9th of the month Soathampt. Oct. 12
Buenos Ayres . • .. 31,9 th of the month Soathampt. !Oct. 12
California(viaChacree) Mi2d & 17th of montb!Southampt.,Oct. 16
Cape of Good Hope N 14th of the month,Plymouth 'Sept. 29
Cape de Verde .. N2d of the month .. Plymouth.. Sept. 29
Constantinople* .. •• N 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. Sept. 20
Central America .. 1,1,2 d & 17th of mon. ISouthampt. Ist ea. mo.
Channel isles • • .. N Mon., Wed., & Fri. I Southampt. Tu. Th.tiat
Chili . M 2d & 17th of math ,Southampt. Sept. 16
France .. M4c Ni Twice daily .. , Dover .. Twicedaily
Greece* • • .. N 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. Sept. 19
Hambaret N Tuesday & Friday !London .. Toes. hat.
Holland •• M Wednes. & Satar.!London Sus. Thal s
Honduras .. . N 17th of the mouth:Southanapt. Sept. 16
Ireland .. & N Twice daily .. ..1 Holyhead.. Twicedaily
India (via Soathamp.) M 20th of tho month Southanapt. Sept. 24
India(viaMarseilles) N tith3z24th ofmonth Dover .. Sept. 19
India, via C. of G. Hope N,l4th of month Plymouth.. Sept. 29
Mauritius .. N 14th of month Plymouth.. Sept. 29
Mediterranean (via
Southampton) .. 11,20 th of the month Soathampt. Aug. 28
Mediterranean (via
Marseilles) .. N Bth& 24th of month Dover ..!Sept. 19
Mexico .. Mld of the month.. Soathampt. Ist ea. mo.
Madeira • • • • .. 1419th of tk•o month Southampt. ISept. 22
Malta* 7th,17th,19th,27th 1 Dover (Sept. 19
& 30th of month
Naples* .. • • • • N sth 15th 25th ofnao Dover .. 'Sept. 22
Papal States* N 'sth 15th 25th of moiDover ept. 22
Peninsula .. • • .. M 7th 17th 27th ef mo,Southampt. (Sept.l 16
Peru • • .. • • .. M2d & 17th of mnth Southampt. 'Sept. 16
Tuscany* .. • . N sth 15th 25th of mo, Dover • • 'Sept. 22
West Indies .. 17th of the month Soathampt. Sept. 16
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nassau) M 2d of the month .. Southanipt.
* The mails to those countries thus marked (5) are conveyed by
French Packet via Marseilles.

t2d of the month .. ISouthampt.
ountries thus marked (*) are conveyed by

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.

BRISTOL, SEPT. 13.

STOCK EXCHANGE. —The sh'are market was steady to• day,
but the business done was very limited. Bristol and Exeter
were done at 102% ex div.
LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 13. . _

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market opened dull this
morning, but towards the middle of the day more spirit was
evinced, and a better business was done than for some days
past. The transactions were as follow .—Birmingham and
Dudley, 301/4—Caledonian, 21%8—Eastern Counties, 113/8
East 'Lancashire, 18 ya —Lancashire and Yorkshire, 88—Li-
verpool, Crosby, and Southport, 19—Midland, 78%—South-
Eastern and Dover, 221,i—York and North Midland, 24y,

MANCHESTER, Sxrr. 13.
STOCK EXCHANOE.—There has been no material altera-
tion in the railway share market to-day, and but a very
limited amount of business has been transacted. The only
sales reported were—Buckinghamshire, 1914—Lancashire
and Yorkshire, 88%—llitto, Fifths, 3Ys dis.—Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 10/. Preference, 11 %a—Midland,
state 7814,—South-Eastern and Dover, 21 13-16.
BIRMINGHAM, SEPT. 13.
cR
Szocx ANGE.—The share market remains much in
the same as yesterday. Midland Stock was done at 78.
A

PREACHER SURP
occurred rather a curious RISED.—Last Sabbath there
Campsie. The Rev. MrP scene in the parish church of
pulpit to ofßciate for the Rev. of Cadder, proceeded to the
Thomas Monro, the minister
of the parish.. Mr. Park
&c.,llaadn gone through the usual rou-
tine of singing, prayer, hads just given out the text
and was commencing his discourse, when a woman got up,
and, at the top of her voice, exclanne,
pause)—gas
uGs ae 3
_ hamsga
hame,wi ' you,
sir, an' learn your lesson—(a slight
say, an':learn your sermon, afore ye come here. We're nae
accustomed wi' a man readin' a sermon tae us—we. can read
ane at hame oursel's. Gae hame--(louder than before, ac-
companied with a stamp of her foot)—gae barns an' learn
your lesson, like a skuleboy...gae hams, sir." She went on in
this strain for some time, and it is said Mr. Park looked
un-
utterable Ihings. —Dumbarton Iferald.
DEAD BODY FOUND BY A DoG.—On Saturday in-
formation was received. that on Friday, as a man, named
East, was proceeding from West Ham to Stratford, in passing
over Forest-hill, his dog made its way into a field, and com-
menced howling most piteously, refusing to follow its master.
On East proceeding to ascertain what attracted the animal,
he found the dead body of a man extended on and completely
hid behind the high grass. Information was given at the K
police- station, and the body was removed to the West Ham
Union. It is that of a man about 60, clad in a light shoot.
ing coat, grey vest, and black trousers. From marks on
the person it is strongly suspected that he has fallen the
victim of foul treatment.
THE ARSENAL VOLUNTEERS.---It is pretty strongly
rumoured that the men employed in the Royal Arsenal,
Woolwich, somewhere about 1,500, will be enrolled into a
corps, to be called the Royal Arsenal Volunteers' Corps, and
the drill to be similar to the Dock-yard Brigade—an. hour
of an evening after the working hours, and the same rate of
Pay-- Xvitillt kirercury,