The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-06 00:00:00

THE SULPHUR MONOPOLY.

The Mowing important mercantile intelligence has
been received by an eminent house in the City, under
date of Palermo, Jan. 17 :

The sulphur monopolist, M. Taix, has this morning de-
posited at the public Bank the thirty thousand ducats duo
to Government, on account of the four hundred thousand
ducats payable annually, as the price of the monopoly.
On the 31st ult. the fusion ceased, and our letters from
the interior mention the production of the whole island to
be only, canters 550,000. We have written for a con-
firmation of the intelligence. We are persuaded the quan-
tity cannot exceed 650,000 cantars, including all the old
sulphur of 1837 still in the country. Next fusion is likely
to be still less, owing to the want of confidence in Taix
and the Government p•evalent everywhere. Mine pro-
prietors cannot get money advanced them to work with;
the little they have is already locked up in sulphur, which
they cannot sell. The whole trade in this island at pre-
sent is perfectly paralyzed, and lays prostrate at the feet of
the Government and Mons. Taix. At the end of each
fusion the stock on hand has generally been from 900,000
to 1,000,000 cantars. Those who have money to dispose
of amongst mine proprietors always employ it in excavat-
ing sulphur, so as to be ready on the Ist of July to com-
mence burning. At this moment only about one-third of
all the mines in Sicily are at work, and others are perfectly
idle, their owners not having the means of going on. We
know our charge will oppose Taix with his new scheme,
and much time in consequence must elapse ere any per-
manent measure will be concocted, delay will decrease
production, and increase pecuniary wants. Stocks in fo-
reign countries are daily decreasing, and must ere many
months elapse require to he renewed from this side. We
reckon the consumption of England annually to be 37,000
tons, and it is on the increase, that of France to be 20,000
tons, conjointly 57,000 tons, equal to 741,000 cantars.

NATIONAL CONVENTION.

MEETING OF THIS DAY.

Mr. FRosT was appointed Chairman for the day, and Mr.
LovETT Secretary.
The SECRETARY having read ever the minutes of last day's
proceedings,a desultory conversation took place upon the propriety
of having the National Petition got ready as soon as possible, in
order that it might be present to Parliament on an early day.
It was moved by Mr. DoucEws, that the Secretary be em-
powered to advertize in such papers as are deemed advantageous
for the purpose of calling on the people to have their petitions
ready against the 28th of this month.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. O'BRIEN.
A DELEGATE said, that as the petition was to be presented
en the meeting'of Parliament, his constituency, although a rural
one, had contributed 2,000 signatures, and would be much
disappointed at the delay, if for only one month. In support
of this delay he had heard no argument put forth to prevent
that disappointment.
Mr. DOUGLAS said, that from the great number of petitions
that are yet in a state of preparation, it would be much better
to await the result, of the advertisement. If we present the
petition immediately, we shall not have more than 300,000 sig-
uatures, out by delaying a few days they will be increased to
one million three hnndred thousand.

Another DELEGATI said that delay was necessary, as he was
convinced that the portion of the country which he represented,
namely, Devonshire and Cornwall, would in a few (lays do their
utmost to swell the numbers.

Resolution passed.
Dr. WADE said that care should be taken to give, through
the Press, the proper designation of the gentlemen who addressed
the meeting. He was induced to make this remark from seeing
his friend, the Bailie of Kilmarnock, named Mr. 'Raily. It was
important that this should be noticed, as the public should be
made acquainted with the station of those who composed their
meeting, for instance, the Chairman was a Magistrate of North
Wales.

It vms resolved that the Secretary do read the ;lames of the
members each day at 11 o'clock.
It was also resolved that Mr. Carpenter be added to the pre-
sent treasurers, and that the treasurers be Messrs. Rogers, Car-
penter, and Craig.
It was then moved by Mr. MATtiEws—That a Committee
be appointed to ascertain the best means of disseminating poli-
tical information throughout the kingdom, and more especially
in the metropolis, and to report as speedily as possible.
Dr. TAYLOR seconded it.
Upon the question being put that it do pass, a very warm de-
bate took place between Messrs. Hadley, Bussey, Whittle, J. P.
Cobbett, Collins, Pardue, &c., on the legality of appointing this
Committee, as perhaps it would come under the unrepealed Act
of 37 Geo. 111., under which the Dorchester labourers were
transported.
Mr. DOUGLAS, in support of the motion, said that the
clause under which the Dorchester labourers were transported
was a clause against illegal oaths and secret meetings. He said
that if Committees
,emanating from this convention were
illegal, they had already committed themselves, as they had ap-
pointed two or three Committees before this.
Resolution passed and a Committee appointed.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.)

DEAL, FEE. s.—Wind S.S. W., rain.—Came down from the River,
and proceeded, the Thomas Coutts, Warren, for Bombay; Eleanore,
Holderness, Sydney ; Mary Ann and Arabella, Satchill, Gibraltar ;
Georgians, Scott, Berbice ; Agar, Davis, Liverpool ; Trinidad
Hymen, Spain; Ida, Passmore, Bombay, and remains ; Bernard'
Dumble, Sierra Leone, and remains. Sailed, the Macassar, for
Batavia; Portents, Cape of Good Hope.
PORTSMOUTH, Fists. s.—Wind S.S.E., light airs, dense fog, with
rain—Arrived, the Shannon, Veale, from Cork; Grace, Grant,
Sunderland; Hibernia, Mant, Salcombe, and sailed for London.
PLYMOUTH, FEB. 4.—Wind S. W.—Arrived the Alonzo transport,
from the West Coast of Spain, in nine days ; Hercules steamer, from
London, and proceeds for Cork.

FALMOUTH: FEB." 4 —Wind W.S. W., strong breezes and thick
weather with rain.—Arrived the Lapwing packet, Lieut. Coghian,
from Rio de Janeiro—sailed Dec. 16, on freight 3,0001. sterling;
Iberia, Cooper, Gibraltar—sailed Jan. 24, Cadiz 25, Lisbon 21,
Oporto and Vigo 31, with mails; William, Mackwood, ; Lady
Briggs, Cacace, London; Royal Adelaide steamer, Say, ditto; Sirius
steamer, Mowle, ditto. Off port, the President, De Ruyter, from
Aux Cayes, out 52 days. sailed the Liverpool steamer, Brooksby,
for Oporto, and Iberia steamer, Cooper, London ; William, ditto;
Silena, Walls, Portsmouth.
I'ILNZANCE, FEB. 3.—Arrived the Vrow Elizabeth, from Ostend,
and sailed for Dublin ; Geer Dina, De Boer, Amsterdam, and sailed
for Liverpool. Sailed the Gratitude, Smart, fur Newry; Banbury,
Warren, Gloucester.

&duo, FEB. 2.—The Elizabeth, Widdecombe, from Liverpool,
in attempting this harbour, 30th ult., during a gale, struck on the
Bar at low watcr, and continued beating three-quarters of an hour—
is waking water.

REDCAR, FEB. 4.—The Clio, 'Wilson, from Scarborough to Stock.
holm, is on shore on the rocks near this place, but is expected to be
got off
WHITBY, FRB. 4.—The Anst ruthcr, of and from Sunderland, struck
on Whitby Rocks yesterday, but came off, and sunk in deep water—
crew saved.

RAMSGATE, FEB. s.—The Venus, Blaaen, from Chcsme to Ham.
burg, has been ordered to Stangate Creek, but being so leaky is un-
able to proceed thither—part of the cargo damaged.

LIVERPOOL, FEB. s.—Variable, light airs. Arrived the Entrepe,
Wright, from Maracaibo; Birmingham, Farnham, Savannah; How-
ard, ditto ; Vesper, St. Andrew's; John Bentley, St. John's; Eme-
rald, Dempsey, Bordeaux ; Julius, Copenhagen ; Zapard, Bakker,
Rotterdam; Concord, Phillips, Jersey; Seymore, Burton, Wick-
ham; Ann and Kate, Smith, Wexford; Miss Ely, ditto; Mary's,
Londonderry ; Lord Palmerston, London ; Henry Hoyle, ditto ;
Udonia, London; Barclay, Cole, Ipswich ; Louisa, ditto; Bartholly,
Helmet, Southampton ; Laura and Helen, Davis, Weymouth ; Ann,
Maryport ; Maria, ditto; Thomas and Francis, Evans, ditto; Union,
Doolittle, Swansea; Triton, Cardiff. Sailed the Emma, Irvey, for
Lisbon ; Indefatigable, Wilkie, New York ; Harriet, Rickwcll,
Boston; Majestic, Alsop, Africa; Greyhound, Stevens, Terceira;
Mary Somerville, Hooky, Calcutta; Thomas Fielding, Smith, Val.
paraiso; Posiboy, Azores.
MARGATE, FEB. s.—Arrived Earl Fife, Volgen, from New Ross.
SHIELDS, FEB. 3.—Arrived the Progress, Martin, Dunkirk ;
Blsnehc, Le Gras, ditto ; Von Boscawen, Rotterdam ; John Fen_
wick, Schmidt, Harlengen ; Vrow Marie, Aurier, Stralsund ; Fid-
get, Gibraltar. Sailed, the Hopewell, Leslie, Constantinople; Do.
rothy, Fleming, Berbice.
lieu., FEB. s.—Wind W.—Arrived the Ant. Utting, Dunkirk;
Josephine, Guess, Autwerp; Jeune Clemene, Schmidt, ditto; Grace
Theresa, Jotepha, ditto; Edward, Rehh, Lenikenhapen.
SUNDERLAND, JAN. 4. Arrived George and Eleanor, Foster,
Boulogne; Baswick, Hogwetl, ditto; New Darlington, Taylor,
ditto; Traveller, Wright, Hambugli.
BRISTOL, FEB. s.—Arrived The Rose, Bruce, Bordeaux.
CARDIFF, FEB. 4.—Sailed the Surprise, Harvey, for Oporto.
YARMOUTH, FEB. s.—Arrived the Juliana Marie, Boy, from
Amsterdam.

SHIELDS, FEB. 3.—Arrived the George, from Rostock ; Nettle-
beck, Dantzic.