The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-21 00:00:00

THE COAL TRADE.

The overthrow of the northern combination is of para-
mount importance ; all the evils existing in the other
branches of the trade, spring therefrom. The combina-
tion is the source from whence all the mischief flows ; by
it competition is destroyed, and without competition it is
vain to look fur any material and continued reduction of
prices. The public, being thoroughly informed of these
facts, must never for a moment forget that it is upon them-
selves they must rely for rescue from the oppression of
which they so loudly complain. Separate individual exer-
tions, however strenuous and well-applied, will avail
nothing in the cause, without general and cordial co-ope-
ration ; but combined operations, under skilful directions,
will insure a glorious victory. The coalowners are al-
ready looking for the 9.h of November, with the hope thst
future Chief Magistrates of the city of London will not
follow in the steps of the present Lord Mayor. And this
is a very natural expectation—not because the interest and
importance of the subject will cease with the preset year,
or because the public can ever close their eyes again upon
the main fact which has been clearly ascertained, " that,
ithout the overthrow of the combination, no permanent
advantage can be secured ;" but because the true source
of all the evils of the trade was never before so generally
comprehended; and if this knowledge do not now lead to
the adoption of effective measures for the immediate defeat
and final overthrow of the monopoly, it will be a natural
inference that at no future period is the public energy
likely to be aroused so as to attain these objects, and con-
sequently that no future Lord Mayor would enter upon so
truly arduous an undertaking.
Many of the great coal owners arc now in London, and
may readily ascertain (if they have any doubts) with what
incense interest the coal trade has been canvassed and in-
vestigated by all classes of society, from the mansion of the
wealthy to the wretched tenement of the poor; and they will
that at no preceding period was it so well understood.
Much as these Right lion. and lion. Lords and Gentlemen
may affect indifference to the free inquiries which have
lately taken place, they must arrive at the same conclusious
as we have done-Ist, That howeverfrequently the supply of
coals oecupied attention upon former occasions, its compli-
cated arrangements were but little understood ; and, 2d, that
never before has the stream of public opinion set so decidedly
into one channel. The waters have risen against the great
dam of monopoly; they have swelled against it, until at length
the period has arrived when even the engineers who main-
tain it must tremblingly perceive that the slightest addi-
tional pressure must overthrow the artificial boundary, and,
with their combination, the waters, in returning to their
natural channel, will wash away the other impediments
which have so long obstructed the free trade and opfn
competition. Never was a period so auspicious for this
consummation of our wishes, and, if it be not now accom-
plished, the coalowners will, indeed, have good ground
to hope tbat, although sentence has been decreed, and the
death warrant drawn up, it will never receive the signature
of the public. For our pas, we have a film reliance that
the year 1839 will be recorded in the futur nistory of
London as memorable for the extinction of a tax upon her
inhabitants amounting to little short of a million sterling
per annum, which fell with peculiar severity upon the la-
bouring and industrious classes of the community.
The owners of collieries not in the combination are
actively engaged. A very superior description of coal nas,
we understand, been supplied to the Mansion House ey
way of Liverpool, from the extensive collieries of Messrs.
Hilton, of Ince Hall, near Wigan, who have expressed
their determination to compete with their northern neigh-
boors. A gentleman from that firm waited upon his Lord-
ship, and informed him that they were now raising 500
tons per day, but when their arrangements were complete
they would raise 1,000, and be able to deliver them in
London at: 225. per ton.
We shall be able shortly to state the extent of the great
competition which will soon present itself from different
parts of the island to the monopoly.—Observer.