The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-22 00:00:00

The Price of Gold.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about a per mille pm., and
the short exchange on London is 25.25 per 41 sterling. On
comparing these rates with the English Mint price of 43
17s. 10ad. per ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is
nearly 3-10ths per cent. dearer in London than in Paris.

By advices from Hamburg the price of gold is 425 per mark
and the short exchange on London is 13.4 per £1 sterling.
standard gold at the English Mint price is, therefore, about
3-10ths per cent. dearer in London than in Hamburg,
The course of exchange at New York on London in still in
a ♦4ry gucluating state, the latest quotation of the exchange
being about 144 per cent., and the premium on gold is about
31} percent. Some gold has been received by the lastpackets.

"BUT" OR "BECAUSE P"—Mr, Disraeli dedicated
Sybil" to " the most severe of critics, but—a perfect wife."
Perhaps, suggests the Saturday Review, the " but" might
be appropriately replaced by "because." At least, no wife
is perfect who cannot be a severe critic upon occasion.
CGST of CIVIC JUSTlCE.—Leadenhall yielded
an income amounting to £28,242, the costs of
management amounted to £9,6B9—Newgate-market pro-
duced a total revenue of £13,561, the expenses were
£B,2l9—Farringdon produced £9,789, and cost £11,085,
which is a very bad case indeed—Smithfield produced in
dues £18,147, and by tolls, £4,214—a total of £22,361—
the expenses of management were £12,993. Billingsgate
contributed to the exchequer £50,018, and cost in ordinary
exp9nditure £23,857. There are two other charges on
Billingsgate—namely, £126 for deepening the river, and
£BOB law charges on metage of oysters. Street tolls were
prolific of income once upon a time, but as in 1854 they
were discontinued, there are but two entries under this
head. In 1853 and 1854 the produce of street tolls was
£11,620, but there is no entry of expenses, and we must
suppose that they have crept into some mixture of inci-
dentals and casuals. The various duties on coal, corn, and
fruit brought in £777,030, and the expenses of collecting
amounted to £143,728.—City Tress,
THE CARGO OF THE PETERHOFF.—The special
commissioners appointed by the United States
District Court to examine and make a true and perfect in,
ventory of the cargo of the steamer Peterhoff, report that a
very large portion of the said cargo will be found, on an
examination of the inventory, to be particularly adapted to
army uses; that large numbers of cased contain " Blucher
boots,t' which are known as army shoes _
; a number of cases
contain cavalry boots, and are so labelled ; that one hun-
dred and ninety-two bales of the cargo consist of gray
blankets adapted to the use of the army, and are believed
to be such as are used in the United States army ; ninety-
five casks contain horse shoes of a large size ; thirty-six
cases of a large size contain artillery harness in sets for
four horses, with two riding saddles attached to each set;
there were also on board two hydraulic presses adapted to
cotton; that a considerable portion of sai cargo consists of
drugs directed ''
Burchard and Co., Successors, Matamoras,
Mexico, in which an assorted lot of drugs—quinine,
calomel, morphine, and chloroform—form all important
portion.

IRLS.—About two o'clock yesterday morning a
fire broke out in one of the newly-erected and un-
finished houses situate at No. 118, Belgrave-road, Pimlico.
The building was four stories high, and contained 15 largo
room, each filled with fittings for several other houses.
The firemen were soon on the spot, but the flames could not
be extinguished until the building and its costly stock of
materials were all but destroyed. The building was insured
in the London Fire-office,but the contents were un• insured.
About two hours later another fire happened in the pre-
mises belonging to Mr. D. K. Mawes, an upholsterer,
carrying on business at No. 9, Victoria-road, Pimlico.
The firemen were unable to get the mastery over the
fearful element until the show rocms on the the first floor
were very severely damaged. The building was insured in
London.

CURIOUS EIAMFLE OF THE VORACITY OF A
PIKE.—One of the most remarkable of these bceurred
during the last few years to Mr. L—, of Chippenham,
Wiltshire. This gentleman had set a trimmer in the River
Avon over night, and on proceeding the next morning to
take it up, ho found a heavy pike apparently fast upon his
hooks. In order to extract these he was obliged to open
the fish, and in doing so perceived another pike of consider-
able size inside the first, from the mouth of which the line
proceeded. This fish it was also found necessary to open,
when, extraordinary to state, a third pike, of about sib.
weight, and already partly digested, was discovered in the
stomach of the second. This last fish was, of course, the
original taker of the bait, having been subsequently pouched
by a later corner, to be, in its turn, also afterwards seized
and gorged.—Cltolmondeky Pennell'. "Angler-Naturalist."
THE SESSION AND THE PARLIAMENT.—It is said
that the session will close on the 28th inst., remarks
the Law Tithes. It will be at once the shortest and most
unproductive of any that has been held since the Reform
Act. There aro whispers about that it is to be the last of
the present Parliament, and this is by no means improbable.
An excuse would have been gladly seized for a dissolution
ere now, but the Opposition has cleverly refused to provide
one, while the state of her Majesty's health forbade a
merely experimental appeal to the country. But the soli-
citors should make ready for the fight, which may come at
any time ; the present registration will demand their specie
attention, for it is certain to provide the constituencies for
the next geaeral election,