The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-18 00:00:00

THE COAL TRADE

The overthrow of t,,e northern combination is of F era' I
mount importance ; all, the evils existing in the o•
Elie r
branches of the trade, spring therefrom, The combi ex-
tion i. the source from whence all the mischief flows ;
it competition is destroyed,- and without competition it '.of
vain to look for any material and continued reduction of
prices. The public, being thoroughly informed of tb e-e
facts, must never for a moment forget that it is upon thc O-
s:lves they must rely for rescue from the oppression of
which they so loudly complain. Separate indtvidual ea` er-
tions, however strenuous and well-applied, will
not jag in the cruse, without general and cordial co .opc-
ration ; but combined operations, under skilf,ll, directions,
will insure a glorious victory. The coalown,irs areal-
ready looking for the 9th of November, with the• hope that
future Chief Magistrates of the city of London will at
p
follow in the steps of the present Lord Mayor. A.nd this
is a very natural expectation—not because the inteirnst aot,
nd
importance of the subject will cease with the present r
or because the public: can ever close their eyes agetin upa°
the main fact which has been clearly ascertained, that,
without the overthro of the combination, no pe,rxnanaat
v
advantage can be secured ;" but because the true source
of all the evils of the tratie was never before so generallf
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 p `rind is the public energy
I likely to be aroused so as to atts'in these objects, and con'
I sequently that no future Lord MAyor would enter upon to
truly arduous an undertaking.
Many of the great coal owners .-tre now in London, Bad
may readily ascertain (if they have
.any doubts) with What
intense interest the coal trade has be. 'n canvassed and
iti-
vestigated by all classes of society, front the mansion oft ::
wealthy to the wretched tenement of the ,•noor; and they tor
find that at no preceding period was it so well
Much as as these Right Hon and Hon. Lords and Gentle
rosy affect indifference to the free inquiri...`s which have
lately taken place, they must arrive at the sam conclusil
as we have done—lst, That however frequently% he supPlY!
coal. occupied attention upon former occasions, ;ts comply
cated arrangements were but little understood ; anct;• 2d, tilt
never before has the stream of public opinion set so de vide"'
into one channel. The waters have risen against the' vet
dam of monopoly; they have swelled against it, until at lel3
t 0
the period has arrived when even the enoineers who ro_
taro it must tremblingly perceive that the:, slightest atldt:
tional pressure must overthrow the artificial boundary, a' IT
with their combination, the waters, in returning to tb elt
natural channel, will wash away the other impedimetats
which have so long obstructed the free trade and °Pr
competition. Never was a period so auspicious for thiii
consummation of our wishes, and, if it be not now scco
plisited, the coalowners will, indeed, have good yurid
to hope that, although sentence has been decreed, and flit'
death warrant drawn up, it will never receive the signature,
of the public. For our parts, we have a inm reliance duo,
the year 1839 will be recorded in the futur e nistory
Lorrdon as memorable for the extinction of a tax upon bet
inhabitants amounting to little short of a million sterlinff
per annum, which fell with peculiar severity upon the Is'
bouring and industrious classes of the community.
The owners of collieries not in the combination ate
actively engaged. A very superior description of coal Pt;
we understand, been supplied to the Mansion House, II
way of Liverpool, from the extensive collieries of Messra:i
Hilton, of Ince Hall, near Wigan, who have expre°l
their determination to compete with their northern neigt
boors. A gentleman from that-firm waited upon his Lor 0
ship, and informed him that they were now raising 59,,
tons per day,.but when their arrangements were comPicri
they would raise 1,000, and be able to deliver thew J 1
London at 225. per -ton. r lot
We shall be able shortly to state the extent of the gi t
competition which will soon present itself .from diffeel
arts of the island to the monopoly.—Observer.