The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-05 00:00:00

LEEDS, OCT. 4.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—Shares are very quiet, scarcely
anything doing, except in Midland stock, which is lower,
being done first at 59, and afterwards at 58i and 584. The
only other sales are Great Northern A, 51; Sonth-Eastern
and Dover, 17i.

THE SHIPPING INTEREST.—The scarcity of ships is
much complained of just now, which appears an extra-
ordinary circumstance in the maritime country, espe-
cially as shipbuilding has been extensively carried on
at all the English ports for the last two or three years,
while at the same time the North American colonies
have not been idle. According to a statement forwarded
to us, one firm alone in Liverpool has sold, within the
last month or two, upwards of 90 colonial-built ships,
large and small ; and at Sunderland and elsewhere ship-
building has been going on as extensively as usual for
some time past. The existing scarcity of shipping may
be accounted for chiefly from the new trade opened with
our Australian colonies and the extensiou of steam
navigation to distant countries. The extraordinary
influx of people into Australia has naturally created a
sudden and extensive demand for shipping, not only for
the purpose of emigration, but for the supply of the
emigrants in what might be considered a new country ;
for Australia, although it has been for nearly half-a-
century a British colony, was in no way prepared to
supply the large population that so suddenly and unex-
pectedly flocked in upon it. It followed that the demand
for tonnage must be great beyond precedent, and up to
the present time it has very little abated. Another cir-
cumstance attending this new trade, which would create
a temporary scarcity, is the length of the voyage ; and, in
many instances, ships, after making the passage to Aus-
tralia, have been detained there for months through
the desertion of the seamen ; none of the ships
have been altogether lost to their owners, as in the
case of the Californian trade, which has also contributed
to the scarcity. To these trades, therefore, is in the
first instance, to be attributed the temporary difficulty
in getting the required tonnage. The increase of
steam navigation, and the consequent demand for coals
for foreign stations, is another cause of the scarcity.
Indeed, it has been found impossible to supply many of
the intermediate ports between this country and Aus-
tralia with the coals required ; this has frequently been
attended with loss and detention to the steam-vessels
engaged in that trade, and has enabled ships which
trusted to canvas alone to make quicker passages.
These, we think, will be found the prominent causes to
which may be attributed the scarcity of shipping which
is at present complained of. The country was not pre-
pared for such unexpected demands coming so suddenly
upon it.—Shipping Gazette. _ _

CONTINENTAL TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES. —The Conti-
nental Telegraphic Association has adopted some new
regulations, which will serve as a check to the transmis-
sion of hazardous and unfounded intelligence. For in-
stance, persons sending dispatches must prove their
identity by passport or certificate, or conformity of sig-
nature with that appended to the dispatch, or by personal
appearance, with guarantee of identity. The expediter
of dispatches, after having been satisfied of identity, is
to add on the dispatch, " the gender is accredited."
This remark must accompany the dispatch, but is not
to be reckoned in the payment. There is no doubt that
some step was requisite to check the abuse of forwarding
false or unwarranted news.