The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-05 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, MARCH 4.—The yarn market has
bean very quiet, with little business doing for any
market. Prices remain very firm, and some yarns
made out of American cotton are rather dearer than
before. In reference to a subject which has been
noticed several times in our recent reports, Messrs.
Du Fay and Co., in their review of the market issued
this month, observe that " The use of Surat and
other East Indian cotton is becoming more general,
and the objections formerly entertained about
Surats is wearing off. Spinners who have exclu-
sively used it latterly find an advantage instead of
a disadvantage in doing so; nor do the con-
tinental buyers of yarns, particularly of water-
twist, object to it under present circumstances." The
tone ofthe cloth trade has been very fiat today. The
discouraging accounts from India have a serious
effect opon business in Manchester, and caused
buyers for that quarter to withdraw altogether from
the piece-goods market. An impression that the
settlement of American affairs has been brought
into nearer view is also affecting the trade generally
and there seems to be no inquiry for fabrics of any
description. In order to effect sales considerably,
lower prices would have to be taken than manu-
facturers have been holding for during the last two
or three weeks ; but there is ne disposition to make
the requisite abatement, unless here and there in
some case of exceptional weakness. As a general
rule, producers continue very firm in their quota-
tions. During the past month the the prices of
yarns and cloth have been slowly advancing.
The rise has been from lid. to 3d. per piece for 7-8
printers, abou t 1 fd. for madapollams, d. to 2d. for 9- 8
printers, 1-id. to 3d. for 9-8 shirtings, a full lid.
for 51b. to 71b. 5-4 shirtings, and 3d. for 81b. to 9ib.
makes. In some cases India jaconets are 10. dearer,
and T-cloths from lfd. to 3d. dearer • but there is
much irregularity in the prices asked for similar
kinds. Longcloths and demestics have hardened,
though the rates are not quotably higher. The re-
turns of Captain Palin of the state of employment
in Manchester, made up to this morning, show that
14,495 persons are on short time, and- 6,977 are
wholly out of employ, against 26,306 in full em-
ployment. This is a rather unfavourable return as
compared with last week, but the change is slight,
the numbers then on short time being
14,572, and out of work 6,857. In the disti.ae
around Manchester we hear of but little
change. Messrs. Du Fay and Co. say :—" It is
satisfactory to notice that the aid which has thus
far been afforded to the workpeople out of employ
has prevented an undue amount of distress, and that
we shall in all probability pass the severe ordeal
comparatively well if the dissensions in America are
brought to a speedy conclusion, which opinion
many well-informed people seem to entertain at
present. The present uncertainty as to the price
of the raw material prevents merchants from em-
barking in large transactions, No doubt it will
be some time before American cotton can be ex-
pected to arrive in this country, but the fact that
it is in existence and may possibly come sooner
than can now be calculated upon prevents pur-
chases for distant markets at present high rates.
Preparations to grow cotton in almost every part
suitable for cultivation must take time, but
ultimately an increased production will act upon.
the markets. If the cottons of the last American
crop were to be destroyed, and could under no cir.
cumstances reach our market here, prices, however
high, would be more willingly paid than they are
now. The enhancement of the value of cotton fabrics
will enable holders at over-stocked markets to rea-
lise, and, less being sent now, demand may later on
be felt where now abundance keeps the selling prices
far below what they are here." The following is
the weekly report issued this evening by Messrs.
John Slagg and Co.:—" The limited demand for
goods which existed previous to Friday last has
gradually fallen off, and to day we have an exceed
ingly quiet market in all departments.arseaoxeldessaotbferNominally
bothrd.t
pr ices are the same as on Tuesday last, but here and
there a disposition is shown to give way a little,
Without, however, leading to much business."
LEEDS, 4TH.—The woollen cloth-markets have
yet there
tradeore
is
a generally
hopeful
feeling, are far
Taydhiae
g
and upon the whole a little more doing than there
been much of the same character this morning as of
late. Goods move off in somewhat limited allot-
ments, theuosmanart ;yt market
a .n
mdw demand
eeaarnaamnal
generally
nof
irteshmFnaarogl
aet onv.
caeetrLt iregey
aehepatt
keeps are
active
p.d still,bc
vhu
but most
Wools
oopt
stgo e
p
from being
hg
price.

ROCHDALE, 3D,—The flannel and wool markets
to-day have not shown much animation. Parchases
were made cautiously, but prices, those of flannels
as well as those of wools, are held firmly. Manu-
facturers are showing some inclination to further
restrict their rate of production, but general there
is as much doing as there has been for some time,
and stocks, though increasing, are not very heavy.
The Yorkshire goods trade is dull.

COURT-MARTIAL ON CAPTAIN

BOBER TSO.7:

FIFTEENTH DAY—MONDAY.
The court-martial on Captain Robertson was
resumed this day in the Victoria Library, Royal
Barracks.

Troup Sergeant. Major M'Claughny was sworn,
and examined by the prisoner, and after some evi-
dence of no great importance, the defence was closed.
President—l understood you were going to make
some remarks upon the evidence.
Captain Robertson—l respectfully ask the Court
not to call upon me to read my defence until the evi-
dence is closed.

The President--The prosecution is closed, and you
are on your defence. You must close it before we
take any further steps ; we will, perhaps, then recal
some of the witnesses we had before us, to elucidate
certain points which have developed themselves
since they gave their evidence. We wish you to do
this when you finish your defence. The prosecutor
has announced his intention to impugn the credi-
bility of some of your witnesses, and that 'will be
the time for him to ask his witnesses to discredit
yours. You will then be at liberty to bring any
witnesses you choose to set up the credibility of
your witnesses, and to make any remarks you
please upon the evidence elucidated. The prosecu-
tor will then make a rejoinder upon the whole case.
You must now conclude your defence before we take
any further steps.
Captain Robertson—l would desire leave to make
some remarks upon the testimony of the witnesses,
and I would wish for an adjournment of two days,
ytoouar idrrcaonngsetehreatrieommarks I would desire to submit to
The President—The Court will grant your appli-
cationisahnato call some of
the witnesses.
Col.examined by
the President as follows :
;i
Clarkenthewmasean thentimreecwaellewd
and Captain Robertson, in
:
At either of the two interviews which you had
with Captain Henry
October, did Captain Robertson or Captain Henry
say anything to you about Col. Dickson lodging the
price of Captain Robertson's commission P—l have
no recollection.

Captain Henry, late 4th Dragoon Guards, was
next recalled, and examined by the Courten you :y told
him you had refused to accept
What did Captain Robertsonc a
of apology ?—I have no recollectionosly Do‘iccbkasnoyn'conver-
sation.
P—l do not recol-
lect refused the lettenr betweeno
myself and Captain
lect any oonversatiboadrefused the letter.
I asked you what he
fsaaPidowlohgeyn you told him you
W
Robertson after I Captain
i Robertson, what did he
•on must have been very short.
say I cannot remember the
I do not recollect
the conversation between Captain
Robertson
exact purport of
myself on the oc • casion referred to,
—he
Tn
byeo
euontloevleedtraatn
and
but I told him that Col. Dickson's letter was not
y o uto o
lam referring
satisfactory, and that I had sent Capt. Durant back
again
your letter of the 23d March,
6
state to Mr. Owen, " I under-
stood Capt. Durant to say that Col. Dickson should
have nothing to do with Captain Robertson in any
18
Br:is to
which Col.
Dickson.
way until he should have settled some legal trans-
aotion." Assuming that your evidence was true, did
it occur to you that when you wrote that letter you
were writing an untruth, calculated to injure Col.
Dickson, and place his conduct in a false position
—No, sir ; I wrote that letter immediately subse-
quent to Capt. Robertson's statement that he would
have full satisfaction or an ample apology, with the
view of giving him every opportunity there of vin-
dicating his honour and that of the regiment; and
the facts stated in that letter, as far as regards the
conversation between Capt. Durant and myself, are
substantially true.
What facts do you refer to P—The facts at the
three interviews I had with Capt. Durant ; the three
interviews I had with him and the result.
The Court adjourned till Friday.

A NEW BAROMETER.—M. Sauvogeon, of Valence,
has studied the different phenomena which are produced in
a cup of coffee when the sugar is put into it, and the result
of those observations transforms the demi-tasso into a baro-
meter. "If, in sweetening your coffee," says M. Sauva-
geon, "you allow the sugar to dissolve without stirring the
liquid, the globules of air contained in the sugar will rise,
to the surface of the liquid. If thgse globules form a frothy
mass, remaining in the centre of the cup, it is an indi-
cation of duration of fine weather ; if, on the a
Econtrary the
froth forms a ring round the sides of the cup, it is 1 sign of
of
heavy rain; variable weather is implied by th
manias stationary, but not exactly in the
centre,
froth re-
t