The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

HAY MARKETS.

SUITEIFIELD.—Meadow hay, 2/ 106 to 4/ 10s ; clover
ditto, 3/ Cs to 5/ 153 ; and straw, 1/ 4s to 1/ its per load.
Trade dull. Supplies moderate.
CUMBERLAND.--Meadow hay, 2/ 153 to 4/ 15s ; clover
ditto, 3/ Os to 51 15s; and straw, 1/ 6s to 11 lOs per load.
A. full average supply and a sluggish demand. .
WRITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 2/ lOs to 4/ 10s; clover
ditto, 3/ 5s to 6/ Os ; and straw, 1/ 4s to 1/ 8s per load.
Both hay and straw moved off slowly, at our quotations.

ship.

THE PATRIOTIC FUND.

BRIDGWATER, SOMERSET.
SPEECH OF ARCHDEACON DENISON.

A public meeting of the inhabitants convened by the
Mayor (W. Browne, Esq.,) was held at the Town-hall,
Bridgwater, on Friday, at noon. The meeting was most
respectably attended, and the presence of the Archdeacon
gave an unexpected ecidt to the proceedings.
The MATOR took the chair. He 'iced not inform
them that the object of their meeting was in compliance
with her Majesty's commission to consider the raising
of subscriptions for the relief of the widows and families
of those great men who had died in their service in the
present war. He called on the Town Clerk (J. H. B.
Carslake, Esq.,) to read the commission.
The TOWN CLERK read the commission, and drew at-
tention to the clause for the appointment of local com-
mittees.

The M&'ron felt it a duty to call them together with-
out delay, and was sure of their approbation fur so doing.
They had now an opportunity of giving according to
their means ; and to convince them that it would be in
a good cause, he need only read to them an extract from
a speech of Dr. Croly's, delivered at a meeting in Wal-
brook, London, in October, and which he bad had re-
printed from the daily papers of Oct. 25th last. Ho
called on

The Rev. T. A. STANTIALL, who proposed that it was
desirable to raise subscriptioLs in aid of the Patriotic
Fund. He extolled the unequalled bravery of our troops
at Alma, and appealed to the meeting, whilst their hearts
throbbed at such victories, to think of the fathers who
were left dead on the battle-field, and whose feelings
would, in the prospect of-death, be soothed by knowing
that their wives and families would be protected from
want.

The Rev. G. A. DENISON, Archdeacon of Taunton,
felt very thankful indeed to have an opportunity to say
a few words in support of this Patriotic Fund. It seemed
to him that they were then met in obedience to the
command of her Majesty, and he was sure that that
command never would nor never had received a more
ready or willing obedience than it would receive from
himself and that meeting. He had felt it to be a small
thing to sit at home waiting for the success of their
soldiers, even when as he himself had done—and he was
not ashamed to tell what he had done—even when offer-
ing up prayers and supplications to the Most High for
the safety and success of their brave soldiers who were
fllghting their battles, if they could not do anything to
encourage them to fight. The Patriotic Fund was a
great opportunity for all classes to come forward
and give this encouragement. It was not enough
even to offer up supplications for the dying
soldier, as he had done ; they must give up something
that they would not otherwise give up—something that
they would have been glad to use themselves. It should
come to every heart to do this, and he felt it difficult to
express what, he was sure, all felt ' • for, however elo-
quent the words, however burning the feelings sought
to be expressed, it was impossible, on such a subject,7to
express.them. Words were useless ; and, if they wished
to show how their hearts were with their brave soldiers,
they must do so by deeds and acts of almsgivings to
their widows and children. The people of England were
never slow in acts of almsgiving ; and, however many
differences and separations there might be amongst them
—and in this imperfect world there must always be sepa-
rations—he thanked God there was nothing to separate
them in the object of their meeting that day ; but they
could come forward with one heart and one mind, and
perform the duty they owed to the brave soldiers who
had left their families to their care. (Applause.)
The resolution was then carried.

th Customs,atth
e pro-
posed
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Cus-
toms' officers of this port had readily volunteered a day's
pay to the fund, and as there was no other distinction
between the employ of Government and private employ
than that it was the worst paid, he hoped that the work-
men of the town would follow the example.
J. BROWNE, Esq., seconded the motion, which was
carried.
Three honorary secretaries were then nominated, and
a petition to her Majesty, expressing the opinion of the
meeting, that provision should be made out of the pub-
lic revenue for the wives and families of all soldiers,
sailors, and marines who might die in the public service,
was also adopted. A subscription amounting to nearly
901. was then made, and the meeting ended.

FIRST WARD MRETIN4 IN THE CITY.-A ward
meeting of the inhabitants of Cordwainers' Ward was
held yesterday afternoon in the ♦estry-room of the
church of St. Mary-le-bow, Clieapside, to take into con-
sideration the recommendations of the Royal commission
in respect of the widows and families of soldiers and
sailors who have fallen in the service of their country.
Mr. Alderman Salomon' was in the chair, and the re-
quisite resolutions were unanimously agreed to. The
meeting was addressed by the chairman, the ROT. Mr.
Bennett, Mr. G. Moore, Mr. James Lamb, the Rev.
Dr. Croly, &c. A committee to collect subscriptions
was appointed.
DERBY.—A meeting called by the high sheriff of the
county, J. Drury Lowe, Esq., was held in the County-
hall, Derby, yesterday, at noon, for the purpose of de-
termining upon the best mode of carry►ng into effect
throughout the county such portions of her Majesty's
Royal commission as relates to the raising of a Patriotic
Fund for the relief of the widows and orphans of those
soldiers, sailors, and marines who may fall in the present
war. The attendance was numerous. The necessary
resolutions were carried unanimously, and a committee
,Ippointed. One thousand, pounds was collected in a

few minutes.
BRIGHTON.—A meeting of the inhabitants of Brighton,
convened by John Fawcett, Esq., the mayor, was held
at the Town-hall yesterday, for the purpose of estab-
lishing a local committee in aid of the Patriotic Fund,
under her Majesty's commission. The mayor presided,
and the neces-ary resolutions were carried unanimously.
The mayor was appointed treasurer to the fund.
LlVERPOOL.—Yesterday, in accordance with the de-
sire of the Worshipful the Mayor, J. B. Lloyd, Esq., a
publics meeting of the inhabitants of this town was held
at noon, at St. George's Hall (being the first that has
been held there since the opening), for the purpose of
arranging local committees to aid the general committee
formed in Loudon, which by Royal commission it is in-
tended shall receive subscriptions and distribute them
amongst the widows and orphans of our soldiers and
sailors who have already fallen, or may fall, in the East
or in the Baltic. The necessary resolutions, which were
unanimously agreed to, were proposed and seconded by
the Venerable Archdeacon Brooke, Colonel de Rinzy,
Mr. T. B. Horsfall, M.P., Mr. Joseph Ewart, Mr. G.
Henderson, the Recorder of Liverpool, Mr. Adam
Hodgson, Mr. Thornely M.P., and Mr. Bramley Moore,

PROGRESS
BEFORE

•
M.P.
KING'S COl:lNTL—lmmediately upon the receipt of a
notification from the executive, intimating to the Earl of
12osse, as lieutenant of the King's County, that in such
official character he had been nominated as a commis-
sioner to aid in the establishment of local committees,
and the collection of funds, to be appropriated according
to her Majesty's commission, the noble lord put himself
in communication with the magistrates of the county,
and according to arrangement, a large number. of the
magistrates wet his lordship at the court-house of Par-
sonstown, and it was agreed to divide the county into
three districts, and to have a committee for each, who
are to appoint sub-committees. A subscription list,
which has been opened, is headed by the Earl of Rosse
who has contributed 100/. John P. Armstrong, Esq.,
has also subscribed 801.

TIRE EFFECTS OF SHOT.

(From. the Sitele.)
It is on an average at about 600 metres that the allies
have traced their first parallel before Sebastopol. To
render clear to persons not familiar with the military art
the effect which artillery may produce at that distance
on the works of a fortified place, we think it as well to
point out the power which guns of various calibre pos-
sess of penetrating into the different substances employed
in fortifications. It must not be forgotten that, as Se-
bastopol is not sufficiently defended by its permanent for-
tifications on the land side, the allied armies will have to
attack defences raised by means of earthworks. In set-
tled ground, half sand and half clay, a ball of 36, fired
at a distance of 600 metres, with a charge of 6 kilogram-
mes of gunpowder, penetrates 2 metres 9 centimetres ;
fired at 800 metres with the same charge, its penetration
is len. 92c. A ball of 24, fired by a charge of 4 kilog.
of powder at the distances just named, penetrates len.
84c. and lrn. 68c. The charge of guns of 36 is almost
alWays 6 kilog. of powder, but that of guns of 24 comes
down pretty often from 4 kilog. to 3. In that case the
penetration diminishes ; at 000 metres it is lm. 78c. in
place of len. 840., and'at 800 metres, lm. 57c. in place of
lm. 68c. The gun of 16 is fired with a charge of 4 klieg.;
2 kilog. 67 beet. ; and 2 kilog. Its penetration at 600
and 800 metres is lm. 56c. and lm. 42c. That force of
penetration explains the rerearkahle effect produced at
Bomarsund by guns of 16. In oak timber of ordinary
quality, a ball of 36, fired at 600 metres, penetrates lm.
12c., and at 800 metres, 95c. only. At these distances, the
penetration of a ball of 24 with a full charge is 950. and
78c. ; and that of a ball of 16, 81c. and 65c. The pe-
netration of a ball of 36 into good mason-work is, at 600
metres, 46 centimetres, and at 800 metres, 38c. ; that
of a bail of 24 is 42c. and 34c. Now, since so much is
said of bombshells, let us state their penetrating force at
the moment of their fall. Fired at 600 metres, a bomb
of 32c. in diameter penetrates 50c. into ground half
sand and half clay, 22c. into oak, and 10c. into masonry.
This is not altogether in accord with the effect generally
attributed to shells ; but that is, however, exact. We
may, however, state that if the shell is fired at an angle
which allows it to acquire the greatest possible rapidity
in its fall, it may penetrate 40c. into oak and 80c. into
masonry. Thus it is seen that even at 700 metres, on
an average, our artillery must produce absolute ravages
in the fortifications of various kinds of Sebastopol. It
must not, however, be supposed that the penetration
will be doubled when the distance is one-half less. A
ball of 36, which at GOO metres has a penetration of
46c. into good masonry, has only 57c. when fired at 300
metres. It had been believed that Sebastopol was sus•
ceptible of being taken by a coup de main, and that
opinion would perhaps have been verified if we had pos-
sessed a strong 'cavalry force to prevent the broken
masses of the enemy from re-forming. But when an
army is conveyed in a fleet on a difficult sea, it is always
the cavalry which proves defective at the first moment,
and often also the field artillery. Fortuae is determined
to make us pay for what she could have given us ; it
will only be an additional honour for the soldiers of
France and England.

NEW TROOP SHIP.—An iron-screw steamer, 1,800
tons (not yet named), which was launched from Messrs.
Mare's yard, Blackwell, on Wednesday last, has been
hauled into the East India Dock Basin, to be equip
trped.
She has been purchased by the Government for a oop-

We extract the following from a letter received
yesterday from the camp before Sebastopol ; it is
dated Oct. 13 :
I am now sitting on the wall of a ruined farm-
house, which serves as a picket post for the Third
Division, and from which I can look down on the
town of Sebastopol. It shines, white and clear, in
the fine October sun, and, on a first view, it seems
open and defenceless on the south and south-east
side. The Russians are plainly visible through the
glass, working like bees; women and children are
carrying up earth} in baskets, and already the white
tower on the right of our lines is blocked up with a
double line of earthworks pierced for guns. The
fort is no longer the white fort—it has been painted
of a buff colour, probably not to look so conspicuous
at night. Fort Constantine and the Star Fort are
silent—not a soul is visible around them. A large
camp has been formed opposite to the extreme lt.ft
of our lines, defended by earthworks, but not many
men are visible inside. Large masses of men are,
however, at drill or parade ou a piece of land in-
side the camp, and probably belong to it. There
are a few Cossacks prowling about in front, perched
on the high grounds and watching our motions.
The spires and domes of the various public build-
ings would be fine marks for our guns if we were
inclined to fire upon them. There is nothing doing
in. our front, but in the rear the sailors are busy
dragging up guns and carriages. They are splen-
disCfellows at this work, which is a pleasure and
not a toil to them, and their merry songs as they
drag and strain at the ropes cheer the ear of the
passer-by. They have a camp full of quaint names
—" Albion's Pets," " Tiger's Revenge," " Rule
Britannia," such terms being marked on the tents,
. s hich are pitched on the side of a pleasant hill
near the town.
The delay has been, I honestly believe, quite una-
avoidable. Any officer who has been present at
great operations of this nature will understand what
it is for an army to land in narrow and widely-
separated creeks all its munitions of war—its shells,
its cannon shot, its heavy guns, mortars, its pow-
der, its gun carriages, its platforms, its fascines,
gabions, sand-bags, its trenching tools, and all the
various materiel requisite for the siege of extensive
and formidable lines of fortifications and batteries.
But few ships can come in at a time to Balaklava or
Arrow Bay ; in the former there is only one small
ordnance wharf, and yet it is there that every
British cannon must be landed. The nature of our
descent on the Crimea rendered it quite impossible
for us to carry our siege train along with us, as is
the wont of armies invading a neighbouring country
only separated from their own by some imaginary
line. We had to send all our materiel round by
sea, and then land as best we could. But when
once it was landed the difficulties of getting it up
to where it was required seemed really to com-
mence. All these enormous masses of metal were
to be dragged by men, aided by such inadequate
horse power as is at our disposal, over a steep
and hilly country, on wretched broken roads, to
a distance of eight miles, and one must have wit-
nessed the toil and labour of hauling up a Lan-
caster or 10-inch gun under such circumstances to
form a notion of the length of time requisite to
bring it to its station. It will, however, serve to
give some idea of the severity of this work to state
one fact—that on the 10th no less than 33 ammu-
nition horses were found dead, or in such a con-
dition as to render it necessary to kill them, after the
duty of the day before. .
" Jack" has been of essential service. The only
thing against him is that he is too strong. He pulls
strong carts to pieces as if they were toys. He piles
up shot-cases in the ammunition waggons till the
horses fall under the weight, for he cannot understand
" the ship starting till the hold is full." He takes
long pulls and strong pulls at tow ropes till they
give like sewing silk, and he is indefatigable in
"rousing" crazy old vehicles up hill, and running full
speed with them down hill till they fall to pieces.
Many a heap of shot or shell by the roadside marks
the scenes of such disasters ; but Jack's good hu-
mour during this "spring on shore" is inexhaustible,
and comes back for the massive cargo from the
camp with the greatest willingness when he is told it
must be got up ere nightfall. It is most cheering to
meet a set of these jolly fellows " working up a gun
to the camp." From a distance you hear some
hearty English chorus borne on the breeze over the
hill side. As you approach, the strains of an un-
mistakeable Gosport fiddle, mingled with the
squeaks of a marine fife, rise up through the unac-
customed vales of the Crimea. A cloud of dust on
the ascent marks their coming, and tugging up the
monster gun in its cradle, with " a stamp and go,"
strange cries, and oaths sworn by some 30 tars, all
flushed with honest exercise, while the off'ice'r ii:
charge tries to moderate their excessive energies,
and to induce the two or three hairy Herculeses who
are sitting astride on the gun, or the few horses in
front, with vine-leaves in their hats, or flowers in
their hair, to dismount and leave off the music.
The astonishment of the stupid fur-capped Crim
Tartars, as they stare at this wondrous apparition
on its Way, is ludicrous to a degree ; but Turk,
Crim, Russian, or Greek are all the same to Jack,
and ho is certain to salute every foreigner who
goes by, while in this state, with the universal
shibboleth of " Bono ! Bowno ! Johnny I"
The silence and gloom of our camp, as compared
with the activity and bustle of that of the French,
are very striking. No drum, no bugle-call, no
music of any kind is ever heard within our pre-
cincts, while our neighbours close by keep up
incessant rolls, fanfaronnades, and flourishes, re-
lieved every evening by the fine performances of
their military bands. Tho fact is, many of our in-
struments have been placed in store, and the regi-
mttntal bands are broken up and disorganised, the
men being devoted to the performance of the duties
for which the ambulance corps was formed. I
think, judging from one's own feelings, and from
the expression of those around, that the want of
music in camp is productive of graver consequences
than appear likely to occur at first blush from such
a cause. Every military man knows how regi-
ments, when fatigued on the march, cheer up at
the strains of their band, and dress up, keep step,
and walk on with animation and vigour when it is
playing. At camp I have always observed with
pleasure the attentive auditory who gathered every
evening at the first taps of the drum to listen to the
Imusic. At Aladyn and Devno the men used to wander
off to the lines of the 77th, because it had the best
band in the division ; and when the bands were
silenced because of the prevalence of cholera, out
of a humane regard for the feelings of the sick, the
soldiers were wont to get up singing parties in their
tents in lieu of their ordinary entertainment. It
seems to be an error to deprive them of a cheering
and wholesome influence at the very time they need
it most. The military band is not meant alone for
the delectation of garrison towns or for the pleasure
of the officers in quarters, and the men are fairly
entitled to its inspiration during the long and
weary march in the enemy's country, and in the
monotony of a standing camp ere the beginning of
a siege. Our neighbours have made the head-
quarter camp quite lively by their vicinity and their
excellent music at night.
The French have achieved a great success. To-
wards sunset, of the 10th, four battalions, number-
ing 2,400 men, marched to the front of our left,
and at 9 o'clock they commenced work. Before
daybreak they had finished a ditch, parapet, and
banquette 1,200 metres long, at a distance of 900
metres from the enemy's line, and so little did the
Russians suspect the operation that they never
fired a gun to disturb them. At first the workmen
encountered hard and rocky ground, but after they
had penetrated to the depth of a foot and half or
two feet, they came upon a deep bed of plastic tough
clay, admirably suited for the purposes of intrench-
ing. Each man worked and kept guard as one of
the covering parties in turn till daybreak, and by
that 'time every man had finished his half metre of
work, so that the 1,200 metres were completed.
From this position a considerable portion of the
enemy's defences on their right is quite under
control, and the French can command the heaviest
fort on that side. From the top of the ditch 76
guns can be counted in the embrasures of this
fort. The French have got 46 guns lying behind
the work, ready' to mount when the embrasures
are made and faced with gabions and fascines, and
the platforms are ready. Most of these guns are
of brass—at least I know many of those at present
landed are of that metal • and the result will be
that their fire must be blackened at times, for
.
brass guns will droop at the muzzle if h
repeated discharges. Their present line will be
from 200 to 300 yards nearer to the enemy's lines
than ours, but the superior weiht of our siege
guns will more than compensatesfor the difference
of distance.
The sailors' camp is formed near the artillery
park of the left attack, near the lines of the Third
Division. There are about 2,000 men on shore.
The officers who command the Naval Brigade are
Captain Stephen Lushington (Albion, 90), Com-
mander-in-Chief ; Captain William Peel (Diamond,
27), second in command ; Commander Randolph
(temporarily disqualified by illness), third in com-
mand ; Commanders Burnett and Borlase ; Lieu
tenants—First, J. N. Norman (Trafalgar) ; Second,
IV. H. Bridge (Vengeance) ; Third, G. Greathed
(Britannia) ; Lieutenants Wilmshurst (Trafalgar),
Lieutenant Partridge (Queen), Lieutenant
Capel
(Britannia). Commander Roars, of the Beagle,
and Commander Snow, of the Arrow, have landed
the heavy guns of their vessels, and rendered ex-
cellent service at the naval camp by their exertions.
The gulls "'IA by the fleet were furnished by the

OF THE SIEGE I following vessels, as nearly as I can ascertain
SEBASTOPOL. The Albion landed 6, the Queen 6, the Rodney 6,
the Trafalgar 6, the Terrible 2 (heavy metaL), the
Britannia 6, the Diamond 20—in all 52.
The Marine Battalions, numbering about 1,200
men, are encamped on the heights over Balaklava,
but I have not yet been able to ascertain who are
the officers in command. They are to have charge
of the batteries of howitzers which will be placed
on those heights, and are intrusted with the charge
of the road to the town from, the eastern heights.
Our siege train is divided into two " attacks
the " right " and the " left" attack.
The officers commanding the batteries on the
right attack are—Lieutenant-Colonel Dickson (who
volunteered his services for the battery left vacant
by the death of Captain Patten), Captain D'Aguilar,
and Captain Strange. The officers commanding
the batteries of the left attack are—Major Young,
Major Freese, and Major Irving. The whole of the
siege train is commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel
Gambler.
The Golden Fleece, Hydaspes, and Jason sailed
on the evening of the 6th for Bourgas to embark
the Chasseurs d'Afrique and French infantry. The
Winkleand
has
are
reiaforcements landed by the French
Ttoh-edasynninii;
crease their strength by 11.2000 strong.
The Rip Van as
rertreeantiallimasolaatlerelya.dy gone to Bourgas
expe
Kennedy lost at more.
come in with the 1,-ss of 50 horses of the;l Royal
Dragoons ; the
Thiq, coup
the Simla, and 70 on board the War ou
led with the loss of some horsecslonaboairazd
deprived us of nearly 150 horses.

FROM ANOTHER LETTER.
You must wait patiently for another post or
two before receiving intelligence of the taking of
Sebastopol. The delay has been heartbreaking. The
Russians have made the most of it by throwing
up earthworks, strengthening their fortifications,
and making new batteries. Every morning we can
discover the results of their previous night's work.
We came up here on the 29th ult., and only three
days since we did begin our entrenchments. Now
that we have begun, it is done in earnest. One
battery of four 68-pounders, mounted on our ex-
treme right. A battery all ready for action, with
one of Lancaster's 92-pounders from the Beagle,
has been made in front of the left of the light
division, and will play upon the Twelve Apostles,
a large three-decker, in the dockyard creek,
which has been annoying us with shot and shell.
At present this gun has been nicknamed the
" apostolic cannon." It is intended to put some
more guns into this battery, but not .at the
" opening of the ball." Another battery is ready
in front of Sir George Cathcarts, or fourth division.
Large fatigue parties have been employed for the
last three nights in opening trenches (last night
there was a good deal of work done) in spite of
the enemy's continual fire of shot and shell. The
Russians have not shown the least pluck as yet ;
.they fire away at us from behind their for-
tifications, but no sortie has been made upon
our working parties, nor have they attacked our
pickets. At about one o'clock this morning we had
an alarm, caused by the blunder of some Sappers,
who lost their way in going down to their work. The
Russian pickets fired upon them, and it is said took
some of them prisoners. The Rifles, who were in
our front, charged the enemy after firing a few
shots, and drove them back into the town. Then
came upon us a shower of shells, rockets, and round
shot, which was kept up for a short time. Our
troops were soon under arms with all available men,
but we could Rot muster many, as a large number
were in the trenches with the usual protecting
parties. Sir George Brown, the Duke of Cam-
bridge, and Sir Colin Campbell, with their respec-
tive staff, were soon up at our picket-house, nearest
to the point of " alarm."
I met yesterday a French staffofficer of high rank,
who told me that they had no guns in position, but
that some batteries had been made. His opinion
was that we could take Sebastopol in four or five
days by storming it, after pounding away at their
works during that time ; but that if it was to be
done with caution and economy of life, it would
take ten or twelve days. He imagined that Can-
robert as commander-in-chief would be more cau-
tious than if the responsibility had rested upon one
senior to him. As for their stone fortifications,
uufaced with earth, they must soon come down ;
and it is said that their earthworks are so badly
made that they crumble from their own firing. All
sorts of rumours are afloat about an army of 35,000
men, 'under Luders, being within five days' march
of us ; but I don't believe it. It would certainly be
a serious business if we were attacked in rear, when
we shall have so many large siege guns in position
in front, which must be defended from all attacks
from the town.

DECREE OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT

ON TBE CORN TRADE.

The official,part of yesterday's Moniteur contains
a report from M. Mague, tho Minister for the De-
partment of Agriculture, from which it would ap-
pear that in France, as well as in England, the
advance in the price of grain had begun to assume
importance. _L Magne ascribes the high price
of grain chiefly to the extensive distillation, and,
w:th a view to remedy that evil, he has addressed
the following report to the Emperor :
" Sire,—The price of corn keeps at a higher rate than
might have been expected from the incontestable abun-
dance of the harvest, and your Majesty has justly turned
your attention to a state of things which would tend to
prolong the sufferings of the working classes.
"Already in a preceding report I had the honour to
explain to the Emperor the circumstances which appear
to be the principal causes of this accidental enhance-
ment of price. In order to diminish the effect of it, you,
Sire, were pleased to order the postponement of all the
measures which were taken last year to facilitate the
arrival of foreign grain, its transport from one port to
another, and its circulation in the interior. But these
various measures could not apply to a particular cause
of dearness, which operates at this moment witk peculiar
force throughout a great extent of the empire.
" The scarcity of alcohols has, in feet, this year given
an extraordinary extension to the distillation of grain.
Not only at this moment is a large quantity of cereal
produce submitted to that operation, but uew establish-
ments have been formed upon various points with the
object of carrying on that branch of industry upon a
more extensive scale.
" The information which reaches me from various
parts of France, and particularly from the departments
of the North, does not allow me to doubt that the dis-
tillation of grain is one of the causes of the present dear-
ness, as well from the importance of the purchases to
which it gives rise as from the moral effect which these
purchases produce upon the public in a matter where
opinion exercises such a great influence upon price.
" Under these circumstances, I have the honour to
propose to your Majesty to prohibit temporarily the dis-
tillation of grain. I have less hesitation in doing so, be-
cause the facility of exporting grain in the form of alco-
hol is in evident contradiction to our legislation, which
at the present moment forbids the exportation of cereal
produce; and, besides, it is not a question of suppressing
i a branch of industry, but only to interdict it, ii the great
interest of the supply of food to the public, from employ-
ing an article fur which other substitutes may be found.
The point, too, only involves a temporary measure, the
revocation of which I shall hasten to request from your
Majesty as soon as ever the exceptional circumstances
which induce it shall have ceased to render it necessary.
"If your Majesty should approve the suggestion Which
I have the honour to submit to you, I beg you to sign
the accompanying decree.
" I am, with the most profound respect, sire, your
Majesty's very humble and very obedient servant and
faithful subject, "P. MAGNE."

The report is followed by the subjoined decree :
" Napoleon, by the grace of God and the national
will, Emperor of the French, to all present a
come, greeting.
" On the report of our Minister, Secretary of State for
the Department of Agriculture, Commerce,
fe 110 and
PublicP
Works, we have decreed, and do decree, as :---
" Art. 1. Until it shall be otherwise ordered, the dis-
tillation of cereals and of all other farinaceous substances
serving in the process is prOhibited.
Art. 2. Our Ministers, Secretaries of2x,6eSethutattoieofacifor the
Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public
Works, and also the Minister of Finance, are chcaotrfogbteiledri
of St.
Cwliothudt,htehee
eac,h,
naosniet
Commerce,
present decree, which shall be published in the Bulletin
deg Lois.
State
wentlBs:l3. of Agriculture, tAhMegamtriEnitscrhyus the
3cetPeourrlarolcerae cren
Secretary
o f
" P. MAGNE."
and
sp:a. r t .