The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-02 00:00:00

NOVEMBER.
1. Fearful riot at Blackburn.
2. Intelligence of fatal fever at Bermuda.
Shoplifting, remarkable trial of Miss Cantwell in
Dublin ; acquitted.
Boiler explosion at Blackburn, Ave' lives Tost.
4. Admiral Nesham died, aged 83.
Intelligence received of the blowing-up of the Prin-
cess Victoria, Australian trader, and miraculous escape of
passengers and crew.
Russia and Turkey; intelligence of arrival of the
fleets in the Dardanelles.
5. Remarkable immunity from fever in the West ladies,
in iron ships.
Intelligence of 50 deaths from snake bites in India.
Guy Fawkes-day. Dreadful accidents from the ex-
plosion of fireworks in the metropolis and at Exeter.
Plots for the assassination of Louis Napoleon. Com-
mencement of proceedings against parties inculpated,
before the Court of Assizes.
9. Fearful mortality in emigrant ships to the United
States.
Massacre of the crew of the ship Heroine off Cape
Labua, Sept. 1.
Dismissal of Professor Maurice from King's College.
11. Frightful ravages from yellow fever in Bermuda.
Discovery of a new planet by Mr. Bishop.
12. Grand banquet to Lord Elphinstone, governor of
Bombay.
Manifesto of the Emperor of Russia appeared in the
London journals.
14. Intelligence of the capture of Shanghai by the in-
surgents.
15. Queen of Portugal, Donna Maria, died.
Rear Admiral Pasco (Nelson's flag-lieutenant) died.
Scotch Representative Peer, the Earl of Seatiel.,
elected, vice Lord Saltoun, deceased.
17. Duke of Beaufort died.
The Princess Nicholas Esterhazy died.
21. Execution of Nathaniel Mobbs for the murder of his
wife.
22. Visit of his Royal Highness Prince Albert to Cam-
bridge, as Chancellor of the University, &c.
The Earl of Dartmouth died at Patshull.
Fog in the metropolis, rendering the streets im-
passable.
23. Another dense fog, with fatal consequences.
28. Russia and Turkey. Repulse of the Russians at
Chefkatil. _ _

30. Preston strike and labour parliament. Metropolitan
meeting.

DECEMBER.
1. Inauguration of St. Martin's-hall, Long-acre.
3. Shipwrecks, &c. Intelligence of the loss of the
Marshall, Hull steam-ship, with 170 lives.
4. Vice-Admiral Dawes died. _ _ _

5. Royal commission on the recent prevalence of cholera
at, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Extraordinary occurrence at Portsmouth ; the au-
thority of the Queen defied by a Russian officer, in respect
to men who had deserted from-a Russian frigate.
6. Opening of the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford,
and Shrewsbury and Hereford Railways.
12. The late fog ; 14 vessels wrecked.
Russia and Turkey. Naval victory over the Turks
by !he Russians, Nov. 30, at Sinope.
16. Russia and Turkey. Intelligence of the defeat of
the Turks at Akalsik ; 4,000 Turks slain.

17. Resignation of Lord Palmerston.
22. Lord Palmerston returned to office, after a resigna-
tion of five days.
25. (Christmas-day) Tremendous fire at Esher—partial
destruction of the Royal paper mills.
Dr. Mill, Regius Professor of Hebrew, &c., died.
Dr. Gilkrest, Inspector-General of rmy Hospitals,
died.

26. Christmas-day falling on a Sunday, this day was ob-
served as a general holiday, the shops being closed. Pisces
of amusement open as usual. The transfer and dividend
offices at the Bank of England were closed, and all busi-
ness suspended except in reference to bills falling due; the
Customs and Excise Offices shut.

28. Colonel Layard, late M.P. for Carlow, committed
suicide. - •

=lntelligence of war declared by Persia agains'

Turkey.
- Railway accidents. Taff Vale ; rush of a train down
the inclined plane, near Dowlais, from alleged neglect :
one woman's back broken, many other persons dreadfully
injured.
29. Skating in the parks.
News received of Lord Dudley Stuart's visit to Con-
stantinople, to persuade the Porte to accept the services of
the Polish refugees.
-- Intelligence of an attempt by the Russians to set fire
to the allied fleets at Constantinople.
Rumour of Turkey having accepted the last propo-
sition of the Four Powers.

30. News of a treaty, offensive and defensive, between
Russia and Persia.

Meeting of Parliament fixed for the 31st of January,
31. Rumour that the Emperor of Russia formally re.
jects the protocol and note of the sth of December.

THE OLD AND THE NEW YEAR.

( From the Banker's Magazine.)

-Looking disparsionately at the events of the last 12
months, it cannot be denied that all classes have had to
contend with various disturbing elements ; but these
elements have been produced by the transition through
which capital and labour are now gradually passing—
the consequences of the gold discoveries in Australia and
California, and the altered relations which they are
destined to create. Political considerations apart from
those connected with the attitude of Russia towards
Turkey, have probably not for a long time past made so
inconsiderable a figure in the ordinary course of affairs.
The several measures of the Government, if not altoge-
thersuccessful, having been received with a tacit acknow-
ledgment of their propriety—the only determined oppo-
sition being in the case of the India Bill, which, despite
its thorough inadequacyito meet the requirements of the
period, was permitted to be adopted as a kind of com-
promise between the Ministry and the Court of
Directors.

The great financial scheme of Mr. Gladstone, well-in
tentioned as it was, suffered defeat shortly after it was
brought into operation. From the first it was fore-
seen that, however encouraging might have been
the situation of the country for introducing mea-
sures practically allieti with a conversion of the
public debt, there were circumstances which indi-
cated that an earlier attempt would probably have been
attended with great success. The sequel has proved
the correctness of the observation. The autumn of 1852,
when Mr. Disraeli was in power, was the opportunity
that should have been seized for favourably realizing
this grand project—the general elasticity of the stock
market at that date, the plethora of money, and the anti-
cipations respecting a lengthened continuance of low
rates of discount, having formed prominent features in
the existing order of things.
The Derby Ministry going out on their budget, Mr.
Gladstone took office as Chancellor of the Exchequer ;
and, desirous of retrieving the position lost by his prede-
cessor, laid before the Legislature. measures for a com-
mutation of the South Sea and other annuities—with
what result the public are already acquainted. Mr.
Gladstone possibly was a little too sanguine in his notions
of the readiness of fundholders to accept terms of guaran-
teeing a minimum rate of 21 per cent., his avowed in-
tention being to establish such a denomination of stock ;
but he forgot one important consideration, viz., that,
unless compulsorily forced, the majority would rather
risk the contingencies of other investments than imme-
diately adopt the proposed alternative. He experienced
good earnest of this conviction in the resolutions passed
by the Court of South Sea proprietors, declining altoge-
ther to assent to the conversion, the preference being
given to a repayment in money.
The complication of foreign politics, together with the
subsequent increase in the value of money, naturally
caused more than common vigilance to be exercised
when such an alteration presented itself ; but it now
certainly seems questionable whether, if affairs had re-
mained in much the same condition as they were from
April to October, the extent of voluntary acceptances
would have been as great as was expected. In any
future attempts that may be contemplated for reviving
a similar operation, it will be necessary to define with
more precision the equivalents tendered, since on the
explicitness of these depends a proper appreciation of
the scheme. As a step in the right direction, the pub-
lic agreed with the measure ; but its failure is to be
attributed to its numerous details, and the inopportune
time at which it was introduced. The budget, however,
was much more satisfactory; and, although hardly con-
tested ou some points, was finally triumphantly carried.
Recognising, as it did, popular demands—the abolition
of the soap duty, the progressive reduction of the im-
port upon tea, being leading points recommending it to
the middle and lower classes—the increase of the income
tax, at the modified rate of sd. in the pound on receipts
of 1001. a year, was not greatly objected to, although
it was felt that the payment would press with some se-
verity upon those brought within its limits. The re-
arrangement of the customs' tariff, and the alteration
in the stamp laws, were likewise received as favourable
measures ; and, in the whole of these, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer may be considered to have achieved a
decided success.
In other respects the proceedings of Parliament did
not exercise an important effect upon the general course
of mercantile transactions. The debates with regard to
the Turkish question dragged their slow length along
until the close of the session, when, notwithstanding the
aggravated conduct of Russia, the yearning for peace
allowed the Government to break up the great council
of the nation, without defining their actual policy, or
explaining publicly what precautions had been adopted
to arrest the aggressive movement of the Emperor Ni-
cholas.

The passage of the Pruth, and the consequent occupa-
tion of the Danubian Principalities, should have aroused
the jealous anxiety of Lord Clarendon and his colleagues,
and not permitted them to rely upon the efforts of a
Vienna congress to produce a pacific adjustment of the
difficulty. It was this first act of presumptive aggression,
on the part of the Czar, that has led to all succeeding
embarrassments ; and, had a timely demonstration been
made by England and France—a desire urged to the
utmost by the latter Government—much of the annoy-
ance that has followed would have been avoided. With-
out launching int) the particulars of the several negotia-
tions, the Nesselrode notes, the dispatch of the fleets to
the Bosphorus, tte rejection by Russia of the terms ap-
proved by Turkey, and the final outbreak of hostilities
in Asia, Georgia, and Wallachia, the result has precipi-
tated a crisis wtich threatens to involve an European
war. Already we have largely experienced the depress-
in.- influence of tiis condition of things, and it remains
to be seen whether we may not yet have to pass through
even a severer orceal.
The depression produced originally by the Turco-Rus-
sian dispute, was afterwards heightened through a re-
actionary feeling expressed in connection with the ex-
pansion of our trada to Australia. From January to
July most active operations had been carried out—the
employment of ohpping, and the efflux of emigrants,
presenting a rematcable contrast to the previous apathy,
—till, at length, apprehensions were generally enter-
tained that the c)lonies and their markets would be
over-flooded. In the meanwhile, the money market
becoming tighter, he Bank directors having made a
gradual advance in heir terms for public accommodation
a check was fortmately given to these adventures;
scarcely, however, iefore advices of the fact of a heavy