The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1853

be taken to devise a remedy for this fearful state
of affairs ! We are quite convinced that Mr.
OPPENHEIM, or the parties to whom he alluded,
had, or have, no intention of defrauding the par-
ties with whom they have been or are dealing,
but the practice is no less dangerous, and deserves
the prompt attention and decided reprehension of
a commercial community. We may be " a Nation
of Shopkeepers"—we do not deprecate the desig-
nation ; but if so, it is only the more incumbent
on us to remove the blot from the national statute
book with as little delay as possible, to remedy the
absurd mistake into which Parliament was be-
trayed by a Chancellor of the Exchequer, who
thought that everything should be subservient to
the revenue, and that the only thing to be re-
garded was the mode by which that revenue
could most easily be collected.

offence:

MONEY MARKET

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.
There was a holiday yesterday in the cotton
market at Liverpool.

k The letters by the Europa steamer from New
York have not yet been delivered. The specie on
board amounts to 875,000 dollars.
The Anna Mary from Sydney brings no later
dates, but 3,489 ounces of gold.
The Matilda Wattenbach sailing ship which took
out the Australian Mail from Liverpool on the 3d
inst., has put in to Lisbon dismasted.
The accounts via Marseilles by the overland mail
represent business as being rather dull, owing to
the Ilindoo holidays, and the sales of piece goods
at Bombay were at low prices compared with the
like period of 1852. Money was getting dearer.
The China markets were still deranged by the war.
The funds have been unsteady—Consols, which
were 931 to 94, being now 944 to for the opening.
A fair business is doing, considering this is holiday
week. The New 3/ per Cents. have been 95g, to
and the 3 per Cents. 93-4 to 94/. Bank Stock is
firm at 220. Exchequer Bills remain at 3s. to es.
premium.

In the Foreign Market business is extremely
inactive, and prices are heavy. Mexican Bonds
are 241, being previous prices. Peruvian Bonds
are depressed, being 68i. There is a decline of f
per cent. in Portuguese Four per Cents., the quo-
tation being 43, and Dutch Four per Cents. are
similarly affected, being 96. No bargains are re-
corded in Russian or South American Securities.
There is very little doing in Railway Shares, but
the tendency in particular lines is rather to
im-
prove. Caledonian have risen 10s. to 15s. on Satur-
day's prices, Lancashire and Yorkshire 55., and most
others are a shade better. Midland and North
British are scarcely so firm. French shares are
steady, and Paris and Strasbourg and Northern of
France are rather higher.

Gold Mine Shares are wholly neglected, and the
Joint Stock Banks aro very dull.
Australian Agricultural Shares are about 10s. to
15s. lower, and the South Australian have fallen
about 11.
Crystal Palace shares are flatter.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.
(From the Oficial List.)

Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 94 3,1 44 I
New 34 per Cent. Annuities
South Sea Old Annuities ..
Consols for Opening 18th Jan. 94 3 44
India Stock for Account
Exchequer Bills, ld.
21000 .
2500 ..
'Small

ii 4
ad

3 6 p
3 6 p
3 6 p
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY.
Buenos Ayres Bonds, 6 per Cent 65
Chilian Bonds, 3 per Cent 75
Danish Bonds, 1825, 3 per Cent
L. Ditto 5 per Cent .....,... ................ 103
Alexicau 3 per Cent.
Ditto for the Account 24
Peruvian Bonds, 4i per Cent. 6B
Portuguese Bonds, 4 per Cent 43
Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £ St llll 13
Dividends on the above payablelin London.
Dutch Exchange, 2i per Cent. 12 Gull
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certifieates ..
THREE O'CLOCK.
Console for Opening 18th Janttery.... ..... 94 s x d

MARKET NEWS-(THIS DAY.)

COLONIAL.
These markets are closed until the 3d of January,

HAY MARKETS.
SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, 31 15s to 5/ lOs ; clover
ditto, 415 s to 6/ lOs ; and straw, 11 16s to 214 s per load.
A short supply, and a brisk demand.
CIIMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, 31 15s to 51 12a ; clover
ditto, 4/ Os to 61 6s; and straw, 1116 s to 21 5s per load.
Supply limited, and trade firm.

WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 3/ lOs to 5/ 10s; clover
ditto, 41 Os to 6/ 103 ; and straw, 1/ 16s to 2/ 4s per load.
Trade steady.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.

LONDON, Dee. 28. —Wind this day at Noon, N.W. ;
light breeze, and fine, frosty weather.
PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 2G.—Wind, E. to N.W. Arrived—
Fanny, Callao.

FALMOUTH, Dec. 26.—Wind, N.E.—Arrived —Nurmis,
Callao.

YARMOUTH, Dec. S.—The Eliza, Onega to London, has
arrived in the Roads with damage, and very leaky, having
struck on the bar at Archangel.
DEAL, 27. Wind, N. W., moderate. Arrived—Father
Mathew, Quebec. Arrived from the river, and sailed—
Merchantman, Port-Philip ; Countess of Zetland, Cape of
Good Hope; Jane, Barbadoes ; J. G. Heeksher, New
York.

COWES, Dec. 26.—Wind, light and variable. Arrived
—Thomas Ellah, Rio Janeiro, for Hamburg.
PLYMOUTH, Dec. 26.—Wind, E. Arrived Leemo,
Akyali, for Schuderm ; Edwin, Now York for Antwerp.
PENZANCE.—Arrived—Choice, Cardiff for London, with
damage, and one man washed overboard ; leaky.
GUERNSEY, Dec. 25.—The Reindeer, of N. Yarmouth,
Monte Video for London, struck yesterday on the Sam-
bule Rock, and soon after sank in 12 to 14 fathoms water
—master and mate drowned. An attempt will be made to
raise her.

CHRISTIANSAND, Dec. 12.—The Hammond, of Belfast
Memel to Belfast, put in on the sth inst., leaky, and part
of cargo thrown overboard. The Aberdonian, of Aberdeen,
Archangel to London (63 days), put in on the 9th inst.,
leaky, and part of cargo thrown overboard.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY, 10.30 A.M.
Wind N., moderate; snowing.
Arrived—Persian, (s. s.) from the Mediterranean; De-
mosthenes, Ibraila ; Mercurius, Rotterdam.
Off Port—Covenanter ship, and Lisbon brig.

(BY SUBMARINE AND' EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, TUESDAY, 10 A.M,

CUSTOMS RETURN.

Wind N. W. Oide high water, fine.

Arrived Caroline, from Dunkirk ; Deborah, Sines ;
Amenia, Gothenberg ; Margreta, Holbeek ; Olive, Genoa.
DEAL, TUESDAY, 9 A.M.
•Wind N.W., moderate, and cloudy.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.---The weather has
been intensely cold since Friday last, and the frost,
havinc, orna-
mentalagain set in with' great severity, caused the 6
water in the various Royal Parks to become
again covered with ice. Notwithstanding the precau-
tions issued by the Royal Humane Society, a great num-
ber of persons ventured upon the frozen waters, and a
number of immersions occurred, owing to the ice giving
way. At one time, five lads were under water in St.
James's Park ; but from the inquiries made, it is under-
stood that no life was lost.

THE POST-OFFICE AND THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.—
Yesterday the employds of the Post-office were privileged
by the authorities with a partial holiday. The London-
district postmen were permitted by the Postmaster-
General to finish their town duty for the day, after the
noon delivery ; and those in the country districts enjoyed,
so far as practicable, a short respite. The delivery of
letters by the general post, after the arrival of the mid-
day mails, was also discontinued ; but the evening
despatch of the mails, outward, took place as usual ;
the correspondence, however, was very scanty, the
heaviest part of it taking place in the newspaper depart-
ment, in which, as might have been expected, but little
change occurred. There being comparatively but a
small number of letters posted in the after part of the
day, the sub-sorters of the district office were relieved
from the midnight duty. So far as can be learned, this
is the first time, during the last quarter of a century,
that any such holiday has been given to the hard-worked
men in this branch of the public servioe upon any day
excepting those of Good Friday and Christmas-day.
When those days have hitherto fallen upon the Sabbath-
day, the business of the office has been carried on as
usual. There is every reason to believe that, in conse-
quence of this important concession on the part of the
Postmaster-General being made known on Saturday, a
large number of the principals of the various mercantile
establishments in the City were induced yesterday to
close their establishments.

FEARFUL COLLISION ON LUDGATE-HMI, AND PROBABLE
Loss OF LlFE.—Last night, about nine o'clock, a col-
lision of a frightful character happened at the foot of
Ludgate-hill, of which the following are the particu-
lars :—lt appears that as one of the cabs belonging to
the Eastern Counties Railway was proceeding past St.
Paul's Cathedral, the horse attached to the vehicle took
fright, and dashed down the hill at a terrific pace.
Several persons crossing the road had very narrow
escapes, but the cabman managed to keep the affrighted
animal clear of passing vehices until it came to the
foot of the hill, where, however, the horse drove
against the back of another cab proceeding in the
same direction, and the consequence was that the
driver of the foremost cab was thrown from his
seat, and he pitched upon his head, which was so seri-
ously injured that the poor fellow's face became covered
with blood. He was removed to a surgeon's immedi-
ately, but it is feared that his injuries will terminate
fatally. His cab was likewise greatly broken, and the
teeth of the other horse stuck into the back panelling,
making an indentation of at least an inch deep. The
horse in the hindermost cab was so much injured that it
was left lying at the corner of Parringdon-street to be
killed. The driver of this vehicle only saved his life
by clinging to the Royal Society's fire escape, at the
corner of New Bridge-street, Blackfriars ; and Harms-
worth, the conductor of the machine, having the presence
of mind to scotch the wheel of the cab, no further
mischief happily took place. . . )

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
Telegraphic advices have been received from Con-
stantinople of the 15th inst. It is affirmed that
the Divan accepts the resumption of negotiations.
The allied fleet have not yet entered the Black Sea.
Violent tempests had taken place. Eighty mer-
chant vessels had been lost. The price of corn has
risen from 25 to 50 piastres. A number of vessels
have been freighted. War has been officially de-
clared by Persia. The rupture between the Schah
and the British representative has been .notified by
him to the consuls. The whole Russian fleet has
left Sinope, after having stayed there for two days
for repairs.
A despatch from M. de Bruck the Austrian Inter-
nuncio at Constantinople, was on the 20th inst.
communicated to the Ambassadors of Great Bri-
tain, France, and Prussia. The news contained
in this document is, on the whole, satisfactory.
The Porte will send a Plenipotentiary to the con-
ferences, provided the Russians evacuate Moldavia
and Wallachia. The Ambassadors of the three
Powers have been instructed to urge the Sultan
not to insist on this condition, and to assure him
that the integrity of the Turkish empire is to be
maintained, and that the Principalities shall be
restored as soon as the dispute with Russia shall
have been settled.
Other advices from Constantinople inform us
that the Turks would consent to no terms unless
the Principalities were first evacuated. On the
contrary, the Porte seems determined to push on
the war, and an expedition was about to sail for
Sebastopol.
It was also considered very unlikely that the
Emperor of Russia, after his late successes, would
consent to any negotiation based on the evacuation
of the Principalities.
The following is from a Copenhagen correspon-
dent, dated Dec. 19 :
" Very strange intelligence arrives from the Rus-
sian Baltic provinces, which I have no doubt will
interest you. The Royal detachment of 4,000 men
has gone into winter quarters. Helsingfors is• on
a military footing. A large man-of war fleet lies
close to the fortress, and in the northern harbour
are anchored the man-of-war Andreas and three
colossal frigates, one of which is the Finnish frigate
Olof. In Cronstadt, new and most extensive forti-
fications are going on. As to Finland generally, a
hitherto unheard-of step has been taken. The grena-
diers will probably be stationed along the coast
from Viborg to Helsingfors, and in the north of
Finland proclamations have been read in the
churches inviting the peasantry to enter the Rus-
sian army as recruits. But, not content with this,
the Russian recruiting agents have made the same
slight mistake of meum and tuum, as Russia has
already done in so many countries, and have com-
menced recruiting in those parts of Sweden which
lie nearest to the Finnish border. It has been re-
marked that this latter step is a decided proof that
Russia has the most friendly intentions towards its
" old ally," Sweden, for otherwise it would not
think of filling its ranks with born Swedes.
The Gazette de St. Petersbourg contains the fol-
lowing bulletin, sent by General Prince Beboutoff
to the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army in
the Caucasus, and dated the 3d inst.:-
1 "I have already in my last report informed your
Highness of the retreat of the Turkish corps from
Bayandoury upon Kars on the 25th ult., and of my
marching in pursuit on the 26th. I added, that not
being able to overtake the enemy, I fell back upon
Bask-Shouragel, where I took up my quarters.
"On the 30th ult. I was informed that the said
Turkish corps rallied before reaching Kara, and, that
again concentrated in the vicinity of Subotane, they had
formed a camp near the hamlet of Bash-Kadyk Lar.
I resolved at once upon compelling the enemy to accept
battle, with a view to their punishment, by a decisive
defeat, for the outrage and robberies perpetrated by
the Turks on our territories previous to the commence-
ment- of hostilities.
" Early on the Ist December I advanced against the
enemy. My force consisted of one battalion and three
companies of the Constantin Nicolajewitsh Grenadiers,
threetbattalions and three companies of the Cesarewitch
Cara.bineers, one battalion of your Highness's Chasseurs ;
'the l'st and 2d battalion of the Prince of Warsaw In-
fantry, one battalion of Caucasian Rangers, two compa-
nies of Caucasian Sappers, the regiment of Wurtemberg
Dragoons, the 4th Don Cossacks, one regiment of Cos-
sacks of the line, three sotnias (hundreds) of detached
Cossacks, 21 heavy battery and Ist light battery of the
Caucasian Grenadiers, the sth heavy battery of the 21st
Brigade of Artillery, the 7th battery of the Don Cos-
sacks, and one sotnia of mounted militia.
"After ascending the heights in front of the hamlet
of Ougonzly, I saw the Turkish troops fully prepared for
the fight. They marched out from their camp near Bash-
Kodyk-Lar, and took up a position on the heights in
front of that hamlet, at some little distance from
the hamlets of Grazlo and Gamza-Kerial. I advanced
immediately to within two gunshot distance from
the enemy's lines, when I formed my troops in order
of battle, and then marched upon the Turks. My
first line, composed of the Ist battalion of your High-
ness's chasseurs, two battalions of Prince of Warsaw
Infantry, and seven heavy batteries under Major-Gene-
ral Kishinsky, was directed against the centre of the
enemy's position. Against the re-ular cavalry of the
Turks, and the numbers of their Kurdish auxiliaries, I
pushed at the same height with the first line on the left
four squadrons of Wurtemberg Dragoons, four pieces of
Cossack artillery, and seven sotnias of Cossacks, under
Major-General Raggowut.
" In the rear and to the right of our first line I placed
en echelon, two squadrons of Wurtemberg Dragoons,
four guns ofthe flying battery, and two sotnias of Cos-
sacks, under Major-General Prince Tsharichavadze,
for on this side our right was threatened by the Kurds
and by two regiments of Turkish horse.
"My second line consisted of two battalions of the
Constantin Nicolajewitsh Grenadiers and two batta-
lions of the Cesarewitsh Carabineers, under Major-
General Prince Mukhranski. The 3d and 4th battalions
of the Carabineers, the Ist Light Battery, and the 4th
Don Cossacks, formed the reserve.
"At noon my first line had taken up its position, and
the cannonade commenced on various points. We
worked 16 guns, and the Turks worked 20. As the fire
of the artillery could only serve to increase the slaughter,
I was desirous of terminating it, and my batteries had
scarcely opened upon the enemy, when I prepared to
dislodge the Turks at the point of the bayonet.
"For this purpose I detached from the second line the
Cesarewitch Grenadiers, and placed them under Major-
General Prince Orbeliani, and the Constantin Nicolaje-
witsh Grenadiers, under Prince Bagration. These two de-
tachments were ordered to march to the left of our first
line, ascend the heights, and attack the right of the
Turkish position. This manoeuvre was most admirably
executed. Notwithstanding their obstinate resistance,
the Turks were driven back and compelled to give up
part of their position. I am sorry to say that Prince
Orbeliani received two wounds in the course of this
attack.

In the meantime our cavalry under Major-General
Raggowut, pressed closer and closer upon the Turkish
horse, and at the charge of the Grenadiers and Carabi-
neers a column of four squadrons of Dragoons rushed
simultaneously upon the enemy's squares, and, sup-
ported by the Infantry, drove them upon the Turkish
left. On this occasion we took 22 guns from the Turks.
" While these events were taking place on our left,
our artillery was still busy in the centre. Our extreme
right, under Major-General Kishinski, was clossly
pressed by part of the Turkish horse, and the Turks had,
moreover, detached four battalions from their centre,
which, posted in a ravine between their position and our
first line, opened upon us from that, point. But our
artillery and infantry repulsed the Turkish horse, and
their detachment, which occupied the ravine, fell (upon
seeing the advantages gained by our grenadiers and
carabineers) back upon their centre, and soon afterwards
took to flight.
" When the combat commenced we had on our right
only certain hordes of Kurds and two regiments of
Turkish horse, but when this force deployed, and ad-
vanced against Prince Tsharichavadze; it was found that
the Turkish cavalry was supported, by four pieces of
artillery and six battalions of foot. This circumstance
compelled the Prince to make several attacks against
the enemy's, infantry and cavalry, in ordei• to remove
theni from our right. The contest continued to 3 p.m.,
and terminated• on this point likewise with a general
rout of the Turkish forces. Our dragoons took two
field pieces.
"Although the Turkish horse endeavoured to cover
the flight of their, foot, still we pursued them until late
in the evening."

We were in total ignorance of the more immediate
cause of the catastrophe at Sinope, but the Augsburg
Gazette now gives some perfectly satisfactory in-
formation on the subject. Immediately after the
arrival of the Egyption fleet in the Bosphorus it
was affirmed at Constantinople that the allied fleets
were to enter the Black Sea, and the Porte formed
the adventurous project of wresting the Crimea from
the Russians. The plan was not long concealed
from the 'Russians, and, in consequence of positive
information received, some of the troops originally
intended to form part of the army in the Danubian
Principalities were sent by General Liiders to the
Crimea. The united fleets did not enter the Black
Sea, and the Porte, being obliged to relinquish its
original plan, resolved to send the materiel of war
and the money which had been prepared for the
expedition to some Circassian port. The arma-
ments were kept as secret as possible, and the fleet,
—consisting of two squadrons—which was to con-
vey the artillery, ammunition, &c., to the moun-
taineers, was placed under the command of Os-
man Pasha, a resolute man and a good seaman.
The latter left on the 11th of November, and at
the same time the allied Turco-Egyptian fleet sailed
into the Black Sea in order to attract the attention
of the Russian admiral, and to mask OsmauPasha's
expedition. After cruising during 18 days without
seeing a single Russian sail, the Turkish fleet re-
turned to the Bosphorus under the impression that
the fear of meeting the Anglo-French fleet had in-
duced Prince Menschikoff to remain quiet in the
port of Sebastopol. The Russian admiral must,
however, have been exactly informed of what was
intended, for, without troubling himself about the
main fleet, he ,had ChM= Pasb.a's movements care:

fully observed. The latter, by means of his steamers,
soon became aware that the enemy was on his
traces, and he therefore sought safety in the roads
of Sinope. The Russians had, however, resolved
to strike a heavy blow, and on the 30th of Novem-
ber the squadron was destroyed. The news, of
course, made a great impression on the war party
in the Divan, " but a still greater one on the
officers of the French and English fleets. who felt
that every ball which had struck the Turkish Ships
had also morally hit the vessels of the allied fleets,
which, almost at the same time that the catastro-
phe took place, had got up a mock fight for the
edification of the inhabitants of Constantinople."

FRANCE.
The Paris papers of yesterday had not arrived
when we went to press. We have, however, re-
ceived the following telegraphic despatch :
The rumour of Lord Pahnerstou's return to office
caused a fall in the funds.
It was mooted in Paris yesterday that the Eng-
lish and French Governments had now very little
hope of a pacific solution of the Eastern question,
and that both France and England were about to
make preparations for an expedition to the Baltic
early in the spring. Sir Charles Napier was to
command the English fleet in that sea.
The Bourse was heavy yesterday, without much
business doing. The Three per Cents. closed at
73f. 75e. -for the end of the mouth, being a fall of
65c. as compared with the closing prices of Satur-
day. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents., closed at
100 f. 75c. ; Orleans Railway Shares, 1,165 f. ;
Rouen, 1,040 ; Havre, 492 f. 50c. ; Great Northern,
867 f. 50. ; Paris and Strasbourg, 807 f. 50c. ; Paris
and Lyons, 905 f. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean,
745 f. ; Western of France, 685 f. ; Bordeaux and
Cette, 611 f. 25c. ; Great Central, 515 f. ; Lyons
and Geneva, 508 f. 75c. ; Shares of the Bank of
Credit Mobilier, 730 f.

THE COAL TRADE.

(Prom the _Daily News.)
Coals are frightfully dear and—How can they be
cheapened ? becomes an interesting question.
Lower freights would be one step towards cheaper
coals. Ministers intend (so rumour says) to pro-
pose to Parliament the opening of our coasting
trade to foreign shipping. This is a measure we
have repeatedly urged the necessity of ; seeing that
whilst our mercantile shipping for the long voyage
and for foreign trade generally is rapidly in-
creasing, no considerable augmentation of coasters
is concurrenty in preparation. Any and • every
addition to our present means of transport coast-
wise will therefore be welcome. • It is indeed quite
possible that such a measure may not at first add
very largely those means, and there is no fear of
the coasting trade of the greatest of all maritime
nations getting permanently into any other hands
than those of its own people. But, without anti-
cipating a great influx of foreign vessels to our
coasting fleet as a consequence of opening the
trade, it may reasonably be expected to have a very
considerable effect in improving the efficiency of
our coasting vessels, and by that improvement our
means of transport will practically be increased.
The truth is, that our coasting trade wants a fillip
such as competition only can give it. At present
it is a monopoly, and the pressure of a little rivalry
will in all probability quicken speed in loading and
discharging, and navigating our coasters, improve
the seamenlike qualities of their skippers, and pro-
mote subordination and good conduct amongst the
men. Perhaps it will also tend to a more general
use of the screw propeller, an end very much to be
desiderated.
With the best coals now selling in the Coal Ex-
change at 325. and even 355. a ton, this question
of the coasting trade is a matter of very great im-
portance to London and its millions, for never, we
believe were stocks either in private houses or on
the retail merchants' wharves so low as they are
now. In June last the quotations had fallen to
155., and as the highest point reached in the pre-
vious winter was only 225., and the price of fuel
had for two years before been unusually moderate,
people generally were persuaded that coal would
remain permanently cheap. Stocks consequently
were not renewed, and here, at the commence-
ment of a severe winter, coal is selling for almost
as much as when, some forty years ago, it was
charged with 7s. 6d. a ton duty. In 1813 the price
of coals, charged with that duty, was 445. a ton ;
and in 1830, when it still had a duty of some 4s.
to encounter, it was only 275. 6d. a ton ; yet here
in 1853 it is quoted, all Government duty having
long since been repealed, at 345. Having had coals
at 14s. in both March, 1850 and 1851, and at only
6d. a ton more in March, 1852, and having seen
them at 15s. in the summer of this year, we may
well shiver at the present cost of fuel.
The consumption of coal in London during the
last twenty years has gone on very rapidly increasing,
and that without much reference to prices; until
now, in 1853, we use just double the quantity we
did in the year 1833.
In the present year 1853, our consumption of
coals will have reached 4,000,000 tons, of which
probably railways and canals will have brought
upwards of 500,600 tons. The ratio of increased
consumption is greater than the ratio of increased
population ; for during the last twenty years it has
certainly not doubled itself, and the increased con-
veyance of coal by rail has, there can be little
doubt, diminished the area supplied through Lon-
don, many districts being now served direct instead
of from the Thames. With consumption increasing
at this rate, even in spite of prices now quite
doubled, it is satisfactory to observe that metro-
politan dependence on the north of England and
on shipping as a means of transport is somewhat
diminishing ; though as yet the amount of coals
brought by railway and canal has had no effect on
the value of sea-borne coal. On the other hand, it
must be recollected, that the question whether
railways can permanently carry coal at a profit is
yet undecided ; for though it is true present high
prices give them a profit, and a large profit, those
prices, it is to be hoped, are only accidental ; and
the effect of the wear and tear of coal traffic on rail-
ways has to be ascertained. Nor can it be over-
looked that, if railways are largely to increase their
coal transport, the number of their rails must either
be increased, or the traffic will fearfully augment
the dangers of railway travelling.
Within the last twenty years the coal trade in
the north has undergone a perfect revolution. The
Tyne has ceased to retain its " coaly" pre-emi-
nence • many of the collieries famous in its history
have been given up, some exhausted, others un-
remunerative ; and the Wear and the Tees have
become much more important rivers. The dis-
covery of coal beneath the magnesian limestone led
to the working of much larger mines as well as to
the production of much superior fuel, and by
means of railways from the Tees a great inland dis-
trict has been opened up in Auckland, previously
a very poor and worthless district. In that period,
too, a class of middlemen who bought from the
collieries, and sold in London, has been done away
with, and coals are now almost invariably sent
south for the account of the various collieries ; and
so the only charges between them and the retail
merchants are factorage and the abominable City
Tax.
Whilst, however, the capacity of Durham to sup-
ply coals has been greatly developed within that
period, new sources of demand have opened on it,
in the enormous extension of our steam fleet, in
the coke required for railway locomotion, and
other mechanical purposes, and in the growing de-
mand for British coal in foreign countries. The
example of France seems likely to be followed by
Belgium, and perhaps by Germany also ; and
though, owing to the obstructions created by an
absurd system of retail trade in Paris particularly,
the recent change in the French tariff may not
greatly increase French consumption of our best
household coal, it will lead tea very great demand
for manufacturing coal for the purpose of supplying
France with British iron. That change will, it is
said, create a demand for some 600,000 or 800,000
tons of our iron annually; and as, on an average,
it takes three tons of coal to make a ton
of iron, the effect on our coal trade must be very
considerable. Moreover, on the Yorkshire side of
the estuary of the Tees a new and most important
iron field is being worked, situate near a small port,
which a few years ago was created because of the
difficulties of navigating that river up to its old
capital Stockton, at a spot called Middlesborough,
where there is now a rising town with docks, rail-
ways, and an important trade, on what, twenty
years ago, was a beach, or little more than a fish-
ing village. Middlesborough is in truth the marvel
of the north of England. Ironstone, worth ten
years ago ls. 6d. or 2s. a ton royalty,: is now
doubled or trebled •in value ; small needy pro-
prietors have suddenly (to their own great surprise)
become rich men ; furnaces are rising up right and
left ; and there are people who deliberately enter-
tain the opinion that instead of Middlesborough
exporting its 10,000 tons of coal a year, in not
many years it will be obliged to import coal to
supply its iron works. Time of course alone can
show how this will be ; but there can be little
doubt that the manufacture of Middlesborough
iron will have some, effect on the London coal
Market, by increasing local consumption.
There is, however, abundance of fuel in England
to give us a cheap supply ; and nothing will more
rend to reduce present prices than increasing the
means of transport, and reducing the enormous
coal freights now obtained. So if Ministers really
do intend to ask Parliament to throw open our
coasting trade, they will do a very sensible thing,
and one that London, as well as the Coal Tr e,
will be very grateful for

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE EUROPA.

LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.
The Royal Mail steamship Europa, Capt.Ss'
8
non, arrived in the Mersey this evening about,
o'clock, with the usual mails from the United State:
and British North America. The 'Europa
from New York on the 14th inst., and has brought,
besides the mails, 65 passengers and nearly a mile'
dollars in specie on freight.
The United States Mail steam-ship Arctic, from
hence, arrived out at New York on the 11th inst.
The Brothers Harper, the well-known and exten:
sive New York publishers, have suffered a lirst
severe loss in having their publishing houses M that
city destroyed by fire. The amount of property
destroyed is estimated at no less than one and a Oil_
million dollars. Very unfortunately for the Pre"
prietors the amount of their stock and propertl
insured was but to a limited extent.
Authentic intelligence has been received of thei
movements of the filibustering expedition that side;
recently from San Francisco. They have succeedsuo,
in capturing the town of La Paz, in the district
Lower California. The proclamation of a new
Re
public followed the capture. • the
A marked improvement had taken place 111 be
New York money market since the sailinc• of t
BAltic, and business in general was decidedly more
active. Stocks, however, were fiat, and deolinuig
in value. fed
The cotton market at New York is reNr.:„
brisk, with a good average amount of boil;
doing. Prices have slightly advanced, as will
seen by the following quotations :—New Orley
and Mobile mid. fair to fair, 11 c. to 1240. ;,.,h1; Up'
lauds, 11c. to 1] tic. Decreasing receipts of 'e
various ports will account for this rise.
Amos,6o
Compared with the same period of last 15
the receipts show a decrease of over 450 ,
bales.
In the market for breadstuffs prices had gilsern
way, owing to the advices by the previous steiti
being looked upon as unfavourable. There
little disposition to purchase at the folloil
prices :—Western Canal flour, 6 dols. 62it„,1°
dols. 75c. per barrel barely supported ; Gellll
prime wheat, 1 dol. 72c. to 1 dol. 74c. per 601bs'r;
Southern wheat, 1 dol. 68c. to 1 dol. 70e. •Peto
601bs. ; Indian corn, round and yellow, 7C)c'
780. per bushel, steady ; Indian meal, 4 deli. -
4 dols. 121 c.
+• no'
Provisions do not show any change from tp
tations, old mess pork being quoted at 14- dc49,:eir
13i dols. ; prime from 11 dole. to 11f do's. ; "12
mess, 14 dols. to 14i- dols. ; and new prim 13
dols. Good Western brands of mess beef fetch u
dols. to 13 dols. ' • more ordinary brands, 12 (I°l
to 14 dois. ; State mess, 8 dols. to 10 do j
prime, 5 dols. to 5 dols. ; beef hams, Staff'
dols. to 14 dols. • western, 14 dots. to 15ti in
lard, strictly good, 9&C. to 10fO. ; keg, I 7
A.frl'w.
; cheese, Ohio, 74c. to Bic. State
Bic. to 10c. per lb.
f;'de.
Freights remained much the same as at 41,
parture of the last steamer ; the asking rates,
—To London : tobacco, 60s. per hhd. turVeltia,
ss. der 28011 v. ; flour, 4s. 9d. per brl , grain
per bushel ; beef, Bs. per tierc. To. Live
rrcHis,"
flour, 3s. to 3s. 3d. per brl. ; grain,
per bushel ; cotton, 3-16 d to id. per
Exchange on London was quoted at 1091 t,..°19-11;
with but few sales. On Paris, 5.111 to 0.'""
Bremen, 80i to 81. ; Hamburg, 37 to 371.

TEE MURDER AT ACTON.

Yesterday a long inquiry, adjourned from Vele
last, was resumed before Mr. Wakley, respecting di
death of Richard Medhurst, aged 14, whose dead b! •
had been found on the Monday morning previous in
ditch in Irvine-lane, quite naked. The body whicilL ui,
11
in an out-house at the rear of the Goldsmiths' '";
presented a very shocking appearance. It vise jeti
very emaciated state, and there were numerous el
%
ations upon it, the right eye being blackened and°
swollen.
John Clarke, carman, in the service of Mr. 511;
Acton, said that as he was going down the lane hy"-•
side of the Goldsmiths' Arms, he saw the deceased In
ditch which was about 300 yards from the house. fb,ie
body had no clothes on, nor anything to cover it. .0
gave information to the police, and the body was Wulf
to the Goldsmiths' Arms.
George Medhurst, No. 11, Slade's-place, Allen-street;
Clerk enwell, identified the deceased as his son. He bis•
saw him alive on the 30th October. Witness, with Die
son, was in the employment of Mr. Thurtell,
cutter, whose manufactory is opposite the lunatic
Old-street. On the evening of the 30th of October, o_l9
left the factory together, and as witness wanted to 017 A
to the foreman, he sent his son home alone. Witnessb,hr-
not seen him since till Friday afternoon last, on vlbh-
day, in consequence of information from the Clerk'
well Police-station, he went to Acton, and there be
found his unfortunate child at the Goldsmiths' Arm'
(Here the witness was much affected.) When Witne;
found that his son did not return on the night of ,
30th, he made inquiries, and ascertained from a 13°:.
named George Jackson, that at a few minutes after
seven o'clock, the same night, his son was taken 111) bit
a man in a chaise cart, who went away with him toot:.
Shoreditch. The man came out of a coffee-shop, in °,
street, near Bunhill-row, before which the chaise ear"
in which was a black pony, was standing.
By the Coroner—My °son was a sharp, steady 14c1'
He was never out at night.
Coroner—Was he in good health, and stout ?
Witness—Oh, yes, sir. I believe that he has not n,
a bit of bread to eat since he left home. His bones
almost through his skin. He was a very hearty ester'
He had no cough.
The Coroner observed that the appearance of the de,
ceased when first seen would seem to show that he ha;
been subject to ill usage ; that he had been starved, cot
confined for some time; and that in order to PrevAeot •
detection, he had been brought down to Acton in
state in which he was found.
Several of the Jury--That is our opinion.
'a s
The father added that his son had three-pence 1
leather bag ; and he was told that the man, who .e/t,
tall, stout-made, with a full face, had on a fustian n°L.
He had no suspicion of any one having caused
child's death.
George Jackson, aged 11 years, living with his fstir
at No. 38, Allen-street, said that he worked at
Thurtell's, and identified the deceased. Witness gfr;
with him on the evening of the 30th of October, whesiee
man asked him, witness, to go with him in his oar; to
he wanted a boy to hold his horse. Witness offered
go, but deceased said, "I'll go," and he was taken aff
by the man, who went towards Shoreditch. There Wre,
a little boy at the time holding the horses head. 1/8 At
ceived a penny from the man, who said he would heess
the same place the next day and call for him. Wit/.
does not know if the same man was there the nest daps
Leigh, aged 13, who also works at the ineve
"
so
factory, having corroborated the evidence of the
two witnesses, stated that the man drove a chaise cart'
the wood part of which under the body was Paineit
green. The sides were made of cane work, and the so.
was a cross-board swinging between the off and 11,8
sides. The harness was decent. The man, too, 'l°' •
, irrhis
black coat. He was a tall man, with a full face.
witness, shortly after he gave his evidence, fainted
away, and was attended by a surgeon.)
wade
Inspector Bickerson said that inquiries bad been
of the proprietor of the coffee-shop, 64, Old•street, au'
ut
the man, but he was not known there.
;r1 that be
Mr. Thomas Francis, surgeon, Acton, said j the
saw the body on Monday, the 19th, when it fis‘! d
appearance of having been covered with a quantity
ointment. The hands and feet seemed as if they ba4 been
tied with a cord. The body was extremely erns ted,
and there were sores all over it. There were also soev
ral scratches, as if done by some pronged iustrinot
lied
like a fork. There was a bruise ou the bridge ni
fi
nose, and the right eye was black, swollen, and
soy
with echymosed blood. There was no food in tle,oc
mach or large intestines, and there were sonael
spots on the mucous membrane. On the back and
were sores as if from lying for some time in one
tion. On opening the brain, he found congestion
of
the
vessels, and on opening the chest, he discovered
left lung to be very extensively diseased. to
he
ITi
ehvee ctohraotnae re
Imo be? ravaedd thathorr everyithhleeremnwradserhadb
ree:Scl3_o7;
mitted, or why should the poor boy have met eiin:
ee
treatment he had ? It would appear that he had
and tthhaettrtehaetmdeinsetahsee
hoofc:litrlheecalo,,averl:
hadconfi bneeednabnrd tarousghtvoedr:
from
It was a case which he thought called upon
or
.?e
quest the Secretary of State to offer a reward fe
covery of the person or persons who had brought

body to Acton.
Coroner (to Mr. Francis)— Might not a blow upon the
eye such as the deceased has received, in his state of ex-
haustion, produce concussion of the brain ?
Witness—lt might produce it, and consequently de hay_
th.
Foreman—Would not the violence the deceased.
de
eased
subject to, with the ill usage and stavation, P°'
likely to accelerate his death ?
Witness—Certainly.
''
„A to be
The Coroner otserved that the case apPear
one of deliberate murder.
The jury remarked they. were unanimouslytoofthtehasetti,te.
000rPe:
nion, and they wished the coroner to apply
tary of State to offer a reward to discover the perpeai the
The inquiry was adjourned fora fortlikght,
-
coroner direotatkt tho'tddyjeliould n'od'e