The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-12 00:00:00

THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

No one who has thought on the subject would at-
tempt dogmatically to predict the price of wheat any
more than to forte' future events of any other kind.
Unlooked-for circumstances may occur, which may
scatter to the winds the most subtle calculations. Not

to look further than the obvious vicissitudes in the price
of all commodities contingent on the success or other-
wise of the war in which we aro engaged with Russia,
it is evident that an approximation to a reasonable opi•
Mon as to the future price of wheat in this country is•all
that can be attained. We may, however, advert to a
few of the particulars which must influence the price of
our staple article of national consumption.
The rapid fall in the price of wheat during the past
few weeks is one of the most remarkable ever known.
A decline of not less than 10a. a quarter has in various
places occurred between one market day and another.
Wheat, which early in the year reached from 90s. to
100 s. a quarter, may now be obtained for from 60s. to
565. a quarter. Here for the present there is a pause.
The London market of Wednesday is reported to have
been steady at the decline of Monday.
Whence is this extraordinary decline ? It must be
attributed to the authentic intelligence which has reached
this epuntry of the excellent crops on the continent and
in the United States, together with the ascertained fact
that our own harvest will Le both good in quality and
abundant in quantity. Nor must the general sound-
ness and extent of the potato crop be overlooked. The
potato enters so largely into the consumption of the
working classes, that the abundance or deficiency of this
esculent exercises a decided influence cn the price of
wheat.

It seems now to be pretty generally admitted that the
recent high price of wheat is not in any great measure
to be attributed to the effects of the war. The blockade
has not prevented large quantities of wheat finding its
way from Russia to the rest of Europe.
hut there are other mot important causes in opera-
tion. Under protection, wide an abundant harvest and
a restricted currency, wheat sank in 1835 to an average
fur the year of 39s ,t 1 a quarter. Under free trade, the
yearly average for 1351 was 33s Gd it quarter.
We are now under different circumstances. The gold
discoveries of California and Australia tend to keep up
the prices all over the world. They do so principally iia
two ways—by providing money sufficient to allow trade
and commerce to flourish and expand, and by lowering
the price of gold as measured in the great article of human
consumption throughout the civilised world—corn.
Let our agricultural friends then take courage. We
incline to the opinion that wheat will not sink to the
low level which it did when they had protection alone
to depend on, ncr to that which it did under the free-
trade system, unmitigated by the beneficial effects of that
providential discovery of gold which is one of the most
important occurrences of this most eventful period. The
outpouring of gold--itself an event of comparative insig-
nificance, for how little the wealth of nations depends on
the acquisition of this metal, ruined and impoverished
Spain evidences--the out-pouring of gold throughout
the world, by correcting the prevalent false systems of
money, and particularly the absurd and injurious sys-
tem established by Peel's Bills in our own country, has
worked, and is still working, most advantageously for
the agriculturist as well as for the merchant and the
manufacturer. We have 13 millions of gold in the Bank,
the French Bank has 19 millions,--British India has, it
is said, no less than 16 millions of specie in its treasu-
ries. These accumulations, with the expected imports,
will, we trust, keep panic and penury from our doors for
the present.—Derbyshire Courigr.

VIOLATION OF A GIRL.

DORKING, MONDAY.—This little village has for the
past few days been in a state of great excitement, in
consequence of Mr. George Elton, aged 15, brother-in-
law of the Hon. and Rev. A. Sugden, of Newdigate,
Surrey, and George Elphick, aged 20, groom to the hon.
gentleman, being charged before Mr. Charles Barclay
and Mr. George Cubitt, county magistrates, with having
committed a rape upon the person of a girl named
Elizabeth Crauley, aged 16, a house-maid in the employ
of Mr. Sugden ; and Maria Fenn, aged 23, a cook in
the same establishment, was also charged with aiding
and abetting in the commission of the same offence.
The following evidence was adduced, after three ad.
journments :
Mary Elizabeth Crauley deposed--I am sixteen years
old, and am in the service of the Honourable and Reve-
rend Mr. Sugden, of Newdigate, as a housemaid. I
have lived with him about two months. The first
time any liberty was taken with me was on Sunday,
the 13th of August. About ten o'clock, after the family
had gone to bed, on the same evening I went out to the
village, and called at Mr. Farrington's, and when I
came back I found Charles George Elton and George
Elphick smoking and drinking in Elphick's room, and
Maria Fenn with them. I sat down with them, and
stopped some time. I asked Maria Fenn if she was
going to bed. She said " Yes," and we both walked
into our room, and whilst we were undressing, Elton
came through our bedroom to go to his own, there
being no other way execpt down-stairs and up ano.her
staircase. After Elton had gone through I locked the
door, leaving the key inside. We then put out the
candle and got into bed. Shortly afterwards Elphick
entered our room and unfastened Elton's bed-room door
and let him in, and said to him, "You get in on Crau-
ley's side." I replied, "If you do, I shall tell Mr.
Sugden." Elton then got into teed, and Elphick on the
side of Maria FOWL Elphick then leaned over Maria
Fenn and took bold of my arms and one of my legs,
and whilst I was struggling and screaming, Maria Fenn
put her hand on my mouth, Elton at th same time
having his knees on my chest. Elphick then got hold
of Maria Fenn by the waist and the hair of her head,
and carried her into his bed-room, and in their absence
Elton accomplished his purpose. During that time I
screamed for assistance, but Maria Fenn said she could
not come, for Elphick would not let her. Eiton then left,
and went into his own room. I then got up and went to
Elphick's room, and found Maria Fenn in bed. I remained
in the room because I did not wish Elton to be in my
room again. I was at this time sitting by the window.
After that I went into my own room, leaving Elphick
and Fenn in bed. Elton came through my room again
to go to his own. As he was coming through I re-
quested hint to ask Maria Fenn if she was coming to
bed again. After Elton bad gone through, I went into
the bed-room, and Elphick told me " I should be in the
family-way " unless I allowed hint to repeat the offence.
He asked Maria Fenn if it would not be so. She at
first replied in the negative, but afterwards said, "Yes,"
and both persuaded me that it would be better for me if
I allowed it. I said "I (lid not wish it, and if it was it
would not be my wish." I then went into my own room
and got into bed. Elphick came in afterwards and got
into bed, and notwithstanding my cries and resistance
he accomplished his purpose. Alter that Elphick left
me, and I went to sleep. I did not tell any one about it
till Mr. Farrington had said that there was a rumour of
an 'unpleasant nature in circulation. Elphick and
Fenn told me not to tell any one, for if I did it
would be the worse for me. The first person I spoke
to respecting the circumstance was Mr. Farrington, on
Saturday, the 2d September. He said he had heard
comethity.!, about me. I then told him about it, and
what Elphick had done to me on Sunday evening, the
13t1} of August last. When I raw the policeman I re-
que.ti.Qd him to take Elphick into custody in consequence
of v4.hat he had been boasting that lae had done to me at