The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

REDUCTION OF THE DUTIES ON WINE

AND SPIRITS.

1 The following article of the Debats on the de-
cree reducing the import duties on foreign wines
and spirits will be read with interest :
"The news which we receive from the most southern
of the wine-producing departments, where the vintage
has commenced show to what extent the recent de-
cree allowing foreign-wines to be imported into France,
until otherwise ordered, was called for. The yield of
wine presents itself under a sad aspect. Providence who
has shown us the unexampled mercy of giving us a good
corn crop, after a season which seemed but little pro-
pitious, has not accorded to us the same favour in wine.
Assuredly, if men had the choice, they would
without hesitation prefer a good corn harvest.' The corn
harvest is worth in an average year two milliards; but
the wine crop is far from attaining that enormous sum ;
besides, though the populations could, strictly speaking,
do without wine, they would be reduced to the most
frightful misery if they bad no bread. It cannot be
denied, however, that the vintage is also of great im-
portance. In an average year it amounts to several
hundred millions, and if wine be not absolutely indis-
pensable to the subsistence of the populations it is
extremely useful. In the southern departments in par-
ticular, where wine is produced and sold at a very
low price, it occupies a great place in the food of
the people. In the region bathed by the Mediterra-
nean, wine, which is there remarkable for its qua- --
lity, is sold by retail, in ordinary times, at from 10 SUSPECTED MURDER.
to 15 centimes the quart ; that is to say, that in these The Cork Il(porter has the following account of a fright-
parts it is within reach of all purses ; the meanest la- ful tragedy which ha- taken place near Cork, and which
bourer, in fact, can take it at all his meals, and it, is from still contiuues involved in mystery :
it that he derives great part of his strength. At present . About 1 o'clock yesterday (Friday) the neighbour-
in those parts, a wine inferior to the ordin try quality ' hood of the Merdyke was thrown into great excitement
by the antriunceirwrit that one of the dyke watchmen,
costs more than treble, namely, from 40 to 8) centimes
the quart. At that price, it is an article which ceases 1 Tweed Micheel Keating, ha I been discovered in the
to be within reach of the poorer classes. Hence it : gay den back of the lodge, at the eastern end of the Dyke,
with his throat cut. The deceased had been eeiployed
causes great perturbation in Cie customary regimen
fear some time by the corporation as day watch Ilan on
of the populations. Under those circumstance, the
Government, justly anxious to maintain, so far- as the Dyke, and while in that position had earned for
himself the goodwill, both of the residents of the
depends on it, food at a cheap rate, could not have
done better than to remove the harrier which pre-
D,ke and of the citizens who frequented it, by the
vented the free admission of ordinary wines from uniform steadiness of his conduct and the civility
abroad. We will frankly state that our opinion is that of his behaviour. In addition to his pay as watch-
the taking off of the customs duties on ordinary wines man, Cs. a week, he received a pension of
,18. 6d. a day,
cannot be of short duration, because the cause which having been formerly in the 61st regiment, in which
led to this measure seems unfortunately not likely to be two sons 'if his are at present, so that he would have
been enabled to live comfortably and happily, but for
temporary. The malady in the grapes, which has
made wine so dear, has not yet reached its period of the bad conduct of his wife. It appears that she is a
w decline, especially in the departments in which the woman of very intemperate habits, and has often, to
production is greatest. Every year it extends its ra- satisfy her craving for drink, taken and pledged her
wages. We believe, indeed, that for the future the husband's clothes and furniture. She was also a woman
yield of wine will be less bad than that which is being of very violent temper, so much so that one of their
prepared at this moment—as in this year the vines have sons, a lad only about 14 years of age, had left them
not only had to suffer from the oidium, but the season some time ago. The deceased was often obliged to
has been so bad that, even without the oidium, the bring her before the magistrates, to whom she made
yield would have been a failure. But it is not
solemn promises of reform, but always immediately re-
less true that the oidium is spreading and becoming lapsed again. The deceased was not seen since
Thursday morning, until 16 o'clock yesterday,
and
ppe
Irr
aev
oaa
edn
it
nurgobf
es
roaem he
he
ueesl eotlnaeessaront
found, 1s e lodge, '
generalised. The science of our learned Academies
ahedfgee
and the industrious activity of our farmers will triumph
the went ap
Purpose
rih npe tb osf ee
mt
oah
fl ee
over this pest—indeed, they are already in the way of
to dry. While doing so, she happened to cast
discovering a curing process. But in order that the
vines may be completely preserved and recover all
their fecundity time is required. This opinion is so
who was partly concealed by som
her eye near the spot, and
instantly raised an alarm, and in a few bushes. She
saw the deceased,
accredited amongst a certain number of farmers, that
number of persons had collected near traheinpultacesea.
'in some localities they have already begun to pull up
deceased, whenbisfound,ens lying
the vines with the intention of substituting other
crops for them. This is the case for example in the
cover his face, and were
His clenched and
canton of Lunel, one of the corners of the world in some bushes, hands were raised so as partly to
which the vines gave the greatest yield, but also
stained
one in which they have most suffered. Before the with blood and gravel. head was nearly severed
oidium appeared, as much as 300 hectolitres the from his body, the jugular • vein being entirely divided,
hectare were obtained ; and now this marvellous pro- and the gash extending almost to the nape of the
duction has fallen to nothing. Even, however, should
wever, neck. About half a yard from where he lay was a
the oidium be very shortly destroyed, which is a thing large pool of blood,that which had
apparentlybad we wish for with all our heart, that would not be a reason flowed from his throat,been afterwards
as if he for repealing the decree which admits the free import of moved. At first itsupposed that the nnfortu-
foreign ordinary wines. It is fitting that this decree nate man had destrwasoyed hii own life, but on Con-
should be definitive for many reasons. It was a chimerical stable Carey's • arriva on idea in 1816 to impose heavy duties on foreign wines, which bore every appearance of
ce of having been the
on his back amlaTornghgee
in order to protect our production. That
produc-
tion protects itself unaided. We may say of •piece newspaper by his side, and this
ordinary wines of France, as well as of her finer
the in a of
weapon used in committing the dreadful deed, wrapped
yotherne hands, as it was counted almost
sorts, that they are unequalled. They are so
only by the quality, the flavour, the just proportion impossibleeeatthat he could have retained sufficient strength
circumstance at
bat o induced a suspicion that he had
spirit they contain, but also by the abundance of tub of
' o= consciousness to roll it up himself, after inflicting so
production, and the lowness of their price. This is,' especially true of the wines in the departments newspaper was found in the lodge. The body was
near the ;the
d yesterday evening to the Bridee ell, for the
Mediterranean. The department
.. of the 114 Itwhich
rau
is is , fearful a wound on his person. The remaining part of
couveye
is the most. remarkable of all in this p. t, generally an inquest held on it. The deceased
respect PC
was between 50 and 60 years of age, stoutly built, ap-
produces 4,000,000 hectolitres. Th '
prodssetion of France. The wholesale
at is the tenth of the
arently of a robust constitution, and was said to be of
price fur wine a temperate habits. His wife is in custody on sue-
year old is, under ordinary circ vPery
tances, 7fr. the hec-s
picion of having committed the act. Some of the chief
tolitre, or 7e, the litre ; and Ilir kept for an additional..
circumstances against her are that she had been heard
year, the wine is much more purpose of having
agreeable and healthy than' circumstances
the wines charged at Paris,several times to threaten his life, and on Thursday
2fr. Even the wine calle in restaurants, 1 fr. 50c. or
St. George is generally sold!
, evening, when the other watchman asked her if he was
in the
is absolutely
countryshe refused to make any reply,
imaptos7scib.
lte
hteoliitmrep,orotr
inththerFearaboocentsai
tbNatorwatiot within,
wine which is worth anything
expense of coprofit
conveyance of commissions, and of the
which the importer desires to make. Such a fact suffices
to prove that the pretended protection which it was
at all, on account of the
, thought, right to accord to ordinary wines, b% imposing
customs duties on foreign wines, is a fiction.

" Sir,—Exe rating, as I do with all my heart, the late
sanguinary and demoniacal attempt to destroy the lives of
many of our fellow-beings, and approving cordially the
object of the meeting to be held to-day—namely, to offer
a reward for the discovery of the miscreant perpetrators of
this horrid deed of blood—have the kindness to put down
my name for whatever amount you may think right,.
" Yours, &c., W. M`LotiGHLIN, M.D.
" Mr. A. S. Skipton, M.D."
Subscriptions to a large amount have been entered
into for the discovery of the criminals. The railway
company have offered 5001. as their share towards the
general fund.

The inquest on the remains of the engine•driyer who
lost his life by the upsetting of the engines on the excur-
sion train from Londonderry to Enniskillen, has been
adjourned until the 11th of October. The county of
Tyrone, as well as Londonderry, is about to assemble,
to consider the steps proper to be adopted for the dis-
covery of the persons concerned in this atrocious outrage.
The Marquis of Ahercoru and Lord Claude Hamilton,
M.P., have signed the requisition in the former county.
The Government have offerei a reward of 2001.

Out of 110 steam packets now employed in conveying
mails, 54 are built of wood, and 56 of iron ; 89 are pro.
pelled bv paddle-wheels, and 21 by screws. Only 21
out of the 110 steamers have lightning conductors fitttd
to them. All the mail packets between Liverpool and
steamers are wooden ones, are propelled 1
America, and nearly all the Ro)al West ludia Mail
y paddle-
RspitgsENTATIoN or FRC:MR.—The Ballot Society, it wheels, and have lightning conductors. A'l the Channel
IR said, intend soliciting the votes of the electors on be- Island, the Panama, and General Screw Companies, and
half of Major-General Perronet Thompson. A member the greater portion of the Oriental Company's steamers,
of the Thynne family is spoken of as a candidate on are iron ones. All the General Screw Company's, and
High Church principles. None of the candidates has also a considerable number of the Oriental Company's
yet personelly visited the electors! , steamers are WIWI.