The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-08 00:00:00

REaTOVAL

The growing interest exhibited by the trade and the
public with reerence to the removal of Smithfield-mar-
ket, and the expected opening of the new ones at Copen-
hagen-fields next:.montb, renders of no small importance
all trustworthy information upon this subject. Many
were the inquiries, and earnest the interrogations of hun-
dreds of country dealers, and traders from the provinces,
ho attended the market at Smithfield yesterday, upon
their perusal of our article as to the period of opening the
" new markets " by the corporation ; and, in many in-
stances erroneous were the answers given to those deeply•
interested parties with regard to the precise mode of noti-
fication to be adopted prior to the closing of Smithfield,
and the powers confided to the Corporation as to the ma-
nagement of the new markets when they are opened.
In order to set the public right upon this score, we have
gathered the following particulars, which are of an official
character, and being obtained from documents bearing the
stamp of authority, they may be unhesitatingly relied on.
To make the matter still plainer, we have sectiouised
the subject, so that a ready answer may be furnished upon
any point upon which information may bo sought by the
inquirer

POWERS OF THE CORPORATION.
The powers given to the Corporation of the City of Lon
don, as to the control of the new market, are conferred by
what is termed the " Metropolitan Market Act, 1851," (14
and 15 Victoria, cap. 61), this being the " short title" of
Act, which, while passing through its several legislative
stages, was known as the" Smithfield Removal BilL"
Special provision was made in this act for the market
being controlled by " five Commissioners," who, for the
purposes of the act were to be appointed to be "ono body
politic and corporate, by the name of the ' Metropolitan
Cattle Market Commissioners,' and who by that name
should have perpetual succession and a common seal, and
the usual powers of bodies so constituted." Thirty-six of
the clauses of the act define the duties of these imaginary
" Commissioners," but the thirty-seventh runs to the fol-
lowing effect :—" XXXVII. Provided always that if,
within six calendar months after the passing of this act,
the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of Lon-
don, shall, under their common seal, signify to one of her
Majesty's principal Secretaries of State that the said
Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons desire to undertake the
execution of this act, then, except in the case of and after
the publication in the London Gazette of such notice as
hereinafter mentioned*there shall not be made any appoint-
ment of commissioners under this act, but the said Mayor, Al-
dermen, and Commons shall exercise the powers and perform
the duties whioh, by tho enactments hereinbefore contained
-would otherwise be to be exercised and performed respec-
tively by Commissioners under this Act." Such significa-
tion was made to the Home Secretary, Mr. Walpole, by the
Corporation, and the said " Mayor, Aldermen, and Com-
mons" proceeded to select--from several others—the site of
the New Market at Copenhagen-fields. Their act was
approved of by the Government, the money was raised
upon the credit of the corporate seal, and the works, as
was stated yesterday, aro now far advanced, the market-
place being nearly ready for opening. All tolls, rents, and
payments, in consequence, willbe received by the corporate
authorities " for their own use," and will be " paid and
applihd as they may direct." Salaries and wages are to bo
paid, and "purchases, works, and contracts" are to be
entered into independently of the " approbation of the
Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury." The moneys
are to be paid into the Chamber of the Corporation, and
not into the " Bank of England," as would have been the
case if "Commissioners" had been appointed.
NOTICIS AS TO THI4 OPENING OF THD NEW MARKET AND
THE CLOSING OF SMITHFIELD.
With regard to the precise steps which must be ieken
prior to the closing of Smithfield and the opening of the
new markets, the following may be taken as the facts of
the case. Immediately after the Markets' Improvement
Committde have reported to the Corporation that they
have provided the market-places, slaughter-houses, and
other conveniences, and fixed the table of tolls and pay-
ments, and appointed the market days, they will report
to the Common Council. That body will then report to
one of her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State what
they have done " concerning the premises," annexing to
such report a copy of the table of tolls and payments fixed
as aforesaid. Then it will be lawful for the Secretary of
State to fix the time for the opening of the said markets
and slaughter-houses ; and by a notieo under his hand, to
be published in the London Gazette, to notify that such
merket-places and slaughter-houses have been provided,
and the time when the same will be opened ; and that from
tie time so mentioned Smithfield-market will cease to be
a market for the sale of cattle and horses; and from and
after the time mentioned in such unties Smithfield-market
will cease to be a market for the sale of cattle and horses.
The markets (live, dead, or hide) are to be deemed " pub-
lic markets," and it is specifically enacted that "no new
market," after the opening of the new metropolitan mar-
kets, "shall be opened for the sale of cattle and horses, in
the eities of London and Westminster, orthe libertieslthere-
of, or in the borough of Southwark, or at any place dis-
tant less than 7 miles in a straight line front St. Paul's Ca-
thedral, in the city of London." (14 and 15 Viet., c. 61,
clause x.)

GENERAL POWERS OP CONTROL.
The corporate authorities possess, under the Metropoli-
tan Market Act, the following additional powers ;—To
make bye-laws : snbj eat always to the sanction and ap-
proval of one of her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State;
to let slaughter-houses and stalls; to fix a table of tolls and
payments • to take the " care, management, and control of
the market-places, slaughter-houses, lairs, conveniences,
and matters" connected with the market ; to appoint offi-
cers ; to authorise inspectors to seize cattle and meat unfit
for food, and to destroy the same ; to regulate the route
and times for the driving of cattle to and from the mar-
kets; to make contracts, grantlicencesto slaughter-houses,
and generally to supervise the entire establishment, the
•r-necitcs* operandi, for the government of which will, of
course, be developed as experience may dictate.
TUE SCLIEDIILSI OF TOLLS .

The Markets' Improvement Committee have not at pre-
sent made public their schedule of tolls ; indeed it is not
yet quite certain whether they have " fixed" the rates. Be
this as it may, we give the following ss tho Government
scale, it being enacted (14 and 15 Viet., c. 61, cl. 8)
"That such tolls and payments do not exceed the several
and respective sums mentioned in the schedule to the Act,"
and which aro as follow :

TOLLS.
Sheep—For every score sold, 2d. per score.
Beasts—For overt' score sold, is. Bd. per score.
Horses—For every entry of sale, 4d. each.
Pigs—For every score, id.
DUES.
Pens for sheep, calves, or pigs (permanent) is. each.
Ties for boasts or calves, id. each ; for horses 2d. each.
Hay duty, 6d. per load, and for each entry of sale, ld.
Straw duty, ld. per load, each entry of sale, ld.
Between the above schedule of " tolls" and " dues" there
is some little alteration as compared with the existing
charges at Smithfield; generally ierence, however, either ono
way or the other, may ebe regarded as in,signift-
cant.

• This exception has referenco to clause XXXIX., which
provides that if the Corporation make default, commissioners
are to he appointed to execute the act,

THE FISHERY LAWS.

The lovers of the rod will be glad to learn there is at
length a probability of the fishery laws beiag amended, as
Mr. Henry Marshall has published a letter in a portion of
the daily papers to the effect that a friend of his has pro-
mised to introduce a bill in the House of Commons with a
view to the restoration of the salmon fisheries of Groat
Britain. This is a subject of groat importance, not only to
naturalists, but to all classes of the community ; and our
only surprise is that the subject upon which the author
treats has not received that attention from our Government
which its importance demands. By wise and just legisla-
tionGagraeiant Britain, and
grace the vast
within the reach of
highly penal ," and that " there should
natehxaetye
nptbthoeoiosrrfeebsnbetcaai
eruarrrtesit
tnfisiarlcnicheap,
fresheearis)3,
iarna..anatalelir
arbuißorhhtuasmi
says'ohlafty
should declare cruives, stake, and bag nets, illegal, and
salmon fry catching, spearing_ fish preparing to spawn,
Parliament
salmon the rod
and the drag net." He also states " that salmon
should net be
banedoil2cleylt
captured after the latter end of August,
twilolinigawful modes of taking
in order that they may have the proper feeding and
breeding time destined for them by nature." There
are several river proprietors who are at considerable
expense in
• preserving their waters, but derive no return
dit
for their trouble and expen ure. These rivers are fear-
fully poached ; the present law does not give the salmon a
fair opportunity
• to multiply, and it is utterly impossible
to calculate how many millions of young salmon are un-
timely destroyed by such destructive inventions as are
allowed by act of Parliament. Mr. Robert Ramebottom
has already published some valuable conamuni,;a.tions on
the salmon qaestion. His remedy consists of an enactment
to the effect, " that the mesh of every salmon net shall be
of such a size (hereafter to be determined), as to permit the
escape of all salmon of 71b weight and under. The reader
is probably aware that 9.*inch mesh is the least by which
salmon may legally be captured, and that the employment
of a smaller mesh subjects the offender to a penalty. The
intention, in prohibiting the use of diminutive meshes, was
highly commendable' but, unfortunately, the statute did
not answer the end for which it was originally designed.
At the date of its enactment but little was known of the
natural history of the salmon. At that time, and indeed up
to a very recent period, it was generally thought that the
sprod and inert (sea trout) were the young of the salmon.
Acting under this impression the Legislature adopted a 21-
inch mesh, in the belief that such a size would be large
enoagh to allow young salmon to pass, and ascend the rivers
for the purpose of spawning. Later researches show that the
mort and sprod are an entirely distinct species, that grilse,
or young salmon, are of such average dimensions that by far
the greater number has no chance of escape from the statute
net. It is, therefore, evident that if the fishery laws are
not amended, salmon will soon be double the price it now
is, and that allthe artificial breeding and other arts of man
can never make it cheap and abundant, unaided by suit-
able and natural laws. We sincerely hope the proposed
bill will become law, not because it interests our readers—
the aristocratic and monied circles—but because its effects
, would prove highly beneficial to the salmon-loving public.

RUSSIAN PRISONERS ARRESTED ON BOARD OP THE
BRITANNIA.—The following is an extract from the Frey-
chid:, a Hamburg family paper, or miscellaneous ga-
zette, dated the 21st of November :—" Immediately
after the arrival of the Britannia, Captain A. Fokkes,
from Hull, on Sunday last, the commander of the police
of the harbour, with a small body of men, went on
board, and arrested seven of the passengers, whom he
took to the guardhouse, on the Grossneu-market, which
is used as a preliminary prison. It is reported the pri-
soners have been sailors of a Russian merchant vessel,
which was captured by the English, and condemned by
the Admiralty, and that they made their escape on board
the Britannia, thinking themselves quite safe when once
in Hamburg, and intending to direct their way from
thence home. However, fate had decided otherwise ;
the English ambassador had already been informed by
telegraph, and ho caused their arrest. Although the
Hamburg magistrate has yielded to the demand of the
English ambassador no one can deny that, being a neu-
tral power, it has placed itself in a very awkward posi-
tion by so doing, and every ~re looks fur the forthcr
progress of the a ff;tir•with great intereA. We are very
sorry
and cannot return to Hull until he bas undergone an
that Captain Fokke!= has got into inconvenienceg,
examination, which, however, can only be taken as a
matter of formality, as everybody who knows Captain
Fokker must be aware that he is a man who loves
freedom, awl van have little sympathy fer Russian des-
Mina."