The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-08 00:00:00

BOARD OF TRADE RETURNS.

The Board of Trade returns for the month
ending the sth of August were issued yesterday,
and exhibit a continuance of the remarkable totals
presented throughout the year. As compared with
the corresponding period of 1852 they show an in-
crease in the declared value of our exportations of
1,405,9181., and their general character still indi-
cates the extent to which they have been influenced
by the Australian trade. Thus beer and ale, which
in last month's returns figured for the extraordinary
increase of 41,5801., now appear for an increase of
61,4591., or nearly 150 per cent. upon the quantity
in August of last year. In hardwares and cutlery,
and also in leather, including saddlery, the rate of
augmentation, great as it was in the preceding
return, is likewise considerably more prominent on
this occasion. The most striking advance, how-
ever, is in haberdashery and millinery, which has
become the most important single item in the list,
and has reached a sum, for the month, of nearly
half a million. A very large portion of this has
consisted of ready-made clothing for Australia, and
although in a country where it is more costly to
wash than to buy the consumption can be
estimated by no experience, there is reason
to fear that supplies sent forward month after
month, upon the scale now exhibited not only in
this but all other respects, will prove wholly dis-
proportionate to any possible demand of a popula-
tion which, with all the increase it has undergone,
is still, taking the three colonies of New South
Wales, Victoria, and South Australia together,
not so large as that of the city of New York.
Among the other largest items metals are conspi-
cuous, the increase being mostly in railway bars
and implements of wrought iron, of which the
latter only have been heavily shipped to the colo-
nies, the bars having probably been chiefly sent to
the United States, to be paid for, it may be appre-
hended in many cases, by doubtful railroad bonds.
The aggregate value of our exports during the
first seven months of the year has been 49,861,6431.,
against 40,138,5601. in the like period of 1852,
showing an increase of 9,723,0831., or more than
24 per cent., which has occurred in the following
order :

Month ending Increase.
February 5 £1,410,060
March 5 919,097
April 5
May 5
June 5 1,187,558
July 5 1,033,637
August 5 1,405,918
As compared with the same period of 185 t there
has been an increase of 9,349,5871.
As regards the articles of food imported and
taken into consumption, the chief point for notice
is an increase of 416,000 quarters of wheat, and
the importations for the first seven months of the
year have now reached 2,757,104 quarters, against
1,331,651 quarters in the same period of 1852, so
that the total taken has been more than double.
In flour, likewise, although the present return
shows a decrease, there has been a large augmenta-
tion during the year, the supply for the seven
months having been 2,955,597 cwt., against
2,417,453 cwt. in 1852. In the seven months
of 1851, however, the importation of bread-stuffs
was about equal to that which has now occurred.
The consumption of salted provisions, butter and
cheese, eggs, cocoa, sugar, rice, spirits, wines,
spices, tobacco, and coffee, have been excessively
large, much of the improvement in the latter
article, which has steadily increased throughout
the year, being attributable probably to the sup-
pression of the chicory adulteration. In the con-
sumption of tea there has been a considerable in-
crease since the commencement of the year, but
none during the month ; the importation, how-
ever, has been very large. The quantity of wine
imported has also been singularly great, the total
for the month being 1,119,481 gallons, against
528,502 gallons in 1852, a result in some measure
to be attributed to extensive purchases on the part
of dealers possessed of capital, under the expecta-
tion of a great future scarcity from the vine
disease.

Letters from Amsterdam state that the amount of
silver lately sold by the Dutch Bank has been 3,500,000
guilders, or nearly 300,000/. From Brussels the advices
mention the probability of a new Belgian loan.
CUSTOMS DUTIES.—The Lords Commissioners' of the
Treasury have caused a communication to be made to
the Commissioners of Customs, desiring that the twilled
handkerchief, of similar quality and make to Pongees,
differing only in the fact of its being twilled instead of
being plain wove, and called by the trade China silk
handkerchiefs, because worth about is. to 2s. per piece
more than the Pongees, may be deemed to be Pongees
and charged with duty accordingly. Their lordships
have also desired it to be stated that they see no objec-
tion to including in the tariff, under the head of China
crape shawls, crape scarfs, handkerchiefs, and pieces,
plain damask and embroidered, at 3s. to ss. the lb., and
further, that having regard to the little experience which
has as yet been derived from the recent substitution of
rated for ad valorem duties, their lordships are not dis-
posed to make any further alteration in the tariff in re-
ference to China silk pieces and East India goods.
A.dvices from Australia state that "building materials
of every description continue to realise almost fabulous
prices, and, notwithstanding the exorbitant charge for
land carriage, yield to those willing to part with them
enormous profits. A peculiar galvanised tinned iron
tile, shipped from London, is much sought after, as it is
not only applicable to the roofs but the sides of houses.
A few rough poles and a sufficient number of these
patent tiles will afford a habitation wholly impervious
to wind, snow, and rain. They are made of large size,
and pack very closely, costing but little for freight by
measurement. The cases bear the brand of Morewood
and Co., Steel Yard, London,' and from the supply,
they must be stamped with immense rapidity. It would
rather startle those at home, who must send for a special
labourer for each description of work, to see how well
the inexperienced put these things together here, al-
though the grooves and nail holes render it almost im-
possible to err in their arrangement."—Herald.
REVOLTING CRUELTY OF A HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE.—
On Thursday evening last, as a dissipated couple named
Chalmers, residing in the notorious Croiley's-land, and
in the same tenement which was the scene of the New
Vennel murder, were engaged in a drinking bout, a
quarrel ensued—the man insisting upon taking posses-
sion of a ricketty table which he proposed to pledge at
the nearest pawnbroker's for the purpose of raising
funds to procure a fresh supply of whisky, and the wo-
man as obstinately determining to retain the furniture.
From words they soon came to blows, Chalmers, in his
drunken exasperation, seizing a heavy piece of wood,
and inflicting several fearful gashes on his wife's head,
from which the blood flowed profusely. Not satisfied
with this exhibition of his brutality, the heartless wretch
became possessed of a clothes rope, which he twisted
round the poor woman's neck and pulled so tightly that
she would soon have died from strangulation had it not
been for the timeous interference of some of the neigh-
bours. Upon the police being called to the house, they
found Mrs. Chalmers in a deplorable state, her hair clotted
with blood, her face swollen to an unnatural size, and
discolourations on her neck—the effects of the applica-
tion of the rope. The ruffian had, however, contrived
to escape before their arrival, but on the following night
he was apprehended in a public-house in one of the.
lowest parts of the city. At the Central Police-court.
on Saturday morning, where the above facts were ex-
piscated in evidence, the assault was found proven.
against Chalmers by Bailie Drummond, who, after re-
marking on the atrocity of the case, sentenced him to.
two months' imprisonment—the latter half of the period!
to be accompanied with hard labour. If any evidence
were wanting to demonstrate the'expediency of extend-
ing the recent act for the protection of women to Scot-
land, it is abundantly supplied by this and many similae
cases of daily occurrence before our police-courts.—
North British Mail.

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS

FRANCE.

The Emperor has granted pardons to 68 prisoners,
and also to 60 others who were sentenced by courts-
martial to transportation to Algeria after the in-
surrection of June, 1848.
The Emperor and Empress will return to Paris
on Saturday, and again set out about the 15th for
their long-announced journey to Boulogne and
the north of France.

Letters from Algiers, of the 30th ult., state that
the cherif of Ouargla, and some other insurgent
chiefs, were at Rouissat and its neighbourhood,
with about 300 horsemen. The populations,
which have furnished these contingents, are de-
scribed as suffering dreadfully from want of corn,
since the Souf and the Oued-R'ir have ceased to
supply them ; in fact, they live at present almost
altogether on dates. Selman, the murderer of the
family Ben-Djellsh, and-the friend of the cheriff,
had contrived to impress the insurgent tribes
with the idea that Tuggurt, the principal town
of the Oued-R'ir, is the last bulwark of Islamism
in Algeria, and has induced them to undertake
some defensive works around that place. The
intelligence from Beni-Mzab represents them as
still divided into two parties, one faithful to the
French, and the other in relation with the choriff
of Ouargla. The latter lately made an irruption
on the Beni-Isguen, who remain faithful to the
French, and a considerable number of men were
killed on both sides. On the frontiers of Morocco,
the Mzaouirs and Mais have committed so many
acts of brigandage as to excite the serious atten-
tion of the authorities on the frontier. General
Pelissier, to protect the tribes of Tlemcen against
their turbulent neighbours, has lately ordered cer-
tain measures of surveillance which, it is thought,
will be attended with satisfactory results.
General Changarnier arrived at Interlaken some
days ago. 'He subsequently proceeded to Benin-
zona, and left that place on the 2d, with Baron
Nathan Rothschild, for Piedmont. Gen. Bedeau
is at present in Switzerland ; he was recently at
Thoune.

M. Calderon de la Barca leaves Paris for Madrid
on Friday. It is not at all certain that he will de-
finitively accept the portfolio that has been offered
to him in the present cabinet.

•
A letter from Laou (Aisne) of the sth inst., states
that the price of flour declined considerably in those
towns on Saturday, but not in time to influence the
price of bread for the first 15 days of Sept. The price
would consequently have risen at Laon not less than
40 centimes the 5 kilogrammes. The Prefect of
the Department, imitating the course pursued by
the Prefect of Paris, has assumed the responsibility,
of reducing the 40 centimes to 20 centimes, pro-
posing to the bakers to compensate them for their
present loss by permitting them to continue the
present rate after a fall in the price of flour.
A letter from Nantes, of the 4th inst., states
that the price of wheat in that town was quoted
at the beginning of last week at 28f. the 78 kilo-
grammes, with little demand, and with a prospect
of a fall. Good fresh flour was sold to the bakers
at 80f. the 159 kilogrammes, and inferior flour at
from 75f. to 78f., according to quality. But the
news of the measures adopted by the Government
surprised everybody, and stopped all business. The
buyers withdrew, and the orders given for the pur-
chase of wheat abroad were countermanded.

The speculators at the Bourse yesterday, alarmed
at the substance of the last dispatch received from
Constantinople, and likewise by a report that the
French Government would shortly require a loan
of 500,000,000 f., offered Government rentes and
railway shares for sale, both of which consequently
declined. The Three per Cents. opened at 78f.
50c., and closed at 78c. 35c. for the end of the
month ; the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. closed at
102 f. 10c. with the coupon detached ; Orleans
Railway Shares, 1,250 f. ; Rouen, I,loof. ; Havre,
520 f. ; Great Northern, 875 f. ; Paris and Stras-
burg, 935 f. ; Paris and Lyons, 942 f. 50c. ' • Western
of France, 750 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 627 f. 50c. ;
Great Central, 542 f. 80c. ; Shares of the Bank of
Credit Mobilier, 830 f.