The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-11 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

WOLYERTIAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.—The first of the
October quarterly meetings of the iron masters of
South Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire,
was held at Walsall yesterday, and the second in this
town to day. That at Walsall is usually considered
comparatively unimportant, the far greater amount
of business being transacted at the subsequent meet-
ings held at Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and
Dudley. There was an average attendance of iron
and coal masters to-day, and the settlements were
understood to be generally satisfactory.
The great staple manufacture of this district was,
however, represented not to be in the most satisfactory
condition. The small _makers are in pretty full
work, but in the largest iron works there is not the
same activity. The demand is principally for home
consumption ; for iron required for the purpose of
manufacturing articles of domestic use. Of heavy
orders there are comparatively few, it being notorious
that there are many contracts on hand, particularly
for railways, which cannot or will not, if ever—
owing to the suspension of railway projects—be
completed for many months to come.
It has been deemed advisable to abide by the
nominal price fixed upon at the preliminary meeting
held a fortnight ago—viz., 61. per ton for rods and
bars, and for hoops and sheets in the same proportion.
Many of the thin coal men, encouraged by the
acquiescence of some of the masters in the neighbour-
hood of West Bromwich, are still standing out for an
increase of wages. It appears quite certain, from
statements made by all parties, that the demand for
and present price of iron will not justify such an
advance ; but after the indecision and vacillation
manifested by some small firms it is impossible to say
whether or not the colliers will be successful in their
present attempt.
The principal meeting of the trade will be held in
the Town hall, Birmingham, to-morrow. It is pos-
sible that upon that occasion some further information
with regard to the state and prospects of the iron
manufacture may be obtained ; but, after all, little
confidence is to be placed in the decisions of quarterly
meetings.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL—The quarterly meeting
of subscribers to the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's Inn-
lane, was held last night; George Simpson, Esq., in the
chair. The report stated, that on the first appearance of
cholera two of the largest wards in the hospital, con-
taining 100 beds, were prepared for the reception of
poor persons, and both had since been exclusively de-
voted to the accommodation of such patients. The
number of deaths from cholera in the hospital had been
comparatively small, and principally among those who
bad been admitted in the last stages of the epidemic.
The governors were congratulated upon the rapid de-
cline of the malady; but it was added, that the commit.
tee felt it expedient to retain the 100 beds, only a por-
tion of which were now occupied, for the reception or
cholera patients, at any hour of day or night. The
report concluded by urging the necessity of increasing
the pecuniary means of the charity, on the ground that
its funds have been seriously affected by the unavoid-
able increase in the current expenses of the quarter.
During the last three months no fewer than 7,948
patients had received the assistance of the charity. of
this number 7,671 were out, and 277 were in-patients.
The report was unanimously adopted, and a short dis-
cussion followed upon the general affairs of the charity,
in the course of which its advantages to the necessitous
poor were recommended by several speakers. All the
resolutions having been carried, the proceedings termi-
nated.

WHITERAYEN AND FUUNESS JUNCTION RAILWAY
—This line is now open for universal traffic from Whit_
haven to Itsvenglass, and the result, so far, has ex-
ceeded the most sanguine expewations of the promoters.
The contractors are now busily engaged in pushing for-
ward the work from Rivenglass to Bootle, which is pro-
gressing with great rapidity, there being not less than
300 " navvies " and artisans employed at it. The con.
tract for the line between Bootle and Broughton-in.
Furness, has just been let to Messrs. Fell and Joplin, of
Greenodd, near Ulverstone ; and they expect to have
their part completed by the time the line is open to
Bootle; so that early in the ensuing year the most diffi-
cult portion of the line will be finished, and opened to the
üblie.—Carlisle Patriot.