The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-11 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The Cologne Gazette of the 18th positively con-
tradicts the report of a Royal Congress to be held at
Berlin.

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, APRIL 9.—Count Banzou, delegate of
the committee of the creditors of the Spanish debt,
who has been here for some days, has had the honour
of being admitted to a private audience by his
Majesty. The interview was long, and is said to
have been full of interest. The Count is charged by
the committee of the creditors of the Spanish debt to go
to Madrid for the purposeof substantiating their claims.
On his arrival at Brussels, he immediately sought
an interview with Senator Cogels, the President of
the Antwerp Committee, who recently went to Ma-
drid for a similar object. Count Ranzaw has been
received by M. d'Hoffschmidt, the Minister for Foreign -
Affairs, and other persons in office, with the distinc-
tion which naturally attaches to the representative of
the important interests of Belgium, England, and
France, as well as of Holland.
Much attention has of late been paid to the state
of the working classes, and numerous improvements
have been made in their constitution. Though we have
no Health of Towns Bill, the authorities are by no
means negligent of the immense importance of a
healthy tone in all things. The Minister of the Inte-
rior has just addressed a circular to the provisional
governors on this subject. He proposes the forma-
tion of special funds in all the communes for draining
and supplying them with water. Another point espe-
cially brought under their consideration, was the pro-
priety of forming private associations for the con-
struction of dwellings suitable to the working
classes and poor, and the formation of new streets in
healthy quarters.

STATE OF TRADE.
(From the Manchester Gump(lian of this day.)
MANCHESTER, APRIL 10. The actual occurrence of
blows between Denmark and Germany has been felt on
our Exchange to-day, in an increased backwardness to
operate for the countries affected' by the event. In-
peed, political causes have tied up the hands of buyers,
for all markets betwixt the Baltic and the Mediterranean;
while for Russia and the Levant the purchases have
been on a very limited scale; An increased stagna-
tion has consequently prevailed in yarns adapted to
the continental trade. Water twist continues in a pecu-
liarly depressed state. The absence of buyers renders
the prices of the yarns referred to, in a great degree,
nominal; purchases may, however, be made on reduced
terms. In India yarns there is a diminished business,
as compared with last week, and prices are barely steady,
except in the lower qualities of 40's, of which the sup-
ply scarcely equals the demand. The demand for
goods has also fallen off, though by no means in the
same degree as that for yarns, nor in so great a degree
as was anticipated in the morning. The inquiry
is mostly confined to shirtings, from a 64-reed down-
ward, to printing cloths and other light fabrics; and,
though fewer are wanted than was the case a week ago,
still, being now better supplied with orders, the makers
are little disposed to accept any offers at lower rates.
Heavy goods continue in their previous state of de-
pression. It may be noted that there has been little
more inclination to purchase for the Eastern
and some other markets in the latter part
of the day, than in the forenoon. The turn
out, on account of the relay system, at some of
the large mills at Stalybridge, is not yet at an end. In
one concern, a few hands resumed work to-day ; it is
not improbable, however, that a general turn-out may
take place before the conclusion of the week. There is
also, we believe, some uneasiness on this score at Bolton
and at Mossley. _ _ _

ROCHDALE,- APRIL 9.—We have bad another ex-
tremely dull market : few merchants have attended,
and the sales have been very limited. In Wool, there
has been very little doing, and prices may be quoted the
same as last week.

HUDDERSFIELD, APRIL 10.—There has been a rather
dull market to-day, although we do not think that the
general trade is good. Several mills in the neighbour-
hood are working double time, and it will require some
weeks to complete the orders on hand. Woof maintains
its price, and stocks are low.
HALIFAX, APRIL 7.—We have no change to report
this week in any department of trade, every branch re-
maining pretty much as it has been for the last week or
two.

Among the fair debutantes at her Majesty's next
drawing•room will be Miss Peel, the beautiful and ac
compliahed daughter of Sir Robert and Lady Peel.
A. STUPID HOAX.—We copy the following from
the Montrose Standard. The Fly, 14, Commander R.
A. Oliver, when last heard of, was at Auckland, New
Zealand, rather a long way from Newfoundland. It
could not be the " Spy," 3, brigantine, Lieut. Comman-
der Western, for she has been reported for the southern
division of the west coast of Africa:—" STRANGE OC•
CURRENGE.—HER MAJESTY'S SLOOP FLY.—A bottle
was found on the margin of the basin on Tuesday last,
after the tide had receded, and upon examination, it
was discovered to contain the following intelligence,
written in pencil, on a piece of paper, about three in-
ches square:—' December 8. 1848.—Her Majesty's ship
Fly, off Newfoundland, foremast gone, six feet water
in the hold, cannot live many hours, guns thrown over-
board.—J. Smith, Coxswain.' As her Majesty's sloop
Fly, which carries 14 guns, was at sea on Dec. 8, 1848,
according to the list of vessels in commission, and as it
is far from being probable that .any one would forge
such a document arid place it into a sealed bottle, merely
for the sake of creating unnecessary alarm, there is
every reason to believe that that the bottle has floated
across the Atlantic, and been carried along the east
coast of Scotland to the place where it was found.
Bottles with facts of wrecks have been known to drift
across from the northern coasts of America in less time
than two months, by a current that sets from the west-
ward, so that the time favours the supposition that the
intelligence is real. Still, however, it is strange that
wo have not heard of the loss of 'the sloop of war Fly,
and possibly those who are acquainted with the matter
will inform us whether this intelligence is correct or
not." . ,

TAKING THE VElL.—Yesterday-the solemn cere.
mony of the reception of a young lady into the order o
the Sisters of Mercy took place in the chapel of the
Most Holy Trinity, Parker's-raw, Bermondsey. The
chapel was thronged with fashionably-attired ladies, and
several noble lords, members of the Catholic Church,
were also present. The postulant upon this' occasion was
a Miss Barry, the daughter of highly connected parents,
who have only recently returned from India, after a
lengthened sojourn. The young lady, who is said to
possess a large fortune in her own right, devotes it all to
the service of the order with :which she has connected
herself. • . ... ._
The steam-ship United. States, lately purchase nti on
New York for the German navy, carries twelve gu
aft. Her
each side, two brass swivels forward, and two
,ar
a. e
engines have,undergono repairs and altf r
.ioat
instlttanta—
d in
was expected to be ready for sea on the
at i
Liverpool Mercury.
our last we
THE WEATHER. IN SCOTLAND.—Since
have experienced an interruption of the genial Weather
with which we had for some time previous been fa.
voured, the last three days having been cold and bois-
terous. Friday was bright and pleasant, but, during th..
night, the wind veered round troaituh.e south-east, and,
the whole
Saturday morning a strong gale was blowing from that
galea continued, acocnomspaunnideady, with
the
h
occa-
sionallydirection,anrising to the force of
day
not so hurricane,
boisterous,-utandthae
considerable quantity of rain fell.
how-
ever, the weather was Yesterday,
air continued cold and damp, and the sky
clouded. Previous to this change .
ope-
rations were progressing agricultural
to think that favourably, and it is satisfactory
they are in
planting has be a state of great forwardness.
Potato
been proceeded with to a consider-
able extent, and the sowing of oats, even in late districts,
whilst
is nearly finibhed, almost all farmers have laid
down their barley crops. The wheat-plant presents a
fine healthy-looking braird, and is coming up with great
regularity. Pasture grass gives promise of an early
crop in most quarters; but,we are afraid that the cold
and ungenial weather of the last -few tlaSrs will have
operated rather unfavourably to its growth.—Edinburgh
Advertiser.

.3

L'T I' t .
EDITOR ilk 7Hb S A.
Sze,—After reading, the splendid and noble speech
of Sir Robert Peel, on the-- rate in aid question, it
appeared to me that the Right Hon. Armlet had
taken up a position of which every lover of bia'oun-
try would teel proud, and around ivhicir all ',aides
would eventually rally. 1
You have shown, Sir, by your comments 0-11 that
speech, how clearly you -perceive- the brilliant light
about at length to dispel the gloomy mist:that has
for too long a time been hanging sayer the destiny of
this powerful empire.
A mighty change is evidently about to take place
in the mode of conducting the affairs of -this- great
nation, and we shall presently act as bold!Friit,peace
as we did in war. _ •

The carrying into effect Sir Robert Peel's gigantic
schemes, with his plans for healthy emigration, will
naturally entail the construction of immense colonial
self-sustaining works, for these alone can afrord the
means so generally required, of giving immediate
employment to the emigrant.
It was, therefore, with much satisfaction noticed
your observations, consequent on the publication of
the ➢Memorandum so lately favourably received by the
Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company:
In his hands I feel confident that document will
not be allowed to remain idle, but the 2subject will
soon, if it has not been so already, be brought under
the notice of the Colonial Minister, and thus our
princely merchants may, -perhaps,' learn fitita high
authority, that England has now, in her own quiet
possession most valuable territory, through. which can
be constructed (and under Providence, in,. an in-
credible short space of time) as good,. as.practicable,
and as short a line of communication between-the At-
lantic and the Pacific oceans-AS anYithat htteeter yet
been proposed, not only for England, her celdiiies, and
the north of Europe, but also for many parts ef the
United States.
It is well worthy of remark, and, qusWlipt to be
forgotten, that when Sir George Simpson Telt Eng-
land' on 'his journey round the world he,was, accom-
panied by "a gentleman in the service of the Russian-
American Company," on his route from Petersburgh to
Saha, which his superiors were preferring for him,
as shorter by thirty degrees of longitude, the breadth of
all the rest of the world, to that of his native otapire—
evidence, I think, conclusive of the shortness •of the
route to the Pacific (and, as a matter of cotirse, to the
Sandwich Islands, the metropolis or, that Ocean) for
any traveller from the ports of the 'Baltic.
If I am wrong as regards my remark about the
United States, some one may perhaps be kind enough
to point out any route that would be shorter or better
for a tiative of Portland, in New Hampshire, to travel
to reach the Pacific, than by Montreal,• the Red River
~ettletnent, and over the Rocky Mountains- to Fraser's
River. - • .

No, Sir, depend upon it that not'onlf for the
British empire, but for many other par-
ties, the route for which we are now
using our best endeavours, will prove to be'the most
practicable, the most available, and the shortest. To
Great Britain invaluable, as giving immediate and
remunerative employment to her people, and afford-
ing the required outlet to " our superabundance of
capital—our plethora of talent:" But your kind in-
dulgence must not make me forget the value of your
time and of your columns. I shall therefore Conclude
with assuring you of the esteem and gratitude of
Your most obedient servant,
ROBERT CARMICHAEL SMYTH.
Junior United Service Club, April 9,-1849.