The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-31 00:00:00

THE COAL OWNERS' MONOPOLY.

Upon the audi diem?! pu;tent principle we give the fol-
lowing extract from Mr. M'Culloch's Commercial Dic-
tionary, where the whole subject of the coal trade is treated
at considerable length :
" Much has frequently been said of the monopoly of the
Coal Owners on the Tyne and the Wear; but we arc satis-
fied, after a pretty careful investigation of the circumstances,
that no such monoply has ever existed ; and that the high price
of coal in the metropolis is to be ascribed wholly to the various
duties and charges that have been laid upon it, from the time
that it has passed from the hands of the owner, to the time
that it is lodged in the cellar of the consumer. What means
have the Coal Owners of obtaining a monopoly price for their
coal ? They enjoy no exclusive privileges of any sort • they
arc a numerous body; and the trade is as open as any other to
all capitalists to engage in. The number of places on the cast
and west coasts, both of England and Scotland, and the sou-
thern parts of Wales, from which coals are exported, render it
quite visionary. to suppose that any general agreement to,keep
up prices can take place amongst the various coal proprietors.
And though such an agreement were entered into, it is im-
possible it could be maintained. The power of producing coal
greatly exceeds the present demand ; many new mines have
been recently opened, and many others would- be brought into
activity were the price artificially enhanced. It is true that
the Coal Owners referred to, having experienced the ruinous
effects of thro;ving a superabundant quantity of coal upon re-
stricted and already glutted markets, have occasionally met
together, and each having named the -price be thinks his
coal will command, and at which he intends to sell it, they
have proceeded jointly to regulate according to the probable
demand, the quantity that each shall raise during any par-
ticular period. By means of this arrangement, the supply
and price of coal has been kept, during the time it has ex-
isted, comparatively steady. Common prudence prompts and
justifies such an arrangement ; but it also suggests the neces-
sity of reducing the price of 'coal to the lowest level that will
afford the customary rate of profit. For were the price de-
manded by the Northern Coal Owners raisect,above this level,
new mines would be opened in Durham and Northumber-
land ; the imports from the 'Fees, whence a large supply of
excellent coal is at present brought to the London markft,
would be augmented ; and fresh competitors, from Swansea
and other places, would come into the field and undersell
them. Government should encourage and promote this fair
competition; but it ought at the same time, to do equal jus-
tice by all the competitors. It is not to lend assistance to, or
or remove burdens from, one set of adventurers, which it does
not lend to or remove from others. It is no part of its duty to
say how coals, or any species of produce, shall be carried to
market. It is bound to give every reasonable facility fur the
opening of new channels or modes of conveyance between 'all
parts of the country ; but it would be glaringly unjust to lay a
tax on the coals conveyed by a particular channel, from where
those conveyed by other channels, were exempted."

PATIIETICS ESCFIEWED.—Bellini's opera of
Montecchi e Capuleti" was lately performed at Bucharest.
At the bottom of the affiche was the following notice To
avoid the lamentable effect at the end of the fourth act, Romeo
and Juliet will not die."—Musical World.

We have great pleasure in announcing that Mr.
Branfill, the Liberal candidate for the representation of ESseX,
will be returned by a very large majority. He will be
proposed by T. B. Lennard, Esq., M. P.. at Chelmsford, on
Thursday next ; where it is expected that there will be a very
numerous assemblage of the liberal landed proprietors of the
county. Most of the Noblemen and Gentlemen who take a
lead in liberal politics have already signified their intention of
supporting him with all their influence. A subscription has
been set on foot to defray the expenses of the election.
THE POLAR EXPEDITION. Every exertion is
being used in fitting out his Majesty's ship Terror, which is
to proceed on the North-west Voyage of Discovery, under the
command of Captain Back. Placards have been posted about
town the last few days, offering a bounty of double wages to'
able seamen. The expedition from the route which is designed
will, it is expected, last about three years.
The weather was so cloudy on the 15th at Vienna,
that no observation could be made of the solar eclipse. The
wheat, which was pretty forward, has suffered by the cold of
this month, which has caused the prices to rise in some parts •
of Upper Hungary.—German Paper.
M. Isturiz, the new Minister, is a native of Cadiz,
where his father made his fortune by trading with South
America. His two sons became enamoured of the glowing
doctrines and grand plans put forth by the Cortes in 1811 and
1812, which induced them to quit the counting-house. One
of the brothers, since dead,• emigrated to this country after
the events in 181 b, and obtained a prize in the lottery of
20,0001. The present Minister was returned to the Madrid
Cortes for Cadiz in 1822, but did not take a leading part in
the discussions of that day. He is no orator, a requisite es-
sential at the present moment in Spain. He is well versed in
commercial and financial questions, is zealous and sagacious,
but cannot be considered a politician.
Tobit's Dog, a public-house in the south-west cor-
ner of St. Paul's Church-yard, one of the most ancient and
memorable in the metropolis, where Charles the Second and
his friend Rochester played many a merry prank, and where
wits and bacehanalians of a more recent date held their nightly
revels, has, within the last week, been entirely demolished,
together- with all its tangible reminiscences, and the plot cf
ground on which it stood, is added to the establ;shment of
Messrs. Ellis and Everington.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY.

(Before the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Devon,sand Lord
Lyndhurst.)
SMALL V. ATTWOOD.

The appointment of this important case (which occupied so
much of the time of the House last session) for hearing to-
day, created some considerable sensation among the profession,
it having been rumoured that it was intended on behalf of Mr.
Attwood, to raise an objection to the Noble Lord from whose
judgment the appeal was brought, hearing the case. This an-
ticipation, however, was not realized, for on counsel being
called in,

Mr. Sergeant WILDE wished to know what course it was
their Lordships' pleasure he should take? It would be in the
recollection of their Lordships, that at the breaking up of the
last session, his Lcarned Friend (Mr. Knight) was in the
course of his argument for the respondent. He wished, there-
fore, to know whethci the Housc.a.s then constituted, required
the whole case to be re-stated by him on behalf of the appel-
lant, or whether their Lordships wis'aed .it to be taken up by
his Learned Friend on behalf of the respondent?
Mr. KNIGHT said that he was perfectly ready to go on.

. _
. _
Mr. Sergeant WILDE was anxious, on the part of the ap-
pellant, to re-state the case, as it was his belief that justice
could not be done either to his client or the Clouse without it.
LORD CHANCELLOR said, that to himself personally, of
course it would be more satisfactory to have the case re-

arm''ued.
After some discussion, as to Philip Taylor not being made a
party—
Mr. Sergeant WJLDE proceeded to open the case on behalf
of the appellant.
The appeal is expected to occupy at least three weeks in ar-
guing. Our readers will recollect that an argument before
Lord Lyndhurst as Lord Chief Baron, occupied no less than
23 days, and 15 days in being partly argued before their Lord-
ships last Session.

ROLLS COURT-MONDAY.

JENKINS V. PORTMAN.--JUDGMENT.

This was a bill filed by the executors of Thomas Jenkins
against Mr. Portman, praying that it might be declared by the•
decree of the Court, they were entitled to have a piece of
ground which was comprised in a deed dated the 14th of
August, 1810, demised to them at a peppercorn rent, for the
remainder of a term of years mentioned in the agreement, and
that Mr. Portman might execute such lease or leases
accordingly.
His LORDSHIP this morning gave judgment, and stated that
he was of opinion Mr. Portman was not entitled to call on the
plaintiffs for any further performance of the covenants of a deed
which had been executed in August 1825, and_that the plain-
tiffs were entitled to the relief they prayed, and that Mr. Port-
man must pay the costs of the suit ; the leases to be settled by
the Master if the parties differed.

TIIE ATTORNEY-GENERAL V. ASPINALL.
This was a demurrer put in to an information filed by the
Attorney-General, at the relation of two individuals, named
Jcvons and Moltin, against the trustees of the sum of 105,000/.
raised by the late Corporation of Liverpool, for the purpose
of endowing the clergy of that borough.
Mr. PEMBERTON appeared on behalf of the defendants, in
support of the demurrer.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL. as Counsel for the relators,
after adverting to the facts of the case, would admit that this
appropriation had been made with the very best intentions, and
to effect a very laudable purpose, but it was his duty to sub-
mit that it was an improper one. He did not seek to set it
aside on the ground of collusion, for none was charged ; but
it stood before the Court as a pure transfer of the sum of
105,0001. to the trustees, without anv consideration.
Ills Lordship the MAsTER of the itor.Ls would consider the
the case for a few days. It was clear that it was one in which
the Town Council had refused to interfere, and it was clear
also that no collusion was charged against the party.
Judgment' deferred.