The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-20 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, FEB. 16.—During tie last few days
there has been more inquiry than for some time pre-
viously, both for goods and yarn. Although little
business has been done, except in cases where holders
consented, under the pressure of heavy stocks, to accept
lower prices, there was upon the whole a more cheerful
feeling on the Exchange yesterday, than on any market
day since the commencement of the year ; and some of
our best-informed merchants and manuacturers ap-
peared to think that there were strong indications of
future improvement. We learn, too, that the advices
received from the United States, by the Hibernia, are
very favourable, and give a more decided promise than
heretofore of an extensive business to that country. We
do not learn, indeed, that an% very heavy orders have
been received, nor are any such likely to be sent at this
season ; but we believe that- the small shipments sent out
at
wh
itohhe
had
aatdt e rn
not
tn dp
roofv
iloaus y
st l
y etaor (r
m seodm ep
aorft tohfe mt, h
eo f fa
regboriai c
rs
aivreemeufnaellrattri
given
tah
expectations peexecterletidoinnsoy may
extports to the United States), have been generally sold
an
dge prices ees ;
generallyan d
expected.
furtherx ecte
d. orders
B But,
t ,h have
whateverbeen
for those and other goods, so that a large business
be entertainedi)
improve-
ment, the present position of pinneesrstoan
period in the history of the future
manufacturers
ietntidis
unfavourable.
of the yarn, or cloth into which cotton manufacture, has the
Probably, at no former
margin between the cost l'
rab cottonsuspension
by aan dv
very
ye
Ipricelarge
ge
has been the working of short manufactured, been
so small as at the present time; the necessary result
proportion of the trade, and a total sppension of labour
by a number of large establishments.'
nuring the last
few days, the greater part of the millo
Stule), bridge, Hyde, &c., have began to
wwoerrks in Ashton,l
eight
hours per day ; and their example is likelyon y to have
considerable influence upon other pur •
ties, who have
hitherto persisted in working full time.
ROCHDALE, FEB. 15.—T0-day there has been
an
extremely dull market, the worst we have had since this
year came in. Very few pieces have been sold, and
comparatively few buyers have attended the market..
It is reported that two small manufacturers for Black-
water market have stopped payment, and others are
talked of.
HALIFAX, FEB. 15.—Both spinners and manufacturers
experienced a gleam of hope, when thoy saw the price
of corn beginning to give way ; but the re-action in the
cotton market has dashed their hopes, and made the
gloom darker than before. Wools, both long and short,
k • become rather easier to buy, there has been more
having
inquiry for them, but purchasers have been rather shy,
in the expeetltion of a more decided reduetion.
1 g —A very dull market see
lIUDDCREFIELD, FEB. ~.
had, and quite a gloom pervades amongst our cloth
manufacturers. Hopes are entertained that the next
packet from America may bring several orders; but this
is not expected to improve any branch but the makers
of light goods and vestments.
LEEDS, FEB. 16.—We have a poor business doing at
our Cloth Flails to-day ; i...uil there is no new fFaLury in
the state of trade in oar district which demands notive.
Both mauuiaetureis and merchants euntinue to aa o-nh
great caution in their operations—the only mode to
meet the exigencies of the times.—Manchester Guardian,

THE DISTRESS.
DuxLiN, FEB. 17.—The following melancholy details of the
sapid progress of starvation in the west are copied from the
Mayo Constitution of yesterday:—
" In the neighbourhood of Newport, on Sunday morning
last, a poor man, named Mundy, was found on the road side.
His emaciated frame betokened that his death was the result
of want. He was a native of Burrishoole. On Friday last
a poor man died at Deradda, Mier Newport, of actual hunger,
leaving a family to follow in rapid succession. On Saturday
a poor man was also found expiring from exhaustion at Koos-
keen, and notwithstanding relief being brought, the poor man
died, food having come too late! In the neighbourhood of
Breaffy, near this town, the following deaths• have oc-
curred from starvation and disease—Michael M'Enally, of
Roemen, on the 12th ; Peter Swords, of Derrinacrishant„
on the 12th; his wife on the 12th; James Gavan, of
Ballysdawn, on the Bth ; his *wife on the 10th. All these
cases proceeded from dysentery and exhaustion. On •Sun-
day, the 7th instant, Mr. Atkisson, coroner, held an inquest
on the body of Patrick Maughan, at Coonanarrow. The
deceased has left a family, who are in the most indigent
state. The "jury verdict was—. 4 Death by starvation. In
this village there is not a family that do not appear likely to
fall victims to famine. On the same day, on the body of
James Brislane, at Kilcrimtnin. The deceased was put on
the public works a few days previous to his death, and was
hastening on Saturday evening to the office of the pay-clerk,
but being very weak from want of food, he fell on the way,
and was found dead nest morning. Verdict—' Death by
starvation.' On Monday, the Bth, on the body of Pat How-
ley, at Saltfield. The deceased was employed on the public
works, and was found lying on the road, where he had fallen,
by a person passing by; when removed to the nearest habi-
tation he died shortly after. Verdict—' Death by starvation.'
On the same day, on the- body of William Sheridan, at
Cloonta. The deceased had been in a gr-at state of destitu-
tion, and going from one village to another he fell into a
small rivulet which he attempted to cross, and from his de-
bility was unable to extricitta Vself! Verdict—' Death by
drowning, bnc attributed.to starvation.' This coroner states
there were twelve more inquests reported in his district, but
which from indisposition he has been unable to attend. Dur-
ing the past week Mr. O'Grady, coroner, held inquests on
the following persons :—Anne Fhilbin, Patt Hannon, Francis
Gannon, Jordan Morrisroe, Anne Teatum, Patrick Carey,
Thomas Costello, Constantine Muller, John Mulloy, Bridget
Mulloy. In each of these cases the verdict returned was—
Death from starvation.''

In the same paper there is given an account of a most
atrocious murder which was perpetrated on the night of the
11th inst., about four miles to to the west of Louisburgh
:
"It appears that two sisters, named Mary and Honor Gib
bons, lived Dear a brother of theirs named Jarred Gibbons;
Mary went on that day to Louisburgh to purchase provi•
eons, but did not return ; in her absence the house was
burned, as well as the body of her unfortunate sister. Mr.
Walshe and the coroner arrived there, and, after two days'
inquiry, Mr. Walshe and the police found hid in James
Gibbons' house a large quantity of the unfortunate woman's
property; it was also discovered that he sold at daybreak the
feather bed on which she lay the night she was murdered.
Gibbons was found to be somewhat burned, and there was
evidence from two of his relatives against him. The jury
unanimously returned a verdict of wilful murder against him.
He has been fully committed. It was with difficulty that
the police saved him from being struck by the stones which
the country people Jiang at him. The woman's right leg
and arm were burned to a cinder."
GALWAY ELECTION..

GALWAY, MONDAY EVENING, Fig gross poll, as
declared by the returr, ing officer this afternoon, is as follows :
The Solicitor-General

Mr. O'Flaherty
Majcrity for the Solicitor-General
This has been an extremely close struggle, and the result is
still doubtful, al hough the prevailing opinion is that the
Solicitor-General will be returned by a very small majority.
Some of the tenantry of the Marquis of Clanricarde came
into town this morning to record their votes, and it was
deemed necessary to afford them the protection of a military
escort, in consequence of the growing excitement amongst
the populace in this town.
GALWAY' TUESDAY, FEB. 16.—The poll opened soon after
nine o'clock this morning ; but it goes on very languidly, and
pretty equally on both sides. The contest willl, it is thought,
close this evening, and the chances are that the Solicitor-
General will be returned. But the issue is still very doubtful.
QUARTER-PAST ONE &MOM—The numbers polled this
day are :
Monahan, Solicitor- General
O'Flaherty
This reduces the majority of the Solicitor-General on the
gross poll to three.
Two o'CLoat—There are conflicting accounts of the state
of the poll at this hour. The friends of the Solicitor-General
state that he is still in a majority of four, whilst the Repealers
assert that O'Flaherty has a majority on the gross poll of two
or three.
There was some rioting and stone-throwing in the street
this morning for nearly two hours, but no very serious ca-
sualty occurred, as far as we could learn.
On Sunday, a man, accompanied ley his wife and child,
applied for charity at the house of a person residing at
Strawberry-hill, near this city. The owner of the house,
being himself a poor man, said he had nothing to give away,
on which the applicants entered, and took up their seats in-
t ide. A piece of rag dropped from the male pauper while in
the act of stooping to light his pipe, which was at once
picked up by one of the inmates of the house. The child of
the former, seeing this, exclaimed, " They have: got your
money, daddy," -wherenpohohlwinin ,t-areed round, and de-
manded " his money" of the owner of the house. The latter
refused, until he ascertained the amount, and a scuffle ensued,
in which all parties present heartily joined. The noise at-
tracted the neighbours, who rushed in, and on learning the
slate of the case, insisted the contents of the " rag" should
be disclosed. This was done, and it was found to contain 25
sovereigns, 12 half-crowns, and 2 shillings. The beggar anti
his family were returned the money, and took their departure
amid the hooting and shouting of a large crows of persons.—
Cork Constitution.

s
HORRIBLE FRATRICIDF.—The Journal des Debata
publishes the following horrible case of fratricidefrom
letter dated Bethune, 6th inst.:—" A fratricide, committed
sse_
with more than ordinary ferocity, has filled our arrcn dir.
ment with consternation and alarm. M. Florentin Appou ...
haV'n badly
brother Louis was his partner. The latter,
' creditors
managed his private fortune, was compelled by his
brother Fla
cheaux occupied a spacious flouremill at Lorgie s. His
to surrender his share in the flour-mill to his
rentin. This person was prosperous; whilst his
profligate habits committed an act of swindling, and, in
rtion
order to avoid a prosecution, he was obliged to sell a portion
order to avoid a prosecution, he was obliged to sell lie still
of his growing crop, together with his funiitnre. 1-1
t'n The
continued, however, to reside with his brother floren!:
latter, at length, wearied with providing for the lavish
aving
ex-
penditure of Louis, determined to marry; and, after
of his
cautiously announced to his brother that the banns
brother of
marriage had been published,
house, where he passed the afternoon. During i
Floren
Louis, excited by disappointed cupidity, broke into
his bed
tin's mill, and thence into his bed-chamber,
where
was locked in a recess. The unworthy brother next
its
intro-
duced a piece of iron into the lock, in order to
preventher might
being opened. This he did in order that his brot
to see to
be obliged to strike a light, and thus enable him
returned
he proceeded to hbissafabtsheenre'es
accomplish his horrible intention. When Florentin
hisassassin
turn his key in the lock of his press, he did as
removed some
anticipated, he lighted his lamp, after having e
borne he proceeded to prepare for bed, but not being
able to
of his clothing. Louis then appeared armed
head. A severe
with which he struck his brother on the
Florentin re-
struggle ensued, but at length the unfortunate
the
m,
in and
ceived a mortal blow as he was escaping
frorafearing that a
fell to the ground. His execrable assassin,
h and nostrils
breath of life might remain, closed his mouth
n of that
with clay. clay. A few hours after the perpetrasni
°ll wet with the
tricide, Louis Appourcheaux was arrested, t
blood of the unfortunate Florentin."
—On Thursday
writh a musket,
INTREPID CONDUCT OF A YOUTH
•`
outbreak of a
ceived at the London engine stations
1(1 Brentford. In the
morning, between twelve and one o'clocaf,
most destructive fire in the town of 0.
from the Regent's-
space of a few minutes the County enginae
_e,
with
the West
quadrant, and two belonging to the brig ei
i conflagration, upon
of England one, started for the ensclthat tba outbreak had
reaching which which the firemen foul'
boot and shoemaker,
curred in the premis • es of Mr. Grover, a
well-known Red
to the
situate in the High-street, next door an express was re-
ice of Mr. O'Hara,
George Best, in the seta
a youth, named
and owing to his intrepid
butcher, first discovered the fire,
ofsaving five lives from a horri-
ble Lion Inn. It appears from in
conduct, was the instrument
and he noticed smke
death. Whilst in his mastersayvs,
-1 and on running to
issuing from Mr. Grover's back wino
ing through an aper-
the front of the house he saw, by pif
shop
was in a general
tore in the window shutter, that tn
quines made on the spot, that
• able to make the inmates sensible
" Fire," but without being.
._
they
were exposed; he there-
of the great danger to
backvitlica
of the building, and, after climb-
fore, returned to the
eb _,
d with the aid of a poleaxe used
ing over the wall, succeeded,
staircase,
smoke and sparks were at the same
blaze. He immediately kir:cc:in: open the
andodors,houwtheedn,
for killing bullocks.
and made for Mr. Grover's
upwards with the greatestconsiderable trouble he entered the bed-
impetuo-
moment rushing
were perfectly unconscious what was
sity. After
smeke had obtained such power over tile
chamber, bat the
:' in his arms and ran down the stain
bedroom ascended
;
at they
inmates, that
in the course of a few minutes longer, they
going on, b
burnt to death. Best having laid hold of
thethe
must have been , lea shook him violently, ands then took up a
couple of..placed them in safe custody,he
with them. Baying Groverand her -
1 Mrs. husband,and. a third
turned and save'
same manner. Not f 1.
child was saved in thed .
into
ee ing then satis-
arindg recovered himself, he
e returned i the burning pre-
fied shat all w .
and inspected
leaped into the yard.
every room not on
that all the •
fire, and being convinced inmates were got out,
n the sta.
he was about to run down
bimirs to escape himself, when
a large sheet of flame
down,ov k
but
bavoin the staircase and com-
pletely knocked him
erhias childreneresave, h
life would have occurred.
he was quite insensible, and such
When picked "P him, that
effect had the smoke upon. the blood issued from
and nose, and it was some time before the youth
his mouth
could be restored. Had it not been for his praiseworthy ex-
ertions,Grover
time,
a most
rd Isleworth
The engines of Brentfo , , and other neighbouring
opened one of t
towns, were early at the scene: but the fire was not extin-
guished until the whole of Mr. Grover's stock-in-trade was
destroyed, and the premises_ partially gutted, The occupier,
who has lost upwards of 5001. worth of property, was only
h de e fb,laocrka b 1 windowslo s o f
insured for half that amount. One or two of the contigu-
ous premises are also damaged by fire, but not to any great
extent.
BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET.—The Bristol sugar-
market has been very flat during the week in all descrip-
tions of sugars, and prices have given way in nearly all
descriptions 6d. to Is. per cwt. The stocks in first hands
are very light, supplies are, however, now coming in. The
arrivals during the wsek have !aefi— One vessel from De-
merara, with 533 hogsheads and tierces; one from Pernam-
buco, with 2,450 bags; one from Batavia, with 2,554 baskets
and bags; one from Mauritius, with 6,400 bags and 539
casks; and one from Manilla, with 7,100 bags. Lumps
must be quoted somewhat lower—brown 665., and standards
675, per cwt. Bastards are also lower, with little doing.
Treacle, 295. to 30s.
SODA Biscrnis.—Thil recently introduced de-
scription of biscuit, from America, the manufacture of tlee
United bates, is naw being i
-mOorteil lets; the port-of Leii
don, as well as the port of Liverpool, to which place the im-
portations had previously been confined.

DESTITUTION IN IRELAND.
The following is a copy of a letter from Commander
Caffin, R.N., commanding her Majesty's steam-sloop
Scourge, dated Feb. 15, 1847:—
(PRIVATE.)
" My dear Sir,—Having, in the course of my late
duty (of discharging a cargo of meal, &c.) at Schull,
been brought into direct contact with the distress that
prevails there and in its neighbourhood, I venture to lay
before you (feeling assured it would interest you in their
behalf) that which I had occular demonstration of.
" In the -village of Schull three-fourths of the inhabi-
tants you meet carry the tale of woe in their features
and persons, as they are reduced to mere skeletons, the
men in particular, all their physical power wasted away;
they have all become beggars.
" In landing the meal, &c., they used all the cunning
they possessed to avoid detection in cutting open the
mouths of the bags, and purloining the contents, and it
required great watchfulness to prevent it.
" Having a great desire to see with mine own eyes
some of the misery which was said to exist, Dr. Trail),
the rector of Schull, offered to drive me to a portion of
his parish. I found there was no need to take me beyond
the village to show me the horrors of famine in its worst
features. I had read in the papers letters and accounts
of this state of things, but I thought the) must be highly
coloured, to attract sympathy ; but I there saw the
reality of the whole—no exaggeration, for it does not
admit of it—famine exists to a fearful degree, with all
its horrors! Fever has sprung up, consequent upon the
wretchedness; and swellings of limbs and body, and
diarrhoea, from the want of nourishment, are everywhere
to be found. Dr. Traill's parish is twenty-one miles in
extent, containing about 18,000 souls, with not more
than half a dozen gentlemen in the whole of it. He
drove me about five or six miles; but we commenced our
visits before leaving the village, and in no house that I
entered was there not to be found the dead or dying; in
particularising two or three, they may be taken as the
picture of the whole—there was no picking or choosing.
but we took them just as they came.
" The first which I shall mention was a cabin rather
above the ordinary ones in appearance and comfort ; in
it were three young women, and one young man and
three children, all crouched over a fire, and the pictures
of misery. Dr. Traill asked after the father, upon which
one of the girls opened a door leading into another cabin,
and there were the father and mother in hed, the father
the most wretched picture of starvation possible to con-
ceive, a skeleton with life, his power of speech gone
the mother but a little better, her cries for mercy and
food were heartrending ; it was sheer destitution which
had brought them to this. They had been well to do in
the world, with their cow and a few sheep, and potato
ground ; their crops failed, and their cattle were stolen,
although, anticipating this, they had taken their cow
and sheep into the cabin with them every night, but
they were stolen in the day time. 'The son had worked
on the roads and earned his eip,htpence per day, but this
could not keep the family, and he, from work and inset*
ficiency of food, is laid up, and will soon be as bad as his
father. They had nothing to eat in the house, and I
could see no hope for any one of them.
"In another cabin we went into, a mother and her
daughter were there; the daughter emaciated, and lying
against the wall; the mother naked, upon some straw on
the ground, with a rug over her, a most distressing ob-
ject of misery; she writhed about and bared her limbs
in order to show us her state of exhaustion. She had
wasted away until nothing but the skin covered the
bones; she cannot have survived to this time.

" AUother that I entered had, indeed, the appearance
of wretchedness without, but its inside was misery. Dr.
Trail, on putting his head inside the hole which an-
swered for a door, said, ' Well, Phillis, how is your
mother to-day?' He having been with her the day be-
fore, was replied—' Oh, sir, is it you? mother is dead!'
and there, fearful reality, was the daughter, a skeleton
herself, crouched and crying over the lifeless body of
her mother, which was on the floor, cramped up as she
had died, with her rags and her cloak about her, by the
side of a few embers of peat.
" In the next cabin were three young children belong-
ing to the daughter, whose husband had run away from
her, all pictures of death. The poor creature said she
did not know what to do with the corpse, she had no
means of getting it removed, aid she was too exhausted
to remove it herself. This cabin was about three miles
from the rectory.
"In another cabin, the door of which was stopped with
dung, was a poor woman whoa we had taken by sur-
prise, as she roused up evidently much astonished. She
burst into tears upon seeing the doctor, and said she had
not been able to sleep since the corpse of the woman
had lain in her bed. This was a poor creature who was
passing this miserable cabin, and asked the old woman
to allow her to rest herself for a few moments. She
had lain down, but never rose again. She died
in an hour or so, from sheer exhaustion. The body had
remained in this hovel of six feet square, with the poor
old woman, for four days ; she could not get anybody to
remove it. She said she trusted her sins were par-
doned. She had prayed earnestly for forgiveness.
She had been a wicked sinner, but God was
merciful, and her Saviour was all-sufficient. She
thought she could die, and longed to depart and be at
peace, and she had blocked up the door that she might
not be disturbed. She had some money—a trifle—by
her ; but living four or five miles from the village, she
could not get any food. She had asked her neighbours'
children to buy her some, but they were too much taken
up with themselves. She could not rise up, and could
just manage to kneel. She had nothing to eat in her
miserable hole, and I should fear must be dead ere this.
"I could in this manner take you through the thirty
or more cottages that we visited, but they, without ex-
ception, were alike— the dead and the d)ing in each ;
and I could tell you more of the truth of the heart-
rending scene were I to mention the lamentations and
bitter cries of each of these poor creatures on the
threshold of death. Never in my life have I seen such
wholesale misery, nor could I have thought it so com-
plete. lam convinced in that district it is not in

e--
human power to stay the evil : it may be to alleviate it ;
but this must be by a good organized system, and the
supply chiefly gratuitous. I am of opinion a number
of naval surgeons should be employed, having under
their orders a number of men--who might be selected
from the lists of pensioners (if they could be highly re-
commended)—to have charge of certain districts, not
only dispensing medicine where it may be required,
but also food, on an order of the relief committee, to
any person in their district. The pensioner or two who
might be under each surgeon would not only assist it
visiting, but in conveying the food and medicines, &c.,
for the poor; and by being strangers to the localities,
having no friends, would do this duty without par-
tiality. The surgeons should act with the relief commit-
tees, but independent of them. A board of health is also
now wanted, as it cannot he expected but a pestilence
will rage when the mass of these bodies decompose.
They have cea'ed to put them into coffins, or to have
the funeral service performed, and they merely lay them
a few inches under the soil.
" All that I have stated above I have seen with mine
own eyes, and can vouch for the truth of. And I feel
I cannot convey by words the impression left on my mind
of this awful state of things.
" I could tell you, also, of that which I could vouch
for the truth of, but which I did not see myself, such as
bodies half eaten by the rats ; of two dogs last Wednes-
day being shot by Mr. O'Callaghan whilst tearing a
body to pieces ; of his mother-in-law stopping a poor
woman and asking her what she had on her back, and
being replied it was her son, telling her she would
smother it ; but the poor emaciated woman said it was
dead already, and she was going to dig a hole in the
churchyard for it.

"These are things which are of every-day occurrence.
" I trust you will pardon my having troubled you
with this, and taken up so much of your time. I have
given the counterpart of it to Sir Hugh Pigot ; but
thinking you might like to have it, has induced me to
send it to you. I enclose one of Dr. Traill's letters :
every word I can answer for the truth of.
"Pardon this hasty scrawl.
" Believe me, my dear Sir, very faithfully yours,
"J. CRAUFORD CAFFIN.
" P.S. There have been two or three post-mortem
examinations of those who have died, and they find that
the inner membrane of the stomach turns into a white
mucous, as if nature had supported herself upon herself,
until exhaustien of all the htunours of the system had
taken place.