The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW TIMES.

SIR—In your Paperof this day,l felt surprised
at reading a most cruel and unfounded paragraph relative to the
unfortunate John Hill Wigstatf, now ender sentence of death
for forgery, which I must entreat you will dome the kindness
to contradict. I can most solemnly affirm that he never was
possessed of the sum of 15,0001. which it states he received on
coming of age ; it is entirely false. In reard to his. having
married a Lady possessed of a handsome fortune, and that he
had spent it, so,far from that being the fact, I do affirm that
his wife's fortune was settled upon herself and her child ; and
that he never had nor wished to have any power over it. In
justice to a beloved and greatly injured brother, I cannot for-
bear correcting this base report, no part of which has the
least foundation.

I remain, Sir, his unfortunate sitter,.
11A 'ET WA GSTA FF.
10, Coppice-row, Clerkenwell, April 18, 1824.

Ile asserts as a positive fact, that the Company have the
choice of the teas at China, and that the Americans can only
procure a second quality of every kind of tea. Now this I
most positively deny, and venture to assert that it is very far
wide of the real state of the case ; for I verily believe, that the
Americans, whenever they desire it, have the first chop teas of
every description, and for many substantial reasons • and first
not the least plausible, they (the Americans) invariably pay for
their teas and every other produce of' China with hard dollars,
which payment in almost all cases is made in advance.
With the American merchants it is all fair dealing—
no occult factory policy—no wheels within wheels—no draw-
back of red chop Paper—no annoyances—no incanihrances.
No—the active intelligent American trader walks into the mar-
ket with his cash in his pocket, and purchases as much as will
load his ship from the very choicest productions of China, (if
indeed the choicest is ever delivered to foreigners) without fa-
vour, affection or fear, or the trouble of barter. He has not
even the annoyance common to English Man in all foreign
ports, arising out of the authority or controul exercised by ton,
suls—for although there is an American Consul always at
China, the merchant has nothing to do with him, beyond the
common courtesy due from one man to another ; lie cannot,
either of his own authority or through his influence, detain an
American ship one moment, nor interfere with him on any one
stage of his mercantile pursuits. Now I think I have said
enough to prove that the Americans have the choice, and there-
fore can, when it suits them, take away from China all articles
of its produce of the very first quality, and I know they do so ;
and I have, I tbink, said enough to prove why they pay a less price
than the English Company; I shall now endeavour to prove why
the Company pay more than any other merchant, and why they
have not always the choice or the power of selecting the first
qualities. It is a well known fact that the Company import
into China, Cornwall tin, pig lead, and English broad cloths,
to a very considerable amount in English currency ; on the
prime cost of which is tacked the enormously extravagant
charges which the Company are obliged to disburse to support
appearance and patronage, though not at all vital to trade or
necessary for the safe conveyance of the goods. These goods
arc urged on the Hong merchants by an implied contract, at a
certain value, on which the Hongs know well they must in-
cur a prodigious loss, and in order to save themselves they •
tack on at least cent. per cent. on the teas. .1 had almost for-
got to mention, that for this said tin, lead, and cloth, the Coin,
pans (as they do in all their purchase's) pay a much higher •'
price than a private individual could purchase them for, owing
to the pompous way in which they always appear in the home
markets whenever they have occasion for fat contracts, which
are invariably almost accompanied by some condition, binding
the sellers to bring up, their influence and support, whether
parliamentary or otherwise, whenever the purchasers, or rather
their agents, have occasion for such services: By this means
the Proprietors of India Stock not only pay a much higher
price for all their purchases, butare supplied with goods of an
inferior quality to that which an individual going into the mar.
ket would choose ; who has no other motive in making the pur-
chase than fair speculation and some reasonable prospect of gain.
The splendid vessels which the Company employ to bring
home their teas, are more like King's yachts or first-rate men
of war than merchantmen, not one of which ever make
their voyage under forty pounds per ton, (and a very
small ton too it is), and the voyage is considerably
longer than it ought to be: indeed many American ships
ar toll7l lep moan
make the entire voyage, while these stately floating hotels
vesselsf ron l3lniecxktw
toa h
l 1 to
is t
ie n
graeh ceremoniously o
d
jesty's ships are perhaps the fleetest that plough the deep seas.
I have not leisure to go into this matter so fully as it deserves
k,
nagn ti the
y et thesepassage
or requires, and I must here conclude by stating, that the Sou-
chong teas sold in Calcutta are of a quality which never reach
London but in the shape of presents to the Directors or some
other great men, and that every pound of tea costs at China as •
Much as the Souchting tea sold in Igadenhall-street at 4s. 4dl, to
which is to be added before the old women can sip a drop, 4s.
4d. on each pound for customs and excise; and the same may .
be said of the Hyson; for tea of the same quality, • including
duty, is never sold under eighteen shillings per pound in Lon-
don : indeed, like the Souchong tea, it rarely appears on. the
tea tab/es in London. In ihort, Hyson tea of a very inferior
quality sells in London, with the duties on it, by wholesale; at
9s. 4d. per pound, while the very best Hyson Choulong sells'
here, including a very heavy duty, at 6s. 6d. per pound.; and
before the tea can be put on the table in England, it. stadi( I
mean tea Hyson of the inferior quality) the consumer in at least
twelve shillings per pound. Every man who has lived in Lon.
don must know how very indifferent the' reen tea (as it is called)
is, for which he is'obliged to pay twelve shillings per.pound,. or:
go without it. I cannot think it is ignorance which influenced
the Editor of the Bull to make such a statement. He says,
" it is not the East India Company, but the East India interests
which are engaged on one side." What then is to become of the-
Company if the East India interests are to be neglected ? Is the
Company not supporting, itself, when it advocates the cause of
" East India interests ? ' The ship Osprey, lately arrived in this
river, iia fair specimen of what can be accomplished by British ca-
pital and British industry when 'unfettered by the tardy, vexa-
tious, and expensive regulations of monopoly; she quitted this
river in December 1822 with a full cargo ; she delivered that full
cargo in safety and in good order; she took in a full cargo for this •
port, and she was safely moored in this river early in this month, •
September. I say " this speaks volume t" But I must have
done for the present, and close with an offer of many apOlogies
for this lengthy intrusion on
.your time, and on the space of
your paper, should you deem it worthy of a plate.
Your obedient Servant,
Monday, Sept. 29, 1823. A LOOKER—ON.

COVENT-GARDEN BIBLE ASSOCIATIONS.—The
general Anniversary Meeting of the Subscribers and Friends to
the above Associations was held yesterday at the Appollonicon-
rooms, St. Martin's-lane, for the purpose of receiving the Com-
mittee's Report of the proceedings of the last year, and also for
the election of officers, &c. The Rev. Dr. RANDOLPH, Pre-
sident of the Society, took the Chair, supported by several
eminent Clergymen and a most numerous and respectable as.
sembiage. The Report, which was read by the Secretary, de-
tailed at considerable length the progress the Committee-had
made towards improving the condition of the poor in their dis-
trict, by the distribution of a large number of Bibles and Tes-
taments; they had been materially assisted by the co-operation
of the ',tulles' Committee, whose exertions, the Report stated in
warm and deserved terms, had been most beneficialo the cause
they had in view—that of placing a- copy of the Scriptures in
the hands of every individual. The Treasurer's statement
showed the neeessity of further • pecuniary aid, to carry into
effect the objects of the Institution. Several Gentlemen ad-
dressed the Meeting in able speeches, enforcing the utility of
the Associations; and it was moved and carried that the Re-
pert should be adopted. The Committee for the ensuing year
being appointed, and the routine business disposed of, thanks
were voted to the Chairman, who expressed his acknowledge
menu; and the meeting adjourned.

With the native country of our Author, the
generality of Europeans are but indifferently
acouainted. Situated between the rival nations
of Turkey, Russia, and Persia, it has been often
desolated by each of them, and pUssesses therefore
little to induce the traveller to venture his life
amidst unknown, and, as it would atifiedr from
the present work, rude and harbaront:',tribes.
The Memoirs 'of Arteini are amusing; for few
novels contain more extraordinary ad.ye'ntures;
they are instructive, for they exhibit
,a. new and
striking picture of the state of society in those
parts, and display in true, but distreising colours,
the melancholy state of degradation and misery
to which the once powerful Armenian nation is
now reduced.' It is not only by their AlahotiMtedart
conquerors that the Armenians are ,treated with
the most lawless tyranny ; they are moreover
grievously oppreSsed by a= clergy not less.iinorant
than barbarous, and by those among' their own
countrymen, who derive coniequence.:frOM their
superior wealth alone. To' this state of yassal-
atte and of oppression, which presses upon the
Armenian at home, 'must be attributed' tVir di3-
position.to seek in foreign' Parts .the.ease.and in-
dependence which they never ran'attairvi)i their
"native country.' hence ilo we find thirn:Settled
throughout the Eastern. world, and embarked in
'extensive mercantile' concerns 'every ~great
'commercial country of Etirepe...As Tarfts we are
able to judge from the narrative itself,. it is a plain
and unvarnished, but a correct, statement of facts,
'containing the many adveutuyes, hardshipt, and
which befel the author from hit youth,
hesettled iu 'Russia, where fortune began,
sufferingsuntil
atiength, to. prove more favourable to him . than
it had.don.e-in his native country. A postscript
informs us, that after residing several iears at
Paris, as agent to some of his countrymen. at St.
Petersburgh, he had . acquired some property,
'ami that still -impelled by his desire Of seeing
and. ;warning,. he was engaged in a, pilgrimage to
jerusalen, by way of Constantinople. It is
added, that he had .promised to' communicate • to
the world a continuation of -his.adventuree,-,with
which we shall be truly happy to be made_ ac-
quainted.

•
CANINE AFFECTION.—A few days ago, dog
breaker in the neighhourhood of die city, had a,bitch;which
littered eleven puppies—the whole of which were drowned ap-
parently, and afterwards buried in a dunghill. „In the.course
of the same day, the mother found out the spot where.her ofi:_
springs were buriedditg them up, and restored•four 4f..thera
to life. She afterwards carried them home, and continues to
discharge her maternal duties with the greatest solicitude.--
(Edinburgh Star, April 17.)

*EXPLOSION or FIB E. DpsP.--- On. e of :,those.melancholy accidents occasioned by the explosion of firetdanikr.
occurred at the Old Church Pit Colliery, near Swansea, on
Wednesday last, whereby four men lost their lives, .eikhteett
have been dreadfully scorched and lacerated, and fonr have
received compound fractures. It appears that the colliers re-
ceived strict orders from the agent not to approach a certain
part of the pit ; but, disregarding these injunctions; tile fatal
result was as above described.

The extensive oil and ware mills otlVlr.lllr.n-
LET, at feeds, were destroyed, by. fire on. We-
dnesday night ; the damage is estimated at l 5,0001.
It appears by the Paris 'Papeis,' that':.lllr.
MAGELoN, a young author, who .several months
ago was arrested for libel, and isiliumanly march-
.ed along t he..public road, chained has
at length been released from confinement; on.
payment of the fine of 4,000 francs, which formed
part of his sentence, •