The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-05 00:00:00

LEITH.

PUBLIC MEETING.--ABOLITION OF THE LIMIT
DUES.—A public meeting of the shipowners, merchants,
&c., of Leith was held in the Court-house on Friday
last, the Honourable Provost Hutchison in the chair,
when resolutions condemnatory of the system of ex-
action were adopted, which were moved and seconded by
Messrs. Gibson, Mitchell, and Councillors Philip and
Innes, and a petition to the Legislature agreed to, pray-
ing that the light dues shall be abolished, and the light-
houses maintained at the national expense. The general
feeling is that, if the shipping interests at the seaports use
the exertions necessary, and lose no time in forwarding pe-
titions, Government will see the propriety of following the
recommendations of the Committee of the House of
Commons, that all the lighthouses should be " maintained
in future at the expense of the nation," this report hav-
ing been supported by Lord Palmerston and Admiral
Dundas, the former a Cabinet Minister and the latter a
Lord of the Admiralty.
The numerous vessels that have of late been lying in
the docks are fast disappearing, and business is now
rather dull. On Thursday morning the Act of Parlia-
ment arrived at the Custom-house, ordering the ports to
be open from that day until the Ist of September. The
Government locks were immediately removed from the
doors of the bonded warehouses, and two vessels com-
menced delivering grain. There is a prospect of large
arrivals of grain during spring and summer.

The letters from Amsterdam state that the re-
action in the value of English securities had produced a
favourable effect upon the dealers frequenting the Bourse.
The result was, that prices showed a tendency upwards in all
cases, but it was in Dutch Stock that the greatest rise had
been experienced.
Advices froth Constantinople to the 16th January
notice further improvement in the condition of the grain
markets. A continuance of purchases on French and English
account had made quotations generally better. For delivery
at an early date some very extensive transactions were re-
ported. Linseed was also in demand at higher prices. The
majority of vessels taking in cargoes of wheat were destined for
Leghorn and Marseilles. Nothing ofconsequence had been done
in the export trade. The latest accounts from Salonica: do not
speak of much activity in trade. The Greek holidays had
just terminated. The rate of exchange at Smyrna upon
England was 1061 to The markets at Aleppo were quite
stagnant, owing to the absence of arrivals from Europe. The
remark in letters from that place is, " it would be useless to
give vou prices, for they are purely nominal."
MALICIOUS OUTRAGE.—In the beginning of last
week, one of those acts, which we have so often to record in
the mining district, resulting from the most fiendish and re-
vengeful feelings, occurred as Brockmoor. It appears that
before daylight on Wednesday morning four pieces of hard
oak were introduced between the teeth of the crown wheel
and the nut wheel of the Star Pit winding engine, at the
Wide-waters Colliery, near Brockmoor, belonging to Lord
Ward. The object of the miscreants was to break the ma-
chinery, and destroy the lives of the first band of men who
might happen to descend the shaft—a calamity which was
happily averted by the timely discovery of the affair. A re-
ward of 20/. has been offered by Lord Ward's agent for the
discovery of the miscreants engaged in this nefarious trans-
action.— Worcestershire Chropicie.
The following horrible suicide has just taken place
in the qnartier de Breda :—A young female was living in
some style under the protection of a wealthy person, but the
gentleman having reason to believe that she was unfaithful,
he called upon her and told her that he would have nothing
more to do with her. Before she could justify herself, or
utter a remonstrance, the gentleman turned his back and left
the loom. After a moment's pause she ran to the stairs after
him, and entreated him to return. "No, no," cried be,
harshly, " all is finished between us," and he continued to
descend. The poor girl wrung her hands in despair, and cried,
"Ah ! I will be at the bottom before you!" And she was
true to her word, for on quitting the house he found the
mangled corpse of his mistress weltering in blood on the
pavement. The wretched girl had thrown herself from the
window.—Paris Paper.
CIIILD-STEALlNG.—Yesterday afternoon, as a little
girl named Ann Edwards was nursing a female infant
three months old, the daughter of Mr. Laidlaw, of No. 49,
Wellbank-street, Dover-road, Southwark, when opposite St.
George's Church she was accosted by a tall lady-like female
dressed in deep mourning, who, after inquiring the child's
name and address, took it from her arms to nurse it, and
walked towards Loudon-bridge. On passing a confectioner's
shop she asked the girl to partake of some pastry, and
they both entered the shop. The lady tendered a sovereign
in payment, saying to the girl that she would walk on to-
wards the church, and she was to overtake her with the
change. Some time elapsed in procuring it; when the girl
reached the appointed place no trace of the lady was to be
discovered, and it was ascertained that a lady answering
the description was seen to enter a cab with an infant which
was driven towards Westminster-bridge.
FATAL CARRIAGE ACCIDENT.—Last evening an
inquest was held by Mr. Bedford, at the Red Lion, Princes-
street, Westminster, on the body of Ann Jervis, aged 74.
The deceased was a widow, living in Wellington-place, Vaux-
hall Bridge-road. She was very deaf, and on Thursday af-
ternoon last, while crossing Whitehall, opposite the llorse
Guards, she was knocked down by the pole of a carriage,
drawn by two horses, belonging to Mr. Davies, of St. Mar-
tin's-lane. The driver had called out to her several times,
but was unheard by the deceased. lie pulled up immediately,
in time to prevent the wheels• passing over her, but the hind
leg of one of the horses struck her head, and inflicted an ex-
tensive scalp wound. She was conveyed to the Westminster
Hospital, where she gradually sank, and died on Monday last
from the shock arising from the accident. Verdict, " Acci-
dental death'
CURIOUS LITERARY TRIAL.--A few (lays ago a
case was brought before the Civil Tribunal, in which the
Marquis d'Espinay-St.-Luc was plaintiff, and M. Alexandre
Dumas, defendant. The former demanded 50,000 f. damages
from the celebrated novelist for having, he alleged, injured
the reputation of one of his ancestors, Francois d'Espinay-
St.-Luc, in the work entitled "La Dame de Montsoreau,"
cookery to all the historical documents of the day, which
concur in representing that nobleman as one of the most
valiant captains of the reign of Henry 111. M. Alexandre
Dumas had brought him forward, it was declared, in an
ignoble manner, in several chapters, besides having attri-
buted to him cruelty, in word and act, in his duel with M. de
Montsoreau. The liberty which a novelist was allowed to
take with historical names did not go the length. it was de-
clared, of altering their characters and defaming. them. :the
reputation of one's ancestors was a patrimony not less pre-
cious than property, and should be carefully watched over.
The plaintiff, in consequence, invoked article 1,532 of civil
code, to oblige M. Alexandre Dumas, in any other edition of
the "D.Ame de Monsoreau," to suppress the passages com-
plained ot; or to substitute some other name for that of St.-
Luc. The Court adjourned thg Met in order to examine the
work.— Galignani.

ARRIVALS OF GRAIN.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR)—I beg to forward you an account of the arrivals°•
time
arrivedin 1846 t
h,
ifsr om
yearwhich
is n
nearly
soafmweheat
grain at Wakefield for the past month, as well as for t.lll
last year. orluywill
The arrivals at Leeds and all the other large consuming
perceive the quantal
markets also show a very great increase.
three times larger thaw
The consumption no doubt is large; but, from my own
knowledge of the trade, I can assure you that a great deal
more corn is going into speculators' warehouses than into thl
bellies of the people.—l am your obedient servant,
Hull, Feb. 2, 1847. AN ANTI-FAMINE MONGER.

Import of grain into Wakefield for the month of January,