The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-09 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

WOLVERHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING.—To- day
the second of the quarterly meetings of the above trade
Was held at the Swan Hotel in this town, and was nu-
Merously attended by the representatives of all the large
houses in the neighbourhood, and also by many gentle-
raell from a distance. It was reported that iron is at
Eresent in great demand, and many good orders on hard.
There was consequently no attempt to reduce the priee,,
Which stand as follow:—Pig iron, 5/ to 5L 10s.; railway
iron, 101. 10A.; and bar, 10/ The following notice of the
present state of the trade is from the Birmingham
Gazette of Monday

"A general expectation seems to prevail that, exclu
sive of redlway supplies, a large drain upon our stocks of
iron will take place on the return of the almost innume
table vessels now arriving in cur ports with cargoes of
bread-stuffe. These stocks are by no means accumulat-
ing under the present demand, although an increase of
Produco in the manufacturing department has been car-
ried out to a great extent—as far indeed as the supply of
materials will allow. This expectation, combined with
the existing pressure of orders, imparted a tone of cheer
l feeling at the preparatory meeting at the Hotel,
Dudley, last week, when a resolution was passed unani-
ttrusly to the effect that the prices of iron sheuld remain
„ same as last quarter. It appears, therefore, pretty
certain that the full nominal price for manufactured iron,
lkirld the slight advance upon pigs that was established
iltst quarter-day, will bet asily sustained during the ap
Prnaotiing quarterly meetings; and, under the adverse
Position of the general mercantile interests of the
country, the satisfactory maintenance of existing prices
may be considered equivalent to an advance under ordi-
narya circumstances, thus justifying the views hitherto
taken by ourselves and many others, of the prospects of
the trade, and the propriety of being provided with sup-
Plies of materials in anticipation of any movement that
'night take place of an upward tendency. An nneasi
ness among the workmen in the Welsh districts has been
Manifested, and in a slight degree has contaminated this
neighbourhood; but it has been met by determined mea-
sures of self-protection on the part of the masters, and
with the prospect of more moderate charges for pro-
visions, and the summer season at hand, we do not think
any general attempt to demand higher wages will be
made."

" The ill-paid man has usually become an inferior
workman." Of this the following homely illustration,
Mentioned at a late farmers' club, is an instance:—
" Whilst inspecting a farm in one of these pauperised
districts, an able agriculturalist could not help noticing
the slow, drawling motions of one of the labourers there,
and said,—' My man, you do not sweat at that work.'—
Why, no, master,' was the reply. seven -hillings a week
+stet sweating wages.' "—Hampshire q-aph.
SERIOUS AFFRAY IN ST. GILL:-:` . --Wednesday
horning, between the hours of four and e, a disturb-
Iltee took place in the neighbourhood of St. Giles's,
'Which resulted in as affray that has been attended with
the most serious, if not fatal consequences, to a man
11,,reed James Burke, aged 40, who was conveyed in a
ea.") by police-constable D 103 to the Middlesex Hos-
t., where it was ascertained by Mr. Dickson, the
L"sa•aurgeon, that he bad sustained a fracture of the
:I'4ll, a broken leg, and a dreadful wound in the right
:Mple, with other serious injuries, so as to render his
Ztimate recovery extremely dubious. The unfortunate
man states that he was knocked down and kicked ;by
;nether person without the slightest provocation. The
trgeon considers Burke to have been labouring under
effects of intoxication when admitted. It is under-
stood eod that the other has been secured by the police.
A .A.Rsoic—COMMITTAL OF THE INCENDIARY.—ELY,
I Iltit 6--At the Petty Sessions, held at the Crown
411111 Soham, on Saturday, before the Rev. H. Fardell,
u„alrman, and other county magistrates, Sarah Munson
I,7erwent a final examination on the charge of having
mouthy
fired the town on the morning of the 16th of last
b4°,,llth• The prisoner was seen in the locality ot the
`ll a short period before the outbreak, and from other
trial the Bench decided on committing her for
41401 at the ensuing summer assizes. During the investi
mil a son of the prisoner, Josiah Munson, who was
%itted at the last assizes at Cambridge on a charge of
isi`X some buildings in the town in the early part of the
Eit Winter, was waiting outside the inn to hear the re-
ib,st of the proceedings against his mother, when the
"Ristrates ordered him into the room. On entering,
Ztr::Wilkin, a solicitor, immediately accused him with
lituvg fire to a stack of straw on the Ist of November,
4er6. the property of Thomas Peck, of Soham. Evi-
thee° in support of the charge was then gone itit ), and
pia magistrates determined on sending him back to his
9Mira or