The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-20 00:00:00

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN

TRADE.
The weather has been uninterruptedly fine during
the week, with just sufficient moisture to promote
vegetation, and a decided improvement has been
wrought in the aspect of the country. More aus-
picious weather than that lately experienced could
scarcely be desired ; and one cause of uneasiness,
namely, the backwardness of the crops, has in some
measure been removed. Still it is scarcely possible
for the next harvest to be an early one ; and it will,
therefore, be the more necessary to husband our re-
sources.
What quantity of grain may still remain in
the hands of the producers cannot be ascertained with
any degree of accuracy, but the more the matter is in-
quired into, the more general becomes the convic-
tion that the smaller farmers have long ago
thrashed out ; and though some of the more
wealthy agriculturists may yet have a fair proportion
of their corn on hand, it is nevertheless certain that,
as a body, the growers hold much less grain than is
usually the case at the corresponding period of the
year. With regard to the stocks in warehouse at the
different large towns information is more easily ob-
tained ; and we are convinced that there is hardly a
town in the kingdom, excepting Liverpool and Glas-
gow, at which anything approaching a fair stock is
held. We do not, therefore, feel much surprise at the
course which the trade has taken, and feel some
doubt whether the top price has yet been touched.
Notwithstanding the extraordinary high prices which
have been freely paid of late for wheat the deliveries
from the growers have increased but very little; and
though hardly any speculation has taken place, the
consumptive demand has been sufficiently active to
take off all that has been brought forward. The con-
tinued pressure of the money market has also been
against a rise ; circumstances have, therefore, on the
whole, been far more in favour of a fall than an ad-
vance, but actual scarcity has overruled everything
else. The improvement which has been brought
about by the splendid weather experienced since the
beginning of the month, the decrease in the consump-
tion which has, as a matter of course, followed in con-
sequence of the dearness of the article, and last,
though not least, the caution which buyers have been
compelled to observe owing to the contraction of cash
accommodation, have all failed to check the upward '
movement in prices, and a further important rise has
been established.
The arrivals of wheat coastwise into London have
again been very small, only 4,059 qrs. having been
reported during the week ending this (Saturday)
evening. The quantity brought forward by land-
carriage samples has been on the same limited scale.
On Wednesday the show on the Essex and Kent
stands consisted of a few lots left over from Monday ;
and though factors insisted on a further rise of ls. per
qr., a clearance was effected. Since then hardly a
sample has been exhibited, and the want of
supplies prevented much business being done
on Friday ; but the inclination to buy was
fully as great at the close as in the beginning
of the week, and the few sales made were at 2s. over
Monday's terms. In foreign wheat the operations
have been on an extensive scale, and a large propor-
tion of the recently received supp'y has already been
taken off the market, the greater part of what has
lately been bought having been purchased by country
buyers. The receipts have a.nounted to 15,873 qrs.
this week, whilst on Wednesday the sales exceeded
10,000 qrs. ; and on Friday large purchases were
again made at rates ls. to 2s. per qr. above those cur-
rent in the commencement of the week. The grana-
ried stock at this port is now so trifling as hardly to
be deserving of notice ; aad should the country demand
for foreign wheat continue as active as it has been
within the last fortnight, we can scarcely expect any
accumulation.

The top price of town manufactured Flour has re-
mained stationary at 804. per sack, and the sale has not
been, by any means, brisk at that figure. Ship Flour
has met with a fair share of attention at prices cor-
responding with the value of town trade. American
Flour was taken pretty largely on 'Wednesday at 50s.
to 525. per barrel, but the flat accounts which have
since been received from Liverpool imparted a some-
what languid tone to business on Friday ; still there
was no giving way.—Mark-lane Express.

THE CROPS IN IRELAND.
We have most melancholy news to communicate
about the crops. A fortnight ago everything looked
promising, but a very considerable change has since
talon place. It will be understood that we are only
referring to the neighbourhood of the town, as we
have not had any means of ascertaining the condition
of the crops in the distant parts of the county. But
about Sligo the crops have within the last few days
undergone a deplorable alteration. Wheat has turned
out very badly. Mr. Wynne, of liazlewood, sowed
a large quantity of this grain, and we understand
it, at present, presents a wretched appearance.
Mr. James Wood, of Woodville, has four-
teen acres of wheat down, which looks so
unpromising that he is hesitating whether
he will plough it up, and set barley or not. Mr.
Vernon, of Finisklin, is about to re-set his wheat
land with barley. And the wheat crop, every place
we have had an opportunity of witnessing it, seems
burned up ; it it yellow, red, any colour but green.
But the most distressing intelligence we have to an
nounce is, that the disease has reappeared in the pota-
toes. The failure of the wheat crop is quite apparent
to all, that of the potato requires, in its present stage,
more discrimination and judgment, to detect. But,
we believe, the existence of the disease is quite evi-
dent and visible to agriculturalists.—Sligo Champion.
We are happy to state that the crops in this neigh-
bourhood, notwithstanding the unfavourableness of
weather during the last few days, appear in a very
favourable and cheering condition.—Athlone Sentinel.

THE CONVICT BARBER.
The Liverpool Albion publishes the following origi-
nal documents with regard to the convict Barber :
"Agricultural-office, Norfolk Island,
October 12, 1846.
" Being about to remove, for a time, from the Nor-
folk Island, and contemplating the possibility of not
returning, I feel it to be my duty, as an act of justice,
to leave with William Henry Barber, whose conduct
I have had an opportunity of observing for nearly
two years, a testimonial of the very favourable
opinion which I have formed of his character,
in the hope that it may be advantageous to him
at some Future period. I have observed Barber's
conduct in the most trying and humiliating cir-
cumstances, of what I am convinced (without any
reference to his plea of innocence f the offence of
which he stands convicted) was unmerited suffering;
and while I deeply pitied the man, I could but admire
his submissive demeanour, patient resignation, and
unvariable rectitude of conduct, while his health was
visibly suffering, and his frame wasting away under
the mental torture inflicted upon him by the degrad-
ing and polluting association into which he was
forced, and the unmerited and unaccountable perse-
cution of which he was the object for many months,
by which the sufferings inseparable from this unhappy
condition were deeply aggravated beyond that of
even the worst conducted convict; while his enemies
could not produce even a colourable charge against
him. My position, as the second civil officer
on the island, enabled me, at length, to procure
an alleviation of his suffering, by getting him
removed from gang-labour to be assistant-clerk in the
agricultural office, under my own immediate control,
in which situation the undeviating rectitude of his
conduct, and a general demeanour worthy, in every
respect, of the respectable position which he for-
merly occupied in society, gained for him my con-
fidence; and, on the removal of my principal clerk
from the island, I obtained the situation for Barber.
Considering his former occupation and business-
habits as a respectable solicitor, it is superfluous to say
that he performed his duties ably and correctly. He
worked hard from daylight in the morning until a
late hour most nights, performing the duties of two
men without any remuneration or indulgence, ex-
cept, what to his mind was a most important relief,
separation from the other convicts. And the
rules of discipline prevented me from furnishing him,
from my private resources, with even the trifling
comfort of a basin of tea or a bit of fresh meat, which
would gladly have done. I have great pleasure in
certifying that he has kept himself entirely free from
all the contaminating influence of his unhappy situa-
tion, both in habits and sentiments, as well as prin-
ciples ; and I can, with great confidence, recommend
ash a man whose conduct fully entitles him to the
earliest amelioration of
.which the law admits in his
condition, and
self and benefit toqualifies him to fill with credit to him-
equal to that from -S?%ir'• a place in every respect
„ L',T,t,?_,ll.,l9.9nviction removed him.
perintezlent
su I ROBERTSON,
of Agriculture."
"NorfoltlslaT, Sept. 3, 184.
. In leaving Norfolk Island, of which I have been
public justice
for some years the chaplain, I
my firm convict).
the duty of recording
fect innocence of William Henr Barbeo_n of the per-
t'ing upon it a sentence of transpartatiori.Snoiw suffehis
-
arrival here I have not ceased to follow a serlesneoef
in-
quiries into the circumstances connected with his
case. In addition, I have heard the reluctant ac-
knowledgments of Joseph Fletcher, the guilty
author of the frauds, Pla:ins beyond the possi-
bility of a doubt the entire innocence of Barber.
My exertions shall be continued for his extrication.
I deeply lament his truly wretched condition here,
and would gladly have seen it ameliorated. I have
never known a prisoner of the Crown exposed to
greater wretchedness. I rejoice to be able to add, I
have never seen an instance of more dignified suffer-
ing, accompanied by invariable consistency of con-
duct, and nothing will give me greater pleasure than
a renewal of his acquaintance under more favourable
circumstances.
" Given under my hand this 3d day of
September, 1844.
" T. BEAGLEY NAYLOR, Chaplain." '
in.,