The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-12 00:00:00

NEW SUGAR COMPANY.

The Report of the Lords' Committee on East India
Trade, taken in conjunction with the exorbitant prices
of sugar ruling for some time past, and greatly oppres •
sive on the poorer classes of consumers, has necessarily
attracted a good deal of attention, and is already direct-
ing the views of capitalists to the vast capabilities of
British India for aiding to a large extent in the correc-
tion of an admitted evil ; which so far must relieve the
consumer here, whilst the application of superabundant
or comparatively unproductive capital to the cultivation
of sugar and other produce will not tend only to im-
prove the resources by the profitable and increased em-
ployment of labour in India, reciprocated by a coul-
ter and advantageously improving import and consump-
tion of British manufactures, nationally objects of vast
importance, but is calculated to yield a direct bene-
ficial return upon the investment of a solid and per-
manent nature in the sense of individual enterprise.
Indeed this has already been well understood by a
few keen-sighted but meritorious persons, who have
been some time embarked in a well-conduc-
ted speculation under the name of Dhobah Sugar
Company, far raising sugar in India, by which they
are understood to be realising very coesiderable profits
in the import of their sugars, the quality of which is
usually rated as among the more preferable sorts in the
market. This successful example was not likely long
to remain without imitation, and accordingly it is not
surprising that a similar undertaking, but upon a
much larger scale, should be commenced for entry on
the same extensive ticid of operations, designated as the
British India or Anti-Slavery Sugar Company, with a
capital commensurate with the objects in view. The
difference in the rates of labour between the West
Indies, where the day-work of the negro now costs from
three to even four shillings, and in the East Indies
where it may be procured at 2d. or 3d., constitutes
alone a rich harvest of profit to those concerned. But
independently of this the yearly augmenting con-
sumption of an article which, like sugar, has become
a necessary of life, is etidently beyond the capacity of
the West India islands to supply of themselves with
any imaginable increase of labour hands and decrease
of labour rates which it is possible to contemplate. It
is besides quite evident from the excessive prices to
which sugar has attained, with the paucity of the supply
afforded by the West Indies, and not likely to be in•
creased in any ratio corresponding with increased con-
sumption by an evet-increasing population, that before
long the more free introduction of foreign or slave-
grown sugars, will:become absolutely indispensable, and
must be facilitated by a remission of the duties to some
extent, unless the deficiency of supply can be mare good
by the encouragement of tree labour cultivation and the
correspondent increase of produce in Eastern India.
Some 40,000 or;50,000 tons of sugars are understood
to be expected from Calcutta this year, which are a
larger amount than before known, although insignifi-
cant in comparison with what ought to be, might
readily be, and may be expected to be produced pro-
gressively -or import here, by the proper direction of
meant to the end ; whilst the largest returns of profits
must, as is natural and just only, be shared and mono-
polised by those capitalists most prompt in action. In
the case of this British India Sugar Company, as success
must be materially influenced in degree by the qualifica-
tions and experience of those in the management, with
the stake they themselves invest in the enterprise, it
may be taken for granted that the confidence of those
interested is and will be justified in a direction understood
to comprise men of wealth and high respectability, who
have passed a great portion of their lives in India, and
therefore arc fully competent to comprehend the nature
of the undertaking, to appreciate its value. and to bring
it beneficially to bear. They have the example before
them of the large profits reaped by others under circum-
stances much less encouraging, and with less ample ap-
pliances for the object, so that with superior advan-
tages in their favour, of means, experience, and local
knowledge, it may be expected that the Company under
their management can hardly fail to prosper more de-
cidedly still.—Morning Herald City Article,

WITCHCRAFT IN THE NINETEENTH CEN-
TURY. —The following lamentable instance of superstition
occurred in Lich-street, in Worcester, on Saturday last.
The infant daughter of Thomas Pitt, a labourer
in the above street, had for some time been sufforing
from severe inflammation of the face and guns, ClOnse.

quent on the process 'af " teething ;" and the usual do-
mestic remedies having proved unavailing, the mother of
the child was induced, by the pressing solicitations of the
neighbouring gossips, to seek the abode of a certaia " wise
woman," arias " The Witch cf Sidbury," for the purpose
of having her infant " charmed," a process which, it was
averred, would speedily eradicate the disorder. Manifold
were the testimonies borne in favour of the " charm," and
numerous instances adduced where the restoration of
strayed cattle, the cure of broken heads, and the detection
of stolen property, had been achieved by means of its po-
tent influence. Accordingly, having previously fortified
herself against the machinations of "the gentleman in
black," by attaching a sprig of rosemary and a leaf of the
Bible in the hem of her garment, the credulous parent
bent her steps towards the dwelling of the reputed
" witch," to whom- she mede known the purport of her
visit. The "weird sister," after indulging in several mys-
terious shakes of the head, crossings of the palm, and other
gestures of equally cabalistic import, took the infant in her
arms, and commenced the ceremony of " charming."
This consisted in sprinkling the head of the child:with
common salt, and affixing round its neck a strip of
virgin parchment, accompanying the operation by a spe-
cies of low monotonous chaunt, occasionally varies by a
rapid enunciation of incoherent gibberish, which savoured
strongly of the ravings of insanity. At the conclusion of
this absurd farce, which lasted about ten minutes, the
" wise woman" resigned the ipabe to the care of its mater-
nal protector, gravely assuring her not only of its speedy
recovery, owing to the sovereign virtue of the " charm,
but of its future exemption from " the thousand ills that
g flesh is heir to." And—such is the power of superstition
—the mother of the infant not only entertains a devout be-
lief in the efficacy of the above-named rite, but loudly
vaunts the benefit already derived from it in the present
case, her child having, as she affirms, recovered most
chartn.ingly since her visit to " T'uo Witch of Sidbury."--
Worcestershire Chronicle.
MELANCHOLY REVERSE OF FORTUNE.-
Yesterday an inquest was held before Mr. Carter, the
Coroner for Surrey, on the body of John Atkinson, at the
White Hart Inn, Godstone. The investigation was a ;Try
lengthened one, but the following may be stated as the sub-
stance of the evidence :—The deceased was aged sixty-
seven, and, about twelve years ago, had a large farm in
the vicinity of Godstone. At this time he was worth
10,000/. ; he however soon afterwards fell into difficulties,
and being naturally of a very
sensitive temperament, he
would not abide, under his altered circumstances, amongst
Thursday
never
w heeekar,d whenof for
he a e those who knew him before. He accordingly left God-
s ne ,
last and wawalked
Iy-eel
aa
dr s
until ,
way worn, and pennyless, to the door of his brother-in-law,
Mr. Brown, who resides in that village. fie was received
with the greatest kindness, but remained moody and
thoughtful, though his friends did everything to soothe
him, until Mondnv, when he again disappeared. All search
was vain until Wednesday, when a gentleman, followed by
a large dog of the Newfoundland breed, was passing a
pond at the back of Godstone. He threw a stick into the
water that the dog might fetch it; the animal leaped
to theed into
object
the pond, and soon began tugging at somewater, which, on being drawn to she shore, was found to
s
be the body of the deceased. Several witnesse testified
d
having seen the unfortunate man in tears, andsfhen askeerable to
why he wept, he replied that death was !i
dependence. A verdict of " Temporary Insanity"
was
returned. The moderation of
THE LATE JAMES SMITH.
his character was, perhaps,.
irrt apparent on the usually
He professed, I be
exciting subject of pol
tei_ve
opinions,
but on no oc-
casion could i
lieve, moderately Conserve
we betray him into anything
like
a positive
declaration in company'. "My political opinions," he mace
said, "arc those of the lady; who sits next to me, and as
th ae fair sex arc generally `perplexed, lik
e monarchs, with
v',e fear of change,' I constantly find myself conservative."
Mr. Smith, you look like a Conservative," said a young
man across the table, thinking to pay him a compliment.
Certainly, Sir, was the prompt reply, my crutches; remind
me that I am no member of the movement party,"— James
Smith's Memoirs, 6.c.
The crops of wheat in Wiltshire are most abun-
dant. The little allotments of three cottagers living at
Caine have produced respectively, of that sort of wheat
called " the golden drop," at the following rate per acre ;
iz. 18 sacks. 1 bushel, 3 pecks per acre; 15i sacks per
acre; 14 sacks, 1 peck, per acre.—Bath Chronicla