The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-10 00:00:00

FLANDERS MAIL.

BRUSSELS, APRIL 6.—The average price of wheat
in the week ending on Saturday, the 3d April, was
36f. 5c., and that of rye, 26f. 14c. per hectolitre.
These prices are rather lower than those of the pre-
ceding week, viz., 49c. per hictolitre on wheat, and
51 c. on rye. _ _

The Minister of the Interior has just addressed to
the governors of the provinces the following circular :
"I think it necessary to call your attention to a
question which is of great importance under the pre-
sent circumstances. It has been observed that the
disease which for ten years has affected the potatoes,
attacks, in particular, the /ate:species, which may pro-
bably be accounted for by the fact that wet especially
contributes to propagate this disease.
"It appears to me, Sir, that it would be use-
ful to direct the attention of the farmers to this
fact, and to point eut to them at the same
time how advantageous it would be to them, consi-
dering the present high prices of provisions, greatly
to extend the cultivation of early potatoes. They
would thus have the hope of enjoying a double
advantage—first, their crop would not be ravaged by
the disease, if it should unhappily appear. again ; and,
in the second place, they would profit, by the high
price of provisions. to sell their stock at prices which
they would probably not be able to obtain at later
dates."

A letter from Stutgard, of the Ist of April, says,
at the end of March such a quantity of snow fell in
the environs that the mails were considerably delayed
by it.
_ _

A French journal, in one of its last numbers, states
that a general inquiry has been instituted in Denmark
to ascertain the quantity of corn in that country, and
that, in consequence of that inquiry, the exportation
of corn will be prohibited. A general inquiry has in
fact been made, but with great precaution, in order
not to alarm the people. It results from the report
that there is not only a quantity of corn sufficient for
the consumption of the country, but that some pro-
vinces, for instance Langeland and the Duchies, have
corn which may be exported. As for the prohibition
of exportation, it was indeed talked of for a moment,
but, on the representation of very competent persons,
this measure was given up, which would have been
attended with great inconvenience.
The Cologne Gazette says, the steps which have-
been taken of applying to several states on the banks
of the Rhine for the suspension of the duties on the
river, in favour of vessels laden with corn, flour, and
other provisions, have been favourably received by
the Grand Duchy of Baden, by France, the Grand.
Duchy of Hesse, and the Duchy of Nassau ; and it
is affirmed that Prussia, Bavaria, and the Nether-
lands, are likewise well inclined to adopt a measure
of this kind.
The Swabian Mercury has a letter from Limberg,
which gives a melancholy picture of the state of
Western Galicia. The wounds which the insurrec-
tion of the peasants inflicted on the country are very
far from being healed. In the circles of Tarnow,
Sandow, and Wadowice, a number of villages are
found, in which many houses are empty, desolate,
and forsaken, where the fields are scarcely
half cultivated ; and even now there is little
prospect of their being so, though the Govern-
ment takes all possible measures and causes the
peasants to. be supplied with corn seed. Many
peasants seem to have lost all attachment to their native
country, and are leading a vagabond, dissolute life.
Limberg itself has indeed gained in animation and
wealth, because many landowners whose circumstances
are at all adequate have fixed' their residence there,
and this for fear of the peasants, for there is great
fermentation/in many villages, and the peasants, ren-
dered savage and driven to despair by necessity,
could only be restrained by military powers. Under
these circumstances, it must be a great risk if foreign
corn dealers should:purchase a great quantity:of wheat
and send it down the Vistula, as they would be in
danger, in case of a sudden insurrection, of having
their corn seized and carried off.

PRAGUE, APRIL I.—The Archduke Stephen re-
turned to Prague the day before yesterday. The
Bohemian Gazette of to-day accompanies this infor-
mation with the following words, which excite not a
little attention :—" It is generally hoped that his
Highness will not give up the government of our
country."
His Majesty the Emperor, considering the present
want of work and the great distress, has granted an
extraordinary sum for the improvement of roads
about Prague, among which that of the road from
Prague to Konigrual appears to be the most neces-
sary, as the communication is always impeded during
the inundations amid the breaking up of the ice.
BELGIAN FUN DS.-13sx.su.s, APRIL 7.
Actual Debt, 2% per Cent • . .......
Itothschild's Loan, Five per Cent • --
Loan of Thirty Millions, Four par Cent•
Ditto Three per Cent ..................
Ditto Thirty-seven Millions, ditto ......
Ditto,dltto,lB4o. • lOO%
Ditt0,ditt0,1842...................... 100%
Ditto, 1844............... •....... ... 96%
Ditto, 1836..
Ditto, 1838 . ... •.......... 68%
Ditto of the Cliy, 1832 ................ 99
Ditto, 1843 ........... ......... 97%
Bpanape:kA.ouf.BAseTplgistrilumAs ••
• .
1:
7.
6 per Cent. Metalliques.. ••• . •• •108
4 per Cent. ditto • 98%
13-• •ND •
S l{•rx sr• •N•a•
,• ••9
APRIL
—Brussels 1 .
3 per Cent. clitto• • • • •• • • • • • • •
Loan, 1834 153 %
Ditto, 1839 .... •• •• • • • ..... • • •• • • • • • • 119%
Bank Shares .
Esterhazy's Loan ........ •
RAILWAYS.
The Northern, or Ferdinand . . ••• . • • • • • 172
.. 121
Vienna—Milan ••.. • • • ..Leghorn ... • • 108
Grosetto •••• ••• • • ••••••• • • • • • • • 9214
Oldenburg .. .. •••• • • • • ..... •• •
Pestoja ...... .• ..
Pesth Bridge .. •••••• • • • • • •
Apenninen . .

OPINIONS ON MR. DISRAELI'S NEW Wonx.—
Tancred," observes the Athenceum, " has entertained us
more than either Coningsby' or Sybil,' and, we think.
otphiant.iaonseseeco
mind
edition has already been called for. The Times, not-
withstandinge
its dissent from many. of the writer's
of Vivian Grey' to write a work of fiction which shall
ot be clever, brilliant, witty, and dashing. Tanered
aall this, and, in truth, something more. Its writer has
borrowed for a season the pencil of Roberts, and become
a gorgeous painter. Characters, too, are admirably hit
off. Mr. Disraeli exhibits a master-hand in his delinea-
tion of Faltredeen, the most elaborately drawn character
in the work. The first volume deals entirely with Rog-
land and the English, hut makes the reader blush for
the hollowness and folly that crowd into the corners of
the little island. We could fill our columns with smart
saying and happy hits, but we leave them to be sought
in their natural home."
SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SOClETY.—Yesterday a quar-
terly Court of the Governors of this Society, for the
relief of sick and diseased seamen of all nations in the
port of London, on board the Dreadnought Hospital-
ship, moored off Greenwich, was held at the office of
the Society, in King William-street, City; John Labou-
chere, Esq., in the chair. The report stated that during
the past quartet 724 new eases had been received, and
the number of patients for the past year relieved were
!1.941., making a total number since its establishment in
1691, of 79,585 individuals. The financial statement
exhibited a steady progressive improvement. Amongst
the recent supporters of the society were his Majesty
the King of Hanover, an annual contributor of 201.; his
Excellency Keying, the Imperial High Commissioner to
the Emperor of China, a benefaction of 1871. 10s. (ster-
lir*, fur which his Excellency has been enrolled a
Vice-President; Mrs. Somes, widow of the late eminent
-hipowner, of her portion (one third) of an intended be-
quest of 1,000/. of Mr. Somes, &c. The report wee
Idopted, and after some routine business, thanks were
~ted to the Chairman, and the meeting broke up.
We regret to hear that Air. Justice Coleridge
'lot able to attend the Central Criminal Court ye/Ate/WAY
in consequence of illness.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
(From the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette)
We have received advises from the Cape of Good
Hope many days later than previous accounts.
They announce the arrival at Cape Town of Sir
H. Pottinger. The Haddington, steamer, with
the High Commissioner on board, arrived in Table
Bay on the 27th of January, and having been duly
sworn into office, he immediately proceeded to busi-
ness, by issuing a proclamation, which we give below.
The state of affairs on the frontier is represented to
be anything but satisfactory. It will be seen from
tile extracts, which we give below, from our Cape
contemporary, that three officers had been murdered
by the Kafirs. The subjoined letter from our cor-
respondent at Cape Town will be read with interest :
" Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 2, 1847.
" Sir,—lt is impossible to arrive at anything like a
satisfactory account ()L. the state of things and parties
on the frontier, so much party spirit seems to exist for
and against the late Government measure, and such
diversity of opinion as to what has been done, and whatn
ought to be done; at a time, too, when but one common
feeling ought to pervade the minds of the whole
com-
munity of colonists in the Graham's Town andfrontier
districts, that it appears anything; but creditable to
subjects dependent upon the protection of the British
Crown.
" The recal of Sir Peregrine Maitland,e resignation
ehris
Force of the Eastern
app
Force
the resignation
of Sir Andries StockeflatmfhTi of his appofltment as com-
of Sir Andries Stockenstroin of
mandant-general of the Burg
h
Distrfcts of the Capet he Colony,
su in consequence of some
political dissension den departure of Sir P.
Maitland, as commander-in-chief, from the scene of
action, before the arrival of his successor, and
the devolvingH. of the entire command on Colonel
Somerset,
tended not a little to increase the deep
dejection I(.w-laich Prevailed in the minds of those in
Cape Town more immediately and directly. interested
' the issue of affairs on the frontier. But,
lenarly on the morning of the 27th of January,
it was announced that the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany's steamer Haddington, had arrived in Table Bay
during the night, having on board Sir H. Pottinger,
Bart., and suite ; also Lieutenant-General Sir George
Berkeley. K C. 8., Commander-in-Chief of the forces.
His Excellency landed under the usual salute, at eleven
P.M., and proceeded to the Government-house in Sir P.
Maitland's carriage. The streets through which he
passed were thronged with spectators. and the cheering
was deafening. He was immediately sworn into office
by his Honour Sir John Wvlde, Chief Justice, and he
immediately proceeded to business, by issuing the fol-
lowing proclamation :
" Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to appoint
me to be her High Commissioner for the settling and ad-
justment of the affairs of the territories in Southern
Africa, adjacent or contiguous to the eastern and north-
eastern frontier of this colony, and to authorise and en-
join me to take all such measures, and do all such
matter and things, as by me may be lawfully and discreetly
done, for preventing the recurrence of any irruption
into the said colony of the tribe inhabiting any of the
territories aforesaid; and for maintaining the said colony
in peace and safety from invaders, and for promoting as
far as may be possible the good order, civilisation, and
moral and religious instruction of the tribes aforesaid.
Sir henry would hold a levee on Wednesday, 3d Fe-
bruary, and, it was expected. almost directly proceed
with the new commander of the forces to the frontier,
to see and to hear for himself, and form his judgment
thereby.
We make t'-e following extracts from the Cape of
Good Elope Shippinq and Mercantile Gazette of the
29th of January :
" We are gratified to announce the arrival, on Wednes-
day last, of our new Governor, Sir Henry Pottinger,
and the Commander of the Forces, Sir George Berkeley.
This arrival, so long and so anxiously looked for by the
colonists generally, will, we trust, be productive of last-
ing good to this continent. From the extended powers
with which we believe that Sir Henry has been invested
as her Majesty's High Commissioner for the adjustment
of affairs with the native tribes, and from his well-tried
and known ability, we are led to expect that our relations
with the natives on our eastern and north-eastern
border will be placed on a sound and solid basis. But
we would advise our fellow-colonists to wait with
patience the development of any plan which may be sug
gested, even though it may not be exactly the one to
which they are most attached—remembering that car-
rying nut the object proposed is attended with difficul-
ties all but insuperable, and requires all the ability and
all the calm consideration which any man can bring to
it. We understand that his Excellency intends pro
ceeding to the frontier almost immediately.
The intelligence from the frontier brought by this
week's post is not of great importance. It appears, how-
ever, from the accounts given by the local press, that
there is still much of an unsatisfactory and unsettled
character in the state of our Kafir neighbours. The
most painful occurrence since our last is the melancholy
death of three officers, killed by the Kafiri, and the acci-
dental death of two of the Mounted Riflemen, and Ser-
geant-Major Ritchie, of the 7th Dragoon Guards. The
following are some of the particulars extracted from a
letter, and inserted in the Graham's Town Journal:—

"We have nothing but disasters of late. While we
were out towards the T'Somo, Colonel Somerset sent out
a party of 200 men to hold the Kei drift. These, finding
themselves getting short of supplies, sent a patrol to get
cattle for slaughter. After marching for some time, on
reaching the summit of the Kei hills, some cattle were
seen about two miles a head. Three officers and four
Hottentots galloped off in pursuit, and succeeded in
reaching the cattle, the infantry following slowly behind.
The latter saw the former plainly bringing on the
cattle, but there were several hollows or necks to pass
through, in which stood thick clusters of thorns. On
gaining, the first of these the infantry heard sharp
firing and proceeded onward, but on reaching the
spot found only a horse and three or four Kafirs dead,
but neither the officers nor cattle. They returned the
same evening. Two of the Hottentots came into
the camp one after the other the next day, and a party
was sent out in search of the missing party. The
three officers—namely, Captain Gibson, Dr. Howell,
Rifle Brigade, and Mr. Chetwyn, 73d, were found
killed, but the Hottentots have not been discovered.
On Tuesday we got down to the Kei Drift, but the
river was too much swollen to cross. On Wednesday
it subsided a little, and on Thursday we crossed the
cavalry, in which Sergeant-Major Ritchie, 7th Dra-
goon Guards, two C.M.R. and two horses were drowned.
Two mule waggons were also washed away. The guns,
infantry, and 6.000 head of cattle were left on the other
side. Besides having no food except beef, we have had
wet weather all the time we have been out."