The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-13 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.
A new five act comedy, from the pen of Sheridan
Knowles, and bearing the promising title of Old Maids,
was produced at this theatre last evening with complete
success. It is neither a satire on, nor a defence of, the
antiquated sisterhood from which it takes its name,
but is rather-an apology for those young ladies, who, for
the cause of old maidism,
. Contending with more zeal than heed,"
ire at length—

" Ta'en captive by the common foe,"
man, and compelleJ, without regret, to put on wed-
dock's chains. The opening scene takes place in a room
ein the house of Sir Philip Brilliant (Mr. C. Mathews.)
ilire.cannot better describe his character than in the
"Words of our author--" Sir Philip Brilliant is a butterfly
in the dravring•room, but a man in the field. His natureiit
is of the true stuff. He is a blade of proof
in
%twit
scabbard; you may laugh at the scabbard, but y?ts a
at the blade." Sir Philip discusses the meta of
new suit, with which he means to "affront all cloentipa3rliassotne:
for its fashion and splendour, with his
Robert (Mr. W. Lacy), a pleasant incontinent rguet.—e
but a frank one and honest withal—a rogue for. the
humour only, and after having settled the impor-
tant matter of a wrinkle near the seam of the left
shoulder, he sallies forth to Ludgateill to chide Master
Blount (Mr. F. Matthews), the jeweller, who so slightly
set his beaver jewel that he lost it in the street. This
Master Blount has two sons, the eldest, John (Harley),
to all appearance a plodding artisan, and his father's
favourite--the youngest Thomas (Mr. G. Vandenhoff),
loves his father, but not his father's craft. He is the
favourite of his mother, Mistress Blount (Mrs. W. West),
who defends his cause with great eloquence and energy.
Sir Philip -arrives, rates and insults old Blount, whose
cause is taken up by his son Thomas. Sir Philip, won
by his manliness of bearing, challenges him, intending
to change a pass or two with him to prove him.
They meet, and the result is, that Sir Philip
takes upon himself the charge of Thomas Blount's for-
tunes, who bids farewell to desk and counter. In the
second actave find Sir Philip and Thomas (now Colonel
,Blount) returned from the wars, and visiting Lady
Anne (Mrs. Nisbett) and Lady Blanche (Madame lies-
ahe two would-be old maids. Of Lady Anne it
is said—
" She glories in her single state ; and trailed
To mastery in studies men affect,
And seldom progress in as well as she,
Looks down on all our sex o'erbearingly,
And leaves the field to lovely Lady Blanche,
Who, though she smiles on courtship, looks as cold
On matrimony as her scornful friend ;
'While troops besiege her."
Lady BlaneLe is a finished coquette ; she has, how-
ever, once been touched when, disguised as a yeoman's
daughter, she went toa certain goldsmith's to make pur-
chases, and there saw that
,eoldstnith's son, and won his
heart. She recognises the goldsmith's son in the person of
Colonel Blount, who still dearly loves the yeoman's
daughter, but does not recognise her in the fashionable
Lady Blanche. Sir Philip fancies that he loves the Lady
'Diana*, and so firm is his faith in the old maidism of
Lady Anne, that he seeks her advice how to woo the
Lady Blanche. She advises him to dress less and study
more, undertakes to superintend his studies, and, to
re his own words, makes him from nothing what
is—a man. The result may be easily guessed—
they fall desperately in love with each other, he
forgets Lady Blanche, she consents to love, honour,
and
obey, and thus end her visions of single blessed-
s. Meanwhile Lady Blanche endeavours to cap-
tivate the Colonel, but without success ; he still
cherishes the remembrance of the yeoman's daughter,
and although Blanche assumes male attire and forces
herself thus disguised into his company, she has no
idea that the yeoman's daughter is the object of his
affection, although she ascertains that he loves not her
as Lady Blanche, and is very miserable in consequence.
Turn we now to the fortunes of the Colonel's brother
John. The old goldsmith has given up his business to
his worthy son, " who sells off stock and trade and quits
the shop," and becomes a frequenter of race courses and
Places of amusement, where his vanity lays him open to
commonest observers. He meets with Master Robert,
and hearing Robert addressed after the fashion of " High
Life Below Stairs," by his master's title, scrapes ac-
9a4intance with him, and fancies that he is the intimate
iof the veritable Sir Philip, and of his goodness prays an
ntroduction to some lady he thinks may suit him. Ro-
,Dertintroduces him to Charlotte (Mrs. Humby), Lady
Blanche's maid, as Lady Blanche, and lest she should
by him as plain Master Blount, he assumes,
D.Y Robert's desire, the title of Colonel Blount.
Blanche is confiding her sorrows to Lady Anne, when
Jane (Miss Lee), Lady Anne's maid, enters, and re•
blinds her mistress that she has given her leave to spend
the afternoon with Charlotte, and, in answer to her
rnistress, tells her it is a wedding, and that she believes
Charlotte is about to marry Colonel Blount. Lady
Blanche determines to be present at the nuptials,
in order to satisfy herself as to the fact, and to escape de-
tection attires herself as the yeoman's maid. It is need-
less to say that when the Colonel recognises the yeo-
man's maid in Lady Blanche, he takes her in all
humility and thankfulness and love ; while John,
on whom no serious design has been ever en-
tertained by Charlotte, after being well laughed at
for his folly, is by the intercession of Thomas pardoned
by his father and mother, whose society he had cut as
Much too vulgar for the aristocratic alliance he had in
perspective. The comedy is replete with exquisite
rietry, and sound and healthy and manly poetry too.
eke as an example the following reply of Colonel
Blount to the question of Lady Blanche:--
" What is a battle ?"

" Glory' Madam,
• a justcause;
Inbut at the best bought dearly
When men destroy their brother men, Like the
Frawed in the image of their common Maker.". O'r the following extract from the same scene .Tie
may 1
' Can he who games have feeling ?—yes,
But better, in my mind, he
_had_ it not 1
For I esteem him preferable far,
In rate of manhood, that has not a heart,
To him that has, and makes vile use of it :
• The one is traitor unto nature, which
The other can't be call'd."
The following description of mens' gaits, which is put
Ilan the mouth of Sir Philip, is quite Shaksperian :
`"rhere's matter in men's gait ,good Robert I
Therein you have the impress of theirl callings ;
There is the clerk's gait, which implies ies obedience ;
command ;
~,The shopkeeper's, half service, halfco •
The
inerchanos o'er-revolving speculations,
flaws .
,7411,..e lawyer's, quick and keen
.at quirks and ,
'ne student's,ponderous as piles of folios.;
Tb . ' , e,. a courtier's, supple, prompt for courtesies ;
JA4osuldier's, fieeping time with drums and trumpets ;
jild twenty. others—all most common-place !
The
there's one gait that's paramount of all—,
~
~, gentleman's that speaks not any ca.lling.
14:,,hie description was excellentl iven by
.Charles
*""eWs, who was throughout the very Sir Philip of the
ilitotut.her..Vandenhoff is much improved since his
4,---a.ot appearance on these boards ; his Solonel Blount is
This gentleman
powerful piece of acting.
professional career.
4,,.. tkett a giant's stride in
Vie Pea of Lady Blanche washjus"st uited to Madame
Her coquetry
Iv..eattla, and she made the most of it.
t"'9 kost fascinating • and in the last act she exhibited
-'l7l't•ii" and tenderness for the possession. of which we
.1q
r'at. previous] given her credit. Mrs. Nishett wal
pri6leibeihint as Lady ; her transition from thestiff
71414,. "-will of• the premature old maid, tto
vvt.haes
t ,'1414 'oyousness a loving four-and-or:en 3,
triii-"Ttrael 'to n t ire We were not surprised at Sir-
`'stitte? Brilliant fallingat *in leve with his charming i.n
'At, u're.gia- Mrs. W. West had but little to do as Mu-
lti:4' 43")thlt,, but that little was done so admirably,
14L..4%1'4 Wished to see .more of her. Harley was
~.•-iing quaint as John Blount. The author, hello's: ti,‘• ,-.4.1 writing this character, has committed. the. I
'ea.e asupposing that there is something witty in
hthe
:fllstitnt repetition of a pet sentence by the same c al -
te:l7r at :all times and in all places. The only
r9batiOn nianitestek throughout the piece
or vi_sluene of the constant repetition of John Blount,
prase,
• . e • ' -.
, If there is one thing lam better in
Ith• , , Than any other thing."
'3., however, is a mistake which may be very easily
' eteepttifizq.• Knowles was loudly called for at the fall oft theen
titti,atils-he however was not forthcoming. Cooper then
wasla
iot-e,: "Irward, and after stating that Mr.
ti( ` the house announced fhe comedy for repeti-
It is
1412141 d !Tell' evening amidst loud applause.
eve,.:,`,, a Work of supererogation to say that
the", ,"' that the most elegant taste could do for
hey,tion:"eci in the way of scenery, dresses, and decora-
-14,7', been done. The house was crammed, and
even
tioiefere the ruing of the curtain there was not
"`ueg room in ill° pit.
A
storr4-114DEENTOCT. 9.—We had a most violent
Abate c'n Monday night, which continued with little
Abatement
'Wednesday morning. The Dee was
deal °' ecn
faarm bout six feet above its usual mark, and a great
produce was floated down. We learn from
a
tretteieuntry that some haughs were swept, and that
tideal of damage was done to the crops.
;esti' William Shaw, who died at West Derby on
bile -fs'isalY week, has left the munificent sum of 2,0001. to
114-110 wing public charities in Liverpool, namely—
the 6• Coat Hospital, 500/. ; to the Infirmary, 300/. ;. to_
300/..isPensaries, 300/. ; to the School for the Blind,
I. ir,;,-;.? the School for the Deaf and Dumb, 300/. ; and
. , .1,- 44atriet Provident Society, 3001.
day'" STRIKE OF THE MASONS.`
Satur.
ith iht- *lit '1 6 men at work, and the number yesterday
Tha4.'444 to 57, of this body there is only one man
heil Two t„lt,,,tking previous to the strike, and previous to
of Ore k"e;,. Tieing his labour he ceased to be a member
4.014 ti; -wri;• The men now- at work have all come
tizepti,he: Proiinces, and it has required the greatest
oeint,. -784311i'he 'part of the contractors to prevent them
1416V'tber intimidated or led away by bodies of the
/IC „sts, who- wait the arrival of each train at every
tita:l Station. As yet there is not an Unionat.
not 44 the 'masons; but the contractors say they will
hut they caiman belonging to the Union employment,
diet,,e3' not allow him, or any body of them, to
e 0447 to them as to what work shall be done. The
of ~laetfts are also most desirous of letting the body
nine. to know that they have most positively Bete
a to r.,..._
-.4m Mr. Allen in his situation. They do it
faithful
ahfaiatter or prinCiple ;* they say he has been a most
he h.!! se
to'them, and they will keep him while
Atie:3:: Indeed sooner than they would discharge Mr.
and abide 'wold give -up this or any other contract,
is, ide the result, if it was ruin, because they know
y"t4sl,_ to be ovevrectiff 'bi- it 'fiction. Palace-yard all
I,4errttlaY Was crowded with :Unionists, and at times
itlitiethaengt:ldisstge was
bY
12°
means
a a pacific character;
distribution of a body of the B division of
4 0. under the direotion of Inspector Taylor, both
ii ,:t4 sz.it..,id. the works, keptthese dissaffected men from
rilZett•anng
jzigcthshossme gasoing to and coming from work,
they passed along.

ACCIDENT AT THE VICTORIA

THEATRE.

ng.
were— t hteh
rolvn neighbourhood
a s t ofat e loNf' a
theterl oo -roaYdes andter
vicinity,Yesterday eve i
Providence, would
ut-
most alarm and consternation, arising
from an accident,
which, but for the interference of a
have been attended with the most calamitous and dis-
tressing results. That an immense number of lives
have not been sacrificed is a matter of astonishment to
every person, although that the results will be fatal in
more
than one or two instances, is placed beyond a doubt,
when
it is stated that the middle flight of stairs leading
to the gallery of the Victoria Theatre fell without giving
the slightest notice, crowded with a dense number of
human beings. The following are the particulars of the
accident :—About a quarter to .si4 o'clock R. Mortlock,
the constable on duty at the Gallery entrance, opened
the doors, when a tremendous rush was made by men,
women, and children to obtain an eligible position
on the stairs, so that they might be enabled to
obtain front seats, and at this period there could not
have been less than three hundred persons on the various
flights of stairs. The money-taker having entered his
box, proceeded to take the price of admission from those
on the upper part of the stairs, when a pressure from the
lower part was made. On a sudden a loud crash was
heard, followed instantaneously by piercing shrieks, and
at the same instant, about fifty persons disappeared. The
cries which arose were most heart-rending, and which
were re-echoed through the building, that the place was
falling. To add to the alarm, those below rushed to the
door, and in the struggle which took place to get out,
the multitude fell over each other, and for a few moments
blocked up the outlet. The inhabitants rushed from
their houses, and, assisted by the police, began to drag
the people out, and in a short time succeeded in getting
a free egress for those who were on the lower
flight of stairs. As soon as this was accomplished,
Mortlock, Ballanger, Percy, " Joe the gas-man," and the
police constables of the A division on duty, at the
the hazard of their own lives, commenced removing the
fallen timbers and extricating the persons underneath.
Children were actually taken up and thrown into the
road to the by-standers, while those who were injured
were conveyed to the surgeons,' Mr. Sewell, Mr. Brooks,
Mr. Cock, Mr. Warboys, and the other medical men in
the neighbonrhood. To the shop of Mr. Sewell alone
there were fifteen persons taken, and amongst thorn was
a sawer of the name of Clayton, residing in Bours•yard,
Holborn. So severe were the injuries which the poor
fellow received internally that nearly two hours elapsed
before he was brought to his senses, and for some time
Mr. Sewell considered he was dead. A young woman,
named Mary Field, living in Pitt's-street, Tottenham-
court-road, was injured about the hips. A little boy, about
12 years of age, living in Potter's-yard, Waterloo-road,
had his lower left rib broken. The most extraordinary
part is, that although this dense mass of persons tell
about 30 feet, not a single life was lost. The cause of
the accident appears to have been occasioned by the
supporters of the stairs giving way, from being in a
rotten state. Shortly after the accident had occurred
Mr. Osbaldiston arrived, and upon being made ac-
quainted with the calamitous event gave directions for
every attention to be paid to the sufferers, and also
stated his intention to pay their medical bills, and also
to compensate those who required it. A number of
persons subsequently entered the gallery by the pit en-
trance, and proceeded to witness the entertainments as
if nothing had occurred. The number of persons, more
or less injured, is supposed to be between fifty and sixty,
several of them being females and children.

WINDSOR, MONDAY EVENING:—.-Her Ma-

jesty passed an ex'cel!ent night, and vvaa sufficiently im-
proved in health this afternoon to be enabled to take a
short carriage airing in the Great Park, accompanied by
his Royal Highness Prince Albert, who drove her Ma-
jesty. No day is now fixed for the departure of the
Court from Windsor ; but it is expected that her
Majesty may prolong her stay at the Castle until
Monday next—at least that is the day at present
" named" for proceeding to town. Immediately upon
the symptoms of the indisposition of the Queen mani-
festing themselves on Saturday evening, the presence
of Mr. Brown, of this town, surgeon to the Royal House-
hold, was commanded at the Castle, where Mr. Brown
remained in attendance during the whole of that night,
and until past six o'clock yesterday morning. Various
conjectures are hazarded for the Queen prolonging her
stay at the Castle until so late a period, under the cir-
cumstances, as the day named for the departure of the
Court, Monday next. The rumour is current at the
Castle, that her Majesty has expressed no objection to
an event so highly interesting and important to the
nation as the accouchement of the Sovereign taking
place at Windsor. Her Majesty, upon her return from
her drive this afternoon, appeared to be in excellent
spirits.

Some very curious relics of antiquity have been
recently dug up in a field in the possession of J. T.
Greme, Esq., near -Winchester. They consist of two
antique jars and a curious drinking cup, of great anti-
quity, and in a perfect state. The drinking cup is evi-
dently of Roman manufacture, as are also, probably, the
jars. The articles are now in the possession of Mr. H.
Drew, of the High-street.
EXTRAORDINARY DESPATCH. A letter
written on the 2d of July was forwarded to Calcutta via
Marseilles, by the overland mail of the sth of that month,
reached its destination by the express from Bombay, on
the morning of the 17th of August ; the bill it enclosed
was cashed, and a return remittance was made by
Messrs. Cockerell and Co., of that city, the same evening,
arriving in London on the morning of the Bth instant,
making a total of ninety-five days for correspondence
out and home with Calcutta—unexampled for rapidity
even in the annals of steam.
RIGHT OF PEERS TO VOTE.—At Marylebone
on blonday the claim of Lord Bridport to vote for the
house, No. 12, Wimpole-street, was opposed on the part
of the Liberals. Messrs. Ivimey and Allen, in support
of their objections, cited the opinions and decisions of
Mr. Falconer, the Barrister, who had revised the list of
voters for the borough of Marylebone for the two pre-
vious years, and who invariably disallowed the claims
of Lord Bridport and all other Peers to vote. They
also referred to the recent decision of Mr. Arnold in
the case of Lord Dinorben and other Peers during the
present registration in Westminster. Mr. Coventry
(the Revising Barrister) said he had maturely con-
sidered the subject, and he took a widely different view
of the case from his Learned Friends. It was a mere
resolution of the House of Commons that no Peer
should be allowed to interfere. There was no law is
existence whatever to prohibit a peer from voting, or
from his being placed in a list of voters for any city
or borough in which he might reside. At all events,
he considered there was no authority given to a Re-
vising Barrister to interfere in the matter, and there-
fore in all such cases he should feel himself justified
in allowing the claim. The claim, which will admit
the right of fourteen other Peers resident in Maryle-
bone to be on the register, and which had been pre-
viously struck out, was allowed. The result of the re-
♦ision will not be made up until the lists of the several
parishes are completed; but at the conclusion of yester-
day's proceedings it was understood to be greatly in
favour of the Reformers.

THE METROPOLITAN ROADS.—On Monday
a meeting of the inhabitant rate-payers of the parish of
Hammersmith was held, pursuant to public notice, "to
receive a communication from the Brentford Gas Com-
pany relative to discontinuing the lighting on the Me-
tropolis Turnpike-roads after the 7th instant, and to take
such steps thereon as may be deemed advisable." The
Vicar (the Rev. Mr. Attwood) was in the Chair. In
the course of his address the Chairman stated, that of
late years the tolls along the Kensington and Brentford
Consolidated Roads had fallen off to the extent of
16,0001., and that the Commissioners had, in conse-
quence, taken high legal opinions as to their obligation
to continue the lighting, which opinions were decidedly
that they were not compelled to do so. The expense of
lighting the Kensington and Brentford Consolidated
Trust was 2,0001. ; and the tolls on those roads were at
the present moment let at 2,0001. less than the expense
incurred in repairing them. After a great deal of dis-
cussion, a motion to the effect that it was desirable that
the lights on the high-road should be continued ' • and
also that other parts of the parish which could with pro-
priety be lighted should be so, was carried by a large
majority, as was also a motion of Mr. Miller for the ap-
pointment of a Committee to confer with other parishes,
and report to a future meeting.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.--The
season continues to be wet beyond all yrecedent, an in-
terval of twenty-four hours without xain being quite a
rarity; Although all the corn crops are gathered in the
lower parts of this county, there is still a considerable
quantity of oats and some wheat out in the hilly dis-
tricts, much of which will never ripen, whilst that which
does will only be fit for feeding cattle and pigs. The
potato crop is suffering greatly from the continued wet,
thousands of acres being quite rotten, or so soft and
watery that they will not keep through the winter. No
one can wonder at this who is acquainted with the
wretched drainage which generally exists in Lancitshire
and Cheshire, and who remembers that we have hardly
had a week of dry weather since June. The only thing
that seems to flourish under this incessant fall of rain,
is the after-grass, which is more abundant this year than
it has been at any time for many years preceding.—
Liverpool Times.

THE WEATHER.—Since our last the weather
has continued to be the reverse of what is either agree-
able or useful for the gathering in of the remainder of
the grain crops or the progress of the potatoe harvest.
Rain, arid--a close unwholesome haze, have more fre-
quently prevailed than breeze or sunshine, and very
little has been done during the last few days to effect a
clearance of what remains in the fields.—Glasgow Herald.
TRIGONOMETRICAL SURVEY.—For the last
fortnight a party of a dozen or fourteen of her Majesty's
sappers and miners have been engaged—as Fisted by a
number of labourers from the country—in carrying to
the top of Benlawers materials for lodgings to themselves
and to the officers to be employed in the trigonometrical
survey of Scotland. The bivouacks are now completed,
and the business of the survey is forthwith to commence
under Licuts. Hornby and Robinson, of the Royal En-
gineers.

DEATII OF DR. COWAN.—II ;.3 with the
deepest pain we have this morning to announce the death
of our accomplished and philanthropic townsman, Dr.
Robert Cowan, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence in
the University of Glasgow, which melancholy and un-
expected event took place on Saturday night, about
eleven o'clock. Dr. Cowan had been for some time in
rather delicate health, and, we believe, intended to have
spent a portion of the ensuing winter in the island of
Malta ; but nothing had occurred to lead his friends to
anticipate the melancholy change that was so soon to
happen. As a medical man, Dr. Cowan occupied a high
place in this city, and, as a citizen, few of late years
have done so much to awaken the attention of the public
to the amelioration of the physical condition of our
suffering population.—Glasgow Argus.-

THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

The following letter, on the Veto Question, has been
addressed to a Scotch paper, by the Lord Advocate :-
52, Park-street, Oct. 5, 1841.

SIR-I yesterday received a copy of your paper of
Ist October (by whom sent I know not), having a
marking opposite to an article entitled " County of
Bute Election." This article appears to me to be cal-
culated to produce an inaccurate impression' of the im-
port of what I said ; a circumstance the:less to be
owondered
occasion
ac
at , s
iaosn baenrde
twheer ea
rnt
io c
e, reporterswhieh wian attendance
nevera t en duae
com-
municated to me, must consequently have been the
fruit of subsequent recollection on the part of some in-
dividual present.
This article bears—that I, " in conclusion, briefly
referred to the all-important Church question, and as-
sured his hearers that it was one which, in his opinion,
required the most serioui/and mature consideration,
and not to be hastily takeh'up and decided upon—nor
would it be so—that he—had been only three hours in
London after receiving his late appointMent, but that
a portion of these three hours was spent by him with a
distinguished member of the Government in the diseus•
sloe of this question, and he needed only farther add,
that it was the intention of the Government to which
he had the honour to belong, to prepare and bring for-
ward, not a partial or instalment measure, as the Duke
of Argyll's 13ill was characterised by many of the mem-
bers of the General Assembly who advocated that
sure, but such a measure as would ensure a satisfactory,
full, and final settlement of this long-protracted and
painful question, and place the Church of Scotland
upon a sure and lasting foundation, securing to it all its
undoubted rights and privileges, and that nothing should
be wanting or left undone by him as an individual, or
as a member of the Government, in aiding and assist-
ing, promoting, and carrying through such a measure,
and which, he hoped, would be occomplished to the
satisfactien of every reasonable person in the country."
Now, what occurred was this :----After alluding to
the unhandsome treatment which I bad received from
some of the Non-Intrusion party in the Church on
occasion of my last election, and adverting to the diffi-
culties with which the present Government was sur-
rounded, and the apparent disposition on the part of
the country to allow Ministers sufficient time for the
consideration of measures proper to be adopted in such
an exigency, I said that I trusted that something
of the same spirit would influence my countrymen,
and the electors of Bute in particular, in regard to
the Church question, in which they took so deep
an interest. That it ought to be recollected that,
however much the great importance of that ques-
tion might be felt, it merely affected a portion
tion of the United Kingdom, and only a part, though a
very large one, of the inhabitants of that portion. That
it had, therefore, uo claim of preference over those more
extensive measures which concerned the whole Empire,
embracing Scotland as a part. Again, that the difficul-
ties attending the Church question were very great, and
required the most mature consideration. That such I
were the difficulties that no one had ventured to sug-
gest a perfect remedy for them. Some, indeed, were
willing to take the Duke of Argyll's all as an instal-
ment ; but no Government ought, and I was persuaded
the present would never countenance a measure of that
description, or one which should not, if possible, ope-
rate a complete remedy ; so as the peace of the Church
might not again be disturbed. That all that I could
assure them of was, that the question would be fully,
deliberately, and impartially considered ; and that I
did this the more confidently, us I had ascertained from
one of her Majesty's Government that it would meet
with such consideration. That with this they ought,
in my opinion, to rest satisfied, and patiently to allow
the time requisite for that consideration. I added, that
no efforts on my part ever had, or would on this occa-
sion, be awanting to promote what should appear to be
the real interests of the Church of Scotland.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

WM. RAE.

STATE OF TRADE and COMMERCE
Week
°ll
raotsteheidb.epgeirnlbin.gfoorfxkl'anslterican
was'.r hveryede mb
rains
kd faonrdc opricestt
descriptions, but the Manchester goods market of Tues-
day was not so active as those of the two proceeding
weeks, and the demand in consequence fell off towards
the end, though the rise in prices was sustained. The
autumn demand for twist for Russia and Poland, ends
this week, the 16th being the latest day for the fulfilment
of the contracts, and it is a matter of the (knout interest
to see what state the trade will 484411110 when that tem-
porary cause of activity ceases to exist. Hit should con-
tinue to be favourable, the very strong fears for the
coming winter, which are now entertained, will be much
diminished.
Although the duty on foreign wheat has now risen to
16s. Bd. a quarter, and the averages have fallen consi-
derably, the price of good wheat is advancing in all the
principal markets of the country, and it is generally be-
lieved amongst those best acquainted with the corn- '
trade, that it will rise much higher 'before Christmas.
The decline in the averages is occasioned by the inferior quality of the wheat which is now coming to market,
which is in general lean and damp, the latter defect be•
ing greatly increased by the recent wet weather, which has
much retarded the usual drying in the stack. The yield
is, however, so deficient, as to force up prices in spite. of
the quality. We know from some of the best &ritual in
this neighbourhood, that the yield of their wheat-3a-ex-
ceedingly small—much less so than they expeeted before
it was thrashed. In addition and aggravation of this
is the failure of the potato° crop, which is now as-
certained to be general in England and Ireland, and
which in Lancashire and Cheshire is almost uni-
versal. Butchers' meat also continues very dear, and
must be dearer, as the price of sheep and cattle is in-
creasing rapidly at present, owing to the shortness of the
supply. We are informed that there is likely to be a
decrease of thirty thousand head in the number of sheep
brought to the Liverpool market this year, in compari-
son with last, and that the supply of cattle is also quite
unequal to the demand. This arises partly from the
disease amongst sheep and cattle, which has been so
prevalent for the last two years in England, Scotland,
and Ireland, and partly from the ill-judged efforts of the
Legislature to force the cultivation of wheat and other
descriptions of grain, by protective duties. If it had
not been for the wonderful improvement which has taken
place in the breed of Irish cattle and sheep during the
last ten years, which enables the graziers of that country
to bring heavier animals to market at two years old than
they formerly could at four—beef and mutton would now
have been nearly, if not quite, a shilling a pound in
Lancashire.—Liverpool Times.

FURTHER EVILS OF WilE CORN.
LAWS,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR—The public papers have recently shown, from a
Parliamentary Report, that the amount of accounts an-
nually adjusted at what is called the London bankers'
Clearing-house, extends to the enormous sum of nearly
one thousand millions of pounds sterling. Now this im-
mense sum only forms a fractional part of the annual
returns of the British mercantile and trading commu-
nity—is merely that part which comes, as it may be said
collaterally, through the hands of a part of the great
London bankers' hands. Yet from this statement some
idea may be formed of the gigantic magnitude of all
commercial returns throughout the country.
From contemplating this subject, the magnitude of the
evil resulting from fluctuations in the price of provisions
is forcibly brought to light. Take the subject of bread
corn alone, and assume that the quantity annually con-
sumed in the United Kingdom is 20,000,000 quarters,
which is not far from the fact, then it is plain, if the
price of this commodity be 20s. per quarter dearer in one
year than in another, 20,000,0001. sterling must be ab-
stracted from the usual channels of retail trade, em-
bracing the shopkeepers of every description, and is forced
into the moro restricted channels of the dealers in bread.
That is to say, if the average price of corn through any
one year be 50s. per quarter, and the succeeding year
the same average price be 705., the consumption remain-
ing the same, the difference to the public must be twenty
million poundt sterling expended on this article alone,
one year more than another. But this sum is abstracted
from the annual returns of every description of retail
tradesmen in greater or lesser amounts ; and through
their lessened returns its influence again and again
finds its way to every member of the mer-
cantile and manufacturing classes above them, who all
experience the effect of slackness of business, diminished
orders, and loss of trade. But this is not all; for seeing
that there is so vast a sum passing through the bankers'
clearing-house as one thousand millions, and that only a
fraction of the general mass of mercantile returns, it is
impossible to doubt but that the simple twenty millions
diverted from general trade into one particular trade,
owing to a rise of price, as above explained, must cause
a diminution in the aggregate annual returns passing
through the hands of the commercial community generally
of, at the very lowest computation, ten times, if not twenty
times, the net amount so diverted—for who shall say
how often any given Bank note exchanges hands in 'the
course of a year, or who will determine how much
would be spent if the ability to spend existed? Where-
fore I conceive it is all but demonstrable that an advance
in the price of bread-corn of only 20s. per quarter must
Cause a loss of mercantile returns to the general com-
mercial body throughout the United Kingdom of at
least two hundred millions per annum. And all tiiis
diminution of general trade, it must be borne in mind,
falls exclusively on what is known, and prized so highly:tient thing the
stathaneffduse hourly
,
y
as the home trade. All this arises from fluctuations in
canthes um pricepbet
on of
and a n
dispensed articlewith,
whichit h is
beingl
the ic i h l a
f olffe. con
h
o-
this cause most of the existing distress in the country is
to be charged ; and to this cause mainly is to be traced
the deranged state of the national finance. In the
year
1835, the average price of wheat was 395. 4d.; in 1836,
48s. 65.; whilst in the year 1839 the average price Was
70s. Bd.;, and in 1840 665. 4d. ; thus establish'
greater dfference than I have assumed, and thus reinidgera-
rng manifest, the immensity of the evil inflicted by sucl
enormous fluctuation in price, which fluctuation in by an
is fostered, aggravated, and rendered unavoidable bpy
express Act of Parliament, which refuses permission to
correct the same, by insisting that the labour, capital,
and skill of one class alone shall be depended on for
procuring the needful supply, and by debarring all others
from exerting their labour, capital, and skill to the same
end, until after the evils I have enumerated and exhi-
bited have been in full operation, to the sorrow and suf-
fering of countless thousands.
I am not aware whether the great question of the
Corn-laws has been previously looked at in this point of
yiew, which, however, I conceive is one deserving of
attention from every practical man of business.—l am, &c.,
C. POUNTNEY, rublic Accountant.