The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-24 00:00:00

STEAM-BOAT MONOPOLY.

The following letter has been addressed to the
Editor of a Morning Contemporary:—
SlR,—During the last three years the steam boat
traffic from Chelsea to London has been divided between
two companies, called the Citizen and Iron-boat;
they worked separately, and the public benefited by
the competition which existed, each being desirous to
offer the greatest accommodation to secure patronage ;
the fare was originally fourpence, but during the last
twelve or fifteen months the fare was reduced to two-
pence, and up to a comparatively recent period each
had a pier on the Surrey side of the river, contiguous
to Battersea-bridge, for the accommodation of the
inhabitants of Battersea (the Red House pier being
too far distant to be available for that district). The
Citizen Company subsequently erected a Battersea-
biidge pier on the Middlesex side, gave up the one on
the Surrey side, and made an arrangement for the
steam-boat passengers to pass free over the bridge, as
is customary at Vauxhall and Southwark, and as the
inhabitants of Battersea suffered no pecuniary loss,
and the iron-boats gave up their Surrey-side pier,
they put up with the inconvenience of the Chelsea
crowd in summer, and the keen wind off the bridge
in winter, without complaining. Thus matters
stood until the week before last, when a rumour was
rife that an amalgamation was about to take place
between the two companies ; and it proved to be cor-
rect, for on Monday, the 10th inst., the public found
the fare raised to 3d., and the accommodation
reduced from eight boats an hour to four boats, with
out any option of selecting, as one only each quarter
of an hour presents itself ; and if it has the reputation
of being slow or badly appointed, you must put up
with it : added to which, the number of stoppages
between Chelsea and London-bridge have been
increased, which causes a delay of about ten minutes
each journey. Now, by this arrangement, a saving
in the working of the line of fully 30 per cent. has
been effected with an advance of 50 per cent. added
to the fare, whtch is a tolerably modest specimen of
the first junction movement; but as straws indicate a
current, so trifles show the disposition of men, and the
inhabitants of Battersea found to their astonishment
that the bridge was no longer free, the companies
terminating the contract ; hence what confidence can
be placed in their liberality if unopposed ? I scarcely
think Mr. Cobden in all his travels, could have found
two miniature pictures more appropriate to show the
difference between free trade and monopoly. On the
9th the public paid 2d., with twice the accommodation
and a saving of time, for that which they paid 3d. on
the 10th. That this state of things can last long the
enterprise of the present day does not lead me to ex-
pect, but it may accelerate a change by making the
public acquainted that there is a good opening for
individuals or companies with piers on both sides of
the river vacant.
Battersea, Jan. 18. X.Y.Z.

THE RESUMPTION OF THE CORN-LAWS.—MAN-
CHESTER, THURSDAY.—This morning a special general
meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce was
held in their rooms, Town Hall-buildings, for the pur-
pose of considering the propriety of petitioning Parlia-
ment against the resumption of the sliding scale in
March next. The meeting was not very numerously
attended. T. H. Ba.eley, Esq., president of the chamber,
presided. Mr. H. Ashworth, of Turton, near Bolton,
moved the first resolution, viz.:—" That this meeting
has heard with extreme regret that her Majesty's
Ministers have announced to Parliament that it is not
their intention to propose to the Legislature to extend,
taeddv advisers, rbso,
tibt,
tfhree l;a wa wd ideehl
bpeerramt
ei
lt3s
nd
disapproving of this resolve of her Majesty's ,
tbheey o imp of a It
isotno for acecorhn ndexutty,
is of opinion that a petition should sn
be
epre
Houses of Parliament, immediately on their reassem-
bling, to pray for protection from the evils which a
return to a vicious and repudiated system, al.
though for a short period, is likely to entail upon
all classes, and not more upon a languishing coin
merce and an ill-employed people than upon the
permanent interests of agriculture." James Kershaw,
E'q., M.P., seconded the resolution, and said he believed
it was quite hopeless for the Minister to attempt to keep
up monopoly. He was quite sure that the League had
so enlightened the country, that the people would never
submit to it. He regretted to hear that the President of
the Board of Trade had announced the intention of
codneelaurdreieddbyteading unanimously. the re
Mr.so-
Government to resume the sliding-scale. After ex-
pressing his deep regret that the Ministry should have
such
whicha v,a sposition,pl it he
ab
,
John Brooks moved the adoption of a petition to Parlia-
ment, which was seconded by Mr. Thomas Ashton. and
takenl
reso-
lution, t ion
carried unanimously.

DEATH FROM XCIISSIVE DRINKING.—An inquest
ied
was) whoerldth-green,
we
y last,ind saotr,theWolfßupert public-house,
oneottheeoroners for the county of Berks, on the
before
bodysq.: of a labouring man, named James Appleton, aged
twenty-two years, whose death was occasioned by
drinking, within the space of half an huur, no less
a quantity than four half-pints of neat gin. The
evidence adduced, which occupied several hours, went
to prove that a number of labouring men were drink-
ing together on the occasion of the birth-day of one of
them, and that the deceased, who had been previously
drinking a large quantity of beer, and was quite intoxi-
cated, drank off the gin in question in the presence of his
drunken companions, of whom his own father was one.
It appeared that Mr. Pearl, surgeon, was in attendance
upon the deceased almost immediately afterwards. The
man, after living for some time, expired in a state of
great 'suffering. The juryreturned a verdict of "Died
from the effects of drinking a largelquantity of gin."
TRH HEROES Or Arxwer..—The grand ball to be
mfeanshioduoa ope-
rations le
given by the officers of the 16th Lancers, in comme-
moration of the memorable battle of Aliwal, is the all-
ceinrgclreoss.sing
Already
topic of
rations in the large room at the Town Hall, which is to
excel iu taste and splendour everything of the kind at-
tempted in that room before.—Brighton Gareke.
BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, JAN. 21.—We have had
a very good market this week, the demand for all de-
scriptions being good, and prices may be quoted '6d.
per cwt. dearer. The rum market is quiet.—Bristol
Mercury.