The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-25 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE.

In the absence of Mr. Hutt, an Host. MEMBER moved
for returns of the number of ships of all classes, includ-
ingsteam-vessels; employed in any way for the suppression
of the slave trade eluting the year ending the Ist day of
August, 1846. stating the number of men and guns,with an
estimate of the charge to the public for such service, in-
cluding stores, coals, and wear and tear of the equip-
ment, together with every other expense, distinguishing
the charges incurred by the vessels expressly employed
in suppressing the slave trade from those incurred by
the 'vessels incidentally engaeed in that service.
An account of the number of men and officers, dead
and invalided, in the. squadron employed inthe
suppression of the !,lave trade, on the African coast,
during the year 1845; of the expenses of all hospital
establishments end refitting establishments connected
with the- suppression of the slave trade in this country,
on the east and west coasts of Africa, at the Cape of
Good Hope, the islands of Ascension and St. Helena,
and elsewhere. An account of the appropriation of all
sums of money received as the proceeds of vessels or. other
property condemned in the courts of admiralty, vice-ad-
miralty, or mixed commission courts, for violations of the
laws or s prohibiting the slave trade. Account of
all sums of money paid in each year since 181)7 to cap-
tors of vessels conch coned fee violation of the laws and
treaties prohibiting the slave trade, distinguishing the
sums paid as head money, bounty for slaves
taken, bounty per ton register of ships taken,
and as captors shares of the proceeds of ships
and property condemned. Account of all sums of
money paid by the Crown to or on behalf of captors, in
satisfaction or indemnification of expenses or damages
arising from the prosecution or seiztee of vesse Is alleged
to be engaged in the slave trade; also, of sums paid to
Foreign Governments..or to British or fort ign persons, for
losses caused by the st mire, destruction, or condemnation
of vessels, barracoons, or other property, alleged to be en-
gaeed in the slave trade, distinguishing, as far as pos-
sible, the names of the persons receiving such compensa-
tion, the dates of payment, and the nature of the injury
or loss for which compensation was made in each case,
from the year 1807 to the present time. Account of all
the expenses, as far as they can be estimate-d, incurred
in the naval or diplomatic services -in each year, since
1807, for prompting_the suppression of the slave trade,
which are not comprised in the foregoing returns.
Motion agreed to.
ST. ALBAN'S ELECTION.

The SPEAKER informed the House that the recog,
nizances enter.d into by the sureties to prosecute the
petition against the return of Benjamin Bond Cabbell,
Esq., for St. Alban's, were found to be unexceptionable.
,The House then adiiairned at half-past Uhree o'clock.

LONDON AND CROYDON RAIL

WAY COMPANY.

The general meeting of this Company t.), 4c place yester -
day, at the offices of the Company, Mr. A. Wilkinson in
the chair.

The SECRETARY read the following report, which Ras
unanimously adopted :
"The amalgamation of the late Brighton and
Croydon Companies being now completed, and a report
having been already made to you in your new character as
proprietors in the London, Brighton, and South Coast Com-
pany, your late directors have merely to remark that, at the
close of your existence as a separate company. your affairs
are in a more flourishing condition than they have ever yet
been.

"The short traffic on your line has steadily and rapidly in-
creased. During the present session of Parliament, the
Direct Portsmouth line which has been a source of so much
anxiety to your directors, and is expected to be a source
of so much profit to your line, has received the sanction of
the L'gislature. The short coal and goods line to Dept-
ford, which was alluded to in the last report, has likewise
passed successfully through Parliament; and, although you
have not obtained your Bill for a line to Tunbridge and
Maidstone, you have succeeded in defeating the schemes of
the South Eastern Company, which would have diverted
the traffic of Kent from the Croydon line; and you have
again successfully resisted the attempt of the South-
Western Company to obtain another line to Epsom.
"The atmospheric system, although it has not been free
from those diffi •ulties which u-ually attend the first intro-
duction of alt inventions, is sati,factorily progressing, and
there is every reason to believe that it will fully realise the
expectalons which have been entertained of its ultimate
success.

"The working expenses of the last five months are neces-
sarily very great, on account of the mixing of the two
systems of traction, each having cost almost as much as if
the other had not been employed; but the receipts from
passenger traffic for the five mouths of the present
half-year have exceeded those of the six months of
the corresponding half-year, although the best month
(that of July) is omitted, the accounts haring been closed
a month earlier than usual, for the sake of uniformity with
those of the late Brighton Company—some of the payments,
however, being necessarily referable to the whole six
months. The accounts thus presented show a disposable
balance (including the profit of 2,130/. Ifs. Bd. derived from
the sale of third share) of 17,600/. 15s. 3d., out of which
your directors recommend a dividend to b. paid of 7s. 6d. per
share. A vote of t.e proprietors will he taken as to V.e
disposal of the sum remaining after the payment of this
dividend.

"The directors cannot close this report without recommend-
ing to the favourable consideration of the proprietors some
acknowledgment of the valuable services of Mr. Young, so
long and so zealously rendered in the office of Secretary to
this Company."

The CHAIRMAN then moved that a dividend of 7s. 6d.
per share 11. paid to the shareholders out of the divinable
fund, now in the hands of the directors.

The. resolution was seconded by !dr. BARNES, and
carried unanimously.

The CHAIRMAN then moved that a testimonial should
pres-nt-d to Mr. Young for his valuable services, and
that a subscription ~hould be entered upon for that
purpose, and that the directors he empowered to pay
over the balance of 1,1881. 95. 3d., which will remain
after the payment of the dividend in aid of such fund.
Mr. SLE:;RY seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously. _

After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, the meetil g
separ i ted.

The WEATHER and the HARVEST
The prospects of the harvest have not become brighter
during the present week. In Western Yorkshire we
have not had a day without rain since Sunday, and
Thursday was a completely soaking, damaging day,
with almost incessant rain, and scarcely a breath of
wind to counteract its injurious effects. Though ;he
rain has ceased, the weathcr is still gloomy, with a
" changeable " barometer and liitle briskness in the
wind. Some corn has been cut in this neighbourhood
during the week, but very little stacked. In the prin-
cipal wheat-growing counties of the South, a good deal
of produce had already been secured in fair condition,
though there they complain of an excess of moisture.
In the Midland counties the harvest is tolerably ad-
vanced, but there is st.ll a great deal of corn eut and
uncut in the fields. The tendency of the corn marketN
under these cireu.iistances, is naturally upwards, and
further advances are anticipated. Should the unfavour-
able harvest weather cause any considerable portion of
the English grain of the present year to prove more
than usually soft and unsound, we shall require a large
quantity of fine dry old foreign grain to mix with our
home-grown stock ; and the 1,660,399 varters of
wheat entered fur home consumption in the first six •
months of the present year, followed by further sup-
plies, will be found available for rendering the fond of
the people wholesome and nutritious till the next har-
vest. This will be one of the first-fruits of the new
corn-law, a consequence which the general failure of
the potato crop will render invaluable. As to that crop,
we must refer for a view of its alarming condition to
other parts of our present paver; we only remark here
that in England, ScotlAnil, and Ireland, the acconnts are
much more dispiriting this year than they were in the
month of August of the year 1845. Whatever may be
the quality or the quantity of human food produced by
the present harvest, the supply of food for cattle will be
must abundant ; already an unusually large quantity of
hay of prime quality has been secured ; the meadows
and pastures are full of herbage from the rains of July
and August; and the turnip crop has seldom been so
promising as at the present season.—Leeds Mercury.

SHEARERS' WAGES.—Harve,ters, notwithstanding the
numerous arrivals from Ireland, as well as from parts of the
West Highlands, seem to be scarce throughout the coun-
try; while wages, regulated by supply and demand—are
consequently high. In Dumbartonshire, as high as four
shillings and sixpence, and even five shillings per day
has been paid for resident shearers, two of them being, it is
said, preferable to three promiscuously hired at our Cross,
where wages have this week ranged from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d.
The Mowing wages have been paid elsewhere:—lli Ren-
frewshire, 3s. to 4.. per day; in East Lothian, 18s. to 20s.
per week, with victuals; in Mid-Lothian, 16s. and 18s.
per acre, without victuals, is the common rate; in
Stirlingshire, men 16s. 6d. to 21e., women its. to 12s. per
week. In other parts of Scotland, as well as throughout the
North of England, wages are proportionably high, and
shearers in great demand. The numbers of reapers who have
this week arrived here from Ireland is about 7,000 or 8,000.
The demand for harvest labourers is not diminishing, hut, on
the contrary, will increase if the weather continue fine.—
Glasgow Saturday Post.
NOT QUITE DEAF ENOUGH —A curious incident oc-
curred last week before the Civil Tribunal of the Seine. A
medical man, whose wife had a fortune in her own right, ap-
plied to the tribunal to compel her to grant him a mainte-
nance, on the ground of his having become so deaf as to be
unable to follow Ids profession. The wife declared, through
her advocate, that her husband was only deaf because he
would not hear, and therefore • objected to his application.
The pleadings on both sides being over, the President of the
Tribunal, turning to the husband, who was present, said to
him in a moderate tone of voice, " You are then absolutely
destitute of the means of suort r ,4 oh yes, sir, absolutely,
absolutely," replied the husband, forgetting his deafness.
The tribunal instantly dismissed his suit.— Paris Paper.
There is a report respecting a jury
impanPßed upon
a certain civil action, tried at the late Cardigan Assizes;
the rumour is, that on retiring to consider the verdict, the
numbers were even for the plaintiff and defendant, and in
order to decide the question it is said that they tossed up a
halfpenny for it, when the defendant was the lucky man.
We trust, for the credit of a Cardiganshire jury, that the
report is untrue but, unfortunately. the verdict was con-
, trary to the evidence and to the summing trp of the Learned
Judge, and surprised the counsel engaged, and a crowded
court.—Carmarthen Journal.
OLD PORT.— the subiaarine adventurers employed on
the wreck of the Abergav
;
en.l3-
the other day, a bottle I,o' off Weymouth, brought up,
art wine in fine preservation.
It has lain at the bottom ofof 'Cle sea forty-one years.—De.
"opt Telegraph.
UYING A PREA.CHER. l.'he coloured people of
Washington have held a fair to lats
se 300 dollars to buy their
preacher who is a shave, The ripe,p_ .
for a good preacher, is
Teri cheap indetdon./Vcur York Xorot V r°B4
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