The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-16 00:00:00

STEAM. NAVIGATION.

On the Ist proximo an Act of Parliament for the re-
gulation of steam navigation on the river Thames, and
alsa on the seas, will come into force. The Act was
passed on the 28th of August last (9th and 10th Victo-
ria, c. 100), entitled, "An Act for the regulation of
Steam Navigation, and for requiring Sea-going Vessels
to carry Boats." By the preamble, it is declared to be
expedient to make further provision for regulating the
construction of sea-going vessels, and for requiring sea-
going vessels to carry boats. There are 38 sections in
the Act, which Act is not to apply to her Majesty's
ships, nor to any vessel not being a British registered
vessel. Iron steamers of 100 tons or more, commenced
after the passing of the statute, are to be divided by
watertight partitions. All sea-going vessels of 100 tons
and upwards, after the Ist of next month, are to be
provided with boats of the dimensions specified, and
no vessel carrying more than ten passengers is to pro-
, teed to sets unless, in addition to the boats, it is
supplied with a lifeboat and two life buoys ; and
steamers commenced after the passing of the Act, in lieu
of a life-boat, to have " paddle-box boats," or such other
boats as directed by the Admiralty. Steamers of 100
tons and more to have a hose for extinguishing fire.
Every steam•vessel when meeting or passing any other
steamer, is to pass as far as may be safe on the port side
of the other vessel, and every steam-vessel navigating
any river or narrow channel to keep, as far as may be
practicable, to that side of the fairway, or mid-channel
of such river or channel, which lies on the starboard
side of such vessel, due regard being had to the tide and
position of such vessel. 'Phis section (the 9th) has re-
ference to the numerous vessels on the Thames. The
Admiralty may make regulations respecting the exhibi-
tion of lights. Vessels within 20 miles of the coast to
exhibit lights at night, and no compensation to be
awarded to vessels not exhibiting lights at night. Be-
fore the 30th of April and the 31st of October in each
year two declarations by the owners are to be trans-
mitted to the Board cf Trade, setting forth the sufficieney
of the hull and of the machinery of the vessels, which
declarations are to be registered, and certificates of the
same granted. Accidents And damages to steamers are
to be reported to the Board of Trade, as also the sup-
posed loss of a steam-vessel. Inspectors may be ap-
appointed, and may require evidence as to accidents,
&c. The other provisions are of a general character to
enforce the nsw law, prescribing the mode of proceedure
for disobedience, and the penalties to follow thereon.
The Admiralty and the Board of Trade have been con-
stituted the "eyes" of Government—the symbol of
knowledge—with power to enforce the new law, and to
prevent, as fur as possible, according to the language of
the statute, " the occurrence of accidents in steam na-

vigation."

WARNING TO PARENTS.—A procuress very nearly
secured lately a victim for one of the hells of vice with
which London is said to abound. The following short
and simple story may serve as a warning to parents and
young women. A few weeks since a respectable small
farmer, residing in a village near Boston, called upon a
tradesman in the borough, and asked if he knew a Mr.
Mason, a horse-dealer, in Oxford .street, London ? On
receiving a reply, in the negative, he said, " I thought
possibly that, as you sometimes sell horses, you might
know such a person ; for a lady has been to my house,
and has hired my daughter into the service of Mr. Mason,
and I have brought her with her clothes, &c., to go by
the coach." The tradesman remarked on the folly of
allowing his daughter to go among entire strangers ; and
inquired what sort of a lady had hired her ? "Oh,"
said the man, "she's quite a lady, and very elegantly
dressed." After further inquiries, it was elicited from
the man that the " lady" said she had a sister in Boston;
on which the cautious tradesman wisely recommended
the simple-hearted countryman to ask her who her sister
was. He accordingly went to the inniard, where the
coach was ready to start, and popped the question as to
the whereabouts of the " sister," when a commercial
gentleman standing by, attracted by the passing circum-
stances, exclaimed, "Oh, I saw that woman on the
pavement last night." Electricity could not have ,
pro-
duced a more instantaneous effect upon this " lady,,
wit) " cut" in double-quick time, and was seen no more
in Boston ; and thus was an innocent girl, in all proba-
bility, saved from ruin and an infamous early doom.—
Stamford Mercury.
We understand that the first place Mr. Rowland
Hill will visit in his new official capacity will be Liver-
pool, whore, we hope, he will introduce a few of the
reforms so much needed in our Post-office.—Liverpool
Albion.

Major-General Fox, M.P., has taken one of the
spacious mansions in Hill-street, adjoining a e late resi-
dence of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart, MJ?., for
the ensuing semen.

The full effects of the failure of the potato crop in Ire-
land are now becoming manifest ; the wants of that
country, though sufficiently urgent before, have so greatly
increased within the last few weeks, that it has been
found necessary to send large supplies of food from
hence to the sister isle ; and this unusual demand upon
our stocks has already caused a clearance of the coarser
descriptions of grain at the principal ports on the west
coast. The inquiry was, in the first instance, confined
principally to Indian corn ; but that article having risen
in value until it has become as dear, if not dearer, than
wheat, the Irish buyers have lately purchased Odessa,
Egyptian, and other low-priced wheat, freely. Though
the stocks of Indian corn in this country have been com-
pletely exhausted, and cargoes still on passage from the
Mediterranean and America have been bought previous
to arrival for Ireland, the demand from thence has in-
creased from day to day. The inferior kinds of wheat
have, in consequence of this state of affairs, risen rapidly
in value, and
.are at least 2s. per quarter dearer than
they were only a fortnight ago. Hitherto the finer sorts
of English and free foreign wheat have not been much
influenced ; but it is scarcely necessary to say that the
withdrawal of large quantities of corn week after week
from our granaries to suply the wants of Ireland must,
should the demand continue, sooner or later cause an
advance in prices in all parts of the kingdom.
The almost universal want now prevailing in Ireland
has caused attention to be so exclusively directed to the
west, that the very extensive suffering of the poorer
classes in the Highlands and islands of Scotland has
been almost lost sight of. It is, nevertheless, certain
that great suffering is being endured there, and that
those parts of the kingdom capable of affording assist-
ance will be called upon to furnish food to their less for-
tunate neighbours.. It requires very little foresight,
therefore, to percen:e that the country is in anything
but a safe position with respect to the sufficiency of food;
and we have no hesitation in affirming that all the sup-
plies likely to reach Great Britain between this and next
harvest are likely to be wanted. England is not the only
country which will require aid. In France and Belgium
the harvest has proved even more defective than with us,
and vie feel fully satisfied that the much talked of sup-
plies from America will prove inadequate to meet the
deficiency caused by a generally deficient harvest over a
great portion of Europe.
In the early part of the week the trade in wheat at
Mark-lane was not lively, but since then the inquiry for
the article has undergone a considerable improvement.
The arrivals coastwise into London have been less liberal
than the preceding week, only 7,729 qrs. having been
reported up to this (Saturday) evening. The quantity
exhibited by land-carriage samples from the home coun-
ties has also been moderate. On Wednesday there was
scarcely anything on the Essex and Kent stands, except
that left over from previous receipts ; and the millers be-
ing more inclined to buy, a clearance was easily effected
at rates fully equal to those at which sales were made
in the commencement of the week. On Friday the dis-
position to get into stock had evidently increased, and
factors succeeded in placing the little they had to
sell at an advance of is. to 2s. per quarter. In addition
to a lively inquiry for free foreign wheat on Irish ac-
count, several purchases have been made by country
buyers ; besides which a few parcels hare changed
hands on speculation. The business done on Wednes-
day was at an enhancement of ls. per quarter, and
subsequently a further rise was established, the advance
on some qualities being fully 2s. per quarter at the close
of the week. The inquiry for bonded wheat for ship-
ment to France has within the last few days revived ;
and though the high pretensions of holders, together with
the scarcity of shipping, have prevented many bargains
being closed, there is reason to believe that the small
quantity of wheat under lock here will be still further
diminished by exports to France.
Several of the metropolitan millers have lately been
employed grinding low qualities of wheat into meal for
Ireland, which circumstance has rendered them less
anxious to enter into forward contracts to deliver flour ;
the demand for the latter article has meanwhile in-
creased, and there is some prospect of the top price,
which was only a fortnight ago put down from 565. to
535. per sack, again rising to the former point. Many
of the principal manufacturers refused, on Friday, to sell
households at the rates current in the beginning of the
week, and ship samples were very generally held ls. to
2s. per sack higher. For barrelled Flour the inquiry
has also been active, and rather enhanced rates have
been paid for free; whilst bonded parcels have, in anti-
cipation of a demand for France, risen quite Is. per
barrel.

Indian corn has been eagerly sought for ; and the few
floating cargoes offered have been readily taken for Ire-
land, at considerably enhanced terms.

REVIEW OF THE FOREIGN CORN TRADE.
The advices from the north of Europe are of very little
interest; the weather appears to have undergone similar
changes there to those experienced here. Up to the Bth
instant the navigation of the Elbe was still practicable,
and the temperature waa then mild ; we may, however,
expect that the next reports from thence will give a very
different account of the weather, and it may be regarded
as nearly certain that no further supplies of moment will
reach us from the northern continental ports.
Letters from Danta;c, of the sth of December, inform
us that a somewhat improved demand had been expe-
rienced there for wheat, and that about 350 lasts had
changed hands during the week, and at an enhancement
of Is. to Is. 6d. per quarter on previous rates. Prime
high-mixed new, of 591bs. to 601bs. weight, was then
held at 555. to 565. per quarter free on board, and other
descriptions at proportionate rates. The weather, though
frosty, had not been particularly severe ; and the water
in the Vistula having risen, a good many of the barges
wheat laden had got down, and further supplies were
believed to be close at hand. Freight was high, say .ss.
to 6s. to London, or the east coast of Great Britain, and
6s. to 6s. 6d. per quarter for wheat to Liverpool.
From Stettin we have advices of the 7th inst. Scarcely
anything appears to have been done in either wheat or
spring corn at that] port for immediate shipment; and
beyond a few contracts closed to deliver barley in the
spring at 30s. per quarter free on board, the transactions
in the grain trade had been altogether trivial.
From Rostock we learn that the supplies of wheat
from the growers had rather increased ; and the inquiry,
having at the same time improved, a fair extent of bu-
siness had been done in wheat, at prices equal to 525.
per quarter free on board for the best qualities. Peas
had met with some attention, and had sold readily at
40s. to 41s. per quarter free on board.
From llamburgh our advices reach up to Tuesday.
Since the previous post-day hardly anything had been
done in wheat for export ; and good to fine qualities of
red were quoted at from 535. 9d. to 555. 9d. per quarter.
For cargoes to be shipped in spring from Baltic ports
there had been no offers except at high rates, the prices
asked having ranged from 525. to 535. per quarter. The
operations in barley had also been restricted, a stop
having been put to business by the fear that anything
shipped from the Danish islands might be caught by
the frost, so as to prevent the vessels sailing till spring.
This apprehension had also checked business in oats from
outports.
The intelligence from France is very important ; the
value of wheat, after undergoing a temporary check,
having again advanced nearly 2f. per hec. at several of
the principal markets. In order to encourage importa-
tion, the Government had determined to admit Ameri-
can flour iu British bottoms, whether direct from the
United States or from England. This alteration in the
navigation laws will most likely lead to tho export of
most of the flour at present under lock in the United
Kingdom to France.
Since writing the above the Great Western has ar-
rived. Freights to England had risen so high, as seri-
ously to check business; and the consequence had been a
decline in the price of fl air of nearly 50c. per barrel.
or
s.
TfEo ' e L nd on
shipments Liverpoolss.6slper barrel had been paid for flour, and
and even 6s. per barrel had been asked.
of flour from New York, from the Ist to
the 24th of November, had exceeded 83,000 barrels.—
Mark lane Express.

EATHER EUSTACE.—The late decision in one of
the Irish Courts of Law, respecting the property of two
nuns, claimed by the convent of which they are mem-
bers, has created a great sensation in the Catholic com-
munity, which will, no doubt, be still further increased
by the perusal of Mrs. Trollope's new work, "Father
Eustace, a Tale of the Jesuits ;" in which the leading
incident in a highly wrought narrative, is a similar at-
tempt made by the same church to obtain possession of
the estates of a young lady who is devoted to a conven•
tual life. This is certainly a curious coincidence, but
the story, in which it forms so remarkable a feature, is
no ordinary one ; and is as full of startling truths as it
is of the most absorbing interest.
We are glad to find that Mr. MarJcwick's Patent
Epithems, which we confidently recommended to our
readers some time ago, as being extremely valuable and
useful materials, are meeting with that extensive pa-
tronage, both from the medical profession and the public,
they are so eminently entitled to. The materials in
question, it will be recollected, are of two kinds : one,
the " Impermeable Spongio reline," forming an excel-
lent substitute for the common, disagreeable, and ob-
jectionable poultice ; and the other, the " Impermeable
Peline," intended as a remedy in rheumatism, tic
doloureux, &c. The " Patent Chest Protectors," manu-
factured from this article, will, we think, at this season,
prove invaluable ; and considering the benefit and com-
fort they affurd, no one, we apprehend, will be without
them. They are adapted both for constant and occa-
sional wear
; and there can be no greater proof of their
superiority than the approbation and recommendation
they meet with from medical men.
short time ago, a peasant presented himself early
one morning at the
see the Pope. Ile was told that this was impossible, on
which he ele2lared that he would rli,t leave, and would
sleep at the gate of the palace until he should be able to
see his Holiness. 'uirtnal, and expressed a desire to
The Pope, being informed of the man's
obstinacy, ordered him to b.) introduced, and, on seeing
him, recognised that it was his foster-brother. The
Pope received him very kindly, and, having inquired
after the health of his mother, asked him if he could do
anything to serve him. lie said he had no want of
anything, but should like to remain to watch over the
safety of his Holiness. The Pope told him that he had
no want of protection, and the peasant left ; but came a
few days afterwards, and solicited a place as uneer gar-
dener, in order that he might be able to gee the Pope at
least once a day. The Pope yielded to his desire, and
desired him to send for his mother, in order that his
Holiness might also have his foster mother near his
person.
ESSEX REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.—The regis-
ters for this county, just published, show an increase of
85 voters in the Northern, and a decrease of 40 in the
Southern Division, as compared with the numbers on the
preceding register. The numbers registered are as fol.
5,326. The numbers last year were precisely alike in
lows :—Northern Division, 5,461 ; Southern Division,
the two divisious-=-5,366.--.EsBexfieraldi

Henry Tattersall, common brewer, New Wharf-road, Bat-
tlebridge, Dec. 26, at eleven, and Jan. 30, at one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Green, official assignee, Alderman-
bury; Wilson, Aldermanbury.
Thomas Taylor, blacksmith, Headbourne Worthy, South-
ampton, Dec. 23 and Jan. 21, at half-past twelve, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee, Basing-
hall-street ; Buchanan, Basinghall-street.
William Toms and John Matthews, brewers, Flungerford,
Berkshire, Dec. 24, at two, and Jan. 28, at twelve, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Bell, official assignee, Coleman street
buildings; Bishop, Lincoln's Inn-fields.
John Newby, haberdasher, Leicester, Jan. 1 and 29, at
half-past eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Bittle-
ston, official assignee, Nottingham ; Holnie and Co., London ;
Hoskins, Loughborough ; Smithe, Birmingham.
Henry Peers, builder, Birkenhead, Jan. 1 and 19, at twelve,
at the Liverpool District Court. Bird, official assignee,
Liverpool ; Vincent, Temple, London ; Atkinson, Liverpool.
William Jones, boiler maker, Liverpool, Jan. 1, and 19, at
twelve, at the Liverpool District Court ; Turner, official
assignee, Liverpool ; Bridger and Blake, London-wall;
Almond, Liverpool.
Frederick William Farley, hatter, Liverpool, Dec. 31, and
Jan. 15, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Caze-
nove, official assignee, Liverpool ; Keightley, Cunliffe, and
Beaumont, Chancery-lane ; Hetherington and Co., Liverpool.

James Sutcliffe, cotton-spinner, liabergham Laves, Lan-
caster, Jan. 4 and 20, at one, at the Manchester District Court.
Pott, official assignee, Manchester; Hisson and Robinson,
Manchester • Scott and Tahourdin, Lincoln's Inn-fields;
Shaw and Artindale, Burnley.
Richard White, merchant, Sunderland, Dec. 30, at twelve,
and Feb. 8, at noon, at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne District
Court. Baker, official assignee, Newcastle-upon-Tyne;
Young and Harrison, Sunderland ; Maples, Pearse, Stevens,
and Maples, Frederick's-place, Old Jewry.