The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-26 00:00:00

REVIEW OF THE_BRIiISIi CORN

TRADE.
The accounts which have this week readied us from
different parts of the country on the subject of the
potato crop are even more alarming than any of the
previous reports. 'Dee disease is evidently spreading in
all directions, and there is no saying where it will stop.
So general has the conviction become that the produce
of sound potatoes will be exceedingly small, as to cause
a material rise in prices of all kinds of gain. Nor is
this at all surprising, . when we consider the im-
mense extra consumption of flour and meal so great
a calamity as a serioes failure in the potato crop
would inevitaby occasion. Other circumstances have,
however, assisted to give an upward tendency to prices
of corn ; among the foremost of which has been the
state of the weather. Since the beginning re' the month
we have rarely had two dry days col-smut e:et/ ; and the
harvest in the north has, consequently, progressed very
slowly. The repeated showers, accompanied as they
have been by a high range of temperature, must have
done injury to the grain in the fields ; reel it is, the re-
fore, to be feared that the quality of much of the corn
grown in the later districts will be greatly inferior to
that of the south. This alone would have been suffi-
cient to have caused some excitement in the tr idee and
when coupled with such statements as thceei which pour
in from all quarter: relative to the spread of the
potato rot, there is little wonder that an impetus
should have been given to business, even if the
complaints of the deficiency in the yield of wheat ft om
the straw be wholly overlooked. The primary cause of
the altered position of affairs is, however, to be found in
the fears generally entertain, d regarding the extent of
the mischief likely to result from the potato murrain ;
and in proportion as these fears preve to be ill or well
Sainded, meet be the extent of the advance in the value
of other sorts of agricultural produce. Wheat has
already risen from es. to 7e. per quarter (rim the lowest
point of depresion. This advance has occurred in the
short period of two or three weeks, but as yet there ap-
peer no symptoms of a check to the upward movement.
Our advices from Scotland speak even mote despond-
ingly of the potato crop this than the pe (ceding week,
and great fears also appear to be entertained there re.,
specting the harvest, comparatively little grain having
hitherto been secured even in the most forward districts.
At Edinburgh, on Wednesday, new wheat advanced
2a. to 3e, and old fully 2s. per quarter, whilst at Glas-
gow the rise was equally great.
From Ireland we receive similar reports as from other
parts of the kingdom; indeed the potato murrain seems,
if anything, to be more virulent in the sister isle than
on this side of the channel. And as the population there
is more dependent on this crop than is the ease either in
England or Scotland, the censternation is proportionably great. The rise in the prices of wheat, oats, and in-
' Tian corn had consequ, ntly been considerable at the
principal markets, and shipments to England had dimi-
nished materially.
The arrivals of wheat coastwise into London have
been extremely small during the week, only 4,656
quarters having been reported up to this (Saturday)
evenink. The quantity exhibited at Mark-lane by land-
carriage samples from the neighbouring counties has
been still more trifling ; indeed there was scarcely any-
thing offering either en Wednesday or Friday, en the
Essex, Kent, or Suffolk stands. Meanwhile an in-
creased disposition has been manifested by the millers
to get into stock, and the insignificance of the supply
having induced sellers to raise their pretensions, pur-
chasers have been under the m cessity of pa3ing en-
hanced terms. The little business done on Wednesday
was at prices quite ls. per quarter above those current
in the beginning of the week, whilst on Friday a fur-
ther advance to the same extent was established, mak-
ing the total rise from tne lue tsit pint 2s. to 3s. per
quarter. Foreign free Wheat has likewise ex-
cited attention, but its value has not got up quite
so much as that of English. The finer kinds of Dant-
zic, Rostock, and other favourite sorts, have been held
Is. to 2s. per quarter above previous prices, which has
hed the effect of ch. eking the demand ; and the actual
transactions were not particularly extensive either onWede
nes:lay or Friday, though the inclination to buy had under-.
gone a decided increase towards the end of the week. The
duty rose, as was expected, to 9s. per qr. on Thursday, and
will attain the maximum point, next week; it is not
likely, however, to remain long at 10s. per quarter, if
the lately established advance in prices should be sup-
ported. Under these circumstances it may be pretty
safely concluded that no more wheat will for some
time to come be entered for home consumption, par-
ticularly as there is a prospect of relatively higher
rates being made for the article in bond than could
be obtained for it free. The demand for lock wheat
for export to Preece has been rather active since our
last, and several parcels have beets taken for that desti-
nation; for the best Lower Baltic red 445. to 455. per
qr. have been paid, and good Danizic has commanded
465. to 48s. per qr. The stock at present in bond hero
is trifling; and as comparatively little is now on passage
from the north and east of Europe, there is not much
chance of an accumulation.
The market has been scantily supplied with English
and Scotch oats, vi !Cyst from liel,nd only 2,654 qrs.
have been reported. Of the 29,631 qrs. of loreign re-
ceived, a large proportion is from Arehaegel. Th©
belief that the potato rot in Ireland will prevent us
obtaining anything like the accustomed quantity of this
grain from thence has given an impetus to the demand,
and the trade has been quite excited during the week.
Con-itlering the useful properties of Indian corn, and
the probability that it will hereafter be extensively used
es a substitute for potatoes, the article has excited less
attention in the London marls t than might have been
expected. Good parcels of yellow have been freely
offered at 30s. to 325., and fine white at 31s. to 335. per
qr., without meeting with many buyers.—Murk-lane
Express.

STILL HUNTING.
There is a small island in L•uieh Coon, not far distant
from Rinagry, where illicit distillation has been in the
habit of being carried on for ninny years, ov,ing to the
difficulty of access, though only a few t undred yards from
the shore. On the evening of Satu, day last, abut 8
o'clock, Lieut. Thompson and his party, stationed at
Pontoon, resolved on making an attempt on this island;
and to effect this two of the party, having taken off their
clothes, swam to the island, with their bayonets between
their teeth. On reaching the island two men (the
only persons on it) attempted to prevent their landing by
throwing stones, but were stoppe.l by the men on the
main land threatening to fire on them if they persevered.
The younger of the two men then got into a boat, in
order to escape, and rowed himself a little from the
shore ; on his refusing to surrender the police tired and
sank the boat, and imtnettiately the policemen on the
Wand swam out and saved. the man that was in the
boat, who had clung to an oar when it sank. Two more
of the revenue party then swam to the island. and
soon alter a boat with eight men came up and attempted
to land and rescue the two prisoners, but dreading the
point of four bayonets, and being tired on by the re-
mainder of the police on the main land, they soon went
off. At this time a great number of the country people
had collected, and appeared very much disposed to
attack the officers and the four men who were with him,
but these having their own firearms ready, and also
*hose of the four men on the island piled before
them, kept the people at bay till two others of
the policemen had come with a boat, for which they
were dispatched two hours before, during which
time the officer and his party were in much danger
of being attacked, and had to remain in their wet
clothes, being obliged to go a considerable distance into
the water to be heard by those in the island. A still at
full work and a very large quantity of malt were found.
on the island. The two prisoners were brought before
the magistrates in this town on Monday, and fined 61.
each, or three months' imprisonment. On Friday
last the revenue party from Crossmolina, under the com-
mand of Lieutenant Wllougal, and the party stationed
in this town, under the command of Lieutenant Carter,
united, and, accompanied by Mr. Henry P. Wilkinson,
sub•inspector, proceeded to Coolcarney, where they
seized, we understand, upwards of 200 stone of malt, a
still, head, and worm, and a large quantity of pot-ale
and potteen.—Tyrawley Herald.

' LOST AND WON p OR, THE LOVE TEST. Br THE
AUTHOR OF TUE MAID'S HUSBAND."—" This is a tale of
hearts lost and hearts won—of the effects of aristocratic non-
chalance in the most important concerns of lite—of the ter-
rible vengeance of superseded affection—of the consequences
of neglecting the systematic education of children born to
move in the highest sphere of society. It is a well constructed
and consistently told tale; the dramatis persona act upon
principles universally comprehensible, and the issue and
catastrophe are the natural consequences of the errors of
people who have never studied mankind or themselves. The
author has so contrived the story that no event is antici-
pated—no casualty foreseen. There is eneugh of each of the
characters to create a special interest in their respective pro-
ceedings, and there is a sufficiency of distinction in their
several dispositions to impart variety to the work."—Court
Jounsul

The Prince Napoleon Louis Bonaparte is on a visit to
our city, and we understand that he intends to remain here
f.,r a few weeks, in order to avail himself of the Bath
waters, his health not being good. He resides at
the Pultenney Hotel, Sydney-gardens. The Prince is at-
tended by no retinue, and lives quite en simple particulier.—
Bath Herald.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT POPLAR.—On Monday, shortly
before ten o'clock, a fire, that caused considerable alarm,
broke out in the premises occupied by Mr. Steward, a general
dealer, carrying on business in Grundy street, at the corner
of Oriental-row, Poplar. The flames were first perceived on
the second floor, by a neighbour, who immediately raised an
alarm. So firm a hold, however, had they obtained be-
fore the discovery, that very speedily the whole of the
top part of the house became enveloped in fire. The
intelligence was promptly fOrwarded for the engines.
and, with as little delay as possible, the several bri-
gade engines, with Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent,
arrived at the scene of conflagration, and were followed by
Mr. Connorton with the West of England engine. The East
London Works afforded an abundance of water, and the en-
gines were worked with full vigour, but upwards of; an hour
elapsed before the flames could be said to be entirely sub-
dued. By that time the whole of Mr. Steward's stock in
trade was consumed, his furniture and wearing apparel de-
stroyed, and the building itself completely gutted. The ad-
joining house, belonging to Mr. Brine is likewise injured by
fire and water. The whole of the residents being from home
at the time of the outbreak, it was impossible to learn whethr
or not they were insured. The origin of the fire, like that
of most others, could not be ascertained.

THE HanvEsT.—The weather, during the past week,
we are sorry to state, has been very unsettled, much and
continued rains having fallen, which have done very con-
siderable damage to the standing crops of wheat in this
neighbourhood. However, a large breadth of wheat has
beansecured, and we look for a change of weather with the
moon's change to-day.—iVorcester Guardicra.

TAY SAL9ION FrsuEniEs.—The flailing season is now
drawing fast to a close, n(1 has every appearance of being
below au average year. The arrivals at Billingsgate, from
27t.t iti7l to Bth August inclusive :—From the- Tay, 668
boxes; Spey, 1,213 boxes ; Aberdeen, 706 boxes; }99
390 boxes; Berwick, 265 boxes ; from Ireland, 49M9 boxes )
and from Norway, 3 boxes. Grand tootalesa.t
itrbeehuiLdo,n4diAl
market for 13 days—Scotland, 3,250.. b x
wimma
boxes and from foreign, 3 baxes!—.e.cf