The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-06 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Flour has been dull, and pric-i declining since last
dates. There a fa:- demand for the local trade, but
very little doing for shipment. The receipts are very
moderate, owing +1 scsrcity of water in the West.
Wheat is arriving more •cely. The mrrket closes
dull. Southe-n white, 150 c. to 160 e. per lb. ; Wcatern,
153 c. to 1600. ; Canadian, 155 e. to 160 c. ; Western
red, 130 c. to 147 c. ; Southern red, 140 c. to 147 c.
Indian corn continues in fe'r demand. Yellow, 67c.
to 68c. per 561 b. ; white, 70c. to 73c.
Cotton—There has been a good inquiry dui:ng the
past week, but owing t) the lightness of stock the
amount of business hrs not been large. Prices have
advane,•l lc. per (pound since the oriival of the Asi.s.
The sales are estimated at 7,500 bales.
The exports, &c., of cotton since the Ist of September
are as follows :—Total exports, 5000; la-t yerr, 33,000 ;
to Great Brit.in, 3,000 ; lrst year, 29,000 • receipts,
28,000 ; last year, 69,000 ; stocks, 68,000; lr.st year,
160,000.
Freights are still advancing. To Liverpool, for cotton,
Id, to 3 16d. per lb. ; flour, 2s. to 2s. 3d. per barrel;
grain, 9d. to 10d. per bushel. To London, flour, 2s. 6d..
per barrel; grain, Bid to 9d. To Havre, cotton, go. per
lb: ; flour, 70c. ,to 75e. per barrel ; grain, 180. per
bushel.
Exchange on England has been in very moderate de-
mlnd Nt 1091 to 1091 per cent: Bills on France, 51.
15c. to sf. 18ic.
Money is in demand, but sufficiently abundant for
sound commercial purposes. Stocks are depressed, the
recent rise having been succeeded by a decline.

The following letter has also been received :
NEW YORK, SEPT. 23.
It seems to be pretty well conceded on all sides
that Dame For:arne has turned the wheel far
enough round to biinE,, the ft:ends of Fremont up-
permost in Pennsylvania, so far rs the chances for
the October election are concerned. The Reput •
licans reason that it will be an indication of the
Presidential vote in the following month ; that a
decisive victory in October will not only insure a
triumph, but a rout of the Administration in No-
vember; that the influence will extend to other
States ; that the Fillmore party, who are strong
enough in New York to be formidable even alone,
and still more so if uniting with the friends of
Buchanan, will be disorganised by the defeat of
Buchanan's supporters in his own State ; and that
in the doubtful States of the West ell doubting
men, all waiting voters, will be sucked into the
vortex of Republicanism. On the other hand, the
Deirwerata reason that if the State of Pennsylvania
is carried for the supporters of Mr. Fremont
by aid of friends ;of Mr. Fillmore, the union.
between the two will be dissolved by that
election ; that when they separate and vote for
their respective candidates for the Presidency the
result will be different—Fremont's vote will be
diminished below that of Buchanan, and the vote
of the State thus given to the latter ; that the in-
fluence on the vo'.e of New York will not be such
as the friends of Fremont anticipate ; that
the friends of Fillmore in . New York being
more friendly to Buchanan than to Fremont will
vote for the latter if they see that his election is
seriously imperilled, and that therefore an unfa-
vourable result to Buchanan iu October will insure
a favourable issue in November.

Another movement in our local politics also may
have a decided effect upon the national result.
This State is to elect its Governor ou the same day
that it chooses electors for President. The Reput-
licans have no iinated Mr. King for the office, and
tho New Yo.k Herald has liken exception to the
nomination, and lends its influence and support
(which is undeniably great) to the democratic
nominee.

The new Governor of Kansas has entered upon
the duties of his office with an address full of peace-
ful professions and exhortations to the settlers to
cease strife, to lay down the sword and resume the
plough. But it recognises the Missouri Legisla-
ture, and points to that as the only means of relief.
When it is remembered that one of the qualifica-
tions of an elector to vote upon the choice of mem-
bers of this Legislature is an oath to support the
Kansas Nebr.? la Bill, the Fugitive Slave Law,
p.id the acts of the territory, it is plain that the'
Free State men have little to hope for beyond the
right to get pcisession of such of t heir property es •
has not been destroyed or carried away by the in-
vaders.
Robinson and the other State Prisoners have
been released on bail, and thus for the moment
peace is restored in Kansas.
Mr. Corwine, the commissioner sent to Panama
to report upon the Mass?lre of the California pas-
sengers, concludes his report with a recommenda-
tion that possession be taken of the Isthmus.

LOSS OF THE ROYAL WEST INDIA
MAIL STEAMER TAY.

A telegraphic despatch was posted late on Saturday
at Lloyd's, announeog the lose da this splendid steam-
ship, one of the fir 3t of the ROyal Mail (West Ind:a)
Steam Packet Company. Toe intelligence was brought
by the Arabia steamer, which arrivcd yesterday forenoon
at Liverpool, 4-UM ew York, ald from the account
brought by her it appears that t'ie Tay was lost on the
30th of last August, on Lope.; Isllnds. Happily, all her
passengers, crew, and mail were saved. The Tay was
1,858 tons registered, and had engines of 440-horse power.
She is supposed to be insured.

THE GREAT WROUGHT-IRON GUN.--We were enabled
last week to announce that a series of trials were to be
made on Wedn,aday, the let inst., at Shoeburyness,
with the monster wrought-iron gun manufactured by
the Mersey Steel and Iron Company. The experiments
were conducted under the direction of Colonel Mitchell,
in the presence of the select committee of Artillery
officers feom Woolwich. They were eminently suc-
cessful. The practice consisted of about 27 rounds with
solid shot and heavy charges of powder, the range, with
18 degrees of elevation, and a charge of 501 b. of powder,
exrJeding at first graze 5,000 yards. We have not
yet had information r s to the range obtained in each
round, but we believe all were exceedingly satisfac-
tory, being far supernr to anything ever obtained
by the ordinary guns in her Majesty's service.
The line of fire was also most admirable, the shot fol-
lowing each other with surprising accuracy. M. r. W. J.
Horsfall and Mr. W. Clay witnessed the experiments, as
representing the Mersey Company. Since it was last
tried a new and very beautiful carriage has been made
for the gun, combining the recent excellent appliances
introduced by the Woolwich authorities, and which ren-
dered the working of this immense weapon of destruc-
tion as easy as that of an ordinary 68-pounder. Some
experiments were also made \vier various descriptions
of rifled guns, including the celebrated weapon by
Whitworth, of Manchester. On this occasion it
seemed to answer admirably. We understand that
the Mersey Company are now engaged in mak-
ing another wrought-iron gun, but of what size
and for what destination we have not heard. This
trial comes at an opportune moment, when the ques-
tion of introducing larger pieces of ordnance into our
men ~f war has received much attention, owing to the
presence in the Southampton waters of the American
frigate Merrimac. Her guns, which are 11-inch bore,
are of such a formidable character that it is believed
her.oaalin ly the
greater
etveir eit strength
of a
sire
our most vaunted ships of war could scarcely cope with
n ,j
engagement
would
he withaa to
keepvessel
at
a
a distance which would prevent the risk of being
boarded, while she would be able to direct a destructive
fire against her opponent. Surely it is time for Govern-
ment to consider the necessity of keeping a-head of
other nations in those matters which have made-her
mistress of the seas.