The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-17 00:00:00

only when it is sunshiny and dry.
interesting weather prophets or guides, some years

One of these

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ago, attracted our attention, not by the delicate
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accuracy of its working, but by the noticeable
characteristic of keeping the gentleman too much
out and the lady too much in. A little rain and
out sprang the former to the full length of his
tether ; a good deal of dryness and sunshine and
the lady, who had been slow to move, got no
further at the utmost than half way. Some acci-

dental deviation in the construction from the
original model, of course, we concluded, accounted
for the reluctance of the lady to take a due airing
and provide, as she ought, for the wants of her
domestic circle. The thought has subsequently
occurred to us that far from being a solitary
specimen of the kind the peculiarity of construe-
tion was designed, and it was only one of many
manufactured for the market. The way in which
the notion was forced on us was this. A careful
watch on the rise and fall of the price of wheat,
and also of bread, showed us that the slightest
quantum of wet weather rapidly sent up the price
of cereals at Mark-lane, and raised the price of
bread instantaneously in the bakers' shops, while
it took several days of fine weather, and of fall
at Mark-lane, to bring the price of bread down
again, and then only halfway—so that if the rise
was ld., the fall was only a halfpenny. The
thing was as clear as mud ; the barometer in
question was one of a sort manufactured for the
bakers, if not the corn dealers, who evidently
patronised and were guided exclusively by it, to
the utter disuse and derogation of the claims of
more pretentious instruments. We do not dog-
matically insist on this as being the true solution
of a perplexing anomaly which has puzzled, and
continues to p u mile, every metropolitan householder.
We merely throw it out for the consideration and
observation of our more curious readers, leaving
them to form their own conclusions on the matter.
At the present time the bountiful harvest with
which PROVIDENCE has favoured us—it is, from all
we can gather, stove the average—has been suc-
cessfully housed in all but the northern districts of
the kingdom. The, sunny southern, the placid
midland counties, and the broad lands of York-
shire, have alike presented, the cheerful spectacle
of "harvest home ;" and there is a fair prospect
of the yellow grain which brightened the less-
favoured northern counties being sheaved and
garnered Lu auequauy Satisuie GoLy manner. Indeed
it may be said the harvest of 1856 is beyond the
reach of elemental caprice, for what remains to be
got in is too small in quantity seriously to affect
the general results. The price of corn has conse-
quently fallen in the various markets of the king-

dom—the fall within tha last six weeks, it is

roughly calculated, amounting to from fifteen to
twenty shillings a quarter. How is the hypothesis
with which we jokingly started favoured by the
result ? The slightest rise in the price of wheat
is immediately followed by a considerably more
than proportionate rise of bread in the bakers'
shops. Has the fall in the price of wheat, to
which we have drawn attention, been followed
by even a corresponding fall in the price of bread ?
Alas ! we are afraid the lady lingers, for the only
fall we have heard of at the bakers' is a halfpenny
on the quartern loaf ! Clearly the baking frater-
nity cling to the old barometer as a guide, and
the public have to suffer for the antiquated, not
to say selfish, preference.
This state of things' ought not, must not be
suffered to last. To say nothing of the gross im-
position practised on the substantial householder,
and the grievoui tax levied oa the industrious
workman, there are too many hungry bellies to
feed to admit of that. Who or what are the millers
and bakers that they should be suffered to defraud
the rich, plunder the wages of industry, and de-
prive the helpless of an adequate supply of food ?
The territorial preyers on the people's substance
were, notwithstanding a preponderance of poli-
tical power on their side, compelled to give up
protection ; it is not to be endured that a few thou-
sand individuals, with no such power, should bo
suffered to go on imitating their example, instead
of meeting with their fate. The rise in price has
been borne by our artisans and labourers with a
patient submission and comparative absence of
complaint that cannot be paralle'ed in any other
country in Europe. The members of these classes
have elsewhere risen in revolt, and nothing has
so much taxed the ingenuity of their rulers as to
provide them with cereal food at a moderate
price. The greater reason why those who have
manifested such intelligent forbearance should
not continue to be subjected to the imposi-
tions of such unconscionable monopolists.
The inhabitants of the metropolis, one and
all, should bestir themselves at once, and
set about the inauguration of means likely
to bring the whole tribe of plunderers to their
senses. What should hinder the formation of
companies to provide the metropolis with bread at
a fair price, and of good quality—for, dear as the
bakers' stuff is, it is not genuine, but adulterated
in the most execrable manner ? Once let
but a few companies offer a good article,
leaving a fair profit, and we aro much
deceived if a notable revolution is not
speedily witnessed in the baking trade.
To do this may possibly entail the erection or
purchase of corn mills—all the better if it does,
for it will the sooner bring the millers to repent-
ance and set them at loggerheads with the bakers,
to the eliciting of the knavish practices of both
for, according to the proverb, " When knaves
fall out honest men gat their own." The sug-
gestion we have offered is not novel, the carry-
ing it out unfortunately would be, for though
such competition has been often threatened,
it has never, that we are aware of, been fairly
brought into play in the metropolis. If it had
we should not have had to make our present corn-
plaint. We are not company makers, nor have
we any company's interests to promote. We are,
therefore, thoroughly disinterested when we say
no scheme can be started with more righteous

claims, nor carried out with a fairer promise of
success, than that we have suggested. Both GOD
and man may bQ expected to approve and

prosper it.

YEARLY AVFRAGE PRICE OP WHEAT PER
QUARTER PROM 1641.

The following table was compiled under the direction
and superintendence of Mr. Henry S. Bright, of Hull :

His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange left Edin-
burgh on Saturday, en route for Balmoral, to pay a visit
to her Majesty. His Royal Highness spent some time
in Linlithgow examining the antiquities of that place.
The Count and Countess Schauvaloff and the Ba-
roness do Plessen have arrived at Claridge's Hotel, from

Viscount Palmerston left town yesterday to rejoin
Lady Palmerston at St. Leonard's•on-Sea.

The Biehop of Ripon has arrived Claridge's Hotel.
The Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis and Marchioness
of Townshend, the Marchioness of Donegal, the Conn.
teas of Lucan, Lady Ernest Bruce, the Countess of Bel-
more and Lady Harriet Corry, Lady Alice Peel and
Miss Peel, the Countess of Morley, Lord and Lady
Truro, and Mr. and Lady Jane Repton, are among the
members of the English aristocracy at present sojourning
in Paris.

The City Bank is to be admitted to the Bankers
Clearing-house on the Ist of October.

The Saxon government has just appointed two new
consulates. M. Hartrodt has been named consul at
Antwerp, and M. H. Poydeaot at Bayonne.
Baron Testa has presented to the Senate of Hamburg
his letters of credence as resident minister of the Em-
peror of Austria at that city.
General Martini, the Austrian ambassador to the
Court of Naples, has arrived at Vienna from Ischl. It
was rumoured that, owing to the serious turn affairs are
taking in that part of Italy, this diplomatist would not
return to his post. Baron de Bourqueney has returned
to Vienna from Ischl.

Married, yesterday, at St. George's Church, Hanover;
square, by the Hon. and Rev. Sidney Godolphin Os-
borne, uncle of the bride, Mr. John George Johnston,
only son of the Rev. P. Johnston, of Wembworthy,
North Devon, to Frances Grace, only daughter of Sir
Theodore Henry Brinckman, art., of St. Leonard's,.
Windsor, and granddaughter of the late Lord Godolphin.
ROYAL. PSBR HOSPITAL. The managing board of
governors of the Royal Free Hospital, in order to mark
their high appreciation of the manner in which Dr.
O'Connor, of Upper Montagu-street, Mantagu-square,
discharged the duties of physician to that hospital for
more than 12 months, during the absence of one of the
physicians at the seat of war, have elected him on the
medical, staff of the hospital.
Hyde, in the Isle of Wight, has been full of visitors
this' Season. A new town is'springing up at Sandown,
at the back of the Isle of Wight, which bids fair to rival
Ventnor. At Cowes, the members of too Royal racbt
' Club are spending !mill/. on a new club-house. They
are building a tower to overlook the Solent sea.
This is the season for excursion trains on the South
Western line. Last week there was an excursion train
Loin Southampton to Weymouth. On Monday there
were excursion trains from Southampton to Bath and
Bristol, and from Bristol, Bath, Salisbury, and Ports-
mouth to Southampton. This day there will be an
excursion train from Dorchester, and all up the line to
London.
EAST INDIA COAL COMPANY "LIMITED."—The direc-
tors of the above company have received a report from
the superintending engineer they sent out in the Buce-
phalus with the machinery for working the mines. He
gives a highly favourable account of the several coal
fields, the property of the company. Two of the mines
were being actively worked. One of the beds of coal
is described as 24 feet in thickness, and of the best
quality.
The weekly reviews from the Amsterdam and Rotter-
dam produce markets state that, although business had
not greatly improved, prices showed increased firmness.
Purchases of coffee and sugar had been made at rather
higher rates in some cases, but the advance was not
general. No great alteration had taken place in other
descriptions, the operations having been limited. The
letters from Rouen mention that the market for manu-
factures showed increased animation, owing to purchases
to supply the demand for the more advanced season.
The demand for money in the discount market yester-
day was very active, and the applications at the Bank of
England were extremely numerous. These may be at-
tributed partly to the preparations for the payment of
the last loan instalment of 1,000,0001. on Thursday.
The possibility of an advance in the Bank rate likewise
I operates to induce all persons to provide themselves
with a good supply, although the anticipations of sach

. _
a movement appear for the moment to have diminished.
THE AMERICAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Tuesday.—The
United States mail steam-ship Baltic, Captain James
Comstock, sails from the Mersey for New York to-
mom,: at noon, with the usual bi-weekly mails for the

United States and Canada, letters for which must be
posted here before 9 a.m., with late fees until 10 a.m.,
and at the landing stage until 11 a.m. The Philadel-
phia and Liverpool Fcrew steam-ship City of Manchester,
Captain Petrie, with advices from Philadelphia to the
4th (t.vo days later than by the Africa), may be expected
to arrive to-morrow.

STANDARD THEATRE.—Mr. and Mrs. Sims Reeves ap

peared at this theatre on Monday evenic;, under the
auTices of the enterprising Mr. Douglass. The opera
was "Guy Mannering." The reception given to Mr.
Reeves, on his entrance as Henry Bertram, was tremen-
dous ; and the most vociferous enthusiasm was mani-
fested throughout the evening. The house was crowded.
MANSION HOUSE.—Yesterday the Lord Mayor and
Lady Mayoress entertained at dinner a number of gen-
tlemen of the Lord Mayor's ward, the Master Warden
and Court of Assistants of the Coopers' Company, to-
gether with Mr. Alderman and Mrs. Finnis, the Sheriffs,
Mr. Alderman H. .Kennedy, and Mr. Alderman Rose,
the Sheriffs elect, Mr. J. J. Meehi and Mr. F. Keats,
and several members of the Court of Common Council.
rHE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF AND THE PRINCE OF
ORANGE.—A curious incident, which has created a
considerable sensation in the locality, occurred at the
Stirling railway station on the evening of Monday.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange and suite
were awaiting the arrival of the north train for Edin-
burgh. When it reached the station the distinguished
stranger went forward to a first-class carriage, and was
about to step into :it, when he was politely informed by
a solitary gentleman within that he had taken the whole
carriage for his own use. His Highness of Orange at
once backed out of the sacred enclosure, and secured a
seat elsewhere. The solitary gentleman was Commander-

in-Chief of the British army.
PRICE OE GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about 6i per mille premium, and the short exchange on
London is 25.271 per 1/. sterling. On comparing these
rates with the English Mint price of 3/. 175. 10id. per
ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is rather
more than 2.loths per cent, dearer in Paris than in Lon-
don. By advises from Hamburg the price of gold is 425
per mark, and the short exchange on London is 13.3 per
1/. sterling. Standard gold, at the English Mint price,
is therefore about 9-10ths per cent. dearer in Hamburg
than in London. The course of exchange at New York
on London for bills at 60 days' sight is 1091 per cent.,
which, as compared with the Mint par between the two
countries, shows that the exchange is slightly in favour
of England ; and, after making allowance for charges of
transport and difference of interest, the present rate
leaves a trifling profit on the importation of gold from
the United States.
CHRIST'S HOSPITAL.—On Monday next, 22d instant
(Sunday being St. Matthew's day), the Lord Mayor,
Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Governors of the Royal Hospi-
tals, will attend divine service in Christ Church, New
gate-street, whore a sermon will be preached by the
Rev. Charles Searle, Fellow of Pembroke College,
Cambridge ; after which they will repair to the Great
Hail in Christ's Hospital, where four orations will be
delivered, on the benefits of the Royal Hospitals, in
Latin, by William S. Foster ; in English, by Ernest
Montagu ; in Greek, by Mark Shattock ; in French, by
Thomas Pallett. Three translations will then follow, in
Latin Alcaics, by T. Smart, from the " Bride of
Abydos ;" in Greek lambics, by W. Wilton, from
"Henry VIII. ;" in Elegiacs, from "Longfellow," by S.
Churchill. After which a Latin poem on " Chersonesus
Taurica," being the Richards' Prize Composition, not
yet adjudged. To conclude with an English poem on
i !.1. Italy," by G. Montagu.