The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-06 00:00:00

SICILY.

The Official Journal of Sicily gives an account of
a strike among the j,,urueynueu bakers of _Palermo,
which occurred on the 6:h, for an incressecof wages.
The:authoritie,, having in vain used every argument,
to persua•ie them, at last had seventy-four of them
arrested and shipped cif to the fort of Favignana,
while a sufficient number of journeymen from the
country were pressed into the service of the bakers of
the capital.

TEETOTAL DEMUASTRATION.
The friends of teetotalism have taken advantage of
the present enormous influx of visitors from all parts
of the kingdom to commence " a series of grand de-
,monstratiunfites and meetings," the first public one of
which took place on Monday evening at Exeter-hall.
Mr. L. Heyworth, M.P., presided, and the platform
was crowded with a numerous assemblage of gentle-
men from different parts of the country interested in
the promotion of total abstinence from all kinds of in-
toxicating liquors.
Following the example of the British Association
and Archeological Society, the friends of temperance
have determined upon devoting a number 01 days to
the purposes of propagating their doctrines and harm-
less amusements.

According to the programme which has been issued
by the society, it appears that Thursday and Friday
hat were devoted to the quiet and intellectual relaxa-
tion of a conference at the hall of the Literary Insti-
tion, Aldersgate-street. On Sunday the pulpits of
many of our metropolitan churches were used in pro-
Mulgating the principles of teetotalism, white on Mon-
day evening an assembly or soiree, partly musical and
partly elocutional; was held in Exeter-hall. Yester-
day was set aside for a procession to the Exhibition ;
today a public breakfast at the London Tavern, and
a fete at the Surrey-gardens take place; Thursday an
aggregate meeting will be held at St. Martin's-hall ;
and Friday concludes toe week's labours with a grand
day at nosherville-gardens.
The proceedings of Monday evening commenced
with a hymn, sung in excellent style by a selection
from the Welsh choir, who were stationed behind the
platform.
The CHAIRMAN then addressed the meeting in sup-
port of the teetotal cause. Fifteen years previously
he was present at a meeting of teetotallers in that
hall, and though the attendance upon that occasion
was not very large it was sufficient earnest of the
moral movement to came him to conceive hopes which,
he was now happy to add, had been realised in the
fullest extent.—(Loud cheers.) The temperance
movement, which commenced about twenty years
since in the town of Preston, in Lancashire, had now
spread out into a mighty association, which even the
powerful influence of the collective press would be
unable to put aside or laugh down. Their efforts
were dictated by a sense of duty to this'll. fellow-men;
for, if the reports of the criminal officers of the land
were to be relied upon, and the statements of the
medical profession to be credi,.ed, drunkenness was
the incentive to milt the crime, and a cause of a great
.portion of the disease which prevailed in this country.
If; therefore, their efforts tended to the reduction of
two great-scourges of a nation, who should say that
they were weless, or who should sneer at their mo-
tive ? He trusted their assembling there that even-
ing might still further draw public attention to the
end they were de4rous of attaining, and that the in-
dulgence on their part of a laudable curiosity in vi-
siting this great metropolis at the present festive sea-
son might be the means of general and mutual im-
provement both by precept and exAraple.—(ll,ar.)

Mr. Gaseh then real in address of welcome horn
the committee of the conference to their supporters
who hat arrived from the country. Ater ci;ngratu-
lating the meeting on its assembling at the present
auspicious season, the address went fully into the
effects of drunkenness, arid argued that nothing short
total abstinence was safe, it' a man wished hi'nselt to
be free from this degrading vice, and the ,course of
evUs which surely followed in is train.
The address was received with prolonged applause.
The 'meeting was sub.equently addressed by Mr.
E. BURBITT and other gentlemi,n, whe entered fully
into the great question uf the.evening—viz., total ab-
stinence. Some of the speakers adverted to the great
teetotal procession on the following morning to the
Great Exhibition, and predicted that the advocates
of teetotalism, either in cheer, health, or manners,
would not suffer in the comparison with any at the
" world's fair."

The efforts of the "Bethesda Choristers" and the
Welsh choir•contributed much to the enlivenment of
the evening, which passed uff most agreeably, and ter-
minated with the usual vote of thanks to the chair.

FRENCH RAILWAY TRAFFIC.
The following are the last returns of the gross re-
ceipts of the principal French Railway s :
NORTHERN.—From July 23 to July 29: Passengers,
362;564f.; goods, 189,854 f.; total, 552,418 f.
RouEN.—From July 20 to July 26: Passengers,
115,214 E; goods, 80,406 E; total, 195.620 f.
HAvitg....—FL vim July 20 to Ja'y 26 : Passengers,
42,805 E; goods: 35,099 f. ; total 77,904 f.

ORLEANS.—From July- 21 to Ju!),' 27 : Passengers,
89,010 i-; ; vods, 97,617f.•' total, 186;6271.
itORDELUX.—Frout July 15 to July 21: Passengers,
46,3541.; good', 42,539.; total, 86.,693E. •

VIHRZUN.—Froui Jul) 21 .tu July 27 : l'assengere,
38,039 f.; goods, 38 1591:; total, 76,198 f,

.BouLuGNE.—Fro:a- July 21 to July 27: Passengers,
42,428 E; goods, 14,777 E; total, 57,205 F..

iqA.Nizs --From July 19 to July 25 : Past-imagers,
21,5821.; goods, 12,385 f.; total, 33,967 f.

6TUASIIIIRG —From July 23 to July 30: PAssengeri,
10.688 f.; goads, 64582'.; total, 175,270 f. .

BALE.—Frvm J ilv 7 to July 13 : Passengers,
29,996`.•, goods, 19,470.; tuta1,49,466'.

MONTEREAU. —From July 16 ro July 22: Passengeu,
0,029 t.; g00d.., 13 416 .;t Ail, 23,4454

MARSEILLKS.—Fwat.JuIy 16 to July 22: Passengers,
54 930.; v 61,4 28;883E; total, 83,813'.

From Jul) 13 to July 19 : Passengers,
223;462f ; vols, 71.705 r.; total, 295,167'.

CHARTREB.—Frou July 14 t, Jur, 20: Passengers,
26,513 f.; good 4, 17,4781.'4 total, 43,991 f.

POSTAGE STAMPS.

At the instance of Mr. Nunez, the (louse of Gm.
mons has ordered to b. prlnted a copy of all the corre-
spondence that has taken place si .cv 1847, hettseec the
Lsrds of the Treasury, the General Yost-effice. and Mr.
Archer and the Commissioners of 'Wised Revenue, refs-
live to Mr. Archer's machine_ for pea ra•ing sheets of
postage label stamps. The incouvenieuce which Mr.
Archer proposed to remedy—serious enough to persons
of voluminous correspondence, and still more so to a
postmaster during the last half-hour for receiving letters
—is the trouble occasioned by the present mode of
cutting or tearing ehects of postage stamps into single
heads. For this purpose he invented a machine, which,
it is stated, can be worked by two boys, and by the sin
of which stomp sheets may be so minutely indented
in the directions of the white Huts as to albs,' the
:lamp to be instantly detached from the sheet, with-
out the opera ion of cutting. The plan, it was
arguA, would secure the folding of statup.sheets with-
out creasing them, while the rough or dental edges given
to the stamps would cause them t, adhere to the letters
mtvh better then when cut by scissors. Mr. Archer.
feeling coefid,nt in the success of his plan, proposed that
bl 4 ola,ms for compensation should be c ntiegent upon
the crialifitd approbation of the pubec. the Por.t-
mit ub
srer-Gerii.r.l, and her Mujest)'s C.,mtetA.iouers of
&Imps. The sueerinteeding presi.ients of the
end Loam; district poet-i.tEeka thus referred ro M.
Archer's machine, under dote the 1411 Ooteher, 1847;
" the machine appears to lid a very clever and um, let It,
veniort: . . are thomughly Con•
vieced that postsge-stareps separated by it, hartrig
jagged edges, will adhere to lott,rs far better than
those cut from 'the shset by knives or ecissere.l
•. We submit it is noose de-
sirable that the invention be recoremend• d to ;
the notice of the Commissiuners of Stanfm." The
machine obtained the approval of the Board of Stamps
and Taxes, and of the Ludo of the Treasury, and after
one or two experiments it was found to answer the put-
po:e for which is was intended. A.. WILL of 200/. was
proposed to be gireu to Mr. Archer as au adequate re-

muneration for his invention, besides a further sum of
4001. as compensation for expenses incurred in the con-
struction of the machine. The inventor was dissatisfied
with the arrangement, urging that it was inadequate to
defray the mere outlay, and proposed (March 26, 1851)
to enter into a contract for perforating, engraving,
printing, and gumming postage label bhects for 11. 151. a
thousand less than was then pail for engraving. print-
ing, and gumming them. The agreement wiihr.Messrs.
&icon and Fetch was to print postage labels at the rate
t:o 6d. a 1,000. Mr. Archer proposed to do so, and
to p, rforste them besides, at 4d. per 1,000. The
original printers reduced their charge to sd. per 1,000
in consequence, and a contract was cncluded with
Waists. ilscon and Pewit for five years at that rate.
Mr. Archer. on the 30th of May, signified to the Inland
Revenue Office, that it was hi. intetnion " to appeal to
the honour and justice of Parliament for redress with
the least pusaible de!er)."