The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-29 00:00:00

TRADE ACCOUNTS,

The trade accounts of Belgium, Hollanu, and the
United States have just been laid before Parliament.
The Belgian accounts shew : increase on the total value
of the enumerated imports and exports in the month
of January 1869 of 11 and 16 per cent. respec-
tively as compared with. those of January
' IS6B. Those connected with this country exhibit
some fluctuations. In many instances, such as
coal, raw cotton, and some kinds of metal, the value of
the imports from the *United Kingdom into Belgium
increased largely from 1867 to 1863 and fell again in the
present year. Fish shows us some curious changes. Her-
rings, which were largely imported in 1863, only amounted
to 439 kilogs. in this year. Flax in 1867 was imported to
the value of 73,661 kilogs., in 1863 it fell to 204, and in
1369 it rose again to 1,037. Iron of most kinds largely
izcreased in value, as have also machines and machinery.
Hops, which in 1867 were 29,265 kilogs., were in 1868 only
582, andinlS69 abSolutely nothing, Turning to the exports,
ne find the export of bark to this country is much larger
than last year, though less than the year before. Corn
;gain is more largely exported, and flour shows a remarkable
increase froM 57,46 S to 656,603. Window glass has greatly
increased. The export of wrought-iron to Great Britain
has risen from 858 to 84,660 kilogs._ a significant fact for our
workmen. In Holland the import of our coals has more
than d:Aibled, while undressed hides have also added
to the increase. In metals and machinery there are
likewise a perceptible advance, and the English
cotton imports once more assume a prominent
place. It is gratifying to find the value of these steadily
rising during the last three years. The value of the
metals exported to the United Kingdom from Holland
has largely increased, especially in raw tin, unWrought
lead, &c. The exports of butter and cheese have risen ma-
terially in value. The account for the United States compare
the seven months ending 31st July in 1868 and 1867, but
do not divide the exports and imports under different
national heads. Most of the items exhibit a marked
decrease in value on the value of last year, oils, coal, and
petroleum forming a notable exception. The total value
of imports, including bullion and specie, were, in 1867,
$237,524,089, and in 1865, $229,44V),253. The oxports in
the same p2riods were respectively $307,6693 and
$280,497,767.

An official communication was received at th
Gloncester Omni y Gaol on Tuesday, stating that the s.entetce
of death passed on Charles Wiltshire hi,d been commuted to
Penal servitude for life.
It is stated that, in his interview with Lord Richard
Grosvenor on tLe suljtTt of a tunhel between Dover and
Calais, the Emperor Napoleon spoke of the prof ct as En-
compassed with difficulties, but he laughed outright at M.
Boutet's id, a of a bridge across the Channel.
The masons of Liverpool who are disputing with
their masters refuse to have the coven ltlli submitted to
arbitration. A strike is now locked upun as inevitable.
The men assign as their n on that the referee would Le a
man of capita]. They therefore felt that the decision would
go againstthem.— Time is every probatiiity Low of a lock-
cut in the building trade at Bradt( rd. At a meeting of the
~,.,,.ter builders en lislott,'ny ;i• or-1"
that the cperative stonemasons had refused to confirm
the agrecnrn,t which their et putation had come to
h the dt put; Lion of the masters in so far as
that ago merit n ha'; s to paynaud by the hour aid the
etrp'o3 lootit t f -we; ked stcne ; and the in. tl:ng of
masters ref °iced to pubiish the whole of their cur espond-
nice, and to fall back upon their oligitial notice, espiriugon
the 3d of May, !bough still wiling to refer the dispute to an
arbitrator, and abide by his decist.n.
The Von. William Pollock, D.D., Archicacon of

Gin ster, in the course of his a mina', visitation address on Tues-
day ash moon at Nantwich, raid:—" All is danger and dis-
tress. There is division, if not treason with our Zion, There
are faithless watchmen on the walls. The enemy is thunder-
ing at our gates. There is many a sign to say that England
is grow,ng weary of her Church, if not of her God. You
may Sce this in the abolition of Church-rates—the first step,
ts I read it, towards disestablishment and di...ler:dew nt.
You may see it still more plainly in the cruel wrong which
is b!ing done to the Church in Ireland. You may see it in
the Popular acceptance of the dogma (4 ‘riligious equality'—
dogma Nyhit h mans nothing else than the equality of truth
anti falsehood—the equality of light and darkness the
equality of Chris' and But enough. Why multiply
the crowding evidences that the days are evil? The good
Lord gave us grace each to und, n total and discharge h's
own personal respousit ility—each in his own place to be
faiihful to his Church, his country, and his God !"
Au interesting return with reference to the coin-
ago has been putrUsln d, showing the amount of gold,
silver, and copper meneys coined at the Mint, from the
la day of January, 18,79, to the 31st December, 1868
10,605,1091 oz. of gold, vain( d at. £11,293,645 made
fout sovereigns less than that value; 12,482,565 half-
sovereigns have been snuck ; 11,252,240 florins ; ut
shillings, 1;0,059,140; of sixpences, 21,328,560; of four-
pcnny pieces, only 41,580; of the more popular silver
threepeunies, 19,'75,600. Where are the 47,520 siiver
I wepen tries, and the 79,200 silver pennies, or
479,670 say: r threebalfpenny ? Nov we
mile to copper. Of pennies, 149,915.136 have been issued;
of half-pennies (and this a a vtry powerful argumentT
against those who think that a penny should be-
adopted as the minimum price of a ii-wspaper), there
has teen the largest issue, amounting to no less Iliad
155,760,640. We hope the Mint will engage s ill Mote
largely iu ;he manufacture of the popular halfpenny. Of
farthings only 49,149,748 have boon struck. Dining the 10
years 3,412,96810 z. of silver coinage have ben purchased
and melted for re-coinage, upon which the loss was
£146,333.

EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION.-011 Wednesday
Hotel,held at l:adlcy's
niglit tNheewgßenreirciagle-satarieleuta,l
Bri 1 ea
ee
kt finrgi wa,B
chair-
manship of Mr. William llivington. Mr. Henry Walker,
the secretary, gave an outline •of the contentsof the
report, which shewed that, with one exception, the two
o'clock closing on Saturday had been maintained, and was
extending in the West-end of London, while other shops
had adopted four o'clock instead of six, and five o'clock
instead of eight. The guide brought out to assist this
part of the operations had proved a great success,
and the ladies' committee were still indefatigable in
their labours. In the provinces the half•holiday was
given on Wednesday or Thursday, as Saturday war
usually the market day. General early closing ha('
obtained numerous additional adherents both in Loader
and the--country, especially amongst drapers, hatters
and wholesale warehouemen. In Bristol, Rich
mond, Colchester, Leicester, and fifteen other places
the canvass had been highly successful ; and from
communications to hand it appeared that effort,
in the same direction were being made in the colonies
notably Australia, whence several applications had beer
received for the illuminated placards and publications o'
the association. More recently an Affiliated Society hac
been formed in Paris, and its promoters were in corre
spondence with the secretaries, their letters describing th,
enthusiasm with which the Parisian shopmen had enterer
into the spirit of the movement. Financially the associa,
tion continued to progress, and the receipts, amounting t(
£1,098 13s. 11d., enabled the treasurer to announce a smal
balance in favour of the general account, and a some
larger one as standing to the credit of the Saturda3
half-holiday fund. The report was unanimously adopte(
on the motion of Mr. 'l'. Burt, the chairman of th
board, who made a warm appeal for more pecuniar3
assistance.

TYPHUS "IN BRAMHAIi COLLECE. Bramlian
College for Dissenters, near Tadcaster, not far from Leeds
is suffering seriously from the ravages of fever. Number
of the-pupils are " down" from the disease. The cause o
this sickness in so healthily•situated and well-conducted a)
establishment is said to be " the accidental percolation o
deleterious matter" through the earth into the well fron
whence water was drawn for drinking purposes in th
college. The're are about 100 pupils belonging to th
college, of whoni no fewer than forty have- suffered frog
kilo 4 Sathaaiaailiet P2(0441.0.11061,164614