The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-04 00:00:00

2' ''R 11711:4.

SELIiODE.

Seven cities contended for the honour of having given
birth to Homer, and four nation,,4, it is said, might
lay claim to the veteran diplomatist of St. Peters-
burg. Count Nesselrode was born in 1770, of German
parents in the service of Russia, on board an Eng-
lish ship in sight of Lisbon, where for soma time
his father discharged the functions of an Ambassa-
dor. He was descended from an ancient Hanoverian
family, a branch of which had settled in Livonia. His
father, while at ono time acting as the representative of
the Empress Catherine 11. at the Court of the Dukes
of Wurtemberg, had the good fortune to negotiate the
marriage of the Grand Duke Paul with a princess of
the ducal family ; and it is to this circumstance espe-
cially that the Nesselrodes owe the Imperial favour
enjoyed under successive reigns, and continued to
them, at the instance of the Empress Mother, by
the late Czar Nicholas, even when his policy,
in regard to Western Europe, was opposed to that of his
predecessor Alexander.

Livonia is one of those provinces of the vast Russian
empire, which, from their historical traditions, their Cll3-
toms and tendencies, have more of the German than Mus-
covite character. 'When, after the reign of Peter the Great,
the spirit of foreign civilisation began its struggle with the
barbarism of ancient Russia, the Livonian gentlemen
played an important part at court. Not sufficiently Ger-
man to be completely estranged from Russian interests,
nor sufficiently Russian to jain in the discontent of the
Muscovites against the successors of the great Czar, the
Emperors sought their support, and endeavoured to attach
them to themselves either in the army or the administra-
tion The young Neeselrode has had his share of Imperial
benefactions. He studied first at St. Petersburg, at the
college of the Gardes Nobles, and entered the service on
the death of Catherine. He received an officer's
commission in the Guards of the Emperor Paul, and
was soon appointed one of his aides-de-catnp by that
prince ; but at the close of a few years he quitted th•
army to follow his father's career.

Europe was now heaving with commotion ; the na-
tions were looking to France, and in the thunders of her
revolutions expected the advent of some new law of
liberty and brotherhood ; kings trembled for their scep-
tres ; and the dogs of war let loose were hounded
on alike by fear, ambition, and frenzied enthu-
siasm. The Czar, alarmed by this successful promul-
gation of popular principles, arrayed himself in league
against the new republic, and marched his troops to the
sunny south across the glaciers of Switzerland, thus for
the first time retreading the path of the Scythian hordes,
and kindling the imagination of his soldiers with dreams
of conqttest, as they carried back to their cold and
barren steppes remembrances of the rich cities and
luxuriant plaits of Italy. The divisions of the Cabinets
of St. Petersburg and Vienna frustrated, however,
the hopes of the coalition. Gradually the violent
hatred which Paul had conceived against the revolution
ehanged into profound admiration for the man whose
genius directed the destinies of France. Peace was not
only concluded, but intimate relations were established
between the Russian and French Cabinets. Markoff
was sent to Paris in the capacity of Ambassador, and
Count Nesselrode, who had been previously employed by
the Government, was attached to this embassy. His at-
tention was principally occupied by the negotiations that
were set on foot to secure the armed neutrality of the
north, and that ultimately provoked the naval battle of
Copenhagen. At this period Nesselrode was in the
flower of his age, and with all the ardour of youth
threw himself into the pleasures and amusements of the
Court. Paris, under the vigorous administration of the
First Consul, rejoicing in a new life, and gay as a spring
morning after blustering storms, was the scene of inces-
sant and splendid festivities. Paul, true to the dreams
of his imperial ancestors, plotted with Napoleon the in-
vasion of India ; the one was to pour his Cossacks and
his Tartars down the Affghanistan defiles, the other to
disembark in the Persian Gulf, and retrace the steps of
the conquering Macedonian. These visions were Bad-
denly dissipated by the death of the Czar, who, after the
manner of Russian sovereigns, was strangled by his
nobles.

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, JAN. 3.

We have had more activity than on any previous day
this week, but the influence of the holidays on business
is still felt ; and, in addition to this, less satisfactory
news from India and China than has been expected has
increased the general dulness. Inquiries for cloths suited
both to the Calcutta market and to China have been
made, but have not led to much business, because ac-
companied with the offer of lower prices, which sellers
are not disposed to accept. In yarns the market has also
been quiet, but without change of prices. There has
been a fair inquiry from the Greeks for the extra-hard
twist suited to the Mediterranean markets, which has
led to business. For Ind'a there have bee❑ offers, but
they have not led to operations worth naming.
Messrs. John Slagg and Co. report :
" Owing principally to the holydays the market has
been exceedingly quiet during the last 10 or 14 days.
The India and China accounts to hand yesterday are
not of so satisfactory a nature as was generally expected;
and this, coupled with the growing uneasiness as to the
course of the money-market, causes buyers for those
markets to show even less disposition to operate, and it
is only by some concession in price that sales to any ex-
tent can be efr.eted. In other descriptions of goods,
though the business is on a small scale, there is no giving
way in prices."

NOTTINGHAM, JAN. 3.

The lace trade is dull, and the expectations which were
anticipated of a revival of business with the opening of
the, year are not yet realised. The operation of stock-
taking, however, and the continued high rates of pro-
visions may, in addition to the Christmas holidays, ac-
count for this state of things. This year the continental
business will be resumed much earlier than usual, i
consequence of Leipsic Fair (which is regulated by
Easter) falling so much earlier this year.
In the hosiery department there are some Canadian
purchasers in the market. Manufacturers are tolerably
' busy in the execution of orders already on the books arid
with preparations for the ordinary spring trade. The
home trade is, however, inactive, and hosiers are acting
cautiously.
BRADFORD, JAN. 3.
There has been a fair, seasonable market this morning,
but the stiff prices asked for the raw material rather
check business. There is no positive advance in the
prices of combing wools to-day, but the tendency is
rather upwards. Yarns are firmly held at late prices,
and there is a little improvement iu the demand. As to
piece goods the sales have not been extensive, yet, the
season of the year considered, the sales and inquiries
have been of an average character.
A gradual improvement has taken place in the worsted
trade of this town during the last few months, and the
year opens with the staple manufacture of the district in
a much more promising condition than in January, 1855.
In the course of a review of the worsted trade for the
past year the Bradford Observer of this day observes :
"The commencement of 1855 was a period of remark-
able interest in the history of the worsted trade. To
those actively engaged in the trade, and thoroughly cog-
nisant of its workings, we had just passed through a
crisis of the most searching character in a manner to
prove that the trade was sound to its inmost core. In
1854 leases were sustained, but they were borne with
ease. The failures of that year were of comparatively
little moment, and were only such as were to be expected,
but in 1855 there have been scarcely any ; and there is
not a textile manufacture in the United Kingdom which
can boast of a healthier, a sounder, or more legitimate
trade during the past year than the worsted trade of the
Bradford district.
"In confirmation of this statement let U 4 refer to the
course of prices. At the close of 1854 prices of goods
had reached a point of great depression. During the
earlier spring months of 1855 they were remarkably
steady. They then became firm and buoyant, and gra-
dually advanced, until checked by adverse exchanges
and the rapid rise in the rate of discount. During Oc-
tober prices partially receded, but have since rscnvered,
and are at present very firm at nearly the highest rates
of the current year, and for some classes of goods at
higher rates than during any previous part of 1855.
"Notwithstanding the high price of provisioas, the
consumption of the home trade, though bad in some
districts, hag, upon the whole, been large and steady.
TO the Continent the exports have been large, while to
America the exports, instead of being large and losing,
as in 1854, have been small and very profitable.
" In fabrics but little novelty has appeared, either in
plains or fancies, beyond, as we stated last year, a con-
tinued development of improving taste. One ortwo new
fabrics have been produced, but rather in the way of
sowing seed than reaping harvest for the present. The
attention of the trade has been strongly called to the ne-
eeesity of producing warmer winter cloths, and the
Chamber of Commerce has presented a valuable report
bearing strongly on this much-disputed question. We
have little sympathy with the remarks of neighbouring
outsiders, who, in considering the report on the French
Exhibition, have dwelt but little on the many points in
which Bradford is superior, but with evident delight and
at inordinate length on the minor points in which we are
confessedly beaten. These parties are not aware of the
continued experiments which have been made during the
last 10 years, nor of what is doing now, and are no
more in a position to teach the Bradford trade than they
are to show Leeds how to prevent Huddersfield from ab-
sorbing the fancy trade in cloths. Of this much we are
sure, that Bradford will not make French merinoes to a
loss ; but if it can be done to profit we have not only
skill but enterprise enough to do it.
"As to the prospects of 1856, we see no reason to
doubt that our goods will be in larger demand for Ame-
rica, and in as large for the Continent and the home
trade as during 1865."

THE MAGISTRACY IN IRILAND.—John Hitchcock,
}sq., of Antrim, has been appointed a magistrate of
that town. Harcourt Lightburne, Esq., chairman of the
Trim borough commissioners, has been appointed to the
commission of the peace.
THE MAIL :STEAH-SHIP ATLANTIC. LIVERPOOL,
Wedne/daY.—A telegraphic despatch was received from
Queenstown to-day, announcing the sailing from that
port, at nitre o'clock this morning, after repairing the
damage to her cylinder, of the United States mail steam-
ship Atlantic, Capt. West, for New York. She would
have sailed yesterday, but was unable to leave, owing to
the density of the fog.
LUCE AT THE DIGGINGS.— We have been informed by
the friends of Mr. Francis, who was formerly a printer
in this trwn, that after labouring for some time with
little success at the " diggins," he took at last some
gold, out of one hole, worth to him alone 8,0001. He
is still residing is one of the canvas towns up the coun-
try, where he has started a newspaper. -.Brighton
Examiner.