The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-22 00:00:00

THE BUILDING TRADE.

The disputes in the building trade still continue in
many districts. According to the Beehive, the
masons, bricklayers, and carpenters of Sheffield are
still out on strike. At Bolton a large employer
(Mr. Marsden) has given in, and taken brick his old
men ; and Mr. Pope has arbitrated generally upon
the whole dispute. At Manchester the masters
adhere to the notice, and the men to their determi-
nation of resisting it. At Leeds several meetings
between masters and men have taken place, but with-
out result. At Bristol there is every prospect of the
masons being locked out on the Ist June. At Derby
the joiners have agreed with their employers upon a
code of working rules.

beiegram irom Madrid states that yesterday morning
article 33 establishing the monarchy was carried by a
majority of 214 to 71; the Republicans all voting in the
negative.

THE ORIENTAT, PRESS.
When the journals which enlighten the dwellers in the
neighbourhood of the Levant commit a political offence,
they are frequently punished by total suspension for a
certain period. This infliction, which would ruin an
English paper, seems to do the journals of the East no
permanent injury. The Levant Herald was recently sus-
pended for a month, but it is now as fresh and lively as
ever. The appearance of a Greek paper, the Neologos,
has just been prohibited by the Turkish Government for two
.months, as a punishment for some very scandalous articles
m connection with the recent visit of the Prince of Wales. In
mentioning the fact, says the Levant Herald, we are glad to
be able to contradict the current report that the Government
has acted in the matter on the demand of her Majesty's
Ambassador. Mr. Elliot, with proper taste and dignity,
left the offending print to the Porte itself and to the just
indignation of the public. The conductors of the Neologos,
are very contrite. The libels, they say, were written by a
strange hand, and published inadvertently.

(From the Anglo-American Times)

Senator Sumner has had an interview with a
correspondent of the New York Herald, and so has
General Butler, and the leader of the Senate and
the leader of the Representatives are found to differ
widely on the Alabama question. Mr. Butler is
entirely opposed to finding fault with England for
sympathizing with the rebellion, for he considers it
to be the right of Anglo-Saxons, more especially
Americans, to give aid and comfort to every rebel-
lion, a practice they ought not lightly to abandon.
He makes England ont to be responsible for all the
rebellion, and thereby goes twice as far as Senator
Sumner. First, England established Slavery in
the United States ; then, having fixed that, she
emancipated her own slaves, and commenced
preaching the wrong of slavery, and the right of
emancipation and freedom till she frightened the
Southerners into rebellion, when she turned round
to aid them, not because the English liked Slavery,
but because they hoped to destroy the United States.
Butler's policy is always noble, and he advises the
" waiting game" till England becomes involved in war
when she may safely and at leisure be finished off.
Mr. Sumner expresses his surprise that politicians
like those in the English Cabinet could have been
so deluded. as to negociate a treaty with a Minister
who did not represent the people, and appointed by
an Administration then out of office Once or twice
he thought of calling Mr. Thornton's attention to
this, but concluding that he had no right to do so,
he let the matter drift. We cannot help thinking
that Mr. Sumner overlooks the injury done to the
prestige of American Ministers abroicl, as well as to
the Ex:cutive at Washington, by the view he thus
expresses. The setting aside of the Treaty with Den-
mark for the purchase of St. Thomas's and of the
Johnson, Clarendon Treaty for the settlement of the
Alabama claims will not encourage foreign nations
to negociate with the United States, as the posi-
tion is unfair, the Treaty signed by the Ministers -
being binding on foreign nations, but not binding
on the United States.

At Alba❑y, in the Assembly, after a hard fight,
the City and Counties Tax Levies were passed by
64 to 57. The majority was composed of Demo-
crats, with whom twentyßepublicans joined to carry
through what was denounced as a bare-faced
swindle, for, as amended, it is believed that the
additions to the Levies, as passed by the Senate,
amount to between four and five millions of dollars.
One reduction only was made, and that was in the
estimate for the new Court-house coming down
from two millions to $750,000. The press storm,
the taxpayers, and the property owners fret and
fume, but Tammany divides the plunder, and laughs
at the miserable sheep it shears.
The story that the paddlewheel steamer Arago,
once so well known on the line between Falmouth
and New York, had been despatched with a thou-
sand, drilled, trained, and uniformed men to rein-
force the i❑surgent army in Cuba, turns out to be
untrue. She was chartered by the Peruvian Minis-
ter to convey stores to his G-3vernment, which he
shipped without any attempt at concealment, and
with regular papers sailed from New York. Her
cargo consisted of commercial stores, with powder
and ammunition, but she neither carried arms nor
troops, and the Secretary of State was kept fully
informed about her. The Spanish Minister at Wash•
ington has urged on the attention of the Govern-
ment a proclamation of neutrality, but Secretary
Fish has hitherto declined, nor will the request of
the Minister be complied with unless circumstances
change.

The approaching completion of the Union Pacific
Railroad caused great excitement in San Francisco
and Sacramento, and grand preparations to observe
the event, gusiness was to be suspended, and every-
body was to have a holiday. There were to be pro-
cessions, illuminations, and fireworks. A corrcs7-
pondent from San Francisco says arrangements
have been made with the Western Union Telegraph
Compfttiy,so that each-atralto of the harnuier on the
last spike driven shall be reported simultaneously at
New York and San Francisco by telegraph. Beside
the silver mounted and polished California tie, a spike
of gold, a silver pick, and a silver hammer,for use in
the completion of the road, were forwarded to the end
of the track. But little 'drawbacks to the general
gaiety have arisen. An excursion train from the eastern
end a the Central Road, with the Commissioner,
General Stanford, and guests, had a narrow escape
of being smashed by a largo tree which had fallen
across the. line, which was not discovered in time
to prevent the locomotive from being thrown off
the track and injured. Meanwhile, on the. other
road, Vice-President Durant and John Duff were
captured at Piedmont Station, North Platte, and
locked up. It was 300 road hands who took them
for wages, having barricaded the road and un-
conpl, d the car. The men said they wont] allow
nothing but passengers and mails to pass up and
down till their demands are complied with, and as
they are well armed, and have a wild way of settl-
ing any opposition under the shadow of the Rocky
Mountains, no opposition was offered.

Gold has beer:fluctuating violently at New York,
and Messrs. Schepeler and Co., a house ha% ing large
transactions, have suspended with enormous lia-
bilities, their operations having proved most disas-
trous. It was feared that this failure would involve
others, and judging by the recent prices and heavy
fluctuations, varying from 141 to over 144 in a day?
the market must be in a feverish and unhealthy
state, likely to prove disastrous to many, and de-
structive of honest, legitimate trade. The follow-
telegram waa received in Loudon :—“llie.riae