The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-18 00:00:00

MONETARY AFFAIRS.

(Prom the Derbyshire Courier.)
The reduction of the rate of discount is a necessary
consequence of the re-action after the suspension of
that most iniquitous of all specimens of blundering,
modern legislation—the Bank Charter Act. The
ruin which it has brought upon trade by the
systematic depreciation of all property to the
amount of several hundreds of millions sterling, for
the childish object of bringing back a few millions
of gold, is now telling its tale. Hundreds of per-
sons of respectability and unimpeachable honour
who have conducted their business on the strictest
system of integrity and prudence have been ruined
by the violent and sudden contraction of the cur-
rency, which has deprived them as completely of
their hardly-earned property—as if Government had
sent a band of burglars into their warehouses and
counting-houses, and seized one-half of their
goods. . What difference is there to a trader
whether you seize on half his goods, or pass an
Act of Parliament by which his goods are in a few
weeks lowered 50 per cent. in saleable value I In
such cases it is not whether a man has enough to
pay 20s. in the pound, but whether he can imme-
diately realise a surplus capital to an extent to en-
able him to pay 30s. in the pound.
The city writer in the Times, obeying his instinct
of hitting the man on the ground, issues a tissue of
unsupported misrepresentations against the trading
community in general. There is, this writer
affirms, "an almost universal desire on the part of
creditors to cloak the offences that have been com-
mitted." This is on the face of it absurd. Men
who are losing their property are keen enough in
tracing and exposing any objectionable proceedings
on the part of the 'debtors by whom they suffer.
The truth is that the creditors know very well that
the houses which have stopped payment have been
ruined, not by their own improvidence, but by the
direct operation of Peel's bills. In many cases,
therefore, they have acted with that forbearance
and consideration which all good or honest men
would exhibit to the unfortunate victims of unjust
and unwise legislation.
" Take," stys the city writer of the Time; "the
reports of Monday last." Very well. Take them
from the Times itself. •

The city writer mentions several, one of whom
will pay, he says, only 4s. in the pound. A large
house at Bradford has also, he affirms, been traffick-
ing in accommodation bills. A joint-stock bank
allowed some accounts to be overdrawn. Messrs.
Harrison, of Hull, did not make a balance-sheet,
and so on.
Here is the other side from the same day's paper
of the bullionist organ—the Tintes.
Take Sheffield, where " all branches of industry
continue severely depressed." The Times' report
says of this town, "There has not been in Sheffield
a single case of commercial dishonesty." "The
only failure was that of the respected firm of Nay-
lor, Vickers, and Co., who showed assets to the
amount of 250,0001. after paying 20s. in the pound."
At Halifax, Messrs. Crossley and Leeming will
pay 20s. at 4,8, and 12, and 16 months, the last
three payments with 5 per cent, interest.
At Bradford, Messrs. Craven and Harrop expect
to pay 205., without doubt.
At Dudley, Messrs. Woodhall and Smith propose

to pay in full:
The same thing will occur in many cases. The
wonder is, considering the dreadful depreciation of
all property and the severity of the commercial
pressure caused by the abominable and most unjust
action of Peel's Bill, that the failures have not been
much more numerous even than they are. This
can only be accounted for by believing that Lord
Overstone was right in what he said in July last
ab3ut the prosperous and healthy state of trade.
Lord Overstone and the Times' writer must settle
between them which is right aua ..inch is wrong.
rsftart wrong, both as to facts and
arguments, that they will soon lose the degree of
public confidence which either have, unfortunately
for his country, contrived to obtain by hardihood of
assertion and dogmatical presumption of a elf-
importance.

WILL OFFICE.—NEW APPOINTRENTS.—...MT. E. F.
Jenner, son of the late judge, Sir Herbert Jenner
is appointed a Registrar of the new Court of Probate,
upon the resignation of Mr. Dynely. The salary is
1,500/. a year. Mr. Coleman, Mr. J astice Cresawell's
clerk, is appointed one of the Record Keepers, salary
GOO/. in the room of Mr. Joseph Todd, resigned. Mr.!
Shaw, keeper of the strong room, is appointed Examiner
in the reading.room.—lllustrated News.
BRITISH ASYLUM FOR DEAF AND DUMB FEMALES.—
The friends of this excellent and mush-needed charity
held a sale of ladies' fancy work, in the ai3luso at
Ilomerton, on Saturday and Monday last, which was
so numerously attended, that many were compelled to
leave without being able to effect purchases. The rooms
were tastefully and seasonably decorated, for which
great credit Li due to the committee of management, as
well as for their general arrangements for the convenient.,
of the public. The amount realized has exceeded the
most sanguine anticipations, which may be attributed to
the superior character of the articles exposed for sale, in
comparison with those generally contributed to similar
bazaars, no less than to the fascinating allurements of
the fair ♦endors. There is no doubt that this charity
requires only to be known to be appreciated

ASHTON-UNDER-LINE MILITIA RIOT. —On Satur-
day morning at Salford quarter sessions for the hundred,
held before Mr. Foster, the chairman, the Ashton-
under-Lyne rioters were placed in the dock, indicted for
having committed a riot and assault at Ashton on the
Ist instant. There were twelve prisoners, ten of whom
belonged to the Queen's Own Royal Dublin Militia—
viz., John Cuff, Patrick Smith, James Murtha, John
Skelly, Patrick Coyne, Patrick Garrerty, Patrick Kelly,
Michael Reilly, James M'Dermott, and Patrick Welsh,
the two other prisoners were Lance-Corporal Joseph
Mallaband and Private John Fitzgerald, of her Majesty's
Ude Regiment, who were sent to the militia to teach
them the new-rifle practice. The chairman sentenced
Mallaband to be imprisoned for three months ; that
Cuff, Coyne, Skelly, Murtha, and M'Dermott be im-
prisoned for six weeks, with hard labour ; that Welsh,
Reilly, Kelly, and Smith be imprisoned one month,
with hard labour ; and that G arrerty be imprisoned
seven days.
THE LATE CONVICT BSALE AND THEIGAOL GUAM—
A case of improper conduct by one of the gaol guerds
towards Beale, says the Brisiol Times, has been followed
by the instant dismissal of the former. Only three or
four days prior to the execution, Perry, a newly-ap-
pointed turnkey, was found in the condemned cell, where
he and the convict were laughing over some rude figures
of an indelicate nature which the officer had sketched on
Beale's slate. The guard "was, of course, immediately
suspended, and the circumstance being reported to the
Visiting Justices, he was very properly discharged. The
property belonging to Beale, including his watch, carpet
bag, wearing apparel, pistols, &c., remained in the
hands of the constabulary officials from the time of his
apprehension at Daventry until after the execution,
when it was formally taken charge of by the under-sheriff,
Mr. Nicholette. ,We understand Beale's wife has sent in
a claim for these articles, and his father also asserts his
right to them ; under these circumstances the sheriff
detains the malefactor's effects until the Secretary of
State for the Home Department has decided upon the
rival claims of Beale's relatives.
THN BROMPTON HOSPITAL.—This valuable institution,
which was established 16 years ago for the treatment of
pulmonary oomelainte, has lately been enlarged to twice
its former size by the completion of the original design
of the architect. This hospital is now one of the largest
in London. Its wards contain 230 beds, and the out-
door department is capable of affording medicine and
medical attendance to any number of sufferers who may
need the treatment of the institution. At the present
time about 100 are prescribed for daily. The hospital
has the advantage of the gratuitous services of some of
the most distinguished medical men of the day, while
the arrangement and fitting up of the building is every-
thing that could be desired to promote the successful
treatment of pulmonary diseases. The building is
warmed and ventilated throughout on the most ap-
proved principles, and is so perfectly under command
that the temperature can be regulated to simulate that
of different climates, and thus meet the requirsenente
of the cases under treatment. Attached to the hospital,
and communicating with the wards by a long passage, is
a chapel for the performance of divine service. This
structure is an exceedingly handsome one, and was
built at the sole expense of one of the governor?, the
Rev. Sir Henry Foulie, Bart., and presented with
Princely liberality as a "donation" to the charity. We
regret to say that this hospital—so admirably adapted to
meet the wants of a very numerous class of sufferers—
is limited in its operations from the want of funds. Out
of 230 beds ready for the reception of patients, only 90
:an be occupied with the present income. The charity
is dependent upon voluntary contributions, legacies, &C.,
and it is to be hoped that these will be sufficiently in-
creased to allow the committee to keep all beds occupied
—especially as there are seldom less than an average of
200 on the books awaiting their turn of admission.