The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-31 00:00:00

OBITUARY FOR 1858.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SCOTCH

IRON TRADE.

(From Thorburn's _Monthly Circular.)
After five years of great prosperity, there has followed a
period of depression in the iron trade. At the opening of
the year a hopeful feeling prevailed that the low prices then
engendered by the commercial crisis of 18.57 would promote
an extensive demand, large purchases were made at from
535. to 575. per ton, and the price gradually rose to 60s. by
the middle of March ; but it being obvious that the "make'
was continuing considerablyin excess of the total deliveries,
a quick reaction set in, the price declined to 525. 6d. by the
end 'of April, and has since fluctuated between 535. and
565. for mixed numbers.

Although these quotations were unremunerative to the
iron masters generally,:and calculated to curtail the produc-
tion, still the pig iron produced in the year just closing,
reached the immense quantity of 945,000 tons, which, at
the average price for the year, represents a total value of
£2,554,000 sterling. Of this here were consumed, and ex-
ported foreign and coastwise, 810,000 tons. It will thus be
perceived that the stocks, which are now 295,000 tons in
warehouse-keepers' and makers' stores, have increased
135,000 tons in the year. This accumulation is chiefly
owing to the cessation of one of our largest malleable iron
works, and a falling-off in the exports to the Colonies,lthe
United States, and the continent of Europe.
While the foreign shipments exhibit a decrease of
54,000 tons, and the local consumption of 59,000 tons, the
exports coastwise show an increase of 84,000 tons, when
compared with 1857.
Meanwhile, the foundries, engineering, and malleable
iron works on the Clyde are manifesting signs of approach-
ing- activity, which will be further strengthened and con-
soliiated by the decided and perceptible revival now happily
begun in the general trade of the country.
Taking into account the smallness of stocks abroad, and
those here being only equal to four months' requirements,
and with the price about 10s. per ton below the average of
the last 14 years, whilst the cost of production, as is well
known, is considerably enhanced ; and with undoubted in-
dications of a brisk spring trade, it is scarcely possible to
form an estimate of the increased demand that must arise
for iron—the use of which is the great test of material ad-
vancement, inasmuch as it enters into all work—agricul•
tural and manufacturing, buildings, railways, and shipping
—whether for commerce or for war.

THE RECORDERSHIP OF BEDFORD.—Mr.. Couch,
of the Norfolk Circuit, is to succeed Mr. Sergeant Wells as
the Recorder of Bedford.,.
In the Court of Bankruptcy yesterday, in, the
case of Colonel Waugh, a dividend was appointed for the
28th of January..
EXETER HALL SERVICES.—The evening services
for the working classes, by, clergymen of the Church of
England, are fixed to be resumed at Exeter Hall on Sun-
day next, the 2d of January.
The friends of M. Alexis de Tocquaville at pre-
sent feel less uneasiness as to the state of his health, which
has somewhat improved. He is to pass the remainder of
the winter at Cannes.
• A few continental failures appear to be taking
place at the end of the year. Messrs. Forcheimer and Co.,
worsted spinners, have stopped at Prague, and Mr. Poppe,
in the oil and seed trade, at Antwerp. The liabilities of the
former are £BO,OOO.
Two wealthy Hindoos generously liberated all
the debtors incarcerated in Bombay gaol on the day when
the Queen's proclaninition was read, by paying their debts
for them.
EXTRA MAIL —TO THE UNITED STATES.—To-
morrow the screw steamer Jura will sail from Liverpool
for New York, carrying a ship's mail. Letters will be re-
ceived at. the Liverpool post-office on the day till 7.15 a.m.,
and with late fees till 7.30 a.m.
THE IRON TRADE.—DUDLEY, Dec. 30.—The pre-
liminary meeting of the ironmasters of this district was held
in this town-to-day. It was resolved unanimously to adhere
to the old scale of prices ; that is, bars £8 per ton, and other
descriptions in proportion.
. THE CARPET TRADE.—The staple trade of Kid-
derminster has recently much improved ; the men of one of
the largest firms in the town have been making seven and a
half days a week by extra hours for several weeks past, and
the business generally at other firms is very brisk., The
number of persons relieved by the union is much smaller
than at the corresponding period last year.—Woreestet
Chronicle.
EDUCATION IN IRELAND.—BELFAST, Thursday.
—The Sorlhern Whig of this evening states that an im-
portant and most influential public meeting was held in
Belfast to-day, for the purpose of promoting the establish-
ment of a system for supplying intermediate education be-
tween the existing schools and Queen's Colleges. The
Mayor was in the chair, and the principal speakers were
Lord Massereene, the Lord Bishop of Down, Mr. Dobbs,
M.P., Dr. Cooke, and the Rev. John Scott Porter. A
series of resolutions in support of the movement were unani-
mously carried by a very large assemblage.
The advises from Vienna yesterday give the
details of the new financial arrangements between the Go-
vernment and the Bank. The State owes to the Bank
£15,000,000, and this debt is to be discharged by handing
over to that establishment £3,000,000 due by the Southern
Railroad to the Government, £2,000,000 in bonds which
arise from estates belonging to the Government, and
£10,000,000 by the mortgage of estates held by the Crown.
Against the latter the Bank are to be allowed to issue
£10,000,000 of one-guilder notes, convertible into silver, to
pay off the notes of 1,5, and 10 guilders which are still in
circulation. The measure is stated to have produced a good
effect on the Vienna Exchange.
EXPLOSION OF FIRE-DAMP.—An explosion of
fire-damp took place on Thursday afternoon, at Bickershaw
Colliery, Messrs. Ackers, Whitley, and Co.'s, near Wigan.
The disaster occurred in the seven-feet mine, where there
is, generally speaking, very :little risk of any serious calamity.
The result of this explosion is that four colliers have been
burned, but only one of them, whose name is Barrow;
seriously.
THE FATAL PRIZE FIGHT AT ABBEYWOOD.—
At the Greenwich Police Court yetitertla_y, John Harring-
ton, a_tanner, living in Bermondsey, and Henry. George, a
porter of Duke-street, Redcross-street, were committed for
trial for aiding and abetting in the prize fight at Abbey-
wood, at which a young man named George M'Donald was-
killed.

THE FATAL AFFRAY IN THE MILE-END-ROAD.
--Yesterday, the adjourned inquest was held at the London
Hospital on the body of Mr. Charles John Williams, who
died from the effects of injuries received in an encounter in
the Mile-end-road, on the 21st inst. The jury returned a
verdict of manslaughter against Mr. George Lelievre,
whose examination and committal at the Thames Police
Court appeared in our paper yesterday.
THE CONVICT BURGESS.—This wretched man,
who now lies under condemnation for the murder of his
little daughter in Exmoor Forest, has, since his conviction,
appeared considerably depressed at the awful position in
which he stands ; and we are told he listens attentively to
the spiritual advice and assistance of the chaplain .(the Rev.
F. Howse). At present no members of his family have
visited him. The execution will probably not take place
until after the termination of the. Somerset Quarter Ses-
sions.—Bath Chronicle.

THE CATASTROPHE AT THE VICTORIA THEATRE.
—Yesterday morning Mr. Win. Carter, the coroner for
East Surrey, held an inquest upon the bodies lying at
Lambeth workhouse--in all 14—two having been removed
from Christchurch dead-house and one from Charing-
cross Hospital. The inquiry took place in the concert-
room of the Ship Tavern, .an old dilapidated building over-
hanging the Thames, just above Lambeth Palace, the
'aspect of the room being not at all calculated to deepen the
solemnity of the proceedings. Beyond the jury there were
scarcely more than a dozen persons present. A verdict of
accidental death was returned in each case.
Two MEN-OF-WAR'S MEN DROWNED.--On Sa-
turday afternoon, between five and six o'clock, a seaman,
named David Murphy, belonging to her Majesty's ship
Cornwallis, fell from that vessel into the Humber. Efforts
were at once made to rescue him ; but we understand that
the tide was running so strongly that he disappeared before
any effectual assistance could be rendered. On the same
night, between seven and eight o'clock, another seaman,
named Henry Patten, belonging to her Majesty's mboat
Ruby, lying in the roads, fell overboard and was drowned
while he was in the act of stepping out of the boat on board
that vessel. Neither of the bodies have been yet recovered.
—Eastern Countiee,fferalel.

L Our record of oath's doings among the upper
ranks of society during the year which is drawing
to a close is more than usually mumorbus. In the
ranks or the peerage there have died since the Ist
of January, 18 in all, viz., the Duke of Devonshire,
the Marquis of Queensberry, the Earls of Ilchester,
Winchelsea, Courtown, ltanturly (2d), Ranfurly
(3d), Morton, Glengall, Haddington, and Orfohl ;
and Lords Dunfermline, Sudeley, Cliffbrd, Aylmer,
Braybrooke, Lyons, and Poltimore, and the,
Baroness Grey de Ruthyn. Of these, the earldom
of Glengall and the English barony of Melrose,
enjoyed by the late Earl of Haddington, have
become- extinct, while the ancient barony of Grey
de Ruthyn has become merged in the superior
honours of the Marquis of Hastings. During
the same period we have had to record
the deaths of the following members of
the baronetage ; the Rev. Sir Henry Dukin-
field, Sir C. L. Falkiner, Sir James Dunlop, Sir
J. W. Egerton Brydges, Sir W. L. Foulis, Sir R.
Campbell, Sir John Haggerston, Sir Jas M'Grigor,
Sir David Wedderburn, Sir W. R. S. Cockburn, the
Very Rev. Sir William Cockburn, Sir Henry
Straeey, Sir J. M. Burgoyne, Sir Matthew Dods-
worth, Sir Samuel Stirling of Glorat, Sir Henry
Fitzherbert, Sir Philip Crampton, Sir E. N. Bux-
ton, Sir Charles Ogle (Admiral of the Fleet), Sir
John .Key, Sir Charles Abney Hastings, Sir filey
P. Wakeman, Sir Charles Des Voeux, Sir Henry J.
Caldwell, Sir Robert Preston, Sir T. W. Blomefield,
Sir Joseph Bailey, Sir J. S. Mackenzie, Sir A. de
Capell Brooke, Sir J. Musgrave, Sir H J. Lambert,
and Sir A. Walden. Of the above 32, the baronetcies
of Dunlop, Dukinfield, and Hastings have become
extinct. he following Knights have also paid the
debt of nature :---Sir J. H. Coode, Sir E. S. Travers,
. Sir Charles Augustus Fitzßoy, ir Wm. H. Maule,
Sir W. H. Pierson, Sir Ralph Darling, the Right
Hon. Sir John Dodson, Sir Thomas Mansell, Sir
Wm. Peel, Sir Thomas Hawker, Sir Frederick
Ashworth, Sir Charles Felix Smith, Sir Henry
Willock, Sir George Rich, the Hon. Sir Edward
Butler, Sir John Potter, Sir Wm. Reid, Sir Ran-
dolph T. Routh, Sir Alexander P. Green, Sir Bed-
ford H. Wilson, and •Sir Wm. Lyons, in all 21.
The House of Commons. has lost (besides Sir J.
Bailey, Sir E. N.- BuxtOrt; and Sir John Potter,
already mentioned) only two of its members, Mr.
M. Williams, M.P. for West Cornwall ; and Mr.
Wm. Ilackblock, M.P. for Reigate. Besides the
above, the aristocracy have to lament the loss of
Lord Charles Wellesley, Lord Proby, the Mar
chioness of Westmeath, the Countess of Cardigan,
the Countess of Clanwilliam, the Countess of
'Wilton, the Hon. and Rev. C. G. Perceval, the
Countess of Rosslyn, and the heirs apparent to the
titles of Torrington, Hotham, Rendlesham, and
Molesworth.