The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-16 00:00:00

FALKIRK TRYST,

TVESDAY, Sept. 14.—The second day of this
market commenced with the sale of cattl6. The
weather being favourable, the cattle had a fair ap-
pearance. The show was composed of Highland
cows, 2-yr-old West Highland stots, and a fews lots
of 3-yr-olds of the same breed. North country stots
and stirks were a pretty large show. The Angus,
Galloway, Fife, and other polled cattle were, collec-
tively,a tolerable show. The short-horned cattle were
tolerably fair in point of quality, but rather short in
numbers. The Irish cattle were a shortsupply,but in
many instances the qualitywas good. The buyers were
not so many as has been seen at this market in
previous years, arising partly from the absence of
the feeding portion of the East Lothian farmers,
and also from feWer Englishnien being on the
ground. The market in the early part of the morn-
ing was somewhat stiff for all kinds. The demand
for real West Highland stots and stirks was fair,
but for northern cattle the market was ex-
ceedingly stiff; particularly for stots, the inferior
kinds of which were difficult to cash ; and of this
description of stock a good number remained un-
sold at five o'clock. Kyloes were little in demand
in the morning, but a few lots towards the fore-
noon slipped off the ground. The Highland cows,
a number of which were on the ground (some of
them left since last market), met very little en-
couragement. At the close of the market a con-
siderable number of all kinds were left unsold. The
six-quarter Argyleshire stirks ran from £2 10s. to
£4 10s., and the best quality about £6 a piece ;
two-year-olds, from £6 to £9; small northerns,
from 325. 6d. to 40s. ; and heifers of the same
kind, from £6 to £9. Upon the general
Highland stock a reduction of at least 7; per cent.
was experienced below last month, and at least 15
per cent. below the corresponding market of last
year.

DESTRUCTION OF TILE GRAIN CROPS IN THE
BLACK SEA AND SEA or Azor.—Advices from Nicholaief,
of the 19th of August, announce the destruction by locusts
and hot winds of the grain crops in the Russian territory
of the Black Sea. Over Kherson a cloud of locusts
recently passed, full 25 miles in length, but without alight-
ing thereat. Much distress prevails, and prices are almost
at famine rates. A great deal of wheat injured by rain at
harvest time, had been shipped from Taganrog for Malta
and other Mediterranean ports.
If we are rightly informed, the Mexican govern-
ment are now engaged in a negotiation which is likely to
be attentively watched by the bondholders. The sale of
another slice of the territory of the republic is, we are
assured, in contemplation.
EXPLOSION OF GAS AT ALBERT-GATE, KNIGHTS-
BRIDGE.—On Tuesday night, shortly before 12 o'clock, the
inhabitants of Knightsbridge were greAtly alarmed by a
tremendous report, resembling that of a heavy piece of
ordnance, which was soon ascertained to have proceeded
from an explosion of gas at the residence of Colonel Fulke
S. Grenville, Esq., M.P., Albert-gate, Knightsbridge, by
which three of the female servants were so severely injured
that faint hopes are entertained of their recovery. The
hon. member and family left town the day before yesterday
for Ireland, and some repairs of the gas pipes were
found necessary. During the night the servants were
awakened by a strong smell of gas ; they proceeded down
stairs, when on entering the back parlour with a light a
terrific explosion took place, knocking down and scorching
them in a dreadful manner. On the smoke clearing off it
was found that Elizabeth Foot Margaret Scales, and Eliza-
beth Blamfield were severely injured. They were at once
conveyed to St. George's Hospital, where Mr. Tomlinson,
house surgeon, rendered every aid that medical skill could
suggest, but the poor girls remain in a dangerous state.
THE FRENCH CORN LAWS.—We find the follow-
.

ing in the Echo Agricole :—" The queStion which excites
general attention at the present moment is what measure
the Government will adopt on the subject of the corn laws,
the provisional decrees which regulate the question expiring
on the 30th inst. We are asked. what, in the event of the
sliding scale being again brought into activity, will be the
position of persons who have purchased corn abroad, and
which shall not have arrived in a French port by the 30th.
The first decree of 1853, establishing the minimum of the
duties fixed by the law of April 15, 1832, or 25c per hecto-
litre, without distinction of place of growth or flag, replies
to the question. Art. 3of that decree says The enact-
ments of the preceding articles fixing at 25c. per hectolitre
the entrance duty on corn and flour, and at 25c. per 100
kilos. that on rice and dried vegetables, shall be applicable
to all French or foreign vessels, which shall prove that their
cargoes, composed of the above mentioned articles, shall
hove beeri completed, and their departure effected from any
foreign port before Dec. 31, 1853.' As the enactments of
the decree of 1853 were successively extended to the 30th
inst., it follows that any vessel which shall have left any
foreign port before Sept. 30, will only pay the low duty of
'2se. The silence of Government as to its intentions oa the
subject of the corn laws naturally gives rise to different sur-
mises. It is said that other very important affairs having
absorbed the time of Ministers and the Council of State,
they have not been able to establish a new law on any other
basis than.that of the sliding scale, and that it may possibly
occur that the, provisional decrees may be again extended
to the 31st Dee. next. It is said by others that these decrees
will be allowed to expire on the 31st Sept., and that the
sliding-scale will come into operation but only provisionally,
the intention of the Government being to present a new
law to the Council of State immediately after the close of its
vacation. The sliding-scale establishes such high duties
on importation that they-are tantamount to prohibition. In
that case we should remain with only our own resources to
supply the consumption of the country and the probable de-
mand of our neighbours. Would such resources be suffi-
cient ?"

RESTORATION OF TURKISH FINANCE.—The great
drawback to commerce in Turkey has been the unsatisfac-
tory nature of its currency, which has acted very prejudici-
ally as rosneets the c,pital and resources of that empire.
And the reamfiii is obvious, because, assuming that a profit
has been realised on invested capital, the adverse course of
the exchanges in Turkey has prevented such profits from
being transmitted to England except at an enormous sacrifice.
The operations of the Ottoman Bank are an evidence of this.
The soundness of the principle on which this important bank
is established and the ability of its manager is universally
admitted. Before the currency assumed its present posi-
tion, the bank was enabled to pay a dividend; but dur-
ing the last 12 months, although the actual business at
Constantinople has been attended with great profit, the
state of the exchanges has prevented the manat;er from
making remittances for purposes of dividend. On the
whole, it is impossible that any establishment can enjoy a
more secure positionthan the Ottoman Bank—the favourite
scheme of its chairman, Mr. Layard, and governed by
some of the leading London bankers. A new Loan is now
proposed, and • its declared object is to restore to a
healthy condition the disordered finances of the Turkish em-
pire by absorption of the depreciated currency. That it will
have this effect there can be no question ; and of course it
will not merely affect favourably the interests of shareholders
in the Ottoman Bank, but must tend, and largely too, to
encourage further investments of nritish capital. The
question, therefore, is one of national importance ; and it is
impossible to exaggerate the benefits which would be derived
in a commercial point of view by the opening of this unde-
veloped field to British enterprise.--(horning Chronicle.
!RUSSIA IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.—The .Nord,
in allusion to some remarks mild° in an English paper
respecting the danger of allowing Russia to occupy the port
of Villa Franca in the Mediterranean, replies as follows :
" As to the fact in itself it appears to us without importance.
A vast steam navigation company is being established at
Odessa to trade with the Levant and the Mediterranean ;
it needs an
,entrepot for its merchandise vessels,
and it buys one. What Government can oppose
that act, except that of the country in which the en-
tropot is, or that of the country near it ? Now these two
Goverruuents, which are those of Sardinia and France, do
not complain; and it is England which it • is desired to
cause to intervene in the transaction which is entirely com-
mercial. In truth, this is carrying the right of interven-
tion somewhat too far. In a moment of political aberra- '
tion, Prance and Europe allowed themselves to be drawn
into promoting English interests to the extent of forbidding
Russia to have vessels of war in the Black Sea. It is now
desired to cause them to interdict Russia from having mer-
Want ohipa is the Itediterruem r