The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-22 00:00:00

he would not send his son to sea in her. But there
was the evidence of a Board of Trade inspector, of
a Lloyd's Inspector, of an Emigration Inspector, all
the other way. All these Inspectors were perfectly
satisfied with the appearance and state of the ship
as she lay in dock, as she left the Thames, and as
she sailed from Plymouth. Sir John Pakington,
speaking on behalf of the public, is by no means
satisfied with these results, and he particularly corn'
plains of counsel, retained by relatives of the lost,
having been prevented from cross-examining the
official witnesses whose testimony was emphaticalli,
contradicted by the survivors. The President a
the Board of Trade, who appropriately fills an office
of the necessity of which he has never been able to
persuade himself, and who is acquiring a positive
celebrity as a master of the art of inaction, derives
from the contrast between the fate of the London
and the reports of the inspectors upon her seaworthi-
ness, the consoling assurance that neither these in-
spections nor these inquiries are worth much, except
in relieving shipowners of the sense of responsibility
He justifies the conduct of the inquiry of Mr. Traill
(whose impartiality and whose conscientiousness
have never been impugned), and he reminds the
house that these Board of Trade inquiries are not in
the nature of prosecutions, but that their primary
object is to ascertain the cause of the loss of
the ship. In the case of the London, as Sir John
Pakington observed, there could be no question
of certificates of officers, because none but a
single midshipman survived. Mr. Milner Gibson,
however, speaks of the question of certificates to
merely an incident of such an inquiry, and he cite
instances in which these inquiries have done good,
in discovering errors of navigation, showing the
necessity of new surveys, or of new lights on do'
gerous coasts, and so forth. The President of the
Board of Trade is officially satisfied with the un-
satisfactory report of the London inquiry, because
of the insufficiency of the evidence it elicited; but.
he is happily not quite satisfied with the state of
the law in respect to the mode in which these in-
quiries are conducted, and hopes before long to bug-
gest some improvements in it. Mr. Henley, 'Oh°
speaks on the subject with the double authority of
sometime President of the Board of Trade and of
his own honest good sense, bears witn:ss to the
" Universal dissatisfaction" with which the existing ,
law is regarded by all who are concerned in its ope-
ration, and especially by the owners and masters of
the merchant service. A few weeks since we re-
ported a meeting of the representatives of the ship'
ping interest, at which resolutions were passed con-
demning the present system of inquiries by the
Board of Trade as contrary to the spirit of Eng-
lish law, and to the practice of the naval courts.
The grievance appeared to us a just one, and when
it was suggested by a contemporary that to place
such inquiries in the hands of officers of the mom'
cantile service would be to deprive the public 01,
their only safeguard, we ventured to believe that a
court comprised of competent and qualified col'
minders of the merchant service, responsible to their
owners and t the public, might be trusted to con-
duct an open and responsible inquiry into the loss
of a ship with as uncompromising a severity xs
.
officers in her Majesty's service engaged in a greli
lar duty are wont to exercise. No number of
wrecks and casualties (according to Mr. Henley,
the proportion is increasing year by year) couldf
change our opinion of the substantial justice of
the demand of the speakers at that meeting, of
of the advantage to the public of courts
inquiry into the loss of merchant and pas-
senger ships being removed from the press d
loose and anomalous jurisdiction of the 803-1:1
of Trade, and made analogous to those of the Eq.'.
Navy. But assuredly nothing was farther from ou',
intention than to facilitate the "white-washing '
shipowners or shipmasters. It may be that N-!•
Henley's impression of the Wreck Returns is soule,
what too gloomy, but it would be difficult to resist
_
his conclusion that the meddling legislation of the
last sixteen years has provoked discontent rather
than improvement. Any reconsideration of i
Merchant Shipping Acts might, perhaps, be juw
ciously preceded by an authoritative and compre-
hensive inquiry into the state of the mercantile
marine. Such an inquiry would probably disclos
many grave abuses and deficiencies, and without
attempting to provide any specific remedy, might
contribute at least by their exposure to Um"
self-reform.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

HIILL.—TUESDAY.
During the week the transactions in wheat have been
confined principally to English, foreign being held for re;
latively higher prices. Barley was decidedly firmer, 3tue
slight advance in price. Linseed was very scarce 111
market, and extreme prices were obtained. Linseed o
advanced steadily during the week. Linseed cakes 81'9°
advanced 5s per ton. •
English old white wheat, 48s to 545; old red, 42s to 47•4°
Barley, English, 37s to 425. Oats, Russian, 24s to 25,,5;
Beans, new English, 43s to 445. Peas, English blue, 4""
to 41s Od ; grinding, 40s to 41s Od per 36 stone.

S ALISBURY.—T UESDAY.
An increased supply of wheat was offered here this
morning. The bulk of it being out of condition trade
ruled heavy, but dry lots mado fully last week's prices'
For barley rather more inquiry prevailed. Secondary iqua-
lities, being in request for seed and grinding, advanced
per qr. Oats, beans, and peas were moderately dealt ill,
at previous figures.
The following are the quotations :—Wheat realised fro 4
38s to 52s ; barley, 35s to 44s ; oats, 22s to 32s ; beaus, 4s
to 528 ; and peas, 42s to 50s per qr. Tares, from 6s to
6d per bushel ; Best bread, 13d ; household ditto, 12°
per 81b loaf. Flour, 34s to 38s per sack.

MONMOUTHSHIRE—TUESDAY.
The supply at the several markets throughout
sti
country during the past week was moderate, and for be,
samples of home-grown wheat full money was obtaine;
and a fair business done. For foreign the inquiry wa
limited.
The following are the average quotations:—Wheat;
5A 6d to 5s 9d per bushel ; inferior ditto, 5s 3d to ss.
white, 5s 9d to 6s ; malting barley, 32s to 36s per qr ; grls.
ing ditto, 24s to 295; beans, 44s ; white oats, 24s 6d to 2
black ditto, 23s 6d to 245.

LYNN—TUESDAY.
At to-day's market the attendance was less than usual.
Dry samples of- wheat commanded fully last weeks
damp descriptions is per qr. cheaper. Malting barley lu
lyd
as dear ; grinding sorts 6d to is per qr higher. Beans°
oats firm.
New wheat, 46s to 48s; new red, 42s to 445; old whit„°;.
51s to 52s ; old red, 46s to 48s per 36 stone. Balls)" ,
malting, 37s to 40s ; secondary, .63s to 355. Oats De'
24s to 26s per 24 stone. Beans, small, 43s to 465. 'IW"
36s to 40s per 28 stone.

NEWCAS TLE—TITESDAY.
heSt
At our market to-day there was a good supply of lf-A,
from the growers, and a large coasting but only a 110"ss
rate foreign arrival. Trade ruled dull, and where busiae
was done it was at a decline of is per qr on both old.rallit
new. Barley had a limited sale, bu' at full prices. re
was firm. Beans and oats were rather dearer. Peas W,40
is lower. Flour was very dull, at 6d per sack decline•
average price of British grain for the week has been
wheat, 47s 2d; barley, 348 lid; oats, 28s per qr.

COAL MARKET.
Price per ton at the close of the market.
s. d.
Holywell Main l5 6 South Hartlepool ...... 1,6 cl;
0"
Hetton Lyons l5 6 Buddle'sWestliartley r, 0
Caradoc lB 6 Hastings Hartley...... I(s'
East Hartlepool
Kelloe