The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-02 00:00:00

Darling's crew

AMATEURS' CANOE RACE.
Six started. Won cleverly by Mr. Crespell, a young
French gentleman from Mr. Harris's establishment.

AMATEURS' SINGLE PUNTING.

Six started. Won by Mr. C. Wools.
CHALLENGE CUP. Four oars.

Won by the Excelsior Club; held last year by the
Windsor Rowing Club.

AMATEURS' DINGY RACE.
Twelve started ; won by Mr. W. Barrett.
SCRATCH EIGHT •OAR RACE.

Three crews started ; won by Mr. H. Williams' crew.
Mr. Sheriffs' crew was winning easily, until the rudder
string broke, and sent them into the bank, when the se-
cond boat rowed into them, and capsised them.

•
There were several other matches, chiefly punting, by
the watermen of Windsor and Eton College.

QUEEN'S PLATE FOR CANADA.--Lovers of the
turf, and Canadians generally, will be interested at learning
that the Toronto Turf Club has received official intimation
from the Governor-General that her Majesty Queen Victoria
has graciously pleased to announce, through the Colonial
Secretary, her intention of giving to the Toronto Turf
Club annually the munificent contribution of 50 guineas.
The Queen's Plate, as the royal gift will be called, will
henceforward be a grand feature In the Toronto races.—
Canadian Nam

FLUCTUATIONS IN THE TRADE OF

THE UNITED KINGDOM.

The relative fluctuations in the trade of the vari-.
ous ports of the United Kingdom constitute one °I
the most interesting points of commercial inquiry,
since in all cases they arise either from important
changes in the consuming or productive
capacitiesof the several foreign countries with which each
port may be principally connected, or from superior
progress in the mode of conducting business at one;
port as compared with another, the extension of
local enterprise, the opening up of new communies"
tions by rail or steam, or from an increase of the
habits of industry in particular districts. A revel"
sion from over-speculation will somstimes affect one
port to a disproportionate degree, and strikes or.
dissensions among the mechanics or artisans 01
neighbouring towns will also frequently cause a re- •
trograde movement, and give an advantage in the
race to some rival emporium which may never again,
be recovered. An official return lately compile"
furnishes the means of testing the relative progress
of the 12 p ,orts of the country showing which
have made a forward and which a retrograde move'
ment during the past year, contrasted with 1857.
It must be premised that the general shipments.
last year presented a falling off of rather more
than 5 per cent., and that consequently any Port
which maintained its ground must be considered,
when compared with its rivals, to have made en
actual progress of more than 5 per cent., while
any port that shows a reductions of less than '-',
per cent. must be considered to have fully uphela
its relative position. Now, it appears that one
of the number actually showed a positive increase,
that one out of the remainder showed only a small
diminution, and that the remaining five experienced
a reduction not merely equal in the aggregate to
the whole decrease in the trade of the year, but also
to the extent of the gain at the other ports. Those
which achieved a positive increase were London,
about 31 per cent. ; Southampton, 81- per cent.;
Glasgow, 11 per cent. ; Greenock, 841 per cent.;
Dublin, 53 per cent. ; and Cork, 2 per cent. Those
which figure on the adverse side are Liverpool/
about 8 per cent. ; Hull, 14 per cent. ; Bristol, 13
per cent. ; Newcastle, 13 per cent.; and Belfast, 71
per cent. Leith also shows a falling off, but as it
is only to the extent of a half per cent., while the
general statistics would have warranted a decrease
of 5 per cent., it will-be seen that she presents in
fact a relative gain of more than 4-1- per cent. Se,
far as these results can be depended upon, it will
be for the merchants of each port to discuss in what
degree they may be attributable to permanent or
to temporary and exceptional causes. It is to be
regretted, however, that they cannot be received as
affording anything beyond a very rough aproxima-
fion. An official statement of the value of the im-
ports at each place would give a much more useful
test, since a return of that kind would be framed
upon definitive Custom-house calculations, instead
of upon hap-hazard declarations of value, as is the
case in our tables of exportations.