The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 28, 1859.

THIS DA Y'S MARKETS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

There was no animation in the demand for wheat in the
leading country markets held on Saturday. Fine dry
samples were mostly disposed of at full prices ; but other
kinds moved off slowly, at late rates. The barley trade was
tolerably active, at full previous quotations. Oats, beans,
and peas, as well as flour, commanded late currencies.
In the Continental markets wheat has continued dull in
sale, on former terms. Other produce has been in fair re-
quest. The grain trade in the United States has become
much less active. _

The arrivals of English grain up to our market last week,
were moderate. The total imports from abroad were rather
limited„viz., 644 quarters of wheat, 2,912 barley, 12,287
oats, 2,130 rye, 5 beans, 50 peas, 475 tares, 6,329 linseed, 10
mustard, 100 sundry seeds, 3,793 sacks and 105 barrels of
flour.

The arrivals of English wheat fresh up to-day, coastwise
and by land carriage, were on a very moderate scale, but we
observed a slight improvement in the general condition of
the samples. The attendance of both town and country
millers was far from numerous, and the demond for all
kinds of wheat of home produce was in a sluggish state, at
last Monday's currency.
Wo were tolerably well, but not to say heavily, supplied
with foreign wheat. Fine dry samples sold at full quota-
tions, but so little was doing in other kinds that prices were
almost nominal.

Floating cargoes of grain, off Falmouth, were very dull.
The show of barley was rather limited. For most de-
scriptions the demand was steady, at full prices.
Malt changed hands freely, at full quotations.
Thera was a fair show of oat samples, and the demand
ruled inactive. In prices, however, no charge took place.
We had rather more inquiry for beans, at full quotations.
Peas ruled steady, but not dearer.
The flour trade was in a sluggish state, at last Monday's
quotations.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.

(Before the Recorder.)

The March session of the Central Criminal Court com-
menced this morning before the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs,
the Recorder, Aldermen Sir Chapman Marshall, Sir R.
Carden, and the other civic authorities.
The calendar contains the names of 78 persons for trial.
=The grand jury having returned several true bills, the
trial of prisoners was proceeded with.'

future reformer shall have any pretext, at least of
symmetry or uniformity, for descending. But,
while preserving intact, as the basis of the borough
franchise, the amount fixed by the first Reform
Bill, the Ministerial Bill seeks, by measures some-
what similar to those adopted in the Reform Bill
of 1854, to extend the franchise to persons who,
from the possession of property in the shape of
deposits in savings banks, of stock in the Funds, or
of railway shares, may give satisfactory proof of
their fitness to assist in imposing burdens upon the
property of others. These are matters of detail ;
but we shall wait with some curiosity to hear the
means by which votes depending on such qualifica-
tions may be relieved from the obvious inconve-
niences by which they are attended—the want of
notoriety in the possession, the facility of fraud,
and the great difficulty of preventing the manu-
facture of faggot votes.

It will be seen from the above outline, which
we believe to be in the main correct, that the
measure of the Government is one of very great
simplicity, that the principles on which it is
founded are clear and obvious, and that there
is no attempt whatever, as has been sometimes
not unreasonably apprehended, to neutralise or
counteract the effect of those principles by any
subtle or refined scheme of compromise. Those
who are opposed to a considerable reduction of the
franchise in the counties, and those who arc anxious
for the admission of large classes of the poorer in-
habitants of the boroughs, those who wish for a
sweeping disfranchisement of small constituencies
and for the transfer of elective power to the more
populous communities, will easily find objects for
their disapprobation. Ono merit the measure un-
doubtedly possesses, and that is that it does not,
seek, under the pretence of a theoretical improve-
ment, to transfer power from one part of the com-
munity to the other, and that, as far as we are able
to judge, it holds the balance with a strict impar-
tiality between county and town, disdaining in
this respect to follow the example set by Mr.
Bright in his Reform Bill. This must be admitted
to be no trifling recommendation. Public opinion
must decide whether the contemplated change
will be sufficiently sweeping. If we were to venture
a conjecture, it would certainly be that the measure
has more danger to anticipate from the supporters
than from the antagonists of the Government, and
that it is highly improbable that anything but the
fear of obtaining worse terms hereafter will in-
duce the county members to consent to so con-
siderable an increase of their constituencies. If
the members for counties can reconcile them-
selves to the change, we feel little doubt that the
great mass of borough members will bear with con-
siderable philosophy the sentence which condemns
them to represent henceforth pretty nearly the
same bodies as heretofore. That the measure will
be regarded with apprehension by a certain section
of the Tory party may be inferred from the fact
that the adoption of the scheme by the Cabinet has
already deprived the Government of the co-opera-
tion of the Home Secretary and of the President of
the Board of Trade, both of whom have resigned
their offices. The proposed bill, indeed, is probably
as strong as any Government would be able to carry
in the present temper of the House of Commons
and the public mind, and with these few remarks
we commend it to the best consideration of the
nation, whose most important interests it so nearly
and vitally concerns.

P. H. HOWARD, ESQ., OF CORBY,
ON REFOR-11,

At the soiree of the Great Corby Reading-room,
last week, Mr. Howard, who presided, said he was
sure that as it was a question akin to education, he
might be permitted to say that in any revisal or
reconstruction of the representative system the
claims of education ought not to be forgotten, and
should have the benefit of direct representation.
There was the University of Edinburgh, where
some of the most eminent men had received the
whole or part of their education—Lord Brougham,
Sir Walter Scott, Jeffrey, Lord John Russell, and
many others had been there ; and he might
name his brother, now ambassador to the Portu-
guese court, as having studied there. He might say
that he trusted the London University also—
founded principally by Lord Brougham, and fos-
tered by his (the chairman's) late and able friend,
who had lately paid the debt of nature—that he
trusted the London University. where men of all
creeds can matriculate, would be admitted to the
representation. He trusted that if this country
should be involved in war, or should a war arise on
the continent, at least we would maintain a strict
and dignified neutrality. That was the only safe
policy for England. But it required a resolute and
forbearing course of policy, because it was easy
under the pretext of giving advice to be driven into
the conflict. He was glad to hear that our alliance
with our neighbours continued unshaken. It was
certainly, very desirable that there should be a clear
and good understanding between the two countries,
because that alliance should be placed upon a
broader, and a commercial basis. That was the
only basis upon which we could securely rely on
peace. Near neighbours are sure to be either good
friends or the contrary. He would only add one
word more, and that was, that now that India was
about to be governed on more paternal principles,
he trusted that some means would be devised to
bring the cotton of India into more extensive use in
England, and means would be devised for the better
cleaning of the raw material, which he believed was
the great drawback to its consumption.