The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-06 00:00:00

THE SILK TRADE.

Accounts from the silk-producing departments
announce that native silk is becoming every day
more scarce. There was scarcely any business
transacted at the last market of Aubenas, the
heavy rain having prevented the growers from
coming to market. The little silk offered for sale
was purchased at from 88f. to 92f. the kilogramme,
according to quality. The manufacturers of Lyons
are living almost entirely on orders received from
the United States. Spun silk from Syria is quoted
at Marseilles at 92f. the killogramme. Wines of
last year's growth are in gooddemand at the wine-
market at Bercy, and prices are firm. The near
approach of the vintage appears to produce no
effect on prices. Holders of stook are now convinced
that the vintage will be 'deficient in quantity,
and the quality will depend on the weather. It is
generally believed that a further rise in prices will
take place. At Auxerre, where the vineyards pro-
mise an excellent vintage, the light stock of wind
on hand, and the unfavourable accounts received
from other wine-producing districts, have caused an
increased demand, and good ordinary Burgundy is
not to be had for less than 110 f. the cask of 300
bottles. White wines of 1857 are quoted at Bar-
le-Due at 70f. the hectolitre. Macon wine was
sold at Bourg last week at 56f. the hectolitre.
The wine-growers of Chaulieu have raised their
wines 15f. the cask within the last month.
The vintage in- that neighbourhood is not as
good as last yikr. Wines of the Beaujolais
have risen 20f. die cask at Macon within the last
feW days. The wine-groWers in that neighbour-
hood are in despair at seeing the appearance of the
grapes. They have become small and withered,
and, as they drop off the stalk, the crop is daily
diminishinF,. The damp nights have improved the
vineyards in the neighbourhood of Montelimart ;
grapes are sold there at 12f. the 100 kilogrammes.
The approach of the vintage and the prospect of a
good crop in that nighbourhood have produced a
fall in the price of -wine at Nantes. There is very
little business doing in brandies in the Paris mar-
ket ; prices, nevertheless, are well maintained. At
La Rochelle brandy is quoted at from 105 f. to 120 f.
the hectolitre, without the cask. Beetroot spirit
is worth, in Paris, 87f. the hectolitre ; Languedoc,
110 f.

THE DUKE OF MONTROSE ON THE PROBABILITY
OF INVASION.-At a meeting held on Friday last at Dum-
barton, for the formation of a volunteer rifle corps, Sir J.
Colquhoun, lord-lieutenant of the county, presiding, the
Duke of Montrose said—" We know, as the lord-lieu-
tenant has said, that we are now more liable to invasion
than formerly—that is to say, that an invasion might more
'readily take place now than in former years, as the navies
now-a-days ere different from those of past times, so that
there is no doubt it would be easier to land a large body of
troops here than formerly. We must feel that, notwith-
standing the great amity that is profeised by a, neighbour-
ing country towards us, which we reciprocate and are
anxious to maintan, yet we cannot feel so safe as if there
was a constitutional Government in that county, when the
whole is dependent on the single will of one individual.
(Cheers.) We must feel that there is no check upon him
if he should think it to be to his advantage—but I think
he won't find that—to attack this country. Ho has not the
check of a Tarliament or of the representatives of the na-
tion, or the more mild influence of the cour try through the
public Press ; and therefore we cannot possess all the secu-
rity which we should have without baing armed for all
contingencies. This feeling, has spread all over the coun-
try, and has been spoken of in Farliament, and the expres-
sions there given forth have been endorsed by the people
at large ; and therefore I think we ought to adopt a line of
conduct pursued by a large portion of the people of Eng-
land, and also by many in various parts of Scotland—a
course which I consider extremely desirable."

ASCENT OF MosT BLANC.—Messrs. Tyndal and
Frankland have just made a successful ascent of Mont
Blanc. On the 21st August these two English savants
reached the summit, where they placed their tent of india-
rubber on the south side, and prepared to pass the night,
with the intention of returning at 10 o'clock the following,
morning, which they accordingly, did. Thus these two
gentlemen sojourned on the summit of Mont Blanc for the
space of 20 hours, with their three guides and seven porters.
Thus this hazardous enterprise, and which was the first
attempt of the kind which has been made, was happily
crowned with success. The party suffered from violent
attacks of headache, exactly resembling sea-sickness in
their effects, and from which none of them were exempt.—
Journal de Geneve.

THE GREAT EASTERN.

Unavoidable circumstances connected with the
clearing out certificates prevented the great ship
leaving her river moorings this morning, as
previously intended. From an early hour the
various thoroughfares on both sides of the
river leading to the place of departure of the mon-
ster ship Were crowded by pedestrians and vehicles
of all descriptions. As early as five o'clock some
thousands were waiting at the different railway
stations, eager to be transported to some favourable
spot where a view might be had of the greatest
achievement in maritime architecture. However,
all were doomed to disappointment. The railway
officials, as soon as they were made aware of the
postponement of the sailing of the ship, very con-
siderately issued a placard to that effect, and thus
prevented an idle journey to the anxious expectants.
Trips had also been announced by the steam-boat
companies to convey passengers some considerable
distance down the river ; but they likewise gave

Lmeons notice of the delay which had occurred.

The scene on each side of the river at Greenwich was
most enlivening ; the esplanade presented quite
a holiday appearance ; and as numerous visitors had
arrived at Greenwich the previous night, the
various hotels must have reaped a good harvest.
We believe it is finally arranged that the Great
Eastern will sail to-morrow (Wednesday) morning.
It is intended to commence towing her down
at the half•flood tide, so that she may reach
Gravesend by mid-day. She will arrive at the
Nore about noon on Thursday, when she will
swing to adjust compasses, starting for Portland
on Saturday morning next.

The Liverpool Albion says—" Some of our metro-
politan contemporaries, in enumerating the imports
and exports of India, China, and Australia, and
speaking of Calcutta as the port of the monster
ship, confidently ask, ' Can any one doubt but she
will get full cargoes there ?' Now, our readers
will only have to look at the map of India to see
that nothing will be got at Calcutta save the pro-
ducts of Bengal and the provinces on the Ganges,
and that it would be foolish to suppose that Bombay
would send goods 1,400 miles out of their course,
Madras 700, Singapore 1,300, and the Chincie
ports from 3,200 to 3,500, Australia being equally
distant. The directors must not be misled by such
nonsense. The imports of Calcutta are not equal
to those of Pailadelphia, Boston, Montreal, New
Orleans, or Baltimore, nor one-twelfth of those of
New York ; and of her exports, what may be the
Great Eastern's share but a part of the indigo, silks,
spices, and valuable products, not amounting alto-
gether to 25,000 tons a year ? Sugar, rum, rice,
would come by clipper ships to direct ports, the
freights of these, during the last two years,
ranging from 10s. to 60s. per ton—a poor look-
out for her shareholders ! Where, then, is
the emigration to or from India ? As we said
before, the trade for her is that formerly carried
on by the liners and packets, and now by them and
our steamers, and as the great ship cannot come
here or to New York, the St. Lawrence and Cork
are the next best. Should the internal navigation
of America, by Quebec, be overlooked, and another
port chosen, then Portland and Norfolk have their
claims, the former •being the shorter voyage, but
having 200 or 300 miles more rail to Cincinnati,
Pittsburg, Chicago, and St. Louis, and 100 more to
Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore, New
York being half way between them. On the other
hand Norfolk has, by rail, all the cotton trade of
the Carolinas and Georgia, as well as the tobacco
and grain trades of Virginia, Tennessee and Ken-
tucky. Next to New York, Quebec, by her vast
inland ship navigation, would be the most likely
port to fill the great ship ; and second to her, Nor-
folk. It will depend on the Grand Trunk Railway
and Canadian people, by having the rail extended
to a proper harbour for the winter in the St. Law-
rence, and a wharf erected, to have the benefit of
the great ship at all seasons. The ]ritish and
Irish press have given the pros and cons, but we
believe that it is as yet undecided as to her trade
by the directors.

Saunder's News Letter says:—" A noteworthy
fact is that the ship nearest in size to the Great
Eastern arrived in England from America about,
30 years ago. She was called the Baron of Ren-
frew, was 600 feet long, and was composed of large
logs of timber clamped together in the roughest
manner. It was predicted that she never would
steer, never would cross the Atlantic ; but she did,
and immediately upon her arrival was broken up.
Indeed, she was nothing more than imported timber,
having been patched together to avoid the timber
duty, which was then exceedingly heavy. She ful-
filled her mission in every way, but the Govern-
ment was down upon the new dodge, and prevented
any repetition of the experiment.

ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON.-A very curious
atmospheric phenomenon was produced on Friday morning
on the railway wires round Paris. At 7 o'clock, when the
service commences in the various stations, it was remarked
at the central station, placed at the hotel of the Minister of
the Interior, that some of the instruments were charged
with electricity, as if the corresponding station had sent a
constant current. It was soon found that the fact was
general, the wires at all the stations beingin the same state.
By interrupting the circuit of the wires strong sparks were
obtained. The same thing was produced at the same time
on all the telegraphic wires throughout France, the stations
placed between two lines receiving the current from each
side. At half-past nine the electricity, in place of being
permanent, showed itstilf only at intervals. The scientific
authorities were consulted as to the cause of this phenome•
non. In stormy weather atmospheric electricity produces
many discharges, which set in motion the telegraphic ma-
chines, but these discharges are instantaneous and have not
a permanent character. •
EXTRAORDINARY ELECTRICITY IN , THE ATMO-
SPHERE.—STOPPAGE OF TELEGRAPILIC COMMUNICA-
TION.—Astronomers are divided as to the causes of the re-
cent extraordinary superabundance of electricity in the at-
mosphere, but of the fact there can be no doubt, as evi-
denced not only by the unusual brilliancy of the aurora
borealis, but the impossibility of transmitting messages by
the telegraphic wires. On Sunday the deflections of the
needles at the telegraphic offices were strong and erratic,
but not being a business day the inconvenience was not
great. Yesterday, during the early part of the day, the
electricity was so abundant that no information could be
obtained for the newspaper offices, nor were private messages
transmissible. The needles instead of being obedient to the
ordinary magnetic current, were violently agitated and de-
flected by the electricity of the atmosphere, the result being
that the telegraphic clerks could only decipher a word or
two of a sentence, leaving the information incomplete, con-
sequently valueless. These phenomena occurred in connec-
tion with the wires of both the Electric and the Magnetic
Telegraph Companies, and were not merely local in their
manifestation, but interfered with messages from London,
Liverpool, Birmingham, and more distant places. So great
a disturbance of the electrical currents has not been known
for many years, scarcely since the invention of electrical
telegraphing. During the afternoon and evening of yes-
terday thetommunication became re-established and regu •
lar=lfanchester Courier of Saturday.

FLOGGING IN THE ARMY.—fn a letter to a con-
temporary, the writer refers to an institution which has
already for a long time worked well in the armies of several
States of Northern Germany. He states that in the armies
he alludes to there is a law that no soldier can be flogged
unless he is previously, by a sentence of a military court,
transferred to the second class of soldiers. The measure of
transferring a soldier to the second class is never resorted
to, unless the man, by committing many offences, or by
persisting in the repetition of the same offence in spite of
punishments, has shown himself to be an otherwise incor-
rigible offender. It deprives him of the honour of wearing
the cockade with the colours of his country, and renders
him liable to bodily chastisement, which even then can
be inflicted only in consequence of a fresh offence, and a
sentence to that effect passed by the Court. This institu-
tion exempts the great body of the soldiers from a punish-
ment which is considered degrading in the armies of
Northern Germany, France, and many other countries ; it
gives a fair warning to .the obstinate offender, and might
prove to be of benefit if adopted in the army of this country.
ANOTHER RUSSIAN EXPEDITION TO EXPLORE
THE AMOUR.—The Hamburg Orresponden't has the fol-
lowing from St. Petersburg :—" We are informed that
another expedition to explore the territories of the Amour
is now being organised under the auspices of the Grand
Duke Constantine. At the herid of the expedition is M.
Maninow, well known for having travelled on foot through
all Russia in the costume of a working man, in order to
study the condition of the Peasantry. Several exploring
parties have already left Irkutsch for the countries men-
tioned, but solely with a view to search for the gold places
said to exist there. Some of the explorers have found rich
mines near the source of the Seja, but not easily worked,
im
mense
thickness. they are covered with a stratum of peat of
thickness. It is not without interest for the China trade to
learn that the western provinces of that empire now send
caravans of tea to Semipolotinsk, so that K iatcha no longer
enjoys the monopoly of the tea trade. The caravans from
Central Asia generally take two routes ; some go towards
Siberia, Siberia, by Semiplototinsk and Petrohauwtosk, and the
others towards Orenburg by Tronzk. The favour accorded
to the Asiatics of passing the Russian frontier without
passports from their own Governments and the reduction
of the custom duties, havd had a most beneficial effect on
the trade."
DR. SMETHURST
says—Why is Dr. Smethurst still detained
therea prisoner are .—A writer in
gaol? in
Is he considered "guilty," but thatutation" of the
ex-
tenuating circumstances to justify a a contemporary
the crime, the law ought to be
sentence. Unless there are no circumstances,'‘caom
Then he ought to be
course. is he considered innocentaFin exte-
nuatewtohiethaketsan innocent man in
released, for it is as unjust to de
The only conclusion, I
prison as it is to execute s reprieved
sentence
dur-
ing her Majesty's pleasure,
think, to be drawn from the!f:aicm.nst.tthhaatt htch‘e‘
ini order to give more time to
sus-
pended during her pleasure,
justify a emu:nitration of
and can be none, in such a
sift the matter. As there are extenuating
totenuating circumstances,
there time for investigation, appears to
to give more
the sentence, and if the "reprieve,': or the delay is not in-
tendedother band,he is considered inno-
cent,be no valid reason why the executionl of the. sentence should
be defeired. On the
• tely discharged, since it is the height of cruelty
or if there be a doubt as to his guilt, then he ought to
be immediately
to punish, in any way,
an innocent man, or a man of whose
criminality must
there is a doubt. It be borne in mind
that Dr. Smethurst is not now in gaol awaiting a fresh
trial, unless what is going on at the Home-office may be
considered such,

THE NINE ROUES' MO

V-Ellf-E-Arr"

The membqrs of the conference who assenabled
yesterday at the Paviors' Arms were in higher spirits
apparently than they have been at any tune since
the commencement of the strike, at the prospect of
the dividend which they were enabled to declare:
It was generally supposed by the employers gild
others who were not acquainted with the nature
and amount of the levies which have recently- been
made among the men in work that the dividend
would be even smaller titan it was a fortnight ago.
They will be surprised, therefere, to learn that the
actual dividend declared amounted to 3s. per wen
to every society man, of whatever class, at this mot-.
meat out of work in consequence of the lock-ou •
This is in addition to what the societies will seve
rally contribute, so that for this week at least the
men will not be left entirely without funds. At Or
same time Trollope's men, noW reduced to killedin
number, received, as was anticipated, 12s. .
and Bs. unskilled labourers. The effect of a distil
bi;ttiwonofoolfdt.hislinaitnudrue,ceasmnouonnt.sinocgiettlynearly .0,30 u.
men, who are
now out of work for no fault of their own, and will'
have no quarter to look to for assistance, to join sei-
cieties ; and it makes the masters more determine"
in their resistance to .unions of every descriptio.%
when they see how powerful an organisation cant.
raised as it were almost instantaneously for an ou
ject so unworthy as that to which, in their opinion,
the present agitation is directed.
Satisfactory, however, as the present dividend of
3s. per man is regarded to be, it must be reinera:
bored that last week no dividend was struck only
, B.°
that adding it to the previous one of ls. ld.
it Far
_
gives an average of ls. did. per man per wok.
the first time since the Strike began we have
been
furnished with an exact list of the number of Dieu
in each trade who were entitled to share in
the dt.
tribution, together withthe exact amount disburse:4,
The document is interesting in a statistical pcan''
of view, and it is important, also, as showing be;
yond cavil the number of society men in everlf
bwroarnkc hi
no
London
theond buildingon
and trade
Woolwich. at t h i
Hs mom list
es n t pot 0
t 1:: ins t
,:'
Trollope's men lO4 skilled artisans at 12s £62 6 °
34 16 °
79 . . 87 unskilled, at Bs. • •
Carpenters and
joiners „ 0 0
2,446 at 3s ............... °"; 0 0
Bricklayers
WoolwichstNonoe.ssawyers
yme
resn .
Plasterers
740 at 3s ............... 111 0
660 „ .............. 99 0 9
Masons
Painters
1,2, 0 • 18 oji
.. 491 , 73 13
°
10 7 -
Labourers'NNNNN 00000.....
25879 Lodge, . . 9 9 ..............
250
69 :1
i ............................
NNNOOO... 436 .. .. 4422;0:0 ,:,
................................................................... 23
77 1 : :cool
.. 189 „ .............. 4." 4 0
41 1 0
.. 154 23 2 0
..
524172 ',7, ............................ 1:7n4. 11
°
, .............. „ 6
No. 10 .. 167 44 ' - 0
N., 11 „ .............. c„ 0
No. 12 . • 54 „ .............. 9 0
23 .. 0
No. 13 • • 12 " ............ 1/6
Labourers from
„ ............
Mr. Macey's

018
.... • .........
1245
7,846 ntober
Of this total of 7,846 the skilled artisans 11-nrtion
4,889, and the labourers 2,957. This Pro 13- by
would appear to indicate that the labourers aqc•ns,
no means so generally society men as the 11.1;t2 s'iana
while the small number of members in 11, 'l,;dgee
13 would lead to the conclusion that those :::tv is
were of recent formation. Indeed the probabn.e.,ot.
that they owe their origin to the present ine:vewtions
The men continue to receive contrihe
_,. in
from the provinces, and the delegates reOre'rv-
favourable terms f the reception which, eto to
where greets them. A great meeting s,; and
held in the Trades' Hall, Glasgow, tellig'," to
Mr. Potter and Mr. Gray left London yesteras-70,
be present at it. A monster meeting 10.11,164)&1e-
pected at Manchester this evening, at Whici''The
gates from the metropolis will be present. ter-
Anti-Strik e Committee held two raeetings Yes in
day at the Adelaide Gallery • but they Were again
overwhelmed by the scouts and pickets of the slio,
ties, who interrupted the proceedings 511,1 „tibia
gether behaved so outrageously that the P°11,,pc,,-,ted•
to be called in to clear the hall. This they er„--bit
not without difficulty, and the device• was tue ly
-
upon by the committee of admitting by tickets ottlero
but these were surreptitiously obtained, and lila some
were little mended. On the whole, however, s-vo
40 men appended their names to the lists, and it to
stated that many more were known to be
subscribe, but were prevented by the very Pe,c,-the
and cogent system of " persuasion" adopted v-1 re.
Trades Union men.. The committee continue t.,,.°00
ceive encouraging and sympathising letters from
all quarters, and already the subscriptions for War
ay-
to Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith's begin t 0
sume important dimensions.
The deputation of 16 from the 400 builders' Ore;
men, who were appointed at the meeting held
Saturday, met yesterday at the Foremen's Instittl';'
Lyons'-inn, for the purpose of arranging the inteia
view which it was anticipated the employers vr°,„llo
give them at their meeting to-day. An applies,so
with this object was forwarded in the course 01 g,
day. to Mr. Wales, the secretary to the Central xt;
sociation of Master Builders, but it did not arrive ir
time to elicit any reply. It is understood, hell;
that a joint deputation from the foremen and 41,0
Anti-Strike Committee will be received o."e.
masters to-day, when it is hoped that some arran°
ment will be arrived at for opening the slier"

6„

for Duringtu na
tthe
operativesw hole of
THE ANTI-STRIKE MOVEMENT' of the
unfortunate iynesthteerdbauyilnduiningbetrsradoe,..-s
,pento
strike crowded the thoroughfare in Adelaide- head'
Strand, in front of the Adelaide-rooms, the l'e-ti.
quarters of the committee recently formed far en'
rolling the men opposed to the strike, and afforails;
them an opportunity of emancipatingtheose the
from the tyranny of the society originatiughot
Nine Hours Movement. At intervals throul the
the day Mr. Ballard, a foreman smith, niAn„ssed
Chairman of the Anti-Strike Committee, aa,'„"tioe
large bodies of them within the hall in exe.-eing
of the objects of this counter movement, autill,;rthe
them in their own interests as well as-those those
masters to give in their adhesion to it. One°. Oro'
meetings was held between 10 and 11 in the
b„,-Illactert
ing, and another, of a more animated e"— wee
later in the day. Mr. Superintendent Durki,ok
in attendance with a small body of police to ell de.
any attempt at a breach of the peace, but tiled no
meanour of the men was so orderly as to affor
sent
pretext for his interference. Most of those Pre gr.
were society men, precisely the class whelll„f the
Ballard aims at winning over to his side "ave,
question a. large number were men "c!fh tbB
from principle, never identified themselves vo-' t of
society, but who are, nevertheless, thrown °octlietY
employment by this unhappy strike. The 8i gr•
men now and then interrupted the address ° s on
Ballard, as did others, asking him, questieten the
various points in dispute, and especially as t o or
interpretation to be put upon the " doeulnee 'non
declaration, which the masters seek to ised° not
them, and which it is clear many of the .
be as
rightly understand. What they required to
,ila
sured was that in signing the declaration theY:teita,
not thereby be precluded from joining or ee oral'
ing to be members of a body formed for th;
theta
nary purposes of a benefit society. Many O
soul
are certainly under the impression that theY ~......,
be so precluded, though the words of the dr"..i.
pot
tion itself, as explained by Mr. Ballard,
c,_
un.
warrant any such interpretation ; butlismin u ,
couldcertainty prevails among the men on thinn
would be
point. including even non-society_
dintoe fill concerned
but an act of justice to
them
amatter beyond the
for the masters to place the
while it might
possibility of cavil or question,
f the strike.
tend to shorten the duration o
ter-
Numbers of the men of both classes yes st
terms again
day inveighed in indignant other
the document, designating it'
and
d degradation
epithets, as a badge of slavery anan
on them,
which the masters sought to impose „ :0,
declaring that no consideration on earth shou.teni:
..,
duce them to subscribe it. These expressio
us,°_:
opinion and determination were vocifero 11..
Mr. "fl
cheered by the rest of the audience, and ti,,,
lard at times found it a work of difficulty t° if',7,
anything in favour of the obnoxious theredocurneut
contended, however, that, judged by itself, ..,.
was nothing in it contrary to personal freedei",
He was twitted fur being paid for the part he
scS;
taking in the dispute, but that he indignantlY ,se
nit d, lie said, incidentally, that the object of t%t
masters was to obtain labour in the
market.
This This sally elicited a storm of derisive taught
u'
and one man, taking up •Mr. Ballard's line of firgto
merit, added that their (the men's) policcheered's
-sell it in the dearest—a sentiment loudly
Mr. BALLARD rejoined that the best course wde..
mend,, labour to the operation of supply gar
of
and he implored them in the interesi ~,
themselves, of those who were near and dear.
hat
them, and of their employers, forthwith to do win_
they could to terminate this unhappy quarreller): 7.
then left the hall, and the men attempted to
s,:r::
chairman of their own and continue the dis '
bell'eseted,
but to this the manager of the building 0. J inn
whereupon they gave three cheers for thenna
Hours' Movement and separated. Between 34'
E.L...a
40 men came forward in the course of the day, . ",t
st against
pledged themselves to support the prote
the strike, -

---
At the the ordinary meeting of the Town Council of
Glasgow on Friday, the Lord Provost presiding, it ft:
agreed, on the motion of Sir Andrew Orr, to request 4..
Lord Provost and magistrates of the city to ask the .1.,
tional Association for the Promotion of Social Science
to
hold the meeting of 1860 in Glasgow.