The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 25, 1857.

CUSTOMS DUTIES ON CURRANTS.

Crisp, of Rugeley, soon after which Brown made a
full confession of his guilt, which was taken down
by the inspector, and to which he affixed his sig-
nature. We are informed that he charges his ac-
complice Jackson with being the one who knocked
the deceased dOwn first, and also with being the
man who gave him the blow which took his life, a
dreadful fracture of the skull and side of the face of
the deceased showing but too clearly the fearful
blow aimed to destroy him.

On Saturday a deputation, consisting of Messrs.
C. W. Martin, M.P. J. Vhatman M.P. H.
Wickham, M.P., G. Ridley, M.P., D. Nicoll, M.P.,
J. Ewart, M. P., and other members of Parliament
and gentlemen connected with the currant trade,
waited on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at
Downing-street, in order to urge a reduction of the
duty on currants.
Mr. CRAWFORD, M.P., opened the subject, and
said there was one point which they wished to press
—viz., the inequality existing between the duty on
currats and the duty upon raisins. He was aware
that a deputation which bad lately waited on the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject of raisins
had failed to produce a successful impression on
him, but a new circumstance had occurred which
gave additional weight to their arguments. A new
tariff comes into force next month in the United
States which will reduce the duty on currants from
40 per cent. ad valorem to 8 per cent.; and by this
the Americans, instead of accepting our currants
front Greece, will be able to take them to the United
States, on account of the low rate of duty. This will
place us at a great disadvantage. In former times
currants were rather a luxury, but now they are a
necessary of life.

Soon afterwards a rigid search was made by
Etheridge on the premises where each of the pri-
soners live, and on removing the bottom of an old
hayrick, on Jackson's premises, Mr. Charlesworth's
purse was found, containing about 101. in gold and
silver. The prisoners were taken to the Uttoxeter
police-station, and placed in separate cells, where
they will remain until the magistrates meet in petty
session on Wednesday next. The prisoners are
both young men, and have nothing about their ap-
pearance to lead any one to suppose them capable
of committing such an atrocity. Jackson is but
20 years of age, and is a labourer ; and Brown is a
groom or gentleman's servant, and had hut left the
service of Mr. Fletcher, surgeon, of Uttoxeter, a
fortnight ago.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—How can
they be considered as a necessary of life ?
Mr. CRAWFORD—When meat is dear the working
classes mix them with their bread. That practice
particularly prevails in the northern districts.
Mr. CLAY, M.P., said that in Yorkshire there
was not a cottage or a hovel in which currants were
not mixed up, as a compromise for meat, when
meat was dear.

DESTRUCTIVE AND FATAL FIRE AT
THE CAEGLAS FARM, LLANDOVERY.

THREE PERSONS AND A HERD OF CATTLE
BURNT TO DEATH.

BRISTOL, SUNDAY.
Yesterday a shocking catastrophe occurred at the
Caeglas farm, parish of Cilycwn, Llandovery, by
which a very large amount of property and cattle
was destroyed, and the farmer, Mr. David Williams,
and two of his children, David Williams, aged nine
years, and Thomas Williams, aged seven years, lost
their lives. For some reason connected with the
domestic arrangements of the farm, which has not
yet transpired, the two children have been allowed
for a short time past to sleep in a sort of loft which
overtops the cow-shed, which is under the same
roof as the dwelling-house, and at one end of
which was a quantity of hay. Between ten and
eleven o'clock last night they were sent to rest as
usual, a lanthorn being given them for the purpose of
lighting themselves into bed. There was a lighted
tallow candle in the lantern, but it was protected
by a horn outer case, through which. its light was
reflected. At about midnight Mr. Williams, their
father, fancied that he smelt fire, and his alarm was
speedily increased by finding that a large quantity
of smoke had penetrated into and filled his dwel-
ling house. It at once occurred to him that some-
thing must have happened at one of his out-build-
iiigs, and on looking out he was horrified to find that
the loft to which his two children bad retired was
completely wrapped in one mass of flames. His
first anxiety was for the safety of his sans, whom
he resolved at all hazards to make an attempt to
save. Notwithstanding that the fire burnt with
the greatest violence, and the smoke issued from
the burning buildings in dense and suffocating
volumes, he boldly rushed towards the loft, and
unhappily perished in the attempt. He was never
seen alive afterwards. An alarm was gi.ven, and
the neighbours immediately hastened to the spot,
and used the most praiseworthy exertions in en-
deavouring to arrest the progress of the conflagration,
but it spread with resistless fury. A. daughter of
Mr. Williams was so much pained by the groans and
melancholy cries of the cattle, that she made a
desperate attempt to penetrate into a part of the
out-buildings in which were six valuable cows and
a favourite calf, but her efforts proved unavailing,
while she was herself so seriously burnt that con-
siderable apprehension is felt respecting her ulti-
mate recovery. Notwithstanding all the exertions
so gallantly used, the fire could not be got under
for several hours, nor before some stacks of hay
and corn, a number of cattle, the barn, cowhouses,
stables, &c., had been reduced to a heap of smoking
ruins. The dwelling house connected with the
farm was only saved by an act of judicious fore-
thought, which induced some of the parties to pull
down a portion of the roof which connected it with
the out-buildings. This morning a search was made
for the missing bodies, which were found by a
police-constable named Joseph Davis amongst the
ruins ; that of the unfortunate father was found on
a wall which divided the cow-house from the
stable. It had been burned literally to a cinder.
Of the poor children nothing but a few charred
fragments could be found, and those were picked
up amongst the remains of the cattle almost imme-
diately underneath the spot in which they had been
sleeping.
The deceased farmer had a large family, and has
left a widow and several children. It will readily
be supposed that so dreadful a catastrophe has pro-
duced a melancholy sensation throughout the
neighbourhood.

Mr. CRAWFORD continued—The present duty of
15s 9d pec cwt. bears a larger proportion to the ori-
ginal cost of the article than is the case with any
other commodity. The price in bond is 40s. The
reduced American duty will be 3s 3d per cwt. In
France it is ss, in Holland is 10d, and the duty is
greatly reduced in Russia.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The con-
sumption in those countries is not large.
Mr. CRAWFORD—It is not so large as in England,
but the high duty will cause that trade in England
to be lost, and the carrying trade will• be lost also.
A duty of ss. per cwt. in England would in the
long run amply repay any loss incurred by the re-
duction in the first instance, and therefore they
now ask that the duty be at once reduced to 10s.
per cwt., and ultimately to ss.

Mr. EWART said that in the northern districts
currants were a necessary nutriment, and Mr.
Gladstone had said that the blight alone compelled
him to retain the duty on currants, and that when
that obstacle was removed the duty should be equi-
valent with that on raisins.

Messrs. PEASE, M. P., SCHNEIDER, M.P., and
other gentlemen having spoken,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had
no doubt that currants promoted the comforts of
the bumbler classes, and were at.times a necessary.
Nevertheless, the consumers had not manifested
any great feeling in favour of a reduced duty. The
movement chiefly originated with the trade. He
did not see how the American reduction to 3s. 3d.
per cwt. could meet the objections which he bad
raised, and unless our duty were at once reduced
to ss. the position of the English importer would
not be improved. But he could not see how we
could be said to compete with America, for Ameri-
cans are consumers as well as ourselves. If both
countries were joint producers he could understacd
the argument. But that was not so. The United
States have very small naval and military establish-
ments, ours were large, and therefore we must sub-
mit to high duties. If we were to take the Ame-
rican tariff for our guide, we should go a long way
beyond currants. We should go to tea and sugar,
for instance, the American duty thereon being
much lower than our own. No doubt some in-
creased consumption would follow reduced duty,
but a reduction to 10s. per cwt. would cause a great
loss on the year's revenue. As the process of in-
creased cultivation, in a half-civilised country like
Greece, must be very slow, it had never been in-
tended that the duty on currants and raisins should
be different, but that was considered as only a tem-
porary state of things. This is, however, an un-
favourable moment for reducing the duty on raisins,
as the cultivation of the vine is at present very
limited. However, he admitted that the subject
was a fair one for consideration, but he could not
hold out any hope of an alteration in the law.
Several gentlemen said that the proposed reduc-
tion would lower currants one halfpenny per pound.
They were now sevenpence.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was
quite familiar with the subject, but would not un-
dertake—at all event in this session—to make any
alteration in the rate of duty. The deputation
then retired.

FRENCH SUPPLEMENT TO A STOCK SHOW.

A somewhat characteristic mode of testing the
(
merits of the various prize animals at the recent fat
stock show at Poissy, near Paris, was adopted by
the jurors of that exhibition. After the animals
had been slaughtered as required by the regulations
under which the exhibition took place, and the
weight had been ascertained, the jury were enter-
tained at a dinnerin which portions of the various
prize animals were served up ; the "object being
to test which breeds give the best quality of meat."
The flesh of the first prize animals was selected to
undergo the ordeal. A. portion of each animal was
cooked separately ; the time taken to make ready,
the weight before and after cooking, &a., were gone
into with considerable minuteness." The writer in
the North British Agriculturist, from whom we
take the particulars of this novel agricultural com-
petition, says :—" Those who have not paid much
attention to this subject, esteeming meat simply as
fat or lean, would be astonished at the difference in
the taste of the soups, and of the meat from which
they were prepared,lwere they to make the experi-
ment. They would find that the flesh of cer ain
breeds is better adapted than that of others for boil-
ing—others for roasting." On each dish the jurors
came to a division, which was often very close,
seven to seven, the votes being taken by a show
of hands. Each juror took notes by the numbers—
the number being the only distinguihing mark.
The votes were put after each division of soups or
meat was partaken of. First came the trial of
soups, of which eight specimens were prepared from
the flesh of oxen, English and French. The soup
made from the Duke of Beaufort's prize shorthorn
ox was considered by the majority to have made
the best soup. So the best boiled meat, that from
which the soup had been made, was considered to
be that of the same ox. Next was the trial of roast
pork. And the first quality was found te
be that from a cross of the new Leicester
pig with a French breed called Augerou.
Then came roast mutton, of which eight sorts
invited the trial of gastronomic discrimination.
The Cotswold was placed first, though the compe-
tion was very close, the first division being equal,
one juror on a second division giving his adhesion
to the Cotswold roast. We think this quite right,
for though in this country it is the fashion to like
the darker-fleshed mutton, an unprejudiced taste
must, we think, prefer the Cotswold, which pro-
duces much more lean meat than the Leicester to
all other breeds. We should notice that the re-
porter, obviously a Scotchman, demurs to the
mutton decision. Last of A. was the trial of roast
beef, of which there were no less than 13 specimens,
"all very good, requiting on the part of the jurors
more than ordinary balancing of points of merit."
Nor was the difficulty of the final trial lessened by
the circumstance of " the appetite being somewhat
palled by the food previously partaken of." Indeed, i
giving all credit to the small portion only from
each dish of which it is the French custom to par-
take,
we can scarcely understand how the jurors
could have undergone the labour of devouring even
a mouthful from each specimen. And yet we learn
that between each trial course there intervened
some ion-competing course, such as fish, fowls,
sweetbreads, asparagus, and so forth. The roast
beef had been cooked " before a small grate con-
taining charcoal, with a bat,lelor's oven behind ;"
and the colour of several of the roasts was not
good. Some, however, " would have gratified the
taste of the most fastidious epicure." The follow-
ing are the results :—The West Highland ox of
the Duke of Beaufort was first ; the Devon ox of
the Earl of Leicester, second ; the Charolaise,
third ; the ox of Mr. Dudgeon, shorthorn Angus,
fourth ; Mr. M'Combie's ox Angus, aged, class
fifth ; the Limousine, sixth ; the Duke of Beau-
fort's short-horn ox, seventh ; Parthenais, eighth.
The others were not classed. Probably the testing
powers of the jurors had by this time been over-
powered. It is said, "after voting on the roasts,
which was atten led with considerable excitement,
eachjuror. appeared to acquire considerable confi-
dence in his judgment and taste as the testing pro-
ceeded. The dinner concluded with fruit and
pastry.—Economist.

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