The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-03 00:00:00

THE LONDON TEA TR.II).E.

For some time past the amicable relations of the
wholesale tea trade, in which an immense amount
of capital is employed and many of the most
eminent mercantile firms of the city of London
are engaged, have been considerably disturbed by
a general discontent at the compulsoly payment
of a charge on purchase, known in the trade as
lot-money, amounting to about Id. per chest,
which has been exacted by the teabrokers as
against the buyers for upwards of 25 years,
although its existence is said to be unknown in
any of the outports, and its payment long
since successfully resisted by the second buyers.
fn the autumn of last year several of the most
eminent firms engaged in the wholesale trade
inet at the London Tavern, and resolved to decline
future payment of this impost, alleging that no
corresponding service was rendered for the charge,
and that the brokers, receiving at the rate of about
is. 4d. per chest from the sellers of the tea and Bd.
per chest from the buyers, were amply remunerated.
The brokers declined tea relinquish the charge, but
offered a compromise by which it would have been
abandoned on about one-fifth of the import. This
the aggrieved party declined, and early in Decem-
ber issued a declaration, signed by 14 of the prin-
cipal firms in the trade, refusing to purchase any
tette during that month upon which the obnoxious
charge was insisted. This brought business almost
to a stand, but did not settle the dispute, and at the
close of the year the same influential firms renewed
their resolution not to buy tea bearing lot-money
during the first 14 days in the present month, nor
to attend the public auctions advertised to take
place yesterday (Wednesday). This being the state
of things, yesterday, prior to the commencement of
the public auction in the Exchange in Mincing-
lane, the subject underwert discussion. The trade,
in point of numbers, was pretty largely represented,
though none of the members of the 14 protesting
firms, who include those most extensively engaged
in it, were present. Mr. Layton, the chairman of
the Teabrokers' Society, mooted the question in a
short speech, in the course of which be stated that
the brokers had offered to compromise the matter
by abandoning the charge of lot-money on all lots
of tea below the value of £l5. (Until now the
charge has accrued on lots of the value of £5 and
upwards.)
He expressed a hope ehat this would
concession to
be a satisfactory the buyers, and ap-
pealed to the whole body to adopt it as a liberal
proposal, calculated to restore harmony between the
importers, tne dealers, and the brokers. Mr.
Richard Twining, not wishing to arrogate to
himself any right to speak on behalf of the trade,
but representing only the views of his own house,
which had long been deeply interested in it,
advised, in a temperate speech, acceptance of
the offer made on the part of the brokers. The
charge of lot-money, he added, had been sanc-
tioned nearly, if not quite, a quarter of a cen-
tury, which he regarded as a strong point in its
favour. On the other hand, the trade had been
subject to various mutations in the course of time,
and was now carried on under the pressure of a com-
petition unknown to those of their forefathers who
were engaged in it. He thought the trade had not
urged on it an unreasonable manner the repeal of
the charge which it was now proposed to modify,
and that the question was one which might be
settled by mutual concession. Mr. Archibald
Travers, Mr. Brown, Mr. Rowe, Mr. W. S. Shuttle-
worth, and Mr. Lowcock also took part in the dis-
cussion ; and eventually, on the motion of Mr.
Twining, seconded by Mr. Potts, it was unani-
mously resolved That this meeting, having heard
from Mr. Layton, the chairman of the Brokers'
Society, the modified charge they have made for
lot-money, accept the same as, under the circum-
stances, a satisfactory compromise of the question."
The auctions then proceeded, showing a consider-
able decline in some descriptions of tea. This dif-
ference, it is said, happens very unfortunately and
inopportunely for the importers, as the absence of
competition of course tends to depress prices and
seriously to affect the value of the large imports of
tea lately arrived, and now waiting a market.

EMIGRATIO2V FROM TEE MERSET IN

1860.


The official returns of the emigration trade of
the port of Liverpool for the year just concluded
have been completed at the Government Emigra-
tion-office, and through the courtesy of Capt. Prior,
R.N., emigration agent at Liverpool, and the
obliging officials, we are enabled to present the
anneal resume of the 'emigration trade of that port.
When contrasted with the returns of the year 1859,
the present exhibit little change in the aggregate
numbers which took their departure from the
Mersey. " Under the Act" during the past year
255 vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of 381,650
tons, and manned by 13,868 seamen, were "cleared"
by the Government officers, and these conveyed
68,285 passengers (2,796 cabin and 65.487 steer-
age) ; of the latter 15 896 English, 3,551 Scotch,
42,918 Irish, and 3,122 foreigners; against in
the previous year 68,131 passengers (2,185 cabin
and 65,946 steerage), 19,060 English, 3,811 Scotch,
40,454 Irish, and 2,421 natives of other countries.
These numbers are independent of ships "not under
the. Act," which are not subject to the provisions
of the Passenger Act of 1855-passengers by Royal
Mail steamships (Cunard, Canadian, and African),
and in vessels carrying not less than 50 passengers.
To the United States and Canada the emigration
from the Mersey for the year 1860 has been brisk,
and shows an improvement of upwards of 4,000 souls
when compared with the previous year, the num-
bers to the United States in 1860 being 2,115 cabin
and 52,765 steerage, against, in 1859, 1,561 cabin
and 47,137 steerage passengers. The second, or
June quarter of the year, was, as usual, the briskest
in the passenger trade to the Western Continent.
In that quarter 526 cabin and 24,899 steerage
passengers sailed. The last three months of the
year were, as usual, the most quiet. Only 457 cabin
and 7,291 steerage during that period. The largest
monthly emigration was in April-197 cabin and
9,795 steerage ; and the smallest in the opening
month of January, when only 97 cabin and 9,795
steerage passengers took their departure. Of the
emigrants to the United States during the year
47,203 were Irish, 11,305 English, 1,925 Scotch,
and 2,622 foreigners. Of the latter 400 were
German Mormons, shipped in the William Taps-
cott for New York, with 371 English and Scotch
Mormons, in May. To the Canadian provinces
" under the Act," 113 cabin and 720 steerage
passengers took their departure, 194 of whom
were English, 67 Scotch, 323 Irish, and 32
foreigners. The number conveyed last year was
544 steerage passengers. The reason of the pau-
city of Canadian is owing to the weekly steamships,
which are not classed " under the Act," carrying
the majority of the passengers to those colonies.
To the Australian colonies the passenger trade has
been very dull, and exhibits a falling off of 5,000
when compared with the returns for 1859. This,
however, is attributable in a great measure to the
comparative cessation of Government emigration
to South Australia and New South Wales. To
Victoria 31 ships carried 536 cabin and 8,299
steerage passengers-3,537 English, 1,113 Scotch,
3,201 Irish, and 456 foreigners against 508 cabin
and 9,883 steerage in 1859. July was the busiest
month in emigration to Melbourne, 111 cabind
and 1,170 steerage passengers having saile_ !
and the dullest was March, when only Pi
To
cabin and 252 steerage were despatcheg.
Eizierraytiino
carrying
New South Wales the Government,
Commissioners despatched four vessels,
Pcotch, and
1,572 passengers-486 English, 1
atched. To South
previousl year 3,480
919 Irish emigrants. In the
lsel sailed during
Government passengers wereuede4
'Australia (Adelaide) onolveorn
andNGe
New Zealand
atghaeirnes ti
wasn 108n51
y 9
•,•7 ment emigrants-145
the year with 360
English, 167 Scotch,
the year with 9 cabin and
1,053 emigrants. To
82 English, 38 Scotoh,
igne.gr s -
reign ers. In 1859 104 cabin
o4lniellvrseitsseshee,rl
aagned sailed
p2sods
faeonr
and 1,317 steerage passengers sailed from the
fur New Zealand. It should be stated,
merseY
however, that several of the Melbourne clip.
pers also took passengers to New Zealand. To
South America 10 cabin and 32 steerage passengers
(all Irish) were conveyed to Buenoli Ayres, and to
the Cape of Good Hope 10 cabin and 12 steerage-
-11 English and 1 Scotch. To the East Indies two
troopships, one of them the ill-fated Conway,
wrecked off the Island of Madeira, all on board
saved, sailed with 565 souls-336 English, 90
Scotch, and 134 Irish. In " short ships"
8,254 cabin and 7,287 steerage passengers,
total 15,491 souls, sailed from the Mersey, against
7,918 cabin and 4,806 steerage ; total, 12,724,
in 1859-an increase during the past year of 2,767
souls. These passengers were chiefly conveyed by
mail steamers to New York, Portland, Boston,
Quebec, and Africa (West Coast). To the United.,
States the numbers were 5,806 cabin and 3,789
steerage; to Canada 1,522 cabin and 3,051 steerage ;
to New Brunswick 20 cabin and 30 steerage ; to
Nova Scotia 6 steerage ; to New South Walefi 9
cabin; to Victoria 50 cabin and 568 steerage; to
Jamaica 24 cabir ; to British Guiana 42 cabin-, and
other West India settlements 32 cabin; to South
China America
4 cabin
ocabin s
eanngdo
r9s.l
T steeragehe nationality
fWpea, slit;
Africa. 0
r4t46s
hciapbsi n” • i
st o
ntohte
raC
ea
fipne
Cseonagsetrsof
inAf,r,
Hope 9 cabin ; to the East Indies 44 cabin ; and to
under the Act, or not under the; Act, amounts e d of.
G:
oettd_
aggregate total of passengers, therefore, in ve7 L"
83,676 souls in 1860, against 1(30,855 in 185 v. v•
inarease of 2,821 upon last yg:,,jdo returns.
• -"