The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-23 00:00:00

DISCOUNTS UP AGAIN.

Discounts up again to 6 per cent. with a strong
suspicion that they may rise still higher. Are we
to have another three months of 8 per cent. ? How
long will our mercantile men submit to this usuri-
ous extortion ? It all comes of confounding foreign
with home trade. Exchequer notes for one pound
would facilitate internal barter, and liberate gold
for foreign exchanges. That the foreigner would
not take these notes is true enough and so much.
the better. What we want is a money to pay
wages and debts in, which the foreigner would
not take.

P.S.—The people here are apathetic enough, and
it seems the same with you in London.
J. H., Liverpool.

ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY.

The Royal Botanic Society held their first fete
yesterday, under unusually favourable auspices;
the clouds, which had threatened in the morning,
clearing away as the day advanced and giving
place to a charming afternoon. We have rarely
witnessed a more numerous assemblage of rank and
fashion, or a more splendid exhibition of flowers.
The roses were particularly fine and well grown,
and the azaleas and pelargoniums were magnifi-
cently flowered. In such a large collection of
beautiful and curious plants it would be impossible
to particularise all that deserved notice, but we
must not omit to mention a very beautiful double
petunia, with flowers nearly as large as a dahlia,
and a pretty new seedling, having a white ground
with a stripe of colour along the centre of the petals
forming a cross. A curious new plant from Manila
was very minutely examined. It looked more like
patches of a green substance stuck on a board than
any thing. else. The bands of the Ist and 2d Life
Guards and Royal Horse Guards were in attendance
and played during the afternoon.
The following is the list of prizes :
EXTRA. GOLD MEDAL.-16 stove and green-house plants,
Mr. May, gardener to Josiah Spode, Esq., Hawyard Park,
Rugby, Staffordshire ; 20 exotic orchids, Mr. R. Stone,
gardener to J. Day, Esq., Tottenham.
Lana n GOLD MEI,AL.-•-16 stove and green-house plants,
Mr. B. Peed, gardener to T. Treadwell, Esq., St. John's
Lodge, Lower Norwood; 20 exotic orchids, Mr. B. Peed,
gardener to Mr. T. Treadwell.

MEDIUM GOLD MEDAL..-16 stove and green-house
plants, Mr. Kale' gardener to Earl Lovelace, East Horsley
Towers, Ripley, Surrey ; 12 stove and green-house plants,
Messrs. J. and J. Fraser, nurserymen, Leyton, Essex ; 10
stove and green-house plants, Mr. John Green, gardener
to Sir E. Antrobus, Bart„ Lower Cheam, Surrey ; 10
green-house azaleas, Mr. C. Turner, nurseryman, Slough;
8 green-house azaleas, Mr. J. Green; 12 exotic orchids,
Mr. Millford, gardener to E. M'Morland, Esq., 29,
Adelaide-road, Haverstock-hill ;10 roses in pots, Messrs.
Lane and Son, nurserymen, Great Berkhamstead.
GOLD MEDAL.-12 stove and green-house plants, Mr.
W. Cutbush, nurseryman, Herts; 10 stove and green-
house plants, Mr. H. Chilman, gardener to Mrs. Smith,
Ashstead, Surrey; 10 Cape heaths, Mr. T. Jackson, nur-
seryman, Kingston, Surrey ; 8 Cape heaths, Mr. B. Peed,
gardener to T. Treadwell, Esq. ; 10 green-house azaleas,
Messrs. J. and J. Fraser, nurserymen ; 8 green-house
azaleas, Mr. Carson, gardener to J. C. Sim, Esq., Nonsuch
Park, Surrey; 10 exotic orchids, Mr. J. H. Bunny, nur.
seryman, Stratford, Essex; 12 exotic orchids, Mr. T. Page,
gardener to W. Leaf, Esq. ; 12 pelargoniums, Mr. Turner,
nurseryman, Slough; 10 pelargoniums, Mr. Ney, gardener
to E. Foster, Esq., Clewer Manor ; 10 roses in pots, Mr.
Francis, nurseryman, Hertford.
LARGE SILVER GILT MEDAL.-12 stove and green-house
plants, Mr. 0. Rhodes, nurseryman, Lydham-park, Surrey;
6 stove and green-house plants, Mr. T. Page, gardener to
W. Leaf, Esq., Park-hill, Streatham ;10 Cape heaths, Mr.
0. Rhodes, nurseryman ; 8 Cape heaths , Mr. R. Baxm-
dine, gardener to W. H. Smallpiece, Esq., Millmead House,
Guildford; 8 green-house azaleas, Mr. T. Pa e, gardener
to W. Leaf, Esq. ; 6 green-house azaleas, Mr. Turner, nur-
seryman ; 10 exotic orchids, Mr. S. Woolley, nurseryman,
Cheshunt; 6 exotic orchids, Mr. W. May, gardener to
Josiah Spode, Esq. ; 12 pelargoniums, Messrs. Dobson and
Son, nurserymen, Isleworth ; 10 pelargoniums, Mr. T.
Bailey, gardener to T. T. Drake, Esq., Shardeloes, Amer-
sham, Bucks ; 10 roses in pots, Mr. W. Paul, nurseryman,
Waltham-cross, Cheshunt; 6 roses in pots, Mr. Terry,
gardener to C. W. Puller, Esq., YoungsbluT, Herts.