The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-05 00:00:00

THE SILK TRADE.

LYON'S, JUNE 2.
Business was rather quiet in our silk market last
month, and our condition-house numbered 2,541 bales.
It was hoped that fine weather, healthy vegetation, and
an extraordinary quantity of I,reign silk worm eggs
would attenuate, if not remedy, the inroads of the dis-
ease of the native worms, and these favourable circum-
stances explain the contradictory statements that have
appeared respecting our approaching silk crop. As, how-
ever, it progresses, the symptoms become more and
more alarming, and our advises from most parts of
France and Italy contain the most deplorable accounts
of the ravages of this fatal epidemic, and there is now no
doubt that the quantity of silk produced will be consi-
derably I«se than last season. This is not all. The
Levact eggs were considered free from the disease, and
great hopes for the regeneration of the worm were placed
on them ; but we regret to say that, on the whole, they
have had no better result than the rest, so that our future
prospects are now more uncertain than ever. Various
theories,have been advanced explaining this fearful visi-
tation but, as far as we are at present advised, without
any satisfactory conclusion. The few nocouns produced
will doubtless fetch extravagant prices, and our rates,
which have already advanced, will probably still further
progress: Meanwhi!e our manufacturers are more and
more adapting our machinery for an increasing con-
sumption of Asiatic silk, !and a large business has been
done in them the last few days.

THE LEWIS HERRING FISHING —Th e fishing at the
Lewis has been vigorously prosecuted at all the stations
with fair success. There are 520 boats engaged at the
fishing this. season, of which 300 fish from Stornoway,
the others from the adjoining stations. There were
more herrings landed in Stornoway on Tuesday than
was ever known to have been tbe case in any one day.
The quality of the fish is very good ; the price per orals
nn Tuesday was from 10s. to 143. ; Wednesday, 15s. to
183. Eight ves.els have sailed for the continent, with
cargoes va.rying from 130 to 220 barrels each. —Banff-
shire Journal.

EXECUTION FOR MIIRDER.—George Bive, the seaman
of the Slaney gunboat, who was convicted at the May
sessions ef the Central Criminal Court, of the murder of
Samuel Long, a corporal of Marines on board the same
vessel, by stubbing him with a bayonet, was hanged
yesterday at Maidstone. Shortly before 12 o'clock,
the time appointed for the execution, Mr. Wilders, the
under-sheriff, accompanied by several of his officers, ar-
rived at the gaol, and they at once proceeded to the cell
where the unhappy man was confined. He appeared
quite calm and composed, and upon Mr. Hiilyer, the
governor of the prison, asking him if there was any re-
quest he bad to make, he replied that he was very grate-.
ful for the kindness he had received, and the only thing
more that he desired to be done for him was that his
clothes should be handed over to his family after he was
gone, and he was assured that this request should bo
complied with. Calcraft, the executioner, then pro-
ceeded to pinion him, and when that had been done the
prisoner turned round to one of the warders, in whose
charge he had been placed, and shook him by the hand
and add, "Good bye." The procession was then formed
and the culprit walked firmly up the Steps leading to the
drop, and mounted the scaffold with a quick firm step.
The moment he had taken his place under the beam he
looked calmly round at the assembled crowd, and Cal
craft then placed the cap over his face and adjusted the
rope .; the drop. then fell, and the culprit appeared to
expire almost without a struggle. The body, after hang-
ing an hour, was cut down; and was buried in the
of the day within the precincts of the gaol,