The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-14 00:00:00

SIAIE OF IZADE.

MANCHESTER, Dec. 11.—The steadier tone of the
Liverpool cotton-market since Tuesday has led to
some improvement here so far as shipping yarns
are concerned. On Wednesday and Thursday ex-
porters purchased more freely than of late, at prices
which could not have been obtained on Tuesday.
To-day there has also been some business done at
full prices, but there is not so good a market as
during the past two days. Cotton is so dear, how-
ever, and out of proportion to the rates obtainable
for yarns, that spinners are indisposed to press sales
where they can only be made by making a conces-
sion. The market for home-trade yarns is stea-
dier than on Tuesday, and the prices of most
counts are better sustained, but the businesss
transacted has hardly reached an average. There
was more disposition to operate yesterday, but as
it was not market day few manufacturers were in
town, and it did not result in operations of much
extent. For cloth the acceptance in one or two
cases of reduced prices has led to some business
during the last few days in shirtings and staple
goods, which had begun in some instances to accu-
mulate in stock, but these operations were confined
to some few special lots. The offers at low prices
continue, and to-day but little business has been
done in staple articles, and the only branch in
which we hear of any improvement is in some
classes of home trade goods, and in some of the ,
finer sorts of jaconets, for which there has been
more inquiry. The advises from foreign markets
continue unfavourable, and as the business in
the cotton markets keeps the raw material dear,
manufacturers to-day are unable to meet the
demand at such low offers as are generally
made, and we close with but a moderate business
doing.
LEICESTER, 11th.—There is a fair business doing,
but the mild season operates very much against
the sale of heavy goods, and manufacturers are
preparing for stock-taking. A fair quantity of wool
is still selling, and prices remain very firm. As the
dealers cannot make a profit on the wool that is
being bought from the growers at the present time,
some are holding their stocks. The business done
in worsted yarns has been very small ; manufac-
turers are curtailing their orders to the smallest
compass, in preparation for the Christmas stock-
taking. Prices are unaltered. Lambs'- wool goods
show no alteration from last week, nor is it expected
that much more business will be done this year.
Manufacturers are preparing for spring trade. In
fancy striped goods there is scarcely anything doing,
but in the cotton manufacturing district of Hinckley
great activity prevails, manufacturers being well
engaged with orders on hand, while large quantities
of goods are being sent out. In the elastic web
trade there are but few orders to hand for whatever
description of webs ; manufacturers are, however,
better employed than is usual at this period of the
year. The boot and shoe branch is quiet, and
s expected to remain so until the turn of the year.
Leather is unaltered in price, and the demand
limited.

THE MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY.—(To
the Editor of The Sun). —Sir, - In several morning and
evening papers we find a report in the Rolls Count, "Re
the Mutual Life Insurance Company." Would you be so
obliging as to say that our society has not tho most remote
connection with that company.—l am, &c., CHAS. INGALL,
Actuary to thy Mutual Lilo itourorto 59Cioty.

COBBES,

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, SUNDAY, December 13.
The rumours of Ministerial changes which I have
before mentioned gain strength aad consistency. There is
really considerable evidence in favour of the supposition
that M. Pinard will be offered up as a sacrifice, in
order to persuade the public that he, and he only,
is answerable for the fiasco of the 3rd December. The
sacrifice will not be very useful in this respect. Amongst
speculations as to his successor, that which points to M.
de Forcade la Roquette, the Minister of Public Works, has
the balance of evidence in its favour.

The Government is about to establish four permanent
camps for military instruction.
French justice is becoming more and more inexplicable.
The Assize Court of the Pas de Calais has just condemned
to death a young man, of the age of 22, who has been con-
victed of causing no less than fourteen incendiary fires,
the total damage amounting to some £4,000. The crimes
were committed between the 18th of June and the Bth of
September of the present year. The jury would have nothing
to do with the plea of extenuating circumstances invoked
on behalf of the accused by the defence. After a verdict
like this we can conlude only that the administration of
the law in France is becoming a mere matter of chance,
a sort of groping after justice which would be effected
quite as well by a cast of the die. It is
obvious enough that the 'author of fourteen incendiary
fires deserves a severe punishment, and as the French
Code assigns death to that eft nce the sentence is not in
itself outr:geous. But when a wretch like Joye, the
Marseilles herbalist, the murderer probably of more than
fourteen persons, is sentenced only to perpetual imprison-
ment, it is impossible to account for the result of the trial
in the Pas de Calais. Either imprisonment for life must
be deemed a greater punishment than death, or burning
fourteen houses and stack' is a worse offence than taking
fourteen, or an unknown number of lives.
But whilst the punishment of death is awarded with
this inconsistency in France, the case is very different in
Algeria. The repugnance of the French to executions
seems to vanish when they h .ve natives to deal with. The
sentences of death in Algeria are extremely numer u'.
Twelve Arabs have received the capital sentence all at
once. The offences of murder and cannibalism combined,
of ordinary murder, and of highway robbery, are treated in
precisely the same manner. 'i his severity produces no
good effect, crime in AlLeri). becomes more and more
common, and there is every re sin for believing that a re-
laxation of the stringent criminal tole of the colony would
not be injurious to public order and security. At leas: if
improvement off the face of the earth is still a sound
principle of French jurisprudence, the poisoner Joye
ought not to have escaped.
Italy is, after all, to be the final resting-place for tne
remains of her great musician. The body of Rossini is to
be transferred to the land of his birth. His widow has
given a promise to that effect to M. Nigra and to the
Italian deputation which came to Paris for the funeral, on
condition that after her death her mortal remains shall be
placed near those of her husband.
The Gaulois relates a story which seems to me to have
been imported from English nurseries. The mistress of a
Sunday school asked a little pupil " What the Israelites
did after they came out of the Red Sea." "They dried
themselves, Madame," was the reply.
Victor Hugo is about to establish a journal in Belgium.
It is to be called the Journal des Exiles, and is to number
MM. Rogeard and Rochefort and the sons of Victor Hugo
amongst its contributors. The great writer himself will
be the guiding spirit of this new periodical.

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.