The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-27 00:00:00

COTTON STATISTICS.

Yesterday afternoon a numerous deputation
waited upon the Duke of Richmond at the offices of
the Board of Trade, for the purpose of again re-
questing the Government to introduce into Parlia-
ment a bill to enable the collection and periodical
publication of the statistics of the imports, exports,
consumption, and stock of cotton iu the United
Kingdom. Mr. Bazley, M.P., introduced the
deputation, stating that it represented almost the
whole of the cotton trade of the country. Mr.
Watkin, M.P., reminded the duke that when
the deputation waited upon him last November
his Grace desired that a draught bill should be
drawn up for consideration. This had been done,
and the Statistical Department of the Board of
Trade had been consulted. That department stated

that there was no reason in principle why the
companies which purchase and forward the cotton
should not be compelled to give the required infor-
mation, as already the owners of ships were com-
pelled to give particulars respecting importation
and exportation, although the knowledge thus
gained was not used for the purposes affecting
taxation. The bill suggested simply gave power to
the Board of Trade, by order in Council, to collect

the required statistics under such regulations as they
might see fit to impose. If statistics were to be
prepared they must be reliable, and be issued by a
public department. At present the statistics col-
ected by brokers' associations were of necessity im-
perfect, and all parties now agreed that nothing
short of a compulsory system would answer the
purpose. The Cotton Brokers' Associations of
Liverpool and London were represented on the
def utation, and those gentlemen would state that
so early as 1851 they tried to obtain informa-
tion by voluntary returns, but that the attempt
utterly failed. l►_e had carefully studied the sub-
ject, and he was quite convinced that reliable
returns could be made by the Customs' officers,
under the orders of the Board of Trade, with a very

xifling expense, and that such returns would be of

infinite value to the trade, which greatly needed ac-
curate information in this matter in order to secure
steadiness of price. The errors which had been
made in returns of estimated stock had led to
serious irregularities and loss. The brokers, who, it
had been assumed, were interested in these fluctua-
tions, were as anxious as consumers of cotton to
procure the object the deputation had in view.
He trusted that, should her Majesty's Govern-
ment decide to deal with this matter effectually,
the Government of the United States would be
appealed to to follow the example. When these
things were done, the important interest of the
cotton manufacture—the largest industrial interest
in the country—would be placed upon a sounder
basis as regarded its purchase of the raw material.
Mr. Hugh Mason, chairman of the Cotton Spin-
ners' Association, said that the deputation them-
selves manufactured one-fifth of the cotton con-
sumed in Lancashire, and paid in wages above
£50,000 per week. The whole trade was in cordial
union on this question, and all parties were fully
convinced that nothing but a compulsory system,
and the rendering of the returns at short periods
by the Board of Trade, would meet the require-
ments of the case. Mr. Bolt, chairman of the
Cotton Brokers' Association at Liverpool, ex-
plained the mode in which the statistics were at
present collected, and showed how erro-
neous they must be from time to time. Ile
quoted the returns of stock for the last 11 quar-
ters, in which, on every occasion, there was a serious
error. In one of the returns the estimate was
wrong by no fewer than 90,000 bales, representing
£1,500,000. Mr. Roulth, chairman of the Cotton
Brokers' Association of London supported the
views of the last speaker. Mr. Milner Gibson,
M.P., expressed a strong opinion that as the Board
of Trade now published returns of imports and
exports collected under compulsion by the Cus-
toms, in order to make the information at present
obtained useful and reliable, it was absolutely ne-
cessary to give the fact instead of the estimated
stocks. Mr. Hornby, M.P., who believed that
correct statistics were extremely important,
said that they could only be secured by a com-
pulsory measure. In answer to various ques-
tions put by the Duke of Richmond, a
series of returns and statements were handed in,
and his Grace was reminded that the Liverpool
brokers present alone dealt in cotton to the extent
of £40,000,000 per annum at the current prices,
and that the fluctuations in price had ranged during
the period of the American war between the figures
of Gd. and half-a-crown, showing an advance of
500 per cent., on many occasions seriously aggra-
vated by the want of a correct knowledge of avail-
able stock. The Duke of Richmond concurred in
the opinion that the subject was one of great im-
portance, and intimated his intention to bring the
subject before the Cabinet, with whom the matter
must rest. The deputation thanked his Grace for
granting the interview, and then retired.

A change for the better has taken place in the
condition of the venerable Earl of Roden, and hopes are
now entertained, advancing in age though he is, that his
lorclAhiP Will mom.

rites le 11: LV bIIALLIGft AND STOCKS.
London and North-Western, 5 per cent., 109
London and 8.-Western 49 per cent., 9J
LINES LEASED AT:FIXED RENTALS.
London and Blackwall, 67

FOREIGN HAIL WILYr,
gahla and San Franelsoo,lll,n., gua..7per..oent.,
,ireat Luxembourg, 94
San Paulo, ltrn., gua. 6 per'eent.,l7l
South Austrian and Lombardo Venetian, 15 111

FOREIGN MINE.
Din Pedro, North Del !ley, 2 1
l'estarena United Gold, 11m., 21
St. John del ney, lim , 24

BANL 5.

Agra, lira., A, 10 --
Anglo- Austrian, ";
Anglo Egyptian, lim., 191
Australasia. 5)
Consolidated, lim., 44
Imperial Ottoman. 10 1
Land 31ortgage Bank of India, Urn., 1 1-10
London and County,
Ditto, new, 34
London Joint Stock, 31
London and South African, 101
1.1)11d011 and estmluster, 8:1 8:
Ditto, Scrip, 45i
Provincial ot Ireland, 19
Union ot London, 31E2

MISCELLA.t.II6I)UIS:
Atlantic Telegraph, 55
Credit Foncier of England, lira., 3
Credit Fonder of Mauritius, lima
Crystal Palace, 221 3
East India Irrigation and Canal. 171
Egyptian 9 per Cent., Viceroy Loan, :Ina. by Egypt. Gov., 88/
Electric and International Telegraph, 16Z
Fore-street Warehouse, 91
Hudson's [lay. 141
Madras Irrigation and Canal (guaranteed 5 per ceit. by
Government), 203
Upper Assam Tea, lim
Viceroy 01 Egypt 7 per cent. (Mortgage) Loin, 721

MARKETS—(This Day.)

CORN.
The trade has a firm aspect, although buyers still act
cautiously.

The country letters to hand this morning report an up-
ward tendency in the principal provincial markets.
From Continental shipping ports quotations come is
higher, and for France purchases are still being made in
this market.

At Mark Lano this morning thero was only a moderate
attendance, and the trade was quiet, but with a firm tone.
Th© small supplies of English wheat were taken off at
the full terms of Monday last.

Foreign wheat firmly held, and not a large supply, but
trade slow.

Flour may be quoted fully as dear, with a steady demand
for both English and foreign..
Grinding barley, quiet ; malting, firm.
Beaus and peas moved off in retail at late rates.
Maize in moderato request, and unaltered in value.
The liberal supplies of oats continuo to be taken off
steadily, without any further reduction in prices.
Linseed and rapeseed dull.
Oilcake firm, with stocks somewhat reduced.

COTTON.
LivEnrooL, March 27.—Sales, probably 12,000 bales.
Market firm and advancing.

THE FENIAN "CAP2ALV" DEASY.

At Salford yesterday morning a man, giving
the name of Russell, was arrested by the police on
the supposition that he was the " Captain" Deasy
who was rescued from the prison van in Hyde-road,
Manchester, with " Colonel" Kelly, on the memor-
able 18th of September last. On Wednesday the
Chief Constable received information that Deasy
was lodging at the house of a man named Stand-
ford, 60, Ordsall-lane, Salford, close by the Ordsall-
station of the Manchester and Liverpool Rail-
way. The information being corroborated by other
circumstances which had come to the knowledge
of the police, the Chief Constable of Salford and
an inspector of police went to the place at half-past
7 o'clock yesterday morning and found the sup-
posed Fenian leader asleep in bed, and having
under his pillow a dagger and a loaded single-bar-
relled pistol. As above stated, he gave the name
of Russell, and said he was a house painter. Stand-
ford is a night-watchman in the employ of the
Wigan Coal Company. The police removed their
prisoner, and it was expected he would be delivered
over to the Manchester force, and brought before a
magistrate for examination this (Friday) morn-
ing. So far as we can learn, none of the Man-
chester police who have yet seen the prisoner
have identified him as the veritable " Captain"
Deasy, though some of them speak of a resemblance.
One of the reports current is that he is not Deasy ;
but a Fenian financial agent who has been employed
to supply the Fenians here and elsewhere with
funds. A correspondent hears on good authority
that there is reaso❑ to suppose that Deasy has never
left the neighbourhood since his rescue. He was
attacked with a dangerous sickness soon afterwards,
requiring the attendance of a medical man ; yet
with such fidelity have those who are privy to his
place of concealment guarded the secret that the
police have hitherto been baffled. Persons have
professed to give them the secret ; but whether
purposely to mislead, or because themselves mis-
led, is of little importance.