The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-31 00:00:00

TilE AMERICAN TAX ON COTTO.N.

A copy of the following correspondence has been
furnished to us :

Foreign-office, Jan. 27, 1868.
am directed by Lord Stanley to transmit
to you, for the information of the Manchester Cot-
tdn Supply Association, a copy of a despatch from
her Majesty's Chargd d'Affaires at Washington, re-
porting the passing of a bill in the United States
Senate, by which the internal tax on cotton is sus-
pended during the prose utyear.—l have the honour
to be &c. E. HAMMOND.
The Secretary to the Manchester Cotton
Supply Association.

Washington, Jan. 14, 1868.
My Lord,—l have the honour to inform your
Lordship that a biil was passed by a small majo-
rity of (24 to 20) in the Senate on the 7th inst.,
providing for the suspension of the in-
ternal tax on cotton during the present year,
after which period the tax will again come into
operation. An amendment will likewise con-
curred in suspending the duty on raw
cotton imported from foreign countries on and
after April 1, 1868, and until April 1, 1869. This
amendment was agreed to with a view of benefiting
the trade in grain bags which are used in the
'Western States, and in the manufacture of which
the coarse Surat cotton is very extensively em-
ployed. The bill, together with the amendment to
it, having been reported back to the Lower House,
was agreed to by that body.—l have the honour to
be, &c.,

(Signed) F. C. FORD.
The Right Hon. Lord Stanley.

PERILS OF A LOVER•

On Monday night an event occurred in Water-
ford which has thrown the Fenian excitement com-
pletely into the shade. A fine-looking fellow,
named Edwards, a sergeant of the II Battery of the
Horse Artillery, stationed at Waterford, became en-
amoured of a pretty housemaid. Matters went on
smoothly till Monday night, when a vindictive and
rather tyrannical coachman thought fit to interfere.
The knight of the whip fancied that he had a right
to monoplise the attentions of the girl, and, per-
ceiving that Phillis favoured the son of Mars and
contemned his own advances, he sought to " thrash"
her into matrimony, and with this view seriously
assaulted her. The girl had to leave the house, the
master and mistress bring absent, and left word
that if Edwards called he was to remain until her
return. The coachman heard this, and when a
knock came to the door, he opened it, and bade
the soldier " begone." The gallant son of Mars
did not resent the manner of his rival, but holding
out his hand, said, " Let us be friends." The answer
was a string of vituperative abuse, which was
brought to a termination by his receiving a blow
on the mouth. Coachee slunk away to the
lower regions of the kitchen, and the artillery-
man departed, intimating his intention of re-
turning' when he thought Catherine would be at
home. He did so ; but in the meantime the
girl had entered the house, and was furiously
set upon by the coachman. The ruffian cried
out, " I am in the house with you ; I have loved
you madly, and in spite of -- itself that fellow
will not possess you. I would rather :see you dead
than his." Ile then seizing a knife, swore he would cut
her throat. The girl took refuge in the pantry, and
her cries maddened the soldier outside. lie climbed
over the wall at the rear of the premises, and thun-
dered loudly at the back door. The coachman,
who heard the noise, seized a pitchfork and
placing himself en charge, awaited the entrance of
his enemy. Finding that the soldier could not
force the back door, he went out by the hall door,
with the intention of taking him in the rear.
Scarcely had he gone out, however, when the
woman admitted the artilleryman, and secured
both doors. The lovers now remained together till
half-past eleven o'clock, when the gallant soldier
departed ; but his troubles were not yet over. As
he was passing John's Bridge, the coachman and
three other fellows rushed upon him, with loud
cries of " Throw him over the bridge." Edwards
defended himself gallantly with his belt, but
when that was broken he was completely at
the mercy of his foes. They grappled -with him,
and were in the act of tilting him over the battle-
ments of the bridge when the tramp of the police
patrol was heard in the distance, and the ruffians,
releasing their hold on their victim, decamped.
The artilleryman was conveyed in a state of ex-
haustion to batracks, and, according to the strict
rules of discipline, sentenced to 15 days' confine-
naent.—Saunders's Newsletter.