The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-03 00:00:00

in the demand. Fat and store calves were again plentiful.
The supply of fat pigs was about the average. Beef, 44d to sid ;
mutton, 5d to 6d ; veal, 4d to 41d per 113; •, pork, 7s per
score. Rough fat,3s 6d peestone of 141bs. Hides, lid per lb;
calf skins 2d to 34d per lb., ,
EDINBURGH GRAIN MARKET, MAY I.—Wheat—The
quantity of wheat brought forward to-day was 675 qrs, being
8 qrs less than last week. Top price I s down, and the average
10d up-42 qrs unsold. Barley—The quantity brought
forward was :390 qrs, being 30 qrs more than last week.
Price on the top 6d down, and the average 10d down-124 yrs
unsold. Oats—Of this kind of gram we had 919 qrs
brought forward, 'or SO qrs more than last week. The top price
the same, and the average 2d down-64 qrs unsold. Brans
—The quantity of beans to-day was 107 qrs, or 42 qrs less
than last week. - Pribe on the top the same, and the average
up-45 qrs unsold.
Top of Wheat ... ..• 6441 b. 41a Od
I, Barley . 56i1b. 25a 6d
Oats ... ••• ••• 4441 b. 20s Od
~ Beans ••. 641 b. 28s Od
EDINBURGH CATTLE • MARKET, Ma's I.—The supply
of cattle this morning was 706, being 27 le,s than last week.
Sales exceedingly dull, and no advance in prices. Top price,
6s 6d ; current; 6s ; secondary and inferior, from 5s Od to
5s 6d per Dutch stone. At the close of the market a great
many were turned out unsold. The supply of sheep this
morning was r,819, being 157 more than last week. Demand
good, and sales were easily effected at prices (particularly for
whitefaced) a shade higher than last market. Top price of
beit mutton' 6d to Od per lb ; current, 5d to 54d ; inferior,
44d per lb. Lambs from 19s to 21s a head.
Gtaseow, MAY I.—The arrivals from any quarter have
been light; at Grangemouth, however, about 5,775 quarters
of wheat, 2,443 quarters of barley, 280 quarters of oats, 440
quarters of beans, and
280 quarters of peas, reached from the
continent. A considerable business has been done in wheat
during the week, and there was more inquiry for the other lead-
ing articles of the trade. This day's market was pretty well
attended. ' Wheat and dour were held at a slight advance,
which checked sales. Barley unaltered. Oats and oatmeal
were the turn dearer. Beans were in good request, at an ad-
vance of 6d per boll, and peas realised full prices. Indian corn
and rye unchanged.
Coax, Mat 1.--Flour—First Ils Od to 12s ; extra 1316 d ;
ile(4dm, 10a 6d tolls; households 1449,0 d; thirds, Tito 84 Od
epercwt. Oatmeal 916 d to 11%; Indian meal 7s Od to/a 84; wheat.
meal, 9sto9s 6ii per cwt. Indian corn 1374 6d to 142 s 6d per ton.
Bran 510 s to 0/ Os per ton. Hay—Farmers 24s to 375; average
32s ' • dealers 38s to 44s Od; average 42a per ton. St, aw—Farmers
17e Od to 24a Od ; average 20s ; dealers 29s Od to 30s Od;
average 00s Od per ton. Bread—Wheaten loaf 6d is 64•1;
household loaf 5d to 51d per 41b. Fresh butter, 8d to
9d per lb. Eggs —3s 7d to 3s 8d per hundred. Coals—
Newport 15s; Lydney 17s ; Landore 15s ; Best Neath
Culm 14s per ton. Tallow 40s Od to 00s per cwt.
Whisky, 25 'o. p., 5s 9d per imperial gallon. Meat
—Beef 4d to 6d; mutton 5d to 6d; veal 5d to
64d ; pork 34c1 to aid ; bacon 6d to 7d ; sausages 5d per
lb. Hops 131 Os per cwt. Bangor slates 3/ 2e 6d to 3/ 5s per
ton. Bark—Barbary 715 s to 8/ 51; Valonia 141 to 01; French
71 51; English 01 per ton. Fleece Wool 101 to 12s per stone.
Hemp 32/ to 001 per ton. Fish— Scotch herrings 16s to 17s ; red
ditto 20s to 22s per barrel ; Newfoundland 9/ Os to 111 per
ton. Timber—Memel, 85s per ton; deals, first quality, 18s,
second quality, 16s per 100. Hides—Market 14s to 20s;
salted 15s to 21e per cwt ; calf skins 2*d to 24d per lb.
Potatoes, white 9d to 10d ; Minions 14d to 16d ; Guano—
Peruvian, 111 10s; Ichaboe, 91 per ton; Tar—Archangel,
19s per barrel.

POSTAL COMMUNICATION BE-
TWEEN LONDON AND PARIS.
In a day or two will be published the report of the
Select Committee appointed to inquire into the beat
means of accelerating and improving the postal commu-
nication between London and Paris. We will venture
to anticipate the report of that Committee upon the
strength of knowing the names of its members. Where
we find such persons as Mr. M-Gregor, bir. Moffatt, Sir
James Duke, Mr. William Brown, Mr. Mackinnon, Mr.
Henry Baring, &c., called together to consult upon a
very simple question of business arrangement that any
two men of business of the average amount of brains
might dispose of in a morning's consultation, we will not
do them the injustice to suppose that they will arrive at
any other conclusion than the one which the country
has a right to expect at their hands. As to the general
tenour of their report we trust there is no doubt that it
will declare the route by Boulogno that which must
henceforward be preferred. Whether or no the starting
point from the English coast shall be Dover or Folke-
stone is a question upon which a certain hesitation
may well exist until it has been accurately inquired
into. On the one hand, Folkestone is, geographically,
better situated; on the other, Dover is the better
harbour. Folkestone harbour is, however, suscep-
tible of great improvement, and probably, if there
should be a contract formed with the South-Eastern
Steam-packet Company for the water transit, it would
be found more convenient to them to take Folkestone as
the starting point. Other considerations there era, we
believe, such as the heavy port dues exacted at Dover,
which no doubt the Committee will take into account be-
fore arriving at a final decision. We look to the report
to clear up our hesitations on this point, and upon the
further one of whether it would be the more economical
and the more effective coutse for the public service to
come to an arrangement with the South-Eastern Steam.
packet Company far the water transit, or to prefer the
official carriage afforded by the Admiralty; with the
dvantage of recent experience on other lines, we can
have little doubt that the system of private contract an-
swers best; but when we have the facts and figures be-
fere us, with which no doubt the Committee is prepared
upon these two moot points, we shall be in a condition
to express an opinion upon the matter more satisfactory
t> our own feelings, and more beneficial to the public
service.
We do not, however, believe that the anticipated blue
hook will contain a single fresh fact or figure of any im•
portance for the settlement of the question. In the
columns of this journal all the data really necessary for
t le solution of a very simple commercial problem such as
this have appeared over and over again, and over and over
again have we pressed them upon public attention with
all the earnestness the importance of the subject deserves.
At the risk of being thought a little tedious, we will
here once again recapitulate the main points of the ar-
gument. It is 82 miles from London to Folkestone ;
27 miles from Folkestone to Boulogne ; 169 miles from
Boulogne to Paris. In other words, the distance from
London to Paris by Folkestone and Boulogne is 278
miles. Now let us take the Calais route. It is 88 miles
from London to Dover; from Dover to Calais 23 miles;
from Calais to Paris by railway, via Lille, 235 miles ;
that is to say, from London to Paris by the route now
taken by the mails it is 346 miles. It is E.B miles from
London to Dover, from Dover to Boulogne 28,
from Boalogne to Paris 169 —in all 285
miles. These figures would seem at once to
be decisive on the question, unless some very
strong ground indeed connected with the Channel pas-
sage can be shown fur preferring the longer to the
shorter route. Now, what are the facts? Let us con-
fine our attention for the moment to the rival routes of
Dover and Calais, and Folkestone and Boulogne. No
doubt Calais is preferable to Boulogne as a harbour.
There is much less necessity at the first-named port for
open-boat work. The average duration of the passage
from Dover to Calais is nearly lh. 40m.; from Folke-
stone to Boulogne it is about 2h. 10m. The average the
reverse way is—Calais to Dover 2h. Om.; Boulogne to
Folkestone 2h. Oln. Tho average both ways is, between
Dover and Calais lb. sOrte between Folkestone and
Boulogne 2b. 501. Thus the difference of average is ex-
actly 15M.—or, to speak largely, let as say 20 minutes.
Certainly this is not a set-off which should induce us to
prefer the route which is longest by seventy miles.
But it is said greater regularity can be obtained
by the Calais than by the Boulogne route.
Upon this we would remark in the first place, that
unless the amount of irregularity be very consi-
derable this position will not hear investigation. Much
better would it be that the French bags should be dis-
tributed by the early delivery for 290 working days of
the year, and somewhat later on the other 23 days. than
that they should be sent round by the mid-day delivery
upon all the 313 days during which Englishmen labour
and toil every year of their lives. Be this, however, as
it may, let us see, in point of fact, what is the difference
of irregularity between the two routes. We are writing
with tables before us on this subject, which have been
very carefully prepared for a pamplet published in the
commencement of this year. to which we have already
called attention in the course of this controversy. We
will content ourselves with stating results. The number
of irregularities in the year 1848 by the Boulogne route
(not referrable to causes, such as the revolution, &c.)
was 32; by the Calais route in the year 1849, 26; that
is to say, the Boulogne line is worse than the Calais
line by six irregularities. On the hand it is superior,
inasmuch as it is well nigh 70 miles shorter, and the
mail bags are conveyed along it in two hours less time
than via Calais and Lille.
Our limited space forbids us to enter into those details
which no doubt will appear set out at length in the re-
port of the Select Committee. We refer especially to
the system on which the transit of the bags is at present
managed, and the one upon which it might be managed,
within the French territory. The gene
geral needs extracted
from the time-tables are as tollows:—The maximum
speed obtained between Paris and Calais is now 7, it
used to be 8 hours; from Calais to Paris it used to be 7,
it is now q. The maximum speed between Boulogne
and Paris might be 44 hours. From Boulogne to Amiens
is 76 miles; and this distance is now performed by ex-
press in 2 hours 15 minutes. Supposing this rate to be
maintained between Amiens and Paris, the time occupied
on the whole journey would be 5 hours, and a fraction
longer on the " down" journey from Paris to Boulogno.
We come to the following conclusion from the facts
we have adduced as well as from others of the same
kind—that the distance between Paris and London
should be accomplished for postal purposes in a time
ranging between eleven and twelve hours. Say that
the bags which leave Paris at 8 o'clock P.M. could be de-
livered in London at, say, 7k A.M. the following morn-
ing, it would be well enough. Now, we have no manner
of doubt that such a result can be obtained by transfer-
ring the mail-service to Folkestone and Boulogne. Thus
the London merchant would have the whole business-day
to answer his French and southern correspondence;
and the foreign and Indian bags would be forwarded
at once down to the great seats of commercial in-
dustry in the provinces without the loss of a whole
day, as at present. The question of the alte-
ration o' the Calais route is simply one of
time, just like the abolition of Smithfield market, or
aramural interments, or any other great public
nuisance. 01 comae, it is right tha there should le
inquiries, and that what all the world knows already
should be put into an official ar.d au horitative
form before it be officially Acted upon. But never had u