The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-23 00:00:00

S7A7E OF TRADE.

BELFAST, April 2 I.—Flax —With few exceptions,
the supplies in the various markets were small. De-
mand, on the whole, was active, and prices were
firm, and in some instances the tendency was up-
ward. Yarns—A tolerably fair amount of business
has been transacted, still not to such an extent as
-on the previous week, partly owing to the Easter
holidays and field labour. Owing to spinners being
well supplied with forward orders for tows, advance
in prices has been realised. Weft linens are in good
demand at firm rates. Orders on continental ac-
count have been few. Stocks and prices remain
without alteration. Handloom—Linens (brown)
—Demand fair for heavy linens, diapers, and da-
masks. Stocks are small. Business transacted in
light linens for bleaching scarcely equal to that of
previous week. Prices are firm and stocks small.
Some improvement in dernarid has become apparent
for linen and cambric handkerchiefs. Printing
lawns and drills have been little inquired after.
Powerlooin—A fair demand exists for diapers- and
heavy linens. Damasks and cloths suitable for the
foreign clothing trade are dull of sale. Not much
doing in drills or cambric handkerchiefs. Owing to
advance having been demanded on light linens for
bleaching, transactions have been restricted ; still a
fair amount of business has been accomplished.
Reached and Finished Linens—Business orders
coming from the Continent have been equal to last
week. A steady business continues to be transact‘gd
on American account. Stocks and prices remain
without alteration.

NEWCASTLE-ON.TYNE, April 23.--During the
past three or fuur days there have been heavy arri-
vals of light vessels from all parts of Europe and
the coast in the north-eastern ports, and, in conse-
quence of the supply being more than equal to the
demand, freights, especially in the coasting trade,
are easier. There have been considerable arrivals
of Esparto grass on the Tyne, and stocks, which
were bare, have been partially filled up, though the
bulk of the deliveries will most likely be sent direct
to the papermakers. More cargoes of timber are to
hand. • Notwithstanding the recent stormy weather
and rough seas, in consequence of the improve-
ments on the Tyne the large fleet of vessels which
have arrived here have done so without injury.
Stocks of coals have accumulated at several of the
collieries in the counties of Durham and Northum-
berland, and, in consequence of the confirmed de-
pression in some of the branches of the coal trade,
there is some talk of reducing the wages of the pit-
men. Sailors' wages are very low.

The African Republic of Liberia have just had an
impeachment case, and pushed it through to the farthest
limit. Chief Justica E. J. Roy, the oldest shiaping mer-
chant and wealthiest man in the Republic, had been im-
peached and removed for high crimes and misdemeanours,
and L. Parsons is Chief Justice in his stead. Roy's
offence consisted in discharging on payment of a fine an
English vessel, which the law required to be confiscated
for trading between the ports of the Republic without a
license. Liberia thus leads the way for America, one re-
moves the judicial and the other the executive head of the
Government to show that the will of the people is su-
preme, and the laws must be executed.
The Paris correspondent of the Herald says that, in spite
of the drenching rain, Marshal Niel is hastening the
formation of the camp near Paris, and already three bat-
talions have been marched to St. Maur, where they will
have to live under canvas and manoeuvre and practise
with the Chassepot. Every brigade in Paris will take its
turn for a fortnight at a time. By the end of June it is
expected that either at St. Maur, Toulouse, Lyons,
Chalons, Toulon, or the Pyrenees, the whole of the French
army will have gone through this preliminary preparation.
What would the French say if Prussia were to follow this
example ?

The Paris correspondent of the Advertiser describes some
trials which have just been made with the " snuff-box"
rifle at Vincennes. A great number of planks were ranged
in order in an extensive line. On these boards figures of
soldiers were drawn of a natural size, and ranged in regi-
mental order. A single line of Chasseurs de Vincennes
was drawn up at 1,200 metres (1,300 yards) from these
pictured enemies, and ordered to fire during three minutes.
It was ascertained that each painted soldier was struck by
four balls.

The Paris correspondent of the Telegraph, who is often
"inspired," says : "Every day I come more- and more
to the conclusion that the only way out of the 'dead-lock'
into which the arming consequent on the Prussian war
has brought Europe, is through that Congress which the
Emperor proposed some years ago. If I read some day in
the Monitcur that the proposition has been renewed, I
shall not be astonished."

It appears from the Melbourne correspondent of the
Times that although the recent elections have given the
Government 57 membersand the Opposition only 21, there
were for every G 6 electors favourable to the Government
57 opposed to them, the Government candidates being in
many instances elected by only small majorities. It is con-
sidered certain that the Upper House will throw out the
Appropriation Bill again if, as the Government are
resolved upon doing, they again tack the Darling grant to
the bill. As they cannot go on permanently without
money, it is thought probable that Ministers will resign,
and that Sir H. Manners Sutton will get fresh advisers
vho will persuade the Assembly to send up the bill with-
nit the grant. While this struggle thus continues, with all
its immense inconvenience, no one entertains the smallest
ioubt that the grant will be passed sooner or later. The
struggle is, in.fact, only incidentally about the grant. The
real object of contention is the right of the Upper House
to reject an Appropriation Bill, a very important matter
vitally affecting the Constitution.

Her Majesty's ship Wasp, Captain Norman B.
Bedingfield, from the East inch t station, was paid
off at Portsmouth yesterday. This ship was fitted
out at Portsmouth in November, 1863, and has
therefore been nearly four years and a half in com-
mission, during which time she has traversed
102,000 miles,. and performed various important
services. „Appointed to the East Indian station,
she has been specially employed in the suppression
of the slave trade on the East Coast of Africa, and
has been instrumental in effecting the liberation of
some 500 slaves, taken from dhows intercepted by
the ship and her boats. The Arab crews of these
vesse's &Adorn offered any resistance; on one occa-
sion, however, there was a most determined hand-
to-hand encounter in the fhildle of the night be-
tween • the ship's boats and a dhow. The English
numbered four officers and 20 men, against 76
Arabs. They succeeded in making the capture,
though not before one man had been killed and
three officers and 11 men wounded. For their ser-
vices on this occasion the two lieutenants in charge
of the boats were promoted to the rank of conpuan-
der. The prize money resulting from the various
captures, after paying all expenses, left about
£10,500 to be distributed among the offi:ers and
crew, and it is satisfactory to-kniaw.that -the.-whole
of this was paid over before
.the ship's company
separated yesterday. Another piece of good for-
tune whic:i befel them was the salvage of a valuable
cargo- of ivory from the merchant ship. Newah,
wrecked on Latham Island, off the Coast of Africa,
the property saved amounting in value to £19,000.
Great was their disappointmmt when they learnt
that the authorities at home would only allow a
claim for £2,500 to be preferred. In August of last
year the -Wasp and the Satellite, under the com-
mand of Capt; Bedingfield, of the Wasp, were sent
to punish the natives of the Nicobar Islands for the
murder of the ship Wrecked crews of several mer-
chant ships. On their return from this expedition
the Wasp quelled a riot among the Chinese in
Penang. When the report of Dr. Livingstone's
murder came in Jan,1867, the Wasp took Dr. Kirk
and the political agent at Zanzibar to Quiloa (tbe
great inland slave mart) to endeavour to ascertain
lie truth, _but, as is well known, without success.
-Of the original c3mplement of 175 men who went
out in the ship only seven officers and 22 men have
returned in her, many having died or been invalided
home, and many transferred to other ships. The
ship has been under the command of three separate
captains and three first-lieutenants during the corn-
mission, Captain Bedingfield, her last commander,
having been appointed in December, 1865. She
has been throughout--in terms which both nautical
and unnautical men well understand--a " happy
ship," more especially under Captain Bedingfield's
command.

The Shannon Indiaman, Captain 'Watson, arrived
at Spithead yesterday morning from Calcutta with
troops.

The Newport, screw surveying vessel, arrived at
Spithead yesterday, and went into Portsmouth
harbour to coal and make good some defects.
The Pandora, screw gunvessel, Commander
Spratt, went into Portsmouth harbour from Spit-
head yesterday to make good some defects.
The Urgent, troopship, Captain Henderson, went
into Portsmouth Barbour yesterday morning and
was berthed alongside the dockyard, where she
commenced shipping the baggage of the 43d Light
Infantry. The troops will arrive by railway from
Aldershot, and embark this morning for the Channel
Islands.

The Swedish screw stearnfrigate Vanadis, 22,
Captain Petterson, which las been cruising to Rio
Janeiro and through the West Indies, arrived in
Plymouth Sound on Tuesday afternoon, 23 days
from St. Bartholomew, under canvas only.