The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-31 00:00:00

OBSERVER.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 29.—Commander C. J. P.
Newton, from the Steam Laboratory, at the Dock-yard,
Woolwich, who commissioned the Lily, on Monday, the
23d inst., succeeded in two days in volunteering fifty
picked able seamen and petty officers, This fine brig► of
16 guns, and 130 men, is still in want of a few seamen
to complete her complement.
STATE OF TRADE.—The market, both for cloth
and yarn, has been quite as active as is generally the
case at this period of the year. Indeed, where parties
have been disposed to meet the demand, stocks of both
cloth and yarn are quite cleared out; many in fact are
working under contract. Some, however, refuse to sell,
except at an advance, choosing rather to wait the de-
mand for the spring trade. The year closes upon the
commercial interests with a prospect of good things to
come; which nothing indeed but some untoward event,
as a failure of the harvest, or a war, can blight. Money.
the sinews of all business, is plentiful and cheap; so also
is cotton, the staple, almost as essential as corn itself.
Then the condition of the labouring classes is greatly
ameliorated, the demand for labour and wages having
alike improved. We should think, also, the Government
will be constrained early to lighten the oppressive bur.
dens of the people by a total repeal or a considerable re-
duction of those fiscal imposts which press mainly bu the
industrious classess. On the whole, we may congratu-
late the trading community on the wide fields of enter-
prise which have opened on them in the East, and which
have greatly tended to the improved state of business;
as also on the far more profitable results of their trade
in the latter compared with the former period of the
year, when unwarrantable speculations in cotton totally
overcast our dawning advancement; and we have but
to express a hope that the ensuing may be a year
gratefully remembered alike by master and. operative.
—Manchester Times.

SUPPOSED MURDER.—Yesterday, at the conclusion
of the general business at Worship-street, several re-
spectable-looking persons attended before Mr. Brough-
ton, the sitting. Magistrate, to make a statement touch-
ing the mysterious disappearance of Mr. William May,
a silk-manufacturer on a minor scale, resident in New
King-street, near Bonner's Hall, Bethnal-green, who had
been missing since the 9th instant under circumstancoa
which induced his friends to believe that he had boen
murdered. A largo printed bill, offering ten gaintaa
reward for discovery, and which had already been ex-
tensively circulated in the district, was handed to the
Magistrate. In this it was stated that Mr. May was last
seen on the night of the 9th instant, between the hours
of ten and eleven, near the police-station in Chapel-yard.
Spitalfields, by some person who knew him, and the fol-
lowing morning his hat and handkerchief were found iii a
field near the Twig Folly-bridge, near the Angel and
Crown, at Twig Folly. From that time nothing fur-
ther could be ascertained respecting him, and it was
added, that he was therefore supposed to have been mur-
dered. He was described as about 44 years of age, 5 foot
3 inches high, of fair complexion, marked with the small-
pox, Wait dressed in a brown Taglioni coat, black satin
waistcoat, black trousers, with black satin stock, and
his linen marked " W. M.," and he had about him fa,
and a pair of blue steel spectacles in green case, mounted
with silver.
CTPARTIIPA,—In anticipation of an increased de-
mand for railway iron, Mr. William Crawshay has de-
cided upon the erection of an extensive steam rail-mill,
capable, if necessary, of the completion of 2,500 tons of
rails per month. The estimated cost of the extensive
project is about 25,000/., while it will be the means of
affording employment to 300 persons, in addition to the-
large number aluady employed in this gentleman's im-
mense establishment—Cunthriax,

SUPPLY OF Co.aLs.—We are glad to report, on un-
doubted authority, that the directory of the London and
Birmingham Railway have determined to carry coals at.
Id. per mile per ton. The waggons and carriages for`
the conveyance of those valuable commodities aro as
progress, and will shortly be ready for use. Our pia*,
graph last week on the subject has elicited this informa-
tion, which our numerous friends will be glad toreceivo.
—Bedford Mercury.