The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-10 00:00:00

',ace.

TIIE BRITISH CORN MADE.

Altholigh only limited supplies of English wheat dare
been on offer in the leading markets of consumption, the
derognd for all kinds has ruled heavy, and in most in-
s'zanas have a drooping tendency. The pretty general
allinion is that wheat has seen its highest range of
value. On the other hand, it is contended that there
is no room for any important decline in the quotations.
This is evident enough ; but we must bear in mind that
for some time our markets will be well supplied
with foreign produce. The stocks in warehouse have re-
ceived some important additions since the commencement
of the year, and as yet but a small number of vessels,
laden chiefly with wheat, and which are known to be on
passage to the United Kingdom, have made their appear-
ance, owing to the boisterous state of the weather. The
arrival of the fleet is, of course, anxiously looked forward
to by buyers. In the event of the demand for floating
cargoes becoming active, as was the case some months
:dace, present rates will be supported. But the present
tone of the trade indicates slow sales, at slightly reduced
rates. No doubt our importations of grain and flour this
year will considerably exceed even 18'67.
:Notwithstanding that the receipts of English wheat at
-Mark-lane, coastwise as well as by rail, have been again
limited, there has been very iittle animation in the
demand. Fine dry samples have been firmly held. In-
ferior kinds have barely maintained their previous value.
The imports of foreign wheat have been only moderate,
but the supply ex granary has been good. Sales have
progressed slowly, at barely late quotations.
Both English and foreign flour have moved off slowly.
In prices, however, no change has taken place. The
arrivals of foreign have been limited.

The supplies of barley have been very moderate. Fine
malting parcels being scarce, have realised extreme quota-
tions. Grinding and distilling descriptions have been in
fair request, on former terms.

Generally speaking, the malt trade has ruled steady
hut prices have been fairly supported.
The oat market has been scantily supplied. The trade
has ruled fir-3, and prices, in some instances, have been_
the turn higher.
For all kinds of beans the inquiry has been limited ;
nevertheless, the quotations have been fairly supported.
Sales of peas have progressed slowly, at about late cur-
rencies.

Very little business has been concluded in Indian corn,
End prices have given way Gd. to is. per quarter.

SHIPPING DISAS7ERS

Paaticalars of the loss of the steamer Seagull havo
come to hand. The Seagull, a fine steamer and an excel-
lent seagoing vessel, left Hull, under the command'of Cap-
tain Duniface, on Wednesday last, for Rotterdam. When
die was about six miles from the Newarp lightship, near
Lowestoft, in comparatively smooth water, a vessel,
apparently 'a steamer, was seen , about two-and-a-half
miles off. It was moonlight at the time, but slightly
hazy. The strange steamer, as the vessels approached,
starboarded her helm (according to the account given by
the crew of the Seagull), contrbry to the Admiralty regu-
lations, and a collision became inevitable. To render the
result as little disastrous as possible, the Seagull's helm
was put hard a port. The strange steamer, which
proved to be the Swan, of Newcastle, from London to
Newcastle, in ballast, struck the Seagull about twenty
feet from the taffrail, abaft the mainmast, penetrating
half-way through tho. ship. The Swan kept her bows in
the Seagull as long as possible, thereby allowing a portion
of the crew and passengers time to scramble on board
the Swan. The latter steamer, which had itself sus-
tained considerable damage, was Quicl:ly compelled to go
astern, or she would have been puffed down by the Seagull.
The Seagull began to fill rapidly and sink, and the re-
mainder of the crew and passengers (except one of the pas-
sengers, who is supposed to have been killed in his berth)
hastily launched a boat, and were subsequently picked up.
A portion of the passengers narrowly escaped being carried
down with the Seagull, for the stem of the Swan cut right
through the cabin, precluding their escape by the ordinary
means, and they had to get through holes made in the roof
-of the cabin.

On the night of the 24th of January the brig Sarah, of
Whitehaven, with a crew of four men and three boys, left
that port for Dublin, with coals. Other colliers which left
by the same tide turned back when the great storm came
on, or reached their destination in safety. Of the Sarah,
however, there is now no doubt that she foundered in the
gale which proved disastrous to so many ships. All the
men belonged to Whitchaven, and were married.
The ship Admiral, for Liverpool from Savannah, with a
cargo of pitch pine, has been wrecked on Tyhee
Since this vessel left Liverpool she had been signally un

fortunate. While on her outward voyage she ran ashore
on the smile island where she is now lying. After several
months' delay, during which time she underwent thorough
repair, she again put to sea, and it is npw feared she has
met with a disaster that will unfit her for further
service. She was the property of a Mr. Bradshaw, of

Liverpool.
The vessel lost off the entrance to the Mersey on the
night of Tuesday was, it appears, the Mantura, of Sal-
combe, Captain Sherriff, from St. Michael. Every piece
of wreck that has washed up has been identified as
belonging to that ship, and the marks on the boxes of
oranges are those of the firm to which her cargo was con-
signed. The ship's papers, too, have been found. Nothing
has been heard of the crew.- There is the possibility that
the Ma,ntura, came into collision with some outward-
bound ship, which then took up the crew. This supposi-
tion is borne out by the appearance of the wrecked ship,
which is much broken about the bows, and the boat which
was washed ashore is smashed as if from violent contact
with a vessel. The Mantura was one of the Salcombe
fleet o! fruiters, and was celebrated for her rapid passages
to the Azores.

A. marriage has been arranged an will shortly
take place between Lady Mary Stephenson and Mr. S.
Whitbread.
The stories told apropos of the disappearance of Mr.
Speke become more extraordinary than ever. The Rev.
Henry White writes to the Times again with another
illustration of the dangers to which clergymen walking in
London are liable. He was leaving, he says, the Punch
office in the dusk of an autumn evening two years ago,
when he was accosted by a woman, who implored
him to go to her home and baptise her sister's dying
child. She had applied to other clergymen, but they
were unable to attend. The rev. gentleman consented to
accompany her, and she led him through several alleys
into Fetter-lane, where she left him, saying that she had
forgotten to get some medicine from the druggist's. At the
same time she gave him the address, and begged hire to
attend the child. Being unable to find the house, he
sought the aid of a policeman, who at once recognised the
place as the abode of thieves. Mr. White asked the
policeman to accompany him, but on going to the house
they found that there was no child whatever ill. Mr.
White's friends advised him that the incident might be
of use to those endeavouring to find Mr. Speke, and he
therefore publishes it.

A story, by no means '.so satisfactory, however, comes
from " W.," who relates how between five and six o'clock
on the night of the 21st of March last, after getting out of
an omnibus at the Elephant and Castle, everything
became a blank. He remembers nothing more until
between eleven and twelve, when he was awakened by a
man in what he conceives to have been a coffee-shop.
The man told him that he must go, as they were closing.
E,bortly after he found himself in a cab, at the Elephant

and Castle, directing the driver where to take him. When

he got home, about four o'clock, he found he had lost a
gold watch and .-(23 in money. Notes, however, to the
value of 30 were not touched. His clothes were unsoiled,
except that the sleeve of his shirt bore the impress of a
woman's net. He declares he had not been drinking, and
offers no solution to the affair.
Colonel Sandys, of the Bengal Retired List, writes to
the effect that his nephew, Lieutenant Macredy, of the
Indian army, left his lodgings in February 1864, and has
not since been heard of. Concerning Mr. Speke, however,
more nearly, we have a suggestion that he was very like
Mr. Hardy in feature and figure. Might not the Fenians,
it is asked, have " got at him," under the impression that
he was the Home Secretary ? The question is hardly
likely .to give much trouble to the officials at Scotland-
yard. _ _

A deputation from the Manchester and Salford trades
onions has just waited on Messrs. Bazley and Bright,
the members for Manchester, for the purpose of
:11-jug that the societies they represented ghoul(
be made legal. It was contended that whether the
objects of the society were wise or unwise, they were not
illegal ; and in common with other combinations, therefore,
they should be entitled to be protected from robbery and
embezzlement. It was pointed out that trades unions, by
the relief they gave to their members, considerably re-
duced poor rates; the Amalgamated Engineers Society, it
wa.s said, gave D 20,000 a year in relief to its members.
Bazley said that every intelligent man thought that
these societies should have the protection of law. Embezzle-
ment of funds ought not be permitted. It should be
denounced by law. If e recommended the adoption of
a system of arbitration similar to that which Mr. Mun-
della, had been instrumental in establishing at Nottingham.
The hon. member wished to have the labour of the country
conducted without legislative interference. Mr. Bright,
concurring in what Mr. Bazley had said, would not pledge
himself to the Trades Combination Bill. He hoped that
some means would be arrived at for settling trade dis-
putes. Mr. Philips, M.P. for Bury, has promised to sup-
port the principle of the bill affecting trades unions and
combinations, which is about to be introduced into Par-
liament.

Cara
43.

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Feb. 8.
The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon, ac-
companied by Princess Christian, Princess Beatrice,
and Princess llenriette of Schleswig-Holstein.
Her Majesty went out this morning, accompanied
by Princess Christian.

FEB. 9.

Her Majesty, Prince and Princess Christian,
Princess Louise, and Princess Henriette of Schles-
wig-Holstein attended Divine Service this morning
at Whippingham Church.

The Ladies and Gentlethen in Waiting were in
attendance.

LYCEUM THEATRE.—Their Royal Highnesses the
Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge, the Prin-
cess Mary of Teck, and the Prince of Teck, honoured this
theatre with their presence on Saturday evening last.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary and
his Serene Highness the Prince of Teek leave Kensington
Palace to-morrow for Badminton, to pay a visit to the
Duke and Duchess of Beaufort.

TRADES UNIONS AND THE TRADES

SOCIETIES BILL.

On Saturday morning the delegates from the

Manchester Trades Union Political Association, the
Manchester and Salford Trades Council, the Amal-

gamated Association of Engineers, and others, re-
presenting altogether about thirty trades unions,

waited upon Messrs. Bagley and Bright, the mem-

hers for Manchester, at the offices of Mr. Jacob
Bright, M.P., New Crown-street, Manchester, for

the purpose of discussing the proposed Act of Par-

iament relating to combinations and trades socie-
ies, which is now being promoted by the trades

unions.

Mr. MALCOLM MACLEOD, the secretary of the

.anchester Trades Union Political Association,

stated that the delegates had come forward to ex-

press the wants and desires of trades unions. Their
combinations might be wise or unwise, but as they
were willing to contribute their money to uphold

these societies, he contended that trade societies

should have the same protection as friendly societies,
inasmuch as seven-eighths of their contributions
were devoted to benevolent purposes, and the re-
maining one-eighth to trades purposes. Their funds

ought to be protected from embezzlement and rob-
bery,and this was all they desired. A case had recently.
been beard at Bradford, where the magistrates
had decided against the societies ; that they had no
control over the matter. The case was referred to

the Queen's Bench, which sent it back to the magis-
trates again; and they, on Friday last, still refused
to hear the case, on the ground that the rules of the
society had been strained to give men money when
they refused to work. All that the societies desired
was that they should not be declared to be illegal
bodies, and that when they agreed upon any action
amongst themselves by a resolution, without wish-
ing to control the action of anybody else, it should
be called a resolution and not a conspiracy. They

- -
wanted protection for their shilling paid into a trade

society precisely as if' the shilling was paid into a
friendly society.
Mr. MORGAN, of the Amalgamated Engineers,
said—Some years ago Sir Alexander Cockburn gave
his opinion with respect to one of these societies,
that it was a perfectly legal society, and could
claim the benefit of the Friendly Societies Act ;
and in some instances advantage was taken of this
opinion, and men were prosecuted and imprisoned
under the clauses of the Friendly Societies Act.
Since then Sir Alexander Cockburn had decided
that they were illegal societies, and yet the
rules were an exact counterpart of those
he said would constitute a legal body. Now,
if a trades unionist- only said " bah" to some
one, he was brought within the law and given two
or three months' imprisonment, whilst a man who
was not a trades unionist might use the strongest

language with regard to trades unionists, and yet
no notice would be taken of it. lie pointed out
that trades unions, by the relief they gave to
their members, considerably reduced poor rates,

and urged that they had a right to combine either
to reduce the hours of labour or get an advance of

wages.

Mr. MACDONALD, president of the Manchester
Trades Union Political Association, said that trades
unionists had not the protection of ordinary citi-
zens. All they wanted was that they should be
placed on a level with any other citizen, and that
their funds should have the protection of the law.
They wanted no special protection, but only com-
mon justice, and he contended that common justice
was not afforded to them, for he hack known a trades
unionist sent to prison for a month for a common
assault ; whilst for a much more aggravated offence,
where the man was not a trades unionist, the same
magistrate said the highest penalty he could inflict
was 40s.

Mr. NICOLSON, the president of the Manchester
and Salford Trades Council, and Mr. H. WOOD,
the secretary, and Mr. ENTWISTLE, of the Amalga-
mated Engineers, also addressed the members on

the same subject and on the question of trades'
apprenticeship. It was stated that the Amalgamated
Engineers had 34,000 members, possessed £130,000,
and had given in relief to its members £120,000 per
year.

Mr. BAZLEY, M.P., said he cheerfully acknow-
ledged that the delegates had stated their
case with great clearness, skill, and intelli-
gence. He would ask them as a preliminary
whether, in order to obtain protection for their
funds, they were willing to place themselves under
Mr. Tidd Pratt's department, and make a public
declaration year by year as to their expenditure ?
(Cries of " Yes, yes.") Ho thought every reason-
able man would arrive at the conclusion that funds
contributed for benevolent purposes or for the
promotion of individual or collective industry
should have the protection of the law. There
should be no embezzlement of funds collected
for proper purposes, nor, under any circum-
stances, should embezzlement be permitted ; for
in every instance it should be denounced
in the eyes of the law. The law should be para-
mount, and should be their guide. (Applause.) On
the question of apprentices, he thought they could
not expect the Legislature to make any specific re-
gulations. He admitted that there were times of
conflict between employers and employed, when
the workman had as much right to ask for protec-
tion of what he deemed to be his interest as the em-
ployer had. Upon this question he had arrived
at the conclusion, which was now very gene-
rally received, that the regulation of trades
would be best managed under councils of advice and
by arbitration. By the adoption of this plan, Mr.
Mundella, of Nottingham, had effected wonderful
changes in that town during the last seven years.
He wished to see that system extended, and, above
all things, he wished to see the labour of this coun-
try conducted without legislative interference. Ile
would have no objection to a law which would
protect them in what was strictly honourable and
strictly right.
Mr. BRIGHT, M.P., said he concurred in every
word Mr. Bazley had uttered. Without pledging him-
self to the Trades Combination Bill which they bad
submitted, he must say it appeared to him t°
be just towards labour and just towards capital.
It appeared to him to be calculated to secure the
individual freedom of the workmen and the
masters. Ile thought it was a most unvise
and irritating thing that there should be aeY
dispute at all upon the question of the pro-
tection of funds. He was quite sure that the
evils of trades unions were not to be overcome by
repression. Ile hoped they would soon arrive at
some means of settling these unfortunate disputes,'
Mr. GARSTANG and Mr. ARNOLD, who represeutte;
the Amalgamated Society of Bakers, advocated
passing of some act to limit the hours of labour
s
for bakers, especially for the young, such as was
adopted by the principles of the Factory Act.
.0
Mr. BAZLEY promised to consider such a measul
when it was submitted.
The deputation then withdrew,