The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-04 00:00:00

LONDON POLYTECHNIC MAGAZINE.

We find some curious particulars in this month's
Number of the Polytechnic Magazine respecting the
" Arts and Manufactures of the Esquimaux," who, it
would appear, by Dr. King's account, are not quite
so devoid of ingenuity as has been generally sup-
posed, but build their tents with singular skill, and
show equal tact in their boat-building, and in their
manufacture of the implements of chase. Among
the other articles before us, there is a sensible, matter-
of-fact one on the subject of the " Carriage-ways of
England."

CORN AND CURRENCY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—After the many conflicting opinions which have
occupied the minds of the public on the subject of the
corn-laws, I beg to ask whether it would not be an act
of justice to the farmers, renting their farms on long
leases, at war prices, to commute the payment of their
rents, from a payment in money, to a payment in corn
i. e., that a farmer who took his farm at a rent of 250/.
per annum when corn realised 755. per quarter, should
now, that the price has fallen to 455., have the option,
by authority of Parliament, of commuting the payment
of his rent, from a money payment to one of corn,
which, at the rate of 455., would make his rent amount
to 150/. ?

I beg leave further to ask, whether it would not be a
public benefit to alter the present duty on corn from a
sliding scale into that of a fixed duty of Bs. per quarter;
to put it out of the power of cornfactors, possessing large
capital, to form combinations to raise the. price of corn
to a height that would permit of their importing corn
into this country, at a very low duty, or free of duty,
and thereby glut the market, and deprive the farmer of
the fair remunerating price, which he would otherwise
get for his corn? And I submit the fairness of continu-
ing this fixed duty only so long as the countries export-
ing foreign corn to us should refuse to admit British
manufactures into their respective countries on a fair
principle of reciprocity ; and that, as soon as this should
be done, their corn would be admitted into British
ports free of duty. This would remove the impression.
so prevalent on the Continent, of our being only actuated
by selfish motives in our commercial dealings, and evince
our readiness to form commercial arrangements with
them, on a footing of perfect equality.
Having said this much on the subject of corn, I will
now beg to offer a few remarks on the present state of
our currency.
Locke has said on this subject, that "It is necessary
your gold should be coined, and have the King's stamp
upon it, to secure men in receiving it, that there is so
much gold in each piece—but it is not necessary that it
should have a fixed value set upon it."
In opposition to this authority, our Government have
thought fit to make gold the standard coin of the realm,
at a fixed value, altogether overlooking that it is, in
itself, an article of commerce of a fluctuating value, and
also the great depreciation it undergoes by being but
for a short time in circulation, which is augmented to a
great amount by the abrasion, filing, plugging, and other
practices, resorted to by certain classes of the community,,
who obtain their livelihood by deteriorating our gold coin,
to which must be added the expense of recoinage at the
Mints, altogether causing a loss to the public of upwards
of a million sterling per annum. But this bears no
cpmparison to the loss and ruin a contracted gold cur-
rency has brought upon our merchants, manufacturers
artisans, and the whole country, from its total inade-
quac - to er the demands of the public as a circu-
) • This, combined with the high price of
corn, nd the States forming the German League
having refused to admit our manufactures into their
ports, have obliged many of our manufacturers, first to
reduce the number of hands in their factories, and after-
wards (although the manufacturers submitted to a dimi-
nution of wages, and to work for a greater number of
hours), they found themselves compelled to close their
factories altogether to prevent total ruin to themselves ;
thus obliging the unfortunate people employed by them
to apply to their parishes for relief, and to become a
heavy burden to the rest of the community, instead of
beingproductive labourers, aiding the national prosperity.
This is the present condition of a large proportion of
our manufacturers and artisans. Under this state of
things the Wing Ministry contrived to manage, with a
deficient revenue after many years of peace, without
affording to the productive classes any relief, and the
Tory Government, who have succeeded them, have been
obliged to impose odious war-taxes upon the country,
after twenty-nine years of peace, to enable them to meet
the public expenditure.
Such a state of things cannot last; a remedy must be
applied to avert still more fatal consequences ; and this
remedy, it is my firm conviction, is within our reach.
The cause of all our difficulties is our metallic cur-
rency being totally insufficient for the public wants; and,
from this circumstance, checking industry, obliging our
manufacturers to discharge their workmen, and para-
lysing all the attempts of our merchants to employ our
shipping with their ancient spirit of enterprise.
To correct this it will be necessary to discontinue the
employing of gold as our circulating medium imme-
diately on the expiration of the charter of the Bank of
England. We must, instead of it, establish a paper cur-
rency, sufficient in amount to answer all the wants of the
country. This can be done with perfect security to the
State, on a basis that will secure its standard value
without the smallest fluctuation, by issuing, instead of
our present circulation of sovereigns, a paper currency
of one-pound notes, on the faith and security of Govern-
ment, payable on demand, in gold, at the Bank, not at a
fixed value, but according to the price of gold in the
market, which should be regularly published in the
London Gazette.

To enable the Bank to meet the demands made upon
it for payment of our notes in gold, it will be necessary
to have all our gold recoined in coins equal in weight
and purity to five of our present sovereigns, " having the
Queen's stamp upon it, to secure men that there is so
much gold in each piece," and these coins should always
be kept in deposit at the Bank for that purpose.
It will be evident from the above, which gives to gold
its fluctuating value, that it cannot be considered as the
standard of value in our currency ; but that the paper
currency of one pound, bearing a Government stamp,

will become so, as the symbol and representative of that
amount of currency. The same rule will apply to the
new sovereigns, which cannot be put into circulation, nor
will any one be obliged to receive them, at a fixed value ;
but those wishing to exchange them at the Bank, for
notes, will receive their value for them, deducting any
deficiency in weight, and a small per centage to defray
the expense of recoinage, before they are again placed
in deposit. _ _

The practice of circulating one pound Bank notes is that
followed in Scotland, and no other proof of its excellence
need be required, than a perusal of the state of Scot-
land before the present system of banking came into
operation.—(See Fletcher, of Saltoun.) Scotland was
then a poor barren country, swarming with a population
that was anything but profitable to the State, with a very
defective system of agriculture, and miserably decayed
towns, thinly inhabited; and no commerce but what
arose from a very limited intercourse with Holland, the
Low Countries, and the coast of France, and even this
commerce was most of it contraband, and carried on by
a bold and daring race, who generally avowed that they
were in the free trade, and questioned the right of any
one to meddle with them, when acting fairly with the
people of other countries, with whom they dealt. Mark
the difference now ! The Scotch, by means of their
banks, have altered the face of the country, as if by
magic, by their improvements in agriculture ; their
towns have increased along with their commerce in a
wonderful degree : witness their magnificent cities of Edin-
burgh, Glasgow, and many others, containing enterpris-
ing and intelligent merchants, and their ports abounding
with shipping notwithstanding the depression that has
been so generally felt throughout the land.
If we add to this widely extended circulation of one
pound Bank notes the practice followed by the Scotch
banks, of giving a letter of credit to every individual
possessed of property which he cannot immediately
convert into cash, upon his procuring two undoubted
sureties for the amount of his credit, we would then
have the whole property of all those engaged in trade
and agriculture brought into a 'state of activity and re-
production.
Let us now consider the effect this widely extended
circulation would be likely to produce upon the nation.
Ist. It would give new life to every part of the com-
munity engaged in commerce or agriculture.
2d. It would immediately relieve all our manufac-
turers and artisans from their present state of depression,
and give to the farmer a fair price for his corn, which
would be consumed by the manufacturers and artisans,
when is full employment.
3d. It would afford capital to those willing to be
engaged in commercial enterprises that would enable
them to carry the commodities, produced by .the skill
and industry of our manufactures and artisans to every
quarter of the globe, to the widely extended empire of
China, to our Indian empire, and to the States of Cen-
tral Asia, by steam-boats up the Indus, and to every
other country where they would be likely to get a fair
remunerating price for their goods, taking the produce
of those countries in return. And, though last not least,
4thly. It would banish Chartism from the face of the
land, for the people of England are honest and true, and
when able to bring up their families in peace and com-
fort, teaching their children in their turn, to live by
their labours, skill, and industry; they would, instead of
joining those wild theorists, prove themselves faithful
subjects and firm supporters of the Government.
AN lAIDIAN OFFICER.II

GREAT FIRE AT MANCHESTER.
(Abridged from a Second Edition of the Manchester
Guardian.)

We stop the press to announce the most extensive and
destructive conflagration with which' Manchester has
beeen visited for some years. Shortly after six o'clock,
a smoke and some flame was discovered in the ending
and mending room, in the basement story of Mr. Wil-
liam Bryan s warehouse, No. 9, George-street It was
seen by some joiners, by a young man named Elijah
Green, and by others, so that the alarm was quickly
spread, and appears to have been promptly conveyed to
the police yard ; for Mr. Rose says he received it about
ten minutes after six, and immediately, with his son and
a company of firemen, proceeeded to the spot.
When Mr. Rose arrived, the flames were rushing out
of the windows of the warehouse of Messrs. Nelson,
Knowles, and Co.; and they had also extended to the
back of the pile of buildings in Pine-street. Four of
the engines were got into working order within ten
minutes after their arrival • but, although there were
crowds assembled, the terrific appearance of the flames
by this time, deterred men from volunteering, as is
usual, to work the engines; and Mr. Rose found it ne-
cessary to send to the police-office,- for the soldiers to
take this duty. Mr. Rose, jun., also dispatched a mes-
senger to the infantry barracks on the same errand;
and several companies of the 32d, and we believe also
of another regiment, were sent in succession, some with
their arms to guard the property, and to keep the streets
clear, and others to assist at the engines and in remov-
ing the piece goods to places of safety. There was a
fresh breeze (W. by S.) which carried the flames towards
York-street, and the whole of the great pile or block of
buildings in which the fire originated, was speedily
enveloped in flames. This rapidity of the conflagration
was the result of the construction of these warehouses,
which were built only a few years ago. All the outer
walls, and indeed most of the walls of the various floors
were lined inside with wood ; every warehouse had its
well-hole, and the whole were too much connected in the
attic stories and roofs ; so that when the fire reached the
top of one warehouse, to which it speedily ascended by
the well-hole, having made its way to The timber of the
roof, it was carried by the breeze, like wild-fire, along
the whole range, Mr. Rose soon saw that it was hope-
less to attempt to save any portion of this block, of which
the roofs fell in as early as half-past six o'clock, and
from that time he directed his attention chiefly to the
surrounding warehouses, which at various points were
repeatedly on fire, and several of them in the most im-
minent danger.
The block of buildings destroyed- is bounded OR the
northerly end by York-street, on the westerly side by
George-street, on the easterly side by Pine-street, and
on the southerly end by Chain-street and St. James's
Church-yard., This block of warehouses is about sixty
yards (twenty-four windows) in length by forty yards
(thirteen windows) in width ; and was of uniform height,
comprising seven stories, above the ground, and a base-
ment story. At the end of the block, fronting York-
street, were the entrances to the warehouses of Messrs.
Ainsworth and Hilton, silk manufacturers, No. 32,York-
street ; and No. 34, Messrs. Winkworth and Prockter's,
silk manufacturers, corner of York-street and Pine-street.
Below this, in the basement story, was the warehouse
of Messrs. Milne, Travis, and Milne ; but fortunately for
them, they had removed only the preceding day to Moult-
street. Under the warehouse of Mr. Charles Townsend,
in the basement story, was that of Messrs. Joseph
Thompson and Sons, cotton-spinners and manufacturers.
In York-street, at the opposite corner of Pine-street, to
Winkworth and Procter's, is the warehouse of Messrs.
John and Fraicis Makin and Co., silk mannfacturers.
This was on fire, and has sustained some damage ; but,
by the exertions of the firemen, the flames were extin-
guished, and most of the goods were got out. At the
back of the block, in Pine-street, was the warehouse of
Messrs. Amschel, Tobler, and Co.' merchants. This we
believe is almost wholly destroyed, as indeed are all the
warehouses in the same block.

From an early period of the fire, the contiguous
churchyard of St. James's, was used as a temporary
place of deposit for goods, as they were thrown out of
the different warehouses; and between eight and nine
o'clock, they were transferred to the side of the yard
next Charlotte-street, and were thence removed in carts.
In this labour, many of the soldiers, the police, and
others were most actively engaged for more than an
hour.

ELEVEN o'CLoex.—Upon another visit to the place
we find that all danger to the surrounding property is at
an end ; that the flames are quite subdued, and that
workmen are engaged in pulling down such portions of
the'walls as; from their warped state, threaten to fall.
The pile of warehouses, which is now a heap of ruins,
was erected only a few years ago, by the Rev. James
Taylor. At the lowest computation, including both the
buildings and the stocks which have been consumed,
there cannot be a less amount of property destroyed
than to the extent of 100,0001. Indeed, we fear this
sum will be very much under the amount, for we have
heard of three or four firms who are said to be insured
nearly to that amount.
How the fire originated we hive not been able to
ascertain. _ _ _

[We have received accounts by the last train from
Manchester, which state that the destruction of property
is not so great as is supposed, and that at the most it
will not exceed 80,0001. Much credit is given by our
Correspondent to the firemen, the soldiers, and also to
the inhabitants, who vied with each other in their exer-
tions to stop the conflagration.—ED. Sun.]

MORNING MAILS AND MONEY ORDERS.—The pub-
lic are scarcely aware of the extent of the morning mails
daily dispatched from the General Post-office, and the number
of post towns at which money orders are now made payable.
The following analysis will convey an idea of the importance
to the community of these branches of the Post-office ser-
vice :—ln England and Wales there are 906 post towns to
which, by the regulation list corrected up to yesterday
(March Ist), there are dispatched daily, per morning mail,
150 bags—nearly equal to one-sixth of the entire number.
At 610 of the above post towns money orders are granted
and made payable—an increase of nine-tenths, as compared
with the extent of the practice some few years ago. In Ire-
land there are 682 post towns, of which there are 327 se-
lected for the receipt and payment of money orders; and in
Scotland, of 636 post towns, 213 possess the same kind of ac-
commodation. It is but partially known that newspapers
and letters for the whole of Ireland and Scotland are dis-
patched by morning mail from the General Post-office.
THE ROYAL STAG-BOUNDS.--His Serene Highness
Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, the Earl of Rosslyn, several
of the officers of the Grenadier Guards, and a field of between
forty and fifty, were at the meet on Wednesday, at the
Royal kennel, at Ascot. An untried deer, upon being un-
carted, near Mr. Taylor's, after going away to Swinley-corner,
and for half a mile along the Bracknell-road, doubled to the
right to Sir John Walsh's park, back to Miss Ferrand's farm,
and crossed to the kennel, in front of Mr. Davis's, and thence
over the course to the fir plantations in the forest, round by
Fern-hill, down to Sandpit-gate, by, Hardiman's-gate to
Cranbourne, and then making for Mr. Riley's, at Forest-hill,
and doubling back again into the forest, it was taken, after a
good run, at Hatchet-lane-end. The Earl of Rosslyn, Mr.
Davis, and a good sprinkling, were up at the finish.
THE SOVEREIGNS OF EUROPE.—On a general
glance at the ages of Monarchs and ruling Princes, of the
52 Sovereigns of Europe four are upwards of 70 years old—
the King of Sweden, Above7o; 60.—The
King of Wirtemberg, the Elector of Hesse Cassel, the
Grand Dukes of Hesse Darmstadt, Mecklenberg Strelitz,
Aldenburg, and Saxe Weimar. Above 50.—The Emperor of
Austria, the Kings of Bavaria, Denmark, Belgium, and
Holland. Above 40.—The Emperor of Russia, the Kings of
Prussia, Saxony, and Sardinia, and the Grand Duke of Tus.
cant'. Above 30.—The King of Naples. Above 20.—Queen
Victoria, the Sultan, the King of Greece, the Queen of Por-
tugal, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin, and the
Duke of Nassau. Under 20, but one—the Queen of Spain,
who is but 13k. The western world is the region of republics.
The only sovereign Li the Emperor of Brazil, still a boy, 18
11i.9 la§t buth-day.