The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-08 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

According to the - report of the best informed brokers,
the situation of- business, as regards London, and with the
exception of very few articles, has very materially
impro-
ved within the last six weeks. That improvement may be
stated-on most of the principal articles pf colonial, produce,
at about 15 or 16 •per cent.; in some cases, perhaps more.
The article whiely has been almost the last in receiving the
new impulse given to commercial operations, is cotton;
the only alteration in which, especially where the coarser
descriptions of cotton wool - are concerned, has been a
greater facility of effecting sales, but at little or no advance
of price. • There was one period during the great commer-
cial crisis when the price-of cotton, though extremely low,
was nearly nominal, and no sales to any extent could be
accomplished. An instance of unsuccessful speculation
was Iran+ talked of about that • time, and mentioned in
this paper, wherein a loss of 40,0001; hail been:incurred by
the importation of one cargo of cotton from Bengal. That
cargo has only been brought-to market during the. present
week, and after all the delay and loss sustained in interest
on the capital represented, the price
.obtained has been
scarcely-if at all better, the whole cargo having been sold,
a fraittion under ss. the pound, without the duty. Most
of this cotton, as is generally the case with that which is
bought in London, is intended for•exportationi partly for
the supply of Germany, but in some part, too, for the
consumption of France. Owing to the absurd and sotne-
what unfriendly operation-of the French navigation laws,
goods designed for exportation to France are not - taken
direct to a French port, but are subjected to the inconve-
nience of going first to Ostend or Dunkirk, where the
vessels take out fresh clearances. Hence, in, regard to
the exportation of many articles, an erroneous conclusion
would be drawn from perusing the Custom-house returns.
which exhibit the exports. to Germany much larger, and
those to France- much smaller, than they really are. It
should be observed, in any review of London, that it -af-
fords no test whatever to the state of the trade of the
country generally, because few shipments of manufactured
goods, in comparison, take place here, the ports Of-Liver-
pool and. Hull, by their vicinity tO the great manufacturing
districts, obtaining the preference. Looking, however,.to
those articles which constitute the trade of the metropolis;
there seems,little hazard in stating that it possesses at the
present moment a fair average proportion of the activity
which belongs to ordinary periods.of commercial tranquil-
The death-of Lord Gifford is calculated to ,make a con-
siderable stir and impression . among the lawyers. His
Lordship was generally looked up to as the probable suc-
cessor of Lord Eldon ; indeed, his appointment to the
Deputy Speakership of the House of Lords, with a Peer-
age, is supposed to have implied a pledge to that effect.
Latterly this arrangementlas been somewhat .questioned,
under an idea that the present Attorney-General, Sir Jobe
Copley, aspired to the Seals. • Whether this be the case
or not, or whether -Sir John. Copley would be right in
`leaving his own branch of the profession for the untried
office of the head of a Court of Equity, is not for us to
determine. Certain it is that no man of more command-
ing talents or of greater promise has, of late years at least,
appeared in the profession then the present Attorney-Ge-
neral. Hie conduct in that office affords the best pledge
to the public of what may be expected from him in any
other. Unless the. death of Lord Gifford should lead to
the resignation of :Lord Eldon, it is not probable that this
event will make any immediate change in the situation of
Sir 3.'Copley. • Were we to speculate upon the result,
we should say, that it is probable the Solicitot-General, Sir
Charles Wetherell, will succeed Lord 'Gifford at the Rolls,
and that Mr. Shadwell, or Mr. Sugden, will be the new
Solicitor-General. But then, who is to be Deputy Speaker
of the House of. 'Lords ? It is here that Lord Gifford's
loss will be most felt, and the greatest difficulty occur in
supplying it, ."Hilt sound knowledge of the law of real
property, and bis great conversancy with the law of &ot-
tani!, added, to
.his uninterrupted attendance, bad rendered
equa►. service and satisfaction to appellants. tither of the
gentlemen have owl ttioped would fill tl, ofric4
with much hatisfuction to the suitors hot if it is to be
eorniidered, al, it was in Lord Gifford's case, as a step to
the Woolsack, difficulties naturally present themselves,
which it may be exceedingly awkward to get over.—
Morning Herald.