The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-12 00:00:00

WORKING of the SLIDING-SCALE

(From the Scotsman.)
The following letter relates to the mode of strikin' the
s,
averages, and shows some of the evils that attend it. S:
alludes also to the difference in quality of the wheat sold al
Mark-lane, but this topic may perhaps be better illustrate s.
.
ark
by a reference to our own markets. In Haddington
(the most important in Scotland), on the 31st of Pctober,
we have the following very striking variety of prices-
Old Wheat. New IVlll4'
First quality
7d Ollda.
Second ditto .
Third ditto44s. Od.
645.0: ...... 575.
Thus, between the best old wheat in the market, and d
best new, there is a difference of 11r. ,• between the seeld
qualities `the difference is 14s. 8d; and between the thillat
or lowest qualities the difference is no less than 20s. 166
is called the second quality is the mean or average °A
whole sales, and may be taken to represent the comp
shat
shatvalue of the last And the present crop. Mark, then,
follows :- that
If the quality of the present crop had been equal to ,d
of the last, the average at Haddington on the 31st ult. Wswo.,
have been 725. 7d. And as the Haddington o°lo'lo
for the week merely exceeds by one penny that for
kingdom, the difference on the six weeks' average, reg_ll;
lating importation, may be assumed as nearly the strci
namely, 14s. Bd. Now, the six weeks' average,
was 56e. 2d., would thus be raised to 70s. 10d., and for,:
30..7,,
wheat should at this moment have been admissible at
stead of I6s. But prices have not yet reached their
and let it be observed, that a further rise of 2s. 2d., "Iced
will bring down the duty only to 135., would have open
the ports, if the grain had not been of inferior quality.
cheats
Thus the sliding-scale cheats the consumers, as it es
the farmers, by promising each a protection which it
not give. It promised the farmer 565., and for the last 1..,
years it has given about 465. A year of real scarcity sZ
come, and now it cheats the consumer, by. making
the.. 79.
mission of foreign corn dependent on a fictitious average.l
abTheove the real
re ay.
difference inerage price between the best and the Wer3int
quality in Haddington-market was no less than
s,4°sh loot
the corresponding week of 1844 it was only 225. - is
price which so large a portion of the present crop hrill,g!or
owing to deficiency of yield, quite as much as to deft
of quality. A given quantity of the inferior grain will Y„lair
thirty to thirty-five per cent. less flour than the same much
tity of i the superior. The result-is, that the real rise s nitbat
greater than the apparent, and while the Gazette tells sla„00.
the price of wheat is 565., we are paying at the rate of
for our bread. es of
In the Edinburgh market on Wednesday the extreM
_nd
price were still greater. Wheat ranged from 345. to 865.,
in weight from 52 pounds the bushel to 66.
TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE SCOTSMAN. , soot
Sir,-In the present state of the country, it may in she
some of your general readers who have never looked manner
Der
existing corn-law, to give a short explanation of the Inlay
in which the corn averages are struck, and the import
is regulated.
Under the former system, when the pressure of scar'ee,
city began to bear hard upon the country, corn sPhics
lators had a method of " working the averages" hi w the
they irregularly accelerated the rise of the
fall of the duty, so as to quicken the period when the 1,30:t
portation became practically free. In proposing the, Psso
corn-law of 1842, Sir Robert Peel intimated that tiug As!
an unfair practice in itself, and that he had provided oPien--ef
means for repressing it, and working the IsYste of
averages fairly. He then enlarged the number 0,
places from which returns of corn sales were„,ised
auired, until they amount to very nearly three 11"%iso
English towns. The duty of making returns Was f 311
largely devolved on the officers, of excise. Returns, °I to
sales by corn dealers, &c., in these towns were reqsat
prise and
be made, and upon a comparison of the
\suppos, f; ast
quantity of corn sold in one week, with the prices there° jest
average weekly price is made up for the kingdom. The
se of
six of these weekly prices are then taken, and an aceree to
them is struck, which last average is the price according
which the rate of duty on the sliding-scale is ascestained•_A
In striking the weekly average, the prices efss,gr. hes
bad, and' indifferent wheat are all massed t°6'709.•
While all good wheat, therefore, may be fetching hat
it may happen, when a bad harvest has generalif
the quality of the wheat, that inferior wheats (Le
se-
just as dear, in reference to their quality) may be
turned at prices so much lower as to produce, on the It
a low weekly average, and consequently a high clestneao
is reported that some good Wheats were sold in 313,1,-59g.
last week at 745., yet the weekly average was saluss 0-0
sd. At the same time the average of the last Six svee,"•dist;
only 565. 2d., which fixes the rate of duty on the 5"
scale as high as 16s. 0
Under the sliding-scale, the duty will remain as r 51,6..
10s. so long as the average of six weeks' sales isllo"`' to
At present there is not yet one week with an average, 'lO
605.; and, from the large bulk of inferior wheatoo
country, it would seem difficult enough to say when We o 63'
d
will fall as low as even 10s. It will not fall lower
so long as the average of the six weeks is under 695.
4.. oat
In the meantime it is stated in the public prin"-;,isbot
bonded corn is leaving the country, to be sold at a 17stls
rate in other countries which are threatened with If,
but in which no duty is imposed on its importation.
•••

On Sunday night 100,000 herrings were takenitce
Gatwater, and on Monday night 200,000. The lessee
fishery is said to have netted 150/. by these unusual draw,
of herrings.—Penzance Gazette.
„I Pill:,
A DRUNKARD'S END.—A woman, name— • cm
the wife of a market-gardener, at Kingsholm, near thls-•
the
(Gloucester), and who was in the habit of atten„,llso
vegetable market, was found dead in a chair, or, iubefor°
morning, under the following circumstances, detaile,"white
Mr. Joseph Lovegrove, coroner, and a jury :----,gannalt to the
—I am the wife of Charles White, and live next door 1.0
Bull Inn. I have known the deceased for the last tive jciol
years. She came to my house between seven and eight 'r.silt
on Monday night ; I noticed that she was quite in licill°,:oftle
could hardly walk across the kitchen. She had ¢ fit
with her about half full of rum, and she drank eutieeell'
several times between that time and about half-past ell, Of
At this time I left her and went to bed, together wlitt sir
sister-in-law, and got up this (Tuesday) morning ,chey,
o'clock, and found deceased sitting in the chair in the l""0-
just as she now is. [The body was exhibited to the art
the same position as it was found ; the deceased had t tr,
pearance of being agleep.] I called up my sister-in-hitst'ebe?
we thought she was dead. I went to my father, andhe le decd'
Mr. Clark, surgeon, who pronounced her to be quitet
The deceased was much given to liquor; she is about tll
years of age. Sophia Jones—l live with the last Witullo
for the last three months have been in attendance ar Olt;
John Simms, the husband of deceased, at Kingsholin.c-oe,s
Simms had been severely injured by a bull.] The de
r
was unwell from the bile for some time, but it was to 14,,
led
buted to the quantity of Spirits she usually took. „ef,
home on Monday morning to look after the cart wl,t`t„t
tables, and was in her usual health. She returned aut°„'"hta;f
o'clock of the same morning quite tipsy, and went,,,;,,ifit,:i
she arose again about four o'clock, and partook of ,
chocolate. I left about six o'clock, and I saw her as de
~s- eerit
by the last witness between seven and eight ; she ior't
noisy and abusive. After we left the kitchen. ,t3lle P'
very quiet ; I afterwards found her in the 'chair qui:- 0 0
When at home, she usually slept on a chair or on taerol
The deceased was a drunken woman, and usually eLtrioa
bottle of spirits with her. About twelve- had oeu'lloieelli.
come down stairs and she appeared to be in a 50na,".„0..,r
The jury returned' a verdict to the effect that "the a';s/fir'
died from the effects of intoxication." Glouceste
Chronicle. • t
THE ATTRACTIVE MAN (the title of the last, lle,
novel from the pen of Mrs. Trollope) appears likelY„o-fOr
come the most popular of all the author's verY write
works.; but in the present production of this clever off
there is evidently something that renders the wog= (ilierl°
attractive with the title. Notwithstanding the disciallof tb",
the preface, there can be little doubt that her portraitstioo
hero is taken from an original, and a vast deal of sPec.uvijeall;
has been occasioned in certain circles, where every hllllO stir
handsome enough or agreeable enough to lay claigt
honours, has been named as " The Attractive Man. tie
FALMOUTH HARBOUR.—We adverted a short
ar.,s
ago to the defenceless state of Falmouth
port of first-rate importance to our •Mercantile 3,1'
ba
ing interest. We subsequently stated that sr,oipon°,ll
reason to believe that our remarks had excited ayee,';
to the subject in an influential quarter. At 311 e
buoys are now being laid down in Carrick Roads, as di
late war, to mark the deep channel for frigates from
of-battle ships ; and we have been informed, pr:ll
official source, that two ships of large burtl,Bll,„,.'
bably ships of the line, equipped as block buy
Os
shortly ride at anchor in Falmouth Harbour. On s„0„1 00}
thority we may state that the fortifications at r,3--of
Castle are, as we recommended, to be put into a scat re tluw"
ficiency, and mounted with guns of much larger caw"'
any hitherto'placed there.—Penzance Gazette. rrg 1,14
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—ANASPASIA IN TIIK pt
MENT OP CONSUMPTION.—The Dispensary for the Tret,l4o2;'
Consumption, Asthma, and ether Affections of the Chest (w
pasia), is removed from 113, Strand, to 14, Leicester-Pl'iciravoe
Cronin, physician to the Institution, has removed fronl 6, ro
street, Strand, to 14, Leicester-place, Leicester-square. /301 g,
[ADVERTISEMENT.J—BOTANIC WATER A141:',0%
GREASE.—When the hair is becoming thin, and flu, 'then
the only effectual remedy, besides shaving the bead, 's P"
of the two above-named articles, applied alternatell--t uts
ce
tanie water to cleanse the roots from scurf and as al
and the bear's grease as a nourisher. If any further e.:g
ej:
.was required of the virtues of bear's grease for renelat./0,
preserving the hair, Mr. Catlin's account of the te,,.thi Aul';
and the length of hair obtained by some of thecror`d 5,11,;
rican Indians, would be a sufficient answer. Ross 'll 0011,
119, and 120, Bishopsgate-street, who first introduce" he 310
of bear's grease in this country, and who fat and kill t.t 0,/
mals, recommend the public to purchase none otber buoistril
their names and address'printed on the pot, or the eh° 10
their obtaining a spurious article. All vegetable Dili SPP
the hair are worse than useless. CCII4
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—AN EXTRA ORDINA It - 0,001
OF A DISORDERED LIVER AND STOMACH MY 14C'LL,I,°at
PILLS.—"To Professor Holloway.—Sir,—Seeing • j`
Earl of Aldborough was cured of a liver and store° 5P,, I
plaint by means of your Pills, I was induced to try theele'e ce;;
have the satisfaction to inform you that your Pills ha sttailej,
tainly, in a very short time, done wonders for me in, 34
0,1 or
complaint, when calomel and ether medicine etad:jr-rli!
to give me any relief. send you my name and
would rather that you did not make them public."--$. At etif
f rest f
communication is from a counsellor or barrister, e.to
nence, of the Inner Temple, whose letter would be siltVot
respectable person. Sold (also Holloway's Ointeferill
fessor Holloway'! Establishment, 244, Strand, 1112--
venders of medicine.
BIRTHS lad
„
On the 7th inst., at Diptford Rectory, near Totnella me.°p the
of' the Rev. W. C. Johnsen, of a daughter. Oeuer.
On the 7th inst., at Cheltenham, the lady •of Major- of
Tickell, C.R., Bengal Engineers, of a son. 51.' a
On the Bth inst., at Bath, the lady of Henry J. 318.—' f:4"
a daughter.
„WI i°
On the 9th inst., at Bromley, Middlesex, Maria, the
Jennings, Esq., of a son. „Ai ng -
On the 9th inst., at Wimpole-street, the lady of J. 014'
Esq., of a son. yle ch
On the 9th inst., at Essex-street, Mrs. Edmtuf...A 13
IV' C.
of a son. eit
On the 9th inst., at Morden Rectory, the wife of the WU°.
Raffles Flint, of a daughter.
On the 9th inst., the wife of John Charles Parrott,
common, of a daughter.
MARRIED - - Of
130 g

On the Bth inst., at Twickenham, Williamßlake. Esq" '
Fr°
to Mrs. Ann Downes, of Ailsa-park-villas, TwickenhaT7•lllo , .15'
rick Baring,
On the Bth inst., at the British Embassy in Paris. r 100, t".
Esq., to Emily, eldest daughter of Sir R. Jen
oton
DIED. 1.1003.00. ,
On the 11th inst., at No. 9, Upper Charles-Street, ;Oen •citte
square, Flora, the youngest daughter of Mr. Alexander I of 1,/
On the Bth Inst., at Winchtster, Eliza Anne, the wire'
nant-Colonel Hunt, 3d West India Regiment.
herti:c* On the Bth inst., Moses Mendes Da Costa, aged 65.. ~,. cis.- Alc-'
On the 9th inst., at Grove Hall, Hammersmith, Mar' ash
On of Thou' On the 9th inst., at Edenbridge, Kent, Mary, wife -
pli 0112'
ander, Esq., aged 50.
On the 9th inst., at Ciay,hill, Epsom, Elizabeth War& °
viving daughter of the late S. S. Ward, Esq. • On the 10th inst., John Irving, Esq MP. ll'J
'
~ .
So. oct
London •. Printed and Published by MURDO YOUllthole.rjapcilli%
Strand, Printer, at The Men Office, No. 112, Strand, In gr.-
Of
12, the Savoy, ju the c9,uty 9r Mialltleil WWII**
1145.