The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-20 00:00:00

JOINT STOCK BANKS.

British North American
Union of Australia

MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, MARCH 18.—The sales
are ;—Eastern Counties, 22 214, ; Manchester and Leeds,
Quarter Shares, 17% ex div. ' • Manchester and Birmingham,
571% ex new and ex div. ; Ditto, Quarter Shares, 4 15-16
prem. ; Midland Railway Consols, 401. Shares, 133/4 ; Preston
and Wyre, 3014 ; Sheffield and Manchester, 118 ; Ditto,
0144rter Shares, 131 i ; Soutbißitztern, No. 2, 12% %; Ditto,
No. 3, 83/4 18-16; Barnsley Junction, 7; Ditto„Half Shares,
; Birkenhead, Manchester, and Cheshire Junction, 93/4 ;
Blackburn, Burnley, and Accrington, 6% ; Blackburn, Dar-
wen, And poitont 4% 4 ; Bolton, Wigan, and Liverpool,
83/4 9f3 i• Caledonian, 1014 ; Cambridge and Lincoln, 6%;
Churnet Valley, 7 ; Glasgow and Dumfries, 21s. 3d. 214;
Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, 51% 1,4 ;
Leeds and Thirsk, 5; Leeds and West Riding Junction, 63/4 ;
Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, 3:3/1 ; London 441 Wor-
cester, Oxford and Rugbyt 3 15-16 4 London and York,
a% %I Oxford, Worcester, -and Wolverhampton, 1 15-16 ;
Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction, 255. 245. ; Shrewsbury.
Wolverhampton, Dudley, &c., 43/4 76 Trent Vallty, ifs 15. fd
ex new ; West Yorkshire, 3/41 ; Boulogne and Amiens
(English), 11% 34 Great Northern of France (English), 64

AMERICAN SEAMEN.—By a report made to Con-
gress by the chairman of the Naval Committee (Mr. Reade)
it has been ascertained that out of 109,000 seamen sailing
out of the United States, only 9,000 were Americans, or a
proportion of Ito 12. The Ohio ship-of-the-line sailed from
New York on a three years' cruise, with a crew of 1,000 men,
only 182 of whoni were Americans ; and the Delaware went
to sea with a less number in proportion.

FISHING.—The annual herring fishing
at Ballantrae, which takes place regularly about the end of
February or beginning of March, has just closed, having been
more than ordinarily productive. This fishing usually lasts
four days, but this year it extended over three weeks, a cir-
cumstance unparalleled " in the memory of the oldest in-
habitant." 'There was a great assemblage of boats from
all quarters, and operations were carried on both
day and night. So immense was the quantity of the
herrings that, during three or four days, more were
taken than were got last year in six weeks in all Lechfine.
They were taken, both fresh and cured, to every part of this
country, and large numbers were sent to Ireland. Several
vessels belonging to Greenock were freighted by Messrs.
Gallocher and Kelly, to take the produce of the fishing to
Greenock, from whence large quantities found their way to
London. In spite of the largeness of the take, pricee were
well supported, and those sold in England yielded a hand-
some profit.-44yr Observer.

Yesterday morning, about half-past nine o'clock, a
fire broke out in the front-room second-floor at the residence
of Lady North, No. 24, Manchester square. The flames were
in the first instance observed by two men who were passing
the house, one of whom ran for the engine, while the other
knocked at the door and alarmed the inmates. The con-
flagratioa was foi tunately subdued without any further mis-
chief being done than the destruction of a bedstead, bed-
ding, and other articles of furniture which were in the room
above alluded to. The origin of the fire has not been as-
certained.

MPTitorourmi IMPROVEMENTS.—The new line of
road from Oxford-street to Holborn is named by the Commis-
sioners of Woods and Forests Oxford-street " East."

POOR-RATES EXCUSING.—Many overseers have a
great fault by being tardy in mewling poor persons from poor-
rates. sooper than early into the excused column in the
rate.book those unable to pay, they will press upon them by
summons and otherwise. Independently of the wrong and
hardship of this, the result is frequently of much consequence
to the rate-payers by a family becoming chargeable ; fre-
quently removal to settlement follows, and not unfrequently,
too, a sessions' appeal trial, and all this for want of excusing
poor persons who really ought to be exempted, for a time at
least, if not altogether. How unwise, unfeeling, and unjust.
Colonel Si..bthorp, XV., and W. R. Collett, Esq.,
have each forwarded a donation of 501. in aid of the fund
raising is Lincoln for the relief of the poor in that city.