The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-29 00:00:00

AND WEAR.

The combination—no, that is not the word, for
Sir Matthew White Ridley says he knows of no
such combination—then the understanding, for we
will not stop to parley about a word—the under-
standing among the Coal-owners of the Tyne and
Wear to restrict the quantity of coals wrought in
the pits and carried to market, expired naturally
with the last year. No less than three meetings
have been held as to the renewal of this agreement;
and it has not yet been decided on. The last meet-

ing was a committee meeting held on Saturday, but
it ended like the rest in smoke. The cause of this
difficulty in clubbing together on this occasion, we
understand, is to be found in Lord Durham's making
a demand for a greater share in the vend than he has
hitherto had. To make the matter more intelli-
gible to persons unacquainted with the subject, we
may observe, that the whole produce of the coal
mines on the Tyne and Wear is called the basis—
this basis may be said, for example, to be divisible into
five parts, two of which are assigned to the Wear, and
three to the Tyne. The owners, then, of the different
collieries, according to their magnitude or importance,
lay claim to their portion of the quantity to be
wrought and sold. Lord Durham, of course, in the
last year's division, had his quantum stated; hot we
hear that the Committee of Coal•owners would not

let him send that quantity to market as he chose,
but as they chose, in order that the market might
not be too well supplied ; or, in other words, that
the price might not be allowed to get down. Nay,
they went so far, we have been informed, as not to
allow his Lordship to have his quantum in any way.
The consequence is, that Lord Durham not only
now wamts to have the same stock allowed for sale

that he had last year, but he has increased his de-
mand, and desires, moreover, to have the balance of
last year added to it. This, of course, the rest of
the Coal-owners are very unwilling to accede to, for
as only a limited quantity altogether is to be sent to
market, what Isis Lordship gets more than usual
they must get less. The coal trade is now open,
therefore, till the understanding is renewed again.
We have. repeatedly expressed our opinion on this
subject, and we do it once more most unequivocally.
We think the combination among the Coal-owners—
for that is the nature of their union, whatever they call
it—we think the combination is bad in every re-
spect ; it is bad for the Coal-owners themselves, be-
cause they do not receive so much money as they
would otherwise do, if the trade was open and they
sent more coals to market—it is bad for the working
class of people, for fewer are employed than would
otherwise be, and those are less constantly em-
ployed than they would be, and consequently get
less wages; it is bad for the trading part of the com-
munity, the shopkeepers in Newcastle, Sunderland,
and Shields; for as there is less business there is
less money, and, more evidently still, it is bad for
the ship-owners and all dependent on them ; for by
this system of restriction, much fewer vessels are
employed than might be, and those that are em-
ployed are not near so well paid for their freights as
they should and would be, if the coals were reduced
in price. But, above all, the system of restriction
is to be reprobated, because it proceeds on the sup-
position that the people of London and elsewhere
can get no coals except from the Tyne and Wear. No
fallacy can be more gross. Their sending only a limited
quantity to market does a serious injury, then, to
our port, while it is doing a great service to Stock-
ton and other ports, which supply the wants we
should have been supplying. Whatever may be
done, therefore, it is perfectly clear to us that it is
the decided interest of the public at large that' the
combination should end, and not be again renewed.
River 'Wear Vend of Coals, sworn to before the
Commissioners of the River Wear, January 21,

1829, from the 30th of June to and with the 31st of
December, 1828 :—M. J. Davison, Esq. 12,559
chaldrons; Lord Durham 29,358 ; Ditto, for New-
bottle Colliery 43,306 ; The Marquis of London-
derry 73,856; William• Russell, Esq. and Co.
3,722; Ditto for North Hetton 20,026; W. Sto-
bart, jun. Esq. 14,578 f ; the Hetton Coal Com-
pany 55,161; Thomas Wade, Esq. 9,554; Total
267,120 i. The total vend in 1827 was 493,670;
ditto, 1828, 501,0671; increase in the year 7,3971.
—Tyne Mercury.

The number of prisoners in France now un-
dergoing punishment is 20,300,—vi5., men : for crimes,
4,700 ; for misdemeanours, 9,600. Women : galleys,

1,000 ; solitary confinement, 1,800 ; lighter penalties,
3,200. —Paris Paper.

The Captain of an American vessel was lately
drowned, and the following curious means were adopted to
find his body :—Two 24-pounders, charged with small
shot, were fired over the surface of the water where the
body was supposed to be. It was supposed that the shock
given to the water by the simultaneous detonation of the
two cannons, would cause the body to float ; but though
the experiment has sometimes been successful, it was not
so in this instance. Several things were brought to the
surface of the water, which proves that the body must have
floated away.—Journal du Havre.

On Saturday, as an old woman was passing
along the shore at Leith, she was struck on the pit of the
stomach by a snow-hall, thrown by some mischievous
boys. She with difficulty got into a shop near the place,
where she fell down, and almost instantly expired.—
Edenburih Batwing Courant.