The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-25 00:00:00

THE WINE TRADE.

A letter has been received from an eminent mer-
cantile firm connected with the Oporto wine trade,
containing some explanations as to the existing quan-
tity of port wine, described as so large in the Lisbon
correspondence, published in the Times of the 4th
inst., as well as much general information relative to
the subject. The following is a statement of the ex-
portation of wines from Oporto during the last eight
years : _ _

'To the United Kingdom. To all other parts. Total.
Pipes. Pipes. Pipes.
1834 ... 23,203 ... 3,150 ... 31,358
1835 32,535 ... 5,933 ... 38,468
1836 ...
... 30,206 ... 3,079 ... 33,285
1837 ... 21,110 ... 4,672 ... 25,782
1838 ... 26,057 ... 11,918 ... 37,975
1839 ... 26,159 ... 7,046 33,205
1840 25,678 ... 7,512 ... 33,190
1841 21,011 . . 5,344 ... 26,355

Totals... 210,964

48,654 259,618

Average of 8 years 26,370 6,081 32,452
The high amount of the shipments during the first
three years of the above list is accounted for by the
fact that the siege of Oporto had continued during
the greater part of the :two previous years, which, by
interrupting the shipments, and consequently re-
ducing the stock in this country, caused an increase
in the years immediately following. The small
amount set opposite to 1841 is accounted for by
the general depression of trade, and the expected
reduction of the duty. It is calculated that a
vintage in the Upper Douro produces about 70,000
pipes upon an average, of which above 32,000 are
usually shipped to this country, while 30,000 of an
inferior sort are consumed in the neighbourhood of
Oporto, and the remainder, which is still inferior to
the second description, is generally distilled for
brandy. It is this inferior sort, which could not pos-
sibly be drunk in this country, which the writers of
the letter say is so abundant ; but while they admit
this abundance, they affirm the good wines to be as
scarce as ever, and wish to remove the impression
that any fall in the price of these is at hand. The
vintage of last year, according to their statement,
produced wine of a very bad quality, which is a dead
weight on the market, and could be had for it very
low price ; while the vintage of 1840 has, it seems,
produced wine of a superior quality, and which is in
such general estimation that its value since that vint-
age has been nearly doubled. The Portuguese are said
to be so tenacious as to the quality of their wines, and,
withal, such very indifferent judges, the quality
being always really tested in the British market,
that they cannot comprehend the depression in the
prices of the vintage of 1841, and are therefore
hoping to force a price, by petitioning the Cortes to
restrict the exportation. So convinced are they
that the English must have their wine, that they
think they have only to cause a fictitious scarcity and
that the desired price will be paid. The dealers in
this country, who are aware of these petitions, con-
sider that the English Government should be careful
to introduce a clause in the treaty with Portugal, by
which such restrictions, which would probably con-
sist in obliging shippers to take a certain quantity of
brandy, might be prevented; and they hope also that
if 2s. per gallon be taken off the import duty on port
wine here, and a similar privilege be extended to
brandy, an allowance may be made to those dealers
who are encumbered with the stock already on their
hands. It does not seem that 1841 was a bad year
for the Portuguese wines alone, but a similar com-
plaint is made of the wines of Bordeaux, much of
which produced by recent vintages is said to he un-
saleable, while the best growths of 1834 are stated to
be in demand.— Times.

THE E XTF.rt MINA TING SYSTEM. MURDER OF
PEPPAItD Roams, ESQ.—On Sunday evening, at twilight,
as Mr. Roberts and a lady of the name of Mrs. Carry, were on
their way from Cloghjordan, where they had been at a religious
meeting, to Moneygall, where Mr. Roberts resided, a gun or
blunderbuss was first! at Mr. Roberts, the contents of which
shattered his head to pieces, and produced instantaneous death.
Ails. Carry, who was at the other side of the car on
which she and the ill-fated gentleman were travelling, re-
c( ived a few slugs in the neck, but the wounds are pronounced
not to be dangerous. The assassin ran off the moment he
found his horrible mission executed. Mr. Roberts, it seems, was
brother-in-law and agent of Mr. Garvey, of Laughten, in
which caracity his conduct was extremely severe and cruel to
the tenants tn that property. It is only a short time
since he dispossessed three families of the name
of O'Donoughue, ti ho held a farm at Meta, and a
widow ofthe name of Corcoran and her three helpless daugh-
ters, whose small portion of ground he took into his own pos-
session. We have no desire to palliate this tremendous crime,
perpetrated in a cowardly and revolting manner, and which
was well nigh involving the life of an innocent and unoffending
lady ; but we would demand does not the recurrence of these
atrocities loudly and imperatively call for the prompt and ener-
getie interference of the Legislature ? ft is idle to talk of sup-
pressing such crimes by coereivemeasures. --Limerick Reporter.
The Dude-light lies been introduced into some large
establishments at Birmingham with brilliant success.