The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-10 00:00:00

TIE SCN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVEN: t NG, JANUARY 10 1845

Directors of the Dover Railway Company, in the place
of Mr. Baxendale, resigned.
A general meeting of the shareholders of the Royal
Copper Mines of Cobre Association took place yester-
day, at the Company's offices in Austin-friars, but was
held with closed doors, the Directors not wishing the
proceedings to be made public.
The Wesleyan says there are 426 Wesleyan circuits in
Great Britain, and 1,129 itinerant and supernumerary
preachers, averaging 2t03 to each circuit. There are
14,,413 local preachers, averaging 81i to each circuit. The
number of sermons delivered weekly by itinerant and
supernumerary preachers,is 3,951, or 205,452 in the year.
The number of sermons by local preachers weekly is
11,641, or 605,332 in the year. The number of miles
annually travelled >ay itinerant preachers (exclusive of
special journeys and conference), 319,692 ; number of
miles annually travelled by local preachers, 2,947,448 ;
total, 3,261,140 miles, or a distance equal to 130 times
the circumference of the globe.

THE LATE MYSTERIOUS DEATH
AT WATERLOO-BRIDGE.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Carter and a highly respect-
able jury assembled at the Hero of Waterloo, Waterloo-
road, on the body of Emma Meyer, alias Emily Ashburner,
aged 21, whose body was discovered on Monday morning
in the mud at Waterloo-bridge. The bridge-keeper hav-
ing described the wanner in which the body was found,
Julia Meyer, a single woman, of No. 5, Seymour -
court, court, Church-way, New-road, St. Pancres, deposed
that the deceased was her sister, who was an unfortu-
nate female, and she used to go by the name of Eraily
Ashburner. Witness saw her alive and well on Satur-
day night. She was then in good health and spirits.
Previous to coming to Buckle's-buildings the deceased
lived at No. 40, Barclay-street, Clarendon-square.
Mrs. Anderson, the beadle's wife, described the na-
ture of the wound which she had discovered over the
right hip of the deceased.
Sarah Ann Page, of 6, Buckle's-buildings, deposed
that the deceased came on the night of Thursday to
lodge at her house. At eleven o'clock on Sunday night
deceased took her supper, after which witness and
deceased crossed over Waterloo-bridge. They went to
Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square. At a quarter past
three o'clock on Monday morning witness left the de-
ceased in Bear-street, Leicester-square. She was then
with two females and a man, one of the females wit-
ness knew by the name of Eliza Simms, the other
female was called " Bella." Witness has not seen
Simms since then, although every inquiry has been
made respecting her. At the time the two females and
the man met the deceased they all appeared to be upo❑
good terms. She thought the deceased would have fol-
lowed her home, for she gave her a halfpenny to enable
her to come over the bridge. She had no money while
at her house. The address found was written by wit-
ness. It was a card of address. Deceased did not co-
habit with any person. Witness could form no opinion
how the deceased came into the mud. She never saw
either a knife, or a pair of scissors in the deceased's
possession.
The inquest was then adjourned till Monday.

EXCISE DUTY ON PAPER.

(From the Liverpool Mercury of this day.)
We return to this subject for the purpose of stating
some circumstances connected with it, a knowledge
of which may enable the public to judge how desirable
it is that a repeal of the duty should be strenuously
called for, with a view to the general advantage of
the country—a ground of action far nobler than the
promotion of clique interests--as well as to afford fair
play, and a release from intoleralsle annoyances, to
parties who are directly interested in an important
manufacture.
Taking the latter object first, it must be admitted
that men of integrity, engaged in the paper trade,
ought, if possible, to he relieved from two competi•
tive influences ; one arising from violations of the law,
and the other directly sanctioned by it. Dishonest
manufacturers are continually carrying on extensive
frauds in the evasion of the duty ; and as the duty
(which is lid. per lb. on all kinds of paper) is equi-
valent to twenty per cent. n some articles, while it
amounts to eighty per cent. on others, it follows
that those who defraud the Exchequer that is,
those who rob all their fellow-subjects (for
every deficiency in the revenue must be made
up by increased taxation), can continually under-
sell their rivals, a mere fraction of the plunder serv-
ing to secure them a preference in the market, while
they pocket the rest as the reward of their knavery.
To describe all the tricks by -which they succeed in
cheating the public, would take a large portion of our
columns, but one of their contrivances may tie men-
tioned as a sample of others. Paper being taxed by
weight, a certain bulk is wrapped up in stout covers,
weighed, charged by the Excise officer in attendance,
and duly stamped. At a convenient opportunity
twice the weight of paper, which has paid no duty, is
compressed into precisely the form and bulk of the
bundle be:ore named ; this is done by the enormous
power of the Bramah or hydraulic press ; and the
duty-charged cover is transferred from the former to
the latter lot of paper, so that one-half the duty is
completely evaded, the cover fitting with the utmost
nicety, and all the genuine marks serving to dis-
guise the fraud. Detections have occurred, and
'wavy penalties have ensued, but it is believed that
so extensively still are iniquities of this sort car-
ried on, that the honest manufacturer can scarcely
keep his footing in the trade purchasers looking,
of course, to any fractional difference in their fa-
vour which any party can offer them. At the pre-
sent moment some who are punctilious in their trans-
actions with the Excise, are fearful they shall be
driven out of the market by their less scrupulous com-
petitors. Previous to the duty being taken off printed
calicoes great fraud was practised on the revenue, and
the more honest printers were regularly undersold in
the market; but when the duty was abolished, the
dishonest printers either failed or were driven from
the trade, and the calico printing was restored to a
legitimate state, and this will be the case with the
manufacturing of paper when the duty is abolished.
Another serious rivalry, and one sanctioned by our
present tariff, presents itself as " a heavy blow
and great discouragement" to the trade. Paper
is allowed to be imported into this country
from France, in bond, and to be exported to our colo-
nies, duty free. This is an instance of free trade to
which, if the duty on paper were repealed, no objec-
tion could be made ; but the French and English
manufacturers are not placed on an equality : the
former has no trouble with the Excise, while the
latter, to obtain the drawback of duties already paid,
has to go through forms, to suffer delays, and to over-
come obstacles, the whole amounting to a serious
detriment to his operations; and in the examination
and re-packing of paper for exportation by the Go-
vernment officers, to ascertain the accuracy of the
claim for drawback, injuries to a very large amount
are continually suffered. Sir William Magnay, in-
deed, states that if these various disadvantages be con-
tinued (as they must if the duty be retained), the
foreign paper trade will pass away from English hands
altogether. If the return of the duty, in case of ex-
port, causes so much disadvantage, the regulations
attending the mere levying of the duty in the first
instance is in no wise more free from objection, for
when a paper-maker receives an order, the cheif
process for executing which can be completed in
about three hours, he is not then at liberty to send
off his goods, but must give twenty-four hours' notice
to the officer to charge the paper with duty, after
which it must again remain twenty-four hours' in
stock for the inspection of the supervisor, thus occu-
pying sixteen times as long as the whole process of
manufacture. Really, John Bull, or rather his rough
riders, might have been contriving, in all times past,l
how his trade could be harassed, hindered, and ruined,
while all around him, there have been glaring proofs
that, with his skill, his industry, and his capital,
" trade unshackled" vrouldibe actually trade unlimited,
and prosperity unprecedented.
But if John Bull be thus bound hand and foot, the
French and American paper-makers must be grateful
indeed to our law-makers. It appears, according to
the Atlas, that in Paris twenty thousaad persons are
employedin making ornamented paper boxes for fancy
articles, to be sold in England at a duty of only ten
per cent. ad valorem ; while the tax in England, on
use likelysala
rt o e sell
valuedt to much a t
an advantage
the principal article used for such boxes, is equal to
100 per cent. ! Nor is this all, for the boxes not
being
at Custom-
house
so om-
extremely low w rate, that the duty is rather nominal than real. Neither is
this all, for the paper-makers of Holland, finding they
may import their articles into this country bonded,
and re-ship them to our colonies, without any of the
obstructions to which the English are subject, actually
forge the names of our own manufacturers on their
paper, and thus partake of the advantage of English
reputation, without the disadvantage arising from
vexatious revenue restrictions. The Americans, too,
are highly favoured by our absurd policy in this case,
for, according to the testimony of an intelligent gen-
tleman, largely connected with both the cotton and
the paper trades, it appears that, adding the English
duty on paper to the price of the worst materials
from which paper is manufactured in this country,
the cost becomes such that the Americans can now
use raw cotton at once, and produce a cheaper article
than we can.
Now ought not something to be pleaded in behalf
of our countrymen, in relation to this important
question ? It the great and broad interests of the
people were to be considered (and it is the people,
who must pay all the revenue of the country in.
some shape or other) it would occur to every mind
that the first object, as ex nihilo nil fit, would be to
liberate the springs and sinews of industry, so that
production of value might be facile and abundant,
instead of being harassed, and checked, and hin-
dered, and then, out of property realised, would come
the ready means of supporting the State. If 20,000
persons are employed in Paris, in making ornamental
boxes, why not in London, where sempatresses fit for
the work are actually starving ? Sir William Mag-
nay Is of opinion that the repeal of the duty would
cause double the present number of persons to be
employed in the paper trade, and in businesses con-
nected with it, as enumerated by Mr. Dickinson, at a
late meeting in London, including millwrights, smiths,
mould makers, type founders, printers, booksellers,
bookbinders, publishers, and others. As a means of
civilisation, too, the Press would diffuse still more
readily the blessings of intelligence, with a better
chance of profit to authors, for it appears that at pre-
sent not more than one book out of three, and
one pamphlet out of twenty, pays its own ex-
penses, and there are cases in which the ingredient of
duty is a large and discouraging item. What then is
a revenue of 620,0001. from such a source, compared
with the demoralising effect of the excise laws, and
more particularly so upon such an article as paper,
where the amount is so excessive and the production
so rapid that it has baffled all the ingenuity of man to
prevent fraud, and thus leaving the honest trader's
property at the mercy of the fraudulent, as well as
the increased employment and prosperity of countless
thousands of persons, who would, in full work, con-
sume other excisable articles to a greater amount, and
thus increase the revenue ?
The following societies ought to join the paper-
makers in their efforts, and petition Parliament to
take off the duty on paper :—The Bible Society--The
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge—The
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts—The Bible and Homily Society—The Tract
Society—The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
—The University Bible Printers of Edinburgh—The
University Bible Printers of Glasgow—The Society
for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, and all other
societies interested in the spread ef the Gospel, and
the diffusion of information for the people.

THE WELLINGTON STATUE AT THE ROYAL Ex.-
CHANGE.--Yvsterday morning masons were engaged in
cutting the inscription on the pedestal of the statue of
the Duke of Wellington, in front of the Royal Exchange.
It simply bears the name of the illustrious Duke on each
side, and at the back will be " Erected June 18, 1844."
The paring in front of the Exchange has been completed
in a very ornamental manner. The design is a large
star, set in a circle, and the whole in a square. The
different compartments are marked out distinctly by
different coloured stone. The statue of the Duke stands
in a circle similarly formed.

oposrete,
dLubdygattke-
e
ROYAL SEA-BATHING .INFlRMARY.—yesterday a
quarterly general court of the subscribers to the above
charity was held at the London C
?fieeuhpu
Ludgate-
hill, Rev. 1)r. Russell in the chair, 8
RM•erv.. IrVatnu
1., Ctuhreli ng,
secretary,Mr. Leslie
and
a 1
others. The
ha g
commenced
ld
minutes of the former meeting having beenone through.
It and
a
confirmed,ppeard
thee t
huastu atlhe quarterlybathing . businessse aso n W
in April and closed in November, during which period
686 persons had received the benefits of sea-bathing,
the numbers at the close of the season being 350. The
numb r of patients for 1843, had been 619, and the
total, from the commencement of the institution in 1796,
in which year there were but 16, 17,718, so that the in•
stitution has progressed most steadily.

COURT C'IRCULAIt.

WINDSOR THURSDAY.-The Duke Sotomayor,
Spanish Minister, and the Duchess Sotomayor,
arrived at the Castle to-day, on a visit to the Queen.
The Prince Albert, accompanied by the Marquis
of Exeter, and attended by Mr. G. E. Anson,
General Wemyss, and Colonel Bouverie, left the
Castle in the forenoon in an open carriage and four
for the meet, to hunt with his Royal Highness's
harriers. The meet was at Mr. Trumper's farm at
Ritebings.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert took equestrian
exercise in the riding school this evening, attended by
Major-General Wemyss and Colonel Bouverie.
The Earl of Aberdeen, Lord and Lady Cottenham,
and the Right lion. W. E. Gladstone, arrived at the
Castle to-day, on a visit to her Majesty.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent and Lady
Fanny Howard joined the royal circle at dinner.
The band of the Royal Horse Guards was in
attendance during dinner. Her Majesty's private
band afterwards attended.

His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Wei-
mar visited their Royal Highnesses the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge, at Cambridge House, yes.
terday.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday afternoon,
at the Foreign-office. It was attended by Sir IL
Peel, the Duke of Wellington, the Lord Chancellor,
Lord Wharncliffe, the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord
Stanley, Sir James Graham, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, Earl of Haddington, Earl of Ripon, the
Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, and Lord Granville
Somerset.

Lord Wharncliffe arrived in town on Wednesday
evening, from Witley Court, the residence of her
Majesty the Queen Dowager.
Sir J. Graham arrived from Netherby yesterday
morning, to attend the Council.
Mr. Gladstone arrived in town yesterday from
Hawarden Castle, Flintshire.

The Council sat three hours.
Mr. Gladstone left town, after the Council, for
Windsor Castle.

A deputation, consisting of the Mayor of Great
Yarmouth, Mr. C. J. Palmer, and Mr. C. S. Gilman,
attended yesterday at the Railway Department, Board
of Trade, and presented a memorial from the Mayor,
Sheriff, and 6,678 inhabitants of the city of Norwich,
in favour of the London and Norwich direct line.

Also a memorial from 142 agriculturists in Nor-
folk, owners and tenants of about 40,000 acres of
land, in favour of the same.

Also a memorial from the Magistrates and prin-
cipal Bankers, Merchants, and traders of Yarmouth,
in favour of the same line.

The Mayor of Yarmouth presented the resolution
of a public meeting in favour of the London and
Norwich Direct Railway.
M. Fortique, the Venezuelan Minister, left town
yesterday evening for the Continent. His Excel-
lency will not return before the middle of the season.

Baron Peyronnet had an interview with Lord
Stanley yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Sir James Graham, Mr. Gladstone, and other Ca-
binet Ministers, visited Sir Robert Peel yesterday.
The Earl of Liverpool had an interview with the
Right Hon. Baronet.

Rear-Admiral Bowles, M.P. for Launceston, and a
deputation from the Launceston and South Devon
Railway Company, had an interview with the Earl of
Dalhousie yesterday, at the office of the Board of
Trade.

The Postmaster-General had an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official
residence in Downing-street.
Dispatches from the Governors of Ceylon, the
Mauritius, the Cape of Good Hope, and Malta, were
received yesterday at the Colonial-office.

MILITARY FLOGGING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
have just been favoured with the sight of a
circular letter which has been kindly sent to (I suppose)
all the overseers in every parish throughout the king-
dom, by some humane society, exposing the horrors of
British military flogging ; indeed it is most dreadful.
Is it possible that any Christian government can tolerate
such a horrible mode of corporal punishment ? Death,
I should think, in most instances, would be preferred by
the poor sufferer. Is it to be borne in a land of Bible
societies, missionary societies, and tract societies ? Is
Sir Robert Peel any longer to boast of being the patron
of everything that is good and religious, for the benefit
of the poorer classes, and still permit such a horrid mode
of military torture, that would actually disgrace the
most savage nation ? Forbid it, gracious Heaven L Is
there not one bishop among the spiritual Lords of Par-
liament who will humanely attempt to abolish such
bloody work among professing Christians ? Where are
my Lords Congleton and Teynham ? Surely it is a
subject deserving their best and raost untiring attention.
It really makes the heart sick to read of punishment so
severe as to require the presence of a surgeon to prevent,
if possible, the poor sufferer expiring during its horrid
infliction ; no wonder that officers have been known to
faint away after witnessing such a disgraceful mangling
of human flesh: Let every man in England, and more
especially Christians, do justice to human nature, bad as
it is, and lose not another hour in doing all in their power
to wipe such a "damned spot" from England's statute-
book. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

ROBERT TOSSWILL.
The Lodge, Upper Brixham, Jan. 8.

HUNTING APPOINTMENTS.
Brighton harrs., Mon., Pataham ; Wed,, Race-course ;
Fri., Dyke.
Brookside harrs., Mon., Newmarket Hill; Thurs., Tels-
combe Tye-10i.
Findon hds., Mon., the Kennel ; Tues., Dial Post;
Thurs., Applesham.
Glyndborne harrs., Mon., Alfriaton Race-course ; Fri.,
Capt. Chandler's hds., Mon., Spetchley; Wed., West-
wood Park; Fri., Goose Hill-104.
Herefordshire hds., Tues., Bacho Hill; Fri., Aconbury
Turnpike.
Shropshire hds., Mon., Twemlows ; Wed., Fox (Al-
brighton) ; Fri., Cloverley-14
Essex and Suffolk hds., Tues., St. Osyth Flag ; Fri..
Raydon.
Warwickshire hds., Mon., Grandborough ; Tues., Mit-
ford Bridge; Thurs., Bilton Grange ; Fri., Kineton
Kennels; Sat., Red Hill.
Mr. Drax's hds., Tues., Holnest Kennel ; Sat. Stone
Farm in Yeovil. ,

Essex Union lids., Tues., Kites Hill ; Sat., Boxted,
Green Man—lo f.
East Essex hds., Mon., Bulmer; Thurs., Rivenhall; Sat.,
White Hart.
Montgomeryshire lids., Tues., Guilsfield ; Fri., (regynog.
Wheatland hds., Tues., Billingsley; Fri., Willey Park.
Mr. Roe's lids., Wed., Kingstone Village ; Sat., Whit-
moor Cross.
Sherwood harrs., Tues., Mansfield Race-course ; Fri.,
Bolsover.
Surrey harrs., Mon., Catterhaul ; Fri., Warlingham—loi.
Whitecross harrs., Tues., Bedbrook ; Sat., Buckland
Field.
Mr. M. Ingram's lids., Mon., Sudbury Coppice; Thurs.,
Snelston; Sat., Blithfield-10f.
Donington hds., Men., Cavendish Bridge; Wed., White
Horse Bridge; Sat., Cotes Toll-bar-104.
Atherstone lids., Mon., Stapleton Village; Wed., Bone-
hill House; Thurs., Bosworth; Fri., Camp Hill; Sat.,
Newnham-104.
Somerset Subscription hds., Tues., Buncombe Hill; Fri„
Williton.
Tiverton hds., Tues., White Post, Molland; Wed., Marsh
Bridge ; Thurs., Mountsey Common ; Fri., Hawk-
ridge-10f.
Cambrideshire hds., Mon., Two Pot House ; Wed.,
Shearhatch Wood; Fri., Edworth Spinney-10f.
Albrighton hds., Mon., Sutton ; Thurs., Dudmaston ;
Sat., Hilton-10f.
Sir W. W. Wynne 's hds., Tues., Queen's Head-10f ;
Wed., Porkiagton, 11; Fri., King's Mills; Sat., Stock-
lack-101.
United Pack, Tues., Mainstone Wood; Sat., Ridgway
Toll-bar.
Ludlow Hs., Tues., Milson Wood; Fri., Pipe Aston-10.
Monmouthshire hds., Mon., Llanover; Wed., Llandewy
Wood; Fri., Graig Finger Post-10f.
Ross harrs., Mon., Wormalow Tump; Wed., Treadow;
Fri., Kilreag.

EXPORTATION OF PAPER FOR THB DRAWBACK.—
The Lords of the Treasury having had under attentive
consideration the representations which have been made
by the several exporters of paper, of the inconvenience
sustained by them from an enforcement of the order
which requires an examination, by the Customs' officers,
of all paper previously to being shipped for exportation,
their Lordships are of opinion that it will be advisable
to modify the order under which the examination of that
article for export was placed upon its present footing,
and have given directions, on condition that all parties
intending to export paper in future, give notice to the
Excise officers, who will attend to take account of the
packing, in the same manner as in the case of the article
plate-glass for shipment—viz., that such packages shall
be exported without further examination, under certifi-
cate of the Excise, unless the Customs' officers, on their
being offered for shipment, shall have good reason to
suspect, from information or otherwise, that there is
any fraud in the transaction. The shipping searchers are
also directed, by this order of the Treasury, to attend
with particularity to the size, description of, and marks
on the packages ; so that, if any package be offered for
exportation without such certificate from the Excise of
its having been examined and packed in the presence
and under the supervision of their officers, they are in
each such instance to adhere to the existing regulation
of examining the contents of each case fully, previous
to shipment.

FATAL CASUALTT.—On Monday, between twelve
and one o'clock, a lad about fifteen years of age, em-
ployed on board the Admiral steam-ship as deck steward,
named Alexander Martin, lost his life at the Broomielaw.
Ile was sitting on a short plank, swung on the outside
of the vessel, it appears, cleaning the cabin windows,
when one of the lines gave way, and he was precipitated
into the river. A life-buoy was at hand, and every
means were used to save him, but after falling into the
water he never rose to the surface, and before he was
got out life was extinct. The deceased, we are informed,
as upwards of a quarter of an hour immersed, and it is
supposed that, after falling in, be was prevented from
coming to the surface in consequence of having sunk
under the side of the vessel.—Glasgow Courier.

~~J+