The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-26 00:00:00

CORN AVERA GEN.

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• GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN,
For the Week .ended May 30, 1812, made up from the Returns cf
the trispectorsin the different Cities and Towns in England and
Wales, per Imperial Quarter.
Wheat 603. td. Oats
I Barer 263. lid. Rye ..... 3231 144 Pease .31s. 4d.

AVERAGES OF THE LAST ql% WEEKS.

Week ending! WHEAT. ,BARLEY.I OATS. RYE. BEANS. I PIM!.

April 1S ..... 59 10 *2.6 11 19 2 32 6j30 11 30 5
1 27 3 19 3 32 11 30 9 31 2
29 ......... 61 0 27 6 19 1 31 7 111 6 33 1
May 6 ... 6.1 8 27 4 19 2 33 3 31 8 *0 7
13. 59 9 26 3 19 6 31 3 31 9 31 3
20 62 9 25 11 12 5 32 4. 31 7 31 4
IMPItatIAT AGGREGATE AVERAGES OF THE MX wit rsc
Meat.... 6os. sd. Oats ......... 19s. 4a.1 Beans 31s 4'.
265. 101.1 Rye
DUTIES ON FOREIGN CORE.
Wheat...". 12s. 0.1.1 Oats
..... 10s. 01. I Rye

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FRO3I THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAY

.GLOBE.— Ile organs of the party in power are
A ng fairly into opposition. The Post declares that
ale principles on which Sir Robert Peel has prepared
his taziff are, "in their essence, utterly unsound," and
that " in operation they will, we fear, prove de-
stractive to an extent yet unimagined." The Times
is accusing Sir James Graham of conspiracy with the
Poor-law e'Commissioners. The Britannia abuses the
Income-tax, and most of the rest keep ominous si-
lence on that matter. May we take the freed* to
ask whiat single point in the policy of this Govern-
ment fiose who helped it into power are now pre-
pared to advocate ? We really do not know one po-
sition from which their batteries were turned on the
'Whigs, which has not been contemptuously aban-
doned by their own men in office. Surely this is
a remarkable attitude for a party to take towards
the country—an attitude in -which their own press—
wlr3ch, in the long run, represents pretty accurately
the prevalent feelings of parties—is compelled to
desert them. The party in power are therefore
ope nly deserted by those sections of followers who
alone addressed the public mind with any great efficacy.
in -their favour. Assuredly these were the Anti-Free-
ale and the Anti-New-Poor-Lawlsections. These
an both openly in opposition ; and without wishing
to, exaggerate their power, we really should like
to know with what materials the Ministerialists
m an to replace their loss. The dire neces-
siti of continuing to address themselves to their
cl 4 sets of readers has forced their leading organs
ind o open warfare with their leading measures. This
h:u not .been without sweet, reluctant, amorous de-
lay , and repeated warnings. We are entitled to
a se ume that two great sections of adherents are becom -
in►_ opponents. In the face of such symptoms Parlia-
rt e ntar2,- majorities are a vain boast. Parlia-
• eutary majorities must represent moral forces some-
Iv here. After all that can be attributed to cor-
n tption or to intimidation, no such majority as thept
esent ever was . brought together without vo-
luntary agents. Now when those agents are alie-
ns fed.; when those motives are disappointed on which
all . the adherents of Toryism, who are free to act for
then nselves, have acted—what is left to support the
po a -er of the party of the present Administration, be-
yo. a d the mere fact of possession, and the mere adhe-
rent ce of personal interests ? How long can these
kee p a ministerial majority together, in the face Of the
wly )le independent opinion of its constituency ? How
SCH 3 a will the personal discontents, which always arise
in: t. party, the ruffled self-importance of those who as-
pi r s to parts which are not allotted them, the fermenting
vat City of illustrious obscures, who are kept in the
has .k-ground—how soon will all these rally round the
rev olt-flag of " earnest and decided" Toryism ? Very
Sc* n ; if experience of the past give warrant to anti-
cif ate the future. In this " certainly proximate"
cvi nt, where will the Ministerial party recruit itself?
W here will it find the means to put down the
f b. :•eatened.revolt of its own janissaries ? Where will
it; enlist
.zeal to combat the zeal it has driven from its
es: isle
STANDARD.—It
appears, by the votes of the
I louse of,Commons, that Lord Ashley will this night
clove •for. leave to bring in a Bill " to make .regula
ti ms respecting the age and sex of persons permitted
a work in mines and collieries." The country will
joke to know that the Noble Author of the mining
i a vestigation is resolved thus to follow up his work ; and
h at he will follow it up with vigour and ability none c„
.übt. We do not remember any exposition Wallas pro-
d; iced so powerful an effect as the mining Report; even
t t to disclosures of the factory system were less impres-
sii ye, because they came out gradually, and not, as
it; were, by surprise, like the exhibition of the hor-
r h ;s of the mine. The Noble Champion of the
tr fferers in both departments of oppression and mi-
• .7 has at present the public mind more de-
e n ledly and more strongly with him than upon
a t ty former occasion, and he is not the man to
• glect such a glorious opportunity. He will do
part, hut the country must do something more
I h an feel and think—it must act, if Lord Ashley is to
I •e successful. The terms of the Noble Lord's motion
ire limited to restraints upon the employment of in-
tints and females ; and so far the motion, if it succeed,
• sill do great good; but something more will still
I te wanting. Some general law is required, that tilr
mans of moral and religious instruction shall be
p tr ovided for the people in proportion to their num-
b e rs, wherever multitudes are collected in a narrow.
sy ace. Such a law was unnecessary while the ia opu-
-1: Lion was universally agricultural. The parish
c t lurch and the parish school were then sufficient ; but
• fficient these were no longer when masses came to
lid collected in mines and factories. New states of
s c ciety demand new institutions. Our wiser ances-
t ,rs felt this, and not only varied accommodations to
meet the wants of particular localities, but even
enacted what are called anomalous codes of laws
: and erected anomalous Courts of Justice with the
use object. These anomalies, as we call them, are,
1} owever, the truest uniformity ; for nothing is so

really anomalous as a straight rule applied to an un-
dulating surface. We throw out these hints, not so
much with a direct reference to Lord Ashley's mo-
tion, as to the arguments with which we expect to see
it resisted. The millowners are the opponents from
whom we anticipate resistance, for they see that if hu-
manity is introduced into the mine, it cannot be long
excluded from the factory.

THE DISTRESS IN THE MANU-

FACTURING DISTRICTS.
THE QUEEN'S LETTER.

TO HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
FOR A COLLECTION IN AID OF THE SUBSCRIPTIONS
ENTERED INTO FOR THE RELIEF OF THE WORKING
CLASSES IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND.
Victoria R.
Most Reverend Father in God, our right trusty and
right entirely beloved Councillor, we greet you well.
Whereas, in some districts in England and Scotland,
many of the working classes have suffered, and con-
tinue to suffer, severe distress; and whereas many of
our subjects have entered into voluntary subscriptions
for their relief, and have at the same time humbly
prayed us to issue our Royal letters directed to the
Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Arch-
bishop of York, authorising them to promote contri-
butions within their several provinces for the same
benevolent purpose. We, taking the premises into
our Royal consideration, and being always ready to
give the best encouragement and countenance to such
humane and charitable undertakings, are graciously
pleased to condescend to their request ; and we do
hereby direct these our letters be communicated
by you to the several suffragan bishops within
your province, expressly requiring them to take
care that publication be made hereof on such Sunday
in the present or in the ensuing month, and in such
places within their respective dioceses, as the said
Bishops shall appoint ; and that upon this occasion the
ministers in each parish do effectually excite the
parishioners to a liberal contribution, which shall be
collected the week following at their respective dwell-
ings by the churchwardens or overseers of the poor in
each parish ; and the ministers of the several parishes
are to cause the sum so collected to be paid imme-
diately into the hands of the Bank of Fngland, to be
accounted for by them, and applied to the carrying on
and promoting the above-mentioned good designs.
And so we bid you very heartily farewell.
Given at our Court st Saint James's, the 11th
day of May 1842, in the fifth year of our reign.
By her Majesty's command,
J. R. G. GRAHAM.
To the Most Reverend Father in God,

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our Right Trusty. and Right Entirely
Beloved Councillor, William Lord
Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of
all England and Metropolitan.

London House, May 20, 1842.
Reverend Brother,—ln obedience to the commands
of her Majesty, I require you to read from the desk
in Your church or chapel the Queen's Letter, a copy
of which I have caused to be transmitted to you, on
such Sunday before the Ist day of July next as you
may judge most convenient, immediately after the
Morning or Evening Prayers.
You are also desired to cause the Queen's Letter to
be read in like manner in every place of worship be-
longing to the Established Church in your parish (if
there be any besides the parish church), and to com-
municate this letter to the minister or ministers
thereof.
The accompanying statement will supply authen-
tic information in regard to the distress which pre-
vails in the places therein mentioned, and which
unhappily extends to many other populous districts
similarly circumstanced.
I trust, therefore, that you will feel it your duty,
as a minister of Christ, to give full effect to her Ma-
jesty's gracious intentions by earnest exhortation from
the pulpit, and to make known and enforce, as widely
and strongly as possible, the claims of the sufferers
on the charity of their Christian brethren.
The amount collected is to be paid, within three
weeks after the collection, into the Bank of England,
or its branches in the country ; or by Post-office
orders addressed to and made payable to the cashiers
of the Bank of England, London.
From your affectionate brother,
C. J. LONDON.
THE STATEMENT.—STOCKPORT.
Stockport, in Cheshire, is one of the principal
seats of the cotton manufacture, and a large portion
of its population is dependent on that manufacture
for support.
During the last three years many failures among
the mill owners have occurred, but distress among
the working people did not assume a very aggravated
form until within the last eight months ; since that
time a large number of the manufacturing workmen,
accustomed to constant industry, have been reduced
by the stoppage of mills to want of employment, and
to a dependence on legal or voluntary alms. Their
privations have been borne, by a population not ac-
cuAomed to such dependence, with fortitude and re-
signation, and the virtues which they have exhibited
under such severe trials, not less than the sufferings
which they have endured, and are still enduring,
entitle them to the sympathy and consideration of their
fellow countrymen.
Wr. Waddington, the Secretary of the Relief Fund
in Stockport, states in the Official Report upon the
distress in that town, that the great majority of the
distressed families have no visible means of support ;
that for some weeks they had subsisted by credit; that
when that had failed their next resource was to sell
their furniture, their wearing apparel, their bed and
bedding, and in many instances women had been com-
pelled even to part with their marriage rings; and that
their dwellings were found literally stripped of every ar-
tick of comfort. He subsequently proceeds to state, in
reference to the district of which he acted as visitor,
" The greater proportion of the inhabitants of that
district were in as lamentable a state of destitution as
it is possible to imagine ; I am convinced that the
Relief Fund has been the cause of saving hundreds
in the borough from a premature grave."
BU RNLEY.

Severe distress likewise prevails extensively at
Burnley in Lancashire, and in the neighbouring dis-
trict, owing to the same causes as the distress at
Stockport.
In this district less efficient assistance appears to have
been afforded to the settled poor from the poor-rates, and
moreover many destitute persons who had migrated
thither from other parts of the country have been
deterred from applying for parochial relief by the fear
of removal in consequence of thus becoming chargeable.
The funds provided by the law for the relief of or-
dinary destitution in England, however ample they
may be, can scarcely be expected to suffice in the de-
pressed state of Stockport and Burnley, inasmuch as
the resources of the rate-payers themselves are dimi-
nished in nearly the same proportion in which the de-
mands of the working-classes upon those resources
are increased.