The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-05 00:00:00

THE WINE TRADE.

The following are extracts from a Circular of Messrs. Shaw 1
and Maxwell, wine merchants, showing that the stagnation of
trade begins to touch the Aristocracy :
" Owing to the generally depressed state of trade in this
country, and in all parts of the world, the consumption of wine
has fallen off within the last year upwards of 300,000 gallons.
One effect of this has been, by increasing competition, to de-
luge our docks with wines of every denomination, and from all
quarters ; but much of this, not being worth the duty, has been
shipped off to India and the Colonies—the markets of which
are now glutted with what is called Sherry, Champagne, &c.
A very remarkable change has taken place in the use of port,
which, fifty 'years ago, con•Aituted 70 per cent. of all wines
consumed, but has fallen to I.ttle more than 32 per cent.
Sherry, on the contrary, has risen from 16 to upwards of 40
per cent. This is chiefly attributable to the quantity of white
wine now drank during, and even after dinner ; and to the fa-
shion of remaining but a comparatively short time at table.
Another cause, however, is undoubtedly, the prejudice which
has arisen against Port,. owing to the introduction, ever since
the famous vintages of 1820 and 1821, of rich wines, requiring to
be kept in bottle much longer than theprices now usually quoted
justify a wine-merchant in doing, to which must also be added
the comparatively small ttocks Lid in by consumers, who, con-
sequently, drink their Port of less age than formerly, and, for-
getting this, imagine that the quality of the wine has become
deteriorated. French wines are gradually becoming better
known, and last year there was an increase of 7 per cent. ; the
greater part of which consisted of Champagne, and various
cheap sparkling wines under that name ; but many of the
light, agreeable second and third growth red wines, as well as
the finest first growths, have taken the place of Port. Madeira
has fallen about 2 per cent., and not withsta tiding that there is now
very fine old wines to he had, does not regain its former reputation.
Rhenish has fallen about 15 per cent. Marsala, a good mo-
derate-priced wine, has risen about 6 per cent. Cape has
fallen 5 per cent , and nothing but the temptation it holds out
by paying only half the duty of any other v. ine, would induce
the importation of a single pipe. The average quantity, duty-
paid, is about half a million of gallons per annum • but it is no-
torious that a large proportion of this is sold under the deno-
mination of Sherry, &c., either in its original state, or mixed
with other inferior wines ; and, in the latter case, is fregliently
exported and a larger amount of drawback claimed and re-
ceived than had been paid in the first instance to the revenue.
Nothing but equalising the duty with other wines will prevent
these frauds, and such unfair competition.—We have the ho-
nour to be, Sir, your very obedient servants,

" SHAW and MAXWELL"

STORM IN THE NORTH.

PERTH, JAN. 27.—The thaw which prevailed through-
out last week had hardly cleared away the snow of the
previous week when a fresh storm set in. It commenced'
on Saturday with a drifting wind from south-east, and
continued for the next two days falling slightly, but con-
stantly, till Monday. evening, when it.again lay about six
inches deep on the average, but drifted in many places to
three times that extent. As usual, with a storm from
that direction, travelling is most impeded on the east
coast roads, although in this case the obstruction his
extended over, all the North Highlands. The Inverness
Mail and Aberdeen Defiance pushed through on Monday
with difficulty, particularly the latter, on the
stage betwixt Stonehaven and Laurencekirk. On
Tuesday travelling by the Strathmore road in
that direction was entirely stopped, and the De-
fiance due here that afternoon has not yet appeared.
The North Mail by the east-coast road the same night
was also greatly impeded, and most of the road 'from
Aberdeen to Perth had to be driven with six horses. A
very melancholy and fatal accident occurred that night
on one of the stages north from Dundee. The additional
pair of horses put on for those occasions are ridden by a
postilion, and his horse slipping, fell with him, and the
rapid rate at which all were going, prevented the possiW-
lity of the coachman pulling up, the horses and coach
went over him, and killed him on the spot. Monday
night is described by the Inverness mail-guard as one
of the most fearful he had ever travelled in. Major
Hall, the Post-offiee Surveyor for the north of Scot-
land, happened to be in Inverness that day, and left with
the mail for Perth. They had hardly gone a stage
southward when it was found necessary to leave the coach,
and Major Hall and the guard pursued their jour-
ney with the mail-bags on horseback. Fortunately the
storm abated with the adVancing day, and Dalwhinnie
was at length reached, where the north guard was re-
lieved by Stewart, with whom Major Hall pushed on to
Dalnacardoch, over Druininochdir Hill, where the
wreaths of snow reached sometimes to the middles of the
horses. Here a drosky was obtained, in which all arrived
safely in Perth by midnight, the surveyor and
guards have ridden upwards of sixty miles on horseback.
A singular circumstance occurred to Major Hall and the
guard to break the monotonous dreariness of the ride.
During the height of one of the gales on the high grounds
in Inverness-shire, a covey of grouse were carried, by
the violence of the storm, right upon the horses and
riders. One was killed y the shock and brought on
by the guard to Perth, and some of the others might
have been easily caught had the party wished.

STATE OF PAISLEY.
The following is an extract from a letter received this morn•
ing from a Lady in Paisley:-.

Paisley,,3lst Jan., 1842.
" Enclosed is a very valuable little tract, written by Dr.
Burns, to be circulated in every house" in town, inculcating
the relative duties of rich and poor in this season of calamity
and suffering. The Doctor is unwearied in his exertions to
mitigate the distress. Since his wife's death he has been
known repeatedly to leave his house before breakfast and not
return tilt evening, and nokhaving broken his fast all day, de-
nying himself even the common necessaries of life, that he
might be ab'e to give to those who have been wanting for days.
There are many cases where, from extreme delicacy, the par-
ties are unwilling to let their case be known to the public.
These ai e in his own parish, and for supplying these cases the
Doctor is much out of pocket. Last ss'undly several of his
hearers were offended. They say he is now as bad as Brews-
ter, for he insists that the poor have a right to demand bread,
and if refused, to take it ; and that they are not to be blamed in
the sight of God if they help themselves; that fathers of fami-
lies are not in the midst of •plenty to submit and see the wives
of their bosom and tender offspring dying of want. In his
prayer he alluded to the mummery And extravagance goinc, on
at Court—so much so, that two of his elders expressed them-
selves astonished at the Doctor having gone' so far astray.'
" A. has, ust finished the distribution of the proceeds of the
bazaar in her, district. She and Miss S. have had two of the
worst districts in the town. She generally sets out at nine in
the morning, and she returns at six to tea, quite worn out and
overcome with the scenes she has witnessei.. Y mentioned to
you before that the town was divided into thirty-one districts.
fhe one that A. and Miss S. visit is inhabited by those who,
once in a day, were beene ' weavers. But, oh, what desti-
tution now ! A. says they generally, have a tea-caddy on the
mantel-piece, filled with perhaps 200 and 300 pawn-tickets,
and this tells how well plenished their houses once were. She
says you can scarcely see a stool to sit on, having parted with
everything to keep them from starving. Blankets are what
they are -most anxious for, as the bits o' weans' can do
well enough when running about during the day; but " in
tha cauld frosty nichts,' what wi' the cauld and care the-
gither, they can harly thol through the nicht.' Next to
blankets, shoes and stockings, and flannel petticoats, are most
in derriand. A. wants six dozen pair of shoes for her district
alone. This is giving trade to the shoemakers in the district,
although they are restricted in their profit."

" THE SUN."—Our evening Contemporary,
The Sun, has recommenced its spirited system of ex-
presses, by which it frequently far outstrips the other
Evening Journals. We are indebted to it for the very
early receipt of the Queen's Speech' which reachod our
office before six o'clock.—Chelmsford Chronicle.
OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.—Thursday was
the flit% occasion upon which her Majesty has opened Parlia-
ment in person since her accession to the Throne of Great
Britain. The first Session of the present Parliament, which
only lasted about six weeks, was opened by commission, in con-
sequence of the state of her Majesty's health at that period.
CUPAR-FIFE.—On Tuesday, while the Pres-
bytery of Cupar were considering the presentatiiin to
Kettle, which had been laid upon their table, the Bev.
Mr. Birrell, of Cupar, feeling himself unwell, retired
into the Session-house, and, we regret to say, almost
instantly expired. Medical aid was procured, but
without avail. The Presbytery, in consideration of this
melancholy event, adjourned their proceedings. Mr.
Birrell, previous to his appointment to Cupar, had been
minister Of Westruther, and in both places was greatly,
beloved. On the death of the father of the late Attorney-
General, now Lord Campbell, who had for many years
the first charge in the parish, Mr. Birrell succeeded to
the second charge.

TH TRADE.--We had anticipated
that the first month of the new year would have enabled
us to furnish our friends with a more pleasing account of
trade than we have been enabled to do for a long time
past ; but we are compelled to say that we are disap-
pointed, as we cannot perceive-or learn that any actual
revival has taken. When January comes, and the ac-
counts are all arranged. and the profits of the last year
reckoned up, we expect to see merchants and dealers
come into the market and buy and sell with renewed
spirit and energy. We are, however, disappointed, and
we much fear the reason of it may be—that the balance
of profit has not been so large as on former occasions,
which will at once account for the want of a display of
the usual January Spirit.—Sherbourne Journal
DUNFERMLINE.—There have been remitted
from this parish to the distressed operatives in Paisley,
in different sums, 207 L, raised by subscription, which,
considering the distress here, is very creditable to the
liberality of the community,
DEATH OF THE." BRISTOL STANDARD."--
' The final number of this journal was published en Wednes-
day last. The editor, in his farewell address, says that " the
Standard was called into existence by the expressed wish of
the Conservative party in this city ;" and gives as a reason
for its discontinuance, that it has not met with that support
which under the circumstances it had a right to expect, or
which would warrant the proprietors in continuing to publish it.
SINGULAR MESMERIC INFLUENCE.—TiIis
town (Southampton) has recently been the theatre of an
operation equally novel in nature, and interesting and import-
ant in its results. We allude to the extraction of a tooth and
several stumps, from a patient in the state of mesmeric trance,
which took place vest. rday morning at the residence of the
operator, Mr. Prideaux, before a select party of medical men,
who had been invited to bepresent. It appears that Mr. Prideaux
usually entrances the patient who was the subject of this ope.
ration in about five minutes ; but on the present occasion, from
the presence of strangers, the slight interruption caused by
the arrival of some of the spectators after the entranc-
ing manipulations had commenced, the process occupied about
twenty minutes. Shortly after perfect sleep- Aalking was in-
duced, the patient, at the request of the operator, arose from her
seat by the fire and walked to the operating chair at the other
end of the room, when the teeth ant stumps were removed
by Mr. P., without the slightest manifestation of sensibility to
pain on the part of the patient, whose hands were quietly re-
posing in her lap during the whole time ; indeed, on being re-
stored to consciousness (an operation effected in a few seconds),
it was not till after an examination of the mouth with the tongue
that :he could credit the reality of the painless release from her
tormentors. At a subsequent part of the day a similar
operation was performed by Mr. Prideaux on another
patient, with similar results ; and he informed us that
on one occasion he had operated on a lady for three
hours, total insensibility ta pain being evinced during
the whole peripd, Mr. Prideaux expresses his confi-
dent expectation, tbas in the course of a few years the
production of the mesmeric trance will be generally resorted
to in all cases of severe surgical operations, and also that as
the science advances means will be discovered by which all per-
sons may be certainly subjected to -its influence; and should
these expectations be realised, great indeed will be the boon, I
which this at present embryo science, is destined to confer ,
upon suffering humanity.-.-Hampshire Telegraph.