The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-13 00:00:00

disturbed state of the manufacturing districts, an I
hence there is a hope that this diminution will prove
but temporary. A further increase from the Customs
may be anticipated, from trade becoming more steady
now the Tariff is concluded. Altogether, though the
return is not so satisfactory as could be wished, the
better aspect of those succeeding is looked forward to
%%ith confidence.
The meeting of Portuguese Bondholders held to-
day was a short and uninteresting proceeding. On the
recommendation of Mr. R. Thornton, who spoke much
in praise of the honourable and straightforward inten-
tions of the Portuguese Government, under the ad-
vice of the present Ministry, to liquidate the interest
and principal of the foreign debt, the whole of the
persons present with the exception of two who were
for no compromise, though willing to accept whatever
Portugal might offer as part payment of their claims,
agreed to enter immediately into the scheme of con-
version, so long a subject of debate among them. Mr.
Thornton's chief reasons for acquiescing in what he
had before strenuously opposed appeared to lie in the
belief that
-the present Ministry are conducting the

business of their country on an economical scale, and
will, therefore, be able faithfully to discharge what
they promise to the Bondholders, which, according to
calculation, he says will produce them an interest
within a fraction o? the rate paid upon Consols. Re-
solutions were passed pledging the meeting to carry
out the conversion, and one included the recommenda-
tion to the Committee of the Stock-Exchange to
quote the new bonds in their official lists. Captain
Britten, one of the parties who was opposed to the
concession, publicly resigned his seat at the Commit-
tee, on the principle of not submitting to any sacrifice
connected with these securities.
At the conclusion of the business Mr. Thornton
said, that as connected with foreign loans there were
now 100,000,0001. due to British capitalists, he threw

out the hint for the adoption of more competent per-
sons of the or°anizatione, of a " Foreign Loan Asso-
ciation," which if it were conducted with spirit and
perseverance he was sure would speedily gain a set-
tlement of these claims.

One objection to the proposed alteration of bank-
ing hours not yet adverted to has been well put by
a correspondent, who remarks that for nearly 200
years the custom with bankers of opeiiing their doors
to payments at nine in the morning, and closing them
at five in the afternoon, has been recognised by the
Judges, who have in innumerable instances estab-
..

ished that custom as law, and hence it has been
allowed to regulate all the monetary affairs of indi
viduals. But it must be perfectly senseless for them
to expect, by any act of their own, to infringe this
custom with impunity, by altering the hours of pay-
ment. They ought at least to weigh carefully the
possible consequences to themselves of doing so. The
public in general might perhaps submit quietly to the
arrangement, but sane tronblesome person would ine-
vitably be found who, having some banker's accep-
tance to present, would select a time after four
o'clock, the proposed new limit, for doing so, and
being refused would repair to the Royal Exchange,
then occupied in the usual business of the day, and
proclaim to the assembled merchants the fact that the
particular banking .house had stopped payment. To
carry his power of annoyance still further he might
early on the day following, serve each partner with
legal process. Such a proceeding woald place the
bankers to say the least of it, in an uncomfortable
position. In fact, the whole thing is now blown upon
in the city as frivolous, ill-considered, and unworthy
of them, and the sooner they retrace their steps, and
allow the whole to be forgotten, the better. The
agitation of the subject will have been of some use if
it leads them, by augmenting the number, to lessen
the labours of their clerks, a point which has been
drawn into the discussion by main force, but with
which the public, in reality, have no concern whatever.
POST.—The funds were rather depressed in the
early part of the day, owing to an unfavourable im-
pression created by the publication of the revenue
tables for the quarter just ended. The public had
been led to believe that, as the Income-tax has come
partially into operation, the result would have been
more encouraging ; but, if something has been ac-
quired by her Majesty's Exchequer from the source
alluded to, it must be b3rne in mind that there has
been a considerable relaxation in the import duties.
In the wine trade, in consequence of the uncertainty
which exists with regard to the adjustment of our
commercial relations with Portugal, and the expecta-
tion which prevails of a diminution in the duty on port
wine, there has been a palpaMe falling off in the pay-
ment of duty during the last three months, but con-
sumption goes on as usual, and, the treaty being con-
summated, it may be reasonably assumed that the de-
ficiency of the quarter ending yesterday, will be com-
pensated for by the increased payments that will be
made at a future period, probably between this time
and the sth of January. A more sober view of the
matter being accordingly taken, as the day advanced,
the quotations rallied before the transactions of the
day were concluded.
At the meeting of the Portuguese bondholders the
proposition for agreeing to the confiscatory measure
of the Portuguese Government was acceded to by a
large majority. The bonds fell subsequently to the
meeting, a tolerably clear proof that the operations in
the first instance were, as was suspected, confined to
parties who had confederated for the purpose of prop-

ping it up.
An attempt was 'made to depress the market for
Brighton Railway Shares. It, however, did not suc-
ceed. They left off 35i to 36a.
The guar terly sales of indigo commenced to-day. The
large quantity disposed of at the July sales, and the
unsettled state of the trade generally since that pe-
riod, produced a stagnation in the market until the ar-
rival of the Overland Mail in the beginning of last
month, stating that the growing crop in the principal
districts had sustained great injury. This information
gave another tone to it. higher prices were de-
manded, and, in some instances, an advance of 3d. to
6d. per lb. on the July rates was obtained. On Fri-
day last accounts from Calcutta of
,a month later date
came to hand, confirming the preceding statements to
the full extent, and expressing a fear that further da-
mage to the crops was almost certain through inun-
dations, in which case the supply would fall short of
70,000 maunds, and which, at the best, and with the
most auspicious weather,. could not exceed 100,000
maunds. Such a change of prospects, was calculated,
as is observed in the circular of Messrs. Wilkinson, to
check the downward tendency, and to create firmness,
as well as confidence among the buyers. The circular
proceeds to say that—
" The sales opened by the importers of the first
parcel buying in 18 lots at 6d. to Is. 3d. per lb. above
the July prices, when finding only one single bid,
they withdrew the remainder, namely, 689 chests ;
after which several other parcels were withdrawn,
amounting in all to 1,808 chests, in addition to this
576 withdrawn before; after which a great part was
gheanveer abl
been
ye fromg on fitelh.rotougihs.
to-day, out
bought in is. to ls. 6d. per lb. above the July rates,
e
when the biddings commenced at more moderate
fin,ding purchasers.
rates, where the importers were disposed to sell, auil
res4atd7st e‘sv, e
rt
eh e
withdrawn
aratnd 405 bouallt irk At
thel3llhBi cite6hs Julyerlha oel
prices, without reference to quality ran 'g• 1 .1)
v
from 9d. to ls. 6d. per lb., but irk sgme initaumfroin
6d. to 2s. per lb., about fh .Itllx
rates,, and 394 actu-
ally sold from VI le, per IN. averaging about Bd.
per lb. above the July prices. Prices have ranged
for Bengal from 3s 9d. to 7s. 9d. per lb., atrvi fbr
Madras from 2s. 6d. to 33. 2d. per lb. Mere was a
gnod attendance of buyers NIA the Continent, as
also from the maqufilc,turing districts, but both seem
unwilling to give more than 6d. advance on the JAthi
prices, therefore unless importers meet them there will
be but little sold."

TILE Btsitoi of CARLISLE.—On Friday l4s,t, a
poor man and his wife left Hexham by the Newcastle
and Carlisle train, and proceed ed to Newcastle in
search of work. Having tw money to pay the fare,
the man, 'wheal at liexham, put his watch into the
hands a the guard, as a guarantee that it would ti
paid afterwards. On arriving at Newcastle., the man
accompanied the guard into the stAtinuAeuse, to ac-
quaint the clerk with the circumstance, and to request
that the watch might be safely kept until he returned
with the money, which was 53. The Blaine, ok Cur-
lisle, who was in the waiting-roan), with some ladies,
having overheard the conversation, came forward,
paid the money, and handed the watch to the man.
His Lordship &Hawed the poor man to the door and
gave him an additional half-crown, lint this was not
all. The ladies, who were with 1.1i4 Lordship, imme-
diately entered into a snbscription amongst themselves,
and presented the peer man's wife with ten shillings,
Trio Mowry.
An old man of Couse (Dordogne)), who, notwith-
standing a great appearance of misery, bore the cha-
racter of being the assessor of money, committed
suicide a short time ago. lie disappeared sudden,
94 a few days afterwards his body wv taxon up from
the bottom of the Dordogne; i lAN which be had thrown
himself, with a bag.cAutaining 10,000 francs round
his PPC4OT-2-Go.4rna""