The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-19 00:00:00

818S10

PRODUCE.—The market for Sugar has not been
so brisk as previously, and while the demand has
been limited, lower prices have had to be submitted
to. The sales during the week were only 150 hhds.
West India, 1,500 bags Bengal, 5,000 mats new
Mauritius, and 1,600 bags Madras; and of Foreign,
230 hhds. Porto Rico, 280 hhds. Surinam, and
1,500 bags Brazil, all at rather lower rates. In
Molasses no business has been done, owing to
buyers requiring lower terms. Coffee dull, the
sales being limited to 300 bags Bahia and 200 bags
damaged St. Domingo. The market for Tea is
stagnant, owing to the uncertainty about the duty,
but greens were in fair request at previous rates.
Of black Pepper 700 bags sold at 31d. to 3i-d. per
lb. Of Rice the sales amounted to 3,000 bags
Bengal, 500 bags Arracan, and a small parcel of
Carolina; the latter at 20s. 9d. to 21s. per cwt.
In Rum not much doing, 200 puns. Demerara sold
at ls. Bid. per gallon proof. Of Saltpetre 800 bags
sold at 275. to 28s. for 6 to 41 per cent, refraction,
and 30s. for Calcutta refined. In Guano no change
to note. From a Parliamentary return it appears
that the importation in 1851 was 243,014 tons, and
in 1852, 129,889 tons. Rough Turpentine in less
demand. Of Hides 2,000 salted River Plate sold
at 51cl. for heavy Os. In Olive Oil little doing.
Linseed Oil in better demand : 30 tons sold at 295.,
and 20 tons pale Rape at 365. to 38s. per cwt. Of
Palm Oil 270 tons on the spot sold at £33 10s.,
and 900 tons to arrive at £34 per ton. Tallow in
active request at 465. 6d. for Petersburg Y.C.
Baltic Hemp dull. Of Jute 1,000 bales on the
spot sold at £lB to £2O for inferior to middling,
and about the same quantity to arrive at previous
rates. Clover Seed lower, but for Flax Seed higher
prices were asked. To-day the sales of Sugar, in-
cluding the business of Saturday, comprise 75
hhds. Demerara at 345. to 355., 50 hhds. Jamaica
at 345. 6d. to 355. 64, 400 mats yellow Mauritius
at 365., 160 hhds. Surinam at 335., from the quay,
and 20 hhds. Porto Rico at 395. Gd. to 395. 9tl. per
cwt. Of Rum 70 puns. Surinam are reported at
ls. 81d. per gallon, proof. The transactions in
Tea have been quite of a retail character. Carolina
Rice has been in good demand, and 350 tierces
have changed hands at 21s. to 235. 6d. per cwt.
100 bags Sincapore black Pepper sold at 31d., 50
bags Malabar at 3id. per lb., and 150 bales Gam-
bier at 275. per cwt.
WooL.—There is no feature worthy of notice in
the market this week, a quietness has prevailed
here ; public sales will take place to-morrow and
Thursday, when 5400 bales will be offered for com—
petition ; prices very firm and still looking up,
Imports for the week 403, bales; viz., 209 East
India, 90 Mediterranean ports, 105 Irish, 5 Coast—
wise.

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL,

(From the Morning Herald.)
We learn that the insurance companies and underwriters
have taken alarm at the intended operation of this bill,
clause 37- of which permits owners to send to India for-
Lascars or Coolies to bring their vessels home from Aus-
tralia. They will not insure vessels navigated with such
crews ;:but the club system of gambling may get over this
difficulty. The life of a captain•or his officers are nothing
in the eyes of Messrs. Grindzem-down and Co. If the-
ship is burnt the club will stump up the money for a new
vessel, and there the matter ends ; though it is strange
that a professing liberal government should give further
encouragement to murder on the high seas and the burn-
ing of ships. Other nations are more careful of the lives
of their seamen ; it is only the British government that
can relax the law, and take part with the associations of
owners against the men. They would not interfere with
wages,. not they, it is against their convictions ; they will
only swamp the labour market, that is all. As Radicals,
they are true oppressors.
In. the House of Lords, the other day, the Duke of
Argyll; Lord Granville, and• Earl Grey repudiated all idea.
of reducing the seamen's wages. Those benevolent no.
blemen of course could not be suspected of such a sinister
proceeding, yet to what does their scheme amount ?
Mr. Cardwell has " such confidence in the worth and
character of the British sailor, that ho could fairly and
successfully compete with the whole world, that, if he were
a shipowner, he should give them the preference over
foreigners." Well, then, if he believes in what he states,
why does he give encouragement to the employment of an
inferior body of men ? When the owners ask him to give
them the option of employing• foreigners, does he not see
through their motive?' Can.he not comprehend than it is
not good seamen, but cheap crews that they want ? The
Whig peers protest that British seamen are the " best
and cheapest in the world ;"' and they further declare that
here is no fear of the dearth of mariners, for our insular
position is favourable to the productoin of an over abund-
ance of sailors. Then, what are they driving at ? Can
they tell themselves ?- Is it not sufficient that a British
owner may employ one-fourth foreigners? When
they ask for permission to sail their vessels exclu-
sively with foreigners, is not this an admission that
they do not want good, but cheap seamen ? And divest
this matter of all circumlocution, are not the Ministers
colleaguing with owners- to beat down the wages of sea-
men ? It may shock the susceptible nerves of the noble
duke and earls before-mentioned to tell them they are
mixing themselves up with the shipowners' clubs and
betraying the seamen,, but it fairly amounts to that. As
for the stupidity of prating about free trade in seamen,
we should have thought no sane man could have reason-
ably entertained such a preposterous notion. Free trade
in seamen means, if anything, free trade in nationality,
for we must wait till the arrival of the millennium before
other nations- will consent to destroy the nationality of
their shipping.. There can be no trade in seamanship ;
if we exchange seamen, we barter away our nationality.
How the Emperors of France and Russia would smile at
such an insane proposition : and if Messrs. Cardwell and
Co. cannot gain the consent of other nations to accept
our seamen as well as our ships, then what becomes of
our free trade in seamen ?
the abrogation of the misting most favourable
system would injure owner as well as man ; their interests
are identical, if viewed in a proper light. True, the
passing of the new bill might enable owners to more
easily rob seamen of their wages abroad ; but this is no
part of the duty of the Government to minister to.. It
would also create facilities for the discharge of crews in
foreign ports, for which a remedy is even now needed ; for
we have heard of one master having no less than six crews
on board one ship (the Agnes Lee) in seven months.
The following copy of a letter to the President of the
Board of Trade has been handed to us for publication ; it
speaks for itself :
" Seamen's-office, Minerva-place, Hartlepool,
April 6, 1853.
"Sir,—l take leave respectfully to draw yoar attention to
the subject of desertion, for which we are told the Merchant
Shipping Bill will be an infallible cure. There have been
several cures attempted before in the shape of legislative acts ;
but, instead of removing, they have but served to aggravate
and increase the evil. Whilst in London with the deputation
of seamen, I had opportunities of conversing with the southern-
going sailors, and it is my belief that the third reading of the
Merchant Shipping Bill with the 29th clause will be the signal
for desertion of seamen in British ships to foreign ports, when-
ever and wherever possible, to the ruin of the British ship-
owner, and I repeat that their example will be followed by the
seamen of the northeast ports, and I therefore humbly solicit
on behalf of those ports, and the port of Hartlepool more espe-
cially, your influence in parliament to reject this obnoxious
clause.
"The general feeling among the seamen is. that the moment
has arrived when if British owners can dispense with the ser-
vices of British seamen, our tars can find employment in
Australia and the United States, and thus leave the English
ships to foreigners.
" With respect to that clause in the delegates' memorial
which alludes to the seamen being unwilling to defend this
country, in case of war, should clause 29 pass the third read-
ing,-1 can assure yon, sir, that so indignant are our seamen
at what they consider the ingratitude of the legislature,
and the ungenerous spirit by them displayed towards the
seamen, that I firmly believe that too much reliance
should not be placed on their services in the event of a war.
I am instructed by our committee to state that they consider
you have been most ungenerous in your remarks on British
seamen, for owners in British foreign-going ships have been
I allowed to engage one-fourth foreigners, besides lascars,
negroes, &c., without any remonstrance from British seamen;
and though the coasting trade has been closed against foreign-
ers, the foreigners admitted into the southern ships have
always assisted to throw a large number of surplus hands into
the home trade to keep down wages.
re Hoping that you will have the kindness to give some con-
sideration to the interests of the sailor as well as the ship-
owner before passing the third reading of the bill, and that you
will bear in mind that, however wealthy this nation may be in
other respects, she would indeed be poor if deserted by her
natural defenders the seamen,
" I have the honour to remain, Sir,
"Your obedient servant,
"WILLIAM LESTER PATTESON.
" Right Hon. E. Cardwell, M.P., Board of Trade."

THE British and North American mail steam-ship
Canada, Stone, commander, took her departure hence for
Halifax and Boston, on Saturday, at 1 15 p.m., having
155 passengers and a full cargo, besides the usual mails.

AN INFALLIBLE PRECAUTION AGAINST RAILWAY
ACCIDENTS.—No fares to be paid until the end of the
.
journey—and then only to be paid the event Of a palm
having arrived safe d