The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-18 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

The Tay steamer, bringing the West India mail, has made
a quick passage, not being a day behind the period allowed
for her arrival, a fact worthy of notice, as showing that it
was, after all, the want of experience, as much as anything
else, which produced those delays hitherto occurring, and
which formed such just basis of complaint among the mer-
cantile interest connected with the various islands. When
the revised plan lately submitted and approved of by the
body of shareholders in the, company carrying out this im-
portant undertaking shall have been put in full operation,
there is every reason to expect that the voyages will be
successfully and punctually performed, and without any of
those interruptions which, whether viewed in the spirit of
opposition from parties who had other objects in contempla-
tion, or interference on the part of authorities in some of the
islands connected with other powers, were, of course, calcu-
lated to arrest in some measure the perfect developement of
the system. The dates by the Tay came down as late as the
9th of September from Jamaica, the 2d from Trinidad, the
3d from Barbadoes, the Ist from St. Vincent's, the 24th of
August from Demerara, the 26th from St. Kitt's, and the
24th from

By the advices from Jamaica it appears that the commercial
prospects Ul ace ualiy (Jet:wiling more disheartening,
tee great causes being the distrust of capitalists and the de-
ficiency of labour. As some remedy to this discouraging
state of things, the merchants contemplate the reduction of
the freight of sugar to Is. per cwt. ; and it was expected
that a meeting would be called on the subject. The present
rate of freight from Jamaica nearly doubles that from Ha-
vannah, and it is said exceeds that from the East Indies.
A lighthouse has been erected on Moran-point, and will be
illuminated on the Ist of November, with a revolving light.
The tower is painted white, and stands 103 feet above the
level of the sea, the centre of the light being 96 feet, and dis-
tinguishable at the distance of 21 miles in clear weather. The
arrival of a native of St. Domingo, who called himself a
brother of the late King of Hayti, had afforded much amuse-
ment at Jamaica. He came with a company of young ne-
groes, and took up his abode in a most respectable lodging-
house. A black levee was held every day, and the
appearance of royalty was kept up, when at last the landlord
applied for payment, and was informed that the prince wished
the claim to be deferred till he had received the sum of
£40,000 due to him from the British government. The
whole affair ended with the mock prince being sent to the
House of Correction. The Portuguese are said to be car-
rying on the slave-trade as assiduously as ever, in spite of
all the efforts of this country to restrain them.
The Trinidad papers contain the special report of the Agri-
cultural Association on the result of the crops, which states
that throughout the season the weather having been highly
favourable, the planters, with few exceptions, had succeeded
in advantageously manufacturing their sugars, little of which
now remained in the curing houses, and the general conse-
quence was, that the quantity exported this year up to the
31st of July exceeded by 450 hhds. that exported in the same
period last year. The total amount of produce so shipped is
stated at 18,394 Mids., 1,173 tierces, and 3,354 barrels of
sugar, 6,312 puncheons, and 436 tierces molasses, and 81
puncheons of rum. With respect to the condition of labour
in the island, it is remarked that the rate of wages continued
high compared with the quantity of work performed, while
also great difficulty still existed in obtaining it continuously.
Many estates are represented as being in great distress for
want of hands. The circulation of counterfeit coin had occa-
sioned much vigilance among the shopkeepers. The money,
from its clumsy manufacture, appears to be easily detected,
and the magistrates have made an example by summarily
punishing two or three parties who had tendered it in pay-
ment of goods.
In the Barbadoes journals complaints are made of the scar-
city of cash and provisions, and the middling classes were
suffering, not only from the high prices which were asked for
the necessaries of lire, such as corn meal, flour, bread stuffs,
yarns, and potatoes, but also from the difficulty they experi-
enced in finding the means wherewith to purchase, in conse-
quence of the restricted condition of the circulating medium.
According to the accounts from St. Lucia, the estates were
suffering much from the prolonged drought and excessive
heat ; for though occasional showers had visited the island
during the month, they were light and partial.

FACTORY LABOUR IN AUSTRIA.—The Vienna Gazette
announces officially, that the Austrian Government has come
to the following regulations with regard to the labour of
children in manufactories, which furnish an example worthy
of imitation nearer home :-1. The earliest age at which
children can be employed is fixed at 12 years. 2. The only
exception shall be for children who at 9 years of age have for
three years received a religious education and attended school;
but as long as these children shall continue at an age which
they ought to attend school, the manufacturers shall watch
over their education, and call into them ministers of the
Gospel, but without interrupting their work. 3. For chil-
dren between 9 and 12 years old the maximum of the time
they are to work is fixed at ten hours, and between 12 and
16 years of age at 12 hours, but they shall be allowed an
interval of one hour. 4. Manufacturers shall be bound to
prevent all disorder and scandalous conduct among the adults
in their establishments, 5. Manufacturers shall keep regis-
ters, in which shall be entered the names and ages of the
children, their residences, and the period at which they en-
tered the manufactory. This registrar shall be produced
before the magistrate and the minister of public worship
whenever it may be required. 6. All contravention of these
regulations shall be punished with a fine of from 2 to 100
florins; and in case of a repetition of the offence, the offen-
der may be interdicted from having any children under 12
years of age in his employment. 7. The authorities are char-
ged with the enforcement of these regulations.
FRENCH AND ENGLISH COMMENCE.—The Journal du
Havre contains the following interesting statistical report :
•• In 1841, the English ports received or despatched 42,719
vessels, measuring 7,525,585 tons. There had been, in 1840,
42,455 vessels, and 7,497,833 tons. This increase is incon-
siderable; but it roust be stated that, in the preceding year,
the augmentation amounted to 882,000 tons. The tonnage
of the vessels leaving or entering the ports of France, in 184 U,
was 2,896,000 tons. In 1839, the amount was 2,930,000 tons ;
showing, it is true, only a small falling off, but still it was a
falling off. Up to this point, putting aside the enormous
numerical inferiority of our tonnage, the comparison is but
' little importance; but it becomes eminently discouraging
when the parts which the shipping of both countries have
taken respectively in the general movement are considered.
In England, out of 7,525,585 tons, English vessels transported
5,525,429, giving a proportion of 74 to 26, or about three-
fourths. In France, out of 2,896,000 tons, our vessels took
only 1,211,000 tons, or a proportion of 42 to 98, or a little
more than two-fifths. Thus, whilst for England the results
of the preceding year give the same returns, showing that if
the movement of the national navigation has not progressed,
it has not at least retrograded. In France, the same exami-
nation shows, that in the space of a year only. foreign ship-
ping has taken from us a twenty-fifth part of the carrying
trade. In 1841, the coasting trade of. England gave the large
total of 22,183,047 tons. In France, in 1840, the quantity
was only 1,314,735 tons, not much more than the tenth part,
The average burden of vessels employed in the English coast-
ing trade is about 80 tons, whilst in France it only amounts
to 27 tons. The whole of the merchant vessels of England
amounted, in 1840, to 28,692, measuring 3,311,528 tons.
France, at the same period, possessed 15,600 vessels, the ton-
nage of which did not exceed 662,600 tons. A remark which
these figures sugges:, and which is not without interest, is,
that. whilst the number of our vessels is equal to nearly the
half of those possessed by Great Britain, the amount of their
tonnage scarcely reaches a fifth part."
EAsTERN AFFAIRS.—The Univers publishes a letter from
Syria, announcing that the inhabitants of one entire village,
situate near Bethlehem, and inhabited by Greek Catholics,
bad been obliged, in order to save themselves from the per-
secution they had endured for many years at the hands of
schismatic Greeks, who were instigated thereto by Russia, to
apostatize and conform to the schismatic creed. After draw-
ing a frightful picture of the sufferings of the Christian po-
pulation of Syria, ever since the Four Powers took them un-
der their protection, that journal adds—" Alas ! shall Syria,
like Poland, be considered beyond the reach of relief ? Shall
we, then, likewise suffer an entire Catholic population to be
smothered in cold blood? In Poland we had Catholic bre-
' thren and allies to array against the encroachments of Russia
in Europe, and in the. East we could oppose our Catholic
brethren and allies of Syria to the encroachments of Russia
on the Ottoman empire. Who shall now be found to side
with us and tight our battles at the inevitable hour of the cri-
swttsie:eirarenfd
isihwareedthe perils of the struggle ? We abandoned to
fate the Catholics of Spain and Switzerland. We every-
ruined, and enslavel
our brethren and friends, and all whose inte-
rest it was to make
in our turn left .
common cause with us, to be weakened,
the penalty of our improvidence aud when we shall be menaced, sad
d against all, we shall undergo
te°u'eureersmisdsawjelraiiifiteactFiee'ruin and apdoicste:icywoef
and cower ,
should not
shall be
bae,
Woe to the statesmen who
thelics of the East,
the Ottoman Empire, in Spasinofastline \:'est, in Russia as in
only prove a calamity for religion, butwi
atzecraland, would not
for our national interests ! Should our Government
uuoste of. weakness
h e
perse-
vere much longer in its present policy, negotiation
wilt
haantvettoo:_awesieldl
to
out of the question, for no Catholics w will
replaced by Russian and English schismatic
pro-
tected in the East ; the Ottoman Empire
be irretrievable ;
conquered, without ever having
theacentoerfsuhliipy;our loss will
weakening and downfall of our nation-
aexaidsturredtibeeaeiPpros
and conquered,
as in_ West, we shall experience
atsottahsewellthe
nation-
ality. tin, owing to
the chastisement we deserve, by our culpable dereliction of
a Catholic protectorship,. which we were in hopour and duty
bound to maintain, it being thehgalohraioducsaninghaeerrietaduciet
atrt sheans-
mitted to us by our ance,stpr.s, w
price of their blood."

,

THE NEW POSTAGE ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN

FRANCE AND ENGLAND.

We have great pleasure in stating that the propositions for
a revision of the post-office tariff between France and Eng=
land., submitted to the Er,glish Government on the part of
the French authorities, have been received in a spirit which
promises the desired results, although there are still, we
learn, some difficulties to be surmounted. The most speedy
and certain course would seem to be at once to annul the ex-
isting treaties, and to conclude an entirely new one. This is
the wish of the French Government, we understand ; but it
appears that it is contrary to the routine of the English Post-
office, and, consequently, the object is proposed to be at-
tained by additions made to the convention at present in
force. The bases of the respective arrangements are under-
stood to be as follows :—The French Government consents,
as regards all letters to and from England and France, to
apply the same tariff as for letters in the interiosof this
country ; and the English Government on its part agrees
to reduce the uniform charge of 10d. to 3d., so that a letter
from Paris to London, or from London to Paris, which
now costs 2 francs, would cost only 9d. in London, or 90
centimes (18 sous) in Paris ; and the postage for letters
beyond the weight at which the single rate is now charged
would experience a reduction on the same scale. In addition,
it is offered by the French Government to reduce considera-
bly the charges for the transit of letters from England through
France to the East Indies and other points. In noticing
these propositions, the credit of originating which is, we are
assured, due to the French Government—although they were
met in a spirit of corresponding liberality by the English
Cabinet and the Post-office authorities, whose routine, how-
ever, does not admit of quite so prompt a termination of the
formalities as could he wished—we think it right to allude to
the exertions made by the French Government in 1836 to
effect the improvement in the postage relations which then
took place between the two countries, and by which the neces-
sity of pre-payment of postage was dispensed with, and a re-
duction made in the rate of postage then charged. The im-
portance of the changes which took place at that period will
be more fully appreciated by the following table, showing the
rates of postage before and after that year between England
and several of the towns in France, and likewise the reduced
rate now proposed to be adopted :

Postage pre- Postage Postage
vious to 1836. since 1836. proposed.
4 1
..,..... Names of
,A . •d
Towns. "8 r. .....- 73 . r.. • Ta ' ' •
= ',-.!„ rs c -,-,i, lii c To• 74
.). c i; .). c 15 F. c O
..:
44 43 E. 44 P 4 E. GT- 4 41 E.
f. c. f. c. f. c. f. c. f. c. f. c.f. c. f. c.\f. c.
Calais 0 701 4012 1010 301 01 300 20,0 30.0 50
Boulogne .... 0 901 40,2 30'0 501 01 500 20,0 3010 50
Lille
Rouen
Paris
60 0 30 0 90
,
Nantes 1 601 40,3 011 101 012 10,0 70,0 30 1 0
Bordeaux
Marseilles
i I

The reform of 1836 was considered a great amelioration, as
indeed it was ; but the spirit of progress since that time has
been such as to render a larger concession necessary, both as
regards the mercantile relations between England and France,
and the general international intercourse, which has aug-
mented considerably, in spite of the pestage barrier that still
existed. The new treaty will, therefore, give universal satis-
faction in England and in France, and we trust that nothing
will occur to prevent its being speedily put in force.—Galig-
nani's Messenger.