The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-15 00:00:00

(From the London Times.)

Upon the whole, we repeat what we began by saying, that
this change will approximate, perhaps as nearly as it is pos-
sible for any modification of a sliding scale to do, to the ad-
vantages which might he expected from a moderate fixed
duty. It will discourage gambling speculations in corn, and
in the same degree encourage a steady trade in that com-
modity. The uniformity of the rste of reduction, and the
comparatively narrow limits within which it operates, will
both of them tend to give confidence to merchants, and in-
duce them (in the same way that a "fixed duty would) to em-
bark in the corn trade as one of which the results will be sus-
ceptible of previous calculation. Below 51s. the duty will be
fixed, and at no unreasonable rate, if either the average prices
in the corn-growing countries, or the degree of protection
necessary to insure a plentiful home supply, are to be con-
sidered. At 645. it falls to Bs., the point at which the late
ministry proposed to fix it ; and when the price rises beyond
this, the consumer and the importer will have the benefit of
a corresponding reduction of duty. The possible effect of
this arrangement will be to keep the price of wheat, under
ordinary circumstances, at about Ms. per quarter, subject,
of course, to those occasional variations, from the accidents
of seasons, against which no legislation can provide.
That these changes will be unacceptable to the extreme
ageicultural party, who claim a vested interest in the full
amount of protection which they at present enjoy, may be
considered certain from the opposition offered to them by
the Duke of Buckingham ; and again, it is clear, from the
speech of Mr. Cobden last night, that they will give no satis-
faction to the violent politicians on the Anti.Corn-Law side,
who are for sweeping away protection from the face of the
earth. But moderate and practical men will not think less
favourably of them on account of the disapprobation of these
two parties, and we feel convinced that this third class, com-
prising as it does the great and influential majority of the
merchants, manufacturers, and agriculturists of Great Britain,
will unite in accepting them as a valuable boon from the
hands of the conservative ministry.

EAST INDIA SUGAR

(From the Morning Herald.)

The Bombay papers contain an interesting account of the
progress of sugar cultivation in that presidency, under the
superintendence of the Jooneer Company. In the year 1839
a gentleman was despatched to Hewra, to take charge of the
works, and who, immediately upon his arrival, commenced
operations by buying up the whole of the Mauritius sugar-
cane in the district, which amounted to eight bighas • of these
five were made into sugar, and the remainder reduced to
plants. The quality of the sugar was good, and the manu-
facture being conducted upon the plan adopted in the West
Indies, the difference could scarcely be perceived. The
quantity produced was 1,2771b5. of sugar and 5071b5. mo-
lasses, which was less than might have been expected, but
the falling off' was attributable to the systentpursued by the
ryots of yearly exhausting the soil, in order to reap the
greater crop. The plants were sufficient for 38 bighas in the
ensuing season. Of these 22 were made into sugar. and 18
reserved for future planting. The produce of the 38 bighas
was 9,8311b5. sugar, 4,5201b5. molasses, and 7271b5. gool.
The quantity of plants being sufficient for 100 bighas, that
quantity of land was prepared, towards which operation the
ryots, having now become fully aware of the value of the cul-
tivation, willingly subscribed, and would have gone much
further had it been considered advisable to have extended the
operation of the company beyond their means, which at that
time were limited, or beyond what the manager could perso-
nally attend to. Of the 100 bighas, 77 were converted into
sugar, and 23 allowed to go to seed. The seed was appor-
tioned to plant 125 bighas on account of the company, and
50 bighas on native account, with the understanding that
when the canes arrived at maturity, the company should
have the priority of purchase. The produce was esti-
ai,ited to be 52,0001b5. sugar, 7,0001b5. molasses, and
4,000 gallons ruin. This spirit is represented to be very
superior, and a portion of each return of a still is found to
be highly rectified, equal to all the purposes of spirit of wine,
and generally above 50 ande 60 degrees O. P. Thus in three
years several small patches of cane originally planted on trial
by government over' e:ght bighas, have, by concentration and
cultivation, increased to 175 bighas ; and from the disposi-
tion of the ryots, it was inferred that it would extend over
the whole of this, and even through the adjacent districts.
The canes are now grown under contraet by the ryots of four
or five villages, having good garden land, or even fair black
soil, with water sufficient for one to three bighas to each well,
according to their means ; and advances in money, and
plants,for the land, are made at the rate of 20 per cent. on
the crops to be planted ; the money is for the purpose of
procuring the manure, the necessary utensils, &c.; and the
canes are bought, when ripe, at the maximum price of 100
rupees per bigha, and lower in proportion to the quality.
It was expected that two years hence sufficient would be
grown by the ryots on their own accounts. to supply the
works with cane, and that they would endeavour to produce
oetter canes than those grown under contract, in order to
ensure a higher price. The ulterior advantage to the natives
was looked upon as likely to be great, in giving extra labour
and employment to many individuals who otherwise would,
probably, be a great burden on their own limited resources,
and remain in a state of all but idleness, and by which they
have an opportunity of improving their habits, and learning
another business. It is also suggested that these establish-
ments would prove useful to the class of Anglo-Indian lads,
by putting them to acquire practically a knowledge of cane-
planting, sugar-making. and distilling, especially now that
the cultivation of sugar is extending in the Deccan, about
Poonah, Sholapoor, and in some parts of Kandesh.

THE KING OF PRUSSIA AND HIS DONATIONS

We are informed that his Majesty entered the harbour at
Ostend shortly after daybreak on Saturday morning week,
after experiencing a delightful voyage.
His Majesty, shortly after his landing, wrote an autograph
letter to our beloved Sovereign, acquainting her Majesty of
his safe arrival at Ostend, with which a courier was despatched
immediately, who reached Windsor on Sunday.
The subjoined is a list of some of the munificent donations
given by his Majesty to the different charities and establish-
ments in the metropolis :
To the Society of Friends of Foreigners in Distress, £soo
„ the Dreadnought Hospital Ship lOO
„ the Shipwrecked Fisherman and Mariner Society 50
„ the German Catholic Church
„ the German Lutheran Church (Savoy) 5O
17 ditto ditto ditto (Little Ailey-str.) 50
ditto ditto ditto (Hamburg Church) 50
„ the German Reformed Church (Hooper-square) 50
His Majesty, as has been before announced, gave £5O to
the workmen of the Thames Tunnel, and to the attendants
of the Great Western Railway his Majesty, before leaving
this country, sent the handsome sum of £lOO.
The royal bargemen who assisted at his Majesty's landing
at Greenwich, have been presented with £25.
To the Queen's household at Windsor Castle, comprising
the domestics in the departments of the Master of the Horse,
Lord Chamberlain, and Lord Steward, his Majesty has left,
with regal munificence, the surifof £l5OO.
To the poor of Windsor the King previously gave £lOO.
The domestics at Buckingham Palace have, in addition to
those of Windsor Castle, been left £lOO.
The six beautiful vases presented by his Majesty to the
Queen and Prince Albert, are reported to be unique, and of
inestimable value. They are of the finest porcelain, covered
with exquisite paintings and elaborately ornamented, and
stand six feet high.
They were conveyed from Berlin in 18'cases, and their
value may be judged, for they were insured at Antwerp for
"sea risk" to this country for 100,000 francs.

- Majesty, we- understand,gave the liberal sum of £6OO
to be divided among the crews of the Firebrand and Shear.,
water steamers, proportionate to the rank of each person em-
ployed on board.
As is generally the case when a crowned head visits the do-
minions of a friendly state, the King of Prussia came pro,
vlded with a number of valuable gold snuff boxes for pre-
sentation.

—..—.-...
His Majesty has, we hear, presented handsome gold boxes
to the Earl of Jersey (Master of the Horse), the Earl of
Delawarr (Lord Chamberlain), and the Earl of Liverpool
(Lord Steward of the queen's Household). The boxes are
very valuable, being set with brilliants of the finest water,
surrounding a miniature of his Majesty on the lid. They
may be considered the finest specimens of Berlin workman-
ship, and the value of each box is said to be upwards of
£7OO.

The Earl of Hardwicke, Capt. Meynell, R.N., M.P., and
Colonel Arbuthnot, the lord, groom, and equerry in waiting
to the Queen, selected for the honour of attending on his
Majesty, have, we understand, also been presented with
similar tokens of his Majesty's esteem.