The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1861-12-21

The news brrugh; by the steamer Europa o.
the Proclaim ition Of the Qleen OF Engltnd pro
hibiting tho export from the United Kingdom
Of gunpo~der, birthstone, nitrate of coda and
saltpetre, Is stimulating speculation in the lat
ter article, with which our mark II IL ordinarily
supplied Almos, wholly FROM British sources,
The price advanced Yesterday to 10 cents g
pound, FROM the quotations Of 10 cents and u
cents for the we, k previous, and parties in this
city are endeavofing n secure sufficient control
Of the market TO fix the price to suit themselves.
Thsy should bo mads to understand, however,
that Government will not permit unwauan'ed
combustion and speculstions In an article Of
such rme necessity in time Of war, and, If O.
cAsion shall call for it, the stock in market will
be taken pos session Of at fair price, TO DO fixed
without regard to merely private interests.
Though we have at present large supply on
hand, the proclamation Of the Queen, If long
carried out, may occasion us some inconvenience,
a. nearly all Of our saltpetre is derived from the
British possessions in India, some of II being
shipped at Calcutta, and the rest coming round
70 US through England. In its crude state,
As nitrate IF potash, II is found sbundanuy in
the surface Of the soil in the Indian kingdom Of
Dude, and TO tome extent, also, in Egypt ard
Southern Italy, though the amount imported
from the latter counties is trihiug. Large guam
titles Of nitrate Of soda, or South American salt
pctre, as it is called, are obtained in Chill and
Peru, and this may be easily converted into thr
purest Of sal petre, as it was du ing the Russian
war, when the markets Of that country were
supplied with Saltpstrs thus manufactured In
this country, ard shipped 10 Russia by way of
Hamburg.
Saltpetrs can also he obtained In tho United
States from the limestone caves that abound
In Kentucky and other sections. This was
almost our only source of supply during our
last war with England which cut US OF from our
dependence upon her Indian possessions
Earth yielding 10 per cent. of nitre is sail TO
10 found near Nashville, Tenn, il qulnti'ts
sufficient to supply the entire country,though,
Just at present, this is not likely to help our
Government much. There is an artificial pro.
cess, too, for manufacturing saltpetre from lods
Of decaying vegetable and animal substances,
~'No" WIN Vlu moTtar ana DINER refuse cal
careous earth. But this is slow process, re-.
curing two or three years, 30 that /, i. not
available in an emergency. 1t is chiefly used
In Germany.
The wars ofNAPoLIoN compelled the French
10 make themselves independent Of tho rest Of
tho world In their supply Of this prominent lie =
gredieut Of tho gunpowder they used so Law
ishly, and process was then invented by tn,
French chemists for making slltpetre from OF
plaster rubbish This has enabled France +
disPcnie entirely with foreign supply. Whu
the emergency shall stimulate native production
with US, we shall find ourselves equally indie
pendent, though meanwhile we may have 4
submit TO high prices rendered still more OK
brilliant by the greedy spirit Of speculation
Tho price Of satpetre is ut all times liable to OK
treme fluctuations according to the wArlike o
peaceful tendencies of different nations. ]
reached its highest point in 1905, being quote
In Engand al 40 shillinfs (sip por cwt
falling during the succeed ling year to 40 shil
ings ($l1.) In the London market report f
the week ending Nov. 23j, 1861, the quotation
were IS to 10 shillings, against 10 to 81 shilling
ia September, wien the market was Target
supplied. An unprs codcntod demand has ari &C
since, which swept the market and s,imulite
prices.