The Sun. — 1840-09-29 (London, England)

THE AVERAGES.  In two former numbers we exposed the manoeuvres by which a few speculators were raising the average price of corn, for the purpose of lowering the duty on foreign grain iu bond. We showed that those operations were carried on chiefly in London, where prices had advanced ten and fifteen shillings a quarter, whilst in the markets of Kent and Essex, whence the London supplies are derived, no rise in prices had taken place ; and whilst in Mark-lane double the ordinary amount of business was doing we enumerated several large towns from whence no returns had been made ! We explained by facts and figures how completely the supply of food for the people was at the mercy of a few gamblers. The result has shown at once the power of the London dealers over the averages, and the utter worthlessness of the present law to the farmer. At the very moment when the latter was gathering in his crops, the speculator contrived to lower the duty to the nominal rate of 2s. Bd., and thus liberate nearly a million quarters of foreign corn from bond, just in time to forestall the protected British farmer in his own market !  No sooner was this operation upon the corn-market made public, than the upholders of the present Cornlaw raised a cry against it. Admirable consistency, to find fault with the effect of the very system which they had themselves panned and passed into a law! Mr. Handley, one of the South Lincolnshire Members (a supporter of the inhuman bread tax, yet calling himself Liberal!) published a letter, stating that " several large houses in the corn trade have combined and subscribed to make forced purchases for the purpose of reducing the duty." And some of the Newspapers in the interest of the landlords actually charged the Anti-Corn-law party with being at the bottom of the plot ! The Standard and Post must surely speculate largely on the gullibility of the farmers, to imagine that they will follow so false a scent. No. no ; the gamblers who can work the averegas as they please—they into whose pockets the sliding scale puts iniihors—will flyer be found in the ranks of the repealers.  We believe that, with scarcely an exception, the great corn dealers are in favour of the present law ; and judging from the proceedings of the last month, they have very good reasons for supportieg it. Looking back to the evidence of 1836 before the Committee of the House of Commons, we find our eminent friend, Mr. Joseph Sturge, alone advocating nature's Cornlaw—freedom of trade in the article of food with every market of the globe. That excellent man and S:r Joshua Walmsley arc, we believe, almost the only large corn 'dealers who have prominently aided the AntiCorn-law party. No, no ; let the cap he rightly fitted. The sliding scale belongs to the landlords and the corn speculators, both parties professing to support the present Corn-law for the like disinterested object. the pro teetion of the farmer and labourer.—Anti Corn-Law Circular.  We have heard from Ludlow that a pair of stockings. presumed to belong to Misters, charged with the attempt to murder Mr. Mackreth, have been found within the last day or two in the msttress of the bed in which the prisoner slept,— Worcester Herald. Private George Bennet, of the Ist Dragoons, is about to be discharged. fie is the last man left (except the Quarter-matter) out of 450 who served with the regiment at Waterloo, where 97 of his comrades were kited and 98 wounded. lie was born in the regiment, and weal s four rings for good conduct —United Service Gazette. It has been decided that Drury Lane is to open next week with Concers &Hirer; and, as at present known, it is Mr. Eliason's intention to have the German Opera probably bef .re or soon after Christman. M. Liszt, in passing through Bonn the other d, paid the sum of 10.060 francs as. part of his promised munificent donation toward:, the monument of Beethoven,