The Sun. — 1867-12-11 (London, England)

POLAND.  The British Consul-General at Warsaw, reporting to the Foreign-office on the trade and cornmerce of Poland in the year 1866, declares himself unable to discern any improvement. The returns show 2,136 cotton factories employing 12,800 persons, and producing to the value of 5,053,556 roubles ; 1,031 woollen factories employing 8,577 persons, and producing 6,217,913 roubles ; 40 sugar factories employing 8,528 persons, and producing 3,733,925 roubles. The total number of artisans and handicraftsmen, including about 40,000 employed in manufactories workingon agricultural and animal produce, was returned in 1865 as 92,471, and the total value of the produce as exceeding 72,000,000 roubles. The want of labour and capital for agriculture is severely felt. In 1866, the year under review, many persons were obliged to sell their corn standing ; these crops were often bought by Jew speculators, who had little capital themselves, and considerable waste ensued from neglect and mismanagement. It is thought that large tracts of land will go out of cultivation in the hands of small proprietors, owing to inability to find capital for buying seed and paying for labour. Some of the best cultivated land, however, is to be found in the hands of peasants who learnt the principle of agriculture under the old system, and apply the same now that they are freeholders, bestowing, indeed, much more care upon their work than when they were rendering forced labour. One cause of the scarcity of cattle for the raising of corn is the attention given to the culture of beetroot and manufacture of sugar, which is one of the most profitable commercial speculations ; beetroot sugar is protected by a duty on imported sugar. The cross roads and bridges, now that they are no longer iu the charge of the landowners, are described as getting into so bad a condition that they are almost impassable except in the height of summer or in hard frosts; and the consequent inconvenience is immense, especially in the early spring. The population of Poland, as shown by the census of 1865, the most correct census that has been taken, was 5,388,534 ; previous returns were below the truth, being taken from the returns supplied by the landowners for the conscription. Excluding the returns of the custom-house of Wierzbolow, as representing nearly the exclusive transit to Russia by railway, the consul puts the external trade of Poland in 1865 at 31,500,000 roubles, viz., 16,100,000 roubles imports, and 15,400,000 roubles exports, corn, timber, and wool furnishing nearly four-fifths of the exports.  Viscount Hamilton, M.P., kit town last evening to join the Marquis of Aboreorn at the Viceregal Lodge,  CQe-66f ,sHocraivo gurcil„pr -4,27 P.M.WMAN;  On Tuesday morning Mr. Charles Bridges,- an bli shed and highly-respectable solicitor of Birmingliam,oom mitted suicide under circumstances of an unusually shocking description. He left his home at about a quarter past ten o'clock, looking very much as usual, but saying nothing as to his return, which was his usual custom, or as to where or for what purpose he was going out. Soon after eleven o'clock some persons who knew 'him by sight obiw ved him waiting at the Stechford Station, a little above the platform. Shortly afterwards an express train from London to Birmingham approached, when he was seen deliberately to threw himself across the rails, placing his neck ca the fc.rther one, his legs being o.eroso the opposite rail. The epeetators cried out, but in an instant the train passed over the unfortunate gentleman. It was then found that his head, arms, and legs were severed from his body and left, while the mutilated trunk was carried on some distance by the fire-box of the engine. Domestic r *ction is said to have disturbed his mind of late, and it would appear that he had been considering other modes of selfmurder, as a new razor was found in his pocket. Ho leaves a widow, but no children, to deplore his_untimely and shocking end.  THE THIRD EDITION of "THE SUN," giving all the SPORTING NEWS of the day, may be seen at JEMMY MANTON'S house, "The Swan and Horse Shoe," 32, li.ttle Britain, City, E.C.