a The London soap-manufacturers have resolved that a reduction of
2L per ton shall be made in the price of soap. This sacrifice, which is modoula of considerable importance to men in a large way of business, will lower the price of soap—that is to say, if the retailer takes any notice of the reduction—one farthing and a fraction in the pound.
Tuesday was an important day among the speculators in tallow, as the account for the immense speculations which have been entered into during the last month was appointed to be settled on the 15th instant. On few former occasions has speculation been carried to such an ex- tent as recently ; and the fluctuations in the price of tallow have been between 501. and 43/. per ton, the lowest price having been obtained a few days since. The differences on the speculations, which were very large, were paid without any defaulters being announced. A discovery has been made, by which the merchants in Russia have carried on, it is thought, for some time, a deception in packing tallow, and by which the miter is defrauded. Two heads of tallow-casks have beer. exhibited at the Baltic Coffeehouse during the last three days, taken from some of the recent importations, to show the trick played off by the Russian merchants on the trade here. The heads of the casks are full three times as thick as customary ; and consequently, by taking up greater room than required, the casks contain less of tallow, the tare allowed by austom in the trade being twelve pounds for every hundredweight. The .recent arrivals of vessels from the Russian capital have considerably increased the stock of tallow, which is now nearly 37,000 casks, against 12,800 casks at this period of last year. The deliveries last week were large, having amounted to 4,129 casks.
- Pursuant to orders given by the Lord Mayor for that purpose, the 11,000 hundredweight of British Leaf Tea, belonging to Mr. Neale, was consumed on Thursday in the yard adjoining the interior building of the Excise-office, Old Broad Street. The leaf was conveyed to the yard in fifty-seven hogsheads, and thrown into five large masses ; and at nine o'clock on Thursday morning they were fired by the Excise-officers, and continued to burn the whole day. The Lord Mayor attended at the Excise-office, when the first hogshead of the spurious tea was ig- nited, and was accompanied by several of the City Police ; sonic of whom remained throughout the day, to keep order among a large as- semblage of persons drawn to the spot by curiosity to witness so novel a proceeding. The spurious article destroyed was valued at upwards of 10,000/. [According to this estimate, the British Leaf ought to be worth lEas. per pound, instead of about 2s 6d.] The Duchy of Lancaster have failed in their negotiation with the Mercers' Company. Government undertook to build the new street from the Strand to the British Museum, provided the company would give up the line of road. This they have refused, unless a rental is paid. In consequence, the new street will extend only to York Street.
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