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kind of fuel must be sought in coal - an article which had found its way into society by stealth, and even under the ban of criminal prosecution. The trade in salt was a monopoly, the governors and proprietors of the works preventing any one from sinking new wells, till about the close of the seventeenth century. Robert Steynor, a man of fortune and courage, sank two pits on his own freehold, and defended himself in an action on the ground that King John (who had granted to the burgesses his property here on their paying £100 a year as fee-farm rent) could not have conveyed to them the whole town and the proprietorship of all the salt underneath it, but only such part as his Majesty was possessed of. Mr. Steynor gained his suit, after some £6,000 had been spent, and the monopoly ceased. Many parties then sank wells, and the tradje became greatly extended. In 1725 Sir B.. Lane sunk some pits lower than before, and boring through the talc which was at the bottom, came to a sea of brine, which forced up with such violence as to kill two of the workmen. Henceforth the old pits, which had been considered as good investment as any Government security, became worthless, and many institutions, charities, and private individuals, were ruined, poor Steynor receiving parish pay before he died. The reduction of the duty in 1825 induced a greatly increased consumption, and the proprietors of the original works set about protecting themselves from competition, purchasing most of the land available for the erection of new works. For a time they managed to keep up prices and profits, but rival companies at length appeared on the scene, and the price was so reduced as to be unremunerative ; and that is, I fear, the general character of the trade at present, notwithstanding the great sale of this fine product in nearly all parts of the world. There have been sad failures here during the last twenty years; gentlemen laden with cash have invested it in the purchase of land, built expensive works, and ruined.themselves, with many others. The best trade in the world would be destroyed by such mad compe-