The Express. — London, England, 1848-03-30 00:00:00

office of the Board of Trade. The oommiesimutre present were the Earl of Blienborough, Admiral Bir . E. Codnagton, boardW. Clay, ht.P., Mr. - Look, and Mr. Enderby. llse set two hours. Mr. J. Wood, Chairman of the Excise, had an in teriew with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday. Mr. Lfigham, Secretary and Comptroller.Generel to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, had a lso an interview yesterday with the right hon. baronet at pis official residence, in Downing-street. Mr. Spackman, Mr. Russell, and Mr. Wapshere, had an interview with the Commissioners of Railways yea urday at their office, in the Board of Trade, Whitehall, on the necessity of amending Lord Dalho , isie's act. Despatches were received yesterda y . at the Colonial offire, from the Governors of the Mauritius, Gambia, and Sierra Leone DEATH OF SIR W. 0. PARKER, BART., R.N.—This officer died on the 24th, at Plymouth, in the 62ad year of his site. lle was eon of the first bart by the eldest d a ughter of E. Colling wood, Esq., of Greenwich. He suc ceeded his father in 1800, arid married shortly afterwards the daughter of J. C. 1 f Pil l , Esq. He became • lieutenant t o the navy in 1810, 1814. and w When as adva lieutenant nced to the on ran board t he of cap e - in in the navy in La Renommee he cut oat a schooner from under the bat tery of Torre de Veit' and in the boats of the same ship b oar ded the Tartan, of four guns, and on the following day captured two guns from the harbour of Colon. He had the honour of bring gazetted three times. The first baronet was also in the navy, and held the rank of rear-admiral of the PROFESSIONAL LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY. The first annual meeting of this company was held yesterday, at the offices in C leea p side. Col. Cameron in the chair. The ACTUARY read the following report: Although a period of lens tha n twelve months bas elalpsed commence slime the complete registration of this corpo nth availing them ration and the nata ment of basins*, the directors have much please selves of this opportunity to meet the shareholders, end submit to theca • ststement of the mamma and inmspecta of the s caapthy. Th e amounts a pproved and credited, and this day laid before you, are necerearily confined to the transactions of the company teem April, p er iod the date of ins commencement, to the 31Int of December last—a er of only eight month, In reviewing, however, the akin of the office from the date of iis commencement to the present time, the directors are gratified to ennounce that, notwithstanding the e.truoefliforeY general deprooton of tr ad e and corcumme, degree of success boa attended the company, which promises well for its ultimate usefulness and etability. From the date of the issuing of the first pokey on the 23rd of April last to the preterit time, a term of ecateely eleven months, 101 policies have been effected, producing an income of 1,0151. Os. 3d. • result they cannot, under tbe ember riming cithumetancee of the times, but conaider highly a te oes byactory en d enccsiraging, although they regret to report that one death, involving a claim of 4001., has during the inte-thl occurred and been liquidated. The directors have the satisfaction to inform the ehareholders that the capital of the company already subscribed fur, and dietributed among a highly respectable proprtetary, places its affairs upon a safe and responsible haslet Out of 2110,0001. consti tuting its entire capital, derived from 29,000 charm of IN. Ina each, the sum of 92,562/. 10s. has, up to the prevent time, b en appropri ated and eulascribed for. 'Die number of shares for winch the deed - has been actually signed, is 7,403, of which 609 only remain unpaid upon, leaving a balance of 3001. due to the company. With reelect to the unappropriated 'Mares, the directors are desirous to ap portion Went he small numbers among parties able and disposed to uest the p r omote the interests of the corporation, and earnestly req assist/aloe of the shareholders in effecting that object. With this view they will at all Omen be willing to receive, and ready to comply4 , 6th. the recofnmendations of the tharebolders in a prudent dis tribution of a portion of the remaining share With regard to the interest due upon the p.id-up capital of the company, the directors considering it just and right that the eltareholders should remove an adequate r erms of eturn for their several instalmenta, propose, in accordance with the prospectus and deed of settlement, that a dividend, after the rate of live per cent. per annum, to the 31st Dec. last, be paid to the re spective shareholders. The directors refer with peculiar pleasure to the respectability and influence of their numerous agents, and medical referees, from whose valuabl es co-operation and assistance, cordially given and earnestly exerted, best and and permanent results are promised and anticipated. Theliberal principles identified wall every branch and operation of the company, the principle of eon netting as intimatel y . as practicable the wane of the liring with the interests of the survivors, of decuritm annuities at moderate ratth to all who may desire, as well to the professional man as to any and every other member e f the community, to protect himself against the disastrous consequences contingent upon blindness, insanity, or upon any other affliction, bodily or mental ; of rendering every polity Issued by this company indisputable under every circumstance ex cept that of personation, of allowing the assured to go to and reside in distant parts without payment of additimal premium these and other advantages, originating with and peculiar to this offioe, added to its safe and moderate rates co! premium, have sec.red for the corporation a wide and valuable con nexion, accompanied with the best general wishes or hostits smooth The directors utnnot conclude this their first report wit ,mein r eminding the shareholder. that the company, was established at a time when the money market woo most inauspicious—time the shares were advertised during the prevalence of a panic, sufficient to impede the success of any company, however powerfully Introduced to the public; and although the dithstrous state of the money market still exists in incoosed degree, yet the appreciation by the public of the benefits embodied in the institution, in truly gratifying and acceptable to the director*, and the ensured and the prom ietary may rely that no ended.* or means will be wanting on their porta to realise the sanguine anticipations entertained of the company's succeed; to twig in ac tempi-oiling which they respectfully Invite and confidently depend upon the influence and co-operation of the eharebolders, individually and collectively. The report wu adopted unanimously, and ordered to be printed and circulated. The retiring directors and auditors were then re-elected, and, Mr. BAYLIdS, the actuary, in speaking of the claims of the Professional Assurance Company observed, that no one connected with the association could come to want, for there was a fund specially set apart to provide for destitution in old age, and for the widows and children of such of the mem bers who had assured for life and paid up five annual pre miums. Over this fund, thanks to the exertions of the soli citor (Mr. Elderton), the directors had no power, and it could not be withdrawn except at the instance of the share holders themselves. Looking at the amount subscribed for, the stability of the subscribits; arid the confidence the com pany had already inspired, he had no doubt but that it ! would become one of the greatest concerns of the kind in the kingdom. He was happy to add, that all parties in the ma nment-were in complete action, and all that was wan to insure success was the xertions of the proprietors themselves. Thanks were then voted to Mr. Bayliss, Mr. Elderton, the solicitor, the directors, and the chairman, which having been duly acknowledged, and a resolution confirming the dividend carried, the meeting adjourned. - - Scorrisx lIOBPITAL.—A quarterly general court of governors was held yesterday, in the ball of the Scottish corporation, Crane-court, Fleet-street The Duke of Mont rose presided. The minutes of the last court, of the special meetings since that period, arid of the meetings of the relief committee, having been confirmed, the meeting proceeded to consider the propriety of accepting the bequest of the late Mr. William ROM, of Belmour House, Sutherlandshire. The question had been deferred from the last court, in con. sequence of the bequest (1,0001.) being accompanied by so many provisions and encumbrances tint it was considered doultful whether any real buy fit would be derived from it. The secretary read a let:er from the Rev. Mr. Ross, the executor of the testator, who expressed his hope that the society would accept the bequest ; and , also , the report of Mr. Thomas, the solicitor, who had been appointed to give his opinion upon the subject. His recommendation, upon consideration of all the circumstances, was that the corporation should not at present come to any deci sion with regard to the acceptance of the trust, as there would be sufficient time to do so when tt ey should he in formed of the death of the widow of the testatu, until ten years after which event the amount of the bequest would not be completed. Dr. Webster moved the adoption of the re port and the rem nmendation which it contained. He con- sidered many of the provisions of the bequest extremely vex ations, particularly those which compelled them to erect boards recording the grant in several parts of Scotland—to distribute the relief afforded by it only to persons named Ross, residents in Ross and Sutherlandsbire—to keep in re pair the family vault in which the remains of the testator were deposited, and also the iron railing around it—all of which expenses were to be supplied out of the general funds of the corporation, and not from the amount of the bequest. Mrs. Row, the widow of the testator, was now 73 years of an, arid would probably live several years longer, which rendered the c atingency still more remote and un certain. He, therefore, while supp. rting the recommenda tion contained in the report, considered that the hequest might be rejected without any loss to the socie y. The re solution was carried uaanimously.—Mr. Hamilton then brought forward a motion, of which be had given notice, in which he wished to make an alteration. Atter some discussion the resolution assumed the following form : " That the portion of the 11th bylaw, by which the cor poration are bound not, under any circumstances, to allow their vested capital to be reduced below the sum of 40,0001 be rescinded." Mr. Hamilton made some observations, de prtesting the principle of hoarding up large sums of money by charitable institutions, as if, he said, it was thought that posterity could not be quite as liberal in their contvibutions as the present public. He considered that such funds were better expended in the relief of existing distress than in providing for remote enn tingencies.—The resolution was carried after some little oppuition.—Another conversation then arose as to the pro priety of increasing the number of the medical officers of the nstitutioa to four, but, several gentlemen considering the measure to be unnecessary, the puposal was withdrawn, and the business of the court concluded. ROYAL COLLEGE OF CHEMISTRY. — Dr. Hofmann delivered a lecture yesterday evening to a crowded meeting of the members of this college, at their rooms, Hanover square, on the composition of coal gas and its combustion. The learned gentlemen's enunciation as a foreigner ren dered it difficult, at least for those not intimately acquainted with the science, to fellow him satisfactorily through his lengthened but interesting discourse. He however stated some facts, and made some experiments, which obviously proved that even in the matter of gas there is much that concerns health, although his lecture, which was purely scientific, had no ostensible bearing upon the sanitary quo,- lion. Amongst his statistical remarks was this, that the coal annually consumed in Landon was 500,000 toes, and that of that 12.5,000 tons were consumed in gas, which gas amounted to several millions of cubic feet, and necessarily impregnated the atmosphere with its unhealthy compounds, such as sulphuretted hydrogen. He stated that Mr. Faraday had found that a dog died in air containing caly 1-S )oth part..of sulphuretted hydrogen; and he bad himself seen pe a faint when that gas was evolved in no greater quantify. Hence the necessity of purifying coal gas, to which the learned doctor next directed the attention of the meeting, in a series of successful chemical experiments, describing, as he proceeded, the character of the several constituents forming toll gas, and showing how, by sew combinations, it might be deprived of its deleterious intlisenoe, and even rendered more brilliant, pointing, as an example, to the gas by which the rooms of the society wore lighted, and which he said *as totally free from sulphuretted hydrogen. INQUEST, YESTERDAY. —WRESTLING.—LOSS OP Twu LlvES.—lly Mt. Bedford, at St. George s Hospital, on ad been and the r ..r. On ochading the Bra way from out other :nsenada, inactive; Vein wee p, and it the Pr' re in cif ance end itely 3orriente• Congress the same tration of E ntre e. rios, Ths Mill Vint• his cane Provi• and those t ovemente , of Com ast of E Q. ived to the a to ascend e firely daft 4 had ed p the 9th. me been re m Imiy steal I or. the d yesterdq Ices' MarY Duchefo of Olouse, Duke and Cantbridg e ", t his Rol a " the Princess of Anelo r b r John MO' ICCeet ion Ireaton, atires of the Feorge rview yetv,v ,face. k t, the Mel' Itesde.i st at. the body of Williams Wainwright, aged 30. The deceased was a horeskeeper in Ransom's Patent Cab-yard, and on Tuesday afternoon, the 29th ult. was in front of the Bazaar Tavern liar, Bing-street, Baker:etreet, being a t the time the worse for li quor, when he began " larking ' with another henekeeper, named Peausk, which ceded in their agreeiag to have a wrestle. They did so, and both fell on the floor, deceased's head striking against a bolt in the door, causing blood to flow from his forehead. The blood flowing freely, he was persuaded to go to the hospital, whithlr he was conveyed in a cab. Some time after, Peacock, who was seated in front of the bar in which the occurrence took pleas, was accosted by a man named Moore, working in the same yard as himsell, who sneeringly said, " You've thrown Wainwright, but not me." He seemed in a great pas aion, and, laying hold of Peacock's collar, they were about having a scuffle when Moore fell to the door, and being laid on the tap-room table was found to be a corpse. Peacock was taken before the magistrates at Marylebone otfli,v, charged with having caused Moore's death, but at the inquest held before Mr. Watley, the surgeon who examined the body giving it as his opinion that death was caused by ex citement, lie was liberated. In the evidence, yesterday, it was proved that Peacock and the deceased never had a quarrel, and that what happened was entirely deceased's own fault. —Mr. Mall, house-surgeon of the hoepital, deposed that when deceased was brought there he had a large scalp wound on the left side, for which the usual treatment was adopted, and he went on very well till the fourth nay, when erysipelas ensued, under which he gradually sank, and died on the 24th instant —After some observations from the jury on the singular and lamentable features of the case, • verdict was returned of " Accidental death." DEATH FROM AIR IN A VEIN. Yesterday an inquest was held at the Red Lion, Barnes, before Mr. W. Cater, coroner for Rest Surrey, to investigate the circumstances attending the death of William Richards, aged 29, a coal porter- The first witness called was Sarah Richards, who stated that the deceased was her husband, and resided with her and their four children, at 22, Chapel-street, Hammersmith. He died on Saturday last at the house of Dr. Willis in that parish. lie had been for ten weeks past guttering under in flammation of the windpipe. On Saturday morning he left home about half-past eight o'clock for the purpose of seeing Dr. Willis, whom he had previously seen. Re would not allow witness to accompany him, but she understood he was to have a seton put into his throat. Witness went into the churchyard to wait for her husband, and had been there about an ha..r end a half, when she saw a gentleman come out of the docter'o house, who told her that the deceased was in a very bad state, and she must prepare herself for the worst. She then went into the house, and saw her husband lying on the floor, and insensible. Sh e was informed by the doctor that his state was owing to the operation. She had no charge to make against Dr. Willis. Dr. Willis said the deceased applied to me for advice. He was labouring under inflammation of the upper part of the windpipe. I first treated him by leeching, then by blisters ; and lastly, proposed another method of counter-irritation — viz., a scion. This is a method by which I have cured similar cases. Scions have been introduced hundreds of times in the same part for the disease termed goitre. De ceased came to me on Saturday morning about nine o'clock, and soon after I proceeded to operate. I set him in a chair. I pinched up the skin with the finger aid thumb of the left hand, and immediately thereafter thrust in the seton-needle, armed with a strip of lint. The needle entermi two-and-a-half inches above the breastbone, and not at all near the jugular vein, or other large blood lefeel. At the moment of its entrance I heard a slight, momentary hitting found. ' For an instant I fancied that 1 had opened into &subcutaneous abscess com municating with the windpipe ; but almost at the same mo ment, when I looked in the man's face, I saw that another and far more serious event had occurre d—that the rushing of the air was not out from the windpipe, but into some small vein which had been implicated in the operation. The man became pale, fainted, and then became rigid and convulsed. I sent for Mr. Coppieson, the rector—my nearest neighbour; and despatched a servant to Putney for any medical gentle man who could be found at home. Dr. Cormack was with ni in half an hour. He entirely concened with me as to e the nature of the accident. We consulted together, and resolved on blood-letting from the arm, as in the circum stances the best thing which could be done. We wished to relieve the right side of the heart. Dr. Cormack bled him. Before the bleeding he was almost pulseless. After i - . the pulse became good, and he seemed every way better. Dr. Cormack remained with deceased from two till four, when he died. My opinion is that death resulted from the con. Tuitions excited by the entrance of air into a vein divided by me in the trifling operation of the seton. The air distended the right side of the heart, and thin arrested the circulation. This is a very rare kind of death. It has however occurred several times, and in the hands of Dupuytren and of Sir Antley Cooper. Professor Syine said, I was sent for to see deceased. , 1 Dr. Willis made the same statement as to the case, which he has now made. I concurred as to the nature of the ac cident, and approved of what had been done to save the man. Passing a seton in this situation is quite common ; and it was a proper measure in this disease. In performing the operation it was impossible to avoid wounding small veins ; but no foresight could have anticipated such a result, or any danger. I examined externally the wound of the seton with reference to the situation of the large vessels, and am satis fied that it was so remote from them, that they could not by possibility be implicated. In my judgment, there was no want of skill or caro on the part of Dr. Willis. Ile had no control over what took place. I never saw such a case be- fore, but have read of them, and have seen experiments on animals. Dr. J. R. Cormack corroborated Dr. Willis' testimony. This witness was of opinion that the deceased died from convulsions, produced by the admission of air into the veins. The treatment used to deceased was that recommended by the French academy, and now being adopted generally. He thought •posl mortem examination ought to take place. The jury consulted for a few minutes, and then returned the following special verdict : Accidental death, from the entrance of air into a vein in the neck during an operation performed by Dr. Willis, but the jury cannot separate without expressing their opinion that such operation was cautiously and skilfully performed_ and, as appears by the evidence addueed;the eaid operation was fully warraated be present practice. After the inquest the body was examined by the medical gentlemen, who found that the jugular veins and the large vessels of the neck were uninjured ; and that the heart was distended with frothy blood, and contained Lome coagula. These seemed to be csimatial facts connected with the post mortem. slightly in consequence of wet getting admission. But these days of evil are goae, and thou gh the future was still dark and threatening, yet he trusted in Ood it would bring notating like the past, nothing but what energy and wisdom, wailing together, might turn to the itood of our country, and in this same hope Lord Rosse felt himself justified in resuming his favourite pursuits with the new year. Dr. Robinson found that the speculum (whose figure as he had formerly stated was not quite perfect) as well sa a duplicate one, had, dur ing the time referred to, been polished by the workmen; bet as he apprehended no difficulty in the process it was re. plated. An unexpected difficulty, however , occurred, which made much delay, till Lord Rowe discovered the cause. The rumen of the operation requires that it he performed at the temperature 65. In winter this must be obtained by arti ficial heat, which, however, increases the dryness of the air, so that the polishing material cannot be kept on the specu lum. In this case the surface is untrue, and gives a con fused image. This wes verified by the hygrometer, and re medied by a jet of steam so regulated as to keep the sir saturated with moisture. The result was immediate; and at the first trial the speculum acted so well that it war unnecessary to try any further experiments. Three addi tions had been made to the telescope. 1. The movement in right ascension is given from the ground by machinery intended to be connected with a clock movement which is in progress. 2. To obviate the di ffi culty of finding ob jects, an eyepiece of large field and peculiar construction is con nected with a slide, so that it can be replaced by the usual one lin an instant. It magnifies 208 times, and employs nearly four feet at the speculum, the same as Herschel's forty feet; thus giving the power of trying what that instrument might Shaw. 3. The micrometer is peculiar, a plate of parallel gime, with a position circle attached. Light admitted at its sip cant neaps at the parallel surfaces, except they be foreatehed, and a scale of equal parts engraved on one of them with • diamond—lurainons in a field absolutely black. The exceedingly unfavourable state of the weather subtle ' quently prevented much from being done ; in fact, there was but one good night, the 11th ult. In the moon he observed the large fiat bottom of the crater covered with much fragments, and satisfied himself that one of the bright stripes, which have been often discussed, had no visible elevation above the general surface. In the belts of Jupiter, streaks like those of Pyrrhus' cloud were seen, and the fading of their brown colour towards the edge is evidence that they are seen through a considerable and imperfectly transparent atmosphere. A similar shade in the polar regions, when little cloud is to be exoectel, seems to indicate that the brighter hands are cloudy regions, and the more dusky show the body of the planet. Several nebulm were exa • mined, and, as formerly all were resolved. That of Orion is most remarkable. Even before the mirror was perfect, and in bad nights, that part of it which presents the strange flocculent appearance described by Sir John Herschel, is seen to be composed of stars, with the lowest power, 360. But Dr. R.'s eye required 830 to bring out the mailer stars, amongst which these are scat tered. Having seen them and known the easiest parts, they were seen with the 3 feet and 500. Dr. R. has seen • recent notice in which this nebula is said to have been re solved by the observers of Harvard University, U.S., with a Munich achromatic of from 15 to 16 inches aperture. He his often seen it with Mr. Cooper's of 13.5, a difference easily to be allowed for, but never saw any trace of resolution. He does not in the least dispute the observation ; for • precise knowledge of the place (which Dr. Nichol had mentioned) with a purer atmosphere and sharper eyes than his are suffi• cient to account for it; but he cannot refrain from remarking that the epithet " incomparable," which they apply to their telescope, would be less extravagant if, in addition to the two stars of the trapezium which were discovered by the telescopes of Dorpat and Kensington, they bad seen the other two which the 6 feet showed at the first glance, after its polish was completed. Another interesting object is the planetary nebula, h. 464, situated in the splendid cluster, Messier, 46, and probably a part of it. It is a disc of small stars uniformly distributed and surrounded by the larger. Messier, 64, is a singular modification of the annular form seen obliquely. The opening seems black as ink, and at its margin is one of these interior clusters of bright stars se often noticed before. But the most remarkable nebular ar rangement which this instrument Ins revealed is that where the stars are grouped in spirals. Lord Rowe described one of them, Messier, 51, in the year 1815 ; and Dr. R. found four others on the I Ith, of which he exhibited drawings, h. 604 (seen by Herschel as a bi-central nebula), Messier, 99, in which the centre is a cluster of stars. Messier, 97, looks with the finding eye piece like a figure of eight ; but the higher powers show star spirals related I. two centres, appearing like stars with dark spaces round them : though probably high powers in a fine night would prove them to be clusters. Another fact deserves to be noted, from its bearing on Struve's Etudes d'Astrouomie Stellaire. In that admirable book, among other curious matters, he infers that the 18-in. telescope of the Herschel penetrated into space only one third of what was due to its optical power. He explains this by supposing the heavenly spaces imperfectly trans parent In computing the limit, however, he assumes that the milky way ie in its greatest extent " unfathomable by the telescope." Dr. R., however, chanced to observe it when it is deepest at 6-4, and is certain that its remote:it stars wore very far indeed within the limit f the 6 feet, and very much larger than those of the nebula of Orion. He concluded by apologising for the limited number of facts which he had communicated, but mentioned them as an evidence that their great instrument was again at work. For the future it would be constantly employed, as he bad trained for Lord Reese an assistant, en whose zeal and talents he could rely, and as it could never be turned to the sky without finding some new wonder, he felt assured of a glo rious and unfailing harvest of discovery, which would be at once a treasure to astronomical science, a reward to the -.emus master of the telescope, and the noblest of honours the vessel is nearly full, and the rates likely to advance coa siderably. The "man-catcher" is invariably in the pay of some particular office or company, as they are generally termed, and is in receipt of from 101. to 20s. per week for the support be gives to the company is his as. parity of " man-catcher ;" and to this office he takes his innocent dopes, with, we'll soy, 601. in their pockets, and introduces them to one of the clerks as "old neighbours of his own," from the town of Longford, with whom he went to school, &e. &c., and hopes they may be favoured with a good ship, and at a cheap rate, on his account, and hopes to compensate the company by bringing others who may be better able to pay higher rates than these. The bargain is then maul, we'll say for 301., to land them at New York, free of all ether charge, and the ship to sail nest day. But little the poor emigrant knows that his false friend gets 71 per cent. on this transac tion, or Is. 6d. for every 11.—say, 21. 55., which we call item first. lie then urges them to come along with him to pur chase sea stores, and hays all ready to go on board the fol lowing day. Again, everything is pre-arranged for the be nefit of the " man.eatr.her." Supposing the family is eight adult., the cost of the provision and bedding would come to, say 101., out of which be pockets 12{ per cent., or 2s. 6d. in the 11--saT 11. Os.; this is item second. Instead of sailing the following day, the ship is delayed eight days, at a cost of 6d. a night for lodgings alone, or es. per flay, or 11. 12s. for eight days—this is item the third. Origmally ZOO • 0 Less paassge of eight adults £3O 0 0 10 0 0 m r ovit4oo 1 13 0 „ toard of adults, Is. 6d. each per day, for eight days Balance to land at New York £l3 13 0 The "man-camber" then preaches to him the great inconve nience of landing on the shores of America with nothing but English money, and advises him to bare it exchanged forth with. The emigrant at once complies, and at once proceeds with him to an exchange office to be dollared," as it is technically termed. litre the poor emigrant is more in the mist than ever, and knows nothing of the relative value of the money. Instead of receiving a premium of ab out 10 p er cent. on the Ll 3 12a., being the current premium of exchange in favour of this country— Dols. Cents. Say in American money 6l 55 The unfortunate emigrants only gets 6O 50 Frogs disiass brewers Use exchange broker and the ° man-catcher" 6 5 or about 13e. 6d. each. Thus the poor emigrants proceed on their voyage with their 131. 125., or sixty dollars nod fifty cents. reduced, by the operation of each to about 121. , sterling and that often in money of the , for which a further discount would uncurrent be deducted at New States York, of about 21 per cent., often. Now let us see what the sharper has made by these transactions, viz. : One week's wages from the office L t 0 0 71 per cent on 3 01 , pswwge money 124 per cent.= 10/ , provisions I 5 0 5 per mot. on exchange of 131. 12s ll 11 6 Lislgings for eight nights, at W. each 1 13 0 to is 6 This amount ought to have been in the porkets of the poor emigrants : in all, 201. 7s. 6d., or equal to 114 per cent. dis count on 601. Having been victimised myself, and having had occasion to return to this country, I have had numerous opportunities of witnessing their abominable proceedings. I would suggest that benevolent societies be at once esta blished in all seaport towns, to counsel and give advice gratis to emigrants, to enable them to lay out their money economically. CHESHIRE. I.:IIEERING PROSPECTS OF BIRKENHEAD. The state of Birkenhead during the last few days has assumed a more cheering aspect. The dock and warehouse company have had several meetings in London lately, the result of which has been mandated in the payment of some trades men's bills, and an arrangement to pay off all their debts by instalments of 20 per cent., each instalment to be paid every fortnight. Other circumstances have also tended to pro once the most cheering prospects, amongst which is the desire of several large London capitalists to em• bark money in Birkenhead property. In the metropolis confidence in Birkenhead is again restored, and will have, DO doubt, a beneficial effect. We have good au thority also for stating that the dock bills are safe, and will speedily become a part of the law of the land. The govern ment bill, to enable them to embark a large aunt on the bks of Wallasey l, is to be brought into the House of Co an mmons forthw ith; and it is confidently expected that in the course of the next month the dock works will be recom menced with full vigour,--I,Laterfigol . Journal.) —Another local paper says: "A deputation, consisting of Baron Gold smidt, 7. Tollemacbe, Esq., M.P., and William Jackson, Bros , M.P., have had an interview with the Commissioners of Woods, &c., the result of which is highly favourable." BEWDLEY ELECTION.—Two candidates are now in the field—vis , Lord Mandeville and the Hon. Spencer Lyttelton, brother to Lord Ly Belton. In his addrese, Mr. Lyttelton says I have ever entertained, and am now reedy to uphold, principles of a liberal and enlightened policy, and to promote civil and religion" liberty, in their truest sense, w thout endangering the welfare of the established church. lem decidedly of opinion that the adoption of free trade will eventually tend to the prosperity of this country ; and I on, not one of those who attribute the late commercial digress, which I deeply lament, to the measures which have bees recently car ried out by parliament in accordance with its principles. My sincere desire will be to give general support to the prevent government, though I shall reserve to myself the right of judging esch question on I It. own merits. lam prepared to support an altered met.= of taxa tion, by which the burden will be more equally distributed and lees felt by the poorer classes. The hon. candidate has publicly addressed the electors both at Bewdley and Stourport. ESSEX. DISCOVERY OF A GANG OF BURGLARS.—On Tues day a gang of burglars and receivers of stolen goods, who it is believed have for years infested the lower part of Essex and the adjoining borders of Suffolk, especially about Hal stead, were examined before the county magistrates. The number of the gang in custody amounted to fourteen, some of whom were of respectable connexions, one being a farmer and another a shopkeeper - in TSe 'town of Halstead. The circumstances which led to the discovery of the gang were these : several burglaries having lately been COM mitted in the neighbourhood, T h eerp watch was kept upon suspected characters in district, and these having been often observed at • beershop, kept by a man, named Gooding, it was resolved to search the premicea. This was done by order of the magistrate:, and various articles of property which had been stolen front different houses were found. The keeper of the house wan then taken into custody, and a man, named Bryant, was also apprehended. The latter, who was a sort of leader of the gang, then disclosed to the police the whole of their combinations and proceed ings, and, in particular, he named a farmer a short distance off, named Gould, as one of the general receivers. His pre mises were accordingly searched, and in his house, and amongst the stacks and outbuildings in his farmyard a large quantity of stolen property was found. The farmer was, accordingly, taken into custody. The house of a shopkeeper in the neighbourhood, named Jackson, was also searched on the information of Bryant ; there a large bulk of the plunder of the gang was found, and the occupier wise captured. Another leader of the robbers. named Ed wards, was secured, and as the police pursued their in quiries, which have been going on for the lint fortnight member after member of the gang fell into their hands, ultimately they had from 12 to 15. In four or five cases of burglary the offence was clearly traced to twe of the pn. boners, Bryant and Edwards, who were committed for trial on the different charges, and rat:ch of the property wee found is the possession of Gould, the farmer, and Jackson, the shopkeeper; they were also cent for trial so receivers. in , .. . , k • •, 1 1. . . . i ; • .. , • . . . • ii ill • l'. ,1... 11 1 •': 1 1 1 1 . . , ;'. • . , , • ? THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 30, 1848. wages, but the borrowers in several instances have ' disregarded the act, and settled with the unfortunate labourers by a very small part of their wages in money, another part in food, and the remainder car ried over to the rent account, old arrears included. To check this evil the Board of Works have issued the following circular, by which it will be seen that they are determined to refuse a second instalment until they are satisfied that the lebourers have been paid the full amount of their wages in money. Sek-1 am directed by th e Cornratmlosers of !Pat& Works to point your attention to the first parsgraph Circular No. I, in which It is stated that .` a strict and earthing inveetiztket will be made bY the offence of the Commireioners of Public et as to the manner in which the first or any future instalment shall have been expended." In carrying out the threctiros of the coniesianioners you will bear in mind the 29th section of the act, which is an follows : and be it enacted, that all labourer, hired or employed to execute any works or improvements effected under the authority of this act shall receive the full value or consideration which shall be agreed to be given for their labour rerpectively in the current coin of the realm, and net otherwise." It will,pn consequence, beyour duty to ascertain whether the labourers employed bare been actually paid in money, and that Do deductions have been mad, as a set off for rent or delta of any kind which may be doe to the employer. It is hoped anti expected that very few, if any, of the owners under the terms of the act, who have obtained loans, will endeavour to evade this clause of the act ; hut that none may plead ignorance of the law you will take care to distri bute copies of this letter throughout your district; and likewise, in making every progrees-thapection, you will call the attention of the in charge - at the work to the requirements contained in Circu re': 1, and also to this oommunication, and leave a copy of both with him.—l am, sir, your obedient servant, Its. C. Walesa, Stare tai7.—To —, Inspector of Drainate, under the act 10 Vic., c. 32. the purpose. The grant sizes made for that object is well known : to consider its in:quaky and injustice would On this occasion lead us beyond our limits. A few peelers bee the Lords' evidence on draining, and fr>m rrher gonsonk will show the state of this important subject, for at this nseetent it is the heavy land of the country upon which the ignatcst increase of food may be grown. At the present period of the year I am mewl Misr Is dos for large drainages than absolutely in therable Oleor 7l / 7 :I; mention many that have hem szaeuted, and seas ender say owa direction ; but the county Ida AM, Pelfierts ri d e bi from widen I ll a me " hstinately 'separated rater peril es to drakes% maid teeny to efts Maris et abet I esealit he be the Mt prat =4,sol,- Thlo Met reepertion d Ida dm silk at Sent wants odell ds . s=et et lestead. bet ft pmema one fa- Mom et Uglily idea I beee atesedively oh- Weed. end consider It Ic hp rgi e t esseeadeal system thet lie yet been introdassi Ore ems* le, lag et the dine WM. Thome Hammed, esawitare ar, mar Fenebura d = km dried anniderably at kb etradness. The set et his d vides hem about V. Se. to Si. par eft men tip tile rainage % cost keg Y eknetdiapert,Wotet-TheMouesvarWb haa practised "dm 1111110 . be telaramsed Metes Ids drains at about 21 teat , matt he One kieeneed tie Mame to So feet, and afterwards to 40 be% st the nee lime tareendar dr& at 14 irate. He bee preetned a rani deal of drain de T:f at= deep. sad amileve Inn dap& le be quite an cheap, if not asepere the Sams drabs and the narrower distance.—What Mid of lands were lieu / Solid clay; would of Ken, clay.--I. the evens. of the four Mt more in the Isbour and lees In the cod of the material 1— Its I ter proportionate coat of labour in digging ie not so great u the prepanianate diminution le the number of rode perms laid with Sees; aid, therefore, the whole outlay is not grea In I ow mesa, rather less per acre. As to the efficacy of the pipe tile, which wee at first doubted, Mr. Parkes said: What is your opinion with regard to the efficacy of pipe Wes? My opinion L quite settled on that point, via., that the pipe, or cylinder tile, and the smallest sine used, which Is of an inch bare, forms the best known conduit for the parallel drain.. I consider this to be abundantly proved.—blow long would you have the inch pipe drains I think from my observation and experience, I Would not be disposed to lay drains of inch pipe longer than 300 yard. in any one continuous drain. 1(1 had a field to drain 000 yards long, and its form was such that I felt there was nonecerity for an intermediate main death, I would flea of all lay 200 yr& of inch pipe, and then' wouldlay about 200 yerda of inch and a quarter, or inch and three-eighths pipe ; and perhaps [ might finish with inch and seven-eighths or two Inches at I the out fall. If a pipe of an inch bore sufßce to convey and discharge all the water collected in a run of 300 yards, a pipe of double the area will suffice at the end of 600 yards, and a pipe of two radios diameted pothers four times the area and capacity of an inch pipe. As to the duration of tile drains: Do not sou think that if a drain stand. good for five years it will stand good for fifty? Certainly.—Or more than fifty! Decidedly, it these pipes were made of as good material and as well worked as we know Remelt bricks and tiles to have been. 1 can re no reason why the drain file should not there as bog as those Roman brick. and tiles; but there is a great variation in the Quality of clay and us the skill of the manufacturer. There is some clay at Butleigh which the manufacturers to whom I have drawn it say will be eternal, the pipe made of it tinges° clear and its hardness is thereat. And fiat land may be thus trained If the drain to greater or matter, is It more liable to milt up ? I should say there in so probability of silting up when the fall Is very great ; and there is little or on more reason why they timid silt up when they are fiat, provided the drain be deep. Deep draim pro. vide for a heed of water in the mil at all times sufficient, even if the country wan ahaolutely flat, to keep them scoured out ; for supposing the drams to be tat, and that the meddle could only pars their water by &pees, a d or ing erefore, supposing the water to keep accu mulating in the earth long coutinuous mina, it will do no harm, beau.° the water at all time sinks too far beneath the surface to be injurious. It cannot injure the roots of plants or chill the ground. I should not hesitate to lay drains with these pipes, though the land be quite flat. I they'd feel quite sure of their maintaining themselves open, provided I lad a little drip into every ditch. Mr. Simraonds to able to state that in one of his fields he han oaten at all; it is perfectly flat and the drains are laid with inch pipes. This field is flooded diner always oace • year, and some . yeazs oftener, from the River Medway, so much ao that the field itself as flooded several inches deep, and it takes per haps a day or two before the voter Is all gone ; therefore his pipes are all hall of water, the earth is full of water, ad it covers the sur face, but theme drains have never been stopped up. The moment the water in the outran comes down to its original level the small drains are evacuated, and they have never been silted up. The first rain which follows the flood effectually clears them out. As to the direction of the drains : Asa general principle, would you conduct the drains diagonally straw the ,lope or straight down ! If fields were naturally formed like a mathematical plane, 'mooted do what we liked with them, and I Would then agree practically with the doctrine of going up and down the fall. 1 should see no occasion to diverge from that rule, being perfectly satisfied that the water will travel always horizourally and come into my drains; but I find very few fields where you really can apply a universal rule; they have such curious forms — some have little dells in them, and you have to plan your arrange. meats to meet the circumstances. You really cannot have the corner at right angles to the general parallel drains in all =CD As a theo retic rule, I 'should say I should use it ; but, practically, I am obliged to change it very frequently.—ln all drains that you . have crewed have you not found parallel drains existing Meg previous to the re. cent Introduction! Yes; according to my observatious the oldest drains, those ma& long before the memory of any tieing man, are parallel with each other, and they are all up and down the (all. There In nothing new in that principle, or in its practice. With reference to the time within which water should bo carried off Mr. Parkes said: Do you think thateenerally for arable land, you would like to get the water away very quickly or gradually I should be quite entistled if, after twelve hours of continuous rain, all the water was carried off in forty-eight hours afterward.. I mean that the drains should cease to run in about tint time or somewhat lean—Do you think that would answer better than carrying it off quicker? That is my opinion ; it is not a veryeammon °einem, I believe; but few persons are permed of any facts to:selling the time. their drains run.—Would you let all the water percolate through the soil Yea. I would have the field entirely eves, and nut one open furrow or gap of any description in it, There has been a difference of opinion, but I find man) peon', g.ving way on that subject. My opinion is, that one of the greatest sources of fertility which nature has provided, and the management of which she has put partly at our own coalman*, in rain, and the one great object we have to ac complish is to make use of all that rain, and to make it go through the ground, that it may operate In its Trims ways, both ;Mystically and chemically. The object of stealth:kg ism make rein our (erne, and not our enemy ; to cause it to descend through the oral ; then to remove it after it has done its work, and before it can do any harm. Al! the , is accomplished by an efficient swam of drainage. Land in a fair climate can scarcely be too humid, but water ought never to Magnate upon it or in it. If our chemises would turn their attention le the analysis of the water which errs from drains, they would discover much that is at present unknown, and particularly illustrate the superior effect of deep straining over shallow draining. As to small inch-bore pipes: Will the arrangement of theseamall the pipes be found sufficient to carry away the water and to admit the water to come in from the ground to filter in; would your arrengemente for the pipes be found sufficient for that? Yes; the quantity of water requiring to enter through the cre vices between each pair of pipes does not exceed one pint per hour , when half an inch of rain falls in twelve hours. It is really a very eanall quantity, not exceeding one third of an ounce, or about two tramtalenthi of water per minute. Mr. Parkes also gave an interesting account of some ex periments made as to the temperature of soils, which is greatly raised by draining. Mr. T. Spencer, a Kentish farmer, who bad drained stiff clay land at 33 feet apart, the drains being four feet deep, said that " In all kinds of soil, the deep drains will run first, and run longest, and run most water.' Mr. Pusey, M.P., gave a decided opinion in favour of deep draining When you estimate draining at St. an acre, do you calculate upon using an tracts pipe tube? It O ne done, in many instances, with a larger pipe for that expense. discovery that has been made* that by deepening lice drain below the old English depth in the eastern counties ,which was 30 inches, you may very much diminish the ire. Queasy of the draina—The committee have had very conflicting evi dence on the subject of the pipes to be used ; some holding that an Inch pipe, and others holding that a two-inch pipe, in the proper . ca dimension.—Can you state what your opinion Di upon that subject . I n state I have just bought 200,0110 inch pipes for cold clay land, and I have not the least :ea of using them. Of course, as in the case of the atmospheric railway, we cannot speak poeitively upon this enatter without more experience. But, after all, the question of diameter is a minor question, because you may get the two-inch pipes for ea. a thousand more Oath the inch pipes, and the utmost you would ever require, la thy opinion,would be 1,000 pipes per acre; eu that it would onlimake a difference of 12a. per acre. fi n ' In the draining of stiff clays you have slated that the bent opinions are in favour of deepdralning ; do you lay your pipe in the clay with out any loose atones or gravel, or brushwood, or anything about It, and put it meeely in the clay? My own practice, on some of the coldest and stiffest day. in Englatad, has been th is • trading the enor mous expellee of stone or tile draining, I adopted the old English draining of the eastern counties, which is a hundred years old ; that Is thorn, turf, or wedge draining and afterwards, ill consequence of the rhea of the inch pipes, thus put them at the bottom of those &aim, which require nothuag but what somelabourersin meat &relies understand how to do, and I find them anther ptly well.—What nn do you put over them ? Clay.—So that it is an Inch pipe, buried clay three or foot feet deep, with clay all surrounding at, and yea the water gets Into that pipe for the purpose of draining? Yee ; for many years I thought it was madness to ram the wet clay upon the top of a drain, and would do nothing of the kind; but experience has satisfied me that it is the right plan. I can account for l it if the committee with to hear anything OD the subject. - any with Dr. Buck:Land I examined once the side of a clay pit, and he pointed out to me the minute flexures, the effect of drought, which went down to the depth of four feet in the ground, and it wars quite clear that the water could par de liable own those fissures; at the name time, after straining clay land, you ar to disappointment if a wet summer follows, beesure these cracks do not take place, mil the draining appears to have failed; but as soma ass dry summer comes and forms there &sures, thee the water pares down, and they do not become obliterated again. In the winter fol lowing the dry summer of Let year, during which the clay la d n had cracked to a great depth anti width, I made some drains, and I wee astoniarad to fleet that with thirty feet interval, in very staff clay, they carried off all the water at once. Nevertheless, we find the most different and inconsistent plans of draining used in the same district. TAR CORPORATION—Tem Day. At a meeting of the Dublin Corporation, held this day in the City Assembly-house, the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor in the chair, Mr. Maurice O'Connell, M.P., handed in the following notice of motion:— " ADDKESS ro THE QUEEN.—That on this day week I will move that an humble address be prepared and presented in the usual mode to her most gracious majesty:— " 1. Congratulating her majesty, in the usual form, on the birth of a princess, and expressing our loyal sympathy on every event which may conduce to increase her Majesty's domestic happiness. " 2. Humbly entreating her Majesty to direct her imme diate advisers to pay particular attention to the wants and wishes of the people of Ireland at the present moment. "3. Humbly Migrating to kar vaajceay th at the only course to he meets, in our opinion, as dutiful and loyal sub jects' of her majesty, to preserve the integrity of the em pire, and to attach moat devotedly to her government the hearts and hands of the people of Ireland, is the restoration to Ireland as speedily as possible of her native parliament, or, in short phrase, the total and immediate repeal of the so called legislative union." Mr. O'Connell also handed in the following notice, to be moved in came the foregoing be adopted : " That with reference to the motion already banded in, a circular be sent by the town-clerk to the mayors, ite , of the various corporations in Ireland, stating the nature of the aforesaid motion (should such pass this house), and inviting them to join us in this constitutional movement, and to be prepared with deputations in accordance therewith." THE FRENCH ADDRESB.—The report laid on the table at the last meeting of the council, recommending " that the Lord Mayor and corporation should proceed to France, to present the address adopted by the council to the republic of that country, congratulating them noon their late glo , lions struggles in the cause of liberty," having been read by the town.cleik, Mr. O'Connell, M.P., moved its adoption, which was se conded. The Lord Mayef said any gentleman who chose might ge, but it would not be convenient to him to go. (Hear, hear.) After a long discussion on the subject, the report was adopted, and his lordship was allowed a fortnight to make up his mind.—The council then separated. LORD CLARENDON'S PRACTICAL INSTRUCTORS AND FATHER Maruzw.—Father Mathew has borne the fol. lowing high testimonial to the value of the poor-law instructors Cork, March 23,1818. --My dear Sir,—Flora your position, as secre tary to the Royal Agricultural Society, an office which you fill with so much benefit to the country and credit and honour to yourself, I take the liberty to enclose you my annual eulawriution to the admi rable institution for affonling practical in-truction in husbandry to the fanner. throughout Ireiand. If his Excellency the Earl of Claren ' don, who now happily presides over the destinies of this country, othouW leave no other monument of his governmen t, it would g lorif y his name to the latest posterity, as one of the greatest benefactors of the Irish people. iO.l have teen the precursor of this new insti tute, the project of which is now matured by our illustrious Viceroy, and I conc.ude you are the egtnt in the present salutary movement, otherwise I would not have preeumed to trouble you with, I regret to be obliged to say, my small sub s cription. If I had the means, I would most cheerfully present a large donation ; for in my journey loge through the country I hove already Wtneseed the most bene ficUl results born the practical instruction thin given to the small farmers; and your identifying yourself with this measure will umpire ' the public with confidence, by bringing to its aid all the powerful ma chinery of the Royal Agricultural society.—Apologising for this in trusion on your time, I am, with sincere esteem, dear au, your affec- Sante friend, Tuaokeui Mernew.—Edward Sullen, Eoq, becre .. THE CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.—SIR,—I cannot refrain from addressing • few lines to you upon the critical state of Ireland at this moment. Something must be done by the English parliament to relieve both parties in Ireland : for we have but two, rich and poor. As to the English government trying to satisfy the demands and clamour of parties in Ireland just now, the thing is impossible, for the two dissatisfied sections of the people are directly opposed in their ultimate views and demands; and only in opposition to English rule are they united. For, supposing them to have obtained the repeal of the legislative union, dissensions even greater than at present would spring up between the landlord or gentry class and the lower order; landlords would at once try to knock up the poor law and parish relief system, whilst the lower order would find work as hard to be got, and wages full as low, as before the repeal was granted them, whilst small landlords would have to contend for tenure with • much less tractable body than the late English House of Commons. We are differently placed here from the people of England; there is no middle class in whom the government of this country could be placed—it must be one either of the nomination of gentry or rabble. Perhaps to satisfy the trading class the landlords would im poseau import duty on manufactu red goods. This I know is spoken of, and it is with this view that traders and arti sans in one large town join the repeal movement. But this would not exist many months till our agricultural interest would find they had lost their largest, and, I might say, their only, customer, and would be in arms a second time. The agricultural interest is the one to be settled first in order to pacify Ireland. Traders have no thing to complain of at present more than their brethren of England and Scotland. The agricultural interest, high and low, is the staple of Ireland, and the one requiring the intervention of parliament, first to commence with the gentry class. The present poor law presses most unequally upon the good and bad landlord, from the present electoral division ; for, let a landlord resid ing upon his own estate employ hundreds of hands, and be in the same division with an absentee estate, he must bear his neighbour's burthen as well as his own ; and absentee or mortgaged estates in Ireland are so numerous, as to pre clude the possibility of a good landlord getting clear of them under the present system of division. Surely this grievance could be adjusted. Good landlords do not cry out so m uch against peore rates, as their mode of assessment ; and absentee or mortgaged estates are always overrun with pauperism. The grievances of the lower orders are of a much more com plicated nature, and more difficult to remedy. Long leases, or no leases at all, have led to much of this state of things. Long leases led to sub-letting, and to this may be traced the great poverty of Ireland. So much has been raid of this subject, I need ray nothing; the thing is how to remedy it. One or two things might be done ; first, enact that on and after this date all land let at a yearly rent shall be let at and on lease not exceeding 21 years, es in Scotland ; all mach land not so let must be sold fee simple ; and enact that landlords shall have no power of distraint (or rent or ejectment from holdings taken on and after such date, save upon the lease—this for the future. Now for the past ; enact that any per son or persons, having an interest of, say 20 per cent., in any holding, may call a valuation of such holding under the courts and authorities named for the purpose, and so pay off all such other interests upon such holding at the value named by the courts. This no party could object to; for they would receive full compensation in money for their interest. These two measures would soon reduce land to two hands—viz., one landlord and one tenant; from this would spring up a mutual co-operation which would very soon work wonders in this distracted country ; es at present few landlords have their lands free of middle-men, or men receiving 10, 20, 30, or even SO per cent. between him and the «cups ing tenant, so none above the tenant has interest enough in the land to advance money fur its permanent improvement— their only cry from top to bottom is rent, rent, rent' As to tenant-right, so much spoken of lately in parliament, it is an absurdity which few would press if properly understood. In those counties where tenant-right exists even to 101. per acre there are no leases, or almost none ; where they are is only the exception ; none is the rule. Here is its absurdity. Even where it amounts to 191. per acre the tenant has no redress, if the landlord chooses to raise his rent Ss. or 101. per acre—none in the world. The landlord can do it at pleasure. And, I assure you, it is a common practice amongst such tenants in the province of Ulster, to conceal their comforts, leave their houses uncleaused and dingy out side, and their fields ill-fenced, and everything as deplorable looking as possible outside, for fear of the landlord's advancing their rents. Such is his power, such their dread, even in this boasted province of tenant-right.—J. B. JOHNSTON, March 2.5. BRITISH HUSBANDRY.—LAND DRAINING, So important has the promotion of the drainage of our heavy agricultural soils been deemed, that in 1845 the House of Lords appointed a select committee to inquire into the expediency of a legislative enactment to enable the pro prietors of entailed estates to charge them with money, for the purpose of draining. Now, the history of modern drain ing for agricultural purposes is curious, as illustrating the absence of enlarged and intelligent attention to agricultural improvement, which until recently was a characteristic of English landowners. The committee of the House of Coin mote, which in 1833 inquired into that once standing topic " agricultural distress," reported that the evidence disclosed tke fact of a remarkable change which had taken place in English agriculture since the commencement of the present century. The light upland soils had by means of turnip husbandry been converted from rye and oat growing land to land largely productive of wheat, and were then more sought for by farmers of skill and capital than the strong deep soils, which had once been deemed almost exclusively the wheat land of this country. The change had been most useful, for the light lands, when under good cultivation, were lees affected by season than the deep lands, and were found, year by year, actually more productive than the soils naturally better suited fer wheat. The difficulty of cultivating the deep land in a wet season, and the frequent injury of its crops from redundant mois ture, formed the great objection to the deep land. Imme diately after 1833 there followed three fine warm seasons, is which the strong lands were, all over England, extremely productive. Indeed, such was the general productiveness of our home crops, that the low prices caused another outcry of agricultural diitress, and led to the appointment of another committee, to inquire into its origin. The phenomenon of the fertility of the strong lands again attracted much of the attention of the committee, and amongst other witnewea was Mr. Smith of Deanston, p roduced; by Mr. Lefevre (now the Speaker) to show that by means of frequent and paral lel drains at the depth of 30 inches strong land might be so freed from superabundant moisture as to be ploughed deeper and cultivated with no more dependence on season than the light land.. From that time the attention of the agricultural world his been turned to the means of draining the strong land. Mr. Smith's plan was to fill the drains for eight or ten inches with gravel or broken stones, such as are used for road mending, and the expense, from 81. to 101. per acre, of the work formed the great obstacle to its extensive adoption. 1 Draining tiles, the only durable material that could b., sub stituted for stones, then cost about 60s. p . r 1,000, and 2,500 were required to drain an acre according to Mr. Smi lf th's pl an . The English Agricultural Society applied itse to the subject, and various machines were invented for making tiles of various forms, by which, and tke competition amongst tile makers, the price has now been reduced to about 20s. per thousand. In the inquiries and discussion pon the subject, it came o ut that there was n othing new in hlr. Smith's plan of frequent or " furrow" draining, as it was called, that practice having . been in use in the eastern counties of England from time immemorial. The differences made by Mr. Smith were the use of gravel in the place of thorns, bushes, or wood, for forming Th e drain, an d d one the digging the drains som ewhat deeper. h latter w to facilitate subsoil ploughing—that is, deepening the soil without turnips . it up to the surface. Indeed, there is no ' I doubt that draining was introduced into the eastern counties mode by the Romans, for Columella describes the of draining land in terms which accurately represent the ordinary Essex " land ditching" as it is locally designated. 'Subsequently, Mr. Parkes, an able agricultural engineer, proved that by laying the drains deeper, namely, at three, four, or even five feet, where practicable, they might be made leas frequent, and would be more effectiv for drying the land. He also showed that a pipe or cylin e drical tile of an inch bore was amply sufficient to carry off all the surface water from wet land. Springs whic different h result f ro m accumulations of wate r require, of course, a ireatmt. en ' The best system of draining strong lind, advocated by Mr. Parkes , and supported by Mr. Pusey, m.r., has not as yet been appreciated ley s ome of the more backward agri culturists. They still fear to lay their drains deep, and to tmbsd them firmly it day ; but the better and cheaper practice is steadil making its Inf. One of the objectsy of the Lords' committee was to make out a case for advances by government for draining the lands which are entailed, the fetters of entail and prime geniture preventing the owners from improving out of their o wn incomes. or fr.= borrowing money upon the estate for IRELAND. MARCH 28. The general topic of conversation to-day is the ap proach of Mr. John O'Connell yesterday to deposition. He barely saved himself by having the address to the Queen referred back to committee. This body met to-day to consider his address and the amendment of Mr. Galway. The latter was adopted. Mr. John O'Connell, on hearing it, withdrew his address. Mr. Galway's address, it is said, refers to the great national capabilities of Ireland—to her prosperity before and her poverty since the union—and, as the latter is traceable to that measure, it calls for the ex ercise of the prerogative in convening an Irish parlia ment. Mr. John O'Connell's more elaborate paper will be added for her Majesty's information. Mr. Blake, of :tlyshall, the gentleman who has at tained, through the praiseworthy exertions of Mr. Ponlet Scrope, a somewhat unenviable reputation as an asserter of the rights of property, has been die. missed from the commission of the peace. This step, it is said, was taken by Lord Clarendon, pre of Vilna to the af f air being mooted in the Ileum Commons. The celebrated snuffmakers, Lundy Foot and Co., have published the following " Ewe: Brides, Dublin, March 28, 1848. Sir,—Vntil we read your latter addressed to the Earl of Clarendon, we were not aware that the government had quartered troops, or bud an ambuscade,' in either of our houses of business in this city. LUNDT FOOT and Co. " John Mitchell, ESQ., the United Irishman." The old sin of jobbing appears to be at work under the Land Improvement Act. It is provided by the s tatute that a ll labour should be paid. in money SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH, MARCH 28. The season has been singularly unfavourable for sowing in this quarter. Alternately for about a week past we have had days of sunshine and rain,—the first being warm and cheerful, and the latter gloomy and heavy to extremity. The farmers will be kept rather late with their operations, as scarcely anything has yet been sown. In put days, prices, with such weather, would have been oscillating frightfully, but since the repeal of the corn duties the grain-dealers I regard all the " clouds that lower up on " the town with great philosophy. Foreign supply puts them beyond all apprehension about home crops, while, practically, they still greatly de , rend on the latter. It is at no tim e safe to hold large 1 , quantities of grain here, as a sudden influx of Baltic ousels into Leith would lower prices ; corn met.. dim* therefore, buy steadily, and in small quanti ties; and for this kind of trade the home market affords the best facilities. Experience has accord ingly demonstrated the utility of the new system, in equalising prices, while, so far as cultivation is con cerned, more ground is worked than ever. The more intelligent farmers never dreaded the repeal of the corn laws, but recognised the necessity of foreign grain all along ; and certainly not without reason, as none of the wheat grown in Scotland is convertible into good bread unlessmixed with foreign wheat. The Forth and Clyde Canal Company have discon tinued running their passenger boats, and have sold their horses. Sir John Gladstone has had the freedom of Burraisland conferred on him, the box containing the document being inscribed as " Presented by the magistrates and town council, to Sir John Gl ad stone of Fugue, Baronet, as a mark of their respect for his public-spirited exertions in erecting a low-water pier, and otherwise promoting the prosperity of the I distraint burgh." frUSII MR. LUCAS'S MUSICAL EVENINGS.—The second of these classical entertainments took place last evening. The performance began with Mendelssohn's Quartet in D, played by Messrs. Seinton, 13Iagrove, Hill, and Lucas. This masterpiece of art, worthy to be placed beside the most exquisite works of Mozart and Beethoven, was executed with admirable precision, force, and expression. The brilliant and impetuous finale, especially, was given with immense effect. It is cunous that there are in this quartet several ideas which are found in other works of the author ; in the first movement everybody will recognise the wailing oboe passage in the finale of the A minor symphony; and in the concluding movement we have the most prominent pas sage of the " Wedding March" in " A Midsummer Night's Dream." Were these p a s s ages urconecious reminiscence* of the quartet, or were the y taken from it on purpose ? The PROVINCIAL. nest piece was Haydn's 41st quartet, in 0 ; a light and graceful composition, the leading pert of which was IHICELNOHANIMIRE. played by Mr. Blagrove, with hie usual beauty of tone and AYLESBURY ELECTION. —Yesterday the polling delicate execution. Beethoven's sonata in A, for the p'sno cornmepeed at eight o'clock and ended at four , when Mr. forte and violoncello (the finest duet ever written for :hese Dick, the protectionist candidate, wig declared to \se returned. instruments) received the greatest justice from Mn. Ander- The poll, et its close, WI stated by the tory committee, Wei: eon and Mr. LIICIIIIM hose admirable execution fully developed Dick, 614 ; Houghton, 345 ; majority for Dick, 269. The the bold and original ideas of the composer. Beethoven's successful candidate thanked the electors. Mr. H ougbton quer et in E minor (the second a the Itaseureoffsky set) also spoke from the steps in front of the County llall, and concluded the concert. These soirees are more numerously Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Houghton's secouder, likewise addressed the attended than they have been in any previous season. Last night every seat was occupied, and many distinguished assembly, intimating that M r. Dick had p urchased Mr. Deering's interest, by agreeing to pay all the expenses con- dadioari were preeent. it. The y. well deserve encourage neetedl with his late contest for the borough. meat, not only from their intrinsic excellence, but from the LANCASHIRE. elegant manner in which they are given, and the attention THE PLUNDER OF POOR EMIGRANTS IN LIVER- bestowed on the oomfortable accommodatios,of the company. root—Tke imprritions and extortions practised upon poor THE MUSICAL UN ION . — This societ y has coin persons, particu larly the Irish, who seek Liverpool as a port rammed its meetings for this season, which is its fourth. It of embarltation to America, is thus expmed in a letter pub- now has above 300 members, al belonging to the fashion lished in the Liverpool Courier of Wednesday :—ln order to able world, many of whom are ladies. 'The formation of give you (says the writer), a more correct idea of its opera- such a society for the cultivation of the most severe and elu tion, I shall minima a case in point. Patrick Murphy, wife, steel description of music, its flourishing state, and the man- LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE. and family, residing at present in the town of Longford, in- nor in which its meetings are attended, prove the rapid pro- At a recent meeting of the Royal Academy, Dr. tend to emigrate ; he writes, as he supposes, to a (rived of greet of the art among the higher classes in this country. 'The Romney Robinson gave a most interesting account of the his, residing in Liverpool, to know the rate of passage and society has PrineeAlbertfor itspetron; the DukeofCambridge present condition of Lord Rave's great telescope. In the time of sailing of the packets for New York, or some is its president, and its affairs are managed by a committee 1843 the learned professor submitted to the academy the other port in America, and all ether requisite information. of which the Earl of Falmouth is chairman. The musical first fruits of its performance ; since then the enormous in- In a few days he gets an answer from his false friend, giving director it Kr. Elia, a mat competent and efficient lane strument has done nothing. Lod why 'The doctor an- him every information, and who will not forget to tell him denary. The first meeting of this season was held at swen this, and adds some most interesting information on to write and state on what day he expects to be at Liverpool, Willis's Rooms oil Tuesday. The pieces performed were the recent discoveries in the heavens:— and by what beat, that he may meet him oo the pier heed , Hayda ' s quartet in 13, No. 79; a ;quartet by Schumann, for "He had often been asked why this telescope had given and conduct him and family to biz house, probably in Dub- the pianoforte, violin, viola, and violoncello ; and Mendell '' since. His English friends, though doubtless to- lira. Regent, Stewart, or Qatairn street. Nothing particular lobes quartet in E flat, op 12. The performers were brit quainted with all of the sufferings of Ireland that appeared occurs until his arrival in Dublin, where he meets with and second violins, Messrs. F ' and P" - in the daily press, had but a very inadequate conception of a gang of sharpers, or what il technically termed, Hill ; violoncello, Signor the treerwhebning mature withwbich those miserable years " man-catchers," who will endeseour all in their Roeckel. The only ao• bore on the persosal exertion. ,sf that class whom the posi- power to persuade him and family to take their p assa ge of Schumann, a vole lion in society which raised them above actual want, bound from Dublin; but having in his posseeneis the letter from Germany, but not ' to aid encourage, and iostruct their unhappy country- the "man-catcher' in Liverpool, who has given him every' 'very elaborate work, e men. Lord Room is not a man to seek enjoyment and caution upon this point, he refuses to comply with the Dub deficient in imagination, knowledge in the lateen's while he had duties to Perform lin seekers , and proceeds toLiverpool Mune of thesteeiners; other pieces, it was co' on earth, and he gave himself exclusively to their perform- sod, according to appointment, meets with his friend on the from this specimen, to s—__ . =CO. Some pans of the machinery, which could be finished quay immediately on his arrival, to whom he r tys • well- nienn's music. Mendelasohn's by his workmen without superintendence, were proceeded merited compliment for ha" punctuality end lindnem in works, composed, we b.l:- with ; and the resolution of the great nebula of Orion, iin- meeting him, by a hearty 'hake of the hand. The "man- and yet ke clearness perfectlynbeereed, was communicated jos and published be catcher" then promises him all the comfort of a Roma. He ful treatment of the .. Dr. Nichol, of Glasgow . Some of thetmen, in the genera then gets them some refreshment, and tells sageurry compositions of its class. distress, became careless, and the speculum was tarnished out 4,, tri order to proceed id once to secure itc., as alkleadamai at Ike same DaVNLENNESS IN GLAtioow.—Despite the great distress in Glasgow, arising from want of employment, drunken. nese continues as rife as ever-1.50 being the number of the inebriated picked out of the streets en Saturday evening last. Instead of keeping these parties till sober and then dismissing them, their names and addresses should be taken down and some means adopted of preventing them from receiving parochial aid. It is proposed that the works of the Ayrshire Iron Com pany should be sold, and a meeting has been called for the 12th of April to consider the propositi-..n, s " Presented oy ine .___ . _ > Sir John Gla ds tone fr Olt f their respect for his . jog a low-water pier, Ma. LUCAS'S MUSICAL EVENINGS.—The second , . , prosperity of the of these classical entertainments took place last evening. The performance began with Mendelssohn's Quartet in , I played by Messrs. Seinton, Blagrove, Hill, and Lucas. This )espite the great distress masterpiece of art, worthy to be placed beside the most employment, druaken• exquisite works of Mozart and Beethoven, wee executed i I being the number of with admirable precision, force, and expression. The ' 3 e t a an S atur day even i ng brilliant and impetuous finale, especially, was given with ts till sober and then immense effect. It is cunous that there are in this quartet idresees should be taken several ideas which are found in other works of the author ;in preventing them from the first movement everybody will recognise the wailing oboe pasesge in the finale of the A minor symphony; and in the he Ayrshire Iron Corn- concluding movement we have the m ost p rominent p as- / has been called for the sage of the " Wedding March" in " A Midsummer Night's den, Dream." Were these p a s s ages urconecious reminiscences of the quartet, or were the y taken from it on purpose ? The riiL.next piece was Haydn's 41st quartet, in 0; a light and I MRE. grace f u l composition, the leading pert of which was played by Mr. Blagrove , with his usual beauty of tone and I esterday the polling delicate execution. Beethoven's sonata in A , for the p iano- ided at four forte and violoncello (the finest duet ever written for these m declared to \ when Mr. re returned. instruments) received the greatest justice from Mrs. Ander- he tory committee, was : eon and Mr. LIICIIIIM hose admirable execution fully developed ity for Dick, 269. The the bold and original ideas of the composer. Beethoven's electors. Mr. H oughton quer et in E minor (the second et the Itaseurnoffsky set) of the County Hall, and lick had purchased Mr. concluded the concert. These soirees are more numerously 6 re er, likewise addressed the attended than they have been in any pvious moon. Last night every seat was occupied, and many distinguished pay all the expenses mu' dilettanti were present. , L.They . well deserve cm:mirage- , borough. meat, not only from their intrinsic excellence, but from the tE• elegant manner in which they are given, and the attention MIGRANTS IN LIVER- bestowed on the comfortable accommodatioiof the company. ions practised upon poor THE MUSICAL LNION.—This society has coin- : i seek Liverpool as a port latticed its me etings for this season, which is its fourth. It expmed in 1 letter pub- now has above 300 members, all belonging to the fashion- . 1 Wednesday :—ln order to able world , many o f whom are ladies. 'The formation of i correct idea of its opera- such a society for the cultivation of the most severe and elm- :. Patrick Murphy, wife, sicel description of music, its flourishing state, and the man- the town of Longford, in- nor in which its meetings are attended, prove the rapid pro- le supposes, to a friend of greet of the art among the higher classes in this country. 'The IT the rate of passage and society haa Primed Albertfor itspatron; the Duke of Cambridge As for New York, or some is its president, and its affairs are managed by a committee ,er requisite information. of which the Earl of Falmouth is chairman. The musical . om his false friend, giving director it Mr. Elia, a most competent and efficient (ant- sill not forget to tell him tionary. The first meeting of this season was held at 1 expects to be at Liverpool, Willis's Rooms on Tuesday. The pieces performed were set him oo the pier-head, Haydn's quartet in 13, No. 79; a ;quartet by Schumann, for I house, probably in Dub- the pianoforte, violin, viola, and violoncello ; and Mendel/. treet. Nothing particular soda's quartet in E flat, op 12. The performers were first in, where he meets with and second violins, Moen. Swinton and Deloffre ; viola, Mr. is technically termed, Hill; violoncello, Signor Piatti ; and pianoforte, Herr 4.4 . , I , endeavour all in their Broad. The only novelty was the pianoforte quartet ay to take their passage of Schumann, a voluminous composer, estel in possessisis . the letter from Germany, but not known in thin n • • • who has glum him ever: very elaborate work, evincing great con r St Pla . ,a to comply with the Dub deficient in imagination, bare - 62'6, - Ind le "lJnlilte Hag , sew pool Inoue of thesteossers ; other pieces, it was coldly received; an * felt no fiefaresAX ,eats with his friend on the from this specimen, to emend our knowledt et Harr fidta , ' ~0 .. .... 114t to whom he ts a well- morn's music. Mendelssohn ' s quartet - alf kil suffikelr4 ' .Z44,04,411iipt . . ,ctuality end • damn in works, composed, we believe, when he e x a **IOC X )f the hand. The "man- and yet he dearness of design, beati fi es if rg le comfort of a home. He ful Hesgment of the Instruments, rend 41 1 5 . 111 , ; :, and tells thous to hurry compositions of its class. It is one at a kr. • (. Cit ice to secure *eve/age, as alkllOULegi at the same pv.......01.,aud all V.i ' lr i g .... _ . --......L.,_ ....- ans. Swinton an Deloffre ; viola, Mr. ignor Piatti ; and pianoforte, Herr r novelty was the pianoforte quartet 44 , voluminous composer, estelis . known in this n • • evincing great con r sr ma ion, brvlrttn; — ind za . " Unlike the , ma coldly received : an leit no &AMAX to extend cm. knowing/ et Haft Seitt , ' ' Z . 4 " ialtoot idelmohn's quartet ' N believe, when be in T a Iffitittor of design, Amities r a:4; rg instruments, mud aillar Imo. It is au or • kir: - ' CA lame pe;.:951., ma all v)10t .. --- .,1 --- 0 • —.....!...._, 'i ell !re ter ree . 'king lions! nt has at the 1 Von ereler, made gam and of Peopl e rgeatll edition amend dent of ideo to : news Liver ved by ince : French item:nen rgentine enforce in c•m»- iinet the