The Express. — London, England, 1847-05-22 00:00:00

61,ailfridei ILw into reduced to lees than 1;d. a • ~ bed, *my lather having clean water, a clean If, emend and lamp, and every washer clean water, m .: soda, sad the use at the drying closet. :lib total at. working expenses for these eleven gin neha is undue 3154, but the subscriptions amount to 2321. The establishment must close, if funds no not forthcoming. Its dependence is entirely, or- Su, on the pure benevolence °Jibe pablie. There -a • err 10 lists of governors with power of nomination k g pre i tiyell, or the annual orations of a public dimity r. • • B 6 one of the most naked, simple, unadorned chari , o n s in London. It is at the same time one of the • most useful. Can it be that such a charity must appeal is vain? Its bankers are Messrs. WILLIAMS, DEACON e nd Co., Birchin-lane. Rich people do not know what a boon such a charity offers os the poor of London. There is, perhaps, no on e point in the social economy of the very poor, about which the rich are more in the dark, than in what relates to their supply of water. The pour family is dependent generally on the single and in sufficient stand-cock of their court, or the pump of the neighbourhood. They carry the water to their wre t c hed rooms, and must frequently store enough for two or three days' consumption. Perhaps the tap is open only twice or thrice a week ; and at certain times, while " the water is on," the struggle for the pre cious fluid is terrific. The stagnant contents of the butt are, of course, covered with a coating of impurity, the ereaardepo sited by the London atmosphere. Yet, this stagnant and tout water is all the poor family have fur drink ing, washing , and cooking. They have not enough even of this foul and unwholesome water. And what they have they must store in rooms already so en cumbered with live stock, that every water vessel encroaches on space absolutely essential for the sup port of healthy existence. Thus the labour of carry ing this water up, sometimes to the fifth story, is exhausting to wom"n, and men are little in clined to it after the labour of the day is over. The consequence is that the clothes of the family are often washed in dirty water, so as to retain a fetid smell and much of their eriginal dirt. They are then hung to dry in the overcrowded room, poisoning the air with their steam, and adding another to the many sources of disease which impregnate the air of poor neighbourhoods. Besides all this, the poor cannot, from want of proper means of decency. enjoy, iu their own homes, those frequent and full ablutions which are not only refreshing, but absolutely essential to health. Disease is quite as often produced by want of water, and the 'infrequent change of linen, as by anyother cause within the control of sanitary law. fo place the means of personal ablution and of washing their linen within the reach of' the pone, these baths were originally instituted. Sir PETER LAURIE considers them highly indecent. The fiat of his disapprobation seems necess try now-a-days to establish the utility of any scheme. lie has con demned the baths and wash-houses. The public should require no other guarantee of their beneficial character. Unless charity iu London be a hollower thing than we should be willing to think it, and unless the degree of information and interest on sanitary topics has been grievously exaggerated, we shall nut see these baths and wash-houses shut up for want of the very mode rate support which they require front the public. Think of the amount of comfort, cleanliness, health, and self-respect diffused among these 70,000 poor wrwns, at an expense of &M., and double the good by doubling the m:ans of it. Norm NG could be more natural, than that the Junta of Oporto and the Portuguese liberals should have demanded some guarantees from the British agent of the due fulfilment, by the Quern, of the conditions which she so reluctantly consented to. The London press and its correspondents, all of whom admitted the justice of those grievances, axd of that arbitrary conduct on the part of the government which warranted re siatan, have now all turned in favour of the court. No expressions of condemnation are spared to the members of the Oporto Junta, who are anxious to secure their lives and liberties, and to have some stronger guarantee than the mere words of a court for the maintenance of those liber ties which they are in a condition to defend sword in band. We do think that, if the British navy and British army should be employed to crush and mutilate the liberal Portuguese party, either in Oporto or at St. Übes, at the bidding of the Queen, it will not only be highly impolitic, as extinguishing for ever anything like a constitutional party in Portugal, but signally treacherous and disgraceful, considerin; the share that Lord HOWARD DE WALDEN indirectly had in producing this very insurrection. We have hinted, in a former article, at some pe culiar and delicate circumstances connected with this .uggle. We should prefer not dwelling upon or developing them, but shall not shrink from the un pleasant duty, should one government make common cause with their inveterate enemies ; the Cabralists. We have, certainly, got into a very awkward scrape in Portugal. On the one hand, we are bound by the strongest obligation to protect the liberals, and see them righted. On the other band, we are bound to protect the Queen. These two things are difficult enough at once to execute and reconcile. But they are rendered infin , tely mote difficult by an agreement entered into between our government and the hake of SOTOMAYOR, that, whenever British marines landed in Portugal. a Spanish force was also to pass the Spanish frontier. This monstrous concession, as a fact applied to the resew, and as a precedent applied to the future, ahem altogether the position in which we stood with respect to Portugal. Instead of being its sole protector, we henceforth share that duty with Spain, aad with every Spanish ministry, whose exigencies we shall never be able to satisfy. Our consent to this protection of Spain has at once filled the Portuguese liberals with mistrust towards us, mingled with contempt; and we must say not without some shadow of reason. Our admission of the pretensions of Spain, put forward a, Spain was by France, was an act of imbecility and weakness, which we should have thought Lord PALMERSTON the last man to commit, and of which we shall not fail to see the fatal consequences. At this moment a Spanish army threatens Portugal, headed by a general belonging to the French party in Spain, and personally inveterate to every liberal idea. 'this man, CONCHA, one of those who drove oat ESPARTERO, and fumbled Saragossa, is chosen as the Spanish general, who is to crush and expel, under British sanction, the Portuguese liberals from Oporto. Is it a wonder that the Portuguese liberals distrust the British government, when tile, see it thus turning round in a trice, deserting its friends, and leaguing with its foes, both in Portugal and Spain? We are aware of the many complications in Penin sula politics. We admit the impuesibility of accept ing or sanctioning such conditions on behalf of the tn sargeids, as that they should garrison Lisbon, or preserve the command of the armed force of the country. But we fear much that we are not about to extricate ourselves with honour from these embarrass ments, if we abet the court of Lisbon and the mode rado clique of Madrid in crushing the liberals of Portugal. When % we have done this, how can we expect the liberals of Spain to trust us ? How can we hope to restore our influence and that of constitutional liberty at Madrid? Let ns, however, not rush too hastily to judgment. Although our tory contemporaries announce that the junta of Oporto has decidedly rejected Colonel WYLDE'S offer, and that he will not negotiate with them, let us hope that oar own humble information is, as it has all along been, more cornet, and that the demand of guarantees by the people of Oporto may be met on the part of Colonel Wn.oe with as surances calculated to pacify them, and ease their well-grounded mistrust. We will not believe, till the last moment, that British guns can be fired in behalf of the absolute and dictatorial government of Donna MARIA; if so, we can only any , that the reigns of Den MIGIAL and lion CARL . O3 from that day ro la:4l=mm. WE have been aecuotometl to con4ider the clergy- Ems an the natural channel of communication between tihs necessitous and tione who have the power to re- JIM necessity. His office gives him a privilege to plebe distress without sounding it; and many a sufferer will disclose his wants to his spiritual visitor, who would rather die than make them known to the charitable society, or the relieving officer. It appears reasonable to look upon the clergyman as one of the pleasantest, safest, and cheapest guides of the pc.rochial Msthoriiirs in the administration of relief. His zeal May make up for the frequent carelessness of their inbordinatea; his Christian charily may interpose itsell with advantage between shrinking misery and the hard unsympathisitig mercier of the board room. The parish* mitherities of Bethnal-green think dif ferently. TheyJ have put the clergyman under ban : Lie retwamendatiaw are not to be attended to: no application for relief, backed with hie unction, will be foal. This appears incredible, and we can hardly accept in their literal sense the positive as rtions of Mr. C/1118TZT, their relieving officer, that the board had come to a positive determination not to allow of any interference of the district clergyman with the pariah charities. This assertion was made under the following cir cumstances: The minister of St. Philip's Church, Bethnal-green, in the exercise of his ministerial duties, was culled upon to attend the sick bed of a poor man, named COOPER, who was l)iug in a state of helpless wretchedness, attended only by au idiot daughter, and both dependent on the carity of a poor woman living in the same house, tehu pinched and neglected her oam family to aid th, ir greater, misery. Finding that the parish had done nothing, the rev. gentleman addressed a It tter to the chairman of the Board of Guardians, calling his attention to the cuss. No notice was taken of this communication, and he accordingly waited on Mr. Buouttitros, to prefer a complaint against the authorities. The poor, chari table woman, ELIZABETH BUTLER, told the magis trate that COOPtli and his idiot daughter had 3s. a week from another daughter who was married, but in poor circumstances. Mr. Onus - riot declared that on application being made by this daughtet to the parish, they had offered the workhouse, which was refused; and that slice' that refusal, nothing more had beet, heard of the case till the communication from the dergym.o of St. Philip's, which was not acted upon, • becnu-e the guardians were determined in all awes to disregard the interference of the district clergyman in such matters." Bethnal-green is one of the moat wretched quarters of London. It is also the pet livid of the church extensioaists. But their labaurs are likely to be cur tailed of much of their effect, if the clergymen of their new churches are to be thus treated by the parish authorities. We have nothing to do with the facts of the case. It may be the rule of Bethnal-green to offer the workhouse or nothing. They may be acting on their usual plan in choosing to saddle the parish with the whole expense of Coorea and his idiot daughter, rather than, by a small addition to the pittance fur- I nished by the other daughter, to keep an act of filial t duty alive, and materially lighten the expense of relief. What we are now directing atten tion to is this unaccountable rule of the guar dians. They refuse to listen to the application of district clergymen ; not because these applications are generally ill founded, but because " if they were allowed to interfere, all the dissenting ministers would i claim au equal right, and the board would be over whelmed with applications." Mr. CutetsTET is in discreet in his zeal. He gives us a glimpse, here, of an ugly feature in the Bethual-green poor-relief administration. The clergymen are not to be heard, because what they say is too significant: they expose too much misery and suffering. The parish will not be overwhelmed for all the clergymen, past, present, and to come, in Bethnal-green. Being unable to meet all the cases, they refuse to meet any. As the clergyman is the most active ferreter-out of misery and want, his mouth must be stopped before all others. The poor must apply themselves. But how if they will not apply, whether from that apathy which great habitual misery often engenders, or from shame, which is a rarer restraint but not uncommon, or from reluctance to face the cruss-questions of a relieving officer, hardened by contact with misery, and accustomed look on every applicant as, priavi facie, an impostor ? Why, if they won't apply, they must take the consequences; at least, the clergyman shall not apply fur them. Surely there is a very different theory on this point which would better become the poor-law guardians of the poorest district lof London. We are placed here, they might say, to relieve the misery of this quarter; at least to see that those who cannot work shall not die of want, and that those who will not work shall be made to eat hard and bitter bread. l)o what we will, by aid of inspectors and relieving officers, we cannot discover all the distress round about us. Our means will not allow us a larger visiting staff. Yet we know that much want is endured without application to us, and that men and women have 'timed rather than enter the workhouse. What is to be done? A lucky thought! Here are the paro chial and district clergy, and the dissenting ministers, all actively engaged iu visiting the very poorest, and better acquainted, if they do their duty, with the depth of misery in this district than even our own officers. They will be glad to aid us. Let as put ourselves in relation with them. Let them be, as tar us possible, a means of communication between us and the poor of their respective congregations, or others whom they visit. Which of these courses seems the most consistent with charity, with the duty of guardians, with the professed objects of the poor law, with the relative positions of the Board of Relief, the poor and the cler gyman, we leave our readers to conclude for them selves. We shall be glad to find that the Bethnal green authorities can give a different colour to this matter from that which it wears at present. THE freaks of officers are proverbial. Every book of travels teems with them Every private tourist has hie tale of annoyance, grave or ludicrous, to tell. But the dowtne at Boulogne ap pears bent upon transcending all other donanes of ancient or modern times in this respect —upon out heroding HEROD. When the French government consented to ad., vance money for the Improvement of the harbour, at Boulogne, it was on condition that an extral tonnage should be paid by every vessel enter ing the harbour until the advance was refunded. fhe condition was acceded to on the part al the chamber, and the authority to collect the tonnage vested in the custom-house. Under Ulla arranoement, tonnage and harbour dues havi beem levied at Boulogne on this principle : steamers anter ing the port with passengers only, pay nearly two francs per head: steamers carryiuir merchandise pay tonnage and harbour dues, and nothing far passengers. The application of these rules is made by the Custom-house. A steamer from Folkestone, entering the harbour with any number of private travellers, pays only the head-money upon its living freight But if a courier from Paris be aboard the steamer, it is immediately changed by the magic of his despatches from a passenger vessel into a vessel containing mer chandise, and declared liable to pay harbour and ton nage dues. If, among twenty passengers, one pleads guilty to having a despatch in his pocket, immediately the whole, as if by a touch of Harlequin's wand, are transformed from living men and women into bake of goods. As if to push absurdity to its extreme, though a steamer, by carrying the bearer of a h tier or a newspaper, is rendered liable to harbour and tee nage dues, it may carry ten tons of gold, either bullion or coined, without incurring any such penalty. Newspapers and letters, in the categories of the Bou logne douane are merchandise—gold is not. The question is one of very considerable import ance to proprietors of steamers sailing from Dover or Folkestone to Boulogne. The South-Eastern Railway Company may be subjected to a most undue pressure of taxation by these exactions. But the community of Bou logne are much more likely tosuffer by them. Some sta tistics of English continental travelling, which we pub. blished a day or two ago, shows how steadily the stream of tendency of our tourists has within this Tear or two been setting in upon the Boulogne route. 'This cannot continue if those exactions are persisted in. At no other port in the Channel—not at Calais, not at Dieppe, not at Havre, is the foolish theorem maintained that couriers and despatches are mer chandise. The practice of charging tonnage and harbour dies on all steamers and pilot-boats carrying couriers will soon divert the stream of passengers from Boulogne. Already we are informed the directors of the South-Eastern Railway have set an examination on foot to ascertain whether St. Valery may not be made a station for their boats. We have received the Paris journals, and our correspondence of Thursday. '1 he Jimenal des Debuts announces that the Duke of Montebello has accepted of the portfolio of marine. He was to leave Naples for Paris on the 20th. 'I heir Excellencies Lord and Lady Normanby lett Paris on Thursday for England; Col. Itumilly will act as chargé d'affains during his lordship's absence. The Patric says that M. llachitel has again been attacked by fever; this is contradicted by the Mbats. Too Congdidionael attributes the sudden return of Vie Minister of the Interior to unfavourable news THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENINO, MAY 22, 1847. received from abroad. It wee decided on Wednes day by the commission on the affairs of Algeria that the government should render an account to the chamber in the session of 1848 of all the measures it has taken to introduce a regular and systematic system of government into Algeria. The Dibutr announces that it has received letters from Barcelona, dated 18th instant, with the news that on the 15th Colonel Baxecos had surprised the band commanded by Tristany, had killed eight-and twenty of them, and taken Triatany a prisoner to Soliana, where he was led out and shot by command of the captain-general. The Toulonnais states that all the vessels comprising the French squadron in the Mediterranean have received orders to take in their full stock of provisions, so as to be ready for sea at a moment's notice. Thu project of law laid on the bureau of the chamber by M. Jayr, is to demand a credit of thirteen millions six hundred thousand francs, as follows : ---1. Four millions for the comple tion of the railway from Paris to Lille. 2. rive millions for settling the indemnities for the purchase of land on the Marseilles and Avignon line ; and 3. Four millions six hundred thousand francs for com pleting, at the expense of the state, the works on the Orleans and Vierzon line. We have received the Madrid journals of the 15th inst. It was said that Generals Espartero, Linage, and other members of the Progresmsta party residing at L radon, had addressed a petition to her Majesty, demanding permission to return to Spain. The Queen was, it was said, to leave for the Granja at the end of the month. .Mr. Buiwer was resid ing at Aranjuez, but lived in great retirement. The Herald° announces that perfect tranquillity prevailed at Seville and at Grenada, and that no more disturbsnees were apprehended. Mr. Misley, the Englishman who had been expelled from Madrid, suspected of having had a hand in the marriage affair of l)on Enrique, had arrived at Bayonne, on his return to the Spanish capital The Ey) del C , ,,,te-eiq draws a gloomy picture of the present position of things in Spain, and in the course of it says, that the Queen and King have now two separate courts, which, if not downright enemies, are still declared rivals, and dislike and are hostile to each other. The same journal denounces the go vernment fur the arbitrary arrests which, it says, it MUMS to be made daily; and for having sent the police to search the houses of several eminent members of the Progresssist party ; among others that of M. Huertas, on the pretence that they had secreted arms. One of the journals says that the government has made the allowance to Gen. Narvaez double what heretofore had beer, given to Spanish ambassadors in France. M. Nocedal and M. Benavides have been re-elected deputies. The accounts from the provinces are unimportant; but great agitation existed in Navarre on account of the dearness of food. FRANCE.—PARIS, MAY 20.—The Q,urrier dr Marseille of the 17th, eays:—Tne Infante Don Henry, Duke of Seville, and the Duchess hie wife, who were for two days at Toulon, returned yesterday to Marseilles. The object of the prince's journey to Toulon is said to have been an inter view with Queen Cot istiva, who arrived there on Sattirday, aliahting at the Maritime Prefecture, where she dined, and where the prince was also Welted. In the evening he had • conference with the rinern. which wee pr till s is.• hour of the night. The queen took her departure in the meriting for Neplee, is the Panama. HOLLAND,—ANISTMRDAM, MAY 18.—His impe rial highness the At chduke Constantine of Russia, travelling under the nameol C epteie Romanoff, ie expected to arrive by the second ordinary train Irons Arnheim. His imperial highness prop .see remaining here two days, and then pro ce. ding to the H. que. We learn, by letters from Pestb, that the Dutch stip " Amsterdam and Vienna," had arrived there nn the s!h of May, which, with a cargo of iron, had tinder the chain-bridge, and, fur the first time, pane the Dutch flag in Pesth. THE HAGUE, MAY 19.—The Second Chamber of the States General concluded the discussion commenced on the 7th of May, on the prefect of law for molder; good the lures, occasioned by the hew of notes, bonds, &c., payable by government. After a reply by the Minister of Finance to various objections brought f irward in the course of the debate, and the (petition being put, the law was voted by a majority i-f 44 to 10. GERNIANY.—PnossiA.—BERLIN, MAY 18.—The begisouing of the debate in the meeting of the combined rotates, of the 14th in.tont, on the proposal to establish land rent Nuke in ell the provinces has appeared to-day. The nature and object of the proptsal is as follows. The lands ache peasantry are subjected to many burdens, from which those of the equestriau order are exempted. The tendency of Prussian legislation has for many years been to favour tree abolition of these annual bierdeus, upon the payment of a fixed sum, which may be considered as the capital of which tney are the interest by the peasant proprietor. Want of capital among the p: es entry has retarded the progress of this arrangement. To accelerate it the provincial diets of Silesia and Posen, have pas.ed enactments to establish banks authorised Ot issue paper on the security of p. a.ent tenth. With this piper the peasant may purchase the emancipation of his property from the claims of his overlord, and fir the use of it he p 'ye a moderate interest and pines the bank a prior security on his land. A lame what similar legated in has been established in thii Peeler- born &stn. tof the province of Westphalia. The Prussian govt rument hue submitted to the estates-general a draft or dinance 18r establishing similar hanks in ail provinces. This is the ordinance on watch vie combined court met to deli. berate on the 14th. It is advocated first on the ground that by emancipating the peasant proprietors from heavy burdens it will give them more arlf-confl.lence and intelligence; that by inerea.ing the value of land it will add to the national wealth ; that the paper of the banks will come opportunely to aid the deficient circulating medium. Sterns, MAY 15.—Within the last 10 or 12 days, vegetation has rapidly advanced, in oinsequence of the favourable weather which hit act in. In some of the fields the rye is already in ear. Should th a weather contleue, this year's harvest, contrary to all cop ctetion, will again be very early—whether abundant or out time alone an show. Our trade this week has been interrupted by yesterdaj's holiday, and has not been so brisk as we could have In cetosequence of same new order., however, partly from the interior, and party from England, there has been more demand fir wheat this week, and higher prices have been obtained, 12.31 b. to 1301 b. at 122 dull*. to 124. Good yellow arid white wheat m.y be purchased from 1211 h. to 129,b for 1266 130 dolls. The dieposahle stock c mtiuues to remain and the price, according to quality and weight, is tor 811 h. to 861 h. from 105 to 106 rio defiers. BOHEMIA. kOMOTA 14 MAY 1 I.—The prohibition of the exportation of corn and provisions has been extended to Bohemia. BOHEMIA.—PRAGUE, MAY 9.—ln the sitting of 'he Bth init. the States of B 'hernia resolved to beseech his M .j !sty the Emperor to authorize the publication of the ninth of their discussions fur the use of the states, and a rcvision of the law of censorship. The states eeeee num bered so strong as tai year, there being 90 members, whilst in former year; they scarcely ever exceeded 60. RUSSIA.—ST. PETEESBUROH, MAY 7.—The Em peror of Russia has been obliged, in compliance with the advice of hi. physi:ians, to renounce the journey which his imperial majesty propos ed steirtly to make to Warsaw and Svitt.tart. The state of health of his majesty, though 86'1 requiring a good deal of care, is, however, far from pre senting any cheracter Weems the slightest sham. ' A duty of 15 silver kopeks per ton (k , ittimerdast) is to be levied fur the next four years 1861), upon every merchant vessel sailing from Riaa. The proceeds are to be devoted to the improvement of the harbour. GUATEMALA.—On the 28th of January last two officers and part of the crew of this Genie, French hrig.of. war, at the request of the government of Sin Silvia-t (re public of Guatemala), explored the bar of E.piritu Santo, with a view to the improvement of the entrance of the port of Triumfo. One of the boats in which the exploring party hat embarked was tweet by the waves, hut all were saved with the exception of 14. Culls, the officer, and two sea men. The bodies were fond and interred on the sth of February, all the authorities of the plies attending the funeral. •• COLONIAL. NEW SOUTH WALES. —A LAND FOR TUE LAMOUREIL—Ia the Sydney Morning Herold, of the Ord of February, we hen the following eccount of the value set upon rt ady, honest labourers in this colony Mr. Allen, of Western Port, has lost COO bushels of grain and 25 acres of bay in consequence of not being able to obtain labour; be ott red a genies a week with rations, but could not obtain a single hand." WEST INDIES.—JAMATCA.—Though the journals hut received front this colony contain little to grab(' those who read merely for excitement, they contain ire:notions of increasing energy, and inventivenew in matter: indus trial that are eminently gratifyitag. The Central Fac tory Compasy has advertised that it is ready to Inter into arrangements with estate. desirous of baring • factory with , tramways eat iblished in their cistrict. The - preliminary in t TeatiOn required by the company relates to—the nurnh'r of estates in the district that would enter into terms for the manufacture of their sugar or purchase of their ranee; the present average crop of each estate, and the probable crop under (WI cultivation ; the distance of the estates trom each other. and from the barquadier, their elevation above the sea, and the general ch.:nteter of the district ; the 31&111/11 rod extent of water supply ; the time at present on-spied in taking off theerops. As estates entering into term with the company are to be allowed half the shares reqwreu to erect the factory, it is required that the proportion of that half fur which each estate max desire to subscribe, may be stated. The not,fleetion is a bureeselike docansonk and angers well or the company's mausgement Lord Howard de Walden has Imported, at his own espouse, 43 Perugia's* immi grant.. Sums ,tinfortunate misunderstending bad taken place booms the nanagesand the coolies Oa the Alexandria estate in Louie, its consequence of which they were idling about the Court-house. The WinifreL which arrived at Port Royal, with coolies, on the 12th of April, wee ordered round to Lucia. The coolies on Preston estate, St. Mary's, had b. dheilisulted , sad Ware unable or unwilling to find =est: those on Quebec estate were giving gees . The Morning ,Joiortial advocates an attempt to turn the extensive swamps between Kingston and Spanish- Town to accouat es rice lands; soma of the many coolies in the island, the editor sunsets, may be skilled in this descrip tion of cultivation. Rtes , he says, has been found to be a profitahle crop in Trinidad, when cultivated by a class who can afford to buy the machinery required to separate the grain from the husk. A gentleman connected WWI the Jamaica Land Company has cleared fifteri: acres in the vicinity of toe Kingston railway which he proposes to irrigate and cultivate in yams, cocoa, and pliustains. The sugar market was dull. The want shipping (felt equally in Kingston and all the outporta) kept back purchasers for exportation, sod mint parcels brought forward at venture were withdrawn on account of insuffi cient offers. A large quantity of produce was understood to be in the hands of proprietors, who, for want of staves and headings, were unable to send to market. he rnin. We have authority to announce that the state apartments in Windsor Castle will be closed from Monday next, the 21th is until alter Monday, the 7th of June next. the Duchess of Kent visited the Queen yeaterdav et Buckingham Palace, and remained to luncheon with her Majesty and Prince Albert. H.R.H. Prince Albert presided yesterday afternoon at a cocunitve meetirg of the commissionirs fur promoting and emoura,rifig the fine arts in the rebuilding the Briber. of Westminster. H.R.H. arrived at the New Palace at a quarter Mime three o'clock, attended by Copt the Ron. A. It. Gordon. The commissioners present were the Earl of Aberdeen, Visc. Mahon, Sir R. H. Inglis ' Mr. Wyse, and Mr. Halloos. The secretary, Mr. E.... Oaks, was in attend ance. The meeting broke up at tau minutes before six o'clock, when Prince Albert took uis departure. Their RILIIII. the Prince of Wales and the Prase. se Itoyal took an airing yesterday in an open carriage sad four. Her Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by the Prince of Leiningen, honoured the performance of the French Plays with their presence yesterday evening. Th., rays] suite consisted of the Viscountess Canning, Bun, Met. Stanley, Marquis of Ormunde, Lieut.-Col. the lion. C. B. Phiciss. and Capt. the Lion. A. H. Gordon. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager left town yester day morning in a carriage nod four f,r her residence, Bushy • house, Bushy-park. Her Majesty returned to Marlberough nowt. in the afternoon. • H.R.H. the Luke of Cambridge honoured the Noblemen and Gentkmen's Catch Club with his company at dinner last evening. The Queen purposes to give a state ball on the 11th of the Erving month at Buckingham Palace, and in consequence the annual Grand Caledonian Bali, appointed fur that day, has been postponed to a later day. It will be the last state hall this season. The exhibition of the royal pictures in St. James's Palace will close this day, but will be resumed on Saturday, the 29th inst. A cabinet council was held yesterday at the Foreiga office. The ministers present were Lord J . Rowell, the Earl of Minto, Sir G. Gril, Viscount Palmerston, Etrl Grey, the Chancellor of the Each, que►, the Earl iif Auckland, Sir J. Honhouse, Lord Campbell, the Earl of Clarendon, Viscount Slorpeth; and the Right Bon. T. B. MacAulay. The council sat one hour and a half. The Duke of Roxburghe bad an interview with Earl Grey yesterday at the Colonial-office. Count de Jarnac, the French Minister, transacted business yesterday at the Foreign•oflice. The Bishop of Soder and Mau bad an inter view with Sir G. Grey yesterday at the Home-office. Com. mender Potbury, of trl M.S. Growler, had an inteniew yes. terday with Earl Grey at the Colonial-office. Sir J. Pay had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon yesterday at the office of the Board of Trade. _ _ Marquis of Lansdowne (Lord President) left town oft Thar:alay afternoon for Richmond. Despatches were received yesterday at the Colo nial-office from the Governor of the Maurine'. MINISTERIAL MOVEMENTS.—Viecount Palmerston left town yesterday fur Broadland., Hint., for the holidays. Tno noble viscount, who wee accompanied by her ladyship, retinas to town un Tuesday or Wednesday next. Lord John Russell leaves Chesham-place twdaiy, for Richmond, to puss the holidays with Lady Rue-ell and family. His Excel lency the Earl of Clarendon in expected to leave fur Dublin at the cl•use of the next or early in the tflowing week, to enter on the duties of his new appointment. The Countess will accompany the noble Earl. The Earl Grey, scrumps- Med by the Countess, purposes to reside at their seat, near Windsor, during the Loladays. The noble Earl, as Secretary for the Colonies, will entert in the Duke of Wellington end a distinguished party, on Thursday next, in celeoration of her Majesty's birthday. The Right Hon. Henry Labou chars wili return from Dublin in about a week. From last night'. Gazette. CROWN-OFFICE, MAY 2I.—MEMBER RETURNED TO IN THIS PREIBNT PAaLtAnzsr.—T. 3. Blake, of 1 Marble hill, Galway, Keg., in the room of T. B. Martin, Sp., deceased, for the county of Galway. WAR.OPPI^E, May 21. 'rd Draa. Gds.—Capt. I'.'F. A Carlyon, Iron 10111 Lt. Drags., to be rapt., vice stuert, upp. to 49th F. 4th Drag. Chie..—Awlit -sung. J. Firer, from 83rd F., to he assist.- surd., nee bum, who each. I.oth LL mark—C.a. al. Stedman, Iran 49th F., to be apt., vice Metro, app. to Std Dreg. Ode. 18th Lt. usage.—(:tarn[ J. N. Milk?, to be lieut., srPhout pur., vice Waller, dec.; Cornet G. A. Hartman, to be lieut. without par., eke miner, whose pntm. haa bean cancelled. 28th P.—Lieut. 0 F. Memo to be errs, by par., vice Vignoirs, who ret. ; Ens. E. COWLS to be lieut., by pur.; T. B. Griersun, to be em., by put. 48th P. pt. 0. P. Stuart. from 9rd Drag. Ode., to be apt., Viol 80thulay, app. to 10th Lt. lhaffif. 87th F.— Ski. J. Stuart, from b.-p., anat., to be major, vice J. W. Randolph, who each. GJed r Sir IL Watson, C. 8., to he col a vice or,, W. Dyutt, dm.; Lieut. H. M. Walonley to be odj., vice &airy, who rat. the soli only. 78th P.—J. Hunter, tube ens., without pun., vice Maclean, whores. 80di P.—T. W. Hunt, to be ens., without pm., :me Crawford, epp, quantum.; Liomt. & Quantum. G. Borne to be adj. & lieut., nee Welman, prom. ; hag G. Crawford, to be quartettes., vane Bodle. Bid F. —grev. taut -Col. R. H. Willcooks, to be lieu L-col. without pur., vice Sir C. Chichester,. drc.; bore. Lieut.-Col, B. Hon, to be zatisLi• W. B. Lient . . , .t. p i F. Ills o tt . ey ;, to be capt.; Ens. B. B. Chicbceter to 83rd Andet.-eurg. J. H. K. Inners, from 4th Drag. Gds., to be mdse. surd., Vie. Elyter, who each. Cope Mounted BlAtumen.—laeut. B. D. Wetnyes, from 3rd W.l. Beg., to be perzrr, vice Gunn, de. Ilaserr.—w J. Moan, Sltb Y., to be heat In the army; gee. Lieut.'. B. apurgla„ Id Mathes European Beg. Ponders. ‘ooing duty at the B. I. K.'s depot, at Worley, vim Pears), to local & tempo rary rank whits osemPloYed. IdoicsAimu.-71• &radian nsrae of Rea. Crawford, 80th le, Is George, sot itabart, as previously stated. ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT ANNUITY FUND. —An annual meeting of this society was held yesterday at the Freemasons' Tavern ; Mr. Joan Savage preided. The report for the put year commer.ced by the announcement that the funds of the institution continued slowly to increase. The sambor of annuitants on the books at the time of the last report was twenty-five. Twelve were then elected, and the committee, by virtue of the power grieved to them by rule 25, increased their number to thirty-nine, who were collectively in the receipt of 7201. per annum. During the year raven had dkd, who were awarded the sum of 1201., so that the present number of annuitants on the books was thirty-two, at a charge of 6001. ; and the twelve to he that day elected would raise the number to forty-five, at the com mencement of only the situ h year of the society's establish ment. The grand-master (the Birl of Zetland) had con sented to take the emir at a festival fur the benefit of the institution, to be held on the 9.h of June next. The com mittee concluded by moo amending the following addition to rule 23 of the society That every brother serving the office of steward at a festival, and subscribing the sum of 101. or upwards, shall be entitled to two addi tional votes during life for such service." And elect, that in rule 43, the word "June" be substituted for " January," thus altering the month in which annual subscriptions fall due. The fioaheial condition of the institution was as Ml lows:—The totel receipts up to the 31st of March, 1847, including 4731. 10s. Bd., the balance remaining on the 31st of March, 1848, were 1,8441. 4.. 10d. ; and the expenditure, including the purchase ut 6001. 3 per sent. consols, amounted to 1,3291. 4.. Bd. ; thus leaving a balance of 5151. Os. 2.1. There had been a further receipt, up to that day, of 4351.65., of which 211. 54, had been dis - airsed. leaving a total balance In hand of 9291. Is. 2.1. Out of that balance the committee had given sanction for the purchase of 5001. 3 per cent. reduced annuities, thus rnakiog the amount of stock stand ing in the name of the trustees-3 par cent, consols, 2,0001. ; reduced annuities, 2,0001. The report was adopted unani mously, Tne election, by ballot, of the 12 additional an nuitants, coeeluded the prots sdingt. There were no less than 51 candidates for the vatanciea. SHIPWRECKED -MARINERS' SOCIETY.—The eighth annual meeting of the Ship arecked Fishermen and Mari am.' fJs nevulent Society, was held yesterday, at the London Tavern. Sir J. Cuckburn to dt the chair, an 4 in alluding to the paraponemeut of the usual annual dinner, begged to set an ex ample to those present by banding iu his eubeeription, which would, under ordinary rareumatances, have be. n placed in the dinner plate The report stated that the total number relieved since the funnetiou of the institution in 1839, has bean 825 widows, 2,415 orphans, and 441 aged parents of drowned &german and mariners, 10.560 shipwrecked per ems, and 893 fishermen, making a total of 14,834. During the prat year, there have been relieved-122 widows, 265 orphans, and 43 aged parents of the drowned, and 1,49-i shipwrecked fishermen and mariners; total, 1,925. The committee acknowledged the generous and effectual help rendered them by various railway and steamboat coin pude., wise, by conveying tee men saved from the wreck, and th, it families, home, free of expense, lessened the expenditure of the society b 7 about 1,0001. As an instance of the operations of the society, the following may be worth mentioning : the crew of &meeting vessel of Nevis, which had been brawn off the Wand, and rendered unseaworthy, were taken off by a French brig, brought to Bram, and forwarded theme by the British consul to Loadou. Being nestitute gray applied to the Lord Mayor, who sent them with an office? to tee secretary of this society, by whom they were instancy received, comfortably lodged two days at that adatirabb iastitation The Sailors' Home, and tre third day saw Owns sailing down the Thames on their way to their families in the West Indite. Toe transfer to the ss.cie y of the residue of the funds of a society railed " The Fishermen's Befogs," eraddislied on the coast of Yotkshirt, slid which hes mama to exist, is now completed ; and thereby 6931. Bs, caesura have been added to the stuck of tiro institutio... Much good had been dose to tee society traisuish the appointment of Lieut. W. IL Spoons, R travelling secretary, who , with a view to making the inati tutiosgeuerally known, has visited 61 honorary agencies. In obtaining the sum of 2501. 10e. due by the late su b -treasurer, every effort had failed, and that sum was therekre no longer kept ma an item on thew:count It in proposed, partly in con sequence of the recent bequest of 5001. by the late A. Macklew, Eq., to extend the operation of the tamely, by applying such portion of the funds at may be consistent with the other objects of the institution. for the purpose of affording further relief, independent of that granted et the time of aocident, to the wi lows of tisOsomen acid mariuen, whose hominoids may have lost their lives in pursuit of their calling, or in the attempt to preserve the lives of others. The accounts were as follows: —':o balance in hand at the close of last year, 823/. Be, 4d. ; More received from contributions, dona tions, interest on exchequer bills, &c , 6,5401. 14s" 11d., making a total of 6,3141. 3s. 3d. Disbursements given in relief, 2.006/. 4s. 3.1. ; office and other expensive, salaries, &e., 1,4761. se. 11d.; invested, 2.088/. 17e , leaving a balance in haud of 7921. 16'. Id.—The Hon. Capt. Mande, RN., moved the adoption of the report, and observed that the crowning point hot now been put to the benefits offered to seamen, by the erection, at an expenditure of 10,0001., of the seamen's chattel, where the saitir could first be educated; there was the omen , society, in case of shipwreck ; there was the Dreadnought, in case of sicknees ; and finally, there was Greenwich Hospital. With the adoption of the report and various voice of thanks, including one to the railway and steam-boat camisole", sod one to the ladies who had assisted the society, the meeting separated. SOCIETY POE TILE PROPAGATION OP THE GOSPEL IN FOREION PAKTS.—A public meeting of the friends and supporters of the above society was held on Thursday, at Willis's Rooms, fir the purpose of affordiug the iuhabitanti of the parish of S. Jamie an opportunity of further- I ing its objects. The Bishop of London in the chair, supported by the Earl of Dartmouth, Lord John Man ner., M.P. ' the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, 51 P., the Bishop of Tasmania, Dr. Short, the bishop designate of Adelaide, and • large number of clergymen. Tne Chairman, in a lengthy and eloquent address, impressed upon his hi arers the necessity of giving support to the moiety, which had been in existence tor nearly 150 years. Lord J. Manners moved the first resolution, to the effect I that, as Christians, having the means of grace and the know- ledge of salvation in Engiand, they were bound to use their best endeavours, by m sus of this society, to give the name to their fellow-countrymen and heathen tellowaubjeos in all parts of the British empire. The Bishop of Tasmania, in a long address, in which be showed most forcibly the wretched condition of the convicts in his diocese, acconded the resolu tion, which was carried. The meeting was subsequently ad deemed by the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the Earl of Dartmouth, the Rev. J. Jackson, Dr. Short, &c. ; and other resolutions carried. A liberal subscription was entered into, and the meeting separated. THE POLISH BALL—The annual ball of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland, took place last evening at Rooms. The company included nastily the whole list of the ladies' patronesses, and a large number of distinguished and noble persons, both English and foreign, among the !aster of whom was Prince Louis Napoleon. nitre were, in all, about • thousand persons present, so that it may be seppaireel that the rooms were crowded to an almost insupport- I sole extent, so much so, that it was an imposii bill.; for one-tenth part of the company to dance. Arrangements were, however, made for giving due effect to the principal dances of the evening, which I were a sines of " Fancy Quadrilles," the Ca at Ilia, I the Eitrawbi r. y, the Polish colour, and the Mazurka. I These were executed by ladies in appropriate costumes, sod excited considerable admiration. There was a tolerable I sprinkling of fancy dresses, consisting principally of regi mentals sod highland costumes. These gave variety to the scene, which, however, irrespective of such aids, wanted no. I thing in animation and brilliancy. Indeed, the whole ar rangements were moat excellent, and will, doubting, be pro ductive of considerable benefit to the abject in view. ENGINEERING.—A correspondent says,—"There is a new code of laws and regulations coming out immediately, with regard to engineers in the government service, that will demand a much more respectable knowledge of the principle of engineering than is generally at present ae quired, the salary being augmented to 161., 181., and 201. per month, thirteon months in the year, with a grade rill higher, at 251. per month, so as to induce the best talent to enter the service."— The Builder. MORBID EFFECTS OP IIE;iCIENCY OF VEGETABLE Poop. In the usual weekly report of the registrar of Inrths and deaths, reference is made to an apprehension ex. pressed in a note to the quarterly returns, that in come. qeence of the scarcity of vegetable food, the scurvy would, in all probability, be prevalent amongst the poor. This ap prehension having been since in some measure borne ou', the necessity for precautionary measures is strain pointed oat. Dr. Baty, the physician to the Idillbank Penitentiary, showed same time ago that scurvy was very prevalent in prisons from the dietaries of which potatoes were ex cluded, and did not exist where potatoes were used.— The potato contains a small quantity of a vegetable acid, in combination with . potash (bitartrate of potash, or cream of tartar). It is certain that scurvy, which was formerly common, has almost disappeared since the po tato entered largely into the foal of the population. If, now that the potato has grown scarce, this disease, oharaoterieed among other symptoms by swollen bleeding gums, again became prevalent, its simple prophylactics shou'd be had recourse to. Although no deaths have yet been directly ascribed to ,curvy in London, the disease, it is now ascertained , has appeared in many parts of the country. Several eases. too, have shown themselves at the London I hospitals. Under these circumstances the following practical euggestions of Dr. Buy deserve the attention of the public. The poorer classes particularly should be properly infcrmed on the subject. Where green vegetables' and lime juice can not be procured, • weak acidulated drink of cream of tartar , and sugar may be tried ; for it is the presence of the former I salt which probably renders the potato antisourbutic. o It cannot be diuntes"," says Dr. lily, " that the preva lence of scurvy at the present time amongst the peor in Scotland, some parts of England, and even in London, is owing to the scanty of vegetables, and especially of that kind of vegetable which alone the poor can usually obtain in quantity adequate fur the preservation of health—namely, potatoes. The want of potatoes, as I have shown elsewhere. was the cause of the appearance of scurvy in many prisons and other public institutions at former periods. The potato being now so scarce, other articles of diet have been auhetituted for it. The article substituted has been, for the most part, some cheap kind of grain, as Indian corn, rise, oats, barley, peas, or beans. But the farinaceous food mime from grain has no antiscorbutic property. It has Leen necessary, therefore, to supply this defect by flavourieg the farinaceous food with lime juice, the great prophylactic against scurvy in the navy ; or to combine with the food some fresh vegetables, such as turnips (Swedes), carrots, cabbages, onions, crew, and mustard. Both these measures, when tried, have been successful. A email quantity of lime juice would be sufficient to give antiacurbutic properties to the rice, meal, or Indian cora, food used by the poor, or as acidulous drink might be made with it. In either way it would be an efficacious, and, I think, an economical pre ventive of the disease. Its use might be introduced with great advantage into workhouses and amongst the out-door poor. The fresh vegetables I have named could seldom be procured by the pour themselves is sufficient quantity, but sometimes, perhaps, they might use plants which grow wild, such as the common watercress and scurvy-grans'. These are powerful antiseorbuties, and most edible green vege stablea, especially throe which have an acid taste, possess the same properties. The important point, however, seems to be, that the poor and the guardians of the poor, should be instructed that farinaceous foods, made of grain or meal of any kind, will not alone serve as substitutes for potatoes, that either some green vegetable or auceuleut root must be eaten with them; or the deficient antiscorbutic property supplied with lime juice." FIRE, YESTERDAY.—FIRE NEAR THE POST-OYPICE. —Last night, shortly after eleven o'clock, a fire broke out upon the premises of Mr. Falshaw, fancy box manufacturer, at No. 8, Staining-lane, St. Martin's-le-Grand. The flames originated from some unknown cause in the front shop , and, before perceived, they had obtained complete pOssesston of the whole of the stock therein. Information of the outbreak having been neeptteheS to the fire stations, several engin.. arrived. Whilst the firemen were engaged in extinuiahing the Rama, a report was raised that an elderly female was at the top of the house, and unable to make her escape. The escape of the Royal Society fur Protection of Life from Fire , was immediately raised in front of the building, the con ductor ascended, and rushed through the smoke, and in- ! sported every room not on fire wEhout finding any one, for is afterwards turned out that all the residents were from home when the outbreak occurred. The fire was condo d to the lower portion of the premises; but before it was ex tinguished nearly the whole of the stock in trade was de stroyed. It could not be learned whether or not the pro perty was insured. - - INQUEST, YESTERDAY.—FATAL COLLISTON.—Re fore Mr. C. J. Canter, at the Mitre Tavern, Woolwich, en the body of Alexandir Tnomption, aged 60, whose death, it was alleged. was caused by his being ran down by the brig Amason, of Hartlepocl. John Booker and George Phillips, two watermen who witces-ed the accident, deposed that on Wednesday night, the deceased, who sold purl to the easels in the river, WAa , in his boat off Woolwich, being in tow of a brig, when mother brig, supposed to be the Amazon, was ntern. The deceased suddenly cast off his painter, and be fore he could get his sculls out to row out of the way, the other brig came upon him, and cut the boat down, and the deceased was drowned. Four or five of the crew oked over the stern of the vesfel in the direction where the deceased was floating. It was proved that though the deemed flowed for some time, and in fact, that a boat which was put out from Charlton pier got within 150 yards of him before he soak, the brig's crew rendered no ansiscsnoe, although they had a boat astern. The jury, after some deliberation, re turned a verdict of " Foutid drowned," at the same time censuring the conduct of the crew. IRELAND. DUBLIN, lisy 20. At 3 o'clock, to-dav—a Queen's letter having arrived this morning—a privy council was held at the Castle of Dublin, when the Duke of Leinater, the Lord Chancellor, and Sir H. Blakeney, Commander of the Forces, were sworn Lords Justices. The funeral procession of the late Lord Lieutenant will leave the Castle-yard precisely at half-past two o'clock to-morrow. It is unnecessary to say that the -smains of the good earl will be accompanied to the end of the first stage by all classes of citizens. From the Cashel terminus, the funeral will be strictly private. The Freeman of to-day contains an elaborate article on the progress of fever. There is little general no- 3 velty in so melancholy a aabject, for dearth of health is sure to follow dearth of food; but the &semen 'n troduces a new element, which, if well founded, and the generalization from only a few ascertained canes prove correct, invests the present state of the country with a new and startling character. The disease is said to be incurable when it once sets in—medicine and nutriment are equally unavailing—and to pre vent its occurrence nothing will be sufficient but wholesome and abundant food. The data on which this alarming intelligence is founded are two letters from the north and south—one by a chairman of a board of guardians, the other by a distinguished physician, both writing without the possibility of concert or communication. The northern and non professional says be is so well accustomed to this form of distress, that he knows it the moment he sees the people. Their swollen legs are the inevitable pre cursors of death, of which they are themselves wholly unconscious. " When I say to them prepare for the other world, they appear surprised. In a few days I hear of their death." fhe physician is more professional in the deasrip tion and diagnosis ; but there is no difference in sub stance with the observation of the layman. The disease at first is ditto-hem ; the appetite is good, with a burning thirst. The next stage is dropsy in the face and feet : the eyes become bright and glassy ; lips and cheeks bloodless. The intellect remains clear, but all energy is gone. The third stage is the hospital or hovel ; and the last—death. "Once he becomes bloatedand sallow—and he rarely applies till he is so—his doom is sealed. Medicine and nutrimeht palliate —may for a while suspend, but at last with terrible certainty he dies," The writer has met with no instance of this disease among the wealthy. lie calls it a " Famine disease." Appendant to this subject is the rate of mortality which has taken place in the union workhouses of Ireland from April 1846 to April 1847. For the week ending the 4th of April, 1846, the deaths amounted to 159; for the corresponding week in this year, 2,706. In April, 1846, the weekly rate of mortality was three in 1.000; in April, 1847, 25 in 1,000. Since last November the increase has been gradual. In the four weeks of Dect mber, it ascended film 7.4 to 8.6, 10.3 and 11. In January it was 12.2 the first, and 13.3 the last week. In February, 17 the first, and 19.6 the last week. In March, it ranged between 22 and 20; and in the first week of April it reached the highest point, 25 in a thousand. Another fact of painful interest is this : that while in the first week lof last April, compared with the corresponding week in the preceding year, the number of pauper inmates had little more than doubled, or from 60.861 to 106.888, the sickness had increased from 8,121 to 28,239, and in the fever hospitals from 864 to 8,931. Many relief committees have taken advantage of the absence of definite instructions from the chief commissioners, and refused rations to all occupiers of land whatsoever. Such, they said, is the law, and if there be blame, it is in the law and not in its adminis trators. The doubt, however, has been solved by Mr. Itedi”gton. In reply to a query by a Mr. Ex ford, clergyman, the under-secretary states that the possession of land, per does not disentitle the occupier to relief, but that the power of refusal is vested in the committee, who will grant or reject, according to the circumstances of the applicant. The weight is, at least, transferred from the more remote to the nearer; and com mittees will not abuse a relieving act to the same extent when they are directly responsible for the execution. What is to be done with Bantry? The Cork papers are full of it, and a Mr. Shea Lalor, who ia held in the " bonds of peace " to the member for Kilkenny, does excellent service, in exposing the conduct of the landlords, at the head of whom stands the Earl of Bantry, and his son Lord Berehaven. The Relief Act has been three months in operation, and yet in Bantry it is a lifeless letter. In six months more it will have expired altogether. Were it not for the benevolent spirit of the Friends, two of whose members visited Bantry on the 6th instant, and placid food at the dia.- I nconel of the old committee, the consequences would have been fearful. Mr. 'fenny Sheehan, for many years proprietor and editor of the Ereninq Mill, lately died in England. He was a man of taste and accomplishments, and in the furious party warfare in which he was engaged never forgot the gentleman. With the members of his profession he was always exceedingly popular, and in promoting its interests equally liberal. STATE OF THE COUNTRY. An evidence of the essodition of this country, which all sohjects of this realm will learn with regret, is presented in the statements of some Belfast journals respecting the ecru. tins of industrial employment in that important town. Not fewer than four mil's, employing 1,300 hands, have entirely ceased working; two, which are working full time, have dis employed a great number of hands; and others, are, I understand, working short time. Business was never so dull in this centre of the little manufacturing activity we possess. The unhappy gentleman, Mr. Watson, who was so savagely attacked, on Monday last, it sr K illaloc, yet lingers on, but the surgeons have very little h•le a that he can recover. now appears that he was not Seed at, but attacked with heavy bludgeons. Mr. Watson has a family of six children. There is a very decided rise in the price of grain throughout the south of Ireland. The west must also, perforce, follow in the same track. In Cork, the price of Indian corn, which had fallen, some two moiths back, to 111. per ton and under, with Indian corn meal at 121., the former is now held fur 161. 10.. per ton, and calls freely at 161. to 151. 10s. In Limerick, in the face of large arrivals from America, es well as other quarters, the price of Indian meal advaneed 2/. per ton, between Sa•urdBe and yesterday. Wheat and flour have advanced proportionally. The accounts of the growing crops from the country to-day corroborate to the fullest extent the gratifsing prospects di picted in my recent letters. I see no bad account of them from say quarter. Crime—and particularly directed against property, is de. cidedly on the increase in all the south, west, and midland. countiss. Crime of this nature inavitahly produces reckless. nese, and Inds to diserganifetion end the perpetration of crimes of still great. r enormits. A question has ultimo in the Ferns Union (county Wexford), which serves to indicate the ri Ad exactitude with which the Poor law guardians will ~ in future enforce the claws introduced into the Irish Poor. ; law by Mr. Gregory, namely that which excludes from re lief any person who shall occupy a cleaner of an sere of land, or upwards. The relief committee of Ferns acted ia. the spirit of this Galls., without enquiring whether.. or not they had legal sanctum for it, and refused , to . give relief to any polies holding land ix the. Um in. A Roman Catholic clergyman of the district wrote to . the executive to know whetlit r this rule was according to law ; and Mr. Redisgtou's ensure " that it is not required . that a man should give up possession or his laud in order to, be entitled to relief, " will, it is hrpeal, teach the relief com mittees more consi deration. In the workhouse of Kilmal - Lek, Co. Limerick, there are over 1,000 paupers, yet the deaths in this house for the last week amounted oily to three. The soup-kitchens in the south appear still to be a . : great object of the violence of the people, more especially in Clare, where they have demolished three at repeats slat one, within the last few days. In the same district- the slaughter of sheep and male In very much uo the inertial. SCOTLAND. EDINBUROFI, MAT 20. Referring to the threstentd contest in Kincar dineshire, the Aberriren Inirrial says:—' We have peen a requisition to General Arbuthnott, already signed by an overwhelming majority of the consti tuency ; and we are much mistaken if the unknown candidate will poll even one-fourth part of the voters, • : if he makes his appearance on the day of election." • Mr. Macneill is regarded as being sure of Arabs J shire, should he think proper to remain in parliament" —and that he will do SG is likely, als the custom now seems established of ea-lord-advocates retaining their seats. Opposition, frost a quarts'. yet unknown, is spoken of for the town of Aberdeen, but it will be' : difficult to shake Mr. Bannerman. A meeting ot clergymen and laymen connected with the unittif,. Presbyterian Church was held here last night, admit it was resolved to organise a committee to sit a filar e gow, for the purpose of giving effect to disasktiatt principles at the ensuing election. Co-operation with other diameters, and the merging of political dif &Tenors, so es to lend common aid to the disseating system, weastrongly inculcated. The weather continues cold and bleak, in caner game of the easterly winds. In Dumbarton, Argyll, and Perth shires, the bills were, on Sunday, covered with snow. The great progress made by the crops • dining the few _days of good weather which we had lately, gives promise that When spring heat does come vegetation will advance at a rapid rate. AILDSO•TH • BONDING • POILT.— The lords of the Treasury having beam 'Armed by their ILTder to approts or the port ef Arbroath for the &pork, under bor d, d whom° reosived coastwise for home consulaptMe, the Coessaimionees of the Caroms have, by • special order, approved of sips- . arises for that purpose, of widch privilege notice his biota , given to the menus departments at the several pits throughout the kindest fer their greerrnenewt. Tea DOW•Olit Dociw OP AIOTLL be. bees snll pMtg from severs indispoaition, and ha. nut left her teem sirtmolhe decease of her noble husband. The . Duke sad Dotheiletof Argyll luta Lady Mauna Csmpball are with her imailat • loverary Castle. Plllll AT Oka, AND Lou or Ecrenn Lures.-4a Tuesday, a party of threw seamen and one woman came iato lama % has WirA. Iwu 01 We toner war to a de. . .