The Express. — London, England, 1847-02-05 00:00:00

sons which led Sir ROBERT PEEL'S Cabinet to adopt this determination, and his successors in office to per severe in it, are fully detailed in a letter from Mr. TFLEVELVAN to Mr. LADOUCIIEBE, dated the 6th of October last. They are in brief: that the coat of earth-works, the o nly portion of the expenditure applicable to the relief of general distress, amounts, on an average, o nly to one-third of the whole ; that, suppos ing the sums loaned by government to railway co mpanies to be applied nuder the superintendents of the Board of Works, it would be the share holder and not the labourer who would be relieved; that the class of labourers capable of this relief are the able-bodied, those who need it least ; that the districts through which railways are being carried arc those in which destitution is least prevalent. To I these arjurneuts on the merits are added a brace resting upon legal technicalities. It is said, that we re government to lend to Irish railways to any ex tent there must be a double illegality. Railways are not permitted by the it acts to borrow until one-half of the amount cf their shares is paid up ; and of the only two Irish railways which have qualified them selves to borrow, one (the Drogheda) has already done to; and the other (the South-Western) rejected the terms of the Engli-h l'ublic Works Loan Commis sion. On the other hand, the only funds that govern ment could legally lend are of very limited amount ; and, in great part, pre-engaged. It was further added that it is doubtful whether the railways for which loans were asked would be remunerative fee many years to come ; and that in case of their not being so, government would be left with a bad secu rity on their hands. .or. the 16th of October the determination of go vernment began to waver. 'flue eess-payers of Barry more and Imokilly offered the collateral security of those baronies for any advances that might be made to certain railway companies named, to construct works within them. hereupon government so far relented as to mutant that the commissioners of the Treasury should sanction baronial presentments for the execu tion of railway earth-works as relief works, on the following conditions:—All such transactions were to be distinctly on the footing of loans to the baro nies. 'lhe arrangements with the railway companies were to be made by, and on the responsibility of the baronies. The presentments of railway earth-works were to be sanctioned only as means of relief for suffering under the failure of the potato•crop of 1816, and subject tothe rules which prevent issues being made which are not indispcmably r quired for the purpose of the Relief Act. 'The railway earth-works thus sanctioned were to be under the superintendence of the Board of Works, to ensure the strict application of the government advances, and the employment of persons requiring relief within the barony. And the security for the punctual repayment of ad vances was to be as complete in every respect as if the advances were made on presentments for other works. To these, on the recommendation of the Board of Works, the following additional conditions were subsequently added :—That the board is not to advance unless the company are actually in possession of the land : that the company must give security for the due half-yearly repayment of the advance with interest ; that the board are to have the entire nomi nation and payment of the labourers, the company appointing the overseers, subject to the approval of the board. _ _ . In yielding thus far government had obviously done either too much or too little. The loan was to be granted merely to afford relief, and the period during which employment was to be given under the act will a ase and determine in the course of a few months, when the companies may not be in a condition to prosecute the works to completion, and may thus find themselves in a more unfavourable position as regards their pro prietary than at present. Besides, diffic ulties may arise in baronies where there is but one proprietor: if such proprietor employ the poor, no session will be called for and no presentments made ; a gap will thus be caused in the line of the railway which runs through a barony so circumstanced. The condition that the company shall be in possession of the land, is proper in so far as it is meant to give security to the board against the incurring of debt ; but this condition has been construed so literally that an advance on the security of a presentment has been refused to a com pany which offered to deposit the money required for the purcnase of the land not yet in its possession. These conditions are such as can scarcely be accepted by any company of ordinary prudence, if d expects then to be enforced. Looking back, with a view to test the validity of the reasons alleged in justification of the government's aversion tomakc advances upon railways, they do not appear so weighty as to render it more advisable to retract its slender concessions than to extend them. The technical legal difficulties were only of force while parliament was not sitting : now that it is in session they can easily be set aside. It is not true that in the majority of cases the shareholder and not the labourer would be benefited by those advances. This opinion rests on the assumption that the labourer is sure of the railway employment, inas. much as the shareholder, if no loan is made by go- vernment, will pay up to avoid forfeiting his share. In the actual state of Irish railway finance, it is most probable that, in a majority of cases, the forfeiture would be risked. Neither is the statement correct, that the able-bodied labourer in Ireland is at present lees in need of assistance than the weak and infirm. Under ordinary circumstances this would be true ; but when scarcity of food and of employment are the sources of suffering, all classes of the destitute are placed pretty much upon a level. Lastly, though railways are naturally carried through the richer dis tricts of a country, yet, as distress at present more or less pervades all districts of Ireland, the relief afforded, by advances to railway companies, to the cess-payers in the less destitute districts, will leave them more ability to contribute to the relief of their still more unfortunate neighbours. Government, having given way in part, were in a condition to listen to reasonable proposals for further concessions. It was easily possible to whew that they might safely and advantageously proceed with more boldness and liberality in making advances to railway companies, had care been taken to guard against encouraging exaggerated expecta tions from this mode of assistance. Loans to rail way companies, with or without collateral security, are calculated to benefit Irelind in perpetuity, more than to afford immediate relief. They ought to he classed among the measures intended to work out the social regeneration of the country, by developing its resources, and multiplying diversified means of employment. In seeking to do this for any country by artificial stimuli, it is always dangerous to shoot on too far ahead of its capacity and intelligence. Railways and canals give a fresh inapetus to pro ductive industry and civilisation ; but before rail ways and canals become possible, productive indus try and civilisation must already have made a de- gree of progress which, as has been observed above, many parts of Ireland have not yet attained. If, by the aid of government loans, forced, hothouse railways grow up in such districts, they will prove, like their predecessors, the Irish canals, rank, noxious jobs. In general, the best proof that any society is suf ficiently advanced to derive benefit from railway undertakings, is the ability of that society to con struct them by private enterprise. Those districts of Ireland which are capable of constructing railways without government aid, are prevented from doing so under the present visitation, because they as pulled back by being inseparably linked to the les advanced parts of their island. Theirs is an excep tional case ; and therefore we incline to advocate government subventions for them, though we would deprecate anything of the kind on this side of the channel. Advances ought only to be made to such Irish railways as can make out a strong case to show that but for the universal distress consequent on the failure of the potato crop they could have been car ried on without them. And parliament, not govern ment, ought to be the judges in every instance whether such a case has been made out. Many who cannot support, or wish success, to such a measure as that introduced by Lord GEORGE, would gladly see loans of definite amount granted to specified bowl fide Irish railway companies by acts of parliament ALL who complain of having their industry ham pered by injudicious legislation, or of having an unduly large proportion of the public burdens sad dled upon them, are entitled to a respectful and dis passionate examination of their alleged grievances, provided they complain in order to have them re moved- But the case is different when their com plaint is a mere prologue to the modest petition that some other parties may be placed, or kept, ins predi lament as bad as, or worse than their own. All peti tions of this tenor lead to a suspicion that the peti tioners have somehow or other contrived to turn to profitable account the disadvantages of which they complain; that their grievances are like beggars' sores, kept up as a stock to trade on, by awakening sympathy and assistance. This is pretty much the position of the Scotch and Irish distillers (the English appear to be com paratively quiet) in their opposition to the alteration of the duties on rum. They cry out that the colonial and East Indian distillers, being subjected to no ex cise constraints and regulations, tan employ the . cheapest raw materials, and adopt the most economical processes, without let or hindrance, while the former 1 , are tied down by the excise to use only the old esta- Wished raw materials, and work after the old unim- I proved fashions. This is a very good ground for the home distillers asking to be emancipated from the espionage of the excise—asking to have the duty on their spirits levied in the same manner as the duty on colonial and Indian spirits ; but it is no reason fur continuing to indict on our fellow subjects in India and the colonies differential duties so heavy that the have driven their spirits out of the Scotch and Irish markets. Besides, the Scotch and Irish distillers choose to overlook the fact that if they are placed at some die advantage by the meddling of the Excise, they enjoy in other respects much more than counterbalancing advantages over the colonists and East Indians. The Scotch and Irish distillers have their customers at their own doors: their East and West Indian rivals have to pay heavy freights for the conveyance of their rums to the markets where they come in competition with British spirits. In addition to the expense of freight, the M cat Indians have not only to pay exorbitantly high for labour, but in most of the colonies they find it scarcely possible to obtain conti nuous labour at any price. In the East Indies, on the other hand, where labour is abundant and cheap, capital is only beginning to flow into the business, and skill is at a very low ebb. Even if we admit that the Scotch and Irish distillers are as much hampered as they say, the advantages which they owe to their local position and ready command of skill, labour, and capital, far more than compensate for the disadvantage. A Greenock distiller, whose letter we insert to-day, complains that he cannot understand an argument we used on Saturday last. We will try whether we can make it level to his apprehension. A manifesto issuing from the " Leith distillery " maintained that Scotch distillers pay (in the form of malt and spirit duties) 4s. 4;d. on every gallon of spirits. To make this out, it is assumed that only 16 gallons of spirits are produced from a quarter of malt. We stated that 18 gallons was understood to be nearer the mark ; and our correspondent admits that " during some months of the year " the quarter of good malt yields nearly "IR gallons. He admits therefore, that the Leith Distillery manifesto has under-slated the yield of the quarter of malt. This piece of disingenuity entitles us to set aside their evidence on this point, and assume that the board of excise are in the right when they state it to be " the generally-received opinion" that a quarter of malt runs from 18 to 19 gallons of spirits. Taking 18 as the quantity, the malt and spirit duty together paid by the home distiller on a gallon of spirits will be, as our correspondent states, 3s. 9 1d. per gallon. The duty on rum (in Scotland) is to be 4s. 2d. per gallon, giving the Scotch distiller a protective duty of 2; against the colonist, whereas the statement which our correspondent takes upon him to defend, represented him as being culled on to pay 21 per gallon more then the colonist. Yet he " fearlessly aswrts" that " every line" of that statement " is correct." The writer to whom we address this explanation complains of the Scotch distillers being identified with Lord GEORGE BENTINCK, when " only one individual " has addressed his lordship. Ile this as it may, the Scotch distillers are making common cause with Lord GEORGE and Lord STANLE'., in order to perpetuate the heavy duties on rum. Three measures have been introduced by government, partly for the purpose of relieving the present distress, partly for the purpose of removing unjust burdens and restrictions imposed on colonial and East Indian produce. The distillers would not object to have sugar (or even molasses) allowed to be used in breweries and distilleries; the landowners might not offer %very serious opposition to the equal isation of the duties on rum and home-made spirits. But a compact is entered into between the distillers and Bentanekiter, the former agreeing to oppose the bills they wish to see carried, if the latter will oppose the bill they fear. The distillers have allied them selves with the fug-end of the old protectionist p city, to run counter to the interests of the general com munity. The question from which so many and so import ant results were expected in the French Chamber has, to the surprise of the public, been allowed to pass almost sub and had a narrow escape of not even being pressed to a division. The paragraph of the royal speech referring to the Spanish marriages was to have been the great question of the address. It came on for discussion on Tuesday afternoon, when, after two maiden speeches, M. Dufaure moved the amendment, of which notice bad been given by himself and his colleague, M. Billault. M. Guizot refused to enter upon the question. M. Thiers, frequently called to the tribune by the Chamber, remained nailed to his scat. 111. Odillon Barrot, in the name of his party, declined supporting the amendment, and at half-past five o'clock a division, without the appel nominal, took place, the result of which was that the ministerial party and the great mass of the dynastic opposition voted together against the amendment and in favour of the address, making a total of 212 voices. MM. Billault and Dufaure, with their small knot of adherents, made up no more than 28 votes in favour of the amendment, while the members of the extreme left retired from the Chamber without voting. Such are the fruits which the Guizot cabinet has gathered from the schism which has been manifested among the constitutional opposition, and such the revenge which M. Thiers has taken upon the de serters from his flag. It is clear that a successful session is now before the Guizot cabinet, un less the forces of the constitutional opposition shall succeed in quelling the mutiny that has taken place among them. Accounts continued to be received in Paris on Wednesday of the corn riots in the departments. As fast as these inteutes aro repressed in one place they break out in another. The King and Queen of the Belgians left Paris for Brussels on Tuesday morning. The prices of cereal productions within the circle from which Paris derives its supply, are undergoing fluctuations, which are probably ascribable to the great elevation of price which was recently mani fested attracting for the moment an excessive supply, and being followed by a reaction. Thus in the mar ke s of La Brie, La i3eauce, and Picardy, there has been lately a sudden and considerable fall. This effect, however, is ascribed by some to the unhealthy operations of speculators. It is considered that the latter cause only is sufficient to explain the sudden fall at Chartres and Etampes of three and four franca per hectolitre in wheat, and four to six franca in barley. In Champagne, Lorraine, and Alsace the prices still continue high. Wheat, in the market of Troyes is quoted at 36 f., and at Strasburg at 38f. 30c. per hectol., being equivalent to 795. and 84s. per quarter. In the Vosges, i)oubs, and Lyonnais, the population are suffering under such severe pres sure from the scarcity of grain, that government has supplied several steamers to transport corn from Marseilles to Lyons. Fifteen individuals have been arrested in Paris charged with political crimes. The Gazelle des Tribunaux gives the following account of the affair For some days a vague rumour spread that arrests con nected with political matter+, had taken place. Several names even were mentioned which had been remarked in the trials of the republican party. From the inform ilia° ws.ich we have procured, it results that certain individna's, 15 in nnmber, all belonging to that part of the republican party whose intelligence has been troubled and instincts perverted by the reading of communist writings, have been arrested antler various charges, all of a very grave descrip tion. These individuals, for the most part forming part of the least enlightened classes, had given to . their association the characteristic denomination of Societe des Malirial isles. The object which they proposed to themselves was to put in practice by every means the principles de veloped in those writings where it is announced, that pro perty is the frail of robbery. Amongst the inchvidneds arrested by the care of the prefect of police, several are acewed of thefts or crimes of a still graver character. One of them even considered his position at desperate, that when taken to the prefecture of police ho blew out his brains with a pistol which he had contrived to conceal." ( Two amendments have been presented in the Chamber of Deputies on the paragraph relating to Cracow. M. Leap4ne proposes to add to it the twa following phrases: " Our wishes and hopes in favour of this illustrious nationality remain unchanged. Nations may wait in the present day, for they no longer die." The other amendment is from the AY Gcnoude, who proposes to draw up the paragraph in these terms : An unexpected event has allured the state of things founded in Luropc by the lost treaty of Vienna. The repub lic of Cncow, au independent and neutral state, has been incorporated with the empire of Austria. France desires tine rely the 14 . 11(1.t ct due to the independence of states. She protests againA the treaty Of 181.5, which was a nee atom k not only on the old Polish nati onality, but on the inde , pendenee of nat ions. - There was a alight improvement at the Bourse on Wednesday, which was ascribed to the pacific cha racter of the debate in the Chamber on Tuesday. The Madrid mail of the 28th brings news to the effect that the ministry had not yet been defiaitively settled; but it was understood that M. Castro y thvacco was about to submit to the Queen the follow ing programme : M. Casa Irujo, president; Bravo Ma rino, Justice ; Tcjas, Interior : Roca de Togores, Public Instruction; Sautellan, Finance; Manso, War; and I Baldasano, Marine. El Tieinpo stated that they were to take the oaths on the 28th. _ M. Mariano del Prado, of the Foreign Affairs, had arrived from London with despatches for the govern ment. The partisans of Count Montemolin had spread the report that the pretender was about to marry the Princess Adelaide of Cambridge. Disorders continued to prevail in Navarre and the Basque provinces. Enier7tes had broken out at Ta falda, Estella, Lariaga, and in the valley of E-chauri. At Puerto la Reyna the populace ran through the streets. breaking the lamps, and cr)•ing " Death to the Liberals." fhe town was obliged to be occupied by the troops. The system of recruiting continued to meet with general resistance, compliance being every where refused, and the recruits throwing themselves into the mountains. An insurrection was expected at Pampeluna, where the civic guard was organised until troops could be obtained from the neighbouring provinces. Advices from Switzerland say that much disquietude has been excited among the liberal party by the fact that the French ambassador had gone from his resi dence at Berne to Lucerne to make a visit to M. Sicgwart, the chief of the Ultramontane League, and M. Salis Soglio, the General of the Sonderbund. If this report be true that an ambassador of one of the great powers has put himself officially in communica tion with the leaders of a body which is formed in open resistance to the acknowledged government of the country where that ambassador is accredited there would appear to be good grounds for discontent on the part of the legitimate authorities. It is contended by the liberal party that such a proceeding, even if mediation were meant, must operate injuriously on the federal government, establishing, as it would, a certain equality of con sideration between the League and the Diet. The sinister suspicions which this proceeding has raised in Switzerland against the French government are increased by the fact that arms have been sent from the arsenal of Strasburg to Lucerne. When one de sires is assume the part of a mediator and peace maker, it is not by supplying arms to one of the combatants that one would commence. The Russian consul at Jassy has just officially an nounccd that the Czar would throw open to the' children of the Moldavian. and Walachians the public schools at St. Petersburg, and lest this offer' should not be voluntarily accepted, the Russian government has required that the hospdars should impose upon the youth of their country an obligation to avail themselves of it. In consequence of this a law is about to be proposed to the chambers of Jassy and Bucharest, to the effect that every subject of Mol davia and NValachia who shall be educated in France shall forfeit his civil and political rights ! The pro position of such a law to such chambers infers its enactment, for the chambers are in fact composed of the nominees of the Russian government. PARIS, FEB. 3. The debate on the address will commence this day, and threatens to be much more stormy than was at first anticipated. The publication of the despatches of Lord Normanby has been a blow to M. Guizot, from which he cannot recover ; so general, in deed, has the feeling against the minister become, that even those members of the opposition who approve of the marriage of the DU de Montpensier, arc humiliated when they see the affairs of France conducted with such evident want of good faith. Much exaggeration has taken place on the subject of the dissensions amongst the members of the oppo sition. The fraction under Messrs. Billault and Dufaure amount in number to no more than 20 or 25 at the utmost, and they are resolute in their in tention of attacking M. Guizot, as the amendments of the two chiefs will show ; nor will any attempt to detach them from the mass of the opposi tion succeed. The left and left centre have prepared a plan of campaign, the fire of which will be kept up till the end of the session. The rekpective friends of M. Thiers and M. Barrot have never been on better terms, and ten commis sioners, chosen amongst the men of both parties, are appointed to study and discuss the budget The phalanx of the centre seems at last to be shaken. A group of thirty or forty members is mentioned as likely to secede from the majority on certain ques tions. This fraction generally meet at the house of M. allandrouze, member for Aubusson. The new members have a marked tendency towards disapproval of the policy pursued by government. As a last symptom, I should mention that there is a division amongst the members of the ministry. For a long time past M. Duchatel has been laying himself out for the place of President of the Council, and future Minister for Foreign Affairs. He heads the majority of the ministry in council, and opposes M. Guizot ; and it is said that all the toning down of the despatches of M. Gnizot in the affair of the Spanish marriages, all the concessions made to the northern courts on the Cracow annexation, have been mainly owing to M. Duchatel. The Minister of the Interior foresees that M. Guizot will be sacrificed, and he puts himself forward as a likely person to succeed him. In such a combination M. Nlontalivet, the favourite at the Tuileries, would become Minister of the Interior, and M. Duchatel Minister of Foreign Affairs, and France would fall lower than ever into corruption, and a government of mediocrities. O. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES—Fan. 2. At Italf-past one all the tribunes were crowded; most of se foreign ambassadors and their secretaries were present. M. Les-rps addressed the chamber against the paragraph. -M. Sc La. ergne spoke for the project of the address.—M. remieux said the marriage might be regarded as an affair.: familk. In the siring of the 3d in'tant sections 4 and 5 were adopted. M. Thiers then rose.—Gentlemen, he laid, section 6 is re lative to the abolition of the little free republic of Cracow. Before entering into the discussion I should like to reply to a few remarks made yesterday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. lie seemed to challenge us to a discussion on the Spanish marriages. Trench was his intention I have a few words to reply. (Ser.aation). The section of the marriages has been adopted, but it is difficult to discuss the sections relating to Cracow without tracing that event to its source. If the - Minister for Foreign Affairs thinks that the discus sion on the marriages was Incomplete, I am quite prepared to take it up again when the subject of Cracow is under debate. —M. Guizot denied having challenged a debate. lie had merely said that the government had published all the docu ments relative to the marriages, and the reason the govern ment did not seek a discussion was, toavoid irritating the public feeling on either side of the channel, but that he should not seek to elude it —M. Thiers : The minister spoke of dangers in examining into this affair, still pending before the two tribunes. Does he believe iu those dangers ?--M. Guizot : I alluded to the dangers of a passioned and violent discusesion ; but I never thought there woe any objection to a sincere and moderate debate. lam still prepared for a dia. tuition of such nature.—M.Derryer here remark( d that § 2 on the confidence of the government in the assurance of peace was not to be put to the vote till after the adoption of 3 and 6, relative to the marriages, and to Cracow, and that he had therefore suposed the discussion would have been complete. He therefore demanded how § 2 could be adopted, if they had not come to an understanding on their state of security in regard to their foreign relations.—M. Gnizot replied that the government did not seek discussions. It had notified Its acts and published its documents.—M. Thiers said his intention was not to raise debates which might prove hurtful to the country ; but he thought it the duty of the government to enlighten the chamber on the disoentions which had arisen between the French and English govern ments.--ht. Gnizot 'aid the documents laid before the chamber were a sufficient reply to his demand.—.M. Thiers denied that the documents contained everything. M. Geizot hod notobjected to a discussion, and he Old. Thiers) should, therefore, open the debate.—M. Guizot ; I ac cept; and we shall each take our share of re sponsibility in the disunion. (Rumours.) —M. Cra mien: wondered M. Guizot had not replied yesterday. M. de Mornay made a few remarks , and was followed by TILE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 3, 1847. :excitement) K. Genoa' _ t),—who said he roes to attack the treaties at 1815—{cries of "oh ! oh !") —that their treaties were an rttempt against the independence of nmions, a protestatu n spinet the victories of the French arms. (Rea. let d cries of " oh! oh!) The orator here quoted a p 1212,7 from a work of H. do Chateuhriand. agei!.‘t what he styled the od:oua treaties of Vienna. What Its now spr.sscil was equally the sentiment of all hie friend.. (Left speaking.) SWITZERLAND.—It will be recollected that immediately after the revolution, which took place at Geneva last October, a resolution was paned at an assembli of the people that the damages sustained during the (mesa: should he paid by the Council of State which had been driven from office, and the commander of the militia. It was, h ,werer, generally believed that this resolution being adopted under the irritation of the moment, and in a popular meeting, would not be ultimately enforced. The result, howr er, has proved otherwise ' and the Grand Council decreed :hat the resolution should be carried into effect, and the parties were aecor.!ingly required to pay the damages, e,ituated at 42,000 France. The reply to this was a refusal to pay unless under legal compulsion; whereupon the Grand Council on the 22nd ult. pawed by a majority of 48 votes against 23, a decree requiri , g the former magistrates and commander-inaltief of the mi its to pay the required sum within three days, in default of which their property, fixed and moveable, would be seized. Upon this thepartie. paid the amount under protest. A comber of the citizens of Geneva, considering this proceeding to be harsh and unjust, formed a voluntary subecription to reim burse the condemned parties. A letter, however. was addressed by one of the latter to the submeibers, in which, while they gratefully acknowledged the sympathy shown to them, they (tedium.' accepting the inOemndy thus offered. ITALY. —A letter from Pesaro, of the 15th ult., announces the arrival at that city of Cardinal Ferret i, the new legate, who was wecomml with enthusiasm, the whole population having gone out to meet him. The citizen: pre seated him with sprinted address, expressing their sidisfae tion at having him for their legate. In taking pomeas:nn of •Itis office, Cardinal Ferretti issued &proclamation captioning his happiness at being the interpreter of the wishes the sovereign pontiff, whose tiros intention it is to meet th • en lighted views of the inhabitant.. Cardinal Ferretti is i such esteemed by Pius IX., and was one 14 ' the first of the cardi nals who spoke in favour of a p rlitical amnesty. An ordonnance of the Tuscan government, dated Jan. 16, abolishes, until the 30th June next, the import duties oa corn,grain, and vegetables, into the Grand Duchy, either by Leghorn or any other points of the Grand Duchy. The Count of Syracuse, brother of the King of Naples, is dangerously ill at Rome. GERMAN Y. PRUSSIAN CoNSTITUTION. The Allgenzeine Zeaung, Jan. 28, cooky retracts the rumours of in projected constitution from Berlin, which we have sli j thtly noticed ; and observes that its correspondents must be more cautious in future. The day, which had been named as the birth-day of a constitution, passed off with no greater display . than the ceremonies of the Black Eagle order of Knights, into which Alexander von llumboldt was admitted. VIENNA.—A sensation has been caused at Vienna by the following incident, which has been committed upon by moat of the German journals: In Germ ,ny, to obtain the degree of doctor-of-law, the candidate is alleged to start an argument which be has to defend in pub lic against all corners; the persons assisting at the debate are entitled, if they like, to enter into it. These sort of discus sions generally take place in courteous terms, and are tau thy devoid of interest, unless, indeed, the question to be discussed is one of religion, when it is often found necessary fur the president to interpose his authority. In this instance the argument chmen by the candidate was the justifies. ion of the incorporation of Cracow by Austria. A learned jurist-in sult, Dr. H—, who was to take the other side of the 9unsti *poke with so much fervour,and with such overwhelming lo 4IC, that his opponent was beaten completely on every point. This polemic, which cook pl ICC in presen^e of a large and distinguished audience, caused such • sensation that the authorities thought fit to demand account of Dr. 11--- of the sincerity of his arguments. He shielded himself heh:nd his duties as opposite pleader, and stated, that there was no paradox which might not be defended. The arguments he made use of have meantime had their effect, and have found responding echoes in many of the German journals. 10BACCO AND PUBLIC CHARITY.—The cigar manufacturers of Berlin have appealed to the police for a repeal of the order against smoking in the strsets, stating that, if it continues in force, they must. dismiss a great num. ber of their workmen, and p remising, when it is repealed, to give 40,000 dollars to charities. RHENISH Pnoviscrs.—A letter from Dusseldorf, of Jan. 27, say* :—" The communal council has resolved to make, through their deputy, the following demands to the provincial diet. 1. The establishment of stabs general. 2. Liberty of the press, with the publication of a code on the press, and a law dispensing with worla published without censure being presented to the police four-and-twenty hours before their publieritioa. 3. To promulgate a law are3rding to which a difference of religion is to be no obstacle to political rights. 4. To iii• crease the number of the deputies of the diet of the third std fourth class, as also the number of persons eligible a. deputies. 5. To suppress the law which makes two-third, of the votes requisite to be enabled to submit a proposition to the King, and to establish a simple majority as sufficing. 6. The admission of the public to the sittings of the diet, and the publication of the debates with the names of the speakers. 7. Equality before the penal law of civilises and military. 8. Obligation of the public funetienardes to pay the taxes like other citizens. 9. Abolition of the resolution of the German diet of the sth of June, 1632, concerning the right of petition. 10. To guarantee of individual liberty. 11. To guarantee the independence of the judges, and to abolish the law of 29• h March, 1844, which placed it in danger." The other articles proposed are not of general interest, with the ex ception of one proposing the introduction of a general protective system, especially un German navigation. PRUSSIAN FORTRESSES.—The only fortresses of the Prussian province. on the western frontier on the Vistula, were Thorn, Graudenz, and Dantzic ; whilst on the eastern frontier, with the exception of the feeble ramparts of Memel and Palau, there was no place of any strength. This is why so much attention has been turned to the fortifications of Keer.igsberg, which, within the last few years, has become a fortress of the first clap. The fortifica tions of Lobsenz, the capital of the di-trict of the same name, in the circle of Bremberg, will complete the Prussian line of defence on the western frontier. Lobsenzcounto about 2,000 WIN and is oniy important in a military point of view, being situated between two lakes which have an extent from south to north of four mile, and a hal', and are only fifteen hundred yards distant from each other, being connected by a canal. It would be difficult to tura this point. GALICIA.—At Tornou collisions have taken place between the peasantry and the gendarmerie. Two of the latter were killed. The peasants who killed them, five in number, are said to have fallen into the hands of the gen darmerie, who, in virtue of the martial law, hang them with out trial. On the 21st ult., 300 gendarmes took position on the frontiers of Cracow to guard ov r the smuggling across the fronti,r. There are nine principal bureaux of customs e,tabliahed. On the 29th the new functionaries were to enter office. _ — CRACOW.—The merchants of this city have sent s deputation to Vienna, to state the ruinous consequences which must follow the levying of the toll on the Prussian and Russian frontier; and to pray that this levy may be deferred fur some time. RUSSIA.—ST. PETER-saran, JAN. 12.—The last report of the minister of the interior proves how much most of the w, stern governments of Russia have suffered by the failure of the harvest for wet ral years. "In the year 1844," mys the minister, " the farmers in these governments, on account of the continued rains and inundation., were linable to get to their fields, except in boats, The grass which was mowed rotted in the me *doves, being constantly under water. This was followed, at the beginning of the year 1845, by a general want of the mean' of subsistence. A serious proportion of the draught ottle perished in esesequence of bad and insufficient fodder. Several districts in the government of Witebskand Pleskow lost above half their I I horses and cows. In the autumn of 1844, the winter eorio.flelds were sown chiefly with unripe seed, and in consequence of the cold and dry spring of 1845 they produced scarcely as much as the quantity sown. In the spring of 1835 the fields could be only imperfectly sown with summer corn, for want of seed and of draught cattle. The universal distress preva lent throughout the government (the revenue magazines being wholly exhausted) compelled the government to sdoot I energetic measures, though it had done so to a considerable extent in the scarcity of 1844. In the year 1815 the sum of 8,510,000 silver rubles were spent in purchases of corn and grain, and advances to destitute nobles and other poor per son, the greater part of which sum was employed in the Baltic provinces. Of this very considerable sum the !tavern anent alone paid 940,000 silver rubles; the remainder was defrayed by various public establishment•. The population of St. Petersburg, which is at the present moment 440,000 souls, presents the curious anomaly that it consists of nearly twice as many man as women; namely, 292,000 men, and 138,000 women. The number of marriages diminishes gradually in this capital, and the number of illegitimate children increases. From 4,000 to 5,000 children ere annually exposed at the Found lines, being nearly double the number exposed at Paris, whose population nevertheless exceeds a million. • - SENEGAL—Letters have been received at Havre from Saint•Louia to the 20th of hit December. They all concur in witting that the quantity of gum collected this year a ill be csnainerably below the average, in consequence of the Ikeda. •be Court - - - WINDSOR, TEICRSDAY.—The Queen held a Privy Council this afternoon, at the Castle. It wu attended by H.R H. Prince Albert; the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord President; Sir George Grey, Secretary of State for the Home Department ; Viscount Palmerton, Secretary of State for ' Foreign Affairs ; Earl Grey, Secretary of State for the Cola Dies ; Lord Campbell, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; Viscount Morpeth, Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests ; the Earl of Clarendon, President of the Board of Trade; the Right Hon. H. Labouchr re, Chief Secretary for Ireland ; the Earl Fortescue, Lord Steward; and the Earl Spencer, Lord Chamberlain. At the council, her Majesty pricked the roll of sheriffs for the English and Welsh coun ties for the preaentyear. A proclamation was ordered to be is sued for the election of a Scotch peer in the room of Lord Rollo. Her Majesty having been pleased to appoint Lloyd Vaughan Watkins, Esq., to be lord lieutenant of the county of Brecon, Mr. Watkins took the customary oaths. The Hon. Wm. Bathurst wu the Clerk of the Council in Waiting. Th.! Queen gave audience to the Marquis of Lansdowne. A rilentit was served in the Castle to the illustrious visitors. The council broke up axon after three o'clock, and at half put three o'clock the minirters and officers of state to k their departure from She Castle fur the Slough station of the Great itibetern Railway, and returned to town by a Ppecia' train. Her Majesty and Irn. Royal Consort walked this morning in the Wages. H.R.11. the Prince of Wales Mau took walking exercise. Prince Albert hunted this morning. A deputation of Scotch distillers had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at hi• official residence in Downing-street. Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Excise, was present at the conference. Mr. R. Montgomery Martin had an interview with tb, Right lIon.T. Milner Gibson yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade. Mr. Entwisle, 111 I'., had ..n interview with the Hight Hon. E. Struts yesterday , at the cfßce of the Commissioners of Railway., in Great George.tercet A deputation of Irish distillers. seompanied by Mr. O'Connell. M l'., had an iota rview 3 tsterday with the Chancellor of thr Exchequer. The Chairman of the Excise was present a: the interview. The Lord &human of Scotland had an in. terview yesterday with the Right Hon. T. Mang r fidieen. The Lords of the Committee on Education of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council had a meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by the Lord Pre4lent of the Council, the Earl of Clarendon, and Sir George. Grey. THE "DAILY NEWS" AND TILE COMBINED PRESS. THOSE of our readers who had an opportunity of seeing the other London morning papers of yester- • day, are aware that we had again the satisfaction of beating the " Combined " with the INDIA NEWS,—the whole of which we published in the entire of our large edition in time for the morning mars, while the Rotes and the rest of the " Combined " came lags zing out with a second edition at eleven or twelve o'clock, about the boor when the Daily News was being delivered with six times the amount of the " leading journal's" Indian Intelligence at Birmingham, Bris tol, Southampton, and other provincial towns. This is bad enough for a paper of such pretension but worse remains behind. Our readers well remem ber that on the last occasion of our taking precedence with theindian News, we were led—by our former ex perience of the discreditable practices resorted to by the Quadruple Alliance for the daily plundering of our information without acknowledgment—to take the precaution of altering a few words in the printed summary from the Bombay Times, using the simplest of baits to surprise the preternatural sagacity of the Combined. The trap succeeded. The Combined were caught, and we were enabled to hold them up to exposure. In a word—we put our private mark upon our own coin, and found it, as we expected, " conveyed" into their columns. For the honour of the press, we would willingly conceal the fact that the offence has been repeated, but that the time is come when, for a higher interest, about such immoralities there should he— as there "shall be—no mistake." After eleven o'clock, then, as we have said, the Times and the rest of the Combined published a second edition— commencing their Indian intelligence with the fol lowing words:—" By the kindness of the authorities at the India House we have been favoured with Indian papers in anticipation of the Overland Mail." What will our readers think, when we inform them that the Times summary was borrowedfrom the Daily News !--and that, for the sake of avoiding the acknowledgment, a fiction had been hazarded which detects itself! The fact is just so. We will show the Times our private mark in its columns:—and our readers will find that paper in poos.asion of an article which never came from the India House. Will the Times, and the authorities there, tell us where they obtained the following paragraph ?—" We should be under the necessity of ceasing to hold intercourse with the government." No such paragraph can be found in the summary of the Bombay Times : fur this simple reason, that it was coined in White friars, to detect the Times. The original words which it replaces are—" We could no longer hold any inter course with the government." So much for the matchless resources, boasted shrewdness, and pseudo-morality of the Times. The high character—which is its own dear and threadbare theme—cannot stand against subterfuges like these, on the mere witness of words, and those their own. Were the honour of newspaper literature not con cerned, we might be well content. That consideration waived, the Times could scarcely play our game more to our own satisfaction. Our course remains unaf fected by that of our rivals. When we borrow, we shall continue to acknowledge the loan; and we :hall persevere in marking our goods as best we can against larceny. We cannot better follow this up than by the annexed letters from the Secretary of Lloyd's ; LI:OYD'ai, Feb. 4, 1817. The Secretary of Lloyd's presents his coMplimen't, to the editor of the Daily News, and, with reference to the each, sive and important information contained in that publication of this day, will feel greatly obliged by being favoured with the shipping intellkteuee from the ports of Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, brought by the express, (or the guidance of the merchants and others interested. Having furnished the required lists, we received this handsome acknowledgment : LLOYD'S, Feb. 4, 1847. The Secretary of Lloyd's begs to acknowledge, with his beet thanks, on behalf of the merchants and others interested, the very obliging communication of the shipping intelligence received by the Overland Exproas from India. To the Editor of the Daily News. The information from Lieut. Waghorn as to the time of departure of the courier appeared last night in the Express : 11.15 P.m., 3rd Feb., 1847. Sir,—Pray note the hour above that this express really arrived. I beg to band you its rapid speed from Cologne to this office, for the public information : What Left Cologne, for Ostend, 3.45 a.m., 3rd Feb Left Ostend, for Doter, per 0.31. Meunier Primer Alice, 4.45 p.m. Left Dover, for London-bridge, 19 pm. 33 Left London-bridge, for 31, oarnWll, 2.10 am, atb Feb., arrived at Cornbdl t2o—eay In 17 hours and 3.5 min., nearly 23 tales an hour—of course, esteem, by land aad sea, all the way. These are some of the results of the Trieste route.—ln haste, Taos. Witonoaw. Coruhdl. • Nantkal SOCIETY FOR PROMOTLNG THE AMEND- !SENT OF THE LAW. On Wednesday , evening the usual monthly general meeting of this association was held at the society's rooms, 21, Regent-street. Lord Brougham in the chair. The meeting was attended be Mr. Commissioner Fine Mr. Spence, Q.C., Mr. M. 1). Hill, Q C., Mr. Stewart , Mr. Swart , M.P., Mr. Serjeant Manning, Mr. Macrae, and other influential members of the society. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr. P. Taylor presented a report from the committee on criminal law ap pointed "to consider the various plans which have been tried or proposed for the improvement of the treatment of criminal and young persons likely to become criminabo, and further to report on the principles on which punishments ought to be awarded and conducted." The report was read at length by Mr. P. Taylor, from the pages of the Lase Review for the current month, and after stating in a volumi nous manner the various topiesehislk had engaged the atten tion of the committee, it eameiaded by recommending the following suggesting re sisputra :- 1. That all pois mime matmlwebsi lelmaseme he Awe& *odd be abolished. 2. Tbst stake sorditel re user rid rimer should be allowed le mask Is pikes le • der of bilmer. P. flat tread-wbeel labour ihert be aboard. 4. Ibet dr Weft et Ille• trial priaona stria Morel tree droll he mitred wrsaleary. 3. That sorb prior ober! be se bar is Is allied leper le raw modatioe to each Omer. I. Mr mild Mar, tkt rag,basket, or set error rep o Ac., he. Anti be milerris bliehmed le all eror. 7. That them respihr drat le lay* by mmeeleft per attached le web perm S. Mr tern dim et routers should be esperiet rib kers Errs ase ret It diver be wommimayeamery mid le Mimi said arathr, w a miry ds7rlbw a test dete red . Tbst sr rot • Arra trier lap to rim eirdeliezy; rr Wt t k dire be belt rear le Fedi is si she Ihr to lb Pr e oplittre err re at" lit Imre& IS. 7h let, erseried therm ellereder te be emir Ye err pet erteser. is swarm err re rear, mete h ekeeederL ft. Tate ear pleb. uelllem diet druid le aressi 12. flat forjens- Me tad Mkt amities Whim re lir Weber wire reit be aldildri, ea a creep errs pro to Or proposed bp C Prase. Seri edbrar, ers tired we that the dia. *tims he asks' melly ran. Mr. EWART, M.P., erelee_sk rdir regarded the report just read u a meet valuate, isms..*, lee could not hut think it omitted to deal with see berettert point ; vie., the results wheb had attended the prudes of the separate system of confinement. He further thought, no improved system of secondary punishment would be effectual or bene ficial which did not reserve transportation as a supplement to incarceration.—Mr. M. D. Hill. Q.C., also approved highly of the report, and at considerable length urged that punishment ought to have in view the reformation of the offender ; and tsis could not be done without submitting the individual to a most painful procera.—Lord Brougham concurred with Mr. Hill, and thought that a month's imprisonment world not afford time to effect a reformation ; indeed, six months would in many instances be scarcely suf ficient. True it was, that referenalion of the offender ought to be the main object of punishment, and he was happy to observe that of late yeari the public mind had been weaned from the old-fashioned notion that the only object of punish ing offenders was to deter others from following their perni cious and evil example. It was this principle which had kept up the barbarous continuance of capital punishment, the effects of which, as the means of deterring from the corn• mission ofcrimc, had been proved to be exceedingly small. The most successful mode of preventing and deterring from crime was by the education of the people, and by teaching the rising generation a hatred of vice in every shape. At the same t.me, if he stood *lone, he was ind prepared to glee up tlie punishment of loath as a means of deterring others from the mmmission of certain offences.—Mr. Se .x urged the aecess.ty of the adopt:iu of a salinsary jarisdietien, by which ,tunishinent sh ned iastantlp follow the offente. -After a , hurt di•tiksion, the del. lite on the report was airy mrned to 'he next meeting of the so 'jety on the lith inst., and the mectiLg adjourned. SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SoCIETY.—The 26th annual meeting of the members of the institution was he wed ,escily at the &Hee in King William-street. Mr J. Lebou enere presided. The annual r port, read by 81r. Hanley, the secretary, detailed the prose-riling- of the committee during the peat year, and alluded to the donations wile' had been receiv:d from the Ki. g Of 111110.er and the Clear: e gevern meat, tinily gifts, whirl:, our readers may be aware. have already been asknowledged at a quarterly ac' ti:-g. The number of patients altruists d during the past year was 2.112. Advie medicine, and ire ducal stores, was s provl.6d for 1,629 out-rat ients, mahing a t .1 of 3,941 ew.men re'..ev nil during that t.eriui • aid since seamen ment of the r%, rarity, 7 tl 9 l;s sr l. s .,Slit O u r n 't i i i ' v i y s , ' •Y ar . : ; :t G . 3 '.'l l :l( i i . l 4l t gea s th t e o v i ,%7l:o; i v il u i rTUt:i n ii ;v 7 tl ) , 7 aut ta . dhe total receipts fa? 4131• year amounted to 8.8131. 1 li. including donations, beryls sts, &e. : and, deslneting the ex penditure, a balance of 3801. remained. The report basing been agreed to, the chairman, ice• Admiral ;Young,' ad stressed the meeting Friel e, and expressed confident hopes that continued aid would lee afforded to so useful a charity. LONDON AND Ci .I'N rT JOINT-STOCK BANK.— trOterdav, en annu,ll nieeth.g of the onsprietors was 'held at the London Tavern, Bishispigate-strict. -W.110.1118, presided, and opened the yoccedioge in .1 brief statement of this condition of the company as shown in the report. The director' therein stated, that in laying be fore the proprietors the financial statement of the London and County Bank fur the last year, they had again to report the continued prosperity of the company. They reveal mended a dividend of aix per cell.. ( free from incomest ix) fse the half year ending Dec. 31, 1846, and that the sav:slus of 1,830. 17s. 7d., which remained after the payment 01 the dividend, the expenses of the establishment, the interest on current and deposit aeessunts, the rebate of bill. not due, and the allowance for had and deuleful debts, be carried as heretoeore, to the credit of the reserved fund, which would then am-unt to 22,2421. Is. Ild. UNITED I EF ASSOCI.‘TIDN.—YeSIPrdity a public meetioe, called t o gether by this association, which has bleat formed fur the general relict of those sufferi..g from the prevailing famine in Ireland and Scotland, nes held at Exeter ylall ; Samuel Gurney, H.q., in the chair. The chief object of the meeting was, to hear from various clergy men, from those convenes, of all dennminations who had come to London for the purpose, authentic mel detailed statements of the awful suffering under which the penele in their respective districts are at this moment labouring, and which, it is feared, the progress of the season will greatly ag gravate; and thus to stimulate toe people of England to support and sympathy. The meeting was very nume rously attended, and, atter a iew words from the chairman in explanation of the (Netts for which they had ono ridded, the Rev. Mr. Monk, from Ireland, the Rev. Mr. Macleod, from Glasgow, and several other clergymen from lath coun tries, addreooed it, and gave the meet appalling deseriptions of the arena of destitution and death of which they had the misfortune to he the almost daily witnesses; thousands were actually dying for want of food, and nothing but a eonstan and abundant supply for at least twelve month could save the nation from t'se low of the grtater portion of its poor population. It would require not Ices than 5 000 tons of food per day to be poured into the port of Ireland alone for the next twelve months t, sore this country from depopulation, for the estimated lots of the last year's potato crop, there, was from sixteen to twenty millions. Ls this awful calamity, it was not douhted that the people of England, of all claws and Cr, eds would come for ward to save their fellow-creatures and fellow-sulnects, through this association, which had no sectar:an objocts, as it was composed of clergymen and Laymen of all denominations, and the link of whose co-operetion was solely that of christian benevolence to soothe the feelings and miti gate the sufferings of those who were laboweng under so dreadful a v.sitation. In the distribution of the funds by the association, there would he no distinction of creed or party, the only recognised claim being that of destitution and scant. There appeared but one unanimous feeling amongst those assembled at the meeting, to use all the means and greets in their power to forward the good work for which they had met, convinced as they were by the unthubted, heart-rend ing, and vivid statements laid before them by the respectable clergymen who had sp iken, that nothing but a universal effort in England could preserve the two other branches of the empire, s specially Ireland, frem utter desolation end ruin. Sever al noolutions, in fultheramx of the pin pro sof the meeting, were agreed to, after w'vich, thanks having been voted to the chairman, it broke up, all sorely afflicted by the sad recitals to which they had listened. WESTMINSTER ELECTION.--Mr. George Thompson i has declines! to coated the coming vacancy in Westminster. Mr. Charles Ludsington will, therefore, receive the united support of all the Liberal section of the constituency. Tug Hay. Mn. HEWLETT.—We announced, POlllB days since, the decease of this gentleman, anther of Peter Driggins," and other contributions to magazine literature. We have since learned with much regret, that his wife and , large family have been left with twa i sl lh y . ea m m u i e e t at nt de . Mr. Hewlett appears to have had but slender opportunities per S of ta l m ea la s ri rin d g ge 'n E y sse pro x, pe w r a t s y. no Tmhoerev al ue 0 t. 7 : 7 he only held it since 1840. THE SCOTCH DISTILLERS.—Sir,—I em a Scotch distiller, and I have read, with much astonishment, a leading article in the Express of Saturday last, on the distilling trade. It is, in my opinion, eltareeter lied by extreme vagueness, and writti n in a mostobjection able spirit . You make a charge arainet the whole 'body, because one individual addressed Lord G. Ilentinek, and you next impugn the accuracy of the statement sent, without proving it wrong in any particular. I have nothing to do with " cramming" his lordship, hut I lear.essly assert that every line of the statement transmitted to him from ' Leith is correct; and I challenge you to disprove any part of it. The mere assertion on your part that it is incorrect does not prove it so, and it is not creditable to any journalist to make assertions without proof. It is not dented that a quarter of good malt may produce 18 proof gallons : this ' part of the subject does not weaken the malt distillers' case, as I will endeavour to show ; but it is not touched on in the statement you attack. If we were to be autrected to fair s competition with rum, we would net complain ; hut the pro ; posal to admit rum at 4s. 2d. per gallon, while we pay several pence more. is unfair in Pself, and doodle so when all the circumstances of the case are mouldered. Allow me to enumerate e.ome of the restrictions under which the British distiller is placed, and from which the colo nial distiller is free. Besides British taxation, the British distiller is trammelled by EICifI3 forms in the erection or alteration of his works, which causes him to lay out a considerable sum ; he is not allowed to produce spirits from whatever.article he finds hest suited for the purpose ; he is obliged to stop his mashing process while distilling, and suspend his still-house operations while masking ; he is obliged to pay an exorbitant price fur patent locks, and is not allowed to get the most trifling re pairs made on them without having th. rn sent to London; he is exposed to loss and overcharges from the mode of collecting duties, rig., on a compare of wash, low wines, and spirits; he is exposed to double low in the event of an accident occurring during the proceed o. distillation, as, besides the lees or matenal, the duty is always exacted ; lastly, he is obliged to pay the full duty on spirits warehoused, while rum is charged Cuty only on the Quantity which comes out of warehouse and actually goes into consumption. Now, sir, are these reitrictions nothing, or wee the Chancellor of the Excite qu,r not right in estimating them at Cd. per gallon. I do not undetstand your argument in the following paragraph ; you say—" But the statement in, we are assured, quite inaccurate, inasmuch as a quarter o a good malt will yield nearer 18 than 16 gallons of whiskey; and if so, the Scotch malt distiller and the West Indian rum manufacturer will centribute squally to the revenue." I admit that a quarter of good malt does yield, during some months of the year, nearly 18 gsllooa per quarter, nod the revenue is annually benefitted by such a large extract ; but how thisplaces the Scotch enaltdinillerand Weatlndian rum manufacturer on the same footing, is more than I can com prehend. The duty in the ease of Scotch spirits on the twe products would stand thus: 1 qr. malt producing 18 gallon*, would pay, independently of malt duty, 21. 18s. 811., or 3s. Bd. per gallou ; 1 qr. malt producing 18 gallons, would pay in. dependently of malt duty, 31. ; and in addition, the duty on 1 bushel malt on the 2 gallons surplus, at 2s. 7d. and per cent., making together 31. fle. 81d., or 3s. 90. per game I hope you will condescend on particulars with reference to this point. It will also confer a favour if you state in detail the "revenue advantages" yea mention as enjoyed by Scotch over Irish distillers. Like all others will have embarked, it may be their all, in a mercantile undertaking, we are alarmed at the prospect before us, but we expect that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will yet, before passing the measure, alter the scale of duty so as to do justice to our trade, and we also expect from the press an unpre judiced and impartial statement of our case. As a tub a: Tiber to your paper, I hope you will allow these re marks to appear in its columns.— I am, &c., D. A. CAMP new., distiller.—Greenock Distillery, reb. 2, 1847. SUICIDES.--On Monday evening, about half-past six o'clock, 'panicle was committed by Maria Murray, a ser vant. The dammed, who neatened considerable personal attractions, had formed an attachment to an engineer lately employed by the South Western Railway. Company, bat who is now at Bristol. A day or two since this man wrote to the deceased for money, stating that be was in a state Mt great distress. This fact made a deep imprewion upon the wad of the ponr girl, who declared she should never see him soda. Oa Monday morning the deceased was found lying the bed all but strangled by a handkerchief which she had twisted round her neck. In the evening, at half-pea =leek, Mrs. Bryant, mistress of the deceased, left her in the back parlour alone whilst rite went up stairs to put the child to bed. The deceased immediately threw up the sash and jumped into the garden. Mrs. Bryant bearing the noise said, " Maria, is that you ?" and deceased replied, " Yee, Rood bye, Gad bless you." Mrs. Bryant instantly followed the wretched girl, but had hardly entered the garden when she beard a splash, and she then knew that the deceased had thrown herself into a deep pond which is in a field at the rear of the garden. Within 15 minutes, Mrs. Bryan met with a policeman, to whom, ' ' - " curved ; the man took the li at the pond and one or ' beat. Police-constables were informed some time sueoeeded in ',Wag Tuesday, wit Mr. bolding an low* in tion of the feßowing gentleman named H. B. _ past been payieg his addresses hom she communicated whai had as; he light offered him, ctrelessly looked r two ditche., and then " on his Spree, 43 V, and 01..„ ..,;,."1..4 -V, time after of Olt the body mr Mills, the9 l ,4lk Marylebone, act of eelf d • • ;VW. Fisher. Mr. Y &beams to l ea • - ..7 v s! • A.,.