The Express. — London, England, 1847-12-24 00:00:00

a ' - a• leaving remained in Europe the full time allowed by hie leave of absence, he prepared to return to India and pursue the military profession. The step, however, in ' , lnch he nsbaresd, was wrecked on the Isle of Wight, and he had therefore to undergo the trial of a 'second separation from an family, The Castle Bundy, the next chip In which he m aid, was more fortunate ; there were numerous passengers onboard, many of them well educated and talented; acd to beguile the tedium of the voyage, it was proposed to publish *wee kl y per iodical, of which, by universal consent, Mr. Smoke woo made editor. This task he undertook upon one esedition, namely, that all the contribution should be in wee, and that no one should indulge in personalities. The publication was called the Nautilus, and it came out at first on Feiday, but afterwards the day of its appearance was c hanged to Saturday. The Nautilus always commenced with a contribution from the editor, who usually wrote un der the formidable signature of" Cholera Morten." On arriving at Matra, Mr. Brooke found that his period I furlough had expired, aud that, in order to reinstate him. adf in the position he had thus lost, a protracted and wean. wee correspondence with the authorities at home would probably be necessary; he therefore resigned the service at one, and determincdon proceeding with the ship all the way to China. This step was perhaps the most important of his life, alit conducted him to the hello( his future labours. It was new, in fact, that he saw for the first time the islands of the Indian Archipelago with their natural riches and in tompar.ble beauty. B ' y degrees the idea of visiting and exploring them suggested itself to his mind. though it was not suddenly brought to maturity. On his arrival at Can ton he enjoyed some opportunities of studying the Chinese character, and, lathe multiplied imports of that city, of form iag some faint cenception of the value and variety of the produce of the Archipelago. Returning to Europe, still full of the design he had formed, be, in conjunc tion with another gentleman, fitted out a ship of large burden in order to make the experiment he so much at heart, and proceeded once more into the China seas, where numerous circumstances concurred to defeat his purposes. The plan of acting in conjunction with another was abandoned, and he once more revisited Europe, his views continually acquiring greater maturity and development. Mr. Brooke now, by the death of his father, succeeded to a considerable fortune ; and, after the lapse of some time, his project for opening op the Indian Archipelago to British commerce and enterprise was resumed. After much thought and investigation, he ens dyed upon making the attempt on It male of great magnificence for a private individual, put- , chased a large and handsome yacht, and, having manned it with a choice crew, left England on an experimental voyage up the Mediterranean ; experimental, I mean in this Neese, that he whited to test the soundness and sailing quslities of his yacht, the Royalist, and the docility, courage, and at tachment of his men. It would protract this notice to far too great a length to enter into a minute account of that voyue, la the course of which he landed in Spain, and traversed a large pinion of its southern provinces. Among the things he sew was the Alhambra. From the coast of Spain the Royalist pursued her wan up the Mediterranean, passing ey Malta and Crete, and between the numerous islands of the Ezean, until she reached the mouth of the Dardanelles, for the purpose of paying a visit to Constantinople. It unfortunately happened, however, that the plague was then raging in the Turkish capital, mowing down the population and diffusing terror and alarm on au sides. Mr. Brooke judged it prudent, therefore, to face shout in the Dardanelles, and, instead of proceeding up the Sea ef Marmon, to land in the road, near the scene of Homer's battles, on the Simois and Seamender, and thence to drop down leisurely along the shores of Aaia Minor, ex. pion the ruins of the ancient cities of lonia sod the adjacent islands, Teos, Erythra, Smyrna, Ephesus, and Rhodes. Having ascertained the Seaworthiness of his craft and the excellent quality of his crew, Mr. Breoke left Europe and tunnel his face eastward. After a prosperous and agreeable voyage, Mr. Brooke arrived in the Sarawak river, on the north-west coast of Borneo, at a time when there existed a civil war between the Malay Rajah and his subjects. This chief, who has since become known to Europe under the name of Muda Hassim, imme diately understood the extraordinary advantages lie might derive from the arrival of his European guest; on the other hand, Mr. Brooke also perceived at once how useful the actual posture of aff dm might prove in the furtherance of his own designs. He. therefore, listened to the overtures made him by Muds Hamien, and consented to lend his assist ance in putting down the rebellion, provided that such of the insurgent chiefs and their followers as might be reduced to obedience by his aid should be treated with justice and hu xaanity. The insurrection was suppressed, and shortly afterwards the Malay chief, on proceeding to the capital to take upon himself the duties of minister to the Sultan, relinquished the government of the province, with the title of Rajah, to Mr. Brooke. We now behold him, therefore, raised by a course of circumstances , by which be knew how to profit, to the rank of a prince, the extent of whose territories it was not easy to define ; for although the length of Sarawak on the sea-coast he limited, it depends entirely on Mr. Brooke's own moderation what frontier to assign to it inland. We must not, however, suffer ourselves to ha dueled by appearances, and fancy our countryman to be the most fortunate of the human race, because be thus became lord of Sarawak. Mr. Brooke himself perfectly well understood the value of his acquisition. He saw himself placed in possession of an extensive jungle, thinly sprinkled with human habitations, and thou ra ge and imperfect clearances which may be denominated Dyak farms. The Dyaks had been accustomed, from time immemorial, to carry on petty wars, not only of nation against nation and tube against tribe, hut of every petty den and village against its neighbours, and in this warfare the chief object of ambi tion was to cut off as many heads as possible, and bear them home in triumph. These bloody trophies, after having been well smoked, were suspended in a sort of temple, where their importance in a public point of view may be estimated from the prevalent belief that the ripening of their corn fields and fruit depended on the preservation of them; while in their individual capacity, each Dyak was held in honour or contempt, according to the number of enemies he had killed, and of the heads he had brought home to his village. Head-hunting, therefore, became a frantic pursuit which constantly betrayed people into the worst of crimes, that they might pewess . themselves of those marks of honour which served them in lieu of the pomp of heraldry and titles of nobility. The Sultan of Constantinople prides himself on the name of " the blood drinker," and the Dyak would be delighted by nothing so much, as to be denominated, Fir ex cellence, " the cutter off of human heads. Now, so long as this propensity should continue among them unchecked, all progress in ovilisation would be impos sible. Mr. Brooke, therefore, declared head-hunting to be a capital crime, and caused it to be made known throughout the province th at whoever took a head—the euphemism for committing murder—should be punished with death. This decree, solemnly promulgated and strictly acted upon, speedily brought the Dynes of Sarawak to their rinses. When the rule became head for head, the old national amuse- ment assumed anew aspect; people who set very little value on their aeighboure' crania were found to entertain consider. I ' able respect for their own, so that Mr. Brooke's subjects per ceived that it would no longer do toile in wait for each other as they had been accustomed, for the spolia opima, according to the theory of honour prisealent in Borneo. But if this barbarous custom fell speedily into disuse in Sarawak, not so in the neighbouring provinces ; their heads continued to be taken as before, or rather, the subjects of the entree relates mere actively indulged their destructive propensities in order to illustrate the superiority of indige nous rule over the government of a stranger from the west. They thought it • very great hardship not to be allowed to cut off the head of any person whom they could take at die advantage ; and en show their contempt for the Sarawakians and their new governor, an adventurous hero from Sambas undertook a decapitating expedition into Mr. Brooke's ter xitorirs. Fitting out a wall prahu, and creeping up along the comet under pretence of trade, he entered the Sarawak river, and pseud Mr. Brooke's house. He then made his way to a considerable distance up the country, where the people might be supposed to be most secure from attack. Be,accompanied by a single friend, now left the boat, sad =kin, his way towards the village, met and inveighed • woman into the forest. There, in presence of his complain\ end against his advice, he cut off her bead, covered the beets with leases, and, with his bleeding trophy under his mm, hastened towards the banks of the stream. He got into his prahu, deecended the river, parted Mr. Breske house some hours after midnight, and returned into Sambas without being discovered, boasted of his achievement, and was probably regarded by his countrymen as one of the bravest of the brave. Sambas, however. was not at war with Sarawak ; and, therefore, when the circumstance came to Mr. Brooke's knowledge, he sent an envoy to the native *Ms, demanding that the murderer should be given up that he might be tried, and, if found guilty, put to death w ending to tho laws of Sarawak. Whatever other fault. native chiefs may have, they are generally not wanting in politeness ; a number of excuses were made ; it was sae that the offender could not be found, but that diligent search should be made after him. and if it proved successful, he should, without hesitation, he delivered over to punish ment. As time passed on, and the malefactor dii not make his appearance, a second envoy was sent, threatening this time that the Rajah of Sarawak, if his request were not complied with, would carry fire and sword into the terri tones of the unjust prince, and would not desist from hos tilities till the murderer should be delivered to him. To this message also a civil answer was returned, hot nothing more ; it was hoped that the white rajah would, by degrees, forget the circumstance, or grow weary of prosecuting an unprofitable affair. Thie, however, turned out not to he the I ease; Mr. Brooke sent message after message and threat', after threat, and at length one of the two men engaged in the crime came to Sarawak and delivered himself up to justice. He declared, however, with the utmost earnestness and solemnity, that he was no further memory to the mu , - der than bring present at it, and said that he had counselled his companion to desist; but that, being a young and im petuous man, he despised his advice . He was informed, that, under the circumstances, nothing would be done to him, that he must return to his village, explain the matter to his countrymen, and convince them of the necessity of delivering up the euilty person to be punished with death. These representations at length produced the desired effect. The murderer, no longer able to endure the constant impor tunities of his neighbours, who now apparently began to at- tach some idea of criminality to head-hunting, at length crossed the borders and came, in company with has former companion, to Sarawak. There the whole affair was is. vesegated, and the murder proved to had taken plug under the most aggravated circumstances. The minimal did not deny his guilt. Mr. Brooke, who sat in judg ment, demanded of him why he killed the womanl; he replied, boldly, "beams it was his pleasure." The cue was now closed; there could be no doubt of the man i a guilt, bat the lingering sentiment of humanity, stronger sometimes than the sense of justice, inclined the fudge to relent at the eleventh hour. He crewed the river, milled about him a council of elders, and consulted With them as to what was to be done. Having considered j the matter, the principal among thein replied. "If this 'Xi- millet be pardoned, the practice of head-huntiag, which has now happily fallen into disuse, will revive throughout Sara wak, and the second suppression of it will be far more diffi mdt than the first," This speech put an end to the rajah's hesitation, the sentence of the law was carried into execution, Mid the worst feature of Dyak barbarism may be said to have been finally extinguished in Sarawak on that day. The termination of this extraordinary affair may poesibly excite in the reader's mind a desire to know something of the manner in which Mr. Brooke lives among his wild sub jects. Ile usually rises moderately early, crosses from kis private residence to the opposite bank et the river, where ke holds what in India would be denominated his Barber, receives deputations, hears and determines causes, and is accessible to ever man, high and low, throughout the whole extent of his territories. The hail of audience at Sarawak is lofty and spacious, and Its appearance, when thronged in the morning, i., highly characteriKie and picturesque. In one part of it Mr. Besides is en3aged perhaps in conducting • trial for life and death, surrounded by the impetuous natives with their swarthy countenances and flashing eyes, habited in almost theatrical costumes, and armed every one of them with a formidable kris or dagger. Even criminals of rank are suffered to wear these weapons till sentence of death has been pronounced, when they quietly deliver them up, and suffer themselves to be led to the place appointed for their execution, where, in the presence of their friends and rela tives, and all other, who take any interest, they are des patched by a single blow of the krts : when affairs of less moment are transactiag, the native,, separated into groups, disperse themselves through the apartment, and discuss public or private affairs, according to their taste. People, mesnwhile, are entering and quitting the hall, some with merry faces because their wishes have been complied with, others, perhaps, looking sullen or dejected because they have encountered disappointment. Into all the peculiarities of Mr. Brooke's position it would, in this pace, be impossible to enter. For some years he stood exposed to the most imminent peril,as well from the ill regulated passions of his Malay and Dyak subjects, as from the ferocity and cupidity of piratical hordes, who subsist on the plunder of trade and the kidnapping of prisoner:. lie could, in fact, be said t have no safety at all, till the policy of the British government granted him, under certain limi tations, the protection of thesquadron ‘tationed in the China seas. Until then, he had to rely entirely on hie own courage and intellectual resources. Yet, under these disadvantages, he succeeded in implanting the first seeds of civilisation among the Dyens, taught them some of the most obvious benefits of order and subordination, and, by the mildness of his sway, caused himself to he beloved, though in many respects exer cising despotic authority. Of course, hi, great aim has been to concentrate in his territory an industrious population, to give an impetus to agriculture, to invest commerce with re spect, and to excite in the Dyaks those wants which consti tute the first impulse to all human improvement. The rude g t the value of intercommunication, g e a . v P e l b h ee a n y b nel e te t il t to auh construct bridges, and lay dawn primi tive roads fdr their own sae, which they do by felling trees, and forming with them a pathway through the jungle, or over swamps and morasses, and to clear fresh farms for the planting of corn, cotton, or other useful products. One of the most profitable occupations to which the Dyaks have been induced to apply themselves by Mr. Brooke, is the planting of cocoa-tree groves, which has recently afforded employment to great numbers of that active and docile race. The jungle is cut down or burned, the lend cleared and pre pared, and the young plants, furnished by the rajah, are laid skilfully in the soil ; then, with a power of vegetation un known elsewhere, perhaps in the world, the young grove shoots up, and in a short time will produce its owner the most ample return.. Sarawak, the capital of the province, is springing rapidly into importance; new houses are constantly erected, new gardens and plantations laid out, while fresh accessions to the population are made from the country. This fact may very well serve to illustrate the force of the impression made upon the native mind, but there remains another to be noticed infinitely more remarkable. Whatever authority their white rajah might have acquired over them, it was scarcely, judg ing from analogy, to be expected that, when he should have himself departed, and delegated his authority to others, the same obedience would still be paid to them. Yet, during an absence of month., all has continued quiet at Sarawak, the Dyaks have gone on cheerfully in their improvements, planting, building, trading, ar.d carrying on all the multi plied offices of life, without the slightest interruption. One striking proof of their confidence in their new ruler is de. serving of particular notice. From time immern trial it had been customary among the Dyaks of Sarawak to en et their villages in the most inaccessib'e places, on the peaks of conical hills, in the depths of forests, on the crests of ridges, that they might thus, if possible, be safe from the sudden attack of enemies. They are now gradually leaving these fastnesses and building their dwellings in the open plain, conceiving the power and authority of their rajah a better protection than scarped cliffs or dense masses of jungle. IRELAND. DTIBLIN..DIc. 22. A slight improvement is reported to-day in the chancellor's health, but it is greatiy to be feared, and equally lamented, that there is no indication of de- cided recovery. The " sparse" state of the Four Courts, with its few loitering wigs, is not favourable to rumour as to the new assistant•barristership. I have before stated that the vacancy is likely to be filled from the north east bar—a result which will very probably be realised. . . _ The total nett tram of advances by the relief com mission to Irish unions amounts to 1,673,317 L, of which 718,3301. was an absolute grant, and the re maining sum of 954,9871. is to be repaid. - The character for quiet which has hitherto signal. ised Mayo in the meat of much misery has been stained by an act of outrage. Threatening notices abound in the barony of Tyranly, but few could be lieve that the district in which residue Sir R. O'Donel should be visited by those missives of dis order. Even Sir Richard himself has been the reci pient of one of those billets, or rather his lady, in the absence of Sir Richard. While the latter was nego tiating for a loan of 12,0001., to improve his estate and give employment, two menacing notices were for warded—one declaring his life to be in danger, and suggesting the propriety of looking to the "family undertaker" for his coffin ; the other, ordering a rise in wages, or the destractien of his flax and other property. On his return from Dublin, Sir Richard met the menace as befitted a fearless man, and con scious of no wrong. At the Newport petty sessions, be addressed the people with good sense and courage: Here has been (said the hon. baronet) during my absence In Dublin, where I was trying to get employment for several hundredsof the population, Terry alt letters sent to my honer, one of them threat eningmy life, and the other my property. Now, for nineteen Team you have known me as yam landlied, and as a magistrate, and you ought to have learned that • Terry alt threatening letter will Dot frighten me—if you do imagine DO, you were never more mistaken in your lives. We are metering from the eelamity which In the wisdom of Ood has been inflicted on on. Let as depend on ourselves and on one own exertienl, wad we will get over our difficulties—let us but work like men, instead of unlawful combinations—let no combine to dig the land and prepare for seed time—let 11A help ourvelves and each other, and the Almighty will blew our efforte, and I trust we shall be tetter off next year than at present. !give you dila advice*" your friend, bat don't suppose that I care for these wicked notices. They stall not deter me from the pursuit of my duties, and my business by night and by day ; and no threat+ nor llolly Maguire notice. shall drive me trout this place nor from this country. No, my Mew* lam deter mined to remain with you, and help you if I can. I ray each (relish wort will injure yourselves, so I am aware you all know who are gam' about disturbing the country; and I now tell you that the Bret man who arrestsaTerryalt, and beteg. kern to me, I will give bim tot. for a reward out of my awn pocket. There is no man in linerishoole who weasel) bard as Ido by sight and day. You have plenty of room to most in tilling your land, and preparing for an oats and potato crop lac neat year, when please Providence wt, will all sae an abundance. I my, then, courage and exertion; but no more of your threats, for they are thrown away on me. The Mayo Constitution states that the threatening notices were served upon Sir Richard two days after he had been denounced at the chapel of Newport, for having cleared out two townlanda. The ecclesiastical commissioners have forgiven a large arrear due off Bishop's lands, in the county of Kilkenny. The commissioners must have been ac tuated by a compound motive, for a remarkable bene volence does not attach to them in their corporate character. A philanthropic attorney suggests to suitors the pro priety of proceeding by action of debt instead of as sumpeit, which, in the small matter of costs, will effect a saving of 20 per cent. Mercantile men, he remarks, are loud in their complaints of costs in curred in suing . on bills of exchange. " Men often wander abroad in search of a remedy which is to be found at their very doors." The direeors and ma nagers of banks are specially invited to his cheap nostrum for all the ills of bad bills. THE WRECK OFF SKULL. The vessel which was yesterday reported as having been wrecked off this port is the Charlotte, East Indiaman. The following account is supplied by Captain Thomas, who has already distinguished himself by his zeal and activity during the out year in the establishment of the Coeheen fishery on the west coast of Cork : " The Charlotte, Captain John Hawkins, from Bombay, for Liverpool, laden with cntton,guist. &c., made the Crook haven light about seven on Friday morning ; but, owing I. the violence of the gale and the haziness ot the weather, the light was seen but indistinctly; it was, however, unfortu nately again mistaken for the Old Head of Kinsale ; and the channel coarse steered accordingly, when in a sheet time land was discovered ahead. The captain endeavoured to wear the ship, but in vain; be then had no recourse to save the vessel and the lives of the crew but to cast anchor and cot away ell the masts and rigging, which in going overboard injured the deck of the vessel. She fortun►tely nut anchor in good holding ground between Long Island and the Western Calf. The coast guards attempted in the course of the day to board her, but owing to the vio lence of the gale were obliged to put back; on. of the boats from our fishing establishment also got so far as Long Island, but there being a tremendous sea outside it could proceed no farther. The poor fellows, however, being encouraged by lay son to persevere In their endeavours to give assistance to the vessel end crew, seinucled about 12 o'clock at though at the peril of heir lives, in getting on boud, and after some time the captain came on shore and stopped the remainder of the night at my cottage. roar boats and twenty men from the fishery are cow tearing the Charlotte into Long Island ChennaL It is rather a singular coinci dence that the Charlotte, like the ill. fated Stephen Whitney, never saw the Cape Clser Light. Nor was the Rack Island Light marked on Capt. Hawkins' chart, which is another proof, if proofs were required—that the Cape Clear Light is useless, and the Rook Island Light much worse. " On Thursday, the 16th, Capt. Hawkins made an observe. tion, and was enabled to ascertain his exact position ; but from that time until he indistinctly saw the Crookhaven or Rock Island Light at seven in the morning of Friday, the 17th, he saw neither sun, moon, nor stun—it blowing a gale all the while, with heavy rain and thick hazy weather. Agreeably with Capt. Hawkins' last observation and rate of sailing,the light seen at seven a m. on Friday morning should have been the Old Head of Kinsale Light, and he cannot cc. ceunt for the difference, as to distance, &c., except by the influence of a northerly set or current occasioned by the vio lent gales and storms of the last few days. Had the Cape Light been visible he would no doubt ere this have reached Liverpool, and it is also probable that many others wh.-, within the last few days, have found watery graves, would have entered their destined havens in safety. Capt. Hawkins has been at sea 33 years and commanded an East Indianian 15 years, and when he was obliged to cut away the mute and rigging of the Charlotte as the only ' chance left of saving the vessel and the lives of the crew it was only right months and two days from the time of her having left England. He is now safely moored in Long Island Channel, by the Conehern fishermen. It was discovered on weighing the anchors that the stock of one was gone, and had it continued blowing before she wu re moved from her perilous poaition, no human efforts could have prevented her being dashed to pieces either on the Western Calf or Castle Island. Precious to the Charlotte's being seen in her disabled state, the Cooshcen fishermen had secured the principal part of the unfortunate vessel that was wrecked near Lemoon, but my son ordered them at once to let it go, and thus the poor fellows will lose, no doubt, a con siderable amount of salvage, so that they might proceed to the disabled vessel, and render every possible assistance to her and the crew. The freight of the Charlotte, independent of the value of her cargo, ameents to 4,0001. Up to the present date, Captain Hawkins has been • successful and fortunate navigator, this being his first misfortune. ANOTHEY VESBkL, the Mary Jane marked on her stern, but from what port unknown, laden with deals, railway sleepers, and staves, went on shore yesterday morning at Gun Point near Lemcon and became • total wr,ek. It is supposed that her crew must have been taken off to another vessel so none of them were seen. liar st. en, a quantity of deals, sleepers, and timbers, have been picked up and lodged in a place of safety by the Combeen fishermen. It appears that several other vessels have bean lost on this coast, but I Lave not yet been able to learn the particulars relative to the crews. . . I have now been informed by my son that the captain, mats, and cook of another veorl were picked up in the course of the day, ',vita of Cape Ciear, by the Coast Guard, after bring driven at the mercy of the waves in a small boat for 34 hours and nothing to eat or drink. I hare not been able to ascertain the fate of the remainder of the crew. STATE Or THE COUNTILY.—The state of the country, as would appear from the journals of to day, in not suggestive of alarm, for there are no deeds of violence recorded. There in, however, an indication of a disposition to avenge the imaained short-comings of the poor law on guardians, which must a bad effect. On Friday night last an armed party visited the house of a Mr. Berne, sn elected guardian of the Nenagh union, to threaten him for an attributed dis p whims to limit its operation to the relief of the destitute. Nothing can be more unjust or unreasonable than such con duct. Tne truth is the gur d JAM o f Nenagh union have applied to the commisainnen for permission to give out-door relief; but the latter, using due Precaution and Are fur the property of the country, take time to make inquiries, and to perfect forms which prevent immediate compliance. It is hard to reason with hungry men, 'in true—and, aaoth to say, the descriptions in the Dublin journals show thar, in Nenagh, hunger is severely felt by the poor ; but this violence will only ileierit its own object, even in Nenagb, and will neces sarily emharrua the operation of the law, and injure the cause of the poor is other places. Toe guardian. of Ni nigh cannot be much blamed if, after this, they decline to dis charge their functions. THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 24, 1847. SCOTLAND. EDINIICROH, DEC. 22. The Edinburgh presbytery of the established church is the first, if not the only, public body in Scotland that has taken up the subject of Jewish dis abilities. On a requisition of eight members an ex ceedingly thin meeting took place, when a motion was made by Dr. Muir, of Edinburgh, to the effict that to allow Jews to become members of the legis lature, would " form an act amounting to public renunciation of the chief design of the British con stitution—above all to public irreligion—and so to guilt, which is fitted to bring down on the country the judgments of Almighty God. That ac cordingly the presbytery resolve, &c." Dr. Hunter seconded this ungrammatical motion. An amend aent was moved "that no British subject ought to suffer either tke forfeiture or the abridgmeat of his civil rights on account of his religious opinions, and that Jewish disabilities, being unnecessary, impolitic, and unjust, ought to be removed." The amendment received no seconder, the nearest approach to sym pathy with it being the negative declaration of an after speaker, that "the ministers of the presbytery had duties enough to perform in their own parishes and connected with the court without taking np their time discussing the merits of the British constitution ;" and accordingly a third motion was submitted, that it was inexpedient for the presbytery to interfere in the matter. The third motion also remaining an seconded. the first was carried. As corrective of the petition of the presbytery of Edinburgh in favour of Jewish disabilities, the town council have unanimously petitioned for their re moval. At the municipal board no voice was lifted up in favour of disabilities ; and the " religious argu ment " was dismissed very summarily by the lord pro voet, who, in evident allusion to the proceedings of pres bytery, said that " much nonsense had been talked of a Christian constitution, a thing which never had, and never could, exist," and, seizing the weapons of the reverend obstructor, he felicitously called on them to "remember the punishments that befel the Baby lonians for treating the Jews with harshness and severity." On the subject of the Hebrew chair, the recent de cisions have satisfied neither of the contending par ties. The practical object sought by the church (the exclusion of Mr. lilacdouall, a free-churchman) ' has been attained, but not in the way that the church wanted. It wished to establish its own rower of jurisdiction and civil complaint in cases of supposed violation of the statutes imposing professorial tests, and also sought the annulling of Mr. Msedouall's election, on the ground of Hebrew being a branch of theological teaching. The court has ruled against both points : the duty of presbyteries in receiving subscription to tests is held as being purely ministe rial, and the chair is set down as literary, not theolo gical. Mr. Mardonall's rejection being founded on the simple statutory objection that, being a dissenter, he will not conform to the established church. The town council again are disappointed that n canon practically in abeyance for at least half a century should now be pointed against a given candidate, at the mere bidding of a body who base allowed other professors to walk through the portals of the univer sity undisturbed. The church, it is said, contemplates appeal to the Mouse of Lords ; the temporal power, less hasty, are " to consider." But before entering the " bourne " of the last court of appeal, it is to be hoped that the Lord Advocate will settle the contro versy by legislation. Dr. Alison has represented to the Edinburgh an thoritien that, in preparation for the cholera, the city should be divided into district!, small boards of healtlh established in each, and also hospitals or quarantine houses ; and, as such arrangements would require time, he suggests a conference between the magis trates and a committee of the colleges of physicians and surgeons, which has been ordered. Some curiosity has been manifested whether the Scotch episcopal church will interfere, by petition or otherwise, with the Hampden election. Their prac tice in electing a bishop is primitive enough—the clergy choosing . and the episcopal bench sanctioning, although occasionally this simple procedure causes disturbance. The whole of the Scotch bishops would likely be against Dr. Hampden ; but, having no local standing in the controversy, they may keep aloof, especially as in the recent schisms from the Scotch church the English bishops have done little or no thing to strengthen theirrorthcrn brethren in dealing with their refractory presbyters. At present the Rev. Sir W. Dauber has an action against Bishop Skinner, the primes, for excommunicating him. The regulation of time has been before the Glas gow town council, and has somewhat puzzled that worthy body. The chairman of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway suggested that the Glasgow clocks should be altered to suit the new railway time, and that the change should take place at 11 o'clock on Saturday night. It was also intimated that Edin burgh would adopt this plan. One speaker sensibly proposed that the suggestion should be agreed to, otherwise a through passenger might, on arriving in Edinburgh, find himself a quarter of an hoar too late for a train. A second waggishly remarked that the city clocks were so badly kept that no time could be worse. A third talked gravely of astronomical and navigation interest; and a fourth surpassed the whole by &clariag that "the time of this city should be exact astronomical time," and concluded by saying, that "the time of high water might also be affected"—a prophecy, which the concluding speaker demolished, by averring that " the time of high water at the Broonnelaw was as variable as the time shown by the city clocks," wind and weather paying marvel lously little regard to tide-tables. Amidst so many conflicting opinions, it was agreed that the matter should lie over ; lead thus a question simple enough in itself, but of great practical moment in the affairs of every-day life, has been postponed for a week, if not more. For all practical purposes mean or clock time is sufficient, astronomical or apparent time, as suggested by the Glasgow councillor, would bo absurd, because it would involve incessant alterations in clocks and watches. To adopt Greenwich mean time could cause no inconvenience, if strictly kept by that stan dard ; and, as to mariners, the difference between mean and apparent time being of more importance to them than to any other class, they seldom trust to clocks, but keep chronometers of their own. HARROTJII B,ZPORT (Scoetasn).—Capt. Washington, in his Hsrbeur Report Appendix, gives long lists of wrecks off Dunbar, Peterheiul, and elsewhere, along the rest coast of Scotland, and says that a reference to Lloyd's List will show a loss of about 600 British ships every year; and, in clailingforeigners trading to this country, vessels not regis tered at Lloyd's and wrecks unrecorded, we shall not err greatly in assuming the loos at two vessels a day throughout the year, with life and property to a great extent. Another authority gives the Amerman shipwrecks as one a day, not that they are less numerous ix proportion, but because the American marine is half that of Britain. As a remedy, Capt. Washington proposes courts of inquiry to be held at the recurrence of every shipwreck by the officers of the Coast Guard, Customs, and Lloyd's agents. As illustrating the ' necessity of this and some other nautical reforms we shall quote some of what Capt. Wsabington calls his "general points" regarding Scotch harbours ; Norara, Beers, sane DABT.—Without including the numerous in lets on the west coma of Sullierlandshire, the Hebrides, and the Orkney and Sheba d ides, there are 110 harbours, et which dues are levied under authority of ancient charters, acts of parliimeet, he. The whole Income miring from this source amounts to ab0u1194,0001. a year ; the debt at the Mom of the yea. 1846 was 1,366,490/., or eight times the revenue At five per cent. the Interest amounts to 76,7871., err more than a third of the income. Moremo fermarrice—The shipping belonging to the different roes consists in 3,623 meals, of 503,040 tons ; while the annual arrivals and millings of vessels carrying cargo, which indicate the chief tram:, are 52,817 Yawls of 4,873,574 tons. The gross customs duty during the year 1845 was little short of two millions alerting. Pereviancis or Turne.-7Th traffic is exclusive of mauls In ballast, Bee eyer steamers, ships of war, revenue cruisers, and wagers carrying stone, lime, dos; and these, including the daily trips of steamers, swell the whole te the large number of 130.000 ar rivals and sailing. annually. It is elm independent of the fisheries around the toasts, which, even in their pnsent Imperfectly developed state, and althongh cramped by the want of eheltered harbours, piers, and landing places, employ 10,535 boats manned by 40,738 men and bare besides 32,270 taus of shipping occupied In the currying trade immediately in connection with the thbery. The ml number of ar rivals during the year 1848 wan 80,000 of 11,300,000 toms, more than one-half of which were steamers; and it is for this Usffia, and as equal amount of saltines, that the harbour accommodation of space and wharfage must be provided and maintained. The total number of seamen in Scotland would appear to be about 40,000, not including 41,000 men and boys employed m the fisheries. Ballast is thrown eve, board In the neighboarbood of harbours to a dangerous extent. Remedy : vessels not to be cleared out unless as be given of ballmt. persona laorenvo arm BCOTAO. —To light the mainland, Orkney, Shetland, the Hebrides, and outlying rocks arid (allude (an extent, measuring roughly, of about 1,200 mites), there are TAX emirate coast lights maintained by the Commirdoners of N Lights. On the toast of Caithness, end on the west oust of Suther land, Rosa, and Imensess, there are dletances of GO, 70, and 80 miles without a light. The Sound. of Mull, Skye, Mier, and Loch Ell (the multoweetern approach to the Caledonian Canal) are entirely without lights. Alm the natural harbours of refuge, :deplane., Campbelysern, and loch Roan, are in a similar manner almost unavailable by night The state niche buoyage, in September and October, 1846, was even more defective, and with less excuse, as buoys and beacons can be placed at a trifling expense. The light does on touting vesaels in Scotland have been lowered SO per cent during the put •ear ; but the sum of 47,8951., which was the gross income of the Board of Northern lights during the year 1846, would surely entitle the mariner to demand the expenditure of a few hundred pounds, in order to place the necemary buoys and beacon. around the coasted Scotland. Isesocrasm or Curears—All the Marts in general use on board merehant mewls with Yemen to the poeition end clumeter of lights, buoys, beacons, Re., are without exception faulty, and all, if followed, are liable to lead' ship Into difficulty. In rase of the charts of the coast of doodled that I hare examined were the recently placed lights buena Re., Maned, and in many botunors the description , of the lights were erroneous. I wood submit that in •mu in which the esfety of life to involved, It would be proper to oblige all chart sellers to warrant their chard corrected up to the latest date with respect to lights and boom, ander a heavy penalty. PUBLIC Gassers sea roam Unury.—The on'y public money laid out in the several harbours of Scotland (besides the fl deferred " quart - r of a million at Leith) has been 30,0001. out of the balance arising from the Forfeited Feat. Fund, about 11,0001. onntributed by the Convention of the Royal Burgha, and about 45,0001. expended ounce 1130 by the Board of British Firherle'. Trite lest-named grunt, which has been met, generally speaking, by a similar sum contrimted by the local interest, his been of great benefit. It is hardly med.:bit that the small rum of 2,500/. myear devoted to building piers and harbours Mould have given 110 great a stimulus to important load improvements es these grants are found to hare done. Even the teatime aid of furaishing a film or survey ha often induced parties to begin improvements which otherwise might have remained for years untouched. On the question of remedial measures, premising that, after all, " Scottish ports are generally better managed than those on other parts of the coasts of the United Kingdom," Captain Washington is still for governmental 'supervision, and on this head remarks : As to the neecesity of some general and Independent control over barboore, It Is right to state that the collectors of custom% and Lloyd's agents throughout Scotland were almost to • moan In favonr of such a measure, supporting their opinions by additional facts and arguments derived from their local experience around the coast. Of the 32 harbour-Wards, town councils, &c. who gave an opinion on the subject, 15 were in favour of the proposid principle, and 17 de cidedly opposed to any control over their proceedings. As a summary for Scotland, it appeared that of the 92 rorporate bodice, sti a = companies, and individuals who expreared any opinion for OT 66 were in favour of the principle of supervision recommended to the first and aecond reports of this commission, and 26 opposed to control hatch". As to special methods of relief; The measure that was mom Iltquently urged in the aeons, of in quiry was an earnest request that in the same manner EA advanee• under the Drainage Act have been made byparliansot to the landed proprietors of the United Kingdom, her Majesty's government would consent to advance money, at • low rate of interest, to pay off the harbour debt in all them cases in which, on due inquiry, It could be shown that the debt bad been contracted In carrying out works which may be fairly considered as public improvement. It may also be added that Capt. Washington recom mends that all pilots should be licensed, and their dues made compulsory. ACCIDENT ON THE NORTH BRITISH RAILWAT.—On Tuesday night an engine, in charge of a stoker, was proceed ing from Meadowbank to Edinburgh, a distance of about a 1 mile, when it was overtaken by a luggage-train upon the same line of rails. The co/mu-ion was considerable, hut not such as to damage material'y either of the engines. The stoker, it is supposed, fell from the engine, in coneequenee of the force of the collision; and, not being reversed, the engine ran into the station at the North Bridge, where it came in contact with four Imogene. These it dashed in pieces, and drove In great violence against the stetne sapp one of the Edinburgh and Glasgow railway station, where it was brought to a stand-still. In addition to the demolition of the truck., a east-iron pillar in the station was driven down. Greet as the damage unquestionably is, it would have been greater had the engine happened to be on any of the aide rails, instead of the centre one, as in that cue it would have I done sad havoc on the passenger carriage., which generally stand ranged on each side of the the station-house. The stoker, we learn, is injured by the fall, but not severely. I STORY AND BHIPWRECI.—A correspondent of the Greenock Advertiser writes : " One of the most fearful gales experienced at Ardrishaig for the last thirty year ocrurred on Friday lest. The storm commenced at south about midnight, and continued without intermission the whole day, increasing ea the day advanced. The sea was one sheet of foam, tearing everything before it. The pavement of the pier was all washed out by the billows, the lighthouse even began to give way, and a house at the head of the pier was completely unroofed. Many breastworka by the sea-side, which have stood the test for 32 year of the tempestuous ocean, were washed away, One or two families had to I leave their houses, and the street, in some parts, was ren dered impuuble by the sea lashing up over it, at the same ' time heaving up along with it large atones and wreck. A but pained about 2 p.m., driving before the fury of the storm, and was immediately hauled up by the fishermen, and proved to be driven from the neighbourhood of Terbevt. Another boat hauled up on the beach was driven by the wind over and over, and was broken to pieces. It moderated about 10 p.m., the wind shifting up to W.N.W. One of the large windows in the West Church, Greenock, was blown in. PROVINCIAL. TS! TER HOURS coneeqnenoe of the secretary of the Manchester Association of Masters and Midowners having forwarded to all the manufacturers in the kingdom copies of resolutions recommending that an effirt should be made by the masters to get a repeal of the ten hours clause of the Factory Bill, accompanied boa ferns of petition, to be presented at an early opportunity, 7. Vial den, Esq., late M.P. for Oldham, immediately published an address to the factory operatives, exhorting them to remain firm to the principle of ten hours, for which many of them have for more than 30 years been struggling. The short time committee of Todmorden met on Friday last, and came to a unanimous determination not to allow themselves to be deprived of the victory they had Ice re cently assisted in obtaining. An important meeting was held at Todmorden on Monday of the central committees of Lancashire and Yerkshire, Mr. J. Hurst in the chair. Seve ral delegates urged the necessity of the re-organisation of the various local short time committees; sad expressing their regret that the millownets should attempt to get the factory hands to sign an eleven hours petition, without giving the ten hours clause a fair trial. Mr. Mullineux, secretary to the Lancashire central short-time committee, made several statements as to the means used by many masters in Luna shire to cones the hands to sign the petition, but said that, in nearly all cues, the muter, had failed in their attempts. Letters were read from Lord Ashley and other members of the house, expressing their determination to assist the fac tory operatives in maintaining the tea hours clause. SHOCKINO Flab.—Two PERSONS BURNT TO DCLTH.—A shocking fire occurred on Shudobill, Man chester, at the slum No. 63, occupied by Mr. Healey, clothes- I dealer, at an early hour yesterday morning, by which da mage to a seriousamount was done, and we regret to state that two person, were burnt to death. Mr. Healey is a clothes-dealer at Blanchester and also at Leeds ; be himself superintends the shop at the latter plat*, while his wife re sides on the premises at Shade-bill, Manchester. The pre raises on Shade-hill consist of alsnostory building, back and frost, divided into a shop and sitting-room, with a bed-room in the centre extending partly ever the shop and partly our the sitfieg-roota. In this brt-roes, at the tiros of the firs, Mrs. Healey and her daughter, who was about six years old, were aleepusg in one bed, and a servant - woman, named Mary Williamson, sod two ens of Mn. risaley, both little .01 boys, were sleeping in another. Mrs Nutley was aroused about tea minutes past two o'clock in the morning by an oppressiveness of breathing, caused by the room being full of smoke, and tried to descend from the room by the staircase, but found the amok, so overpowering that she was obliged to retreat, She then went through the window upon a low roof over the eitting.room, where she succeeded in lifting her two boys along with her, the youngest of whom was so overpowered that he faint ed! in her arms en the roof. She' saw the 'Levant woman at that time had also got out of the room, and was making towards the entry which leads into Shudebill, and she called to her that little Mazy, her daughter, wes still in the bedroom, and asked her to go and try if she could not save her. The woman returned to the room, and was sever seen afterwards &lice. Mrs. Healey went to the shop of Mr. Theekray, bookseller, and gave an alarm, and he, along with some other persons who 'stem bled ell:poet immediately in front of the building, began to concert measures with a view to rescuing the child and ser vant. For this purpose they went to the back of the house and tried to effect an entrance into the chamber, but Mr. Harris, one of the party, having stamped hie foot upon the roof, found that the lower building was entirely on tire, the flames of which immediately burst through, and the party coming to the conclusion that the servant and child, if still in the sleeping-room, could not be alive, and at all events that any attempts to save them, from the dense smoke with which the room was filled, would be abortive, determined to retreat. Engines having arrived, the first efforts of the firemen were directed towards extinguishing the flames in the hack part of the premises and cooling the staircase, so that some person might obtain ad mission for the purpose of rescuing, it still alive, the servant and child. The whole of the lower pert of the building was by this time on fire ; but, al soon as practicable, Corporal Jones, branchman Weldon, and another fireman, named Humphries, ventured into the bedroom to ascertain if any one was still there. The child, Mary Healey, was found in bed, her back being dreadfully burnt, and she was quite dead ; the servant was found crouched down in one coma, and was also dead. The property in the shop was valie d at 1,2001., for which sum it was insured. The building was also insured. A carpenter had been at work en the premises to a late hour on the previous evening, and it is supposed that a spark from his candle had fallen among some of the clothes, and smouldered there until the family had gone to bed. Toth MURDER AT CASTLETON.-011 Wednesday an inquest was held on the body of Mr. Kay's servant, James Duckworth, aged 53 years, who was found murdered on the carriage drive leading to his master's house. The coroner refused to admit the reporters, so that we are unable to give what passed before the jury. It was stated to our correspondent that Mews. Leach and Pickford, surgeons, who made a post morass; examination of the body on Tues day, had found five wounds on the back of deceased's head, one of them six inches long. The skull was fractured, and the wounds appeared to have been made with a cart leg, or some such instrument. The other witnesses, who were the same as those examined before the magistrates on Monday, cairied the evidence no farther than was reported in the Daily Neaps of Wednesday. At four o'clock the cornier ad journed the inquest until Wednesday next. At six o'clock in the evening the three prisoners were again brought up before It. Kay, Esq., at Heywood, and were again remanded until after the adjourned inquest. •---- ... THE MIRFIELD MUILDEII-I.—REID'a CONFESSION-- Our correspondent says:—" Immediately after the trial of Patrick Reid and Michael M'Cabe, and after eentencs of death had been passed upon them, Mr. R. Dale, the attorney of Reid, communicated to Mr. Matthews (M'Cabe's counsel) a confession made to him by the prisons r Reid pr.vious to his trial. Mr. Matthews thereupon communicated with Mr. Justice Patteson the purport of that confession, which is stated to be to the following effect :—That, on the 12th of May, Reid went to Mr. Wraith's house about twenty.five minutes to one o'clock; that he conversed with the 'errant girl, Caroline Ellis, about five minutes ; that he then took out the soldering iron he had that slay borrowed of Kilty and had concealed in his basket, and struck Csroline Ellis a severe blow on the back of the head. She shrieked out and staggered to the back door, when he struck ' her again and felled her to the ground, and Mr. Wraith coming at that moment front the cellar into the passage, which connects the kitchen with the two front par lours, with a silver pint containing beer in his hand, he (Reid) struck him a violent blow en the head with the iron, in doing which the iron dew from the handle, and Mr. Wraith staggered into the parlour. Reid then returned and got the kitchen poker and ran to the parlour, and met Mrs. Wraith running out to the front door. He then struck her two or three blows on the head, and felled her to the greund. He went into the parlour, and Mr. Wraith was then laying bleeding on the floor, insensible. He rifled his pockets, toot his keys out, and opened the drawers with them. He then heard a knock at the kitchen door, which he thought wu Caroline Ellis ge ting up. He went to the kitchen, and found her perfectly still, and again returned. He then got some money out of the drawers, took the watch from Mr. Wr ath, and the ring from Mrs. Wraith's finger, and heard another knock at the door. He thereupon went to the kitchen door, and slightly opened it, when be saw the other prisoner, M'Cabe, who inquired if they wanted anything in his line, and he (Reid) replied, ' No, sir,' and thinking M'Cabe was a stranger, and would not recognise him, he shut and bolted the door. He then returned and ransacked the drawers, sod found in them a razor-case containing two razors. He took one and cut the throats of all the three parties, and then w :shed hie hands and wiped them upon the towel. He then quitted the house, locked the kitchen door, and threw the soldering iron and the key into the well near the back door, and then hurried towards his own home.— Mr. Seymour, the counsel of Reid, who was also aware of Reid's confession peterious to his trial, hu communicated the tame to Mr. Justice Patteson, and proper representations will llama& by the parties to Sir George Grey, the Secretary of State, and active measure* will be taken to procure M'Cabe'e liberation. Soon after the prisoners had entered the con demned cell, west* addressed the prisoner Reid, and en. treated him to say whether he (M'Cabe) knew anything of the murder or not. Reid in reply said ' No, yon did not ; if I had thought you had known anythi g shout it I should have murdered you too.' Reid thee told M'Cabe that he had brought upon himself his own condemnation by the false statements which he had made about the affair. M'Cabe admitted this, but said he did it for the best. Whilst in conversation, the storm of thunder which occursed at the time of the murder was referred to, when Reid said ' I thought when I heard it that it was God Almighty speak ing to me ; and I never have had that impression out of my mind.' This conversation took place in the pre sence of the prison authorities. Reid had previously been visited by the Rev. Dr. Quigley, the Roman catholic priest, the prisoners being both of them members of that per suasion, and it is understood that Reid then corroborated the statement he made to Mr. Dale. Reid evinces pert calm ew and resignation to his fate. )!'Cabe appears greatly affected by his position, end unable to bear up. Of course nothing yet can be known as to the ultimate fate of M'Cabe. The case will doubtless undergo further investigation, and it is not improbable that his life will be spared, and that he will be desalt with as an accessory after the fact, and sub jected to • term of transportation. The verdict of the jury was clearly justified by the evidence, and it will remain fur the Secretary of State to determine whether the confoeion by Reid can be relied upon. The evidence of Mary Hellas brings the two prisoners together, in close conversation, after the murder must have been committed ; and there are other important perticms of evidence irreconcilable with the entire innocence of M'Cabe—especially that given by Benjamin Morton, who swears to seeing both the prisoners within 60 yards of each other, proceeding in a direction towards Wraith's house. On Thursday the prisoner Reid was visited by his father, and the interview was most affecting. • A CLERICAL POLICHVAN.—The Stamford Mercury says that "much conversation has occurred amenest the inhabitants of Clarborough, Sturton, and other neighbouring places, by the procedure of the Rev. St. George Kirk, curate of &orlon, who in his zeal for the entire suppression of poa&ing has rather overstepped his bounds as a clergyman, by adding to his functions those of a policemen and game watcher. It seems that some of the " navvies" engaged in the formation of the W inlay's tunnel have a fancy fora hare, and take means to gratify their appetite, which do not meet the approval of the reverend gentleman. riming forth, he encountered some of the persons sought for with a dog, when they took to their heels; but hisreverenee, calling the dog, it answered and came, whereupon the ani mal war sbot ! Bat this was not all : his seal prompted him to follow the men, and down he went into one of the shafts in furthersearth. Arrived at the bottom, he began to discover it was toe deep for him, and some of the navvies having got wind of his errand. oneby one they stealthily began to ascend the shaft, but a few kept his reverence in hold until towards evening. In the interim, they succeeded in loosing the strings of his purse, and received the mean wherewith to drink to his good health. When, after numerous excuses f r delaying him, he was permitted to ascend and was about half-way up, down came upon him the contents of sun dry buckets of mud and water, white', when he arrived at the top, made him appear a meet ludicrous figure. Still this was not sufficient to damp his courage; (or, immediately on landing, he collared a man on the bank, who knew too well how to teach him to let go his hold, and the divine found he had caught a Tartar! In a day or two afterwards, whilst his reverence was still in pursuit of the same calling, • poor man with a dug was encountered, when the man of peace presented • pistol, and actually frightened his prisoner to accompanying him to a neighbouring clerical magistrate at Saundby • who, however, with more discretion than th sturdy cu rate, dintimed the case." RENT. CHARGE OF ARSON.—At the Guildhall, Rochester, on Wednesday, H. Hills, landlord of the Pelican public-house, at Stroud, was charged with the wilful firing of hit house. It appeared that the prisoner being In debt, a judgment was, at a recent tilting of the County Court, obtained against him, and he not having complied with the order of the court, the bailiffs, on Friday last, entered on posteriori. On that day he appeared in a state of great excitement, assault ing the collector who called upon him for Queen's taxes, and illtreating the man in possemion. Between two and three o'clock on the following morning a fire was discovered in the parlour, in which but a short time previous the pri soner had been sitting. After great exertions the flames were extinguished, when a print dress was found in the room partly consumed, and which is supposed, from its I 'mall and appearance, to have been saturated either with tarosatine or camphins. The prisoner, after a patient in vestigation of the case, was fully committed for trial. HAILPSEHRI. JEWISH DISABILITIES.—A town council was held at Southampton on Tuesday last, when Mr. Andrews pro• posed, and Mr. Ooldmaith seconded: " That • petition be from this council—eo lash houses of parliament, rrs ea removal of the civil disabilities under which British barn Jews now labour," which, after some discussion, was carried by a majority of 20 to 6. The petition was acoordingly nod and arw4 DEVON-UIRE. ~, rACCII MISCHIEF HAS RECENTLY BEEN DONE by the overflow of rivers. Woroastenhire and Gloucestershire have especially suffered. In Devonshire life has been lost. On Saturday, a Hy, from Cullumpton, in which were two gentlemen, one of whom was an engineer and the other a surveyor of bridges, was proceeding towards Plymtrie, when on coming rear a bridge over a brook swollen to the sire of a river by the late incessant rains the driver per sided in passing through, though advised not to make the attempt. The gentlemen got out on perceiving the danger, sad to their dismay saw both horses and driver earned away by the impetuosity of the current. With much difficulty the horses got out, hut the unfortunate driver (who is said to have been in liquor) soon sank sad was drowned. fine ens. A STATUE TO Mi. LISTog hen been propoeed by hie friends and pupils, and Mr. Campbell, tho sculptor, bay ing taken a east of the head, bust, and hand of the deceased surgeon, a committee is now being formed to raise tho requi aite funds for completing the work. CLERICAL . . ORDINATION.—On Sunday last, in the chapel or Farnham Costle, the following gentlemen were admitted to holy orders by the Bishop of Wirichester.—Palovre 11. A. Douala*, BABA Oxon; C. B. Waller, Wer,Oxon; C.C. Crikanttiorpe, Ilallioi, Oxon; 0. TbrMg, Baiol, Oxon; K. 11. Loring, 'Trinity, Cam.; P. H. Jennings, C. C., Oim.; P. M. Coroptoo, Trinity, Cam.; J. Twining, Trinity, Cam.; T. K. W. Bin .miield, Trinity, Cim. ; t. L Lackever, Emmanuel, Cam.; T. K. Boalmripm, Trinity, Debt. (it. John's, Voltam); H. Norco, Trinity, Dual. (Hely, Trinity, Portma).—Unteose J. M. Ries, Mag lain, Oa= ;P. Bland, University, 011.1; 0. Ilairland,SLJelin`a, am.; T.lt Wyer, St. John's, talcs.; H. F. Brock, Trioity, Cam.; H. Smith, Sidney Soar; Cam.; J. 8. Blackwood, Trinity, DubL (Ventnor, Isle of Wield); E. G. Foot, Trmity, CHZPSTOW.—An investiwation into the conduct of the candidates at the ordination lately held in thin town, has recently taken place, which we regret to beer termineed unfirdurchly to the parties accused. We understand that revere ecclestastical punishment will probably follow.—MonegoistA ileac**. PILEPRRNHINT6.—Rev. R. T. Street= to Rodborne Cheney V., Wilts, die. Oboe., BBL • pat. T. Tuckey, Esq.; vacant by death of Rev. A. Idle —ltev. A. B:bingtosi to Compton Valles= C., Cosset, din. Salisbury—Rev. 0. Masten to Hampton Weleis P.C., Salop, dia. Lich., 139/. with residence; patron, . Mainwaring, ERev. W. F. Stirling to Sahara Toney C., Norfolk, din. Norw. NAVAL. LIOIITS POE STEAMItita.—ADMIRALTY, DEC. I.S.—(Ex tract kern a letter addressed to the eeveral aruirintendents of bee Majesty's dockyarth.)—Tbe attention of the Board of Admiralty having been repeatedly called to the necessity of establiAting a uniform aye. trip of lighui for steamers, directions were given (after a lung and careful series of trials of various lights) to St the several mail steamers on the wet coast O(En/hind, vie, those of Live: pool, Holy bead, and Pembroke, with lights as follows : When under weigh : a b rig ht white light on the foremast heel ; a green I:ght on the Mar- Ward bow ; a red light on the port bow, to be fitted with inboard screens. %hen at anchor a rotten n bright light. On the above plan being nodded It was adopted by 'several enema-boat proprietors, and the vemce of the steam companies nutted belnw are fitting or an, already fitted with them lights—l. The British and North Ame rican royal Mall Company ; 2. The British General Steam Packet Company; 3. The Olathe, and Livery id Steam Packet Company; 4. The Chisel. and Holyhead Company; 3. The Penn . ..e'er and Oriental Steam Placket Company; 0. The West India Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. The experiments thus mule, proving satlefactory, the Board of Admi ralty have given directions that all Manners in her Mujesty's navy Abel be fit oil with the above coloured light' and screens the lan terns being divided into two silos or class.. An act having been Pulled in the 10th year of the reign of lace present Majesty, requiring "that the Lords Commissioners of the iteniralty shall Institute and establish certain lights, to be exhibited by all steam-vereels btilonging to Great Britain;" - it is the Intention of the Beni of Admiralty to issue reputation: far the above lights bring exhibited by all steamers navigating the core an channels of thin country; but *ancient time will be given for the owners and master. of steareveicele to be come acquainted with the Maas, before toe railer is punlisted In the I.owdon Gai,t.'s inquiring them to Mow thee halve; rind this will ;nob tbly be in the month of March next. In the meantime earth Loney wiU be afforded to meters and owners of steamers desirous of becoming acquainted with the plan, by furnishing each as may apply for it with a full description of the beet For the guidance of per sons interested In the above plan, a engem illustranve of the system is sent to each dockyard. If it should be desired by yawns &treed by the new revelations, au Aker will be ore to Ewe the replete inatructions as to the pi uper placing of the lights and screen's DevoNrenr, Dec. 2 i —Bellerophon, 78, Capt. Baynes, with the 10th regiment, and the Maria Some,, trpt., Lieut. rack, agent, with the righ regiment, tailed Met evening for the Mediterni. nesePareupine, et., Lieut. Roberts, miled yesterday for Meta.— Cockatrice, 0, tender to the Asia, hi, arrived yesterday from Ports mouth, and Rhadamanthos, at., Mr. J. Aylen, master, horn the same place, with mapernomeratie , fur the ships fitting at this pert—Cale. done, 120, Capt. M. 11. I)thou, has been irepected oril towed into harbour by the Piircupine and Confirm...tenser. to be paid off.— Camel, navy lighter, alit , ti yesterday for Pembroke, with WWI, for the dockyard.—Caledonia, 120, la to be paid off, and recommissioned with a complenwist of ;02 men, insteed of 160, aa entecoudy steed. —Son Joliet to to be recommissioned with a crew of ifio. WOOLWlCll.—Strombeli at., Lord W. A. Beauelerk, will be ready for sea neat week.—Aelbeno, at. v., Capt. Ettokth fitted for the surveying service in New Zealand, has ben detained some time for repairs in comequence of some defects mimed on the day when her I engines were tried. She will be ready for am tee week.—Nayamith i n steam hammers have been tried this week and are reported to wort welL The saw-mills rethtly erected bear are now La a gate of coca pierce, and will conic Into operation in a short time.—Mr. T. Frog den be teen ap ‘ ointerl welter of the Bee lighter, rite Munson, miner anneted.—Mr. it Thomas, leading hand of boiler makers, bait bet a appointed foreman of honer makers In the new factory at Portsmouth, with a salary of 1501. a year, Ineressing y or to • mazwoum of 1801.—The olicers of the lockyard Brigade commenoul a course of instructice in gun battery 'practice this week. ADMIItALTIr, DEC. •2-3.—PxoNtouoNs.—J. Barnes and W. toato ;In er t: be Commandera—Aremsreesth -31 ister : J. Thomas, ; Surgeon A. Murray, to Seeark ; Cent Engineer G. G. Kaye, to Strombnli ; Naval Instructor: J. Jeans, to Meander; Second Hester : J. S. o'Faerell, to Avenger; Midshipman T. M. F. Bond, to Victory ; Carpenter: J. Johns, to Plover. SPORTING. TATTERSALL'S.—TritianAT. WAREPIELD STERPLECEASE.-3 to 1 mist The Chand7er, S to 1 apt Wolverhampton (the Glenna gelding), 10 to 1 apt luny Grey (t), 10 to 1 apt Prot:eel (t), 10 to 1 apt Matchless (t). LIVERPOOL STEMPLECHABIL-16 to 1 on the field, 20 to 1 apt Sir Arthur (t to 300, 20 to 1 eget The Plugger (t to SOL). DIUIT. —l2 to 1 off.recl on the field, 6,000 to 150 agst Bothortiugh (t), 1,500 to 25 NW Bevel's° (t). tab) EntrUbonct. • EQUITY COURTS. Before the Vier-Chaneelke of England. The Vice-Chancellor oat at nine o'clock this morning, for the purpose of disposing of a long lid of unopposed petitions and short causes, alter which the coat of Ward o. Ward was heard, with closed doors. The ordinary business was re sumed at two o'clock. • ~RICHARDS V. - STANLEY.- INJUNCTION TO RESTRAIN THE Crrrttro or Timneit.—Mr. Bothell and Mr. Beavers applied fur an injunction ex parte to restrain the defendant, Sir William Massey Stanley, his agents, or servants, from cutting down certain timber upon an estate at Bootee, in Cheater. It appeared that the plaintiff was an ineurabraneer upon the estate, and Sir W. M. Stanley being abroad, his agent had marked a number of trees, and had given direc tions for their being cut down. Under these cirrumstancen, the security of the plaintiff would be greatly diminished. The Vice-Chancellor th ught this a proper case for an injunction to be granted. Before Vaes.Chencellor Kelgist Brace. Pthithorog v. Fosage.—lxrurth-rtore.—ln 184.5 the plaintiff, who was employed by the Central Railway of Spain Company to survey and level a proposed line of railway Madrid to Badajos, entered into a written agreement with an agent of the defendant, whereby the latter undertook cer tain parts of the work at 71. per mile. In October, 1846, the defendant commenced an action of assumpeit against the plaintiff for the amount of his charges, and on Dee. 16 the plaintiff's attorney took out a summons in the eetion to show cause why the defendant should not produce the agreement for the plaintiff's inspection, but upon the production of an affidavit of the defendant, denying that he had ever signed such an agreement as he was required to produce, the sum mons was dismissed. Upon the trial el the action, when a agreement,witneu of the plaintiff ta La i s en tar . e n v . esarn .. inali as on k a . s d ti t i h t e h w e terms of whether the agreement was in writing, and on his answering in the affirmative the court declined bearing peed evidence of its contents, in consequence whereof the defendant re covered 2641. 14s. damages in the action, which was alleged to be considerably more than the suns to which he was en titled under the agreement. The plaintiff then filed the present bill to restrain execution in the action at law, on the ground that the defendant bad obtained an undue advantage in the action by the course taken with respect to the written agreement. The defendant, by Lis answer, however, stated that a correspondence, containing all the terms of the agree ment, had without objection, been submitted to the jury, who bed thus all the facts before thee:D.—Mr. Russell and Mr. Risdall wive moved for the Jejuna:on, and Mr. Wigram and Mr. Busk opposed the motion.—The Vion-Chancellor said that he must take it to be true as it appeared upon the answer, that the counsel for the defendant in the action at law allowed documents to be read disclosing the actual terms of the agreement, and upon that ground alone, without ad verting to other elifficulues, on which it was not necessary to give an opinion, the motion must be refused, but without costa. COURT OF . 4UEEN't3 BENCH, iim Pam, ft — cuskasu.. a Common Jury. CREWMAN AND ANOTHER V. HART. THE PRIZE or THE GRIVINWICH EAST-END REGATTA..—MV. 8112e•IIA Sheri and Mr. James were for the plaintiffs Mr. Cham bers, Q.C., and Mr. Bovill, appeared for the defendant. This was an action of trover for converting a boat which was the prize-wherry of the Greenwich Baetand It•gatta, which took place on the 13th of July. The defendant is the pro prietor of the Trafalgar Hotel, at Greenwich, and the boat in question was deposited in his stable-yard by the friends of one Brown, who assumed to be the victor in the contest, after they had paraded it round the town. The rules under which the race was to be conducted, and the prize-wherry, which was the trait of a collection, to be adjudged, were that the men should row a fair wager, and not foul each other wilfully; that each man should deposit a certain sum of money, to be forfeited in case of misconduct ; that the men should wear their colours, and not give one another " the wash," that is, not dash water into tech other's boats ; and that the prizes were not to be delivered unless fairly won, to the satisfaction of the managers. The friends of one Wat kins, who bad been Brown's competitor in the fifth heat of a race consisting of five heave, of which the last was to be run between the victors in the first four, conceived that Brown had violated the regulation against fouling, and the managers, the plaintiffs, being of the same opinion, a written demand of the boat waa made on the defendant by the plain tiffs, who therein stated that the boat had not been won to their satisfaction. The defendant said that the boat was not his, and that he could not give it up ; and he added some ob servations not complimentary to the pleintifft. Thereupon this action was brought, and a great deal of evidence was given on both sides, as to whether it was Watkins or Brown that had fouled the other, and as to the real conqueror in the struggle. For the defence it was suggested that there had been no conversion, inasmuch as the deenclant bad merely offered esplanade= why he did not feel himself authorised to give up she boa; ; that thus bad sot bees_ an decide - ~.