The Express. — London, England, 1853-09-14 00:00:00

rue exprelso. TO CORRESPONDENTS. ass awl L Thins c.f •• The Espreis," contention the semi ermines "GAzettr," is putsbatied every Tuesday and Yr.day net; in tine tor poet. beerrtsesitrots I etre. led tor The Express,' Lawton Evecise paper. Bugg be at the otlke, IQ, BouTai•-•treet, by Two citla,k on the of pubLutioa. 111011 WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Ting DAT—!loratin, Ilk. Afternoon, rk. Or. To-roaauw—Nuraisg, OIL ii.. Aherso.u, (k. 46 to. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. IT is said that another rise is about to take place in the Bank rate of discount; and because the pur pose aimed at by the previous rise,—influencing the Rate of Exchange,—has not been attained, the next rise, we are told, is to be one per cent. Only imprudent partisans would represent the Bank an having a purpose to serve beyond its own interest as a Bank. For the Old Lady of Threadneedh street to aspire to guide instead of following td Money Market is a b:under. What there may be is the present condition of the Bank to authorise a fur ther advance, its accounts the week after next will reveal ; but as yet the market rate, uninfluenced by apprthcosions generated by the Bank, does not seem to warrant an immediate rise to five per cent. As the depository of the public taxes now accumulating in.its coffers, and as the exclusively privileged bor rower of the public capital at no interest, the Bank has obligations, if not duties, different from other banks, and for it avowedly to throw obstacles in the way of trade is, to say the least, very unbecoming. Experience should teach its Directors to be patient and prudent. If there be any overtrading now it is partly due to the low rate of interest which pre vailed in 1832, to which the Bank contributed, by a hasty greediness then, in reducing its rate to 2 per cent. That proceeding was at the time deservedly censured, and the Bank Directors, if they are not incapable of learning, might have been taught, as they were wrong then, they may be wrong now. A chock given to trade at present, by raising the rate of two or three vessels have just arrived from Australia bringing payment most likely of several successful adventurers, and when we may be on the eve of a great increase of capital,—would be most untimely. But the Directors, however skilful in enriching their proprietary, have never shown themselves by their acts such philosophic economists, or such far-string statesmen, u to induce the public to believe that a foolish step may not be taken. The great stimulus to the late present rapid in. crease of business is undoubtedly the gold disco veries,—not, as is usually supposed, from adding to the circulating medium the mere instrument for dif fusing wealth, for that could have been increased by the issue of Bank notes,—but from adding a large and unexpected sum to the wealth of the world in that particular form which all men intensely desire. Those discoveries begot a vast increase of trade, which is the chief cause of the relative scarcity of capital. A great part of the increase in the exports took place last year ; we have heard of no considerable losses by wrecks or fires ; the markets hare not been overdone in Australia ; on the contrary, the latest accounts brought demands for mono goods. All that have been sent thither have been well sold, and them is every probability that the vast trade will be as profitable as it is great. As payment in part of the goods shipped to Australia, we may speedily upset back a large portion of the eight or ten millings d sovereigns sent thither to be returned. Thesib these are not actually the capital so much required, which consists of corn, and cloth, and ships, and other useful things, yet they are precisely what the Bank wants, and what,--coming hither,—would increase our command over the actual capital of other countries. What is true of Australia_ true of California. The market. there, far from being overdone, are very brisk. More shipments are required; and if, accord ing to the Alla-California of August 1, on some few articles, shippers may suffer a loss, on the majority of articles there will be large profits. Only the extension of these trades has led to the great demand for capital; and if they are successful, all the capital they have absorbed will be speedily replaced with a large profit. As that occurs, the present borrowers will become lenders or depositors and the condition of the market will be reversed: Discount will fall. To give a forced check to trade under such circumstances, would be to depreciate the value of capital and inflict a great injury on the public. Trade has in the last year been more rapidly ex tended in America than here. In New York the banks, carrying on their business with great spirit and activity, had made advances very nearly equal to the whole amount of their capital, their circula- 1 tion, and the deposits of their customers, in cluding all the bullion in their possession. On August 6, their capital was estimated at 44,196,793 dole., their specie at 9,746,432, their circulation at 9,510,463 dols., their deposits at 68,410,756 dos., and their loans were 97,896,617 dole. The sum of their loanable means, therefore, was 112,118,014 dole.; of this 67,921,221 were bor rowed, and they lent a sum of 97,896,817 dole. With each a condition of the banks, and with trade extended 26 per cent mere than in 1852, there was, some reason for the apprehensions which a short time ago prevailed. The crisis has, however, oc curred at New York, the returns from California have equalled expectation, and, after a little alarm, trade has again expanded itself into new and wider channels. The example of New York is an indica tion of what will probably occur here. After a little alarm, the returns from Australia will arrive, capital will be replaced and become comparatively abund ant, and trade will require to expand more, in order to reap larger profits. The present time, as far as we can see, differs in some essential particulars from all previous periods of business excitement. First of all, there is in the new manes of gold an actual and a large ad dition to wealth. There is next a great exer tion made to obtain a share of that wealth. A vast deal of latent productive energy has been called into activity, and more wealth has everywhere been created. There is no panic-- at least there was none—before the semi-official an nouncement made on Monday that the Bank meant to raise its rate one per cent. When such an event is about to take place it is observed that its private securities are invariably enlarged. That was the case the week before las'. The intentions of the Directors are divined or communicated, and the friends of the Directors hasten to borrow. One half per cent. on 700,0001. is 3,3001.—a very pretty sum to be divided between two or three gentlemen who had the good luck to obtain loans to that extent from the Bank a day or two before the rise was de clued. The Bank may thus create an artificial run on itself, and create a panic, which it seems, in fact, almost to have done ; but, apart from that, there is no mistrust in trade. There is nowhere now that we can perceive any waste of capital, or any misapplication of it,—though unnecessary consumption, now causing great evil, may be provoked by idle parade. No great loss of capital is now to be feared as on former occasions of actual or apprehended commercial convulsion. Ex- ' , oept in building many new and large ships, erecting new factories, and in underdraining the soil, no great and certainly no unnecessary conversion of fixed into floating capital is now going on. There arc few rail way schemes in agitation, few great combinations or companies, except for banking purposes, which will not absorb any capital. All the extended trade is trade by individuals, and all that can bo dreaded is that the returns may be small or may be delayed. There is good reason to suppose that the present intense demand for capital may abate at no distant period. Therefore any measure to put a sudden check on trade, in order to quiet the fears of some alarmed monopo lists,—is wholly unwarranted by circumstances. If any Bank Director, or the Bank itself as a body, were the ardent promoter of that Free Trade, by which the nation has been rescued from starvation, the zealous exertions have been modestly concealed from public knowledge. The body had probably a partiality for the landowners, and Protectionist feel ings may yet linger in the Bank parlour, nourished by Tory traditions. It may, like Colonel SIBTIIORP, be a little alarmed at too much prosperity, and, recollecting certain blown-up bubbles of Bank paper, may deem the prosperity very hollow and deceitful and think present expansion cannot be too soon checked. For tho honour of Protectionism, a con vulsion, under Free Trade, might not be amiss. A panic] would be a comfort to some of the old cronies who remember chiefly the gains made by ministering to the enormous extravagance of war, which reduced the bulk of the people to pauperism and beggary. There may be a notion somewhere that we are buying too much food abroad, and that it is desirable to influence the Exchanges and stop the efflux of gold for this purpose. The short harvest, and the ne cessity to buy more corn abroad, are alleged as the grounds of the Bank's threatened farther rise in the rate of discount. For its own advantage and pre sumed safety it may try to check the operations by which the people are to be supplied with bread. The Bank would fain step into the place of the land lords, and regulate the imports of food by the sliding scale of the gold in the Bank coffers. This is very wrong and very foolish. Let it follow the money market, and we have not one word to say against it : but, on the other hand, when it has a large sum of the public money at its command, and is exciusively privileged to borrow the capital of the people to the extent of 24,000,0001. on its pro mises to pay, let it attempt to control the market, for the purpose of checking the corn trade, or any other trade, begetting panic, distress, idleness, hunger, and convulsions, and the public indignation will not longer tolerate its privileged existence. To check the corn trade, in order to prevent the export of gold, means, that the riches which the beneficial discoveries in California and Australia, have poured into our lap, and stimulated our exertions, shall not be diffused amongst the Russian peasantry, the Egyptian Fellabs, and the American agriculturists rewarding their exertions, and stimulating them to produce more food, the very thing now required by society. Capital is scarce; it can be only augmented by industry. No kind of capital is of so much im portance as food, the production of that where cir cumstances make its production easy, is now espe cially to be encouraged, and to stop the export of gold wherewith to buy corn, is to stop its produc tion. To raise the rate of discount to check the Corn Trade, means that the march of civilisation bringing peace, harmony, and wealth in its train, is to be arrested for the solace of a few frightened Directors, and for the imagined advantage of the Bank of Eng land. Whatever other reasons the partisans of the Bank may allege for its conduct, let them preserve a guarded silence on the Corn Trade. INEQUALITIES OF (Tram the Daily News.) The well-known traveller whose future motions have been predicated with such precision by imagina tive historians,—one of whose duties, some centuries hence, will be to tell his contemporaries all about Lon don of the nineteenth century, from the fragmentary Utti----A , . its site,—will, perhaps, in the lAr course of some adventurous excavation, dig up a well-reserved copy of the Daily News of yesterday. We can imagine the delight with which he will set to work upon the precious document, and endeavour to reproduce the life of the Englishman in 1853 for the edification of his countrymen. Leaving him to the astonishment and admiration which he must feel at the perusal of the first few pages, in which he will learn how cleverly we contrive to make the occurrence of railway accidents almost certain—how sound are all our arrangements for securing purity of election —bow strict is the supervision exercised over our prisons—and various other details of our social economy, we will try to make out what would be his impressions upon coming to the sixth page and perusing the following facts : HENRY CLAPSON, 23, and Waraam Hawrrr, aged 17, were indict for stealing two codfish and three haddocks, the property of the Great Northern Railway Company, their masters. The prisoners were found guilty, and each condemned to hard labour in the House of Correction for one year. JAMES PHILLIPS, aged 18, and HENRY MACKENZIE, 15, were indicted for stealing a watch. The jury found them both guilty. The Judge sentenced PHILLIPS to four years of penal servitude, and was about to pus such &sentence on MACKENZIE as would have the effect of sending him to Parkhurst, when upon a statement made to him by the prisoner's counsel that the watch was only worth 41., he changed the sentence of PHILLIPS to two Tears' hard labour, and gave MACKENZIE six months hard labour. he. CALLAHAN was indicted for stealing a purse containing ls. 6d.; found guilty, and condemned to penal servitude for four years. ROBERT SMITH, for stealing a handkerchief value 5a., is sentenoed to four years of penal ser vitude. JuuY Mims's, for stealing a watch, value 101., is sentenced to tour years of penal servitude. Wm. liewtrr, who steals a set of harness, value 40s. ; /AMU MITCIIRLL, who steals a bag and half a bushel of flour, value 65.; Wm. WOOD, who steals a handkerchief, value 61.; are each condemned to four years' penal servitude. The perusal of these facts will throw considerable light upon one portion of our institutions. What ever may be the defects of the English law, our tra veller will exclaim, want of respect for the rights of property is not one of them. He will consider the sentences severe or light according as he is by tempe rament inclined to a rigid or lax measure of punish ment ; but be will not fail to remark the care with which the laws regarding property are put in force. Continuing his studies he will come to the ad , ministration of justice in our police courts. The first case that will strike him is one that ho will consider as corroborating very strongly his view of the English reverence for property. A drunkard proved to have resisted with unmanly vio!ence the officers of the police in the execution of their duty, " lying on his back, and kicking and fighting with extraordinary vigour," and who could not be brougbt to the police-office without the escort of a strong body of police, is fined 10s. Fancy the dismay of our hypothetical traveller when he finds that, in the England which has been so long the object of his researches, the unlawful abstraction of eighteen pence from an inviting pocket is punished by the horrors of penal servitude for four years, while a murderous assault upon the guardians of the public peace is rated at 10s. Fancy the increase of his dismay when he reads that the prisoner, unable to pay the fine, is ordered to prison for seven days as an equi valent. "Extraordinary country," ho will exclaim, " where property was valued so highly and personal liberty was estimated at so low a ra te, that a sacri fice of eighteen pence was considered something greater than that of the surrender of one's per sonality to the tender mercies of agaoler for twenty four hours!" A ft er this digression, we may ima gine our traveller to continuo his studies, when he will fall upon similar facts. JAMES TAYLOR was charged with assaulting AME LIA I.OINING under tho following circumstances : '1 he complainant's husband had been compelled to take out a summons against the defendant for reasons which it is not necessary here to enter into. Happening to meet the defendant by chance, the THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 14, 1853. complainant advised him to avoid the expense of legal proceedings by liquidating the debt, upon which the brute exclaimed with an oath, " Yes, 111 pay you at once, take that —," and instantly levelling his stick struck her a terrible blow on the head, which felled her to the ground in a state of unconscious ness. She had been suffering excruciating pain ever since, and was in such a state of pen and ex haustion .that she gave her evidence with diffi culty. The magistrate said that it was a case of such brutal violence, that he mast sentence the prisoner to hard labour for six weeks in the House of Correction. "The prisoner was staggered," says the report, " by the severity of the sentence." We can fancy our hypothetical traveller s • g also, but scarcely for the same reason. He on, however, and learns that HENRY &areas, a ruffianly-looking fellow, convicted of throwing a police-officer down, and biting a piece out of his leg, atones for his crime by 14 days' hard labour in the House of Correction. He finds further on, that a certain GEORGE FINN, a " thickset person," chose to throw himself under the carriages of the railway train, at the Waterloo station, and that on the officers endeavouring to extract him from the place, his conduct became most violent, — plunging and kicking at every person within his reach. Smrrir, an inspector of police, deposed that on going to the assistance of the officers who had the prisoner in charge, and were nearly overpowered, he caught the prisoner by the collar, when the latter got one of his fingers in his mouth, and bit him severely, his teeth passing right through the fleshy part, and cutting him to the bone. The prisoner also destroyed the pair of trousers which witness had on, and it was with the utmost difficulty he was taken. He dealt desperate blows on those who had him in charge, and tore a handful of hair out of the head of one of them. The magistrate, after enlarging upon the enormity of the offence, con victed the prisoner in • penalty of 31., or one month's imprisonment, and ordered him " to pay a further sum of 10s., or tea days' imprisonment, for the injury done to the inspector's trousers." Our tra veller will observe with confusion that the correc tional tariff varies, and that the same magistrate considers a day's imprisonment equivalent to a fine of 2s. or Is., as the case may be, both rates differing from that of the magistrate above-mentioned, who valued it at eighteen pence. We must suppose our traveller to be like another NIEBUHR intent upon constructing the life of the past from stray portions of documentary evidence, and what can we imagine his verdict would be upon the facts before him. He sees that to deprive a person of two codfish and three haddocks calls down a punishment of imprisonment with hard labour for a year, while a series of violent acts which might have deprived a public officer of his life is punished with a mulct of 10s. He reads that the English of the nineteenth century punished the pilferer of eighteenpence with penal servitude for four years, while a brute that half murders a woman is "stag gered" at the severity of a sentence which dooms him to six weeks hard labour. He remarks that the man who appropriates a and half a bushel of flour expiates his offence by four years' penal servitude, while a fero cious brute who bites and kicks policemen, and tears their clothes from off them, has the choice allowed him of paying 31. 10s. for his amusement, or under going imprisonment for a month and ten days. There can be no doubt as to the nature of the deduc tions which the investigator will draw as to the character of the English and their institutions. He will necessarily come to the conclusion that they were a race valuing property above all things, and careless to a strange degree about human life, or at least human pain. He will look upon us as a bloodthirsty nation, caring little about blood but a great deal about money. He will conclude, not without a shudder, that so long as we could preserve our property, we cared little about protecting the person. And what have we to urge against such a conclusion ? Do not the facts warrant it ? Are the reports alluded to, in our im pression of yesterday, at all exceptional cases ? Might we not look over a file of the paper and dis cover numerous reports which would tend to support the traveller's conclusion still more strongly ? Surely, then, it is not only for the sake of common humanity but for the vindication of the national character that something should be done to wipe off this stain, and prove to the world and posterity by an alteration of the laws that the Englishman of the nineteenth century had a better knowlevlge of the relative value of life and property than might be inferred from the present administration of our penal code. CHOLERA AT The epidemic continues to prevail in Newcastle and Gateshead. Yesterday (the 12th) there are re ported for Newcastle-57 new cases; 10 recoveries; 23 deaths. For Gateshead the number of at tacks is not known, as all the returns have not yet ' come in, but 27 deaths are reported up to yesterday. The loc al authorities have shown great promptitude and zeal. Meetings have been held of the Boards of Guardians, and the local Board of Health at Gates head, at hich the Medical Inspector of the General Board of Health was present, and where measures for cleansing, and for providing for medical inspec tion of the districts attacked, by house' to house visitation, were resolved on, so far as the powers of the local authorities admitted. Cbt Court BALMORAL, Birr.l2. Her Majesty and Prince Albert attended divine service yesterday in the pariah church at Crathis. The service was performed by the Rey. Archibald Anderson. In attendance were the Duchess of Wellington, the Hon. Mary Halted, the Earl Granville, Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, and Colonel the Hon. A. Gordon. Her Majesty and the Prince dined yesterday evening at Abergeldie with the Duchess of Kent THE RECENT ROYAL VISIT TO HOLYHEAD.- A Novel. Oaariart.—Daring the stay of the Queen and royal party at Holyhead, Mr. John Jones, the keeper of the pnneipal tower in C aaaaaa on Castle, forwarded to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales a basket of apples, aceompanied by • memorial, stating that he had made a small garden upon a part of the castle wall, known in I ancient times as the Green-gate. The garden was 40 feet high from the street, was 36 feet is length. and 9 in width. He had planted an apple tree in it, which bore its first fruit this year, and of which Mr. Jones begged his Royal Highness's acceptance, " for the name of the place where they had been grown." To this the following acknow ledgment has been reeeived : "Colonel Phipps has been commanded to thank Mr. Jobs Jones for some apples:grown on Carnarron Castle, which he has been good enough to send to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales." Her' Majesty was graciously pleased to accept tho present on behalf of the Prince, and to order it to be soot on to Bal moral, whither the royal party were just about to proceed. CHRIST'S HOSPITAL—On Wednesday, the 21st being St. Matthew's day, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffs and Governors of the several royal hospitals, are to attend divine service at Christ's Church, Newgate-street, where • sermon is to be preached by the Rev. George Buckle, M.A., late Fellow and Tutor of Oriel College, Ox ford. After which they are to repair to the Great Hall in Christ's Hospital, where four orations are to be delivered on the benefits of the royal hospitals by four of the senior scholar., according to annual custom ; in Latin by Henry Ludlow; in English by John Wilberforce Doran; in Greek by Henry Jevers; and in French by Claude Hubert Pares. Two odes will also be melted, one in English on the " Last Days of King Edward VI ," by Charles William Paxton Watts, and the other in Latin hexameters on " Liberia." ANOTHER CHILD POISONED WITH LAUDANUId. Yesterday Mr. Brent held an inquest at the Royal George, Lower Ueorge•street, Chelsea, on the body of William Parkins, an infant. Sarah Needham, the child's aunt, stated that it had been suffering (roman attack of diarrheas, and on Sunday mornibg last she advised the mother to give it a spoonful or so of syrup of rhubarb, which was in a bot tle in one of the counter drawers. Witness had given the same to her own child with good effect. She then went out, and on her return some time afterwards, the deceased's mother drew her attention to the sleepiness of the child. She then looked in the drawer, remembering that there was another bottle of the same sins and colour of label, containing nearly a pennyworth of laudanum, which wit ness purchased and used for the toothache, and discovered, to her horror, that her sister had administered the laudanum instead of the syrup of rhubarb. The child was a t once taken to a surgeon's, and both the stomach pump, emetic., and other antidotes were immediately and continuously ap plied. Mr. Brown, surgeon, of Mans-place, Sloane-street, Chelsea, was also called, and remained with the deceased for ten hours, but, unfortunately, the poison had become absorbed into the system, and proved fatal in the night.— The coroner expressed his astonishment at tho want of caution which had attended the occurrence, and the jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally poisoned." RUSSIA AND TURKEY. News arrived in London last night that the Em peror of Russia had finally rejected the Turkish modifications to the note of the Four Powers. The Emperor, however, while rejecting the modifi cations, is understood to abide by the original note, and promises to evacuate the Principalities if the Porte accepts it pure and simple. The Emperor, accompanied by Count Nesse'rode, will arrive at ()haute on the 23rd instant to have a conference with the Emperor of Austria. Metalliques, 931; Northern Railway, 2251. The Satellite has letters from the Lower Danube of the 30th ult., stating that the corps of General Ludes, which, until then, had not set itself in mo tion, was advancing on the frontier. On the 28th one, and on the 29th two Russian regiments arrived at Braila, and more troops were expected daily. The same _paper has letters from Omer Pacha's camp. The Turks (says the writer) are frantic for war. Their commander is in an awkward position. His reserve troops, nearly all veterans, are exceedingly restive, and demand to be led against the enemy. They declare that they will not this time return home without accomplishing something. Omer Pasha is greatly embarrassed. On the ono hand, he does not want to repress the enthusiasm of his troops; but, on the other, he fears that it may de generate into disorder, and may destroy the work of the diplomatists. Iteschid Pacha's position at Con stantinople is not much more enviable. Every day a crowd of 100 or 150 persons assembles before his palace, calling for war as the only means of assuring the safety of Turkey. The Trieste Zeitung has two or three letters of the 29th from Constantinople. The warlike prepa rations of the Turks are carried on with un abated vigour, both in Europe and in Asia. The troops work literally day and night at the fortifica tions on the right bank of the Danube, and a cavalry cordon has been formed from Widdin to Shumla, and from Shumla to Varna, so that any news of import ance can be transmitted in 20 hours from one extremity of the Turkish line of defence to the other. Zarif Pasha, who commands the army at Erzeroum, is said to display u much energy as Omer Pasha. Towards the end of August another detachment of 2,300 men was conveyed on board a steam frigate and another vessel to Varna. In the various fortresses and in the passes of the Balkan are guns of a large calibre. In Varna there are six batteries of heavy metal. The order and discipline maintained in Omer Pacha's camp are highly spoken of, but the finan cial difficulties with which he has to contend are great. From Jassy the Vienna Wanderer is informed that the commercial world complains loudly of the stag nation of business. The insecurity of the principa lities paralyses all undertakings, and destroys all confidence. It is remarked as strange that at the moment when in Paris and London the Oriental crisis was said to be at an end, the English and French consuls should interrupt their relations with the Wallachian government, and place the subjects of the two crowns under Greek protection. It was fully expected that the same thing would happen in Jassy, although the Hospodar had paidseveral visits to the English and French consuls, who openly de ' clared that the Russian occupation was a violent and illegal measure. In a postscript to this letter it is said " We have just been informed that the French and English consuls have left. A kind of panic has taken possession of people's minds. It is said that General Laden is approaching Moldaviawith a corps d'armie. The cholera is making ravages in Bes sarabia." According to the Void, it was generally under stood at Odessa that the Emperor of Russia would visit the camp at Lauzk, and that his Majesty would thence proceed to the convent of Poczalow (as he did some years since), for the purpose of obtaining "plenary indulgence." From this place his Majesty would go, vii Brody (Galicia), to Vienne. Of course this was only spoken of as a rumour. FRANCE. PARIS, TIMIDAY EVENING. The Bourse continues to be in a state of extreme depression. Instead of the heavy fall of yesterday having produced any reaction, all descriptions of securities opened at lower prices to-day. The , speculators appeared completely discouraged, and for the space of half an hour a s pe cies of panic prevailed. The news of the fall in Console, and the probability of a further augmentation in the rate of discount by the Bank of England, together with the prolonged uncertainty regarding the Turkish question, aggravated by the intelligence of a new corps of the Russian army under Gen. Luders having entered the Principalities, contributed to the uneasy feeling. But it was also reported that corn and flour were again firmer both at the Halle of Paris and in the principal markets. The Threes for account fell at one time to 77fr., but there was afterwards a partial recovery, and at the close the fall from yesterday was only 20c. for the account, and 30c. for cash. The Credit Mobilier, which has been de clining daily . for some time, fell 15fr. Bank of France shares remain very steady, and this leadi to the hope of a rapid amelioration in the tone of the Bourse, when the present crisis shall paw away. All the railways fell, with the exception of Strasbourg and Bale, which rose 2fr. or 3fr. It was inferred that although the minister had refused to sanction the treaty entered into by this company with that of Dijon, some other advantageous combination must be on the tapis. On the subject of the Bile Railway we read the following paragraph in the Sleds, which is quoted conspicuously by the Patrie of this evening : The Constslutionnel states that the Minister of Public Works has refused his authorisation to the projected fusion of the Bile and Besancon Railway Companies. A report was current that this fusion had been decided on, sad it was added that even without the authorisation of the Minister, the two lines would not be less united by means of private conventions. It is only neces sary to be acquainted with the clauses of the last decree of concession to the Strasbourg Company to comprehend that such conventions cannot be entered into. The Strasbourg Company has been invested with all the rights of the state over that of Bile ; and it has therefore become both the creditor and the partner of the Bile Company, which can not adopt a resolution of any kind whatever without the assent of the Strasbourg Company. It will be therefore understood that any fusion between the Bile and Besancon Companies is impossible, if it is opposed by the state and by the company directly interested. A journal of Clermont Ferrand, reports an instance of criminal proceedings being instituted against a "forestaller." The Alta de la Pearls says: Proces verbal has been drawn up against • M. Anal:, a landowner, for having bought corn otherwise than in a public market, having gone out on the roads to meet the farmers' cute. This proceeding is entirely contrary to the spirit of the government declaration that trade is not to be interfered with. The Emperor and Empress were present last evening at the opening of the Grand Opera with the representation of the " Huguenots." They did not quit the house till after midnight, and then returned to St. Cloud, escorted by picquets of guides and dragoons- The latest itine rary arranged for the Emperor's excursion to the north is as follows : Sept. 20, at Arras ; 21 and 22, Lille; 23, St. Omer; 24, Dunkirk and Boulogne; and 23, the return to Paris. The Empress will not accompany him. After this trip their Majesties intend passing several days at Compigne. The town of Lille is in estate of great excitement. The local journals complain of the contradictory information they have received with respect to the period of the imperial visit to that city. Preparations on the most magni ficent scale are making for their reception. Out of 130,000 f. voted by the Municipal Council on the occasion, 25,000 f. have been set aside for distribution to the poor. Throughout the whole of the city masts are being erected for flags, and extensive apparatus for burning the electric light. The ball-room, which has been erected at the Hotel do Ville, is cal culated to comfortably accommodate 4,000 persons. The Porte de Paris, a monument of the conquest of 1607, has been completely cleaned and repaired. The tent prepared for the Emperor, and in which the Mayor will present his Majesty with the keys of the city, is said to be a chel-dwurre. On arriving at the prefecture, the Emperor will be received by forty young ladies belonging to the best families in Lille,who will offer him flowers, while the leader will make a complimentary speech. The garrison will be augmented by the addition of several corps of cavalry, cuiras siers, and lancers, forming, with the artillery of Douai ' nn effective of about 1,200 horse. Five hundred engineers in garrison at Arras, with the band and staff of the regiment, are under orders to be at Lille on the 18th, but this order win perhaps be countermanded now that it is settled that his Majesty will stay a night at Arras, where, according to the above arrangement, he will not arrive till the 20th. ITALY. A number of Italian emigres, who attempted to re-enter Italy by the eastern frontier of the Sardi• nian States, have been seized by the police near Sanwa. GERMANY. BERLIN, SMPT. 10. It is astonishing to mark how hardly even the best continental governments can be brought to believe that they are not the appointed regulators of the simplest operations of commerce. This morning the Zest returns to the subject of the corn trade, to inform its readers that yesterday M. Hinckeldy, chief com missioner of the police, called the heads of the prin cipal firms in the corn trade together at his office, and there "in a fervent and deeply pathetic speech admonished them upon the great importance of their trading functions and upon the influence which they exercised upon the condition of the whole population, since their dealings were able to increase or diminish the welfare of whole classes of the population. He particularly urged upon those present not to meddle with trans actions calculated to bring about an undue dearness of the necessaries of life, and expressed the hope that, without meddling in such speculative opera tions, they would find their trade remunerative and greatly profitable." Thus Mr. Hinckeldy, to ke e p u p hi s belief in his own power to influence the corn market, is obliged to attribute, in turn, to the dealers a faculty which they do not possess, the power of pro ducing cheapness or dearth, independently of the' law of supply and demand. When will governments see that both they and traders are alike only minis ters of the great eternal laws which rule the course of a nation's life ? The temporary removal of the import duty on corn, itself an abatement of " govern mental regulation " of trade, will do more for the relief of the consumer than ten thousand sermons to corn dealers. There is this additional absurdity about Mr. Hinekeldy's measure, that the price of corn for future delivery is lower than the price for actual transfer; so that a dead loss stares the speculator in the face who would buy up the supplies. The Elber hid Gazette is informed that the Prus sian premier has come to an understanding with his old enemies the Cavalier and Pietistic fa c ti ons , so strong at this court. This is poor news if true. A political trial worth noticing came off at Brom berg, on the sth, when five highly respectable men were placed at the criminal bar charged with distributing a brochure called an " Electoral Catechism, on the eve of tho elections of 1832. The indictment alleged that by so doing they bad endangered the public peace and excited the King's subjects to hatred and disobedience. One of the accused, a landed proprietor named Peterson, said that he had read the " Electoral Catechism" through with care; that he knew personally and re spected its author, Mr. Harkort, a deputy of the chamber, as a man of high character ; and that he had seen it right to distribute the work for the in formation and enlightenment of the electors. The accused were all acquitted. The verdict was received with cheering by their fellow-citizens who crowded the court. The Bing has fulfilled his threat, and the Muni cipal Council of Elhiog is dissolved. The "wrongly disposed " town will for the present be governed by a commission nominated by the crown. AUSTRALIA.-THE MARCO POLO. LIVERPOOL, Aro. 13. i l The ship Marco Polo, which before distinguished herself in making the quickest passage out and home, from hence to Australia, arrived here to-day on her second return trip, having made the voyage in exactly 6 months. She sailed from hence on the 13th March; she left Melbourne 10th June, and has on freight about 280,0001. in gold bars and dust. Although this may not be the ♦ery quickest voyage home, it is beyond doubt the quickest ♦oyage out and home ever made by any ship from this country. HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK. 1,015 deaths have been registered in London during the week ending September 10. The mortality is below the corrected average of the week ; for within the ten preceding years, when the population of London was one tenth part less numerous than it is now, the deaths ranged from 840 to 1,040, and in the year 1849, when epi demic cholera had only begun to decline, the burials were 2,861. . The deaths by dianbma have been 131, leas by 21 than were referred to that disease in the previous week, but more more by one-third than the corrected average number (99) of preceding years. Only 7 deaths by cholera have happened, 5 in children under 15 years of age, 2 in adults of 15 and under 60. Six of the seven persons who died were males. The number of deaths by cholera in corresponding weeks of the 10 previous years were 4,1, 2,8, 7,6, 1682, 4, 17, and 5, so that the deaths do not ex oeed the usual number in ordinary years by certain forms ex -1 cholera. Two of the persons were, however, registered l as having died of Asiatic cholera ; one a tanner's son, of 1 the tender age of four years, the other a labourer's young wife, who died in 12 hours. Both the deaths occurred within four days of each other in the same house, 12, Turner's-retreat, Bermondsey, on tho south side of the Thames. It is right under all the circumstances to reiterate the cautions which were given in August. All persons, whe ther children or adults, who suffer from diarrhcea, should apply forthwith for medical advice. And no time should be lost in putting our sanatory defences in a sound state, as next summer their efficacy may again be severely tested. Last week the births of 843 boys and 826 girls, in all 1,669 children, were registered in London. In the eight corresponding weeks of the years 1845-52 the average num ber was 1,327. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29.967 in. The reading of the barometer increased from 30.10 in. at the beginning of the week to 30.26 in. by 9h. p.m. on the 6th ; decreas ed to 29 . 63 in. by the morning of the 10th, and increased to 29•70 in. by the end of the week. The mean temperature of the week was 66.1 deg., which is 2 deg. below the ave rage of the same week in 38 years. The highest tempera ture of the week was 721 deg., and occurred on Tuesday; the lowest was 45.0 deg., and occurred on the same day. The greatest difference between the dew point terope-ature and the air temperature was 14.1 deg. on Tuesday; the least 11 deg. on Saturday. The general direction of the wind was from the north, and it blew at the rate of 60 miles a day. The electric condition of the atmosphere hu been positive on every day of the week. NEW ACT TO REGULATE PUBLIC HOUSES IN ScovLAND.—The new act fur the better regulation of pub lie houses in Scotland, is DOW in force. It was passed on the 15th ult., reciting that great evils have been found to arise from the granting of certificates for spirits, wine, and excisable liquors, to be drunk or consumed on the premises, to dealers in provisions and other commodities, the act pro ceeds, as a remedy for such evils, to make regulations for public houses in Scotland. No certificate is to be granted unless on the express condition that no mettles are to be sold on the premises. Grocers may obtain certificates, but not for the sale of liquors to be consumed on the premises. The act repeals certain provisions in the act 6 Geo. IV., c. 81, for granting licenses in Scotland. No certificate is to be granted until the premises have been inspected and re ported suitable for the business. After Whit-Sunday next certificates are not to be granted to blacksmiths, tax collectors, and others. New duties for licenses are set forth in the act. By the 14th section police officers and con stables are empowered to eater public houses, and the keepers on being fined for disobedience of the law, may be committed for non-payment. There are several forms an nexed to the act to regulate public houses, and to remedy the evils which have arisen in regard to public houses in Scotland. A RACE TO AUSTRALIA.—Great interest is excited in nautical circles by the departure last week from London of a British ship, intended to compete with the celebrated American Sovereign of the Seas. This vessel is the Gaunt let, owned by James Smith, jun., Esq., of Tower-chambers. The Gauntlet is an iron vessel, modelled by Mr. Ren nie, and built by Denny and Rankin, on the Clyde. She sailed from Gravesend at 2 p.m. on Monday, and passed Deal at 7 p.m. The distance is rasher more than from here to Holyhead, so that she must have gone very fast. Oct the same principle that is adopted by the yachts of this country, the difference in tonnage between the Gauntlet and the Sovereign of the Seas should make a difference in the 'ma nge to Australia of about four days, the former vessel being 693 tone ' while the latter is 2,400. The Gauntlet will b e followed from London by another Liverpool clipper, the Marion, built by Messrs. Hall, of Aberdeen, and owned by Messrs. Shand. GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.- Traffic for the week ending Sept. 10 , 1843, 6,660/. 16e. 2d. Corresponding week, 1862, 4,0601. 76. Od. Increase in 1863, 1,4901.9 x. 2d. BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH PRI:,ON. THIRTEENTH, DAY.—CLOSE OF THE INQUIRY. BIRMINGHAM, 7 resno,v, This inquiry was again resumed this morning. Mr Lucy was examined on the subject of his 44 usation against Captain Maconochie on the previous t veiling to the effect that the captain had received from the borough treasurer sums of money for the oats of the pvd which he did not apply to the purpose for which be obtained it. Mr. Lucy now said that Mr. William JIM!, one of the magistrates, had informed him that h e knew tirom an exa mination of the accounts of the corporation, as a member of the finance committee, that certain snots of money had been obtained by Captain Maconochie from the treasurer, and that he had entered into his accounts less sums than he received. Mr. Welsby—To what amount ? Witness—As far as my recollection serves me I was told that Capt. Maconochie received a sum of 200!. from Mr. Knight, the treasurer, and that be entered in his account the receipt of 1001. only; on another occasion L. received a sum of 1601. and awouuted for only 60/. ; a further sum of 100!. wu never placed to account at all by Capt. Idscono chio. I learnt all this at the same time from Mr. James; it wu before Capt. Maconochie's dismissal. Mr. Welsby—Was this known to any of the magistrates, except yourself and Mr. James ? Witness—l think not. Mr. Wvlsby—Nothing of this kind is nesiaccil in the resolution as a reason for Capt. Maconochie's dismissal ? Witness—There if not. Mr. Welsby—Did you ever communicate with Captain Maconochie on the subjzct Witness—l did not. Mr. Welsby—Did you communicate the circutastance to the other magistrates ? Witness—l did not. Mr. Welsby—Was Captain Maconochie ever tolled upon publicly to cnswer this matter? Witness-1 believe not. Mr. Welsby—Was tt never made public until :;eaterday? Witness—lt was not. I believe that the sums of money which Captain Mscot ochie had unaccounted t,r, as I have described, were deducted in the final settlement Kith him after his dismissal. Mr. Welsby—Tiave you ever made any inve , tigation to satisfy yourself in relation to the correetuts. of these matters? Witness—l have not. Mr. Knight, the tr urer, be came insane and died, and the borough accounts passed into the hands of an accountant. Mr. Welsby—Were you a party to the report which thg magistrates made to the liorne-office ? Witness—l was not. Mr. Weishy—llo you remember Shaw attempting to com mit suicide Witness—l do; and the surgeon's report ; but I did not inquire on what ground he came to the coaclusdni at which he arrived relative to that case. Mr. Allday suggested another question iu ferenee to this charge against Captain Maconochie, but Mr. Weisby said—" We are not here to inquire whether Captain Maco nochie has been guilty of an offence of this natur., but only whit was the real cause of his dismissal." Mr. William James, another of the visiting magistrates, was next examined—He said, I think I saw an . titry in the books that women were hand-cuffed in Capt. Maeonochie's time ; but I never knew that it was for eight,, a, twenty four, and thirty hours at u time. I never heard et women's kands being fastened behind their back., nor Cl huckets of water being thrown over them. I never heard that pri soners were strapped to the wall until the 3rd of May last ; nor was I aware that there was a total deprivation of prisoners' food until night, or that they were deprived of their bed and gas. About the time I have mentioned (after the suicide of Andrews) Mr. IVells and 1 went to the gaol and gave strict orders that the jacket should never DO used except in cases of extreme violence. Mr. Welsby—Did it not appear to you that the use of the collar and strapping prisoners to the wall was altogether unjustifiable ? Witness—l think the cases in which such unishment should be inflicted would be very rare, perhaps it should not be at all. Strapping might occasionally b.' necessary where there was extreme violence on the part of a pri soner, but not for a whole day ; and I should not agree with it as a prison punishment. Mr. Welshy—Did you ever see entries in the chaplain's journal referring to the "distress of mind and pain of body" under which prisoners were suffering Witness —l did not. Capt. Williams—There are many records of punishmentl in the bdoks which are illegal, but the justices do not ap pear to have taken any notice of them. Mr. Welsby—Did the magistrates agree to the resolution approving the conduct of Mr. Austin, after they were made aware of these punishments inflicted ? Witness.—We were not aware of the extent of the pu nishment at the time the resolution to which you refer was passed ; we were assured that the jacket had never been on a prisoner for more than an hour or two. Mr. Welsby—Did not the words "punishment jacket" which occur so frequently in the hooks strike you as being something more than a mere restraint jacket ? Witness—lt did not. Mr. Welsby—For instance, what do you think of such as entry as this—" Three dap bread and water—punishment jacket." Witness—l was told that the jacket was merely put on till the •iolence of prisoners had subsided. Mr. Welsby—Why the entries of punishment for violence are not one in a hundred. Witness—l can only repeat that I was not aware that there were any violent punishments, or that the jacket and strapping to the wall was an ordjnary prison punishment. Mr. Welsby—Wu there any investigation in consequent, of the number of the attempts at suicide until after the stu tide of Andrews ? Witness—There was not. Once, when Mr. Perry visited the gaol, the magistrates invited suggestions trona him, and Mr. Perry then said th a t a ll was going on very w e ll ' and satisfactory. This was, I believe, in October, 1851. I re member a prisoner named noes being sentence d to ninth class diet, but I swear positively that no magistrate ever said " that it would be as well n^t to make that prisoner's gruel too good," as had been stated by Lieut. Austin. The chaplain had a pass-key to each cell, and I considered that a check on abuses in the prison. I am positive that I never in the slightest degree checked the chaplain is making complaints, or threw cold water upon anything he said in re ference to abuses in the gaol. Mr. James was then examined in reference to the matter introduced by Mr. Lucy at the close of yesterday's inquiry. Oa this subject Mr. James sail—l copied from the accounts of the corporation that on a certain day a cheque was drawn by thJ treasurer for a sum of 2001 in favour of Capt. Maconochie; on reference to the banker', account, I found that the money was paid ; but on comparing this with the gaol cash-book, I found that the entry was only for 1001. Then on the 9th of March, 1850, there were two other cheques drawn in Captain hlaconochie's favour, one for 1001. and the ether for 1501.; on the 11th there is an entry in the gaol-book of 501. only. I made no report of thin matter to the visiting justices, but after a time the matter became known to some of the visiting justices, amongst others, I think to Mr. Van Wart ; and the matter was talked over privately. The reason I did not make any report on the subject sou from a feeling of kindness to Captain Maconoehie and his family. I never made the matter public in any way, nor was it ever alleged as a reason for Captain Maconochie'a dismival. But I admit that at the time of his dismissal I had this circum stance on my mind. Mr. Wela by—Did you communicate with Captain Maco nochie on the subject / Witness—l think I did. Why I think so, is this—thati t was agreed that his subsequent salary was stopped in order to pay these sums. This was after October, 1850. I had not much conversation with Captain Maconochie on the sub ject. It was a delicate matter; but I am sure :that the arrangement to which I have referred was carried out. I am nut aware that Mr. William Chance, the mayor's audi tor of the borough accounts, was not informed of this mat ter. Nothing was said to him about this misappropriatioa of the money by Capt. Maconochie. The mosey has not been lost to the borough. It has been all repaid. In re ply to another question, Mr. James said that it was not the custom for Capt. Maconochie to have 1001. in hand to meet general disbursements at the gaol. Further, that he was quite certain the circumstance now disclosed was admitted at the time by Capt. Maconochie, and the money paid by him. _ _ Capt. Maconochie was asked by Mr. Welsby what he had to say in reply to this charge. The captain, in reply, said that at the distance of nearly four years he laboured under a disadvantage in having to reply to a charge now for the first time preferred against him; but his answer would be short and simple. At the time he was appointed to the governorship of this gaol he was so circumstanced as regards pecuniary matters as to require an advance upon his salary ; he applied to the treasurer for a certain sum which he received. It was not on the gaol account bat on his own private account, and consequently could not be entered in the gaol cash-book. There was no 'merely whatever about the matter and the amount ; that Mr. Knight, the treasurer, fell into ill ..calth ; he went to the Town Clerk's office ; saw him, and he thought also Mr. Thornton, and announced to them that he had had an advance from the treasurer on his pnvate account, and that the money was to be repaid in due course. That was the only foundation there was for the charge now made; at the time he could have answered everything, and was willing then to undergo the most searching examina tion. Mr. James had said that he had kept the matter secret out of kindness for himself and his family; that kind ness was , however, very much out of place, and was really calculated to deep ly injure him. Mr. Welsby Capt. Maconochie, did Mr. James ever make any communication to you in reference to this matter ? Capt. Mac.onochie—Certainly not. Mr. James never spoke to me on the subject; I mentioned the subject to the Mayor at the Town Clerk's office ; and I explained it to Mr. William Chance long since. I wished to make it known at the time, but Mr. Chance restrained me. He said it was better not to do so. Ido say that it was mon strous if the magistrates thought I had been guilty of peculation that they should have passed a resolution com plimentary to me, as they did before I left. (Applause) Mr. Welsby—This is one of the most disagreeable inct dents in the course of this inquiry. I regret that it has occurred very much ; but its men of honour and gentle men, I think that we are bound to probe the matte• to the bottom. The corporation account-books of receipts and payment', alga the bank cheque-book., were produced. Front thel-o it appeared that sums of money to the amount stated had been paid to Captain iliaconochie ; but Mr. W. It. Kettle, the accountant to whom the corporation entrusted the ac counts when their treasurer fell ill, stated that Captain