The Express. — London, England, 1847-02-11 00:00:00

N o w this system is a remnant of protec cchich ban so long been the " bane of agricul tore," and it is the duty of public men who have a b a ndoned protection to agriculture, to put a stop to 611 such methods of bolstenng up the false position of the landed interest Landlords must come fairly ism the market with their commodity, and justice nquires that they should have a clear stage, but the public weal imperatively demands that they should no Luger rely on legislative favour. A FiTAL assault upon a wife is one of the cheapest l a ssies, of the which a man can enjoy in London or Middlesex. But it should be knowingly maage d. A careful course of Central Criminal Court sentences will enable men of brutal dispositions to indulge themselves in this particular 'luxury, as the a uack advertisements say, with "ease, safety, and dope" We have been studying this curious record during the present sessions with some attention. We find that wife murder stands, in the ratio of punishment, to letter -Sealing, say, as one to twenty ; to assaults constables, as one to twelve; to petty larceny, as one t o seven. The quotations, however, rule very unfa vourably for wives as compared with unmarried women. An assault (not fatal) upon a woman mis taken for a wife, but really unconnected with the assaulter, is punished with Imprisonment and hard labour for a year. A life-long series of such assaults on a wife, wound up by a decisive kicking, which produces death, is visited with nine months' incarceration. Wife-killing is, in fact, one of the izhtest offences, measured by the punishment, of which the Central Criminal Court takes cognizance. The circumstance is beginning to excite attention. Perhaps we may in time arrive at the reason of it. Is it that a British jury, in the character under which counsel are fend of appealing to them, as men, as Englishmen, as fathers of families," are supposed to be so conversant with the aggra vating habits of wives generally, that their feeling is consulted by the judge in pronouncing so petty a 'sentence ?It is, perhaps, a make-shift for the traditional verdict " serve her right," from which ' propriety interdicts juice now-a-days. But, whatever be the cause of this leniency, it should certainly be recognised by the criminal law commissioners. In framing their new code we trust they will assign a distinct head to this fashiona ble and increasing offence, if offence it can be called. Mr. STARKIE is much puzzled with homicide, justifiable, accidental, and chance-medley. But he seems to have overlooked " sponsicide," or whatever Latin word may best stand for " wife-killing." It is clearly not murder. That notion seems never to have entered the brains of any functionary of a criminal court. How should it ? It is accompanied by none of the formalities incident to murder. There is no concealment of the act —no dread of detection. The Icing in wait for the victim, the self -struggle, the darkness, the prepared weapon, the horrible and pervading remorse, are all wanting. The deed is gene rally done in crowded neighbourhoods, in broad day light, with the first domestic utensil that comes to hand, amidst the remonstrances of female acquaint ance, and the admonitions of male friends. It has seldom any of the excuses of murder. The sordid love of gain, the gradual hardening of a life of crime, the desperate dread of detection in what was only meant for robbery, are generally absent where a wife is the victim. A man comes home drunk and falls to beating his wife, as an exercise or an amusement. Tired of beating, he takes to kicking, and death is the result. Or he finds a button miming from his Sunday shirt ; or his dinner is de layed for half-an-hour; or a hot supper is not ready for him at four in the morning, he having omitted to leave money for fuel or supper either, and he begins to assert has lordship of the creation by dragging about and trampling under foot his un fortunate helpmate, who is soon, after agonis ing groans and supplications heard through the partition of the room, found lifeless by a neighbour more curious or humane than usual, while the husband smokes his pipe, rather with the air of a BRUTUS than a GREENACRR-of one who has per formed a stern but sanctified duty, and not a barba rous, brutal, and cowardly murder. We appeal to every day's newspaper for the truth of this repre sentation. Did any one ever hear of a man's being hanged for such an offence? Yet how to distinguish it from numerous homicidal acts so punished, we con fess ourselves utterly at a lose. Is it by the absence of premeditation ? There may not be the distinct and conscious contemplation of death as the result of this or that special kick or beating, bat there is that utter recklessness of all consequence, which is as dangerous to society and in dicates as depraved and bestial a state of the person committing the assault as the coolest premeditation ever proved at Newgate. Is it by the relation of the offence to society, its safe guards and sanctions ? Surely the crime is one which may be more easily committed than any other fors of bloodshed, and against which the sufferer is least effectually guarded, and the opportunities and sug gestions of which are likely to be infinitely more fre quent than those of any other act of homicide. Or is killing a wife out of sheer brutality an act less odious to right judgments than coolly knocking out a traveller's brains for plunder, or the half frantic cutting a throat in the agony of detection ? We can not contemplate it more patiently than even the less hideous of these two murderous conditions. It ap pears to us not only the most common, but the most contagious, the most brutal, and the most cowardly shedding of human blood by human hand, against which society has to protect itself: and that which should be most severely visited of all acts of homicide (even if short of murder), instead of being mocked by sentences which degrade it below the atrocity of robbing a till or picking a pocket. Our criminal code is at present undergoing a revi sion. We sincerely trust that a place will be found, in the emended edition, for this particular offence, which, as it violates peculiar and sacred sanctions, should have, we honestly believe, its especial and aggravated punishment. CONSTANTINOPLE, JAN. 20. The social system in Turkey is the great barrier from which for ages the tide of European civillsation has been forced back. All the reforms which have hitherto taken place in the Ottoman empire are merely superficial ; the core has always remained untouched. Our lectures on civilisation have always been addressed to men; they could never penetrate beyond the lattice of the harem. An influence lozenges than any we could give to reform, has hitherto existed to oppose its progress. This evil had long been seen, but only one man had dared to attempt its removal. That man was Lord Palmerston. Opposed, on the ground of the impracticability of his plan, by his own ambassador, and by the united voice of all the great statesmen of Europe, he failed in his first attempt; but he has made another, and has succeeded. The Sultan has ordered the aholition of dare markets. This is the first step in that change which. in its results, will be the most important that has ever taken place in the administration of the Ottoman empire. The Sultan has alluded publicly, in addressing ministers , his ministe, to this unhoped-for event, and his Majesty's words imply . that he enters fully into the humane and philanthropic sentiments of Lord Palmerston, and that all the suggestions of his lord ship on this subject will be finally adopted. Nazim Effendi was, a short time since, sent by the Porte to Boleti= Bey, with present* of jewels and money, and with an autograph letter from the Sultan, congratulating the Kurdish chief on the good he had done the cause of Islamism, in exterminating the infidel Nestorians. Nazim Effendi has returned to Mossoul, from his mission to the Kurdish chief. The envoy of the Porte speaks in the highest terms of the reception which he met with in the camp of Seder han Bey. He declares publicly, that the Sultan deliEjlits to honour that worthy chief, whom he considers as one of his most faithful altects, and aa one of the greatest champions of liana— • Ths words of Nazim Effendi have stricken terror' into the unfortunate Christians who inhabjt the Vest country,. whilst Bederhna Bey: girt with the' diantond-biltai sword given )p m by, the Sultan, has arrived in triumph to within a short distance of Moesoul. This is th e old to that 'one haVe supposed 'to, be worn threadbare, which has been so.ofteikruattasd with 800:8111 the .Porte, and which semi likely to again m 'the present instance: A cotgratu mt°7 letter from the Sultarkp,it rerin . l:o oll ,4 i t fatal lie efreatiai the avissi4es 4 nede —edi64wl2 *-auld to ; nor are his swots of honour and diamonds, under such circumstances, less deadly than the gloves and perfumes of the mother el Charles IX. Some years ago, when the Porte fir.',ed by hard fighting to put down Abdul Djeleet, great Tripoli chief, Askar Ali Pasha, the general opposed to him, received instructions from Constantinople humbly to petition Abdul for a cessation of hostilities. At the same time the Sultan sent a letter to the chieftain, promising him, beforehand, all that he should ask, and swearing to him eternal love and friend ship. Abdul Djeleet was softened, and a treaty of peace made between him and Askar Ali Pasha. The day on which the treaty was signed, the Pasha gave a splendid banquet in honour of the Tripoli chief. Their meeting in the tent of Askar Ali was so affecting, that many present were moved to tears. The Pasha called Abdul Djeleet janum (my soul), and Abdul Djeleet returned the compliment by calling the Pasha fiver (my liver). An accident however prevented Abdul Djeleet from partaking of the feast, for, just as he had sat down and opened his mouth to swallow a savory kibeub, a soldier standing behind him, at a signal from Askar Ali, with one blow cut off the poor chieftain's head. which fell into the dish amidst shouts of laughter from the Pasha and his friends. Very lately Aboo Gosh, who has a niche in the pages of Eiithen and 'lltmarsh, became so troublesome on the road between Jaffa and Jerusalem, that the Porte determined to put him down. Instructions to that effect were secretly sent to the Pasha of Jerusalem. The Pasha immediately announced his intention of carrying fire and sword into the territory of a chief tain known to be at feud with Aboo Gosh. Un fortunately the Pasha had not sufficient troops under his command for the expedition; he therefore wrote a most affectionate letter to " the father of lies," (so the author of &then for some mysterious reason, known possibly to himself, calls Aboo Gosh), in which he &*gged of him, by their common faith and by his duty to the Sultan, of whom he knew him to be one of the most devoted subjects, to give him his valuable assistance in the little affair he had in hand. This letter was, as usual on such occasions, accompanied by some handsome presents. I A rendezvous was given, and on the appointed day, Aboo Gosh came to meet his friend the Pasha, accom panied only by a few followers. Nothing . could exceed the extatic delight of the Pasha on seeing his dear friend and ally, Aboo Gosh. A splendid dinner was prepared. " The father of lies" ate and drank like a man who was determined to take advantage of a good chance, and then lay down on his carpet, and slept the quiet sleep of the virtuous. When he woke up he found himself securelybound hand and foot, and on his way to Jaffa. Poor Aboo Gosh is now lying in a Cyprus dungeon, whose solitude be shares with the water-rat and the toad. It is to be ho pe d that Col. Titmarsh will say a word in his be ha lf to H.R.H. 1 Prince Albert The Paris journals of Tuesday are occupied with remarks on the discussion which arose in the Cham ber of Deputies on Monday upon the paragraph of the address which relates to the finances of the country. The ministerial papers represent the position of French finance as satisfactory, while the opposition press charge the government with carelessness; but little notice has been hitherto taken, by either party, of the position of the Bank of France. The Consei -1 tutionnel gives a very unfavourable view of the finan cial position of the country. The National says : France, for nine years, has been supplying a budget of 1,400,000,000 fr., and yet a deficit of 700,000,000 fr. now exists. The present ministry has had some years of pros perity, has enjoyed a loan for extraordinary expenses, and has had the produce of the sinking fund---yet it has con sumed the whole, and the total of its incurred expenses amounts to two milliards, eight millions of francs. The budget is brought in with a deficit of 79,000,000 fr., and an additional sum of 24,000,000 h. is demanded for the internal administration of the country. A letter from Ingelmunster, near Conrtray, in Flanders, states that the health of M. Martin (da Nord) has derived but little benefit from his residence in that place. In consequence of the heavy falls of rain and snow, which, freezing, have rendered the roads impassable, no despatches or papers had reached Paris from the south up to the time our express left. On Tuesday it was stated with confidence by well informed persons that a note had arrived the pre ceding evening in Paris containing the formal ad hesion of the Prussian cabinet to the protest of Lord Palmerston against the Montpensier marriage. It Was further stated that the cabinet of St. Peters burg would also adopt the same course, and that Austria would consequently be drawn into accord ance with the other powers. A meeting of the ministers and their principal sup porters took place at the Hotel of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning. The same alarm continued to be felt on the Bourse, and a further fall of nearly a third per cent. took place on yesterday's prices. The impression prevails that the personal relations between M. Gnizot and Lord Normanby are in the most unsatisfactory state. News from London is looked for most anxiously. We have received the Madrid mails of the 3rd inst. The commission on the address held its first sitting on the 2nd. M. Martinez de la Rosa was elected pre sident, and M. Benavides secretary. It seems that the members of the commission (with the exception of M. Hos de Olano) are agreed upon the project of the address. It is supposed that the project of the majority of the commission, dictated by a Conserva tive spirit, will be voted. Nothing of interest took place in the Chambers. It was rumoured that M. Nicomede Pastor Diaz, would be appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Interior. He belongs to tke puritan faction. M. Gonzales Romero, a conservative deputy, has been appointed Under-Secretary of State in the depart ment of Grace and Justice. . . . Count de Thomar had a long conference with the Duke of Soromayor, relative to the affairs of Por tugal, Don Miguel having been proclaimed King in different cities of that kingdom. SWITZERLAND.—A letter from Tessin states that the order for Austrian troops to advance to the frontier has been countermanded. GERMANY.—VIENNA, JAN. 28.—The Cracow Ga votte has this notice .—" From the day of the incorporation af Cracow in the Austrian line of customs, namely, from the 20th of January, 1847, the free import of wheat, rye, barley, and oats, from the exterior is provisionally oonee ied, across the new circumscribing line of customs of the Cracow territory towards Prussia and Poland, until further notice, which is hereby notified for general information. —(Signed) Mourn Condi' Darin, Imperial Commissioner."—Cracow, Jan. 18, 1847. SWEDEN.—STOCKIIOLAI, JAN. 20.—T0-clay two royal decrees have been published, both dated December 22, which are highly important to manufacturers and arti sans. With very few restrictions and exceptions the freedom of trade and manufacture is thereby ordained. AU guilds are abolished ; and every Swede who is of age, and main tains a good character, is, empowered to engage in any handi craft, and to sell his manufactures either in the cities and towns, or in the country. He must have given proof before the municipal authorities that he understands the trade into which he enters. Trade is quite free, and may be carried on by all who are able to write and cypher. The new arramte ments are to come into operation on the Ist July.—Allge mama Zeitung, Feb. 5. MEXIC(.—We extract the following from a pri vate letter, dated Mexico, Dec. 30, 1846: Santa Anna is at San Luis, with, as he says, 25,000 men ; for whom he asks 600,000 dollars a month, and they send him se much as they can ; but I really think he is, or will be, POOR brought to his last shift. There is no doubt about it, that he made an ar rangement with the Yankees belie he came, for which he got, or is to get, 2 millions of dollars—the exact sum asked by President Polk. Now, as they know this here, there is a great deal of bellowing about war in Congress. However, tie not the Yankees they want to tight, but to humble Santa Anna. How truly Mexican this is! Santa Anna, on the other hand, is never seen in San Luis out of doors ; the troope are never exercised ; but Santa Anna has a ~ate gambling bank) in San Luis on his own account; General Ampudier is the croupier, &c., &c. Now and then Suitt Anna makes an illegal attempt to bully government; then there is censuring in Congress ; then Iv, submits again. He knows too well that he has lost all chance with the gente asoderado y dictate, therefore he writes to the Exaltadoe in the most abject terms; but even they despise kim. Mean while the Yankees advance as much as they have a mind to bat, kltbough . 4here is about them a good deal of ta lk and blustering, that ii all you perceive. kobbiry has, however, gone en in a mode which outbids all periods. Horn was migister (of finance) 6, and Villamil 3 weeks; the former stole 600,000 dollars, the latter 200,000 ; and this I have fined geoid ataboAty." , - COLONIAL WEST INPI.E:S..—OCIANA.—Extract of a letter UrVot Berbiaes &Mut Doc. 31., 1846:—" If government would may be persepidpd to permit a regular communication with the itroo cosh, we libOnld have an abundant supply of the very.best class et Ilii‘labourers that has ever come to the . Thsplfroomen who are now here complain bit ter'l;kg the doflleulty oriWtorning to visit their own country, in_minseguence otthe.peoleibition of the English government from Ma COClMugjmition 4h' that coast" VAN I)IEMEN'S LAND.—We have newspapers fronOthis coleopMthe . lBth September. The governor conti nued in as bad Oddity' Is eve}, and his position, even in the legislative council, was such as to make it indispensable to i the legitimate influence of government, that his successor should arrive as soon as poeible. A declaration was moved by Mr. Allison in that body on the 11th of September ' That in the opinion of the council the home government should pay two-thirds of the judicial t xpenses of the colony." In support of this proposal Mr. Allison stated that," During the last year there were 135 persona tried at the supreme eonrt, and of that number there were only four free persons." Mr. On, at an earlier period of the meeting, had observed, in reference to the same subject, that " As there were many items in the judicial department which could not apply in criminal cases they would only claim two-thirds of the expense." In the course of the discussion on Mr. Allison's motion the governor said—" One of his first despatches was to recom mend that the home government should bear two-thirds of the judicial expenses of the colony." The motion was car ried unanimously. The remaining intelligence from the colony admits of being briefly summed up. The first election of commis sioners under the act to provide for the cleansing and paving of Hobart Town was to take place on the 24th of Sept. The subscription towards the appointment of a resident agent in London, to support the petitions of the colonists, was in I rogress, and an address to Mr. M'Lschlan, who has hitherto discharged this office gratuitously, was in the course of signature. The Hobart Town Advertiser of Sept. 18 states .—" Robberies are becoming very rife at the outskirts of the town. Last week two burglaries were committed to wards the upper end of Goulburn-strect—the first in open day, about three or four o'clock in the afternoon. There are a number of disreputable characters in that neighbourhood." In the Hobart Town markets wheat was selling at 7s. to 7s. 3d. per bushel ; oats, at 4s. to is. 6d. ; flour, first quality, 201. per ton ,• second ditto, 191. ; potatoes, 31. to 31. 10s. per ton ; bay, 51. 10s. to 61. 104. per ton ; Port Arthur coals, 16s. per ton ; Sydney ditto, 11.10 s. ; shingles, 7s. 6d. to 10s. per 1,000 ; sawn timber, Ss. to Co. per 100 feet. THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11, 1847. z_six qpun. The Queen and Prince Albert took an airing yes terday, accompanied by the Prince of Wales and the Prks• efts Royal, in a sledge, the Prince driving. Lord John Russell had an audience of the Queen yesterday. M.R.H. the Duchess of Kent visited the Queen yesterday at Buck ingham Palace, and partook of luncheon with her Majesty and her royal consort. The royal dinner party yesterday at Buckingham Palace included H.R H. the Duchess of Kent, H.S.H. Priem Edward of San Weimar, Count Alexander Menadorff, Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, Earl Spencer, Earl Granville, Viscount Clifden, and Sir George Cooper. Her Majesty had afterwards an evening party. The company moulded of the Countess Jersey and - Lady Clementine Villiers, Earl Somers and the Ladies Caroline and Harriet Cocks, Lady Eliz sbeth Dawson, Mr. 0. E. Anson, Lieut.-Col. the lion. C. B. Phipps, Lord George Lennox, and Captain Francis Seymour. The Marchioness of Douro has succeeded the Countess of Charlemont, as the lady in waiting to the Queen. The Earl of Morton has succeeded Lord Camoys as the lord in waiting to her Majesty, and Sir Frederick Stovin by succeeded Captain the Hon. Robert Boyle, as the groom in waiting to her Majesty. H.R.H. the Duchess of Rent arrived at Clarence house, St. James's, at balf-past twelve o'clock yesterday, from her residence, Progmore-house, Windsor. H.R.H. was attended by Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, and Sir George Cowper. A deputation from the Short Time Committees of the Wept Riding of Yorkshire had an interview with Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yesterday, at his official residence in Downing -street. Sir Montagu Cholmeley bad an interview with the Right Hon. E. Strutt, yesterday, at the offices of the Commissioners of Railways, in Great George street. Sir John Pelley had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon yesterday. Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Excise, had also an interview with his lordship yes terday, at the office of the Board of Trade. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a general meeting yesterday, at their office in Whitehall place. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council re sumed yesterday the hearing of an appeal from Grenada— " The House of Assembly of Grenada a. Chief Justice San derson." The case was adjourned. THE IRISH PARTY. At a meeting of peers and members of the House of Commons, connected with Ireland, held Feb. 6, 1847, the following resolutions were adopted, for the purpose of being respectfully submitted to the consideration of her Majesty's government: gmolvM,—/bat any abandonment, at the present, of the pate n of electoral diereses., by which the poor-law aascanment of Ireland ie generally regulated, for the purpose of aubstituting the larger dirt -6011, of mime, ap pea rs to us to be fraught with danger, aa lemming the motives for a liberal and enlightened management of Mims, and the comecquent improvement in the mutation of the occupying tenantry, and also lemening the means of adminiateriog relief with that discrimination and economy which sr., perfectly compatible with real charity and benevolence. That • departure from the prevent gatem becomes the more fatal if applied to the aut-elosr relief of the able-bodied labourer, because such relief by of all modes of applying the principles of a poor-law, the one which requires the greatest care and caution to prevent it from leading to consequences dangerous to M , subversive of aerial order, and ultimately injuriona to the P" in ters-ta of the labouring clever - That the principle of giving old-door relief to the able-bodied labourer of Ire land has been condemned by the meow, rerliamentary committee* and commissioes, as well as by the public officer appointed to con sider this subject, and that the experience of the last twelve months, by which it has been Mown how relief, even though accompenied with work, has inter red with ordinary agricultural labour, and en dangered the future production of food fir the people, deenoestrates conclusively how much mom fatally a aysteux of gratuitous owl-door relief to the abbriodied labourer will produce and per petunte the same lamentable consequences. That tie powers of out door relief proposed to be entreated to me single indirklual, under the name ota relieving officer, appear to us why inapplicable to the social condition of Ireland, and leading to the mow. diaintrows come (maces. That these resolutions ere intended to apply exelo steely to the permanent tows propmed to be enacted, and not to the temporary measures which the prevent cala mity may render iv expellent to enact. That our chair man be instructed to forward these rmolutions to the and member. of parliament connected wkli Ireland, who t e r7 been unable to attend this day, reariesting that such of them as may approve of these resolutions may return this paper with their ohm tures Ogled, with the view that the whole should be submitted to her Majesty's government far their most 'serious consideration. blotermobr, Palace-yard, Feb. 5, 1841. ROYAL GENERAL ANNUITY SoclETY.—The festival of this society took place at the London Tavern last evening. Lord Stanley presided, and was supported on his right by the Lord Mayor of London, and on his left by the Lord Mayor of York. The dinner was served up in the best style of the spirited proprietors of the tavern, and the wines were of the finest quality. The object of the society is to afford relief to those whom age and distress render utterly unable to assist themselves—decayed merchants, bankers, professional men, and the widows and dello of such persons, as well as single women, whose change of circumstances may bare ren dered them objects of charity. This festival was intended to celebrate the patronage of her Majesty, who hes within the last year become a subscriber to the institution, and also to commemorate the twereieth anni versary. Upon the removal of the cloth the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were given, after which the noble chairman, in an eloquent and feeling address, proposed "permanent prosperity to the Royal General Annuity Society. In the course of his observations, he stated that at one time the in stitution assisted in the support of ninety persons, allowing 21. 10s. per moath to the males, and 11. 12s. per month to the females, which sum he was sorry to say had been some time subsequently reduced as low as 15s. for the former and 10s. for the latter. At the present time there were 24 recipients of the charity of the institution, receiving I/. 9s. per month. Of these, nine were above the age of 80, nine more were upwards of 70 years of age, and the remainder were above 60. The noble chairman then proceeded to make a powerful appeal on behalf of the funds of the insti tution, which we are happy to say had the effect of producing a rubecription at the table amounting to nearly 1,5001. The healths of the Lords Mayor of London and York were subse quently given, and responded to by their lordships, and se veral other toasts were drunk during the evening. The room was graced by the presence of many of the fair sex, wbo ap peared to take a great interest in the proceedings, and the evening was enlivened by some excellent singing, under the superintendence of Mr. Shoubridge, aided by Miss Cubitt, Mrs. A. Newton, and several male vocalists of eminence. The company separated at a late hour. GRAY'S-YARD RAGGED SCHOOL.—A public meet ing was held last evening on behalf of this school at the Literary and Scientific Institution, Edwards-street, Portman square. Mr. B. B.Cabbell, M.P., presided. The report of the committee elated that the school was established in 1840, since which time 511 boys and young men had been admitted. The number at present on the books was 170, whose average age was 14 years, and of whom the average number attending was between 70 nod 80. Out of the 170 boys, 82 had both parents living ; 3i had no mother ; 38 no father; and 15 had neither one nor the other 95 had coca sional employment; 38 no employment whatever ; 37 too young to work; and during the last eight mouths 29 had been committed to prison. The committee contem plated an extensive enlargement of their sphere of operations as soon as the elate of the &oda permitted. The report having been read, the Chairman briefly addressed the meet ing upon what he conceived to be one of the most important movements of the day. Mr. Maxwell then proposed the first resolution, for the adoption of the report, and suggested that the bora should be taught a trade, as at present they left the schools without soy means of subsistence. Mr. Payne seconded the resolution in au amusing speech. Speaking of the chairman's political and scientific distinctions, he sug gested some new readings,—that " M.P." would be best interpreted as " Mindful of the Poor," and " F.R.8." as " Friend to the Ragged Schools." The resolution i a.= been carried, Mr. Ludham, the treasurer, stated the condition of the society : they had begun the last year with only a balance of 21. ss. 6d. ; the amount received during that time was 381. is. Mr. Ludlam bore testimony to the excel lent working , f the system, and concluded by beetowing . a donation of Si,l towards the funds. Two other resolutions in furtherance of the objects in view were passed, when thanks were voted to the c hairman, from whom a donation of 51. was announced, and the pr oceedings closed. A collection was made at the doors. THE KENT AND SURREY COMMISSION OF SEWERS. --Yesterday, the adjourned commission of inquiry was re- sowed before the surveying alters, Mr. H. Horn, barrister, I and Mr. J. Walker, civil engineer, at the Horns Tavern, I Kennington, when additional evidence was addueed in sup port of the measure. Mr. Cf. Drew gave in a statement of the districts to be rated, which were in the parishes of Lambeth, Camberwell, Battersea, Clapham, Streatham, and Wandsworth, which would give an additional rental on which rates were to be imposed of nearly 400,00 W., making the total rental about 1,375,0001. The commissioners pro- 4 pose to have the power to raise money to the amount of one-fourth the rental; the anuaint for which there was now a most pressing necessity, to arch over sowers and to erect new ones, being 160,0001. The commissioners were also in debt between 30,0001, and 90,0001. Mr. Vourley, from Bermocdaey ; Mr. Harper , solicitor, from Lambeth ; Mr. Shaw, &c ; urged upon the aurveying °facers that there was a general desire that the , commission should be established, so that rate-payers should have tour control in the election of the commissioners. They had no charge to make against them either indi vidually or as a body; but if a gentleman from each pariah (the churchwarden or other parochial officer) was to repre sent the pariah at the court, it would give eomo satisfaction. Mr. Walker observed he had sat at many inquiries, and he was able to say that on the present occasion he found scarcely any cause of complaint, which was not often the ease. (Hear.) Mr. Horn stated that the remarks in reference to the construction of the court should hare his attention. The commission again adjourned. FIRES.—A fire suddenly burst forth yesterday from the cabinet and bedstead manufactory belonging to Messrs. Bales, situate at No. 23, Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square. The premises were at the rear of the private dwelling, and were adjoined by a spacious timberyard, and by nume rous houses in Pitt -street, so that at one time a most fearful conflagration was expected. The alarm having been promptly a given, iekt o he o comse of a few minutes two machines from Fire arriv e ed, and the paetyrifsehr the enginesProwithennuomferboufes others of the London brigade, and the one belonging to the West of England Company. No time was lost in setting the engines to work, but owing to the firm hold the fire had previously obtained, it became quite apparent that the ma nufactory was doomed to destruction. Accordingly, the fire men exerted themselves in such a manner as to cut off the further spread of the fire: whilst they were so engaged, the roof and part of the outer wall fell with a tremendous crash, I and the flames then shot into Mr. Oliver's mahogany loft, setting fire to the building, and also to a number of pieces of valuable cabinet wood. The hose of several engines were taken through the surrounding houses, and by that means the firemen were enabled to attack the flames in the right 1 quarter but it was past nine o'clock before they had suc ceeded in extingtlishing them, and not until Messrs. Beaks' manufactory was burned down, the whole of the valuable stock in trade and men's working . tools destroyed, the tim ber in the loft of Mr. Oliver's premises considerably damaged by fire, and the building itself much burnt. Several houses in Pitt-street have also their back premises destroyed. The cause of the disaster is not known. Messrs. Heilman insured, hut not to near the amount of their loss. —Flan IN TNEOLD. STREET-ROAD.—Last night, a fire broke out in Mr. Berry's coffee-house, Old-street-road. Information was given, and the parish engines, with others, soon arrived. The fire, however, was not quenched before the building (chiefly of wood) was burned through and its conten's consumed. The fire is supposed to have originated through some defect in the flue. It is said that the occupier is not insured. INQUESTS YESTERDAY.—ALLEGED DEATH PROM STARVATION.—Before Mr. W. Baker, at the Duke of Wel lington, Wellington street, Stoke Newington, on view of the body of Jane Wittman, aged 3 years, who was alleged to have died on Tuesday last, from neglect and starvation. The body of the child was moat frightfully emaciated, and had evi dently suffered from great privations. About seven months' since, the deceased and another child about five years of age were left by their mother, who s eat into Kent hop-picking. The father of the deceased was afterwards convicted fur steal ing a bed, and sentenced to the House of Correction for six months. The two children then became chargeable to the parish and were removed to Shoreditch workhouse. The mother returned about two months ago, and also entered the same workhouse. On Friday last she appeared before the board and represented that she required a bed and bedstead, for the purpose of making her husband a home, when he left the prison. Her pe tition was granted, and on the following Monday she re moved her two children from the workhouse to the house of her mother. She remained at her mother's house several hours, when she left, and said she would return in the even ing. In the afternoon she told her sister that she intended to let her two children remain with her mother until she became tired of them, when she would be obliged to remove them again to the workhouse. She failed to return as she pro mised, and has not been beard of since. On the following Tuesday the deceased appeared very ill, and a surgeon was sent for, but she expired before he arrived. He said he could not account for death, unless he made a post-mortems exami nation of the body, but he considered the deceased had been greatly neglected. Inquiry adjourned until Friday next. -- ACCIDENT OM THE CROYDON ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY.— By Mr. Carter, at the Jolly Sailor, Norwood, on the body of Thomas Smith, aged 34, a man employed to grease the tube on the Croydon Atmospheric line.—Henry Sandford, porter at the Jolly Sailor station, stated that the quarter past eight o'clock train from London, propelled from Forest hill on the atmospheric line, arrived at that (the Jolly Sailor) station shortly before nine o'clock on Sunday evening. It was then discovered that something was out of order iu the machinery of the piston-carriage, and that they were unable to ran to Croydon. Intelligence of the detention of the train was sent to the Forest-bill station, in order that a locomotive might be Pent from thence to draw the train on, but a reply was sent that they were to persevere in endea vouring to adjust the works of the piston-errriage. They did what they could to put them in order, hut failed, and again signified by telegraph that they must have a loco motive. While the engine was coming towards them, the deceased, who stood on the same line, was knocked down and killed. The deceased was at the time greasing the tube between the Annerley and Norwood stations. The stoker felt the engine go over; something, and, stopping as soon as possible, found the deceased lying on the line, dread fully mutilated. The whistle having been blown, the de ceased should and might have got off the line. The orders given to the men were, that they were to get off the line when an engine was coming. Verdict : Accidental Death." LETTERS ON THE POOR-LAWS.--No. I. - --- Sir,—Among the strenuous multitude of writers I end sp eakers on this subject, it is to be hoped there are not wanting sonic careful thinkers ; for if there is no practical question more urgent, there is no theoretical question which connects itself more deeply with the fundamental principles of civil society. The remarkable change of opinion about the poor-laws which has taken place within the last few years, may be ascribed to experience or to agitation. My persuasion is that the agitators have had some ground of reason to work upon. But the danger is now that the re-action goes too far, and that in enlarging our theory, we forget the principles already ascertained and established. A wise mediator is yet wanting between the economists of 1834 and the philanthropists of 1847. That office I would urge it upon you to undertake, by mesas of the powerful instrument in your hand. In the mean time I avail myself of your permission to offer a few general coesiderations to those anions your readers who may see anything in them. My experience has been gathered in the North of England, very appropriate ground for a middle. man, if we consider Scotland as exhibiting one extreme of poor-Law management, and the south of England before the late change, the other, and both of them as failures from opposite CaILIOS. Two presumptions, I think, may low be hazarded Ist. That we shall have another revision of our poor - laws; and 2nd. That the alterations will be in the duection of libe rality—in other words, that the main object henceforth is to be not the protection of property ageing rates, but the effectual relief of all honest poverty—at:ok by many degrees the most important and most difficult that civilisatioe has before it. The poor-laws of England are of ancient date as a code of police, but the 43rd of Elizabeth was the first compre hensive measure of legal charity, and was framed , as I have been informed, upon the mode l of a similar ceheme still extant,. projected, but never adopted, by the magistracy of Ypres, Flanders. Be that as it may, this great statute bears the strong impress of a legislative mind, and, at this day, it is a fair question, whether in principle it can be im proved upon. for nearly 2.50 Tears it has struggled on through failures and obstacles which some philosophers pro nounce to be inevitable and invincible, yet their own amend ment act of 1834 sinks decrepit before it is well into its teens. There must be a reason for this beyond mere clamour and want of political science in the British public. Let it imply ne disrespect to the authors of the new poor-law, if we say that their experiment has not boon successful, and endeavour to investigate the causes of its failure. First of all, this much-abused amendment act was mimed under the influence of a panic in all the southern counties, where the progress and pressure of pauperism had become justly frightful to all thinking men. The main object, therefore, of the act, was to atop that cancer at al events; but in attempting to do so by suddenly cutting of the sup plies, injustice was done to many classes who bad grown up under the evil system, but especially to all willing workers out of employment by no fault of their owe. Nor were pains taken to ascertain beforehand the proportion of these to the idle and dissolute—that is, to ascertain the natural state of the labour market in England, apart from the disturbing effects of the poor-laws. The workhouse test was solely relied upon for doing this afterwards. But such test was justifiable only upon the supposition that work and wages were to be had for all, and that poverty is a rice suppressible by pains and penalties. To whatever extent this is not true—to whatever extent the workhouse is un willingly accepted by the able-bodied,—both moral and seesnomend wrong is done. The labourers am exasperated against the law, and their labour is lost to society. Work houses, moreover, containing for the most port the popu lation of a gaol, without the discipline, are apt to become special nurseries of vice. Workhouses are partly asylums, partly schools, partly almshouses, and partly houses of correction; and if anybody will consider the sort of distracted multitude thus gathered together for such opposite purposes—the scum of forty pari sh es swept into one receptacle—and divided only by two sexes and two he will not be astonished at clamours and riote, either win or without ; but will wonder only at any rule at all being maintainable in such pandemoniums. In truth, the work houses are, for the moat part, governed as well as is possible under the circumstances. But the result is that, like reli gious tests, they operate only to exclude the best characters, and to admit the worst. I say, then, that the experience of twelve years has over turner' the theory of the new poor-law as a whole theory. It has failed of its end. It has not suppressed pauperism ; it has not raised wages; it has not restored the industrious labourer to independence or contentment, or begun to do so; above all, it has not satisfied the public mime of justice, or fulfilled the hope. of reasonable and moderate men. Do I, then, mean any reproach to the authors of the law ? Very fax from it. I was implicitly of their school at the beginning, and it is experience only that has shaken my faith, and that slowly, and again-t my will. The Commissioners of Inquire were men of great ability, of great industry, and of high character, inspired by an earnest desire to find a remedy fur a great public evil ; and notwithstanding all clamour their experiment remains a moat valuable one, and their labour% instructive to all future times; but in such an enterpriic who can hope not to fail again or again. Parltamo-nt and the public are now called upon to recon sider the whole question ; and, impatient ea newspaper rs alien and practical men are of general principles, it is hopeless, without a great deal of reflection and discussion, to put any legislation whatever upon a sound foundation. If people will not consider the natural cause of poverty and the opera tion of the common receints for relieving it ; if philanthro pists will only abuse political economy, end economists will admit no exceptions to their general laws, then all our experience will he thrown away upon us, and we shall go en like quack doctors—for ever attacking the symptoms and never the source. _ . . I think it can be shown that the statute of Elizabeth is yet sound at heart, and capable of successful application to the circumstances of our time ; that a poor-law so an indis pensable instrument of civilisation ; and that a good poor law for Bricked, Scotland, and even Ireland, is an idea that may be realised in this very generation. But here I mud pause, to return with your permission to the subject in a few more letters, at such intervals as may suit your convenience. TRIM:NUS. IRELAND. DUBLIN, FEB. 10. The severity of the weather, which ha; alternated between snow and frost for the last three days, has delayed the arrival of the southern mails of yesterday. They are not expected until a late hour this evening; too late, at least, for the London pos t The recent accounts of the rapid increase of fever are extremely alarming. A central board of health, under the control of the poor-law commissioners, has been established, and held its fi rst sitting yeste rday. The Reproductive Employment Committee as sembled to-day, Lord Desert in the chair. The new poor-law and railway bills were discussed at consider able length, when a series of resolutions were agreed to. Petitions on the two measures will be forwarded to parliamen. one strongly disapproving of the prin ciple of out - door relief, and the other in support of Lord G. Bentinclis railway scheme. The liberality of t.,e people of England fills the country with amaLement. Such noble munilioroes cannot fail to produce the happiest results on the public temper. Ignorance will reason that a people whose benevolence is so unbounded, and which comes to the relief of distress with such splendid offering; cannot be a " very bad" people. 'Prejudice is fast yielding, and the docile and really generous Iris peasant will practically learn that England is a column on which he may repose in the days of his adversity. This feeling is growing very prevalent, owing very much to the acknowledgments of the Roman Catholic clergy, who in their Sunday exhorta tions are constantly dwelling on the exalted charity of the English people. A meeting of the corporation was held to-day at' the Assembly-house, when a resolution was adopted that the town council should petition porlianseat against the admission of rum, unless paying such a' discriminating duty as should afford due protection to the manufacturers of Irish spirits; and particularly - . against the admission of rum into consumption in Ireland upon payment of a duty of 3s. 2d. the impe rial gallon. The resolution was proposed by Alder man Gavin, corn-factor, a Repealer, and seconded by Alderman Kinahan, spirit merchant, and a Tory. SCOTLAND. POLICE MOLALITY.—One of the police-serjeanu in Edin burgh has had oue son transported for theft ; another was tour times convicted of theft, and died in prison ; a third has been three times convicted of robbery, and is now waiting his trial for a slmilar crime ; and the remaining son, living at home with his father, has been once convicted of theft. The father himself once allowed a prisoner to escape, who had been fourteen times guilty of neglect of duty. lie has, at last, been dismissed from office. CLOWN() OP 111011 LAND Roans.—A case was decided lately in the Court of Session of great importance to the Highlands, and by which the right of the public to what are termed drove roads" is established. The case oinated a few years ago in an attempt by the Marquis of Bre,adallnine to abolish the long used cattle stance at Inverveach, on the great drove road through Argyllshire, with the view of more strictly preserving his lo rd ship's deer forest in the Block Mount. The attempt necessarily created a great mu tation not only throughout the Highlendv, but among the graziers of the northern counties of England, who are so much interested in the cattle trade of the north of Scotland. Public meetings were held at various places, a deputation was appointed to correspond with the marquis and his agent with the view to an amicable arrangement of the matter, and that filling, a public subscription was raised to try the question in the persons of the tenants of Inverveach, on whose grounds the right of interference was first exercised. Their lordships unanimously sustained the rights of the pub lic to the roads in question. Tua Pince or BREAD has fallen one penny in Glasgow, and a halfpenny in Edinbuigh. SUNDAY IN GLABOOW.—As regards Lord Brougham's accusation against the distributors of soup to the starving poor, it is but too well founded. A hungry man with money m his pocket, need not suffer any pangs in Glasgow on the Sunday; fir not only the hotels but the whisky shops will be happy to give him food and drink fur his money, " be tween sermons," or after them. But the poor wretch with his soup ticket must starve until the Monday—or die in the meantime. We believe this will be altered, and that the conductors of the night asylum, now that public attention bas been directed to this harsh uncharitableness, will open their doors at least for a couple of hours on the Sunday. to those objects of their bounty whom they relieve en other days of the week.—G league Argue. PROVINCIAL. UNIFORMITY OF TIME.—H. Booth, Esq., has addressed the chairman of the railway commissioners on the subject generally, of the inconvenience experienced by travellers, poet-office keepers, and railway managers, from the differ ences of time, sawed, of course, by the difference in the lon. gitudes of places ; and he strongly urges the adoption of a uniform time for England. At present the difference of time between Liverpod and Manchester, not to speak of Leeds and Hull, produces many troublesome miscalculations. This may be obviated by the use of electric clocks to all having a common motive power. NOILTIIUMBERLtN D. MCRDRIL.—EM.I7 on Sunday evening last, a murder was committed at Newbrough, near the Fourstooes station, a few miles west of Hexham, on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. The particulars are given by the Netecattk Ad vertiser The murdered man, whose name was Proud, and who was hind to Mr. Maughan, of Newbrough-lodge, had a child to be baptised on Sunday afternoon, and after leaving church Proud and his friends went to a public house in the village of Newbrough. While there, some misunderstand. ing took place between Proud and a labourer named Welsh. and on Proud and his party leaving the public-house, Welsh left also, and went in the same direction. The quarrel was re newed, and a struggle took place between Webb and Proud, the latter having the best of it. They then separeel, but they had not gone far up the lane, when Welsh suddenly re-appeared, and seizing Proud's head, pulled it back, and cut his throat so severely that the unfortunate victim died almost immediately. After committing the deed, Welsh instantly ran off, and called at the same public-house, where he got • pot of whisky, and having drank it, be stated to the mistress of the house that it was the last time she would see him. He then left, and hastened to the Founitones station. On reach ing it he seems to have been entirely overcome, partly by the liquor he had taken, and the exertions made to flee from the locality of his crime. In the meantime intelligence of the murder soon spread over the village, and a constable mounted a horse and went to the Fourstones statism, where Welsh was taken. CtKlovs ALLEGED OUTILAGZ AT COTTENHAM.—The Cambridge Advertiser, of yesterday, reports a case which it describes so one of the most extraordinary that ever came under notice. The facts, as elicited by an examination before the inspectors of police, on Monday last, are these : A married woman, residing in the village of Cottenham, was (according to her own etatement) suddenly accosted in the public road at eight o'clock on the evening of the 31st ult. by some raglan unknown. Before she had time to reply, a plaster was applied to her mouth, she wee grasped by the wrists and legs . , and transported on the shoulders of the mysterious stranger seer hedges and ditches, to a lonely field There she was set down,and coolly told that her head would be cut off if she ude the slightest uproar, or attempted any resist ance. At the same time no indecency, approaching to felo nious violence, was committed or even offered. The woman was plundered of her marriage ring, and some money. Her clothes were then cut from her person, a portion of her hair was deliberately cut off, and else was net at liberty. Thus 4r the woman's own story ; and whatever suspicions may hang over it, there appears to be no doubt of the fact, that she did certainly arrive at the house of a relation, at a late hour in the evening above-mentioned. in a state of absolute nudity, with the exception of her shoes and stockings, and a piece of flannel attached to one of her legs. But the mystery remains to be told. The woman had no sooner blazoned her story in the village, than two men (one of them a police constable) traced carefully, with a lantern, the route which he said she had been carried. The impediments, in the shape of quickest hedges, and ditches 3 and even .5 feet wide, were such as seemed to render it morally and physically impoeeibls that any man could have carried a woman on his shoulders along such a route, with out on any one occasion placing down his burden. The clothes were found lying in the held which the woman had indicated, manual): cut up from top to bottom, but the marks of the footateps leading to and from tae field , which were carefully examined and measured by the light of the lantern, were those of only one person, and moreover they exactly corresponded to the woman's own shoes. CILIIIIRATION OF H;iijliA.l6B ... TY . B WIDDING-DAY. The seventh anniversary of the union of her Majesty with Prince Albert was celebrated at Windsor yesterday with the usual rejoicings. The bells of St. George's Chapel and of the parish church of St. John rang merry peals; at noou kroyal salute was fired from the corporation ordnance. A...reed salute was also fired from the Belvidere Be.tiory pt y o t v Water. Several of the Qra's tradeunspi dined at the New A wk , and 9 .v * 4 .I.l l er it y m g bell jig honikr erne ' , Rust of the _ a, ... - . AMNRICAN HOMINY IN ENGLISH UNIONS.—The clerk to the Board of Guardians, Kuutaford, writes regards hominy bring a gaol substitute for potatow4. „ I have not the slightest hesitation in saying that it is the very best article of its kind yet introduced, solely from its sound nutritious qualities. The horn's, arouse and pudding which I prepared (being precisely LIP same as given to the inmates) for our Board of Guardians to see, taste, and judge for tnemselves, gave general saiis-;„, faction on our last board-slay—in fact, one and all declared the hominy arouse to be a most savoury dish. It was prepared an the taming manner:--The beef, 30165. • weight (being the quantity required as per diet table); was boiled in a copper by itself ; a portion of the liquor from the meat wan nicely seuoned and made savoury ; the meat afterwards being cut into small pieces—and the whole, when well mixed together, and served up quite hot, was really excellent, and very satisfying in its nature. From inquiries made from our inmates, who had been accus tomed for years to live principally upon potatoes and buttermilk, how they liked hominy u a substitute for po tatoes, they declared (with only one or two exceptions), that they liked this Krouse better than they did potatoes. and assigned as their reason, that they did not feel huager so soon after a meal of this kind as after a meal of pota toes; clearly showing its satisfying nature, and that it remained in the system much longer than potatoes. The quantity of hominy *noose given to an adult is one pound weight, with four ounces of cooked meat, at acct of lid. per head. In point of fact, if you could supply me with hominy at its present price, I cruld effect a saving in the expt adi tare of this utsbliahment, in one article of provisions alone, of 21. weekly. The hominy pudding I also prepared for the board to see and taste in the form in which I pre pared it for the inmates. It was simply the hominy well boiled, afterwards mixed with a little milk, a kw currants,- and a little spice ; then placed in tins and put into the oven. to brown over. The puddings came out of the oven beautiful and crisp, with a nice brown crust at the top, and looked and ate moat deliciously—is fact, I had some diltisulty in convincing our board of guardians of the entire abaene• of eggs, sugar, &c. They really thought it impossible (looking at the article) that it could be made into such eke , puddi•ga at so trifling a cost—the whole amount not avenging ware than one halfpenny per head fur this amid- , flow) meal." jfint arts. NATIONAL (lALLEItY.—DECISION OP TM'. LIPS? TeES.—The minutes of the trustees of the National Gallery during the yearelB4s and 1846, containing Mr Eastlake 's de , fence of himself eeriest " Verax," Mr. Morris Moore and Mr. Coningham, have just been issues by the House of Commons iareturn to an address of the 26th of January. The minutes occupy nineteen folio pages, and contain several entries, par titularly interesting at the present moment. At a meeting on Monday, the 24th of August last, Mr. Eastlake, the keeper, reported to the traders " that some of the pictures of this gallery stand in need of cleaning and other restora tions," and it was then resolved :—" That Mr. Eastlake is empowered by the trustees to use his discretion in causing such pictures, as appear to him to be in want of this treat ment, to be cleaned and otherwise restored, by competent persons whom he shall select for the purpose, u far as practicable during the approaching vacation." At the next meeting of the trustees, held on Monday the 2 5 5th of January last (not three weeks ago), a note was read from the Earl of El'esmere to the secretary " requesting him to lay before the trustees a letter he had received from Mr. Morns Moore, of the 10th of December last, enclosed with his lord.- ship's communication ; in which letter Mr. Moore states his opinion that three pictures, the • Bacchus and Ariadne,' by Titian; the ' Peace and War,' by Rubons ; and the newly.purchasod picture by Vella:fun; have been injured in the cleaning they have recently undergone." The letter read, it was then resolved—e" that this letter be referred to ' Mr. Eastlske, in order that he may report to the trustees at their next meeting, to Se specially summoned to recehe his report, the steps he has taken in pursuance of the minute of the trustees of the 24th of August last, and his opinion on the present state of these pictures, and the proceed ings resorted to in cleaning them, and their results." At the special meeting, held on Monday, the 4th February, Mr. k.attlake's report wits read, and the trustees present, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Ripon, the Earl of Ellesmere, Lord Monteagle, Sir Robert Peel, Sir James Graham, Mr. Samuel Rogers, and Mr. William Wells, unanimously resolved, " That in the opinion of the Trustees, the report made by Mr. Eastlake is entirely satisfactory, and Justiftesthe confidence which they have re. posed in his judgment in respect to the treatmenl of the pictures is the National Gallery. " That part of Mr. East lake's report which refers to what he did in accordance with the resolution of the 24th of August last (already referred to) will attract attention " The pictures which appeared to me more especially to require attention were the newly purchased N elioquez, the " Allegory of Peaoe," .by Ruben,' ; the " Landscape," by Cusp ; and the " Bacchus and Ariadne," by Titien. I considered that one picture-ale ever would be eufficient for the work pro. posed. I requested Mr. Seguier to examine these pictures, and to give me his opinion as to the expediency of cleaning them, and the possibility of doing what appeared to be ne cessary with safety. Tree opinions expressed by him on the occasion in question had my entire concurrence." The pre ; liminary arr t aT o ut ut ents agreed upon, the operation of clean !rilla=us"and abo ut t e ' !h w e as e4 tTelirs o r l r" at n w it .T; taken is hand. "Mr. Seguier did not recommend clewing the Titian so much as the other pictures. Some of the trustees, as well as Mr. Seguier and myself, had remarked an ine quality in the upper and left corner of this pict*e, arising from the canvas haying become partially detached from its lining. Mr. Seguier states that it woo not feasible to get rid of this inequality entirely without relining the picture ; but that operation I did not con eider requisite. The picture was accordingly cleaned only to the extent proposed by Mr. Seguier, and the defect in the canvas was remedied as far as it could be. The latter ope ration was the only one, coming under the head of restora tion, which was considered necessary in the late cleaning." The Velaaquer and Cuyp were next taken up. "T." Velasquee and the Cuyp were freed from the darkened varnish which obscured them. In cleaning the latter, it was hoped that two light spots in the sky, produced by restorations which bad been made before the picture was in the present building, would cease to be apparent. The re sult has been quite satisfectory. The Velasques speaks for huff." The Rubens, on which the greatest injury (irre parable injury) is said to have been wrought, was the last that was taken up. Hear Mr. Eastlake on the state of the picture before the last vacation " The Ruben& may be said to have been long buried snider re petted coats of yellowed and soiled varnish. It was found that these could be removed with perfect safety, as the surface of the picture had that extreme hardness which the works of this master, above all others, often possess. The doubt which I had expressed, whether the picture might have been restored at a termer period, proved to be un founded. Mr. Seguier distinctly states that it is extremely rare to find a large work of the age of this specimen in so pure a slate of preservation." Having thus explained what was actually done to the four pictures under consideration, and by whom the work was performed, Mr. Eastlake adds his "entire satisfaction of the reselt," and expreems his acknowledgments to Mr. Seguier " for the care with which he executed the task undertaken by him." The Titian, the Cusp, and the Velasquez speak, as he says, " forthemselves ;" on the Ruben ', however, he b egs to submit a few observations. " I have already remarked, he says, " that if some pictures are cleaned, while others hanging beside them are in a dirtier state, the clean pictures may, for a time, present a considerable contrast to the rest. This difference is more likely to be apparent when a Ruben', so placed, is freed from the accumulated effects of a London at mosphere. A work by so florid a painter, in his brightest manner (as suited to a cheerful subject, such as an allegory of peace), might almost, under any circumstances, be ex pected to present a contrast to pictures originally executed in a much lower tone ; and this contrast must be greatly in creased after such a picture has been cleaned. The differ ence, however, soon ceases to be striking, ftom the effects of time and of au impure atmosphere, on the fresh varnish. The change has been already witnessed in two pictures, ' The Brazen Serpent' and the Judg ment of Paris,' by the same master. Those works were cleaned in 11444; and at first, es was generally remarked at the time, looked comparatively crude. They have now acquired due mellowness of tone." This would teem, as it is satisfactory enough, but Mr. Eastlake, a competent Ratko! . rity on such matters, has something to add, and to the point— " lite preservation of the most delicately executed details in this picture (the Rubenx) is a proof of the care with which the surface has been cleaned. Lest, however, it should be supposed that gluing,' may have been removed with the soiled varnish, I beg leave to observe that an experienced picture-cleaner is not likely robe deceived on such points. Aa experienced pieture.cleaner knows, from long habit, the general nature of the materish need by the great painters, and eau distinguish between such materials, and the modern varnishes which may be 'Tread over pictures, from time to time, to preserve or to renovate them, and which, sooner or later, according to local circum stances and conditions, become discoloured. In the picture now under consideration, the central portion, which has the most unequivocal indications of the master's hand, is painted either altogether, or to a great extent, on a dark ground, contrary to the usual habits of Ruben*. The figures to the left, again, appear to be painted on a light ground. Those who are conversant in the practical details of painting are aware that these different conditions generally involve an original diffvrence of treatment." But Mr Eastlake does not rest his defence merely on his own plea of " Not Guilty." He calls Ruben' himself to his aid, and afterwards summons five Royal Acarlemichun ( Mulready, Etty, Edwin Landseer, Gle(a and Stanfield) and three others—Smith (author of the " Catalogue Raisonnee"), Thomas Emmerson, and Peter Norton, all of whom indi sidually and collectively approve of the late proceedings in every respect as "entirely satisfactory ; " and fully confirm I the trustees in the decision they came to at their hart meet ing. The letters of Mulready, Etty, and Edwin Lendseer, deserve insertion : _ . Links Orove, Bantrater, Sidt. l, 1041. X Mhd i e:r Sir,—The " Banton sod Arintme,* by 1 1 Xxx• EMI "Pox* • r . , '. &I away the Myron of War," by islstee. on ► OM Illi re Pie t urea t I know beet. I have seenax= MX QM . since tbey were last eleamed, and I So prig , with!' lay neck but I bine Met leads me to newt that the pillyass law ban Itlark l irmssus illi et dewing Moot I have lament Om. I etmelm. W. fie. • • . tole —C. I. Eastlake. Keg., R.A. • ...:. 4 . My deer Str, tehelLer I had 1 04;44 the c 4 tem* Of Uve 1... nedar &aims , I f if opyortantty • t; g„„ r , and diA '• Like, Fp., ILA. • • 14, eseldngbantatrest, Woad, D. la, 13411. ea,--On Saturday I neared a seat dram ple,4agednirsi • .1., ad head of the letters which hove bans ta lip • cleaning of some of the pawls la • . • • • _ !Id hear several perverts sneak% • • • • 1. • -- be papers, mad se I wet sasterwr Ss lee* rims to see hew Or 1 eartakhrei- • tortsinity one dam day (ea 1 have *ere, • • sopsaled by • &lead. I was Mb • , mad did sot !•ce the Titian Baschne ' j. • • :11