The Express. — London, England, 1847-01-08 00:00:00

it i )YAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.- PROVICEISOR SCIRENBEIN'S GCN.COTION, and other se Compounds, with brilliant Experiments, lectured on by I. Ryan. daUy, at half-post three o'doel., and on the Es:oinks of , Aredamdays, end Fridays. The principle of lb. various MAGNETIC TELEGRAPHS eaplahaed daily by Professor Malaga. the intent of Mean , Cook and Wheat ask in Ore on the Railways, and the more react patent of and Gamble. The various ModeloexplaincaL MaanUled of DISEASED POTATOES exhibited by the OXY-HY =rN mmoursCOPE, with the Deetroctire Imam; supposed by aMyo of%-vrt.l6.l47„tre vTas r d l i =G- A BE b rlr i ael R. with Experiments. The PHYSIOSCOPE, New CHRO IMATROpE, Re. le.—Adasiodan, la ; Schools, hail-prier. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER HALL.—THIS EVENING (Friday), Jas. 8, 1817, will be per formed HANDEL'S ORATORIO, MESSIAH.. P7n;ell:6ltireal (;;Cdort Allan, Miss M. B. Hann, Mr. Maasers, and Mr. fI. Phillips. The Band sad Chorus will consist of above 300 Performing'. . . 11.;;;;;:17*; t;, - may of the Musie-sellers; of Mr. Bosle 33, (.taring- of Mr. 103, dersod, opposite Exeter - ha lt; or of Mr. Mitchell, 39, Cliarhyt.crare. THOM kS lIRKWFR. Mon. See. AD UEEN'S CONCERT ROOMS, Hanover-square. —Grand evening CONCERT, hr aid of the Funds of the 17114. TERN OPHTHALMIC INSTITUTION, THIS EVENING (Friday), Jeasary 5, INT. The Moving eminent artists have kindly volunteered their gratuitous smokes :—Vorsi performers : Melsine Altertaad, Mir Rainforth, Miss Poole, Mn. W. IL Weise, Mina MISR A. 1141, and the Mines A. and M. Williams; Mr. Lackey, X b r.V. H. Weiss, Mr. Frank Hada, and Mr. T. Williams. Instru mental performers: Pianoforte, Mir Kate Leder ; lisz-hsens and insists., the bleasiestrs Chitin; flute, Mr. OHM: vionail .b. aater De z maseetitia, Mr. A. &sigma. Conductor, Mr. Brittle, estemenes at eight o'eMek. Single dokeis, do. each; family tickets (admitting six), IL la.; moved seats, S. sash; buntly liebets (to admit Sour persons to the reserved mate), 11. la.; to be had of all mareasnma Q.T. JAMES'S ASSEMBLY ROOMS, kJ (We Crackford's). The THIRD SUBSCRIPTION BALL of Me' cat series will tag pima cm MONDAY next, to commence at Mile o'clock. Patios denims of subscribing ore requested to make early application as the war of admissions for eseli Ball is limited. To diWe on Ule isoplibareas MOM ite•enus Temple of Terpsichore eresakl be a tea that weight • • aim; It is only neceseary to add that every cooltat awl tramm7 w thaw be be fovea, and most of the Mite of the whammy awl ruby mew In town arc the patrons of be.. hells. Subscribes,' mows ore reedeedat all the principal Libraries and Musicoellers at the WO:4111111 cad to the City; also at Mr. aarke's aline, 11. k Jews'astreat These rooms may be secured say Ober ievimMt ... amematjbele• devoted to the above balls, by addrees bg a Has ft Mar I*NI. NO, ,ROSBY-HALL.-----ETHIOPIAN / SERENADERS. —LAST NIGHT BUT THREE.—THIN ENING, Jan. S. From the crowded date of the Hall oo Wed. newhiy, all tickets purchased for that night will be admitted this evening. The Ethiopian Serenaders, Fell, Harrington, White, Stanwood, and Gerrnon ((rom the St. James's Theatre) will repeat their Inimitable EN fERTAINME.NTS at the above Hall T/lIS EVENING (Friday), and on MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY IMeatado neat week. Ticket. may be hod at the Library at the Med. team as at t h e dm" es the Adds et perihrommea THEA'PRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.— Triumphant sumer of the new grand hire estravagansa of 71111 IN VISINLE PRINCE, nr The Island of Tranquil Delights, the (umlaut hit ever made (ride the public prem).—ln order to give as nineb varlets ea possible, THE ROUND OF WRONG will be per formed TO-NIGHT, and three times a week ; and LONDON ASSU RANCE TOMORROW. THE DIVISIBLE. PRINCE EVERY EVENING. J. T. ARCHER, 800-bookkeeper. ght prow. MAILS. Th e m u. o p Vigo, 43 1. 118:4, Madeira, Cadiz. and Gibraltar, will he wade on the at fie 18th January. The Watt lath. , thew for Mew°, Honduras, and the Havannah, he made ea the aterningof the 18th January. yby oyeetaud reaik , few ,_lldena,,Greere, the lonian 'shunts, Z•p b t . , Aden, C,yion, Lnatis.llfreg-Woog, in Chine, Via Southampton, made up on the averidaiefthe atoning of the 20th January. The overland clamed We Marseilles, to the Mediterranean, >ikypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Yong, hc., will be mode op on the awning of the 25th mory The mail. for New South Wades, Van Dienten's Land, sod New !.Wand will be made up on the freeshar of the 3lst Jan wry. The mail, for Itriti•li North America, Bermuda, and the United States, will be made up on the evesdag of the Srd February. The mails for the Brasile, the River Plate, Monte Vuleo, Pernam- Iwo, Bahia, Ma tetra, and Buenos Ayres, will be dispatched an the evening of the 4th February. TO CORRESPONDENTS. V Advent/emote intended for The Erprese, London eveedowymper, nand beet the Once by Two o'doek on the day of poltiestios. MOH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE. Tnts DAT. —MOTTiLIT. teats pat 6; Afternoon. 20 Ws pint 6. To-Yellow—Mornlng, 39 Till]. pat 6; Afternoon, 39 pan. pod 6. LONDON, FRIDAY, JAN. 8. WE are disposed to sympathise strongly with the feeling expressed against the window tax at the Marylebone meeting of Wednesday. The tax is unequal, and prejudicial to health. Its inequality is more than usually curious and complicated. We should call it the worst of taxes assessed in the worst of ways. It has always appeared to us a matter of regret that in the repealing days of 1837 the window tax was not marked out for abolition in stead of the house tax. The house tax interfered neither with health new industry. The determination &the value of house property was easy, and required no inquisitorial proceedings. The rate pressed for the most part on those who were best able to bear it. In all these respects it was favourably dis tinguished from the window tax. That impost does not require the exaggerations of Mr. WILSON, the chairman of the Marylebone meeting, to prove it in every respect an obnoxious and objectionable source of revenue. But there are very strong reasons against the abandonment of any sources of revenue at present, unless where, in the case of articles of consumption, there is a prospect of filling up the void by increased demand at lower duties. In fact, we may assume, without reference to their theoretical merits or demerits as imposts, that neither malt duty, nor tea duty, nor window duty, can be repealed this session with safety to the finances of the country. Fortunately, however, in the case of the window tax, this conviction leaves us another alternative besides the old-fashioned ono " to grin and bear it? Though the tax cannot reasonably be repealed, it may, without loss to the revenue, be ren dered much less mischievous and burdensome. Go vernment may adopt a plan similar to that proposed by Mr. HUME in 1834, limiting the tax to its present amount, and allowing every man who has paid window rate for an entire year, to continue to pay the same composition, though he open additional windows. This proposal actually passed into law the week after it was offered by Mr. HUME. But the fate of the measure presents a warning to all who have to deal with a Chancellor of the Exchequer and Commissioners of Stamps and Taxes. " The law un made it as the law had made? The act in ques tion provided that additional windows might be opened, free of duty, " in every house which is, or shall be duly assessed for the year ending April 5, 1835." Quibbles were raised on the words "duly assessed," and the courts make out, whenever the point came before them, that nobody seas duly assessed for that year! Meanwhile the light-giving, air-giving, health-giving, clause had been eagerly jumped at and acted on. Everybody was at work breaking out new windows and unbriclring old ones. Light and air were raining in on dingy cellars and frowzy passages, and stifling attics, which had known little of either since 38 George 111. Every occupier or builder who took this step found himself °might in a trap "Duly assessed" was invoked against him with effect. Trial after trial raised the point. It was invariably given in favour of the com missioners. Frightened out of the contest, at last the public gave in, grumblingly bricked up their windows, and with loud abuse of government for its breach of faith, and of the law far its cheerful countenance of a quibble, resigned itself to its former short allowance of life's first necessaries—light and air. If this plan be rejected, there is another which was proposed by Mr. HICKSON to the Health of Towns Commissioners. He submits "that all new houses should be assessed on the principle that every house built requires for light and air a certain number of openings, in proportion to its cubic contents; and these openings should be paid for whether they exist or not. The house once assessed on this sound prin ciple, the proprietor is to be at liberty to make as many additional openings as he pleases. The committee of the Health of Towns Association recommend a plan similar to this, and fixing the max imum at the existing window duties. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was applied to when the Buildings Act was in preparation, to introduce a short bill em bodying this suggestion, and "to exempt from taxa tion, on sanitary grounds, all unglazed openings in basement stories, and closets of every description." This was peremptorily refused. Any of these suggestions might be adopted, or hints derived trot; them, or &combination of them, so as to bring the window tax in some degree into har mony with what we anticipate in the way of sanitary reform during the approaching session. At all events, even if this limited dealing with the tax be refused, let a change be introduced in the principle on which it is levied in cases of many persons living under one roof in one large building. Take the poor man, perhaps in him filthy human warren, an old house in Whitechapel, or St. Giles's, or liethral-green and the comfortable Templar or rosy-gilled Oxford Don in lons of Court or College, or the man about town in the Alban y. times as much in window tax as lawyer, divine, or man of fashion. By the effect of a rule appended to 48 Geo. 111. c. 55, in the case of the poor, twenty separate dwellings in one house still make but one house. In the case of the rich, twenty separate dwellings in one house make twenty separate houses. But as houses with less than eight windows are ex empted from the tax, and as most sets of chambers have less than eight windows, or fall at least within the lowest class of taxed dwelling-houses, the inmates escape absolutely or comparatively scot tree. But the whole dwelling of the poor man, in which may be twenty families besides his own, and as many rooms each with its window, pays the heavy , tax of a first-class house, and this of course falls at once on the inmates. The working of this iniquitous piece of selfishness is thus illustrated in the report on Lord LINCOLN'S bill: In the ease of the buildings about to be erected by the Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes, in a house for ten families, each finally having three rooms ands scullery, and each room containing one window, making 40 windows throughout the house and • sky-light ; ths total window-tax for such house is 151. 15s. 7d., or If. I Is. 9d. for each family, being at the rate of 71d. per week each, whereas the same house, situated in the inns of court, or in either of the universities of Oxford or Cam bridge, the total duty is only 31. 17s. per annum, or 75 Bjd. for each set of four rooms, being at the rate of lid, per week each." . . . Such an arrangement as this ought not to be longer allowed to disgrace the statute-book. There is no loss of revenue to be pleaded against altering this provision. It is only to reverse the rule. Let what is now the law for the rich, become the law for the poor, and rice versa. Here are 7d. a week and id. a week to be paid to make up the existing Bd. of revenue. As it is, the poor man pays 7d., the rich man contributes the Id. Reverse it : let Temple, Oxford, Cam bridge and Albany pay 7d.; Whitechapel, Bethnal - green, and St Giles's Id. The Bd. will still have been raised, and a great and glaring piece of injus tice will have been done away with. "Tile returns of colonial expenditure," says the Times of yesterday, " present the question of colonial policy in a somewhat different light from that in which we have lately regarded it." These returns have "forcibly reminded the Tinges "that Great Britain has her rights, which claim at least as much, if not more, consideration than those of her depend encies." According to the Times the returns show an annual expenditure by Great Britain of more than three millions, the whole of which that journal calls an "amount of taxation paid by the British people on account or the colonies. This is a gross exaggeration of the annual colonial expenditure of the mother country as a very super ficial examination of the returns may suffice to show. The three millions include the whole expenditure of Great Britain at its colonies and dependencies (with the exception of the East India Company's territories), not only for their civil expenditure, but for military and naval stations. The military and naval expenditure cannot with common fairness be placed to the charge of the colonies alone : it is incurred for the protection of British trade and traders; it is incurred to preserve the police of the high seas; it is an expense which Britain bears in common with France, which has few colonies to pro tect, and the United States, which have none. Of the 3,171,646/. included under the head of "Colonial Expenditure," 2,556,9191. are military, and 74,0051. naval expenditure. Gibraltar, Malta, and the lonian islands are not colonies: we do not station mi litary and naval fames there to keepthem asterritories valuable in other respects, but we go to the expense of keeping possession of them because they are valuable military and naval positions. The annual expenditure of 219,4651. for military purposes at Gibraltar, of 106,659/. for military, and 34,164/. for naval purposes at Malta, and of 131.2271. for military purposes in the lonian islands, is not incurred to de fend colonies, but to maintain the political power of Great Britain, and enable the government in the most economical manner to protect the national commerce and all British travellers in search of gain, instruction, or amusement. In like manner, the annual naval expenditure of 16,3581. at Bermuda, and of 6,1141. at Ascension, are obviously incurred with a view to the proteetion of oar general trade, not to the mere defence of colonies. The naval and military expenditure in the West India islands, at the Cape of Good Hope, and at Hong Kong, have mainly the same object in view. Our garrisons and naval stations at Gibraltar, Malta, and Corfu, at Halifax, Bermuda, Jamaica, the Cape of Good ope, and Hong Kong, are so many points eloppui, whence aggressions upon British subjects all over the world may be prevented or punished on the shortest possible notice. They are the points at which we grasp the ocean. Though we did not possess a single colony, still if our commerce were as extensive as it is (though without colonies that is not easily con ceivable) it would be for the advantage of Great Britain to incur the expense of maintaining garrisons in these positions. It needs ne long argument to show that military and naval stations can, with proper management, be supported more economically, and with less hazard of dangerous or disagreeable collisions at home, than among foreigners. Our colonies are merely exten sions of the mother country : as seats of garrisons they stand midway between those at home and those in a foreign country k participating, though not to the same extent, in the increased cost of the latter, en joying, in a great measure, the advantage the former possess, of being placed " among their own people." These considerations do not show the whole ex tent of the glaring error of the Times, when that journal speaks of the colonies costing the people of this country upwards of 3,000,0001. annu ally. Even of the 540,8421. set down under the head of " Civil Expenditure" it will not be difficult to show that a large proportion is incurred for the advantage of the mother country, not of the colonies. The charges for convict establishments alone constitute upwards of 354,0001. of this annual outlay. Are convicts sent to Van Diemen's Land for the benefit of the free settlers there, or to relieve Great Britain of a number of her erring children, whom she lacks skill or patience to reclaim? Nay, with regard to the pro portion of these outcasts sent to Bermuda and Gibraltar, are their labours intended to benefit those places, or to strengthen the fortifications which con tribute to maintain Britain's ascendancy on the seas? The Imperial Customs' establishments in the colonies cost 88,3251. per annum, the Post-office collections remitted to England, or expended by the department, amount to 89,2021. This sum of 177,5271. is paid by the colonists, not by the inhabitants of Britain; and the first item has hitherto been collected for the benefit of tho mother rountry, not of the colonies. ' Its remission is now spoken of as boon to the colonies. That the colonies coat us something, need not b e denied. That they have hitherto, from gross mis management and grosser jobbing in the disposal of waste lands and distribution of colonial patronage, and from disaffection and turbulence excited by conni vance at local abuses, cost us more than they ought to have done, is certain. But the assertion that the colonies cost us three millions annually is a ludicrous exaggeration. Whoever will take the trouble to deduct from this total the military and naval expen diture at all stations favourable to the protection of our trade, at the stations frequented by cruisers against slave-traders, and the civil expenditure for convicts, customs, and the post-office, may assume the residuum to be what the colonies aerially cost us—not what they ought to cost us : for the war expenses at the Cape, great part of the military expenses in Canada, and the enormously disproportionate expen diture in New Zealand, have been incurred solely by the blunders of previous colonial administrations. DR. BLINDER'S school, as described in the last number of Dumbey and Son, is one of those faithful pictures which are severe satires, because they are actual portraitures. The forcing system adopted in most of our classical schools, instead of producing an early development of intellect, at once injures the faculties and depraves the taste. Not only do they t' arrive at the conclusion from which they never depart, that all the fancies of the poets and lemons of the sages, are a mere collection of words and gram mar, and have no other meaning in the world ;" but they extend the inference beyond the scholastic course and confound the remembrance of words with the knowledge of things. For a long time the classical course in our public schools has gradually dispensed with the minor or lower writers, such as EUTIROPIUS, Nttroq, and JUSTIN; and usurped the proper functions of universities by prematurely introducing boys to HORACE, JUVENAL, and CICERO. If 111 English n'.. •••• lfr.vv • VN P•od,r. THE X.rp.4E.§p.?, niaire roe . I were ise s a e ton m for trog o lettisEit avid &cos, a lees grievous mistake ld have been com mitted. To appreciate lioLsopea bog, must have a, knowledge of human life not attainable at his sge, tth acquaintance with Roman history not to be obtained in his school, and a perception of batuties of style only to be gained by a long and sedulous cultivation of the faculties which combine to form taste. Without these aids HORACE has for him less interest than CORDERY he, therefore, regards the works of the poet only as the source of painful grammatical tasks, the instrn ment for perplexing him with painful syntax and puzzling prosody, from which his mind can derive no enjoyment, and for which he can discover no use in his future life. . . ii4ersucia preposterous system it is no wonder I that we hear complaints of the idleness of boys, and their unwillingness to learn. The acquisi tion of knowledge is always delightful, and this " unwillingness to learn " is simply a proof that knowledge, in the proper sense of the word is not communicated. The boy is not trained to know: he is merely required to remember—a very different pro cess from knowing is this remembering, for Parrots themrelves speak properly by rote, And in twelve months my dog shall howl by note. It is neither a proof of idleness nor of ignorance in a child to inquire " What is the use of all this learn ing?" On the contrary, he asks a very sensible question, which shows that his natural promptings have led him to take a more just view of the purposes of education than his parents or his tutors have done. The boy knows that it is the purpose of education to fit him for the career he is destined to pursue in future life. He can discover no connexion between that career and " the pursuit of stony-hearted verbs, savage noun substantives, inflexible syntactical pas sages, and ghosts of exercises that haunt him in his dreams." If the connexion were explicable and ex plained, he might be induced to labour, as everybody else labours, with a view to future profit. But when no perceptible advantage is shown as the result of his toil, he regards the labour as a convict does his penance on the tread-mill : he deems it an arbitrary infliction, imposed to gratify the caprice of others, who take an unintelligible pleasure in his suffering. Under such circumstances it is no wonder that the boy " usually takes leave of his spirits in three weeks—has all the cares of the world on his head in three months—conceives bitter resentments against " • his parents or guardians in four—is an old misan thrope in five—and envies QUINTUS CCRTICS his blessed refuge in the earth in six." Is this the result sought to be produced by education ? We are not disposed to undervalue classical attain ments, but we doubt the wisdom of sacrificing to such attainments all other branches of informat ion; and we have no doubt at all of the fatuity of a system, which being based on the mistaken notion of the exclusive value of classical knowledge, in ninety-nine cases out of the hundred, neither communicates that knowledge nor any other. We have already noticed the flagrant error which has led to the perversion of our grammar schools, founded to give "instruction in the Latin tongue," at a time when the Latin language was the exclusive medium for useful information. They have now usurped what were the proper func tions of the universities, and have become teachers of the highest classical literature. Schools and uni versities have equally sullbred from the change; it has multiplied the number of idle pupils in the one, and of dissipated students in the other. We regret the banishment of the authors of what 'assailed " the inferior infinity' from our schools ; the biographies of NF.POS, the histories of COMICS and of AnynN, afforded a knowledge of facts as well as of words; the plainness and even She defeats of their style, were not without their use in affording points of contrast, which aided in the appreciation of titer beauties of better writers. Their sabjeets are narratives not remote from the comprehension of Tooth; they have the interest of incident which is so keenly felt in early life,.and their style is rarely SO involved as to require the-highest exercise of gram matical analysis to evolve- a meaning. If it were deemed advisable to introduce some poetry iato the scholastic course, there ass parts of MID'S. Meta morphose, and Epistles, and-the Pharsaaa of Leetsi, which are sufficiently simple for young minis; the task of learning would be at once more- pleasing and more profitable, if the understanding kept pace with the memory. The forcing system,. which Mr. DICKENS has so ably and so justly expsed, has the double defect of excluding from oar schoovery branch of knowledge except the ancient classics, and:of teach ing the classics themselves in. the worst manner possible_ It is even in its best results bat a system of seeming,. for even the most attentive pupils will be found to have gained little more titan parrot information, and would be perplexed if they were asked the question addressed by Sr. to the minister of Queen CANDACE, 4' Understandest thou what thou readest ?P' Until schools of general knowledge are founded en improved ideas, the peratrions system, which, like Mr. InckaNs, we at once condemn an& deplore, will con tinue to flourish in its pernicious luxuriance. It bat/ the advantage of concealing the deficiencies of what masters, and saving them the trouble of exertion ; for it is a much easier thing to hear than to teach a lea son. It is a system ingeniously contrived for training boys in dulness, in ignorance, and in carelessness : its legitimate result, ender the best of circumstances, is a useless pedant, and the really able men of whom it boasts as its products, have risen to eminence s not in consequence of the system, but in spite of it. THE total imports of cotton into France during the year 1846, amounted to 378,035 bales. Of these, 325,935 were imported into Havre; 37,400 into Mar seilles ; and 14,700 into other porta. The distribution of the cotton imported into France has been nearly in the same proportions for the last six years. The cum ber of bales imported into all France was 458,854 in 1841 ; 442,470 in 1842 ; 399,165 in 1843 ; 351,451 in 1844 ; 410,537 in 1845 ; and, as stated above, 378,035 in 1846. The stocks in hand on the 31st of December amounted to 99,300 bales in 1840; to 135,500 in 1841; to 138,000 in 1842; to 125,500 in 1843 ; to 78,000 in 1844 ; to 67,500 is 1845 ; to 55,800 in 1846. The average annual import for the last six years is 406,783 bales ; for the last four, 384,802. The actual import of last year is only 5,767 bales short, if we take the ave rage of the last four years; but it is 28,748 bales short, if we take the average of the last six. But although the imports have been less for the last four years (we might say the last five, for less was imported in 1842 than in 1811), the consump tion has steadily increased. For the last five years the stocks on hand on the 31st of December of each succeeding year, have been lower than they were at the same date on that which preceded it. In France, as in England, the manufacturers have been rashly extending their operations without inquiring whether it was possible to procure a correspondingly aug mented quantity of raw material. There was a rumour in Paris, on Wednesday, that a schism was manifested in the dynastic opposition, M. Thiele dissenting from MM. Dufaure and Billault on the marriage question. M. niers, it appears, proposes to confine his opposition on that question to the imputed bad faith of the negotiation; whereas, MM. Dufaure and Billault will attack the ministry for having condescended to notice England in the affair at all. The article which appeared in the Journal des De bats on Wednesday on the schism which has taken place in the dynastic opposition alluded to above, made a great sensation throughout the day in Paris. At noon, a numerous meeting of deputies was held in the Salk des Conferences of the Chamber. The friends of MM. Billault and Dufaure acknowledged that these deputies dissented from M. 'fhiers, and it was said that many leading members of the party coincided with them, among whom were named MM. Vivien, De Maleville, Itemusat, Chamballe, and Leon Faucher. There were present in Paris, on Wednesday, 300 members of the Representative Chamber. On Sun day there will be an assembly of the deputies, to name the deputations who are to receive the King and Royal Family on their arrival at the Palais Bourbon on Monday. If the King of the Belgians do not leave Paris before that day, he will be present in the tribune of the Queen. On Tuesday, the Chamber will be occupied in forming the bureaux and the different permanent committees. On Wed nesday it will be engaged with the verification of powers of ten new elections, four of which had been annulled by the Chamber, and in appointing the committee on the address. The earliest public busi ness before the Chamber will be the presentation of the budget by the Minister of Finance, which it is exnected will show a considerable deficit, .Ry 8, 1847. lisSadWor Wednesday M. I:rid:sot Grill lay ad the buisan tithe Charnhir orPeers the diplOriaskic ForrispopdpsOe on the autject of the Sitanish mar riages end the affair of Cracow,'the discussion of which will probably take place about the end of the week. It will be opened by the buke of Broglie in a speech favourable to the cabinet, on the question of the marriages, on which question it is expected there will be no division in the Chamber of Peers. On Tuesday evening there was a reception at the Tuileries, at which Lord and Lady Normanby were present. The Madrid Gazette of the 26th Dec. says, that Baron Omni having learned that his wife and daughter had been captured by the Mignelites as reprisals for the imprisonment of a priest named Agra, abandoned his position before that city, and marched against the Miguelite party. On the 20th he attacked them at Braga, and defeated them, killing a great number. He captured a party of sixty in a village near Brags, and immediately caused the chiefs to be shot. The ordinary Madrid mail of the 31st Dec. was re ceived in Paris on Wednesday, with the journals of that day, bringing an account of the opening of the Cortes. The Marquis do Viluma had accepted the presidency of the senate. The subject which moat engrossed public attention was the arrest of M. Olo :riga, of which the following particulars are given by El Clamor Public° M. Olozsga was in a carriage belonging to the so-called Peninsular company ; on leaving Buitrago, as the carriage was wending the hill, a fost•chaise cane up, containing too officers and two soldiers of the civic guard. They ordered the conductear to stop and show his way-bill. After ca m:lining it they requested M. Olozaga to enter the post chaise. M. Olozaga expressed his astonishment, as he was provided with a regular passport, and was 'the bearer of official document, from the provinces which had elected him deputy. The reply was, that they acted on instruc tions from the government, that they only did their duty, and that he was to make haute. M. Olozsga having said that he wished to have at least part of his luggage, the guards wanted the carriage to return to Buitrago, but the ronducteur persuaded them to follow in the post chaise to Lozoyula. at which place M. Olozsga wan arrested. Owing to the indignation caused by this proceeding, TI. Olozaaa and the other travellers did not dine. M. Oforaga had only time to write two lines with a pencil to his family in the eonducteur's book. It seems that he tees been conveyed to Pampeluna. The Progressista journals protest violently against the legality of the whole proceeding, maintaining that M. Olozaga being a deputy legally elected, and enter ing Spain with regular passports, ought to have re mained unmolested until the Cortes itself, the only competent authority, should have decided on the legality of his election. The Ileroldo exhorts the cabinet to adopts generous course, which will increase their strength and popularity, and to send M. Olozaga back to Bayonne, there to await the decision of the Cortes. It is evident that this proceeding mint add to the complication of the ministerial situation. A Montenaohnist outbreak was still feared. FRIDAY yEzkiNa JANU, FRANCE. THE VISIT TO NANOASAKI. The Journal Jr. Dibots of the sth instant, contains an account of the visit of Admiral Cecille to Japan. The object of this document is stated to be the cor rection of erroneous statements with regard to both the objects and the facts of the expedition. We give the account slightly abridged. The French division, composed of the ClSopatre, the admiral's flog , and the clreettes Vietorieuse es t: Sabine, left Macao en the 20th of May, 1045, and anchored on the 7th of June in Port Melville, north. coast of the great Leo Oboe, There were several motives for putting into no arehipelago which seems to have been disposed by natare midway between China and Japan. In 1844, the corvette Alenolne had landed M. Foarcade, a sioionary at Naha. piang, and latterly he had beam., rather annoyed by foreign influence. The presence of the French division would tend te. strengthen his position. In addition to this, the archipelago of Loo Choo, se yet visited hat by owe I French *tip, is doubtlgssly . destined to become one lof the meet important stations in those sees,. On account of its. situation, it is already visited by Chinese and Japanese jeinka ; that is duo only point where the navy of both those gauntries meet, sad it might, in the hands of a commercial power, became a with and flourishing entrepit. The currant ef the wind in the Sea of China and the Pacific Ocean drives ships from the western coast of America to China (and, even now, their number is -considerable) to pawl)y this archipelago.. What will it be in a few years, when the Americans, noes master& of California, *rill have.establiehed their indefati ,gable industry ia that ocean ? These various motives the Admiral Cecille to pay a visit to. Loo-Oboe. The French division wee most amicably received by the inhabitants of these islands, and after a inlet aff/tes and an exchange of presents, our party bade farewell to their good friends on the 18th of Jul}. On the 28th of the 66120 month Admiral Cecille anchored his vessels off Hangasaki, the only port of Japan open to Euro peans. When we consider how many sommescial interests meat on these shores, that Holland endeavours to *infirm its trade here ' that a menage- has been sent to the Ling from the American President, and that Admiral Cochran* has here displayed the British flag [We beg te. say that Admiral Cochrane hat done as such thing !] and that England probably will soon try to make a breach in tint hitherto impenetrable empire; what should we say of s French admiral who only visited the sea of Japan to keep op a bashful incognito. One admiral had greater means at his disposal than any other effacers who have visited these shorts, and, of course, we may con clude he was. commissioned to make us a of these means. He was iatended to present France to the Japanese as • power peaceful if not allied ; and this is whet has been done found anns had el ' v u e r s vsuessdsurlede hored y a omffultianturclpboats than they e a y t curious spectators and sellers vegetables and other provi sions. Among these were some bolts son ornamented than the rest, which carried Japanese officer, who came en board without any signs of ill-will. They came to request the admiral, with regard to the laws of the country, and to their interest as official men, not to make any attempt to land. In all other respects they were very polite, were most ready to Amish any provisions that were needed, end manifluted a great curiosity in examining our enines of war, which were new to 220850/them. The admiral ordered that every thing should be shown for the amusement of his visitors, several of whom stayed to dine on board. During the night, the whole coast was lit up with • multitude of fires and lan terns, and a considerable movement was observed on the shore "especialty in the forts and batteries around Nan gasaki. But these appeared to be simply measures of precaution; for, on the following day, our vessels were again visited by the officers of the watch, and others, who showed the same politeness, amiability, and curiosity as the visitors of the preceding day. When they bad asked all their questions and written all their notes (for there were some who were busy in writing down observations), the admiral gave them to understand that he had laid in all necessary provisions, and was about to set sail to continue his voyage Such is the simple and exact account of this visit, which, although very brief, has not been without effect. It the endeavours of our bold French missionaries in Japan are ever crowned with success ; or if one of our whalers should be thrown on the coast of Japan, the court of Jeddo will have learned from its officers that France possesses loge ships of ear sufficient to guard its rights and protect the in terests of its citizens. Having sailed from Nangasaki, the squadron spent • few days in the gulf of Pedeli, and the eastern coast of the Corea, where no French vessel bad be fore appeared. The time was taken up chiefly in hydro graphical observations. But that was not the only ob. jeer of the admiral. He knew that by showing his flag on this coast, he was morally helping the courageous mu sionaria Who had entered the country the previous year to take the place of their brethren, who hod been decapitated a short time before by order of the cruel sovereign who now occupies the throne. The fine season was however drawing to a close, and the admiral sailed for Manilla. He anchored on the 29th of August at Chusan ; and on the 28th of Sep tember he entered Manilla, after a voyage wisely conceived, happily executed, and which has left none but honourable reminiscences in all quarters for France. ME BANK or FRANCE.—The Bank of France has just published its balance-sheet. We extract the follow ing :—Actif 1. Specie in chest, value* due or to be received, 72,734,792(. 50e. 2. Discount and loans, 244,4.53,397(. 54c. 3. Running' accounts and capitals of branch banks, 78,021,564 f. 66c. 4. Rents, public securities, and reserved flinch, 6.4,240,807 t 30c. 5. Various funds, 1,131,751( 93c. Total of arty', 460,582,313 f. 93c. Pauli 1. Circulation without including that of the branch banks, 259,459,801 f. 20c. 2. Running accounts, 111,507,428 f. 74c. 3. Capital and reserved funds, 81,900,000 f. 4. Various, 7,715,083 f. 90c. Total of passif, 460,582,313 f. 93e. GERMANY.—Some of the German provinces are now in a state of misery nearly as deplorable as that of Ire land. At Hunfeldist, near Fulda, in the electorate of Hene, one-third of the population, 700 out of 2,400, have been reduced to beggary. These 700 have received permi.sion front the authorities to beg for bread two days in the town, and the other days of the week in the surrounding villages. METEORIC STONE.—On Christmas day, about 2 p.m., the inhabitants of Mindelthal were alarmed by a long peal of thunder. During the explosion a meteoric stone was seen falling, which imbedded itself in the fronen earth at the depth of two feet. When dug out it was found of en irregular pyramidal shape, and weighed about 141ba. DENMARK.—The ultra Danish party had made the following propositions to the King.-1. To arrest the Duke of Angustenburg. 2. To make all the functionaries in the duchies take oath to the letter patent, and to dismiss those that refused. 3. To establish at Copenhagen a cen tral regency for the duchies.—The representatives ci! the two great German powers having been informed of this, informed their respective governments, and notes of re monstrance were accordingly addr, feed to the King. The question will be brought forward again at the next diet. SWEDEN.—The Allgemeine Zeitung mentions the death of the well-known Swedish poet, Tegner, whose prin cipal poem has been translated into most of the continental leaguers. PRISON DISCIPLINE:A letter from Stockholm states that the six cellular (solitary confinement) prisons, I built by order el the government in different pert. of the kingdom, have just bee.l terminated. These prisons can contain from four to eight hundred prisoners. They will be iecupied during the entree of next month. The following arc the prominent features of the regulations of these pri sons. The prisoners arc not to bo allowed to speak to each other. Even while taking their only exercise, in an enclo sure, strict silence is to be observed. This exercise is allowed them daily, and is to last for half an hour: a longer time may be conceded to tick prisoners, on the demand of the doctor, and with the sanction of the governor of the prison. If a prisoner wishes to make a com plaint, be can only do so during the time of exercise. He must then step forward and raise his hand ; upon this, one of the guardians will listen to what he has to sly. The pri soners are to receive the doily visit either of the clergyman, the doctor, or aline special person appointed for the purpose. These visits are never to exceed twenty m'nutes. The pri soner in his oouver•ations with the functionaries of the prison, who are the only persons he is allowed to converse with, must always speak in an under tone. Each cell is to be provided with a book on religion, and iv furnished with a bell so as to enable the prisoner to call for help in ease of illness. Divine service is to be performed in the corridors. Durinr the service the door of each cell is to be opened two or three inches, so as to enable the prisoners to see and hear the clergyman without seeing each other. The cells are not to he lighted ; never theless, prisoners worthy of lenience may in exceptional cases sad at their ovn expense receive permission from the governor to have a light in their cell. (In Sweden during tL•e short days it is scarcely daylight before 91 in the morning. Those pruemers who are not sentenced to ha-d labour or to complete idleness (punishments which must be expressly denoted ill the sentence) may obtain the permission to work on their own account. In this case the orison authorities will endeavour to procure them work. The punishments to which the prisoners are subject, are:—l. Privation of their walk in the enclosure. 2. Diminution of their rations of food, the diminution not to exceed one-third. 3. Locking up in the black-hole for a period never exceeding eight days. The latter punishment is only applicable to prisoners who have made use of violence. COLONIAL. WEST INDIES. The legislative assembly of the Bahamas was to meet on December 9 ; but though our dates from Nassau are to the 14th, no account is given of its proceedings. The governor had just returned from a trip to Abaco. Some starch obtained from the wild potato of these islands has been rent to Ragland by the Agricultural Society to me.r tain value as an article of export. Considerable excite ment lied been produced in the 11,,bamas by the atficial no• tification to the loaf authorities that the following law has been put in force in the settlement of Key West (Florida) : " Cap. SI. No vessetarriving in any of the said ports or plates of the United States, and hining on board any aggro, mulatto, or other person of colour, twit being a native or re gistered seamen of the Ciiitsel States.or seamen natives of countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope, shall be admitted to an entry. And if any such negro, noslatto, or other per son of colour, shall he landed from on beard any vessel in any of the perm or places aforesaid, or on the coast of any state prohibiting the admiieiiin or importation as aforesaid, the said vesaelomith her tackle, &c., &c., shall be forfeited." The royal mail steamer Trent, on her way out, was de tained first by having to stop et Bermuda for some repairs, and subsequently by strong gales. The nature and extent of the detention we* thus stated to the editor of the Nauau Observer by the mail agent, on the vessel's reaching that port: "The Trent steamer was detained at Bermuda from the 20th to the 23rd ult., for the purpose of making some few alteration, required to one of the shafts of the paddle-wheels. Oa the 24th it was blowing so very hard, as to render it quite impossible to leave. On the morning of the 25th she left, but in the evening a gale of wind set in from the westward of north, which continued until the 27th, causing a very heavy head sea, and prevent ing her from making eery progrese. On the morning of the 27th, tle gale abated, earl from that period until her arrival here, the weather condensed to be fine and moderate." In consequence of these detentions, the Trent. instead of ar riving at Niue iu on Wednesday, the 25th of November, did not make her appearance there till the evening of Monday, the 30th. She sailed again that night ; reached Haysnnah on the 2nd of December,. where she was detained two days to repair rim of shaft and floats • and ultimately sailed for ca Jamai on the 4th of December. The H.M.S. Dee pro ceeded front Havannah to the gulf, with about 40 pas sengers on the 10th of Deeember. The H.M.S. Teviot left Bermuda for Havannah at anon on the 21st December. Canadhes at Sea.—Tbe U. S. corvette, Boston, was totally wrecked on the 25th of Nov., off Harbour Island ; the crew were saved, and, with the officers, were at Nassau on the 14th Dee., waiting a passage to America. The U. S. steamer, Neptune, with 12,000 dollars on board, was totally wrecked on the Bar of Tampico ; nothigt but crew saved. The steamer, Somers, with ordnance and tmops from Meta moms to Tampico, is supposed to have foundered at sea. RIO DE JANEIRO AND LA PLATA. FALMOUTH, WEDNESDAY EVENING.—The Crane, packet, brings news from the Brazils, having come in after a most stormy passage. She sailed from Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18. Itto DE J A!YLIRO.—This packet would, as to news, partake of the usual flatness of late of the Brazilian advices, but fur a quarrel of a violent sort which took place, and continued to exist, between the imperial government on the one part, and the United States minister and the commodore on the other ; it arose from an Ame rican sailor's being in custody, and an officer be longing to the Columbia frigate having attempted a rescue. The latter was imprisoned; both minister and commodore interposed, hut their united efforts' were unavailing to procure satisfaction. The comms_ dore had shown his teeth in consequence; having had the Brazilian national flag placed ia the gangway of the frigate, so that every one trod thereon in going to and fro. And on the celebration of the christening of the infant princess on the 15th Nov., the minister did not attend the ceremony, nor did any one represent the American government there ; neither did the frigate salute on the occasion, in common with the other foreign ships of war. The final result will doubtless be a reference of the matter to the United States government. The christening of the infant princess was cele brated with brilliant illuminations throughout the city. These were also accompanied wish the roar of cannon from the forts and ships of war, and every other demonstration of joy which could give eclat to the occasion. The emperor and the royal family in tended to make an excursion in the interior. COMMERCIAL Caere.—A steady inquiry prevailed during the month, fo which the empties came forward freely. Prices slightly declined, the lowrst hav ing prevailed from the 16th to the 26th, and the sales of the month may be estimated at 160, 0 00 ; the extreme depremion having amounted to 100 or. in superior mad first good, and 50 rO. in first or dinary. The quantity shipped and exported exceeded that of any previous month of any year. Our statement shows an increase in the reportation to Antwerp, Cape, Denmark, Ilamburgh, Mediterranean, Pottugal, Sweden, Trieste, and the United States; and a diminution to Bremen, Channel, and Frame. The vanity exported to the United States, since Ist January, exceeded that in 1645, 451 per ear_ Sugar Business limited, holders having required higher prior than the state of the market warranted. The united receipts amounted to about 4,000 cases, of which not more than 1,000 cams were sold, of these 200 for Europe, 300 for the River Pate, the remainder for the south and for consumptino. 3 dole. 100 e. and 2 dale. 100 e, were the ruling prices, an advance of pion. bating been paid for tacked lots, brown and in barrels. The closing qnotations were 3 dole. 100 c. and 2 dole. 100 c., and ate reduction upon these of 100 n. per srroba, the steel, 3,000 noes, would probably be cleared. El,o6lS.—Coffee Little has been dune, the stock meantime bay. log increased to fully 30,000 bags. F-ap3rted 4,207 bags to Antwerp, 2,850 Bremen 1,394 Liverpool, 2,260 Malta, 31,227 Sr. Orleans, 4,300 New Yo rk, 2,570 Philadelphia, 82 River Plate ;in all, 49,090 bags ; shipped since lat instant, 37,922 bags.--Sugar Stock increased by the arrival of 900 eases, all pselages included, and bunnies limited to small panes, not exceeding in the whole 300 cases for ermsumption and for the south. Exported, 6 eases to Africa, 86 to Liverpool, 76 River Plate; in all, 189 naps. —Bides Arrived, 21,300 Rio Omni., 3,342 River Plate. —Sale. about 3,000, In various parcels, at 180 ra. Exported, 2,642 to Malta. On hand, 73,000 Rio Grande, 22,000 Weer Plata— Freights continue very firm, and but few vessels are MONET NAKlClST.—llintouatA ruled at 8 per eent=j d ia the month, and were freely obtained; later the rate &a lined ha i the bank having reduced the charge to 7 per cent.—Exchange : The Wai ner.% though far below the value of the produce exponed, having amounted to 330,0001., was nevertheless catenate', 27 to 281 having been the extreme current rates upon London, 338 and 333 upon Paris; upon Hamburg 620 was the only rate noted. RIVER PLATE.—The Crane brings dates from the River Plate to the 20th October. No fighting had lately taken place between the belligerents. Riveira had gone up the Plate, accompanied by about 400 men, in a French man-of-war steamer, intending, it was said, to join the general of the Corrientes troops ; so that by the next packet from Buenos Ayres we may expect further news of Riveira's proceedings. Roses was still at Buenos Ayres, and, notwithstand ing the blockade enforced by the British and French, much goods found its way into that city. The British ships of war there were the Fire brand and Harpy; at Monte Video, the Raleigh, Vernon, Comas Grecian, Melampus, and Eagle; at Colonia, the R acer; at Maldonado, the Satellite ; and the Alecto had gone up the Uruguay to relieve the Lizard. The Dido had sailed for New Zealand, and about the sth November the Vernon, Rear-Admiral Inglefield, would sail for the East - India station, and Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert was about to land his marines from the Raleigh, to replace those to be embarked on board the Vernon. The French admiral and the plenipotentiaries were also at Monte Video. The following is the note said to have been ad dressed, at the suggestion of Mr. Onseley, by Admiral Inglefield to Mr. Hood, previous to the departure of the latter for England : Rear-Admiral Inglefield presents his compliments to Mr. , Hood, and begs to acquaint him that HE, Mr. Ouseley, has informed him that Mr. Hood's mission to this country is ended. The rear-admiral has now, therefore, to acquaint Mr. Heod that, agreeably to hie wishes, he will immediately give Capt. Crouch, of H.M.'s steamer Gorgon, instructions to receive him, as well as his secretary and servant, on board that vessel for their conveyance to England ; and, as it is of great importance that the Gorgon should not be delayed longer from proceeding on her voyage, Capt. Croutch will have directions to depart to-morrow afternoon, which time the Rear-Admiral hopes and trusts will sufficiently suit Mr. Hind's mavenieuce to embark, Montevideo, Sept 11, 1846. 't court. - - WINDSOR, THIIRM:ay.—The unfavourable state of the weather prevented the Queen and Prince Albert taking their accustomed morning 1, His Excellency M. Vb. n de Weyer, the Belgian Minister, and Madame Van de .Weyer., his Excellency Baron de Brannon', and Sir Robert inn Lady Peel, took their de pasture from the Castle to-day. Her Majesty and Prince Allas•rt, accompanied by their Royal Highnes , es the Prince of N Vales, Prim* Alfred, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena left the Castle for Claremont at hm r- Past two o'clock this afternoon. A Deputation on the Tea Duties, consist. ing of Sir George Larpent, Chairman of the East India nod China Association, Mr. S. Gre.tum, Deputy Chairman ; hfr.• Norton. and Mr. Dallea, had an interview with Lord John Russell yesterday, at his otficill residence in Downing-street. Baron de Rehausen, Swedish Citar.c d'Affs ire', tranracted business yesterday at the Foreign-MEN.. Mr. Bellingden Ker had an intervit w with S. George Grey yesterday at the llome-offiee. The Commissioners of Railways had a meeting, But Sot since the holidays, at their office iu Great George-street, yesterday. Despatches were sent off last evening from the Co lonial-uifice for the Governor of Ceylon. MEETING OF SHIP OWNERS FOS THE. ABOLITION OT rite LIGHT D ETTI ES. —Yrsterday, a meeting of the ship owners of the United Kingdom woe held at the London Tavern, " to consider the best means Oahe adopted for urging Government and Parliament to take into consideration the heavy charges with which shipping property is bur thened." Joseph Hume, Esq. ' Al l'., took the chair, and said, that as the subject on which they had met was one which concerned the whole of the Uuited Kingdom, he believed that to many pr. sent an outline of what had already been done for the removal of light duties would not be un acceptable. In 1821 he (Mr. Hume) presented, in the House of Commons, a petition for enquiry, and the then government appointed a committee, of which Mr. Wallace was chairman. That committee reported that the burthens on British shipping were so great, so to require the im mediate attention of the I geilieura. lu 1822, the Fo reign Trade Committee testihed as to the heavy 'meth= of the Trinity-house lights. But, notwithstanding all these testimonies agaiust it the abuse still cent.nued. 8, veral of the Trinity-house lights were held by private individuals under grants from the crown, and the committee to which he had alluded recommended that the leases of those indi viduals should not be renewed. Mr. Iluskissou gave a pledge to that effect, bet his successor, Mr. Goulburn, in 1826, renewed the lease. of nine lighthouses for twenty-ooe years, refusing to be bound by Mr. Huakision's pledge. A committee sat again in 1834, which duel (red the oppressive nature of these duties, and a bin was passed enabling the government to buy up private lights. By that hill private lighthouses were bought up man expense to the country of 1,190,000/. Of those bought up, three were heal under leases renewed in violation of the pledges of government. He would now proceed to aho sr to the meeting the extent to which they were burthencd and the right they had to be re lieved. He should first state that he had obtained a commission to inquire into the charges on tidal rivers, de and the r' suit proved that unless govern ment took scene steps to protect the coating trade it was in danger of utter destruction from the compel ling) of the railroads, which had neither light duties nor port charges. (Hear, hear.) In the case of Yarmouth alone, 250,000 quarters of malt, formerly bent coastwise in vessels, was now transmitted inland to London by rail. (Hear.) The system was vicious, the light houses of the kingdom were maintained by a tax on shipping to the amount of 356.901!., or about 5 per cent. on the earnings of tho vessels, when the whole might be done for 100,0001., and should he paid for out of the general revenues of the country. The principal weight of this tax fell on the comtin.r trade, as out of the whole amount levied one-half, 174,4071., was paid by that interest. (Hear, hear.) In addition to this upwards of a milli°. of money was paid in port charges by unsling Tea sels. In France and in the United States, the lights wens cared for by the government, and no charge was made on either foreign or domestic shipping for their support. The lase committee which sat ou the subject, and of which two members of the present government LonlPahilerston and Admiral Dundee were members re ported, that the lights of the country should be a national charge, that they were as useful to the navy as to the mer cantile marine, and that, there/ ire ' they should be supported by the nation at large. Olean) What was the situation in which they stood now ? The Trinity-house considered they had a vested right, and would not readily relinquish it. But the time was come when the system must be altered, but government must be pressed. Nothing could be done with • government without pressure, and if they wished this crying evil to be removed they must unite in pressing their wishes on the government. (Hear.)—Several resolutions were moved, the first by Mr. Foster, M.l'., to the effect that an ossociation of shipowners be formed to procure the abolition of light duties—Mr. Phillips seconded the resolution.—Mr. Mitchell, from Leith, moved the next resolution, nominating a committee to carry out the objects of the meeting.— He said that in the ease of Scotland the lighthouse dues were extremely oppressive, especially on the steamboats, one of which of 119 tons burthen paid fora light which she never passed except in the daytime, an annual tax of 1761. Another for pausing a light twice daily (also in the daytime), 7801. 4s. (Hear, hear.) In his opinion, the lighthouses should be maintained by the nation at large, and this was the unani mous opinion of the shipowners of Leith shnhad deputed him to attend that meeting. Mr. C. Wye Williams. from Dublin, seconded the resolution. Mr. Moffat, M.l'., moved that a memorial embodying the views of the meeting be steed by the shipowners generally, and presented to the Lords of the Treasury. Mr. Law Ogilby seconded the motion. Sir E. Codrington moved the next resolution, " That the petition, when signed, be presented to government by e deputation from the association." He fully sympathised with the objects of the meeting. Some persons wished to separate the navy from the mercantile marine, but he looked upon them as one body, and conceived their interests in all important points to be identical. The light duties were a heavy burthen, but if the will of the partici, interested should be unanimous for their removal, the government, who were appointed by the pee/A, must yield to the will of the people. (Cheers.)—Mr. 1). Grainger, from Belfast, repre senting on behalf of that port, as he stated, 500,000 tons of shipping, seconded the resolution.—Mr. W. J. Hall said, that as nothing could be done without "the sinews of war," he begged to move that a subscription be entered into to defray the necessary expenses, and as a commencement he begged to put down his name for ten guineas. (Cheers.) He contended that if something were not done for the coasting trade, its ruin through the agency of the railroads was inevitable. la the case of Hull, of 35,000 bags of wool sent to that port from London, 30,000 were now transmitted to Ireland by railroad.—Mr. T. Todd seconded the resolution.—All the above resolution. were carried unani mously.—A vote of thanks to the chairman having been moved, and seconded by Sir Edward Codrington, it was (tarried by acclamation.—The chairman returned thanks, and the meeting adjourned. CLERICAL, MEDICAL, AND GENERAL LIFE ASSURs once Socteve.—Yesterday, an extraordinary general meet ing of this society was held at their offices in Bloomsbury, for the purpose of declaring the result of an investigation of the society's affairs for the five years ending June 30, 1846. Dr. Moore occupied the chair. The chairman read the report of the directors, whence it appeared that the society's eucom• for the year ending June ' 1841, having been 97,0001., that for the year ending June, 1846, was 116,3001., exhibiting en increase of annual income to the extent of 18,4001. The amount of the properth, of the society, accumulated from the excels of receipts above payments, which, in 1841, was 418,9031., bad, in June, 1846, reached 639,7971. After de ducting the sum required to meet the liabilities of the so ciety, there remained a surplus of 15.5,2421., while, in 1841, the corresponding surplus was only 89,400/. This sum of 155,2421. represented the amount of profit realized by the so ciety which had now to be dealt with. In conforming with the provisions of the deed, half of these profits would be di videi among the assured for life, and one-sixth among the proprietors, or in round numbers, 77,2501. among the as sured, and 25,7501. among the proprietor., leaving 51,5001 to accumulate as a reserve fund. This division would give. to the proprietors a bonus of 61. 3s. per share, and to the assured, 114,0311., the equivalent ix reversion of the 77,2501., which, payable at the death of the parties, would form:an addition equal, on an average, to more than 36 per cent. on the premiums received during the last five years, any of the assured having the option of commuting the present bonus for a reduction of his annual premium, without prejudice to his adding any future bonus or bonuses to the amount of his policy. It further appeared, that the proprietors' fund could not accumulate, by the addition of bonuses beyond 50,0001., all subsequent bonuses being paid over to the e roprietors in cash, and that accordingly of the present 25,7401., 17,0001 only would be added to the proprietors' fund, which would then reach the limit, and the remaining sum would be paid to the proprietors in cash, in the proportion of 11. 15s. per share. A resolution, adopting the report, was moved by Dr. Sheatman, sad seconded by Dr. Dunlop, and unani mously carried. The report, and a subsequent resolution, was ordered to be printed and distributed, and the meeting then separated, all the speakers having expressed their entire satisfaction at the progress of the society's affairs. UNITED HILLS MINING COMPANY.—Yesterday, at a special general meeting of the shareholders in this com pany, Clarke , Esq., in the chair, it was resolved to re wind certain resoluti ons passed at a meeting held in Nov. last, and in their stead to adopt other*, authorising the directors to raise the sum of 4,8001. by the creation of that number of 11. shares, the money to be applied to the pay ment of the company's debts. PROTECTOR LIFE ASSURANCE ASSOCIATION. Yesterday an adjourned meeting of the proprietors was held et the dace of the society, in the Old Jewry, to take into letweiderstion a resolution passed at the annual meeting bola • sip, which declared that the 17th clause in dm And IltlONlMeat, compelling all persons purchasing shares fit 1118 Misty to effect insurances upon their lives, under osar • GM, be abolished. Mr. Copps, M.P., presided, ✓id the proceedings by stating that the act of settle mat mired that any alteration in the laws should be con firmedly • second general meeting, which was the occasion etas pullout one being called. Mr. J. M. Barnard had meal in proposing the resolution, with the object of wlfaL be cordially concurred. Mr. Collin seconded, and the resolution was about to be put to the meeting, when, in answer to a question larim a proprietor, the secretary said that the amount annually accruing to the society from the operation of the clause in question was about 6,0001. or 7,0001. in policies, the profits on which were from 1501. to 2001. a year. A discussion then arose as to the propriety of removing the clause, the opinion on the one side being that its existence tended to cramp the free exthange and transfer of shares, and depreciated their value in the market; while 1