The Express. — London, England, 1847-05-11 00:00:00

............--- A.. mgt dm Wu of IL Ils • beeeMeMerY bone, ereTainalb at the eielaadna all Intlet. no re m me . a . via kart Wan tbs . pwaanden h e a m id .....I"illirstrdthe lo wawa be ato tosporary "' id esat, r, at allinsolo, lia wail lel boa awassalady „ol die gad *Wades sloe MAW he ihs IL 0 . 4 se the MOS strams ib• ilead ase thedielsa. .. 6 .0 1 . 1 ai g,' b°ll,l he. alu r......dii. ' l '4 meta as _ 1 8 4 4 g eweenselh ....." mos - the hoe. member be Warwick with meow view "-- — .era Before hoseenter, the hones applied amm o.° ti e ,T s remedy let thins conside h r well what was the nature snhe evil. Let them well w ou in e* to apply *Present relief ag to the dame. of the tryC t ho world not run the risk of aggravating that di gress in a He did not require a better descrip mat material degree. d of gof the condiuun of the country an the real nature t he immure upon it than had been given by the t emo ursele member for Huntingdon. The honour sme gentleman stated that the eountry was suffering from an estraonlivare scarcity of food. This will the feet A calamity, foreseen by none, had ted us. The loss despite! occasioned by the failure of the potato crop in Ire land, and of otht r crops for the subeistenc• of man in this the ory and in Ireland, had been estimated at no less than 16 mulleins sterling. It was difficult to calculate the effect, seder any circumstance', of the abstraction from commerce, a me leer, of 16 millions, more especially when that s e m ...um was occasioned by a calamity such as the dearth of f o od. But were tee alone suffering ? No. France was th e e riag as intensely as ourselves ; Holland was suffer * Belmum, Germany, the banks of the Rhine, the mete of Europe, Denmark more especially, all were suffer the. , e n, we ll nigh alike, were looking to the United States of merica as the sourest of their common supply. Do not talk of free trade having proved a failure, when it was clear that we ourselves, common with all the countries und e s, were applying al l aro our means to the procuring the means Of ataitteaa. The hon. member had assigned another mast far the present distress ; he had pointed to the extent of eulogy apeculatien in the past year, and spoken of the en or noas amount of capital locked up in these under takings, Here, then, was another explanation of the want of capital applicable to the ordinary purposes of commerce. There was another to be indicated in the falling off, in the past eear, of the crop of cotton, that e•rential materiel in oar most important manufactures, whence had arisen, at once, an enormous defiteence in our supply of the article, and • vent addition to ats cost. Was it right then to throw all the blame on the act of 1844 ? Whether they had had au inconvertible paper currency or a metallic currency, depend upon it there was net a country on the face of the earth which could have been exposed to the treble opermiee of such calamities without feeling ate amount of pressure which no issue of bank notes could re lieve. (Hear, hear ) At the same time he must state that if he felt that the great interests of the country required an alteration of the act of 1814, uo feeling of false shame should index him to throw any ebstacle in the way of such attention. (Home hear.) That act passed in the year 1844; the Beek charter was then about to expire and certain alte rations were necessary. Those alterations, be it remembered, were not &duetted without much pervious inquiry. For five yesrsprevious to that period thesubjeet had been meet carefully sated by Tereus committees. It could not therefore be said Wham been a mere speculetive change in the currency. The boa. member for Warwickshire said that he (Sir R. Peel) had, in 1819, drawn a flattering picture of the state and prospects of the country. He had done so, and why ? To justify the government to fulfilling its engagements by • return to cash payments. But was the hen. member aware that, in 1815, with an inconvertible paper currency, several <tithe private banks failed. Why ? 'Bemuse, on the return Memos, there was that collapse which was sure to occur after we had for a long time possessed the whole trade of the world, and had been indulging in the luxury of inconvertible paper. (Hear, hear.) Was it wished that we should return to the state of things previous to 1844 ? Was the Bank to have a power of issue according to its own discretion ? Was that the state of things desired ? If they repealed the act of 1844 that would be tee state of thing,. How had it acted in 1838 ? Then the Bank was left with about 603,0001. in gold, and every prospect that it would be unable to fulfil its en gseements. ( Ilt ar, hear.) If they restored that state of things they hall nu security against the recurrence of similar disasters. The object of the act of 1844 was to secure the convertibility of paper into gold, and to prevent pressure in times of danger and difficulty. It checked any issue of paper made without reference to the exchanges such issue purchasing merely a temporary ease, while it afterwards aggravated commercial proaure by a panic which was sure to lead to a demand for mild. It was in his opinion important that in times of difficulty and dimmer they should not be induces! to runt, the Bank from any doubt as to its solidity. The hon. member for Huntingdon had said that there was not at the present moment the least panic, but that there was severe pressure, caused by undue apprehension. Well, but what would be the state of things if there existed any doubt as to 1 the solvency of the Bank—if the act of 1844 heel not passed ? (Hoar.) Suppose that on the part of every country bank there had been during the riot of [peculation of last year, the power of making as uncontrolled issue of paper, would the state of things at present be aa good as it ware severe a. undoubtedly was the pressure. (Hear, hear.) Was it not probable that specu'ation of every kind would have so increased as to have terminated in a run on the Bank. (Hear, hear.) It had been said that the act of 1844 was ex pected to work en a measure requiring little or no direction. That was true as far as issues were concerned ; and all he regretted was that the issue department could not have been wholly separated from the Bank. (Baer, hear.) The hon. member for Shrewsbury said that they had no right 1 to criticise the conduct of the Bask of England, but the honourable member for Huntingdon, who was nearly as good an authority--(a laugh)—thought that the conduct of the Bank was fairly open to criticism. That boo. member disapproved of the conduct of the Bank in August last in reducing the rate of demount. With regard to any criticism on the conduct of the Bank in the month of August, he must leave the hen. gentleman to settle his account with the hon. member for Shrewsbury. He (Sir It. Peel) had said was that in the three months which fol lowed January, 1847, when there was a drain of gold, he did venture to say, in the presence of the Me. gentleman that, with respect to the conduct c f the Bank, be doubted if a greet part of the pressure would not have been obviated if the Bank, in the month of January, when there was a full knowledge of the calamity which had fallen en Ireland, had not continued to discount at 4 per cent. for them months during the continuous drain of gold. The hon. gentleman told them what had been done by the Bank in 1837, 1538, and 1839, and he ventured to give hlm an assu rance that if the act of 1844 had been in force in 1838 and 1839, no one of the difficulties of that time would have been obviated, for the Bank had intimated power to issue more notes than they did. It was difficult to say what would have been the conduct of the Sank under an set which pused five or six years after that time. But the hoe. gentleman had omitted to state what was the condition of the country circulation then. lie would tell him what it was. In Novemh, r, 1823, the bullion in the Bank was 13,760,0001., and in November 1825 it was reduced to 3,012,0001. Between Nov. 1822 and Nov. 1825, while the What in the Bank was so reduced to 3,( 00,0001., the amount of tountey lia• k paper had increased from 4,000.0001. to 8,00 0,0001. From Jan. 1833 to Jan. 1834, the amount of bullion was 9.949,0001., and in 1837 there was • decrease of 6,000,000/, the amount being only 4,000,000/. while the Menery bank einsulation had increased in 1834 to 10,000,0001 e aid in 1837 it was 11,000,0001. In 1836, at the verge of the ass, the country bank circulation was actually 12,000,0001. On the 27th of June, 1836, the bullion in the Bank was 9,642,000!. ; in 18.39 it was 4,344,0001. The country bank eircaleton had increased to 11,740,0001., when the Bank had in bullion 10,000,000/ ; and it was 12,725,0001. when the Bank had only 4,300,000/. in gold. The hen. gentleman omitted in his calculation the whole circulation of the country banks, but when the doctrines of the Bank with regard to the principle of imm and the state of the foreign excbanges, although it was said that the Bank had no more concern with the foreign exchanges than with the snow on the mountain., were remembered, it must be admitteel that the state of the country hank circulation was a material ele ment to be considered. The act of 1844 was intended for the moves purpose of presenting the evil of the increase of ' country bank circulation, concurrently with decrease of the precious metals ; end it proposed limitations for the purpose of giving to the Bank greater control over paper eirenla. elm. The Bank was a public institution possessing privi leftee, and, among others, the exclusive circulation 65 miles round London. The circulation of the country banks *ea limited, in order that the Bank of England might exercise centred over that circulation, although it was said it had • perfect right to issue as well as discount, without re ference to the foreign exchanges. But the Bank would say that it hail public duties! and could not regulate its affairs o el with regard to the temporary interests elite proprietors; asst the hon. member for Huntingdon was correct when he said that it had great power in influencing the trade of the country. Although the liras department might provide for the variation of issue in conformity with the influx and efllux of gold, and although the law had laid down no rule fee the Bank on that respect, yet parliament in pluming the act of 1844, did give righu to the Bank, and it was felt that it bad the power to derange the currency, bat there was every confidence that the Bank would give up its privileges, and that the currency would be regulated by the foreign exchanges. The memonal from the Bank which the hon. gentleman read was before parlia ment in 1841. The hon. gentleman might have heard it read and discussed, and he might have heard the appeal which was made to the government to profit by the suggestions contained in it, and to give the go vernment a discretionary power as to the issue of paper cur rency. This question was dismissed ; and it was ?Mesmer, that if it was acceded to, there would be a constant demand on the government to exereism that discretion. 'lle object of the act was to encourage c ,Mioe in the Bank ; and on spe culators and traders, by enforcing that in time to come the Bank should not give accommodation under certain pressure, and that object would have been defeated if that discretion had I been given. I suppose the government, in the exercise of such a discretion, had issued three millions of notes. The moment there was the slightest pressure they would have been appealed to, and all confidence in the act, and all caution, would have been removed. Therefore the government of the day declined to accept that trust, because they felt that par- liament only emeld relax the law to which its assent had been given. After that memorial had Men presented to the louse and discussed with almost entire coucurremeeparlia meet refused to give that discretion. A formal motion was made by the hon. member for London. Mr. MASTEItMAN : I assisted in preparing the memo rial, and I suggested that such a motion should he made, but I did not make it. Sir R. PEEL : It wee from • full conviction as to the Principles of banking, and that in the United States the system of convertibility load not secured the delivery of gold to the bolder, from a conviction of the evils which it had caused in that country, from the failure of the country banks and the abuses of the joineeteck banks, that he felt it to be his duty 10 Propose the set of 1844. He entirely approved of the _ . ootanirpinsit&Wiltiiteltertsiait: bit still he could not . Ml with her. gentlemen who had described the pressure which was so sum, and the danger which was impending. 11111 rise la the priee of corn that day was calculated to muse very painful helices. Hs was fully alive to this ; that the pressure was not confined to this country, that it must be exposed to matimee, sad than male ems be increased pelf eve ea mesas! lithe dm in the elem. He was sled is hear from the right bee. (the Chuncellor et the Exchequer) that there wens pmeepeeleef haprovement. He deeply lamented the preset none et affairs in the money market, which caned esaltanenneast to trade and maanfacturee. He deeply rercelled that they were suffering ; and if be could be cenvineell that It resehsd hoes the mea sure of 1844, no rigid adlianimms to say principle should prevent him hone applying 'the required remedy. If he thought the fellation of dde MU would afford any cure of those evils, he would offer tie km meat to any temporary relaxation that might be prelomd by the government. But it waa his firm belief, as est prima advised, and judging from the means of information le had in his posseision, that a mere temporary issue of some 2,000,0001. of paper without the increase of that capital which in point of fact was the real resource from which alone we could command the produce of other countries—such a relaxation of this measure, or the permission to hue upon Exchequer bills, or by the Bank to issue notes to any given amount on other aecuntes, would be but a temporary relief from the pressure under which the country was suffering, while it would greatly increase and aggravate the permanent evils. Look at our present politica. In Europe the ex changes were already slightly in our favour. There was a daily increase in the of coin, tonging to give increased security to the Bank, and enabling it to give increased accommodation he treated they would continue to give as fax as they mould poseibly do so with safety. But hewn that confidence—tarn the exchanges against us, and tell the Bank that its position would be engendered, and the convertibility of its notes would be fettered. The Bank must in that case look to the government aid against this in convertible paper, and consult not only their own security (for that is subordinate), but the but interests of the eountr, by securing the great object, the eonvertibility u. paper into gold. There was aow about 10,000,0001. of bul lion in the bank—fortunately there were 30,000,0001. or 40,000,0001. of gold—it was difficult to estimate the exact amount in circulation in the country and in private use. In that gold circulation he believed was the foundation of the security of the Scotch and Irish banks—that was, in the cer tain convertibility of Bank of England notes into gold. This was an expensive process, he admitted—gold was capital, and there it differed from bank paper. They had to choose whether the present feeling of apprehension, and the temporary pressure they would give up the security of the present system, if they choose to part with it they might command the produce of foreign countries. But if the system was good for this, it WI!, good for all other countries, and the hon. member fur liuntangdoa had raid that France was not suffering, and that rte gold cir culation of France, as compared with its paper, was in the proportion of 80 to 30. Supposing the case was reversed, and the paper was 80, and the cons dO, would the government of France have felt the same confidence in dealing with the difficulty? No it was because of the existence of the pre sent expensive system of circulation (and expensive he ad mitted it to be), that they were secured against a demand for gold as the consequence of internal famine. 11 a advice to them was, not on account of any fancied immediate or temporary advantages to issue one pound notes in the place of sovereigns. He trusted they would be able to pass ever the present diffi culty; and without some great calamity or paramount in cesoty which should deprive them of all discretion, he im plored the house net to tamper with those principles which it had the greatest difficulty in re-establishing after the long experience from 1798 to 1819. If they obtained present re lief, by endangering the convertibility of paper, his belief was that they would inflict a levers blow on the prosperity of this country, and do more to shake the confidence of pro perty, than by any other mune they could take. (Hear, hear.) He trusted, however, they . would feel that it would be wholly at variance with experience, and unworthy the character of this country, that because of any temporary pressure, they should relinquish an advantage watch he firmly believed to be essential to the welfare of all classes of the community, and, above all, of that clue which ought, by the certainty and fixity of the circulating medium, to be assured of the command over the necessaries of life. (Hear.) He should eve his support to the government in their ad herence to the principles of the currency, trusting they would take every step in their power to prevent the necessity of embarrassing the Bank by calling on them for asaLtance. (Cries of Adjourn.") Lord J. RUSSELL hoped the hen. gentleme n would per. mit the resolution to paw, as it was most desirable that the government should have the power which it was proposed to take without delay, and that the measure should pass through before the holidays. Holm the resolution was reported to morrow, the measure would be delayed until after Whitsun tide. (Loud crio. of " Adjourn.") The Marquis of GRANBY must press for an adjournment of the debate. After a short discussion, in the course of which it was ar ranged that the report should be brought up tc-murrow (this day), when any further debate might be taken, The resolution was then agreed to. HEALTH OF TOWNS BILL. Lord MORPETH, in postponing the second reading of this bill to this day, said it was not the intention of the go vernment to proceed with the whole measure, as ho proposed it to the hone, in the present session of palliatnent. After having ninny interviews on the subject with members of the Metropolitan Health of Towns Asysciation, they proposed to confine the bill to these towns that had corporations—to those, in fact, to which the Municipal Reform Act extended, and which had regularly-constituted bodia, by whum the powers proposed to be given by this bill might be applied. They would drop that provision of the bill which enabled the crown to nominate one-third of the commissioners. (Hear.) It was not their intention to include the metropolii in the bill, not that he did not think it less required it, but he thought with the noble lord the member for Falkirk (the Earl of Lincoln), that it was large enough to form the subject of a separate bill. The bill would give the commis sioners the power of constructing gas and waterworks where none existed, and of contracting with gas and water corn. panics where they did exist. They proposed that the Talus of the property should he estimated as is the Land COIIIOII - Clauses Act. These were the chief points of the bill which excited opposition. He hoped that neat ses►ion they would have more leisure to apply themselves to the bill for the metropolis than they could devote to it at present, when more pressing, though he could hardly say more important, matters demanded their attention. (Hear, hear.) Mr. MONAHAN obtained leave to introduce the two following bill .—" Bill to continue certain Acts for regu lating Tsenpike Roads in Ireland, until the 31st day of July, 1848, and to the end of the then next Session of Parliament." " Bill to continue, until the 31st day of July, 1848, and thenceforth to the end of the then next Session of Paths, meet, an act of the fifth and Math years of her present Ma jesty, for amending the law relative to Private Lunatic Asylums in Ireland." The Home adjourned at a quarter-past one. ht eriartoo. HAILS. The malls for Vigo, OS II I iir Jebon, Madre, Cadiz, and Gibraltar. will be made uo ea the et the 17th May. The West IndM mils, lime er Mthico, ilor.durae, and the Ilarannah, will be Erie to es die eemiegif the 1 ith May. The Mails for With Mee* Amethe. Itemeefe, and the gaited hats, will be made up an the miss lOe MY May. The overlani trade Ow 011weltag, MsehhOreece. the lonian Wanda, grypt,Aden, Cey India, Haeg-itan, Chink win Southampton, will - be made up on the owning of Mann May. The overland eland mails, e.o Marseilles, w the Mediterranean, ggypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Bong Nogg, ilta, will be made up on the mad* of the 21th May. The math for New South Wales, Van Diemen'' , Land, and Now Zealand will be made up on the evening of the 31 et May. The math for the Brandi, the giver Plate, Monte Video, Pernam buco, Bahia, daeleirs, and Buenos Ayres, will be made ep on the ends. of the 4th June. HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGL TN= DAT—Morning, 0 wr. pre I 1; Aftaneoca, 33 obi. pre 11. ToJloarnr—licarap. 0 ars per 0 ; Mosso , " I Ada. par 0. LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 11. THE only hopes that now remain of Mexico's suc cess in preserving her indepecdence and avoiding the Anglo-American yoke, consist in the chances of guerilla warfare. It is, indeed, almost the only kind of warfare in which the Spanish race can successfally measure itself with the more disciplined or more staunch soldiers of European countries—of whom the mo-ak, or confidence in their superiority, is at the highest pitch. The whole history of the Peninsular war shows how vainly the Spaniards trusted to their regular armies, and how much alight be achieved by gue rillas : not but that the Spanish army did at times dis play both skill and courage. The Mexicans, in their advance towards Saltillo, seem to have shown both. We have as yet but American accounts of these actions; and it is evident, that, how ever indisputable the victory of the Americans, it was dearly bought. As to cities or strong holds on the coast, they could not be expected to hold out. SANTA ANNA, who had defended Vera Cruz against a French force, evidently abandoned the idea of making the experiment a second time. Nor was it to be expected that either Vera Cruz or St. Juan d'Ulloa should offer stubborn or pro longed resistance, when no Mexican army or general hovered near, as in past times, to create diversion or afford relief. The only circumstance that excites suspicion is the time taken by the American i f eneral to master the city. The desperate mtans which he employed evince his caution and his fears. And the brilliant coup de main of the Prince ofJOINNILLE in tkoee streets, and the capture of the town without the destruction of property and life, and that, too, without other than a marine force, offer a contrast between the French prince and the American general very much to the disadvantage of the latter. The capture of Vera Cruz and its castle makes no •__ . - - !change, however, in the prospects of the war. The amiss of engagements between Saltillo and St. Luis de Potosi are more conclusive ; they decide the inutility of Mexican meeting Anglo-American in the open field, and the hopelessness of trusting to regular *coops or tactics. The defence of Mexico must be of another kind. It must be a repetition of those efforts which freed the country of the Spanish armi, s, which raised every province in guerillim which induced the priests to pay and to feed, the better classes to lead, the Indian and the tto turn marksman and marauder. The chief peasant Mexican independence is, that the late battles may prove effective as a lesson, and that the Mexicans may offer no more such chances. Letters from the country state with con sternation that there are few cannon to defend the =which lead from the low ground to the table and that the Americans a ill not meet with many obstacles to their p But, with a view to guerilla warfare, the Mexicans ought to admit, nay, entice, the Americans into the very bowels of the land. The road to the capital or to the interior should be thrown open to them. The Americans will then have to keep open com munications, levy contributions, and exasperate the population by taking their supplies. There is no party amongst the Mexicans now inclined to tarn traitor. The Federalists, who existed as a party, be fore the war, and then favoured America, have disap peared since the invasion, and whatever men are upper most in Mexico are united in the one great purpose of resistance. Notwithstanding his character, blackened by calumny, GOMEZ FAHIAS, chief of the democratic party, seems to have shown sufficient energy during his rule. He provided for SANTA ANNA the funds and supplies requisite for trying his fortune and that of the country in a regular campaign. The attempt of FARMS to tax the clergy in his extremity was bold and just. He has fallen a victim to their re sentment And henceforth there can scarcely be such a thing as a governt , ent levying taxes and undertaking defence. These duties must be performed by the people themselves. And if SANTA ANSA be staunch ■nd wise, be will abandon the hope of defending the capital by a regular army and by pitched battles, which his manifesto seems to promise, but take measures for disseminating resistance, so that on their adv.tnee the Americans might find neither government, nor army, nor authorities, but active bends of destroyers, n•t in front, but on both sides of the line of march and operations. The possession of the (capital did not make the old Spaniards masters of the country—why should it render the Americans so ? The Anglo-Americans may conquer Mexico, but cannot remain masters of it, or even conclude a satis factory treaty with it, unless through the medium of some iafluential party. None that exist seem able or willing to play such a part. SANTA ANNA declines—the democrats abhor it. The Federalists would aenationalize themselves by attempting it. And, in the end, the Americans may find themselves in Mexico, bke the French in Algeria, nominal con querors, but braved and slaughtered by every preda tory band, whilst the drains in the shape of military expense would suffice to buy an empire, though so utterly thrown away in coercing one. THE continental money markets have again been revived by the announcement of the Russian Em peror's intention to invest a further sum of nearly five millions of pounds sterling in foreign funds. there can be no doubt respecting the utility of such an in vestment for Europe in general, under the extraor dinary and artificial pressure that has been superin duced. We have only to regret that such active financiers as the Russian ministers show themselves, should limit their sphere of influence instead of seeking to found an extended credit upon sound prin ciples of trade and taxation. For the moment, how ever, the wisdom of the west is forced to my " peccavi" and acknowledge that it is at fault. Paris began the system of restricting the use of banking credit and of measuring its efficiency by the presence of gold. Sir lt. PEEL transplanted the same notion ' under a different form to England, and the Ring of PRUSSIA has remodelled the Bank of Berlin on the London plan, with some modifications. At Vienna the government has taken advantage of the command of a good supply of bullion to make large paper issues. The Emperor of RUSSIA goes still further, and places his hoards at the disposal of all idolisers of metallic currency. The anomalous position occupied by Eng land, which has long been looked upon as the soul of the trading operations of the world, is the most cu rious feature of this page of history. Extraordinary emergencies justify bold measures. The revolutionary war justified the Bank Re striction Act, in which the source of England's true power was disclosed. A famine is a case which is everywhere held to call for prompt exertion; and had we chosen, it would have been easy to have collected an immense mass of gold from the floating currency of the country simply by allowing it to be replaced in some degree with one-pound notes. Small sums for circulation are especially requisite where daily and weekly payments of labour wages are customary. We see that an abstraction of sove reigns imposes on our manufacturers the necessity of stopping their works. But if we did not choose to go so far as the Russian Czar (who, by the account of a correspondent, would seem to have absorbed all the precious metals by issue of notes), the course taken by the King of PRUSSIA was still left open. Although the Bank of Berlin is bound to exhibit a quantity of bullion equivalent to one-third of the notes which it issues, yet an excep tion has been allowed in favour of a loan specially made by the government in government notes or exchequer bills. These are considered to be a guarantee equivalent to gold or silver. We might thus have allowed the Bank, by a vote of the house, to consider the eight millions destined to be spent in Ireland as a guarantee for an Jame of small notes. These notes, whether emanating from the Bank of England or of Ireland, would have been equally well received with the coined money circulated, since it would have been taken in payment for food, and the fund in the cellars of the Bank might have been left undisturbed. Since NAPOLEON banded his millions for our destruction, there never was an opportunity like the present for a display of commercial power. The four and thirty years of peace have not offered a conquest of public opinion that could rank with the position which England is now entitled to assume. Bat the commercial power of England, which lies in her credit, did not, as in Russia, Prussia, or Austria, depend upon the prudent or imprudent management of a govern ment bank, or of a state treasury. Nor is England's power now to be measured by the condition or resources of the Bank of England, although, by consenting to a dangerous system of meddling, it has been made to appear so. The Bank Restriction Act was of no avail until the merchants of London held a subsequent meeting, and declared their intention of taking the notes untied under that act, without pre senting them for specie. The limitations now imposed in a manner that may be qualified as an unconstitu tional interference with the right of every free-born Briton to create credit for himself, and to use it as he may, under the control of laws for the protection of property and the repression of fraud, can, in like manner, be discarded by an unanimous expression of opinion by our merchants. The expression of this opinion would, in all probability, have not been as unanimous as it now promises to be, had any pal liatives been adopted. We are glad, therefore, that the experiment has been fatly tried. When our operatives, manufacturers, merchants, and agricultu rists are all and each convinced that their interests are indissolubly linked together, and that no injury can be , inflicted on any of these without its being felt by the' whole, then, and only then, can we expect anything like the unanimous appeal which shall free us from this novel and most mischievous beginning of com mercial restrictions—the currency laws of 1841. The ministerial crisis occupied the attention of the public and the press in Paris on Sunday, to the ex clusion of every other topic. The singular circum stances attending the present dislocation of the cabinet, were the subject of animadversion in all circles. The few particulars which we gave yester day prove, so far as they go, to have been correct. The following are more complete details : On Friday morning, NI. Guizot called around him four of his colleagues, M. Duchatel, Minister of the Interior ; M. Damon, Minister of Public Works; M. Hebert, Minister of Justice; and M. Salvandy, Minister of Public Instruction : and submitted to THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 11, 1847. them the question of the urgency of a change in the cabinet After a conference, it w-am resolved that M. Lscave-Laplagne, the Minister of Finance; M. Moline St. Yon, the Minister of War; and M. de Mackin, the Minister of Marine, should be ;got rid of. The question of the removal of M. Cunin-Gridaine (who, it will be observed, was excluded from this cabinet caucus) was talked of; but it was thought that his dismissal would be unacceptable in a high quarter, and he was allowed therefore to remain. Atter this conference, M. Guizot presented himself to Marshal Soult, who, it is well known, takes no share in the actual pro ceedings of the cabinet, of which he is the nominal chief, and informed the marshal of what was resolved on. The two ministers then proceeded to the Cha teau, and were immediately admitted to the royal presence, where they obtained the King's ;uncut to the decision which had been taken, and M. Soak was authorised to communicate to the three proscribed members the willingness of the King to accept their resignations. On Saturday morning, accordingly, they prese n ted themselves to the Tu il er ie s , where the Ministers of War and Marine gave their unconditional resignations; but not so the Minister of Finance. M. Lacave-Laplagne respectfully represented to hie Ma jesty that, although he was willing to be dismiesed, he must decline giving a voluntary resignation ; that he was sensible of being about to be victimised for the faults and malversations of those of his colleagues, who still retained office ; that he was ready to resign with the rest of the cabinet, but not separately ; that the acts which supplied the pretext of his removal, were, in reality, committed by his several colleagues ; and that, inasmuch as his voluntary resignation would amount to self-condemnation, he must respectfully insist on retaining his office until he was dismissed from it. Upon this, the King, with much kindness and urbanity, represented that in retiring he should receive liberal proofs of royal confidence and favour. The peerage was offered, in the first place, with the rich sinecure of the office of procureur-general of the cour des complex. To this M. Lacave Laplagne re plied, that, however gratefully he might accept such marks of the royal confidence under other circum stances, he felt it due to himself at present to decline them. The King then added the further offer of the office of intendant of the domains of the Duke d'Aumale, which was nevertheless declined with the same respectful firmness. These particulars were given by M. Lacave-La plagne himself, in the Salle des Conferences of the chamber without reserve to his friends, among the deputies, and great was the indignation he ex premed at having been made the " scape-goat" for the misdeeds of his colleagues. Up to the hour of closing his despatches our cor respondent had learnt nothing certain respectiafr the persons to be selected to replace the three ministers dismissed. It was considered certain that the ministry of war had been offered to the Marquis de La Place, who, it was believed, however, had declined the honour of a seat in the cabinet. It was said that Lieut.-General Laanours, peer of France, was then proposed for the office. M. Duchitel, whom it was first proposed to transfer to the finances, had, it was said, declined to leave the ministry of the interior, and M. Damon was then named to go to the finances, and vacate the ministry of public works. Among the persons mentioned for this latter office were M. Muret de Hord and M. de Bussieres, French ministers at the Hague. The Count de Bresson continued to be spoken of for the ministry of marine. The opposition journals are, of course, highly in dignant at the attempt of the leaders of the cabinet to elude the difficulties of their situation, and visit their sins upon the heads of some three or four of their inferior colleagues. Nor does there appear any pros pect of the present change restoring to the ministerial majority the pro . gressist conservatives who have re cently deserted it. La Presse, which is the organ of that section of the Chamber, is as indignant as any of the organs of the Left at the obstinate tenacity with which MM. Guizot and Duchatel adhere to office. A debate took place in the chamber on Saturday on a petition against duelling, in which it was pro to enact a special law against the practice. is, however, was successfully opposed by the most eminent law authorities in the chamber, including M. Dupin, on the ground of the inexpediency of taking a murder thus committed oat of the common classification of homicide in the code. The preliminary examination of Gen. Cabieres took place on Saturday at the little Luxemburg, be fore the President of the Court of Petra and the committee appointed for that purpose. It was announced that the Minister of Commerce would introduce on Monday a project of law for the continuance of the free importation. of provisions until the last day of October. In a postscript written at the latest moment, our correspondent says : The crisis of the cabinet con tinues without definite solution, and appears ever. to assume still greater complication. Unlooked-for em barrassments and difficulties collect around M. Guizot. At one o'clock to-day nothing was done. All the parties to whom portfolios had been offered had de clined them. M. de la Place, M. Bresson, and M. Busaieres, bad refused. M. Bignon, vice-president of the chamber, and a distinguished member of the con servative party, was offered the portfolio of public works, but declined it. In the course of the morning, M. Guizot had an interview with M. Achille Fould, at the Hotel of Foreign Affairs, and, as is supposed, offered him the ministry of marine, which was also declined. M. Achille Fould is an eminent banker, and was lately signalised in the chamber by his attacks on M. de Mackan. The king, who was to have left Paris for a few days for Chantilly, has been obliged to relinquish his intention, and remain at the Tuileries. M. Duchatt I, who has since Friday held himself aloof from affairs, under plea of indisposition, went with M. Guizot to the Tuileries to-day, where these ministers were closeted with the king till 4 o'clock. ' We have received advice, from Madrid to the 4th inst. The Baylen anniversary of the 2nd May was observed by the queen and court putting on mourning. A patriotic banquet was given in honour and in com memoration of the victims by the Progreasist headed by M. Olozaga. Madame de Valverde Countess dowager de Torrejan, has been appointed cumerara-mayor, or mistress of the robes, to the queen, being the office vacated by the :Marchioness of Santa- Cruz. It remained uncertain whether the queen would be accompanied to Aranjuez by the king, whd, it was said, would probably go to the Prado. The members of the royal household had already departed for Aranjuez. M. Castro y Orozco, president of the Chamber of Deputies, died suddenly on the morning of the 4th at seven o'clock. A royal ordonnanee appeared in the Madrid Gazette, founded on a report of M. Salamanca, autho risicg the centralisation in the public treasury of all the state funds. M. Salamanca intended to pro pose a project of reform in the organisation of the de partment of finance. The senate had approved, by a large majority, of the project of law for raising 2.5,000 men. FRANCE.—PARIS, MAY 9.—BOILER EXPLOSION. —A fearful accident took place, on the Bth inst., in a manu factory of carriage springs, situate in the rue St. Denis, in Paris. The boiler which fed one of the steam-engines bunt, throwing the stoker a distance of 180 yards from the place of the explosion ; Mr. Hartmann, sae of the engineers of the Great Northern Railway, bad his skull fractured ; two workmen who were on the spot were instantly killed, and eight others were ranch wounded. These last were imme diately brought to a hospital, where one is in a dying state. The fragments of the boiler were thrown up more than 1.5 yards, they broke the fly-wheel, and knocked down the walls of the engine -bowie, which now remains a mass of mina. THE NEW OYSTER-BED.—The Journal do Harre continues its lamentations on this subject, and complains of the French government not taking any steps to ensure the newly-found oyster-bed exclusively as the property of France. " The naval authorities," saes that journal, " have ordered the stoppage of the fisheey since the Ist of May. In the meanwhile the English, who are not forbidden to do so, con tinue to work this fertile mine, and fish op the oysters ander the very _eyes of our guards, who errant prevent them." GERMANY.—Pauggi.s.—BERLIN, MAY 7.—The Allgemeine Preussische Zeifung of this day, contains the report on the sitting of the first estate (Herren-Kurie) of the diet of the 30th of April. Two subjects were before the assembly. The first was the resolution of the three estates respecting the export of potatoes, and the use of potatoes and grain in distilleries. As will have been inferred from the issuing of a royal edict on the 3rd of May, nearly in the terms of that resolution, the decision of the high nobility was in accordance witl4that of the equestrian, burgher, and peasant orders. The discussion elicited no novel views. A rizo-qtto that dropped unconsciously from Prince y owski, us may be recordedone of the lite rary curiosities of Prussia's first national parliament. Tho term Rilterschaft (knightly order or clam) his come in Prussia, and' generally throughout Germany, to mean little mere than "landed gentry." To this we are indebted for the prince's rather startling enunciation that "the knightly order distils and arils potatoes': (die Rilleruhaft, die Kariojfehi verbreent rwd rerkauft). Spirit of Chivalry ! has it come to this ? The second subject of discussion was a proposal to admit the members of the three estates (in so far as there was ro mi) to be present at the meetings of the first estate, and rite versa. The pro , poeal was approved try the committee to which it was referred by 9 votes to 1. The vote in the meeting of the first estate was taken on a motion that the King be requested to permit the arrangement. The marshal hinted at difficulties arising from want of room. Count 1), hen supported the ro-- commendation of the committee on the ground that printed short-hand reports offered, after el, only a half publicity. Printed reports enable good speeches ill delivered to be ap preciated; but they cannot convey the impression made by impassioned eloquence. Both require to be known. The publicity of personal presence, and the publicity of the press, are n complements of each other. On the opoosite side, the Prebendary Krosigk, after avowing himself the minority of one in the committee, earnestly opposed the proposal to admit some twenty members of the three estates (all that there is room for), to be present at the debates of his order. That concession would necessarily lead to the admission of the general public, and such a step in this age of " railways, express-posts, eleetro-magnetic telegraphs, short hand reporters, end express journals ' must lead to re volution and all arils. Not *Fiala n ling the alarm of the worthy prebendary, the proposal to address the king in favour of permitting the members of the two bodies constituting the diet to be present at each other's meetings, was approved, with only three dissentient voices. An important petition has been laid before the general diet by the deputy from Pomerania, the contents of which, if entertained and acted on, cannot fail to be extremely injurious to the shipping interests of this country. The petition requests that the Prussian government, accord with the other Mates of the Zollverein, should pass a law to the effect that importations direct from the countries of production out of Europe Mould enjoy a remiss aim of 20 per cent. upon the import duties, whenever these importations should be effected by verses considered as belonging to the Zollverein. Thu concession should be extended to the ports of the north lying between the Scheldt and the Elbe. By these means, it is stated, the shipowners of the Zollverein would be protected, and the competition of its maritime commerce facilitated with that of the pare of Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremen, &c., and thus bring these ports and other countries on the seuboard of the German littoral to join the Zollverein. National industry would thus be favoured, it is averred, and means found for concluding advantageous treaties with other countries carrying on com merce by sea. AUSTRIA.—VIENNA, MAY 2. —An official letter from the president of the Aulic Council of War orders that the army shall wear mourning for the late Archduke Charles six weeks longer than the usual court mourning, that the two regiments of which the deceased was commander shall always he called the Regiment of the Archduke Charles, and the sword of the late commander shall be preserved in the Arsenal of Vienna. --- • -- RUSSIA- ST. PETERSBURG, APRIL 27.—The Emperor of Ramis has appointed his grandson, the Grand Duke VladiuticAlexandrowitch, who is not above • few days old, commander of the Imperial Dragoon Guards. The ice has begun to break up in the Neva at its junction with the Ladoga Sea; parts of this river are already quite cleared. On the petition of several members of the com mercial body of the capital, the Finance Minister has given his sanction to a project for establishing a transit company. The project has beta submitted to, and approved of, by the emperor. Siberia has been visited with great scarcity. In the district of Werchneudlnsk, government of Irkutsk, the harvest was so bad in the years 1844 and 45 that it was found necessary to open the crown magazines. In 1846 the harvest was a little batter; but was nevertheless scarcely sufficient for the consumption. The crops were quite insufficient in the circles of Irkutsk, Nischnendinsk, and Nertschinsk ; and in the circle Kirensk, where corn is grown in small quan tities, there was a complete failure in the crops. The vast expanse of this circle or province, and the distance by which the divers villages are separated render the lot of its inha bitants peculiarly hard. TM . gold washers are in a distress , ing state, the prices of provisions having advanced in an ! extraordinary degree. These high prices. however, are lees owing to insufficiency of provisions thee to the increase in the quantity of gold. MEXICO. MANIFESTO OF SANTA ANNA.— Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, interim President of the Mexican Republic, to his fellow-countrymen " Mexicans ! Vero Cruz is already in the power of The enemy. It has fallen, not under the weight of American valour, nor even under the influence of its good fortune. We ourselves, shameful as it may be to say it, have brought upon ourselves this dire disgrace, by our interminable discords. The govern ment owes you the whole truth ; you are to arbitrate on the fate of the country ; if it is to be defended, you will be these who shall stop the triumphant march of the enemy that occupies Vera Cruz; if he shall advance one step more, the national independence will be buried in the abyss of the past. lam resolved to go forth to the encounter of the enemy. What is life ennobled by national gratitude if the country suffers • reproach which shall cast a stigma on the front of every Mexican ? My duty is to offer myself as a I sacrifice, and I shall know how to fulfil that duty. The haughty Americans desire to obtain of the capital of the Aztec empire. I shall jsm witssees such a disgrace, for I am decided sooner to die in combat. It is a critical moment for the Mexican nation. It is as glorious to die in the struggle, as infamous to acknowledge a defeat without an effort, • defeat too by an enemy whose rapacity is as far removed from valour as from generosity. Mexicans! have you a religion? Defend it. Have you honour ? Save it from infamy. Do you love your wives and your children? Itc.seue them from American brutality. But it is deeds, not vain demands, nor sterile wishes, which are to be opposed to the enemy. The national cause is supremely just. Why dims Gad appear to have abandoned it ? His displeasure will cease if we present, as an expiation of our crimes, the sentiments of a sin- I care union—of a true patriotism. Thus the Eternal will bless our efforts, and we 'hall be invin- I able; for, against the decision of eight millions of Mexicans, how shall eight or ten thousand Americans prevail when they have ceased to be the instruments of divine justice ? I speak to you for the last time; for the sake of God listen to me ; you must nut hesitate between death and slavery; and if the teensy shall vanquish you, at least let your resistance be respected. It is now time that there should he no thought but fur the common defence. The hour of sacrifices hasstruck. Awaken : the tomb opens at your feet. Win a laurel, that it may be mare° over it. But the nation will not perish: I will answer for the triumph of Mexico, nay, will swear for the result, if an unanimous and sincere co-operation shall only second my desires. Fortunate will be the humiliating affair of Vera Cruz. If the fate of that city shall inspire Mexican breasts with the enthusiam, the dignity, and the generous ardour of true pstriotism, it will unquestionably have been the salvation of the country; but should Mexico succumb she will bequeath her shame and her dishonour to those egotists wno have sought not to defend her — those traitor, who have prosecuted their owd personal com bats, damaging the nstional character. Mexicans, the fate of the country is in your hands; you, not the Americans, will decide it. Vera Cruz cries for vengeance ; hasten to wipe out the foul blot of her dishonour.—(Signed) TUNIC, Loran Dr SANTA ANNA.—Mexico, March 31, 1847. How VERA CRUZ. WAS TAKEN.—We present our , readers with an extract from a letter by a gentleman who was an eye-witness of the operations at Vera Cruz. His account differs somewhat from that furnished by the American prints, but having heard the statement of avowed partisans, perhaps it is well that we should read that of an Impartial (or it may be prejudiced) observer : Oa board lIJLS. Dwag, Saorifidos, lath of March, BM— US Wad the tows at is Orr Gelds Ora* off& Joan de Vliaa =:1to the Asalekens. The tans I stoir dawortain with err. /rt Otitis la. selleded 'bates latarrhawapbead =honour in thebedems, atm bra saweasSi NYE memo got at tbe Yankee, Um Ns Oat Set tbey he,. bad Veva Ores averessdail by 14,000 to ISA* 1001 4 and, easel It was sidE 0401sild by 4,000, me-halt or VS= were militia, they dared sot albeh it like mea, but from a lime threw shells into at until oftbisterth of the loan vigil in ache., Mei a great number of women sad aligns dtehroyed. The Mexicans Yrs shown uncommon pluck. Its Amebas' gave it out that their WSW** on shore were to play °alias Ss aloft whilst their fleet Masked It on theother ride. Thwy bra ust. bweraver, bad the la try their strength L oathe cowls Sotwldslesdies their brae= batYee ocatented hemselves with inglodiswebodlig Wakes Vara Ons." ZEbr Court. The Queen and Prince Albert took their usual walk yin the le .0 grounds and plantatkem of Osborne. rß e t a . the Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty the Queen Dowager yesterday at Marlborough House. H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent left town yesterday morning for her residence, Frogmore House, near Windsor. H.R.H. returned in the afternoon, at six o'clock, to Clarence House, St. James's. Colonel Mare, M.P., had an interview with the Right Hon. Edward Strutt yesterday, at the office of the Commissioners of Railways in Greet George-street. Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial office Goes the Governors of the West India colonies. Des patches ware also received yesterday from the Governor of Malta. DEATH OF GENERAL WILLIAM DYOTT.—This, one of the oldest Generals in the British army, died on the 7th instant, at his seat, Fairford, near Lichfield, after a length ened and at the expiration of more than 67 yeah' service. Alter a probationary course, he entered the army ! so ensign on March tho 14th, 1781, and hi. further commis ! none were thus dated: lieutenant, May 9, 1782; captain, April 25, 1793; major, May 19, 1794; lieutenant-colonei, September 18, 1794; colonel, January 1, 1800; major general, April 2,5, 1808 ; lieutenant-general, June 4, 1 1813; general, July 22, 1830 ; and colonel of the 63rd Foot, April 7, 1823. The deceased officer served in Anse rice in the early war. In 1796 he proceeded to the West Indies, and in 1801 took part in the memorable campaign in Egypt. In 1809 he was engaged in the disastrous affair at Walcheren. His subsequent military duties were princi pally confined to peace service. LATE LORD CoWLEY.—The mortal remains of the late Lord Cowley were interred yerterday at 12 o'clock in the vault of Grosvenor Chapel, South Audit Street The ceremony was strictly private. THE BILL FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE RIVER THAMES. Yesterday a Court of Aldermen having been sum moned to ensemble at the Old Bailey, on the subject of the bill in parliament for the conservation of the River Thames, and for the regul►tion, management. and improvement thereof, several aldermen assembled soon after 11 o'clock, 3 r and the Lord Mayor took the their. Mr. Four (of the Town Clerk's *this) having read the report on the subject by the committee of pri•ilegee, wit e having considered the alterations suggested ea tie bill, could not advise the Court of Common Council to agree to them, Alderman COPELAND moved that the report ho agreed to, and the motion having been seconded, Sir P. L►Anna said he hoped they would not rooted to stultify themselves by petitioning parliament against a bill abounding with the greatest advantages to the City of Lon don, and to the conunondy, and to which the consent of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and commons had already been most completely given. The measure would confer a nee power upon the corporation, instead of removing any of the old, and nothing could be more preposterous than to object to such • boon. Alderman JONSSON stated that he had reason know that Lords Auckland and blorpeth wished that as much of the business of the conservancy as parable should he com mitted to the corporation--(hear, hear)—and be was con vinoed that if these noblemen were waited upon and in formed of the exact nature of the matter in dispute such an arrangement would follow the explanation es mist preys satisfactory. (Hear, bear.) He should, indeed, fsel great regret if a bill which was calculated to do to meth good were allowed to drop in the present erasion, for it seould be, in his opinion, very difficult to obtain one of such a :haracttr from a new p-rtisnieut. The Lord Mayor ought certainly to be appointed one of the superior commissioners under the hill, as his lordship wee, (tom the nature of hit oilier, at the head of the numerous great COVIIIIINIONS connected with the City of London. To that, as well as to other necessary aberatione, the rovernment would no doubt not present the slightest impediment. Aldermau WILSON raid nothing could be more objection able than the manner in which the businees which had given rise to the present conversation had been peers,' mad. It was absurd to say that he or his brethren had beard and to a bill, clause by clause, which gave to the Court of V C o r s l nVion Council the power to aproint and reject mem ' ben of the Court of Aldermen in members of the cocser- Taney. The common councilmen were, of all persons in the world, the most unfit to carry out the rverrisions of such a bill; and ]et one of the clauses not only gave the veto to that body in the choice of members of the Court of Aldermen, but sat thirteen com mon councilmen against five aldermen. (Hi or, bear.) Rather than submit to such an indieuity, he would throw up the whole authority, and commit it to the hands of commercial men wholly unconnected with the corporation There would be nothing to be seen but constant successions of jobs if the bill should pan in its present form ; and is order to get rid of the portions of it which were certainly cal culated to degrade the Court of Aldermen, anil to efeet great public injury, immediate application houi Ibe made to parliament. The City Remembrancer was here called in at the request of Alderman Copeland, and questioned es to the cause or his having declined to attend the sheriffs in pr, sentii.o the peti tion against the clauses of the bill to the House ol Commons ; and also as to the manner in which the cor.solir . ition com mittee of the Court of Comm.. Council had become ac quainted with the contents of that petition. The remem brancer replied tkat be had, from a sense of duty, informed the consolidated committee of the nature and ol pet of the petition, and he had, in consequence of the directions of the committee, respectfully declined to attend the sheriffs in presenting it. Some conversation took place upon this allesed unjusti fiable interference upon the part of the consolidated com mittee with the privileges of the Court of Aldermen, and upon the part of the rememhrancer, with the ri.;ht of peti tion; but in the end the officer was wholly exonerated, although, at the angry commencement of the inquiry into his conduct upon the occasion, there were some ineinuations AS to his eager disposition to obey the party of the greater numerical strength. The RECORDER said the bill appeared to be intended to be one of very curious efficacy, as it actually went to sub divide the Lord Mayor into nineteen different persons. Nothing could be more completely frittered away than the authority of the chartered conservator of the Thames would be by the unrestricted operation of such a measure. It was for his lordship to say whether be considered it to be his duty to protest against such a division of his factions and authority. (Hear, hear.) It wee important that agitation should be avoided as much sspoesible upon any matterupon which the two courts entertained a difference of opinion, for it was the opinion of some lawyers that a close ',instigation into matters connectei with the very subject which occupied the attention of the committee might lead to disagrsements of amore dangerous character, with much more disagreeable parties. (Hear, hear ) The REMENBRA NOIR was then asked whether be was pre parid to attend the sheriffs with the petition to parliament? and that gentleman firmly, but moat respectfully, declined to act upon the occasion. Aldermen CHALLIS: There is no blame to be r.ttaelled to the Remembranoer, whom we all know as a gentleman of the highest honour ,ad respectability. If there be disho• nour anywhere as to this matter it rests with the coaeuli dated committee, who think it necessary to threaten with the worst consequences the officers who hater, to be in their power if these officers refuse implicit obedience to their orders. • Alderman WILSON then moved That the Remembrancer having respectfully deermall to obey the order of the Court of Aldermen to attend the shefill, London, r oording to anent culatom, in preventing a petition of the said Co .rt of Aldermen to the Howe of Commoog Irma wt the b.ll to provide for the conservation of the neer Thames, and for V..e errata' on, man-age meat, and improvement thereof, that the Right lion. the lord Mayor, accoutpanied by Lbeniirriffs, be requested to are theepcoher, communi cate the circumstance to him, and make en appointment for the tow. wantation of the petition.—That the Lord Mayor, Alderman Copeland, Alderman !auron, the Recorder, Fir James Lake, and the Sheriff\ be remiested forthwith to wait upon Lord Machined, Lord Morpeth, and Mr. Ward, to state the oblectioao to the fill, and t „oh them to commie the tome, or to postpone the 131:1 for a week. These resolutions were unanimously agreed to, and the committee adjourned. The Recorder was en3pbaticaliy directed by the Lord Mayor to form one of the deputation. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOLI 42nd general meeting of this society was held yesterday, at Exeter. hall. Samuel Gurney, Bal., treasurer, took the chair; and, in exelnaing that he did so in the absence of their president, Lord John Russell, said ke believed that the meeting would consider it fortunate that no member of that noble house to which their president belonged e as present. With reference to the government scheme of t,!acation, he read an advertisf merit calling • meeting together fur the express purpose of considering the bearing of that scheme on the principles and operations of the society ; and such a meeting being about to take place, he hoped that the sub ject might not he brought up on that °Passion. He could not but deplore the short period whirls the pupils remained at the schools of the society, they being thus excluded from all hope of attaining& high degree of education.—Mr. Henry Dunn, the secretary, then read the report. After alluding to the s.rious obstacle offered to the Pant. as of the society's efforts by the shortness of the time which pupils remained, he proceeded to state that, in the boys' normal school, there were then in training 233, of whom 44 were it training when the last report was prepared ; 189 have been received since that date ; 147 have been appointed to 10100111 from various causes, have withdrawn ; and 63 were still on the books. In the girls' school, during the past year, 152 have been under instruction, 32 of whom were under train ing last April ; 98 have been appointed to schools, at home and abroad ; 17 have withdrawn ; 33 were in the in stitution on the let of April, 1847. One hundred and forty-six new schools have been established during the past year in different localities. The foreign schools were stated to be in a prosperous condition : in Van Diemen's Land 1,413 children were being educated. The receipts of the jeer were 14,7421. lls. 10d. and the expenditure 14,4631. 19e., leaving a balance of 2781- 12e. 10.1. The Rev. George Clayton moved the adoption of the report. Amidst all the vicissitudes to which the society had beet subject for the last forty years, he was glad to be enabled to say that it had always held fast to the first principles for which it was established—the principles of catholicity. Tho Hon. Vernon Smith, 1.1 P., in seconding the reoolution, expressed his regret at the absence of thew president, Lard John Russell. (The hon. gentleman was here interrupted by loud and pro tracted cries of dinipprobation). BLit it should be remembered that since the last meetirig the noble lord had been appointed prime minister, and could not be 'erected to devote any of his time to them. He was glad to hear that that platform was not to become the arena of gladiatorial display ; which might certainly be more amusing to the meeting, but which in their heart of hearts he was sure they would not desire, but he hoped that if subsequent speakers should fire upon them, they would be permitted to reply. Votes of thanks to the Queen, Prince Albert, the Duke of Bedford, and to the chairman, were then adopted; and Mr. Gurney was i.bout to close the meeting, when there arose loud erica for Mr. Bur nett, who was on the platform, as were /defer*. Bineey and Ainslie, with other of the opponent* to government aid, who seemed to expect that • discussion would take place as to the course which had been adopted by the British and Foreign School Society.—Mr. Burnett oh ',reed that if he had intended to fire upon any one, as hinted at by an honourable gentleman, that gentleman was perfectly SUP, for he was gone ; but he was certain that what ever difference of opinion might exist, they were not so far gone in the spirit of agitation as to fire on their friends. If they were to have arms, let that society he their 11/11111, but to be so, it must, like the arms of a good soldier, be kept bright and pure and in working trim ; and if • cloud should gather round it, sod the dampness should make a deposition of rust, they must not turn away, but, on the contrary, still like a good soldier, they should set to work and polish it again. lie would recommend to them forbearance. but a forbear ance with limits, for to forbear without limitation were a mutual licentiousness, and such a forbearance he would by no means recommend. Let the society be preserved intact, and let it make its rays extend to the (Artie at corner of the globe without doing homage to any Isower. After a few more observations, Mr. Burnett eat down, and the meeting separated. DINNER TO MR. CHARLES CoCHRANG—A public dinner was given last evening at the Freemasons' 'tavern, Great Queen-street, to ?dr. Charles Cochrane, as a testimo nial of his services, both pecuniary anti otherwise, in the cause of sanitary improvement. Abut 203 gentlemen eat down to dinner, Mr. B. B. Cabbell presiding. After the usual routine toasts the chairman proposed that of the evening—" the health of their guest on the prex rat occasion, Mr. Charles Cochrane," observing that he consider d it strange that with all the wealth and splendour of the me tropolis it should be reserved for one individual to turn his attention to its cleanlicese He went on to speak of the services of Mr. Cochrane towards the improvement of the sanitary condition of the metropolis, which had net only been a means of elf. ctieg great good to its ishabitants, but had aiso had the effect of calling the attention of the legislature to the subject, a malt which he he lieved had en tailed upon Mr. Cochrane an expense of 4,0001. Mr. Cabbell concluded by expressing his wish to impress upon the minds of the conKiany assembled that the present was not in the slightest degree a political meeting, or one with any such tendency, but a tribute solely to Mr. Coeltrane's inde- -,.