The Express. — London, England, 1847-01-28 00:00:00

more competitors into the home market, whilst more and more hostile tariffs abroad render foreign markets more difficult to compete in. Each year increases the temptation to English capitalists to invest their money in manufacturing speculations abroad, where it is exempted from the property-tax, and where there is great prospect of remunerating prices. Such propositions as those of Mr. FIELDEN, delu sive and dangerous at any time, are doubly so at the present moment. All history shows that the only weans of obtaining a transition in industry from agri culture to more refined employments is through the influence of security of property. It is the absence of such security, that has prevented the extension of manufacturing in many different branches to Ireland. The decay of old manufactures in many parts of the continent is traceable to the same cause. Did no other reason illustrate the danger of interfering in the manner proposed with the disposal of private property, the conse quence to our growing population would su ffi ciently justify our fear of the principle. Will the shortening of the hours of labour limit the growth of oar labourers numbers ? Are not they like other classes of the population increasing at the rate of I I per cent. per annum ? Place artificial limits to employ, and you probably commit murder in the name of humanity. The measure, tan, will be most unjust if not gene ral. Is the injunction to be confined to factories worked by steam, or is it to include those worked by water power? The owner of a water-mill has some claim to indemnity, if the power that he at all hours commands, be curtailed one half. But who is to in demnify the labourer or labourers who must be dis missed because he is reduced to working half-time ? The consequence of enforcing this regulation on a foundry would be the prohibition of smelting. The blast furnace ought not to be blown out for years. The whole economy of the production of iron, to which this country owes so much of its wealth, would be an nihilated by the enactment, that furnaces were to be worked only ten hours at a time. Glass-houses are in the same predicament. Mines during fourteen hours' rest would fill up with water, and mining would have to be abandoned. Do Mr. FIELDEN and the committees shrink from this extension, or if not, will they undertake to provide for the mass of labourers who would thus be thrown out of employment? Will they engage to remu nerate their fellow-townsmen for the fall in wages which the competition of so many unemployed hands must occasion ? But why should the labourer on shore be alone protected ? Why not decree that no ship shall sail more than ten hours in the twenty-four ? Fish caught out of the time fixed by law, were we to be consistent, should be excluded from our markets. Even vessels arriving at or leaving our ports would be unable to avail themselves of the assistance of the tides, if the law were not at least so far relaxed as to allow of a choice of the ten amongst the twenty-four hours which suited the captain's purpose. The answer to all this is, that no such thing is intended—no such principle is to be generally acted on. Cotton alone, and the textile manufactures are to be meddled with because they employ women and children. An ironmaster need not be afraid ; it is only the cotton lords, that are menaced. Mr. COBDEN said the wisest of things, when he recommended the ten hours law to be left to the workmen themselves. Mr. FIELDEN triumphs in de claring that the workmen have made no attempt or progress of the kind. Of course, as long as there is an agitation to enforce the regulation by the legisla ture, the workmen will look to this promise of com pulsion. And they cling to it from the belief that compulsory short hours will be accompanied by com pulsory full wages. In this the attempt is either to make the artisans dupes, or their employers victims. Mr. FIELDEN points to the mills working short time, and boasts they would have been compelled all to work ten hours and pay the wages of twelve, bad his bill been passed last session. Does Mr. FIELDEN imagine that his bill would have kept open the markets of central Europe, closed by panic and famine? Would his bill have doubled the cotton crop, and given the raw material of manufac tures at the usual price ? Would his bill have pre vented the dearness of corn, and ensured those ad vantages which, from the repeal of the corn-laws, would have naturally accrued to the manu facturers ? When Mr. FIELDEN talks of his Ten-hours Bill, as calculated to remedy the pre sent suffering and suspensive state of manufactures, he utters an absurdity, which discredits and disen titles hint to belief on other points, on which he may be most earnest. and even with which he may be best acquainted. We must conclude by repeating our observation, that there never was a period at which the experi ment of shortening the hours of labour in factories was more dangerous and uncalled-for than the secular education, in any nat;Anal system, has been briefly and admirably stated 'oy the present Biehop of EXETER, in the memorabl d words, " No RESTRICTION AND NO COMPULSION." ' To this principle no one, that we know of, has mesas any objection : though too many have caviled t.t every possible means by which it could be put int," p ru ti ce . It is easy to see. that such a principle is perfectly compatible •„rith a unilci system of national educa tion—and •rio system can be national which is not united. All that is required is, that no restriction should be imposed on the ministration of such special relig:.ous instruction as the natural guardians of the chadren desire, either on the school premises or in their several places of worship, at such days and hours as might be found convenient; and that no compulsion should be used to bring children under the influence of doctrines disapproved by their na tural guardians. " Where there is a will, there is a way." Wherever there is a will for the carrying into effect the great principle of religious freedom enunciated by the Bishop of EXETER, the way will be found easy, and the means abundant ; but wherever there are lurking . plans tbr proselytism—wherever there are pharisaic principles of self-sufficiency— wherever there is a feeling of bigotry and intole rance, which is, perhaps, not acknowledged even to one's-self, there will be found cavil, and ob jection, and hair-splitting, and a perverse ingenuity setting forth the most ren.ote of possibilities as the probabilities that make the nearest approach to moral certainty. "Nature," said the Caliph OTIIMAN, when reproaching one of his lieutenants for turning back from the conquest of Khorassan, "Nature never placed such high mountains and broad deserts in a warrior's path as reluctance finds there." The apho rism is one of universal application. We regret to find that the delay of a national system of education has led some persons to speculate on the possibility of a separate system, in which each denomination should establish and regulate its own schools. To such a plan there is this insuperable ob jection, that the principle of separate education in volves that of separate social existence. If persons of different religious persuasions cannot be safely trusted together in school, so neither can they in office—in mu nicipal council, at parochial board, or in ordinary market. The separate system is based on exclu siveness; it trains to controversy, and educates to strife ; instead of a generation brought up to spread peace and good-will to common humanity, and there by to glorify a common GOD, we shall be drilling the soldiers of rival camps to fight the battle of sec tarianism as fiercely as it was fought in the seven teenth century. There arc enthusiasts in all parties who would not shrink from such a consummation, because overweening confidence leads them to antici pate the triumph of their own party. But we firmly believe that there is in all parties a preponderating majority of men of moderation and common sense who fear that in such a struggle true religion would be the greatest loser, whoever may be the ultimate gainer. " When rival theologians,' says Qulssr, " rush into the arena and call on Reason to preside as judge of the field, they should address her as the gladiators of old did the Roman Emperors :—Behold, those who ore come to die before thee, salute thee." GERMANY.—The Diet Extraordinary was opened by commission at Dresden on the 21st of January. ITALY.—Route.—The festival in honour of the Magi wan held on the 10th instant, when hymns, celebrating the nativity, were chanted, or recited, in a gre a t variety of the oriental languages and dialects, as well as ua almost all the languages of Europe.—Allgeneine Zeitung. RUSSIA.—The St. Peterebury Journal of the 15th publishes an account of the repulse of en attack upon the Itiessian fortress of Golowin in the Caucasus. The enemy is stated to have retired, a ft er sustaining a loss of 50 men. The Russians state their loss at 4 killed and 12 wounded. The emperor, as a proof of his satisfaction at the brilliant de fence of the garrison, has promoted some of the officers, and granted decorations to some of the privates. CHINA.—The following memoranda by the Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, which were read recently to the Asiatic Society of London, are calcul steel to increase our stock ofknow ledge respecting China on a few minor but interesting points. The writer generally limit, his remarks to Hong Kong, Ningpo and Chu san. The consumption of opium is a prominent subject of discussion. At Hong Kong, where the population comprehends many desperate adventurers and criminals, the scum of the adjacent islands, the consumption of opium is enormous. The revenue on the article is fanned at 1,560 dollars per month, which will argue a sale of at least twenty times that amount; and more than half this quantity is smoked by the inhabitants of the island, about 'AM) per sons. At Chosen, on the other band, where the population is 13 times as great, not one-fifth of the above quantity is I imported—an Index of the disposition of the people, who are sober and well-conducted. Many of the smokers are soldiers, sailors, and mandarins—who appear to think it a manly habit, as indicating a bold recklessness. The peasantry hardly ever touch it. Mr. Gut:left"' position as police magistrate of Chosen afforded the best means of knowing the character of the people; and he says that the persons brought before him rarely averaged above three in a month, and these chiefly for petty pilfering. He gives, however, a remarkable instance of Lynch law, which tells rather oddly for the strength of the Chinese govern ment, as well as for European notions of pacific conduct. Some outlaws, who were said to have been employed by the government to kidnap our soldiers, settled themselves at Chosen, where they committed all kinds of depredations in the neighbourhood. They were warned off, but treated the warning with contempt. The popular indignation was roused ; the ruffians were seized—put on board a boat, with stones tied about their necks—and dropped into the sea. Nothing was ever heard after of this affair. The Chinese law is theoretically excellent, but utterly disregarded in practice. The mandarin appears to have the power of life and death ; and he certainly has the power to inflict any de gree of torture —even such as may cause death. In order to get rid of the legal necessity of procuring the imperial assent before putting a criminal to death, blank forms of assent are kept to be filled up when wanted ; and the condemned man is executed often before the court breaks up. Schools are numerous at Hong Kong, and in the south generally ; and almost all can read—while at Chosen and Ningpo ignorance of letters is very frequent--and even literary graduates are inferior in acquirements to the older school-boys of Kwan- I Tung. There is no practical provision for the poor ; and thousands annually die of starvation. But mendicity is universal ; and begging fraternities are more numerous and well organised. A beggar can hardly ever exer cise his calling without joining one of thaw bodies. Mr. Gutzlaff thinks the Chinese the most prolific nation in the world. All marry, and not one marriage in a hundred is unproductive. In the census which he made of Tinghae, a city containing 30,000 inhabitants, there was but one un married female, and she was an English lady. He also states that wherever they have settled, whether in Thibet, Manchuria, or Mongolia, they rapidly become more numerous than the aborigines. The mass of the people know nothing of the politics of their country, and are scarcely aware that their government is held by a prince of foreign descent. Mr. Gutzlaff never heard of any denunciations against the Tartan except amongst the literati and a few bigoted Chinese.ldolatry appears to have decreased consi derably, in consequence of the success of the British, and of the non-resistance of the idols in the many cases in which their shrines were desecrated by our soldiers. In a number of instances, this passiveness has caused their entire rejection and removal. Christianity has made some advances. Catholic and Protestant places of worship have been built ; and native Protestant converts have in several instances established churches in the interior. One native bookseller has even promised to publish the New Testament. The Chinese government appears to look on with indifference ; and the indigenous priesthood have in no instance stood up in defence of their own dogmas. Mr. Gat:l2ff finally thinks that the native mind is improving where the people cocas into contact with Europeans ; and that greater liberality of feeling prevails in many instances, though not yet in a suffi cient degree to product any effect on a large scale. A dictum of Lord BRA:lnca/01's is now circulated in the clubs; it is to the effect that " the people of Eng land believe themselves anxious about education, and really are not so." The inference attempted to be drawn from this sage maxim is, that it would be a safe game to raise a cry against any fair or liberal scheme of education which might be proposed by the ministry, and thus overthrow the cabinet by an ap peal to the passions of the interested and the pre indices of the ignorant. Whether such an inference was intended by his erratic lordship, we presume not to say, bat we do know that the inference has been drawn, and that the feasibility of the project it suggests has been very seriously canvassed. And we farther know, that the decreasing mino- rity, which advocated sectarian in op.. :tion to national- education, have recently fresh courage infused into their ranks by the whispered probability, that Lord BROUGHAM and VAUX will head them in their battle against the principles advo cated by the HENRY BROUGHAM of olden time. We should deeply lament, but we should not too bitterly resent, such a phenomenon : sincere grief does not always pass into anger. There is an old Spanish ro mance which tells of a Christian cavalier who, after having fought gallantly against the Saracens through a glorious youth and manhood, became a renegade in his old age, and took the field with the Moorish chi valry against his old companions in arms; but when he appeared in the fight none of the Christian knights would raise weapon against him ; each contented him self with warding off his feeble blows, and then, saluting him with the lance according to the courteous customs of a tournament, passed on to seek an en counter with a Moorish champion. The lesson was efficacious ; what reproach, contumely, and reciproca tion of injury would - have failed to accomplish, was effected by forbearance and courtesy ; the renegade died a penitent. Leaving the anecdote to find its own application, we regret that the delay of a system of national edu cation menaces the country with the danger of a sectarian education. It is seriously proposed that the different religious denominations should have sepa rate schools, as they have separate places of worship; and the dissenting bodies point to the code of laws adopted by what is termed the National Society as a 'ustafication for adopting a similar course themselves. It must, however, be remarked, that the system of the so-called National Schools, though professedly founded on exclusively church principles, is in its very essence opposed to the principles advocated by the fathers and founders of the Anglican church. No doctrine is more emphatically taught in the canons and in the rubric, than that " Sacred things should be taught by conse crated persons in consecrated placer." With such a doctrine nothing can be more inconsistent than a system which has a tendency, however remote, to convert schools into conventicics and schoolmasters into lay-preachers. The rubric allows tho catechism to be learned e at home, as a compendious summary, but it enjoins that this summary s h ou ld b e l ec t ure d upon and explained by the clergyman in the church at stated periods. The framers of our ritual were aware of the importance of combining hallowed arm ciationa with religious instruction ; they believed that divine truths came most impressively from a pastor having claim to reverence, and in a place where all around was suggestive of devo tional feeling. From those who remembered the venerable JonN WESLEY, we have heard that he entertained a similar opinion. They loved to dwell on his affectionate addresses to the young A ss z<abled in the Methodist chapel; on the patriarchal aimpli c ii; with which he explained the narratives and the a oe t z f i zo of 11017 Writ ; on the cautions he gave to w a w a , t h a t DOJO= should not be made dis pleasing by being i n2 p o ..-o t ; as a task, and that it should not be deg ra d e d by tile associations of house bold routine. In our own day, 5e true principle on which religious instruction should be eePlhinall with UNITED STATES & MEXICO. IBy the Zenobia, which reached Liverpool yesterday a&rnoon, we have news from New York tothe Bth inst. It is not important; the President sent a message to Congress recommending, as we stated on Monday, an increase of the army in Mexico, and the appointment of a general officer, whose services, at the conclusion of the war, could be dispensed with. The Union, in allusion to it, says— , We have no doubt that the pro position will be duly and deliberately weighed, without regard to individuals, and with a single eye to the more efficient and successful organisation of the whole army.• • • Action is necessary here—action is necessary in Mexico. Santa Anna has repeated, in his last letter to General Taylor, his insolent demand to withdraw all our troops from Mexico, and all our squadrons from her eau. And if an experienced statesman, who has studied the Mexican character, be correct in telling us to-day that the Congress of Mexico may repeat this demand, as a preliminary for a negotiation for peace, we ought to put our armour on , meet the crisis, and strike boldly for peace." On the 4th, Mr. Preston King offered a bill to the House of Representatives, containing the following provisions. It was reject ed by a vote of 88 to 89 : I. That the President of the United States receive from .gorigrla;:, fthorethTene.muy notf tattin g m e a sures approp riated, Vt . procuring a peace with eselice, whenever it is deeme d com patible to secure such peace by an offer for renewed nego tiations. 2... Rat in any territory which may be secured to tho Unite , ' States from Mexico, slavery sod involuntary servi tude dui: bt for ever prpbibited, provided, t oWeter, that. it THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 28, 1847. shall be lawful to deliver up any servants belongirg to the United States who may have escaped into such territory. 3. That the sum of 2,000,000 dollars may be appropriated towards securing a result of any settlement of boundary, and securing any territory which may be the result of negociation between the two governments The Washington Union makes some bitter and biting remarks on the Democratic party, for refusing to tax tea and coffee during the war with Mexico. The markets were quiet. At Philadelphia, the state of feeling had improved. Cotton had been sold at a little further advance. But little flour had been bought for export. The demand for wheat, grain, and meal, was steady. The business at the New York market had also improved. Cotton had ad vanced from i to c. on the last quotations. Business in flour, provisions, &c., remained inactive. Freights at Philadelphia still kept high. No later news had been received (rout Mexico. Private letters, published in the papers, however, furnish a few more items of intelligence. It is stated positively that General Taylor has not more than 14,000 effective men ; while, on the other hand, Santa Anna's troops numbered 37,000. This great dis parity, however, had caused no uneasiness in the American camp. Tampico was held by Colonel Gates with 1,200 men. An attack, it was under stood, would shortly be made on the town by a body of Mexicans, 3,000 strong, stationed at Tula, a town eighty miles distant from Tampico. A gentleman, lately arrived at New Orleans from thence, states that the town was attacked on the 16th Dec., but after some firing the assailants retired. An American prisoner, lately released by Santa Anna, declares that the Mexican army at San Lois Potosi numbers 23,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry. Provi sions at the camp were getting scarce, and the sup plies obtained from Chihuahua were but limited. ll'ant of money was also beginning to be felt, so much so that Santa Anna had considerably reduced the pay of his soldiers, pledging his word, however, that at some future time they should be reimbursed. On the receipt of the news from Mexico that a pro nunciamento had taken place, Santa Anna had dis patched General Valencia with seven regiments of infantry to the capital to watch over his interests. AWFUL CASUALTY AT SEA.—THE CAPTAIN AND EIGHT HANDS OF THE COLUMBIA PACK ET-sIIIP DROWNED.—The Lady Falkland, Captain Smith, ar rived at Liverpool yesterday from New Orleans, hav ing sailed on 20th Dec. On 2nd Jan., saw two large ships on shore on Florida Reef, near Bahia Honda. On the 18th, in lat. 47, lon. 31, fell in with the packet-ship Columbia, from New York to Liverpool, in distress, having on the 13th lost overboard the captain (Rathbone), first and second mates, five men and a boy, while scudding in a heavy gale. The vessel was quite tight. The Lady Falkland put her mate on board to navigate the Columbia. The Lady Falkland experienced a succession of violent gales daring the last sixteen days. Capt. Rathbone was much respected in Liverpool, and this sad intelligence has filled his friends with deep regret. Niece Tong. •1111 6..—Cotton Zeirv;;ZYthe marketekord on the sth with a firm feeling, at an improvement of ie. to in per lb. above our lest quotations. flour remained inactive; 5 dot. 50e. to 5 dot. 561 c. ens quoted on the ruling rates of ()wiener, and 5 dol. 374 c. to 5 dol. 50e. for other descriptions of Western Curial corn. Common Southern ranges from 5 dol. 25e. is 50 dol.; 500 barrels Pennsylvania sold at 5 dol. 23e.; 200 tombs Richmond city-mils, 6 dol. 7 5c.; Troy, arc., S dol. Sic. ; corn meal is in good demand at 3 dol. 87Se.; barley, Glic. ; rye, 85e. ; corn, at 73e. to 75e. for New Southern ; and Ste. for Old Jersey and Northern. COLONIAL. CAPE OF_GOOD HOPE. We yesterday re ceived journals from the Cape of Good Hope, in time to admit of the most important of their contents appearing in the Express. Tile Scar OF WAIL—The truce having been extended, was to terminate on the 28th of November. The Frontier Times of the 24th of that month publishes a summary of the arrangements in contemplation for the settlement of the Kaffir disturbances. They are in brief: 1. No Kaffir to be permitted to settle in the neutral territory : it is to be inha bited by coloured people of other races, and such persons (white we presume) as shall hereafter be permitted to settle there. 2. Chumie Hoek, having proved a stronghold of marauders, is not to continue part of the neutral territory, but to be annexed to the colony. 3. To the east of Chnnue Hoek, as far as the Buffalo, and from the source of that river to its mouth, is also to be an nexed to the colony. Kaffirs are to be allowed to remain in this district : but no chieftainship will be recognised among them; they are all to be subject to the British magistrates. 4. This tract is to be divided into sections, each witri a Kaffir authority, analogous to a ftelthcomet , each Kraal Is to have a headman, responsible for depredations committed, or connived at, by its in mates ; British magistrates, with a military force, to give effect to their decisions, are to have authority over both classes of native magistrates. 5. If stolen cattle are spoored to any Kraal, the full value, and enough over to pay the ex penses of recovery, may at once be seized ; if the spoor can be traced beyond, the inhabitants of the Kraal will be assisted in their attempts to secure the actual thief, but shall be responsible until the cattle, or their value, with all expenses, are restored to the owner. 6. While due allow ance is made for national habits and customs, the predomi nating law within the extended colony shall be British. 7. Peace to be settled on such a basis as shall not restrain our government from causing its officers to enter Kaffir land in search of stolen property, and seize it wherever it may be found. 8. Ample garrisons to be placed on the frontier along the Buffalo, and patrols kept up to prevent invasion. From the same paper we learn that a chief magi strate has already been appointed for the district which the Kaffirs are to be compelled to cede. Sir Peregrine Maitland, ' when he made this appointment, can scarcely have been in ignorance that his successor was on his way to the Cape. There is something very indecent in this precipitate exercise of patronage in a territory not yet acquired. A public meeting of the inhabitants of Albany was held in the Graham's Town Court-house, on Monday, the 16th of Nov. The objects of the meeting were—To address the home government on the present Kaffir war ; to consider the best means of securing eompens aloft ; and to deliberate on the propriety of adopting measures to secure an agent or re presentative in the mother country. A number of resolu tions were adopted, declaring the condition of the colony, and a committee of ten appointed to prepare a petizon accordance with them. The meeting then adjourned till the 25th of the same month, when the expediency of raising a fund for a parliamentary agent was to be taken into consi deration. On the 17th of November, the Circuit Court at Graham's Town was opened for the trial of civil causes, after an inter regnum of all months. Cars TOWN.—The letter of Mr. Joseph Sturge, which appeared in the Times of August 25, laying the blame of the hair war upon the colonists, has been emphatically contra dicted, not only by the colonists themselves but by the whole body of mirsionaries, and even by Mr. Fairbura, of the South African Commercial Adrerliser. We do not believe Mr. Sturge capable of inventing the aspersions on the cha racter of the colonists which he has circulated; but he has (in this instance at least) shown that he is too prone to believe —even at the hazard of taking up an ill report against his neighbour—whatever coincides with his own prepossessions. WEST_INDIES. JAMAlCA.—(Extract of a letter, dated 18th of December, 1846) There le a bill posed the assembly reducing all the cideries dladt dal Meer,. It b thought the council IrM mot p it Al bet loth homer are adlweemed Fehrmry, which will give Kr C. Oray to Ink about him. The pea to be played bythe sew at dam** la thim—U tbe end °oversew edam to pow the letbetien met le the Import IA a mot ell the estabildimento r i ds= deosY IN gams In Anal sod V One bosing l / 2 we mine to a deed bet dinded eg thurabee, the Swum of Asembly them and • im eint aWI mare delmmtbel mrst, and bon 10sist le • Mos away with Menu. ales wt at Mem istmed le obit the prbe rig mid umbels wosa 6 . 1 . 4 . *" 111=1:1 1 •Mar= 7 1Zerr ourred 11 — t a tie Z= 871.2116 •1 1 74= 4.18" har d y In t a Tie asi te Ziene nd th. seem bbe rand el "ce Others report tbi home ea acid wid sot tome le the scratch again. Pempeultve ealira — M reduction suet he objected to. WINDWARD IBLANDS.—We have received the fol lowing letter relative to the activity of the new ClovaraOr : Your colonial column of to-day contains a very impubint= information, viz. that the new Gorernor.OtmerM of the Wanda landed, was RROM in, and within a few days elsrlsd fat Tobago to settle certain difference. between the LienterwhOwranor of that colony and the Legislative Poundl,whielt hid added for many moetha, and which had brought the Wides of dr missy to a here Is, then, mew and meedlittids la the mew (Ica vernor-General—ri novelty, ladled, In the nimbi batty of these Wends. From 1842 to the teembratha et kb dertramat, la Use month of November last, did Le bee Oseenceaddal tabs Stun de Island of gt. Lucia 54101. per seame, ead near Ids sepertsiddiate of the affairs of the Wed (Rturhelwr fa maws pwrily teal, which ought to hem boat Litsib* to tar julemsat of the dile adminiatrator of the local dovemmeot!, to duped terialim a mph, of adminiatrotioa which might Just as well lave beta Warmed by the diger In Downing-knot. St Lnde is wills • dew hours' cafl of Ikettedsee, and there seems no other grated etseme for a Oesentenemerare out visiting his dependent eddies thee ewe idiom. The nip round ia a delightful one. If the eery is out area err* to admit of meadonsi tour car desilea and beaky eddy alvadep may te toimi of a pisr sr govvre malt algarggig, In orbs the rod. lase awl 1•1•117 on the apot besiwar, shodately Notemary by dis 'Meer. as the " go-batweast these colonies ea Lard Grey! er hew m Gommard:isesed write correctly ea lbe idles rd a dramileat colony, _of whets edalleee be himself peneadly Isere weft t Ile mutt data him binsanou from DIM NOM or Whir. The Imes neebU i t i iesti=, and iyet •• h b W b 7 say g agitator, elm. *ma soak*, or camas 3 bearing. Sol Olop Ise as io SY • l/sat.Oeventoe. whole bed player oded = e t! tea deem et bine by a Ciovernor liameG e has lbeed some coirresdeat dealsetios correepondant Misr Lisat.4••••we• ores, to tarsi& him with the materiels IN hie "home" Wed. /tar dap mot to be. f WNW ire demi.* es a mover the:ehiefshookl bkasegiamil by lie IrianOmr to make Ye" .0.7 he sad ar etherwhe his re. porta," white an Mrsbook, ew aboolutely worthless. be caret M le or that . In mad be , rased, the dipsedert minim mowelewlel WM intandonoe. To dim the ableefte el amiAlmiles e. l eOwerge. General, 1 know It Ins lea Let Is equa wr d InFinellee oe to the won India Ar esisies, gemal perdesebra h Tw•••• trwwworica a goverwszipernd mongol lhe aie *win the eigent armowsis $ • whit Wm whose" to ImDd this pll Had he as iled down the mud, and neked the respective es of t pmks which so eminently adorn the beautiful landscape of nam this porn he Ocular island, be never would have made ouch afoot of himself, beg ging his pardon. However, much may be expected from the talent and activity of the new Governor-General of Barbadoec—l arq Etc., A Nkrive or " Lrrni ENGLAND," NEW ZEALAND. NEW PLYMOUTIL — The following statement of the general condition of this settlement, and the inducements it affords to emigrants of various pursuits and qualifications, prepared towards the end of fait May by Mr. Wicksteed, the local agent of the New Zealand Company, rec - .amends it self to our confidence by its honest and unexaggerated tenor: It ts scantily neeemary to mention that the portion of the great Taranald district belonging to the company Is well adapted to the growth of grain. It is prenerblally the granary of New Zealand; and experience bas proved that wheat, barley, and oats of the finest quality, can be raised on land adjacent to New Plymouth. The avenge produce of wheat last harvest be 'AV put SI bushels pee acre ; of barley considerably more, where thi caterpillar has not destroyed it. The ravages of this Insect have been chiefly confined to the early sown barley, and con sequently the next towing will be later than the last. The quantity of eats raised has not been large, but the produce per acre has been abundant. The beet crops of wheel have been grown upon heavy bush, timber, and fern land; the latter deeply plaughed so as to turn up the rifler red subsoil and then left to fallow for a year. Fern land hastily prepared and inaufficiently worked, 'has not yielded more than fifteen to twenty bushels per acre. Last year, gnat was prevalent among the wheat, but by painstaking in pickling the seed, the crops were for the most part clean and sound kat harreet In tome instances between Bhp and sixty bushels per fore were obtained from timber-land. It is not easy to state the cant at the prevent time of preparing the ground for seed. It is certain, however, that the high price of labour, owing to its wareity, renders it questionable whether irrer land can be broken up and cultivated to a profit,. The cost of clearing and ploughing fern land would not be lees than 3/. per acre, of both 3i, and of heavy timber from V. to 121. The , price of wheat In New Plymouth is from 3a. to is. per bushel, and of barley the same. Oats in' small quantities have been mid at 4s. per bushel this season. Unless the cost of growing, thee:thing, and grinding can be reduced, those prices will not return the farmer hie outlay. The charge for throttling and grinding will goon be diminish.al, as a new and improved flour mill la in proems of erection, and a threshing-machine Is nearly testy, but immigration can alone cut down the price of manual farm labour. As a consequence of the circumstances above mentioned, gyred landowners and farmers are turning their attention to pasturage and raining of stock. It is found that gnaws and clover, the white Dutch ! clover especially, grow luxuriantly on light railer. Mengel-warmed, Swede turnips, as, carrots, and other toed for cattle, produce large crops upon properly ampere& Native Rearms and ahrulavalgord support for sheep, coma, Sec., but the expen.e of keeping the flocks and bens together, the risk of lees from falling into pica, the damage to mope and fences, and the necessity of wandering to procure sub sistence, have convinced all stockholders of the superior advantage of feeding their cattle at or near home on herbage and vegetables. There is at prevent a scarcity of working oxen. A pair of good bullocks hexing been Fold for 33/. Cows vary from 141. to 20!. each. An expected arrival from New Fonda Wales with live stock will probably reduce these prices. The stock of sheep is small as yet, but increasing and generally of good breeds. Piga are supplied by the natives either overland from the districts to the north and sou th, or in small omitting vessels. They are sold to the butckers at from Id. to I%d. per lb., net weight, in exchange generally for tobacco and clothing. The trade in fire-arms is now prohibited ; till lately the natives frequently procured guns and ammunition for pigs. 1 he wages of labour for sdultaare 2s. sd. per day, working leisurely nine hours. Children find plenty of employment; active toys, from right years of age and upwada, can earn their own living. The retail price. of the chief articles of consumption are as follows Pork, 3d. per pound; mutton, &l. ; beef (rarely in the market), 6d. to 8,1.; brown sugar, Id. • leaf, Is.; (these prices are considered very high;) bread, the 41b Last 6d.; butter, Is. to Is. 3d. per lb. ; beer, Is. 6d. and Ts. per aeon (brewed in the aettlement): potatoes, Is. 6d. per cwt.; turkeys, 3e. fat each; Cowie, Is. GC per mode; fish, when naught by the natives., very cheap—say 4d. per lb. ; clothing generally at reasonable prime, except shoes, which are dear—gout boys', 12s. to 15...; men's, 20a. per pair; lamp.oll is plentiful or scarce, dear or cheers according to the varying results of the whaling season ; it is totalled at from 11.9 d. to 2s. 6d. per gallon. Very few persons pay house- ent; almost everybody has a dwelling and garden or field of ads own raising his flour, potatoes, poultry, and pork. Not a few labourers have from one to four scree in culti vation, and are thus independent of hired employment. The cod of erecting a neat outage Is not great, as a va riety of valuable and serviceable timber is found In the district (of most of these, epecimens have been sent to New Zealand-home). The charge for one-inch hoards is Its. per 100 feet but this in a high price, and cannot long be maintained. There I. abundance of granitk reek on various parte of the beach, an excellent material foe building. Masons find constant employment at Is. per day. Limestone is generally procacerl from Massacre-hay and Wan- gams, delivered at New Plymouth at IL per ton. There are large quantities of limestone and coal on the Oinks of the Mokau river, but ' meet no arrangement has been made with the natives for removing it. The quantity of land storeyed within the "block" awarded by Mr Commiesioner Spain Is the company, is 23,000 acres; of this about 14,000 serer have been sold and selected. The selected land Is chiefly dare upon the town, and on the banks of the Waiwallailio, Mon gouraki, Waiongoea, and WaiPwa Rivers. There are still unsold, but iturreved and open to purchaser*, 11,000 acre., or 220 realms, few of which are on the bantam( rivers, but nearly all excellent as re p-ants the quality of mil, and easily accessible. They comprise fern, beak and timber land, flat, undulating, or hilly on the surface; and, I believe, without exception, sufficiently watered by running streams. The minimum price of the "suburban" is 112/. 10s. per section. or 43e. per acre; of" rural," 621. 10e., or 21,, per acre; of the unsold Regions, 95 arc "suburban," the remainder "rural." There are about 500 sections of town land unsold, and unoccupied by the en tiers, the minimum uric* 12/. 10e. per section of one quarter of an acre each. Many well situated sections are still to be purehaaed. It is to be especially noticed that the company's land in Taranaki is in one continuous block; the suburban lands adjoining the " town," and the " rural " adjoining the "suburban," with a good road ten miles in length, from the town to the Walken river, and goersl branch roads opening up the country from the see, to the south and south- From what has been gated, it appears that Taranaki mug mainly rely far prosperity on its capability of producing food:V i m= remunerating prime; and that it Is well adapted for and stock-keepers of all dames. The climate Is excellent; with km heat and 1,1 0 , re the northward. Red lees wind, though more rain, than the Port Nicholson district. TLe pre sent has been an unusually wet season. Ocestionallyon the early winter mornings, thin ice is seen, but vegetation continues in pro mos, more or lees, throughout the year, and, as in other parts of New Zealand, the native tress and shrubs are evergreens. I can safely say, that farm-labourers, and persons with some capital and experience In agriculture, Ind stock-keeping farmers endangers, may emigrate to New Plymouth with every propect of success. The way has, indeed, been cleared for them, in gnu at measure, by the early settlers. I cannot hold out inducements to mechanics generally to leave Eng , land for this part of New Zealand ; but the success which boa attended the experiments in growing English flax, and the preearations far , sowing a considerable quantity of seed next miring, render it pro. table that a few flax dreamers might find profitable employment It Is now ascertained that the climate of Taranaki is peculiarly adapted to theEnropeon flax. I cannot recommend clerks or schoolmasters to settle in New Ply mouth. There appears Whereat:l for one ritetantial firm, with commercial connexions In England and New South Wales. The business would be much the same as that carried on in the southern states of North America, by" fadoes,”who regularly take theerops of the landowners and farmers, eitherat a fixed peke or to sell on commission ; providing their customers with necessaries at moderate prices, end comitionally with small sums of money ; the amount of the advance being regu lated by the value of the crops pledged for semi* Although New Plymouth has yan open ng ~r a= there would . be no d haniline anger or ycsela of any le; in attention to the weather allybeing needed for safety. The amount of business would increase with the produce of the soft. During the present year, the quantity of four to be exported from New Plymouth will he about SOO tons; and the quantity of salt pork (excellent in quality), Night be very large. Profitable employ ment in whaling would also be within reach of merchants with money at command. There is an aboadmese stealer power in Taraneld ; so that, when needed, every Oletrist coq have its flour and saw-ants. For a large portion of the country, nig Waltera will afford a iMpping poet, where small vessels, not eseasiling. 80 low burden, may safely Le iq all ',asthma. The European popalitkm at New Plymouth is, in round numbers 1,200, the einem 'lrwin weber an undue enema of adult males over females. Thum Is • ezi= of Epiloopaliars, one of Wesley-am, and one of Primve As yet th ere me w a• ev e except customs duties, tavern, and ape tioncere' &am; let tt Improbable that a corporation will be estab lished In New fames*, when there may be some local impent dons. • • • THE COLONIES UNDER THE PROTECTIVE ________ SYSTEM. [From the report of the acting' committee to the standing committee of West India Planters and Merchants, 13th January, 1847:] A few examples may he given of the legislation under which the colonies have, by a strange perversion of language, been accused of enjoying a monopoly. Previous to the reparation of the United States from the mother-country the intercourse between them and the West Indies, as sister colonies, was free. No countries are more fitted, by their respective circumstances and their relative position, to maintain an extensive and regular exchange of commodities. The West Inslians had long received from the colonies, which afterwards became the United States, many of their most necessary supplies, and paid for them in the most convenient manner by the produce of their planta tions. This trade, which had been so considerable as to em ploy 116.000 tons of shipping, was, of course, equally de sirable for the West India Colonies after the independence of the United States ; but that event deprived them of the right to hold any intercourse. It was, indeed, so necessary, that the mother country was induced to telex partially her restrictions, and to pass an act in 1785, "'l'o regulate the trade between them and the United States, and the Foreign Islands in the West Indies." The extent of her liberality will be seen by a brief synopsis of the act. It first declares that "the trade has, by experience, been found to be beneficial to the colonies ;" and it then pro ceeds to enact : 1. That only certain articles shall be iOl peeleill s namely, tobacco, pitch, tar, turpentine, hemp, flax, yards, bowsprits, staves, heading-boards, timber, , and lumber of any sort ; horses, neat cattle, sheep, begs, poultry, and live stock of any sort; bread, biscuit, flour, peas, beans, potatoes, wheat, rice, oats, barley, and grain of any sort; such being the growth or production of the United States. 2. That the articles shall be imported only by British subjects and in British ships. 3. That none of these articles shall be admissible from any foreign island in the West Indies. 4. That no article whatsoever shall be exported from any of the West India Colonies, except by British sub jects and in British ships 5. That in case of public emer gency or distress, the governor of any one of them may, for a limited time, authorise the importation of the enumerated articles from any foreign island in the West Indies; but, even in that case, only by British subjects and in British ships. It is needless to comment upon such " regulation." The United States could not be expected to tolerate a trade in which all participation was denied to them. As a matter of course, they retaliated—imposed discriminating duties— which again induced reprisals; and a long and, keen contest ensued—by acts of parliament and congress, orders in coun cil, and negotiations,—on our part for exclusion, and on theirs for admission. Occasionally, when our restrictions reduced the colonies to great distress for the most essential supplies, the governors " felt themselves under the necessity of opening their porta," and on this ground were indemni fied by parliament. After a limited interval they were again closed, and so continued until the Feature of their destitu tion caused another crisis, when this proceeding was repeated. For a short time the respective " regula tions" of the " high contending parties" drove the trade to the foreign free ports, where they met, the one to land his wares, and the other to re-ship them, incurring of course double freights and charges, At another period, for several veers-1818 to 1820—it was carried on through the poets of Nova Scotia and New Bruns wick, in like manner, ist A great additional expense. Thus the mother-country, without the least regard to the interests b t them , e n or wishes of the %Vest India Colonies, persisted for half a century notni re y n t q o u de priving them of a natural trade, which her own acts ie:itcoonfvadenvianencetag, advantages h in e ca ne le lf Ulable nb lo je s e s, of parliament admit they had found to be both beneficial and neceasary. In regard to other foreign states, the prohibition to hold intercourse with them remained in force—with the exception of an unpractical modification in 1822—until 1825. In that year, when the customs and navigation laws were remodelled, it was partially repealed; and by the 6 Geo. IV., cap. 114, this conditional surrender of restriction was defined in the following terms :—' And wheretas by the law of navigation, foreign ships are per mitted to import into any of the British possessions abroad, from the countries to which they belong, goods the produce of those countries, and to export goods from such possessions to be carried to any foreign oonntry what ever ; and whereas it is expedient that such permission should be subject to certain conditions : be it there fore enacted, that the privileges thereby granted to foreign ships shall be limited to the ships of those countries which, having colonial possessions, shall grant the like privileges of trading with those possessions to British ships, or which, not having colonial posansions, shall place the commerce and navigation of this country, and of its posses sions abroad, upon the footing of the most favoured nation, unless his Majesty, by hie order in council, shall, in any case, ' deem it expedient to grant the whole or any of such privi leges to the ships of any foreign country, although the con ditions aforesaid shall not, in all respects, be fulfilled by such foreign country." During the ten years of peace which preceded the passing of this act, upwards of half • million of slaves bad been introduced into Brazil and the Spanish islands. The consequence of this immense influx of labour was so great an abundance and cheapness of foreign sugar, that, before the close of that period, it fell below the price at which sugar could be raised in our own colonies. It was then quite safe for the mother-country to make the relaxation, because these circumstances rendered it unnecessary to compel the colonies to bring their produce to her; and the permission to trade with foreigners, which had been so long withheld, and which would previously have been of the utmost importance to the colonies, was therefore of no value whatever. She retained the restric tion as long as it was advantageoas to herself, without any re to their interests. rn r lirtue of the act above cited, various orders in council have been issued as follows: On the 3rd May, 1826—per mating Prussian ships to import the produce of Prussia. On the let June and 16th December—permitting French ships to import certain enumerated articles, but expressly excluding wines. On 'he 16th July, 1827—permitting the ships of Russia, Sweden, Norway, Hanover, Hamburg, Bremen. Lubec, Oldenburg, Mexico, Columbia, Rio de la Plata, to import the produce of their respective countries. On the 28th Apnl, 1828—permitting Spanish ships to import from lolonies and possessions abroad the produce of such colonies and possessions. On the 7th April, 1830—permitting Austrian ships to im port the produce of Austria. On the sth November, 1830 —repealing all the prohibitory orders touching Ameri can ships, and permitting them to impart the produce of the United States. On the Ist April, 18.25—permitting Danish ships to import the produce of Denmark. On the 2nd November, 1642—permitting Portuguese ships to im port the produce of Portugal. On the 23rd August, 1843 permitting ltaytian ships to import the produce of Hayti. This enumeration is given to exhibit both the grudging reluctance with which the several concessions have been made, and the extent of prohibition which remains ; but the relaxations thus formally announced by so many orders in council are, notwithatanding'all this parade, merely apparent —for of what practical use could it be to allow certain foreign ships to bring certain foreign commodities, if, when they came, they were to be met by the differential duties imposed by the imperial parliament for the express purpose of ex cluding them, and securing a monopoly to the produce and manufactures of the mother country. Another important part of the restrictive system was sur rendered so recently as in 1845, when the prohibition to bring colonial sugar to this country in a purified or refined state was repealed. This act of justice was not conceded, however, until the colonies were in a state of extreme de pression—still fettered—threatened with further changes— and when confidence was so impaired as to discourage the investment of capital, which, under more favourable circum stances, would have been liberally provided for the improve ments in the manufacture of their produce which the prohi bition had prevented. Ne person having any acquaintance with the respective wants and products of the West India colonies and the United States, can doubt that if, as the interests of the colo nies required, their trade had notbeen interrupted, and when, partially permitted, grievously taxed by the legislation of the mother country for her own exclusive benefit, it would have been very considerable and advantageous. Nor is it less cer tain that, apart from other restrictions, the compulsory im portation of their produce, and the prohibition to bring it in the beat condition, have had a most pernicious influence upon the agriculture and trade of the colonies—infinitely greater than could he compensated by any advantage which they have latterly derived from the difference of the duties on sugar. Ztlt Grourt. - WINDSOR, WEDNV.SDAY.—The Queen and Prince Albert evok their accustomed early morning walk. Their ItR,IIII. the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princes, Royal, and the Princess Alice, took walking and pony ex ercise to-day, on the eastern terrace of the Castle and the elopes 11.h.H. the Princess Helena was also taken an airing. 11.ILH. Prince Albert, accompanied by Count Alexander idenedorfr, Earl Fortereue, Lord Camoys and Col. Seymour, enjoyed the sport of shooting this morning. Sir Robert and Lady Gardiner arc expected to ar rive at the Castle to-day, on a visit to the Queen. Lord Nforpeth gav77 - Minner to the cabinet ministers, yesterday evening, at his residence in Grosvenor place. A deputation, consisting of the Earl of Lucan, Lord Doneralle, Lord Bernard, Mr. French, Mr. G. A. Hamil ton, Mr. W. S. O'Brien, Mr..Gtegory, Mr. Grattan, Mr. Tuite. Colonel Conolly, and Mr. Lefroy, had an interview with Lord J. Russell, Sir G. Grey, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer vesterday, at the official residence of the First Lord ofthc Treasury in Downin getree t. Lord Acheson had an interview with Sir G. Grey yesterday at the Home-otllee. Mr. Ross had also an interview with the right hon. bare. yesterday. A deputation from the Mauritius Association, consisting of Mr. D. Barclay, M.P., chairman, Mr. A. L. Gower, Mr. Milligan, Mr. And. Stale, Mr. Rowlandson, Mr. S. Baker, and Mr. Guthrey, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yesterday, at his official residence in Down ing-street. —Mr. Hawkins had an interview with the Right Hon. G. Strutt, yesterday, at the office of the Commissioners of Railways, in Great George-street.—Mr. Kingscote bad an interview with Sir G. Grey, yesterday. Mr. Lloyd had also an interview with the right hon. baronet at the Home office.—The Lord Advocate had an interview yesterday with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. THE ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY—CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquiry was commenced yesterday afternoon at the Red Lion Inn, Southall, before Mr. Wakley and t special Hry, as to the causes of the deaths of Henry Bishop and enry Halt, sufferers from the accident which took place on Monday on the Oreat Western Railway. The jury having viewed the bodies, Mr. Waklcy addressed them, hoping that in the judgment which they were called upon to pronounce, they would not be influenced by any opinions they might have heard expressed on the subject, because the evidence to be adduced was on the responsibility of an oath, while all else was mere idle rumour. A great deal of prejudice was afloat shout railways, but he begged them to WI to mind that every locomotive vehicle ever driven was subject to accidents ; therefore nobody should be considered to blame in any matter of the kind, until blame was proved in evi dence; and, in order to judge, they should go to the root of the causes, not so much to punish the culpable parties as to I prevent a recurrence of a similar accident. He believed it would he impossible to conclude the inquiry that night, so he would adjourn it to an early day, and, meantime, he con sidered it best that some engineer, unconnected with the railway, should be obtained to give evidence before them. J Bishop, father of one of the deceased, identified the body of his son, who was • dealer in cattle, and lived at Cowley. He was 20 years of age, and unmarried. Saw him last on Monday morning, when he left to go to West Drayton, in order to proceed to London. Thos. Weadon, lived at Tooting, in Surrey, where lie carried on the business of a butcher. He identified the body of Henry Halt, wbo was his brother-in-law. He was a calf dealer, and was 27 years of age. Saw him last on Monday, when he left London by the train for Southall. J. Ma don, the next witness, lived at Uxbridge, and was a cattle dealer ; sat by the side of Bishop at the time of the accident, and opposite to Halt. Left London by the four o'clock train. The accident occurred when near the South. all station ; the first signs of it that he perceived was a crushing on the roof ; could not say how it occurred ; saw Halt very much hurt. The train stopped very shortly. He then went home as fast as possible. His father was con siderably hurt, but witness was uninjured. F. W. Austen, clerk at the Southall station, deposed that he saw the bodies in the carriage directly the accident oc curved. The roof of the carriages was very muck broken. The bodies were removed into the goods-house. A surgeon was called, but be could do nothing. Could not say whether the train was in motion at the time of the accident. Saw in the train the piece of iron produced, which was the tire of one of the engine wheebt. The train went on to London with the damaged wheel. Had no doubt that the deaths were caused by the piece of iron in question. Never knew a similar accident occur during seven peen' experience at the station. Did not know the maker of the wheel or the tire. J. Gauntlet, a police-constable on the line, said he was on duty at the Southall station at the time of the accident. Saw the express-train come ap shortly after four o'clock; it did not stop at the station. The train should pass the station at 13 minutes past four ; in the present case it was 25 minutes past. Saw the other train approaching at the same time. Saw the piece of iron fly from the express train ; went at once to the carriage, and saw the deceased, one of whom was sitting up in the ruins ,• could not state the position of the other. Believed that there were no per sons hurt in any other carriage. Could not tell the cause of the tire flying off; the train was going at its usual speed, I fi fty miles an hour, or upwards. The down train was in its proper time. The down engine was thrown off the line, as witness snpposed, from a piece of the broken tire. There were two or three pieces of the tire thrown up to a contd. derable height; the piece in the carriage weighed 275 lbs. James Lorton, inspector of metropolitan police, of the T division, deposed to seeing the bodies in the carriage at halt past six the same evening. Saw Mr. Whitehouse, the distract superintendent, who directed him to rem..., them; they were removed, accordingly, to Mr. WI i•ehouse's house. Never heard before of the tire separatinl: from the wheel of a carriage. James Almond deposed that he was an engine driver oa the Great Western Railway, where he had been employed nearly nine years; drove the up-train ' which start' d from Swindon at . 66 minutes pant two; arrived at the Southall sta tion about 23 minutes past four ; did not know hat made him later than usual. Had driven the same coaine, the "Queen," before. The wheel was made by the company, but the tire was purchased, The first n'gn of the accident ' that he saw was fire flying from the tire and nphother ; and then saw the carriage on the down-train breaking , did not see the tire fly from the engine ; did not know, tic e, exactly what had happened • stopped about two minutes. When he proceeded did not o bserve any difference in the motion Of the engine, although the whole tire was gone. Had sines seen the tire, which was in four pieces, Tnere was. no is. jury effected to the wheel itadf. The tire was competent partly of steel tr:: partly of iron. It was not sound in the inside, although the outside appeared perfect. The ere was I/ inch in thickness, and about half an inch only of this wan sound. The bad Farts appeared very dark and dirty, and the sound parts shiny. The Coroner asked whether there wee any means of u. certaining, previous to a tire being need, whetter it was sound or not ? The witness believed that there was not—he knew of no medical. He had known a similar accident occur about eight months ago, but not with the some engine. Its nn ne was the " In that case the tire broke into live pieces, hot with out damaging the wheel ; neither was there any pcxson hurt. The accident occurred near Slough ; its cause was the SUM as the prerient—the unsoundness of the t re. It was wit ness's duty to inspect every part of the engine me,t minutely before making a trip. Did so on the occasion in question, and found everything satisfactory. After a tire has been placed on • wheel, there in no means of judeing of its sound ness; has known an instance of a tire being condemned before being put on—in that case the weld was unsound on the outside. The other wheels of the engines are provided also with tires, which are placed on always in one piece. Mr. Wythe, surgeon, residing at Southall, deposed that he travelled is the down train, and got out of the carriage on the train ntopping and the alarm being given. Saw the deceased. The skulls of both were severely Procured, the brains being scattered about. They were quite dead when he saw them. There could be no doubt as to the cause of death. . . . . Mr. D. Gooch, superintendent of the locometirt depart ment of the line, was then called. He was an engineer, and resided at Paddington. The "Queen" engine was built under his inspection, and commenced running early in February lest year. The tire in question was bought of the Rey Foundry Company, Wigan, Lancashire. Saw it before it was placed on the engine. It was the duty of a man named John Faucit to inspect the tires, place them on the engines, and report on any defect. In the present case no report was made. The tire is made of steel and iron, in the proportion of one-fifth steel (on the wearing surface) and the rest iron. The tire had been used about four months. The reason of its breaking was that the two ends of the bar were unsoundly welded together, which undoubtedly clused the breaking of the other parts. They endeavoured to test the tire by blocking them—that is, placing them on a screw, and stretching them ; when, if the tire is unsound, it ought to break. Did not know how long a tire ought to last ; the wear and tear had little to do with the questi,n, but a change of temperature would often cause them to fracture, which often happened in frosty weather. Did not know of any precaution to prevent a recurrence of the accident, except to enjoin increased vigilance on their servants. The tires that they used were called "guarantee" tires, but the manu facturer would not incur any loss from an accident caused by them, except loss of credit. Had known several instances of tires flying off the wheels; and wore always sub ject to this in frosty weather. They did not limit the period of using tires—they had some which had been used since the opening of the line. This being the whole of the esidence forthcoming, Mr. Wakley, after expressing his thanks to Mr. Gooch for the I frank and fair manner in which he had given his evidence, said that as it was desirable to examine some other en gineer, he would adjourn the court until Monday next, at ten o'clock a.m. The jury had seen the bodies, and they could now be given to the care of their friends. The inquest was adjourned accordingly. GRAY'S INN, JAN. 27.—1. Worsley, Esq., and S. R. Ewen, Esq., were this day called to the degree of barrister-at-law, by the Hon. Society of Gray's inn. REPRESENTATION OP WESTMINSTER.— Yesterday C. Lushington, Esq., issued a circular to the electors of Westminster, announcing himself as a candidate at the next election. In his address he 'totes that he shall adhere to the political opinions he has hitherto expressed, and refers to his past votes as a test of those principles. On the Free-trade questions he considers they should be carried out by a series of measures prompt, but not precipitate; efficient, but not destructive; and concludes this portion of his ad.'ress in the following terms " I am the decided friend of free trade." On the subject of education, he says the due instruction of the people at large should be on the most comprehensive basis. The poor-laws require extensive modification. He concluded by declaring himself to be an advocate for the ballot and the extension of the suffrage. INCREASE OP PAUPERS. Yesterday, a second special meeting of the board of guardians of t . George the Martyr, Southwark, took place at the board-r ern of the workhouse, Mint-street, to adopt measures relative to the present serious increase of in-door and out door poor in the above parish, as well as to show the Motility of the orders of the poor-law commissioners, to reduce the number of the inmates of the workhouse. The chairman said they had been called together in consequence of a letter which had been received from the poor-law commissioners, containing instructions to them as guardians to thin the workhouse: those orders they last week had carried out as far as was practicable. Ile for one had always thought that if they had been left to themselves, and 'had not been under the control of the poor-law commissioners, the rea mers would have been in a far better conditioa than they were at present. At times, the board of guardians had been charged by those in authority with being too lavish of the parish funds, and that they did not properly investigate the claims made upon them. Yet they were compelled to take those in who were a disgrace to the lowest society, and who were a nuisance to those who had once been rate-payers. This state of things arose from the operation of a bad law. UNITED MEXICAN MINING ASSOCIATION.—Thu half-yearly general meeting of the directors and shareholders of this company was held yesterday, at their erne as in Fins bury-circus, to receive the half-yearly report of tie state of the concern ; Sir John Easthope, Bart., in the chair. The secretary, having read the minutes of the last meeting, pro ceeded with the report, by which it appeared that very hale pewees had been made, since the last report, in the working sidle various mines belonging to the company in Mexico, mainly arising from the state of war that prevail d in that country, which causes thousands who would otl erwise be employed in working mines, to be carried off by force to serve in the Mexican army, and led vast numbers besides to seek concealment, to avoid a similar fate. The same eases had rendered it useless to press upon the Mexican govern ment a claim of nearly 50,0001., which the company had epos the finances of that country, under recognised stipulations; for it would be quite ridiculous to expect that, under the present expensive state of war, the finance mini-ter would listen to such a demand, or even our government inter fere in the matter. Another mischief else to the comma, from this state of Mexico was, that they could set with any safety attempt to send any of the pr ecede of the quicksilver or other mines down to the coast for refinement, because of the danger of interception, either by Santa Anna on the one band, or general Taylor on the other. Still, they had re caved 25,000 dollars by the last packet. The gross assets of the company in London, at present, amounted to 14,468/.. and the liabilities to 6,266/., leaving a balance in the hands of the company available for a dividend of only 8,201/. To pay a dividend of se. a share would require a sum of 11,0001.; and, in this estate of the finances of the compiny and the uncertainty of what might arise under the present state of Mexico, which seemed rather to call for an application of funds than to receive env from them, it was deemed advisable by the directors not to declare any dividend at present, bat to reserve this balance for any emergency that might occur; but should affairs in Mexico take a favourable turn, sad sufficent assets be received from the mines before the termination of the next half-year, the directors would sot wait for the day of half-yearly meeting, but would at once call one specially to declare a dividend. After a few words from the chairman , recommendatory of this course, the re port was unanimously agreed to, and the meeting separated. INEQUALITY OF ASSESSMENT.—At the petty See sions holden Tueeday, the 26th inst., at the vestry-mom of St. James's parish, before the Hon. Mr. Bp*, Mr. Fresh field, and other magistrates, the appeal of Mr. Cafe, of Great Marlborough-street, against the inequality of the poor-rates of the pariah, which had been adjourned from the last petty sessions, came on for judgment. Mr. Buzzard, the vestry clerk, stated, that in pursuance of the pledge given at the n last ew eessi vi o u ns ati , o th n e pariah li p add sh epurd t a M eo r. 4 ll o 7 .so l7 , to up tc th ea e principl a es of the Parochial ui Assesameat Acts, making the oir usual deductions, a report to be made before Easter ; he therefore thought the appeal had better be adjourned. Mr. Cooper, of Old Cavendish-street, who appeared for Mr. Cafe, re minded the court that the magistrates at the last maims de termined that the returns to the Income-tax were the newt ready, if not the best, means of ascertaining the rateable value, viz., "the rent at which each premises might mein ably be let for by the year." Mr. Fralfield said no rule could be better than the Income-tax return ; the vestry most not consider the county and police-rate —they could appeal if they were overrated ; in the present case, equality of rating wee the question. Mr. Bing remarked, that nothing could be more ridiculous than the mode of valuing stated by the sur veyor at the last hearing, viz., the frontage and quantity of hackwork. A house might have both ingredients, and yet be lea valuable to the tenant. After some conversation about the costs of the appeal, which Mr. Cafe said he would discharge, as he came forward on public grounds, the can was again adjourned. ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S-INN-ROAD.—I. 4III t evening, the 19th annual meeting of the governors of this hospital was held in the board-room, Thomas Wakley, M.P. in the chair. The secretary read the report, which showed that during the year, 1286 destitute patients had been ad mitted, and 34,221 received the benefits of the charity es out-door patients. According to the financial statement, the decrease of receipts, as compared with former yews, com pelled the committee to close two ward's, containing 90 beds, still hopes are entertained that they would be speedily re- Speed. The report was adopted, and a committee of Imegement, comprising 30 governors, was elected. Thanks were voted to John Masterman, M.P., the treasurer, wh Thi the long