The Express. — London, England, 1851-03-27 00:00:00

Cbe Court. The Queen held a Levee yesterday afternoon in St. James's Palace. The Levee was numerously attended, and was the third held by her Majesty this season. The Quern andYrince Albert arrived from Duckingharn Palace shortly before two o'clock, and were received by the Great Officers of State. Retort. the Levee the Queen Rave audience to Lord John Iler Majesty and Prince Albert were attended by the Mistress of the Robes; the Countess of Dealt, Lady in Waiting ; the Lord Steward ; the Lord Chamber lain ; the M.isterof the Horse ; the Groom of the Stole to the Prince ; the Treasurer of the Household ; the Comp troller of the Household; Lord Elphinstonc, Lord m Waiting; Lord George Wino:, Lord in Waiting to the Prince; Lieut.-Colonel the lion. C. D. Phipps, Keeper of her Majesty's Privy Purse; Colonel the lion. Charles Grey, l'rivate Secretary to Prince Albert; Captain the lion. Joseph Denman (Royal Navy), Groom in Waiting ; Lieutenant-Colonel Praueis Seymour, Groom in Waiting to Prince Albert; Lord Alfred Paget cClerk Marshal), Equerry in Waiting; Colonel Bons crie, b.querry in Wait-' ing to the Prince ; and Messrs. Gordon and Forbes, Pages of Honour in Waiting. The Queen wore a train of black silk, trimmed with black crape and black ornaments. The petticoat was also of black silk, trimmed with black crape. Her Majesty wore black ornaments in her head-dress. The Queen's hon. rorr of Gentlemen-at-Arms were on duty in the strte ...lo 4n. 114. r 514444.5ty. body atturd, under the eonimool of Captain l'hibba, the EIOW-in-Waiting, wai Cat duty in the l'alatv, usual. BOILER EXPLOSION, AND NINE LIVES LOST, AT MANCHESTER. The bursting of a boiler at Manchester on Tuesday, lime account of which we puldished yesterday, turns out to have occasioned a wry serious loss of life. Up to yesterday evening at fire o'clock eight dead bodies had been removed ftenn the ruins of the building (and one person was still missing), besides mien persons badly wounded who bad been carried to the Ito's! Infirmary. The building was (a, mated in the rrjorss of yc-terday) a 4-storey mill, in Digs-street, being baurielcd by North-stmt on the opposite or east side, and abutting at its meth end on Mayes-street. The re were Ws or seven tenants altogether, employing 39 to 40 people, including wood turners, sawyers by steam power, cotton-waste cleaners, rule makers, and engravers to calico printers. The machinery in for all these purposes was supplit .1 by a 25-heirse power steam engine in the bows r part eef the building, and the boiler, a nearly new one, was in a yard on the western sal' of the building. The engine bad either not been started after dinner, or had been stopped for repairs at three o'clock, when the explosion u nmet (for the' areounts as to this point vary), and the only Intelligible account of the eircumstanres borne - dime ly pre ceding the eitastembe yet given is by a mien named Thomas Lambert, who was in the engine-house when the boiler burst. This mans tys he hail been promised employment by Mr. Willismson, who owned the saw mill, and, having mah o ut to he went into the engine house shortly before the t ephoion. lo weft three other men in the engine home, all strange r- to him, when he went in, and they were all hying, as t:sy but been lifting at the wheel, in order to start the engine-, till they wen' tired of lifting; oi he ag e, dto 'alp tie al: lie, with the rest, was giving a left" at tie, 11.--w la el, she n the e. x plosion knocked him Morn, and he lie et !:,and himself in Slav .-sleet ; but how be got 'cot of the pc tu:u•s he did not know ; and although he , has live el 2 years in the mighbourhood, when he' first found him. If in the street he war so confused by the shock that he did not know when he was. lle escaped without the least injury. It will be unekrstissl by persons connected with common ate into ROM s, such as that need for this purpose (having to lift heavy machinery, that it is not uncommon for a diffi culty tee ocur in starting when the fly-wheel stops with the rank in certain positions, and it was under these circumstances that Lambert beset given " a lift," as he eau. it. at the• w hes I. The boiler, in bursting, destroyed thew hol , of the building, which was about 40 yards (1111. p,rlienl ill the' boiler he Mg 'down through the north end eef the mill, carrying the outer wall soil the tall chim ney at the cool al s ng with it into Mayes-street. It also de- Mord the- front and roof of a +Wilk 1/11 the- opposite side of Mar s-str- rt, and did great damage to the front of the Wilton Anus Tavern, on the opposite aide of Mayes street. When the dust from the falling building had subsided, a ernisideratile crowd Hocked to the spot, and 'a number of the workpeople were 'still making their way through the win dow apertures of the g 1 flair of the raw mall, the joists cif the floor ahoy. them fortunately proving strong enough' to peeve sit a part of the superinemnbent ruins from coming npon them. All the materials of the upper floors wen , thrown down by the explosion, and much of the shafting and other machinery were lying upon the first floor ; and titers' was hut too moth W.W.11 tee fear that some of the workpeople who were- at the Note in the upper floors were buried in this mass of ruins. Accordingly • number of m en s e t to work at onee to elver this away hut from the great seeizlit on th• walls of the ground floor this became a perilous lertaking, till some planks were used ace stays to support the wall.. The lire pollee engaged in this dan gerous work, awl a number of labourers were employed to waist them. The first man got nut was William Clegg, of street. who war in the employ of Mr. Molloy, engraver to slim printers. Ile was hurt in the back, and has one leg much bruised. At his own request he wan conveyed home. The next reserneel was a boy. 10 years of age, who was in the employ of Mr. John Lever. wood turner, and was very •li-re re ly injured. About 4 o'clock, John O'Neal, • boy of Id, was got cent from between the floors, behind a heavy tool chest, which it was necessary first to remove. Ile was much meshed, and quite tied, a brick having been driven int. , his skull. A girl named Mary Ann Dunn, nine years old, was next got out alias, but she died soon after wards. About . o'clork, a yelling -woman named Elizabeth brentuus. 1:1 years of am., was got out of the cellar of the thrisoston-y building, next 16,m-street, quite dead, but nut at all crushed or bruises', having apparently perished from oufffication. A carrier. from (Wham, who was standing in ]lay's-stnet at the time of the explosion, was much hurt, sad was ones eyed to thee infirmary. Mr. Mellor, one of the tenants of the premises, as stated in yestorelai'a Exprrec, and his brother, were both in the third stOrey of the mill when the explosion took place, hut escaped with cuts and bedews, which were not of a seri ous character, though they fell amongst the ruins of the building. John Sunderland, a sawyer, employee! by Mr. Wit li3M.lll, ice the ground storey, had an extraordinary lle. says he was in the engine -house at the time of the etples•ion. and was hurled forwanl with the wall into Marisstresi, where he fecund himself immediately after wields, not at all hurt. lie states that the hands returned from dinner at two o'clock, and that the engine had not then started. Ile wan with Thomas Egerton, the engineer, and fireman. in the engine-house. It had been rumoured that Egerton, the engineer, was about to be discharged for intemperuoce. A man mimed Wray had applied for the situation that afternon, but was told by Mr. Williamson that it was not V•11:411l. Egerton and Wray then went to hether to the Wilton Arno, across Mayes-street, where they ail some drink together. They left that house together, and when Wrav quitted Egerton the latter was somewhat intoxieatiol. Egertem went towards the engine -house, and about tire minute., afterwards Wray heard the explosion. The follewing are the sufferers whose bodies bare been taken from the ruins: Ihtii cc —Timothy O'Neal, 14 years, of No. 90, Osborne street. Oldham-road. Mary Ann Dunn, 9 years, of No. 11, Ilanover-street ; she was in Mayes-street, and was not con nected with the' premises. Elizabeth Brennan, 24 years, of No. 67, Bennett-street, Oldham-road : she was in the em ploy of Mr. Parker in picking ceittem waste', James Bri e ry, age unknown, labonrer, wry much scalded, and very severe injuries in his head and body. William Fender, aged 12, Ludlow's-your,. employed as a wood-turner by Mr. Lester. William Whiteley. aged 3d, wail turner in the employ of Mr. tastier. Wine' Cloud, wood-turner, aged 40, in the same employ. John Holmes. wood-turner, same employ. Ittl)—Of those two were not very seriously hurt. and they were made out-patients of the Royal Infirmary. Reran, mow severely crushed and wounded, are now lying at the intirniarv. The following are their names: Richard Webster. :al ve . aris. of No. 3, Providence-place, a labourer in the' emploi - of Mr. Williantson. Thomas Ilinsdale, years. a dros . e.r, from East Whitham. mar Middleham, who was pawing at the time of the expleoion. John ('rose, about 30 years of age. of Nn. 3, Frederick-street. John Furey, 15 years, eef Iletteral-stmt, an engraver, in the em ploy . 4 Mr. Mello,: this man is so *evenly wounded about the chest as to reader his recovery improbable. Daniel Harrison, eef Brook-street. John lfolland, a boy, about 11 years of age. living 'at 95, Rack Osborne-street, who was employed in some portion of the premises. James Field, aged of No. 12, Hedfonl-street. wood-turner. A large portion of the ruins had not been removed at five o't luck last night. but the only body supposed to he still en them was that of a boy namenfender, who is missing. The inquest had been opened. but it was expected that it would be adjourned, after the dead bodice, had been identified, for a week or ten days. when the evidence of scientific and practical men will be taken as to the cause of the accident. The• engineer is en custody, having been intoxicated at the time of the accident. but it is not known that any evidence will be obtained eriminating him as having caused the ex plosion by any neglect, or by any improper act connected with the management of the boiler. Foltil*N.►Tß EACAPE FROM DEATIL—On Tuesday a rain nameil Hendry attempted to commit suicide by throw ing himself upon the rails of the railway, at the Lynn station, as a train was approaching. Ilentity wag permed loitering near the wooden bridge just above the railway station. and on the cugiate coming up to where he stood he dung himself across the rails. Fortunately, as the train had only just started, it was not difficult to stop it, and the' steam was at ones shut off and the engine revered. It could not, however, cease running till it had reached the spot where Hendry lay, and he was pushed a few yards on the rails. Ile was at once taken up and found that he had sustained no injury. It seems that he is somewhat insane, and this is not the first time that he has attempted to commit suicide. CAPTAIN WARNER has, it appears, offered his services to terminate the Kolar oar - cheaply end quickly— it la presumed by the lone range. The °ter bas been pa lb* &Wined by the aatbasities. THE CASE OF MISS TALBOT. LORD CHANCELLOR'S COURT.—THIS DAY. limas Loan Tarao. DOiti e. WaIOST. This ease, which stood over from Saturday last, on • peti tion presented by Dr. Doyle, as the guardian and next friend of the Ilunourable Miss Augusta Talbot, for a refer ence to the Master to provide a scheme for the future resi dence of the young lady during her minority, she being a ward of the court, and the Lord Chancellor having declared his intention to remove her from the Roman catholic con vent, " The Lodge," near Taunton; and also on a cross petition by her step-father, the Honourable Craven Berke ley, to the same effect, and for the removal of Dr. Doyle from the office of guardian, and other special matters, came before the court this morning for further bearing. Mr. Rolt, Q.C.,as council in support of the petition presented by Dr. oyle, said that as certain affidavits had been tiled on the other side relative to the conduct of Dr. Doyle, which it would be necessary to answer, he should not be prepared to argue that part of the case before Satur day next, but there was no reason why the order for a reference to the Master to fix a scheme for the future re sidence of the young lady should not he made. Their only object seat the welfare., comfort, and happiness of the young lady herself, and they were suite pre pared to consent, if the court thought it right, that the Lord Chancellor should at once fix the residence without • reference at all, which would of neces sity lead to a very long inquiry, different schemes being proposed by either side, during which the minority might be run out, she being now twenty years of age • or that each party should submit to his lordship their prop osed schemes, and leave it for his lordship to say which, if either, of the two should be adopted. lithe reference to the Master was made, it would involve, in all probability, much extraneous matter, which would be painful and repugnant to the feel ings and comfort of the young lady, which at so important a period of her life it was obviously desirable to avoid. Mr. Page Wood, who appeared for Mr. Craven Berkeley, said that when the matter was formerly before the court it was understood that in the reference to the Master, Mr. Berkeley should be atsiberty to attend the inquiry . and it was scarcely necessary to say that they only studied the young lady 's welfare. lie could not assent that the question be separated, as the inquiry into the conduct of Dr. Doyle, as her guardian, was intimately connected with the question as to which of the two parties should have the control of Miss Talbot's future residence. Of course he did not pre tend to say that the feelings lathe young lady herself on the subject ought not to be considered. lie was quite prepared that both subjects should go before the Muster, and fully discussed betore him as our subject, or before the court. The office of the Master, nu doubt, would be more in the nature of • domestic forum; but, with regard to a private hearing relative to the conduct and fitness of Dr. Doyle eis guardian, he should object, if the question was to be sepa rated, to its being heard other than in public. Mr. Rult said he was quite prepared to allow the whole matter to go before the Master, but there were points in the affidavits which lie should not be prepares' to go into nor argue before Saturday, w hen the whole question might be disposed of. The Lord Chancellor said he was of opinion that it would be more desirable that there should he at once a reference to the Master, but if the parties desired him to hear the case, of course he should feel bound to do so. lie might state that he heard from Lord Shrewsbury that the young Lily was receives' in the convent as a parlour-boarder, at the time his attention was first drawn to her being a ward of the court; but when informed by Mr. Craven Berkeley that she was there as a postulante, he at once wrote to Dr. Doyle and the solicitors to the effect that the matter should be brought hvbire him as to her future residence on a petition, us he determinedresidence, upon removing her from the convent ; and lie hail arranged that the young lady sheedd be in town on Monday; and he had had interviews with • hey of rank and unlilemished reputation, to whom Miss Talbot was kn,,wo, the name of whom he would privately furnish the counsel with, and who had consented to receive her until the scheme for her residence was determined on; but he was also of opinion that the usual course, of a reference to the Master, ought not to he deviated from. Of course there was, no objection to tie_ matter standiug over to Satur day, as Miss Talhot would not be in town before Monday ; but, if the parties were not then ready, he should act in the matter at once, as he was charged with the care of proper arrangement being made for her comfort and happiness. Mr. Page Waal had no objection to the matter standing over to Saturday. After some further discussion, the case was ordered to stand Os et until Saturday. The court was densely crowded, and much interest was anifested. POLICE INTELLIGENCE THIS DAY. WORSUIP-STREET. Henry Williams, a shoe maker, was charged with stabbing constable John Welch, who Muted, that between two and three o'clesek this morning, while on duty in Boundary street, Shoreditch, he saw the prisoner ill using a woman, his hands were tightly Listened round her neck, as though attempting to strangle her. Prosecutor interfered, and made each of them walk on different sides of the street. Prisoner shortly after crossed over to her, and, on finding prosecutor determined to separate them, put his hand iu his coat-pocket, drew out a clasp knife (produced), anal, with an oath, made a plunge at his (Welch's) buck. Ile turned bound in time to avert the blow, but received the blade of the knife in the palm of his hand. A police sergeant corroborated this statement, and added that, seeing the prisoner take the knife from his pocket, he called to the officer, who was in advance, that he. hail a "iu his Lind. This, in all probability, preserved him from a most dangerous wound. Mr. llammill directed the prisoner to be remanded, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the commissioners in tended to prosecute. The sergeant said, when the knife was wrested from prisoner he became fearfully violent, and knocked them both down, kicking them brutally while on the ground. SPORTING. NORTHAMPTON RACES.-WEDNESDAT. • .... - TRIAL Steam of 10 sovs each, with 140 added. One mile. Mr. Rogerth bg by Orlando oat of leontemeer MN, Got. (Uanmaoad) I Major Martin's The Sarrk, 4 yr, eat Mr. J. ATUGWA Peep& day Hoy, aged, Sat 131 b: (A. Day 3 Mr. Fowler'. Beeper, 3 re, Gat (Weis 4 Mr Mare's Re. ruit. yr.., (O Mann 5 Betting: Even and 5 to 4 on Peep o' day Boy, 3 to 1 ag-t Recruit, 5 to 1 sgst The Swede, 8 to 1 agst The Reaper, aud 10 to 1 agst Orlando gelding. Won by a length, the same between the second and third, Reaper a bad fourth. Ruu in 1 m. 53 see. After the race the winner received the name of King Charming. EIK-ST THIENNIAL STAKES of 10 ram each? with 50 added, fur 2-yr-olds ; the second to save his stake. Half a mile. Mr. Grerre's Frantic. not :lb (Flatetan) 1 Mi. Watson'. Franca, hat Ot (W. Boyce ) 2 lord Earl. es Ambnire. Oat 71b 1111.4.. e Marten's cdneulrion. tat 7lb ......... (W. AbLile) 4 Betting : Even on Ambi•osa, 7 to 4 agst Frantic, and 5 to :tag& Convul•ion. V. by half u length, a head between the second and third, Convulsion beaten off. Run in 55 seconds. GIIZAT NoIiTIIAMPTONRKIIIE STAGES of 25 ROTA each, 15 It, with 100 added ; the second to receive 25 sows. out of the stakes. Two tnilet . Covet ttathrsis)'s v 41en• me, 4 yr, Gid Ilb (Reda. Sberworal) 1 lord Iglinwn'a readmits 3 yrs, 4at 1210 (canted Sot 11b) (AMM) 2 Mr. Miller n.I Selina. 5 yra, Gat ltlb (Charlton) 3 Betting: 7 to f art Legerdemain, 7 to 2 agst St. Rosalie, 6to 1 each art The Ban and Tophane, 10 to 1 agst Selina, 12 to 1 each agst Zadoc, Valentine, and l'andemus. To phana and Valentine gut away nearly abreast, and ran to gether for the first half mile ; N'alentine then took up the running, went through with it, and won cleverly by a length. A head between the second and third ; the others beaten off. Stun in 4 min. 7 see. On returning to scale the winner wee objected to on be half of Lord }:glinton, on the ground that he took the wrong side of a port iu going round the top turn ; tho ab jection, however, was afterwards withdrawn. Orme frAers of 10 ROTA each, with 2.5 added ; the win ner to be sold for 15 POTS ' &c. Once round and • di.. Mr. Rage,. Harp. 3 yls,Yot (S. Rogers) 1 Lord Exerer'• Nutmeg, 4 pre, Idot Sib (Norman) 2 Mr. Knowles'. Vi-ta, aged. 1 lot 2.b Mr. J. Madamon'a S by Nero% d by Bawd, k yrs, llst:e Alkly) 4 Overses PLATE of 100 guineas. Two miles. Mr. Araistra Prep-h'iLay Roy, aged. Ilmt (lb (A. Day) I Lord W. Pitaletea Pei...tees, 3 yrs. 901 lAb ..... Roger.) 2 Betting : 5 to 4 on Pecp-e-day Boy, who made a waiting race of it to the distance, and won easily by two lengths. MAIDEN PLATS of 50 sots. Once round. ... M►. Ble®ftld simpletty, 3 yrs, 7et 310 Mr. Daveme's butir., Boy, 3 yrs, tot 31b Mr. Barrow's Ateisl:4l, 4 yrs, rot 710 19 gegen. 3 Betting: .5 to 4 agst Ahdallah, 2 to 1 againt Simplicity, and 7to '2 art Briti.h Boy. Won by a head ; half a length between second and third, Combatant a bad fourth. Run in 3 min. 13 sees._ ON THE COURSE. AL MORI' PARK sum. 7 to 2 opt The 3 I —tlu,t I 3 I Heiman Raton filly METROPOLITAN HANDICAP. ..... o S to I art Coro. S t I art Valentios to to I apt Time Homburg. The attendancv, notwithstanding the rain, was very large, and the spurt excellent; the course, however, WWI in a frightful state—trials of ^ speed were quite out of the EPSOM SPRING MEETMO. THE STEEPLECHASES. ACCEPTANCES FoR THE FREE HANDICAP. —Trast•nse not, list 61b; The General, list 21b; Anglesey, 10st 71b; Don Juan, lOst 71b; Miss Mowbray, lOst 6,th ; Mind-your own-business, 104 Gib ; St. George, lOst Slb ; Viscount, lOst 21b; Legislator, 94 121 b; Buscot, 9st 71b. ACCEPTANCE/IVOR THE GREAT METROPOLITAN STEEP LE cHAIDE—Sir John, Ilst 121 b; Lord George, list Sib ; Vain Hope, Ilst 21b Sir Peter Laurie, Ilst ; British Yeoman, 10st 12th; Maria Day, lOst 121 h; Spring-buck, lOst 3lb ; it s t.e m p, lost Slb; ltendsburg, lOst 2lb ; Jerry, 10st 21b; Mulligan, lost ; Speculator 9st 10lb ; Scavenger, 9st 10Ib. REDECTION or FEES IN CIIANCEIT.—An order has just apared, signed by Lord Truro, abolishing certain toss Lasts uw pay ia Clammy, sad Macias Ohara THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 27, 1851. THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS. NOTTINGIIAMSHIRB CLAYS. TO Till lIDITOO. OP VIII DAILY NIIVIS. Sts,—Starting from 011erton towards tho south, you pass soon from the sandy soil of Sherwood forest to the north clays of this county. Just above the little village-town of 011erton is Thoreshy-park. the seat of Earl Nlanvers, which comprises Birkland clays, a part of the original which contains more authentic old trees than any district I am acquainted with. Mr. Lowe, in his survey, mentions some in- stances of marks found in onk trees cut down in Birkland which denoted their great age. Thus, in 1786, an oak was cut down in which the letters J. R. (James Rex) distinctly appeared a little more than a foot within the tree, and about one foot from the centre ; so that the tree must have been six feet in circumference when the letters were cut. A tree of that size is judged to be of the growth of one hun dred and twenty years. Assuming the letters to have been cut about the middle of the reign of James the First, the tree would be 292 years old, and it was then sound and had not arrived at its greatest perfee tion. Others are said to have been found with themark Jn. R. (John Rex) in good sound trees. South of 011erton is Raiford Hall, Lord Scarborough's place, and considerable part of the land for some distance belongs to him. He is a game preserver, and with the exception of the capital faim of Mr. Parkinson at Ley - fields, most of his lordship's tenants, judging from the state of their land, would seem to be very indifferent farmers. The usual course of cropping amongst them was described to me as (1), a naked fallow, with a " sprinkle of manure," for (2) wheat ; and in one or two instances [ was struck with the ingenuity displayed in " sprinkling" the manure so thinly over the land that I should imagine the bene fit derived from the dressing to be very slight. The wheat is followed by (3) beans; (4) wheat again, followed by (5) beans, which often scarcely . return seed fur seed. By this time a naked fallow is again required. The wheat Adorn produces more than 20 bushels to the acre, thougllithe land, if well drained and cultivated, is excellent wheat land. The farms are small, ranging from 70 to 150 acres, and their condition indicates that yearly holdings, said by the flatterers of the landuerney to be the result of " the confidence se generally existing between landlords and tenants," have not, at any rate, produced good farming. The fact is, that the small farmers here, as elsewhere, never improve, because they have no confidence that they will be allowed to reap the fruits of their improvements. The following pas sage from a letter written in 1;94 by Mr. William Calvert of Darlton, to Sir Richard Sutton, describ ing the then state of the small farms of this district at that time, would seem to be nearly as applicable now as then. lie says, " Except with a few individuals, I find no general wish for improvement. The hedges neglected, the ditches suffixed to be trodden in and grown up, the weeding of the crops not attended to, the fallows too little pains taken with ; in short some of the farmers WC no farther than the present profits ; which often deprives them of future ones. I - perceive an error to pervade the minds of many here, which would induce them, if permitted, to plough up as much land as possible, and sow four or five crops successively between each fallow, with an eye to immediate advantage, without any thought of leaving their possessions, till in the end their farms become reduced in value ; consequently an injury to their landlord (iii which, provided they continue, they must themselves par ticipate) must be incurred." And the writer here adds this very significant note which quite ac counts for the backward state of the husbandry he has been describing. It is this: " I am sorry to say, some landowners are so jealous of any profit accruing to the tenant, that they are con stantly- inquiring into his profits; and, without con sidering his losses, expenses, &c., by advancing his rent on the least suspicion of advantage, he is driven to the waste and destruction of his farm for his own present support." And now there is no doubt that much, I may say most, of the bad farming . we see is attributable to the mismanagement or prejudices, or "suspicions" of the proprietors of land. I remember, some years ago, to have ridden over a farm with the landlord, who had just come into possession of it by the death of a relative, and he then saw it for the first time. It was just. before harvest, and the tenant, a good farmer, had souse excellent crops of corn. He paid a good, nay, a full rent, as the new landlord was well aware, and the land being light required high and expensive cultivation. After going through several fields and admiring the crops the landlord exclaimed, " Surely, with such crops as these I ought to be paid more rent." The result was, a surveyor was sent over the farm, who reported that the tenant then paid somewhat more than the full yearly value; and not another word was then said by the owner on the subject of rent. But a striking contrast to the generality of farms in this district is afforded by that occupied by Mr. Parkinson, of Levfields. Mr. Parkinson was at one time an eminent (weeder of short-horns, but he has now disposed of them, and buys in cattle fur feeding only. I understood that his son prefers the more ordinary farming routine of buying in stock, to that interesting, and, unless followed with great care and perseverance, hazardous branch of husbamhy, breed ing short-horn cattle. It requires peculiar qualifica tions to become a very successful breeder, meaning, by that phrase, one whose stock always sells at hies prices; amongst the most important of which are as earnest and genuine enthusiasm in the business, tact in observing good or bad points, and the power of patient yet decisive action. Nor can it be denied that the great value of a high-bred herd of cattle seriously increases the risks of farming, where herd ing is followed on an extensive scale. But though a farmer may well pause before entering upon breed ing as a trade, in which there is no middle point be tween success and failure—fur unless he succeed in rearing high-priced breeding stock, his herd will produce him but a few pounds per head more than stock which, with moderately good judgment, he might select in the market—l do think most farmers lose considerable advantages' by nut keeping a cer tain number of useful breeding cows, from which, by a good short-horn bull, they might rear, at com watively small cost, a constant succession of good beasts. . _ To return to Mr. Parkinson's farm, which is a pat tern for the occupiers of strong laud. It belongs to Lord Scarborough, for whom, as well as for many other proprietors, Mr. Parkinson is, I believe, land agent. The house is a modern and good one, reach ing almost the dignity of mansion. The extent of the land is rather upwards of 300 acres, 70 of which arc in permanent pasture. Some years ago the farm was entirely remodelled, and the arable land, now consisting of sixteen closes, of nearly equal size, all well drained, and divided by quick-hedges, which arc kept trimmed and cut at the height of about four feet. The ditches arc all covered over, and the drainage is so managed as to furnish a constant sup ply of water to stone drinking places, which are sunk into one corner of each field. As, under the system adopted, each amble closebecomes in succession a temporary grazing ground, this contrivance is most useful, and is worthy of imitation where practicable. It is plain, however, that there must be springs on the farm, for the bailiff told me these drinking places are never dry even in summer, as would be the case if they depended for supply merely on the surface drainage water. The land is managed on a combination of the or dinary four-course rotation, and a six-course shift. Thus, there is first a four-course, viz., first, turnips ; second, barley; third, red clover; fourth, wheat. The red clover ley is ploughed up for the wheat with a broad skim, which cuts off all the surface and turns it into the furrow, where it is covered over by the plough. In this way the hazard from slugs, so often injurious to clover ley wheat on clay land, is gene rally avoided. Then the arable land is cropped on a six-course rotation for two periods of six years in succession. Thus the clover ley wheat is followed by, first, a turnip fallow, about hve acres being sown with winter tares to be cut green for the working horses. The manure made in the yards during the previous winter is laid on the turnip ground in the , autumn and ploughed in, the stubble having been stirred to promote the immediate growth and subse quent destruction of annual weeds, a most important point of good husbandry on strong land, where it is often difficult to destroy them in the spring. In this state the land is left untouched throughout the winter, Mr. Parkinson well apprehending that axiom in clay land farming never to tread or work it when in a wet state. 'Hie allowance of manure but that now there was a sufficient supply from its own produce. Further on I shall have to offer to your notice some additional instances of what may be done on clay land, in contrast with what is too commonly left undone on such soils. A MIDLAND COUNTIES FARMER. for turnips is 20 loads to the acre. After the spring seed time has passed, the turnip fallow so manured is cross-ploughed in the most finsuruble weather. and so much care is used to prevent treading and poaching the tenacious soil that in ploughing horses are used at length—a practice which lam satisfied can never be safely abandoned on clay sal. On really strong clays no drainage will enable the farmer to work the land with advantage, I may say without injury, in wet weather, and where we occasionally hear of supposed failures of well exe cuted draining, I have no doubt that they would on investigation turu out to be due to injudicious treading of the land when wet. I have known many tanners disappointed when they find that after draining no more than before can they cart over the land in the winter with impunity, or de pend with any certainty on feeding off tannpson the la d either be the winter or spring ; hat such feeling is altogether unreasonable, for the effect of draining is not to render heavy laud capable of being ma naged in the same way and with the same facility at any season as light land, but to fit it, when properly cultivated as heavy land, to bear equal or better crops than light land, with far less expenditure of manure. It is the non-nttcntion to this distinction which has brought heavy land into so much dis repute, both with farmers and the public; for most of our modern advances in husbandry have been made on land naturally or artificially light and dry ; and too many who set about the improvement of clay land would carry out thereon practices not materially differitig from those found successful on the friable turnip soils. 1 fisgust and disappointment are too often the result; and the clay land is aguinabandonedto culti vators and systems which render improvement inept's- Bible. Right views on this point are, bslieve,esseutial to our agricultural progress. I lately heard an emi mut public man, one not given to hook despondingly on agricultural prospects where agriculturists will exert themselves, observe, in reference to the clay lands of the Weald of Kent and Sussex, " I suppose they must all go back into: grass, for a time at all events." This may be so white landowners have no means for, or will not permit, improvement ; but it would be a retrograde step against which all land owners should be warned, amid front which they should spare no effort to escape. What they and their tenants should do is to see how such heavy land farms arc improved and cultivated, and then, to the best of their power, go and do likewise. It is as grain-growing land that the greatest amount of pro duce and of profit will be derived from clay soil; and, I am convinced that, when thesc'soils come to be Un proved and managed with steady attention to their peculiar characteristics, we shall We thereupon an increase, not a decrease, of tillage husbandry. But I am digressing from my description of Ley fields Farm, though with the purpose of rendering it, as it shouldbe,beneficial to clay-land farmers—and must return. The turnip land is often ploughed three or four times, and rolled and harrowed, the greatest care being taken in every operation that no move of the subsoil shall take place that is not absolutely ne cessary ; and this vigilance, let it he borne in mind, is exercised upon land which has been well drained. The whole of this is usually effected by . the second week in May, when the land is laid up in ridges 27 inches apart. The turnips are drilled on the ridge with a mixture of clay ashes which have been well saturated with liquid manure. None of the artificial manures are used. but the manner in which Mr. Parkinson provides a supply of ashes is worthy of note. Dunng the summer all the hedges and the corners of his fields are pared, thus preventing a nursery for weeds along the hedges where the plough cannot reach, and these luinnie4 arc burnt in the autumn with the clippings of the hedges when trimmed. A mass of ashes is thus obtained every year sufficient to enable a very large quantity per acre to be drilled with all the turnip seed sown. The ashes are of course kept dry until saturated for use with liquid manure. The rapidity with which the turnip plant springs up under this treatment equals anything that occurs on our best turnip soils, and seems to provide for the great obstacle to turnip growing on strong land—namely ; the difficulty of getting a plant in good time. Man gold wurtzel may be planted early, and be fore the ground becomes too hard," as it is nearly sure to be in a dry season, but the swede must not be sown too early or it would run to seed or be mildewed, while nt the proper season, a good seed bed is of most difficult attainment. Mr. Parkinson's plan seems to meet this requirement, and the result is decisive for 30 tons of swedes per acre are the or dinary produce. The roots are not fed off on the land,hut are drawn off in the autumn for use in the cattlefold yards. The land is ploughed up ready for barley without more ploughing in the 'following spring. Then the barley, the second crop of the six course rotation is sown; with it white clover, trefoil, and Italian rye-grass arc SOW% The following year the thinl of tie rotation, one-half of the rye-grass and seeds is mown for hay. and the other half fed off with sheep, that part which is mown re ceiving a light dressing of manure. The fourth year the grass and seeds are wholly pastured by sheep and cattle. The fifth year the sees are ploughed m the spring and sown with oats, and the land in autumn being again ploughed, is sown with wheat, which completes the sixth year of the rotation. The roots of the grass after the oat crop have become com pletely deluged, and the land is kept very clean. This same course is then repeated with this difference, that in the second six course, the seeds and rye grass are not MOW!' at all, but are fed for two years. The wheat crop usually yields from 40 to 45 bushels per acre. By this system, while there is a large amount of green cropping in the manner most easily ob tained on strong land, that is by clovers and grasses, the red clover which will not biur too frequent repe tition, falls on the same field only once in 16 years. Eight or ten horses are required to do the work of the farm, and I think there are about half-a-dozen cows now kept, a well-bred hull being still used. The sheep stock consists of 200 ewes, a crop of the Leicester and Lincoln, and the lambs, when weaned, are taken to another farm. They are subsequently brought back, and finally go off fat when little more than a year old ; the greater part of the ewes are also fattened, fresh ones being brought in to supply their places. A small part of the farm which was formerly hop ground, and consequently exuberantly manured, besides being naturally deep staple land, is cropped with wheat and beans alternately, a small part of the land in the bean or fallow year being sown with white turnips. There are also several ir rigated meadows at the lower part of the farm. From 45 to 50 beasts are fed in the yards during winter, and this is managed economically, for the only arti ficial food given consists of about 41h. of oileake each, the rest of the food consisting of roots, hay, and other produce of the farm. Here we have a clay-land farm kept up to a very high degree of fertility at an expense considerably less than is usually incuried in the high cultivation of a light laud farm of the same extent, and certainly with results in produce that would bear a comparison very satisfactory to the occupier, with the produce of light land ; though there is no doubt that to bring it to its present condition far more of permanent outlay must have been incurred than would have been ne cessary on light. And here lies the great disadvan tage of strong ; it requires much permanent and costly improvement before it can be farmed well or profitably. In this instance the land has been all drained, the fields reshaped, the hedges planted and trained, the ditches tiled and covered over, roads made, and buildings (I believe the house itself), erected at the sole cost of the tenant, a man of education and intelligence, and with resources be yond the capital employed in farming; but the other neighbouring farms belonging to the same estate show no disposition on the part of their tenants to imitate Mr. Parkinson's spirited and ob viously well repaid expenditure. And the reason is soon told, they have not the means of making such outlays, which properly belong to their landlord, and he his no inclination to make it. It has been said Mr. Parkinson has made this outlay without a lease, and by virtue of the confidence subsisting between him and his landlord, but that is a fallacy, if any general conclusion is meant to be drawn front the fact, because when Mr. Parkinson's relation to the owner of his farm is considered, it may well be be lieved that he is at least as necessary to his landlord, as the occupation of the farm is useful to himself. In order to get up his farm to its present point of fer tility, Mr. Parkinson at one time drew largely on the neighbouring forest lands for fern and rough grass for litter for his stock. His bailiff told me they had got hundreds upon hundreds of loads of this litter from the forest, when the farm wan first improved, LAMBETH PARLIAMENTARY AND FINAN CIAL IIk:FORM ASSOCIATION. A crowded demonstration took place hat evening at the Horns Tavern, Kennington Common. Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, M.P., having been called to the chair, said—The business of the evening is to discuss how we shill best promote the great objests for which we are associated. N e have each a duty to perform, and he will best fulfil that duty who acts as if success or [attire were dependent upon his individual exertions. (Chun.) The council over which I have the honour to preside are manfully performing their part of the task, and so far have great reason to be satisfied with the result of their efforts. (Cheers.) In fact, no purely political agitation can boast equal success in the same space of time. (Renewed cheer ing.) Great progress has been made in that which is the must difficult, and at the same time the most important, part of their labours,—the restoration of confidence between the middle and the producing classes, and such • union as may best advance their mutual interests. (Cheers.) l'roofs of this progress will be found in the active exertions of the numerous local SLISOCiatiOOI which have been formed in the various districts of the country—in the gratifying resolutions which have recently been sanctioned by large bodies of intelligent men enter taining more extreme opinions than our own, and in the disposition evinced by the government to meet our de mands. (Cheers.) Much, however, remains to be done, and the council arc endeavouring, by means of public meet ings, lectures, and numerous tracts, to prepare the public mind fur the change which we hope is not distant. (Loud cheers.) The names of the men who direct our councils are a guarantee for their sincerity, their ability, and love of liberty, and we confidently ask you to give them your sup port. (Cheers.) After some further explanations, the chairman called upon Sir F. KNOWLES, who moved the first resolution, by calling upon the liberal and independent members of the Rouse of Commons to urge on the government the neces sity fur an immediate extension of the suffrage, accompa nied by a more equal arrangement of the electoral divi sions, as the only security for the continuance and further development of the free-trade policy, and us the only means by which the peace and prosperity of the nation and the stability of any future government could be maintained. (Cheers.) During the late ministerial crisis the whig fac tion bad been irks', then the tury faction, then • combina tion of the two • but none of them would answer ; and so they were obliged to adopt the advice of the Duke of Wel lington, and to stand "a. they were." (Laughter.) They had returned in the order in which they had gone ; but they did not, he was happy to say, occupy exactly the same ground. (Cheers.) ills friend Mr. Roebuck had once asked where the llriti-h constitution was written. Ile (Sir F. Knowles) would tell them. It was written in the bosom j of every Englishman whose heart beat true to the good of 1 his country. Loud cheers.) There the espy was correctly , written, and there its soundest interpretation was also to be found. (Cheers.) l'reviously to the passing of the Reform Bill, the people had noire of the constitution than I they hod now, and, it was in fact, by that measure that they were juggled out of their rights. (Hear, hear.) With reqwct to the object of the uses lotion he would asa , what would be their conduct if they were striving to get into a house the door of which was locked—they might call it the " People's house "if they pleased I (Laughter.) What would they do 1 Why, they would seek the tallest i men to stand against the wall, and bid others to climb on their shoulders; and when they had thus got in at the windows they would walk quietly down stairs and open the doors. (Cheers and laughter.) Ile wished the working men and the middle classes to act in that way. (Cheers.) Ile had read the report of the Mauchester chartists with great pleasure. It was full of sound muse, and he only wanted to see a similar one from the middle classes, and the battle would he won. (Cheers.) Mr. F. DOC ',TON, in *remotion the resolution, bade the chairman look to his laurels, for Lord John Russell had promised to bring in a measure for extending the suffrage. (Laughter.) Any motion of the kind from the noble lord would be about as satisfactory as the measure which was carried b a large majority on the previous night. (Cheers and laughter.) Those who were in favour of interference were ashamed of it, and those who were not smiled at it. (Loud cheers,) Any measure for the extension of the PM , froze, emanating from Lord John Russell, would only he an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the people. (En thusiastic cheers.) Mr. ALCOCK, M.P., supported the resolution, and jus tified the votes he had given in the house on various sub jects—particular on the , resolution of Mr. Disraeli. So far from desiring to put a tax on eons, he wished only to take the tax off barley. (Loud cheers.) The hon. member also pointed out the injustice of the present electoral system, and instanced the case of the surgeons, very few of whom, residing in the country, notwithstanding the importance, the education, and the intelligence of the cass, had votes. (Hear, hear.) Mr. GOMIAMITII moved an amendment in favour of the Charter, which was seconded by Mr. Ettiorr ; and some confusion was created by a small knot of chartists at the other end of the room. The amendment was only sup ported by about 30 persons. The original motion was then carried, amidst loud cheers. The CII.IIIOIAN said he did not wish a man to give up the Charter—(cheers) —he admired the real and honesty of the chartist+, and be bad taken some leaves out of their book. (Loud cheers.) Mr. HENRY SLACK then moved the second resolu tion, which expressed the pain of the meeting at the waste of time in the House of Commons by the contending aris tocratic factions; and respectfully suggested to the Queen that she should select as ministers such men only as were pledged to free trade in its fullest extent, to financial ame lioration, and to parliamentary reform. (Cheers.) Mr. Slack inveighed in strong language against the conduct of Lord John Russell, who, after denouncing Lord Stanley's policy as highly dangerous, had recommended the Queen to send fur that noble lord. (Cheers.) The whigs out of power were of some Use; for they could talk well if they did not act well. (Cheers.) Out of office they would drink willingly enough a bumper to constitutional prin. cipltss • in office they would drink three to the constitution of wl;iggi•ry. (Cheer+) The fact was, that there was a kind of game—and a very good natured one it was sometimes—(cheers) ---a sort of bowl went round. and while one was drinking the other would say "Come, old fellow, you have had enough—let me have a drink." (Cheers and laughter.) Mr. TOWNSEND seconded the resolution, avowing that he was a chartist. (Cheers.) Ile had no idea of Lord John Russell's going to the country, on the eve of a general elec tion, with the cry of parliamentary reform, in order to get into the house for another seven years. (Cheers.) He hoped Sir Joshua Walmsley would tell Lord John so. (Laughter.) Mr. J. WILLIAMS, asked the meeting how they could expect to get proper men into the house when they made it so expensive. (hear, hear.) Why they, the glo rious reformers of Lambeth, had made that excellent man, Mr. William Without', pay a great deal more than his re presentation of Coventry ever cost him. (Cries of " Hear, boor," and " No.") Ile (Mr. J. Williams) was himself one of the working classes. It was within a mile of that place that he had held his first situation when he came up to London a poor working boy. (Cheers.) It was a fortu nate omen for him that his first place was at Wilkes's num ber, No. 44, Newington-causeway, where he served fur twelve months for 12/. (Loud cheers.) He was the Chan cellor of the Exchequer to the Reform Association. (Cheers and laughter.) lie had not a very great surplus, but he was not in debt. (Laughter.) Mr. Williams concluded a most humourous speech by calling on them to support the Parliamentary and Financial Reform Association. He was warmly cheered on resuming his seat. The resolution was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks having been given to the chairman (who briefly re sponded), the meeting broke up. FATAL ENELOSION OF A BOILER AT STOWTIEATII Cottiene.—On Monday last T. M. Phillips, Esq., held an inquest in Wolverhampton, on the body of John Harris, who had died at the South Staffordshire Hospital on the previous Friday from severe injuries received by the explo sion of a boiler, at Stowheath colliery, on that day. Joseph Horton, a machineman, in the employ of Messrs. W. and J. Sparrow, at the colliery in question, stated that the de ceased, who was eJ years of age, was employed at the time of the explosion as stoker at No. 5 engine at Stowheath Colliery. On Friday afternoon last, about 20 minutes before 2 o'clock, he heard a report as though a boiler had exploded, and ran out of the machine house, when he saw steam and dust ascending near to No. 5 engine. He (witness) proceeded to the engine, and found that the boiler had burst, and that part of it had been blown away in different directions. Ile did not see William Bott, who had been working the engine that day. He then went down to the ash hole, where he found the deceased buried under the brick and iron work of the boiler. By the assistance of Mr. William Evans, John Blakemore, and others, the brick and iron work were re moved, when he found that deceased was dreadfully burnt and scalded upon various parts of his body, and that his left leg was broken between his knee and ankle. Consider ing that Harris was in a dying state, he was as quickly as possible removed to the South Staffordshire Hospital. When he (witness) went to the engine -house, there were two men sitting there eating their dinners : they were labourers, and did not understand engineering or the management of engines. Ile noticed that the plates at the crown or bottom of the boiler were very much burnt, which ought not to have been the case had there been sufficient water in the boiler. The engine was not at work when the explosion took place.—Mr. W. Evans, field engineer at the colliery in question, stated that he examined the engine and everything connected therewith on Friday morning; it was then in perfect working order; the pumps were all right, and supplied two boilers. There was a good supply of water, and William Butt had the care of it ; he understood the management of engines; he did not make any complaint of any defect in any part of the engine, its pumps, ese., or in the supply of water. He (witness) was at the water engine, about two hundred yards from No. 5 engine, when the explosion took place. butt, the engineer, was in the water engine hovel at the time, and consequently was not attending to his duties. The witness here corroborated the evidence of Horton as to the state in which he found the bottom plates of the boiler. He added that the pump, feed pipes, &c. were all in perfect working order, and he was sure that the explo- sion, or bursting of the boiler was caused by the engineer having neglected to pump sufficient water into the boiler before he left the engine-house to go to his dinner. It was the duty of the engineer not to leave the engine-house during dinner hour.—John Blakemore, miner, son-in-law of the deceased, stated that his father-in-law died at the South Staffordshire Hospital (where he received every care and attention) about half-past four o'clock on Friday after noon, between two and three houis after the fatal explosion. —The coroner adjourned the inquiry, to afford time for farther iavatiptioo. IRELAND. MARCII 26. The Lord Lieutenant presided on Saturday at a Privy Council, in Dublin Castle, when the proclama tions issued under the Act 11th Vie., in July and August, 1518, for the better prevention of crime and outrage in certain parts of Ireland, Sc., as against the county of the city of Waterford, the county ef the town of Drogheda, the counties of Carlow, Kil dare, Wexford and Wicklow, were revoked. Major Ludlow Beamish, chairman of the Munster Agricultural School, accompanied by Edmond Mur phy, Esq., Professor of Agriculture at Queen's Col lege, Cork, had an interview with his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, on Tuesday, relative to the appro priation of 4,4001., the balance of the reproductive loan fund applicable to the county of Cock, when his Excellency expressed his readiness to forward the views of the Cork Agricultural Committee on the subject. The annoyance of Mr. Maguire and his tenant league friends at finding that although he was only beaten by a majority of 14 in his contest with Mr. Shell for . Dungarran, in 1847, he has not been able to approach within 78 votes of Mr. l'onsonby, may be easily understood. In his speech at the close of the election on Saturday, Mr. Maguire thus accounts for this humiliating circumstance, in terms, it must be admitted, that were anything but complimentary to the constituency of Dungarvan. He said— How do I account for the difference ? Then, the nation had still preserved its manhood ; then, misery had not eaten away the strength, and truth, and dignity out of the hearts of our people ; then, the constituency of Dungan= was not mainly composed of serfs, who would accept a pig for their representatirc at the bidding of a village despot—(cheers) —of abandoned Jodases who would sell Christ crucified for a sixpenee. (Great sensation.) - This is my amwer. The whole blame of the defeat if., however, placed to the account of the Rev. Dr. Italy, the pariah priest, who declined to give Mr. Maguire any coun tenance or support. The Cork Condilutbs says it is understood that Isaac Butt, F.5q..1.1.C., is about to he invited by the conservatives of Youghal to offer himself as a candi date fin the representation on the first opportunity. The fee simple estate of Mr. ('harks henry Smith, of the county of Meath, was sold yesterday in tho Encumbered' Estates Court. The first lot, produc ing 2971. a-year, subject to tithe rent charge and a nth annuity of lat., was sold for 4,1(N)!., equal to 141 years purchase; the second lot, of the net annual value of 95!., was sold for I,ltia ; and the third lot, a tithe rent charge of 1$!. per annum. was sold for 210!. The estate of Mr. Thomas Hems worth, of Abbeyville, in the county of Tipperary, was next put up. and was sold in lots at rates vary ing at about 9. 10, and 12 years' purchase on the pre sent letting and estimated value. At the Nenagh Assizes on Saturday, a man named William Kenna was convicted for being engaged in the perpetration of one of the worst casts of agrarian murder which disgraced the notorious county of Tip perm,- last year. The victim was a man named Thomas Martin, who. with his brother, had got into possession of some land, the property of Mrs. Lid well, from which tenants of the name of Joyce had been evicted. Two parties of men entered the houses of the two brothers, at the dawn of day, in October last, and while one of the brothers escaped with somo broken bones, the other was dragged out of bed and murdered in a most brutal manner on the floor. Tho prisoner, who was not disguised in any way. stood sentinel at the door while the murder was going on : but the . jury, in finding hint guilty. added a nem mendation to mercy on the ground that when ho went to the house the intention was only to heat the man without murdering him. The Marquis of l)ownshire presided a few days ago at a meeting in the little town of Edenderry, for the purpose of establishing a isimpany to work somo lead unites in the vicinity, where it appears that valuable metals have been discovered. 'the princi ple upon which the company has been formed is, that one half of the shareholders should be inhabitants of the locality, and the remaining half Englishmen or Welshmen. The Dublin Erprils says :—The fea ture that particularly characterises this undertaking is, that the Marquis of Domishire offered to his own tenants. in the first instance, the sixty-four shares ordered to be disposed of in Ireland, and they were all immediately taken up, and the deposits paid. It has transpired within the last few days that in a national school in the diocese of Tuam. which was attended up to a very recent period by . 90 poor Ito maneatholie children, the number of pupils hadon Sun day week suddenly dwindled down to just one-third. Inquiries were made, and it was awertained front some of the parents that orders had been promulgated from the ehapels on the Sunday previous, threaten ing all sorts of pa es ins and penalti on the iodies and souls of such fathers and mothers as would not with draw their offspring from all schools in C01111(2d0n with the national board ; those institutions, as well as the government colleges, having been solemnly declared to be • dangerous to the thith and morals of the rising generation of Romanists. Meanwhile, the children thus shut out from the benefits of in struction are wandering about the hedges and road sides. A later communication from the west an nounces that the ranks of the pupils have been since diminished by additional desertions, to the amount of twenty-eight, and, as no school at which the num ber of scholars is less than thirty is entitled to the government grant for the payment of the teacher, Dr. M bide will probably soon have the satistlictiou of sealing the doors of one of the obnoxious schools. ARDENT DRINKS CONSUMED IN ENGLAND. It appeal , ' from a return just made to au order of the House of Commons that in the year 1850 we consumed exactly 2,392,191 stallions more ardent spirits than in 1840, and 5,i96,744 gallons more than in 1843. The years '42 and '43 are those in which the consumption has been smallest during the ten years; 1846 that in which the consumption was largest. The amount of Bri tish and coloaial spirits consumed in 1810 was 24,372,298 gallons ; in 1843, 20,968,017 gallons ; in 18.50, 26,764,791. The year 1846 produced a consumption of 26,790,397 gallons. Between 1816 and 1847 there is a decrease in favour of the latter, the consumption suddenly falling to 23,968,782. There iv a steady rise after that untit 1850. The return front which we extract these fi4iires flocs not include foreign spirits entered fur home consumption. We find by the Board of Trude returns that the number of gallons of brandy and Geneva entered in 1818 was 1,633,322 gallons of which Geneva figures in the small proportion of 23,765 gallons; in 1849, 2,214,759 gallons, of which 26,968 Geneva; iu 18.50, 1,889,316, of which 28,273 Geneva. Thus the consumption for the three years ending 1850 was OM follows: -1518, 26,822,751 gallons; 1849, 28,216,633; 1860, 28,6.54,107. The average increase in the amount of spirits consumed in England Is not ouch us to induce the belief that indi• vidual consumption is greater than of old. It is a known fact that the tendency has been hitherto in favour of a diminution in the consumption, when increase of popula tion is taken into account; and the return before us would, doubtless, carry out the previous rule, were the census re turns, now in progress, published. The return shows that the quantity of spirits distilled from a mixture of corn and malt is about two-thirds greater On an average than that of spirits distilled from malt alone. This is owing to a decided difference visible in the raising of the duties. Pure malt spirits pay a duty per gallon of 7s. 10d. ; so does also spirit made from corn and malt or other ingredients hut, m addition to this duty, there is a duty on malt of Is. 4d. per gallon, which corn does not pay, which renders pure malt spirit dearer. This pure malt spirit in England pays a sum of duties amounting to 9s. 21d., whilst that from corn and malt only pays a sum et duties of 7s. lid. Briti.h wants from ingredients other than malt and corn, such as sugar, molasses, and potatoes, are of small proportion in the general sums. The duty on colonial spirits is now fis. 2d. per gallon for England, 4s. fur Scotland, and 3s. for Ireland. ROYAL ARTILLERY.—WOOLWICH, AIARCII 25. The following companies have been placed under orders to hold themselves in readiness to embark fur foreign service: —Major C. C. Young's company, Bth battalion, for the Cape of Good Hope, to relieve Major C. 11. Burnaby's company, ith battalion, at that station since March, 1643; Captain J. H. Francklyn's No. 1 company of the 10th bat talion, and Captain Mitchell's No. 2 company of the 10th battalion, fur Canada, to relieve Captain G. A. Maud's company, 9th battalion, at Montreal, and Captain G. Sand ham's company, lit battalion, at Kingston, Canada; Capt. G. F. Beresforirs No. 3 company of the 10th battalion, and Captain It. F. Crawford's No. 4 company of the 10th bat talion, are also under orders to embark, the one for New Brunswick, to relieve Captain C. J. Dalton's company, lit battalion, and the other fur Halifax, Nova Scotia, to relieve Captain F. Dick's company, Ist battalion, at these stations since August, 184 x. A ( c' tivi .o t 1 ~; i~ ~~~