The Express. — London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

On=Ori. = TO CtiIikIUIPOSbIINTS.. 114 It 4 MOO ',Cable@ SWAN& SWF WIMN. Pal !tidily .ight. la um. o as• • Aw." by towiwa 4 tir I: , • "64',FM. Milvorw*Th"l' Aftl. Two °Week in yew, dr t! pbt.st.r. u wa WAIIEIt AT LONDON BELIDOIL Till SC Ur. 311. 55a. wis e. w —mums& is. Vs.. 11b. 43m. I LONDON, SATURDAY, AIAY 14. Wu l'sgiNwroN was last night very much to b e pitied. Ex-l'olonial Secretary of the Derbyites —a veteran of Quarter Sessions—a leader of the stuires—and a would-be holder of Tory power here snee. he was clearly bound to oppose the reform of t h e Legacy Tax. He could do nothing less. It hi s fate, his mission, his duty. His sense of I English fair-play . might lead him to gulped the falsity of his position— his feelings of w Miasmas to bear an honest share of the public burthens--ade biliif that the CU tNCELLOR of the Excite/0M should have wherewithal to meet all needful & ela nds on the public purse—might possibly have led him , were he master of himaelf, to acquiesce in the equitable claim of the nation to have an equality of taxation on all succes sions. Rut to have admitted that, or anything like it. would be to offend a section of those squires on whom Toryism rt ets its last hope. So Sir Joule p ‘h ixffroN made a speech in which he strove to show that we all, in 1853, should go on pe p T az o taz a Legacy buty on every kind of property —upon everything won by industry or amassed by trade, or occupied for manufactures, or used for the employment of labour, or the enrich ment of the nation —whilst men like the imma culate Duke of NORTIII:MBERLAND, Or the consist ent Earl of Di:Rev, should be permitted still to in herit the lands of half a county without paying one farthing of tax on succession. Anything more gla ringly unfair, more cowardly, or more impolitic it is difficult to conceive. The orphans of the trader, end the widow of the professional man, are to go on piving their per centages , but the heir to an Earldom or a Dukery is to inherit his rent-roll, of sores or hundreds of thousands a year, scot free. Can anything be more unjust, anything more mean or ungeneraus than this? And as to its impoliey, can the fendalists, who have hitherto enjoyed this immunity from taxation suppose it to be wise to pre serve so glaring an instance of the fruits of class legislation? is it wise for the richest and most influential section of the community to maintain a fiscal injustice they can very well afford to surrender, when the result of its longer maintenance is to up beapa feeling of hatred upon them and their privileges, which in any time of sudden convulsion might bear fruits of retribution akin to those that ripened in old revolutionary days in France? Justice, honour, policy—all call for the equa lisation of taxes on successions. Sir Joust P‘KINGTON thought it needful last night to pro nounce an oration against this view. But, though he felt bound to speak, the House of Commons did not at all feel bound to listen, and the ex-Colonial Secretary, long before his labour of Obstruction to Reform was over, had almost talked the House of Commons empty. The bare benches offered to all who saw them proof enough of the way the wind blows even in St. Stephen'. The Income Tax being thus far acquiesced in, the Legacy Duty Reform must be allowed to follow, as its natural compensation to the nation at large. The burthons of the one are temporarily subnuttcd to with the full understanding that the unequal pressure of the other are to be fairly adjusted. So the country declares, and so the House of Commons evidently acknowledged, when last night they permitted the Tax on Succession Scheme to pass its first stage without a division. How could any other decision be come to ? Re garded in any light we please the propriety of an equal Legacy Tax cannot be gainsaid. As a rule the men who own the land of England are those best able, instead of least able, to pay without discomfort their fair share of taxation. The fact that an Earl or a Duke, or a Baron ioherits a score of manors given to his forefathers by Hamm VIII. out of the spoils of the Church, or it may be by a monarch of the Red Rosa from the plunder of the partisans of the White, is surely no good reason why those manors should escape an impost which every industrious man's earnings are subjected to when bequeathed to his widow or his children. Because the Front-de rifs have always hitherto evaded the Legacy Tax, they are not surely to be allowed to allege former immunity as a bar to future justice? And then, too, the alleged burden of the proposed tax on successions will not after all fall so heavily on landlords as some suppose. Honesty will not be very costly to the class now asked to pay their lair quota of the national reckoning. One estimate put the pro bable yearly produce of the Legacy Duty on land at 400,0001.—D0 very enormous sum. We hope it may produce much more; but, be that as it may, it is clear the squires Will pay only in company with a very large number of Other persons who now escape the Legacy Tax without the excuse even of belonging to the landed gentry. The per sonal property that now peon by deed, and not by will, is very great indeed. This personal property, if passed by will, would, by the existing laws, pay Legacy Tax, but being conveyed by another legal pro ems it escapes the impost. This is practically an' evasion of the law that will be cured by the plan of the OM:MELLOR of the EICHIQUIR. It is very common fors man to sign his will and various settle ments at the same time. Under the will the property passed, of course, pays duty, but under the settlements the (often greatly larger) sums escape. When the landlords pay their Legacy Duty on the inherited acres,they will have as companion-contribu tors to the public purse the large class now enriched by successions under settlement. Indeed, the greatest sweep will be made under the settlements, and of course the greatest sums be paid by the people so enriched by the death of others. Difficulties will arise in discovering the amounts of property--scat tered as it i., and mast be, over the kingdom—under settlements. The great reason for hoping that all this will be discovered when it passes by death, and that the public Exckquer will not suffer, is that trustees will tell all they know for their own security. The bill to be inUoduoed moat attend to this, by affixing penalties on all persona ooncealing knowledge needful for the proper adjustment of the taxes falling due, and if the emu is made to rest on trustees to see that the Legacy Tax is duly paid, thee, for their own sakes, will seldom be ready to abet any evasions. The Lords LORD DERBY'S as Go Nene of the "great STAFFORD ' l ' has aid Smother ingre dient to the unsavoury compositios midi the jour nals present every main to their readers. The mixture daily becalms sore " slab and good," like the hell-broth in " Nimbeth." In the morning, Lord DZRBT appears before the Committee • in the even ing he scolds in the House of Lake the news paper reports of his evidence. His lordship being asked whether he was aware of a statement that Mr. STAFFORD had made, to the effect that he (Lord Dem() and Mr. Minim had put great pressure upon Mr. STAFFORD with regard to the disposal of the patronage of the Admiralty in dockyards, replied, —according to the report of the Globe,—" I have heard with some regret some statements made by Mr. STAY vonD because I have a very high opinion of Mr. Sze**. Fon) and his honour, and Mr. Brenton) must have known when he made those statements that they were entirely inconsistent with the practice of the Admiralty and the rules of the service." According to the re port in the Sins, Lord DERBY is made to remark that he should be very much surprised to hear that Mr. firArroan had made that statement, because he had the highest opinion of his honour and veracity, and he must have known that such a statement was entirely inconsistent with the fact, and that there was not the slightest foundation for it." The reader will observe that the only difference between the reports lice in the different measure of belief attributed to Lord Milne in the delinquency of Mr. STAFFORD. " I very much regret that Mr. STAFFORD has said sn," and " I should he very much surprised to hear tout Mr. STAFFORD had said so," are the two forms oi expression to which Lord DFIBT thinks it need ful to call the attention of the How of Peers, and yet alt)Augh there is not any very i:uportant diffe"..ence between the two, Lord DERBY lut otght wished to establi►h a breach of privilege against the publishers of the former report. It is impossible not to recognise the utter meanness of this outcry of breach of privilcge. Nobody, after the evidence that has been reported. can doubt for one instant that Mr. STAFFORD did, in some terms, or other, excuse his interference in the dockyard patronage by the plea of a pressure from without. The Duke of Nowritt:unratAND who submitted to be led blindfolded to the Presidency of the Admi ralty, and who professed what seemed to be even more than ducal ignorance of business, was "aqut sant" of the difficulties Mr. STAFFORD bad to_ en- counter on account of the " want of sympathy" between the Howe of Commons and the Board olf Admiralty. Mr. DISRAELI, too, in his evidence, descants piteously upon this " want of sympathy," and lets out pretty clearly that this was the subject of anxious consultation between Mr. STAFFORD and himself. Above all, the Committee quote Mr. STAF FORD'S own words to establish the Act. How is it, then, that the great leader of the Conservative nobility, with the proof that Mr. STAFFORD did actually use words of a nature at least similar to those which have been reported— how is it that the " RUPERT of Debate"—is obliged to gallop away from the scene of combat, and shout " breach of privilege" in a bye lane ? For no other reason, it is evident, than to create a diversion under favour of which Mr. STAFFORD and Derbyits delinquencies may escape attention. Is not this a melancholy end to the "great Co., "erratic° party?" Its two leaders may recognise their ty pes in those honest gentlemen who formerly dwelt in Field-lane, and now harbour in dens kesers only to detectives and pickpockets, where they edotate precocious juveniles in predatory accomplishment', taking care to keep themselves as far as possible from the clutches of the law. Mr. STAFFORD was the Artf u l Dodger of the DERBY Ministry, and the ex-Premier and the ex-Chancellor of the Exche quer represented the firm of Fagin and Co. The proceeds of the dirty practice of the small agent went to enrich the prime movers of the concern, while a mere pittance was doled out to the actual perpetrator. Mr. STAFFORD did all the hard work, and his employers profited by it. The instigators, it is clear, will do all they cam to help their little friend who has fallen into danger, but they refuse to sacrifice themselves. They talk large, therefore, and endeavour to shield the culprit —in the same boat with whom they feel they are rowing. There is one advantage to be derived from the disgraceful exposures which have been made before the Committee. Each of the parties concerned in the dirty practices which have taken place during the existence of the late Ministry will be bound to explain his own share in these transactions, lest he should be debited with the share of the rest. Thus, the Duke of NORTUEMBERLAND is compelled to .ccuse himself of the rawest ignorance, and 'the most contemptuous disregard of the public interest, in order to clear himself from the charge of actually meddling in the foul practices which were going on in the national naval establishments. Mr. DISRAELI tells us in euphuistic phraseology that the great point for a Minister is to guard against a want of sympathy between the House and the Admiralty. He inti mates in tolerably plain terms that a "Board of Admiralty, composed of the most able and effective men, looking at what they call the service," but not subservient to the Ministry of the day, is not exactly the sort of institution that he considers the best adapted for such purposes as a leader of the House of Commons requires. He would have a few of the " lords," mem bers of the House,—in other words, placed in a posi tion where they may be controlled by the Govern ment, and acquiesce quietly in Ministerial mismanage ment. The Earl of DERBY admits that although the impoesible chief of her MAJESTY'S Government, he dew nothing about the Admiralty, after he had =the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND—who also r i nothing—at the bead of that institution. The esimises of these individuals, added to the tales wait ask may in time be induced to tell of the °lbw, may at last give us a clear insight into that mat astounding combination of political profligacy that is recorded in the modern history of party—the DERBY Ministry. In the meantime what will Mr. STAFFORD do ? He allows that he complained of pressure from without; he allows also that he declared that Lord DERBY and Mr. DISRAILI would not permit all patronage to be in the bands of political opponents. This is his own version, which he prefaces with an excuse for deficient memory. As it stands, even this means very little less than what he is charged with. And yet Lord Denny, according to the report of his own words which he endorses as correct, distinctly affirms that Mr. STAFFORD, as a man qf honour, could not have made such an ad mission. What, we repeat, can Mr. STAFFORD do ? Will he sacrifice himself for the sake of those who introduced him into bad company, and who sacrificed him ? It is impossible to say. One thing is certain. The disclosures that have been made, and are still making, are the most crushing evidences of the utter unfitness of the leader of the party which fell with the late Ministry to conduct the affairs of this country. Come what will, by no possible combina tion of circumstances could the nation ever again be induced to entrust the Government in the hands of men who will be held up to future are as the very types of political debasement. property, I THE NEW EXCHEQUER BONDS. (PROM LAST 1110112'11 GAZII7I.) et her Majesty's Tres- sury hereby give notice, to all whom it may eoniern, in the exercise of the authority vested I. them by the third section of an Act, passed in the present Med* of Parliament, intituled "An Let et redeseeisir at sommatioi the Annuity payable* the Smith Sea Oempowy, lei *risk Annuities of three pftwas pet enema mammas, wad for creating sew of three pease Ms ehiUimp per centime per arm* sad two = 4 :s e i r t shillings pow canna per asasth, est Bonds," that they have eteentimed Misr 11 421 inliequir Beads se be hinted under*. authority of the aid Act then bear hams% at literates( two peruse Meth Wen. pet Men per annum, until the let ey d September, 1184, such Bonds to carry *tarot dMmileest et the me of two panne ten shillings . per cent= pet 11111. s udil the lit day of September, is the year lthia thus to be *damnable at par, at the option of the Leeds Osemmisioners of her Majmty's Treasury only. so mew se Paellsmost shall have made due provision in respect thereof. The interest as these Bonds will be payable half yearly, es the lit of Much, and the let of September, in nob year.—Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, this 13th day at May, 1863. W. IL GLADSTONI. ALFILID HiIY3T. • .140 EXCHEQUER BILLS EXCHANGI EXCHEQUER BONDS. The Lords Commissioners of her Ms*les Trea sury busby give moths' In SO /eiders of Insimesee Bills, whether dated is Joao eft in Kw* wbe ilia - dad» to exchange such Exelseque ills he Illsreaten lissia, bear ing interest at two i reade moan per annum, until the Say of lisperant, sad there after at two pounds Ms ffitiffilign gen swans per anon , until the lit day of Sapberabug, IBM intable noise the authority of an act passed ls Os pang swiss et psrlia meat, that they may exchange seri Esinamiesr Bills at par for as equal amount of Embower Blab IS notifying such desire in writing to her Majesty's Paymaster-Goneral, at the Pay-office, Whitehall, on any day net later than the 25th day of May instant, and delivering such Exchequer Bills, with lists thereof, at Use same time, at the Pay once, wording to the forms, which will be supplied on ap plication at that office. Such Exchequer Bills will be im mediately registered and stamped, and will be returned to the holders, from day to day, in the day but one following Ina delivery for stamping ; the current rates of interest on each bails up to the Bth day of Jane next inclusive, will be paid on and of the 10th day of June; and such bills, so stamped, will, from and after the Bth day of Jane, bear in terest at the rates fixed for the Exchequer Bonds, and will be exchanged for such bonds, with the coupons attached, as soon as such bonds and coupons en be prepared; but not later than the Ist day of September next.—Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, this 13th day of !lab 1863. W. E. GLADSTONE. ALFILID HEZTET. The Sale of the Government Excise-office in Old Broad•street, which bed been entrusted to Mr. Gadsden, by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, was offered to a very numerous pablic at the Auction M art, by Mr. Alder man Farebrothar, who, in the ebonies bona indisposition of him friend, Mr. Gadsden, kindly meessted to officiate foe that gentlemen. After dwelling upon the merits pommeled and the many advantages offered by this splendid property, both on account of the locality in which it it situate, and the large space occupied by the building, covering an area of upwards of an acre and a quarter, the biddinga com menced at 90,0001., which, in a short time, had inermired to the large amount of 106,2001., when the boomer foil, and the auctioneer declared dis property bad 'banged hands. TIIE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 14,-4853. FRANCE. PARIS, FRIDAY EVENING. The Council of State, in fulfilment of the task im posed upon it of finding reasons for the re-establish ment of the political guillotine, has composed an expose de "IWO to recommend the measure to the Corps Legislatif. This document is signed by the ex-minister of justice, M. Rouher, now Vice-Presi dent of the Council of State ; and M. Persil, the re porter of the council on' the bill. These gentlemen have the face to represent the reversal of Lamartine's grand law, as a mere decla ratory act for removing doubts. They pretend that a grave legal question has arisen—whether the old statutes applicable to a constitutional monarchy which shad with death any attempt to disturb the order of succession to the throne, are abrogated by the " momentary " establishment in France of a republican government. They ask whether it be certain that the proclamation of the empire has by necessary consequence restored the old jurisprudence on this subject, and then with an assumption of can dour admit that very serious doubts on this important subject are enterteined by the very best order of minds. Proceeding to reason on the point they, with wonderful acumen, arrive at the con elusion that the abolition of the punishment of death for political offences by the provisional government cannot be taken to have disarmed the vindicatory power of society entirely, because no one , will deny that an attempt to murder the Sovereign would b; now punishable with death. Having thus established that the Emperor may not be killed with impunity, any more than the meanest of his subjects, these lawyers say that scrupulous men doubt whe ther an attempt to change the order of succession to the throne can, as the law stands, be punished with death, in the face of the abolition of that punishment for political crimes by the republic of February. These doubts, they further admit, are worthy of being taken into serious consideration. Therefore, and merely with a view, as they would have it appear, of relieving the courts of law from the necessity of deciding a knotty point, they recommend the Legislative Body to make no more ado, but to pass the act demanded of them. The Duke de Rianzares has arrived in Paris. He will during his visit reside principally at Malmaisoe. which belongs to Queen Christina. He has for some time been in the habit of coming to Paris every year to see friends and superintend Queen Christina's property in France, which is very considerable. On this occasion, however, some people will have it that the Duke has come to treat of political matters with Narvaez. General Prim (Count de Reus) is expected immediately, also it is said on private business • and a recent letter from Madrid says that the rich capitalist, M. Carriquiri, was on the point of setting out for the French capital. The American minister, Mr. Rives, had an audi ence of the Etoperor yesteday to deliver his letter of recall. The Moniteur contains a decree enacting that the existing natigation tariff on the canals from the Rhone to the Rhine, and front Digoin to Briars, which, by decrees of May, 1850, and December, 1832, were fixed until June 1, 1833, shall continue to be in force until further order. A prospectus of a now journal, to be called the Courrier du Notarial, and lately sent by post to almost all the notaries in France, states that a bill is in preparation for effecting a radical change in the laws relating to notaries, and in particular for fixing regular annual salaries to be paid to them. The Mo niteur says this is a piece of " false news," which has been many times officially (contradicted, and that orders have been given to prosecute the authors of this circumstantial revival of the false report. We read in the Petrie : Immense activity now prevails in all the ship-building yards and in the manufactories of machinery. It is diffi cult to find *sufficiency of workmen, and the maritime inscriptions are every day increasing. A number of coun tries to which our commerce was before scarcely known us now visited by our shipping, and the impedes which the government gives to business of every kind, sal the absolute security which it inspires, increases to an inieeme extent the amount of our exports to distant countries. The first part of the above statement is perfectly true. Speculation in ship-building has been very active of late, but the talk about the immense in crease in the exports is mere fudge, and entirely at variance with the recent monthly returns. The "impulse given to business of every kind" is also a piece of vain boasting. Apart from those un dertakings which are directly supported by public money, business is by no means brisk, and this is proved by . the steady diminution in the discount ac commodation of the bank, which has been going on for some time, and is again noticeable to-day. A daring sacrilege was committed a few days since at Bordeaux. On the altar of the cathedral there, a holy thorn, contained in a golden casket, enriched with jewels, was exhibited to the gaze of the faith ful. 'This precious relic, with its (to him) still more precious envelope, was taken away by . a thief, who con trived to creep into the church at night unobserved. The hue and cry was raised, and he was speedily cap tured, but not before he had made away with all the vulgar part of his booty. The holy thorn was,l is ow ever, it said, found upon him. At all events, the priests have resumed the exhibition, and none of the original believers in the relic entertain any doubts about its miraculous restoration. All the bells in Bordeaux were rung in celebration of this happy event. In anticipation of the Em s visit to the south, the Minister of State has the restoration of the Chateau of Pau to be carried on with the utmost activity, and a quantity of new furniture has been purchased for the apartments to be occupied by their Majesties. On Wednesday last, on the arrival of the English steamer Soho, Captain Seller, in the port of Havre, a commissary of police, accompanied by two agents, went on board and arrested three English labourers who were going to Lisieux. The motives for this arrest have not transpired. I have since learnt that the men were arrested for want of passports, that two of them were liberated on proving their identity, and that the third, upon whom some newspapers and political pamphlets were found, is still in custody. The Monikur publishes the following monthly debtor and creditor account of the Bank of France, made up to Thursday, May 12, 1853 : f. e. Cash in Wad _ — o 26 ' 229 35 Cash in the branch banks Canuharria! Mlle ravine . r; a 6 ,iici 00 303,074 03 Commercial bills dimented, but not yet due, of whisk 42,386,1861. 96e. were received front the branctr-Araks 110,545,159 06 Ditto in the breach banks 124,761,732 00 Acl ,, eased on a deposit of bullion 1,337,800 00 Ditto by the branch banks Advanced on French public mitrities Ditto by the branch banks 10,498.950 00 Advanced on railway wieurities 66.970,000 00 Ditto by the brawls banks 16,109,309 00 Advanced to the Kale on the treaty of June 30, 1848 76,000,000 00 Goverment stook reserve 10,000,000 00 Ditto . disposable Hotel and furniture of the bank 4,000,000 00 Landed property of the branch banks 3,074.260 00 Interest in the national dismount dim 37,000 00 Expenses of ni=ment of the Bank and branch 1,004,229 91 Sundries Total Ds 1,017,342,872 16 - Capital of the Bank Reserve of the Bank Ditto in landed property Bank notes in circulation Ditto of the branch banks 168,631,950 00 Bank notes to order 4,894,976 32 Receipts payable at sight Treasury account current, creditor Accounts current in Paris 113,825,192 50 . Ditto in branch banks Dividends pa a ble ts Discoun an ' undry interests Redimonntedduring the last six months 710,456 02 Received on account of protested bills Sundries Total 1,017,312,874 10 Certified by the Governor of the Bank, CoUXT D'AEGOVT. From these returns, it appears that the metallic reserve has increased 7 millions in the Paris Bank, and somewhat more than 7 millions in the branch banks. The discount accommodation has fallen off both in Paris and in the departments, in the former i about 8 millions, and in the latter 6 millions. The advances on rente have increased about a million in Paris; and have diminished about 1 of a million in the provinces. The advances on railway securities show an increase of upwards of 5 millions in Paris, and decrease of about I of a million itt the bnitich hanks. Oa the aide of the liabilities, the notes in ell*. natation have increased nearly I million in the Paris bank, and fallen off about of a million in those of the departments. The account•current of the Tana sury has increased 11 millions. Private accounts current show an augmentation of 21 millions in Paris, and ono of less than 1 of a million in the branch banks. The whole amount of the metallic reserve is at present 6114 millions, to 6691 millions lof notes in circulation. CLOSING PRIM A? rill Bonn:N.—For Cash: Throe per Cents., 811. 76 e. ; Four-and-a. Half per Cents., 1041.; Bank Stork, 2,730 f. • Northern', 9301. ; Paris and Orleans, 1,1181.60 e. ; Paris and Strasbourg', 9401.; Paris sad Lyons, 067 f. 60 0 . ; Paris and Rouses, 1.161 f.; Lyons to the Medi terranean, MC • Western of France 8001. 60e. ; Rosen and Havre, 652 i. ; Bordeaux and Cet:te, 6711.; Caen and Cherbourg, 660 f. ITALY . In the Piedmontese Chamber of Deputies the bill for granting a loan to the Lombard emigrants was adopted without question on the 12th inst. by a majority of 126 to 7. HOLLAND. ROTTERDAM, Tnossnky. An important meeting of electors for the Second Chamber of the Dutch parliament was held yester day evening in this city, in the great hall of the well known club-house, the Harmonic. The object of the meeting, at which six hundred electors of various shades of political opinion were present, was to discuss the merits of the respective candidates proposed by political clubs or by private individuals. The number of members of the Second Chamber for the city of Rotterdam is two, but at the preliminary electoral meeting last night not lees than ten were proposed. Two political clubs, the Orde (order) and the Eendragt maakt Magt (union makes strength), proposed respectively as candidates Heer Van Reese a member of the Th orbecke cabinet), and Heer Van pendrecht, and Heer Band and Heer Rijk. In proposing the two former candidates, in the name of the Orde, Heer Van besets*, one of the leading men of this city, observed that the country' was at present in a difficult position ; that the nu merous attendance of electors that evening and the formation of new electoral unions were proofs of the public interest taken in the impending . electoral struggle ; and that Holland could only be injured by the attempt of some persona to sow dissensions, and 4 , to burn the unholy fire of party spirit on the altar of Fatherland." ' On opening the ballot box there appeared for Hoer Band 301 yotes,:for Heer Van Papcndrecht 283, for Heer Von Bosse 257, and for Heer Rijk 225. As neither, except Heerßand, had the absolute majority —viz., 301—a second voting was had recourse to with reference to the three latter candidates, when there appeared for Heer Rijk 213 votes, for Heer Bosse 157 votes, and Heer Papendrecht 103. On a third voting, in which the absolute majority is not required, but only the relative one, Heer Van Rijk obtained the greater number, consequently Heer Band and Heer Van Rijk, the candidates of the " Eendragt maakt magt," were chosen by the meeting as candidates. • It will be necessary to state here that the result of that decision is one unfavourable to the late ministry, and indirectly favourable to the new one. It may be added that another electoral club, " Fa therland and King," had also fixed on Heer Band and Heer Rijk as its candidates. The votes in last night's meeting will not, positively decide the con test, but tho moral certainty is, that Heer Band and Van Rijk will be returned. All the electoral districts in Holland are now busy in examining into the relative merits of the candidates fee parliamentary honours, and the struggle will be a very severe one. The general elections are fixed, as your readers already know, for next Tuesday, the 17th inst. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, Tntrasnay. One of the committees of the Chamber of Repre sentatives has approved of the treaty of navigation between this country and the Holy See, by virtue of which vessels belonging to the Roman States will enjoy in Belgian ports all the advantages accorded to the Bridal flag by the treaty of October, 1861. Amongst other favours, the duty on raw salt im ported under the Roman flag will be reduced by one third. It may be stated here that in the year 1851 the value of the general imports into the Roman States was 67,337,000 E, and of the general exports 52,608,000 f. The above oommittee express the that as comparatively large quantities of cotton and other manufactures are imported into those states, Belgium will be able to obtain a fair share of the tra&. GERMANY. PRIASIA. _ Tke session of the Prussian Chambers closes to day, a government announcement to that effect having been made in both houses on Thursday. ' Some of our contemporaries have mentioned enormous sums of money as haying been demanded of the Germanic Confederation by Austria and Prus sia for putting down the insurrection in Hungary and Posen. The Prussian government objects to the principle of these indemnification", and only makes the claim not to be behind its neighbours. BERLIN, MAT 10. When the King of Belgium was driving this morning to the railway terminus, on his departure for Vienna, his carriage was preceded by a police officer on horseback to clear the way, as is usual ' when royal personages drive rapidly through crowded streets. The officer's horse being used only to leisurely patrolling, and not St for gouig at a long 'trot over bad pavement, stumbled and threw his t rider, over whom the carriage, too, the impetus of which could not be stopped, unfortunately passed, and killed him on the spot. To a man of so humane .character as King Knopold this sad accident was, naturally, a very great shock. AUSTRIA. _ _ King Leopold andhissOtr Duke of Brabant, strived at Vienna on Wed nesday afternoon. They were received at the railway station by the Emperor and several Archdukes, and conducted to the Bel- Tian Legation in a 'state carriage, &Ann by six imes. A guard of honour, with mask and colours, was posted at the legation. Shortly afterwards the Emperor paid a 'nit to 'the Belgian Xing and Prince, and conducted them to the palace to dinner. SPAIN. Bartnrive hen Wooed to oondnet the department of Foreign Atkin. THE NOUVEAU MONDE GOLD MINING COMPANY. The goeseal =mils; Cl shareholders of the Non. watt MM. Odd Nkeire Roomy wee held at the offices Of lk hot. Se Company, No. 41 ) Rue Latta, Paris, on Tuesday, 14 This Thince Louie Lucien Bonaparte, the president Casale de Lautivy, vice•president ; Parealli di Zloty°, resat; Hr. John Taylor, jun. the Leaden agent; and most sides members of the cou n cils of Loden and Paris, attaidsd. TlMee were seventy-lbw elbaesinideft present, who, together with the proxies entrusted to theta, seated upwards of 40,000 shares ta the company. VI; Coated* Lantivy presided at th a e s i t = iss The PRIBIDINT opened the gsea ri s a shoal outline of the course pun by fie eisspre vision. He referred to the period when the' ormpeny wee Viin Paris; the difficulties they bad to encounter ; tirelbsagetent re•orgaaisation of the company under the leaspiese of an English agency. Having named the emea s who formed the English and French Councils of , be put it to the vote whether they should con tinue to watch over the interests of the shareholders, which was arried unanimonaly. He then proceeded to appoint a gentleman to act as secretary on the occasion, and requested Mm to read the following reports: let. A report of the genet (hi. Pagonelli di Zicevo), containing a detailed ac count of all the proceedings of the compeny. 2nd. A gene ral report of the London scents (Means. John Taylor and Sobs), in which they set forth folly the present position of the company; the progress that has been made; the ample capital they have still at command ; and the prospects of the ultimate success of the undertaking. Theme reports were received with evident satisfaction by the body of the shareholders present. The CHAIRMAN then read the original statutes of the company, and some modifications proposed to bo made in them—each of these he put to the yobs, and they were carried unanimously. The thanks of the incetiog were then voted to Mr. Clement, she superintendeot 14 California; to the ;tenni pi the aomPani monads is London re/i$ I to Messes. John Taylor and Suns, the epee, in Linden; and l to M. le Comte de Usti% tilp obainsas of the atirot43l. 150 e Court. OSBORNE, FRIDAY. The Queen and Prince did not leave the grounds at Osborne yesterday. The Royal Children took their usual exercise is the Park. - - - --- The Doehesa of Rent went teClaramont yesterday, at tended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson, and visited the Coun tess de Nastily and the French Royal Family. The Duchess of Bent had a dinner and an evening party last evening, at her residence, Clarence House, St. James's. Mr. Schachner had the honour of performing on the piano forte before the Royal Duchess and her distinguished circle during the evening.° A Deputation of the City Terminus and Street Improve ment Company had an in eniew with Sir William Moles worth yesterday, at the office of Public Works and Build ings, in Whitehall-place. The deputation consisted of Mr. Acton S. Ayrton (chairman), Mr. Raikes Currie, M.P., Messrs. Armstrong, T. Dakin Tyler, Valiance, Malina, Lawrence, W. Tite, Sydney Smith (secretary), W. Burettell (solicitor), and J. Hargrave Stevens (engineer.) The following Irish members of the House of Commons had an interview with Mr. Wilson at the Treasury, yes terday, on the subject of the abolition of the duty on clover seeds, and placing the expense of the extra Con stabulary Force in Ireland upon the Consolidated Fund : Mr. F. W. Russell, Mr. Heard, Mr. V. Scully, Mr. F. Scully, Mr. James Sadleir, Mr. Kirk, Viscount Monek, Mr. O'Flaherty, Mr. C. Fortescue, and Mr. 0. Grace. Sir Thomas Fremantle, Chairman of the Customs, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday at his official residence in Downing-street. Earl Fitzwilliam, Dr. Joseph J. W. Watson, and Mr. William Bridges, bad an interview with the Right Hon. E. Cardwell on Thursday at the Board of Trade, on the subject of the electrical illumination of railway tunnels, mines, and lighthouses. A deputation consisting of Sir T. H. Hall, Mr. Alderman Cubitt, Mr. Deputy Corney, Mr. Deputy Harrison, Mr. Deputy Blake, Mr. H. L. Taylor, Mr. M. Barnard, and the City Remembrancer, had an interview with Sir W. Moles worth yesterday. The Bishop of Montreal had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle yesterday at the Colonial office. A meeting of the Cathedral Commission was held rater , day at the office in Parliament-street. The Commissioners present were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Arch ' bishop of York, the Marquis of Blandford, tits Bishop of Oxford, Sir John Dodson, Sir John Patteson, the Rev. 1 Canon Selwyn, and the Rev. Richard Jones (secretary.) Despatches were sent yesterday from the Colonial Office to the Governer-General of Canada and the Governors of the other North American Provinces. THE ATTEMPT TO EXTORT MONEY FROM MR. GLADSTONE. The further examination of William Wilson, com mercial traveller, for an attempt to obtain a place from the Right lion. W. E. Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exche quer, under circumstances which have been fully detailed, took place yesterday, at the Marlborough-street Police Court. The Marquis of Stafford, Mr. Scholefield, M.P., and other persons of note were in court, but further curiosity was not gratified in the way anticipated, is Mr. Gladstone was not present at first, and it was undentood that great difficulty had been experienced in applying the law to the peculiar circumstances of the case. The law presumed to apply immediately to the offence was at first supposed to be contained in clause 7 of the fat Vic. cap. 87 : " And be it enacted that whosoever shall with menaces or by force demand any property of any person with intent to steal the same shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof, shall be liable to be imprisoned for any term, not exceeding three years." But as the Fri weer had couched his threat in this form,—that, if Mr. Gladstone would make it " all right," er give him a situation in Somerset House, &c.—the difficulty of bring ing those words within the operation of the words of the act was obvious. Further in vestigation resulted in the discovery of a law which pre cisely met the case. In the Libel Act 6 and 7 Viet. cap. 96, sec. 8, is the following clause : " If any person shall pub lish or threaten to publish any libel upon any other person, or gull directly or indirectly threaten to print or publish, or shall directly or indirectly propose to obtain from print ing or publishing, or shall directly offer to prevent the print ing or publishing of any matter or thing touching any other person with intent to extort any money er security for money, or any valuable thing, from such or any other person, or with intent to induce any other person, to confer or procure from any person any appoint smut or office of profit or trust, every such offender on being convicted thereof, shall be liable to be imprisoned, with or without hard labour, in the common gaol or House of Correction for any term, not exceeding three years." Mr. Bingham having ordered the prisoner to be brought in and placed et the bar, briefly addressed him, sad said— Circumstances have occurred which render it necessary for me to remand the case until this day week. The prisoner made no re ly, and was removed The prisoner is • Scotebman, and has lived as traveller with several commercial houses: Messrs. Frankan and Co., St. Clement's-lane ; and Messrs. Myers and Co., of Leaden hall-strut. Shortly after this part of the proceedings had terminated, information was conveyed to the bench that Mr. Gladstone was quite prepared to prosecute, if the law reached the case, and that he would be in court ready to sign the usual depositions in half an hour. The remand was recalled, and the prisoner was ordered to be again placed at the bar. Mr. Gladstone entered the court about 2 o'clock, and the case against the prisoner was completed. The depositions were read over, and signed by the right bon. gentleman. Mr. Gladstone, addressing Mr. Bingham, the sitting magistrate, said—" Sir, I do not consider this igpersonal mat ter. I stated so to the police at the time, and I therefore leave it entirely in the hands of the public authorities. I have personally no wish to inflict any punishment on the prisoner, but I did not feel justified oeaccount of the public interest, in wsinover the affair. I may state received • letter from Mr. Wilson, which I beg to pat in your hands, to use according to your discretion. I have only my duty to the public to regard, and am, therefore, quite content to do as you desire." Mr. Bingham said he did not think it necessary to ap pend the letter to the depositions, as it was of a private character. Teo prisoner was then fully committed, and Mr. Glad stone and his friends retired. The following is a co_py of the letter: "House of Detention, Clerkenwell, Thursday. "Right Hon. most humbly beg pardon in making free to uldreu you. I am writing with asad heart and pain ful reflection upon my foolish conduct on Tuesday del& I cannot conceive how a mere selfish and visionary aim prompted me so to act, imputing motives deprecatory one so good end great. I beg your pardon from my wry heart. Alas ! I have suffered not a little in body and mind for my folly, already doomed to the humiliation of a felon's cell. Going hither and thither with them, and stigmatised as such, whereas my character will be found unimpeach able. The majesty of the law in the punishment lan undergoing is sufficiently vindicated. I feel sure that being the case, you, being exonerated, have no further wish to punish me. Right hon. sir, my future prospects and destiny depend on liberation to-morrow (Friday). I pray you to do so—it is entirely with you. In thus *acting you will evince a magnanimity and kindness of heart worthy of your high and honoured same.—l am; Right Hen. Sir, your humble suppliant, Wu.r.ram WILSON. " To the Right Hon. H. E. Gladstone." tupelo: Park, who had been despatched to make some inquiry, did sot return in time to have his deposition com pleted; but ohr reporter was informed he had ascertained that this woman who accosted Mr. Gladstone was apt ip isonfederney with the prisoner, but was greatly disappointed at the interruption of • tale of distress, which the prose cutor, is she expected, was about to relieve by a charitable donation of money. By a singular coincidence the servant of thiswomen, who had been fined 20s. for an emelt committed the day before, stated to one of the offloers of the court, : that her mistress, who lived in King-street, would have paid the fine fur her, but that she had been unlucky the previous night, sops. person having interfered with a gen deepen who was about to give bar money out of commisera tion. The magistrate upon this sent the inspector to King street, and discovered t ha t the girl's mistress was the pec an who accosted Mr. Gladstone. BERWICK-UPON-TWEED ELECTION CLOSE OF THE POLL TWO LIBERALS RETURNED. It will be seen by the following that two liberals bars been retuned kr Berwiek—Mr. Ksjoribanks and Mr. Forster, jun. am.atome of the unseated members. Marjoribmiks (L.) Forster (Li 386 Renton (0. Hodgson ( .) ELECTION. MAIDSTONE, MAT 13. The election for the borough of Maidstone took place to-day. There are two candidates in the field—Mr. Martin, a gentleman residing near Maidetone, who stands upon conservative principles, and Mr. Lee, a gentleman re siding near Rochester, who contuted the borough at the general election last year, as a liberal, and upon whose petition against the return of Mr. Dodd, the successful candidate upon that occasion, that gentleman declined to defend his seat, and the committee of the House of Coin ' roes decided that the election was void. Ia consequence of these circumstances the present election has created a good deal of interest in the borough, but, owing to the recent disclosures that have taken place with reference to the practices in certain boroughs, and from which undoubt edly in former times Maidstone was not exempt, both par ties appear to be very cautious ; and with the exception of a band and a procession of the friends of the Blue candi: date, Mr. Lee, there was very little of the usual show con nected with a contested election. _ _ At eleven o'clock Mr. Jay, the Mayor of Maidstone, commenced the proceedings, the usual formalities having been previously gone through, and he requested the electors to be peaceful, and to give every gentleman who wished to address them It patient hearing. He also entreated the persona present not to make a repetition of the disgraeeful proceedings that occurred at the last election, and said he would tell them plainly that if any brea th of the raw was attempted, the parties guilty of it would not esca. c as they did upon that occasion, but would certainly be punished. Mr. SM . ro e proposed and Mr. WHITING s..c“ndril Mr. ! Lee as a candidate for the representation of Maidstone in parliament. Mr. Srset.v then proposed, and Mr. G.nlden accended, I Mr. Charles Wykehain Munn as a candidate for the name • ' honour ; after which both candidates addressed the assem- • bled electors. A show of hands was then taken, when nearly two•thinis of the person. assembled held up tbeir hands for Mr. Lee, in whew favour the majority was, of course, declared. • roil A poll was demanded on beh alfj of Mr. Martin, which . will commence this morning at eight and finally close at four o'clock ; and, after a vots of thanks to the mayor had been carried unanimously, the proceedings of the noun nation terminated. PLYMOUTH ELECTION. PLYMOUTH. FRIDAY EVENING. Sir J. H. Maxwell, not relishing his reception last evening, has to•day taken formal leave of the elec tors of the borough. Mr. Staines' address is on the wall. THE LITERARY FUND. (From the Daily Netts.) AT the anniversary festivities of the Royal Literary Fund Society, there is always a picture drawn of an unfortunate author deeply steeped in rain, with all hope extinguished. Then there is brought ioto the foreground an almoner from Great Russell-street. Bloomsbury, of (according to the latest reproduction of the tableau) " the utmost delicacy," who saves him from the yawning doors of a debtor's gaol, or— and here we borrow a pathetic novelty from Mr. DISRAELI'S last speech—" smooths the pillow of the poor expiring . author, and whispers consolation in his ear." That is the touching after-dinner version of the case. The true version is hardly so moving. It appears from the bye-laws of the Society that the author, in order to be relieved _ opportunely and promptly out of the Fund, must so arrange lus misfortunes that they shall happen somewhere near the end of each month ; except during July, August, September and October, when he must manage to be entirely prosperous ; for in that long vacation there is no help for him. During the intervals between the second Wednes- days of each month, from November to July, and during the whole of the four remaining months, the Fund is as securely bolted and barred from him as the bullion in the Bank cellars. In defiance of a clause in the Charter which directs that " the Com- mittee shall without delay take into consideration all applications, Bc. ;" that body only meets to consider claims on the second Wednesday in the month, taking out one-third of the year for holiday, and leaving the man of " genius and learning" in the interim to be imprisoned or starved, should help not arrive from other quarters. But against this debit in the account which the managers of the Fund keep open with the public, we are asked to credit them, when they administer aid, with a certain beautiful tenderness. When 'tis done, 'tie done with " the utmost delicacy." Mr. Dia- BAELI, dressing up the well-worn sentiments common to all these anniversaries, declared of the Society, on Wednesday evening, that "its duties were not to be performed by a secretary or clerk; and those who. were entrusted by the confidence of the subscribers with distributing their funds had something more to do than receiving subscriptions and drawing cheques. The different claims must be investigated with the utmost delicacy, and the resources of the Society must be administered with a tenderness which gentlemen, and gentlemen of lettered tastes and habits, could alono exercise towards recipients of a peculiar sensibility. They had not to deal out alms—they had to offer a tribute, and an imperfect tribute, to the sufferings of genius. They must visit the suffering author in his home; and they must do more than assist him in his pressing need. They must ende ivour that his future should be cared for, and that he should be restored to that career of usefulness which had been arrested by misfortune. They must smooth the pillow," &c. Nothing could have been prettier in a novel, or more effective from the lips of a heroine of the domestic drama. But the spell of sympathy meet again be broken by a glance at the Society s bye-laws. The actual mode of administering relief suffers shockingly when brought to that superfine standard " the utmost delicacy." Firstly, the distressed man of learning and genius must send in a statement of his case in writing at least seven days before each meeting of the Committee; secondly, his memorial cannot be entertained unless it be accom panied " by the testimonials of two or more respect able persons authenticating the facts therein stated." The force of delicacy can no further go! Surely there is nothing so utterly "delicate" in the bye laws of the Mendicity Society. " It is the highest merit, the holiest claim of the Literary Fund," Mr. DISRAELI also mentioned " that the aid it rendered, was given in secret." How admirably contrived to ensure secresy are these bye laws Learning and Genius having written his beggar's petition, must take it round to two or more respectable persons, and himself publish to them the details of his own misery—humiliating details which pardonable shame would fain conceal but for attesta tions which the " utmost delicacy " of the Literary Fund Committee exacts. Seven &ye are to be allowed for the Secretary to inquire into the truth not only of Learning and Genius's allegations, but into the truthfulness of the attestors; every step that gentleman takes, every word he utters, how ever guardedly, in the course of his investigations, being a further publication of the petitioner's private wants and distresses. It is here that the core of the mal-administration of this Fund is laid open. It is here that a wide departure from the intentions and wishes of its ori ginator come into glaring light. If the gentlemen who compose the committee of the Royal Literary Fund were the men they ought to be;—gentlemen whose profession is Literature; and if the Fund were distributed amongst recipients whom its founder intended to benefit, no inquiry would be necessary. We said recently that the Literary Fund had not much in common with literature. Its board consists of excellent unimpeachable members, some of them eminent men in their own special walks of life; bat, as a body, they are not literary men. All of them have, perhaps, in common with the bulk of their protclyes, written "a book;" but we question if the majority of them are connected by professional ties with the literary profession. If they were, no seven-day 'inquiries would be necese-try to solve doubts as to whether an applicant for pecuniary aid was a pro. fessional brother or a begging-letter impostor. Men of learning and genius, who live by their gifts and acquirements, are already known quite well enough to each other in their different grades, to need no identification, either personal or circumstantial. But while the Literary I' and is ed by gentlemen whose acquaintance with th il e a /Tolessional world of Literature is merely casual, and who disburse it. amongst persons even more slightly connected with it, their system—in no case ono of the " utmost de licacy "—is perhaps necessary to guard against, although it has not been always proof against frauds. They have, before now, relieved ladies, pre sumed to have genius and learning because they said each had written "a book," who speedily found their way to the treadmill as convicted cheats and im postors. In one word, the Literary Fund Society as at pre sent constituted is—like the books of some last century authors,—a fulsome dedication to the nobility and gentry. Lords and nobles take the lead in its festi vities ; at which the few literary men who appear are placed below the salt. "At the anniversary of last year"—as was lately stated in the Examiner— " there was the Right Hon. Lord CAstrnELL, Lord Chief Justice of England, luckily a writer of books, but more luckily a man in whose name the word lord could be twice repeated, in the chair. He was sup ported by the Prussian Minister, the Danish 'llR meter, SHEFFER BIIAN, the Persian Minister, and Major MIRZA IBRAHIM MALCOLM, honourables, counts and others. If we add to the list of diners the tremendous array of fine names to be found amooethe vice-presidents and members of the mune, and if we can forget for a Limo what such things usually signify, we may be astonished at the comparative inefficiency of the thing signified by all these outward signs of grace." Literary men must bestir themselves to claiaz e t only their proper seats at the festive, bilks ;. nese board of the Royal Literary Fund" .1 . vision for fulfilling the recorded iote' . / of Alta founder are cot carried out in the ex . granted in 181*, a new and improved .7" ought to be obtained. w •` - J