The Express. — London, England, 1847-10-14 00:00:00

timing the past year 1,032 in, and 8.709 out patients had been relieved, at • coat of 2,4251. 15e. 111 d., which make a total number of persons of rear 130,000, who have partaken of the benefits of the institution since its commencement in 1818. Of the patients admitted last year, 1,522 received re commendatory letters from governor. and subscriber,, and 9,239 were freely admitted without recommendation. l'esTlMOSil.tt. TO TILE &WHOP OP SODOR AND MAN, Lars VICAR or Barrensaa.—Yesterday, a magnificent service of plate, styled the "Eden Testimonial," was pre meted to the Bishop of Soder and Man (more popularly known as the Hon. W. Eden. late vicar of Battersea), at the R e treat," the residence of Valentine Morris, Esei. The testimonial consisted of a dinner service numbering 2, *ma, the cost of which was .3.50 guineas. REASSESSNIENT OF aMil DLESEK.—The appendix to the report of the committee of jusices, laid before the court of Middlesex magisuates, on Monday, and extracts from which were published in our yesterday's impression, represents the increase in the rentals of the various parishes Lad hundreds, as compared with the returns of the paro chial authorities , for the year 1316, upon which the last rate . ons made. The total increase in the Westminster 4(Ei,S6il. In the Holborn division, 3963881. Finsbury division, 138.5121. Tower division, 174,9361. Kensington division, 103,1721. In the hundred of Edmonton the increase is 13,212/. ; in that of Gore, le 6)6./. ; Elthome, 34,236/. ; Speltborne, 17,3301. ; Isle wOrth, 18,1401. In the extra-paroehial place* (Liacoln's inn, Gray's-inn, Staple-inn, Furniral'a inn, the Charter. house, and Twyford Abbey) the total increase is 4,4281. The whole increase upon the county rental is 1,386,8711. The sum upon which the new rate is laid is 7,734,3301. The rate for the last year was 31.1. in the pound, the rate for the ensuice year is 2;(1. The latter rate will produce 2,6231. more than the former one, on amount of the increased amount of rental notated upon. RAPID ACTS OF Snow mANamr.—Last week one of the eerlesiastital showmen, known the Westmineter Abbey Runner, gave hiegraphical, historical, and critical particulars relative to 1,0 monuments, 4 shrines, 7 chapels, and numerous banners, to twenty-seven persons, in the short space of seventeen minutes and a half, and for the small charge of sixpence ; the party included seT , r,tl foreigners, who unde r stood but little leighsh, and none of the language spoken by the Runner. The Runner, on being compli mented on the astonishing feat which he had achieved, re plied, with the candour which belongs only to great minds, that the Fame space had been gone over in fifteen minutes, and that he was wiling to make a match to perform the distance in a still shorter period. The runner can be hacked spinet say showman who is a member of the E C. (Este', belled Citureb.) The ltunner has heard a good deal about the Twopenny Nag, of St. Paul's. If the Nag is game f o r a good stratehtforward show, and no favour, the Runner is hisnian. N.B. The Runner beats carpet., and attends parties round the Abbey.—Punch. BetdahlTv .t I'OST-OFFICE SERvANT.—Tuesday evening, about 7, the Poet-atfice 'meliorators were passing down Holborn-hill to St. Martin's-le-grand, when several little children got into one of the omnibuses, the conductor —who should have been at the back—hav:ug t limn a scat with the driver. On discovering where the children were, he got down, seizing one of the children by the arm, sod an. ether by the leg, and dashed them separately into the road with great violence. One poor little creature, about 7 years old, was completely scalped, the skin of the head being torn from the crown to the f eehearl. Ile was immediately re moved into the shop of Messrs. I.amplough and Ni'Dougal, who, baring secured the artery, and arisen the skin to its original position, had the child removed to its parents, where it now lies in a most I recarious state. The offender hes as far eluded the police ; but it is hoped, by the active exertions of the detective force. and the authorities at the Post-office, that he will be secured this evening. QVARTERLY DIVIDENDS OF RAILWAY STOCK.—, Sie—During the present money presence, would it be too much to ask of the different railway companies to issue quar terly dividend' It would let a deal of money loose, and be of great service at the present moment to a pinched public. —INQUIRER. ROBBERY OF A BENEFIT Cl.Cll.—Yesterday it was dimovered that Edward Probed, secretary to the Silk Hatters' Charitable Fund, held at Mr. Pellet's, the Black Bull Inn, tipper Thames-street. had broken open the tree sum's boa and gene off with 1471., the reserve fund intended for the relief of men out of employment. ISt/VEST, YESTERDAY.—FIRE tN BLACKFRIARS.— Before Mr. W. Payne, at the Queen's Head, Water-lane, Blackfriste, on the body of Frances Purdy, aged GO, who lost her life in the recent tire which occurred upon the pre mises belonging to Mr. Whitaker, a furniture broker, carry ing on business at No, 28 in that thoroughfare. The trunk was completely burned through, and the face so disfigured I that none of the features c old be recognised. City police. constable No. 342 mid, that on the evening of Monday last, shoot 7 o'clock, he smelt fire in Water-lane, and saw a strong light in Mr. Whitaker's shop. He raised an alarm. A number of females came out. One of them told him that there was as old woman on the stain, and she would not rime down. Witness then went up the stairs, and met the old lady on the second landing. lie instantly brought her down; and, having placed her outside the building, E. went up stairs again to see whether any other persons were in the house. As he was returning, he met the deceased for the second time, and be told her she must not go up. She replied, " I must—l must go up stairs." .tt that time there were no signs of fire in:may part of the premises except the shop. Ile looked through the keyhole, and saw tables burning near the door.—Christiana Hamilton said that she resided in No. 28, Water-lane. On Monday evening last she wee sitting at work in her room when some of the children mid that ally smelt something burning. In the course of a few minutes she saw smoke coming up the staircase, and heard an alarm in the street. and she went down with her children, and on the stain met Miss Purdy, whom she told to go down, as the house was on fire. She replied that she would go up to the attics. As soon as wittiest reached the street she saw fire burning in Mr. Whitaker's shop.— T. Loader, head-engineer. at Farringdonxtreet Brigade sta tion, said that he was called to the fire. Ile found fire coming through the fanlight over Mr. Whitaker's shop-door. As soon as the water Came through the hose, the door was forced, when be saw that the whole of the lower p trt of the hoax was in flames. He worked his way through the pass age, but was enable to get up the stairs owing to their being so much burned. The fire, from what witness had since been able to see, had begun in the centre renm at the back of the partition on the ground floor.—G. Flemming, a fire brigade man, proved finding the body of deceseed in the third floor front—Mr. Whitaker, who was insured in the Sun Fire Office for 300/, said that he shut up his shop a few minutes before seven o'clock, leaving one gas !turner alight. lie mimed the bridge, and there heard that a tire had broken out in a broker's. He returned, and f mod it was in his own premises. His bed-room was filled with smoke the whole of the afternoon, which he could not account fors—Mr. Braid woad, the superintendent, said that the gas bad not been turned off, and when the pipe was melted it went through the house and increased the violence of the fire.—Verdict : That the deceased was burned to death, hut how the fire originated there was no evidence to prove."—The foreman added that great praise wasdue to the firemen and police for their exertions on the nieht in question. HONG-KONG. The interesting particulars respecting this colony, which follow, are from the evidence of Mr. Matheson, before thecommittee on our commercial relations with China. Haying stated that he was one of the tinn of Jardine, Matheson, and Co., who had extensive commercial transactions with Hong- Hong, Canton, and Shang-hai, Mr. Matheson pro,:eeded to say ; " Hong-Kong possesses one of the hest harbours in China. Prior to our taking possession of it, and for some time atter, all the native traders between Canton and the east coast pased through the harbour, and generally anchored there. when the tint Europeans settled at Hong-Kong, the Chi nese showed every disposition to frequent the place, and there was a fair prospect of its becoming a place of consider able trade. The junks from the coast made up their cargoes there, in place of going to Canton and Macao; these cargoes generally consisted of opium, cotton shirting', a few pieces of tamlets, and other woollens, and Straits produce; such as pepper, betel oat , rattans, &c Our own firm was the first that built a warehouse in the colony ; we established a re gular salesman in it, and in order to encourage the trade, were mitred to bell the smallest quantity of any ar ticle, such as one, ten, or twenty pieces of shirt ingi or eamlets, and any portion of a chest of opium, to suit the means of purchasers. Our sales in this way averaged, during the first year, about 8,000 dollars per month. This went on for nearly three years that is, from the beginning of 1841 till the autumn of 1843 ; and the amount of our sales wasprogressively on the increase. Some months they amounted to 15,000 dollars. This was what I eel our " retail trade ;" and in addition to it, we sold large quantities of opium and other articles; some of our transac tions amounting to 10,000 dollars, 20,000 dollars, and 50,000 dollars. tip to 1843, Ilong-Kong was literally a " free port :" there were no restrictions of any kind ; people went and came an they chose ; and the British character stood so high in the estimation of the natives, that many re• spectable Chinese from Canton and Masao began to make arrangements for moving to Hong-Kong. One extensive trader, Chienam, built one of the largest warehouses in the place, which is now unoccupied, and the money expended on it, about 20,000 dollars, is in a manner Hed the same unrestricted freedom of trade gone on, Hong -Kong would inevitably have become a place of great trade. It would have been in time the emporium of China. The South Sea whalers would have resorted to it for sup plies, and for shipping their oil to the European and Ame rican markets. Native Chinese, who return to their own country after having realised fortunes in Manilla, Java, and other European colonies, would have settled there • and the security to m rson and property which British laws and mares were supposed to guarantee, would have attracted to Hong-Kong many wealth Chinese , who, under their own government, are ever in dread of being " squeezed " by the government officers. In 1813, however, peace was pro chimed ; Hong-Kong was regularly ceded to us. A formal government was established, great expenses were incurred, and it became almost the exclusive study of the government to raise as large a revenue as possible, to meet the expenses of the place. Up to the departure of Sir If. Pottioger, no means of raising a revenue were resorted to, except the land sale; but the police practised various modes of defrauding the Chinese settlers. From this time may be dated the re verses of (long-Kong. By OUT treaty with China, it was stipulated that no Chinese vessel should be allowed to anchor in the harbour of Hung- Kong without a pass from some Chinese mandarin ; of course no mandarin would grant a pus without a heavy fee, and by this one act the junk trade to Hosg.Kong was in a manne‘exteratinated. But this was further aided by other circumson. A body of police was established, composed of Chinas of the most abandoned charatter ; these men, under the cloak of their office, committed all manner of atro cities, more especially afloat, in the harbour, where their THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 14, 1847. any such locality, or for any purpose whatever. The tract i of country I pointed out to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce as peculiarly adapted for the growth of cotton )'y means of European free labour—referring particularly at the time to my recently published work on the subject, 1 en titled " Cookaland, in North-Eastern Australia, the future' Cotton-field of Gnat Britain "—is the country intervening' between the 30th parallel of south latitude and the Tropieof Capricorn ; or, more properly, the country between the 30th and 26th parallels of south latitude: for I took particular': care to state, both in my book and in my address to the Chamber of• Commerce here, that the country to the north- ward of 26 deg. south, in Eaatern Australia, is as yet un explored. Now, this tract of country—l mean the tract par ticularly described in my book lying between the 30th and 26th parallels of latitude—neither Mr. Jukes nor Mr. Davidson ever saw, or know anything of. Of the fitness of this tract, therefore, either fur cotton cultivation or for European colonisation, neither of these gentlemen is able to form an opinion from his own personal knowledge ; and, In objecting to my proposal, as they have both done, on very different grounds certainly, they are both under a palpable mistake. Any person who reads my book will find, from the evidence of persons of all classes, as well as from the geological and geographical features of the country itself, that the tract referred to is one of the roost splendid fields for colonisation that Great Britain hasever colonised; and as to its adaptation to the constitution of Europeans, the work referred to contains the most satisfactory testimony on the subject from medical men of respectable standing and long experience in the country, as well as from respectable colo nists of various other classes. In your own notice of my book, in yesterday's paper, I observe you also express doubts as to the practicability of transforming our conarrymen in Australia into cotton. growers, on a somewhat different ground from that taken op either by Mr. Jukes or by Mr. Davidson. The passage refer to is as follows : Dr. Lang desires to carry on the cultivation of both cotton and sugar by means of an extended emigration from the mother country. and se to strike a deadly blow at the slavery of Amman and the Brazils. But we are not sure that this to practicable, or that the Saxon raw would settle down to thin unusual labour, while riches await them in the wad freedom of the squatter's life. But Maley and other free labour, front the isLands to the north of New Holland, might be had in abundance fur the fetching ; and the subject certainly demands, aid would repay, instant attention. Now I admit that for some time at least gentlemen of birth and education, going out, as so many of that clam have ' done already, with a capital of not less than 1,0001. each, to make their fortunes in Australia, are likely enough to pre fer the squatting system to cultivation of any kind. But there is another and much more numerous elms of our countrymea in the Australian colonies-1 mean the class of servants or labourers for these gentlemen squatters—farm servants, shepherds, and stockmen. And so very little predi lection have this inferior class, generally, for the squatting life, that if there were any reasonable prospect held out to them of evenivally becoming small proprietors, by culti vating either cotton, or anything else that would afford them a comfortable subsistence on their own account, three-fourths of them, nay, I may safely say nine-tenths of them, would gladly and at once forego all the semi-barbarous delights of squatting, for the more rational and civilised pleasures and advantages of an agricultural life. The Saxon race are essentially a social race, fond of living together in society, under the restraints of i ow and in the enjoyment of the ad vantages of government, rather than in the semi-savage con dition of wild bushmen. And of all existing races on the face of the earth, they are the last to remain contentedly in the condition of servants to any master or employer, even at 251. a year and rations (the usual wages of an Australian shepherd or bushman) if they can only settle down on land on their own account, especially with the prospect of be coming proprietors, and grow anything that will sell. In short, so little reason is there to fear that our countrymen of the bumbler classes in Australia will prefer squatting to cotton growing, that I (.3 , 1 perfectly confident that as soon as it comes to be known that people of these classes can grow cotton profitably for the home market on their own account, it will be very difficult to get them to " go a sheep-herd ing," as they call it, on any terms. There is a strong prejudice against that sort of life on the part of the better classes of the humbler colonists already, partly because of the solitude to which it confines them, and partly because of its barbarising effect.; and the necessary consequence of the opening of a new and profitable field of agricultural labour in the growth of cotton and other tropical produce by Euro pean free labour will, in all likelihood, augment this preju dice very considerably, and raise the price of that description of labour to the squatters to an unprecedented degree, unless there should in the meantime be a greatly increased emigra tion. In short, if there is any one principle stronger than another in the Saxon race, it is the desire to become a pro prietor of land, and to be on one's own hand in the world. Now, the squatting sy-tem. as hitherto pursued in Australia, holds out no encouragement of this kind. It creates merely nabobs and serfs. But cotton cultivation will necesearilv transform the humblest cultivator into a proprietor of land from the very first, and, in all likelihood, make the indus trious family, possessed of only a few acres of land, to raise as many bales of cotton, as the wealthy squatter, who has half a county to roam over with his flocks, can raise bales of wool, while the one will be nearly as valuable as the other. In regard to the subject of steam navigation to Australia, I quite agree with Mr. Juke. in preferring Cape York as a station for a steamer from Singapore to Sydney, to Port Essington. The latter settlement is out of the way, and hat proved very unhealthy on the one hand, and a great failure as an emporium of trade on the other. Besides, it is of little use, in the event of shipwrecks in Torres Straits, being too far to the westward. A settlement anywhere near Cape York would, is such eases, which are unfortunately of fre quent occurrence, be of incomparably greater value, besides being in the direct route of wavigation. There is another coaling place, however, nearer Syd ney, which it would he desirable, for various reasons, to form a station at, in add hien to the one at Cape York. I mean the northern extremity of Moreton Bay, about 500 miles north of Sydney. The outward-bound steamer from Singapore could there get coals both for the voyage to Sydney and back, and it would be worth her while to touch there, beside., both for letters and passengers to and fro. It is quite in the track, and will soon be both populous and im portant,—Jolla DuN atone LANG. Manchester, Sept. 22. The prayer is that the importation of those artich •be re- ' moved, and that perliament should aid any measures the ministers may introduce to open the foreign markets to linen yarns end fabrics, and to machinery. Mr. Feaneson seconded the adoption of this petition. Col. Dustx,e, M.P., objected to so much of the petition as prayed the remission of the duty on timber, as, he said, theme' of timber gave a largo share of employment. He argued that they ought to have the power of drawing the manufactures they needed from other cauntries. At pre sent, they had free trade when it was against them, and no free trade when it was in favour of them. He would not propose any amendment. The petition therefore passed. Mr. CARRY rem to propose the following resolution, pre- mising that they denoted to facilitate in the fullest and amplest manner the purposes of the meeting called by another requisition. Mr. Carey bore testimony to the dspoilition of his Excellency Lord Clarendon to consult the good of Ireland. llesslvesk—That this council having taken upon themselves the re aponsibility of convening a meeting of peers and COMIIIOMII early in November, and luring earnestly recommended a speedy assemblage of the legislature, deem it due to the country and the government to give an outline of the matters which they conceive are of such ' primary importance as to require the mature deliberation of the first and ray action on the part of the country. That the only means now available for the support of the people being pri vate employment or pew eaten, It should be strictly Investigated whether tie Se of themselves ere aunt dent for the porpoise : whether the existing laws are such as adequately stimulate the first, and equitably distribute the taxation under the second. • That it should be woe/tiered in what manner public employment (Mould such be necessary) can be given so as to secure the support of the poor with the greatest advantage to the country. That it will be the duty of such s meeting to take into consideration the law of Isnd lord and tenant, in the hope of such an adirtment of the question as may induce mutual confidence, gad encountre employment anti the outlay of capital by both parties ; calmly to deliberate on the terms on which loans were advanced to this 00111MV, with a view of pro posing torch means of /eminent as will meet with the most prompt actlitiemence, wit iut detriment to any clans ; to • examine whether facilitating the transfer of property In Ireland would not tend to the introduction o/ capital and to the improvement of the country generally, without in terfering with existing interests. That all their deliberations and re solutions should tend to the most &nimble end, the assistance by all parties in Riving emploiment, impressing on the legislature the w earily of aiding, by relief from undue taxation, those who are now bearing more than their equitable dime of the burden, so rot to throw the onus of supporting the able-bodied poor more upon those by whore neglect they ate unemployed and of encouraging the intro duction and expenditure of capital by coming to • determination to uphold the lowa for the protection Oh& and property. Mr. Lesue Fostett seconded the resolution. After re ferring to the prospects of the country he mentioned a sug gestion of Mr. Buchanan, member of the parliament of CAIIIIIII, recommending that debentures be issued, bearing 31 per cent. interest, which should represent every sum of MI. expended on the improvement of land. He thought there was enough capital in the country to be placed out on such investments. He expressed a hope that his friend Mr. John O'Connell would amalgamate the two meetings of members, ant have both work together. Colonel Or sv r, M.P., objected to the meeting called by Mr. John O'Connell's friends, on account of the introduction of repeal as a matter for discussion in the assemblage of members, and said he could state it was the introduction of that topic which prevented more signatures front being at tached to the requisition. Mr. °rattan, Mr. M'Clee, Mr. Fitzgibbon, ant other gen tlemen siddreved the council; the latter was speaking at poet hour. The resolution they do not oppose, and it will he adopted. MEETING OF MAGISTRATES IN TIPPERARY. The reply of the Lord-Lieutenant to the memorial of the Tipperary magistrates is as follows : Dublin Castle, Oct. 9. My Lord, —I bare not failed to ley before hie excellency the load. lieutenant the inemorial egreed to at a meeting of the magistrates of the comity of Tipperary, held at Canted, which accompanied the letter which your lordship did me the honour to address to me on the 7th natant. The dial-lieutenant has learned with sincere and deep re gret the atrocious aseaseination of Mr. W. Hoe. Ile desires to ex prem his opinion that the magistrates of the county of Tipperary have performed both an act of justice and a public service by neer& Mg their testimony of tha gentleman's character and con duct. From their own personal knowledge. and on the spot where the eoeuracy of their statements must be well known, and can be tested, they have declared that Mr. Roe was an upright magistrate, a tried landlord, charitable to the poor, amt liberal in pro viding employment far the people on his property ; that doting the late period of distress, he gratuitously distributed food from kis own house, and that his sisters were attacked by fever whilet miniatering to the wants of the poor. The puhtication of these facts will not only , prove that society has sustained a severe toes by the death of Mr. Roe, but also, that no failure of duty on his part ma be assigned as the imm which led to his barbarous asaaasination, should the supposed motive of this murder turn out to be the true one, it will at the came time be evident that Mr. Rue exercised his rights with extreme mode ration, and that no landlord, unless prepared altogether to surrender his property, could submit to have Ma land held by a tenant who would neither pay rent for it, nor cultivate it, nor give It sup. The internee of landlord and tenant, rigbdy under. *tome on identical; their obligations are reciprocal, u id those who reek to disunite the two classes are enemies of both. On the part of Mr. Roe, the obligations of landlord appear to have been faithfully performed on the par tof histenant, they appear to have been groady violated; and whatever may be the attempts to mislead tenant+ as to their own right or the conductor their landlords, the people of Ireland are to intelligent, and their sense of justice too mute, not to perceive that the refusal to pay a moderate stipulated rent is a robbery of the landlord, by depriving him of that which is lawfully his own, and that by crime. of this description, which dirorganne society, and destroy all confidence between man and man, every class, the poor as well as the rich, mud eventually suffer. Among a claw so nenseroue ae teat of the landlords of Ireland, It is to be eared that all have not been alike mindful of their duties during the late period of unexampled misery; but these excep. firma have only served to bring out, in strong relief, the conduct of the great majority of that body, who for many months part hove toiled with an energy and zeal that ore beyond ell praise and hare sacrificed their comforts, and hove devoted their time and their resources to mitigate the sufferings of the destitute. There can be nu better prod that the some feelings now animated the landlords mid gentry of the e runty of Tipperary. than the mourence contained is their meme rial that they acknowledge their liabili.y to repay the advances made for the relief of the poor, end that to the best of meek ability they will carry out the low which provides far the poor. Ouch a deelaration from a body so important cannot but serve as on example, and he at. tended with beneficial effects throughout the whole country. The Lord Lieutenant gratefully Accepts your offer of co-operation inlhearduous tat which has devolved upon him. It will most materially as-lot him in bin endeavours to impress upon ell clam" the neeneity of exertion, and of ameliorating the social conditioa of the people; and under divine providence, he ventures to hope that the gople, improved by education, and guided by the precepts and example of thine above them, will awaken to a sense of their own tree interests; and, no longer listening to pernicious adviser, will turn to better ways, and abhor the perpetration of crimes such as those winch have too often di-graced the county of Tip perary. It is, however, the duty of the lord Lieutenant to uphold the law; from the performance of that duty be will not ebrink—and all the powers with which le•re invested shall be put forth, on ere ry OLCMIOII when it is necessary to repress violence and outrage, tied to protect the lives and property of all classes of the cornmenity. All ore alike intereged in the law being maintained. and justice impar tidly administered ; and from all he hopes for assistance in his deter minnion—ae far an depends upon him—effectually to seenre those objects, upon which, not the well-bring alone, but the eery existence of society deprods. I have the honour to be, he., Wm. N. Soma mits.—Vimount Sundale, dm. tie. Pm"&tangs more easily escaped MOW. Boats and junks were plundered, and fees of all Idris were extorted from them under false pretences. Sines titme the establishment of the opium and other farms has compl e t e l y ext i ngu i s h ed the . trade of Hoag - Kong . Tne junks, i n plate of passing through the harbour as formerly, in going and coming between the Canton river and the west roan, now avoid at as they would a pestilence, and pass to the southward of the island. We do not now sell goods in Hong Kong to the value of 500 dollars per month. Depot vessels have taken up their station at a place called Cam singe:loon, about half : way between Macao and Bucc Tigris, where there is a tolerable harbour ; and, since 1844, a con- 1 &double native town has spr ung up t h ere, w i t h a p)pula- taon of from 3,000 to 4,000, composed entirely of petty traders and junk men, who have deserted Hong-Keg. They h ave built houses, and p a y a l mos t no groun d -rent. There is en European hotel and billiard-room (formerly the East India Company's billiard•table), on shore ; Europeans walk and ride about unmolested. Tne large transactions In opium, and the retail trade in goods of all kinds which took place at Hong-kung, is now carried on at Cameingmoon. flee place is rapidly increasing under Chinese rule, while Hong-kong, under British sw a y, i s ent i re l y w i t h out trade, and daily abandoned by some portion of its population, S I Europeans who expended large sums on buildings, have abandoned them rather than continue paying the heavy ground rents. As an instance, I may mention a house buia by Mr. Mercer in the Wansuaichong Valley, at a cost of nearly 20,000 dollars, the ground rent being about 1001. per annum. The Albany Godowas is another striking instance, being a range of buildings with a sea frontage, built by a company for the object of warehousing goods fur Chinamen at a moderate charge p er mon th ; but there being now no goods to warehouse, they have abandoned the build ings rather than continue paying a ground rent of about 2001. per annum. I could enumerate various other instances; and as for land thrown in the hands of govern ment, I believe fully half the land sold at the early sales has been thrown up. I had myself an inland grant of about 20 acres, at a ground rent of 1051. 10e. per annum, which I threw up, atter paying the rent for two years. The whole of the British merchants would abandon Hong. Kong were it not for the very large sums they had sunk in buikkege in the early days of the colony, and which they are reluctant to abandon, though I believe doing so would be their wisest course, and will certainly be the course adopted, unless, under a change of policy, the prosperity of the place revives. Almost every English firm in China has sunk more or less money in buildings, say from 0,000/. and upwards, each. Our own outlay has been upwards of 50,0001., and I believe Messrs. Dent and Co.'s has been little short of that amount. Before I left China in 1816, I had a serious con sultation with my partners as to the expediency of abandon ing this property to its fate, and removing our establishment from the tolony, and we decided that, as I was coming home, it would be better to wait and see what could be done with the home government for the amelioration of the place ' • if nothing could be dune, th a t we wou ld t h en abandon it. The first land sale was in 1811, when the lots were sold (being very few in number) at ceorbit nt prices; but Cap tain Elliott afterwards held out the expectation that, after paying two years' rents, the fee-simple would be code over to us ; at all events, that we sho .10 have perpetual leases, e' a moderato rent. In place of this, (leases of seventy•five years only were nutho rised by the Colonial... Alice to be granted to 1.01, under very stringent regulations, and at the first sale prices; the Renege being, for sea-frontage lots of 10.) feet square, about 81/. per annum (upwards of 3001. per acre), and icr inland lots of the same size, 401. to 01. per annum, according to their distance from the sm. The discussion. 'shout the land tenure, rats, &c., are so fully detailed in published documents, that it would be needless hereto enter upon them. I give it as my deckled opinion that, while the present high ground rents continue to be exacted, the place will fill mow and more into decay. All the merchants will quit it who are not engaged in the opium trade, as well AA all the shopkeepers, end the build ings now occupied by them will become a heap of ruins. In the last Hong-Kong newspapers, I observe several of the premises occupied by mercantile establishments, advertised to sell or let. The principle that Hong-Kong is to support itself must be entirely abandoned ; it can only be viewed as a depict or warehouse for British merchandise, which must be kept up at the expense of the British nation, or rather out of the immense revenue derived by the nation from the China trade. It is utterly impossible and hopeless to expect that the few British merchants resident in China, not 100 in number, can ever aupport a settlement like Hong-Kong. Though it would take years to repair the evil which mit. government has brought upon Hong. Kong, 1 am still of opinion that a prudent course would in time restore its pros perity, and that it would eventually become one of the prin cipal mercantile emporia in the world. Nothing can exceed the advantages of its harbour, being not only one of the safest in the world, but close to the ocean ; and, from having two entrances equally safe, it is accessible with every wind. It would be a central point for the whole whaling trade in the Pacific, as well as for the general commerce of the east, ranging tram Singapore to Japan, and thence along the west coast of America to Cape Horn, including our Australian co loniee, the Philippit ee, Sumatra, Java, &c. Hong-Kong is also favourably situated as a depot for sugar, cassia, cam phor, and other articles of China produce. The first thing to bring about such desirable results would be the abolition of all the ferias now is existence, as well as the discontinuance of all the wretched taxes now levied ; such as on houses of bail fame, billiard-rooms, boats, &c. Also the registration of Chinese, which is ex tremely repugnant to their feelings. In this way about two- thirds of the present government officials might be dis pensed with, and a proportionate reduction made in the ex penses of the colony. Let perpetual leases be granted, at a moderate ground rent, say 201. or so for a sea-frontage lot, and 2/. for a suburban lot; and let the revenue thus levied be applied exclusively to the maintenance of an efficient police force, leaving the other expenses of the government to be borne by the nation; and I feel convinced that in the course of a few years Hong Kong will lake a new turn, and become one of our most flourishing as well as valuable pos sessions. To show what Captain Elliot's views were, as to the ground rents, he fixed the upset price for sea frontage lots, at the first land sale at 101. per annum ; and bad a sufficient number of lota been put up, the rate would not have much exceeded that sum ; but owing to the number of lots being quite disproportionate to the number of competitors, a keen com petition drove the price up to 1001. and upwards, for some lots, and the average of this sale has since been retained Is the stamdard of value. The opium and other farms base hail the most injurious effects on trade. Each farmer keeps up a preventive service, far more expensive than the govern ment rent, and, under the plea of protecting their master's farm, these men commit robberies and all sort of aggressions. This is more especially true of the opium farmer and his gang. This man has made an immense fortune in the colony, and owns whole streets of bonus, which ate rented as gambling lamoies, brothels, smoking shops, rke.; aid from farm;og the opium, he is enabled to let his houses, as h . e supplies his own tenants exclusively with the article, while other house proprietors are left without a single tenant. In 1844, Sir John I/avis's bedroom was entered by thieves, and among other things he had his watch stolen from him. All the efforts of the police to recover the watch were unavail ing. At length the opium farmer was applied to, and in a short time the watch was restored to his excellency. It is proper to add, in reference to the China junks fre quenting the harbour, that though by treaty we are bound not to allow them to anchor without a pass from a Chinese mandarin, this regulation, strictly observed for a year or two by the Hong-Kong government, lass of late, at the earnest entreaty of the British merchants, been . dispensed with. But unfortunately before this was done the junks had ceasfil to come, and will never frequent the harbour again until the farms are abolished. In the event of their return, however, it would be well to bear in mind that this stipulation of the treaty is not to he enforced by our government. The prin cipal cause of Sir John Davis's unpopularity is the eagerness which he has on all occasions shown to swell the colonial revenue, imposing a tax in every imaginable form, regard lees of the annoyance thereby occasioned to the inhabitants. The returns for the past year will show the several . atems, many of them most trifling in amount, though vexatious in their nature. I consider at • most unadvisable course for the government to attempt mining any other revenue than the land rents; at all events, until the felony has advanced considerably in wealth and population. Syce e silver was more abundant during the war than it was ever known to be, either before or since. For years previous to 1839 it was et a premium of three to five per cent. ; during the war it was at a discount of two to five per cent., and since the peace it has gradually risen to a pre mium of nine per cent. This export of bullion to India has existed to a large amount during the last half century. During the war, when gyms silver was ate discount, the export increased materially, but since the peace it his again declined to nearly the same scale as before the war. The importation of opium into China may now be estimated at 40,000 chests per annum; worth, at GOO dollars per cheat, '24 000 000 dollars, or about four millions and a half sterling. It is supposedi that there are silver mines in China, in the hands of, and worked by, the government, which are opened on ;cessions of emergency, such as the late war, .but ere closed again as soon as the emergency has passed . away. On this point, however, we have no positive informat ion. COTTON CULTIVATION IN AUSTRALIA. Sir,—ln a lettcr from Mr. Jukes, late of H.M. surveying ship Fly, published in your paper of this day, and referring to a previous letter, also published in your paper of the 15th instant, from Mr. U. F. Davidson, of Bull, on steam navigation to Australia, I observe the following passage in regard to a proposition of mine, to which I would beg to re. call your attention: I would Just add, In reference to the last paragraph of Mr. David son's letter, and Dr. Lanes scheme, that all the parts of the north. east coast of Australia which we yaw north of Endeavour River were to the last degree eterile and desolate in appearance; and from their geological and geoarmhical constitution mud almost necessarily he so. To the southward of Endeavour River the land is very rugged and mountainous, es far as Rockingham Bay. The paragraph in:Mr. Davidson's letter, to which Mr. Jukes refers, is as follows : Again, there in that tract of land lying between II degrees south of the Tropic, lately brought to the notice of the Mancheeter Chamber of Commerce, by the Rev. Dr. Lang, whose scheme for forming • colony there for the purpose of growing cotton I think highly of, and would strongly reencomend to the attention of the Colonial-odic, on one point, however, I cannot same with the reverend gentleman, [ when he Matra the climate le such as to allow European labourers to work in the fields. My experience between the Tropics compels me to exprem an opinion directly opposite to Dr. Lang'son this particular point, and to recommend Chinese tield.labcurem being plaoed there by a jointAtock company on a system I will point out, if seed be, to Dr. Lang, or any one else., It wilt., therefore, owing entirely to the previous and some what singular mistake of Mr. Davidson, that Mr. Jukes supposed I had recommended the formation of a European colony, for the cultivation of cotton, on the east coast of Ans. tralia, between the northern extremity of the land, or II deg. south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Such an idea Mr. Jukes reprobates, from the sterility of the land in that quarter, and Isle. Davidson from the heat of the climate. But the fact is, I never recommended the fermatioa of a European colony in IRELAND. DUBLIN, OCT. 12. The Drainage Commissioners have published the declaration and schedules relative to the districts of Loughs Corrib, Mask, and Cana. The lands to be drained or improved in the counties of Galway and Mayo are 21,261 acres, of which only 606 are in the latter county. The average present value of the whole is 7,9371., and the increase is estimated at 5,677/. The cost of works of navigation is stated to be 41,562/. ; and 31 mills and factories will derive benefit from the improvements. Galway, with this immense addition to its productive capacity, will, in progress of time, put on a new and more prosperous face. The ladies of Belfast, whose activity in the late ca lamity has been most conspicuous, where all was rivalry in charitable exertion, propose a singular "thank offering" for their escape from the fate which laid low so much of generosity and philanthropy. The ladies of Belfast, aided by the most influential of their sex in the chief towns of Ulster, undertake to raise one thousand pounds and present it to the Ulster Institution for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind. The motive and the object are alike laudable. The money will be realised by means of a bazaar, to take place at the close of the year, which no doubt will be variously and most liberally supplied from the fair hands of the north. Spike Island, in the Cove of Cork, will soon be a model of silent though active labour. The convicts from all quarters, whose terms of punishment exceed seven years' transportation, arc being ordered south. Dublin has supplied a large quota, and Ennis is preparing a reasonable draft for the same destination. Skibbereen again raises the cry of doleful com plaint. The Rev. Mr. Townsend, who has outlived one year of horrors, anticipates a second. He de- scribes with a melancholy severity the neglect or apathy of the higher classes, and in a gentler vein the supplications of the lower for work or bread. Just study this painful picture—be is not a man of I falsehoods : At present just consider our position. A people put off of strong dirt. supplied et the public expense, to go cater for theravelme, kept in the sowing season from the work which would now help to feed them, consequently without anything to mad off starvation' driven from post to pillar! from the workhouse, they are told there is no room, to the relieving officer's office, who tel.'s them he has nothing to give ! They come to me—l have nothing ! They go to any indi vidual front whom they have any hope, they are mill met with the same reply: They want employment, there is none! The ay with which they are met is, go get work. Where is it to be had lam daily imptirtuse.l for it by hundreds! For • few, I grant you, there may be some at prevent. But, speaking of our position an • COMMA!. nay, there is one beyond a few days for those few. The landlords will not concentrate their strength in bodies, committees of them selves, to communicate with government. The government, in con sequence, eye them with suspicion, or contempt, or indignation, or some feeling between throe, and mode op of all those. An applies boa for some trifling loan crowns end embodies the whole of their efforts, and not this can generally! The government reply with pro mises, but nothing is done. The Imullords, NA a hod', 1.111 content, and to rest on their rte, while their common bark is driving on the rocks or quicksands' THE IRISH COUNCIL. The ordinary meeting of this body was held to-day, John Bolton /deny, Esq., in the chair. The Secretary (Mr. S. Ferguson) announced the first business to be to bring up a I petition agreed on the last day to be referred to a committee. I As respected the meeting of peers and members of parlia meet to be convened by the council, he had to state that ' it having been decided by other requisitionists to convene a meeting of Irish representatives and representative peen on the 2nd of November, the council could not name an earlier day for theirs, and an they did not like to obstruct the meeting already called, they had decided to name Nov. 4 as the day for their meeting, and those gentlemen who should mceton the 2nd would be able to state on tine 4th what had occurred during their previous deliberations. Dr. hlst:NsEm. proposed the adoption of the petition, the effect of which is contained in the following paragraph: That her Majesty's said subject are neceentirily obliged to import great quantities of timber, and cormiderable quantities of glass, earthen ware, hardware, and haberdashery; and that sold acreralcommoditica cannot be procured from other coontrice than Great Britain or British colonies, without the payment of import duties, varying hoot 10 to 30 per cent. and upwards on the value thereof. Toot your petiticeers are advised that mid commodities could be supplied from other parts of the world on cheaper terms than from Great Britain or British colonies, if mild duties were abolished ; and submit that by the intro duction thereof .e cheaper terms, her Majesty's Irish suMmta would he greatly relieved in their necessary expenditure, and their Wintry and means of supporting theinselvos would be much increased. STATE OF THE COUNTRY. KTERVAN BOARD OF GUARDIAN6.—At the last meeting of the board,Colonel Vandeleur in the chair, the following memorial to Lad John Russell was adopted That we approxb your lordship with the liveliest feeling. , of ap prehension for the safety of our unfortunate poverty.crieken court. in men during the ensuing year. That having learned by the fatal het rt. rembng experience of last year, the absolute neceseity of making a state provision for an apprehended famine, we implore of your lord ship not to leave the lives of millions of our countrymen depanaling on mercantile caprice for subsistence. That we hold it to be the bounden duty of a paternal fostering government to repudiate ad private In. terated motives, and by a wise, prudent, protective policy to uphold the principle admitted by all nations, that the safety of the people is the first law. That we recorded our unequivocal onto'on thatall the money in the imperial treasury is valuelese compared to the thousands of lives lost in Ireland last year by starvation, that could have been easily prevented by a liberal policy on the part of her Majosty's govern ment That if " Ireland" be consid , real by your lordship whit British statesmen assert it to be, " an integral portion of the British empire," we respectfully claim, as a matter of right, what our more fa voured fellow-aubjects, citizens of England, Waive, or Scot land would, under eircurnstautees like ours, Ina. upon that supplies of food on a large and sufficient sale be provided by the government to secure the lives of her Majesty's sub jects against a defklency of provision, or the exorbitant proem in sisted on by mercantile speculators. That the experience of last year clearly demonstrates the imperial policy of " government non deter. ference with mercantile speculators and =newer*, by the plain un deniable fact that unrelated speculation has effected ruin on both speculater and consumers. That we implore of your lordship, the head of her Majesty's government, to take a lesson front the me lancholy experience of last your in Iceland—no longer leave the In habitants of this devoted country depending on chance eubsistenee-- let not the never-to-he-forgotten scene of starvitiun and cruelty of that memorable era, be renewed during the emitting year. BELFAST, OCT. 9. RESISTANCE TO PuOR-RATES. " Tobtxr DOWNSUIRE."—There is evidently hot work eat out for the authorities of this part during the winter, in re ference to the collection of poor rater ; and, most certainly in some cues, it appears as if the people had reason to feel op pressed. In the !Lumen union, which extends over a very large tract of country, extending into the county of Down nearly half way from Lurgen to Banbridge, and in the county Armagh to Portadown, and round by &Igoe, pla cards have been issued by the guardians, under the direr. Von of the commissioner,, requiring the exorbitant ran of five shillings in the pound to be levied off certain districts, for sustaining the out-door relief system. This enormous per eeutage is peremptorily demanded from the Tullyli,h electoral division, which comprises four of the poorest townlands, and yet the most populous in the county Down. The district referred to includes that of the famous rendezvous for aotinnythingism, called the " Shane hill." My correspondent, a most trustworthy and intelligent man (Mr. William Anderson, of Gifford), writes to me, that " the i few parties residing in the localities specified, who could pay the rates alluded to, and who might be disposed to do so, dare not, being held in terror by the proclamation of the redoubt able ' Tommy Downshire,' whose satellites would not scruple to use the torch or the bullet against thou who might disobey his orders." He draws a fearful picture of the poverty of that district—a picture which I have personal means of knowing not to be at all over-coloured. Tommy Downshire, to whom reference is made, is a distinctive appellation for a body of men, who either have, or conceive they have, griev ances to redress, and bean the same relation to the class that Captain Rock does in the south, or Molly Maguire in the west of Ireland. The extent to which resistance to the heavy rata has gone in that quarter may be deduced from the fol lowing proclamation, of which my correspondent sends me a copy ; it has ben posted throughout the division, and is written in a good hand Tommy Downahire.--Brethren,—Oppreseioa calls me once more among you. Having heard of the dreadful high poor rates imposed upon you, I warn you not to pay any more than led. in the pound. Any man giving more, I will order him to be burned to the ground. Let them go to the landlords for the rest. I will go through the townlanda shortly. Be firm and nue, and I will mind what the land lords are doing when I come—Your treaty friend and brother, Tors Y.—Dattal at stume-hill, Oct., IMP. ffid. Let no one dare to tear this notice down. The combination of which " Tommy " is chief his been at work at various periods in that locality; at one time re sisting high rents, and at another insisting upon higher wages for labour. In almost every cue when he has ap peared he has succeeded in his object, for be really bad jut grounds for complaint. Whether he will coerce the govern . went remains to be soon, formidable though he is. OPPOSITION TO Rerre.—The house of Mr. John Carson, of Roakeran, county Fermanagh, has been maliciously burned. Previous to this outrage Mr. Carson had suffered a number of petty annoyances, hit windows having been broken. his crops injured in the fi Id, and attempts made to " hough" hi, cattle. The supposed cause of setting his house in flames is, that a short time before, hi had seised and auc tioned some property for the payment of arrears of rent. It appears from all acc- unto that, in the county Fermanagh, Molly klaguire's influence u becoming paramount, fed that the feeling of opposition w rents is spreading like lightning through the county. ACCIDENT tN TOE COUNTY LONOPOILD.—(FD7IO a pri vate letter dated on Sunday, the 10th inst.)—Yesterday we had an awful ea lesion here near the lodge of New Castle. Just as Mr. and Mrs. Harman were in their carriage, on their way to Rockingham, a slate I house by the road side, used as en office and a store for the men working on the river, was blown to atoms. The walls, with the exception of one gable, were torn from their foundation. The check clerk, Mr. Richard !Sutler, was blown through the door, and miserably scorched and cut. A man of the name of Lones and his wife were also dreadfully hurt, and their infant; but no lives lost. Poor Butler's clothes were torn to rags. There were on the loft eighteen barrels of gunpowder, containing twenty-five pounds each. Had it Even placed on the grow d floor it is supposed that the gamekeeper's lodge (a very pretty one) would have been de stroytd. It occurred about one o'clock. I heard the re port, and being accustomed to hear the blasting at the river works said, "There goes a had shot—no officers." Mr. H.'s steward told me he was standing at the hal , door of New Castle House atter the carriage had rolled off, and that he thought it was a door which had clapped. Drs. M'Morris and Bracken were shortly after on the spot, and Mr. Lewis, the house-steward, having supplied them with oil and cotton wadding, the sufferers were immediately at tended to. How the accident recurred I cannot form an opinion ; there was no staircase leading to the loft. They put a band-!farrow against the wall when they wanted to climb to the loft. SCOTLAND. fluiveraoe. Ocr. 12. Contrary to anticipation, the Hebrew chair in the Edinburgh University has been conferred on a die- :enter. The election, which is vested in the town courcil, took place to-day, when Mr. Macdowell, classical teacher, Edinburgh, was appointed by a majority of ten. The other candidate proposed was Mr. Liston, brother of the celebrated surgeon. The votes stood Macdowall 20, Liston 10. Mr. Liston is a licentiate of the established church, while Mr. Macdowall belongs to the free church. Since 1732 all the occupants of this chair have been clergymen of the establishment, and for the previous century of its existence the exceptions to this practice were few. It remains to be seen whether the established clergy will acquiesce in the appointment ; if their newspaper organs are to be depended on, it will be opposed in some shape or other. Largely as we have dealt in fever statistics, they have only been quoted for periods of weeks and months ; and heoee, although the currency of disease has been impressed on the community, the full extent of its ravages has never been fully brought before the public. There are 17 district surgeons in Glas gow, who have had under their care, from Ist January till Ist October, 1817, no less than 16,595 fever patients, being nearly an average of one thousanl to each. This is a large number positively, but by com e parison with former years it distends enormously. ' Thus, during the corresponding periods in 1811, 1845, 1846, not taken separately, but added together, 1. e. the total of the twenty-seven montla included in the computation, the whole cases amounted only to 15,396. Thus the nine months of 1847 already gore, have ex ceeded the aggregate of the first nine months of the 1 three preceding years by 1,11,0 cases. Allowing six I visits to each case, the district surgeons have, during the nine months in question, paid 99,570 visits. The results may easily be anticipated. Since January three of the surgeons have died of fever, two are at present ill, one has recovered; while, of the rest, all of them hare had fever previous to the present year: the man who, after this, grudges the salaries of medical men is surely to be pitied as a very narrow cheese-paring economist. The good work of cleaning houses is still going on, 299 have been the number purified last week ; but till public wells are more I multiplied, the masses should not be blamed for filthy habits ; of 812 closes in Glasgow, 490 have none of those facilities for health and longevity. 'But despite of fever, filth, and short supplies of water, Glasgow appears to have been flourishing during the period to which the returns apply. Whilst the general revenue of the country for last quarter exhibits a falling off, the customs duties of Glasgow for the same period shows an increase of 22,059!. 19s. tid. The Leith returns have not yet been made public, but doubtless there will be an augmentation there too. Alas, however, for the natural facilities of the metro politan port! its " engineering difficulties" are so great that many thousands will require to be sunk in the sea before its harbour can compete with opposing havens. Although the new pier alreadyprojects some three thousand feet into the Forth, it will require an other thousand feet before the end of the prolonged terminus will stand 81 feet in low water. Edinburgh also furnishes its quota of statistical reckoning—crime being the burden of its figures—but there is nothing worth noticing except that whilst 432 persons were convicted in the police-court, 374 were discharged for want of proof: the cause of this is said to be the difficulty of getting two witnesses to swear to the guilt of a criminal. Donaldson's Hospital, it is said, is after all about to be opened for the maintenance, lodging, and educa tion of 200 (each) boys and girls. The directors should at least have made some effort to emancipate them selves from the folly of immuring 400 poor children in a gothic palace of 270 by 257 feet. What a pre paration of poverty for struggling with the world ! DEATH OF THE GIPSY KINO.—Will Faa, the Rim king, died at Kirk-Yetholm last week, the old man having attained his 96th year. He is the last of the Faa tribe, and his successor, who is named Biyth, lacking the blood royal, at least by direct transcaiuion, will wield the sceptre by sufferance. Faa kept his crown tolerably unsullied, having never been in gaol during his lone lire. The great Scotch hosoff of the tribe is and has been the parish of Yetholm, but the race is gradually dying out, or assimilating with other classes, and, m a short time, will live only in the pages . of "Guy Manacling." Derneleugh has 'oral attrac tions in the pages of the novel, but seen in Yetholm selling pottery, end making horn spoons, the Egyptian visages lose their romance, and share the common fate of all enchant ment when divested of distance. CELTIC DESTITUTION.—After paying our own poor-rates (says the Glasgow Argus)—poor-rates Aggravated in amount by the number of Highlanders sent among us from the cleared mates—we subscribe to make roads and fences for men who derive large incomes from their property, and pay to their paupers a maximum allowance of 10s. a year. They will tell us that they are deeply burthened ,—to this the re mark lately made by Mr. Ellice is an answer that cannot be met or confuted : the land is there, and the rents are drawn, whoever gets them ; let those rents be burthcned, mall others in the kingdom are, with the keeping of the poor who live upon the lands. As a commentary on this, it has been well said by the Scotsman, that " Somebody or another draws at least 676,0001. of rent from the three counties in which the distress is prophesied "—a prophecy, by the way, which seems likely to he postponed for the present season; but which will undoubtedly come to pans in 1848, when the Highlander knows that the Lowlander has agreed to honour his drafts to the extent of 114,000/. RAILWAY FIRIL—On Thursday morning, a range of navvies' huts on the Caledonian Railwa), about three miles front Moffat, took fire, and burned with such rapidity that most of the inmates had some difficulty in escaping from the comflegration, while three children were accidentally left to their fate, and perished. Two women were likewise severely burned. _ ROBBERS' or A POLICE SUPERINTENDENT.—RI May last, Captain Raining, of the Elinburgh city pore*, went to England for the benefit of his health. He proceeded to Brighton, and while there a 501. note belonging to him was stolen from the parlour of the house in which he resided. Information was forthwith given to the superintendent of the Brighton police, who was actively engaged for several weeks in endeavouring to discover the delinquent. Payment was stopped at the Bank of England, and the theft made known to the banks in England, Scotland, Ireland, and France. Notwithstanding these and other measures, no trace could be got either of the note or of the thief, and the captain gave up all expectation of ever re ceiving back his stolen money. He had in his service at this time a female, who was considered an honest servant, and who, on the family preparing to return to Scot land wished to leave her place. However, Captain Heisting, who began to think she must know something of the mis sing property, induced her to remain, and she continued in his service till about ten days ago, when she showed a great anxiety to leave her situation and live with her mother in Fife, which she was allowed to do. A few days passed, and on Wednesday last week Captain Haining received in. formation from Dunfermline that a SOL note had been pre tented in payment of some groceries, ate shop in that town, by two women. The shopkeeper's suspicions had been awakened, and he lodged infonries , ...r. with the superinten dent of the Dunfermline police, who took possession of the note, end commenced en investigation, which led him to discover that the woman who had sent the note to the grocer had once been in the service of Capt. Heisting. On Friday the captain identified the note as the one he bad lost, and his late servant confessed that she had stolen the note when at Brighton, and had kept it concealed in her stays the whole time. PROVINCIAL. BANK OF MANCHESTER. PROPOSED RE-ESTAII LISHSENT, OR SALE OT THII CHARTER.— Yesterday, th e annual meeting of the proprietors in this unfortunate scheme, which, it may be recollected, stopped payment in 1842, was held at Hayward's Hotel, Manchester. The Bank of Man chester, at the time of its stoppage in 1812, had engagement. to the amount of 1,810,021. 18e, 111, and estimated &meta anamanting only to 1,791,2141. 1 ts. lid., showing a deficiency 16,248/. 75., exclusive of the lose of the entire capital of 741,0101., and a reserved fund and surplus of 43,6001. 18s. 9d., making a tot►l loss of 900,8871. lBs. 9,1 The affair, of the bank have been in the coulee of winding up ever since; and the meeting of yesterday was for the purpose of receiving a report from the directors entrusted with the winding up of their progress during the year, and to elect new members of the hoard in piece of those retiring by rotation. About 50 proprietors were present, and five (tweeters. including among the letter, Mr. O. It. Chappell, Mr. Aid. Potter, Mr. J. C. Dyer, Mr. Spencer, and Mr. Gouldsburough, Mr. Harrop and Mr. Farrar, joint managers of the bank, assisted the chairman in conducting the business.—The chairman hiving inquired it it was the pleavue of the meeting to hear the re. port, Mr. Farrar read the following document : The amounts eubmitted to the last gem veil meeting brought down the affairs of the bank to the 30th of June, 1846. The edimated net assets at that dote were 98,2661. lus. 2d.; the Itabilitie., 40,576 f. le. Id.; and the apparent surplus, 27,8901. 9s. Id. The following 10 a state. meat of the Min , of the bank, made up to the 30th of June, 1647 : 5.4. Sundry amounts._ 752,218 10 9 Properties Bills L Sundry =mints ... 16,073 S 3 Notes to, circulAtioa 1,333 0 0 Deduct 10,210 3 Carte available 4,999 0 6 Rank stock ..... 178,123 0 • New cal Furth r call 109,3198 7 Reserved fund 1,178 16 7 £805,519 18 6 3101'01IT DOWN. .C 60.5,319 18 6 01041.1 £ 8. d. Crooks assets 803,819 18 6 Lem Estimated losses 778,579 18 I t d. Liabilities 4,999 0 6 Surplus 61,940 19 10 Net asreta 166,910 0 4 trie.9lo 0 4 The directors have, during the past year, forfeited 3.439 Aare. beta by bankrupt end insolvent proprieber, and carried 31,590/. originsimpitid of IW. per Mare, and 801/. remind on :account of calla, to the credit of the bad debt account, thereby reducing the amount heretofore taken as estimated I'm to 7(ix,5:9/. Ise. 24. The probsible ultimate eurplus 11:111 ineregated during the year tees 97,620/. 9s. Id. to 61,940/. 19s. Dd. This mimes from the receipt of 853 r. 10s. on amount of the calls, and the cum of 3,3971. oe. lid. realised beyond the estimates, on accounts now fatally eland, after di-M1.14g towed and expense, On the 3 th of Septimter the funds in hand amounted to 20.062 e, and the liabilities to 18.411/ , %hosing a surplus of cash at command of 1,6181. over and above the sum roil:reel for the entire licoodaton of the debt. of the bank. With a view to place before the shareholder, an account of their past labours, the director. would refer t the report of the sitars of the hank, made at the general annual and cling, on the 11th of Oct-, 1812. It will therein appear that the Ibibilities of thcoonmanyamomated to 1,810,4621.19,. I Id., which met sum has been finally liquidated, and the proprietors leive now • deli eurplux left. They will nut fail to perceive that tale result could not have been attained under the embarrassed and difficult circumstances in which the hank was then plated, without great anxiety and persevering exertion. on the part of the director% who may venture to ewes. their own satisfaction In having them succeeded in Addling the MA of htingimg it to the dew presented in the prevent report. Considering that the winding up of the affair. of the bank, PO far av relate, to the die. ebooge of all its debt., with which the dinctone were charged • ha, been effected, and that the proprietor., on the 6th February, 1002, pawed a resolution that the company sbetilel not be eireiolred, it appears proper for the proprietors to es:wielder what may be the mod Ilthie2hte course to be adopted for ensurlre to them the greatest benefit to be derived from the existing mots of the bank, and from the privileges of its legal position. The estimated amount of the newts ma y, it la believed, be ulti mately realised, but, from the mature of the property, a oonsidel able length of time, end the not:mod care mid attention of the direetors, will be requisite to effect this object, during which time the rent and other expenses of the bank will have to he continued. The directors have not thought It advisabie to recommend, in this report, any plvn for adoption; - yet they are prepared to receive etteeePtitelit aA to the future course to be minuted. To arrive at a mural opinion upon this question it will he tamper to take into view that, during the, liquida- Goa of the , etas. the uff (ire of the bank have been m conducted as to leave unimpaind Cie leg I eehitellee of the company; and as the btnk was established under the original low, the late enactment re. etticting the privileges of joint.etack bunko dos not apply to this company, and therefore the advanterce attached to it ebould hr consi dered as an available property, which, if judicioudy tesd, might giro so increand 'aloe to the shares therein. 110 - thin value (whatever it may be), appertaining to its legal posit:on, can only he nolieed by adopting some plan for reviving the bicinesn of the book, either for account of the present proprietors, or by some other party, who may become their succervem,—The directors ether retire from office, by rotation, ate Misers. George Moyle Chappell, Jareph C. Dyer, and John Gouldevbrough. They will be proposed for reelection. Mr. Millington, a proprietor, complimented the directors upon the activity, perseverance, and success, which had so for characterised their proceedings in winding-cap the affairs of the bank, and congratulated the proprietors upon the pro bability of seeing some, though a email portion, of their money back again. Be concluded by moving the adoption of the report.—Mr. W. Hill, having seconded the motion, the Chairman observed that he had gone over every account at present unsettled, and he thouseht it probable that every shillieg of the sum set down (62,000/.) would be realised. In reference to what had been stated regarding the charter of the bank, he would remind the shareholders that the bank bad done nothing to invalidate its charter —if the shareholders proposed to make ante use of the powers it gave them, the directors were quite willing to give them any in formation in their power ; but they suggested nothing. There could be no doubt it had a value, if they thought proper to take steps for realising it. The late act of parlia meat affecting Lanka, made it imponible, ill his opinion, for any other joint-stock bank ever to be started, fr•m the stringency of its clauses; and, under these circumstances, and three or four of the joint-stock banks of Manchester being no longer in existence, it did seem to him that their charter might be rendered of value to them—Mr. J. S. Stubbs wished to know if there was any prospect of a speedy dividend of Cis. or 10s. a share of the money saved from the wreck of their property; as to the re.utablishment of the bank, that was a chimera—they might as well project a railway to South America—The Chairman said it would he impossible to realise the assets of the bank, so as to make an early dividend, without a sacri fice which they were not disposed to make.—Mr. Samuel Walker (magietrate) asked what wee the annual amount the property of the bank up to this time (the property unsold) was realising?—The Chairman: About 1,1110!. a year. The Irk mills were let for 400!. a year.—Mr. Walker And that world go to increase the surplus ? The Chairman : Minus the expenses. The assets this year were worth from 4,0001. to 5,0001. more than they were last year, and those which had not been realised might be more valuable again next year.—A proprietor tasked what were the annual expenses of the bank ?—The chairman said, for last year, they were 1,'11491. 19.. 10d., including rents, salaries, law charges, and taxes. The motioa wee carried unanimously.— Mr. Marshall moved that Mews. Chappel, Dyer, and Gouldesbrough, the retiring directors, he re-elected.—Mr. Lowe seconded the motion. In the course of a con versation which followed, Mr Dyer offered some ob servations on the mode in which the Bank Charter might be rendered available (guarding himself against the supposition that he or the directors suggested the re establishment of the bank), which be thought was quite poe sible, and might be made to realise them a sum of money ' equal to the whole amount of the present assets. There appeared to him to he two modes of doing this—one by par , ties purchasing up the shares and opening the business again, so as not to let the powers of the charter lapse, and the other by inducing the directors of other and existing establish ments to purchase them out of the field, - Ile thought that this bank, if started on a moderate scale, might yet become a powerful rival to other joint-stock banks on Manchester ; and it was not at all improbable the other establishments might be willing to purchase them out of the field.—Mr. Millington suggested the appointment of a committee or deputation to confer with the directors as to the best means of rendering their property in the charter avail able ; but the Chairman thought, as this meeting had been called for a specific object, this would be hest accomplished at a future special meeting. The motion was then passed; and, after a vote of thanks to the director*, the meeting separated. COMMERCIAL BANK OF ENGLAND.—This Wag a similarly unfortunate speculation, but had a smaller capital than that of the Bank of Manchester. It stopped payment in the year 1139, and the directors have since that time been engaged in winding up the affairs. They lost the whole amount of their paid-up capital, and like the Bank of Man chester, had to make a further call upon the shareholders to meet the liabilities— a call of 30s. per share. Out of the wreck, they were enabled lest year to make a return of a few shil ling* per share, and, yesterday, they issued the following circular announcing a further return of 31. per share: The directors appointed to wind up the again of the Commereal Beek of England here the pleasure to aminunoe a further return of three shiliinge per ,hate to these shareholder, who field the call. The directors would not have had the means , of returning the amount had they not been enabled to acenapieh the unexpectedly early and (avowable realisation of a portion of the aseete. They have eon eiders-A h anxious deliberation the subject of the return, and have concluded to distribute the utmost possible amount which can be spared consistently with the rafety of the duireboldem, and the sanefactory winding up of the bank'. again. If a further reboil should eventually be made, it cos only be expected at a distant period when the direct and contingent liabilitke beteg all discharged or pro vided for, and the whole of the meets reuhred, the directors may and theovelves in ouch a eituation as will warrant them in the dimolution of the company. The directors, in the eighth year of their talcum, have still to lament the necereity which exists for the continuance of their exertions; but while they retain the esteem and support of the great body of the shareholder. they will not shrink from remain ing in office, notwithstanding theliersonal inconvenience to which they are subjected by m doing. The direetors embtaee this opportunity of mating that the sum of 5001. which the general meetiag awarded to be distributed by the inepeetore, bah been paid, under their direction to the following gentlemen:—Mr. lboteon Walker, Mr. W. F. John non, Mr. Liarial Price, Mr. Wm. Young, and lir. James Ogeten."—The return will be made payable ether to-morrow, the lith fist. INnusvvi.tt bcnooLs volt Fv.mAtt s.—A corre spondent of the Mau/ester Guardian says, " The evils re sultiog from the want of education, so common amongst the female factory operativn, are too well known to require any comment. 1 het the present period of total or partial want of employment ought to be made beneficial to this large and important clam of our population is a serious consideration, and ought to he pressed on the attention of the educated and influential members of society. It cannot be expected that a 'few months can undo the evil habits formed it may almost be said from the cradle ; but there is no doubt that efforts judiciously made, and perseveringly carried out, will be in a great Measure successful. The experiment has been made in Warrington. A school for unemployed females was established in May, and continued open for sixteen week:, when the exhausted state of the funds obliged it to be closed. It is now reopened. By teaching the young women to sew, a means of usefulness is afforded them which a g. ft of money could net equal; the evils resulting from idleness are greatly lessened. and the intercourse with their superiors in education and manners tends to soften the roughness so mach, and so deservedly, complained of. The report of the school preen the _benefits resulting trot. t. estahlishenent every district could be tainly a been usefull, 7 • el= 1 - 7 ;0:11i.,;:oi it, in from its es men . 7 district where there is t deficiency of work, schools be established on • similar plan. The expense is MT- coneiderable, but it is believed th • money has us:fully employed, and has ~ ..., a nttly,f flied a number, who, without this „ T o* • • _eAfis rd us helpless misery. If • n it time to superintending • "}", engaged for the regular the object would 10011 • .. , be done to lessen the feufu s.. rfirll .• , I 414- ~Q in of their being women, thing be i i