The Express. — London, England, 1867-12-12 00:00:00

the exPreOfs• TO COISPONDENTS. bolvertlienionts loteadad for M Emma," Loudon Evening r ic o m n the oust be of tho im Of Ice, &credo-Ban, by Two tVc DRURV.LAN E. True Eererea. THE i.Zait3l 7 t : i.&lCE. Mr. Phelps, Messrs. J. C. Cowper, U. Slaelair, Y Phelps. Barrett, Temple. dre.. Mrs. lien‘tin Vtzni, Miss Orattanote.—And THE LADIES' CLUB. Mesdames licatriz Shirley, Pete Mathew, IL Vaadenhoff, te. OVERCOATS for the PRESENT SEASON. Gentlemen who do not Wad pcw hut a (sir prke for first. elms WINTER OVERCOATS tas depetsl on the beet =tennis at HAMILTON mad ICIMPTUNE, Talton and Overcoat-makers, 105, STRAND, OPPOSITE EXETRR•UALL BREAKFAST.-EPPS'S COCOA. HAYMARKET. 'rug Vrisimo, OCR AlriltaTir6ijusiN. maws. Sothern, Ilaymnnd, tior lon. Rogura, Mas-tames Chippon.lale. Burka, Wright. Robertson, tc--TO PA RN AND Biel( Et IR, Ys. Mr. but kstone.—And THE 4PECTILE BSI DXGROom. Mr. Raymond. rovers, ntls ETEMO, A LITiLI . YLIRTATION.—After which THE COLLEV: HAWN. Messrs, Roach=lt, D. Murray, E. Atkins, 0. Noillr. J. 0. Shore. H. Mellon, *c.; Mrs. Roncicault, & Misses Barnett and Elswortly.—And NO. ONE ROUND THE CORNER. LYCHOII. Tuts Immo, PRILFEZ7I437 \Du )land Shelley. —And tOMEO AND JULIET. Messrs. W. Lacy and Ryder ; Miss Vestrall, Mn. Manton, and Miss Mllly Palmer. STRAND. Tin Iviernro, NOTHING TO VI7ILSE. Ile. Thorne and Min liaston.—KlND TO A FAULT. Mews. Parselle, !teflon], and James: Mesdames Johastone, Glrynne, and Hughes.—And WILLIAM TELL WITH A VENGIICE. HOLBORN. Tims EVISMO. FOR LOVE. Mears. H. J. Montagne, Pelee. Garden. Westland, and H. Widdleomb; Mesdames Stephens, Bennele, C. eaundern Re. —And MARY TVltNe.lt Olt, THE WICIUUS WILLIN. Idles Josephs. I . I . IETANIrIA., TRte avintrira, TAZ K5lOl DEATH-TRAP. Marra Ray. molds, sdl, tc. : Mrs & lase.—Mr. Mark Floyd; Mr. and Mn. Langan J.; Mr. J. Millkent—CAPTAlN °SKALD. Mama Howe, Charlton, Madams Courtanay, Booth, etc. NIGH WATIA AT LONDON RIUDGIL fins DL —Yoram /A. Bas---Afternoce. SL SUL To-llcautow—Mordas, 5 4m.......Atimmuuk. 31a. LO_VDON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12. THAT thoughtful pastor of Carolina who feared to emancipate Si.*r. MARTIN'S sister lest she should fall a victim to "free society," but was ultimately persuaded to hand her over to her own brother for a hundred pounds sterling, might possibly feel inclined to preach us a sermon over the dead body of that poor child, of name and birth unknown, upon whom Coroner RICHARDS held an inquest last Tuesday. If that " fine boy " of two years old" had lived " down South" ten years ago, his chattel value would have ensured him an amount of attention that might have preserved him through the common perils of child hood. At any rate it would hive given somebody an interest in keeping him alive after he had been abandoned by his parents. We want a name for that inverted system of trade in human flesh and blood which has sprung up among us, and in which money is paid, not for, but with, a child, on condition that its parents shall never see it again. There are few days on which those who know where to look for it may not find among ad vertisements of a " Billiard- tableto be disposedof," or advice " To All in Debtor Difficulties," or" Nine "Houses for a Shilling Each," an announcement that " A Respectable Couple not blesaed with offspring " wish to adopt a Child." Such an advertisement appeared last March in a London daily paper, having been inserted by Mr. Wit.trait JAMAS COOPER, of 10, Nelson-street, Bethino-green, and elicited a response from a writer who had " a " little boy fourteen months old" whom she " wished to have adopted," and desired to be fur nished with full particulars concerr;ng the pra mium and other matters. Mrs. COOPER, who replied, dealt with her correspondent in a very business-like manner. As to the premium, she wrote—" We have decided 201. if under " six months, or 151. if over." The child, it was further stipulated, was to be " entirely given "up ;" the parents were on no pretence to acknowledge it at any future time ; in short, as Mrs. COOPER put it, " it is to be to all intents rad " purposes our child." No pains, it will be seen. were spared to strip the child of the last chance it might have of aid from its natural protectors, or to exclude the advantage it might possibly receive from a revival of tender feeling on the part of either of its parents. The case of many children would be desperate indeed if there ex isted no pee er ready to defend the rights of children thus abandoned by their proper guardians. The child's mother could only give 101. prep-'um, but she enlarged upon his good qualities : " He "is now getting vet.). pleasant ; he is a very " healthy and a very good child, and of good " birth. I would give him up entirely." These terms were accepted, and it only re mained to deliver possession of the helpless and unconscious subject of the bargain. No mo was lost in the process, and on the 23rd of March las. a cab drove up to the COOPERS' door, and a young lady of about three and twenty stepped out with the child in her arms and 10/, in het hand. Her words, as she handed over her boy, e:th all his destinies, to persons she had never seen before, were few, aid to the point :—" This is my " illegitimate child ; it has not been baptized, and "it has no name." What a description —a string of negations ! A stranger in a world which has no place for him, ho can only be described by his want of all he ought to have. Who this spectral visitor was, where she came from, whither she was going, the COOPERS declare they know not. Ard why should they want to know, when the child's short history up to that day was thenceforward to be a blank for itself and all the world I Enough that there the child was, and, above all, there was the 101. If the money were good and lawful the guest might vanish and return into tho mys tery from which she came. We hear no more of this " pleasant, healthy, " good child " for six months. How he fared at the hands of strangers during that period when he should have been Fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses, With light upon him from his father's ryes, • we know not. On Saturday last, however, Mr. CAA M KERS, a practitioner in attend ance upon Mrs. COOPER, was about to leave her house, when he was abruptly called by her husband to the fact that a child was dead in the house. Stepping into an adjoining room he saw a boy, about two years of am described as very beautiful, but with a " blue mark over " the lips," and some other signs which usually accompany death by suffocation. A Coroner's inquest was of course held, when the facts we have narrated were given in evidence. COOPER was very reluctant to state the circnnistances under which the child came under his care. Be denied that in the advertisement for a child anything had been said about money; but the letters which he most unwillingly produced showed that from the first money was the main consideration. The actual cause of death remains to be investigated, the inquest having been adjourned for that purpose, it would therefore be premature to offer an opinion on that subject. The COOPERS declare that the child IT would be to assume that Lord DERBY is a negligent observer of what is passing in the world to suppose that when he recommended the trans lation of Bishop SELWYN from New Zealand to Lichfield he was unaware of the Church princi ples of that eminent missionary, or of the manner in which he has sought to apply them in his own diocese, and to promote them in the dioceses of his neighbours. The Bishop is a great eccle siastical organiser, committed to very serious changes in the constitution and administration of the Church of England, and the Government in transferring him to Lichfield must be held to have taken him, if the expression may be pardoned, " with all his engagements." Dr. SExwirx was one of the Colonial Bishops who remained in England after the earlier sittings of the Lam beth Conference, in order to assist in bringing its business to a conclusion. At the September meeting of the Conference the affairs of the church in Natal were referred to a Committee, consisting of three English, ono Irish, one Scotch, five Colo nial, and three American bishops, of which Bishop SELwrzi was appointed convener. The Conference re-assembled on Tuesday last, as many as forty-six bishops attending, when Bishop SELWYN presented the Committee's report. This document, we are informed, bears the signature of every member of the Committee—among others, the names of Dr. TRENCH, Archbishop of Dublin ; of Dr. C. R. SomNaa, Bishop of Winchester ; of Dr. HAROLD Baowits, Bishop of Ely ; of Dr. Enworr, Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol ; and of Bishop SELWYN himself. These prelates concur in representing that the sentence of deposition pronounced by the Metropolitan and Bishops of South Africa upon Dr. Cotxwao is spiritually valid ; that the Bishop of CAPETOWN, as Metropolitan, might have visited Dr. Coteries° with summary jurisdiction, and taken the management of the diocese of Natal out of his hands without trial ; that the proceedings of the South African Church have been approved by the Convocations of Canterbury and York ; by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States ; by the Episcopal Synod of the Scottish Church, and by the Provincial Synod of Canada ; finally, that the spiritual validity of the sentence of deposition was accepted by fifty-aix bishops at the former meeting of the Lambeth Conference. These statements are preliminary to a practical recommendation. The Committee, judging that the see is spiritually vacant, and learning by the evidence brought before them that there are many members of the Church who are unable to accept the ministrations of Dr. COLENBO, deem it to be the duty of the Metropolitan and other Bishops of South Africa to proceed, upon the election of the clergy and laity in Natal, to consecrate a bishop to discharge those spiritual functions of which these members of the Church are now in want. Such is the recommen dation of Bishop SELWYN and his colleagues, which the Conference received on Tuesday without dis cussion, and ordered to be printed. Its impor tance will escape no observer. It will be noticed that the Committee treat the " South African " Church" as an organised and self-governing body, capable not only of electing, but of con secrating its own bishops without external aid, and independently of external control. It is to be assumed that these learned persons have well con sidered the principles on which they act, and the direction in which those principles tend. The course they are taking may be • wise one, but at the least it is radical and revolutionary. OUR CONTEMPORARIES. (THIS DAY.) was found dead early on Saturday morning lying calleges, sees, or clergy, and insist on applying a special lon his back in bed, having had nothing the matter system of education to a part of oar dominions in which with him but a cough, and the disturbance inci- Romanian predominates simply on this ground. The Times mays the French government and people ought dent to teething. An attempt is to be made to speedily now to give up the conceit that then exists more find out the parents of the child, and very properly, than ono opinion in Italy about the temporal power of the for it is time to ascertain whether natural reapon- Pope. There may still be men in Italy who do not care sibilities can thus be shuffled off for a small money much about Rowe as a capita , ; there may be others who payment and with an assurance that whatever hap- would regret the departure of the Pope from the Vatican pens no questions shall be asked. If this is per- as a national calamity ; but that R ome s h ou ld b e l ong t o nutted by law, it is high time the law was Italy, and that priestly rule ia no longer compatible with the free life of the Italian nation, are principles which no amended. longer admit of discussion in the peninsula. The present ministry of Italy, than which a more conservative one could not be found, are all as determined to go to Rome as Garibaldi himself. The only point of divergence is as to the means. The Daily News describes the vote of the American House of Representatives against the impeachment of Mr. Johnson as removing a source of irritation and mistrust, and as indicating a moderate temper on the part of congress. The vote may be taken to mean that congress will modify its reconstruction requirements rather in the interest of the moderate party than in that of the extreme radicals. Indeed, the power of the radical section of the republican party is probably pretty fairly indicated by the number, fifty-seven, who votcd in favour of Mr. Johnson', impeachment. That is about the number, per haps more than the number, of members of the House of Representatives who might favour a repressive polity at the South if the present reconstruction measures should be hindered in their operation. Int Court. WINDSOR CASTLE, Dec. 11. The Queen went out ;1 the grounds this mow ing, accompanied by Prince Leopold. Major T. P. Hopkins, LH , Governor of the kliPta:j Knights; of Windsor, and Lieut.-Colonel J. H. Cooke, Lieutenant of her Majesty's Body Gaud of Yeomen of the Guard, arrived at the Cootie this afternoon, and were "Aro dyad to her Majesty by Lord Raglan, Lord-in-Waiting, and received the honour of knighthood. Major-General F. Seymour, C. 8., and Colonel Du Plat, Groom and Equerry in Waiting, were in attendance. Colonel H. and the Hon. Mrs. Poneonby and the Hon. Mrs. Robert Bruce had the honour of dining with the Queen and the royal family yesterday. Field-Marshal his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge held a levee yesterday aftmaoun at the Horst guards, when about 120 officers waited on I'l royal highness The Marquis and Marchioness of Bath have left Berkeley-square for Chatsworth, on a visit to the Duke of Devonshire. The Earl and Counteas of Derby arrived at Knowsley on Tuesday aftei noon from town for the Chrlst- MA. The Earl and Countess of Denbigh have left their residence in Eaton-square, for Newnham Padden, the family seat, near Lntterworth. The Earl of Hillsborough has arrived at Hills borough Cutts. Lord Claud Hamilton, M.P., has left town for Northamptonshire. Lord Taunton left town on Monday last for Overstowey, his seat, near Bridgwater, where Lay Tarr• ton and Hon. Misses Labouchere have been stay'rtg since they left town. On Thursday last the Earl of Dudley, accom panied by the Duke of Athole, the Count and Countess Gleichen, the Countess of Kinnoull, Lord New)ort, the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton and others, arrived at Round Oak, by special train from Witley Court. The paa4 proceeded to the Locks Lane Colliery, and descended a coal•pit under the care of Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Greenway. The death is announced of General Sir Richard Lluellyn, K.C.8., on Saturday last, at the advanced age of 84 years. The Right Hon. W. Brand and Lord Pelham, the members for the borough of Lewes, will address the Liberal Registration Society in that town to-morrow. The Bishop of Salisbury purposes sending a copy of his charge to every member of the House of Lords in consequence of the attack made on it in that house. As an antidote to the charges copy of the protest against the principles of the charge, signed by 92 clergymen and 200 churchwardens, is about to be sent to every member of the House of Lords. In the protest the obnoxious principles of the charge are pointed out. The following is the inscription on a tablet which bas just been placed by Mrs. Shelley 'n Ovington Church, Hants, to the memory of Mr. John Shelley, her husband, and a younger brother of the great poet Shelley : "In memory of my beloved husband, John Shelley, son of Sir Timothy Shelley, Bart., of Field Place, Sussex, and only brother of Percy Bysshe Shelley. This tablet i■ erected to record the love which be inspired as an affectionate and devoted husband and father, and my grief for his parable loss. He died on the Ist of November, 1866. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'" . . A letter from St. Petersburg of the sth says : " On Sunday last the great bell of the Kremlin announced to the inhabitants of Moscow the death of the venerable Metropolitan Mils:eta. This event was quite unexpected. There had been no illness to give warning of its approach, indeed since his return to the ancient capital from his summer residence the Metropolitan seemed to have gained additional strength, and the very day of his death he performed Divine servioe with his usual fervour. Agar leaving the church he retired for a short time to take some repose, at half-past Ihe was summoned to his frugal repast ; but as he di i not oome, the lay brother entered his study a second time and found 10m lifeless on the floor, with his face turned to the holy image which was suspended from the wall." The Mont Cenis Tunnel has advanced 109 metres during the month of November. BISHOP Csowniza.—lt seems that a mistake has been committed when Dr. Samuel Crowther has been described as Bishop of Sierra Leone. That Sierra Leone may be the headquarters of Bishop Crowther is quite possible ; but the bish o p o f th a t see, according to the 1 " Churchman's Almanack " for 1147, is Dr. E. H. Heckles. Dr. Crowther is bishop of the "Niger Territory "—i.e., of the countries generally included in the begin of the river Niger, where be presides as " miazionaly bishop" over those negroes who will receive him as such. He is • native African, and was appointed on account of the adaptation of his constitution to the climate, and his natural capacity for sympathy with the negro mind. THE CAPTAIN OF THE UNIVERSITY EIGHT.—He ought to be a refined diplomatist, to have a rapid and de cisive judgment, and the power of enforcing. discipline. He should have the courage to hold firmly to his own opinion, and the rarer courage to make changes when it is necessary. A captain requires as much skill in corn. posing • crew as a minister in forming his cabinet. It is not enough that the men separately should be good—and the breakdown of anyone at a critical moment may ruin the whole plan,—but each moat fit into its proper place. There are infinite difficulties in soothing small vanities. and propitiating silly jealousies ; as in the larger world, each man chosen is apt to make one grumbler at his selection and half a dozen grumblers at their exclusion ; and the mere task of keeping eight men in good temper who are all in a feverish state of hard work and excite. meat, and who have to take all their melds and pass most of their vacant hours in each other's company, is itself enough to try an angel. Bow is an unpopular man, and ill-natured people maintain that he has been put in oat of favouritism ; Two takes the captain aside every other morning to reveal to him—not without gloomy satisfac tion—a sure symptom of some new and fatal disease which he has just detected in • vital organ ; Three is a picture of health aid strength, but is so clumsy that no one knows whether he can be licked into tolerable shape in time ; Four ia • heavy good-tempered giant, who serves the invaluable purpose of being a butt to the rest of the crew at feeding times, but he is apt to lose his head, and then he is about as dangerous in a boat as a startled elephant in a caravan ' • Five would be uni m p eac h a bl e , b ut f or dark hints that he has a private score at some unknown public house ; Six labours under a chronic grievance, declaring with much loss of good temper to all his fellows that Four does not take his share of the work ; Seven is really delicate, as Two professes to be, and w ill concea l his Ril -1 malts till it is too late to find a substitute ; and if the captain does not himself row, Stroke probably considers himself to be the one man in the university who under stands the art of rowing, and has to be coaxed and wheedled into• decent subordination ; the coxswain has been chosen after long deliberation on the ground that ft is worth securing an mime more brains at the cost of a atone more flesh, and all the crew are profoundly convinced that if they lose it will be owing to that superfluous weight in the stern-sheets. Thet there are perplexities about the boat, about the details of the work, about the cruel ex aminers who will torture some members of the crew, about the food supplied, and about • hundred other mat ters which are a constant tax upon the unlucky cap tain's fund of good humour.—St. Paul's Magazine for December. "z7-r4`. THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1867. THE CONSCUNCE CLAISL The Daily News and the Times notice the cor respondence between Lord Granville and the Duke of Marlborough with reference to the conscience clause. The former comments on the extraordinary fact that, despite the position of the duke am minister of education, his g.-ace has hitherto been in ignorance of the meaning of the clause, though nothing can be more explicit. It is not, however, the fear which the Duke of Marlbo rough had entertained that occasions the scruples of the clergy who follow Archdeacon Deniaca's lead. They re fuse to admit the conscience clause, not, as the duke sup- poses, because they fear lest their schools may cease to be denominational or lose their religiotuichanscter altogether ; but because they deny the right of a parent to direct the religious education of his own ~hild, and expect, by threat ening to exclude children from school, to compel the parents to accept religions instruction of a description they conscientiously diaapprove. If these are the only objects which the clew opposed to the conscience clause have in view, the duty of parliament to interfere becomes not only obvious bat urgent. The Times inclines to think it penal lt that by some slight alteration it might be made still clearer that the clause imposes no restriction on the religious teaching of those who do not claim exemption under it. It may be worth while trying if, without any o , antknment of prin ciple, some verbal compromise could afford a means of removing the semblance of opposition which still remains. It is in vain, of course, to attempt to conciliate Arch deacon Denison ; but the National Society render such services to the cause of einc.tti n that it is lamentable it should remain at lane with the Privy Council on an essential point. In • word, tae public will appreciate Lord Granville's notice ; but they will be prepared to give a favourable consideration to any conciliatory pro posal the Duke of Marlborough may suggest. It is the outrageous sort of claim made by At andesoon Denison which has alone rendered necessary a legal guarantee for freedom of conscience. MISCILL11211:008 TOPICS. Having sketched in the least favourable colours the state of the streets of Paris 30 years ago, the Telegraph proceeds to remark that it is now incomparably more sumptuous and relatively • much cleaner city than London. It has no quarters full of horrors, no districts teeming with fever, misery, and starvation ; and with those alone. To assert that its morals are perfect would be idle ; but at least its wickedness wean a veil, and its profligacy is compelled to behave itself. In London, on the contrary, every phase of wretchedness, guilt, and vice seems to be enhanced instead of mitigated in repulsive ness. A blundering local government, intense selfishness, and boundless conceit, hermetically close our eyes to the fact that • hundred new hotels, railway stations, Man chester warehouses, and joint stook banks are but drops of water in an ocean of reform, so long as we allow the slums of Westminster and Soho, Bethnal-green and Spitalfields, Whitechapel and Wapping to remain undisturbed. Referring particularly to Lord Denbigh's recent state ment that lie is int • catholic and then an Englishman, the Standard says this is a peculiarity of Roman catho licism which ought never to be forgotten when men are criticising the course of protestant governments. The church of Rome is a religious body claiming for • foreign power authority and jurisdiction in many secular ques tions of the gravest temporal importance. And the state is perfectly competent to judge whether such autho rity and jurisdiction are or are not injurious to its welfare; and entitled to animadvert upon and protect itself against them. The staunchest friend of religious equality might consistently object to the endowment of Roman catholic LATEST INTELLIGENCE. THE FRENCH OCCUPATION. The Bulletin International publishes the follow ing : The English cabinet, after the delivery of M. Rouher's speech, telegraphed that it would be impossible for them to accept the proposition for the meeting of a conference. It suggests a withdrawal of the proposition. Lord Stanley is quite formal on this point. The Journal tie Paris mentions under reservation that the English Ambassador in Paris has been directed to obtain precise information as to the duration of the occupation of Civita Vecchia by the French troops, without, however, making an official demand on the subject. The Liberth publishes in its " latest news " that it has received information from Italy that the French troops in Civita Vecchia have orders to return to Rome in the occurrence of certain eventualities. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.) ITALY. FLORENCE, Dr.c. 11, EVENING. The Chamber of Deputies continued to-day the debate on the home and foreign policy of the go vernment. Signor Maasari censured the conduct of the late government, and defended the policy of Baron Ricasoli in the Roman question. He held the radical party accountable for the bloed which had been shed. It was impossible to obtain Rome by such means. Rome belongs to Italy, and will come to Italy when Italy is strong in liberty and public virtue. He rejoiced at the accession of General Menabrea to office, as it strengthened the autho rity of government, which had been too much weakened. Signor Crispi, replying to the personal allusions of Signor Hassan, denied that the Rattazzi cabinet had ever subsidised the volunteers. He declared that Rattazzi did every :ling he could to prevent the escape of Garibaldi and the entry of the volun teers into the Pontifical territory. Signor Ferrari (of the Left) considered that French intervention should have been resolutely met by Italian intervention. The idea of going to Horne with France was not only impossible and ab surd, but servile ; neither can the government reasonably speak of going to Rome supported by religion, considering the abolition of the convents and of the Jesuits, the secularisation of ecclesiasti cal property, and generally the anti-catholic cha racter of the Italian national movement. The at titude of Italy ought to be free from all ambiguity, free from fool-hardy daring as from puerile boast ing. Signor Ferrari advocated the withdrawal of Italy from the September convention, the suspen sion of diplomatic relations with France, which should not be resumed until the friendship of France could be accepted without humiliation. The debate will be resumed to-morrow. THE NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION. BERLIN, Dzc. H. Count von Bismarck closed the sittings of the Federal Council yesterday. The council will meet again in January next, when the Customs Parlia ment at which representatives from the South German States will attend, will also assemble under the presidency of Count von Bismarck. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, Dec. 12. According to the Etude Beige rumours are current that the ministry are just at present in a state of complete disunion. The cause of the misunder standing is not stated, but it is believed that great difficulty will be found in avoiding a crisis. AMERICA. The Hamburg and American Company's steam ship Saxon* from New York on the 30th Novem ber, strived at Southampton to-day (December 12) with 100 passengers, 37 sacks of mails, and 500 tons of general cargo. During the passage the Saxonia spoke the fol lowing ships :—On December 10, in lat. N. 49 deg. 40 min. long. W. 17 deg. 45 min., an English brig, steering eastward, showing 4 distinguishing pendant 512 ; and in lat. N. 49 deg. 40 min. long. W. 15 deg. 46 min., a National Steam Navigation Company's steamer, steering westward, and a North Gelman Lloyd's steamer in the vicinity of Bishop Rock. NEW YORK, Nov. 30, MORNING. A bill has been introduced into the House of Representa tives for the redemption of the legal tender and National Bank notes in coin after July, and for the sale of all gold exceeding 75,000,000 doh. remaining in the Treasury after next inanely. No action has yet been taken in the matter. It is reported that the Alabama claims will have early nisideration in Congress. A resolution has been offered in the Senate, declaring strict neutrality in the war pending between Britain and Abyssinia. General Hancock has arrived at New Orleans and as sumed the command of the Fifth Military District. He bee issued an order declaring freedom of speech and the right of trial by jury, and that the habeas corpus act must be preserved. Military tribunals will take precedence in the civil courts only when the latter neglect their duty or ►buse their power. The Alabama Convention bas rejected an ordinance pro hibiting marriages between whites and blacks. A Fenian funeral procession took place in New York on Thursday in honour of the Fenian* that were hung at Manchester. Five thousand Irishmen participated in the procession. The superintendent of the New York police refused a police escort to the procession on the ground that it was in honour of murderers of a policeman. Admiral Tegethoff has settled all the claims against the estate of the late Emperor Maximilian in Mexico. Santa Anna was sick at Havana. (lIT ATLANTIC TELIGRAPH.) NEW YORK, Dim. 11, 6 P.N. The steamer Russia has arrived out. Cloeing prices :—Gold, 134 i. Sterling exchange on London, 1091. 5-20 United States Bonds, 1071 ; Illinois, 133; trio, 72k. Cotton: Middling Up land, 151. PHILADELPHIA, Disc. 11. Petroleum, standard white, 241. The papers announce the death at Pesci& of the well-known musical composer Pacini, the author of Soli) and other operas. He was 72 years old. The Fiyaro remarks that the well-known couplet Jamela Swats en Prance, Jamie rAnglals ne rfltaern— can no longer be sung, at least in the theatrical world. At the Opera, Hamlet is about to be performed ; at the Gable it is also played ; at the Lyrique Romeo is acting, and The Fair Maid of Perth is the next on the programme; at the Opera Comique, Robinson erns] e; and at the Chltelet, Gulliver is being played ; at the Varietes, Fur nished Apartment; at the Oymnase, Miss Susanna ; at the Athenee, Marlborough, or, as the name of one hero is spelt, Mrtlbrovyh ; and at the Amblgn, Jack Seheppard. "Shade of the Marquis de Boise !" exclaims a Paris correspondent, "reappear, and arouse the patriotic sentiments of your former countrymen against le perfide Albion." A final settlement of Mr. Lincoln's estate has just been made. After paying all the debts there re mained 110,294 dole., which has been equally divided be tween his widow and his two sons. The great fish-pond at Sheerwater, near War minster, in Wilts, has been dragged by order of the Mar quis of Bath, and eartloads of fish, eonsistiog of perch, roach. dace, carp, and trout taken from it, for the purpose of forming the pond into a fishing place for lake trout only. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. (FROM OUR OWS PARIS, WZDNISDAY EVIDMIG. M. de Chilly, the manager of the Od6on, has written to inform M. Victor Hugo that the per formance of Buy Bias in Paris having been abso lutely interdicted, the contract for its revival is necessarily rescinded by a via major. It is indeed an extraordinary way of practising the new doc trine of the liberty of theatres to prohibit a standard play which had possession of the Paris stage before the Second Empire was thought of. But it seems the government cannot tolerate a renewal of the applause which lately greeted Her nani at the Francais, and so Frenchmen who want to see Victor Hugo's plays acted must take the trouble to go as far as Brussels. The Libert44 gives as " latest news," and under all reserve, that the French troops at Civita Vec chia have received orders to return to Rome "in certain eventualities." It seems to me that such news as this requires very little reserve. It is known already, from official disclosures, that the city of Rome was only evacuated in order to "facilitate" negotiations for the conference, and to encourage a belief in the assertion of the Em peror's speech that the time might soon be "calculated" when the expeditionary army would leave the Roman states altogether. Now that all hope of the conference is over, and the naked fact stands confessed that the tem poral power has no other support than French bayonets, it is only natural that General de Failly, who left artillery and warlike stores behind him, should resume his place at Rome and expect rein- forcementa. You might recollect, if such unimportant things were not soon forgotten, that I told you last month tho court would not leave St. Cloud for the Tuile ries before Dec. 20. Many announce.nents of an earlier day have since been made, and a court ball early in this month was confidently talked of. But their Majesties are still at St. Cloud, and, accord ing to the latest intelligence, will not leave it till the 23rd. The prefect of the department of the Correia has issued a decree prohibiting the sale of the Arenir National at the railway station of Brives-la-Gal liarde —a place little known to fame. This is, I think, the most petty interference with the liberty of the press on record. The Bourse was again extremely firm. Rente rose 15c. for cash, and 25c. for account, closing at 69fr. 60c. in each cane. Italian rose 25c., Credit Foncier 10fr., and Mobilier 31r. 75c. - - THE REMAINS OP MAXIMILIAN. Subjoined is the text of a letter addressed by Baron de Benet to M. Lerdo de Tejada, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Juarez, on the subject of the transportation of the Emperor Maximilian's remains to Europe : " Vienna, Sept. 25, 1867. " Excellency—A premature death having carried off the Archduke Ferdinand-Maximilisn from his family, Fs Im perial, Royal, and Apostolic Majesty feels the veil natural desire that the mortal relics of his unfortunate brother shorld repose by the side of the other princes of the House of Austria. The father, mother, and brothers of the august deceased expe.:enos the same ardent longing, as well as all the other members of the imperial family. The Emperor, my august master, has a conviction that the Mexican government, Fstening to the voice of humanity, CU not refuse to relieve the just affliction of his Majesty, nor oppose my obstacle to the realisation of his wish. For that purpose Vice-Admiral de Tegethoff has been sent to Mexico with an order to present to the President a request for obtaining the transmission of the remains of the well-beloved brother of his Imperial Majesty, and to bring them beck to Europe. lem charged, in my quality of Minister of the Emperor's Household, to beg your excellency to be pleased to facilitate for the Vice- Admiral the authorisation necessary for the accomplish ment of his mission. I have the hononr, excellency, to request you to present beforehand to the chief of the state the sentiments of gratitude felt by the imperial family, and to accept for yourself the expression of the same feel ing for the services you sill be able to render it. Accept, etc. " Bgosr." The Minister of Justice at Baden has stated to the Chamber at Carlarube, that in the cou-se of next session he will bring forward a bill making civil marriage obligatory. " Information received from good sources," says the Progres of Lyon., " respecting the painful suicide last week at the Hotel dee Etrangers, enables us to state that the ecclesiastic mentioned in connexion with the event is entirely relieved from all moral responsibility. The young lady seem■ to have conceived • strong and foolish passion for him, and he, becoming aware of this aberration, firmly showed her out of his dwelling, and told her to cease all relations with him. In her despair, (wired by this shock, she poisoned herself, as already related." A letter dated Nov. 6, from an officer serving with the advanced force of the expedition to Abyssinia, and written at Udoda, mays :—" It is so hot here th►t writing is out of the question altogether between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., between which hours the thermometer generally stands about 103 deg., so we usually go down to the pass and nit on the rocks and read until it gets cool. We imannenee our day at 4.30 a.m., getting up and riding out in different parties shooting. The jungle was full of game when we first arrived, and we had our mess table well supplied with all kinds, but now they are getting shy, and we have great difficulty in stocking the larder. We, however, manage to do it. It is said a regiment of cavalry and one of infantry will be left in the low country to defend the passes. I was awoke last night by my dog barking. Luckily, I had got a light, as —, who shares my tent, was sick. Getting out of bed I heard • hissing nous, and, rousing my friend and looking about, we soon found • snake under my bed. On return from shooting this morning I found one of the largest scorpions I had ever seen snugly ensconced in a pair of slippers ; the beast, are beginning to find comfortable places for them selves in our tents." SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 12.—The Hamburg and American steamship Bavaria, from New Orleans Bar on the 24th ult. arrived here today with 40 passengers for Havre and Hamburg, $4,736 doll. for England, and 26,273 for France. QUEENSTOWN, Dze. 12.—The Inman steamship City of Wuhington, from New York, arrived here at 4 a.m. to-day with 11 passengers, but no specie. She landed mails and passengers, and proceeded for Liverpool at 4.15 a.m. CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.— MAR.+EILLEs, DEC. 12. —The Pera arrived at 5 a.m. to-day, having experienced bad weather. The mail, leave for Lon don at 11.30 a.m. THE LATE CONVICT WIOGINS.—NOW it is of course possible these persistent disavowals of his guilt may have been simply due to a mad hope that even at the very last his life might be spared if he refused to confess. You must take them denials for what they are worth, remem bering that such firmness in adhering to one lie throughout, supposing the matenient to have been a lie, is almost un exampled in tke annals of crime. Since Wiggins's death, his parents have made repeated efforts to obtain some re investigation of the case. Tbey declare that they have witnesses who can prove that Agnes Oakes expressed to them her intention of committing suicide ; and though this evidence, if reliable , could not have disproved the charge of murder, it would go far to increase the probabi lity that Wiggins really told the truth about himself. Dr. Forbes Winslow, too, has conic forward to state that a woman might easily inflict such a wound on herself as the prosecution assumed could only have been inflicted by another's hand ; and, if this truth could be established, it would very nearly upset the theory on which Wiggins was found guilty. The mystery, however, is never likely to be satisfactorily solved. No future inquiry can ever elicit the absolute truth one way or the other. Thanks to the ano malies of our criminal system, i man has been convicted of • murder which it is quite possible be never committed ; and, thanks to the absence of any mart of criminal appeal, • maxi has been hanged who, for aught that can ever be proved, may have been absolutely innocent.—lifaciniffest's Magazine for December. LAW INTELLIGENCE. (THIS DAT.) COURT OF COMMON FLEAS. COUR ND . Sittings at Nisi Pri SECO ns in London.— T (Before Mr. J i e Byleis and a Common J ur y.) ustk mucus r. sinus. This was an action to recover damages for personal injury. Ills. Locke, Q.C., and Mr. CoMils appeared for th e plaintiff ; and Mr. J. J. Powell, !4.C., for the defendant. The plaintiff was a butcher, in Green-street, Be th na l. green, and he also had a stall in Leadenball•ruarket. Th e defendant was a salesman in that market, and on th in 211th March last about 2 o'clock in the day the plaintiff bought some meat at the defendant's shop, and went into the shop to pay for it. Hie case was that whil s t th ere some one willed his attention to some flanks et beef which hung in an unusual per. of the shop, and he went to look at th em , an d w hil st there he took one step back, and fell through a bole in the floor, which led into the basement. His leg caught in the ladder or stain which were there, and he hung head downwards. He was lifted up and sent home and it was found that his leg, thigh, ei e l ankle, were hurt ; he was con fi ned to his bed for five weeks, and was unable to attend to hie business for two months. The negligence alleged was that the flap which was made to cover the hole was open and thither that • gate which, if sh u t, wou ld have Esti. an efficient protect - ton to the hole, was thrown back. The defence mei that the plaintiff was not invited to go to that particular pat: of the shop, and that he had no banes' there • that there was plenty of light, so that the hole could be plainly seen, and that the plaintiff cou ld not have met with the meidsuit unless there bad been watt of care on his part. Further, it was stated that the plaintiff himself, immedrately after the accident, said that it was his own fault. Mr. Justice Myles directed the jury that the plaintiff mart make out that ettber by actual words or bythe comes of hilliness the defendant invited the plaintiff to go to that particular part of the shop ; that the place was dangerous, and that the accident happened without any fault on the part of the plaintiff. The jury found for the plaintiff. Damages GOl. COURT OF PROBATE. (Before Sir J. P. Wilds and a Special Jury.) TOVIM AND lIIINDT AND OTHER& This cause progresses but slowly, the plaintiff's witnesses being still under examination. Mr. 11. Chambers intimated this morning that in allpro, bability the case would occupy the remainder of the week, Elia lordship therefore stated that no special jury cases in the divorce list would be taken this term, and the juries summoned in the probate cues were for the present di,. charged from attendant*. COURT OF BANKRUPTCY. (Before Mr. Commiesioner Holroyd.) 111 RI DRYRTIJO rem. This was an adjourned sitting for examination and dia. charge under the failure of Demetrio Paine who is de scribed in the proceedings as of 11, Threadneedle -street„ late manager of the Oriental Commercial Bank (Limited) The adjudication was made upon the petition of the Agra Bank (Limited), and the bankrupt upon the appli. cation of his assignees has furnished additions/ details of his transactions, particularly of his dealings in shares. An amended statement of accounts returns the following figures :—Creditors unsecured and nominally secured, 1e8,252/. ; and creditors holding security, 7 ,3261 . ; there being a deficiency of no less than 190,663/. A stun of 94,4titit. is stated to be due to the Oriental Commercial Bank (in liquidation) in respect of calls upon shares and 50,7601. represents the amount stated to be due in respect of calls upon shares, to the Financial Corporation (Limited) also in liquidation. Numerous proofs presented by Mr. Kemp, Mr. Jamas Cooper, and other gentlemen, who have been appointed liquidators of various companies, now winding up, appear upon the proceedings. Mr. Bagley appeared for the assignees, and offered ne opposition. He said the bankrupt bad filed additional accounts, which were probably the best that could be obtained. He might state that an inquiry was in provenly in reference to the bankrupt's dealings as manager of the Oriental Commercial Bank (Limited). ' His Honour—What is the object of the inquiry? Mr. Bagley said it had reference to the bankrupt's transactions as manager of the bank, and the liquidators had to examine him upon the subject. The assignees thought that the inquiry might be left in the hands of the liquidators, and therefore offered no opposition to the bankrupt's pelage through this court. Mr. Reed, who supported, said that the Oriental Cone mercial Bank was established some years ago by the bank. rupt, who invested 20,000/. in the concern. An amalgams. lion was afterwards effected with the National Financial Corporation (Limited), the bankrupt being appointed me anger at a considerable salary. From tiwe to time he in. vested his earnings in shares in various companies, which were afterwards placed in liquidation, and the figures in the accounts represented the bankrupt's liabilities in res pect of future as well as past calls. The bankrupt pot seemed the confidence of those with whom be had been connected, ex.d his friends intended to assist him in regaining his position. His Honour granted the order of discharge. SHERIFFS' COURT, RED LION SQUARE. (Before Mr. Under Sheriff Burchell and a Jury.) DOVIELL r. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAT COWPANT. This was an action in the Exchequer, in which judgment was allowed by default, brought by the plaintiff, ldr. John Doylell, against the railway for turning him out of can iage at Reading, on his return from Oxford, at the time of the races. The damages were laid at 1501., and a writ of inquity was executed to WON the amount of damages to be awarded. , . Mr7Serjeant Robinson (with whom was Mr. McLeod) appeared for the plaintiff, whom he described as a gen& man travelling for a City house in the spirit trade. Hs went in August to Oxford, and at Reading be presented his return ticket, which was available for four days, ad the station-master refused to recognise it, as he said it was out of date, and be was dragged out of the carriage in the presence of several gentlemen and prevented rs turning to Paddington. For the miaconduct be brought an action, and the company had offered an apology and 101. as compensation, which he (Mr. Serjeant Robinsed was willing to accept and the jury would be saved a long Inquiry. Mr. H. James, as counsel for the company, desired to say a few words before the verdict was recorded. A mistake had been made by the station-master at Reading. It happened during the Oxford races, for which the return tickets were available for four daps; he had, however, mis taken the time and considered this ticket out of date ; he at once apologised, and the matter could have been settled but for the excessive damages demanded by the plaintiff. Mr. Serjeant Robinson accepted the ample apology. All he could say was that there had been personal violence ' and the plaintiff we. pre vented going ly the train, and obliged to go into R e ad ing for some hours. and when the station-master found out hie mistake, he admitted it ; but all the gentlemen who had seen the indignity committed had gone, and the only course was the action, and an apology bad been publicly made. Mr. H. James—You have the apology and 30f. halides. The learned Under Sheriff told the jury that as the learned gentlemen had arranged the amount, their simple duty was to assess the amount speed upon. The jury assessed the damages at 301. THE POLICE COURTS. (THIS DAY.) BOW-STREET. INOTIgIOUS MArDAN!, OR{ ERY. James Ire-in de Cark, late ledger cit. k to Mr. Bohn, the well-known publisher, was brought up for final coxed. nation upon several charges. It appmwed that for some considerable time a sum of 19s. fisL bad stood in Mr. Bohn's books to the credit of Mr. Blackett, a bookseller at Newbury, and a customer of Mr. Bohn's. This balance had not been forwarded to Mr. 'Hackett, as it was his wish it shou'd remain until he should order more goods, after which the account could be balanced. The matter remained in this position till I a letter was received, purporting to come from Mr. Blackett, stating that he bad resigned his business. and requesting that the amount should be forwarded to him at Rom, in Herefordshire. The' letter was now proved to be in the prisoner's handwriting, though there was suer Ment imitation of Mr. Blackett's signature to mislead, at a cursory view. Mr. Bohn forwarded a post-sdiice order fee I the amount to the address stated. It seems that the me goner, after the letter was posted, wrote to the postmaster at Roes with a transfer order to make the money payable at Roston. This order was complied with, and the prisoner went to the office at Heston and re ceived the money, signing the order w!th the name of Mr. Blackett, in the place where the receipt is acknowledged. In addition to the proof of handwriting, the prisoner was identified by the Houton postmaster. Tne prisoner was committed for trial on the charges of forging the letter, the transfer order, and the receiptM the post-office order, and also on the charge of obtruemi the money by false pretences. Mr. Bohn said be believed the prisoner had committed many similar frauds upon him, and if publicity were Pio to the case, no doubt customers whose accounts bad Iwo tampered with would come forward. He was then charged with stealing a quantity of valuable books, the property of Mr. Bohn. When taken into custody by Sergeant Aekrell on tY former charge, the prisoner had in his possession a number, of pawnbrokers' tickets for books pledged in parcels 4 from three to five, for sums varying from 10e. to 20s. 1 1,1 books were all new and worth a guinea each. Mr. Bohn said the pawnbrokers had shown great reckleir sees in receiving parcels of new volumes for inett . piciously low sums—a remark in which the mils-ears* concurred. The prisoner wan committed on this charge also, s" 31r. Treaaur3 zniagio a . 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