The Express. — London, England, 1862-01-22 00:00:00

OM WWI AND CO.ll pints EXTRACT at CALVES' FEET, PIIP Ind OEEno Ow MI hi M. Is. aril 42. prdisle. lig all From% el. NLANIMACTODT. 114 LITM , MIMANDW.; awn .1.. W. QIROOIID-H•IID PIANOTORTZEI. =ADO. ISALK sad WOOD bone • Imp mourst issi=Pkosioyesa. by do arri eilmmod w•Dos. W 1 gdow—Wl. Somiagyen. ghe erpreoo. wrtlssemele Ms Inui Papir. Nod be Om bk ban by Two ng u cluck as lbe 44 of yoblhollow 11.%111/111L117. Two rms., TM Boxisnionv. Wows. liitarissis. !.'lnters, and ran. Yea 1111nrithant sad Mr Jur Awl Li rill NM 11131/117 AND LITTLZ BO? SLIM; wt. Marleous sad ULU Daddy Loaddes. Imam Lidereit, niwersTa. Teri Emmett, THE lictliiilllOßANT. AMR YA%KIC Hof AU KUPER. Mr. &M MR W.J. Tkigam—AM Mao!. AND HUI CAT: AL RAtlevell• Kleg Coltywrobba mew.. J. Louth. 1111.1”146 aml !UM : Mkist ALUMNI. 117._4•1ML TBN Teem. 1110,WADa. leure. G. Vining, W. 0. Strehoo, le•war. helsoore : W. Herbert. —Aal 1 , [1.410711 AN U. A %MUMMA: Sr !Y Maid bed the Menem. Zr.E. %Lathe., end Mr Ifeethiel--Ceemeree et 7/. "PAUL. Tat, grwegoe, Tbe icsiwalsAllll ICING OF THI et It i. an. gm; MIONIAL A. Roby, J. L.s.. Newton, the ctuntreas _MIK C. Ikeptus. an W. CrsatonL —And Tag MlL .CMD.—Ownwoos JONI WATIIIi AS MOON SIAM& ?MP Oaf —Minim M. sa..7.7Aratema. ift. IS. twarimew..asming ft. am-- Aroweime. Ts. N. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22. THIS is Wednesday morning, and on Thursday morning, last week, the accident happened which buried in a ►icing tomb two hundred and fifteen human beings. Six full days of imprisonment in the bowels of the earth is a doom fearful enough even if we may yet hope that it may be borne by living men. Darkness, hunger, foul air, the exhaustion of fruitless struules, the agonies of disappointed hopes, are what these men must have undergone even if any survive. We need not tell our readers how slight must now be the chance that the strongest has not long ere this sunk under them. It is by such terrible attendants and ministers of death that this catastrophe is rendered so much more appalling than those which it has been on many other occasions our lot to record. In battle, or in shipwreck, by explosion of steam engines, by the crash of railway trains, by the fall of bridges or dwclling•houses, by the thousand forms of accident to which civilization and bar barism are alike liable, as many souls have often ere now been hurled at once into eternity. But it is seldom indeed that the slower process of death by starvation or suffocation has threatened such a multitude actually within reach of our senses, yet just beyond our power to save in time. Only thirty fathoms of earth were between the living and the dead : the efforts of despair reached the ears of those who were straining to mom The intelligence from the pit which we have received this morning compels us to give up the hope that a single human being will be got out alive. It is indeed probable that all perished as long ago as Saturday. Perhaps, it may have been better if some days since the rise of the water or of the foul air put an end to the agony of the buried men, rather than that any still survive to bear the torturing suspense which hangs upon the pos @ability of rescue. But such a disaster has at least its lesson. Nor can we demur to that law of nature which, filling the whole nation with sympathy, enlists even those who have least professional knowledge in the cause of devising means fur preventing the occurrence of its like. It has oftentimes been observed that mere use and wont has • certain influence in ob scuring the perception of evils, and that, in conse quence, those who are most exposed to them are the most indifferent to their existence. There are few profeesions which have not owned the benefit of extraneous suggestion, few which have not ulti mately recognised that even modifications enforced on them against their own opinion by the mere common sense of the public have been of signal advantage. Chiefly, perhaps, this has been observable in those occupations which are attended with constsiit and inevitable hazard. There is 'welling which makes men so reckless as the habit of encountering danger. None are so little dis posed to attend to common precaution as those whom even extraordinary precaution unmet make wholly secure. Yet it is surely justifiable to suggest, and if need be to compel, in the case of men so situated, the observance of such simple rules of safety as may be enviously demanded by the plain dictates of reason. We may therefore consider the leading features of the calamity which has just befallen with some hope that even those who have little technical knowledge of the subject may perceive at a glance what has been that fatal error of the system which has brought, in all pro bability, death upon hundreds, and which has most certainly inflicted upon thousands the wont tortures of lingering anxiety and despair. The Hartley pit, which has been the scene of this deplorable misfortune, is one of the deepest in Great Britain. Its total depth is nearly 100 fathoms. Throe seams of coal occur in this de scent ; the first in round numbers at 30, the second at 60, the third at 100 fathoms from the surface. The two upper seams have been ex hausted ; the lower one has alone been wrought of late years, and from its depth and other circum stances it is stated that the working barely paid : it was therefore conducted on the most econo mical principles. Amongst other difficulties this seam was subject to a prodigious influx of water, so large and continuous that it was at one time feared that the supply was derived by infiltration from the sea itself. By obtaining en opening into another pit, and by the erection of an extremely powerful pumping engine, this flow was at length kept under. The water was drawn out through a shaft, which formed at the same time the sole means of en trance for the miners, and the sole exit for the coal. It was driven through a loose mass of soil, and was therefore lined all the way down by a retaining frame of wood-work, and being the only opening that reached to the bottom, it was, for the purposes of ventilation, divided into two compart ments by a wooden partition. But so insuffi cient was this arrangement deemed by the Govern ment Inspector, that he had required • " staple," or smaller ventilating shaft, to be carried from the surface down to the highest seam, and from the middle down to the lowest seam. But between the highest and the middle seam there was no connexion except through the main shaft. When the huge beam of the pumping engine broke, it carried away all the retaining timbers of the shaft, and thus allowed the sides to close in. But this did not take place to any serious extent till it had got below the upper seam. Down to this point, therefore, the pit is still accessible. Assuming that below it the shaft is wholly closed to the bottom, there still remains the independent access from the lowest seam to the middle one by means of the air staple. It is believed that the whole of the workmeu escaped by this and reached the middle seam, where they were at least safe from danger of drowning by the unchecked flow of water. But from this there is no air staple leading to the next intermediate stage, aol bore, therefore, they must remain to await the dew efforts of the men above to remove the accumu lated rubbish which blocks up the main shaft. to one can read this cursory outline of the situation without perceiving that the whole of the frightful danger has arisen from the fact of there being but one access to the pit. On its sufficiency the lives of all who went down were left to depend. A faulty piece of timber, an unexpected outburst of water, might at any time have produced the result which an unsuspected flaw in a ponderous bourn has now wrought. In so far as any in dependent access was provided the miners were saved. By such means they reached a seam 180 feet above that in which they were at work when the shaft was blocked up. Had there been but similar oonimuni cation between the second and the highest seam, they would have been at the surface in half an hour. But unfortun►tely this did not exist. Even wild animals that burrow in holes provide themselves with a double mode of exit, so that if an enemy enter by one they may escape by the other. Reason, it seems, under the name of economy, refused to our fellow-creatures what even instinct demands. They, too, had enemies enough to fear. Water, and fire, and suffocation every in stant might break in upon them. Yet, however these foes might approach, there was but one way of escape left. If that should fail, it was always evident that they must perish, as it is too probable that they have perished. It cannot be that it is needful for our national great ness to work our national wealth at such periL If such pits as the Hartley cannot be wrought if the expenditure of a second shaft must be under gone, it were better that they were abandoned. The public will not find coals a farthing per ton dearer ; but even , if such precautions should raise the price a shilling per ton, it were better it should be paid, and the pit. be worked in reasonable safety. This is, however, we believe an exceptional case. There are few pits which are not already provided with, at least, two shafts. It is possible that there may have been MOMS other than those of economy which, in this instance, led to the neglect, and which esti). led the Government Inspector that the neglect might be overlooked. But at least we have now had our solemn warning, that for the future no circumstance should be admitted as an excuse for failing in a precaution so simple, and in the eye of common sense so plainly indispeusable to safety. Elie €ourt. Mr. John Jobeon Smith, President of the Shef field Chamber of Commerce ; Mr. Alderman Hobert Jack son, vice-peesident ; and Mr. Frederick Thorpe Mappio, had as indseview with the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, yester day, art the cam of the Board of nude. Mr Thomas Fremantle, Chairman of the Customs, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yester day, at his said rsaidence is Downing-street. Her Majesty's Commissioners for the International Ex hibition of 1082 held a meeting at their offices, in the I nosed, yesterday. _ _ . _ - Desyatches were seat yesterday from the Colontsl•offiol M tie Lard High Commissioner of the lonian Islands. Tzz PRINCI OP WM. .—We Oilderitalld that the Rev. Canon Stanley has been appointed by her Majeaty to travel with the Prince of Wales in the Rag. A son of Lord Clauwilliam's will also ac company his Royal Ifighnem We understand that the party will leave on the 7th pro:Min. Prince Peter Wittgenstein and Prince Frederick Wittneseteia bare arriv;d at Loes's HoteL The Prince of Villafranca has left Long's Hotel. The Marchioness of Waterford was safely de livered of a moo on Sunday at the residence of Mrs. Leslie fa Herkelepaguare. . . The Earl of ailkeith leaves Beleave-square to morrow far fllksith Pala" Miuburgh. _ . Vinoount de Contaden has taken a reeldence in Beelrtoo•wgaare fora term. Lord and Lady Blantyre have arrived at their rasidinos u Greavfoor-place. DRAMA. DRURY LANE. The pantomime at this theatre, which continues to draw crowded houses, to prefaced this week by a little piece in on. act, with music by Mr. Howard Glover, called Owe Too Often. It is a lively trifle, amusing Dotwith staediag its absurdities. Blanche is a maid of honour to the Queen of France, who ham almost turned her head by reading romancea. She falls in love with a certain Count Manillac, • headmen@ court gallant, famous for him booms for:ones—to other words an unprincipled libertine. He pretends violent love for the silly girl, whom he persuades into a private marriage, which he intends to makes sham one employing a friend, a foolish German Baron, to personate a priest and perform the ceremony. Blanche has a friend, Hortense, who overhears the scheming of the plot and re solves to defeat it by revealing the matter to the Queen; and accordingly when the lovers aro at their rendezvous, waiting tbo pretended priest, her Majesty makes her appear. awe, attended by • real priest, who performs a real °err siosy. The libertine is furious, and threatens to leave France, but the tears and distress of his wife move his MAW fealisgs, and the romantic damsel has the happiness to be nailed to '• a releemed rake," with the prospect, snob es It is, al kM making a good husband. The eau* by the essiegassr of Roy Bias, Is worthy el a piss* el ►igher pretensions. It consists of several she and dusts, with a final quartet for the four performers. These pieces are light and pleasing, sad some of them are very graceful and melodious. The performanse. on the whole, ie very good. The heroine is personated by Xdlle. Jenny Bauer, a lady well known on our opera stags; Hortense, the other mail of honour, by Miss Emma Hey wood, a clever and annietive young actress, and a singer of considerable attaisseaste ; /Camilla; by lien Reichardt ; and the Baron Pompernik, by Herr Former Reithardt and Formes, though Germain, speak our Lemmas so well that they an quite qualified to appear oo the Far lish opera stage, to which, indeed, they would be great as. quisitions. The former a tenor of the highest class, who has been an excellent representative of Count Alamein, snalsins the kindred character of the gay root in this little piece with great spirit ; sad the part of the stolid, heavy. headed German Baron suite Formes admirably. Altogether, Once too Often goes off very pleasantly, and the mane will sot detract from Mr. Glover's deservedly high reputation. A further list of addrettens and resolutions of oon dolenee on the occasion of the death of his Royal Hip Amens the Prince Consort has been trio/milted to the Right lion. Sir George Grey Bart., her Majesty's Principal Sear tory of State foe the Home Departinent. to be laid before the Queen, and is published in last night's audit. PRI Nct CONSORT MINORIAL.—MECTINO AT HIM. —The Mayor of Hull, anticipating some effort being made for raising a notional memorial to the late Prises Consorts called a public meeting of the Mimi: eats of Hull, which was held on Woodsy, at the Sesiatoo-ocurt, Town-hall. The Mayor occupied the chair, and the leading seercimate and gentlemen coonected with the town wen weasel Mr. Alderman Mom moved the first resolution, approving of the erection of a national memorial, and pledging the meeting to support it. Lieut.-Colonel Pease tecooded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Limits•Ckdoesel Samuelson moved a resolution, appointing an iolluestial committee for collecting sehecriptims. Amongst the other speakers were Mr. Couocillor Richardson, T. H. Travis, Es q., stipendiary magistrate, and Councillor Loft. The feeling of the meet ing was unanimously In favour of the erection of some local memorial, after the ealiseriptime had beet obtained for the national one. Varicose ingratioas were made, such as • local school of art for student and others ; a statue in the New Town Hall, which is to be erected in • few months' time, he. The meeting skied with a rote of thanks to the Mayor. ORRAT GRIMM! ELECTION. —This borough is now fairly pleased into the excitement of an election con test in consequeees of Lord Wortley having succeeded, through the death of his lamented father, to the earldom of Yarborough. Mr. J. Chapman, chairman of the Mat. °heeler, Sheffield, and Liocoloshire Railway, has issued an address as • conservative candidate. THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 22, 1862. LATEST INTELLIGENCIL FRANCE AND ROME. The Inele'pendanee Beige, in its leading column, makes the following remarks on the prevalent rumour that the Emperor thinks of doing some thing at Rome : We lately said that between the contradictory opinions current as to the presumed policy of France at Rome, we did not hesitate to class ourselves with those who, not con sidering the solution of this question to be indefinitely ad journed, hold, on the contrary. that it is ripening and that on the first favourable opportunity it will make a step from the region of vague diplomatic conferences to that of accomplished facts—or facia on the point of being accomplished. Rumours noticed to-day in our Paris correspondence corroborate theme impressions. According to these rumours, the cabinet of the Tuileries is still steadily pursuing, with the modifica tions called for by the progress of ideas, the original project set forth in the pamphlet, "The Pope and the Congress." That project was a species of compromise proposing to leave the Sovereign Pontiff him rank as a temporal monarch reigning over a part of Rome, but at the ems time making that city the capital of Italy, and asigning to its inhabitant, a position somewhat analogous to that of the citizens of Washington in that neutralised territory which contains the President's palace and the chambers. (nurse's FRANCE. M. FOULD'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT. PARIS, JAL. 22. The Moniker of this morning publishes the report on the state of financial affairs, addressed by M. Fould, Minister of Finance, to the Emperor. The minister commences by stating that he pro poses to establish in the budget a great distinction between ordinary and extraordinary expenses. He announcesthattheordinary expenses of the budgetof 1863 show in the aggregate an increase of 70 millions over the estimated expenses of 1862, but this surplus of expenses is only apparent as the supplementary credits, voted or decreed, which have been added to the provisions of the budget. These were in 1860, 131 millions, and in 1861, 152 millions. M. Fould then continues :—" The exposti of the budget will contain special details on these questions, but I believe it my duty to at once state that there will be in the Ministries of Marine and War an increased expenditure of four millions, calculated on an effective of 400,000 soldiers and 85,700 horses. But these figures, compared with the real effective of last year, show an important re duction, as the average effective of 1861 was 467,000 men, which, by the Ist of January, 1862, was reduced to 446,000. By the Ist of January, 1863, it will be reduced to 400,000. In the budget of the Ministry of Marine the credits amount in the aggregate to 168,000,000 francs, for the ordinary and extra ordinary service, which forms an important diminu tion in the expenditure in precediv financial years. In fact, notwithstanding the increase of 70,000,000 in the supplies for 1862, the budget of 1863 will show a real and considerable reduction." M. Fould then proceeds to give an account of the ways and means of the budget, and states that he will exone rate from all personal taxes and taxes on personal property every individ ual who has nothing but his work to obtain a livelihood. Every workman who works alone will be exone rated from the tax of a patent for the exercise of his trade. M. Fould will also reduce to one per cent. the duties on valuables transmitted by post. In order to insure the regularity of those branches of the public service in which the estimated expenditure might be exceeded, the minister proposes to modify certain taxes as a means of increasing the revenue. These taxes are a new tax on horses and carriages of livery, which is estimated to produce millions francs, and the augmentation of the Axed dues and fees at the public registrar offices, which would produce 10 millions franca. A modification is also proposed in the method of collecting the proportional registry fees, which would produce a revenue of 10,000,000 fr. A slight increase of the stampduties is estimated to yield 9,500,000 fr. An increase in the stamp duties on bills of stock and licensed brokers, which would produce 1,200,000 francs. A fixed tax on bills of account and on receipts is estimated to produce 12i million francs. The total of these new resources is esti mated at 50 millions francs, which will allow of the settlement of the ordinary budget of 1863, and leave a surplus of revenue amounting to 20 millions francs. M. Fould then discusses the general financial situa tion. He estimates the deficit at the end of 1861 at 1,006,000,0001 r., and says:—" It will be wise to take advantage of the peace we now enjoy to bring about • reduction of our deficit. I be lieve myself able to assure your Majesty that it will not be necessary for that purpose to have recourse to • loan, which would add a fresh burden to the public debt." M. Fould farther states that it would be desirable to arrive at • unity of the public debt, and says, " Would it not be possible, without neglecting the interests and rights of the state, to insure to the holders of public bonds the continuance of their present in come by offering to the holders of the Four-and-a- Half per Cent. Ream the option of exchanging their bonds for new bonds, insuring to them the same income in Three per Cent. Routes. In March, 1862, the state will withdraw the option of conversion or redemption. If the holders of the Four-and-a-Half per Cent. Rentes, in order to ensure themselves against the redemption, would wish to effect the conversions themselves, they could do so by exchanging their bonds for an in scription of 3 per cent. in the public books, which would produce the same amount of Routes without the expenditure of any considerable sum. At pre sent the only difference between the two funds would be about 8001 r. for every 450 fr. of Rentes. The bondholders, however, would be justified at present in awaiting more favourable conditions than those which would be obtainable when the state will have reassumed its right of redeeming these Renter. The payments which would be made by the bondholders to make up the difference (cos lte) would amount for all the bonds of the Four. and-a-Half per Cent. Loan to about 300,000,0001 r. It would be necessary that a law should leave the faculty of fixing, according to circumstances, the payments to be effected by the holders of the Four-and-a-Half per Cent. Rentes for making up the difference. These payments could be made in several instalments, which it would be beet to make coincide with the period of the annuities in arrears. This conversion would be entirely optional, but there is no doubt as to the success of the operation. If by some fortuitous causes this conversion was only partial, at all events, the magnitude of the Four-and-a-Half per Cent- Rentes would be diminished, and their re demption would be therefore more easily effected afterwards. As soon as circumstances would per mit, the state could proceed to the redemption by making more vigorous use of its rights in this respect. The extraordinary budget for 1863 will be made the subject of a special law. The extraordinary resources of the state consist of 574 millions francs, consisting of the balance in bonds of the obligations centamaires, and 10 millions francs„the amount of the third annuity of the Chinese indemnity. As these two sums will not allow of the construc tion of railways and the carrying -oat of other works of public utility, I do not doubt that the Corps Legislatif will not refuse to vote the means for the execution of works of incontestable utility by the temporary establishment of any surtax on two articles of extensive oonsumption—namely, by an augmentation by 10 centimes per kilogr a mme of the duties on salt, which would produce 33,000,000 francs. The trades which make use of salt as a principal manufacturing staple would be freed from any complementary dues in order to place them in a position to withstand foreign competition. The reduction in the sugar duty begins to have its effect. Nevertheless we should con tinue to collect a duty of 42 franca, which would include the payment of the decimes. Thus sugar would still enjoy half the reduc tion of the duty which was formerly ef fected. The temporary augmentation of the sugar duty would produce about 29,000,000 fr. The extraordinary receipts would thus be 130,000,000fr.,and might be 150,000,000 fr., by add ing the credits unemployed in 1862, which would form more important amounts than those em ployed in 1861 and 1862 for extraordinary works." M. Fould employs in the regulation of the budget of 1861, the 25 millions of the extraordi nary debt due by Spain to France, which it appears will shortly be settled, and the 10 millions forming the second annuity of the Chinese indemnity. If these resources should not be sufficient, 30 millions would be added by commencing to levy the _ _ two temporary surtaxes on sugar and salt from July, 1862. In conclusion, M. Fould states that the ordinary budget of 1863 will be balanced by the surplus reve nue of the ordinary budget, and by other resources which would be sufficient for the national expendi ture. There would still ramekin the deficit, which, however, would not only cease to increase, but would soon diminish. PENINSULAR MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, WLDWZSDAT. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's steam-ship Alhambra, with the Penin sular mails, arrived off the Needles at 10.20 a.m. to-day. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. (now ouz owx PARIS, TOEBDAT EVINING. The Patric gives the following as "Latest News :" We have a letter from London, dated Jan. 20, which states that the English government has determined to pro test against the idea entertained by the cabinet of Washing ton to submit to Congress a bill enacting that the Southern ports are and shall be deemed to be, in point of law, closed to foreign oommerce, and that the captains of foreign ships who may enter them in contempt of each law shall be treated ea pirates. We are assured th►t such a law would be regarded by the cabinet of London as a cause of open rupture between North America and Europe. The steam aviso Forfait, now in Cherbourg Har bour, has received orders to hold herself in readi ness to proceed to North America on a mission. The Prase says that the French army to be sent to Mexico will eonsiat of 6,400 mon. - • At the Bourse the Bente has again risen, and is firmer than ever. The diminution in the rate of discount, and the statement that M. Fould's finan cial projects will be disclosed before the Emperor's speech, led to very large purchases. The Rente rose 50c. and 40c., closing at 70fr. 30c. and 'Mfr. 400. Mobilier still remains unaffected by the upward movement, and fell bfr. Railways also were, on the whole, rather lower. One of the victims of the accident in the Bois de Boulogne lake, M. Lerebours, a young man of 22, who was a partner in a manufactory of mathe matical instruments on the Quai d'Orfevres, lost his life in the very act of saving that of a fellow creature. Gros-Claude, the drunken coachman, who, as hes been already stated, was the first to break the ice, was seen by K Lerebours as he was falling into the water. The latter skated up to him, and succeeded in pulling him out and placing him on a solid place ; but a moment afterwards, other people rushing to the scene of the catastrophe caused a large expanse of ice to break, and the generous K Lerebours was among the four who sank never to rise again alive. Couut Berthier, grandson of the Prince de Wag. ram lately narrowly escaped aaeassination from the ram, of a lady living iu the Loretta quarter of the town. The ease will shortly come before the assize court. Prince Napoleon has been confined to his room for some time put by indisposition, but is now better. His illness is an angine COMARetlie. He has bad leeches to his neck. The Princess Clothilde enjoys excellent health. The Cologne Gazette states that out of the 10,000 homes in Berlin, there are only 31 which are completely tree from mortgage. A communication from Vienna states that all the English officers residing in Austria, who had received ardms to return to Befriend, have received a prolongation of their leave of absence, since the danger of a war with America has paned away.l The Pontifical Cu k ittiar for 18412 ham just been published. It declares that there are 938 dioceses in the catholic world, and that 75 episcopal sees, most of them Baran, are now vacant. It designates Cardinal Milesi as being still Legato at Bologna, and Mgr. Leapt as being Legate at Torii; everything is retained as if the Legations, the March." the 'Umbria, were still governed by the Holy See. A Paris letter in the Nord says :—" Our saloons MS sow beginning to receive company, as the cold weather has driven people from their country seats. The Duke de GellOra has resumed his receptions on Mondays ; M. Drouyn de Lhuya on Tuesdays and Wednesdays ; the Marehionees Roccaliovias, Me Bonaparte, on Fridays. Mme. Walewska, her parties on Thursdays; and Marshal Barman de Saint-Jean d'Augnly his Thursdays. Balls will shortly be given by the Ministers of War and of Public Works." The former Minister of Electoral Hesse, the pro moter of all the illegal measures which continue to cause so much dissatiafaction in the state, M. de Hasaenpflug, had a stroke of apoplexy on the 12th instant. Fallen into dis grace with the sovereign whom he served but too faith fully, he has lived for several years in the small town of Marburg. It is stated that the Paris Moniteur will shortly announce officially the fact that the Princess Clothilde is enceinte. In the French Academy, M. Octave Feuillet is spoken of as likely to be elected to the se►t left vacant by the death of M. Scribe, and Prince de Broglie as successor to Father Lacordaire. The Debate of to-day publishes a very lengthy despatch, addressed, on the 20th inst., by the Prussia Minister of Foreign Affairs to the representative of Prussia at the court of Dreeden, in reply to a despatch from Barra de Build., relative to a scheme for the reorpnisatioa of the Germanic Confederation. A Wiesbaden letter says :—" This year the gaming establishment is to be subjected to infinitely Weber taxation than heretofore. The ease et 14,000 florins a year hitherto paid is to be raised to 154,000. It is thought that the mower of the teed sappeemisa of the gaming homes here Is not eorreet." The rearm is qui** related, met I to Wieebedea, bat to Bdes•Badss, whisk km under wailiar govenosat. NAVAL AND MILITARY. ADMIRALTY, JAIL 15. Corps of Royal Marines—First Lieutenant and Adjutant James Conway Travers to be captain, vine Barnard ; Second Lieutenant John Ignatius Morris to be OM lieu =kyles Travers, promoted; First Lioutsomat Lewis David to be captain, vice Drain. to half-pay ; Second Lieutenant herald Alibi= Headline to be lint lieutenant, vice David, promoted ; First Lieute nant Charles Bulleu Hugh Mitchell to be adjutant, vies Travers. COURT-KARTIAL. A court-martial bald on board the Victory, flag ship, at Portsmouth harbour, to try Staff-Surgeon Joseph Caldwell, of her Majesty's ship Caesar, on two charges, concluded this afternoon. The court comprised Ca tain Wilson, of the St. Vincent (middent); Captain Walawri lit, Shannon ; Captain Coots, Vic tory; CaPtato Trafalgar ; and Captain Sew combs. of the Hima laya, with E. Hoskins, Fag., as officiating Judge Advocate. The charges against Mr. Oaklerell were as follows—First, that the said Joseph Caldwell,being in actual service and fall pay in her Majesty's fleet, he., did, on or about 5 p.m. on the 2Ulh of December, 1861, use provoking language tending to make a quarrel and disturbance by twice saying in the wardroom of the said ship, many of the officers being present, that any member of the Daces who made any remark about any bet be had made, or who implied that he wished to get • out of any bet that he had made, was a liar and a black guard, and that he would prove it, or words to that effect. The second charge was that at the sante time and place Mr. Caldwell used provoking language towards Lieutenant John C. Patterson, of the Cum, by saying to him, "You lie, air • you lie ; " such language tending to make • quarrel and disturbance. Captain Mason prosecuted and Mr. Wallis appeared as prisoner's friend. It appeared that the language imputed arose from a bet having been made between prisoner and one of the lieute nants, the subject of the bet bang the time it would take the ship to reach the Gut of Gibraltar. An apology (produced by Lieutenant Patterson) was tendered by the prisoner to the mess for the language, which wee aoeepted in writingby sixteen of them, two only miming to acknowledge it. It farther appeared that Lieutenant Patterson wrote toCaptain Mason, asking bins to withdraw the charge, as he was sa tisfied with the apology. The court, after sitting for two days, retired, and after about one hour and a quarter's deli beration found the prisoner guilty of both charges, and he wee sentenced to be dismissed her Majesty's service. WOOLWICH, Jas. 21. MoNgrEn Gun. The 300-pounder Armstrong gain manufactured at the Blurb* factory on the muzzle. loading principle, was yesterday fitted to • carriage eon scructed at the Royal Anew& and the extraordinary weapon, which weighs 12 tons 8 cwt., will be tested at Bhoeburyness when the nacemary ammunition is prepared for that purpose. The Buffalo, steam Acre vowel, Master Commander A. Brown, which arrived kit week from the West Coast of Africa, is ordered to be paid off at this yard on Friday next. The unusual activity which prevailed in every depart ment of the Royal Arsenal in anticipation of a war with America has to Dome extent relaxed. and in the royal car riage and other departments the system of overtime has this week been abolished. The Armstrong gun factories are still in operation by night and day, as the issue of 12 and 1C) pounders is much required. thii dno lees than twenty of these gins, recently manufacture d, were proved at the government practice range, sod the proms will be continued daily during the week. Four 048111 vessels Sr. now loading with war storm for Calmat= West indica. Re:Majesty's gunboat Rainbow, Lieutenant de Robeek, R.N., commanding, arrived at Kingstown, on Mon• day, from Plymouth, which she left at noon on Saturday, with bobs and Mores for her Majesty's ship Ajax. The schoonee. Antelope also arrived with provisions for the same ship. Both vessels report very severe weather In the Channel, wind from S.S.L, with increasing shores of sleet. Tilt brit ERMEX Itinta.—On Saturday last a match was shot off emonpt a number of the officers of this corps at their own butt. The day was beautiful for shooting, but the air was extremely cold, intensified by a sharp beesse from the river. However, there was no grpooaa ad to complain on this or any other bead. At the eoaclmine the score was as ender :—Major Wirt, 18 ; Lieutenast Nixon. 18 ; Lieutenant Barnett, 15 ; Adjutant Davie, lb ; glairl2 Elliot, 14 ; Ensign Tone, 11 ,• Captain Elbert*, 9 ; &Mtn Thurgood and Ensign I: ooth, 8 each. It will bus be seen that Major Birt and Lieutenant Nixon tied. They fired o ff , therefore, at 300 yards ran,' At the first shot Idr. Nixon 'cored an outer ; Major Bin, on the other hand, scored a centre, and won the male. WEATHICR. RIPORT.-(TRD3 DAY.) Ham 20.60 36 amts= 10.66 30 Lars 20.44 46 Samoa 20.46 17 AassaseaS .36 66 roars= 19.07 40 Semite 17 Gamma 1 4 .46 10 seassiabSal 20.60 34 Unarms .31 37 NA/JNTL4 — 117 . 17/201111 I: 16 LONDON .42 40 Wyss - 48 at IPONTIAOOIII 41 10117 ILID lan 441 Pitmans Pyrwical &W. SAL e a i i. /WWI !O ?MI MORT. /110116111111 3119 . 0112 111IDAT. N. Britain—LlLL to B.S.L. Lto 8. and to W., strong to • fresh to strong, rain or snow. gate snow or W., Ireland—dinglar, and to LW. LtoB.to W. and N., &strong gale. rain. Central—E. to B.LL,to &LW., 8. to W. and N., a ple, rainy. fresh to strong, rainy. E. Coast—E. to B.n.L and 8. to W. and N.. strong, to • fresh, snow, rainy. M. 8. England—S.E. to 8. and S.W.. SAW. to W. and N., a gide, fresh to a strong gale in the rainy. west, with rain. CEPLASAIIIDN. P.—Barometer corroded NA rodmoi to 82 level ; each 10 feet, of vertical rim eandes oboe' one-hundredth of an Inch diminution . and eats 10 dig., shove 32 deg., causing nearly threebundredths donde. 1.-Ikpoied thentionieter In abode. IL-I[ointemod bath (for evaporation and dew point). D.—Dtreation of wind (fa ae—two points 10 of mag netic). I.—force (1 to 11—estimated). V.—Cloud (1 to 9). I. : b blue sky c. clouds (detached): f, fog ; h. hail ; 1. : as, 1119147 (half) : o. 01'01 , 04 (dull) ; r, rain ; G. Wow I. thunder. 9.-4eadliandence 11 to in. W.—Wet, rain-fall, or snow, or ball, Moog lad report, In Inches and decimals. 7.. cam at Vae!a • Mr. Massey, M.P., met his constituents in the Town Hall of Salford last night, and addressed them at considerable length. The principal part of the speech of the honourable gentleman referred to the war in America, and Mr. Massey's opinions on that subject were clear and explicit. The "mad, hopeless, aimless " contest he would put an end to if possible, and the policy he means to sup port in the House of Commons is to urge the great maritime powers of Europe to "terminate the presentstate of grabs" by "mediation and by friendly interposition." The meeting wu a crowded and stormy one, and a vote of thanks to Mr. Massey concluded it. On Saturday last the Very Rev. the Dean of Canterbury was out skating on a pond near that city, when he ventured on a dangerous part of the ice, which broke, and he wee precipitated into the water up to the arm-pits. The rev. gentleman wee, however, soon rescued and taken to a cottage close by. A change of clothing was here oh- Waal, and the dean soon made bin appearance again on the pond, enjoying the fun of the misadventure which had placed him in so awkward a position. On the night of the 9th inst. eleven students and six artisans left Warsaw for Siberia, there to serve as common soldiers in the disciplinary companies. The aged Archbishop has been sent from the same city, under escort, to Bobruisk, where he will undergo his sentence. The Journal de Frankfort says :—" A master shoemaker of Weschiehlidi (district of Dux) has murdered his wife sod three children—a girl of 16, a boy of 8, and an infant of six mouths. After having despatched his victims by blows with a hammer, he cut their tbroata. All the were found in the beds of the deceased except that el ea r l young girl, who was tied to e piece of furniture by lee half. The assassin, who has not yet been taken, bad written on the table with chalk—' Debta and misery are death.' " THE Loss or THE —The following is • Sok of the crew saved from the Crisis, which was wrecked en Arklow Bank on the 16th inst.:—William Carson, sewed mate ' • John Bewley, carpenter ; Patrick leDowell, steward ,• David O'Neill, seaman ; Andrew Hill, ditto ; John Kelley, ditto ,• Jab° W. White mid Frederick A. Hill. apprentices. The ill•fated ship wee bound from Liverpool to Singapore ' and was owned in Liverpool by Messrs. Brocklebank and Co. The captain and tea of the crew are still miming. Those saved arrived at Liverpool yesterday. A. Bewoo,l eft CHASED BY A FEDERAL SHIP OF WAR. —By account& from! Charleston, received at Lloyd's, dated Doc. 26, the Prince of Wales, schooner, wee chased by a Federal vessel of war, and fired into, the shot taking effect in the hull, but without injuring any one. She was then run on shore on North Inlet. and set to. in order to prevent her from felling into the bands of the Federals, the launches of the cruiser having been sent after her. She was loaded with 1,000 nicks of salt, and sundries. THE SOUTH OF IRELAND AND LONDON TELE GRAPH Conraev.—This telegraphic company, recently established under the'presidency - of Lord Fermoy, for direct communication between Cork and London rid 'Vales, has succeeded is obtaining permission fur erecting their poles and wires agrees the entire counties of Wexford, Waterford, and Cork. Permission is yet to be obtained at the baronial sessions of Irnokilly to be held at /Glisten, but this, as a matter of course, will be readily conceded.—Cork Reporter. Lir, tAiismar 11, t La e7i. ILS.L L s7z COURT OF ALDERMEN. A Court of Aldermen was holden yesterday at Guildhall. The Lord Mayor, with his wonted pu..etwility, took the chair at one o'clock precisely. There was a fall Woodson of member, of the court, and among the alder, awe who took their seats at the opening of the proceedin A , were Yaws. Copeland, Wilson, liemphery, Sir J. liuk ' Sir R. W. Carden, SalomonSalomon,,,Sidney, Sir J. Mtmgrow,, Finals, Yoshi, Sir IL linggeridge, Challis, Carter, Hale, W, Lawrence, Phillips, Gabriel, Abbise, Sir F. (1. Moon, C. .1. Lawrence, Coo, and Resley. The Recorder and th o Common Sergeant also attended the court, and Mr. Sheriff Cockerell and Mr. Sheriff Tweutyman and the Under Sheriffs ware likewise present officially. STATE OP Till CITY PRISONS. Mr. Sheriff 00C1312ILL, the senior sheriff, hernial in a statement of the number of prisoners confined in the differ. eat city gaols. From this report it appeared that there are at preesat confined in Newgate 95, in Whitteross street 91, and at the House of Correction, Holloway, 365 prisoners. IN THE PUBLIC THOZOUGHTAIEB. Alden:Ma SIDNZT presented a petition of the inhabitants and traders of St. vary-at. Hill, complaining of the ol*truc. tines that were caused in the public thoroughfaree iu that neighbourhood by fish carts and barrows attending Billings. gate-market. Some little discurrion took place upon this matter, during which the very great inconvenience and annoyance to th e inhabitanta from the cause complained of were admitted, but Alderman Beeley expressed his opinion that a great deal of the annoyance might be got rid of by additional police regulations. Alderman Wilson, however, said that if.the honourable member were to attend the Police Com mittee and see the number of drivers of vehicles who were summoned by the police and fined for obstructing the different thoroughfares, he would be satisfied that nothing could be done tuilela additional powers were given to the magistrates, and ho begged to inform the court that the Police Committee were preparing a bill to be submitted to parliament, after it had received the sanction of the corpo ration, to effect that object. (Rear, heir.) The petition was ultimately referred to the General P. poops Committee. THE 1/SOULAI7ONB AFFECTING THE CITY BROKERS. Alderman Fungus presented a petition signed by a great number of the leading colonial end other brokers carrying on their business in the City of London, praying that the admission of broken by the Court of Aldermen might be discontinued, together with the rules and regulations affect. leg them that were at prawn established. He said that be believed the court would agree with him that the questions involved in the prayer of the petitioners were of too much importance to be discussed at once by the court, and he should therefore move that the petition be referred to the General Purposes Committee, to examine into th e whole of i the matters involved in it and make a report thereon to the court. Alderman WILSON seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. BRocEtu? RENTS. Alderman Blown then presented& petition of certain sworn brokers of the City of Loudon and members of the Stock Exchange, praying for an abolition of the annual rent paid by such broken. This motim gave rim to a rather warm and lengthened discussion. PRISON. The Gaol Committee made a report to the court in re. Terence to this " n, in which they recommended that • governor should be appointed at • salary of 2001. per annum, with residence, coals, gas, to., but that the apv pointment should be made upon the condition that he sh o uld not expect any retiring allowance, in the event of the office being abolished in oonsequence of the altered state of the law relating to debtors that he should not hold any other once either civil or mili tary, that he should constantly reside in the prison, and not sleep out of it a single night, without the consent of the visiting magistrates, and that he should make a monthly return of all sums of money received by him from attendee and other sources contributing to the import of prieonen confined in the gaol. The **Pod was agreed to, sad it was referred back to the committee to be carried Into execution. The committee was also empowered to take into consideration the question of what alterations should be made in the prison consequent upon the great decrease in the number of prisoner; confined for debt under the operation of the recent statute. COSTS OP PIOSICIMONS. - - The General Purposes Committee made a report in refer. enoe to the disallowance by the Treasury of the sum of 4501., which had been paid for following to Australia and bringing back to this country a solicitor named Hughes, who ab• soonded with a large amount of trust money that had been confided to him. The report stated that the committee bad consulted the City solicitor upon the point, and he wu of opinion that the Treasury was justified in refusing to pay this mosey out of the Consolidated Fund, as that fund was only applicable for the costs of prosecutions, and not for the coat of apprehending criminals. The report was speed to. Alderman Swum' was then about to make another motion in reference to the subject of broken' rents, when an hon. member suggested that there was no court, and upon the aldermen present being counted it was found that there was not a sufficient number present, and an adjournment herefore at once took place. CHARING•CROSS COLLEGE. Last night a meeting was held in King William street, Charing-cross, in support of this institution, which hies been recently established, and for the purpose of Man• guesting science classes in connexion with the South Ken sington Museum, the Hon. A. KIIINAIRD, M.P., occupying the chair. The Ciisfilwar remarked upon the importance of the college, which, he said, would afford great educational ad. vantages to the middle classes, aid the upper class of op*. retires, among whom there was • great amount of unde veloped talent which might be employed for the benefit of the present and future generations. The great difficulty in the present day in regard to education was, that the young were taken away from school at too early an age, and evening classes would therefore supply a want which was much needed. The tendency now was to give a half-holiday on Saturday, and it was of the utmost importance that the young men who were thus relieved from work should have opportuni ties for study and self-improvement. No part of London more required such classes than Charing-cross, as it was the centre of London—he might almost say of the civilised world—and ha believed that in order to meet the wants of the humblest rank; it was proposed to reduce the payment to be. • quarter. The chairman then referred to the clam on penmanship as one of the utmost importance in • great commercial city like London, and said that only thaw who were in the habit of receiving many communications could conceive the discomfort and misery which bad writing caused, observing that they could follow no better example than that of the present Premier, who liked a good plain hand, and whose own writing was certainly model for the oommunity at large. (Cheers.) Dr. lANILESTeiI moved she Ant resolution, to the effect that, though the means of education were now within the power of almost the entire British youth, large numbers of respectable and otherwise intelligent young men and young women were deficient in those brindles of knowledge, the possession of which would not only elevate them greatly in the social male, bit enhance the pecuniary value of their services to others ; and that, therefore, the establishment of such institutions as the Charing-cross College was de serving of support. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously, and ether resolutions in furtherance of the object having been passed, the rooting separated. HEALTH OP LONDON. The weekly return issued by the General states that the mortality of London !trie; that ended on Saturday exhibited a satisfactory decrease sa the rather formidable return of the previous week. The deaths. which had risen to 1,561, fell last week to 1,391. The deaths from pulmonary dimes*. (exclusive of phthisis) were 348 in the previous week; they declined to 310 last week. Those from bronchitis now returned are 185, the corrected average being 206 ; from pneumonia they were 79, whereas the avenge of correapooding weeks is 101. Plithisis was fatal to 144 persons, against au avenge of 163. There was a decrease in scarlatina last week ; the number referred to it was 57. It had previously ranged considerably above 70. There were 14 from diphtheria, 3of which OCM carrel in the first sub-dietrict, Lambeth Church. Three children have died of diphtheria in a family at 39, Pouter'. street, Clerkenwell, within 12 days. Fire of the deaths from scarlatina occurred in Deptford. Typhus numbered 52 deaths, the corrected average being 47. The western dia. triets re turned 16, the southern 22. Four occurred is Horton, 4 in St. James, Bermondsey, 3 in the road sub-district. Of them 52 deaths, 15 are re=t , caused by " typhus," 20 by " typhoid fever," 6by gastric fever," 1 by " fever," 1 by "continued fever," 1 by " infantile fever," sad Bby "fever." A woman died on the 4th inst. at 12, Hyde-place, Horton. from destitution. A labourer, his name unknown, died se par=tly from want on the following day at 7, Warren-lave, Woolwich. When iu a state of exhaustion he was hospit ably admitted to • common lodging-house, where be bad re quested to be permitted to enter, and died soon after. Lest week the births of 1,007 boys and 989 girls, in all 1,996 children, were registered in Leaden. In the ten cor , respoodiug weeks of the yam 1852-61 the average number (corrected) was 1,800. WORKING 11114 COLLEGE, 45, GREAT ORMOND image, H .C.—The sew term hu just commenced. game have been formed in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, book kirks& English grammar, literature, compo sition and hiabory, boteey, the microscope , geology, thephil osophy the imbig , the constitutional history of Eng and, French. Genre, Latin, and drawing, under the superintendence of Nr. Ruskin. DEATH Or A CENTENARIAN. —Bridget Kir lc r widow of the late James }irk, aged 110 years, recently di at Tatebawn, tryhilL She was iu pretty good health till within three days of her death. She was a widow for twenty years, and her eldest sou is more than 70 years of age. —Freeman's Journal. DI bI t.t Eil lip si a h a. ft P C r ii li t a ii • S I. U r- IP ■ k• b. of In y