The Express. — London, England, 1859-01-06 00:00:00

H ARMONIUMS -NEW MODEL-CRAMER, 111.1.4 sa4 Co.. 101. M+►.a..a XIS DAILY NEWS: LONDON MORNING 'AP ea, prat oftiaampol FL. stamped Linear Liberal 'autos'. the mimes. al fres othisiina.thi'l of /Sera Wets. Is the eitem aryl IWO* of Ito merry" eory—ln tbe weans, eh , tograto. sad in W nor' imystatth aryl easisined Is Moo thy. railway, Ana sthettry lEFPArot ITS YOZZION YILWA lR ILELIARLIS ANS IM lAL to lathmithil thee mist' of interim It. Us loath S•arlo toggled WS As ervir7 ertat.t NSI,M It woods. WiLY DAILY MINING IttiPOST. IT ESE d plow EXCLUDES ALL OFFENSIVE •DVERTISININTS. It io arlals to- loyoo,!roL. sad. If oUgh Math. , _thaa "" Pon Ors sal or P.• pIIPZPIPP, OM payer cy rounntery W theft lentesesao, seam orl for thi ef a thamatic am" pathos boi thliwkot Ye my. To be cresol of any bootlicks or orscoas to the kingdom; or sr ItD Der.ltcytyynoit7mt, Let too. A.I. If difiku.ty to m 4 thilica 0 / P.M PI Mal= MO ni roiliest Oft, taeoollolier • 111. ea ognoment. huniala OD Ot WV. L. neat, to supply 3 et Itla Id. PPP parier. geld to PPRIPPI by Footosvv,4,lor. pa par r 113. iris exprelA. TO CORRESPONDENTS. thertneseente tetra:Jed for "The Express," London Eveatag Paper, most be at the Odloe, 10, I3wNrle•Weet, by Two ottani on the day of publication. ROYAL VIOLIST, °PULA, COVENT GARDEN. Tun. V $ NA. tIATAN ELLA or • Tao P... t.r. St. Albyu. Ilona . ). I ont. and Ilarr.•.n. Ml..ea Louis-sand Sono Plat. Tito /lawn —Aad LITTLE ELI/ RIDING 11001). M. Payrar • nut.... U,DJ C. Ycraaa.Yulacebttkaptaloa—Conamenna at RATMAILKCT. Till Ey r( , ,. PLOCON. Mama 'men, Complex,. Taft., &AKL I;6AAAA.Iak 11r( E. I IttiriMom. Tt.enan.— =DINA or. th.tiArtiof Lbe %tem MewlA. C. Lecterg, Gad U. Colo Min L. LAelgent Mir P. Wr(ght. PR INMAIVS, Sin KeeetNo. YACHLTII. M. a.d Mn C. Lens.—Asd the rnotomme of THE KIND UPTIIC CertLlS; or, Pr..nee Punned, sad The Primers Bright Ks. M. Ceesnelt, nolluc, awl Paolo; Ml C. Adam. . moor al T. LTC~L'Y, Tam Byrum M.t AI R rPBI7O . IIIIE ; et. no elslla of Ptesam. liadarrta C•le•te t 11r. Al COL OV TEUV. a..., burnt ;Mn J. OIL O•orre. MI.. Talho.—And Y~iJJylll3 SOY HORS& Ile Wort hail/.—Comittascs at T. SITA~I(A. ravirc PEACOCK AND VIE QCEEN OTPPITE; lit TIN /1.1.1511 ,at Ia Youth. in el. We.—And MILD< DA Ski PLIX b. HIGH WATICK AT LOMIDON BUIDGE. reistz,—.lors.u. 1 , .'-eta 41.01,tee,va. 3‘.41.4. v—liarawa. 4/.. LONDON. THURSDAY, JAN. 6. Ma. Commissioner GOVLBURN in most rightfully refusing a certificate to the fraudulent bankrupts Daetusox and GORDON has delivered a judgment which will be generally regarded as among the ablest and most ►atisfactory ever pronounced in the mercantile tribunals of this country. The learned Commissioner prefaced his sentence by some ad mirable preliminary remarks on the great advantages of publicity in these mercantile cases. In the opinions thus expressed we entirely concur. In advocating a Reform of our Bankruptcy Procedure, it has always been our anxious endeavour to discriminate be tween the Administrative and the Judicial func tions of the Court. For the asks of expedition and business-like management the Administrative functions of the Court cannot be exercised toe privately ; for the higher interests of com mercial morality, for the purpose of dragging doubtful transactions to the light of day, and setting the broad stamp of public reprobation on equivocal, or disreputable, or fraudulent pro osedinge—the judicial business of the Court =mot be transacted too openly. To prove debts and marshal assets in open court, tad with tne forms of a judicial prooedure, is a sheer waste of time ; to investigate the conduct of the bankrupt and adjudicate on his certificate in private would be a plain departure from firmly esta blished principles. We are not aware that the Bankrupt Law Reformers, who moat zealously ad vocate the one change, have ever seriously contended for the other. At all events, if there be such • clam of theorists, we must take leave to express our entire dissent from them, and our unqualified concurrence in all that fell from Mr. Commissioner Goct.BURN on the expediency of maintaining unimpaired the absolute publicity of these judicial function+ which our Bankruptcy Courts now exercise in awarding, classifying, or refusing the certificates of those traders who become amenable to their jurisdiction. As the Commissioner very properly remarked, it would be difficult to conceive a case in which the advantages of publicity have been more signally manifested than in this. Whether DAVIDSON and GORDON were or were cot entitled to their certificates has, in the course of the inquiry, sunk into a point of secondary importance. It has been generally fell that the commercial morality of the first mercantile emporium in the world has virtually been on its trial during the recent investigation. The propriety of allowing DAVIDSON and Comas again to act as traders has become • mere nominal issue; the point of absorbing interest has been this, whether a late partner in one of the first money firms in the world has or has not been guilty of conduct inexcusable and in defensible, evca according to the somewhat lax rules which are to) generally supposed to govern t h e every-day transactions of the Mart and the Exchange. We have hitherto ab stained from coinmentims on the part played by Mr. CHAPMAN in thole proceedings; and we have dons so for an obvious MOOD. Mr. CHAPMAN appeared in Biainghallstrect not as a party, but as a witness only. Ile was not represented by counsel. His manner as a witness, as Mr. Commissioner Count:lax admits, was very much against him, and it appeared probable that in a very lengthened examination, ranging over a vast variety of com plicated and remote transactions, his memory occa sionally became confused and his statements unintentionally inaccurate. Under these circum litances we comidend it better to wait until the whole matter had been duly sifted and weighed by the acute, impartial, and attentive judge, who heard and noted every minutest portion of the evi dence, who had witnessed all the hesitation of manner and compared all die discrepancies of statement, and whale matured decision was not pronounced until after the fullest investigation had been exhausted, and the most anxious deliberation exercised. Mr. Commissioner GOULBt:RN'S judgment having now Ave', pronounced, all reasons for further abstinence from comment are at an end. And what is that judgment as it sit ets Mr. CHAPMAN? It acquits him indeed of the charge, somewhat incau tiously advanced, of giving currency to the fraudu lent warrants of:, r he had become aware of their fraudulent character. Of this grave charge Mr. CHAPMAN stands ecquitted, but of this alone. Mr. Commissioner Cot . as reprobates in lan guage of just and vigorous indignation the "need " ness " ot that transaztmn by which 51r. CIIAP3IO4 got speller out of Cott: fur 151. • ton, when its sell• ing price in the market was 231. • ton—it being then known to 1 . 11.41'M iv that Cote had abstracted it. COLE had been guilty of what amounted to larceny, •ad Cit a P 4.01, in screening that guilt for his own wads, rendered himself amenable not only to mnrsl sensate but li.emlly to criminal proceedings. This transaction the Commissioner declared had "set a " blot on Mr. CHA PAVAN'S esCutcheon which no time " could ever remove." Mr. Cittensx's excuse was that he kept the felonious proceeding quiet " out of " regard for his own position." " He meant," said Mr. Commissioner GOULfs URN, " Out of regard for his owe pocket." For • motive purely mercenary he allowed himself to become an accessory in what is properly stigmatised " as a vile and wicked fiend." So, again, with regard to all those transactions with I r tvID . -JN and GORDON which followed the decisive meeting at which the extent of their knavery was revealed,—Mr. CnAPSIAN did not, indeed, assist in passing warrants which he knew to be fraudulent, but he did assist in bolstering up a credit which he knew to be fictitious, in giving, by the vast money power at his command, a false appearance of wealth and stability to a firm consisting of a couple of adventurers, whom he must have known to be insolvents, and whom he more than suspected to be felons. It is only fair to my that the house of OVEILND, GURNEY, and Co. do not appear to be in any way implicated in these dis creditable transactions of their late partner, which have undoubtedly entailed a loss that by ordinary firms would be considered as severe. Al to Wilms and GORDON themselves, no one can doubt for a moment that the abso lute suspension of their certificates is of the very essence of mercantile justice. To have allowed these men again to embark in trade would have been neither more nor less than a judicial sanction of the worst species of mercantile fraud. The very application for a certificate in such a case is indeed the as plus ultra of shameless assurance. What ever offences a trader, as such, could be guilty of, these men had committed ; nor can we discover a single circumstance, except the extent of their trans actions and the consequent enormity of their delinquencies, which could have emboldened them to try the experiment of obtaining from a mercantile tribunal a fresh permit to prey on the trading portion of the public. Their certificates have been refused most righteously, nor should we have thought so clear a case worth a moment's comment had it not been for the lamentable evidence it sup plies of the facility with which • mere gang of rogues and sharpers in the disguise of traders obtained the nazis of supporting a false appearance of credit by the discreditable and disgraceful con nivance of a partner in one of the first houses in the City of London. Cbt Court. WINDSOR, JAW. 5. Her Majesty's dinner party yesterday comprised the Prince of Waldo and Princess Alice, the Duke and Duchess of Welllagton, the But of Sandwich, Viscount and Viscountess Pahaenton, Vie:cunt sad Viscountess Hardinge, the Dena of Wladaor and the Hon. Yrs. Wellesley, Colonel the Hon. R. Brun end Captain Grey. The band of the lad Life Guards was hi &Modena, and played daring dime. Ovatare " is Wow" 1 . 4 k`"...?. ...u~oa " R~~Lst o.maa' ~~.: ~~: Ongl Ibply{(L iiii Her Majesty's private bead aftsrwerde performed is the Drairimrroma the Overtufv - Olans Lalrai .4; cb - 7;;7" Dotolso No ** . . _mY ,741.-177 ii7.l7.lZ<Zl.3.:Zrwlis;;Z - . pinta- Nebo; . !lamb U. Weihr dor 'nue' The Q... awl Priam Consort walked la the Holes Park Ws saanang. The FriaTae of Wales, attended by Colonel the Hon. H. Bruce and Captain Grey, went to Claremont, to vita the Comatose de Nattily. Tha following Midler, left the Castle to-day : the Dake and Duchies of Welßegina, the Berl of Sandwich, Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston, and Viscount and Viscoentese Hardier. The Prime of Wales will leave Windsor Castle upon Monday sent, sad proceed to the Covalent, where It le pro bable that his Royal Highness will make a tour of several mouths' dentine. His Royal Highness will, in the Brat place, proceed by Munich and the Bremner Pass to Italy, snd go direct to Roam, where it is understood he will reside for rime tuns, to suable him to study the antiquities and objects of cleaned and artistic teleran. Ice order to avoid calls on his tiros, calculated to interfere with the object of his Royal Highness's journey, he will travel incognito. TLe Prince will probably afterwards lay a visit to the prinapel bows. of the north of Italy, returning to England by So a rmload sad Germany. The young Prince will be eccompanied by his Royal High nem's governor, Colonel the Hon. Robert Brace, Ca•etaio Grey, Equerry la Waiting, the 1t,,. C. Tower (who veal act as chaplain sad es superlateodent of the Prince's studies), sail Dr. T. Chamber,, the medical attandantupoa his Royal Highness during the tour. lier Haim', will hold a Privy Connell at Windror Casa, on Tuesday next. D..eyetches were neat from Gls Colonial-dem yesterday to tbo governors of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. lithos, Ceylon, Hoag Kong, the Mauritlus, Gibraltar, and Malta. The Feel and Countess of Clarendon have been entertaining the following company at the Grove, near Watford, during the pad week Excellency the Prussian Minister and the Counter de &ranker, the Court and Countess de Persigny, the Earl Cowper, Mr. Amenable Lumley, Mr. Graham Vivian, Mr. Bithure, The Earl and Countese of Camperdown have arrived at thalt mid/nos co Wilton-torsos, from Scotland. The Counter Heasenbourg and Wile. Hessen• board have arrived at the Brunswick Hotel, lerruyn• sir( et. Vi,esunt and Viscountess Newport arrived at their realdeere in Wilton-createat yesterday fro® Weston Staibrdshirs. Lord and Lady Wodehome have arrived in Bry &natal-maw' front visiting the Earl and Coasters of Clarendon at the Grove, near Watford. Lady Arthur Hay has lett town on a visit to the Earl and Camden, Howe at Glopmll Hall, Laicestenthirr. The Right Hon. W. and Mn. Cowper arrived in town yesterday from visiting the Earl and Counter of Shaftesbury at St. Giles' House, Dorset. _ Some years since the late Earl of Kenatare pre sent. 4 for distribution among the poorer depositor. In the Ktilarney Savings Bank the amnifthent donation of 1,000/. Suberquently the Hoe. William Brown contributed e similar amount to the same bearficent purpose. Within • few days past the present earl has ordered a sum equal in amount to that contributed by his noble Mothers to be de voted to the semi object. This make. 3,0004 presented by this family towards the relief of the mast needy depositors is the fated beak. The Secretary of State for India in Council has appointed Kern. G. G. Scott and Dtgby Wyatt j4int archi tects for meting the saw India-office. The building to to occupy t►at half of the site in Downing-street which !weft Parliesient-etreaw, sad will form a united front wiih the new Foreigarmffiort. The arrangement of the exterior fell to Mr. Scott, while Mr. Dishy Wystes knowledge of the hernial deomatioas of mattimval works to Italy end more *vivre ctuntrka will be brought to bear upon the Warns( Foe/toss of the etractare. The rumour of a semi-official announcement bas in bees reoelved at Woolwich of the intention of the War Department to appoint a diatingaiehed ofAxo- of the Royal Artillery se Governor-in-Chief of Woolwich Amensl was yesterday (says the lone.) spoken of from a moat n-liable source. The office eppropriated during tle Rtursiaa war for the aseembling of the heeds of departmental in committee is ordered to be abolished, sad the eetablishment employed therein to be mitered for service, is airml,r c.tpeelt ire, in the departments. There stem it le meld are preliminary to the change above referred to, sad which, it is stated, will id - Kt most itupwtaat economy la the expenditure of the Arsenal. The ameufarturing departments, It is added, will be directed end emits:Med, tu;der the Romany, by civilian, Carload Tonna, noyeristendest of the Royal Carringv Department, ie swathed se the future Roversor of the satabliehoent at • salary at 2,0001. per ansam. _ _ The Caterlu r zleungen ens haleslichen Ileerd ("En- tertainniesta at ihe Dentertic Hearth") of Cologne, • ;44. °died publication •lited by Keel Gatzkow, and &Alerted after Mr. Dichosa . ' HosestAold Words, has I►Wy inserted some Berlin letters, in which high praise is given to the practical sod domestic permits of the Victoria, who, it appears, superintended the famishing of her ma palace, and apologised &r not returning a morning call, by stating " that all kw time had been taken ap with the abating." THE EXPREEIi, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY C, 18b9. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. ITALY. THE STATE OF MILAN. The Debats of this day prints the following letter : MILAN, JAN. 1. " The new year has commenced in this city in a very singular manner. The Milanese themselves seem stupified, and both people and garrison appear this morning to be asking each other if it was all a dream. Midnight had scarcely sounded, when numerous bands began to perambulate the city, including in their songs all the cries of the Italian patriots Vive Phalle!' ' Vive Victor Emma nuel!' Vivent les Trois Couleurar At 2 o'clock in the morning the traffic was as animated as in full day, and the uproar was so great that sleep was altogether out of the question. The bands in parsing before the military poets, began instantly to hiss, when, extraordinary to state, the soldiers joined the party,and instead of drawing their sabres, cried in emulation, 'Vive Phalle!' I 'my self observed a group of twelve officers in the Corso Francesco fraternise with a band of twenty persons, throw their cape into the air and cry, ' Vivent les Reheat. The gendarmes on horseback, who patrolled two and two, and the guards of police drew up quietly as if in obedience to a command, and there was not the slightest breach of the peace. If the garrison had acted differently, we tremble to think of what the consequences would have been, for the crowds who filled the streets from midnight to five o'clock consisted of the most determined individuals, and those best capable of opposing an energetic re sistance to an armed force. Happily the very num ber of the promenaders prevented a conflict." The Nord of this morning has a telegram from Genoa, which says that the agitation increases, and that a report continues to be circulated to the effect that Garibaldi is about to organise a corps of volun teers, or is preparing to play some very active part. VIENNA, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 5. The semi-official Oesterreichische Correspondent of this evening announces the reinforcement of the Austrian garrisons in Italy. " This has been done," adds the C'orrespandatz, " as a measure of precau tion against a foolish and incorrigible party, and for the protection of peaceful subjects, but was by no means dictated by international reasons." EXPRESS FROM PARIS. ((nom oul owN /NDINT.) PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING. There is a rumour in Paris to-day that Milan is in a state of siege. The news seems highly probable, for the few words addressed to M. de Hubner by the Emperor on New ]ear's-day—which have pro- duced the effect which you know in London, and caused a panic for three days running on the Paris Bourse—must have driven people in Italy nearly wild. The impression that we are on the eve of a general war gains ground immensely. A few days ago it was said—and said truly—in a Belgian journal that war was not believed in except in barracks. That exception had, perhaps, far more importance than was generally attributed to it. I can now assure you beyond a doubt, that whatever turn events may subsequently take, the French " army of Italy " is at this moment ready to march "on paper." The commander-in-chief, the generals, the aides-de-camp, the staff, the regiments, the artillery, the engineering corps, are all fixed upon, and the telegraph might in half an hoar send them on their way across the Alpe to-mor row. I am not habitually emphatic, but be well assured that I do not say this lightly. Now, notwithstanding all these symptoms, my own personal opinion is that a great war is scarcely upon the cards. The Emperor is not strong enough in ternally to risk the tremendous discontent which would be engendered in France by the catastrophes, the desolation, which would be produced by a war of any long duration. The national vanity is great, and doubtless the news that the tricoloured flag was waving in Lombardy would for a time silence many hostile parties. If Napoleon NL could see his way to a grand military demonstra tion, ending in a triumph, without any seri ous opposition, there is no doubt that the movement would be popular. But the " tag "of real war I am sure the nation would have no stomach to stand. There is no doubt, how ever, that a French army might sweep the Austrians from Italy like chaff before the wind, if no opposing elements came into operation to check their onward course. There is no knowing how far France might be committed by a first, and, possibly, too sanguine step. 'lns Bourse has been in a disastrous state. Sales were pressed not only by speculators on their own account, but by brokers who feared that their clients would not be able to meet their tremendous differ ences. The Bente fell 80c. for cash and tioe, for ac count, closing heavily at the lowest prices of the day ' at ilfr. and 711 r. 25c. Mobilier fell 20c. The rail ways suffered more from the panic than they did either yesterday or Monday. Orleans fell 71r. ;Mc.; ' Northern, 151 r. ; Lyons, 13fr.; and Eastern, West ' ern, sad Southern, Mr. each. Count de Ilatzfeld, the Prussian Minister at the Court of the Tuileries, is shortly, accord itig to a letter from Berlin, expected in that city, on account, as it is given out, of family affairs. Although we are never expected to believe the alleged reasons for the movements of diplomatists they may sometimes by possibility be true. In the present excited state of Europe it is natural to suppose that the departure from Paris of any ambassador for the seat of his government must I have some bearing on political events. I have no information of any positive kind as to the real motive for M. de Hatzfeld'e journey on the present occasion. All that I know is that he purposed to take a eongj at the end of this month, and that his departure has been hastened. His principal Secre tary of Legation left for Berlin some short time since, and I see that a Belgian journal attaches importance to the fact; but I understand that he only left on a business of diplomatic promotion ; and that he is likely to be appointed Prussian Minister at Carlesruhe. We read in the Flawe de la Loire: " Several seditious bill. have been found posted op in different quarters of this town (Nantes); they were imme diately removed by the police. They were all in the same handwriting, but couched in different terms. An investigation as to the author has been set on foot." At three o'clock this afternoon a gas-pipe in the Place du Havre, just opposite the Rouen Railway station, burst with a tremendous explosion. One of the workmen who were in the act of repairing the pipe was so dangerously wounded that he is not expected to live. Several people in the street were knocked down, but I understand that none of them were seriously hurt. SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES. The Madrid journals of the let contain a brief report of the debate in the Chamber of Deputies on the preceding day relative to the message of the President of the United States about Cuba—of which proceedings some mention has been made by tele graph: M. ULLOA said—l ask the government if It intend@ to reply to the message of Mr. Bushman, inaimuch as in that menage is a paragraph on the nsbject of annexing Cuba to the United States, which contatha a new and really grave insult to the Spanish nation. Marshal O'llorrein x. declared that the government was disposed to demand due satisfaction for such an Insult; and then said can assure the chamber that during the six months we have been In °Moe our relations with the govern ment of the United States hem not ceased lobe marked with the greatest cordiality. Accordingly, I wee surprised to read in the message of the President of the United State" that those relations were in en unsatisfactory state. In the few conferences I have had with the worthy representa tive in this city of the Anglo-American Republic such a cordial spirit was manifested that I felt convinced the relations between the two govern ments were perfectly amicable, and that they could run no risk of being troubled. This confidence of the Queen's government still subsists. In its relations with the United States, aa in those with all other countries, it has always endeavoured to be circumepect, moderate, reserved, but always dignified and firm, as the government of a great people ought to be. The period of di►eouragement canted by war and disunion has ceased in Spain. Oar country is now positively in an era of development and veritable restoration- If the power of Spain be not great enough to menace, it is strong enough to defend the integrity of the terri tory of the monarchy, end to preserve the dignity of the Spanish name without stain. In whatever circum stance" the Spanish nation may find itself, it will in the future, as in the past, never be insensible to its honour, never will it abandon the smallest portion of Its territory— and a proposition having that tendency will always be con sidered by the government soma insult to the Spanish people. (Approbation.) The sentiment of nation►lity, which was supposed to be weakened, and which unhappily was slightly weakened, by our Intestine disoorde—this sentiment, the source of high deeds, sad of generous and heroic inspirations, displays now new vigour, and is increasing in such a way that, whilst we will never be aggressive, and never empire to dominate, we will never allow any encroachment to be made on the inheritance left es by our fathers. (Approbation.) M. °Levkas, in his own mune and in that of several other eminent members representing the different political parties, then proposed this resolution —" The Congress de clares that it has received with satisfaction the declaration of the Minister of Foreign Affsirs, and that it I. disposed to give to the government its constant support, in order to main tain the integrity of the Spanish dominions." The resolution was unanimously adopted, and ordered to be inscribed in the archives. The Espana, though a violent adversary of the cabinet, expresses warm approbation of the patriotic declaration of the minister. and states that in a question which, like that of Cuba, affects the national honour, Spaniards, whatever their differences on other points, will always be united. The other journals employ similar language. SERVIA. The Swabian Mercury contains a communication from Vienna, which eays :—" Count de Snot has spoken very frankly to Prince Kallimaki as to the I policy which Austria intends to follow in the affairs of Servia. She will strictly abstain from any inter vention, but will insist on a fresh election for the Prince. This is said to be the opinion of the Porte also. As to Russia, she is said to be in favour of immediately recognising Prince Miloseb, and opposed to a new election." A letter from Belgrade of tho 31st ult. states that a deputation that morning descended the Danube in boats decked with tugs to offer Prince NEtorch the dignity of prince, and to request him to return. RUSSIA. ST. PETERSBURG, nx.6. By order of the Emperor, British subjects, resident or trading in the Russian empire, are entitled to enjoy (sont oppellis d jouir) all the immunities, which are granted to French, Greek, Belgian, and Dutch subjects. THE SOUTH AMERICAN MAILS, CRY ZLIWTRIC TELHOILAPM.) (PllO3l OCR ORA CORIZSPONDWIT.) SOUTHAMPTON,TurwmAT, The Tyne has arrived with the South American mails. She left Rio December 11th, and Lisbon the 2nd instant. Amongst her cargo is specie to the value of about 55,0001. Amongst her passengers is his Excellency Mr. Christie and seventeen of the crew of the ship Meroo, which was burnt at sea. The federal government of Parana and Buenos Ayres are still at variance. Troops are en route from Parana for the province of St. Ivan. Urquiza is at Entre Rios. The American squadron is at Monte Video. From Lisbon we learn that it is likely that the French Minister there will shortly be replaced by another, on account of the affair of the Charles et Georges. A telegram from Corfu says:—" Mr. Gladstone has sent bums his report, and expects instructions before the opening of the lonian parliament. If England refugee her consent to the union of the lonian Republic with Greer" the representatives of the people will communicate the wink of the nation to the powers which signed the Paris treaty." The court festivities (says a letter from the Prus eian capital) are beginniag to make Berlin quite an attractive city, and there are few ;Awes in which the honours on such occuions are more gracefully performed then they are there by the Princess of I'russia. Besides the numerous rhiniono which are constantly taking place In the royal residence, there is a general reception every Thursday evening, ►t which the various members of the royal family, the arioto every, foreign ministers, and official autberitiee, are almost always prevent. Oa the but of theta ',ventage, among the guests were remarked the Duke and Dachau of Mancbcoter; and the appearance at the Prussian court of some of the Enpliok, nobility I. regarded se en event that ray in future be expected to add greatly vitt!, distinction and brilliancy. A Paris letter in the Nord of Brussels says that the body of the Emperor Napoleon I. is to be In a abort time removes to the church of St. Denis, but that the heart is to rental° at the Invalides. The King of Sardinia has appointed the Marquis Alfi. rl dm Sateen to the post of President of the Senate for the Leaf dative Session of 1859; MM. Desambrois de Nielsen. and Count Selopia are appointed tine-presidents. A letter from Rome says that the health of the Marquis of Campana is in • precarious state. Cardinal Tom., who wan his impedes in the Ministry of Finance, and is now direvor of the hospital of St. Michael, of which the prison is • dependancy, has shown him great kindness. The pi ismer'e meals are prepared In the cardinal's kitchen, and carried to M. Campana in his cell, where the cardinal goes ti partake of them with him. Re is frequently with the prisoner, sad f►vours him as far as the prison discipline will permit "in order to relieve is great • reverie after each signs] proepsrity." . . . An interesting Mossolman ceremony took place at Constantinople on the 23rd ult., being the reception by the Sultan of some relics of Omer, consisting of a email carpet on which that peraotiatte need to kneel to recite hie prayer., and one of bit head-dressea. They hove been deposited In the marque by the side of other relics of Mahomet. Diana roe Soiarages, a new opera, by the Duke Ernst of Coborp-Ootha, to to he prodatted at Dresden and Vienna. The put of Diana Is to be taken by Madams Burde•Ney, and the ducal composer will be present at the first representation. Freytair'e novel of Wit and Credit has been dramatised by a Herr Wesel. Lultl) DBAL7 .41(1) MR. 1. UWIIIOIIII2, Kr. Knowsley, Dec. 31, 1858. Dear Sir, —ln a correspondence which has been published in almost all the papers of yesterday, by Ideate nant•Colonel Dickson (with what propriety at the protect moment I do not stop to inquire), I find the following para graph in a letter from you to him No *dicer's oomounion ta isle when to screen the neglect on the part of others that commiraion is unscrupulously assailed by the favoured in h urnces of Grosvenor and Sr. James's squares." May I mit, it by this last expression it is intruded to convey an impres sion that I had any pert in the transactions to which it refers ? I hope that I - may receive front you en nr.rquivocal negative. Indeed my only reason for asking the ques tion fa, that coneidanng my near relationship to Lord Wilton, I can put no miler construction on your allusion to the " influences of Grosvenor and St. James's Noires." Otherwise I should have been most unsmiling to believe that your ideas and mine of what is due from one gentlemen to another should be so widely at varbuice, ea that you should feel yourself justified in attributing to me gratuitously, and without the slightest shadow of evidence, participation in proceedings which, whether rightly or wrongly, you charm tense as unscrupulous." Of those proceedings, the only information I powers ie derived from a ten minutes' conver sation with General Peel a few days before the date of your letter, when he felt it to be his duty to eonununicate to me, sa the bead of the government, the decision be had formed and the course he had pursued in reference to a case with regard to which I was in such entire ignorance, that I either had never heard, or had utterly forgotten, that there wee any question pending between Lord - Wilton and Colonel Dickson. 1 can readily imagine that you did not intend your letter to Colonel Dickson to be made public, but if it conveys the impression to which I have referred, I am quite sure that your sense of gewlemanlike feeling will lead you to make the contr►diction so public as hes been by no act of yours the iutput .tion itself.—l have the honour to be, dear sir, yours faothfullv, DERBY. T. 8. buncombe, Esq., Id.P. Cembridge•tert*ot, Jan. I, 1859. Dror Lord Derhv,—l 12 - a - vt7 - tietio;;;;; to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, and in re - ply to your question, whether in the sentence of a letter addreseed by me to Colonel Dickson on the 11th of last month I in tended to coovey an impression that you had any participa tion in the proothdinge to which it refers, I can unequivocslly immure you that I did not; and I think, if you will read the paragraph complained of in connexion with my previous re mark. upon the court of inquiry, you will at once acquit me of any such intention or desire to give you pain. When I alluded to "Grosvenor and St. James's squares," that I had "the prime minister" in my mind Ido nut deny, and therefore somewhat in my opinion resembled the court of inquiry, which, from what I hear from those who witnessed its extraordicary proceedings, led them to suppose that its object was more to gain the influence and favour of those distinguished localities than to do justice to one whose commission, I still maintain, hu been unscrupulously assailed and unjustly withdrawn. If, however, I have in my published letter to Colonel Dickson ex pressed myself ambiguously and given you pain, I much re gret it, and you are at perfect liberty to make public this correepondence. As to the propriety of the unhappy moment when the let ters in question have appeared in the papers, I must not be held responsible for their publication, as I can truly thscire you that no one more sincerely deplores the loss of your lemented relative than I do, from whom I had through life universally received regard and kindness.—l have the honour to be, dear Lord Derby, faithfully yours, T. S. DI:INCOMES. The Right Hon. the Rarl of Derby, &c., Knowaley. Knowsley, Jan. 2, 1959. Dear Sir,—While I thank you for the friendly tone of your explanatory letter of yesterday, and for your unequivocal ameurance that you did not Intend to impute to me any parti cipation in proceedings which you so strongly condemn, I em compelled v, nay that I cannot look upon it as entirely eatisfactory, for you admit that in the expressions used you had "the prime minister" in your mind, and that you meant to convey that "the object of the court of inquiry was more to guin the influence and favour of those distinguished Groevenor and St. James'. agaves, " than to do justice." Surely you cannot foil to perceive that this conveys an impression that I had wane personal interest in the deci sion of a cane of which I knew nothing, and that my favour and influence, as a minimise, were to be propitiated by taking a purticuler course, irrespective of the demands of justice. I feel ninfl.lent that the court of inquiry (I do not even know how it was componed) never allowed such an idea to enter the minds of its members, and I cannot but think that on re- faction you will yOureelf feel. that any allusion to my name and position, in reference to this matter, wee gratuitous arid uncalled for. As, however, I am not fond of referring personal questions to the newspaper*, I shall, while thanking you for the permfaslon to make oar correspondence public, decline to avail myself of it, and shall leave the matter in your hands to take any step, or none at all, a* your own sense of honour may dictate to you. lam gratified by the terms in which you refer to Lady Wilton ; and you are aware that I wholly acquitted you of any share of responsibility for the timo selected for the publication of three papers.-1 have the honour to be, dear sir, yours faithfully. DERBY. T. 6. Dosoombe, Req., M.P. Cambridge-terrace, Jan. 3, 1859. Deer Lord Derby,—As I consider, after the publication of my letter to Colonel Daimon, and the inferences that may possibly be drawn from it, your disclaimer of all knowledge of the composition or providing' of the court of inquiry, en honourable to youreelf, that it would be unjust to you, in your position, to leave the matter in soy sort of doubt, I will, with your leave, by return of poet, take upon myself the publication of our entire correspondence, as in considera tion of Colonel Diekson's interests I could not with pro priety make public my own individual explanation of our err, nal complaint.—l have the honour to Ls, dear Lord Derby, yours faitbfully, T. S. Dt Net/ÜBE. To the Right lion. the Earl of Derby, gc. Kn 04.4147, Join. 4, 1859. My dear Sir,—l cannot, of couree, obje'c't to yottr publi cation of our eirreepondente, it you think thud the beet mode of removing the erroneous impression which your letter of the 1i th appeared to me to convey. It mut t however, be distinctly understood that in disclaiming any participation in the course taken either by Lord Wilton or the committee of inquiry, I do not adopt your views respecting it. nor im pute any impropriety to either one or the other.—laio, dear sir, yonrot T. S. Dancombe, Eq., M.P. DEUNY. REFUSAL OF A CBURCII-RATE AT WOOLTVICII. From the re-opening of the poll at Woolwich yesterday miming, until its close at five o'clock, the vicinity of the Town-hall presented an excited appearance from the huge crowd aseetubled, and the greatest interest was taken in the proceedings. The Rev. HENRY Buowst, A.M. (rector), officiated as chairmen, and although the supporters of the rate gained an advantage by the plurality system of voting, it soon became evident that the artisan classes from the Dock yard and Arsenal would decide the contest. Daring the first two hon.' a smell majority waaobtained against the rate, and this majority steadily increased until the time of the poll. Mr. J. It. Jolly, one of the churchwardens, end a member of the established church, was loudly cheered by the assembled multitude on presenting hitneelt at the table and recording his votes against the rate. At five o'clock, when the poll finally closed, the Town-hall was densely crowded, and the rev. chairman, amidst the most tumultuous app:auoe, an nounced the lolloning as the remit of the contest : For the rite of 2d. in the pound. 591 ; against the rate, 702 ; ma jority against the rate, 111. The (,hairwan immediately left the hall, and it was then unanimonaly resolved that the chair be occupied by the Rev. J. Carlile, LL I). (congregational minister), who, in a brief address, comtratuleted the ratrptqere upon the victory achieved. and mitre:aid his opinion that, titer an Wita , lon in that town of many jeer.' duration. the que,l ion of church rate, had been, he hoped, finally milled. Mr. TOPLEY propewed a vote of thanks to Mr. Church warden Jolly for his coneistent opposition to church.raten notwithstandiog the difficultim of his position. It won their duty to rally round Mr. Jolly, and take care that he wee elected ma churchwarden ('v tie, *moiling year. (Coiterf, and cries of " We must keep him in tam.") Mr. Foe et, in seconding tn. motion, observed that at least two to one of the ratepayers had polled against the rate, and, in cenveseing the palish, the churchmen themselves were found in numerous cases to be strongly opposed to church-rates. The motion was passed amidst cheers; end after a vote of thanks to the rector, as chairman during the contest, the meeting separated. DEATH OF THE EARL OF ROTHES.—The death of this nobleman took place at Edinburgh on the 2nd feet. Hi. lordship was son of the eteven'n owl, by the third danahtes of Colonel Henry A. Morehead. He was born at Leslie House, Fir...hire. 183.1. and surce-ded hie father in 1811. The sixth earl was created Duke of Rofbee, bat, dying with out mule mous, that title 11l CADA extinct; his eldest daughter succeeded him in the earldom, which had been granted with special remainder. On the dn.h of the ninth earl the title again fell into the remain hoe, u it sloe did when the tenth earl died. Hie foster, Lady Henrietta Anderson Morehead, born at Leone House in 1831, oviceetsis him in the earldom. TIIE WINTER IN DEVONSHIRE.—" Up to this too ' meat," my. a letter from South Devon 1 . almost all the summer fl.iwara, months ego destroyed in other counties, remain untouched by their great enemy, Jack Frost; in fact, we have no (Trete, or next to none, this winter. Ver benas, geraniums, nemoribila, mignonette, heliotrope, salvias, sad other datum., ft mars are still fresh and Powering; while spring'. welcome Options are In flower, or will soon make their appearance. Nartiesue, crocuses. sad snowdrop. are to be wen is many gardens; while in the wey of fruit we have gooseberry and bl strawberry omom, and even fruit of the latter has been gathered lately. in the hedges the fruit of the blackberry 111, not infrequently seen, and does beside it may be found that most welcome of all OW wad flower—the primrose. 1 may add that the thermometer at 11.80 a.m. I this morning stood at 86 deg." THE ACCIDENT AT THE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION. THE INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.) This forenoon, Mr. Wakley, the coroner for Mid dlesex, opened an inquisitionat the Middlesex Hoepital upon the body of Emma Pike, aged eight years, who died from the effects of the injure/1 which she received through the acct. ! dent on Monday evening last. The inquiry created consider able interest. A highly respectable jury of Marylebone tradesmen was sworn and impanneled, and Mr. Stevens, builder, unani mously elected foreman. The jury, nineteen in number, having viewed the body, the Coroner announced hi e intention to adjourn the inquiry after having taken evidence as to the immediate cause of the death. The in quiry would divide itself into two party ; trot, the Catlin a death; and secondly, the origin of the cause. He proposed to take evidence as to the first, and then edjourn to the Polytechnic to view the spot where the accident bad occurred. There could 100 no doubt that the public mind wee seriously agitated by these deplorable occurrences, and he was satisfied that no amount of time or trouble would be lost which could tend to elicit facts to allay that anxiety, It appeared as if there was something extremely wrong in the system of managing our public institutions, or in the system of architecture followed in their construction; end if this inquiry should conclusively disclose where the error lay, it was clear that great ;mike good w o uld have ensued from it. He hoped, therefore, the jury would begrudge no amount of time which the Meat ligation might absorb, but bestow a patient and searching attention upon the evidence which would be brought before them in connexion with this deplorable calamity. It might happen that, upon examining the staircase, the jury would think that no further inquiry would be necemery; but in the event of their coming to an opposite conclusion he should propose to adjourn the inquest until this day week, at three o'clock. It remained for hies only to state for the satisfaction of the public that he had received an assurance from all the jury that none of them was either directly or indirectly connected with the institution where the accident immured, and again beepeaking their patience and impartiality, he would at once proceed to take such evidence as was forthcoming in relation to the cause of the death. William l'ike, sworn and examined—l reside at 50, New. ington-causeway. lam a hosier. The deceased child wu my daughter. Her name was Emma Pike. She would have been nine years of age next March. I last saw her alive on the evening of the occurrence—last Monday night—at the Polytechnic Institution. It was about half-past 10 o'clock, I did not come with her to the hospital, bat I. placed her in a cab. Att accident happened to her at the Polytechnic about half-past 10. I was leaving the institution at the time, having with ON three of my children and • cocain efr theirs. The cousin was named Daniel Stroud. We had been in the lower part of the building, witnessing the magic lantern, which closed the evening's ente. tainment. At the time of the accident, I sad my children were on the lower staircase. Something fell open us. I received a blow. We were coming up the staircase in a little group, and remained behind to avoid presents. When I was about six steps, I felt a violent blow on my head. My first impulse was to turn round to ste who had given me this blow. A crash then took place, sad I jumped up on the landing. The others fell. I flat got my son out. My deceased daughter wu removed to the hospital • few minutes after the occurrence. She wee quite well previously. I have seen the body for the end time aims the accident this morning, and have identified it. George William Fleetwood Bury examined—l am Naded officer in this hospital. I received the deceased child on her arrival here, about 11 o'clock on Monday night. She was quite sensible. I ex smined her person. I found an extensive laceration of both thighs, with compound fractures. The lower third of the left thigh, sad the upper third of the right thigh were extensively lacerated, and had compound comminuted fractures. There weed* extensive laceration of the left leg and compound oranntinatet fracture of the left bone of the upper arm with lacentice, and fracture of the collar bone on the same side, and a shed *alp wound. I have since found a comminuted tractile of the bones of the pelvis. The deceased lived about feu hours. The cause of death wee the injuries which she received. There was no hemorrage. The Coroner did not think that they need pursue the tint branch of the inquiry farther. They had evidence that an accident happened—that the deceased received (Morin ! from it—and that she wee brought to the hospital, where she shortly afterwards died. The jury would now be goal enough to repair to the building wham the accident took place, and having viewed the premises they would be in • poeition to Ikea mine whether or not there would be any necessity to adjourn the inquiry. The jury, who were taken in charge by the beadle, they proceeded to the Polytechnic Institution, where they made a minute inspection of the scene of the disaster. The inquiry was then resumed in the board-room of the institution, where a large number of pension had mumbled. The Coroner, addressing the jury, said they had viewed the place where the accident happened, and it was for them to say whether the inquiry should be proceeded with then. at whether there should be an adjournment, with the vise el obtaining ammo independent proteseional testimony with re gard to the cause of the disaster, and especially as to where it commenced, for it wa, nnas. min at present where the catastrophe first began. His own opinion was thee the interest* of the public 'veered that the investigation should be varied on as he as it poesibly could be, with a view to &cent the origiu of the calamity, and if there were any party cults bin tor who hod octurre..—which was not to be pea earned at that moment—to find out who that party was. There could be no doubt that persons who undertook to coestruct places of public amusement, and persons who et t meted huudreds and thoutands of people to them, incurred very great reeponsibility indeed if they did not give the pub. lie adequate iccu.ity against meitisnt. It was a very recite thing that in thin country the sacrifice of human life by accident was so enormous that, as had been stated by Dr. Farr, in the Rogistrar-Generals report, more peruse died from occidental causes than were killed in all our wars. This was nu astounding stain lent, but 4 woe true: and his own experience warranted him in saying that if due precautions were taken tor the preservation of human life, at !emit seventeen or eighteen deaths out of twenty deaths from amidental cruses would ho pet • rated. Now moug that that was the caw—seeing what havoc and destruction were created menu?. Lunen beings for want of due precaution, end ..very now and t Len from • sarenieand culpable negligence whenever n r atiwrophe rat this kind ccourred—he must pay. without wishing to impute blame to anybody, that the jury could not di,cha-go their duty to the relatives of the detwasearl child, or to the public, without endea vouring, by every means an their power, to discover the real cause of the accident ; and if any person could be proved to be culpable, on that person Mlle rest the reepon sibility. If the jut y wi-had to go on with the inquiry then, without having Independent professional testimony, and judeing merely by what they bad ad' n, lie was prepared to motet d; but it would certainly be against bin opinion. Rethought they ought to churn with the view of having such testimony when they nest met in order that they might discover by what means a repetition of such a calamity u bad happened might be prevented. It was itnpuible to lank at the ruins of the staircase which they had just seen without !sting filled with alarm at the thought of what might have been the maw quinces rain calamity. There might have been IMO or 4.0 people on the stairease. It was large enough prebahly to hold 500 people, and if the accident him happened when the greatest prePPUlte wee open it. an it might naturally brim to ensupposed it would have done, 200 or 300 lives might have teen bet and the survivors nrcbt have been fearfully mutilate:l. Under all the circumosem rat the rase ho taught it desirable that a moat scrutinising investigation should take place, and he did not thick the jury would discharge theirduty tinker thee named some arehiteetnt eminence uncimnorteil will, the institution, with the motion tie., and the shareholder-, to make en investigation, prelate a report, and give coot coca evidence brfore them. That had been done on many oceasions Find , be held the oflice of co toner, and on ssvernl with groat public advantaca end be thought that if the inquiry were r inducted as it ought to be, they would have the piastre' ion of gi ring the mobile adequate security that in tioure, when intilitit.iOne of this kind were built, or when alterations were made in them, tare would he taken to protect that Lublin by trouts of competent inspection. In the prsunt case lie did not know whether or not the district surveyor received entire of the anemones. The preps were probably weakened by what wan done, and it war desirable that they Amelia know whether or not there woe a compete of inspec tion tither bet ore or after the slteratiens were mode. The jury would now 114 V whether they it , eirod that the inquest aboold he adjourned till Thursday era , . Plc. Greatevosa, solicitor, paid ho lied been inetruetet to attend there professionally, on behalf of the directors of the institution, and he bad to ante in 11,1 r behalf that icy were protared to t--niter to the jury all the information 'bey possessed and It, f nalitate the inquiry in any way that they could. A gentleman, who plated that be represented Mr. re i ?9" , of the Crystel Palace Company, end late loam of the oly technic, stated that that gentleman was entities to be exa mined, in order that he might remove any impassion which might nerved that he had anything ta do with the alteration of the steiream. The Comber inquired who was the oompier at the time 1 The gentleman said he did not know who wee the tousittrs The Coroner observed that an far as the laSeittitiell o f the public ware enneernal they were rather in a vnur of the tneitution, which hail rendered very great aervice to the muse of general education. It had been in a rest measure the inventor's home—his refuge whin he acid