The Express. — London, England, 1846-10-24 00:00:00

above stated, I resolved upon net reading, and to possession of the Amatola. I onasequintly encamped valley, and shall bring up my heavy baggage to and over the hei,kama forthwith. This will at once show the y that their strongholds are and must be ours, and VI even must begin to doubt whether the Kat or the p i d ie s is to be.the colonial boundary. On the moral effect d this idea I will not comment. I save to thank every officer and man under my command tb s ir ,pir:t, zeal, and patience under excessive fatigue ,hl my command has lasted, but particularly for the last ral d u pe On no single occasion was any hope given to r6 - ii i i i sy by the least hesitation on the part of the smallest dodumeats to rush upon the most dangerous jungles in the at the Katfirs, and one instance of gallantry scenes !mbar nientioning more particularly. On de wily; Rom one of the forests, I perceived a body of =tour on by Lieutenant Charles Craw*, waling a rocky bluff, in possession of a body of Kai= Illemere defending the position with great advantage and • on. Seeing their danger, I rushed up the steep dig Burghers, who surrounded me, but reached the wood summit only in time to witness the complete sue dos( the above bravo party, who, supported by Captain yassph Read on the opposite side of the peak, had carriedexposition, ifs - position, the Raffles leaving eight dead bodies on the spot; our side lost two dead and three wounded. The operations of Colonel Hare, I find, were successfully carried out on my right. I heard the heavy firing of his division throughout the day. His honour, lam glad to loam, from my side-de-camp, whom I lent to his camp yes ',sedgy, speaks in high terms of the conduct of Assistant- Connaandant Botha, and the detachment of the Kat River twhich I sent to act under his orders, and I have to his Honour for his cordiality and readiness to afford me every assistance in his power. yesterday and to-day were devoted to the more complete Insuring of the fastnesses bordering this valley, down as far =FortCox, whence I have just returned, and where I had' as interview with Colonel Hare, and stated to his honour m y intention of advancing further eastward to attack the upper Keiskoma and Buffalo as soon as my provisions and ammunition come up from Chumie. A Kaffir prisoner just taken states that Sandills, Macomo, and Botmao, were all three with all their forces in the foyers of this valley when we entered it on the morning of the 30th, and that the first and last were with the division which opposed me, whilst Macomo was in the kloof where Botha was engaged. As matters now stand, considering myself sufficiently strong here, I have this morning detached a body of 100 men to reinforce the protecting Shiloh and Tarka line, as the Kaffirs retreating hence may attempt some surprise in that quarter, under the auspices of Mapassa. I have the honoia to be, sir, Your mo.t obedient humble servant, A. STOCKENSTIIOI4, Commander-General. Lieutenant-Colonel Cloete, K.H., Deputy- Caboosie Camp, Aug. 5. P.S.—I forwarded this to Col. Hare on the 3rd instant, for the purpose of being perused and forwarded by him, hut his honour did not think that he should have an opportunity of communicating with his excellency before I should. Since then this division has been scouring the country from the Amatola hither, but it is evident that the enemy aban doned all its strongholds, as soon as they were attacked with rigour, for we have been upon the spoor of vast numbers, lying in the direction of the Kei, whilst:the great forests are left tenantle , s; but our cavalry is in such a state, that over taking the Hying Kaffir' is out of the question. EXTRACT or A DiarATCH FROM HIS HONOUR COLONEL HARE, R.N., :ADDRESSED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL 01,011 TE, DEFUTY-QUARTIIRMASTER-OZNERAL. Fort White, Aug. 7. Sir,—Agreeably to instructions in his excellency's memo randum of August 2, I marched my division on Tuesday the 4th instant, directing my march upon the mountains h the distance to my front from Fort Cox, which Mr. Stretch informed me were the Guilliguilli mountains, and won the west side of which I was ordered to act with me division (the second division), and that of Sir Andries acting tea the northern, eastern, and southern sides. The whole country, from my position at Fort Cox to those mountains, is toured with bush, and in my front extremely dense. Un fortunately, amongst all the guides and Interpreters in my map I could rot find a single one who had ever heard of the mountains (although they knew that there wan a stream of that name on the other side of the moun tains mentioned by me, or who could afford the slightest a n &emotion with respect to the roads, or whether they were practicable for the guns. I consequently, the day previous ha y mart+, sent a strung reconnoitering party, under Cap. We Wright (my aide-de-camp), who appeared to have more knowledge of the country than any other person near w. The result of Captain Wright's reconnoissance was, ist the road was not practicable for guns. I therefore left them in position at Fort Cox, taking with me a three ;sander, which was brought, without difficulty, over the worst passes. On his passage through the bush in search of a road, that officer reported to me having seen several bodies of Kaftirs, some of which were on the track with their settle and women, and directing their course to the melan ins alluded to. On his return they followed, and way ' his party at the passes and drifts, wounding two men, a loss to themselves of eight killed (of whom the were seen) and many wounded. Two horses, and 'ozen head of cattle, were captured on this occasion. Ileum of this, I deemed at right to acquaint Sir ockenatrom, who had not moved from the valley oohs, recommending his march in a parallel with mine, in order to prevent their escape. Sir iri reply, informed me, that he could completely views, by crossing with his division the range of which bounds the valley of the Amatola on the though at too great a distance to see his force, clearly discover his line of movement, by the of huts, &c., in the direction in which he was pro t. During my advance to the base of the mountain, I miles off, we did not find a single Kallirman, but traces of their being on the move forward were per- Some cattle and many goats were taken during march, one Kaifu having been shot by a detached ^,a Lain Ityneveld. Ind a convenient place with respect to water, I bivouac for the night near the head of the river er the mountain, from which Kaifu in numbers vend in the bush above us; but it being then the men greatly fatigued after their day's work, it ate to enter the very dense jungle to attack them. .wing morning every ridge and kloof was scoured ,c to the summit of the mountain without re- Ay kind, the men having abandoned it, leaving fen and some cattle behind; of the latter about 300 Arrl, and about 400 goats. Having thus completely e western side, I proceeded round to the northern mountain, and continued my mar.th to the sources a, where I bivouacked for the night, having itry on my way. Some women were seen, quite at ease, and, without a feeling of danger, luietly at their huts. we women, as well as from a prisoner who was bush, I learned that Sandilla, Macomo, and `-een there, but had fled over the mountain on the troops, leaving orders for their men to By the concurrent statements of the women , it would appear that the Raffles had decided returning towards the colony, and this seems confirmed by numerous spoors of considerable ing been seen by my skirmishing parties going in , m. .ing the division has returned to Fort Cox, and report is sent off to his excellency I intend 'earth myself throughout this part of the country rcnient and proper place to establish my camp of should his excellency continue of the opinion that this side would be preferable to Fort Cox—that is, -• any contemplated ulterior movements; but .don for having complete command of the valley .atola, and affording more ready succour to the threatened, Fort Cox, in my opinion, has greatly Mare. I have no doubt, in my own mind, that the have formed the resolution of not meeting the troops, tat th, it plan is to harass us by their movements for and retrograde, this appearing more evident by the • spoors seen returning between my division and it Andries, and the camp of his excellency. I gait his excellency's further instructions, and after )rsei are refreshed, and some necessary arrange 'de with respect to my waggons and supplies, I to move in whatever direction the Commander decide.—l have, &c., J. HARE, Colonel. twin Ryneveld not having joined use last night, has remained at his excellency's camp. Fort Beresford, Aug. 10. -Agreeably to his excellency's orders I ascended the mountain, opposite Pierie station, in three columns ly hour on the ith inst. One of the columns under iptain Melville, having Ellen in with a few Katfirs, tely attacked and dispersed them, killing three of a fourth, about to be made prisoner, sprang over a rather than submit to mercy. The other two let with no opposition, though some few Kaffirs tmselves as the leading column was emerging from it the summit of the mountain. The cattle and :ging to these having been captured, and the sited, the whole division proceeded to a height to Are-4 of the Buffalo Poort, where Captain Melville ',An a strong patrol into the steep kloufs below, sue s. curing some horses, cattle, and oats, all of which tit own hands or those of the main body, without t. losing morning, having observed Colonel Hare's the low grounds to our left, patrolling towards and burning the kraals of the Kaflirs b its pro considered detachments in that direction nnneces ol consequently threw the whole of my native troops leols and dense woods to my right and front. One rtes under Fi e ld- capta i n L ange procee d e d as far s krantx,s which I subsequently understood had r.el that morning by the troops belonging to the Aof the 2nd division. By the whole operation a le extent o f country was traversed ; few Kaffir/4, r, were seen, though in many places their fires were nag, aid the flesh of animals recently killed before bet a shot was fired upon us, though two lots of e.ziTen out of the bush, and one Kaffir made the ith, presuming the kloofs to be clear of and nh'erring rt heats spew of men and cattle to t'ahoo.ie, I followed it up, examining the kloof to tho , e on my left being under the obserrotion of in S tockcnstrom's divis:un, with which 1 mramu. th , rouse of the day. d n.y patrols Isere •uctesaful, one being instrumental capture of eight horses and 1 4 0 head of cattle, the c°4°l43 up uPoll an Encampment which seemed W 'd his party al 'th a loss to I • • 'en were Reel t a dozen he consequence • dries Stockent the Amatola, on with •dries, it; repl Oct my views, •nntains which t. Although mould clearly 'tut of huts, tS ing. !luring 2 or 14 miles • nt traces of • table. Some • day's march, under Capt Having found a k up me bivou axa, under the i cre discovered i k, and the met as too late to en .c following me .m the base to MCC of any ki, • ear women and ere captured, an ured the weste of the mount the Keiskama, ared the county • o appeared quit • Med quietly From these won en in the bush, • trnan had been approach of tt ow them. By prisoner, it w; n returning be continued es haring beet t direction. his morning th en this report 6earch m a convenient al •plies, should h •int at this side • reference to a tin position I the Amatoln, ny if threaten advantage. 11 ••rs have forme that th. ir plan • and retrogrs • roar spoors of Sir Andri await his ex horses are r Is made with be ?Lady to m• hict may eleckl .S.—C ,ttain I - sums: Le has r —Agreeably alo.ruountain, early hour in -Captain Mel' tidy attacl a fourth, ab ipice rather 1.1 mot with ed themselves woods at the s n b''l s "g ng to united, tht orth•west of t g taken a stro d in s. curings into his own ha 'Son. following m en ;he let 'vision, and ht I considered and consequer the kl , ats and c part'es and y's krantx, carr:c 1 that past of the 21 tide e %tent ; r, were seen ing, atd th Na a shot seer: el:iven Friday, th e re, and oh.er the t'aboo,ie 'ght. thos e on Onus Stocke ed in the ...ours o rry patrol e capture of e corning up THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 24, 1846. have been abandoned by the men and left to the women, from whom some powder and ball were taken. My march this day terminated at 9 o'clock at night. Daz ing the whole of it no opposition was shown us. The behaviour Of the men was in every respect satisfac tory. The assistance I received from Field-Captain Melville, whose qualities as an active and Intrepid officer are too well established to require comment, merit my best acknow ledgements; and I would beg also to notice favourably to his Excellency Captain Melville's brother officer in Com mandant Size's Levy,—Field-Captain Lange. I have the honour, M. C. J010;31'091, Lieutenant-Colonel. Lieutenant-Colonel Cloete, K.H. Depaty•Quartermaster General. • Nora.—Muntur's KRANTE.—This remarkably strong position was carried by a dismounted detachment of the Cape Corps and a company of the Worcester Burghers on , the morning of the 6th instant. These being the only infan try at the tune with Col. Somerset's detachment of cavalry, which was moving along the foot of the mountains, were ordered by his excellency to advance to the attack. As they proceeded to scale the mountains a few Karlin only were seen on the scarped ridge on the summit ; these retired es the assailants approached the foot of the scarp, without offering any opposition. On the preceding evening this po sition, in which a few resolute men might defy an army, was occupied by a numerous body of the enemy. CHARLES LENNOX MAITLAND, Captain Grenadier Guards, Assistant Military Secretary. Eatttrum IN OUR LAST.—Under the head New Zealand, the amount produced by wool to the North British Australasian Company last year was 5,0001., not 3,0001., as printed ; and the number of tons of copper ore received by them was 469, not 425. gbt (tout. WINDSOR, FRIDAY EVENING.—The Court will arrive at the Castle, from Hatfield House, to morrow after noon, about five o'clock. Her Majesty's military escort, con sisting of a detachment of the Ist Life Guards, having been commanded to be in waiting at Iver Heath, between Slough and Uxbridge, at half-past three o'clock. The Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal took equestrian exercise this morning upon their Shetland ponies, in the Home Park. The Princess Alice and Prince Alfred were taken out for walking exercise at the same time. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the Royal Family at the Castle this morning. The Royal Family were taken for a carriage airing this afternoon in the Great Park, attended by the Dowager Lady ;Lyttelton. Te Duchess of Kent drove o4t for a carriage air ing this afternoon, attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and the Baroness de Speth. Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hesse, at tended by Baroness &heel, Sir Andrew Barnard, and Baron Meysenbucla, left Cashiobury Park, Herta, the residence of her Majesty the Queen Dowager, yesterday afternoon, and travelled to town by the London and North-wester:Rail way. The Princess was visited at Marlborough-house, Pall mall, by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and his Serene Highness Prince Frederic of Hesse. Her Royal Highness went to the National Gallery, and was conducted through the different rooms. Her Royal Highness, attended by her suite, also visited and inspected Westminster-hall. _ _ _ In the evening the Princess of Hesse, attended by Baroness Scheel and Baron Meysenbuch, honoured the per formance at the Haymarket Theatre with her presence. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam bridge, and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Strelitz (attended by Baron Rnesebeck), and his Serene Highness Prince Frederic of Hesse, also honoured the Haymarket Theatre with their presence yes terday evening. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended 'by Lady Anna Maria Dawson, left her residence, Clarence house, St. James's, at three o'clock on Thursday afternoon, on her return to Frogmore-house, Windsor. Tho Earl of Clarendon arrived in town yesterday from his seat, Grove Park, Ilerts. His lordship attended at the office of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ELECTION OF A TEMPORAL PEER.—Writs bearing trite Tuesday have been issued from the Hanaper-office, for electing a Temporal Peer of Ireland to succeed to the vacancy made in the House of Lords by the demise of the Marquis of Thomond. [From last Night's Gazette.] FOREIGN OFFICE, Ocr. 20.—The Queen has ap proved of J. P. Grenfell, Esq., a Rear-Admiral in the Bra zilian Navy, to be Consul-General in the United Kingdom for his Majesty the Emperor of Brazil. HER MAJESTY AND H.E.H. PRINCE ALBERT'S VISIT TO HATFIELD HOUSE. HATFIELD, FRIDAY NIOHT.—The banquet last night was of the most sumptuous description, and comprised all the luxuries that wealth could procure. The dessert was parti cularly excellent, and was placed under the able superin tendence of Ferdinand. When all the company had taken their seats at the banquetting board, that ancient chamber afforded a brilliant coup d'cril, the hall being illuminated by a great number of lamps, in addition to more than twenty Chinese lanthorns, suspended by an invisible wire from the pendants in the roof. The table was lighted from superb gold candelabra, alternately with which were costly vases, containing natural flowers. All the attendants were in full dress, and each wore a silver badge of the Salis bury arms on the left arm. The effect was truly magnificent. The Marquis of Salisbury rose at the conclusion of the repast, and proposed es • toast " The Queen." The military band struck up " God save the Queen." The health of her Majesty was then drunk, the whole of the guests Tieing from their places. The noble host then gave " His Royal Highness Prince Albert," when the band performed the Coburg March. At a quarter to ten o'clock her Majesty retired from the banquetting ball, the ladies leaving at the same time. l'rince Albert, and the noble host and the guests, subsequently ad journed to the splendid saloon, or King Jame:'s-room. where She Queen and a select circle had assembled. Previous to her Majesty and her Royal Consort leaving for their private apartments, twelve of the German artists who Itave recently been employed, under the direction of Mr. Sang, in the em bellishment of the interior, afforded the royal party much pleasure by singing sonic popular vocal music of that country. In the selection were " Die Capelle," " Das Schwertfied," "Der Vogel," and "Der Kohler-banerbube." The Marquis of Salisbury, as Colonel of the South Here, Yeomanry, gave the privates and non-comminioned ofliesse of the four troops a substantial entertainment in the Riding School, and, before the assemblage separated, the health of the Queen and her illustrious husband was heartily drunk, as well as th e health of the noble Colonel. The officers dined together at the Salisbury Arms Tavern. This morning, long before noon, the park was thronged by thousands of people, aho came in quick succession into the town from all parts of the country. By the kind per mission of the noble marquis, not the slightest obstruction was offered to the admission of the public, and no restriction was placed over their movements, beyond that no one was allowed to transgress further than the northern court, which was amply sufficient to satisfy any moderate desire. It was a most beautiful day, the sun shining with all the warmth that could be expected in the autumn ssason. The park, in the northern direction, presented an animated ap pearance, from the hundreds of strangers Rocking in parties to witness the bullock that was being roasted whole, a short distance down the north lawn. The Queen and his Royal Highness did not go out in the early part of the morning, nor did they attend prayers in the chapel. The Duke of Wellington and the majority of the guests staying in the mansion attended the service, which was performed by the Rev. F. Faithfnll, waisted by the Rev. A. B. Stsckey. His Itoyal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by the Marquis of Salisbury, about half-past 10, went out to shoot in the southern part of the park. The Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Exeter, Lord John Russell, Lord Charles Wellesley. the Earl Spencer, Mr. J. M. Balfour, Mr. G. E. Anson, Colonel Buckley, and Colonel Seymour, were in the party. The bather was in what is called Coombes-wood. Prince Albert killed nearly 1.50 head of game, and the Duke of Wellington was successful, considering that the noble and gallant Duke did not exert himself in the sport. The Marquis of Exeter made some excellent shots. The result of the morning's sport was, on quitting the plantations at one o'clock, a return of killed-158 pheasants; 4 par tridges ; 152 rabbits ; and 4 hares, giving a total of 318 head. Shortly after the shooting party returned to the mansion, luncheon was served in the wint r dining room. The Queen and Prince Albert, and the noble guests of the Marquis were present. The carriages were ordered at 3 o'clock to take the illus trious company a drive in the park. In the meantime the populace had congregated in the park in large numbers, and had mostly assembled in the northern court and without its boundary in the park, where several carriages of the neighbouring gentry were drawn up by the read leading to the north avenue. As the pony phaeton came by the western gateway, and passed through the north court to the north avenue, the vast body of spectators saluted her Majesty and the Royal Prince by loud and long-protracted cheering, to which plaudit+ the Queen and Prince condescendingly responded by repeatedly inclining towards the multitude. The Queen and party then proceeded to view the ancient tree, so carefully pre served at the turn of the northern and eastern avenues, called "Queen Elizabeth's Oak," from that Queen having been seated in the shade of its umhrageons branches when the death of Mary was announced to her. We understand that her Majesty expressed herself highly pleased by the sight of the oak, and, ae a memento of her visit to the spot, had a small branch lopped from the trunk tobe preserved. From hence the carriages were conducted to the vineyard. to view the beauties of that fairy retreat. Her Majesty and the Prince alighted and entered the gardens, and walked to the lower terrace, which give: a gaol command of the grounds. It may be as well to state that the vineyard is on a slope, at the bottom of which runs the liver Lee. The p.trty next drove round the park, and in the course of the road saw the pollard oaks, for which the park is so famous. The illustri ous party returned to the mansion at half-past four, after an agreeable drive. While the royal party were absent in the park, the Mar quis of Salisbury's dependants were regaled on the lawn. Mr. Farcbrother, the land-steward, was present to superin tend this entertainment, but it was far from interesting, the bullock which was roasted whole at an enormotei fire, nearly twenty hours, being greedily devoured. Strong ale was sup plied to these participating in the feast, THE REGISTRATIONS. MIDDLESEX.—The Revision of the lists for the dis trict comprising the parishes and townships of Hillingdon, Uxbridge, Ruislip, Ickenham, West Drayton, Haretield, Cowley, and Hayes, took place yesterday, at the White Horse, Uxbridge. In the Hillingdon list, 48 of the League 40e. rent charge claims secured on property belonging to Mr. James, the Liberal agent, were opposed b.e Mr. Payne; but after proef of value and possession were allowed, the decision in one case governing the whole. CONTIUDICTORY DEctsioNs.—ln the Uxbridge list, a Mr. Baily, who claimed for a freehold house and lend, was ob jected to by Mr. Payne, on the ground that the property was not of sufficient value on the 31st of January to give a title to the franchise, the house having been built since that time. —Mr. Bontems, who supported the claim, urged that the notice of objection had not been served ia time. It should have been delivered on or before the 2.5 th of August, but it bore the post-mark u having been posted in London on that day, and in due course would, in that case, not have been delivered in Uxbridge until the morning of the 26th. The Barrister asked Mr. Boutems whether he appeared for the claimant: and on being answered in the affirmative, remarked that in that case he could not go into the question of the informality of the notice,but must consider it as sufficient,and he should, therefore, deal with the claim on its merits. The question of value and time of possession was then gone into, and it appearing that the land was not worth 40s. a year, and that the house not being completed until the 31st of January there was not six months' possession of sufficient value, the barrister expunged the name.—The next case, in which R. Keep was the claimant, was one of a similar nature in all respects, and the notice of objection was opposed by Mr. James for the claimant, on precisely the same ground.—Mr. Payne proved that he posted the notices at Charing-cress on the 24th ; and that the neglect was with the post-office. Mr. James insisted that the Act required the notice to be delivered on or before the 25th, and it was the duty of the objector to take care that it was so.—The barrister, after consulting the act of parlia ment, and taking some time to consider, decided that the notice of objection was informal, and retained the name.— Mr. Bontema remarked that the other claimant, whose case was precisely similar, had been unjustly treated.—The Bar rister : It is your own fault, Mr. Bontems ; but for your in terference the name would have been retained.—Mr. Payne (to the Barrister) • f think, sir, you had better write " stet" against the other name.—After some hesitation the barrister consented.—Two other claims of aitimilar description, and objected to in the some way, were also retained. ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. A public meeting, numerously and respectably at tended, was held at the large room of the Royal British In stitution, Cowper-street, Finsbury, last evening, on the sub ject of the abolition of capital punishment. Charles Gilpin, Esq., took the chair, at half-past seven o'clock, and stated at some length the objects of the meeting. The legitimate ends of punishment were the safety of society, the reformation of the offender, and restitution, where it was possible, to the individuals who had suffered by the criminal's offence. Two of these objects were lost sight of by capital punishment. It could be no satisfaction to the friends of a murdered man, nor could it lead to the reformation of the offender to cut short his thread of life, and send him, prepared or unpre pared, into the presence of his Judge. It also failed in the third object--the security of society, as was clearly proved by criminal statistics. If it was necessary that the criminal should repent, why shorten the time which God would give him—which infinite mercy would extend? (Hear,) The punishment of death was also irrational ; profeasing to teach a reverence for human life, it showed how rapidly and how easily it could be taken away,— it taught persons to do no violence, and perpetrated itself the greatest violence, setting also an example of retaliation and revenge which it condemned in theory. It raised a blood-stained criminal into a hero, in a majority of cases. It it were not for the punishment of death, where would be the morbid sympathy which caused the words, the actions, nay, the very looks, of the murderer to be regarded with intense interest—which sent his portrait (through the me dium of the pictorial papers) throughout the country, and made it familiar at the fire-side of thousands of virtuous fa milies? (Hear, hear.) He further objected to capital pu nishment on account of its Irrevocable character ; human beings were all fallible, and who but his Creator could judge of the guilt of a man who was launched into eternity pro testing his ianocence ? (Hear, hear.) His friend, Jonathan Dywood, had amid, that at one assizes at Exeter he felt con vinced that six innocent men had been condemned to death ; and there were numbers of similar cases familiar to every one who to"k an interest in the subject. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Alderman SIDNEY bore testimony to the bru tality which, as sheriff, he had witnessed at executions at Newgate, and stated that in every instance where 'he had conversed with criminal condemned to die, he found that they had been in the habit of attending pub lic executions. (Hear, hear.) He was convinced that every spectacle of that kind hardened niimberless human beings, and taught them to be familiar with the spilling of blood. (Hear.)—Mr. EDWARD Mutt. contended that although the punishment of death was recognised under the blosiac economy, it was utterly incompatible with the character and doctrines of the divine founter of Chris tianity. As t the sympathy with great criminals which the press was constantly calling out against, he was convinced that the public did not sympathise with the criminal, but with the man. There would ever be greater sympathy with a person whose life was about to become extinct—whose life was, at the time of such sympathy, possessed, and shortly to be extinguished by th s hangman—than with the unfortunate man whose life had already been taken away. (Hear.) It was the humanity of society which was constantly protesting against death punishment. (Hear.) Abolish capital punishment, and substitute anything, however severe, for it, and the " morbid sympathy" complained of would die away at once.—Mr. SINES contended that crime had increased since the amelioration of the criminal code, and quoted from the last return made Di the Heine-office to show that the crime of rape had very greatly iuereased since it had ceased to be a capital offence. The speaker pro ceeded to contend that it had not been sufficiently proved that society would be safe if capital punishment was abo lished.—Mr. FRED. ROWTON went fully into statistics to prove (which he did most triumphantly) that since the abo lition of capital punishment the offences for which it had for merly been inflicted had greatly diminished. It appeared by recent returns that, in the five years preceding the aboli tion, 11,000 and odd offences, which then were capital, but are not so now, were committed, and 242 persons were executed. In the five years after the abolition of capital punishment for certain offences, 10,854 such offences were committed, showing a decrease of about 860, and not a single human life was sacrificed during that period. (Cheers.) As to the crime of rape, it appeared that in the brat five years (before the abolition) 2,8 crimes of that description were committed, and 16 of the criminals were executed. It was true that in the next five I years there were 319 such offences; that period, how ever, came down to 1814. In that year 127 crimes of that character were committed, but in 181,5 they had diminished to eighty-six, and continuing records which had been carefully examined, showed that in the pre sent year the crime had decreased in a much greater degree. (Hear, hear.) The statistics of all countries where execu tions had diminished, proved that murders also had decreased. In Tuscany the punishment of death had been abolished for twenty-three years, and the Grand Duke had recently de clared that all offences during that period had materially lessened, and that crimes of an atrocious nature were now extremely rare---(hear, hear)—whilst in the adjoining State of Rome, where capital punishment existed, it had been shown that in three months no less thou sixty murders had been committed. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Rowton then went into the general question, and powerfully advocated the abo lition of capital punishments. Resolutions in favour of the object of the meeting were carried,with only three dissentients in a crowded room ; and after thanks had been voted to the Chairman, the p oceedings terminated about ten o'clock. LONDON INVENTORS' AND MECHANICS' SOCIETY.- A full meeting of the members was held on Thursday even ing, at the rooms of the society in High Holborn, when the chair was taken by Mr. Prest. The report of the secretary announced that the society was making rapid progress in the prosecution of its objects, which are to ensure to the working and poor inventor the full benefit of his invention or discovery, by patent or registration, the cost of obtaiuing which is to be defrayed from the funds of the society. Se veral inventor. had enrolled themselves, and whilst many objects of sterling interest had been received for sjudication, the position of the society was such that they hoped to com mence active exertions for the registrations of designs in a few days, to which they would confine themselves until the funds were in an adequate state for taking out patents. The meeting was addressed by several intelligent mechanics, who expressed themselves in sanguine terms in favour of the prospects of the society. PARISH BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.-ST. MARTIN'S. —Yesterday forenoon a full meet ing of they est ry of the parish of St. Martin's-in-the-fields took place in the Vestry-room, the Rev. Sir H. R. Dukinfield, Bart., the vicar, in the chair ; " to consider a proposal made by Her Majesty's Commissioners of Woods and Forests, &c., to grant a lease of a part of the Stone-yard in Orange-street to the Commissioners of Public Baths and Wash-houses for this parish, and to approve of such lease being accepted, if the vestry shall deem it ad visable ;" and also, " to make an order upon the overseers to levy with, and as part of the poor-rate, such sum as the vestry shall deem necessary for the preliminary expenses of carrying ' the Act to eacourage the Establishment of Public Baths and Wash-houses' into execution in this parish.—Mr. Staunton, one of the commissioners of Baths and Wash houses, said, that from a rough calculation he had made of the space in Orange-street, he would undertake to say that 3,000 persons might have a bath daily, which was quite ample for the district. The area of the ground was nearly 5,000 square feet, and they were to have it on a lease of 99 years from the 10th inst., at a peppercorn rent for the first year, and 801. a year afterwards, subject to all covenants as in Crown leases of a like nature. would therefore pro pose the following resolution : " That this vestry do approve of the proposal of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests in offering a lease of the premises called the Stone-yard, in Orange-street, in this parish, MI the terms and conditions mentioned in the letter which has been received from them : and that the Commissioners of Public Baths and Wash houses be authorized to accept the same."—Mr. Hutchins seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. ALARMING ACCIDENT TO TIIESTEAM-SHIP "RIPON." —The following is an extract of a letter from a passen ger on board, dated Torbay Harbour, October 21, 9 p.m. : —"On the erening of the 20th, a few hours after we left Southampton, a gale sprang up, and soon after the engines were found not to work properly; we passed the night and the morning very uncomfortably, the water coming into many passengers' eshins. This morning the gale increased, and the rudder, a, well as the engines, were found deficient. After some con-attrition, and at the desire of the superin tendent of the Post.otfiee,we put about-ship, and determined to run for the nearest harbour. Soon after the rudder broke, and we were left at the merry of the waves, the sea making a complete breach over ber, and the water pouring in :at every direction, nearly every cabin !sting saturated. Provi dentially we managed to run in here with the loss of rudder, one boat, paddle-box, and sundry other damage. It has been a most providential escape. The passengers complain with great reason that they have been embarked in a new vessel that confessedly had not undergone en experimental trip as customary, and also that so recent had been the completion of the minor fittings up that the glue and paint were scarcely dry yet. After the accident they received in formation that the " Oriental" was at Southampton waiting to take the " next" monthly mail, and should be sent for. Surely some public explanation is necessary from the direc tors : if there be no General Pealey to inquire why acci dents occur to chartered steam vessels on behalf of the pas sengers, government ought to institute an inquiry, as the lives of some 120 passengers have been perilled in this instance, coupled with theseeondary risk of the mails.—We learn from another source that when the ship was rendered unmanageable by the loss of the rudder-head giving way, she remained in this state for between three and four hours, and it was not until the boatswain of the ship, Jas. Grant, volun teered his services, and was lowered down to the rudder by ropes, and mode fast two chains to the lower part of it, that the ship wai again rendered manageable ; and then, through the praiseworthy exertions of Lieut. Tancock, the officer in charge of the snail, who deserves great credit for his conduct, and the officers of the ship, she was brought into this harbour. The ship does not appear to be sea worthy, as she took in great quantities of water, both at the holes through which the shafts of the paddle wheels pass, and at every porthole. The engine s , also, seem to b e o f too little power for the size of the ship, and for the enormous quantity of bricks set in cement as ballast, together with the quantity of water they abeol bed, and the large cargo, and the number of passengers (about 170) she had on board. FIRES.—AT A SHAWL WAREHOUSE IN CHEAPSIDE. —Yesterday morning, at an early hour, as Constable Pape was passing No. 137, Cheapside, he discovered smoke issuing from the apertures in the door, and without delay he raised the usual alarm, and sent for the engines. The building in question is of considerable magnitude, extending backwards to Gutter-lane, and is the property of Messrs. Ovington, Warwick, and Ovington. The engines from Watling -street station arrived in two or three minutes, and also the escape of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire. The firemen, upon entering the building, found that the smoke was so dense that they were forced to crawl upon their knees to get to the exact scene of the fire, which they found at last to be the bock shop and counting-house. After some time the fire was extinguished. The stock was not at all damaged by water, but tt is doubtful whether it is not injured by smoke and heat. Had it not been for the oppor tune discovery made by the police, and the early arrival et the firemen, a must fearful conflagration would have beta the result. After the fire was extinguished, an examination was made to ascertain the cause of:its outbreak, and ;Mr. Braidwood reports the following as the result of his invest'. gation—the tire appeared to have begun in a wooden box used for keeping web, instead of a scuttle. The coutents of the premises were insured in the Sun, Ares, Norwich Union, County, and West of England offices.—Ar Hotta' FLoon Curtis Ferrostv, KENSINOTON-LANE.—Last night, shortly before twelve o'clock, a tire that caused considerable alarm broke out upon the extensive range of premises belonging to Mr. Rolls, floor cloth manufacturer, situate in Kennington lane, immediately facing the Lambeth police court. The flames, when first discovered, were raging in the varnish_ house, a brick and timber building, at the rear of the main premises. The precise cause of the outbreak could not be correctly ascertained, but from inquiries made on the spot, there is little doubt that the diluter way occasioned by the overflowing of one of the coppers of varnish. Owing to the great quantity of varnish in the place, very few minutes elapsed before upwards of 500 gallons of that combustible article were one broad sheet of flame, and when the same broke through the roof it completely illuminated the entire district. The light being seen from the several metropolitan bridges, it caused the intelligence to be quickly despatched t o the fi re stations. With all promptitude the Brigade engines of the Surrey district and City stations attended, with Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent, and Mr. Henderson, the foreman, and also the West of England engine, with Mr. Connorton. An abundant supply of water was speedily ob tained from the Lambeth mains, and the firemen at ones set to work, and by dint of great perseverance, they happily succeeded in confining the flames to the premises in which they began. From inquiries afterwards made on the spot Mr. Rolls informed the reporter, that besides the damage done to the building, upwards of 500 gallons of varnish were consumed. Unfortunately the property destroyed was un• insured. INQUESTS.—A CHILD POISONED IN KENSINGTON WotoutorsE.—By Mr. G. J. Mills, at the Gloucester Arms Tavern, Gloucester-road, Kensington, on Henry Shepherd, an infant child, fifteen weeks old, whose death, tt was alleged, had been caused by a powder intended fur the mother having been improperly administered to the deceased child by the parish nurse, while the family were casual in mates of the workhouse of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington. The facts were fully proved, after two lengthened inquiries (one on Tuesday last), and the jury returned the following vertlict—" The jury are unanimously of opinion that the deceased child, Henry Shepherd, tied in convulsions, occasioned be the administration of a narcotic powder by mistake; an that they recommend that the parochial autho rities be requested to appoint competent persons to receive and administer the medicines sent to the workhouse by the parish surgeon, and that he be sequested to write the direc tions on the medicines in a more legible manner,"— A CHAitOE or Mumm a / a —Before W. Maker, EA., at the Royal Pavilion, New-road, Whiteehapel, en Caroline Pooley, the wife of a bricklayer, who left her husband to live with another man, named Collins, and immediately afterward, was taken ill, and removed to Guy's Hospital, where she died. Her husband raised a report that this Collins had been Ler murderer. To clear himself from this foul impu tation, Collins demanded an inquest. Mr. Stocker, a surges of Guy's Hospital, proved that the woman died from in flammation of the peritonium. Collins said he became ac quainted with the woman through teaching her son the violin, and hearing from her that she had been turned out of doors, took her to live with Lim out of compassion, being separated from his own wife, and three days after she went to live with him she was seized with the complaint of which she died. The jury could not restrain the expression of their abhorrence of such a depraved character, this being the third woman whom he had taken from her home. Verdict, " Natural death." THE GREAT BRITAIN. The following later was addressed by the com mander of the ill-fated Great Britain to the directors of the Great Western Steam-ship Company, in which he gives his own account of the disaster : "Great Britain Steamship, Oct, 1846. " Gentletinea,—Captrdn Claxton's letter will have put you in pos . seecion of the leading facet relating to the id - rending of thin chip, but 1 feel called on to give you an account of the sad diaaster more in de tail, both for tour satisfaction and that of the proprietorri, a, well as in my own juatifieation. It is possible you may have expected this before, but from the 22nd ult. to middle of last week, say whole time and energies were devoted, in the firm instance, to the attempt to get the 'ship off, and then in trying to stop a heavy leak near the stern, both, I grieve to nay, ineffectual. During that time my occupa tion was as mach in the water as out of it the few imam hours I had I found absolutely necessary for rest, and Captain Claxton can tell you how much I required it when he was here; 1 was, therefore, totally unfitted to give you this etatement until now. Our pilot left a little inside the Bell Busy, about one o'clock, and it was about ten minutes past one when we were fairly under weigh abreact it; all plain mil was set, with a fine breeze from the hE., at times S.S.E. 1 determined to go by the North Channel in consequence, as the wind was certain to be south-westerly In the South Channel, after peeking lloirbegi ; and I have frequently taken the North Channel before, and think it the beet under those circumstances; indeed, 'I would take it in preference were all equal. My reasons , are, in thick weather And I have gone out of the North Channel in a fog', you meet one vessel in that Channel to twenty in the South; indeed, with the first of a math-wester, one to fifty. You cheat the tides, and have lent against and more for you. You get clear of the land in much lea time. You shorten the distance to New Turk a little, and you get a great advantage by being north, as the set of the Atlantic generally it to the southward, indeed a!most invariably, and a Mast of wind sometimes, as the wind hangs more to the northward than it does further smith ; on the whole, It Is my opinion that a day la nand In the I...age by going through the North Channel, when the *canon for meeting fielitiee le over, and the ice-bergs drift to the southward. The log was hove regularly, and gave a speed of 101 to 11 knots per hour, and I aneertaiued from the first officer, Mr. hedger, by diteet inquiry, that the line and glass were oorrect : eleven knots, the ship deep, is as much as could be fairly expected. At about hall oos; bee, I caught a glimpse of the Isle of Ilan, but what part of the isiand exactly, or how far o ff , I could not decidedly say, no it wan then getting dark, and the weather becoming thick. Imme diately after, or about Fix o'clock, it came on to rain and blow harder, and the weather very thick, and it threatened to be, as it proved, as vile a night as could be experienced. I have no doubt taus would be corroborated by au y one at sea that night. (The `ca Nymph would not start from Warren Point, a most unusual thing.) About seven o'clock, I remarked to the ling and second ofilieke., .f with neon the forecastle, looking out, where I hole been, and continued there and at the class, t^ith the exception of from fi re to ten minutes, from half-past re to the time the ship &trick), that we must be well up with the and that I might solely allow her 104 knots per hour since leaving the Bell Buoy; ienn after this, I told the first °Meer to shorten firil at eight o'clock, take to top gallant sails, two reefs in foretop mil, one in the main, and haul the foresail up, an I should alter the course to N. by E. I (which is higher thanithe North Channel course), and go easy all nib!, feeling aura the ship was the Inland. The course wan altered at eight, and sail accordingly; at about a quarter-pan eight I was stauding by the wheel, watching the steerage while meting, when the officer looking out on the forecastle reported a light on the port, or larboard bow ; I said, immediately, it must be a vessel's light the light was lost sight of in the thick weather fur a abort time, and again showed Itself as • revolving light. I imme diately kept the ship off hkr former course, N.W. by N., exclidming, " 1l ft is it poseible she has not run her dietance; what can have bell her Gick?" taking the light for one of the Calf of Man lights, and *optioning the other hidden by the thick weather which is often the case, as many wrnen welt know. I hare been : (Tinning can that ' station in a man-of-war, sonic Tars since, and frequently have seen but one light I then continued be the centimes watching the bearing of the light, and trying with a gla's to make out the second light, but ! a glam on that night was useless, from the continued rain: I could not help thinking we must be peat the island, and at the same time there true a revolving light occasionally before my eyes to tell me we were not pant it, and I did as I believe most sailors In my situation would have done, (not knowing there was any other 'crating light in the dfrertion tee had been running from Bell Buoy, us iny chart, new and dated lm(c, does not shin , cony I.Y 4 t can B t. Point), stood on until I got the right bearing for round ing the lien and Chicken rocks!, lying off the Calf of Man. I then hauled the ship up to North gradually, and to N. 4 E, ultimatelr, when I was surprised to find, on Inquiring the time, that It was a quarter-past nine ; I ran down for a moment to look at my chart, and buck again to the helm, when I heard a lout hail from the forecastle, and at the same moment I saw what appeired and proved shoal water alongside. I instantly sung out bard a port—slop her; this was done. I ordered a hack turn, braesal the r...rd. by, and shifted the helm, all without effect. The sea began to bleak over us, and the en giuper told me Le could not move the engines; this made our case for the time hopeless, as it was neerhigh water on a spring tide. I then ordered an anchor to be got bear; the Ste-lights, hatchways , , enm fte., to be secured; the baits to he looked to, to be rosily in cane of need. I went below to aismtre the passengers Cott I believed there was no danger of loss of life, provided they did as I wished them, namely, remain quiet until daylight should chow or where we were, and what was belt to be done; I alio consulted my chart, but could nut make out to lay own satisfaction clearly where we were, but believed we were not far from Antall/we, mar Gun leLnol, and that the light in sight was that of the tooth Ito* and at daybreak. When the Coon Guard people and others came oe,t maid art Molten! we were in Dwidrum Bey, and that th ere was a light on St. John's Point, for some time. 'The ship was forging ahead with the sea, and I WAS afraid to let an arehoir go, lest it might go through her bot tom, and do more Moth than good—beaidea, the further the ship went the greater the chance there was of easing everybody. Towards daybreak it moderated, and I immediately lowered one of our life boats, and eommenced landing the passengers, the ladies not. The tide soon ebbed out to the ship, and the passengers got on shore in a variety of ways,—by ropes, by carts, ea men's shoulders, Sc. ,• and then their luggage, only one on two packages of which have, 1 be lieve, been lost. There was a great rush among the poorer people for jobs, for which they took care to be well paid, but no ill.treatment to any of the has come to my knowledge. The Coast Gliar with Capt. Y i eper at their heed, gave emery possible aadatance. Lieut. Morris, the officer in charge of the station, was early on booth and did all he could do to help us. Also Hugh Purdy, chief boatman, who was among the.** penmen on board, and answered the signals we made in the course of the night very promptly. I cannot say sufficient for the great anthem we ail experienced from lady Matilda Montgomery, who no shelter under her own roof to several of the wmengers, and shelter for many more in the of the try a g round. Captain Deemed, a magietrate, cot t ages hero here 7. Nth of assistance in securing the passengers' luggage in the Coast Guard Watchhouse, and outing disputes as to amount for carriage., fee., the. The coastal:Mary force, nailer Mr. Janne, were here as soon as posaible, and afforded valuable nosietAne , ,, which they have continued until very recently. There are many others In the neighbourhood who have offered ae sistance, and I may say generally that all has been done for us that could be done anywhere, wider our trying circum stance*. Our thanks are particularly du e to Sir James Dom breme, the Inspector-General of Coast Guard, who, on hearing of the disaster, sent two boats' crews (9 men), with the mate of the Royal George," revenue cruiser, to war assistance. Mr. Brown, the chief mate, proved a valuable and efficient officer, and we are in debted to him for good service, as well aa to his party of men, whose assistance we found most valuable in the boats. I alao feel much gra tified in being able to say that Mr. Hedger, the chief, and th e a hole of the officers and crew, behaved themse lves in the most exemplary manner during alt their very herd work, and conducted themselves with the same sptrit and obedience to orders that could be shown by any men in the moat ordinary routine of duty. I need not go into the failure of all our attempts to get the ship afloat ; this you know from Captain Claxton, and my letters. 1 must remark that it is clear there must have been a Westerly art, which placed the ship more than Ai mile and a-half an hour a-head of what the log gam; this Is clear from the distance run from Liverpool (Coburg Dock Gate) to where we are; about 120 miles In hours meth 121 knob. per hour; the leg gave rather less than II knota, and this set also prevented our seeing the Calf of Man Lights, ae we passed more to the S.W. than we ought to have done by the course steer( d, ohich I tied to be the same (S.W. by N.) as steered by the regular trading steamers between Liverpool and the ports near this. I muat alao observe that I cann o t attach any blame to the corapasses or steer..ge. 1 tried the corn a day or two after we gut here, and found them Carnet to a I of a point ; in fart I take the whole blame, if there be any, to myself, for it is 1 alone who had anything todo with the navigation ofthia ship, or any ether 1 hay, ever coramindish Overwhelmed be the oecurrence, mortified at the issue of our great effort, it in still not without confidence that I leave my ease in your hands, first claiming permission to look back on the occurrences of the past IS years, and more particularly to the time I hose been connected with your company. la the year 1831 I first commanded a ship, one of the Falmouth Poet-office l'aeketa, and in 1932 1 commanded another Falmouth Packet. In both those 1 kept my own reckoning, although I had °Mores there for that expreta purpose. From 1832 to 1637 1 commanded merchant sailing VelAtele in a foreign trade, and a steamer in the coasting trade; those vends 1 navigated myself, of course. In 1837 1 took command of your slop, the Great Western; and that good ship 1 navigated, entlrel. myself, sixty-four times to and from New ]ark, for which 1 M. tamed your high opinion, and the offer of the command of the Great Britain, as well se a complimentary letter, and a valuable pre sent fro-n the underwritere at Lloyd's, "for nautical skill and K.- manship." During that time the numerous presents and (Mimi, iliala from passenger's, 1 am atter, were given for the care with which I nuriyhted your ship priscipully, and the whale credit formerly, or disenakt now, is all nay own; but I feel a firm conviction that you, gentlemen, will acquit me of blame in this important matter, and, if so, I trust will publicly declare, yonr, I hope, unanimous opinion to that effect. That will materially lessen the severe blow I have received, more secere in every way to me than to any other perm. , I remain, Gentlemen, your obedient servant, JAW,. MSS Mr. Patterson, who deigned and built the Great Western, the Severn, and other large steamers, having joined Captain llusken at Dundrum Bay, to surrey the Great Britain as she now lies, reported to the directors on Wednesday last. The nsture of the reports rendered by both these gentlemen will he seen by the subjoined extracts from the minutes of the board of directors:— trey. 20. - Mr. Patterson attended the board on his return from the 'hip, and explained his view, an to getting her off, and reported that, finding it neceoury to protect the skip until rote means be adopted for her removal, he bad ordered • fender of wood work to be made to secure the ohip'o quarter, at an expense of rit or 701., and having ncommended that a small floating breakwater should be con otruetill for her protection generally, at a coot of about lOW. It was resoived : That the temporary protection ordered for the ninth§ quarter be confirmed, and that the breakwater be immediately proreeded with ; also that the secretary will immediately communicate with Mears. Gibbs, Bright, and Cu., of Liverpool, in reference to Mr. Puttemon's views as to getting her off, fur the coneiderinort of the underwriters. Captain Hosken's Report of the circumstances which preceded the dhaster of the Great Britain" in Dumb urn Ray, and air the after occurrence,: baring been read and considered, —lt wa. , rewired, I. That the report la circulated among the prprietoro.- 2. That while the director* sympathise with Captain Iliuken upon an event, an afflicting to him and so injurious to the Company, they nth*e with him that the catastrophe was, by the blessing tie Providence, unat tended with bar of life or primal injury to any one.--3. They take • this opportunity of recording their moot grateful thanks to Lady Matilda Montgomery, the Mastotrateo, and the officers and men of the cord Guard. Constabulary, and Revenue denims. mentioned ! in Captain Ileaken'e Report; and their perfect satisfaction with the conduct of the unicero and ship's company, who, under circumstances of great trial and fatigue, conducted tb•MArle(ll re admirably. - 4. With respect to the occurrence% which preceded the strand ! of the unfortunate chip, r explained now by Captain Hodson, and in by g the report of Captain Claxton to the weretary, the directors are of opinion that the ship was stranded in COII....qUeOCC of an error in judgment, into which It appears her captain was betrayed, through the omission of a notice of bt. John's Light in the chart of thin year, by which he was navigating, and of the want of knowledge on his part of such a light being established, -- it being to the directory, obviouo, that, had the light been laid, Captain llosken would have known that the judgment which led him at eight o'clock to pot hi. ship in the trier course for the North Channel, ought to have been persevered in. The directors cannot dismiss the subject at its present stage, without considering is hetber any and what amount of ben tit to nit s h.-ation r to be deeded from tie melancholy circumstances which they have so deeply to dephire, and they inform the prcprietork that they mean to appeal to all luouranee Companies, all Merchants, iShiporners, and Master, •if Ships, to aid them in urging upon the legislature an enactment, with heavy johaltico, against all Admiralty Agents who 'ball, after the paring of the name, nen Charts without on ...awl certificate that they have lass examined by a person or prroors in aujhority, either from the Ilydrographer'ii Office, or the 1 rainy liowse or as may be appointed, and that they contain all the knows Lights, Buoys. or Byrum, up to the date of said certificate; also, upon Tendon% of charts not Admi ralty Agents, who shall not, in the first week of every January, have obtained a oimilar reinitiate from the Custom-hour authorities of the several seaports of the United King d om. The directors apprehend that this may be accomplished without any sierifiee of property, as nothing tan be more easy than dotting down, in red ink, and in writ ing, whatever may be new upon the oldest ( %arta, and the result would be int•reard eimnslence in navigation, a snot owing of property, greater security to underwriters, and tuncionitant surely to the travelling pub lic. The stranding of so noble a specimen of naval architecture, and the oorequint check to the progress of naval science— the narrow erape from a watery grave of nearly three hundred perrons the probable Lan of so much property, and the oneness or otherwise of experiments to Rave her—arc questicen of interest, and while they are fresh in men's mind., or under drew oion, Is the time, the directors conceive, to add considerationaiif modeo of improvement in the safiruardo of navigation, and they would con:oder thernstlYes remits, if they neglected the eiuhrt opportunity of chinning the support of the public in gibtaining an Act of Parliament, embracing in some s hape the foredoirg object, as they cannot but conshicr that the primary cause of the disaster, wan the omission of St. John's light in the chart usod by Captain Boren. IRELAND. THE LABOUR-RATE ACT. WEXFORD.--SHnItHORNC.—The extraordinary present ment sessions for this barony was held at Ballistown, on Wednesday the 14th inst. William Madden Glascott took the chair.—Mr. Glascott addressed the meeting for a consi derable time upon the utility and application of the act of parliament under which the proceedings were carried on.— Mr. Glascott resuming his seat, Captain Dyer, the officer of the Board of Works, explained to the people the nature snd working of the Act. He sat down amidst the murmurings of the bystanders, who did not appear much pleased at his promises of 10d. per day to support a large family. At this time the small court-house was so densely crowded that scarcely a word was audible. Mr. Glasoott proposed that the sum of 111,0001. should be levied off the barony, and devoted to works for the employment of the poor for the next ensuing three months, 4,000!. of which to be allocated to each parish, four being included within the barony.—The amount was voted accordingly. THE WEATHER.—A STORM.—The weather has been ex tremely boisterous here for the last few days, and last night it blew a perfect storm. There has been much casual damage done to the shipping in harbour; but nothing serious to any. However, it is feared that along the coast damage to a very serious extent must have been suffered. The storm visited the south-western parts of Ireland earlier, and has there blown a whole hurricane. DEATH BY STARVATION. —The Limerick and Mire Examiner, on the authority of a medical gentleman, Dr. Hill, resident near Kilrush, states that ten individuals have recently died in that district of positive destitution. I have myself been assured this morning by a gentleman just arrived from Mayo, that a female, named Honer Tonra, who resided near Errcw, within four miles of that town, had died of des itution within the last few days. I have been also assured that scarcely a child attends the schools taught by the monks at Errew, where from 240 to 300 attended daily. They are, nay informant states, too weekend feeble to attend any longer. PROPOSITION FOR A GENERAL FAST IN I RM. AND. The liratertard Chronicle, a Repeal journal, contains the following notice of a sermon preached by the Rev. Richard Ryland, a clergyman of the Established Church, in Water ford, on Sunday last. Taking for his text a passage from the Prophet Amos : "I have amines you with blasting and mildew," the reverend preachc r stowed how, in the case of Israel, when God wens forgotten, sore vintaneas were sent upon the people; and unless they humtlatl themselves before him, other calamities of a worse nature followed. We have had pestilence within a few years, and now we are threatened with famine. The prayer which had been ordered to be used on this occasion WV% as far m it went, good, but he wanted more—he wanted a whole day to be set apart for humiliation before God--s day of prayer and raglan ; by the latter he meant total abstinence from food—an PM eine which bed been found by souse r great aid in drawing the mind to God. Let all consent to this -light deprivation, and give the yeti mated cost of a day's pmsisioa to the poor. Ile wanted all, without exoeptinn, to feel the scarcity, and not the poor only. Ile heard of distinctions- religious and political: 1,16 this a time to indulge in such! He called upon all: Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Dia masters, :dl who worshipped the same God and Father of to all, to join together before the throne of Mercy and beseech the Lord ha alleviate their dialect*. The preacher was listened to with the deepest attention. THE PIM CI PLEA CH , St PPLT AND DEMAND.—The Cons missary-Ocueral for Ireland, a much-abused gentleman, has addressel the f"llowing communication to Lord Sligo ; upon the true principles of supply and donand: The esstle, Dublin, Oct 14. My Lori—l have the honour to acknowledge the reetipt of your lordship's letter of October the 6th, containing the resolutions of the Westport committee, which reached me only yesterday, and I have this morning )our letter of the 12th MM. I pay due attention to your lordship's application foe government essistanco and for the opening of the gsoerntuent depot, and I solicit your lordship's patience whit -t I enter into some explanation ou this subject. We have a crisis of a pet uliar nature to overrnme, and a sudden tninst ' tion front pot-to t grain fond, for which the country is little prepared. We have two great deficiencies to supply—mills and inland corn dealers, and both are a work of tone. Unfortunately a great, and, as I think, an Pt-considered opprobrium boo beta t eowa upon dealers is cora and the farmer, with scarcely any knowlede of the prineip; es of trade, Is exercising the two professions, and with injury to Ixr.h. If they were, as they onght to be, divided, the farmer would be ra lieved rfetel bad. news that he does not under:intend, and would ta.."„ w hole liar given op to his own occupati on , i n which he WOK' , . be materially amieted by loans or au antes from the trader, who, " well as hie landlord, would have en interest In hie stream. The de," "neat be distant when the gentlemen of the country will see the ads .thtefte of encouraging dealers of character and respectability, and det!ex.'Ze all the advantage of the union of commerce and agriculture. With ta g.ual to the high prices which it is alleged the dealers exact, we mast bear in mind that if an article is retiree it must be dear ; set a mallet quantity of fiext moot be made to suilice for a longer period than is usual, and that the high price Is the only criterion by which ran semption can be mono:Ili:rd. The interests of an intelligent dealer will alwaye check the tendency to raise prime :Morn their true level ; or, at all create, the attempt will carry its cure with it by dieeppoipting him of hie market. The present Is rota local egareity, but includes all Western Germany, Ilelland, Belgium, and France, as well as the United Kingdom, and them powers are competing with it. in the food maraca ; and if we decline to pay the tale velue we shall lose our proportion of it. No merchant will bring his goods to our market if he can obtain a :setter price elsewhere. I Mink we ehall certainly mistake the object if we sell below the met price, for we giro up all check upon the consumption, and abut out all mercantile ambit awe from us, and stead alone in our market, making ourselves respon. table for the supply. Your lordship's information leads you to state that the grain m the country In Only eir .ugh to eupply the seed tares. soy far the seeing of the double crop to compensate for the loss of the potato. I must not attempt to coined thy. impremion as relates to your Imalship'e nsighbuurhood, but in the country gene.. rally, it is acknowledged that the barren ben abundant. anal so great have been the expurtatiue to England that the price has actually given way under it, awl the markets am lee advaritimivas than in Ireland. Wheat has even horn re-shipped awl brought back again. Mere is a pram? of the great In.. exwrieneill by the mutat?y from the absence of respectable corn dealers, who,' bu , inero it would be to watch the comer of trade, and keep their own markets supplied, making the abundance of one part of the country applicable to the demand of another. Your lordship in disposal to think that the open ing of the depot at Westport, which comaina about la° tans of en gem:id Malian corn, would afford to the people an effectual measure of relief. The quantity which I have stated Is ohllunt all answer to this solo itation; but I am iItiMOILI to explain to your lordship that neither the trade new the government could adopt any .tea for in ereasinir the supply of food in the country until the failure of the po. Coto crop was known in September. On the mum favourable view that can be taken of the time neer/wary to introduce foreign 1111µ44. rations, it cannot be uccoinplished as 4h any effect in kin than three or four months. Until thou period, therefore, ham elapsed (from let of December to the let of January), neither the [rage nor the cem missarhat can be in • petition to meet the exigency which your lord. ship thinks is now impending. The only and the real remedy is the abundance of the late grain harvest ; and your lordship wdi net fail to observe the danger we incur in exporting this nierliulty, or in ?Mik: to apply it to our local wants, and transferring our expects. tione to the importation of a foreign grain eolith has not had time to reach our coasts. In consequence of the demand fur Indian corn meal the price Mu risen to :Ms. per quarter—much beyond the price of whole wheaten meal, the growth .of Ireland, or of barley meal, whether grown here or imported. I earnestly recommend to your lordship's committee the :Advantage which theme items of Amply otler. I should elm° strongly- recommend the sowing of eve instead of onta, at least in part, which is harvested weirdly six weeks or two months before wheat. I trust that your lordship will perceive the Motility of opening our depot, and of commencing our homes before we are in to maintain them. It would be deceiving you, and depriving us of the alfUlle of affording a Roma temporary euce air to sonic of the worst parte of Connemara and .tehill Island, In cycelu ainit, I advert to your tont:Ml(3's application for a depit at lambhurg, for the iliMeulty whirl, my prarious explanations will have prepared you. In tart, lam obliged to withdraw for the moment the consta. Wary denim now dependent on Westport, trusting to the exertanui of thecommitters to supply their absence until we are able to renew them. Ou this subject it awe be made ea ident to your lordship that these eonatibulare dePots, If they become too numerous, MIMI the impar. Balite of tie distribution ; fie all theme I:militias a: hirb have not thus ad s-entice are obliged to defray from their own funds the expenses of transport, of custody, and isms; and I am sure your tordehip will con. cur with me that there should be no distinction. I have received ap. pbeations for Ito Ina a number than for In.; of these depots, with which it will be elems to your lordship, that, even in the aggregate, no one could anticipate that I should have the means of complying. I beto critic your inniehip that it will give me great plemi t e e in assist. roue committee es much um lice in my power; and I congratulate the district on your lordehip'e having consented to act on their chair man at a moment when all rho influence and example In the country are norm:eery to carry an through this greet crisis. —l have the honour to he, dc., (Signed) K. J. Boum, C. 1.1. The Most Noble the Marquis of Sligo, kw, Westport. SCOTLAND. OPENING or THE Pours.—The Provost of Polloksihaws (Olnegow) has received the following letter, acknow Icslting receipt of the memorial of the inhabitants of that burgh to Lord J. Russell, praying fur the opening of the ports, and prohibition of distillation from grain : " Downing-street, Oct. 16.—Sir : I awn desired be Lord J. Russell to atkibowledge the receipt of your hater of the 25tii ult., and or the memori it of the Inhabitants of Pollokshaw. which iecontianird it. Lord .1. Russell to deeply sensible of the calamity which now pram.% AO sevetely on the poorer classes of the United Kingdom, owing la the alt cot total tailure of the potato crop: but he truqs that the toes., which the government will adapt, and the enertions of props ii tors on their °a n es t disc will tend %cry greatly to mitigate the di-trews. I have also been instructed to inform you, that it I. not the intention of the government to prohibit the distiilition from graln.—l have the honour to he, sir, yo , lr obedient servant, (Signed) It. W. Gsr.r. A ellen I Ite.—COSIMPRION fly THE. Loren-LIEUTENSST. —Cornet W. C. Patrick to he Lieut., vice the Hon. J. Kennedy, of Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry.—Ginefte. Tut: GRAPE-YARD NVIsANCE.—On Tuesday, the 20th instant, two soldiers belonging to the First Royals, were buried in the Edinburgh °niftier' churchyard. the officer in attendance complained of the shallowness of one of the graves, which the Recorder alleged was of the usual depth, three feet, eleven inches, although, to all appearance, it was not more than three feet, and another coffin was understood to be immediately underneath. The exact details may be disputed, but the fircyfrittel churchyard ought to have been shut up long ago, no a public pestilence. George Buchan. a, the famous tutor of James 1., lies there, coil since bis time it has constantly been used as a place of interment. The ground is far above its original level, and on un atteunit being made some years ago to reduce some of the more prondiwut acclivities, no progress could be made, in consequence of the masses of bones which were laid open by every succeeding incision of the spade. In the midst of this field of corruption there now stands one church, with the probability of anothi r being erected, and it is bounded by the grounds of two public hospitals and a street; the windows of the houses looking directly on the graves, and heaving up to their sills without sia inch of intermediate space. This would have been dis creditable at any time, but more so now that six public and well-regulated cemeteries encircle the city at daft rent points. If private persons will perpetuate the nuisance, certainly Government should not do it; and, most likely, ifa commu nication were made to the Secretary-at-Wu, military lune rals would be ordered to take place in the cemeteries. FINE Allis is ScoTLAND.—For years past a bad feeling has existed between the Royal Institution and th, Bela! Scottish Academy, and lately it threaten?d to be the meant of preventing the latter from holding their annual exhibition of paintings in the premises of the institution, where they have been held for a series of years, and where indeed, in the absence of a special building, they can alone be held. The breach was understood to be healed up, but it appears that it is breaking out anew, as it is said that the directors of th e institution have intimated that they will not allow the Academy exhibitions after 1847. The dispute, like all pro tracted conflicts, has got complicated, and we have no desire to enter on it; but certainly it is high time that it were settled in some shape. Were it not that government com missions generally cost too much money, and cushion such matters after all, the controversy should be disposed of in that way; but probably, were government to make the attempt, they would find a sufficient number of private citizens of requisite honesty and intelligence who, for the sake of Scottish Art, would be willing to adjudicate gratuitously. EDINSVROH TIME BALl..—Edinburgh, which exported David Ramsey' to London, and now beasts of having David Bain, the patentee of the electric clocks, as one of its denizens, has hitherto had no comprehensive public method of announcing apparent solar time. The scientific ship cap tains and watchmakers have had to trudge to the Calton hill, and examine the transit-house for themselves; while the unscientific have been content with tLe mean time of pendu lums and mainsprings. To remedy this, government is, at the suggestion of the Tidal Harbour Commissioners, to place a time ball, six feet in diameter, on the top of Nelson's monument, which is daily to be precipitated at one o'clock true sidereal time. As Glasgow has an observatory as well as Edinburgh, it should contend for a similar privilege. THE POET BURNS.—The Elgin Courant says :—" A very interesting document, relating to the excise services of Burns, has been kindly handed to us by James Melville, Esq., collector of excise in this district. It is the diary of the Dumfries collection and district from 17th Jan. to sth March,l796—the district in which Mr. Findlater, the friend of Burns, was supervisor. The entries, which are very numerous, relate to the routine duties of an excise officer, in the performance of which Burns was always highly com mended by his supervisor. Indeed, from the humblest officer to the head of the local department, in the Dumfries collection, testimony is borne to his efficiency and mild de portment. Burns is recorded as being indefatigable in the performance of his duties. The diary, however, reports Burns on duty : but it appears that from October, 1795, to the January following he was confined to his house. He is shortly after (sth March) represented is declining health. Rheumatism and loss of appetite, deprived of refreshing sleep, and in dejected spirits, from a summary of the im prints of death on this neglected luminary. Writing under this impression to Thomson, he States :--' I close my eyes in misery, and open them without hope.' Only four months from the date of Collector Melville's diary days and night*, weeks of serious reflection—earth was restored to earth— the eyes of Burns having closed on this world the 21st of July, 1795. ' A spirit of independence,' rays ' reigned alike in the genius and the character of Burns, a meet finale to our brief relic of his laborious man hood." AT GALAS/11EL% on Friday night, a DISGRACEFUL OUT FLAG P. was committed by some rzilwar labourer.. It appears that a number of these men have bee:n in the habit of using the ball-room of the Black Bull Inn, as a sort of regular meeting place, and on the night in question some of them had proceeded thither as usual, a hen they found it occupied by another party, the young dyers, who were holding their anniversary ball in it. These 'latter have had the room for the same purpose for the last twelve years, and the " navies " received due notice that the room was engaged. They per. sisted, however in their attempt to enter, and, on being civilly requeeted to go away by some of those present, declared their determination to have the room themselves, and proceeded to take possession by force. They broke up some of the forms and stools in order to use the fragments as bludgeons, and a dangerous scuffle ensued between them and the townspeople. In the course of it, some of the windows of the house were smashed, and the pannels of the doors broken. The special police were sent for, but they refused to act, on the plea that they had not received their ihstructiov.. Fortunately, the "tarns," baring gratified their o an of destructiveness to their heart's content, or perba ... , ulterior conscquencra, withdrew from the field bef ei . . - - had demolished everything in the house. Nome at•AttM were cap tnred.—Seotatcon. 7.: , - .. STIRLING lII:ROUS.—A new candidate has this district, in the person of Mr. Spe a r, of mei. From this gentleman's aldress to the electors, 5 1 . z C that he professe+ almost, if not altogether, the ea ' !pinions as those entertained by the late Mr. c k. r.gt.. Wallhoese. , Si r" • 1 1 1 ti