The Express. — London, England, 1846-12-03 00:00:00

. ' rY Park, ri n ger, at half -pent liou*e, Wid. the D ue t iew - i • .se. !Triew with the wiles of 'nags. The A t Right Ro n e, ad an intent, Iterday, at hi s t!t the Color of the other N c o received y e , ,e) lon, and with Sir G. alio a late rived in town c i We learn ss th t of . Sir G. Cock, h unt)", that he 4 left arm, btu r To GUERN SEI towards ereetinp: visit to Gummy, r of a castellstel a . land -mark lA, thou for Alde'rnry ue, of Bristol, and )EL CASTLE twn was gaily eep was brilliantly .11 bore the wor t h asters five feet is Clip. There wy v at the foot of the v was comminuted lloward Gibbon, tit evening, i h ortl ; ttulatori addrtrsey Prince Albert on and, as /distres s of Rowell, V iscourit of Bedford, and Q teen, received • Duke of Norfolk ter was seis e d op George, now con e is a ...hi m . ie south end by loonte extreme is a bring of ph , hed entrance trom the Milted a superb col ere i gas, claimed by iris Marshal• The ts ; among the col. harits, Ilth Duke Frederick Howard, ndy ke ; of Henry alan, Lord Mahn. of Nor.olk, by sumptuous figured ornamental Gothic r of plate, the ben 'churchly designed were yaluable an two beautiful eas y Vlll. and Francis to Norman cruscder h a brilliant wawa- The dessert service Ike of Norfolk, pre and Prince Conant 2 of "The Queen." is Royal Highnes Queen and Ditcher retired to the state Prince Consort took the elegant sane of shortly after eleven Ls usual on their e. The Queen, in ed by Prince Albert, ik, premenaded the e old ciuttle, lin Ms from the house up s Prince Albert, the the Earl of Arundel Lord John Russell duke's preserves at njoy a few hours' 'A ere killed, I'rinee d three hares._ store 2 o'clock, the ui•hed guests. The e castle during the . Prince and the Duke uteiPnt keep of the i owls which are now• icient fortress. visited Ile Duebeil'i NDNIEN"E OF society was held it t, yesterday eyenutg, iehed members of the 1 Brougham took the e udnutos of the pee• übmit to the confide. report of the Lair& question, which had clietlier, in cor.nectita of insurance of tales nion of a entoPetent. c , Lievirr test of its rabid!. d on : the faith of these it the Ole to the lands n log that a t+dtisbctory °P it necessary on everr ante id itiul..rgo a fresh oionn. the repetition of ineesofb lecessarr, whether one ft. whether up to the tube at .le o be insurel,.tbs d ••good o ne, the conceived, be estentled • as approved titles USA it cuusidered good hole" 3. Titles subject to sails according to the F0ri241% to, and to a great eatql rod insuranee should not be rePou .; certain point uneaten* r, to take up the exam b* . nunined and ',metilate!! he present practice, PO 7.1 red in every (404 e ailke,l7 be good titles as in the in!,_ ay* Sir Edward ,4, B de °!! is in furty4une ousa nut' be in danger al are per. ill increased wain the _ Langer." _ e to this class of tides, ty of eviction should ro• I after the transaction •••• er, SoonIIS adds was gained by the polder g undir him. Let ste, com pany is willing t• glag. field ! not a great one, 11,1 enter into the fie ; ••• multi F eon more for the fits' ne.s among such of digit as were illing to sot art mode which aped , general principle LS =lice might be aft;* • We will nest taken in the matter, e [tile risk. A peet; a 7i s ise to his s title to the sa ol°. mording to the some: limey on niortglifel a sclected bv the ornos._, tie might be he Ow Le °thee, and it would . Le title previous to tha t tit: ch was insured up LO be fro the IST, ligation ofthat iff•* • _tsai insurance might tes loo ln • flood o, of course red out ne that his WO OM um ted, he would come Va had all in t the person. - e that had thus turned ma tter of regu m lation t your committee belleelfr-tt eviction now tak. 00;71 d by the eidstbe wig 00 , minor should not be • a a the title would fall in _Z. ?nttuAlty the the of the wr - , ew ) ; but as the purcht r p;01. rely relieved from such would be willing to P•li_ lasers would be more ntl iop i, espenses, and Prob a ,_, bl ,.. r :o of Ms propertY, w.f .. " ands much more roil!! plan would also mum It Ma. ction to invest in land, Ale usually prevents the particularly advan ra; ors being trustees, o r Wow , re entered. the title was a markemes and third c lasses of Wit ; w mounte d by the p on e ible title, but a good less substantial, the aka .•=roperlY sd oi nd be. , w hatever tha t safe to hold, thouglic Laster Senior, in Ms 772:, on the Burdens of Lena jef..oll y defective title. Titles ,•"'" _ o re kg to but the difficulty is to trawler them. th an y elections to title as to marketablenem, few as to The same wittiest gore on to nay : —tt I believe th a t t hi n i s the (wily civilised eouatry tcgwring sixty years' title, or even forty • • r believe that in almost every country but this the trans- M i roper ts effected in the bootie of a notary, or a registrax, or some pram 01/1011 and that you require only the title of the person who Rln subtnitted, then, that the principle of insurance would abla apply to this class of titles, and would be found highly be- A few general remarks remain to be added. If the purchaser he efrewheretheland was insured were desirous of improving his fraught, if he thought proper (ifsach improvements were not he the well known role of equity ns to this) secure the re-payment Of ifree edvanoes by edditional premiums, as is now dune when extra rishz ere incurred on riskfire, and marine insurance. It is farther t o be observed, that the of bad title is one which Is now actually incurred by all offices advancing money on land, and that In fro n t ht ,AseA the office might be its own insurer. But it may is day the office would be liable to be defrauded, that had titfre bet,eted, with the view of obtaining the value of the Yid lowered and that roller too would take plate bet n the vendor and par. c hase'. Tats eommittee is, however, of opinion that the prupeeed ...dem of insurance might be as effectually guarded against fraud as „jaws dealings which are now profitably carried on. Some h e ad uOght exist, but not in a sufficient proportion to countervail the n est benefits which would be obtained by the system. Indeed frank, ` ‘ ',/tiji, nature might now be committed If it were easy to commit them iu niers where money was lent by an office on the security of iinds. gal it would be proper to take all precautions against fraud. th ee of any attempt to recover any lend, the title to which had in been Moved, .the office might have the option given it to defend the f rtio.a. It would not be unreasonable further tactualo protect the office by m eth ; fr ecre penalties against frauds, or attempted. It has also been urged that in many ewes the purchaser would only f rrually indemnified by getting bock his purchme money, that be ce . his purchase trim peculiar motives, and that the very piece of had which he buts is what he wish." and not its mere money value. But when it is remembered that under the present system he may not oily lase the land which he has purch is ased, but also the m ider tha t w hi c h he phi for it without any redreSiii, th committee cone there is rot much in this objection. And it is tube observed that the o biectioa is totally inapplicable to all loans on land by way of mortgage ot others ire, and in thort ewes the repayment of the money lent wo uld be a complete indemnity. It has also been objected that a rub el:quest purchaser might note disposed to take a title goaranteed by the insurance office, but might insist on having the deeds. But this might always be guarded against by the conditions of sole. It has peen urged that the powers poeneseed by a company of this sdse uture might be used oppressively as against private incli nhuoth, but it should be remembered that similar powers are already p e wees' by all railway companies, to a lees or a greater extent, ac cording to the quantity of land which they have acquired, and such powers are also poreseed by many existing insurance companies, by which large sums are constantly invisted on the 'security of land. e u the whole, this committee, givinst due weight to all these objec tions, are of opinion that the plan which has n laid before them for the insurance of title. to real property to well deserving of u rious consideration as the suggestion of a principle, and that it seems capable of being employed, either in connexion with a reltbtrY or without it. But if a registry were established I it would probably greatly facilitate it. If the committee lire right I in supposing that our retrospective titles may be worn out and stolehtsl within a period of about twenty years, as is proposed in the second report on Registry, a well-urranged system of insu rance, by throwing upon a pubic body the burden of all past defects and em pties:Mons, and guanuiteeing and establishing the registered title during its pi riod of transition, might make the benefit of the register immediate. Or if our restrospective titles be im necea ttarfly on the existing state of English society, verities an itlSUfaist a of the title at periodical intervals might uaeviate the evil by shortening the i nq uiry. AU the recent labours of this committe e inn e been dee:test towards the abolition, as far ON possible, of retrospective deduttion of title, and they are of opinion that the principle of insur ance juilicioualy carried out, may alfonl important aid towards the arecamdisluntut of this object. In ca , eying out it proper plan of insurance, it is quite certain that iegislatite aruis tanee would be neontsary • but this aid, it is considered, would not be withheld under proper restrie hew. The plan proposed would set free and bring into the market a greet mar , tit property which might be immediately dealt with either tousle or mortgage, and a fund to provide against kw would thus speedily be lased. Neither should it be forgotten that the plan particulinly facilitates the transfer of small freeholds which, under the present srtem, arc nearly unmarketable, if a rigid investigation of title takes place. Tie learned ge ntleman said that he did not ask the society to adopt the report, but merely to receive it, and to give so important& subject their careful consideration. After some 4.1 iteussion the report was received, it being understood that its reception did not pledge the society entirely to the principle, or preclude future discussion on some pointiof detail. The meeting then adjourned to that day fortnight, for the special purpose of considering lir. motion on the subject of juvenile offenders OPENING OF THE PORTS.—MEMORIAL TO TETE QUEEN. —Yesterday afternoon a deputation from the citizens of London waited, by appointment, at the Home-office, on Sir George Grey, for the purpose of presenting, through the Right lion. Bart , a memorial to her Majesty, praying that her Majesty would be graciously pleased to cause the ports to be opened for the admission of foreign corn duty free, with the view of relieving the distresses of the people.—The me morial having been read, and Mr. Cochrane having addressed the right hon. baronet, Sir George Grey said I assure the deputation that there is not the slightest necessity for env apology for speaking their sentiments freely and frankly. There is not a word in the memorial of which there is any ground to complain. It is worded with the greatest pro priety. With regard to .what passed between Lord John Russell and the firmer deputations, I cannot say anything, not basing been present ; but I am sure that no minister would have a right to complain of a free and unreserved expression of the sentiments of throe who appointed them. It is an undoubted right which the people have. I did not wish to interrupt you, Mr. Cochrane, but I have thought it right to state that there is no occasion whatever for an apology for the wording of the memorial, nor for the way in which you have expressed yourself. —After a few words from Mr. Cochrane Sir George continued : It is not for me to say what Lord John Russell meant by the words " extraordinaryneceasity," but f ant quite sure he could not have meant that the getting up of a meeting of 50,000 persons in Palace-yard would be considered by him as constituting that necessity. At the same time neither Lord John Russell nor any member of her Majesty's government can question the constitutional right of her Majesty's subjects to meet in large numbers on this or any other subject. —Mr. Cochrane having again re ferred :o Lord John Russell's words " extraordinary neces sity," Sir George Grey again spoke as follows: As I said before, I cannot undertake to say what Lord John Russell meant by the words, not having been present when they were spoken, but I presume he meant that certain statistical facts respecting the condition of the country would alone con , I stitute the necessity to which he refers. lam quite sure that he would not consider public meetings, boxes er numerously attend. d they might be, as constituting any such " fleecy site." I can soy for myself, as a minister of the Crown, that I would not. A certain class of statistical facts, bearing on the condition and the circumstances of the country would alone, in my view of the matter, justify me, as a member of the government, in tendering my advice to her Majesty to throw open the ports. But, though I cannot, gentlemen, promise to support the prayer of your memorial, I shall have great pleasure in presenting it to her Majesty as expressive of the feelings and sentiments of Unit portion of the citizens of Landon by wham it was adopted.—The deputation then withdrew. PUNIqH)IF.NT OF DEATH.—Last evening a public meeting was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgatc-street, to promote the abolition of capital punishment. Mr. Ald. Sidney presided, and there was a very crowded attendance. The Chairman, in introducing the :business, said he did not modems capital punishments on scriptural grounds, neither did be think that they could be defended on those grounds, or on these of expediency, morality, or humanity. As a means of deterring from crime, capital punishment had paned an utter failure ; this he could state from some ex perience; its chief influence was of a brutalising character. It was advisable, at least, to ask the legislature to suspend the punishment of death for seven years ; in some countries where this had been done, crime had diminished. Not long ago, in this country, from 150 to 200 crimes were punishable by death; hut since the mitigation of the punishment the number of crimes had decreased. Wero the law omniscient capital punishments might be justified ; but it was stated, on no leas an authority than that of Sir F. Kelly, that since 1900, fnurt.en innocent persons had suffered death; and how many more cases might have occurred, in which the innocence of the parties could not be established ?—Mr. D.W. lire said it had been suggested that executions should no longer take place in public ; but he trusted the community would not entertain the question of private or public exeou tons, hut consider whether they ought to take place at all. Sanguinary laws always recoiled upon their makers; and the necessary effect was, that juries were unwilling to convict in the clearest cases. There being clearly no scriptural warrant forthe infliction of capital punishments, it becomes question solely of policy and expediency. It was well known that executions had never operated as preventives of crime; and Prosecutors, wi'nesses, juries, and judges themselves, had done all they could to prevent this sanguinary law from taking effect. It was a fact, that out of 164 person. who had been executed, 162 bad witnessed previous executions. la Tuscany, where the punishment of death had been abo. lisped for 20 years, crime had diminished. In Belginnt, capital punishments had been abolished with perfect security. Thus experience, reason. religion, and authority, were all in favour of the object now sought. Closely connected with this question, was that of the condition of our prisons. He mooed: "That the punishment of death is opposed to the ‘pint of Christianity; that it does not answer its design; that ' its effects are demoralising; that it sometimes involves the destruction of the innocent by judicial process, and in i other cases favours the escape of the guilty thus promoting the crime it was meant to repress ." — The Rev. Dr. Mor timer, in seconding the resolution, said the mode of treat ing criminals ought to be a remedial one • and it was grati fsteg to know that the Prime Minister had announced, in a public meeting in this city, that the proper treatment of naminals was a question yet to be solved. Two kinds of murder, duelling, and infanticide, were positively encou raged by' our sanguinary law ; for no jury would convict for the capital offence, and thus the crime went unpunished. If a proper punishment were attached to these crimes, thej Would soon be suppressed.—A Mr. H. Brooks wished to pro- Pose an amendment relative to the destitution of the poor, Out the meeting refused to entertain it.—The resolution was Owe put and carried unanimously.—Mr. H. Vincent moved the adoption of a petition founded on the foregoing resolu tion. lie maintained that, under no circumstances, was lam permitted to take the life of man. A conviction was last gaining ground that legislators ought not, any more than private individuals, to act in opposition to the divine laws, and he trusted that the spirit now manifested in the heart of England would, ere long, sweep away the disgrace of the scaffold. It was undeniable that the crowd who „ gathered round the gallows was chiefly co mposed of ala s es, burglars, paupers, and embryo murderers—a class ;)v_ ne ?, y light fon which, if suffered to continue in its present condition, might the powder-mine to receive the spark wh ich up anarchy and devastation through the lend. While the crowd sympathised, unavoidably so, with the ;aim, thei r respect f or t h e l aw , the author of his punish 7nt,waaPeoPortionably diminished. But the fate of the scaf f, was already sealed, if the people would unite in a vigorous effort for its extinction.—Mr. James billiard se. sanded the adoption of the petition, which was unanimously reed to.—At the close, thanks were voted to Mr. Alderman Sidney for presiding. Assoc/ . ATION FOR THE RELIEF OF TIIE POOR. — The anneal meeting of the association for the relief of the Pony._in the city o f L on d on , and parts adjacent, Was held at t London Coffee-house , Ludgate-hill, last evening—the Right Hs, it. the Lord Mayor in the chair. Aldermen WU- , son, Key, Gibbs, the Rev. Mr. Harding, and other gentle men support his lordship. The rep irt stated that, from the sth Jantt try to the 27th March in the present year—a period of twel. '0 weeks-25,610 cwt. of coals had been sold to the poor at ti d. per cwt., and delivered to them free of es/triage. The receipts during the year, which were less than in the previo.us year, had been 1,9211. 13s. 9d., and deducting the expensliture, a balance of 761. 21. remained in the hands of the trears'rer. It also appeared from the report that the committee ht d discontinued supplying the poor with potatoes at a reduc price. It was stated by a mem ber of the committee that they had contracted fur a larso supply of coals at 20s. 6d. p'r ton. The report having been adopted, and the committee r e-elected, thanks were voted to the Lord Mayor for his attendance, and the meeting termi nated. Sr. PANCRAS AND THE DEPUTY CORONER.—At a meeting of the vestry of St. Pancras yesterday, Mr. J. B. E. Wnght in the chair, some severe censures were passed on Mr. Mills, the Deputy-Coroner, for his conduct in relation to the inquiry into the Woodward case ; and it was unanimously resolved to appoint • committee to consider and report on what steps shall be taken.. Mr. Douglas, who moved the resolution, considered that the course which the vestry should pursue, was either by a representation to the chief coroner (Lord Denman) to procure the dismissal of Mr. Mills, or prs coed against him by filing a criminal information in the Court of Queen's Bench. REGENT'S CANAL.—The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the nbovc canal took place yesterday, at the offices of the company, in the City-road ; M. Sethone, Esq., in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, the report of the general commit tee was read. It stated that there was in hand a sum of 13,6701. ss. I id., from which they recommended the decla ration of a dividend of 123. per share; that a sum of 8,0001. would be paid to the company in consequence of their having withdrawn their opposition to a bill which was brought for ward last session, and which was then passed, for the con struction of a railway from the Camden-town station of the London and North-Western Railway to the East and West India Docks ; that all the property required for the forma tion of the new barge entrance at Limehouse had been pur chased ; and that, in accordance with the resolution adopted at the last special meeting for the construction of a railway on the banks of the canal, notice had been given at the bill office of the intention of the company to apply for an act of parliament for that purpose ; that all the nerewaly plans were prepared and ready for the inspection of contractors. It also recommended that, in consequence of the complaints of the wharfingers of the insufficiency of the towage, the company should take that upon themselves, and that the sum of 3,0001. should be taken from the reserve fund for the purchasing of horses, &c.; it finally stated, that, during the six months ending November 30, the amount of carriage on the canal was 518,567 tons, the receipts on which were 18,1111. The report having been unanimously adopted, re solutions iu accordance with the recommendations contained in them were proposed and unanimously adopted; and a vote of thanks having been given to the chairman, the meet ing separated. ANOTIIER CONVERT TO ROME.—Mr. Henry Pow nall, son of 11. Pownall, Esq., of Spring-grove ' Hounslow, has just given in his allegiance to the Church of Rome. — Standard. TAKING THE VElL—Yesterday, the lion. Miss Middleton and Miss Byrn took the veil, and entered the Order of Mercy, at the chapel adjoiuing the Convent of Mercy, in Parker's row, Bermondsey. The ceremony com menced at twelve, and was not concluded till two o'clock. The young ladies, who looked in good health and spirits, answered the interrogatories of the celebrant with firm and clear voices, and went through, without apparent fatigue, the long and arduous service. TILE TRAINS OF TILE NORTH WESTERN LINE due at the Euston-square station at a quarter past ten, and the Express at eleven o'clock last night, did not arrive at the station till twenty-five minutes before one o'clock this morning. We understand the cause of thedelay was the breaking down of tic quarter-past ten o'clock train, the particulars of which we could not learn, except that no persons were injured. MODEL LODGING-HOUSES FOR FEMALES.—One of these, in Newton-street, Holborn, has been opened fur the reception of fernolee. The inmates are principally servants out of place, persons who obtain a livelihood by needlework, artificial flower-making, clear starchers, and workers in fancy i paper, &e. The accommodation is tar superior to what might be expected, and the greatest order prevai ls through ' out the establishment. Each lodger is provided with a sepa rate bed. On the basement there is a kitchen, with every requisite for cooking, a good fire, acd two boilers, with water bo ling every morning by seven o'clock. Round the kitchen are small cupboards, with different locks; one of these is appropriated to the use of each lutlgtr. On the ground fluor is a work room, for persons at needlework ; there is also a washing room, with every convenience. The charge is eighteenpence a-week. As this system has b..en found to work well, the promoters intend to construct similar esta blishments in all neighbourhoods where the i n dustrious portion of the poor reside. THE FIRE AND Loss OF LIFE AT LAMBETH. — As soon as circumstances would permit, the fireman made an examination of the premises, and under the pile of charred timber they found the bo dy of the female dwarf, who formed a portion of the exhibition. Her lower extremi ties were much burned, and her features considerably dis figured. She had retired to rest in an upper apartment. The servant, who also resided in the house, escaped unin jured. The body of the dwarf was conveyed to Waterloo road Church, to await a coroner's inquest—The exhibition, destroyed by the fire, was valued at upwards of 1,0001., it contained 400 full length figures of celebrated and notorious characters. In the first floor, there was a self-performing seraphine, valued at 1401. ; an organ that cost 100 /. ; two smaller ditto, and a coupe of pianofortes. There were one hundred and forty sovereigns in the same p ace. It is, however, expected, that the money will be found in the ruins, and up to last evening, the firemen had been suc cessful in recovering between 20 and 30 sovereigns. There was also an Egyptian mummy, and a valuable serpent. Whilst the firemen were searching the ruins, they found a large monkey which had wrapped itself up in a pin ce of green baize, and by that means had escaped suffation. Mr. Fergussen, who has been such a serious loser, oc was not insured. INQULSTB YESTERDAY.--DEATII FROM FIRE-ARMS. —By Mr. Carter, at the Victory inn, Merton-lane, on the body of Mr. William Newman, of Mitcham, the well-known medical herb-grower. On Tuesday, about eleven o'clock, the ,body was found lying across a ditch in a field at Lower Tooting, with a recently discharged fowling-piece lying by its side. The roof of the right side of his skull was b,own completely off just above the ear. Deceased had left home early in the morning to shoot over his fields, and from the position in which the body was found, there is no doubt that whilst he was in the ( act of leaping the ditch, which is six feet wide, his foot slipped, and as ha fell the trigger caught the hedge, and in a moment the deceased was hurried into eternity. The deceased was sixty - two , years of age. A verdict of " Accidental death ' was returned.-- DEATII so SYRUP or PUPPIES.—By Mr. C. J. Carttar, at the United Service Tavern, Woolwich, on the bodies of two infants, named Charles Simcox, aged five months, and Goldfinch, who, it was alleged, had died from the effects of an overdose of syrup of poppies. The inquiry had been ad journed several times, but the following is a brief summary of the facts of the case, which has before been referred to. Some weeks since the infant child of a woman named Gold finch was rather indisposed, and on the advice of a neigh bour, named Anne Simcox, she gave the child a dose of syrup of poppies. The child was taken ill immediately, and upon a medical gentleman being sent ter, it was found , to be labouring under the effects of a narcotic poison, and, not withstanding every remedy, it died the aext day. In the conversation that ensued on the arrival of the doctor, Mrs. Simcox reproached h rself for recommendiag the mother to administer the poison, stating that it had caused the death of her own child about eight months previously, but that she thought a little of it would not hurt the deceased. These facts coming to light, the coroner ordered the body of the child Simcox to be exhumed and sent to Dr. Leeson, of St. Thomas's Hospital, for analysation. Dr. Leeson deposed that he had analysed the contents of the abdomen and thorax, which were very much decomposed. The quantity of meconic acid and morphia were so small, and be could not obtain them in the form of pure crystals, so that he could only state that a considerable comparative quantity appeared to have been given, but he could give no decided opinion whatever as to the cause of death. 'The evidence of a female named Taylor, and of Mr. Heater, the surgeon who at tended the child, was then given, and, after hearing a detail of the symptoms, Dr. Leeson gave it as his opinion that the child died from epilepsy, and not from the action of morphia. The jury, after a long deliberation, returned a verdict in the case of Chas. Simeox, " That the deceased died, but from what causes there was no evidence to show ;" and in the case of the child Goldfinch, " That the deceased died from a dose of srup of poppies, administered by . the mother in ignorance.' It was stated that the analysis of Dr. Leeson was the first that had satisfactorily proved the existence of a vegetable poison after a period of eight months.— CHILD-DItOPPINO.—Late on Tuesday evening, by Mr. Bed ford, at the Barley Mow, Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, on the body of a new-born male child, which was found in a hamper, left at the door of Miss Burdett Coutts, in Stratton street, Piccadilly, on Saturday night. The body . had been examined by Mr. Bloxom, surgeon, who was of opinion that it had been born alive, and had died from injuries resulting from natural causes in the birth. Verdict, in accordance with the medical evidence. THE SEA SERPENT. After all the jokes and jeers at the expense of American skippers, it now appears that the Sea Serpent is I to take rank amongst the veritable marvels and monsters of 1 the great deep. The sober and serious Northmen have again taken his case in hand, and come forward to vouch for his character. The following is abridged from a circumstantial , narrative of his visits to the fjords of Norway, published in the Norwegian papers, and attested by clergymen, lawyers, booksellers, printers, and others: In the neighbourhood of Christ M le i a nnand and olde, in the province of Somalia, several persons, highly respectab and credible wit- CSSCO, have reported that they have seen this animal. In general they state that it has been seen in the larger Norwegian fjords, seldom in the open sea. In the large bight of the sea at ChriMiansand, it has been seen every year, though only In the warmest semen, in the dug dart, and then only when the weather was perfectly calm and the sur face of the water unruffled. The following persons whore names are here mentioned give the subjoined testimony : —Nils Roe, workman at Mr. William Knudtzon's, relates : I saw the serpent twice, once at noon, and two days afterwards towards the evening in the fjord at the back of Mr. Knudtzon'a garden. The first time 'it was out a hundred feet distant. It ream first along the fjord, then afterwards direct over to the spot where I stood. I observed it for above half an hour. Some strangers who were on the opposite shore fired at it, when it disappeared. The second time it was further from me. It was small, perhaps twice as long as this room (about 44 feet) ; while swimming it mad., serpentine movements, some to the side, others up and down. I cannot state what thickness it was but it appeared to be about as thick as a common casks in proportion to its length. It a 1-1 THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 3, 1846. was thinner towards the tail. The head was several times slight', elevate(' •hove the surface of the water. The front of the head rather pointed : the eyes were sharp, and glistened like those of a eat. From to. bath of the head a mane like that of a horse commenced, which waved backward; and - forwardsinthe water. The colour of the animal was a blackish brown. John Johnson (mer chant, about 60 years of age) : I saw the animal some yearn since in the fjord ; it was about a thousand paces distant when nearest to me. It swam very swiftly; In the same time that we rowed about a quarter of a mile to the aide from it, It had swam about double the dtstance. I saw it most plainly when it swam in a semicircle round a tolerably large rock that obstructed its passage; in doing this it partly rained itself above the surface of the water. Its colour was blacidelr brown. and about the length of this house (55 feet). With the cemptlon of the head, I did not nanark much of the body, as that appsured but little above the earfsee. Judging from what I obeerved, I should say the thickness of the body was about that of a stout man. The agitation it caused in the water was very strong. Its movements were serpentine , up and down, like a leech swimming. — Lars Johnsen (Kellerman at ffiniilen, about 50 years of age) : I have several times seen the seagerpent, but some time since, twelve years ago, in the dog-days, in the fjord not far from here, one afternoon as I was fishing in my boat. I saw it twice in the course of two hours, and for borne time quite near me. It came close to my boat, no that It was onlyabout six feet from me. I became alerted, recommended my soil to God, laid down to the boat, and only held my head so far over It that I could observe the serpent. It swam now past the boat, that was agitated by the ripple caused by its movement in the water, which was previously smooth, and afterwards removed itself. After it had swum a considerable distance from me, I began again to fish. Not lung afterwards the 'serpent came close to the boat, which now was strongly agitated by its movements in the water. I laid down and regained quite still, and notwithstanding m y fright, kept a watchful eye on the animal; it paused me, disappe and returned, thou th not so close as previously, and disappe entirely when a light wind arose, and ruffled the water. Its length wan about flee to six fathoms, and the holy, which was as round an a serpent's, was about two feet in diameter. The tad seemed to be very round. The head was about a+ long as a brandy linker (ten gallon cask), and about the same thickness, it was not pointed but round. The eyes were very large, round and sparkling. I heir size was about the diameter of the box here (rise indica), and they were as red as my neckerchief (crimean). Close behind the head, u mane like a horse's commenced along the neck, and serene itself on ba'h sides, right and left, while swimming on the water ; it was of tolerably long hair. The mane as well as the head, ant. the met of the body, was brown as this looking-g Law frame (old uwhogany). `Spots, stripes of other colours I did trot observe, nor were there any scales ; it seemed as if the body was quite smooth. Its movements were ocandoeally fant and slow, which latter was the ease when it neared my boat ; I could clearly observe it; it was serpent-like, and moved up and down. The few undulations which those parts of the body and tail that were out of the water made, were scarcely a fathom in length. These undnla terns were not so high that I could see between them and the water. When Lan John3en had given this explanation. he was shown the drawing which Pootoppietan has given of the animal. Ile looked at it with astonishment, smiled, and Said he round a great resemblance between it and the animal he had seen. Ile likewise arid, that come of the other sat-serpents he had seen were a great deal longer than the one above described Mr. William Knudtzon, and Candidatue Theologire Bochlum, gave the following written account We together saw the sea-serpent in a narrow fjord, at a distance of about one-sixteenth of a mile (half an English mile), for about a quarter of an hour; afterward, it dived, and came up so far from us that we multi not see it plainly. The water was smooth as a mirror, and the animal had, as it moved on the surlane, the appearance of a serpent. its motions were in an ffilations, and so strung that white Aeon aopeaxed beige it, and at the side, which etretched out several fathoms. It did not appear very high above the water, and its lengtn wan quite discernible. thane it stretched its head quite erect in the air. The betty was romewhat dark, anti the head nearly black, it had nearly the form of an eel, or snake, and a length of about 100 feet, and in proportion to it an inconsider able thickness. Tee breadth diminished remarkably from the head, so much so that the Mil ended in a point. The head was long anti small in proportion to the throat, as the Later appeared much greater than the former, probably as it was furn Obed with a mane. Fogel (Sheriff) Gauche made the following remarks : I saw the ematereent fur some time in a small fjord, first from a beat, afterwards nom the beach, several minutes, at a dientnee of from thirty to thirty-six teat. In the beginning it swam round the fjord at Torvig, afterwards it went in the deep ,. l saw its head stretched considerably out ul the water. I remarked as well two or three undulations of the fore-part of the body. its motion wan not like that of an eel, but consiged in waving undulations, up and down. They were exceanively strong, and caused tolerable large waves ; they were lamed at the fore part of the animal, and towards the back gradually lessened. The traces of them I discerned in a length of eight to ten fathoms, and a breadth of two to three fathoms. The bead seemed blunted, and had the scar and form of a ten-gallon cask, the undulations of the MAY were round and about the dimension of a good thither mock (twelve to fourteen inches square). The entire length of the animal I could not judge, as it was not possible to observe the extremity. Its colour appeared to be dark grey. At the back of the head there was a Inane, which was the same colour as the rest of the body. The writer of this article received letters from Mr. Soren Knudtzon, stating that a see-serpent hail been even in the neighbourhood of Chrietiaanand by several people, and from Dr. Hoffmann, a respect- I able surgeon its elate, lying on a considerable fjord to the sauth of atristianiuuld, ROAM Hammer, Mr. Kraft, curate, and severed per mits, very clearly saw, while on a journey, a sea-serpent of ',Haider able sirs. The Rev. Mr. Deinb al, Archdeacon of Male, gives the following account 01 one which was seen last summer nesar Mulde. The 28th of July, 1845, J. C. Lund, bookseller and printer; G. S. Krogh, iller. chant ; Chrietiun Flung, apprentice ; and John /Incases, labourer, were out on ltonoriale-fjani, fishing. The sea was, after a warm sunshiny day, quite calm. About seven e'clock in the ad mum, a little distance from snore, near the Dullest place and Wilde llouee, they raw a long mmine animal, which slowly moved itself forward, as it appeared to thorn, with the help of two fins, on the fore-part of the body nearest the head, which they ju aced from the boiling 01 the water on both sides of it. The visible part of the body eppea. ca to be between forty anti tifte feet is length, end moved in undulation. , like a make. The body wan metal, and of a dark colour, and terms •I to be several elle (an ell two fcvt) in thickness. A., they diasernial a wee ing motion in the water behind the animal, they concluded that port of the body was (uncoiled under water. Theta wee one connected animal they saw plainly (ratline movetnent. When the animal was about lieu yards from the boat, they noticed tolerably correctly its fore-part, which ended in a sharp snout ; its coloanal head maned itself above the water in the form of a semi-circle ; the lower part was not visible. The colour of the heart was dark brown and the skin smooth. They did not notice the eyes or any Mile or bristles on the throat. When the serpent came about a musket-el:tot near, Lund fired at it, and was certain the shots hit it in the head. After the shot he dived, but came up immediately. Ile raised his head in the air like a snake preparing to dart on ins prey. After he hod turned and got his body in a sun:alit line, which he appeared to do with great difficulty, he muted like an arrow against the boat. They reached the shore, and the animal per. calving it had come in shallow water, dived ininicitiately, and danap poared in the deep. Such is the declaration of three four men, and nn one has any cause to question their veracity, or itostrine that they were so seized with fear, that they could net observe what took place so near them. There cre not many here, or on other parts of the Norwegian coast, who longer doubt the exigence of the sea-ant-pent. The wrier of this narrative was a long time iseeptieslots he had not been so fortunate as to see this monster of the deep, but after the litany account', he has read, and the relations he haa received from creditable witnesses, he does nut dare longer to doubt the mistence cat the aea-grpent. Mottle, the 20th Nov., 1315. P. W. DEINLIDLL. The following gives some later particulars: Sonde Parsonage, August 31, lain. On Saturday, the Nth inst., in the mune between the islands of Kantor Leer and This, a sea monster, suppesed tole a seaanerpent, was seen by several persons. Early on this day jug as the steamer Billrirvin passed through Rognetioni towing a vessel to Denten, Daniel Saloinanson, u cotter, saw a sot monster whose like he declare, he never met with although accustomed to the u-a and its inhabitant , ' from his earliest years. The animal came swimming from Rognetiord in a westerly direction towards his deal,ing at fironneiegekicoset, in the northern part of the parish of Sun& The head appeared like a Fasting boat (about 20 feet lung) keel uppermost, and from behind it raised itself forward in three and sometimes tour and live undulation's, each apparently about 12 feet long : its rate appeared to be that of a light boat rowed by four active men. When it reached GrOtinevig. sitiaset at a distance of two rate shots it turned with considerable noise and continued its Movie toward. Lundenass. Later about 11 o'clock in the same day his wife Ingebarg, in Daniels absence, heard a loud noise in the Rea. and she end two little children saw a great monster, such as described above, take a northerly couree, close by their place at such a rate that the waves were dashed on the shore in the same way a+ when a steamer is planing by. Neither of them say that they saw anything like eyes or tins, or indeed anything projecting from its round form, but they declare that the colour of the animal was dark brown, and that it often rose up with gentle undulations, sometimes, however, sinking blow the surface so that nterely it stripe indicated the rapid course et the gigantic body. On the same morning a lad, by naute Abraham Abruhanewn I lagencee, wan out dolling in the Rognetiord, not far from fundraiser', and just ready to throw out hi+ line when he, as he monis, became aware that at about 100 tathono distance a monster with a head ae large as a Peering boat (about 20 feet long ) and a long body Lay upon the sea like large kegs and was nearing his boat—seized with a panic he exerted all his strength to reach the shore, end an the animal taffiarently following him was only about 40 fathoms off lie leaped ashore, drew up the bout and run up the bank, wlicilee he viewed the monster which had by this time approached the shore within 2a fathom's. lie says that that part of the body which was visible wan about sixty feet in length, and that its undulating course woe SlillitAr to the eel : that the colour of the tack wan blackish, shining strongly, and as tar as he could distinguish there was a whitish stripe under the belly. Report also says that the scaaseromit wan seen by severed ',email in Bionstiord causing a great deal of dread, bet of this our informant wants authentic account... — Our informant further says that be haw no reason whatever to doubt the truth of die story of the Mall and his wife, or the trantworthinean of the lad .Abraham, except as far its that his fears may have caused Wrote are several things through a magnifying glans. IRELAND. DUBLIN, Dec. 1. There is no news of importance. The Clare Journal gives some details of agrarian outrage, not differing in their character from those of usual occurrence. There have been, in the same county, alight symptoms of the offence which provoked the suspending proclamation of his Excellency. The progress of the public works have been checked by some of the persons employed, from dissatisfaction at the conduct of the officers ; but the interruption was of short du ration, and the works have been resumed. Our law courts are busy in deciding railway cases—only the beginning of a bountiful harvest. A ease in every re spect similar to that of " Wilde ts. Hopkins," was decided to day in the Queen's Bench, by C:,ief Justice Blackburn. Mr. Bell, the defendant, is an eminent merchant, and was on the provisional committee of the Irish West Coast Had way, but never acted in the capacity of director. In the first action, Forester, the plaintiff, had a verdict for 3301., and on the new trial, which, after two days, has just concluded, there was a verdict for the defendant. The Chief Justice charged very strongly in favour of the defendant, adopting to the fullest extent the principle laid down by Sir F. Pollock as to the absence of liability on the grounds of partnership. This, it is true, is only a nisi prius decision, but the law of the case was very maturely considered by his lordship, and will not be shaken in banco. As the law courts present the only topics deserving of notice in the general dearth of news, I may allude to the curious case of Mc Carthy and Mc Carthy. This involves the question whether the plaintiff, having entered a convent, be not civilly dead. After much discussion the Chancellor has determined to take the opinion of a court of law. During the argument yesterday. the late solicitor-general, Mr. Brewster, quoted the opinion of an English text-writer, that " all nunneries were used as places of proselytism for Protes tants." The Chancellor replied : "Mr. Brewster, how does that appear a matter of fact, when I hare no evidence on the subject. It strikes me that nunneries are used as places of education for lathes, whose members are always kept within, closeted up—whatever may be said of monasteries, whose members are sent about the world ; but I think that they never attempt to pro selytise ; and I must say that 1 do not agree with Mr. Swanton on the subject, nor could I entertain such an opinion. A vessel, with a cargo of 2500 quarters of Indian corn, has arrived in Cork from Odessa. The demand is too great for the supply, and, in consequence, prices have risen 10s. per ton. - - Stimulated by the success of the " Antigone," our lessee, Mr. Calcraft, has again evoked the genius of the Greek drama, and presented the public with the " Iphigenia in Aulis," in which Miss Faucit acted with much grace and feeling. The adaptation is good, and though the accompany ing music is not so beautiful as Illenclelssohn's in the An tigone," yet it is spirited, and not without character. The piece was received, and very justly, with great acclamation. It is destined for along run. THE New Loan MAYOR OF DUBLINT.—The lord mayor for the ensuing Tear was name•l to-day. The choice fell upon Alderman Staunton, a gentleman who has for nearly forty years been connected with the Irish press, and has acquired a high character as a writer and politician. Alder man Staunton was proposed by Alderman O'Connell, M.P., and seconded by Alderman O'Brien, M.P. DELAY IN THE PAYMENT OP WAGF.E.—The irregularity of the payment of wages upon the public works is still the subject of severe and just complaint. The wag,' paid arc very scanty, scarcely ever exceeding one shilling per day, and seldom reaching that standard. When not paid with regularity, the men are obliged to resort to the hucksters for credit, and are charged one-half more at least iu eonsequence. It is not easy for the Board of Works to arrange for weekly payments, but it is less easy for the people to de without them, and when payments are withheld it is in vain to expect that there will not be an outcry against the government, upon whom, in the end, all the odium must fall. Hence it is that, after recording an instance in which it is alleged that a woman had died in 81igo o f starvation, and that her sister had committed suicide to avoid a similar fate, the Sligo Champion says " The same scenes may be wit nessed in almost every parish of Connaught. Such, at this moment is the real "state of the country," and yet the government have grain in their stores which they will not sell, and they have labourers in their employment whom they will not pay. Nay, while they profess a sympathy for the poor, they up hold the impious tax upon bread, which they could, by a simple order in council, at once, and for ever abolish. What is this, but disgusting hypocrisy? If the English people knew tut half the sufferings of the Irish peasantry, we feel convinced their sense of justice would compel the govern ment to afford relief. I find in connexion with this subject another grievaace of which the people have to complain, who are employed upon public works. The overseers are in the habit of receiving at the labourers' expense, drink—and of punishing such of them as do not give treats, by discharging them or reducing their wages. In some instances, in the West of Ireland, the wages have been reduced in this way so low as five pence per diem. SCOTLAND. TRB SUNDAT TRAINS.—We (Glasgow Saturday Post) understand that a subscription has been originated by several gentlemen connected with the Royal Exchange, for setting this vexed question at rest. From the well-known public spirit of those who have taken the matter in hand, we have no doubt, though it will be connected with considerable ex pense, that the whole question will shortly be submitted to a full meeting of the shareholders, when the result will be conclusive. It seems, from the Edinburgh papers of tisis morning, that the number of directors in favour of stopping the trains is but four! The facts, we understand, are these : —The seven English directors were unanimous in favour of the continuance of the trains, but consented to leave the matter to the eight Scotch, as better knowing the publ:c wishes, and accordingly stood entirely aloof. When the matter came before the eight Scotch directors, it was found that they were equally divided ae to the propriety of stopping the trains; but as four of them were very rarer to try the experiment, the others gave way. So the fact is that the number of gentlemen who have undertaken forcibly to regu late the Sunday movements of the inhabitants of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and all places adjacent and interjacent, is but four! PROVINCIAL. LANCASHIRE._ 7 THE YOUril NAMED SEDDoN, or Siddons, who was tried at the last Liverpool assizes on a charge of murdering a blacking-boy at Madchester, and acquitted, was tried at the Manchester Borough Sessions yesterday, for theft, and found guilty on two indictments. The Recorder sentenced him to 10 years' transportation for each offence. TILE WEATliElt.—The cold has been very severe in Man ci'estcr these four days past. On Saturday evening there was a considerable tall of snow, followed by a severe frost, which lasted till Tuesday. During Tuesday there was a milder temperature, but the thaw which resulted was fol lowed by a keen frost at night, and yesterday morning the streets were covered with sheets of ice. During the continuance of the frost many of the trains on the various railways have not kept their time. THE ConDEN FUND now amounts to 77,7161. YORKSHIRE. REM:CTION or TEA bETlENl.—Yesterday the inhabitants of Le^ds, in public meeting assembled ; E. Baines, Esq., in the chair ; resolved unanimously to memorialise the Queen for the immediate reduction of the t a duties, and a deputa tion was appointed to present the memorial. A resolution was also passed to solicit the members for the county and the borough for their zealous co-operation . WAitWIjKSIIINE. ..... BANKRUPTCY COURT, BIRMINGHAM. RAILWAY SPECULATIONS AND BANKRUPTCY.—In this court, Mr. Commissioner Balguy delivered judgment in the case of a bankrupt named Griffiths, who formerly carried on business as a druggist at Wolverhampton, and whose railway speculations and bankruptcy have been previously alluded to in this journal. The learned Commissioner, after come preliminary remarks, said: The bankrupt has been in busi ness for a con.ideiable length of time as a chemist and druggist ; and upon a large scale, as I infer from the amount of his trading debts. In the autumn of last year, being, as he admits, perfectly insolvent, he embarked extensively in railway. speculations ; became a provisional committeeman in no less than eighteen different projects, subject to all the liabilities that may be ultimately considrred to belong to that amphibious character . • and a purchaser in several of them to the amount of 30,000/. After reviewing many of the insolvent's transactions, the Commissioner con cluded, giving the bankrupt the foliest benefit of all favour able circumstances, and granting the certificate; but sus pended the issuing of it for eighteen months, to be calcu lated from the day appointed for his last examination. The learned commissioner subsequently granted the bankrupt protection for three months. WORCESTERSHIRE. VACANCY FOR EAST WORCESTER,HIRE.—A vacancy in the representation of the Eastern division of the county of Worcester, is occasioned by the demise of John Barneby, Esq., of Brockhampton-park, in the county of Hereford. At present nothing certain is known, as to who will be brought forward to succeed the deceased gentleman in the representation, but the registration has been of late so much neglected by the Liberals, as to have scarcely the shadow of a chance for any candidate in that intenst, the probability therefore i that no opposition will be offered to the indi vidual whom the Tory party may select. At the election in 1811, there was no opposition in this county to the Pro. tectionist candidates, Captain Foley having retired without a poll being demanded on his behalf; but at the election in 1837, the contest was rather keen, the numbers polled being as follows:—Horace St. Paul (r.), 2,595; llarneby ('f.), 2,281; Holland (L.), 1,949; Foley (L.), 1,933. The late member was a staunch Proteci M on ll at. ONFORI THE LADY POACHER.—We hear the information for poaching against the Duchess of Marlborough has been de feated on a technical point of law. The statute, not looking to a violation of its provisions by females, only introduces the masculine gender " he; " and theretbre "she," the duchess, escapes its operation. BERKSHIRE. THE FRENCH AT TAHITI.—PERSECUTION OF PRO TESTANTS.—WINDSOR, WEDNE.SDAY.—A large and in fluential meeting, including the Mayor of Windsor, several members of the Town Council, and between 300 and 400 of the principal inhabitants of the town, was held yesterday evening in the Town-hall, to induce her Majesty's Govern ment to interfere to prevent the further persecution of British protestant residents at Tahiti, and the total exter mination of the inoffensive natives of that island. A memo rial to Lord Palmerston, earnestly entreating the Govern ' went to take such steps as would "secure to the Queen of Tahiti and her subjects the rights of nature recognised by the laws of nations, the peaceful possession of their father land, and the free exercise of their common religion," was read to the meeting and unanimously adopted. UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT.—WhiIe Mr. A. Morrison. one of the sons of James Morrison, Esq., M.P., of Basildon Park, was loading a barrel of a double-barrelled gun, of which the other barrel had not been discharged, it exploded, the whole charge going through his left hand Mr. Morri son was immediately conveyed to the Berkshire hospital, where it was at first feared, from the lacerated nature of the alma that it would be necessary to amputate the hand at the wrist. It was found that one finger only would be lost. ACCIDENT AT WINDSOR. —Yesterday afternoon, as James Hopkins, Esq., a gentleman residing at Earl Grey's man sion, at Hatchet, was riding a spirited young horse from Datchet to Windsor, attended by his groom, opposite the Castle gate in the Frogmore-road, the animal took fright, proceeding along Park-street, at a tremendous pace, into the town. The horse dashed, with its rider, into the stable. of the New Inn ; and the left side of Mr. iopkins•s bead came into contact with a large iron lanthorn suspended in the centre. A severe wound was inflicted, from which the blood flowed profusely, and Mr. Hopkins was rendered for a time insensible. In the course of the afternoon, he so far recovered as to be cinveyed to his residence at Datchet. No serious effects are likely to result to Mr. Hopkins from the accident. BEDFORD:4IIRP. As: INQV EST was held at Luton last week upon the body of a young female named Allen, who died from the effects of prussic acid under rather mysterious sircumitances. The jury returned an open verdict, to the effect that the deceased died of poison, but how or by whom administered there was no evidence to show. HAMPSHIRE. PASTIME IN BARRACKS.—" On passing by a basket's shop, in the ancient city of Winchester, we (Ilampshire Advertiser), observed a large quantity of fine pork sausages hanging. Supposing them to be for sale, the price was asked, when themuter of the shop replied, ' They are already sold to two of the officers of the barracks, one having betted the other that his dog should eat twenty pounds of pork sausages at a meal, the other betting contra.' The dog had been kept tied up without food for a day or two, and on Tuesday he was to be put to his savoury meal, at two o'clock. The sausages were fried at the hour appointed, and in the presence of a large as-emblage, collected to witness this refined and novel source of amusement, the dog devoured the whole in a few minutes. How much better the food might have been bestowed we need not say." ESSEX. REPRESENTATION OF COLCHESTER.—DUTiER the earl part of last week, a report was current that Mr. D. W. Harvey was about to visit Colchester for the purpose of look ing into One register with some of the burgesses, and endea vouring to ascertain what chances existed of his return in the event of a general election. A letter was, however, we understand, received from him, postponing his visit for a fortnight, intending then to give his attention to the subject. Of course, Mr. Harvey cannot, under present circumstances, become a candidate for the representation of any con stituency. He mu*, first of all, get released from the situation he occupies as Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Polie'. Whether he is disposed to make the sacrifice of 8001. a year to enable him to enter the House of Commons, or whether he is an expectant to office under the present government, we tnnnot tell ;at all events, the electors of Colchester ought to be made acquainted with e fact—wliethe.' Mr. Harvey seriously contemplates offering m ew If as a cat . 'lidate for the representation of the borough, that they may no. be baulked as they wire in 1811, when they were told a mat. wee coming, only a few lays before the election ; but who never. made his appearance at all.— Essex Herald. Ixotkass Htkoa.—A terrespondent of the Essex Herald says : " Four years ago I addressed a series of letters sumption of grain. My objet. to the farmers on th e t i teteee , of small birds, and their con et,!. now is, not to enter into a minute calculation of their consu2totion, but simply to direct the attention of f•wmers to the sut,,;eet. Sparrows arc the most prolific bird in England : a p e ir usually bring forth three broods, averaging fourteen young, onea. The late summer has tended to increase that aveoure materially, owing to the unusual heat, which greatly facili'ated incuba tion. Perhaps each pair of sparrows have produced twenty young ones. To verify this observation, a person has only to cast a bird's-eye glance on the stubbles and hedges ; they may be seen like a swarm of bees round a hive, and might be shot by Acores. It is surprising that farmers should be so little interested on this matter, at a time when foreign competitors are attempting to drive them out of their own market, and almost annihilate their occupation. Surely they cannot be aware that the little feathered tribe claim a tithe of their land's produce. The doily consumption of small birds is computed to be in weight one•siztli of their own bodies, and allowing the average weight of sparrows to be one ounce avoirdupois, the consumptioa of 100 would be 6,083 ounces, or nearly 31 cwt. for the year. Supposing further that every huridred acres of land contained 1,000 sparrows or other small birds, their yearly consumption would be according to the preceding theory, 60,830 ounces, or nearly 341 cwt. I leave the farmers to draw their own inference, and adopt their own remedy. fFme arts. ROYAL ACADEMY ELECTIONS.—At a meeting of the members of the Royal Academy on Tuesday last, Mr. W. E. Frost and Mr. P. F. Poole were elected associates of that body. Mr. Frost is a painter in Mr. Howard's earlier and better manner, and is best known by a fine poetic pic ture front "Comue," and by his " Diana surprised by AeLeon," in the exhibition of the present year. " A Scene from the Great Plague," and the "Visitation and Surrender of Syon Nunnery," are two well known pictures by Mr. Poole. ftlustt. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—The oratorio of " Solomon" was performed at Exeter Hall last evening. The effect of this piece, however well it may be executed, is never satisfaetory. Handel WA svery unfortunate in the literary assistance which he obtained fur the production of his oratorios. Except " The Messiah," and " Israel in Egypt," which consist of passages of scripture selected and arranged by himself, the poems (if they may be called so) of all of them were written by Grub-street literati of the tray, whose incompetency his ignorance of English literature pre vented him from discovering. They are all bad, and " Solo mon" is the worst. As a whole, it his neither subject nor coherence; and in its details, it is a collection of insipid commonplaces, expressed in mean and vular language. The only portion of it which has the slightest dramatic interest is the scene of the " Judgment," in which Solomon decides the question of maternity between the two women. The writing of this scene, indeed, is almost as bad as possible; I but the: passion of the subject has inspired the composer, and given birth to some expressive and beautiful music. Another cause of the unsatisfactory effect of this oratorio is the impossibility of performing it with dramatic propriety. Though sacred dramas are not represented on the stage, yet consistency requires that each principal character should be sustained throughout by the same performer. Handel unaccountably chose to compose the part of Solomon for a soprano voice, and to have it per formed by a female singer. In our day this appears absurd ; and, in this part, the solos arc given to a ban voice, while the concerted music, which cannot be altered, continues to he sung by a soprano. Thus, in the judgment scene, we had last night two Solomons, the one in the person of Mr. Phillips, and the other in that of Miss Williams ; a proceed ing which aggravated, instead of lessening the original absurdity. The excessive badness of this libretto seems to have damped the ardour of Handel's genius. The music certainly contains some grand and beautiful things—such as the famous chorus, " From the censer," the air " What though I trace," the soft chorus, " May no rash intruder," the trio, " Words are weak," the air, " Can I see my infant gor'd," and 14:reral others—yet it con tains a much larger proportion of mere remplissage—ras,- ages of long and formal divisions, and repetitions of ideas and phrases formerly used by himself, than any of his other works.—The performance of last night was not distinguished by peculiar excellence. The hesetting sin of these concerts, the excessively slow time of many of the movements (especially the airs) had a dull and heavy effect, notwith standing the force and vigour with which several of the choruses were sung. Sometimes, too, in the choruses, with out positive mistake, there was a want of precision and aplomb in attacking the points of fugue and response, which rendered the har.nony somewhat misty. The principal singes were Miss Birch, the Misses Williams, Mr. Lockey, and Mr. Phillips. The hall was as crowded, but the applause not so warm as naval. MR. WILsON'S Scorrisu ENTERTAINMENTS.—Mr. Wilson on 'Tuesday evening commenced a short series of his vocal entertainments in Crosby Hall, and, as usual, attracted a very large audience. We never heard him display to greater advantage, the powers of his rich and beautiful voice, or sing with more animation, expression, and humour. Ilia selec tion was a happy mixture of the grave and the gay, and in cluded a number of his most favourite songs, with two or three which we never heard him sing before. One of these was " Bonnie Bossy Lee," written by the late Robert Nicoll, whose untimely death, at the age of three or four and twenty, deprived the world of a genius closely akin to that of Burris. Indeed, Burns himself has not surpassed the fol lowing description of a rustic lawny : Ronnie Bessie Lee bad a face fu' it* Milk*, And mirth round her ripe lip was aye dancing nice ; And light .11n the focal', and Will,ollle the wiles., 0' the flower o' the paroehin— our :On Bessie Lee. Wi' the bairns she would rui, and the school cal lies punk, And o'er the brainy bract like a fair) would flee, Till auld hearts grew young again wi' love for her take:— There was life in the blithe blink a' Donnie liewie Lee." The air of this song was new to us ; but it is beautiful, and too strongly marked with Scottish character to permit any doubt of its nationality. Another song, " The Married Man's Lament," also written by Nicoll, is full of sly Scottish humour; but the melody to which Mr. Wilson sang it—the same with that of Justice It song in Love an a Vil lage, " When I followed a lass," is one which we have tawnys believed to be English. It is given as such, if we remember right, in kr. Chappell's valuable collection, and possesses the decided features of old English, not of Scottish, melody. However it is well suited to the words, and enables Mr. Wilson to deliver them with great spirit and pleasantry. I u hinging Walter Scott's famous war-song, " Pibroch of Donuil Dhu,' Mr. Wilson, with singular skill and felicity, imitated , the peculiar character of the pibroch, or pipe -tune, without impairing the martial energy of the poetry. Among other gems, there were Mrs. Cockburn's beautiful " Flowers of the Forest," and Joanna Baillie's imitation (if that can he called an imitation which infinitely transcends the original), of the old ballad" Woo'd and monied and a' " in which she has so exquisitely blended arch playfulness with tender feeling. Every song was vehemently applauded, and several were encored. Ebr Drama. DRURY-LANE. --That " Loretta" will not long con tinue to attract is a fact testified by the thin audiences at this theatre on Sophie Fuoco's off-nights. This was the case Inst evening, notwithstanding the announcement of a new comic Spanish ballet, entitled " La Venen," which "went" with perfect success, although not strong enough to correct that dramatic evil which seems attacking all the playhouses by turns—empty benches. It is well that the strength of a ballet depends little on the nature of the story illustrated, or 'Ls Venni " would have fared but ill. It is, indeed, little more than a divertissement, the plot being of the most primitive description, and serving only 68 a slender thread to connect the dances. We are introduced at the beginning to the old accustomed cottage, with practi cable windows at the wing, to the heroine Anita, Anita's m,ther, Anita's betrothed, and Anita's rejected lover,whose importunities and eventual discomfiture, form the subject of the piece. The model villagers enjoy a model village file, as usual, introducing a variety of dances, which are generally effective, if not quite new. The best is the " Pas de Manteau," and "La Sebilliano, pas seul Espagnol," by . Mdlle. Dubignon, who did full justice to the principal part. receiving a large amount of applauds and bouquet- in proportion. The " Pas de Manteau is new, rind is the only part of the piece, except, in deed, the Pas Seul, which has any Spanish characteristics-- for the rest any , other country would serve equally as well. The Akade (11. H. Payne) who is paying his attentious, in ballet fashion, beneath Anita's windows, is drawn up by his enemies by means of a rope and crane, belonging to au adjacent barn—the remainder is formed of reminiscences and stock devices. The music, composed and selected by Mr. Hughes, is spirited and well marked, and the grouping and general decorations also deserve commendation. PRINCESS'S.—" The Two Rainbows" is the title of an amusing trifle in one act produced at this theatre last night. These " Rainbows" of the Princess's—l'eter and James—are umbrella-makers. They are brothers and are dissimilar in most respects—one being extremely timid and the other quite domineering; so much so that poor Peter, who has married unknown to his brother, is afraidto acknow ledge his wife. James supposes that Caroline, the wife, stands in a very different relationship to his brother, and urges him to send her away forthwith, that the house might be as pleasant as possible for Matilda, whom he is about to marry. Unfortunately Matilda loves Frank, leaves her father's house and comes to London in male attire after him. She takes up her abode at the house of her friend Caroline a circumstance of which both the brothers are in perfect ignorance. Frank, however, knows she is there, and gains admission. Meantime Peter gets a letter from his intended father-in-law, informing him of the flight of Matilda, and from Caroline he learns that she is actually under his I own roof. Of course, he supposes Frank is .Mati , da, and makes love to him, and then James, who is quite in the dark for some time, woaders what a strange man wants in the house, and is sorely troubled about his wife. At length the mystery ' is cleared up by the production of Matilda, who ac knowledges her preference for Frank, and James assumes courage to declare Caroline his lawful wife. The humour of the piece consists in the oddness of the situations, which come so rapidly one atter the other, that the improbabilities of the plot are forgotten. It passed off very pleasantly. Mr. Compton, as Peter, was highly amusing. FRENCU PLAYS.—The part selected by M. Pcrlet yesterday evening was that of Dental in the ' Comedien d'Etanmes," a vaudeville well known to English playgoers in its close and Clever adaptation, " lie would be an Actor," by Mr. C. Mathews, who, however, is not so success ful in his version in the principal character as M. Per let. His Modus is indeed an agreeable impersonation, light and airy, as can well be; and, in fat, too much so, since herein consists, to our notion, its defect. Tne whole thing seems with Lim the •effect of sheer frisking animal spirits—a school-boy lark, rather than the carrying out sums clear purpose, however full of pleasant humour the means. M. Perlet, on the contrary, on every change of costume, shows those who are in the secret that he has some thing in view beyond the mere indulgence of their whim or of his own relish for the humorous, indifferent whether or no his disguises are detected by the selfish cox comb whom they ore designed to he'll,. The accomplished actor representing the accomplished actor, plays out th.t play within the play in very earnest. By refraining front thateeon scions node and winks and wreathed smiles which 2lludus is so incessantly interchanging with his fellow-plotters, he does not seem to endanger the success of the plot itself. Of the various F nisei assumed by parietal, we can scarcely decide which is most excellently sustained, so perfect is the artist's com mand of feature and of tone; but, adopting the joyous judgment of the audience, we should pronounce for the im personation of Milatli la retire Ilifsleldon. The dress, the mien, the manner, the languor, were indeed, inimitably rendered. M. Dumery, as the impudent, P. vapouring, cowardly coxcomb of the piece, fought gallantly mtainst mast severe cold, and, despite it, excellently aided M. Perlet. The other performances of the evening were "Le Mari et L'Amant," and " Le Bonhomme Richard," both of which we have noticed. CLERICAL. New Cncarns _ •.—The Committee of the Ten Churches Association laid the foundation of their fifth edifice yesterday, in [tuition! town ship, borough of Ilanehester. It was stated that this made the 25th church in the borough, and the Stet in the Isaiah. It was also stated that there were now in the course of erection. in the diocese, ul new churches, of which IS are in Chi shire. and th in Lancashire. The new church is to be dedicated to St. Philip; the stone woo laid by the Vett. Archdeacon Rushton. NAVAL. Aeroverirsxm, Dre.l.—Copt. A. }Mies to be Comptrol:er of Steam Machinery; Linda. W. W. Morris., to Penrlnpe ; S. Apthorp, to Recruit. and H. Bullock to study at Steam Factory, Woolwich. Naval Cadets J. J. Barlow, to I.:no`yuttort ; and T. M. Heleall. to President. Moveistarrs or 11. M. gnirs..—Nov. 13, at Alexandria, the 7'rbe, to sail next day for England; the Syres, be. 20, at Malta, the Antral, 1.1ec14, Locust, and Trident, steamers. 23, at Gibraltar. row:, MILITARY. ROYAL ARTILLIXT.—CoIoneI eharle ltbehley, of the Royal 'lon* Artillery, stationed at Woolwich, ham by leave of the gallant Ilietter- General of the Ordnanoe, been allowed to retire from the Ferrics M,on full yety, after forty-four seam' honourable eervitude. Lieut.-CoL atthew Louis In appointml to the Roy,' Mom Artillery, anti will in the place Of Colonel Illnehley, retiove Colonel cll., in com mand at Portobello Inirrackii, Dublin. AIIMb:STATION or Tilt liivai. lliamiaxs or Annus:Ky.—ln con sequence of the number of arrnpanies reqntred to relieve those on foreign stations, a lame period of semi.* bu espinsi, some of them buying been from Woolwich garrison sinoe 1839; it is lleter nth'. d to add two additional COMprlieft to each battalion. augronnt the number of °dicers, % ix. : —Twenty Arm captaino, twenty ' , rand culdaill.; twenty first lieutenant-c and twenty second lieu t. mints ; the latter reeeiving commissions from the }toys' Military aderuy, in the Royal Amenil, where they arc now iguilyilur in order to p!. their examination be:bre a lloord of Oaken, to receive their promotion. This important augmentation will take plane in the forthcoming quarter. SPORTI SO. STVltrilt NVAILWICK, WEIINE+I,Ir Ants. NOON.—On account of the state of the remind leant the freed, the steeple chasm are postponed till Tuesday, the lath of I lecemhr. lttAaentotrr.te, TeirmAr.—Net one bet male on any crept. NENIIAILKST CuAmetom Cino.lNu Mercian.—Newmaarrr, WM). ;41,1•AT contemiettor of the continued unlit state of the heath, accompanied by fog, it wal detenvineet, at noun, to adjourn until to-morrow. tats IMO I twocc. LAW NOTICY.S.—Ttirte DAY. CIAAMCV.IY, lAncoln's Inn, at ill --To be spoken to.- Rigby v. Great Western Itailvay Company; Laurence v. Itowles.-.Amwals: Mtianathon v. liurchtill (2); Joyntiin v. Moseley; lktilibridga) v. Bad achy ; De Bentivt;ir v. 1)e Utouvoir. VieuXttastatt opt, Lincoln's tun, at 10.-Pefore Sir I..Shatlweli.- Heath v. Chadwick, donut rer by ortier.-Conses, (tarrod a. Moo; Smote v. Pickford '2); Peacock t. Kernet ; %dn.!, v. Wat kins; Wright a. ltarriewell; tiurnway v. Ituthanan ; Walton v. alurritt ; Do'ison v. 1., le; Poker v. Hawke., I ;Mimi c. Withinaton; Daniel a. hill ; !flock, v. Ft utharstonhaugh. lk-kort. Sir J. Knight Bruce.- Edwards a. at:minion, motion he tinter. -tAtuses, /kr. : lam v. Ilarh on (2), inn heard ; Taylor v. Simisset ; Diatsin v. ItcOson ; I.iserey v. Istiveder ; Itatkitffe v. IteadeM ; Bradley v„. Teak ; Igalwinger v. 11l gntw.-Ilefore Sir J. Wigrion.-(:utiant. 6o). t Isle v. liatoord, Imrt heard; Wa. Th./1.; Ixttntw v. Lend (2) ; Iteishuven v. Ilarrison; %Sinter v. Winter; Caster v. llanison (2); Situttleworth v. lkingough ; Clututpion v. Minks. The Mtmtrrof the !toils will attend the Judicial Committee. Cleass'A Ilvarit, Westminster, at 1 p. 9. t outman juries. -Martin v. Sharp; lksaitit a. Gray; Bird v. I kifonvit lie ; Williams v. Croswell; Smith • Dill awl tomther ; Itirkheuil v. 1.111, rrr.ue; Gay v. Woollitm anti others; v. (Ingliton and :Muth..? Pratt v. lkowc; Blundell v. lhaimattitul. The lost mu. ais Nu. K 2 on the Bet. Ihe tame; mill also 'tit in Itotuu. Couitos 19. eat, Wtstntinster, ut i p. 9.- •Mitiolleitex special juries. --Lee v. Nicholson; llughts a. ; Brown v. Smith ; lolds worth a. (.dean. Middlesex common juries.- Parke. v. Strong; NVhithread a. Itumplon. r, WastotinOer, it I a -KI idtiletwx common jury.-Croek fool v. Lord Mehl-tote. Middlesex otitecial juries. -Itster v. lien:ton; It. II a. Siumuels ; IliltLert a Smith; v. Sheitheni; Ilokkr v. Cooper; (Age v. Chaplin. The (Owl will u!mait in Itotml. Stontsus, at 11). -Williams v. sexton n,.d others; Peale a. White; Sanger v. Cottlin; Chalks v. Scott; loot v. Robinson; !Wartime a. Pettit; Plukus a. ; (tregary a. 11:aiti11; P,mvr6 v. Tint ; Ma. ph yv. Avery; Keith a Goon; Itithortimn v. I leakl ; Paget v. smith; Benjamin v. Smith; Itettjtuttin v. Itracon Green v. Ilaig. Unde fended causes will be taken at the sitting of thy moult. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL.—VESTBISDAY. present: The Ma-tie of the Rod', Lord Brougham, Lord earmisell, the Right lion lie. LuslOnoon, and the Right lion. I). P. Leigh. FOWLIS AKL OTHIALS O. Devtiniox.—The Attorney- General and Dr. Adelanni appeared tor the appellants; the Queen's Advocate and Mr. Pe acoe.k for the respondent. This was au appeal f an order of the Prerogative Court admitting to proof an allegation of insanity quo nil bane ; and to decree probate of three codicils t i the will of Mr. John Ranken. The deemed was a West India merchant, and the respondent, Miss Janet Davidson, was his niece, who had been brought up by him from a child. On the 22ud of June, 1814, Mr. Itanken made a will, leaving the bulk of his property, amounting tompwarils of 40,0001 , to his sister, Mrs. Kalb, one Geddes, and the respondent jointly, making the survivor his residuary legatee. On the 11th of July he left London, ace,miinusied by Mrs. Geddes and Miss David son, and the weather being very warm, Miss D. put down the windows of the railway carriage in which they were travelling; Mr. R., after a short time, putting them up again. On arriving at Derby, Mrs. Geddes was taken in, and died a f•vir days alter. The allegation stated that, upon the death of his sister, Mr. lianken showed that he was labouring under an insane delusion, stating that Miss Davidson had poisoned his sister, and VILA trying to poison himself, with a view to get pos se-Mon of his property. This he explained at other times, by saying, that Miss D. had put down the windows of the railway carriage, and that the draught had killed his sister. The medical men who had attended Mrs. Geddes, suggested that the body should he open( d, in order to con vince the deceased ;hat she had nut been poisoned ; hut, although the tenth showed that she had died from natural [causes, he, nevertitt lege, persisted in asserting that she had been poisoned by Miss Davidson. It was alleged, that on the 22ud of July, the day alter the death of Mrs. Geddes, while under the influence of this insane delusion, the de ceased executed one of the codicils in question, which with two others of subsequent date, would, if established, havo the effect of cutting down the property lett to Miss Davidson, to about 7001. a-year. On the 23rd of July, the (lea used and Miss Davidson proceeded to Cuirass, with the remains of his sister fur interment; and on the Zrth he was visited by Dr. John Scott, who found him labouring under conges tion of blood to the head, and who considered him in such a dangerous state, that he sent to Edinburgh for furth, r advice; and it was alliged, that during the time Dr. Scott was in attendance on the decease, be informed hint that Miss David son had caused the death of her aunt, and had attempted to poison himself; and by his conversation and demeanour with reference to her, evinced that he was of unsound mind. The other allegations stated particular instances of what was called the insane delusion ; that he told Mr. Cuff, the landlord of the hotel at Derby, that he would take nothing to eat and drink, but soda water and eggs, as Miss Davidson could put nothing in them ; when he lived at Cullum he was taken ill with some complaint which he attributed to something she had put in his tea ; that he more particularly alluded to his second cup of tea, which he said he was careful to decline ; that he drank no water, and no thing but soda water, inasmuch as Miss Davidson could put nothing in that and he also stated that he had altered his will so as to make his death of less importance to her, &c. The Attorney-General and Dr. Addams contended that, admitting, for the sake of the argument, that the flits titan d in the allegation were capable of proof, they would not make out such a case of insanity as would be sufficient to set aside a testamentary disposition. No case hitherto had decided that an insane delusion upon a particular point c o n stituted such an unsoundnesa as to make the party intestable. Mr. Greenwood's ease was the strongest upon the subject, but there the party had been actually in confinement as a lunatic, and Ca ktleiehtedlunsiootnpwrocuseeedveildlenutpls,:nothf a e m gm otid d n o a f tu pa re ;tial Dwe insa nity, although it was relied upon as an authority in this case--Lord Lyndhurst in refusing the application for a com mission of review, stating that the particular delusion must be of such a nature as to indicate gent ral un.oundness. The case of Fullett r. Allenson, was to the same effect. The facts stated in this allegation mcrelyshowed that Mr. Ranken, who was an old gentleman of upwards of 70, entertained some notion with reference to his niece, which were unfounded in point of fact and very absurd, but by no means sufficient to constitute general unsoundness, or what was caked insanity, quo ad hanc. Supposing these facts therefore to be proved, they would not invalidate the codicils, and therefore the alle gation ought not to be admitted. Miss D.:vidsen alleged the competency of the testator on the 22nd of Juue, when he made a will in her favour, and his incompetency on the 22nd of July, only one tionth afterwards. (In answer to ques tions by their lordships, it was stated thrt in the event of the will of the 22nd of June being set aside, as well as the ether testamentary papers, Miss Davidson would take the whisie of the property, as sole next of kin.) Their lordship having deliberated, Lord Brougham gave judgment. Their lordships would give no opinion on the much-vexed question of partial insanity—what might be the nature or number of the delusions which would render a party intestable ; but they thought it impossible to say that the facts stated in the allegation might not make out such a case; and therefore the allegation must be admitted to proof, and it would be for the court before which the cause came to d. tide it upon the evidence. The appeal, therefore, must be dismissed with coats. EQUITY COURTS. Before the Lord Chancellor. ABSENCE OF COCNSEL.--14e. Lee applied in the course of the day that an appeal in " The Attorney-General v. the Mayor and CorPorstion of Newcastle-upon-Prue," the last in tlo. list for the day, might stand over, in consequence of the nt wintry absence of one of the leading wanes'.