The Press. — London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

11■■.... MINIsm. JANUARY 21, 1854. THE BE3IOTAL OF THE LAW COURTS was urged nport Lord Aberdeen by a deputation from the Incor porated Law Society, which waited u p on the Premier on Monday last. As the reasons for this step they alleged the insufficient number of the present courts, there being only five rooms of moderate size, and two small ones, while not re nt t fifteen or sixteen were requisite ; and the great inconvenience of the site, distant a mile and a half from the centre of the legal district, and occasioning a consequent delay and ex•• pease in the transaction of business. They urged a lso that a favourable opportunity had now occurred for clearing the site of the present courts, and appro priating it to the completion and improvement of the Houses of Parliament. It was also proposed to con centrate all the offices of the several courts of law and equity under the same roof. Lord Aberdeen ex pressed a favourable opinion regarding the proposal, butsuggested the necessity of giving it a mature deli • beration on the score of the heavy expense which it must involve. A " Barrister" writing on the subject to the Times estimates the loss of time and general inconvenience to the profession, reckoning also wit nesses, jurymen, &c., as equivalent to 1,5001. for every day that the courts:sit, all of which falls of course even t ua lly upon the unlucky suitors. The deputation afterwards waited upon Sir W. Moleswortb, at the office of Public Works, and presented to his inspec tion the plan and estimate of expenditure for the pro posed new courts. Sir William carefully examined the plans, inquired into the sources from which the expense was to be defrayed, intimated that it had long been his opinion that the courts should be re moved to the place proposed, rand promised to give his favourable attention to the subject. THE CITY Poises have resolved to present their commissioner, Mr. D. W. Harvey, with a piece of plate, as a testimonial for his late efforts in obtaining an increase of pay, and for his general care of their interests. RESPECTING THE JERUSALEM BISHOPRIC the Bishop of Oxford has written a letter to the Premier seeking official confirmation of his belief that " no interference with the authorities of the Eastern Church was contemplated or would be sanctioned by the authorities at home." Lord Abenleeen has re plied as follows : Downing-street, Jan. 6, 1854, My dear Bishop of Oxford,—l have no difficulty In answering your letter, and lin fully confirming the declaration you have made respecting the absence of any intention to interfere with the authorities of the Eastern Church by the establishment of the Jerusalem bishopric. The project gave rise to much appre hension, and met with considerable opposition from the Porte. To remove this opposition Sir Stratton' Canning was authorised to assure the Turkish Government that Bishop Alexander went to Syria under strict injunctions from his ecclesiastical superior in this country that he was not to meddle with the religious concerns, ofeitherthe Milhoinedsn or Christian subjects of the Porte, and that he was not to attempt to make proselytes to the Church of Eng. laud from either of those classes. From my intimacy with the late archbishop I had many opportunities of conversing with him upon this subject, and of learning his wishes and opinions. I should say that, in a religious point of view, he was opposed to ell attempts at proselytising from the Greek communion, and thathe did not contemplate giving any sanction to secessions from it. He always spoke with great regard of the Eastern Church, and lake s, forwent with hope to the possibility of some nearer connection hereafter between that communion and the Church of England. ABERDEEN. THE BRIOIITON RAILWAY REPORT, for the half-year ending December 3, has been issued by the directors us a preliminary to the meeting of shareholders on the 26th inst. During the six months the earnings of the line have been 364,7161., showing an increase of 31,8401. over the last half of 1859. Much of this expansion is due to the rapid development of Croy don traffic, owing to the progress of the new Crystal Palace. The expenditure from July Ito December 31 has been 148,4411., out of which the directors in tend to propose a dividend at the rate of 4 per cent. During the last five years the business of this rail way has resulted in the following returns :—Receipts : 1848, 453,408/.; 1849, 500,4201. ; 1850, 533,8841. ; 1851, 585,086/. ; 1852, 581,642/. ; 1853, 636,661/. Expenditure : 1848, 147,1321. ; 1849, 146,086/. ; 1850, 165,702/. ; 1851, 183,3981. ; 1852, 20101891.; 1853, 217,0141. The capital account of the railway !bows a total amounting to 7,440,742/., and consist ing of—Mortgage debt, 1.787,5121.; preference capi tal, 1,037,596/.; consolidated stock, 4,615,6341. THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PEEL RIVER CoMPANY has been issued, and signed by Count Strzelecki as chairman. With regard to the geolo gical and mineralogical survey of the company's pro • perty, it being deemed essential to obtain a minute and scientific report from some person of unques tionable reputation, choice was made of Mr. Odern heimer, ministerial assessor and inspector of mines in the Duchy of Nassau, who had lately been em ployed for two y ears by the Marquis of Breadalbane in a geological survey of his property in Scotland. Mr. Odernheimer accordingly sailed for Sydney on the sth of August, where lie intended to select the most eligible spots for mining operations pending the Arrival of eighteen German miners sent out to him last month, together with crushing, concentrating, and gold•washing machines of the simplest con struction and greatest durability. As respects the Pastoral value of the Peel River lands, which were selected by Captain Parry as surpassiDg iD THE PRESS. worth and beauty every location of similar extent in New South Wales, the directors intend to lose no op portunity of gaining advantage from it, and have arranged to take the live stook at present existing upon the spot at a fair valuation from the Australian Agricultural Company. The finance statement shows a balance of 1,3041. in excess of the company's entire paid-up capital of 99,9501., notwithstanding the discharge of preliminary expenses and the costa of sending out the mining expedition and machinery. The annual meeting of shareholders is fixed for the Ist of February next. Two SCREW STEAMERS, 140 feet each in the keel, are building in the Tyne, ostensibly for Russian mer chants, but really for the Russian Government, and their engines are being executed with great despatch in a large factory in Newcastle. The Home Secre tary has been advised of this circumstance, and an inquiry is expected to follow. - Mum) . M THE IME MAGItiTRATES met in court On Thursday, and passed resolutions upon which a bill is to be founded and introduced into Parliament, for the establishment of county industrial schools for the reception of juvenile offenders, to which children under the age of fourteen years may be sent, instead of being, as at the present time, committed to prison. It is proposed that the expense of erecting the schools should be paid out of the county rate. and that the expense of maintenance of the inmates should also, in the first instance, be defrayed from the same source. In all cases where the settlement of a child can be proved, the parish to which such child legally belongs is to be liable for the expense of maintenance ; but the parents or parent to be liable to the parish for the whole or part of the same. Judges and magistrates to have powers granted them to send children under the age of fourteen years to a county industrial E elool instead of to a prison. NOTICE OF A 811.1. for abolishing the law of settlement and relief of the poor, and for establish.. ing a uniform poor rate, and in other respects modi fying the present poor law, has been put upon the papers of the house of Commons by Mr. Pellatt, member for Southwark. THE CABE OF THE BARON DE BODE is again to Come before Parliament. The preliminary notice of mo tion for that purpose stands in the name of Mr Mon tague Chambers. THE SAILORS AT LYNN are now asking 41. for the run to the north of England and back, and in some instances the advance (10s.) has been given. SUNDRY GROCERS OF MANCHSTER AND SALFORD have been brought into a state of much uneasiness by the prosecutions which the officers of inland revenue have commenced against several of the trade for the sale of chicory. On Monday a meeting of grocers was held in the town in order to discuss the question and arrange a combined mode of action. In several cases penalties of 251. have been in flicted. A HEAVY FAILURE AMONG THE LANCASHIRE MANU FATURERS was announced in Manchester on Thurs day. The firm is that of Thompson, Brothers, and Sons, one of the oldest houses as calico printers, and having extensive works near Clithero. Their liabi lities are stated at from 6i0,000/. to 120,0001. VISCOUNT PALMERSTON has written to the Mayor of Exeter, inquiring as to the accuracy of the reports which have been published respecting the riots that took place on the 9th inst. His lordship also re quested to be furnished with the particulars of the outbreak, and the result of the investigations which have been going on before the local magistrates. A similar communication has been addressed by his lordship to Mr. M. B. Bere, a county magistrate, who, it will be remembered, accompanied the troops from the boundaries of the city into the county, and rendered so much assistance in quelling the outbreak and in apprehending the rioters. In bcth instances the noble lord's request has been promptly complied with. MR. ;lons BRADY, M.l'. for Leitrim, has under taken, at the request of a large body of medical prac titioners, to move for leave to introduce a Medical Registration Bill into the House of Commons early in the approaching session. THE LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANK MEETING was held on Wednesday, when the annual statement of accounts was laid before the shareholders. The net profits for the last half year were declared to be 61,6171., after providing for all contingencies, bad debts, appropriating 2,900 f. towards the new buildings in Lothbury and Bloomsbury, and present ing their enlploy4s with gratuities equivalent to 10 per cent. on their salaries. A dividend at the rate of It per cent. per annum was declared, together with a bonus of 4 percent. on the paid-up capital, making in all 10 per cent- dividend on the year's business. The reserve fund will at the same time be left at the increased total of 125,3011. THE ENOLISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY are now actively at work, and messages be tween London and Dublin are transmitted constantly. The prices at the Stock Exchange up to two p.m. are now published simultaneously by the evening papers of Dublin and of London. 57 Tut REarn.r or rim Pots. at the East Gloucester shire election was officially declared on Saturday by the High Sheriff. The numbers were, for Sir M. H. Beach, 3,363 ; Mr. Holland, 2,344: majority, 1,019. Sir M. H. Beach, having been duly installed repre sentative for the division of the county, briefly returned thanks to the electors. He proceeded " I shall go to Parliament free and independent—tboA cheers )—because 1 know that my political opinions and feelings are in accordance with those that are entertained by a great majority of the electors of this county. (Beamed cheering.) 1 shall use my utmost exertions to support those measures which may conduce to promote the welfare of my fellow-countrymen —not of one particular class, but of all classes, and the community in general. (Chow.) 1 shall support good measures, from whatever quarter they may come ; and I shall de vo te my b es t attent i on to all measures affecting the comfort and happiness of the labour ing classes, whose interests I have so much at heart. 'hem( .1 My principles are pretty well known to you all —principles which are far above party views--principles which, I am happy to gay, have gone on increasing in East Gloucestershire since the mentontble conteated election twenty years ago, when my hon. colleague, Sir W. Cod rington, was returned by a majority of seventy. That Conservative majority has now been increased to an mot , mous extent. I congratulate you upon this important event. You have by your exertions achieved this great victory, for I cannot be vain enough to suppose that you have returned me to Parliament as your representative out of regard for my petsonnl or private character, but rather from the conviction that my opinions are in accord ance with your own. I must also express my pleasure at the excellent temper that has everywhere prevailed. I am happy to see that our opponents bear their defeat with good humour, and, although they may not be disposed to Die their confidence, I hope to merit their regard and esteem. I will always do my duty honestly and inde pendently, and I trust you will never have occasion to regret the choice you have made. (Long cad eentinueli cheering.)" A LARGE PORTION OF THE RCASIAN IMPERIALS lately withdrawn from this country by the Emperor are being sold in Amsterdam for his account, to meet, it is presumed, the dividends on Russian Stock. THIRTEEN SCOTTISH PEERS and thirty-three Town Councils have now joined the Scottish National Agsocistion. MR. GAY, late surgeon to the Free Hospital in Gray's-inwroad, has been dismissed 'uy the authori ties of that establishment. Their discontent with him arose from a biographical notice which appeared some time ago in the Medical Circular, wherein, as the council decided, undue credit was assigned to Dr. Gay's position and services with relation to the hospital. That gentleman, in the course of some voluminous correspondence, vainly assured the board that he was in no way responsible for the article in question, having done nothing more than furnish the editor of the Circular with some dates and names. The council of the hospital having refused to relax their sentence, a public meeting of the medical profession was held on Wednesday, at the Hanover-square Rooms, at which much sym pathy was expressed for Mr. Gay, and resolutions were passed declaring his dismissal unjust and oppressive to himself, injurious to the hospital, and insulting to the profession at large. A committee was afterwards named and funds subscribed for the purpose of bringing his case prominently under the notice of the public, the medical profession, and the officers of her Majesty's household. aratu nub Volkt. THE MERrANTILE iitit'sr. or Writil AND CO., in London and the Mauritius, having failed, the London partner, Frederick Philip R. Webb, came up at the Bankruptcy Court to ask for his certificate. The ca pital of this firm had been trifling and their transac tions extensive : there were 27,000/. of debts, and only a small amount of available assets. The prin cipal complaint made by the creditors referred, how ever, to their practice, common as it was among mer cantile men, of getting goods on credit, consigning them abroad, and then obtaining advances upon the consignments. This the bankrupt had done to a large extent. This system, as the creditors' counsel observed, "however sanctioned by very high names, was scarcely less mischievous than that pursued by lesser houses in the metropolis, who pledged the goods of their creditors with pawnbrokers":— If Mr. Commissioner Cocr.nt•as : It seems to me to be a very dishonest course, unless the parties from whom the vurchases are made are apprised of what is intended to be done. It way be • common practice; I do not care fur all the practices in the world. Such is my opinion of it. Mr. ELIA% : It hi the usnal practiee here, and aliened also. The Connisawasn : It is • very bad practice, unless the vendors are told what is about to be iltote with their gouda. iilr.JuNtti: It iv the universal custom of the merchants both of London and Manchester. Mr. LARRAIICZ : ttpeak for Manchester alone. The CONYII4I4IONsa: It is important that all parties disposing of goods to merchants should know of this practice. Mr. ruts : So universal is the custom that no vendor of goods thinks for • moment of asking the merchant whether be intends thus to consign them. It is the universal custom. The Couttissionan: It is a custom more honoured in the breach than in the observance. Mr. LAWILANCE would admit that it was a very general custom ; It was nevertheless a very pernicious system. 1