The Press. — London, England, 1854-08-05 00:00:00

LORD PANMURE was installed on the 27th ult. into the office of Provincial Grand Master of the Masonic Order, to which he was appointed by the Grand Lodge of Scotland on the death of his father. THE ROYAL FLAX IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY OF IRE LAND has just issued a circular to landed proprietors and farmers in that country, containing advice by which similar parties in England and Scotland may profit. It is as follows :—" Farmers are earnestly requested to observe, that, so long as the war conti nues, Riga seed cannot be had in sufficient quantity for the Irish sowing. Unless they take care to save seed for themselves, from the crop that is now grow ing, they will not be able to sow the usual quantity next spring. This would be very unfortunate, as the high price at which flax must keep, during the war, should induce them to sow largely." AN ESTATE, of about 132 acres, of arable, meadow, orchard, and pasture land , in he parish of Stoke Fleming, in Devonshire, was sold last week by auc tion, in pursuance of a decree of the Court of Chan. eery, for 6,1001., being nearly thirty-eight years' purchase upon present rental. A BEAUTIFULLY -PAINTED WINDOW has been erected in the parish church of Elvastone, near Derby, to the memory of the late Earl of Harrington, by the dowager countess. THE following are the names of the five members who supported Lord Dudley Stuart's motion, on Tuesday, for the repudiation of the Russo-Dutch loan :—W. F. Hume, H. G. Langton, D. Morris, J. P. Murrough, A. Wise. AN ANTI-SLAVERY CONFERENCE was held on Tuesday, at the Manchester Athenaeum, at which re solutions strongly enforcing the necessity of the im• mediate and total emancipation of all slaves were agreed to. Mr. Absolom Watkin presided. THE MEMBERS OF LLOYD'S have resolved to cur tail the hours of business on Saturdays to two o'clock, the proposition having been carried on Wednesday, by ballot, by 280 against 35. The new arrangement will commence this day week, the 12th instant; and iv is understood that the maritime insurance compa nies of London will adopt the same course. There appears every probability of the movement for cur tailing business hours on Sa turda y bein g very gene rally adopted. FOR THE BELLOT TESTIMONIAL, according to a statement published by Sir R. Murchison, a sum of 2,0001. has already been subscribed. Of this sum 5001. will be applied to the erection of a granite obelisk on the wharf of the Royal Hospital at Green wich, the commissioners of that establishment., and the Lords of the Admiralty, having given their unqualified sanction to the request of the subscribers to have the monument so placed. The remainder of the money will be equally divided among the five sisters of the gallant French officer. The position of the obelisk, on the right bank of the Thames, imme diately to the east of the Greenwich steam-boat pier, will be such that it must be well seen by every passer-by, whether he be on the river or on the chief quay of the Royal Hospital. Mr. P. Hardwick, R.A., the architect, of that establishment, has undertaken to superintend the erection of the monument, the granite of which is in the course of preparation by Messrs. Macdonald, of Aberdeen. THE NEW ACT for the suppression of gambling houses came into operation on Tuesday last. THE WAR•OFFICE having notified that a body of police wore required to proceed immediately to Constantinople, numerous volunteers from all the divisions speedily offered themselves for the service, and the needed compliment was selected. Fifty of the number it was decided should be mounted and armed, for the purpose of acting in the rear of the army for the protection of stores. The others, numbering thirty four, were to be employed in the commissariat department, the best readers, writers, and acountants being chosen for this purose. The ay of c the former was to be 2/. 2s. per p week and rations, and the latter 21. ss. Od. with rations. Upon attending, however, at the Foreign-office for the pur pose of having the arrangements completed, although everything was satisfactory as regarded those to be employed in the commissariat department, the men who were to act in the rear of the army for the first time learnt that they would be under the same regu lations as the soldier, and subjected to the articles of war, flogging, of course, included. Many of ;hem expressed their disapprobation, and declined the appointment. The number remains accordingly incomplete; and it remains to be seen whether the authorities at the War-office will take such steps as will make the service more in consonance with the views of the men offering to engage in it. A NUMEROUS DEPUTATION of metropolitan grocers, a ttended by Sir Jame s Duke, M.P., Mr. Williams, M.P., Mr. Apsley Pellatt, M.P., and Mr. Moffat, M.P., had an interview on Wednesday with the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, at his official residence in Downing-street. The deputation was introduced by Sir James Duke, and the grievances of the grocers, in reard to the late prosecutions for the sale of coffee and c g hicory, were stated to the Chancellor by Mr. Moffat. i I s i S i t THE PRESS. THREE RUSSIAN SHIPS, laden with Circassian girls, have been captured by the allied fleets in the Black Sea, and taken into Varna. THE WARDENS 01' THE FISHMONGERS' COMPANY entertained a distinguished party at their ball on Tuesday evening with high hospitality. Among the guests were Earl Fortescue, Viscount Ebrington, Lord C. Russell, Lord E. Bruce, the American Minister, Sir C. Wood, Vice-Chancellor Sir W. P. Wood, the Hon. J. P. Locke King, M.P., Sir D. Dundas, General Macdonald, Mr. J. Masterman, M.P., the Governor of the Bank, the Master of the Goldsmiths' Company, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Mr. Sergeant Manning, Mr. John Rolt, &c. THE QUEEN has been pleased to sanction the immediate erection of the Mauritius and its depen dencies into a bishopric. The Society for the Propa gation of the Gospel has appropriated 3,000/. towards the endowment ; and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has voted a grant of '2,000/. The Rev. Vincent W. Ryan, 8.A., Principal of the Metropolitan Training Institution (Highbury Cot • lege), and formerly of the Liverpool Collegiate In stitution, is to be the first bishop. ThE ORDNANCE AUTHORITIES have advertised for tenders for constructing a basin at the new powder magazine at Bull Point, in the River Tamar, about four miles from Devonport; and also for clearing out the Devonport lines. THE following memorandum, dated Woolwich, July 25, has just been issued :—" A change of uni form having been announced to take place in the army, officers of the Royal Artillery are recom mended not to provide themselves wi any unifor of the present pattern which may no t he absolutely m necessary." GOVERNMENT ORDERS were received at Southamp ton on Wednesday to get the Harbinger ready again immediately, to take out Sir George Cathcart and staff. REAR-ADMIRAL CORRY'S retirement from active service is now certain, The Admiralty have pro moted his flag-lieutenant, Mr. Charles W. Hope (1848), to the rank of commander, on the usual nomination of the gallant admiral on striking his flag. Admiral Corry arrived at Sheerness from the Baltic on Tuesday last in the Dauntless. THE HALF-YEAR'S DIVIDEND declared upon the London and North-Western Railway stock is at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum. THE average stock of bullion held by the Bank of England in both departments during the month caning the Bth of July was 13,804,0401., being an increase of 1,120,7851. as compared with the pre vious month, and a decrease of 4,725,0331. when compared with the same period last year. A SECOND Counr-rdAnnia. has been sitting at Windsor to try Lieutenant J. E. Perry, on four dis tinct charges, under the presidence of Colonel Kelly. The proceedings began on the 28th ult., and on Thursday, when six entire days had been occupied in hearing witnesses, the evidence up to that time had been confined to the first and second charges only. The first charge is for having sent a letter to Colonel the Hon. Arthur Upton, the president of the previous court-martial, in which Lieutenant Perry alleged that he could get no redress from Colonel Garrett (of the 46th), who, when he complained, reproached him, and called him a fool for his pains. The second charge is founded on the same letter, in which the prisoner states that the annoyances were continued towards him until he sent a letter to Colonel Garrett, threatening to complain to the general of the district. The charges declare both these statements to be false. The case promises to last several days longer, and the evidence adduced is exceedingly minute and voluminous. A FRESH SUCCESS has been won by the Early closing Association, in the cass of the wholesale booksellers in the " Row," who, with very few excep • Lions, closed on Saturday last at five, instead of half past seven o'clock, which up to that day had been the usual hour. THE UTILITY OF THE METROPOLITAN BATHS AND WASHHOUSES, and the advantage taken of them by the labouring classes of the population during the hot weather, is exemplified by the following return of one week's business, that ending on Saturday last, the 29th ult. This table is given on the authority of the Rev. G. Woolcott .41 I Name of Establishment. I(gathers.ulmr°fl‘Waein ".- Washers. ♦umberof Numborof Total Name of Establishment 11 . Bathers. Washers. Receipts. The M t xlel,Whitechapel.. 6,641 625 101 2 7 St. Martin-in•the-Fields .. 4,685 879 79 12 6 St. Marylebone 8,843 589 116 7 2 St. Margaret and St. John, Westminster .. 5,635 1,800 79 17 10 Greenwich 3,059 96 42 19 It) St. James, Westminster .. 5.557 929 83 15 11 Poplar . • .. 3,857 120 49 1 6 St. Giles and Bloomsbury . 8,859 791 130 2 1 Bermondsey • • .. 5,932 72 73 8 0 Lambeth . • • . 12,178 192 17 8 George-street, St. Pancras 4,352 2,405 85 19 5 --------- --- Totals for one week .. 69,598 7,576 1,035 4 6 Totals for one week .. SATURDAY, FROM a series of parliamentary returns obtained by Mr. Disraeli it appears that during the period from the 7th of April to the Bth of July the amount of deficiency bills issued and charged upon the revenue accruing during that quarter was 5,852,0481. Is. Id.; of Consolidated Fund bills, payable during the current quarter, 500,00 01 .; and deficiency bills, also payable this quarter, 3,623,1961.35. Bd. Of the latter sum, 1,201,190/. 3s. Bd. had been redeemed, leaving the amount outstanding on the 12th ult. 2,802,0001. The balance in the Exchequer at the Bank of England on the 6th of July was 3,658,291/. Os. 5d., the amount received frcm revenue 392,4451. 12s. 6d. ' and the amount received from subscr i p tions to the Exchequer Bonds to the same date reached 999,1651., making the total amount of the balance in the Exchequer on the sth of July 5,040,9011. 12s. Ild. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—The new terminus of the Great Western Railway at Paddington being now finished, the whole of the arrival trains are enabled to come into the new premises. By the com pletion of this handsome terminus to one of the greatest and most important lines of railway in the kingdom, it is brought fully half a mile nearer town than it was before. The company have made ar rangements by which passengers on arrival can enter their new and magnificent hotel from the platform, without going round through the street. SIXTY-THREE ROMAN CATHOLICS have renounced Popery in St. Paul's, Bermondsey, since the last pub lished account of 27th April. THE management of the ventilation of both Houses of Parliament, the committee-rooms and other chambers (except the library of the House of Lords), will be placed under the superintendence of Mr. Goldsworthy Gurney. The alterations lately made by him in the ventilation of the House of Commons appear to have given general satisfaction. The cost of lighting the two houses is as follows House of Peers, with its lobbies, 18s. Md. per hour; Ise of Commons, with its lobbies, 365. 11d. per hour. A Pusue MEETING was held in the Egyptian-hall of the Mansion-house on Monday for the establish ment of an asylum for the permanent care of those who by disease, deformity, or accident are hopelessly disqualified for the duties of life. 2,0001. was sub • scribed as a commencement for the new charity. THE WOOL FAIRS recently held in Wales have ex hibited a declining tendency. The quantity of the material shown for sale has not been large, and mountain sheep wool, which last year ranged from ls. 6d. to ls. Bti. per lb.,has this year only commanded from 11d. to Is. id. The long wool last year realised Is. 4d. to Is. 5d., but this season only 9d. and 10d. has been obtained. Sail AO Voila. THE ENGLISH COPYRIGHT IN BELLINI'S OPERA, La Sonnambula, has been litigated for several years past, and the case, after repeated trials and conflict ing discussions in various courts, came at last before the highest tribunal, the House of Peers, where final judgment was given on Tuesday last. The parties to the action, who have appeared alternately as plain tiffs and defendants, were the music-publishers, Boosey and Jeffreys. The former claimed a title to copyright in the work, which he alleged that Mr. Jeffreys had infringed; and the first suit brought to decide the question was tried before the present Lord Chancellor in the year 1850, when judgment was given against Mr. Boosey, whose title was thus de rived in the original pleadings, which were substan tially repeated in all the subsequent actions : The opera of La Sonnambula was composed at Milan, in Lore• hardy, in the month of February, 1861, by Signor Vincenzo Bellini, an alien, then domiciled and residing at Milan, and by the law of that city entitled to the copyright in the opera and the musical composition. On the 19th of February, 1831, by an instrument in writing, signed and executed according to the law of Milan, the said Vincenzo 13ellini assigned the said copyright to one Giovanni Ricordi, also an alien, and then domiciled and resident at Milan; whereupon such co py ri g ht and the right of assigning it, according to the law of Milan, became invesutb d i ng te in Ricordi, who, on the 9 th of June , 1831, in England (be then an alien, and domiciled and resident out of the British dominions), duly signed, sealed, and executed an indenture be tween himself and the plaintiff Boosey, by which he assigned the copyright of the opera of La Sonnambula for publication in Great Britain and Ireland. The plaintiff accordingly published the opera of La Savants:Lida in London on the 10th of June, 1831. There had been no prior publication of the opera, or of the mu sical composition in question, either in the British or in any other country ; when on the 10th of June,lB3l, he made the usual entry at Stationers'-ball in resp ect of the o p era, and deposited copies in the British Museum and other institutions, as by law required ; and on the 13th of May, 1844, he made a further entry at Stationers'-hall, under the bth and oth Victoria, c. 45. The chief point dwelt upon by the Lord Chancellor, when reviewing the case in the House of Lords, was that, as the Copyright Act was passed for the benefit of Englishmen, a non-resident foreigner could not possess or assign any title under it. He accordingly decided that M. Ricordi could not make over to Mr. Boosey any valid rights. Lords Brougham and St. Leonard's concurred in this decisi on, and judgment . was pronounced against the plaintiff, annulling the copyright.