The Press. — London, England, 1854-01-14 00:00:00

JANUARY 14, 1854. THE PROJECT OF A STAFF CORPS is about to be carried out in India early in the year. It is to commence experi men tally with the commissariat, who are to forma distinct corps, separated from these regi m ents, but with the privilege of effecting exchanges with other staff officers. AN inquiry into the alleged abuses of the revenues of St. Paul's Cathedral by the dean and chapter has been proceeding during the week before the Bishop of London, assisted by Sir John Pattescn and Dr. Lushington. The allegations were laid on behalf of the minor canons, who claim some jurisdiction over, or share in, the revenues of the cathedral beyond what they at present enjoy. At this visitation Mr. Bolt, Q.C., and D r. R. Phillimore appeared for the dean and chapter, and Mr. Hely conducted the case of the applicants. On Tuesday the counsel on both sides finished their arguments, and the bishop de clared the proceedings closed, intimating that he must take time to consider his decision. THE PRINCE OF CANINO, Charles Lucien Bona parte, has sold all his possessions in Rome and Ron ciglione to the banker, Alessandro Torlonia, for 450,060 and one scudi. The prince, who is well known as a man of exalted political opinions, has stipulated that the one dollar extra should indicate the value of his title as Prince de Canino, which he now sells, together with his estates. THE Crania mail-steamer left Southampton on Wednesday for Australia, conveying 1-It) passengers, 800 tons of cargo, and about 10,000 letters and news papers. THE TEMPORARY C HAPEL. of the new Rom an Catholic oratory at Brompton is to be opened with great cere mony in the course of next month, probably the 14th, the Feast of St. Valentine. The new establishment will be under the direction of the Rev. F. Faber, M.A., formerly rector of Elton, Huntingdonshire, the Rev. F. Dalgairns, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford, and other perverts from the Established Church of England. THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT is about to establish a new organ in Vienna ; even the name of the chief editor of the journal is already mentioned. The paper is to appear in French, as there are several papers in the German language already advocating the Muscovite cause. THE LUNATIC PATIENTS IN COLNEY-HATCH ASYLUM were entertained at an evening party, given in the exercising-hall of the establishment, on the 4th inst. Music and dancing, dissolving views, and va rious amusements occupied the evening, and refresh ments were offered in abundance, although of course the strictest teetotalism prevailed as to their cha racter. There were 650 lunatic guests, who seemed to enjoy themselves more and behaved better than is seen in some gatherings of their so-deemed rational fellow-subjects. THE Exronr os BULLION from England during the year 1853 amounted to a value of 21,106,6001.; viz., 15,450,8001. of gold, and 5,745,8001. of silver. Of this total, 3,422,500/. was transmitted to India and Ceylon; '2,202,400/. to China; 3,074,400/. to Aus tralia and Van Diemen's Land; 330,5001. to the Cape, New Zealand, and the 'Mauritius ; 37,5001. to the West Indies, 140,8001. to Africa, and 286,0001. to the Brazils. Among the continental countries there were distributed—to France, 1,805,8001.; Belgium, including hamburg and Rotterdam, 2,615,000/. ; Peninsula and Mediterranean, 1,080,2001. THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE DWELLINGS 01 THE. AGRI FULTURAI. LABOURERS was discussed at a public meet ing , held under the presidency of the Duke of Buccleuch, at Edinburgh on Tuesday last. The noble chairman, in his opening address, lamented the evils which the field labourers suffered, alike in health, morality, and comfort, through the insufficiency or neglected state of their habitations, and sketched the prin ciples whereon a better provision could be furnished them in this respect. Sir J. Stuart Forbes after wards proposed a series of resolutions, of which the main purport was to form a new society, to be called " The Association . for Promoting Improvement in the Dwellings and Domestic Condition of the Agri cultural Labourers in Scotland," the object of which should be, by periodical meetings of the members, by the establishment of an office in Edinburgh, where plans, models, and specifications of buildings and fittings may be deposited and consulted, and by such other means as may be found expedient, to pro mote the construction of suitable dwellings and do mestic accommodations for the - -ultural labourers agricL in the northern division of the United Kingdom. A SERIES or PAPERS, moved for last sessaon by Mr. Otway, relative to the attempts of Dhackjee Dadajee to bribe the Bombay Government and its nervants, and to other transactions of a like kind, including papers relating to the case of Colonel Outrun, have just been published. They form two bulky blue books. THE ADIRRALTY have determined again to despatch the screw -steamer Phanix, in the ensuing spring, to Beechey Island, to communicate with and to con vey supplies to Sir Edward Bekher's expedition in Rarch of Sir John Franklin. 1 THE PRESS. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A Prette LIBRARY having been projected at Ormskirk, in Lancashire, a public meeting was held iu the town on Wedpesday, for the purpose of organising the proposed institution. Lord Stanley, M.P., presided, and in a most in teresting address stated many gratifying facts in relation to the spread and increase of public libraries and literary associations in the district, and deline ated the chief purposes which such institutions were calculated to promote, especially among the indus trial classes. Referring to the requirements for the town of Ormskirk itself, his lordship recommended that the future library should be kept separate from any other educational institution, that works re. lating to theological controversy and party politics should be excluded, and that the books it might contain should circulate among the members, the collection being formed, at all events for the com mencement, merely into a lending library. Such a plan he conceived to be at once useful and economical, as the expense attending a reading. room would be saved. Upon this principle it was calculated that 4001. would suffice to establish the library upon a respectable scale, and of this sum, including a dona tion of 1001. from his lordship, 322/. were subscribed during the course of the meeting. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY have at length commenced their coal traffic, which is ex pected to be very considerable, both from the Forest of Dean and South Wales. THE MAGNIFICENT GOTHIC CHURCH which has been for some time past in course of erection in Gordon square, in close proximity to University College, and which is intended to be the cathedral of the body of religionists of whom the late Rev. Edward Irving was the founder, was solemnly opened on Sunday week. The members of this sect assume to themselves the title of "The Holy Catholic Apostolic Church." IN the Antediluvian Court at the Sydenham Crvs tal Palace a variety of models, of supposed life-size, are being constructed to represent such specimens of extinct animals as have left relies sufficient to enable modern geologists to ascertain their form and cha racteristics with some approach to certainty. Among these the iguanodon holds a principal rank, at least in size. The mould for a cast of one of these monsters has been recently completed by Mr. Hawkins, and, as it offers dimensions of twelve feet in height by eighteen feet length in the body, the ingenious idea was thrown out of turning this space into a dining-room for a select party of naturalists and men of science. This banquet accordingly came off on Saturday week. There were twenty-one guests, among whom were Professors Forbes and Owen. The dinner was prepared in the best modern style from a neighbouring tavern, and eaten with addi tional gusto on account of the singularity of the apartment in which it was served. AFTER a series of obstacles, the English and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company have completed their operations. The telegraphic communication is at length perfected between Stranraer, in Scotland, and Queenstown, through Belfast, Dublin, and Cork. The wires being already established between Stranraer, London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, Dublin will very shortly be in close communication with those cities. THE CONVOCATION OFYORK Will meet in the Chapter house, immediately after the Minster service, on the morning of the Ist of February. The canon in re sidence (Rev. W. Vernon Harcourt) will preside as commissioner for the archbishop. LORD HARRIS, whose period of service as Governor of Trinidad will shortly expire, has been offered the governorship of Madras. His lordship will, in all probability, be succeeded in Trinidad by Captain Charles Elliott, R.N., now Governor of Bermuda. THE DIPLOMATIC DUELS IN MADRID have elicited a letter from Lord Howden, addressed to Gatignani, in which the British Envoy at Madrid denies the newspaper reports that a duel was about to take place between Count Esterhazy, the Austrian Am bassador, and himself. He has always maintained the most friendly relations with the Court, and the rumours of a misunderstanding are attributed to the scandalous gossip of the capital, which is, says Lord Howden, " a perfect plague in Madrid, envenoming all that is said, and inventing all that is not said." IN reference to the proposed removal of thirty City churches, the Bishop of London has written a letter to the Times, correcting certain misapprehen sions which he finds have been entertained with regard to the extent to which he has sanctioned that proposal. The bishop says :—" I am desirous of stating that I have expressed my approval of the principal which it embodies, but that I have not sanctioned any plan with regard to the number of churches to which it may be applied. That princi ple is, that, in any case where it can be clearly shown that a church is not required, it may be ad vantageously removed to a place where it is. Each particular case must of course be dealt with by itself, after careful inquiry, and with full consideration of all its circumstances.—C. J. LONDON." THE COUNT DE CHAMBORD, the head of the elder Bourbons, is, it is said, about to visit his cousins of Orleans at Claremont. INFMIME 33 AMONG the ships destroyed by the Russians at Sinope was a steam-frigate belonging to the Paella of Egypt, officered by three English engineers and two English stokers. This vessel was captured, and the engineers and stokers, together with a great number of the crew, were made prisoners by the Russians. They were taken to Sebastopol, and thence transported to Odessa. Although the en gineers wore the uniform of officers, they were treated as common Russian sailors, being kept in strict con finement, and with the allowance of si copecks silver, or 311., per diem. On their arrival at Odessa the consul-general represented the facts to the authorities there, and required that the chief en gineer, at least, should be treated as an officer and a gentleman; but to all his remonstrances the authori ties turned a deaf ear, and it was said intended to march them all eighty miles into the interior on font. The consul.general has reported this ease to the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, whose re monstrances have been most energetic, but it would appear that they have met with as little respect as those of the consul-general. Were the authorities to acknowledge the rank of the officers it would coat them twice tt copecks, or but sixpence, per diem. But the chief reason for this ill treatment is evidently the wish of Prince Mensehikoff to show his dislike of Englishmen. The chief engineer in question is the head engineer of the Paella of Egypes dockyard at Alexandria, well known to many of the officers of her Majesty's steam-vessels, and to those of the Peninsular and Oriental Campany, for the facilities he was always ready to afford where assistance was required in cases of derangement of machinery, &c. THE DEVONPORT SAILORS' HONE, up to December :11, 1553, being the termination of the first year the establishment has been in operation, had afforded an asylum and other advantages to no less than 4,916 seamen. THE present trust capital of the Corporation of Queen Anne's Bounty amounts to 2,4110,1NKM. sterling. SIXTEEN NEW CLt•BM were admitted into the Royal Caledonian Curling Club during the course of last year, twelve belonging to Scotland, one to Eng- land, and three to the Canadian branch. There are now 270 associated clubs, embracing about 12,000 members. IN SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE the return of Lord Ingestre to England has thrown new life into the canvass. His lordship has met various sections of the electoral body during the past week, and expe rienced a most favourable reception. lord l'aget and his friends are very active, and sanguine in their reliance upon the support of Lord Ward and some of the great tronmastcrs of the district APUBLIC MEETING ON THE WINE DUTIES IN to be held on a very early day after the meeting of Parlia ment, at which the Lord Mayor has consented to preside. The committee that has been formed to support Mr. (Iliviera's motion for a reduced duty amounts to more than ;ix) persons of different pro fessions and commercial eminence, amongst them about 1(X) members of Parliament ; and, at the meet ing in question, the various questions of revenue, reciprocity, and moral considerations, will be amply discussed. THE "STRIKE" FUND AT PRESTON showed, as was expected, a falling off dining the holiday week. Including the balance in hand of 4241., there was, nevertheless, a total amount of 2,12-I/. available for distribution. On Monday Mr. Hollins, a large manu facturer in Preston, tried the experiment of opening his mill at the old prices. The result was, however, a failure. Only three operatives applied for work, and those were strangers, who had not previously been in Mr. Hollins's employ. A man, who was de puted to convey the last week's subscriptions of the Darwen people to Preston, has absconded with 100/., and, as yet, has contrived to elude the vigilance of the police. At Wigan there are promising symptoms of an early termination to the strike. On Monday a much larger number of hands went to work than on any day since the reopening of the mills. In fact, there were about 3,500 again at their employment, being only about 1,000 short of the whole body. All the mills are running, except one small concern, and several of them have a full complement of hands. THE WINTER SHOW 01 , TILE METRoIsoI.ITAN PotI.TRY CLUB opened on Monday at the Baker street Bazaar, and was attended by many hwidreds of persons. Her Majesty was among the first to avail herself of the rule of the club which declares that any pen of birds may be claimed at the price affixed to them after one o'clock on the first day of the show, by claiming at the affixed price, 101., a beautiful pen of gold-laced (Seabright) bantams, bred by Mr. Spiney, of Dun stable. Prince Albert's pen of Brahma Poutra fowls, to which his Royal Highness bad affixed a price of 251., were claimed, although they had won no prize, at that slim by Mr. Fox, of Skinner-street, Snowhill. MAJOR-GENERAL TAYLOR, C. 8., Lientenant-Go vernor of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, died on Sunday last, at Harcombe, Devon, at the age of seventy-one. By the gallant officer's decease the oolonelcy of the 17th Lancers also becomes vacant. i 7 PPM MEI