The Press. — London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

32 THE NUMBER 4)b' HALYPENNY STAMI'I issued to all newspapers in the United Kingdom during the year 1M52 is shown by a return just issued to be 10,59m,tar2. lif these, England absorbed 10,217,041; Scotland, 235 710 ; Ireland, 135,41 0 ; and Wales , 11,41 m. The lota profit to the Exchequer amounted to 31 4 :0421. Ills. 2d. Fon BOOKS imported into the 1 - nit:.d Kingdom during last year the duty paid wits 7,:r2:d. ls. 7d. T►►r: Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen have decided on declining the invitation received from the Dublin industrial Exhibition committee to visit the Irish metropolis. Tile recent improvement in the public health, weorling to the Registrar I; eneral'a report, seems to have been arrested by the return of unfavourable weather. The deaths in London, which liad fallen in the previous week to 1,081, rose again hi the week ending lust Saturday to 1,159. lu the ten corm spending weeks of the years 1.843-52 the number, if raised in proportion to increase of population, was 1,010. Hence it appears that the actual mortality exceeds by 119 the estimated average. THE Morning Chronicle " understands" that an energetic movement is in silent but effective progress among those friends of civil and religious liberty who feel indignant at the course pursued by the House of Lords in rejecting, for the sevedth time, the pro posal affirmed by nineteen majorities of the House of Common's for the removal of Jewish disabilities. An olive has been opened, necording to our contempo rary, where communications and suggestion' front persons " interested in the promotion of this great object" will be thankfully received. THE FEES paid in the County Courts, according to a return just issued by the House of Lords, amounted to 1,200,8011., on account of summonses to recover claims whose gross aggregate was no more than (1,777,3721. A mu:strict:Yr and unique present has just been forwarded by the Hope, front Bristol, to rut African Prince, the prime minister of the King of Dahomey, with a view to induce that monarch to encourage a legitimate trade with this country in palm oil, &e., instead of pursuing, as at present, the infamous and debasing slave trade. The present, which has been forwarded by Mr. John Wood, an Af:ican no reliant, of Bristol, consists of a silver hip and shower bath, weighing 1,330 ounces, standing nearly eight f...0t in height, and valued at nearly I,oolii. ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS have been laid down from the House of Commons to various clubs at. the West end by the European and American Telegraph Com pany, and were put in operation for the first time on Nlondny evening. They are also to be extended to the office of the company in Conthill, and subse quently to other clubs. Each institution is to pay lid. per message, and also a fixed annual sum. lr is understood that the scat on the bench of the Scotch Court of Session vacated by the resignation of Lord Cuninghame is to be b.:stowed upon Mr. Dens. This gentleman was called to the bar in 1628, was appointed Sheriff of Ross-shire in 1850, and held the office of her Majesty's Solicitor-General for Scotland from April, 1851, till the fall of Lord John Russell's Government, in February, 1852. Is onumt to " further diminish the expenses of elections," Mr. C. Berkeley has introduced a bill which has just been printed by order of the House of Commons. It provides that no band is to be engaged to play—no flag exhibited—or the candidates are to be disqualified. A person playing in such a i,und, or mounting Nag, is to be liable to 101. Any agent of a candidate employed in getting up a band or flag to forfeit 50!. The fees of returning officers are not to exceed 101. besides the stamp duty, an] in future special constables aro only to be paid 3s. (Id. a day. - THE BAVARIAN Government has announced that the privilege accorded to English travellers by the minis tetial ordinance of April, 1140, is withdrawn, and that itt future they must, tf they would travel in Bavaria, have their pa:)ers rich like other strangers. A DE ITTATION in support of a bill for medical re• form, prepared by a committee of the Association represented by the deputation, hail an interview with the Earl of Aberdeen on Thumlay at his official residence in Downing-street. Tut: REv. Da. SAUNDERS, WllO has just been ap pointed to the Deanery of Peterborough, was private tutor to the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. tiladstone, and to the Secretary for the Colonies, the Duke of Newcastle, whilst they were resident at Oxford, and irepared them for the schools. They read with hint together in the long vacations. Ax °mei AL NoTtrievrios from the Post Ake states that the " Postmastet- ieneral is taltin,.: measurea for es• tabli4hing x money-order stem between this country and the eol,mi.'S. do flit' it" M 0..: to the receipt and p:iyment of money in the rubrics. HIM tlt its transnik ,, ioo to and frail the United Kingdom. his lordship intends to avail hi.nself of the alettey of ItraiitAry 11::iilts. except in :17iy came where the colonial postal 11111111V1111.11114 are ma under his direction. and where the antliorilies of the INtiony l a i ty pre. fer t I Lindens:iv this business thrus h es. • rhe receipt and payment of money iu the inotlwr c 'luau will form a THE PRESS 10111141 of the moneyoorder sytatein a•eatly exist it lg. Ad VPI'• will talturtl appear inviting tenders from hunkers for the petforntantee of the ditties rtferred to." If EN UV niAmix tinwAui., Esq., hue Secretary of Le.,..tation at Perlin, Is appointed leer Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to time Court of Brasil, in the room of Item" . Southern, E 4., .It., deceased. Lt»a:s Itr:N s(01114. • • ,:lrge.in to the Penitentiary at Milb a nk, Is Himpoimmleti re•mimt-mmt involim it Aker to the new Fe. male Convict Prison at Brixton. Mat. Laois is isp mi inlclj unia•er to the 1101 Court .if SeSiiioll iu }:alinlourgli. nitibusarits. ON NV FInNEAnAv, in Mt. Paul's Cathedral. the FEs rivAt, 4 , r"ritt: Smits or THE I'l.ElHili was celebrated the 199th time. All the forms and ceremonies usually attending this festival were duly celebrated, and at tracted more than the ordinary degree of interest. There was a full church service, in which the choirs of her Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, end St. Cr eot.ge'a Chapel, Windsor, assisted ; and the seri non was preached by Arel t deacon Sinclair. The ceremonies of the morning were followed by the usual evening banquet at Nlerchant Tailors' hall, the Lord Mayor presiding. After dinner the Archbishop of Canterbury took occasion to recapitulate the ser vices and detail the present condition of the society : - -• . " lii the last year bet eletstommt, having no other avvoutiat ,- ;.- • thitillit thilll their chamwes and necessities, had received relief to the impend of 3,4971. i!. saws of front 101. to rag. each. ;PIO widows, or aged !lemons, hail received pensions of from 10/. to 270/. *Nadi. Sint. had been distributed in donations to meet tem prary einergencitt4; mei 1121. hail been given to children to p r omote their ad% Ittleetilellt arlireultiee:3liit ; the total results showing that 1,259 penmen( had been imaerially assisted by the stwiwy 1:w year. He saw no reason to think that the Festival a.f the Sells or t h e Clergy would ever fall in public estimation, mad he %lei quite sure that so long as that blunt of unity whic h appeared to e‘ist between the Outride and the laity condi 1111 l to be unreserved, the poorer brethren of the Church would not want for that assistance which was really their due." The secretary afterwards matte the 'gratifying annomicenent that the collections of the present anniversary had keen tho largest upon record. There had been received at St. Paul's, 95/. ; at the dinner, 1,3151. ; annual subscriptions, 3101. ; showing an increase of 2N21. over the receipts of the last year. The total sum received, including legacies and dona tions, was 4,108/. Next year being the bicentenary festival. additional interest will be imparted to the proceedings. THE SIXTY-VoI:KPH ANNEVEIIsARY of the Uri:RAM' Fran was celebrated on Wednesday by several hun dred gentlemen. who dined at the London Tavern, under the presidency of Mr. Disraeli. " This fund," said the chairman, when giving the toast of the evening, "was originated, not by a man of letters, but by a min of lettered taste, whose humble hope it had been to prevent men of genius and talent from falling into intolerable misery, and forbid the recur rence of catastrophes which were a flagrant outrage ou ae li;crary honour of a civilised community. But a great change had taken place since that epoch in the relations subsisting between authors and the public, and the Literary Fund had far outgrown its original conception. Sovereigns and princes had presided over its festivals, and the large and influen tial assembly which were then present was a proof of the bola it had taken in the public sympathy." Mr. Disraeli then examined the principles on which the Fund was constituted, and the system by which its resources were applied. The former he pronounced sound and wise ; tire latter he considered judicious and satisfactory : " lie had no witnesses to prove the excellence of the institution and the a liniothie way in which it s tufairs bud Lawn untitagA. its higheot merit was that Its deeds were secret. (Cheers.) Only those who had examined the records of the institution could. comprehend the vast amount of good it had achieved, and for what a p. riot) of time it lest dischluxol the highest ditto. s and sonic Of the StrOllVAt Ithll4 of humanity. Tl! , condi- I 10114 011 widen a 4sistaUwe Wl/3 glltlltell were severe hut admirable. did not depend upon 'civil opinion. or religious creed, or unittry, tie ,'lime. The poet of lee land and the grammarian of Arabia had been relieved tl'om the Literary Fund, and one of the most distinguished authors of the nineteenth century, the miniAter of regal tomtits% had boast: it in Ins pride of place that, es ,tit obsettre enti!7rant, he oats tissisteil from the sumo source. thoagh thus e osmopolitan, there wits one condition strictly adhered to—the person relieved Joust be meritorious. He ihot tg lit, therefore, that not only was the principle MI which the iv ai:+ai•at wits estah'ished a tow and sound our, lint that the manner in which it had been 'TOW awl administered hail been wise, disereet, and satiofaetery. Dr. Ititssell stated that the sum distributed during the past year vas 1.3401., or rather less than the amount of . the preceding twelve months, and that the number of families relieved during the same period was forty -nine. It was subsequently stated that about 1,0001, had been snbscribed during the evening in the room, including 31/. from the chairman. The company ditl not s;:parate till a He hour. THE PRITESTANT ASSOCIATION held its seventeenth anniml meeting at Exeter-hall on Tuesday ; Mr. IL C. L. lice. - an presiding. The report stated that there had been an improvement in the finances of Vie so ciety in the prte.eding as compared with the last year. It gave as the receipts for the year 1,4111. Is. Id., and the expenditure 1,410/. ls. sd., leaving a balance iu hand of 10/. 19s. 141. The document also stated that NIL is. 4d. had been received for publications during the past year, and that 1,21. SATURDAY, had been received from New Zealand, and 501. from Canada. In conclusion it stated that the com mittee had circulated petitions with reference to the grant to Maynooth College, nunneries, and the Pro testant Episcopal Church in Ireland. On the motion of Sir J. 1). Paul, seconded by the Rev. R. Bicker steth, the report was adopted. THE Assocunos for the aid and benefit of NEEDLE womEN held its annual meeting on Wednesday, at Willis's Rooms ; the president, the Earl of Shaftes bury, in the chair. The meeting was attended prin cipally by ladies—among whom were the Marchioness of Londonderry, the Countess of Wilton and the Ladies Egerton, the Countess of Harrowby ; Ladies Wharncliffe, Rivers, Hardinge, Marianne Alford, and Robert Grosvenor ; Lady Louisa and Miss Finch, Lady and Miss Fitz-Wygram, Lady Pirie, Hon. Miss Wahlegrave, Mrs. Blonnield, Mrs. Long, Mrs. Grainger, &T. According to the report then read the society hod ameliorated the condition of its protegees by reducing inordinate hours of work, abolishing Sunday labour, and preventing the young people from being kept up at night. The principals in the majority of the \Vest-end houses had reduced the hours of work, improved the workrooms and sleeping apartments, secured a good system of ventilation, and promoted generally the comfort of those in their em. ployment ; but some few houses still persisted iu exacting excessive labour, neglecting ventilation, overcrowding the sleeping apartments, not allowing sufficient time for meals, and prevented the young people, in cases of sickness, from seeing the medical officer of the society. The committee thought that a day's work ought not to exceed ten hours, with a due allowance for meals, nor did they despair of a general introduction of such hours in the dressmaking busi ness. During the last yea: 1,223 young persons had entered their names in the register, the total number since the formation of the society was 10,952, and the provident fund numbered about seventy depositors. The balance-sheet showed the last year's income to have been 1,9701. We. lid., and the expenditure 0421. Is. 10d. porting. May 13. Sir,—The hot fit of Chester has been succeeded (physically as well as metaphorically) by the cold tit of Newmarket. In racing, as in all other storms, there are periodical ; and it is lucky there are, for the mind cannot be kept up, week after week, to that pitch or excitement which it roaches on the great occasions. The meeting at Chester is one of the most exciting epochs in the racing year. In that week a great event comes off which determines the speculations of thousands of people; causes thousands of pounds to change pockets ; and gives either plea sure or pain to the spectators and the public at large, according to the way in which it is conducted. The Chester racing committee have insisted (up to the present moment) in pitting their own starter, their own judge, and their own handicapper against the world, with poor success but rare obstinacy. Things, however, when at the worst usually mend. The starter has fallen, the judge, I believe, has been changed, and the handicapper may yet fall, if he does not turn over a new leaf. Mr. Topham's handicaps (though lauded after the most fulsome fashion by writers upon sporting, add the press in gencral) are in reality exceedingly defective. They are, in the first place, very arbitrary in their construction ; are based in many instances upon a supreme contempt for public running; and are in others liable to the charge of fileouritistn—an imputation which is enough to damn any handicap. These things must be mended, or the Chester Cup will descend, like Darius, from its high estate. Even as it is, a new handicap has been set on foot for the Spring Meeting at York, which, with the advantage of a racecourse instead of a cockpit, bids fair to be a troublesome and perhaps a victorious rival. After Chester we have a fortnight of comparative calm allowed us, preparatory to the Derby, the wildest and most ungovernable carnival of the racing season. Although 1 promised you some observations on the leading horses and their respective merits at the end of this week, I shall, with your leave, defer them to the next ; for great changes have happened before now iu that all-important week which immediately precedes the Derby, and may again. And here I may as well tell you that I do not pre tend to the gift of prophecy; a gift which, like all other gifts, has been much perverted of late ; p. o phob4 and stable•mice writing and squeaking accord ing to book rather than conviction. I shall do little more than place before your readers the merits and performances of the leading horses, and, after I have summed up, leave the verdict to their decision. I am glad to say that the whole of the touting fraternity have received " a heavy Um/ and great discouragement•• in the complete success of the new trial-grntad at Newmarket; and, unless they work like moles "i' the dark,' they must now retire from