The Press. — London, England, 1853-07-30 00:00:00

UNITED STATES. The New York Crystal Palace was opened by the president on the 11th inst., in the presence of an immense assembly. Mr. Buchanan has, it is said, definitively accepted the appointment of Minister to England. Another terrible casualty occurred on the 9th at Haverstraw, a factory village about forty miles from New York. A tornado hurled into ruins a large wooden building occupied as a lodging-house by operatives and labourers and their families. Five persons were killed on the spot and about a dozen injured, some very severely. From San Francisco the last steamer has brought to New York dates to June 10th, more than two million dollars' worth of gold, and accounts of several duels. One was b. tween senator ti i n and repre sentative M'Corkel — after an exchange of three shots the difficulty was reconciled. Another between Alderman Tobey and Dr. Crane—the latter killed at the second tire. A third between Alderman Noyes and Mr. John Nugent, editor of the San Francisco Herald---the latter wounded and not expected to live. Meanwhile a fourth duel was on the tapir between Mr. Bush, of the Express, and Mr. Stibger, of the Herald. The mines and diggings continued to be very productive. The weather had caused much mortality from its excessive heat. Mrs. Sin clair (Mrs. Forrest) had closed a brilliant theatrical engagement, which had yielded thousands per night. INDIA AND CHINA. The Calcutta mail of June 10 reached Trieste on Tuesday last. From liurmalt th intelligence is that no advance is to he made on Ave. un less our troops or civil ser vants are molested, sod our present position there is to be maintained. Many oaken( have ,hied. Trade in India is (lull, owing to the season of the year. The empire of China is divided, and Nanking is independent of the reigning dynasty. Great anxiety was entertained for Canton, and a rising was daily expected there. The screw steamer Lauridost, on her passage from Shanghai to Hong-Kong, struck on Turnabout Island, and was totally lost ; crew and passengers were all saved. THE CAI'E. Since the restoration of peace at the Cape the frontier has suffered no serious interruption. The chief sufferers by the late war are the inhabitants On the immediate borders of Somerset, Victoria, and Albany. In the districts beyond, the last year seems to be one of great prosperity, as their chief exportable produce, wool, exhibits a remarkable increase, the quantity being nearly 6,090,00016., valued at :100,00411. The Orange River sovereignty is tranquil, the British and native inhabitants being on friendly terms. Within the colony little had been heard but the voice of rejoicing for the constitulion, which has satisfied all the reasonable desires of the inhabitants. A search for gold was about to be made in the western districts of the colony, for which subscriptions arc being raised to defray the expense. Search for coal is also going forward on the flats, and a stratum has be dic en reached at a depth of fifty-six feet, which af forded good indication of the vicinity of the much desired mineral. Court AO lastion. Her Majesty's complete and happy convalescence was announced on Saturday last, since which day no more bulletins have been issued. On Monday the Queen breakfasted for the first time out of the sick.. chamber, and Sir James Clark left ou Oshonie-h se for London. Thur sda y , according to the Cmirt cular, her Majesty was able to resume her usual out of-door exercise, having driven out in the afternoon with Prince Albert and two of the elder princesses. Volitual anb titntral. THE MINISTERS IN THE CITY. SATURDAY last, at the Mansion-house, was signalised by the grand banquet given to her Majesty's present advisers and a distinguished circle of guests by the Lord Mayor. Covers were laid in the Egyptian- hall for 300 guests, and the tables displayed a gernine civic array of gorgeous plate, and groaned succes sively under the customary relays of delicacies served in civic profusion. The " departments " of the State were present on this occasion in the persons of the several secretaries; Count Walewski repre !tented the diplomatic corps, and the Lord Chancellor the bar, most of the judges being absent on circuit. After the banquet the healths of the several minis • tens elicited replies containing such details of official conduct as could be presented under an appro priately festive aspect, and such indications of Winistenal policy as were safe front touc hing upon ten der ground or exciting political animosities. THE PRESS. The Earl of ABERDEEN, coming first, acknowledged that the duties and responsibilities attached to his own particular office had taught him a "good prac tical leison of humility." His self-complacency was, however, much restored by the spectacle of such bright prospects as the country now enjoyed, accom panied by a degree of prosperity, happiness, and pro gress hitherto unparalleled : " These he did not pretend to say were In any degree owing to the exertion's of her Majesty's ministers. At the atone time he believed they had done well and wisely in furthering and firmly adhering to that enlightened 'system of fiscal and commercial policy which was established by a great minister whom they b ad lost by an untimely end. If these great advantages could not be wholly attributed to the present tiovernment, at least they had used their uutiost endeavour* to preserve them unimpaired. That I,‘l him to say a word, and but one word, upon a subject which now much ensfrossed the public mind. lie would say that the pOley—the essential policy of her Majesty's old a policy of peace. lbottl cheering.) And he had no doubt that Ida distinguished friend near him, and whom he now had ill his eye (the French minister), would re•echo those isenti inents. I ,..ippliseine.) It could not, therefore, be a matter of in ditlerenee if, in that great centre of industry and commerce, he should assure theta that no effort would be wanting, comas tently with the hownw and the real interests of the country, to secure a coati 111 l !Mee it that first it earthly blessings. fife- sewed cheers.!' The FRENCH AMBASSADOR, whose health was drunk next, responded to the wish for peace, and reciprocated the sentiment of cordiality. He spoke in his own language:— " Oni, messieurs, Is cot-11140 qui existait dans les relations entre l'Anuletem. et la France, et dont je me suit' relicite derutere dims vette inMue enceinte, repose aujourdloti cur des bases nouvelles, qui no peuvent to stil uer de h it con. solider, et irett assurer la duree ; ect heureux ritat itoit 6tre aceneilli HAW Joie par uiur, esr plus que touter e hoses il assure Is paix l'Europe dame l'avetur e t mime dates le present, et lespere, my lord. que tres prochainement ler faits vieuttront siuselio •r eette assertion. (Luisa cheers.!' The Lana CHANCELLOR then took his turn, and, allowing that the welfare of the nation en dehors de pended upon the contin uance of p eace, urged that its repose and prosperity internally rested on a sound system anti just administration of the law. Earl GRANVILLE, returning thanks for "The House of Lords," briefly summed up and took credit for the labours of the passing session. Lord JOHN RUSSELL acknowledging the toa s t of "The Commons , " intr oduced a eulogy of our new commercial system " That great question had now been taken out of the range of political discussion. It was no longer a matter which divided political parties, although It wail a proof of how slowly nations learned to prize the great blessing s the y en j oyed, that it was o nly now what was taught for years, and proved of arguntgreatest ent as a great abstract truth , was admitted to be one the sources of the wealth, and prosperity, and comfort of the great body of the people." The Duke of NEWCASTLE, the Somerron-GENEuAt, and other guests, having spoken, Lord I'AI.MERSTON replied to the first really personal toast of the evening, "The health of the Home Secretary" : " It was a great satisfaction to him to find that the manner in which he had endeavoured humbly to perform the duties of the of fee which it bad been her Majesty's pleasure to confide to him had met with their approbation, and he thought he might con strue their approbation into a symptom that it had not been dis approved of by the rest of the co ttttt ry . The office he now had the ho ttttt tr to hold placed I • , more than that he had held before, in direct approach and eolllleVtioll with his fellow-c • trymett at home ; and it was a great satisfaction to I • o think that in discharging his duties he had merited the commendation that bad beau bestowed upon I' by the Lord Mayor. It was a great pleasure to I • to he able to say, that there was no body of men who were more willing or desirous of rendering effectual co-operation to that branch of her Majesty's Government with which they were plaeed in relay than the magistracy of the city of London. Ile might instance the cordial support, they had recently to in the proposed changes and improvements in the municipal institutions of the city:' The last toast given was "The Lady Mayoress and the Ladies," after which the principal portion of the guests left the table and retired to the drawing-room, and the brilliant assemblage broke up about half-past eleven o'clock. THE 4 1)111H.10 BALANCE 14HEET OF INCOME ANI) Ex- PESPITURE for the year ended the sth of July last shows that the income was 54,149,141/. 35. lid., and the expenditure 5000,5101. 75., leaving an excess of 3,560,024/. 16s. Sd. On the sth of July, 1052, the balances in the Exchequer were 6,492,731/. Os. 10d., and on the sth ofJuly inst., 5,112,639/. ss. 9d. MusErm OF ORNAMENTAL ART AT M ART: rmoroH-HotsE closed yesterday (Friday), until Monday. the 3rd of October, when it will be re opened to the public. THE CH AROES AOAINST S I R JAMES BROOKE form the ground of a parliam entar y paper just printed. which contains a copy of the instructions sent to the Governor General of India. directing him "to issue a commission to inquire how far the position which Sir James Brooke holds in Sarawak is advantageous to the commercial interests of Great Britain." Mn. WILLIAM 141'8ORAVE SHERIUNOToN is ap pointed First Clerk in the Customs Department at Sierra Leone. Mr. William S . Field is appointed Sub-Collector of Customs at Port Elizabeth, Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Thomas Graham is appointed Crown Commissioner, Surveyor, and Engineer, Turk's THE NEw STAMP PVT' comes into operation from and aftcr the 10th of October next, when every receipt for money paid, irrespective of the amount, will require to be given on a Id. stamp. SATURDAY, THE BRITISH GovEaNstENT has sent three steamers to tug the merchantmen laden with corn out of the Sulina mouth of the Danube. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS registered in the metropolitan districts in the week ended last Satur day was 971. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843-52 the average number was 1,049, which, corrected for the increase of population, gives an estimated amount of 1,154. Last week, therefore, the actual mortality was less than the corrected average by 183. THE FIRST SUMMER POULTRY Snow in Loudon commenced on Wednesday, when the satisfaction ex , pressed by the visitors testified to the interest felt already by the public in an exhibition which it is promised will hereafter be annually repeated in the metropolis. Much emulation has already been ex cited among the rural population on the subject of poultry -breeding; and the specimens now collected are universally acknowledged to present a vast im provement over all previous exhibitions of a similar character. The list of competitors was well filled, and the prizes were, in most instances, declared to be fully deserved. The show is pronounced eminently successful. A NEW MEDICAL. MOVEMENT is afoot, some mem bers of the profession having combined for the pur pose of starting an " Anti-Advice Gratis Society," the precise object of which is stated to be the organisation of the profession against all unpaid or ill-paid hospital, poor-law, and army and navy appointments. THE COMMERCIAL BANK OF LONDON, according to the report presented at Monday's meeting, progresses in a prosperous career. The net profits for the year amounted to 30,05 4 / 4 and a dividend was declared at the rate of 0 per cent. per annum, besides a bonus of lOs. per share. An addition of 25,0001. has been made to the reserve fund, being the premium of 51. received on the 5,000 new shares issued in May. This fund consequently amounts to 61,0'201., whilst the paid-up capital of the bank is 200,0001. The directors have distributed gratuities amounting to 10 per cent. on their salaries among the employes of the bank. THE BRlTisli ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF ScIENcE will hold their twenty third meeting at Hull, commencing on Wednesday, the 7th of Sep . tember. The inaugural address will be delivered by Mr. W. Hopkins, M.A., F.G.S. The secretaries for the meeting are Mr. Henry Cooper, of the Hull Lite rary and Philosophical Society, and Mr. Bethel' Jacobs, President of the Hull Mechanics' Institute. To SECURE HAMPSTEAD HEATH FROM ENCLOSURE AND MONOPOLY, a meeting, chiefly consisting of artists, was held on Saturday last at the London University. In the course of a protracted discussion the subject was treated principally in an artistic sense, and the expediency of preserving the heath in its present open unviolated condition advocated on the score of the many distinguished artists who had resided in the neighbourhood, and of the capital opportunity which it now afforded for study, sketch ing, &c. Sundry resolutions were adopted, among which was one embodying a petition to the Crown ; and a committee was appointed to draw up and present the petition, and otherwise carry out the objects of the meeting. This committee comprised Sir C. Eastlake, Mr. Stanfield, Mr. lirokedon, Mr. Cockerell, Mr. Fripp, Mr. Foley, Mr. T. W. Pickers gill, Mr. Leslie, Mr. George Cruikshank, Mr. E. Duncan, and Mr. Eddes. THE PRESENCE. OF STRANOERS (except in the front galleries) at divisions of the House of Commons has been agreed to by that branch of the legislature. Two minutes is also fixed as the interval to allowed, after a division is ca lled, before closing the doors of the house. THE GOVERNMENT Btu. for amending the law relating to transportation , which has passed the House of Lords, has been printed by order of the House of Commons. The new law is to take effect from the Ist of September next. THE ASSOCIATED METROPOLITAN BENEVOLENT SO CIETIES celebrated their united anniversaries on Wed nesday by a general procession to the asylum at Ball's pond, where the first stone of a new wing to the edifice was laid on that day. The procession included Freemasons, Druids, Foresters, Old Friends, Odd Fellows, &c., tie., and numbered some thou sands. Lord D. Stuart officiated at the ceremony, and an address was then read describing the objects of the institution to be the providing of a house, with coals, candles, medical attendance. and medi cines, for the aged and infirm members of either sex of all the benefit societies in London. The parent institution was originated in 1829 by a few humble individuals, and the first collection amounted to only 61. 10a. ; but by the continued exertions of the com mittee funds had been raised, freehold land had been bought. and 120 persons permanently relieved, of whom 32 were at present under the fostering care of the society. The address further stated that the enrolled members of benefit societies in London amounted to 2110,0410, anti their invested capital to the enormous sum of 5,000,0001. sterling.