The Press. — London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

212 " Well, you can, if you like ; but we're a lot of rough nos." " Oh, thank you, I do not mind that; you will be very civil to me, lam sure. Would yon get me a chair?" An intelligent-looking youth darted forward, dusted a chair with the tail of another man's coat, and placed it for me near the table. A short conversation ensues, when one man frankly says that " he don't believe the Bible ": "Because I read in the Bible that God is a God of love, and yet that He has prepared from all eternity a place of torment for us poor pitiful creatures." " In icy Bible," I replied, " I have never read anything of the sort. I read that God is love ; and that the Lord Jeans Christ will say, at the judgment day, to those who have believed and obeyed Him, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. But to those who have rejected His salvation, and despised His laws, He will say, Dc. part. ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' if man chooses to reject God's offer of mercy through a Saviour, and to prepare himself for that place of punishment, he has no right to charge God with the result of his own sin and wilful madness." " Well," he replied, "I do see that is a different case from what I thought before. lint now, look here. 1 am a poor fellow—don't pretend nor profess ; yet I have a quarrel with a mate—feel to hate him--will drub him well next time we light on one another. Think better of it offer him half my bread and cheese, when we chance of meeting—and we're friends. Now, why can't God do a generous action like that, and forgive us outright ?" The visitor replies with all the fervour of a true Christian, and for the happy result we must refer the reader to the excellent little volume itself. Life in China. By the Rev. W. C. Milne, M.A. London : Routledge. AN authentic account of a residence in China, and of a journey 1,300 miles aiross the interior, will at this moment, when public feeling is unusually intent upon Chinese affairs, be found of considerable interest. The writer was many years a missionary among the Chinese, but we are bound to say that his entertain ing volume is entirely free from the odium theolo gicum. Hence his book is lively, full of graphic descriptions of the manners and customs of the Chinese, and, what is to be prized still higher, con tains four excellent maps of the country. Mr. Milne's opinion of the Chinese in the province of Kiangse is below that usually held by travellers. " Of " its twenty-three million inhabitants," he writes, " the common people are on the whole poor, often " deplorably wretched, though industrious and hard " working at crockery manufacture and weaving of " hemp cloth, besides boat navigation, fishery, field " labour, and carriage of goods. As to literary at. " tainments, the scholars do not compete in number " or eminence with those of the neighbouring pro " vinces." In his journey through the interior he appears to have be n well and hospitably treated, and his account confirms the opinion held by For tune, Huc, and other travellers in China, o: the friendly disposition of the people towards strangers, and of the disinclination of the Government to per mit any intimacy to exist. Mr. Milne's remarks upon the habits and customs of the people have all the weight of personal experience, and are the result of many year; careful observation. The most interesting chapter in his book is that relating to the progress of the Christian missions in China. Of the success of the Protestant missions lie speaks feebly, but full of hope. Ot the Roman Catholic missions, he speaks in decided terms of the vigour with which they are pressing forward their peculiar tenets. With what success he does not say, but it is clear that the Roman Catholics, especially at Shanghai, exhibit no decadence in China. "In every part of " the country," Mr. Milne writes, "Jesuit priests " are prosecuting their missionary labours." They buy land, build churches, open schools, establish "Catholic villages," and, with indomitable perseve rance, prosecute their efforts at conversion. At Shanghai, writes Mr. Milne, " In his infidelium " partibus,' besides a bishop, they have numerous " foreign teachers disguised as natives, and a large " staff of Chinese agents. These live and labour " chiefly in villages that principally comprise spi " ritual children,' of whom they number in the Kiang " nan vicarage above 70,000 souls ! Under the super " vision of the confreres, there are catechists and " travelling agents. They maintain schools for girls " and boys. They have chapels; they support " monasteries ; and recently, wnh some hope, and, " as they believe, success, they have introduced the " institution of religious women.' " Let us turn now to the Protestant missionaries. The statistics of the society show that, " during the past thirteen " years, ten distinct missionary societies have sent " fifty-seven missionaries (with few exceptions mar " tied men ), of whom there are at present at work " there at least thirty-seven, the rest having been " removed by death or illness, or other circum stances." Of the general proceedings of these, Mr. Milne states that, "being unacquainted with " the Chinese language, they have to postpone " entering on the more arduous and direct labours of THE PRESS, PFBRIJARY 27, 1858. " their vocation until they are qualified for the task "by duly acquiring the local patois." As soon as this knowledge is acquired, street preaching is pro secuted, while Chinese translations of the Bible and Testament are scattered over the country by a judi cious system of "native colportage," and established schools are attended. Mr. Milne does not speak of the success of these efforts. He regards them more as the preliminary steps to an ultimate success among a people whom he frankly acknowledges to be " godless, atheistic, worldly, sensual, proud, and con " ceited ; bard, unitnpressible, indifferent, attached " to ancient forms, detesting change, deficient in " principle, wanting in manliness, obsequious, plau " Bible, and formal." The task of evangelising such a people is, we fear, hopeless under the present feeble efforts and limited means, but " the aid and influence" of the foreigner may do much within the next few years. Hardwicke's Annual Biography for 1857. By Edward Walford, M.A. London : Hardwicke. THIS useful little volume contains original and selected memoirs of some 500 persons of European distinction who died in the year 1850. The names of Viscount Hardinge, Dr. Buckland, Mme. Vestris, Sir John Ross, Paul Delaroche, Chief Justice Jervis, Prince Paskiewitch, and Count Woronzoff will be found included. The chief worth of a volume of this nature is in the " accuracy and impartiality " of the memoirs given ; hence a voluminous correspon deuce with the families of the deceased, and the very natural delay in the appearance of a volume which chronicles the deeds and services of men and women who have deserved well of their country. Besides the peculiar interest the book possesses for those whose family names appear in its pages, it is a most ;useful volume of reference. It is cheap, copious, and correct, and contains every essential detail that we require. Every day Life. Chapters f"r the People. Contra buted by the Rev. C. B. Tayler, M.A., and Others• London : Seeley!. As excellent little book, written for the purpose of conveying social and religious lessons in that easy, cheerful form of narrative which best suits the rela tions of the incidents of every-day life. From birth and baptism to marriage and happy nights at home, and to sickness and death, the events _of " every-day life " are lightly and happily treated. We commend the book for the excellence of the sentiments. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVE D.-:EBRI:111Y 25. BOOKS. What You Will. An Irregular Romance. J. W Parker. The Clerical Directory for HS& J. Crockford. The Niaiuie Book for England. Edited by James Biggs. Waterlow. The Rise of the Dutch Republic. Vol. I. By John Lothrop Motley. G. Routledge. The Commerce of India. By B. A. Irving, M.A. Smith and Elder. The Great Indian Crisis :n Fire Minutes' Reading. Allen •nd Co—Memuranthins on the of the Bengal Army. Ditto—Justice fur India. ►3y a Plain Speaker. Hardwieke—A Narrative of Me Campaign of Me Delhi Army. Dalton. The Undergradualed Papers. Whittaker The Irish Quarterly Review. Simpkin and Alarbhall— Frazer's Magazine. J. W. Parker. TIER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—It is rumoured that three more nights will be given in the middle of March—ending finally Saturday the 20th—in con sequence of the great success attending the winter season, which would have been continued but for engagements in Edinburgh and Glasgow. MME. SZARVADY, better known to the musical world as Mlle. Clauss, gave the first of a series of Lent concerts on Saturday last, in Pleyel's Saloons,at Paris. The saloons, though extensive, were completely full, and the auditory comprised many persons of dis tinction in both the musical and fashionable worlds. Mme. Szarvady executed, with M. Maurin, a "Sonata for piano and violin" by Mozart, and, alone, a " Fantaisie Chromatique " by Bach, " Promenades d'un Solitaire "by Heller, a Sonata of Beethoven, and, lastly, Wiegeniied, by Henselt, a composition by Chopin, and a march by Alkan. The brilliant position which Mme. Szarvady has held since the commencement of her career, occupied amongst pianists, is known to musical amateurs; but on Saturday last she literally outstripped herself: even her most ardent admirers, of whom the number is great, were astonished at the style of her execution. It may be said, without exaggeratio n , t h at never were greater agility, greater c.)rrectness, more sou!, in . a wcrd, so near an approa c h t o perfection, at. tamed by any public performer. Under her hands the piano had "charms to soothe even the savage breast." Loud and long was the applause she drew forth after each of her morceux, and some of them were even interrupted by the clapping of hands. At the end she was called for unanimously, and received an ovation rarely witnessed in a concert room. foneg Vida anb Citg FRIDAY F.YENINci. NOTWITINTLNDING the vaticinations of all the prophets of evil consequent upon the defeat of Lord Palmerston, and the accession to power of Lord Derby, the Money Market has been singularly calm and undisturbed by the change. The supplies have not tightened, nor has there been a bit the less anxiety on the part of capitalists to get out their reserves upon the best terms they could obtain. In fi t, there is a more obvious disposition to make advances at the market rate now than there was immediately after Lord Palmerston's defeat, and for long periods too, because, it is argued, Lord Derby can be relied upon for the steady maintenance of the honour and the interests of the country, whilst under Lord Palmerston the policy was to rail and bluster, to make patriotic professions by fits and starts, and thus to create timidity and alarm at moments when such feelings bad apparently the least grounds for being excited. Lord Derby's Administration has from the first been regarded with respect, and, as its various members have been successively named, there has been an appreciable degree of abatement of that sensitive ness which is natural to men who have a great stake in commercial and financial stability, until, at the present moment, it is an absolute fact that it is a really popular Government with all the substantial interests of the coun try. Certainly no regret whatever is expressed or felt at Ono loss of Lord Palmerston, and it is the universal desire that political animosity should be so far discouraged as to afford Lord Derby, what he has never before had, the opportunity of a fair and a full trial. The value of money during the week has not exceeded two and a quarter per cent. On the best bills it has only been two per cent. The supplies are very large. At the Bank the minimum continues at three per cent., and as the rates are an much lower in the open market, very few blls are sent there. It was thought that a reduction to two and a half per cent, would be made yesterday, espe cially as the condition of the Bank is quite strong enough to justify such a measure ; but it was delayed, probably from the state of the continental exchanges continuing to show a profit on sending gold there instead of bills, and possibly from a desire ,to restrain any rising tendencies to undue speculation. The supplies of gold this week have proceeded nearly exclusively from the United States,and they have amounted to about 300,0001. About 150,0001. altogether has been taken for the Continent, principally out of the market, but the demand has been enough to cause a small with drawal from the Bank. Silver to the amount of 213,4001. has been sent to India, and the price is now firm at ss. lid. to ss. 2d. for bars. Appended to the Board of Trade tables for the month ending Jan. 31 is a statement of the import and export of the precious metals during that period. The total imports were 4,182,2901., of which 3,579,287/. were in gold; and the total exports 9b3,59-1.1., showing a very large balance in favour of this country. Perhaps upon the occasion of no previous change in the Government, certainly at no change complicated with ugly misunderstandings abroad, was there leas bond-fide fluctus tion in the value of public securities than upon the transfer of political power from Lord Palmerston to Lord Derby. The utmost extent of the decline in the Funds was only three-quarters per cent. This was immediately after the defeat of Friday night and before it was known who would be " sent for." But as soon as it was thoroughly under stood that Lord Derby was the "coming man," and that he had formed a Government strong in talent and un blemished in character, the tide began to turn, and the re action, though not quite complete, has placed quotations upon a soli i basis—the strength of opinion. Consols, which left off officially last Friday at 971 to 1, and after regular business at 974 exactly, declined the next day, upon the Palmerston defeat, to 901 to 4, and on Mon day, upon vague rumours that Lord Derby could not form a Government, to 964 4. Sales made upon this assumption temporarily produced a decline even to PO, but the rally was most decisive when the deception was exposed, and the parties to it suffered severely. Since then the im provement has been firm and gradual, until last evening the closing price for money and account was 074 to 4, or just the same as this day week, before there was any general conception of Lord Palmerston's insecure tenure of office. Foreign Securities were but slightly affected during the week, and they soon recovered the depression caused by the Ministerial change. Turkish Six per Cents, indeed are 20s. higher than this day week, and all the leading stock* are better. Railway Shares fell last Saturday about one per cent., and on Monday they experienced a further decline in some cases of a half per cent. The average fall consequent upon the proceedings of Friday may be sta te d at one and a quarter per cent. But it nag been followed by a decided improvement, for the accession of Lord Derby, with the high character of the Ministers appointed to the Board cf Trade, indu ce d purchases by the public which not even continued lo w traffics could arrest, until the present result is an average advance of two per cent , above the quotations of Satur day. Banking and Miscellaneous Shares have been well supported ; but there is no important change in quotations. Colonial Securities, with the guarantees of their respe ctive Governments, have been firm nearly throughout, the high, rate of interest, six per cent., in most cases having temp te d rather large investments. reducingTahpepenoareticde;wat iturusout that the interestt the antiewawas upon Exchequer villa his I