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

• • • • e •f • JANUARY 14,1854. gs companies, canal and water companies connected with the metropolis. The witnesses against the corporation have not only failed to establish, but have almost abstained from making, any tangible charge against their conduct as coirortators, as if they hoped by casting imputations upon their respectability, and by tnatituting invidious coin poisons with former times, to justify their attacks upon the corporation itself. Two of the principal witnesses having pointed out the beginning of the present century s the point at which the respectability of the corporation was said to turn, the report proceeds to examine the condition and character of the corporation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, very much to the ad vantage of the latter in every respect. They had no desire to east censure upon the members of the corporation who lived in evil times. In those times officers of every grade—judgea, ministers of state, the Church, and the t'roxn itself—were wont to sell their patronage and to dispose of places in their gift, as well in possession as in reversion.' - - - " • --- The report concludes as follows " Reviewing all that has been alleged before this com• mission against the corporation, and the absence of all imputation of moral turpitude or personal corruption against any of its present members, and impressed with the contrast between the administration of its affairs in the late and the present centuries, we hope and believe that much of the obloquy to which our body has been mused. is attributable to the tradition of ancient abuses, for 1% hich the present generation are not responsible, and w the errors of our predecessors, which it has been our constant endeavour to correct. Under this belief, and strong in conscious rectitude of purpose in the perform ance of our duties, the corporation has courted inquiry, and relies with confidence on the result : they believe it will relieve them from a load of undeserved and unjust reproach. Having nothing to conceal, and acknowledging the weighty trusts reposed in them, the corporation and all ifs members appeal from prejudice and uninformed abuse to the impartiality and judicial wisdom of this tri bunal, and, while they seek the means of improved and more effective action in extending the basis of popular confidence on which alone their institutions can safely stand, they challenge the severest scrutiny, and, contending for the maintenance of their just rights, they trust to the truth for their vindication." BRITISH PROTESTANTS ABROAD. A MEMORIAL respecting the liberty of British subjects in foreign countries with regard to the exercise of their religion was presented on Monday to the Foreign Secretary. Several members of the Pro testant Alliance, headed by the Earl of Shaftesbury, placed the document in Lord Clarendon's hands, the memorial having been proposed and adopted at the public meeting on the subject lately held under the auspices of that society, and of which we have already given some account. The memorial was of con siderable length, and recapitulated various incidents that have attracted public attention during the past few months. It concluded by entreating the Foreign Secretary "to bring these considerations under the serious attention of her MAjesty's Ministers, with a view to the establishment of • better understanding with the Government• of Tuscany, Portugal, and Spain on the points referred to, and also to the prevention of intolerant enactments in the island of Malta." In reply Lord CLARENDON said : " He could assure the deputation that the very im portant memorial just read would receive his best atten tion, and that he would communicate with his colleagues respecting it. The deputation could not expect him at the present moment to discuss the several particulars therein alluded to ; hut he would say one word with respect to Portugal, as he had thought it a matter of justice to the Government of that country to make inquiries after what had been stated. When the meeting of the l'rotestant Alliance was held lately in Freemasons'-hall, he (Lord Clarendon) was of course not inattentive to what took place. The answer to his inquiries was one we all, he thought, should be pleased with—namely, that although there were severe enactments in Portugal on the subject of religion, they were not now put in practice. He referred to a despatch lately received from Sir Richard Pakenham, in which it was stated that British Protestants were not in the least interfered with in the freest exercise of their religion, although it must be confessed that, the Roman Catholic religion being the religion of the State, any dissent from it was regarded with disapproval ; nor could the people view with friendly eyes any active system of proselytism. As to Tuscany, what was said in the memorial was perfectly true and just. lie (Lord Clarendon) did not think we should have any cause to complain again ; there had been that manifold and earnest expression of Protestant opinion which could not but produce the best effects; on the part of the Government nothing . fthould be left undone in those matters with respect to whL•h the prevailing and proper opinion had been ex pressed." The Earl of SnarrEssmY remarked, that the deputation could not possibly expect his lordship to sk wore. The Earl of CLARENDON observed, that even in our own statute books there wi•; e laws upon the subject of religion without doubt severe, but happily quite obsolete. He believed that there were equally severe laws in the Portuguese code, and, if such were put in practice, there would at once be good grounds to Justify our remonstrances. Tax orphan child of one the oldest of the Irish baronets WM admitted a t. w days since into the W4ll stead /ant Orphan A- THE PRESS. THE RAILWAY TRAFFIC OF 1k53. RAILWAY accounts being made up somewhat more speedily than those of the Board of Trade and other public departments, we have already before us full returns respecting the receipts, expenditure, mileage, and other locomotive statistics, as regards the rail way system of Great Britain and Ireland during the whole course of the year just concluded. These re turns contain much that is interesting and encou raging. It appears that the gross receipts for the twelve months amounted to 17,920,5301. on 7,774 miles of railway against 15,543,610/. on 7,337 miles of railway in 1852, showing an increase in the re ceipts of 2,376,920/. on railways in the United King dom during the year 1853. The cost of constructing the 7,774 miles of railway, however, amounted, up to July last, to 263,036,3201., being at the rate of 33,0121. per mile. Thus the whole of the traffic for the year 1853, great as it has been, only amounts to 014 per cent. of the cost of construction, and, de ducting 48 per cent., which is about the average, for working expenses, rates, taxes, and Government duty, leaves only 9,318,676/., or 3.53 per cent., on the gross capital expended ; but as about 100,000,000/. of this is composed of borrowed and preference capi tal, which cannot be set down at less than 4 per cent., there remains but 4,800,000/. for dividend on the 16:1,636,3201., or something less than 3 per cent. The annnal increase of traffic ou railways has been very considerable, partly arising from the further development of traffic on the trunk lines, and partly from the opening of new lines and branches. The increase of traffic in the year 1843 over that of the preceding year amounted to 500,8741.; in all proba bility in 1844, to 768,3371. ; in 1845, to 1,058,3421.; in 1846, to 1,020,6501. ; in 1847, to 1,285,7071. ; in 1848, to 1,100,3351.; in 1849, to 980,8081.; in 1850, to 1,744,161/. ; in 1851, to 1,809,023/. ; in 1852, to 520,402/. ; and in 1863, to 2,040,220/. The increase of traffic in the year 1850 is due in a great measure to the encouragement given by railway companies to excursion traffic ; the increase in 1851 chiefly arose from that cause in connection with the Great Exhi bition and the general improvement in trade. It would appear that the efforts made to increase the tratlic in 1850 and 1851 bad reacted on the natural increase of traffic in 1852, and reduced its amount by 682,4.(X)/. as compared with the average increase of ten preceding years. The great increase of trade with Australia and America consequent on the gold discoveries has had the effect of raising the traffic in 1853 to a point which had never been reached before, showing an increase of 2,040,220/. over the preceding year. The total increase at the end of ten years was 12,337,5301., and, should the traffic increase only at the same rate during the next ten years, it will amount in 1863 to about 30,000,0001. The average traffic receipts ' per mile per annum were as follows :-For 1842, 3,118/. ; for 1843, 3,085/. ; for 1844, 3,2781. ; for 1845, 3,409/. ; for 1840, 3,3051.; for 1847, 2,870/. ; for 1848, 2,5561. ; for 1849, 2,3021.; for 1850, 2,2271.; for 1851, 2,283/. ; for 1852, 2,2381.; and for 1853, 2,4711. The amount of capital expended on the railwaTs referred to up to July, 1842, was 52,880,100/.; 1843, 57,035,1001.; in 1844, 03,482,1001.; in 1645, 71,040,1001. ; in 14440, 83,105,1001.; in 1847, 109,528,0001. ; in 1848, 148,200,000/. ; in 1849, 181,000,000/. ; in 1850, 219,702,730/. ; in 1851, 229,175,2351. ; m 1852, 239,407,453/. ; and in 1853, 252,802,3201. The average cost of railways in operation per mile would appear to be-in 181/, 34,09//.; m 1843, 30,360/. ; in 1844, 35,670/. ; in 1845, 35,070/. ; in 1840, 31,8001. ; in 1847, 31,7001.; in 1848, 34,2311.; in 1849, 35,2141. ; in 1850, 35,229/. ; in 1851, 35,0581.; in 1852, 34,6301. ; and in 1853, 35,101/. This shows a most unsatisfactory indication in railway expendi ture, the cost per mile remaining nearly stationary since 1842, although several comparatively cheap lines have been recently constructed. The system of management adopted during the past ten years in Great Britain has reduced the dividends on the great trunk lines above 50 per cent., and the value of railway stock to one-half, and in some cases to one-fourth and one-eighth. No doubt the traffic re ceipts have increased during this period from 4,843,000/. to 17,180,5301., or above 12} millions during the ten years ; but the capital has also in creased from 58,000,000/. to 253,000,0001. during the same time, or 195,000,000/., and there is nothing to prevent the increase of expenditure during the next ten years from 253,000,01 Ml. to 450,000,000/., parti cularly as not much more than one-half the rail ways for which acts have already been obtained are as yet constructed. About 0,000 additional miles of railway will also require the sanction of Parliament in order to accommodate the traffic in various dis tricts of the United Kingdom, so that a great deal yet remains to be done both by the Legislature and by the projectors of railways. Great expectations have meanwhile been held out respecting the pre sumed advantages likely to arise from the establish ment of a standing committee of the House of Com mons who will have to determine on the mode of dealing with railway bills and pi,jects in future. 29. JOURNALISM IN SPAIN. THE long-continued ill-treatment to which the edi tors of the Oppoeition press of Madrid have been subjected has at last compelled the unfortunate journalists to break silence, though at no small risk, and publish a protest or manifesto to their subscribers end the public generally. This flocu ment, which of course apl*ared in a separate form unattached to any particular paler, WWI issued on the last day of 1553, as a broadside, entitled " The Witten of the Independent Periodical Press to their Readers and the Public." The topics adverted tq in it are, the impossibility of ful fi lling their contracts alai their subscribers in consequence of the con tinual seizure of their numbers ; their being taunted by the Ministerial journals that their silence pro ceeds from their having nothing to allege against the Government, whereas they show that they are not allowed to write on numerous subjects of geperal and political interest ; the abuse of the powers con ferred on the Government by the present decree on the press, which limits the right of seizure to certein, points, whereas they declare that not a day paws without one or more of their editions being seig though they have never touched on the s ubjects - 4 Whited by the decree on the press ; their not bit allowed to announce to their readers the facecifea number being seized; the suppression and mails tion of their articles, by which the sense is lutes tionally altered ; and finally, they say that they have received a positive order not to treat at all oe, lira following subjects, under pain of seizure :—" The railroad questi n ; the last debate and vote in • the Senate ; the statistics and classification of the sena tors who voted against the Ministry ; in defence of the conduct of the same senators, and of the Opposi tion in general against the injurious attacks of certain national and foreign journals ; news respecting dis missals and resignations of public functionaries ; and the contract with the firm of Clave, Girona, mid Co., for the construction of the port o f Barcelona.' To which catalogue they state there has latterly been added a prohibition to write upon " all the questions or news which have relation proximately or remotely with the existing Administration, and with the idea of the union of Spain and Portugal, even under the point of view from which the Spanish press has con sidered it up to this day " (i. e., by some matrimonial alliance). This document is signed by five editors of the Clamor Public°, one of the Epoca, three of the Nacion, three of the Noredades, two of the Mario Espanol, four of the Tribune, and two of the Oriente. It is dated the 211th December. The step was de liberately taken, and in the face of warnings that heavy displeasure would fall upon all the parties concerned in it. The Madrid Gazette of the 4th inst. contains a notification from the Minister of the interior forbidding the circulation of this manifest*, under severe penalties. AUSTRIAN FINANCES. THE state of the Vienna msetermarket, owing to the in creasing insolvency of the Austrian tiovernment, appears to be such that, in the midst of a prevailing panic among the commercial circles of that capital, the meet extraordi nary delusions are circulated as to the sources whence re lief is to be hoped for. The latest of these 1,0.111 to have been to the effect that certain English capitalist's have offered to get up a loan of St sterling if the Aus trian llovernment will entirely brisk with Huesis. After the failure of the attempt to raise money in London during the past summer, when political affairs were far less cottpli cattsl, and when the financial condition of the coantry, although known to be deplorably bad, had not been so tho roughly developed, it has doubtless been felt by the Vienna speculators to be hopeless to pursued° the people that there is any possibility of getting an advance upon the or dinary plan, and hence they have becu driven to base their expectations on the idea of its being offerial as a bribe. Meantime the Austrian lioventment have just refused to receive, except at fifteen per cent. discount, the part of their own National Bank, which all other persons in the country are compelled to take at par, and it may bt pee• sinned that malting could be wanted in addition to this act, and the statement of their estimated excess of expenditure over income for the coming year, to extinguish their bor rowing powers in all quarters. They have, therefore, nu resource except among their own subjects, and, as an ap peal to them cannot be long delayed, an inducement oh viously exists fur the moat urgent efforts to obtain instanta neously some apparent adjustment of the Eastern question. If in the present state of affairs proposals were advertised, the cunclusien would at once be adopted that no possibility even of a temporary pacification remained, an the lean, therefore, unless it were a forced one, would have to its contracted on war terms. If, also, the attempt were made during the prevalence of vague pretences on the part of the Czar in favour of a moderate policy, it would be known that Austria entertained no faith in them, since, siipposieg them to be sincere, she would only have to wait a short time for their fulfilment in order to raise what she fuleit want under all the advtuit ages of restored confidence. This question will etinsequently furnish better means of testing the private views entertained as to the results to he shortly expected than could be found in any other manner. From the course of France, likewise, and even of Turkey, on Min sante point, the public both in London slid Paris will be able to form useful inferences. So long as the isles of the practicability of an early arrangement is not wholly abut , doned, the applications tor the 5,000,t VOL required by the for mer power, and the 2,000,0001.11) the latter, will ha portpoitid.