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

MEIIII quence of the annexation of the Company's Sntlej territories. The arrival of Lord Elphinstone, the new Governor, was anxiously expected at Bombay. The presence of a considerable Russian force in Khiva has caused the Governor General to place an army of observation on the north-west frontier. The troops in Peshawur have accordingly been increased to 13,500 men and 4M guns. The news from Bunnell, which is to the 21st Nov., is very contradictory. The Dacoits are said to be very numerous, and to have committed all sorts of depreda • tions. It was also given out that an insurrection was to take place simultaneously on the 20th December in the several towns of Pegu, and that a large force from Ave, under the command of Meng-Dat-Meng, or the Fighting Prince, was to lead the movement. Preparations upon an extensive scale were said to have been made for the purpose of effectually carry ing out this project. Very great doubts, however, existed as to the credit due to the foregoing state ment. The Governor-General, the Marquis of Dal housie, was shortly expected at Rangoon. CHINA. This mail brings China news to the 11th of Nov. At Amoy and Shanghai fighting was going on as usual. The insurgents in possession of the latter place had discovered a large quantity of treasure which had been concealed by the late authorities; they were making use of it in hiring and arming European vessels, so that there will now be a merce nary fleet on both sides. A Mr. Reynolds, who was taking a cargo of munitions of war to the insurgents, was lately captured by the Imperialists. His crew were decapitated, and he would himself have shared the same fate had not the Europeans employed in the Imperialist fleet threatened to resign in a body unless he was released. He has accordingly been permitted to return to Shanghai. Prom Amoy the most melancholy accounts have been received. The Imperialists, having retaken the place on the 11th of November, marked their success by slaying in cold blood nearly 1,000 persons, few of whom took any part in the late movement. The streeta and wharves of Amoy are stated to have literally streamed with human blood, not shed in any warlike operations, but done in savage revenge. The villages around Amoy were made to contribute to the executions. Whole villages were threatened with death unless they gave np all who took part in or sympathised with the insurgents; and, as a conse• quence of this brutal demand, the inoffensive and de fenceless villagers were surrendered up as victims to satiate the mandarins' thirst for blood. Captains Fishbourne and Vansitts.rt, observing this massacre from their vessels, landed men from the Hermes and Bittern, and, with some of the foreign residents, saved the lives of about 300 of the unfortunate wretches. Not a single member of the rebel chief's force was captured ; the rebel junks proceeding un molested out to sea, en route for Shanghai, the re tention of which they naturally deemed of more importance than the possession of Amoy. No. authentic news has lately been received from the seat of war in the north of China ; it was ru moured, however, that an irruption of Mogul Tartars had taken place; that 270,000 of them had been levied, and had crossed the frontier ; and that 70,000 of these had marched southward, and had nearly penetrated to Nankin. According to another account, the treasury of the Emperor at Pekin being quite empty, ho sent mandarins to the Mongolian tribes to try to borrow 2,000,000 taels, but instead of money they, sent him 300,000 troops. To get rid of this army his Majesty paid 1,000,000 taels for their ex penses back. On the subject of the present position and pros pects of the country, the Friend of China is of opinion that " the Tartar dynasty is now at its last gasp, and that the next Chinese year will not un warrantably be called as of the reign of Hung tseu tsieuen, the Prince of Peace." fart anb lastion. TffE SERIES OF DR \MATIC PERFORMANCES were re sumed at Windsor Castle on Thursday, when Sir E. B. Lytton's play of Money was performed, principally by actors from the Olympic company, with the assistance of Mr. Charles Kean in the character of Evelyn. The Queen had, as usual, invited a nume rous party of guests to this entertainment. A SUCCESSION or Visrrons have been honoured with' nvitations to Windsor during the week. Most of the Cabinet Ministers have spent a day or two at the Castle in rotation, as the duties of office permitted their absence from London. On Thursday the Mi nistry were represented by Lord Cranworth at the royal table, and in addition the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, the Earl and Countess of Derby and Lady Emma Stanley, the Earl of Mulgrave, Viscount and Viscountess Sydney, and Lord and Lady Bloom held' had the honour of dining with her Majesty. TIHE PRESS. EARL SPENCER arrived at the Castle on Tuesday, and had an audience of her Majesty, at which he received his wand of office as Lord Steward of the Household. PRINCE ALBERT has gone out shooting daily since the frost broke up. THE EARL OF ABERDEEN will give a full•dress din ner to a party of peers on Monday, the 30th inst., at his residence in Argyll-street. His EXCELLENCY LORD BLOOMFIELD and LADY 11LooMr•IELD are expected to leave town early next week for the British Embassy at Berlin. THE AMERICAN MINISTER has removed to No. 50, Harley-street, Cavendish-square, which will, in future, he the residence of the United States Legation. Lonn Bnouoitim is expected to leave his chateau at Cannes at the close of the ensuing week for Paris, en route to London, to attend Parliament. LORD DUDLEY STUART was to leave Constantinople on the 15th inst., for England, with a similar object. LORD LoNDESBOROUGH is on the eve of retiring from the turf. His lordship is said to have disposed of his stud to Mr. Rudston Read. THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH has sent 401. in aid of the funds of the Societe Francaise de Bien faisance, which was founded in 1842 for the relief of the French poor in this country. THE EARL OF PORTSMOUTH, who succeeded to the title only a few months since, died on Monday last at Hurstbourne Park. He was 82 years old, and is succeeded by his only surviving son, Viscount Lymington. LORD HAMILTON CHICHESTER died at Malta on the Ist of January. Sin G. RICHARD StmEox, one of the principal land owners in the Isle of Wight, died at Swanstown, in that island, on Wednesday, in his 70th year. THE Journal de Francfort states that the Duchess of Orleans had, on the Ist inst., narrowly escaped a serious accident. While riding in a sledge the shafts broke, and the horses ran off and overturned the vehicle, but fortunately the duchess received no njury beyond a severe fright. PRINCE RICHARD METTERNICH has arrived in Paris with important despatches from the Austrian Cabinet. The prince left Vienna on the 29th ult. Volittral RA 6tßtral. Two CABINET COUNCILS have again been held this week, on Tuesday and Thursday. THE ADMIRALTY have, it is stated, decided upon recalling Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Fleetwood Pellew from the command. in chief of her Majesty's ships on the East India station. It is believed that Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling will proceed imme diately to take the vacant command. MR. SADLEIR has resigned his appointment as one of the Junior Lords of the Treasury. Rumour assigns to Mr. Chichester Fortescue, member for Louth, the succession to that office. FOURTEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR DEATHS were registered in London in the first week of the year. Of these, 650 were of children under 13 years of age ; 431 of persons between 15 and 60 years ; and 353 occurred to men and women in advanced life. This return shows an excess of 56 above the corrected average. ltesismwcE TO RUSSIA was the gathering word for a crowded public meeting, held on Monday evening, at Sheffield. The assembly was convened by the Mayor, in pursuance of a requisition signed by 100 of the principal inhabitants. Various speeches were made, chiefly by persons of local influence and civic authority, and a memorial to the Crown finally adopted, based upon the two principal resolutions passed by the meeting to the following effect : " That it in the duty of this country and France at once to summon R 11913111 to recross the Pruth unconditiona Ily, and felling conipliance, to compel her to do so, if necessary, by force of arms." " That, if thus driven to resort to arms, peace should not be made without the most complete and satisfactory adjustment of all disputes between Russia and Turkey." ' A SCREW STEAMER with a boomerang propeller now lying in the Southampton graving dock, being the first vessel fitted with the new propulsive mecha nism which has visited that port. This steamer is named the Manila, and is intended to serve as a collier in the China seas, for the Peninsular and Oriental Company. She will carry nearly a thousand tons of coal. THE MARYLEBONE FREE LIBRARY, established for the gratuitous admission of the public, was opened on Monday last. The name of the institution is local, but persons of any locality are allowed free access to the books, the only exceptions being per sons in a state of intoxication, or in an uncleanly condition, or under the age of fourteen years. The library already possesses about 3,000 volumes. Du ring the day a considerable number of readers availed themselves of the advantages of the insti tution. SATURDAY, A GREAT STOCK-EXCHANGE CURIOSITY RSA exhi bited on Tuesday, in the shape of a receipt for 1,300/. Consols, dated July 20, 1798, at the price of 47t, the purchase-money being only 0201. 15s. This ia nearly the lowest price Consols ever fell to. In th e month of January of the same year they were down to 47i, below which price they have never been quoted. THE DIRECTORS Or THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY gave a supper at Radley's Hotel to 133 of the clerks employed in the metropolitan station:. The total number of the company's employis in Lon don is now 910, and in the provinces 040. THE OLD CARLTON CLUBHOUSE is being pulled down, and Buckingham-house has been taken by the members until the premises are rebuilt. The new building will be uniform with the section already constructed, which is adorned in front with polished granite pillars. When finished, the Carlton will be a great ornament to Pall-mall. THE non-arrival of the Madagascar from Australia has occasioned muoh alarm. She is a fine vessel, one of Green's best, but more than a month overdue, with a valuable cargo of wool and 80,000 ounces of gold dust on board. Insurances to the amount of 300,0001. have been effected on her, the premium during the last few days having risen as high as forty guineas per cent. Spontaneous combustion is the , source of peril most feared on her account. THE NUMBER OF MEETING-HOUSES returned by the Quakers at the time of the late census was only 371, while in 1800 they possessed 413. In 1847 the So ciety of Friends raised and distributed in mitigation of Irish distress the enormous sum of 200,000/. THE COMPUTATIONS OF THE CORN AVERAGES for the seven years ending Christmas last result in fixing at 001. 19s. 6d. the value of each 100/. of tithe rent charge for the current year. This is a reduction of nearly per cent. from last year's estimate, which was OH. 13s. sfd., and is the lowest rate to which the tithe has fallen since the passing of the Commu tation Act in 1837. A CHARTER is proposed to be applied for, granting powers to consolidate all the existing lines of tele graph under one uniform system. THE POST. OFFICES IN THE QUEEN'S BENCH and Whitecross-street debtors' prisons have been abo lished by order of the Postmaster-General. The step, for which economy is the excuse, has produced infinite discomfort among the unlucky detenus in those establishments. A GRAND EDUCATIONAL MEETING WSS to have taken place in Edinburgh on Thursday, but a letter having been received from Lord Panmure, stating indisposition, the assembly was adjourned to Wed nesday next. BEFORE DEPARTING FOR CHINA, DR. BOWRINO was invited to a meeting of influential merchants and manufacturers of Manchester. The event came off on Thursday, and Dr. Bowring made the assembly a long speech, of which decimal coinage and our commercial relationships with the Chinese empire were the principal topics. HILARY TERM commenced on Wednesday, when the Lord Chancellor as usual entertained the Judges of the several Equity and Common Law Courts, as also the leading Queen's Counsel and Sergeants-at- Law, at breakfast, at his mansion in Upper Brook street, Grosvenor-square, and afterwards held a general levee of the bar. THE MORTALITY TABLES OF GLASGOW for 1853, just published, afford melancholy proof of the un healthiness of the past year. The deaths during the twelve months were 15,288, being an increase over the preceding year of 3,597, and showing a per centage of lin 26.9 of the population—a considerably greater mortality than occurred in 1848—the cholera year. Nearly fifty per cent. of the deaths were of children under five years of age. THE DIRECTORS OF THE MANCHESTER ATH'ENMUM, through their honorary secretary (Mr. W. G. Gintz), have been in correspondence recently with several gentlemen, among whom are some of the ablest literary men of the day, for a series of addresses to the members. They have obtained the consent of Lord Stanley, M.P., to deliver an address towards the close of the year ; of the Hon. Joseph Napier, M.P., about Easter ; of John Walter, Esq., M.P.; of W. Keogh, Esq., M.P., Solicitor- General for Ireland, probably towards the close of next month ; of Lord Viscount Goderlch, M.P. • Isaac Butt, Esq., V. , M.P. ; and of R. Monckton Milner, Esq., M.P. Amongst the gentlemen who have been written to and have not yet replied are—the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn, M.P. ; James Whiteside, Esq,, M.P. • the Dean of Ripon, Charles Dickens, Esq., and the Right Hor. Henry Tufnell, M.P. The Archbishop of Dublin, the Duke of Argyll, and Mr. Strutt, plead previous engagements as standing in the way at the present moment. AT the special meeting of the Great Indian Penin sular Railway Company it was agreed to abide by the proposal of the East India Directors, for this company to raise 1,000,0()01. for the extension lines, at the tate of four and a half per cent. guaranteed interest, to be issued rateably to the present shareholders. MI I J pow Alairid