The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

JANUARY 10, 1857. bar assuring him that he has not violated the statute passed in the ninth year of Queen Anne (under which ho has been disgraced and punished), by taking part in the preliminary proceedings of the forthcoming election in the above-named town. He has also received numerous letters from members of the civil service, imploring him to stand by his order, and secure the rights of nearly 20,000 civilians from unnecessary and illegal restrictions. SALFORD.—A requisition from the electors of Sal ford is in course of preparation, soliciting E. it. Langworthy, Esq., to allow himself to be put in nomination for the representation of the borough, in the room of J. Brotberton, Esq., deceased. Rlttranalitan. TESTIMONIAL TO DR. LIVINGSTON. A CROWDI:D MEETING was held on Monday in the Egyptian-hall, for the purpose of considering the propriety of presenting a testimonial to Dr. Living stone. The Lord Mayor presided, and the Bishop of LONDON moved the first resolution as follows : That this meeting, consisting of the merchants, bankers, and others, the citizens of London, hereby present to Dr. Livingston their sincere congratulations on the signal care and protection of Divine providence vouchsafed to him throughout his prolonged and perilous labours in exploring the interior of South Africa, and the meeting cherishes the gratifying assurance that the important discoveries of Dr. Livingston will tend hereafter greatly to advance the in terests of civilisation, knowledge, commerce, and freedom, among the numerous tribes and nations of that vast conti nent. Mr. RIIKES CURRIE seconded the resolution, and the Rev. W. CHAMPNEV3 supported it, in appropriate speeches. Dr. LIVINGSTON then arose amidst loud cheers, and proceeded to give a brief account of some of the dis tricts visited by him, confining himself, however, mainly to a geographical description. He stated that he intended to write an account of his travels, to which ho referred those present for more minute information : The Zarnbese river would (he said) form a great high way into Southern Africa. If they entered this river, as they might do, in a steamer of light draught, the country on each side would be found flat, covered with coarse grass and a few cocoanut and mango trees, forming a delta much larger than Scotland, and intersected with numerous streams. About fifty miles up the river was a mile broad, and on the right hand was a well-wooded country. Pro ceeding upwards as far as Senna they would find a large mountain, beyond which the river was between one and two miles broad. For at least five months in each year the water was very deep, and even during the rest of the year there was a deep though winding channel. At that period there was a large space of shallow water, but the river never became dry. Until one came to a gorge further up, the river was a very large one. Then there was a range of hills beyond, through which the river found a narrow pas sage, but the river was excessively deep. As soon as one passed through this gorge one came to a beautiful moun tainous country, all the mountains being covered to their summits with evergreen trees. Tho valleys were exceed. ingly fertile, and, indeed, all the country to the north was of the same character. There they grew the sugar-cane, and cotton and indigo grew wild. Some interesting speci mens of fibre he had brought home with him. On passing through the gorge one came to a coal-field, some of the seams of which showed the traces of volcanic action, for they were charred. There were altogether on the surface eleven seams, one of which lie measured, and found to be fifty-eight inches in diameter. Round this coal.fleld there was a gold-field; gold in a state of very minute diffusion was found in the streams. About twenty miles beyond the village called Tete was a small rapid. If this were sur mounted one could go 150 miles beyond, and the district round about there lie might call a paradise for hunters, because he never saw anything like the quantity of game in any other part of the South. He knew all the country through which Mr. Gordon Cnmming and others had hunted, and it produced nothing like the number of ele phants which were in the district beyond Tete. Here, too, the country was exceedingly fertile. Unfortunately there had been Kaffir wars in that region, the natives being led into them by people of Portuguese extraction, and as they had no mother country to bear the expense, the Portuguese had been rather hotly pressed, and had, in fact, been shut up in their fortress at Tete for something like two years. These Portuguese were not at all so degenerate as they were usually represented. He hail found them most hospitable ; and many of them were very intelligent and friendly men, and he believed that in trade and commerce they would be as trustworthy as any other people. He es teemed the people of the Cape, the descendants of the Dutch ; they were a most i n t e lli gent an d hospitable people, and had adopted a system of education such as we, some how or other, could not manage to get introduced in England. The frontier farmers suffered very much from a Kaffir war, but then we ought to distinguish between the frontier farmers with their cattle and the farmers who took commissariat contracts. He ventured to say that these latter gentlemen never lost a penny by a Kaffir war; on the contrary, he was certain that they became enriched by one. Beyond 'fete, in about 28 E. longitude, the country was beautifully watered and undulating; a few years ago it was densely inhabited, but now it was nearly depopulated. Ascending the ridge here met with, one would come to a height of about 4090 feet above the level of the sea, and THE PRESS. then began a gradual and almost imperceptible descent until one came into a valley wonderfully supplied with rivers. The whole country was low in the centre, with elevated sides. After an extended observation he saw clearly that this was the shape of the country, but he found afterwards that he hail been forestalled in this, for Sir 11. Murchison had broached the same hypothesis in a speech, which had been sent out to him during his travels. Dr. Livingston concluded his description by again referring the audience to his promised work for fuller information. The resolution proposed was then put and unani mously agreed to. Sir R. Muncinsow then moved a resolution ex pressing the appreciation of the intrepidity and perse- verance of Dr. Livingston in his extended and dan gerous journeys. The resolution was seconded by Colonel SYKES and unanimously agreed to. Mr. J. DILLON moved, and Mr. S. GURNEY seconded, the opening of a subscription towards a fund, to be called "The Livingston Testimonial Fund." The subscriptions announced in the course of the meeting amounted to upwards of 4001, the Loid Mayor and the Bishop of London heading the list with ten guineas. THE DANGER OF PLAYING WITH EDGED TOOLS was exhibited last week rather comically. An inquisitive medical student, while examining the guillotine in the Chamber of Horrors at Mme. Tussaud's Exhibition, took it into his head that the sort of yoke which fits down on the shoulders of the criminal to hold him in his place would not be sufficient to confine a person who struggled. His curiosity on that point led him to watch till the place was empty, when he actually put himself in, letting down the yoke. He soon found that he was quite unable to lift it, and it at once flashed into his mind that the sharp axe sus pended over his neck might not he very firmly fixed, or it would fall (as it should) with a touch. He was afraid to struggle, lest the shaking should bring it down and at once deposit his head in the basket of sawdust below him, into which his eyes were of necessity steadily looking. Having stayed some time in this plight, he was overjoyed to hear the approach of a visitor, whom he implored to release him. " I'm thinking," said the gentleman (a Scotch visitor of the metropolis) to his wife, " I'm thinking he must be hired to show how the thing acts, and I think we'd better not interfere." So the luckless student was lett till M. Tussand came in and made fast the axe before releasing him. The axe has been removed and laid by the side, to prevent future accidents. NOT ♦ BAD SUGGESTION with regard to the Resolute is made this week by a writer to the Times. The Admiralty intend to strip and lay the good old ship up in ordinary. The writer proposes that she be handed over to the Crystal Palace Company, to be transported, by canal and railway, into the lake at the bottom of their gardens. He does not tell us how the ship is to be got under the bridges of the railway. THF: METROPOLITAN BOARD of WORKS held a special meeting on Tuesday, and for three hours warmly discussed the question of selecting a site for the erection of suitable offices. It is perhaps need less to say that the board separated without coming to any conclusion, leaving the question under dis cussion at exactly the same point as it was three hours before. THE FRAUDS ON TILE LONDON UNION were dis cussed this week at the board of guardians meeting. The report of the investigation com mittee was read, detailing the steps taken in the prosecution of Paul, and the inquiry instituted into the conduct of the clerk and auditor of the union. From what they had been as yet able to ascertain from the accounts of the treasurer and contractors, there was scarcely one of them in which some fraud did not appear to have been committed by Paul. The chairman also read two letters from the Poor-Law Board. In the first the board ex pressed its concurrence in the dismissal of Paul and Manini by the guardians, and stated that an official inquiry would be instituted into the conduct of the late secretary and auditor. The second letter denied the power of the board of guardians to delegate to a committee the power of effecting a loan on their be half. The statement that seventy two of the guar dians had resigned in consequence of the investiga tion into the frauds now going on, was denied by the chairman. The prisoner was re-examined on Thurs. day and fully committed on the charge of stealing a cheque for 3781. 15s. Od., drawn upon Messrs. Kingsford. Another charge for stealing a cheque on Messrs. Smith, Payne and Co. for 4551. P2s. 21 was then gone into, and the case ultimately remanded for a week. ARCIIDEACON HALE, of Lmdon, has resigned thJ living of the vicarage of Cripplegate, which he has held for the last ten years. In the early part of last week the venerable the archdeacon forwarded his resignation to the Bishop of Loislo:i, and this week received au official uotificatiou that it was au. 33 cepted. The living is in the gift of the Chapter of St. Paul's, and is valued at 1,800/. a year. THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S QUARTERLY SUPPLE MENT TO THE WEEKLY RETURNS is tolerably satisfac tory. The deaths of the last quart„?.r amounted to 14,118, a number, compared with previous quarters, showing no special improvement in the physical well being. of the people. The Registrar-General regards the decrease as only "temporary," and not from a superior and permanent condition of health resulting from sound sanitary measures. For the week past, the deaths amounted to 1497, against 1973 births. The mean temperature of the week was 40.6-3 7 above the average of the same week for 43 years. Vrobintial. SIR JOHN PAIIINGTON, as Chairman of the Worces ter Quarter Sessions, in his address to the grand jury this week, referring to the increase of the local police and of local crime, said he thought it an error to attribute this increase of clime to the ticket of leave system. It was not the system but the errors of its practice to be condemned. Remission of sen tences had been too indiscriminately granted. So far as transportation was concerned, he doubted whether it was possible to readopt it to such an extent as formerly. The question at issue was really whether our great criminals should be discharged at home. The whole theory and practice of our criminal law (concluded Sir John Pakington) must have a thorough revision with the view to their speedy alteration. A COOPERATIVE COTTON-MILT. was opened at Rippenden on Saturday last. The mill, a spacious six-storeyed building, is the property of 170 share• holders (chiefly operatives), holding 300 shares, at 10/. per share. It is intended to run it on the co operative principle. The engine and boiler are already set up, and the remainder of the machinery will be added in the course of this and next month. LocAL BOARDS OF HEALTH have proved quite a plague to some provincial towns. At Rotherham and Worksop, for instance, the boards, in their zeal to drain and water the towns, largely exceeded their borrowing powers, trusting to obtain from Parlia ment increased powers. In this they were disap pointed, and so the Rotherham board, after boirow ing and expending 40,0001. on the works of the town, has been sold up, and all the water and drainage works of the town are now held by indignant creditors. At Worksop the board have suffered a seizure of their offices and furniture. A MYSTERIOUS MURDER was committed last week at Merthyr, in the house of the coroner, Mr. Morgan, who, on his return home, one evening last week, found his housekeeper cruelly murdered lying in the kitchen. The woman's husband has been arrested on suspicion. THE Tomas OF WALLER .iND &awl: being in the church at Beacoir-field, will probably prove an effi cient aid to the Rev. John Gould, the rector, who has made an appeal in behalf of the sacred edifice, now in a most dilapidated condition. A committee has been formed for the purpose of collecting funds to restore the church and preserve the tombs of the illustrious dead. A MANCHESTER CATTLE DEALER, one Mr. Sutcliffe, last week lost a bag containing upwards of 3,0001. in bills and money. The bag was picked up by a young woman, who gave it to her lover to take car 6 of. lie found out the right owner and returned it to him. Mr. Sutcliffe, it is reported, " rewarded " tl.e young man with three sovereigns, and the young wo man with 10s. SIXTY TONS OF PIG IRON were recently used at single casting of engine bottoms, by Mr. Neilson, of Glasgow. The Glasgow Herald, commenting on this great feat, observes : Let our readers imagine this mass of iron thrown into the mould, sixty tons in all, pouring in a torrent which is exhausted in one minute furty-tive seconds, and they will have sielie idea of a work which all the ironworkers in England refused, the like of which none of the ironmasters in England ever saw, aul which was accomplished under the superintendence of Mr. John Neilson, ou Tuesday, December 30, 1810. Messrs. Grissell has since written to the Times deny ing this statement, and adding : The Glavow Herald knows nothing of English iron workers of English ironinasters. We could easily had him fifty workers and masters who would make but a light question of the task Mr. Neilson has no doubt so ably performed; and that, among many others, it was not refused by, because not offered to, Yours very respectfully, H. AND M. D. GRISSELL. A BED OF MARINE FOSEILS was discovered the other day on the farm of Mr. Greaves, of Tingewick, Bucks. Mr. Stowe, surgeon, of Buckingham, exam ined a great number of them, and ;pronounced them to be marine vegetables, fungi, and algte, and fitci, which had either grown where they were found, or had been washed out of the Chiltern chalk range,