The Press. — London, England, 1857-06-13 00:00:00

582 TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION Per Annum .. Half Yearly.. Quarterly .. .. 11 6 0 .. 0 13 0 .. 0 6 6 ebe Vreoo : (STAMPED) PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Subscribers are requested to send their orders through News ♦Rents; if direct to the Office, accompanied by a remittance. Advertisements also must have a reference or remittance. Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. Amman Iva, 110, Strand, London. TO CORRESPONDENTS. It is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we reeeise. Their insertion is often delayed owing to a press of matter, and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde- pendent of the merits of the communication. We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do not avail ourselves. Communications should always be legibly written. and on one side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of tinding space for them. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publica tion. but as a guarantee of his good faith. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a remittance or a reference for payment in town. Cbt 21.rirxigi+ LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1857. POSTSCRIPT. DREADFUL ACCIDENT IN FLORENCE. PARIS, Friday. At Florence, last night, the scenery of the theatre caught fire during the performance of The Sirge of Sebastopol. A panic arose ; 43 persons were killed, and 134 wounded. A letter from Vienna, in the German Journal of Frankfort, states that Austria has refused to deliver up to Prince Danilo the Montenegrin refugees residing in the Austrian territory, whom he had applied for, and the latter have been officially in firmed that they may reside without fear in Austria. The Emperor Francis Joseph has signed an ordi nance, which prescribes that the two-thirds at least of the public functions of Hungary are to be con fided to natives. The authorities are also to be enjoined to receive documents addressed to the Government when drawn up in the national lan guage. It is also in contemplation to grant a full amnesty to all military prisoners. The latest bnlletin of Marshal Radetzky's state of h*alth, dated Verona, 6th, announces that his excel lency had been restless during the day, and that the fever bad returned in the course of the evening. M. Isturitz, Spanish Ambassador at the Court of Russia, has arrived in Paris, where he intends re maining a fortnight. Letters from the frontiers of Arabia of the 25th April (says the Pays), state that Said Medjed, recently proclaimed 'man of Muscat and of Zanzibar in the room of his deceased father, has been officially recognised by the Court of Persia. The Persian Government had at first declared in favour of the brother of Said Medjed, but the young man having renounced his pretensions, and himself admitted the authority of his brother, it was decided at Teheran to officially recognise the new Itnan. Said Medjed is said to be a favourite with the Arab population. EARL FITZHARDINGE, we are happy to state, has during the last few days greatly regained his strength, and hopes are now held out, should his lordship continue to progress as he has done of late, of his ultimate restoration to health. As soon as the noble earl is sufficiently recovered from his protracted indisposition, he purposes to leave Berkeley Castle for the metropolis. THE IMPROVEMENTS AT PIMLICO.—A bill has been brought in by Sir B. Hall and Mr. Brand, extending the time for enaUng the Commissioners of Works to complete their projected improvements in Pimiico and in the neighbourhood of Buckingham Palace, purchases of property being limited to a period of two years from the 4th of August, 1857. The schedule of the bill gives a list of houses and pre mises situate in Stafford-place and Stafford-row, and Charlotte-street, in the parishes of St. Margaret, Westminster, and St. George's, Hanover-square, the reputed property of the Crown. Ma. DErtry PE.tcocK, chairman of the City Sewers Commission, has resigned his office, owing to continued ill-health. Mr. Peacock is seventy.eight years of age. Tuesday ne;t U,lll4ed for the election of Ws buomoor, THE PRESS. LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. HOUSE OF LORDS. ANNUITY TO THE PRINCESS ROYAL. The Princess Royal Annuity Bill went through committee. TRANSPORTATION Lord HARROWBY having moved, with a brief ex planation, that the house should go into committee on the Transportation and Penal Servitude bill, Lord CAMPBELL opposed the measure, and con demned the change which had recently been in troduced into the system of criminal jurisprudence. The sentences passed by judges on convicted offenders were nor:, he complained, carried into effect with extreme uncertainty, whilst transporta tion, which was once regarded as a punishment second in severity only tc. , that of death, had been converted into a sort of order of merit, to be con ferred on well-behaved culprits. Earl GREY remarked upon the changes, social, political, and commercial, which had taken place both at home and in the colonies, and rendered some modification in the transportation system a matter of necessity. Ho reminded Lord Campbell that he had formerly as member of the Cabinet assisted in initiating the very reforms which be now denounced. Some further discussion followed, after which the bill went through committee. The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill was reported with amendments, and ordered for third reading. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. DEP MAJESTY'S DRAWING-ROOM. Mr. G. DUNDAS called the attention of the Government to the great inconvenience experienced by ladies attending the Royal Drawing-room held at St. James's Palace, owing to the want of proper arrangements for their reception and departure. Sir B. HALL admitted the gravity of the incon• venience, which he attributed to the fact that the number of ladies attending drawing-rooms had so much increased. In the reign of George lIT. the average rarely exceeded 200, while there were now very frequently 1,200 desirous of paying their respects to her Majesty. Instructions had, however, been issued to prepare plans for enlarging the approaches and affording ampler accommodation for receptions in St. James's Palace. To a further query, Sir B. HALL replied that no money would be expended until the plans had been laid before the house, and a vote obtained for the cost. iiii.... ST. JAMES'S•PARK. On the motion for going into committee of supply, Sir F. BARING commented upon the expenditure incurred in St. James's-park, objecting on constitu tional grounds *.o the outlay of money without the sanction of Parliament. Sir B. HALL explained. The money was chiefly spent on the drainage and cleansing works in the lake, which could only be performed in winter, and which were very requisite from sanitary considera tions. The Treasury had, there:ore, allowed the expense, trusting to obtain the future assent of the house to the proceeding. THE CIVIL SERVICE. The house having gone into Committee of Supply on the Civil Service Estimates, Mr. WiLsos prefaced the first vote by a general explanation of the causes which had led to so large an augmentation in the gross amount of this branch of expenditure. Between 1852 and 1856 the amount voted under this head had increased from 4,400,0001. to 0,724,000/. In accounting for this excess, Mr. Wilson remarked that to a considerable extent it was rather apparent than real, having been occa sioned by the transfer of a large number of items from the Consolidated Fund, and other appropriations to the annual votes. Of the total augmentation no less than 1,436,0001. was thus explained away, leaving only about 880,0001. to be otherwise ac counted for. He then adverted in succession to the several items which had lately exhibited an increase, detailing the causes and vindicating the policy which had led to an enhancement within the last four years of 394.0001. upon education, science, and art; of 180,0001. for harbours of refuge ; of 242,0001. for printing and stationary; of 114,0001. on prisons and convict establishments , and of 81,000/. on public buildings. Passing on to the estimates for the current year, the hon. member stated that a further excess was presented amounted to 598,0001., respecting which he entered into detailed explanations, enlarging especially upon the fact that of the total increase no less than 341,0001. had been occasioned by Acts and resolutions of Parliament itself, passed in some measure against the wish of the Government, with regard to the county constabulary and the county courts. Of the residue by far tht larger proportion— namely, 138,0001.—had arisen under the head of education. Every increase had, he maintained, re. ceived the deliberate approval of ilte Moues of SATU RDAY, Commons, although he inferred that a better sYstem might be adopted in discussing the several heads of expenditure. A prolonged and somewhat confused discussion ensued, in the course of which many objections were urged against the shape in which the estimates were presented, as well as the forms regulating amend ments upon votes in supply. At midnight the chair man was ordered to report progress, not a single vote having been passed. The Joint-stock Companies Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The Sound Dues Bill was passed through com mittee. The house adjourned at a quarter to one o'clock. Obituarg. MR. DOUGLAS JERROLD, Wit and author, died very suddenly on Tue.day last, at his residence at Kul burn, in his fifty-fifth year. Long-standing disease of the valves of the heart and pulmonary congestion were the causes of death. MR. ROBERT HOLMEB, one of the most eminent members of the Iri.h bar of the days of Grattan, has died at his residence in London, at the advanced age of ninety five years. Mr. Holmes was called to the bar in 1795, and died, as he began, the wearer of a stuff gown, having refused for political reasons to accept the promotions to which his great capacities entitled him. THE HON. AND REV. FREDERICK PLEYDELL Bou- VERIE, /11. A., canon residentiary of the cathedral church of Salisbury, and prebendary of the prebend of Netherbury in Ecclesia, anciently founded in the same cathedral, died rather suddenly at the rectory house, Pewsey, on Saturday morning last, the 6th instant. The deceased gentleman, who was fourth son of the late Earl of Radnor, was burn ou the 16th November, 1783. THE CIVIL SERVICE SUPERANNUATION COMMIS SIONERS appointed to inquire into the operation of the Superannuation Act have presented their report to the Treasury, and it has been issued in a bluebook. They recommend that retiring allowances should be continued on the same principle as heretofore. That the salaries of the civil servants should be really what they nominally purport to be, without abate ment from that amount. That the deductions established by the Act of 18:34 should therefore cease in all cases to which they have been applied, and that those salaries which have been subjected to deductions should be raised to their nominal amount. That the age at which retiring allowances may be granted shall commence at sixty, instead of sixty-five, and that retirement from the service shall be compulsory at the latter age. There is a new scale of retiring allowances recommended by the Commissioners, which is slightly mflre liberal than that now in force. The periodical augmentati of the allowance for length of service takes place by an equal annual increment, commencing at ten years, instead of, as at present, by a greater rise for every additional seven years. DR. PELHAM, BISHOP OF NORWICH, was consecrated at Marylebone Church on Thursday, by the Arch bishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishops of London, Manchester, Gloucester, Bristol, and Ripon. LORD LYONS laid tho foundation-stone of a new dock at Malta on the Ist June, in the presence of a brilliant assemblage of naval and military officers and the residents of the island. THE POPE had a narrow escape at Ancona the other day. After attending mass in the cathedral, and while taking off his robes, a fire suddenly broke out in the sacristy. Fortunately the firemen at tached to the cathedral were on the spot, and the flames were shortly got under. RUSSIAN OFFICERS are at this moment travelling over Europe in great numbers, and it is well known that. they have been invited to send in to their superior officers on their return an account of all they have seen on their travels. These reports, white contributing considerable stores of information, will at the same time furnish a tolerable criterion of the capacity of each individual officer. THE UNITED STATES' S'REW CORVETTE Niagara has been an object of much interest since anchoring at Portsmouth. She has been inspected by numbers of critical professional and amateur naval architects, and naval men of all ranks, who are unanimous upon one point,—her uncommon ugliness. It is not true that she is unable to carry her portion of the Atlantic telegraph. ALDERMAN SIDNEY, at the court on Tuesday, gave notice that at the next court he would move that brokers be admitted without the form of " hedging.' A CASE OF STABBING is reported at Weymouth. Two men, Newton and White, quprrelled about a girl, when Newton stabbed White four times with a clasp-knife. White died in sixty hours ? a$ Newton ilfts been committed for triol, U