The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-30 00:00:00

oii —444‘oc. take the true sentiments of her ally, and no longer be lieve in her sincerity. Now, gentlemen, if ever that mutual confidence between na tion and nation which is the true foundation of a stable alliance should be impaired, it would be a deplorable mis fortune for both countries and for the whole of civilisation ; but, thank God, between two nations interested in pre serving their cordial relations, between two Governments who esteem one another, and who continually display to wards each other the most friendly sentiments, the occur rence of such an evil is, I am persuaded, almost impossible. THE ANNIVERSARY of the foundation of the first of the Australian colonies was celebrated on Tuesday by a dinner at the Albion Hotel, Aldersgate-street. There was a large muster of the leading Australian colonists now in England, and several influential members of the House of Commons, interested in the cause of colonisation, also honoured the occasion with their presence. The banquet was presided over by Sir C. Nicholson, late Speaker of the Legis lative Council of New South Wales, and among the company were—The Right Hon. Mr. Labouchere, the Right Hon. Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Audley, Lord Amelius Beauclerk, Lord Alfred Churchill, the Right Hon. Sir John Pakington, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, ttc. Sec. After the usual loyal toasts had been most enthusiastically re sponded to, Mr. Labouchere and the Right Hon. Sir Evelyn Denison severally acknowledged the toasts of " Her Majesty's Ministers " and " The Houses of Lords and Commons." Mr. Labonchere apolo gised for the blunders of the Colonial-office. Mr. Gladstone also spoke in reply for the Commons, bearing his testimony to the value of the Commons' rules and orders, which he said he regarded not as mere dry technicalities, but as the mature wisdom of centuries, and as constituting no small part of what was meant by " the admirable advantages of the British Constitution." Adverting next to the apology made that night by Mr. Labouchere for himself and his predecessors in the Colonial-office, the right bon. gentleman traced the errors of the system of colonial administration, now happily obsolete, to a widespread fallacy which bad prevailed for centuries, not in Eng land alone, but throughout Europe, and the evil con sequences of which had been inherited by later eze• cutivea That fallacy lay in the belief that commercial monopoly was the legitimate and most profitable relation between a mother country and her dependencies. Such was the great and muter error which governed the foundation of our transatlantic empire, and was implicitly accepted as undoubted truth from the time that the first European navigators doubled the Cape and explored the shores of a new world. Rivers of blood had been shed and treasures of wealth squandered in support of this mischievous theory. It lay at the basis of our straggle with oar American colonies, in which the Crown and the Government were not alone to blame ; the fault rested with the representa tive• of the people, who passed the obnoxious Stamp Act and imposed the tea duty on the reluctant colonists of America. Men only learnt to correct their pernicious doctrines by the painful discipline of suffering; and it was credit enough and happiness enough for us, the children of Adam, if we were able to say that we had not despised the lessons of experience, but had striven to turn them to account. The task of colonisation had been committed to Eng land not for her own good only, but for the benefit of mankind ; and now that the fatal delusion to which he had referred had been scattered to the winds, he trusted that we had established between ourselves sod our colonies a connection not in metaphor only, bat in truth and substance, founded in honour, affec tion, and goodwill. Sir J. PARINGTON likewise returned thanks as a member of the House of Commons, and in the course of a brief speech pointed to the handsome contribu tion made by the Australian colonies towards the Patriotic Fund raised during the Russian war as a most cogent and gratifying proof of the sentiments entertained by the colonists towards the mother country. The aggregate fund raised on that memo rable occasion amounted to 1,500,0001. sterling, the contribution of the Australian colonies being no less than 150,0001. Several other appropriate toasts were drunk, and the company separated at a very late boar. AT a special Court of Common Council, held on Tuesday, an address of congratulation to the Queen and Royal Family upon the marriage of the Princess Royal was unanimously agreed to. THE LEVIATHAN.—During Tuesday and Wednes day the hydraulic machines were again set to work at the full tide to push the monster vessel to the lowest extremity of the launching ways, and even off them if possible. The attempts were perfectly suc cessful, a distance of 6 feet 7 inches forward and 7 feet aft being accomplished on Tuesday with the most perfect ease in the course of little more than an hour, while on Wednesday a further advance of 8 feet 8 inches aft and 2 feet 3 inches forward was also gained. The depth of water under her at Wednesday's high tide was no less than 11 feet 8 inches forward and 15 feet 6 inches aft, or only short of the depth required to float her by 3 inches. Under these circumstances she requires watching with considerable care, as a northerly gale of an hour's duration would set her adrift. According to lel lie na all for bu Be/ wh we rel thi by Tl• col lllf tho wil ovi lat 001 the Lo Ch Ril us' six Sir of of gis Gli beE ml THE PRESS, JANUARY 30, 1858. the Admiralty tables she will not have depth suffi cient before Sunday, but at the same time the tide of this day is so near her mark, and such a trifling change of wind would influence its height, that everything will be ready for hauling her off. THE MARKET•GARDENER3 OF COVENT GARDEN have agreed to a memorial to the Duke of Bedford, pray ing the duke to cover in the outside part of the market where these persons have their standings, or " pitchings," and not to raise their rents above the 3d. per square foot. The duke, it appears, is in clined to entertain the propcsal, provided the market gardeners are prepared to pay a certain sum in excess of the fixed 3d. The rents of the Garden amount to 14,0001. a year, being equal to twelve per cent. on the outlay-110,0301. THE SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY, which has become a great fact in houses of business through the inde fatigable exertions of Mr. J. R. Taylor, is now being pressed by that gentleman upon the attention of the Lord Chancellor for the benefit cf the law courts. Mr. Taylor recently addressed a letter to the Lord Chancellor, in which he says that, through her Majesty's judges persisting in sitting in the courts of law and equity, and at chambers, on Saturdays, great evil arises : Only a few Sundays ago, before going to church, I visited the district of Cursitor-street, Took's-court, and Castle-street, and found eighteen law-writing offices open. The morning being foggy, they were brilliantly illuminated. with gas, and contained a large number of the poor writers, who ought to have been at home with their wives and families instead of being engaged on their accustomed degrading Sunday work. At present the solicitor and his managing clerk cannot be blamed for the existence of this social evil, the remedy not being within their province, hut in that of the judges of the realm. On leaving the courts and chambers on Saturdays the solicitors have to prepare briefs and other papers for counsel, and often for their lordships' use, by the following Monday morning. Mr. Taylor expresses a hope that the auspicious event of the Princess Royal's marriage will not be allowed to pass away without an order or orders being made and simultaneously promulgated by the judges, to carry out the desirable social benefit of a legal half-holiday. The Lord Chancellor's secretary has replied, however, that his lordship regrets that he cannot comply with the request, robintial. HOLYHEAD NEW HARBOUR suffered much injury in the recent gale. The destruction of the staging was complete. The formidable mass of piles gave way to the terrific fierceness of the gale, and about 70,000 feet of timber were carried away, and are now strewn along the coast below Penrhos. Six wit of seven turntables and thirty-three of the strong iron waggons laden with stone, placed on the top for steadying the timber, were plunged into the sea. The logs sustained must amount to many thousands of pounds, and a great number of men have been necessarily thrown out of employment. The crash caused by the fall of the staging was tremendous. Many casualt'es occurred to vessels, but none of an important nature. A GUN ACCIDENT happened to Mr. John T. Cator while shooting a few days since at Stoke Edith Park, the seat of Lady Emily Foley. Mr. Cator had just discharged one barrel, and whilst reloading, the other exploded, and shattered three forefingers of his right hand, the two first of which were skilfully removed by Mr. Lingan, who was immediately in attendance. The patient is progressing favourably. This is another instance which will recommend the breech-loading guns to sportsmen. THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE DUKE OF DEVON SHIRE took place on Tuesday at Edensor, near Chatsworth, in a private and unostentatious manner. The duke has left by his will the treat bulk of his vast property to his successor in the dukedom, the Earl of Burlington. He has left 10,0001. each to Earl Granville and the Earl of Carlisle, and an annuity of 10,0001. each to the Countess of Carlisle and the Dowager Countess Granville Sir J. Paxton receives a legacy of 1,6001., and there are also a great number of small annuities to servants and dependants. FIVE MEN, riggers, proceeding in a small boat to a ship at anchor off New Brighton, were drowned in the Mersey on Tuesday evening, owing to the accidental capsize of their boat from the heavy swell which was rolling up the river. THE WELLINGTON TESTIMONIAL at Liverpool is delayed in its execution for want of funds. The amount subscribed reaches 6,5001. The estimated amount required for the erection of the column and statue is not less than 9,000/. The collecting com mittee have issued an appeal to the people of Liver pool for further support. A FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT occurred at Bolton, on the North-Western line, on Thursday. A goods train from Liverpool, which ought to have stopped below the Bolton station, from the elipperyness of the rails ran into the station, through the booking-office, and across the street. A platelayer named Boyle was I killed on the spot. 01, 1 ••• 3 ) ,alu anb polite. A CURIOUS POINT OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE is now being inquired into by a commission under the act is sued by the Bishop of Exeter. The inquiry was opened last Monday at Plymouth, and relates to the following charges brought against the Rev. W. J. St. Aubyn, rector of Stoke Damerel—viz., that he, Mr. St. Aubyn, baptised Mahmoud Effendi, late major in the Turkish army, without havi ng p rev i ous l y g i ven not i on to the bishop of the diocese of hi s i n t en ti on t o administer the' sacrament of baptism in this case, which was alleged to be in contravention of a rubric in the Book of Common Prayer, which provides,— When any such persona as are of riper years are to be baptised, timely notice shall be given to the bishop, or whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a week before at the least, by the parents or some other discreet persons, that so due care may be taken for their examination whether they be sufficiently instructed in the principles of the Christian religion, and that they may be exhorted to prepare themselves with prayers and fasting for the reeeiv ing of this Holy Sacrament. The circumstances connected with this case have excited a great deal of interest in the neighbonrhood of Plymouth and Devonport. Mabmoud Effendi was affianced to the daughter of an English army officer. They were parishioners of Stoke, and desired to be married at the parish church. The Turk professed to be a Christian at heart, but on application to the surrogate for a marriage licence, he was told that the chancellor of the diocese declined to allow a licence to be granted. The banns of marriage were then called in the parish church by Mr. St. Aubyn, the rector, upon which the Be,. Jas. Bliss, the curate, who had previously told the rector that he thought the marriage ought not to be solemnised, rose in the church and publicly forbade the banns. This led to an angry correspondence between the rector and the curate, and reference was also made to the bishop, who was informed by the curate that Mabmoud Effendi was, by common report, a Mahomedan, and after other letters had passed, the bishop sent to Mr. St. Aubyn a notice of inhibition against the marriage. Meanwhile Mah moud Effendi bad desired to be baptised by the rector, and the sacrament of baptism was accordingly administered to him after the afternoon service at Stoke Church on Sunday the 20th of December. On the following morning Mr. Bliss, being informed of the fact of the baptism, withdrew his objection to the marriage (not being prepared with the bond required by law), and the marriage was celebrated. Intima tion of the fact being given to the bishop, his lord ship determined to issue the commission as above stated. The comml- - ' after hearing the evi of • that there dence, stated that they were _ opinion was sufficient prirni•facie evidence to justify the bishop in a prosecution of the case in the ecclesiasti cal courts. A SINGULAR BANKRUPTCY CASE came on for inves tigation before Mr. Commissioner Pane on Thursday last. The bankrupts, Henry and Cheslyn Hall, were attorneys, of New Boswell•court, but had been made bankrupts as cattle-dealers, of Neasdon, in Middle sex. The case, which has been before the court upwards of eighteen months, owing to the length of time occupied by the bankrupts in preparing their accounts and making out their bills of costs, now came on for decision on the question of certificate. Taking the assets at 25,0001., the liabilities appeared to be about 150,0001. This enormous deficiency was attributed to the bankrupts entering into exten sive speculations as breeders of stock, and had they confined themselves to their business as solicitors they would have done well, for their professional earnings in five years had been 32,0001.—upwards of 0,000/. a year—and, deducting the charges, leaving a clear net earning of 14,0001. The principal creditor on the list was Sir Charles Rushout for 09,000/. In the course of the examination the bankrupts ad mitted that from 1847 to 1850 they had rendered no account to Sir Charles Rushout, and that when they did render one they struck a balance against them selves of 22,8011.: — It now appears it was not a true account. There were several omissions in it discovered by the accountants, Messrs. Turquand and Young. The balance against us was not 22,8011., but 63,0001. 11,0001. consisted of stock sold by me standing in the name of Sir Charles, as executor for Lady Cockerell—her maiden name was Rush out. That stock was, I believe, sold to pay the debts, legacies, ,tc., under the will, the amount of which 7 do not recollect. The bankrupts further admitted that they had ren dered no account of the application of these 14,0001., and that they had also sold out other stock, which they had paid to their own account Sir Charles with. Sir Charles evidence, said that of one sum their care, 20,0001., the bankrupts , more than 0,0001. Mrs. Dalgleish, who had been waiting in court forward and said that she bankrupts. There never was less and cowardly fraud as been the victim. The further was then adjourned until W 4 • . " • ' • •• •'•'• ' • • • • I u .• • • • • 7 7 "s far W - • • • •••••• ••• ••••••••S 0. 0..4 . . . • • • • ,ccount and not debited iarles Ru.hout, in his sum he hod intrusted to rupts had " stole " a part, lgleish, another creditor, art all day, here stepped 11 1 B wished to oppose the is a case of such heart- that of which she had her hearing of the ease 'ednesday nest. 111