The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

1188 sw:tain the war until Russia was placed b such a position as to he unable to threaten Turkey, or dis• turb the peace of Europe. LOLD EDWARD HOWARD, M.P., at the Arundel Cattle-show, on Tuesday, speaking in reference to the war said, that the peace we desired must be a lasting peace, and obtained on the most advantageous terms. From the numerous reports of peace diffused so generally, there must be something in petto ; but if the Czar refused to listen to the united voice of Europe, he was glad to see that the Government of this country were preparing for the next Baltic cam paign by fitting out a fleet of 250 vessels, which would destroy Sweaborg, Cronstadt, and St. Peters burg, and tear from the Czar that peace which was our due. Mr. JOHN FLOYER, M.P., at the Sherborne Agri cultural Dinner last week, expressed himself in favour of a vigorous and earnest prosecution of the war, as the only means to arrive at a " safe and honourable peace." When Turkey was fairly rescued from foreign aggression, and reasonable securities obtained for the future, the hon. member would consider as the period for peace. Mr. H. LANGTON, M.P., at the Yeovil Agricul tural Dinner, last Friday, said with reference to peace, that he hoped we should continue the contest with vigour until we had obtained certain security for Turkey. As far as crippling Russia, he believed it would take a great deal to do that, and he should not wish to see Russia reduced to a secondary State. PARLIAMENT HAS BEES PROROGUED, by Royal Proclamation, to the 31st January, then to assemble for the despatch of business. The statement in THE PRESS that it was intended to commence the Session on the 18th January was, we are well assured, true at the time it was made, but the pacific nego tiation, now in progress, has led to the further ad journment. A Ciuruxt COUNCIL was held on Tuesday after noon at the Foreign-office. The Ministers present were Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Earl of Harrowby, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Lord Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the Right H3ll. R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll. The Council sat three hours.—The Cabinet Ministers mot again on Wednesday at the War Department, Lords Palmer awn, Panmure, and Granville, with Sir George Grey and sir Charles Wood, present. The meeting sat for two hours and a half.—Another Cabinet Council was held on Thursday at the Foreign-office. The Minis ters present were Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Earl of Harrowhy, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secre tary Labouchere, Lord Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the Right Hon. B. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll. The Council sat two hours and a half. HIS EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE had an interview on Wednesday with Viscount Palmerston. THE Convocation of the prelates and clergy of the Province of Canterbury was, pursuant to the Royal writ, prorogued on Wednesday by the Vicar-General, Dr. Twiss, under a commission from his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, to February 1, 1856. THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, Postmaster General, has appointed Mr. Charles Francis Scott to be his Grace's Private Secretary. SIR CHARLES NAPTER, at a dinner of the electors of Southwark, on Tuesday, freely expressed his in tention " of putting the saddle upon the right horse" when his case was brought before Parliament. With regard to the war, the gallant admiral briefly stated that although it was not for him to explain what an honourable peace meant, yet he thought the Russians should be driven out of the Crimea, made to pay the expenses of the war, and have their Baltic fleet re duced, before peace could be made. littropplitan. CARDINAL WISEMAN delivered a second lecture on the late Austrian Concordat on Sunday last, and argued that the Concordat between Rome and Austria was simply an act of unity and of re arrangement of the Austro Catholic Church, and as such should be held free from the interference of other creeds. He asserted that the Concordat was a " necessity," and would confer upon the Austrian people inestimable benefits which they did not at present possess. THE ELECTION OF AN ALDERMAN for the Bread street Ward took place on Saturday last at the Cordwainers' Hall, when Mr. Lawrence was returned by &majority of twelve. The legal advisers of Mr. Nicoll served the Lord Mayor with a notice that the nomination of Mr. Lawrence by electors not legally qualified was pull and yogi. lIMM THE PRESS. THE STATE OF ST. ANDREW'S CHURCHYARD WaS brought before the City Commissioners on Tuesday. The horrible and disgusting facto detailed by Dr. Letheby, who reported the case, would scarcely be believed in these days of sanitary improvement. This churchyard, in extent considerably less than one acre, was so full of bodies in May,1853, that the Home Secretary ordered it to be immediately closed. Since then, however, Dr. Letheby reports, no less than three thousand bodies have been added to the soil ! Human bones protrude from the earth on all sides, and though the soil of the churchyard is from ten to fifteen feet above the level of the road, the daily addition of bodies raises the soil so much that the gravediggers are compelled now to plank up the railings in order to prevent the bones and soil from falling out into the street: — Everywhere (observes Dr. Letheby) on the surface of the ground bones and decaying wood were abundantly scattered about, and the soil itself was saturated with decomposing organic matters ; indeed, it exhibited, in a very marked degree, that peculiarly oily or unctuous quality which is characteristic of the overcharged soil of the London graveyards. I took away a portion of the earth for experiment, and I place before you the disgusting fetid liquor which I obtained by a distillation of only two ounces of the soil. This will convince yon that church yard earth is not so innocent or innocuous a thing as many have supposed. In all directions the ground was considerably above its natural level, and at my request the gravedigger and his assistant explored it in several directions, in order that I might ascertain at what depth the coffins were buried. Tn several places they were not more than three feet from the surface, and in one case the coffin was covered with less than two feet of earth. A copy of the report was ordered to be immediately forwarded to the Home Secretary. THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOW was opened to the public on Tuesday and for the three following days. At all the previous periods of the exhibition the number of visitors has never been so great as during this week. The show of cattle is deemed scarcely equal to the average, both in point of Lreed and number. The Herefords and Devons, though here and there displaying a fine animal, particularly in the Marquis of Exeter's prize ox, fall below the standard of previous years. The Welsh cattle, of which one remarkably fine ox was exhibited by Colonel Pemnant, and soothe: by Sir Richard William Bulkeley, offer a successful proof in favour of the improvement to be obtained by high feeding. Among the sheep, the Leicesters showed best ; the Southdown and Cotswolds were inferior; while the crosses between the two breeds showed a marked superiority in all points. The many fine specimens of cross breeds, both in cattle and sheep, were a leading feature in this year's show; and the com mittee, in passing them over and awarding prizes only to the pure breed, do not appear to have been actuated by those motives of liberal encouragement to stock-breeders which should in some degree influence their judgment in the award of prizes. Among the pigs, Mr. John Scott of Mahon, the great trainer of race-horses, exhibits an animal of gigantic size, and of the enormous weight of sixty-six stone, or nearly I,ooolbs. The gold medals has been awarded to the Marquis of Exeter for the best ox ; to Mr. Keene Ambler for the best cow; to Mr. Rigden, of Hove, for the best one-year old short woolled sheep; to Mr. R. L. Bradshaw for the best loug•woolled sheep ; and to Mr. John Coate for the best pen of pigs. THE HUME TESTIMONIAL was Considered at a public meeting held on Thursday at the Court•house, Marylebone. Sir B. Hall, M.P., Mr. Roebuck, M.P., Mr. Osborne, M.P., Mr. Williams, Mr. Apsley l'ellatt, Colonel Sykes, Sir James Duke, Bart., &c., were present and addressed the meeting, speaking mainly to the merits and career of the late Mr. Hume. Resolutions proposing a memorial to his memory, and instituting a committee to collect a public subscription, and to draw up a petition to Parliament to erect a statue in the vestibule of the House of Commons, were unanimously passed. A MEETING OF THE RATEPAYERS OF HACKNEY took place on Thursday for the purpose of considering the imposition of a ne-c church rate. The meeting was of an exceedingly stormy character, and a poll was ultimately demanded, to close this afternoon. By Thursday evening a majority of ninety six against the rate was returned, and there was every prospect of the proposition being thrown out. THE ELECTION FOE THE REPRESENTATIVES to the Central Board of Works from the various metro politan parishes, took place on Wednesday last- when the members for the different districts wore duly returned. AT the quarterly dinn'r at Fishmongers'•hall on Thursday Sir Charles Napier returned thanks for the navy, and observed that the public must not feel dis appointed at the result of the Baltic campaigns, as the time to do work was so limited ; but if the Government would only act with vigour, and give the admirals clear orders, they would soon show their readiness to do any worls. SATURDAY, THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY held their annual meeting at Exeter-hall on Thursday, wh en the report of the society was read by the Secretary, Mr. Gruneisen. The affairs of the society appear in the most satisfactory state, and fully justify th e cordial support given by the public. The total re. ceipts for the year amounted to 209,0321. Bs. Ifld. , while the reserved fund np to September 29 amo un t e d to 8,3911. 18s. 6d., and the profit on the year displayed a balance of 2,2901. Bs. 7d., enabling the committee to declare a bonus of six per cent. THE ORNAMENTAL WATERS OF THE PARKS have been slightly frozen over during the week, and every pre oaution was used by the Royal Humane Society to induce the people not to venture on the ice, but in vain. In the course of Thursday upwards of 2,000 persons were at one time on the ice in St. James's. park. Towards the afternoon, when the thermometer bad risen to 331, the ice became exceedingly dan gerous, and several accidents occurred without serious results; but shortly after 3 p.m., some boys who were pelting a young gentleman with snow. balls, suddenly came to a weak part of the ice, which gave way, and precipitated eleven or twelve into the water. The greatest efforts were made by the icemen to rescue the boys, and several were shortly got out, and carried to the marquee at once. One boy named Cole was so exhausted that he died shortly afterwards, in spite of every effbrt to restore him; and a report gained ground that two more buy s were still under the ice, but after careful dragging no trace of them could be found, and the report is hoped to De incorrect. Though the Serpentine was too unsafe to permit any experiments, the round pond in Kensington-gardens was firm and solid, and afforded good amusement to the skaters during the day. The Regent's-park water was well frozen over, but scarcely considered safe. The sudden thaw which has returned will effectually check any further amusements at present. THE BANK OF ENGLAND, by virtue of an Order in Council of last Friday, has been empowered, to issue additional Bank of England notes to the amount of 475,0-01., according to the act of 1844. THE COAL-WHIPPERS OF LONDON held a public meeting on Tuesday at St. Paul's, Shadwell, for the purpose of adopting measures for obtaining the renewal of the Coal whippers' (Port of London) Act. The rector of Shadwell took the chair, and in a brief address pointed out the beneficial effects of the act, which he hoped to see renewed. Various resolutions agreoing to petition Parliament for a renewal of the act were adopted, and the meeting separated. THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S RETURN for the week shows a mortality of 1,099 persons against 1,031 births. The mortality is below the average. THE CRYSTAL. PALACE COMPANY in their late report show a total expenditure up to July last of 1,231,0001., a further sum of 70,0001. being required to close the capital account. THE LATE EXPLOSION IN WOOLWICH ARSENAL has proved fatal to two more of the unfortunate sufferers. William Wallace expired on Friday week, and Thomas Holland on Saturday, after great suffering. A Flout for lOW. a side, between Jones and Madden, came off in the Kentish Marshes, Long Reach, last Tuesday, and resulted in the death of Jones, who expired the day after from the severo injuries he had received. CUbZfCIaI. TIIR EARL OF EGLINTON delivered an effective address at the Glasgow Athenaeum last week. The noble earl, who was received with great cheering, spoke with considerable earnestness upon the ques tion of education and upon the effects of such institu tions as Athenaeums:— It is of no use for alarmists—who would, if they could, attempt to stop all education whatever—it is of no use for them to say don't over-educate the people. I say you cannot overeducate the people ; the danger lies in an imperfect education or the want of it altogether. You may cram the head of a dull boy of the upper classes with Latin and Greek, who is useless for any purpose, but you cannot overeducate the man who is to toil for his bread ; and if the people are educated, the evil councillor or the fiery demagogue at once loses the power which ignorance alone can give him. Are our artisans, because they are better educated now than in former days, less able to carry on their craft? Is the farmer less able to cultivate the soil? Is the labourer less able to toil? Have our soldiers fought with less bravery and devotion than those who pre' ceded them ? The history of the world does not record instances of greater bravery or endurance than the battles of the Alma, Inkermann, and Balaklava; and where cap we find more touching proofs of stern fortitude and Chruk tian resignation than those contained in letters written from the seat of war by men of all grades ? Upon the education of youth he considered mainly rested the destiny of this country : There never was a time in our history when so much depended on the character and education of the youth of this country. I think it was Mr. Disraeli who, on an occasion like the present, said that the youth of nations are the trustees of posterity. They are specially so at this time ; and if improvements in liberty of sentiment have distinguished the first ball of the present century, and the