The Press. — London, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

the whole tendency of public opinion has set in the direction of this zesolve. Independently of many reasons for dispensing with whatever can occasion hindrance in the administration of India hence forward, it may be reasonably anticipated that the introduction of improvements will be facilitated by the direct action of the supreme Government. And not the least advantage, after the recent events, will be the moral effect of the proclamation in India itself that it is the Sovereign of the British Empire who rules. The announcement following on the heels of those which have already been made will show how far Lord Palinerston's Government seeks to shelter itself under (Hays, or prefers to accept with promptitude and decision the responsibilities which the interests of the country devolve upon it" At the Quarterly Court held on Wednesday the Chairman said : I have to inform the court that the deputy chairman and myself saw Lord Palmerston by appointment on Saturday morning last, and he communicated to us that it is the inten'iou of her Majesty's Government to propose to Parliament when it meets at the beginning of next year a bill to place the government of the Queen's East India dominions under the direct authority of the Crown. In further reply to Mr. Sergeant Gazelee, the Chairman said the court expected to receive a written communication from the Government on the sub ject of the plan to be proposed, and as soon as that was received, it would be placed before the pro prietors. An interesting statement also was made by the Chairman with reference to the moneys recently raised in this coantry. Mr. Mangles said :—" I have had a question put to me by Mr. Mackenzie, who wishes to know what is the amount of silver bullion sent to India by the East India Company between the Ist of August and the sth of December, and on what terms that bullion has been raised. I beg to state that the amount of bullion conveyed to India at the urgent requisition of the Government of India between the dates specified is 752,701/., which was purchased at various prices—namely, 613 d., 613 d., 593 1., and 593 d. The bullion was purchased in the market ": Mr. MACKENZIE said nothing could be more injudi cious than raising a loan in this country at six per cent. when they had an open loon in India at five per cent. As the interest of money in India was always much higher than in this country. to give six per cent. here would at once prevent any chance of getting any money in India to meet the Government requirements. He begged to ask whether six per cent. was not given by the Government? The CHAIRMAN : The money was raised for the general purposes of India at six per cent. Mr. MACKENZIE : Whatever money is required for India ought to be raised in India alone. The CHAIRMAN : An urgent requisition was made to us, and we should have betrayed our trust towards the Govern• ment of India if we had neglected to comply with that re quisition. They wanted the money to enable them to carry on the operations of the Government and also to carry on the war, and it was our bounden duty to comply with their request. CoNvocerrox was further prorogued last week until the sth Feb., 1858. A FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE has bees published relative to the question at issue between Lord Derby and Mr. Vernon Smith. In answer to inquiries from the India Board, with respect to Mr. Anderson's statements, Mr. Howell, one of the directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, states that no one in the office of the company remembers any such message as was referred to being sent to his office; and Mr. Allan, another of the directors, gives his version of the origin of the story—that, "in the cours3 of one of the interviews" which he had " with the authorities of the India-house as regarded the details of the plan for the conveyance of troops via Egypt," it was mentioned that a communi cation, "whether verbal or written I cannot call to mind," had been received at the India-house from the Board of Control, "at least so I understand it," inquiring as to the practicability of making the overland route available for transport of troops to India. "On returning to my office," continues Mr. Allan, " I casually mentioned the circumstance to my colleagues as somewhat singular that such in formation should be sought after we bad been already considering the necessary arrangen'ents to be made for carrying into effect the transport of troops via Egypt." Mr. Vernon Smith then inquires of Mr. Mangles, M.P., as Chairman of the India Board, whether any one at the India house could have any authority for the story Mr. Mangles replies that no one at the India-house could have had "any authority or ground" for conveying to the offices of the Peninsular and Oriental Company an impression that the negotiations with that company had been carried on without the knowledge of the India Board, or that the president, after the necessary arrange ments had been considered, with the sanction of the board, " inquired as to the practicability of making the overland route available. MIL, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS TOLLEXACHE has been appointed Treasurer the Kent Comity Voarte, 133 the room of the late Mr. Coppock. THE PRESS, DECEMBER 26,1857. A PUBLIC MEETING was held at Rochdale on Par liamentary Reform last week. The mayor, R. T. Heap, Esq., pursuant to a requisition signed by 490 burgesses of the borough, forty of whom were magis trates and members of the Town Council, convened the meeting. The speakers were gentlemen of purely local reputation. The following resolution was adopted : That it is the opinion of this meeting, that any bill which her Majesty's Ministers may bring before Parliament to amend our parliamentary representation ought to be based on the following principles :—Manhood suffrage, vote by ballot, a more equitable arrangement of electoral districts, and the number of representatives to be assigned thereto, a property qualification not to be required for members of Parliament, and the duration of Parliament not to exceed three years. THE Hox. GEORGE BYNG, M.P., has signified his intention to move, on the reassembling of Parlia ment, for some returns and accounts in relation to the tollgates and bars round the metropolis, and those parishes which now repair all their roads and streets without any aid or assistance, but entirely out of their local means; and also as to those parishes who do not repair all their own roads, and whose main roads are not maintained out of local rates, but by the tolls collected at local gates and bars. This information will be important, as showing where lies the difficulty of clearing London of such barriers. Though the city of London authorities have abolished all their tolls, the gate in the City road is kept up in a neighbouring parish. Whilst the principal parishes in the city of Westminster are without toll-gates and maintain their own roads, the turnpike-gate at Kensington is kept up in a West minster parish. A POOR•RATE AND PAUPERISM RETURN, moved for by Mr. E. Bouverie, M.P., gives some interesting par ticulars of pauperism. In England and Wales there are 641 unions and 14,120 parishes, the area in acres is 36,569,030, and the population in 1851 was 17,649.122. The industrial statistics show that there were (at the date of the return) 9,816,597 persons aged 21 years and upwards, and of these 31.0 per cent. were engaged in mechanical arts, trade, and domestic service, 16.1 in agriculture, 8.4 in manu facture, and 6.3 per cent. in mining woks. In the metropolis there were 1,394,963 persons of 21 years and upwards, and of these 47.6 per cent. were en gaged as artisans and servants, PI per cent. as agriculturists, 6.0 as manufacturers, and 1.5 per cent. as miners. The total number of paupers relieved (in receipt of relief) on the last day of the first week of October, 1857, was 804,578 (against 807,996 in the corresponding week et 1856), and of these 111,494 were in-door paupers, and 693,084 out-door. In the second week of October, 1857, there were 809,175 paupers receiving relief; in the third week of October, 1857, 817,221, and on the last day of the fourth week in October, 822,885. In the metropolis on the last week of October there were 92,858 persons receiving relief—namely, 27,972 in-doors and 64,931 out-of-doors. (Elution BUCKINGIIA,)ISiIIRE ELECTION. Tss nomination took place on Thursday at the County-hall, Aylesbury. Sir henry Verney, M.P., in proposing the Hon. C. C. Cavendish, endeavoured to impress upon the electors the necessity of return ing a member who would support Lord Pal merston :—" If there was an individual in Europe," he said,—" he believed he might say in the world— who had exerted himself successfully to promote civil and religious liberty in every country to which British influence extended, that individual was Lord Palmerston. Those who were acquainted with the Continent knew that there the name of Palmerston was a host in itself—(laughter)—a name at which the friends of despotism and bad government quaked and groaned. They felt that Lord Palmerston was the only man that despotism had to dread." (Cries of Oh !oh!'") Mr. CAVENDIBH, in his address to the electors, repeated the usual claptrap about Lord Pal merston having brought the Russian war to a " favourable termination ;" said he should give the Governnient an energetic and independent support; that be should vote for the admission of Jews to Parliament, and :or the abolition of church rates, but against the ballot. He could not say anything about the Reform Bill until he knew what sort of measure it was to be. Captain HAMILTON said be came forward because he bad been asked to contest the county on Conser vative principles. "It was not my wish to represent the county; I never had that ambition, but if the tenant farmers say 'We will have a candidate of our own, and we choose Captain Hamilton,' Captain Hamilton will poll the last man." With respect to his opinions Captain Hamilton declared himself in favour of the admission of Jews to Parliament, against the abolition of church rates without a Substitute, gad with respect to Aeforul l ho preferred 1249 waiting for the Reform Bill before he gave a definite opinion. The nomination of Mr. Tindal having been with drawn, a show of hands was taken between the other two candidates, which the high sheriff declared to be in favour of Captain Hamilton. A poll was de manded on behalf of Mr. Cavendish, which will take place this day. The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the high sheriff. Emit( BURGHS.-Mr. Grant Duff was returned for this district of burghs without any opposition on Saturday. Up to the morning of the election (says the Elgin Courier) a contest was deemed certain, and a good deal of excitement prevailed in Elgin. In the course of Friday evening, however, Sir James Hogg made up his mini to withdraw, and an intimation to this effect was formally made to Mr. Grant Duff. The new member's speech after his election was chiefly confined to local matters. Dr. Paul, who proposed the hon. member on the hustings, said he was fully satisfied that Mr. Duff was " a thorough-going Liberal—one in whom there would not be the slightest risk of your confidence and trust be►ng misplaced —one on whom, were her Majesty's present Ministers placed in any danger by adverse circumstances, you could absolutely depend for support in every proper and constitutional war." r I i t a n. THE PRESIDENT OF THE INDIA BOARD (the Right Hon. It. Vernon Smith) has conferred a cadetship in the East India Company's service on the son of Sir Hugh Wheeler, K.C.8., who was murdered at Cawn pore, and on the son of Major Burton, who was murdered at Kotah. CHRIST CHURCH SCHOOLS, ST. GEORGE'S EAST, which have been recently enlarged and rendered more commodious by the addition of three class rooms and a master's house, the sum of 2,0001. having been expended on them during the last six months, were opened on Tuesday evening (Dec. 22), by a public examination of the senior classes of boys and girls. Twelve of the Government scholars' certificates and other prizes were distributed to the children by the chairman, the Rev. G. H. under whose directions the improvements have been effected. The examination of the children in do mestic economy, mental arithmetic, Euclid, and the other subjects taught, was in every respect satisfae.- tory to the large audience assembled. The day school attendance during the past year has averaged 007 ; Sunday-school, 330; adult-school, 65 ; total , 1,022. The total receipts, exclusive of building fund, were 5291. 10s.; expenditure, 5371. Os. THE DEATHS IN LONDON have fallen from 1,428, in the first week in this month, to 1,2:14, by the last report. The births last week amounted to 1,830 children. THE FOUNDATION-STONE of a new infant-school for Shoreditch was laid by Dr. Lushington, on Tuesday, m the Hackney-road. Dr. Lushington, and Mr. Robert Hanbury, M.P., addressed appropriate re marks to the visitors present. TtiE BISHOP OF LONDON held a general ordination on Tuesday in the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. Prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Jones, and the sermon was preached by the Rev. Frederick Temple, M.A., the newly-appointed Head Master of Rugby School, who selected for his text the 10th verse of the 4th chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, " From whom the whole body fitly joined together," &c. In the course of a very able sermon Mr. Temple pointed out the peculiar trials and tempta tions to which ministers of the Gospel were sub. jected, and gave to the young men about to be ordained some practical advice as to their future guidance. The bishop having taken his seat at the communion-table, the gentlemen to bo ordained were presented to him by the Rev. G. E. Cotton, M.A., Head Master of Marlborough College, and were ordained. THE ANNUAL DISTRIEUTION OF PRIZES •at the Kensington School took place on Tuesday. The Bishop of London presided on the occasion, and distributed the prizes. His lordship in an impressive address spoke of the varied studies of the school, and the close connection of one branch of them with our Indian empire, for the service of which a large number of the boys are destined. He spoke of the career which was opening before those who were looking forward to service in India, and bestowed very high praise on the generosity of Sir Henry Willock, who for nineteen successive years bad presented for public competition in the school an appointment to the East India College at Addis combe. Sir Henry Willock and several other gentle men addressed the meeting, and spoke of the large number of scholars who had distinguished themselvs in India, and expressed the mingled pride and sorrow they felt for those who had fallen in that country. F. U. Willock and Quintyn Battye,i who both felt before Delhi, were at the head of this distinguished Wt.