The Press. — London, England, 1855-08-04 00:00:00

728 disparage Admiral DUNDAS, but in the name of common sense let us ask what the fleet of 1855 has done to disprove Sir CHARLES NAPIF:R'S asser tions of the impregnability of the Russian positions to large ships ? Ex nihilo nihil fit might honestly have been the motto of the fleet for 1854, but the constrained inactivity of the fleet now assembled off Cronstadt, possessing as it does every advantage denied to the fleet of 1854, induces us to ask whe ther Sir CHARLES NAPIER was wrong after all, and whether he cannot fairly demand that inquiry into his conduct which every honourable and brave man claims as his privilege, be he unjustly or just!y disgraced ? There is no confirmation of the report of General Beatson'e death. A letter from the general, dated " July 22," says :—" The men will be easily enough managed if we have fair play, and I doubt not in the end we shall make first-rate corps." The Emperor Napoleon has sent two very hand some diamond and pearl breastpins to Messrs. Staples, of the Albion, Aldersgate-street, accompa nied by a complimentary letter, as a mark of his satisfaction at the arrangements made by those gen tlemen for the late banquet at Guildhall. Viscount Ebrington, M.P., yesterday laid the foundation stone of the new wing of the building belonging to the London Society for Teaching the Blind to Read, which is situate in the Avenue-road, Regent's-park, in the presence of a numerous and fashionable company. A lady has provided the whole of the sum for the new wing, which is intended for a dining and music room, but the committee appeal to the public for the sum of 3,0001. to complete the redemption of the mortgage and the purchase of their estates. A fatal fire occurred yesterday morning at the Coalheavers' Arms beer-shop, St. Pancras-road. With as little delay as possible the parochial engine was taken to the spot, but unfortunately no person with it to fix the pipes, until two of the Royal Society's es3ape-men undertook its management, by which time nearly all the contents of the building were one burning mass. Other engines were after wards brought into operation, and saved the ad joining houses. Two females were left in the ruins, an elderly woman and a young girl. How the fire originated could not be ascertained, or whether any insurance had been effected. The beer-house, with its stock, furniture, dye., were completely destroyed. The Siiele says :—" It is known that the closing of the Universal Exhibition is fixed for the 91st of October. Nevertheless there is a question at present, if not of prolonging it, at least of leaving it open for two months longer; in other words, to allow the exhibitors time to effect the sale of their goods. The new entrance fees to the Paris Exhibition Palace are :—On Monday, 20c. ; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, lfr.; and Friday, 9fr. One hundred and eight thousand persons visited the Paris Exhibition on Sunday last." The members of the English Society of Arts in tend to ♦isit the Paris Exhibition on Monday, the Brd of September, and several following days, for which arrangements have been made by the English and French railways to convey those gentlemen at reduced fares. The Prase says that in co'nsequence of continual embarrassments arising out of certain contiguous possessions in the East Indies, some belonging to France and others to England, an arrangement is in course of negotiation between the two nations by which a reciprocal cession is to be made, that will remove the present difficulties, and prove bene ficial to both countries. The Russian prisoners who had resided at Evreux during the past year have had their entire freedom granted to them. General Bodisco (the late Governor of Bomarsund) and family, with two aides-de-camp, were about leaving for Paris on their return home b Russia. The North Star, the first of Vanderbilt's new line of steamers, arrived at Southampton yesterday, with seventeen passengers and a ship's letter-bag. She brings three days' later advices, but there is no poli tical news. A letter from Mexico in the Times states that some of Santa Anna's subordinates at Magellan have broken up a chest at the Custom-house, in which money be longing to British bondholders was lying in deposit. THE MEETING in favour of the restoration of Poland, which was advertised to be held at St. Mar tin's•hall, Long Acre, on Wednesday evening, was postponed sine die, in consequence of the sudden in disposition of Lieut.-General Sir De Lacy Evans, who was to have presided oh the occasion. THE PRESS. A SCHEMI is on foot for the establishment of a free library in Hatfield, Hertfordshire—we presume, considering the size of the town and limited require ments of the neighbourhood, not on large scale ; but the experiment is watched with unusual interest, as few such institutions exist anywhere in the rural districts, and in the county of Hertfordshire there are as yet none. We believe the promoters (among whom Lord Salisbury stands foremost) do not in tend to urge the application of Mr. Ewart's new act, whereby power is given, in parishes exceeding 5,000 inhabitants, to levy a rate for the purpose, on such rate being called for by two-thirds of the inhabitants, but will trust solely to voluntary subscriptions. Lord Stanley, who has assisted in founding several institu tions of this kind, both in Lancashire and at King's Lynn, Norfolk, has been requested to deliver a lec ture on the subject on an early day next week. The undertaking has already created some local excite ment, and is alluded to in two leading articles of the Herald of Wednesday and Thursday last. It is be lieved that the inhabitants of St. Albans will very shortly follow the example thus set by their neigh bours. IT is stated that Rear-Admiral Sir George Sartorius, Knt., is to go to Cork, as commander-in-chief at Queenstown, in the room of Rear-Admiral Sir William Carroll, K.C.8., who succeeds the late Admiral Parry as Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hospital. THE excavations going on at Ostia are continually bringing to light most interesting remains of ancient splendour. One of the last prizes is a mosaic pave ment, eighteen feet long and seven broad, represent ing Neptune drawn by four sea horses. Fine frag ments of statues and bassi-relievi, silver and bronze medals, leaden conduits, and stucco ornaments, as well as some inscriptions of historical interest, have also rewarded the labour of the excavators. THE TELEGRAPHIC WIRES that are to be laid down between Constantinople and Schumla, where they will join those connecting that place and the Western capitals, have advanced as far as the Balkans. The Porte has announced the completion of the line for the beginning of September, but it is said to be doubtful whether all the efforts of the police can pro tect the telegraph ; already the posts have been pulled down and burnt in more than one locality, and a large quantity of the wire stolen from the depot. The people of Bulgaria are naturally superstitious, and believe that European witchcraft has been intro duced into the country. As to persuading them that intelligence can be communicated through the me dium of the wires is altogether out of the question. The Porte has published a memorandum, threatening with severe punishment whoever is discovered in the act of even touching the wires. M. EDOUARD TAIRREZ, of Chamouni, writes to Mr. Albert Smith, that the story of the discovery of the body of Jacques Balmat is entirely a fabrication. LOLA MosTEs, with a theatrical troop under her charge, left San Francisco on the fith of June, in a sailing vessel, bound for Australia. She will join the stage there, and will afterwards go to Europe, vii China, Calcutta, and Sebastopol. Signor Verdi has been in London, with a view of arranging for the production of his Lea Viyres at the Royal Italian Opera next season, and for the publication of its music. Mdlle. Cruvelli's approaching retreat from the opera stage into married life is formally announced in the musical journals of Paris. The Prophete has been produced for the first time at Venice, at La Fenice, with Mdme. Sanchioli as Fidis, and M. Negrini as Jean. The success, accord ing to the local journals, was greater than on any other stage in Italy. Letters from the East Indies mention that Miss Catherine Hayes has departed from Calcutta for Australia, where her popularity is described as being almost without limit, and her gains beyond all pre cedent. THE Americans in former years were accustomed to send large quantities of wooden clocks to England, for exportation to the British colonies ; but now the Germans in America are able not only to beat them out of that field, but to com pete successfully with their own German countrymen in the home market of their fatherland. The large and rapidly increasing manufacture of this article in America is evident from the following statistics of the trade :—ln Connecticut there are seven manufactories, employing 1.300 pers ms, and producing annually 800,000 wooden clocks ; in Bristol, fourteen manufactories, with 400 persons, making 200,000 clocks ; Plymouth has three manufactories, with 175 workmen, turning out 75.000 clocks ; at Arsonia are two manufactories, with 140 persons employed, who make annually 10 . 2,000 clocks; at Winstrad, one manufactory, with 40 persons, 30,000 clocks ; at Southampton are two manufactories, with 45 workmen, producing 40,000 clocks ; and lastly, at New Havre there are three manufactories, employing 400 persons, and making 370,000 clocks. So in the seven above-mentioned places there are thirty-two manufactories, employing 2,500 workmen, and producing annually 1,817,000 wooden clocks. A Gsamxs SINGER, formerly of some celebrity, Mine. Stockl-Heinefetteer, ha alust expired in a madhouse at Vienna. SATURDAY, 6orrtsponttutt. TO THE EDITOR OT " THE PRESS." Sir,—With reference to the parliamentary proceed ings as reported in the London papers of the 27th instant, I shall feel much obliged if you will allow me, through your columns, to correct the serious misstatements made in connection with my name, both in Mr. Roebuck's inquiry and in Lord I'almerston's reply. Lord Palmerston is made to say, " that the service that Major-General Chesney was appointed to perform was not the organisation of tl.e Turkish Con tingent, but a different service, which was not now intended to be proceeded with ;" adding, " that Gene ral Vivian was considered amore proper person (than myself) to be appointed for the organisation of the Turkish Contingent." 1 hops I may be allowed to observe that this reply contains two mistakes respecting me. Employment with the Turkish Contingent was never in any way agitated by me, nor, as far as I am aware, by any one else, while the gazetted appointments to the Foreign Legion, including that of Colonel Kiuloch as its inspector, prove that the service for which I had been selected is now in process of being carried out. The circumstances are briefly these :—On the 27th of January I was most unexpectedly requested by the Duke of Newcastle "to undertake the organi sation of the Foreign Legion, with such staff, position, and assistance as would be commensurate with the importance of the duties." I accepted this service, and I had every hope that, with a little exertion, 1 should have been able to place 10,000 efficient men in the field by the middle of May; when, on the 12th of February, I was informed by Colonel Mundy, without any other reason being assigned, that "Lord Panmure having other views, he was unable to con firm the intentions of his predecessor."—l remain,sir, your obedient servant, F. R. CHESNEY, Major-General. Ballyardle, Co. Down, July 30th, 1855. CONSERVATISM AND REGISTRATION. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—Some years' study of and attention to the registration of voters, induces me at this critical period to solicit room for a few remarks on your article in Tux PRESS of the 18th inst., in reference to the duties of Conservatives in regard to this all-- important subject. Knowing the apathy and indifference, the quieta non movere spirit, which now unhappily appears to rule the great Conservative party, I. fear that no thing short of the actual issuing of election writs will effectually rouse the once " good man and true " to action ; yet will I still endeavour, with your leave, by a few plain facts, to show the urgent necessity for great exertion in that particular department of par liamentary warfare to which you have called attention. Let noble lords and honourable gentlemen now in Parliament ask themselves it' the present state of parties in the house is perfectly satisfactory ? Are the majorities of one hundred and more in favour of our ricketty Government quite as they should be ? Is every Conservative Representative so sure of re-election as he could wish to feel ? Finally, in what state are the registers, and how much is known of them, their duplicates and dead men, and the long list of disqualified voters who will surely be arrayed against us, teams et corde, whenever the polling-booths ale open ? With a general election almost inevitable—with the Whigs in office, and sticking there with a tenacity passing all comprehension—with the country ear nestly preying for a Government of principle and power, I presume the most apathetic will admit it to be nearly time that something was done, unless we wish all England to be even as Marylebone and Southwark. Sir, I can assure our friends that the Radical couturiers are active enough, and are quietly crowding the lists of new claimants now hanging from our church and chapel doors. More of your space I dare not claim to day, but if allowed I will continue this subject, trusting I may con vince those who keep watch and ward over the Conser vative party of the urgent necessity existing for a thorough organisation of the whole of England as regards the registration and constant support of Conservative voters. The great evil is the systematic neglect of this first political duty ; but the remedy is simple, and I know no earthly reason why a central board and office directing the movements and assist ing and advising all, the register of every consti tuency in England, should not have that careful and constant attention which has already produced such gratifying results in certain districts, and which experience teaches me is alone almost sufficient to insure success.—l am, sir, yours faithfully, SECRETARY. London, July 31, 1865. . _.