The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-06 00:00:00

1160 with a portrait of himself, as a memento of his parliamentary services. Mr. Hodges, in the course of his speech upon the occasion, detailed the history of his parliamentary experience, and delivered the following opinion upon Party and Principle : Now, gentlemen, it will probably be said that this is a party meeting. In my humble opinion "party "is only a synonymous word for " principle." I'arty may degenerate into faction; but it is an error to suppose that principle is involved in this undoubted evil. True party is an ad• herence to certain principles ; and those principles which I have hitherto professed I will ever maintain. ttropplitait. THE RATE OF INTEREST UPON MONEY in ancient and modern times was the subject discussed at the last meeting of the Institute of Actuaries. Mr. W. B. Hodge read the paper. He began by stating that the practice of lending money on interest appears to be coeval with the use of money. What was the rate of interest amongst the Jews does not appear very clearly from the Old Testament, but from a passage in Nehemiah (c. v., 11? it is conjectured by commentators that it was 1 per cent. per month ; and as an additional month was intercalated every second or third year, this interest was equivalent to at least 13 per oent. paid yearly. In Rome, accord. ing to Niebuhr, the rate was 8 I.3rd per cent. for the old year of ten months, that is, 10 per cent. per annum ; but though this restriction was in force at Rome, in the conquered provinces enormous interest was exacted. After the expulsion of the Jews the history of interest in England is obscure, till in the third year of Henry VII. (1488) a statute was passed forbidding interest to be taken ; and from a passage in the act it would seem that 20 per cent. had been the usual rate charged. In the thirteenth year of Elizabeth (1571), the act of Edward VI. was repealed, and interest at the rate of 10 per cent. legalised. This act, which was to continue in force fur five years, was several times renewed, and subsequently, in the thirty-ninth of the same reign (1597), made perpetual. At this epoch the writer closed the first part of his paper, promising on a future day to trace the history of interest to the present day. A USE FOR THE THAMES TUNNEL has at length been suggested. A suffering ratepayer, writing to the Times this week upon the new drainage scheme, says:— Hitherto the "Thames Tunnel" has been of really little use to the public in return for its immense cost. Pray allow me to ask why the public should not have one half of it converted into a " crossing sewer " from the south to the north side of the river ? Business people cross over the river at the Tunnel stairs in the ferry for Id., while sightseers or scientific visitors explore ( with much loss of time and fatigue) its lower regions, for whom the other half might suffice. The entire sewage might then be delivered at West Ham, and before it would get to the German Ocean its best liquid or semi-liquid portions would be applied to the arable and grass lands along its route. MR. LOVE was on Monday elected a director of the Eastern Counties Railway, in the room of Mr. Wad dington, by a majority of 2,375 votes over his an• tagonist Mr. Malins. THE WESTMINSTER PLAY, this year, is The Andrea of Terence. The nights fixed for the re presentation are Thursday, the 11th, Monday, the 15th, and Thursday, the 18th of December. On the last two nights there will be an Epilogue and Prologue. _ _ THE ROYAL Socirrx held its anniversary meeting at Somerset-house on Monday, Dec. 1. Lord Wrot tesley, president, took the chair, and delivered the customary address, in which the advancement of science and the advantages likely to accrue from in timate relations between the Government and the representatives of science were earnestly set forth. The proposed Arctic expedition in search of the relies - of the Franklin party was following terms : in the It is not extraordinary that those who are disposed to form a low estimate of the value of scientific research should also entertain doubts as to the propriety of hazard. ing human lite in its behalf. In the late discussions on the expediency of undertaking another Pair expedition, it seemed to be assumed by some that the well-grounded an• ticipation of valuable contributions to physical and geo• graphical science would not alone be sufficient to justify the exposing of the lives of gallant men to peril—not even of those who were most willing and anxious to be so em ployed, emulous of such distinction and regardless of the risk. However this may be, it is certain that science has ustained, and does still sustain, injury from the fear of offending against this popular notion that it is wrong to hazard human life for such au object. Tu the case of the proposed P o lar ex p e diti on t h e r i s k would be very small, in asmuch as the exploration, instead of being as formerly a tentative one, embracing many thousand miles of unknown coast, would be confined to a fixed and limited locality, hitherto unexplored and possessed of great scientific in terest. Independently of additions to our geographical and physical knowledge, the possible recovery of the mag netical observations and the journals of the Franklin ex pedition is a consideration of great moment, since the THE PRESS. former must have been made by officers well trained to the task with excellent instruments, verified before the sailing of the expedition, and in localities possessing peculiar in. terest in reference to the theory of magnetism ; and the latter would doubtless contain a narrative of the deepest interest, not only to the cultivators of science, hut to the public generally. You will not suspect me, I am sure, of being indifferent to the fate of brave men ; but the fact is, it is well nigh impossible to add to our stock of physical knowledge without some risk of life. The astronomer in his observatory, exposed night after night to the open air at a freezing temperature; the chemist in his laboratory, among poisonous and explosive substances; the surgeon who handles the dissecting knife, all, equally with the adventnrous traveller, expose their lives to peril. We know what was the opinion of the great Athenian moralist and martyr on this question, from that fine passage in which the dangers of military and civil life are so beauti fully contrasted. " I should have acted strangely, indeed," says he, " if, having stood firmly in the post assigned to me by my general at Amphipolis, Potidasa, and Delium, and braved every danger, I had turned coward and feared to die when God ordered me to be a philosopher and in struct mankind." The medals were awarded to the following gentle men :—The Copley to Professor H. Milne Edwards, for his researches in comparative anatomy and zoology ; the Rumford medal to Professor Louis Pasteur, of Lille, for his discovery of the nature of racemie acid, and its relations to polarized light, and for the researches to which he was led by that dia. covery ; a Royal medal to Sir John Richardson, for his contributions to natural history and physical geography; a Royal medal to Professor W. Thom son, of Glasgow, for his various physical researches relating to electricity, to the motive power of heat, &c. At the close of the address the society pro ceeded to elect a council and officers for the year ensuing. Lord Wrottesley was elected president. SOUTH LAMBETH CHAPEL was burnt down last Sunday evening. The hot-air pipes placed under the flooring and used for warming the building fired the rafters. Engines from the several distilleries and fire brigades were soon on the spot, but in thirty minutes the chapel was burnt to the ground. The building and property was insured. THE RESIGNATION i n MR. CORRIE cf his seat at the Metropolitan Board of Works left a vacancy, to fill which Mr. Rashleigh, of SL I'ancras, was returned on Wednesday, after a close contest with the Rev. Mr. Eckett. The numbers were forty-three for each, the chairman claimed the right of a casting vote, and gave it in favour of Mr. Rashleigh. Four of Mr. Eckett's voters were accidently shut out. A YOUNG FRENCHMAN, Henri Fenoulet, blew out his brains in Ilighgate Cemetery on Monday after noon. Some letters were found on his person addressed to his father and mother, who reside in Holloway. An ajfa ire du cur is said to have been the cause of his melancholy death. THE SHARP FROST that set in this week stopped hunting, but put the skaters "on their legs." The ornamental waters in the different parks have been thoroughly frozen over, and many thousand persons have ventured on the ice. No accidents of any serious nature have occurred. THE ELECTION FOR THE GOLDEN LECTURESHIP, last Saturday, resulted in the return of the Rev. Daniel Moore by one vote, 19 to IS, over Mr. Molyneux. THE RIGHT REV. DR. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL TAIT was enthroned on Thursday morning as Bishop of London in St. Paul's Cathedral, in strict conformity with the ritual of the Church of England. At the conclusion of the service the Hallelujah chorus of Handel was given with fine effect, and the Bishop of London pronounced the benediction. The clergy then presented their respectful congratulations to the Bishop, who expressed a hope that he and they might long have intercourse for the benefit of the Church, and so the proceedings ended. The cere mony was by no means fully attended by the public. THE PROPOSED NEW STREET THROUGH SOUTH WARE will meet with some opposition from the rate payers. On Wednesday a meeting of Southwark ratepayers was held in the Borough to protest against the scheme as at present proposed, and to appoint a deputation to consult with Sir Benjamin Hall upon the propriety of running the new street in a direct line from the Town-hall through Vine street to the York-road, Westminster, a cheaper and more easily constructed route. The deputation was appointed. MR. BONAMY DOBREE, jun., was, on Wednesday last, elected a director of the London and Westmin ster Bank in place of Mr. Alderman Farncomb, resigned. THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS had an in terview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Thursday for the purpoPe of inquiring how tar the Government were disposed to sanction the borrowing of 4,000,Q00/. of money, to be advanced at quarterly periods, but not at a less rate than 1,000,0001. per annum, the repayment of which was to extend ever a period of fifty years, on the security of the rateable value of the property of the metropolitan area, which was increasing from 300,0001. to 400,0001. a year. From the nature of the conversation which ensued, it appeared that the Board wished to borrow the SATURDAY, money of Government. A rate of ad. in the pound, Mr. Thwaites stated, would be sufficient to provide a sinking fund and pay the interest. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that Government could do nothing without going to Parliament, and that a written statement had better be sent in for the con sideration of Government before Parliament inet. THE PROPERTY AND INCOME-TAX ASsocIATIOM have publicly stated that they have in no way autho rised any persons to collect subscriptions or obtain signatures to petitions. A deputation waited upon Alderman Cubitt at the Mansion-house on Thursday for the purpose of making this statement. THE ItEGISTRAR-GENERALS RETURNS for the week are below the average. 1,158 deaths and 1,657 births were registered during the period. Voilintial. A NOISY EDUCATIONAL. MEETING took place at Brighton on Tuesday. The object of the meeting was to obtain contributions towards a fund for raising a large ; public boarding-school for the sons of the " lower middle classes," in connection with St. Nicolas College, Shoreham. As the proposed object at once opens up the questions of difference between the " High " and " Low " sections of the Church, the meeting was crowded to inconvenience, some of the most zealous supporters and opponents of the scheme having taken their places full an hour before the appointed time. Lord ltobert Cecil presided on the occasion, and the Bishop of CHICHESTER briefly moved the first resolution : There being a numerous class between those who are educated at public foundation schools of the country and those who attend the national schools—resolved that it is desirable to supply the deficiency. The right reverend speaker resumed his seat amid great noise. _ _ - The Earl of CARNARVON seconded the motion. 4 great uproar then commenced. Mr. PETERS proposed an amendment : That, judging from the sentiments of its advocates, the system of education intended to be pursued at St. Nicolas College was calculated to mislead the parents and guar dians of the middle classes, and that it would tend to immorality and to social and great political evils. He said that the education which they wanted to promote was not ccnsistent with the principles of the Church of England. The Rev. N. Woo])Ann addressed the meeting at great length in support of the original motion. Cries, hisses, and cat-calls met him at the end of every sentence. After a long debate the resolution and amendment were put to the vote, when the latter was carried amidst tremendous uproar. THE BIRMINGHAM CATTLE SHOW opened on Tues day at Bingley-hall, a large building erected some years since for the purpose. A finer show of cattle, it is said, has never been seen in Eng'and, and there is no doubt that most of those which carried off the prizes in Birmingham will do the same next week at the show in Baker-street. The prizes given amount to upwards of 1,0001. The chief feature of the exhi bition was the show of Devons. They were unsur passable. Prince Albert took the first prize in the class for oxen ; and he had also two steers entered, but the Earl of Leicester " bore the bell " with one of the most perfect animals ever exhibited, His Royal Highness, however, was awarded the second prize. The gold medal offered for the best heifer in the yard was awarded to Mr. Pitt, of Dilwyn, near Leominster, for a very fine Hereford ; and the gold medal for the best ox or steer was gained by the well-known breeder of shorthorns, Mr. Richard Stratton, of Broad Hinton, Gloucestershire. The Herefords were tine specimens of a useful breed, and the shorthorns were also good, but in steers the latter breed was deficient, owing to the large prices obtained for bulls for exportation to Australia and elsewhere. Prince Albert, who is a liberal supporter of the Birmingham show, also gained two prizes for pigs reared on his Windsor farm. B 7 WAY OF SHOWING WHAT BECOMES OF INCOME TAX RETURNS, Mr. J. M. Buckland, at a late meet ing in Gloucester, having been told by a friend that a certain shopkeeper had 3 cwt. of returns in his house as waste paper, Mr. Buckland begged his friend to call upon the tradesman, who, when he called, gave him a bundle of returns to luok over. Of course the point of the story would be incom plete if Mr. Buckland's friend did not find his own return in the bundle. _ _ THE PORTOBELLO HAIR-CLOTH WORKS at Sheffield, belonging to Messrs. Laycock, were nearly burnt to the ground on Wednesday morning soon after four o'clock ; the loss is estimated at about 7,000/. ETON CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS commence on Mon day. The Lord Bishop of Oxford administers the rite of confirmation this day to the students at the college. On Wednesday the 14th of January, the lower boys return ; on Thursday, the 15th, the fifth