The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1825-12-31 00:00:00

CCLTITATION OF THE BRITISH OAK. , The following is a copy of an interesting statement pre ' titsted to the Bath and West of England Agricultural So ; fifty by Thomas Davis, Esq.:— , Ice the year 18011, hoed Olenbervie, the Surveyor-General, laid before the Commissioners of his Majesty's Woods and Forests a marment end preposition relative to the enclosures then about to le made in the New Forest, for the growth and preservation of limber for the supply of the Navy; and particularly relative to *moot advivable method of raising oak in such new enclosures. Tx total measure of unenclosed waste of the Forest was then about 'Ape saes; and he an Act of William and Mary it is directed that not more than 6,000 acres shall be at any one time in an en. dosed state. The supply of oak timber from this Forest to the dleyel Navy is not less than 500 loads annually. .1z under the opinions of many skilful and practical men. and contrasted by the Surveyor-General with cautious at omise. t he officers of the Forest, between the years 1808 and "11, made aosoctilagly enclosares of various sixes, from 13i) to 500 Ores Ned . 'nine enclosures were well fenced from dear and pile, the rabbis* sad vermin destroyed, and the wet parts of the had were skilfully open drained. Of these enclosures, which ne ws* Included a variety of soils and surface, the most exposed saisdass, gravelly snaps and boggy places, supposed to be unfit hied, were planted with Scotch firs, in rows, four feet apart each ay, the beim being dug eighteen inches over, and fifteen inches dep. Thessiase of the land was applied to the growth of oak. 'The ant phs adopted for raising oaks was by acorns end seed- Plants ineennixed. Notwithstanding an apparent success in at esti) , stages this attempt su ff ered almost a total failure. !Tall oak plants from nurseries were next tried, and put in at the tiof eight feet apart. In shel:ered spots and other favour siteeestions many of these succeeded, but they grew up rough od rudely. . . . A mei general trial of nursery plants now succeeded, put in Itabout thirty inches high, four feet apart (is above stated) with a few Spanish chanuts at intervals. Thep plants lived. but did not re. In exposed situations, and in severe weather, their growth checked, and they showed but little prospect of attaining the desired object. The near step taken, of the introduction of Scotch firs, Opulent, ad larch, among the oak plants, upon the general plan of • mixed phenstion, seemed to answer much better ; but still the oak ap. El!, attuned a*d unhealthy. The failing plants bad Men psmoval, vacant spots filled up with varied =was, but without any sa reallit up to the v..: :Zig. Akul this !‘:.e Mr. Robert Turner, who had a few years &untidy been appointed Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest principal executive officer), commenced a new system of Owl oaks, which has since been generally practised in the forest res; a system which promises great suwess in the present photations under his care, and which will, in ray humble opinion, pore to be one of-the most valuable d i scoveries in the annals of . 161th teot The els fir plantation being at that period about twelve feet high, and forming an unitcd head, were thinned out by cutting sway filteenate rows, and thus set out eight feet apart ; with this tamisd, to leave the broadside to the south-west, and to save the ~kg, with o r :7, s psioantseutfoouurt. feet t IL vaeat i i n t places oles Le g re then feet commonly to the month of December. At the end of the first year the branches of the remaining firs were thinned and shortened, to give the oaks head-room. In two yeah the fir branches sere cut off generally. In the third year the firs were partially cut out. In the fourth and fifth years they were again reduced, by occasionally taking out a whole row of firs, and letting up two rows of oaks together. At this time (Dec. 1f1•25) the oak trees planted five years ago, foal feet high among the first, are commonly ten to twelve feet high, iffy many of them above sixteen feet high; whilst the neigh bouring o- ,k plants, which were put in alone at the MITIe time, and i f the same height, and be it remembered in land considered more it for the growth of oak, are now shorter by one third generally ; and thole among the earlier oak . plantations are but little better; sir both instances being rough in their coats, and less kindly in their growth. • _. . . . Th; necessity of pruning young trees to direct their growth, commonly a tie..vy duty in large plantations, is here done away with. The plants among the firs are overhung by them for the roost part; but they push up their heads through the fir branches, wllich at tint are lopped only to prevent their whipping the oaks. Nor do the firs seem Y Interfere with the supply of nourishment netemary for the oaks, although they supd so thick that the tuk plants are positively without sunshine for at least a year ! In elain truth, the firs appear to be careful full grown nurses, able to protect the infant oaks ; and peculiarly calculated to save them trent 'rinds and frosts, of which I had the strongest proof in Au. gas!. 10!3. when young plenlations and coppice',generally through. out the country, suffered from a 3lidsummer frost. At that date mese sheltered young oaks were wholly uninjured, whilst those in tt.e adjacent open ground were cut moat severely. It will readily occur to every planter, that as these plantations rr vet in their infancy, much remains to be done to complete this few system for its avowed object. In letting up the young oaks, cue must be taken to give them at first air wiihout wind ; to ex ?at them gradually to the open atmosphere. and to make them keep size with their stature. They will require much skilful atter,. two in their future management, until they are reduced to a num ber, having room for acquiring maturity lit toe ravel purposes, ' , Lich, should they sixteen{ well, will be a reduction from upwards of 1300 plants to less than 100 trees on an acre of land. 1 Lope and presume that Mr. Turner's experiments will be re carded in the next Reports of the Coemnissioners of Woods and Forests, in terms worthy of his character, and lit for publication. flat keying myself risked these enclosure' three suneasive years with increased delight, I am desirous of communicating to Ilte Bath and West of England Society this plain statement of the facts of 10 management. And I take leave here to note. that Mr. Turner has no reserve either in showing his plantations or in explaining his system and operations. Gentlemen and nurserymen are it full liberty to visit his works, and many of both classes have asknowledged the advantages derived front such In dulgence. CORN Arra xo s.—The following, we understand, are agregste averages which regulate foreign imports 'ton, and which will appear in the Gazette of this evening: —l% heat, 61.. 4d. ; Barley. 41e. 2d. ; Oats, 268.8 d.; Rye, ht.'s. Id.; Beans. 45x. 9d.; Pees, 495. Intl. The ports, in ms , :quence, will close against the imp )rtation of foreign i'rase, and col:tinue open for foreign Barley for the next •Ix wcek.3. Tie. CORN Ta Apr.—The Gentetle of the 16th .; : int contains the following paragraph relative to the corn " NAPT.EI, DEC. t►R'cial accounts received from Gibraltar state that of corn liasri.^it in that place to 14 reals de villon 1, and that !Ile Captain of the brigantine Ma a del Rosario, under the flag of our Anglin Soye , ad sold 1,3011 fane.tas of his cargo at that price. rol ig to all app nonce this ►ise of the prices will be• •••1 greater, notwithstanding the great quantities that obtained from Tuuis, Italy, France, Odessa, and 4tr r'aces, on account of the dreadful scarcity in the al krit of Morocco. The great distress has induced the , :rchauts at I iibraltar to oprn a subscription for the un renate ioltabi!atitf of "f angler." "'r•r that daia aciti le e a eornt Mthly Nil ti bra ith , Ind T th e dotir ti ;and costa l lernip ng pei It I; Sid /WS In 1 gala's Irf:1 11-41e€1, 41011 that ieset.i -chord it oh curls, . and • hefe and ittmme olum 1 pry.k ma WO Ni r trorni le+ , in and ben. whet ion of bright )ut be I a bom ! coatu black cT part never cult er the ratli Pil , hail 1. sad W CT pu• flUrrou actual Awin, ck wttl calltd with b I 111111/! every d of Is the 'tstvor men' d fantt utiful ; utottl 1, 181 well to csent II credit a Bankl mi ; td dimes I moon red BP 1111011 Bridi wad unix I' , nwn 'et Ind Vacs! —311 1. c l'slAd •a Add s 'ibn's I irtaal I Sric of W cal. U . offr*Ph C AI I the prier wd by okIoU COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH FRANCE. Ternanx, the eminent French manufacturer, has cl ammed the following letter to the editor of Gulignanes M hat , for the purpo se o f contra di ct i ng t h e report o f his sag• oppomed the endeavours of Mr. Huskisson to bring about a treaty of commerce between France and this country. M. Ternaux's letter is worthy of the reputation which that gentleman so deservedly enjoys : Paris, December 24, 1825. Sir.—lt was not till to-day that I received, from the hand of a friend, the translation of an article that appeared in your journal of I le 7th November, in which I am pointed out as having been one i f the manufacturns the moat opposed to an arrangement of the Kw commercial :elation; that Mr. Iluebissun proposed at the time M his recr tyisil to France. goii.ididiii wct enripioy. as the letter from Paris affirm, any leans to induce the French Government to rcjeet the propositions date may have been madb, but I even had not the slightest commu ai:ition upon the Subject with any of its members. Neither bad I the honour of seeing %lr. II uskisson, and upon that ormion I sincerely regretted that custom, in France, is oppoved to oiling en wangles when one has not the advantage of being known u them. Had it been otherwise I should haveeagerly gone to offer uy basilice to a Minister of so honourable a character; and, if it had been in my power to have removed the difficulties he appears to ors met with, I should have aimed to have done so the more wil lingly, as I am convinced that the reciprocal interests, established * lota equally enlightened and of good faith, might be combined sal arranged In a manner advantageous to both countries. The opinions that I hare expressed in the Chamber of Deputies, oil particularly that upon the Custom Duties' Law of the let of joy, 11H2, might ban rendered more circumapeet the Paris corre newest., who have made aasertions diametrically oppowl to my noes of this question. If I do not see much difference between retain Statesmen of the present day and those who made the Treaty .(17a7, fatal to our industry, I make a great differen ce b e t ween g in Z negotiator, , who then congratulated hinted(' upon having for his country a few millions at the expense of France, .pith the tisk of alienating our nation, and thereby doing injury to ibe ex isting pelldttal Treaty , . and the Minister who is su ffi ciently go; jut, and well cdeulanng to know, that In ueaties we cannot be sersaless substantial and lasting advantages without = a d o : e thos. of others. Ass so muds soldidemee in, and esteem for, the manufae- Ogees and who received me with such marked kindness loamy different visits to England, that I am desirous they should soesin convinced that I have in nowise deviated from the principles sad wishes that I expressed to them of seeing commercial relstions owe intimate and reciprocally advantageous to both nations esta- Wished. Foe this reason you would oblige me by the insertion ef Weisner la yout journal. I have the honour. &e. (Signed) G. L. TERNAUX. MEXICAN COMPANY. Yesterday • meeting of Sh a r e h o ld ers i n t hi s C ompany was eon erred at their office in Great Winchester -street, to consider the propriety of executing a deed, empowering the D.rectors to proceed to carry the object of the Company into effect. About one o clock six or eight gentlemen entered the room, and • desultory conversation took place, in the course of sch'.ch it Tess tobserved by one of them, that in his opinion there was nothipg which called for discussion at the present moment. He considered the meeting to have been convened lit an irregular manner, and he herefore suggestgll that the shareholder should sign a requisition to the Directors to call a public meeting of all the proprietors, for the purpose of having laid before them a statement of the number of shares which had been disposed of, and of the deposits that had he-n received upon them; and also to take into consideration the propriety and expediency of their signing the deed which had been prepped, or of the necessity of relitiquishing the thing altogether, and having the deposits refunded. A SHAREHOLDER approved of the suggestion, and observed, that as he had had no hand in calling the present meeting, he should not stay there a ny l onger. Il e and two or three other gentlemen then ktft the room. file. FIRE ER remarked, that in his opinion the object of the Company was altogether at an end, inasmuch as the terms of the prospectus had been abandoned by the Directors, in not hay ing disposed of more than 8693 shares ; whereas it was specified that there should be ten thousand shares subscribed for before the Company should be considered complete. Besides, there were ir. eluded in these 8893 shares, 10110 shares which the Directors were authorised by the prospectus to reserve far parties in Mexico, but no account had been received whether any persona in that country had taken any of those shares. Mt. KNIGHT (the Solicitor to the Company) observed that the Directors had, in pursu a n ce o f t h e terms of the prospectus, au thorised their agents in ale:leo to dispose of shares to the extent of one thousand to persons in that country, and to receive their depo sits upon them. The first meeting of the shareholders was, accord ing to the prospectus, to be held in May nest, by which time the Directors would have received a eommunicatioe from their agents in Mexico, and then it was that they intended to submit to the meeting what should be done with such of the shares as should be remaining undiapesed of. Mr. Feseaft—Has any sonstrunication been made by the party to whom them CM shares have been intrusted, stating that they have been appropriated ? Mr. KerouT—No ; but there is also a provision in the pro spectus that those gentlemen should have twelve months to consider as to whether they will take the shares or not after the advertise ment should have appeared. Mr. FRAZER-IVIIO are lholegeTHlEMell ? Mr. KWIGHT—The Directors know nobody except those to whom they addressed their letters, and who became edgiest share holders. Mr. FRAZER—WeII, you know me. I received a letter from the Secretary requiring me to come and sign the deed. But this deed is not legal. No names appear at the head of it. Mr. liwlOHT—lt is to be executed by— Mr. FRAZER—Why is the deed broaght forward now, when all the shares have not been appropriated ? Mr. KNlGHT—Because there is twelve months for the puties to sign in. A MIARTHOLDER—But la not the Company at present in complete ? Mr. KNIGHT—No; there Is no foundation for such an assertion. Mr. FIRAZ Et—lf the Directors cannot make up the Company by the disposal of the r e qu i s i te num b er o f shares, it necessarily falls to the ground. The SITAREHOLDLR—The thing is not required by the pro. spestus, because all the shares have not been taken. Mr. Kw taire_Will any body take them now ? (A laugh.) Mr. Fawn E a—No ; would you have us give 101. for what is not now worth M. ? It was again observed that the Company way incomplete for want of the full number of the shares being disposed of. Mr. KNIGHT said that by the terms of the deed the Directors were called to do all they legally could to carry into effect tbe object of the Company ; and he contended that they had done so. Mr. FRANC --But have they appropriated all the shares? Mr. KNIGHT—Yes, they have appropriated them; and if they have appropriated the whole ten thousand shares, they have in law done all that is necessary, or that is required of them. Mr. ineatta—They have not done so ; fur where are the depo sits ? Mr. Rxiostr —They hue done so. Mr. iPsazta—Bat where are the 305 shares? Who has got them ? __ Mr. armour —I will say then, for the sake of the argument, that the Directors have appropriated them to me. Mr. Fisk n—But have you paid your deposits upon them It Mr. KYIGHT—I have not ; nor is it necessary, for the purpose of justifying the Directors, that I should. They have done all that they could do, and I will defy any one, either in law or equity, to affect this Compauy. The Directors have discharged their duty with integrity, and have used their beat exertions for the Interest of the Company. . . . . . Mr. Fitairn—So they have, but they bare failed. Mr. KNIGHT—No. they have not ; arti at the first meeting that occurs they will be able most satisfactorily to show that they have not. A SBAIEHOLD2I-But who is it that naw form the Company ? Mr. KNlGHT—Thosewho sign the detvl will form the Caeapany. Mr. FRAZF. n said it seemed that what Mr. Knight considered shares were mere pieces of paper. The deposits only constituted the sham; and to say that the Company existed until the depo. sits were paid on all the shares, was totally contrary to every rule of law he had ever heard of. Mr. Milani' still contended that the Company was legally . is esse. lie would stake his professional reputation upon the point. He would further inform them, that such was the opinion of both the Attorney and the Solititne General, and which was given ad versely upon the subject, and therefore he was quite sure of the ac curacy of his own. Mr. Fa AZEn—But what will be the opinion of a Jury upon the subject ? Mr. KNZCIFIT thought that a Jury could hare nothing to do with it. Mr. FILAZIKR said he had a different opinion, and was ready to try the question with the Directors. The Shareholders had a rght to an account from the Directors, and to know what was done with the 1303 shares which were deficient, before they could be required to sign the deed. Mr. KwIGHT denied that any such right existed. lle had fully looked into the subject, and had heard all the pros and cons upon upon it, and was quite satisfied as to the legal constitution of the Company. A gentleman now entered the room, and asked Mr. Knight what was the last day foe signing the deed. Mr. KNIGHT—II is the 3d of January. The GEN T I.ESlAN—Because 1 hare been informed that it was open throughout the next week. Mr. KNIGHT said he had authority for stating that it was not so, but that the 3d of January was the last day. The Gentleman then retired. Mr. KNIGHT, addressing himself to the two or three Share. holders in the room, observed, that if the question was merely re specting the 305 shares, it was not worth discussion. A SHAH OLDER —Must not 305 shares occasion a deficiency? Mr. FR A Z ER—We say that the Directors cannot call upon us to sign the deed until the whole of the shares are appropriated. The SECRETARY—nay are appropriated. Mr. FRAZE rt—But the deposits have not been paid ; and, there fore, in fact, it is no appropriazion. The Secnrmax—You have your opinion upon that subject. Mr. FRAZER ; I have my opinion, and my authority for that opinion. The Directors have theirs, and let them proceed upon tt Mr. Knight, is it the intention of the Directors to pro ceed upon that advertisement, which states that the parties who do not sign the deed within the time spreitied will forfeit their shares ? Mr. Rr inn T —lf the Directors should think it right to do so, it is legal. I have no doubt upon it. Mr. FRAZ ye —I dare lay not; but that impression might be erroneous tor all that. I shall come here next week to inquire whether my shares are considered as forfeited. Mr. K N IGHT—I should tell the Directors to answer in the affirmative, unless some objections were made by the shareholders. Mr. Fart?. r a—l have left objections and reasons wi:h your Chairman, as a holder of 55 shares. Mr. lirr te riT—Ves, but you are only RR individual shareholder. The Company, in my opinion, is complete, and I defy anybody to make it otherwise. Mr. Fst.tz r n —Oh ! of course; it is your business, but we shall see. (rcod morning, Sir--good morning. Mr. Fraser and his two or three friends then retired, and thus ended the colloquy. We have endeavoured to give the principal points of it, but the conversation was so desultory, and it fee quently happening that two or three gentlemen were speaking at the saute time, that it is impossible to do more than to sketch the general tenor of their observations. Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East In dia house, when the following Commanders took leave of the Court, previous to departing fur their respective desti nations, viz. Captain John limes, of the Abercrombie Ro binson ; and Captain Henry Bax, of the Edinburgh, for Bombay and China. Christmas evening, a quarrel took place in Madden 's Tavern, Queen-street, Dublin, between a few of the Guards and some of the 73t1 Iteginwnt. The picket interfered and took them to the barracks—one of the Guards was wounded in the head. . MU itDEn xr.tie Annrr.—An account has just reached us of the murder of three men on the night of Christmas day, in the neighbourhood of Ardee, on the old road lead. ing to Carrickmacross. There are various reports in circu lation respecting this unfortunate affair ; some assert it to he the result of a drunken quarrel ; it is said by others, that ore of the parties were carrying property feloniously of lands belonging to Mr. Slicers, of Ardee. We hear that the Police have taken four men into custody charged as principals, and six others who have witnessed part of the transaction. Another account states that there was but one man killed and another severely injured—and that the homicide originated in an old spite. 1t is confidently stated that four men, who are in custody, waylaid the unfortu nate victim..-Newry Telegraph. - THE BRITI§ii PRESS. PROVINCIAL BANKS. YORKSHIRE RANKS. [From the Leas Iritelligetscerl Some addidonal particulars to those we stated last week, of the mode in which banking is carried on in this county. may be acceptable to the poblic. The businese of some establishments is conducted dif ferently from that of others. The late firm of Dobeon and Sons. of Huddersfield, issued but comparatively small number of their bank notes, which, in all, et the moment of their failure, did not, we believe, exceed 55,000/. They also abstained fiom drawing upon their London corre spondents, but always bad a great many printed stamps for various amounts its readiness to accept, payable at Master-' man and Co.'s, London. These acceptances were dated at two mcnths, but Dobson and Sons expected the drawers to hand them over equivalents for the acceptances, either at the time or shortly after, so that in most instances the customers of the bank in reality discounted its paper. One consequence of this practice will now be severely felt, inas much as all persona who had thus bought and paid for ac ceptances must, as drawers, provide again for them when they become due, and without a hope of any subsequent reimbureement but a dividend under the bankruptcy. What may be the probable amount of the latter we shall not say. It, however, appears, that this season Messrs. Dobson and Sons speculated largely io hops, and have thereby realised a profit of at least 10,000/. When the father of these gentlemen died, some years ago, he be queathed them by will 40,0001., which being made known gave a flilip to the credit of the bank for a considerable time. Of late the general opinion of this establishment has not been favourable, nor was the system of accepting bills, above described, considered 'reputable mode of doing business by bankers. The manner in which Messrs. Wentworth and Co. pro secuted their busincee was diffkrent. In several of the neighbouring towns, though. we think, we may safely say not in Leeds, their issues of notes to manufacturers were very extensive. A person who had a cettaiti sum to expend on building a new mill, or enlarging an old one, if he thought or discovered that the undertaking would require an outlay greater than he possessed, went to the Wakefield bank, stated his intentions and his wants, and, did matters appear satisfactory, on depositing or mortgaging the title deeds of his premises, or other adequate securities, the deficiency of capital was supplied in the notes of the esta blishment. These issues were, of course, disbursed to the different tradesmen employed, and formed part of the cur rency of the county. Other accommodations were afforded in a similar manner, either for wages to workmen, or funds to meet necessary. demands, and thus a great portion of the business of the community centred in Messrs. Wentworth and Co.'s bank. The notes distributed in the mode just described, fell almost necessarily, in large quantities , into the hands of retail tradespeople • but, for reasons about to be explained, particularly into t he hands of the Yorkshire butchers. Hence arose another expedient for recalling the small paper of the firm, and preventing those heavy weekly balances from being payable to the neighbouring bankers, which, according to the rule we mentioned last week, must have been transferred to their respective agents in the me tropolis. In Leeds and elsewhere the banks have been used to allow a discount of es. per 1001. to all butchers and other people who exchanged private notes with them for their own drafts, acceptances, or other bills at two months. The Wakefield bank, which had so much more paper in circulation than its neighbours, gave 12s. 6d. instead of es. discount on transactions of the character and amount already mentioned, and by that means engrossed nearly the whole of this branch of business. Hence the great number of their engagements now in the hands of the graziers and farmers in the North of England, and which will, in due course, return upon the butchers, corn dealers, and other retailers of the {Vest Riding, at no distant period. We have heard ourselves of one butcher in Leeds, who bas 3001. another 400/. another 700/. of Wentworth and Co.'s bills, at present " running," as it is termed, and upon whom the effect of the bank stoppage may be extremely embarrassing. The Leeds banks pursue ten.opposite policy. They issue comparatively a trifling number of small notes, and hence one reason cease safety with which they bare passed through the recent ordeal of a public panic. They do not attempt, as it is technically . etud e to "force" ibis, paper into circulation. Their customers are, for the moot part, the higher order of merchants, manufacturers, and trades people ; and in the aggregate, generally speaking, the oc casions which these respectable persons have to draw out and disburse quantities of 1/. or even St. notes are few. Their transactions at the banks, are, on the contrary, mostly heavy, and they themselves being of high character, large property, and undoubted credit, unceremoniously sometimes overdraw their accounts almost ad libitum, and without any previous warning to the bankers—on the re cognized nnderstandingthat every customer is entitled to an advance not exceeding one-tenth of the total annual amount of his money transactions with his banker. We under stand that advances in the form of bankers' accept ances or drafts are thus occasionally made of 10,000/. to a single house, and higher sums, indeed, as far as 15,000/. and upwards ! Such instances may however be extreme, but we mention them to show the principle on which banking in this town is conducted. The fact that there are in Leeds five banks established, and all of undoubted stability, will also help to explain upon how large and im portant a scale their affairs are managed. One circumstance which has greatly contributed to uphold the reputation, and to preserve the property of our bankers, we should not omit to mention, namely, the determined unanimity and resoluteness with which they set their face against all mere accommodation bills. Some years ago, these "kites" were exceedingly rife at Liverpool, and produced in the sequel great disaster and ruin. An attempt was then made to innoculate the trade of Leeds with the virus, but the constitution of this commercial system proved too strong for the poison; it was rejected, and has never since spread to any noticeable extent in the town or neighbourhood. CHELMSFORD BANK. The public mind appears to be at rest as regards the stcps taken for the benefit of the numerous creditors under Messrs. Crickett and Co.'s bankruptcy. A proposition bas been suggested by Mr. Bartlett, the solicitor, and acted upon, to apply for an auxiliary commission, which is in tended to be held in this town, before which all creditors of sums under 20/. will be enabled to prove without ex pense. Should this commission be granted by the Lord Chancellor, numbers of the poorer class will be benethted, and we hope, upon such a representation, the application will not fail to succeed.—Chelmsfurd Chronicle. MELKSHANI BANK. Messrs. Moule, of Melksham, after sustaining a run on their bank for upwards of a week, found it necessary on Thursday to suspend their payments, but the tradesmen generally continued to receive - their notes in payment ; for on a statement of. their affairs being inspected by J. L. Phillips, Esq. and J. Fowler, Esq. of Melksham, those gentlernen were fully convinced that they will have a large surplus, after satisfying all claims on them ; and we are happy to find that the .11felkshans Bank will re-open next week.—Decizes We have great pleasure, says the Bristol Journal, in re cording the following noble act of disinterested feeling for the character of a city ; we allude to a tender made to one of our Banks during the height of the panic on Thursday last, by John flugh Smyth Pigot, Esq. of Brockley Court and IVraxhall, to transfer 10,000/. in the Stocks, in case ita partners found any additional funds necessary to meet the demands which were making upon it. The agriculturists of East Kent are much displeased with the Act of Parliament which enacts that corn should be sold by the new imperial bushel, instead of the old 11 - inelicster measure; by which new regulation each sack of corn will contain one gallon more than that under the old standard. A meeting took place at the Corn and Bop Exchange on Saturday to take the subject into consi deration, when 1). J. Parker, Esq., was called to the Chair. A long and desultory conversation ensued, and it was finally agreed, upon the suggestion of the Chairman, to postpone the consideration of the subject till next Saturday, and in the meantime to procure an opinion as to the legal con struction of the Act; and he pledged himself to obtain such opinion by Saturday next. The sense of the meeting was decidedly against the adoption of the new measures, and we believe it is even likely that Patliamentilill be peti tioned upon the subject, so great is the prejudice against it.—Kent Herald. FAILURE IN DUBLIN. Vf DUBLIN, DEC. 26. We have at length begun to feel the consequences of the embarrassments of London. One of the most eminent merchants in Dublin has failed; the name of the indivi dual is Henry Higginbotham. This gentleman formed nnc of the: very few general merchants that Dublin can boast of. His trade was very extensive, particularly in tin ar ticle of teas. He was always considered a man of the most solid credit; his failure, therefore, has caused a very great sensation ; indeed, I might say that it has caused a panic. Mr. Higginbotham speculated largely in the funds. Hisloss, which ought to be settled for on the next account ing day, calculating at the present state of the funds, will not fall sheet of 100,0001. The certainty of this dreadful loss upon Stock Exchange speculations alone has had so great an effect upon the roind of this unfortunate gentle man, as to have reek:eel him to despair. Although not pressed by any immediate or urgent difficulties, he clesed his doors, and took to his bed. His connexions were ex tensive, and of the first chss in our commercial society. He made known to sonic of his nearest friends the state of his . affairs, and it is certais that they offered him a loan of so large a sum as 300,0001 if he could undertake to assure them that that sum would be sufficient to meet every con tingency, and to bring his house over all difficulties. Mr. Higginbotham, upon looking more narrowly iuto the state of his affairs, declined accepting the money. The failure of this house, to whose stability every man in trade looked up with the most unbounded confidence, heightened as it was by the very high character for personal honour and integrity of the head of it, has caused absolute consterna tion. Men are now prepated for extensive misfortunes; more than one man of eminence and credit has been named this day on 'Ching as likely to follow Mr. Higginbotham. It would, LoWever, be extremely wrong to name any of (helm individuals. It is certain that some individuals will lose by his failure to a very considerable amount. Mr. Higginbotham was agent to the Belfast Commercial Bank. When he saw that he was likely to he obliged to shut his doors, he wrote down to that establishment, ac- quainting them of the state of his affairs. It was deemed prudent to be prepared for any run that might be made on the bank in consequence of the failure of its Dublin agent, and with that view one of the secretaries hurried up to town on Christmas-eve. lie purchased gold to a very great amount, which was sent down by the mail in large parcels. Up to the present unfortunate crisis, Mr. Higgin botham was considered a very prosperous man in trade. In the year immediately prededing the present he was the head of a Company formed under the Anonymous Partner ship Act. They put in a capital of 12,000/. each, and on the Ist of January last they divided the profits of the house, which were very considerable; so very consider able, indeed, that Mr. Higginbotham, it is said, (lid not consider it prudent to continue the partnership; but, de termined to carry on the business on his own account, joined merely by one eminent individual, whose name forbear to mention, who put in a capital of 40,0001., every shilling of which, it is said, he will lose. Exclusive of his other concerns, Mr. Higginbotham was connected with an extensive distillery. The utmost anxiety has been felt in Dublin throughout the whole of the day. The news of the failure came down as suddenly as a clap of thunder. No one was prepared for it. It is not yet known what effect the intelligence has produced in Belfast. The Commercial Bank has wisely prepared itself for the worst. Mr. Higginbotham served his time in the house of Messrs. Shaw at.d Turbet, which is one of the very first in Dublin. He married a lady of very large fortune in ready money, every shilling of which, it is said, he re ceived. He has lived for many years in one of our prin cipal squares, in a style of elegance which was not, how ever, considered too great for his station as a commercial man. His loss is regretted very generally, not only by persons in trade, but by those who knew and regarded him in private life, as a kind, amiable, and worthy man. BANK Op PRANCZ.—PARia, Die. 26.—The Council- General of the Bank have fixed the dividend of the second half-year of 1825 at 49 francs each share. The Reserve is 9 francs SO cents. a share. The'dividend will be paid at alb* Bask every slay at banking hours, after the 2d of Ja nuary next. The shareholders must send powers of attor ney to receive and sign for the payments :—it is indispens able to present such titles: EARTHQUAKE AT STRASSUROII.—OH the 23d instant, about five o'clock in the morning, some very strong shocks of an earthquake were felt at Strasburgh and its environs. The weather was perfectly calm, except a alight wind which blew from the south. The barometer, however, had experienced a decline of nearly two degrees during the night; the thermometer, with Reaumur's scale, was about at tire o'clock in the morning.—The guard on the tower of the Cathedral, after having struck the three quarters for five o'clock, sitting on their bench, felt three successive shocks, so powerful that they were much alarmed. It is not surprising that, at the height at which they were, the oscillations were much more violent, than nearer the earth. They assert also, that they heard, between two and three o'clock in the morning, an extrortlinary whistling in the air. It appears, from inquiries which have been made, that the direction of the shocks was N.E. to S.W. Some persons further state that they were accompanied by a rumbling noise.—Etuite. It appears that the projected Tonbridge Wells and Snod land Railway meets with opposition. A meeting of pro. hrietors and occupiers of land in the proposed line has been eld, and resolutions entered into for the purpose of op posing the application to Parliamer.t for a bill. VARIETIES OF THE TIDES ON THE COAST OF GREAT BRITAIN.—The influence of the moon exerted upon the mass of waters in the Atlantic causes them to flow to the IVestern coast, where Ireland presents a barrier, and di vides the Atlantic title into two great streams. One flows round the north of Scotland, and sets in southward in the German Ocean with great rapidity, where it encounters the southern tide along the English Channel--and hence the great swell of waters about the Straits of Dover. The interruption to the southern tide also occasions its greater slowness, so that a second tide from the At lantic, down the German Ocean, meets it, and thus we find a great swell about the Nore at the Spring tides. 11 The title at London Bridge is in fact neither a lunar nor a solar tide; and, because of the distance of London Bridge from the Nore we find a midway tide—i. e. it is low water mid way between the Nore and London Bridge, when it is high water at each of these_places.—Walltrees Lecture,. SINGULAR TRAIN OF MIEFORTUNES.—A boy of the name of M•Gowan, belonging to Alloa, who used to blow the steam-boat horn, went out with the Jean, of Alloa, to Miramichi, and had to fly from her when consumed by fire. Ile then got on board the Lord Cathcart, of Alloa, and was shipwrecked on his way home, at Prince Edward's Island. lie again retnrned to Miramichi ; and when coming home with the Mary of Alloa, he was a second time ship wrecked on the island of Arran. Sar ETV G ex.—The Ilev.lklr. Somerville, of Curt ie, near Edinburgh, has invented a safety-leek, the merits of which cannot be too extensively known. The contrivance is ex tremely simple, and may be made intelligible without any diagram. In the back part of the trigger there is a square notch, into which a thin sliding bar or catch is pressed by a spring, and keeps the trigger perfectly imenoveele. The sliding bar is concealed within the plate lying under the guard. A handle attached to the sliding bar stands up in front of the guard, in such a manner as apparently to form part of. When the gun is presented in order to take aim, the left hand, by a slight pressure—no greater than is na turally employed in bringing the gun to the shoulder— moves the handle of the sliding bar to catch backwards; the catch itself recedes from the notch : the trigger, now unlocked, yields to the finger, and the discharge fo llows. The security which this affords arises, first, from both hands being necessary to work the gun; second, from the p'acing the hands in the proper position being sufficient to effect the discharge: and third, when the two hands are not placed in the firing position. no possible species of acci dental contact can make the lock move, or the gun go of. With Mr. Somerville's lock the sportsman may travel the whole day with his gun on full cock, with the most com plete and entire safety. When he brings his gun home loaded, he has only to screw off the handle of the catch, and though half a score of inquisitive urchins should lay their hands upon the gun, they cannot possibly make it go QT.—Glasgow Mechanics' Magazine. me or& the rit of ourafigiewinhiab r lis Machu teaches us or strefigth. and by conv i rants conducts us to wisdom. DED [From the Leeds Intrlngenter . About a fortnight ago, one Joseph man handle-setter*, and secretary to addressed a letter to the Hon. Mem? tive to a certain intended piece of pi arc aware was voted to that gentler= a meeting of several of the working neighbourhood. As we foresaw from happen, no funds for the "offering • the proceeds of the job being scarce% Baines, the treasurer, to pay himse sundry posting bills, puffs, and at' in getting up and furthering the scl Joseph Addyman's epistle to Mr.. the fate of the project, and to suggest ber should decline to accept the Ace this our journeyman handle-setter ; ourjouniernan legislator, for Josepl deeming himself fully as good as his familiarly addressed the latter with majesty of the Lord Rector grew it an impudent assumption of fellowshi by a Leeds handle -setter, and he temptuously allowingg ,, an interval . elapse, returned a Walsh answer, sort " Sir" to his namesake of Leeds, ar fusing the non-existing piece of plc which no money had been collected the lesson will not be lost on the °per Kingdom, and that they will thence' to their betters, which for so long a r self has sedulously laboured to eradi and conduct. • For the benefit of distant readers, if !mete-setter" is a person who flies teazles woollen cloth. Old men, hors, and women operation, but we understand a MUM can -- work. A Dublin paper says—We are Earl of Brecknock is gradually Teem I.tt'attrooi., DEC. 49.—A steady day at fair prices, and about 2000 bap On Thursday evening, about six o ' on the premises of Mr. Stoddart, a which raged with great fury for a derable apprehensions were felt Gerrard's-ball Inn. From the engines, and the promptness of the , ever, the progress of the flames was their ravages nearly confined to tfit• they commenced. A wine-vaults at' in the rear, were damaged. There tendance of the City police on the t property of the inhabitants, and pre , from being impeded. STAG HVNTING EXTRAORDINA.a. stag chat had escaped from Lord De la Zouei was hunted by two hounds only, &Di seven hours, driven into Stawreham river killed. DESPERATE Fox CIIASE.--The very extraordinary Fox Chase. which, a I in the neighbourhood of Killarney, mat many olfisur readers of the sporting worn ' morning keyword was shook in the Esq. at Gram. lle ran for Caheinane, of the Lower Lake, and there he ahem of the lake. and by the lower bridge. He then ran for llallyhar; and from that road for the Park—from the Park for Brewsterfield, and was killed within onr fiesk. Of eighteen horsemen who were at in at the death—these were the liiintsrm Lynch, riding Kitty S Mr. O'Connell, Peg; Mr. Jeremiah Mahony, riding Km by Gorham, taking his place as usual. dining this chase, which listed only lot minutes, could not be less in length than miles. The ground a= extremely gavots happened. Only three of the hounds vete extraordinary chase. N. ,;. • i ,•; 4 . _ • up* . . . TO THE E1:11'011 OF THE BRITISH PRESS: i . Sin—The operation of the la* whir:hie about to Open our ports on Ihe Silt July to the wrought silks of the Con- i tinent is bee'nrcing eery day to Manifent iiplf, in the dismistal of workmen from our manufactovle II the differ- ent parts of the Liagdoin. In Coventry and its;hicinity the rilouttl-weavcrl, to the amount of many hundreds. 41 ; have been already discharged, and the number of dead looms belonging, to tl:c o' •rative weavers, to whom no ern- -"'" ! • • . , ploycient can bc given, cannot fail to create' a* depot Of cistrc! , s which it Mill be bc 3 ()nil the funds of T aro- gal ati- • sistance to allt_viate. Even were those lunar adequate, the eel a turning a gri,•t I ody of useful, active, and industrious wotletriett into a tribe of pensioned idlers, is a wretched Metamorphosis. It hes a tendency moreover to perpetuate all the mischief it produces.. IVlten the honest spirit of independence is once broken in upon, and pen are made familiar with the disgrace of being fed as paupers instead of 41 • earning their subsistence by the honest labour of their o-.vn hands, all their better feelings soon give way, • and their whole character becomes worthless. The weavers of Spitalfields are verging every hour nearer to that state of misery to which, it is to be feared, they will all be uhi+ irately brought. Two hundred and twenty weavers, With their families, enpliLd last week for admission into Beth- nal-green work:house; but could not be received from ha being already to full as to m a k e it i m p oss ibl e t o ta k e t h e m in. A weekly allowance is Made to them out of the house. This week the applications are likely to be call more nu- merous. The operative weavers as a body are quiet, orderly, and enduring. In trying times they have shown themselves not easily deluded, and Government has alwaya. shown a correspondent attention to their "ootriplaints, when+ . ever a griefance of any kind has pressed upon thor n . Ott I the present occasion, therefore, they may wifely confide lit the same indulgent feeling towards their distress which had led to the relief of it in former instances. But if they are suf. fered to felt into actual distress, it can only be relieved by an. increase of the poor-rates ; and in the extensive and pope. loos parish of Bethnal-green this increase cannot be borne j for the poor cannot support Me poor; and all the public houses, as well as all the different tradespeople in Spital. - fields, are maintained by the weavers ; it is their COStola that supports them, and when the latter are reduced to distress, the former must shut up their shops. I No one can be less inclined than I am to depress at any time the energetic spirit of the nation ; because no one as • be more deeply convinced than I am, that it is lly that spirit alone that its difficulties have always been surmount+ ‘ • eel. But there nay be a crisis in which a timely forewarning I can alone save a nation from ruin. Th ere arc s i tuat i o n s of danger from which a great people may be rescued • by their magnanimity, but there are also situations In which magnanimity can bring no help. The late Bala. mines have proved this. We are on the verge—it It a " truth which cannot be concealed—we are on the verge of a most trying and critical period. We have every thing lb hope from the wisdom of Government; we have every • tri thing to expect from the prudence of her totincilr. These will, ere long, determine whether Great Britain is to main- tain her place or not in the scale of commercial nations. If • she is to be so maintained, her Rulers must guarantee her security. Let her be suffered to pursue, as heretofore, the onward course which has led her to wealth and glory, and she will bear herself proudly along the tfde, and out-. ride any storm that may ovens - lEo6er. But to bring a throng of competitors around her will most wofully im- pede her course. She is heart of oak, and sound in all her timbers, but she is too heavily burdened for the race. She • is held back by an unwieldy anchor, while the foreigner runs free before the wind. We live in an age in which there is a demand for much prudent knowledge and much sober thinking. We have amongst our Statesmen of' the present day some minds of the very first order ; and there is enough before them to call for all their wisdom. The last half century has writ- ten many explanatory note: upon the history of man and of governments. To build up the greatness of a kingdom is the work of ages ; to destroy it is, comparatively, the work k of a day. But I shall not pursue the subj ec t,—it leads much further than I feel disposed to follow it. One re. mark, however, I will add, and it i s thi s —th at t h ere i s no r . guide so safe or so necessary in political science the vie Tit of out oilgiorr,- - oshioi r be Seechthietea oar teaches us allt strebgth, and by conving us of our igno. ranee conducts us to wisdom. PENRUDDOCK. MR. HUME'S OFFENDED DIGNITY. --soos-- [From the Leeds Intrl7genter.l About a fortnight ago, one Joseph Addyman, a journeys' man handle-setter*, and secretary to the Leeds operatives, addressed a letter to the Hon. Member fob idontrose, rela+ tive to a certain intended piece of plate, which our readers ' arc aware was voted to that gentleman some months back, at a meeting of several of the working classes in this town and 7. neighbourhood. As we foresaw from the first what would • happen, no funds for the "offering" have been forthcoming; the proceeds of the job being scarcely adequate to enable Mr. Baines, the treasurer, to pay himself for the printing,ef • sundry posting hills, puffe r and advertisements employed in getting up and furthering the scheme. The object of Joseph Addyman's epistle to Mr. H ume was to hi nt at the fate of the project, and to suggest that the Hon. Mein. .• her should decline to accept the pfl.ce of plate. •In doing this our journeyman handle-setter gave mortal Offence to ourjourneyenan legislator, for Joseph Addyman naturally deeming himself fully as good as his friend Joseph Hume, .. familiarly addressed the latter with a " Dear Sir!" The majesty of the Lord Rector grew instantly wroth at such. 4 an impudent assumption of fell ows hip w i t h hi s i p by a Leeds handle -setter, and he accolitngly, .eOll. • r temptuously allowing,,an interval otAlevaiteen aye to . elapse, returned a With answer, eommencing with a stir* - " Sir" to his namesake of Leeds, and magnanimously re-' fusing the non-existing piece of plate, for the purchase of . which no money had been collected ! We sincerely trust a the lesson will not be lost on the operatives of the United. Kingdom, and that they will thence learn the respect due to their betters, which for so long a period Mr. Hume him- self has sedulously laboured to eradicate from their Minds and conduct. • • For the benefit of distant readers, we beg to state that a ' " huttle.setter" is a person who fixes teazles in frames rot dreesiag woollen cloth. Old men, boys, and women mostly perform the i , . operation, but we understand a man c an earn good wages et the 4 • work. A Dublin paper says—We are happy to state that the ti Earl of Brecknock is gradually recovering. i .• Li eERPOOL, DEC. 49.—A steady demand for Cotton to. day at fair prices, and about 2000 bags sold. .. . On Thursday evening, about six o'clock, a fire broke cut • on the premises of Mr. Stoddart, a glover, in Baring-lane, • which raged with great fury for a short time, and consi- derable . ( 4 apprehensions were felt for the safety of the Gerrard's-ball Inn. From the speedy arrival of the engines, and the promptness of the supply of water, how- ever, the progress of the flames was soon checked, and. i • their ravages nearly confined to the promises in w hi c h • l they commenced. A wine-vaults adjoining, and a house in the rear, were damaged. There was a numerous at- it` tendance of the City police on the spot, to preserve the property of the inhabitants, and prevent the tire-engines from being impeded. If• Si - so H CNTIXO EXTRAOSDINARY•-1.411t Thnle4y, a stag ihat had escaped from Lord De la Zouch's Park, at Parham. A..., was hunted by two hounds only, and after a gallant chase of seven hours, driven into Shoreham river near Ilenfield, and th ere killed. DESPERATE Fox CilASE.—The following account of a very extraordinary Fox Chase, which, a few days since. took place in the neighbourhood of Killarney, may be found interesting to many aheur readers of the sporting wend. At nine o'clock in the. morning Iteynard was shook in the lawn of John O'C onne l l . , 7 Esq. at Orma. Ile ran for Cahemane. at the opposite extremity of the Lower Lake, and there he traversed back by ta a ahem of the lake, and by the lower bridge to Itallymanis Comt e _ lie then ran for llallyhar ; and from that point he crossed the 1 road for the Park—from the Park for Artigal, and 't moue Brewaterfield, and was killed within one hundred yards of Gu n , fiesk. Of eighteen horsemen who were at the hunt, five only were 1 . 1 in at the death—these were the huntsman, riding Milachy ; It' • Lynch. riding Kitty t Mr. O'Connell, riding Ins chestnut r Peg; Mr. Jeremiah . Ilahony, riding Boxer; Shawn B tley non by Gorham, taking his place as usual. The ground r * rods" ; during this chase, which lasted only for two hours e an ever minutes, could not be less in length than from eighty 4 d fin e.% miles. The ground *= extremely favourable, anti ••• t• t•.•,••P happened. Only three of the hounds were thrown •no acc id ent eztraortlicary Owe. ant during glue. • , 1 : .