The Sun. — London, England, 1862-09-04 00:00:00

THE SUN. LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPT. 4, 1862. In the midst of all our bitter anxieties in regard to the Cotton Famine in Lancashire, it is curious to note the splendour of the Festivities which have just taken place in one of the most distressed localities in that county Palatine. The operatives have long been thrown out of employment by hundreds—in consequence of the unavoidable closing of the local factories. These factories being closed for the simple reason of their lack of the raw material—no longer supplied to them from the blockaded coasts of the Confederate States of America. The impoverish ment, therefore, already long noticeable among the industrial population of Preston has been something quite deplorable. In many families it has for some time past reached a stage bordering upon that of destitution. All the pecuniary resources of that systematically thrifty race of factory operatives, have long ago been drawn upon, and for the most part exhausted. That is to say, the little funds laid aside by the more provident among them periodically for years back have been lifted from the savings banks and ap plied to the immediate purchase of the actual necessities of existence. Superfluous articles of fur niture and apparel have been deposited at the pawn brokers. SubscriPtilns have been received for the relief of those more deserving folks who have ap peared to be the worst off. Assistance both in money and in kind has been applied both from far away and from the immediate neighbourhood. And still the failing funds and the increasing destitution have together contrived to darken more and more the prospect opening up, more or less gloomily, for all Lancashire in the on- com i ng wintry perspective. In the midst of all which anxieties Preston is sud denly holding high holiday. The mass of its popula tion has turned out into the streets in gala costume either as spectators of , or partici • • pators in, a grand festive demonstration. Yesterday and the day be fore were the dates set apart for this same public demonstration. The chur c h t owers were ga y w ith streamers. The church bells rang forth maul a merry peel. The windows along both sides of the principal thoroughfares were crowded with gaily clad lookers on. For hours an immense and varied procession., carrying all sorts of emblazoned banners and quaint insignia, passed along between the double line of spectators. Preston in effect has • t lug been the scene of more than one demonstration sug gestive of holiday -making. It has this week 'wit nessed the laying of the foundation stone of its New Town Hall—a building designed by Mr. G. SCOTT, the eminent architect. And a noble structure it when c omplete—costing gives promise of Toying in its erection some thirty thous an d Pounds al together—and comprising und er its ample roof a mercantile exchange, a public concert-room , an assembly-room, suitable committee rooms, and all the requisite offices for the corporation. N o wonder a pile like that should be calculated to cost in the raising of it the sum of £30,000. No wonder that towards the laying of the foundation stone of such an edifice in the heart of a great manufacturing borough like Preston, a procession such as wound through the streets of the old town but two days since, should have comprised within it, in members of the different Masonic lodges alone, as many as seven hundred! All the friendly societies in Pres ton turning out as well, and parading the streets for many hours w ith flags and bands of music—the men marching thus with wands of office and bands and rosettes, numbering up thousand upon thous and! Besides, the laying of th© foundation stone of the New Town-hall of Preston, that old town had other reasons for forget ting its sorrows for a while, for two or three days' rejoicing. Upon the very morning of the day set apart for the c hief and ,central ceremonial, there mere athletic sports upon the Moor for the working men of Lancashire. During the evening there was a "?"b Masonic Banq uet, pres i ded over by the Mayor in . the Corn Excha n g e. During the day there were trials of steam ploughs, of reap ing machines, of mowing machines, and of other field implements about four miles away in some fields near Penwortham. These latter pro ceedings being apropos to the annual show (just now taking place at Preston) of the Royal North Lancashire Agricultural Society. In the Corn Exchange, moreover, there was a Grand Concert— the proceedings of which are to go towards the relief of the existing distress at Preston and the adjacent localities in that part of Lancashire—a c oncert in which such attractive names appeared as those of Madlle. TITIENS, Mr. SIMS REEVES, M. SAINTON, and Madame LEIIMENS SHERRINGTON. The words italicised in this last sentence will serve to "point the moral and adorn the tale" of these otherwise appa rently ill-timed and incongruous rejoicings at Pres ton, in Lancashire. Most of the country magnates were there to take part in the future proceedings —conspicuous among them, being the Earl of D EB BY, K.G., and his popular son and heir, the Right Hon. Lord STANLEY. Merely to know for certain that men like these are there at their post of duty, in the midst of all these growing dis tresses in the manufacturing districts, is fraught with encouragement and consolation. As the Autumn advances and the Winter approaches, darkening the prospects there in Lancashire, more and more de plorably, those who can help will do so, we may be sure, not in the North alone, but through out England, and will help, too, confidingly and cheerfully. Conscious of course the while, from their mere knowledge of the magnitude of the evil that has to be contended with, that their own unaided efforts must no doabt prove wholly inade quate to the emergency. Yet, while painfully conscious of that, aware nevertheless that, as the grand old adage has it, GOD helps those who help themselves ! Sir CHARLES WOOD'S intolerable wilfulness, for we can hardly think it mere dulness and stupidity, in his arbitrary dealings with Mr. LAlNG—will ultimately do something towards abating the nui sance of governing, or administering the Indian Government in England. When a man, like Sir CHAS. WOOD, of notoriously inferior capacity—and who but for his connection with a noble Whig family, would assuredly never have reached a higher post than a clerkship in the Government service— overrides, by his dictum merely, such a man as Mr. LAING, in the department of which the latter is a master, and drives the troublesome superior from office—it is time for Indian Reformers to open their eyes. We observe iu the ablest Indian journal, that the first saucy rebuke of the worthy baronet,—the debate, and Mr. LAING'S letters not having yet arrived—is calling forth severe condemnation at Calcutta. They guess what Sir CHARLES will deem mistakes, and chuckle, absolutely, over his supposed blunders; and, as they have guessed correctly, we may suppose they will have a second heartier laugh when Sir CHARLES'S defence of them in Parliament reaches them. Thus the Friend of India says—" The vague an nouncement by Sir CHARLES WOOD to a deputation of Preston operatives, that there is a deficit of a mil lion sterling in Mr. LAING'S Budget for the current year instead of a slight surplus, has caused some wonder and more amusement in Calcutta. In the absence of all details in justification of a statement calculated so seriously to affect the money market for the time, it is not forgotten that the Secretary of State for India made a precisely similar state ment this time last year which turned out to be altogether incorrect, while he is somewhat notori ous for the inaccuracy of his own budgets. The announcement is received accordingly with so much incredulity in Calcutta as hardly to have affected the price of stock. Mr. LAING must have himself followed so close on the discovery of this ' mare's nest' as it is called, that Sir CHARLES would be soon put right as he was last year." Again, the same journal asks—" Why is it that the bearing of Sir CHARLES WOOD towards both Mr. WILSON and Mr. LAING has been so insolently irritating ? What is Mr. LAING'S offence that pains have been taken with an air of superior intel ligence to lecture and tutor him, and to degrade him in public estimation P Simply that he has been honest as well as successful, that he has dared to sneer at ' official priggishness,' to prefer the real good of India to the interest of the civil ser v:ce and the prejadices of Sir CHARLES WGOD. What Sir BARNES PEACOCK was in legislation and Colonel DURAND in military administration, that has Mr. LAING been in finance, and their fate has been the same. Sweep them out of the path of the Whig Secretary whose acts they dare to criticise, whose insincerities and blunders they have the au dacity to expose, between whose mistakes and the wrong such mistakes would otherwise do to India they conscientiously interpose. Put in their place men trained by years of subservient mediocrity, withered by the despotic uniformity of a bureau cracy and all will go well with the Secretary of State whatever may happen to India." Here in England an old Indian reformer, Mr. JOHN DICKENSON, has also spoken out, and has shown not merely that Mr. LAING was certainly right in the matter of account, but that it would have been impossible for him to coerce the Indian Board of Audit to pass his accounts with a disburse ment charged, for which no voucher could be pro duced, but " only an order of Sir CHARLES WOOD to pass an entry." Lord ELGIN, we are sorry to observe, has learned the lesson of obedience to a member of the old Whig family clique, and has ac tually submitted Lord CANNING'S last and most va luable Act on the Sale of Waste Lands, and the Redemption of the Land Tax to Sir CHARLES WOOD! Alreadyhe has in a great measure nu llifi e d it, an d engagem e nts formed on the faith of G overnment Acts at Calcutta, to the damage of Government faith, will n ow be tampered with. Mr. DICK-E NS" ' however, above alluded to, introduces to public attention an abuse for which Sir CHARLES I"(in is not responsible—at least he will be so, only for permitting its continuance after attention is ca ,-e 11 dto it. Spices have been from of old a favourite subject of monopoly. The Dutch used to burn them in the East, rather then import too large a q ua ntity , and so lower s bad the p r i ce; and something a is just now pra ctised in regard to one favourite condiment— taluna—in I n di a . It seem scarda t ha t , for £1,600 a-year, a s t h e the Govern mentvery highest profit , farms the this valuable whole growth o. f -- plant, at the Spot by far are where the best grown, to one In a this n• The Coll ec tor sells to " Publican," as the Je ws have and Romans woul d called him, Ist. The ' right to the whole crop ; 2d. The right of compelli ng in the grower to fit it all respects for market; 3d. To take it from the grower at the price fixed by the Go vernment Collector. That price is £3O, for what fetches, in London, with little cost for carriage, £l5O at least ! 4th. The Publican has th e - right to use his own weights and measures • , and sth. ' Of having the estates watched and guarded b y armed peons, and of having any place searched for secreted cardamums ! In our innocence we had really supposed that such extravagant, unrighteous, and mischievous monopo lies had vanished with the Old Company, with which this and many similar inventions began. Of course the cardamum grower is a born smuggler, as an Englishman would certainly be, were he in his place, and is, therefore, trained to hate the Govern. ment and to defraud it, if he can. But this is not all. English coffee planters have settled near the poor native cardamum grower, and, exclaim the writer of the communication—" ' Look on this pic ture and on this !' The English coffee planter of yesterday pays a tax of 4s. an acre on his full bearing land; he sells his crop to whomsoever he pleases, or he exports it free to any part of the world. Living and labouring side by side with him in the same country is the native cardamum grower. He is compelled to deliver up his whole crop, under a penalty if he conceals an ounce; he is forced to receive for it a fourth of its value : it is then charged export duty. And this has been his treatment for 63 years, at a money-profit to the Government of £320 a-year." But this is not all. Mr. F. C. BROWN, the writer of the letter to the Madras Government which Mr. DICKENSON introduces by a preface, shows that throughout export and import duties are ar ranged in favour of the Englishman, and to the oppression of the native grower. Thus in the India Customs Act of 1860, out of twenty-five articles mentioned eighteen are declared free. But these are all of English use, trade, and consumption. All other non-enumerated articles pay 10 per cent. ad valorem. Here is another specimen—it ought to be read by us all: " The complement of the Customs Act, namely, the Indian import and export tariff, was published nine months after in a notification, dated December 10, 1860. In the import tariff the dutiable articles enumerated amount in number to 515, full 450 of which, unknown by name to the Englishman, are exclusively articles of native trade ! With regard to exports, Schedule B of the Customs: Act first enumerates 23 free articles, 17 of which are the chief articles of English growth and trade. They are sugar, rum, spirits, tobacco of all kinds, tea, coffee, raw silk, cotton, wool, flax, hemp, jute, hides and skins, books, maps, prints and works of art, horses and animals, Rangoon and Eastern teak of all kinds. In the export tariff of dutiable articles the number enumerated is 165. In this list are grain and pulse of all kinds, and about 40 others which are really articles of food and native neces saries of life. Who starved in last year's famine ? Was an Englishman stinted in a meal ?" And to make all sure, a general clause lays an export duty on every article of native produce not enumerated. We will not detain the, reader with unwelcome details. The general fact is that export duties, when they press on natives only, are the rule in India! What would be said of such a burden laid on the commerce of England ? If such repression of trade would create an insurrection here, how can we think it does not gall the feelings of all in India who are aware of it ? and the natives are keen enough to percieve such partiality. here is a field worthy of Sir CHARLES WOOD'S critical ingenuity. In reforming all this he will do more good than in driving his superiors from subordinate offices. What the Italian Ministers are to do with GARI BALDI is still problematical. They affect to be still solicitous to bring him to Open Trial before an Extraordinary High Court of Justice. Yet that they will actually venture to do anything of the kind is almost beyond belief. If they want in the most effectual way possible to stultify themselves, they will follow precisely this very course. Cer tainly not otherwise. It is related of our own modern VERRES—the Right Hon. WARREN HASTINGS, Lord DAYLESFORD that ought to have been—that in the midst of his cruel and prolonged trial—a trial prolonged through many years, and that yet, after the lapse of all those miserable years, resulted only in his acquittal —it is related of WARREN HASTINGS that, in the midst of his Great Trial, the gifted and wronged Pro-Consul, raising his voice and lifting his hands, exclaimed one day to the assembled Lords and Com mons of England—" I gave you India—and this is my reward !" As few, as simple, as overwhelm ingly unanswerable, might be the reproachful words addressed in turn to his accusers by General GARlBALDl—supposing those accusers afford him the opportunity, by arraigning him at the bar as one guilty of high crimes and misdemeanours. " I gave you Italy," GARIBALDI might say : "I gave you the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, I gave you the hope of an United Italy and this is my Reward !" If they go no further than they have already gone, the " powers that be" at Turin are even now touched with a certain taint of the infamy of ingratitude by the wounding of GARIBALDI and by the simple fact of his imprisonment. It will be well for them if they go no further. If they bring the Hero to Trial and then do not punish him, they will render themselves ridiculous. If they bring him to Trial and then punish him—they will complete their infamy, they will brand their ingratitude indelibly upon the page of history now turned—they will render inevitably their own speedy humiliation. _ _ _ At the extraordinary Councils of Ministers held on Tuesday last, the 2d inst., at Turin, two of the Ministers present are said to have pronounced in favour of an Amnesty. Besides the members of the Cabinet, who were there assembled, there were present Signori PALEOCAPA, ALFIERI, D'AZEGLIO, TECCHIO, FARINI, DESAMBROIS, and CASSIMI. Yet there were only Two who had the courage, the wisdom, and the modera tion to pronounce, as we have said, in favour of an Amnesty! It will be well for the fair fame, as well for the ambition of King VICTOR EMMANUEL, if his Majesty decides for himself in the emer gency. Let him by a royal act of grace pronounce the mandate, and the wounded Hero, now cruelly and absurdly held in custody in the Gulf of Spezzia, at Varignano, will pass into honourable exile, either here in England, or yonder, in the New World, among scenes familiar to him in his youth, upon the opposite shores of the Atlantic. THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO GERMANE BRUSSELS, SEPT. 3. Her Majesty the Queen and the Princesses Helena, Louise, and Beatrice alighted yesterday at Laeken. To-day the Princesses visited Brussels, accom panied by the Duchess of Brabant. The Princes Arthur and Leopold have also visited this city to-day with the Count of Flanders. At noon to-day a grand dejeuner was given in the Palace at Brussels, at which the Prince Royal of Denmark, Earl Russell, Lord Howard, and other distinguished personages were present. Her Majesty remained at Laeken with the King of the Belgians. A grand dinner will be given this evening at the Palace. The departure of the Queen for Germany will probably take place to•morrow. THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. The visitors at the International Exhibition yesterday was : By season tickets By ls. day season tickets BOl By payment Total LIVERPOOL COTTON-MARKET, Sept. 3.—The business transacted in cotton to-day has been small, and the sales do not exceed 5,000 bales-4,000 on speculation and for export. Prices are firmly maintained for all descrip tions. Wilkin, the Dublin stockbroker's clerk, who some time ago forged a cheque on the Bank of Ireland for £2,000, was committed for trial at Dublin, on Tuesday. Telegrams were despatched yesterday by Admiral Fitzroy to the different outporte, intimating probable suc cessions of gales along the coast, GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY.—The directors of this company have accepted the tender of Mr. Brassey for the 48 miles of new line about to be commenced in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The sections extend from Sudbury to Haverhill, from Haverhill to Shelford, and from Melford to Bury St. Edmund; and they are to be completed by July 1, 1864. PETROLEUM STORAGE IN LIVERPOOL.—At the meeting of the Liverpool Town Council, yesterday, it was stated that there were at present 50,000 barrels of petroleum in the town, but that the American and Canadian dealers were hesitating in making more shipments, in consequence of the restrictions placed upon its storage in Liverpool. It was arranged that a committee should be appointed to con fer with the Mersey Dock Board, in order, if possible, to obtain increased facilities for the storage of the oil. ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF LIFE.—For some time past workmen have been employed by two or three con tractors for enlarging the premises of Messrs. Gooch and Cousens, and the houses adjacent in London. wall. Among the buildings under repair were several houses of business, which covered immense superficies of land. Suddenly whilst the men were yesterday engaged the ground fell in and engulphed the whole of the unfortunate parties. One man was got ont after the lapso of an hour and a half, and he was then able to speak, but soon expired, his ribs having been fairly crushed into his lungs. Another poor fellow was also badly, but, it is hoped. not fatally, injured, and was conveyed with others similarly hurt to St. Bartholo mew's Hospital. The deceased man was Joseph Gibbs, aged 22, ai.d whose friends 'wide in Islington. CRYSTAL PALACE.--ONE SHILLING DAY, WED NESDAY.—Admission on payment, 12,571; ditto by season tickets, 1,705. Total visitors, 14,276. ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—The gar dens of this society continue to be most; numerously at tended ; a very perceptible increase in the number of visi tors from the International Exhibition having taken place since the establishment of the system of readmission to the building. The excellent performance's of military music which are given daily form a constant source of attraction, and the flowers in the ribbon beds and parterres are just now in great luxuriance Several remarkably interesting plants and other objects have lately been added to the so ciety's collection, and may now be seen in the conserva tory. Among others we may mention some cocoons of the Ailarthus silk worm, a cactus plant covered with the cochi neal insect, same specimens of the cotton plant, and last, but by no means least, a truly magnificent• American aloe in full bloom, the plant that is said popularly to flower once in 100 years. On Wednesday next will be held the show of autumn flowers, when, from the great and increasing popularity of the society's fetes, and the large number of entries already made, a very large attendance of visitors is confidently expected. THE ENGLISH OPERA ASSOCIATION.—It is ru moured that negotiations are going on whereby the Eng lish Opera Association may commence operations at her Majesty's Theatre during the winter season. There is upwards of £2,000,000 sterling worth of goods in store and afloat in Nassau, New Providence, des tined for the Confederates. Guano in immense quantities has been discovered in Newfoundland. EXTRAORDINARY COMMITTAL FOR MURDER—The Liverpool Mercury states that a man named Goulding, a lodginghouse keeper at Tarporldy, in Cheshire, has been committed for the murder of his wife, who was found in a yard near the house lying in a fit, with blood in large quan tities flowing from her body. There was evidence that the husband was in tne house at the time with his shoes and stockings off, and that he was industrious and steady, and was never seen or known to lift a hand on his wife. There were no marks of injury on the deceased, except a few slight bruises on the back. The medical men were of opinion that death wascaused by natural hemorrhage of the womb, and the jury at the inquest found a verdict to that effect; and it was also proved that at the time Mrs. Goulding had been drunk five nights in succession, was subject to fits, and the day before her death fell down stairs and hurt herself ; but notwithstanding, on the statement of two boys that he was seen beating his wife with a stick, he was committed on Saturday last by the magistrates at Liverpool for -wilful murder. The boys, it is further said, were prompted by an old woman, a neighbour, who had a grudge against Goul ding. Supposing their statements to be true in every parti cular, the crime was ,only one of manslaughter; but the evidence of the medical men, that death was occasioned by natural causes, puts even that charge out of the question. If the prisoner had been committed for manslaughter, he might have been able to obtain bail, but, as it is, the assizes for Cheshire having just concluded, the poor man will have to remain in gaol, awaiting his trial, till next spring. li6RRINGER FAlR.—This important Suffolk fair took place on Tuesday. The number of sheep penned was smaller than in former years, but a tolerably brisk trade was done and high prices were realised. The supply of lambs was short, and middling descriptions, which a month since were worth only 26s or 27s cash, were quoted at 30s per head. A number of Hampshire and Wiltshire ewes were shown, and there were also a great many tups on the ground, including some improved Suffolks penned by Mr. G. Debit° ; the tups averaged from £7 to £lO each. Mr. Simpson sold by auction 16 shearling and two-shear long woolled rams, bred by Mr. H. Aylmer, of West Dereham, which average& £8 each. Messrs. Newson and Sexton also sold at an average of £5 58 each 15 shearling rams, the pro. perty of Mr. J. Clarke, of Long Sutton, Lincolnshire. Among the general sales effected during the day may be mentioned wether lambs at 28s 6d ; crone ewes at2Bs; black faced ewe lambs at 38s ; shearling ewes at 45s to 46s ; half bred Down and Leicester Lambs at 30s ; seconds, 255; three and four .shear half-bred Leicester at 438 ; half-bred Down and Leicester Lambs at 23s to 30s; and black-faced wethers at 27s per head. . Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead are about to petition the British Government to use their influence in favour of Garibaldi and his companions. In the former borough, a public meeting will be held to memori lise the Foreign Secretary to use his official influence in obtaining the withdrawal of the French troops from Rome. It is also intended to send an invitation from the meeting to Gari baldi asking him to take up his residence in England. The Gateshead meeting, over which the mayor will preside, is intended to influence the 'team Government through our own officials in favour of Garibaldi and his followers. At a meeting of the governors of King Ed ward's School, Birmingham, held yesterday, the Rev. Chas. Evans, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge, assistant mas ter at Rugby School, was unanimously elected head master, in the room of the Rev. Dr. Gifford, resigned. Mr. Woodin, whose "Entertainment" is among the great attractions of the town to our country visitors, gives his 100th performance this evening. THE DISEASE IN SHEEP —A writer in a con temporary says :—The disease in sheep is still spreading, and an incident occurred at Marlborough fair which should be a warning to purchasers elsewhere. Mr. Neate, a large tenant farmer, sent for sale 200 sheep, which were purchased by Mr. Lousely. Mr. Neate, on his return home, found that the small-pos had broken out in the unsold portion of his flock, and at once communicated the fact to the pur chaser of the remainder. Tho purchase money was repaid, and the sheep were returned, but in the meantime they had b'en two nights with 500 other sheep also pur chased at the fair, all of which are now probably infected. From the state in which Mr. Neate found his flock when his attention was drawn to them, there is little doubt that the eruption was f u ll y developed in the '2OO sheep at the time of his taki ng t h em to the fair. The amount of infection communicat e d by a single case of this kind can scarcely be estimated, and when we consider that the value of our stock of English sheet) is not below £100,000,000 sterling, one is surprised that the Government cannot even take the precauti ons of the Act of 1848. Where the di sease exi9ts, it can no t b e too widely known that inoculation has been very su ccess f ul. Of Mr. Harding's flock, of 446 inoculated 400 lived, and o g 500 lambs only two died. A neighbouring flock naaster h a s been equally successful. While vivre the dis ease was taken naturally 60 per pent. were loat4 The intimation in the American news that a bill has been introduced into the Confederate Congress for imposing an export duty of 20 per cent. on cotton demonstrates further the hopelessness of ex pecting an supply of the article from that quarter until after the termination of the civil war. The usual monthly biddings for the billson India took place at the Bank of England yesterday, and the amount offered on this occasion was £450,000, in stead of £300,000, consequent on the sums pre viously left over. The minimum rates declared were the same as those of last month—namely, ls. llid. per rupee on Calcutta, and ls. ll d. on Bom bay and Madras, and owing to the great demand for remittances to India to pay for cotton, the ten ders within these limits reached an aggregate of £1,500,000. Those on Calcutta above is. 11 Id. will be accepted in full, while those at ls. lltd. will receive only about 55 per cent. Those on Born. bay at 2s. 0 1 1-d. will receive in full, and at 2s. about 41 per cent., and those on Madras at 2s. will re ceive in full, and at ls. ll d. about 70 per cont. ECLIPSES FOR THE 'YEAR 1863.—Next year there will be only four eclipses—two of the sun, and two of the moon. The first will be that of the sun on the Ist of May, partial and visible, beginning at 5.42, and ending at 7.12. The second takes place on the 2d of June, that of the moon, total and visible, beginning at 9.46, and ending 1.6. The third will be that of the sun, November 11, invisible. And the fourth that of the moon, partly visible, begins at 7.16, and ends at 7.32. A WORD ABOUT LEMONS.--The lemons from the Lake of 'Garda are considered the best in Italy for purposes of exportation, as they can bear even the longest voyage without injury. The best are sent to Germany and Russia, and are sold from 7f. to Bf. a hundred ; the second class lemons are sold in Lombardy and Venetia; and the third class (those which fall from the tree) have always been re garded as the lawful property of the women of the families, who sell them at the low price of 50 or 60 centerimi a hun dred, and consider the profits their pin-money. The lemons that are packed for exportation are wrapped one by one in clean paper, before being put in the cases prepared to receive them. It is a pretty sight to see the women doing this: sometimes 20 or 30 together, sitting on low chairs in large rooms with myriads of lemons forming a golden carpetall round them. They wrap them completely and effectually with a clever twist of the soft paper in an in stant, and sing in chorus as they sit at work. Garibaldi's Hymn was always the favourite tune; one heard it from every house when packing was going on. I used to wonder how they could sing for the smell of the fresh lemons, so delightful in a small quantity, is dreadfully oppressive when they are gathered together by thousands in hot weather. Each case, packed for exportation, generally con tains about 4,500 ; they are sent across the lake to the Tyrol, to proceed, via Austria, to their destination.—Once a Week. Our food department, though more important than those of clothing, convenience and luxury, is always in the dark —voluntarily and needlessly. Our farmers have surmounted many prejudices in their generation, and their art of food-manufacture has advanced most strikingly since the repeal of the Corn Laws : but they have not yet got over the mischief and unreasonable prejudice which makes them refuse to allow returns to be made of the use and productiveness of their land. To the rest of the world this looks very strange, because their industry is pursued in the open air, and under the broad sky, so that it is not in their power to conceal the state of any one field or any one farm, from end to end of the kingdom.—Once a Neck. A WORD OF COMFORT AS TO OUR FOOD.—On the whole there can be no fear of our being disappointed of any supply of corn that we may be able and willing to pay for, at the price that the circumstances of the year will deter mine. Since the corn trade of the world has been thrown open, there has been an end of all apprehension of famine in a country like England. There is always enough to be had by those who have ports to receive it, roads for its transit, and money to pay the price that it may bear,—Once a Week. A consulting committee, charged with the exa mination of all questions relative to the public health and the medical service of the hospitals, has just been established by decree, under the presidency of the Minister of the Interior. OYSTERS AT SOUTHAMPTON.—The first cargo of Jersey oysters for the season has just been bedded at South ampton. Oyster dredging has commenced in Southampton water. Enormous quantities of oysters are found there, and the beds extend down to the coast of Osborne, her Majesty's residence in the Isle of Wight, These oysters are small, of superior flavour, and conveyed long distances to be laid down, naturalised, andatterwards sold as natives. The shell of the Southampton oyster is much darker than that of oysters on the Sussex coast. W hitstable in Kent produces the finest oysters. The oyster dredge used at Southampton is made of steel, and dreding is hard work, on account of the tenacity with which oysters cling to substances on which they have grown. The Jersey oysters are of immense size, and it is believed of great age. Some of their shells are perfectly honeycombed, like aged timber. They have a remarkably saline flavour when first brought over from the Channel Islands, which goes off after they have been for some time bedded at Southampton. Dogfish are now singularly plentiful in Southampton-water. TOBACCO STATISTICS.—In Cuba there are 10,000 tobacco plantations, occupying 414 square miles, and culti vated by 15,000 negro slaves. The capital employed is nearly three millions sterling, and the average quantity of tobacco produced yearly is about 17,000 tons. One-fourth of this is consumed in Cuba. It is estimated that the to bacco plants in the island number four thousand millions, each plant having eight to ten suitable leaves. There are in Cuba 600 cigar manufacturers; 20,000 workmen are em ployed there in making cigars. One man can make nearly 1,000 a week, for which the pay is 30s. The number of cigars exported from Cuba is worth from 200 to 250 millions. In the Phillippine Islands 1,200,000,000 cigarettes, or paper-covered cigarettes, are made annually. A workman can make 3,750 a day, for which he gets ls. 7d. The annual consumption of tobacco is, in the United States, 3ilbs. per head ; in England, 16i oz. ; in France, 171 oz. ; and in Germany, 32 oz. The performances of the members of the Savage Club at Manchester, on Tuesday night, for the benefit of the fund for the relief of the distress in Lancashire, were perfectly successful. It is stated that over £5OO would be realised for the fund. THE PENNY-A-LINER'S BEST FRIEND.—Fr6m the number of accidents that are continually occurring we should say that the very best friend the penny-a-liner ever had is crinoline. The mere fires alone that have resulted from wearing that fatal garment must have cooked him many and many a dinner. In fact we suspect that on seve ral occasions, when at a loss for a genuine accident, it has also fired his imagination, since it is almost impossible to believe that the innumerable casualties recorded nearly every day in the papers can all have been founded on fact. Considering the number of persons it has consumed alive, crinoline seems to have inherited the secret of the patent of Nessus' shirt—a secret that we always thought had been for ever extinguished with the life of its first Her culean wearer. It is a cruel fashion, that, judging from the number of its unfortunate victims, must have had Moloch for its original inventor. However, though it may have been death to hundreds of ladies, still to many a struggling historian of the hebdomadal press it has proved a positive life-preserver. In fact, our old friend Jenkins declares that he is reconciled to the fashion, out of gratitude to the large profit he has derived from it, and candidly confesses that, if crinoline only continues in existence another year or two, he shall be able to ret ire from the prsfession he has 9 g adorned, with a very handsome fortune.—Punch. " I n SCHOOLMASTER COMMITTED FOR BIGAMY.— Samuel Russell, alias Simeon Grisdale, a schoolmaster and a Wesleyan local preacher, was brought up on Monday last before the Tonbridge bench of magistrates, charged with marrying a female named Fanny Kingwood, in April last, his former wife being then alive, Fanny Kingwood stated that in April, 1862, she was living at Reigate Heath, and the prisoner was living at Redhill, about three miles distant. She became acquainted with him by his coming to see her master for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions. She understood he was a single man, and he went by the name of Samuel Russell. After several months' courtship, he in duced her on the sth of April, to go to London with him, and the ceremony of marriage was gone through at York street Chapel, Walworth. Ann Clarke, the wife of Thomas Clarke, carpenter, of Harefield, Middlesex, said she had known the prisoner ten years. He went to Harefield and opened a school, and shortly afterwards became acquainted with her daughter Mary Ann Clarke. to whom she was married, at the Registrar's office, at Uxbridge, nearly ten years ago. He was married in the name of Simeon Grisdale. Her daughter was now alive. The prisoner, on being cau tioned in the usual way, said, "All that I h ave to say is, I am truly sorry for it." He was committ e d f or trial at the ensuing assizes at Maidstone. SPECULATORS AND THE COTTON CRISIS.—The Manchester market yesterday (says the Live? pool Post) was more excited dim ordinarily, prices, as compared with the previous week, going up very considerably. It would ap pear that everybody is prone to speculate, no matter what may be the price quoted and the quality and kind of goods offered. Yarns, mule and water, are higher by from 4d. to 6d. per lb. than they were last week; while good s end shirtings have gone up in a corresponding degree. Never was there a time when such a speculative business was done as now. Everybody aeems to have gone mad with ex citement, and the contagion spreads daily. M. Richard Wagner, the composer, was recently bitten by a dog which took off a part of the thumb of his right hand. Fears were at first entertained that amputa tion would be.n ecessary, but happily his medical attendant has been able to check the inflammation. The Paris Say ng s Bank during the last fortnight received 733,092 f., and reimbursed 652,2651. The receipts of the Caisse de Itetraites for the aged during the same period amounted to 652,2651. Paris at the present time consumes 12,000,600 cubic metres of gas per day. The consumption in the winter mouths is almost double that quantity, LATEST NEWS. PARIS, SEPT. 4. The Moniteur of to-day announces that their Majesties and the Prince Imperial have left for Biarritz. The Moniteur also publishes a letter, addressed by the Empress to Count Persigny, thanking him for the deliberations of the Council General in favour of the " Society of the Imperial Prince," and requestingiiim to make known this expression of her thanks to all the Departments. MADRID, SEPT. 3 (Evening). A Council of Ministers will shortly take into con sideration the question of granting an amnesty to persons who were condemned to imprisonment for having been implicated in the insurrection at Loja. The following official statement has been pub lished : " The authors of disturbances continue to throw small bombs into the streets, but the Government is able to repress any disturbance with promptitude and energy, although determined to avoid any ex ceptional measures." TURIN, SEPT. 3. The official Gazette of to-day says:—" Garibaldi has been removed to Varignano, in the Gulf of Spezzia, where an apartment has been prepared for him. His wounds appear to be slight. The Go vernment has ordered two distinguished medical men to atend him." The Gazetta di Torino says :—" Signor Desam brois and Cassimi were present at the extraordinary Council of Ministers held yesterday. The opinion which prevailed at the Council was that justice should be fully allowed to take its course. Two Ministers were in favour of an amnesty being pro claimed. Nothing was decided as to the form of trial, but the question will be submitted to the con sideration of the Council to be held to .day." Several members of the Chamber of Deputies have addressed a letter to the President requesting explanations respecting the arrest of some deputies at Naples. The Stampa of to-day states that several deputies who had been threatened with arrest at Naples had arrived at Genoa. THE BOMBAY AND MAURITIUS MAILS. ALEXANDRIA, SEPT. 4. The Vectis and Mooltan, with the above mails, left yesterday, at 10 a.m„ for Marseilles and South ampton respectively. The Mooltan may be expected at Southampton about the 15th inst. The Pera (from Southampton on the 20th ult.) reached Alexandria yesterday morning. LIVES of EMINENT STA TESMEN, by THOS. HOOD, Esq., in FUN, every week. ----- Ready on the 13th September, handsomely bound in Magenta cloth, gilt, price 4s. 6d. ; post free, is., the SECOND half-yearly V3LUME of FUN, with numerous Engravings by talented artists, and humor ous Articles by the following distinguished writers : W. Bailey, Esq. W. S. Gilbert, Esq. W. Barber, Esq. T. Hood, Esq. E. L. Blanchard, Esq. T. S. Jerrold, Esq. G. W. Bridgeman, Esq. W. J. Prowse, Esq. F. C. Burnand, Esq. Godfrey Turner, Esq. H. J. Byron, Esq. &c., Sm., Sze. Office, 80, Fleet-street, London. CRYSTAL PAL A CE.— ONE SHILLING.— Open from Nine till Dark. T'O-MORROW.—Orchestral Band at 12.30; tipper Series of Fountains at 2 ; Organ Performance at 2.30 ; Blondin on the Low Rope at 4 ; Orchestral Band at 5; General Amusements during the day. *** For full particulars of amusements see first page. ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT- GARDEN. This Evening, Benedict's opera of THE LILY OF KILLARNEY. Commence at 8. THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. This Evening, THE YANKEE LEGACY. After which, the first part of the Arab Entertainment at half-past 7. To be followed by THE COLLEEN BAWN. To conclude with THE ARABS OF THE DESERT. A Troupe of the Beni- Zoug-Zoug. Commence at 7. THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET. This Evening, FISH OUT OF WATER. Alts,ig l i. which, OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. With CELOS And THE CHRISTENING. Commence at 7. NEW THEATRE-ROYAL, ADELPHI. EAKER. This Evening, THE PRETTY BoRSEB Followed by ADRIENNE LE COUvUEUR. And THE SHILLING DAY. Commence at '7. ROYAL PRINCEss'S THEATRE. This Evening, THE RENDEZVOUS. After which, at a quarter to 8, SING HENRY VIII. With THE TWO VOLTS. c o mmence at 7. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. jrpN O'DAY. Followed by This Evening, Evening, Y. Conclude *with THE COLLEEN BAWN SETTLED AT LAST. Commence at 7. AST LEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. This Evening, MAZEPPA. Brilliant Scenes in the Circle. Conclud i n g with a Comic Ballet. Commence at 7. Mg,. and MRS. CHARLES MATHEWS " AT 031 E, at Her Majesty's Concert Room, Haymarket, This Evening. Commence at 8. W. S. WOODIN'S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, Polygraphic Hall, Kin°. William-street, Charing-cross. Commence at 8. ARGYLL ROOMS, Great Windmill-street, Hay market. Open every evening for Promenade and Dancing. CANTERBURY HALL.—EVERY EVENING. — Steckel, the great Trapeze performer—Grand Operatic Selec tion as usual Unsworth, Eugene, and Duley, the great comic trio, &c. Commence at 7. THE OXFORD, 6, OXFORD-STREET, EVERY EVENlNG.—Verdi's "Il Corsaro," with full band and chorus.—The comic performance of Miss Caroline Parkes Steckel on the Flying Trapeze—The Ethiopian oddities of Itumsey, Newcomb, Arc. Commence at 7. NOTICE. All remittances are, henceforth, to be made to Mr. JOHN CHAPLIN, at The Sun office, 112, Strand, who has been appointed, by the Lord Chancellor, Receiver and Manager of The Sun newspaper, and the outstanding debia due in respect thereof. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS DAY.—Morning, 9h. 55m.—Afternoon, 10h. 40m. To-MORROW.-Morning, 11h. 23m.—Afternoon, h. m. 4 _ , • r. 1) 1:1'1 1 " -7:144 BACON' NEW SHILLING WA.I? MAP. We have not yet seen a map, certainly not for the price, which better exhibits to the eye the seat of war in Virginia. It is on the scale of twelve miles to an inch, and admits, therefore, of the in troduction of the names of those smaller places which we seek in vain in the maps comprising the whole of the United States, as well as of easy measurement of distances. A glance at it has already made several operations and movements clear to us, and we could wish that all out readers had it at hand, to rendt,- descriptions and comments interesting to them, which, from want of such a help, must often be much less intelligible. At the half-yearly meeting this day of the Rail way passengers' Assurance Company the directors' report was adopted. The amount received for premiums of assur. ance on gener al accident policies during the six months ending June last was 961£25,592, and for railway accident po licies and ticke ts, £2,; making together £28,554 against £25,634 in the corresponding half of the year 1861. The amount carried forward is £15,306, out of which interest at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum was declared. The general meeting of the, Canadian Land and Emigration Company \ too k plane yesterday, when the direc tors' r e p or t, dwribing the progr ess of the company's ope rations i during the past six mon ths was a g reed to; the :::phllieedotf.orth ' e l7 2 o l o ,o f o t o he sh re a ra re a s iiig s hares have been allotted , issued at par, having been a Pretainm ma ki ng the total n umber of shares now held i the Aucl Qrtakin• z 21,170. ' . . FRANCE. BOURSE, Sept. 3.—The market has been more buoyant, and Stock having been rather in demand by persons who have been compelled to purchase in order to effect their settlement, prices arc- somewhat higher. Threes, for the Account, are now at 69fr. 20c. The Railway Share Market also firmer, with an improvement on some of the lines. The market closed as follows : 41 per Cents. 9B Do. end month 3 per Cents Do. end month 69 25 New 3 per Cents Do, end month — Credit Mobilier 892 50 Do. end month 9OO Bank Shares 3200 Credit k oncier Piedmontesc Fives 7l 20 Italian Loan 7l 70 Roman Austrian .. Spanish Threes.... 501 Home Debt .. 4B 25 BAIL' Cash. Account. 1012 50 .. 1037 50 Orleans Northern New ditto Lyons and Mediterranean 1120 1117 50 Geneva.. 350 .. 350 Southern B3O .. 830. Western Eastern Sardinian 365 _ Austrian Lombard 6ll 25 :. 612 60 ITALY. The foreign papers do not bring any further news from Italy than what we have received by telegraph. The ball which had entered Garibaldi's foot has been successfully extracted. Menotti Garibaldi, whose wound is more severe, is also progressing favourably. Tranquillity has been re stored in all those towns where an attempt at a demonstration was made. The different versions of the battle of Aspromonte (says the Independence Beige) are still very conflict ing. According to some, it was very warmly con tested, bayonets being used in the attack : and it required all the dash and solidity of picked men like the Bersaglieri to overcome the spirited resist ance of the volunteers and their chief. Of that ver sion we do not believe one word. The small num ber of killed, the disproportion between the number of prisoners—two thousand—and the force of their adversaries-1,800 men=the text itself of the pro ' elamation drawn up by Garibaldi at Catania—all lead us, on the contrary, to form the conviction that no serious resistance was offered. Gari baldi was evidently reluctant to engage in ! civil war. His design was to involve the army and the whole nation in a general movement towards Robe ; failing in that, he did not attempt to struggle. His defeat cannot otherwise be ac counted for, when brigands like Crocco and others are liable to hold in check for mont hs t he armies sent in their pursuit. The Austrian Gazette comments as follows on the change which may be caused in Italy by the capture of Garibaldi : The whole state of affairs is suddenly changed, and what was thought impossible has taken place. Garibaldi who, but yesterday, thought himself powerful enough to insult Victor Emmanuel and even the Emperor of the French, is now crushed and a prisoner. The man who escaped from the common pursuit of Austrians and French : who, in the war of Italy, maintained himself against General Urban, and more recently destroyed the Neapolitan army with a handful of men, has been beaten in a first encounter by a plain Colonel ! Victor Emmanuel is rid of a man whom he feared almost as a rival ; Ratazzi is now more powerful than any minister has ever been before him. But Garibaldi as a prisoner already proves a cause of embarrass ment for the Turin Government. With Garibaldi the man who had the greatest popularity in Italy disappears from the scene, but the secret societies scattered over the whole of the Peninsula still re main. Ratazzi has got rid of the chief, but not of the soldiers. It is the French Government which has the greatest reason to be satisfied with an event which reliev es it from a very great difficulty." POLAND. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. WARSAW, AUGUST 28. Two other victims of a mistaken patriotism, but more so of an unparalleled tyranny which engen ders them—Ryll and Rizance—met with the same fate as their, predecessor Zamszynski. Both were hanged on the 26th inst. on the front of the Cita del, after having been tried by a court-martial ex clusively composed of Russian Generals, whose sentence was approved by the Grand Duke Con stantine. Neither the young age of these political delinquents, each of them net being more than 19 years old, nor other circumstances of a palliative nature, strongly urged by their counsels, could spare them from the ignominious death to which they had been condemned. The Government is bent on a reign of terrorism, anti is only glad to il lustrate it by acts such as these. In the document officially published, purporting to embody all the particulars of the trial, the lives of both these young men were pourtrayed in no favourable colours, though there was nothing to impute to them. As only a few Government partisans Were present at the trial the truth cannot be ascertained, but the self possession and determination s'iown by I both during the judiciary investigation, and after, not to divulge any secret or the names of other con spirators, prove them both to have been, young as they were, men of nerve and character. The exe cution was witnessed by more than 10,000 people, all of r. horn remained silent and engaged in pray ing till the fatal stroke, when loud shrieks and execration were uttered, to the great dismay of the authorities. Nay, a collision took place between the people and the police, and more than 130 persons, chiefly women, were arrested for shed ding tears and weeping over their friends and relatives. The scene was most touching, and even excited the sympathy of the Russian soldiers, who also were conveyed to prison. Such was this tragic ceremony which harmonised with the dark and dreary atmosphere till the knot was tied, when of a sudden a bright sunshine broke out, an event which was interpreted by the supplicatory multitude as if Heaven opened the gates to receive and to welcome the martyrs of their oppressed Country_ It cannot be denied even by the most enthusiastic admirer of the system now pursued, that the Czar and his Government are thus widening the bridge that separates them from the Polish nation. When the Grand Duke Constantine arrived every one was certain that he brought with him a decided pro gramme of reforms and concessions, instead of which nothing has been effected, and the only change now in existence is that in the place of General Luders and Kreyzanowsky, we have his Imperial Highness and the Marquis Wiclopolski. Now, without questioning the Polish character of the latter, it is certain that his conduct is un bearable, and stands in the way of any possible reconciliation of his countrymen. Whether for good or for bad, seeing himself so unpopular and so exposed to public scourge, he ought to make room for another person in the office, and the Em peror has no right to uphold at the head of his Government a man whose obstinacy and over bearing conduct expose the young and impatient to the perpetration of acts so disapproved by the majority of the Poles. The Government must see that they are the cause of these attempts at assassi nation, which take their source in the involuntary persecution of the nation ; and they may be con vinced that the Poles well know how to keep up the lofty position they now hold through their political wisdom and moderation,and bide their time, while Russia herself seems to be forcing on Poland. According to the news that reach us from St. Petersburg a general dissatisfacion prevails in the army, and officers of high position are discovered among the arch-conspirators against the Czar, whose life was saved only by miracle. Conflagrations have recommenced in the capital, and continue in the most distant parts of the empire, and every class of the population are anxiously invoking a new state of things. What a storm is gathering, and what will be its effects, it is frightful to contem plate. Meantime the Grand Duke has issued an appeal to the Poles in terms almost supplicating their aid, and flattering their national pride. One would hardly believe that it should proceed from the pen of a Russian, and denotes how Russia is afraid of her Polish subjects, since she is compelled to talk of Polish glory and political virtues, a language never attempted to be held by the Czars ever since they became the masters of ancient Poland. Here is the translation of this appeal from the Polish language : Poles I Our most gracious Emperor and Ii ing, my illus trious brother, in appointing me his lieutenant in the king dom, intended to give his Polish subjects an unmistakable proof of his benevolent intentions. I did not conceal from myself the difficulties of the task in accepting the duties im posed upon me by my illustrious sovereign. But the sin cerity of my sentiments, the confidence I place in the Almighty, and the sympathies of every truly patriotic Pole, all combined to inspire me with courage. With this purpose I obeyed the voice of my monarch, and, as a guarantee for the genuineness of my sentiments, transferred to Warsaw all that is dearest to my heart. Only the day after the attempt against the representative of the Emperor, my wife and my children arrived at the capital. Fortified by the purity of my conscience, and determined tc devote all my energies to your happiness, I appeared among you under the protection of the unbounded confi dence I placed in your sympathies. But my foot had no trodden your soil before the murderer was already armed to give me the death-blow. In the midst of the people that had come to greet my arrival death lay in ambush waiting for his prey. Death followed use when my first steps in this capital were directed to the altar of God, By the grace of God alone was I saved. Since then two other attempts have been made against' the man who, being one of your compatriots, had been as sociated with, me by the confidence of the Emperor and King as a co-operator in the great work, The arm of justice has struck the guilty ones. The Go vernment of his Majesty will know how to destroy sinful enterprises, and how to protect the good and well-inten tioned ones. Poles I Will you really permit a party insignificant in numbers, but insensate in its objects and abominable in its means, to open au abyss between the throne and the nation, and to prevent the most generous intentions of the Empe ror from being fulfilled ? Will you really suffer an unna tural conspiracy to terrorise the people, under the semblance of liberty and patriotism ? I call upon you to remember the moral purity of your glorious ancestors, in whose his tory not a single page has been tainted with such execrable deeds. I call upon you to convince the world by your at titude that you have nothing in common with crimes that degrade the nation. A great number of most important reforms have been ac corded by the Emperor and King for the satisfaction of real requirements, and are already in course of being car ried out. A Council of State has been formed; the schools are organised, and a special department of clerical and educational affairs is instituted in the Ministry; the peasants have been provided with land, and the Jews emancipated ; town and district councils formed, and sun dry important innovations introduced into the working machine of Government. All these measures testify to the solicitude of our illustrious monarch for your welfare. Do not believe that this will be weakened by the criminal party which is bent upon sacrificing the good of the country to its revolutionary design—that party which only knows how to destroy, but is totally at a loss how to set up. Poles I I beg you to confide in me, as I have rested my confidence in you. 'Unite with me in the same feeling, and let us labour in concord for the good of Poland. Let us blend our prayers for our joint endeavours to be granted the blessing of the Almighty. Then will a new era of happiness and prosperity dawn upon the country which you so dearly love. (Signed) CONSTANTINE. The Scotsman contradicts the statement that Lord Palmerston is this year to pay a visit to the High lands. A correspondent of the Belfast News Letter de- I scribes an extraordinary contest which took place last Sun day in Coalisland Church, county Tyrone. Two gentlemen disputed about the right to a seat, and began a regular fight in the aisle. They were separated by the congrega tion, but they agreed to meet again in the evening and fight it out in the same place, and the victor was to have the seat. From the social position of the parties concerned and the unusual place where the quarrel had begun and was to be finished, an immense excitement quickly spread throvgli the town and the adjacent neigh bourhood. The road about the church was crowded with people of every denomination. Mr. Little, J.P., having received intelligence of what had occurred, sent into Dun gannon for a party of police. They came out to Coalisland just as the people were collecting for evening service, and prevented the unseemly disturbance. ATTEMPT TO POISON A FAMILY.—The follow ing diabolical attempt to poison an entire family is reported by a correspofident of the Freeman :—" A few weeks ago a woman, respectably dressed in black, and her face covered w.th a thick veil, called at the gate lodge of William Johnstone, Esq., J.P., of Clonee, near Dunshaughlin, and delivered a large cake to a woman in charge, directing her to take it up to Mrs. Johnstone, and that she woull call in the evening. Mrs. Johnstone re ceived the cake, which she thought a strange present, and put it by ; the woman, however, did not call in the evening, and the cake was fortunately safely locked up, and re mained in the house for some time. Mr. Johnstone, when leaving for Dublin, brought it with him and had it analysed, and it was found to contain a large quantity of arsenic. Who this person can be Mr. Johnstone cannot imagine, nor can the remotest cause be assigned for this desperate and fiendish attempt to poison this most respectable family. How she came or went from the locality no one appears to know ; but there are parties in the neighbourhood who re collect seeing the woman there about the time in quesion." SOCIAL SCIENCE —The arrangements for the in augural congress of Ethe International Association for the Promotion of Social Science, which will be held in Brussels from the 22d to the 2oth instant, are now, we understand, nearly completed, and, from the number of distinguished men in all parts of the c ontinent, as well as in this country, who have promised their attendance and support, there is every reason to believe that the meeting will be of a highly interesting and important nature. We may men ti on , f or the guidance of many who will be attracted to Brussels at the time of this meeting, that every information may be obtained at the office of the Nati onal Association for the p ro naotion of Social Some°, 3, Waterloo-place, 'ASS. I ~._