The Sun. — London, England, 1862-04-26 00:00:00

THE NAVY. The Royal Sovereign, shield ship, was placed No. 3 dock at Portsmouth yesterday, to complete her conversion by the Shipwright Department. Sik3 has her outer planking off to within one streak o 1 her lower deck port sills. One streak below the sills is as far as it is order , ed to be taken off at pre sent. Her new outer pl.mking will be bolted on her sides diagonally. The sn;73 has opened up re markably well, not a particle of unsound timber or a sign of decay having been met with during the whole process of pulling her to pieces. The expense of the Royal Sovereign by the time she is completed as a shield-ship carrying 12 guns, and taking her entire cost from the preparation of her drawings as a 131 gun three-decker, will be somewhat startling. The outlay for labour alone in setting her frame up in position amounted to close upon £2,500. The Java target ship has been brought down to Portsmouth harbour from Porchester-creek and berthed alongside the dockyard to have some sample armour-plates from the Lancefield works, Glasgow, affixed to her side forthe purpose of being tested by the smooth-bore 68-pounder of the Stork gun boat. The Java has a cellular plate bolted on her starboard side for trial, which is expected to furnish important data relative to the future plating of our armour ships. The Defence, 18, iron frigate, Capt. R. A. Powell, C. 8., in No. 10 dock at Portsmouth, is having her bows lined externally with 'i-inch iron-plate, in a similar manner to the bows of the Black Prince, to preserve her bow-plates proper from chafing by the swing of her anchors from her cat and fish heads. Models have also been got out for two fish-heads, to enable her to carry her bower anchors further aft at sea. They are of a similar nature to those sup plied to the Black Prince, but less massive in their form of construction. The first general discharge of hired *workmen from Portsmouth dockyard will take place to-day in the following number of trades:-20 shipwrights, 15 joiners, 2 coppersmiths, 10 smiths, and 10 mill wrights. The next discharge will take place in about a week as follows :-31 shipwrights, 20 joiners, 9 smiths, and 4 millwrights. The substitution of the Armstrong 110-pounder gun for the smooth-bore has commenced along the most salient points of the sea face of Portsmouth fortifications and the sea approaches to Spithead, many of the works having aleady received their guns. Without entering into any detailed account of the exact positions in which these formidable engines of warfare will be placed, it may be men tioned that 41 of them will be distributed as fol lows t----Freshwater Battery, 2 ; Cliff-end Fort, to replace lower tier of 68 pounders, 7 ; Fort Victoria, lower salient battery and adjoining guns, 3; Brown down auxiliary west battery, 3 (the Browndown auxiliary east battery, recently constructed is now to be pulled down) ; the auxiliary battery to Fort Moncton, 2; Southsea Castle auxiliary batteries, 8 ; Lumps Forts, three cavalier bastions and three intermediate, 6; Fort Cumberland, 3; Portsmouth old lines, 2; Blockhouse Fort, 2. The following appointments were made yester day at the Admiralty :—Commander C. J. Balfour to the Eagle, commissioned ; Lieut. T. M. M. Wyn yard to the Colossus ; R. C. Dyer, master, to the Royal Adelaide, for the Princess Alice; W. J. Hooper, second master, to the Shannon ; C. E. Bell naval cadet, to the Defence; David Lyall, surgeon additional, to the Fisgard ; E. B. Bogg, acting assist.-surgeon, to the Devastation ; J. Jefferson, assist.-surgeon, to the Doris; William Edney, assist.. surgeon, to Greenwich Hospital ; James Farrelly, assist.-surgeon, to the Excellent ; Thos. G. Wilson, assist: surgeon, to Bermuda Hospital; James Mid dleton, acting assist.-surgeon, to the Marlborough ; W. D. Smyth, H. G. Reily, and John M. Bateson, to the Victory, for Hasler Hospital ; John Simpson, acting first-class assist.-engineer, to the Royal Adelaide, for the Princess Alice; John Hayward, paymaster, to the Eagle ; Thos. N. Moore, assist.- paymaster, to the Royal Adelaide; James S. Croker, assist.-paymaster, to the Adventure; W. H. Haswell, clerk, to the Adventure; James E. Barber, Henry C. Mills, and Chas. F. Goolden, master's-assistants, to the Adventure; Benjamin Sims, master's assistant, to the Revenge ; Thomas E. Cocker, master's as sistant, to the Trafalgar; Henry Backler, master's assistant, to the Virago ; Wm. L. Spain, master's assistant, to the Victory : George S. Brodie, master's assistant, to the Eurylans ; and Philip D. (Mess, master's assistant, to the Defence. THE ARMY. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge visited Shorncliffe camp on Thursday, accompanied by Gen. Sir R. Airey, K.C.8., Quartermaster-Ge neral; Col. Bingham, Deputy Adjutant-General of Artillery; and Gen. Forster, K.H. Immediately on his arrival the duke inspected the troops, drawn up in line, very carefully ; then, on his taking his place at the flagstaff, the troopsmarched past. Two troops of the 18th Hussars, under Capt. Pering, took the lead in open squadrons. Five batteries of the 9th Brigade Royal Artillery, under Col. Ormsby, fol lowed; a company of the Royal Engineers, under Capt. Campbell, next marched past in quick time, followed by the Ist battalion 10th Foot, under Col. Norman; the 2d battalion 25th Foot or King's Own Borderers, under Col. Allen; and six, companies of the 96th Foot, under Col. Scholefield. The Hussars then passed a second time-by single file, and the Royal Artillery " drew its slow length along" by single guns, followed by the infantry. The third time the hussars trotted past by troops, the artillery by batteries, the infantry being, meanwhile, formed up in line. The duke then ordered the hussars to perform the sword exercise at a gallop, he himself riding with them, watching very closely the per formance of the men. After this the hussars were dismissed. The artillery, which had taken up posi tion in front of the infantry, then opened fire on a supposed enemy. After keeping up the fire for some time from the brow of the ravine, they at last retired in alternate batteries and took up position in ad vance of the infantry, whence they retired upon the line, and were dismissed. The regiments of foot were then put through several evolutions, concluding with a prolonged skirmishing. His Royal Highness immediately on the close of the inspection, which • was more closely and carefully carried out than is usual, rode off the camp to Hythe to witness expe riments with the Armstrong guns. The troops garrisoned at Dover were reviewed yesterday by the Duke of Cambridge on the open space at the rear of the Castle. His Royal Highness rode over from Folkestone on horseback, accompa nied by one or two of the principal officers of the staff attached to the South-Eastern District. The remainder of the staff arrived by the South-Eastern Railw ay • The spectators were more than usually numerous. The troops arrived on the ground about 11 o'clock, an d consisted of the 59th Regiment, under the command of Col. Burmester, the 64th, under Lieut.-Col. Shute—both of whom are sta tioned at the Wester n Heights--and the 2d Artil lery Brigade, under Col. Suppage. The two regi ments of the line had not been before inspected since landing from fo rei g n servic e . Th e 64 t h h a d recen tly arrived from Bo mba y , and the 59th f rom th e C a p e . The troops remained on the around for upwards of Duke of Cambridge made his an hour before th e On his Royal a ppearance. H ighness entering the field they were drawn up in review order, and re ceived the Commander -in-Chief with a evolutions general salute: A variety of fie ld were then gone through with a steadiness and precision W hi c h elicited getictul admiration. Shortly before th e termination of the review the artill er y stationed a t the Western Heights left the field at double q u i c k time, and made for their posts at theliresternHeights batteries, to be in readiness for his Royal High ness's inspection of the heavy guns mounted at the different fortifications, including the Armstrong guns at the Castle. The whole of the batteries o pened fire with shot and shell at half-past 3 o'clock , and continued firing ic;:.• nearly an hour, some ex- cellent practice being made. The I)uke subsequently inspected the works of defence constructed and, in CORM of construction in the garrison, and then returned to Folkestone, Major-General A. B Stransham, C. 8., Deputy Adjt.• General of the Royal Marines, commenced 4io annual inspection of the Portsmouth Division of Light Infantry yesterday. In the forenoon the • men were drawn up under arms on the Forton bar rack parade, and were minutely inspected by the major-general, together with their kits. The barrack rooms and schools were also visited. After the men's dinner the division, mustering 10 companies, ave raging 70 men in each, paraded on Hasler Common, l in heavy marching order. After passing along the line the inspecting officer, accompanied by a nume rous staff of Artillery and Light Infantry officers, and by Capt. Travers, aide-de-camp, took up a po sition at the saluting point. The division then marching past in slow and quick time formed up in quarter distance column, changed front by counter marching round the centre, proceeded past at quarter distance, and again countermarching round the centre, doubled past at the trail. Deploying into line on No. 4 Company, the manual, platoon, and bayonet exercise was next gone through. Skir mishers were then thrown out on the left flank of the line, and the front changed by advancing in eschelon of companies. The skirmishers being driven in some good volley firing followed from centre to flanks. The attack by the enemy being resumed from a different quarter the front was again changed, a strong body of skirmishers being thrown out in advance, companies formed up on No. 1 at wheeling distance, left wheeling into line, a rapid and well sustained file fire following from right to left by subdivisions. Squares were then formed to resist cavalry, with firing from rights of faces, followed by volleys. A series of other movements followed, at the close of which the men were marched back to their quarters. The inspection will be resumed at the barracks of the division today. The troops brought home in the chartered troop ship Windsor Castle, from Bombay, were disem barked at Gravesend yesterday, when the whole, with the exception of the Royal Artillery, were for warded to Chatham, the Royal Artillery proceeding to Woolwich. The Windsor Castle sailed from Bombay on the 17th of January last, the total num ber of troops on board being 140 men of all ranks. The troopship Holmsdale, - Ferris master, from Calcutta, arrived off Falmouth yesterday morning, having on board 184 men, 14 women, and 22 chil dren of her Majesty's troop's, as also the following passengers : Mrs. Garston and family, Mr. and Mrs. Deakin, Mrs. Cartner, Mr. and Mrs. Bensley, Mrs. and Miss Cameron, Capt. and Mrs. Campbell, Quartermaster and Mrs. Woodroffe and family, Mrs. Casprez and family, Col. and Mrs. Siss more and child, Lieut. Hobart, Royal Horse Artil lery; Mr. Scott and servant, from St. Helena; five native and one European servant. IRON SHIPS AND FIXED PORTS. Sir S. Morton Peto, M.P., has addressed the fol• Lowing letter to one of his constituents on this im• portant subject " My dear Sir, I am greatly gratified by assur ances of the approval of my constituents of the course I have pursued on the fortification question. " The unanimous adoption by the House of Com mons, on the 4th April, of the resolution proposed by Mr, Osborne, and seconded by myself, ' That it is expedient to suspend the construction of the pro• posed forts at Spithead until the ;value of iron- roofed gunboats for the defence of our ports and roadsteads shall have been fully considered,' was, no doubt, a step towards a better system. I trust that Parliament will steadily persist in the policy thus initiated. On no consideration ought any ex penditure to be sanctioned on works which are, in every sense, so completely indefensible. " I cannot, however, but express an apprehension that it is intended, after Easter, to make some pro- posal to Parliament which will have the practical effect of reversing its decision. The gunnery expe riments at Shoeburyness, the speeches of Lord de Grey and Ripon and of the Duke of Somerset at the last sitting of the House of Lords, the recent inspections of the sand banks at Spithead, and above all, Sir G. C. Lewis's official reference of the whole question back to the Defence Commissioners for their reconsideration and report—all indicate that some attpmnt will b made to induce the House dl uommons to vote further sums of ", tional defences in the form of fortifications. Allow me, then, to state to you why I shall most certainly continue to oppose, with the utmost determination, any motion involving such expenditure. "I. Properly understood, the experiments with Sir William Armstrong's great gun at Shoebury ness afford additional arguments against fixed for tifications. Those experiments prove that a gun may be manufactured of sufficient strength to carry a charge of even 501bs of gunpowder—a charge which will propel a projectile with enough force to pierce almost any rigid plate within moderate dis tance. No doubt, means will be found to adapt such guns to floating batteries ; and there is no question that from such floating batteries any fixed objects can be struck with almost unerring preci sion. What the experiments really show, therefore, is that fixed forts must be of vest strength indeed to withstand the battery of such ordnance from a floating, movable, or other platform. "But these experiments, you will observe, do not touch the case which is the converse of that posi tion ; or, I might rather say, they prove that con verse. For, by showing the penetrability of a fixed fort, they establish the superior advantage of a moving fort. Whilst it is easy enough to strike a fixed fort, every artilleryman knows the difficulty of striking a moving object. In the case of a mov ing object the gunner at a fixed fort has to allow — first, for the time occupied by the projectile in its passage through the air ; second, for the motion of the. object to be struck ; third, for the alteration of his elevation to meet the variable increase of range. Experience shows that to strike a vessel in motion, at any distance, by a shot from a fixed fort, amounts therefore, practically, to an accident. Capt. Sulli van, R,N., one of our most experienced naval offi cers, told the Defence Commissioners, in his evidence, that he had never heard of any one instance of a ship being sunk by a fort, either when attacking or running past.' Capt. Sherrard Osborne, C. 8,, of H.M.S. Donegal, has declared that ' the Donegal, under steam, drawing 27 feet water, shall rattle about the waters at Spithead, at eight knots an hour, hit the forts every time with her 100-pound ers, and not one of its 200 shots shall hit her. All the engineers in all the forts,' he adds, 'shall fail to give her range or position for more than a minute at a time ; for her change in position would be thus: —8 knots equal to 2,000 yards, multiplied by 8, equal to 16,000 yards per .60 minutes, or 266 yards per minute, or one eighth of a mile geographical.' So sensible, indeed, were the Defence Commis sioners of the importance of the evidence on this head, that they themselves reported Vessels would offer so small a mark at a distance that even the accuracy of the newly-invented rifled ordnance could not be depended on for striking them; and when it is considered that each will be in mo tion, and that it will be impossible to estimate correctly their distance, thus constantly varying, it may fairly be assumed that they will incur but little risk in such an attack. When great stress, there fore, is laid on great guns, we must bear in mind that the value of great guns depends much upon the use which can be made of them; and that even the Defence Commissioners agree that great guns in fixed forts are of no avail against ships in motion. " 11. Another important point to be considered is, that these forts would be absolutely useless either as a defence of the coast of England from invasion by an army, or of Portsmouth Harbour from the entrance of steamships iron-clad. An invading army would seek to land out of reach of any forts ; but inasmuch as that army must be brought to our shores in vessels which a steam ram could run down, it follows that iron vessels carrying shielded guns, propelled by steam power and acting as rams, might easily destroy the fleet of transports which con veyed an enemy. Such iron rams might also en counter with success any vessels of their own cha racter and class which might approach our shores, or try to force their way into Portsmouth Harbour ; but on the other hand, it is recorded, on the best authority, by the Defence Commissioners, that ' No forts of any size or description could prevent the passage of iron -plated ships through a clear chan nel ;' and ther e fore those commissioners formally reported We arc convinced that no practicable mbatteries can b e d epen d e d u p o n taosotuonpt of fire from th e passage of steamships, if the channel is sufficiently clear to allow of their proceeding at :IHEI SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 26, 1862, great speed.' The iron vessels of an enemy might therefore run past forts, and obtain an entranc e to Portsmouth or any other harbour. Once past the m, of what use would be the forts for purposes of de fence' When the ship has run the gauntlet, there is an end of the forts. Forts would then only em ploy soldiers whose services were required else. where ; or they would be taken and occupied by the enemy and their batteries turned against our- selves.* " On this point a further consideration presents itself. The Defence Commissioners recommended the Spithead fortifications to protect Portsmouth Dockyard ' consisting of a mass of buildings, abounding with combustible materials, from being set on fire, and destroyed by rifled ordnance, at a distance of 8,000 yards.' But, if our vessels are hereafter to be built of iron, timber, masts, cordage, and the other principal combustible materials to be preserved from fire in the dockyard, would no longer be required there; and as for the mass of build ings,' it would take but a small part of the sum intended to be sunk in the Spithead sandbanks, to render the dockyard buildings perfectly bombproof for any stores that are of consequence. " 111. I shall not be tempted into a discussion as to the probable cost of these forts, because we really do know, and can know, nothing certain on that subject. Parliament has already appropriated £2,000,000 sterling for fortifications, and the money is said to have been expended on land purchases, and in sinking foundations for forts. What will be the ultimate outlay in sinking the foundations at Spithead nobody can tell us. Judging from the tone in which the First Lord of the Admiralty spoke in the House of Lords of works executed by contrac- ors,' the period of completion is equally doubtful ' They promise,' said his grace, ' to build in 12 or 18 months ; but all their efforts fail in consequence of the novelty of the construction, and the enormous pieces of iron which have to be fastened together.' If this applies to the construction of iron ships, how much more must it not apply to the construction of iron forts, of which the foundations have to be laid on sandbanks, the surface of which is 25 feet below high water-mark. If contractors fail in construct ing such forts, if the cost of their works should be ten times greater than. the original estimate, I think Parliament, instead of blaming the contrae __ tor,' should rather blame those Government officials who require works to be carried on of unknown and unspecified quantity, difficulty, and extent, and who are consequently compelled to enter into contracts for their construction under circumstances which afford no guarantees whatever either as to time or as to cost. " I wish that the limits of a letter permitted my going more fully into this question. It is not only of the greatest interest, but it is of the most vital importance to the nation. We are about to recon struct our navy- on new principles. This is no secondary work. It requires to be undertaken with the greatest prudence, and to be committed to no inferior agencies. For my own part, I think the whole subject needs to be looked at with larger views than those which appear to prevail in official circles. I concur with those members of the House of Commons who expressed their extreme dissatis faction that any portion of the question should hav e I been referred back by the War Department to a commission which has already proved its incom petency by two inharmonious and self-condemnatory reports. When I consider the countless treasure which the want of scientific and practical skill has already cost this country, I cannot but think that, if further inquiry is needed at all, it ought to be confided not to those who composed the commission upon national defenses, but to men of science, prac tice, and experience, at once unprejudiced and un pledged. I will not anticipate the Defence Com missioners" third' report. Let it be what it may, I for one shall tontine to oppose any expenditure upon fixed forts. I shall also oppose any further expenditure on the construction of wooden ships ; we ought to build no more of them, aud the vessels we have of that class should be sold out of the navy to the best advantage. I am inclined to believe that the conversion of wooden ships into floating batteries wiii 1.1‘.. ..11,1—..t.1, C.--. 3 4- v..- .. .......0, inutility. I question the power of iron-plated wooden vessels to resist strain under the operation of great guns, or even of the action of steam machinery in a heavy sea-way. Composed, as such vessels must be, of a multitude of iron plates fixed upon wooden frames (which add weight without increasing strength), I question whether they will not be so shaken as to render them un seaworthy. Iron and wood are not congruous in combination. The wood in the iron casing will either rot or shrink ; and the vessel so constructed will in a few years require reconstruction, and entail all those expenses for repairs which Wive proved so costly in our wooden fleet. Plated ves sels may, however, serve as temporary expedients; and as temporary expedients I should not oppose them during a period of transition. "But the class of vessels which will in the end prove the least expensive, and the most efficient for purposes of defence, will, I believe, be found to be iron ships, of sufficient size to mount large guns in central batteries, protected by shields, and fitted also to act as rams, by the aid of powerful steam machinery. Vessels of this class will have all the advantages of forts, with the additional all-impor tant superiority of mobility. They may be manned with the greatest facility, and with the smallest number of men. There would be no limit to their durability; and unless damaged in action, the only repair they would require would be a coat of paint. A sufficient number of these vessels for the protec tion of our coasts and harbours might be con structed in two or three years on the Tyne, the Mersey, the Clyde, and the Thames, for a far less sum than that which will have to be expended on fortifying Portsmouth and the other dockyards. The Government would find no difficulty in con tracting for the construction of the hulls of these ships at fixed and certain prices. They would en sure perfection of material and workmanship ; and the machinery and engines would be supplied by makers of unquestioned reputation, or furnished from the condemned vessels of the wooden navy. Competion for the construction of these ships would ensure, also, new designs and improved forms, which it is hopeless to expect to obtain from pre sent sources. " Let measures of this sort be resorted to, and there need be no fear of the result. Science and its practical application may have to fight our future battles, but happily in England we possess both. We possess all the raw material, unlimited supplies of coal and iron; and our country is the birthplace of the steam-engine itself. What we have to do is to see that the resources of the nation are properly applied, and not squandered on costly inutilities. Above all, the department responsible for the re construction of our navy must be made to feel that the time has come when incapacity and the para lysing influence of routine will no longer be allowed to prevail against the teachings of science and the requirements of progress.—l am, my dear sir, your faithful servant, " S. MORTON PETO. "Kensington Palace-gardens, April 23, 1862." EMIGRATION FROM THE CLYDE TO CANADA. — The tide of emigration from this country to Canada has, at the commencement of this season, set in strongly in favour of the route from the Clyde via the St. Lawrence. Tho steamship United Kingdom, of the Anchor line, which sailed from Glasgow on the 12th inst. for Quebec and Mon treal, being the first steamer of the season, took out the large number of 124 passengers, principally of the agricul tural class, the majority being able-bodied single men. The succeeding ship of the Anchor line, Caledonia, an elegant new steamer, commanded by Captain Clarke, has already a large number of passengers engaged to go by her on 3d May ; and the same agents are despatching a passenger ship, with a full complement, for St. John, N. 8., on 17th May.-IVorth British [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway ' s Ointment and Pills.— Safe and Suro.—Day by day are cases of ulcers, wounds, sores, contractions, and deformities, cured by these well esteemed remedies after all other known means have been tried in vain. Varicose veins, and all descriptions of sore, ulcerated and bad legs, which seem to defy the best sur gical skill, succumb in a short time to the soothing, heal ing, and purifying properties of Holloway's Ointment and Pills. They operate both locally and constitutionally; they:strengthen both capillaries and nerves, and regulate the circulation of the blood. The most valued testimonialgare constantly received from persons, whom chance directed to Holloway's safe and certain remedies, and which effected a complete cure even after the constitution seemed thoroughly broken down, THE ALARMING DISTRESS IN LANCA- SHIRE. Yesterday, at half•past 11 o'clock ; a deputation of gentlemen in the city of London, most *of them in- ;erested as merchants and otherwise in the cotton manufacture and trade, waited upon the Lord Mayor, by appointment, at the Mansion-house, with the view to interest him, as the chief magistrate, and through him the public at large in the wide-spread and constantly increasing distress now prevailing among the operative population in the manufactur ing districts of Lancashire, and to invite him to be the medium through whom the community might be disposed to contribute funds towards an allevia tion. The necessity for some such step has for some days past been forcing itself on the attention of men of influence in the City. The deputation consisted of Mr. W. S. R. Cotton (of the firm of Culverwell, Brooks, and Co.), Mr. C. Barber (Barber, Nephew, and Co.), Mr. Wm. Morley (W. and R. Morley), Mr. R. Cunliffe, jun. (Cunliffe, Sons, and Co.), Mr. W. Greatorex (Bradbury, Greatorox, and Co.), Mr. J. Armitage (Armitage and Co.), Mr. G. Hawes (Cook, Son, and Co.), Mr. F. Lycett (Dent, Allcroft, and Co.), and Mr. S. Dilberoghu (Cavafy and Co.) To show the nature and pressure of the distress, Mr. Cotton read an official letter from Mr. Robert Hopwood Hutchinson, the mayor of Blackburn, which stated that " No place or district was suffer ing more than this town, where the population is extensively employed in the cotton trade. For many months past most if not all the mills have been working little more than half time, and now, when the savings of the operatives have been ex hausted, a large number of the mills are closed, and the labouring manufacturing population are unable to obtain even partial employment, and, with ex hausted resources, are dependent on the poor rates and the gifts of the charitable for their existence. It is evident that as thousands of the population have now become entirely destitute, neither the poor law guardians nor any other body can adequately grapple with the difficulty alone and un aided. To assist in relieving the distress a subscription list has been opened, and a fund realised of nearly £2,500, from donations of £lOO each down to small sums. A soup kitchen Was established in January last, and since then a daily distribution has been made of 1,500 to 2,000 quarts. Bread and oatmeal are also distributed weekly amongst needy objects, and the committee are already expending about £2OO a week in relieving from 9,000 to 10,000 people, and as the distress not only continues, but is on the increase, it is estimated it will now re- quire a weekly expenditure of a still larger amoun to make the income of each recipient equal to ls, per head per week. The funds are rapidly decreas• ing, and the local claims are almost exhausted. Hence the committee feel it imperatively necessary to appeal to the charitable for further aid in order that they may continue to relieve the prevailing distress. The serious losses incurred in running their mills prevent the millowners from contribut ing as largely and generously to the fund as they otherwise would, and this circumstance deprives the committee of a considerable source of supply, and in like manner affects the ability to contribute of the various gentry, tradespeople, and operatives connected with and interested in the town." A let ter, under the later date of the 24th inst., was read by Mr. Lycett, from a manufacturing firm in Black burn, in which it wag stated that not less than 10,000 persons are now receiving relief there in the shape of bread, meal, or soup. The funds, they added, for the relief of the distressed operatives are nearly exhausted, and their privations are constantly on the increase. They solicited from a firm in Lon don, to which the letter was addressed, any dona tion they might feel disposed to afford to relieve this deplorable state of things, adding that the Arch bishop of Canterbury had sent £lOO. Mr. ARMITAGE, one of the deputation, and a spinner in an extensive way of business, said the cotton spinners of Lancashire, of whom he was one, were now keeping their mills running two or four days a week, at very considerable loss, solely for the purpose of preventing their hands from starving. He added, in reply to the Lord spinners. who as a body were distinct from the cotton manufacturers, were chiefly located within a radius of 20 miles round Manchester. Mr. W. MORLEY said it was desirable to bear in mind that the existing distress in respect to its case IN as wholly different from any that had ever happened in the manufacturing districts of Lanca. shire. It did not, on the one hand, arise from over production or from over speculation, nor on the other hand from a " turn out" or any overt acts on the part of the operative population, but from cir cumstances over which they had no control, and there was everywhere abundant proof that they were bearing their privations in the most Christian and patient manner. It was considerations such as those that had induced the deputation to appeal to the Lord Mayor to be the medium of receiving con tributions for the relief of the distress. Mr. GREATOREX said he had seen it stated in the paper a few days ago that an association was about to be organised for receiving subscriptions, com mencing with the nobility and gentry of the county, and extending to the manufacturers ; and then a meeting should be held in London on the subject. If that were in contemplation, it might, perhaps, be more judicious in the deputation to wait and see what might be done in that way. Mr. C. BARBER said the distress was not confined to Lancashire, but was being felt among the hand loom weavers in Glasgow and other parts of Scot land. The LORD MAYOR had heard and read enough on the subject to satisfy his mind that the emergency was such as justly to command the public sympathy. He would willingly be the medium of receiving subscriptions, provided some central and recognised body in the locality existed or should be appointed, to whom he could transmit the public bounty, for he could not assume any responsibility in its distri bution. Mr. ARMITAGE would undertake to say that the moment it was known in Manchester that his lord ship would consent to receive donations, steps would be taken to form a committee with whom he might communicate. Before separating the deputation engaged to form themselves into a provisional committee until a local one should be established in some central part of Lancashire. Immediately afterwards the Lord Mayor, on taking his seat in the justice-room, adverting to the alleged distress and to the interview which had just taken place, said he desired to state that about ten days ago he received a letter from a member of the firm of Culverwell, Brooks, and Co., enclosing a cheque for £2O. to be applied to the alleviation of that distress, and expressing a modest hope that he would open a general subscription with the same view. He requested the writer to call on him and he did so. He had thought it better, however, to defer making any public statement or originating any movement until sufficient time had elapsed to show whether there really was any necessity for a general public subscription. The Yew days which had since elapsed had brought him letters from other people, enclosing small sums; and that morn ing a number of gentlemen interested in the cotton trade, and all more or less acquainted with the dis tress prevalent there, had asked him to allow him self to be made the medium of transmission of the public bounty to the distressed localities. He was now desirous of stating publicly that he was ready, with the assistance of the gentlemen in the justice room, to act in the way desired ; that he should be very glad to receive any contributions the public might be pleased to send, and transmit the amount from time to time to some central organisa tion in the district where the distress existed. He could not himself take any part in its distribution. All he could do, as he had said, was to be the me dium of transmission, and as soon as he knew that some organisation had been formed, either in the great city of Manchester or some other part of in which the public might feel confi dence, should be ready to send the small sums Lancashire, heenbcaed, h already e received, and any others that might be entrusted to him from time to time. While be was upon that topic, he might also say that Mr. Baxter, a partner in the firm of Baxter, Rose, and Norton, had called upon him to ask him to mention in public, Without taking further part, a case of distress in Connemara. In a letter addressed to him (the Lord Mayor) from Letterpack, Clifden, county Galway, under date of Tuesday last, it was stated, that " in that part of Connemara, owing to the constant wet of last year, the potatoes and oats failed to such an extent that there was scarcely half a crop, and the poor in consequence were suffering great distress. Nor did the weather admit of the peat being dried sufficiently for fuel; so that the poor people would have been in the greatest straits had not benevolent people contributed to supply them with food and coals. But now another very serious evil threatens them—the want of potatoes and oats to sow for the ensuing year. The land lords had in most eases done all they could to assist their tenants, and a committee had been formed to collect money to distribute to deserving persons for the purpose of buying potatoes and oats for seed. Last week they distributed £2O in sums of 10s. each to 40 persons, of which sum £lO had been sent by the Society of Friends in Dublin. The commit tee hope by the kind aid of benevolent persons in the sister kingdom to assist these poor people in sowing their lands, as famine must almost inevit ably be the consequence next year if the lands are left desolate for this season." Mr. Baxter, who had aided these poor people in past months, enclosed £5 towards their buying seed. Frem what he (the Lord Mayor) knew of the writer of the letter he had quoted, he placed im plicit credit in his statement, and he would venture to recommend it to the liberality of the public, ad ding that the National Bank in Old Broad-street, were willing to receive contributions for that pur pose, THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. The Commissioners are sparing no efforts to make the opening ceremony as grand a spectacle as has ever been celebrated in England—grander even, and more widely public, than that traditional pageant, the coronation of George IV. The Royal personages who are to be present on this occasion, the Crown Prince of Prussia, Princo Oscar of Sweden, and the Duke of Cambridge, will leave Buckingham Palace in State, each attended by his own suite, in state carriages, and accompanied by escorts of cavalry. They will proceed up Constitution hill and along Hyde-park into the Albert-road, and thence to the Southern entrance in the Cromwell road. All this route will be kept by mounted patrols of the Household Cavalry. The time of departure from the Palace will be so arranged that this state cortege will follow close upon the great procession from the city, which will turn off from Piccadilly into Hyde Park also. This civic display will consist of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs in their state carriages, accompanied by their municipal officers, and followed by the members of the Court of Aldermen and Court of Common Council also in their robes of office, uniform, or Court dress. This part of the procession will be escorted by the mem bers of the Hon. Artillery Company to the number of about 500. The Lord Provost of Glasgow, the Lord Mayors of York and Dublin, and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh will also come in state, and form no inconsiderable portion of the splendour of the show. The Lord Chancellor, Lord Chamberlain, and Speaker of the House of Commons will, of couse, be in state, the two former surrounded by all the official paraphernalia allowed them by the con stitution, which in the case of the Lord Chancellor is no less than seven official attendants. As part of a pageant the Speaker in state is also capable of great effects, and he like wise comes attended by his officers. Nearly 200 Mayors of the various great provincial towns have intimated their intention of assisting at the ceremony, and all these will like wise wear their insignia and robes of office. Peers will not attend in robes of state, but in official uni forms, uniforms as Lords-Lieutenant of counties, or in Court dress. The same rule will apply to mem bers of the House of Commons taking part in the processions. There will also be about 200 officers of various Volunteer cups in uniform, and each branch of the service—Household Troops, Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Marines, and Seamen—will be represented by detachments of officers and men. Thc,ao ropreacntotive corps hiwn been chosen in regu lar order from the various branches of the service stationed nearest London on that day. All her Majesty's Ministers, the Commissioners for 1851, Commissioners for 1862, and the Special Commis sioners for the opening will, of course, appear in official uniforms. These invited guests will enter under the western dome, the south entrance from the Cromwell road being reserved exclusivelyfor Royal personages and the Special Commissioners. The invited officials will assemble in the South Court in the open space between Minton's Court and Benson's great clock. Around this opening are arranged various fine works in marble, from the Italian and Roman Courts, and the effect of these will be further heightened by a splendid collection of the finest plants and flower ing shrubs from Kew. The general visitors will be admitted between the hours of 12 and half-past 1. The various entrances at which the public will he admitted were examined yesterday, and from calculations made as to the number of ladies and gentlemenwho can pass through au single turnstile in an hour, it appears that a sufficient number of turnstile entrances are provided to enable upwards of 100,000 visitors to enter in less than an hour and a half. What the number will be on the Ist of May it is of course impossible to foretell, but it is certain it will be far larger than was at first anticipated, when only 20,000 or 25,000 were counted upon. Already the amount received for season tickets exceeds by £5,000 the amount re ceived up to the same time in 1851, and the sale is proceeding in a still more rapidly increasing ratio. At Exeter-hall alone yesterday the sale of tickets exceeded £l,OOO, and it is evident as the day draws near that the demand will bo immense. The three bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Fusileer Guards will be brigaded together,under the conduct of Mr. Godfrey, at 11 30, and these will play until 1 15, while the public are taking their seats. The whole ceremony is expected to be over about half past 4, and at its conclusion the military bands will . assemble in the orchestra and play till dusk. The orchestra being thus used again brings up the ques tion why it cannot be retained for the performance of the same bands during the following Friday and Saturday. The admissions on those days, it must be remembered, will only be by season tickets or payment of a sovereign, and as even the most enthusiastic sightseers will sit down during some portion of the day, the bands will be no incon siderable attraction. In fact, the Commissioners will scarcely be justified in having gone to the great expense of erecting this large orchestra, unless it is turned to good account during the two days fol lowing the opening. The heat yesterday in the building was very gr eat, and the dust still greater, and more annoy ing. Of course the latter nuisance will be remedied before the first of next month ; but the temperature of the interior is always likely to be high—quite as high, perhaps, as in 1851. The foreigners still continue to be much behindhand, and the French the most backward of all, though they received their space nearly three weeks before that allotted to any other country, English or foreign, was ready. One of the great ornaments to the screen frontage of their court— a most magnificent sheet of plate glass, about 16 feet high by 10 feet wide, from the works of St. Gobain—was accidentally destroyed the day before yesterday. While being raised into the frame provided for it the rope broke, and in a second this magnificent sheet of glass was shivered to a thousand fragments on the floor. Unless much greater progress is made with this court, it is not likely that the public will be admitted to it on the opening day. Just now it is a mere mass of straw and packing-cases, all, apparently, in the most hope less confusion. To do M. Roquet, the French super intendent, justice, none of this backwardness is due to him. On the contrary, had his advice been attended to the French Court would now be the most advanced of all ; and, hoping against hope, he is still labouring night and day to overtake the time lost by the dilatoriness of the French exhibitore. But, as we have all along s a id, this court, though late, will, when finished, be one of the greatest at tractions of the building. Fspecially we can com mend to the notice of visitors some most exquisite specimens of paper-printing in colours—paperlialag" ings, in fact, printed in large views to resemble oil and water-colour landscapes. These are richly framed, like large paintings, and it is only on a close inspection that the difference between them and costly works of art can be detected. Y'et the price of each of these is only 50 francs. In jewe:lry also, in bronzes, articles de Paris, Sevres china, French shawls, laces, works in agate and marble, carton-pierre furniture, &c., the whole Court will be full of the most superb examples. Some of the vases, balustrades, candelabra, &c., carved from massive pieces of Algerian agate and jasper, will be without rivals in the building, both for the beauty of the stone and the taste of the fittings. One jeweller sends a very magnificent gold centrepiece or shield, hung round with the finest descriptions of French gold work, and the mere value of the metal and work in this small piece alone is upwards of £6,000. A great clearance was made of packing cases yesterday, but the result of the labour only showed the magnitude of the task of really cleating the building; for, though an immense number of cases was got out, it made not the slightest percep tible difference in tht number still remaining, all of which, unfortunately, are filled with goods. FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT BAWICK. A serious accident attended with fatal conse quences occurred at Hawick railway station on Wednesday night. A mixed train of goods, coals, &c., from the north ran right through the goods shed and the boundary wall of the station. Two trucks, one loaded with freestone and another with grain, standing on the line in the goods shed, were forced forward by the engine, and the progress of the train stopped by the rising ground on the side of the turnpike opposite the station. The engine remained on the wheels right across the road, the tender was thrown sideways, and lay on the road parallel to tho engine; the trucks in front were smashed against the hillock in front of the engine, and two trucks laden with coal immediately behind the engine were lodged in a damaged state on the broken wall which bounds the station from the turnpike-road. There were four men in charge of the train—the engine -driver, stoker, guard, and assistant-guard. The driver found he could not stop the train while it was approaching the station and leaped from the engine before it entered the goods shed. He escaped with a few scratches. The stoker also jumped from the train a short time be fore the driver, and sustained some injuries to the leg, though no bones were broken. The assistant guard was found lying dead in a pool of blood about 200 yards below the station, and in leaping from the train must have rebounded from the embankment on which he landed, as the train had passed over his right arm and right leg, both limbs being broken and shockingly mangled. His name is James Dick son, and he belonged to Galashiels. He had been employed as assistant guard for about 12 months, but had only been connected with the Hawick end of the line for 10 days. Ho was a single man, and about 22 years of age. The other guard remained in the van at the end of the train till it was brought to a stand, and escaped unhurt. The driver, whose name is Handyside, has been taken into custody, and Sheriff Russell and the Procurator-Fiscal were engaged on Thursday in an examination into the circumstances of the case. A strong force of men was employed to remove the engine, tender, and debris of the smashed trucits from the road, and it was cleared on Thursday forenoon under the super intendence of Mr. Harrison, C.E., and the com pany's engineer, Mr. Bell. The accident was almost unknown in the town till Thursday morning, but the scene was visited by great numbers of ieople during the day.—Scotsman. THE LATE FORGERY ON COUTTS' BANK. Mary Gibson, who when apprehended had stated that her name was Mary Aylmer, was brought up nn remzaid at Bow-street, on the charge of being accessory after the fact to the forging and uttering, by William Gibson, of a cheque for £445, purport ing to be drawn by Mr. Butler, a solicitor. Mr. Mullens attended as before to conduct th prosecution on behalf of the London Bankers' Association; and Mr. George Lewis, jun. (of Lewis and Lewis, Ely-place), defended the prisoner. From the evidence at former examinations it appeared that the cheque in question Lea boon tendered at Messrs. Coutts' by a female, and paid in gold and bank notes. A number of these notes had been passed at various linendraper's, bootmak er's, &c., in different parts of London, by a female, supposed to be the prisoner, wno, indeed, bad been apprehended upon the occasion of tendering another of these notes. In most of the cases where these notes bad been passed the witnesses were unable to identify the primer as the person who had passed them ; but in one instance the witness (a shopman) said he was sure she was the person, though when he first saw her he had expressed himself as doubtful, and had even said that he thought she was not the person. He ex plained the discrepancy by saying that he had only seen her sitting at the time when he failed to re cognise her, but that when he saw her standing he knew her readily. At the third examination of the prisoner, on Thursday, Mr. Mullens stated that the charge which had hitherto been stated in the most general terms, would assume the form of an indictment against the prisoner, as accessory after the fact in the forging and uttering, committed by Gibson. Upon the charge being stated in these terms, Mr. Lewis said that the prisoner was Gibson's wife, and therefore could not be charged as accessory after the fact. Mr. Hall said there could be no doubt upon that point- A wife might, in some cases, be an acces sory before the fact but not after. Mr. Mullens fully concurred in the magistrate's view. If Mr. Lewis could show that the prisoner was married to Gibson, then the case for the pro secution was at an end. Mr. Lewis said if the case was adjourned to the next day (yesterday, Friday), he could prove the marriage. The prisoner was accordingly remanded till Fri day (yesterday), when she was again brought be fore Mr. Hall. Mr. Henry Cooper, registrar for the county of Surrey, in the Lambeth district, comprising the parish of St. Mary, Lambeth, stated that on the Ist of May, 1861, he solemnised a marriage be tween two persons named William Gibson, batche lor, and Mary Monday, spinster. He produced a certificate, being a copy of the registry of that mar riage, and being signed by Mr. Logan, the super intenient registrar. He could not identify this person. The certificate produced related to a marriage between William Gibson, batchelor, described as a surgeon, and Mary Monday, spinster, the daughter of Charles Monday, of Brighton, a retired brewer, the bridegroom being described as of 31 years of age, and the bride as of 27. Elizabeth Monday, the prisoner's sister, was re called, and Sarah Monday, her mother, was exa mined for the first time, upon certain points of de tail, showing that the description of the persons married applied to the prisoner and Gibson. The prisoner's father was a retired brewer. The address given as the residence of both parties was that where the prisoner lived with Gibson. Mrs. Mon day stated that she first heard of the marriage in May, when the prisoner brought her a certificate similar to that produced. Mr. Mullens thought there was not sufficient identification of the parties, but Mr. Hail thought it was unnecessary to deitand as strict evidence of marriage as would be required in a case of bigamy or criminal conversation. The mere fact of the prisoner and Gibson living together, reputed to be married, though not conclusive, was important, but the further evidence was such as no reasonable man could resist. It was utterly incon ceivable to suppose that there had been a marriage between two persons of the same names as the been soner and Gibson ; that those two p.ersons had been married in the district where the prisoner and Gib son lived ; that those two persons resided in the same district and at the same address as the prisoner and Gibson ; that the father of the wife was of the same name and profession as the prisoner's father; and that the prisoner was so well aware of all these strange coincidences that she was enabled to get a copy of the registry of marriage a few days after the actual marriage took place, and to take that copy to her parents at Brighton, so as to satisfy them that she had been married to Gibson. Bather than accept so improbable a theory any jury of 12 men af ordinary intelligence would come to the conclusion that the prisoner was really married to this man Gibson. If so she could not be held to be an accessory after the fact iu any offence committed by Gibson. He (Mr. Hall) did not believe that any jury would convict under such circumstances. Ho should be stultifying himself if be were to commit a conviction rfur trial with a full consciousness that a Was impossible. Ile should therefore d6.charge the prisoner. Mr. Mullens said ho was bound to admit that the magistrate's view of the case was pefectly correct. Mu prisoner was then discharged. 7. N G SUSPEC7.T) 111U.RE.R OF A YO,' WOIktAEN IN 171 E D BEGENT'S CANAL. Yesterdal e* morning, at ten, an adjourned inquest upon t h e ody of Mar gare t Elizabeth Halliday, agedr 23 w ie ) was found in the water of the Regent's Canal, last Tuesday week, under circumstances. which have h-iven rise to an impression that she had. been murdered, was resumed by Mr. H. It. Walthew. the deputy coroner for East Middlesex, at the New Globe Tavern, 11Iile-end-road. W m , Warren, a gardener , residing in the vicinity of the cane), ,Said. that about 2 o'clock on the morn ing of last Tree.t`thly week he heard a shout or loud exc l a mation, ed by piercing scream. The dogs in the neighbourhook I began to bark furiously, and he went out to see 'at was the matter, but in the •guish nothing. The body of darkness he could distil. water five hours afterwards. deceased was found in the 9, C,leveland-street, Mile-end- Emma Halliday, road—l am sister of the Jles.leased, who was a bugle trimmer, residing with he.r parents. I last saw her alive on the Monday eveni,ag previous to her dea.+lk and' she was then quite cheerful and happy. She had been keeping company with a young man named. Charles Wm. Webb, who said he was an engineer, but whose address he always kept concealed. I always told her that I thought Ile was a married man—he had such funny ways. (La ughter.) About ago she said that if she found out that t h il e Y v, " -as weeksm arried and had deceived her she would revenca..... herself. I last saw them togoaker in the shop on ilhe Saturday night previous to in: death. By the Coroner —She sometimes said she would hang herself, she said it in a joke, and I never supposed she m. 9al at to destroy herself. She - was a very correct moral g irl. Webb and she were in the habit of walking out together. She certainly had no idea of suicide on the Monday evening. Since the inquest was acijoteyned we have found out Webb's address, and that he as a wife and child.. Mrs. Patience Halliday said the deceased went out on the Monday evening about 8 o'clock, and upon wit ness asking her to make a small purchase e answered that she would not be in time as it was. Witness under:stood that she was going to meet - Webb. The coroner's officer here put in the two foi2owing notes which had been found in deceased's room, they bore no date, but the second was marked Alond6ty: ,6 m y dear Frienn,—/, am sorry I did not see you alone last night, but I suppose the wet night Fre vented your coming. Meet me to-night at the sante spot at 7 o'clock. Do come, there's a good creature, as I want particularly to see you. If you fail to come I shall go and fetch you. Do not forget the book.-- Yours very truly, " WILLIAM." The second ran as follows : " Monday. " My dear Friend,—Meet me this evening at 8 o'clock by the church. Don't forget to bring that Wff book.—Yours very truly, Witness continued—l do not know the handwrit ing of those notes, but deceased had in her posses sion a book of Webb's. Webb had brought a porn panion of his to court a sister of deceased, but he was found to be a married man, and was turned out of the house. Deceased had bought some furnitun in anticipation of her marriage with Webb. Charles Webb, 53, St. Anne's-road, Stepney, waS then examined, and said he knew the deceased for the last nine months. Did not con.' ider he was courting her, but used to go out with her. He had not regularly promised to marry her, for he had been married 12 months to another. The foreman—What, within three months of your marriage you begin to court this poor girl, Xepro senting yourself as a bacheinr By the Coroner—He had seduced her. He did not write the two notes produced. He did not meet ha on the Monday night. He would swear he was not out of his own house that night. The last time he met her was on the Saturday previous, and he then informed her that he was a married man. The man whom he had brought to court her sister was also married. (Sensation) Mrs. Webb deposed that her husband returned home at 6 o'clock on the night in question, and re mained within all night. Dr. J. H. Freeman said that he had made a post mortem examination of deceased, but he could not undertake to say that death ha been caused by drowning, though he could not detect any other cause. Deceased had been enceinte 9 weeks. Some further evidence was taken, but it failed to throw any additional light upon the matter. The coroner then summed up, and remarked upon the suspicious circumstances with which the case was surrounded. The jury returnee: thefollowing verdict, " Th at deceased was found de: ad in the Regent's Canal, b ut how she came by her de , ath or how she came into evidence to show." the said canal there was nu' COUNTRY MA .R.,X-E 2 S. . DERBY—Arum 25. At our market this morning the show of wheat WO only moderate, but samples wet., ratbi.r improved in ow, lity. A quiet demand took place, at the rates of the wet- previous. The show of barley was small, and sales were at fully is advance upon late rates. Oats and beans at ex treme prices. Super flour, 46s to 50s. LIVERPOOL—APRIL 25. We had to-day a fair attendance of dealers and mil• lers, and wheat met a slow sale at ld to 2d per cental de' dim Flour also met a very slow sale at 6d per sack anct barrel decline on last Friday's rates. Indian corn coat• manded a moderate inquiry, at 6d to 9d less money. WAKEFIELD—APRIL 25. To-day the attendance was middling. Wheat sold at the prices of last Friday, with a moderate business. Barley, beans, oats, and shelling fully as dear. EXETER—Arnm 25. Millers were more disposed to give to-day, and priceo were about the same as last week. Wheat, white.. 7s 6d to7s Gd I Barley.. 3s 9d to 4s 4(1 Ditto new .0s Od to Os Gd Oats .... 2s 9d to 3s_o l Flour, fine, 43s to 46s ; seconds, 41 s to —s per sack: CATTLE. The market today was largely supplied with stock, and business brisk, Fat beef,p score,9sod to ICsOd Ewes, per lb .... 61d to 7d. Pork carcases, 9s 6d to 10s 15d Wethers, d 0...... 7d to 7ia Lambs, per qr ..... ..7s to 8a Fat calves, d0...5d to 6i. Rough fat, Ad per lb. BRISTOL SUGATi.—Arum 25. The market is very quiet, and :he sales effected havo been at 6d per cwt. decline. Refin:d sells in moderato quantities. FOl?EligN MAIL PACKET LIST. MAILS DUE. Aus'aalia and Mauritius, via Southampton....... May 10. via Marseilles ... May 13. lirazil and Cape Verds, by British packet.. Vray 4 . Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. Map 3. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. May 2. via Marseilles ...April I7' Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton May 2. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton—May 2. 1 -- via Marseilles April 27. India (Bombay), via Southampton .... May L i. --. via Marseilles .. May 5. - Lisbon May 1. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton May 2. via Marseilles April 27. Newfoundland ..April 3 ,0 * Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet April. 30. by U.S. packet by Canadian packet April 3o ' W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe May la. Bahamas, via New York May 8. Mexico.. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, April 28 California, and British Columbia. THE PUBLIC OFFICES.—The annual return of of the personnel and the salaries and expenses of the publics offices for the year 1861 shows that in the course of ,that year the number of persons employed increased by 76, a nd the salaries of £l4,ooo,the increase being chiefly in therost . office, the War Department, and the Admiralty. But tho decrease in the charge for the maintenance of the Inland Revenue Department is so great that the whole expendi" ture is less by nearly £17,000 thaw in the previous year. BIRTHS. AGNEW.—On the 24th inst., at the Earl of GainsberouglOs in Portman-square, the Lady Louisa Agnew, of a son. BROAD.—On the 25th inst., at 52, Lower Belgrave-Ela,,q l Pimlico, the wife of Comm a nder Geo. D. Broad, Ito''. o of a daughter. KINGSCOTE.— On the 24th inst., at 34, Charles-street Borkeloy-square, the Lady Emily Kingscote, of a daughter. MARRIAGES. MAnictrAm—PAx . rorr.—On the 24th inst., at St. Barth°' lomew's, Sydenham, Charles Markham, Esq., of Nor' thampton, to Rosa, daughter of Sir Joseph Pasta , M.P. MILES—CHARLETON.—On the 24th inst., at Elbert°Of Gloucestershire, Wm. H. Miles, Esq,, second son of Sic William Miles, Bart., of Leigh Court, Somersetshire to Mary Frances, the only daughter of the Rev. John Charleton, vicar of Elberton. DEATHS. ALL IX.—On the 24th inst. Co l on el , in Montague-square, Charles Allix, of Swaffham House, Cambridgeshire, 10 0 Grenadier Guards, aged 75. Fonn.—On the 22d inst., John J ames Fo rd, Esq., l a t e of Surrey street, Strand. GALE.—On the 20th inst., Lieut.-Col. A. Robinson Gale, of Dover. Guv.—O m n .A th s, e c tt a h te in an st a ., v a ic t ar H f o or w f d o e r ney..seven years, agedthe Rev. Thores 4 Guy, 7l. LISTER.—On the 24th inst., at Hampstead, Isaac S. Lister, Esq., aged 67. PHILLIPS.—On the 24th inst., at Cheltenham, Charles INT 4 Phillips, Esq., of Garcndon•park and Grace Diou Manor , Leicestershire, aged 83. LONDON : Printed And Published by JOHN CHAPLII 4 s i n the Precinct of th e S avoy, i n the C ou nty 9 of N 0.112, Strand, Printer, at TEE SUN Office, No. ll April 26, 1862, :tatexv—SaturdaY: i Pa , teroei toy. Li'( the Fo l'etec also &hipy anti ti lhe 17 'Th zing c ;or 415,2 tion J tel p v: Pere] CO., t Jame Xing lies don, On Glrei In Print H tri — re bill t, Prnz s t 1 la th t, kay from und have knot pure vari( acrit the an y but but;it w, Pei; Meal