The Sun. — London, England, 1862-12-31 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK. A quieter tone pervades the general discount market, but a moderate amount of business is daily reported in consequence of the revenue collections, S lid the usual payments at the end of the year. 111 0aey continues plentiful, and first-class bills of three months' date are negotiable at 2/ per cent. ° l l the Stock Exchange there is very little inquiry f or advances, and they are obtainable on easy term s . Notice has been given that Bonds of the Bra zilian 5 per Cent. Loan of 1843, a mountin g to £ 3 3,600, have been drawn for redemption. The half-year's interest is announced for pay 'tient on Italian 5 per cent. Bonds. A. sum of £3,064 has been received by Messrs. Baring Brothers on account of the New Grenada dividends. Gold is now of about the same value in London 44 d in Paris, but about 2-10ths per ce nt. dearer 'ere than in Hamburg . An analysis of the weekly returns is sued b y the R ack,, of England authorities during t he y ear ex hibits some important variations in t he p rincipal ultems. £18,448,000 was the highest sum attained by t he bullion, viz., on July 30, whilst its lowest point /1 ; on the 10th inst., when it only amounted to 7, 14 ,828,000. The reserve of not es stood at '1 0 ,482,000 on the 24th September , and at £ 8 ,111,700 on the 12th ultimo. Tae active cir culation reached £22,586,000 on the 6th August, /711 en it afterwards dropped to £19,185,000 ' ll . the 17 t h i ns t. The bills discounted by t he esta 13ccnment, and represented as private securities, at tained their highest point on the 2d Jul y , when th ey amounted to £21,588, 000 ; and t heir lowest in t he last week in January, when they only stood at £17 ,030,858. A meeting of the creditors of Messrs. Janverin, n assie, and De Lisle, merchants, who recently : l ied, has been convened for the 13th p rox. by the ac countants, Messrs. Coleman, Turquand, Youngs l lnd c o . Two o'CLoox. At the half-yearly meeting of the Canada Com pany, which was held this day, a dividend of £1 per share, free of income tax, for th e half- y ear, was de clared, payable next mouth, and the re p ort was u nanimously adopted. Towards the close of the English Stock Market l e uterday afternoon, a rise of per cent. took place I 1 consequence of a few speculative purchases en th.uaraged by a large arrival of specie from the 4 ' v est Indies and Australia. Although consider able firmness is still apparent, however, this frac ,.l°,nal advance has not been supported, and Consols, B th were 921 a for transfer, and 928 1,. for the fo r January the previous evening, are now 92f a t °,r both. The New Threes and Reduced Annui ties Continue firm, transactions having taken place 92 1 2. Exchequer Bills have remained at 9s, to th e market prem. Very little business has taken place in u u market for the Indian Stocks, but the 5 per I Z'te are marked 108 1, and the Debent ures 1004, ° Wing firmness. Continued buoyancy has per vaded the Foreign Market, and a fair amount of business has been aQ getiated. Turkish 6 per Cents., 1854, are Ne w at 811 851 ; ditto 18 58 , at 711 ; and the e ' 4 ' Loan at 7111 72; and the Consolides at 41; ; E gyptian are tolerably well support ed at 951 ; the ace und issue, at 941 ; Greek Bonds have impro v e d t 01 64 a ; Mexican to 32 1 d ; Peruvian New Loan, 93 9 ; Portuguese ditto, 48/ ; Russian ditto, 941 i; It a lian are 728 ; S ditto Railway Loan, 76* ; and ecezuelan New crip, 1-7,- dis. The d ea li ngs i n the Railway Share Market have b e " 1 Very limited, and prices experienced l ittle c hange il _ of importance. Great Easterns and Lon :,11 and B r i g htons improved 55., and Great ' Y eetern s declined ss. The foreign and colonial lines remained mode rately 2qa,ustrian and Lombardo-Venetian have recede d to and Bahia and San Francisco have improv ed t° 24, 2 4, Z. Bombay and Baroda realise 1041 ex div. ; Set Indian, 107 ex div. ; and Madras 5 per Cents., (1 ,!. ex div. in limited Bank and Miscellaneous shares wer e t uzited request, without any material cha n g e in i 1„ BRITISH FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK. 4 '''r Cent. Reduced Annuities \per Cent. Consols Annuities 921 - , ew 1 Cent. 921 R 4,„ . per Annuities ',.,,lnities :30 s expire StbiJan., 1880 — I . l "itto fo ' r 30 Yr yrs ' expire sth April, 1885. I -it te (Red Sea 'Telegraph), Aug. 1908. 211 2 ridiEt 5t0ck........ Itto p er Cent loBf 8 Ditto Debentures, 4 per Ct., Oct„ 1863 100/ Ditto ditto April, 1864 1001 tPusols f ar A ccoun t 'lchequer Bills, £lOOO, 21 per Cent 9 12 ~,. Ditto £5OO ' u nto Small t p., FOREIGN FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK. T'Ptian 7 per Cent 951 ccieitto, Second Issue ?re e k 5 per Cent., 1824-5, ex-Coup ms l6l a Istei a i e n 5 Per Cect. (Maremmana Railw a y ) 76 i D'" Account 13,Zish Imp er i a l 5 per C en t - ' 7 ilin 4i per Cent. I). Ditto 1862 1' Di tto Account . ertu 1) . guese 3 per Cent., 1853 b l i t t te Account b i tto t° s 3 P?r Cent., 1862 .4 .rts i - criP, £2O paid bitt" 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St 9B D 4 1 per Cent., 1850 Dit t o per Cent., 1862 k;atd° Per Cent., 1862, Scrip, £47 pd " 1r Pm .11i t . i .a, 13 . 5 per Cent. pa,, - . Account B2l if, ' . _ 4l 3 per Cent It r i t rl Account 651 Ditto 6 per Cent. 1854 — D itto Account B5 Ili t t° 6 per Cent. 1858 bi t t e'Account Ditto 6 Per Cent. 1862 — Di tto Account 714 Irmn'tte Guaranteed, 4 per Cent 1034 1A1. 1161 a) 3 per Cent `'" 6 per Cents., 1862 (Scrip), £53 pd 11 i a dis ~_ Dividends on the above payable in London, mtr i +tar " 5 per Cent.,Ex. 10 florins 67i Ditto e par Cent 1861,Ex. 25f _ itte Account " C onsole TWO O'CLOCK. D itto 'lllon ey b'.ltte Account,ount, Jan. 8 February 92a I G "ERAL WCLELLAN.—He is a very squarely kiasci`til t hick-throated, broad-chested man, under the 4 e height, with slightly bowed legs, a tendency et n f u'otne. His head, covered with a closely cut cropeoa. t xt r e k auburn hair, is well set on his shoulders. Hilisefon. t zlzet s are regular and prepossessing—the brow . small, 4 tk e o cl, and furrowed ; the eyes deep and anxious rt, thick, and reddish moustache conceals his lout h l: is ; kc l. " of his face is clean shaven. Ha has made is a er-in-la w, Major Marcy, chief of his staff, an . to c ' ta c kl deal influenced by his opinions, which are entitled to t 0 6 ti we g h t) as Major Marcy is a soldier, and has . seen . this -e t wars, and is a reat traveller. The task of licking I- ar my into shape is g of Herculean magnitude. Every citolle' o wever, is willing to do as he bids ; the President l ii ' ' ad es in him, and Georges' him ; the press fawn upon ri l: b t ,, he People trust him ; he is ' the little corporal' of tm- Il i ,7, fi o e lds—oinnis ignotus pro mirifico. He looks like a ei °- 'Ole captain of dragoons, but for his American seat ride R'iddlo. The latter is adapted to a man who cannot dit ei l it a squadron so mo unted were t o a ttempt a fence o r, half of th em wou ld b e ruptured or sp ill e d. — Russell's ;Rican Diary. N e ° "CUTING UNDER THE TWEED FISHERIES .4 1, ia 1 ."--The fi rs t ease s of violatio n o f t h e T wee d Act that have occurred in Selkirkshire this season d a „." l b rou g ht before Sheriff Dundas, at Selkirk, on Mon ho'" James R usse l D a l g l e i s h, res iding at Old Lewins tvitl3l,e' and Thoma s H en d erso n, Yarrowfews, were charged A4l' con travening the 63d section of the Act of 1 857, by % % Ty , in Lewi ns h ope B urn ear l y on the morning of the ,` the present month. The panels, who were defended Ir e Jeffrey, soli c ito r , Jedburgh, pleaded not guilty. p it ," ' " e uce havi ng b een l e d , t h e Sh er iff found the complaint 3 ° :e o, and s en t ence d eac h o f t h e o ff en d ers t o pay a fine of with los. expenses, with the alternative of ten days' Prisomnent. A lad named William Murray, residing at ta ighttch, in the parish of Stow, pleaded guilty to having his possession two salmon, on the Gth inst., in contra `ention of th e 10 t h sect i on o f t h e A ct o f 1859, an d was 25ed in the m i n i mum pena l ty o f 10 s. f or eac h fi s h, with e• costs, or in d e f au l t o f paymen t t o b e i m p r i s oned for 10 da y s . The fines were paid in each case. __The C on f ederate steamer Sumter, was sold at Utbra.ltar, on the 19 inst. for 16,500 dols. 'lt is rumoured in well-informed circles that a !!hlsonetcy is to b e conferred on Mr. W i ll i am B rown, o f +4lYerpool,—.Liverpool SHARE MARKETS---This Day. ORDINARY SHARES AND STOOft.S. Share i Railways: Paid. Closing Business Price. done. 13.14 Liir.. Wol., and Str. Val Blythe and Tyne. Bost.,Sleaf.,andMid.Co Bristol and Exeter Caledonian Cork and Bander Corn wai' Do A arts )- dig Do. B been paid to 11., Dublin & Belfast June. Dun..Perth.&Ab.•Tunc. Edinburgh &Di asgow. ,Glasg. and S. Western.; Great Eastern, Ord. stk ; Ditto A stock Ditto East Anglian st GreatNorthof Scotland ' I Northern ' Do A stock Do B do Do. £5 shares Gt. S. an i W. of Ireland Great Western Do Str Val gna. stock Lancashire & Yorkshire London and Blackwall Lon., Bright.,& S. Coast Lon., Chat., and Dover Lon. & North Western Lon. & South Western Man., Shef., & Lincoln. Maryport and Carlisle. Do f shares.. • , • Metropolitan Midland Do New Do Birming. & Derby Mid. Gt. W. of Ireland Do. shares Mid Kent Do Cray Line North British Edin., Perth, & Dundee Nth. Eastern—Berwick Do, G.N.E. purchase Do Leeds 8 81 fi 61 84 E 6 1153 1163 61 71 41 43 13 14 87 88 105 107 46 47 43 45 24 25 125 126 129 130 135 137 104 106 E 8 (8i 109} tO9f 71i 72i 118 119 .98 29 97 674 101 10'...; 40 41 6.4.0 Do York Do Carlisle North London , Do New North Staffordshire N. and S. W. Junction Scottish Central Scot N. E., Aber. stock Do Scot. Mid. stock Shrews. and Welchpool !Shropshire Union South Devon South Eastern South Wales S. York. and River Dun Staines,Wok.,andWok. Stockton & Darlington 19.16.4 Do Do New, 1860 Taff Vale.. Do B Do C Ulster Do Do Vale of Neath Victoria sta. and Pim Waterford & Kilkenny West Cornwall W. Hartlepool Har.&R West Midland -Oxford Do Newport Do Hereford 12.10 9 91 1281 129 It lb 96 98 53,1 54-1 25 27 99i 100 - -d 56 67 88 tB4 125 127 108 110 41 pi p It 114 118 120 471 48i 104 108 47 49 331 344 88 891 681 f9l 100 103 7 8 39 40 101 10! f, 71 71 p 148 150 41 5 p 21 3 p 551 561 2 31 p d p 87 90 140 145 29 31 43 45 35 37 94 28 130 291 1051 1:68 1181 38 ill i i 34 88 3 i BRITISH POSSESSIONS. Closing Share , Railways 100 At lantic &St Lawrenct all 67 —69 stk f Bom.,Baroda&.Cent Ind IN 11 , 31 1091 1011 xn Gu. 5 per cent. 20 Do. New 201 Buffalo and Lime Huron all 51 51 10 Do. Preference . all 8 81 Buffalo,Brant,&Godric'h 100 77 BO 6 p. et. bds. Aug. 1, 1872 100 100 Do. do. July 1 1871 100 75 78 100 Do. do. June 1, 18:4 100 72 75 st Clcutta.& S. Eas tn. (Li ;, ; 100 104 105 xn st Cape Town & Dock Seri) 100 1071 1084 stock Eastn. Bengal gu. sp. c 100 1044 tes4 xn stock East Indian, gu. sp. c. 100 1061 107 107 xn 20 Do. do. G Ext..... 5 1 lip 20 Do. do. H do. .. 2 xn stock Grand Trunk of Canada 100 22 221 100 Do. 6 per cent. Pref.. all 74 76 100 Do. 2d Pref. 6 per et.. all 61 66 100 Do. 6 per et. Debentr. all 35 37 100 Do. 7 per cent. 1862 .. all 98 52 100 Do. do. 1867.. all 34 36 100 Do. do. 1872.. all 31 36 stock Gt.lndiaPenin.gua.sP.c. 100 105 106 xn 20 Do. New gua. sp. 0... 12 1 11p 20 Do. January, 1862 .. 4 / 119 5 stock Gt. South.of India(Lim guaranteed 5 per cent. 100 105 106 201 Gt. W. of Canada Sharer all 131 201 Do. New 100 Do. 6 p.c. '73 with't opt. all 99 100 100 Do. 51 p. c. do. '77-8.... all 90 92 10 Indian Branch Limited 2 —d 21 stock Madras guar., s p.c. .. 100 1051 1061 104 stock Do. 41 p. c. Extension 100 100 101 stock Dc. 9.4 100 95 ":7 20 Do. Fifth Extension. 2 stock Melb.Corp. ap. o. Buds. 100 50 Melb. & Hobson's Bay. all 51 53 100 Do. 7p. c. Mortg. Bds. all 20 Newßrunswick ot Candi , Class A Capital Sharr all 3 5 20 Do. do. B Caital do. IN.Rl.C'da6 p p c Ist f bds 100 83 B 5 stock)Scinde........l (too 1061 1071 Do. Delhi .. lOO 1041 1051 1031 1 8 , Do. do 2 11 p 21 1 20 Do. Punjaub (a e 15 kll p at Do. Do. .!_.• , , 1051 1161 stock , Do. Indus.Bt. Flo.) I 000 101 103 994 COLONIAL GOVERNMEN C;ao.Uov. p.c.Ja &July 1877-St . .. .1 100 Do. 6 p c. Feb. & Au;;.; 100 Do. d p. c.Mar. & Sept. 100 Do. 5 p. c. Jan.&July. , 100 Do. 5 Inscribed stock 100 Cape G.Hope, 6 p 0,1873 100 Do.Ap Le Oct. 1880, 100 Do. 1890' 100 Do. Jan. & July, 1891.; 100 Ceylon, N0v.1861, 6 p c 100 1.1.G0v. 6 p.c. J a.,ScJ uly 100 Do. Bp. c.Ap. & Oct. 100 N. S.W. Gov. 5 p c., 1866 100 Do. sp. c.,1871 to 1876 100 Do. d0.,1888 &upwds 100 I New Zealand 6p. cent. 100 Nova Scotia Gov. 6 p. c , I sterling, 1875 lOO Queensland Gov. 6p. c lOO S. Aus Gdp.c.1878.& up lOO Vic. Gov. 6 p.c. Ja.&July 100 Do. to 6 p.a. An.&Oct.. 100 T SECURITIES. I . 108 3 / 4 109 3 / 4 106 108 106 108 99 3 / 4 100 93 100 iV 110 111 113 112 114 114 116 1071 1041 1011 10261 1016 1026, 104 1011 111 113 i 'lOB 109 ¶ll 113 illl 113 1031 100} 'Co lo9i ' 1011 BRITISH MINES. 2 ;Cambrian Consol. Gold! 1 * fp Clifford Amalgamated 21 23 ' Devon G. Cone. (Tavist 1 500 510 , East Bassett (Illogan) 30 52 54 1 !East Clogau Gold Ltd ss. p 1p ; East Caradon ..... 42) 44 421 East Carn Brea.... 1141. %V• 1 Russel (Tavistk ' 7.19.0 21 31 ii3ram.&St.Aubyn(Gwen ) 571 15 17 ilreat South Tolgus l7s 7 74 Wheal Vor (11elston 40 6 61 I ,ilrenville 6.15. t, 41 5 41 I flerod's-Foot 8.12 47 49 j ilingston Downs 4.7.0 2i 21 Lady Bertha illargaret (tiny Lelant' 41 (3 Marke Valley.. 4 ATyndy Iron Ore (Lim ) 24 ds pr New Seton l9; 135 145 orth Downs 25 23 11 i.Wh'i Basset (1110 ;au ?.17.0 2g 31 north Wheal Crotty Par Consols (St. Blazey) 11 5 6 $0 Providence(Uny Lelnt.) 10.6.7 11 43 South Caradon(St.Cleer) 11 380 390 8. Carn Brea (Illozan) 5.15.6 21 2/ = Wheal Fran. (Illog - an, 18.15.9 90 95 Stray Park 5 Tamar SilvAt Lead Min 4l 1 10 Crott 9 13 14 %Vest Basset (Illogan) ll 13 14 W Caradon (Liskeard . 5 26 28 West Seton 474 280 290 Wheal Basset lloanl 773 82 Wheal Buller(t(ledrugth) 5 51 473 523 Wheal Kitty (li.Lelant) 2.0.6 73 81 WhealLud ott Wheal Mary Ann (Men ) 8 15 16 Wheal Seton 5Bl 190 195 wheal Trefawney (Lis ) 7 17 18 —i Wheal Union 3.13 L 5/ 65 HORRIBLE DEATII.—The Rev. Dr. J. George Gor don, formerly of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and Trinity College, Dublin, Principal of the Collegiate Institution, Notting-hill-terrace, has been killed on the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, and a verdict of " Accidental Death" returned by the jury empanelled to inquire into the circumstances. The melancholy occurrence took place on Friday last, at the Gipsy-hill- station, Norwood, on the London side of the Crystal Palace. It appeared that the rev, doctor mounted the steps of a carriage when a train had begun to move out of the station, and a porter imme diately signalled him to get down, informing him that it was not the train by which he had said he wished to travel. The porter trial to remove him, and in doing so they fell together, the porter on the platform, and the clergyman on the metals over which the train was passing. He was seri ously injured, and having been conveyed to Guy's Hospi tal died there. The porter, it is said, had a very narrow escape. FATAL CRINOLINE ACCIDENT. —Yesterday an inquest wes held by Dr. Lankester, at the Princess Royal, Hereford-road, Westbourne-grove, on the body of Mrs. Hannah Maria Grant, aged 61, the widow of a colonel lately serving in the Indian army. Mrs. Elizabeth Dundas, 22, Hereford-road North, said the deceased had lodged with her about five years, and her daughter lived with her. On Thursday last witness was called to the drawing room about half-past eleven o'clock, and on going there she found de ceased in flames, which her daughter was trying to extin guish, in doing which her clothes caught fire, and she was so burnt as to be unable to attend the court to give evi dence. The flames were finally extinguished, but the de ceased was so severely burnt that she died in a few hours. Deceased stated that she was standing with her back to the fire looking at a bird which had escaped from the cage, when her dress, which was distended by a large crinoline, caught fire. She tried with a pair of scissors to cut away the parts in flames, but could not do so. The coroner, in his summing up, strongly condemned the dangerous practice of using crinoline. They returned a verdict of accidental death. RIVAL EDITORS.—A country newspaper thus "sews up" the editor of a rival journal :—" The editor of the Mankten Smasher seems to be much exercised about the tone of our paper. Did any of our readers ever both u t as d long weei Scent o bt n ia e t see abo this man of the Smasher e Take a six-bushel sack wcalvaneybllas the other ; fill it with bran, hit centre. n s s t o br a o s na to bo s n w t ell wi i t t b o b u a t d lar w g h e l i y ak i y n a t n h d e onions, and you have him Physically smell and all. Take a half-witted well-fed Hottentot, eject in to him the largest possible amount of conceit ; extract from him three-fourths of his brains, and all his moral principle • beat him over the head until he forgets what little he did know, and you have him intellectually." TIM SUN, LONDON, 'WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1862. POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. REFORMATORIES NOT A PREVENTIVE OP CRIME. — Three lads, named Thomas Davis, George Brown, and Edward Phillips, the last-named having been before con victed for theft, were charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with stealing a portmanteau from the shop of Mr. Barrett, of 181, Oxford-street. Sergeant Cole, 23 C, said—While in company with Daw son, SOI A, in Crown-street, Soho, he saw Browncarrying the portmanteau on his head, the other prisoners walking near him. Cole asked Brown where he was going with the portmanteau, and he replied that some one had given it to bim to sell. Cole then took Brown into custody, not be lieving his story, and Dawson took Davis, but Phillips managed to escape. Phillips was subsequently appre hended by-Dawson, and it was, on inquiry being made, found that the portmanteau had been stolen the same even ing from Mr. Barrett's, in Oxford-street. Sergeant Cole informed the magistrate that Phillips was only home for a week's holiday from a reformatory, where he had been sent for three years for a robbery, and that he had served two and a half years of his time. Mr. Tyrwhitt desired the sergeant to mention the fact to the judge at the sessions, as it showed what little use re formatories were, and was a circumstance that ought to be made known. Committed for trial. THE TICKET-OF-LEAVE SYSTEM—AN OLD OFFENDER AT WORK AGAlN.—James Hayes, a rough- looking fellow, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with entering the house 39, Upper John-street, Fitzroy-square, for the purpose of committing a felony. Mr. John Joseph Paddick, of 39, Upper John-street, Fitzroy-square, said that while at supper about half-past nine the previous night he heard the street door open. He waited, and not hearing any one come in, went up-stairs and saw the prisoner run from the back parlour towards the street door, which ho tried to slam to after him, but he (Mr. Paddick) prevented him, and pursued the prisoner into Howland-street, about 100 yards from his house, when he seized him and dragged him from a mews he had gone down into off the main street. The prisoner then resisted violently, kicking him several times, but he being the pri soner's master secured him, and gave him over to a con stable. Prisoner—l'm innocent of this 'ere charge. John Cole, 68 E, proved searching the prisoner, and find ing on him some lucifers and a piece of wax taper, also a thin piece of steel. Mr. Tyrwhitt—Oh, yes, it would lift up a window nicely. James Croske, of the E division, said that on the 12th July, 1859, he had the prisoner in custody with two others for a burglary, and the prisoner was sent to three years' penal servitude, but let out before the time had expired. Mr. Tyrwhitt—lt is really desirable to know how the prisoner got out before his time expired, and got let loose on the public. Croske said that one of the other men had 10 years' penal servitude, and he was let out too. Mr. Tyrwhitt—l shall remand the prisoner, and proper iaquiries must be made into the matter. The prisoner was reu anded. MARKETS—This Day. MARK LANE. A small supply of English wheat was received fresh up to this morning's market. Dry samples moved off steadily, at full prices ; otherwise the trade was dull, at late rates. The market was well supplied with foreign wheat, both ex granary and ox ship. For nearly all descriptions there was a steady demand, and prices had an upward ten- dency. Floating cargoes of grain were in moderate request, at full currencies. Malting barley ruled firm, at extreme rates, but other kinds met with a slow sale, on former terms. The malt trade was steady at full quotations. With oats the market was scantily supplied, and the trade ruled firm, at extreme rates. Beans were in slow request, at Monday's currency. Peas were dull, at fully the late decline in their value. The flour trade was steady, and the quotations were well supported. ARRIVALS THIS WEEK. Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour. English 570 32) 150 780 ; 1,330 saok , Irish Foreign 11,96) 15,380 f 5,550 10,090 brls The Funeral Appointments of the late Duke of Wellington. Yesterday, by order of the Right Hon.W. Cowper, First Commissioner of Words and Public Buildings, Messrs. Pullen, Horne, and Eversfie:d submitted to public auction, at the Government Store-Yard, Great Smith-street, Westminster, the whole of the trappings, funeral equipments, and furniture used on the occasion of the lying- in-state and funeral of the late Field-Marshal his Grace the Duke of Wellington in the month of November, 1852, and which were of the most costly and elaborate de scription, including the splendid velvet pall which covered the coffin, the silk altar-cloth and the cloth of gold which were employed in that grand display of funeral pomp, which was almost unpre cedented for its richness and splendour. There was also the costly arms of the late duke, emblazoned on banners, and richly embroidered on velvet in gold and coloured silk; a large cross, richly emblazoned in gold and silver, and coloured silk and white lin ing, with many other ornaments of the most beauti ful workmanship. The funeral trappings consisted of 243 velvet housings, embroidered with crests and silver lace fringe, and the very superior har ness made for the eight horses that draw the mas sive funeral car. The novelty of the sale drew together a large concourse of persons who were anxious to possess a relic of the event; but, al though for some of the lots there was a brisk competition, on the whole they fetched very low prices. The first lot consisted of the massive framed ca nopy, with silvered cornices, and four suspension rods, which was immediately over the body, and formed so prominent an object at the lying-in-state of the great captain at Chelsea Hospital. The bid ding for this relic began at a few shillings only, and after several other bids had been made, it was finally knocked down for 225. The gilt caps for columns, and cast iron standards with spear heads, usei on the same occasion, were sold for a few shillings. The next lot of any importance was eight velvet housings of black velvet, 52in. by 36in., embroi dered with the late Duke of Wellington's crest, and silver fringe at the ends, together with the motto richly worked. The competition was spirited, and they were knocked down at 17s. each housing, or £5 16s. the lot. Several other lots were sold at this price, but as the sale proceeded the price de clined to ss. Gd. each housing, or £2 4s. the lot. Three splendid banners, displaying the Duke of Wellington's coats of arms, richly embroidered on velvet in gold and colours, met with but a small amount of competition, and were knocked down at £2 each. The next lot was a cross, embroidered in gold and silver, coloured silk and white lining. This formed a striking object on the altar at Chelsea Hos pital. After a spirited competition it was knocked down at £3 10s. Thirty-three yards of cloth of gold, also forming decora- tions for the altar, fetched the small sum of £2 ; and 22 yards of broad silver lace produced but ls. per yard. The next article put up was the rich velvet pall, 18 feet by 16 feet 6 inches, which covered the coffin, and of the finest workmanship. For the posses sion of this there was considerable competition, and it was finally knocked down to a Air. Townley for £l7 10s. The next article of importance was the rich figured silk altar cloth, 20 feet 6 inches by 9 feet 6 inches, with gold and silver fringe, and lined with white silk. This was really a most beautiful article, but it was knocked down for the small sum of £l3. The unusually strong harness, made expressly for the horses drawing the funeral cir, was then put up, and realised £2 Bs. per set. The rest of the lots were disposed of at very mo derate prices, and some surprise was expressed that there was no Government reserve on any of the articles put up for competition. COLLIERY ACCIDENT AND Loss GF TWELVE LIVES.—Early on Monday a frightful accident occurred at one of the pits of the Lilleshall Colliery Com pany, situate at Prtors Lee, near Stuffnal, by which twelve persons lost their lives. It appears that the men were be ing let down the shaft to their work, and that nine men and three boys had got into the cage at once and were being lowered, when one of the pine of the gearing gave way, and they were all precipitated to the bottom of the shaft. They had a great depth to fall, and were all killed on the spot, the bodies being much mangled. This deplorable accident leaves five women widows, and 27 children father less. FOUR MEN DROWNED IN THE TAY,—About 9 o'clock on the morning of Thursday last four men left the Old Shore, Perth, in a eand-carrying boat of 20 tons burden, and proceeded down the river to the Middle Bank, about two miles below Cairnie Pier, and situated about midway between Pitfour Dyke on the north side of the Tay, and Mugdruin Island on the south, for the purpose of loading a cargo of masons' sand and returning to Perth with the afternoon tide. When the party left Perth, though the river was a good deal swollen by the recent rains, there was but little wind, and not the least cause for apprehend ing any danger:in the prosecution of their avocation. By one o'clock in the afternoon, however, a strong gale from the north-west sprung up, ac com panied by heavy rain, which continued till Friday morn i ng. Th e p ar ty did no t return to Perth on Thursday night, but their friends were not greatly alarmed on that account, and naturally thought that owing tq the boisterous state of the weather the m n had landed either at Cairnie Pier or at Jnchyra, not deem ing it prudent to proceeo up the river so dark and stormy a night. When Friday came, however, there was no appear ance of the men and the boat, either with the m )rning or evening tide. This absence, of course, caused much anxiety to the families and relatives of the missing men ; and con sequently, at an early hour on Saturday morning, two men went down the river in a boat to make inquiries. No person, however, had seen the missing men since Thursday after noon, when they were at the Middle Bank, taking in a cgrgo of sand. The two men in rowing near to the Middle Bank observed that the missing boat had sunk at the tail of the bank, but owing to the boisterous state of the weather they could not approach clout to it. There was no appearance of any of the crew of the sunken boat ; but the two men, on reaching Pitfour Dyke, found the large mast of the boat, three of the oars, and four booms. It is conjectured, frem the place in which the beat lies, that just as it had left the bank for Perth, a sudden gust of wind sprung up, whereby the boat filled with water and immediately sank ; and it is also supposed that this had happened after dark, for the owner of the boat was an excellent swimmer, and could have easily reached the shore in daylight. The two men returned to Perth on Saturday evening after a fruitless search for the bodies of the missing men, who, there cannot be the least doubt, have been drowned. On Sunday three men left Perth in search of the bodies in the river, but up to three o'clock in the after noon none of them had been found. The names of the missing men are John Wlntoch (owner of the boat), Hugh M‘Donald, John Mackie, and Thomas Rettary. The first three were married, and have left to mourn their loss widows and young helpless families.—Seetsman. BOXING-NIGHT AT THE DUBLIN THEATRE. — There is always extraordinary excitement in this theatre on boxing-night to witness the first performance of the pantomime. Last Friday night the throng was unprecedented. The subject of the pantomime is " Cinderella." No sooner had the curtain risen on the first scene than the whole densely-packed house, from pit to gallery, broke into one wild chorus of ap plause. Mr. Harris, the manager of the theatre, Mr. Craven, the artist, Mr. Granby, the stage manager, Mr. Levey, the composer and conductor of the music—all were successively called out by the "gods" to receive their rapturous applause, the tenants of the boxes and of the pit warmly concurring in the well-merited ovation. The gor geous scenery and the admirable acting continued to make every moment a more and more favourable impression, till a clever transformation revealed a trophy of flags—" union jacks," surmounted by a small green flag, with the ha; of Erin in the centre. Immediately a crowd of " tars" were seen aloft, waving the British flag, but no green flag this time was to be seen. This threw the nationalists into the most violent paroxysm on record. The .Nation thus de scribes the scene :—" A perfect roar of anger burst from the audience, and it was impossible to hear even the orchestra with the hurricane of hissing that aroee. Cries for The green flag, the green flag I' The green fig o u t, the green flag out!' were the articulate sounds of any kind that could be distinguished amid the din. This con tinued for some time, the clown' and ' pantaloon' doing their utmost to play down tho disapprobation by persever ance. The house' was wroth, and would not be appeased —save by the green flag,' which, with lungs that seemed i miraculously enduring, they kept untiringly demanding. In this manner the performance was galloped' over rapidly to the en 3, apparently abbreviated to the utmost, hoping that the grand tableaux at the finale--a really mag nificent spec' acle—would cause the little unpleasantness' to vanish, and all to end, like the fairy tale itself, happily. But even this calculation was doomed to disappointment, and the curtain fell amid hissing 48 loud as ever, and cries as vehement for_the, green flag.". A WEEK OF SHIPPING DISASTERS. Mr. Trotman, in a letter to a contemporary, says : —I beg most respectfully to bring under your notice the following shipping casualties for one week only, 'as published in the Skipping and Mercantile Gazette of Saturday. There have occurred 523 shipping casualties around our own coasts ; of these no less than 190 have arisen solely through defaulting anchors and cables. Other serious disasters, such as collisions by rea son of anchors dragging and cables breaking in crowded anchorages, like the Downs, Yarmouth Roads, &c., may also be ascribed to one and the same cause—viz., the fraudulent manufacture and unchecked sale of ships' ground-tackle, which I have unceasingly endeavoured to expose since the loss of the Royal Charter in 1859. It will be remembered that at the official inquiry which ensued it was proved the above ill-fated ship was brought to by her light and efficient anchors which held her in comparative safety until her ponderous " merchant-ship quality" cables snapped one after the other, when the next dread moment 494 fellow-creatures and half a million of treasure became a sacrifice. Humanly speaking, something less than a £lO note in value as regards quality of material would have averted a calamity so direful in its after consequences. Subsequently the maker of these cables was exa mined before a select committee of the House of Commons, and he admitted that ls. per cwt. consti tuted the difference of cost between "merchant ship quality" cables and " navy-proof." The super intendent of the Liverpool Corporation cable-prov ing machine also supplied statistical official docu ments, giving the practical result of four years' ex perience, and showing that 82; per cent. of the cables known as "merchant-ship quality," failed at a proof-strain considerably under 11 tons to the square inch of iron, whereas merely good iron is equal to a tensile strain of 27 tons, and even 44 tons has been attained in some recent experiments at the Mersey Ironworks. The gallant member for Portsmouth, Sir James Elphinstone, from time to time has endeavoured to impress upon the authorities of the Board of Trade the necessity of remedial measures to check this unmitigated evil and admitted cause of the great increase of shipwreck and the consequent annual loss of life and national wealth. The remedy is simple as it is effective—viz., for all cables and anchors to undergo a public proof, the same as fireams. All guns and pistols must be subjected to an authorised proof, and the official impress testifying strength of construction, &c., before they can be legally offered for sale to the unwary purchaser, and every anchor and cable for the Royal Navy must under a rigid proof and in spection, before being issued to any of her Majesty' ships. The practical and hon. member for Birkenhead, Mr. Laird, gave notice last session of his intention to bring this subject again under the notice of Par liament. Pray, in the meantime, aid his efforts by the influence of your powerful pen, and thereby subserve the interests of humanity and the cause of the widows and fatherless children of our ship wrecked mariners. FOREIGN WHEAT.—According to a public docu ment just published there has been an increase in the im portation of wheat, on which a duty of is. per qr. is paid. In the first ten months 7,751,301 qrs were imported, against 5,632,558 in the preceding year. The French Mint is preparing some new copper money on which the Emperor is represented sur rounded by laurels. It is said that this design will be adopted on all the French coins, and on the postage stamps also. INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF FOREIGN POTA TOES.—From a return to Parliament just issued, it ap pears that in ten months of the present year 660,938 cwts. of foreign potatoes were imported, against 229,645 cwts. in the previous year. FOREIGN EOGs.—Egge are free of duty, and large importations are made from France. In ten months of 1860 the number imported was 144,837,000 ; in 1861, 17.5,567,800 ; and this year, 192,700,800 as appears from a return just printed. RISE IN THE PRICE OF PAPER. —The Superin intendent of ;Public Printing reports to Congress that the expense of paper has increased 100 per cent.—Baltimore (U.S.) Daily Gazette. TIIE METROPOLITAN RAlLWAY.—Yesterday Col. Yolland, the Government inspector of rail Nays, made another trip along the line. Messrs. Fenton, Tanner, Johnson, and other officials were present. The train, con sisting of an engine and carriage, started from Paddington about 11.50 a.m. along the up line to Farringth n-street station. After a careful examination of the altered signals and the electrical indicators, which have been furnished for the purpose of showing the position of the distant sema phores, the train returned along the down line of rails to Paddington. The result of this further investigation is the removal of all opposition on the part of the Board of Trade to the immediate opening of the line. This is, however, again postponed till Saturday, Jan. 10, while the inaugura tion banquet is expected to come off this day week, the 7th Jan. EAST LONDON AND ROTHERHITHE RAILWAY.— It is proposed, in order to carry this line under the Thames from the London and Blackwall Railway to Rotherhithe, so as to relieve London•bridge and its approaches, and furnish railway ac commodation to the populous districts by the East of Lon don, to purchase the Thames Tunnel, and either appro priate it to railway purposes or atop up and discontinue it for its present purposes. The precise route, as Battled by the engineers, will be from the terminus of the Blackwall Railway, about 50 yards on the west side of Christian-street, in the parish of St. George's-in-the-East, and terminating n the parish of St. Mary, Rotherhithe, Surrey, on the Deptford Lower-road. All the public thoroughfares are to be crossed by means of flat iron-girder bridges, and traffic facilities are to be afforded by the South Eastern, London and Brighton, and Blackwell Railways in respect of exten sion to New-cross. The Parliamentary estimate for con structing the line, including the purchase of the Thames Tunnel, is £303,000, with power to borrow as additional £95,000. THE WINCHBURGEI RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company have, we understand, arranged for the settlement of nearly all the claims made for compensation for lesser injuries re ceived in the terrible collision at Winchburg in Oct. last, by paying to the various parties damages ranging, accord ing to the nature of the ca e, from a few pounds to £2OO to £3OO. The claim of the widow of Mr. Hosie, the manager o I the Oakley Ironworks, which was for compensation amoun ting to £lO,OOO, has been compromised for payment of £1,250 and expenses. In the case of Mr. Hedderwick, writer, Falkirk, who was killed on the spot, his mother has put forward a claim of damages to the extent of £3,000, for which a summons has been served upon the company. The railway company, we understand, offered at an earlier stage to compromise this claim for a considerably smaller sum, which was refused. There are also one or two smaller claims by the friends of Scotch parties—one, we believe, for £4OO, and another for £l,OOO ; but these also may yet be compromised. A number of claims are also said to be likely brought forward by parties in business for loss sus tained by the death of partners or confidential servants; but considerable doubt is expressed as to whether the law of Scotland would sustain such actions. So far as the claims on account of minor injuries are concerned, the railway company are understood to have on the whole I effected their settlement with satisfactory liberality, the demand being in many cases, as it was natural to expect, very unreasonable. Mr. James Shaw, clerk to the late Mr. Hedderwick, Falkirk, who was much bruised and scalded in the accident, and whose injuries, we regret to say, have assumed a very serious aspect, lay at Linlithgow, in the Star and Garter Hotel, till Saturday, when he was removed I to Falkirk. —Scotsman. FIRES AND LOSS OF LlFE.—Yesterday afternoon, about 4 o'clock, a fire was discovered at the house, No. 3, Little Thames-street, Greenwich, occupied by an aged couple, John and Sarah Keys. With the assistance of some neighbours the fire was speedily extinguished, when the lifeless body of Sarah Keys, shockingly burnt, was found in the room in which the fire commenced. From the appearance of the unfortunate woman's clothing it is evident that she must have been sitting by the fire, and that her dress, having become ignited, set fire to the pre mises. Her husband was from home at the time, but ar rived while the fire was being put out to find his wife a corpse. The deceased was 68 years of age. Yesterday morning, about a quarter past 7 o'clock, a fire broke out in 1 the premises of Mr. Atkins, boot and shoe manufacturer, Church-street, Rotherhithe. The inmates fortunately succeeded in effecting a safe retreat, and the engines of the parish and London brigade promptly attended. There being a good supply of the Southwark Company's water obtained, the engines were set to work under the direction of Mr. Henderson, the chief officer of the D district, but in spite of all exertions the flames could not be conquered until they had passed through every portion of the house. The damage is considerable, and at present it is unknown whether the sufferer was insured or not. A fire also took place on the premises of Messrs. J. T. Bellinger and Co., grocers and tea dealers, carrying on business at Nos. 80 and 81, Aid. gate. The discovery was made by some of the inmates, who fortunately succeeded in extinguishing the fire before the arrival of the engines and before it had extended beyond the third floor, BOROUGH HOP. The business doing in all kinds of hops is very mode rate, and for inferior produce prices have a downward tendency. WHITECHAPEL. The supply of meat is moderate, and the trade rules inactive, as follows :—Beef, from 2s 4d to 3s 10d ; mutton, 38 to 48; veal, 3s 4d to 4s 4d ; and pork, 3s 4d to 4s 4d per 81bs by the carcase. A NOVEL HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—OR Sutday evening a highway robbery was perpetrated in the Norfolk-road, which, fur originality of design and boldness of execution, stands almost alone in the annals of the pro fession. On Sunday evening, at about a quarter to seven, a young man, named Charles Taylor, who was walking with a female along the Norfolk-road, Edgbastan, Avhen near to Grindlestone-lane he was tapped familiarly upon the shoulder by a man, who introduced himself as a detec tive officer, and said that he " wanted" Mr. Taylor; he had wanted him some time, and was exceedingly glad to have made his acquaintance. Taylor, taken quite aback, and thinking, we suppose, that discretion was the better part of valour, submitted to be collared and taken away along the road, as the "detective" said, to the station. After walk ing some distance the guardian "bobby" asked Mr. Taylor what he had about him, and proceeded in a very official manner to search him. Mr. Taylor believing in the bona fides of his captor, submitted to this operation too ; nor did he resist when the " detective" transferred from his pocket to his own Mr. Taylor's watch. Still he walked on, and it was not until his captor loosed, and without waiting to return his property, ran along the Norfolk-road into the Rotten Park-road, that Mr. Taylor perceived how coolly he had been robbed. He at once, with Police-constable Bar nacle, who arrived upon the spot after the thief had de camped, gave chase, but without success, for the ci-dovant member of an exceedingly useful body was by this time far away. He has at present eluded pursuit, but it is to be hoped that he will be detected, and that in the care of areal detective he will be Galled to book for his offence.--•Bar mingham Post. FEDERAL PURCHASES IN ENGLAND.—A writer in a contemporary says :—Now that Mr. Adams has been remonstrating with the Government about the purchases made by the Confederates of unarmed vessels from British subjects, it may be well to publish the follow tng extract from the report of the Northern Secretary at War, Simon Cameron, furnished to the Washington Con gress on the 9th of December, 1861 :—" After having made contracts for arms with the private establishments of this country (United States), it was deemed necessary by the President, to ensure a speedy and ample supply, to send a special agent to Europe with funds to the amount of 2,000,000 dollars to purchase more. I am gratified to state that he has made arrangements for a large number Of arms, part of which have already been delivered. The remainder will be shipped by successive steamers until all had been received." Mr. Stanton, Mr. Cameron's successor, has avoided, as he states, " for obvi ous reasons," giving any such " details " in his recent communication presented to the Federal legislature. There is a rumour current that instructions have been sent to our naval commanders to capture the Alabama and Florida. Should this be true the military officers in Canada should take possession of all the English-made arms they can find in the Federal States. The few guns that may have been bought here by the Southerners will no doubt be readily returned in such an event, as they, it is believed, have captured enough from the Yankees to answer their purpose for another campaign. Surely they are entitled to retain .hese which have been secured to them by their valour. FASHIONS IN THE REIGN OF TERROR.—No lady would have been looked upon as fashionably &Gist if she had not worn a bonnet a l'humanite and a corset a la justice. This derisory affectation, this impious frivolity, showed itself even in the manner in which the reactionists did not blush to parody the execution of their relations whom the Revolution had stricken. Wanting in respect to their own sorrows, to their own mourning, they made a very carnival of the occasion. A son wept for his father's death on the scaffold by making a movement, to his friends in the street, which imitated the falling of a head into the execu tioner's basket; the despair of a widow manifested itself in the head dress chosen for a love affAir ; the days of solemn and general affliction were days given to dancing and feast- I ing ; there were balls a la vietime, to obtain admission to which it was necessary to exhibit a formal certificate, show ing that the bearer had lost a father, a mother, a brother, or a sister, by the knife of the guillotine ; the death of simple collateral relations did not give the right of entry. The female costume indispensable at these balls was that in which the dancer's mother or sister bad perished—a red shawl and the hair clipped close to the neck.—Louis Blanc's History of the French Revolution, Vol. XI. THE HARTLEY COLLIERY CATASTROPHE.—On Saturday, the sinkers who so heroically and at such imminent personal risk exerted themselves on behalf of the men entombed in the ill-fated mine were presented with the medals which had been prepared for their reception by an admiring and grateful British public. There was no ceremony, the formal proceedingt having taken place is the Town-hall on the 20th of May last; and the noble gifts— fac similes of which had been previously distributed—were now merely handed over to the owners by Mr. T. C. Hurst, the secretary of the testimonial fund. The brave workmen, of whom there were 38, seemed justly proud of the rewards of merit.—Fewcastle Chronicle. An inquest was held at Bradford, on Monday, on the body of a woman 72 years of age, who had died of starvation. She used to receive parochial relief, but the relieving officer stopped it two months since, because she had a lodger in her house. The coroner administered a heavy rebuke to the parish official. REVOLUTION IN JAPAN. We have just received a supplement to the Japan Heral 1 of the 22d October, published at Yokohama. The news is one day later than the letter which appeared in our impression of Monday last. It says:— " Intelligence of a very important character has just come to our hands. During the past week Japan has under gone a revolution. Quietly, without any demonstration, the whole constitution has been changed. The laws enacted by Iyeyas in 1599-1600 have been abrogated. The power and influence of the Tycoon and Eastern Court, so to speak, have been curtailed. Jeddo has the prospect in no long time of being reduced to a second-rate town ; possibly even the Tycoon may have been requested to retire to make way for another; and this has been accomplished without the firing of a shot or the issuing of a proclamation. The whole em pire, except probably the Emperor's Court at Miako, is in ignorance of the change—a change of importance not only to the empire but to the Powers which have relations with it. For some time past everything within the political horizon has been denoting this change; as we stated a few weeks ago, the political influence and interests were desert ing Jeddo, and clustering round Miako. We had not anti cipated that so important a ch Inge, so oompleto a boteeverse ment, was to occur within so short a time. "REPORTED ASSASSINATION OF THE REGENT " S:nce the above was in type we have heard a report from Jeddo, to the effect that the present Regent, formerly Matzdaira Etzizen no-Kami, now known as Sosayee,' or Sodangaite,' has been assassinated by his head retainer or Karowo ; and that the assassin immediately after the com mittal of the deed performed the Harikiri. We do not vouch for the accuracy of the statement, and shall probably not learn the truth for some days, even if the report turn out to be correct." SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. RACING FIXTURES FOR 1863. FEBRUARY. Lincoln 25 MARCH. Nottingham Spring 3 I Doncaster Spring ..17 Derby Spring Liverpool Spring lO Northampton 24 Shrewsbury l2 Croxton Park ..27 APRIL. Newmarket Craven 6 Durham . 6 Catterick Bridge 8 Thirsk l4 Epsom Spring 16 Newmarket F. S 20 York Spring 2B Salisbury M. Cheater 5 Bath l2 Y. ft Harpenden l5 Eysor . a l9 Marlborough l4 Manchester 27 Ascot 2 Newton 10 O li d a i mp m ton lO ha 16 Bibury Club l7 Stockbridge lB Chelmsford 23 Newcastle 23 Carlisle Worcester 2 Newmarket July .. 7 Abington 14 Hungerford l6 Nottingham 21 Winchester 2l Goodwood 28 Brighton __... 4 Brighton Club 6 Lewes Reading Derby Summer Lichfield ......... Leicester lO Doncaster 15 OCTI Newmarket S. 0 ..12 Lincoln Autumn 21 NOTE' Worcester ' 3 York August lB Devon and Exeter l9 Egham 25 UST. :MBER. SEPT] Brecon 2l Monmouth 24 Manchester Autumn 25 Newmarket Ist Oct. 29 o BE R. Newmarket Houghton ..26 :MBER. I Shrewsbury Autumn....l7 SPEEPLECHASING FIXTURES FOR 1863. JANUARY. Manchester FEBRUARY. Carmarthenshire Hunt .. 2 I Aberystwith Hunt 16 Scarborough 11 Birmingham . .23 Reading l2 Lincoln 26 _ _ MARCH. Grand National Hunt (Market Harborough —26 IRISH—APRIL. Kildare Hunt l5 AQUATICS. THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THAMES. CHAMBERS AND EVERSON. According to agreement, the backers of George Everson, of Greenwich, went to the New Inn, Old Bailey, yesterday (Tuesday), and waited for some time to meet Mr. Wilkin son, the backers of Chambers, and as he did not put in an appearance, a telegraphic message was sent to Newcastle, which was answered by the intelligence that Mr. Wilkin son had met with an accident on Friday, which precluded all possibility of his attendance. A couple of Chambers's backers, however, met Ev.-zson's friends, and arrangements were entered into to row for X 2.00 a-side, on the Thames, from Putney to Mortlake, on April 14, Chambers to receive £2O for expenses, which sum has been given by a gentle man to ensure the match. They meet on Friday, at throe o'clock, at Mr. Wall's, the Maltster, Fair Ground, Green wich, to draw up articles. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE---This Day. LONDON, Dec. 31.—Wind this day at noon—North ; fresh breeze, and fine weather. FALMOUTH, Dec. 30.—Wind N.—Sailed—Bianca, for Calcutta. OFF MARGATE, Dec. 30.—Arrived—Saneho Panza, from Foo-chow-foo. PLYMOUTH, Dee. 30.—Wind N.W,—Arrived—Scandia, from Rio Janeiro, for London, with damage to portside, having been in collision, Dec. 17, with a ship, supposed to be English. (BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.) GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning, Arrived, Dec. 30—Esperanza, from Sarawak; Ashburton, from New York; Aminta, from Calcutta; Oithona. from Canton; John Baring, from Alexandria; Maiden Queen, from Foo-chow-foo; Jane Gardner, from Aarhuus ; City of Bristol, from Penang; Expert, from Newport; Bard of Avon, from Pugwash ; Monarch, from Melbourne. Arrived, Dec. 31.—Drogheda, from Pugwash ; Jubilee, from Shanghae ; Anne Jewett, from Newport; Star Queen, from Foo-chow-foo. REAL, Wednesday Morning. Passed—Salo, for Canaries ; Black Hawk, for New York ; Norna, screw steamer, for Matta—all for London; Venus, of Exeter, from North, for West. Anchored. —Oregon, from St. John's, for London. REPRESENTATION OF RETGATE.—Last evening the Hon. J. Stuart Wortley met the electors of Rei gate at the new public hall. About 300 persons were pre sent. Mr. Wortley said, in cDming before the electors as a candidate for their suffrages, it was necessary he should state his political views. He was a moderate or Liberal- Conservative. He wished nut to check progress, but to maintain the great institutions of the country. The Government was a weak one, and, in fact, Lord Pal merston governed moro from the personal respect of the people, who liked him as a brave, straightforward English man, than from any regard for his political principles. If returned, he would not, however, seek to disturb the present Government. Lord Palmerston had conducted the affairs of the country with honour and integrity ; nor did he believe there were ten men in the house who wished to disturb him. There might be same present who would even now hardly forgive Sir Robert Peel for what he had done in repealing the corn laws, but notwithstanding their repeal, ho (Mr. Wortley) doubted if the agriculturists were ever doing better than they were now. It was difficult to say what the questions of the day were. There was at present a sort of political calm. He was still opposed to any lowering of the franchise ; a £lO house qualification was quite low enough, although he should be glad to see the franchise extended to all worthy, intelligent, and well-read mechanics and arti sans. He was opposed to the ballot. The next most important question was that of Church-rates. Although a stanch adherent of the Church, he believed it was the duty of Government to ascertain how that could be done away with. With regard to the public expenditure it was no doubt a matter of great surprise that in a time of peace it should be £71,000,000 annually ; but we were a great and wealthy nation, and a great expenditure was necessary to defend our interest and honour. Whatever else the issue of the war in America might be, one thing he was told was certain—that slavery would not continue. Americans had told him that the war could not last beyond the present winter. He hoped that it might be so, for he was sure that every Englishman wished to see the war at an end, and the Americans once more among our best friends and customers. OPPOSITION TO FERRY RATES.—The inhabitants of Wallasey, near Liverpool, are agitating for the abolition of the ferry rate levied upon them and have deter mined to defray the expenses of litigation in order to secure its removal. At anu merously attended meeting of ratepayers on Monday evening the following resolution was carried nem.dis. :--That this meeting regards it of great importance to the int eres ts of this district that the rate for ferry pur poses should be set aside, and pledges itself to support the opposition by subscription." The subject of ferry arrange ments at Wallasey has been a source of endless annoyance to the inhabitants of Wallasey and Liverpool. EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION.—CHESTER, Tues day Night.—The outbreak of a fire, resulting in the destruction of the Exchange and Town-hall, was dis covered shortly after six o'clock this evening. l'ha flames quickly obtained the ascendancy, notwithstanding the strenuous efforts of the city fire brigade and the men of her Majesty's 49th Regiment, now quartered at the Castle. Before 11 o'clock the Sessions-house, Justice Courts, As sembly-rooms, and Council Chamber were completely gutted. A considerable portion of the furniture and pic tures is saved. The building was insured in the Unity Office for £5,0001 The Late Fire and Loss of Six Lives. CORONER'S INQUEST. Mr. Bedford, the coroner for Westminster, opened an inquiry yesterday into the cause of the lamentable loss of life which occurred at the fire which broke out a few days ago in Portland-street, Soho. The jury having viewed the bodies, The Coroner said all he proposed to do at that sitting was to have the bodies identified, and after hearing the medical evidence to adjourn for a few days. He did not think, after the sickening sight the jury had just wit nessed, they were in a state of mind to go into the in quiry, which promised to be a very lengthened one. Henry Hitchens was then called, and proved the bodies to be those of Samuel, Sarah Ann, Emily, Joel Walter, Edward and Alfred Spencer. Dr. Buzzard, of Great Marlborough-street, said that be had seen the bodies of the unfortunate children, and found the burns not very deep but extensive. The faces were all bronzed or blackened by the smoke, and the bodies were covered with broken blisters. Tho eldest had sus tained the most severe injury, as one of the hands hal been entirely burned off. He had made a post mortem examination of the body of the boy Edward, aged six, and ha was of opinion that death had been produced by the shock occasioned by burning. The Coroner—Not from suffocation ? Witnesc—No; not from suffocation. I think all died from injuries from burning. One of the Churchwardens of St. James's said the authorities of the parish took groat interest in the present inquiry, as four of the deceased children were inmates of their Parochial school at Wandsworth, and had only come up from the institution a few days previous to their death to spend the Christmas with their friends. He felt exceed ingly gratified at hearing that all the circumstances con nected with the fearful calamity would be thoroughly in vestigated. The inquiry was then adjourned until Tuesday next, at he Vestry-hall, St. James's Piccadilly. LONDON GAZETTE—Yesterday. BOROUGH OF TOTNES. The Gazette contains the Speaker's warrant for issuing a new writ for the electing of a member to serve in Parlia ment for the borough of Totnes in the room of the H' n. George Hay, commonly called the Earl of Gifford, now deceased. FOREIGN-OFFICE, DEc. 14. The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint Francis Howard Vyse, Esq., now her Majesty's Consul at Kanagawa, to be her Majesty's Consul at Hakodadi. The Queen has also been graciously pleased to appoint Charles Alexander Winchester, Esq., now her Majesty's Consul at Hakodadi, to be her Majesty's Consul at Kana gawa. FOREIGN OFFICE, DEC. 29. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. James Bullock as Consul at Akyab for his Majesty the King of the Belgians. The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr. E. Oesterley as Consul at Calcutta for his Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Oldenburgb. The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr. G. Gilmour as Consul at Glasgow for the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr. Alex andre Duranty as Vice-Consul at Fleetwood for the Re public of Haiti. WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, DEC. 30. 7th Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Captain Peter With ington to be Major, by purchase, vice Brevet Lieutenant- Colonel Adolphus William Desert Burton, C. 8., who retires ; Lieutenant Edmund Prideaux Chichester to be Captain, by purchase, vice Withington. 6th Regiment of Foot—Captain Richard Thompson to be Major, without purchase, vice Edward Jai: Blanckley, • deceased ; Lieutenant Thomas Mortimer Kelson to be Captain, without: purchase, vice Thompson; Ensign Gustavus Wheatley Berry Collis, to be Lieutenant, with out purchase, vice Kelson. 7th Foot—Ensign the Hon. Wyndham Percy Moreton to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice George William Henry Holyoake, who retires ; Reginald Broadhurst a Beckett, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Hon. W. P. Moreton. 17th Foot—Lieutenant George Daniel Webber to be Cap tain, by purchase, vice Anthony Powell T ra h erne , w h o retires; Ensign obn Henry Thorold to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Webber ; Charles Peter M organ , G ent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice There'd, 22d Foot—Captain William M‘Bean to be Major, by pur chase, vice William Mills Molony, who retires; Lieute nant Thomas Wiling Wiling to be Captain, by purchase. vice M‘Bean ; Ensign John Henry Hamersicy to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Gilling ; Robert James Dallin, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Ha mersley. 25th Foot—Ensign Richard Thomas Higgins to be Lieu tenant, by purchase, vice Roderick John Hanley, who retires; Henry Haynes Preston Powell, Gent., to be En sign, by purchase, vice Higgins. 69th Foot—Ensign Charles Peter Morgan, from the 17th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Henry Richard Lacy who has been superseded for being absent without leave. 92d Foot -Charles Stuart - Forster Alleyne, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice John Campbell, transferred to the 93d Foot, 93d Foot—Brevet Major Frederick 'William Burroughs, to be Major, without purchase, vice W. G. A. Middleton, deceased; Brevet Major Erskine Scott Francis George Dawson to be Major, without purchase, vice Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel W. D. Macdonald, deceased ; Lieu tenant George Rowe Fenwick to be Captain, without purchase, vice Brevet-Major Burroughs; Lieutenant Anthony Olivier Tabuteau to t o Captain, without pur chase, vice Brevet. Major Dawson; Ensign William Forbes to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Tabu teau; Ensign Je.hn Campbell, from th e 92d Foot, to be Eusign, vice Charles Edward Condell, who retires. BREVE I'. Major John Wimburn Laurie to have the local and honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army while employed on a particular service in British North America. Paymaster, with the honorary rank of Captain, Samuel Benison, of the 39th Foot, to have the honorary rank of Major. r e Major Adam Henry Crawford,Arthur WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, D EC . 30. Royal Artillery—Seco n d C a pt a i n F a lkl and Carey to b e VCaerno n,rn ta o i n n : d v e i c c e e as C e a d p ; ta L in ie ut and e n B a n r t e v G e e6 l t o - 11 , aj on the Supernumerary List, to be Second Captain; Lieu tenant Townsend Aremburg de Moleyns to be second Captain, vice Carey ; Lieutenant George Scott Chiene has been removal from the Army, her Majesty having no further occasion for his services. Royal Engineers—The following Officers, with temporary rank, to be Lieutenants, with permanent rank :—Lieute nants Stephen Weston Jenner, Arnold Charles Wal linger, Edward Harvey, Henry Fowler, John 11-nry Urquhart, HenryHoraco Baker, James Devereux. Bowly, Charles Cann ngham, William Alexander Wildman Orange, Thomas Glancy, Arthur Clitherow Ward, Albert Charles Smith, John Edward Toiler, and Francis William Nixon. BREVET. Second Captain Charles George Gordon, of the Royal Engineers, to be Major in the Army. The undermentioned officers of the Royal Engineers, having completed five years' qualifying service in the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, to be Colonels in the Army : Lieutenant-Colonel Conolly M'Causland. Lieutenant-Colonel John Cameron. BANKRUPTS. The following are the only bankrupts of importance in the Gazette *— Thomas Henry Abell. grocer, Okehampton William Garner, licensed victualler, Liverpool John Berry, ironmonger, Oldham Cornelius Horn, plait dealer, Dunstable Thomas Leech, farmer, Mobberley, Cheshire Steward Wilson, grocer, Gaits. b ill, Cumberland Henry Porter, farmer, Soham, Cambridge James Gates, cab proprietor, Russell. square Raymond England, plumber, King •street, Hammer smith. Samuel B. Rawlings, miller, Oakham, Rutlandshire Robert A. Kirkaldy, printer, Upper Ground-street, Blacktriars Thos. Sniitb, attorney, Weston-Super-Mare. SCOTCH BANKRUPTS. Edward Opray, spirit merchant, Glasgow Henry P. Capreol, Linlithgow Algie and Watt, tea merchants, Glasgow Thomas Whyta, grocer, Dundee Samuel Strahan, flesher, Brechin John Fatly, builder, Edinburgh Robert Buchan, farmer, Chapelton Alexander Forbes, farmer, West Ruthven Course of the Exchange—Yesterday. Amsterdam Ditto Rotterdam — 11 161 11 161 Antwerp 25 371 25 421 Brussel s _ 25 371 2,5 421 Elamburgh — 13 6 13 61 Paris Ditto 42142 M arse ill es Frankfort on Maine — 1181 119 Vienna Trieste Petersburgh — 35 35/ Berlin 49 49 Madrid Cadiz Leghorn — '2.s 55 2.5 60 Milan • ... 25 521 25 571 Genoa .............. 25 55 25 60 Naples . ............ 391 391 Palermo .. 1191 1191 Messina — 1191 1191 Lisbon — 521 52/ Oporto 521 521 Foreign Gold in Bars (Standard), per oz £3 17 9 Mexican Dollars - 0 5 3 Silver in Bars (Standard) South American Doubloons 0 0 0 - - LkTEST NOVELTY.—The New York papers boast of an invention which will destroy iron-clads, the most impregnable of them being as u nprotected against it as a wooden vessel against a 5001 b. ball. The inventor is an engineer in the pay of the Government, has been in the Naval Engineer corps for years, and while attached to the man. of-war Kearsarge, in the Mediterranean, conceived the idea which is to revolutionise even the latest modes of naval warfare. The gentleman alluded to was recalled from the Mediterranean, and arrived some weeks ago. He visited the Navy Department, and laid before a somewhat incredulous Board the nature of his extraordinary plan. Ills scheme is to get a fair and impartial trial, and an iron clad man-of-war now in course of construction has been turned over to him that he may have his machine fixed tri his satisfaction. The inventor is First Assistant -Engineer James W. Whittaker, of New Jersey. He entered the navy in 1857, and made his first cruise in the steam cor vette Brooklyn in 1859. He is considered a clever profes sional man by his coreFeers, some of whom, however, doubt the value of his invention, which is said to be a torpedo.