The Sun. — London, England, 1862-12-17 00:00:00

IVES of EMINENT ST ATESA.IEN, fUN, every week. One Penny; Vow Ready, handsomely bound in Magenta the cloth, gilt, price 4s. CLL ; post tree, ~ SECOND balf-yearly VOLUME of FUN, with 1.7 numerous Engrairinf:•s b3r talented artists, and humor ous Articles by the following distinguished writers : W. Bailey, Esq. W. S. Gilbert, Esq. W. Barber. Esq. ' T. Hood, Esq. E. L. Blanchard, Esq. T. S. Jerrold, Esq. G. W. Bridgeman, Esq. W. J. Prowse, Esq. F. C. Burnand, Esq. Godfrey Turner, Esq. H. J. Byron, Esq. &c., ka, &c. Office, 80, Fleet-street, London. RALF-A-DOZEN UMBRELLAS in the Christmas Number of SATURDAY NIGHT. Con ducted by THOMAS HOOD, •„„ For full particulars of amusements gee first page. ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-GARDEN. This Evening, Wallace's new opera, LOVE'S TRIUMPH. Commence at 8. THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET. 'nig Evening, DUCK HUNTING. After which, OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. With A DAY AFTER TUE WEDDING. And MY HUSBAND'S GHOST, Commence at 7. NEW THEATRE -ROYAL, ADELPHI, This Evening*, AGNES DE DEICE. Followed by THE WOMAN -HATER. CommHE HONEYMOON. ence at 7. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. This E•ening, IT MUST BE TRUE, 'TWAS IN TIM'. PAPERS. Followed by PEEP O'DAY. To conclude with ICILLAttNET. Commence at 7. ARGYLL ROOMS, Great Windmill-street, 119 T tarket. Open every evening for Promenade and Dancing-. CANTERBURY HALL.—EVERY EVENING. — Grand Selections from Verdi's " Boccanel-4-ra," Macfarren'S Cantata "May Day," an d Locke's Ig i us ic of " Macbeth. The Etoile Family —Unsworth, Eugene, sad Duley, &a Commence at 7. THE OXFORD, 6, ORFORD-STREET, EVERY Caroline EVENING.—Ite-app earance of Unsworth, the orial of "Or any o ther man" -T h e Colleen Bawn, by Miss Parkes —Mr. Maclagan's Entertainment Drew Dean, the great Flautist —the Neapotan 3Elinpels—Selections from Verdi's " IlCorsaro" and Nabuco, Donizetti's "Don Se bast en„ &a, with full band and chorus. Commence at 7. lIIGII WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. This De. Y.—No ming, 911. 46m.—Afternoon, 10h. 25m. To-laohnow.-Morning, 1113. Om.—Afternoon,illh. 30m. We have now the PRESIDENT'S Message in its entirety before us, and having carefully perused the whole, we see little, if anything, even to qualify in the remarks which we made yesterday. Five or six columns of small type is more than most readers will care to wade through, especially when a great part of the topics are uninteresting enough, at least in their full discussion. \Ve give it nevertheless for the benefit of the more studious, and because it is a document which may be frequently referred to in the debates of the Congress, now sitting, for months to come. We ought to be fair towards a man of Mr. LINCOLN'S abilities, pretending as he does to nothing like genius, in a position which would test to the uttermost the highest powers of statesmanship. And if his eyes are not fully opened to the great ness of the crisis in which he is placed, this is no more than may be said of half the states men of repute whom the old world with all its experience has produced. He sees all things, as an American of his party would see them. And, if he indulges in what seems to him broad views, their breadth consists in spanning the whole American Continent, and including all its territories in one monster Union. Probably no American statesman has yet got beyond the states manship of a Russian, that of confounding vastness with greatness and power. In looking at this long document, apart from the business details, the reader will be struck with the very long space assigned to an argument merely. An argument in favour of American vastness. Mr. LINCOLN labours to show that disunion would bo no remedy for the differences between the people of the two sections. He quotes his old language to show that it could not—that the fugitive slave law, and engagements between the North and South, would certainly not be more easily en forced.through separation and dealing with each other as foreign nations. But he spends his strength on a geographical proof that separation of North America into two parts —he might have added into three or four—is impracticable. The river lines possible are but a small part of what is required. " Surveyors' lines," as he terms them, across which a person may walk without being conscious of it, are not "natural boundaries," of which we heard so much in Europe, and which Europe, along a large part of its boun daries has been obliged to dispense with. But his grand argument against separation is, that a mil lion of square miles in the centre of North Ame rica,—the vast territory which lies between the Alleghanies and the Rocky Mountains on the East and West, the British Dominion on the North, and the Cotton region on the South—that this vast ter ritory will refuse to be shut out from the sea. It is rapidly peopling it,elf. It is certain to become the most powerful part of America. It can now freely communicate with the world as part of the same nation to which New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco belong. But it would never sub mit to becoming a landlocked territory. Hence all North America below the British territory must form a nation one and indivisible. Q. E. D. Prudence, we may be sure, not modesty, kept Mr. LINCOLN from saying what every ardent Unionist believes, that Canada, Columbia, and all the British Possessions in America, are one day to become limbs of the Federal POLYPHEMUS, whose single eye is Washington. The articles on emancipation to be proposed to Con gress, and by Congress to be proposed to the Federa tion and Confederation, are we observe to be offered as amendments to the constitution in the precise form provided by its fifth article. That is, two-thirds of both Houses are first to vote them ; then the assent is to be obtained by two_thirds of all the legisla tures of the States composing the Union, or of State conventions convened for the purpose. Mr. LIN coL, ought to know his chances of getting this three-fourth b etter than we can do. But as it e would involve getting assent to the proposals by seven of the States themselves, he says it seems to the l ast degree improbable that he could get the legal m to making the articles r of States essential valid amendments of the Constitution. When they have become law, PPosing this pos sible, it would still be open to each of the States, in pR the corn the exercise of it - 1 sovereignty, t o accept pensation fur their slave s which the stu ENT would be authorised to offer. Eaah State wou ld be able to retain wha t it now pro claims to be its divine institution. The only induce ment we observe to prompt action is that the com pensation will be pr o p ortioned to the promptitude. As the slaves to be paid for are those ascertained to be in existence in 1860, the date of toe census, it seems a part of the plan that those who doe. ie be tween that time and 19 00 shall not be paid fOf this, however, we are not quite sure. It may be that if not a soul is emancipated till the year 1899, the payment would still be for all who had been owned by the State at the date of the eighth census. Should this last be Mr. LiscoLN's meaning, we really see no reason why the Slave States, if they at all desired peace, should not accept the offer at ir e• :I v A iii* ~.t , ' , 10. i f i, , -..- 7 - __ -- - ..---—..4""`14 , I s • , 4 i , 4 i • iir o S DIE t• THE SUN. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17, 1862 THE SUN, LOMIXYN, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER - 47, 1862. ------------- - -- ----- - -------- ---- Suffrage. TheDemcs once. They could, under it, remain slave states as the new Sovereignby Universal . . 1 long as they pleased ; or could take, if it should had with one accordant voice to name the Bastlens ! seem good to them to do so, a splendid sum as COM- And the Greek Peoplo . .affrage—and have named him—the ple ultitude have freely sensation any time within thirty-seven years. bin/Y. is completed—the ::" Mr. LINCOLN presses his plan on the considerate asserted their choice by Universal -le that has come forth from the eil,:. ti " lion of the country with the earnestness of a man the one nat other names I) is the name .of— sincerely desirous to heal its bl ood y q uarrels, and (topping all ALFRED ! to restore peace on a sound and lasting basis. He argues, in which we agree with h im, that compen- In the capital aloe, out of 10,000 votes, 9,800 have 'to, Hi hness. The decision sa ti o n would be cheaper than war , s e t tin g aside its been in fat is all but unanimoguvour of his s. It would hardly more humane character. That e ver y other plan a rrived a which can be proposed is beset with ;greater difti- be an exaggeration to assert That it is unanimous. culties than his, that the grand question all the- Were we Greeks we would say the same. The very do bet- opposition of the Foreign Powers to the candidature States have to ask themselves is—" Can w© ter ?" He thinks it needful, however, to threaten of the English Prince is nothing less than an out os well as to expostulate. He foregoes neither the rage to Greek independence. ALFRED, and none war nor his proclamation. The adoption of his but ALFRED, should be our Sovereign- It has plan would stay both ; but if the rebels will have risen into a point of honour, and with resolution the emancip a tion, they must take the Greeks we may be certain can y et, if they will, w ar and military responsibility of their choice. He offers them re- carry their point. — un i on , peaces equal position, voluntary emancipa- ------ 1 tion, with a splendid and profitable reward, or retention of slavery as long as they like. What could they have more in separation and rebellion ? We fear their answer will be—first, we will admit no such dealing with the "Divine institu tion" of slavery, by compensation or other wise, as shall imply that this gift of Heaven is a social or political evil. And secondly, we, the politicians of the South, do not mean to humble ourselves to form again part of a Congress, in which Yankee shopkeepers are all powerful. "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." ' We mean to be the leaders of a new nation, not the minority partners in an old one. The pride of power, fanatical devo tion to slavery, determination to retain absolute and irresponsible power over the bodies and souls of an " inferior race," and bitter hatred and con tempt for the North, will lead JEFFERSON DAVIS and his fellow men-dealers, to spurn to the last the most conciliatory offers. Surely, however, their doing so will reveal to all the world the vileness of the cause for which they persist in bloodshed — le cause of independence for irresponsible tyranny VARIETIES. (From Fun.) STRANGE I—We have been told, and have every reason to believe, that the Mansion House, although situated, as it is, in the very heart of the City, and despite the time of year, contains, at the present moment, within its walls, an extremely fine bed of rose's I MvslcAL.—lf the pianofortes be introduced into the police bands, the instruments will be, of course, of the manufacture of Collard and Collard. THE BEST " CARTES DE VISITE" FOR LANCASHIRE. — Bakers' and butchers' carts. THE DARE AGES.—The ages of ladies between sixteen and sixty. CON. BY A COPYST.—Why is it awkward to have your ink handy ?—Because it's ink-convenient. GREEK GRAMMAR.—The first letter in the Greek lan guage is now Alpha-red. May the Cattle Show be called a Joint Stock Company? " MOTTER FOR A GAROTTER."—BrabraCe every oppor tunity. A correspondent wants to know if he were to show his carte de visite to a person with a bad cold in his throat, whether it would be putting the cart before the horse ?-1 - lo must give us time to consider. THE REMAINS OF THE LATE PRINCE CONSORT. —The new Royal mausoleum in Frogmore Gardens will be consecrated about 2 o'clock to-day (Wednesday). The members of the Royal Household will attend, and the choir of St. George's Chapel, Windsor, will assist at the cere mony. The final removal of the remains of his late Royal Highness to the mausoleum will take place at an early hour to-morrow (Thursday) morning. The arrangements for the re-interment (which will be conducted with the greatest privacy) will be carried out by Mr. Banting and his assist ant, who will undertake the removal. The services in St. George's Chapel are consequently suspended till the coffin containing the earthly remains of the illustrious deceased has been removed from the Royal vault beneath the chapel to the mausoleum erected for its reception at Frogmore. On Sunday, the anniversary of the death of the Prince, the service in St. George's Chapel was conducted by the Hon. and Rev. Lord W. Russell, The anthem "I am the Re surrection and the Life" &c., was sung by the choir with marked effect. Lord Russell preached from Lamentations, chap. iii. v. 20, " My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me." In the afternoon Luther's hymn, " Great God, what do I see and hear ?" was performed with great solemnity, and the chapel was crowded to excess, vast numbers being obliged to stand during the whole of As to the unanimity of the Greeks in their de mand of Prince ALYRED as their new Sovereign, thus writes, but a few days since, at Athens, an eyewitness as dispassionate as the special correspon dent of our chief morning contemporary :—" The whole country, almost without the exception of a single town or province, had raised his voice in favour of Prince ALFRED. High and low, town and country, civilians and military, the clergy and the municipalities, had all joined. Such was, indeed, the unanimity that it was likely to deaden all sti mulus for further exertions. Every one seemed content to wait for the meeting of the National Assembly, sure as every one felt that no Assembly, however composed, could disregard or oppose a Divine Service. It is stated that M. de Lamartine has just sold his " Memoirs from Beyond the Grave" for about £B,OOO. It is stated that the practice of charging unpaid ' book packets with letter postage, as a penalty, is likely soon to bo discontinued. _ _ popular wish so loudly expressed. 'When, there fore, the idea was put forward to open lists all over the country, and collect signatures in favour of Prince ALFRED'S candidature, it was approved; but not much passed, for it was looked upon as a superfluous exertion. No dissentient voice had been heard; so what more proof was there required Vv A LANCASHIRE CELLAR.—It was tenanted by two women. It was as ill off for furniture as it well could be. to show the feeling of the country ?" One only anxiety remained : it was seen upon the instant — namely, a profound solicitude on the part of the Greeks to hear what view England would ,ake of this Greek view of Prince ALFRED'S candidature ? Buoyed up with high hopes at first, the people of Greeco found those hopes speedily enough dashed to the very dust by the intimation simultaneously coming to them that the election of an English Prince to the throne would never be recognised by the French or the Russian Govern ment. As might have been expected, however, the more the conviction grew that the choice of the Greeks themselves would be opposed by the chief Powers of Europe, the more firmly resolved are the Greeks themselves to avow their determination to have his Royal Highness, and no other than his Royal Highness. Bewildered by the perplexity of his position between the enthusiasm of the Greeks on the one hand, and the enigmatical re ticence of his own Government on the other—Mr. SCABLETT, the British Ambassador to the Court of Athens, or rather to the Revolutionary Provisional Government of that Metropolis, could only extricate himself from his dilemma by answering the deputations that waited upon him from time to time at the British Legation, most oracularly ! Oracular in its ambiguity had been the telegram received by him on the 16th of Nov. Oracular, too, had been the in structions, dated on the following 20th, from Down ing-street. Consequently, his Excellency had nothing else to do in his turn but to speak oracu larly. His instructions were, nevertheless, signifi cant in their very ambiguity. They amounted to this—the respecting of the freedom of the Greeks in electing, and the non-interference with them in any way whatever. Knowing this, listening to Mr. SCARLETT, learning how it was the English Go vernment still held themselves aloof from the ex citement, the Greek blood was up. " Greek met Greek"—in amity ! And " then came the tug of war" —against all their foreign opponents ! In a single night, as the Times' correspondent remarks, the whole people seemed to have undergone a sud den and complete metamorphosis. All hesitations and doubts as to their choice of a King appeared to have vanished :—" What had been yesterday a question of policy, of interests, of expediency, had changed to-day into a question of principle and of national honour. They had asserted their claim as an independent people, and how could they expect this claim to be recognised if at the very beginning they showed that they either did not know their own minds or that they shrunk back at the very first appearance of a difficulty ? It was sufficient to seal their fate for ever after, and re duce them to the same system of tutelage from which they had only just emancipated themselves. They understood that it was unworthy of a people which claimed to be independent to be swayed, as they had been hitherto, by t he good pleasure or displeasure of patrons, and that their first consi sideration ought always to be their own well under etood interest. This once brought home to them, all hesitation ceased. The unanimous conviction of Greece was that Y.er interests will be best secured under an English Prince; consequently the duty of every Greek was to bring about this solution, without allowing himself to bo deterred or swayed by any other consideration. Once the election over it will be for England to decide whether 1 she thinks fit to accept the offer or not. This resolution m e Prevent tatatlel the once taken every one was anxio us to press matters intrigues." them to an issue, so as to tio the n latter to the A final depute c the P oiniterovisional Government indicated to only course e es really left open to them und er t h e A decree in the the name of the Provisional Government was drawn up and published, calling theuoblished, Hellenic nce upont o the whole Manhood orise and make their choice in the light of day, and in the sight of the entire world—to make their own free choice of a new sovereign. It was an ordering in other words— this_notable Decree —of a plebiscite for the election of LATEST NEWS. PARIS, DEC. 17. The Molziteur of this morning publishes the fol lowing latest intelligence from Mexico " Tho state of health of the troops is generally good. The only sickness prevailing arises from fevers, the gravity of which diminishes every day. " Communication between Vera Cruz and Orizaba 1 is becoming more easy. Twelve days, however, are still necessary to perform the journey. The want of means of transport has prevented the commence ment of operations. This state of things has been modified by the despatch of 1,200 mules and 280 carts frcm New York to Vera Cruz on the 14th of INovember last. " Before entering Jalapa General Berthier's van guard defeated a corps of Mexican lancers; 4,000 national guards immediately dispersed. The enemy lost 15 killed, 35 wounded, 50 saddle horses taken, and 10 killed. The road was strewed with arms thrown away by the fugitives. " The French troops lost two killed and five wounded." The floor was of stone, but very clean. Here, too, was ono of those frigid wooden bare bedsteads, but it looked clean and the straw or shavings which stood in place of the mattress were decently covered up. What there was in the room was placed in an orderly and symmetri cal fashion; and an old chest, and an object which stands out in my memory as a bandbox, were both covered neatly at the top with handkerchiefs, or some other kind of clean cloths, so as to give them a sort of extra vagant air of ottomans. Whether this was the work of the woman I saw in the room, or of her fellow-tenant, I know not ; but the appearance and behaviour of the woman whom I found here was quite consistent with such modest heroism. She had a son, poor creature, who had worked for her, but now they had been obliged to break up their little establishment and separate. As the poor woman spoke of her boy, her strength gave way, and:the tears came up into her eyes : standing there, as some very bitter tears will do, without overflowing. Little things these, no doubt. An old bandbox set against a wall, with a clean handkerchief, or duster, mayhap, stretched neatly ever it, is not much to some people. But, indeed, such little things make all the difference; and by them, one may tell to which of two great classes people belong, and whether they are to be ranked among those who do all they can under all circumstances, and to try to make the best_of everything, or sink prostrate under the first stroke of misfortune without making a single effort, worthy of the name, to save themselves.—All the Year Round. THE ATTORNEY'S CERTIFICATE DUTY.—Yester day was the last day for taking out attorneys' certificates for the ensuing year, to bear date from the 15th November. The certificates taken out until the Ist January will bear the date of the day on which they are issued. The present duty is £9 to practise in London, and £0 in the country, and that amount has been imposed since 1853, before which time the respective amounts were £l2 and £B. There are upwards of £lO,OOO attorneys on the roll, and something like £70,000 is paid by the profession to the revenue. PROPOSED DINNER TO LORD PALMERSTON.— A meeting of the Conveners of the Liberal Committee was held on Monday in Edinburgh, to consider as to in viting Lord Palmerston to a public dinner during his ap proaching visit to Scotland. Sir William Gibson-Graig was called to the chair, and the following resolutions were unanimously and cordially agreed to :—" That, in the prospect of Lord Palmerston paying an early visit to Sc tlatd in connection with his office of Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, it is de sirable that public expression should be given to the admiration so generally entertained of his lordship's Liberal policy and valuable services as a statesman, and of the vigilance and success with which, in the true interests of peace, he has promoted the safety and maintained the honour of the country. That Lord Palmerston be respect fully solicited to accept a public entertainment in the City of Edinburgh, on as early a day as may be consistent with his lordship's convenience." A third resolution appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements in the event of Lord Palmerston's acceptance. The movers and seconders were Mr. Black, M.P.; Sir W. Johnston; Bailie Russell, Bailie Mossman ; Mr. Richardson, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce ; Mr. A. R. Clark, advocate ; Mr. W. Chambers of Glenormiston; Mr. Jas. Cowan, &c. —Scotsman. BRUTAL OUTRAGE BY POLICE OFFICERS.—The Newcastle Chronicle describes a brutal assault made a few days ago by some policemen of the Durham county force, on a young man named Greener, at Stella. It appears that Greens,- and some others had gone to the rescue of a keelman called Forester, who had been called on to defend himself against fearful odds, and a body of policemen entered a publichouso at Stella, with the view of appre hending him for the part he had taken in the affray. " A number of persons were in the house at the time, amongst the rest were Greenor's father and brother. Immediately the father knew the errand of the policemen he wont up to his son, and urged him to surrender himself quietly. Without any warning a policeman knocked the father to the floor with his staff. The brother, seeing the unpro voked attack on his father, rushed at the policeman and knocked him down. No sooner was this done than three or four policemen entered the room with drawn staves, and laid about them right and left. One of the Greenors they beat most unmercifully on the head and arms; the other brother they apprehended and took away. This occurred on Sunday week, since which time Greener has never spoken. On Saturday, he was delirious, and great fears are still entertained of his recovery. There has been a severe internal bleeding in his head, and one of his arms is paralysed. A memorial is being prepared to present to the Home Secretary detailing the conduct cf the policemen, and a subscription has been entered into to defend Greener and prosecute the policemen." HUNGER AND SELF RESPECT IN LANCASHIRE. —They are wonderful, the e Lancashire people. They are no beggars. I almost think that if we were so wicked as to leave them to starve, they would just do so, without a word. There is no trickling and cringing ore the one hand, there is no insolence or coldness on the other. They are independent. Their self-respect is not injured by the relief they receive ; yet for that relief they are most ob viously and undisguisedly grateful, If a college of wise mon, wise in manners, arbitrators in matters of taste, had assembled in committee to decide how a community should bear itself under such circumstances as these which now affect this cotton community, they could never have hit out anything half so complete, and so delicately fine, as these people have hit out unconsciously with their own unaided but unerring instinct. As long as hope and energy are left to these suffering people the case is not at its worst, and these seem rarely or never to have deserted the workmen whoa trouble has thus overtaken for the first time. It is widely different with the habitual pauper ; the man long accustomed to penury and dependence. This last makes no attempt to face his antagonist,Want. lie has ceased to strive against misfortune. Ho has lost pride, self-respect, every sustaining quality,—AU the Year .Uounce. MR. COBDEN A 7 MIDHURS7. MIDHURST, TUESDAY. A meeting was hold at Midhurst, this afternoon, for the purpose of hearing an address from Mr. Cobden, M.P., on the distress in Lancashire. There WAS a very numerous attendance. Mr. T. A. Davis occupied the chair, and, having briefly explained the object of the meeting, introduced Mr. COBDEN, who characterised the distress in the manufacturing districts as a national calamity. He had very recently visited Lancashire, and was,there fore, able to speak from experience of the extent and nature of that calamity. He was strongly of opinion that the people of the north and south did not properly understand each other, and s here there was ignorance there always existed unfounded prejudice. The importance of our cotton manufac tures, amounting as they did to one-third of the en tire exports of the country, could not be overrated. Daring the last 60 years, owing to those manufac tures being principally carried on in the county of Lancaster, the population of that county had increased from 673,000 to 2,428,000 in 1861, the increase having been about 20 per cent. in each decennial period, though it had been rather smaller during the last 20 years than in the 20 years immediately preceding. He thought that that fact in some measure accounted for the low rate of th e poor rates which existed in the county, and which seemed to be a subject that had somewhat puzzled the Rev. Mr. Kingsley, who, in his letter to the Times, had shown an amount of ignorance with regard to the condition of the county of Lan caster which was really surprising. He thought, however, that Mr. Kingsley had dated his letter from a very appropriate place when he dated it from one of the provinces of the Heptfachy. With regard to the manufacturers - themselves, es a elass. he thought they were undeserving of the censure which had been bestowed upon them in some quar ters. He was acquainted with no part of the world (and he had travelled much in civilised countries) in which men possessing the vast capital and wealth of the cotton spinners lived with the same simplicity and frugality, and spent so little of their earnings in their own personal expenses. The hon. gentle man highly eulogised the character of the mill owners, most of whom, he stated, had risen from the lower ranks of life, and he contended that it was to their diligence, frugality, and ingenuity that this country was indebted for the growth of that vast in dustry. We had passed beyond comparison any thing that ever existed in the history of the world, and the industry of which the whole country ought to be proud, owed nothing to monopoly of any kind, but had always taken its stand upon the principle of fair and open competition. When he was in Paris arranging the details of the Treaty of Com merce, he had necessarily to make himself ac quainted with all the processes of all the manufac tures in the world, and the cost of production and profit which prevailed in the different branches of industry. Some of the most experienced men connected with the cotton trade went over to Paris to assist him. They made their calculations as to the rate of profit in the cotton trade during the last 15 years, and the result was that they found the average rate for the whole period had not amounted to so much as was generally considered to be the fair and natural profit attached to different kinds of busi nesses. But there was this peculiarity connected with the cotton trade, that it had its constant vicissitudes. A manafecturer would probably have his three years of prosperous business, and then probably he would have a year of most unprofitable business. He had fre quently been asked whether if there had been no cotton panic this convulsion would not have hap pened. He believed that there had been extensive speculation on the part of the merchants trading in India and China. There would, no doubt have been a revolution in prices consequent on the glut of goods which would have led to severe losses, and perhaps have been attended in some cases with ruin. But he did not believe that it would have had the effect of throwing the working classes of Lancashire out of employment. The present distress came from the sudden stoppage of the supply of tlust which alone made all the fixed capital of Lancashire of any value. It had arisen in consequence of the civil war in America. He was not going to enter on that question as a politician ; but with respect to intervention he himself did not believe that any good whatever would arise from our intervention even by advice and remon strance. There was an old Spanish proverb that a fool knew more about his own house than a wise man did about the house of his neighbour, and if people refrained from interfering with the affairs of their neighbours, they would have very much more time to attend to their own. This alone would he say, that having travelled twice through America at an interval of 24 years, he was thoroughly convinced that slavery was at the bottom of the present war, and that was the opinion of every one through North and South, Republican or Democi ago. Every one of them admitted that slavery and slavery alone was at the bottom of the whole question. It was fre quently asked why did England draw so great a portion of its supply of cotton from a country where that cotton was grown by slaves ? If he were asked whether that could be avoided, he would say that he thought it could not. Many people asked why we don't put a prohibitory duty on American cot ton ? In such a case they would have ruined their own manufacturers; for, unless they could have got all the world to have agreed with them that no slave produce should be bought, they would have offered a premium to other people to set up as rival manu facturers. 7HE NAVY. Her Majesty's screw steam line-of-battle ship Meanee, 60, 2,591 tons, 400-horse power, Capt. G. Wodehouse, finished her trials at the measured mile, off Maplin Sands, on Saturday last, previous to her departure for the Mediterranean. The trials took place under the superintendence of Capt. T. P. Thompson, of the steam reserve at Sheerness, the engines being under the charge of Mr. Urquhart, chief engineer of the steam reserve, and Mr. G. Blaxland, chief engineer of the dockyard of Sheer ness, with the following results :—The ship's speed at full boiler power was 9.756 knots; number of re volutions, 601 per minute ; vacuum, 251 ; pressure of steam, 20 ; draught of water forward, 22ft 10in ; aft, 24ft Bin ; pitch of screw, 19ft ; diameter, 17ft. At half-boiler power the average speed was 6 . 957 knots; vacuum, 26; pressure of steam, 20; revolu tions, 60. The trial was considered to be most satis factory, and far exceeded the most sanguine expec tations. Oa Monday the Meeanee was inspected by Vice-Admiral Sir W. J. Hope Johnstone, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief, accompanied by his Staff. He expressed himself much gratified with the condition of the ship and the state of the crew. The Meeanee will leave Sheerness to-day for the Mediterranean to relieve the London, 86, Capt. H. Chads. 7HE AlOl. . An order has :been received at Bromptbn bar racks, Chatham, from the office of the Deputy-Ad jutant-General, Horse Guards, directing the 26th company of Royal Engineers to move from head quarters to Weymouth on Friday next, to be em ployed in the repair of the existing batteries and also in the construction of additional fortifications on that part of the coast. The 26th company has been augmented to its full complement of 100 non commissioned officers and men from the depot com panies at head-quarters. The officers who will leave Chatham with the Royal Engineers are Capt. P. G. L. Smith and Lieut. A. A. Jopp. Yesterday the company was inspected at head. quarters by Col. Harness, C.B. THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND.—The birth day of his G race th e D u k e of N ort h um b er l an d, on th e 15th inst., was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the tenantry and tradesmen on. his Grace's extensive estates. At the dinner at Tynemoutb, Mr. Hugh Taylor, his Grace's head commissioner, who was present, stated that since the duke had come into possession of the estates in 1847, he bad spent upwards of three-quarters of a million of money in levelling, draining, the formation of roads, and ot herwise improving his estate. It was further stated his GraMad built seven churches on his estates, with residences for the clergymen, and given each a partial endowment, MR. MASON JONES'S LECTURE ON CU.RRAN. (From tLc C rode Daily 2ribun‘.) The night was bad, but the audience was good. The hall will hold a great number when it is filled, and that number was there to fill it. There was a liberal proportion of ladies. The Milesian element was on huntl. For the Irishulau, in exile or in a foreign land without the exile, is stirred when there is a word about the great wrongs or the great men of his country—and the word well said draws his tears or his laughter. Promptly at eight Mr. Jones came on the stand. Mr. Jones has rather a light figure, and an intelligent countenance. Mr. Mason Jones began without any parade or flourish and in very good taste to handle his sub ject matter. He was judicious in his criticism. He appeared to apprehend Irish history, the his tory of his own country, in a liberal spirit ; with truth, but without bitterness. His business he appeared to think was with the aesthetics of litera ture, as is included in a popular discourse, and least with the acrid fierceness of one deploring the wrongs of Ireland. He appeared to understand perfectly the differences and relative merits of Irish oratory ; and gave an admirable description of the now defunct flowery style—defunct except in the mouths of some tenth-rate haranguers. He carried his audience with him. The learned, the polite, and the people not so learned whose hearts leapt toward the " ould country" applauded. Curran was a witty fellow—and a comedian—and a joker—and there are some good sayings and doings of his in his witty, comic, and joking line preserved—but un happily very few—and these clever illustrations of the joyous side of his character, excited peals of laughter. We saw many a fat side shake—and many an Irishman delighting in such glowing illustrations of Irish wit. Mr. Mason Jones, like a good lecturer—and be it remembered he has no manuscript, but speaks on the platform without notes, and with rare fluency—considered that the best way to show ing the oratory of Curran was not by multiply ing adjectives of praise about it, but in giving some quotations of these forensic successes. Seve ral were recited, where Curran was defending oppressed Irishmen. The perorations of these all drew forth liberal applause ; for all feel indig nant here that Irishmen should ever have been oppressed or denied the rights inscribed on the Republican banner of 1856 and 1860, " free speech, free soil, free men." All applauded these sentimeuta of Curran so brilliantly and truthfully expressed. Mr. Mason Jones has been but a few days in this country. He comes from serving under Garibaldi, and lecturing on the Italian war, and his other sub jects, in Great Britain. He has—eheu !—much to learn. He has not been apprised that the American Tract Society—a purely divine, godly institution —only sold to Slavery one bright 4th of July— emasculated British Authors in its publications, when they said aught against man-stealing. Ah, Mr. Mason Jones, you have much to learn ! You have not yet found out how the whole population of your countrymen here, almost to a man, have been so abused and deceived by corrupt politicians, some of them felons in the eye of the law, that were Daniel O'Connell to come to life and to speak the gospel of freedom among them, he would be, pelted with rotten eggs. Mr. Mason ones's education on American affairs not being completed, and as he has not learned that the democracy of this country as symbolised by its flag means all Stripes and no Stars—no heavenly beams of hope and liberty, and glory and beauty for man—but the deepest damnations of slavery, he committed a blunder in not imitating the A. T. S. as above, and cutting out an extract of Curran de fending the liberty of Irishmen, that might apply to the liberty of Americans. Accordingly with de licious naivete he quoted that eminent passage of the Irish orator, which says that no matter what sun may have burnished the skin of the exile, the instant he touches the sacred soil of Britain, he stands redeemed, regenerated, disenthralled, by the genius of universal emancipation. Here the muse of lecture history must take breath. Imagine an evening party all propriety, polite ness and good humour, suddenly startled by the apparition of a mad bull coming, horns and hoof, froth and tail, through the folding doors l The instant the word Emancipation" was heard, up rose some 200 malcontents. Hissing, swearing, bullying and all sorts of insults followed. The men who respected liberty themselves were happily in the majority. A number of people hurried out of the roum—ladies looking pale and anxious, lest the fight should begit4 before they were out of the hall. No police was on hand. Mr. Mason Jones behaved as Garibaldi would under the fire of the Pope's troops. He stood his ground. He hurled beck hot words by saying that it was not the first time he had been hissed—(hisses, stamps, shouts and exits)—that he had been hissed on the platform in England for the side he took in favour of the Ame rican Union and its freedom. (Hisses, roars, shouts, stampings, &c.) He proudly hoped the time would soon come when the American flag would not float over a single slave, or record a single crime against human liberty. (Hissing, threatening. G— d— him, why does he come hero to teaeh us i 1) his lecture. Don't let him go on—Stop him—Crush him, &c.) Mr. Jones, amid all this stood undis mayed, and after various interruptions, The storm was calmed, and he concluded a very interesting lecture, very fluently recited, without the drawback or frigidity of reading or referring to MSS, GAROTTE ROBBERIES AT BRADFORD.—SeveraI highway and garotte robberies have been reported at the Bradford police-station within the last few days. We men • tioned one of them on Monday; Mr. Geo. Webster, wool stapler, having been robbed by a woman and several men, in Harris-street, on Friday night. The same night Mr. Geo. Middlebrook, inland revenue officer, was accosted by a woman in the narrow passage from the Albion Hotel to the Royal Oak, Kirkgate, and at the same moment three men pounced upon him, one seizing him and grasping him by the throat, while the rest held him firmly against the wall and robbed him of his watch, value £6. Bradford winter fair has brought into the town a large number of strange thieves of both sexes. A considerable number have been committed to the House of Correction as rogues and vaga bonds. On Monday two young men, named Joseph and Isaac Smith, brothers, of Atherton, near Bradford, wero charged with having, on Tuesday night, robbed Mr. Joshua Jennings, of Thornton, farmer, of £25, Mr. Jennings had been to Bradford fair, and had disposed of some cattle. He was robbed of his money going home, and charged the Prisoners with having robbed him immediately on leaving the Hope and Anchor, Allerton, It appeared, however, after a long inquiry, that. Mr. Jennings was in liquor at the time, and had given different accounts as to the robbery. The magistrates consequently discharged the prisoners.— Leeds !Mercury, John liastie, late secretary to the Doncaster Benefit Building Society has been committed for trial at Yerk assizes, for extensive frauds on the society, STA7E OF 7RADE. MANCHESTER, Dec. 16.—1 n yarns there has been a good deal of business for all markets, and in many cases id per lb advance has been obtained on the rates of Friday last. Shippers, as well as home trade buyers, have operated to a very fair extent. Much more business would undoubtedly have been done had spinners been less exacting in their de mands for an advance in prices. In cloths we have had a very excited market, owing to the higher prices ruling for cotton at Liverpool, and reports of a very large business there. It was repotted by telegram in the morning that the sales in the Liverpool market would reach 30,000 to 40,000 bales, and hence the excited feeling among both buyers and sellers which prevailed here. The result was that manufacturers put up their prices 6d to 18d per piece for shirtings, and for other cloths in proportion, while some withdrew their goods altogether and would not offer. Buyers would not listen to the great advance, but where a moderate course was taken there was a fair business done—say at 6d higher than the rates of last week. The goods taken have been mostly for the home trade, the Levant, and such as are suitable to India, though it is hardly probable that the latter are for shipment, inasmuch as we hear of exceed- ingly large purchases in India of Manchester goods for re shipment to this country. Any further advance to-day than 6d per piece seems to have stopped business. The actual sales of cotton at Liverpool only reached 20,000 bales. Messrs. John Sian and Co. report of the cloth-market : " 0 wing to the large business doing in cotton, and the con tinuous rise in prices, we have had a very excited and irre- gular market for goods to-day. Manufacturers are asking an advance of 6d. to Is. per piece on 40-inch shirtings, arid on other goods in proportion. At 'the former advance a moderate amount has been done in shirtings, but anything beyond that stops business. The demand cehtinues for printing cloths, but, owing to the extreme prices generally asked, there has been very little done in them." LEEDS, 16th.—To-day's markets in the coloured and white cloth halls will bear favourable comparison with those of this day se'nnight, and, considering tee period of the year, a fair amount of business was done. The demand for heavy goods is nearly over for the season, though a little more may probably be done if severe weather should ensue. At present the weather is ()nen and comp.r.ttrply warm, and a check is thereby put to the sale of winter clothing at the hands of both wholesale and retail dealers. Some medium qualities of ordinary cloths have been bought to-day, but the chief demand has been for meltons in light colours, and of fancy patterns. These kinds of fabrics, the most of which have cotton warps, are in good request for, among other articles of dress, men's shirts, and large quantities of them are being sent out to our Australian colonies. There is a fair demand for the like kind of goods for France. As both wool and cotton keep up in price, the tendency of the quo tations for meltons is upward. The flax trade keeps active, and prices are firm. NEWPORT (MONMOUTHSHIRE), 15th.—The iron works are kept going pretty steadily, although trade is not so active as was the case a few weeks ago. It is expected that the Varteg blast furnaces will shortly be lighted by Messrs. Partridge and Jones. The iron works generally are fairly supplied with orders, taking into consideration that the quarter is about to close. There is no change to report in prices. Merchant bars are firm at current rates, and rails are quoted £5 12s. 6d. The colleries are well employed, and an advance is looked for in prices. The following are the average quotations :—Steam coal, 7s. 6d. to Bs. f. o. b. ; house, Bs. to 9s. ROCHDALE, Dec. 15.—The flannel market has been of a satisfactory character to-day. There was a good attendance of buyers, and they operated freely both in ordinary and fancy goods. Stocks are not large and prices are firm. There continues to be a good sale for Yorkshire linseys and other like fabrics, a good bulk being purchased for the dis tressed operatives, and taken to the sewing schools to be made up. There was rather more done in wools than last week, and late prices were more freely given. M. Dupre proposed the health of the King, to which his Majesty responded by proposing the health of the Emperor Napoleon and Queen Victoria ; the third toast was the Queen's health, proposed by the English general. At 6 o'clock we rose from table, and the day was concluded by a ball, which was opened by the King and a lady of the court, and M. Dupre with the Queen. As to the vasas, they chose their partners among the ladies of the court, who are fami liar with the French dances. Later in the evening there was another dance, followed by a display of fireworks, to which the vasas were invited. PROFESSOR BLACKIE ON DEMOCRACY Professor Blackie lately delivered a lecture under the auspices of the Dunfermline Literary Society in the Music Hall there. Mr. James Morris occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the lecturer. Professor BLACKIE began by saying that while the politi cal student in examining the constitution of this country eighty or an hundred years ago, must have arrived at the conclusion that it was governed more by monarchy and aristocracy than by democracy, he would be compelled to admit that since the passing of the Reform Bill, our con- stitution had been and now was, democracy, strongly modi fied by aristocracy, and slightly affected by monarchy. Our monarchy was now a mere sham, but a very useful sham, nevertheless, as many shams were. Further, he would see that during the last thirty years there had been no reforms in an aristocratic direction, but all in a democratic direction, showing that the tendency of our politics was democratic. It therefore became them, as prac tical and thinking men, to examine what democracy really was. He meant to examine it as a practical man, and as a thinking man, as ho hoped they would admit him to be, and not as a party man, or as a one-idea man as Cobden and Bright were ; and he should prove, first by deduction, that . _ no democracy had ever stood for 100 years without going mad, or, rather, it did not need to go mad, for it was mad at starting. (Laughter.) His definition of democracy, and which he challenged any democrat to dissent from, was-- "Democracy is that form of government in which the supreme directing and controlling authority lies with the whole body of the social organism ; or, in other words► where the community, acting by its accumulative integers or units, and not by any transmitted representative inde pendent personalty, is its own master." On analysing this, he found it contained three ideas—freedom, equality, and self-govdrnment. The idea of freedom he took to be this, that every man shall have as much scope as pos sible to develop himself, and especially this is the idea that no law—in the sense of restriction—shall be made by one class of men, to give enlargement to their own sphere of action, by the compulsory circum scription of the liberties of another class. Equality he took to be not that all men were essentially equal, but that all men were equal for the purpose of a social organism —as bank directors, for instance, were equal. The idea contained in the notion of self-government was, that all the , healthy, independent, self-supporting units of a society shall at all time 3 exercise such a control or pressure over the persons who do the governing work, that these persons shall not be looked upon as independent, but merely as the tools, or trustees, to use a more acceptable term, o f the majority of the great class of people who appoint them. ll° should proceed to inquire how far these squared with na. ture. They found that nature was full of apparent con- tradictions—as the Bible was full of contradictions, and moral science was full of contradictory maxims. Wha t they had done to learn was, how to apply these maxims so, as to reconcile the contradictions, and arrive at the whel 6 truth. This was what he proposed to do in his reasoning* First, then, the idea of pure freedom was opposed by the idea of limitation of freedom, or a governing power. Ora badies, madmen, and tigers had the idea of absolute free dom—that was a low idea in itself. Civilised and reason' ing men sought limitation of freedom by a uthoritl . ; Steam, when free, went puff, puff, and did nothing, or da l only evil; but when cribbed, cabined, and confined," an d put under authority; it was the greatest slave man had doing his work while his slave--smashing him ia t° eternity in a moment when passing beyond his contr° l ' Equality was opposed by the law of superiority " Young men," Aristotle said, " are not capable of morals' How, then, could they be capable of politics, which wa ll more difficult than morals? How could they govern D ie tions when they could not govern themselves ? All 0 01 were not equal naturally. The weak must be guided lof the powerful, the foolish by the wise, the young by tart experienced. Aristocracy—not in its present accel ) , t6l : tion, but correctly speaking— , meant government by u, best. There was a natural aristocracy ; and in all g oal ' government means must be provided to get the best roe° to the top. The wise men must be at the helm. Whti thought of equality on board a ship in a storm. The wisea_ must rule, Professor Blackie here referred to the ScottisDr ' Church, and observed it was the fault of that Church tha t it was too democratic, as it was the fault of the Exigliel( Church that it was too aristocratic. All we re alike; al° did their work nobly and well; but none were higher thsl another, and the result was, that for sound learning An deep thought the works of German and English thecae glans were read in preference to the productions of Scotc h thinkers. Ho admired the Presbyterian form of goversi; mont. He believed it to be the best that existed ; but if she wished to be perfect, she must be a little more a rist o " cratic in her government. With regard to the idea of self government, he argued that as all men are not equal there' could not be self-government. Thus, the idea of freedosl was contradicted in nature by limitation. Equality met by superiority; and self-government was met by tar idea of governing by the wisest. In Great Britain We else' joyed more genuine freedom—more perfect equality ail, fair play, and more of the blessings of self-govern raea : than in any other country, just because these ideas modified and tempered in our constitution by th e worlo t of the contradictory principles in nature he had naree,„, This was what made Britain the wonder of all other orie tions, and this was the foundation of her strengtk. v. it now proceeded to teat democracy by history. had failed in Athens ; it had failed in Rome ; and )"°,,, se e waiting—or perhaps he did not need to wait longer Q, 0 , whether it would fail in America. He did not speak rantly ; he had the authority of all philosoPlie rs ' 0 Solon, who founded a mixed government, doled, Aristotle and Polybius, and Cicero ; and, in_aiteit every ancient writer had given his ver dict democracy, and in favour of a mixed 1°1;93 het government. Athens reached the height of glory when her Government was a democracy , stroe ro a or fluenced by an aristocracy, but ere 30 years after 0 0 . So adopted a puce democracy, her p ow er was no 0 00 with Rome with a mixed government; for Rome , t ' u w isei nominally a republic, was not so in reality. BY de r government of aristocracy and democracy s he col d - bot and Romanised, and civilised the whole known wer_.' ber when democracy obfainea the upper hand , the Roteewotea , came the slaves they were almost to this day. Il e Pseit' them to the history of the Argentine Republics—to_ d e zerland, which stood not on its own legs, but like li tl t oia wedged in a crowd by the pressure of th ose Burr° me him—to Holland—to the Spanish Republics of Sout . e; rice, and see what they could make of them ; ; au ci _ wer 3 United States of North America, and se e what the do' making of themselves, (Laughter.) Th e tendency mocracy was to make the people b oastful, full of conceit, envious and jealous of superior worth. Dem o of: was indeed the very devil, as J ohnson had said t ea Whig was. Professor Blackie then concluded lle7ooo he hoped he would not be mistaken for a Tory. ilrgilta; man of the people, and an advocate of the peoPO, 0 7 , but different people had different notions as 0 w.u . : 80 00 0 best, and he did not think democracy was best. ger his seat amid loud applause. cee A din v gs. vote of thanks to the lecturer conclu ded the 1/ SPORYING INTELLIGENCE. MANCHESTER STEEPLECHASE, FLA' HURDLE RACES. A Handicap Hurdle Race. THURSDAY, JAN. 1. 1863 : „ A ges. 11) AP 9 v o Age st lb' tt 9 1 0 Sinking Fund all 9 The Ikliller ........ 5 1 0 Nosegay a 11 0 Dorninie Sampson• • a g , Everlasting . . 6lO 7 p ee ping Tom ••"4 ~ I Oliver Twist-- . a 10 6 Jack in the Box • • 6 v 4 .• 9 4 Mousetrap Kingston ...... _ Weasel Pot-pourri About two ~.... ~ ot .A 410 0 The Poney. ...... " a 4 David Ann Joe Maley 6 10 0 Physician ..... ,_ Mary Stuart 69 12 Shan Van Vocht• •4 v ~ . • ' 40 Alchymist Rhoabus Sh erw ood ... 5 9 12 Miss Taft ..... •" 4 ° Di a d em Q 9 10 Cygnet ......... Clontarf 4 9 10 The Trial Handicap. Age at lb Lady Peel a 9 7 Mousetrap 5 9 4 Nosegay .. a 9 0 Weasel David Ann Pupil Sherwood Rossmore Floxmore Diadem Peeping Tom Clontarf 4 8 0 Everlasting Physician The City Steeple Chase. A Age st lb Sinking Fund Maiitana Light of other Days a 11 0 Tumbler Oliver Twist a 10 10 Nosegay Corkscrew Sepoy Mytton . The Flat ... Victresq Joe Miley 6 10 0 Lady Betsy t About one rag lo t) 0 g I e 0 A I 0 D onn e Canna •• •• a pi 0 R oc k scorP ioa •". 4 I f 1 0 Gaiety ...... •• • ' Mary Stuart.. •• • 4 Jack in the 13 0 • 4 I°. . Puss ........ • • lf D Sh an Van ....... 4 4 Jenny Jones filly .. 4 ' Miss Taft ...... • • 6 Cygnet ........ • ' 3 6 ,. 6 Golden Drop •••'' • 3 Flap-doodle ••• • • • 3 F, 0 Loretta . ........ • 3 e Rose de Clare •• • • Itig lf , la n d t ou t thrae miles a n . a 0 0 Av 1 0 Miss Maria ........ 19., 0 "Diadem ......... a 1.). 1 9 F a nny .......... • a Leopold .......... a 9 Sunflower ........ 6 9 9 9 Ki ng ton ........ • 6 9 9 A.lchym ist ...... •• a 1 T Dick urn in ..... • 6 0 9 Long Was ...... • • a Homburg• .•• •• • 6 9 , 4 I he Foney ...... • • 4 Lincoln .......... chastisetnent ..... According to the last police returns, the uPI( —lt/10°1101 number of criminal s at large amounted to 11/ 123,000, having for their haunts 24,000 house 7HE CO.RONA7ION A 7 MADAGASC AR "Accounts from Madagascar," says the Moniteur, " make known the result of the mission filled by the Envoys of France and England on the occasion of the coronation of King Radama. The ceremony took place at Tananariva, the capital of the Island, on the 22d September. It was preceded by a solemn mass, during which a benediction was given to the Royal Crown sent as a present by the Emperor Napoleon. The King was crowned in the open air. His Majesty wore a magnificent mantle, also a present from the Emperor, and the Queen a mantle and a dress sent by the Empress. An immense crowd assembled on the occasion. In the evening there was a grand dinner, and a display of fireworks. The representatives of France and England met with the best reception from King Radama and the Queen, and the most perfect accord has existed be- tween them. The French mission left Tananariva on the 4th Oct., and embarked on the 17th at Tamatava, after a residence of more than two months in Madagascar."—The Messager du Midi publishes the following account of the coronation at Madagascar, from the pen of M. Sivel, of Montpellier, who was present on the occasion :- 4 , An imposing ceremony has just taken place, performed at the capital of the lar ff oet African island. The Hovas, the grand dignitaries, the soldiers, and a part of the popu lation assembled at Antananrive, to witness the coronation of the new King. Prince Rakout, son of Radama I. and Queen Ranavolo, has assumed the crown of Madagascar, and ascended the throne under the name of Radama 11. I arrived at the capital on the 22d September, and the next morning, accompanied by my fellow-traveller, M. Alphonse de Monginot, I went to the residence of M. Laborde, our consul, where M. Dupre, chief of the diplomatic mission, M. Lambert, Ambassador to Madagascar,and some 20 other Frenchmen, had preceded us. At 9 o'clock we mounted our fitacons (a kind of sedan-chair carried by four men), and repaired to the palace of Prince Rakout, where, on en tering the reception-room, the ministers and high function aries, dressed in superb costumes, received us warmly. An immense number of fitacons had been prepared for the pro cession, as the ceremony was to take place at a spot half an hour's walk from the palace. Coronations at Madagascar are conducted according to a ceremonial of ancient date. In the midst of a plain near the city rises a mound about 12 feet above the general level, end on this eminence is a large stone slightly convex on its upper surface; this is the sacred stone on which the heir to the throne is always laid at his birth, and on which he in after life receives his crown. At 10 o'clock the Cow t took its place at the head of the cortege, next came the King and Queen, and after them the missions and vases (the name used by the natives to designate white persons). The King, the Duke d'Emirue, and M. Lambert were on horseback, the Queen and all the rest of the cortege rode in fitacons. After a march of three quarters of an hour, at a very slow pace; owing to the crowded state of the road, the King alighted, , and offering his arm to the Queen, ascended the steps lead ing to the sacred stone on which his Majesty's chair was placed, but the Queen's was not allowed that honour. Dur ing the procession musicians and an orchestra, organised by the Catholic missionaries, executed various airs, while the women sang songs in honour of the King, and clapped their hands. On each side of the sacred stone a platform was erected; the one to the left was occupied by the ladies of the Court, dressed in red robes, they alone having the right to wear that colour ; among them, however, was one toilet remarkable for its elegant simplicity and good taste. A blue silk dress, a Parisian bonnet, and a pretty English face, formed an agreeable contrast with the showy dresses and the dark•olive complexions of the Court ladies. The platform to the right was occupied by the diplomatic missions, the ministers, consuls, and vasas. Never having been presented to the King, I was curious to see whether his features were in harmony with the noble senti ments attributed to him, and as a vasa, I was honoured with a place beside his chair. The King is 33 years of age, rather above the middle height, somewhat stout, and his open countenance is expressive of great mildness of temper and extreme good nature. His countenance is generally smiling; but when, after placing the crown on his head with his own hands, and the Queen's on the Princess Ra kout, he stepped forward with a drawn sword in his hand to address his people, he was really noble and imposing. The Queen is above 40 years of age ; the oval of her face is perfect, and excepting the mouth, which is somewhat largo and partially open, her features are regular. She is a tall, handsome woman, of noble and majestic port, and her look is fixed and always severe. Like the King, she has black, smooth hair, dark eyes, and an olive complexion. She wore a robe of white moire, embroidered with gold, and a mantle of red brocade, with gold fringe. At her feet were two children, her adopted son and daughter, the former six years old, the latter only two. Though married for several years she has had no children. The King's speech to his people excited unbounded applause lam no t King by my own will,' said he, ' I am King by the will of God and with the assent of the European Powers. This new title will cause no change in my sentiments; King Radama 11. will be for his people what he was when Prince Rakout.' The spectacle of the crowd which covered the plain and all the surrounding heights, the music, the songs and shouts of joy, the representatives of the two most civi lised nations, who came to promote the progress of another nation, the intention of Radama to advance in the new path, and to open his kingdom to commerce, industry, and progress, all conspired to render the ceremony affecting and majestic. Radama I. had already ideas of civilisation—his son will no doubt have the time and means to carry them into execution. Seated on the sacred stone, the King re • ceived the deputation of his subjects who came to offer him, as a token of respect and obedience, a five-franc picee. This is a custom which even a foreigner who approaches the King must not omit. At two o'clock the King con• ducted the Queen to her fitacon, and mounting her horse, led the cortege towards the palace of his mother Rana volo. This palace had been closed ever since the Queen's death, and was not to be opened till the coronation. The inauguration was splendid. In an immense sa loon, a table was set for 120 guests. Although so re cently arrived, Monginot and I found places reserved for us. The decorations left nothing to be desired. At each end of the table a roasted calf was served up whole, and there was abundance of rich wines. At 3 o'clock we sat down to table; the King had the Queen on his left, and M. Dupre , on his right. At the Queen's left sat the English general, the head of the diplomatic mission. There were about 60 of us whites, and the other places were occupied by the principal meit of the country and the ladies of the court. Post agai cow clay, day Was few 6,011 anio, kr, in t 1 Pros ] end Lace eider afar coin] eept on 0 in n ilecoi Ti have endiz ttl ti f aetC bind ing.l for e jute] the 1 Den ( fo r c V ier legs tat ‘ leat ter n ltap to 1 ti ns ti t) , Il a , Sto 3 ; N . -,e l Nei Ito