The Sun. — London, England, 1860-12-12 00:00:00

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT GARDEN.—tinder the Management of Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. W. Harrison, Sole Lessees. The sensation created with the public on the first represen tation of Balfe's New Legendary Opera was most enthu siastic. Continuous applause marked its progress from the rise until the fall of the curtain. The demand for places daily at the Box-office to witness this great musical work of our popular English Composer, places the Management in the proud position of announcing the performance of BIANCA, THE BRAVO'S BRIDE, Every Evening until further, notice. THIS EVENING, and during the Week, Balfe's New Legendary Opera, BIANCA, THE BRAVO'S BRIDE : Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss Thirlwall ; Messrs. A. Lawrence, J. Wharton, H. Corti, A. St. Albyn, G. Kelly, Wallworth, T. Distin, Lyall, and W. Harrison. Conductor, Mr. Alfred Mellon. Orchestra of Eighty Performers. Chorus of Fifty Voices. Concluding with a DIVERTISSEMENT.—Stage manager, Mr. Edward Stirling. Acting-manager Mr. Edward Murray. Doors open at 7' • co mmence at half-past 7. No charge for booking, or fees to Box-keepers. At Christmas a Grand Pantomime. Morning Performances every Wednesday and Saturday. OYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT it GARDEN—under the Management of Miss LOUISA FYNE and Mr. W. HARRISON, Sole Lessees. THIS EVENING, BIANCA, THE BRAVO'S BRIDE. Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss Thirlwall ; Mr. W. Harrison, Mr. A. Lawrence, Mr. H. Corri, Mr. St. Albyn, &c. Conductor—Mr. Alfred Mellon. And a DIVERTISSEMENT. Doors open at Seven. Commence at Half-past. T HEATRE -ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Lessee, Mr. J. B. Baekstone. WITS EVENING the performances will commense with AN UNEQUAL MATCH. Messrs. Mackstone, Compton, W. Farren, Chippendale, Rogers, tc..; Miss A. Sedg-wick, Miss falLot, Yrs. E. Fitzwilliam, &c. After which, JENNY LEND AT LAST. Jenny (her 9th appearance), Miss Rose Howard. And THE SUN AND THE WIND. By the Leclercqs. Commence at 7. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.- Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Harris. THIS EVENING, the performances will commence with SUSAN SMITH. To be followed by, at 8 o'clock, THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. Supported by 'Messrs. Fechter, A. Harris, Meadows, Graham, Shore, and Miss Murray. To conclude with THE GARIBALDI EXCURSIONISTS HEATRE - ROYAL LYCEUM Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame CELESTE. THIS EVENING, THE PE rs OF TKE PARTERRE. 'Scenic Department under the direction of Mr. Wm. Callcott. The Music by Mr. George Loder. Principal characters by Mr H. Neville, Mr. John Rouse, Mr. J. Morris, Miss M. Ternan, Miss Neville, Misslludspeth, Miss Stuart, Miss Turner, Miss Douglas, Miss Annie Collinson, and Miss Lydia Thompson. After which, the revived comedy of THE IRISH AM BASSADOR. Sir Patrick O'Plenipo, Mr. John Drew. Followed by the new drama, entitled *DRIENNE ; or THE SECRET OF A LIFE. Principal characters by Mr. Henry Neville, Mr. John Rouse, Mr. 11. Butler, Mr. Villiers, Mr. G. Vining", Mr. Forrester, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Clifford, Mr. J. Johnstone ; Mrs. Keeley, and Madame Celeste. To commence at a quarter to 7, on a ccount of the length of the entertainments. ADELPHI, NEW THEATRE - ROYAL Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Ben]. Webster. Enzagement for a limited number of ni:hts of Miss Ames Robertson and Mr. Dion Boucicault, who will appear every evening in the highly successful Drama of "Th e C o lleen Balm." THIS EVENING, AN UGLY CUSTOMER. Messrs. .T. L. Toole, C. Selby, and Warde ; 3liss K. Kelly, and Miss E. Thorne. After which, THE COLLEEN BAWN. D. Boueleault, D. Fisher, Billington, Falconer, Stephenson. C. J. Smith, Romer. Miss Agnes Robertson, Miss Woolgar, Mrs. Billington, and Mrs. Chatterley. After which, THAT BLESSED BABY. Mr. Billington, Mr. J. L Toole, and Miss K. Kelly. Doors open at half-past 6—Commence at 7. Box-office open from 10 till 5. No charile for bookimr. Private boxes, £2 2s. ; Family Boxes, £l. Orchestra Stalls, ss. ; Balcony, 45.; Front Circle Stalls, is. ; Pit Stalls, 25.; Pit, ls. 6d. ; Amphitheatre, 1s ; Gallery, 6d. ketinc , Manager—Mr. Wm. Smith. STLBY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.- Proprietor and Manager. Mr. Wm. BATTY. Astounding sensation created by the Lions and the g,rea' Brute Tamer. Miss Rebecca Isaacs every Evening. Notic , .—There will be no half-price during the engage. ment of the Lions. except for children under ten years ol age, and then to Pit and Boxes only. This F,yeninfr, a new Spectacle, entitled TUE LION CONQUEROR ; or, The .Death Jung-le, expressly for the introduction of the Wonders of the World, " The Gronpe of Performing - Lions." The Lion Conqueror, Mr. J. Crockett . To be suceeeded by Scenes in the Arena, supported by talented Parisian and Bri ish Artistes. ConcludinT with the First Act of THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT. Marie, Riss Rebecca Isaacs. Doors open at half-past 6, performance commence at 7. Box-office open daily from 11 till 4 • Stare Manager—Mr. WEs.r. Director of the Arena—Mr. Pearson. H E CATTLE SHOW ANT) CANTERBURY HALL. ' C. MORTON begs to inform visitors to London that the above ITALL, with its Magnificent Gallery of Modern Paint ings, by all the best matters, is OPEN EVERY EVENING at 7 o'clock. GRAND SELECTIONS PROM BELLINI'S NOR3IA AND FLOTOW'S MARTHA. PRINCIPAL ARTISTES, MISS RUSSELL MADAME MARIA MISS TYRRE.I MISS WILKINSON Mr. HENRY HERBERT and Mr. BERNARD. Conductor Mr. JONCIUMANS. The Comic Department comprises Messrs. A. B. Hollings worth, J. Blanchard, G. W. Pell, Charley Fox, and E. Mar shall, in his transformation song, "THE DOMESTIC DRAMA," personatinx five different characters. THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFIC - E, DEC. 12, 1860. THE/MOMETER., IN Tl{ SHADE. 45—highest since noon yesterday. ag --lowest this morning and during the night. 43—this day at noon. BAnomETER-30.05 ; a rise of nearly an inch. WlND—Northerly; rather fresh, with fine cold weather, inclining to frost. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS DAY.—Morning, lh. 9m.—Afternoon, lh. 35m. To-moßnow.-Morning.., lh. 59m.—Afternoon, 2h. 22m. Another Reform Speech from the member for Birmingham ! It was a speech delivered last evening in the Victoria Hall, at Leeds, and addressed especially to the local Working Men's Parliamentary Reform Association. It was to address these work ing men at Leeds—" If men that were unenfrane chised," said Mr. BRIGHT, " could be fairly called men !"—that the great popular Orator, Reformer and Freetrader, had hastened so far northward for the express purpose of making that speech of his upon Reform yesterday. Mr. BRIGHT having re solved at once, he said, upon accepting the invitation which he had received, "because he felt it was quite impossible to absent himself from the meeting with out doing violence to his own feelings and his own intense interest" in the great question of the reform of Parliament. Although but very little that was really new could in reason be expected to be uttered upon. the subject of Parliamentary Reform by one who has of all men living the most strenuously and continuously striven to ex haust the Great Question of the Reform of Par liament—so far, at least, as any such great ques tion can be eihausted—we cannot but rejoice, if Only f or one reason, immediately hereafter to be particularised, that this more than thrice-told tale should have been yet once more told all over again by tile earnest voice and voluble lips of the eloquent member for Birmingham. We rejoice, es p ecia lly, that it was so yester day—that Reform: was again " ventilated " by o f another sp eech meansupon that old theme from the mouth of Mr. BRIGIIT—if merely for the timely expression by him of that hearty indignation pervading the chi e f 'Part of his harangue, that indignation not unnaturally felt by him at the almost ludicro us contrast p ee sewe , El to view upon a comparison of the position of th e R eform Question within and without the wall s of the Legislature. It was only necessary for Mr. BRIGHT upen this point, at the very outset of his• speech "yesterday, to direct attention to the recent elections at Reading, at Newcastle, and at S o u thwark, effectu ally to explain his meaning by the aid of those three apt illustrations. At none of those important boroughs, as he remarked not without a reason able appearance of exultation, at none of those recent elections had a single candidate offered himself to the constituencies upon the old Tory principles, much less in opposition (even of the most covert and specious kind) to the advancement • of the cause of reform in ortr system of popular representation. Nay, :Ir. BRIGHT had reason when he added that, " with very few exceptions, wherever there was a free constituency there was a declaration of opinion in favour of reform, and no man Could staid upon the hustings in any town of the United Kingdom with much probability of being returned if he was definitely pledged to - 344 S " lei -,-1, - " 0 4,,,r}- 24 - - -( ;, ' 1 , , ,, • '.. , . ..,,,, , Z.,.s t _." 7. = .1% 0 .., ... ---,A 4 ----; z:.•,‘,6- 7‘,-. THE SUN. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 12, 1860. oppose Parliamentary reform." If there be any doubt among the old Tory faction as to the accu racy of this opinion, let them only attempt to test it upon the very next opportunity. In reality, it has long since become one of the most notorious political " facts" of the age that the necessity for Parliamentary Reform is ad mitted by all parties alike. The only question now remaining as a bone of contention among the rival parties being the still so far problematical question to the extent to which Parliament should be reformed. That Reform of some kind should ba conceded, all are agreed upon. The need for this is allowed both on the side of the Liberal (Coalition) Government and upon the side of the Conservative (Reforming) Opposition. Ever since the DERBY-DISRAELI Ministry decided upon preparing a measure of Parliamentary Reform, the Opposition to Reform ceased—the triumph of Reform became a mere question of time—the extent of Reform became a mere question of convenience and expediency. Yet since that period the cause of Reform has -virtually somehow not advanced one inch towards its triumph in the adoption by the Lords and Commons of a substantial enactment. This moreover simultane ously with the wider and wider diffusion of Reform principles throughout the country among electors and non-electors alike, and this too most conspicuously in the instances of the more remark able of the leading constituencies. With Reform advocated thus, far and wide, all over the United Kingdom, with the necessity for Reform conceded definitively two or three years back by the Tory Opposition (conceded so unmistakably moreover that a Tory Reform Bill can now be reverted to as a sub stantial historical document), it certainly does upon the face of it appear monstrous and inexplicable that the Question of Parliamentary Reform should yet continue to this very hour undetermined. Nay, not merely still undetermined in any way, but actually to all appearance set aside by general consent within the Legislature for two or three sessions to come, by an indefinite postponement. The reason for all which is mani festly nowhere discernible, saving in the jealousies of political parties, in the implacable jealousies of the two great ' opposing sections of the popular branch of Parliament—those two great political parties, alternately in and out, according to the accidents of time, like the fluctuating " ins" and " outs" of the little doll figures in the toy barometer, alternately her MAJESTY'S Opposition and her MAJESTY'S Government. But for these petty spites and heartburnings of jealousy among the great contending parties of the State, we should long since—we must, by necessity, long since—have had this vital question of Parliamentary Reform settled, an d what is more, settled satisfactorily. When Lord DERBY and his colleagues, two or three years back decided upon bringing in a Reform Bill, and laying it upon the table of the House of Com mons—as they did frankly, boldly, and honestly, this bill, being besides of that plastic and elastic character that it might have been readily ex panded to any dimensions, and moulded into any shape that the majority of the House might have decided upon in Committee—the rough draft of the enactment so introduced was pre cluded from the chance of getting even as far as that third stage of" the Committee"—by the paltry jealousies rankling in the Whig section of the so called liberal Opposition. Jealousies of a kind not a jot less paltry, inciting the Torysection of the Conserva tive Opposition to retaliate last year upon their old enemiesthe Whigs by aiding and abetting anybody and everybody also who chose tohave ailing at Lord J. RUSSELL'S " Poor Little Bill"—and how many were there not who had an arrow keenly barbed and delicately poisoned lurking in their quiver for that wretched little target, that miserable little microscopic pariah of a reform measure ! The position of Reform, in fact, in the House of Com mons for a long while past has been such, so strange, so anomalous, so extraordinary, that it almost jus tifies one in doubting whether the great Reform Leader on the side of the Government, the . noble lord who has the historic glory of having in his early manhood introduced Lord GREY'S measure into the unreformed House of Commons—in doubting now whether he still continues at heart really in earnest as a Reformer ! Let Lord JOUN but show himself to be as earnest as Mr. BRIGHT in the championship of Parliamen tary Reform, and not another legislative session would elapse, could elapse, without that great problem of reform being solved—to the strength ening of the Constitution by means of a rational widening of the popular representation. The right man, then, in the right place—and by a majority of 1,175. Not one word have we to say against so respectable a citizen as Mr. ScovELL —not a word had we to say against that respect able citizen Mr. COWAN, the paper maker, when he was supplanted MACAULAY at Edinburgh. Re spectable citizens are in one sense the most valuable part of the community, and we need not dilate on their merits ; but among those merits is rarely that of fitness to represent their country in the British Parliament, much less of fitness to supersede men like the late Lord 'MACAULAY, or men like Mr. AUSTEN HENRY LATARD. We do not rejoice, there fore, in the defeat and disappointment of a valuable man of business and his supporters, but in the choice by Southwark of a man who, as all the in telligence of the nation would say, ought to be in our Senate. We may certainly thus express our selves with the greater freedom, because, on the China war question, which was the cause of his exclusion from Parliament, we differed from him very decidedly, but we by no means wish those from whom we often differ wry strongly to be out of Parliament. We could conscientiously give them our own votes on their general merits, while opposing them to the uttermost on a particular question. To Southwark belongs the credit of choosing representatives on piirely public grounds—a gene rous policy which cannot be too strongly commended to all constituencies. It 'is a disgrace to large constituencies if they drive all the, more dis tinguished men, the men who are the nation's property, to seek refuge in some petty nomination borough, by uniformly electing respectable medio crities from their own neighbourhood. We want, it is true, some of our first-rate merchants and manufacturers in • the House of Commons. Their questions are frequently before the house, and their special knowledge is of course needed ; but surely large constituencies should have an eye to something beyond their local business. They form an important part of the nation, and ought ever to choose one of their representatives, at least, from national considerations. Birmingham, Shef field, we may add, Lynn and Herts also, set a right example in this respect. We cannot afford to miss such men from the house as BRIGHT, and ROE BUCK, or Lord STANLEY, and Sir TIULIVER: LYT TON. Whether we agree with or differ from them, we all agree that we should not like our House of Commons without them. One of Lord PALMERSTON'S antagonists in the House o f Commons =cc remarked, "We are all proud of him," expressing therein the thorough English feeling of pleasure in the talents of a worthy op. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1860. ponent. Now, it is perfectly certain that if we will I have men of high capacity, men of genius , in th e House, we must put up with frequent crotchets, as we are apt to term them, points in which they differ in opinion from most of us, and yet are far too self-reliant to tone down their opinions to what will suit us. We must take them as they are. The Roebucks, the Horsmans, and the Layards are amongst the most needful elements of a free and representative assembly. We need never fear that there will not be abundance of the more prosaic, com mon-place stuff, to neutralise any possible mischief from the flights, or aberrations, or eccentricities of genius ; but the genius—the independent genius, is above all price in our House of Commons. We may well query whether without it, it might not be. come a very Common House. There is one feature in this election which ought not to be overlooked—ATJSTEN HENRY LAYARD was emphatically the working man's candidate — they ',worked for him to the last—they proffered, by a shilling subscription, to bear their share of the expenses of his election ; and not only in South wark, but in York, the working men stood by Mr. LAYARD, and appealed to their own class here to do the same. We hail this as one of many similar answers to the charge against the working classes, that they would degrade the national assembly by sending to it inferior men. We believe nothing of the kind. If they did return a NEWTON or a POTTER to advocate their special claims, and explain their business to an assembly which can know little practically of them, no class of men are more ready to appreciate public merit and to be enthusiastic in doing it honour. We wonder whether we could find a single borough under the influence of some edu cated potentate who despises working men, or a single county over which the class who°. have been trained at universities reign supreme, who wouldlho.ve shown their sense of the deserts of genius and public spirit,which has just been evinced by the working men of Southwark. So far from diminishing the number of our . great men in Par liament by a large extension of the suffrage, we believe the effect would be just the reverse. The well connected mediocrities would be the gentry who would have notice to quit. Probably they think so; they see that working men in Southwark can prefer a Sir W. MoLEswor.nr, or a CHARLES NAPIER, or a LAYARD—aII men who had earned in very different ways a national reputation, to the class whom wealth and Connection would nominate. Mr. LAYARD has now the course of public life opened to him afresh ; he will enter upon it with no less independence than before, but perhaps with a little more diseretion. Not that we could wish him to repress, for prudence sake merely, a single conviction, the value of such men is that they see things strangely in a different light to most, and that they give unflinching expression to their views. We have little fear, however, that he will offend his present constituents by differing from them on some point. His sincere accordance with them on all that is permanently important will be quite sufficient, they will not turn him out for having a mind of his own. Rather would they do so, if they knew him to be guilty of it, for thinking one way and voting another. HER MAJESTY'S THEAERE. Last evening Mr. Sims Reeves reappeared at the above theatre, in the opera of " Robin Hood," for the first time since the death of his father necessitated the suspension of his professional performances. Mr. Sims Reeves' reception was tremendous. The audience could not have expressed more enthusiastically their sympathy with the man or their admiration of the artist. With his magnificent voice in perfect condition, and the obvious determination to do his very best on this occasion, the effect produced by our great English tenor may be easily imagined.. The heroic energy which Mr. Reeves throws into "Englishmen by birth are free," tho thrilling pathos of his " Thou art my guiding star," the hearty defiance and scorn which characterise his rendering of "The grasping, rasping Norman race," his masterly execution of the trying scena, " Vain was the proud ambition," need not now be dwelt upon, for it is generally admitted that Mr. Reeves' performances of these pieces belong to the very greatest triumphs ever achieved upon the lyric stage; but still it may be stated that they were honouied with an extraordinary amount of applause last night, when, indeed, the singer seemed also to be wrought up to an unusual pitch of artistic excitement. • An apology was made at the beginning of the performance for Madame Lemmens-Sherrington on the score of indis position; but her delightful singing throughout the opera most agreeably disappointed the anticipations to which the stage-manager's appeal had given rise. The house was very full. The Duchess of Montrose will leave Belgrave square early next week on a tour on the Continent for a few weeks. The Earl and Countess of Stradbroke have ar• rived in Bel rave-square from Henham Hall, Suffolk. The Earl of Jersey, who has been seriously indis posed for some days past at Eton, is, we are glad to learn, progressing favourably towards recovery. The Countess of Cork has left Marston House on a visit to her sister, Lady Margaret Beaumont, at Bywell Hall, Northun.berland. _ _ The Countess Dowager Somers has arrived at her residence in Grosvenor-place. Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston will leave Cambridge House to-morrow for Broadlands, where her ladyship intends to receive company next week. Sir Robert and Lady Emily Peel and Lady Julia Hay have left Lyons on a tour in Spain. Sir Henry and the Hon. Lady St. John Mildmay have left town on a 'visit to Viscount Eversley, in Hawp- shire. Viscount Castlerosse has taken a house in 13e1- grave-square, late the residence of Sir Robert and Lady Emily Peel. Viscountess Ashbrook has left the Burlington Hotel, Cork-street, for Oxford. Count Blondoff has taken a residence in Eaton- s.quAre. Lady Hermione Graham was confined yesterday morning of a son, at the Duke of Somerset's official resi dence, Whitehall. Lord Arthur Hay has arrived in town from Yester House, Haddingtonshire. Her ladyship remains at Yester Housq. ' Lady Bateman gave birth yesterday to a daughter, at his lordship's residence in Lower Brook-street. Her ladyship and her infant daughter are going on favourably. Lord and Lady Chelmsford and the lion. Miss Thesiger have returned to town from visiting the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury at Hatfield. The performance of the theatre of Nismes was interrupted by a painful incident on Thursday last. After the first act of the " Pard.on de Ploermel," M. Brucker, the leader of the orchestra, having gone on the stage for some purpose connected with the performance, fell heavily to the floor in an apoplectic fit. He was removed to his residence, where he diod shortly after.. At Marseilles; two nights back, a perfect deluge of rain fell for about an hour, and the streets resembled tor rents. In the country towards Vienne also there was an extraordinary heavy fall of rain, and in consequence the railway train that night from Paris was two hours behind time on reaching Marseilles. RE-MARRIAGE OF DISSENTERS BY A CHURCH OF ENGLAND MINISTER.—.& correspondent of the Bristol Daily Post states that considerable sensation has been created in a parish of Gloucestershire by the fact of the curate having recently re-married, according to the rites of the Church of England, parties who had some years pre viously been married at an independent chapel by the re gistrar. It appears that the " Gloucestershire guinea" of the well-known old County Society is only given to parties who have been married at church, The proceedings of the curate aro stated to have received the approval of the Bishop Baring. PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is about 1 per mille premium, and the short exchange on London is 25.20 per £ geeing. On comparing these rates with the English mint vice of 17s. 10jd. per ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is about the name price in London as it is in Paris.. By advices from Hamburg the price of gold is 4241 per mark, and the short exchange on London is 13.41 per £ sterling. Standard gold at the English mint price is, therefore, nearly 2-10ths per cent, dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of exchange at New York on London for bills at sixty days' sight is about 102 to 104 per cent., which, when compared with the mint par b e t ween th e t wo coun t r i es , s hows that the exchange is against England ; and at this rate gold yields a profit when sent to the United States. ..a-~-_ Several engineers who were making some geolo gical researches near Auxerre (Yonne) discovered a few days ago, in the arrondissement of Avallon, a fine coal bed. It extends under several communes of the Yonne, as well as under others in the neighbouring department of the Cote d'Or. AN EXCELLENT LAW.—By the ancient Law of Hungary, a man convicted of bigamy was condemned to live with both wives in the same house ; the crime was, in consequence, extremely rare. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER-HALL.— The first meeting this season of the Handel Festival Choir will take place on Friday next, Dec. H, under the direc•• tion of Mr. Costa. Mozart's 12th Mass is selected for re hearsal by a choir of 1,600. Never perhaps has this noble work been sung by so large a number of voices. The solo parts will be sustained by Miss Chambers, Miss Lascelles, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Patey. EFFECTS OF A GALE.—The ship Prince Consort, from. Liverpool to Melbourne, put into Portsmouth on Sun day, with loss of top of fore and main topmasts, yards, sails, and all the gear attached, nizen topmast sprung, live stock and fodder washed off the deck and lost, and one cabin pas senger, Mr. Adams, washed overboard and drowned. She experienced a tremendous turricane in the Bay of Biscay on the 25th ult., and end3avoured to reach Lisbon, but encountered another gale, end was compelled to bear up for Falmouth ; arrived off that place Dec.. 6th, but no assistance offering, was obliged to run for Portsmouth, where she was towed into harbour on Sunday. RISE OF RENT ON HILL FARMS.—The Ayr Ex press chronicles a striking instance of rise of rent in the case of some hill.farms in the parish of Carsphairn, belong ing to Major Clark Kennedy. They are in the holding of one person, and during the current lease the rental has been £5lO. They had been let separately, after a keen competi tion, at figures which slake a total of £1,003. GARIBALDI IN HIS RETREAT.—A Turin letter in the Siecle has the following :—" I have just seen a person arrived from Caprera )rho has given me some details about Garibaldi. The general has sent away all the aides-de camp who accompanied him, and has now with him only his son and daughter, his friend Deideri, and his private secretary, Basso. The mass of letters he receives from all parts of the world is enormous, and some of them contain strange propositions. Dr. Riboli, a distinguished physi cian of Turin, and a great partisan of phrenology, has written to Garibaldi entreating him to allow his head to be examined, remarking that he believes it to be one of the best organised and the most remarkable known. A sad event has occurred in the island. The son of the colonel of the Italian Legion at Monte-Video passed some days on a visit with the general, and as the colonel was an. old friend and companion in arms of Garibaldi when in Ame rica, every attention was shown the young man. When the moment for departure arrived, the latter seemed quite in despair at the idea of leaving, and on entering a boat which was to convey him to a vessel, he pulled out a pistol, and before any one could prevent him, discharged it into his breast. Garibaldi, hearing the report, hurried up, and did all he could for his guest, who, however, expired in a few hours. No other reason can be assigned for this rash act than that the young man's enthusiasm for Garibaldi was so great that he could not bear to be separated from him." LORD JOAN RUSSELL AND THE ITALIANS.—A few Milanese, interpreting the sentiments of gratitude by which Italy is actuated towards her illustrious advocate before the Areopagus of Europe, have conceived the idea of promoting a general subscription, to be extended to all parts of Lom bardy (without, however, excluding the rest of Italy), for the purpose of offering to Lord John Russell, as a grateful acknowledgment of his efforts for the national cause, a statue in Carrara marble, the work of the distinguished Milanese sculptor, C. Romaco. The figure symbolises the " Conviction of Italian unity," and represents a beautiful maiden in a sitting posture. On her arm she wears a brace let, on' which is graven the motto, " Italia Una," and her eyes are intently fixed on the diadem which she holds be tween her hands, and on which are executed in relief the armorial ensigns of the various territorial divisions:of Italy. —Prospectus of the Milanese Coinnzittee. THE BRADFORD INVITATION TO MESSRS. GLAD STONE, COBDEN, AND MILNER GIBSON.—A meeting of the Council of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce took place on Monday evening, for the purpose of conferring with the deputation appointed at a mixed meeting, held in the Com mittee-room of St. George's-hall, on the 3d inst., on the subject of inviting the three gentlemen abovenamed to Bradford, to acknowledge their valuable services in con nection with the French treaty. H. W. Ripley, Esq., pre. sident of the Chamber, was in the chair. The council having agreed to accept the invitation given them by the meeting held on the 3d, to take the initiative in carrying into effect the resolutions passed at that meeting, resolved itself into a committee, with Messrs. W. R. Haigh, E. Kenion, Jas. Hanson, and A. Holden, the deputation. A very long conversation ensued, and resulted in a resolution to the effect that a requisition be draVenup,inviting Messrs. Gladstone, Cobden, and Milner Gibson, to a public demon stration to be held at the earliest possible time in Bradford, as the centre of the worsted district, and that the requisi tion be presented to all gentlemen interested in the trade for signature. A sub-committee was appointed to draw up the requisition, and obtain signatures thereto. INUNDATIONS IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. The heavy and continued rains which have fallen for the past 10 days in Notts, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire, have caused the rivers Trent and Soar to overflow their banks, and large tracts of land in the surrounding country are now under water. In some places the cattle have had a very narrow escape of being drowned, and the most active exertions have had to be used to prevent such casualties. ' As it is, however, the consequences will be serious. Wheat sowing, and the sowing of other grain has for some time been retarded through the moistness of the weather, and now these operations must be delayed until the spring. The meadows near Nottingham have been inundated to a considerable extent. The waters have forced their way into the cellars of several houses in A.rkwright-street and other streets in that locality, some of which have been sub merged to the depth of several feet. Many of the tenants who are suffering by the flood were engaged yesterday in lading the water out of their houses, and, should the flood become much higher, the lower districts of the town will feel its effects, as well as those villages which are situated on the banks of the Trent. The weather is serious in an other point of view, as threshing corn cannot be:proceeded with, the dampness rendering it out of condition. An ex citing scene occurred yesterday at Wilford, near Notting ham. A fox near the village found his old quarters had been so much damaged by the continued rising of the waters, that he attempted to cross the Trent. A farmer who was near the spot sent in his shepherd dog after the fox, and the dog soon began to shorten the distance between himself and reynard. The latter turned round, caught the dog by the neck, and a fierce encounter ensued (the contest being for several minutes equal), which ended, however, in the dog bringing his enemy safe to land. The cattle which were in the neighbourhood of the inundation are either safely housed or placed upon higher ground, their prior position having become exceedingly dangerous. MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE.—The public accounts for the last financial year disclose, as usual, the receipt of some very miscellaneous, although at the same time substan tial, waifs and strays. Small branches of the hereditary revenue yielded £4,744 ; House of Commons' fees, £47,015 ; Home-office ditto, £1,416; Privy Council-office ditto, £1,009 ; Office for the Registration of Joint-Stock Com panies, £4,932; fees and fines from police-courts, £10,902; miscellaneous fees, £10,688; fees from public offices (Scot land), £37,214; ditto (Ireland), £4,767; Army and Ord nance, &c., extra receipts, £508,606; nayy old stores, &c., £421,223 ; receipts for old materials, &c , in the Office of Works, £11,599; seignorage upon bullion purchased for coinage at the Mint, £36,830 ; proceeds on the sale of books, &c., at the Stationary-office, £12,485; proceeds of the sale of surplus clothing, £84,499; productive labour of prisoners in convict establishments, £13,066 ; London, Dublin, and Edinburgh Gazettes, £20,430 ; conscience m0ney416,438 ; abatement from salaries, £1,669; various casual and mis cellaneous receipts, £279,988, repaid by trustees of the Ring of the Belgians, £38,000; unclaimed dividends, £72,669 ; contributions from revenues of India for pensions, &c., £60,000 ; ditto for proportion of expenses of China consular establishments, £45,895 ; ditto on account of mail service to India, £15,701 ; contributions from masters and seamen of the merchant service, per Act 16th and 17th Victoria, cap. 131, £14,658 ; savings on grants of Parlia ment and over issues repaid, £25,086. The conscience money item appears to have been larger than usual, as in 1858-9 it was only £3,015 ; in 1857-8, £8,522 ; and in 1856-7, £5,982. THE COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN CUMBERLAND.— The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the three men, John Wales, Leonard Bell, and Joseph Beckett, who were killed by the colliery explosion in Guslet-pit, 11,Iaryport, on Mon day, the 3d inst., was resumed on Monday last at Maryport. Further evidence was given that more gas had been gene rated in the pit in the last three or four weeks than for some time back. The deputy- overmen had remarked this among themselves, but it did not appear that it had been reported to the superior officers. Evidence was given that no gas had been observed in the Robbery, where the ac cumulation which led to the explosion took plaee. One witness said he considered the pit so fiery and unsafe that he had left, and did not intend to go back. Mr. Dixon, mining engineer, was called on behalf of the lessees of the colliery to describe the ventilation, and gave his opinion upon the occurrence. He said he was satisfied the ventila tion was good. He condemned the fastening up of the door by Wales and Rogerson, as reported in Saturday's evidence, as an error of judgment, though done with good intention. He expressed his opinion that the working had become foul from a large fall of coal between Saturday night and Mon day morning. It was still so foul that they were unable to get at it. He thought the door was unimportant as regards the ventilation of the Robbery. This evidence was con flicting with the opinion of the Government inspector, who thought the door was necessary, so long as it was kept in good order, for the proper ventilation of the Robbery, and who also stated that the pit was at one time one of the most dangerous pits he knew; a shaft had since been put in, but the ventilation now was only adequate if the greate s t care and caution were observed. The jury retired for about an hour, after which they returned a verdict, " that the three m , n were killed by an explosion, but how that explo aion originated did not appear," LATEST NEWS. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.) PARIS, DEC. 12. The Noniteur publishes a decree fixing the duty on dry vegetables and their meals at 25 centimes per 100 kilogrammes, whether imported into France by sea or land, in French or foreign vessels, until the 30th Sept., 1861. The vessels also will be free from tonnage dues. VIENNA, DEC. 12. The official Wiener Zeitung of to-day announces the appointment of Field-Marshal-Lieutenants von Schmerling and Mertens as substitutes of the Minister for War, Count Emmerichs-Miko has been provisionally appointed President of the Stadtholdership of Transylvania. THE SIEGE OF GAETA. A letter from Gaeta, dated the 4th inst., says— "The siege is becoming more interesting. The besiegers are showing more activity. Yesterday the Piedmontese received reinforcements from Naples to the amount of 3,000 men, and the Cavalli, guns are all in position. I have been told that there are 80 of them. Shots are continually exchanged between the besiegers and the fortress. "On Sunday last shells of large dimensions were fired from rifled cannon. Many went over the bat teries. One shell burst near the Orlando Tower, which is a long range. Four men were wounded. The Royal Princes visit the batteries in turn, and the King seems resolved to hold out." NAPLES. The Naples correspondent of the Debuts has the following :—" The cardinal of Naples, as I have already informed you, was recalled almost uncon ditionally. The police, or rather the national guard, prevented the demonstration which a num ber of priests and zealots intended to make on his arrival by going to meet his Eminence. On the following day, which was Sunday, the people flocked in crowds to the cardinal's palace, part of them with the design of shouting ' Down with the cardinal !' and part to submit to his Eminence two humble propositions ; first, that he should place the Piedmontese arms on the front of his palace where those of the Bourbon still defy public opinion ; and, secondly, that he should give some sign of acknowledging the Government of the usurper. His Eminence considered these demands very impertinent, and replied that those were points for his own decision, and that he would communicate with M. Farini on the subject. Two majors of the national guard carried this answer to the crowd, while his eminence went to the cathedral to sing a Te Deum for his return and the triumph of the Church. The unbelieving multitude did not consider this answer satisfac tory, and some of them exclaimed, ' Since his Eminence will not take the trouble, let us set about it ourselves.' They accordingly tore down the arras above the door, and put a portrait of Victor Emmanuel in its place with a flag on each side of it. They then entered the palace and put flags in all the windows. Then they formed a double line in his Eminence's staircase, with a flag as big as the main sail of a brig and an illuminated portrait of Victor Emmanuel. After the To Deum his Eminence returned to take his chocolate, and was obliged to ascend the staircase. Mgr. Riario-Sforza, without being at all disconcerted, ascended the stairs, bow ing to the people who lined them, smiled on seeing the King's portrait, took no notice of the revolu tionary flags, and entered his apartments. But he bad counted without the populace and the provin cial priests whom his Eminence had almost excom municated, as suspected partisans of Garibaldi, by refusing to allow them to say mass, and thus con demning them to starve. The uproar under his windows after a while became tremendous, and a few panes of glass were broken. The Cardinal held out for about six hours, but at last became alarmed by the fury of the mob. So, after writing a short protest against the violence done him, he went out on the balcony, with a rather bad grace, gave his blessing to the mob amid a concert of groans, and then lighted a taper before a plaster bust of the King of Italy." The following note has been addressed to the commerce of Italy by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of King Francis 11. : " Gaeta, 27th Nov. " Since the town of Gaeta has been besieged, four vessels with Sardinian flags and cargoes have anchored in the port, having been driven in by stress of weather. The King's Government had evidently the right to seize them, since they were protected neither by their flag, nor by the destina tion of their cargoes. The application of the right of war would besides have been advantageous to the besieged town, the first of the vessels having been freighted with coal, apd the other three with grain—articles of great utility to a place which is invested. The King, however, proved himself generous, by taking into consideration the excep tional circumstances of the present war, which was preceded by no regular declaration nor denunciation of hostilities, and his Majesty has ordered that the vessels should be set at liberty. But the King cannot permit a benevolent and spontaneous conces sion to be interpreted as an abandonment of his rights, or as a proof of weakness. He has, there fore, decided that any vessel which from this day, the 27th Nov., may present itself in the waters of Gaeta der the Sardinian flag shall be immediately capturd by the Royal Navy, and treated according to the laws of war. " S. CASELLA." King Francis 11. bas conferred the Order of Francis I. on M. Autran, commissary-general at Toulon, and on M. Cros, director of naval construc tions, for the care with which they lately had the Neapolitan vessels of war repaired in that port. FRANCE. I3oußsE, Dec. 11.—The market has been rather more animated than yesterday, but without any material improvement in prices. For the Account, Threes are now at 69f 5c ; Mobilier, 776 f 25c ; Or leans, 1,386 f 25c ; Northern, 995 f; Mediterranean, 912 f 50c ; Austrian, 511 f 25c ; Lombard, 486 f 25c. The market became dull towards the close, and prices receded to a trifle below those of yesterday. The following are the last quotations:- 41 per per Cents ... 96 85 Credit loncier 9lB 75 Do end month.... 97 05 Belgian 4/ 9Bk 3 per Cents Do. end month 6B 90 Roman Bank Shares 2940 Austrian Credit Mobilier.... 772 50 Spanish Threes 49 75 Do. Account —lHome Debt RAILWAYS. Cash. Account. Orleans 1385 1386 25 Northern New ditto 9OO Lyons and Mediterranean 910 .. 911 25 Geneva 3BB 75 .. 390 Southern 525 .. 523 75 Western Eastern Sardinian 4OO 400 Austrian - Lombard 485 .. 485 Letters state that the mass of the population of Rome is now suffering great privations, owing to the high price of bread, and that expedients of all kinds are being adopted by public and private charity to supply food for the poor. SLIP OF CHALK ON THE SOUTH-COAST RAIL WAY.—EarIy on Sunday morning a large slip of chalk took place in the cutting on the Brighton side of the viaduct, over the Lewes-road. It was discovered about five o'clock, when the goods train for the east branch was thrown off the metals, and came to a sudden stop at the spot. The driver of the engine was not hurt, as the train was proceeding very slowly at the time. On examination he found that both the up and down lines had been blocked up by tho chalk slip, and being unable to proceed he despatched a messenger to Brighton, and very soon after a strong body of workmen was on the spot. Several of the trains were stopped. The first train from Hastings to Brighton, due at 8.50, was detaineil. an hour and a quarter, and in consequence several of the passengers got out at the Falmer station and walked the rest of the distance. The train leaving Brighton for Hastings at 8.55 was also an hour behind. The London passengers to Lewes and Hastings sustained no inconve nience, as the traffic comes down the Keymer branch. The line was cleared about ten o'clock and the traffic then went OA with, 1)4 usual regularity.—Sussex ,Express. AMERICA. ARRIVAL OF THE CITY OF BALTIMORE. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY NIGHT. The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia Company's steamer City of Baltimore, Captain Petrie, from New York on the Ist instant, has arrived here. She brings the Irish mail and 2,600 dols. in specie. On the Bth instant she passed the ship City of Lincoln, waterlogged and abandoned. The Washington correspondent of theNeto York Times states that the fears of a secession of the Southern States were subsiding. Many Southern members of Congress had arrived in the capital with their families. The New ork, Berald says that the feeling for secession in the South had not abated. Advices from Havana are to the 27th ult. The sugar market was dull. Freights inactive. The yellow fever was making sad havoc among the shipping at Jamaica. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. NEW YORK, Nov. 30 (Evening). Money abundant but dull, at 7 per cent. for loans on call, owing to the want of confidence. Exchange, bankers' bills, 104 to 105. Stocks opened steadily, then relapsed, but were again steady at the close. The following are the latest quotations :—New York Central, 75i ; Erie, 29 3 / 4 ; Illinois, 573/4 4 ; State Stocks, ± per cent. lower. Cotton unchanged; sales, 500 bales, middling upland, 10Ic. Flour heavy and irregular; sales, 9,000 barrels. Wheat heavy and lower. Sugar and coffee steady. Provisions lower. Freights firm. LATEST COMMERCIAL. DEC. 1. Stacks are dull and rather lower. Illinois Central, 57 ; Erie, 28k; New York Central, 741. The cotton market is dull. Middling upland is quoted 101 c. to 108-c. Bread stuffs are heavy, and all descriptions have slightly de clined. The market for provisions is heavy. Pork is hard of sale and lower. NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 30. The cotton market is very dull. Middling has declined to 9ic. to 91e. The sales of the week amount to 45,000 bales ; receipts during the same period, 57,000 ; and ex ports, 40,000 bales. Receipts below last year, 195,000 bales. Sterling exchange is quoted Bto premium. SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 12. The United States mail steamer Fulton, Captain Walton, which sails to-day for New York, takes £49,490, all sovereigns, and nearly 200 passengers. SARDINIA AND SWI7ZEIUAND. REUTER'S OFFICE, DEC. 11. The following is the text of the protest of the Sardinian Government against the sequestration of the Chnrch'property in the canton of Ticino, belong ing to the Bishopric of Como : " Turin, Nov. 20, 1860. "M. le Chevalier de Jocteau,—The postscript to your note No. 202, under the date of the 9th inst., informs me of the interpellations just addressed to you by his Excellency the President of the Helvetic Confederation on the subject of the questions con cerning the revenue of the Bishopric of Como. " Towards the end of September last M. Tourte, Envoy of the Confederation at Turin, wrote to me in fact, expressing the desire of the Federal Council to see the discussion of the disputed points under litigation, as to the mode of procedure for the separation of the property of the diocess of Como, confided to men specially appointed for that pur pose. M. Tourte therefore requested me in that letter to name a commission ad hoc with which he could treat. "I could not but appreciate the courteous and conciliatory spirit manifested in this step, and I desired to accede to it; but this depended much more upon the measures to be taken by the Federal Council than upon our good will. " The state of things as brought about by the revolution in the Canton of Ticino, approved and maintained by the Swiss Confederation, is not normal. " I havo already had occasion to acquaint M. Tourte with our opiniol on this point, and with the principles which, in our idea, should be observed in such a matter. M. Tourte will doubt less have informed his Government of this com munication. " The Government of the King does not in any way dispute the right of Switzerland to withdraw a part of its territory from the jurisdiction of a foreign bishopric—from the Bishopric of Como. "His Majesty's Government has therefore ab stained from demanding a participation in the nego tiations on that question, which the Federal Council had opened with the Holy See. But, as I had the honour of declaring to M. Tourte in my note of the 6th of September, there is another question—viz., that of property—concerning which we could neither admit the system which the Federal Coun cil appeared desirous of establishing, nor sanction, either explicitly or implicitly, the measures adopted by the Canton of Ticino. " Without apprising us, without making any attempt at an arrangement, the Swiss authorities placed under sequestration the property and revenues of the Bishopric of Como, existing on Swiss terri tory, deprived the Bishop of the administration of the property which belonged to him, and trans ferred it to the State. " This illegal proceeding was still less consistent with the amicable and kindly relations between Sardinia and Switzerland. "The ecclesiastical nature of the sequestrated property by no means invalidates, from an inter national point of view, the right of proprietorship. The Federal authorities had no more right to seize the property of the Bishop of Como than they would have had to lay hands upon the property of any other subject of the King. "According to the terms of M. Tourte's note, it appears that the Federal Government believed that it had the right of partitioning the episcopal pro perty of Como. " But, viewing the affair in that manner, the fact cannot be excluded that there had been a violation of acquired rights and an outrage—undoubtedly unintentional, for I could not attribute intention to the Swiss authorities—an outrage, I say, against the dignity of a friendly Government, which could not be deemed indifferent to the injury that was inflicted on ai,bishopric of its States. Besides, I must here repeat the declaration that the Govern ment of the King cannot share the opinion of the Federal Council on this point. " The international law invariably consecrated by practice is, that the Government wishing to separate its territory from the jurisdiction of a foreign bishopric, shall bear tha charges which result from its determination, and that the property and revenues remain entire to the dismembered diocess. " It was thus that we ourselves acted towards Austria when the territory on this side of the Ticino was separated from the diocesses of Milan and Pavia. The old Governments of Modena and Parma acted in a similar manner towards Sardinia when they removed a certain number of parishes of their states from the jurisdiction of the Sardinian Bishopric of Sarzana. "In default of other examples, we might invoke against the system which Switzerland would intro duce in regard to the revenues of Como the princi ples which she upheld in the affair with Austria in reference to the Bishopric of Caire. However, if the Federal Council has to make any representa tions, or to propose any transaction, it is clear that the question ought to be presented intact, and that the Government of the King not only cannot con sent to enter into negotiations so long as the viola tion of the proerty of one of its subjects is persisted in, but that it ffught to demand that in regard to the property everything be restored to its former state. We are therefore under the painful necessity of having to renew to the Federal Council the demand that the sequestration of the property of the Bishopric of Como be raised, and that its free admi nistration be rendered to the Bishop. I have too much confidence in the spirit of justice and in the high wisdom of the Helvetic Government to doubt that our claims will meet a favourable reception. But if, contrary to all expectations, it refuses to do justice to so reasonable a demand, the Government of the Ring, in its turn, would have to consider what further measures are just and necessary. " I invite you, &c., " CA. YOUR." CURRENCY REFORM. To the Editor of the Suffolk Chronicle. Mr. Editor, —I concluded my last letter by asking—ln what respect would not a free paper circulation, based upon national wealth, and guaranteed receivable for taxes, be superior to a circulation based upon one commodity—gold ? I will now, by your permission, attempt to show the supe riority of the former to the latter. But let me first premise what are the great desiderata in a national currency. They are, doubtless, regularity, security, and ample quantity. Without regularity—sub ject to sudden jumps and jerks —that agency, which, by its smooth and harmonious action, ought constantly to advan tage the productive and mercantile classes, immensely increases their hazard an uncertainty. Security to its recipients against its possible depreciation is essential to the very existence of money. And the quantity in circulation should be at all times commensurate with the requirements of trade. Yet, how to realise such an adequate circulation is with many casual thinkers a great difficulty. They cannot see how an essentially gold circulation can be indefinitely in creased. Indeed, they constantly observe that when, by its exportation, gold rises in price, or when from its rise in price, it is exported, the quantity of gold possessed by the Bank of England is diminished, and the national circulat ing medium is contracted. Money is held at higher rates, discounts are raised, prices of commodities are depressed, employment for the masses is less abundant, and profits are reduced or annihilated. They perhaps perceive that free trade in gold would retain that commodity, or even, by its rise in price, if required, secure its importation. Still, in such rise of price they have a difficulty—how such enhanced price is to be paid in sovereigns of fixed weight. This brings us to the all pervading fallacy of our present currency—that money is a commodity—an article of intrin sic worth, or the representative of some one article of intrin sic worth, by which at any time may be obtained a definite quantity of that one article. Instead of this, money is essentially a token—a counter—possessing only conven tional worth, by common consent of society, or force of national law. In such an instrument intrinsic value is unnecessary, as any medium adopted by a community w ill answer their purpose. But, although any substance may be employed as a cir culating medium, no other combines all the advantages of a legal tender paper issue. Its cheapness, the impossibility of its depreciation, the ease and inexpensiveness of renewal, the saving of wear and tear, the lightness of material, the facility for remission, are many conclusive reasons for its adoption. And besides these reasons observable in its substance, as an agent its amount may be increased or diminished at pleasure —may be so regulated as to expand or contract with the expansion or contraction of trade—as infallibly to prevent monetary crisis or panics, excessive fluctuation of discounts, inordinate depression of prices, non-employment or insufficient remuneration of labour or capital—appropriately and productively applied. In all these respects paper money manifestly is greatly superior to any other form of circulation hitherto devised. Bur is its security satisfactory ? Will it really be pre- served from depreciation ? It nay be secure as our liber ties and our lives. - It may be secure as our great national investments—our national debt, consols, exchequer-bills-- as railway, and all other joint-stock shares. It may be secure as stamps and documents of every description. DO we doubt the security of the Bank of England issues ? If not, then surely issues by Government made legal tender and receivable for taxes, cannot be fictitious or insecure. At present, Mr. Editor, I will not further trespass upon your valuable space, but will reserve till another occasion some delineation of arrangements requisite for the issue of paper money, and of the features by which it should be characterised. Till then, permit me to commit this question of questions to the earnest thoughtfulness of English minds—to land owners, tenant-farmers, labourers, artisans, merchants, bankers—to all who are interested in the productive pros perity of the nation ; and urge them, as vitally concerned in its solution, to master its various details, and weigh it in all its bearings. These, sir, alone, I venture to affirm, will be found material relief to a burdened, groaning people, elsewhere vainly sought. By adopting legal paper tender money, representative of aggregate national wealth or deposited securities, may our monetary convulsions and depressions be at once and for ever banished. I am, Mr. Editor, yours very faithfully, CHARLES HA.WARD. Brimfield, Saxmundham, Nov. 26th, 1860. NEW DISCOVERY IN STEAZ IV AVI- GATION. Yesterday a trip was made down the Thames tO test the merits of a novel but extremely simple invention, which, if it succeeds, may create almost a revolution in steam navigation. The discover" is the more remarkable from being opposed to all the received notions with regard to the propulsion of vessels, whether by the oar, the paddlewheel, or the screw. In those cases the motion is obtained by the broad surface which is brought to bear upon the water, whereas here the least conceivable resisting surface is presented, namely, the rim of e thin disc, revolving on an axis, like the ordinari paddle-wheel. To use a familiar illustration, the principle adopted would seem to be nearly analo gous to that of moving a floating body by means of a knife turned rapidly round, the sharp edge instead l of the side being kept next to the water. At first 1 sight that would appear to be an ingenious contri vance to get the very lowest rate of speed from $ given amount of power, but the result of the experi ment yesterday was calculated to considerably modify such an impression This " disc wheel," as it is called, is the invention of Mr. James Jones Aston, a barrister, we believe, of the northern circuit, wig , has for some years devoted his attention to steam navigation. It consists of a solid circular disc of metal or wood, or both intombination, with plain edges, made as thin as possible, consistently with its being strong enough to be turned rapidly in , the water without breaking or " buckling. ' One of these at the stern, or one at each side, will propel a boat, but several may be used on the same shaft at equal distances apart. The portion not acting in the water can be cut away, and the disc filled with arms or spokes. The chief of its advan tages over the paddle-wheel and the screw, all enumerated by the patentee, consist in the motive power being so perfectly utilised as to obtain a greater rate of speed than has hitherto been deemed practicable, in its being less likely to be disabled in a storm or battle, and in the entire absence of paddles or blades to agitate the water, and to give vibration to the boat. It was not expected, nor attempted, to demonstrate satisfactorily the first of those advantages by yesteiday's experiment, as it was made under very unfavourable circumstances; but that ships, and heavy ones, too, can be sent, along quickly by this new mode of propulsion wag placed beyond doubt. Mr. Aston had obtained the use of a tug called Saucy Jack, an old, large, heavy, and lumbering craft, whose characteristics certainly did not answer to her name, and substituted his disc wheels for the paddle ones which were before employed. Each wheel was composed of four metal discs, open in the centre, about 14 feet in diameter, and a little more than two feet in the water. It is but right to mention that the wheels were only put together in a rough and temporary manner; and that, in order to meet the inventor's plan, they' ought to have sunk at least another foot in the stream, which wgeld have given greater speed. The boat thus prepared, and with its ordinary engines (which were an old-fashioned description) working the wheels, started from Blackwell in the morning with a small party of gentlemen, including Mr. Aston, Mr. Wright, of the Admiralty ; Captain Lovell, of the Peninsular and Oriental Company; Mr. Macrory, barrister; Mr. Adam, of the House of Lords ; and a few others interested in the ex periment. It was shortly after high water, and, on the word "Go ahead" being given, the tug move d off slowly down the river, increasing its speed by degrees until it went a little more than six knots an hour, the maximum obtained with the tide in its favour. There were 47 revolutions $ minute, and the consumption of coals was at the rate of 121 cwt. an hour, with a pressure o f 61b. on the boiler, the usual speed of the vessel, with the paddle-whe e l s , being eight knots with one ton of coals; but it would be unfair to draw any rigid comparison between the two performances until the disc wheel is worked by machinery properly adapted to it. In the first place, as the wheel meets with so little resistance from the water, it can and ought to be, in Mr. Aston's opinion, pro pelled at an immense velocity, to which no exist ing marine engines are probably equal, and which would require a multiplication of machinery, or cogs, or some other mechanical contrivance. It g . was also stated that with the same amount or power by which the six knots were got, the tug with its old wheels would scarcely move at all. To the scientific it would be a matter of nice in" vestigation and speculation how these wheels act upon the water so as to move along a vessel of such bulk. The motion was extremely easy and steady, and of course the swell from wheels of such con struction was very slight. The defects of the inven tion may be said to be a difficulty in making a quick start and in suddenly stopping, but these may be overcome by the skill of a clever practical engineer. A good run was made at the speed we have mentioned to Erith, and then the tug returned at tp the t he rate e -er ofagainstknots, tid w a i r t i h d a a strong diminishedhead winepres sure of steam. Mr. Aston also alleges various other grounds for the superiority of his disc specified ; for instance, wheel than those already no loss of power from back water, its liability to be much less affected by wind and tide, and its suitableness for canals and shallow rivers, and o a f nY be th e e "i s ly ter a n i3 water where workedwhe waibthoatmcuaenhfioleasts, a p n o d w i e t r s , ca a p n a d bi a ii t ty s also t b o e all paddle-wheels , . great saving of fuel . . and lt would be necessary. The invention, we repeat, the case of a screw some alteration of the machine*" produced an unexpected and singular result, an' Abut i: d ese rving some further and more extol a w n ell d p e rfect trials. At 0 17 There aecommi tho ug h any fart range as neverthf and disc lecommc Utensiv About tank of 'Were Wi The F hibited I At a n Mox UP the e. outstand In the 'Mount 4rni. The I LiYerpoc specie. The p *With cop that the ktrennou investing The advi desired c way to r tiate a lc objects ii eeeded sc Govern"( .400,001 A bett for publi foe the Were at! but a feN I . ll lprovei :erred at are fiat I Is at 101 ; Bills an The di tinue Tv 6 per Ce Russian Mexican 831. The ti have be( occupied account. boirig ai takings. Dover, E Lancash (13erwie indioati4 at the 11 The Eian FrE fo 3 ; realise 1 In tho Orand Wester] are fir= Joint don Ch to 25t. In tl 'hange Compat B Id per Ce Der Ce New 3p India St, Ditto Ditto, Ditto Ditto D Ditto Bc )itto Consols Ezeheq. Ditto ht,o id is idea DEC