The Sun. — London, England, 1869-03-09 00:00:00

THE IRISH CHURCH TEMPORALITIES SURPLUS. It will be of interest to recall some information obtained at the taking of the last Irish census in 1861. It was ascertained that there were at that time 4,930 deaf and dumb persons in Ireland—that is to say, one in 1,176 of the population. It appears also that there were 723 persons dumb but not deaf, making, with the former number, 5,653, or one in every 1,026 of the population ; and 6,542 other persons were deaf only. Official returns obtained from 21 countries in Europe and North America shewed a mean of only one person deaf and dumb in 1,526 of the population. There were 6,879 blind persons in Ireland, being one in 843 of the popu lation ; the mean of the returns from 21 countries was only one in 1,267. The number of lunatics in Ireland was 7,065, or one in 821 of the population ; the mean of returns obtained from 19 countries was only one in 1,036. The number of idiotic persons in Ireland was 7,033, or one in 825 of the population ; the mean of returns obtained from ten countries was only one in 1,261. Persons who are idiotic and also dumb, or deaf and dumb, have probably been here reckoned in two classes ; but it seems plain enough that Ireland Las a large share of persons in a state of affliction and destitu tion, which people of every faith feel it a religious duty to relieve. There were 4,120 persons in Ireland lame or decrepit, one in 1,408 of the population ; but it does not appear how many of them were prevented from earning their living. There were 28,193 persons sick at their own homes, being one in 203 of the population ; and 26,699 of them were prevented by their illness from followina their usual occupation. THE DECAY OF THE _HOUSE OF CO3IIIIONS. It is very unsatisfactory to find that before the new . Houses of Parliament have been fully completed, they are actually decaying in parts ; and the same estimates include votes for the building itself, and for the appliances to arrest the progress of destruction. The stone of which it is constructed was taken from a Yorkshire quarry on the recommendation of a commission appointed to inquire into the subject, but almost immediately after being placed in position, this particular stone began to shew signs of decay. The facade of the building was marked by large patches, and the Gothic tracery of the architecture was sadly disfigured. So far back as 1857 various processes for preserving the stone were tried on different parts of the building, and subsequently Professor Faraday and Sir Roderick Murchison were requested to give their opinions on the relative merits of such methods. They concurred in awarding the pre-eminence to the process of M. Szerelmy, of which the particulars are, of course, a secret. Pro fessor Faraday, in his report, said that so far as a judgment could be formed upon two years' experience, he believed that the process would sustain its character for a lengthened period of time. "I do not find," said the learned professor, • "in other parts of the building, where M. Szerelmy's application is more than two years old, any signs of exfoliation, or de fection of the prepared face of the stone, or any grounds for fear in that respect." The process has been applied with equal success to the iron of the roof, which was deteriorating at an equally rapid rate. Part of it•had been coated with zinc or galvanised iron. This had scarcely been fixed when it shewed signs of premature oxydation. M. Szerelmy's preparation was applied to one of the affected parts, and also to the gilding of the clock tower. On a careful examination last year, it was found that the portion treated with the preservative material was perfectly sound, while the rest of the roof had suf. fered more or less from atmospheric influences. The First Commissioner of Works has accordingly directed that the remainder of the roof should be covered with the composi tion. Meanwhile the stonework shews signs of disintegra tion, and there is some ground for the anticipation that, so far as external appearances are concerned, the new Palace at Westminster will shortly look as ancient as the venerable Abbey, which reckons as many centuries as Sir Charles Barry's costly building can reckon years. M. Szerelmy's process is capable of application to many kinds of building materials. Experiments have been tried on stone, brick, iron railings, and timber, with very gratifying results. Pieces of timber coated with the preparation have been sunk for two years in the water at Portsmouth, and are now perfectly sound. Textile fabrics are also rendered waterproof and indestructible by it. THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE. The several opportunities of judging of their relative capabilities that have been afforded by the daily per formances of the University eights since their arrival at Putneyhave revealed two facts. The first is, that in point of form the Oxford men are not nearly up to the standard of last year, and the second, that the Cambridge crew exhibit a marked improvement in their style of row ing. This statement must, however, be taken with this saving reflection, that the time between this and next Wednesday week will probably do more in the way of remedying the defect of the former than it will in intensi fying the good quality of the latter. The idea conveyed to most people by a careful scrutiny of the two eights is that the latent power of the one (combined with the use of that long, sweeping stroke for which the Isis is pro verbial) will, if it can be licked into shape by the day of the race, make it a hard tussle for the other to redeem for Cambridge the honour of holding the blue riband of the Thames. There are some who affect to see already a great improvement in the Oxford men, but it cannot be said that this is apparent to the generality • of the spectators who watched the boats from the banks. Lo them it seems that the respective position of the crews is much what it was when they first put in an appearance on the London river last week. The manner in which those who have trained on the Cam lay themselves down to their work, and the firm hold they manage to get of the water, makes their every stroke tell. They have been, and still are, admirably coached by Mr. Morrison, and if they are fated to be beaten again, it may be predicated: that it will only be after a thoroughly game race, and one in which they will have displayed a degree of scientific rowing much in advance of that which has characterised their efforts for sorne years past. Of the betting little can be said with certainty, except that Oxford has the pull. Times are early yet for the registration of any extensive transactions, opinions on the merits of the crews being-of necessity somewhat crude. Each day will tend to the true settlement of the odds. At present the ruling figure is 7 to 4 on Oxford. LORD MILTON, M.P.—Lord Milton, M.P., has been obliged to withdraw temporarily from parliament a y life in consequence of a severe attack of inflanimaticn in the eyes, which has required him to confine himself to a darkened room. His lordship is progressing favourab'y towards recovery. At the Warwick Board of Guardians Lord Leigh , introduced his proposal for establishing a central union , school for the permanent pauper children of that county, provided the other unions in Warwickshire concur in the E chum Ills lordship mentioned that it would be conducive to economy and efficiency in the training of children. The result of the decision will be an application to the boards of the various unions in the county asking them to co-operate. THE COURT OF CHANCERY AND ITS FUNDS. :Returns issued on Monday chew that in the year ending 9ctober 1 last the total payments from the "suitors fund" of the Court of Chancery were £51,583 35., and the sale of stock (to raise 206,000, pursuant to the " Courts of Justice Building Act, 1865 "), .£222,608. The surplus interest carried over to the "suitors' fee fund account" was £56,468135. 6d., and the balance on the Ist of October, 1868, was £16,023 19s. 3d. cash, and £3,513,111 Os. Gd. stock. The total payments from the "suitors' fee fund account" in the year ending November 25, 1868, were £164,231 10s. 3d., and the balance left after deducting that amount from the total receipts was £181,998 15s. 6d. THE OPERA. —Would the fashionable and music loving world grieve very much if, after all that has been said and written of the fusion of the two Operas, the arrangements to that effect were to break down? Not much, we fancy. But if, as we believe, we are correctly informed, this is precisely what has already happened. We might do an unintentional injustice were we to give the explanation which has reached us of the circumstances which have led to this failure. Enough that certain con ditions were put forward on the one side which could not be accepted on the other, and that, as the nett result, the public will get the benefits of competition instead of those of mon , p , ,iy. it is raid that Mr. Mapleson will have the great adyant' )of Mr. C os t a ' s supportas e)nductor a t Ii er Majesty' 3 t h ea t re, which will be ready for opening eery early in the season. • . • MR. BRIGHT, SIIELLEy, AND ChARLES LAMB.— The new President of the Board of Trade once expressed • to th.v writer of this notice his want of sympathy with Sh e ll e y, which, donhtless, he :hares with all the "Friends;" but the literary portion of the society, we believe, have always felt an interest in that poet, and it • was Mr. Bright's having quoted him in one of his speeches 'that led to the disavowal of sympathy referred to above. Apparently Mr. Barton had made some inquiry about him of Lamb, for tie later says, " Shelley I saw once. Hie voice was the most obnoxious squeak I ever was tormented with, ten thousand times worse than the Laureate's whose 'voice is the worst part about him except his laureate! ship. T, , ,rd Pyron opens upon him on Monday, in a parody, I 3uppoF;e, of the ' Vision of Judgment,' in which latter the poet, I think, did not much show hi& To award his heaven and his hell in the presumptuous manner be has done was a piece of immodesty as bad as Shelleyiazn,— The Churchman's Xaguine. THE S UN, LONDON, TUESDAY E VENING, MARCH 9, lE 69. THE MUTED S7A7ES THE WESTMINSTER ELECTION PETITION EBT. merica Mr. D'Eyncourt has just g i ven hi s d ec i s i on on the appli- 1 (From the Anglo-A --- n Times.) cation made on behalf of Colonel Dickson, late candidate We have become so accustomed to the careless for Hackney, for a summons against a solicitor named writing of English papers on American subjects that Jenkins, for having, by means of corrupt practices, con- it occasioned no surprise to read the article in the spired to procure the return of M r . Smith, the Conserve- Times of Tuesday following the telegram from Wash tive member for Westminster. A writt e n information, ington, dated Feb. 28 —" The Senate has passed by signed by Colonel Dickson, was laid before his worship. 3O votes against 16 General SCIIENCK'S Finance Bill It stated as follows :—" On the 16th of October last, after ' I amended. The bill now declares that all the national a public meeting in Hackney, for which place I was also a candidate, I was i n f orme d b y some of my committee that obligations shall be pay a bl e i n co i n, unless the law a gentleman h a d b een down that day in the borough for under which they were iss ue d spec ifi es payment in cur the purpose of seeing me, as he had sum of money to rency. The bill also legalizes contracts containing hand over to me—they said some £soo—to assist special provisions for contracts to be made in gold. me in paying my expenses ; and he wanted to The Senate rejected the article of the bill which know my address, which they gave him. On the procosed to prohibit the payment of bonds before ; following morni ng a gen tl eman ca ll e d on me, g i v i ng the maturity, unless currency s h ou ld have previously name of Howard. This gentleman told me he had been been rendered convertible into coin at p ar. The down in Ha c k ne y th e d ay b e f ore, an d t h at h e wanted to : bill returns to the H ouse o f R epresentatives. " Ou see me, and to k now if I wou ld a ll ow myse lf to b e put . in nomination f or ano th er metropo li tan b oroug h . I told the next day this was follo we d by a l ea d er, w h ere i n him that I thought s t an di ng f or one was enoug h at a the subject was th us di scussed :--" These views, time. I asked him what borough lie meant. He at first however, will be. hardly compatible with General said he would rather tot say, and then said, ' What do you SCIIENCK'S Finance llill ; it contains a stipulation think about Westminster?' I said, I would not go that the bonds of the United States, though ruled against our friend, Mr. Mill. li e th en sa id, ' What do to be payable in gold and not in green].) icks, 'should not be p a id o ff at all till greenbacks and you say about G rosvenor ?' I sa id I s h ou ld not m i n d if it did not hurt Mr. Mill, as I had no love for the gold shall repres en t equ i va l ent values. It would Grosvenors, having suffered eno ug h wrong a nd injustice by my connecti on w ith L or d Wil ton. H e t h en sa i d i follow, iu fact, th a t th e w h o l e currency question of the Union must b e success f u ll y settled before £5OO was at my serv i ce if I consente d to stan d for Westmi ns t er , an d £5 , 0 00 to pay the expenses payment of the p u bli c d e b t on that footing if required, and h e a dd e d , ' Will you t hi n k could so much a s b eg i n ." Th e wr i ter evidently about it?' I told him I would, and he said had not read the telegram, which showed that the a deputation would wait upon me if I would allow them, very clause he had taken as the subject for discus- I said the following Thursday would suit me best. I said sion had been stricken from the bill by the Senate, the deputation could mee t me at the Adelphi Club, though the intelligence had been published in his Adelphi-terrace, but he said they bad better meet at my paper of the previous day ; and it was not till Thurs. house. I asked him his name and address in town. He said his name was Howard, an d th a t h e did no t res id e i n I day that Reuter announce d th a t t h e Representa . tines did not co ncur i n thi s amendment, and London, but had come th a t morn i ng f rom W ey b r i dge, tt where he had been fi s hi ng . Th e w h o l e o f thi s conversat i on asked for a conf ereuze , w hi c h en d ed i n the dis was heard by a gentl eman w h o was present . I appo i nted puted clause being re t a i ne d . N or i s the argu some of my committee to meet at my house on the follow- meat justified by it, for the words " before ma ing Thursday (October 22nd). Also Mr. Edmond Beales turity" are overlooked. The Times is much im and Mr. Odger. They came on the Thursday, and pressed with the report of Mr. FORD, the British remained some considerable time, but Mr. Howard Secretary of Legation at Washington, on the and his deputation never put in an appear- Financial Condition of the United States, vt ho ance." The information then went on to say that alleges that " The majority o f A mer i cans would Mr. Jenkins accost e d th e C o l one l , an d spoke to him on the same subject on th e 2Gth o f J anuary. He appear disposed to en d ure any amount of sacrifice said Mr. Howard had so styled hi mse lf, b u t t h at i n real i ty I rather than bequeath a p ort i on o f t h e i r debt to he was his (Jenkins's) father. Light now seems to have future generations." This must necessarily, he beamedon the Colonel. Was not Mr. Jenkins one of Mr. , continues, long constitute America as it is at pre- Smith's agents? Would it not be fur Mr. Smith's benefit sent one of the dearest places of residence in the to divide the Liberal party in Westminster ? So Mr. world, and in this the Times agrees. It asserts that Jenkins was called upon for an explanation of thematter, but however widely President JGHNSON and Secretary (according to the information) refused to give any, saying, M'CULLOCH may differ, they are of one mind in "He should deny having had anything to do with the matter." I refusing to recognize the debt of the United States as Colonel Dickson, however, having first spoken peaceably ' to him, received the off e r of ano th er b orough. " Mr. are those of Europe, a permanent b ur d en , a ddi ng i that °G so far as our own observation go e s, no Arne- Jenkins," the i n f orma ti on conc l u d es " admitted to Mr. Cobb that he had sent his father to me under the name of 1 rican statesman has suggested that the country Howard, and it has been proved on the trial that Mr. should content itself for the present with paying Thomas Jenkins, also his father, Mr. William Jenkins, interest on its debt, and leave the principal to be alias Howard, were agents for Mr. Smith. Also that Mr. dealt with in easier times." Now it is because the William Jenkins, alias Howard, produced a bundle of observation of the Times goes but a very short dis bank-notes to my committee. I tance that it makes such an assertion. Indeed had its observation ex t en d e d even as far back as last In giving j u d gmen t, M r . D'E yncour t sa id h e h a d b een carefully through the declaration as set forth, and he had summer it would h ave k nown t h at strenuous efforts quite come to the concl us ion that the offence it charged the were made in Congress by more than one A mer i can party with—supposing it to be an offence —did not come under the cognizance of the Act (the Act for the Preven- statesman to lower th e ra t e o f i nterest b y very ma tion of Bribery and Corruption). lle could not see how I tee ially increasing the period over which the bonds it could be construed into bribery where a person off ers were to run, gro un di ng th e ca l cu l ation on this priu money or gives money to a candidate to procure his ciple that the longer the time the lower ought to be return. Suppose a man having a son a candidate, the semi-annual percentage paid. While recognizing and he chooses to supply money to that son for his its truth we pointed out that it might go to the ex expenses, that could not be termed bribery. The offer of treme of a vanishing point ; for some of the argu money in this case was to procure his (the Colonel's) own meats used would h ave re d uce d i t to t hi s a b sur di ty, return. He (the learned counse l) says the offer of money was to procure the return of Mr. Smith. He could not that by making the debt permanent the interest whether it wa s a case that came within the i n t en ti on say should cease altogether. IVe believe the financiers of the Act. He did not think the Act contemplated iof the United States to aim at raising the national such a case as this. Then as to conspiracy and mis- credit till the Federal Bonds go above par in gold, demeanour, there was not sufficient evidence for him with the object of pursuing the system adopted by to grant summonses for these, He declined granting' Great Britain in paying the holders of the Six per the summonses. Cents. off who will not take Five per Cent. Bonds on Mr. Littler : I wish to say that the imputations against a longer term, and eventually reduce the Five per Colonel Dickson have been disproved. Cents. to Four as the debt diminishes and the credit Mr. D'Enycourt considered he was clear of all impute- COD. of the country r i ses t o w h a t it oug h t t o b e . Th ese -- - After thanking his worship for his trouble, all parties left the court English Conjectures as to what Americans are going to do are grounded on the false supposition that they will do what no other people would do, something eccentric, opposed to reason, and founded on spread eagle sentiment. This is farcically enough asso ciated with a firm belief in the shrewdness and in telligence of the people. If they be shrewd and in telligent js it not reasonahle to conjecture that they will act an intelligent part, which many in Europe seem to doubt; though why can be easily explained. As a rule those who write thus are ignorant of the re 11 bearings of the Tiestion ; arguing from false pre mises they arrive at erroneous conclusions, while filled with the happy conceit that they are showing an obstinate and vain people the way they ought to knowin g th e road better, go go—wh o , h owever, another way, and are pronounced to be eccentric. When the circumstances are really understood in Eu : rope, and the argument is just, they suppose the course they indicate will be avoided, as the people are thought, like Irish pigs, to insist on taking the wrong road ; and perhaps they consider it ‘c pure cussedness" when they see then on the track pointed out. No coun try so rapidly grows as the United States, and the heavy burden of to-day will be the light load of to-morrow. If it be wise to leave the debt till the re sources of the country enable the citizens with ease to expunge it, that most likely will be the course pursued ,however strong maybe the sentimental objection to saddling posterity with such a load. The system of taxation has lately been modified in ac cordance with this policy, and a vast proportion of the Internal Revenue imposts removed. The Times is mistaken in considering the public expenditure to be growing like that of England in all directions. While granting that it is four times the sum re quired before the Civil War, the reductions in all departments have been very large within the last fiscal year, and although it may be necessary to in crease the salaries of the Civil servants, in view of the important interests now confided to their care, and the immense advance in the cost of living, yet the most vigorous efforts at retrenchment have been and are being made. It will not do for the country to continue as the most expensive on earth, for two injurious effects will quickly follow; the one that families with realized means will leave it to reside in Europe, just as English families did when Eng land as the dearest of lands, contrasted strikingly with the cheap living of the continent ; the other that it must deter immigration, causing an exodus of employers, and checking an influx of the em ployed. America has no right to be an expensive country, nor will this artificial state long con tinue. Why should the land of corn and meat be the dearest? Why should the land of cotton and sugar, rice and tobacco, bacon and eggs, be the most costly to dwell in ? Why should the birth-place of invention and the home of contrivance, where forests spread in their primeval growth, and prairies stretch in boundless extent, the one giving the material for houses, the other the supply of the larder, be the dearest of countries ? Ought the neighbourhood of a river swarming with fish, and a lake covered with wild fowl, to be expensive as a place of resi dence ? The fact is, that society in America has not yet settled down from the artificial state created by the war, and prices are maintained, it is asserted, and with good reason, as we showed last week —by speculators. The Times may make itself easy about the course likely to be pursued by America with regard to the future payment of the debt; but as yet it is too great and new a subject to have been so thoroughly discussed and considered as to enable the people to make up their minds. If they were as averse to a permanent debt, as the Times and Mr. FORD appear to think, some of the individual States would be less ready to raise loans and more anxious to pay them ; and although the Union might feel under the unaccustomed burden, like the head of a family suddenly con fronted with an unexpected liability, a yearning desire to get quit of it, yet the Republic is no more likely to damage its estate than would the in dividual blindly to sell off at any sacrifice to lid himself of an encumbrance out of which his pro perty would grow if only carefully managed. We hold to the belief we have always expressed, that the United States will, when able, fund the debt at a reduced interest for an increased term, the main object of the people being to get back to a less costly rate of living, when the States will again be come, as they not long ago were, the cheapest instead of the dearest place of residence in the world. A new paper is to be started in Chicago, entitled The British Mail. It will ho wade wp of clippinge from English journals. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. THE OPPOSITION AND THE BIW.. nob see why the _Lme onuren should be =lea to gyre up, perhaps, L 150,000, which it had employed towards the education of the country, without receiv ing any compensation. It seemed to be a matter for general congratulation that the Duke of Argyll, a Scotsman, who proved by his speech that he well understood the Scotch system, was to have the conduct of the bill. The rumours are that the Government will have a majority of from 100 to 120 on the second reading of the Irish Church Bill. There is some hope among the Conservatives that they will materially reduce this in committee. They mean to make a strong attack upon the proposed compensation to Maynooth, they say, is a violation of Mr. Gladstone's promise. The money is given really, not to establish, but to disestablish Maynooth; and if compensation is not given out of the Irish Church surplus fund, it must be paid out of the consolidated fund, an arrangement which English and Scotch and Welsh taxpayers will scarcely approve. It is hoped by the Ministerialists that the bill will reach the Lords by June 1. At present the Lords have not yet determined what course they will take. They wait in the hope that the Commons will insist upon amend ments which Mr. Gladstone will not be able to accept. The Standard is admitting correspondence to its columns in which the religious question, the con science clause, &c., are being discussed, in some respects unfavourably to the measure. Virtually, however, we believe a conscience clause is not needed for North Britain, as it is carried out under the present system. The Dublin correspondent of tile Times notes, with some surprise, that although the Ministerial scheme has been made known, "no general movement has been made on the part of those who are deeply inte rested in the maintenance of the Established Church." The opposition journals are, indeed, full of letters, written in the strongest possible language. Yet nothing is being done, and the only practical measure suggested is to hold prayer-meetings. A declaration against the Government mea sure is being promoted by the Protestant Defence Association, and is signed by forty-two noblemen and some M.P.'s. The Dublin Mail, the organ of the Orange party, apologises for the present inaction, and draws from . the rejection of Mr. Faw cett's Election Expenses Bill a faint hope that the Irish Church Bill may be rejected by the present Parliament. As the Government have resolved to devote the Church funds to a religious purpose, and there is, therefore, no opportunity for raising the cry of sacrilege, the mot d'ordre of the Opposition is to complain that too large a sum is to be given to Maynooth. ELECTION NEWS. As we anticipated, Mr. E. Cecil Guinness, brother of the unseated member, is to be the new Conserva tive candidate for Dublin, and when the writ is issued there will be a severe light between him and Sir Dominic Corrigan. Major Anson, who has come forward as the Liberal candidate for Bewdley, appears to have entirely abandoned Adullamy. lle is prepared to give the present Government a cordial support, and will be found going to the right when the division on the Irish Church Bill takes place. The Bradford poll comes off on Friday. Mr. M. Feilden, one of the defeated candidates at Black burn, has withdrawn from the petition against the sitting members, but the other Liberal candidate, Mr. J. G. Potter, has determined to persevere with it. The inquiry opens on Thursday. THE BRITIEnY ACT. The Standard is concerned for the good name of Mr. Disraeli's Bribery Act. It has been hinted that a corrupt candidate may escape all the punishments which that measure see k s to inflict, I j pay ing no suspicious bills until after the time for lodging a petition against his return. The Standard points out that the Act has not left this matter unprovided for. It gives power to question a return at any time upon an all ega ti on of corrup t prac ti ces, and speci fically alleging a payment of money or other reward to have b een made by any mem b er, or on his account, or with hi s priv i ty, s i nce th e t i me of such return, in pursuance or in furtherance of such corrupt practices ; in which case the petition may be presented at any time within twenty-eight days after the date of such payment." How is such a payment k become known ? Neither payer nor payee is akely to proclaim it from the housetops. CONSERVATIVE JOURNALISM. The Pall Mall G aze tt e vouches for the following !act "At the time of the general election an adverts ling agent was instructed by a Government depart ment to send advertisements to a certain provincial journal. This journal was so excellent a medium for the purpose that the agent, whose business it is to know these things, was quite unaware of its existence. Ile had to ma k e inquiries as to whether there was such a newspaper or not. His investigations were -Successful. It turned out that the influential and circulated print had been started a fe w weeks pre v i ously to serve the i nterest of the Tory candidate for the borough in which it was published. Accordingly the Government advertisements were sent for the support of the paper; and there we have seen them, column after column, week after week. To crown all, the newspaper thus placed under Government patronage, and fed out of the Treasury for the benefit of a Government candidate, was an illegal publication ; the ephemeral thing had never even been re g i s t ere d . " Our contemporaryt challenged to give particulars, has no hesitation in doing so. Windsor is the town referred to, the Windsor and .Eton Herald the journal, and Colonel Gardner the candidate. PARLIAMENTARY RETURNS. A correspondent of the Times calls attention to the abuse which members make of their power to move the House of Commons for returns. Any private member will, on the slightest provocation, rise in his place; . and move that a mass of some unimportant statistics be produced. If the Govern ment refuse the production it n of the information re quired, it is inferred that is not to their advantage that the subject should be investigated. But this ought not to be so.. We are t o ld b y "An Official Reformer" in the T i mes that " the compilation of a magnitude is mo s t dis turbingdepartment charg e d w ith th e d u t y; and, in fact, in order to provide. against any such dis organisation, it is the practice of many departments to keep most elaborate records, not b ecause th ey are of administrative use, but simply in order to be pre pared to readily furnish inf ormat i on in any shape in which it may be called f or b y a parliamentary return. Thus these returns, directly a n d i n di rec tly, are very costly to the public." The correspondent proposes two remedies—that the mover for a return should state his reasons for requiring what he asks, and that a standing committee should be appointed to report to the House such returns as may be really wanted. _ OFFICI AL nESPONSI BILITY . The Lord Chancellor of th e D er b y Government made some curious admissions i n th e H ouse o f L or d s the other night in the4s disregarded AberdeenAcatndderbe rejected his lie seemed to be most eager that it sh ou ld b e k nown th a t aSdirviliceobearbtoPuet theelin 18 Aberdeen Act, preferring the Sir William Follett. Lord that, being Solicitor- General°Chelmsford ,he h putiws _lice of enhti predecessor,sondotuobts confessor obi e objections in his pocket, and spoke from Sir Robert Peel' s b r i e f i n e e f the bill. Then, seeming to understand that his conduct might not be considered to be altogether sans reproche, he defended himself by holding forth on the doctrine of official responsibility. As Solicitor- General he said he was responsible, and therefore he spoke against his own opinion on a legal question ; but his official responsibility having ceased, he now comes out with his deliberate convictions. Corn menting on this rather strange doctrine, the Pall Mall Gazette says —" One would have thought that official responsibility required of a law officer in such a matter a conscientious opinion. It SO happens, however, in disparagement to some extent of these candid expressions, that Lord Chelmsford stood up for the bill, not only in 1845, when he was Solicitor-General, but also in 1849, when he was a private member of the House of Commons, and had no official responsibility. Any reader may see th e speech of the unofficial Sir Frederick Thesiger in" Hansard," April 24,1849. The bill was defended on the . same occasion by Sir Roundell Palmer." HABITUAL CRIMINALS BILL. - ----- Mr. B a k er wr i tes to the Times on the subject o f Lord Kimb er l ey ' s bill , an d considers that the new law is th e boldest and also the most beneficial reform benefical reform yet att empted for t h e repression of crime. The .chief obj ec t of the bill i s t o di scar d the simple element. of punishment, reliance has hith erto been. on which too much placed, and to prevent the education of skill ed thieves. M r . B a k er th in k s th a t the real agent in p revent i ng w ill be the seven year s ' supervision for a second for a third offence. second, and the penal servitude He believes that skilled burglaries will b ecome very rare w h en thi s Act is in practic e . He su gg ests, however, that it would be advisable to inquire into a prisoner's ante cedents on a first conv i c ti o n taking place, and he thinks that an authority might be appointed to com mute the sentence of pe na l servitude on a third con viction, in those cases where it might press hardly on the offender owing to pecuniary circumstances. Mr. Baker believes that the Criminal Justice Act should be am en d ed, and that magistrates should deal summarily with any case of much impor tance and co mmit the more hardened offenders for trial. This would a b o li sh the t h ree - mon th sen t ences which have manuf ac t ure d a ll h ar d e n e d off en d ers . Another i▪ m p r ovement would be to enact that the repetition of misdemeanours should be considered felony, and thus p revent the scan d a l o f th e same person bei▪ ng c ommitted a hundred times. 1 ettE SCOTCH EDUCATION BILL. The Scotch Ed ucation Bill was considered a day 02 two back byth e commission of the Free Church Gene ral Assembly, P rofessor Douglass, Dr. Begg, Dr. Candlish, and others being among the speakers. On the whole, the expression'of opinion was favourable to the measure. Complaint was made, however, that the board propos e d to be establ i s h e d would have no representatives o f th e Scotch Churches in it, especially as these Churches had always been energetic in furtherance of education. It was also very strongly urged that the board should meet in public. One of the speakers, referring to the question of the normal schools, and the arrangements to be made in future in connection BWill - 10 training oX teacchtui. male ould ItATING A SSESSM7STS. A deputation has waited on Mr. Goschen to urge on him the advisability of making rating an imperial matter, and of taking the matter out of the hands of local guardians. In reply, the President of the Poor-law Board said his pro posed bill would, he believed, give the just assess ment which the deputation desired. The surveyor of taxes would have- a locus email given him, enabling him to raise the rating of any tenement or property which he considered not adequately assessed. In answer to questions, Mr. Goschen said he could FA e no objection to a parish having the option to be assessed on the basis of the property tax. TIIE OFFICE OF CORONER. The Walsall Board of Guardians have been con sidering a memorial to Parliament Raking for an inquiry into the utility of coroners. Certainly the whole question wants inquiry—the manner of appointment, the class of persons appointed, tho order of proceedings, the place where the court is held, and the legal effects of a verdict. Is it expedient for the due admi nistration of justice that county coroners should be elected by the votes of householders ? Should a doctor, who has no legal knowledge, preside over such an inquiry ? Medical evidence is always given, and it would seem easier to make a lawyer understand the cause of death than to infuse into the mind of a doctor all the technical details of the laws of evidence. Why should thepublic-house be patronised on su ch occasions? It was only a short time back that we had a jury unable to proceed to business in consequence of the amount of liquor they had imbibed. Then there are other outlying matters which have not yet been fully considered, such as the expediency of appoint ing a chief coroner to investigate more important cases. Questions in themselves much more impor tant than the greater proportion of those decided, in all the glory of purple and ermine, by four or five of her Majesty's superior judges at Westminster, have now in some instances to be settled by a local doctor. TILE NEW DOMINION. A very important telegram has been received in London stating that the Newfoundland Assembly have decided in favour of union with the Dominion of Canada by 20 to 8. This, of course, will involve the accession of Prince Edward Island, so that the whole of British North America east of the Rocky Moun tains will then be under one Government. Nor is it likely that the Confederation will stop there. It will now in all probability cross the mountains, and in clude British Columbia, so that there will be but one Government from the Atlantic to the Pacific. THE INCOME TAX. It appears from a comparison of the claims for compensation arising out of some recent demolitions by the Metropolitan Board of Works, with the income tax returns made by the claimants, that 40 per cent. of the persons assessed had understated their incomes to the amount of 130 per cent ; that is, they had paid on only 100 out of every 230. It further appears that tradesmen filling the office of collectors of assessed taxes are in the habit of allowing gentle men to go untaxed, lest if they should tax them they —the assessors—may lose the gentlemen's custom. THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. The Bath Express states that the weekly offertory has been tested for four years in one church in Bath with satisfactory results, and in Bathwick—where the parish church is unfortunately under a special Act of Parliament hampered for some years to come by the worst form of pew rents, viz., the existence of pews owned by private persons, who derive all the benefit of the rents and contribute nothing towards the church expenses— the parishioners have unanimously declined to adopt the new Voluntary Church Rate Act, which gives litigious parishioners as many opportY ities of factious opposition as under the old regime, and throws obstacles in the way of the expansive action required to suit the wants of an earnest Church feeling. Instead of adopting the Church Rates Act, the Bathwick parishioners have wisely advised the adoption of the weekly offertory at the parish church, a course cordially acceded to by the rector and church wardens. AN IMPORTANT ECCLESIASTICAL DECISION. Everyone, whether Low Churchman or High Churchman, should rejoice to learn that the Arch bishop of York has censured, though he has not the legal power to reverse, the sentence pronounced by the Bishop of Manchester against the Rev. Mr. Sedgwick. Dr. Lee, who wants only the opportunity to be a Low Church Laud, had summarily dismissed Mr. Sedgwick from his cure, because he had introduced certain practices which the Bishop disapproved. One of these prac tices was then sub judice, and though it had been declared legal by the Court of Arches, Mr. Sedg wick discontinued it out of regard to his diocesan. Another practice is expressly authorised by the Prayer-book. But submission and legality were alike unavailing ; the Bishop absolutely refused even to give Mr. Sedgwick a hearing, and peremptorily dismissed him. He thereupon appealed to the Archbishop of York, who, though certainly as little of a high Churchman as any member of the bench, has advised that the Bishop of Manchester should reconsider his decision and give Mr. Sedgwick a hearing. The Archbishop described a considerable portion of the evidence brought against the incum bent, as " utterly worthless." It is to be hoped. that . . Bishop Lee will remember in future that he is no longer a schoolmaster presiding over schoolboy; but the overseer of grown men. ;Ho has been twenty-one years learning this lesson, and'he' has not learnt it yet. NON-COLLEGIATE STUDENTS AT CAMBRIDGE. The Cambridge Senate have been discussing the advisability of following the example of the govern.-. ing body at Oxford, by admitting to the benefits of university teaching students unconnected .with any college. There was a long discussion on Satur day, and the result was that a general approval was expressed of a scheme which had been drawn up for carrying out this idea. THE LATE SM, JABIES EMERSON-TENNENT. Most of the obituary notices of the late Sir James Emerson Tennent omit to state that he was the author of a book called " The Story of the Guns." This book caused a considerable sensation at the time ; for it was a severe attack upon the mode in which the Armstrong guns had been introduced into the service, and also upon the gun itself. The force of the attack was, however, somewhat neutralised when it became known that Sir James was a partner in the rival Whitworth Company, whose gun was extolled as much as the Armstrong gun was con demned. The book was a piece of literary sharp practice that was very unfavourably criticised. MR. ALFRED TENNYSON. The Court Journal says that Mr. Alfred Tennyson has again refused the offer of a peerage. The truth of the whole statement is very much to be doubted, especially since, as far as has been made public, the Poet-Laureate has never previously had a peerage offered to him. It was stated some months ago that a baronetcy had been proffered and refused. The Poet-Laureate would be wholly out of place m the House of Lordv. FOREIGN NOTES. PRESIDENT GRANT'S CABINET. The composition of the new American Ministry, if not all that was expected or desired, is at least another proof of the President's moral courage. It is not every repre sentative of the dominant party who would have ventured to pass by so many of its recognised leaders. There is no reason to doubt the ability of General Grant's Cabinet, simply because the capabilities of its members are cora paratively untried ; but many of the best Republicans are passed by. Adams, Sumner, and Motley, the historian of the Netherlands, were each considered tolerably safe, whilst McClellan and Stanton held good popular positions. But not one of these figures on General Grant's list. It is essentially a new Ministry. Mr. Elihn Washbnrne, the Secretary of State, is the President's most' intimate friend. He is an advanced Radical, strongly opposed to slavery, and a good speaker. The - Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Stewart, is a " dry-goods" merchant, a self-made man, of great wealth and reputa tion as a merchant, though untried as a financier. lie nobly supported the Nrr•th at .the most critical period of the civil war, though large debts were owing him in the South, which his creditors repudiated. The Postmaster- General, the Iron. G. H. Crcsswell, is a Radical, an admirable scholar, and one of the beat orators in the United States. Two gentlemen of the name of Hoar have been telegraphed as the Attorney-General, but both are amongst the most eminent Republican lawyers. General Schofield is retained as War Secretary. The appointments of Sher man and Sheridan to the ,military commands speak for themselves. After Grant, they are the two ablestgenerals of the North. The Secretary of the Navy, Mr. 13owrie, is altogether a 'new man. The composition of the Cabinet will cause much dissatisfaction ; but it is strong, thoroughly representative of the Republican party, and can hardly fail to work well. THE WAR IN PARAGUAY. Private letters by the last mail unhappily strengthen AltuatuaLta l guki ga e 811._1..19AFELttprisoner LAW AND POLICE AN INDIAN TITLE.—A case is now before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in which the question involved is the title to the throne of Tepperah of the Hills and an income of £60,000 a year. The appellant, who brings the case from Bengal, claims the disputed property from a younger brother. The discussion on the case will probably occupy the week. • THE LANGILAII HOTEL COMPANY. —A case connected with the Longhorn Hotel Company was heard before the Master of the Rolls on Monday. It will be remembered that some time since the company was ordered to be wound up under the supervision of the court, when three gentlemen were appointed liquidators. Summonses were taken out on the apportiontment of the remuneration which, by agreement, the new company, who have bought the hotel, and are now carrying it on successfully, have contracted to pay. His lordship thought no order could be made on the summons as to the appor tionment of the rumuneration. 'When joint liquidators were appointed for the winding up of a company, their interests were those of a partnership, and must be left to their own arrangements, otherwise litigation would follow wherever there was a joint apportionment of liqui dation. A CRICKETING DIFFICULTY.—A case interesting to .ricketers came before Vice-Chancellor Malins on Mon day. The plaintiff, a cricket bat and ball manufacturer, of Kennington-road, named Page, filed a bill to restrain Messrs. Wisden and Maynard, cricketing outfitters, of Coventry-street, from publishing and selling a cricket-scoring sheet, invented by the well-known Frederick Lillywhite. The plaintiff affirmed that he had purchased the scoring -sheet from Lillywhite's assignees in 1866, but after some evidence had been heard the Vice-Chancellor decided that the defective registration was fatal to the plaintiff's title, and as the defendants offered to cease publishing the sheet in question, the bill must be dismissed with costs. AN ELECTION RIOT.—At the Worcester Assizes six persons were indicted for a riot and assault on the Rev. Martin Amphlett during the late election at Evesham. A verdict of not guilty was taken under an arrangement by which the defendants apologised to Mr. Amphlett and mad over £5O to the local charities. SELLING BAD SEEDS.—At the Dorchester Assizes on ..tlarch 6, a farmer, named Warwick, residing near Romsey, brought an action to recover damages for injury done to so me o f h i s land by bad swede seed sold to him by the defendant, Toogood, a large seed-dealer at Southampton. The defence was that the seed was good but that the pl a i nt i ff had sown it too thinly. The jury ultimately returned a verdict for the plaintiff for £l2. • TELEGRAPH EXTENSION.—It was announced some time ago that a telegraph cable was about to be sent out to Tasmania. Intelligence has been recently received that the steamer Investigator, with the cable on board, safely reached the Cape Verd Islands on the 24th of February. On the 10th of January interruption occurred in the Corfu and Otranto cable. The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company's ship Chiltern was forthwith despatched to repair the line, and on the 25th ult. com munication was restored. The recent accident to the Calcutta has induced the promoters of the new Persian Gulf cable to postpone the proposed expedition until after the cessation of the monsoon. The Tweed will leave p ro . bably about the end of May, and will be followed by the Calcutta, which is being repaired at Plymouth. The Caroline is being fitted out to recover that part of the cable which was payed out from the Calcutta. DEATH OF GENERAL SIR ARTHUR CLIFTON. The death of General Sir Arthur Benjamin Clifton, G.C.8., K.C.H., took place on Monday, at his residence, 52, Old Steyne, Brighton, in his 98th year. Sir Arthur was the lineal descendant of Avaredus, a follower of Wit. Liam the Conqueror, whose services were rewarded by the manors and estates of Clifton, and Wilford on the Trent, near Nottingham, and whose name then became Avaredus de Clifton, and under Peverell of the Peak was Warden of Nottingham Castle. Fourteenth in descent from Avaredus was Sir Gervase Clifton of Clifton, styled Gentle Sir Gervase, for his courtesy and affability. He was born in the reign of Henry VII., and was a person of great consideration and distinction, both in statecraft and mili- tary service, in the reigns of Heniy VIII., Edward VI., and Elizabeth, by which latter sovereign he was knighted. His grandson was the first baronet. The father of General Sir A. Clifton, just deceased, was the sixth baronet Sir Gervase, who dying, left three sons, Sir Arthur being the youngest. The eldest, Robert, succeeded his father, but laaving no issue, was succeeded by his brother, SirJuckes, who left one son, the present Sir Robert Clifton, ninth baronet, M.P. for Nottingham. Sir Arthur was educated at Rugby, and entered the army in 1794. He served with distinction in the Peninsula and at the battle of Waterloo; and was decorated with a medal and three clasps for Talavera, Busaco, and Toulouse, and was Grand Cross of the Bath and Knight of the Cross of Hanover. He was gazetted general 1831, and was colonel of the Ist Royal Dragooro. orLoPei. Two Englishmen, one a merchant and the other an engineer, several ladies, and the brothers of Lopez, were amongst the victims. The Dictator has still a con siderable number of men with him, but he is destitute of resources, and is hampered with a host of women and children. ALTSTIIIA. The trial of Prince Karageorgeovitch, for instigating tho assassination of Prince Michael of Servia, still lingers on at Pesth. The Hungarian tribunal evidently considers the case against him a serious one, for it has just refused to release him from confinement on very heavy bail. THE ROYAL TOUR IN EGYPT. The progress of the Prince and the Princess of SVales up the Nile is very leisurely. The arrangements are so elaborate, the cortege so formidable, that it is impossible to get on very quickly. The royal party are on board the Viceroy's steamer ; but, besides this, there is a large vessel which serves as a refectory, and accommodates some of the suite, a third for her Majesty's agent and consul-general, a fourth for the remainder of the suite, and a fifth for the Duke of Sutherland and party. The meals are taken on board the kitchen steamer, which necessitates a general stoppage of the fleet, besides other delays. Navigation, too, is difficult, if not out of the question, at night. The habits and formalities of Court life are not easily thrown aside even in Egypt. TURKEY AND PERSIA. The Prase of Vienna announces that the complication which has arisen between Turkey and Persia is no longer dangerous. An envoy of the Shah has arrived at Con stantinople, and will open negotiations. He is charged with full powers, and it is hoped that his mission will be successful. -- and prices about half a cent a pound higher than li st week. (From the Wall-street Journal.) FRIDAY EVENING, Feb.l9. Railroad stocks are generally firm, with an active bust. ness doing at higher prices. Railroad gold bonds 6 ' 3; tinue in good dem an d, b u t w i t h the exception of thos e° f the Union Pacific Company, which are going off raPi dli g i the market is bare. There is therefore a fine opening now for the bonds of a first class legitimate c0n 1 P 34 ,; Southern State Bonds ar© weak, particularly Tenness ee and North Carolina's. Miscellaneous stocks show an i 5 proved demand an d act i v i ty, espec i ally for Pac ific A and Mariposa. Quotations for specie:- 89 Amer. silver... 911 to 95 1 I Eng. sovs 486 to Mex. d011ar5...103!, „ 101 20 francs 385 ~ Eng. silver 48(1 , 485 I Thalers Five francs .... 95 „ 961 I FOREIGN EXCIIANGr. Do I Sixty Days. Three t Londcn Bankers LGLC:. n, Prime Commercial 10 8 ,2-1081 ''''' .5 15 Paris, Bankers 5.1 8 1 4 1— 5.174 5.161 ' Bremen, Packers 78:1-784 framburgh, Bankers 351-351 ...... Frankfort, O.M 4Ol-40i ..... Berlin and Cologne Antwerp 5.184-5. L7l ..... Amsterdam, Bankers Swiss ... RAILROAD AND 311t:CULANEOUS STOCKS. . 0 1 N. Y. Centr a l 163 ' F ort IV ayno ............ 4 . 6 Erie Hudson Reading ............. bel Mich. South. &N. I 95 W . U . T e l egrap h ...... 2 9 Illinois Central Cleveland & Pittsbrg 904 Ohio and Mississippi-' 151 North-West North-West Preferred 911 Cumberland ............. ~01 Canton 6Ol Bankers and Brokers... 0 6 6 i Rock Island Cleveland and Toled o 105 4 M & St. Paul Preferred 'DE UNITED STATES. PUBLIC FUNDS OF Sixes, 1868, registered Sixes, 1868, coupon Sixes, 1881, coupon ll2l to 11 U.S. Gs. Pacific Rail, oad lOll to IV Five-twenties, 1862, coupon - Five-twenties, 1864, coupon Five-twenties, 1865, coupon Five-twenties, 18d5, coupon, n ow Five-twenties, 1867, coupon U.S. 5-20 Coupons, 1868 Ten-forties, coupon Seven-thirties, 2d series Seven-thirties, 3d series .., Oregon War Loan, Sixes, CLOSING QUOTATIONS F, 4 N. Y. Central 6s, 1883... 9 1 1111_ 0 11.11 9 21°0 1 : t t t ttt 0 0 0000 . ° 1111:211 N. Y. Central 6s, 1887... 91i N. Y.;Central 6s, It Est.. 87 N. Y. Central 6s, Sub'n.. 87 N. Y. Central 7s, 1876...1001 N. Y. Cen. 7s, con. 76 N. Y. Cen. 7s, '65-'76 ...115 Erie Ist Mort, Ex 100 Erie 7s, 2d Mort, 1879 100 Erie 7s, 3d Mort, 1883._ 92 Erie 7s, 4th Mort, 1880 871 Erie 7s, sth Mort, 1888 861 Lon , Dock Bonds Buff7N.Y. &E. lst M, '77 B9 Hurl. E. 'is, Ist M, '69 991 Hud. E. 7s, 3d M, '75 — Harlem Ist M, '6B '72 1011 Mich. C. Ist M, 69'72 119 Mich. new Ist M Bs, 'B2 1191 Mich. So., 7 p. c 2d M 93 N. Ind. Goshen Line '6B Micb.S.&N.l.S.F'd7p.c. 961 111. Cen. 7 p. e, '7O Alton &T. IL let M 921 Alton &T.H. 2d pfd Alton & T. 11. 2d 11.1. Inc 7B Han.&St.J. Land Grants I Han. & St. J. Con 120 Ohio & Miss. Ist b 1..... Chi. B. & Q., Ist M N. West, S. F 93 Chi. & N. W. Con Cony ('hi. & N. W. Ex'n B B5 1881 JR RAILROAD MORTGAG SS I Chi. & N. W. Ist M...••• 84 Tol. & Wab. 2d M 1 31 ' 40 9 Gt.. Western lstM & Pr. du Ch. Ist x•• 95 Gal. & Chic. Est .......••• & Chic. 2d ......... Chi. & R. I. Ist M.....•••• Chi. R. I. & Pacific 7'5... 9 9 Cleve. & Tol. S. Fund , . N. J. Central Ist M ...... 10 1 N. J. Central 2d M..... 1 01} Pitts. Ft W & Ist .1- 98 • " rd. Pitts. Ft. W & Ch. 2 Pitts. Ft. W. & Ch. 3 -d• 95 Cleve. & Pitts. 2d M *" 94 Chic. & Alton, S. F. In c '. 00 0 1 Chic. &Alton, S.F.lstM.,9 Mil. & St. Paul Ist I 8 5 Mil. & St. Paul 2d g••• Marietta & Cin. Ist 9;1 Morris & Essex Ist AL' 89 Morris & Essex 2d 3S••• Joilet & Chic. Ist 3 1 ." 931 Chi. & Gt. Risen lstM... N. Y. & N. H. fis ......... 99 Dubuque & S. City,lst ll ' 85 Peninsula Ist M••....... 95 Ohio & Miss. C0n........ sti Tol. P. W. Ist M. E. 1 : ) T Atlantic & G. W. ist , (From Messrs. Henry Clews and Co.'s Monthly Ch ew. of Feb. 16.) ure e Large amounts of securiti es h ave been sent to e- 00 00 within the last six w ee k s , i nc l u di ng, perhaps, s2o3,:se of United States Bonds an d severa l m illi on s of otheog,t, curities, especially the Preferred Shares of the ' ht It and North-Western Railroad, the stocks of tile d t he Island, Fort W a y ne , an d Illi no i s C entral R oa ds, an fr bonds of the Cent ra l P ac ifi c R a il roa d . S u ffi c ient iraP ° t r h o ance perhaps has n o t b een a tt ac h e d to t h e f ac t that, ° bi te beginning of the y ear, E uropean i nvestors h a ve,• years, been free buyers of our securities for tu t) 0 1 investment of interest ; and hence this re° vBll , lo ea has contributed to th e wea k ness o f g old b e3r . g e what the facts o f th e case rea ll y justify. The forefeo trade movement, however, at this port, for the l as r ehe weeks has not been of a conservative character. imports from January Ist to Fsbruary 13th have itu l.ll . o l ';of to $29,100,000 a ga i ns t $22,600,000 f or th e same Per i be e last year; while the exports, including specie, ba y % for only 620,400,000 in gold value, against $26,700,00 too the same period of 1868. Nor have the exports of co t to from the Southern ports been of a volume sufac i°° ,,,4o compensate for this unusua l d e fi c i ency i n t h e local esr th e as compared with the imports. For the last four wee ° , o lf foreign shipments of cotton to the south have bJe rl j O f 80,000 bales, agai ns t 190 , 000 b a l es at t h e same Per'°ctjoa last year. If thi s f a lli ng o ff i n di cates an eXhat )04 of the supply in the i n t er i or , th en we h ave so reacTfife to rely upon fur making exchange during the nee ding months; if it means only th a t th e S out h is °coo° back the supply, then the large amount rema ining t° forward, at a period when th e ex t en t o f phait i lftell° l foreshadow a greatly enlarged cro p nex t year, Ns% t, to depress the ultimate pric e of th e s t a ple; ' 00" any event, the value of our cotton shipments, fre„,T„, de' to September, may easily b e over - est i ma ted. root° cision of the Supreme Court of the United Statesie, geb tlf of the legality of c on t rac t s ma l e payable slr el o o in coin may pro ve t o h ave an important iu" u-,,, s c oe t "' encouraging transactions of that character in the ar e ro g where legal t en d ers an d nat i onal b an k n otes unpopular; whi c h wou ld h ave the e ff e ct of d r at g g gold from this cen t re. A t th e same t i me, it reaY -thel„oe .; an inducement t o foreign capitalists to allo w t balances to rem a i n h ere for employment, at periods ore the rats of interest here favours such operations-orA present downward tendency in the premium aPr e „,, - , th e d grow out of the large shipments of bonds to Euri!r a ' ea, more conservative tone of Conur the emphatic declarations of General Grant in f f s ,, V ito 3 it public economy. A very general confidence is "'„,t ig"" upon his inauguration as President, General Olt; ref; gather around him men calculated to carry out lead poses of retrenchment and honest administration;, the gressional legislatto oi which nothing could more contribute to strene,tl tom public credit. Th ese cons id erat i ons h ave a inaw,ylpl." fluence in determining th e p resen t course o f the 6" mium. [ADVERTISEMENT.] Holloway's Pills and tm.tiv Unparalleled popul ar ity. Lives are cOnSt a3 '„ . "ivb i a c j through inevitable accident or culpable negligev' e s might have been saved if these powerful eu r ,, 3 " - coe v ",„ - (1 been at hand and applied unhesitatingly under tu e „ n ollv r tion that the wonderful cures effected by these remedies in all parts of the world have won for tu e se ci present favour. Both pills and ointment are erP ni ,,,,P, t t o ingredients which purify at the same time ‘"5 3 tir o . strengthen. No one can deny that health &P en ' ore pure blood, and the natural action o f the aniels, 00110- Both objects are effected without r i s k or danger ujc ir e way's medicaments, which are as i n nocent as t"j a ccO ill tent. Internal disorders and external blemishe s- to their power. tip Atl oll. 4 • ( 1 0 s [ADVERTISEMENT.] Dyspepsia (Indigestion), - -.„, n n Debility, Consumo:ion, and all nervous, bilious, s,'`',7o 0'1)3 1 liver co.nolaints in every stage, are oily a7,gravate a by py rated by drugs o: every descrip::o - a, bn pe.l'ectlY e t * ra rove' Barry's heali,b-restor'ng Revaleu.a. rabica Food, asp, sae - i ts, thousands o: c :sem whi3'u had been considered —cough. asthma, also diarrhoea, lue-norrhoids, liver co d,plat., flatulency, nervousness, biliousness, fevers, sore throats. rs , rr'y ria, catarrhs, colds, iulaenza, noises in the heal andr.4, ir• matism, gout, impurities, eruption - 3, hysteria, nell' 7 ' WeAci l34 bility, : , lee2iessne,s, acidity, palpitation, heartburn, e folio debility, dropsy, cramps, spasms, nausea, and sickinss'tigh,rol preiracy or at sea, s i n ki ng fits, bronchitis, scro fula, shoolders, &c. W e of the chest, pa i ns at t h e p i t of t h e stomac h and b e u st ore° , lue quote a few:—The Pope's health r Da Barry's F oo d . C ure N o. 68.413 —" R om e, JulY . l2, a baci l 7J health of the Holy F a ther i s exce ll en t, especially 0 1 3 5.1 0 y t0,..r , e is6 6. 0 , in; other remedies, he has confined himself ow " es Pl e le t l Dairy's Revalenta Arabica Food, of which he conswil herieJleot f,'l at every nical It has produced a surprising% oce l c a re erect on his health, and his Holiness cannot nro.i3e t u L! 25 . le i, food too highly.—From the "Gazette du Midi, yri ol „,er . No. 46,270-Mr. James Roberts, t i m b er merchant. v ooo d. !!., • Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting °' v iSt`o. derangement, and partial deafness. Cure No. 1,771---,'dyspeP, de Dceies, Lord-Lieut. of Waterford, of miry Yea!! dysil i t. No. 49,832—" Fifty years' indescribable agony fri"_",„, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatuleli.,,,,ity?,„o4 Bewaressicknes, and vomiting.—Maria Joly." an Nam ' ra ita i rl ir of the many unsavoury and more than slopPY ra ' os t to which, without authority, Baron Liebig's name 15 . 1 1101 CiOusly attached. lbs• 1 1 '•-40 0 4 In tins, at Is. Ild.; 1 lb. 2s. id.; 2 lbs. 4s. 6d.; 5 - 0, 4 1 225. ; , 41bs, 40s, --Also Du BARRY's REVALENTA An'," l'op. LATE POWDER is packed in ti n can i s ters; for 12 cups for 576 c ool cups at 3s. Gd., for 48 cups at 65., for 288 cups at 55soce Os• at Its.—being about one penny per c u p. The 30 s• a7r o st are sent free of carriage in England on receipt pt. • Order. BARRY DU BARRY and Co., No. 77, Begv don ; and all Grocers and Chemists. Births. y e Of C [MITT —On the 7th inst.. at Walmor, Sent, th Charles Cubitt, Esq., C.E., of a son. Mrs. loser DOWNING—On the 7th inst., at Epsom, Downing, of a son. Marriages. cf • orgwe'''' DRU MMOND —G REAVES -On the 4th lest, at ..,•• b • eldest Drummond daughter 0 . , f o ‘ f v. Bloomsbu, John Edward, son of the late Joh ° gall , a f eodosia An,,,tree , Russell-square. Finchley , Grettves , toE saq'.l, p or, COURTNEY —T UR:NEU—Oa the 6th inst., At CP .,,,,5f, t ° Herts, Mr. G. Harvey Courtney, of Brixton, SiTti`;:per, Annie, youngest daughter a the late Mr. Joseph ' of Chingford-green, Essex. of Bernal.° - . Deaths. S. i BREEZE—On the 6th inst., at Charlton, Nel3" Rh° A 13 11, AS" Breeze,lall- Esq., late of the War Office, 76. llAlcuußY On the 7th inst., at Firs, nea r ag ed ton, Somersetshire, Cornelius Ilaubury, ' E c '," the 10 4 : 1 , ' 0 SALT—On the 2d inst., suddenly, cf disease of the of " at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Mr. Philip Halt, ed General Post Office, London, aged 56. TENN ENT— On the 6th inst at 66, Warwick -.11 f /ew. suddenly, Sir James Emerson Tenueut, Dar t " e Manor, co. Fermanagh, aged 65, 01: 1511 ' 51 Lo o n r don : Printed and Pablished by an IL,LIA . 14— Of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at T SUN OLE3b.,„O:i Strand, in Ins Precinct of the Savoy, in til kti e til , ollOxe.-Tilesdoy, hittrch 9, 180. SPAIN'. The commission appointed to draw up a draft of the new Constitution has commenced its task. According to intelligence received by the Moniteur, the commission has decided upon universal suffrage and a monarchical form of government as the principles by which its labours will be guided. Freedom of worship will be finally established, but the Roman Catholic Church will be the only religious body recognised by the State. The completion of the draft will, however, be delayed somewhat. Three members of the commission have declined to take the responsibility which has been offered them. They refuse to assist in drawing up a democratic constitution " which may be of but shortduration." There are other signs that the conflict of parties is about to begin in earnest. Some of the journals, especially the Iberia, vigorously denounce the can,iidature of the Duke of Montpensier. Petitions are being signed against him. A day or two ago an amnesty for all political offenders was pro posed, but the Ministry declined, because Carlist conspi racies were still on foot. The majority, however, is so large that only prompt action can be required to finally extinguish opposition. MONEY AND BUSINESS. (From the Spring field Republican, Feb. 20.) The principal feature of the money market, this week, ias been a growing tightness, which has made borrowers some trouble. The ruling rate at New York has been 7 per cent. for call loans, and rather close at that, although the market was easier on Thursday. It is surmised that the stringency was artificially produced in the interest of the bear operators at the stock board,with a view to the depres sion of prices; and it is said that the combination com prises two large banks, a prominent dealer in Govern ments, two or three stock houses, and several speculators. The course of the market, however, made the undertaking comparatively an easy one for them. The flour and dry goods trade require a fair amount of currency ; the " carrying" of sugar and molasses perhaps makes larger borrowers than usual in that branch of trade ; the pork crop, as well as a portion of the grain crop, has yet to be moved to the seaboard ; and a great deal of currency has been sent South where the people are in a condi tion to hold on to it longer and stronger than for several years past.—The Boston money market has been closer than New York's, and is quoted "decidedly tight." Prime business paper is discennted at rates varying from 7 to 9 per cent., but the transactions have been very largely re duced. The New York stock market has been heavy, and has been kept from going into a decline only by vigorous efforts on the part of the bulls. They have produced an occasional firmness, but the downward tendency of the market has been unmistakable. The principal feature of the. market has been Pacific Mail, whose fluctuations have kept tke whole list feverish and unsettled. Notwithstand ing a 3 per cent. dividend was declared on Tuesday the stock continued to settle. The bears say that the China line so far has not met the expectations of its projectors, and is not a source of profit. The stock is depressed from the fact that many of the oldest stockholders have sold out, foreseeing an immense loss of revenue as soon as the Pacific Railroad is completed. The New York Central dividend, expected to be paid on the 20th of this month, has been deferred until the 15th of March, on account of the recent litigations and the long time in which the transfer books have been closed. The Chicago and Alton Company have declared as hall-yearly divivend of 5 per cent. on both classes of their stock. The Mo bile and Ohio Road is about to pass into the hands of the Illinois Central Railroad on a lease for a term of years. The bears have been industriously hammering . away on the Government Bond market, the result being only a fractional reduction in price. But the firm quota tions received from foreign markets and the demand for export make their undertaking a difficult one. Pro bably ten million of dollars in bonds have been sent abroad within the last month. The bill pending in Con gress, which proposes to put an end to the issuing of any more bonds, ought to become a law; it would give great confidence to the holders of bonds at home and abroad. The exports from New York (exclusive of specie) for the week and year are $3,228,065 and $20,665,571 against $3,686,417 and $22,143,310. The export figures for the last seven months are $118,756,461 against $140,147,823. The import entries for January were $22,321,251 against $15,281,997; for seven months (gold values) $151,398,208 against $138,688,570. Gold has been dull and has hardly maintained its price, although the market was a good deal excited on Thursday. The report of specie in the last week amounted to $927,839, making $36,877,171 since July 1, 1868, against $36,968,565. In the same period the deliveries of gold and silver at New York were $15,008,144 against $19,967,774; while the receipts for customs were $75,050,739 against $68,703,123, and the gold interest paid out by the Goverument in that city was 62,743,131 against $ 50 ,871,520. The official recapi tulation of gold and silver coin sold on account of the United States from January, 1863, to January, 9, 1869, shows $238,500,000. The largest sales were in 1869 namely, near $59,000,000 at New York. In 1868, over $39,000,000 were sold at New York and St. Louis. The taxes on the entire amount sold in those years were $148,000 ; commissions, $263,000; premiums $108,22`2,000; net receipts about $346,500,000. The de cision of the Supreme Court, that contract's specially made payable in coin are valid, is a very important one, and will lead to an increased business by importers, who desire to make their sales in the same currency in which their commodities are bought. It is looked upon as the ffrst Step in advance toward the resumption of specie payments. The dry goods market is not so lively as was generally anticipated would be the case at the opening of the season. Jobbers, however, are not inclined to give way on the prices of any line of domestic cotton fabrics, as they think the advance of the raw material will soon send up the price of goods. The Boston market re mains quiet, with the wants of the jobbing and retail trade temporality supplied. But all staple and seasonable goods are firmly held, and there is no disposition to force the demand or anticipate the regular business season ; neither is there any anxiety on the score of prices being sustained when the exigencies of consumption shall bring in buyers. Notwithstanding the receipts at tide -water thus far of the current cotton crop are nearly 200,000. bales in excess of the amount received at this date last year, there aill re mains a large quantity to come forward (nearly a million bales if the highest estimate of the crop be allowed), re quiring something like $ 1 00,000,000 for its purchase. Pay ments are made to some extent through pork and corn ac counts in the West, but a large amount of cash is requisite. The South is taking merchandise more freely than of late years,but the habit is again setting in in some description of goods of giving southern dealers four and six months credit. There is more excitement in the sugar market than.we have had occasion to notice for a long time, and prices have further materially advanced on account of unfavourable advises from Cuba, where wet weather and revolutionary movements have seriously interfered with the production. To what extent the Cuba crops will be reduced is yet un certain, but as about one third of the entire prodUction of the world is raised in Cuba, even a reduction of 10 to 20 per cent, of that crop would have an important bearing on prices. The sales have been quite large, speculators, re finers, and the trade buying all lots offering at prices abOut 2c. higher for raw, and full 3c. per pound higher for re fined. The highest prices touched have been 20c for crushed and 19 to 19ic for granulated and powdered. The market, however, is very unsettled, and prices are almost entirely nominal, with very little sugar of any kind offering. The molasses market is also firm and unsettled , except at pri ces a b ove the v i ews of buyers. Molasses I and sugar are not scarce, but those who hold them ex pect they will be ; hence the high prices asked for them. The demand for fleece and pulled wool has continued quite active throughout the week, and full prices are readily obtained for all kinds. The sales at Boston have been considerable, and comprise 1,100,000 pounds of fleece and pulled, and fleece at prices ranging from d 5 to 61 cents for common and XXX, and the pulled from 28 to 55 cents as to quality, choLe Eastern super selling at the latter rate. The demand is principally for the finer gr dos of Ohio and Pennsylvania and choice medium and X Michi gan. The Cambridge and Brighton cattle markets have been even more unfavourable to the interests of drovers than they were last week, and farmers who have been feeding meal liberally ever since the snow flew, as well as drovers who purchased stock with the expectation of realising last winter's prices, are alike greatly disappointed. The market has been unusually dull for the season, and low prices have not been the only trouble, as the drovers were at one time afraid that they would not be able to sell at aIL At 'Albany, howoyer, thg receipts were omaller R IN This 0 Prize 3.1 e, It "p u Sold it the Agent -8, Observi hares LL 1 14, AI A.DVAN( hold or I able wee] Forme fr 1 tO7 Mr. p R Vocal an eongr egn P nnin.- membe r Open n private L 13ar AT A 1 Li (the LITTLIE] ''en 0. r•rn• eitra roc ____ A_ R Booms h and C o. an attm Dance II Mu .................. THE LI for d ev i l ORIGIN A S V ery Pi] Old ertv Shippi Eparklit lery . Sat a pi bottles _ • Consign eelebrat, nord eau WhiskiE a lso be bomber of other: see nRb a sortrnet liAl cs , dec., i n shire g TENN W.c., Mr. 'I MINE) of Lyel G tate ti, EOLt gninenF PRA. MINE] 149, st 1" The Fire Re The Inc Bonus f value a render leave is thirty d -•,. SEA] ,_ off .Naticns °Mee. TIE Pres. Treasu DON solicits exp And at Wal Offie M For destitui and of Prospe r one stitutio hero endow ( assistm Subs Institu its nem Th e Secreta Offi c Ban] lane ; ITEALT 1)U, IB C tt cln i n , city, n Cure fro m d flatulei of L yn Cure nerv ou 'Po ls fa /1 - U' Ofa( •