The Sun. — London, England, 1860-02-20 00:00:00

DEPUTATIONS- TO THE - C.HA N CELL OB OF THE EXCHEQUER AND THE PRESIDENT O.F THE .BOARD OF TRADE. THE 'PAPER DUTY. On Saturday a deputation -waited on the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, consisting of the following gentlemen :—Mr. Puller, M.P., Mr. E. Baines, M.P., Viscount Holmesdale, MX./ Mr. M. T. Smith, M.P., Mr. Norris , M.P., Mr. Adam Black / M.P., Baron Rothschild , M.P., Frank. Crossley/ M.P., Mr. Aspinall Turner, M.P., Messrs. Joynson, Cowan, W. Spicer, Barlow, Saunders, Hall, -Wrig ley, Curtis, Longman, Evans,Hollingsworth, Bur bidge, Smith, Magnay, &c. The object of the deputation may be gathered from the following memorial which was handed to the right hon. gentleman : "That the materials from which paperlas hithertd been manufactured are almost exclusively waste products, l och as rags, and the refuse from the linen and cotton raanufac*- tures ; although straw has also been employed for the com monest descriptions of paper. " Thatnotwithstanding the long continued high price of rags, both in this country and in America, and the large reward offered for the discovery of any substitute for them as a paper-making material, none has been discovered. "That the discovery of any material so cheap as rags, even at their present price, is in the highest degree impro bable, as any raw product sufficiently fibrous to b converted into printing and writing paper, would also be applicable for spinning and weaving, and would command a higher price for such purposes. " That the paper manufacturer is an exceptional position as compared with all other manufacturers; the supply of his raw material not being drawn from a common source to which all nations have access, and not being dependent on the demand, but on the extent of th© population and the manufactures among which rags and refuse fibre can be col lected. "That in all the countries of Western Europe, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, and Portugal, the export of rags and other paper-making materials is strictly prohibited, awl an artificial cheapness thus produced ; so that in those countries rags are not more than half the price they are in Britain, where the price is enhanced by the exportation to America, in addition to the home consumption; in other words, a rag which in England costs 3d. can be bought for lid. in France, making a difference of 30 per cent. on the manufactured article. " That notwithstanding the import duty of Id. per pound beyond the Excise duty which is now levied on foreign paper, large quantities are being brought jute this country, and keep down the price of paper, in the face of the late ad vance in do price of materials. " That the admission into this country, duty free, of paper manufactured in countries from which the export of rags is prohibited, will expose the British paper manufacturers to an unfair and ruinous competition, which can only result in the complete extinction of a large portion of the manufac ture at home, at its transfer abroad, and, instead of the re peal of the paper duty giving an impulse to the manufac • ture, thousands of families will be thrown out of employ ment. "Your memorialists therefore respectively suggest, that her Majesty's Government will be pleased sot to persevere in proposing to the Legislature the reduction or abolition of the present differential duty of one penny per pound on foreign -paper and card-beards, except in the case of coun triesfrom which the free export of rags is permitted." The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER on enter ing the room said, he was well aware of the object the deputation had in view, but he thought there were two other departments of the Government to which they might have more appropriately pre sented themselves. They wanted, as paper makers, to be placed on a level with their Continental rivals. This was a matter for negotiation with foreign go:- vernments—a function which, he need not tell them, did not belong to his department of the public service. He did not hesitate to say, however, that we wore now in a position highly , favourable for making such representations to foreign Powers. Mr. PULLER said, then the paper-makers had to suggest to the right hon. gentleman (the Chancel lor of the Exchequer) that, supposing him to be at . liberty, and not precluded by the treaty, he should exercise his discretion in their favour, and not admit foreign paper unless the foreigner took off the duty, or rather the prohibition, on the export of the raw material. (Cheers.) They said that their profit did not exceed a farthing in the pound • on the manufacture, and yet the cost of the raw material here was just double what it was in France. (Hear, hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that was a proposal that we should take our stand ex actly on the same ground we occupi...^±'2o years ago, when all kinds of attempts were made to ne gotiate commercial treaties on that principle, every one of which attempts, without an exception, proved to be an egregious failure, and did nothing but give a great deal of trouble and useless occu pation to various departments of the Government until the system broke down. He was not dis agreeing as to the end they had in view —(Hear, hear) —nor did he deny that the Government should use all the exertion in their power to attain it. He only wanted them to look at the mode of proceeding in order to attain that end. There were several countries besides France, of which the com plaint was made that they p-ohibited the export of rags—namely, Belgium, Holland, Spain, and Por tugal. The deputation would, therefore, see the difficulty of making that a matter of negotiation, with conditions. Suppose France made a conces sion or equivalent, other countries would get the benefit of it under their most favoured nation clause, without exception, having a right to the admission of their commodities on the terms of the most favoured nations, would be entitled, without any equivalent or condition whatever, to what we might be entitled to get only upon conditions. Spain considered herself entitled under treaties — though he would not give any opinion upon that— to any privilege with regard to wines that was given by us to France conditionally. He believed that most favoured nation clauses were totally incapable of being construed conditionally. They were like the obligations sometimes imposed upon railway companies, that they would charge equal fares under equal circumstances. He, therefore, thought that mode of proceeding would be attended with hopeless difficulties, and be did not believe the Government would consent to put the matter upon such a footing. Mr. COWAN said, the Chancellor of the Exche quer had intimated that his was not the depart ment to which the deputation should have applied. As, however, the treaty was the act of the whole Government, the deputation must look to the Go vernment to remedy any oversight that might have occurred in the stipulation. 3 as to the paper duty. He might remind the right hon. gentleman that, when he was at the Board of Trade in 1842, he did him (Mr. Cowan) the honour of granting him an interview on the occasion of the revision of the tariff. Previous to that ti me th ere was an imp ort duty on rags from abroad of 26 5 . per cwt. Br the amended tariff of Sir R. Peel that duty was re duced to ss. per cwt., whereas th e d u t y on wool l en - rags was ls. per cwt. He (Mr. Cowan) took the liberty on that occasion to comment upon such a glaring inequality. The right hon. gentleman (Mr. Gladstone) promised to:consider the matter, and the result was that when the tariff came out the duty on woollen and linen rags was assimilated, an d a few years afterwards the duty was entirely repealed. That was done on the great principle that all valuable 'articles 'which entered into our domestic manufactures should be obtained by the manufacturer on the best possible terms. (Hear, hear.) What they now-complained of was, that if France and other countries continued to maintain an impediment against the export of the raw mate rial, whereby the supply to this country would be diminished—whether that impediment assumed the shape of an absolute prohibition, or any other form—it would be on all accounts most objec tionable—(hear)—and the Government ought to do everything in their power to`'provide against the continuance of such an injustice. The paper- Makers in this country haknot only to compete among themselves, but with all the rest of the world. The facilities that now existed for the manufac ture in the colonies and foreign countries were so great that he thought the manufacturers in this country ought to be put on as favourable a footing as possible. Adverting to the proposed abolition of the Excise duty on paper, he said they had to thank the right hon. gentleman for the near prospect of being emancipated from the thraldom of his (Mr. Cowan's) friend, Mr. Pressley. (A laugh.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, it _ would afford him addit;onal satisfaction if the Go vernment could obtain for the deputation the other changes which they desired to see established. Mr. CowAN said, anything more directly in the teeth of th e f reedom of intercourse, social and com mercial, between the different countries of Europe than the conti • nuance of a prohibition of this kind - he could not conceive, and great injustice would be domestic done to our manufacture so long as it was suffered to exist. (hear, hear.) He hoped the Government would do i!, their power to put the manufacturers of this country something like an Villa! footin.; with those oilieroron conntrieu as re teiTeri al. garied eorntnand over the ral:77x . I :QUER said he The CHANCELLOR or th e l should be most happy if the Cove' mount could be able to attain that end. Mr. JOYNSON , Chairman of the Paiier-make Association, als o addressed the ri ght hon. gentles: man, but as he repeated the same arguments at a with the Presid en t o f the subsequ:eit inte rview Board of Trade we give his statement below. The interview then terminated, and the depute. tion immediately afterwards proceeded to the office of the Board of Trade, where they had, by appoint ment, a conference with Mr. Milner Gibson, the President of that department. Mr. Hutt, the re cently appointed Vice-President, was also present on the occasion. Mr. PULLER, M.P., addressing the President, said the paper-makers found that in the resolu tions laid on the table of the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer paper was not THE AIN, LONDON, MOXDAY gVENINO, FEBRUARY 20,- 1860. representatio sus and suggestions, as contained in their memorit ‘l, their best consideration. 10/.....•••••••./Mr.a.........r.... treated as an article included under the treaty. It , was to be made duty free, but not under the treaty. The deputation did not object to the most THE WHOLESALE TEA AND SUGAR co mplete free trade, provided they were t ote ellowed MERCHANTS. to start fair in the race with their rivals ; but the price of the raw material in France and Belgium being only half the puke that it was in England 'or of the Exchequer in reference to A deputation frem this body of gentlemen waited , on the Chancel from the demand for rags being so much less than certain than; es in the tea and shap sugar, e of st toba am pcco, s that were t non Szc., im in this country, the manufa cturers here were to be imposedu thereby - incapacitated from competing on fair ported into this CountrY, and which was bonded terms with those of the Continent and of the upon its arrival here. The deputation consisted of United. States. Under those circumstances the de- Mr. Horsfall, my . ir. J. C. Ewart, M.P., Mr. potation had, in the first instance, to press that the Blackburn, M.P., M.P., S4:4Ttes• M.P., Mr. Baxter, admission of foreign paper should not be allowed MP., Mr. Vance, M.P., Yeir. Dunlop, M.P., Mr. to take place free of duty so long as tile prohibition Dawson, M.P., Mr. Dalgkish, iI!.P., Mr. M on the export of rags was maintained in foreign ler, M.P., Mr. Gore Lang,,en, M.Ph. ,sir M. 4 countries;. but that, if the Government could not S. Stewart, M.P., Sir Hush Cairns, ALP-, make that concession, they should undertake to the Hon. F. H. Barker, M.P., Sir E. Grog P., an, address an immediase application to t he Govern- M.P., Colonel Sykes. M.P., Sir I. Ogilvie, M. ,ments of France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Sir J. Ferguson, M.P., Mr. Redmond, M.P., and Russia to remove the prohibition. several of the w holesale tea and sugar merchants Mr. JOYNSON said the paper makers of this coun- from Dublin, Liverpool, Hull, Edinburgh, Greenock, try, to whom he stood in the relation of chairman, Leith, Glasgow, Belfast, Bristol, Cork, and other gave employment to about 150,000 people, and a towns. casnital amounting to something like £3,000,000. Mr. CLAY, M.P. Yor Hull, introduced the depu (Hew, hear.) lie himself had been now nearly tation. 40 ye t's in the trade, commencing first with one Mr. STEINE, of Liverpool, said that he had at of those village mills which the Chancellor of the tended a large meeting of the tea trade in Liverpool, Exchequer' in his financial statement had be en and w i t h one exce p tion the feeling of the meeting pleased to eciiogise, but afterwards, as his trade in- was favourable to the principle upon which the Ll4O 000 in machinery alone. Budget was based. They only took exception to creased, expei:kalng , That ex'pendituYe he had incurred for the benefit of some details as set forth in the alteration proposed his family. He could now produce a paper at to be made upon transfering tea in bond from one Bs. 2d. a ream, a touch better than what he made place to another. The alterations objected to were and sold in 1823 when' hecommenced paper-making, inserted in clauses 11, 12, and 13 of the resolutions at 235. (Hear.) He stated that to show the improve- laid upon the table in the Committee of Ways and men's which had been enade in the manufacture ; Means. The objection, however, to the llth clause and he would say he was qapable of competing with was got rid of by the right hon. gentleman's ex any manufacturer in the world, if he was allowed planation in his letter to Mr. Glyn, which had been to do so on fair and equt.:l terms. Last year he paid published in the various journals. The 12th and duty in respect of his awl business amounting to 13th clauses were strongly objected to, on the ground more than £27,000, and if the Government now that no tea or other goods that had been bonded took off the differential duty of ld. in the pound could be transferred without extra payment for each upon foreign paper, he would lose annually £lB,OOO. removal. All the tea imported into this country is Again, the increase in the price of coal, which necessarily placed in bond, and there it is kept under would result from its exportati on to France, and the care of the Customs watch-dog. the maintenance of the (ity coa. dues. would in- The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—And who crease his loss by another £l,ooo' at least. The is to pay the watch-dog ? (A. laugh.) taking off the paper duty would be t:- boon to the Mr. STEINE then went on to object to the pro country. (Hear, hear.) They (the pa per-makers) posed charges on the removal of tea out of bond, were all interested in that, but if they w` And not to because these removals were frequent as regarded be allowed free access to the raw material, And if, each package of tea. besides, paper from France and Belgium was' to be The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Are the permitted to come in without some prohilh'tive removals of one package of tea frequent ? duty, they would be annihilated. He himself w. l -1 1 Several Voices—Oh, very. Sometimes the one a free-trader to the backbone, and free trade was all package is removed 20 times. that the paper-makers in this country wanted. He The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—What pro had bought rags in France and Antwerp at £l4 per pxtion of tea imported into this country undergoes ton, of a quality which cost him in England £2B removal in bond ? per ton. (Hear, hear.) It was justly stated in the Mr.. STEINE—More than three-fourths. Times the other day that at present—except straw, The JIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was which was of little or no use for the purpose,— afraid th,at they could not go through the details of paper could only be made of rags. Rags as a refuse the question. He suggested that they should em product could only be made by population, and, as body their objections in a memorial, laying down this country had increased in population, so the some plan by which the principle they main raw material for paper had augmented ; but the tained ought to be carried out. He felt sure that supply was unequal to the demand. The English any suggestion coming in a proper spirit from them paper-makers now made double the quantity of would receive every consideration from the Go paper they made 20 years ago. They had invested vernment. in the aggregate £3,000,000 of capital in the ir Mr. STEINE said the trade which he represented works; they gave employment to 150,000 people; would much rather that an additional ld. per lb. and he submitted they were a body of men whose should be charged to the present ls. sd. duty on position ought to be studied to some considerable tea than that their trade should be crippled by extent. (Hear, hear.) these various complicated charges. Mr. EVANS said one way in which we could corn- The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—What I pete with France would be by the production of propose will only create £15,000 or £20,000 per. some raw material which should answer as a sub- annum, while by your suggestion you propose to stitute for rags, and he thought we had exhausted give me something like £350,000. all the sources likely to be available as such substi- Mr. STEINE said they had no wish to throw the Lute. In France, where rags were plentiful, it would burdens off their shoulders, for they knew that the be simply ridiculous to make paper of straw. The Government must have a revenue, and ought to case of the English manufacturer was further pre- have a surplus ; but the revenues should not be judiced by the exportation, which went on t o a eon- raised in a manner that would hinder, harass and ' siderable extent, of rags from this country to Ame - f e t ter trade. In fact, the 12th and 15th clauses rice;_ and the probable result of the movement on would render the trade impracticable. the part of the Government with respect to paper Mr. GLADSTONE—Is that additional penny made would be that all our rags would go to America; to me as a suggestion from all the gentlemen pre that the greater proportion of our paper would sent ? (Cries of " No, no.") come from France; and that the paper mills in this Mr. STEINE said he stated that this was the country would fall into disuse. (Hear, bear.) feeling of the trade which he represented. Mr. COWAN hoped it was not yet too late for the Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN, M.P., on the part of the Government to get the paper-makers here put on consumers, strongly protected against this pro an equal footing with their brethren abroad. They posed increase of a penny additional duty on tea. had nothing to fear from the manufacturers of (Hear, hear ) France or any other country if they were put upon Some conversation then ensued, in which it was a fair footing; and he reminded the right hon. gen- shown that the same objections urged in respect to tleman that successive statesmen, from Sir R. tea would apply to sugar, pepper, coffee, rice, soap, Peel downwards, had been actuated by the desire and tobacco. to emancipate articles of raw material—a principle The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that that was one of the most important that a Govern- it was impossible for any memory to retain so many meat could set itself to maintain. ();fear, hear.) subjects, and again suggested that the several ob- Mr. SAUNDERS said paper making was a large jealous should be embodied in a memorial, to which and important trade ; the manufacturers paid he would pay every attention. £1,500,000 annually to the revenue ; they asked for The deputation, having thanked the right hon. no protection against the foreigner ; there might be gentleman, then withdrew. some shades of difference among thew, but as a body they were thoroughly free traders; their great grie vance was the want of raw material, the exporta tion of which was prohibited from abroad. They wished to have access to a common market with foreigners for the raw material ; but at present they had to fight against Belgium and France, which protected their own manufacturers. Mr: MILNER GIBSON said of course he entirely agreed with the deputation that it would be most desirable if foreign countries could be induced to repeal their export duties on rags. lie certainly thought it was a fair thing to ask them to do. Just on the same principle that we were not going to prohibit the export of coal to France, so in France they ought not to prohibit the export of rags to this country. But still the allegation that there was a great want of the raw material for the manu facture of paper in this country was not quite con sistent with the fact of an exportation of that raw material. With all respect to the deputation, he thought they underrated their own powers in the eompetition. It was to be remembered that they would be able to manufacture paper at less cost when they manufactured it freely than under an Excise etegulation. He entirely agreed with them as to what they wanted—viz., that the export duty on foreign rags should be got rid of; and he assured them the Government would do all they could do to induce foreign countries to reduce or abolish it. He should have thought the quantity of rags in a country depended very much on the number of the population and the extent of its manufactures. We had a large and well-clad population and extensive manufactures. He could not say he should be in favour of any protection to our domestic paper man ufacture—(" We don't want it") ;—but he thought it was quite right that the Government should do what they could to induce foreign coun tries to forego their export duties on the raw material. Mr. TURNER, M.P., said a great deal would depend on vigorous action on the part of the Government at this moment ; and as we were going to concede to the Emperor of the French a supply of coal and other materials which were valuable to ibitn, if the Government were to hold out the mosrdistant threat of putting an equivalent on the articles which lie wanted so much, his Imperial Majesty might be induced to remove the prohibition on the raw material which we wanted so much. (A laugh.) Some further conversation ensued, in which the President o f th e Board Trade, of and Mr. Puller, Mr. Evans, Mr. Joynson, and other gentlemen took part, but which was not of report, and the interview terminated. THE WHOLESALE STATIONERS. --- A deputation of wholesale stationers waited upon Mr. Gladstone to submit a statement as to the claims of the trade for full allowance of drawback on the abolition of the paper duty. Baron ROTHSCHILD, M.P., introduced the depu tation, and urged the claims of the deputation to a full allowance of drawback on the stock of paper in hand, which the wholesale stationers regarded not only as a question of justice, but also of expe diency, as unless that was granted they would be great losers by the proposal of the Government. Mr. CHATER, a member of the deputation, said they anticipated a great fall in the price of paper after the first of July, should the duty cease on that day. Mr. GLADSTONE remarked—Then your view of the matter differs very much from other parties in terested in the question. I have just received a deputation from the newspaper press, and from the statements made to me by those gentlemen, it seems that they entertain a confident belief that, so far from the repeal of the duty lowering the price of paper, it will increase it considerably. Mr. CRATER said whatever the effect might be, they asked for a remission of the duty upon the stocks in hand, and they hardly saw how that could be refused. In reply to a question it was stated that the duty upon stocks in hand would amount to between £200,000 and £250,000. It was further argued that large sums of money had been invested on the faith of the Excise label being returned, and that there was no possibility of defrauding the revenue if such drawback was allowed. Unless it took place the trade would be paralysed till the tax was re pealed. Several publishers had already declined to issue any works until the tax was repealed, and in one printing establishment 40 hands had been dis missed in one day. Mr. GLADSTONE said—l am sorry lam unable to devote more attention to your representations to-day. My time, as you may conceive, is much occupied at the present moment. I have another deputation in the next room which I have pro mised to see, I have to be present at a Cabinet Council at two o'clock, and I have more than a hun dred unopened letters, all of which must receive attention at my hands. I can only say I shall be glad if possible to meet your views, and that the subject shall receive my best and earliest conside ration. The deputation then withdrew. ADMISSION OF FOREIGN SPIRITS AT A [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway ' s Ointment.—Cutaneous Eruptions in Infancy.—No affections of the skin are more fre quent or more annoying to children and nurses than the irri tating chafing with which fat children are constantly afflicted. So great is often the irritation that low fever sets in, the whole skin becomes inflamed, and the helpless little sufferer falls into convulsions. Holloway's Ointment should be in every nursery; its application cools and soothes the inflamed parts, securing peace to the wearied nurse, and ease to her clamorous:charge,:which worn out with crying, soundly sleeps. This preparation is equally effective in red gum, tooth-rash, cracked-ears, and all infantile diseases, whether general over the whole body, or confined to the head, nose, or ears, [A.DvEnTisamENT.]—Notice.—ln consequence of Messrs. Lawes and Morton having just commenced 1860 with opposi tion similar to that which they previously advanced, and wish ing to do those gentlemen every justice, Mr. Thorley is induced to enlarge his coming pamphlet, making it 64 pages instead of 32- showing beyond doubt that their observations on the so-called " Concentrated Cattle Food," and so-called "feeding statistics," are without foundation ; that the itothamsted experiment was not made with his food, and consequently that this complete failure must either be through mismanage ment or from buying the Condiment at the wrong shop. The first impression of One Hundred Thousand Copies will be ready about the first day of March, and may be had post free on receipt of Three Stamps, on application to Joseph Thorley, the Inventor and sole Proprietor of " Thorley's Food for Cattle," 77, Newgate-street, London ; 21, Broadway, New York, United States; Mr. J. W. Thorley, Melbourne; Vic toria ; Mr. Alfred Burt, Sydney, New South Wales ; and of all his agents throughout the United King:dom.—Feb. 2,1860. [ADVERTISEMENT.] — Among the numerous extraordi nary cures without medicine effected by Du Barry's deli cious health -restoring Revalonta Arabica Food of indiges tion (dyspepsia), flatulency, constipation, nervous, bilious and liver complaints, cough, asthma, consumption, and debility, the following are not the least remarkable : " Athol-st reef. Perth, May 2,lB42.—Thirteen years' cough, indigestior, and .general debility have been remo7ed by Du Barry's excellent Revalonta Arabica Food.—James Porter." No. '24,814, the Rev. Thomas Minster, cure of five years' nervousness, with spasms and daily vomitings. F rom the Venerable Archdeacon of Ross.—No. 32,836. "Three years' excessive nervousness, with pains in my neck and left arm, and general debility, which rendered my life very miserable, has been radically removed by Du Barry's health-restoring food.—Alex. Stuart, Archdeacon of Ross, Skibbereen." In tins, at Is. 6d. ; 11b., 3 s. ; 21 b ., ss. 9d. ; 51b., 125.; 121 b., 265. The 10Ib. and 121 b. tins carriage Re free, on recei pt ndon. Lof post office order. Du Barry and Co., 77, gent-stre et, Fortnum, Mason, and Co., 182, Piccadilly, A'Abi o s, 60, Gracechurch-street ;4, Cheapside ; 63, and 150, ford street ; 330 and 451, Strand ; 49 and 60, Bishopsgate street ; 85 Tottenham-court-road. Also at Dublin. Bewley :and Draper ; at Edinburgh, Raimes and Co. at Liverpool, Nixon and Thew; at Manchester, Sharp and Scott; at York, Raimes, Blanchard, and Co.; at;South ampton, ltandan and sod, A deputation ß f E ro l m ilj t C he El I ) ris p h ij aL Y. Scoteh distillers waited on t he Chancellor of the Exeliequer, to d draw his attention to the effect which tiro re duction of duty on foreign spirits admitted into this country for consumption would have upon the interests of the British distilleNris..p.';rhme r deputation e consisted of Sir E. Grogan, M.P.; Mr. P. O'Brien, M.P. ; Mr. Vance, Nl y P r : Mr. George, M.P. ; Captain Esmonde, 111.1.• Mr. Ellice, M.P. ; Colonel ' Cole . Bellew, M.P. ; M.P. ; Mr. Dalglish, M P. ; Mr. Redmond, M.P. ; Sir J. Power, Mr. Haig, Mr. Jamieson, &c. Sir E. GROGAN said he had the honour of intro ducing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer a deputation from the distillers of Ireland and Scot land, in order that they might lay before him their views as to the effect which the admission of foreign spirits would have upon their interests. They had drawn .up, in a memorial, the particular points which they wished to submit to his mnsideration. Mr. JAMIESON, one of the members of the depu tation, then handed to the right hon. gentleman the memorial, which was to the effect that the proposed alteration of duties on foreign spirits exposed the Irish and Scotch distillers to the competition of foreign distillers in the home market, giving them only a protection of 3A-d. per gallon as an equivalent for the Excise restrictions. The memorial asked fora drawback for ex port of 3d per gallon, as spirits imported by the Excise restrictions were produced at an extra charge of 174. per cent., even though they paid no duty on the export. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he was much obliged to the gentlemen for their con sideration, and begged to assure them that lie would give the matter of the memorial his best attention. Alter alluding to the subject of a drawback, which lie Said he should consider, he asked the deputa tioniffeatlrieiyn respect competition with the French brandy. Mr. JAMIESOx e s t ad they did not. . .They had . m ore was a fine pure spirit Pe The Clia.NcEroa to the German spirit, which D u r h . of the EXCHEQUER—The ?mt e HMG—Ye s ; we fear th e i n t ro d uc ti on o f th e Dutch spirit. - The Cll . ANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUEII. said he had only to repeat the Government would give to their 211 E NAYY. The subjoined is from a letter dated Hong Kong, December 20 :--- services, and the Commander-in-Chief is not likely - to incur so grave a responsibility. Not long since we expressed our impartial opinion of the manner in which the Duke of Cambridge has exercised his patronage in this respect since his accession to the command of the army. Notwithstanding some three or four names -that rather grate against one's ideas of gallant service, we believe it to have been on the whole fair ; and we are sure that so great a blot as the appointment of General Grey to a colonelcy—so utter a denial of claims arising from service in the field—will not be allowed to tarnish his Royal Highness's adminis tration of high office. We announced some weeks since that the Minis ter of War, the Commander-in-Chief, and the Trea sury, were in communication respecting a plan for the reduction of cavalry commissions to infantry prices, and the abolition of the stoppages for forage now made from cavalry officers. The execution of the plan was delayed by various impediments ; but we believe we may state that it is now in a fair way of being carried out, and will very shortly be officially promulgated. Henceforward all cornets appointed to the cavalry of the line will receive two chargers for regimental purposes from the Govern ment, and these chargers will be maintained at the public expense. The rate of purchase of commis sions will be precisely the same as in the infantry. As regards officers now serving in the cavalry, they will be allowed the full prices paid for their commissions, and those who have not purchased will be entitled to the usual allowance for their service—at the rate of £lOO per annum—on selling out. We trust this step may be the means of re cruiting the commissioned ranks of our cavalry re giments, and inducing young gentlemen to select that once favourite but now disregarded branch of the army. We fear, however, that other causes tend to render the cavalry unpopular. During the last few years they have got harder work, fewer honours, comparatively less remunerative pay than the rest of the service. The preliminary examina tion has a very deterrent effect upon the candidates; and the extravagant style of living in many regi ments upon their fathers. The expenses • to be complained of aro not generally speaking what are called regimental expenses, but they arise very often from causes which are nevertheless within the power of a good commanding officer to remove ; and we trust, as it has been found impossible to induce rich men to enter dragoon regiments in sufficient numbers, that the less wealthy class of gentlemen to whom the door is now open will preserve the efficiency and military prestige of that splendid body, the British Cavalry. Under the newly-recognised rule, as regards the period of service on the Staff, a large number of vacancies will take place on the Ist of April next. Various rumours are afloat as to the successors of those who are about to resign, but the arrange ments are not yet in a condition to allow of our giving any authentic information respecting them. Lord Seaton has returned to Ireland to wind up the affairs of his office, and will leave on the Ist of April ; but his successor is not yet selected. The Adjutant-General Sir George Wetherall's period of service expired in December, but he will remain at the Horse Guards for some time longer, at least until some measures of military administration are settled, respecting which the want of his assistance would form a serious difficulty. The command of the Dublin district will become vacant on the Ist of April by the promotion of Major-General Gascoigne to be Lieut.-General. " Admiral Jones left in the mall steamer for Shanghai on the 17th inst., whither her Majesty's ship Furious, on board which he will temporarily fly his flag, had preceded him. " The remainder of the 3d Buffs, from India, have arrived in her Majesty's Indian navy steamer Coromandel and sailing ship Tasmania, the former having the latter in tow until arriving in Chinese waters, where, in a gale of wind, they parted com pany. The troops have since gone up to Canton. " The seamen and officers of her Majesty's steamer Cambrian, who have garrisoned Macao Fort for many months, are to be superseded by ar tillery from the marine brigade at Canton and re turn :!' their ship. Capt.,",?ramerell, of her Majesty's ship Magi cienne, has been several days with her Majesty's gunboats Clown, Drake, Woodcock, and Leven, with armed boats from her Majesty's ship Chesa peake, Cambrian, and Magieienne, in search of pirates, who are again becoming numerous and bold in the south of China. They had no fight ing, but captured and burnt many junks. " The - vessels composing our Chinese squadron ati present stationed at Hong Kong are :—The Chesapeake (flagship), the Cambrian, the High flyer, the Magicienne , th e N i mrod , the Hosper, and the Princess Charlotte; gunboats, the Opossum, the the Kestrel, the Leven, the Starling, the the Woodcock, the Drake, and the Forester, clew h, Watchful. " At Canton and Whampoa—The Fury, the As sistance, the Bittern ; gunboats, the Staunch, the Banterer, and the Firm. "At Shanghai—The Furious (flagship), the Sampson, the Camilla, and the Roebuck ; gunboats, the Haughty, the Janus, and the Bustard. " At Ningpo—The Algerine. " At Foochow—The Inflexible. " At Amoy—The Acorn. " At Japan—The Cruiser. " Coast of Tartary.—The Actaeon and the Dove. "At Singapore.—The Esk and the Saracen. "In India.—The Retribution, the Cyclops, and the Sparrowhawk." Our Malta correspondent, in his letter dated Feb. 12, says : " The Valetta, Peninsular and Oriental Com pany's steamer, arrived here at 3 30 from Alexan dria, with the China and Calcutta mails, but will not get away until daylight to•morrow, having had a very boisterous passage, and sustained damage in her rudder, which is now being repaired. This was the only steamer out of some eight or 10 out ward bound which contrived to get to sea during the prevailing gale, as the pilots refused to take them out. The China and Himalaya steamers had both reached Alexandria in safety, but up to the 7th of February no troops had reached Suez from India for embarkation ii the Himalaya. The Ornen, Norwegian corvette, and the Nayaden, Swedish corvette, were lying at Alexandria, to leave about the middle of February, the former for Palermo, the latter for Malta, where the Lagerb jelk, Swedish corvette, is hourly looked for from the Firearm. Admiral Fanshawe, in the Marl borough, is looked for at Malta from Gibraltar, where he will be relieved by Rear-Admiral Mundy, in the Hannibal, from Corfu." The screw steamship Brunswick, 81, Captain Erasmus Ommanney, which arrived in Plymouth Sound on the 18th, as reported on Saturday even ing in The Sun, left Lisbon January 30, and has experienced nothing but strong northerly and north-easterly winds on the passage home. Spoke Feb. 5, in lat. 41 9 N., long. 18 25 W., the bark Fortuna, from Liverpool, and Feb. 10, in lat. 45 26 N., long. 11 30 W., the English ship Ger trude. The Brunswick has a few invalids. She was commissioned Jan. 8, 1856, and will probably be inspected to in the Sound, after which she will go up Hamoaze, where her crew will be paid off. The increase to the Royal Artillery will be made in the shape of two brigades , to be numbered the 15th and 16th respectively. The 15th Brigade will consist of 56 officers, 112 non-commissionedofficers, trumpeters, drummers, and 1,608 rank and file. The 16th Brigade will number 53 officers, 80 non commissioned officers, &e., and 864 rank and file. The :promotions consequent on this augmentation will, in all probability, promote the Lieut.-Colonels, down to Col. Kennedy, to be Colonels ; the Captains, down to Brevet-Major Longden, to be Lieut.-Colo nels ; the Second Captains, down to Brevet-Major Penn, to be First Captains ; and the Lieutenants, down to Lieut. Philip H. Sandilands, to be Second Captains. An Assistant-Inspector of Volunteers will be stationed at each of the following places, viz., York, Birmingham, Canterbury, Plymouth, Winchester, and Edinburgh. By the lamented death of General Sir William Napier, Lieut.-General Sir James Ferguson, Colo nel of the 43d Regiment, another of the gallant band forming the old Light Division, becomes a General ; Major-General Gascoigne, Colonel of the 69th Regiment, a Lieut.-General ; Colonel the Hon. A. Spencer, a Major-General ; Colonel C. E. Michell, 54th Regiment, a Colonel; and Major Bruce, Staff-Officer of Pensioners, a Lieut.-Colonel in the Army. The following regiments are to be increased by 100 men each, and fixed at a strength per regiment of 46 officers, 81 non-commissioned officers, and 1,050 rank and file, making a total of all ranks of 1,177, viz.-9th Ist bat, 10th Ist bat, 11th Ist bat, 11th 2d bat, 12th 2d bat, 14th 2d bat, 15th Ist bat, 16th Ist bat, 16th 2d bat, 17th 2d bat, 18th 2d bat, 19th 2d bat, 20th 2d bat, 21st 2d bat, 22d Ist bat, 24th 2d bat, 25th 2d bat, 26th, 29th, 30th, 32d Light Infantry, 36th, 45th, 47th, 55th, 58th, 60th Rifles 4th bat, 76th, 78th, 84th, 86th, 96th, and Rifle Brigade Ist bat. The other battalions now serving in India remain at 950 rank and file, with the same number of officers, with the exception of the 65th Regiment, which numbers 1,400 rank and file. The screw steamship Centurion, 80, Capt. Rod gers, C. 8., at Plymouth, received her powder on Saturday. Top-gallant and royal yards were crossed and studding-sail gear rove on Saturday on board the screw steamship Aboukir, 90, Capt. Curry, in Ply mouth Sound, and she now waits orders from the Admiralty to sail for Portland. On her arrival there the Donegal will sail for Plymouth, where her crew will be paid wages and obtain leave of ab• sence. ----- The following hired transports have been char tered by Government to ship munitions of war from the Military Store Department at Woolwich—viz., the Stirlingehire, the Marianne, the Nugget, the Pioneer, the Mary Innes, and the Scotia. The following appointments were made on Satur day at the Admiralty :—F. G. Barr, chief engineer, to the Asia, for service in the Immortalite ; George Weeks, chief engineer, to the Cumberland, for ser vice in the Severn ; A. M'lnnes, chief engineer, to the Virago; J. W. German, acting chief engineer, to the Cumberland, for service in the Charybdis; Wm. J. Brown, first class assist.-engineer, to the Victoria and Albert, for service in the Elfin ; Alex. B. APLucicie, acting third class assist.-engineer, to the Victoria and Albert; James Bell (b), acting third assist.-engineer, to the Cumberland, for ser vice in the Meeanee ; M. B. Kelly, third class assist.- engineer to the Cumberland, for temporary charge of the machinery of the Wasp. THE ARMY. A number of 32 pounder guns cast in the old Royal gun factory in Woolwich Arsenal, recently closed, were last week fired at the proof butt, Woolwich, under the inspection of Colonel Tulloh, Superintendent of the Carriage Department, and were pronounced fit for service. On Friday eight 68-pounders (95 cwt. each) cast in the same foun dry, were loaded for a similar purpose with the original proof charge of powder and shot, and were fired in succession, when six of the number burst. Two of them stood the first charge well, but were struck by some of the fragments and ren dered useless. _ _ A new muzzle-loading rifled gun of peculiar con struction, the invention of Commander Scott, R.N., and which it is expected will yield some extraordi nary results, will be fired in a few days, under the authority of the War Department, in the long range at Shoeburyness. The Government, in accordance with the recom mendations made, have decided on carrying into effect several important alterations and improve ments at Chatham garrison, which will involve a considerable outlay. In addition to the sum of £17,000 which has been set apart for the purchase of the land for a new rifle range for the troops be longing to the garrison, a further sum of £7,000 will be required to be expended in levelling and pre paring the range, and erecting thereon huts and other buildings for the accommodation of the rifle instructors, and the officers and troops who will be stationed there during the period they are undergo ing instruction. The spot which has been selected by the War Department is a large extent of marsh land adjoining the Thames, and, being bet a short distance from Chatham, will be easily accessible by the troops from the garrison. The land has already been purchased, and the levelling and preparation of the range will be effected by convict labour. Several important works are also to be carried into effect at Brompton Barracks, including the erection of a new library for the officers of the Royal and Indian Engineers, together with an additional lec ture room, laboratory, and school room. A large and exceedingly commodious mess room for the offi cers attached to the Royal Engineer establishment has already been commenced by the Government contractor. The whole of the alterations and im provements to be carried cut at Brompton Barracks alone will involve an outlay of £lO,OOO, beside which various improvements of a minor character are to be effected in other parts of the garrison. (From the Army and Navy Gazette.) A generally well-informed contemporary an nounced last evening that Sir J. Penuefather would be transferred from the 46th Regiment to the 22d, in succession to Sir Wm. Napier, and that Major- General the Hon. Charles Grey wouldbe appointed to the vacant colonelcy of the 46th. The first portion of the statement is likely to prole correct, for no officer could be made so appropriately colonel of the 22d as Sir John Pennefather, under whom the regi ment so nobly acquired its Indian honours. As re gards the appointment of General Grey we have some reason to know that our contemporary is misincormed. General Grey is Equerry to her Ma jesty. Though he commanded the 71st Light In fantry for some years, he was not fortunate enough to see active service, and his employment has been for a very long time that of a courtier rather than a :soldier. At the present moment, when pub lic attention is wholesomely directed to military patronage, and when the office of Commander-in. Chief is under the consideration of a parliamentary committee, an appointment like that of General Grey would be a kind of death-warrant for the Horse Guards. Personally we have not a word to say that is not in favour of the general, but we are sure that when her Majesty desires to reward an esteemed member of her household she will do it in some more appropriate way than one involving the exclusion of old and gallant officers who have fought and bled for their country all over the world, and to whom, i n th e ord i nary course o f even t s, na ture is not likely to permit more than a brief esjoy ment of the honours and rewards they long since so richly earned. The appointment of General Grey would be the deliberate misapplication of funds granted by Parliament as rewards for distinguished FRANCE AND THE POPE. Struck by the immense duration and inexhaustible vitality of the Papacy, historians and philosophers have lavished upon it panegyrics which it by no means fully deserves. In contemplating the extra ordinary fortune which has carried an institution of purely human origin through such unexampled dangers and such unheard-of reverses, which has called in the New World to redress the balance of the Old, and invariably won back in one direction what has been lost in another, Lord Macaulay seems to forget the errors of the See of Rome in his ad miration for its unbending traditions, and its inex tinguishable influence over the human mind. With these exalted views we confess we never could s ympathise. Rome, according to our reading of history, has ever carried in her own bosom the pro lific seed of her own resources, and has to thank her own policy quite as much as the awakened reason and sense of mankind for the numerous reverses of her checkered and instructive history. She has frequently fallen into reverses because she has been immoderate and insatiable in prosperity. A strong constitution is tested by the diseases it is able to support, and the power of the Roman Catholic reli gion is never more manifest than in her ability to survive the most frightful misfortunes, brought upon her by her own intemperance. Any one who reads the history of the Papacy during the 13th century, will be astonished, not so much that Boniface VIII. died in a transport of frenzy and despair from the treatment he received from the French soldiers, as that every Monarch in Christendom did not unite to put down the intolerable arrogance of the Papacy. Every one who reads the history of the thirty ears preceding the Reformation, from Alexander VI. to Leo X., will be astounded at the continuance of an elective monarchy stained with all the crimes of the Twelve Caesars ; and any one who considers the whole history of the First Napo leon and the Papacy may well marvel how it could survive so rude a shock as it then sustained. It is the fashion to attribute these things to the effects of a profound policy, but policy is shown rather in avoiding than in emerging from calamities, and the very vitality of the Papacy shows how ill it must have been directed to fall perpetually with so much internal strength into such astonishing reverses. The truth is, the policy of Rome has been a stranger to prudence and moderation. If she has opened a rich mine of human credulity, she has ever worked it out with a reckless profuseness. Not content with laying the whole world under contribution, she raised a Reformation by the sale of Indul gences ; and, not satisfied with the Inquisition and the sword, she shocked the conscience of man kind by the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. We may trace her present misfortunes to the same cause—the inability to use with moderation the good things which Fortune seems never tired of showering upon her. The Pope beheld at his feet ten years ago two mighty Empires, rescued himself from the melancholy confinement of Gatta, and was courted as none of his predecessors had been for centuries before. Austria begged for his aid to support her amid the ruins of her falling power, and the President of the French Republic courted him that he might sanctify by his blessing th e crown which he already saw with in his grasp. Rome accepted their homage, and, thinking h erse lf sure of their interests, was at no pains to conciliate their affections. In return for the support sh e l ent to Austria she executed a Concordat which has dis graced the Emperor in the eyc s of his subjects, and threatens his empire with something little short of immediate dissolution. She sold her assistance to France at a price equally exorbitant. The Fre nc h arm y was employed to restore the Pope to his throne, and to maintain him there; but, convinced that he had the interest of the Emperor on his side, the Pope thought it utterly unnecessary to lower himself by showing the slightest respect for his de liverer.. For ten years all the counsels of France have been rejected, and every abuse allowed to flourish more rankly than ever. Let those who believe in the profound policy of the Papacy mark the result as described by M. Thouvenel i n hi s letter to the Duke de GrArocut, the French Ambassador at Rome i which we translate else where. At the beginning of hostilities the neu trality of the Pope was proclaimed, and Austria, treating him - as an independent self-subsisting Power, withdrew her troops from the Legations. The inhabitants, as M. Thouvenel says, " rather found themselves than made themselves masters." In vain the French Government counselled re forms. The Papacy refused them with dogged obstinacy, and the last opportunity of saving the Legations was allowed to drift away, never to return. The Pope is reminded that he received a solemn warning from the Emperor on the 31st of December ; he answered it with bitterness and asperity, and the last hope of conciliating France was abandoned, like the last hope of conciliating the Romagna; and now is seen in its full grossness the folly of the politic and Machiavellian Court of Rome. Austria is still friendly, but needs herself the support which it was foolishly assumed she would be able to give. The French Emperor is quite a different person from the Eldest Son of the Church, of whose merits we used to hear so much. His language has become harsh, and his conduct peremptory. There is an infinite difference between Count Walewski and M. Thouvenel, and just as great an one between the Napoleon 1859 and the Napoleon of 1860. lie warns the Pope to give up his fixed resolution to ignore the present state of affairs, to lay his spiritual claims out of the ques tion, and to treat temporal matters in a temporal spirit, and, in return for these concessions, hopes are held out that the Emperor will lend his sup port to a moderate and conciliatory policy. We should be unwilling to conclude from. this that if the Popo does not acquiesce in these terms he has neither moderation nor conciliation to expect. Yet this is no unreasonable inference, and there are not wanting facts to give significance to the threat. The Univers is suppressed by a single blow, and a journal of the remote province of Brittany shares the same fate for having dared to make allusion to it. The Pope has to do with a man who thoroughly understands the war of words, but who is also willing and able to follow up words with blows. And this is the state to which Papal policy has contrived to reduce its interests in a country by far the noblest conquest that it still retains, and these are the sentiments which it has contrived to elicit from a Monarch who has given so many unquestionable proofs of his anxiety to call the crosier in to the assistance of the sword ! Truly, to those who view these matters with the eye of uninspired reason it would seem the Pope owes his calamities neither to the evil disposition of his own subjects, nor to the ambition of foreign countries, nor to the acumen of controversialists, nor to the ribaldry of satirists, but simply to his own obstinacy and folly, which have rendered him unable to believe that his subjects could be treated with too much negligence or his allies with too much arrogance.— Times. LAW INTELLIGENCE.—Feb. 18. COURT OF ERROR. (Before Lord Chief Baron Pollock, and Barons Bramwell and Channell.) EARL OF SHREWSBURY AND TALBOT V. HOPE SCOTT abroad. Mrs. Elliot had received £4O from him a short time after his withdrawal, but with that ex ception she had heard nothing of him since the 3d of May. The petitioner deposed to the above facts. After some further evidence a decree was post poned until a further application should be made to the Court. SEATON V. SEATON. Dr. Phillimore, Q.C., and Mr. Russell appeared for the petitioner. The respondent had not put in any answer. This was a case by Mr. Henry Seaton, a surgeon, prac tising at Ulverstone, for a judicial separation on account of his wife's adultery. The parties were married on the 13th of September, 1849, at St. Pancras church, and they cohabited in London for one year, and then went down to Ulverstone, where they lived in perfect harmony down to 1858. In the Midsummer of that year a Mr. Gaultier came to reside at Ulverstone, as master of a proprietary school, and soon after his arrival Mrs. Seaton formed an attachment of an improper kind towards him. In May, 1859, Mr. Seaton was called to London on professional business, and during his absence his wife eloped with the schoolmaster, and after spending the night in the Spread Eagle. in Manchester, they went to Hull, where they em barked for Antwerp. It was alleged the parties had since been cohabiting together up to the pre sent time. After the examination of witnesses, Sir Cresswell Cress well decreed a sentence in accordance with the petitioner's prayer. CO UNTIDY MA.RIBTS. NORTHAMPTON—Faa. 18. At this corn-market wheat was in middling supply, with a steady trade, at about 2s over the rates of this day sea night, prices ranging from 414 to 49s for old, and. 43s to 474 for new. There was a slow business passing in barley, malting 36s to 435, grinding 26s to 29s per qr. Oats in limited show, with a languid sale, quoted at 25s to 28. per 24 stone. Beans, old, 47s to 50s ; new, 45s to 475. Rye, —3 to —s ; malt, 66s to 68s ; flour, 31s to 34s per sack. AND OTHERS-JUDGMENT. This morning the Lord Chiefßa;on delivered judgment in this important case, which had come before this court upon appeal from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas. His Lordship said that this was an appeal from the judgment! of the Court of Common Pleas on certain points reserved on the trial of the case before Lord Chief Justice Cockburn. It was an action of ejectment, brought to recover the man sion of Alton Towers and certain lands belonging thereto, by the Earl of Shrewsbury. At the trial a verdict was directed for the plaintiff, subject to certain points of law arising upon the construction of various documents and Acts of Parliament. In Hilary Term, last year, a rule was obtained by Mr. Sergeant Shee to enter the verdict for the de fendants. Cause was shown against the rule in Trinity Term by Sir Fitzroy Kelly, then the Attorney-Goneral, and other learned gentlemen, and the rule was supported by Mr. Sergeant Shee, Sir R. Bethell, the present Attorney• General, and other members of the bar. The cause occupied eight days, and the Court of Common Pleas by a unanimous judgment, delivered seriatim, discharged the rule. The present Attorney-General had been heard by this Court as counsel for the appellant during a . portion of three days up on a n a pp ea l from that judgment. He had argued the points in favour of his client more elaborately, perhaps, than they were argued in the Court below, but nothing new had been elicited nor any points presented to their attention which were not before the Court of Common Pleas. While the argument was proceed ing their lordships had an opportunity of consider ing it from day to day, and at its:close they thought it unnecessary to hear counsel for the respondent, and upon the fullest consideration they were still of the same opinion, and he had now to deliver the unanimous judgment of that Court in favour of the plaintiff, agreeing as they did with the Court of Common Pleas that the rule obtained by the de fendant to enter the verdict for him should be dis charged. It was unnecessary to set out the facts at length as they were fully set out in the recitals of the two private acts of 6th Geo. I. c. 29, and. 6th and 7th Vict., c. 38. The learned Chief Baron then gave a brief re sume of the facts, which are already well known to the public, and. said that their lordships were of opinion that the plaintiff below, as the issue male of the first Earl of Shrewsbury, to whom the title had descended, was under the express enactment of those statutes entitled to the property in question as tenant in tail, unless something could be shown to disentitle him, and that that had not bees done, and that the disentitling deed of 1856 could not prevent his right from prevailing. They, therefore, thought with the Court of Common Pleas, that the rule should be discharged. His lordship added that though he had pronounced the unanimous opinion of the whole Court, who assembled to hear the ar gument, he alone was responsible for the manner in which the reasons for that judgment were pre sented. Judgment for the Earl of Shrewsbury, and against the appellants. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. (Sittings at Nisi Prius, in London, before Lord Chief Justice Erie and a Special Jury.) LAMING V. GOURLAY.-CLAIM FOR COMMISSION. The plaintiffs in this case are shipbrokers in Corn hill, and the defendant is a shipowner at Sunder land. The action was to recover commission upon charters for the Nile and another vessel, which was formerly called the Sampson. A good deal of evidence was laid before the jury, who found for the plaintiffs for £l7B 18s., being commission at 2-} per cent, on £7,150. NORTH AND OTHERS V. TAYLOR.-BANKRU PTCY. The plaintiffs are assignees of Messrs. Prior, the coal merchants, who became bankrnpt so me time ago, and they claimed to recover two cargoes of coal. Messrs. Prior had supplied coals at the different stations on the railways in the south of England, but subsequently the defendant undertook to supply the coal along the South-Western line. Messrs. Prior, however, still continued to purchase the coal of the colliery owners, and re-sold it to defendant at an advance of 6d. a ton. In some instances, how ever, the orders went directly from the defendant to the colliery owners, and it did so in reference to the coal now in question. The assignees contended, however, that the coal was sold to and belonged t o Messrs. Prior. After some discussion it was arranged that the facts should be stated in a special case for the opi nion of the full Court. COURT FOR MATRIMONIAL CAUSES. (Before the Judge Ordinary.) MITCIIELSON V. MITCIIELSON. Dr. Phillimore, Dr. Swabey, and Mr. Kelly ap peared for the different parties. This was a petition by the wife against her hus band for a separation on account of his cruelty to wards her. The respondent, who was a publican, married the petitioner in 1858, and it was pleaded that six months afterwards he commenced a system of ill-usage by twisting her arms behind her, and striking her on the head ; that he also con tinually addressed her in filthy and abusive language, until she was forced to leave his house in September, 1858, and had not cohabited with him since. She alleged many acts of violence, all of which were, however, emphatically denied by the respondent, who, in the course of his exa mination declared it was his general habit to address her in terms of endearment, that he never abused or struck her in his life, and that the only diff erence between them took place' on the 18th September, when she upset the table in a pas sion, and struck him a violent blow in the eye with a pint pot. A witness confirmed the statement of the petitioner in every respect. Evidence was after wards adduced on the part of the respondent to show that he had always lived on good terms with his wife, and they deposed that he seemed to treat her well, as far as they could see. The learned Judge said he felt no difficulty in dealing with this case, although there was a con flict of evidence. He would pronounce a sentence of judicial separation. ELLIOT V. ELLIOT. Mr. Beaumont conducted the petitioner's case. This was a case for a judicial separation, brought by the wife on the ground of her husband's deser tion. The respondent, who had been a cook in the establishment of Earl Fitzwilliam, married the petitioner in March, 1845, and they cohabited to gether until the 3d of May, 1853, when the respon dent came up to London, and subsequently went kustratia and Mauritius, pia! Southampton tMar. 12, E Southamp. Ditto, via Marseilles Feb. —, E, Bahamas and Havan a v i a New,York Canada, &c. (by Canadn. pekt ) Feb. 32. Liverpool— , Cape of Good Hope, Ascen sion, and St. Helena ;llar. 5, EiDevouport China, Penang, and Singa- ! porn, via Southampton 'Feb. 20, M Southartip. Ditto, via Marseilles {Feb. 27 li.. - Gibraltar, via Southampton Feb. 20, Honduras and Blewfields !Feb. , 1 laths (Calcutta) and Ceylon,l via igouthampton Feb. 20, 3,t Southamp. Ditto, via Marseilles India (Bombay), via South ampton Feb. 27, Iff.i' Ditto, via Marseilles Lisbon, Brazila,Buenos Ayres, I and F. Islands Mar. 0, M;Southamp. Lisbon, Vigo, and Oporto Feb. 27, MSouthamp. Malta, Egypt, and Ades, via Southampton Feb. 20, 31 iSoul Ditto, via Marseilles Mexico and Havana Newfoundland Mar. 2,:gliverpool.. United states and British N I America (by British paeket):Feb. —, E iverpoel.. Ditto (by U. S. packet) lFeb. L'2 , E Southamp. West Coast of Africa, Ma-I deira, and Teneriffe Feb. 23 B •Liverpool.. Kest India, California, Vene-', zuela, Chili, Peru, Grey-I town, New Granada, dm jMar. 2, Southamp. Southamp. ISouthamp. Southamp. ithanip. 'eb. 22 'Mar. II Mar. I It is understood that consultations have already been held by the President of the India Council with the Governors of the Bank of England as to the best methods of furnishing the notes and other requirements for the Go vernment issue of £5,000,000 to be made in India, and which will be distributed in Bengal, Bombay, and Madras. THE COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH FRANCE. -4 public meeting of silk r ibbon manufacturers, weavers , tradesmen, and -ersons interested in the prosperity of Co ventry, was hell in St. Mary's Hall last Wed nes d ay even • ing, and it was resolved that a petition should b e p resen t e d against the treaty in relation to silks. ROMANTIC men.co, SonTOthe 24 STORY .— A new s p a p er pub lishedth of October, tells the following frightful story, and ca ll s upon the public to punish the criminals :— When General P ue bli ta entered the town AV a t VERY Y olo E na, o f Ayo, in September last, he exacted a forced loan from the people, and a share of it fell upon the curate of the place. The curate acted as th oug h he would pay, but he did not make his appearance at the point designated for payment, and General Pueblita ordered him to be arrested. A party of men went to his dwell' and ing knocked at the doer. There was no answer, and they broke in. They found no one in the house, and were about to leave it, when they heard a frightful voice proceeding from the ground, saying, " I ant hungry 1" The officer in command went back to General Pueblita, and told him about the voice. The General ap pointed a co mm i ss i on to exam i ne t h e h ouse. Thi s Gem . mission went to the curate's dwelling, and, after a careful examination, they found a movable stone in the floor, and under this was a staircase leading down to a vault, which was entirely dark, and had no connexion with the air, save the staircase, and a small hole that served as a ventilator. In this vault they found some books, a few articles of fund ture, and a woman, who had been shut up there for eighteen years. She was taken to General Pueblita's quarters. When brought into the light, where she saw a number of persons, she fainted. After she had returned to her senses a thou sand questions were asked her, to which she replied only that she had been buried in the vault for eighteen years, without going out for a moment ; that she had been married, and had children by her husband, but she knew nothing of their fate; that, while imprisoned in the vault, she had had children by the curate, but she knew nothing of what had become of these children, and after saying this much she became obstinately silent. While this was passing a sergeant of the Pueblita brigade then present discovered that this woman was his mother, and she re cognised him as her son and embraced him. The son then ran for his father, who came and recognised his wife. The husband 15 :years ago was imprisoned three years on the charge of having murdered his wife, this woman.--St. Louss Daily Evening News. STAMFORD-FEB. 18. The supply of all kinds of grain small, but the market ruled fah for wheat and barley. Oats dull, Beans were at extreme rates. Wheat 42s to 47e Oats.. 2os to Us White do 45* to 50s Beans 4oa to 424 Barley LEICESTER-FEB. 18. There was a tolerable supply of wheat to-dal, a fair attendance, and trade steady. White wheat, 4i. to 62a —red, 42s to 48. per 36 stone; a very fair inquiry for tins barley, grinding, 30s to 335; malting, 38. to 44s per qr.; oats, 28s to 34s per 24 stone. Beans--old, 52s to ‘--s, new 42s to 45s per 38 stone. Fine flour, 33s Seconds, 31s Thirds, 29. per 20 stone. M—Fis. 18. ly of wheat on offer to-day, tolerably good. Trade ruled Barley, grinding 2114 t• 11s Oats, old, .. 27s to 30s New do 23. to 28. Beans. 4s. to 524 Beans, new 41a to 44s e, 311 to 33, per 20 stone. NOTTINGH. There was a to`erablo suppl, the condition of which was firm, at full prices. White wheat, new, 46s to 54s Red do. 420 to 49s Old whits sos to 56s Red do. 44s to 508 Barley, malting 34s to 47a Super, flour, 35s to 39s ; flt NORWICH-FEB. 18. At te-day's market the supply of wheat was fair, aid the condition of most of the samples being rather improved there was a little better demand. Ix flour little is doiag, but prices firm. Prices were supported for barley. White wheat. 46s to 49s I Red wheat 40s to 45e Malting barley....42s to 46. I Chevalier barley 34s to 404 Distilling d0......25s io 27s f Oat, 24s to 2.114 Flour, 295 6d to 303 per sack from the miller. CORK—no. 17. The following were the quotations this morning wheat, 253 Od to 25s 61; white, 25s I d to 26s Od; barley las Od to 19s Od ; oats, 12 3 Od to 14s Od. DUBLIN-FAB. 17. At our market to-day there was a quiet inquiry for wheat, ao about late quotations. All other articles fully supported Tuesday's currencies. a. d. a. d. a. a. s. a. Wheat, white.. 28 6t030 6 Do., new .—oto 6 Do., red 27 oto 28 6 Beni l3 6to 14 I Do., new .... 0 to 0 1 Rapeseed Barley Oats Do., black ll 6to 12 6 Indian corn .. 12 oto 16 I FOREIGN MAIL PA CIET LIST. In the following table II al:mites that letters are dospatehed by kmening mails Irina London, and M by morallig mails. DESTINATIONS. Despatch of Mails. Port of Despot:Z. Nsit Mall due. 'Mar. 11 March 5 Mar. 1 1 Feb. 2111 Iliaroh /I I Feb. 18 Feb. 26 Feb. 18 Feb. Feb. 18 ,Feb. 26 IFeb. 25 IFeb. 19 Mar. 5 Feb. 21 Feb. 18 ,Feb 19 BIRTHS. BLANC.—On the 16th inst., at 22, Fulham-place, Maids hill west, the wife of Assistant-Commissary-Geieral Blanc, of a daughter. FIELDING.—On the 17th inst., at the Grange, Forest. , bill, Mrs. Fielding, of a son. - - - - JONES.—On the 18th inst., at 55, Connaught-terraoa, Hyde park, the wife of Edward A. Jones, Esq., of a son. MARRIAGES. LA WILIE—HinsuR.D.--On the 16th inst., at Sunning-hill Church, Simon Somerville Lawrie, of Edinburgh, to Ca therine Ann, only daughter of the late Wm. Hibburd, of the Grand Stand, Ascot-heath, Berks. , - VAUGHA N—WELD. —On the 15th inst , at Lulworth Cas tle, Dorsetehire, Lieutenant -Colonel Vaughan, of Court field, Monmouthshire, to Mary, only surviving daughter of Joseph Weld, Esq., Lulworth Castle. DEATHS. BOND.—On the 17th inst., at 39, Edwardes-square, Ken' sington, Charles Radcliffe Bond, Esq., aged 73. AUBRET.—On the 16th inst., at the Grove, Sutton, Surrey', Charles W. Aubrey, Esq., aged 85. EVANS.—On the 14th inst., at the Rectory, Pusey, Berke, the Rev. Wm. Evans, aged 57. MuitnAv.—On the 16th inst., at 77, Chester square, the Right Rev. George Mum ray, Bishop of Rochester, age d 76. RODINSON.—On the 16th inst.. at Bury St. Edmund's, I.a the county of Suffolk, Thomas Robinson, Esq., a mag i. ' trate for the county, aged 91. WHARTON.—On the 18th inst., Mr. William Wharton, ° f Skinner-street, Snow-hill, aged 69. LONDON : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUN G I of No. 112, Strand, Printer, nt The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the conga Middleaoz, Monday, February 20, 1860.; Band. Primal Past 8 Inissic —_____ A' T" 1 The Pro Of the trap to their e: BURRO' purity of iedged bY tries, as il thelind i They be Wines, as Otomaehß. A Ramp 'Will be foi 6i., or a ti It is a 's are the g stomach, Wines art' etrengthe Their T • bot tie bomeh seknowlec taeulty, bi 're prey, Ol the firm All orde TINE Go, TRITER ltoious Vii cent. Sew o the Trade . Bin; Will Boat tree t L E Al'sro pno is TH PRES TIFII and Dinin at VASES 6 .antifal i Ur, Marbl Lhanufactu aiesty, 1 Mr, Ten I[INERA the interei and GEO] TRACT RALOG Y CERT. Dr. pared witl Scott, of liver, is di Cite, lovriu %vitkout Witkout p Iliad pimp] rate the Iv lr.lid. Miens an Package, v graved en Von HAI! riE - 11 - 1 - L - I . e;rist c ; ral debi Pood. In Cal Sunerr e 2 41 1 ). cat ry .u rn , street • Blde, ROT GE wil Tt to t to ay lent plat Gen May aelle Snci, R only Prop talen prod' simil Two ; A'