The Sun. — London, England, 1859-04-25 00:00:00

THE NAVY. Ibis- reported in naval circles at Portsmouth that the Channel fleet have put to sea under sealed orders—it is said for the Adriatic. The Urgent screw steam troopship will embark at Portsmouth, to-morrow, the first division of the 15th Regiment for Alderney, and on her return will convey the remainder of the regiment to Jersey. The Asia sailing line-of-battle ship will, it is said, become the' steam reserve guardship in ordinary at Portsmouth, in lieu of the Hannibal, ordered for sea Service. The Mersey, 40, screw steam frigate, Captain H. Caldwell, C. 8., returned to Spithead from the Channel on Saturday . evening. Sir Baldwin Walker landed from the ship the same evening and pro ceeded by mail train to London. A telegr3m has been received by the naval autho rities at Portsmouth, directing all vessels in the second class s i ,eam reserve at Portsmouth to receive on board their heavy weights immediately, such as their cables,. guncarriages, &c.; also requesting to be furnished with Nie number of stokers available for service in the first and second class steam re • serve. The Doris,. 32, screw' steam frigate, Captain E. Heathcote, will steam into Portsmouth harbour from Spithead this day. The diameter of her screw will be lengthened from 18 to 20 feet, for her next trial, which will take place on the 26th inst. In our notice in The Stot of Saturday of the unfortunate collision with a smock in Stokes Bay on the occasion of the Doris running the measured mile on Thursday last we stated that a boy jumped overboard and was drowned. We should have stated that the crew of the smack,. consisting of two men and a boy, jumped overboard; that the men were not seen afterwards, butt the boy was picked up and taken on board the Doris, where he soon afterwards died. The Lords of the Admiralty have given directions for the Channel fleet to be supplied with Rears cone signals, and preparations are being made accordingly in the Devonport Dockyard. Redrs mode has been practised in Plymouth Harbour fol.' 1 the last six months. It is cheap, simple, and very rapid, and is also adapted for use by the steam whistle of a gunboat, or by a bugle, bell, &c., in case of fog. Under recent directions from ort- Admiral Sir B. Reynolds, K.C.8., the system has also been carried out at night, by lights, and can then be worked more rapidly than by day. On Thursday night, in the presence of the Port-Admiral and a large party, some experiments were made from the battery at Mount Wise, for testing the use of Robson's patent signal lights and dischargers in conjunction with Redl's code. Robson's lights are of three colours—red, blue, and green, and like rockets which exhibit the same colours, are very intense and distinct. Communication was quickly obtained with the flagship Impregnable, lying off Mount Edgecumbe, and the gunnery ship Cam bridge, in Hamoaze. The rockets throw out a ball of fire, which floats in the air some time after the discharge, and with the lights greatly increase the usefulness and rapidity of the cone signals. Rob son's inventions have been long adopted by the Trinity Board and the mercantile marine. The iron screw steamship Calcutta, Captain F. Blackmore,- belonging to the European and Ame rican Steamship Company, arrived at Plymouth on Saturday afternoon. She left Calcutta on the 2d of February, arrived at Madras on the 6th of February, left on the 7th, arrived at the Cape on the 13th of March, left on the 16th, arrived at Vincent's on the 9th of April, and sailed thence on the 10th. The Calcutta has 159 invalids of various regiments, 6 women, and 15 children, under command of Captain Provost, of the 23d re giment, and in medical charge of Dr. Taylor, of the Calcutta. She has also 27 adult passengers, 17 children, and 10 servants from Calcutta, and 6 adults, 5 children, and 3 servants from the Cape of Good Hope. Two deaths occurred on the voyage— viz., one soldier and a child. The Calcutta ex changed signals February 10, lat 7 27 N., long. 82 52 E., with the British ship Blue Rock, standing to the north. March 9, lat. 31 41 S., long 32 58 E., the barque Charles Walton, from Borneo for Lon don. March 19, lat. 28 58 S., long. 28 E., passed the Hanoverian barque Stadtminster, from Moul mein for Falmouth. March 24, lat. 19 20 S., long. 5 13 W., passed the French ship Madras, for Eno.- land ; and April. 21, lat. 44 55 N., long. 9 33 W.," exchanged colours with the English brig Canter bury, standing to the southward. The Calcutta had fine weather until reaching the Bay of Biscay, when she experienced strong winds from the south ward. She left Plymouth Sound yesterday morn ing for Southampton. Her Majesty's steam-transport Dee, Master Com mander Thomas Pullen, laden with steam machinery sailed from Woolwich on Saturday for Portsmouth. The Dee is the only service ship at present of that class, and only arrived on the previous Saturday. The following appointments were made on Satur day at the Admiralty ; Licut Godfrey Taylor and Lieut. Thomas H. Greer, to the Minotaur; Lieut. W. I'. F. Jackson, Lieut. George V. Phillips, Lieut. W. J. H. Grubbe, Lieut. C. D. Lucas, and the Hon. H. Baillie Hamilton, to the Cressy; Lieut. Charles T. W. Ce - dat and Lieut. William F. Gregory, to the Asia ; Lieut. Arthur Wing, Lieut. H. J. Challis, Lieut. G. A. W. Welch, and Lieut. G. W. Strong, to the Hannibal ; Lieut. John Burgess and Lieut. H. T. Gammell, to the Wellington; Lieut. C. A. V. P. Robinson, Lieut. G. L. Sulivan, Lieut. Wil liam Spratt, and Lieut. G. Y. R. Rattray, to the Exmouth. TILE All3lY. A corps of artillery arrived at the camp at Col cheeter on Wednesday and Thursday. There are now eight heavy guns at the camp. Col. Bloomfield has succeeded Major-General Slade as commandant of the force now in camp, which is about 2,000 strong. Two companies of Royal Engineers, the 35th and 36th, will proceed from Brompton barracks, Chat ham, this day—the 35th, under the command of Captain W. J. Stuart, to Aldershott ; and the 36th, commanded by C. E. Harvey, to Portsmouth. The 28th and 29th companies, now at those stations, will return to headquarters on Thursday next, pre paratory to embarking for the Mediterranean, the 28th company proceeding to Corfu, and the 29th to Malta. A close holiday was observed throughout the whole of the departments in Woolwich Arsenal, with one exception, from Thursday evening until Saturday morning, under the restriction that the six hours of ordinary labour on Saturday morning shall be made good by the operatives working two extra hours during three days of the present week. By reason of the multiplicity of orders on hand for the delivery of war stores the principal military storekeeper was obliged to retain the services of his entire department on Saturday, notwithstand ing the deprivation which the circumstance in volved to those who had anticipated the usual boon of a three days' freedom from business. The whole of the horses usually employed by the separate establishments of the arsenal were thus rendered disposable in the removal of stores, and an additional amount of labour in stacking guns, shot, shell, &c., for transmission to the coast stations was accom plished without extrl expense to the Government. Captain '' lnspector of Military Schools, Southern-distric t, was engaged during the whole of the last week inspecting the Royal Artillery schools at :Woolwich. The inspection will be re sumed affer the Easter holidays. Large additions to the establishment are in dourse of erection, and the schools, already the largest in her Majesty's service, under the superintendence of Mr. Wharry, will soon be capable of accommodating nearly 1,000 pupils at the same time. The average daily atten dance is about 1,200, and the total strength of all classes is now 2,200. The head-quarters of the Waterford Militia Ar tillery proceeded from Portsmouth to Parkhurst on Saturday, to reinforce the artillery in the Isle of The Durham Artillery, consisting of 13 officers and 231 men, are expected to remove from Bishop's Aucklind to the Isle of Wight. The Suff o lk artillery, consisting of 11 officers and 350 men, arc expected to remove from Ipswich to Portsmouth. THE WEATIIER IN SCOTLAND.--For the last eight or teri'days (says the Ediiibluylt Comrtme) we have experienced more severe weather than we have felt at almost any period of like duration during the winter months. A keen, biting, frosty wind-has prevailed, only varying between north and east, and without mitigation of its biting cold, except in occasional hours of sunshine in the afternoons. To make the wintry visitation complete, both on Tuesday morning and Wednesday we experienced the falling of snow, lasting in both instances for several hours, and leav ing the landscape in a sheet of white. This coming of winter, following, after several days of almost sultry heat, and after 6i-oils/wonting foliage and exuberant blossoming of sping, must, we fear, prove 1 - I:q_ , :hly detrimental to vet - 7e - tation. The .21%,, , u, say 3 Sunday last, in the vicinity of I:dinburgh, the thermo meter in the morning. marked °G deg., and the same on Monday morning. Coll ec t e d rain water was on Sunday covered with ice one-eighth of - an inch thick, and on Mon day 3-16ths, --- Such u.nseasonablo weather in the month of April has not occurred since the year 1831. In that year the character of the weather in April resembled that of the present as to- lowness of temperature, with the occurrence of snow showers, but the season was late. in the pastoral districts sheet) stock have suffered considerably. Field labour is now somewhat behind, even in the districts in the south-east of Scotland, but particularly in the westandret a . north, where the fall of rain has been unusually great. The sowing df• oats and barley has been retarded, and in late districts a considerable breadth of land still remains to be seeded. in the more advanced districts the braird of oats and barley is regular, and shows a healthy growth, The planti n g of potatoes, well advanced in the Lothians, is behind in most counties. The cold weather has given a severe check to vegetation. FRANCE AND TBE WAR, The following semi-official article appeal in the Constitutionnel 4 ' Austria has disdainfully rejected all the proposition.s of. Europe, ruined the last hopes of peace, and openly pm: claimed her desire for war. What had Austria demandeti, • and what has been refused to her ? After having, to the surprise of all Europe, first demanded the disarmament of Sardinia, herself remaining armed, she finished by proposing a general and simultaneous disarmament. Europe accepted the proposal. Austria had exacted that Sardinia should be • excluded from the Congress. The Imperial Government, after having honourably represented that it would be sin gular to refuse the right of vote to a Power which accepted the obligation of deposing her arms, decided, for the sake of peace, to ask of her ally this final concession. The principles laid down in the protocol of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle—principles invoked by Austria herself— were adopted without reserve. Sardinia, like the other Italian States was to be merely invited to sit with the representatives of the five great Powers, absolutely in the same manner as in • the treaty of Laybach in 1821.' But Austria, tired of the long endurance of France, has reserved, w ithout consulting the judgment of Europe and her word of honour which was engaged, on marching straight at her aim ; she has called on Piedmont directly to disband her volunteers and lay down her arms within a delay of three d a ys. What object has Austria in view? She cannot be ignorant of the fact that were this disbandment to be effected the elements of insurrection would be dispersed, and would be spread with these volunteers over all points of Italy. The patriotism of a nation is not provoked with im punity. The Vienna Cabinet, by its aggressions, its haughti ness, and menaces, has over-excited the most legitimate as well as the most dangerous passions. Such volunteers assembled under a flac , represents a force ; but if disbanded they would prove a 'danger. But this danger does not alarm Austria, or rather it enters into her calculations; she perceiveg in it a pretext for those armed interventions which she knows so well to turn to account. But Pied mont will not give way before this intimidation. So much the better, thought Austria. The state of her finances, she has openly avowed, does not permit her to delay the con test ; a war must solve the question in some manner or other. Austria, like the ruined rake, has placed all her stakes on one card, and seeks in the hazard of war a fortune which she could not accumulate during peace. She more • over imagines that she has prepared the game in her fa vour ; for in secret she has long been preparing for the events which her conduct in Italy must sooner or later have provoked. If on the Ist of January the Emperor let fall an expression of sadness and regret, it was because he fol lowed strictly the march of this policy.. These continuous armaments, this absolute interference in all Italy, this sys ,4ernatic opposition, on various points, to the generous views 05' France, all revealed to him the dangers more or less near a t h,..Nr!d of the situation. Since that time the great Powers unitea in order to remove the actual crisis, and participated in our & Torts. Austria, seeing herself surprised, has thrown away the mask and all control of temper. She has pro ceeded from breach of faith to anger, from anger to violence. The violence is too much. The Cabinet of Vienna has mis taken the cent" 2 7 ; in spite of its proverbial skill, it has forgotten that e, - ren strength inclines, in our days, before the opinion of the world, and, before such a judge, Austria is condemned before !laving been vanquished." The Siecle contains this appeal to Government : " We shall no longer hear of coalitions, invasions, and division ; we shall wage war with Austria, we shall van quish her with the assistance of our ally Sardinia, with the assistance of the Italian nation, which will receive us as liberators, for we shall not pass the Alps as conquerors, but as friends who are about to assist a friendly nations to re cover her independence and liberty. We are passionately attached to liberty, but we place even above it independence and the love of one's country. We are aware of the objec tion that has been advanced against Government. ' You wish to introduce liberty into Italy ; is France then not worthy of that blessing ?' This objection ought no longer to be allowed to exist, and it is an error to suppose that cir cumstances like those in which we are engaged are in the least unfavourable to the re-establishmentof liberty ; on the contrary, they render it indispensable, for the moral force of armies as well as that of Governments dwells in public opinion, and if that opinion cannot manifest itself, an all powerful force is sacrificed. We appeal to Government, that at the opening of this new period it may leave to public opinion its free manifestation." The remaining journals, excepting the Univers and the Gazette de France, are full of indignation at the sudden decision of Austria, and renders her responsible for all events which may arise. The Univers is silent on the subject. The Gazette de France seeks to restrict the limits of the war, basing its argument on the following passage of an article in the Moniteur published some time back :—" The Emperor has promised to the King of Sardinia to defend him against any aggressive act of Austria; he has promised nothing further ; it is known that he will keep his word. Consequently, the Gazette is desirous that the approaching operations should be confined to hurling back the Austrians over the Ticino." " The French Government," says a Paris letter in the Nord," appears to have reckoned so little on an approaching war that it had caused notice to be given that the annual reviews of the soldiers on renewable furloughs would take place from the 27th April to the 21st May. There was not even a question of calling into active service the soldiers on furlough, who are 130,000 in number. But in a week they can join their respective regiments." A Paris letter, in the Independance of Brussels, says : "The army of Lyons will consist, it is said, of five divi sions, prepared to march at any moment, and three divisions of reserve. The troops stationed in the Var are to embark without delay at Toulon, it is supposed for Genoa, as Cap tain Chingneau has left for that city to superintend the landing should the troops be conveyed there. The ccm manders of the three floating batteries in the port of Toulon, the Lave, Tonnante, and Devastation, have received orders to arm them with the utmost possible speed. Three regiments of African Chasseurs and a regiment of Zonaves, still in Algeria, are to embark for France, the latter to join the army of Lyons, and the Chasseurs to proceed to some destination as yet unknown. The number of horses fur nished by Algeria to the army in France is calculated at 6,000. Lastly, the Minister' of Marine, who had given orders to raise to 18 the 12 gunboats to be provided, has decided on increasing the number for thepresent to 20." The Toulonnais says:— " The screw ship-of-the-linb Eylau and the steam frigates Impetueuse and Isly have been detached from the Mediterranean squadron and sent to Algiers, to bring troops, and amongst them the Ist Regiment of Zouaves, to Marseilles and Toulon. The, sailors of the recent levy are beginning to arrive in our town, and they at once receive their clothing. Several physicians of the Military Hos pital at Toulon have been sent to Lyons." The Ak,hbar of Algiers announces that the Ma gellan arrived in that port on the previous evening, and that she was to embark at once two squadrons of the ith Light Dragoons, which have been orderd to France. The whole of the division of General Yousouf has received orders to leave Algeria for France. The 46th, one of the regiments composing it, has already reached Lyons. In this division is to be found the famous corps of the Turcos, so noted for their desperate courage. A correspondent, writing from Chambery on the 20th, says : "I have just made an excursion to Lyons to judge for myself of the state of the troops in that neighbourhood. As to the formation of a camp at Culoz, nothing has as yet been done ; and as to the number of men about Lyons, the corps d'armee is thus composed :-Ist and 4th Regiments of Lancers ; Ist and 10th of mounted Chasseurs ; sth, Bth, 11th, 12th, and 15th of Artillery; Ist of Engineers and Ist battalion of the 2d ; Ist battalion of Pontooners ; and 16 regiments of the line." (From the Times) Never, for the last 60 years, have the affairs of Europe drawn towards so perilous a crisis as at this moment. We can find parallels of singular com pleteness for the relative positions of France and Austria, for the first incidents of an Italian cam paign, and for the downward rush of a French army into the plains of Lombardy or Piedmont. But these, which are but the natural features of such a war as is apparently impending, do not comprise the most alarming symptoms of the present hour. We can match all the probable points of strategy and anticipate the scenes of conflict, but in none of the great historical precedents are there such omi nous characters as we may decipher now. It was at just such a season as the present, or towards the middle of the spring, that in the year 1706 an army of French soldiers looked down upon Italy from the dreary summits of the Apennines. They were about 40,000 in num ber, and they had about 60 guns, but they had neither magazines nor clothing, neither baggage animals nor tents. The cavalry had no hones, and even the Staff did duty on foot. So destitute was the French Government of pecuniary resources that when the Generals of this army received a gra tuity of £3 a-piece it was thought a considerable remittance ; as for the soldiers, they had neither shoes'to their feet nor coats to their backs, and if war could be prevented by penury, as some econo mists have imagined. stronger guarantees for peace could never be desired than such as then pressed upon the troops of the Republic. Bat these men were capable of great deeds when well commanded, and they had just received a new commander in the person of General Napoleon Bonaparte. Beneath them, in the territories of Sardinia, were ranged their antagonists—the Austrians, with about 50,000 men and 200 guns ; the Piedmontese then, as now, the best soldiers in Italy, with about half that strength. At the beginning of April the struggle, commenced, and its events could be designated by' a succession of names carrying their import to the reader's mind without explanation or comment. Montenotte, Millcsimo, Mondovi, Lodi, Milan, Ve rona denote but-so many stages of a triumphant advance. In 15 days, as Bonaparte exultingly pro claimed, his soldiers had gained six victories, had killed or wounded 10,000 of the enemy, and had captured 21 standards, 55 pieces of cannon, and 15,000 prisoners. On the 30th of March lie had been still standing on the Apennines, and by the 3d of June he was in Verona. Before that day in the year following he had traversed Lombardy in its whole length and entered Venice, until at length, on the 17th of October-18 months after the open. ing of the campaign—the Austrians were fain to make peace. About two years afterwards these - scenes were re-enacted. In the interval Napoleon had gone to Egypt, and had ventured his fortune in the Desert ; but affairs had gone ill in his absence, and when h e su dd en l y re t urne d f rom t h e E ast th e A Fruesntrcihallisalawere u c o h to n e more retrieve. in Pie n d e m e o more, ut, antdh there fore, did he conc er t a decisive o campaign. On this occasion a new army was collected with extraordi nary secrecy -on the French side of the Alps, and conducted by the passes of the Great St. Bernard into the Italian plains before the Austrian com mander was well aware of the expedition. He turned to fight, - but the battles of Montebello and Marengo destroyed his hopes, and again the French -ere masters of the field. The Second. campaign, was as brief and as conclusive as the first. in lt was' only in June that the victory of Marengo had beel; achieved, but by the February following Austria 119: made peace over again. - 4 In the .-ircC.irsctances of these famous conflicts we may disceril many points of coincidence, but many also of contract, ,ith the conditions of the struggle now impending. A Week ago it might have been said that on one very izmortant point the positions of the belligerents at these periods were entirely reversed. . Both in 1796 and 1300 Sardinia was in the hands of the Austrians, and served, indeed, as the first and stromgest barrier between France and Lombardy. Th;7 principal object of Bona parte in the first canipaign was to separate the Austrians from the Sardinians and overwhelm the two armies separately. In 1800, again, while the French General was collecting his army at Dijon for the passage of the Alps, Melas , the Austrian commander, was on file very frontier of France, directing all his strength against the line of the Var, and little dreaming of the surprise pre pared for him in his rear. The great French vic tories, in fact, were gained, not in Lombardy, but in Piedmont itself, whereas, until the other day, it appeared as if France would now take the field with Piedmont already her own, and that the shock of battle would occur, not at the foot of the mountains, but on the eastern side of the Ticino. If, however, the recent menaces of Austria should be fully executed, and her forces should overrun the Sardinian territory before the French can arrive to protect it, the battle-field may be found in Piedmont once more. Of the relative powers of the combatants at the two periods it is perhaps hazardous to speak. All the States of Europe since the beginning of the century have developed their resources and, unhappily, in the direction of war as much as in other directions. Sardinia alone could now produce a- more powerful army than that brought by either France or Austria to the campaign of 1796. At this moment the Austrians can throw 150,000 men across the Ticino, and if France cannot encounter them with an equal array it is for lack of preparation only. General Hess, the Chief of the Austrian Staff, is 72—just about the age of Beau lieu, Napoleon's first antagonist, so that the old practice of Austria in this respect seems to be un changed. But in the face of Radetzky's exploits we cannot confound age with superannuation, and, besides, there is no youthful Bonaparte in the oppo site ranks. The French army, save for the one great loss of a transcendant genius at its head, is proba bly as well organised and as well officered as at any former time, and if the Austrians have made greater relative progress in military science it is only be cause their ancient defects of system left them greater room for improve c tnent. Judging freAn the vigour and expedition which have charac erised their recent movements we need not anticipate any repetition of the errors of Melas and Wurmser. On the whole, they have perhaps done more than the French, because they had more to do ; they have passed within the last ten years through a tre mendous struggle, and they have fought a vic torious campaign on the very fields to which they are now advancing. The French army is probably as good as it was in 1800, and no higher credit could be given to.it ; but the Austrian army is undoubtedly better than it was at that period, so that the struggle will not be so easy. And even when we revert to the rapidity of Napoleon's con quests—not once, nor twice, but four times achieved—when we discern that Austria signed treates of peace, one after another, at Campo Formio, at Luneville, at Presburc , , and finally at Vienna itself, we must not overlook the fact, that this very succession of transactions showed the vitality and tenacity of her power. She was only four times beaten because four times, with uncon querable resolution, she had returned to the strife. All these speculations, however, are but super ficial. There is no real analogy between the periods we have been describing and that at which we have now arrived. The great, the immeasurable diffe rence between them is, that 60 years ago these Italian campaigns were but incidents of a strife already established; whereas now, if France does indeed encounter Austria in the plains of Piedmont, it will be the signal of a new war, the duration and character of which no man can tell. The destinies of Europe, after all, were but partially and tran siently influenced by the battles of Montenotte and Marengo, for nations were already then in arms, and it was but a campaig n in Lombardy instead of a campaign elsewhere. But the Italian war now impending will, if it actually breaks out, terminate the long , peace of Europe, and leadus through years of conflict which nobody can number to a new state of things which nobody can divine. We seem to be approaching one of those great epochs by which the course of history is marked. While we write the die may be cast, and the Continent in a flame. Our only assurance must lie in the reflection that England has done its utmost to avertthe catastrophe —and also, we trust, in the resolution of this coun try and its rulers to stand aloof from the strife which they have vainly endeavoured to prevent. THREATENING A COUNTY- CO L'7?T JUDGE. At the Wakefield County Court, on Saturday last, Mr. Barratt, seedsman and nurseryman, of St. John's, was summonedto show cause why he should not be committed for contempt of court. Some time ago an action had been brought against Mr. Barratt by the executors of a person named Robinson to recover the amount incurred by the latter in making an orchard house for Mr. Barratt. Mr. Barratt had sent the plaintiffs a bill for the amount, payable at three months. This the plaintiffs kept in their possession for several days, and then re turned it to Mr. Barratt, refusing to accept it, and demanding cash. During the hearing of the case Mr. Barratt alleged that one of the testator's sons, and an executor, had said he would take a bill. This was denied by the party in question ; and the judge (T. H. Marshall, Esq.), in giving a verdict, said that he believed the truth was on the side of the plaintiffs, and decided that the acceptance was worthless, as it had not been signed by the other party, and put in circulation. This decision seems to have preyed on Mr. Barratt's mind; and believ ing that the judge had imputed to him wilful and corrupt perjury he had sent him two letters, which his Honourconsideredto be of a violent and threat ening character, and calculated to interfere with him in his duties as a judge. Mr. Bond, of Leeds, now appeared in court, and on behalf of Mr. Barratt, apologised for the matter contained in the letters. Partly, however, in jus tification of sending these letters, and in mitigation of his Honour's displeasure, Mr. Bond represented that Mr. Barratt occupied a very respectable posi tion, not only in society, but with respect to his connection with the religious world, and that an imputation of wilful and corrupt perjury would be felt by him keenly. Mr. Bond also took the opportunity of assuring his Honour that the letters were written on the impulse of the moment, and under the belief that when he did write them, Mr, Barratt entertained the belief that ho had the same right to address his Honour as any other person. If he had consulted any judicious friend before he had put pen to paper he (Mr. Bond) believed that no such letters would have been writ- ten. Mr. Barratt, through him, now asked to be allowed to withdraw the letter (the last one sent, which was, it seems, the most obnoxious of the two) and to express his sorrow that ever it had been sent. He was now convinced that he ought not to have sent these letters at all, and to apologise for ever having sent them. Ha'Honour said when the second letter came to him he had not fully considered the facts of the case; but Mr. Mason had called his attention to a very full report of the case in the Wakefield Ex press, and he had also been told that substantially the same report appeared in the other Wakefield paper. These reports certainly confirmed his own impression that he had never imputed wilful and corrupt perjury to Mr. Barratt. That was his own impression. Mr. Barratt might recollect that there was very contradictory evidence during the hearing of the case, and he (the judge) had given his verdict in the face of what ?Ir. Barrat and his son had sworn. He knew that. But Mr. Barratt was con tradicted by Robinson and other witnesses; and when he (the judge) (rave his verdict, what he in tended to be understood was, that the probability of the case was in favour of the plaintiffs. The question was " aye" or no" as to whether the plaintiffs had agreed to take the blank acceptance for the balance owinr , by defendant. From the whole case it appeared that the plaintiff had never put his name to that acceptance, and never made use of it, and from the -first had refused to take it. After the bill was t ent to the plaintiff the defen dant received a letter stating that he would not take it ; and he (the judge) thought that from all the probabilities of the case the plaintiffs version of the story was right. From the first he had re fused to take the acceptance, and it remained a piece of waste paper. Now, with regard to the imputation of wilful and corrupt perjury, it appeared that Mr. Barratt, during the hearing of the case, got up and said "Do you think that I am not to be believed on my word ?" He (the judge) said in reply, " If you ask me which gidelbelieve, I say I believe the plaintiff." He would have said the same with respect to the other side had he found a verdict for Mr. Barratt. In cases like these credence must by giveu to the one side or tho other, but THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 25, 1859. it was not to be supposed when a judge inclined to believe one side that he imputed wilful and - corrupt perjury to the other. After some conversation be tween his HOnonr and Mr. Bond, during which the latter said Mr. Barrett felt hurt at the expression made use of by his Honour, that " the truthwas all on plaintiff's side," Mr. Senior said he unfortunately happened to be the advocate on the occasion, and he believed what his Honour had then said was that "the preponderance of evidence was clearly on the side of the plain ti ff." His Hon our said distinctly that it was never his intention to impute wilful and corrupt perjury to Mr. Barrett. At the same time he considered that Mr, Buirratt w4s very much in- debted to Mr. Bond for the very proper course he had advised him to take, because he (the judge) was sure when he read the explanation it would be found that there was just ground for the summons which he had received to show cause why he should not be co emitted for contempt of court. His Honour then quoted from one of the letters sent by Mr. Bar ratt,in which he had threatened to get up a " peti tion against his Honour,whidh he could get signed by 40 members of both Houses of Parliament.' The longer he remained a judge the more cautious was he of imputing motives to any man. He knew he was quite liable to err ; but on deciding on the va rious cases that came before him he must conceive the truth to be somewhere. He did not deny Mr. Barratt's or any other person's competency to write to him; but it was another matter when threaten ings were used. His Honour then referred to a de cision given in the case, " Lechmere v. Charlton" (in Bingham's Reports, 339). By this it appeared that a letter sent to a judge imputing to him im proper motives was held to be contempt of court, or one sent to a judge with the object of diverting the course of justice was also contempt of court. On the ground of his having apologised hi s H onour th e n only fined Mr. Barrett X 5, to be given to the Wake field Dispensary. ARCIIDEACON DENISON AND HIS SERVANTS. At the Western Petty Sessions, on Monday last (before the Earl of Cavan and Mr. T. T. Knyfton and Mr. H. F. Emery), Ann Gamlen was charged by James Hudson and Emma Baker with libel, calling upon her to appear at the next assizes to answer for the same. Mr. H. Davies appeared for the complainants, and Mr. Bailey for the defendant. It appeared that .the two complainants were ser vants to the Venerable Archdeacon Denison, and that the defendant had also lived for a short time in the same service, but from her bad conduct had been dismissed ; immediately upon which she wrote the libel complained of, and which imputed that an improper intimacy had existed between the com plainants. The Venerable Archdeacon was exa mined in support of the complainants' case, but before giving his evidence he stated that his object was not to punish the defendant, but to protect the character of two persons whom he looked upon, from their long and faithful services, as his family, and even now if Gamlen Would withdraw publicly in court the accusation, he would close the whole matter. A conference then took place between Mr. Bailey and his client, in which it was evident Mr. Bailey , wished Gamlex to retract the imputation, but which she determinedly refused to do. The archdeacon's examination was then proceeded with. He stated that Hudson- had. been in his service upwards of thirteen years, and Emma Baker had been a domestic in his service above three years, and had given him entire satisfaction in every respect; Gamlen also had been a servant of his from October last to March, but he had discharged her for foul language, disobedience to orders, and general bad conduct of the worst de scription ; he had discharged her before receiving the letter containing the libel complained of ; had no knowledge of that charge until after he had told her to leave the house in an hour's time ; she then said, as she was going out of the room, "I have seen James Hudson and Emma Baker commit for nication." He left home the latter end of January, and Mrs. Denison a week after; both returned early in March ; he had received two letters from Gamlen during his absence, but neither alluded to the charge before the Court ; had told Gamlen several times she would be discharged for foul language ; after leaving the room, on the occasion referred to, lie heard a noise in the kitchen, where Gamlen was abusing Emma Baker; he subse quently received the letter now produced ; would swear it was Ann Gamlen's writing, being in the same handwriting as other letters he had received from her. In reply to Mr. Bailey, Archdeacon Denison said that Ann Gamlen brought the letter to his house herself, and he felt no scruple in saying that it was her writing. Mr. Bailey, on behalf of Gamlen, contended that the letter in question was a privileged communication, which relieved it entirely from the character of a libel, and dwelt particularly upon the words, " I am quite ready to meet Hudson and Baker face to face," to show that the archdeacon's most proper course would have been to have investigated the matter in his own house, rather' than to have recourse to the pre sent 'proceedings. Mr. Bailey then quoted several cases, with a view of showing that the letter was a privileged communication, and asked what ad vantage could be gained by bringing the girl Gamlen before the magistrates, in order to ob tain an indictment ? Mr. Davi es , i n rep l y , sa id it was the most legitunate mode of proceeding, f or the judges held it was cowardly to go to an assize to obtain upon an ex parte statement an indictment against a party to be heard at tho following assize ; every judge would condemn such a course. Mr. Bailey, with much earnestness, again submitted to the bench that it was a privileged communication, consequently not a libel at all, therefore the magis trates should dismiss the application. The magis trates, after consulting together fora few minutes, concurred in this opinion, and the application was refused. Archdeacon Denison, • addressing Mr, Davies, said, " Then y ou i n di c t h er a t th e assizes and left the court.—Bristol Times.. IMP ORTANT TO MEMBERS OF BENEFIT SOCIETIES. On Saturday William Glegg, the secretary to the South London Branch of the British Engineers' Benefit Society, held at the Goldsmiths' Arms public-house, Southwark-bridge-road, was sum moned before Mr. Combe, at Southwark Police court, by Mr. William Drage, the general treasurer, for unlawfully withholding and detaining the books of the society after receiving due notice to give them up. It appeared that the British Engineers' Benefit Society has been established for some time, for the purpose of rendering assistance to such members as might be in need. Branches were established, and among them was one at the Goldsmiths' Arms, in the Southwark-bridge-road, of which the defendant was the secretary. From the evidence of Mr. Drage, the general treasurer, it appeared that, owing to the reduction of the members, and to save the ex penditure, a - general meeting took place at the Lon don Coffee-house on the 20th of September, when resolutions were passed to amalgamate several of the branches, among which was that held at the Goldsmiths' Arms. Notice was then served on the defendant to hand over the books of his branch to the general. society,- so that inquiries might be entered into respecting its stability, &c., and on his refusing the present proceedings were taken. De fendant denied the power of the general society to compel them to amalgamate, and in consequence of that a case was laid before Mr. Tidd Pratt for his opinion. _ Mr. Solomon produced Mr. Tidd Pratt's opinion on the subject. The learned gentleman said that on looking over . the rules of the society and the case submitted to him, he was of opinion that, ac cording to the 14th clause of the Friendly Societies Act, any society having branches enrolled under that act could at any proper -and legal general meeting order an amalgamation. He (Mr. Solo. mon) contended that such general meeting was legally held, and the am a l ga ti on carr i e d. Mr. Lewis denied that anything of the kind took place to their knowledge, and they never received any notice of it. The fact was, that the Southwark branch was doing well, and the others being badly off, wanted to take their money. Mr. Combe asked whether he denied the authority of the parent society to amalgamate. Mr. Lewis replied that he did not, but he con tended that there was nothipg to show that such a meeting took place, and that such resolutions were carried. Mr. Combo asked whether Mr. Solomon had the minute book in which these resolutions were passed at the general meeting on the 20th of September. Mr. Solomon replied that he had not. He had, however, a copy of them, which he produced. Comb,, told him that would not do. It was, however, Such an important case to the working classes, that he should" adjourn it for the produc tion of the general secretary's minute book. {HOLLOWAY'S. PILLS AND OINTILENT.—MeIaTIChOIy, low spirits, and sluggishness of mind and body, are pro verbially attributable to England's climat e , a id e d i n some to measure s t t h s e r dU tb e y :t mo i u,;,serohof depressionzaibait7, Holloway's oi n t men t b e we ll rubbed over the liver and stomach twice a day their action will be roused, the food will be better digested, and the pills, simultaneously taken, will purify the blood an d regu l a t e every function, instantly dispel gloo m an d wear i ness from the mind. These purifying and restorative remedies penetrate every; fibre of the frame, restoring vigour, regularity, : and health, alike to all, whether anxiety, climate, or pleasure, has undermined nip strength and emtiNti94l POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-April 23. GUILDHALL.—Mr. Langabeer, a shoemaker, living in White Rose-court, Coleman-street, attended before Mr. Alderman Finnis, to solicit his advice and assistance under the following circumstances : The complainant, who was in much tribulation, said that his daughter, a girl 14 years old, had left her home on the 11th of this month, and since that time he bad received no tidings of her. He feared that she had been deooyed away to some house of ill-fame, anti was detained there against her will. He had applied to all the inspectors of the district, and had been out day and night with Sergeant Leonard, a detective, endeavouring to find her, but to no purpose. Not the slightest clue had been ob tained to her whereabouts. He now thought that if publicity were given to the case, the parties who had seduced her from her home would be afraid to keep her when they found the magistrates were in terfering. Alderman Finnis said he was at a loss to know how he could render any assistance in recovering the girl. Publicity might certainly be of use, and he had no doubt the press would render its valuable aid in such a case. In answer to further inquiries, the complainant said that his daught er , th oug h only 14 years of age, looked like a girl of 18. She was a very fine and beautiful girl; and might be picked up as an attractive object for immoral purposes. She had been apprenticed to a dressmaker, and left home as usual on the llth, without any unpleasantness be tween her and any of the family, and she was on perfectly good terms with her mother. She was sent out during the day by her mistress upon some errand, and she never returned. Alderman Finnis said it was a very distressing case, and the complainant might depend upon every assistance being given by the magistrates and the police, and he would advise an application to be made at once to the metropolitan, as well as the City police. The following is an accurate description of the missing child :—Her name is Tamzen Langabeer, but among her companions she sometimes called -herself Emma Lord, the name of a neighbour's child she was much attached to. She is 14 years old, but appears 18 ; height 5 ft. 2 in., fair complexion, blue eyes, dark brown hair, round face, high colour in her cheeks, and a scar from a burn on the right side of her neck. When last seen had on a short plaid frock and drawers, a black Cobourg cloak, a mantle, and a bl ac k silk bonnet. BOW-STREET.—Mr. E. Bletchly, surgeon, of the City road, waited upon the sitting magistrate, Mr. Jardine, and made the following statement : It would probably be in the recollection of his worship that, about six months ago, a young man of considerable position and education, named Smythe, was committed from this court on a charge of stealing a valuable bracelet from a jeweller's in the Strand. He was tried for the offence and sen tenced to twelvemonths imprisonment. A young girl who had been acquainted with the prisoner be fore his incarceration, and who had been permitted to see him once or twice in the House of Correction, in Coldbath-fields, called the other day, and was informed that he was dead. She claimed the body of the prisoner, with the view of having it decently interred at her own expense, and, incredible as it might appear to his worship, the body was delivered up to her in a state of nudity. In this conditi on it was ta k en to Mr. Shillibeer's, the undertake'', whose premises adjoin the house in which he (the applicant) is residing, and on exa mining it he saw upon the chest of the deceased prisoner the mark of a blister, 14 inches long and nine inches wide. In all his experience he had never known anything like it. It would have been a fearful thing to apply such a blister to a person in health ; but placed upon a man in a weakly state, living on bread and water, or some light food of that description, he could not help feeling that it was a most injudicious proceeding. Whatever might be said i n j us tifi ca ti on of this treatment of the deceased, nothing surely could be said in de fence of the conduct of the prison officials, who delivered up the body, absolutely naked, to the poor girl, who out of sheer kindness had requested leave to bury it. Mr. Jardine—But are you sure this was the fact! Applicant—Perfectly certain. I saw the body myself in Mr. Shillibeer's yard as it was fetched away, and I saw the girl bring in a shirt which she had purchased, together with a bouquet of flowers with which she intended to strew the body, and feeling that such conduct was intolerable in a Christian and civilised land, I felt it my duty to lay the facts before your worship, and to ascertain , if anything was kn own o f hi s re l at i ons, who moved in a high position of life, in order that the sad fate of the prisoner might be communicated to them. Mr. Jardine—You are aware that a coroner's inquest is always held upon the body of any pri soner dying in gaol ? Applicant—l am quite aware of that. Mr. Jardine—We; as magistrates, have no juris— diction or control over the metropolitan prisons. We commit prisoners to the gaols, and there our con nection with them ends. There is ample protection ensured, however, we should think, in the constant visits of the inspectors, visiting magistrates, chap lain, &c., against any possible ill-treatment of any of the inmates, although I confess I am at a loss to account for the delivering up of the body, as you say, in a state of nudity. in I should advise you to com municate the facts, the form of a letter, to the visiting justices, and you may be sure that a strict inquiry into all the alleged circumstances of the case would follow, as a matter of course. The applicant then thanked his worship and withdrew. SHAMEFUL DEFACEMENT OF PUBLIC STATUES. On Saturday, at the meeting of the vestry of St. Marylebone, Mr. Churchwarden Taverner in the chair, Dr. Bachhoffner inquired whether any „advance had been made in discovering the per petrator of the recent desecration and outrage at Marylebone and All Saints' churches. He added that on that morning had been discovered another most shameful outrage at the establishment with which he was connected—the Royal Colosseum. Although that establishment was not in Marylebone parish he was sure they would regret to hear that ome miscreant had, during the night, got over the railings, and in the first place knocked off the head from the equestrian statue of the Queen, and then smashed it to pieces on the ground, and that the face of the figure of the Prince Consort, and other parts of the statues had been shamefully mutilated. The perpetrators of the crime had also scratched on the walls some indecent and obscene observations, and he had reason to believe that the individual was the same who had mutilated the pictures in the Marylebone churches. He had offered a reward.for the appre hension of the party, if possible.---Sir James Hamilton said the rector himself and his colleague had, with the police, been doing all they could to trace out the party who had committed the dese cration at the rectory church, and he had reason to ope that they would be successful, and also that the perpetrator was not in his right senses.—Mr. Nichelay said, after the enormous sums paid for the police, it was monstrous that these things should occur as they did. Considering the close proximity of the portico of the Colosseum to the public highway, the noise which , must have been made, and the time taken to commit the depreda tions, the question arose as to what the police were doing when suck atrocities were being performed. He thought an inquiry ought to be instituted, and that the police should be publicly censured'. (Hear.) —Mr. M'Evily did not see upon what ground they could censure the police , when they had no t th e facts before them. He believed that the act was that of some lunatic, and he trusted he would be detected. The Chairman could assure the vestry that the commissioners of police felt so much anxiety about these outrages that the constable on duty near Marylebone Church on the night of the out rage had been suspended. After some further dis cussion on the subject, the next order of the day was moved and carried. Before the closing of the Marylebone police court on Saturday a man named Edwin Bailbrook, who, at the police-station, stated that he had no settled place of residence, was charged with having wil• fully damaged statues at the Royal Colosseum, Regent's Park. A considerable degree of interest was excited in the court, which was crowded, as the prisoner was believed to be the man who, a few weeks ago, defaced tablets, and did damage to a valuable picture, Sze, in Mary lebone Church, the particulars of which sacri legious outrage have already appeared. James Brown, foreman at the Colosseum, having deposed to the nature of the injuries to the statues. Valen tine, 417 5, stated that at nine on the previous evening he saw the prisoner near the Colosseum, and said to him, " Have you got any chalk about you ?" Mr. Long—What made you ask him that? Witness—He has been in the habit of chalking filthy words upon walls. Mr. Long—What did he say in answer to your question ? Witness—H e made no reply. Police-constable Cook, S, deposed that on the same afternoon, between 1 and 2 o'clock, he and Whinkles, another officer of the division, apprehended the'prisoner close to the " Mother Red Cap," Camden Town. He was told what he was charged with, and he said, " I have written upo n walls, and done so for the last , l2 years." bringing him down Mary-street on the Way to the station, he pointed to several sp o t s, saying, " That's my writing," (The wordy: Were quota tions from Scripture.) Mr, I. 4 o4 , —H ave you any further evidence to prove that the prisoner is the guilty party P Cook--No, Sir, not at present. The officer produced several pieces of chalk he had found in the prisoner's coat pocket. Witness added that he and Dr. Bachhoffner had compared some letters found on the prisoner, and the writing closely resembled that which had been chalked upon the pedestal and base of the statues of the Queen and Prince Consort. Mr. Long inquired if there was any further evidence, and it was stated that no more could be adduced. Mr. Long told the pH. soner that if he had really done the damage he had rendered himself amenable to a severe punishment. Prisoner—l have never written anything obscene ; the Government have plenty of my writing in black and white, and I hope they , will hear of what has taken place to-day. I'm not the man who damaged either of the figures. Mr. Long gave him to under stand that if lie did do the mischief he was, as he before observed, liable to be punished; but as he had not been proved to be the guilty party, he must discharge him, but the constables must keep a close watch upon him. IIBETING OF THE BAKING TRADE AT HAMMERSMITH. An association of journeymen bakers of Ham mersmith having invited the central committee of the Baking Trade Reform Association to meet then at the Albion Tavern, Albion-road, Hammer smith, the invitation was responded to on Saturday evening last, and about 150 West-end journeymen bakers accompanied the committee. The chair was occupied by E. Landells, Esq., who spoke in flat tering terms of the Conduct and management of various bakers' meetings which he had attended. He thought that while other operative classes had progressed since the opening of the present century, the bakers had retrograded. He judged that the public were not acquainted with the extent of the misery and degradation under which journeymen bakers laboured, or ere this 'their emancipation had been perfected. He could tell them that they might depend on the assistance of the press. Mr. E. Stevens, master baker, in moving the first resolution, declared his conviction that the prevailing system of the prac tical operations of the baking trade was repugnant to civilisation and obstructive to the general pro gress of the operatives engaged. Mr. Blackmore, journeyman baker, in support, argued that the manual operations of the baking trade were incom patible with the system laid down by Christianity's great founder. After freely expatiating on the evils of the present syst em , he advised his fellow workmen not toilet slip any opportunity for making the public acquainted with their unfortunate posi tion. Other speakers followed in support, and the resolution, was unanimously carried. It was in the following words :—" That this meeting being deeply sensible of the evils resulting from the existing mode of conducting the practical operations of the baking trade of London, considers it highly requi site that an organisation of the journeymen bakers of the metropolis should be forthwith effected, that thereby measures adopted in the spirit of good-will may be entered upon for the purpose of perfecting an arrangement between masters and journeymen for the abolition of night-work, and the limitation of the time of labour to twelve hours per day ; so that the opportunity may be afforded for recreation, for mental cultivation, and the elevation of the moral sentiments." Another resolution, pledging the meeting to support the central committee, was also carried, and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. LARGE OPEN-AIR MEETING OF COLLIERS. The Barnsley mining district continues in any thing but a settled and satisfactory state, and the feeling between masters and men is far from being what could be desired. About 12 months ago a union was formed amongst the miners, but as an opinion began to preVail that the union was losing ground, it was resolved to call a public meeting of the colliers of the district. Accordingly a meeting was held on Friday, in a field near to the Oaks Colliery. ,The attendance was large, and comprised workmen from all the neighbouring collieries, who were accompanied to the place of rendezvous by two bands of music. Mr. R. MITCHELL (secretary of the Miners' As sociation) was called to the chair, and, in opening the meeting, said it was well known that the miners produced a great deal of the wealth of the nation ; but out of every twelve hours' labour, eight of them went into the pockets of the capitalist. Before the workmen could elevate themselves they must be better informed. The wealth produced by the miners was enormous, and it was well known that they were not sufficiently remunerated for their labour, nor were they properly treated by their masters. It was labour that produced capital, and the reason that the workmen have not possessed capital was because they had not sufficient know ledge, were not properly informed. Mr. DAVIES proposed the following resolution— " That it is the opinion of this meeting that a firm or ganisation should be maintained by the different mining districts in the kingdom." He said, in order that their union might prosper they ought to combine with each other, and endeavour to put a stop to the tyranny that was practised upon them. There was one system practised by the em ployers which he would like to see removed, and that was the truck system. In order to put them- Selves in a position to get better remuneration for their labour, they ought to organise ; and if they only organised and were men of principle, they might adopt means to enable them to obtain and maintain the rights of labour. Mr. THOMAS FORTH seconded the resolution, which Was carried unanimously. Mr. GEORGE ADCROFT moved the next resolu tion : " That it is the opinion of this meeting that making our selves working capitalists by mutual co-operation is the only means by which the full reward of our labour can be secured or enjoyed by us." The speaker showed that though the miners of this country produced wealth in abundance, they were in a most deplorable condition, and something must be attempted and carried out before their position in life could be elevated. He was not one who railed against the masters, because if they were in the same position and had been brought up as they had, they would just have the same ideas, and carry out the same principles. He, however, wished workmen to act in co-operation with each other, and then they would soon be enabled to be masters themselves. The speaker next dwelt at some length upon the evils which existed in this conntry, and said they must be removed before the country could be in a flourishing and happy condition. He was opposed to strikes, and contended that they were never of my ,h benefit. After some remarks from Mr. S. Woffendale in seconding the resolution, the chairman put it to the meeting, when it was carried unanimously, The meeting then separated. - - THE HANDS IN PICTURES.—In looking, the other day, at a ;choice collection of engravings of the works of Michael Angelo, Raffaelle, and other masters of a great period of art, we were struck by the numerous instances in which marvellous expression of the passions was given by the disposftion and character of the hands of the figures— a matter which has been too little attended to by Eng lish painters. The practice cf using the ordinary artists' models for the hands by some portrait-painters has led to several inconsistencies between the hands and countenance, which cannot fail to strike those who do not observe very closely. All observance of nature, as it may be noted in the figures which are presented in every-day scences, shows, in general circumstances, the somewhat firmly-clasped hand of the man of intelligence, its slow but impulsive working, which, if even the face were not visible, would ex press so much ; contrast with the listless and distended fingers of those who are without intellectual ideas or edu - cation, or the claw-like expression of the miserly man. When walking in the street the palms of some hands are presented on the line with the face, in others the reverse, and in these varieties it will be found that the same pecu • Rarities of the hands are connected with certain physical and phrenological developments.—The Builder. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.—The National Portrait Gallery now includes a portrait of John Hunter, which, although irtthe 'first instance only a copy, has re cently and most unexpectedly acquired something approach ing to the value of a unique picture. The original by Sir Joshua Reynolds, stillin the Connell-room of the College of Surgeons, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and universally known by William Sharpe's admirable e ngrav i n g f rom it is fast de- - caying. Within the last few y ears th e whole picture has been deepening and assuming a monotonous dingy hue. At oven nfeowf ; h eft e r g s en lo e n ra g l er f h o ' and s c th an e p b r e ese t n ra t e t e i t Te l , vit i h nde c e e d ri le ai l n it t t y. A all will have disapp eare d . T hese misf ortunes, ever, arise, net from want o f care on thepart of thoseow ap- pointed to guard it, nor from, as far as we know, any in judicious treatme n t which may a yhave befallen it since quitting the easel, but simply from the fatal t en d enc y which the paint er h a d t o make - experiments of his best pic tures, and from the injurious nature of the ingredients in corporated with ;his colours. . Jackson, who understood Reynolds better thin any other artist—Northcote not even excepted —was fortunately no experimentalist; ho painted fairly and solidly, and, while Sir Joshua's picture was yet brilliant and apparently sound. produced a copy which now may be regard as the only satisfactory substitute. This the truste es o f th e Portrait Gallery have recently obtained. •It belonged to the late Sir Charles Bell. A very poor copy from the Reynolds picture was made for the College of Sur geons, and a favourable transcript of it hangs in the board room of St. George's Hospital, where Hunter died. Another portrait will be exibited to the public on Monday next; it is a foreign work, and at first sight, of no very attractiv e character, although hi g hly valuable as a careful study of a well-known countenance. It is a life size study of the head of Lord NeliCin, taken from a diflerent point of view front those 'portraits with which we are familiar, and painted under peculiar influences of colour, light, and shade. This curious record - *as taken by Fuger, the Director of the Imperial Academy of Vienna, when Nelson passed through that city on his way to England in 1800. • It was recently the property of Herr Moritz von Tschoffen, who had it from the son of the painter. Nelson was . th en (S ep . tember, 1800) accompanied by Sir William and Ladi E T ia milton and the Queen of Nap,lea, The . Germ, papers of the day menoQll,alt@ cil9V0004:::11.16 sitting to Fagot, 4 11 a THE ARMSTRONG GUN. Viewed as a combination of various well-known parts, and as an instrument for projecting shot and shell over great ranges with precision, under favourable circumstances, the Armstrong gun is both a beautiful and a wonderful production. Nothing like the firing made with this gun at Shoeburyness has ever before been seen. To the artillerist it is a most pleasant sight to witness Sir William peering through his glass at a target 1,000 yards distant, and, as the shot strikes, exclaiming with perfect coolness, " T wo l ow by three inches," or words equally indicative of nicety. But this, be it remembered, is on the practising ground, with carefully constructed sights, and other delicate ap pliances --not on board a ship in a seaway, nor in the field of battle. How will it work there? is the question. Now, we must say, although not without regret, that we have but little ground for expecting much of this gun as an instrument of actual warfare, either on board ship or in the field, notwithstanding all that we have heard respecting it. Nor, in saying this, are we in the least un mindful of what has been done, and is still doing, by the Government to introduce its manufacture. The Government have done something, and mean to do much more in this respect, but we doubt if the laws of nature will permit them to carry out their designs. It is easy for the Govern ment—and especially for the Government acting under a " certain influence "—to knight an en gineer, to build new factories, to construct breech loading guns of the kind they are pleased to prefer, and to promise great results to the nation. But can Government prevent moisture rusting metal, or rust choking up screw-threads, or lead clinging to rifle grooves, or any other of the evils to which guns of this kind are liable ? It is only by a bountiful supply of water during the firing that the new gun is kept in good condition ; but has field artillery never to be used where water is scarce ? It is only by the most careful attention, as every engineer knows, that screw-threads and other close fitting surfaces can be kept in good order when exposed to the weather-; but are ships at sea never so beset by gales and storms for days together as to render it impracticable for men to unscrew and grease all the guns on board of them ? It has been the habit of men in office to consider these matters important ; it is fashionable now, for the moment, to ignore them ; but warm lead will cling to grooved iron, whateVer our whim may be, and oxygen will not lose its appetite for any fashion of ours. We mention these things as warnings only, and not with a desire to detract from the real merits of Sir William Armstrong's invention. Under some circumstances the light long range . cannon will doubtless prove very useful to us, and it is possible that the principles of its construction may prove applicable to guns of far greater power than the small experimental • cannons which alone have hitherto been tested. But let us not indulge in extravagant expectations, or suppose for a single moment that Mr. Whitworth and other improvers of our artillery have any cause whatever to halt in their patriotic labours.—Mechanics' Magazine. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVE RP 0 OL--APRiL 23. The corn market exhibits a degree of tone to which it has for some time been a stranger, caused by the combined in fluences of the warlike turn affairs have taken on the Con tinent and the check to vegetation from the prevalence of northerly winds. Exporters, local millers and dealers, and speculators have each been operating, and this activity has occasioned an advance of 2d to•4d per cental on wheat, 2d to 3d on flour, and about ld on Indian corn. • CH ELMSFORD--APEIL 23. The wheat trade was very good to-day, and the busi ness done was at an advance of is per qr. over late rates. Barley, beans, oats, and peas were in request, at about the previous prices. Wheat, white 39s to 51s Peas, Partridge .. 40s to 45s red 37s to 49s White 38s to 40s Barley 30s to 40s Boiling 4os to 458 Chevalier ....32s to 43 s Dun 3Bs to 40s Grinding 25s t o 336 Beans, Tick 36s to 39s Malt 57s to 63s Harrow Ticks 38s to 428 Chevalier 6os to 66s Mazagan 358 to 388 Oats 22s to 32s STAMFORD—APRIL 23. There was a fair average quantity ,of wheat on offer, and a rather brisk trade resulted in an advance of is per qr. Barley in moderate supply. Oats dull, at extreme rates. Beans sold more freely. Wheat 3Bs to 42s 0at5............ 228 to 303 White do .42s to 48s Beans ... .. . ..... 44s to 463 Barley .37s to 40s Ditto, old ........46s to 48s NORWICH—APRIL 23. The supply of wheat limited and higher prices demanded, sales making fully is to 2s per qr over late rates. Barley was in improved demand. Flour is per sack dearer. Oats, beans, and peas unaltered. YORK—Armti. 23. To-day there was a moderate show of wheat, and trade ruled rather brisk, at is per qr advance. Fine barley was in slow demand, at extreme prices. Oats a small show and quite as dear. Beans scarce, and trade dull. Wheat ... 38s to 453 I Oats.. 22 s t o 24 s White do 40s to 47s Beans 4os to 44s Barley ••• • • 30s to 36s I Beans, new ...... —s to OXFORD-APRIL 23. The news conveyed to this city by the morning papers relative to the unpleasant state of the Sardinian question, and the alarming probability th a t w ithi n 24 h ours actual war may have commenced, caused the farmers to be very independent about selling their wheat. The few transac tions that did take place to-day were consequently at high rates. Beans firm, and in demand. Barley . oats, and peas without alteration. NOTTINGHAM—Apnir, 23. The attendance was good, and English wheat met a fair sale at an advance of is per qr. upon the rates of this day se'nnight. Little disposition to buy beans, and as holders did not press sales we merely repeat previous quotations in the business transacted. Oats a small show. Barley in better request. White wheat, new, 43s to 63s Red do. 39s to 448 Old white 44s to 52s Red do 3BB to 43s Barley, malting 388 to 43s Malt, 64s to —s per qr. ; A Mnt: Barley, grinding 28s to 303 Oats, old, .. 303 to 34s New do 26s to 303 Beans . 40s to 60 3 Peas ....—s to —s flour, 30s per 20 stone. -ACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISFIES.—On the i6th, while a fisherman in one of the boats belonging to Ferryden was hauling his line at a considerable distance from the shore, a circumstance occurred which illustrates the voracity with which the different kinds of piscatory animals prey upon one another. While the fisherman was drawing up a haddock that was on one of the hooks, he noticed a large halibut making an attempt to devour the smaller fish. He immediately seized a clip and laid hold of the halibut, but had hardly got a proper hold of it when he perceived a ling trying to seize the halibut. Having freed one hand, he immediately seized the ling with the other, and proceeded to pull it on board, when he noticed a large sea-cat making strenuous attempts to seize the ling. This animal was also successfully laid hold of and taken on board, concluding this remarkable chase.--Motthvse Standard. THE NEW ROYAL ACADEMY AND THE SOCIETIES AT BURLINGTON HOUSE. --The Academicians, as they are to pay for their own building, have chosen their architect from their own body, and the choice has fallen on Sir C. Barry. The First Commissioner of Works has appointed Messrs. Banks and Barry architects to the Board, for arranging the buildings on the site of Burlington House, for the various Societies of Art, Science, and Learning, who at present occupy Burlington House, Somerset House, with some others added, if room suffices. The architects have been directed, • as a preliminary step, to confer with the Royal Academy and the other societies, in order to parcel out the space as advantageously as possible. In the case of the Royal Academy, they have, as Government architects, only to settle the area to be devoted to the Academy. The 'societies at present at Burlington House are—the Royal Society, the Senate of London University, the Linna3an Society, the Chemical Society ; and in Somerset House-- the Antiquarian Society, the Geological, and the Astrono mical. It is alsayroposed to find acconunodationfor a new Patent Office, • with extensive museum, library of inven tions, and other appliances.: The appointment of Messrs. Banks and Barry will probably be viewed, with reference to the late Foreign Office competition, a homage to th e prin ciple that I n compet i t i ons the authors of selected designs should be employed to carry them into 'execution. Whether or not the Government will positively give to the Royal Academy the portion of the site • of Burlington House re quired, without-reference to Parliament, remains yet to be seen. The claims of other art-bodies will require adjudi cation. The sum available for the new building for the academy is undersiood to be Xso,ooo:—The Builder. a BIRTHS. • Blum:lN.—On the 20th inst., at the Regent's -park-terrace, Mrs. Reginald Burton, of a son. lIANMER.—On the 21st inst., at Grendon Rectory, the wife of the Rev. Henry Hanmer, of a son. . HERBERT.—On the 22d inst., at Wilton• House, the wife of the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, of a daughter. LEVY.—On the 19th inst., at 314, St rou d , ' the wife ' of Mr. Leon Levy, of a daughter. MARRIAGES LLOYD—HARRIS.----On the 7th inst., at St. David's, Exeter, Colonel H. H. Lloyd, fourth son of the late R. H. Lloyd, Esq., of Gwerclas, Merionethshire to Caroline, second daughter of the late Henry Banblm Harzis, Esq., of Bryanston-square. . . • - WHITTLE—BREILLAT.-011 the 20th inst., at Holy Trinity Church, St. Mary, Newington, Surrey, Mr. J. Whittle, of Oalcham, Rutland, to Anne Sophia, daughter of tho late. J. A. Brelliat, of St. John's-wood. • • DEATH'S. Bincm—On the 21st inst., at 2, Thurl6o-place, South Ken sington, Rebecca, wife of Abel Birch, Esq., aged 72. Burr street TAI Ham .—On tho 19th inst., Mr. W. B r i ttain, of Heath , pstead, aged 62. CAMPBELL.. —On the 20th inst., at Pau, Miss Campbell, of Stonefield. _ . DuNnau.—On the 15th lust, at the Palace, Armagh, Har riet Susan Isabella, wife of George Dunbar, Esq., of Wo borne, county Down, and niece of his Grace the Lord Primate. PRATT.—On the 21st inst., at Bath, Lieut.-Colonel Percy Pratt, aged 64. VANSITTART.—On the 22d inst., Arthur Vansittart, Esq., of Shottesbrook-park, Berkshire, and Foot's-cray-place, Kent, aged 52. LONDON Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of iddlooez, Monday, April 25, 1859.