The Sun. — London, England, 1859-02-03 00:00:00

I~OYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT . GARDEN, under the sole Management of Miss Louisa Pine and Mr. W. Harrison THIS EVENING. will be presented an entirely new and romantic Opera, by Mr. W. Balfe, entitled SATANELLA ; or. THE POWER OF LOVE. Conductor—Mr. Alfred Mellon. To conclude with the new Pantomime of LITTLE RED RI,)ING HOOD ; or, Harlequin and the Wolf in Granny's Ul• thing. Commence at Seven, rpHEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. Lessee—Mr. E. T. Smith. THIS EVENING, LAPEST FROM NEW YORK. Mr. An•l Mrs. Ramey Williams. l'o conclude with the new pantomime, ROBIN HOOD ; or, Harlequin Friar Tuck and the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE -a) Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean. THIS EVENING will be presented Shakspere's Tragedy of MACBETH. Macbeth, Mr. C. Kean ; Lady Macbeth, Mrs. C. Kean. After which, a new grand Christmas Pantomime, entitled T liE KING OF TUE CASTLE ; or, Harlequin Prince Diamond and Princess Brighteyes. ► jr HE ATRE-R 0 Y AL, HAYMARKET. Lessee, Mr. J. B. Bnckstone. THIS EVENING Nc ill be performed THE BUSYBODY. Al Noire. Burkstone, Farren, &c. ; Mrs. E. Fitzwilliam and Miss Reynolds. Atter which, a new grand Comic Pantomime, entitled U NDINE ; or, Harlequin and the Spirit of the Waters. Commence at 7. 11 0 Y A LYCEUM in L anagerivir , Edraund THE ATRE. Faleo ner. THIS EVENING, will be performed THE SISTER'S SACRIFICE. Messrs. Emery, Barret, and Rogers. Madame Celeste, Mrs. Keeley, and Miss Julia St. George. After which, will be produced the new Burlesqne, written expressly for tie Lyceum Company by Robert B. Brough, and entitled THE SIEGE OF TROY. The principal cha racters by Mrs. Keeley, Miss Julia St. George. Mrs. Weston, Miss Portman, Miss Talbot, Miss Kate Saxon. Miss E. Romer, ac. ; Mr. Emery, Mr. Charles Young, Mr. Ellerton, Mr. .1. Rogers, Mr. Barrett, dm ; Miss Rosina Wright, Miss M. Charles, Mis 3 Harriet Dalton, To conclude with the new Comic Pantomime, replete with new tricks and mechan!cal devices, entitled HARLEQUIN TOY HORSE; or, The Crrmorae Fete. Clown, Mr Charles Lauri ; Harlequin, Mr. John Lauri ; Pantaloon, Mr. Henry Lauri ; Columbine, Miss Jenny Lauri. _ Reduced Prices—Dress Boxes, 4s. ; Upper Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 25.; Stalls, ss. ; Gallery, is. Box-office op-..n from 11 - 0 5 daily. Doors open at hall-past 6 .to commence at 7 every evening. NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, AD ELPHI Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster. Grand Week of Attraction. This Evening (by desire), TARTUFFE. Tartuffe, Mr. B. Webster ; Damais, Mr. Billington ; Oregon, Mr. C. Selby ; Elmere, Miss H. Simms ; Dorine, Miss Woolgar; Marione, Miss Keeley ; Madame Pennelle, Mrs. Chatterly. After which, GOOD FOR NOTHING. Messrs. J. L. Toole, Killington, Eburne, and Miss Woolgar. To conclude with the grand Christmas Pantomime, entitled MOTHER RED CAP ; or, Harlequin Johnny Gilpin's Ride to Edmonton. Clown, Mr. Croueste ; Harlequin, Mr. Hilde brand; Columbine, Miss Hayman ; Pantaloon, Mr. Lupino ; Sprite. Mr. Le Barr. Doors open at half-past six—Commence at seven. THE SUN. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 3, 1859. We hope many of our Legislators who re-assemble to-day will not only glance at, but study the tables which we published on Monday, and republish to-day. That they will have contributed their• share towards the formation of opinion in the minds of their constituents we cannot affect to doubt. They exhibit,not our arguments, but the arguments of undeniable facts. Indeed we must confess that when we commenced the calculations of which we have thus given the results, we did not anticipate that they would furnish so complete a condemnation of the apportionment of seats under the Reform Bill, and of that with which the Times has also favoured us. The latter was indeed full of patent blunders . many of these were corrected on the 28th ult., but glaring errors still remained, such, for instance, as including the boroughs in the counties to increase the claim of the counties to members, and then not reckoning the members for boroughs as returned by that county ! It is unaccountable that our con temporary should permit so grave and one-sided a blunder to be perpetrated in its columns. More natural, though not more justifiable, was it to give an undue proportion of -members to Berkshire, the county in which lies Mr. WALTERS' estate of Bearwood, and to magnify the population of Not tingham almost threefold (from 57,000 to 130,000), apparently that the borough represented by Mr. WALTERS might be honoured not only by that gentleman's services, but that it might also have three representatives. Northampton, too, a town of 26,000 inhabitants, is wholly " ignored " by the Times ; it is literally " nowhere " in its schedules, Has our contemporary forgotten a Mr. SMITH, who delights to distinguish himself from SMITHS in general by the prefixes, Right Honourable: and ROBERT and VERNON ? We are sure Mr. SMITH has not forgotten himself or Northampton either. Or was it the unpardonable sin of the borough to have returned the Radical Quaker, CHAS. GILPIN, as Mr. SMITH'S colleague ? But to return to our own tables. Let the reader observe the principle of c lassification—. Density of population. We have not taken, however, large towns merely, but the whole county, generally populous throughout, in which these towns or cities are found. We have taken the county as a county ; not pitted boroughs against counties, but compared the two classes of counties with each other. We have compared, not the popula tion of boroughs with that of counties, but the population of the acres of one district with that of the acres of another. It surely will not be contended that laud itself, irrespective of what is on it, is entitled to votes or members of Parliament. The population, therefore, subsisting on the acres of one county, are its first and great distinction from other counties. Where it takes two acres and upwards to maintain one person, the land would seem to be nearer a state of nature, and to claim less regard from society than where the same quantity of land supported double or ten times that number. As there has been so much outcry against giving the boroughs a larger proportion of members than their aggregate population could claim, we have avoided this ground of dispute altogether, and we ask the representatives of the counties only to apportion the members amongst the counties in fair proportion to the population supported by each. But there is also the well-known test of property. Members ought, it is said, to be proportioned also to the propertyto be represented in thedifferent counties• We do not object. We give the amount of property also, and let it tell its own tale. We know of but one other test—that of intelligence. We really hardly thought it worth while to go to the Editor of the Leeds Mercury for school statistics—no one ever professed to doubt that the most populous districts are the least educated. What, then, are the broad results of this inquiry? Why, that if we divide the counties by the line of a population less and greater than two acres to an individual, twelve fall on one side of that line and forty on the other—that the population of the twelve has increased from being a quarter of a million less than that of the forty, to two millions and more above them ; showing plainly that they are the progressive and thriving counties. They pay in income-tax £64,864,195, the forty counties only £49,834,136. The same proportional results accrue with the assessed taxes. The twelve populous counties pay £1,013,921; the forty thinly-peopled counties but £912,629. These results are corroborated by the annual value of houses in each of the classes of counties. This was, in 1815, in the 12 counties, X 10,459,789, in the 40 but £4,435,341. But let the reader note the increased value of houses in the two classes by 1851—the increase of value in the twelve counties was eight millions more than the total value of the houses in the forty at that date. The figures in 1851 stood thus : annual value of .houses in the twelve counties, £28,669,814; in the forty counties, £11,376,948. A general corroboration of .the state of things indicated by these facts was furnished by the Economist last Saturday. Our contemporary com pared the value of landed property and other pro perty in 1815 with their value in 1857—and with what a result ! In 1815, the total amount was £137,621,000, of which rents from land were £39,405,000. In 1857 the total assessment was £291,567,008, that of the land being £46,108,000. Thus income from other sources than land has increased in the time referred to from £98,116,000 to £153,946,000 ; or while, land has added not more than seven or eight millions to its inc ome trade, other sources have furnished nearly fifty-six millions more. Even this comparison shows but imperfectly the splendid advance of trade and com merce since this department of profits stood at thirty-seven millions in 1815, while, in 1857, it had risen to £84,500,000. Do not these facts, from quite another quarter, prove in which direction property, and with it intelligence and power, are rapidly flowing ? Our readers will find in these tables the propor tion of members due to each class of counties ac cording to their population, their assessed taxes, their income-tax, and also what the Reform Bill, Mr. BRIGHT, and the Times respectively assign to them. It will be seen that, on the ground of pro perty, the 12 busy counties could claim even more members than on that of population! It will be clear also, from the last table, that Mr. BRIGHT'S claims for them are as moderate as they well could be. What his opponents will say we can hardly conceive. It is plain that, taking their own ground —as we do—namely, the claims of the counties, taking intelligence—property—population—taking what test you will, all combined or each apart, will give more members to these counties than Mr. BRIGHT has given them. The Honourable Members for Birmingham have each of them undertaken to forward to the utmost extent of their power the general interests of the community in this newly-inaugurated union of the Imperial Le g i s l a t ure. M r. B RIGHT can h ar dl y fail in any contingency materially to influence, by the int ro d uction of his scheme of Ref orm t o th e notice of th e H ouse of Commons, the eventual cha cacter of the re -arrangement of the general represen tation. Whether the Honourable Gentleman's proposition be received with favour or disfavour within the walls of Parliament, it hardly admits of any doubt whatever that the mere ventilation o f his own peculiar project will affect to a considerable extent the ultimate decision arrived at by our legislators in regard to a re-adjustment of the electoral franchise and of the electoral districts_ in reference to the arch-problem of the Ballot—h i relation even, it may be, to the future duration of Parliaments. The thoroughgoing champion of the more advanced among the Reformers out-of-doors is, at any rate, quite certain of commanding a complete and searching discussion upon the views he advocates. He is equally certain of being met by extraordinary opposition. This would, indeed, have been inevitable under any circumstances. It is glaringly inevitable now, when a false im pression has got abroad that the purpose latent in his se fo i 7 hole idable schedules i s rea lly one su b v e r sive of fabric of the Constitution. Sup posing the suggestions of Mr. BRIGHT to be carried out to the very uttermost, the result could only be to widen the basis of the constitution —to sink deeper and firmer yet in its rocky soil its profound and solid foundations. The generality out of doors recognise this in the adoption of the Ballot —in a considerable extension of the franchise—in a comprehensive revision of the whole distribution of • the areas of representation generally throughout the United Kingdom. A disingenuously deliberate distortion of the entire scheme of Reform pro pounded by Mr. BRIGHT to the country at large, through the medium of his speeches successively delivered at Birmingham, at Manchester, at Edin burgh, and at Rochdale, has, however, in spite of the stubborn facts presented to the public view in his printed and published schedule, prepared for the Honourable Gentleman, within the walls of the House of Commons, a perverse, and resolute, and (both in.numbers and intensity) formidable opposi tion. There is little chance of Mr. BRIGHT finding a willing audience in the Commons, beyond a very narrow circle of sympathisers, including among them the more staunch and thoroughly indepen dent advocates of reform in the Legislature, men like Mr. GIBSON and Mr. ROEBUCK, Mr. Fox and General THOMPSON. As the most brilliant orator in the House of Commons —incontestably, now- that Mr. GLADSTONE is detained far away from it in the lonian Islands, in his temporary capacity as Lord High Commis sioner—Mr. BRIGHT is secure at least of having an attentive audience, though he is as certain of having an audience of anything rather than sym pathisers. While one member for Birmingham awaits the commencement of the Parliamentary' session of 1859 with a tolerable certainty before him of having his advice eagerly listened to, but not by any means followed—his colleague, we do sincerely trust, will find both an attentive and a willing audience awaiting him in the Lower House of Parliament. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD proposes, we all know, this session to introduce a measure for the suppression, if possible, certainly for the punish ment, of wholesale and retail adulteration. It is a scheme of reform not quite so showy as that affect ing the whole system of our Parliamentary repre sentation, but it is one, nevertheless, of—literally —still more of vital importance. It is an improve ment only too notoriously requisite. It is a change demanded in both a moral and sanitary point of view—it is required at once for the amelioration of the physical and commercial condition of the whole community. The searching investigations made into the monstrous evil referred to originally by the Lancet commission, and subsequently by the committee of inquiry appointed by the House of Commons, and presided over from first to last by the hon. gentleman the member for Birmingham —have demonstrated, as clearly as anything could possibly be demonstrated, the absolute necessity of at once organising without any further delay a system of punishment for the criminal traders guilty of extending the widespread bane of whole sale and retail adulteration. Immediately upon the eve of the commencement of this session, Dr. ARTHUR HILL HASSALL-a name ever to be hon ourably associated with this humane movement for the suppression of adulteration—submits a cluster of very pertinent and important suggestions to the public, through the columns of the most distin guished and powerful of our contemporaries. Dr. HASSALL, by a reference to the Gazette des Tribu naux, shows that here again, in the punishment of traders found guilty of adulteration—" they manage these things better in France." He cites a variety of individual cases proving the fact that, upon the other side of the channel, there are three distinct kinds of punishment regularly awarded to those found guilty of adulteration. Imprisonment —fine—and, best of all, the publication, by means of placards, of the name, and address, and trade, and offence of each delinquent convicted of this peculiarly despicable and criminal act of adultera tion. "It is the penalty," writes Dr. HASSALL, in reference to the last-mentioned punishment, It is this penalty chiefly which I wish to see inflicted in this country for adulteration." So say we. It is of penalties the very one which would be most dreaded by the adulterator. It is the one which would most effectually lead to the suppression of adulteration. Sincerely do we hope to witness this session the final triumph of a move ment now happily committed to the humane and energetic ellampionship of Mr. SCHOLEFIELD. A This day is published. D E. By GEORGE ELIOT, Author of " Scenes of Clerical Life." Three Vols., post Bvo., £1 lls. 6d., Wm. Blackwood and Sons, Edinburg - h and London THE By OC AC UN S T . lONAL. LEIGH H No. 4. See the "SPECTATOR " of Saturday next, P r ice 6d. Published: at 9, Wellington-street, Strand. Now ready, price ls., THE lONIAN ISLANDS in RELATION to GREECE ; With Suggestions for Advancing our Trade with the Turkish Countries of the Adriatic and the Danube. By JOHN DUNN GARDNER, Esq. James Ridgway, Piccadilly. ENGLISH and IRISH CHURCH and UNIVERSITY ASSURANCE SOCIETY (with which are united the Engineers', Householders', and Age Assurance Companies), 345, Strand, London, W.C. Incorporated by Act of Parliament. Capital £lOO,OOO. TRUSTEES. The Right Hon. the Earl of Yarborough, Lord Lieut. of Lin colnshire. The Rev. John Edmund Cox, M.A., F.S.A., St. Helen's Bishopsgate (Deputy Chairman). W. F. Dobson, Esq., M.A., Woodville, Gravesend (Chairman). Every kind of Assurance granted on one or more lives. Clergymen and Members of the Universities taken at lower rates of premium than those ordinarily charged. Annuities on very favourable terms to old lives. ANTHONY PECK, M.A., Secretary. THE PRINCESS FREDERICK WILL IAM -A- OF PRUSSIA.—What parent is there in Great Britain whose heart did not bound with joy at the news of the birth of an heir to the Throne of Pru ssia, and the well-doing of his illustrious mother, the acclamat i o ns at whose bridal rang, through Europe, and were hailed as . a bond of unity and strength between those two great empires ? We can imagine the deep anxiety of our Most Gracious Queen, and rejoice that the intelligence reached her Majesty at Windsor six minutes after the event took place at Berlin. This all but annihilation of time and space is one of the effects of the magnet, whose power is as unlimited as un known. Its practical utility is, however, daily and hourly becoming more developed, and one of its most useful applica tions is that patented by Mr. F. M. HERRING, of 32, Basinghall-street, London, for restoring Grey Hair to its na tural Colour, and curing Neuralgia, Nervous Headache, Rheumatism, &c., by means of his MAGNETIC COMB and BRUSH. AN ACT OF GRATITUDE.-5,000 Copies of a Medical Book for Gratuitous Circulation. --GEORGE THOMAS, Esq., having been effectually cured of nervous de bility, loss of memory, and dimness of sight, resulting from the'early errors of youth, by following the instrdctions given in a Medical Work by a Physician, he considers it his duty, in gratitude to the author, and for the benefit of nervous suf ferers, to publish the means used. He will therefore send free, to any address, in a sealed envelope, on receipt of a directed envelope, enclosing two stamps, to prepay postage, a copy of the medical work, containing every information re quired. Address, G. Thomas, Esq., Craven House, Newcastle upon-Tyne. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE, Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough. THIS EVENING, THE BONNIE FISH WIFE. After which, the new Extravaganza, KENILWORTH ; or Ye Queene. ye Earle, and ye Maydenne. And THE LITTLE SAVAGE . Commence at 7 o'clock. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE Westminster-road. Lessee and Manager Mr. William Cooke. Crowded Houses Nightly. Another high'y attractive and successful Drama. THIS EVENING, and during the week, the grand Spec. facile of THE GIPSY GIRL OF MADRID; or, The Edict of Spain. • •• - - After which, the inimitable SCENES IN THE CIRCLE, Introducing; Mr. Wm. Cooke's beautiful and highly-trained palfries and ponies and the Starßiders of Europe. To conclude with the great Operatic and Burlesque Eques trian Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN BARON MUN CIIAUSEN, AND HIS COMICAL CREAM COB CRUISER. Baron Munchausen, Mr. W. Anson ; Harlequin, Mr. H. Hemmings ; Pantaloon, Mr. Morley ;I Clown, Mr. A. F. Forrest, the Grimaldi of the day ; Columbine, Miss Julia Weston. Brilliant ar d unsurpassable Transformation Scene, with dazzling effects of Colour and Fire. Gorgeous Scenery, and every incident in bustling reality, from Regent-street to the "New Palace for the People, at Muswell Hill," Dress Circle, 4s. ; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s, ; Gallery, Is. ; Upper Gallery, 6d. Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips. CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.-- Proprietor --C. MORTON. The public is most respectfully informed that the FINE ARTS GrALLERY, in connection with the above Hall, IS WOW OPEN DAT AND NIGHT, from 11 o'clock a.m. until 12 o'clock p.m. The New Gallery contains an extensive _ is also Collec tion of Pict ures, b y Ancient and Modern Masters !and devoted to Art productions generally. The Proprietor feels he may conftd ently assert that, viewed altogether, the exist inf.); Music Hall, the New Fine Arts Gallery, and the recently added Ante-Hall, will present an attraction which, whether as regards the architectural beauty of the structures them selves, or the varied and hitherto unattempted combinations King within do will be found to be wholly w ith out para ll e l i n th e m. The MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT commences as usual at Seven o'clock. In addition to the usual entertainment, the SAUVLET FAMILY, of Amsterdam, Eight in number, whose varied instrumental performances have created so marked a sensa tion in the principal cities and towns of the Continent, will perform every Evening at Nine and Eleven o'clock. THE WEATHER.-SuN OFFICE, FEB. 3. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 49—highest since noon yesterday. 37—lowest this morning and during the night. 41—this day at noon. BAROMETER-30.10—a sudden rise of more than half an inch. w / N-D, Northerly ; light, with fine frosty weather. A sharp frost last night, ___________&.... z-.---- -- __ oCiiin 41e ...0%T.0.U1• At 4 , . 'n. , „,.., n- a 34 .: ,:,,,,, 1 ~..--- ' ' 4 \ s'i'' lIV' .0 , .. , , . a„.. , . i ; , , -.1-- , e ,.. ;', 0 v ''. ' • ' PRoiT' ' , - . ,-- ' ' ~,-,.. . 7, t .- 'L''''' .._, 4V:It-'144-,, THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 3, 1859. COURT CIRCULAR. Her Majesty received a telegraph despatch from Sir Jas. Clark on Tuesday night to announce that the Princess Royal and the infant prince are progressing most satisfac toril y. The Queen and the Prince Consort left Windsor Castle for Buckingham Palace at half-past 12 o'clock yesterday, accompanied by the Priacesses Alice and Helena, and at tended by the Countess of Desert, Lord Crofton, Major- General the Hon. C. Grey, Colonel the Hon. A. Liddell, Colonel F. H. Seymour, Lcent.-Colonel Ponsonby, and the Master of the Household. A guard of honour of the arenadier Guards received the Queen at the Windsor station of the Great Western Rail way, and a special train conveyed the royal party to Pad dington. _ _ _ A detachment of Light Dragvons formed • the escort to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen and Prince arrived at 25 minutes past one o'clock, and were received by the Marquis of Exeter, the Duke of :Beaufort, Viscount. New port, Lord George Lennox, Lieut.-General Wylde, and Captain the Hon. D. de Ros. The Queen held a Privy Council in the afternoon. It was attended by the Prince Consort, the Lord President, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Privy Seal, the First Lord of the Treasury, the Secretaries of State for the' Home, Foreign, Colonial, War, and India Departments, the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the President of the Board of Trade, the First Commis sioner of Public Works, the• Lord Steward, and the Master of the Horse. At the Council tbk Queen appointed the sheriffs for the different counties of England and Wales for the present year. The Queen's Speech for opening the Session of Parlia ment was submitted and agreed upon. A proclamation was issued warning people from trading with Japan until the ratification of the treaty. Mr. John Inglis, the Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, by command of the Queen, was sworn of her Majesty's Most -Honourable Privy Council,. and took his seat at the Board. The Hon. Wm. Bathurst was Clerk of the Council in Waiting. Her Majesty held a Court. The Hon. Charles Augustus Murray had an audience of the Queen, and delivered to her Majesty a letter from the Shah of Persia. Mr. Murray was presented by Lord Stanley, Secretary of State for India. The Duke of Montrose, Chancallor of the Duchy of Lan caster, had an audience of her Majesty. Colonel Sir Henry Storks, K.C.8., was presented to the Queen at an audience by Sir Edward B. Lytton, Secretary of State for the Colonies, and kissed hands on appointment as Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands. Mr. Joseph Arnould was presented to her Majesty at an audience by Lord Stanley, and kissed hands on appointment as Puisne Judge at Bombay. The Earl of Derby, the Marquis of Salisbury, General Peel, and Lord Stanley had audiences of the Queen. Her Majesty was attended by the Treasurer of the House hold, the Vice-Chamberlain, the Comptroller of the House hold, Lord Crofton, Lord in Waiting, and Colonel the Hon. A. Liddell, Groom in Waiting. The Queen and the Prince Consort, accompanied by the Princesses Alice and Helena, honoured the performance at the Haymarket Theatre with their presence in the evening. In attenda.o co were the Countes2 of D esart, Lord Crofton, Colonel F. 11. Seymour, and Capt. the Hon. D. de Ros. The Dudhess of Kent, attended by Lady Fanny Howard and Miss "Victoria Wortley, dined with the Queen on Tuesday. The Duko of Newcastle and Lady Susan Pelham Clinton, the Prussian illinister and Countess Bernstorff, and Colonel the Hon. A. ant I Mrs. Gordon, left Windsor Castle yester day morning. Captain the Hon. D. de Ros has relieved Lieut.-Colonel Ponsonby iri his duties as Equerry in Waiting to the Prince Consort. OPENING PARLIAMENT. The opening of the session of Parliament today, by her most gracious Majesty in person, was evi dently regarded by the metropolitan community as something more than a State formality, and the brilliancy of the weather tended in a great degree to increase the ardour of the vast concourse of people of every class who crowded the line of pro cession. Her Majesty and the Prince Consort were received as they proceeded from Buckingham Palace to Westminster with every demonstration of loyalty and respect. As the carriages of the different Ambassadors drove by the inmates were received with more or less cordiality. There was a very large attendance of peers and peeresses in the house, and of persons entitled by rank- and privilege to be present at the ceremony. The doors of the magnificent chamber in which the lords spiritual and temporal hold their councils were opened at twelve o'clock, and shortly after that hour those who were privileged to obtain seats began to arrive. In the ante-chambers and corridors through which the Royal procession was to pass raised seats were provided, and a very large num ber of persons were enabled in this manner to witness tho arrival and departure of her Majesty. The attendance of the members of the corps diplomatique was more than usually numerous, and amongst the first arrivals were the Brazilian Minister, the Haytian and Portuguese Ministers, the Turkish Ambassador, the Russian Ambassador, the French Ambassador, and the Sardinian Am bassador. The members of the embassy from Siam were also present, and the brilliancy of their costume gave an additional grandeur to this usually glittering group. A great number of the Judges attended, amongst whom were the Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Campbell ; the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Sir Alexander Cockburn ; the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, Sir Frederick Pol lock, &c. The Episcopal bench, in front of those occupied by the Foreign Ministers, was very fully attended. Amongst the Peers connected with the Govern ment, in the house when her Majesty entered, were the following :—Earl of Derby, First Lord of the Treasury ; Lord Chelmsford, Lord High Chan cellor; Marquis of Salisbury, Lord President of the Council ; Earl of Hardwicke, Lord Privy Seal ; Lord Stanley, Secretary for India; Earl of Malmesbury, Foreign Secretary; Earl of Carnar von, Under Secretary for the Colonies ; Lord W. D'Eresby, Lord Great Chamberlain ; Marquis of Exeter, Lord Steward ; Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal ; Earl de la Warre, Lord Chamberlain ; Lord Colchester, Postmaster-General ; Duke of Montrose, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster ; Duke of Beaufort, Master of the Horse; his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Commander of the Forces ; Earl of Donoughmore, Paymaster- General of the Forces, &c. Several leading members of the Opposition were also present. The Lord Chancellor, attended by his principal officers bearing the mace and purse, arrived shortly before two o'clock, and proceeded to the ante-room to await the arrival of the Queen. The appearance of the house, just previous to the entry of her Majesty, was gorgeous in the extreme, as the sun was just then pouring in` a flood of golden light through the magnificent stained windows of the chamber. A flourish of trumpets and the firing of a royal salute announced that her Majesty had entered the palace, and shortly afterwards the great officers of State in procession entered the house, and her Majesty, who leaned upon the arm of the Prince Consort, was conducted to the Throne. The Crown was carried on a velvet cushion fringed with gold, by the Earl of Hardwicke ; the Sword of State by the Marquis of Salisbury. His Royal Highness, the Prince Consort, occu pied the chair on the left of the throne, and the Marquis of Salisbury, holding the State Sword, took his position between the Prince and her Ma jesty. The Lord Chancellor stood upon the foot step of the throne on the right of the Queen, and the Duchess of Manchester, Mistress of the Robes, occupied her position on the right of the noble and learned lord, the Lord Privy Seal (the Earl of Hardwicke), and the Lady in Waiting, formed the remaining portion of the group round the throne. Her Majesty, who looked extremely well, was attired in a white brocaded silk robe, richly em broidered with gold. Her Majesty also wore a robe and train of purple velvet, trimmed with ermine and embroidered with gold flowers. Her Majesty having intimated that the peers and peeresses might resume their seats, the Speaker and the members of the House of Commons were summoned to the bar of their lordships' house to hear the Royal Speech. An interval of three or four minutes having elapsed, the Commons, headed by the Speaker and chief officers of the house, and accompanied by a large number of members, made their appearance. Amongst the persons near the Speaker were the Right Hon. B. Disraeli, Chancellor of the Ex chequer ; Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, Colonial Secretary; General Peel, Secretary for War Department; Sir J. Pakington, First Lord of the Admiralty; Mr. J. W. Henley, President of the Board of Trade ; Lord J. Manners, Chief Commissioner of Works ; Mr. G. Hardy and Mr. H. Waddington, Under Secretaries for Home Department ; Mr. W. Fitz gerald, Under Secretary for Foreign Department ; Sir F. Kelly, Attorney-General ; Sir H. Mc Cairns, Solicitor-General; Lord Naas, Chief Secretary for Ireland; Lord Palmerston, Lord J. Russell, the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, the Right Hon. Henry Labou chere, the Right Hon. Sir C. Wood, the Right Hon. Sir B. Hall, the Right Hon. W. Cowper, Sir Richard Bothell, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, Hon. Henry Brand, Hon. C. P. Bouverie, Hon. C. P. Villiers, 'Sir Henry Keating, Mr. Wykenham Martin, Mr. Akroyd, Mr. T. C. Baring, General Buckley, Mr. Chichester Fortescue, Mr•. J. D. Fitz gerald, Mr. R. W. Grey, Mr. Massey, Mr. Bernal Osborne, Mr. H. Danby Seymour, Mr. Henry Her bert, Mr. James Wilson, Hon. Gerald Ponsonby, Mr. Charles Clifford, Mr. Barrington, &c., &c. The.Lotd Chancellor then advanced to her Ma- jesty, and on bonded knee presented a copy of the Royal Speech. Her Majesty, who remained sitting, then read in a clear, firm voice, the following speech : QUEEN'S SPEECH. " MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, " In recurring, at the usual season, to the advice of my Parliament, I am happy to think that, in the internal state of the country, there is nothing to excite disquietude, and much to call for satisfaction and thankfulness. Pauperism and crime have con siderably diminished during the past year; and a spirit of general contentment prevails. " The blessing of the Almighty on the valour of my troops in India, and on the skill of their Commanders, has enabled me to infict signal chastisement upon those who are still in arms against my authority, whenever they have ventured to encounter my forces ; and I trust that, at no distant period, I may be able to announce to you the complete pacification of that great Empire, and to devote my attention to the im provement of its condition, and to the obliteration of all traces of the present unhappy conflict. " On assuming, by your advice, the direct govern ment of that portion of my dominions, I deemed it proper to make known by Proclamation the prin ciples by which it was my intention to be guided, and the clemency which I was disposed to show towards those who might have been seduced into revolt, but who might be willing to return to their allegiance. I have directedithat a copy of that Proclamation should be laid before you. " I receive from all Foreign Powers assurances of their friendly feelings. To cultivate and con firm those feelings, to maintain inviolate the faith of Public Treaties, and to contribute, as far as my influence can extend, to the preservation of the general peace, are the objects of my unceasing solicitude. " I have concluded, with the Sovereigns who were parties to the Treaty of Paris of 1856, a Con vention relative to the organisation of the Princi palities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Those Rou man Provinces are now proceeding to establish, under its provisions, their new form of Government. " A Treaty of Commerce which I have concluded with the Emperdi of Russia, and which will be laid before you, is a satisfactory indication of the complete reestablishment of those amicable rela tions which, until their unfortunate interruption, had long subsisted between us, to the mutual advantage of our respective dominions. " The measures which, in concert with my ally the Emperor of the French, I thought it necessary to take upon the coast of China, have resulted in a Treaty, by which further effusion of blood has been prevented, and which holds out the prospect of greatly-increased intercourse with that extensive and densely-peopled Empire. " Another Treaty, into which I have entered with the Emperor of Japan, opens a fresh field for com mercial enterprise in a populous and highly civilized country, which has hitherto been jealously guarded against the intrusion of foreigners. As soon as the ratifications of these Treaties shall have been exchanged, they will be laid before you. " I have great satisfaction in announcing to you that the Emperor of the French has abolished a system of negro emigration from the East Coast of Africa, against which, as unavoidably tending, however guarded, to the encouragement of the slave trade, my Government has never ceased to address to his Imperial Majesty its most earnest, but friendly representations. "This wise act on the part of his Imperial Majesty induces me to hope that negotiations, now in progress at Paris, may tend to the total abandon ment of the system, and to the substitution of a duly regulated supply of substantially free labour. " The state of the Republic of Mexico, distracted by civil war, has induced me to carry forbearance to its utmost limits, in regard to wrongs and indignities to which British residents have been subjected, at the hands of the two contending parties. They have at length been carried to such an extent that I have been compelled to give instructions to the commander of my naval forces in those seas to demand, and if necessary to enfcrce, due repara tion. " GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, " I have directed that the estimates for the en suing year shall be submitted to you. They have been framed with a due regard to economy, and to the efficiency of the public service. " The universal introduction of steam-power into naval warfare will render necessary a temporary increase of expenditure in providing for the recon struction of the British Navy ; but I am persuaded that you will cheerfully vote whatever sums you may find to be requisite for an object of such vital importance as the maintenance of the maritime power of the country. " MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, " Your labours have, in recent Sessions, been usefully directed to various measures of legal and social improvement. In the belief that further measures of a similar character may be wisely and beneficially introduced, I have desired that Bills may be submitted to you without delay, for assimi lating and amending the laws relating to Bankruptcy and Insolvency ; for bringing toge ther into one set of Statutes, in a classified form and with such modifications as experience will suggest to you, the laws relating to crimes and offences in England and Ireland; for enabling the owners of land in England to obtain for them Selves an indefeasible title to their estates and interests, and for registering such titles with simplicity and security. " Your attention will be called to the state of the laws which regulate the representation of the people in Parliament, and I cannot doubt but that you will give to this great subject a degree of calm and impartial consideration, proportioned to the mag nitude of the interests involved in the result of your discussions. These, and other propositions for the amend ment of the laws, which will be brought under your notice as the progress of public business may per mit, I commend to the exercise of your deliberate judgment ; and I earnestly pray that your counsels may be so guided as to ensure the stability of the Throne, the maintenance and improvement of our institutions, and the general welfare and happiness of my people. Their Lordships then adjourned until five o'clock. The Speaker then returned to the House of Commons, and read her Majesty's most gracious speech, after which the house adjourned until the usual hour of commencing business. PARLIAIIIENTARY ENTERTAINMENTS The Earl of Derby gave a full-dress Parliamentary ban quet last evening, at his lordship's official residence, in Downing-street. The guests of the. noble Premier in cluded the following colleagues and supporters of his Government in the House of Lords :—The Lord Chancel lor, the Duke of Richmond, the Duke of Beaufort, the Duke of Rutland, the Duke of Hamilton, the Duke of Manchester, the Duke of Montrose, the Marquis of Salis bury, the Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis of Bath, the Marquis of Downshire, the Earl of Winchelsea (the mover of the Address), the Earl of Sandwich, the Earl of Malmes bury, the Earl of Lucan, the Earl of Ellenborough, the Earl of Donoughmore, the Earl of Cardigan, the Earl of Powis, the Earl of Egmont, the Earl Vane, the Earl of Desert, Viscount Hill, Viscount Combermere, Viscount Hardinge, Viscount Dungannon, Lord de Ros, Lord Colchester, Lord Delamere (the seconder to the Address), Lord St. Leonards, Lord Ravensworth, Lord Sondes, Lord Colville, Lord Feversham, Lord Walsing ham, and Lord Dynevor. After dinner had concluded, the Earl of Derby read the Royal Speech to be delivered by her Majesty at the opening of Parliament. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, as leader of the House of Commons, gave a full-dress Parliamentary dinner last evening, at his private residence, Grosvenor-gate, to the members of the Administration in the House of Commons. The Hon. C. Trefusis, M.P. for North Devon, mover of the Address, and the seconder, Mr. Beecroft M.P. for Leeds, were amongst the guests of the right hon. gentleman. The following were also present :—Mr. Secretary Walpole, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, General Peel, Lord Stanley, Sir John Pakington, Mr. Henley, Lord John Manners, Lord Claud Hamilton, Treasurer, and the Right Hon. Cecil Weld Forester, Comptroller of her Majesty's Household; Lord Naas, the Right Hons. T. Sotheron-Eatcourt, C. B. Adderley, J. R. Mowbray, and T. Lowry-Corry ; Sir Staf ford Northcote, Sir Wm. H. Jolliffe, Lord Lovaine, the Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General, the Attorney- General for Ireland, Lord Henry Gordon Lennox, Mr. Whitmore, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald, Mr. Baillie, and Mr. ; Mr. Ralph Earle and Mr. Ryan, private secretaries to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Right Hon. the Speaker was prevented being present by a recent domestic affliction. The Earl Granville, the leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, entertained a large circle of his political friends belonging to that branch of the Legislature at his residence in Bruton-street, Berkeley-square, last evening. The following were the guests of the noble earl :—The Marquis of Ailesbury, the Marquis of Clanricarde, the Earl of Clarendon, the Earl of St. Germans, the Earl Somers, the Earl of Ellesmere, the Earl Grey, the Earl of Ducie, and the Earl of Chichester ; Viscount Sydney,' Vis count Torrington, Viscount Eversley, Viscount Enfield, Lord Cranworth, Lord Wodehouse, Lord Portman, Lord Camoys, Lord Stanley of Alderley, Lord Monteagle, Lord de Tabky, and Lord Ebnry. Viscount Palmerston had a dinner party last evening at Cambridge House, Piccadilly, to which the leading poli tical friends of the noble ex-Premier in the House of Com mons were invited. The following were amongst those present :—Viscount Duncan, Viscount Castlerosse, Lord Ernest Bruce, Lord Alfred Paget, Lord Ashley, Lord Jas. Stuart, the Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, the Right Hon. Sir George C. Lewis, the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, the Right Hon. Henry Fitzroy, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, the Right Hon. Wm. Monsell, the Right Hon. Wm. F. Cowper, the Right Hon. Henry Herbert, the Right. Hon. Sir Wm. G. Hayter, the Right Hon. E. P. Bouverie, the Right Hon. Sir Ben jamin Hall, the Right Hon. J. D. Fitzgerald, the Right Hon. Robert Lowe, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, the Right Hon, J. Moncrieff, the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers, General Sir Wm. Codrington, General Sir Wm. F. Wil liams, Sir J. Ramsden, Sir R. Bothell, Hon. Henry Brand, Hon. A. Kinnaird, Sir Richard Keating, Mr. T. G. Baring, Mr. Bernal Osborne, Mr. W. Beaumont, Mr. Jas. Wilson, Mr. Danby Seymour, Mr. It. W. Grey, Mr. R. Monckton Milnes, Mr. Chichester Fortescue, Mr. J. Bonham Carter, Mr. C. C. Clifford, &c. ~„ POETRY BY ISA CRAIG.--The Court Journal of Saturday, Veb. 5, will contain some verses on 'the birth of the first-born of the Princess - "rederick William, written expressly for this paper by Isa Craig, the successful com petitor for the Burns Prize Poem. Price 5d., or sent post flee for six stamps, by W. Thomas, publisher, 26, Bridges street, Strand, and all newsagents, LATEST NEWS. MARSEILLES, FEB. 2, 2 P.M. The steamer just arrived brings advices from Constantinople to the. 26th ult. The report lately current respecting the dis missal of the Minister of Finance was premature, and it is asserted that the publication of the decree dismissing him was prevented by Riza Pacha. Three hundred merchants have signed a petition against stock-jobbing, which petition will be up held by the ambassadors of foreign powers. The troops still remain unpaid. A deputation of the principal inhabitants of Moldavia has arrived here, in order to support the validity of the election of A. Couza as Hospodar, which is disputed by Aus tria. The Porte threatens to cancel the election of Golesco, in case he should be chosen Hospodar of Wallachia. It is confirmed that Mehemed Kibrish Pacha has refused the post of ambassador at Paris. Sami Pacha has been recalled from Candia. MARSEILLES, WEDNESDAY. Prince Napoleon and his bride arrived here at 1 o'clock this afternoon, -and left again at 3 p.m. for Lyons. They have been received by immense crowds of the population. The Princess replied to an address of the muni cipality with much grace and promptitude, styling the members her " new fellow-citizens." The following telegrams have been received from Mr. Reuter's office : PARIS, THURSDAY, FEB. 3. The Moniteur of this morning contains the fol• lowing:— Their 'lmperial Highnesses the Prince and Princess Napoleon will arrive at three o'clock this afternoon at the Tuileries. A squadron of the cuirassiers of the Imperial guard will form the escort. Pour batallions of the National guard, besides cuirassiers, voltigeurs, guards and dragoons, will be drawn up in double line to the Cour de Carrousel and the Tuileries. Their Imperial Highnesses will be received on their arrival by the Emperor and the Empress. THE BRAZIL MAIL. LISBON, WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, 9 A. 31. The Avon has just arrived, and will leave for Southampton to-day at noon. She brings 68 pas sengers, £59,000 silver, and diamonds to the value of £31,000. FRANCE. PARIS, WEDNESDAY. BOURSE, Feb. 2.—The market has been steady, and with a slight rally on Rente, but a limited amount of business doing. The liquidation of the Share account has passed off with facility, and the rates of continuation are at par. Threes varied from 68f. 30c., to 68f. 40c. ; Mobilier, 780 f. to 782 f. 50c.; Lyons, 835 f. to 837 f. 50c.; Orleans, 1,320 f. to 1,322 f. 50c. ; Southern, 520 f. to 522 f. 50c. The following were the last quotations:— 4i per Cents. 96 75 Do. end month 97 -- 3 per Cents 6B 20 Do. end month 6B 20 Bank Shares Credit Mobilier Do. Account Credit Fonder 650 Belgian 41 Piedmonteso (5) Roman BB Austrian Spanish Threes 45 Home Debt 4O RAILWAYS. Cash. Account. Orleans Northern 935 .. 930 New ditto BO5 .. 802 50 Lyons and Mediterranean 835 .. 832 50 New ditto — Geneva 555 .. 545 Midi Southern Western 595 Eastern Grand Central Sardinian 4lO 408 75 Austrian Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 121 c. ; money 25f. 10e.; three months, paper, 24f. 971 c.; money, 241 95c. MOLDAVIA. A letter from Jassy, of the 23d ult., says " Prince Alexander Couza has published a procla mation in which he promises to govern according to the constitution and the laws, in conformity with the oath which he has taken, The Assembly has granted to the Prince a civil list of 30,000 ducats, and a sum of 15,000 ducats for his ex penses of installation. His military household will be composed of only four aides-de-camp, while Prince Vogorides had not fewer than forty. A deputation of the Assembly and of the national guard will shortly proceed to Constantinople, to present an address of thanks to the Sultan. M. Negri, who is to form part of this deputation, has been named agent for Moldavia at the Sublime Porte, in the room of M. Photiades. The official nominations of the new Ministers are not yet known ; a report is current that the ex-caimakan M. Pano has been charged, in quality of Minister- President, to form a new Ministry. M. Hurmu said is mentioned for the Department of Justice; Lascar Rosetti, for Finance, M. Jean Canta cuzene, for Public Instruction ; and M. Alex andri will, it is said, retain the post of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In consequence of ten elections_having been disputed, that number of deputies will have to be re-elected. The Moldavian passports are made out in French and Italian, and have the heading of United Principalities. In the name of the reigning Prince Alexander Jean I." SPAIN. The Madrid journals of the 29th ult. announce that two Neapolitan vessels of war, having on board Poerio and the other political exiles, arrive d on the previous day in the roadstead of Cadiz, and l'it is said," adds the semi-official Correspondancia Autografa, " that, by order of the Queen, all assistance required by the sad situation of the exiles has been accorded to them." The editor of the Discussion, the democratic journal, had been elected at Murviedo by a majority of 10. The responsible editor of the same journal has been condemned to pay a fine of 8,000 reals for the pub lication of an article on the Emperor of the French. Some changes had taken place among the higher officers of the royal household, but it was stated that they were not caused by political considera tions. The Correspondancia Autografa publishes a letter from Cochin China, which asserts that the Emperor of that country was so alarmed at the comet that he had fastened himself in a tower with poison and a cord, in order to put an end to his existence in the event of its causing any disaster PROVIDENT CLERKS' MUTUAL LOS ASSURANCE ASSOCIATION. The eighteenth annual general meeting of the members of this flourishing association was held las! , evening at the London T avern , Bishopsg ate-strec',, for the purpose of receiving th e annua l re port of tri v directors, and for the electi on o f th e new directo r 9 and auditors, in accordance with the rules of the s°' ciety. There was a very full attendance. -a 0. At five o'clock the chair was t a k en by -L.. Jones, Esq., chairman of the board of directors. do The CHAIRMAN said the first thi ng he had te," was to call upon the secretary t o rea d the advert' se, meat convening the meeting. tbe The SECRETARY (M r . Li n f or d) h av i ng . r ead notice calling the meeting, submitted the director' annual report, as follows: of "In presenting their 18th annual report of the afia the association, the boa r d are muc h gra tifi e d i n being 3 . 0 to state that, notwithst an di ng th e compe titi on w hich el' in life assurance business, the progress of the past yea r • e been highly satisfact or y. Th e proposa l s rece i ve d dari tt rd the year 1858 were 576 in number, for a total su ni fi, £124,775 ; of which 478, for L 104,575, were completed; ,d for £6,500, were declined ; and 8, for £13,700, were defe„,r`i; or withdrawn, and are now awaiting completion. , -1 ,0 amount of new annual income arising from comp is policies is £2,899 ss. 9d. The total income of the ra f . o ,, - £30,878 4s. 3d., and the balance in favour of the associal'A is £15,318 Os. 6d. After paying upwards of £4,400 in ca n . bonuses, and pros iding for all known claims, the aco lated fund is raised to £108,799 10s. 3d. It is satisfactog to observe that the claims by death continue m odeir 55 policies, amounting, with bonuses, to £8,978 190. 1 7;' s have fallen in during the past y ear; w hil e th e 5 , 8 1 . 10 ' 'it. existing-during that period have reached nearly one I n er A. lion—the policies in force on the 31st December , 1 _,,7 being 5,082, for a gross sum of £960,775. At the ti quennial investigation into the business of the assoeiafe to the 31st December, 1857, the report of the consul-1;j actuary, Mr. Ratray, showed that a surplus of £10,8 95 tas been created by the five years ended as above, and tka a e ct addition of 10 per cent. per annum could with safety be made to the policies entitled to ' participa The profit realised would have admitted of a larger acit. but the board were of opinion that it was desirable to reset is y ed au th d e it nl e .. l i c o o es . a portion of the amount. In addition to the above, am provision has been made for all participating policies el n o since been placed Dec.. 31b,efloti.theThtreubsathlaezwe-hshoeeextp, expressed much gratified at the continued prosperity . of the associal tio In conformity with Rule 10, the following directors r e v . by rotation, but, being eligible, offer themselves fT,g, election, viz., Mr. Edward Col eman , Mr. Sancton .alp and.Mr..Henry Rogers. The following gentlemen , 12, qualified, have been prop . osed, in accordan c e with 1 11 1'1 10 a as auditors for the ensuing year, viz., Mr. James 111 , c r ieg Lloyd, Mr. Francis Frederick Toole, and Mr. Ch 10• Woolley. While congratulating the-members on the t eir gress that has been made, the board beg to renew r e, urgent request that every member will, in his owal fur . endeavour to the extent of his power to promote sw' ther the prosperity of this association by making know l :, advantages it offers as a well-established and mutua l assurance office to assurers of every class of society.' at The CHAIRMAN said he need scarcely say berg he felt very great pleasure in meeting the man r y after the lapse of 12 months, and after the c , e t o favourable report which had just been detaileLi t o them. There were, however, a few points ill, ja g balance sheet which he wo u ld n o ti ce , but in u ° ,ii i o so he should detain them only a few minutes. ea r first point was that the business of the past r e, was very nearly equal to th a t o f th e one be ii ° e y notwithstanding that in th a t y e ar t t he . had a large accumulation of business from tile r Electric Telegraph Company. (Hear,hear.) An ° l ye point was the number of new policies issued. 111 4 year 1858 the average amount of each new P ° ,, e r was £230, while in former years they had n t e ba t exceeded £l9O ; and that simple fact showea,„oo their business was improving. Not only i ci t ' h o but others were daily joining the society, al - Ju l io-. circumstance could but give an increased stabl He felt confident that the members gcner ail l'ioll , looking at the balance-sheet, would be of opirl ep that the society had made the most of their Inl a cl , while, on the other side, although the claims . 00 9 been large, they had not exceeded the expectatile, of the directors. With respect to the expenditucej I it would be seen that the directors had re (11 13ot, . that item by £650 per annum. (Cheers.) 01 . although that had been done, he wished to git to members against the suppositi on th a t the dire c .o could, as a matter of course , re d uce ev ery It o which to some seemed unnecessary. If it to o considered prudent by the boa r d t o r i s k a cereoo, ) sum of money with a view to increase its buss-" . it was not fair uniformly to censure the boat • loss occurred, for the members might 9 0 ' perfectly satisfied that nothing would be undert7)o • without a fair prospect of success. To say th7 )o o , was satisfied with the result of the past year's ness would be to say that which he did not thh e even if the business had increased twofol d re " should not be satisfied, so he trusted that all re' sent would still endeavour to make it go oninc7 o - 01 ing. The position the society had new attalso was very high in the assurance world. - P oo r They had issued altogether since the conn e , of anent of, the so c i e ty, p o li c i es t o th e a moun t £1,250,000. (Hear, hear.) The amount n?,: s r , c ; of fcrce was £960,000, and they h a d a ca r"• 00 £lOB,OOO. (Hear, hear, and, cheers.) , he it could confidently appeal to Mr. Ratray, to actuary, whether they were not in a pesit' ° ; o o. meet all their claims, which circumstance in t ,,,a testably proved the society to be in a sound t healthy position. Before he resumed his seu ts i could not help alluding to a pamphlet that 7,0 been put into his hands, which contained stateol e It ' that were perfectly chimerical. (Hear, hear•Lio was all very well for persons to write and 1 ;1 . • such statements, but he could not look upon such as friends of the institution. (Hear, 0 ,. e- t he If the author of that pamphl e t h a d attended sa.ld office, he would have seen the secretary, Who W° fla have received him with cour t esy, an d wou ld Il ii 9e t given him all the necessary information t° jp him right on the points he had treated of. e ld the pamphlet another society had been 'd i e up as a model for other soc i e ti es t o i m i ta t e ; thought an unfair comparison had been made tween the Provident Clerks' Association i d the one refe rre d t o, f or t h oug h both tu,,foe associations had b een es t a bli s h e d i n the sad year, the o th er h a d s i nce accumulated of £22,000, whil s t th e i rs h a d an invested flin„rbe £lOB,OOO. The gentleman who had written o f pamphlet had declared himself to have been ( *fife the first fou n d ers o f th e P rov id ent Cl er ks' '0 • Assurance Association, but that was not so l. fe r re ol gentleman had joined it 12 y ears after. .1-t° founders of the in s tit u ti on h a d s t ar t e d with oej 01% higher and pureemotives than their own pers ° o ot gain, and gave their own guarant ee t o the ara . ., ° „ r e. • of £5,000 against the risk of it s b e i ng a fa"l o d • (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He was, however, • to say that that gentleman had increased his 11, last year, which showed that, ho weve r m urk night write against the institution, h e had at 'ate very great confidence in the manner in W." - 0 (1 its business was transacted. (H ear , hear, i l eo laughter.) Then the subject of ren t had li f e ter taken up by other parties, but h e t rus t e d that a el the manner in which the subject had been dise°lo at former meetings the subj ec t wou ld' b e a lloWe a to rest, because further discussion wou ld t en d to ere I .) false impressions on the public mind. (Heardi ea be He hoped that he had said nothing that wouldo displeasing to any individual present, and he conclude, by moving the following resolution a That the report and balance-sheet now read 1 1 1 9 r ceived and adopted, and that the same be printed an; culated at the disc re ti on o f t h e B oard. " (Loud cheer''..4 Mr. BELL said it wou ld a ff or d hi m muc h p leas' to second the resolution. r g Mr. KINTREA complained that the direc" l .o ought to h ave d one more wor k , an d got them IP-r, than £2,500 w or th o f new b us i ness i n the Y,e t o al especially as they were paid £BOO, or about the income of the company for their services. 1 . 0 , Mr. WARWICK warmly defended the direct ° 0 , and showed that, as .compared with other offlel' h o very surprising p rogress h a d b een ma d e by Provident Clerks.' Had that been a meeting at persons ignora n t o f fi gure s such a comp l a i n t as th a t of the last gentleman might have p asse d ; but s" 0 „. was . to be said to a gentlemen wh o t o ld a n rise bly of London clerks that £BOO was th e hal f e . £2,500 ? (Laughter and cheers.) It was not 01;l o third. But further, that £2,500 was s imply new income. The gross income was £30,878, 0 , the company was in a highly p ros p erous co nditio n They were better off by £10,635 th an they ,ere tw e l v e months ago ; a n d h e firmly believed tP - f f. would soon become one Of th e most suc c essful i os ' tutions of the kind in England. Mr. BELL said h e h a d o f ten referred to this 6 , 4 , i/b it t e ject before, but he could no t h e l p repeating 'to r exerting aig n nea a a cil rtnr o N hs - eihetnri institution auasit n et. Lovo be nsoe e B gg m l : a u s : ru i dg i a c e eh i t ) . remuneration o e t nn a i oe w t uooasdut amount of n o d fioi duties,re- saci capital. en o i tx i O d - a s of p el r thought it was equally the duty of every indiviv member to do his best for the general prosperiti: h e Mr. J. R. LLOYD thought the contents of pamphlet should be discussed then. ,Mr. KINTR EA d en i ed hav i ng anything to a ° with the pamphlet. Mr. TOOLE h ope d if t h e gent l eman who wretehiot was present, h e wou ld come f orwar d and state vir'."o he was, an d w h a t h e h a d t o compla i n of. (Ole was no response to this suggestion. ) . ro Mr. LLOYD said with rega r d to the direc t ° 0 being overpaid, that underpaid se rv i ces w ere t v dearest things that people co u ld h ave . Ch°,i'j7 labour was now all but discard e d. It h a d Id been considered as worth next t o no thi ng . the railway contractor, who took his own ~n avy'Ac into the provinces, and paid them a', guinea a sf e io and upwards, when plenty of men would offer, a work for him at ls. a day. Who ever ,fouou s lawyer's opinion worth a straw, w h en it 1 " given without a fee ? (Laught er .) Aft e r Or s : menting at seine' length on Mr. Kintrea's retnal.,) ( l Mr. Lloyd hoped that the Ben evo l en t F un d w° 0 f not longer be charged with the heavy paymeni' BRAZIL-CHANGE OF MINISTRY. A French clipper which left Rio de Janeiro on the 18th of December, and has just arrived at Havre, brings news of the downfall of the Cabinet presided over by the Marquis of Olinda, and of the appointment of a new Administration composed as follows :—President of the Council and 11Iinister of Navy, Viscount Abacte ; Minister of Interior, Chevalier de Macedo, late Minister in London ; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senhor Paranhos, who occupied the same position in the Parana Cabinet ; Minister of Justice, Senhor Nabueo ; Minister of Finance, Senhor Torres-Homen ; Minister of War, General Souza e Mello. The outgoing Cabinet was at its close very weak and unpopular, and the new combination was favourably regarded. As the Chambers do not meet until May, it will have ample time to prepare its policy. The new Minister of the Interior, M. de Macedo , was resident for several years at this Court, and is well k nown and highly esteemed in London. THE SOUTII DEVON RAILWAY. -=-The directors of the South Devon Railway on Tuesday decided on recom mending a dividend of £1 10s. per cent. per annum, on the consolidated stock, carrying over a balance of £2,382 to the current half-year. At the Plymouth railway station the enlargement requisite for the traffic of the new lines pro ceeds rapidly. The rails are laid for the Cornish line to enter, and there is to be a good refreshment room.