The Sun. — London, England, 1869-07-09 00:00:00

- SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS, The Times is glad to find that the impending debate on the Alabama claims in the House of Commons has been indefinitely postponed. To bring up again the late tedious, troublesome, and irritating contro versy at the present time could serve no good purpose. The discussion would be most inopportune, both as regards the period of the session and the temper of the House. We may say also the temper of the public on both sides of the Atlantic, for, unless we are much mistaken, there is a general feeling of weariness with the subject, and a belief that if it is ever to be resumed with success a considerable period must be allowed to intervene. There has been so much party feeling mixed up with it in America, and so much national feeling lately provoked on this side, that a new negotiation would begin under the most disadvantageous conditions. When Mr. Motley thinks that the feeling on his own side of the ccean is such that a treaty consistent with the honour of England will satisfy the Ameri cans, ho may address the Queen's Government for new negotiations. But it is right the world should know that only sack a treaty would Lave a chance of acceptance. There is nothing we desire more than to live in peace and goodwill v ith a nation that speaks our language, and is in so many ways akin to ourselves. But there is now less than ever any disposition to sacrifice the interests and dignity of the country for the satisfaction of unjust pre tensions ; and the public will not approve any such eagerness to negotiate as may seem to forebode weakness when the negotiation comes. The Standard says that the history of the Life Peerages Bill of Earl Russell, to which the House of Lords has added the final chapter, is curious and instructive. It was received upon its introduction with general , but mild applause. Exception was taken to some of its details, but the principle was pronounced a sound one by nearly all the Peers who expressed any opinion upon the subject, and the judgment of the press was even more favourable to the ex-Whig leader. We were almost alone in con demning the principle, and in asserting that no modifica tion the bill might receive in committee could makeit any thing but a most impolitic:measure, fraught withmischievous consequences. By the time the bill came on for a secondread ing the gentle enthusiasm which it had kindled had well nigh died out. The principle was s till hardly contested, but the details were severely criticised, and the opinion gained ground that at tl e best le jeu ne valait pas la chandelle, and that the admission of life peers would neither strengthen the House nor put it in harmony with the nation. As Lord Malmesbury well said, to the vast majority of men the great attraction and value of a peerage is the fact that they can hand it down to their descendants, and thus perpetuate as it were their names and the memory of such services as they have rendered the com monwealth. The bill was thrown out, and we congratu- late their lordships upon having rejected a measure which would have added nothing to their power or efficiency, which was unsound in theory and not even recommended by the existence of any evil or inconvenience which it was desirable to find a remedy for, which nobody asked for, and with - which nobody would have been satisfied. The Daily Noes declares that the time is comirg, perhaps it Las already arrived, when it may be necessary for the country to interpose in an authoritative manner between the two Houses of Parliament. The way in which the Lords have dealt with the Irish Church Bill threatens to produce a legislative dead-lock. To pass it in its present shape, which is substantially that in which it will leave the Upper Chamber on Monday next, would be to break the promises made by Liberal members on the hustings, and to reverse the policy which at the general election the nation solemnly sanctioned. The Lords do not claim any authority to resist the will of the people. They prudently waive their right as a co ordinate branch of the Legislature, respon sible only to their own consciences. But in doing so, they put forward pretensions even more untenable. They affect to understand the mind of the country better thai the country itself does, and to be more truly represen• tative of it than its chosen representatives. The people at large have to declare whether they have confidence in the Government and the House of Commons, or in the Opposition and the House of Lords, and whether Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Bright, or the Marquis of Salisbury and the Earl of Malmesbury, are the true inter preters of its opinions upon the Irish Church Bill. They have to decide something more than this particular question. • The heresy that the expression of the will of the people is to be looked for somewhere else than in a Parliament newly chosen for that very purpose must be discountenanced. For once, public meetings may be necessary to protest against government bypublic meetings. The nation has resolved not to allow the religious inequality in Ireland which the amendments of the Lords restore ; nor to permit the confusion worse confounded which the plan of concurrent endowment would bring about. The sooner and the more effectually it makes its will known to the Lords, the better it will be, not only for that august, but not always very discerning, assembly, but for Ireland and the Empire. Thanks to Lord Carington and Mr. Grenville Murray, says the Herald, we have just had a peculiarly striking example of that Americanisation of our institutions which some politicians regard with such undisguised aversion, and others with such unqualified admiration. On a review of the whole affair, we cannot ray that any one of the actors in it comes out exactly as his friends would desire, or as believers in the typical Engliah gentleman would wish. A scurrilous article in a weekly newspaper, causing a midnight fracas in a Pall Mall club-house, and winding up with a free fight in a police-court, in the presence of magistrate, counsel, policemen, and spectators, is a sequence of events as remarkable as it is discreditable to most parties concerned.. The scandal may be borne by awerent per sons in different proportions, but for tLe credit of Eng lishmen as a law-obeying nation ws trust it will be long cl before we have again to chro,a e such another s cene as m ade one of the principal metropolitan police-cou r t s on Wednesday last a misrature edition of Donnybrook fair time, or H y d e psrk during a great Reform demonstra tion. But the example thus set is by far the most un satisfactory feature in a peculiarly unsatisfactory story. - I Granted that those who sight to capture the deed box in the interest of the Queen's Messenger were the origina tors .c Lhe disturbance. it was surely possible for those who disapproved of their violence to have frustrated their object by cutting off their retreat through the door, without engaging in a lawless struggle in the very pretence of the magistrate. We can make allowances for surprise, and, it may be, for indigna tion, but noblesse oblige, and those who went to support Lord Carington should have remembered that from men in their position society is entitled to expect something better than an exaggerated reproduction of the tactics of roughs and rowdies. If a party of Whitcchapel raga muffins had indulged themselves at. the Thames police court, in contending after their manner with dock labourers or foreign sailors, the scandal would have been quite bad enough. But it is infinitely worse when the parties to so unseemly a scuffle have not only decent coats on their backs but " gentle blood " in their veins, The Post, in commenting on the main features of Mr. ilundella's bill, says that it often seems to be, and at the moment often is, to the advantage of the trades unions that the cost of production should not be diminished. The case of house building, and, still more, of cottage building, affords a strong illustration of the possible position. It is a matter of even national importance just now that cottage building should be- cheapened as much as possible, and the lessening of the cost is prevented by the action of the trades unions, whose arbitrary dictum forbids brick layers to use machine-made bricks, and who have especially marked with their anathema the large hollow bricks which have been brought into use with such marked success in Paris, and even upon one or two noblemen's estates in this country, Against all action of this descrip tion, and against interference with modes of working and production, the industry of the country, whether repre sented by capitalists or workmen, must be thoroughly pro tected, and any new legislation which touches the subject at all cannot be confined to the grievances and disad vantages of the unions alone. It must cover the entire organisation of the productive powers of the kingdom. It has been said that the ratio of increase, as between ourselves and foreign producers, has been materially altered to the disadvantage of this country • that other nations, and Belgium remarkably, have got - their foot into markets of which we have hitherto been the monopolists ; and that the infl uence o f strikes, upheld by unions and union funds, have so frequently arrested the circulation and action of capital as to produce much impoverishment and national loss. Equitable legis lation and a timely understanding consequent upon it may yet save the working men from the consequences of the further development of this system, and it is to be hoped that the Government will carry out their under taking with as little delay as possible. The Star observes that each season offers its peculiar temptation to the fool, and one of the most mischievous temptations which hot weather offers to the fool who happens to travel by rail is at least as strong this year as ever. While people are crying out against directors because the foot-boards of the carriages are too far from the ground, or too far from the floor of the carriage, or because the platforms are too high, or too low, or too narrow, you may see on every line in the country a much more fatal and certain source of danger, for which the passengers themselves are a great deal more to blame than anybody else. Every other time you enter a railway refreshment-room, the chances are a hundred to one that you find the guard of a train drinking, and always - at the expense of some passenger with more money and hospitality than wit. Blame the guard, if we will ; but the fatuous traveller wlio does his best to steal away the brains of the man who carries the lives of a trainful of people in his hand deserves blame fully as great. A philosophic observer travelling up to town a few evenings ago noticed that one guard had no less than six glasses of beer, paid for by others, drunk by himself, iu a journey of two hours and a half. Observers of a less philosophic turn of mind may be excused for a feeling of pretty warm indignation against this hospitable imbecility. And, after all; if travellers will insist on playing the fool, it would be just as well for the railway authorities to issue special warnings to servants in respon sible posts. We should know what to think of a company who should place a nine-gallon crikk of strongest ale on the engine, and another in the guard's van of every train. Yet this is just what tkegis4iaonals,l9 generality of gay moisnarisMacikk_ THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE AND HIS CREDITORS. A t judges' Chambers on Thursday two summonses arising out of the Duke of Newcastle's affairs came before Mr. Baron Martin in the action " Padwick v. Beyfus," taken out by the defendant, that the feigned issue be delivered, and that a commission be granted to examine the Duke of Newcastle at Homburg. Mr. g. B. Abrahams, for Messrs. Beyfus, said there had been performed at Guildhall, in the caseof " Padwick v. Peters," what he should call a " two-act farce." In that farce Mr. Hankey and Mr. 11. James were .the principal actors. The other issues were delayed until that issue had been tried, and as he contended the case had not been tried he should proceed. Mr. Tidy, on the part of Mr. Padwick, said the onjy object was delay, in the hope that the Duke of Newcastle might be made a bankrupt. Mr. Baron Martin appointed a time to bear the two summonses. Mr. Abrahams had a right to say the case had not been tried. Mr. Abrahams said that he should show that, in fact, there was no trial of the issue. Order accordingly. A CURIOUS WILL CASE. .....---.... In the Probate Court, on Thursday, a case well known by name— " Sharpe v. Cuunans "—was before Lord Penzance and a special jury. The case has often been before the court as to the question of domicilage. The testator, who was born of Portuguese parents, and in that country, was sent to Brixton to school. He became insane, and died in an asylum after making a will, and the question was whether he was sane at the time he executed the document. the will was opposed by an aunt, and as the question of domicilage had been settled, the plaintiffs yesterday sought to propound the will. Dr. Spinks, Q.C., and Dr. Tristram, were for the will, and Dr. Deane, Q.C., and -Mr. Inderwick were for the defendant. Dr. James Ramsey Atkins, Grove House, Stoke New ington, from 1840 to 1862 was proprietor of a private lunatic asylum. In 1840 Mr. Crispin came to reside as a patient, and stayed till he died in December 1862. Before he came to the asylum he resided with his aunt, and often committed acts of violence. Whilst in the asylum he was occasionally vialent. In 1850 his mind had materially improved, and he was in a condition to make his will. The testator knew that his father had died n 1 let him a deal of property. He often talked about his will, and said that he should leave witness a legacy. At that time the deceased was apparently of sound mind. H:s insanity was of a peculiar character, and on altern ate days he seemed to be sane and insane ; and when he appeared in the latter state he was of a very obstinate disposition. Dr. Southey saw the testator some short time prior to the execution of the will. Dr. Jones and Mr. Watney, solicitor, came on the day in question. In December 1858 there was a commission to inquireinto the state of the testator's mind. By Dr. Deane . : In 1856 be improved for some time ; but not till his death, as, in witness's belief, he committed suicide. He was put into a straight waistcoat when he was violent, and was in the habit of putting his finger down his throat to induce vomiting, and this so weakened the vessels of the stomach that he vomited blood. By the Judge : Believed that the testator knew that it he did not eat he would die, and he wished to do so. Other evidence having been taken, Dr. Deane addressed the jury, contending that at the time of making the will the testator was insane. The jury took this view of the matter, and the will was ordered to be revoked. LAW AND POLICE. THE HEBB LE BflooK.—Vice-Chancellor Malins on Thursday gave judgment in the case of " The Attorney- General v. the Mayor and Corporation of Halifax." The information was filed at the relation of Messrs. Holdsworth, worsted manufacturers, to re strain the corporation from pouring the sewage of the borough into the Hebble brook, to the injury of the public health. The main sewer discharges itself into the Hebble about 160 yards above Messrs. Holdsworth's mills, and it was stated that the brook had become a public nuisance besides injuring the property of the plaintiffs. For the defence it was - argued that the poisonous state of the river was mainly due to manufacturing refuse. The Vice• Chancellor held that the plaintiffs were entitled to an injunction against any new communications with the existing outfalls, and an injunction from and after June 1870 against pouring out sewage by the present outfalls in an unpurified state. The plaintiffs must have the costs of the suit and the information. His Honour said that he believed the corporation would in time be able to remedy the c•ii!s complained of, so as to prevent the Hebble from being a nuisance, though it might never be a potable stream. A GOVERNMENT CONTRACT.—In the Court of Common. Pleas, on Thursday, Messrs. Tait, the eminent army contractors, of London, sued Messrs Laing and Twine, cloth manufacturers, of Hawick and Peebles, for breach of a contract to supply the plaintiffs with a large quantity of black tartan cloth, to enable them to' complete a con tract with the War Office. It was agreed that the verdict, if found for the plaintiffs, should be entered for £3OO damages. Verdict for the plaintiffs. BREACH or PROMISE. —At Guildhall, on Wednesday, an inquiry was held before Mr. Secondary Potter and a special jury to assess the damages in an action brought in one of the superior courts for a breach of promise of marriage. The plaintiff is MissWoodley, daughter of an English merchant, Consul at Patras, in Greece; the defendant, Mr. Pickburn, a surgeon, a son of the proprietor of the Clerkenwell News.. The engagement was made in Greece during the defen dant's travels ; but some time after his return home he broke off the engagement, on the ground that his income was insufficient. Defendant had left England for Australia. His counsel addressed._ the jury, pleading his youth, and the Secondary, having summed up, the jury assessed the damages at £650. Colonel Forester's moion relative to the options. selling races has been postponed to tie Second October Meeting of tLe Jockey Club. DRIVING.—A witness who had been cautioned to give a precise answer to every question, and not talk about what he might think the question meant, was interrogated as follows :—" You drive a waggon ?" "No, sir, I do not." —" Why, sir, did you not tell my learned friend so this moment ?" "No, sir, I did not."—" Now, sir, I put it to yon on your oath, do you not drive a waggon?" " No, sir."— " What is your occupation, then r " I drive a horse, sir." The English Independent says:—" It is no longer the special duty of Nonconformists or of the Liberation Society to oppose the Peers' amendments. The result of those amendment is simply to display the greed of the Church, and to perpetuate the favouritism which it was the very object of the bill to remove, and if possiYe to efface its very remembrance. It now rests with the Liberal party generally to raise afresh the cry of justice and equality for Ireland, and we shall be disappointed if that cry is not raised loudly during the next week. We already hear of prepara tions for meetings in the metropolis." A curious case of threatened ejectment of a Presbyterian minister has occurred at Ramsbottom, in Lancashire. Forty years ago Mr. William Grant—one of the " Brothers Cheeryble," of " Nicholas Nickleby"— built and permanently endowed a church, of which Dr. Maclean has been for many years minister. The nephew and heir of Mr. Grant now intimates to Dr. Maclean that it is his intention, as owner of the church, to terminate the doctor's "emi loyment as pastor," and to withdraw the stipend of which be has been in receipt "in respect of said employ ment." This trea' ment of Dr. Maclean as "a tame Levite," who can bo dismissed at three months' notice, is warmly resented by the Lancashire Presbytery, and steps aro about to be taken to resist the threat of ejectment. LIE GREENLAND LADIES.—Women are here in the trader's shop in abundance, most of them trying to ob tain goods on credit. Greenland women, as a rule, are excessively bad housewives. Before marriage they aro clean in their persons and attire, and everything that an Arctic lover of right constituted mind could desire. But once married, they sink into slatterns— careless of person, house, and family, and negligent of the duties ex pected from every Greenlander's wife. There was a great seal-hunter at Claushavn, called Timotheus David, known, in one day, to have killed twenty-three seals and one white whale. I saw him once bring some skins to trade which were refuied on account of their being half rotten. "What can I do?" the poor man man replied. " She" (looking cautiously around)—" She won't look after them." This man's wife, before marriage, was the best tailoress in the settlement. Now she is a dirty slattern, and will do nothing, not even make her husLand's and children's clothes, nor even dress the skins, as every Greenland wife is expected to-do. He is camped on an island just off shore, and leas come for a woman to dress the skins, fur which service he must of course pay her, while his lazy wire looks on. Yet the tin. fortunate wight cannot, as in the old times of Tournour soak and the heathen Angekoks, send his worthless wife about her business, because the Lutheran Church, which he has adopted, does not allow of such a proceeding ; and if he gives her a good caning (as she richly deserves), or even speaks crossly to her, then she will inform the " proester" when he comes round, and the poor man will be read a long lecture upon the iniquity of his ways, and for ever there will settle upon him the priestly scowl, as he is pointed out as a vicious creature, an example unto all refractory seal-catchers.—From "Friends ixtl4 Latitudse jadie Ownliife frragginjor July TUE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JULY .9, 1869. ME? ROPOLITAN GOSSlP—Thursday. The least political of your readers must be aware that we are on the eve of a grave political struggle. The Times sneers at it in its first leader of to-day. No other journal does. Its reality is attested by the Daily Telegraph (which is inspired by Mr. Gladstone himself), by the Daily .News, which represents the great bulk of the thorough-going Liberals, by the Protestant Echo and the Dissenting Star and Nonconformist, no less than by the latitudinarian Pall Mall Gazette and the High Church Guardian. I feel as certain as I am of any future event that the Times will find itself utterly mistaken on the present occasion, and that Mr. Gladstone will not accept the scheme of concurrent endowment. I wish to say nothing as to the merits or demerits of that scheme ; I wish to deal with facts, not opinions ; and I will endeavour to convince your readers why the most important of the Lords' amendments will not be accepted by the Prime Minister. In the first place, Mr. Gladstone has solemnly pledged himself against them ; and though he has changed his opinions during his lifetime, lie has never broken his word. In the next place, to do so would be fatal to his position as leaderof the Liberal party both in and out of Parliament. Next, the form of concurrent endowment which the Lords have sanctioned will con tinue the very evil which the bill was intended to remedy; it will preserve the ascendancy of the few over the many by giving the loaves to the Church of the minority and the crumbs under the table to the Church of the majority. Lastly, to leave open theappropriationof the funds indefi nitely would he so obviously to repeat the blunder which ruined the Liberal party thirty years ago, broke up the Mel bourne Ministry, and gave the Conservatives five years of office, that Mr. Gladstone, if he assented to it, would deserve incarceration in one of those asylums which he proposes to build out of the Irish Church funds. It has been noticed that throughout the recent debates in the House of Lords Mr. Disraeli has not once put in an appearance. Other leading members from both sides of the House of Commons have been frequent in their attendance Mr. Gladstone especially has been repeatedly present, and has expressed his opinion of the amendments with more frankness than discretion. But Mr. Disraeli, who can always be sure of himself, who can always rely upon maintaining that diplomatically impassible countenance of his, has remained absent. Not even the chance of compensating for overwhelming defeats in one House by the sight of overwhelming victories in the other, nor the remembrance of a certain bill of his own so altered that nothing but the word " whereas" was left, has induced him to witness the spectacle of his rival's great mea sure torn to rags. The truth is, Mr. Disraeli is the last man to rejoice in the work that has been done by their lordships. He knows that nothing will so impede his own return to office as postponing the settlement of this troublesome question. The Welsh landlords made but a poor defence in the House of Commons on Tuesday night. The case against them was overwhelming. In fact the only thing which surprises them in the matter is that anyone else should be surprised. A Welsh landowner not long ago said to a Conservative friend of mir.e that he would rejoice to have the Ballot because he knew well enough who the fellows were. It was those (blank) deacons, and the Ballot would enable him to get rid of the whole lot with out anyone being able to say it was for political reasons. No one unacquainted with \Vales has the smallest idea of what landlordism is. A very great magnate (whose family has more than once refused a peerage, because the old name is infinitely more illustrious in its own eyes than any new-fanglcd title could be) was one day going over one of his estates with his agent. The two came upon a cottage where building was going on. "What is that ?" sternly asked Sir W-. "0, poor old Jones has such a long family that he could not bring them up decently in his little bit of cottage, and so he is building another room, and I thought there would not be any harm in that ; he is a very respectable man." But an unpar donable offence had been committed. The great man had not previously been supplicated, and so the new erection was ordered to be destroyed, Now, here was a case in which a man was actually improving his landlord's pro perty, although liable to be turned out of it at a few days' notice. He was willing to make the outlay without any security in order that his children might be brought up decent'y. But landlord-dignity had been wounded, and must be healed at the cost even of possible prostitu tion and incest. I hope no English court of justice will ever witness such a disgraceful scene as that which occurred yesterday at Marlborough-street. When dukes and earls take to fight ing in the presence of a magistrate, and a police -court is turned into a bear-garden, the less we hear of "American rowdyism" the better. Both of the heroes seem to have bad partisans in the court; I doubt if they have many outside it. No doubt it was not plea sant for Lord Carington to be summoned away from his wedding trip to answer a criminal charge ; but then be should have delayed the pleasure of horsewhipping an 'editor until the honeymoon was over. As to Mr. Grenville Murray, the attacks that have appeared in the paper which is connected with him, if he is not connected with it, are so ferocious that no one has the least 9.3 - . „ r.0..Y with him. He might have done a great public service. There Is reason to think even that he has conferred one obligation upon the public. Some time ago lie charged a certain public official with selling important public appointments. He gave the names of the persons to whom they were sold, and, I believe, the price paid. The charge was clearly libellous, if not true. I will not undertake to say which alternative is correct. I will add only that the official incriminated has not brought an. action for libel, but has resigned. So far Mr. Murray has been of use ; it is a pity that he could not have confined himself to this sort of work. There is again some talk of new dignities. Some of them at least are not well founded. A little while ago it was stated that Mr. Cowen, the member for Newcastle, was so ill that he was about to resign his seat, and then that he was so well that he was about to be knighted. Neither report was true. Of aristocratic gossip there is no stint. It is said that one of the heroes of what is likely to prove a cause celebre in the Divorce Court, and who has left the army not entirely of his free-will, is, in spite of these circumstances, to be married next week. A very distinguished lawyer has recently, at the dying request of his only daughter,lately deceased, married that lady's mother, with whom he bad long cohabited. A very wealthy earl, known to be eccentric, but not supposed to be insane, is labauring under the delu sion that he will shortly be undergoing labour in a more technical manner, and has engaged a nurse in anticipation of the event. That a distinguished statesman, not now in office, has been suffering from kleptomania, is now an old story. The latest morsel of the kind is the elopement of the daughter of a member of Parliament, under circum- stances that do not redound to the credit of certain persons concerned in the transaction. The young lady has a very large fortune in her own right. Some time ago a gentleman, aware of the fact, obtained the assistance of a lady friend of the heiress, with the understanding that if an introduction led to a satisfactory result, the introducer should receive a portion of the inheritance. The introduction was given, and was turned to such good account that the fair inheritress of £lOO,OOO was induced to elope with her admirer. The pair were, however, stopped by the irate father within - a few miles of London. A second attempt has proved more successful, and no doubt Mrs. - has by this time received her commission of £lO,OOO. Everyone knows that the Prince of Wales has lately become a Freemason. This circumstance has induced a brother mason to send a letter Lto his Royal Highness offering him advice in language not often addressed to Royalty. The Prince is told in words more emphatic than I care to repeat that he has two roads open to him — roads described with considerable power of language, and he is solemnly asked which he means to choose. The threatening state of the Continent, and the terrible condi tion of the English poor, are urged upon his consideration. The life of Father Faber has just been published. It consists chiefly of his letters, and these have been edited by Father Bowden. A large amount of valuable corre spondence between him and Dr. Newman was destroyed a year or two ago by accident at the Birmingham Oratory. I understand that letters to the same eminent man from Keble, Pusey, and Hurrell Froude suffered the same fate at the same time. Frances Countess of Waldegrave, whose fourth husband is Mr. Chichester Fortescue, is rumoured to have become the proprietor of the Morning Post. Mr. Agnew, the well-known picture-dealer of Manchester, is also reported to have bought Punch. Most of the literary staff of Judy have resigned, and have announced the fact publicly. Under the Crown, a shilling magazine, has ceased to appear, and the prospectus of a new weekly organ of he Civil Service, the Civilian, is announced. Mr. Hamerton, the well-known art writer, is editing a new art magazine, published by Messrs. Seeley, and called the Portfolio. A new illustrated paper, to be called the Illustrated Midland News, is about to be started a Birmingham. A good deal has been said about Mr. Lowe's needlessly offensive refusal to sanction a grant for a statue of Faraday. Before blaming him it will be well to inquire about the Wellington Statue. The Duke died in 1852. Soon afterwards a commission to execute a memorial of him was entrusted to a young sculptor, and £14,000 was the estimated cost. From year to year inquiry has been made as to the fate of this work. No less a sum than £10,266 bad been paid for it on account up to the end of last year. Another sum of £2,800 is to be asked this year, making in all over £13,000, and yet this wark still exists only in plaster. At this rate it in scarcely likely to be completed thin century. • • ADVERTISEMENTS OFFERING RETVARDS -TO PAWNBROKERS. The case "Varley v. Ellis" was brought before ;he Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday. It was an action brought against the publisher of the Daily Telegraph to recover penalties to the amount of £1,500 'or the insertion of a number of advertisements in hat paper offering rewards to pawnbrokers for the -ecovery of property lost or stolen contrary to the Act 4 and 5 George lIL Mr. Serjeant Robinson appeared 'or the plaintiffs, and Mr. Gifford, Q.C., with Mr. Lewis, !or the defendants. The fiction was very simple in its ietails, the several papers in which the advertisements appeared being put in as evidence. On this Mr. Gifford submitted that there was no case to go to the jury, inas much as no evidence bad been adduced to shew that these advertisements had reference to anything stolen or lost. Another objection, which he might call his first objection, was that the statute under which the action was brought was repealed by the statute 7th and Bth George IV., c. 27. The learned counsel read the statute in question, when his lordship said there was some doubt in his mind whether, from the wording of the Act, it was not a provisional repeal, and that the prohibition still existed. It was floating about in his mind that such was the case. Under the circum stances, he should direct the jury to return a verdict for :he defendant, with leave for the plaintiff to move the court above as to whether be should have a verdict enter‘.( l for him4n all the penalties. Verdict accordingly. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. CONCURRENT ENDOWMENT. During the recent debates in the House of Lords on the IriSh Church Bill, Earl Grey presented a petition from about 170 clergymen, praying that the preamble of the bill might be altered so far as it declared that the surplus funds should not be appro priated to the maintenance of any Church, and that amendments might be introduced .. whereby the residue may be available, in pa r t or i n whole, for the benefit of the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian clergy. 'the signataries consist for the m os t p ar t o f Broad Churchmen, but include also a considerable number of High Churchmen. The following are the most prominent names :—Deans Stanley and Liddell; Archdeacons Sandford and Browne; Canon West cod ; Professors Lightfoot, Plumptre, and Maurice; Dr. Temple, Head Master of Rugby, and Dr. Ridding, Head Master of Winchester; Mr. Llewellyn Davies, Mr. Humpbry, Mr. Edward Stuart, Mr. Garden, Dr. A. Bowen Evans, Sir J. C. Hawkins, Mr. Prichard, Mr. Fremantle, Mr. Harry Jones, and Mr. Mil man. The list is closed by Mr. Gurney and Mr. Urquhart, curates of Bovey Tracey. On the other hand, twenty-four of the clergymen who last year petitioned in favour of the disestablish mcnt of the Irish Church, have presented a memorial praying that no such appropriation as the above asked may be made. 'l'll3 chief names are Mr. Stopford Brooke, Mr. Haweis, Mr. Congreve, Sir Tilson Marsh, Mr. Hams, Mr. Paul, Mr. Fowl e r, Mr. Cornwall, Mr. Kitchin, and Mr. Ram. Tae " U. P." Presbytery of Edinburgh has ap pointed a committee to watch over the progress of the Irish Church Bill, more particularly to strengthen the hands of the Liberals in their opposition to con current endowment. Dr. Andrew Thomsm, who was one of the proposers of a commitee, said he would far rather have things remain as they were, with the Episcopal Church as the Established Church in Ireland, than to see a system of indiscriminate endowments introduced in any part of the British Empire. The sentiment was generally approved. THE EDMUNDS SCANDAL. The Court of Arbitration, consisting of Mr. Manisty, Q.C. (umpire), the Hon. G. Denman, Q.C., and Mr. C. Pollock, Q.C. (arbitrators), appointed to inquire into a'l matters in dispute between Mr. Leonard Edmunds and the Crown, held a preliminary meeting on Wednesday in the Court of Common Pleas, Westminster Hall. Mr. Digby Seymour, Q.C., Mr. Napier Higgins, and Mr. Haviland Burke appeared for Mr. Edmunds ; and the Attorney-General, Mr. Field, Q.C., and Mr. Archibald for the Crown. At the sitting of the court Mr. Denman, Q.C., stated that he and Mr. Pollock, Q.C., acting under an order of the Court of Common Pleas, had chosen Mr. Manisty, Q.C., as umpire. This court (he added) will sit and hear the whole case together. But the arbitrators wish it to be thoroughly understood by all par ties, in order to prevent any sort of misconception, that neither of us would have accepted this reference on any other terms than that we should sit here as joint arbi trators between Mr. Edmunds and the Crown, that we should not be considered the one as arbitrator for Mr. Edmunds and the other as arbitrator for the Crown, but that we sit Lere strictly as joint arbitrators to see justice done in this case. When we have • difference on any point, then we shall have an opportunity of consulting the umpire, a gentleman in whom we both have the utmost confidence. The next point is, as to the object of this meeting. Our minds are perfectly open on this subject, and we must be treated as nersons who know nothing whatever about it. But we have come to the conclusion, looking at the importance of the case and the several counsel engaged in it, and the circuits intervening, that it would be desirable :o appoint a day upon which we could proceed with the inquiry de die in diem as far as possible, and go on from the beginning to the end. After some discussion the arbitration was adjourned till Thursday, the 21st of October next, at ten o'clock, when the court will sit de die in diem. THE DUKE OF .NEJVCASTLE'S AFFAIRS --.0. In the Court of Exchequer, on Wednesday, before Mr. Baron Bramwell, the case of " Padwick v. Peters" came on. t was an interpleader issue, directed to be tried by ;kir. Baron Martin, to determine whether a certain execu tion and judgment, obtained in May last by Henry Padwick in an action against Henry Pelham Alexander Duke of Newcastle were legal and valid ; and, secondly, whether certain horses seized at the suit of the defendants on the 3rd June, in execution by the Sheriff of r Notting hamshire, under writ of feri facia:, were at the time of the seizure the property of Henry Padwick. Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., proceeded to give an account of the Duke of Newcastle's dealings with Mr. Padwick. The Duke, when Lord Lincoln, and afterwards, when he had succeeded to his present title, had been " on the Turf," and in 186 G his first pecuniary transaction with Mr. Padwick took place. In that year he bought a con siderable number of racehorses from Mr. Padwick, and these constituted the first item of debt in respect of which the judgment in question was obtained. From July 1866, down to the beginning of February last, Mr. Padwick had not only a large claim against the Duke for horses, but had advanced him various sums of money, for whi.:ll he had obtained security in the shape of the Duke's accceptance, for no less an amount than £BO,OOO. At last Mr. Padwick became extremely anxious about Iris money, made several attempts to secure repay ment, and on the fail...e of these, was ruLueu to himself. Accordingly a writ was issued, and served on the Duke's solicitor ; the declaration was delivered in due course, and there being no dispute about the claim, no plea was prepared, and judgment having been signed, execution was issued, and under it Mr. Padwick seized the property in question. If it were necessary, he (the learned counsel) could place before the jury dozens of letters from the Duke, admitting his liability for debts owing to Mr. Padwick, which at that time amounted to no less a sum than £95,000. It was for that sum that the execution issued. As regarded the horses which were seized at Clumber at the suit of the defendants, the well-known coachmakers in London, there could be no doubt they belonged to Mr. Padwick. The Duke desired to dispose of the horses to Mr. Padwick if he woull give a fair price for them. Mr. Padwick agreed to buy them for £B,OOO, and he wrote off £5,500 from the Duke's debt, and paid to the trainer £2 o 'oo, he having a lien upon them for that amount. Mr. Henry James, on the part of the defendant, stated that his clients had been only desirous to satisfy them selves as to the bond fide character of Mr. Padwick's judg ment. Being now satisfied, they at once withdrew from the case, consenting to a verdict for the plaintiff. Mr. Baron Bramwell complimented the defendants on this course, and a verdict for the plaintiff was given. TILE REGISTRATION COMMITTEE. —Considerable annoyance has been experienced at the publication in .extenso of the report of this committee in the columns of a provincial contemporary previously to its being placed in the hands of members. It is said that only two copies were ordered to be printed, and one of these had unaccountably found its way down to Liverpool. Mr. Vernon Harcourt is, we believe, the chairman of the com mittee; and he, no doubt, possesses the means of dis covering who is the author of this slight upon the House of Commons.—Herald. THE TRADES UNIONS BILL—The Council of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has adopted a petition to Parliament against the Trades Unions Bill of Messrs. Mundella and Hughes. The petitioners consider the measure too sweeping, and that it would remove to some extent the protection against intimidation hitherto possessed by masters. The council is favourable to the protection of the funds of trade societies. Mr. George Dixon, one of the Birmingham members, has been entrusted with the petition. THE RESULT OF ELECTION EXCITEMENT. —At Southampton, an evening or two ago, John Smith, a publican, went to the police.station, and commencing a conversation with the inspector, told him that he had cut his wife's throat. The inspector treated the matter somewhat lightly, but sent two con stables to the house with the man, where the wife was found to have sustained a severe wound in the throat, though, the windpipe not being severed, it is expected she will recover. Smith having been mixed up with election matters, at the time of hearing the election petition was served with a subpcsna and hanged himself, but was cut down before he was dead. He now talks in coherently upon the subject, and it is believed his mind is affected. GREAT FIRE IN THE MEntoroms. — On Wednes day night, about half•past ten o'clock, an alarming fire broke out at Dockhead, Bermondsey, on the premises of Messrs. Vegan Brothers and Co., grain merchants, Mill Wharf, Mill-street. The building was a very large one, and adjoined some valuable property, including Meriton's Wharf and the biscuit manufactory of Messrs. Peek, Frean, and Co. A powerful steam-engine, with Captain Shaw, the chief officer, and a dozen men, at once proceeded to the spot, closely followed by others from RAlit Tooley-street, Southwark, Kennington, Waterloo-road, Chandos-street, Islington, W.stininster, Holb.;rn; Farringdon-street. The three floats of the Brigade, each capable of throwing four tons of water per minute, also went to the scene of the fire, the granaries being very near the river, and adjoining St. Saviour's Dock: The Rotherhithe float, on nearing the wharf, was run into, it is understood, by a large steamer, and' sank shortly afterwards. It was not known hether any lives bad been lost. There were on the spot, in all, eight steam and four manual engines, and about 120 firemen. Large crowds of people flocked from the Borough and Bermondsey to Mill-street, and it was impossible to approach the place. The fire was raging till pastmidnight, but it was hoped that the adjoin. ing premises would be saved from any considerable dam age, althorgh it was considered likely that they would not escape altogether. Messrs. Vogan's premises were all but destroyed about midnight, and by that hour the fire was visibly decreasing. The damage will, no doubt von., A SUGGESTION FOR A COMPROMISE. What the Lords want is now pretty clear ; the all-important question is, What will the Commons give them? It is worthy of note that the hope entertained by the opponents of the measure, that the Irish Church Bill would come altogether to grief on account of the amendments, is now givinc , place to a still more earnest hope that some at least of the alterations made by the Upper house will be allowed to stand. Politicians are now directing their minds to the possibility of a compromise. A suggestion for one is made by an advance] liberal member of the Lower House. Writing to the Times, he proposes that the Lords, upon report, shall prove their disinterestedness by rejecting Mr. Gladstone's scheme for gratuitously giving the Irish Luidlords the tithe-rent charge at the end of fifty two years ; and, in return, the writer promises to support the postponement of the appropriation of the surplus. CONSERVATIVES AT GRAVESEND. Captain Bedford Pim has been entertained at a public dinner at Gravesend by the members of the Conservative Association. Mr. Troughton, the chair man, said they had met to do honour to their candi date. at the late election, and who Would have reflected credit on their choice. Captain Pim declared that he spoke the plainest Sax( n when he referred to Mr. Gladstone's attack on the Irish Church at the time of the e!ections, and that sub sequ iit experience had confirmed his opinion. The wickedness of th e bill b e f ore Parliament was equalled only by its folly, and it had raised discord in the country it was intented to pacify. He considered that Irish disaffection arose from race distinctions, and had no conneeti,n with political questions. He rejoiced that we had a House of Lords to put some check on crude and hasty legisla tion, and to be a court of appeal. Captain Pim then referred to reform in the navy, and emigration. He thought it would take a powrrful miKroscope to discover any improvement that the Liberal Government had effected in the navy. It was the same with the emigration question, which was neglected by the Ministers. After criticising the conduct of Mr. Bright and denouncing his " vulgar letter " against the House of Lords, he concluded by expressing his conviction that the nation would soon have enough of plice-hunters and agitators. THE POLICE AND THE MOB AT PORTADOWN. From the evil nee given at the inquest on the boy killed by the firing on the Orange mob at Porta down, it would appear that the police had very little warrant to interfere with the bonfire, and still less to fire. Of course if it can be proved that they were in danger of their lives the firing may be justified, and evidence may - yet be adduced to show that they were right in stop ping the demonstration which was to have talK(n place ; but the magistrate to whom the inspector of police applied for advice distinctly expresses his disapproval of the course which the inspector afterwards took, as being in his opinion calculated rather to cause a row than to prevent one. The evidence about the store-throwing, too, is not so gen ilusive as it might be. That t'iere were stones thrown there can be little doubt; )shether there were enough to cause any serious danger is another matter. At the same time attempts were made to pursue the police and pin them in a corner. There took part in this proceeding some twenty persons, certainly not a very large mob. THE LORDS' " DAY." The noble lords who brought out the unfortunate ray to aid them to oppose democracy in the celebrated Reform struggle, and who allowed it to collapse suddenly after a very brief existence, are not yet at the end of their troubles in respect of their most unsuccessful attempt in the newspaper business. It seems that the paper upon which the few issues were printed is not yet paid for ; and Lords Grosvenor, Elcho, and Lichfield have still an action hanging over their heads for the money. Indeed,. the case was down for hearing at the Guildhall this sitting ; but a material witness being absent, it was postponed. Whether it will ever come before a court remains to be seen. THE TRADES UNIONS BILL. - - It is not surprising that Mr. Hughes and Mr. Mundella should wish to see their bill become law this session. The recent ca - ie, in which it wrz de cided that a union might be robbed by its officers with impunity, is sufficient reason why working men and their representatives should desire immediate legislation. Mr. Bruce's promise of keg slation for next sessi will certainly not induce • them to remain content with a state of things so diastrous to them when they remember that for five years various Administrations have been p romisin g to amend thelaw of bankrup tc y , an dthat fur nearly, if n o t quite, as long, the sam e promise has been made with regard to the licensing laws. Even on the supposi tion—a by no means safe one—that thinlrish Uhurch 13111 will be passed this year, Ministers will still have on their hands next year the Irish land question, the licensing question, the completion of the new educational or g anisati on, the County throughthe credit it Administration Bill, an d other matters of scarcely w inferior importance. Mr. Br uce is neither so desti tutecertai of work nor so skilled in getting that he need grudge two private members of legislating on a subject with hich they are much better acquainted tha n he is. WAGES AND WORK. During the course of his speech on the Trades Union Bill,•Mr. Thomas Brassey made a remarkable statement by way of shewing the close relationship that there is between good wages and good work. He said that when the North Devon Railway was begun the men were paid 2s. a day ; during the course of the contract wages rose to 2s. 6d., and then to 35.; but that it was found that labour was cheaper at the higher rate than at the lower. It is no new revela tion that better work can be done by a labourer able to afford meat than by one who has to live on bread and cheese ; but it is a very startling fact, witnessed to by the member of a firm which has every inducement to get its labour as cheap as pos sible, that an increase in wages of 50 per cent. is met by an increase in work of more than 50 per cent. The old saying, "A fair day's wages for a fair day's ' work," has now an additional and more forcible meaning than before. AMERICANISING OUR INSTITUTIONS. Four years ago a good deal used to be said about Americanising our institutions. In fact, it was the gravest political offence known. The mere imputa tion of it was enough to ruin any statesman, how ever eminent in p u bli c op i n i on. Th e st i gma of it was sufficient to extinguish any political reform, insult to wise or nee d e d . It would b e an to the Americans to say that the scene which took place in th e p o li ce - cour t d ur i ng the hearing of the Murray-Carington charge was to assimilate our courts of justice with theirs, as much an insult as it is to the four-footed animals to call a drunken wife-beater a brute. Nevertheless, it is the intro duction of such rowdyism as this that the noble dukes and earls who took part in this disgraceful fray mean when they talk of Americanising, and we, therefore, ask them to look at home the next time they accuse some noisy stump orator of that grave offence. DEAN STANLEY AND MR. VOYSEY. The Guardfan publishes in full Dean Stanley's letter to Mr. Domville, announcing his intention of subscribing to the Voysey defence fund. The Dean strongly disapproves of Mr. Voysey's treatment of the Bible, even while crediting Min with honesty of Purpose and a devout and humble faith. But lie opposes the prosecution on three grounds : 1. The questions which Mr. Voysey has raised are greatly agitating the minds of both clergy and laity, and are entertained by persons of high rank in the Church without blame, so that any attempt at an abrupt suppressi on of their agitation in a single to Aormted,...2,2llmcautatiam are agitated by all the Uhurehes on the UOntlnent, and it would be deplorable if a Church professedly so free as the English were to set the example of rigid suppression. 3. Latitude has been won by recent trials, and all that could be gained by an adverse decision would be a limitation in point of detail. 4. If unsuccessful, the prosecution would cause much injury, because it would be sup posed that the Church is committed to all the crude vagaries and extravagant assertions which Mr. Voysey may have used. The Dean points out that the Archbishop of York was clearly influenced by these considerations, and that it was only in consequence of the pressure put upon him that he consented to prosecute. EMIGRATION. Mr. Currie, a member of the committee of the British and Colonial Emigration Fund, has forwarded an interesting account of the emigrants sent out by that association. lie has seen more than a hundred families, and has held meetings to confer with emigrants. With the exception of some unthrifty persons, all those he has met with are contented and happy. Mr. Currie bdi eves that a sober, industrious man, who is prepared for some hardships, is sure to do well. Mechanics should not be sent out unless they are prepared to take low wages at first. TEE COTTON TRADE. The depression in the co:ton trade has continued so very long that it is becoming mcst serious to all all who are engaged in it. Manufacturers are being slowly ruined, and the many failures are telling most disastrously. Some time back there were hopes of a revival of trade and the resumption of business, but the strikes brought about the total cessation of many mills, the proprietors in some instances owing large amounts. The Manchester Courier reports that at Preston millowners are returning to the half-week working system again, some of them running at the reduction of 2 per cent. for three or four days only. The men are most disheartened. Suffering and privation many of them have endured for some time past, and now they have to look forward to a winter with scanty wages, with clothing already poor from past privations, and with no present prospect of relief. A STATUE TO LORD DERBY. The Liverpudlians do not forget to honour the late leader of the Conservative party. They are about to erect a statue to him in Liverpool in front of St. George's Hall. The figure, which is about 7ft. in height, and chiselled in the purest Carrara marble, represents the noble Earl dressed in his robes as a Knight of the Garter, wearing the collar and all the other insignia of his order, and addressing the House of Lords. The right hand is slightly raised as if to give effect to some sentiment he is supposed to be uttering, whilst the left hand grasps a scroll. The Liverpool Mercury says of the statue, " in the general pose of the figure is a fine artistic Mixture of dignity and grace, imparting an air of nobility without any trace of formality or pride which cannot fail to render the statue a pleasing one." THE WEATIIER. More strange irregularity, further sudden leaps from cold to heat and vice verse', such Mr. Allnatt has to report of the past month. On the 10th of June the temperature was 10.5 deg. below the mean ; on the 7th it had been 15.2 deg. a b ove it— a height of temperature well nigh unprecedented so early. The average of the month ranged from 50 . 2 to 72 . 0 deg., making an ultimate variation of 21 . 8 deg. The difference between the highest and lowest day temperature was 20 deg., and between the maximum and minimum night temperature also 20 deg.; and the variation between the highest day and lowest night temperature was 32.0 deg., which is an unwonted fluctuation for June. On the nights of the ]st and 17th Fahrenheit's thermometer was only deg. above the freezing point. While the ther mometer thus fluctuated, the barometer varied only an inch. The rainfall was 1.12 . in., an inch below the average. FOREIGN NOTES. STRIKES IN TILE UNITED STATE 3. Labour in the United States has tried a great spring campaign against capital ; but the victory of the latter has been complete. Nearly all the numerous strikes which have been carried on for many weeks past have ended adversely for the workmen. The employers have starved out the employed, and work has been resumed in most cases on terms dictated by the masters. The most important and the most remarkable of these contests was the strike of the coal millers of Pennsylvania. The wages in this trade are very high, and most of the colliers were satisfied with them ; but a discontented minority, through the influence of their trades union com mittee, brought about a general cessation of labour. As we have previously remarked, this strange turn-out was favoured by the employers, who, protected from competition by the heavy tariff, hoped to increase the price of coal. For six weeks their cupidity caused widespread distress and inconvenience. Thirty thousand miners were thrown out of employment, and many branches of industry were so hampered by the want of fuel that thousands of workmen who had no connection with die strike suffered quite as much as the miners. The Pennsylvania mine-owners are free from competition, and the stoppage of their mines, therefore, almost implied the stoppage of industry in the neighbourhood. The traffic of numerous railways and canals was wholly or partially suspended. The fires in the iron furnaces and nulls went out for lack of fuel, and the ironworkers ha , d , to wait until the miners thought fit to resume work. This they are now doing after six weeks of this useless and in comprehensible strike. To the miners, of course, the specula • tion has been wholly a losing one, and how an increase in the price of coal—which from this cause can be only temporary—can recompense the owners for six weeks total cessation of business it is difficult to divine. They have largely promoted the movement in favour of Free Trade, for it was only by the aid of Protection that this mode of raising prices could have any chance of success. Flagrant terrorism disgraced this industrial move ment. Not only did the majority of the colliers not desire a strike, but in some counties work would have gone on had not the unions insisted on all the districts joining the movement which originated in one only. Although the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania is situated in the midst of the most civilised portion of the Union, the mining district itself is moun tainous, wild, and almost beyond the reach of the law. Terrorism was therefore triumphant. A mob of semi -barbarous Welsh and Irish colliers could force any body of peaceably-disnosed labourers into obedience. Disorder and bloodshed frequently occurred, and besides numerous murders, for which the offenders will never be brought to justice, the house of a mine superintendent was in one case surrounded, and an entrance being forced, he was beaten until nearly dead. In collieries where the miners and their employers had agreed upon terms, the strikers interfered and compelled a further suspension. Save that the strikes in other brandies of industry have failed, as did this one, most of them are not note worthy. In Washington, however, grave difficulties arise between the negro and the white workmen. The union of white bricklayers, for instance, has declared war against the blacks, and will not associate with any whites who work with the "inferior race." The highly-superior race, seeing the ill effect of strikes in general, are afraid to go and do likewise. But they adopt this system of " sending to coventry" as a means of keeping down black labour. The printers are doing the same thing. But the country has affirmed the equal rights of the negro, and, as the Times correspondent remarks, neither printers nor brick layers can undo the work. RECIPROCITY BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. The American Secretary of State has invited Mr. Thornton's co-operation in the movement to bring about a renewal of the Reciprocity Treaty between Canada and the United States. Our Ambassador is said to have pro mised his aid, and negotiations, it is expected, will be actively pursued. The former Reciprocity Treaty was productive of great benefit to the commerce of the two countries ; but, on the protective principle, the Americans annulled it in 1866. Now they want it back again. THE VIRGINIA ELECTION. The election which has just taken place in the State of Virginia is the first that has been permitted there since the close of the civil war. Of course it was to be expected that the chief of the seceding States should give a vote hostile to the Republicans, but it is remarkable that many thousand negroes, whose enfranchisement was brought about by the Republicans and opposed by the Democrat!, should have voted for the latter. The result, however, is highly satisfactory, since it 'thews that the negroes and the whit es i n t h e great Southern State are muc h more i n harmony than was expected. THE INSURRECTION IN CUBA. A special telegram informs us that General Caballero de Rodas—the new Captain-General of Cuba—has issued a proclamation announcing that the insurrection is almost suppressed. We hope that the able Spaniard is quite sure of this. General Dulce, his predecessor, issued a precisely similar proclamation, and everybody knows what became of him. The American papers continue to assert that the insurrection flourishes. Another engage ment had taken place in the neighbourhood of Puerto Padre, in which 800 Spaniards were beaten by the Cubans. THE BELGIAN RAILWAY DIFFICULTY. So far as can be judged from the accounts of the settle ment come to in the dispute between Belgium and France, it would seem that the Brussels Government has not made any very compromising concessions. An international system of traffic bas been set up, but the Belgian lines have not passed into French hands. They preserve their autonomy, and remain under Belgian laws. It appears, however, that even yet there are some " alight COUNT BEUST'S LAST ESCAPADE. The Paris correspondent of the Independance Beige says that Count Beust's despatch on the Belgian railway diffi culty—inviting Belgium to give way to France—was pre sented to Lord Clarendon by the Austrian Ambassador at the British Court. Our Foreign Minister did not conceal his disapproval of such interference, and Count Beust then endeavoured to withdraw the unlucky document, which was not communicated to the Belgian Ministers. Unfortunately it found its way into the newspapers. DIONT BLANC. The first ascent of Mont Blanc for this season was safely made a day or two ago. The party, which consisted of an Englishman, a Frenchman, a guide, and three porters, met with terrible difficulties, the snow being up to their waists. The Englishman fainted through the intensa cold, but no disaster occurred. GOLD IN SOUTH AFRICA. Just as the Australian miners who had gone to South Africa in search of gold were all leaving in disgust, the prospect of a good yield greatly improved. A reef of quartz has been reached, and has been very favourably reported upon. But for this discovery the search for gold in South Africa would have been almost entirely aban doned. OUR TRADE WITH CHINA. Statistics of the exports from, and imports to, China during the last five years, :Thew not only that Great Britain has the chief command of the commerce with the Celestial Empire, but that the extent of our dealings in that quarter have very largely inveased. In 1564 the total amount of our Chinese trade was nearly 48 million taels ; in 1868 it was 661 millions. The trade between Hong Kong and China, too, has risen from 18 to 241 milllions—the greater part of this being British trade. India likewise does a large, but not an increasing, business with China. No other country can approach these figures. The United States does busi- ness to the extent of 7 millions. but it has rather declined since 1864. BANK OF FRANCE. PARIS, July 8• The following is the return of the Bank of Franco for the week ending to-day, together with the cor responding figures of the previous account : DEBTOR. July 1. July 8. fr. c. fr. c. Capital of the Bank., 182,500,000 182,500,000 Profits in addition to capital (Art. 8, Law, Juno 9, 1857) 7,041,776 02 7,044,776 02 Reserve of the Bank and its branches Reserve of landed pro- 22,105,750 14 22,105,750 11 perty 4,000,000 4,000,000 Notes in circulation Banknotes to order and receipts payable at sight Treasury account cur rent creditor 174,353,862 15 176,504,464 97 Current accounts, Paris 344,889,004 50 310,254,485 16 Do. branch banks 46,063,514 44,266,878 Dividends payable 685,521 59 6,075,780 Discounts and sundry interests Rediscounted the last six months Surplus of receipts not 36,388,643 51 36,010,170 60 1,671,964 16 distributed Sundries Total CREDITOR. July 1. July ft. Cash in hand and in fr. c. fr. c. Branch banks Commercial bills over- due Commercial bills dis counted, not yet due 316,300,910 86 327,231,923 16 Do. branch banks 268,016,532 269,395,863 -- Advances on deposit of bullion - Do. branch banks Do. on French Public Securities Do. by branch banks Do. on railway shares 9,220,000 8,364,300 - 6,'702;000 - 7;711;700 - 13,980,100 - 14,176,300 - 6;649;200 - 6,1;37,400 - and debentures. Do. branch banks . Do. on Credit Fencier Bonds Do. branches Do. to the State (Con vention, June 10, 1857) 60,000,000 Government Stock re- 40,932,200 - 29;932;300 - 40,220,500 -- 30,055,000 - 993,200 - 1,021,400 - 980,900 -- 1,011,700 -, 60,000,000 -- serve Do. disposable Rentes Inunobalisees 12,980,750 14 12,980,750 14 80,627,187 21 80,627,187 21 (Law, June 2, 1857) 1C0,000,000 100,000,000 -• Hotel and furniture of the Bank and landed propel i y branches ... Expenses of manage- 8,9;4,942 - 8,970,737 - Mont 15,558 30 6,515,787 --- Sundries Total Certified by the Senator-Governor of the Bank of France. (Signed) ROULAND. NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. The Oberon, 3, iron built paddle steamer, 649 tons, 200-borse power, Lieutenant- Commander J. Short, arrived at Spithead yesterday from the south-east coast of America, and received orders to proceed to Sheerness, where she will be dismantled and paid of commission. She left Rio de Janeiro on the 3d of May, under steam, and in company with her Majesty's ship Narcissus, and continued so until the Gth of May, when sail was made and carried until the 14th, when steam was again gob up and continued until the vessel's arrival at Bahia on the 17th. After coaling there the Oberon sailed again on the 20th, and made the run to St- Vincent's, where she arrived on the 9th of June, partly under sail and partly under steam. On the 12th she sailed again, called atTeneriffe on the 20th, and at Madeira on the 26th. The Oberon bas brought home Lieut. Addingfield, superseded at his own request from her Majesty's screw vessel Speed well, Lieut. Holbrook, from her Majesty's ship Egmont, and a few naval invalids. The following appointments were made yesterday at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Charles M'Laughlin, Lieut. James B. Five, Lieut. Gerard H. V. Noel, Lieut. B. Boyle, and Lieut. Frederick C. Law, to the Excellent. r [ADVERTISEMENT. , Holloway's Pills.—Conscientious CenviCtion.— No investment of money can be so profitable as that which insures good health. It has been established beyond dispute that Holloway's pills,which cost but a trifle, will successfully wrestle with and overcome disease. In all the many forms in which dyspepsia or indigestion pre sents itself it may be thoroughly removed by these puri fying and gently aperitive pills, assisted by a diet which must be simple in quality and moderate in quantity. Long indisposition, resulting from defective appetite or imper fect assimilation, yields to this efficient treatment ; and nausea, disagreeable tastes in the mouth, headache, and the annoying collection of phlegm which plagues the dyspeptic in the morning, will be banished by these bal samic and strengthening pills. (ADVERTISEMENT. J — Reneetorth no one will doubt the valuable properties of Du Barry's health-restoring Revalenta. Arabica Invalids' and Infants' Food, since to the thousands of blessings it has already received from Invalids whose position had been deemed hopeless, we may now add that of his Holiness the Pope, whose health has been perfectly restored by it after thirty years of unsuccessful medical treatment. We quote from the " Gazette du Midi," July 25th :—" Rome, July 21,1866. - The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especially since, abandoning all other reme dies, he has confined himself entirely to Du Barry's Revalonta Arabica booa, of which tie consumes a plateful at every meal. It has produced a surprisingly beneficial effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot praise this excellent food too highly." We extract a few out ofmore than 68,000 cures:—Cure No. 58,216, of the Marchioness de Brehan, of seven years' li ver complaint wasting away, debility, nervousness, with a nervous palpitation , all over, bad digestion, constant sleeplessness, and the most in tolerable nervous agitation. Cure No 1,771: Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord-Lieutenant of Waterford, of many year s ' Uyspepsis• No. 49,832: "Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms , sickness, and vomiting —Maria Joly." Cure No. 46,270 ; Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of 30 years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deafness. Im portant Caution—Beware of the many unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to which, without authority, Baron Liebig name is most audaciously attached. In tins, at Isltd; Ilb 2s 9d; 21bs 4s 6d 5 lbs 11 s 12 lbs 220 ; 21 lbs 405.-Also Do BARRy'S REvALENTA ARABIeA CHOCOLAT% PoWDER is packed in tin canisters: for 12 cups at Is, for 2• cups at 3s 6d, for 48 cups at 6s, for 288 cups at 30s, for 576 cups at 56s —being about one penny per cup. The 30s and 55s tins are sent free of carriage in England on receipt of Post-Office Order.; RAH,. Y BARRY and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London; and all Grocers and Chemists. BIRTHS. How—On the Bth inst., at Leigh Hill House, Cobham, the wife of E. H. How, Esq., of a son. LICHFIELD—On the Bth inst.. at 11, Portman-square, the Countess of Lichfield, of a daughter. MARRIAGES. ASHTON —IVETHERALL —On the 6th inst., at St. George'- 4 ,/ 11 Hanover-square, S. Tudor Ashton, Captain 4th (King's) Hussars, to Katherine Frances, eldest daughter of the late Major-Gen. Sir E. Wetherall, C. 8., dm. READ—STONE On the 6th inst., at St. John's, Hackney' , William James, yonngest son of John Read, Esq., ° f Victoria-park-road, to Eli za b e th, y ounges t d aug hter 01 , the late Thomas Stone, Esq., of Hackney. DEATHS. BERTOUCII—On the Bth inst., at 21, Chester-street, the Baron do Be r t ouc h, age d 61. AfACBEAN—On the sth inst., at The Hall, Thirsk, Archd• Macbean, Esq., aged 36. MACKINNON— On the 6th inst., at Mulbarton Hall, countY of Norfolk, Donald H. A. Mackinnon, Esq., late Captain 68th Light Infantry. London: Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREWS* of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE Sox Office N 0.112, Strand in 'the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of iniddleseX.'" Friday, July 8,1868. `~~ '~~