The Sun. — London, England, 1869-03-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS, 211 E PRoTEC7OR ENDO WMEN2 LOAN AND ANNUITY COMPANY. The annual meeting of this company was held yesterday afternoon at the offices, 34, King-street, Cheapside--ALFRED SMEE, Esq., in the chair. Mr. A. ANUORRAN (the secretary) read the notice convening the meeting, and the report of the directors, which was as follows : The directors submit to the general meeting a report of the pro:',edings of the company during the past year, together with a statement of income and expenditure. Five hundred and six' y-one proposals were made during the year for advances of money, for the aggregate sum of £113,650 ; of these, 267 were granted, amounting to the sum of £52,103 13s. 4d., for terms varying, from one to five years. The busiuess transacted has exceeded that of the year previous by about £4,500• The directors have caused a valuation to be made of the assets and liabilities of the company to the end of Decem ber, 1868, and the balance-sheet shows a surplus of £10,591 13s. 10d. In making this valuation, the Board directed that 20 per nen'. should hr, written cif preliminary expenses, and by degrees that Peru will be entirely extinguished. The balance-sheet cannot fail to bo regarded as highly satisfactory, and indicates a continuous healthy develop ment and growth of the company. The directors retiring by rotation are Joseph Williams, Esq., and J. L. Hancock, Esq., and the Board recommend that their names constitute the list for re-election. The company's auditors, G. H. Ladbury, Esq., and H. C. T. Beadnell, Esq., also retire. The directors recommend that the interest on share holders' stock be at the rate, for the current year, of 10 per :cent. per annum on the called-up capital of £1 per share. The CHAIRMAN said it afforded him very great pleasure to rise to move "that the report and state ment of income and expenditure, and statement of assets and liabilities, be received and adopted." The first item in the statement of assets and liabilities which attracted their attention was naturally the one of £10,591 13s. 10.3., which was the surplus amount, after allowing for all their liabilities. That, he thought they would say, was exceedingly sati-- factory. (Hear, hear.) Their valuations were made periodically. The deed originally provided that a valuation should be made every three years, but subsequently a meeting of shareholders recom mended that it should be made every five years. The board, however, had thought it advisable in these times to go back to the provision of the origi nal deed, and, as he promised at the last meeting, a valuation had been made during the past p ar. Now, at the two preceding valuations made in 1862 and 1865 the surplus was £1,242 and £7,000 respectively ; and in the year just closed it had risen to £10,591. (Hear, hear.) Al though that was very satisfactory, it did not represent the measure of their satisfaction, be cause on the former occasion the preliminary ex penses—the cost of making their agencies, and of their books, furniture, and other fittings sto:;d at £7,3oo—whereas the board had written off 20 per cent. of that sum, amounting to £1,478, and the item now stood at only £5,912. So that literally the company had improved to £10,591, plus the £1,478 which had been written off. (Hear, hear.) They had only to go on in that way for a few years more, and, as he had pointed out at their previous meetings, their dividends would be highly gratifying. In making this valuation, they not only valued all the assets with the greatest strictness, but allowed for the same percentage of losses in the future as they had experienced in the past. The losses of this company were reduced to such an exact average that they could tell to the greatest nicety what loss they might expect in the future, if they carried on their proceedings in the same careful manner that they had done hitherto. Now, if they looked to the growth of the company they would find that in 1862 they had 152,779 out on loan ; in 1865 it was £103,355 ; and in 1868, £123,708. S) that their assets out upon loan were continually and satisfactorily increas ing. So also their advances. In 1862 they advanced £31,525; in 1865, £50,498 ; and in 1868, £52,103. If the shareholders would like a sort of vision into what was likely to happen for the current year, he would state that up to this time in 1867 they had advanced £5,220 ; in 1868, £5,445 ; and this year, £9,456. (Hear, hear.) The business, therefore, was increasing in a most satisfactory manner. lie thought they would regard it as all the more satis factory when they remembered what they had gone through in the last threp y ears. Unquestionably, there had never been a period like that in the history or this country; and he hoped there never might be again. But if during the three worst years this country had ever known they could increase their surplus assets from £7,000 to £lO,OOO. then he thought they might well say that the company was in a most satisfactory state. (Hear.) He would also point out that in the valuation of their affairs they had all their paid-up capital stock intact ; every far thing that had been placed there by the shareholders and the depositors was in the concern ; every far thing due upon the annuities was now invested, and everything required for the assurance premiums was there also ; and, therefore, their surplus was a bona fide surplus, after providing for all these deductions and contingencies. (Hear, hear.) He hoped they would go on as they had continued to do for several years. The two branches of the business which they most encouraged and were most developi ng were those of receiving money on deposit, and loan ing it out upon security. And he did not know any thing that could be more useful than this company was to trustees and others having money, to put it there at interest awaiting more permanent invest ment. When the ordinary rate of interest went up or down it made no difference to this company, as they took one constant standard at 5 per cent., and they could do this because they took money for a considerable period and lent it out in the same way. Altogether the company was progress. ing as satisfactorily as they could possibly desire. (Cheers.) Ile then moved the adoption of the report and statement of accounts which had been read. Mr. DEVONSHIRE seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr. TOLMAN proposed that a dividend on the shareholders' stock for the current year be at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum on the paid-up capital of £1 per share, and £5 per cent, on sums beyond £1 paid in advance, which was at once carried. _ _ The directors who retired were Mr. Joseph Williams, and Mr. J. L. llancock, who were re elected, as also were the auditors, Mr. G. 11. Lad bury, and H. C. T. Beadnell. A vote of thanks having been presented to the chairman and board of directors, The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, assured the meeting that this company required a great deal of care and attention on their part to see that it was properly conducted, and that the money was in vested in the most advantageous manlier. Every application that came before them was most care fully and critically examined, and if hey thought it ought to be granted, it was granted. No appli cant had ever come to them for a loan and been re - fused, if he was capable of giving them the security they required. Every one who applied for a loan had to pay one guinea inquiry fee, and although the press had written against this practice, still if the fee were not enforced the company would never be able to conduct its business. It would not do for the board to be at the cost and labour of investiga• ting a case unless the applicant felt he had suffi• cient confidence in it himself to justify Lim in pay ing down the money. (Hear, hear.) Under this system the losses of the company were a little over 1 per cent. He thought that, havin L , thanked the directors, the thanks of the shareholders oa , e' it also to be given to those iu immediate charge, M'Alorran, the secretary, and Mr. Pinkney, vho were most zealous in conducting the business, and did their best in the interest of all parties. They had the thorough confidence of the board, and he should ask the shareholders to give them a cordial vote of thanks. (Cheers.) Mr. ToLm.ms seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr. Al‘MonnAN thanked them very much for this recognition of his services, and that of the staff, and said they always did their utmost to forward the interests of the company. The meeting then broke up. - The Times remarks that the House of Commons on Thursday night had another lesson on the cost of glory. The Abyssinian expedition was complete and immaculate. But, alas ! the prose of common life supervenes. On the one side of the medal we read of the chivalrous pursuit of unselfish duty, on the other a bloated income-tax. We ask, with Mr. White, what is the explanation of this " monstrous discrepancy " between estimate and reality? Neither the late Government nor the present seems able to give an answer. Mr. Hunt confessed the amount of the charge had taken himself and, he believed, his late col leagues by surprise. It was not until the 10th of August that the late Ministry received accounts from India lead ing them to suppose the estimate would be exceeded, and the excess, then moderate, jumped up a couple of millions or more as recently as December. Sir Stafford Northcote, as the ex-Secretary for India, explained that the estimates sent home had been loose and vague, and the Government had always thought it prudent to go beyond them in the estimates laid before Parliament. The truth seems to be that the Bombay Government was regardless of expense ; and Mr. Gladstone was justified in his reticence when, summing up the discussion, he expressed himself not pre pared, in the absence of fuller information, to say whether the Government of Bombay deserved all the credit given to it by the present Opposition. As it is, it was but too evident on Thursday night that, the expense having been incurred, we can do nothing but "grin and bear it." The Indian Government had something like carte blanche—had, at all events, ample authority for what they did, and are naturally enough pressing to be repaid the money they had expended. How Mr. Lowe will contrive to reimburse them was not on Thursday explained ; but the obligation cannot be avoided ; and, indeed, if it were not promptly met the Indian Finance Minister might claim interest on the debt at the rate pre valent in India. We fear the result will be a deficit on on the financial year 1868-9. At present we are in the humiliating position of a person who has had his fete, his gala-day, his triumph, and finds at the end of his glory that the bill is very much in excess of his anticipation. The best he can do is to resolve to be more prudent before he adventures upon a repetition of his magnificence, and this reflection he keeps to himself. The Standard thinks that the success of the Abyssinian expedition surpassed the most sanguine expectations, and the cost now turns out to have exceeded the most despond. ing estimates. We speak, of course, of the expectations and estimates of those entitled by their knowledge of the question to offer an opinion upon it. There were people who insisted that the British army would have nothing to do but to land on the Abyssinian coast to bring King Theodore to reason; and there were others who declared that the expenditure would cost, at least, ten millions, and then prove a signal failure. Mr. James White thinks that these prophets of evil have proved their prescience by the supplemental estimate which the Chanchellor of the Exchequer moved on Thursday. He professed to be humiliated that the expe dition had cost us more than the annihilation of Austria by Prussia. Mr. White has not gone through the accounts of the Prussian Government ; but if the honourable gentle- man will strike off the five millions which the contiguity of the frontier spared the Prussian Government for sea transport he will find that the computation comes out much better for this country. That, however, is a question for Mr. White, and not for the country—which has only to ask whether the late Government shewed a want of candour or of care in its dealings with Parliament in the matter. The two members of that Government immediately responsible for its conduct proved beyond all doubt, what, indeed, no well-informed honest man can doubt, that they obtained the best information it was possible to get, and treated the House of Commons with the utmost frankness. Still, if Mr. White wants a com mittee, let him by all means have one when the accounts come ; only let in common fairness it be an instruction to the committee to inquire, as Sir George Jenkinson suggested, into the mismanagement which rendered am expedition necessary. The Post thinks that there was much force in Mr Bruce's remark that the existing legitimate practices at elections are still more demoralising than those which the Legislature has formally condemned. The uproar and riot of nomination days ; the numerous public-houses converted into committee-rooms, without committees to occupy them; the crowds of paid canvassers who again and again pester unhappy electors, less for the sake of gaining their votes than of making a pretence of earning the wages which are paid to them ; the variety of modes in which money may be spent, and under the existing system is expected to be spent, by any one ambitious of senatorial honours, and which have never been more conclusively or abundantly demonstrated than by the published returns of the expenses incurred by can didates at the late general election ; all these bear evidence to the truth and justice of the Home Secretary's opinion. Sham employment has become the convenient cloak under which wealthy men now disburse the money which was formerly given in secret bribery ; and the misfortune is that the present law is apparently ineffectual to tear down the screen. Otherwise it is impossible to under stand the decisions pronounced recently by some of the judges, affirming the perfect legality of spending several thousand pounds in boroughs numbering some two or three hundred electors. The present law is not suffi cient for the purpose for which it was framed, and Par• liament must strike still deeper if they would extirpate the evil. The select committee for which Mr. Bruce asked seems to offer a reasonable mode of obtaining all the necessary information on which further legislation should be based ; and when that information is supplied, the good faith of the Reformed Parliament will be put to a test which will, we hope, prove that the confidence reposed in it by the new constituency is not misplaced. The Daily News approves of the course that has been taken by the Conservative leader, and says that until the last few days an impressionhas prevailed that Mr. Disraeli would not make any serious resistance to the second read ing of Mr. Gladstone's Irish Church Bill, but that the great battle would be fought in committee. The belief had probably no positive foundation, but grew out of a general consideration Of the hopeless ness of Conservative resistance. We are glad, how ever, to find that it was erroneous, and that, as was an nounced on Thursday night in the House of Commons, when Mr. Gladstone makes his motion on Thursday week, Mr. Disraeli will move that the bill be read a second time that day six months. This is undoubtedly the worthier course to take. The division upon the motion for a second reading will determine the question of principle, and that once settled, it is inconceivable that the Conservatives should expect to get better terms for the Irish Church than those which ➢ir. Gladstone has liberally included in his bill. Unless we miscalculate, the progress of the measure will be greatly facilitated by Mr. Disraeli's determination. The Telegraph refers to the Home Secretary moving for a select c ommi tt ee " to i nquire into t h e presen t mo de of conducting Parliamentary and municipal elections,in order ' to provide further guarantees for their tranquillity, purity, and freedom," and says that is an old tale. Every Govern ment, for the last thirty years, has acknowledged that the expenses and th e ev il s o f such contests " have increased, are increasing, and ought to be diminished." But Mr. Bruce made the admission in remarkable terms. He pointed out the enormous evils of the present system. Ile reminded the House how vast is the cost of a seat, how many bribes are taken, how many beer-taps are kept flowing, how many heads are broken. And then he appeared for a time to fence with the question, What is the remedy ? He seemed to put off the answer, although the answer was on the lips of all. At last he uttered the words " Secret voting ;" and immediately the cheers from the Liberal side were deafening. As Mr. Bruce explained, the Govern ment did not commit itself to the opinion that vote by Ballot must become part of the electoral law; but that such was the convictions of the Home Secre tary himself he did not allow anybody to entertain the slightest doubt; and amid ringing cheers, he added the remarkable declaration that he moved for a committee mainly and principally to see whether it was or was not expedient to introduce the ballot into our electoral system. ' Mr. Gathorne Hardy justly protested against any attempt to fetter, or even to bias, the committee ; and Mr. Glad stone assured the right honourable gentleman that, as yet, the question was entirely open, and that he had not the slightest wish to dictate the conclusion to which the committee should come. That is the proper way to approach the matter. Let us have the truth out. Let us examine all the facts. Let us see what elec toral virtue is overcome by the whisper or the bludgeon of intimidation. Let us ascertain what are the hardships inflicted by open voting. Such is the wish of Mr. Glad stone and Mr. Hardy, of the Liberal party and the Con servatives, of the House of Commons and the country. The Liberals enter the contest with the desire to give fair play, but with as much confidence in the result as that which inspired the Crusading knights when they crossed swords with their Paynim foes ; and the cheers that greeted Mr. Bruce's declaration of faith in the Ballot were the herald-note of victory. The Star rejoices that the Ballot is in sight. Mr. Bruce made an excellentfer the cmomanmlyittseteatwemhieenh was recom mendediite:t andan aspect ton Thurs day night, in moving sSpee efforts ch,and to after placing i n th e o u r Qeen a u ll previous secure electoral confessed that the main object of the committee mode o f secret those voting u rsrr it r h r c e e t edom, h be e t d o eaysicseerdt whichascertain would a remove eocteoen as no to t evils which have m l o o r n e g , b r e a e e n efl a u na p t r i o o e n e a s l s s f c o a r nd a al s . quir t e is o , r n a o doubt, a much mob to hustle him at the poll , howling rich customer to blandly coerce i v ni ot t er it th i a ri n sv f a o hn r e a and the Ballot offers to cure election,(ll°° which contributes more to demoralise - -considerable cumber of supporters both evils at once. The Cabiret contains a sixteens e re t years voting, of aralto neutrality, t: the ha Home Secretary. s be e add ii d :1\ after rr. Gladstone has nethine t,i cloak, for he Is distinet!y Ballot if the committee stated that lie is prepared f 4 tie should e:;rablisli its iieet n eisityo; doubt, expressed and Lord e Harlington, has,in following suit, determination of the patrician Government. Everything here e aboveboard, and, as H ous e of Commons er c st o b i o n or m ofi g it ele lly s e are always ostensibly impartial, it can only be throuoi very great neglect on the part of those who oppose the Ballot if o p en vot i ng i s not we ll d e f en d e d . M r . Bruce ' s sketch of the evils of our election system on Thursday night was very complete. The most important part of bis speech, however, was the broad recognition of the facts that the people know there is a remedy, and that the time has come when the Government can no longer pretend to be indifferent to it. This is a confession which must fructify speedily into the one security for the purity and freedom of elections which experience Las stamped with ; the insignia of success, THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 5, 1869. THE CATTLE PLAGUE. Two deputations on similar subjects on Thursday waited on members of the Government. The first, from Cheshire, urged on the Prime Minister the injustice of recent legis lation with regard to the payment of compensation for cattle compulsorily slaughtered under the Cattle Disease Prevention Act, and to ask that the uniform rate provided for in the law passed at the time of the plague for Ireland should be adopted inthia country. The PRIME MINISTER, after hearing the addresses, said: —With respect to the Act of 1866 I should not like to make any independent suggestion until I have consulted my colleagues connected with the departments that had to deal with that measure. The case is no doubt a most grievous one ; but I should be very sanguine if I hoped that you could induce the Legislature, with or without our support, to do what you ask, for I think the support of the Government would have very little influence indeed upon a question of this kind. It is difficult to in duce Parliament to retrace its steps. Ido not deny that the Government of 1866 were hasty in passing the Act you refer to, but I cannot admit as you asked me, that they acted unjustly. It would be absurd on my part to under take on my own responsibility a step in which I could not feel a perfect confidence. The Right Hon. W. E. Forster, M.P., Vice-President of the Council, received on Tuursday afternoon a depute• tion of members of Parliament and gentlemen on this subject. The deputation was introduced by T, Bazley, Esq., M.P. Arr. OR3SISTON observed that the object of the deputa tion was to point out the serious loss and inconvenience that arose from the present restrictions on the importation of foreign cattle, the trade having diminished about 80 per cent. in Newcastle during the last three years. The depu tation asked the Government to assist in removing the restrictions. Since the removal of restrictions upon the importation of sheep at Newcastle, the results had been most beneficial to the town. Mr. J. W. S. YOUNG (West Hartlepool) confirmed Mr. Ormiston, and stated that there was no instance in his knowledge of a diseased ox or cow having been im ported from Hamburg to Hartlepool. The slaughter of cattle at the port of debarkation was a serious incon ♦enience. As an instance of the injury to the trade, the importation of sheep in Hartlepool was, in 1866, 48,000 head, and in 1868 only 20,000. On the removal of the restrictions on February 26, the importation increased from ten or twenty a day to 873 on that day alone. Mr. W. MORRISON, M.P., for Plymouth, said that at Plymouth a large quantity of cattle were imported from France, Spain, and Portugal, where no diseased cattle were found ; but no distinction was made between the Spanish cattle and cattle from infected districts. The cattle were required to undergo twelve hours' quarantine, and when the cattle ships arrived on market-day (the markets being held twice a week) a delay of three days took place. Mr. CLAY, M.P. for Hull, stated that Hull was the inlet and outlet for a large manufacturing district, hut owing to the cattle restriction it was impossible to supply the district sufficiently, and the Hull market was subject to an occasional glut of foreign cattle, rendering the trade so precarious that foreign exporters hardly cared to carry it on. He hoped that the Government would so remove these restrictions as to permit cattle to be sent inland without being slaughtered. Mr. HEADLAM, M.P. for Newcastle, said that the im portation of cattle in that town had fallen from 6,000, in 1866, to 1,000 in 1868, and the price of meat was so hipi• as to be beyond the reach of working men. Mr. GLOVER represented the Hull Chamber of Com merce, and read a series of resolutions for the removal of restrictions passed at a meeting of persons interested inthe cattle trade. Mr. FORSTER promised to give the matter his most serious consideration, but pointed out that the Legisla ture had to consider interests of a very conflicting character in meeting this question. He could well under stand the disadvantages under which the foreign cattle .rade laboured, and was about to bring in a bill that even ing on the subject which the deputation would be enabled to read. THE SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST GOVERN. MENT OFFICIALS. At Bow-street, Mr. James T. Gambier, clerk in the Storekeeper-General's Department, Admiralty, Somerset House, and Mr. William Rumble, inspector of machinery afloat, have again been placed at the bar before the chief magistrate, Sir Thomas Henry, on the charge of conspiracy to defraud. Alfred Cooper, a youth in the employ of Mr. Naden, wine merchant, was the first witness, and corroborated Mr. Langham's evidence as to the prisoner Rumble having paid him a £lO Bank of England note, for which witness obtained change at Barclay's Bank. Inspector Clark, of the detective force, recalled : I pro duce the two memorandum books found on the prisoners, tnd handed by them to me on the day I arrested them. the small green-covered one I found upon Gambier, and the black one upon Rumble. In Mr. Gambier's book I Snd the entry " Feb. 2. R. for M. X. L., elm LP)." The word " elm "is crossed out with a pencil. There is another entry above that : " Dec. 24. F. for M. E. I. T., t5O ;" and another, " January 20, R . for chains 27 13s. 14d." In Rumble's book there was a letter ad dressed to him and signed "J. Gambier." The letter was as follows :—" Dear Rumble,—The Herwani Aberdare coals were on the list, but were struck off. There have been two or three applications to have them, but these applications have each time met with refusal. It would be well for Mr. Derry to call with a representative of the company, and see the Storekeeper-General at once. This would set the ball rolling, and we could manage to get on without doubt." In this book there were also entries similar to those in Gambier's book. There is one, " Jan. 20, 1869- Paid J. Gambier £45 16s. Bd." That is as much as I can read of it. There is 10,000 in figures, I think, and the word " odd." I find in the next page a number of calcu lations, with £45 16s. Bd. at the bottom. A great many entries in Mr. Rumble's book correspond with those is Mr. Gambier's. Sir Thomas Henry said the proper way would be to have all the entries read. Inspector Clark said that could not be done, as it con tained cyphers, plans, &c., which could not be read by word of mouth. Sir Thomas Henry said that fac-simile copies must be made. One should be attached to the depositions, and copies should be supplied to the prisoners. Mr. Nelson Girdlestone, chief clerk in the Storekeeper- General's Department : I know the prisoner, Mr. Gam- Pier, quite well. The letter produced is, I believe, in his handwriting. In the book now produced some of the entries are like the handwriting of Mr. Gambier, but I could not speak positively. I should say it was a disguised handwriting. I don't know the handwriting of the entries shewn me in Rumble's book. When letters accepting or rejecting tenders are signed by the Store keeper-General they go back to Mr. Gambier's room for distribution. The office is divided into five subdivi sions, and it is the prisoner's duty to distribute the papers to them. Those for post would go to gr. Desprez's room. By Mr. Nasmyth : If I saw a letter in the basket addressed to an intimate friend of mine, I should not think it was any particular harm to take it and deliver it to him as I passed his house ; but I have never done so. Mr. Antonio Brady : I have been shewn the figures in Mr. Gambier's book. There is an entry "24th December. F. for M. EIT, £50." A person of the name of Macrae hai a contract with the Admiralty for East India teak timber, and I should interpret :he letters " M. E. I. T." to mean " Macrae, East India teak." There is an entry Jan. 20, "R. for I. chains, £27 132. 4d." I believe that " the letter R." means "Rumble," and the letter "I " means " iron." There was a con tract for iron chains entered into in December last. The entry Feb. 2, "It. for M. X. L. elm (with a dash through it), £10," I believe R. to mean "Rumble," and 'M. X. L." " Maxwell," and the " £10" means the `,£lo" note which has been traced to the prisoner Gambier. I know that in January Mr. Maxwell had tendered for a contract for elm timber, and it had been accepted. I produce the papers relative to the tenders and contract for the elm timber. There were seven tenders for the contract, which I opened on the 12th January, in the presence of Lord John Hay, the Superintending Lord, and the Hon. Mr. Dundas, the Storekeeper-General. Mr. Maxwell's tender was the lowest for Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, and Ports mouth. His tender for Portsmouth was the only one accepted. No one but Lord Juhn Hay, Mr. Dundas, and myself was present during the opening of the tenders. I read the amounts out, but they took the figures down each on one-sheet paper, called " treaty paper." Mr. Robert Campbell Macrae: I live at Manor House, Beckenham, Kent. lam a general merchant. I have a contract with the Admiralty for East India teak. That contract was entered into in May of last year. Ido not know Mr. Rumble. I never saw him before. Ido not know Mr. Gambier. I never saw him but once, and that was in Mr. Girdlestone's office. I had no converfation with him on the subject of my contract. I did not pay or authorise anybody to pay any money to either of the prisoners in relation to that contract. I did not in this case attend to the delivery of the tender myself. islr. Freeman, who is a timber broker, attended to it, for me. I afterwards attended at Somerset House, and signed the contract. Mr. Lewis was about to address the court, but Sir Thomas Henry said this was not the time for Mr. Lewis to enter into any statement for the defence. The case was then again adiourned. METROPOLITAN GOSSlP.—Thursday. The political position suggests that of 16 years ago, yet it is widely different from that. There had been a general election in the summer of 1852, which was carried on under the auspices of a Conservative Ministry. The question before the country was whether the principle of Free Trade which had been adopted in 1846 should be reversed. The country decided that it should not, and returned a Parliament overwhelmingly opposed to such a reversals Mr. Disraeli was willing to bow to that decision; for six years and a half having passed since the great fight came off on the Corn Importation Bill, he thought that the speeches and votes of so long ago might well be ignored. The present position is widely different from that. Only a few months have passed since the great debates and divisions on the Irish Church. There has been no time to get rid of the impedimenta of " prin ciples." They must for decency's sake be maintained a little longer. So though Mr. Disraeli met the hostile Parliament of 1852 as a Minister, he resigned before meeting the hostile Parliament of 1868. On the former occasion there was, moreover, a division in the Liberal ranks. The League were for carrying their victory to an extreme. Mr. Villiers moved a resolution in favour of free trade, which Mr. Disraeli was either bound to accept, and in doing so make a public confession and recantation of error, or to oppose, arid thereby expose himself to overwhelming defeat. The old Whigs had no notion of seeing the bread taken out of their mouths. Lord Palmerston stepped forward and moved an amendment to Mr. Villiers's motion, which at the same time gave the Conservatives a means of escaping from a dilemma and shewed how numerically weak the League were. The result was that Mr. Villiers's motion was rejected by a majority of 80 votes, and Lord Palmerston's amendment was accepted by 468 against 53 ; the latter figure representing the num berof Protectionists. Having thus effectually snubbed the " Manchester " party, and postponed their entry into office for six years and a half (until the Willis's Rooms compact), he proceeded to deal at his leisure with Mr. Disraeli, defeated him by 19 votes on the budget three weeks later, and then came into office with ce cher Aberdeen; the League who had really borne the burden and heat of the day being left out in the cold. Times are changed since then. The Manchester party are now the most influential section of the Cabinet. Mr. Bright might have had almost any office that he chose. The Liberals are united, and numeri cally stronger than they have been for 35 years. Mr. Disraeli has not ventured to meet the new Parliament, knowing that though he must for form's sake resist the disestablishment of the Irish Church, he is as powerless to hinder it as he was in 1852 to restore Protection. The Pall 3101 Gazette is publishing some remarkable articles on " Ministerial Journalism," in which the rela tions of the late Government with the press are very severely handled. It is complained that Government advertisements were given in the most reckless manner to obscure journals where the a dvertisements would be use less, and that special information was given to certain journals as the price of their support. As regards this second count,' I do not think that the late Government was any worse than the present one. I happen to know that two London journals have been selected as the special depositories of Ministerial communications, while another journal, of much higher character than one of the two, though of smaller circulation, has not been included in the favoured list. The Glowworm has ceased t o glimmer, and no one has noticed the fact. Its faint light disappeared about three weeks ago, I believe. It was started some four years back as an organ of Conservatism and of the music halls (a strange combination), by a Captain Bachelor, a man of fashion. It had one or two gentlemen on its staff, among them the son of a former Shropshire M.P., Sir Baldwin Leighton, of " rabbit" fame. It used to obtain a certain amount of circulation at the Alhambra and kindred places, by printing on its back page the pro gramme of the evening's entertainment. But it never throve. Mr. Beeton, the publisher of cheap serials, took it up, and had it for about six months. He could do nothing with it. It disappeared from the railway stations and book-stalls, and then from the streets, and then altogether. Mr. Layard is not likely to have an easy berth. The contest is very is go i ng on res pecting the new cour t s o f justice very animated, and almost acrid. The lawyers are for Carey-street, the public for Thames-bank. There is no saying yet which will win. There is a good deal of grumbling because the First Commissioner has deter mined to surround Regent's Park with an iron railing of the ordinary ugly spike shape. We shall be obliged to get up a reform riot in order to knock these railings down and have a handsome set like that which Lord John Manners put up around Hyde Park. Mr. Cowper who was First Commissioner in the last Liberal Government, and is rather sore at being left out from the present Ministry, is evidently bent on mischief, and he asked Mr. Layard, very sarcastically, on Monday night, whether the refuse from a brickyard, which had lately been tilted into Hyde Park was intended for rockwork. The parks looked most brilliant yesterday in spite of the cold. There had been a hard frost in the morning (as there has beento- day) but the knowledge of the Queen's visit to London, and the reception at Buckingham Palace, at tracted an enormous throng of carriages to the neighbour hood. A large number waited in the open space by Apsley House, their occupants expecting that the Queen would return to Windsor the same afternoon. But her Majesty remains in town until to-morrow, and the Royal standard will thus float over the Palace for three successive days, an event that has not taken place for many a year. This is nominally the season of penitence, yet it does not prevent a good deal of festivity. The Roman Catholic Lady Edward Howard has been the most notable enter tainer of the week. On Tuesday evening she gave a series of tableaux virants at her house in Rutland-gate, and all the world, including the Duchess of Cambridge and her daughters and a large number of the foreign ambassadors, was present. Among the actors were Lady Diana Beauclerk (of _Norwegian fame), Lady Sebright, Lady Alexina Duff, Mrs. Gurney, Miss Sothern, the Marchioness Townshend, Mrs. SkelEngton Smith, Count Maffei, Mr. Prinsep, the artist, and some others. The subjects illustrated were "The Spirit of the Waters" (represented by Lady DI), "Watteau," " The Sleeping Beauty," "Queen Margaret and the Robber," "The Babes in the Wood," " Fair Rosamond," and "Guinevere." The performance is to be repeated to-night. I should add that it has been undertaken in behalf of the distressed Irish ; is, in fact, one of those numerous forms of charity made easy for which our upper classes are so justly renowned. The new Royal Academy is all but finished, and enthusi astic (but I should imagine untravelled) persons declare that it will be the finest gallery in the world. It certainly will not be that. Nevertheless Mr. Smirke has turned out a good and commodious building. Artists will rejoice to hear that it is not intended to hang the pictures quite close together ; there will be a space between each, and so the . hanger s w ill no l on ger be tempted to select an inferior picture because it will fit in better than a superior one. It i s ca l cu l a t e d that, even m a ki ng a llowance for this alteration, and also for the fact that pictures will not be hung above a certain height, there will be thrice as muchspace as in the oldbuilding. It is to be hoped that the Academy will, with their enlarged premises, enlarge their body. There are at least a dozen artist s waiting to be admitted as Associates who have as much claim to admission as the recently-elected Messrs. Poynter and Mason. Artists seem to be a particularly jealous rac e . Th e Water-Colour Institute, for instance, which was founded as a protest against the exclusiveness of the Water-Colour Society, recently met to elect new Associates, and came to the determination to elect none. The consequence of such exclusiveness has been the for mation of the society which exhibits at the Dudley Gallery. Among the pictures to be exhibited at the Royal Academy are three by Mr. Leighton ; one of them, representing St. Jerome in the desert, with his attendant lion, will be a chef d'oeuvre. Mr. Sant will probably send a picture of a child in the snow, the novelty of which will be that the child will be clothed in white, save a scarlet headdress. Few artists would venture to try such an experiment as this. Mr. Sydney Hodges, w h o some years ago painted for Miss Burdett C outts Dr. Tait when Bishop of London, has been selected by the committee of laymen to paint a portrait of that prelate, which they are about to present to Fulham Palace. The work will be full length, and although it is yet far from completion, it will, I think, add to his reputation as one of the most rising portrait painters of the day. Still on art matters, I may mention that the exhibition of French and Flemish pictures is to open on April 3 ; that there is to bea new exhibition of Dore's pictures; that Bierstadt has sold his great picture, "A Storm in the Rocky Mountains," for £4,000 ; that Mr. Durham, the sculptor, is so out of • health that he has had to give up work for the present, and is gone to Rome ; and that there is to be an International Fine Arts Exhibition at Munich this summer, to which English artists, mindful of the scurvy treatment they received at Paris, are not likely to be large contributors. Lord St. Leonards's reply to Lord Campbell's " Lives of Lyndhurst and Brougham" will be published next week. It will assuredly be a unique incident in literature that an ex-Chancellor aged 87 should reply to a book published by a Chancellor who died at 80, referring to two other ex-Chancellors who died at 90 and 92. Mr. Lecky's new book will be out next week, and is anti cipated with much interest. Professor Plumptre having succeeded so well in translating Sophocles, has now in the press a transiation of }Eschylus. Mr. Collett Sandars has coming out a translation of Uhiand's poems, a work in which, as an uld translator of the same poet, I may be permitted to feel bpecial interest, Mr, Charles Lever's tale " That Boy of Norcott's," which has been appearing in the Cornhill for some months, is published in two volumes, and Mr. Trollope's " Phineas Finn " appears in like form. Mr. Charles Reade's new tale in the Cornhill will shew up Trades Unions. Mr. Woods, one of the chief writers on the Times staff, has joined the Belgravia. The story now being published in the Victoria Magazine is by Miss Ca,ulfeilil, a Bath lady, and "Estelle," which is now appearing in Macmillan's, is, I believe, by Miss Olney, the author of several tales which have appeared in the Western Morning News. The same maga zine will, in its May number, begin a new story by the authoress of " John Halifax." MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. THE DIVISION ON MR. FAWCETT'S CLAUSE. An analysis of the division list on Mr. Fawcett's clause furnishes another illustration of the firmness with which the Conservatives hold together, and also the conflicting elements now represented on the Treasury side of the House. Among the ICS members who voted for the clause, only one Conserva tive appeared, viz., Mr. Beresford Hope. Per contra, no fewer than twenty Liberals deserted their party, and voted with the majority (108) against the mea sure. They are :—Mr. Barclay (Taunton), Mr. Brand (Hertfordshire), Mr. H. A. llrassey (Sandwich), Lord Bury (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Mr. H. Edwards (Weymouth), Mr. J. J. Ennis (Athlone), Colonel French (Roscommon), Hon. E. F. L. Gower (Bodmin), Mr. E. Haviland- Burke (Christchurch), Mr. H. A. Herbert (Kerry), Mr. A. Matheson (Ross), Mr. W. H. Maxwell (Kirkcudbright), Mr. Milbank (North Riding), Mr. Mitchell (Bridport), Mr. Lowe Jones- Parry (Carnarvonshire), Mr. Pochin (Stafford), the Hon. W. 0. Stanley (Beaumaris), Mr. Talbot (Glamorganshire), Mr. Watkin Williams (Denbigh shire), Mr. Brydges Willy ams (E as t Cornwall). This list comprises some of the strongest Liberals in the House of Commons, and a few of them have generally been put down as holding " advanced" views. Mr. Baines and Mr. M'Laren acted as tellers for the Ayes, and Colonel Barttelot and Mr. Floyer fo ":ie Noes. TWO BILLS. f i'wo bills issued yesterday are of importance, the one having for its object the repeal of religious tests in the universities, the other further regulating the Sunday liquor traffic in Ireland—the one removing obstacles in the way of the pursuit of knowledge, the other attempting to make the road of vice more difficult to tread. Sir J. Coleridge's name still backs the Abolition of Tests Bill, and though it is given out that his name is there in his private capacity, it is understood that the Cabinet as a body intends to support the measure. It contains only seven clauses, the effect of which may be very shortly stated. Persons taking lay academical degrees and candidates for professorships are not to be required to subscribe to any formulary of faith or to make declarations concerning their religious belief. This provision does not apply to to collegiate offices ; but with regard to these the Act of Uniformity and some other Acts are repealed. A special clause is inserted providing against the application of the measure to the celebration of public worship. The Sunday Liquor Bill is backed by Major O'Reilly, Mr. Pim, and Mr. Peel Dawson. It seeks to enact that no liquor shall be sold on Sunday, Good Friday, or Christmas Day, except between the hours of two and nine in towns, and two and seven in rural districts. In rural districts the magistrates are to have power to allow houses to be open between seven and nine; and in towns the governing body has power to declare the place a rural district for the purposes of the Act. The penalty for infringing the Act is five pounds for each offence. MR. HARVEY LEWIS. It is a pity that the senior member for Marylebone does not follow the example of Mr. Gordon, one of the defendants in the prosecution against the Overend and Gurney directors. Mr. Gordon declares himself innocent of the charges brought against him, and there are many persons who believe that, however it may fare with his fellow directors, he, at least, will be acquitted. At present he has merely been com mitted for trial without any expression of opinion on the part of the committing magistrate. Neverthe less, Mr. Gordon ha s res ign ed all his directorsb ipsra,ther than that the companies with which he was connec ted should suffer through his relationship with them. Mr. Harvey Lewis will do nothing of the sort. True, a judge has accused him of fraud and falsehood; true, that judge has declared that he and his co-defendants ought to be turned out of the court ; true, some of Mr. Lewis's constituents have expressed their con viction that he ought to resign. But he declines to do so ; he asserts that he has a good answer to the charges brought against him. lie may have ; but it is not right that an important borough like Maryle bone, containing some of the highest class electors in the kingdom, should be represented by a member who is open even to the suspicion of such charges as those which the Vice-Chancellor has denounced. Boroughs cannot afford to wait while their members are clearing their characters. Gentlemen who have to go through that process ought not to have their attention diverted from it by Parliamentary duties. THE SALFORD ELECTION PETITION. Baron Martin's decision in the Salford election petition is being severely canvassed. The evidence spewed that there was a swarm of paid canvassers, that seventy-two cabs were engaged in defiance of the express prohibition, that pugilists and mobs of roughs were hired to intimidate the electors, that beer was flowing freely, and that in two or three instances there was actual bribery, though the amounts paid were absurdly small. Nevertheless the sitting members are declared duly elected. It is impossible to conceive a more discreditably conducted election than this; and yet it is allowed to stand. The only inference is, that neither the Reform Bill nor the Corrupt Practices Act has been of any appreciable benefit. There is no reason why elec toral vices should not prevail as much as before. NOVEI r N !MrEVES AT LARGE. Some statistics are published as to the number of known thieves at large. The police tell us that they kno w in the town of Bedford 25 members of the profession who prey on other people for existence ; in Boston there were in September last 33 ; in Great Grimsby, 136 ; Kidderminster, 42 ; King's Lynn, 16 ; Leam ington, 53 ; Louth, 28; Newcastle-under-Lyne, 30 ; Stamford, 16 ; Warwick, 24 ; Wisbeach, 24 ; Cam bridge, 139; Colchester, 86; Coventry, 69; Great Yarmouth, 107 ; Ipswich, 61 ; Lincoln, 40 ; North ampton, 63 ; Shrewsbury, 26 ; Walsall, 210 ; Wor cester, 113 ; Birmingham, 1,732 ; Leicester, 147 ; Norwich, 192; and Wolverhampton, 337. With statistics so exact, the police ought certainly to beable to perform the duties which are to be imposed upon them by the Government Suppression of Crime Bill. TIM AGRICULTURAL RETURNS. Complaints have been freely made that the agri cultural returns of the Inland Revenue Department are not published until they are too late for practi cal purposes. The farmers want the returns of the harvest soon after the harvest, and not at the end of the year. Mr. James Caird, writing to the Times, says: "A summary of the facts was published on the 20th of September, and appea re d i n a ll th e news p a p er s. Every one interested—consumers, producers, and the corn trade alike—had equal opportunities of studying and calculating the probable results indicated by the returns. The farmers, warned by the large increase in the breadth of wheat and the fine quality of the crop, had the opportunity, if they chose to avail them selves of it, of being the first in the market; the consumers soon participated in the consequent gradual reduction of price, and the corn trade no doubt acted with that am ount of caution which discouraged excessive importation at prices which might otherwise have proved disastrous to them selves and th e i r corres p on d en t s . The full returns in detail were not ready for publication till the close of the year. But the summary contained all that was necessary for the guidance of those interested in the national supply of bread, and its publication so early as the 20th of September was, in my judgment, most creditable to the departments concerned." THE PRESERVATION OF SEA BIRDS. A correspondent of the Times, who agrees heartily with Mr. Sykes's measure for the preservation of sea birds, writes urging that its provisions shall be extended to Scotland. " For the last twenty years," he says, " immense numbers of sea-fowl of all kinds have been netted and killed in the height of the breeding season on Ailsa Craig. The tenants of the rock, which in extent ranks next to St. Kilda and Barra Head, in the British Islands, have hitherto looked upon the feathers of the birds as the principal source of revenue out of which their rent has to be paid. I have been many times upon the rock, and have seen thousands of kittiwakes, puffins, and guillemots slain by the fowlers. Their practice has been to spread nets over the rocks and broken boulders at nightfall, when the poor birds were either sitting on their eggs or cowering beside their callow brood, and return to them during their morning rounds for the purpose of twisting the necks of the fluttering captives, who had been entangled as they quitted their holes at daybreak. On the last occasion of my visit, I observed both eggs and dead young birds in some of the burrows of the puffins ; and I have at other times counted nearly 2,000 carcases in one heap ready for being sent to the mainland." Certainly a practice in itself bad if suppressed in England, where there i s no. organisation pursuing it, should be prevented in Scotland, where whole villages live to a large extent upon it. THE PROSECUTION OF MR. BENNETT. The prosecution of the vicar of Frome, who is charged with heresy for teaching the doctrine of the Real Presence, is to be proceeded with, and will in all probability shortly come before Sir R. Phillimore in the Court of Arches, The uew Bielm of London. however, seems to nave a strong ork"--arr-, Vl3 13 - ,-: ceeding in the matter, believing, probably, that any attempt to define rigidly a doctrine of such a mys terious character as the Sacramental Presence in the Eucharist must fail, or that if it should succeed great harm would be done. lle therefore declines to grant any aid to the pro secutors. The effect of this refusal will be that some important evidence will not be producible (we presume that Mr. Bennett's essay in " The Church and the World " is referred to, as that was published in the diocese of London). The Church Association now contemplate applying for a Manda?)27lB to compel Bishop Jackson to render the same aid as was afforded by Archbishop Tait. THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS. There is such a society; although probably very few of our readers have ever heard of it. It has just held its 131st anniversary festival. This " festival" was not, as some would have expected, musical, but gastronomical. Instead of pieces there were courses ; instead of songs, toasts. It was stated that the society had £70,000 in the funds, which gave an annual income of i!2,200. It was not stated how this moneywas spent, and the chairman (Lord Stanley) in his speech made an apology for the society's existence, more elaborate than convincing. The Solicitor- General made one of those flattering speeches about the chairman which are as much a staple portion of these " festivals " as the turtle soup or the ice. We need hardly add that, under these circumstances, the festival was highly harmonious in the metaphorical sense of the word. 3111. COSTA. Mr. Costa may be consoled for having to surrender his baton as conductor of the Opera. Ile has just received a mark of signal favour from the King of Wiirtemburg, an accomplished musician, who has conferred an order upon Mr. Costa as a mark of his Majesty's admiration for the composer of the oratorio " " Naaman " is to be performed in Germany during the autumn. THE ADULTERATION OF SEEDS. Eiforts are being made by those interested in tho seed trade to obtain some additional legislation in reference to it. There are great complaints of the admixture of killed German rapeseed with English turnip seed, which it resembles in appearance, and also of the killing and colouring of inferior and cheap clover seeds and trefoil for the purpose of adulteration. There is already a law in force which provides a remedy for any person who purchases seeds and sustains a loss thereby, the vendor being made responsible ;` but this is not considered sufficient, and great dissatis faction exists on the subject. A bill has accordingly been prepared with the view of repressing the practice of adulteration. It pro vides that killing or dyeing seeds shall be an offence punishable by a fine not exceeding £5O and costs. Seeds are killed by several processes, such as steam ing, scalding, baking, drying in kilns, &c., any of which destroys their vitality. They are coloured by dyeing, sulphur smoking, and other means, with the object of mixing undetected with seeds of a different kind and colour. It is at once evident that such practices, if they prevail to any extent, must be nost detrimental to the agricultural interest, and it is only reasonable that the cultivator should be protected against them by law. For a second offence it is provided that the court shall have the power, besides inflicting the fine, to order the publication of the offender's name, occupa tion, and place of business by the informant or pro secutor. The offender may be prosecuted under the Petty Sessions Act, or before a metropolitan stipen diary magistrate, and in cases where the fine shall exceed £5, he shall have the right of appeal to the luarter sessions. No summary conviction under this Act shall be quashed for want of form, or be removed by certiorari or suspension into any superior court, and its provisions shall not affect the remedy by civil process, which the person aggrieved has under the Act already in existence. This bill has been drawn up by Mr. Charles Sharpe, of Sleaf o rd, Lincolnshire. EMIGRATION. A Mr. *William Parfitt, in a letter to the Standard, ! flakes some remarks upon the proposed scheme for increasing the number of emigrants to Victoria, and hopes it may not prove another failure. He con siders that the postal question had better not be mixed with one that is commer cial. To do so would greatly increase the expense, and offer no corresponding advantages. He is against th e sc h eme o f an a lt erna t e mont hl y mail via the Cape, and thinks that the Cape route possesses advantages for a passenger and cargo line, but that it would require an enormous subsidy to mice it answer as a mail line, that irregularity would be created, and hale its efficiency for carrying cargc and emigrants would be destroyed. Mr. Richards, Commissioner of Crown Lands. Toronto, writes to Mr. Lynn on the subject of Canadian emigration, and considers the proposal that has been made relative to the reservation of land for intending English emigrants. He states on behalf of the department of Crown Lands, that they are willing to give a fair trial to the plan which has been proposed for free grants of land to be made to the emigrants to be reserved for them for six months, but he adds that the experience of the past does not encourage the department to make the experi ment again. _ FOREIGN NOTES. THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Yesterday General Ulysses S. Grant entered upon his term of office. Mr. Andrew Johnson retired into private life, and the twenty-first Administration of the United States was formally inaugurated. The ceremony took place at Washington. The head of the State was escorted to the capitol by a procession of the authorities and the people, and the oaths of office were administered by Chief Justice Chase. The day is ordinarily concluded by a grand inaugu: at'on ball. Deputations from all the States have come up to Washington to take part in this ceremonial. There is generally a great concourse of foreigners, but this year the capital has been literally invaded; for several weeks past not a single chamber in the city has remained vacant. Two oaths are required of the President—the old Constitutional one, by which he swears to preserve, maintain, and defend the Constitution ; the second, prescribed by a law passed during the civil war, by which he promises to esteem the Union as the fundamental principle of the Republic. General Grant is the eighteenth President. Three of his predecessors were Vice-Presidents who were elevated to the highest dignity by the death of the President ; and six were twice elected. General Grant enters upon his term• of office under circumstances which, though difficult, are less dangerous than those which his predecessors had to meet. Many of the most serious questions arising out of the civil war are virtually disposed of. Reconstruction is so far an accom plished fact, that some of the Southern leaders have manifested a desire to come to terms. Negro suffrage has gone through Congress, and is now left to the local legislatures. Congress, too, has taken up the question of debt redemption, and thus the new President will in all likelihood have nothing to do but ratify the decision of the Legislature. Above all, he begins his duties in the enjoy ment of unbounded popularity and confidence, and with the support of a large majority in both Houses. Never has the ruler of a people commenced his Government under more favourable auspices. THE BRAZILIAN SLAVE TRADE. " Justice to Ireland" has been followed in a small way by an act of justice to Brazil. In the year 1826, after Brazil had shaken off the authority of the Portuguese Government, a convention was concluded between England and the South American State, by which it was solemnly declared, first, that any Brazilian subjects engaged in the slave trade should be deemed and treated as guilty of piracy ; and, next, that a reciprocal right of search should be recognised, and mixed courts of adjudi cation established. The Brazilian Government readily struck this bargain, but shewed no haste to ratify it. The importation of slaves went on unchecked, and when the treaty lapsed, in 1845, the Brazilian Gov ern m ent did not pro pose any renewal of it. England then perpetrated a well intentioned, but wholly unjustifiable act. Our Government, under Sir R. Peel and Lord Aberdeen, concurred with the Opposition of the day, under Lord Palmerston, in passing an Act by which Brazilian slave dealers were to be regarded as pirates. The insulted Government of Brazil then encouraged slavery, but our cruisers not only roamed the seas, but entered Brazilian waters and Brazilian ports in quest of prey. These measures alarmed the South Americans, who passed a severe Act, the effect of which was that since 1855 not a single slave has been imported into the country. But our proceeding, though it has had this good effect, was thoroughly at fault in principle. It is now proposed that the Aberdeen Act should be repealed, and the admission is tolerably universal that it ought not to have been passed. The necessary measure has been read a second time in the House of Lords. AUSTRIA AND ITALY. The Vienna correspondent of the Liberte affirms that the Cabinet of Florence has for some time past striven to improve its relations with the Austrian Government. These ad, ~es have been reciprocated. An early meeting between the Emperor Francis Joseph and King Victor Emmanuel is under consideration. The negotiations undertaken with that object by the Italian Minister at . Vienna are likely to be successful. There is no apparent reason why these two States should not he friendly. They have much in common, whilst there is no reasonable ground for antagonism. GERMANY. The North -German Parliament was opened yesterday. The speech of the King of Prussia was strongly pacific. He alluded to the Paris Conference as an indication of the sincere desire of all Europe to avert war. itaz imaertant CLUUitiQD_ la to bpaightQre the Federal COVincil of Noßh Geiniaiii.Thisiiihreitiblisf l ' meat of a Federal Ministry of War, or, in other words, the concentration of all the War Departments of the different States into one administrative organisation, to be ruled over, of course, by a Prussian. Such a change has already been proposed, but as it would seriously infringe the prerogative of the smaller monarchies, it bee met with much opposition. This difficulty has been over' come. The King of Prussia will give up some of lug privileges in order to obtain this concession. VI, likely. King William has now th e comma nd of al l the North German forces in time of war, but, suppos ing that lie surrenders this position, he will clearly g et the best of a bargain by which the entire control over the War Departments of the Confederation will be transferred to Prussia. COUNT USEDOM'S DISMISSAL. Count Usedom, the Prussian Ambassador, bas not obtained leave of absence. It is tolerably certain that he has been dismissed in disgrace. Why the Prussian Government has taken this extreme course is not veil clear, but, according to the information of the Frenc h journals, Count Irsedom failed to keep pace with th e march of diplomatic events at Florence. Certain important intrigues in the Italian capital escaped his notice. " "'hat intrigues ?" asks the Temps. "Has the rumoured secret treaty between France and Italy been-concluded ? This is speculation, but the recall of the ambassador proveea that for once Count Bismarck has not had every - thing In g own way in European diplomacy. PARIS POLITICS. The Pall Mall Gazette gives an amusing exaMP l . ° of the contrivances by which the publi c of Po l l manages to eat of the forbidden fruit of politica' dis:cus3ion. A "conference," as it is called, Wa s held the other day in one of the theatres, the subject being " the phenomena of light." The " conference " did not include political phenomena in the treatment of 04 scientific subject. The lecturer, in order to demonstrate certain theories, proceeded to enlarge some photograll of celebrated persons. Now this being done by means 0 a strong magnesium light, all the theatre, except in the immediate neighbourhood of the operator,was in almost tow darkness. The audience could he heard, not seen. 5116 portrait of the Emperor was received with a storm , hisses and cries of " Turn him out I" " Vive la ritepuh. lique ! " " His time will soon be up !" &c. That of th e Empress met with a worse reception, if possible, than her husband's. On the other hand, the portrait of 3- 1611. milian was received with cheers and cries of " betrayed him ?" The experiments were brought to 411 end at once, but the agents were baffled by the darkne° THE LORD CRANCELLOR ON THE BANKRUPTCY LAW. co At a meeting of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce Wednesday the president gave an account of an intervi between a deputation from that body and the Lord C han for on the subject of bankruptcy law. Lord Hathetoi, indicated generally the views which be and Lis c o , leagues entertain with regard to bankruptcy re ore First of all, the creditors' interests must have n th e protection in the future than they have had in past. The new bill will define certain offence s o f obviously fraudulent, that the burden of the proof iv innocence is to be thrown upon the bankrupt. 1310 lordship is also prepared to give the creditor C to a certain proportion of a bankrupt's future accl° t wo property ; but he will go to the extent of saying tb st ot o claim should be to more than a proportion, and be ..., ni gh cover the debt to the extent of 10s. in the pound. !S differing from the Chamber on many points of detail Pv in the main at ono with them. DR. GOSS ON THE IRISH CHURCH . • clio - Last Sunday Dr. Goss. Bishop of the Roman Catholic es, cese of Liverpool, delivered a lecture at Preston on the (licilov tion, " Can the British Parliament disestablish and diser ge the Irish Church without being guilty of sacrilege r litic commenced by declaring that he stood aloof from P ° 7,4ee• strife, and his only aim was to vindicate Catholic priee:r t he An attempt was being made in Spain to di s connec" o r Church from the State, but that was being effected 8 , to titular sect, and not by the people themselves. With r esl) , ltd the Irish Church, he approved of that being disestablish6"' aot considered that the Government had a perfect right tot in the matter, because it was entirely a Parlia rec ;"becl , Church. Ho denied that the Church, when disestahlLs 10 would be free from Mate control; it would b e t he more so than the Catholic Church was free 01 that authority of the Pope or the Church of Scotland fr°, lll oo, of the National Synod. He did not know Mr. Glaas" nos but he did not approve of the attacks which were made u t s o e , him. People were apt to forget that he was a " dev c ; il of ten liever" in the Protestant Church, of which he had wel t proved himself to bo the champion. Dr. Goss t o on to declare that the Irish Church was a ° doe' of weakness to the English Church. As for the by trine of the Ritualists, that they could not be governq,a, Parliamentary power, he declared that the Church of t t he land was built up by successive legislative acts, and tha.„ocle• Irish Church was called into existence by a similar the Mr. Newdegate had lately made some observations ° ll ore Established Church being, charged by the State with thet, of souls, and he (Dr. Goss) contended that as the Churctate rived its power from the State, so in llke manner the 'too could either disestablish or diseudow it, and it was hi g h this should be done in Ireland. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. 6 , Three statements of excess of expenditure on Par 11411 : 3 :of tary grants have just been issued. For the n av y a su- gal £366,545 Ss. 6d. is required to defray the excess of the Da al expenditure for the year 1867-68. For the Post-offiee P service, £6,989 Os. 6d., this excess being partly 0 115 ' 18. pr/ 1, payments made in 1867-8 of arrears of charges 'from, e f o r 1866, and partly by payments on account of arrears oucia lighthouse and harbour dues from 1865, and for g r e ss o dock dues from 1861. The statement of Ocotte for the Civil Services amount to no less n ot £100,894 7s. 4d., but many of the items (1° 3 , e0 refer exclusively to the expenses of last ~00• The explanations at the conclusion tell us that the F i tb cipal portion is required to be voted in order to SO' deficiencies ascertained by the Public Account q_°°lloo/1 sioners, who have endeavoured to arrive at the ue tbed with Which the several departments should commencekice to accounts. Under the former system it was the Pr 3 : bo P; surrender as savings the amounts not issued from o tte" chequer on the 31st March, without taking into A' any further li a biliti es o f th e respec ti ve gra nts. 133 ;0 0r means the actual state of the accounts wa g sti r rightly ascertained, and savings were sorrW irnes arg ed. rendered, while liabilities w er e l e ft to be diS el „ 0,01 Thus £196,136 14s. 7d. is required for the Count tiered borough police, while a sum of £6,000 had been su rre it46 6-1, ; to the Treasury as an apparent saving on the vote for to the It is fair to add that this large excess is chiefly clu e „je is payments for three, instead of two half years being ma stir the financial year of 1867-8. For the county courtsoo plem3ntary vote of £66,288 is required, while 0 5 4 T?: surrendered to the Exchequer in 1864, '66, and 'e ; s ere transactions belonging to this statement extend over ee dieog of years, and cannot be fully explained without %a the time and trouble. It is satisfactory to know that ' ln icor new system such an entanglement of accounts is° possible. LADVERTISEMENT.I—HoIIoway's Pills and w.-- - .,00P Rheumatism and Gout.—No diseases affecting re": 0 harass more than these ; none excite less pity ' 0 36 ceed thlm in severity of suffering. In the woo ' a poisonous cause of both distempers, which fci rt°l3 tiii° s may be constitutionally expelled by Holloway's S Aly Ointment and purifying Pills. The former sPse"' p atio s lieves the pungent shooting pain and acute inflawrbol e of the affected joint; these Pills cast out front th e , r betv system all noxious substances, matism, and disease disappear, and for a long time O Di with which g"";. e iaiti li absant. Holloway's preparations purify and filtering out the elements of disorders, wherebY P„.oreal comfort is insured, happiness and cheerfulness are se' and lasting benefit is conferred. torf oS t cleaarseseo LADVERTISEMENT ]—Consumption, and all bilious , — gr oal t ly stomach,and liver complaints in every stage are onlY ag ri° and accelerated by drugs of every description, but p c : pro a curable by Du Barry's health-restoring Revalenta Araluosidell as proved by thousands of cases which had been c° a ' 7° • ..4% 118 8 hopeless; such as indigestion (dyspepsia), cough, 'L i ,. sumption, habitual constipation, diarrhoea, all gasulousnir meuts, haemorrhoids, liver complaints, flatulency, o lds , biliousness, fevers, sore throats, diphtheria, catarrhs, ut, ila so fluenza, noises in the head and ears, rheumatism , P„iessoe, rities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeY droP acidity, palpitation, heartburn, headache, debil it i' oy g e st, cramps, spasms, nausea and sickness, even in preg"ls.7o tt o sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, scrofula, tightness o f '060, 11 1 pains at the pit of the stomach, and between the o° , ll , 13 0 of We quote a few.—The Pope's health restored by 10 0.0 Food. Cure No 68,413.—" Rome, July 21, 1866.---lb e co pia r yl the Holy Father is excellent, especially since, ab ala rm 13 0 40 1 other remedies, he has confined himself entirely to pia v ial Revalenta Arabica Food, of which he consume' — boo' DO at every meal. It has pro luced a surprising l y p i jae r . t x,' effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot P o 30 e r excellent food too highly." From the "Gazette_ber July 25. Cure No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, " iw se a chant, or Fernley, Surrey, of thirty years' dis ea de onel s of spitting of blood, liver derangem en t, and Part iai s ute*Cti Cure No. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord -r Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No. 49, 7: 0 •40 10 d 4 years' indescribable agony from dyspePsis , .ielco oB l , o o .l asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, th':ipoe" vomiting.-31ariaJoly." ImportantCaution.—Besc ar ol j• unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to W 1 % 00 0 0 470, authority, Baron Liebig's name is most audaciously ie.; VA 4 O In tirs, at Is. 14d.45.1b5i310. 225. ; 4 lbs 40s, -- Also Du BARRY'S REvAI,ENTA "„ A g ot 2 !,76 P c 1 "11 LATE POWDER is packed in tin canisters; for 12 cur - fo r - cups at 3s. 6d., for 48 cups at 65., for 288 cups at 305., A „ 550:,,,,100 at 55s.—being about one pen n y per cup. Tt Ns: rfloA are sent free of carriage in England on receipt' st reet, Order. BARRY DU BARRY and Co., No. 77, liege'''. don; and all Grocers and Chemists. Births. s tio Mums—On the 23d inst., at 22, Eaton-place, • wife of Colonel Charles Mills, of a son. o f Orgy NAPIER—On the 3d inst., at Devonport , the vf 0' tain Gerard Napier, R.N., of Her Maje st y 's daughter. Marriages. -ki roll et''' ' MARSHALL—HEADLAND—©n the 3d inst., at St- ~ ' "3 S, 1 ,11 ; tos to_ p li Westminster, Wm. F. Marshall, Esq. of 13r colnslDre, to Elizabeth, only daughter of the late Headland, Esq, of Potter IT ' au worth. .1., orris, Monurs— SHEIIRATT —On the 2d inst., George - - . or . of --. E,q., Lient R.M., to Elizabeth, eldest (laugh' Sherrat, Esq., of The Ryelands, Taynton. Deaths. valL ov , Furrox--On the Ist inst., at North Berwick, rt. Commanderaged 76. po liol GOUGII—On the 2d inst ,at St. Helen's, cellutt JO° Field-Marshal Viscou . nt K.P , aged 90. of PALIN -On the 3d inst , at Barnes, Helen, re lict Palin, LL.D., aged 9.1. DS ° / kg AN 4, ; London : Printed and Published by VTILLI --- ,,, n 0, O• of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tan SOT 00 3- Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, 1 1 3 tme Middlosoi.—Friday, March 5, 1869. J{INA This c e i, prize Merin It Purr Sold in the Agents 8, Observe t hates LL V 7 NT "JD 14, BUs A DVANCE bold or 1A . .; able vreekl3 rorras free i t oyA ....lir. Pat vocal and Z n gregate( nnin.—A nletuber Mr °Pen at 7 Private box 4 krA DA LIFE (the ftro tr I,I7I`IIER Bee n 01 , 1 ; Ain. Adria' extra room; A R EVE Gi ;LA. .wome v ktul C o. ha 4. an attracti b ailee 3lnal; Musics t r i4 al . 'or devilingnnel ORIGINAL Asiii °ffices— ~I T he I nver f rt t . e Revenu 8" mod emi ,US 11 for t 1 r n as S] end er them nve is gra n "uirty days a St ANIM N. 4 , ic ofr Gree t , t , , , us, Nvlic re ce i p --09 leas tha W. trBSCRI th 'lli ana; DE e Secreta atreet, Loudo:tualificati4 I'ernor, NATIOT _ htn Ric, !toter the pat] i reby a ht of all ag, j i " object R education, .1 laund ry, enitablo provided anal The Commis e ntirely sustai Office, 121, T TINE Au Pre • Meta reasurers— DONTATIC 13licied, to el exPencliture at Walton ; E Bankers °M em 32 %token' I,lol:tren— d the eB tltat o g, a ll a °f Orpi all d 0 8 Pero ns ei atit hn ndr 'Litton . Inc re I Ban ttd, w _".Sed Itac, tan ect,,nd i ti ubsc r ib eri etitution a `B,eculiar el ten,. 4 /343 last R 4 Offi )3, ea; 73 , 1 44 tacers_...l 0 ; arui m InEs II BAR ~-