The Sun. — London, England, 1858-01-01 00:00:00

Moiled in our last Overland issue, the Chapman and Velez were in the berth for London, and the Bench was loading for the colonies, and the Wy naud for Cowes for orders. The authorities, in answer to a petition regarding the currency from the native bankers, had forbidden any difference being made between the two dollars. This de. cision had met some opposition, but at the latest date had every prospect of being successful. The principal incident in the north has been a notification at Sliangliae from the Chinese Govern ment, prohibiting foreigners from going beyond treaty limits in their excursions into the interior. The Peking Gazette of October Ist contains a memorial from Yeh praying the Em peror to allow the usual inspection of the Kwangtung troops to be postponed until a more seasonable time. A letter has been received by the Shanghae Chamber of Commerce from Lord Palmerston, conveying his thanks to that body, for their approval, expressed at the public meet ing held at Shanghae ou the 26th May, of the Government measures; in the Canton affairs. Yeti's memorial, which we take from the North China Herald of Nov. 7, is as follows The Peking Gazette, dated Oct. 1, 1857, gives the following memorial from Yeh-ming-chin, Mini ster of State, and Governor-General of the Two Kwang : "I, Yeh-ming-chin, humbly memorialise your Majesty, respecting the impracticability of inspect ing, as established by law, the military of Kwang tung during the current year ; and request that your Majesty will grant permission to defer the in spection till the military are loss actively employed, when I will examine them as to their abilities, and then act in obedience to your Majesty's commands; I therefore pray your Majesty to cast your august glance on this my respectful memorial." I received a despatch from the military board, forwarded by the Privy Council, informing me that on the 19th Feb., 1857, it had received an Imperial edict as follows : " The period has again arrived when it has b-- come necessary the Fuhkeen, Chekeang, Kwang tung, and Kwangse military should ba examined and inspected. We have, therefore, appointed Ye h-ming-chin to inspect the military of Kwantung. and select those soldiers who are fit for duty, and discharge those who are unfit. If men are found in the ranks who are unable to perform their ex ercises, and incapab'e for military use, then the officers in charge of them must be degraded and reported. Do not view this matter as of no im portance. Respect this. " it is accordingly my duty to examine into the state of the Kwaugtung military, and take steps accordingly ; but I find on exaanivation that, dur ing the last few years, the military of Kwangtung have been actively employed ; and that several of the regiments wore sent to other provinces, where they have been since employed on active service. " Since the autumn of last year, when the British barbarians first commenced to create trouble at Canton city, the Manchoo and Chinese troops, t ',wither with the river and sea force', have been still more moved from one spot to another, and although at present the barbarians aro a little quieter than before, still it would be in the present state of affairs wrong to recal the troops from de fending Canton. I find that there are in the whole province of Kwangtung 31 military cantonments, the troops of which are being every now and then removed from one station to another, as there is fighting going on everywhere. Hence I cannot res eal the troops frcm the stations ; and consequently cannot now exercise and inspect them. " May I therefore pray your Majesty to be pleased, i . n consequence of the troops being at pre sent actively engaged in defending the city of Can ton, and in destroying the barbarians, to allow that the usual inspection of the Kwangtung military be put off till the times are quieter, when I will exa mine and see them perform their exercises. Should there be any useless soldiers, men who cannot de fend the nation nor destroy the barbarians—l shall, when I inspect them, do_;rade the officers or dis miss them from the service. I shall not dare to show them any protection." Considerable anxiety hasbeen caused at Shanghae by the appearance of a proclamation by the chief magistrate Hwang, forbidding foreigners to 'o farther into the interior than the distance stipulated by ti eaty. Of course the Chinese have a right to insist on the exact terms of the treaty, but M this proclamaiion they have broken it themselves by the frequent use of the obnoxious term "Bar barian ;" and moreover there has been for so long a time permission given to go further than the prescribed limits, that this sudden pull on the check-string created no small astonishment and some uneasiness. The following is the preclana ion Hwang, Chief Magistrate of the district of Shang hae, in the pi efecture of Sangkeang, in the pro vince of Reangsoo, issues the following perspi cuous proclamation : I have had the honour to receive a dospatch from his Excellency See, the Superintendent of Customs, informing me that he has had the honour to receive a despatch, together with copy of a memorial to his Imperial Majesty, from his Excellency the Gover nor, as follows : " With respect to foreign merchants purchasing and transporting cocoons out of the country, I for merly took the matter under consideration, and decided that a duty, in accordance with the spirit of the treatie-, should be levied on cocoons ; and explained distinctly that the laws prohibited, and did not allow foreigners to secretly proceed into the interior. On the 16th September, 1857, I, in con cert with the Governor General, respectfully memo rialised. his Imperial Majesty, for the second time, on the subject. Besides waiting till I have received his Majesty's commands, when I will respectfully make a copy of them for transmission to my subor dinates for their guidance, it is proper that I should now, however, make a copy of my memorial and send it to you, the superiniendent of customs, for your information and guidance. I have, therefore, now to explain to you the prohibitory laws, that you may continually bear them in mind and take heed that they are strictly carried out ; at the suite time you will rigorously order the prefects to transmit your instructions to the several magis trates to issue proclamations to the people of their districts, that should any evil-disposed Chinese league themselves with barbarians and together dare to proceed into the interior, no matt• r whether they have caused any disturbance or not, they will b.: immediately arrested and punished with the ut mo-t rigorousness, while the barbarians will be taken into custody and handed over to their consuls to be kept under rigorous control and be punished as laid down by the treaties. I, the Superintendent of Customs, find on exa mination of this case that it is ou record that an Imperial Edict was formerly received respecting foreigners proceeding into the into! for ; and that his Excellency the late Superintendent of Customs, respectfully caused copies of it to be made, and transmitted to his subordinates, ordering them to act in accordance thereto. As I, the Superin tendent of Customs, have now received the above mentioned despatch and memorial from, his Excel lency the Governor, it is my duty, besides writing to my other subordinates, to now write to you, the Shaughae magistrate, and euclose a copy of the memorial in question, that you may take measures accordingly." Having received his ExcAlency the Superinten d, n of Cu tows' dtspatch, together wilt a copy of the memorial, it is now my duty to issue the ful lowiue• " proclamation : I, the magistrate, have therefore now - to inform ou the military and people of the Shanghae cis trict that, from the issui ng o f this proclamation,, you must examine, and act in accordance with, the foreign treaties ; that foreign merchants are not permitted secretly to proceed into the interior ' • that evil disposed Chinese are not allow e d to guide foreigners secretly into the interior : and that, should any persons dare intentionally to violate this prohibition„ no matter whether they have clawed a disturbance or not, they will assuredly be ariested and 'rigorously dealt with ; and the foreign! rs will be handed over to their consuls to be rigorously controlled and punished, as laid down by the trtaties. No indulgence will he shown. Let all yield a reverential obedience. Da not dis obey. A special proclamation. Shanghae, Oct. 21, 1857. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. IMPORTS. COTTONS.—Shirtings : In the early part of last month, sales to a modera:e extent were effected at prices gusted in our last report, but the demand soon subsided, and latterly the market has been quite at a Stand. Advices of large transhipments from Calcutta have made the principal holders eager to sell, but at present there are no buyers even at our quotztions which are 15 to 20 candarcens lower than last month's, and at considerable supplies must be close at hand we look for a further dtciine. TLe arrivals from Great Britain are the Isabella Ile:cus and the Ab lul Medjid, which have brought about 77,000 pieces. The deliveries from sth to 31st ult, amount to 51,000 pieces of grey and 11,000 pieces white, and the stock in foreign warehouses may be estimated at 315,000 pieces grey and white. °Plum- wa, 59th. a 575 t. Shanghad silver; Patna, 5351. a 530 t., do onward tendency. Stoc:c on 21 Oct. was— 3,080 ohs. Mal wa, 900 chs, Patna. Arrivals since then are-1,665 ohs. Malwa, 1,312 chs. Patna. Total -4,745 chP. Maiwa, 2,212 ch. Patna. Deliveries since ditto-515 chs, 3.llilwa, 408 Patna. Present stock -4,230 chs. Malwa, 1,804 Patna. EXPORTS. _ TsAA—The past month has been one of the dullest HE SUN, LONDON, FRIDA EVEN IN G, JANUARY 1, 1858, ever known for this article at the present season of the year—the natives preferring to await the arrival of the English mail before submitting to a reduction in price, and foreigners not being at all anxious to settle at the late high rate ; the amount of business done in congou has therefore been extremely small. Now that the Chinese have learnt that the English market had not improved so much as they expected up to the advices to 9th September to hand on 3d instant, and that the stocks here are accumulating fast, are now showing some anxiety to settle, and we look for further decline before another month has passed. The small settlements of tea both here and at Foochow are beginning to affect the export, which now shows a defi ciency of 3,461,413 lb. as compared with that to the same period of last year. SILL—The advices from Europe continue adverse — the latest dates convey the impression that the market was unduly depressed by random statements of an ex cessive import from China—such is not the case ; the export already shows the large deficiency of 10,000 bales, and the arrival of silk from the interior exhibits still more unfavourably, being 48,000 against 61,000 at same period last season. There seems to be great probability that theseimportant features will be maintained. Buyers have shown more caution of late, the favourable position of the export and settlement as compared with the impression in London has only led to a fair average business of 6,000 bales fur the month, making a total of 40,000 set tled to present date against 57,000 last season. Prices are easier ; at the present low rate of Exchange silk lays down in Europe from 5 tollo per cent. cheaper than advisod in oar last. The stock numbers 6,000 bales chief medium to common sorts; good of any description is now scarce. EacaANGE.•—Bank Bills, 6s. 7d. to 64. 74d. Credits, 63. Bd. to 6-?.. 81d. Documentary, 6s. 9d. On Bombay, ;00 r. On Calcutta, 295 r. nominal. On Hong Kong, 25 to 25. per cent, discount. BULLION-740 Shanghae taels 1000 clean Mexican dole. 105 to 115 Chopped dole. per 100 Shanghae taels. Pe king gold, 158 Shanghae taels per bar of 9t. 7m. 3c. Soochow gold, 156 Shanghae taels per bar of 9t. 7m. 3c. FREIGHTS.—Rates continue without any alteration, and there is abundance of tonnage. To London, 3/. for tea, and 61. for silk. To America, 10 dole. per 40 feet. 1858 -Fail not to begin the NEW YEAR • with a DIARY. LETTS'S are kept by every bookseller in the kingdom. Catalogues gratis. Those generally adopted by LADIES are Nos. 10, 12, 18, 20, ARMY and NAVY, 8,9, 10, I 1 22, plain or elegantly bound. in perpetual sprg. lock cases, GENTLEMEN, 8,9, 10, 11, etc MERCHANTS, BANKERS, In perpetual sprg- lock cases. ENGINEERS, etc. 5%, 52, 53, CLERGYMEN, 9, 10, 12, 12 enl. 1,2, 3,6, 8,9, 11, with Dr. and Tablet, Sermon books, etc. Cr. forms, 38, 4e, 1I e, etc. MEDICAL MEN, I, 2,8, 9, 10, TRADESMEN, 4, 5, 11, 13, 15 , Medical, Professional, etc. Dr. and Cr. forms, 38, I le, etc. LAWYERS, 51, 52, 1, 2. 8,9, the FARMERS. 4, 5,6, 7, 11, 13, etc. Scribbling, plain or interlvd. MECHANICS, 18.6 d., Is 9d., 64. i. LE rrs, SON, and Co., Stationers & Mapsellers,B, Royal Exchange. H ER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, LUCIA DI•LAMMERMOOR. Piecolomini, Spezia, Giuglini, Belletti, Rossi, Vialotti, and TO-MORROA EVENING (Saturday, Jan. 2), LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR. Prices :—Pit Stalls, 121 6d; boxes (to hold four persons) pit and one pair, 21. 2s; grand tier, 3/. 3s ; two pair, 1/. ss. three pair, 15s ; gallery boxes, 10$ ; gallery stalls, 3s 6d pit, 3s 6d; gallery, 2s. T HEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET, Lessee—Mr. J. B. Buckstone. THIS EVENING, to commence at Seven o'clock, with SPEED THE PLOUGH. Characters by Mes:;Ts. W. Farren, Compton, Chippendale, Mrs. Poynter, Mrs. E. Fitzwillia.n, and Miss E. Ternan. After which, a new comic Christmas Pantomime, entitled THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD; or, Harle quin and the Spiteful Fairy. Harlequin, Mr. A. Leclercq ; Columbine, Miss Fanny Wright; Pantaloon, Mr. Mackay ; Clown, Mr, Charles Leclercq. qrchestra Stalls (which may be retained the whole of the eveninml.. 6s. each. ( No charge for booking.) ~,,.. First Price. s. d.l Second price. s. d Dress Boxes 5 0 Dress Boxes 3 0 I Tpper Boxes ... 3 01U 2 0 _ _ Pit 2 0 Pit. Gallery ~ 1 0 ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—LAST NIGHT OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND, THIS EVENING. On Saturday, THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. On Monday next Mr. Charles Keau will make his first ap pearance these two years in the character of Hamlet. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Proprietor, Mr. Charles Kean. THIS EVENING, will be performed Sllakwere's Tragedy of KING RICHARD 11. King Richard 11., by Mr. Chas. Kean ; Queen, by Mrs. C. Kean. After which, a new grand comic Christmas Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN WHITE CAT ; or, The Princess Blanche Flower and her Fairy Godmothers. The Princess Blanche (White Cat), Miss Kate Terry ; Harlequin, Mr. Cor mack.; Clown, Mr. Huline ; Pantaloon, Mr. Paule ; and Columbine, Miss C. Adams, T HEATRE ROYAL, A.DELPHE Lessee—Mr. Ben. Webster. THIS EVENING, THE WEPT OF THE WISH-TON WISH. Mr. Wright and Madame Celeste. After which, a Mythological Extravaganza, entitled HARLEQUIN, OR THE LOVES OF CUPID AND PSYCHE. Jupiter, Mr. Paul Belford ; Mars, Mr. Frank Hall; Venus, Mrs, Billin;ton; Cupid, Miss Mario Wilton; Psyche, Miss Mary Keeley. R OYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.—SoIe Lessee and Manager, Mr. C. Dillon.— THIS EVENING, will be p esented. Sir E. L. Bulwer's play of RICHELIEU. Richelieu, Mr. Charles Dillon ; Ba radas, Mr. Stuart ; De Mansprat, Mr. J. G. Shore ; Joseph, Mr. Barrett ; Julie, Mrs. Charles Dillon ; Francois, Miss W•olgar. To conclude with the Burlesque and Pantomime, LA LLAH ROOKII, and the PRINCESS, the PERI, and the TROU BADOUR ' • or, Harlequin and the Ghebers of the Desert. Supported by Mesdames Charles Dillon, Buckingham White Eliza Webb, Maria Ternan, Esther Jacobs, and Woolg,ar Messrs. Barrett, Calhaem, Holston, Fitzhenry, Poynter, and J. L. Toole. Clowns, Messrs. T. Matthews and R. Stilt ; Harlequin, Mr. J. Ricketts; Pantaloon, Mr. A. Stilt ; Sprites. Herr Zeleski and Pons ; Columbines, Misses A. Malcolm and Lees. Gorgeous Feast of Lanterns.—Fenton's Grand Trans formation Scene. Doors open at half-past 6, to commence at 7. Morning Performance on Saturday (To-morrow), on which occasion the Boys of the Licensed Victuallers' School will attend.—Doors open at 2, commence at half-past 2. '3ox.office open from 11 to 5 daily. 1) OPAL SURREY THEATR E lal Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswiek. THIS EVENING, will be performed BROKEN FAITH. After which, QUEEN MAB ; or Harlecpin Romeo and Julliet. Clown, by the Surrey Buck ; Pantaloon, Mr. Brad bury. STRAND THEATRE.—Lessee, Mr. T. Payne. —THIS EVENING, will be performed HARLEQUIN NOVELTY AND THE PRINCESS WHO LOST HER HEART. Harlequin, Miss Craven; Columbine, mope, Devlin ; Sprite, Herr Kirt. The Laml , ert Family and the Red Man of Agar in their wonderful performance, Commence at Seven. Stalls, 3s. ; Boxes, us.; Pit, ls.: Gallery 6d. , CANTERBIJRY HALL, Westminster-road.-- OPEN EVERY EVENING.—The follow company of Vocalists are engaged for the performance of , b-ctions from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS, CHORUSES, GLEES, DUETS, &c., viz.:—Miss Russell, Ctrs. Badzey, Madlle. Marietta, Miss Brunel', Miss Ray, Madame Bartoletti, Mi=s Montague, and Madame Marietta ; Herr F. Jonghmans, Mr. Renshaw, R. Grover, T. Farrant, 8. Jones, J. Barker. W. Melling, Senor An'onio, E. L. Rime, Mr. Badgey, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Bell, and biz*. Ber nard; Messrs. S. Collins. W. 1. Critchfield, and E. Mack ney. Pianoforte, Mr. Cecil Hicks; harmonium, Master Williams ; Director, Herr F. Jonghmans. Commence at Seven o'clock precisely. Suppers, &c. until twelve o'clock. Mr. Auousrus BRAIIAM will make his first appearance on Monday, the 25th inst. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. t'urs DAY—Morn., 45 min. aft. 2 —Even., 10 min aft 3 To•MORROw—Morn., 35 min. aft. 3—Even., 0 min. aft. 4 THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, JANUARY 1. IHERIIO3IETER, IN THE &lAD& 45—highest since noon yesterday. 40 —lowest this morning and during the night. 41 —this day at noon. BAROMETER, 30.52. WIND, Westerly ; light, with very fine weather. .• '1" 1 •-•-c1!)›-1 e , Q - 11 !.+.) tained at the Bank of England at 8 per cent, while only 5 per cent. is charged in Paris, and it needs no elaborate arguments to prove that, under such circumstances, and the general col lapse of credit, trade, commerce, and manufac tures mustt, be paralysed, and that business which we might obtain will be transferred to the other side of the Channel. We fear that the opening of the budget will disclose a very untoward state of affairs, and that an excuse will be sought by the CHANCEL LOR of the EXCHEQUER to impose additional imposts on the already overburdened tax-payer. It is, however, but right to add that a portion of the present deficiency may be ascribed to the reduction that took place in the beginning of the year in the Income-tax, and the duties on tea, coffee, and sugar. With respect to the particular items, we find in the Customs that the decrease of the year, half year, and quarter, amount respectively to 1,154,0231., 857,4911., and 642,1571. This last item is partly from the reduction of duties, but still more from a general diminution of con sumption of articles of comfort or luxury. The Customs revenue is generally regarded as indicat ing the state of commercial activity, and of course a considerable deficiency must have been looked for. But, as we have stated, next quarter will tell a still more pitiable tale than that which has just closed. Had it not been for the dearth of money, and the mercantile difficulties, we be lieve that the proved elasticity of our resources would have more than obviated the losses sus tained by the reduction of duties. The Excise, which is considered the index of the prosperity of the working classes, also shows a great falling off in every period of comparison— that on the year ,being 601,778/., for the nine months 693,0001., and for the quarter 47,0001. This last is not as great as might have appeared probable ; but stocks had been suffered to get rather low, and hence larger returns were obtained then might otherwise have come to hand. In the Stamps there is a small increase on the year of 9511. ; but the decrease on the nine months is 102,9861., and on the quarter 77,0001. The monetary difficulties, which so greatly affected transactions that would have been settled by bills of exchange, produced this inauspicious result. In taxes there was a small decrease on the year of 1,0061., on the nine months of 12,0261., but an increase on the quarter of 5,000/. These charges generally remain almost stationary, and the latter may be ascribed rather to greater strin gency on the part of the collectors, than to any decided improvement in the amount to be col lected. In the Property Tax the failing off is very heavy, that for the year being 890,4251., for the nine months 951,9371., and for the quarter 615,0271. The reduction of the war 9d., as it was termed, must, to a certain extent, be taken into account. But as yet the relief has only been partial. It is only by fundholders and Go vernment cfficials, where the amount due is de ducted from dividends or salaries, that the change is as yet felt. Few if any of those paying under the more important and productive schedules have as yet paid their contributions to the ex che - per under this head. The 31st of March will tell a more serious tale, which will go on quarter after quarter for another year. We shall not before the end of September ascertain the full extent of the loss to the revenue. The Post-office constitutes an exception to the general rule. There we find an increase of 122,8481. on the year, of 106,0001. on the nine months, and of 62,0001. on the quarter. This is satisfactory, although probably there has been a corresponding increase in the expenditure by which it was produced. Besides, a period of commercial difficulty naturally leads to an addi tional number of deceiving letters and apologetic answers ; so that the deficiencies in other depart ments is not shared by the department at St. Martin's-le-Grand. In Crown Lands there is a decrease on the year of 11,2031., on the nine months exactly the same deficiency, and on the quarter of 4,0001. In Miscellaneous there is a considerable in crease. On the year, 705,9901. ;on the time quarters, 578,923/. ; and on the quarter, 529,8651. These results have, however, been mainly produced by the sales of stores, and other supplies, that cost very much moro to the nation than the sums for which they wore disposed of. If the difference could be ascertained it would astonish the tax-paying community, and lead them to doubt the prudence of the management that occasioned such heavy losses. On the whole, the general deficiencies, which would be much greater but for the last-mentioned exceptional item, are—for the year, 1,828,646/. ; for the three quarters, 1,943,7201. ; and fur the quarter, 788,3191., which constitute very un pleasant facts for the consideration of the Chan cellor of the Exchequer. As we have stated, it is as well as could have been expected under the circumstances of the country, but that was very bad indeed. As might have been expected, we now begin to hear objections whispered against the transfer of the Government of India to the QUEEN and Parlia ment. What reform ever wanted objectors and objections? Old Sarum and Castle Rising had their defenders, and so has the East India Company, and so would Naples or Pandemonium, if these places could come within the range of an Act of the British Parliament. Advocates for vested wrongs can always find some beauty or utility in a wrong which has existed for a century or centuries and which furnishes fees or salaries, or jobs for persons who do not like to lose them. And double government or quadruple government, will assu redly not want counsel who will try to impose on the people and mislead them, much as the Chartists misled the working people of England, when the Freetraders demanded the repeal of the Bread Tax. The grand argum,entunt, ad popidunt is of course the old one, in the case of the abolition of the East India Company. We are told that it will immensely increase the patronage of the Crown, and thereby render it far too powerful. We are told also that it will place in the hands of an ar bitrary monarch, whenever such an one may arise; an immense standing army in India such as he would never venture to keep for purely home ob jects ; an army which in perhaps forty days (when Sir CHARLES WOOD has ceased to preside at the Admiralty) may be transported from India to the shores of Etr.gland, and enable another CHARLES STUART to carry by some determined Minister his system of " Thorough." Do the objectors believe in their own argu ments ? Do they really think that such repro _ sentations have the same fo rce now as the y had bef ore t h e R e f orm Bill ? Do they really think that th ere i s no ava il a bl e counterpoise to any dan gerous; Patronage which may accrue to the Crown ? A rbitr:a r y GEort( ass, as were the tempers of the first three their despotism was obliged to work as best might, thr oug h th e i n strumentality of the great English parti es ; and Tories, as well as Whig ;, to do them justice, were never willing that t he Monarch of England should be an auk amt. Still less could he be so now. Notwith standing our determinatiOnto be ruled by a pure bred German family, notwithstanding our per verse refusal to let a drop of British blood conta minate the veins of the heirs to our throne, we contrive to cure the defect of race by an English education, and our German-bred Sovereigns, for the last reign or two at least, have shown not the slightest inclination to trench on popular rights and liberties. If there is any suspicion of our Germanised Sovereigns acquiring German tastes, then let them intermarry with thoroughly Eng lish families, and let us have not only natives of England, but natives of free English blood for our kings and queens. The danger from a standing army in India we certainly regard as chimerical. Centuries must elapse ere all the soldiers we can send there will not be wanted there. We could never denude India without danger of losing if, and this would be the case almost equally, whether we raised and equipped another native army or not. If we had no native army we could not of course with draw the troops ; and if we created one, we should —as we now know—need a strong British force to prevent another insurrection. Besides how could the movements of so many soldiers in India be bidden from the British public and British press in India itself ? and the very suspicion of such a conspiracy, backed by some corroborative circumstances at home, would cost any Monarch his throne, perhaps his life, before it could be completed. Can we, moreover, place no reliance on the stuff which British soldiers and officers are made of ? Could they be purchased by sandwiches and sherry ? Could they be ever trusted by any Monarch to plot against, and seize in their beds, the leaders of the Opposition, and all the Evaprsgs and NAPIERS who sympathised with the popular cause ? There is not a Tory at the Horse Guards who would not consider that such an order cancelled his oath, for ho would know that it could only be issued in violation of a Coronation oath. Our standing armies are, and always will be, armies of Englishmen, officered by Englishmen ; and woe to the Monarch who should attempt to make them the instruments of a coup d'etat. A despot first must place at their head all the penniless gamblers who had nothing to risk, which would create a mutiny amongst the officers, and next corrupt the privates themselves, no easy task at any time, especially when the nation was ringing with complaints of the officers placed over them. Not to dwell on such answers, for they are plentiful enough to the apparently liberal objec tions to placing the Government of India directly in the bands of the Crown, we have ono answer which, to us, is perfectly satisfactory, and that is, that it is easy if the people so will it, to increase their own power proportionately to any increase of that of the Crown. Hitherto the East India Company's civil service has been as close a job as any in the realm ; and, to us, it is no excuse that it is a middle-class job. Jobs are equally de testable under any Government. Transferring these appointments to the Crown will make them less of a job than now, for they will come more under the notice of Parliament, and the appointers will be continually liable to questions about the character and deeds of their appointees. They will be nominated at least under responsibility, and combining this with the previous examina tion of candidates, there will be less jobbing than ever. If Army Reform be honestly carried out— and it is the country's fault if it be not—the pa tronage in the army must also become less a mat ter of personal interest. Some considerable additional patronage, how ever, the Crown or its responsible Ministers will certainly gain. To meet this we demand an HONEST REFORM BILL. A real Reform Bill will answer all the objections which can be alleged against the most essential of Indian Reforms, on the score of increasing the power of the Crown. Singularly enough, the session which has to legis late for India, is the session in which a Reform Bill must also be brought forward. Now, then, is the time to demand that the people shall be really represented. First let us have an extended franchise, such a one that every decent man in town and country shall have a vote. We are not nice about mode. Household or rate-book Suffrage, or some which include the steady part of the nation. Second—Let us have Free Toting, for which, as Lord PALMERSTON well knows, there is but one mode. Let every man be trusted to give his vote, unbribed and unintimidated, by plicing it iu the custody of the Ballot Box. Lastly, let us have Parliaments of shorter dura tion, and therefore more directly responsible to the people. As to a, property qualification, we suppose no one will now defend such a rem nant of landlordism. Let then, our Reformers open their eyes, and prepare to be firm in their demands. The safety of India and good government there imperatively demand that the obstruction of a double govern ment be removed, and that the power of the Crown be thereby increased. The liberties of Eng- LATEST NEWS THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION. Yesterday, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Paris, the Plenipotentaries proceeded to the ratifications of the treaty relating to the new 'rolitier of Bessarabia. FRANCE. The letter of our Paris correspondent, dated yes terday (Thursday) evening, had not arrived when we went to press. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, Dec. 29.—1 t is related in diplomatic circles that the Convention for the regularwn of the navigation of the Danube has led to a lively and somewhat " acerb" correspondence between France and the German States which are traversed by the river in question. Austria, Bavaria, and Wurtem berg maintain that, as independent States, they have a right to conclude separate treaties, and the two Powers last mentioned are said to have roundly declared that they will not permit the Paris Conference to meddle in a matter which does not come within its jurisdiction. Sentence has at length been passed on Majir Count Hunyaday, who, some months ago, behaved so brutally to the poor man who had to provide quarters for the troops at Huttledorf, a village about five English miles distant from the capital. To the astonishment of military men as well as of civilians Count Hunyaday has only been sentenced to eight days' arrest. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, who yesterday dined with Prince Callimachi, the Turkish Ambassador, leaves Vienna for London this evening. The day before yesterday his lordship paid Prince Metter nich a visit, and remained with him above two hours. No fewer than 97 political and 257 non political papers will appear in Austria in the year 1858. Of the political papers, 58 are German, 10 Sclavonic, 19 Italian, 8 Hungarian, 2 Roman, and 1 Greek. It is related in the city as a positive fact that there is again a prospect of the Empress giving an heir to the throne, but the report cannot possibly be cor rect, for Her Majesty daily passes some hours in the saddle. PRUSSIA. BERLIN, DEC. 30. According to a notification made in the Stoats Anzeiger a few days back the Prussian Diet is to be opened on the 12th of next January. The new postal treaty lately concluded between Prussia and France comes into force on January 1 of next year, as the present one expires Decem ber 31 of this year, and it is left open to all and any of the States composing the Austro-German Postal Union to become parties to it. Most of the German States have intimated their accession to the treaty, which, in fact, contains many consider able improvements of the postal traffic with France, but Austria, Bavaria, and Baden are not among those that have joined it. Austria and Baden bare very lately concluded postal treaties with France, each separately ; but, as neither of these treaties contains anything at variance with that concluded by Prussia, it is hoped that they will all soon fuse into one. As regards the repeal of the usury laws, which the relative demand and supply of capital in Prus sia urgently calls for, it is not at all probable that any measure of this nature will be introduced this session. It is understood that Baron Brunow, the Russian Minister here, who has been re-appointed to our Court in the quality of Ambassador, will leave here in the course of January, and repair at once to his former post. Count Chreptowitsch, the present Minister of Russia at our Court, is expected to arrive here every day on his return from St. Peters burg and on his way to London, where he will deliver his letters of reeal. It his intention to imitate the example of his father-in-law, Count Nesselrode, and retire into private life. In the courae of January or February, Lord Wodehouse, also, our present Minister at St. Petersburg, will vacate that post ; having completed the Unlit fur which ho undertook it. Who his successor is to be has not yet transpired.; LONDON, FRIDAY, JAN. 1, 1858. The revenue retuma for the last day of the departed yeara ci re ua n r o t o f e w r ou e b n r e d fo in re g the us, and will be found in another part impres sion. As might have been anticipated from the severity of the commercial crisis, and the general want of employment in the manufacturing district ~ they exhibit a considerable falling off under every head that in any degree depends on the welfare and prosperity of the industrial community ; nor have we as yet t-xperienced the full effects of the de plorable calamities that have occurred sinc3 the com mencement of the panic. These effects will, we fear, be more clearly perceptible during the next quar ter, and the financial year, terminating on the 31st March, will exhibit in a much clearer light the impolicy of the existing monetary code, and of the encouragement afforded to " hard cal culators," at the expense of the best interests of the nation The rate of discount is still main- DER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The year 1857, as far as the Opera-house is concerned, has come to a cheerful termination, but last night "La Traviata" was revived, and Mademoiselle Piccolomini made her first appearance for the winter season. The book of the Opera is, to be sure, somewhat of the lachry mose order, but then the tears elicited by the work, and still more by the young artist, are of good substantial value. Jupiter might have shed them when he went to was Danae, and the golden shower would only have been increasing thereby. In short, whether in the regular or in the extra season, the first night of " La Traviata" (Mademoiselle Piccolomini of course in cluded) is a sort of festive occasion, and the Haymarket is thronged by a multitude whose appetite for the lyrical treat is stimulated to a degree that forbidden fruit can alone inspire. "Would I were a Jew 1" exclaimed a lover of swine's flesh, immortalised by Dr. Johnson, " for then I could eat pork with all the gusto of sinning." Wh 3 would not be the father of a family in a southern or eastern suburb for the sake of telling his neighbours that he hal taken an opera-box on purpose to see "La Tra viata r The audience hovered over by the last night of 1857 was in every way worthy of the established festivity —boxes all full, gallery and pit densely crammed. One almost regrets that the opera closed about 11 o'clock. It it had lastail an hour longer we should have " Tea viata'd" the new year is. Certainly Mademoiselle Piccolomini never sung better, or acted snore delightfully than last night. Her joyous scenes sparkled with playful coquetry—her bursts of passion were as spontaneous as they were powerful ; her (12a - h was a touching picture of the agony of a young, ardent being, who is forced to quit lite when she has first di,,covered that life is beautiful. In all phases, she completely charmed her audtence, and, the fall of the curtain was followed by calls of the good old fashioned school and a shower of .bouquets, ?thick tLe young vocalist picked up in her own semi-playful man ner. Most admirably, too, was she supported by Signor Giuglini, whose voice seemed finer than ever, and who use d it to the best purpose in depicting the devotion and impassioned despair of the infatuated Alfredo. Never was vocal talent mere eloquently employed. As the elder Germont, Signor Aldighieti did himself great credit. His voice, though not very powerful, is of good quality, and he sings with taste and expression. THE MILITIA. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sig,—Seeing in one of our local papers that it is the intention of Government to embody more militia regi• wants, tray I beg to suggest, through the medium of your valuable publication, that, as much as possible, the regiments should be raised from the di,tressed districts. In a letter in the Guardian, of the 30,11, I see there is much suffering in Mcelesfield and the neighbourhood, whero, it is stated, there are upwards of 300 men be longing to the lat Cheshire Militia, and which regiment velouteered some time ago to serve at home or abroad. These men, it appears, when last embodied, received the thanks of the Mayor and Corporation of Chester for their excellent conduct when quartered there, and I think former good conduct should not be overlooked when mon are starving and willing to serve.—Yours truly, A RATEPAYER, Manchester, Dec. 31, 1857. NICARAGUA. Respecting Walker, the filibuster, and his move ments, we have received the following communica tion : ASPINWALL, DEC. t. Walker, with his marauding force, appeared off Grey Town on the 24th Nov., and reconnoitred. The steamer in which he then was stood off, when it appears he approached the Colorado mouth of the river San Juan and landed 50 men, who estab lished themselves on a point where they could com mand the river. On the morning of the 24th the steamer Fashion, of Mobile, boldly entered the har bour of Greytown, ran up close to the buildings of the Transit Company on Point Arenas, the vessel carrying American colours, and then landed his re maining force of 150 men—with arms, ammunition, provisions, and field pieces. The commander of the American corvette Saratoga then interfered and prevented any appropriation of the premises ; he also informed Walker that he was not to meddle with Greytown. The filibuster chief then estab lished his headquarters in a, Ind near the said pre mises, and hoisted his Nicaraguan flag there— (blue, white, blue horizontal, with the lone star on the white ground). Some of his party took up their abode under some wretched sheds at the point ; here the flag was also displayed. During this time there was great consternation in the British consu late, as might be supposed, for the only recognised protector of Greytown is a British man-of-war. The American captain, in the absence of one, agreed to perform that friendly office. In the meantime, her Majesty's steamer Dee, that should have remained till the sth Dec., was got ready by the Ist, so as to acquaint the naval authorities at Navy Bay of the descent of the filibusters. The Dee arrived at Colon •n the 2d December, and found there the Brunswick and the American Commodore. The latter, in the Wabash, left under steam on the afternoon of the 3d ; and the Bruns wick, on the evening of the 4th, with the Leopard, which steamer arrived on the night of the 2d from j are aiee. The Commodore calls at Boca del Toro for the steamer Fulton, which vessel accompanies him to Greytown. It is expected that the Commodore will take some decisive step ; as for the English, they can but protect Greytown. The steamier Fashion arrived at Colon at the same time as tha D e e ; the object of her eiptain, it was said, was to be seized by the. United States Commodore—thus securing a sum, more than the vessel was worth, guaranteed by the promoters of the expedition in case of capture. Walker was, it is said, expecting considerable su pplies—Malang up his force to 3,000 ; 500 of these were looked for immediately. A word will be necessary as to the conduct of the captain of the Saratoga, as his motives may be Vol y naturally misconstrued in England. I believe the fact to be, that his instructions were not suffi ciently explicit, and therefore, having a large family and property in the states, he acted as many in his case would have done. He is much re spected by all the English who have come into contact with him? Oa the first sight of the filibuster steamer off the coast, a messenger was despatched to intercept the Costa Rica mail. This was effectually done, as it did not fall into the hands of the small party that ascended the river. Nicaragua and Costa Rica are still at war. Costa Rica commanded the river San Juan below the lake, and also the lake itself. Mr. Canty, with the steamers of the Transit Company, blockading , the fort of San Carlos ; but it was said the Nicara guans had opened a communication by land from the fort. It was announced at Greytown that the parties were likely to compromise matters. Walker warned off the boats of the American corvettes, and sent to Captain Chatard to say he would sh ot any of the officers who atvempted to land nc ar his head-quarters. The Fashion was not seized by the Commodore. You will see a flourish of trumpets in the Ameri can papers about the Saratoga prote:aiug Grey tewn. The facts are as I have stated. Captain Chatard acted with courtesy towards the English consul, but did nothing more than his duty in p reventie g piracy. Hrtitav TERM.—Ou Monday week, the 11th inat , Hilary Term commences, when the several courts of law and equity will resume their sittings. On that day the two acts of last session will come into operation, when two new courts will be e3tablished—" the Court of Probate" and " the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes." The arrears of rules in the common law courts are inconsiderably. THE CURRENCY-REMEDY PROPOSED. TO THE EDITOR OF SAUNDERS'S NEWS-LETTER. SIR,—My former letters on this subject were confined to a brief exposition of the grave errors of our monetary system, and were intended to point the attention of all, but of the industrial commu nity in particular, to the signal and disastrous failure ' after complete t r i a l, o f th e B an k Ch arter Act of 1844—a failure no less to effect that which its authors designed than (which is of much greater importance) to provide a medium by which the exchanges can at all times be properly carried on. It seems to me, sir, that there are two great vices inherent in our present system. First, we affect by law to have a standard of value (gold), the value of which is constantly fluctuating with the inex orable law of supply and demand —our declaratory act of Parliament to the contrary notwithstanding, which attempts to fix it at a certain price—and is therefore no standard at all, but operates in the same manner, though to an infinitely more mis chievous extent, as if our yard measure were 36 inches to-day, 35 to-morrow, and 37 the day after. Secondly, we have at all times an insufficiency of legal tender money wherewith to carry on our pro duction and exchanges, to alleviate winch insuffi ciency we have a vast amount of auxiliary, or non legal tender currency, which being supplied on no scientific principles is always liable to be, and very often is, relatively, either in great excess, loading to speculative excitement and absolute gambling, or in great deficiency, leading to distrust and posi tive collapse of our productive and commercial energies. The quantity of legal tender money, too, is not at all times insufficient ; but the amount of this insufficiency is always fluctuating, being based on the demand and supply not only in our own country, but in the world at large, of a single commodity, gold. So that, no matter how largely may have increased the supply and demand for any or all other commodities in the realm, and, the:e fore, the want of the instrument, circulating me dium, to exchange them, the legal tender money, on which that medium is based, may be greatly decreased instead of increased, if the one commo dity gold shall happen to be in greater demand in some other place than (at the fixed price) in the Bank of England, and the exchange of these largely increased commodities must be bi ought to a stand ; or, a hich is worse, this seeminf , excess of goods must be bartered to foreigners for less than their ccst, in order to bring back the gold. If any of your readers, sir, should disp u t e th a t t hi s i s so, and attribute it to a fiction of my own creation, I will afford him the direct testimony of the authorities of the Bank of England itself before the Committee of the House of Commons in 1818, which I only re frain from now quoting to avoid unnecessarily ob truding on your pages. Let the Times and other organs of the " bullionist" school be honest, and tell the producers of the country's wealth to what they must periodically submit for the benefit of a few "hard calculators." This demand for gold is, too, very uncertain, as experience has taught us ; and (as truly observed by Mr. James Taylor, writ ing on this sil - jut 30 years ago), " Uncertainty is the field in which gambling sports, especially if the principle which determines the game be only known to a few : such a field the money system of Eng land at present offers. The Bank of England go verns the issue of money —the Foreign Exchanges govern the Bank —the course of exchange is governed by a few moneyed individuals —those individuals are governed by self interest (though a mistaken one), and that man is the deepest stock-jobber who can best guess at the turn which it is the interest of those individuals to give to the stock market. So long, therefore, as the present money system continues the pecuniary difficulties of the nation must con tinue, the public being subjected either to con tinued poverty, or relieved only by temporary gleams of wealth, terminating in a season of accu mulated distre4s. While this continues the spirit of gambling will be in active operation ; stop it, and gambling ceases." "To get rid of such fluctua tions," (borrowing the language of a more recent work*), " and thereby to destroy the pabulum of our most extensive and most tempting speculations, would obviously be no small moral gain, for the pursuits of the mere speculator are, surely, any thing but favourable to the growth of a love of the useful, the nobl2 and the good." I will now, therefore, sic, as promised in my last letter, lay before your readers a whichplan n I d o not may C tend to effect this change, premising that pretend that it is either entirely original or the only one suited for the purpose, but that it appears to me that, whilst making an approach towards a really sc ientific system of money, it will, on the one hand, effect as little change in our present system as can be expected to do any considerable amount of good, it will, on other, be as great an amount of change as from the want of knowledge and consequent u pre- j dice on the subject, the public will be i nc li ne d to bear. Since I last addressed you, sir, we have stated on authority double roaponidbility f or the good government of our Indian empire is to be got rid of. In like manner, sir, let us abandon the far mor e mi,ohievous attempt at a double responsibility for the due supply 9f our legal tender money, and let it be assumed in all its f u l ness b y the Crow; under the supervision of Parliament. I propose : First —That the Bank of England shall have the proper legal notice of the termination of its present privileges, so far as its note issues are concerned and which to the extent of 14,475,0001. are founded on the debt due by the government to the Bank. Secondly —That in like manner all other banks of issue in the United King dom shall have notice, that after a day to be named 'heir privileges in respect of note issues will also terminate, giving them, however, such com pensation as may be shown to be just and equitable Thirdly—That there be established by the authority and under the control of Parliament an Imperial Bank of Issue, which shall be the only bank of issue, and the issues from which, together with the coin, shall be the wily l ega l t en d er money in the United Kingdom. Fourthly—That the powers of the Imperial Bank be confined to the one simple office, under a sound, and in some sort, self-regula ting principle, apart from, and from under the con trol of, the bank itself, to expand and contract the legal tender currency to suit the ever-varying ex igencies of the community, of w hi c h themselves will be the judges. Fifthly—That for this purpose the bank be empowered to issue notes of various denominations, from one pound upwards—to suit the convenience of the receiver—on the deposit of government stock, taking the Three per Cent. Con sols at par, and other stock in the same proportion, and to re-issue stock on receipt of its equivalent value in hank notes. The interest accruing on the stock whilst in possession of the bank to be carried to its c redit, and any surplus,after providingfor all expenses ofmanagement, &c., to go to the credit of the Imperial Exchequer. Sixthly—That for the sake of conveni ence, the bank be also bound to purchase and sell gold (and if thought expedient, silver) at its market price, in exchange for its notes; and in order to de termine and fix the market price the officials at the bank do at determinate periods give notice in the. Gazette of the price at which they will buy or sell, such notice to continue iu force until the stated pe riod for its renewal. And as gold and silver in quantities would be chiefly required for foreign purposes, a useless expense in coinage might be saved by having bars of definite weight duly as sayed and stamped at the Mint. I submit, sir, that under these simple regulations we should derive the following among other bene fits-1. A legal tender currency perfectly safe, being tam vereible at Um will of the holder into au interest paying Government stock, guaranteed by the entire property of the nation, or into gold or silver at the market price. 2. A fixed and invariable standard of value—the pound in account, in which our 800 millions ofdebt has beenaccumulated, liable to none of those oscillations to which gold is subject, and securing an equity between debtor and creditor the former having to pay at the termination of his credit no greater or loss value than was implied in the pound of account when this debt was contracted. 3. A legal tender money much more adaptable in quantity to our ever-varying wants than the present one, which is expanded and contracted with the in flux and reflux into one establishment of a single commodity—gold—giving us a currency at one time (spe iking relatively) in superfluity, and at another cr eating a dearth. Under the proposed system, when money became scarce, and its value more than the fixed rate of interest on Government stock, via., 3 per cent., stock would be taken to the Imperial Bank in exchange for notes ; and on the other hand, when money bad a tendency to become super abundant (indicated by the fall in its value for use), the notes would flow into the Bank in exchange for the 3 per cent. interest-bearing stock. 4. By this self-regulating principle the value of money would be kept, as for 140 years prior to the act of 1344, much steadier, ranging, probably, some where between three and five par cent, with very slight and infrequent fluctuations, whilst every thing like gambling speculation in the public funds would be put an end to—in itself no slight benefit t) tens of thousands, though no doubt it would be ti treely opposed by the gamblers and brokers. 6 The much greater facilities for obtaining an abuu dance of 1- gel tender money based on real property, together with the steady rate of interest charged for loans, would prevent a vast amount of that `over-trading' and reckless speculation, which is one of the curses of the present system. The ho nest and prudent would have facilities for convert ing their own capital into money, and this being known to all those who had money to lend, would make them more cautious as to the charac ter of the parties with whom they dealt, and thus that false, because baseless superstructure of accom modation paper would have little or no existence. G—Other collateral advantages would be felt, one of which would be that by degrees the bank notes of one pound each would displace the sovereigns, by which a large useless expenditure in coinage, and the loss arising from abrasion, would be saved —another would be the large surplus revenue from the working of the Imperial Bank, which would go in reduction of the annual but dens of taxation. The Times, sir, which upon this as upon other questions has not always held the same opinions, writing on this subject on the Ist of May, 1841, observed—" Our sy s t em o f paper currency will . remain imperfect until some mode shall be dis covered of enabling it to apportion its-supply and demand without reference to the influx and reflux of specie." I humbly submit that the plan I have sketched, some portions of which have been advo cated by able men during the last 30 years at least, will effect the desideratum pointed out by the Times. Still, sir, I would not wish to be thought touched with that mania for which Mr. Gladstone, in the recent debate, playfully intimated it might be necessary to establish a special asylum. Ido not propound this as the only plan which will effect a beneficial change, much less do I put it forward ae a scientific solution of the money question, for this I know it is not, but a mere expedient ; though I have before observed, of as comprehensive a character as in general information, or reek r want of informa tion, on this subject will admit. To those of my reader s who wish to investigate any other plan of this latter character, I recommend a perusal of Mr. Hill's work already referred to, wherein ho pro poses " that Government should prepare and issue, under the authority of Parliament, an adequate amount of interest bearing securities, almost iden tical with Exchequer Bills ; and that these be made lagal tender for their principal sum, together with their accumulated interest up to the day of tender, according to a table to be printed upon the face of each bill, a prescribed amount of these bills to be disposed of periodically by tender ; the tenders to be made upon the rate of interest, and not upon the pr incipal sum." Should any be disposed to look deeper into this most important question, with a view to under stand it as a science, for such it really is, and to discover h ow th e th eory enunciated by Mill and M'Culloch, which ought to be true in practice, but is not, may be made so, namely, that " production is the cause of demand." He introduced to their notice " Gray's Lectures on the Nature and Use of Money" (Edinburgh and Loudon, 1848). Mr. Gray agrees with the authorities mertioned that (money laws aright) th,e production of goods would always be the cause of the demand for them : that in short, speaking always of aggregates, supply and demand would be convertible terms ; or, in other words, it would be at all times as easy to sell as to buy. But as I have, I fear, already trespassed too much upon your indulgence I must refer the reader to Mr. Gray's book itself for further explanation of his views. With many thanks for your courtesy, I am, sir, yours respectfully, WILL. PARE. Seville Iron Works, Dublin, Dec. 26. * " Principles of Currency," by Edwin Hill. Longman awl Co., 1856. THE QUICKEST DESPATCH OF THE INDIA MAIL; The Calcutta portion of the India mails, consisting of 42 boxes, left Paris yesterday morning at 6.10, and arrived at Boulogne by special train at 11.25. The boxei were embarked in ten minutes on board the mail packet Prince Frederick William. The vessel ran to Dover in one hour and 38 minutes, the shortest time in which the passage has ever been made. The mails were at the railway station within 12 minutes, and the South• Eastern special train started at 1.26, and came up to London in one hour and 38 minutes, arriving at London• bridge at 3 o'clock: Speed per Miles. hour. Railways, &c. Paris to Boulogne 169 ... 32. 2 ... Northern of France. BoulognetoDover 30 ... 18.37 ... Mail-packet. Dover to London BB ... 56. 2 ... South-Raetern. Thus the Calcutta mail was conveyed from Paris to London, including all stoppages and time occupied in embarking and landing, and conveyance to and frog steam-boat and rail way,• in 8 hours and 50 minutes. By this special arrangement on the part of the General Post-office, the London letters were sent out for de livery before 6 o'clock, and all correspondence for the country was despatched by evening mail trains. COURT CIRCULAR. Her Roy W INDSOR, THUR SDAY. al Higbnees the Princess Royal has honoured Mrs. Thorrycroft with sittings for her bust. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary and the Duke of Cambridge arrived this afternoon on a vi s it t o h er Majesty. After dinner, Herr Wiljalba Frikell, the famous Russian physician and prestidigitateur, had the honour of exhibiting his extraordinary performances, by special command, before the Queen and Prince Consort, the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, and the royal an d disting u i s h ed visitors enjoying her ajesty's hospitality. We are requested to contradict the statement con tained in the journals of yesterday, that the public can obtain tickets to view the procession on the occasion of the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, on application to the Lord Chamberlain. Arrangements have already been made for the disposal of the few tickets which, in consequence of the limited space in St. James's Palace, can be given on the occesion. The chapel and rooms, however, will be exhibited to the public by ticket immediately after the ceremony. ----- Their Highnesses the Siamese Ambassadors returned to Claridge's Hotel, last evening, from a lengthened tour in the manufacturing districts. Their highnesses came from Birmingham direct to London. His Excellency the Persian Ambassador, accompanied by Captain Lynch and the members of his suite, paid a visit to the new City prison at Holloway, yesterday. His excellency dined at Claridge's Rotel in the evening, and afterwards honoured the operatic performances at her Majesty's Theatre with his presence. The Duke of Bedford is surrounded by a family circle at Woburn Abbey. The Marquis of Clanricarde arrived in town, on Wed ne4day evening, from Windsor Castle. Vise runt and Viscountess Combermere will arrive in town on the 20th inst., to be present at the marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal. understand e a y of h agency the Lo ndontec C i ty of Glasgo w Joint-Stock Bank. Bank DEATH h ‘vVee taken up t OF SIR JOHN KERLE HABERFIELD. —We re gret to have to record the demise, says the Bristoi Gazette, of this estimable gentleman, one of the best known, and at one time most popular, of our fellow citizens. Sir John died at his residence in the Royal Yerk-crescent, on Suecley morning, in the 73d year of his age. DEATH OP SIR D. H. BLAIR, BART. --We announce with much regret to our readers the death of the vener able Sir David Hunter Blair, of Blairquhan, county Ayr, N. 8., which event happened at his country seat io the north on Saturday, the 26th ult. We believe that at his decease he had recently entered upon the 80th year of his age. Our readers will remember that his eldest son by his .first union, the late Colonel James Hunter Blair, of the Fusilier Guards, and sometitee M.P. for Ayrshire, was killed at Inkerman in Nov., 1854, and the title has consequently devolved on his second son, Edward, formerly lieutenant in the 93d Highlanders, now fourth baronet. JUDICIAL SEPARATlON.—}lineeforth no decree is to be made for a divorce a mensa et tlioro but for a judicial separation, which may be obtained under the new act (20 and 21. Viet., c. 85), either by a husband or wile, on the ground of adultery or cruelty, or desertion without cause, for two years and upwards. FRESH WATER IN THE SERPENTINE. —The Serpentine is partly supplied by springs rising in it, but a very large allitional supply of fresh water might be obtained by thorough drainage of Hyde Park and Kensington -gar dens. If they were both drained into the Serpentine, the whole neighbourhood would be greatly benefited as well as the Serpentine, the Park, and the Gardens. There are times of the year when parts of Kensington Gardens hold scores of thousand gallons of water like a great Ppsnge. PARIS AND LONDON PARCELS EXPRESS. —The new Customs' regulation permitting the examination at Lon don of percale conveyed by the South-Eastern Railway Company's "London and Paris Parcels Express.," will 'come into operation this day. Parcels under this s stein will pass uninterrupted to London for examina tion, without being detained for that purpose at the port of arrival. The trial for- perjury of Edward Auchtnuty Glover; late M.P. for Beverley, who was subsequently unseated on ilbtition, ar d whose prosecution, on the motion of Mr. John Abel Smith, was ordered by the House of Conn mans on the Bth of the past month, it is exeected will come on at the Central Criminal Court next Wednesday —Wednesday being the first day on which the judges attend. The prosecution will be conducted by her Majesty's Attorney-General. THE AUSTRALIAN POSTAL SERVICE.--A Parliamene tary paper of 16 pages in length, yesterday printed, cot . tains a copy of the contract for cerryieg the Australian mill to Melbourne via Alexandria and Suez, and sundry per tie niers relative to the vessels employed in the service. The time occupied by the voyage out during the past year, 1857, varied from 52 days 9 hours to 99 days and 04vheorutebee, ttinereeahlittov.d having geeeeie e d in several saes an exoess Between Su.z and Sydionreywheincehrep e arena l t i fours e w v r e e s e t; n e f l s o r n c e o d w . employed—the European, of 630-horse power and 2,359 ton • ; the Columbia, of 5 30 -horse power and 2,351 tons ; the Simla, of 610-horee power and 2,441. and the Eaten, of 309- verso poser and 1,538 tor ; the la-t two are chartered. Between South. ampton 11 , 11 Alx e : i nd t :i a two chart ered i vessels, tits To Tamar and the areemploy ed , and e tween Malta and Marseilles the Vanguard, a chartered e el & o f me I orsc-io er and 625 tons. Three has been no correseondence between the Treasury and the nd of the Roy a l M a il S eamp2oket Company, d reefer-, of th- Europe an an d Australian Royal Mail Compute a with the view of am &igamatit g th 3 said companies up to the date of the address of the House of Commons for this rehire, which address was dated the 20th of Aug. The return was moved 11 Mr. Mac.trtney, Ma%