The Sun. — London, England, 1858-01-29 00:00:00

THE NEW PRUSSIAN ALLIANCE. 9 HE SPECTATOR of Saturday next, the 30th 1 January will contain a compact Synoptical Account of the EIGNING FAMILIES of Europe, their Origin, Intermarriages, s t d Connexions. The survey not only affords the means of estimat ing the New Alliance with Prussia, but it also explains the nature o f the Royal Power and Influence in European Combinations. — Once, 9, Wellington-street, Strand.. via DEB MAJESTYI'S THEATRE.— I By command of Her MAJESTY. In honour of the Nuptial 4 of her Royal Highness the PRINCESS ROYAL with his Royal Highness the Prince FREDERICK WILLIAM of PRUSSIA, THIS EVENING, FRIDAY, Jan. 29 , w ill Sheridan's Comedy of be presented THE RIVALS. With the Farce of THE SPITALFIELDS WEAVER. During the evening the National Anthem will be sung by Madame Clara Novello, assisted by Mr. Benedict's Vocal Association of 300 voices and the Chorus of Her Majesty's Theatre. Conductor, a Bened ict. to Applications for boxes, orchestra. s t a lls, and tickets s be made at the Box-office of the Th eatre, and at Mr. Mitchell' Royal Libroy, 33, Old Bond-street. Brit MAJ A. EST Y'S THEA.TRE.—EXTRA PERFORMNCE. TO-MORROW EVENING (SATURDAY), Jan. 30, LA SONNAMBULA. Piccolomini ; Lisa, Sannier ; Il Conte Rodolfo mino' , Sell A etti ; and Elvin, Giuglini. Conductor, Signor Arditi. To conclude with the 'H FestivYMENEE4I Divertissement, entitled The State Festival Decorations will be retained. prices:--pit Stalls, 128 6d; boxes (to hold four persons), pit and one pair, 2/. 2s; grand tier, 3/. 3s; two pair, 11. 55.; three pair, 150 ; gallery boxes, lOs ; gallery stalls, 38 6d ; pit, 3s 6d; gallery, 2s. Applications to be :node at the Box-office of the Theatre. THEA TR E-R 0Y A fa, DRIJRY-LANE. Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith. THIS EVENING will be performed H IS FIRST CHAMPAGNE, in which Mr. Leigh Murray will LITTLE JACK erform. After which, the new grand pan HORNER. Commence at 7. T HEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Lessee—Mr. J. B. Buckstone. THIS EVENING, to commence at Seven! o'cloek, with A FISH OUT OF WATER. 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. Concluding with A KISS IN THE DARK. Orchestra Stalls (which may be retained the whole of the evening) 6s. each. (No charge for booking.) First nee. s. d. Second price. s. d Dress Boxes 5 0 Dress- Boxes 3 8 Upper Boxes 3 0 Upper Boxes 2 0 Pit 2 0 Pit 1 0 Gallery 1 0 Galleryo 6 R OY AL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Proprietor, Mr. Charles Kean. THIS EVENING, will be performed Shakapere's Play of A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM. After which, a new grand 'orris 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. Paulo ; and Columbine, Miss C. Adams. THEATRE ROYAL, .A.DELPHI. Lessee—Mr. Ben. Webster. THIS EVENING, will be performed the new drama, THE POOR STROLLERS, in which Madame Celeste, Mr. B. Webster, Paul Bedford, and Mr. Wright will perform. After which, a Mythological Extravaganza, entitled THE LOVES OF CUPID AND PSYCHE. Jupiter, Mr. Panl Bedford ; Cupid, Miss Marie Wilton ; Psyche, Miss Mary Keeley ; Venus, Mrs. Billingtou. R OYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. —Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. C. Dillon.— Triumphant Success of Leigh Hunt's new play : vide the Public Press. THIS EVENING, will be performed Leigh Hunt's new Play, LOVERS' AMAZEMENTS. Supported by Messrs. Charles Dillon, J. G. Shore ; Mesdames Charles Dillon and Woolgar. To conclude with the Burlesque and Pantomime, LALLAH 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 Woolgar ; Messrs. Barrett, Calhaem, Holston, Poynter, and J. L. Toole. Clowns, Messrs. T. Matthews and It. Stilt ; Harlequin, Mr. J. Ricketts; Pantaloon, Mr. A. Stilt ; Sprites, Herr Zeleski and Sons ; Columbines, Misses Malcolm and Lees. Gorgeous Feast of Lanterns.—Fenton's Grand Trans lonisation Scene. Doors open at half-past 6, to commence at 7. A Morning Performance to-morrow, Jan, 30, to commence at half-past 2. In active preparation, a new and original Drama by West land Marston, Esq., and a powerful Novelty. 'lox-office open from 11 to 5 daily. ROYAL SURREY 'THEATRE. Lemma, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswisk. THIS EVENING, will be performed PERILS BY LAND AND WAVE. After which, QUEEN 31AB ; or Harleciain Romeo and Jolliet. Clown, by the Surrey Buck ; Pantaloon, Mr. Brad bury. CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.— OPEN EVERY EVENING.—The follow ingcompany of Vocalists are engaged for the performance of Selections from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS, CHORUSES, GLEES, DUETS, &c., viz. s—Miss Russell, Mrs. Badzey, Madlle. Marietta, Miss Brugell, Miss Ray, Madame Bartoletti, Miss Montague, and Madame Marietta ; Herr F. Jonghmans, Mr. Henshaw, Russell Grover, S. Jonee, J. Barker, W. Melling, Senor Antonio, E. L. Himedifr. Badgey, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Bell, and Mr. Ber nard; Messrs. W. T. CHtchfield and E. Mackney. Piano forte, Mr. Cecil Hicks ; harmonium, Master Williams ; Director, Herr F. Jonghmans. Commence at Seven o'clock precisely. Suppers, die., until twelve o'clock. Mr. AUGUSTUS BRAHAM will make his sth appear ance THIS EVENING. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tina DAY—Morn., 50 min. aft. I—Even., 15 min. aft. 2 Te- 11 10BROW—Morn. 40 min. aft. 2—Even., 5 min aft. 3 THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, JANUARY 29. I HIERMOMETIR, IN THE SPUDS. 46—highest since noon yesterday. 44—lowest this morning and during the night. 52 —this day at noon. BAROMETER, 30.28. Wnem, S.W.; light, with dill weather. Rain in the morsing. %.5 711 LONDON, FRIDAY, JAN. 29, 1858. The Bank Directors yesterday reduced the minimum rate of discount from 5 to 4 per cent. The movement did not, however, produce any great impression in the money market. It had previously been, to use the technical phraseology, fully "discounted," or, in other words, its effects anticipated, and already acted on. The general feeling was that the step was too tardy, and did not go far enough, to restore the business that had been forfeited by their cupidity—that they bad acted like petty tradesmen, ready to take ad- TantagS of any increase of price, however trifling, lAA In/Wllli Zg to give the benefit of reductions to thel consume:its until compelled to do so. This unavorthy p o i cy hal, operated i n j ur i ous l y , r very ior their owls interests, and, as they are still lagging behind, there is not much prosp ect that they can successfully compete with establishments ready and willing to advance mone y ,e:nal, history of th e rules, it 3, or even less tban: 3 perce nt. approved seen- Never, perhaps, in th e m country have there bee n such llu 'violent fluctuations in the value and er s ous an d Wiley as within the last two or three month s , during during which time the range at the quasi national 'establishment varied from 10 to 4, and in other l'Ausrters. from 15 to 3 per cont. ; and 10 per amt. before the issue of the Government letter, suspending and virtually abrogating the Act of 1844. Pecuniary accommodation could scarcely be obtained'on any terms, however stringent, and but for brief period, , . Etch man butt-sued his pockets against his neighbour, and, reckless of expense, provided himself, at any price, with ample fund? to meet any pof.sible emergency. There was a general system of hoarding in operation. The hard-calculators profited largely, although many from excessive greediness, and hoping to realise still larger profits by keeping their money by them, lost the golden opportunity. These were the men who were so indignant when the Government, n ot for the bcnefit of the com— mercial community, but in order to save the 0d Lady from closing her doors , issued the letter of the 12th Nov. last, promising to bring forward a I ~.... bill of indemnity for any violation of the law. • Their organ babbled a great deal about the neces sity of preserving faith with creditors, as if that c ould be in any wa y impaired by the debts being paid to the uttermost farthing. It might as well rail against the man who stepped between the usurer and his victim, and prevented the former from obtaining the " pound of flesh " for which he had not bargained, but which he thought he might enforce if his intended victim were left to his tender mercies, to deal with as he thought Iproper. Much valuable property was undoubtedly sacrified, and many houses of unquestionable solvency obliged to suspend payment, but this was not sufficient. What they were pleased to designate as " the vicious system of holding depo sits, paying interest, which interfered with their , profits was not abolished by " the crumbling to atoms of the institutions by which it was fostered." Binc illa lack - move. Hence the source of their direful wrath—the escape of the mercantile and joint-stock banking community from their toils, defeated if not all, a large portion of their selfish schemes. It was on the sth of November that the Bank raised its rateof interest to the then unprecedented sum of 9 per cent. This, however, did not suffice, and on the 9th another increase to 10 per cent. was adopted. All this time the Leviathan and its servile imitators were encouraging the victims to bear each fresh turn of the screw with equani mity, telling them what fine fellows they were, and that the rate of interest could not affect any really solvent house. The gammon was, however, too transparent, and neither the bullying or cajol ing of " hard calculating" journalists could satisfy the sufferers of the propriety of having their sub stance devoured, and themselves and their fami lies ruined, in order that usurious money-lenders may build up enormous fortunes on the db‘ris. On the 12th November, as we have already stated, the Government interfered, and only just in time to save the Bank, which was forthwith obliged to avail itself of the permission thus obtained, and to issue a further sum of 2,000,0001. on securities. The relief was instantaneous, or would have been so, but for the impolitic condition with which the boon was clogged. "The interest should still be main wined at 10 per cent." Even when the Act of Indemnity was introduced, that was made a sine qua non, and an amendment proposed by Mr. Mannis, authorising the Bank to reduce the rate of interest without ,the act being thereby annulled, was rejected by a considerable majority. It was on this account, probably, that the exor bitant rate of 10 per cent. was retained for more than six weeks, namely, until the 24th December, when there was a fall to 8 per cent. This, how ever, did not go far enough, and en the 7th January there was another tumble to 6 per cent., the variation within a single fortnight being thus no less than 41. per 1001. in the rate of interest, a change greater than the wildest imagination ever conceived. In another week, on the 14th inst., there was a further reduction to 5 per cent., and yesterday the rate was fixed at 4 per cent., from whence there must be a further reduction within a brief period. Never at any time were there such fluctuations within five weeks, the fall being from 10 to 4 per cent. Even as yet commerce has not revived from the terrible blows it encountered, and those who, a few months since, were hoarding their superfluous wealth, are now eagerly looking oat for eligible investments on far less favourable terms than they could then have obtained. Before the passing of the Bank Charter Act, the rate for a century and a quarter never varied beyond the limits of 4 and 5 per cent., with the exception of a few months in 1838-9, when it was raised ~to the then exorbitant rate of 6 per cent. Merchants, traders, and manufacturers could then make their calculations with safety. But now legitimate speculations are converted into gambling transactions that will give enormous profits or enormous losses. No wonder, then, that we see adventurers springing up, and by their reckless dealing casting discredit on commerce. All these evils may be directly traced to the hateful effects of the monetary codes of 1819 and 1844. The latter has greatly aggravated the mischief produced by the former. This will appear beyond the possibility of doubt in the discussions that must speedily take place ; and we earnestly hope that the people may be sufficiently awake to their own interests, so as to insist on the immediate repeal of this obnoxious law, and the introduction of a better and more equable circulating medium adequate to the wants and exigencies of the country. We have at last something which may be called new on Church-Rates ! something which really will repay a perusal by all parties who feel inte rested in that question. Some facts clearly as certained, and put • in an admirably clear light ; and, will our readers believe it—some, really not many, figures so arranged that the most per functory reader will feel their force at once. We refer to the lucid and unanswerable statement laid before Lord PALMERSTON on Wednesday, by Dr. FOSTER, when an Anti-Church-Rate deputa tion from all parts 'of the country waited on his lordship to counteract the misrepresentations of Lord Smarrnsuunv and the committee of laymen, made not long ago to the Premier. Whatever Lard SHAFTESBURY and the Premier may think, Church• Rates though an old subject are not a worn-out one. People are often impa tient of discussion about them, for the very good reason that they think no discussion can be needed. The great majority of laymen look upon Church-Rates as a parson's crotchet ; they know that if the Rev. Rector or vicar would but let them alone, they could just put their hands in their pockets and raise without more ado all that is wanted ; but the Rev. Rector is ex officio chairman of the vestry, and the Rev. Rector likes the usual assertion of his right to " take tribute of the Philistines," and the Churchwardens—well, they must even be good Churchmen and do what the Rev. Rector tells them ; so, a vestry is called, and a rate is proposid, and if none of the Philistines interfere all is done as good Churchmen ought to perhaps do the thing. Dissenter s, if there are any in Parsonathorpe or Squireham, gru mble and p a y , or er Pay without grumbling bec ause sho p cus tom or the tenancy of a farm depend on meek subjection. But all Dissenters are not so meek. A great many of them cannot get rid of an Englishman's characteristic resentment of an overcharge, or an unfair charge. A fee, where no service is rendered, or a disproportionate one, even a toll over a bridge where he does get something palpable for his money, in fact, all sort of extra though petty charges where he thinki he should not have to put his hands in his pocke+, vex and gall hint out of all proportion to their money value. And this is no doubt the secret of Dissenters' irritation with Church-Rates, and most thoroughly do we sympa thise with them. Had our neighbours of Exeter Hall, and all the conventicles of London the power to levy conventicle rates on us, while we repaired our own churches and paid for our service; we knowihat we should be but too ready &show the collector the door, even if he returned r OLE S e L N frON, with such spiritual soldiers as our own some times' e mployed in the enforcement of Ch urc h- Rates ., As an undeniable matter of fact, our .blood would boil ; and as Dissenters' blood is, we believe, very much like ours, despite their preferring the conventicle to the Church, we by no means wonder that their blood boils--we should only wonder if it did not. Hence we are never surprised to see the Rev. Rector and Messrs. the Churchwardens challenged at a vestry meeting. Rather we are surprised that a vestry meeting ever passes off smoothly. Were not the Dissenters in towns busy in their their merchandise, and Dissenters in villages busy in their farms or afraid of the rural despots, we fancy no one would need to trouble himself about a Church-Rate Abo lition Bill. The rate is paid to save time or trouble, or to escape the wrath of the village powers. The vestry war, however, is proceeding bravely ; in all the more populous towns, and in hundreds of smaller places, the vestries have con• quered their freedom ; and still there are scores, hundreds, perhaps, of these annual contests, in which the Church-Rate party are sure to be ulti mate losers. In hardly an instance, unless by some discreditable manoeuvre, is a Church-Rate levied again where it has been for a few times successfully refused, while on the other hand some fresh parishes are conquered every year. The rate-levying party are obviously the losing party. Indeed one of the most striking facts, proved by Dr. FOSTER in the able document referred to, is that the amount raised by Church-Rates has diminished nearly one-half in the course of the last thirty years ! If the Abolitionists have not got a Bill yet—a whole Bill—they have at least got half of one by their own exertions, without owing any thanks to Lord ALTEOR? or Lord JOHN RUSSELL, or Lord PALMERSTON, or to any of their Whig Lordships. In the year 1827, according to a return then obtained the amount collected for Church-Rates was, in round numbers, not less than 519,000/. ; in the year 1832 it had fallen to 432,000/. ; in the year 1839 it had again fallen to 351,0001. ; and by the last return in 1854 it had sunk to 314,000! We may pre sume that a return for 1857 would show yet smaller amount. The ascertained loss, therefore, in 27 years is 205,0001., or nearly half ! A splendid result certainly to be achieved without help from Parliament, by the sturdy local resist ance of Anglo-Saxon energy and love of liberty. In what country of Europe could a populace be formed thus to be heard all over the country, the church of the aristocracy and the court, and of the great ecclesiastics, to deprive it of half its tribute t For our part we feel disposed to urge our Dis senting friends to work yet more energetically in the course which has proved so successful. There is no Premier in a parish vestry, and no House of Lords and bench of Bishops ahead. When their point is carried there, they have succeeded fur that time ; and when they ha►e succeeded a few times, they have converted the refusal into an act of vestry ; and ,the act of the local Parliament is quite as good for them as an act of the national Parliament. It seems to us quite possible in this way to abolish Church-Rates in detail, and to leave little for the Imperial Legislature to do. It appears, too, quite practicable now to turn the tables of Church-Rate law upon its supporters. Till the House of Lords reversed Judge TYNDAL'S dictum, Church-Rate men repeatedly carried the rate by minorities. We believe that it is in the power of a resolute minority not. to defeat any rats which Churchwardens may attempt to lay. Let a relevant amendment be proposed—such as the omission of some item, or the curtailing of another —or a reference of the estimates to the Church wardens for amendment—on a refusal by a majo rity of the vestry, let a poll be demanded ; this poll must take place on the amendment, but the rate is not thereby carried ; another meeting must be held to do that ; at this meeting another amendment can be proposed and another poll taken : the contest may thus be prolonged beyond the endurance of the oppressors; and if they con cede everything, and reduce the rate to what is allowed by strict law, in the vast majority of eases it would be too small to be worth the trouble of collection. All this is perfectly fair against men who used to levy rates by minorities them selves, and who, in levying a rate at all, are guilty of a gross infringement of religious liberty, as mnderstood by Englishmen of the present day. Dr. FOSTER completely diminishes the grounds on which a demand is made for "compensation" for the abolition of Church-Rates. He shows that 75,0001. is the sum, out of the amount now raised, which can be legally demanded from the parishioners ; the amount derived from other sources, as proved by the returns, being adequate, with that small addition, to the strictly legal objects of Church-Rates. His document also shows that the Laymen's committee of Lord SEAFTESBURY were guilty of most egregious blunders, we will call it nothing worse, in telling Lord PALMERSTON that Church-Rates were collected without diffioulty in 95 per cent. of the parishes of the kingdom. First, Lord SHAFTESBI7RY stated, that there were returns from 9,672 parishes ; it appears it should have been 1,000 less ; secondly, his lordship said that rates had been refused in only 408 parishes, and that 544 only had endowments. The fact is that 2,700 parishes derive income from other sources, and that in 2,000 parishes the rate; even if granted, were not collected ! This, of course, leaves as the result, that FIFTY PER CENT. OF THE PARISHES DISPENSED WITH CHURCH-RATES ! We refer the reader, however, to Dr. FOSTER'S con densed, yet very lucid and interesting, paper for fuller information. Llrd PALMERSTON seems to have been as good tempered, but as evasive, as usual, notwithstand ing Mr. T. DuisrcoNtnn's efforts to elicit a definite promise from him. The deputation, therefore, before separating, very properly recommended their constituents to press another bill in Parlia ment this session, but above all to agitate the question in the parish vestriem. The latter is the way to succeed with the former. Yesterday Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Lawrence and Mr. Sheriff Allen (sheriffs of London and Middlesex), accompanied by the Remembrancer, proceeded to Windsor Castle for the purpose of learning, when it would be agreeable to their Royal Highnee-es Prince and Princees Frederick William of Prussia to receive the congratulatory addresses of the Court of Common Council. Their Royal Highnesses were pleased to appoint to-morrow at half-past one o'cloak at Buckingham Pilace. MAILS FOE THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE —ArrangPrneets have been made for the despatch of a packetfrom Devon port to the Cape of Good Hope once a month. Mails will be made up in London on the evening of the ea ch mouth, and will be forwarded to Devonport for transmission by these packet, ixcepting when the sth falls on a Sunday, when the despatch will be deferred until the following evening. All letters, &c., fur the Pickets Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. Helena, and Ascension will be forwarded by these packets unless specially ad dressed to be otherwise sent. The packets will call at St. Helena and Ascension on the homeward voyage only Emperor Na) ICIL but separate mails for those places will be made up for outward packets to be delivered in all cases when the each. ith their sucking awkstone, w* ' instarces t of the may accidentally touch there, but in all other _ cm : ni bs left on the return voyage.—By command —G ot : rat I , 2 4t,e o r:peneral, RoWLAND HILL, Secretary. tBHROPBII/"L:STltioce, Jan. 23. 0 eon three shorthorn h eifer s , bred at —Vim:Jaunt MI last week sold to carves, for 150 guineas He FRIDAY MVENING, JAINUARY 29, 1858. FESTIVITIES AT BIRMINGHAM IN HONOUR OF T.TIE•PRINOESS ROYAL. The spirit and liberality of the Mayor of Bir mingham, John Ratcliff, Esq., have been evinced in an unexampled form on the occasion of the re joicings in celebration of the marriage of tbe Princecs Royal. The evening of Monday was celeb ra t e d b y a sumptuous:dinner at Bingley Hall, p rov id e d a t th e expense of the worthy chief magistrate, at which upwards of 1,200 poor persons were entertained, and festivity and cheerfulness were the or d er o f th e evening. Mr. Ratcliff, anxious to give pleasure and happiness to the really indigent and deserving, hit upon the novel and ingenious mode of issuing tickets to the entire, of the cl erg y an d ministers of religion in the town for di s t r ib u ti on according to their choice. This was productive of the happiest results, and brought together in one joyous meeting the most aged an d d eserv i ng of the poor of Birmingham. In the toasts given and responded to, a hearty spirit of loyalty was manifested ; all hearts appeared to be gladdened, and the kindest expressions of mutual good-will were universally prevalent, coupled with cordial aspirations that Heaven would bless the union of the happy pair. In addition to this a grand banquet was given by Mr. Ratcliff, at Dee's Royal Hotel, t o a b ove two hundred of the principal inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood ; also a free concert of surpass ing excellence, at the Town-ball, to an assemblage of nearly five thousand persons. S uc h munifi cent consideration for his fellow-citizens on the part of the present Mayor will long be held in grateful remembrance among the loyal inhabitants of Bir mingham, from whom Mr. Ratcliff has gained "golden opinions," which cannot fail to be endur ing. We have further to add that the intended pre sentation of articles to her Royal H ig h ness t h e Princess Frederick William of Prussia, from the Birmingham naanufacturers, originated with Mr.' Ratcliff, and has been met in the most gratifying manner by the produ c ti on o f unequa ll e d specimens of art, which will be presented to-mor row at Buckingham Palace to the Royal Bride in person, by an influential deputation, headed by the Mayor. The value of the cadeau is estimated at more than twc," thousand pounds. J.IRPARTURE OF THE ROYAL C3UPLE FROM GRAVESEND. The following is the programme of the arrangements which will be made at Gravesend for the reception and embarkation of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal and her Royal Consort Prince Frederick William of Pi ussia. The Royal party will leave London by the North Sent Rail way in time to arrive at Gravesend by 2 o'clock p no., when they will be received at the railway station by a gteird of la: flour of the East Kent Militia. They will then pr 'coed in four of the royal carriages towards the place of ernharkation—the Terrace Pier; the Cobham troop of the West Kent Yeomanry Cavalry, under the command of the Earl of Darnley, forming the escort. A magnifioent triumphal arch will be erected on the railway bridge, and the whole route will be decorated with flags and banners, flowers, evergreens, &c. Atthe corner of Parrock-street and the Milton-road two large fir trees will be dressed out as Christmas trees, and on an arch in King-street, formed of banners, &a., will be prominently inscribed, " Farewell, fair Rose of England," and " Wer geben s]is in Deinen Schulz." (We give her to tby keeping.) The boys of the Free School and Union children will be placed within the rail ings of the Free School and St. Thomas' almshouses. At the entrance to the Terrace-pier will be erected a grand arch, and the pier itself, which will be fitted up with seats for the accommodation of 1,200 persons (leaving a promenade 10 feet wide in the centre) is to be hand somely decorated with festoons, &c.; another arch is to be erected at the south end of the pier. On arriviag at the per, the party will he received by a guard of honour formed by the Royal Marines, and on alighting will be met by the Mayor of Gravesend, the members of the corporation, and the county members of Parlia ment. The mayor will then present a written address, and the party will proceed onto the pier, where a bouquet of flo wars will be presented to her Royal High nees by Miss Troughton, the daughter of the mayor. A procession will then be formed in the following order: The High Constable of the Borough and assistants. The Corporation Macre, borne by the Sergeant-at-Glace. The Members of the Town Council, the Town-clerk, and othor officials, walking three and three. His Worship the Mayor. Twenty-six THE Twenty-six Young Ladies, ROYAL Young Ladies, uniformly dressed. PARTY. uniformly dressed As the Prince and Princess pass down the Pier, the young ladies will strew their path with flowers. Lie county representatives, the borough magistrates, the military authorities of the district, Cpl. Edon, Com mandant of Chatham Garrison ; Colonel Kelly, Com mandant of Tilbn-y Fort and New Tavern Fort ; Col. Sandharo. Commandant of the Royal Engineers ; Col Park,r, Commandant of the Royal Marines; and Brigade Major Gordon, will al-io take part in the procession. On the embarkation (which will immediately take place) salutes will be fired from the forts and the fieet in the river. The ground thnughout the line will be kept by the borough and county police, and the men of the Royai Engineers will be btationed at the caner of Parrook street. _ _ Immediately after the departure of their Royal High nesies, the esc,rt and other officials will partake of a cldeuner at the Assembly-rooms, at the invitation of the mayor. At seven o'clock a display of fire wor k s (under the management of Dolby) will take place on Windmill hill, where also a monster bonfire will b e li g ht e d. The whole management of the tran s it o f t h e roya l party from London to Gravesend is i n th e hands of Lord A t o her fed Paget,M.P., Clerk Marsh a l and Chief Equerry Majesty. a ppears that the expenses incurred at the months since, by P sw iß , , l I l e t fie w : A : T t 2 t.h a ELECTION ExPRITSES.—From the election auditor's :turned without an opposition, although one Young, M.P., and Mr. J. Mellor, M.P., Great Yarmouth, a few tened in the first instance --amounted to 3751. was three, 1. Bd. Of this eum 199/. 9s. 3d. was paid to and by agents the other principal items are the fees paid to the returning officer and the election auditor, the ex ricel who election A weren return, S fi V 't) . nses of the hustings, stavesmen Ak e . ELEcTioN.—ltTesars. W. A.. 'Wilkinson, R. and F. Doulton, hree of the liberal candidates hof Rei e 1 , w before n e the r ga.o, have issued a joint notification battle with the conservatives, and announce forego their several personal claims in order to maintain the unity of their party. They propose that the liberals of the con stitu,ncy shall choose by ballot which of them Wadi nvited to concur in these proceedings, but that their respective committees are preparing means to carry this arrangement hit° e ff ect. The Hen. Mr. WANT OF TEOOFE IN BENGAL —The Friend of India Tart issue received by this mail :—" The says, in its Calcutta itself, reoently so full of troops, troop-ships in Calcutta no longer continue with their accustomed regularity- Since the departure of the last ma il not a single soldier has arrived from a d:e r e ° is n l v i Mures o l e s n d of Engle d. s i r Colin Campbell urgently requires rein denuded. :Every available man has been sent up to the North West. This exhaustive process has indeed been continued until it would be i f s or n c o eco w e w n e ts ii a n n i t g i h difficult now to spare a regiment for Eastern Bengal, FATAL ACCIDENT DUBN* THE FOG.—Yesterday an inquest was taken by Mr. W. Baker, coroner, at the Black Horse Tavern, high Street, Poplar, respecting the death of William Richards aged 31 years, who died wer e it ever AO couch needed." from drowning. It appeared ;rem the esidence that the deceased was a watchman in the East India Docks, and cm Monday night last he was seen on duty at his usual os t, but at an early hour on the following morning (Tuesda3) he was missed by ODO of his c mipanions. was made, when deem :zed was discovered in the of the Import Basin. The deceased was quite d Sw e a a at d rec , rh and had been i mmersed for several hours. The night was very foggy and dark , i . and it was generally su pposed he muss have his round. Verdict, a l Accidental' death." THE TOLL REFORIS IN SCoTLAND.—There have been lately some sev e r e c(altests in the Scottish counties, but fallen i n t o th e water while going reform has general] goieg to the wan. Lord Elcho's intended motion seems to get o'intihuoua loprsort, v and a proposition of his op ponent, Mr. Christopher Nisbett Hamilton, the ex protectionist M.P., was Y carried the day, the old turnpikes negatived by 17 against 11 at ton's p p ti n the Ilaodington county meeting last week. M r. Lor am i i i., r° ' " n wa , 4 a re-adjustment of tolls, The Marquis of Tweeddsle's motion fora rate in aid on horses i n support of the local rates in the event of the abolition of gates, has hcen ostponed. This extra horse tsx is the millstone Which of abolition, an d • . . horses SINGULAR 00012:: it is impossible tolevy it on g , nerally. terday afternoon Is r A o N u D nd t L h o e s n s ec o k r of L t u lse D p .— rog y r e es . A great sensation was created in the neighbourhood of the Camden Town Railway Dock, in of one of th e the Hampstead road, i n consequence o f t h e si n king captain,his ; yi n* and three children on board ; the CJl__ren, result of which was the loss of one the I Id Susan Walker, a fine littlegirl three years of age : the rest of the f,sintis being J inde g bteci for their pressrvation fly boats upon the can ii, with the appear: the boat, name I the Keziab s to the ex-rtion a of themen who were loading their carts It a ish ice at the time the accident happened' belongs to B:rk hampst,ad, in Her e f or d s hi re. Wa l ser , th e mas t e r, was shipping a qu ant i ty of iron from the railway dock when, in consequ ence of seam chairs giving way, the crane came down with the greatest violence upon the gunnel of the boat, causing it to heave deep into the water ; while, at the same time, the whole of the iron broached from the opposite side of the deck, and at once swamped the boat. Walker his wif e , and th re e children, were at the time in the cabin at the after' part of the boat, and, upon the first a l arm, rushed upon deck, but on l y to fi n d men from all p ar t s of the dock took themselves im mersed In the water. A genera l rus h o f place, to save, if psssible, the unf ortunate family, in which they were stic useful, with th e exoepticn of the little girl a b ove - name d The - hole family were conveyed to the h m ouse of r. Hsrbert, the L'scornotive, where Mr. Harley a turgeon, attstrled them, a n d, after great ' exert i on , succeeded in res: oring - the whole but the youngest daughter above named. LATEST NEWS. FRANCE. PARIS, THURSDAY. The Emperor yesterday received autograph letters of congratulation on his late escape from the King of Sweden and Norway, the Grand Duke of Hesse, the Duke of Nassau, and the Duke of Brunswick, and also an address to the same effect from the Senate of the free town of Lubeck. His Majesty also received a letter, in which the Grand Duke of Tuscany notifies that the Archduchess Anne, wife of the hereditary Prince Ferdinand, had been safely delivered of a princess. A Paris letter, in the Nord of Brussels, says : " The document which the French Government has drawn up on the subject of the refugees is not a note,' properly so called, but merely a series of directions to its representatives at London, Brus sels, Turin, and Berne to present observations to the Governments of those places on the subject. In sending these directions, the Cabinet of the Tuileries has ceded to the wishes of all the Euro pean powers, and especially the German ones. The ministers accredited in Paris and the personages sent there to congratulate the Emperor have all insisted on some measures being adopted. The King of Sardinia, like all other sovereigns, has manifested a firm determination to expel from his States the agents of a criminal propagandism against foreign governments ; and there is reason to believe that the revolutionary press in Pied mont will be for the future subjected to a more severe surveillance. The King of Wurtemberg, though on a sickbed, has written to the Emperor of the French to say that be will take part in any measures that may be adopted by the powers to protect the Continent against attempts of the re fugees. In addition to the communication made by Lord Cowley, the Queen and Prince Albert, who are frequently in correspondence with the Emperor, have written to his Majesty letters full of touching interest. There was at one moment a question of sending the Duke of Cambridge to Paris, but the Queen and the Ministers thought it unnecessary, on account of the extremely cordial understanding existing between the two Cabinets. Letters from London state that the Prince of Prus sia, in the name of all Germany, represented to the English Government the necessity of giving to France and Europe some guarantees against the manoeuvres and plots which are organised under the 'protection of British hospitality." The following telegraphic despatches have been received here : BERLIN, Jan. 27.—A new project from Den mark, having for object to place the Duchies of Holstein and Lanenburg in an exceptional position in the Danish Monarchy, has been brought to Frankfort by Baron de Blixen, but the members of the Diet have deeared against it as insufficient. Madrid, Jan. 27.—The Address in answer to the Speech from the Throne has been read in the Chamber of Deputies. It signifies that the appro bation of the house is given to the programme of the cabinet. BOURSE, JAN. 28.—The following were the closing quotations per Cents 9l 60 tio: end month 3 per Cent. ..... 63 95 Do. end month 6B 95 Bank Shares .. 3200 Credit Mobilier 497 50 Do. Account 940 - RAIL' Orleans Northern • 960 Credit Foncier Belgian 4A Piedmontese (5) Roman BB Austrian Spanish Threes Home Debt — New Ditto 800 Lyon and Alediteran. 867 i New Ditto B4O Midi Western 690 Strasburg Grand Central . 650 Sardinian lAustrian Geneva TUNIS. Letters from Tunis, dated the 18th, state that * Gouma, the Arab chief, who had rebelled against the thy of Tripoli, and had refused the asylum and pension offered him by the Sultan, had accepted the offer, through the French Consul at Tunis, to establish himself in the south of Algeria. He is there to receive the title of Caid, and a territory, to be assigned by the Governor of the province. The Regencies of Tunis and Tripoli are pacified by the agreement. The thanks of the Bey of Tunis have been presented to M. Roches, the Consul general of France. The Ministers of the Bey are busied with reforms promised to the people. Among them are a regency and the reconstruction of the Code. SPAIN. The Madrid papers of the 24th have arrived. The Queen had given a grand ball in honour of the birth of the Prince of the Asturias, and her Majesty opened it by dancing with the Dake de Moutpensier. Her Majesty afterwards danced not fewer than four times, her partners b e i ng th e Prince de Galitzin, arshal Narvaez, Marshal O'Donnell, and thA enunt de Guendui.i., Ati...i.. - ter of Public W or k g. The Queen had also held a graidireception, and amongst the peisonages present were deputations from the Senate and the Congress. The presidents of the deputations delivered tur b n o ed congratulatory speeches, and the Queen n ominated suitable replies. M. Pastor had been Director General of the Public De e b d t. conductors governor of Madrid having invited had requested there of newspapers to wait on him, the n religion and them to abstain from discussions on °moderate and cir. monarchical principle,. and to political affairs. The cumspect in their writings b o l n ico and Iberia having editors of the Clamor Pu o the length they might solicited information as e t vernor said that he could go in discuss ion,the bu g t that journalists would be not lay down a rule,. permitted The Iberia as functionaries. meat and of public n The new Ministers are President of the Senate. sorts choice of the personage to be that the e criticise freely e th n e e. atetes.gorefetaheaeGotevetrhne- Intelligence from Vienna an nounces that Aus tria, by a note of the 10th, has consented that the act signed by the States along the banks of the Danube shall be submitted to the Conference of Paris. It is asserted that the British Government has agreed to pay a pecuniary indemnity to the Porte for the occupation of the Island of Perim. The amount of the indemnity is to be fixed amicably between the two Powers without the intervention of any other. Advices from Hamburg state that the police there have been making in Several houses searches, supposed to be connected with the late attempt to assassinate the Emperor of the French. A con siderable number of refugees are always to be found at Hamburg. Lord Howard de Walden, British minister at Brussels, gave a grand ball on Tuesday in honour of the marriage of the Princess Royal of England with the Princo of Prussia. The Chamber of Representatives of Belgium, in itg sitting of Monday, voted unanimously the bud get of the public debt, which amounts to 37,830,555 francs. AMERICA. ARRIVAL OF THE BALTIC. LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY. The United States mail steamship Baltic, Capi.. Comstock, arrived in the Mersey this afternoon from New York. She sailed on the 16th instant, and has brought 50 passengers and 923,934 dollars in specie on freight. The Cunard steamship America had not been heard of at Halifax on the 15th, having then boon fourteen days out. The United States news by this arrival is very meagre, and of no great. interest - or importance. The New York Herald makes the following state ment, regarding the migration of the Mormons into British territories :—" The telegraph and the news brought by the Star of the West 'from the Great Salt Lake indicate that the Mormons contemplate removing to the British possessions in the spring. Doubt is thrown upon the story, and it is pos sible that the wish on the part of their assailants may have been father to the thought. But there are reasons why the rumour may be true. It is known that for some time past Brigham Young has been having a very thorough survey of the country lying to the north of Utah, especially the banks of the River Columbia. We hear that latterly he has despatched orders to his scattered disciples in California and in the southern parts of the terri tory of Utah to join him . at Salt Lake City without delay ; and that, accotdingly, notwithstanding the season, trains were en route for the Mormon head quarters from the south and the south-west. The country along the Columbia is admirably adapted for settlement and cultivation, much more so than any other which is open to the Mormons on the Pacific. COMMERCIAL. NEW YORK, JAN. 15. Foreign exchanges firm, with a fair business doing. Sixty days on London range firm, 108 to 110 ; sight, 111 ; Paris, 60 days, 4.181 to 5.15. Comm.—The market hn further improved under the foreign slvices, and we now quote middling Upland 10i to 10i ; middling Orlstans, 10IC. 13READSTUFFS.—Under the influence of the foreign advice@ State and Western flour was very heavy and a slight decline was accepted for lots to the Eastern trade, from which there is a fair demand. The buyers for export wore not much in the market except at a'decline. Southern was in better demand and firmer. Canada and Genessee flour was in fair demand and unchanged. There was a good demand for Western spring wheat for export, but the offers were quite limited, and we hear of no transactions. PROVISIONS.—Mess pork was firmer, but there was a slight decline in prime. The sales include mese at 14.75 dole, to 14.85 dole., and prime at 11.85 dole., with sales of small lots at 12 dole. Lard was unchanged ; prime was scarce and wanted, at 98 to 940. There was more inquiry for beef, and we note sales of 8.75 dole. to 9.50 dole. for country mess, and 13 dole. to 14 dole. for extra mess. FREIGHTS. —To Liverpool, some grain was taken in bulk on terms we did not learn—supposed 41d. ; 2,400 bushels wheat in bags at 5 d. ; 500 bbls. flour is ls. 9d. to 2s 104 d. ; 509 bales cotton 3.16 d. ; 400 bbls. rosin ls. 9d. ; 30 boxes bacon, 20s. To London, 1,500 bbls oil cake, 2s. 6d. ; 300 bbls. pork, 3s 9d., 15 tes. do., 53 200 boxes bacon, 25., THE BRAZILS. SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY NIGHT. A telegram received here from Lisbon announces that the screw steamer Petropolis arrived there this morning from the Brazils, and will leave for Southampton at noon to-morrow, the 29th. She has 68,000 sovereigns in specie, diamonds value 3,5001., and 2,000 sacks of coffee for Southampton; also 3,600 sovereigns in specie, 3,860 sacks of coffee, and 100 mangots of tobacco for Hamburg. LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(This Day.) ,ONDON, Jan. 29.—Wind this day at noon, S.W.; light breeze and fine. OFF DOVER, Jan. 28.—Arrived—Elizabeth C. Felton, from Bremen for Charleston ; Adelaide, from London for Geelong. . POOLE, Jan. 28.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Shepherd, from Heenspond for Newfoundland. PLYMOUTH, Jan. 23.—Wind S.S. W.—Sailed—Oscar (es), for Africa. ILFRACO3ISE, Jan. 28.—Wind S. W.—Sailed—All vessels for eastern ports. CARDIFF, Jan. 28.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Gibson Craig, for Caldeira. WATERFORD, Jan. 28.—Wind S.S.B.—Arrived—Sarah Ray, for Madras. BELFAST, Jan. 2";.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Amina, from Ttoon for Barb idoes. SHIELDS, Jan. 28.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Edward John, from Hnela. SWANSEA, Jan. 28.--Wind S.W.—Arrived—Velocity, from St. Valery ; Mentor, ditto ; Leonie, St. Malo ; Rio Nunez, from Liverpool for Rio Nunez, with loss of sails, bulwarks, and other damage, having been out 25 days. Sailed—Alome, for Gibraltar. QUEENSTOWN, Jan. 27.—Wind S.S.E.—Arrived—An. canasta, from Callao; Medora, from Cardiff from Bahia, leaky. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) LIVERPOOL, Friday Morning. Wind W. Two flats were loaded last night with deck cargo in good condition from the Loire, screw steamer, but the remainder of cargo is badly damaged. The ship will be a total wreck. Arrived—Atrevida, from Mexico ; Melina, Marseilles ; Ariadne, from Smyrna. Sailed-Panther, for Montevideo; Boomerang, Jamaica; Ann Buckle, Bombay ; Agnes, Rotterdam ; M. R. Ludvig, New York ; Mensagera, Cape de Verds ; Perastina, Trieste; Mate Hercules, Gibraltar. (BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH. GRAVESEND, Friday, 9.30 A.m. Wind S.W., light ; tide two hours' flood. Arrived, Jan. 28th—Sincerity, from Dunkirk. Arrived, 29th—Mary Ann, from St. Michael's ; Triton, steamers, Boulogne ; Caledonia, steamer, Hamburg. Sailed, 28th—Panther, steamer, for Boulogne ; Mowe, Bremen. DEAL, Friday Morning. Wind. S.W., moderate. Passed—Her Majesty's steamer Curagoa, from Ports mouth, for Gravesend; Mangerton, screw steamer, from London, for Limerick. Anchored—Dawston, and Czar, for Sydney; St. Michael, St. Kitt's ; Victoria, A n ti gua ; Adeline, Rio Janeiro —all from London. ---,- SALE OF THE ADRIATIO.—It is reported that Vie Adriatic steamer, of the Collins line, has been sold in New York to the Russian Government. She is des tined, it appears, for a steam war ship. We understand that Messrs. Currie anal Cc, the bankers, upon balancing their books atAber close of the year, have presented the handsome giatnity of 20 per cent, upon the amount of their salaries to the employes in their establishment. The Hanover Gazette of the 23d announces the retire- Me t from office of LI. de Decker, Minister of Justice. M. de Bothmer, Minister of Public Worship, has been charged provisionally with the direction of the vacant department. A letter from Brlin of the 25th says :-- 1 ` houses in th e ca pit a l a re already ornamen ted iwth Prince ith fla g s eve r l and garlands in ho no ur of the marriage.," Frederick William. The lower classes lasreoffiloecsksinvgalotee the pawnbrokers in order to pledge artic le s o e n the occasio , than five thalere, as they well kn o o of the marriage of any prince be restored fthe r to them e f m am g i r l a y ti t s h , l pledges for that amount CARDIFF DOCK BITEW ill NSIO/C—The new Ewit Bute opened its entire length. The bank Dock has now been op of earth which separate d the po r t ion fir st u s ed from the second-b a n and the water a ll owe d t o run w % b the whole a lake of - • wa ter 3,000 f eet length, and from 300 to 500 feet In nidth. Vessels have entered, and the steam dredging machine is actively at work, • ' Professor Pepper, of the Royal Polytechnic, ba experimented upon, and scientifically tested, the pro perties of the patent cork mattress, manufactured by the Cork Mattress Company under the patent of Mr. Ritchie. He reports most favourably and at considerable length, and considers that the mattress is indeed all that it asserts itself to be, viz , "a perfect bed and life-buoy." As to its medicinal properties, it generates caloric and prevents cramp ; it is easy of management, being light, strong, and easily removed. He also says that he has practically tested the mattress, using onei n his own dor mitory, and finds it the best he has used. In addition to this, experiments are going on every day. A sea faring man is constantly employed by the company to make experiments, which consist in his being thrown overboard from large 'vessels in strong tides with a mattress tied round him, and in his being buoyed up successfully and comfortably. Many members of the naval and mercantile marine have expres s ed themselves perfectly astounded by thepowers shown by the matt, es in these experiments. government has also, after an experiment very successfully carried out at Woolwich Dockyard, given considerable orders to a 'certainly perfect, and, to emigrants and sailors, unparalleled invention, DEATH FROM STARVATION.—Yesterday an investiga tion, which lasted upwards of two hours, took place at the Lion and Lamb, Drummond-street, Euston-square, St. Pancras, before Mr. Wakely, the coroner, on view of the body of Caroline Lewis, an infant, four months old, who died of starvation. Davis, the summoning officer of St. Pancras, acquainted the coroner that the deceased was one of many which had been placed by the mothers soon after the birth at an institution near the Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital, in the New-road, Mary lebone—the children were illegitimate, and a woman, named Kearsley, was in the habit of taking some of them to nurse from this institution, he (Davis) had summoned her upon the present occasion. The body of the deceased was a mere skeleton, and shocked all who viewed it. The Coroner said he had never heard of the institution in question ; and, in answer to questions, Mrs. Kearaley said she was paid 3s, weekly for the infants she took to nurse. She fed them upon sago, arrowroot, milk, &c. The mother of the deceased was a servant. The mother of the child she had in her arms was also a servant, and had gone out as a wet. nurse. Mr. Densay, a surgeon, said the child died of starvation, for want of the breast milk. Verdict— " Died of starvation." TIE GREATEST SOCIAL EVIL.—At a meeting of the joint vestry of St. Giles-in-the-Fields and St. George, Bloomsbury, at St. Giles's Vestry-room, Jan. 28, the Rev. A. W. Thorold, Rector of St Giles, in the chair, it was resolved unanimously :—" 1. That the joint vestry of St. Giles-in-the-Fields and S'. George, Bloomsbury, seriously considering the present flagrant condition of prostitution in the streets of this metropolis, and fully ,aware not only 'of the annoyance of the inhabitants or passengers,' but also of the scandals to public decency and the grievous temptations to the youth of both sexes, rs suiting from common prostitutes and night-walkers loi tering or being in any thoroughfare or public place for the purpose of prostitution and solicitation,' hereby recognises the duty incumbent on the vestry to make all feasible efforts towards diminishing so great an evil, especially within the limits of the united parishes. 2 The public mind being now directed to the question, and the vestries of St. James, Westminster, and Sr. MarylebJne having exerted themselves with considerable success in this direction, the present appears to be a faiourable opportunity for the independent and yet bar. monioue action of other metropolitan parishes. 3. This vestry, being aware that certain of the existing evils can only be reached by an amendment of the law, is of opi nion that the following improvements might expediently be pressed upon the Legislature :—(1.) The improve meat of the criminal law for the affording greater facilities for the prosecution of houses of ill fame by admit' ing a certificate under the hands of a certain number of house holders (hereafter to be fixed) and of the superintendent of police iu the district to be prima facie evidence that the house deeeritied in such certificate is a house of ill fame. (2.) The placing under the immediale control of the police the class of houses known as' night houses ;" and all houses of refreshment kept open beyond reason able hours, not included in the present class of licensed houses. 4. It being, however, apparent that much of the existing mischief may be put down at once by the more vigorous execu tion of the Police Act ; and that an emphatic expression of public opinion will strengthen the hands of the exe cutive, and greatly contribute to the more fully carrying out those provisions of the existing law which bear on the subject. 5. The joint vestry accordingly appointed the following gentlemen—thereams and churchwardens Mr. W. Rogers, and Mr. W. Gaussen—to form a depu. tation to her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department, to express to him the strong feelicg enter tained by the vestry with respect to the presentcondition of e'rect prostitution ; to suggest to him the expediency of introducing into the existing law the additions above specified ; and earnestly to prises on him the speedy abatement of an evil which so intensely affects the decency of our thoroughfares, the respectability of our places of public amusement, and our character as a Christian people." 'AYS. DRURY-LANE THEATRE.-MEETING OF PROPRIATOBS. Yesterday afternoon a general assembly of the proprietors in the above company was held in the saloon of the theatre, for the purpose of receiving the report, and to elect officers. Mr. B. B. Cabbell was called to the chair. Amongst those present were the Earl of Glengall, Lord Wm. Lennox, Sir Wm. de Bat be, Capt. Parnther, Capt. Thompson, Mr. Waring, Mr. Arden, Mr. E. T. Smith, Mr. M. Sharpe, tkc. FLADGATE, the secretary, read the report from the committee, which i nc l u d e d th e aunua l statemen t of accounts and report of the architect. The report stated the architect has reported the state of the building and the progress of the lessee in the per formance of his covenants to repair and decorate the theatre. The committee directed that a specifica tion of the works to be done in accordance with these covenants should be prepared by the architect. Differences of opinion having arisen in regard to the specification, the adjustment of them by arbitration has been agreed upon by the committee and Mr. Smith. The committee cannot but refer to the satisfactory settlements of the claim of the engi neer for works executed in the year 1856, as re ported by the architect. The accounts have been audited by Mr. Savory and Mr. Crombie. The receipts, added to the balance of 3011. 10s. 9d. from the previous year, amount to 4,7261. 2s. 9d., and the payments to 4,5081. lls. 2d., leaving a balance of 2171. lls. 7d. available for the external repairs immediately necessary. The receipts comprised the sum of 4,0001. from the lessee for the 12 months' rent. Of the payments four had been made quar terly to the Duke of Bedford on account of the arrears of rent. The four quarters' rates and taxes, together with the ordinary current expenses of the year and all tradesmen's bills, have been paid up to Christmas last. In addition to which the sum of 9001. has been paid to the trustees of the new renters. The committee conclude their report by adverting with 'satisfaction to the improved condi tion of the property, and the successful commence ment of the present season. The report of the architect stated that the interior of the theatre had been repaired and decorated by the lessee. As there is a portion of the works uncompleted, he was at present unable to report that the covenants of the lease had been fully complied with. Thedis puted account for the works in connexion with the additional precautions taken in 1856 for the pre vention of tire had been reduced by arbitration from 6301. ss. 3d. to 4741. Us. 6d. If the works were completed as required by the coven ants of the lease; the building, both externally aixd internally, would be in a satisfactory state of repair. On the motion of Mr. WAKING, seconded by Cap tain PARNTHER, the report was confirmed. The CHAIRMAN then announced that the follow ing noblemen and gentlemen retired from the com mittee, viz. :—The Earl of We s t more l and, Lord Tente;den, Sir H. Webb, Mr. R. Harrabine, Mr. Waring, and. Mr. Rawlinson. The Clerk stated that these noblemen and gentle men were eligible for re-election. Mr. MARCUS SHARPE suggested there should be a new infusion of blood on the committee, as he thought they had n o t d one their duty in leasing the theatre to Mr. E. T. Smith at the low rental of 4,0001. a-year. The rentals paid by the lessees of the Lyceum, Haymarket, and Princess's Theatres were much larger in proportion to that paid for Drury-lane Theatre. Mr. E. T. SMITH explained, that when he took the theatre it was in such a dreadful state that few men would have ventured to open it. Moreover, the gentleman was out of order, as his lease was not out for two years, and the question of terms could not, therefore, be discussed. As far as he was personally concerned, he did not oare two straws whether or not he obtained a renewal of the lease. Lord W. LENNOX deprecated the discussion upon the question of rent, upon the same ground as Mr. Smith. Sir W. DE BATHE defended the committee, and said they had done everything in their power. Be fore Mr. Smith took the theatre they had adver tised for a lessee again and ag ain, a n d not a l i v i ng nehad as advantage, n n o ta le manager a was ier a man i- f c would ' soul came near it. The s i ze of the theatre, which had been put forwairnda: an ered with so la rge a t h eatre. The E eLb'Estisarai bore testimony t o th e f ac t e a s r t e d t i o s a b d ae v rel a n n oc t fa a Gna g that no advertisement had produced a single lessee. On the motion o f M r. A.RDEN, seconded by Mr. CRAWTTER, the re-election of the retiring committee men was agreed to after some discussion. The auditors having been elected with thanks for their past services, A vote of thanks to Mr. E. T. Smith, the lessee, for the satisfactory manner in which he had cow ducted the matter, was then proposed, The CHAIRMAN bore testimoney to the value of Mr. Smith's character, and said that there could be but one opinion, and that was, that Mr. Smith, in managing D rury -l ane Theatre, had the wishes o f the public in providing for their amusement, more at heart than he had his own private interests._ b„„„ WILLI acciauwe tiok, _ _ Mr. E. T. SMITE, in returning thanks, said he trusted he might be excused for stating that during the past three mouths he had expended 1,800 1 ; over the theatre, independently of having pi ( ' 4,0001. a year's rent. The usual compliment was paid to the chairmaili and the meeting separated. TRACING A HIGHWAYMAN. A report of a desperate encounter with a highway ' man appeared in Th e S un o f the 23d inst., in whic h it was stated that Mr. Clarkson, of Huggato lodge, about eight miles from Driffield, was savagely set on as he was returning from market by a high' wayman, who attempted to rob him when within a mile of his own house, and that Mr. Clark son discharged four barrels of a revolver at hia assailant with such effeot that the latter was glad to decamp, although severely wounded, and with hia clothes on fire. The Eastern, Counties _Herald of yesterday tells how the thief was pursued and apprehended :—" Ne x t morn i ng . M r. J ose ph Young, superintendent of the Driffield police, Wag informed of the attempted robbery, and immedl; ately took those steps, known only to sharpwitteu detectives, for the apprehension of the offender. 1 18 first carefully examined the scene of the attack, discovered copious blood marks on the road, and foot traces through a gate in the direction of Drif field, the gate being bloody. He also received a cap and a bludgeon, found on the spot, and a neckerchief and burnt pieces of a shirt, which wer e found in an adjoining field. On the following dais from. some information he received, he went to Burlington, 18 m il es from Sugg ate-lodge, and ascertained that a man had arrived at a lodging" house there about 2 o'clock the previous morning —which would be six hours after the robbery- - ;: minus shirt, cap, and neckerchief, covered with blood, wounded, and very much exhausted, stating to the inmates of the house that he had been at tacked and fired at on the Driffield- roa d , an d that he was an x i ous to get away before he should 11 overtaken, and havin g was h e d his wounds an d stayed about ten minutes he made off. Young then lost sight, or rather trace of his man, but he sna il again got wind o f hi m, and on the followinf Tuesday succeeded in ascertaining at Scarborour„, that a m an answer i ng to the description of the one • h e was i n pursuit of had applied to a surgecnithere for medical relief, and had then gon e in the di rec ti on o f R o bi n Hood ' s Bay an d Whitby. On the Thursday Young traced him t° the latter place, found that he had been lodging there in the house of a sweep, having left 28 hours previous, and then quitted for the moors. Young l , afterwards discov ere d th at h e had doubled, 81,_" once more mad e f or th e sea-coast. On that day 11 traced him to Upgaug, thence t o S an d sen d, nu' afterwards to Runswick iron works and Straithe% where he. had s t oppe d the night before. He nes t traced NM in a circuitous route along the road, a few hours in advance, begging from house to Iloilo' and finally traced him on the road to Guisborough , where Young, learning that h e was a few m i les to advance, pulled bridle for a while, till night came on, when he resumed his pursuit, got into Gills' borough, and finally ran his man to earth in a lodging-house shortly a f ter h i s arrival there. The prisoner's waistcoat was found to be burnt in th e back, and with a b u ll et- h ole through the front 0 f it, and a small w oun d on the breast correspond i n , oo to the puncture in the waistcoat. He was gat ! wounded in the nik titth, which was dis co lou re d as 1 ,, from the effects of gu n p ow d er . A ver y lalt wound was found on his back, some five inches 2: diameter, and c orrespon di ng w i th the b urn in t h e 13 i waistcoat. O n b e i ng apprehended and charged W it h the offence the p r i soner s t a t e d t h a t h e k new not hl of the m at t er, and that if he had done it it rall; be unknown to him. He gives his name as Jars „ Irela n d, and states that he is a native of the cou nty Roscommon, b u t h e h as gone b y o th er a li ases . i'Se veral highway robberies have been lately perfL, trated in the neighbourhood of Driffield, and stl,T cient i n f ormat i on i s i n th e possess i on of the po. " ee ~f to show th a t I re l an d i s one , if not the foremosz,Z, the gang. Too much praise ca nno t b e given to n perintendent Y oung f or th e p romp t an d e nerg measures he took for the apprehension of thePL O Boner ' and the clever effe c ti ve manner i n w hicuf carried them ou t ; and, were it not for that the.u re velation might be turned to account by 0 4 re a criminals, we could g i ve our rea d ers some amus e d details of inge nious s hif ts an d d ev i ces re sor_ a to to obtain info rma ti on f rom uncons ci ou s sometimes unwilling deponents. The privy , '" been committed for trial.