The Sun. — London, England, 1859-09-26 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE NEW DOCKS AT SWANSEA. On Friday last the new docks recently constructed at Swansea were opened with all the ceremony and rejoicings which the importance of the event to the town and neighbourhood demanded. Few ports have made a more rapid advance in so short a time, and none have benefited more in proportion than Swansea from the extension of railway accommo dation. The natural advantages of its position at the entrance of the Bristol Channel, its excellent roadstead at the Mumbles, and its contiguity to the coalfields of South Wales would always secure to it a fair share of whatever trade was stirring in those parts ; but the completion of the South Wales Rail way system, which first fairly " tapped," so to speak, many of the richest treasures of the district, and the prudent measures simultaneously adopted by the trustees of the harbour, have given an im petus to its progress within the last seven years which is almost without a parallel. Ten years ago the harbour consisted merely of a few quays built along the banks of the river Tawe, alongside of which vessels floated or lay high and dry as the tide ran in or out. The bed of the river was very uneven, and ships as they grounded were liable to strain—a serious drawback, which was calculated to overweight the port in its race with the other ports of the Channel. The trustees of the day, alive to this danger, and foreseeing the increased demand for accommodation which would be occasioned by tke establishment of railway communication between Swansea and the coalfields, determined to con struct a floating basin in the bed of the river, on the plan adopted at Bristol, the fresh water from the interior being carried into the sea by a side cut. This was completed in 1852, and its effect, jointly with the extension of the rail way to the docks in the following year, was manifested by the rise of the tonnage entering the port from 270,000 tons in 1851 to 332,000 tons in 1853. The rise since then has continued steady and rapid, and last year the tonnage entering the port was in round numbers 500,000 tons. Of this, the increase in the foreign trade alone was from 60,000 to 262,000 tons. The chief export trade is, of course, in coals, of which Swansea exported last . . year 267,432 tons of all kinds, from the most bitu minous to tie most anthracite, and sent coastways 185,712 tons. There is also a considerable trade in patent fuel, a manufacture peculiar to Swansea, o . which large quantities are exported to all quarters of the world. In the coal trade, however, Swansea is rivalled by Cardiff and Newport, but in the im ports of copper ore it takes the lead of all others. Swansea may be said to do pretty nearly nine tenths of the copper-smelting business of the whole world. Coal is cheap, and the sea is near, and to Swansea accordingly comes copper ore from Corn wall, South America, Cuba, Australia, and all other parts of the world where it is produced. There is also a rapidly increasing trade in silver ores, and there may possibly be lying about some of the yards of the town silver ore to the amount of a quarter of a million. The value of a single cargo has been known to amount to £70,000. Such a thriving trade as this promised speedily to outgrow the existing accommodation, and it be came necessary to look about for some means of ex tending the harbour. Before the formation of the river float in 1852, a project was started for build ing new docks on the west side of the river, and a company was formed for the purpose. An Act was obtained, and the first sod of the undertaking was cut in 1852 by the presrnt Duke of Beaufort. For some reason or other the harbour trustees did not associate themselves with this scheme, but pre ferred to persevere with their own plan of a floating basin, which they accomplished from their own funds. If their refusal was based on a suspicion that the company would not be able to perform their programme, they were justified by the event, for after a few years' progress funds became scarce, the works languished, and at last, after an expenditure of £lOO,OOO, came to a stand still. In this condition they remained for three years, until the trustees, on the lookout for more room, came to terms with the company and took the unfinished works off their hands. Under their auspices they were pushed on with vigour, another £lOO,OOO was expended, and their completion was celebrated by the ceremony of Friday. The new docks are built on the west side of the entrance to the port and consist of an inner and outer or half tide basin. .They are built partly on land belong ing to the corporation, and partly on the property of the Duke of Beaufort, who, as Lord of the Seigniory of Gowerig. by virtue of an intermar riage with some Welsh Princess in the days when Wales was an independent Principality, claims the regal rights between high and low water mark. The inner basin is excavated to a depth of 29 feet 6 inches ; the entrance to 28 feet ; but the founda tions of the walls are of sufficient depth to allow of an increased deepening of the entrance channel to an extent of about 3 feet. It contains an area of 13 acres, its length being 1,500 feet, and breadth 360 feet. There is 4,800 feet of quay wall, It commu nicates with the half-tide basin by a lock 300 feet long and 60 wide, which will accommodate steamers of the largest size. The half-tide basin contains an area of 4 acres, and is 430 feet in length by 370 in breadth. It has 1,600 feet of quay The depth of water throughout is 24 feet, and on the sill at the entrance gates the depth varies from 26 and 23 feet at spring tides to 15 feet at the lowest neaps. The entrance is 70 feet wide, being 15 feet wider than the entrance to the Bute Dock recently opened at Cardiff. The engi neer is Mr. Abernethy. The contractors are Messrs. Tredwell, and competent judges speak well of the manner in which they execute their contract. In one respect the docks have benefited by the long procras tination of their completion, inasmuch as they have been supplied with the most recent inventions for saving time and labour. At an expense of some £75,000 the Harbour Trustees have constructed an extension of the South Wales Railway down to the edge of the inner basin ; facilities for the discharge of ores, ballast, &c., are afforded by the hydraulic cranes discharg ing direct into railway trucks, and for the shipment of coal and iron by hydraulic lifts and tips, com bining the advantage of shipping coal either from the ordinary trucks or boxes upon the most ap proved plans for the prevention of breakage in the hold. There are also five slips for discharging timber. The drops are connected with the branch railway by means of a timber viaduct which extends towards the quay at the height of 20 feet. The centre or combined drop is a very large one, being capable of shipping upwards of 150 tons per hour. The whole extent of the docks, as well as the river float, is furnished with Sir Win. Armstrong's hydraulic apparatus, which opens the gates, swings the bridges, works the slucies, lifts the hoists, and goes through all manner of operations within the Compass of a two-year-old baby and a dozen Her cules'. The extent of pipes is a mile and a half, and the pressure upon them is 7001 b. to the square inch. The hydraulic power is available for any purpose for which it may be required at any point throughout th e entire length of the pipes, and for accumulating th e liyaraudlic power for the new docks esteem-engine of 50 horse-power has been erected. The machine. is so arranged that the pipes connected with the float and those connected with the docks may be worked quite independently, so that an accident to one bran c h of t he apparatus need not affect the oth er. It is su pplied with self acting gear, and by mea ns of chains Which run th e whole length of each side o f the lock the starting valves of the engines may be opened or clos e d i n a moment by persuns employed to work the machi nery, without running to the engine-h)use for the purpose, simply by working levers attached to the chains. Any portion of the machinery can be thrown into or out of gear immediately, and either part worked independently of the others. The fitting of this apparatus has cost the trustees about £20,000. Altogether, the expenditure on the har bour up to the present time amounts to about £500,000. The day of openingiwas observed in Swansea and its outlying districts as a strict holyday, though the weather was by no means conducive to un mixed enjoyment. A steady, misty, wetting rain set in early, and continued at intervals throughout the proceedings. All the shops were closed, and the population disposed either in the streets or at the windows, while excursion trains and boats brought in crowds of visitors from the neighbour hood. At an early hour the benefit societies of the town—Odd Fellows, Druids, Foresters, &c.—to the *umber of about 5,000, each headed by their respective bands, assembled in the Town-field, and thence a procession was formed to the docks, in which the corporation, the Harbour Trustees, the Lord Lieutenant, Mr. Talbot, the M.P.'s for the county and the borough, and other leading mem bers of the community, took their places. The route to the docks lay through a perfect arcade of triumphal arches, flags, devices, and buntings of all descriptions. On arriving at the ground the benefit societies took up their position round the inner basin, backed by an immense concourse of people standing on the sea wall, which, sloping down to the dock, forms there a kind of natural amphi theatre. The proceedings commenced by the presents• tion of addresses by the friendly societies to the Lord-Lieutenant, which having been suitably re plied to the branch railway was hanselled by the running of a gaily decorated engine and tender over its length. The dock gate was then opened by Miss Talbot, the daughter of the Lord-Lieutenant, not figuratively, as is usually the case with cere monial " openings" of this kind, but, thanks to the invention of Sir W. Armstrong, literally opened by the delicately-gloved hand of a young lady of 18. As she stood on a slightly raised platform, and grasping the capstan, boasting for the nonce a silver handle, bent it away from her with little more effort than she would have put into the opening of the door of her own boudoir, the giant pulleys flew round, the chains rattled, and presently the massive gates swung slowly back on their hinges, obedient to the force which the light touch a dozen yards off had loosed upon them. A more striking proof of the marvellous power of Sir W. Armstrong's appa ratus could scarcely be furnished. Then in steamed through the lock a boat belonging to the port, freighted with the trustees and their friends, and as she breasted the waters of the basin salvos of artillery and answering cheers from thousands of throats proclaimed the fact that the docks were opened. She was followed closely by the Hamp shire, a fine sailing collier of London, and by the Chevy Chase, a splendid steam collier of 1,000 tons, which is chartered for coal to Australia and China. Several other vessels also entered the dock in the course of the day. Shortly afterwards about 500 of the more dis tinguished visitors sat down to a breakfast, at which " Success to the New Docks" and other local and appropriate toasts were given and received with due honour. In the evening the town was brilliantly illumi nated—at least as brilliantly as the rain would per mit—and the festivities were brought to a close by a grand ball in the Assembly Rooms. 7HE NA Yl. At Plymouth the disposition of Sir C. Fremantle's fleet, which continues in the Sound, is the subject of daily discussion. The crews are only allowed what is termed "short" leave, so that they cannot go far from the port. The boilers of the flagship, the Royal Albert, are not in good condition, and it is possible that she may have to go into dock at Keyham Steam-yard. The Clesar, Agamemnon, and James Watt, ordered some days since to pre pare for foreign service, are ready, but continue in the Sound. It is stated that they are to be em ployed in the conveyance of troops to Alexandria ; that in consequence of the African difficulty they may be detained a short time at Gibraltar; and that after disembarking the troops they will be attached to the Mediterranean fleet for the purpose of re lieving the screw steamships Conqueror, 101, Capt. YelvertoN, C. 8., Brunswick, 80, Capt. E. Ommaney, and Centurion, 80, Capt. G. E. Patey. It is further stated as probable that Sir C. Fremantle, with the remainder of the fleet, will ultimately rendezvous at Gibraltar. The French war steamer Le Corse anchored in Yarmouth roads for two days last week, but she has since left. The Odin, 16, paddle, Capt. Lord John Hay, C. 8., hoisted the pendant in the steam basin, Ports mouth, on Saturday. The Hardy gunboat, Lieut. A. G. Boyle, hoisted the pendant at Portsmouth on Saturday, and was afterwards placed in No. 1 dock to have copper, &c., cleaned. The Meander storeship, for Ascension, was com missioned at Portsmouth, on Saturday, by Sir Malcolm M'Gregar, lately commanding her Ma jesty's ship Hairier. The Scout, 21, screw, Captain Corbett, fired a gun and hoisted the Blue Peter at tho fore, at Spit head, yesterday morning. At two p.m., she left that anchorage under steam for the China station. The Argus, screw revenue cruiser, Commander Grandy, arrived at Spithead yesterday. The paddlewheel steamsloop Centaur, 6, was com missioned at Devonport on Friday by Commander E. D. Aplin, and the gunboat Cockchafer by Lieut. Holder. The lighter Sinbad, E. Moore, master, left Ply mouth on Thursday with stores for Portsmouth and Chatham. Rear-Admiral I. Jones, second in command in China, struck his flag on Wednesday at sunset on board the screw steamfrigate Imperieuse, 51, Capt. Maguire, then in dock in Devonport. On Friday, the leak having been stopped, she was undocked and moored alongside the yard. The screw steam gunliessel Flying Fish, 6, Com mander Hope, steamed from Plymouth Sound on Thursday into Hamoaze, for the purpose of prepar ing for foreign service. The Russian squadron, comprising the screw line of-battle ship Gangood, 84, Capt. Duhamel ; the screw irigate Ilia Mourometz, 53, Capt. Sthaal, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Nordmann, com manding the squadron ; and the screw corvette Vohl, 11, Capt. Tchichatscheff, arrived at Spithead yesterday from the Baltic, on the way to the Medi terranean. At noon the customary salutes were exchanged with the military and naval authorities. Capt. D'Houdain, commanding the Brazilian cor vette Bahian, lying at Spithead, afterwards paid a visit to Rear-Admiral Nordmann on board the Ilia Mourometz, the Brazilian flag being duly saluted on the occasion. The Turkish Government screw gunboat Akyab Capt. G. Deward, sailed from South amp t on . for Constantinople at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday. The following appointments were made on Satur day at the Admiralty ; Lieut. T. M. Maguey, addi tional to the Arrogant ; F. S. D. Broughton, acting mate to the Mars ; J. S. Watts, second master to the Weasel ; P. Syveet, second master, additional, to the Britannia ; Dr. W. Hoggan, surgeon to the Odin ; A. Irwin, surgeon to the Encounter ; R. Mungle, surgeon to the Centaur ; G. L. King, sur geon to the Sphinx ; Dr. H. H. Smith, to the Eagle; J.lHunter, acting assistant-surgeon to the Odin; F. J. Withers, acting assistant-surgeon to the En counter; J. Maames, acting assistant-surgeon to the Centaur; Dr. J. James, acting assistant-surgeon to the Sphinx ; C. J. Fennell, acting assistant-sur geon to the Blenheim ; G. Goodman, acting assis tant-surgeon to the Aboukir ; A. Murphy, assistant surgeon to the Renard; Dr. T. Coghlan, assistant surgeon to the Beagle ; J. Martin, assistant-surgeon to the Ringdove ; J. C. Esctcott, assistant-surgeou to the Snake; J. W. S. Meiklejohn, assistant-sur geon to the Royal Albert ; W. J. Shone, assistant surgeon, additional, to the Impregnable ; W. J. Bluett, assistant-surgeon, additional, to the Hast ings ; C. R. Godfrey, assistant-surgeon, additional, to the Britannia ; H. J. Fairlie, midshipman to the Mars ; R. Evans and E. Keppell, midshipmen to the Donegal ; C. Woodhouse and H. H. Rawson, midshipmen to the Encounter; R. E. Stopford and H. M'Hardy, midshipmen to the Odin ; R. S. Byng and W. G. P. O'Callaghan, midshipmen to the Im perieuse ; A. T. Dale, midshipman to the Nile ; A. L. Douglas, midshipman to the Arrogant ; A. K. Wilson, midshipman to the Amphion ; C. R. T. Russell, E. T. Holdsworth, and H. B. S. Cobb, midshipmen, to the Agamemnon ; R. F. Britten, midshipman, to the Topaze ; G. A. W. Birch and H. J. Hesketh, midshipmen, to the James Watt ; T. S. Jackson, midshipman, to the Melpomene; S. T. Swan, master's assistant, to the Royal Albert;; T. Robertson, master's assistant, to the Simoom. TILE ARMY. 1,1 ta.:lnoi'sfssppheerooertCotiroion willini anm, 11 a be a Commander-in-ChTef will leave town early far Portsmouth. The garrison at assembled for his Royal Ifighnec,'s tieinisdßoovlariTlluie:diva ta lo .m ssy and at Portsmouth at 4 p.m. o a w t Portsmouth . will ex _ Another improvement s m ta Zi . to the Duke of in tents has been sub mittedofßCoambridge, by Mr. Turner, anlvetontboer,maanddehNivsith these tents at Chatham gar rison. Highness has directed a the tr i i . 0 changes in the stations of several of the de pots of the Indian regiments being now completed, the following are the Indian depots attached to the three battalions of infantry at Chatham gart i son :-Ist battalion under the command of Col. H. Jervis ; Ist battalion of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, Ist battalion of the 24th Regiment, 35th Regiment, 43d Light Infantry, 53d Regiment, and 77th Regi ment; 2d battalion, under the command of Col. R. N. Phillips, Ist battalion of the 20th Regiment, Ist battalion of the 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 29th Regiment, 31st Regiment, 52d Light Infantry,and 73d Regiment; 3d battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Col. C. E. Fairtlough, Ist battalion of the Bth (The King's) Regiment, Ist battalion of the 19th Regiment, 75th Regiment, 81st Regiment, 91st Regiment,• and 94th Regiment. In conse quence of the intention of the authorities at the War-office to reduce the number of depot batta lions, which now number 23, several additional Indian depots will be attached to the battalions at Chatham. Notwithstanding the numerous detach ments just despatched from Chatham to India, the total strength of the battalions is nearly 4,000 of all ranks, and recruiting for most part of the regi ments is still proceeding. The whole of the available force at Chatham gar rison were marched from their respective quarters to Chatham Lines on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of being inspected by Major-Gen. Eyre, the commandant. The troops were drawn up in review order at half-past two o'clock, shortly after which the Major-General, attended by the usual officers of his staff, arrived on the ground, and was received with the customary salute. After march ing past in slow and quick time, the whole force broke up into companies, and executed a variety of brigade field movements, which occupied about two hours. These field-days, which have taken place at frequent intervals during the summer in order to instruct the young officers and troops in brigade movements, will shortly be discontinued, on ac count of the season preventing their being any longer carried out. On Saturday the 4th Royal Irish Dragoons, Col. Bentinck, were inspected by Lord Cardigan, In • spector-General of Cavalry, at Brighton. At the termination of the inspection Lord Cardigan ex pressed his extreme satisfaction at all he had witnessed. Colchester Camp has been inspected by Mr. Alexander, C. 8., Director of the Medical Depart ment of the Army, who expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements which had been made. A few married women have left that vicinity to join their husbands now serving in India, each woman having been previously provided with a sovereign for herself and 10s. for each child, to provide them with necessaries during the voyage. In consequence of the deficiency of military en gineers experienced in India, a number of men from the depot at Warley have proceeded to Chatham for the purpose of receivinc , instruction in sapping and mining, pontooniug, &e. The Chatsworth Rifles (2d Derby Militia) have assembled at the Militia Depot, in Chesterfield, for 21 days' training, under the command of Lieut.- Col. F. Cavendish. the following officers being pre sent :—Major the Marquis of Hartington, Captains W. G. Cavendish, F. Arkwright, Darwin, Milnes, and Wilkinson; Lieuts. Smithers, Lucas, Goodwin, Fox, and Poyser ; Surgeon Newbold and Captain and Adjutant Elliott. The men have come up re markably well, 380 being present, and more are ex pected in the coarse of a few days. On Saturday afternoon Col. Mountjoy Martyn, of the 2d Life Guards, reviewed, in Nylands-park, Chelmsford, the Essex Yeomanry Cavalry, the Hon. Artillery Company of London, the Victoria Rifles, and a detachment from the Uxbridge Cavalry. A variety of manceuvres were executed, and the pro ceedings passed off satisfactorily. NEW SOUTH WALES. (From the Correspondent of the Times.) SYDNEY, JUNE 14. The general election for members to serve in the Reformed Parliament has just commenced. The greatly increased number of representatives that have to be returned, the re-arrangemet of the elec toral districts, and the:introduction of vote by ballot add considerable novelty to the usual excitement. Candidates were rather slow in coming out at firs!, but by degrees every constituency has been accom modated, and most of them are favoured with a choice. East Sydney has returned Mr. Cowper, the Premier, at the head of the poll, his clever and suc cessful administration of affairs having won the good-will of the mercantile interest, and the Liberal party supporting him as still essential to the pro• gress of reform. The second on the list was Mr. Black, a newcomer, formerly a servant under the Hudson's Bay Company, and for whose sudden popularity it is difficult to account, except that he is the president of the Land League, a society lately formed to agitate for a free selection of land as opposed to the present practice of sale by auction. The third on the list was Mr. Parkes, the late proprietor of the Empire newspaper. The fourth on the list is Mr. Martin, formerly Mr. Cowper's Attorney-General, who avows his intention to leave no stone unturned to upset the present Ministry. That the same constituency should return two men so bitterly opposed to each other may seem strange, but Martin was returned mainly by the votes of the Irish Catholics, who are said to have given him a thousand plumpers, and who as a body dislike and distrust the present Premier. Sir Daniel Cooper, the late Speaker, has been re-elected for the suburb of Paddington. Sir Charles Nicholson, the Speaker of the old Legislative Council, and our only colonial baronet, has declined on a point of etiquette to con test any constituency. He alleges that it is not the custom in England for any one who has been Speaker to take an ordinary seat on the floor of the House, it being more usual to promote him to the Upper Chamber. As the Cabinet have not taken the hint, and have not appointed Sir Charles to a seat in the Legislative Council, we thus lose altogether from Parliament the services of an able and dis tinguished colonist through a point of dignity. In West Sydney the Rev. Dr. Lang has been returned at the head ef the poll, taking in with him as colleague Mr. Pe,nmel, a man quite new to politics. The ether two members are Mr. Brough ton, a city alderman and formerly mayor, and Mr. Plunkett, for many years Attorney-General under the old regime, and who like Martin in East Sydney, is returned mainly by the Irish Catholics. There are four great questions a g itating the pub lic mind at this time—the LandLaws,the State Support of Religion, the Constitution of the Upper House, and Popular Education. There are some other minor matters on which candidates are inter rogated, among which may be classed protection to native industry—a doctrine that has been unceas ingly advocated by a small knot of politicians. They have not, as yet, however, made much head way, the chief agitator having had less than 000 votes recorded for him at the late East Sydney election. Among a certain class of politicians, though, the doctrine seems to grow gradually in favour, notwithstanding all the unanswerable free trade arguments that are argued against it. They are impatient to see the colony grow faster than it has hitherto done. Discontented with the pastoral character of its industry, they long anxiously to see it also a great agri cultural and manufacturing country ; and as this is impossible at present, while free importations con tinue, they desire such protection as shall be suffi cient to stimulate home production. Without pro tection, they say, we may continue to be a thriving colony, but we shall never grow to be a great nation. America, which is incessantly pointed to here as the model for our imitation, has grown rich and popu lous and has developed a manufacturing industry under the regime of protection, and Canada is trying to do the same, and Australia, if she wishes to be great and prosperous, must walk in their footsteps. Such is the popular logic, and, as it appeals to na tive patriotism, to the growing sentiment of na tionality, and the apparent interest of certain classes of workmen, it is not to be refuted by argu ments which appeal not to prejudice, pride, or self interest, but solely to reason and experience. For the present, however, the Protectionists are in a decided minority, and will have but few earnest re presentatives in the corning Legislature. The land question is the great battle-groLnd —how to manage this great national estate of millions of - acres, which has been handed over to about 300,000 people. The popular cry is " Free selection and de ferred payment." But "free selection" is used in so many different senses by different candidates that it is impossible to define it. Some mean that any man may take up any block of land anywhere in the colony not exceeding 040 acres, surveyed or unsur veyed, settle down upon it, and take 10 or 20 years to pay for it. In defence of this doctrine it is urged that a man knows best what land will suit him, and that he should have a right of choice, and not be compelled to await the discretion of the surveyors. On the other hand it is urged that all the eyes of the country would be picked out at once, leaving notlnic, g but unsaleable leads for the next corners ; and that the fortunate speculators, instead of settling down, would sell their blocks at an advanced price and leave. There are many parts of the colony, especially t',e pastoral portions, where the good land lies in small patches and isolated spots. These are near the wat r holes, or along the margin of running streams. The possession of them virtually commands the sur rounding country. Whenever such a section hap ; pens to be put up for sale, the squat ter always bus it, as being the key of the whole run, and many take time by the forelock and secure possession of such choice spots by exercising their pre-emptive rights. They complain that, under the free selec tion system, they would have no chance of buying such lots from the Crown, for they would be taken up by little speculators who knew their worth to the stockholder, but who had no capi`al to turn the land to advantage themselves, and who would force the Crown lessee, in order to got rid of them off his run, to buy their rights at an enormous pre- min rn . To prevent this collision between tho grazier and the small settlers, it is proposed by others that the free selection should be restricted to what is called the settled districts, in which the pastoral leases all expire next year, and where the land, therefore, is available for any new experiments. Others, again, propose that certain agailcultural areas should be marked out, in spots whore there may he a considerable extent of fertile In nd, and that free selection should be permitted witlain those limits, by which it is thought that the e►gricultu rists will be concentrated, and not scattennd abroad all over the face of the country, a s would be the ease under a system of indiscriminate free selection. As it is, the population under the pastoral regime is in the interior so scat tered that it is exceedingly difficult and. ex• pensive to supply them adequately with schools, churches, courts, police protection, and postal con venience.; and if the agricultural population is to be similarly scattered, the difficulty and the cost will be aggravated. But the real fact is, that bona fide agriculturists will not scatter themselves over the country, for the simple reason that there is no inland market for their produce, and the cost of transit to the coast is so great as to absorb all the chance of profit,. Those who would take up land if they could get it wherever they like would not do so with a view to raise for sale agricultural produce, but for the chance it would give them of keeping stock. Hence with some the cry of free commonage is made to keep pace with that of free selection ; for what is the use of a little bit of land to a poor man, it is said, when he cannot keep his bullocks upon it ? Yet it is obvious that free commonage upsets altogether the present Pastoral system, for the same land cannot be leased to Crown tenants and yet be available at the same time for as many poor men as like to run their stock upon it. The present revenue derived from the leases of Crown lands, together with the assessments, is about £lBO,OOO, far more than enough to pay the interest on our colonial debt. What should we gain by foregoing all this, and throwing the grazing right open to an indiscriminate scramble ? We should gain, our land reformers tell us, in population and in industry. The great squattages would be broken up, every industrious man would have a chance of be coming a stockholder according to his means, and the pasturage would be more completely utilised than at present. The defenders of the existing system, on the other hand, contend that free commonage, besides being a glaring violation of existing leases, would lead to endless collisions b_tween the small stockholders, would destroy the natural grasses by allowing the land no rest, would put put a stop to the improvement of breeds, and would facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. Tho price of land, though not so much mooted as the right of free selection, is also a Wuch disputed question. There is no magic in 20s. more than in any other sum that it should be considered the na tural price of an acre, and very much of the land in the colony is not worth that, But then it is urged that the land is the real security on the credit of which the English capitalist lends us money to make railroads, and if we sell this land prematurely for a price which barely covers what has hitherto been the cost of survey we shall destroy that security. On the other hand, it is contended that the Eng lish capitalist is not such a goose as to look to the land for his security, inasmuch as bare land is worthless—that he looks to population and indus try to create revenue, and would rather that the land should be given away than kept unsoldthrough a prohibitory price being put on it. It may be in teresting to the British capitalist, if he should chance to have any ideas on the subject, to know how his opinions are confidently vouched for, and as confidently disputed on this side of the world. Amid the discordant opinions and confused clamour of a general election, it is impossible to foresee what sort of a land law will pass. Candi dates are apt, under the pressure of the hustings, to concede more than they wish, and to catch after wards at every opportunity of retracting. It is doubtful even whether any Land Bill at all can be passed this session ; whether public opinion is as yet sufficiently matured, and whether any possible Ministry can propose any bill that shall enlist the support of a majority in both houses. The Cabinet policy has not been propounded. The Minister for Lands and "Works, indeed, has openly avowed his personal attachment to the doc trines of free selection and deferred payments, as applicable to all lands not under lease and as to be applied hereafter to all leased lands as the leases fall in ; he is opposed, however, to free commonage. But the Premier has declined to commit himself definitively to any plan, whether because he does not quite agree with his colleague, or whether be cause he has not made up his mind he does not say. The general impression is that he is waiting to see how the elections go, and will adapt his scheme to what appears to be the prevalent public opinion. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 26, 18;39. A _ROMANTIC STORY. The Kendal Mercury contains the following romantic story : " It will be in the recollection of most of our readers that on a fine morning, in the summer of 1854, the quiet town of Appleby was startled with unusual activity by an announcement that a young girl, resident at a boarding-school in the town, had disappeared during the night in company—as was suspected, and as turned out to be the fact—with her music teacher. The younc , lady's age at th e time was, we believe, 13 or 14, ° while that of the gentleman—who they held the situation of organist of the parish church—might be about 24. Pursuit was forthwith given, and the electric telegraph put in motion, but the parties arrived at Gretna, where marriages could then be celebrated, ad libitum, without regard to age or any other of the legal re quisites attached to the English ceremony, and the Gordian knot was tied ere a veto could be put upon the rash proccedi,igs. No doubt the happy pair now thought the worst past —a too common delu sion—and that explanation s and reconciliation would follow merely as a matter of course, and their future felicity be secured. But, alas ! their hopes were soon diss'pated. At the Carlisle station, on their return, the iron hand of the superintendent of police was laid upon the arm of the happy bride groom, and lie was consigned to durance vile on a charge of ' abduction,' while the young lady, his wife, was straightway hurried to her paternal home on the banks of Lake Windermere. On a subse quent day the wrath of the lady's parents, and of the schoolmistress who initiated the legal proceed ings, being unappeasable, the captive lover' was fully committed for trial by the Carlisle bench of magistrates, and at the Westmoreland assizes, held at Appleby, in the month of August following— the mother of the young lady appearing as a wit ness against him—he was found guilty and sen tenced to 9 months' imprisonment as a first-class misdemeanant. A question was discussed by the public at the time whether the marriage which had been celebrated between the parties was binding upon them, but by the legal world, including time judge who tried the case, we believe no doubt of its validity according to the laws of Scotland, bind ing in England, was entertained; and that, not withstanding the conviction for abduction, the gentleman, on the termination of his imprison ment, would have a legal right to claim the possession of his youthful wife. Be this, how ever, as it may. we commit the question to the hands of the curious in such matters, while we proceed with our remarkable narrative. The young lady, as we have stated above, on being ruthlessly torn from him she had taken for better for worse, was consigned to the care of her parents, and here for a while we leave her. The term of her husband's imprisonment having expired, he resumed his profession as a teacher of music, and although at the same time numerous were his inquiries after, and great his search for, the whereabouts o f hi s w if e , for years no traces of her could be obtained. At one time she had been removed to America, another to Australia, a third account conveyed to him in an anonymous letter about 12 months ago, was that the hand of death had fallen upon her. At last, however, the tide begins to ebb, the dark clouds which so long o'ershadowed the easo are suddenly dispelled, and light dawns. A letter unexpectedly arrives, an nouncing to the gentleman the agreeable tidings that his presence in the Isle of Jersey, where his wife was residing, would be agreeable to all parties —and as we are not writing an imaginary romance, but a novel adventure in real life, and have no de sire to fill up the interim with suppositions of cur ONVII invention, we bring our tale to an end by simply stating what will be gratifying to all true lows r i to learn, that the happy pair were reunited wedlock,' on the 12th inst., a il s appears i' pc!:1()risls(11: holy more ‘ utlarge in our list of marriages spending their honey*on at,lo;tg: , t the lakes and mountain scenery of ~y r struoreland, them everlasting felicity." tni •a u l s t l e . re , and evermore, we wish [AnvErrrisnmExv.]—Holloway's Ointment and Pills have b , ion used freely by millions of human beings of both sexes'and all ages in every part of the world; and while the public press has teemed with authenticated cases of extra ordinary cures in a vast variety (,f diseases (such as indi gestion, scorbutic eruptions, and liver complaints), there is not on public record a single case in which their use has been attended with a bad effect. None, when using Hol loway's Ointment and Pills, need the hope of cure to be counterbalanced by tho fear of injury. The Ointment should be well rubbed over the left side, liver, and chest, when stomach or liver is deranged. The Pills should be taken according to the printed directions. THE GREAT EASTERN STEAMSHIP. The work of repairing the damage caused by the late explosion is proceeding with rapidity. The contract for the completion of the repairs has been made between the Great Ship Company and Mr. Scott Russell for the sum of £5,000, one of the clauses of the contract being framed so as to guard the legal rights 'of both parties with re ipect to any decision which may ultimately be ar rived at with reference to their liability for the damage caused by the accident. An examination has been made of the boilers of the ship, and the result shows that the furnace tubes and tube plates of the two boilers which were connected with the funnel that exploded are udin jured. The shell of each boiler has sustained some slight damage by the shock at the moment of ex plosion, and one or two of the plates are broken at the spot immediately below the funnel stool. These plates will be removed in a day or twp, and their place supplied by others. 'the testing of the boilers by hydraulic pressure will be made before getting up steam, and the ship will not proceed on her voy age until the surveying engineer of the Marine Department of the Board of Trade has given his certificate that she is in every respect seaworthy. We understand that it is the intention of the directors, at the request of many of the nobilityand gentry, to give a grand nautical vocal and instru mental concert on board the vessel on the morning of Friday, the 30th inst. The efficient band of the ship, consisting of 17 performers, will, it is said, be conducted by Mr. Macfarlane, formerly band-mas ter to the Duke of Devonshire. The vocalists will be Miss Messent and Mr. Wilbye Cooper. Mr. Richardson will give some solo performances on the flute. For the convenience of visitors from a dis tance a limited number of tickets will be issued entitling the holder to a bed on board. The Talk on 'Change" in the Liverpool Journal of Satirday says :—" The Great Eastern being now managed principally by Liverpool men, that won der of the waters excites more than usual interest on 'Change. The talk yesterday was that, as she was built as a commercial speculation, the direction of the directors should be in the line of remuneration; that at Portland, without any consumption of coal, the small tax on visitors would realise £6OO a-day ; that at Holyhead the same price of admission will produce something like £2,000 a-day ; that the sight of her gratifies the public, and that the sight-seers pay better than passengers ; that, this being the case, it would be absurd to sail her prematurely for America or any other place; that her machinery is still imperfect ; that it has to be tested ; that for this purpose several trial trips be made ; that every trip should terminate in a populous and paying port, and that by the time she is properly ready for a long voyage in the spring a considerable amount of her debt would be liquidated; that a voyage next spring would be quite in time, and that by that time her perfect safety will be practically guaran teed. The further talk was that the directors had a meeting yesterday to decide on this Point, and that they are too enlightened to sacrifice the future to the present ; that it would ill accord with the dignity associated with the enterprise to make a show ship of the mightiest ship ever built; that they have made the whole world their debtor, and that they should take care not to impair the obli gation by endangering the regard of mankind ; that they will, therefore, no doubt sail the ship as soon as possible, winter or summer, and that in a pecuniary sense it is their interest to do so ; that if the Great Eastern go now to the United States all America will go to see her; that at home curiosity has been partially exhausted ; that at Portland and New York (which she can enter) the admission of visitors would yield the sum ten times told to be booked in this country ; that, looking beyond this legitimate income, there is another and far greater to be obtained ; that, let the Great Eastern fulfil her promise, as no doubt she will, the company will be called on by Government to build many more, and it is in constructir.g these that the directors should look for their substantial reward. The general talk was that the public have nothing to do in the matter, and that the directors may be left to the exercise of their own judgment as to what is pro per and profitably to be done ; that, naturally enough, the peop,e of Liverpool are anxious to see the Great Eastern ; that they are judges of big ships, and that their impression of the biggest might be of some practical value ; that, fortunately, the op portunity desired will be afforded within three weeks; that on the 12th of October she will be at Holyhead; that on the 15th the Queen will come down to see her ; that her Majesty will be the guest of Col. Pennant, Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor ; that she will stay over Sunday, the 16th, and proceed next day, the 17th, to inspect the Great Eastern ; that after the inspection the Queen and Royal party will return that evening to Windsor; that the week following there will be great doings in Wales, probably at the George Hotel, near the Menai bridge ; that the directors of the London and North Western will entertain the directors of the Great Eastern at a magnificent banquet, over which the Marquis of Chandos will preside ; that Liverpool will, of course, be empty, on this occasion. for se veral days ; and that he who sees these doings will be happy 50 years hence in relating to his grand children all he saw and all he heard." BOARD OF TRADE RETURNS. The Board of Trade returns for the month of August were issued on Saturday. We subjoin a statement of the total declared value of the exports of British an'l .Irish produce and manufactures during the month and eight months:— Month of August. First eight months. 1857 £11,638,805 .... £84,666,718 1858 11,134,763 .... 75,596,564 1859 12,117,275 .... 86,405,885 The aggregate shipments in August were £982,512 or 9 per cent. more than in August, 1858, £478,470 or 4 per cent. more than in August, 1857. Those for the eight months of the present year are £10,809,321 or 14 per cent. more than in the corre sponding eight months of last year, and £1,739,167 or 2 per cent. more than in 1857. _ _ _ _ _ Examining the chief items of these exports, we arrive at the subjoined general figures for the month, viz. : 'Month of August. 1857. 1858. 1859. Apparel and slops £218,127 £177,578 £179,586 Beer and ale Books 34,864 32,976 44,188 Butter 63,550 57,198 64,244 Coals and culra Cottons Cotton yarn.. Counterpanes and small 832,883 851,316 843,165 wares Earthenware and porce lain Furniture Glass, common bottle§ haberdashery and mil linery Hardwares and cutlery Leather, unwrought Ditto, wrought Saddlery and harness Linens (cloths of all kinds and cambrics) Linen yarn Machinery, steam . en gines Ditto, other sorts Iron pig Ditto, bar, bolt, and rod Ditto, railway of all kinds 31,993 127,949 28,789 30,113 435,056 386,842 31,634 155,056 26,430 376,776 142,409 51,388 336,257 140,614 228,880 30,407 104,806 21,912 28,767 341,698 272,017 32,243 146,387 33,073 341,575 163,750 46,513 210.037 123,776 192,972 335,800 400,941 Ditto, cast Ditto, wrought Copper, unwrought Ditto, sheets and nails Lead 61,516 310,330 124,177 157,974 56,034 78,328 355,269 74,313 130,422 84,802 462,640 63;105 268,628 91,677 180,343 29,909 Tin, unwrought 36,826 15,315 37,605 Tin-plates Silk manufactures (silk only) 79,417 68,203 68,229 Other articles (of Silk only) 67,127 34,115 39,899 Silk, thrown Ditto, twist and yarn Spirits (British) Wool 145,068 112,068 59,911 Woollens (cloths, &c.) Ditto , gmixed stuffs, flannels, &c.) Worsted staffs 343,188 379,271 417,063 Woollen and worsted a.rns .. It will be noticed that the exports of cotton goods have been largely in excess of all former experience. The demand is still principally for the " British East Indies," whither, during the month of August, no less than £1,116,769 in value was shipped, against £729,169 in August, 1858, and £220,239 in August , 1857. For the eight months the ex ports to that quarter have reached £8,302,853, against £5,976,356 in the eight months of 1858, and 3,910,648 in 1857. The increase in the ex ports of iron, copper, and tin plates, forms a pro minent feature. Compared with the correspond ing month of last year, there is also a decided in crease in haberdashery, hardwares, and woollen goods. In linen yarn, leather goods, and raw wool on the other hand, there is a f filling off. The annexed shows the quantities of the chief ankles of fool taken - for consumption during the month :- _ _ . - Month of August. 1857. 1858. 1859. Cocoa lbs. 193,590 262,8.52 338,950 I '','o free lbs 2,637,679 2,738,569 2,583,071 Wheat qrs. 283,480 373,774 304,564 Flour ewts. 72,532 247,400 118,166 13 u! tor ewts. 3 ),228 31,693 36,760 Rice •-• 00000000 c w ts. 133, 433 140 ,463 100,565 Cheese ' cwts. 39,019 31,315 44,926 Eggs No 11, -1-5,609 12,256,000 12,645,000 Pepper lbs 265,019 329,135 372,414 Rum 'gals. 234,903 235,631 221,156 Brandy gals' 103,763 97,885 131,409 Sugar, unrefined .'. cwts. 536,678 798,032 420,485 Tea lbs 5,618,156 6,273,705 4,505,327 \Vines ga ls. 522,101 522,526 . 602,413 The decrease in sugar and tea is accounted for Miles Opened. Receipts. . Railways. ,_____,... , r- -^--=_,,, . :. 18.59. 1858. 1859. 1858. • - - X X Ballymena and Portrush... 35 35 - - Bedale and Leyburn lO 10 - - Belfast and Ballymena 6.5 65 1,214 1,19:1 Belfast and County Down 2O 17 584 416 Birkd., Lane., & Ches. June 32 32 2,989 2,944 Blyth and Tyne 2O 13 1,686 1,728 Bristol and Exeter llB 117 7,966 7,537 Caledonian l9Bl 1!) , 8 . I 15,153 13,712 Ches.&Holyhead(withMold) 94 - - Cockermouth & Workington 8. 731 233 250 Cork and Bandon 2O 20 315 261 Cork, Blackrock, & Passage 6l 6 5 - -- Deeside l7 17 314 343 Dublin & Belfast Junction 56 56 1,363 1,324 Dublin and Drogheda 63 63 1,755 1,704 Dub. & Wicklow(in.Kingst ) 401 401 2,121 2,063 Dundalk and Enniskillen Dundee and Arbroath 174 174 647 630 Dundee, Perth, & Aber. Jun 3l 31 1,074 1 06S East Anglian 674 674 987 1,066 E.Counties,Nrik.,&E.Union 489 489 26,054 26,895 East Kent 194 - 370 - E.Lancashire(in.Blackburn) 111 105 - - Edinburgh and Glasow Edinburgh, Perth,& Dundee 78 78 3,706 3,537 Forth & Clyde Junction Furness 22 22 1,442 1,054 Glasgow & South-Western lB3l 1835 7, 429 7, 016 Great Northern 283 283 28,057 26,799 Great North of Scotland 3 t.Southn. & Westn.(lrind ) 229 2031 7,816 6,501 heat Western 466 466 37,452 32,931 ffull and Holderness Lnverness & Aberdeen June 57 15 964 856 Irish South-Eastern 254 251 327 300 Killarney Junction 4l 41 507 338 Lancaster and Carlisle (in 37,570 35,315 Kendal and Windermere) 100 1 0 04 - - Lane. & Yrks.(in.Blackburn) 289 289 Limerick and Foynes 2 2 203 198 Llanelly 4 35 615 552 London & North-Western London and Blackwall 5 5 1,667 1,534 London & South-Western 321 287 4 21,588 18,616 Lond. Brighton, &S. Coast 202 183, 20,438 18,827 L'derry and Enniskillen ~ 60 60 880 751 Lond., Tilbury, & Southend. 42- 40 2,470 2,307 Blan.,Sheffield, & Lincolnsh. 1733 173 11,621 10,050 Manch. S.Jun.& Altrincham 91 9 5 986 1,123 Maryport and Carlisle Midland Midland Gt.Westn. of 'rind 177 177 4,200 4,129 Monkland 52 52 1,517 1,463 Monmouthsh. Rail. & Canal 44 44 2,633 2,289 Newcastle and Carlisle 7B 78 3,370 3,360 Newport,Aberg.,& Hereford 50 43 1,408 1,305 North British (in. Dalkeith) 149 149 6,069 5,871 North Devon 35 35 632 564 North-Eastern 7364 720 41,377 41,124 North London 9 0 2,512 2,479 North Staffordshire 233 233 8,100 6,794 North-Western 46 464 - - N. Yorkshire and Cleveland 10 5 - - - 94 5,148 4,748 Oxford, Wore., & Wolver 94 Peebles lB 18 261 284 2268 2005 St. Helen's Canal & Railway 3 0 30 Scottish Central 3,880 3,850 Scottish North-Eastern l l5 115 2 01 2,342 1,816 , 9A Shrewsbury & Birmingham 29 4 3,176 2 Shrewsbury and Chester Shrewsbury & Hereford Shropshire Union 291 21 787 937 South Devon South-Eastern .301 301, 27,236 26,W4 South Wales l7l 171 7,979 7,067 S. Yorkshire and River Dun 108 108 3,684 3,371 Stockton and Darlington .Taff Vale 54 54 4,193 4,091 Ulster 52 36 1,791 1,677 Ulverstone and Lancaster Vale of Neath 254 251 1,715 1,701 Warrington and Stockport l2 12 - - Waterford and Kilkenny 3l 31 470 353 Waterford and Limerick West Cornwall 274 '274 811 74 . W.Hartlepool Harbr.& Rail 39 39 3,825 3,710 Whitehaven Junction l2 12 587 487 Whitehaven & Furness Jun 35 35 596 461 W'haven,Cleator,&Eg - rmnt 7 7 370 302 FOREIGN AND COLONIAL • Antwerp arid Rotterdam 52 52 1,038 1,129 Austrian B2B 673 39,618 34,739 Belgian Eastern Junction 264 264 289 306 Buffalo and Lake Huron l6l 161 1,182 1,113 Detroit and Milwaukie 1 140 2,921 1,921 Dutch Rhenish lO BB5l 1 1084 4,067 3,795 Grand Trunk of Canada 879 849 9,296 8,922 Great Indian Peninsula l3O 'BB4 2,814 1,538 Great Luxembourg 122 38 2,689 1,811 Great Western of Canada 345 283 7,553 8,770 Lombardo-Venetian 285 285 - - Lyons and Geneva 142 107 0 , 5 35 5 ,580 Madrid, Saragossa &A licant 284 224 11,085 7,729 Maria Antonia' 2l 21 - - Northern of France 574 574 50,000 43,011 Norwegian Trunk 44 44 1,0,9 900 Paris, Lyons, & Mediterrn B4l 781 82,303 71,254 Paris and Orleans 922 857 52,146 48,720 Paris and Strasburg 979 838 51,109 48,490 Royal Danish 69 69 619 579 Sambre and Meuse 6B 08 1,192 1,112 Southern of France 777 773 19,779 17,270 West Flanders W. and N.W. of France 716 598 47,473 41,1110 [ADVERTISEMENT.]—EPPS'S (Homoeopathic Chemist) COCOA.—This esteemed preparation is sold by the prin cipal grocers at Is. 6d. per lb., in llb., alb. , and packets. Each packet is labelled " James Epps, Homoeo pathic chemist, London." LADVERTISEMENT.]—Among the numerous extraordi nary cures, without medicine, of Indigestion (Dyspepsia). Flatulency, Constipation, Nervous, Bilious and Liver com plaints, tough, Asthma, Consumption and Debility, effected by Du Barry's delicious Health Restoring Revalenta Arabic& Food, the following aro not the least, remarkable : Cure No. 47,121.—" Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of Nazing Vicarage, Walthani•cross, Hells; a cure of extreme ner vousness, indigestion, gathering, low spirits, and nervous fancies." Cure No. 48,814.—" Miss Elizabeth Yeciman, Gateacre, near Liverpool : c ure o f t en years ' dyspepsia and all the horrors of nervous irritability." Cure 3,9o6—Thir teen years' cough, indigestion and general debility have been removed by Du Barry's excellent Revalenta Arabica Food. Athol-street, Perth. James Porter. Cure No. 58,116, Mrs. Holze, aged 107 years, of dyspepsia (indiges tion), debility, irritability and nervousness which had tormented her for seventy years. Cure No. 46,814, Mr. Samuel Laxton, Leicester, of two year s ' di arrhoea, fn tins, at ls. 6d. ; 11b., 3s. ; 21b., 55. 9d. ; 51b., 125,; 121 b., 265. The 101 b. and 121 b. tins carriage free, on receipt of post- Ace order. Du Barry and Co., 77, Resent -str ee t, L ondon Fortnum, Mason, and Co., 182, Pic cadilly; Abbis, 60, Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapsbie ; 63 and 150, Oxford street ; 330 and 451, Strand ; 49 and 60 Bishopsgate. , street ; 85, Tottenham-cout-road. Also at Dublin. Bewley and Draper ; at Edinburgh, Raimes and Co., at Liverpool, Nixon . and Thew;B at r M d, an an cl d le c st o e . r i Saht South d . Scott; at York, Raimes, Blanchard, arapton, Randall and Son. by the extraordinary degree of activity which was shown in paying duty on these articles in the pre vious month (July), importers apprehending an in crease in the rates. Wheat, flour, and rice also exhibit a falling off, and wines an increase. ALARMING RIOTS IN S 2 GEORGE'S EAST. Yesterday, in accordance with the directions of the Bishop of London, the parish church of St. George-in-the-East was closed. At the Mission Church, in Calvert-street, a notice was posted up that no one would be admitted who was not pro vided with a ticket. There was nothing in the morning service to call for special remark. In the evening large bodies of people strove to gain ad mission, but their claims were firmly resisted by a body of gentlemen who were stationed to defend the outposts. Several vigorous attempts were made to break through, and at length the angry out siders succeeded in forcing their way into the church. At this moment the gas was turned off, and the officiating minister implored the people to leave. They shouted, and when the gas was again lighted it was found that a body of police had been brought through the vestry., These very soon suc ceeded in clearing the church ; but the disturbance outside was terrific, many thousands of persons who had congregated in the streets amusing them selves by vociferating violent denunciations of Popery and Puseyism. At St. Saviour's, Wellclose-square, the admission in the morning was by ticket. The church was built for the Danes in 1696, but occupied for many years by the British Sailors' Society. On their removal it was opened in connection with St. George's for the full services of the church on Tuesday, April 28, 1859, the sermon being preached y the Rev. Canon Stanley, chaplain to the Bishop London. The services yesterday were con ducted by the Rev. Charles Fuge Lowder, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford, late curate of St. Bar nabus, Pimlico, who preached from the 13th chap ter of St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, verse 13—" And now abideth faith, hope, and cha rity ; but the greatest of these is charity." His ser mon was listened to with marked attention by the congregation, which was composed mainly of women and children, there being only 16 men pre sent. A large number of boys assembled outside the church, and made rude remarks upon indivi dual members of the congregation as they came out, but there was no other disturbance of any kind. The scene presented, however, in the evening was of a totally different character. A tumultuous mob collected, and expressed their determination to stop the service. Five or six gentlemen inside the gates held them while the people tried to break them down. The mob spat in their faces, threw dirt at them, called them opprobrious names, and heaped all kinds of indignities upon them. At length, at about 10 minutes to 7 o'clock, Mr. Lowder made his way to the gate. His hat was knocked over his eyes, and he was violently hustled until the gate was opened to a small extent, and he was thrust down the steps into the churchyard. The choristers, who were also insulted and beaten, succeeded in making their way into the church by a back gate. During the service Wellclose-square became lite rally filled with people, and their conduct was of so violent a character that a large body of police had to be called out. When Mr. Lowder and his choristers came out, the mob set upon him, with the view apparently of beating him, but the rev. gen-, tleman managed to escape to the mission-house, the road having been successfully cleared for him by the police. An attack upon the house was proposed, and it would no doubt have been carried out had it not been for the police, who drew their staves and began to clear the place. A general battle ensued, and at length the police fixed upon one of the par ties whom they supposed to be a ringleader, and whom they took to the station-house. This proved to be a Mr. Roshier, who a few weeks ago applied at the police court in connection with an assault on Capt. Savage Hall during one of the Sunday dis turbances. Several gentlemen of St. George's parish offered to become bail for him, but he declined, and was locked up for the night. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE M EEK. THE WRECKED STEAMER EXPRESS. -,_ SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY. This steamer, which went ashore off JerseY a ll Tuesday last, is still in a hopeless condition on the rocks, and it is more than probable that in a few days she will be broken up by the sudden changes of weather which are frequently occurring on this coast, and which are of a very violent character. The statement so generalLy reported, to the effect thatthe captain selected a passage never before attempted," is positively untrue. The passage be tween the rocks is constantly mad e b y the Packetl running between Weymouth an d the Channe Islands ; and Captain Goodridge, bast he South Western Company's ship Courier, gone the same route on many occasions. The only object attained by this passage is the saving of 41 of time. It is seldom, however, atterapted vibe° the wind is high. On the occasion of the disaster to the Express the wind was extremely lighit,:, nevertheless, there was a heavy '' ground Orel', which caused the vessel to lurch somevvhat con siderably and, owing to this circumstance, her stenit struck a small rock some distance under water, bu the ship passed over it without damage. The PO: minutes bability is that an alarm having been given that the ship had struck, and no allowance being made for the swell of the sea, the captain deviated some for into contact with the rock which what from the proper course, which broug ht the proved. ba r destruction. It is stated that but a short distance as hore from the place where the Express was Put be to save her passengers, there is a small inlet _, tween the rocks, where she might have bee n strode? on the beach, and . thus have been saved from and the two lives now sacrificed might also have _ been saved. The Express was a very fast ship, ba r ordinary speed averaging about 14 m iles an hour. ____:_...... COUNTRY MARNETS. There wasgood CAMBRIDGE—SEPT. 24. a supply of wheat, and, with bettor feeling in the trade; white moved off at 46s to 5 00 ; red, 42s to 46s per 36 stone. Spring corn was by no moan s plentiful. Barley, 34s to 40s per qr. Oats dun, at 20s la 24s for new ; olds oats 26s to 28s. Beans in limited Or ply, and a slow sale—new, 38s to 40s ; old, 44a to 45s por 38 stone ; tares, 6s Gd to 98 per bushel. • t h a rather LEICE STE R--Sir T. 24. *th 131 ° d " There was a fair supply of wheat to-day, va hoe rate show of other grain. Prices—White wheat, 461 to qr.; —red, 40s to 44s per 36 stone; new red realised 43, per barley, grinding, 295 to 30s ; malting, 40s to 43s per gri; the oat trade was dull,, at quotations Pto ranging fron_l2l 28e°: 3tl 31s per 24 stone. Beans ' a heavy sale, at 445 fray stone. Fine flour,- 315 I Seconds, 32s I Thirds, 30s per 20 stone. NORWICH—SEPT. 24. Here, to-day, there was rather a full a ttendarico bf the T an h d e p su ri7 p s ly for both old and new were trade, and a better feeling. The show of wheat WAS fair, 4rA9 and of new barley was on the inccrease. p. , quality very . irregular. Little passing in oats, beans , ° peas, at about late rates. Flour in favour of the buyer. 0, White wheat 45s to 488 Red wheat ....... 381 to 4° D M i a s l t t i i l n li g ng ba d r o ley . ... : 3 2 B s ss to to 44s 28 g a e t w s.. malting ...... ................. to t° 2 44 1: at about late rates: Flour, 29s to 29s 6d per sack from the millet. w ESTER--SzrT. 24. • . heat At our market GLOUC a pretty good trade w as done in To at about fully the currencies of this day se'nnigh t : imports during the week have been pretty fair. NOTTINGHAM—SEPT. 24. We had a fair attendance at to-day's market, and a e °4l supply of grain. The extreme p r ices of last we ek, hoffe n r r l were about maintained. Beans scarce , with no oate change in price. White wheat, new, 48s to 51i Barley, 0-rm* ding 28s to,los .--- • • o . t o 345 Red do. 4ls to 45s Oats, old, .. Old white 4Bs to 51s New do .... 235 Red do.'''''' 489 to 510 44s to 481 8ean5........ .... 42s to 44 Barley, malting 36m to s eans, Super. flour, 33s to 39s .fine 30 s to 33s per 20 stone . . .... '''' to 27 i STAMFORD—SEPT. 24. . a los of At our market yesterday wheat obtaine4 an .-- v-- f the is per qr., with a fair show, and a good attendance of trade. Barley went at extreme prices. The supPlY c'' was moderate. Beans rather slow. Wh ea t 42s to 48s Oats.. .......... 4 0 0 2 85 t . ° 3° 2. White do ..44s to 503 Beans .... . ..... _. bUi ' Barley ' ....33s to 44s Ditto, old ........48s to NORTHAMPTON—SEPT. 24. ...,d go Id At this corn-market wheat was in fair supply, ...--- at fully late rates—prices ranging from 42s to 47 0 for ne s sA and 40s to 47s per quarter for old. There was a fair tr . _ i , " passing in barley. Oats, with a slow demand, quotea 28s•io 325. Beans, old, 47s to 62s ; new, 40 s to 440. °le' 3( to 365; malt, 64s to 665. NORWICH CATTLE—SETT. 24. soo t* A ldrge supply of store cattle to-day,comriolugd as shorthorns, Devon:, and Irish. A fair atten once, inactive business dono, at fully late prices. 4 6 d I b ' Scots, 4s 6d to 5s ; shorthorns, 4s Od toht obeli 6d-to 4st 6d ; Devons, 4s 6d to 5s (estimated wog— fat). • t h clear' Fat beasts firm, 7s 6d to 8s 6d per stone, WI anee. Shesp--The pens were tolerably well filled, Thesbst lambs in demand at 36: to 38s per head. Fat sheePP 8s Pig 6d per stone. s—A good supply. Store pigs 25s to 300; fa t P °1.14 7s Od to 7e 6d per stone. DUBLIN—Ssvr. 23. Our market was brisk, with a good supply of new g rllll4 ,„A. and wo note the prices of last market as fully suPP(l:7e The best wheat in some few cases realised Gd more Indian corn was more inquired for at Tuesday's Cuu r ' cies. 1. d. I• Do., new ....„ 11 0 to 12 6 0 Bere . ........ 13 0 to 142 6 Rapeseed 20 0 to 2 Oatmeal .... 12 to 14 6 Bakers' f10ur.... 14 6 to 18 Indian corn .. 20 0 0 0 30 s. d. s. d. Wheat; white 22 6 to 25 0 Do., red 2l 0 to 24 0 Do., new Barley Oats Do., black l4 oto 15 0 FOREIGN MAIL PACKET _as. In the following table E signifies that letters are deep by evening mails from London, and M by morning 111141-. vy evening mans 1, UM .../ v ••• , Ne St - . BiSi ii DESTINATIONS. of Mails. Despatch. ` ..... 7.........• ----_ Australia and Mauritius, via Oat. 1 0 Southampton Oct. 12, 31 SouthatcP. •t. 3 Oc Ditto, via Marseilles Bahamas and Havana via New York Canada, &c. (by Canadn. pckt ) Sep. 20, E Liverpool.. Sep. 30, Cape of Good Hope, Ascen- Oct. 1 soon, and St. Helena Oct. 5, E Devonport China, Penang, and Singa- E Liverpool.. s S e er t. rig Oct. 2 ,4 pore, via Southampton DittO, via 3larseilles Gibraltar, via Southampton .. Southamp. P t. 0 Honduras and Blewfields .... Oct. 17, 31 Southamp. Sep India (Calcutta) and Ceylon, Southamp. aa— - 1 / 4 2 26 via Southampton Ditto, via Marseilles Sep. 27, 31 Southamp. sep.. India (Bombay), via South ampton S e p t ' 19 Ditto, via Marseilles Lisbon, Brazils,Buenos Ayres, net. t 5 and F. Islands . Oct. 10, 31 Southamp. x --,„. 21 Lisbon, Vigo, and Oporto Sep. 27, M Southamp. e k' Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via SW. la Southampton — Southamp. ' 0 Ditto, via Marseilles ........... __ 1 Mexico and Havana Oct. 3, 31 Southamp. vo ..... Newfoundland Sep. 23, E Liverpool. • United States and British N America (by British packet) Sep. 23, E Liverpool.. ScPt• 29 Ditto (by U. S. packet) West Coast of Africa, Ma- West India, California, Vette- Sep. 23, dcira, and Teneriffe zuela, Chili, Peru, Gry town, New Granada, &c. e Oct. 3. 31 SouthaloP• Oct E Liverpool.. Oct. 9 1 a t EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE.—In order to repoto t or exhaust the various docks and locks in the steam -Yard a , Keyham, Plymouth, it is necessary that there should bo os variety of underground culverts and pipes. Sem° th r d, an of a considerable depth below the surface of the ha rd, and for tho purpose of adjusting the connexions and keer ing them in working condition there are several P erP jr dicular shafts, down which men are occ.asionallt that duty. On the 15th inst. Boon, the gaentt er h e lamplighter of the establishment, who also attends W water-works, was employed in the circular shaft betirsee,t the lock entrance and the pumping machine. It is ov ` — r deep, and having occasion to come up, he loft a laboure below, and had got part of his body out of the shaft. ugh his hands being covered with slime, the rope slipped thro e them for 10 or 11 feet, where it broke, and he fe ll to tult; bottom. His comrade's arm was injured, but Boon's as le only was slightly sprained, and he was able to resume 1 1 10 ordinary avocations the next day. Boon's escape is t more extraordinary from the fact that, in addition to the depth, in the shaft there are a number of bolt ends all°l stays sticking out seven inches or more all round its wslls' BIRTHS. GODFREY.—On the 22d inst., at Kensington, the wife ° f Polo Godfrey, Esq., of a son. SuART.—On the 23d inst., at Bowls, Chigwell, Essex, th e wife of - Major Suart, of a son. VALLETORT.—On the 23d inst., at Brocket Hall, the Lai Katharine Valletort, of a daughter. YATES.—On the 24th inst., at 43, Doughty-street, Vi r •C•P the wife of Edmund Yates, Esq., of a son. MARRIAGES. BLYTHE—WEBSTER. — On the 22d inst. , at the P arish church of Prescott Walter Blythe, Esq., of Loudon, t° Ellen, eldest daughter of the late Edward Webster, jun" Esq., of St. Helen's. WOOD—AnuNs.—On the 24th inst. a t a t St. Pa ncras Church, Mr. Stanley J ames Wood, .of Milwall, Poplar?. to Charlotte, second daughter of Mr. Thomas Atki ns, ° Regent's Tark-basin. BEARN.—OR the 21stpin2st.,A11.11‘r.11W8m.. Beare, of Welling borough, aged 72. DOUGLAS.—At Folkestone, suddenly, Helen, second (laugh _ ter of Gen era l Si r H owar d D oug l as , G.C.B. DE b near Nettlebed, aged 81. A ur N yar E :p —O k, n the 22d inst. , Mr. Thomas Deane , of English. 'FIVEASH.—On the 22d inst. a t Richmond Villa s, Ballo- Islington, Mr. John Fiveash, aged 71. ,_,. r FEILDEN.—On the 21st inst. , at Lytham Mary An t he wife of Major Feilden, of Heighten B a nk, mi cas aged 32. A n n the MANN.—inst., On the 20th at Woolwich, Mary l'-dure.. eldest daughter of the lat e General G. Mann, Col.- mandant Royal Engineers, aged 90. SwstwiNEnEfeNn R.N .— , On . t , h a e ge 2l d st s9 inst., at Chertsey , Capt. Clement ' ______---------- LONDON: Printed and Published by AITJRDO YOUNG G, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Th e Su., O ffi c e, No. 1, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy. in the conntY °f Middlesex, Monday, September 26, 1869. f