The Sun. — London, England, 1846-04-30 00:00:00

LITERATURE. THE FOREIGN QUARTERLY REVIEW. No. LXXIIL M. de Lamartine, some days since, in the French Cham ber of Deputies, took occasion to advert to the conquests lately made by the English, and enumerated among them the isle of Borneo. This is a fact not known to Englishmen, for the only result of the. late war against the pirates is understoed to be the cession of the small island of Labuan to the British by the Sultan of Borneo. Re or some other chiefs still rule over the whole of the large island, with the exception of James Brooke, who happens to be Rajah of Sarawak. It was to the posi tion and authority of this singular individual, and not to the occupation of Labuan, probably, that the French man alluded to, a nd h e th ere f ore cou ld no t h ave p a id a higher compliment to the system of colonisation adopted by the English, and the admirable working of the system in almost every part of the globe. One Englishman, first of all, by his enterprising spirit, humane views, and perhaps romantic turn of mind, gets a footing on a small spot in Borneo, reconciles the na tives to his person and authority; and the conquest of the whole island, therefore, M. de Lamartine seems to think must follow as a matter of course. In the pre sent number of the Foreign Quarterly we have a very graphic account of this James Brooke, and some of his adventures up to the period of his settlement in that country. Speaking of him, the reviewer says, "It is customary to set up romance as a sort of standard of comparision, but romance has nothing of the kind to show. Mr. Brooke is a hero much greater than a writer of fiction would have dared to invent. It would, in fact, scarcely have been safe, because it would have outraged probability to endow an imaginary character with half the great and good qualities which evidently belong to this man." His history certainly is remark able, and the following sketch, drawn by an old intimate and friend, will enable the reader to form an idea of the grand and philanthropic plans of this Rajah of Sarawak :- 4 , Mr. Brooke was the second, and is now the only sur viving son of the late Thomas Brooke, Esq., of the civil service of the Eart India Company; was born on the 29th of April, 1803 ; went out to India as a cadet, where he held advantageous situations, and distinguished himself by his gallantry in the Burmese war. He was shot through the body in an action with the Burmese, received the thanks of the Government, ;and returned to England for the recovery of his prostrated strenth. He resumed his station, but shortly afterwards relinquished the service, and in search of health and amusement, left Calcutta for China in 1830. In this voyage, while going up the China seas, he saw for the first time the islands of the AsiatioArchipelago—islands of vast importance and unparalleled beauty—lying neglected and almost unknown. He inquired and read, and became convinced that Borneo and the Eastern Isles afforded an open field for enterprise and research. To carry to the Malay races, so long the terror of the European merchant vessel, the blessing of civilisation, to suppress piracy, and extirpate the slave-trade, became his humane and generous objects; and from that hour the energies of his powerful mind were devoted to this one pursuit. Often foiled— often disappointed, with a perseverance and enthusiasm which defied all obstacles, he was not until 1838 enabled to set sail from England on his darling project. The intervening years bad been devoted to preparation and inquiry—a year spent in the Mediterranean had tested his vessel, the Royalist, :and his crew—and so completely had he studied his object, and calculated on contingencies, that the least sanguine of his friends felt as he left the shore, hazardous and unusual as the enterprise appeared to be, that he had omitted no thing to insure a successful issue. ' I go,' said he, to awake the spirit of a slumbering philanthropy with regard to these islands ; to carry Sir Stamford Raffles' views in Java over the whole archipelago. Fortune and life I give freely ; and if I fail in the attempt, I shall not have lived wholly in vain.' " In the admiration I feel for him, I may further be per mitted to add, that if ever any man possessed in himself the resources and means by which such noble designs were to 'be achieved, that man was James Brooke ! Of the most enlarged views, truthful and generous, quick to acquire and appreciate ; excelling in every manly sport and exercise ; elegant and accomplished ; ever accessible ; and, above all, prompt and determined to redress injury and relieve mis fortune, he was of all others the best qualified to impress the native mind with the highest opinion of English cha racter." lie has succeeded far beyond what any imagination but his own anticipated. In 1838 he set out on his expedi tion, and after numerous adventures, now enjoys almost complete sovereignty over Sarawak, a country of consi derable extent, and rich in mineral and vegetable produc tions. His exertions, guided by discretion, and deep in sight into human nature, have given him dominion over men of different nations and creeds, and placed him in a situation in which he may at the same time soften the asperities of the savage character, and open up im portant commercial relations with his own countrymen. The occupation of Labuan will be of service in that respect, as it bids fair to become a mostimpertant station amidst the countless islands that lie between Borneo and New Guinea, and Canton, and the coast of Australia. The island abounds with inexhaustible mines of the best coal, said, with the exception of those of New Holland and India, to be the only coal mines in that part - of the world, and it may therefore be regarded as an acquisition —though not so great as that imagined by M. de Lamar tine—destined to be of important service in the event of war, and of immediate use for commercial shipping. There are several other articles in the Number, that may be read with advantage. That on the " Progresistas and Moderados in Splin," will enable the reader to form a tolerably correct idea of the state of parties in that coun try, of the conduct of Narvaez and the Queen and Mother, , some other of the statesmen, all unequal to the task, who have successively been placed at the head of affairs. t: The influence of Narvaez at Court, the writer seemed to think remained undiminished, and , his appointment of Generalissimo gave him more power than ever. This was written after the downfall of the Rosas Ministry ; and the writer, perhaps to show that he was right as to the influence of Narvaez, announces, in a postscript, that the next Cabinet, that of Milaflores, had been broken up by the arbitrary will and pleasure of General Narvaez, who had also suspended the Cortes and abolished the liberty of the press. He ` ought really to have given a second postscript, announc ing that Narvaez himself bad been dethroned and ba nished from Spain. The article on the war in the Pun jaub is written in a very unfair spirit, and with a degree of malevolence and misrepresentation unbecoming a re , spectable journal. Acoording to the writer's views, Sir Henry Hardinge is an imbecile, and " has proved him self to be a political Don Quixote, who erected immense windmills, that he might encounter the labour of overthrowing them." His Quixotism " has studded the whole land with widows and orphans," and his great. his unpardonable crime is, that he had not an army of 50,000 men posted on the banks of the Sutlej. It is of no use to reason with a man who can maintain such an absurd proposition. The only information in the article is contained in a postscript, giving a view of the casualties in the modern battles of India as compared with those of Waterloo. We seleet a few :—At Water loo the loss was 1 in 6 ; at Assaye, 1 in 3 ; Meanee, 1 in 11 ; and at Ferozeshah and Moodkee, 1 in 6. The writer, with characteristic unfairness, does not give the proportion at the battle at Sabraon (it was not 1 in 10), nor even mentions that decisive action. - BELLS AND POMEGRANATES. N and Last. By Rob er t Browning . o. -FM. Paracelsus was, alas! delusive; naturally , we are dis inclined to believe so ; we looked towards Bob er ; „Browning as one destined to interrupt the general ;,.utilitarianism of the present age with gleams of genuine and lasting poetry. Our expectations have been woe fully deceived, and, as we say this emphatically though unwillingly, our opinion is a positive one. "Sordello" afforded us an inkling that the chief excellencies of "Paracelsus" were promises never likely to be fulfilled, and this feeling has been confirmed by the successive numbers of that serial mélange which the author, in a beautiful spirit of eccentricity, christened "Bells and Pomegranates," and of which the present part is the conclusion. It would be preposterous as well as unjust to attach such a comprehensive meaning to our words of condemnation as would embrace the entire structure of these works : it would be prepos terous, since a man with so much imagination and spon taneous delicacy of thought as Robert Browning could not possibly produce fifty lines of blank verse without something choice, and new, and worthy of applause: it would be unjust, since criticism should forego all tendency to acerbity, and as readily admit the success fulness, as it condemns the ambitious failure. There are adroit turnings of phrase, and a certain musical intonation of the rhythm that charm the ear; there are fragmentary indications of character and subtle turns of thought exquisitely conceived of themselves. But what we especially note as a deficiency is that grasp over the entirety of his subject, that eye to a poetical oneness which can alone ensure the permanent excellence of a poem. In this particular—so utterly essential for a drinker of the hippocrene—Mr. Browning is deficient. The gold is there—rich, pure, and plentiful—but, to . ..i r uotfl aptly th e wor d i na p t l y a ppli e d to Shakspere by 13 . Johnson, that gold is " clouded with incrustations, debased by impu rities , . and mingled with a mass of meaner mineral s ; "—be sid es which, as we have already intimated, it lac kscan alone stamp itth at symmetry of application which with posterity. such a signet as will enable it wi to pass current ; w posterity. Mr. Browning may re deem his positi on el are fain to thi n k an d h ope so ; and we turn anxious towards th e f u t ure f or a con firmation of th e idea, Infinitely better for him to have lapsed into a bewildering s ilence , lik e t h e G reatest of , our Young Poets, Alfre d Tenn Tennyson than to have pub-. dished •` Sordello," andmhiaserncent succession of poems. see may, however, by matur ing, obtaining s uc h a mastery of his fancy as that tig o y which we have alluded, produce works more worthy of “ a li judici ous enthusiasm— " things of beauty" that shall yearn, and we d o so live for e ver . " do nothing but anticip a t e and We can e arnestly, because in Robert Brow ning; we r recognise an es, but th e intellect lavish and exubera n t in its riches , wealth of which is rendered null and profitless by some thing approaching either to precipita ti on or carelessne ss . a Hence do we hie him forward on less devious path among the plenteous vegetation of Par nassus . Upon for fly-leaf of the present number our author ne Upon a ward an apologia for his quaint heading , Pomegranates" —a title, says he " meant " Bells an d only to indi cate an enleavour towards something like an al ternation, or mixture of music with discoursing, sound with pastry with thought, which looks too ambitious thus sen e se ' pressed, so the symbol was preferred." This ex pl anat i on must undoubtedly be accepted as sufficient, though we Must aeknowledge it somewhat more vague even than the "symbol" itself. " I wish he nould explain his ex planation," said Byron, in allusion to the metaphysics of Coleridge; we might apply the same expression to Mr. Browning, when he actually infers a distinction between poetry and th oug ht. "L ur i a ," in five acts, and "A Soul's :and final in two p arts, form the contents of this eighth final number. Without any question the former has the advantage. in merit ; the spirit of it is a rapid train of reso l ves ever tending towards action, but seldom rising into anythi ng but t argument . " Braccio" is a imagined char ac t er h app il y and no less happily defined. Tire language i n which the dialogues are couched is occiceionally sloveu yl, but sometimes (if we might so THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY' EVENING, APRIL 30, 1846. speak) solid and picturesque. Witness that passage uttered by the secretary:— " -- Here I sit your scribe, And in and out goes Luria, days and nights ; This Paccio comes; the Moor his other friend, llusain ; they talk—all that's feigned easily; He speaks (1 woKld not listen if I could), Reads, orders, counsels; but he rests sometimes— / see him stand and eat, sleep stretched an hour On the lynx-skins yonder; hold his bared black arms Into the sun from the tent-opening; laugh When his horse drops the forage from his teeth And neighs to hear him hum his Moorish songs : That man believes in Florence, as the saint Tied to the wheel believes in God!" One who can write such sp,ntaneous music is surely capable of better things than this jumble of bells and pomegranates ; the keen limning of that single incident is in itself eminently beautiful—the tawny barbarian holding his " bared arms into the sun," through the cool doorway of the tent, laughing when his horse starts from its meal upon the sward, and neighs to hear its master humming some well-remembered " Moorish song," is most happily grouped—grouped as a poet alone could group it. Besides which it is suffused with a tender air of melancholy, clearly felt, but indefinable withal. "Bells and Pomegranates" are finished and have failed—we would fain cry with Sir Hugh Evans, There be pippins and cheese to come yet," trustful that Robert Browning will in the end afford us some sterling English poetry. THE CONFESSIONS OF A PRETTY WOMAN. By Miss Pardoe. 3 Vols. The title of this- novel no doubt an attractive one, but the contents are most unsatisfactory. It is brilliant, effective, certainly clever, but there is a want of truth in the characters so admirably delineated—of reality in the incidents so graphically described. Truth is as es sential to a novel as to a history; the one is a record of events, and facts, and dates—of the outward deeds and doings of men ; the other should lay bare their secret thoughts and feelings—should give a faithful picture of life —a veritable history of the human heart. These volumes may do this, but we can hardly think it. They certainly convey a moral lesson; they tend to expose the fatal influence of a worldly spirit and a perverted education; on every page is stamped " all, all is vanity." The confessions are supposed to be written by one whose youth was blighted, whosew bole hope and happiness withered by the moral contagion to which she was exposed ; one endowed with " the fatal gift of beauty;" a woman, and a woman of fashion, even from her cradle, panting for admiration, yet dreaming of better things without the courage to pursue or the hap piness to obtain them. Every hope vanished, every prospect destroyed, in seclusion and solitude she mourns over her sorrows and the sins which caused them. So far a lesson, and a good lesson, may be learned; and yet we cannot lay aside these really interesting and at tractive volumes without feeling considerable doubt as to the truth of their representations, or having our good opinion of human nature greatly lowered—and the former alternative we should most certainly prefer. We cannot, we will not, believe that the brilliant and fan tastic heroes and heroines of the tale are faithful transcripts of real men and women. We cannot be lieve that a Lady Madeleine ever existed—a woman whose vanity and whose passion for adulation cast a blight upon all who approached her—friends, admirers, husband, children ; neither will we believe Sir James Dornton ever to have had a living prototype. His cha racter is revolting, for it is unnatural. Many things have been done for the sate of gaining money, yet it will-hardly be credited that a man—not a hardened, des perate character, but an easy, spoiled man of fashion — anxious to retrieve his fortune, after proposing to the rich widow, and being refused, enters into an engage ment with her daughter, who loves him devotedly, and to whom he is also attached, and then, at the capricious desire of the mother, becomes the husband of the sister of his promised bride. The forsaken one dies of a broken heart; while the wretched wife, hating her husband, flies for happiness to society and finds only despair. We trust that Miss Pardoe will in future devote her powerful pen to a more pleasing theme; there are flowers as well weeds in the human garden, and we trust to receive a bouquet of sweets from her hand. In the meanwhile these volumes may interest and amuse ; they will do no harm, for they carry their own antidote. THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. No. CLXVIH Our blue and buff philosopher concludes his eighty third volume with more than usual vigour and variety. Foremost undoubtedly in importance, and possibly in literary merit, as it actually is in position, the article on " The„Lord Chancellors of England" engages our espe cial notice. Whether the three volumes recently issued by Lord Campbell (and upon which this preliminary article is founded) be regarded as the production of a liberal ex-Chancellor, the fruits.of a career of untiring erudition, or the effusion of a purely analytical intellect, they must be looked upon es volumes of no ordinary character. Through the intervals of his Parliamentary occupations, Lord Campbell has striven, with no puny or unsuccessful effort, to erect a- monument by which he may at once ensure the per petuity of his fame, and throw a stream of elucidatory light into many of the most dusky and impenetrable wailers of history. A most splendid section of bio gi•aphy was to be devoted to the romance, the dignity, V.e wisdom, the grandeur, the power, and( the ac quirements of the Lord Chancellors of Great Bri tain, a line of men whi c h M r . Addi son h as correct l y declared to have accumulated in itself more intellectual and worldly capacities, and to be, in all ess en ti a l parti culars, more truly ustrious than any other office or profession possibly in the world. From the accession of William the Conqueror to our own immediate genera tion, the seals and the royal conscience have remained in the custody of men remarkable for some one or other, or occasionally for a combination of all the lofty qualities which we have just enumerated. Whether we regard the gorgeous integrity of Becket, the protracted influ ence of Burnel, and the imperial magnificence and pon tifical supremacy of Wolsey, or descend to a considera tion of personages no less extraordinary who have in these modern times presided over the High Courts of Chancery —Eldon, and Brougham, and Cottenham, and Lyndhurst —there was almost every accessory attraction combined in the theme undertaken by Lord Campbell ; there were abstruse inquiries for the scholar, incidental discoveries for the antiquary of letters, romantic alternations of fortune for the indolent, sagacious inferences for the mo ralist, texts of thought in almost every page for the philosopher, instruction for the sedate, amusement for the volatile. Every grade of intellectual capacity, every shade of temperament, every bias acquired in educa tion was separately appealed to by the very title of the literary venture. " The Lives of the Lord Chancellors of England." Attention was thus excited towards and interest engaged in the undertaking : the first series of the work has already appeared and its reception has been commensurate with its pro mise. From the woolsack, and in the presence of the assembled peers, the author has been complimented for the work by the Lord Chancellor, Lynd hurst ; criticism has pronounced in its favour ; even the Edinburgh Review, whose reluctance to praise has become proverbial, says, in regard to the labour and the labourer—" We must not wish that Lord Campbell may be permitted to finish his Lives of the Chancellors of England' in the uninterrupted leisure of a man of letters ; but it is a great pleasure to us to find that his well-earned leisure is so happily em ployed." A concession that ! drawn forth by the greatness of the subject, and the skilfulness with which it has been accomplished. Almost the entire of the criticism—if it can be so designated— in the . Edinburgh Review, is devoted to a dry ow ac rh c eo o v u he n ra t irr o : f nfi th e rise a n d esta bli s h ment of the Chancellor ship, an account which can be gleaned from almost any encyclopaedia. yelo t p h m a d t ia ,;ffin Two waroeonselyleoctfed fortherensocwrnuteidnymbeyn the reviewer —both of them great men, on e of them a s good as h e was great, the recoil even from confessing to ourselves the ignominy which is attached to the lustrous and unfading memory of Francis Bacon ; as we linger over the moral beauty of Sir Thomas More with astonishment and rapture. The latter, so gentle, so guileless, so witty, so wise, so genuine in his moral attainments (we might almost call them his mo ral perfection), so dignified in his simplicity, and yet of such " homespun" excellence, as Sir James Mackintosh has happily expressed it. The former, so majestic in his genius, so profuse in his capacity, so flawed and tar nished in his principles of morality, but more espe cially as regards the virtues of probity and indepen dence: " dedicated by nature a hi g h p r i est o f knowledge, human and divine;" fallen to a proportionate lowliness in the estimation of a lamenting but reverential posterity. Whether we accumulate our information respecting Sir Thomas More from otlfiethtee greatnderr Chancel lor'sevelations of Roper, or the precisenarrative whether we c e olie e c n tthem r a a t e e m ri n al s s , of grandson hisesreer f s r u o m mth ry e correspondence p ndee of Erasmus, the the careful ma thatten by ma s st i e r rpi James of biography his life as Mackintosh,writ deston, or from we cannot but revere More for the angelic purity of his heart love hi m for the exceeding and unaffected tenderness of e e his pe st nature, admiration andf entertain e r t a thein sentimentsseeurat ebalance of the d • and lofty capabilities of hisintellect. Ad mirably is he christened by the historian "a martyr to truth ;" his name, if not the prondes l t i , e i d s, w in ith th o e ut one F moment's question, the most unsul his torical records of our country. or thepersecimuSoun tations of intolerance and religiou s east upon the memory of More, by our re viewer, are, we undertake to a=sert, based upon his own contorted view of passages in the " Apology," and upon o.h the questi ona bl e ev id ence o f F o x. For a thorough refutation of these accusatory remarks we refer our readers, and the reviewer himself, to the pages of Mackintosh, which, notwithstanding the writer al ludes to as familiar to himself. we conjecture, have not met his perusal very recently, or in that case have been consulted with random precipitation. Of Bacon our language is too feeble to express our feelings of admiration, and our admiration too exalted and sin cere to allow us to expatiate upon the demerits —" for," as the writer of this article in the Edinburgh Revview exclaims, " his genius, and for the glory of it, the world is not large enough to contain them." An after-observation, in the same article, is beautiful in its emphasis, in its expressions of awe, and the mournful hopelessness of its desires, It is this—" Our reverence for the genius of Bacon is so great ; we have that sense of what we owe him for the delight and profit mankind have reaped from his immortal writings ; we feel so deeply what it is we lo s e i n h ope and glory, andhow all that is most magnificent in the prospects of human nature is clouded over by that melan choly antithesis which holds forth ' Bacon a s at once the wisest and the meanest of mankind ; that nothing can be thought of in the way of monument or reward which ought not to be gratefully bestowed, not only by fellow-countrymen, but by fellow men, for a nobler restoration of attainted blood'than ever fell to the offico of any herald; upon the man who should indeed remove "the blot of ignomy" from that still most resplendent name. But, unfortunately, the facts, of f nd ntehietheorne glossrati nor rational construction nef them, saeh admit was th e contradiction of the character of this wonderful mortal, so vast were his powers of mind and so little his powers of self-control, so exalted his genius i a n n do one eo and paltry t t r h y e s his a a e b semen moment,t t w h i a t t h w f e e e r l n c g u s r o t o f hpirsi pride, and e er, exultation, and reverence, and with feelings which (but for a certain sense of awe) would actually merge them selves into scorn. Of the dead, however, nil nisi bonum; it is a a good adage, and costs nothing in the fulfilment. So in reference to the greatest of modern philosophers, and the only one who can, in a relative sense, be cou pl e d with Aristotle, we would leave his culpabilities to his Maker, and turn with a solemn gratitude to the nobler deeds he has accomplished. We gladly recognise in this number of the Review a tribute paid individually to themerits of two of our contemporary authors—one still living, the other in a premature grave—Thomas Hood and Walter Savage Landor. Yet, though we ac knowledge the general sagacity which pervades the analysis of the poetical powers of Hood, we are sur prised to find one of his most delicate and chastened poems k" The Bridge of Sighs") carped at for what the critic is pleased to christen its "falsetto tone." If there be really anything like a "falsetto tone " about this pure and generous chant, it is in the theme itseff—and surely that theme deserves a venture of this kind, even at the risk of its merit beirg cavilled at by an Edin burgh Reviewer! What is possibly the chief charm in the " Bridge of Sighs " is the exquisite adaptation of words, thoughts, allusions, even of the, fantastic metre. itself, to the suicide of a young female. The estima tion of Landor's character and position as a writer is deserved, is honest, is just :—" perhaps no writer of the present age is more likely to survive and make acquaint ance with another." It will be some satisfaction to that venerable sage to hear this prediction of his fame from such an organ, to taste in those words the sweets of the reflection that his life has not been all useless—that he has laboured his allotted labour—that he may fold his arms and rest, until his hour of probation has reached its close. Particular attention should be given' to two other articles, " The Administration of Charitable Trusts," and the " Government of Dependencies," evi dencing, as they do, retentive erudition, clear observa tion, and cautious arrangement, though occasionally the arguments employed are rather more hasty than appo site. A survey of " Wilkes' Exploring Expedition" is interesting ; and the notice of Duveyrier's works, as illustrative of certain " Political Views of French Af fairs," is replete with important considerations. As the leader of that regenerative spirit which is conducting the whole European system to better days, to a more extended consonance of religion and government, to a greater diffusion of happiness, and consequently to a greater diffusion of knowledge, France must ever en gage the sympathies of the most remote as well as of the most adjacent states. She has offered up her chil dren, as it were, as a holocaust to the cause of universal emancipation, and has thus acquired for herself the pre rogative of marshalling the world to freedom, and to what men of ardent imaginations might be pleased to designate the millenium. EMILIA WYNDHAM. By the Author of "Mount Sorel." 3 Vols. This is a deeply interesting and highly entertaining work—and something more, and something far higher and far better. It will instruct while it entertains, will improve while it interests. There are few who will close the third volume, after a careful and attentive pe rusal of the whole, without being imperceptibly, uncon sciously, perhaps, a little the better, a little the wiser for its teaching. Example has always more force, always far more efficacy than any precept, and few learned homilies or wise discourses could persuade so gently, or convince so powerfully, as the simple story of Emilia Wyndham. Contrary to all the rules of romance, in direct opposition to th.' avoured theories of novel readers, it speaks of the quest duties of domestic life. It would inspire the noble courage not to brave the storms of adversity, the face of danger, the front of battle, in which the ordinary heroine delights, but to encounter and overcome, steadily, patiently, and calmly, the petty cares, trials, and anxieties of every-day life. Such an endeavour may seem insignificant, humble, un necessary ; but, rightly considered it is all-important, since " Trifles make the sum o fnuman things, And half our misery from our foibles springs." In the opening of the first chapter the ardent and enthusiastic Emilia is learning true wisdom from her gentle mother. Burning with admiration and emula tion for the heroic, she is surprised and pained to hear it thus defined : " Heroism I —To those who consider rightly, it is a far nobler thing now : when it is no longer a sound to mark the glowing excitement, the lofty enthusiasm, which fights and struggles in the brilliant mid-day, gilded by the sun, all warm and genial ; but the slow, silent, death-struggle of the soul in solitude, darkness, and obscurity, against the heavy, wearying, every-day evils of every-day actual life : sacrifices of the hourly and the small, but the sum of which is exist ence—not offered in the fervour of the moment, but given, as it were, by inches ; the heroic devotion to ethers, and those others, not even worthy I far from grateful, too often resentful ; combining patience, perseverance, endurance, gentleness, and disinterestedness—that is the heroism of our day, my dear poet !" And such was the heroism which the listener's future life was to exemplify and illustrate, and such is the quality which gives the moral power to these volumes. A tone of genuine feeling pervades the whole, sincere and natural; and here and there we find some bright thought which bids us pause, and reflect, and admire, Many of the characters have a .clegree o€ .individuality and truthfuln ess , w hi c h a dd s great l y to" si:pparent reality of the whole. There is the beautiful and capricieuse Lisa, the friend and exact contrast of Emilia, a striking example of the fearful struggle between a bad education and a good heart ; and there is Mr. Danby, the hard-working, care-worn, withered lawyer, growing old amid his books and papers, apparently without a kindly thought or feeling, till, touched by the invincible hand of love, the marble is melted into man. But it is needless to enumerate further, suffice it to say that no book more diametrically opposed to the ordinary rules and routine of novels, could more effectually fulfil, what hould be their main object—to give pleasure in the perusal and benefit in the remembrance. THE ABBOTSFORD EDITION OF THE WAVERLEY NOVELS. Vol. 10. This, the Editio Princeps of the works of our Scot tish Ariosto, is fast tending towards a conclusion. This, the 10th volume, .contains " Woodstock " and the " Chronicles of the Canongate." For the beauty of its typography, and the profuseness and exquisiteness of its pictorial illustrations, this volume is quite equal to any of its predecessors. THE PARLOUR NOVELIST, N 0.2. This, the second volume of a series of works of fic tion, now in the-course of publication in Belfast, con tains the whole of Eugene Sue's admirable novel, " The Commander of Malta," excellently translated by Mr. Doisy, of the Belfast Royal Academical Institution. The book is beautifully printed on good paper, and is got up in a manner that reflects the highest credit on the book and printing trade of Belfast. LETTERS ON THE MORE.EVIDENT CHANGES WHICH THE BODY UNDER GOES, AND THE MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH FROM INFANCY DO • ADULT AGE. By C. Black, M.D., Member of the Royal Col. lege of Surgeons, England, 4-c. . This is a very small but a very valuable book. Dr. Black is almost the only medical man who has not treated the subject of diet and regimen empirically. Like a man of true science he lays down general prin ciples, which, if duly observed, will be sufficient to preserve health. He however writes under more favour able circumstances than his predecessors. Until within the last ten years our experience in Dietetics has been almost entirely of an empirical nature. Certain descriptions of food were known from observation to produce dyspepsia ; certain other descriptions were known to be easy of digestion, but beyond the know ledge of the fact we knew nothing. The splendid dis coveries of Liebig have, however, shown us why certain descriptions were indigestive, and why certain other descriptions of food were not, and why food which in certain states of the system is most wholesome, becomes in certain other states of the system most unwhole some. These discoveries of Liebig have been prac tically applied by Dr. Black, and he has produced the most useful, the most intelligible, and the most scientific work on the management of health, that has yet been published. His directions are clear and ex plicit, and he gives in every instance a reason for the faith that is in him. Every nurse and every mother should study attentively the letters on infancy and child hood. In fact the book should find a place in every family, and in every village-lending library. MARSTON ; OR, THE SOLDIER AND STATESMAN.— By the Rev. G. Croly, L.L.D , author of " Sal a thi e l," & c . 3 vols.—The above work is p ublished this day by Mr. Col burn, and may now be had a t a ll the Libra • - Mr . Li braries. Col burn has also just published the followingep.otTulawr.old new novels :-2. Emilia Wyndham, by th e author o f Men's Tales," " Mount Sorel," &c.-3. Confessions of a Pretty Woman, by Miss Pardoe, authoress of " The City of the Sultan," &c.-4. The Robertses on their Travels, by lars. Trollops.-5. Peers and Parvenus, by Mrs. Gore.-6. The Citizen of Prague, edited by Mary Howitt.-7. Pomfret, by H. F. Chorley, Esq.—And 8. The Queen of Denmark (Caroline Matilda, sister of George. III.), an Historical Ro mance, founded on the private communications of the Queens Chamberlain. A letter from Rome, of the 16th, says:—" The Pope attended at all the religions Offices of the Holy Week, and according to custom, gave the grand benediction on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. On the former occasion his Holiness was plesed, as in pre ceding years, to celebrate the ceremony of washing the feet of the thirteen apostles. Those thirteen apostles are in general priests who have come to Rome on pilgrimage ftom various countries. Frequently also priests residing in Rome are selected. The Ambassadors of France, Austria, Spain, and Portugal have the privilege of choosing one of their countrymen. M. Rossi, this year, selected Father Vaures, canonist to the French Embassy. There is to be a consistory held the day after to-morrow, at which Cardinal Riario, Archbishop of Naples, is to receive the hat. It is still a matter of doubt at what time the Empress of Russia will come here, or indeed whether she will come hero at:all.—Galignani. ARCH/EO - LOGICAL DISCOVERY AT DOVER. The workmen, in clearing the ground for the erection of some new houses in the Priory Grounds, have developed three of the lower arches of a church or chapel : one only of these was perfect when opened, but we regret to learn that it was displaced by a fall of the earth adjoining, The whole is of the Norman style, and built of Caen stone. The floor was paved with glazed tiles of the period, many of which are in good preservation ; under the tiles w... 5 turned up a structure of burnt wood, which seems to show that a chapel standing on the same site had been destroyed by fire. Many skele tons have been discovered during the excavations. They appear to have been generally interred in graves lined with squared chalk ; nothing, however, excepting the bones has hitherto been obtained.— Dover Telegraph. A club, formed for the purpose of sparrow-shooting, assemblesiearTewkesbury. at Ryalfs-grove, a small hamlet in the parish of Ripple, j It numbers upwards of twenty members of the neighbouning farmers and gardeners. The number of birds destroyed is 150 dozen within four months.—Gloucester Chronicle. Mr. Lock had an interview yesterday with the Earl of Dalhousie, MR. W. W. SIMPSON'S SALES. SALE OF THE NORTH COVE HALL ESTATES IN .THE LARGE ROOM AT THE NORFOLK HOTEL, NORWICH, ON THURSDAY LAST. The attendance was exceedingly numerous, and, to a great extent, represented the individual and collective re spectability, as well as the opulence of the sister counties. Mr. Simpson, previous to opening the sales, ventured to address his audience at some length on the all-absorbing subject of the contemplated (and, he opined, certain) abolition of the corn-laws. He acknowledged that till within the last year he had been a thoroughgoing protectionist. A three years' test, however, of Sir Robert Peel's measures, added to his extensive experience up to the present period in the let ting and sales of landed property, he was now free and proud to confess that sliding and other scales had fallen from his eyes; the result of which is that he is now a tho,oughgoing anti : protectionist. Simpson observed, from an honest and firm convic tion, that rents, which had been set on fair and liberal prin ciples (within the last seven years) of " live, and let live," would be permanent, and he fearlessly stated that the years' purchase on such rentals have risen within the last six months, and, iu all probability, will continue to rise on the settlement of the great question in respect of Free Trade in Corn, &c. For the truthfulness of these statements, Mr. Simpson referred to recent lettings and sales, which have been published not only by himself, but other auctioneers and land agents of greater eminence ; consumption and de mand of an increasing population (in the ratio of about 1,000 per day), the capital, skill, industry, and enterprise, in addi tion to the easy and inexpensive transit of the produce to the first markets in Europe, will form such a counterpoise. as will enable us to compete successfully with the miserably uncultivated lands and minds of exotic growth. Instead, therefore, of the motto of " Agitate, agitate," let us substi tute that of ".Cultivate, cultivate ;" and let landlords assist improving tenants by making advances (in the nature of improvements in drainage, &c. ' &c.) of the additional capital which may be required, charging for the same at the rate of 4 per cent. on that expenditure, which shall be judiciously laid out; hence the tenant farmer will reap an additional benefit of at least 10 per cent., and a perma nent improvement of the value of the farm (quasi landlord) will supervene. Mr. Simpson stated that in his humble opinion, Sir Robert Peel is (at least) one of the greatest, most talented, and fearlessly honest Ministers that has ever lived in the tide of times. The following is an account of the Sales: — Lot 1. The Mansion called North Cove Hall, with 516 acres of arable, pasture, marsh, and wood land, was bought in at £19,000 0 0 Sold the next day, by private contract, to Wm. Everett, Esq., of Yarmouth. 2. A Freehold Farm of 122 acres, sold to John Slipper, Esq., of Ashby, for .. ......... 4,640 0 0 3. A Freehold Farm of 122 acres, produc ing (including the land in hand, 1251. 7s. 9d per annum), was bought in at An offer of 3,100 was made for this lot on the following day. The selling price is now 3,25 W. 4. An Estate (principally Freehold), com prising 180 acres of land of first-rate quality, a gentlemanly residence and buildings, the rental amounting to 3221. 7s. 3d. per annum, bought in at An offer of 8,0001. has been made by private contract, but the price now is 8,500/. 5. A Small Farm House, and 17 acres of land (Freehold), producing 371. 19s. per an. num. Bought in at 850/. was offered. 6. A Freehold Cottage, 2A. 3n. 34p. of land, sold to the Rev. Charles Clarke, for 7. Two Freehold Tenements with Gardens, &c., containing together IA. On. 9P., bought in at ....... . ... Sold by Private Contract, to Wm. Everett, Esq.. after the sale, at 2801. 8. Ditto ditto, altogether containing IA. ln. 25p., sold to Benj. Andrews, Esq., for .. 9. Four Enclosures of Land, principally Freehold, containing 3A. 3n. 29r., producing 131.65. 2d. per annum. Bought in at 3OO 0 0 3,150 0 0 900 0 0 245 0 0 220 0 0 305 0 0 £36,960 0 0 The Advowson of the Rectory of Woodton, si tuate about five miles from Bungay, was of fered on the same day. 3,000/. were bid, but the reserve price being 3,350/, it was bought in. Mr. Simpson is instructed to treat for the disposal of those lots bought in at the sale, since which he has had several applications to purchase. The Proprietor, however, who is a gentleman of large landed and other property, is not at all indisposed to retain those portions of the lands which form the cream of the estate. COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen held a dinner party yesterday at Buckingham Palace. The Company included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, his Royal Highness Prince George, his Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, the Duchess of Buccleuch, the Duke of Wellington the Marquis of Abercorn, Lady Augusta Bruce, Lady Caroline Murray, Lady Augusta Cadogau, Baroness de Speth, the Earl of Liverpool, the Earl Delawarr, the Earl of Jersey, Earl Howe, Earl of Cawdor, Lord George Lennox, Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay, Captain the Hon. James P. Murray, Mr. Edward Mildmay, Colonel Wylde ' and Baron de lieitzenstein. The Band of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, under the direction of Mr. J. R. Tutton, was in attendance during dinner, and performed the following pieces : Overture, "Crusaders "—Benedict. Fantasia on airs from " La Fille du Regiment "—Bender. Finale, "Jupiter Symphony"—Mozart. Waltz, " Astrea Tanz"—Strausss. About eight o'clock his Royal Highness Prince Albert, ac companied by the Noble Directors of the Con cer t of Ancient Music left the Palace for the 51anover-square Rooms, his Royal Highness being the Director of the Concert for the evening. The Illustrious Party left in the following order : A carriage conveying the Groom in Waiting, Admiral Sir Robert Otway ; the Master of the Household, the Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay, and Dr. Proetorius. A carriage conveying the Equerry in Waiting to the Prince ; Lieutenant Colonel Seymour, the-Groom in Waiting to the Prince, Colonel Wilde, the Baron de Reitzenstein, and Captain the Honourable James P. Murray. A. carriage conveying the Marquis of Abercorn, the Earl Howe, Mr. Edmond Mildmay, and Lord George Lennox. A carriage conveying his Royal Highness Prince Albert, his Royal Highness th e D u k e of Cambridge, the Duke of Wellington, and the E ar l o f C awdor. Soon after the departure of the Prince and the Noble Directors, the Queen, accompanied by the remainder of the illustrious party, followed to the Hanover-square Rooms, to honour the performance with her presence. The royal party left in the following order : A carriage conveying the Maids of Honour in Waiting, the Hon. Misses Murray and Napier; the Equerry in Waiting, Colonel the Hon. Cha r l es G rey; the Lord in Waiting, Lord Byron. A. carriage conveying Lady Augusta Bruce, Lady Caro line Murray, Lady Augusta Cadogan, and the Baroness de Speth. A carriage, conveying the Lady in Waiting, Lady Port man, the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward, and the Master of the Horse. A carriage, conveying his Royal Highness Prince George, his Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Meinin gen, his Serene Highn ess P r i nce Edwar d o f S axe W e i mar , and the Duchess of Buccleuch. A carriage, conveying her Majesty the Queen, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rent, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, and her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice took an airing yesterday in an open carriage and four, accompanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, accompanied by his Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Meinmgen, left town yesterday morning for Busby House, Bushy Park. Her Majesty was attended b y t h e H on. Mi ss Mitchell, and the Earl of Denbigh. The Baron de Reitzenstein was in attendance on the Hereditary Prince. Her Majesty accom panied by his Serene Hi g h ness , returne d to Marlborough House, at half-past five o'clock. Mr. Moreno, the Minister from Buenos Ayres, had an interview with the Earl of Aberdeen, at the Foreign office, on Tuesday. - Baron de. Moncorvo, the Portuguese Minister, had an in terview yesterday with the Earl of Aberdeen at the Foreign office. The Commissioners of the Metropolitan Improvements had a meeting yesterday. There were pre , ent Viscount Can ning, the Right Hon. J. C. Herries, the Lord Mayor, Mr. H. T. Hope, Mr. Alderman Humphery, Mr. A. Milne, and the Hon. C. A. Gore. Mr. C. Russell, M.P., and Mr. Saunders, had an interview with the Earl of Dalhousie yesterday at the office of the Board of Trade. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a ge neral meeting yesterday. There were present, the Arch bishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of Winchester, Bangor, Carlisle, Chester, Exeter, Hereford, Lichfield, Lincoln, Llan daff, Oxford, Ripon, Rochester, Salisbury, and Worcester, the Judge of the Prerogative Court, the Earl of Bessborough, and the Dean of Westminster. The Commissioners of the Metropolitan Termini had a meeting on Monday. There were present, Viscount r to the Cabinet M . Can ning, the Earl of Dalhousie, the Right Hon. J. C. Herries, 1- the Lord Mayor, and Sir Frederick Smith. The Commis sioners had another meeting on Tuesday. There were .re sent, Viscount Canning, the . Lord Mayor, the Right Hon. J. C. Herries, and Sir Frederick Smith, Dr. Harding had an interview with Mr. Secretary Glad stonenisTtehr Mi nisters EarlleasstteredovfaeynAiabntegrt: at C nh o ig l s o a El ad : du ffi i en e c n e i n Argyll -street. 892, Death s from diseases a the M O RTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS. —The number of deaths during the week ending Saturday, April 25, was 856; the respiration are very numerous, and ex ceed the average by 9 ; l a u v n e o r s a g a l l dfor otherflv e the total noufmber last week h av i ng been not o g rg pri ao n s gs of be less than 280, or about one-third the mortality from all causes. The number carried off by bronchitis was 4 4, average 15; and by consumption 152, average 153. The violent deaths amounted to 19. —The arrivals of IMPORTATION OF T ..CE. ice which are now taking place fr•om the kingdom of Norway, and Which have, on two or three occasions, been noticed in our winning, do not apPe to be entirely confined to the metropolis. A vessel called the Band ar , which arrived at the port of Liverpool at the latter end of the Dandy, week from a port on the coast of Norway, had a cargo consistingas 90 tons of ice ; and a vessel called the Triton, from Dram, or Dram the of men, also in the kingdom of Norway, arrived at the same period the port of Hull, having 150 tons of the article on oad. at arrivals of vessels at these noithern ports, in addition to tho h s e e already mentioned as having taken place in the river Thames, laden with this curious and novel description of car go, are very remark able , and prove the speculative enterprise of the people of this country to be unlimited. Their enterprise in this instance will be no doubt amply repaid, for there appears, in consequence of the mildness of the past winter, to be a great scarcity of the article, not only in the metropolis and its suburbs, but throughout the country These supplies are very opportune, and will be a valuable addition to those which have taken place from the distant lakes of North America, which we have made the subject of a special notice on a former occa sion, and alluded to the extraordinary thickness of the flakes or blocks of ice brought from that quarter, and of its surprising firm ness and solidity. ANOTHER COLLISION AT SEA • Late on Monday n agent of th night, Mr. Black, the Bright() e General Steam Naviga tion Company, was appn • 'sad by the Lloyd's a en ts of 1 gt at Eastbourne of the discovery by some of the pilo to arge vessel in the Channel, off Beachey Head, which appearedhave been abandoned by her crew, and at the same time requested to send a s team-packet out to tow the vessel into harbour. The Magnet was, accordingly, dispatched shortly after midnight, and succeeded in, falling i n with the vessel. It was found keel uppermost, and proved to be the Danish barque Harriet, from St. Croix to Cop enha gen , laden with s ugar and rum. that she was run down by the Seringapatain on the night It appears were saved, and one of the mates was landed at Hastings, and thence proceeded to London. The Magnet and Menai were both engaged in towing the vessel westward to horeham Harbour on Wednesday; and the cliffs were thronged during principal part of the day by spe ctotor s of their evoluti ons. the ' In consequence of the absence from town ALMACK S. — Ulster, the archion of the Marchioness of Westm three ess of Londonderry, and the Viscountess Palmerston, offthe Ladies Patronesses, it was deemed advisable, at the last moment, to postpone the opening ball of the season, which was to have taken place last evening. This step was rendered absolutely necessary from the number of applica tions for vouchers made to the above -named noble ladies, which in their absence from town necessarily remained unanswered. We are informed that all the Ladies Patronesses have promised to attend the next ball. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE NEWMARKET, WEDNESDAY. Match -10 h ft. T. Y. C. Lord Glasgow's Physalis, 7st 71b (Nat), beat Lord Exeter's Cocoa Nut, 7st. Even betting. Won by a head. Match-50, h ft. D.M. Sir J. Hawley's Prospect, Bst 71b (F. Butler) beat Mr. Ramsbottom's Trebonins, Bst 41b. Betting -4 to lon Prospect. Won by three lengths. Handicap Sweepstakes of 20 sovs. each, and only sft if de clared, &c., for three-yrs-old, and upwards. A.F. Lord Orford's Footstool, 3 yrs, 7st 41b (Mann) 1 Mr. Osbaldeston's Petit Morceau, 4 yrs, Bst 61b Col. Anso n ' s R owland Hill, 4 yre, Bst 101 b Betting -6 to 4 agst Footstool, 6to 5 agst Rowland Hill, and 3to 1 agst Petit Moreeau. Footstool made the running to the T.Y.C., where it was taken from him, and carried half way up the hill by Rowland Hill; the young one then reco vered his lead, and won by a length. Fifty Pounds; for four-yrs-old, 7st 81b; five, Bst 1 llb ; six and ad, t . Mr. G. H. Moore's Wolfd ge og, 9s 31b B.C. 4 yrs Mr. Shelly's Maynooth (Nat) 1 2 Betting. -6 to 4on Wolfdog. Maynooth cut out the work at a good pace till half way between the Duke's Stand and home, where the favourite took it up, went on with it, and won by three lengths. Tnz QUEEN'S PLATE —The Stewards of the Jockey Club met this mornin g for the purpose of hearing and deciding upon the charge of foul riding made by Mr. Osbaldeston and Nat; the complaints, however, having been mut ua ll y with drawn, the case was cl ose d on Nat expressing his regret at having, in a moment of irritation, used language offensive to the Squire. Had evidence been gone into, there is not a shadow of a doubt that it would have been proved that Miss Elis was driven completely out of the course before she reached the cords, not from intention, but from Mr. Osbal deston having been too weak from wasting to hold his mare together. _ THE DANISH CLAIMS. (From the Daily News.) The question of the Danish claims, after tbur distinct ad judications by Parliament in favour of the claimants, is pro posed to be again brought before the House of Commons to morrow by Mr. Hawes. These claims originated so far back as 1807, out of the seizure and sequestration of certain Bri tish ships and cargoes by the Danish Government, in reprisal for that extraordinary aggression by which the British Go vernment obtained forcible possession of the Danish fleet. The attack upon Copenhagen, and the capture of the fleet, were, as is well known, acts preceded by no declaration of war; the Danish reprisals followed as a matter of course on the in stant, as no formal declaration of war could be necessary after such aggression. In the case of Buenos Ay res , now waiting a solution, it is clear that if the Argentine Go vernment had made seizure and confiscation of British property upon the capture of its squadron by the com bined British and French fleets, as in fact it might have stood rightfully justified in doing, the owners would be entitled to claim compensation from their own Govern ment, which could not refuse the demand, however it might seek and obtain, or not, indemnity from Buenos Ayres. The Foreign- office insists that there is no war with Buenos Ayres, although British men-of-war have been bombarding and storming Argentine forts and batteries; so that if war were actually declared to-morrow, it could have no retro-active effect in barring claims created under another state of affairs. The British Government of that day also declared that there was no war with Denmark, the capture of the Danish fleet notwithstanding; although subsequently, and now, in order to defeat rights incontestably established, and more than ad mitted formerly by ministerial action and implication, it is pre teonded Government ships and cargoes referred to, into a declaration e s a as, t, seizurepobiyn nat r go e a t ai r n o os - at a s c to t h i oe v f el Government, wo e vf ff ue e lr c ap t mr, prize on c : 0 : v illv e oa r l t%r.i.envge Perhapsr of war, and the actual declaration, when it did come, t t i he provisional o t h etfunde st admissionon g acplaairit,ns,foarndt t h i e m :at s i t s a fa te c d t t io i n o t o h f e w t a b si e of Mr. Percival, the Minister of that day, tilat s since hand andand n o s e w t c sp on ee te ia s l t l e y d me morial of the claimants : " The sum of 1,200,0001., which was derived from the con fiscation of the Danish ships and cargoes, was actually paid over to the public service, instead of remaining droits of the Crown, because there were certain merchants who Claimed compensation out of it for the losses they had sustained, arising from the manner in which the war had broke out.'— Mr. PercivesSpeeell,3oth May, 1810." The following extracts from the memorial strikingly exem plify the hardships of the case, and the injustice of which the claimants have been the victims, in some instances to their ruin. "It will be remembered that these claimants were invited to present their claims—that, by the express directions of the Government, they incurred the labour and great expense of procuring the necessary evidence from Denmark, Norway, and the several seaports of England and Scotland to sub stantiate their respective losses—that the claims, after a rigid scrutiny of each case, have been regularly adjudicated on by Government Commissioners—and that, although Parliament has four times decided in their favour, yet a new pretext has been brought forward, on every occasion, for denying them justice. The grounds now assumed by the Government for opposing the claims is, that the seizure so made was in effect hostile capture during war—that there is, consequently, no obligation on the part of the State to indemnify against such loss—and that it would be a dangerous preceder.t to depart from this rule, in consideration of any peculiar circum stances of hardship. The claimants assert, and are pre pared again to demonstrate, that the seizure was not made during an acknowledged state of war, or by way of hostile capture. It is alleged that an ordinance published at Gluckstadt on the 16th of August, 1807, was a declaration of war by the Danish Government. The claimants assert, and are ready to prove, that it was not such in fact, and was not so regarded either by th e D anes themselves or by the British untilit suited the poli c y o f t h e B ritish Government so to , designate it. Again, with some inconsistency, it is alleged that the declaration of war, after the seizure of these vessels and cargoes, did, by a retro-acti ve e ffi cacy, make what was originally a provisional seizure by way of embargo, for en forcing satisfaction, or by way of reprisals for taking sum mary redress, a capture by enemies, and consequently lawful prize of war. The claimants deny that this legal refinement of constructive relation, even if maintainable at all, can change the character of reprisals, or release the state from its obligation to indemnify. . . . . " There can be no risk of establishing a dangerous precedent by granting these claims, though there may be, and will be, in refusing them. Is it just that the merchants who were navigating the Baltic in the full security of existing ami cable relations, should, by the consequences of an act of their own Government—sudden, aggressive, unwarranted by any precedent—of which they neither did nor could have surmised anything beforehand—be stripped of their property, without one shilling of compensation? More especially, it is respectfully asked, is the refusal of compensation justifiable when, by a like, but far less warrantable, seizure of Danish property by the British authorities, a fund was realised suffi cient for the indemnity required--a fund, too, :;vowedly set apart for that purpose." REPORTED VISIT OF PRINCE ALBERT TO LIVER POOL.--A paragraph has appeared, stating that I'rince Albert has ac cepted an invitation to Liverpool, for the purpose of laying the foun dation-stone of 'the Sailors' Home. The announcement is, at any rate, premature ; we are not aware that anything is yet definitively known upon 'the subject. We shall be happy to find that arrange ments can be made for bringing about so desirable an event—Liver pool Courier. The name of Prince Albert appears the first in a recently-published list of the benchers of Lincoln's Inn. The Earl of Aberdeen entertained the Cabinet Minis 'ters at dinner last evening at Argyll House. There were present— the Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, the Lord Chancellor, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Duke of Buccleuch, the Earl of Haddington, the Right Hon Sir James Graham, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the Earl of Ellenborough, the Earl of Ripon, Lord Granville Somer set, the Earl of Dalhousie, the Earl St. Germans, and the Right Hon. Sid ney Herbert. An institution has lately been established at West Bromwich by G. S. Kenrick, Esq., the objects of which are to furnish the working classes with a place of resort in their leisure hours, and means for innocent recreation ; to dillitse general and useful know ledge among the people; and to aid their desire to improve their tastes and habits. It consists of a library, reading, news, and class rooms, and the subscription is but one penny per week. Lectures on important subjects will be occasionally delivered; and the reading room is furnished with two daily and several London newspapers, the best periodicals and the local papers.—Birminghana Gazette. PEDESTRIANISM—George Clarke has undertaken to walk, at the West End Retreat Gardens, llcigham, Norwich, 1,500 miles in 1,000 successive hours, walking a mile and a half at the be ginning of each hour, He commenced this wonderful task at seven o'clock in the evening of Saturday, the 11th instant, and up to seven o'clock in the evening of Thursday completed 432 miles. He does not appear to be the least fatigued; if we may judge from his pre sent appearance, there is no doubt but that lie will accomplish this unheard-of undertaking.—Yarmouth Chronicle. THE BOY JONES.—The boy Jones, of palace-entering notoriety, who, it will be remembered, was some years ago shipped on board the Warspite as a boy of the second class, did not come home in her, but was transferred to the Inconstant shortly before the Warspite's leaving, He had then attained the rating of an ordinary seaman. At climbing he had no superior in the Warspite • on one occasion he climbed to the m a i n t ruc k , and seating himself there, threw off his hat, jacket, and shirt, and flung them on deck. He is represented as well conducted, and a very good seaman, considering the time he has been at sea. CHILD MURDER.—At the Jedburgh Circuit Court, on the 21st instant, before Lords Moncrieff and Cockburn, Ann Car ruthers, of Gretna, was charged with the murder of her child, by putting into its month small pieces of coal. She was found guilty, and sentenced to be transported for life. THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST. Within the last fortnight, a farm at Collingbourne, Wilts, consisting of about 800 acres, the property of the Marquis of Ailesbury, became vacant. During that brief period the Noble Marqqis has received (we are in formed) no less than eighteen applicationd for it from unexceptionable tenants. So much for the anticipated effects- of the repeal of the corn-laws. SCOTTISH HOSPlTAL.—Yesterday a Special General Court of the Governors of this ancient corporation was held, at their Hall, in Crane-court, Fleet-street, for the purpose of electing sixty three poor persons as pensioners on the thuds of the institution ; Robert Low, Esq., presided. The result of the day's election was, the admission of 33 individuals of the age of seventy and upwards, to be recipients of a pension of 101. each per annum ; and a second class of persons, 30 In number, from the age of sixty-five, to pensions of 81. per annum each. There are (including yesterday's election) now on the funds of the institution, 130 pensioners; being 100 at 101. a year, and 30 at 801. a year. Mr. Henry G. Watson, who has just gained one of the Scholarships recently founded by the Council of King's College, was for five years a pupil of the All Souls and St. Marylebone Dis trict Grammar-School, in union with King's College. Mr. Watson carried off last year the highest prizes both in classics and mathe matics. HAVE YOU GOT A ToBYP—Tho shower of missives from railway directors, all referring to the stock case of " Woolmer v. Toby," which has been falling incessantly on unhappy allottees, for the last week or two, has given rise to the constant inquiry, " Have you got a Toby ?" Once upon a time, when people met to gether at a street corner, the remark was, " It's a tine day," or " It's very wet," as the case might be; but now, one hears nothing but, " Have you got a Toby ?"—Boston Herald. 1 DEATII - OF A FATHER AND SON BY SUFFOCATIoN.— A very afflicting accident, but one unfortunately of frequent occur rence, took place last week in the works of Moss.. Ilagnali, Toll End, by which a father and son lost their lives. It appears that on Saturday morning, Thomas Onions, one of the men engaged in the works, went into a pit through which the pipes that supply the works with gas empty themselves, for the purpose of pulling out the plugs and letting out the water. In doing so a great quantity of gas rushed out, and the unfortunate man fell down nearly suffocated. Not returning out of the pit, which was only three or four feet deep, the son hastened to his father's assistance, when he too was Over come with the gas, and fell down senseless. The young man wa s drawn out a few minutes afte pi r t w a ar c d o s ns , i h d li e t ra h b e le W t as ime q l u o i itiog edre,adw.asln'hoet and hopes were d ea c t a n d e r, when w ii; a o w k a e s n l oyientg, in the entertained of his recovery, but he survived only till the following day (Sund a y ) , ex pired. Inquests were held en the bodies before when he Esq., coroner, when, it appearing that no blame George Hinchliffe, any one, the father having the care of could be attached to verdicts of "Accidental death" the pipes for many years, Chronicle were returned,—Tiro/verha t mp on GRAVESEND, APRIL 29.—THE detachment of the 10th Hussars, SHIP BRAHMIN.—TtIO on board the Brahmin for Cale which was to have been embarked town. Ca l c utta, still Au inspection of the vessel in continues on billet in the for these troops took place again this resp ect _ to her accommodations be —an order to lighten the ship, and to day, and the result is stated to enlarge the accomm o d a ti ons for the troops. Th ese alterations a of the office rs . re a full justification of the con ducto BRITISH MUSEIIM.—To-morrow (Frid ay) Museum will be opened until seven o'clock the Briti s h be continued to the end of A ugust , in the ev en i ng , and will ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND.—A meeting of the council was held on NV in Hanover-square; the President, Lord at the Society's house, ident Lord There were also present his G , Portman, in the chair. Spencer, Viscount Hill, Lord B race the Duke of Richmond, Earl raybrooke, Hon. P.. H. Clive, M.P., Sir J. .B. Johnstone, Bart Mr. A. E. Fuller, 31• P *, M.P., Mr. T. W. B rama t one , M.P., M.P., Mr. ~ Mr. J. H. Langston, M.P. , Mr. W. Miles, W. R. C. Stonsfield, M.P , Colonel M'Do nally, Mr. Capel Cure, Mr. A. O g il v i e, Professor Sewell, Mr. F. Pyne, Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Mr. D. B arc l ay, & c. Twelve new members were admitted, and, the names of thirty-eight candidates proposed for election. Mr. 1 • Fuse'', M.P., chairman of the journal committee, transmitted to the council the reports of the judges in the classes of essays on grass lands and. manure work. The following, adjudications were con firmed :—To Mr. John Brexenden, surveyor, of Cirencester, the So ciety's prize of 501., for the best essay on the advantages -or dis advantages of breaking up grass land ; to Mr. Hugh Rayn bird, of Ringraves, near Bury St. Edmunds, a prize of 201., for the best essay on measure work in its application to agricultural labour. The President took the opportunity of communicating to the council the results of some experiments made on the growth of potatoes from diseased tubers, of.which, on a former occasion, he had reported progress. The meat striking facts were these :—Where eyes were planted, which had been scooped out, but allowed to become stale, the greater part had failed ; but where fresh eyes were planted, all of them were growing. Of the autumn planted potatoes, all are doing well in dry ground, but only half promise well in ground less friable, the other half proving rotten. All the produce from diseased potatoes sown has proved to be sound and good. From tubers planted in a hothouse, in October last, in dry heat, tine sprouts have been taken five times successively from such tubers, and plant e d along with the original tubers, in the open ground, for a crop: a n d all the plants of this multiplied crop are now growing luxurian tly. MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.—CHATHAM, APRIL ,Inse9.hir The Commandant of Chatham Garrison, Colone l Sir T. 11 , , K.C.8., has directed the officer In command of the 65th Regimen t , Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. Gold, to select a detachment of his corps, consisting of 3 sergeants, 3 corporals , an d 44 privates, and to hold them in readiness to embark at Woolw ich, on the 3d of May neat, on board the John Calvin convict ship , as a convict guar d, to proceed in charge of convicts for Norfolk Isla nd. Captain St. L ' - Leger Barry wi."ll Lieutenant George Meyler, are the offi selectd to officers selected take corm/lima of the guard. Six women a n d eight children undergo medical in spection this day. The Commander-in. Chief has been pleased to grant leave of absence to th e undermentioned o ffi cers, Commenci ng this month : —Captain T. M. Wilson, 96th Regiment, to Jane 30 , Ensi gn Ensign P. B. Lucas, of the 10th Re g im ent , to May to • E ' gn S. Christian, to August 31 ; Ensign Boyle, until the period for embarka tion ; and Ensign Lees, of the 96th Regiment, to June 15 • , 1846. The above o ffi cers will proceed to India with th e i r detachments ordered for embarkation. The 67th Regiment, now in when Dublin, is ex pected to succeed the 65th Regiment at this garri son regiment will be drone-lied out in convict ; when the Log e guards for Van Diemen's 2,000 GUINEA STAKES Mr. Field not having arrived, the settling took place this morning as usual, bets being paid under protest. LATEST BETTING ON THE 1,000 GUINEA STAKES. 5 to 4 agst J. Day's lot 3 to 1 agst Mr. Wreford's, jun., Wilderness 5 to 1 agst Mr. Gully's Mendicant. Chamois is scratched. The match between Tom Tullock and the Emilia filly is off by consent. NEWMARKET SECOND SPRING MEETING. THE &UFFOLK STAKES. The following horses are scratched :—Bishop of Romford's Cob, Discord, Miss Elis, Wood Pigeon, Oald Ireland, Con naught Ranger, AEgis, Clumsy, As you Like it, Cocoa Nut, My Mary, Dean Swift, Wild Roe, hold Archer, and Col lingwood. (RECEIVED THIS DAY.) NEWMARKET, WEDNESDAY, NIGHT. 2,000 GUINEAS STAKES. Tibthorpe was examined this evening by Mr. Field, and pronounced to be of the proper age. ENTRIES FOR THURSDAY. Handicap, T.Y.C. 5 Subs., two of whom declared :—Beau mont, 5 yrs, Bst Illl—Paulton, 4 yrs, Bst 91b—Lyons, 4 yrs, 7st 91b. Sweepstakes, T.Y.C., winner to be sold for 1501.—Fugi tive, Alexa, Forget-me-not, Nell Cook, Killi Krankie, fby the Saddler out of Fanchen, Malvoisie. Queen's Plate, R.C.—Woolfdog, 4 yrs—Maynooth, 4 yrs— Keppel, 4 yrs—Colleen Bawn, 4 yrs. Sweepstakes, T.Y.C.—Brown Bess, b fby the Doctor out of Sister to Dromedary, The Precious Youth, c by Redstreak out of Balance. THE 1,000 GUINEAS STAKES. All are scratched but Wilderness, Mendicant, Ennui, Tau.. rina, Mowerina, Ukraine, Giselle, and two or three others that are safe not to run. LATEST BETTING. ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES. 6to 5 agst John Day's lot I sto 2 agst Wilderness. CHESTER CUP. 10 to 1 agst Best Bower 23 to 1 agst Inheritress 10 to 1 agst Sweetmeat 25 to 1 agst Magnet 13 to 1 agst The Baron 30 to 1 agst Hope 15 to 1 agst Pedometer 35 to 1 agst Petit Morceau 18 to 1 agst Miss Burns 40 to 1 agst Vol au Vent—t. 20 to 1 agst Kent's lot, bar Best Bower. Mr. Gully has declared that it is uncertain whether Wea therbit will start. DERBY. 7 to 2 agst Sting—t 7 to 1 agst Sir Tatton Sykes 18 to 1 agst Tom Tullock 20 to 1 agst Humdrum 25 to 1 agst Broeardo—t 13 to 1 agst Osprey 25 to 1 agst Spithead 30 to 1 agst lago—t 30 to 1 agst Fancy Boy 40 to 1 agst Poynton—t 50 to 1 agst Pen colt—t. OAKS. 115 to 1 agst Mendicant—t. GRAND ENTERTAINMENT AT THE MANSION-HOUSE. —Yesterday the Lord Mayer and the Lady Mayoress gave a splendid entertainment to the judges and many of the principal members of the bar and their ladies. Amongst the company at dinner, which was laid out in the Egyptian-hall, and supplied with the most luxurious prodigality by Mews. Ring and Brymer, were the Vice- Chancellor and Lady Shadwell, Lord Chief Justice Tindal, Chief Baron Pollock and Lady Pollock, Judges Park, Wightman, Alderson, Rolfe, Erle, Platt, Dodson, and Haggerman, and their ladies ; the Attorney and the Solicitor-General and their ladies; Lieut.-Colonel Frederick and Mrs. Smith, Colonel and Mrs. Harris, Captains Paley and Steele and their ladies; Sir F. and Lady Simpkinson ; Sergeants Talfourd, Channel, Thompson, Allen, Wilkins, Bain, and their ladies ; the Mayor of Liverpool, Mr. Bethel, Mr. Wakelin, Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Bodkin. Mr. Laurie, Mr. Locke, Mr. Merewether, and several other barristers, and their ladles ; the Chamberlain, the Common- Sergeant, Mr. Pritchard, the High Bailiff of Southwark, and other City officers, and their ladies; Mr. C. B. Baldwin, M.P., and Mrs. Baldwin, Miss Vidler (sister to the Lady Mayoress), Miss Bamber, Mr. and Mrs. W. Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Sivewright, the Rev. Charles Farebrother and his lady, Mr. Deputy Brown and Mrs. Brown, Mr. Frarce, Mr. Palmer, Mr. C. Palmer, Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the General Purposes Committee ; Aldermen Thompson, Sir Peter Laurie, Farebrother, Gibbs, Sir George Carroll, Hooper, Musgrove, Farneomb, Hughes Hughes, Sidney, and Moon, and their ladies ; Sheriff Laurie and Mrs. Laurie ; Under-Sheriffs Wire and Bircham and their ladies, Sr.c. The usual toasts were proposed, ac • knowledged, and drunk with much cordiality, and the entertainment passed off with more than ordinary éclat. THE GOVERNESSES' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.— The third anniversary in support of the funds of this institution came off yesterday at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street. Lord Ash ley took the chair shortly after six o'clock. There ware also present Lord Lilford, General Briggs, the Rev. H. Dupuis. Mr. R. V. Richards, Mr. W. Jerdan, Dr. Williams, Dr. Forbes, the Rev. Mr. Brown, the Rev. Mr. Lusignan, Mr. Hopkinson, Mr. Strahan, M r . Fowles, Mr. Carter Hall, r. Brewster, the Rev. Dr. Laing, &c. At the end of the room there was an assemblage of ladies, whose presence added considerably to the attrac tions of the evening. The musical arrangements were under the direction of Mr. Hobbs, assisted by Messrs. Francis, Chapman, and Hatton. The usual loyal and patrioti c t oas t s having been given out by Mr. Toole, the toastmaster, and drunk with the honours, the Noble Lord in the chair proposed the toast of the evening, " Success to the Institution." His Lordship, in pro posing this toast, expatiated at some length on the merits of the In stitution, and observed on the niggardly manner in which governesses were remunerated for their services. He regretted the necessity for the existence of a society of that sort, because individual benevo lence ought not to suffer the class which the company were met to aid to require the assistance of public charity. His Lordship having concluded, several other toasts were drunk with the honours, and amongst them the " Health of the Chairman," which was proposed by Lord Lilford, and for which Lord Ashley returned thanks. The amount of subscriptions was large, reaching to nearly 1,5001. The health of the ladies having been drunk, the company broke up shortly after eleven o'clock. BENEVOLENT SOCIETY OF BLUES. Yesterday the usual half-yearly meeting of the members of this society was held at the London Tavern, for the purpose of receiving the report of the Directors, and to elect by ballot three additional pensioners on the funds of the charity. Perkins, Esq.. In the chair. The report stated that the society was founded in 1824, and its members consist chiefly of persons who have received their education upon the royal and ancient foundation of Christ's Hospital, and has for its objects the relief of their less fortunate schoolfellows, by granting annual pensions or weekly allowances, to the aged and infirm, and affording temporary relief to distressed widows and orphans of Blues. There are now thirteen pensioners on the funds, which yesterday's election will increase to sixteen. The males receive 121. each per annum ; and the female pensioners 101. each per annum. The financial state ment showed that the donations during the past year amounted to 631. ; annual subscriptions, 133/. 7s. ; dividends on stock, 881. 165.8 d.; the pensions granted, to 871. ; temporary relief, 1011. 105. ; loans, 801., leaving a balance in treasurer's hands of 1071. 4s. 10d. The finided property consists of 6,1001. Three per Cent. Consolidated An nuities. A petition to both Houses of Parliament against the Cha ritable Trusts Bill was unanimously adopted. The business of the day being concluded, thanks were voted to the chairman, mad the meeting broke up. SALE OF ANCIENT ARMOUR, &C.—Yesterday 5 sale by auction of a rare and genuine collection of ancient armour and weapons of various nations, collected by the late E. J. Andrews, Esq., during his travels in the East, took place at Messrs. Oxenham's rooms, in Oxford-street. Many of the lots were extremely curious, but the prices they fetched remarkably low. Some of them were pur chased for the Tower. A suit of knight's cap-a-pie armour complete, the breast-plate of fine form; time, about the middle of the 15th century, when this description of defensive armour had at tained its greatest perfection, sold for 26 guineas. A mag,nificent suitof Saracenic chain-armour, the links of the chain embossed with verses tram the Koran, only realised 51.105. Another suit of similar armour of the time of the Crusaders, fetched but 4/. Whilst a Saracenic hel met of the same period sold for 2/. 10s. The state flag of the Jan!. zaries, composed of the finest silk, white ground, with deep crimson border, worked in gold in verses from the Koran. This flag was purchased by Mr. Andrews, on the destruction of the Janizaries in 1825, at Constantinople, for 60/., and on being brought into this country that gentleman paid an ad valorem duty of 501. upon it. It was knocked down yesterday for 20/. The next let, a case con taining the mummies of several small crocodiles, brought from the caves - of Manfalonte, near Thebes, sold for 6/. 15s. The other lots, consisting of swords, battle-axes, ancient musical instruments, Turkish and Arabian costumes, fetched equally low prices. COMMIsSIoN of LUNACY.—Yesterday a commission de lunalico inquirendo was opened at the Sheriffs'-ofilce, Red Lion square, before Mr. Commissioner Winslow and seventeen special jurors, to inquire as to the state of mind of Henry Pollar d , aged sixty-six, a retired Manchester warehouseman, formerly of Hill-street, Walworth, but now an inmate of Dr. Warburton's lunatic asylum. The commission, which was unopposed, was taken out at the instance of Mr. Peter Pollard, of the Commissioners of Sewers office, brother of the unfortunate gentleman. From the statement of the Learned Counsel, the evidence of Mr. H. Lambert, surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital, Afessrii. Phillips and Miller, surgeons of Dr. Warburton's establishment, and other witnesses, it appeared that the unfortunate gentleman was of necessity taken to St. Luke's on the 7th of June, 1844, and subsequently to Dr. Warburton's. He had the delusions that he was immensely rich, that he was the Prince of Poland, one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and visited by his wife (recently dead), who, he said, had charmed away his legs at Woolwich, an d a ft erwards charmed them back again to pay his debts. He also imagined that presents of fruits, &c., were occasionally sent to him by the Lady Mayoress. Mr. Pollard, when introduced, seemed somewhat calm, and could not be induced to enter upon his delusion. lie complained that he was not allowed to go home and manage his own property, and said that he had been grossly imposed upon when the income-tax was first levied upon him. His general remarks were, however, so unconnected and inco herent as to satisfy the jury, who returned a verdict, dating the un soundness of mind from the 7th of June, 1844. THE NEW TARIFF. -- Tne Commissioners of the Customs Department have issued instructions to collectors and con trollers of the revenue at the several ports and places throughout the United Kingdom to prepare and transmit to the Inspector-General of Imparts and Exports, with the least possible delay, the undermen tioned accounts, so far as the same relate to their respective ports, viz. :—A return of the quantity of each description of goods entered for consumption, free of duty or upon payment of a decreased rate of duty, in pursuance of the resolutions of the House of Commons, and in accordance with their orders, to those officers in March last, to carry such resolutions into immediate effect, distinguishing those cases in which bonds have been required from the importers to pay the duties heretofore chargeable, in the event of the repeal or re duction of duty not receiving the sanction of Parliament. It will be recollected that the first resolution of the House, and the Trea sury order consequent upon the same, had reference to the admission of maize or Indian corn meal, buck-wheat, and rice at new and re duced rates of duty, on a form of bond, adapted and framed for the purpose, binding parties to pay the former rate of duty, or difference of duty on the articles so delivered, in the event of the resolution not passing into a law, and whieh appeared in full in our columns at the time ; and the second comprised the general revision and altera tions of the tariff, admitting numerous articles of foreign produce and manufacture, free of duty, and a large number of others at re duced rates of duty, upon the terms or conditions of the parties availing themselves thereof, abiding the ultimate decision of Parlia ment in the matter. The return is to be made up to the Bth instant inclusive. Whether this return be required for Parliamentary pur poses, or for the especial information of the Government, does not appear, as no mention is made in the requisition of the purpose for which the same is requ i re d . A correspondent, who thinks that the " unclaimed dividend" books of the Bank of England should be open to the whole public, is not aware of the dangerous consequences that might result from complying with his wish. At present, books containing the names of stockhold ers , an d t h e d ate on which the first dividend y b ivide in n a dwas e payable, are to be obt a i ne d ; an d th ou gh the nice e beyond the reach of the humblest classes, we do not f t believe that this . If to te o agreat would preclude all chance of their recovering their p ro p ert y , i f they could give a tenable reason for supposin g they much information were afforded, facility would clai b m e given fraud and forgery, and we might have a repetition of the famous "Barber" case constantly occurring.Theofliteiee power of giving s officers of the accountant's department, therefore, reserve to themselves de tailed statements to persons who 110 W a right to receive them, and very properly refuse to gratify what may be idle curiosity, or some thing worse.—Times. It is stated in the City , with so me de g ree of confidence, that the directors of the London and York Railway have agreed to Counties, open a negoti the EaStern solution of theation first Of with these eemPanies--Zttneh with a view to a dis- • 6fr: 0 . COMMITTEE ROOMS HOUSES OF PARLIA "t 1 We have before briefly noticed that s• IflEalrailwaY committees have commenced the occupati • I e • of Parliament. This taking possession o • 'rtig_khe,Y4 • unfinished building confi rms th e expectation that 111Vitimie; may be entered upon in the next session, and the event is worthy a more extended notice than we were enabled to spare room for. The Committee- rooms are at present approached by the entrance to the old Committee-rooms, close to the porch of Westminster Hall. The access is circuitous, and the grand corridor, into which all the rooms open, is reached by an ascent of various staircases, numbering altogether seventy eight steps. If we assume each step to be half a foot deep, the elevation of the Committee-rooms is nearly forty feet about Old Palace-yard. The grand corridor extends the whole length of the river front of the building, and from it each Committee -room is entered directly by two doors, one entrance being for the public, and the other for the Members. The rooms, with the exception of two larger ones in the centre of the building, are of equal size, being about thirty-two feet long by thirty wide, and twenty feet high. Each of them is lighted by two windows looking towards the river, of which they command a magnificent view. The windows reach from near the bottom to the top, and even with the present imperfect glazing by small panes of glass in wooden frames, there is an abundance of light. The ceilings not having yet been underlined, the brick flooring by which the different . stories are divided, for the better protection against fire, are exposed to view and their mode of construction. It is evident that it would be impracticable to construct a level surface of bricks to form the roofs without supports ; and to have given the rooms vaulted roofs would have caused a great consequently recourse thinagdn iron girders, that reach the length of the room. By this o recoursewtot waste e c f on ep st a ru ee cti ; construction ;the of architect hi seriest ect ofh has e sm ee al e l a s s means the space lost between the floorings by these arches from iron g i r ders, w ill not be above one foot ; but there must necessarily be an immense weight resting on the iron supports, which have to bear nearly the whole of the pressure. At present this magnificent suite of apartments presents an extremely naked appearance, the only fittings of the rooms consisting of the baize-covered tables, a few chairs, a tcieliislindgesfecntowt ilbleminogst deal press to contain the papers of the Committees, a green frionoi finished (t area and d unfavourablefurnished . fipnric: green baize skirting, and cocoa -nut matting. In consequence of the b f h o a e l d l l y t e h n r the transmission nor s t e r, h .e loow w v e a v l lesr, plastered,o of n e sound, th but e the en Committees, already d desiring irg that to o of di s r c e u t s i sr removed when they are hers of Committees . It occurred onmaterial theng rooms s l for t thathe memi a disputed ay point, it was o requisite to clear the room, and all the counsel, the witnesses, and other persons were compelled to wait in the corridor until the deliberation was ended. This is a defect which can only be remedied by appropriating smaller rooms for consultation, on the opposite side of the corridor, which must, however, be in most instances, at a considerable distance from the room of the Committee. At present only half of the range of rooms on the river front is in a state of readiness, and some of those are not com pleted; the others are, however, preparing, and will pro bably be ready next week. The two larger rooms near the centre of the building, cne of which is occupied by the North Kent Railway group, are one-third larger than the othe rs , their height is the same as that of the other rooms. being lighted by three windows each, instead of by two, but DUTCH MAIL. TIIE HAGUE, APRIL 24.—The project of law for amending the law relative to th e commencement o f the Fishery con tains the following article : " By a temporary modification of the 26th Article of the Law of the 12th of March, 1818, on the exercise of the great fishery, the commencement of the great Seth herring-fishery for the years 1846, and 1847, is fixed by way of trial, four teen days earlier than usual, and permission given for the nets to be cast out into the open sea on the evening of the 16th of June, instead of the evening of the 24th of the same month. It is observed further in the explanatory me morial—" It is well known that for some years past the fishermen belonging to the States, where there are no legal ordinances, or such as differ from those in this country re lative to the herring fishery, have with more or less suc cess; commenced the fishery at an earlier period than the Dutch fishermen are allowed by Article 26 of the law of March, 1818. "This legislation is founded on long experience, that, in general, it is not till th e ti me t h ere prescribed that the her ring, which is a migratory fish, is perfectly good in condi tion, and has reached the places most adapted for the fishery. And if such herrings were now and then met with sooner than usual, this did little injury to the Dutch fisheries, so long as other nations paid less attention to that fishery. The case is now different, some foreign fishermen commencing their operations sooner, make larger captures, and supply Germany and other countries long before the Dutch her rings arrive in our parts. Last year, according to the testi mony of all the pilots of the herring vessels, the herrings in good condition, were on the coast of Scotland four teen days before the fixed time, and our fishermen restricted by law, were compelled to see foreign fishermen make their captures, which they could have made, without detracting from the ancient reputation of the Dutch her ring. The consequence is that the Dutch capture smaller quantities, and sell at lower prices for the herrings first brought, because the sale in foreign countries was not se cured by the earlier supply. These motives have led the parties interested to apply to the Government, which has accordingly introduced the present project of law by way of trial. In case this experiment should succeed, final regula tions will be made before the opening of the fishery for 1848, to be substituted for the said 26th Art. of the Law of the 12th March, 1818 ; otherwise this temporary regulation will fall to the ground, and the said 26th Article will continue in force." AMSTERDAM, APRIL 27.—At this moment, four o'clock in the afternoon, the Royal Family arrived at the Palace, and appearing on the balcony, were received with marks of the most cordial affection and respect by the crowd of spectators assembled to welcome them. THE HAGUE, Arati: the sitting of the Second Chamber of the States-General to-day, a letter was received from his Excellency the Minister of the Interior, accom panying proposals relative to education and the manage ment of the poor. The central section made its report on the project of law, respecting the granting of advantages to the French commerce, the debate on which was fixed for Wed nesday next. _We ~ ....,....,. learn that in the projects of law, respecting the first book of the penal code, now pending before the Second Chambers of the States- General, various modifications are proposed, among which is the abolition of the punishment of the pillory. LITERARY ASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF POLAND. This Association has just issued an "Address to the Peo ple of Great Britain and Ireland," signed by the Vice- President, Lord Dudley C. Stuart, for the purpose of pro ducing a correct impression on the public mind of this king dom as to the claims of the Polish cause on universal sympathy—the sufferings, heroism, and present condition of the Polish nation. The document not only derives im portance from the recent and continuing events in Galicia, but it derives a peculiar interest from the fact, that it is the only address to the people of this empire which the Association has thought it necessary to put forth since that memorable appeal to the British people, " traced by an immortal hand, that of Thomas Campbell," fourteen years ago, upon the first institution of the Society. In the present appeal the case of Poland is ably and eloquently, although briefly stated, and it is to be trusted that it will meet with the extended circulation and attention to which it is eminently entitled at this critical junctxre in thataffairs, at least, of East ern E urope. In fact, the paper is necessary to enable any one (except very few) in these realms to understand the actual position of the Poles, and their true relation to their oppressors. The following is a complete but deplorable elucidation of the late atrociolle mysteries in Galicia : Galicia has been in the hands of the Austrians for BOW seventy-four years. It has always been the system of this Government to rule its foreign subjects by fomenting discord between different classes—such is its policy in Lombardy, such was it for years in Hungary, such has it always been in Galicia. Aware of the national feelings pervading all classes, but chiefly the better educated, it has adopted a system, art fully contrived for exasperating the feelings of the peasants against their landlords, and preventing any concert between them. The landlord is invested with great power overe exer cise peasants, and he is not only allowed, but required l t l ct x the o ire c n o i c t e e s, is. and t t h h e e ir mst ii suannedatiniootrdsnasryh.ouisld appointed owe any taxes,c se n it ot oi n l ffi t uirc i n s tiso t h h . e roeffeern. landlordditesfocrolrvtpl corporal l s rm c y a possible eve that, under such a system, abuses should not occur, punishment. t °d torn ot persons the attributes of the tax-gatherer, press-gang, and executioner. In every district there is an officer styled mandataries, whose duty it is to hear appeals from the p il e eT as th a hi n se ts against their landls, g a o n O l d el W e i n ll i t f o th tl e i y ose dit i t u n d o ti t ng t h i a n t b a y n ddecide Government.th eir differences.hus while discharge many of the duties belonging to thelesxCeocinurivlleed, to and to appear necessarily in the light of an oppressor, the repre sentative of Government is looked on as a friend and a pro tector. The landlords have repeatedly represented to the Government the necessity of improving the condi ti on of the peasants, m i do a d nthi npmaintter f oo ti ng, and the last Diet of Galicia, after much deliberation, agreed for the purpose, which was laid before 11 ea Emperor; a bu p t lan it was not sanctioned, and remained a dead letter." BERGLARY AND ROBBERY AT PAINGE COMMON, SURRILY. — ° II Monday, Samuel Heywood, John Wentran, and Jahn Gordon, three " n av i es, " were examined before a ma gistrate' at Croydon, on a charge of breaking into the dwelling-house of Mr. John Phillips, a farmer, on the border of Painge Common, Surrey, and stealing therefrom one ten and four live pound Bank notes, and also several articles of plate. From the evidence it appeared that between twelve and two o'clock on Thursday night last Mr. Phillips, who is a very eccentric character and lives alone in his house, was awoke by hearing the noise of footsteps on the stairs, and called out lustily, " Who Is there?" Ho had scarcely pronounced the words. when three men with their faces blackened entered his bedroom. He asked them what they wanted, they rushed towards his bed,, threatened they would kill him if he made the slightest noise, threw' the bed-clothes over him, and one of them held him down in the bed while he heard the others " forraging " about the room. The man held him down so tight in the bed that hewas nearly suffocated, and in this:7state he (the prosecutor) called out to him:for God's sake to let him have a little air. The man, however, did not relax in, his pressure upon him until he had heard one of the others, who had been forraging about, say he had found something. They soon after went away, having, however, renewed their threats of killing him if he made any noise, or attempted to follow them. Some time after the old man ventured to get up, and on examining his bedroom.' he found that a tin box, In which he kept his cash and plate, of the been broken open, and its contents taken away . Information .t tn robbery was given to the police, and Sergeant ' Morton, an ac ti ves officer of the P division, was employed to trace out the thieves. In t the course of his inquiries that office r found thatseen loitering about the a a late hour of the night of the robbery the prisoners w house of the prosecutor, and he , in c onsequence , apprehended them on Saturday night and Sun da y morn in g . shoes of the prisoner Keyw ord with some On comparing one of the mark on the tin box fr om It which the property had b een taken, answered so exactly that there could be no doubt whatever that the marks on the latter had been the former. It also appeared that Keyword was n caused by stranger to Phillips's house, as his wife had been in the habit of doing- So Odd jobs for th Satur d ayn The prisoners, who denied the charge, w ere remanded untilnext. THE LEATHER-SELLERS' COMPANY AND THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AT LEWISHAM.---.Grea.t excitement exists in Greenwich and the neighbouring pa ri s h es In consequence of the re fusal of the Rev. Dr. Prendergast,D.D., the H ead Master of the Lewisham Free Grammar Scho ol, to receive upon th e f oun d ation o f that institution, founded b y the w ill of the late Rev. Abraham Celfe,, the children that have for the past two years been elected. Previ wete addressed by the Rev. last , tho vestry-clerks o f each parish big, that as he did ing, not consider the sum of 30/. paid to him by the - Company an adequate remuneration, the which he had communicated t o the company, and also that until they a war d ed him sneh an increase in salary in a proportionate! ratio to the in creased value of the estates, lie should decline receiving on the foun dation of such school every scholar that might be sent to him. Letters have passed, and yesterday a meeting was held on the sub- Jed, and remonstrances have been made to the Leather-sellers' Com- Pally, from whom a more liberal allowan ce Is re q uired. POWER OF THE SECONDARY TO COMMIT FOR CAN.. TEnirr.—ln the Secondary's Court on Wednesday, before Mr. Secon dary Potter, in a case otherwise of no interest, a witness reftlSed to answer questions, and the Secondary was applied to to commit. The Secondary said, he did not consider he had power to do so, but the Court above would exercise that power, and he would take the necessary steps to support any application—the effect would be in a criminal cause to commit to prison, and in a civil proceeding the rschl4,7 0r.111.5 luk 11a,, 4. .11 _ _ o. .`•_"~= i 1 ."4/