The Sun. — London, England, 1846-12-18 00:00:00

USEFUL PRESENT FOR A LADY. Now ready, in mall ,;vo., 7e. 6,1_ bound, THE ENGLISH MATRON. By the "authoress of "THE ENGLESII GENTLEWOMAN." Henry Culburn, Publisher, 13, Great Mariboreugh-street ILLUATRATED TALE IN "THE MIRROR," Price Is. On January 1, 1847, Chapters 1., 11., 111., and IV., of TH E MI SE R'S WILL; Or, LOVE AND AVARICE. An English Tale. By PERCY B. ST. JOHN. The Mirror will continue to be Edited by Mr. St. John, assisted by several eminent writers, and will be Illustrated in the first style of art by Hine, Archer, and Walmsley. Now ready, Vol. 1., new series, price ss. 6d. H. Hurst, 27, King William street, Strand. RAILWAY SHARES BY PUBLIC SALE. MESSRS. LAMQ.ND and Co., RAILWAY SHARE AUCTIONEERS, beg to thank their Friends and the Public for their continued support and patronage, and to announce that their Public Sales of Railway Shares, &c. take place every TurainAir and FRIDAY, at One o'clock, at the Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle -street, London, to which place, favours, containing instructions (with a reference), are respectfully requested to be addressed. All Scrip and Share Certificates must be deposited, the day ere vious to their being offered ; and advicea of results will be forwarded by the first pest after the sale, and the proceeds blame !lately disposed of according to instructions. Maces. Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle-street. London. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. THIS EVENING Will be performed a new Opera, entitled THE BONDMAN. Marquis de Vernon, Mr. Weiss ; Floreville, Mr. Rafter ; Morliere, Mr. Horncastle ; La Vail:ere, Mr. Galli ; Ardenford, Mr. Harrison ; Mal-a-Propos, Mr. Harley; Madame Corinne, Miss Romer; Grisette, Miss Rebecca Isaacs ; Frivole, Mrs. Hughes. After the Opera, will be presented a new grand Ballet, called THE WAGS OF WAPPING (performed at the Academie Royale' Paris, under the title of " Betty.") In which will appear Iddlles. Sophie Fuoce, Louise, Benart, Madame Giubilei ; MM. Magnet, ♦driers, Paul, Tell ; Messrs. Howell, I'riorson, &c. TIIEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Under the Management of Mr. H. Webster, sole Lessee. THIS EVENING Will be performed the Comedy or SECRETS WORTH KNOWING. The characters will be supported by Messrs. Howe, Rogers, Stuart, Lester, Bnckstone, Tilbury , Farren ; Mrs. E. Yartiolo, Miss Julia Bennett, Mrs. Glover, &c. After which, an entirely new Comic Drama, entitled STOAT 'TELLING ; or, Novel Effects. Dr. Ilardcnberg, Mr. W. Farrell ; Frederick Vandervelt, Mr. Caulfield ; Raps, Mr. Buckstone; Grab, Mr. Rcgers ; Theresa, Miss Telbin ; Rose, Mrs. Ilumby. During the evening the Band will perform the Overture, " Chevnl de Bronze ;" " The Annen " (Polka); " Czarina " (Mazourka); " Douro" (Walzer); and a New Overture. To be followed by the petite Comedy of PERFECTION. In which Messrs. Tilbury, Moll, Clark ; Miss Reynolds, and Mrs. Hamby will perform. To conclude with Buckstone's Farce, entitled THE IRISH LION. Principal characters by Messrs. liuds , .,n, Braids', Tilbury ; Miss P. Horton, Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Buckin;lism, Miss Woulds, &c. Box-office open from Twelvis till Four ; under the direction of Mr. T. Archer, Box Book•keeper. THEATRE ROYAL, LYCEUM. Under the Manazement of Mrs. Keeley. On MONDAY, Decnnber 21, Will be performed a Drama, founded on the New Christmas Annual of Charles Dickens, Esq., and adapted to the stage (by the exclusive permission of the author, from the proof sheets) by Albei t Smith, Esq., called THE BATTLE OF LIFE. Principal cha• ratters by Messrs. Leigh Murray (his first appearance here), Turner, F. Matthews, F. Vining, Meadows, Keeley ; Mrs. Woollidgc, Miss Daly, Miss May (her first apicarauce here), Miss Grove, Miss Foster, and Mrs. Keeley. After which, the laughable Farce or MRS. WHITE. Characters by Mr. Turner, Mr. Oxberry (his first appearance in this company), Mr. H. Butler ; Miss Alden, Miss Viliars, and Mrs. Wigan. To conclude with the successful Comedy of TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS. THEATIIE ROYAL, ADELPIII. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MADAME CELESTE. TIIIS EVENING Will be performed a grand Fairy Spectacle, founded on the Baßel of LA GNELLE, entitled THE PHANTOM DANCERS ; or, tin Wills Bride. Principal characters by Mr. Wright, Mr. P. Bedford. Mr. 0. Smith, Mr. Cullenford,3ladame Celeste, Aliss Marian Taylor, libis Emma Harding, Miss Ellen Chaplin, and Mrs. Laws. After which, the Drama of THE CABIN BOY. Monsieur Henri, Mr. Worrell; Monsieur Vincent, Mr. 0. Smith ; Coquin Ballandier, Mr. Munyard ; Largarcette, Mr. Bedford ; Julien, Madame Celeste; Clara, Mrs. Emsley. To conclude with a Terpsichorean Burletta, calla' POWDER AND CALL ; or, St. Tibbs's Eve. Principal characters by Messrs. Lam bert, Worrell, Wright, Manyard, Mrs. Matthew, Miss Woolgar, and Miss Brooks. PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. J. M. Maddox, sole Lessee and Manager. THIS EVENING Will be performed an original romantic Opera, in three parts, entitled TILE NIGHT DANCERS ; founded on the Story of " Glselle." The principal characters personified by Miss Georgiana Smithson, Misa Rourke, Miss Sara Flower, Miss Somers, Misses Marshall ; Messrs. Leffler, Allen, Bodda, Walton, T. Hill, Homier, Peren, &c. After which an entirely new Comic Drama, entitled THE TWO RAINBOWS. To conclude with Gosmith's Comedy SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER. Sir Charles ld Marlow, Mr. Wynn; Young Marlow, Mr. Vining; Hardcastle, Mr. Granby ; Tony Lumpkin, Mr. Compton ; Hastings ' Mr. Roxby ; Diggory, Mr. Cowell ; Miss Ilardcastie, Mrs. Stirling; Miss Neville, Mrs. Hughes ; Mrs. Hardcastle, Mrs. Fosbroke. FRENCH PLAYS.—ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. Lessee, Mr. John Mitchell. TILLS EVENING Will be performed Scribe's favourite Vaud:Nine, entitled LEA GRISETTES. In which MM. Twirllion, David, Lucien, Seta- Madame Deltic, Mdlles. Vallee, Rhin, Pascal, Fouquet, Leyder, and Cordely will appear. After which will be produced the celebrated Comedy, entitled BERTRAND ET RATON ; ou, L'Art de Conspirer. Le Comte Bertrand de Rantzau, M. Perlet. The other character s Brohan, Vallee, Madame Grassau ; MM. Langeva], Pascal, Felix, Cartigny, Rhozcvil, Pat,cnicr, Dorgebret, and Masquillier. Boxes, 6s. ; Pit, 3s. 6d. ; Stalls, 35.; Gallery, 2s. Doors opened at half-past Seven, eind the i;erforinanceS commence at Eight. ETHIOPIAN SERENADERS, ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. Re-appearance of the celebrated Ethiopian Serenaders, Pell, Harrington, White, Stanwood, and Germon, who, will have the honour of repeating their inimitable Entertainment at the above theatre TO-MORROW EVENING, December 19, and of continuing the same every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evening, during the Christmas holidays. The programme will include " Old Joe," " Lucy Neal," " The Coloured Fancy " My skiff is on the shore," and the cele brated Radroad Overture. Various novelties are in rehearsal. The public is respectfully cautioned that the Songs and Melodies, as sung by the above party, are published only at Mr. Mitchell's. Doors open at eight, commence at half-past. Boxes, 45.; Pit, 2s. ; Amphitheatre, 2s.—Private Boxes, Stalls, and Places may be engaged at Michell's Library, 33, Old Bond-street, and at the Box-office of the Theatre.—Open from 11 till 5. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Proprietor, Mr. W. Batty. Patronised by her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, PJ thee Albert, and iloyal Family. Splendid Equestrian and Dramatic Novelties. Coutinued SUCCC33 01 " The Demon Horse and the Twelve Wishes." The celebrated Dutch Bottle Equilibrist, &e. THIS EVENING Will be peribrmed a grand new Magical Equestrian Romance, en. titled THE DEMON HORSE ; or, The Twelve Wishes and the Charmed Bit. In which Mrs. Batty and the Equestrian Ladies will appear on their trained steeds. New and entire change in the SCENES of the CIRCLE. To conclude with the popular romantic Drama of ROB ROT MACGREGOR ; or, The Mountain Outlaw. In active preparation, a variety of novelties for the Christmas holidays ; among the rest, will be brought forward a Grand Comic Equestrian Pantomime, produced an a lavish scale of splendour, entitled TIIE FORTY THIEVES ; or, Harlequin and the Rob ber's Cave. Loa-ottlee open from eleven till five o'clock.—Doors open stt six an I commence et half-past six o'clock.--Stage Manager, Mr. W. Broadfoot. THE WEATHER.—SIIN OFFICE, DECEMBER 18. TdERMOMETEII, Lowest, 24, Highest. 37 ; Noon, 29 BAROMETER, 30.24.—W1ND N.E., fine. - HIGH WATEIt AT LONDON-lII:ADM,. TlllB DAY. Iforning .. 23 minnte3 after 1. I Evening .. 4:i minutes after 1. In her former work, intended for the preparation of young ladies lbr society, the author enforced in the most stratuous manner, the imperative necessity of cultivating the mind, and of forming the habits. The present volume is calculated to show in what way the previous efforts are likely to bear upon the happiness of a married life. NEW WORK BY G. W. FEATIIERSTONIIALTGII, LSQ. Now ready, in 2 vols. Svo., with Map and Plates, 28s. bound, A CANOE V 0"Y AGE TO THE MINNAY SOTOR. With an Account of some Lead and Copper Deposits in Wisconsin ; and of the Gold Region in the Cherokee Country. By G. W. FEATHERSTONHAUGH, F.R.S., Ste. Author of " Excursions in the Slave States." Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street. (Publisher in Ordinary to her Majesty.) ..• , i, . .. # . ' ~* :i :•"' - , at,' Z lII,' ' _ '...!!';":",,''''„,' -. ''''4.lrikl:i;l. ~.- .', ".' ''.'t tie4' ' ,.; ":7W 111, 7, P• . ' ~t .CT.tl4.'. lalingrOlitt` It ,. ..- ~.fr . ~ ...;,., . --- ' lt 0t01...,,,,„-_, r. 4 beirithpl 271 tit LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1846. CABINET COUNCIL. - - -• Summonses were issued yesterday to all the Cabinet Ministers, to attend a Cabinet Council this after noon at the Foreign-office, Downing -street. All the Ministers were expected to be present with the exception of Lord CLANRICARD B and Mr. LA BOUCLIERE, who are both out of town. SIIAKSPEEE was right in saying that troubles come not singly, but in battalions. The private ex perience of each individual is illustrating this truth incessantly. The national experience of all times and of all countries has placed the accuracy of that aphorism beyond a doubt. In the recent accession of misery to Poland we have foreseen a speedy extension of its sufferings. So much temerity in the associated despots of northern Europe was, we felt satis fied, only the prelude to the exhibition of still great temerity from one or other of them in dividually. These anticipations have not been illusory —those fears for the shadow of nationality which has hitherto been preserved to the Poles have not proved chimerical. A still more heinous viola tion of international honour, of the code of humanity, of the divinest principles enforced by the spirit of the Christian religion, is meditated. It is not only meditated, it is inevitable . The seizure of Cracow is to be followed by a deed more guilty and more damning than any yet perpetrated against that people, Which under the banners of SOBIESKI saved Europe from the doom of infidelity, f-ot the decrees of theannxati Kor an , from the s wor d of the . Paynim. The on of the Cracovian territory is only a prelimi nary to the incorporation of the Polish dominions to the empire of Russia ! By maki ng the paltry concession of the former, the CZA R has endeavouredtopurehase from the by a lawless Kaioccupation.ser. the opportunity t o extend his sway I What will be the consequence of this odious com pact on the part of the Austrian Emezrtoa ? Wh y, the consequence will be this :—Russia will, by thi s incorporation of her Polish dependencies, stretch forth her inexorable yoke into the very core of continental Europe. That monster system will thereby be placed in a dangerous proximity with the Germanic confederacy. There will be no further barriers between Russian ambition and the less powerful states of Austria, of Prussia, of Italy, and of Turkey. The vast plains of what was once Poland will no longer girdle in the territorial avarice of its spoiler. There will be no further check to that ag grandisement for which the Government of St. Peters burgh has so long yearned. After these miserable disclosures, it cannot be matter of astonishment that sentiments of wrath and indignation are roused against the policy of the Em peror NICHOLAS in the civilised West. Those who are rejoicing under the blessings insured to tham by constitutional monarchy must inevitably experience feelings of justifiable rage at this stupendous deed of spoliation. Apart from all considerations as to the balance of power on the Continent, what can be more at variance with the principles of justice, or with those of civil and _religious liberty ? Here is a country which, from a thousand causes, is incapable of being combined with such a dominion as that of Russia. With a different language, with different customs, with a different character, and with a different religion, it is hopeless for the Cabinet of St. Petersbugh to expect that there can be any cordial co-operation between them. And, be yond this, it is cruel to attempt any junction of a people so diametrically opposed to each other. What, however, are the qualms of a Russian conscience in such an emergency ? They are as incapable of con ception as the gentleness of the Parcae. The con science, indeed, is as disproportionately small in com parison with the selfishness, as was the bread con sumed by FALSTAFF with his allowance of sack. ' against the law upon this statement of Dr. MIL . LINGEN, and we ask whether it is constitutional, whether it is just, whether it is moral, whether it is right, whether it is safe, that the law should be permitted to continue in its present state ? The Doctor then goes on to state that these certificates are examined by the Commis sioners, and that certain books are required to be kept by the proprietors of lunatic asylums. There is little use in keeping these books if the public are denied access to them ; and as to the inspection by the Commissioners, we repeat what we before have frequently said, that such inspection is necessarily a " mockery ;" that, from the paucity of their num bers in comparison with the duties they have to perform, it is physically impossible they can minutely inquire into every individual case of lunacy which comes under their notice; that they constitute a secret tribunal, and, therefore, that their proceedings are open to suspicion, and that when their proceedings have be come known to the public, as in the Hay dock Lodge case, they have not been of such a nature as to lessen the suspicion which necessarily attaches to all secret proceedings. It is more than probable that the conduct of the Commissioners of Lunacy will ere long become the subject of Parlia mentary inquiry, and, such being the case, we pur posely abstain from making any further observations on their conduct. In the case of Mrs. SHUTTLE WORTII, as in that of Mrs. CUMMING, we take no in terest except in so far as it illustrates the defects of the law of lunacy. We cannot but re mark, however, that Dr. MILLINGEN speaks of her as " Mrs. RUODES, an unfortunate lady in a state of imbecility of mind, who had assumed the name of SUUTTLEWORTII: This is a curious fact. Throughout the whole pro ceedings it struck us as most remarkable that this case should be fought on both sides by strangers. The minister of the parish, a stranger to the lady, considers it his duty to have her removed to a "com fortable asylum." Does this charitable minister cause every person whom he finds in his parish " in a state of utter destitution, in rags, covered with ulcers and vermin, and without the common neces saries and comforts of life," to be removed to a comfortable asylum ? If he does, then is he a pat tern of a minister, and ere long the parish workhouse of St. Peter's, Pimlico, will be to be let. Is this as sumption of the name of SIIUTTLEWORTII one of the delusions (not set forth in the cer tificate) under which this unhappy lady labours ? Is this delusion the cause of her being at the present moment an inmate of York House, Battersea? Who pays Dr. MILLINGEN for her board and maintenance ? These are questions that naturally suggest themselves cn reading this passage in Dr. MILLINGEN'S letter. Dr. MILLINGEN then puts the following question : " Now, Sir, do you think that the judges of the Court of Qum's Bench would have been justified if, on an al leged inaccuracy in the medical certificates, they had discharged this poor creature, and replunged her in her former melancholy, destitute state, because, forsooth, an Old Bailey quibbler sought to prove that a conversation was not a fact?" document, because it must be obvious that the opinions of a number of gentleman of zeal and intelligence, whose especial duty it was to institute the strictest investigation into everything calculated to encourage the cultivation of the soil, and to extend a better system of agriculture, promulgated, too, at a period when there was no such extraordinary necessity for the means of providing occupation for a starving peasantry, as has unhappily recently b een th e case , must be far more valuable than any suggestion now offered for the first time. It is true that many projects have been wildly and recklessly put forward, and sanctioned, without due inquiry or fair con sideration being given thereto, and that, in too many cases, the special sessions violated the trust and betrayed the confidence reposed in them by Parlia ment, and passed every presentment brought before them, en masse. But, happily, the fiat of the Board of Works was necessary before any of these works could be carried into execution; and, severely as they have been censured, and strongly as they have been reprobated, the time will come when the cordial thanks of the public will be rendered to that body for their extraordinary labours, their able and efficient exertions, during the present emergency —indeed, they have already received the approbation of the more reasonable and intelligent portion of the community, of those who do not suppose that a Government or a public body can work miracles, and exceed the doings of ordinary mortals. We are satisfied that such works only as would be of public benefit would be sanctioned by such a body, and we are also satisfied that they will be cheaply purchased by an average rate of threepence -halfpenny in the pound for ten years, and that it will hereafter be said (in the words of the Select Committee on the state of the poor in Ireland), "That th e e ff ec t s pro duced by these public works appear to have been extended cultivation, improved habits of industry, a better administration of justice, the re-establish ment of peace and tranquillity in disturbed districts, a domestic colonization of a population in excess in cer tain districts, a dimunition of illicit distillation, and a very considerable increase to the revenue." The intense perfidy and lawlessness of the whole transaction is as discreditable to the CZAR as it is threatening to the rest of Europe. There are such peculiar dangers to Germany in the approaching in corporation of the Polish dependencies with the Rus sian empire, that it is but natural some change should be already apparent among its different prin cipalities. The hostilities of the continent towards the Government of St. Petersburgh must necessarily extend along the banks of the Inine ; for, unless some decisive measures be taken by Central and Western Europe, the avarice of the Autccrat will be diverted from Byzantium to Berlin, from the sea of Azof to the Lake of Geneva. The spoil already accumulated in his possession will only tend to enlarge his appetite, first, for further dependencies, and, ultimately,for their complete incorporation. Cracow fell, and England and France protested against its seizure. Poland is about to be proclaimed an integral portion of Russia in Europe—what will be the nature of the supplementary protests forwarded to St. Petersburgh from London and Paris ? Will Prince INIETTERNIcu allow his SOVEREIGN to be cajoled by the diplomatic tools of NicimEAs ? Will not Germany and the Papal States combine with the more western nations in branding the CZAR as an enemy to the human race, to the preservation of peace, to the advancement of civilisation, to the decrees of man, of religion, and of GOD? Russia has sown the storm—she shall reap the whirlw The circular, of the 4th instant, that has just been issued by the Board of Works to the county en gineers and surveyors, has confirmed the opinion that had long been formed by every one acquainted with the state of Ireland, viz., that the employment of the destitute on roads, and other public works, must soon terminate, and reproductive works be substituted for thom. The allowance that we have made of their continuance for a period of fifteen weeks, and the daily employment of four hundred thou sand labourers thereon, is, in all human probability, much greater than there was any necessity for, but our object was to show how totally groundless was the panic that had arisen on this subject; and we, therefore, made our calculations at the very highest rate that could be required, to satisfy the public how trifling the burdens that will fall upon the land by reason of the public works that have already been commenced or may be re quired. For an answer to this question we will refer Dr. MILLINGEN to one of the most upright men, one of the most accomplished lawyers, one of the most learned judges that ever graced the English Bench—one to whose transcendant merits Lord DENMAN himself has not unfrequently borne most willing witness—one whose opinion is of such high authority, that every judge in Westminster Hall, when he differs from it, feels it his duty to state that, in consequence of such difference, he has deemed it necessary to carefully reconsider the grounds upon which such differing opinion was formed, and to express his regret at the existence of such difference, —we refer him ; ' to Mr. Justice PATTESON, who, in giving judgment in the Bail Court in this very case, said. "My own opinion is that the certificates are not valid," and this is the opinion which Dr. MILLINGEN, with the characteristic modesty of " skilful persons," deems it decent to stigmatise as an " Old Bailey quibbler." Dr. MILLINGEN proceeds to say that this application was not made at the request of, or by the authority of, the patient ! Would any keeper of a lunatic asylum permit a lawyer to have access to any of his patients to receive instructions to sue out a writ of habeas ? This case of Mrs. SuurmEwonTit, like every other case, demonstrates the necessity of an alteration of the law. The writ of habeas was ap plied for on the affidavit of Dr. QUAIL, a "skilfu person," who alleged that the patient was not insane. It was resisted on the affidavits of other "skilful persons," who alleged that she was insane. Here, as in the case of Mrs. CUMMING, we have opinion against opinion, and unless the grounds upon which the opinion is founded are set forth, it is impossible to come at the truth. These cases, coupled with Dr. MILLINGEN'S admissions, make it more and more evident that it is absolutely necessary, to the proper security of the liberty of the subject, that no keeper of a lunatic asylum should be authorised to keep any of the QUEEN'S subjects under restraint, except by a warrant of some public officer, who shall have pre viously instituted a public and open inquiry into the question of the sanity or insanity of the alleged lunatic, at which inquiry the alleged lunatic should be present, and should have the power, either by himself, or by his legal representative, to cross-examine eivd coca the "skilful persons " who testify to his lunacy as to the grounds on which they had founded their opinion, mid for this purpose, we repeat, no tribunal can be found so efficient and at the same time so inexpensive, as the coroner's court. We trust the time is not far distant when the law of the land Having is our article of yesterday, shown from Dr. AIILLINGEN'S own letter that those assertions in which he declared that there was not one syllable of truth, were confirmed in every particular by himself, we feel that we are entitled to pass over without notice, not only his personal vituperation, but also all his uncorroborated assertions, except so far as that vituperation and those assertions involve admissions against the law, of which Dr. MILLINGEN has put himself forward as the champion. We, therefore, pass over without notice his imputation of ignorance, but we cannot pass over his assertion that Lord DEN MAN uttered nothing of the kind imputed to him, Had this affair been a matter of " physic or farces," in the compounding; of both of which Dr. MILLINGEN is, we admit, equally skilful, we might, perhaps, have been content to defer to his authority ; but it is an affair :of short-hand writing, and Dr. MILLINGEN must excuse us if we prefer accepting the report of Lord DENMAN'S judgment, furnished to us by " skilful persons" in the art of stenography, which report was transcribed by those " skilful per sons" from their notes, written a few hours after that judgment was delivered, to Dr. MILLINGEN'S month old reminiscences. It is true that the Act of the Bth and 9th VIcToaIA enacts, as stated by Dr. MILLiN GEN, " that no physician, surgeon, or apothecary, who, or whose father, brother, son, or partner, is wholly or partly proprietor of, or a regular profes sional attendant in, a licensed house, &c., shall sign any certificate for the reception of a patient, &c. ; that any medical man infringing this clause will be guilty of misdemeanour ;" but it is equally true that the same Act requires, in as express and explicit terms, that the person certifying should state, upon the face of his certificate, the facts that led him to the con clusion that the person was insane. Now, Lord DENMAN has decided that a certificate which does not set forth the facts which led the cer tifier to the conclusion that the person was insane, is sufficient to justify the detention of any alleged lunatic. Nay, more—that it is monstrous to suppose that a " skilful person " should set forth those facts, although expressly directed to do so by the Act of Par liament; and,*as Lord D . ENMAN declares that the pro visions of the Act need not be strictly abided by in one instance, why need they be abided by in any ? The principle of Lord DENMAN'S " luminous judgment " goes fully to this extent—Do we deny the validity of the law as thus laid down by the Court of Queen's Bench ? On the con trary, we admit that it is the law, we accept it as such; but, so accepting it, we say that the law is a bad law, and requires alteration. Proceed sNe now to the next section of Dr. AllLLlNouri's letter, in which he speaks of medical certificates, and of the impossibility under which a " skilful person" labours of specifying minutely the nature of the delusions under which a supposed lunatic suffers. He says— " Such a statement is not required, for, in most in stances, when a medical man is called upon to visit a supposed lunatic, he is an utter stranger to the party, and can only form his opinion from the incoherence of his conversation, when his actions are not violent; or from the account of the patient ha receives from the parties who havo called him in." We admit fully the exposition of the law of certificates as laid down by Dr. MIL• LINGEN, and we are obliged to him for the important admissions, which he has made. Dr. MILLINGEN is one of our most useful allies in the war which we have been long wageing against this iniquitous law of lunacy, for he here admits that the law authorises the detention of any person as a supposed lunatic upon the certificate of a medical man, " who is an utter stranger to the party, and can only form his opinion from the incoherence of his conversation, when his actions are not violent, or from the account he receives from the parties who hat e called him in." Who is safe as long as such a state of the law continues ? Who shall say that the medical man himself is not the person incoherent in conversation, and the patient the coherent person . ? But even incoherency in conversation is not requisite; for, if the medical man receives a cen'ain account from the parties who have called him in, he is authorised in granting his certificate. Such is the law. How does it work ? There is a certain person possessed of large property about to make a will dis. inheriting his heirs. Those heirs call in a medial Every writer on Ireland has spoken of the extra- ordinary capabilities of that ',country, its great natural advantages, the fertility of its soil and climate, and deplored the imperfect cultivation and inadequate produce of its lands under tillage. They have mar velled at the fatuity of the landowners, who, with such an extraordinary quantity of labour at their disposal, which could be obtained at the most moderate price, have refused to expend anything in bringing the lands into good order and condition. To use the words of the Land Commissioners once more—" No person acquainted with Ireland, or who takes the trouble of referring to the evidence collected by us (the Com missioners), can doubt the importance of encouraging agricultural improvement throughout the country.' This improvement, so desirable in every respect, will now be effected; the want that has so long been deplored will be supplied. Labour must be ex pended on the lands, the necessary capital will be laid out, and an ample return obtained far exceeding the expenditure. From this cause therefore there will be no reasonable grounds of panic for those possessed of charges affecting real property in Ireland; on the contrary, it should be looked on as increasing greatly the stability of the securities, and giving them increased confidence. We trust that we have established our proposition, " that estates in Ireland are as good security as they have ever been for the several sums advanced upon them, and that the tem- porary indulgence which the creditor may be re quired to afford is a far less inconvenience than he would sustain by throwing the property of his debtor into Chancery, and thereby ruining the owner and seriously injuring himself." Severe laws defeat their makers. Unless the pu nishment decreed to attach to the offender against the law be justly proportioned to the offence, juries will refuse to convict, and thereby frequently allow the guilty to escape. Juries may be told over and over again, not only by the counsel fur the prosecution, but likewise by the judges, that they have only to decide upon the fact, aye or nay ; still, if they are aware that their finding a verdict of guilty will bring m e in c , upon the prisoner a heavier senten ce th an that with which the offence charged ought, in th e i r op i n i on, to be acquit him thoughvisited, the they d e evidence e will, a c in ed a very an adduced many instances, es e svtearn soconclusive as to his guilt. When capital punishment was affixed to the crimes of forgery and rape, juries constantly refused to convict. Nothing could be more danger ous than such a state of things. Criminal s escap ing with impunity rendered crime more prolific, and the law, rendered impotent, was brought into contempt. Public opinion forced itself to be re spected. The Legislature was compelled to mitigate and mould legal punishments 30 as to have them in better keeping with the feelings of a just, benevolent, and enlightened people. The consequence has been, that serious crimes, which formerly increased, because juries would not convict where sentence of death was to follow, have considerably diminished, by reason of the prompt, curtain, and juster punishments which are now sure to overtake those who dare to commit them. This result, too, is not to be detracted from, because the number of trials for forgery, rape, &c., may appear to have been greater in some years than it was before capital punishments, in these re spects, was done away with; for, it must be borne in mind that, under the improved state of the law, par ties are more willing to prosecute, as well as juries to convict ; and, therefore, it may very well be, that particular crimes have diminished, though, upon first consideration, the calendars at the assizes and the verdicts of the juries, might not seem to justify a contrary conclusion. And yet, though much has un doubtedly been done towards rendering our criminal code more acceptable to us as a civilised community, its present deformities, incongruities, and deficiencies demand immediate and extensive reformation. When we punish, we punish upon no principle of uniformity. The most disproportionate sentences are frequently passed upon similar offences. Oftentimes a comparatively trivial breach of the law draws after it a very severe sentence, and vice vers4 ; con sequently, persons who traffic in crime, regard it as a species of lottery. The law is so uncertain they reason, that they may get off just as lightly for com mitting a serious crime a., for another of not so grave a character. Besides, we have done literally nothing towards reforming the character of the prisoner. We incarcerate and punish him, and then we turn him adrift upon the world, wounded in his feelings, and expect him to gain an honest livelihood in a sphere where, naturally, the respectable portion of society are at enmity with him. All around him he Perceives he is an object of distrust and suspicion. lie is chilled back to his old haunts and companions, and, from very despair, re news his former vicious courses till he is again en thralled in the iron clutches of the law. The cruelty of this system—that of neglecting the moral culture of those who have deservedly for a time forfeited their liberty, and of not providing some industrial ordeal, by which, whilst they are in prison, good habits may be acquired, and a good certificate of character handed over to the prisoner when he is about to will prohibit the detention of any person as a lunatic, except upon the warrant of the coroner, founded upon the verdict of a jury en3pannelled to try an inquest of lunacy. We, on Wednesday, proved that there was nothing very formidable in the amount of the sums that may become chargeable upon real estates in Ireland by reason of the public works now in progress of con struction, or which the relief of the existing distress in that country may render necessary. Assuming that the future expenditure will amount to three times that which has already taken place ; that two millions of persons must be provided for, and supplied with the necessaries of life for fifteen weeks from the present time, which will bring us to the beginning of April— before which time works of a reproductive character, sanctioned and aided by the Government, will, we doubt not, be in full operation—the charge therefor will amount to less than threepence-halfpenny in the pound on the rental for a period of ten years, less than half the income-tax payable in this country, no matter from what source that income is derived. It must not be supposed that these works will be value less, or without advantage to the people; undertakings of a similar description have ever been found pro ductive of the greatest benefit to all classes brought within the sphere of their operation. The report of the Devon Commission, published last year, speaks in the highest terms of the utility of such works, and of their great importance in a national point of view. It quotes the opinions of the Commissioners of Public Works, and states their entire concurrence with the sentiments there put forward, that " the execution of such works leads to the adoption of improved modes c f cultivation and the abandonment of the rude and primitive implements in common use, and opens to the officers of justice and the local authorities places which had been the secure haunt and the impenetrable refuge of the outlaw and the robber;" and that " they conceive that the advantage of affording aid to the promotion of such works, in a statistical, moral, or political point of view, are too obvious to make it ne cessary to dwell on the subject at greater length." And the Land Commissioners, in reference thereto, say, "that they hope that such opinions, now again stated by a beard which must have the best means of knowing both the wants and the capabilities of the country, v ill have much weight with the Legislature, and that there will be a disposition to promote, by liberal pecuniary aid, the execution of such public works as shall, upon due examination, be found likely to contribute to the general advantage of the country. We refer particularly to the opening of ex tensive mountain districts by the formation of roads;" and add, " that they believe the principles of sound policy and of a wise economy ought to lead to the undertaking, at the public cost, of works of this roan, bribe a medical man or men (for be it remembered Mr. FLETCHER, the will forger, was a medical man, and these certificates can be purchased in the market; therefore it will not do to set up the immaculateness of the medical profession) ; these heirs bribe two medical men to certify that this person is a lunatic and upon that certificate he is transferred to a lunatic asylum. He applies for a writ of habeas. It is use less ; the certificate is suffi3ient; it need not set forth, according to the decision of Lord DENMAN, the grounds upon which the "skilful persons" formed their opinion. Nay, it is not even necessary, ac cording to Dr. MILLINGEN'd gloss upon Lord DEN MAN'S law, that the patient should have exhibited even any incoherence in conversation—" a certain account from the parties who have called him in (the bribers) t) the medical man (the bribed) is sufficient to authorise him in granting his certificate?' Be it remembered this is not the assertion of "one utterly ignorant of the subject." It is the exposition of a "skilful person," of Dr. MILLINGEN, of the state of the law, as laid down by Lord DENMAN, of the state of the law as it exists at present. It is the ex position, not of the opponent, but of the champion and defender of the law. We are content to rest our case _ regain his liberty, and mingle once more with the world,—the cruelty of our syst em , and of these our acts of omission, tells upon n o c l ass so sev erely as upon juvenile delinquents. Su c h i s a t l e ngth felt to be the harshness and folly of our p ro ceeding, that public sympathy is being roused in favour of the un fortunate beings of tender age who have been un warily seduced into temptation. nature, even although the inhabitants of the district, or the proprietors of adjoining land, are unable or un- willing to contribute." We have extracted thus largely from this able On Wednesday evening the Society for Promoting le Amendment of the Law held a special meeting at THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 18, ) 846. their offices in Regent-street, for considering the sulject of juvenile offenders. Mr. M. D. HILL made an interesting speech, and showed that in various dis tricts the reformation of youth had been successful in many ways, and at a far less cost than that entailed upon the country by the prosecutions which must ensue, if the youthful criminals were not early reclaimed. What occurred only last week before Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, at the Middlesex Sessions ? A little boy, only seven years old, not three feet ten inches in height, was convicted by a jury of picking a lady's pocket of half-a-crown. The child had evi dently been instigated to the act by two older boys, who were watching his attempt. What was the Learned Judge's opinion of his own position, com bined with our lack of proper provision for juvenile delinquents ? Addressing the jury, Mr. Sergeant ADAMS thus gave vent to his feelings : " What could be done with this little child? It would be ruination t ) send him to a common prison. These scenes were positively heartrending. Was he to pass over the cases of these children as though the fact of their being brought to that bar was to be regarded quite as a matter of course? Was he to change his nature and so to steel his feelings against the claims and helpless condition of so small a creature as that now before the Court? What could be done with this child ?" The Judge ultimately decided upon allowing the child, after an hour's imprisonment, to be handed over to the parents, who, both in the utmost distress, implored to have their little son restored to them. Can any one doubt that Mr. Sergeant ADAMS adopted the most humane as well as, under the circumstances, the wisest course ? On the other hand, can any one doubt that such a course of leniency is apt to be taken advantage of by older thieves, and used by them as a stimulating argument to induce inexperienced children to follow their wicked counsels ? Yet, until our prison dis cipline be materially improved, in instances like the one we have alluded to, we repeat the question put by Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, " What can be done ?" A Bologna journal says — " The political prisoners who remained confined at Civita Vecchia, but have had the amnesty extended to them, have j;gst arrived at Bologna. The people hailed with joy this new proof of the clemency of their SOVEREIGN." The Augsburg Gazette has the following from Con stantinople, dated the 26th ult. :—" The Ottoman Porte has declared to the mediating Powers in the dispute with Persia, that it is very anxious for a termination of the affair, and that if it be not settled within three weeks it will break off the negotiations, as none of the obstacles to a termination of the dis pute have been on the side of the Turkish Govern ment." The Nuremburg Correspondent of the 1 1 th, an nounces, but without quoting its authority, that the partisans of the Count DE MONTEMOLIN are about to publish, in addition to the mani festo, addressed by the Pretender to the Spanish nation, an address to the Courts of Europe, re vealing to them the way in which the abdication of Don CARLOS was obtained by the intrigues of the French Government. They intend, it is said, to show that Don CARLOS was induced to abdicate by an assurance that the Cabinet of the Tuileries would bring about a marriage between Queen ISABELLA and the Count DE MONTEMOLIN. The Official Gazette of Vienna publishes a con vention between the Emperors of AUSTRIA and RUSSIA, the object of which is to promote the com merce between the two countries, and fix their reci procal relations as regards navigation. By this treaty, which is for eight years, and the ratifications for which were exchanged on the 28th ult., the commerce and vessels of the two states in the respec tive ports will be placed on an equal footing. The President of the States of the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein held, on the sth, a sitting with the Deputies who had not withdrawn from the Chamber, and who form the minority of the whole body, for the purpose of adopting the minutes of the sitting of the 4th. On this occasion the royal com mission announced that the sittings of the Chamber would be suspended for ten days in order to give time for him to receive further instructions. It was supposed that his instructions would be accompanied by a decree for the dissolution of the Chamber. None of the Madrid papers have arrived, but ac counts from Bayonne of the 11th give the result of several of the Spanish elections. Out of ten elections in the northern provinces, seven have been in favour of the moderate party, and three in favour of Pro gressists. On the Bth the results of six elections in the capital were announced. Two Moderados, M. MoN and the Marquis DE POVAR, and three Pro gressists, MM. MENDIZABAL, SALAMANCA, and SAN MIGUEL, were returned. On the 9th there was to be a second ballot between M. PIDAL and M. DEL SOCORRO. We have received the Paris papers of Wednesday. The National has a characteristic article on the subject of the recal of the French Consul at the Mau ritius. The National admits that it is possible M. BARBET may have misconducted himself, but claims for him, in his quality of Frenchman, the right of insulting a foreigner with impunity, without giving to the foreigner any,satisfaction, and declares that, because the disavowal of the impertinence of M. BAR.. BET is asked for, that is sufficient to jus tify his Government in upholding him. "To consent to the recal of M. BARBET," says the National, "on the order of England, would be to commit an act of meanness, and something worse. At bottom, the person of our Consul interests us but little. But the question is not about him at present; he is the diplomatic agent of France; he represents her on a foreign land, and it is in that quality that he has a right to the protection of his Government. The Minister who named him will blame him if he has been in the wrong ; but it is enough that it is wished to impose on us his disavowal, to cause us to maintain firmly his situation against every one." This article in the National is certainly a most laughable and exaggerated exhibition of the national failing—vanity. The Journal des Debats, in the course of a long article on the subject of the incorporation of Cracow, thus replies to the allegation of the Northern Powers, that such incorporation had become necessary as a measure of police : " While representing the destruction of Cracow as an affair of police, the German press raises a question w hich somewhat alarms it. Since Cracow, it says, is punished for having conspired, why was it not punished at the moment when the conspiracy wvs discovered? Since there was a conspiracy, and a judicial inquiry to dis cover the conspirators, why did not the northern Courts wait till the end of the investigation, and the publication of the proofs, to punish at one and the same time the delinquents and the city which encouraged them? The incorporation came either too late . or too soon. Too late if a war measure , too soon if a . ;ucliclal sentence, because the trial w as no t finished. This ques tion, put by the G erman p ress , i s so s illy, thatit ruins its own argument, founded on the law of police. The incorporation of Cracow can never be c onsidered as an exercise of a police law ; it is a political matter, testi fied by the division of Europe into two camps, watching each other's movements—the three Northern Powers on one side, and France and England . on the other side. There has been a misunderstanding in the camp, of which . the other party took an immediate advantage... This . it is that has made the affair of Cracow significant in the policy of Europe." The Constitutionnel has a long article sneering at, rather than controverting, the arguments of the free traders. The writer, " Willing to wound, but yet afraid to strik e , Just hints a fault, and hesitates dislike." Marshal BUGEAUD has been carrying matters with somewhat too high a hand in Algiers. He has been interfering with the freedom of religious worship in the colony, and has, in consequence, drawn upon himself the censure of the Government. The Presse says— we have recently spoken of a .serious dispute be tween Marshal Bugeaud and the Protestant Consistory of Algiers. It may be remembered that the Governor- General,joining the spiritual pontificate to his numerous military and administrative attributions, believed he could, of his private authority, suspend the Consistory, and maintain over the Protestant churches the domina tion which was looked on s ith suspicion by the Con sistory. The Government has thought fit to take notice of this abuse of power, and has just sent to Algiers the pastor Cuvier, t o examine the facts which we have just stated. Wh a t ever may be the result of this mission, it is evident it implies a blame on Marshal Bugeaud 's conduct." The King and Queen of the BELGIANS arrived at the Tuileries on Tuesday. PAINS BOIJIM; WEDNESDAT.—TiIe market continues firm. The Threes opened at 811. 30c., and after some variations, during which they for a moment touched 81f. 10c., they closed at the opening price. After the Bourse they were done at 81f. 35c. Nothing was done in Spanish. For Account Fives have risen 20c. ; Three?, se. ; Belgian Fives have risen 4. The other Foreign Funds are unvaried. For ONE CLOSING PRICES OF BRITISH FUNDS. O'CLOCK. PRICES. Bank Stcck 3 per Cent. Reduced Anns 94 1 4 94 94 New 3 1 4 per Cent. Annuities 96 9511 95'X. 1 Long Annuities toexpire Jan.lB6o 9 15-16 % 9 ' 7 4 Ditto 30 years, Oct. 10,1859 9 11-16 9 11-16 Consols for Opening 9 3%i 93: 7 ),4 Exchequer Bills, 10001. 1 1 / 2 d. ... 13 10 p 10 P 10 Ditto, 5001 Ditto, Small ONE O'CLOCK CLOSING PRICES cItICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS. Brazilian Bonds Mexican, 5 per Cent. 1846 - Ditto, Account . 23% Portuguese 5 per Cents. 82% Ditto, 4 per Cent. - Ditto, Account - Russian Bonds •••••••• 1112 Spanish 5 per Cent. 1840. - Ditto, Passive Dividends on the above payable in London. Dutch, 2% per Cent . Ditto, Account - 60% Ditto. 4 per Cent. Certificates 92 1 / 2 1 4 92 3 % PRICES OF BUSINESS DONE CLOSING R ULWAY SHARES PAID. AT ONE O'CLOCK. PRICEs. Aberdeen Amber., Nott., Boston, and Eastern Junction 2%.• ... - - Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush l% Belfast & County Down 4 3 4 .. Birmingham and Dudley 495. ... Birmin. and Gleucester..loo 129 Ditto New 17% - ... - ...... Birmingham and Ox ford Junction Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junc.... 2 3 4 - Boston, Stamfd, & Birm. 225. - Bristol and Exeter 75 - - Ditto, New - .... ••• Bi istol and,Gloucester... 30 ...... - - Bristol and Liver. June.. 2%...... - - Buckinghamshire Caledonian Ditto Half Shares 2% 2 14% ..... ... 2% Ditto, Clydesdale Jane 25 - - Chester and Holyhead... 27% - - Churnet and Blythe 2 - - ....M..... Chester and Manchester 425. - - Cheltekham and Oxford 2 ...... - . - Clarence lOO - Do. Ist Class, 6 per Ct. 10 - Do. 2d Class, 5 per Ct. 10 - - Do. Government Loan, 4 per Cent. Cork and Killarney - Cork and Waterford ... 11,4 - Cornwall - Ditto, Half Shares ... 2% - Direct Lincoln, East Ret ford,and Sheffd. June. 2% -.. Direct Northern Direct Norwich - Dublin and BelfastJunc. 12% Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine - Dublin and Galway..... 4 - Dundalk & Enniskillen 10 - Eastern Counties 141. 165....,., - Ditto New - Ditto Perpetual, 5 per Cent, No. 1....... 6/.135. 4d... - Ditto ditto. No. 2... 61. 13s. 4d... % p... Do., York - Extension.. 2 .... 3% EastDereh'm andNor'ch 1 Eastern Union 35 .. ... Ditto, Quarter Shares 8 3 / 4 - Do. Exten.(llarwich) 10,E - ......... -•••- Do., Camb. and Ely.. 2 1 / 2 - East Lancashire Ditto, New Do., do. (late Preston and Ormskirk)... - Do., do., New Scrip... 1 1 4 - ••••• ....... •• East Lincolnshire ... •. 1 % 2 14 East & West of England 1%...... Edinburgh and Glasgow 50 ...... 75 Ditto Half Shares ... 10 - Ditto, Quarter Shares 12% - ... ........... Edinburgh & Northern.. 12% - . .......... .... Edinburgh and Perth... 3 ...... •• ...... Ely and Huntingdon ... 12% ..... . ......... Enniskillen and Sligo ... 2% - ............... Exeter, Yeovil,& Dorset 5 1 4 34 ...... ......... Gaslgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle - Glasgow, Kilmar., &Ayr 50 Ditto, New - ... .. Do., Shares (5 per ...• cent. guar.) 1 4 ... ...... 12 % •-• ......... . G oo le, Doncaster, & c... 2 .. .. .... ............. Grand Union (Notting- ..... ••••••... and Lynn - . Great Eastern &Western 2 % ...... _ • ...... •- • 5 % p 129 2 I ; fa 22 % P 34 24 5% 13% Great South. and West. (Ireland) ............... 27% 2 7 34... . ....... Great Munster ............ 2 1 / 2 _ Great North of S cotland 2 1 / 2 •••••• 27% Great Northof England..loo .- ...... Ditto New ............... 5 ...... -- Ditto, New • . ......... 15 . ... Ditto, New ........... . 1% " Great Western „•„.. 85 Ditto % Shares .......... 50 Ditto IA Shares ......... 10 Ditto Fifths ............ 20 Ditto, New .......... ... 2 Huddersfield & Man c h es. 13 ...... Ditto, Extension 3 Hull and Selby 5O Do. Half Shares 25 Ditto 1 4 Shares Ipswich & Bury St. Edm. 11 1 ,E — Do., do., and Norwich 2%...... Lancaster and Carlisle... 50 Do. New Leeds and Bradfo r d Leicester and Bedford... 16s. Leeds, Dewsbury, &c.... 22 1 / —.. . •y, arc._ _ 000000 .••... Do., Branch (Blue) ... 2q - - ••••.• Do. Extension( Green) 2%...,, Leeds 2nd Thirsk 17%...... 14% Ditto, New 5 — .... Do., Prefer., 6 per Ct. 3% Do., Mnchstr & New . castle Junction....... 2%..... 2 1 4 London and Blackwall. 161. 135.4 d Do. New Ditto Extension London, Brighton, and South Coast 5O .. .. 59 58% Ditto, Fifths Do. Consul. Eighths lO Do. Guarant. 5 per ct. 9 London and Greenwich 12l 15s4d 91% Do. Preference ...18/17s 2d — London, Hounslow, and Western - • •••••• • ••• London and N. Westeruloo 194 195 Do. Quarters Do., do., New Ditto Fifths 000000000000 ... Do. 14 Shares (G. J.) 5 Do 40/. Shares( L. M.) 8 — Do. 40/. (M. & B.) ... 40 Do. 10/. (M. & B.) A. 5 Do. 10/. (M. & B.) B. 5 — Do. 101. (M. & B.) C. 1 ...... ......... London, Oxford, and Cheltenham •• ••• ••• 00000000 •• Load. & S.Western 411 63 1 0d...... 63 Do. New ConsoL Bths 40 .... Do. New Do. New Cash, Fives have fallen 25c.; Threes are unchanged. This was the day for declaring the reponse des primes for the half-monthly meeting of Railway Shares. The primes were in all cases taken up. The continua tions, though higher than for some settlements past, were still moderate, as with the exception of St. Germain, which Ivere at from 2f. 50c. to 2f. ; Orleans from 2f. 25c. to If. 75c.; Rouen If. 75c. to If. 50c.; and Avignon from lf. 25c. to If. 50c. ; they were all below If. For Account, St. Germain, Avignon, llavre, and Vierzon have risen sf. each; Rouen 3f. 75c. ; Orleans, Versailles (Right Bank), Strasburg, Northern, and Bordeaux, 2f. 50c. each; Boulogne, lf. 25c. Nantes, Lyons, and Versailles (Left Bank) 'are unaltered. For Cash, Rouen hare risen 10f.; Northern 7f. 50c. ; Ver sailles (Left Bank) 3t. 75c.; Bordeaux, Strasburg, and Nantes 2f. 50c. each; Lyons are unvaried ; Orleans have fallen 2f. 50c. BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, DECEMBER 17. Demerara, 33i —Northern of France Constituted, 10 3 / 4 —Orleans and Vierzon, 13 1 ,2—Orleans and Bordeaux, 8A — Paris and Lyons Constituted, 5 1 / 4 ex int.—Paris aud Stras burg Constituted, 44. MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS. CITY, QUARTER TO THREE. The Liverpool Cotton market was quieter yesterday. Sales 5,000 bales, of which 1,500 were on speculation. Prices were a shade worse. We fear that when it be comes known that the Bank of England have not ad vanced their charge for discounts, the fever of specu lation may again recur. Shares rather improved at Liverpool. We are glad to learn from Canada that there bad been two Commissioners appointed under the Act of June last, for a loan not exceeding 100,0001., to the suf ferers by the Quebec fires, for rebuilding ; but it was understood that no debentures would be issued until some preliminary steps bad been taken. The only advantage to the sufferers should the money be raised, will be getting it at three per cent. upon giving good security for the repayment. Three thousand a year, will be the utmost of the bonus to Quecec, should the whole or the 100,0001. be issued. Some, persons, seem, however, to have imagined, seeing the remissness of Government, on several occasions, that repayment would r.ot be exacted. The demands on the public chest for debt, interest, and current expenditures, will, however, no longer permit of former indulgences. The arrivals in the river are extremely limited, on ac count of the weather, and supplies of (suit and other articles in great request at this season are consequently kept our. The circumstance of the Bank of England not baying advance d its terms for the discount of bills, has given much satisfaction in the City, and there is an expectation that we shall go quietly over Christmas, and enter upon the New Year with s-mething like the confidence and bustle of legitimate trading opsrations. The public securities have been to-day very steady, and are a shade higher. Consols realising 9311 1 4 1 , for the account. Bank Stock is quiet at 206. The New Three and-a-Quarter per Cents. are 954 to 96, and the Three per Cents. 94 to 941. Exchequer-bills have been quoted 10s. to 13s. premium. Long Annuities are 98 to 9 fifteen-sixteenths. In the Foreign House there has been no particular movement and the speculative Stocks have been quite neglected. Spanish Passives are sf. The Five per Cents. Portugut se have been marked 82k. Mexican Stock has realized 24, being a shade under the previous rates. Brazil Stock has been quoted 86. Russian Bonds have been at 111 i, and Dutch Two and-a-Half per Cents. at 601, Shares are rather better to-day. Birmingham and Oxford Junction have risen to 10 and .01; Caledonian to 284 and 29; Brighton to 581- and 59; North Staff .rd to 81 Shrewsbury and Birmingham to 5k i; Northern of France to 101 and 11; and Paris and Lyons to 5i cx interest ; Ea“ Lancashire are 171 ex. new, Ditto Tenths •.... .. 5 Ditto Tenths ... ..... 4 Ditto Scrip Ditto ditto ........... 4 L Edon and York 2'4 — Do. Extension Ditto Half Shares .. 9 ...... . ..... ...__ Do. Extension --- ......... ..•• Northern Counties Union 2% ............... North British .. ..... ... 25 Do. Half Shares ll ...... 15 3 4 16 ••• ••"' Do. Quarters Do. Extension 519...... "A% ........ ... Ditto Thirds 1 ...... 3% 4..... Northern and Eastern Do. Scnp (iM. 5 dis.) 45 . ............. Do. Quarter Shares... 12 Do. New North Staffordshire 5 ...... 83414.. ......... North Wales Northern and Southern Connecting 1 / 2 .... Wolverhampton Oxford, Witney, and Cheltenham.... Port: mouth Direct - -.. . ....... Preston and `Tyre Do. % Shares Reading, Guildford, and 6142 .............. Reigate 3l. 12s. — dis. .... •.. ''. Richmond Royston and llitchen ... 1%, ... ....................• ... _ Scottish Central .•••••• Scottish Midland 121 14 1 / 2 . .... . •• ..... .... Do. Quarter Sh ares ... 8 Do.LincolnshireJ u nc. 1 1 4 — ......... Do. Si Great GrimNby. 10 --— ......... Do. do. Extension 42 5 . .• Shrewsbury and Birm... 3 ..... . .. .. Sheffield & Manche s t er 100 Ditto ditto, Class B. 1 1 4 2 tAdi ........... Shropshire Union South Devon 4O .. «••••••"" South Staffordshire June. 2 l/. .•.. ............... South Eastern & Dover. 33% - •• ....... Do., No. 1 2G Do., NG, 2. Do., No, 3 Do., No. 4 St.Alban's, Hatfield,and . ••••• Hertford Junction Staffordsh. & Shropshi re 2% — .........•.. South Wales Swans. & Loughor & ••• ..... •• Ca meron's Stm. Coal. ... 2 •..... Taw Vale Extension ... 2 7 4 ' .7 . ........... .. Vale of Neath Wakefield, Pontefra c t. & .. Goole 22% --•'' ......... Waterford and Kilkenny 11 . —•• ....... ".. Waterford and Lim eric k 27% — ....... . Waterfd,Wxfrd,Wicklw, . .. .... and Dublin „.•. . .... . .. Wexford, le aterford,and ... Valentin . ... .• ... Waveney Valley ... 2 1% ...... .................. .... Welsh Midland .. West Riding Union 4 2 2 5 1? ..... ...„. :• ‘. ..... . .... .......... ... •.... West Cornwall 2 .. .. --- ........... .. Wexford and Carlow - Wilts, Somerset, & Wey- .......... mouth - ••" .. ........ York and Newcastle. ... 25 ....... Ditto New 5 ...... 12% " .... Do. Preference York and North Midland 50 ...... ............. Ditto I ,6 , Sharea ..... Do. Selby -• •••• .. 40 ...... 79 ...... •.. .. .. Do. Extension .. .. Ditto, Preference _ Do. East and West Rid ing Extension FOREIGN RAILWAYS. Anglo-Belgian 4 Barbadoes 1 Belgian Eastern Junctn. Boulogne and Amiens... 16 Bordeaux & Mediterran. 2 Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Cette (Mackenzie's)... 2 -- Do. (Espelete's) Calais, Dunkrk, and West Flanders Calcutta and Diamond llarbour ....... ....... . 75. ...... Callao, Lima, and Pacific Coast 1 .41 •• • ...... ••• WI. ........ Central of Spain ... . Ceylon .. .... ss. Demerara 2% ...... ............... _ -- - ............. Dendre Valley ....... .. .. 4 Direct Bombay and Madras Dutch Rhenish ... 6 East Indian ... ..... .... 5 3 . Fampoux & Hazebro u k 4 .. ... ..........••••••••"•: Great Indian P en i nsu l ar s s. .... .... Great Western B enga l... s s. ... „.• Great Western Canada... 31A.. . . . ..... .. .. Italia* and Austrian. ... 4 ... ....... ...- Jamaica S.Mid. Junction 1 .. ........ ..... Jersey ..... . ..... ... 1 ... • li Louvain ala Sambre ... 6 ... . —••-" ........ .... Luxembourg .. 4 .... .. 0 .. Lyons and Avignon .. Madras ... 1 .......... ..-• Madras, Nellore, and ...... ..... Arcot .................... % — ..... " .... -- Madrid and. Valentia.... 2 ... . .... ...- 5 Mauritius .. ............. 1 10 Namur and Liege ..... ...• Nn of France Constituted 5 .... I North Jamaica 1 ... SS Orleans and Vierzon ... 10 -4 ................. ...... ..... Orleans and Bordeaux... 6 Over Yssel 4133 4d Paris &Lyons Constituted 5 Paris and Orleans Paris and Rouen Paris and St ras b ourg Constituted 5 20 4 Rouen and Hav re Sambre a n d Meuse ...........: . 5 4 Strasbourg and B a l e St. Laurence & Atlantic .... Tours and Nantes Con stituted .... ...........5 ...- Touay, Jurbise, Lan der., and Hasselt. 8 Trinidad _— .......................................... ............... .••• West Flanders ...... .... 6 JOINT STOCK BANKS. Provincial of Ireland ... 25 Union of London... Union of Australia ............. MINES. Real del Monte Unregd. ERRATUM. --In yesterday's List, read East Lance ilif Scrip 2% instead of East Lincolnshire. Al r .) I LLOYD'S SHIPPING-41'111S vv . 00 LONDON, Doc. 18.—Wind light airs at W'S— calm, with frost. ci d Jab ° DEAL, DEC. 17.—Wi n d N.W. t o W.N Anderson,- Lawrence, P or t e Ri co; J o h n Dalton, J . " -- Calcutta ; DEC Sin.mo Wi nds, Demerara. WO ° PORTSMOUTH, l7.—nd N.—Sld. Victorint New York. A Runn y' LIVE [woof, DEC. 17.—Wind N., moderate.—Arri" fro m mede, Steele, Pernamlu c e, old. 30th October , an s oga' Paraiba 14th ult. ; Vir g i n i a , Eaton, Charleston; Chelltraik; Snnw, Baltimore • Nicholas Biddle, Knight, Ne li rharlt d Montezuma, Law ber, ditto ; Waterloo, Allen, ditto; _.,,`"—uitnt Challoner, St. John's, New Brunswick. Sld. San " 1 " Martb li Arias, llavannah ; Zephyr, Anderson, Santa - n ,4 6 0.9; Diadem, Carr, ditto ; Mary Campbell, Harmab,Nevi.Y,,, Dauntless, Rogers, Charleston ; Portland, Stalker, al,_"; POIeTSMOUTH, DEC. 17.—The Hampshire, Gain, ur,,, ta nt cona, which capsized and sank in the harbour, -- - th A '",riaced and subsequently raised, has been pumped out, an u the in the Camber in the dockyard, where she will dischrb remainder of her cargo. FALMOUTH, DEC. 16.—The Edward, Moller, fr 913 1,.. beea borg to Dublin, . which put in here 13th inst. kalif, D''" surveyed, and must discharge. orastsrt! LIVERPOOL, DEC. 17.—The George Canning! "" t .d of hence to Maranham, was totally wrecked to w indw tontl d Para, Oct. 18; crew saved. The Elizabeth Holderneast Oe• to this port, ran aground in the Miramichi . River aboubd. tober 26th, but got off without assistance, and proee,,,ed., s ;* of DUNPANGIIY, DEC. 14.—The sloop James, Wik etn ij o or Inverness, for Liverpool, was put on shore at 1/ 11111 °Y' e d. gal, on the night of the 10th i ns t. ; f o ur of crew drown n, HULL, DEC. 17.—The Willem, Beckham, from LO w e 150• has put in here with damage, having inst., with the Gazelle steamer, from Antwerp. Th.altajs man, of Malmoe, was fallen in with in distres&, off . er e, and taken in tow by the Waterwitch steamer, arriveurato but the ropes having broken twice she was compelled r o , ber her. A fishing smack was near and would probably "' bur gh into safety. The Victoria steamer, which left 11 ,1 1 % and 14th inst., and Cuxhaven 15th, reports strong 01 ' snow at the time of her leaving. been in contact!....... MARKET .NEWS.-(THIS D CORN-EXCHANGE.--FRIDAY' n The present week's arrival of English Whea t having bees; very trifling, the show of samples of that article here4w unusually small. All descriptions commanded a ve r f trade at fully Monday's quotations. The demand for fre e . foreign Wheat, for shipment to Ireland, was extensive atie: further advance in prices of from 2s to 3s per quarter. freleil was in short supply, and the best malting parcels Preu u is per quarter more money. The supply of Afalt was ine e be c ckilearedo(f)t', springa t a AB ot corn n gh w t a i s m i p n ro a v o em od en r t eg i u n es v 4 alu e. an th e terms dearer. Wheat. 2,6 W qrs. ARRIVALS. Barley. 100 100 4 rote. - 090 St" 1,410 cm. 11. -, 5,720 I 9,940 English • ..... Irish ........ Foreign ...... r 9,350 :alt, 1,480 gm. rxErzina). r market waa tolerably Well, bat For the time London, Salisbury, and Yeovil ..... .. ....... 2 1 ,x .............. , Londonderry& Coleraine 15 Londonderry and Ennis killen Lynn and Ely ...... ...... 15 Lynn and Dereham .15 — Blanchester and Leeds... 82 Ditto 1 4 Shares Do. Quarters Do. Fifths 5 . .... ............... Do. Sixteenths Do. Liverp. and Bury 4 2 62 4 1" - -TVs ...... .... .... ' p............... ....... Do. Extension . Do. do. Fifths Manchester,Buxton,and Matlock 425....... p ............... Manchest. &Southampt. 2 Midland lOO Do. Fifths Do. New ........................ Ditto, New Do. Birm., and Derbyloo Midland Great Western .-- Irish Newcastle and Berwick 20 Do. North Shields ... 25 Newcastle an d Carlisle-100 Newmrket&Che.sterfrd 5 ..... Newport & Abergavenny VA..— .............. •-•• Newry and Enniskillen 7 Newry, Warrenpoint, and Rostrevor Norfolk .. .....„..10 05 _ —.. ....... ..... -• ...... 2,390 sivn of year, o 23 1 / 2 23% 821 A 38 111 - 5% 17 1 A 63% 14 1 / 2 68% OA 14% 4 1 4 57ii "ix P 114 1274 I ,‘ 19 ..;,% cig .- ; O f % di ss -- % is~b "74 - 38 124 7% 12 1 4 17% , iN ..•• ,~