The Sun. — London, England, 1846-04-11 00:00:00

--- NEW WORK, BY J. FENIMORE COOPER, ESQ.! Just ready, in 3 vols. post Svo., R A V E N S N E S T•! By J. FENIMORE COOPER, Esq. Author of " The Pilot," " The Last of the Mohicans," " The Chainbearer," &c. Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street. RAILWAY SHARES BY PUBLIC SALE. MESSRS. LAMOND, SHA LE, AND LAMOND, 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, Ike., tare place every Tussnar and Eattrav, at One o'clock„ at the Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle-street, London, to which place all favours, contriving instructions, are respectfully requested to be addressed. All Scrip and Share Certificates must be deposited for exa mination at least one day previously to their being offered ; and 3dvices of results will be forwarded by the first post after the sale, and the proceeds immediately disposed of according to instructions. Offices. Hall of Commerce. Threadneedle -street, London. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The Nobility, Subscribers, and the Public are respectfully informed that this Theatre will RE-OPEN on TUESDAY NEXT, APRIL 14, When will be performed (for the first time this season), BeninPs Opera, I PURITANI. Elvira, Madame Grist (her first appearance this season) ; Artaro, Signor Mario (his first appearance this season) ; Riccardo, Signor F orn asari ; Giorgio, Signor Lablache (his first appearance season). To conclude with the highly successful New Grand Ballet, by M. Perrot. The music by Signor Pugni, entitled, CATARINA ; ou, LA FILLE DU BANDIT. The principal parts by Mdlle. Lucile Grahn, Madame Petit Stephan, Mdlles. Moncelet, Cassan, Demelisse, and Madame Louise Taglion' ; M.M. Gosselin, Bertrand, Di Mattis., and Perrot• HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The Nobility, Subscribers, and tha Public are respectfully informed that an EXTRA NIGHT will take place on THURSDAY, APRIL 16, When will be presented Mozart's chef d'oeuvre, DON GIOVANNI. Donna Anna, Madame Grist ; Donna Elvira, Madlle. Sanchioli ; 'ku*Utia, Madame Castellan. Don Giovanni, Signor Forwasari ; Dou Ottavio, Signor Mario ; 11 Commandatore, Signor Botelli ; Masetto, tiiignor F. Lablache ; Leporello, Signor Lablache. To conclude with the highly successful New Ballot, by M. Perrot , entitled, CATARINA ; ou, LA FLUB DU BANDIT. e princial characters by Madlle. L. Grshn, Madlle. P. Stephan, anTdh Madlle. p Taglioni ; M.M. Ferret, Bertraad, Di Mattia, and Gosselin. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. ON EASTER MONDAY, APRIL 13, Will be performed a _New Opera, entitled THE CRUSADERS, The principal characters will be sustained by Messrs. W. Har rison, Rorrani, Horncastle, S. Jones, Weiss, Stretton, D. W. King, 3115.4 Romer, and Miss Rainforth. After which, will be produced the Ballet d'Action, entitled PEROU'AE ; or, The Desolate Island. Principal characters by Madlle. Louise, Madame Giubilei, Mr. W. 11. Payne, Mr. Howell, Nr. T. \ I atthews, Mr. Wieland, and Master F. Payne. T rlol' l i., HAYMARKET. ON EASTER 31oNDAY WU be performed a New and Original Comedy, called, A BEGGAR ON HORSEBACK. Cy mon Foxali, Mr. Webster, Monet craft, Mr. W. Farren : Sir John Coverda l e , Mr. Tilbury; Ernest Coverdale, Mr. H. Holl ; Horace Waldgrave, Mr. Hudson ; Schnei dermann, idr. J. Bland ; Thomas , Mr. Brindal ; Lady Coverdale, Mrs. Glover ; Selina Coverdale, Miss Julia Bennett ; Emmeline, Mrs. Seymour. Tie Band will perform the Overtures, " La Symphonie," an " La Neige ;" a Fantasia, " Fra Diavolo ;" the "Yost Horn Galop, and 'Antoinette," Cellarius Waltz. After which (for the first time) an experiment will be tried upon Tilt , : RDS OF ARISTO PHAN :on which occasion they will be presented to the public with new Names, new Feathers, new Songs, and new Tales. Principal characters by Messrs. James Blare 1, Hudson, Tilbury, Brindal, Caulfield, T. F. Mathews, and Miss P. Horton. 'co conclude with a New Confc Drama, called THE IRISH POST. Characters by Messrs. J. Bland, Tilbury, Mrs. Hamby, Etc. THEATRE ROYAL, LYCEUM. UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF MRS. KEELEY. Unprecedented Attraction for the Easter Holidays. Re-engagement of GENERAL TOM THUMB ! Who having, on each appearance in the Burlesque of " Hap o' my Thumb," been welcomed with most enthusiastic shouts of ap plause, and excited the astonishment and approbation of an elegant and delighted auditory, by h is almost Incredible Dimi nutive Person and his equally Incredible Mind, the Management has much pleasure in announcing his Performance for every Evening during tke Holiday AS s. ON EASTER MONDAY The performances will commence with a New and Original Comic Drama, in Three Acts, called HONOURS AND TRICKS. Prin cipal characters by Messrs. F. Matthews, F. Vining, Wigan, Dithlear, and Keeley ; Miss Villars, Mr. A. Wigan, and Mrs. Keeley. After which, a New Extravaganza, entitled THE MARBLE MAIDEN. Characters by Mr. Keeley, Mr. A. Wigan, Mrs. Keeley, awl Miss Lildlavr. To conclude with an entirely New and Original Burlesque, en titled 110 P 0' MY THUMB ; or, The Ogre and his Seven -League Boots. In which General Torn Thumb, who is engaged expressly for this occasion, will have the honour of making his appearance. Stalls, 55.; Boxes, 4s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, 6d. LiOYAL. Au 61,1•141 A New Drama, and a New and agnificent Burlesque. ON EASTER MONDAY, APRIL 13, Will be presented a New Drama, in Three Acts, called, IN DUSTRY AND INDOLENCE ; or, The Orphan's Legacy. St. Amour, Mr. Paul Bedford ; Rollin , Mr. 0. Smith ; Sinsonet, Mr. Wright ; ‘.!ons. Del mare. Mr. Perkin, ; Batifole, Miss Woolgar ; Nini, Miss Webster; Cecile, Madame Celeste. After which, a New Burlesque, entitled, PETER WILRINS ; or, The Loadstonc Rock and the Flying Indians. Principal characters by Misses Woolgar, Taylor, E. Harding, Chaplin, Brooks, &c. To conclude with a New Farce, entitled, DID YOU EVER SEND YOUR WIFE To CAMBERWELL ? Chesterfield Honeybun, Mr. Wright; Isaac Crank, Mr. 0. Smith ; Mrs. Crank, Mrs. F. Matthews, Mrs. Honeybun, Miss Emma Harding. PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STIIEET Thr Public is respectfully informed, that the eminent Tragedian, Mr. MACREADY, is re-engaged fur a limited number of Nights, and will appear on EASTER MONDAY, APRIL 13, When will be presented Shakspere's Tragedy of HAMLET. Cha racters by Messrs. Macready, Granby, L. Murray, Ryder, Fisher, James Yining, Wynn, nonner, Walton, Compton, Oxberry, and Cooper , Mrs. Ternan, Miss Enatha Stanley, and Miss E. Honner. After which. a New Grand Fairy Extravaganza, entitled LADY GODIVA AND - PEEPING TOM OF COVENTRY. In which 'Messrs. Walton, Wynn, Compton, Granby, Oxberry ; Miss Taylor, Miss E. Stanley, 31rs. Fos' roke, Miss (loner, Sz.c., will appear. NEW STRAND THEATRE. ENURE CHANGE.—NOVELTIES AND MAGIC EFFECTS. " La gaiete est la sante defame, La tristesse en est le poison." 31. PHILLIPPE, in returning his grateful thanks to his kind Patrons, and feeling anxious to merit a continuance of past favours, so iiberany bestowed upon him lay the discerning Public of this great metropolis, ben leave to announce that he will Resume his EN TERTAI_NME T at the above Theatre, ON EASTER MONDAY NEXT, Whin he will have the honour of introducing an ENTIRE CHANGE in Ifs PERFORMANCE, which has been prepared at a gre:tt expense and labour. The New Feats and Miraculous Scientific Experiments are of the most extraordinary and astounding de scription, and must be ‘een to be believed. M. PHILLIPPE will commence the Entertainment by Lighting Two Hundred and Fifty Wax Candles by a single Pistol Shot ! This unique and brilliant Experiment was originally performed by Mons. Phillippe for upwards of 700 consecutive nights in Paris. During the Evening M. Phillippe will introduce his GRAND MOTHER'S CAP, with all its :sapid Transformations. During the Easter Week there will be a Morning and Evening Performance each Day. The Morning Performance will commence at Two o'clock ; Evening Performance at a quarter to Eight- Stalls, 33.; Boxes, 2s. Pit, Gallery, 6d. ; Private Boxes, 11. ls.. and Ils. 6d. Athi'LEY I<oyal. AMHUTILEATLE. Proprietor, Mr. W. Batty. .Fatronised by her most gracious Majesty the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Royal Family. Easter Entertainment extraordinary for the holiday visitors. The Publlc are most respectfully apprised that the Summer Season will commence on EASTER MONDAY, APRIL 13, With an entirely new Equestrian Oriental Spectacle, replete with gorgeous pageantry, intense incidents, splendid scenic effects, com bining the whole resources of the Dramatic and Equestrian Com • panies, aided by the bentitiml Stud. New Scenes in the Circle ; with other Entertainments, which will be fully expressed in the bills of the day. Box-office open from eleven till five o'clock.—Tuition in the art of riding daily. THE WEATHER.—Strx OFFICE, APRIL 10. T lERMOMETER, Lowest, 36; Highest, 57; Noon, 53. BAROMETER, 29.90.—Wi1fD westerly; fine. iil :11 WATER AT LONDON-BRID.IE THIS DAY. 41 minutes after 1.1 Evening .. 38 minntes after 1 . • • ;- , • or. ....V) LT • indications enough that we are at present proceeding upon a most fallacious system. On this head let us merely examine the criminal statistics there given with reference to two of our metropolitan places of confine ment. The numbers will be of themsel;es the advo cates of the reformation of which we are speaking; they plead most eloquently for the interposition of the Legis lature. From the report produced by the visiting jus tices of the House of Correction, Coldbath-fields, " it appeared that there were at present one thousand and t Lcenty three prisoners confined within the walls of that gaol!" Here we have a large battalion of our fellow countrymen pent up in a state of comparative inactivity and uselessness, a degradation to themselves, a burden upon the country, and a disgrace to society, And yet, by a judicious preparatory mode of instruction, those 1,023 human beings might, at the present moment, be gaining an honest livelihood, and adding the impetus of their ingenuity and their bodily strength to our national industry. "Of these there are 757 males !" That is surely enough of itself. On a similar authority we learn that 677 prisoners are now the inmates of the West minster Bridewell: of these, " 500 were males !" To this circumstance, however, we are compelled to aid another, infinitely more deplorable. We transcribe the precise language of the report :—" Since the cemmence ment of the pulling down of the New Prison, Clerken well, on the Ist of September last, the num ber of commitments to Westminster had amounted to 3,830, and that since the 21st of February only they had not been fewer than 754." We shall abstain from any detailed commentaries upon this statement, conceiving, as we do, that the insuffi ciency of the existing mode of prevention is, in point of fact, no mode of prevention whatever. Public attention has been already directed to this great social blemish, among others by ourselves; the inefficacy of punishment for the eradication of vice is even now recognised, and hopefully we anticipate some decisive movement. As one step in advance we were rejoiced to perceive that at the magisterial meeting in question a memorial from the Philanthropic Society (" offering their establishment, or a certain portion of it, in aid of the propose& reform atory for juvenile offenders ") was referred to a corn rnittee, " for the purpose of seeing what means could the best be adopted, with a view to the checking of juvenile crime, and reforming the juvenile offenders." These efforts, of which the preceding is an example, have en gaged our warmest sympathies. Accounts from Berne, of the 3d instant, state that the Bishop of SOLEURE had addressed a letter to the consti tuent Assembly of the Canton of Berne, protesting against any oath which the Assembly might see fit to impose on the Roman Catholic clergy of that canton with regard to the constitution then under consideration, inasmuch as the clergy did not consider itself relieved from the oath which, with the authorisation of the Holy See, it had taken to the constitution of 1831. They also prayed the Assembly to guarantee to the Roman Ca tholic Church, by a special article in the new constitu tion, the maintenance of its rights as stipulated in 1815. The following appears in the German Universal Ga zette, under the date, Cracow, 30th of March : " It is a peasant named Sala who is at the head of the insurgents who are still in the field, and these are the terms on which he offers to order his men to lay down their arms :—Abolition of the feudal service—sup pression of taxes—sale of salt at a fixed price per quintal—a general participation of the land, one-fourth to be allotted to the nobles, and the three other fourths divided among the peasantry. It is said that a person of note has the direction of the movement at Tilsna, and represents the civil power, while Sala considers himself to be the military chief." A letter from Posen, of the 24th, in the Voss Gazette, mentions a rumour that, in several of the districts of the Grand Duchy, the peasantry have signed a declaration, that, being grateful for the welfare that they had enjoyed under the rule of Prussia, they were resolved to oppose all attempts at revolution on the part of the nobles, and by the energy of their own resistance render unnecessary any proceedings on the part of the Government. A letter from Breslau, of the 24th ult., states that a band of insurgents, under a noble, is in occupation of the forests of the district of Ostrolewka, which communi cates with the famed forest of Biavelege, in Lithuania. This body is composed of a race of halt noble peasantry, called Kurpies, who from remote times possess lands given to them by bishops or Starosts, in remuneration of services rendered to the church or to the country. These Kurpies, on multiplying, had partitioned out the lands in numerous portions, but when the estates of the clergy were confiscated by the Government, they became tenants of the Crown, without being subjected to suit and service. A Consistory is to be held at Rome on the 16th April, at whioh the Archbishop of NAPLES will receive a cardinal's hat. A letter from Rome, dated 20th ult., says that the POPE has obtained from Russia the per mission for an Apostolic Nuncio to reside at St. Peters burgh, and the Cardinal Prince ALTIERI will be ap pointed to that office. The Augsburg Gazette publishes a letter, dated Odessa. March 8, which contains the following important intel ligence from Persia : "We have news from Persia by Trebisond. The bodily health of the Shah is improved, but his mind, it is said, suffers. It is now exceedingly difficult for the ~o reign ambassadors to have interviews with him. Great astonishment was excited at Teheran by the unexpected return of Mirza Dschafar Khan, the extaordinary am bassador from Tiflis, without having continued his jour ney to St. Petersburgh. It is known from a good source that during his sojourn in the former city, the Governor- General, Prince de Woronzow, received dispatches, which authorised him to conclude a secret convention with Persia, relative to several reciprocal concessions. En order not to excite too much the jealousy of England, the Russian Government, it is said, intimated to the am b tssador that it did not desire his presence in St. Peters burgh. In place of a formal treaty, a convention was merely signed betweeen the Persian plenipotentiary and the Governor-General of Trans-Caucasia. It is certain that Russia, even before the return of Mirza Dschafar Khan, was already in possession of the important advan tages which this convention confirms. Naval arsenals and dockyards were already commenced on the part of the Russians in the Persian ports of the Caspian Sea, and the harbours of Engeli and Astrabad are now in a certain measure in their power. Between Reschz and Teheran he construction of fortiled caravansaries to protect trade has also been begun, and from the manner in which the soldiers of the Russian line conduct themselves, one would almost imagine that the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh was al ready in possession of that province of Persia. At Astrabad a number of Russian miners were daily expected to work, For the Russian Government, the rich mines of copper, tin, and coal, abounding in that part of the country. The Persian Government has farmed out these mines to the Russians. It having been reported that the Russian deserters in Persia were to be sent to the Araxes, a number of them who were at Tauris fled for refuge to Turkey. Many had entered the Persian army, and turned Mahometans. Pechman Mirza, brother of the Shah, is said to have favoured their flight. But some of them, who had fixed their residence in other towns of the empire, have been given up to the Russian authori ties. The Persian Government has also entered into an engagement to force the families of peasants, which had , migrated from Arminia and Tartary, to return to the Russian territory. All these concessions have been made by the Vizier to secure, by a formal engagement of the Russian Government, the succession to the throne of the ,on of the present Shah, a lad of only 16 years of age, and half an idiot. The Russians have, in fact, numerous troops on the Araxes, to put down any revolt that might be attempted in favour of one of the sons of Feth Alisbah. It is only in case that Pechman Mirza, bro ther of the Shah, should declare in favour of this young man that he could have any chance of success. The I Army is well inclined towards him, and hitherto Pech man Mirza has manifested great attachment to his bro ther and his family. The cholera is raging in several provinces in Persia, having been originally introduced by the Neret caravans into Khorassan. From thence it spread all over the country. At IVieschid, a third of the population has perished, and at Teheran and Ispahan the inhabitants of entire quarters have been carried off. Towards the middle of February Asserberdshan was still exempt from this plague. Accounts from Madrid, dated the 4th instant, an nounce that General NARVAEZ had resigned, that his resignation had been accepted, and that the fol lowing appointments had taken place : M. ISTURITZ, President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs ; M. ARMERO, Minister of Marine ; M. EGANA, to remain as Minister of Justice ; M. MON, Minister of Finance. It was reported that the real cause of the crisis was, the unwillingness of the late Ministers to agree to a proposition made by EOANA and PEZUELA, for the im mediate marriage of the QUEEN with the son of Don CARLOS. The law on the subject of time bargains was merely put fon% ard as the excuse. Generals CONCHA, CORDOVA, Ros DE OLANO, and ARAOZ, had, on the V, after some delay, obtained their passports, and were preparing to leave Spain without delay. Goriastxs BRAVO, who had resigned his embassy to Lisbon, had arrived in Madrid. Orders were sent to Corunna on the 2d to place the brig-of-war Constitution at the disposi tion of the Infante Don ENRIQUE, to whom it was inti mated that he had better lose no time in setting out on his travels. The Infante accordingly embarked immediately, and on the sth arrived at Gocoa, and immediately proceeded to St. Jean de Luz. He was expected to arrive at Bayonne in the evening. flis father, Don FRANCISCO DE PAULA, held a levee at Madrid on the 2d, which was brilliantly attended. The Duke and Duchess of SAXE COBURG GOTHA lauded on the 3d at Barcelona. General O'DoNNELL has been recalled flom Cuba, and General Rortc.u2 has been appointed Governor of the Island. MORIANI, the singer, has been decorated with the Cross of ISABELLA. the Catholic. inlytturt, ),•4 LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 1846. From the scanty particulars obtained at the meeting of the Middlesex Magistrates, held on Thursday, some., l extremely important deductions may be drawn. We have taken occasion more than once to protest against the system hitherto adopted for the suppression of crime and the prevention of social misdemeanours. The prin ciple that " Punishment " is the Hercules to be em ployed in the cleansing of this Augean Stable of Vice has ever appeared to us as rotten at the core, and hence we have constantly and earnestly insisted upon the necessity of some thorough transformation in the entire fabric of criminal jurisprudence. We acknowledge ourselves sanguine as to the consequences of a grand moral revo lution of this detcription, and we look upon its realisa tion as far from impracticable. Hitherto the question of criminality in the populace has been considered only as suppressible by retribution. Men were to be awed into probity, shamed into decency, or goaded into virtue. The experience of all ages proves this to have been a most inefficacious system. Penalties, now onerous, now lenient, have 'been enforced—and still depravity has continued to flourish. Justice has been erroneously pourtrayed as wielding a sword, and sometimes, even, with the intention of vindicating the " majesty of the law," the scales of the benign goddess have been either tampered with or forgotten. A more mistaken mode of purifying a king dom from the disorders which have always been, more or less, prevalent in society, could not possibly have been a dopted. Prevent the recurrer •) of vice by instilling knowledge and the right principles of morality into the popular mind, and then, if any incorrigible specimens of licentiousness present themselves, let the offence be expiated. Give the multitude an opportunity of be coming decent citizens ; but, in the name of propriety and common sense, do not tacitly encourage, by your torior, the propagation of viliany for the more purpose of crowding your penitentiaries, or of colonifing, portions of Australia. If we look simply to the origin of crime, the mode by which it can be the most effectually prevented becomes obvious. A man gaid4l by the dictates of wisdom is inevitably virtuous ; by the right acquisition of knowledge he becomes ipso facto less liable to violate the natural code of right and wrong ;--the inference of which reasoning must be that vice is the child of ignorance. Hence for the eradication or suppression of that vice, education is the most rational and the most efficient instrument. Animated with these convictions, we cannot but yearn for some comprehensive change in this branch of legis lation. Everything goes to enforce the necessity of some radical alteration of the kind ; nor do we consider the matter as anything but feasible. Some of the calculations produced at the meeting of the THE SUN ) _L ON DON, SATURDAY MORN ENG, A.PRIL 11, 1846 closed at 31 3-16 at 30 days ; the Five per Cents. wore not quoted ; the shares of the Bank of San Fernando were 280 ; ditto of Isabel, 170. We have received the Paris papers of Wednesday. On the previous day the Minister of the Interior had stated in the Chamber of Deputies, in reply to M. LEDRU ROLLIN, that it would be attended with danger to the public service to give any information at present on the subject of the disturbances at St. Etienne ; but that, hereafter, he would give every information in his power on the subject of these disturbances. 1 The Courrier de Saint Etienne of the 6th instant says : " The strike still continues, but it is easy to perceive that the mass of the miners are only restrained from resuming work by the moral influence exercised over them by the most ardent of their companions. Yesterday morning the men of the Cate Thiolliere were about to go down into the pits, when a large troop of the dissentients came and forced them away." The Courrier de Lyon of the same day has the follow ing : " At the moment of going to press, we learn that the directors of the Compagnie Generale des Mines have taken measures to satisfy their men that the reports of the inten tion of the company to reduce the rate of wages was totally unfounded." . . The subj. , ct of free trade seems to be progressing in France. The following article on this subject, from the Journal des Dehats, will be read with feelings of interest by every free-trader. It is evident from this article, for the Debats is a semi-official journal, that the French Ministers are much in advance of the Legislature in the science of political economy. "The absolute isolation of nations, which is the object of prohibitionists, is a countersense in the present day. Is it peace or war which exits in Europe ? Is it peace or war which ought to be encouraged? Is the most evident proba bility in favour of peace or war? What is a peace in which commerce, destined to bind nations together, is subjected to a thousand obstacles, a thousand delays, a thousand vexa tions? If it is the maintenance of peace that Governments demand and ought to demand, they go right against their object in placing at each frontier excessive tariffs, like an unscaleable wall. Foreigner remains synonymous with enemy, just as if the cannon was still roaring, for a free trade between two nations is publicly qualified as a tribute paid to a foreign power, in place of becoming in the official language what it really is, a profitable arrangement for both parties, what is done but to excite relative to commerce those ideas of hostility and implacable jealousy, of which the political effects are so justly dreaded? It has been declared a thousand times fir the friends of prohibition, without their being able to give it an answer, that these abso lute prohibitions, these exorbitant duties, place every thing on a wrong footing, and in the end injure the very persons they were intended to protect. Let us take, for instance, the fabrication of linen threads and cloths by machinery. Great Britain, in whose manufactories work is done on so immense a scale, had produced a complete revolu tion in this article, and it was necessary to raise ourselves to a level with her. The principal impediment in this improvement consists in the deaniess of the spinning machines. What, however, is done ! At the moment that England permits the exportation of these machines, hitherto prohibited, in place of opening to them every entrance free of duty for a period of four or five years, which would infallibly produce the creation of numerous spinning factories, the duty on them, already elevated, has been augmented to an extreme amount. This, forsooth, is called protecting the national labour. It must be stated that this most ill-judged measure is one of those which the orators of the League delight in referring to most frequently, to prove to their auditory to what inconsistencies the prohi bitive system was sure to lead. Quite lately even ideas of free trade, presented with extreme moderation, and with due regard to the prejudices of nations, excited a sort of disdain. They were considered mere Utopian schemes, young men's dreams. Adam Smith was a madman, *ideal economists light heads ; and in order to merit the title of a practical man, the first condition was to greet free trade, even in a miti gated point of view, with a smile. The practical man in commercial matters was he who had no fixed principle; who had neither read nor written anything on the subject, if not to cause a laugh against political economy. What do practical men think of the matter at present? is Sir R. Peel a practical man? Is the avowal which he has made of his old prohibitive illusions an error, or the act of a great statesman, strong in his knowledge and his conviction? Is the striking homage which he has rendered to the memory of Adam Smith the enthusiasm of an unthinking scholar? We know well that our prohibitive gentlemen will say— ' Oh, this is another Machiavellian trick of la perfide Albion. England, which produces everything cheaper than other nations, has nothing to fear from the general reduction of duties; let us not be the dupes of this ruse de guerre.' What England, however, produces cheaper than others is not wheat, which is certainly as important a matter as any other; nor glass, paper, silk goods, nor articles of fashion, or bronzes. The act of the English Government is a sincere one, inspired by a profound conviction. This conviction takes its origin in facts, and the result is, that the English Government takes this step the first without demanding a return from any one ; it is not a bargain which it makes with other nations, but an example which it gives. It is an act of enlightened policy, a decisive demonstration in favour of the peace of the world, which thus receives a precious pledge. From what passes in England it must come to pass that in France, as elsewhere, in consequence of the move ment that has declared itself, the old prohibition system will be shaken, and that the duties will be successively modified so as to facilitate free trade. The formidable phrase of a tribute paid to foreign powers will lose its power and prestige. It will be generally understood that commercial trans actions profit the two contracting parties, nation and nation as well as individual and iadividual. Already some Govern ments, shaken by the example of Great Britain, give the signal. Absolute prohibitions will disappear from the code of nations, from ours at least, where they are still so multiplied. It will be admitted that it is good for foreign competition to make itself be felt, in order to stimulate ma nufacturing improvements. The various great interests of the kingdom are as little tractable in England as with us, and yet we find that they yield to evidence, and accept what is commanded by the general interest. We do not deny that absolute liberty of commerce is, like perpetual peace, a Utopian scheme ; but still it is one of those schemes which we ought to endeavour to approach as much as possible, and towards which we ought each day to make a step. The ultra-conduct of the partisans of the prohibitive system has at length produced a reaction which will impel us strongly in the course just alluded to. Such is the state of things, and we consider it fortunate for the country." The National gives vent to its Anglo-phobia in en article which only proves that the writer is annoyed by our recent triumphs in India, representing the victories of Moodkee, Ferozeshab, Aliwal, and Sobraon, as being merely gained by disciplined troops over a horde of barbarians, forgetting that those barbarians had been drilled, trained, and instructed for years by AVITABILE, ALLARD, and VENTURA, who had learned the art of war under NAPOLEON, and who had fre quently led the Seikhs to victory. The men, however, who shrunk not from Seikh cannon will hardly be " frighted from their propriety" by the "paper pellets" of the National. The account given in the Semaphore of Marseilles of the defeat of a large Arab force near Tlemcen, by General CAVAIGNAC, is confirmed. The combat, it appears, was very obstinate, and the Arabs lost 100 killed. The French also had a great number killed (among them one officer), and Colonel CAGNON, of the Hussars, had a horse killed under him. The France Algerienne (an Algiers journal) of the 2d says :—" As we were going to press we learned that a telegraphic dispatch had been received announcing that ABD-EL-KADER, having been surprised by General YUSUF, has withdrawn with a small number of horsemen to the tribe of the Ouled Sidiai Skihs, to the south of the Chots, and consequently to the south of our posses sions in the west, towards the frontier of Morocco. This news appears certain, and it is added that the Ex- Emir, beaten, pursued, and hunted by our troops, ac knowledges himself that he is unable to continue any longer the struggle in which be has been so long en- gaged." M. OGIER, late Colonel of the 7th Legion of the National Guards of Paris, and who was a candidate for reelection, has been rejected by a large majority, because as a Member of the Chamber of Deputies he voted for the indemnity to Mr. PRITCHARD; such, at least, is the cause assigned by the Si ecle for his rejection. The Stocks and Shares again improved on the Paris Bourse on Wednesday. The Three per Cents. closed at 83f. 75c. ; the Five per Cents., 120 f. 30c.; the Orleans Railroad shares, 1,237 f. 50c.; Rouen, 1,040 f. • Havre, 747 f. 50c.; Great Northern, 765 f. ; Avignon, 917 f. 50c. ; Yierzon, 695 f.; Bordeaux, 635 f. • Boulogne, 505 f.; Troyes and Montereau, 420 f. • Basle, 232 f: 50c.; Dieppe, 450 f. ; Paris and Strasburg, 525 f: ; Tours and Nanadn-tael4.llas4lf7pfers°Ccen; P ts., a s r 6 is % aud ;sp L a y n o is n h s, Th s r B e o e f. ; per ß c el e gi nts an ., ' 3 r 6 w lA o- . The following are the quotations for other lines Lyons and Avignon. Railroad (Talabot), 508 f.; ditto (Le cointe), 503 f. ; ditto (Compagnie Meridionale), 502 f. 50c. ; Bordeaux and Cette (Mackenzie), 502 f. 75c.; ditto (Espe leta), 509 f.; Charleroy, 490 f. LYONS, APRIL 6.—Marseilles and Avignon, 921 f. 25 e.; Paris and Orleans, 1,232 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 1,032 f. 50c. BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TILE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, APRIL 9. Dutch Rhenish, iN —East Indian, %—Great Northern of France Constituted, 15—Great Indian Peninsular, %—Great Western Ben gal, %—Louvain and Jernappe, 1% —Luxembourg, I%—wanin, and Liege, 1% —Orleans and Vierzen, 16 3 ,4 —Orleans and Bordeaux, 1014 —Over Yssel, 3—Paris and Strasbourg Constituted, s %—Rouen and Havre, 29. EXPORTATION OFROH IB WHEAT ED FROM BARBARy PIT. Gibraltar, March 31, 1846. Sir,—l have the honour to communicate that credible information, though not official, has reached this place, of the Emperor of Morocco having prohibited the ex portation of wheat from his dominions, owing, it is said, to the continued drought causing fears to be entertained for the growing crops. Saffi, Casa Blanca, and Mazagan, on the western eoast of Barbary, were the principal ports for the shipment of wheat, and many cargoes were recently sent from thence to Marseilles and Genoa. The exportation of barley has been prohibited for a long time past. Rain is much wanted in the south of Spain.—l am, Sir, respectfully, &c., (Signed) LLOYD'S AGENT. W. Dubson, Esq., Secretary, Lloyd's. MORTALITY OF THE METROPOLIS. —The total number of deaths registered in the metropolis during the week ending April 4, is 1,080, including deaths from violence, the total number of deaths, except from violence, is 988, showing a de crease in the number of deaths from disease, as compared with the preceding week, of 25. iseases of the lungs and organs of respiration, appear to h a ve been the most fatal diseases of the week, no less than 316 persons having died from them. CUSTOMS' APPOINTMENT.—CharIes Sholl, Eeq., Col lector of Gweek, has been appointed to the office of Comp• troller at the port of Laucaoter.--Fg/mouth Packet. THE WEST INDIA MAIL. The Royal mail :steam -ship Avon, Captain R. S. Norton, arrived at Southampton last night, bringing the I mails from Mexico and the West Indies. At Tampico and Vera Cruz there had been some severe gales. The weather at Bermuda was very bad, a gale having com menced on the 17th, and continued to the 23d. The Avon left on the following day (after the arrival of the outward-bound packet, the Thames), and made the run rom Bermuda in sixteen days. Her latest dates are — Tampico, Feb. 25; Honduras, Feb. 26; Carthagena, Feb. 27; Chagres, Feb. 27; Vera Cruz, March 2; De merara, March 5; Trinidad, March 7; La Guayra, March 7; Havannah, March 10; Jamaica, March 11; Barbadoes, March 13; Grenada, March 14; St. Thomas, March 17; and Bermuda, March 24. She brings home fifty-five passengers, besides a very valuable cargo, consisting of 2,014,085 dollars (49,481 of which are from Vera Cruz, on account of the Mexican dividends), 1,000 dollars in gold dust, 10,000/. worth of pearls, 2811 b. 3oz. of platina, 146/. 15s. in British coin, 38 serails of indigo, and 91 ditto of cochineal, besides other minor packages. The following ships of war were lying at Vera Cruz: — Her Majesty's sloop Rose; the United States squadron, under the command of Commodore Connor, consisting of the Falmouth, 22 guns; John Adams, 22 guns; St. Mary, 22 guns; and Porpoise brig, 16 guns; also the French corvette La Perouse, 18 guns; the Spanish brig Patinta, 18 guns; the Mexican squadron Montezuma and Guada oupe steamers, of 7 guns each; two brigs of 16 guns; and five schooners of 5 guns. At Havannah, the Spanish ship, Sovereigns, 74 guns ; and French brig Griffon, 10 guns ; at Nassau, ber Ma jesty's ship Thunder, surveying vessel ; and at Ber muda, her Majesty's ship Endymion. Her Majesty's ship's Vindictive, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir F. Austin, and Eurydice, arrived at St. Thomas's on the 21st of February from 14fartinique, and sailed the same afternoon for Jamaica. The Vin dictive was expected at Havannah on the 19th ult., on her way to Bermuda. Her ,Idajesty's frigate America was at Mazatlan, west coast of Mexico, on the 10th February. She was to sail, however, in two days for Valparaiso and England with upwards of 2,000,000 dollars on board. Her Ma jesty's brig Frolic was also at Mazatlan, and the Talbot at Saint Blas. The American squadron, consisting of two frigates, three sloops, and two store-ships, under the command of Commodore Host, was also at Mazatlan ; and several otber American vessels of war were daily expected. The Avon exchanged colours, on the 4th of April, with the Wellereden, homeward bound ; on the Bth, with the Caroline, of Poole, outward bc.und ; and on the same day with the Duncan, also outward bound. The Company's steamer Medway bad left Havannah for Vera Cruz, the Tweed had gone to the Windward Islands, the Forth was at Carthagena, the Severn a' Jamaica, the Thames at Bermuda, and the City of Glas gow and Reindeer at Grenada. MEXICO. Mexico, when the Avon left, was quiet but uneasy, and it was generally expected that the Federalists would shortly assume the reins of Government. The Mexican Government still refused to recognise Mr. Slidell, the American Minister, who continued to reside at Julapa. Several more American ships of war were expected at Vera Cruz, and it was surmised that on their arrival the coast would be declared in a state of blockade. There was a report current in Mexico that 3,000 of the United States troops had marched to the Rio Grande. The Americans who were cruising off Matemoras had forcibly taken off two Mexican pilots, and forced them to navi gate their ships. The Mexican steamer Guadeloupe bad landed 300 troops at Tampico from Vera Cruz. She had likewise on board several guns for the batteries, but as the weather was tempestuous she was unable to get over the bar, and was consequently obliged to return ts Vera Cruz without landing the guns. Santa Anna was still at Havannah. JAMAICA. The accounts of the crops are most favourable. A memorial of the planters, merchants, and inhabi- stnts of the island to the English Government, praying For a reduction of the duty payable in England on the importation of West India spirits, has been sent home by the Avon. The inhabitants were anticipating the formation of the promised railways. The traffic on the Kingston Railway continued to improve. From the thirteenth report of the Planters' Bank it appears the directors have declared a dividend of 5 per cent., and added nearly 2,0001. to the reserved fund, which now amounts to 11,283/. 19s. 10d. On the sth ult. the shock of an earthquake had been felt in the southern part of the island. It had not, how ever, caused any damage. Lieut. B. Young, R.N., of the Persian, had been sen tenced by Court-martial to be dismissed his ship, and put at the bottom of the list of lieutenants, for drunken ness. The Court-martial was held on board the Imaum. The arrival of the Canopus was hourly expected, when the Avon left. 1 per cent. pin. ; 90 days, Bank, 30 days , 14 per cent. E X CHANGES ON LONDON. — Planters' Bank, 30 days, pm. i mp per ..;r 6e c o e n nt days, ap y r n, s !: . 1 ; pa6er Jamaica a cidays,cean cent. p m ; 90 days. 4 per cent. pm. Colonial Bank, 30 days, 14 per cent. pm. ; 60 clays, 1 per cent. pm. ; 90 days, per cent. pm. DISSOLUTION OF S. RAILWAY CO MPANIES The railway public is indebted to Mr. Labouchere, for extracting from Sir Robert Peel an intimation of the course by which he proposes to place them in possession proposed by the of scripholders to ofthe Go vernmentgeneral for e o n u a t b l i n n e g o af themajority ob tain a dissolution of the Companies by petition. The more that this matter is canvassed, the stronger the opinion becomes that the Government scheme is totally inadequate to meet the crisis, and that it will be diffi cult, if not in many instances impossible, to carry it out in practice. Not that there is much weight given to the difficulties that have been started against the right of scripholders to sign the petitions, because the sale of railway scrip previous to complete registration has been legalised by a solemn decision of the Courts of Law. The allottees who have sold their scrips have di vested themselves of their interest in the companies, but they have not been relieved from their responsibility. The parties entitled to sign the petitions are the immediate holders of the scrips, and for that purpose possession of the scrip is held to be a sufficient warrant. It is necessary, however, to draw a line between signing petitions to dissolve, and voting at any meetings that may be called to consider such a purpose. To obtain a dissolution of any company, it seems to be required by the Government plan that a majority in value of scripholders mast exhibit their signatures to a petition to Parliament, praying the House to interfere. The number of signatures is of no importance. Unless they represent a majority in value, the petition will not be sufficient to stay the progress of the Bill. Should scripholders imagine that they could increase their influ ence by giving 100 shares to as many porters, they will find themselves mistaken. The 100 porters would still represent nothing more than their single author. If he was the holder of 100 shares, they would be so and nothing more. Their signatures would be worth just that amount of value, and nothing would be gained by such a device. It would be requisite, nevertheless, to guard against splitting of scrips in the event of meet ings being sanctioned. In that event there would appear to be difficulties to be encountered at tending the working of the Ministerial scheme that are almost insuperable. But we have already said that the plan itself is now looked upon as totally insufficient, and that the prevailing opinion is to adopt the converse of it as the proper remedy. We cannot say that the reference by the Premier to the Railway Department of the Board of Trade is calculated to in spire confidence for the efficiency of the measure. There has been something ominous and disastrous in the past proceedings of that unfortunate tribunal, with respect to railways. Everybody looked upon it as defunct, and its resuscitation at the present moment looks as if Sir Robert Peel merely used it for the nonce, to get rid, for a time, of one of his pressing difficulties. The heavier descrip tions of shares have fully maintained to-day . the slight improvement we noticed yesterday. There is no new feature in English Scrips. The principal attraction in Foreign Shares has been the meeting of the shareholders in the Dutch Rhenish line, which is understood io have passed off satisfactorily. Independently of a detail of the prospects and merits of the line, which were pre sented in a copious report by the directors to the meet ing, the leading results are that the shares are ordered in to be registered, a call of il. per share is to be an nounced, and a dividend is alluded to of 2s. 6d. per share, to be paid in the course of a few months.—Chronicle, City article. THE LATE FATAL OCCURnENCE AT THE MILE IND•GATE.—On Thursday an inquest, which was twice ad- Journed, was resumed and concluded at the London Hospital, before Mr. Baker, on the body of James Eastmead Bradley , aged twenty, the son of the collector of tolls at the Mile-end gate, who died in the above institutio n on Sanda y morning from injuries received the day p revious by the wheels of a cart passing over his body. After a long discussion relating to the tick e t s an d t h e mode of collecti n g tolls on the road, the pre vailed, were locked up. After four hours' deliberati on, twelve jury, among whom a great difference of op inion of the fourteen jurymen returned a verdict that the de ceased came by his death by the wheels of a loaded cart passing over his body, but by what means he was forced under the said cart there was no satisfactory evidence before them. Two of the jury were for a verdict of manslaughter against Roll: SUDDEN DEATH IN THE STREET. —Thursday evening Mr. Bedford held an inquest at the Two Chairmen. Dart mouth-street, Westminster, on t he bod y of 'John Minnes, aged fifty. two. The deceased was a d ischar g ed soldier, and obtained a precariouslivelihood by hawking prints at publi houses. On Wednesday evening he left left home, apparently quite well, and about twelve o'clock he was found by . a police-constable of the B division, on t he ste p s of a door in Great George-street, Westminster , in a senseless state. He was conveyed immediately on a stretch er to the Westminster Hospital, where Mr. Sibley, the house-surgeon, pronounced life to be quite extinct, and it was further discovered that he died from long-standing disease of the heart. Verdict — Natural death. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, FRIDAY.—The Queen and Prince Albert took an early airing in a pony phaeton this morning. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, were taken a carriage airing in the forenoon. Divine service was performed to-day (Good Friday) in the private chapel of the Castle. The Hon. and Rev, C. Leslie Courtenay officiated. Her Majesty and Prince Albert attended the afternoon service. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal were taken out in the pleasure grounds of the Castle this afternoon. The Duke of Cambridge visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, on Thursday, at Gloucester House. Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial office from the Governor of Jamaica, and also from the Governor of the other West India Colonies. The Dean of Westminster preached the sermon yesterday in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The prayers were read by the Rev. Dr. Vivian, the lessons by the Rev. Dr. Dakins, and the Communion service by the Sub-Dean. Lord and Lady Ernest Bruce, Lords St. Germans, Hawarden, and Vivian were among the nobility present. MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS. (From The San of Last Night.) To-day is observed as a strict holiday in the City, and there is nothing particular to communicate, for parties merely call for their letters, and this but in a few instances, and take them home for perusal. COURSE OF EXCFIANGF.—(YESTERDAY.) Amsterdam .... C.F. 19 9% Gibraltar.. ••.••• • • • • • • Ditto, at sight • ... 12 6 Leghorn . Rotterdam 2U. 12 10 Genea .. •••• • • • 26 15 Antwerp. . thimburgh ......M.B. 13 15% Venice .. .•••••• • • • • • • • Altona •• . Paris, 3 days' sight .. • . 25 85 Palermo, per 0z........ 119% Ditto, 3 months...... 26 10 Marseilles • ..... • ..... 26 IS Oporto .•..• • • • • 52% Bourdeaux.... Frankfort on Maine.... 122% Bahia .. Petersburgh, 3 U 5.... . • Buenos Ayres .. ••• . • • Kerlin ..... •• • • New York, 21 days' sight Vienna, effee. tlo ••• • • • 10 11 Philadelphia .......... Trieste, ditto.... • • .... 10 11% moms OF BULLION, ?LI 01. Madrid ••.. • • • ....... 36% Foreign Gold in bars ...£3 17 9 Cadiz • • ... : ...... 36% Portugal Gold Coin ••3 17 5 Bilbao.. ••••.• • • • • • New Doubloons 00 0 Barcelona ••..•• . • • . New Dollars ••. . • • 04 9% Seville.. •• •... • ..... Silver in bars ...... •• 0 4 11.4 t HAMBURGII BORSENHALLE, APRIL 7. Bills. Money Austrian 5 per Cents •••••••• • • • • • • • • 113 Bank Shares •• • • ••• • • • • • Anglo-Russian Loan .• ••• • • • 107)4 Russian 5 per Cent., Harnb. Certificate. 161% Ditto Ist series Inscription. • • • • • 10234 Ditto, Hope and Co., 3d and 4th series• • 96 Ditto, in Certificate.... ••• • • • ........ 96 New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. ••• . • • Ditto Stieglitz • • • •••• • • • ••••• • • • • Spanish New 5 per Cent • • 17 Ditto 3 per Cent .. • • • • • • • • 2634 Anglo-Portugueee Loan, 234 per Cent • • Dutch Actual Debt, 234 per Cent ..... 59 Ditto 3 per Cent. ••••..••• • • • • • • • Polish New 4 per Cent. Joan, 1844.. • • 61 Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent •••• • • 86% National Bank Shares• •••••••• • • • • • •• AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, APRIL 2 5 per Cent. Metalliques• • ••• • • • • • II I 15-16 4 per Cent. ditto .• •••••• • • • • • • • • 101 3 per Cent. ditto.. •••••• • • • • • . .• •• .. 75 Loan, 1834 .. • • •• • • •• • ............ ..... 154 Ditto, 1839 • • •• • • • • • • • • .• ............ 122 Bank Shares ••• • • • • • • • • • •• ••••••••••• 1572 Estorhazy's Loan ••.•• • •• ••••••• • • •• •• •Aligemeine Zeitung, April 5. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. NEWARKET CRAVEN MEETING. The following horses have arrived at Newmarket in the course of the week : Lord Stradbroke's Idas, Lynmus, and Pole Cat—Lord Chesterfield's Lady Wildair, Arkright, and Free Lane—Lard Glamis's Satyr—Colonel Auson's Toga—Lord Maidstone's Tom Tullock—Colonel Anson's Austrian, Turpin, and Row land Hill—Mr. Jacques's Spur—Mr. Bowes's Ukrane, Volga, and ilowerina. The stables are healthy, and all the horses here, except the Lucetta colt, doing good work. The weather is fine, and the course in good order. Vol-au-vent is declared not to start. HUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Her Majesty's stag hds, Mon., Stoke Common—lo%. B. V. H., Tues., Stoke Wood; Fri., Whatcomb Wood -11/ (a deer). Cambridgeshire hds., Tues., George Inn (Buckden). Mr. Horredon's hds., Mon., Golberdown ; Thurs., Five Lanes-10/. WINDING-UP OF RAILWAY SCHEMES. CLAUSE PROPOSED BY MR. HUDSON TO BE INSERTED IN ALL RAILWAY BILLS OF THE PRESENT SESSION BY WHICH NEW COMPANIES ARE TO BE INCORPO- RATED. And be it enacted that the directors shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, cause the names and addition of all the several corporations and persons entitled to shares in the company. to be entered in the " Register of the Shareholders." directed to be kept by " the Companies Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845 ;" and the said directors shall cause an extra, ordinary meeting of the shareholders in the com pany to be called within six months from the t ass ing of this Act, for the purpose of consider ing and determining whether the company shall proceed in the execution of the powers of this Act, or whether such company shall be forthwith dissolved ; and it shall be lawful for such meeting so called, at which three-fifths at least of the shareholders shall be present either personally or by proxy,to determine either that the company shall proceed in the execution of the powers of this Act, or that the company shall be forthwith dissolved ; provided that before such meeting be called, it shall not be lawful for the company or the directors to put in force any of the powers of this Act relative to the taking or using of land; and in case such meeting so called shall determine that the company be forth with dissolved, the company shall be thereupon forthwith dissolved accord ingly, except for the purpose of winding up the affairs thereof as hereinafter mentioned; and thenceforth all the powers of this Act with relation to the taking or using of land, or otherwise, shall absolutely cease and determine anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstand• ing (subject, and without prejudice to all existing debts. liabilities, or agreements contracted or entered into by the company, and subjectl to the provisions hereinafter contained); and the directors, after full payment and satisfaction, in the first instance, of all the debts, liabi lities, and agreements contracted or entered into by the company, and of such compensation as hereby provided, shall divide the residue or surplus of the moneys and effects of or belonging to the said company, rateably among the shareholders in the said company in propor tion to their respective interests therein ; provided ne vertheless that the company shall make full compensa tion to all owners, lessees, and occupiers of land and others, inithe same manner as is herein provided in cases of compensation for land required for the purposes of this Act, for all loss, damage, costa, charges, and ex penses, which they may respectively have sustained or been put unto in consequence of the proceedings of the company in obtaining this Act, or under any powers thereof ; the amount to be ascertained, in case of dis pute, by the verdict of a jury, or by reference to arbitra tion, as hereinbefore provided in other cases of disputed compensation ; and all corporations and persons to or with whom such debts, liabilities, or agreements shall have been contracted or entered into, or who shall be entitled to any such compensation as aforesaid. shall, notwithstanding the determination of such meeting, have such and the same rights and remedies against the said company for the recovery and enforcement thereof respectively, as they would have had if no such meeting had taken place, and as if the company had continued to exist. And be it further eacted, that it the directors shall not within four months from the passing of this Act, cause due notice of such extraordinary meeting to be given, it shall be lawful for any six or more of the persons entitled to shares in the said undertaking, holding in the whole shares or stock to the amount of at least 5,0001., to call such meeting by notice, signed by such shareholders, and published in the manner required by this Act, with regard to extraordinary meetings of the Com pany, and the proceedings of the meeting so called by such shareholders, at which three-fifths at least of the shareholders shall be present, either personally or by proxy, shall be as valid, and shall have the same force and effect as if such meeting had been duly called by the directors ; and for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the said company, in case such meeting shall determine on the dissolution thereof, it shall he lawful for such meeting to appoint a Committee, consisting of such number of persons as they shall think fit, being shareholders in the company ; and the directors shall forthwith transfer to such committee all documents, books, papers, and accounts of or belonging to the company, and shall also transfer to such committee all moneys, security for money, and other effects and property of or belonging to the company ; and snch committee, or the survivors or survivor thereof, shall forthwith proceed to wind up the affairs of the company, and shall, in the first place, convert into money such of the effects as shall not consist of money, and pay and discharge all the debts, contracts, and liabilities of the company, and subject thereto, and to the necessary ex penses of such committee in the execution of their powers, the surplus of the said moneys shall be forthwith divided by such committee rateably amongst the shareholders in the company in proportion to their respective interests therein ; and in the event of the directors refusing or neglecting to tran sfer to anysucmhocommittee documents, books, papers , and accounts , other property and effects of the company,nc witKin , ten days after demand , in writing, dby such com mittee, or the survivors or survivor of them, and delivered to any one of such directors, or left at his last or usual place of abode, it shall be lawful for such committee, or the survivors or survivor of them, to pass a resolution that such company is desirous but to wind up its affairs ; and upon a copy of such resolution, signed by any one or more of such committee, being filed in the office of the Lord Chancel lor's secretary of bankrupts, every such company shall be deemed to have committed an act of bankruptcy at the time of filing the copy of such resolution, and thereupon such proceedings shall be had and taken for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the said company as are di rected in and by an Act passed in the eighth year of the reign of her present Majesty, intituled, " An Act for faci litating the winding up the affairs of Joint-Stock Com panies unable to meet their pecuniary engagements," in the case of any of the acts of bankruptcy therein mentioned being committed by the companies therein referred to •, provided that notice shall be given by the directors or such coir mittee as aforesaid, if appointed, of the determination of such meeting ef shareholders, to be called as aforesaid, with reference to the proceeding in the execution of the powers of this Act, or the dissolution of the company, in the London Gazette, and in one or more newspapers of each county, in which the lands proposed to be affected by this Act shall lie, within fourteen days from the holding of such meeting; and at any such meeting to be held as aforesaid, the voting shall take place in the manner coroners, which had been a matter of dispute between prescribed in the " Companies Clauses Consolidation he m and the Court for some time. Act, 1845," with reference to meetings of shareholders Thomas Wakley, Esq , one of the Coroners of this thereiu referred to. i county, having, on the 2d ult., cerernitted a prisoner, charged before him with murder, to this prison, to be subsequently taken before an adjourned inquesA to be held by him, and the visiting justices entertaining doubts of the coroner's power to make such a commitment, they caused a letter (of which they lay a copy before the Gaut) to be addressed, n tl:e 10th ult., to the Secre tary of State for the Home Department, on the sub ject ; in reply whereto they have received from the Home-office the accompanying letter, dated the 25th ult. In consequence of the (Onion of the law officers of the Crown, as conveyed in the last-mentioned letter, and con firmatory of the judgment they had previously ex pressed, the visiting justices have instructed the governor of the prison not to receive into his custody prisoners committed by a coroner, in any other manner than to be " discharged by due course of law," and they have also transmitted to Mr. Wakley a copy of their letter of the 10th ultimo to the Secretary of State, and of the reply thereto from the Home-office, and acquaint,. it him with the direcsi ,ns they have gi e i to the governor and they trust that this topic of long and irritating eon troversy will never be henceforth revived. " Carlisle- street, Soho, 10th March, 1846. " Sir,—l am directed by the visiting justices of the House of Correction, at Westminster, to transmit you the enclosed copy of a warrant i sued by Thomas Wekley, Esq., one of the coroners for Middlesex, to the governor of that prison, requiring him to receive, and under which he accordingly received, the body of Mary Ann Martha Hicks, charged with wilful murder, and to keep her in his custody until the 9th instant, and then to take her before the coroner and his adjourned inquest. The visiting justices have been informed that the pri soner had been previously sent by the coroner to New gate. and there refused. "To the visiting justices it appears to be doubtful whether a coroner has, by law, the right of committing a prisoner charged before him to custody, for the pur pose of securing his or her presence before him and his inquest,' and that he has only the power, either as a conservator of the peace without holding an inquest, or as coroner after the verdict of an inquest, of commuting a person charged before him, or against whom a verdict may have been returned (as the case may be), to prison, until discharged by due course of law), and which opinion is confirmed by a pamphlet lately published on the subject by David Jardine, Esq., one of the metropolitan police magic' traces. The visiting justices are anxious on the one hand to protect the governor of their prison, and on the other hand to take care that due obedience be paid to the warrant of a coroner, and they are therefore desirous of being favoured with your opinion, or With that of the law officers of the Crown, as to the legality of a commitment by a coroner of a prisoner for the pur pose of securing his or her presence at an adjournen inquest. 'They are encouraged to make this request by their knowledge that the subj,ct has been brought under the consideration of your office, and by their conviction that the law should not remain doubtful, but should be settled either by a jut icial determination or a legislativ e enactment. —I have the honour, &c. (Signed) " C. P. ALLEN, " Clerk to the Visiting Justices. " The Right Hon. Sir J. Graham, Bart." " Whitehall, March 25, 1846- " Gentlemen,—l am directed by Secretary Sir Jone s Graham to acknowledge the receipt of your clerk's letter , dated the 10th inst., enclosing a copy of a warrant of Ilfr' Wakley, one of the coroners for Middlesex, for the con l ,; mittal of a person charged before him with mur der, an .s ," requesting that the warrant might be laid before the 15 " officers of the Crown, and their opinion asked as to th e power of the coroner to require the gaoler to receive int ° his custody, and bring before him at an adjourned in' quest, the person so charged. And lam to inform Y (34 ' the law officers are of opinion that such committal car not legally be for safe custody for the purpose of bring: ing the party before the inquest, but only until the party shall be discharged by due course of law ; 1 t i further to suggest that it may be proper to give not"'; to the coroner before you act upon the information he re communicated to you. I have, &c., " S. M. PHILLIPPS. "To the visiting Justices of the House of Correction, Westminster." The report was received. JUVENILE OFFENDERS. .51 The CHAIRMAN laid before th e C our t a merno I from the committee of the Phila n th ro pi c Society 10 ; the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders. [This docultie p t has already appeared in our columns.] He said t ha , the subject was one of infinite magnitude, and no tae, which they could command would be lost, if voted to the consideration of this important bref ) , s , of criminal jurisprudence.—(Hear, hear.) It was dia cult beyond conception to take up the subject, and B`'o, more difficult to suggest a practicable plan for the atts'A. ment of the object they had all so much at bell, The justices of that county had, however, overcornea fficulties in respect to prison discipline, and the treat in fle of the insane, which at first sight appeared insupertiuel: and that induced him strongly to desire that ,_ would take up this yet more important subject in sil o ., amplitude. As had been done in another titil lr , he sugg(sted that that Court should also do—natn e ls appoint a commi tee to inquire into the whole subjeet'm would not stultify the Court, and they would have gibe tlemen, of the combined experience and wisdom of g r o tlemen, many of whom had devoted their lives t ° 0 , amelioration of the condition of their fellow' c ' t bs tures.—(Hear. hear, and cheers.) In hi s opinion ,0 present system of dealing with offending children 7 Cet a most expensive way of brin g i ng t h em u p in /: or and he had an ardent hope that the philanthroNso the age would yet succ ee d i n d ev i s i ng an aln elioro n . system of treatm en t f or t h ese poor c hild ren. }if e eluded by moving th a t th e memor i a l b e re f er red - t og committee to inquire an d re p or t t o th e C our t respee ta o * v e, the best mode of c h ec ki ng th e grow th o f juvenile co and promoting the reformation of juvenile offender s lis Mr. WIL ES s econ d e d th e mo ti on , b u t thought t foll was a matter in which Government alone could eifiet e interfere. MEETING of MIDDLESEX MAGIS- TRATES. A meeting of justices of the county of Middlesex was held on Thursday at Hicks's Hall, Clerkenwell-green,for the transaction of business. Mr. Pownall in the chair. The minutes of the preceding Court were read and confirmed. COUNTY RATE. The report of the committee on the county treasurer's accounts was brought up, upon which Mr. BENJAMIN HALL moved that a rate of three farthings in the pound be granted, which was agreed to. THE LUNATIC ASYLUM AT HANWELL, The report of the committee of visitors of the County Lunatic Asylum was brought up and read. Mr. TULK (chairman of the committee) directed espe cial attention to the following paragraph in the report, containing the official report of the present state of the asylum, by the Commissioners in Lunacy, appointed under the new statute Bth an , " 9th Vic., c. 126. "It is gratifying to the committee of visitors that upon this, as upon muny former occasions, they can speak of the condition of the asylum in terms of cordial approval. The ward attendants are observant of the humane reg❑lations adopted at Hanwell; and, on the part of the officers, there is no relaxation of effort in their several departments to obviate every difficulty against which it is possible in such an institution to guard. It is due to the officers that this testimony be borne to their continued exertions and zeal; and the more so, as the Commissioners in Lunacy, whose office it is to watch over the condition of such asylums, have, at a recent visit, recorded their opinion of our establishment, notwithstanding its magnitude, in the following terms:— " Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, March 17, 1846. " We have spent this day and yesterday in officially visiting and inspecting this asylum. We have gone through the various yards, wards, workshops, and out buildings, and have seen all the patients now in the in stitution. We have also examined into the quality . and allowance of the food supplied to the patients, and have made the other inquiries relative to the patients and the management of the asylum and the general condition of the establishment which are directed by the Act of Parliament. " The fare of the patients appeared to us to be of ex cellent quality, and the allowance to be liberal. The clothing and bedding were clean, comfortable, and good. The galleries, day-rooms, dormitories, and single bed rooms were clean and well ventilated, and with some slight exceptions, free from any offensive smell. " The patients are at present 981 in number, of whom 413 are males, and 568 females. None of them at the time of our visit were under any mechanical coercion. Two of the females were under seclusion. " Generally speaking, they were in a quiet and com fortable state. Signed, "J. W. MYLNE, J. R. HUME, Commissioners B. W. PROCTER, in Lunacy." J. C. PRICHARD, Upon the rnoticn that the report be received, Mr. LAURIE wished to ask a question in reference to a subject which had ogitated the county so long ; he alluded to the proposed extension of the buildings at Hanwell, so strongly objected to by a large portion of the inhabitants of Middlesex. Had the Committee re ceived any communication from the Commissioners in Lunacy or the Secretary of State respecting that sug gested increase of the establishment? Mr. Tura( said that the Committee had had a commu nication from the Commissioners in Lunacy, and were preparing a reply. Mr. LAURIE begged to know the effect of the Com missioners' report? It was highly important that the public should know. Mr. TuLx replied, that their opinion was unfavour , able to the increase of the buildings now at Hanwell. They had given their reasons, which in his opinion were futile and inconclusive. Some further conversation took place, and it was elicited is the course of the day that Sir James Graham was al , o hostile to the further augmentation of the pre sent establishment. The report was received. THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION. The report of the visiting justices of the House of Correction was read. The number of prisoners was larger than usual, amounting to 1,023, of whom 757 were male, 266 females, and 10 children. Appended to the report was an extract from the 10th report of the prison in spectors, paying a high compliment to the magistracy and officers for the state of admirable order in which they found every part of the gaol, and the degree of com parative comfort enjoyed by its inmates. Mr, LAURIE objected to the printing of this extract unaccompanied by some partial strictures contained in another part of the Commissioners' observations. Mr. WILKS, chairman of the visiting justices, said that if that was a fitting opportunity he would be glad to enter into a discussion of the whole sub ject of prison discipline, especally those parts in which they might be found at issue with the inspectors, if there should be any material difference of opinion between them, which he was happy to say was not likely to be the case, from the s eneral commen dation the home inspectors had bestowed upon the county gaols, which were unparalleled for the excelleney of their arrangements.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. WILSON animadverted upon the conduct of the prison inspectors. He thought that before twelve months had passed these gentlemen would be shown up to the world. He alluded, he said, to the shameful misrepre sentations respecting Bridewell Hospital.—(Order.) Mr. ROTCII said that the very object of the appoint ment of prison inspectors was to point out defects, and their office would melt into nothing were they to pander to the prejudices of the magistrates. Their reports had been productive of great good, and tended strongly to keep the magistrates to their duty.—(Hear, hear). Mr. Laurie's amendment for the omission of the extract or the reference of the report, was lost by a majority of 14 to 11. The report was then received and ordered to be printed. The motion was then agreed to nem. con. A numerous committee was then named. 05 b The Court, after transacting some further routin e pess, adjourned. THE WESTMINSTER BRIDEWELL. The report of the visiting justices of the Westminster Bridewell was read. The number of prisoners was 677, of whom 500 were males, and 177 females, all (,rderly and healthy. From the Ist September, when the com mittals to the New Prison (now in course of demolition) ceased, to the 3d of April, the number of committals to the Bridewell was 3 830. and since the 21st February to the date of the last report, the number was 754. THE COMMITMENT OF SUICIDAL PRISONERS. Having mentioned the details that usually form the princ . pal portion of their reports, the visiting justices proceed to invite the notice of the Court to some m a t ters that have required peculiar consideration, and as to which they deem it proper that the Court and county should be fully informed. The visiting justices having learned that on the 11th ult a prisoner who had been committed for re-exami nation on a charge of murder, strangled himself in the prison, and that no intimation had been given by the committing magistrate to the governor of his being in an unsound state of mind, or inclined to commit suicide, they directed their clerk to address the letter, of which they annex a copy, dated the 18th ult., to the Secretary of . State for the Home Department, from whom theyreceived an answer on the 21st ult., and, though unaware whether the directions suggested have been issued from the Home-office, they have understood with pleasure that in some subsequent cases their hints have been carried into effect in cases of committals from th e po li ce . courts. The visiting justices, in making their pro ceedings known to the Court, beg to draw the attention of the magistracy of the county at large to the sugges tion contained in their letter, and to impress on them the propriety of their adopting it in every case which shall come before them, and to which the suggestion may be applicable ; as otherwise, prisoners so peculiarly afflicted may not receive special attention, and sad catas trophes, distressful to the governor, and painful to the public mind, may unhappily occur : " Carlisle -street, Soho, March 18, 1846. " Sir—A prisoner named John Rofe, who was com mitted to the blouse of Correction at Westminster, on the 9th instant, from Worship-street Police-court, to be brought up for further examination, for cutting and wounding Edwin Rofe, with intent to murder him, strangled himself in the water-closet of the prison, on the 11th instant, while the van was waiting to re-convey him to the police-court. In consequence of this melancholy event, I am directed by the visiting justices to acquaint you that it has occurred to them, that it is desirable that whenever a prisoner who is about to be commited shall appear t f o be insane or of unsound mind, or shall be suspected o private in sanity, or an inclination to commit suicide, he a by the communication on the subject should t the you o p a r i so willn committing And mronorerquoef therefore magistrate police magistrates. With reference to Rote's i t n o str th uc e te g d ove t case, be pleased to issue directions to that effect to the f the warrant , as the fact was, that the person whom I am desired to o bserve that it did not a pp ear on the face o he attempted to murder was his own son, an intimation whereof would probably have led the governor to sus pect that the prisoner was not of sound mind, and that no communication was made, or message delivered, from the committing magistrate to the governor, either of that fact or any other, that would induce special atten tion or precautions with respect to him, although it did happen that both by the surgeon and the officers parti cular attentions were afforded to the prisoner. "I am further directed to state that the coroner's jury who sat on the body, in returning their verdict, unanimously expressed themselves satisfied that every reasonable precaution had been taken by the governor and the officers of the prison against the commission of suicide, and that a relative of the deceased, who attended the inquest, joined in that opinion, and thanked the governor for the vigilance and kindness which he had shown to the prisoner. The visiting justices, also, having caused inquiry to be made into the circumstances of the case, are happy to be able fully to exonerate the governor and all the officers from any blame on the occasion, yet they trust that the precau tionary measures they have suggested will be approved and sanctioned by you —1 have lhe honour to , e. " C. Y. ALLEN, Clerk to the Justices. "To the Right Hon. Sir James Graham, Bart." " Wheehall, 21st March, 1846. " Sir,--I am directed by Secretary Sir James Gra ham to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, submitting a suggestion of the visiting justices of the House of Correction at Westminster that instructions should be given to the police magistrates to make a private communication to the governor on the committal of any prisoner who is insane, or suspected to be of insane mind, or inclined to commit snicide.—l am, Sir, &c., " S. M. PIIILLIPPS. " C. P. Allen, Esq." THE POWER OF COMMITTAL BY THE CORONERS. The report alluded to the power of committal by the INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINERS. r ' TUESDAY.—Sir John Rennie, E president, in the e boi pr i f er The conversation upon the Estuary of the ',id Severn being renewed, led to an interesting disc us ?' upon the River Clyde, and the capability of hol/ o eo ments of that river, which will be continued at the meeting. , s The paper read was a short notice by Mt . u'aftc? chanan, explanatory of a plait and sections of the Lothian coal-fields. af of The coal • field treated of i s th a t b y w hi c h the eL7I to Edinburgh has long been supplied, and it was ate" erf be still very far from being exhausted, but that large portion of the coal seams were rendered use' e c„ - ;iog account of the vast volume of w a t er w hi c h , pe reearo, through the old working pervaded the freestone — te above the coal, and poured down in such qu antitie s o reo t the pumping engines were barely sufficient to keeheect °` the present workin gs ; it t h ere f ore b ecame the °,14,4-raify, the proprietor s t o o b ta i n an extens i ve system 01 'ivy' age throughout the coal-field. Mr. Buddle, of fi t' castle, was request e d to draw up a report on the s-u to '- from which it appeared that the great difficulty o pl encountered arose from the circumstance that Iv! t , water communication existed throughout the dist ri a primping-engine placed in any one spot woolc ode' the water from every part around, which would r og e .: it an operation involving great labour and e%P o e pti' l which ought to be borne equally by all the mine P eg ret, tors. The paper then described the situation of broe" dyke by which the coal was intersected and toel, eighty fathoms upwards; the north-east bounda* he the seams are standing on edge ; and then gave t ere: 1 ferent seams of coal and their qualities. These v v , 5 fie Splint coal, 3 feet thick, good quality; rough c0ti!9.,40 0 ' thick, good quality; bufie coal, 4 feet thick, ' uteri (/ ' lity, not much worked; diamond coal, 4 feet thic k ; o o oe. able when found; jewel coal, 4 feet thick, most 0 %, 05 , At the monthly ballot for members, the followili/V, didates were elected:—William Froude, John 'els jun., and Edward Woods, as members; Charle s _ au clt ham, J. B. Huntington, and the Rev. S. J. It*" be associates. The following paper was announced to be read °S meeting of April 21:— fi les No. 737. On the combustion of fuel unde r 1 1, boilers, with a description of Bodwer's fire gra te J. G. Bodmer, M. Inst. C.E. r CONVEYANCE OF THE SOUTH MAILS BY 000 e,r CHESTER AND BIRMINGRA M RAILWAY.—We a re ;00 0 .0 41 learn that this long-desired accommodation to the: e ai. cial public of Manchester h as b een a t l eng th effeclir "00 that, from the let June next, the mails to and front 100 M ham, London, and the so u th, will be transmitted 11 0 ; s‘ o Manchester and Birmingham line, between Crew e ,..0 0 .4 0 town, instead of being conveyed round by Warrilliot loss of nearly an hour each way. This boon hal e iyA, o o o conceded to the oft-repeated and almost importem la t i l fs to e requirements of the mercantile community of _ e , o f and neighbourhood. It is not granted in sies'i n co o o 4 ' memorials of the merchants and manufe k e ., t o'' the two commercial associations in t`ko ; or of the corporation of the borough. vo lf '1 5 0; railway companies, who had rival interests, have in tor',„o; gamated ; and that which has all along been the n, t be ' 41 , 0 the community, having also become the terest , r be r e bined railway bodies, the thing is at once settled. l ies, L en t: history of the resistance, by the Post-office autheirci pr es ,l 4 ; requirements of the public at Manchester, I'o.' l ' os ie,;0 0 , , curious picture of the way in which public 130'5 n il t';ity td times managed. But this has now gone by; oie shall add on the subject is, that for the increased prop; correspondence, which will be afforded by t 0 1. 0 1 '; change, we have to thank—not the Post-office,,oce.,,,s ;10 , , sury—but that desirable combination of circuna?': to o ,. u kest makes it the interest of individuals or compan'" 5,10 1 , which is right in itself and best for the public. ,1 141 Guardian. o f WINDSOR, THURSDAY ET ENING.—T tit ST All ee MENTS AT THE CASTLE.—Previously to a orde r_l i t ., Court at the Castle, on Thursday afternoon, a paw t i , 0 o tii` issued for the State apartments to be closed t _ ever , ,it o terday (Good Friday). Yesterday morning, h° , : et her Sio was countermanded, and the State Rooms, tozs, he ree n ow o Round Tower, was open as usual. Befote o f tb e ti r f t ?f oe c? t e r , gulations came into operation for the admits! without the payknent of a fee, the Castle, VC lo , l v., s. %L' r,A at Windsor, was closed on Tuesdays and Frult) jo osi tt ' e f i e e ' r been, as we are informed, suggested to 1 11 ,fied n a 11" 01 3 sonage that, as the tickets of admission (si t e o pen _ t 10 0 0 Chamberlain) expressly states the Castle le,, :ri ' tr oeu 4o o , .,; days, Thursdays, and Fridays, great disa . l74 lo a pe h ' e be occasioned to visitors to Windsor 1 1 _Z., to e y r ori , (without due notice having been given . ) „. ,",7 10 fo td be closed, it was immediately commanded t l ' s no fotir'oo should be rescinded, and that free a dmiss . tou,,, o ari d on 0 lowed to the public between the hours of ele l '. agr jin„ be Id sit It is stated that the conf•rences he he P liv°r question of the accession of Hanover to t concluded in favour of that nsalurs• 16%