The Sun. — London, England, 1846-04-13 00:00:00

THE ROYAL SOCIETY. ILLEGAL AWARD OF THE ROYAL MEDAL (From the Lancet of April 4.) Grave - reports of irregular and improper conduct, in Connexion with th e b e st o wal of the honours of the Royal Society, have now been for some time both privately and publicly promulgated. In the absence of all contradic tion or explanation by the parties most intimately con cerned, rumour grows into assured certainty. The Royal medal for the present year, in the department of Physiology, has been prominently r-feired to ; but the facts in our possession enable us to slc, , tch a history of the medals from their institution in 1825 to tne present time. After this sketch the writer thus proceeds:— Now conies the recent award of the resat medal to :qr. Beck, for his paper on the dissection (f the gravid uterus. hi, was commented on in Mr. Redford's letter, publi,hed last week ; and this gentleman certainly de serves much praise for Lis courage in openly detailing many of the facts connected with the award—facts which tend very much to brine the medical section of the Royal Society into contempt for their extraordinary vacillation. Up to the press nt date, the proceedings of the Royal Society have expressed, five separate times, an opinion on Dr. Lee's dissections. Of these, three are favourable and two are adverse. Dr. Lee's first paper was panted in the " Philosophical Transactions ;" a suppletnt at also was a s th e n an additional sup - Blement was reported nut to be printed ; next , Mr. eck gets the royal medal for contradicting all Dr. Lee's laaeurs ; and lastly, the second s uppleinent, once reported against, is now ordered to appear in the forthcoming tran-actiiins. The charges brought against the medical section of the Royal Society are as follow ; if they can be proved to be incorrect, doubtless the proof will tie supplied : On the 19th of June, the lest paper of Dr. Lee was read before the Society. On the 28th of October, (four months afterwards), the physiological committee niet, to receive reports on the merits of the different papers, and to re commend to the council the award of the meda's, Mr. Lawrence being in the chair. After the dispatch of the ordinary business, and after voting the recommendation for the Copley medal, Mr. Lawrence dissolved the meet ing, on being informed by the secretary, Dr. Roget, that there was no further business for transaction. As soon as Mr. Lawrence had left Somerset House, the com mittee was re - formed, Dr. Todd being pla ced in the chair; and Dr. Todd and Dr.Sharpeyebeing the referees, produced from their packets reports favourable to Mr. Beck's paper. On these reports, it was resolved to re commend the award of the Royal medal to Mr. Beck. It should be mentioned, that Mr. Lawrence had been the referee of Dr. Lee's papers . on former occasions, and was, of course, well acquainted with the subject, and that neither Dr. Todd nor Dr. Sharpey had seen Dr. Lee's preparations and dissections for four years. Another extraordinary fact (tvi we are informed) is, that Dr. Lee's paper, which for four months had remained unreferred in t hei secretary's possession, was actually produced at this extraordinary committee, and, as if in mockery, put in competition with Mr. Beck's paper and some others. The very next act of this alleged illegal Committee was to refer Dr. Lee's paper to Sir Benjamin Brodie, to ascertain whether it was worthy of being Printed in the transactions. Sir Benjamia Brodie re ported in its favour, but it was blackballed by the physiological committee. It must, however, in justi e to the council, be stated, that this body afterwards or dered it to be printed. It will scarcely be believed, that on the 30th of Octo ber, two days after the recommendation of this irregular committee, the council met and adopted the award of the committee, after which it resolved itself into a com mittee of papers, to consider whether Mr. Beck's paper should be printed ! They then could know nothing of the grounds on which the award had been made ; the 'only persons who had seen Mr Beck's paper were Drs. Todd and Sharpey, and the secretary, Dr. Roget ; it had not, as yet, even been read to the society 1 In such a mole-like manlier were the proceedings conducted, in volving a most important point in anatomical discovery, and implicating the reputation and labours of a Fellow of the Royal Society Another extraordinary circumstance is, that Mr. Beck, after presenting his paper, was allowed to have it back for correction ; and it is even alleged that Mr. Beck bad been permitted access to 1)r. Lee's papers ; for it is stated that his corrected paper contains allusions to the subject matter of that which had been presented by Dr. Lee. Such proceedings are subversive of all order and justice. Who can say that Mr. Beck's paper for which be received the medal is the same paper as that origi nally presented, or that the paper, when printed, will be the same paper as that upon which the award was made? There are yet other singularities connected with this affair. From some 'cause or other, the council, ap parently not satisfied with the first recommendation of the committeee, ordered them to state the grounds upon "Met the recommendation was made. The physiologi cal committee, on the 20th of November, ap pointed Drs. Sharpey and Todd to draw up a report ; on the 2tth, the committee met, received the report, and adopted it. On the Ist of December the council met, received the report, confirmed the recom mendatie a of award made b% the irregularly constituted committee on the 30th of October, and an hour after, the Royal medal was given away by the Marquis of Northampton. Thus, then, the recommendation of the award was made by the referees, Drs. Sharpey and Todd, and adopted by the physiological committee, and by the council, before even the paper was read to the Society, and before it was known whether it was to be printed or not. The medal was given before the minutes of the councht had been confirmed, and before the paper for which it had been given had been printed. E'en now it has not appeared in print! And this is in glaring con travention of the regulations according to which the foundation of the Royal medals was restored by her Majest v, which orders—"'That the Royal medals be given fo r such papers only as have been presented to the Royal t society and inserted in their ' frantactions.' " This regulation is printed, too, on the front page of every vaunt• of the "Philosophical Transactions." The justice and propriety of such a regulation are obvious. Time is afforded for weighing the merits of different communications, and the possibility of unfair alterations and omissions in a paper printed subsequently to its re ward prevented. The scientific world has no guarantee whatever, looking to the previous conduct of the parties concerned,. that the paper may not be adapted to suit any contingency that mey arise. Properly, morally, and, it would appeal ,legally, Mr. Beck could not have appeared as a caneidas'e for the medal, supposing his paper to be printed during • the course of the present year, until De cember, 1848. Thus time would have been allowed for deliberation, anel the award of the medal would have had some force; now, it falls to the ground, utterly valueless to its recipient. But suppi sing Mr. Beck's dissections to be quite cor reet—supposing the uterus has no nerves at all, or that Dr_ Lee's ganglia are fictions, creations from cellular tisstee, what ate Mr. Beck's researches wor•h? One migh . t imagine a great discovery, so instant in its re n and applieation, that such hot haste to reward it mig ht have been in some measure pardonable. But Mr. B ec k' s pretends to be none of these. According to all that theprofession yet know s o f i t, even granting it true, it woad be but the pains-taki ng correct i on b y mere mechar, iced distention of the mistake of another anato mist. The medal is actually given for not making a discover) e On e might imagine Sir Charles Bell ashamed he received. The first falls to Bell —the of the m edal last, to I. leek! What a difference! what a decadence! If all thi a be severe to Mr. Beck , let him thank D rs . Todd, and' Sharper , and Roget, w ho have placed him in a fal s e po Cajon. o one wou ld more readily hav e ren dered legi Violate praise to his labou rs than ourselve 4. The rel ation of the ILo y al Society to men of science shout l b e - distinctly underst ood. If the council or the committetta do wrong, the Royal Society must suffer. In the eye ' of the world thne is no injust ice so odious, and so sere 'rely resented, as th at of unjust judges, in any case. There is no misconduct so vile as that of malvereatima of office ; the higher the office the greater the atrocity. when wrong is perpetrated. Even the R o y a l s oe s e es, v is not omnipotent ; it cannot make, though it may " adjudicate," the bad to be good, and the good to be , bad. A paper unjustly . treated may bring temperery pain and discredit to its injured author, but it reflects lasting' ie, n (niaY oa o double his ccrejudges.di A il e r d e al i, u o n n justly awarded b t in g s a d those who giee, , and on him who receives. ls It was a tree anl beautiful say ing of one of the most illustrious pre sidents of the Hoye! Society, Sir Hump hre y Davy, It is better to desee"ve nocf to have, than to have and not deserve." Justice it is which gi ve 's value to honorary rewards. Could fifty Royal medals re'ise Mr. Neap in to a level with those who were insultesi by the award in his case ? Could fifty awarded to Mr. Beck, under the circum stances detailed, have the effect tef destroying the credi bility of Dr. Lee's iii-sections Would they not rather create, a prejudice in their favoter ? The recoil acts always upon the doers of injustice. Let the Royal So ciety look to it, particularly the medical section of those in authority. They are on trial before their pro fession, up-in whose opi n i ons t h e i r reputations resthe t. Let Royal Society loek at the Society of Antiquaries, where intestine cabals have al ready cawed the resigna tion of dill! president' Lord _ Aberdeen, and take warning. We are n ot sure whether, in the present acute of things, it could not be Cu state l'iciaopt they to call on all the parties ag gravedey know re q ,secting the events in question. But we wait awhile. Time is an in structive monitor. (From the Lanett of April 11.) We understand that thec7 the has refused to revise the scandalous proceedin gs mted lastcomtnittee extraordi nary, upon which we e mtent te even a wee case of the Dr. Lee, the recommendation of ve; commit tee formed out of order by a mean trick, is held to be inviolate. Dr. Lee protested avinet the proc ee di ngs o f this pretended committee, and r their La wrence , shedchaee. chair man to one of the meetings, moved but in vain. Properly considered, the wholereapffuiation, affair is gresely insulting to this pers on as i t is unjust to Dr. Leaes It is incredible' that he should h ave so f ar stultifiedhim. self as to put the illegal recommendatien for the Roy al medal to the next meeting for confirmation. 13 t thOugh the council have refused to retrace their false "steps, they have humbly confessed their error by re• seelviug to print, in the next volume of " Transactions," different rcgttlattons respecting the future awards of inr.dals, thougb this is in contradiction to the regulation s sanetiimed by her Majesty. But will a loophole for the Nitre he a veil for the past ? We have heard, too, that the Jesuitical dogma his been broached by the heads of the society, that whatever the doings of the council, however unjust, partial. and flagitious, once promulgated, they are to have the force of law to the fellows; and they !Ire told they are in honour bound to lick the rod that injures.o them. Tiiis wou ld, i n d ee d, be i n the school of Yeee—t o up hold the dishonour, instead of the honour , 01 the .tociety. !,. l i ll t s what en g lut t o b e d one t o p ur ify our first scientific " I ' tus agn s wad et) abused ? Will the Physic' seal- Comm i t lo g i e 1 4 tie, which has caused the Spciety to stink nostrils o f all decent people, be allowed to remain unreformed ? Will the medical section of the Royal Society still be marred by the exhibition of scientific Jesuitry, of partisanship, of petty cliqueries, of favour itism, of selfishness, of mean cringing, of want of sympathy with real genius, of private enmities, and other baleful feelings, which degrade Loth the men and the profession? If the indiviijual, who might almost be call d the medical portion of the Royal Society, be indis tuissible, the Marquis of Northampton should resign, and repudiate his acts. If he does not the one op the other, the blame and discredit will be divided bbetween them. One thing is very certain, that suspicion will huver about the proceedings of the Society for some time to come, and every step will be narrowly watched. When - medi;:al men see, that of six Royal medals in physiology, the award of one only has been perfectly satisfactory, they will for the fwure ask, nut who obtaincd the Royal medal? but, what was it obtained for? The professional eye, once awakened, will be keen enough for the detf c- Lion of injustice; and wh'n injustice is dw:e, a Royal or a Copley deserved punishment. tut dal will be a very poor Asia to ward off the COWES, ISLE OF WIG II T. (PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) APRIL W.—Her Majest) 'a brig . Cont , st is to- be launched troin Mr. Joseph Whites yard, East Cowes, to-morrow (Saturday). in the opinion of those whose experience ought to enable them to form a correct judg ment, a more beautiful and powerful vessel of her ton nage was never built. Her dimensions are as fo:lows _ _ Fect. Inches. Length for tonnage llO 8i Keel for tonnage B6 6 Extreme breadth 3l 7 Breadth for tonnage Breadth moulded Depth of hod Burden, 459 76-94 tons. She is completely finished below, and her fittings and accommodations for the men are far superior to any other vessel of her class. The following members have been at the Royal Yacht Squadron House this week :—The Earl of Yar borough, Mr. Rentinck, Marquis of Blandford, Mr. Peareth, Lord Clarence Paget, Sir William Montagu, and Mr. De horsey. Contracts have been entered into by the Cowes Im provement Commissioners to widen the parade in front of the Royal Yacht Squadron House, and construct a causeway from it. It is intended to widen the pavement by the parade-wall to ten feet, and otherwise improve that part of the town. The annual meeting of the members of the Royal Yacht Squadron is fixed for the Bth of May, at the Thatched House Tavern. There have been numerous applications for houses during the past week, particularly in Ea•t Cowes Park, but there is only one of those beautiful villas furnished. Sir Edward Paget has taken Egypt house, and Sir Richard Ryeroft Oak-hill niuse, West Cowes. Died, on the 9th inst., Mr. J. K. Ward, the highly respected proprietor of the Grapes wine-vaults, in his 74th year, from an attack of gout in the stomach. The continued rains have given the wheats a very sickly appearance, and changed theta from a healthy green to a dirty yellow. There is a large breadth of oats unsown, and the land has been so wet that clanging and ploughing was out of the question, and very little ground has been got ready for barley sowing. CAPTAIN MANB Y, TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—In your paper of the 19th instant, there is au article headed- " Experiments at Woolwich," and I con sider I have some right to command and claim a small space in your excellent journal, to satisfy the public. I am the parent of the modes of saving life from ship wreck ; in other words, I led the van by introducing my mortars into practical uses. You are also aware that I have spent my time, my mental and physical abilities, and the means I p.issessed, since the year 1807 to the present moment., in pursuing my theory and practice, and that my exertions have been acknowledged by my gracious Sovereigns, a liberal Parliament, with many of the reigning monarchs of Europe, which are testimonies of high value to my zeal ; and continue to urge me, even in my 81st year, to emerge from my retirement to defend an opposition directed against the established simpiicity and practical successes of my apparatus all round the kingdom. I take your article just adverted to for the authority, and therefore a duty I owe to myself to confute. It says, " Captain Jerningham, commanding the Coast guard at Yarmouth, has had many opportunities of wit nessir, the complication and inwfficiency of the plan adopted at present." Sir, this is an assertion as extra ordinary as it is astounding ; and I shall reply to it by stating, not only from my own knowledge, but from general society in Yarmouth, he never has seen, nor had an oppOrtunity of seeing, a life saved by my apparatus, or lite lost by shipwreck on the coast. since he had the command. I must, therefore, consider his assertion, as to the complicaton and inefficiency of my plan, to be most unfair and unfounded. Holding, as 1 do, the sim plicity of all my arrangements to be perfect, and from the uninterrupted success that has attended them, ought not to have been violated or infringed upon, without some more simple, less expensive, and certain expedient was required from the failure o' my plan, and then only confirmed by practical experienced men competent to decide. My very advanced period of life, and declining state of health, prevents my commenting upon other parts of this extraordinay article, especially in reference to the laying of the rope ; but I cannot conclude without con sidering the article named, evidently to detract from the labours so long devoted to the welfare of my fellow men and my country's good, to obtain a spurious reputa tion therefrom.—l am, sir, your obedient servqnt, (Signed) GEORGE W. MANBY, Capt., F.R.S. Pedestal House, Soutl:town, Great Yarmouth, March 27. SIR F. TRENCH AND LORD LIN- COLN. TJ THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,—l have been much surprised and annoyed to see in the Times of this morning two letters of mine., which ought not to have been made public without my sanc tion. I called at your office to inquire how y• u kid become possessed of them, and by what authority you had published them, but could not obtain any satisfactory ex planation. I had caused these letters to be printed, to secure uni formity of paper and type, with sundry hints for the improvement of the metropolis, which are in my pos session, but they were not intended for publication, and my printer assures me that no copy has escaped from his office. I hope, therefore, you will give immediata insertion to this expression of my regret and indignation at the dishonesty or breach of confidence which has placed these letters in your hands. I have the honour to be your obedient humble servant. F. W. TRENCH. 85, Pall-mall, Wednesday night. P.S. Thursday, 11 oclock, A.M.—I have this moment received your note, in which you state that the letters in question " were sent by a correspondent to your office, printed as a circular, and with an intimation that they were at the editor's service." In reply, I beg to ob serve that they were not "printed as a circular," nor " intended for circulation," as your note intimatig ; and I must repeat my regret that letters bearing my signa ture, should have been published without my sanction. F. W. TRENCH. Sir F. Trench asserts that the letters were no " printed as a circular." When two letters are printe d upon one sheet, and folded as if for the purpose of being sent by post, we were until now under the impression that, they were in the form of " a circular." Why, too, letters sh.Juld be print,d in this or any other form which are not intended for circulation, we are at a loss to con ceive. Our belief, when we received them was, that they had been forwarded to our office by Sir F. Trench him self.] — Times. 1846.—The following is the House List of Governors and Directors of the Bank of England for the year ensuing, viz.:— John 'Ben' am ßo in v l l l n e s a ( 7h7E ß q l" , R 6 s Ov.rn or. Deputy-Governor. • E Zl7 B norsley Pali William it. Arthur Edward Campbell, E s n q , . E"l" NOR DI It William Cotton, Esq. Bonam v c o s Esq. James Paulson E ner ' Esq. 'Sir John 'Cl. Chas. Pascoe Gren 1 fel , Esq. Christop her Henry Pell)}, Bart. Thomson Hankev, jun., E.—, al, Henr. PearAe. P..z , q. John Gellibrand Hubbard, Esq. Davin PotTv't,lBl,l; t r ,r eseott, Esq. William Little, E.g. Sir John Rae Reid Bart . Janes Malcolmson , Eq . Thomas Chas. Smith, E sq. Humphrey St. John Mildmay, Wm. Thompson, Esq., AI& Thomas Tooke, jun., N. Esq. Jame , Morris, El. Thomas Matthias reguelin, Esq. Sheffield `'save, EN. Francis Wilson, Esq. George Wards Norma n, Es q . The election for Governor and Deputy-Governor will be held at the Bank on Tuesday, the 14th of April, and for Di rectors on Wednesday, the 15th of April, from ten o'clock in the forenoon ti ll four o'clock:in the afternoon. DEA.TII OF LADY ELIZABETH P ERC EVAL.-- We have to notice the demise of the above venerable lady, sister of the late Right Hon. Spencer I'erceval, the unfortunate t Chan cellor of the Exchequer, who exp ired on Saturday las t, a b Odell Castle. Her Ladyship, who was daughter of t e second Earl of Egmont, was born Dec. 12, 1763. By her Ladyship's decease, the families of Lord Redesdale, the Earl and Countess of Egmont, &c., are placed in mourning. SALE OF COINS of WILLIAM THE CONQUI.R9R, On Thursday the valuable collecti ,, n of gold and silver coins of every English Sovereign or other form of Government, from William the Conqueror to George IV ., inclusive, col lected by the late Mr. John Paget. of Cranmore Hall, Sonvr set, were disposed of by auction by Messrs. S. Sotheby and Co , at their auction-rooms, Wellington-street, Strand, s eine of which were purchased on account of the fl ritish Museum. There were 143 lots, of which the follow lag were some of the pricer, ;..—A penny of William the Con quercr, canopy type, 1/. 15s. ; a ditto, full faced, sceptre on earth side, 17s. (1066); a penny, William Rufus, star on each side (1087), 11. Is. ; a penny, Henry I (1100), 10;. ; a ditto, Stephen (1135), 12s ; a groat, silver, Richard 11. (1377), struck at London, 175.; a halfpenny and farthing ditto, 75.; a noble, Henry IV. (1399), gold, Is. 165.; a quarter noble, cross corslet, gold, Henry V. (1413), 175.; an angel, cross corslet, gold, Henry VI. (1122), I/. :an angel,Richard 11l ( 1483), very scarce, gold, 11. 16s. ; a penny. Richard struck at York, fleur de tie with S. on breast, I/. 19a.; a groat and half, Phillip and Mary. silver, 2/.25.; the Oxford twenty shilling piece, with armour under the horse, silver (1640) ; the Inchiquin crown, silver, 11, 135.; a crown, Oliver Cromwell(l;os), 11.18 s.; a hall.crown, ditto (1658),11.8s.; a shillin g, ditto (1658), 18s., &c. CHANCERY ARREARS .—EASTER appears by the equity ca use reg i sters, that the num b er , i nc l u di n g en tries, up to the closing the Register-office, during the present holidays, of appeals before the Lord Chancellor, and original causes, before the Vice-Chancellor=, for hearing or disposal on pleas, demurrers, exceptions, or further directions, is 285 (exclusive of those before the Master of the Rolls); of this total 46 are appeals before the Loid Chancellor, 135 are - cau§es before the Vice-Chancell or o f England, 71 before Vice-Chancellor Bruce, and 33 bef o re - Vice-Chancellor Wigram. • • ' EASTERN COUNTIES -RAILWAY. APRIL 12, 1846.—An accident occurred on this line between Edmonton and Ponder's End to a special train that left London for Chcsterford this day at 1 30 P.M. The cause is at present unknown, but an immediate and full investigation will take place. The speed of the train vitas about 43 miles in hour, as the secretary and super intendent of the locomotive department were on one of the !engines, noting; it by their watches at the period of the a ccident. The directors announce with much satis faction that there has not been loss of life, and that two persons only are injured—one a guard, wuo is pro nounced by the medical gentleman not to be in any danger, and a porter, who has suff, , red a alight contu sion. The Drputy Chairman of the Company and a director, who lives in the vicinity, arrived shortly after the itecid. an I the line was cleared and put in working order within two hours of the arrival of the necessary apparatus. DESTRUCTION OF A WARE HOIfEV FIRE. On Friday morning, about twenty minutes before two o'clock, the warehouses occupied by Messrs. Peter Ja• k son and Co. furtier4, wool merchants, and silk plush manufacturers, Auburn-street, London-road, was dis co.ered to be on fire. The discovery was wade by the police, and no time was lost in communicating the Intel ligent e to Mr. Rose, at the police yard. When firm. seen, however, the fire had wade considerable progress through the building, and although Mr. Rose and a com pany of firemen, with the Thames engine. reached the place a few minutes before two o'clock, the blaze was distinctly visible to them as they went along Portland street. The building, indeed, was then on fire from the top almost to the bottom, and the flames were issuing from the windows. Water was flowing abundantly from one of the plugs which had been opened, when the engine arrived. Au -'upright" was fixed into the plug, and the water came with such force, that it was easily conveyed by means of canvass hose, to the top story of the building, which is five stories high. The Mersey, Niagara, Water Witch, and Thetis engines were on the spot soon after wards, making five engines altogether. Three of them were quickly got into play, the water being directed upon the building. both at the back and front ; but it was tour o'clock before the flames were effectually sub- dued. The roof fell in soon after the arrival Of Mr. Rose, and the entire building may be said to be gutted, with the exception of a portion•of the ground floor, used as a counting-house. The outer walls, however, are quite perfect. Oue of the gables adjoins the warehouses of Mr. Frederick Schwalm, merchant, and Mr. B. Gibbons, nail manufacturer; the other gable faces Messrs. Plant and Sob's cotton mill, from which it is separated only by a narrow street running from Auburn-street to Upton street ; and behind the building destroyed is a yard nearly filled with sheds, which extended to the premises of Messrs. Cottam and Travis, ironmongers. Notwith standing, however, the contiguity of so much valuable prop,rty, Messrs. Jackson and Co.'s warehouse is the only building which has suffered injury, a fact which says much for the exertions of the firemen, and the judi cious conduct of Mr. Rose and Mr. Thomas Rose, in giving their directions. The police, to whom mach pralse is also due, assisted by other persons, succeeded in getting some goods and an iron safe out of the ware house at an early period in the progress of the conflag ration. Showers of sparks flew in the direction of the large warehouse of Messrs. Patchett, M‘Kay, and Co. carriers, but effectual precautions were taken by the fire men, police, and persons connected with the warehouse, to prevent it from being set on fire. It is supposed that the total damage done to Messrs. Jackson and Co.'s warehouses and stock of goods, will amount to about 5,0001. The stock is insured in the Sun fire office for 4,000/., and in the Protestant Dis senters', for 1,000/. The building, which belongs to a brother of Mr. Jackson, is, we understand, insured in the West of &Timid office, for 2,2001. Its dimensions are 16 yards by 9 yards, and it will probably cost from 1,000/. to 1,2001. to restore it. The origin of the fire is unknown. Mr. Jackson locked up the premises a little before nine o'clock on Thursday night, and at that time everything appeared quite sate, and no smell of fire was perceptible. The fire is supposed to have commenced in a room where no fire had been used on Thursday, though Mr. Jackson bad been in the room with a light, which, however, he used with the greatest caution. -Every opinion, therefore, as to the cause of the fire, must b , mere conjucture. Captain Willis was presel►t in the course of the morning. Owing to the hour at which the tire broke out, there was a much less crowd a-sein bled than is usual on such occasions.—Manchester Guar dian. THE WEATHER.—THE FLOODS. We had an almost continuous fall of rain, night and day. for five days, up to Wednesday, when there were indications of better weather. To-day (Thursday) the sun has come forth in all his glory.—Hall Packet. RUINOUS EFFECTS OF THE RAINS.—Among several instances of injury done by the recent rains, we have heard of none so; disastrous as has proved to be the case with an industrious individual on the Anlaby road. The party, with whose name even we are unacquainted, lately hired a worked-out brick field near St. Stephen's Church, and on which he had expended the earnings of his whole life to raise a new soil, and to stock it with seeds and plants for the supply of the vegetable market, when the deluge—for it has lit Tally proved one on the lace of his two or thrGe acres—has completely destroyed all the prospects which in his honest industry he had contemplat. (I.—Hull Packet. FLoODS IN THE EAST RlDlNG.—Hundreds and hun dreds of acres on the low lands around Hull are now under water. Between Hull and Beverley, and Selby and Brough, numbers of fields present the appearance of one vast lake, and in many places the drains and water courses are undistinguishable from the land on either side. On the road from Hatfield to Hull the highway in one part is eovered with water knee deep. It is sail that the land in the East Riding has not been so gene rally and heavily flooded for 30 years, and unless we speedily have dry and windy weather, very injurious effects are anLeipated, especially with respect to the crops of spring corn.—Hull Packet. FLOODS IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. The floods now. covering the valley of the Trent are higher than have been known for many years. The whole of the works on the lid of railway between Nottingham and Newark are at a stand-still in consequence; and the Midland Railway, between Nottingham and Red Hill, is covered in two places. The destruction of property in various directions by this calamity is considerable, and very many lives are reported to have been lost; but this, we believe, is without foundation.—Lincoln and Nottingham Advertiser. THE FLOOD AND ITS CASUALTIES.—The almost inces ant rain which has fallen since Saturday, has caused this town and neighbourhood to be visited with a larger flood than bas been seen for many years past ; and though rumour with her ten thousand tongues has whis pered many distressing tales, yet after careful inquiry and visiting many of the villages on the banks of the Trent, we believe that little has occurred beyond what is ordi nary in cases of this description. Ti.e inun lation is cer tainly very extensive, the meadows and lands adjoining the Trent, north and south,for many miles being an almost unbroken sheet of water, and several nen ly built bridges and portions of works in the course of erection, hay stacks, hewn timber, cattle, and property of a moveable character, have bean swept away. At present, how ever, notwithstanding the extraordinary reports in cir culation during Tuesday and Wednesday last, we have not been able to discover that a single human life has been lost. Before noticing particularly the reports in cir culation, we may remark that so large a flood has not taken place during the last twenty years, and so rapid *as the rise on Tuesday night, that a general expectation prevailed, as a portion of the line of the Midland Rail way between Beeston and Keg worth was under water, that the trains to and from Nottingham would not be able to proceed on their respective journeys This, how ever, has not been the case; little or no difference has /wen made in the railway communication of this town. The works on the Nottingham and Lincoln Railway in the Meadows and East Croft, adjoining this town, have been entirely suspended, the water having covered the whole of the land, with the exception of the Flood-road, leading to the south from the town, and we believe that along the whole line the men have ceased working. At Gonatseone, a bridge built by the railway company, over the Dover Beck, on the property of John Francklin, Esq., gave way on Tuesday morning. and considerable damage was done by the flood. The entire streets aid approaches to whole villages on the banks of the Trent are covered with water several feet deep, and the labouring poor are without employment. At Stoke, Shelf , lrd, Hoveringham, iiaztotord, Bleasbv,Fiskerton, &c., the ordinary roads are qui e impassable to foot passengers, and even dangerous to peewits on horseback, in gigs, carts, and other vehicles. Between Ilizle!ord and Bl eas by th e ~,at,r was so high on th e hors--road on 'l'ue day and Wedne-day as to prevent a pp ro ic h b y the hedge, in many ar.y means, e xc e pt by b oa t s . fields havin g quite disappeared. st,houg i t csoou remainingnwt , :r ;el)o, thenct circulated The communication from these villages having becomraor e so alludedin the h s r o m e e d tao measure y, e list icte-d. Late on Tuesday evening we heard that un accident h a d occurred in the neighbourhood of Fiskerton by the s the Trent, and th a t many li ve . bath inquiry as to the nature o f th e accident, that 16 persons, enga ge d e i ! ab e :, 11 ne r tn : sse we sacrificed. r fi h :, e ee watersde. informedo n lirm an ozicr be 1, had een suddenly swept away by moriang we received a Ovate letter, orating that on was upset onday afternoon, a boat laden i. w h i e th flo c o o d al . s O an n l NS: o i be tween Hoveringham and Hazlet , Ord owing to the over flownd a wAnan on board of water, and that three men a Tuesday e s o d n aMY the river Tren t , had perished. This piece of intelligence led us to sup Fi,ker pose that probably the report of the accident at ton had taken its rise from this circumstance. Being enable to obtain any satisfactory intelligence, we deter mined on making personal inviries on the spot. On arriving at 13uleota, we heard that a foreman of the Nottingham and Lincoln Railway had posiively stated there that morning, that 18 men had been drowned near Fis.kerton, and the inhabitants were won dering how this event had occurred, and who were the sufferers. At Lowdham and I3lestSby no further intelli gence could be obtained, and at Fiskerton the villagers were quite astonished to htar that such an event was stated to have occurred there. They could not say what had happened dsewhere, as theflood prevented com munication, but no person, t o their knowledge, had lost his life at Fiskerton or in its neighbourhood. Hazelford was so deeply flooded that we could not approach the village, and ,sfter passing along the road above a toile in water, we re turned,and took a circuitous route to Howl ngham,w here we found the villagers also quite ignorant of any such circumstance. One individual had heard of an accident said to have taken place at Harem, near Newark, where a bridge is being built over the Trent, but he, like all others, merely related it as a report. At Harlan we saw the man who was said to have originated the report, and he told us that he had just learned the whole was a fa- THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY MORNANG,TAPRIL le46. brication. The public may, therefore, be assured that the storyd s not con'ain any truth whatever. The fine weather, yesterday, has music] the flood to abate very fist ; slid if the wea her keeps fine for two or three day, the mea4ows will attain resume their wonted ap- Pt arance.—Nottingham Journal. DUTCH MAIL. THE HAGUE, APRIL B.—ln the sitting of the Second Chamber of the Stat e 4 -G enera l to -d ay , the project of law on civil pensions, w as a d opte d b y a mjority of 36 t . 16. after a discussion, in wh ic h severa l Members de livered their opinions, and th e Mi n i s t e r bad answered the objections mad e to the l aw . The HAGUE, APRIL B,—Tho President of the Second Chamber of the Sates-Gen.ral priposed to day s j atid re the Chamber aged, that the debates on the pr,:.,ets of law, respec t in g an i,,d emm i ty inun dations, shalt commence on M on d ay, t h e 20th of this month. f..r the militAr) APRIL 9. —T he accounts from the river announee an . extr.ordiriary rise o. the Mine, which, on the Gth of this month was at 18ft. Bin. at Gdogne, had risen on the following day to 23ft., and on the Bth, was at 23q. AMSTERDAM, Arun, B.—To-day being the 22danni versary of the birth of her Hopi Highness the Prin3ess Sophia, Heredt,ary Grand I)uehes4 of Saxe Weiner, was observed vkith thc usual festivities. Welch, the .hopkeer, and his son, who have been in prison atiout thrk e months, on tvicoutit of the fire which took place in i)ecembtr last, have been set at liberty by order of the tribunal of this district, ai there cl , d not appear F u clef' t grounds for f ur th er procee dings against them. APELDOuRN, APRIL B.—We are assured that her Royal Highness Princess Albert of Prussia, intends to favour us by stopping two or three days at the Loo, on her journey from the !Ingue to Camelia. ALPBEN EN RID, APRIL 6.—We learn that last night abtut fifty persons, &lola carrying a bundle, and coming from Belgium, passed over the heath, and were attacked by 11 police officers on the line, who, by raising an alarm and di,charging their pistols, dispersed them, and ob fained possession of 26 bundles of the value of 5,000 florins. THE HAGUE, APRIL 9.—Mr. Gevers, his Majesty's Minister, President to the Courts of Baden, Bavaria, and IVurtemburg, has been honourably discharged from his offie-r as Minister of the Court of Baden, by a redo. lution of his Majesty of the 31st of March, with thanks for the services he has rendered. By the same resolution Mr. I'. G. Trours, his Majesty's Charge d'Affiires at the Court of Athens, appointed Minister Resident to the Court of Boleti, with /iirec.. lions to have his residence at ,Mannh•.itn. there to act as Consul General, and M. T. M. Roist Van Lunburg, at present actin:: as Counseller of Legation to the King's Embassy at Vienna, is appointed Charge d'Affaires and Consul General at Athens. His Excellency M. Mere4r, Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King of the Belgians. with an extraordi nary mission to the Court of the Netherlands, arrived at the Hague yesterday evening. CAUTION TO DISHONEST BREAD BAKERS. In so numerously a populated place as Hull, there are thousands of persons who have not the profitable oppor tunity of baking their own bread, and such persons (and they are mostly of the poorer classes) are frequently liable to the dishonest stratagems of bread bakers. Of late, numerous have been the complaints, not only in letters addressed to ourselves, but at the weights and mettsures office, as well by persons who have purchased of the bakers and in provision shops. of loaves of bread considerably deficient in weight. Those parties have urged us to expose the bakers and dealers, and they have urged th inspectors to summon such shopkeepers before the magistrates ; but the inspectors find that this would be wholly beside and beyond their sphere of duties, and we believe they have usually intimated to the complainants that the remedy is wholly in their own hands. But it seems to be very little known, that there is an Act in existence which imposes a penalty on any bake. selling bread at herwise than by weight. We shall therefore, notice two or three of the principal provisions of this act (the 6th and 7th W. IV. cap. 38y which passed in July, 1836, and is usually called " the Bread Act." This statute, after repealing the several acts relating to breed to be sold beyond the limits (specified) of the city of Lendon, including those which enacted the assize of bread, by the second s-ction makes it lawful to make and sell, offer or deliver, brt ad made of flaur or meal of wheat. barley, rye, oats, buck-wheat, Indian corn, peas, beans, rice, or potatoes, or any of them, and with any common salt, pure water, eggs, milk. harm, leaven, potato, or other yeast, and mixed in such proportions as they shall V.ink fit, and with no other in gredient or matter whatever. The 3tl section authorises bikers to make bread of any weight and size. The 4th section is the important one. It enacts-- " That from and after the commencement of this Act, all bread sold beyond the limits aforesaid, shall be sold by the several bakers or sellers of bread resptetively beyond the said limits, by weight; and in case any baker or seller of bread beyond the limits aforesaid, shall sell or cause to be sold bread in any other manner than by weight, then, and in such case, every such baker or seller of bread, shall for every such offence forfeit and pay any sum net exceeding forty shillings, witch the mazistrate or magistrates, justice or justices, before whom such offender or off.-nders shall be convicted, shall order and direct: Provided always, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to prevent or hinder any such baker or seller of bread from selling bread usually sold under the denomination of French or fancy bread or rolls, aithoat previously weighing the satue." The 5t ► seetton requires bakers to use the imperial avoirdupois w,i4ht of 16ez to the pound. and its aliquot parts; and imp sea a penalty not excet ding 5/, or less than 40s. for using any other weight. Then the 6th section requires "That every baker or seller of bread beyond the limits aforesaid shall cause to be fixed in some conspicuous part of his, her, air their shop, on or near the count •r, a beam and scales with proper weights, or other suffi• cient balance, in order that all bread there sold may from time to time be weighed in the presence of the pur chaser or purchasers thereof, except as aforesaid ; and, in case any such baker or seller of bread shall neglect to fix such beam and scales, er other sufficient balance, ' in manner aforesaid,or to provide and keep for use proper beam and scales and prop •t• weigh ts or balance,or shall have or use any incorrect or false beam, or scales, or balance, or any false weight not being of the weight it purports to be, according to the standard in the Exchequer, then, and in every such ease. he. she, or thev . , shall for every such false beam and scales and balance, or false weight, f u-feit and ply any sum not exceeding fire pounds, which the magistrate or magistrates, justice or justices, before whom such off*. nder or offenders shall be convicted, shall order and direct." The 7th section requires bakers and sellers of bread, delivering by cart, &i_t , to be provided with scales. weights, &c., for weighing bread ; and imposes a penalty for refusing to wei‘h, if required, any bread purchased or delivered out of such cart, in the presence of the purchaser. Then follow various clauses relating to the adulteration of bread ; and the 10th requires all bread made of mixed meal or flour (other than wheat fl .ur) " to be masked with a large M, under a penalty not ex ceeding 10s." By the 20th section, inforinations may be laid before the acting magistrate or magis trates of the district (or borough). any one of whom may issue a summons, and, on hearing, convict; the 25th section giving an app-al against such conviction to the quarter so,sion , , whose decision is to be final. It is, therefore, clear that any person finding that the bread purchased by him is deficient in weight, may pr.) teed at once by intbrmation at the borough police court; and this appears to be the only way in which frauds of this nature can be investigated and punished.— Hull Packet.: A rumour is current in military circles, which we notice with the utmost reluctance, and in the hope that this public allusion to it may elicit some authorised contradiction or explanation. It must have struck our readers that in the official accounts of the recent victories in India the praise so jus'ly bestowed on the extraor dinary valour of her Majesty's 3d Dragoons, 16th Lancers. and other cavalry regiments, did n o t include the 9th Lancers. This latter corps must be well known to our metropolitan readers; it was frequently reviewed on the y his an la d te tlie iaj' d s i t s ) tin ' c u t l i d on h o " f par a reveredde i o n on S so t. rt, James Qu:se Queen Adelaide, l " Queen's Own" was conferred upon it. The regiment, before itsdeparture for India, was commanded by Ford llosln, the present master of the Queen' s Iffiekhotinds, mod no - body of men could have been in a higher state ofdisciplineand efficiency. It is, therefore, with surprise and regret we hear that in the late transactions it wholly disappointed the general expect ores of one of the superior officers of the corps, and that it Ladies,:hietmirally looked for their ot presented her tw themselves fl 10..,, ~ s. ,; ati o n , that lae 0 and ocdti out - alis has been deemed necessary by Sir Hugh Gough to direct a court of inquiry' into his conduct.—Observer, A laughable incident occurred at Romiey Abbey C i t e o h es b ure u ; :nt o e n t e l .SivtutyinmdtlaaiYen indissoluble bond of matritnonv. The ceremony n aN' morning h ia i L birt An t heard a “-; fL ic,uute ti a o c 0 that none Were tOrtncomink ie" and i. ,rf o , n , r e n , o e t ti . the t i f ,. a w, c ,: t t o ici r . : ) : ults tn for them . lie husband stating that the parson was g u il e ? enough to marry him, As neither lircats nor entre ties could prevain on him ' alter his determination, it was resolved to try the effect f ° little confinement, so the happy couple were locked into the vestry; but. here, tl* oweye r , consolation under trials was not wanting, for being armed with their pipes and a match, they comfortably enjoyed themselves more than hour, till the arrival of 'people for for vice compelled them to be dismissed, the fumes morning ser e the to bacco rather offending the olfactory nerves of 1 more sensitive part of the congregation.—Briyhtosno m G e a z o f e tt t e he HOSPITAL FOR CINSUMPTI 'N.—At a recent meeting of the Committee of Management of the nospital for Con sumption an , : Diseases o f the Chest, held at the Hospital, Chelsea, the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop Of Durham, offered to contribute 501., providing nine similar subscriptions could be procured, for the especial purpose of aiding the fund for tUrnishing ot the new hospital, recently erected at Brampton. His Lordship's benevolent intention has been followed, b Philip Hose, 1 7 , a ..sq., __obert Vyner, Esq., James Alexander Esq., Mrs. .Elizabeth Vaughan, Sir Robert R B zon Sir John Kirkland, and R. ea de Beauvoir, Esq. Fitz 1\ y - gram, E ASTER TERM _The ensuing term will commence on Wednesday next, upon which day the Lord Chancellor will entertain the Judges and members of the inner bar with the usual Easter Term &joiner at his Lordship's house, whence they will proceed to Westminster Hall, about one o'clock. CURIOUS D ISCO VERTTOn Wedn es d ay, while some men were engaged in remo v ing a hedge in the vicinity of hamthey Wl .ee l er 's-street, Birrning _ , _ discovered two copper plates, evidently constructed for forging 1/. and 21. notes of the Bank of England, of date 1814. There appearedto have been i quantity of what are believed to be forged notes p l ace d between the plates ; but owing to the length of time they have been concealed, they were almost reduced to powder. The plates nave been forwarded to the Bsuk of England. METROPOLITAN TEMPERANCE ASSOCIATION. A soirée and an aggregate metting of the friends of the Metropolitan Teupyrance Association was held, on Friday ev.-ning. in the Rot al British School, Cowper street, City-rot d Mr. John Cassell in the chair. The CHAIRMAN congratulated the meeting upon the formation of the Association, and expressed a hope that by an union among the various societies in the metro polis, ti e consummation so devoutly to be wished would be excel. rated. He regretted the want of previous cor dial co-operation, but he trusted they were now in a position to achieve great triumphs in the cause of tee totalism. He next referred to the advocacy of te m pe r an ce principles by the press, as a proof of the rapid progress it was making throughout the country. He could not, how ever, but lament that create dim is were not made by the religious p or ti on o f th e p ress t o di ssem i nate pr i n • . s of a character so well fitted to prepare the minds of men for the reception of the great truths of the Gospel. He complained that the conductors of the li esleyan Mitgazine had refused insertion to is temp , rance advertisement in that publica tion, and had in other respects ucte d very partially, and had, in fact, manif, bled the most d, tided opposition to the to etotal movement. Ile could not un derstand what right the editors of that maizazlne had to complain of the Americans being anxious to stint 4 dis cussion upon the question of slavery, when they them selves endeavour. d to st lie the promulgation of princi ples in which 600,000 inimertal souls a ere involved in one of the worst kinds of slavery that ever existed under the canopy of heaven. He was glad, however, to congratulate them upon the growing str,-igth which the cause was, day by day, acquiring, notwithstanding all the disadvantages %N WI which they had to contend ; and he was satisfied that if they continued their united exer tions, they would, ere long, hate the satisfaction of reap in ra g thrr ine re (f d ) o i u t h s le fru t i l t, their labour urged labourin thetot their ' p t h o i tahx;obpuici cause. Mr. D. WALTERS next addressed the meeting, and drew a graphic picture of the squalor and misery at tendant upon drunkentirv, and contrasted it with the com:ort and happiness of a life of sobri4-ty and morality. The inertini4 was subsequently addressed by Mr. Bayliss, Mr. Whittaker, Dr. Oxley. Mr. Buckle, and the Rev. Dr. Campbell, of the Tabernacle. A collection was then made to defray expenses and for the general pur poses of the association. Mr. HUDSON then addressed a few observations to the assembly ; after which the meeting separated. IRISH PROVISIONS. The following articles of general consumption have been imported into this c aintry throu.h the principal ports of the kingdom from the Ir sh ports since our tare notice of the subject :—On Thursds.y arid Friday, in the past week, the arrivals in the river Thames from Ire land consisted of 2,220 barrels and 1,500 quarters o' oats, 75 barrels of pork, 68 packages of bacon, 10 pack ages of hams, 85 firkins and 9 casks of butter, 54 pack ages of eggs, 100 packages of malt, and various other articles. The importations into the perts of Bristol at the same period from the Irish ports, consisted of 139 packages of bacon, 125 of lard, 28 of whisky, 18 quarters of malt, 57 of pork, 841 packages of butter, 26 of pollard, 60 sacks and 759 barrels of oats, besides a quantity of seeds and other articles of Irish produce. On Saturdat four vessels arrived at the port of London from the quarter alluded to, laden collectively with 1,000 bar rels and 2,320 quarters of oats, 100 packages of bacon. 40 of waste, 80 of pork, 45 of beef, 68 of hams, and other articles. The following were the arrivals at the port of Liverpool during the week from the principal ports of Ireland, being from the 27th ult. to the 2d inst., inclu sive:-2,756 firkins and 98 half firkins,4ls baskets, casks, &c., and 117 boxes of butter ; 606 sacks, 2,028 karrels, 83 quarters, and 54 tons' weight of wheat ; 2,675 sacks and some barn Is of flour, 150 tons' weight and 74 hags of oats, 1,102 sacks, 40 tons' weight. and 134 other packages of oatmeal ; 299 sacks and 20 quarters of malt, 28 bags of beans an barley, 21 casks, 1,149 kegs., and 120 firkins of lard, 337 barrels, 50 quarter barrels, and 11 kegs of pork ; 235 sacks of mr al, 492 boxes and tierces, 19 bales and some other packages of linen and cottons, several packages of general provisions, 74 pun cheons and 8 casks of whisky, 51 sacks of groats, 550 barrels and 18 tierces of bacon, 72 packages of hams, 15 of seed, 222 sacks of farina flour, and numerous other articles of minor importance. On Monday, in the pre sent week, no less than 11 vessels arrived in the Thames similarly laden, their cargoes co,npr a collectively 6.736 quarters of oats, 789 packages of butter, 2,604 packages of bacon, 1,030 packages of lard, 1,555 of p irk, 55 of hauls, 23 of middles, 7 of tongues, 330 tzt" eggs, and 120 of malt, in addition to 120 of general merchandise, 187 bales and 2 tons of paper, numerous packages of prier, whiley, and other articles of too great a variety to be further particularised within. our prescribed limits. On the same day 4,175 bushels of oats were imported into Runcorn from the port of Bally raine. Finally, on the following day four vessels arrived here from the same quarter. having on board 45 pack ages. of hams, 564 packages of bacon, 1,427 packages of pork, 771 packages of butter, 126 packages of lard, 887 of ergs, 158 of general provisions, 58 of middles, 264 barrels of porter, 141 pi.gs (loose), and 10 crates of the same description of animals, besides numerous other packages containing a variety of articles of food and merchandise. N kV AL INTELLIGENCE. CHATHAM, APRIL 10.—The 11alei;.,h, 50 puns, Cap tain Sir Thomas Herbert, K.C.8., has this week received on beard ni arly all her sea stores; she will be put ow of duck on Monday next; she will then drop down to Folly Point, off Gilli. glum, to take in her guns, powder and shot,.and to be completed in her painting previously to her proceeding to tea. Twenty-seven seamen riggers have been draft d from this duck yard for her. The Southampton, 50 guns, will be taken into dock on Monday, vacated by the Raleii.,h, to make good defect:- and to b r fitted for !,ea. The Cockatrice schooner, fitted for a vitlttaling ves sel for the coast of Ireland, is compleud. She is taking in part of the frame of the Nankin, 50 guns, ordered to be built at Woolwich, after th•wharging hi.r cargo. She will be given to the victualling establishment at Deptford. . _ _ The Cressy, 80 guns. Shipwrights have commenced laying the blocks to receive the keel of this vessel, or dered to be built on the Ist slip, from p :Ans proposed b) Messrs. Cruise, Reed, and Chatfield, the late committee of naval architecture. The following workmen have been superanuatei this week from this yard, viz., W. }lnnis. leading min of .hipwrights, et 34/. per annum; Robert Hail, shipwright, 201. per annum; John Nlirton, caulker, 24/ ; Juhn Bower, 22/ ; Charles Friday, 20/.; and Thomas Bever stuk, ropemuker, at 241. per annum. LICENCING MEETlNG.—Saturday a special session was held at Guildhall for the transferring licences to inns, ale houses, &c., and it was also the first transfer of billiard and bagatelle licences ander the new Act of Parliament. No applicatianswere made in either case, but on tl►eCourt tit ting to hear appeals, an application was made by Mr. G. E. Ilealey, for a licence to a house in Old Change, winch had been refused on the adjourned licencing meeting. It was now shown that the refusal had been found, , d on the state ment of the applicant, that he had taken a lease of the house cot►ditonally on obtaining a licence. It appeared that he had mistaken the question, and now produced the deed. The house had been shut up for two years by the former pro prietor,.and the applicant had laid out a large bum of money. The licence was granted. ALARMING STEAM BOAT ACCIDENT. —On Friday the Laurel, a Richmond steamer, while proceeding on her first passage for the season, with upwards of 150 passengers on board, ran foul of Battersea-bridge, in attempting to pass through one of the arches. Considerable damage was done to the vessel, and her stern and one of her paddle-boxes much shattered. Several passengers were thrown down and injured, and the consternation among the crowd on board was dreadful. The steamer put back, in a crippled state, to the Yorkshire Grey, at Chelsea, where the passengers were landed, and subsequently proceeded in another steamer to Richmond. The old bridge at Battersea is a very danger sus one at all times for steamers to pass under, and numerous accidents have occurred there. It has been frequently com plained of by the civic authorities, coroners' juries, and by the lightermen and bargemen, and ought to be demolished, and a new bridge erected. T. JOHN'S GATE —The owners of this ancient struc ture have relinquished the ides of eompoing thegate,and have determined to re-ease it with st o ic where defective. The ornamental portions, such as embattlements, labels, &c., are i t , o iiAt b t e ec r i ei in t N ( d ) T re 2l l Tr b .o ); v t i li ii l .R p u tt oc b ri l iffi i i c i , tAh u L n a t Ar i c e h r uiT t t l ec i n e ,tt t .R li: T ee r t E io s, n of s, e tl ., te c c o ot il n: causixo GAS.—The reduction lately made in the price of gas from 9s. to 75., is a mere farce, as the daily complaints of numerous respectable tradesmen that their gas expenses f per annum (with the same number of lights) tebuoht a cbifhicte r ‘:ie. e foiktoen h ecuif. e its. ; :a : nlaß • nauo e uandr r : cd s t eti h s u ii xel l t i gtt s rit l ita o ett Aar s b b:t i , e t na i ro f g nka seo i ns r idfc t ut e iu h ecgmcl e o s mie u esi c aerl : t o iort au p e nsnd pt i a ase l hd.rl t t i i ; a e ntyt f s hu a td i cee l b i yer t ob or u : ac v l. in t o, 4tt . a o t:iiect‘ b itn. ireoets' counterbalance this? otnl The reaso n nrl l: y3 o c : le , 0: 6t : , 0 o t: 3 : 0 0 01: were is obs reduction. y e e deteriorated, e S t e y r i n o o r a n t i e e d, a n s, s as, o w pro portion theill burners require a larger quantity to sustain the same degree of light, and to this cause may be attributed the great heat, and deleterious effects experienced where gas is used. These facts have been proved by engineers and chemists before com mittees of both Houses of Parliament, and cannot be con troverted, and the only matter of surprise is, that the con sumers tff gas in London have so long suffered such a dis graceful system to exist, as the remedy is with themselves, and they ought by this time to be fully aware that the com parties will do nothing except by compulsion. Why not take the c matter into their o w ntbelulripieleit lighting, business eti s ias , m:l: a gsa n ,tni d iv ‘ide:fia, profits paving, iiitgamb manufacture e 4 district ptrtie rfee g rta a i er 7 wl t e i n u t t g e t a, tls h se ' c p ' at l iTl a ie n s iej ta , k o e r u ( p " ;h h t a . , tB a ( n )f d th o e t g h a er s es ra t t a e b s lis a i re l. a il s ic i n n t, M t a h n e c ti s tc 'e l r A7g h , paid, and this too when the price of gas was only ss. per 1,000 cubic feet, and it was from the same source that the funds were provided necessary for building their splendid town hall.— Cori espondent of the Builder. ACCIDENT AT A SHOOTING MATCH.—On Friday fore noon an accident, attended with very distressing circum stances, took place at the shooting ground adjoining the Dartmouth Arms 'Tavern, Sydenham. It appears that a geo tleman nam d James Andrews, aged 28 years, resiking in the Southwark Bridge-road, and several others, assembled at the shave tavern, for the purpose of shooting a ma' ch. at pigeons. The gentleman above named was in the act of taking his aim at a bird, when the gun burst, shattering his left arm in a fearful manner, and severely injurieg several persons who were standing near. Ile was promptly removed to a sur geon's, where the injuries were ft aind to be so extensive, that it was deemed necessary to convey him to Guy's Hospital, where he was put under the care of the house-surgeon. From the serious nature of the injuri. s he has sustained, it is feared that amputation of the limb will be necessary. DEVONSHIRE CREAM —This far-fame.l luxury, the choicest production of the dairy, is now to be had in Liver pool, and from its being conveyed from Exeter, a distance of 300 miles. in nine hours, an ives there in a high state of perfection. have been told by some s e i e s m s e t d i e fi r A fe r e fl 3 l . l3 B ' o l: l 7 l 7 l unfit ot• use. practical potatoes.-- Waterford Waterford ac time Chronicle. g i:l ( u .'is : l l il i nEg ii . i l q ) ur OTT y lAteT iS : lll li 4 St k 7° l ll. ll: 7 f t i Vto g e :d : e t I :l e o‘ P ; ) ( t i a ti tf : i t ) l t° b ! l black and COMPRESSED MR LOCOMOTIVE (From the Manchester Courier.) A competitor for the supre mac y w h ic h s t ea m h a s s o long and j ustly held in this country, as the means o expeditious travelling, and for most manufacturing pur poses, was, during last week, introduced to. the notict , of the Manchester public, among whom, it is scarce!) needful to add, are many men fully competent to inves tigate and give judgment upon the merits of the new candidate for popular favour and support. The con. ception of condensed air as a motive power recommencL itself at once to the judgment of the merest tyro science ; but though the conception has always teen Palpably correct, a practical development of it has never until the present time been produced which Ives competent to the end th© theorist hoped to attain. A Mr. Arthur Parsey, whose name, though but littleknown to fame as yet perhaps, must soon, if his adaptation the pneumatic principle be found efficient, take rani( with that of Watt, and others of our giants in science. has produced a machine in which the diffiaulty of ap plying the power economically and with regularity h.o been overcome, and that in the most simple manner. Mr, Parsey ha; p dented his engine, and a colnrany lorm d for the purpose of obtaining from him the benefi. of the patent right of his invention in Great and its colonies by tneans of licenses tor its use. Under the auspices of this company a working model was sent down to Manchester, and exhibited in the Ex change ante-room, Mr. Parsey and his son attending t. give all necessary information respecting it. We sac the model, and were much pleased with it and its ie ventor, ahc displayed an anxiety to give the fulles' details respecting the working, without thrusting th. interest of the company, with which of course his own it, bound up, upon the notice of his visitors. When we entered the room the engine was traversing a miniature railroad with a rent and noiseless speed. Th. simple carriage does not differ from that of the common locomotive in form, so that the engine can work on any established line; unlike the atmospheric mode of pro pulsion, which requires an expensive line of tube in ad dition to the ordinary rails. At each end of this carriage an egg-shaped receiver, for holding the condensed ail power, is placed. From these reservoirs the air is eon ducted into a large cylinder, called a receiver, and iron it into two smaller cylinders, where it works two pistons, which act by means of cranks upon the driving wheels in the ordinary manner. The regulating of the power i: effected by a simple expedient: a piston is let into th. large receiver, and supported upon it is a spiral spring which is connected with a nicely-regulated valve in tht pipe, which admits the air into the receiver. This spring is adjusted to the admission cf a certain power, and no sooner does the air in the receiver exceed that powl than the spring closes the valve, and, of course, shuts up or diminishes the passage for air, returning to its original place as the power is expanded. After the examination of the machine comes the ques. tion, in what particular is it superior to the steam loco motive ? The great expenses of steam-engines may bt comprised under the general heads—cost of construc tion, cost of maintenance in proper working order, 3nd the production of propelling power. On all thew Mr. Paraey claims a great superiority. The engines can be built at a decreased cost, say one-fourth of tin whole. The wear and tear will not be anything ii. onmparison with that of a steam engine. Oae gre.. destroying agent in the steam engine is the heat neces sary to generate the power, and the heat of that power when generated ; in the air-engine there is no action beyond that upon the pistons of a body nearly of tht same temperature as the atmosphere, while the ma chinery is certainly not wore complex than in the com mon locomotive. The stoker and his coke and fire will he dispensed with altogether, and with him will dis appear all the annoyances of heat, smoke, dirty tender, black chimney, specks of coke, and the hundred huh things which teach railway travellers how to make a virtue of necessity. The condensation of air will be carried on at stations on the line, certainly not melt numerous than at present required for coke and water. Eight pounds of coal in a stationary en gine, at 9s. a ton, will produce, it' is asserted, the Sallee amount of power as 601bs. of coke, at 20s. a ton, in a steam locomotive. The air, when condensed, can be kept ready " bottled for use," and " warranted not to deteriorate in quality by age." Then as to the facility for moving upon a line. Tee engine will be lighter than the locomotive by a ton or two perhaps, the advantage gained by the removal of boilers, fire boxes, chimneys, &c., being lest in the weight of metal fur the receivers ; the tender also will be absent. But as the engine will require to be made up to the same weight as the loco. motive in order that the wheels may bite on the rails, it Is proposed to carry the requisite weight in goods, or in reserve bottles of air, over the receivers, thus rendering that weight pecuniarily valuable. A train can be started with greater facility. For a locomotive to get up steam requires a long time; an air engine can be charged and e ely for starting in a few minutes ; when the steam is up in the locombtive it must be blown off and wasted it the train be not ready for starting—in the air-engine the communication has only to be shut off from tilt reservoirs, and the power remains ready in undininished volume, for use when wanted. The risk of explosions of boilers is avoided, for the reservoirs only con taining air of a low temperature are not exposed to the expansive power which weakens steam generators after they attain a certain temperature. This is shown by the circumstance, that the small portable gas re ceivers in which Mr. Parsey ket ps the air fur the supply ,if his model engine have been subjected to the weight f 1,2001b5. to the square inch, and are capable of sus taining a pressure of 2,000, while with steatu they would not sustain more than 400. Besides this, the power is gradually and equally diminishing with each stroke of the pistons. The rate of travelling, it is said, will In.• ,qual to anything yet attained by steam, and with as great a load. Thirty miles an hour is fixed, with u common load. The facilities for stoppinA at road sta tions are as great as with the locomotive. These are some of the advantages claimed for Mr. Parsey's inveu ion, when uset on a railway, over the steam-engine. Of bourse the stationary engine participates in all the advantages, so far as p. cultar to that class of engines, with this addition, that where water or wind power cal. be applied for ihe condeniation of air, there will be an entire saving of fuel for steam. Withoutgiving an opinion upon the comparative merit, of the two methods of propubion, we can only say that there is in this new engine something really deserving 01 the candid inquiry of all who are interested in the pro gress of the arts and sciences, and the well being of the country generally. THE BASHFUL JUROR. A SCENE IN THE BEVERLEY COURT HOUSE.—A laughable seene occurred in the Sessions Court, at Be verley, on Wednesday list. A man hal been charged with stealing an axe, abd, the chairman having summed up, the jury "laid their wise heads together," and, from the earnest and energetic [winner in which their consultations were continued, it seemed quite evident that there was some knotty point in the case, which would not very speedily be settled. The foreman appear d particularly resqlute and vehement. After some consi derable time had elapsed, The Chairman said,—Gentlemen, if you have an) doubts in your mind respecting the verdict you should give, the better course would be for you to retire to a room, whore you can confer together more conveniently than in open Court. Here the jury, after a moment's conference, sat down. Clerk of the Peace--Have you considered your ver• diet, gentlemen ? Do you find the prisoner, John Garton, guilty or not guilty ? No reply was made to this question, for the foreman, despite the angry glances of his eleven brethren, reso lutely - buried his tare in his hands, and maintained a dogged silence. The Chairman—Have you come to a decision, gen tlemen? A juror —Ens, zur: we be all o't same moind. The Chairman—Then why does not your foreman return the verdict? Is he ill? Juror—Naay, zur; be be nean ill—nobbut stunt loike.—(Laught, r.) The Chairman—lf you have co.ne to a verdict, prey let us have it. Hera the nearest neighbours of the obstinate foreman vigorously sho.,k him, saying, " Spe) k up, man, speyk up!" amidst the loud laughter of thy Court. Foreman•—Neay, neay, lads, it's o'na use; I'se not goin' to say a word about it to all them gentlefolks. I'►e no orator.—(Loud laughter.) _ The Chairman—What is your verdict? A juror— Not ;uilty, Sir. The Chairman—The verdict must be delivered b) your foreman. Foreman (with a desperate effort)—Weel, if I mun say it, we're all o' one moind that he isn't guilty —noc )ou've gotten it.—(Renewed laughter, avid which tilt ck•rk recorded the verdict, and the prisoner was dis• charged.)—Hull Packet. ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF AM MONIACO MAGNESIAN PHOSPHATE AS MANURE. BY M. BOUSSINGAULT. Ammoninco-magnesian phosphate contains the ele• ments which appear to be the most necessary for till development of plants ; it also possesses one of the pro perties belonging to gypsum, viz , a very slight degree of solubility. On the Ist of May last the author put a quantity of arable earth into stone vessels, capable of containing about nine square feet. These vessels %Et% divided inta two series ; sixteen grammes of ammoniaeo-inAgnesian phosphates were added v. the earth contained in each of the first series, and in all the vessels a quantity of maize or -Indian corn, which had already germinated, was planted.' All the vessels were placed out in the open air, and watered with an equal quantity of water when requisite. During the first fifteen days after raising above the ground, all the plants presented the same appearance end vigour ; it W&L'4 only after the twenty-fifth day that a difference was perceived, and which was subsequently continued. _ _ _ vV On the 25th of July the sprouts of the first series, which had been treated % ith the phosphate, were twit e as high and three times as quick as those which had ris.n from the unprepared earth. On the 25th of August these proportions were differ ent ; the blade of the first being half as long again, and twice as thick, as the second. All the blades were in ear at the same time ; those which had been treated with the double salt bore three ears, two perfect and one imperfect ; a nd the others only one perfect and one imperfect ear. Tof h e grain the first weighed more than that of the second, in the pro portion of two and a quarter to one. TIM. COST OF 11 ASI3 i „ 1 . 4• —lt is said that five hundred millions of dollars are spent annually in the United States for such articles of dress as are subject to the fluct uat i ons o f fashion. 01 t his stun it is comptved that 16,000,000 are spent for hats, probably about 20,000,000 for caps and bon vets, and for other article of dress not leas than 00,000,000. • COPPER MINES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. (From the Adelaide Observer, October 4.) The commencement of operations at our great northerp mines is attended with circumstances almost, ,f not idtogether new, iii the history of mining. Coniecutively with the departure of the fir,t psrty men engagsd on " owners' account," sixteen drays nave been sent up to bring away the first lot (thirty two tons) of the copper ore ;, and, judging from what has been seen, examined, and performed, we shall, in vil probability, have to record, that the value of these first dray-loads, raised by a few hands, within the first seven days, will amount to 7001.—a very pretty begin 'log. But were the English market price offered to the Mining . Association, we understand they would guarantee to deliver a thousand tons in four mouths, and allow a liberal deduction for freight and charges. Indeed it is difficult to speak prospectively of these 'nines in measured terms, more especially as they are far exceeding the most sanguine predictions of the first di - ,overers and exploiers ; and as we have no wish to herish any undue expectations, we shall. von the ~resent occasion, as in tnture when we chronicle the issios.d success of these unftertAings, limit ourselves, as much as possible, to actual facts and occurrences, but it would be unjust to the respect i ve owners of the northern and southern divisions of the property, now so ouch the subject of discussi-n, did we omit to notice the ,ligh promise, now more than ever 017 , 1-dud, of the re• numerative employment for the capital eaibsrked in the Barra Creek Survey." The productive operations institutes by the northern proprietary, upon their moiety of the twenty thou,and Ler. s, have already so far removed from their investment everything of a speculative character, that scrip, is .thangin,g hands at 50 per cent. premium, and we verily believe the most cautions matter of fact curmudgeon in he colony (if there be such) would fain screw out the price of a share at a handsome premium, if offered him iy a needy holder, constrained to realise. Little beyond exploration of the surface, and satisfac wry examinations of specimens of copper ore, having been yet carried out by the proprietors of the southern moiety, we are only enabled to say that the first favourable mprt. salons have been abundantly confirmed ; and in all probability the mineral riches will rival those already so ibvious in the adjoining property. At all litVefttS, a competent si a u th or i ty has estimated its value at\so,ooo/, or are all the energies of the " copper mining" colo nists likely to be expended upon the great mineral sur vey in the north. A requisition has been lodged with the proper authorities for the survey of several square miles of mineral land, abounding with copper, in the listrict of Mount Barker ; and such is the general im -iresdon as to the difficulty of obtaining sufficient trans port for our superabundant metalliferous wealth in its virefined state that the proposed erection of smelting fur naces will be carried out at no distant day, under circum stances which offer inereased encouragement the more they are subjected to inquiry and examination. We are heartily glad to learn that it is intended to gratify the citizens with a sight of several loads of - coined treasure—not because " seeing is believing, "-- not to tempt them to make inviting communications to their friends in Britain or upon the continent of Europe (for both at home and abroad they will be able to judge for Lhemselves) ; but that those who have borne the burden and heat of the day in establishing our highly successful •olony, may derive encouragement as w,ll as gratifies :ion from a sight of the native capital which seems destined to infuse life and energy into all our collatoral undertakings, whether agricultural, pastoral, or mercan tile ; and to stimulate into powerful and salutary cxer iise the inventive faculties and productive industry of whieh this province has already furnished so many bright examples. When it was asserted of the colony, some years ago, and before its capabilities were apparent to everybody's comprehension, that it abounded " with all the elements of wealth and prosperity," it was asked, alternately, by the desponding and the credulous, " Where are the pre tended dements ?" If it were possible that such a question could be propounded now a-days, the attached colonist might point to some of the countless flocks and herds which bedeck our verdant and nutritive postu rages ; to the "smiling" corn-fields, which have re moved all lack of bread, and rendered our garners in sufficient—to our fruitful vine3Pards, orchards, and gar dens— to the tens of thousands of unencumbered act- , which invite. the labours of the husbandm a n-- d' a lastly, to the sub-soil r i c h es , w hi c h seem to p r rei,esn:i etr j h a i Government a full treasury, and th e i Sou fird w governed . r :a g nting?" exemption from penury, and exultingly asi4, cast elements o f wea lth a nd prosperity d, RICHEST COPPER MINES IN THE WouLD.—Extract from a letter dated Eagle River (Lake Superior), Jan. 4 1, 1846:—" We are now taking out a large amount or the silver rock, having struck it at the depth of 60 feet.. ['he diggings leave never looked so well since I have known then] as at present, and I feel confident they will improve as we progress. I have now a party of me* sea work on the bluffs on a well defined vein of 40 Wee. fru width. At Copper Falls they are in a fair way- to as tonish the world. Childs has struck a mass of native copper in the centre of his shaft, which extends entire' across the shaft, 10 feet, and is equally large whs . ' lt Y , nters the rock as at any part ?I th e H mass. —5 re .as sunk . At , ver nine feet on the side of it without any r , 1 coming to its termination in th a t di re °P .ppearance c Corn. Pittsburgh Company's work on the 13!tiv.18.ton they have the a rich and well•defined vein. The N . ° American r any have a good prospect. Thrre locati on ta k es the rich vein of the Pittsburgh Coraprojy- in les s t h an h alf a mile from the riche,t" point on &fle vein. The vein on, which Mr. Childs is at Nr . .,rit (Copper Falls) has been traced on to the location belonging to the North. Western Company, of Detroit. At Eagle Harbour the prospect is very flattering. There are not more than taco or , liree locations where they are at work but what look well." METALLURGIC IND'cfSTRY OF AUSTRIA. (From the Mining Journal.) The mineral resources of Austria are but very little known in this country, although the Austrian empire is very rich in minerals of every description. The greater portion of the metal, the fossil fuel, salt, earth, or clay, "or the manufacture of porcelain and the other potteries, pyrites, nickel ore, cobalt, grenates, &c., form, by their union, an extensive list of minerals, rarely to be found in my other country, The following is an official return of • the principal metals produced in 1845, namely:— Iron and cast metal lb. 306,000,000 Lead and lead productions 16,000,000 Copper Zinc Antimony 770,000 Mercury 370,000 Productions from cobalt and nickel 240,000 Tin 190,000 Silver 56,000 Gold Austria .also possesses very extensive coal beds, but the working of them has not yet been carried to any ex tent, although there is a great abundance of wood, and At low prices. At the last exposition about fifty of the exhibitors sent to Vienna numerous supplies of coal, anthracite, and lignite. The production of coal in Austria during the last few years is estimated at 600,000 tons, which will, no doubt, rapidly increase. It is well known that in Austria the working of mines of every description is a prerogative of the state, which soma- limes, under particular circumstances, cedes its regal right to private individuals. All the provinces of the Austrian monarchy, with the exception of the provinces Venice, along the coast, and Dalmatia, are productive .f iron, and we can divide into three large zones the countries which furnish this metal. The most im-, nortant of these for iron, as for the quality of its metal lurgic productions, is Styria, as it furnishes annually 336,000 cwts. of iron. According to the statistic al returns of the iron industry in Austria, it appears t hat in p lB i r 4 O. 1 there w ere 226 ilidugpi oi h o furn u throughout osapcoeisen 835 gs the e furnacesem32 . at for iron and steel, with 1,1155 fires, and 1,538 hammers or anvils, 15 puddling forges, w:th !et puddling ovens, 38 flattening apparatuses, and 3 2 reheating ovens, 40 flattening machines, with 112 pairs of cylinders, 94 reheating ovens, 9 steel melting ovens, and 31 mechanical establishments. The produce was as follows: —Rough metal (roheisen), 2,192,540 Austrian cwts.; cast metal, 364,130; iron in bars, 1,375,659—0 f which 182,452 were flattened iron ; tin, 11,056; iron plates, 111,644; and steel, 208,379. In 1843 the production of cast metal was 2,351,280 cwts.; and moulded metal, 369.342 cwts. l'he total production of cast iron, or metal, is estimated at 14,000,000 florins (2s. 3d. sterling); and the whole produce of the iron industry is stated at 3 2,000,000 florins. Although the production of iron in Austria presents each year a considerable increase, it is far from being in proportion, according to the abundance of iron ore of excellent quality, which is found in nearly every proviece of the empire. The admission of iron into Austria, like many other products, is only permitted under a special permission ; therefore, the imports of it in 1841 amounted only to the value of 400,000 florins. The value of productions exported was 4,500,000 florins. The cilia trade of iron in Austria is carried on with the states of the Zullverein, notwithstanding the steels of Styria ; its scythes and .igricultural instruments are sought for in every part of the globe, and would no doubt cost many most active transactions, if the Custom-house system of Au.tria did not throw an obstacle in the way. The manufacture of .cythes and sickles is one of the most remarkable and ancient industries of Austria. Styria, the classical land of scythes, has for a long time supplied nearly all the markets of the world ; and, although the fabrication s: o! them has greatly progressed in other c ountries, parti cularly cularly in France, Prussia, and Russia , t he . rod t thes of different ing is the number made.-3,965,0 0 0 scy thes knives, or shares for them in Austria has met at all dimmi s s e h d P The follow sizes, 1,159,000 sickles, and 83.0 00, implements being oo 000 florins. There are no 83,226 cwts. ; value 2,2 , in which scythes are made, cutting straw—the wei g ht of these less than 175 establishmen ts, without including those of Hungary. Each establish ment can on ly make a limited number of them —must only the first of which serves to p ur if y the iron and steel the second for forging t h e scyt h e b y _ et generally b y a hydraulic have four ti ‘ la rge wheel anvil, which is wor ked t • the third to work it by the sma ll h ammer, to make the ridge, and mounting it ; and the last one for riving it the temper required. A single establishment can by law only make fifty tons of scythes per annum, each ton containing from 1,000 to 1,800 different pieces, according to their size. They, however, can double this quantity, by having two bt igades, or change of workmen, and by adopting in their work more methodical ord,r. They attach a great importance . to executing the work in each shop in the same manner, and by the same work men. The Austrians complain very much of the menu hummers of Prussia, who make inferior scythes, and adopt the best marks of Styria, causing a great injury tek . . that part of the country. The above will show the progress making in minim industry in that rich country, which promises, in 4 f 0.7 years, to be a most presperous resource.