The Sun. — London, England, 1846-09-17 00:00:00

Th. ~., COURT CIRCULAR. rti k - ia And Pr ince Albert. accompanied. by the 1 , and• the Princess -Royal, ai!d. DY the Viscountess Canning, Lady in 4 4' went on Tuesday . mooring, in the char %iol drawn by four ponies, to Newport. t^ qe linuverio, .Equerry in Waiting to his Royal Pritca 'Albert attended on horseback. Her 14); o ßri 1 ettd% a t ten yal ;fly returned to Osborne House I. ' 4':'; l: tPal Highnesses Prince Alfred, the Princess trtgi tl 'e n u Princess Helena took airings in the pleasure t or.j a of Osborne House on Tuesday afternoon. J ohn Russell bad the hon Our of joining the royal, 1 , , at dinner in the evening.. knit t l i t l 4l.3ll Y morning her Majesty and her Royal Consort 1 , 11 sir usual early walk. 1 10, e P rince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess ! 4 , 1 41 , the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena, rode riiltliked,_vesterday forenoon in the pleasure grounds str the House. '4y este ' 4l 'en and Mr. King had an interview with E 4 rl drelay at the Colonial-office. Putatio n of the Philanthropic Society, consisting 6 4 1fi e t j l en. and Rev. Robert Eden, Mr. Paynter, Mr. (kil4,4t;t'iltreo,,,a.nedc,th? Sy dney Turner, chaplain to the yest oociety, ha d an interview with Sir George erday at the Home-office. Mar i .' le kham, Chairman of the Stamps end Taxes, littrdinterview w ith th e Ch ance llor of the Exchequer o llp 1 , 43 ' in Downing -street; ty;7:Lachlan had an interview yesterday with Earl /4 414 the Colonial-office • Mr. Jerningham had also_ ew with the Noble . Earl yesterday : L 'iOt tio -`l 4 'S were sent off yesterday evening from the ' 1 " '" )l6 ee for the Governors of the West India k i lles isen • '4l ;kit and Viscountess Fielding left Farrance's k N t J t , e sterday for their seat in Wales. 11:11;,...xtrvA.TE APARTMENTS AT WINDSOR CASTLE.- 1;11 -,4° !o view the private apartments can be avail nr,.--r tr riclay next t he I Sth inst., in consequence of 4-caching return of the Court. Tg t DUTCH PAPERS .' A cuE, SEPT. 13.—The prevailing sickness, " e mentioned last week, in our number of the k 'kiti' s 'a / Y ° are . sorry to report, rather increasing than • l l i V n g, L probably in consequence of the return of I L ls o i w th e . M iler ; the number of deaths this week is ‘tra in the preceding. With respect to the Mosnsiiunset confine urselves to those in Tublic , awe number of sufferers in private houses Atl Knn to us. In the two hespitals 240 addi 'lei Patients were brought in, and.l79 discharged, as, recovered, and 23 had died; 30 that the tlle,. l ;as increased this week by 18. krazeits de Cologne say , " it has been announced jut>timP, that a measure will shortly appear, pro- Di the exportation of corn from the territory of • " 44,7°Ilverein. We c.;n hardly credit this statement. N e .repting such a met sure, the Cabinets will reflect ;,"i t ' l l ° e acts of rigour will lead ' reprisals, and be ' k i ' l i qi - 4 , er _ e nothing at present . to justify the panic, ilt e :le persons seek to excite, with regard to the °' the potato cro )1 1 l i t , t4 Q 4 z 4 e U ve rnment of the - Hesse Cassel has just adopted tneasure, which carries back the scii-nce of OR "'Thorny to the darkness of the middle ages. Ltttolia'tipib.ited dealing in corn in the territory of the I , l t declaring that every purchase of corn for .'", he considered as forestalling, and punished ' the purchasers shall be arrested, and the corn t. 'lel If as n :rie may believe the German journal - s several :tte entis have already taken place. 11 1 , A ° l3 E. SEPT. 11 This morning a courrier left k 's 4,re with dispatches for his Majesty the King. Oth:e.BlY is Exlected Et Weimar:on the 16th of this t i, a nd will return to the Hague about the 20th. t,tigt4;la afterwards his Majesty will go to Limburg. tj l voi ll ,, l , SEPT. 11.--W e have at present no very 6 In ti ;)" r• eons respecting the di•ease in the pota -41,14 ' eS e islands. It is true, indeed, that it exists )p, °4 lld ,ereater or less degree, but, on examination, it Ik gee `akt the f e ars expressed at the first moment It 4tl S ex t d f , 4 6T E aggera e . mPS 4 1 : 1)11 4 SEPT. 14.—1 t is affirmed that the e► t has a new penal code, quite ready to be Oter o entire to the States-General at the corn /I`,th,aent of the next session. Next to the penalty of t4 44 e ( ~ ,w „ e hear, is that of imprisonment for life in the h`wtot,4;ll..uerrec'tion, solitary confinement introduced, ti 4 0 unt of which is the years. No corporal i g no exposure in the pillory, no transporta ', 4 1 , 1. N:mittecl into this code. tt bits SEPT. 12.—The number of steam it,'tthttlo7. London to Harlingen, and back, which were Ot teti wo,' namely, the Magnet and Rapid,. has been 4 0 1. three—the Mountaineer, Captain C. A. '4lsh• .-te exportation of butter and cattle is quite 4 11 1 e In t. ,„ tli . ;`'lnence of the extraordinary beat, which has r,tl ).. 11 1- `` c ,eek at 80 deg. Fahrenheit, many shrubs are ? "t tr. 'wet', and p in several arts of the province the ' e a are in bloom for the second time. ke MAYOR. t• set TION OF LORD ueB daY, at the Swan-with-Two-Necks, Gresham the fri ends of M r . Alderman Wood held a meet ,l4,,e3tiuoncotno he consider what st e p s s h ou ld be taken to secure his Mayoralty of London. The attendance 1 / . ll . ll l.) uaerel ls and respectable. it t4 tid titePut Muddell was called to the chair, and Bug- Itk t i (m. a s t , Mr• Alde rman W oo d, w h o was p resent by in , Aider__`! a ddress th e me eting.! $ 5lO 7" Woon , said that he must commence with an ' 4,l ll) g e Y hav lng been a little behind his time ; but he en detained at a witting of the Court of Aldermen , th, h`l ' with closed doors.—(flear.) He was now before uleti ktt 4 e ng to offer any explanation which might be de 't° answer any questions, to invite the fullest and kll ( ;: ile arelling investigation into his conduct, in public de t ._ lll Privat e lif e .—(Applause.) At the Court of Al ttit Whieh he had just quitted, had, as he remarked. 4 1 7. ,,, t1 "ed doors, Alderman Wilson had put a question which h e no ti ce d, b ecause it appe a red to involve hyttil"tec, usation. In 1832, he (Mr. Wood) was employed I , 4 l 4 e t . k rlsh Society of London to defend them against kit kin- which had been brought by the twelve cow -141," Lond o n, an d w h ic h threatened to annihilate tt,c(h Societe. This action had gone on from court l at ill . r t , with successful decision in each case, until at w as brought, by appeal, before the House of 'clac w here a final decision was pronounced in the ° th t . ,; ll of 1845 in favour of the Irish Society. The ' s 444 lt 4rt ies in the suit had paid the costs last February, let;(Ardernian Wood) deducting the amount of his 44 at i lli t bad the next day pita over the balance to his ih tt hfr i i,..lie had brought this important case to a am id r t ,„' ll !, after devoting years of unwearied labour 'l4l 4 l a rch to it, and yet he had never got a vote of 1 74 t :r ° ll,l his clients for that success. - (Hear.) He c' tOk,.ti 4 t - n Y e t got his bill settled.—(Great sensation.) An . wS, - 'c , f secrecy was enforca factped uon the tneuth , rs ot t b h " ouciety, and yet it was th at at wh toek place invariably transpired, particularly if it . should i Ajd. a nY slander against hims. If.. The question put L' ll ll o ,lnaan Wilson was, whether he (Alderman Wcod) • A - ,:n debt to the Irish Society—whether he had ed moneys of theirs—and whether he had not rt-gtined in his hands moneys that should have been is t : is li er to counse l ? Now, every professional man Ora at What are called "marked fees," are paid when `te delivered to counsel, while " running fees, `uPti• t'lallltations and such matters, remairad over on ac ,kttl ', I 'M were paid 1:•,) the solicitor when his clients i tl 'l'i e c ,Vth . Th . e account which some of the coun t t ttaa kca had sent in to him had charged ten guineas Ot i gg - z of the w five usually allowed for consultation ' A was a very heavy suit,' he (Alderman'-Wood) .1,,.°t object to the higher charge. If he had paid it, N e ' a v e, Wive his bill was settled, and it had been re 'ytk,' °la taxation, he should have had to pay the differ °lt of hi s own p oc ket. The account, therefi r e , ran tte u. fur thi s cause only. It was his r4ht, as a ttl'il t° r—and h e s poke in the presence of eminent legal \t "toen andafter forty years' professional experience d etain not only mewls, but all the papers in the (4 0 „ until his bill was se ttled. He bad done neither. ic 1- .""tufie.) One counsel's clerk applied to the Irish q i ty . f or the amount of .the running ace9unt„ Ile li tt qtrman Wood) had written and inquired the had done by desire of the counsel, and the answer he tijrred was, that he was most angry such an applica t4tshould have been made, as the s ettlement between Irt was matter of private arrangement. Alderman % lin had written on the subject, to the different 1 , 1 , u ! 1 employed in th e su i t , an d the answer he received tit - 1 : the same effect. I n p o int of fact, whenever the I‘ , o 7,,Seciety wou ld settl e w i t h hi m , h e (Ald e r ma n hei ),would pay counsel. It was hard that the Irish 44 4 :14 obligation of secrecy sh o uld b e used agairet tlls r s(Rear.) They would not bring any substantive against him—they did not call him before them kie 7t they allowed statem,ots which were calculated, if I l s t ,, l4 tended to injure him, to be made. That day Sir "6;`,, r -Liurie had said he had always hitherto vot , cl lidl t/t him as, in the 'fitlacre case, the verdiels in Ire ad bee ' been tt , inst him. But he then inform, it Sir Ittota t ' l - , Suri that when the case had been finully verdicts Rh ev .not been sthtalued by the evidence.—(Cheers.) t age", 'Ltd bt en given coley on the unsupported statte t her,' ° I . counsel made to Trish juries, and S ir P. Laurie he ar ackn ow l e d ge d that, until now, he bad never (l f; 4 that the verdicts had been reversed..— llH tg : r, he ar .) H e b e lieved others, had never kit s , :,ei it. All that bore against him was duly t rans. , toof the Court of Aldermen, but . mem be rs .. kept b.ck.— (I.,, e ‘er was exculpatory was carefully t h -41 e.) lie never professed to be a man of large te r i, 4 -4 e, and perhaps this was the chief objection to ° 4 l , llil lg the Civic chair.—(Cheers.) If none but a. o 4 3 o Pulent men were t o be put into that chair, it lit,' endanger the citizens' freedom of election. It b e ,be dreadful if the man chosen by thewarcls should he a " .ke tutled by .a secret ccurt..—(llar.) It would ever the eh r eflection on the City that, because the allowance to - " r d Mayor was insufficient, none but very, wealthy the e i,l!co could bear the additional outlay, should oecupy et chair .—( Cheers .) It was curious that the slanders tle c ,,.`"eh he had been the object were never 'directed t those - members of the Court of Aldermen who 4 11r;`, 801 1- great propertv.—(Laughter.) 'did not Nae ti _t t. f r - nnl a - cOmParison . with any. of that . 11 ) 6,t-cintly rested his case in the hand of his frienkuul . T": ittstide of the City.--(Cheeri.) It tr -p r e taeet:s4 was then addressed by Mr. Uaderwood, Mr. Pitman, Mr. Wintour Hatris;.lgr. Yates, ~"lker-giutlemerr.-- -i tesolutious were paased,assext ki' " ,„ - 'oortnan Wood's high - clairni - to f tta mayoralty on te o „dlt of hi s pr i vate wo rth, as well as the.eateraniarY , 411 ( ; 4 11 't in which h e had performed his public duties as 14 a! and alderman ; expressing unabated confidence 1 3 10dgiug the zeetaSl to stile ill UettiolliAQ THE S - UN, LONDON, THURSID - AV SEPTEMBER 17, mie. promote his election ; and authorising the chairman:to transmit a copy of the resolutions to the Lord Mayor, in order that they might be placid before the Court of Aldermen. After a vote of thanks to the chairman the meeting separated. THE POOR MAN'S GUARDIAN SOCIEI Y. A general meeting of the members was held at the rooms of the society - , No. 40, Leicester-square, yester day, at three o'clock, for the purpose of adopting new regulations and rules deemed necessary for the govern ment of this society. Mr. COCHRANE, the President of the Society, took the chair, and said it devolved on him to draw the atten tion of the meeting to the object for which they were come together. As the advertisement set forth, it was to adopt a modification of the constitutional laws of the society. It had arisen out of the previous meeting of the committee, who resolved to submit those modifi cations in these laws of the society which the change of circumstances seemed to re quire. They thought it better to call a public meeting for that purpose, that they might have the benefit of public opinion on the laws before they were adopted, and that whatever was done might then appear more legal. He said they were in duced to think of these modifications by the very nume rous applications which had been made to the parent so ciety from the provinces, by persons desirous of forming district societies, communications from whom had all been most acceptable, especially as they enclosed money for the objects of the society. It had been found that under the old laws, which gave every member of the society a voice in the elecion of the committee, the com mittee being limited, that as soon as the number of the committee was filled up, all power to influence the pro ceedings of the parent society would be taken away from those district auxiliaries which might afterwards be formed. The committee, however, intended that these auxiliaries should have a voice in conducting the affairs aid business of the parent society, and had thought it right immediately to take measures to make it possible to confer this power upon them. In doing so they bad not failed to profit by a careful investigation of the laws on which the Anti-Corn-law League had been framed and so successfully conducted for the attainment of the object it had in view ; and they had bad besides the advice of gentlemen who had been concerned in the working of that body. He hoped then that what they had done would meet with their approval. Before resuming his seat he was happy to say that already their efforts had been followed with complete success, and when the secretary of the society gave any poor person applying a letter to the authorities, that . letter had always been most respectfully attended to. The SECRETARY then read the new rules of the so ciety, out of which we excerpt the roll .wing:— " That the objects of the Poor Mall's Guardian Society are, and are hereby declared to he, to aid the poor in their applications for parochial relief, to secure to them the legal and humane dispensation of the poor law, and by every constitutional means to effect such improvements in the law itself as may be deemed necessary." " That the management of the affairs of the society be vested in a council, to consist of a president, vice presidents, ar:d chairman. The present members of the metropolitan committee and the representatives from the auxiliary diistrct societies." • ‘• That the council shall elect out of its own body an executive committee, to consist of not lees than 30 members, who shall elect a chairman aryl one deputy chairman (three members to form a quorum), whose duty it shall be to conduct the business of the society." The CHAIRMAN, when the rules had been read, in vited the observations of the gentlemen present. Mr. HEALD said, as he had aided in drawing up the new rules, he could not be expecte d to do other than suggest them ; but he did so because he thought them well adapted to attain their object. They had beet drawn up in order that the district societies, besides their local committees, might be represented in the grand council, so as to be concerned in all the deings of the society ; which be thought the most likely means of preventing collision, or party and factious feeling. It was on a basis of laws similar to those just read that its founders had instituted the Anti-Corn-law League, of which he would say no more in that place than that it worked well, and finally triumphed in its object B. B. CABBELL, Esq., M.P., moved that the code of laws just read be adopted as the laws of the society. Rev. Mr. BARBER seconded the motion. Mr. STALLWOOD moved as an amendment. to the ninth rule of the society, which appoints that there be one general meeting each year, to be convened by the com mittee, that a general meeting should be convened by the council on the requisition of any fifty members of the society. Mr.. AscoTT seconded the amendment. Alf: HEALD hoped the gentleman meant that the fifty requisitionists should bear the expense of the meeting so called ; otherwise, when no object might be gained, the society might be involved in heavy charges. For the requisition to the council was formed, perhaps, of a thousand members, scattered throughout England ; con sequently the travelling .expenses of the council, &c., could net be imagined or limited. Asir. CABBELL said, before the amendment was put he must observe that it proposed an impossibility. For to whom did it appeal ? To the council. B 4 where was it ? It was a representative body ; whereas the corn• mittee was an executive body, elected out of thet coup cil, to carry its w.ll into ettec:,—a will in which all the auxiliary societies participated. There was no object name d for the meeting supposed—no place of assem bling ; for, as Ca- as the amendment went, it might he cony, tr.d in York, er anywhere else in England. The power propos , d would tend to no good object ; it would embarrass the infant society, and might render their error's null. lie hoped the amendment would be with- dfaAn. Toe amendment was accordingly withdrawn, and the rules passed nem. con. the CHAIRMAN songratulated them on the unanimity with which the business had been transacted ; he hoped it but prefigured the unison of the conduct, of all the branches of the Parent S. ciety, in seeking to gain the objects which they had set before tl'en. B. B. CABBELL, Esq., M.P., mei% ed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was passed, and the meeting separated. EXTENSIVE FORGERY OF BANK OF ENGLAND NOTES. On Saturday last a female of respectable appearance and connexions was examined:before the Nora ich magis trates on a charge of f ;rging a considerable number of Bank of England Si. notes. The name of the prisoner is Sarah Hannah Barker ; she had been remanded from the previous Weeln•-s.:a:., The following account will be found to contain the substance of the long examina tions : About a year since the prisoner's grandfather died, and left her a legacy of one hundred and twenty pounds ; this sum she placed partly in the East of England and partly in the Savings' Bank, and having no other resources, owing to circumstances which wi'l appear in the' course of this narrative, had been living on it ever since. About halt' this sure had been thus expended. On Wednesday last she went to the Ea-t of Eegland Bank, and laid down upon the counter. her deposit receipt book, and 501. in alleged Blank of England notes, which she requested might be placed to her credit. As the first glance the clerk saw that they had not the usual signature ; this induced a more minute inspection, when he discovered that the numbers of all were exactly alike. In all other respects the imitation was perfect, and might easily have de ceived a less experienced eye. Knowing from these cir cumstances that they must - be forgeries, the frisoner was given into custody, and the police proceeded to search the house of the prisoner, in Cross-lane, St. George's Colegate In her house was found a boodle of notes lying under the table—about 30 in number—in course e: manufacture—some just begun—some spoiled, and ethdrs nearly completed. A good Bank of England note was also found, and the thirty, as well as the ten presented at the bank, were all excellent imitations of this good note. One forged note—and only one—was found with a signature attached. The copies were done in pen and ink, and had been traced up at a chamber windoW she had frequently been observed by the neighbours tracing at her window, but they con sidered it was to obtain patterns of fancy needle work. This quite accorded with the habits of the prisoner, who lived very secluded, and when she ap peared abroad. had a very lady-like Leering. The ap pearance of the forged paper was very close indeed to the original ; it had, of course, no water-mark. The East of England BeiAt had made a communication of the circums - ance to the-Governor of the Bank of England, and he had requested one to be sent to him for inspec tion. Mr. Stuff, the - town clerk, also stated that Mr. Freshfield had sent .to him for a copy. In order to know stk bat steps the :Bank of England would take, the case was further remanded. Several of the ma gistrates belitved that the prisoner was insane ; tt is belief :was induced by two circumstances. It seems that she had recently a warrant issued against her for non-payment of poor rates, and when the officer called to levy a warrant which had been Issued against her, she attempted to stab him. At that time the feeling of the Bench was in favour of her in sanity much so that one of the magistrates (Mr. H. Bol.nbr ke) paid the demand for her. And, further, the very act of offering at the Bank what she knew to be Barged notes, without even a signature, was evidence of either very great commercial igeorance, or of insanity. Mr. Gould and Mr. N. Palmer thought no insane person would execute notes so correctly, and apply for payment with her deposit-Look without intending to:pass them ; she might, indeed, be ignorant ef the necessity for dif terent numbers, and a signature for the validity of a note ; but this was not insanity. There is little doubt but that the prisoner will be fully committed for trial for the above offence after her final examination. She is :known to no one in Norwich except Mr. Havers, of St. p ae re, whose motheA• her father married. She was born in Norwich, and afterwards went to live with an uncle in London ; here she fell in love with a clergyman, and offered to go off with him, if he would marry her. The amour reached the eirti - Of her uncle, who sent her away to Norwich, where she- has resided and lived oa the legacy above-mentioned. Mrs. Havers says she still believe her grandfather is not dead; he only sleeps, she contends, and sfie-wishei to have him taken up, that he may live with her. No evideeee can be ascertained of her offering . any notes to other individuals.—Bury Herald. - At - ull thetheatres of Paris a number of men are regularly engaged by the management to applaud all thv pieces performed, and all the actors and actresses. Fiore a process b( fore one of the Law Courts the other day, it appears that a_t_tbe Theatre de l'Ambigu•Co mique (one of the mi nor theatres of the Boulevarda)' a regular mercantile company was formed for the purpose of:doing the applauding business. Tile rage for am panics is certaiuly great now-a- days ; but it was hardly to be expected that the claque of a theatre would be put itito a envoy, aud divided iate shares. COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) COWES, SEPT. 15. OSBORNE PALACE.—Her Majesty took possession of the new building yesterday, and is so pleased with it that the royal departure has been deferred for another week, or longer, probably till after the 26th. Numerous fashionables continue to arrive for the bathing season. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. The annual meeting of the proprietors of this national es ablishinent took place on Tuesday morning in the saloon of the theatre. The'proceedings appeared to ex cite very little interest, for of the 548 shareholders in the institution, there were not above a dozen present, and those were for the most part members of the committee. Mr. B. B. Cabbell, M.P.; in the absence of Lord Glen gall (who was prevented by indisposition from being present), occupied the chair. The following report was read by thcSecretary, and after a few words from Mr. WELLS, Mr. GAENFELL, and others, it. was unanimously agreed to : " REPORT OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY." " The committee have again the satisfaction to meet their constituents in general assembly, and although their report will present a very summary statement of the events of the past season, the Acts of Parliament render it imperative that a detailed account should be annually furnished to the assembly of proprietors by the committee of the due exercise of the trust reposed in them ; and if they are not prepared to report any great imprevernent in the state of the funds of the concern, it is some satisfaction to observe that the theatre has been conducted by the lessee, daring the past season, with a corresponding degree of spirit and enterprise which marked his efferts through the previous seasons of his management. The committee are ready to acknowledge the punctuality on the part of Mr. Bunn to discharge the obligation under the terms of his agreement with them, and the committee have thought it expedient to yield to a solicitation of Mr. Bunn, to allow him to expend a balance standing upon the rent account, amounting to 555/, on the decorations of the theatre fur the next season, under the superintendence of the architect of the comtnittee, which outlay they trust will meet the sanc tion and confirmation of the generakassembly. Still the committee look in vain for a surpluS of income sufficient to discharge the accruing liabilities of the corporation, as regards their long-standing bond debt, which, in more prosperous times, they were enabled to reduce from 30,0001. to 6,0004 But the instalments of both principal and interest have ceased to be made for the past ten years. The time, however, has arrived when the com mittee submit to he proprietary, by whose outlay alone the theatre has been called into existence, whether some measure should not be taken to improve their condition. The committee have taken frequent opportunities to suggest to the renters' trustees the inequitable position of their body, as compared with the subscribers to the present building. These efforts have been hitherto ineffectual, and have at length determined the com mittee to bring the subject through their report to this meeting. The committee are fully aware of the obligation of the renters' trustees under the ex isting Acts of Parliament to c aim, after the current expenses of the year have been discharged, priority of payment over the other c!ass of creditors, and of the re ductions made by their body from time to time, in erder to obtain the income they now enjoy. Yet, whilst that preference is proved to have been, at the time the theatre was built, an inconsiderate basis, involving a scale which, in the present state of theatrical property, it is found impossible to comply with, the injustice of it must continue apparent. In conformity with these views, the committee are unwillin to believe that the renters' trustees would be averse to an arrangement whereby an application to Parl.areent might amend the present Acts, which they (the trustees) contend deprive them of the power to make any concession towards meeting the, views of the corimittee. It; therefore, at the end of Mr. Bunn's term, the committee should find all hopes of fitture benefit to the proprietors had passed away, it will materially increase the difficulties to re-let the theatre under circumstances so much at variance with the interests they represent, whilst those of the renters also, it must be recollected, are solely dependent upon the theatre being kept open. In the year 1841 an arrangement, under very embarrassing circumstances at the titne, was entered into with the renters' trustees to pay over the nightly sum of 51. for every performance under which they have received 1,1651. for the season just ended, and it is the subsequent condition of that agreement which the committee repudiate, in justice to the bondholder s and to the proprietors. "The free-trade measures of the drama and legislative enactments have reduced the annual income of the na tional theatres from ten thousand pounds to four; the committee, therefore, suggest they have a strong claim I'arliaotent, by proper appeal, and the concurrence of a majority of the renters, to relieve the concern of an accumulating debt, originating in the destructidn of the patent, by the powers granted by the Lord Chamberlain by the recent Act of Parliament. The patent has been considered by the renters' trustees a collateral security , for their annuity, but which, the committee submit, hav ing been rendered valueless, shows at once the fallacy of charging the proprietors with a heavy arrear under it, and it is with this view the committee intend, without loss of time, to confer with the renters' trustees, and come to some conclusive proposition whereon may rest secure the rights of all parties on a more equitable foun dation than at present exists. " The theatre is undergoing a superintendence m the archi tect, whose report represents a necessary outlay of 9001. The committee have, therefore, thought it expedient to make a transfer of the balance stated in their last re port, amounting to 6891, on account of such repairs. "The annual accounts now laid before the meeting, and regularly audited by Major Naylor, represent the amount of the standing debt on the concern t b 7,5531. 16s. sd. The ground landlord's, and all other claims upon the theatre peculiar to the past season, have been dischare ° A, amounting to 4,087/.95. 4d.; and the balance at the hankers', applicable to discharge the current quarter's exp uses, amounts to 582.1. 10s. 3d." The committee, sub-committee, and auditors having been re-elected in accordance with the required forms, and a' vote of thanks having been conveyed to the chair man, the meeting :separated. THE ITALIAN OPERA at COVENT . GARDEN TiIEATHE. (From the Chronicle.) In the Morning Chronicle of August 21 we announced, on authority, the project of an Italian opera to be given at Covent-garden Theatre early in 1847, and the en gagement of Mr. Costa as musical director and con ductor. It was not our intention to have referred again to the plans of the capitalists who have undertaken this specu lation until a full prospectus was iu readiness ; but as certain contradictions have been given to our statement, and as it has been circulated most industriously, either in the language of menace or in the accents of despair, that nothing had been really done, it is right that our readers should be informed precisely of the progress made in this. affair, so important for art, so promising for artists, and so valuable for the general interests of the public. We do not propose to enter into any controversy with our contemporaries. We presume that monopoly in matters of art is regarded by the enlightened amateur as fatal as in the commercial transactions of this world. Competition must benefit the puslie, and as " free trade" is now uppermost in the drama, we see no reason why it should not exist in music. Let the rival managers fight their own battles, it will be for critics to watch re sults in the race for superiority—" Chacun pour soi, et l'art 'Your tout." The vocalists already engaged ...for Covent-garden Theatre are as follow : Friuli Soprani Mdme. Grisi. • Persiani. „ Stefanoni. • Ronconi. Priori Contralti • Angri. Priori Tenori „ Salvi. Lavia. • Perez. Primi Bassi Baritoni • Roncom., Speck. • Polonini. Primi Bassi Profondi ,, Marini. ~ Selva. „ Corradi. „ Alba. Primi Bassi Comici.... „ Rovere. „ Ley. Secondi Donne :Mine. Piombanti. „ Lega. Secondi Tenori t, Alberti. ~ Morelli. „ Lopez.. We deem it necessary to explain that the majority of the engagements sign..ei by the artists named above have been placed in our hands as a vet ification of the use we now make of their names. To guard against any mis conception hereafter, we will also mention that although the coLditious with Tainburini had been agreed to, the final ratification irons St.-Petersburgh could not be re ceived from him in Paris before the 13th. We believe that the name of Madame Pauline GArcia Viardot (the sister of Nlalibrae) will be added to this formidable troupe ; and we are authorised to state that negotiations with other artists are pending, to appear between 1847 and 1849. Rubini has been offered carte blanche, but has written that his farewell.of the stage has been final, or he would not have hesitated to appear at Covent-garden Theatre with his attached friend and maestro, Costa. The report of Ilubini's eitgagement at any other establishment is without any- foundation. ' The designs for the alterations and embellishments of Covent-garden Theatre are now nearly ready, and the prccess of decoration and renovation, oa a scale of un precedented splendour, will commence in December, as soon as M. Jolliet) has completed his last promenade concerts in that noble editice, the space in which has been of late years much circumscribed as regards that portion devoted to the audience. M. Costa has selected eighty instrumentalists for his band, and sixty singers for the chorus, whose engage ments for three years have ali been signed. .The orches tra will be the finest in the world, nearly all the players haAing been under M. Costa's baton for many years at her Majesty's Theatre. The patriarch Lindley had wished to retire, but on hearing of Costa's nomination, 1 joined him instanitr. In our announcement of August 21 we divided the singers engaged into three classes:- Ist, Artiata of Fiuropeun boo now is this country.- Second i Bassi 2d, Artists of European fame who have visited this country, but are no longer here. 33, Artists of European fame, who have never ap peared in this country at all. Grisi and Mario are in the first category; Persiani, Roneoni, Tamburini, and Madame Viardot are in the second ; Salvi, Marini, Rovere, Ley, Stefanoni, Perez, Spick, Polonini, Corradi, Selva, and Alba, apper tain to our last 'division. Ot the genius and abilities of the arti,ts in the two first categories amateurs are aware, but of the distinguished talents that have yet to appear the treat in store is yet little suspected. Enough has been stated to prove that the undertaking at Covent-garden Theatre will be one of the most me morable epochs in lyrical art in this country. THE KAFIR WAR. Cape of Good Hope papers to the 24th of June in clusive have just arrived, which put us in possession of four days' later news from the scene of war. The information conveyed is brief, but important, as it shows that no more fighting had taken place at Fort Peddie or its neighbourhood, nor indeed was any serious engagement expected. Reinforcements were arriving, and the Governor-General was only waiting the concentration of all the Burgher forces, when he intended promptly to act on the offensive, the result of which, we trust, will be the complete subjugation of the Kafir tribes. (From the South African Commercial Advertiser, of June 24.) Last frontier post, which arrived on .Monday after noon, brings nothing new of any consequence. Another detachment of waggons bad been pissed safely through Trompetter's Drift to Fort Peddie, and there seems to have been no more fighting in that quarter. It is stated that 3,500 Burghers from the western districts have crossed the Garnptoos river; 200 of these, with their wagg, ns, arrived in Graham's. Town on Sunday, the 14th inst. Commandant Linde, with 400 Swellendam Burghers and 200 Hottentots, marched forward from Uitenhage on the previous Wednesday. Four hundred Worcester Burghers, under I)u Toit, with several other parties, had reached Uitenhage. Thus, in a few weeks more, the colonial forces, of all sorts, will be ready to enter on the real business of the campaign. In the mean time, though the Kafirs have disap peared from the neighbourhood of the villages and •• legers" on the immediate frontier, parties of ma raud.: rs are. found as far down as Uitenhage, in search of cattle nearly a hundred miles from their own border. The following extract from a private letter gives a lively idea of the service in which the Burghers and troops will be engaged, probably for some mouths to curve : " Camp Uitenhage, June 16, 1846. " I mentioned in my last that the Kafirs had stolen 300 head of cattle within half an hour of this, and that Commandant Du Toit, of the Worcester Burghers, had gone in pursuit. He was fortunate enough in overtaking the rascals at Pheasant Drift, on the Sunday River, and shot all they saw, viz., 11, and recaptured the cattle. Du Toit behaved nobly, shooting two himself, but I regret that one of his men was killed by an assagai. Otto Kafir got into the river .and covered his hea►l with reeds, to .make it appear that, he was a bush. Youeg T it, however, saw his head, fired, and shot him throuOr the head. They took several assagais, and two muskets, which were loaded. Both these were pointed at Du 'nit, but flashed in the pan. They also took three horses. . " The weath.r continues very warm during the day, and c,,ld at night. No rain, however. " 17th June.—An Aide has just arrived from Graham's Town with a requisition to .press.4ll ',oxen and waggons to convey provisions from Algiia, Bay to Graham's Town, as they are very badly off there. They have in consequence taken our oxen, and how l o z g we shall remain here it i s impossible to say. Our horses get only 121 b. of oat hay per diem. I have been obliged to buy forage and feed my horse up a little, for there is nut a blade of grass where our camp is." Nothing seems to be publicly known respecting the movements or intentions of the Kafirs. If they ever meditated an attack on the colony in overwhelming numbers, as some have supposed, they have lost their opportunity. Such men as Macoma, &Arne, or Stock, who have known the colony, and the power it can in no long time bring to bear upon them, must begin to be sensible that they are in the very jaws of destruction. The sparse and scattered population of the immediate frontier, with some 1,500 soldiers, have, in effect, re pulsed their whole force as invaders. Though cattle have been captured, the loss of men on the Kafir side, compared with that of the colonists and troops, cannot but be felt by them as a decisive proof of their utter in capacity to continue the contest on anything like equal terms. What then can they expect now that the number of effective military is more than doubled on their front, while the frontier colonists have been reinforced by five or six thousand men from the rear ? They, trust, no doubt, to the bush, or the ravines and thicket., of their country, but in the winter even this resource fails them, for in the months of July and August the cold and rain on the mountains are fatal to their cattle, and the plains will be occupied or commanded by the troops and Burghers. Nothing further is known respecting the designs of Creili or of the Tambookies. If they mean mischief, they are not in a hurry.—Heral4. • STATE AND PROSPECTS OF NEW ZEALAND. • The following are extracts from an important and very lengthy petition ( just printed by order of the House of Commons) . pres,,nt.d by Mr. Charles Buller, from inha bitants of the settlements of Wellington, Nelson, New Plymouth, and Wanganui, in the colony of New Zealand: " That it is with sincere regret your petitioners feel themselves under the necessity of anxiously soliciting the attention of your Honourable House to the state of affairs in this colony. " That those affairs are in such a condition that, if not speedily- remedied, the result must be general ruin. That the Colonial Treasury is encumbered with debt; the re venue rapidly diminishing, the currency deranged and vitiated. That all commercial and agricultural opera• tions are checked and impeded, suspended or abandoned; and the colonists reduced in numbers and in wealth. That public confidence in the local government is utterly destroyed; and there exists no adequate security for pro perty or life; and that the European and native races of the country are on the verge of warfare, which in one quarter has actually and disastrously commenced, and which the slightest accident or imprudence may render as general as it would certainly be sanguinary. " That, in the opinion of your petitioners, the imme diate eau,es of this lamentabl e state of th i ngs are to b e found in the erroneous t Policy adopted and pursued by present local government ," [Then follows a very elaborate and full account of the proceedings in the colony since 1842. The petition to wards its conclusion proceeds thus]:— " Reviewing the whole Poli c y and procee di ngs o f Cap tain Fitzroy since his assump t i on of the government: re membering the evident prepossession of his mind by or.e fixed and erroneous idea of the character of the natives and one theory of governing them: the utter ignorance of human nature betrayed by his adoption of this theory and his mode of carrying it out: the want of judgment, infirmity of purpose, and inability to profit by the expe rience of his predecessors or his own; displayed particu larly in his unfortunate lenity towards Honi Heki, after the many proofs that had been given of its effects upon other natives; in his allowing that disturber to escape unpunished after so much display of force and of inten tion to use it; in the miserable collision about the sur render of the muskets; in the repetition at the second attack upon Heki's pa of the errors which caused the first to tail; and in his ultimate conclusion of a truce with the rebels: considering further hiS many impolitic, rash, inconsistent, and unnecessary declarations ; such as his pledging himself to resign rather than use force in any case ; or as his solemn reconiknondation of Mr. Spain and his court at Waikanai and pledge to enforce his decisions, one of the most important of which he pre sently and so uncerimoniously overthrew at Taranaki, and at last sweepingly condemned the court itself (after having, in spite of the agreements at home and its ill effects out here,' so long persisted in upholding it), in the words, The plan was wrong from the first on which these claims have been settled :' recollecting moreover his continual disregard of the letter or spirit of his instructions, as in the cases of the first Debenture Bills, and of those on the company's stoppage : of the establishment of a militia force ; and of the waiving of the right of pre-emption ; looking at the fundamental errors, arid .the extent an suddenness of the frequent changes of his financial policy—at his unvarying acri mony against the settlers—at his unfortunate selection of officers and confidential advisers—at his entire subjec tion to- missionary influence—and at all the ruinous re sults of his whole administration of affairs, however oc casioned—reflecting upon all these things, and upon the very critical circumstances of the colony at present, your petitioners feel it impossible to avoid expressing, in the most distinct terms, their utter want of confidence in the ability of Captain Fitzroy or his government suc cessfully to encounter the difficulties before them. " Your petitioners therefore earnestly implore your Honourable House to interfere, and literally save them from destruction. It is undeniable that the form of Government they are placed under is a perfect despotism; that they have no vote, or voice, or in fluence whatever, direct or indirect, in the framing of any laws or ordinances they are bound to obey, even those which most materially affect them; that they are ruled by the will and judgment of one man, and three individuals completely subservient •to him. They have often been shocked by the assignme . nt of power over them to persons who, in more instances than would readily be believed, have p ut t h e i n fa my o f their characters beyond doubt, and justifi e d t h e aversion of e lt among, at blymea acts of public or t their reluctant removal. They have been grieved at the i nsu l ts cont i nually private the community. d li nqu ell c tyhe• ey necessitating dw offered by savages to a British Government; at the sad spectacle of a British governor floundering on from disas trous and disgraceful concession to imbecile attempts at coercion—driven by the practice of an utterly irrational policy into the unwilling adoption of a wiser one, he was utterly unequal to the execution of it ; its the one case-as well as the other only exposing himself to the contempt and derision of the savages he was unable either to conciliate or conquer. They complain of prac tical evils of misgovernment, alike undeniable and unen durable. They complain of the ruin of the public finances, and of taxation required thereby, whieh they are wholly unable to endure. They complain of their capital wasted, of all useful exertions restricted or para lised, the fruits of industry, destroyed, and : the toil of. years rendered nugatory, by the forcible occupa4on..ley others of lands, which by all rules of justice they themselves should be put and maintained in possession of. And they complain of the utter insecurity oi life, and of such property as has hitherto escaped the rapacity of treacherpus, avaricious, and cruel savages, \chose passions ; mistaken policy has called into Gotivity, adtattud 4' 3 7 0• Qt uut4o4 ikemo to. They wdufd be wanting to themselves, they would be accessory to their own destruction, if they did not protest against this monstrous policy; if they were not with the utmost earnestness to implore your Honourable House, while there is yet time, if time there really be, to avert its still impending ill constquences. They do im plore your Honourable House to rescue from utter failure an attempt to colonise a country, of resources AO promising and so generally admitted, on principles acknowledged to be the best and wisest hitherto discovered, and originally made under circumstances apparently more favourable and auspicious than ever attended any similar enterprise. They ask thus much for their own sakes ; they ask it for the sake even of those aborigines whom nothing but the ruinous kindness of mistaken friends, and the curse of unbounded licence, has turned for the present into instruments of destruction, but who, by wise and vigorous government, might yet be preserved and civilised, made valuable auxilia ries in the developement of the resources of the country, made to add to the wealth and strength of the empire, and be raised into a peaceable, orderly, and contented community. Your petitioners rest of nothing more assured than that the same policy, so necessary for their own welfare, is equally rt quisite for the ulti mate preservation of their own natives. FinallY, they entreat your Honourable House to consider that possibly the very existence. Of the settlements of New Zealand, certainly their immediate or even early prosperity, depends upon the favourable reception of the prayer of your petitioners." SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE YORK AND NEWCASTLE RAILWAY. SUNDERLAND, MONDAY NIGHT.—At an early hour this morning a serious accident took place on the Sun Berland Newcas►le branch (late the Brandling Junction) on the above railway, about two miles from this town. It appears that when the half-past down train had passed the Cleadon station, a connecting rod of the I.,,co motive engine snapped asunder, and one of the pieces penetrating the ground, the engine and tender, with two of the carriages, were thrown off the line ; the former fell over on one side, and the latter on the other. The carriages,fell on some stone sleepers which were laid on the edge of an embankment, and were smashed to pieces. In the train altogether there were eight carriages, six of which did not receive any damage. The guard was seated on the top of one of these, and retained his seat until the train was brought to rest. When he got off be saw the fireman, a young man named Joseph Henderson, lying on a stone block. He had been thrown off the tender, and was severely bruised about his shoulder and neck. The engineman, Richard Hall, was next found at the end of the engine, in a state of insensibility, with his head seriously cut and his body scalded. The guard immediately directed his attention to the carriages which had been thrown off the line. Fortu nately the passengers were few, owing to the early hour at which the train started, not numbering more than eight, and of these only two, a boy and an aged woman, ere in the broken carriages. They were in a state of great terror, but beyond the shock they had not sus tained any injury. The other passengers were none the worse for the accident, though, as may be anticipated, they were somewhat alarmed, as well as grateful for their narrow escape. The engine driver and stoker were removed to Sun derland in a cart, and taken to a house in Thomas-street, occupied by the father-in-law of the engine man (Hall), where medical assistance was promptly rendered. They both remain in an extremely dangerous condition ; indeed, no hopes are entertained of the recovery of Hen derson, the fireman. Hall was only married last week, and his wife is living at Gateshead ; his injuries were, however, of so serious a nature that it was nut deemed safe to remove him to his own house. Between one and two hundred labourers acd plate layers were soon procured, and set to work to remove the engine and broken tender and carriages, and to relay a portion of the way whieh had been torn up. Intelli genee of the accident was communicated by electric telegraph. to_the principal station at Gateshead, and Mr. Harrison, the engineer, and Mr. Allport, the general superintendent, were speolly on the spot, making in quiries and giving directions. The cause of the accident is obvious, and no care nor foresight could have pre vented it. The engine is almost new, and was con sidered to be in excellent order. The train was pro ceeding at a slow speed when the rod broke. It is fortunate that this accident did not happen on the preceding day (Sunday), when the trains were large and crowded. Had it done so, in all probability many lives would have been sacrificed. Some inconvenience has arisen in working the trains to-day, in consequence of a single line only being avail able for a considerable distance; but the way will be entirely restored to -night. SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. JUSTICE WILLIAMS. (From the Bury Herald.) It is our melancholy duty to annouce the sudden demise of Sir John Williams, Knight, one of her Ma jesty's Justices of the Court of Queen's Bench, which took place at his residence, Livermere Park, near this town, on Monday evening last. The Learned Judge, we, understand, complained of indisposition on Monday morning. Dr. Probart, being sent for, prescribed for him, and towards the afternoon the distinguished patient felt considerably better, bu t did not appear at dinner, which circumstance occasioned no serious apprehensions. In the evening, however, while resting on a sofa, or as other ru mours say, while being conducted to the drawing-room, he suddenly breathed his last. The deceased, who was an admirable scholar, was called to the bar in 1804; ap pointed a King's Counsel in 1827; Attorney-General to the Queen in 1830; a Baron of the Exchequer in 1834; and, in the same year, was appointed a JuAice of the Cout tof Queen's Bench. Sir John, when Mr. Williams, acted as one of the junior counsel to Lords Brougham and Denman in the defence of Queen Caroline. WRECKS ON THE THAMES.--ne LORD MAYOR has given Captain Fisher, principal Harbour-master of the Port of London, directions to proceed immediately to remove three wrecks, which are likely, if nut soon taken away or destroyed, to become dangerous impe diments to the navigation of the Thames. Captain Fisher intends to carry out the intention of the Chief Magistrate, by the explosion of gunpowder. One of the wrecks lies off Yantlett Creek, another near the westernuost end of the Blythe Sand, and the third, (a large barge laden with chalk) off Northfleet Creek. Daniel Forrester, the Mansion-house officer, was, a short time ago, employed to trace out and apprehend William Thomas Power, who stands charged with haling; with others, defrauded the Clonmell National Bank, of which he was an accountant, of money to the amount of upwards of 13,000/.. The vigilant London officer, accompanied by Patrick Enright, a Clonmell constable, who knew the person of Power, proceeded with the warrant, backed by the Lord Mayor of London, to the Continent, and acting with his accustomed saga city found that the object of his pursuit was at Munich, to which place he went as rapidly as possible. Power had assumed the name of Thomas Poisk, and was sud denly captured by Forrester, who will bring him to this country, and from hence convey him to Ireland. The prisoner had absconded faom the bank in December, and the warrant and other documents necessary to legalise his apprehension was signed on the 15th of August. STEAM-BOAT COLLISION.—GRAVESEND, SEPT. 15. —About eight o'clock last evening a collision of a fear ful kind took place off Gray's, between the Diamond Company's packet the Ruby, and a small steam packet called the Gnome, from Woolwich, the property, we be lieve, of the Woolwich Company, off Gray's. The Ruby was on her way down from London-bridge, and the Gnome was going up the river, on her return from the Nore, whither she had been making an "excursion," with a party of near 200 persons on board. As far as we could collect the facts of the case, it appears that the night being rather dark, the captain of the Ruby, as is his usual practice it seems, kept himself, and ordered to be kept, a close look out, and observing the steamer ap, proaching directly ahead of him, he called out to the helmsman to port the helm, an order that was imme• diately obeyed ; but the Gnome having her helm at the same time put a starboard, a collision became unavoid able, and the Ruby struck the Gnome on her starboard bow with great force, although the engines of the Ruby were with great rapidity reversed by the captains in command. Still the concussion of the two vessels was frightful, and the Gnome being the smaller and weaker vessel, was made a wreck of. The scene on board the latter may be easier conceived than described. She was in her forepart literally shattered and stove in, but her engines being comparatively uninjured were kept at work, and she was run on the Essex shore, where she soon sunk, after the Ruby had taken all her passengers or party of excursionists out of her. The coolness and good management of the captain of the Ruby, both in endeavouring to avoid the collision and when it unfor tunately.occurred, is borne testimony to by the pas sengers in the Ruby, who were on the deck at the time; and to his coolness and management they ascribe in a great degree the preservation of many of the lives of those on board the Gnome, where a dreadful scene of confusion prevailed. After having taken all the Gnome's passengers on board, and brought them to Gravesend, and having found that no serious damage so as to dis able the Ruby from proceeding back to London was in flicted, he, when his passengers to Gravesend were landed, took those of the Gnome back to Woolwich, where he landed them at their own request. Wherever the blame of the collision may rest, it is fully admitted by the passengers that the captain of the Ruby had taken the only precaution he could take to avoid it— namely, porting his helm, and reversing the engines; and that his subsequent exertions in doing anything to save the lives of the multitude on board the Gnome were as judicious and coolly conducted as they were strenuous. It is a matter of much surprise amongst those who wit. nessed the scene, that no life was lost in the terror and confusion that prevailed on board the Gnome. JOSEPH ADZ IN TROUBLB.—At the Thames Police court, yesterday, Mr. Broderip, the presiding magistrate, who committed Joseph Ady, of "something to advan tap" notoriety, for trial on two charges of fraud a few weeks ago, handed to Inspector Scott, of the II division, a letter he had received from Ady, enclosing another, and requested him to adopt the necessary measures to prevent a breach of the peace. Ady's own letter, which was addressed " To the Magistrates of the Thames Police-office, near Arbour- square," ran as follows : " Gent! men,—The enclosed threatening letter is just received by the post. I beg the favour of your directing some of your subordinates to protect me from the writer's violence. I know not his name. Respectfully, Joseph Ady, 5, York-street, Commercial-road. Sept. 14, 1846." The letter which put My in so much alarm was written, no doubt, by some one to whom he has promised " something to his advantage." The writer declared.that he would be "at Mr. Ally's office on the 23d, at twelve, without fail, and would then and there administer to him, with a good horsewhip, something that he would not easily forget." Ady, with a keen eye to business, as well as self-protection, took care to fore ward to the magistrate, with the letters, a " list of next o f ki n ," falsely (stated to have been " qtracteJ, awn the Tinto of &glut A VA& LITERATURE. THE SYBIL'S SPELL. A Fairie Tule. This little metrical story is a performance almost too delicate and gossamer-like for the rude and cum brous hands of criticism. If it be dissected, or tumbled about much in the crucible of that same un compromising criticism, we shall find the bloom come off it like the powder from the pinions of a butterfly. The story itself is a trite old story enough ; never theless it is handled with a grace that imparts to it almost an air of newness. A . baron roving; on a hunting expedition in the woods surrounding his castle, comes upon a "simple forest maiden," loves her and is beloved—goes to the wars—is all but betrothed to a haughty lady during his absence —returns , homewards in a torment of doubt— his heart luring him towards his former ladye love—his pride And his honour towards his latter ladye-love. Here it is that the writer of this little poem has clothed the oil legend with a novel and not inelegant appendage. The Baron's hesita tions are dissipated by a sybil's spell—the said sybil having, with fairie agency, disclosed to him, is a kind of visionary panr)rama, the terrible consequences which would result from any rash step in the way of (as poor George Farquhar hath it) " committing matrimony." Need we explicitly state the winding up of the fragile line spun by the romancer ? The Baron leads the simple - damsel, in her russet dress, from cottage to castle, his bride. Alfred Tennyson has given a most delicious. version of this story, founded upon a real, but romantic incident in the life of one of the ancestors to the noble house of Burleigh. Sir Bulwer Lytton has given the antithesis of the story — and beautifully has he given it—in his " Lady of Lyons." Associated with such predecessors, "The Sybil's Spell" could scarcely fail from dwindling into insignificance, especially when certain literal absurdities insinuated themselves into the text. Such for example as the lines— " Young Baron, bast thou yet atoned To one thy words have shatter'd?" That unfortunate expression necessitates the ridicul ous consideration, that the words must have been " devilish hard words," and the individual shattered by them, frightfully brittle ! Then, again, we have a specimen, so true, cf bathos, or the art of sinking in poetry, as would have warmed the heart of Martinus Scriblerus—where the Sybil ends her solemn warning with the exclamation— " Go—young man, beware!'' In another part we have the couplet— "Then came a wakefull tiiriil ajcos 5 him, Then did a shadowy murmer toss him." The rhyme, too, occasionally smacks of the veritable cochaitine ; ex. gr. " At morning': dawn, She heard the horn." And at other moments the verse is encumbered with the most awkward redundancy of language; as in the following : —"hidden by their bubbling showers, And Jewelling foam, that roaring mocks The bending of the fragile flowers, That stoop beneath the glowing stream"— et cetera, et cetera. Has not the bloom-dust come off our literary butterfly ? ECHOES FROM THE BACKWOODS. 2 Vols. By Cal tain R. G. Levinge. We have so repeatedly had occasion to notice these " Sketches of Transatlantic Life" during their piece meal publication in Colburn's New Monthly Magazine that it is unnecessary to enter into any minute exa mination of their merits. As the author very judici ously observes in his preface, it is matter of astonish ment, and should be matter of regret that so little is known and apparently so little cared for our posses sions in New Brunswick. Everybody knows some thing, more or less, respecting the internal condition and external relations of almost every other portion of the American continent ; but of the provinces of New Brunswick—provinces " containing many millions of excellent land, magnificent rivers, inexhaustible mine ral wealth, and most extensive coalfields"—scarcely one individual in a hundred knows anything whatever. These two sensible, picturesque, laughter-moving, sprightly volumes, are descriptive of the scenery, illustrative of the society, and indica tive of the affluence of this same unnoticed, but most noticeable territory. One literary advantage, there fure, is assured to the reader—the book possesses sin gular novelty. Of the existence in it pages of many other literary advantages we can giv our most de cided, and, we trust, somewhat decisive voucher. The writer has penned his chapters quite con amore—he evidently relishes his own narrative—he engages in all sorts- of surprising and healthful adventures—he lets the reader into a thousand geographical and colo nial secrets ; and so pleasant withal and off-hand are the descriptions, that it is scarcely so much reading so many sheets of letterpress as hearing Captain Livinge himself tell all about (what Harry Lorrequer would call) his " wanderings and ponderings." Nor is our author merely an agreeable scribe— he is an excellent draughtsman as well. His sketch book is alternately embellished by the pen and by the pencil. " The air hole,"—namely, a fracture in the ice when sledging over it, and the consequent engulphing of a horse is gloriously delineated. Whoever can thoroughly enjoy the tales of an ob servant traveller w ill be loth to abandon the perusal of these delightful volumes. THE ECLECTIC REVIEW. No. 111. New Series. As the Latin derivation of its name (eclecta) would indicate, the contents of this periodical are generally the choicest cullings in prose composition. Besides this the subjects of which its articles treat are usually very well timed and appr,:priate. In the number for September, however, there are two contributions which are terribly after date, we mean criticisms upon Burton's Life and Correspondence of Hume, and upon Shepherd's Life and Correspondence of Foster. For a monthly publication these notices appear to us to have been singularly procras tinated. For a quarterly review it would be different. The two preliminary volumes of Mr. Grote's " History of Greece are submitted to a care ful and judicious analysis. We conceive the re viewer is tolerably justified in protesting against the learned commencement of Mr. Grote's work, namely, the chapters referring. t 9 " Legendary Greece," as al together unnecessary to the development of Grecian history. The references to the mythology of that classic region should, unquestionably, be as succinct and incidental in the opening of its national history as the references to Drui,i ceremonials and supersti tions in our English historians. Mr. Grote, how ever, evinces so much earnestness, originality, and erudition in describing attributes of the Heathen deities, and in tracing the the origin of the Grecian mythes, that we can scarcely regret his very admi rable blunder of judgment. Now that the Ministerial intentions, with reference to the systematic education of the multitude, still continue enveloped in obscurity, and that we are abandoned to our conjectures, the strictures upon Dr. Hook's proposition will be exa mined with interest. We cannot but think the paper, entitled " The Irish Church—Ministerial policy," miserably one-Aded. If such feelings be fostered and cultivated, religious enthusiasm can scarcely fail of degenerating into sectarian fanaticism. What is the grand goal to which nations are struggling in this age of enlightenment? Is it not the goal of civil and RELIGIOUS liberty Q And despite all the petty bickerings of prejudice, that glorious goal will, under the blessing of Omnipotence, be gained ! " Mexico" and " Blair-Athol," as described by Thompson and Trench, form the subject of two welcome articles in this instructive number of the Eclectic Review. THE AMERICAN ALOE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sxa,—A short time since a paragraph appeared in your columns, stating that an American aloe was in full flower in the East London Cemetery, Alfred-street, Mile-end. As a great number of persons have been induced to visit the cemetery in consequence, I should feel obliged if you would inform your readers that the plant mistaken by your informant for an aloe is the Yucca Gloriosa, or splendid Adam's Needle, a native of Texas, Mexico, &c., and was first brought into this country by Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1596. The plant in the cemetery i 4 twelve years old, and is now in full bloom, and will probably continue so till the frost comes.—l am your obedient servant, D. FRANCIS, Superintendent. Office of the East London Cemetery, 6, White Horse-lane, Mile End-road, Sept. 15, 1846. - - THE CONVICT HENEY.—Yesterday morning Joseph Henry was sent off from the prison of La Roquette to the hulks at Toulon, in execution of the sentence of the Court of Peers. Until his being transferred to this prison he maintained hopei that his appeal to the King for a commutation would meet with some success; and more than once sent for his counsel, M. Baroche, to whom he expressed great anxiety as to his fate. At six in the morning he wai informed that he must prepare to go to Toulon, undergo the usual process, and put on the dress worn by all persons sentenced to the hulks. He sunk into a state of despair and almost stupor, exclaim ing, " Oh, God! Oh, God! All then is over! No hole is left." And when brought out to be put into the van, he saluted those around him, and seeing an inspector general of prisons among them, he raised his eyes to him and said, while his face streamed with perspiration, which he endeavoured to conceal, but could not, " I should have preferred death." Seven other convicts, condemned to the hulks for different terms of from fiv(- to ten years, were sent off with him. None of them seemed to have the least commiseration for their miserable companion. Among these was Pierre Marie Lecareux, sentenced for six years as one of Fourniei'll gang of robbers, and when he was stripped for being in vested with the convict's dress, there was found tattooed on the right side of his breast, Mort a Fornier et a Melaine Maquet (Fournier's mistress), whose confessions and evidence formed ,the main ground of conviction.— Galignani. OHIO CANALS.—The returns of tolls on the Ohin canals for the season, from November 15, 1845, to Jul 15, 1846, exhibit an increase of fifty thousand dollars over the correepondiug period last year. STATIONS of the .BRITISH ARMY ON THE IsT OF SEPTEMBER. (From the Utdied Service Magazine.) Where two places are mentioned, the last-named is that at • which the depot of the r.egintent is stationed. lstJ,ite Guards, Windsor 24, Regent's-park Royal Horse Guards, park Ist DragoouGds.; Birmingham 2d, Dublin Bd, Piershill 4th, Nottingham sth, York 6th, Norwich 71li, Cape of Good Hope, Maidstone Ist Dragoons, Ballincollig 2d, Dublin 3d Light Dragoons, Bengal, Maidstone 4th L;ght, Manchester 6th, Longford 7th Hussars, Hounslow Bth Hussars, Cahir 9th Lancers, Bengal, Maid stone 10th Hussars, Bombay 11th Hussars, Coventry 12th Lancers, Brighton 13th Light Drag., Newbridge 14th do. Bombay, 'Maidstone 15th Hussars, Madras, Maidstone 16th Lancers, Bengal, Maid stone 17th Lancers, Dundalk Grenadier Guards (Ist batt.), Winchester Do. (2d batt.) St. John's ~42d, Malta, Lie of Wight— Reserve ball., Malta 43d, Dover 44th, Belfast • 45th, Cape of Good Hope, Isle of Wight—Res. bast., Monte Video 46th, Canada, Chatham 47th, Dublin 48th, Jamaica, Newbridge 49th, Galway • 50th, Bengal, Chatham •51st, Van Diemen's Land, Chatham • • 52d, Quebec, Brecon 53d, Bengal, Chatham 54th, Gibraltar, Fermoy 55th; Devonport . 56th, Bury, Lancashire 57th, Madras. Chathm • sSth, N. S. Wales, Chatham 59th, Dublin • 60th (Ist batt.), Bombay, • Chatham Ditto (2d batt.), Canada, Edinburgh 61st, Bengal, Chatham 6.2 d, Bengal, Chatham 63d, Madras, Chatham 64th, D9blin 65th, N. ;-•:' Wales, Chatham 66th, Gibraltar, Clare 67th, Cork 68th, Dublin . 69th,Manchester 70th, Tempiernore 71st. Barbadoes, Isle of Wight wood Do. (3d batt.), Tower ColdstrcaiuGuards(l3t batt.), St. George's Bariacks Do. (2d batt.), Portman street Barracks Scotch Fusilier Guards (Ist —Res. 'at. Canada 72d, Gibraltar, Nenagh 730, Monte Video, ButteVant 74th, Portsmouth 75th, Athlone 76th, Fort George, N.B. 77th, Halifax, k grimy 78th, Bombay, Chatham 79th, Gibraltar, Beltfirbet 80th, Bengal, Chatham 81st, Canada, Jersey 820, Canada. Spike Island 83d, Limerick 84th, Madra, , , Chatham 85th, But tevant 86th, Bombay, Chatham 87th. Aberdeen 88th, Malta, Ballinasloe 89th, Canada, Hull 90th, C. G. Hope. Chester 91st, Cape of Good Hope, Isle of Wight—Reserve bait., Cape of Good Hope 92d, Enniskillen 930, Canada, Carlow 94th, Aden, Chatham 95th, Tralee 96th, N. S. Wales, Chathm 97th, Corfu, Isle of Wight— Reserve batt., Cephalonia 98th, China, Chatham 99th, N. S. Wales, Chatham Rifle Brigade (18th), Corfu, batt.), Wellington Barracks Do. (2d batt.), Windsor Ist Foot (Ist batt.), Trini dad, Dublin Do. (A batt.), Edinburgh 2d, Winchester • 3d, Gosport 4th, Madras, Chatham sth, Fermoy 6th, Cork ith, St. Vincent, Newry Bth, Bombay 9th, Bengal, Chatham 10th, Bengal. Chatham llth, N. S. Wales, Sheerness 12th (Ist batt.) Mauritius, Isle of Wight—R. b., Mauritius 13th, Portsmouth 14th, Canada, Plymouth 13th, Ceylon, Waterford 16th, G:braltar, Athlone 17th, Bombay - , Chatham 18th; China, Chatham 19th, Barbadoes, Boyle 20th (ht batt.), Bermuda; Isle of Wight—R. b., Bermuda 21st, Madras, Chatham 220, Bombay, Chatham 23d (Ist bate.), Antigua, Isle of Wight—R. b., Canada 24th, Bengal, Chat ham 25th, Madras, Chatham 26th, Dublin 27th, C. G. Hope, Guernsey 28th, Bombay, Chatham 29th, Bengal, Chatham 30th, Leeds 31st, Bengal, Chatham 32d, Bengal, Chatham 33d, New Brunswick, Clonmel 34th, Corfu, Clonmel . . Chatham Do. (2d batt.), Halifax, N. S. Isle of Wight—Reserve batt., Halifax, N. S. _ COLONIAL CORPS. Ist West India Regiment, Jamaica 2d Do., Nassau 3d Do., Demerara, Sierra Leone, &c. Ceylon Ride Reg., Ceylon Royal Canadian Rifle Regi , 35th, Mauritius, Charles Fort Sith, Weedon 37th, Newport, South Wales 38th, Jamaica, Londonderry 39th, Bengal, Chatham 40th, Canterbury 41st, Mullingar • 51st—Under men t, Canada Cape Mounted Riflemen,Cape of Good Hope Royal Newfoundland Vet. ---.l Comps , Newfoundland Royal Malta Fencibles,Malta St. Helena Regiment, St. Helena. -ders for Bengal. FUNERAL OF LORD METCALFE.—Yesterday after noon the mortal remains of Charles Theophilus, first and last Baron Metcalfe, were consigned to their last resting-place. It has already been stated that that much-lamented nobleman died at Malshangcr, near Basingstoke, but his body was removed on the morn ing of the fueeral to within a few miles of the church of Winkfield, in Berkshire, to be deposited in the vaule with his ancestors. The country seat of the Metcalfe family is Fern-hill, in the parish of Winkfield, but for many years past that residence has been held by suc cessive tenants of the deceased peer, the last of whom was Sir Felix Booth; its present occupant is the Dowager Lady Granville. On this account, therefore, the mourners 1 mei attendants did not assemble, as under other circumsi stances they would belie done at Fern-hill, but at Hill house, the residence of his Lordship's nephew, Sir Hes keih Fleetwood. Hill-house is also in the parish of Winkfield. The obsequies of the deceased peer were conducted in a manner quite becoming his high rank and the great le rsonal esteem in which he had ever been held, but at the same time with no unusual or ostentatious display. There were, of course, several mourning-coaches and four, the church was hung with black cloth, the coronet of the deceased was borne upon a crimson velvet cushion, the coffin was covered with crimson velvet, the hearse was adorned with paintings of the arms, coronet, &c., belonging to the deceased, and every part of the ceremony was performed with impres sive effect. Amongst the mourners were Lord Monson, Sir Alan M'Nab, Mr. James Metcalfe Mr. Thomas Metcalfe, Mr. Brownrigg, M.P., Sir Hesketh Fleetwood, Bart., Messrs. Martin, 13rownrigg, jun., Smythe, Howell, Ste. The private carriages of several noblemen and gentlemen followed the mourning coaches; amongst the latter we noticed that of Lord Ashbrmike, the brother-in law of the deceased. It is understood that Mr. Brown r;gg has been appointed Lard Metcalfe's executor, and twat the bulk of his Lordship's property will go to Mr. James Metcalfe. His Lordship's brother, now in India, inherits the baronetcy, to which the deceased peer suc ceeded inure than twenty sears ago. ASSASSINATION OF A "REVENUE OFFICER AT Bo- LOGNA.—A letter from Bologna states, that the son feditti have been guilty of a horrible assassination. A. revenue officer having refused to participate in their ma chinations against Pius IX., fell a victim to his devotion. As he had expressed his intention of going to Rome, fearing lest he should inform against them, they shot him. Ihe crime was scarcely perpetrated when the son fedist who were anxiously awaiting the result in the streets e: Faenza, I) ,, gan to cry out, "Behold the fruits of the amnesty !" Happily the victim of this cowardly act bad still life enough Idt before expiring to denounce his murderers, and the motives of their act. They wished to impute the ant to the effects of the amnesty. His statement was taken down and sworn to by seventeen witnesses. The whole populltion of Faenza, without distinction, followed the murdered man to I-is grave; the funeral was on a ma2nificent scale. Public opinion, also, points out the suifedi,ti as the murderers of the Swiss Colonel who was assassinated on the public square of Forli a few days previous to the above mentioned murder. . DUMBLANr:DREADFUL DEATH —A young lad, named Robertson, employed at the vinegar-works in the Miltown of Aberfoy le, lost his balance. and fell into one of the boilers full of boiling liquid, about mid-day on Wednesday week. No assistance being near when the accident happened. the unfortunate youth managed to get out himself, and gave the alarm. - Ile was imme diately carried home and medically attended, when it was found that every part of hi body was burned except his head and left ann. Ile lingered on, in great agony, until the afternoon of Friday last, when death released him from his suffering. OFFICIAL PROMOTION.—The Commissioners of the Customs Department having had limier their notice the reports made from time to time by the nrineieal officers of the several departments. submitting tfie'name s of officers and clerks for promotion on vscancies, ;:ave considered it expedient to promulgste an order, impress-, ing upon the principals that it. is t! eir duty in such re ports to bring prominently rind, r the notice o , ' the Board all the circutn*aances affecting the character and con duct of the parties, vdeth , r such circuit stances may have been recorded in the annual rear 1 s cif capacity and character or not ; and the Board have desired rt t• be distinctly undtTstiod by the whole .4 the ( , mployees throughout, the slepartmentA in the Unit, - ..d Kingdom. in the service of the Crown, that hence-- forth any transaction of a tliscredita b . , nature, reuniary embarrassment, neglect of duty, or otler misconduct, will be held by the Commissioners sutiolent to justify them in withholding promotion from officers or clerks" even in the lower grades of the servic in which promo tion has usually proceeded by seniority, unless it shall be made evident to the Board that such parties have, by continued good conduct and ircreased zeal and activity in the discharge of their duties, subsequently entitled themselves to favourable consideration. rids order has been communicated to the heads of the department in London and throughout the United Kngdom, for their government in this matter, and for the information of the several officers mulct their survey. Tax HAEVEST. — The fields within six miles of Edinburgh may be described as c'eared. The general cs.mplsint is lightness of return—corn as well as straw; and, as a necessary consequence, markets are rising. Wheat in Edinburgh market brought from 4s. to ss. per quarter more money on Wednesday than on the previous market-day; and oats and barley r , ?alised an equal ad vance. Strange as it may seem after the many state ments as to the total failure of the potato crop, 41. per acre and upwards have been obtained by public roup for some fields; but unless to feed pigs we do not see to what use the product can be turned, her it is seldom that one good potato in twenty is turned up. Great fears are entertained of the soundness of turnips. Around Edin burgh this crop still Maintains a healthy appearance; but from East Lothian there are some very unfavourable accounts.—Scotsman. MALES AND FEMALES BATHING AT NEWPORT UNITED STATES.—A correspondent of the Boston Transcript writes thus from Newport on the subject of bathing :—" I had my prejudices . against the custom of Leith sexes bathing together, Lut on ; seeing the fun at Newport, my antipathy against the fashion was much removed. The sight is picturesque, certainly. Fancy an encampment of ludiarts, or rather Gip seys, divested of the billing pot, and you have the scene previous to immersion. You cannot tell the gentlemel from the ladies ; and, in fact, it is difficult to distinguish tire members 'Of" four own family. The gents wear red flannel tunics, duck pants, and straw hats; the ladies tunics and pantalettes of the same colour, with white collars and wristbands, and straw hats Om There are as many as 150 bathing houses. Yon enter on one side, and go on to the beach fro:n the other, all equipped to act the part of . sea nymphs, or aught else that might se em art a ppropriato chataCterc ineally very ex , Lag to behold OA DAL!' y ^ .