The Sun. — London, England, 1846-03-13 00:00:00

THE BEAN. (From the Inverness. Courier.) The late disease in the potato seems not only to have placed the agricultural, but the political, world in a quan dary; and politicians have been quite as much puzzled, and as unsuccessful, in finding a substitute for Sir Ro bert Peel, as we agriculturists have been in finding a substitute for the potato—and probably for the very same reason—namely, that none of our indigenous plants seem to have scope enough in them to fill the place. Whether we may ultimately be more suc cessful than our friends the politicians, time will try ; for my part, I have not much hope of the event, from this very good reason, that although we have had a little back-sliding in the potato, caused by our own stupidity, its life and character as a species remains unimpaired. Indeed, we have no single in stance, even in tradition, of a plant being lost to the world that was found to be worth the care and trouble of keeping. Then why should we despair of the potato ? My object, however, is not so much to recommend a substitute as an assistant ; for it must be confessed that potatoes of themselves, even of the mealiest kind, are bat watery and weak when we come to dig ditches or trench land upon them ; and, besides, it seems almost an anomaly in nature that the life of a warm-blooded animal should depend upon a single plant. We have no instance of it in nature, except among the grubs and caterpillars ; and it is sickening to think that so many of our fellow creatures are reduced to such a condition. The great defect in the potato, as food for a hard working man, is the undue proportion of carbonaceous, as compared with the azotised matter it contains, which plainly points it out as an article of diet that should never be eaten alone, when it can be helped. This law is, indeed, very strictly kept by all who can afford it. But what comes of the thousands of our fellow-creatures who have to begin and end their days on pota toes ?—it is worse than " making bricks without straw." This is a very serious consideration, and an evil not easily remedied as society is at present constituted. For every one that is born with a knife and fork—even a steel fork—there are probably, three born without them ; and as cultivation increases, the proportion between animal and farinaceous food will further decrease, as the vegetative life which can be produced from an acre of potatoes is so very great when compared with an acre of land under beef or mutton. _ _ _ T'ne natural economy of things in infant states of society, where wild and tame animals bear a large proportion to arable cultivation, is to run into the ex treme of animal food ; while, in the advanced stages, in purely agricultural countries (wh ere a l one d ense populations can subsist), the opposite or starchy extreme is also as naturally adopted. That this state is already realised to a painful extent in a large section of Great Britain and Ireland is acknowledged on all hands ; but how to remedy the blunder is not easy to perceive. The readiness and cheapness with which vegetable food, sufficient to keep the vital spark glimmering in its socket, can be raised, as compared with animal food, is so great, that we despair of the bulk of our fellow-crea tures being ever again able to clutch the knife and fork. In this state of matters it behoves us all to cast about to see if there is nothing which can be substituted for flesh and blood in the manufacture of this very necessary in gredient in our food— this raw material of the thews and sinews of animal life. The great distinction between animal and vegetable food seems to be the relative proportions of carbon and nitrogen they respectively contain. The great bulk of vegetables are comparatively scanty in nitrogen, while some (as, for instance, the potato) is so destitute of this principle, that, even when compared with the dry car bon, it only amounts to about half a cent. ; while, on the other hand, some plants (as the leguminous, or bean tribe) rival beef or mutton in the amount of azotised matter they contain. The natural inference to be drawn from this is so plain that it scarcely r, spires pointing out. In the potato we have a substance so deficient in the proper ingredients of the blood, that, of itself, it is barely enough to support human life ; while in the bean we have all the principal ingredients of the blood, almost in a state of purity, but which, nevertheless, is not perfectly suited to the human constitution ; there is a want of that very ingredient which tlri, potato contains in excess, namely, carbon, and without which the heat of the human frame could not be mait.taneti. Now, seeing that by the constitution of things we cannot all get meat to our potatoes, how would it do to mix these two sub strtece, seemingly created to supply the wants of each other ? The process is simple, and ten result certain e as by doing so. we have at once au amalgam suited to all the wants of, the human constitution, and at an expense vd - lich need not deter any one who can afford to cat at all. Bat this will be more vividly seen by reference to the following table, made up from the most recent, and believed to be the most correct analpis of thefe substances. For the sake of simplicity, and on account of carbon and nitrogen being reckoned the principal in gredients necessary in building up animal structures, I omit the others : Carbon. Nitrogen. Produce of 1 acre, say 25 bushcls of beans. „ 1 acre, say 132ibs of beef „ 1 acre, say 6 tons of po tatoes . 712 281 81 66 19 It will thus be secn that an acre of land in beans not only produces four times as much of these grand ingredients in the animal organism, carbon and nitrogen, as an acre under beef, but the relative proportions are so near to that of beef that they may safely be set down as errors in analysis or calculations. What waste, then, must it be to gather up cur nitrogen through the aid of sheep and cattle, while it can be so cheaply and handily done by a crop of beans? Again, in reference to the above table, we see that the nitrogen in beans is something about the same ratio as in the flesh of animals, and as we know from instinct and experience that flesh requires something in the shape of carbon to saturate the excess of nitrogen, so as to make it agreeable and wholesome to the human constitution, we have another beautiful provision of the All•bountiful Preserver, in the beans--siven us, no doubt, as " kitchen" for the rather watery and starch individual, the potato. The excess of nitrogen in the bean is pro bably something about what will make up for the want of nitrogen in the potato, after you deduct the share of the potatoes usually allotted to the pig, and take in the " drop" of butter-milk—that is, under these deductions and additions, an acre of beans should saturate an acre of potatoes, or rice versa. None of our physiologists enter very minutely into the question as to the proper mixture of carbon and ni trogen in human food. Liebig, that prince of physiolo gists, in one instance states as follows:—"Fifteen pounds of flesh contain not more carbon than four pounds of starch; and while the savage, with one animal and an equal quantity of starch, could maintain life and health for a certain number of days, he would be compelled, if confined to flesh, in order to procure the carbon necessary for respiration, to consume five such animals," Liebig, in this paragraph, seems to infer that weight for weight in flesh and starch is the proper mixture. Now, this bears me out in .a remarkable manner ; as, granting that flesh and 4 beans are almost identical in their two prin cipal elements (which no chemist doubts), the gross weight of an acre of beans, say of 25 bushels, is 1,6001b5., which exactly covers the starch, sugar, &c., in an acre of potatoes carrying six tons—(see Profes sor Johnston's tables.) We now come to another class of facts, which, on the present generation, strike harder and sink d ee p er , than the symbolic figures, atomic weights, and sulphuric acid facts of the chemists. Who has ever rode a bean fed horse for any distance but has been charmed with his firmness under him, and his life, spirit, and endurance on a journey ? Who but has admired the springy step, the restlessnes and impa tience to get on, evinced in every muscle of his body ? This is always in contradistinction to a grass or potato fed horse, as a general rule—for, no doubt, there are horses as well as human beings that even beaus will not put life in. Again, who has ever compared a piece of bean-fed with a piece of potato-fed bacon ? The one is like cutting up a sponge filled with train oil, while the other is like slicing down lancewood or hickory. The very butcher who " sticks" your pig will tell you whether beans has been an ingredient in its food. Marshall, a writer on rural economy, mentions that the bean, where not fraudulently mixed (a very pious fraud we should think) with baker's bread, is principally given to horses, pigs, and other domestic animals, in the midland counties of England, on account of the spirit and sleekness it imparts to them. In regard to pigs he states, that when fed on beans the meat be comes so hard that it makes but ordinary pork, but very good bacon. Now these are qualities which, although cpalaken of by th e l ower an i ma l s, few will be disposed toa at in man. In fact, these qualities sit very grace fully on every grade of animated nature, and we should like vastly t o see • a portion of them imparted to the peasantry of the sister kingdom —as certainly the appear ance of a ship-load of Irish re a pers, newly landed o n ou r shores, gives one an id ea of a n ything but "sl ee k ness ." The hardness also, i n bean - fedork, is the very thing we want. It is the loose fibrous texture of potato-fed meat, whether in rabl the horse, the pi g , or the human being, that is undesie. Nature gives certain animals sharper instincts than others, and wherever very spe c i a l circumstances require wanting. f these extraordinary instincts, th ey are really The pigeon is one of the swiftest an d most enduring winged animals, at least among the graminivora, an d o pro bably no living thing, bulk for bulk, ex p en d s so niuchforce throughout the day. His flight, whether for food or play, is always at the top of his " bent." There is no dallying in the case of the pigeon ; he flies always as if for a wager. Now, every one knows the great predilection pigeons have for the leguminous or azotised crops, and the long and meteor-like flights they will take for this their favourite food. We recollect once in our youth sowing. peas in the grey of a March morning, and Beforethe first s h ee t was em pti e d we h ea rd a whistling in the air, and, on turning round, observed a flock of blue pigeons doubling up their wings for their breakfast at the end of the ridge where we had started. How they got notice of the sowing is a mystery, but one thing is certain, there was not a pigeon-cote within twenty miles that could have supplied such a sample; neither do Ire-- collect even having seen pigeons traversing that district of country, except at the time of sowing the peas, or on the pea stubbl es i n autumn. At such a time let the farmer go as early as lie likes to his bean or pea-field, the pigeons will be there before him. The use and cultivation of the. hem is said to have originated in Egypt. The higher cleeses of the Egyp tians had a prejudice against the plant, which affords a pretty strong presumpti ve proo f t h at they would give it to their servants and slaves ; and when we think of the canals, the aqueducts, the sepulchres, and those most im mortal .3-F mortal thing s , th e parym i ds of ancient Egypt, it certainly does give one an extraordinary idea, of the herculean influence of the bean But it is not a l together from its nutritive qualities and the singular adapt ition. of its constituent principl e s f or coalescing with tho se o f the potato, beauteous and h so as to make one armoaions h le, that I would so THE PRISONS of GREAT BRITAIN. The tenth report of the inspectors of prisons has just made its appearance, and has excited a considerable sensation amour,- the City authorities. The inspectors advert to the general improvement which has taken place in prison discipline and management, and in the separate system of prison discipline. In the Home district, the new Beading County Gaol and House of Correction hay been in operation for more than Eigh teen months, and the separate system tried with great success. Not only has the health of the prisoners im proved under this system, but the number of punishments has greatly decreased. The last report gave 343 punishments for prison offence out of an annual gaol population of 830. Under the separate system during the same period we have only 94 prison punishments out of a population of 332, or 16 percent. less than here torore. The intellectual and religious instruction of the convict has, progress( d in an equal ratio. Considerable alterations and improvements have been made in the Hort ford County Gaol and House of Correction, with a view to its adaptation to the separate system. Clerkenwell Prison has been taken down, and a new county gaol is in course of erection on its site, upon the separate system, fir the untried and for prisoners under exami nation. In Buckinghamshire a new prison for 300 pri soners on the improved plan will be completed in August next. The inspectors object, however, to the pro vieien of day rooms for prisoners before trial, and the tread-wheel for prisoners sentenced to hard labour. They are of opinion that the silent sys tem .cannot properly he applied to the untried, add that compulsory labour does not necessarily induce industrious habits. Extensive alterations are in progress in the Essex County Gaol at Springfield, and the ob jectionable gaol at Chelmsford is to be abolished. In the Kent county prisons at Cant( rbury and Maidstone, many important alterations are in contemplation. The inspectors strongly recommend the erection of a prison in the metropolitan districts of Kent, the expense of conveying offenders from the neighbourhood of London to Maidstone, amounting, at present, to 1,8001. a year. They also suggest that one large House of Correction, on the new system, shall be substi tuted for the Brixton, Guildford, and Kingston prisons. In the eastern division of Sussex there is a great need of additional prison accommodation. Whilst the in spectors, however, express their satisfaction at the grs at improvement which has taken place in prison discipline and accommodation in the di itricts above referred to, they advert in terms of stri rig condemnation to the disgraceful condition of the prisons of the city of London, Newgate, Giltspur stree:-, Compter, and the City Bridewell, —in which, say they, " the master evil of gaol asso ciation and consequent contamination, still con tinues to operate directly to the encouragement of crime. The forced companionship of a prisoner jest com mencing his career with the associates he must of neces sity meet with in the City prisons, cannot fail of proving destructive." The inspectors add, that they have frequently protested against the prisons of the city of London without effect. Among the prisons of the home district which fall within the same category are those for the county of Bedford, the effects of confine• ment in which are of a most demoralising cha racter. The act for the amendment of the Law of insolvency has greatly diminished the number of prisoners in the following gaols, viz., the Debtors' Prison for London and Middlesex ; the gaol for the county of Kent, at Maidstone ; and the gaol for the county of Surrey, in Horsemonger-lane ; the decrease having amounted in the last mentioned prism], to 807 per cent. Having enumerated the causes of juvenile delinquency, the inspectors express their opinion that ordinary schools are inapplicable to the refer xnation of such offenders. A vast improvement in the treatment of juvenile convicts is, however, ad mitted to have taken place within these last few years. The establishment of the Parkhurst prison, at the instigation of the inspectors, now eight years in ope ration, has been attended with the most beneficial re suite. The prison was originally provided for 320 boys, but has been enlarged so as to accommodate at the pre sent moment 720 boys. The arrangement at the Mill bank Penitentiary for the probationary confinement of 200 youths, from 16 to 20 years of stere, has also greatly augmented the means of ameliorating the condition of juvenile convicts. Further establishmeots for the ef fectuation of the same desirable object are strenuously recommended. The report contains some just and use ful practical suggestions in regard to the treatment of j u venile offenders. That treatment, however humane, mus!: be of a penal character; for if they are comfortably fed an," clothed, and subjected to little corrective dis cipline, the strongest inducements will be offered to indigent parents to abandon their children, or instigate them to qualify themselves by crime for admission into such establishments. The report recommends that a prison for juvenile delinquents should be erected in London. Three thous. the metropolitan prisons • .4.12 d were confined last year in no young person can fail be a od it cannot be doubted that depraved by the contarc.i nating association which such a • eyeenn involves. It also suggests that convicts of this class shouted, on their release from gaol, be placed in the way of° o b ta i n ing an honest livelihood, and not be left in the state n'f destitution which at present attends their discharge. The subject of emigration for criminal boys is next discusse And the necessity for the formation of district prisons f o them insisted upon. Unless a liberal outlay be incurred pro. o• vidin reformatories for offenders of this class, their numbers cannot fail to increase to a frightful extent. It is added the for such purposes many buildings already in existence might be adapted at a much smaller cost than the construction of new prisons would of necessity involve. The docu ments by which the report is illustrated extend to 674 folios, and are chiefly statistical. The account which is given of the metropolitan prisons, and those of the City more especially, is little creditable to the wealth and intelligence of the City of London. But we are unable to find space for any portion of it to-day. Suffice it, for the present, to remark that it fully war- rants the indignant protest of the inspectors. AMERICAN ATLANTIC MAIL,STEAMERS —We learn that the American Government have accepted a co nt rac t for the conveyance of American snails over the Atlantic. Six large and York.--Liverposteamers, it is stated, are to be pro vided, and the ports of departure are to be Liverpool and Ne v cpowerful Albi on. Tar, ALLEGED FORGERY OF AN ANTI-CORN-LAW PETITION. We arc • motion of Mr. Craven the Committee granted on the the cases of el l ßerkeley met en Friday and inves tigatedion ; Mr. Septitnusa?ed forgery of signatures to this pe- Mr. Vines, Mr. Bisho ruen, Mr. J. Boodle, Mr. Ilennesy, result of their evidence aa( !e• others were examined, and the ex planation by Mr. Bright is the tr u e no doubt that the of the signatures were Loud fidert s !e n ons, viz., that the whole that being sent to 'Manchester in an informal Cheltenham, but I the clerks in the League-orfice, drew outorm al state, one of heading, copying at the foot the Are first a proper written snake it presentable to the House.— aseittniunma_n;'ersa, so as to The Earl of Cawdor, as conductor for the n evening, teer. enfe.rtained the directors of the Ancient Concerts on Wed nesday night at dinner, at his mansion in South Audlev street. 11 - er Royal ifigh:sess the Duchess of Gloucester honoured the Noble Earl with her presence on :he occasion. Tile other guests were his Royal Highness the Duke of Cam britLe, ',his Grace 1110 Doke of Wellington, the IL chess of Duct - le:ltch, the Earl and Coutttes of Roscberry - . Sir Henr y ; Eidiop, Air. SlOatia Stanley and 1 4 1 1 A 3 Stanley, and the Honourable Octavius and Lady Caroline buncombe. The family circle comprised the Earl and Countess Cawdor, and Lady 11111.7 Campbell and Viscount Etnlyn. The pertly broke up early, to attend the performance at the Hanover- i square Rooms. GLASGOW PIG-IRON TRADE, :MARCH 10.—Consider - able transactions have taken ~lace this week, but at reduced rates. 1 Irregularities have taken phaee among come of the dealers, which ; has created a want cf confidence, and thrown a gloom over the market. 70s. in store for the nsnal proportions of numbers eanrot I be obtained, the general impression being Mat A will recede to 0:9. i 67«sgoto lAtiional. I THE SUN; LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING MARCH 13, 1846. strongly recommend its cultivation and use. This plant is admirably adapted for small tennant and Jotter cul tivation, and it is these that principally need it. Little seed is required at first, the fodder is equal to the best ryegrass hay, and the plant is of itself of that pliable temperament, that you may hand fc ed it from April till the frost sets in at the fall of the year. It will bloom and pod to thelast, and thus secure an extra crop, whereas with the oat, the barley, and other cereal grasses, you are nearly precluded from this reward of care and watchfulness, as the head and ear of these grasses is formed before the stalk or leaves reach many inches above the ground, and no future care or cul tivation will increase the number of " pickles " in these ears. But I know small tenants will say—Oh I beans would not grow with us ; we never saw beans but ou the strong lands of the "big farmers." This is very true ; we generally see the best beans on strong stiff soils ; but the simple fact of beans always growing best on these stiff soils, when well and often ploughed and hoed deep, shows us that it was not the stiffness of the soil which is so congenial to the bean, but the ingredients which these soils generally contain, the principal of which are be lieved to be the alkalies. Those who live near the sea side have been carryinc , alkaline matter, in the shape of sea-ware, on their backs' to their lands for the last fifty years, while at the same time they have been vigor ously cultivating the potato, a plant in its ingre dients, and consequently its food, notoriously the re verse of the bean.' From these and other circum stances they are undoubtedly in a better plight for culti vating the bean than any other class ; and as they see that the " big farmers," the manufacturers, and mer chants, and those who are " under Government," eat all the beef and mutton from them, it is themselves that especially require the bean. I would say to them, "do not talk about not liking bean brose or bean bread." In a single bannock you are probably swallowing as much real food as in a whole pot-full of potatoes. As to the liking of this or that sort of food, believe me, it is all nonsense. Our relisk for food does not depend on what we eat but on the state of hunger we may be in, and I do believe the cotter relishes his " brochan" as much as the alderman does his turtle-soup. The cultivation of the bean is simple and easy. Dib bling them in is, I think, the best plan ; make the rows eighteen inches apart, and dibble the beans at three inches asunder in the rows. This will require about two bushels per Scotch acre. Hoe well during the season, and sow as early as the season will permit—sow the Ileliogoland variety. It should be no discouragement to small tenants, in trying the beans, that there are none grown in their neighbourhood. This may be from the very simple reason that they have never been tried. There are no field beans culti vated within fifty miles of where I live, yet, this season, I had at the rate of fifty bushels the acre, on a piece of very ordinary land, being exactly double what the " big farmers" reckon a good crop on their strong lands, and double what I have been counting upon in my previous calculations in this letter. Think of this ; 3,0001b5. of stuff equal to beef or mutton, with out bones too, on a single acre, and all to be left to yourselves—for it is not the fashion at present for tha great folks to eat bean bread, and good fashions never travel up bill, although bad ones travel either way ! By all means, therefore, try the Beans. CA.PTAiN JOHNSTON, OF THE SHIP TORY. (Abridged from the John ('Groat Journal.) Captain George Johnston is the son of a worthy man named William Johnston, who lived in the parish of Dunnet, county of Caithness, and was for many years, and until his death, an elder in the church of Dunnet. He was first married to Margaret Swanson, the mother of Captain Johnston, a respectable woman. She died soon after the birth of George. There were three brothers and four sisters of the family. The father again married the widow of a George Smith, at one time mate of a Thurso vessel. This woman, who is also mentioned as a decent, respectable individual, had a family of her own. As the subject of this sketch grew up, he became quite unmanageable, offering every insult to her whom he ought to have obeyed and respected. He was conse quently put out to herd what is termed "The Town's Cattle." The custom:is, that the herd takes his food and bed in each house daily, in rotation. In this way he had a new master every day, and if any of them crossed him he had his revenge in same way or other. On his half-yearly term of herding being over, he was again taken home and put to the parish school, where he continued for a short period. When there he was still the terror of his companions. He was taken from school and again put to herding. Having occasion to meet many neighbouring herds he used to beat them soundly, and many anecdotes are told of him, all proving his fighting propensities. Johnston was for a while post-boy between Thurso and Moy, and in this capacity he manifested the same im petuous temper, and great daring. From this employ ment he betook himself to sea, and served his apprentice ship on board the " George Sinclair," of Wick. Having disputed with the other apprentices, he administered to each a severe drubbing, and forthwith left the vessel, with out completing his term of servitude. Johnston acted as fisherman one season at Wick—he again went on board ship. It is reported of him that when sailing out of London, he had seen published, a challenge and bets on a celebrated prizefighter, whom he took up, and won the fight, by which he is said to have pocketed a little money. For a short period he resided in Edinburgh with a sister, who was married there, and at this time he put himself to school and studied navigation, &c. He afterwards went to Liverpool, and sailed out of that port for a time as mate, and subsequently as captain. Capt. Johnston married, in Orkney, a cousin of his own, named Mary Johnston,' whose father belonged to Dun net. It is said of him that, when in good humour, he was kind to the men under him, and hospitable to his countrymen who visited Liverpool. He was fond of show and pompJus appearance. When at Hong-Kong, it is reported of him that he employed some of the natives there to carry him shoulder high, in all the pomp of an eastern monarch. Johnston is in his 35th year, but he looks older. He has had several children, but only one daughter is alive. His father died ten or twelve years ago, but his step-mother is still alive and resides in Dunnet. He has a brother living in Castletown. His wife has been residing in London since his arrival from China. He is rather under the middle size, so far as height is concerned, but is stoutly built, and large boned. Sinclair, the carpenter on board the Tory, is a native of Wick, and a sober trust-worthy lad. He has been about two years with Johnston. To his exertions, as much as to any other, are the owners in debted for the safe arrival of their ship and valuable cargo. The greater part of their crew were shipped at Hong-Kong, and are described by those who had an op portunity of knowing something of their several histo ries as the "sweepings of all nations." NEW MODE OF PROPELLING STEAMERS. A great improvement in the mode of propelling of steam-vessels has recently been introduced to the notice of the scientific, and others engaged in steam navigation, by Mr. Peter R. McQuie, a merchant at Liverpool The arrangements of their improvements are simply these:—Underneath the steam engine and within the vessel, a flit el: cular iron case is fixed horizontally below the water line, into which the sea water flows uninter ruptedly through a hole at the centre of the under side, by means of a cond u it o r pipe extend ing towards the bow; and is, in faet, the bottom of the vessel perforated with :apertures to admit the water freely. The upper surface forms the floor of the fore-hold, raised a little higher than the keelson. From the periphery of the iron caso a pipe convey s the water to each side of the vessel, where a nozzle or beset pipe discharges the water outside of the vessel above the w4ter line. Inside the iron case a far; wheel is suspended by a vertical shaft passing through it, on which cranks are formed ; on these the piston rods of the cylinders act direct with their connect ing rods. By this arrangement the whole power of the steam-engine is • employed to re volve the fan wheel, which carrying round the water in the iron case, it presses by centrifugal force towards the periphery, from whence it is discharged by the nozzles. When the steam engine is put in motion the discharge of water from each of these nozzles is si multaneous, and the seamen on deck have the entire con trol of the vessel without interfering with the steam engine, which never requires to be stopped or reversed under any distress or sudden emergency ; in place of which the vessel is stopp e d or impelled backwards by pointing the nozzles downward, or towards the bow, which can be done in a few seconds by means of a chain and wheel (similar to a rudder wheel) on deck acting directly over the nozzles. When these nozzles are pointed in opposite directions, that is, to the bow and stern, the vessel turns round as on a pivot, and is rendered in this way inde pendent of her helm. Besides these advantages there are many others equally important ; in the first place a greater speed is attained with the same power than by the paddle-wheel or screw. Sail may be carried to any extent combined with or wasting the steam power, a, the hull is free from all outward obstructions to impede her sailing properties, and no action of wind or sea produces any reaction on the engine ; therefore, no vibratory motion is communicated to the vessel, and the power of propulsion is very slightly diminished by the immersion of one or both nozzles in the water.—New castle Guardian. INDIAN CORN. (From the Sussex Advertiser.) The importation of Indian corn, which is going on both in England and Ireland, will prove of little. service in alleviating the wants of the poor, unless they be in formed of the best method of preparing it for food. This information it is now in our power to afford ; the following receipts having been kindly forwarded to us from North America. Indian corn, when ground, makes excellent gruel, prepared in the same way as oatmeal gruel; and what is called mush, is the same thing as Lancashire oatmeal porridge; but it is necessary in making this, that it be very well boiled. In summer it is eaten cold, and is very much liked. Treacle may be eaten with this. Indian meal is considered a great improvement either to white or brown bread; about one-third of Indian meal should be mixed with wheaten flour; this is especially advantageous in case of the flour being damaged by wet. Indian bread is excellent, and is made thus :--To a quart of sour milk or butter milk, as much corn meal should be added as will make it into a thick batter; a little salt, and a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda dissolved in water, acts upon the acid of the buttermilk, and the ef fervescence causes the bread to be light ; a spoonful of coarse sugar is an improvement, as is also a little butter or melted lard. This must be baked in well-greased tins, sufficiently large to allow the cakes to be about an inch thick ; they must be baked in a quick oven. They are best eaten hot, but are very good cold. Treacle is excellent with these. When sour milk cannot be procured, fresh milk may be substituted, adding a table-spoonful of vinegar ; but the carbonate of soda must not be stirred in until just before putting into the oven. Another way of making this bread i s t o pour boiling sweet milk over th e meal, and when cool, add three eggs and a little salt. What is called Indian Slap-Jack would be very avail able in those parts of Great Britain where girdle cakes and bread of that description is used. They are very excellent, and are thus made:—Scald a quart of Indian meal; when lukewarm add a few spoonfuls of wheaten flour, half a tea-cup full of yeast, and a little salt, and when sufficiently risen, bake them on a well-greased bake-stone. They are best eaten hot. Another way, aid the most approved here, is to mix about half the meal into boiling milk and water; when cool, stir in the remainder of the meal, so as to make a thick batter, mixing in two or three spoonfuls of flour, three eggs, and two teaspoonfuls of salt. To make Johnny Cakes:—Scald a quart of Indian meal with a sufficient quantity of water to make it into thick batter; stir in two or three spoonfuls of salt ; nacm.ld it in the hand into sma ll ca k es , ru bbi ng a goo d of flour in the hand, to prevent them sticking. The.„ ca 2tes are fried in lard ; when browned on one side, turn tii,q other. They take about twenty minutes in bakcng. Ea: them hot with treacle. To m uke Hoe C.lkes:—Scald a quart of Indian meal with a pin of water, enough to make a thick batter ; stir in two tt:a-spoonfuls of salt, and a small quantity of butter mated 3 put it into A well-greased tin, and bake it half an hour. _ Hominy it, made from the unground Indian corn. The husk is freed from the grain .in a mill, and the grain in this state resembles the finest* tapioca. Boil it till soft in water. It is extremely good !thus boiled and eaten in milk, and with the addition of a little sugar and spice, resembles English fermity. What is called Slut's Ho miny is made by steeping the g.ra.ins in weak ley, which loosens the husk, so that it is easily removed, without the necessity of the mill. Bannocks or Indian Ctzkes are made tLus, and are fit for the most luxurious tae :—Stir to a cream a pound of butter and a pound and half of brown sugz..r ; beat sir .eggs and mix together ; and a teaspoonful of cinna mon .and the same of ginger ; stir in three poun cla and a quartr of sifted Indian meal and a quarter of a p0.' 111 , 1 of wheaten flour. 113ake in cups or small tin moulds, ani. eat when cold. • THE LATE FALL 01 , THE BONDING WAREHOUSE AT LIVER.POOL.—On Mond ty, the adjourned inquest on Peter Laney, who was killed by the falling of Mr. Tipping 's warehouse, in Moor-str, 'et, on the 31st of January, was brought to a conclusion. ,Tn addition to the evidence, the professional testimony of several surveyors, who had ex amined the ruin 2, was giv •a. They were all of opinion that the accident resulted from .hidden causes, the priuch.al, of which was the rottenness of the ends of the beams in the eastern and western walls., cv . lich could not be perceived when the building stood , I<e which is now apparent. Evidence was given that ttbi warahouss was not overloaded at the time of the accident; and the jury returned a verdict of" Accidental death from-unforenen causes," accompanied with a suggestion that a sal rveyor should be appointed to snpect warehouses, especial , V . old ones. CIIATHAM SAVINGS' 13; LNK.—At the thirtieth annual meeting of the managers of • this institution, it appeared by the report, that notwithstan4'ing the reduced rate of interest allowed to depositors, There had been deposited in the last year nearly 22,9001., mad e by 3,900 separate deposits; and that in same period 23,t 1001. had been withdrawn from the bank in principal and inhere: RAILWAY COMMITTEES (YESTERDAY.) Sub-Committee No. 1. (Continued from eur Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) SCOTTISH C: (PERTH TERMINI AND STATIONS). Mr. Weems appeared for the promoters. The formal proofs were gone into, and the standing orders were declared to have been complied with. SDINDURGH AND GLASGOW, SCONIMMAND AND EIRJUNTILLOCIE, AND SLA MANNAN. Mr. Sherwood appeared in support of the petition for this Bill, which was unopposed. The formal proofs having been put in, the standing orders were declared to have been complied with. THE EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW, AND WISHAW AND COLTNESS AMALGAMA TION. Mr. Sherwood appeared for this Bill also. The standing orders were declared to have been complied with. Several other Railway Bills were then called on, but the parties not being in readiness, the Glasgow Union Arcade Bill was taken. Mr. Brunel appeared for the promoters, and the standing orders were declared to have been complied with. 'I he Committee adjourned at four o'clock. Sub-Committee, No. 2. NORTHUMBERLAND AND LANCASHIRE. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The next allegation was abandoned. This terminated the case of this petition. The CHAIRMAN then announced that in the case of this Bill the standing orders had not been complied with. . NEWPORT, ABERGAVENNY, AND HERE- roun. Previous to entering on the formal evidence, Mr. COATES, the agent for the promoters of the Bill, said he would admit that the heights and spans of all bridges on the plans de posited in the county were incorrect, but that they were corrected in a subsequent notice, and quite accurate in the deposits of the 31st of December. The CHAIRMAN said that under these circumstances they must of course find that, with reference to the subject of the admission, the standing orders had not been complied with. The formal proofs were then taken. The petition against the Bill was from Mr. John Hemming, on behalf of Messrs. Morgan and Watkin, owners of pro perty along the line, complaining of non-compliance with the standing orders. . _ _ It appeared that the parties had withdrawn their peti tion, but subsequently authorised Mr. Hemming to proceed on the petition. Mr. VENASLES appeared in support of the petition. After some discussion on a technical point, evidence was heard to show that the consent of certain parties interested in the line, to be heard on this petition, was obtained. The first allegation was that there was an error in the de lineation of the plans. The evidence in support of the allegation was then taken. Mrs. Edwards was examined—Was parish clerk of Llanrrhangel Duckta Rex.—(A laugh.) She did not go into the place where her husband, the late parish clerk, did, and give out the responses.—(A laugh.) (It was here announced that the Speaker was at prayers, which from its similarity to the question put to the witness, led to renewed laughter.) In other points she filled the place of her husband. The Committee found that in this case the standing orders had been complied with, and adjourned, shortly after four o'clock, till Tuesday. Sub• Committee No. 6. II I (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) CHICHESTER AND BOGNOR. This case was again brought before the Committe, and all the requisite proofs having been tendered, The standing orders were declared to have been complied with. GI7XLI'OIZD, CEICSIESTEII, AND POETS— T OVT L This case was next called on, but the petition not being forthcoming, it was postponed until that document ww: found in the Private Bill-office. The Committee then adjourned. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEE. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Committee of the Standing Orders met this day, at half-past twelve o'clock; present—the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lords RcdeAdale, Hawarden, and Hood. EASTERN COUNTIES (MARCH TO LINCOLN EX TENSION). This line, which was strongly opposed, occupied the atten tion of their Lordships for the greater portion of the day. The Committee, after hearing the usual evidence, decided that he standing orders had not been complied with in several respects. One of the objections upon which the decision was founded was, that the plans had been lodged with the clerk of the peace two hours too late ; another was, that some of the plans had not sections marked on them ' • and a third was, that two individuals had not been served with proper notice. MANCHESTER, MIDLAND, AND GREAT GRIMSBY JUNCTION RAILWAY. In this case the Committee decided that the standing orders had been complied with save in two trifling exceptions. They therefore reported favourably on the Bill. MANCHESTER AND LINCOLN RAILWAY AND CHESTERFIELD AND GAINSBOROUGH CANAL. After hearing the usual evidence, the Committee decided that the promoters of this line had complied with the stand ing orders. EASTERN COUNTIES (CAMBRIDGE TO LINCOLN). This case was adjourned till half-past twelve o'clock to morrow. The Committee adjourned at five o'clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 12. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat On the Woolsack at Five o'clock. POOR-LAW. The Marquis of WESTMEATH presented a petition from Kinsale against the existing poor-lacy. The Marquis of CLANCARTY presented a petition to the same effect from other places in Ireland. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Mr. Nathaniel Herbert, in the county of Herts, against the Direct Northern Railway Bill, complaining that the pro posed railway would pass for a mile through his estate and orchards, and close by his dwelling. hours, and prayed their Lordships not to allow the proposed Bill to pass into a law. The Marquis of WESTMEATH felt the greatest sympathy with every word that had fallen from the Noble Lord in reference to Mr. Herbert. There were many other cases of a similar and even a more aggra vated nature in Ireland, and he hoped their Lordships would take them into consideration, with a view to pre vent the evils complained of. Lord BROUGHAM would, at a future period, move for a standing order, which would give to parties circum stanced as the petitioner was their expenses in opposing railway Bills. Lord CAMPBELL thought the best course for the petitioner to have adopted would have been to bring his case before a jury at Herts, and he would not only then have had compensation for the timber which had been cut down, but also damages for whatever other in jury he might have sustained. THE IRISHI PACIFICATION BILL. The Earl of ST. GERMANS moved the further con sideration of the report on the Irish Pacification Bill. Lord BROUGHAM would observe, in reference to the amendment of his Noble Friend (Earl Grey), that if such a clause were to be made a part of the Bill, it would be entirely ieoperative, for it would be contended in Ireland that the house of a sick neighbour was always between the offender's house and that of the clergyman. The LORD CHANCELLOR would move the read ing of the amendment, which he wished to be made part of the Bill. The Clerk at the table having read the clause as amended, The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the clause would require some slight alteration, namely, in reference to the applicatiok of the words "proof whereof," he would have the word " whereof' so placed in the sentence as to make it apply to the "law fulness of the occasion," of the absence of the party from his house during the proscribed hours, and not to the " suspicious circumstances." The Noble Lord then suggested an alteration in the clause bearing on the intimidation of witnesses, which, lie said, only affected the grammatical construction of the sentence. MAGISTERIAL AUTHORITY. Earl CLANCARTY said that, on a late occasion, he endeavoured to impress on the House the importance of justices of the peace, in Ireland, being entrusted with the authority to compel witnesses to come forward and give information in cases where they were cognizant of crimes being committed, On that occasion, he (the Noble Earl) distinctly stated that such power did not exist at present in Ireland, and that no person could be compelled to conic forward and make a charge or supply evidence. In calling attention to that state of things he was met by a Noble Lord opposite, who stated that he (Earl Clancarty) had mistaken the law, as such power did exist with the magistrates to compel witnesses to come forward. Now, that Noble Lord being, in his opinion, a very high and eminent authority on such matters, he wished to know if a magistrate, on being informed by a policeman that a house had been burned or arms plundered, and that A or B were cognizant of the fact, had the power to have arrested A or B with a view to compel him to give evidence?—(Hear.) Lord CAMPBELL replied that if there were not a higher authority than himself present, he meant the Noble and Learned Lord who sat on the Woolsack, he would willin 4 ly answer the question. But he should then content himself with advising the Noble Earl to address his question to that quarter, where, he was certain, it would be fully and fairly answered.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) The Earl of CLANCARTY said that by the Noble and Learned Lord (Lord Campbell) refusing to answer his question, he had shrunk from the positioe he had perseveringly maintained. What he (Lord Clancarty) understood from the Bill was, that the magistrates had not power to compel witnesses who were cognizant al ei :me to give evidence. Tie LORI) CHANCELLOR said he had been ra j _ ferred to; hiTtt , IN did not think ho was bound to an' the que,3tism7. Lord .STO Dirt N said that no lan it I,r e was too strong to PYpres big (33tiviction that sr -eh a state of things which exi. i t e d i n Ireland should be put down by the Legisl a t uire. He wasthe refore desirous that no impeclire eat shauld be y' a aced in the way of pes.:ing the mea enee. Still, ha t' ssug ht some exemp ion should be made favour of those who were going S,r a pri , .st, so that Cif y might - not be Habit) to arrest. 'The LORD CHAN jElLg.ti. said that nobody could (!oubt that a man going from one street to another, and goin s to a bed of aid] tness, was a perfectly lawful net , within the meaning of the Act of Parliament. Lord STOURTO N wished to know, if a man, other wise guilty of crime s were to be found in the street, going to a bed o f s i c k ness, would; he be liable to be arrested ? The LORD CITA ;NCELLOR said, of course a man who had comm i tted. at all times. at woulc be liable to be arrested 4 wer The report was then received, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. STATE OF IRELAND. Earl GREY gave notice of his intention, on Monday week, to move an address to her :Majesty on the state of Ireland generally. RAILWAY BILLS. The Earl of DALHOUSIE moved the suspension of the second, third, and fourth sections of the 233 d stand ing order, requiring Select Committees on Railway Bills to take traffic evidence.—Agreed to. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMON VS, March 12. There being only thirty-four Members at Four o'clock, the House was adjourned till to-morrow. NEW BRUNSWICK AND NOVA SCOTIA LAND COMPANY. The general meeting of this Company was held yester day, at the offices of the Company, in Oopthall•court; J. Moxon, Esq., Chairman of the Company, in the chair. The advertisement having been read, the Chairman called upon the Secretary to read the report, the sub stance of which was that a considerable advance has already been made in promoting the interests of the Company. But as the several points are comprised in the observations of the Chairman, it would be useless to state the contents of the report here. The report having been read, The CHAIRMAN said, that before he read the cash statement, he wished to observe that some eight or ten years ago the expenditure had exceeded the income of the Company by about 1,5001. or 1,600/., but last year it had been reduced to 9001., and now it was only 321/., much greater diminution than was anticipated last yea!, Had all the property been realised which the Company had to dispose of, there would have been a balance in their favour, while there was at present a small balance of 38L against them. But in 1846 he fully anticipated the difference would be on the other side to the extent of two or three hundred pounds. There was another topic which he ought to touch upon, and that was the possibility of a war with America, the commencement of which would subject the Company to the force of public opinion. He believed, however, that a war would in no way affect the pros perity of the Company, except to stay for a while the tide of emigration, so that instead of eight or nine thou sand emigrants in their territory, they would have only eight or nine hundred. Nova Scotia offered no oppor tunities for military posts of which the Ameri cans could take advantage, and the descent of troops from the upper provinces would, as had been the case with Belgium during the last war, where the presence of large bodias of troops, who had paid for what they consumed, had conduced very largely to the prosperity of the country. Then, as to the project of the military road, he believed that since their interview with Lord Stanley last year, the Govern ment had given it up, and were very likely to render their assistance—probably advance or guarantee the capital for a railroad from Quebec to Halifax, which was sure to be of great advantage both to the territory of the Company and this country generally. By the cash account it appears that the balance of money in hand is 1,314/. 7s. 2d., including the deposit at Wright's, on which dividends are still expected. The cash account having been read, The CHAIRMAN intimated that he had received notice of a meeting to further the interests of the Society for the Promotion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and he would suggest that some of their body should attend there to show what the society had done. They had built a church, and paid 521. a year to the resident cler gyman, besides several other advantages, which they conceived was the best mode of advancing the inte rests of any community. They were reedy to do the same for any other Christian body to a prudent extent, and the application of a respectable body of the Roman Catholic population was now before the board. To the inquiry of a SHAREHOLDER, The CHAIRMAN replied that they had probably done more in this way than any other body connected with our colonies in North America. The outlay had been about 300/. in money, and 1001. in land, besides the stipend. The report was then adopted, and Mr. Philip Gowan, Mr. George Nicholls, Mr. Thomas Newnham, and Mr. Newman Smith, who went out of office by rotation, were re-elected directors, and Mr. John Norbury was re-elected to the office of auditor. Mr. Butts was then elected a director in the place of his father, deceased, and Mr. Richard Blanchard in the place of Mr. Ambrose Humphreys, also ciccea3ed ; the former was known to be a good man of business, and the latter, in addition to that quality, had considerable knowledge of the colonies. In consequence of a suggestion of Mr. HANKEY The CHAIRMAN explained that the deputation was only suggested to show the feeling of the proprietors, and not intended to commit the society to any grant of money. The church establishment has arisen in conse quence of a proposition from the Society in Pall-mall, who had given 1001. towards the pews and the paint ing of the church, and had proffered to give 1001. a year to the minister, provided the Society would pay anything like half, and that was the reason why the society had given 521. a year, believing it to be wise that there should be a religious society of some kind.—(Cheers.) To a further suggestion of Mr. llatisEr, that there should be an equality of religious communi ies, it was explained that the Society had been particularly careful to preserve that equality, and to prevent any difference of position whatever between the different sections on their territory. To an inquiry of Mr. COPE, The CHAIRMAN replied, that in the event of any other religious community coming forward, as the So ciety for the Promotion of the Gospel in hereign Parts had done, that to the extent of their means the Society would render the same assistance. After some further conversation on this subject, it was decided that there should be no formal deputation of the Society to the meeting at the Mansion House, which was called on behalf of the Society for the Promotion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Thanks were then voted to the chairman and directors, for their services during the last year, as also to the Chairman for his services this day. The latter returned thanks, and the meeting separated. At the close it was announced that Captain llayne, the American agent of the Company, would leave America about the end of April, some time before which there is to be a meeting to consult with and take leave of him. DUTCH MAIL. TILBURG, MARCH 6.—The arrival of his Majesty the King to-day, being known here yesterday evening, numerous flags were hoisted this morning as the steeples of the public edifices, and many private houses. His Majesty, accompanied by his aid-de-camps, arrived here at ten o'clock this morning, and alighted at his palace. We understand that his Majesty will go to-morrow to inspact the fortifications which are being erected at Vught and Gramvoist, on which between two and three hundred men are employed, andlthat he will not stay be yond the Bth or 9th. - THE HAGUE, Mancrt B.—Among the reports that have lately been circulated, it is said that the Second Chamber, after re-assembling on the 16th of this month, will proceed with great activity till Easter, which is on the 12th of April, and that the session will close very early this year. Some projects of law will be laid aside till next session, in the autumn. There still remain many very important matters to be settled before the Chambers break up. His Majesty returned from Til burg to-day. The Minister of the Interior, ad interim, gives notice that the Prussian Government makes no objection to the application of the decree of the King of the Nether lands, of the 9th of December, 1845, which regulates the formalities to be observed when steamers and sailing vessels meet, in the navigation of that small part of the Rhine where the right bank belongs to Prussia, and the left to the Netherlands, and that that Government has accordingly given the necessary notice, as far as Prussia is concerned. FLANDERS MAIL. - BRUSSELS, MARCH 9.—On the last market day at Arlon there was a considerable fall in the price of potatoes. This happy circumstance is attributed to the fact, that this is the time when the farmers open the pits, in which they keep the potatoes during the winter, and that they have been found in a state of perfer•t preservation. We have nothing positive to say to-day as to the Ministerial crisis. If we are rightly informed, it was not till yesterday (Sunday) that M. Van de Weyer fin6lly declined form ing a new Cabinet, at least it was y'esterday that he in formed his Majesty of it. All the information that we have been able td collect, agrees, that M. Van de Weyer had full power to re constitute the Cabinet, and that he was not confined to choose his colleagues among the members of the pre ceding Ministry, besides there was no reason to think that X Van de Weyca- could entertain the idea of turning his back on the programme contained in his speeches of the 17th and 19th of November. This same programme seems to be still destined to remain the basis of fixture combination. At the open ing of the Chamber of Representatives to-day, the Minister for Foreign Affairs proposed that the Cham ber should defer till Wednesday the discussions of the project of law on public accounts, M. Melon, the Mi nister of Finance, who is to defend, being prevented by a severe domestic affliction from attending in his place to-day, was agreed to. To-morrow the Chamber will discuss the project of law on the tariq nf Customs, of which M. Osy is the rer,orter. bRA.e:OW Axe GALLICIA.—Vienna, papers of the 4th say, according to a report of Major-General Malter, dated Bielitz, March Ist, he had caused the point of Osivleczim (on the frontier of Cracow) and all the r_Ther passages, on the Vistula, as far as Podgorze, to be guarded by detachments of troops, i n or d er to prevent any attempts of 'the Cracow insurgents escaping across the river. VIENNA, MARCH 4,—We received no news yester day, and perhaps shall not hear any till the arrival of the train by the railroad, which usually comes about half-past two in the afternoon. Meantime we hare your viper (the Ai/gem/ate Zeituig) of the Ist of March, which brings us much later news, or which we have heard nothing, and probably never shall again. I mean the letter marked * * *, in which there is not one word of truth: thero was no attack on Cracow on the night of the 22d, consequently General Collin was not obliged by it to evacuate the city. The Cracow city militia (there was no national guard) behaved admi rably from the first to the last man. The commandant was not deposed by General Collin ; there was no deser tion of the militia, no general engagement, and there fore not two, much less 200 infantry and 140 cavalry (nearly all that was in Cracow), could be killed in that general engagement. The Archbishop of Cra cow, the Senate, and General Chlopietre quietly with drew with the troops over the Vistula bridge, and no detachment was cut off. Not a man, much less a detach. ment of the brave regiment of Nugent, deserted to the insurgents. On the 28th of February there was not (as your correspondent in Vienna pretends to know already, on the 24th) a man of Prussian and Russian troops about Cracow. Why does your correspondent send you these unfavourable reports ? He either can know nothing, or will know nothing. But what I know is, that it is a shame, on the ground of a mere report, to cast a slur on the honcur of troops at the moment when they show a devotedness and fidelity which gain the admi ration of all foreigners, and still more that of their own countrymen. HAMBURGH BORSENHALLE, MARcII 6. Bills. Money. Austrian 5 per Cents • • •••••• • • • • .. 113 Bank Shares ••• • .. Anglo-Russian Loan ••••••••• • • • •• •• 106% 106% Russian 5 per Cent., Hamb• Certificate. 101 101 Ditto Ist series Inscription ........ • • 102 Ditto, Mope and Co., 3d and 4th series.. 98 Ditto, in Certificate-- •• ••• • • • New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. .. •• .. 89% Ditto Stieglitz .. • . ..... ....... • . 88 87% Spanish New 5 per Cent • ..... •••• • • • . 19 1814 Ditto 3 per Cent 30% Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 234 per Cent.. Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent ... • • 5936 Ditto 3 per Cent. •• • • • • •• Polish New 4 per Cent. loan, 1844.... 80 Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent ...• • • National Bank Shares .........• • ....• BELGIAN FUNDS.—BsussaLs, Mises 10. Actual Debt, 234 per Cent .............. Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent ........ Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent.. Ditto Three per Cent. .... . . ........... Ditto Thirty-seven Milli Ons, ditto • Ditto, ditto, 184 , 1 . ..... 100% Ditto, ditto, 1842 lO3 Ditto, 1844. . Ditto, 1836.. • • • Ditto, 1838 . Ditto of the City, 1832 ...... • • Ditto, 1843 ........... ...... • • 100% Bank ofßelgium ..... • • .• •• • • .... 865 —Brussels Papers. March 11. POLAND. The following notice of the extent and population of the different provinces which constituted the ancient republic of Poland will be read with interest at a moment when their inhabitants are making an effort to become independent of their present rulers. Gallicia, which now belongs to Austria, has an extent of 1,580 geographical miles, and a population of 4,797,243, nearly all Poles. About 2,ooo,oooprofess the United Greek religion, about the same number are Roman Catholics. There are rather more than 250,000 schismatic Greeks, 30,000 Protestants, and 283,345 Jews. The re public of which Cracow is the capital has about 21 geographical square miles, and 145,787 inhabitants. The territory and the town form a republic, under the protectorate of Austria, Russia, and Prussia. The Grand Duchy of Posen, which forms part of the Prus sian monarchy, has a superficies of 536 square geogra phical miles ; a population of 1,290,187, of whom 372,789 profess the Prussian Evangelical religion, and are chiefly Germans by origin and in language. There are 783,916 Roman Catholics, who are nearly all Poles. The Jews are in number 77,102. Prussia has also other populations of Polish origin in Silesia, and eastern and western Prussia, from Dantzic to the frontiers of Russia ; but as they have been sepa rated from the other Polish people for more than a century, it is not supposed that they will take any part in the insurrection. The ancient provinces of Lithuania, White Russia, and Samogitia, term the Russian Go vernments of Wilna, Witepsk, Grodno, Kowno, Minsk. and Mohilew. Their population is 4,978,369. These countries have for four years been suffering from scarcity of proyisions, and the people are, therefore, in a state of great excitement. The nobles and a portion of the people are Roman Catholic • the rest, who were form e rly o f the United Greek Church, have now become, 133 choice or force, members of the S c hism a ti c Greek Church, but a great number of the peasantry have refused to acknowledge the Russian bishops whe were appointed to succeed their priests. There are also a few thousand Poles in tho Russo-German Governments of Courland and Livonia. In the Ukraine and Little Russia, viz., the Governments of Volhynia, Kieff, Poltava, Kurks, &c., the nobles pro fess the Roman Catholic faith, but the people now profess the same religion as the Russians. The population of these Governments, which are of great extent, amount, to eight millions. What is called the kingdom of Poland. and which is under the authority of Gen. Paskewitch, is also of considerable extent, and has a population of 4,769,790. Thus there are in— Gallicia Cracow ....... 145,787 The Grand Duchy or Posen 1,290,187 Lithuania 4,978,369 Little Russia The Kingdom of Poland Giving a total of 23,981,376 The population of Russia is 63 millions, that of Austria 37 millions, and tl44t of Prussia 16 millions, indepen dently of the population of the diffeient pi evinces of ancient Poland. THE AMERICAN QUESTION. The Journal des Debats has the following sensible remarks on the long-pending Oregon dispute :—"lt is not easy to form an idea of the object which President Polk and his coun cillors propose to themselves. On one side, they reject arbi tration ; on the other, they adopt in their arguments such premises as render it no longer possible to negotiate; for the President always sets out from this idea, that the whole of the territory reverts to the Union, and that England has no right to retaiu the smallest portion of it. Now, to propose to a power purely and simply to abandon a territory that it now occupies by common consent, is to tell it that no nego tiation will be entered into. To speak of one's love for peace whilst putting forward such pretensions, is like talking non sense. The dispatches of Mr. Buchanan will be quite unin telligible to European niplomatists. In order to possess a key to this mystery, to try and measure the exact bearing of what President, Polk is doing, the best way is to go back to his inauguration 'Message.' In that document was produced with eclat the doctrine that Europe has nothing to do with the affairs of America, and that no new European establish ment can be tolerated on the new continent, especially in North America. The President, no doubt, considers that, in the present state of things, under the system of joint-occu pation, England has, strictly speaking, no establishment in Oregon. There exists in that territory, in fact, neither town nor fortress. All is reduced to a hunt for peltries, organised on a large scale, under the direction of the Hudson's Bay Company, and a few post for the purpose of trafficking with the savages. The moment, on the contrary, the English were placed in exclusive possession of a portion of the Oregon they would found a colony there—a political and com mercial centre of action : that is to say, just what the first magistrate of the Union has declared intolerable. Consequently, the Oregon must wholly revert to the Union. Such appears to be the object of his efforts— the tendency of his arguments. This is what he will have, no matter at what price, without being stopped by the news communicated to his Government by the American Envoy in London (Mr. M•Lane), that the English Government is perfectly prepared to make war imme diately upon the United States, and to strike great blows at the first outbreak of hostilities ; and that it is impossible not to perceive that the immense maritime pre parations of Great Britain have at lea,t an indirect relation to the chances of rupture between that power and the Ame rican Union. If such be President Polk's idea, will the American people follow it up? Every day informs us that the most eminent men are making manifestations in favour of the cause of peace. The last arrival brought two docu ments, one by Mr. Rivers, formerly ambassador at Paris, who has long represented the state of Virginia in the Fe deral Senate with much distinction; the other by Mr. Gal latin, an illustrious veteran, who has resumed his pen at the age of 85, and descended into the arena to implore his fellow ' citizens not to precipitate themselves into the abyss that is being dug beneath their feet. The very amount of the majority that voted the resolution' of the House of Re presentatives seems of a nature to give every security. This majority, nevertheless, includes a considerable number of orakes, who have claimed for the United States the Whole of. the Oiegon territory, and the excellent paper of Mr. Gallatin appears to us to de. monstrate very clearly that the single act of the de nunciation of the convention of 1827 would render the maintenance of peace extremely problematical; and, in fact, the moment the United States have put a period to the joint occupation, during which every permanent establishment is prohibited and impossible, they will plant their standard in all points where American citizens are to be found, that is, every where. They will execute justice, they will organise a government, they will levy customs' duties, they will per form acts of exclusive sovereignty—they will do it a thou sand times for one. They will thus reduce England to the 'alternative of evacuating the Oregon altogether, or making war for the maintenance of her rights in that quarter; and, after the vast preparations that she is making, and which Mr. M'Lane has sufficiently characterised, im ould England take the first part or the second? Thus, the vote of the House of Representatives is, at the bottom, an offensive one. and if it were thought that the Senate would adopt the same measure, war must be expected. We persevere in hoping that the Senate will resist the fatal impulse to which the House of Representatives has yielded, more perhaps than it itself imagines; and all the acts which it has hitherto per formed confirm usin that hope." ADROIT SWINDLING. A person of respectable, not to say gentlemanly address, a few days since presented himself at the count ing-house of Messrs. Southern and Evans, merchants, of this city, and stating that he was about to commence business as a dealer in guano, at Cardiff, reque s ted t o see samples of the articles which the above firm could supply to him. Accordingly the request was gratified ; and the usual preliminaries of business having been settled to mutual satisfaction, a sale of eighty tons was effected. The psueeke dealer now solicited the merchant's assistance in getting the guano shipped ; and search was made for a botton, but unfortunately (or rather fortunately as it proved in the sequel) there was no vessel in the port wanting a freight, much to his disappointment. As it happened, how ever, the Henry Southan, steamer, which was on the point of starting for Swansea, had room for ten tons of goods, and it was arranged that that qantity of guano should be put into her hold for conveyance to Cardiff. This part of the lading completed, the dock-men asked their employer for some thing to drink, a request which he at first put off on the plea that they should have it when the whole of the guano was shipped; but apparently on re-consideration, he changed his mind, and took them to the Trumpet public-house. There he ordered a plentiful " wet" for the porters, took a glass of grog himself, and on leaviug the house, told the landlady that he should send the, men there, again on the next day, when they had completed the lading of his goods, and he would then settle the whole--a promise which was honoured by the grateful bostesa with a low curtsey. From this period he was lost sight of on land, the merchants, naturally enough, taking no thought of him while the bulk of his " purchase" remained at their stores, and never suspecting that he might, by mere possibility, be " a land shark." It would appear, however, that the customer got on board the steamer, and after she had started on her voyage, got " unco cosy" with th e steward. He eat, drank, and stroked to the top of his bent, and altogether enjoyed a pleasant voyage to Car diff. Arrived there, he unshipped the bags of precious stuff, which he was about to co nver t into god d tbe weather being cold or wet, the steward, in his good nature, lent hi s t o p- coat t o t h e gent leman, wh o so good a custome r t o th e vesse l, and the I ° e j chants her owners. As for the .freight, he lotion' that he had made it " a ll r i g ht" a t Gloucester for the charges of the vo y age h e wou ld settle ea DI; return. No sooner was the gentleman with the g ua° ea ti le ashore than he sought out an auc ti onee r, empl°Y • crier to announce its sal e , an d i n the course °L it . very short period it was kno c ked down to the pf'or bidder, " without reserve" the purchaser gett ir g n cl forty-seven pound s , g oo d s w hi c h h a d b een valued atl og , ought to have cost 801., a few hours before in the G O tt center docks. The gentleman, still in a hurry , p ri for contrived to cajole the pu rc h aser ou t o f a ell'_,q“,„4l the purchase-money, for s t a lli ng th e cus t o mary uer,p, of the auctioneer ; immediately after which he p?ared, having diddl e d merc h ants , s t eam er, steti s , cryer, auction e e r — a ll hi s emp l oyes i n f ac t ; and 1 %; 1 111 no doubt, now rejoicing in some choice , obscurity , many golden reasons, in having successfully subdued -that worst of earthly ills, The inflmniation of his weekly bills." —Mucestershire Chronicle. POTATOES. h 7.) (From the Lime r i c k an d Cl are E xam i ner , of Marc i; Through the kindness of a n i nte lli gent an d beno ° :he re landlord, who instit u t e d a s t at i st i ca l inquiry in to condition of the agricultural p o p u l at i on in a very I ! o f and extensive county parish in the neighbourbn"" rd , this city, we are enabl,d to p u bli s h t h e following 1 10 culars, the importance and a l arm i ng natu re of cannot be overrated:— f The classification embraces the num b e r of 8111 „0. the number of persons compri s in g eac h f am ily, the T.,-ottr ber of persons in each family u n d er t en y ear s, t h e -nor ber over ten yeara, the number no t emp l oye d, the citity bar employed, the rate of wages p er wee k, the qu.a.: ea of potatoes on hands last November, the quant l , tl t l,l hands at present, the quantity of potato land 'Wee, ana quantity of land sufficient, by whom, jilt, I )l °Y ea ' remarks. tsi° The parish is divided into ten townlands, and 0 11 0 ; 342 families ; population, 1,942 ; number of pers o l employed, 286. The quantity of p o t atoes on be 'At November, was 10,425 barrels of 48 stone own' to f present there are but 2,245 k barrels, the greater Pst which are rapidly running into decay I t he In one townland the number of .families was population was 435 ; number of persons under ten is' ap , e , •4' age, 114 ; number of p e r sons over ten yea rs 01. 71 325 ; number not employed,• 145 ; number einl 3 ,i.%• 45 ; rate of wages received p er wee k, 64 s hiln° e 7 0 : quantity of potatoes in November, 1,884 b arre ls ; V an & tity now on hand, 391 k barrels ; qu an tity o f potat°, l l o l tilled, 53 acres 2 roods and 3 p erc h es ; quan tity 01 sufficient, 36 acres additional. it t The above is the list of labour ers ' holdings. Neat it the landholders' list in th e same townland. Plaa& 29, comprising 258 members, 54 under ten years ofria and 202 over ten. Quantity of potatoes on b i al3 s ol; November, 2,830 barrels ; quan tit y now on hanus'ati, quantity of land tilled, 78k acr es; quan ti t y of Onsr 25 acres; produce of con- acre i n November, . I ° . `" a ct/ rels; produce at present, 315 b arre l s; rate o f On' average 71. 15s. per acre. at The average of the remaining townlands is some, , be . similar. There is no m a t er i a l diff erence ; an d 50 1'.003 comes unnecessary to publish p ar ti cu l ars. Th e deduc_ t r i re e are plain and appalling in th e ex t reme. If 1 0, 425 19 ' ~p• Hof potatoes were produced for a twelve month's con s 0 5 1 d don for 1,942 people, each month's consumption tad, amount to about 870 barr e l s . Th e quant i t y 01 band, even supposing the present potatoes to remain ply from progressive disease, would only last for n over two months ; that is to about May-day ; "'f o od the terrific certainty of an entire absence of foe , for five or six months stares us in the ee e§ But, again, supposing that the disease PNE,A st with a rapidity e qua l t o w h at i s experten'i;ots present, the stock on h an d s w ill not l a st - re . than six weeks at furthest. The account of wn.rj u st• quired to pur c h ase th e necessar i es of life for t h e ing portion of the p ar i s h t o w hi c h we have aliu"e-bolA say, 30s. per head for the ti me state d , wou ld be %or 2,9001. The average SI. the county wo u ld be veil t iitei ,he enormous sum of 90,0002 This statement re 6 l iipt one word of commcnt. ACCIDENTS IN MINES.—On l'hursday last thr ee nlea were severely burnt by an explosion of fire damp alines of Messrs. Blackwell, Jones, and Oakes, Tense,' 0 0 0 , Two of them are i n a ver y precarious :tat e . On the et lay a man residing a t H urts Hill , died from the en e ' tor injuries he received, come five month s ago , i n some mme3 longing to the same firm.— Worcestershire Chroniclebsco A N TIQ UAR IA N RELICS IN Bx N 31.-- VY e e" great pleasure in informing our rea d ers that the re store s of the ancient monument s o f th e L or d s of Birmingbl tr, St. Martin' s c h urc h, is now completed. The nr,bt cient of them i s th e cross- l egged effigy of al'ln'e-froc, armour, over which i s a l oose surcoat, or linen be ee bearing ~a shield on his left arm , c h arged w i t h lozenge. This is believed to represent Sir William u` t mingharn, who died in the latter part of the reign ° qbe ward 1., as he bore for his arms the bend lozenge' ,0 0 effigy is placed on a ne w an d appropr i ate altar tom b, roar design by Mr. M. H Bl oxam . Th e two others are of dab ter ; one of the m that of a Kni g ht c l a d i n plate err oo ei placed on a high r a i se d t om b , t h e s i de of wh i c h is au joht with cinquefoil headed compart men t s, w i t h sm aller lrre headed panels interveni ng , may be safely considered looiglA present that Sir Joh n d e Bi rm i ngham w h o wa s a $ O3 of the shire for this county in the reign of Richard I ", e et, who bore for his arms " partie per pale, inde:.tedr ° t ip; and sable," which coat is depicted on the jupon, or ~e t fitting surcoat of the effigy. Th e l ast and most iml)Priacs' :he three, is the recumbent fi gure o f an ecclesiast ic, tte t ip also on a high altar-tomb, th e s id e o f which is divideotel seven compartments, each co ns i s ti ng o f a po i nte d croc „et! arch, flanked by small intervening pinnacled bnttrs under each arch is the figure of an angel clad in an B , l° lol supporting a shield. Th e e ffi g y on t hi s tom b is Indlde as usually represented in the vestments appointed W bsor at the celebrati o n o f th e mass , b ut as a canon of some cs f o unds dral, or as a member o f a co ll eg i ate or conventua l fowl" o , This dress is pre c i se ly th e same, allowing for t h e c bs° oh, fashion in the different articles, as that pr e scribed to be, actually worn at th e p resen t d ay by many of the 0 01 0 the Church of England. From the general c haracter,„rel tomb and e ffi gy it is mos t p ro b a bl e that it was erec ted ( i i; the latter part of the fifteenth century, although it " , P r easy to ascertain wh om it i s intended to re presente e. minghana Gazette. t,3 9 APPLICATION OF THE PENNY POSTAGE P TO RAILWAY PARCELS.—We rejoice to see the sPA , ri-stat,''' of a low unif orm ra t e o f carriage, whatever the `: e sn, adopted on railw a y s , an d systems of railways of d company, so far as relates to parcels of small bulk c ,l i paill os weight. The Man c h es t er an d L eeds Railway t'i). report, presented by the directors to the proPrld esr;s Wednesday last, stated that the principle of low , fi ! e arri m , irrespective of distance, had been applied to nye, " 5 1. and delivery of parcels, not only en their own, $ Need also on neighbouring lines. On Monday last, at Vits ing of the Trent Valley Railway Comany, In r ' ne ect'„ Tootal stated that on the series of lines co n 1.4 0 Manchester and Liverpool with Birmingham 111 00 9 f don—combining the London and Birmingha ni „ t ll ll :l, Junction, Manchester and Birmingham, and Tre nt Ni le lines—in future to be under the management Of . an of amated and consolidated company, under the ca ssg,, London and North Western Railway CompanY ( ~ Pft Id; te j a capital of 14 millions sterling)—all parcels yin" - ev e weight would be carried from one end to the eth er ' ill intermediate places, at the uniform charge of one: 0 $ 11 .. „"" - tnd that this plan was ultimately to be extende d „ I ' d lines between Falmouth or Dover at the south, a" tbe t o b ' e gow at the north ! This is one of the advantage s _ i der t _ fi e result from a connected series of railways, being ' c i; re et7 e , sole management of one company. Another % fi bs by' very speedily to result is the establishment of teleg i T es terh 5 , tween London and Liverpo o l an d L on d on an d Mans be ni l > means of which it is expected that intelligence can three P e e mitted between the metropolis and Manchester Ul f a afil ua mutes or less! These great benefits are the resul t ° to be t!, ig , of interests; and if th e pu bli c accommodat i on is a g° v ;A provided for, and at lower rates for passedge rs a to tee which have been promised, no one will have reason _ L at the amalgamation.—Manchester Guardian. NOVEL EXPEDIENT.—SO rapidly do new fen n ,. ea rve h ilit e and gate-posts disappear in the neighbourhood lx_ o ed, l i;.. that, in self-defence against the plunderers for fille," e 00 4 owners of property have been compel ed to adopt ;!meter ing novel expedient: —Holes with a large di' t bee;: e s is , gouged into the wood, a quan tity o f gun p o wder m o , posited in them, and they are carefully plugged 1113 :1,e g ° ,l the stolen wood is cut up and placed on the fire, det ec t powder explodes, and•though the thief may net D e ..., to the damage inflicted on his rroperty has a tendenv or vince him that honesty is the best policy. 01- he A t MECHANICS' INSTITUTION, SOUTHA.FI ; r ir INGS.— On - Wednesday evening Mr. Henderson n e tt Des c o l, first of two lectures on " London, Historical ° l ite d e t hi 'ice." The subject was very ably treated, and 0 0 bY lie J which displayed considerable research, was enliven introduction of much interesting matter; indeed , 11 ' . . oi elP oc e the requisite ingredients for every public address , " io dl° 4 l struction and an use'nent. The gratification o f tbc. gl was considerably enhanced by the very beautiful j os alß illustration of the ancient and mod ern c ity, by a F artist of very considerable talent, Mr. W. Shalders of BRTHS E 4 4 On the 4th inst., at Hammers l mith, the lady of frugh alb% . le Bombay Medical Establishment, of a daughter..orf, o f a'c a 10 op , On the 7th inst., Mrs. J. Smith, Hermitage Coal 1Y 11 ner of On the Bth inst., at Venbridge House, near Exeter, I tlie ady of Captain Chichester, of a son. louceater, , On the Bth inst., at Quedgeley House, near G c oe, of J. Curtis Hayward, Esq., of a son. , 1 0 g J. On the 9th lust., at Park-hill, Clapham, thelady of J . it . ,' Re Esq., of a son. i. the lady °' ..,. iIA On the 9th inst., at Highclere Parsonage, the ell .71PDonald Caunter, of a daughter. r r Bey' 9 ' e rli On the 9th inst., at Tonbridge, the lady a the DO of a daughter. . Bloc $ • street , •le On the 10th inst., Mrs. Richard Pfeil, Broad /di p of a daughter. $l , of '- the I ° l— the 11th inst., in St. James's-square , Sumner, Esq., of a son. ,.- RRI. By special license, Daniel R MA ED oss, jun., Esq., eet 111° second daughter of the late Thomas Nicoll:Esti. , °f Half l' 4 Dundee. Nirafi fic e ° On the sth Inst., at the parish church, Milverton, ogbr Charles Campbell Sutherland, Esq., to Agnes Ann e „ r 44 1: daughter of the late W. Petrie, Esq., M.D , surgee n ',nsnie":a't e " ' On the 7th Inst., at Waltham Abbey, Henry ."--t• T' A Spencer-street, London, to Caroline, Esq., Waltham Abbey. -er-se On the 10th inst., at St. George ' s Church, Ilanoto the Thomas Heskc,ili, Bart., of Rufford Hall, Lancashir,.„iret>.7 Arabella Iri.•;rmor, eldest daughter of the late Earl of Jui lfr fourth daugh ter sir _____— - ----- -- ---- r, DIED. On the 24th of November last, at Boa Vista , Cape tbergidOtoper ?Maria, the daughter of Charles Pettingal, ESQ ., her of pe%ifief jesty's Commissioner, aged 20; and also, on the sth o ld t- P 1 following, whilst off the Island of St. Nicholas, the fogs Pettingel, Esq., father of the abovenamed, aged 4 6 . ,„„ s pt r• P J a. On the 215 of December last, at Nagode, Lieut'- e3l Y et* 61st Bengal Native lanty. ..„, G.S. On the 18th of at Tugglaphet, Ene l6- °. the 26th Regiment Native January, lnfantry aged 24. 1 a Da l " ° 11. On the 27th ult., at Kegworth, Leicestershire , On the 2d inst., Mary Inn, wife of Mr. K en nett. Of C am , t oel 3e On the 6th inst., the Rev. Newton Charles Lan e ' 3 tioP. Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire, aged 84. • Ann N et 60 11. Oil the 7th inst., at Wartleld Hail, Berk Mio i , SVir l l' ro' On the 10th inst., in Leicester-square, Geerg - 2 % ;imisht e- ° Ott the 11 th lust., Elizabeth Rose, y oungesi , --- -00 l Bagshawe, Esq. , rt l D , Di. lren. , '" . tneo On the 1 lth inst., at Oakley, near Bromley, ro fi.- --• of the late Venerable Archdeacon Wharton, Chan _ .---- l b. • -.rt....,.........,......,...............................5x............................... __ - -----, 244.1 0 00 - --- - - .lING , M - London : Printed and Published by 1VT:11D0 lrs-- a I the -WO . 11 Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Stran „ A do, of the Savoy, in the County of MiddleseS, `" Char.F-oroctort, 13 4 1846. 1 ,,„ e()1 . Z C( me Cu:nPany'b~, RANUP R exhibttion ezlZ.°ll Uturday for , b , trzn 4114,,"*r0us inqu I ha t L°lll Pans, rs 1,14 !Ile number T e 41 ) hut!, er c I -s r - I - ---- X I VE R; c4pttai, beposit, Thz. allot r , ' al,l leR, E, 14 ; 1 1011 3'0n E urocke, Itt, t l to 4 ,1, 41 Dr0 b .41<?lb:r:ro ,e htb1111 :1 i l tk1 : 11, 11',? 1 UT 1 / 4 s c 'el tß sta n , .e Dh, i4 e e .a ch t t T 1 ‘ l , ll t 4k;; 1 7 11 .,Y \ r ii r ...;?qu et Ntil ft l e, i Lo . ‘ l l l , t AN •Vtl it i ?t tol _ the ° It , o4 111 :1 %, 11 1: r ;1 Gi ‘hp f tcr ty r Urlto, t the el t, t r , i!exe, htut 4 'thin Al,- t 4r•