The Sun. — London, England, 1846-01-01 00:00:00

OM MAGAZINE DAY. / BLACKWOOD. . 'When lovers quarrel, an d a v i i -l en t separation asues they for a time vow with inflexible firmness Fat no event whatever—no contrition shall produce r giveness,--and they shall remain enemies for lite. tut in their cool moments, when the fit of passion egins to abate, when the sympathies which bound lem together recover their wonted force from ab- Ince, and above all, when a rival is seen approaching to threshold of either, then all the former tenderness bturns with redoubled force—inestimable qualities, !hich for the moment were slighted, appear in meg ified yroportions, and excite the bitterest reflections. oit is with political love, if we are to judge from le sympathie s o f o l d North. For many a dreary tenth he has hardly ventured to mention the name f Peel; he has been afraid to speak, lest his anger ad passion should get the better of his reason, and then he did speak he mourned over the backsliding r friends, and foresaw nothing but ruin, desolation, ad misery, to his country. No sooner, however, is ,ord John Russell summoned from Aul i Reikie to le Isle o f Wi ght, and the " strong Ministry " is eeome weak as a broken reed, than enmities are gotten, the recollection of old friendships re am with overpowerin g effect, and the in- Citable set vices of Peel are extolled to the tries. When he was in office, he did everything tat was gr ea t an d good, and Providence blessed his tbours. During his administration, " agriculture is flourished and agricultural improvements advanced an unprecedented degree. Commerce has plumed IT wings anew, and added other regions to her amain. Public credit has been supported and ad- Weed, and the revenue raised from an alarming and ' cr easing depression. Peace has been universally aintained abroad, in and agitation rendered powerless el c ontemptible at home." There is no bound wart t o th e panegyrics on the modern Ju d as , f or all We confessed in their hearts, whatever they may the said, th at h owever t h ey may h ave been offended ith minor bl em i s h es " t h e grea t p u rposes of gove d.srn. int h ave b een achieved b y t h e Mi n i s try now • ived, and they will frankly acknowledge with our- Ives that we shall not soon look upon its like l in." Now all this appears as contemptible and fleetin g as the puny quarrels of lovers. A man ho puts himself forward as a political writer should I able to weigh contending interests, see the ffieulties that surround every Minister, make kwances for the adoption of measures which /ssi blY through ignorance he cannot account 12. and strength en , no t wea k en , th e arm i n ' lO l only he can trust for safety. But these goted Tories cannot act so. They will have 'erything their own way, and when thwarted, they e e on?e more virulent against their friends than their We are glad to find, however, that they 'nor o f t fright, and begin to see the th e i r nought them ways. Peel, by deserting them, has t 0 thei r senses , an d they are now tilling t o behave better for the future. Blackwood as led the way, and looks forward with calm com esure to an event which but e denounced a few years ago as little less than sacrilege. He is repared to let the corn-laws die a natural death, troivsidised only they are not killed outright at once. _ n an Important conversion, and we therefore ? is him on the returning good sense dis layed in the following extract : " We should, at the same time, act with a want of ,Inwdour and frankness towards our agricultural friends, e did not direct their attention to another aspect of c . ase. If i t be true, contrary to our own hopes and :ev ictions, th a t repeal is inevitable, every thing d ! - S son t h e time and manner of effecting it. There is estimable va l ue attending every year of cont i nue d ro i t n t , ec tion that c an yet b e ga i ned. Even a compart- V m elY Short period might be of infinite importance in , Pleting those great improveratnts now in progress, inch w il l raise the available fertility of so large a por on of our soil, but which must instantly stop, if pro.. letion be suddenly withdrawn. It is not in our power see far into futurity, but every delay is precious, as 4b liog us better to meet the demands of public neces tY, and to stand a competitien with foreign soils, that competition must ultimately be entered upon ithout legislative aid." The other articles in this number are generally 'ell written. Among ethers, we may mention a itorical sketch of Sir Wiliam Follett, though now ither out of date. The Greek and Romantic /11111 a ;" "A Campaign in Texas," and "Military °stunie." In the latter we like the English tone at prevails throughout, and especially the denun- Ittion against the introduction of German and other Feign frivolities into the British army. The Albert ti is thus graphically described, and doomed to de tuction _ _ since the day when men first armed their s fur the fight, has there been seen such a paltry, tIY, useless, bastard kind of a thing as the last cap trued cut for the British army. With its poke before Id behind, its conical top and low elevation, it is a de raded cr oss b e t ween a Germa.T.o Tyrolese cap and a bL ieeman's hat—a bad mixture of both. May it be alt back to Germany, where the idea came from, and !_ ll 3' it be st u ff e d i n t o a b arre l o f sour trou t, not to come at till it is thoroughly rotted." FRASER. There is much information, with not a little amuse !lent ttoo, in the article on "Publi c patronage of Men of .4etters." The author has evidently studied the his try of the race well, and furnishes many particulars 4 the principal wr it ers f rom Ch aucer t o By ron , Ind Scott and Southey, new t o man y readers, ar anged, with much s kill, an d some o f t h em no t a little I , l Bgra ce f ul to the Government and the age in which 'bey lived. When in these days we find pensions wanted t o lit erary men and literary women of very ordinary abilities, some of whom too are neither in pant nor have much claim on the civil list, and look Sack to the past, and find that not a few of extraordi- Z r t Y f merit, not only for the beauty of their writings, l or the serv i ces they rendered their country, were k lo ,vyed to pine in want, the contrast is distressing, In. lowers in p u bli c estimation the sovereign and the talts.nister who cou ld suffer such neglect. Some of Lue.l.Tl absolutely di e d of want, others were compelle d r o e live in e x il e, and when rewards came, they came too ate,, or w ere of such a contemptible character that the r Y act of conferring the paltry favour only showed the tmean and ungrateful spirit of the distributor of patron ge• Goldsmith, for his very existence, was compelled to c ome a mere literary hack ; Smollett was allowed j'eiled. his *lay s in exile, pinched in his means and bled Nvritin fin his body, fr-sim the incessant labour of o l d gor bread ; Burns was employed to " guage emfirkins, and support a wife and family on the poor oluments of an Exciseman's office." This reflects u :Pal disgrace on Pitt, for he was aware of the fact. Addington,,, says the writer, " reminded that Vat statesman of the poet's genius, and the poor - , „ t , ll4t i°n it was his lot to fill. Mr. Pitt promised to something for him, pushed the bottle on, and re '-'erubered his promise —if he remembered it at all— hen ,the fine-hearted poet of genuine nature was no 1 3 1 : 1 11 °' e This was consistent with Pitt's character. a,-, -rris was an ardent lover of liberty —many of his a; n i g breathe the principles which the heaven-born mister" once professed, but when he found it c!m dt °ln...lent.. to disown - them, he delighted in hunting wni all those who remained .faithful to the creed. ut wh a t i s to be said o f Dibtim? Never did years wri ter render suc h serv i ces to his country or _ he he was unrew ar d e d, and got something at last when 1- I ,a'as old an d una bl e to enjoy it. Even George who wi s h e d to trea d i n the footsteps of Au tlistas, offered something to Sheridan on his death ids and to " poor old O'Keefe," as his Majesty called death •} when he was ninety years of age. The letter the the King wrote to Sir William Knighton on I ,`"e subject, is so characteristic of the man, and shows "ow concisely and elegantly a King could write, that We give it entire. It was written in 1826 : "Dear Friend.—A little charitable impulse induces me to desire you to, inquire into the distressed circum ',stances of poor old O'Keefe, now ninety years of age and stone-blind, whom I knew a little of formerly, having occasionally met him at parties of my juvenile recreation and hilarity, to which he then contributed not a little. Should you really find him so low in the world, and so divested of all comfort as he is represented to be, then I do conceive that there can be no objection to your offering him from me such immediate relief, or such a as will a r a a n b y l e him to close his moderate annual stipend, rate, free from hitherto long life in comfort, want and absolute beggary, which I greatly fear, at pre sent, is but too truly his actual condition and situation. Perhaps, on many accounts and reasons, which I am pure I need not mention to you, this had best be ffec tuated by an immediate application, throughhyou to our lively little friend, G. Colman, whose good heart will, I am certain, lead him to give us all the assi stance he ca n especially as it is for the preservation of one of h i ' oldest invAded brothers and worshippers oftGlie Plan Muse. R. Fraser hag a long article on what he calls "Mys teries o f th e Cobinet," but he throws no new light on th e mysteries, ond also leaves his own opinions very doubtf u l, if we exnept one part o f i t, w h en he calls 4 . Pon the agricultur.ssts to raise their standard, and inscribe on it "no surrender." Mr. Macaulay figures among " Contemporary Orators," and obtains justice ; his character, as a speaker and writer, is fairly drawn, and creditable to the impartiality of the writer. The The n um b er a lt oge th er con t a i ns a f a i r pro ftrie of good articl e s, but we r eg r e t t o fi n d o ur nd Morgan R a ttl er s till was ti ng hi s ti me an d hi s a l ents on r a il ways, i n place of devoting them to those t lassical disquisitions and illustrations for which he is justly celebrated. -Ma xwell o BENTLEY. pens the pr number of entl with a continuation of " Brian esent O'Linn," b and in B these ey chap ters the hero relates the adventures of his 633 hood. Of his birth and parentage he knows nothing, as he is a toundling, wh o - was committed when only an infant six t nonths old for the care of a priest, residing on a ro cky island on tke west-coast of Ireland. The priest had been sent for to a lugger in the offing, to confess a Peni tent in artieulonzo.rtis. He arrrives just as the peni ilt) a lady Apparently of rank, is dying, receives from THE SUN', LONDON,_ TIO I J!KSDAY ilyzwJ r No, .J,AN her hands the infant Brian, who is brought up by the islanders as one of their own children. These islanders are confirmed smugglers, and we have a most animated account of a conflict between a smuggling craft and a cruiser, in which the smuggler makes his escape. As Brian grows up he is taken under the patronage of a certain William St. George a fine high spirited young cavalry office, whose death in a duel (which is very graphically described), concludes the portion of the novel given in the present number. " Early Years of a Veteran," " Gaming and Gaining-houses," " The Reminiscences of the Gaol Chaplain," and " The Outpourings of D. Canter," are continued in the present number. The Libation of D. Canter is a revelation concerning private theatricals in general, and concerning Pym's in particular. The hints which he gives to amateurs are well worthy of attention. Rifleman Harris relates some interesting anecdotes of the "Retreat to Corunna ;" and the " Humbug of Quackery" (tractors, and touching for the evil, to wit, which seem to te now on the point of being revived under another name), is well shown up by a physician. The expose is .admirable, but we fear it will be useless, for as Burke justly observes, " the wearing out of an old only serves to put the fraudu lent upon the invention of a new delusion." "Un luckily, too, the credulity of dupes is as inexhaustible as the invention of knaves." Albert Smith contri butes a curious ghost-story—a real ghost story, and Alfred Crowquill, an amusing sketch entitled " The Picture." e have also a beautifully engraved por trait of Alfred Crowquill, and an illustration of the duel scene from Brian O'Linn. The concluding arti cle in the Miscellany, is a gem of pathos and poetry. It proceeds from, and goes directly to the heart. Here it is. It is entitled "My Child's Grave : "-- My little one ! the world looks cold, * My sadden'd heart Both turn to thee, And now again mine eyes behold Thy mound beneath the alder tree ! Once - more I tend the flow'rs that bloom Beside thine unpretending tomb ! Sweet innocent ! they sanctify Thy place of throbless rest awhile, With dew-drops borrow'd from on high, And many a joyous summer smile ! The rudest winds that o'er thee move Are soften'd to a breath of love ! A meditative beauty here Doth linger on the quiet. scene, And, waken'd to a sense of pray'r, The mind looks forth unveil'd—serene ; While thoughts are rife of those beneath, Amidst the solitude of Death ! And lovingly we trace again Each unforgotten semblance o'er, — The fond caress,—the playful vein, The tenderness, endear'd of yore ! They steal upon us in that hour When Memory resumes her power. And thou, my child, I shadow forth, In all thine artless, infant grace, That made me prize thee first of earth, And bless thy bright and winsome face ; Though fleetly closed thy dawn of life, — At least, it knew no taint of strife ! I fondly thought thou wouldst become My stay, my hope, in years' decline ; But comfortless is now my home, And dimly doth its taper shine : For what have I to do with joy, When thou hast wander'd hence, my boy ? I know thou art in yonder heaven, With rays of fadeless glory crown'd, But still my steps each quiet even Bend thither to this holy- ground. Strange sympathy my feelings have With that secluded moss-clad grave There, seated by thy little stone, My thoughts to other days allied, I count the weary seasons gone, Since thou wert at thy father's side, And lisping out, as day grew dim, Thy mother's own loved ♦esper hymn The streamlet murm'ring by doth seem To wake familiar tones to me ; The passing wind, too, stirs a theme That brings me nearer still to thee And thus in sweet commune of love I seek my long-lost child above I cannot weep,—m\ tears are spent,— But not the less my heart cloth mourn, When upward these weak eyes are bent, Then desolate—to earth return : But soon the conflict will be o'er, And, angel ! we shall part no more ! 7'AIT. There are several articles in the present number o rather more than ordinary interest, among which are " A Visit to Mr. O'Connell at Derrynane, by Wil liam Howitt ;" a sketch of Shelley, by De Quincey, in " Notes on Gilfillan's Gallery of Literary Por traits ;" and " Carlisle's Oliver Cromwell's Letters." The political article, though now little better than an old almanac, contains some abuse of the Whigs, which we hope is not deserved, and a rather violent attack on Lord Palmerston, which we consider totally unmerited. " Palmerston," says Tait, " insisted on being Minister of Foreign Affairs—nothing less, no thing else would satisfy him—of course it was more important in his Lordship's eyes that he should rule the external relations of the state than that the corn laws should be repealed." The fact is, Lord Palmer ston justly declined any other appointment because he could not accept it without a stigma on his policy, but he was willing to remain out of the Cabinet, and at the same time lend the Government every assistance in his power. Two consolations, however, make amends for the failure of the Liberals —" The Whigs are pledged to free trade—the Tories are broken up." In an article entitled " How is Parliament to get through its Railway Business ?" we find the following judicious remarks " The public is entitled to the best line that existing lights can devise. It is not by diminishing the number of lines upon which Parliament is to adjudicate that the railway business of the session is to be brought within manageable compass, but by the judges adopting a clear and precise view of the end to be attained, keeping this view constantly before them, and regulating all their proceedings with the one exclusive aim to find it out. The cardinal principle most conducive to the attainment of this end, is to aim at giving the public the greatest amount of railway accommodation, with the least possible expenditure of money and labour. One great means of eschewing extra expenditure of either, is to promote wherever it is possible the construction of direct trunk lines. In the infancy of the railway system, it was common for a railway to meander through a district, going out of its way to catch the large towns. This was natural enough when men were sceptical as to whether a railway under any circumstance could be made to pay. Thus it came that the railway from London to Man chester and Liverpool was made to go round by Bir mingham. But the trade of Liverpool and Manchester will not submit to be made merely auxiliary to that of Birmingham ; and fwe have already the Trent Valley line by which Birmingham is placed on a branch of a more direct trunk line, as in a few years we shall have the direct Manchester an extension of the direct system. Now had a direct line been constructed to the north, at first, with branches to accommodate Birmingham and other great marts, a much shorter total mileage of rail way would have required to be constructed ; in other words more miles of railway have been made than are actually required. But a still greater and more useless outlay would have been saved. Every inconvenient circuitous line allowed to be constructed, becomes a vested intere,t, incurs great expense itself to prevent the c t o o : t s ii tt e ; t t m io do n u.t o ty f of a better, and forces the promoters of the Ipp e ro fi ved line to incur much unnecessary expenditure. of t the h ei r po railway wert Committeeshe connexion great marts and harbours, by direct lines, with branches for district accommodation. " Having adopted this principle as their guide, the Committees might materiall y economise time and exer tion, by adopting the following form of process: -1 st, To investigate the capability of the district to support a railway. The affirmative here would be maintained by all the schemes; the negative o nl y by general opponents to any railway, if such there were. All the schemes might combine to prove this part of the ir case, and by takinc , this step first and apart, much time would be saved. 2d, To investigate in succession the bowl fide character of each company. Each company of a group might be called in succession to prove its list of share holders and their means. It would be open to each of their rivals or any of their competitors to lead counter proof. As soon as the affirmative or negative was es tablished to the satisfaction of the Committee, the in quiry should be closed: any company failing to prove its competency ought to be put oat of court. 3d, Each of the remaining companies should then be called in suc cession to state and prove the advantages of its line. Any counter evidence should next be received. And when the case of one was closed, the next should be taken up without pronouncing any deliverance. 4th, When they had been all gone through, the Committee ought to decide which one or more lines ought to be constructed, with what modifications of the original plan. By keeping promoters, counsel, and witnesses to th e point, proceedings might thus be much expedited." Stud- ro Y om o FATAL FIT IN AN OMNIBUS.—Last night, Mr. Bedford hel f d an inquest at the Black Horse,Bedfordbury, on the bod nephew, at Thomas Scantlebury; aged forty-one years, a nor-place, ' l re in the employ of Mr. Tattersall, of Grosve zde-park. The deceased lodged with his about ten 0., 1 „,', Banner-square, St.. Luke's. lie left home telling the comlneteot sto put hi m d own a t Ch a in gat Cheap s i d Z Monday morning, and at eleven, arriv ot into on e o f the Bromprin cross, and ton omnibuses, exiiiUiting, to all appearance, perfect health. When the vehicle reached St. rt g- g. s-lan e th e con d uctor got down to The hi s out take up another passeng er deceased at this moment fell into a fit. l i e was assisted and taken to the Charing cross Hospital, but died on The deceased had in Verdict, " Natural his possession at the time lit way, The watch, and other articles of Pt:l).Th' and silver, a silver of t (l e RAISE THp death." a publießirrningham OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOS AL T Weeks,mteeting in orga o n F s rotest MILITIhe members and fliends Peace Association have resolved to hold the Town hall here, in the course of a few against the determination 4 Government to e . the militia, and to petition Parliament to introduce an arbitra tion clause into all our treaties with foreign powers. The Marine Society has sent nearly 900 boys to sea during the year 1845, and we hope the public will libe rally support the institution. The subjects of its bounty are the most distressed and desolate of our fellow creatures. Such are relieved from all the evils of poverty, hunger, cold, and nakedness, and trained up to be useful in the commerce of the country as British seamen. DOUBLY liAzApHous.—ln the event of the Chelsea pensioners being called out, a new company will be started to insure their wooden legs against fire.—Punch. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.- - The Queen and Prince Al bert promenaded in the vicinity of the Castle precincts previous to his Royal Highness going out to shoot, ac companied by the Earl of Lincoln, Sir Robert Peel, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, and Lord Rivers, and at tended by Major-General Sir Edward Bowater and Mr. Anson. The fineness of the weather this morning permitted the Royal Family to be taken for their early rides and walks in the pleasure-grounds. The Right Hon. Sir James and Lady Graham, and the Right Hon. William Gladstone, arrived at the Castle to-day, on a visit to the Queen. The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening will include her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Fanny Howard, and the Baroness de Speth. The band of the Grenadier Guards will attend during dinner, and her Majesty's private band will afterwards attend at the Castle. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George left town for Coombe Wood, on a shoot ing excursion, yesterday morning, returning to town in the afternoon. The Right llon. W. E. Gladstone arrived in town yesterday morning from Ilawarden Castle, Flintshire. The Right Honourable Gentleman left town in the after noon for Windsor Castle. THE BLACKFRIARS PIER. (From the Week,iy Di.spatch of Dec. 28, 1845.) The difference betweett the Watcrinen's Steam Packet Company and the Corporation of London, relating to the times of calling at the .Blackfriars-pier, have not been adjusted, and the dispute promises a plentiful har vest of actions, summonses, warrants, and indictments. In the course of the week the City Solicitor has served a writ on one of the masters of the Watermen's strain ers, for obstructing the navigation of the river ; in other words, he simply called at the new pier to land and embark passengers, and the City have put them selves forward as plaintiffs, ostensibly to try the right, but in reality to harass the Watermen's Company, and force them into a compliance with the absurd regu , lations of the Navigation Committee. Another Cap tain of a Watermen's steamer was fined five pounds by the Lord Mayor, on Wednesday last, simply for calling at the pier to obtain passengers. This ap pears to be a most tyrannical proceeding. The Lord Mayor himself makes an order to exclude the boats of a particular Company, and while the owners of the steamboats are disputing the validity of the order, and after an action has been commenced in one of the supe rior Courts to try the validity of the order, the Lord Mayor, who acts as a judge in his own cause, fines the steam-boat captain 51. This decision, and a former one of a similar nature, have been appoaled against, but the mischief is, that in the City an appeal must be made from one Corporation (Alice to another, and it is difficult btain anything where the interests of the Corporation are concerned. A like impartial justice in any cas e City policeman has been held to bail, in his own recogni zances only, to appear and take his trial at the next London sessions, fur assaulting a gentleman who at temptt d to land on the pier from Waterman No. 8. Several other persons were used in a brutal manner by the City police, and dragged through the streets to the The Thames police have also been stationed on the p ier station-house, for simply attempting to land on the pie r. since the commencement of the disputes, and the floating property on the river has been left unprotected. It reflects no credit on the Commissioners that they should allow their officers to act as partizans, and g et up distur bances for the benefit of the Corporation. The Naviga tion Committee have acted in this manner with the most gross partiality. When the pier was opened, it was held out to the steam-boat Companies that it should be a free pier, that the boats should be allowed to call at what times their owners pleased, but that only one should be allowed to remain alongside at one time, and remain no longer than was necessary to land and to embark passengers. To these regulations no one could object, and the boats of the rival Companies continued to call at certain times until the Ist inst., when the Navigation Committee, upon the application of the Old Woolwich Company, resolved that distinct times for calling at the Pier should be allotted to the boats of the Watermen's and the Woolwich Companies as follows :—To the Watermen's Company ten minutes after the quarter, and three quarters past the hour, and to the Woolwich Com pany ten minutes after the hour and half. hour. The Watermen's Company, through their secretary and soli citor, Mr. Newbon, protested against this arrangement, and requested that the boats of the Watermen's Com pany should not be dispossessed of the time occupied by them, and that the additional injustice should not be inflicted of admittine. another Company to half of the trade, entirely made by the Watermen's Company, and appropriating to a rival Company the very hours known to the public as belonging to the Watermen's boats. A long correspondence afterwards took place between Ser geant Mere wether, the town-clerk, and Mr. Newbon. Th© Navigation Committee, however, refused to assign any reasons (except one which we shall hereafter notice) for adhering to their determination, and the Watermen's Company were informed, that unless it complied with the terms laid down by the Navigation Committee their boats would be prevented ceiling at the pier at all. Perhaps a more harsh and tyrannical proceeding was never heard of. Mr. Newbon, in one of his letters to the Town clerk, very justly says, " And I am desired to say most respectfully, that the Directors of the Watermen's Steam-packet Company cannot recognise the justice of the Navigation Committee in allotting the times at which the boats of this Company have been accustomed to call at Blackfriars to the Woolwich Company, which is at variance with the understanding upon which the agree ment you allude to was signed, namely, that the pier should be an open pier." It appears the Navigation Committee wish to favour the Hungerford Market Com pany, whose pier is used by the Woolwich Company, and one sage member of the Navigation Committee on being expostulated with before his brethren observed— " Oh, we must do what we can for the Hungerford Mar ket Company, its a concern of great magnitude—a very powerful body." The fact is, an attempt has been made to establish a monopoly of the steam boat traffic at the Hungerford Market Pier, which signally failed. The Proprietors of it indicted the Adelphi Pier, one of the best conducted on the river, as a nuisance, but the tables were turned ; the bill against the Adelphi was ignored, and a true bill against the Hungerford Market Pier was returned. The Corporation of London are likely to come out of the affair with disgrace. The Blackfriars Pier has been erected without any legal authority, and is kept up only upon sufferance. The Commissioners of Woods and Forests have claimed the soil and bed of the river for the Crown, and obtained an injunction against. the Corporation soon after the erection of the pier com menced, prohibiting the Corporation from driving piles and proceeding with it. After some delay a negotiation was entered into between the Solicitor of the Crown and be City Solicitor, and it was arranged that the Corpo- ration should be allowed to complete the pier and keep it open till the main question should be decided. It was further arranged that the Corporation should furnish an account of the rents and profits to the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. As the pier has been erected with out the sanction of an Act of Parliament on the Queen's public highway, it is likely to share the fate of Lord Grosvenor's embankment at Milibank, and the wharf, or embankment, belonging to Sir Richard Dobson and Mr. Sutton, at Greenwich. Both were erected with the per mission of the Corporation, and both were indicted as nuisances and obstructions. The jury, in each case, re turned a verdict of Guilty. Earl Grosvenor's embank ment was removed long ago ; Sir qichard Dobson and Mr. Sutton's embankment, at Greenwich, is now being removed by the officers ,of the sheriff of Kent, to the great delight of the oppressed watermen owning the floating pier ; and the Blackfriars-pier will no doubt meet with the same fate. It has been decided, that the City have no right to erect wharves, piers, and embankments on the river, nor give permission to others to do so. The days of the Corporation pier are numbered. It will be indicted at the next London sessions. THE MILITIA-NEW MOVEMENT. Two or three spirited individuals connected with a newspaper-office in Newport, have drawn up the follow irlg petition, which has alreath received a large number of unsolicited signatures : - " TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. " May it please your Majesty, " We, the undersigned, loyal inhabitants of the borough of Newport, in the county of Monmouth, having heard with serious alarm that an order had been issued for the speedy raising cf the militia of this country, do hereby offer ur most solemn but respectful protest against such an u, constitutional and tyrannical made of providing for the defence of these countries. "We feel assured that our Majesty cannot he per ' fectly acquainted with the misery and unhappiness such an act would occasion,—the ruthless s-vering of fimily ties, tearing the husband from his wife, the son from his mother, and sending them to Ireland, or some other place, far distant from their home, to the complete over throw and ruin of all their worldly prospects ; and this wit Lout even going through the form which i 3 necessary to enlist the free soldier, but fore:nz them, against their will, to do that which a free nation should do from choice. " Your petitioners feel assured that the safety of these realms could be efficiently secured without causing such wide spread misery, and they confidently trust, that in your Majesty's humane endeavours to ameliorate the condition of your subjects, you will set your face against this remnant of heartless oppression, and vvil. not allow the French conscription system to be retained in our envied island. Let England still be the :oast of 0 - .. e free ; and let not her shores be defended by men Jugged unwillingly from their families and friends; for rest assured, your Majesty, Aould foreign invasion or domestic treason ever threaten our nativ.. land, brave hearts and willing hands would be found to battle in her d, fence, without having recourse to oppressive mea sures; and a band of free and hearty volunteers would be of far more efficient service than a dispiriteJ and op pr...ssed militia. " Trusting to your Majesty's kind consideration for the welfare and happiness of your loyal subjects, "Your petitioners will ever pray, &c." RY, was consumed ; the valuable stock of Mr. Picking, pa rasol-manufacturer, was reduced to ashes ; his adjoining premises and stock of linendrapery, severely damaged ; and the building and contents of Mr. Gunning, grocer, are very extensively injured by fire and water. The total damage must be very considerable. Mr. Picking, we understand, was insured in the Royal Exchange offce for 2,0001., but whether that amount will cover his loss we are unable at present to tell ; and whether any of the other sufferers were insured, it was impossible during the excitement which prevailed to learn. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 31. STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Birkenhead, Lanca shire, and Cheshire, 5 1 / t p.-Blackburn ar.d Preston, 5 1 / 2 - Ditto, New Shares, 4 1 4 p.-Bolton, Wigan, and Liverpool, 17 1 4 p.-Ditto, New Shares, 3% p.-Boston, Newark, and Sheffield, 7s. fid. p.- Caledonian, 51 . p.-Cambridge and Lin coln, 2 p.-Chester and Birkenhead, 49 1 / 2 -Ditto, New 20/. Shares, 1 1 / 2 p.-Derby and Crewe, 3% p.-Eastern Counties, 22 1 / 2 -Ditto, Perpetual, No. 2,6 s. 6d. p.-East Lancashire, No. 2, 4 p.-East Lincolnshire, 1 1 / 4 p.-Glasgow and Dum fries, 10s. p.-Grand Junction, 248 1 / 2 -Ditto, Eighth Shares, 17% p.-Ditto, 40/. Shares (L. M.), 56 p.-Grand Union, ss. p.-Great Grimsby Dock, 2% p.-Great Grimsby and Shef field, Quarter Shares, 2% p.-Great Western, Quarter Shares, 16 p.-Goole and Doncaster, 1 1 / 2 p.-Huddersfield Canal and Railway, 6 1 4 p.-Huddersfield and Sheffield, 17 1 / 2 p.- Lancasler and Preston, Quarter Shares, 5%-Leicester and Bedford, 15s. p.-Leicester and Birmingham, 55. p.-Leices ter and Tamworth, ss. p.-Liverpool and Leeds Direct, 4 dis.-Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle Junction, 2 1 / 2 p. -Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, 3 p.-London and Brighton, 70-London awd York, 2 p.-Direct Northern, 7s. 6d. dis.- Leeds and Thirsk, 4 1 4 p.-Manchester, Midland, and Great Grimsby, 1 1 4 p.-Matlock and Midland, 2% p. -Midland, 158-Ditto, 401. Shares, 18% p.-North Stafford shire, 3%p.-North Wales Mineral, 4% p.--North Western, 2 1 / 2 p.- Oxford and Birmingham Junction, Is. fid. p.-Ox ford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, 3 p.-Preston and Wyre, 34-Sheffield and Manchester, 128-Ditto, Quarter Shares, 8 p.-Shrewsbury and Herefordshire, par-Shrews. bury, Wolverhampton, and South Staffordshire, 1 1 4 Shrewsbury, Oswestrv, and Chester, 1% p.-Shropshire Un ion Railway and Canal, 1 4 p.-South-Eastern and Dover, 4014 -Ditto, New Shares, No. 2, 4 1 / 2 p.-Ditto, Consolidated Thirds, Half Shares, 265. p.-West Riding Union, 5% p.- Dublin and Galway, par-Dundalk and Enniskillen, 10s. die. -Dutch Rhenish, 3% p.-Great Luxembourg, 1 1 A dis.- Paris and Lyons (Ganneron), 6s. p.- Ditto (Calon), ss. p. LEEDS, DEC. 31. STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-London and Croydon, 23 1 4-Manchester anti Leeds, Fifth Shares, 12 p.---York and North Midland Extension, 30-Great Grimsby and Sheffield, 11 1 4-Ditto, Quarter Shares, 3%-Huddersfield and Man chester, 9-Huddersfiehl and Sheffield, 25-Leeds and Brad ford. 57 1 4-Leeds and Dewsbury, 20 1 ,4-Ditto, New Shares, 4-Leeds and Thirsk, 13-Newcastle and Berwick, 15 1 / 2 - North British, New Carlisle Branch, 3 1 / 2 -Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth, 4-Cambridge and Lincoln Extensions, 3 1 4 -Direct Northern, 2 1 / 2 -Glasgow and Dumfries, 314-Liver pool, Ormskirk, and Preston, 5-West Riding Union, 7% -Buckinghamshire (late Rugby), 12s. 6d. p.-Clitheroe Junction, 3%-East Lincolnshire, 2 1 / 2 -Essex and Suffolk, ss. dis.-Grand Union, 1 / 2 p.-Great Eastern and Western, 20s. dis.-Lancashire and North Yorkshire, 15s p.-Lan cashire, Yorkshire, and North Eastern, ss. dis.-Leeds and Liverpool Direct, par-Leeds and York, 2s. 6d. dis.-Lei cester and Bedford, 19s. p.-Leicester and Tamworth, 7s. 6d. p.-Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, 3 p.-Mid land and Thirsk Junction, ss. dis.-Northumberland and Lancashire Junction, Bs. 6d. dis.-North Western, 3 1 / 2 - Nottingham and Boston, 155.-Nottingham, Erewash, and Ambergate, 15s. p.- Shropshire Union. Is. p.-South Mid lands, 3 1 / 2 p.-Wakefield and Bradford, is. 6d. dis.-Wake field and Harrogate, 18s. p.-Welsh Midlands, 234-York shire and Glasgow Union, 212, HULL - , DEC. 31. STOCK EXCHANGE. —The sales are—Hull and Selby (10 per cent. guar.), 102—Ditto, Half Shares, 21%—Black. burn, Darwen, and Bolton, 7 3 A—Leeds and Thirsk, 11% — North British, 25%—Ditto (Carlisle), 34—Ditto (Dal keith), 64—North Wales, 34 —Buckinghamshire, Bs. 9d. p. —East Lincolnshire, 3—Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding, 136—Hull and Barnsley Junction, 41s. 6d.—London and York, 41. Bs.—Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock, Si. 2s.—North Staffordshire, 6/. 2s.—Wakefield and Brad ford, 1%. BRISTOL, DEC. 31. STOCK EXCNANGE.—The sales are—Bristol and Exeter, New, 84—Bristol and South Wales Junction, 3—Midland, New, 3134 EXETER, DEC. 31, STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Bristol, Thirds, 9 1 ,! -Eastern Counties, New Shares, 9 p..-Ditto, Old Shares, 23-South Wales, 4. EDINBURGH, Dic. 29. STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Aberdeen, 51.- Aber deen, Banff, and Elgin, 21.-Airdrie and Bathgate, 2/. Bs. -Arbroath and Forfar, 251.-Ditto, Half Shares, 15/.- Ayr and Dumfries, 2/ 95.-Ayr and Galloway, 1/. Bs.-Banff shire, 1/17s. 6d.-British and Irish Union, 31 75.-Caledonian, 131. 10s.-Caledonian Extension, 3/. 45.-Caledonian and Dumbarton, W.-Caledonian and Northern Direct, 2/. 155.- Clydesdale Junction, 19/.-Direct Northern, 21.-Dundee and Arbroath, 35/. 10s.-Ditto, New 9 17 1. -Dundee and Perth, 71. 55.-East of Fife, 2/.=-East Lothian Central, 1/. 17s. 6d. -Edinburgh and Bathgate, 3/.-Edinburgh and Glasgow, 741. IN.-Ditto, Half Shares, 161. 10s.-Ditto, Quarters, 16 /. 10s.-Ditto, New, 131. 10s.-Edinburgb, Glasgow, and Dum barton, 18s.-Edinburgh and Leith Atmospheric, 1/. 14s. 6d. -Edinburgh and Leith Atmospheric Direct, 1/. 155.-Edin burgh, Leith, and Granton, 211. 10s.-Ditto, Preference, 18/. 10s.-Edinburgh and Northern, 31. 18s -Ditto, Newport, 11. 2s. 6d.-Ditto, Lochgelly, 11. 145.-Edinburgh and Pee bles, 1/. 19s. 6d.-Edinburgh and Perth, 41. 7s. 6d.-Forth and Clyde Junction, 21.-Glasgow and Ayrshire, 691.-Ditto, New Stock, 17/. 17s. 6d.-Ditto, Quarter Shares, 16/ 15s. -Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, 21. 45.-Glasgow and Dundee Junction, 2/. 45.-Glasgow and Garnkirk, 45/.- Glasgow and Greenock, 211.-Ditto, New Stock, 101 155.- Ditto, Preference, 2/. &s.-Great North of Scotland, 3/.- Granton Junction, 2/. 2s. 6d.-Inverness and Elgin, 1 /. 15 s. -Loudon and York, 41. '58.-North British, 24/. 10s.-Ditto, Halves, 7/.-Perth and Inverness, 1/. 193.-Scottish Central, 151.-Scottish Midland, 5/. 155.-Scottish North Western, 11. 175.-Stirling and Dunfermline, 21. 10s. THE HERALD'S INDIAN EXPRESS The public attention being very much directed at this moment to the mode of conveying the Indian mail to England overland, it may not be uninteresting to our readers, many of whom are no doubt unacquainted with it, to explaia the course adopted at present, which is this:— The mail and passengers upon their arrival at Alex andria are conveyed in a steam-boat belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Company to Malta. The bags containing letters to be sent vu2 Marseilles are then put on board au English Government steam-boat, which conveys them to their destination; and the rest of the mail, together with the passengers, are brought by the Peninsular and Oriental Company's boat to South ampton, passengers seldom availing themselves of the route via Marseilles, as they are obliged to perform a quarantine of twelve days at that place. The mail upon its arrival at Marseilles is placed in a carriage called a fourgon, and forwarded thence to Paris, and afterwards to Boulogne. It is subsequently brought to Dover, and thence by railway to London. Up to no very distant period the fourgon took 53 hours to convey the mail to Paris, and 15 hours from Paris to Boulogne, where it was, and is still, frequently materially delayed by want of a steam-boat to convey the mail across the Channel—the English Post-office not being able to . afford the expense of a special steam-boat, although some of the morning newspapers invariably employ one. In conse quence, however, of the great competition between the Times and the Morning Herald, the mail is now, except in very bad weather, conveyed from Marseilles to Paris in 50 hours, instead of 53, and, if no delay occurs at Bou logne, almost always reaches London from Marseilles in 70 to 72 hours. The following is the mode in which the morning news papers, up to the end of 1843, contrived to anticipate the mail :—The several agents of the Times, Morning Herald, Morning Chronicle, and flits-ping Post, addressed their Indian letters to the agents of the respective papers at Marseilles, and upon the arrival of the steam- boat at that port, the dispatches for these four journals were given to one courier, who proceeded on horseback to Paris, and afterwards to Boulogne, where a special steam-boat was always lying waiting, when one could be pro cured, and upon the arrival of this boat at Folk stone, a special engine brought the dispatches to London. The management of this joint express was given to the Times, and all that the courier had to do was to arrive at Boulogne some short time before the mail, when he was certain to anticipate the mail in London, having the advantage of a special engine at Folkstone, as the Post-office authorities never would, and do not up to this moment, allow their messengers to employ one. It was in this way the Times contrived to gain its cha racter for-early Indian intelligence over its contempora ries—the courier being called the Times' courier, the steam-boat being called the Times' steam-boat, and the special engine the Times' special engine; whereas the fact was, that the credit of the express was as much due to the Herald, Chronicle, or Po t, as to the Times, and the expense was equally shared amongst the four news papers. Such was the mode in which the morning newspapers expressed their Indian dispatches to London until the commencement of the year 1844, when the Morning Herald came under its present management. The new proprietor was then informed that the Morning Herald could no longer be permitted to join with the other papers in expressing the Indian dispatches to London —the object of the exclusion of the Herald being, no doubt, the vain expectation of preventing the Herald from obtaining its Indian intelligence, owing to the enor mous expense attendant upon an exclusive express. Our opponents, however, mistook the parties they had to deal with, and upon the very first occasion upon which the Herald commenced its single-handed exertions, our courier ur courier performed the distance from Marseilles to as Pa ever the system in 48—that is, in two hours less time than before accomplished. Such was 1844—the con tinued throughout the whole of the year average thatw average time occupied by the Herald ex press between Marseilles and London being 67 hours At the commencement o f the year i 845 an alteration Indian was made in the transmission of . thee had been the Calcutta mail, which up to . thathiethim is still o _ sent only every alternate month, and a 'l being w for n that account called the bi-monthly mat warded every month as the Bombay mail. This change rendering it necess ar y t o send two special couriers every month f rom M arse i lles to London, the Ncenieg Chronicle and Morning Post deter retiring altogether f m ined uponfrom the joint ex press with t he Times, thinking, we suppose, that the news was not important enough to justify so large an outlay of money. The Tines and Herald were there fore left alone to fight out the battle. The distance between Marseilles and Paris being too great to allow one courier to carry the dispatches twice a month, we determined upon dividing the distance, and by ap pointing two couriers instead of one, and thus lessening the fatigue of the journey, we calculated upon bringing the dispatches from Marseilles to Paris in 42 to 44 hours, instead of 48 to 50, as before. We have rarely been able to perform the distance from Marseilles to Paris in less than 46 hours. Still we have been able, upon an average, to perform that part of the journey in the time we have specified, and our express rarely takes more than 63 hours from Marseilles to London. Such are the exact facts as regards the mode of con veying the Indian intelligence from Alexandria to Lon don at the present moment. We propose, hereafter, perhaps to-morrow, to continue the subject, by showing SERIOUS FIRE. Lastniht,de struction aftershortly of ten pr o o ' p cl e o r c ty k : abrfioircee, outupon attended with a serious the premises belonging to Mr. Hacker, a hat merchant, carrying on business at 30, Crosby -row Walworth road, within a short distance of Camberwell-gate. The discovery appears to have bean made by Police. constable Gavin, 163 P. Smoke which he saw issuing from the front windows on the ground floor, convinced him that the building was on fire. An immediate alarm was spread throughout the neighbourhood, and intelligence was dispatched to the:engine-stations with information of the disaster. With all possible expedition the brigade engine from the Waterloo road station reached the scene of conflagration ; this was quickly followed by tile West of England engine and firemen. Upon their arrival the firemen found that the fire had obtained a firm hold of the lower porticn of the premises ; but had there been an immediate supply of water at hand, it is highly pro bable that the flames wculd have been speedily extin guished ; as it was, however, the engines and firemen were kept waiting some time ; the " call" fur the turn cock, it appears, was taken to the wrong house. During the time thus lost the flames spread with the greatest ve hemence, seizing upon everything in the buildings of a combustibl:r nature, and very quickly firing the same from the bottom to the top. The turneocks, having eventually been apprised of the disaster, hastened to the spot, and water being then obtained in copious streams, the firemen set to work most vigorously, and other en gines, belonging to the parish, London Establishment, and County Insurance C om pany , Coming up, the whole were put to work ; the hose of some being carried through the adjoining buildings, and by that means the water was discharged in the right quarter . Notwith standing, however, that the firemen exerted themselves to the utmost, they were unable to confine the flames to the premises in which they b(ga n , an d w hil s t they were working, the conflagrati on extended first to the ri g ht an:l then to the left, setti n g the premises on e ither si de , numbered severally 2 9 and 31 , in flames. T he excite ment in the district upon the inhabitants seeing the fire ex erted them se l ves in a most pr a i se . thus extending, was of a mos t distressing character. The firemen, however, worthy manner, and by half- past twelve o'clock th. y happily succeeded in getting the mastery over the flames. By that period the whole of Mr. Hacker's stock in trade ADELPHI THEATRE. Last evening a dramatic version of Dickins's Cricket on the Hearth was produced at this theatre, and with the most unequivocal success. It consti tuted the second piece in the evening's entertainment, following the excellent historical drama of The Lioness of the .2V orth, brought out a few nights ago. The piece was placed upon the stage in two acts, or " chirps," and is considerably shorter than the Lyceum version ; though the plot, the arrangement of the incidents, and the dialogue, are almost pre cisely the same. The condensation is a great im provement, and while no feature of importance is omitted, the interest of the piece is considerably heightened, as any tendency to flag that may have been observed at the Lyceum is entirely removed. The cast of characters was in the main excellent; in fact, we have seldom seen a drama better calculated to bring out the Adelphi talent. The rough, but warm-hearted carrier, John Peerybingle, was personated by Mr. 0. Smith—need we say that it would be difficult to find a better re presentative ? Mr. Lambert was Caleb Plummer, and played the part with very great effect, throwing into some of the scenes considerable pathos and feeling, especially that in which he dispels the do mestic elysium he had endeavoured to create in the imagination of his blind daughter. Mr. Cullenford made a respectable Tackleton ; and the part of the Stranger, the son of Caleb from the " Golden South Americas," was played with great discrimination by Mr. Selby. The personation of senility in the early part of the piece was an exceedingly good display of histrionic skill. Dot, as might be expected, was entrusted to Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and well did she pourtray the lively, bustling, yet deeply affectionate, carrier's wife. We have never seen this versatile and excellent actress to greater effect than in her assumption of this character. In the interview with her husband, which is to separate her under a false suspicion from his hearth and home, the power and feeling she displayed drew tears from nearly every eye of a densely-crowded audience; while in the re-action that follows, the abandonment with which she gives herself up to joy, and the coy fondness with which she banters the rude, yet kind hearted carrier, while she disabuses his mind of all doubts and suspicions, were admirable, and drew loud and enthusiastic applause from every part of the house. Bertha, the blind girl, found an excellent representative in Miss Woolgar ; Miss Taylor made a respectable May Fielding ; and Miss E. Chaplin was the fair and graceful Fairy Cricket of the Hearth. The scene in which the fairy appears to Peerybingle was well managed, the tableau calledup to represent the domestic happiness of the now disconsolate,husband, being beautifully effected, while the monitory passages put into the month of the spirit were delivered in a very clear and intelligent manner by the young lady in question. But it may be asked where was Wright? Why was he not cast in such a piece? Have patience, gentle reader ! so he was, and in the very quarter where he should be. The feminine graces and nursery skill of Miss Tilly Slowboy were entrusted to his care, the consequence of which was to keep the house in a continuous roar of laughter whenever he was on the stage. The dress, the manner, the action, and the barbarous jargon employed to soothe and lullaby the young Peerybingle, were all given in first-rate style. That which in other hands would have been a little and comparatively an unnoticed part, became in his hands one of the most remarkable and best ap plauded of the piece. The scenery and mountings of the drama were all that could be desired ; the interest never in the least flagged to the denouement ; and the curtain fell amidst a perfect whirlwind of applause, a dance, with which the piece concludes, and in which the Terpsichorean feats of Mr. Wright are rather broadly brought out, having been rapturously encored. The piece was announced for every even ing without a single dissentient voice. The Cricket on the _Hearth is a decided hit, and will, we are sure, for many a day shed the influence of its pure and healthy spirit on the frequenters of this popular place of amusement. RECENT WILLS. The late Sir Alexander Ferrier, K.G.H., her Bri tannic Majesty's Consul for South Holland and Zealand, who died at Rotterdam, in the kingdom of Holland, on the 17th of August last, at the age of seventy-two, had made his will there, in the year 1841, in the Dutch language, which was registered in Rotterdam imme diately after his decease, by which instrument, as the translation runs, he nominated and appointed as his sole and universal heirs his joint children, and grand• children to each, such share to which they are entitled by law. Sir Alexander, from weakness in his sight, was unable to write or sign his name. A notarial translation of his will was proved in London on the 23d of December, 1845, by the executors, Sir James Henry Turing and Willem Mattheus Hop, Esq. The property belonging to Sir Alexander, within the province of Can terbury, is of small amount, his estates lying in Holland, where, for the last thirty years he has been perma newly domic led and resident, carrying on business as a merchant. The deceased was Knight of the Order of Guelph of Hanover, and Defender of the Scotch Privi leges at Veere. The late John Ryley, Esq , of High Elms, Watford who was for nearly thirty years a magistrate for the county of Hertford, and formerly of the Bengal Civil Service, was possessed of considerable property in India, and by his will has left the sum of 85,000 sicca rupees standing in his name in the funded stock at Calcutta, to be divided between his wife and three sons, equally, and his estate and mansion at High Elms, also his estate of Fortune's Farm, Watford, the copyhold at St. Stephen's, Ilerts, his shares in the Lancaster Canal and in the European Insurance Company, he has left to his three sons, as well as the 2,6001. under his marriage settlement, and leaves some presents to his sister, the Hon. Mrs. Leeson, residing in France. There being no executor or residuary legatee appointed in the will, administration with the same annexed was granted to his sons Robert Ralph Ryley, and Edward Charles Ryley. The de. cc aced died at High Elms, on the 13th of last November, in his 73d year.—Post. Early next year it is intended to send mail bags from London to Portsmouth six times a day, and we shall consequently have six daily deliveries.—Hampshire Telegraph. NEW WORKS OF THE SEASON.—We are requested n stitTlfiei) rugl u olluleol f i rte o t:sir l ,: l o o siva l is v n: following us g t)siltpe. to state that Mr. Bentley, of New Burlington-street (Pub lisher in Ordinary to her Majesty), has this day published new i w t o h r e k s librarieswhi ch . n now e b eha d Picturesqueof al l b book sellers, Spain, by 2n .gNrAaa engravings, gsn History o, e r l y priceAo f . N \N oe r les, SouthGE usiqn. Wales, imperial al(elsndbya Bvo., handsomely bound, and printed and embellished with w Thomas Henry Braim, Esq., Principal of Sydney College, 2 vols. Bvo., with Illustrations-3. Margaret Capel ; a Novel, by the Author of " The Clandestine Marriage," &c., 3 vols. Also, in a few days, the Modern Cook, by Charles Elmd b e r r a t i‘ e i c t l i C e satr;,moen, andone Vol. late 8v0., 11 aitre d Fr i r o c t a e e la l d , p c u h p i i e l f o c f t o l l( ' e t c o el i e l upwards of sixty illustrations. ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR WITLEY CounT.—On Saturday night last an alarming and destruc tive fire broke out on a farm occupied by Mr. Turley, of the Hollings, in the parish of Martley, Worcestershire , and about four miles from Witley Court, the residence of the Queen Dowager. The fire was first discovered in a stable in the fold yard, and as the wind was blowing a hurricane at the time the greatest fears were entertained that the fire would extend to the rick yard, which is filled with the pro duce of the last harvest. Happily, however, the wind blew directly from the rick yard and the house, otherwise the whole must have been entirely consumed, large flakes of fire having been carried over the farm several fields' length. Immediately on the discovery of the fire, messengers were dispatched to Worcester and to Witley Court for fire engines, and the Phcenix and Birmingham Fire-office engines from Worcester, together with the engine from Wit ley, were soon on the spot. All efforts, however, to stay the progress of the devouring element were entirely useless, the fury of the wind overpowering everything, and, in the course of a few hours, reducing the whole range of outbuildings, to gether with their valuable contents, to ashes. The scene when the fire was at its height presented an awful spectacle, the country round being illuminated for many miles. Amongst other property destroyed was a large quantity (nearly thirty hogsheads) of new cider, by the bursting of the barrels. The fire is supposed to have been caused by the snuff of a candle falling upon some loose straw in the stable. It seems that one of the boys on the farm had been into the stable where the fire originated to look after the horses, and it is thought that while there the snuff from his candle must have fallen upon the ground unperceived by him. FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE RIVER LEA.—Yester day Mr. Baker held an inquest at Coventry-cross, Bromley, East Middlesex, on the body of Eliza Morris, aged twenty seven, the wife of Thomas Morris, a sawyer of Bromley. Sarah Stainback deposed that she was a neighbour of de ceased. On Saturday evening, about dusk, she saw the de cea,ed going towards the river Lea, with twe pails, for the i a l i u lia r er p i o n : , e atto o e f ri f h e feo te ld l l i o l % i i. g water. On passing she asked her how she was, to which she replied she was but poorly, having a dead child at home, and there was nothing but trouble for PT people. Another witness deposed that she was passing the river near Bromley-mills when she heard a splash in dock-keeper, e b e ) ; e a r , flevnhioalep'isocsicureedamtsh.e drags,Shegave and a i n n less than ten minutes the body was got out. The deceased must have fallen in whilst filling one of her pails, which was found in the water. Verdict—" Accidentally drowned." h - c:w some days can be saved bet Ween Alexandria and Marseilles, and that all Mr. "Waghorn succeeded in doing when he made his experiment via Germany, was to gain some time between Suez arid Alexandria, and that there fore the German route or the French route had nothing to do with the matter. In making these observations as to the superiority of the French route, we have no intention of disparaging Mr. Waghorn's c frorts. That gentleman is, in our opi nion; entitled to the public thanks for his unremitting exertions in expediting the Indian mails to England; and we believe that at this m•.ment the overland route would not have been adopted, but for his untiring energy and perseverance. —Herald. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. The following is sent us as a correct list of the ships of war commissioned during the past year : LINE-OF-BATTLE SHlPS.—Hibernia, 120, Captain Peter Richards, C. 13., for the flag of the Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, G.C.8., commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean ; Trafalgar, 120, Captain William Fan shawe Martin, for the flag of Vice• Admiral Sir John Chambers White, K.C.8., commander-in-chief at the Nore; Caledonia, 120, Captain Hall Manley Dixon, for the flag of the Rear-Admiral Superintendent Sir Samuel Pym, K.C.8., of Plymouth Dock-yard ; St. Vicct•nt, 120, Captain Sir Richard Grant, Lint., for the flag of Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., commander•in-chief at Portsmouth; Queen, 110, Captain Sir Baldwin Wake Waiker, K.C.8., for the experimental cruise, and subse quently for the flag of Admiral Sir John West, K.C.8., commander-in-chief at Devonport ; Rodney, 92, Cap :sin Edward Collier, C.B. ; Canopus, 84, Captain Fairfax Moresby, C.B. ; Vanguard, 80, Captain Geo. W. Willes. FRIG AT ES.-Vernon, 50, Captain John Coghlan Fitzge rald, for the flaw of Rear-Admiral Samuel H. Ingle field, C.B, commander-in-chief at the Brazils; President., 50, Captain William Pearce Stanley, for the flag of Rear- Admiral James Richard Dacre., commander-in-chief at the Cape Station; Grampus, 50, Captain Henry Byam Martin, C. 8.• Melampus, 42, Captain John Norman Campbell; Endymion, 42, Captain George Robert Lam bert; Herald, 26, Captain Henry Kellett, C. 8., for the survey of the N.W."coast of America; Calliope, 26, Cap tain Edward Stanley; Juno, 26, Captain Patrick Blake; Alarm, 26, Captain Charles Colville Frankland; Athol, 26, Master-Commander John Pearn, armed troopship; and Carysfort, 26, Captain George Henry Seymour. CORVETTES, BRIGS, AND C TER S.-Nimrod, 20, Commander James Richard Dacres ; Grecian, 16, Com mander Alexander Leslie Montgomery ; Siren, 16, Com mander Harry Edmund Edgill; Bittern, 16, Commander Thomas Hope;Kingfisher, 12, Commander Charles Fore man Brown; Pandora, 6, Lieutenant-Commander James Wood; Seagull, 6, packet-brig, Lieutenant Henry Perry Dio,ken ; Heroine, 10, Commander Charles Edmunds ; Viper, 6, Lieutenant-Commander Edward Evans Gray ; Sea lower, 6, Commander Justus Peter Roepel ; Spy, 3, Lieutenant-Commander Samuel Otway Woolridge; Speedy, 3, Lieutenant-Commander George Spong ; Sylvia. 3, Lieutenant Henry Warren ; Erebus, discovery ship, Captain Sir John Franklin, and Commander Jas. Fitzjames ; Terror, discovery ship, Captain Richard Crozier ; and Pagoda, surveying vessel, commissioned by Lieutenant Moore, at the Cape of Good Hope ; Ring dove, 16, Commander Sir William Hoste, Bart. ; Calypso v 2o, Captain Henry J. Worth ; Rapid, 10, Com mander Henry J. W. S. Gallwey. STEAM-VESSELS.-Victoria and Albert, Captain the Right Hon. Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence ; Vulture, 6, Captain John M`Dougall ; Retribution, 10, Captain Stephen Lushington • Samson, 6, Captain Thomas Hen derson; Terrible, 10, Captain William Ramsay; Styx, 6 , Commander William Wyndham Hornby ; Vesuvius, 6, Commander George O'Callaghan; Avon, 3, steam-survey ing vessel, Commander Henry Mangles. Denham; Alecto, 4, Commander Francis William Austen ; Scourge, 4, Commander James Crawford Caffin; Jackall, 2, Lieut.- Commander W. M. S. G. Pascoe; Spitfire, 2, Lieut.- Commander James A. M 4 Donald; Fairy, Master-Com mander J. G. Thain; Bloodhound, 2, Lieut.-Commander Robert Philips; Meteor, 2, Lieut.-Commander George Butler; Lizard, 2, Lieut.-Commander H. M. Tylden; Harpy, 2, Lieut.-Commander Edward B. Proctor; Fear less, Master-Commander Geo. Brockman; Janus, expe rimental steamer; Dasher, 2, Commander W. L. Sharing ham, for the surveying service; Cuckoo, 2, Lieut.-Com mander Abraham Parks, for the protection of the Scotch fisheries; Gladiator, 6, steam frigate, Captain John Robb; Wee-Pet steam tender at Malta, Second Master-Com mander George Duncan, and Myrmidon, 2, Lieut.-Com mander Charles Jenkins; and Phcenix, 4, Commander J. S. A. Dennis. TOTAL.-Eight line-of-battle ships, eleven frigates, nineteen corvettes, brigs, and cutters, and twenty-five steamers. Correspondkng number in 1844:-Three line of-battleiships, four frigates, twenty-seven corvettes, &c., and thirteen steamers. _ _ SHIPS PAID OFF IN 1845. LINE-OF-BATTLE SHIPS. —Caledonia, 120, Captain Alexander Milne, flag-ship of Admiral Sir David Milne, G.C.8., commander-in-chief at Plymouth ; San Josef, 110, Captain Frederick W. Burgoyne, ordinary guard ship at Plymouth, and flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Super intendent Sir Samuel Pym, K.C.B. ; Formidable, 84, Captain George F. Rich, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen, K.C.8., G.C.H., commander in-chief in the Mediterranean ; Illustrious 74, Captain John E. Erskine, flag-ship of Vice-Admir al Sir Charles Adam, K.C.8., commander-in-chief in the West Indies; St. Vincent, 120, Captain R. Freeman Rowley, flag-ship of Admiral Sir Charles Rowley, Bart., G.C.8., commander-in •chikf at Portsmouth. FRIGATES —Dublin, 50, Captain John J. Tucker, flag• ship of Rear-Admiral Richard Thomas, commander in-chief in the Pacific ; Alfred, 50, Commander C. M. M. Wright, flag-ship of Commodore John B. Purvis, com mander-in-chief in the Brazils ; Isis, 44, Captain Sir John Marshall, C. 8., K.C.H., from the Cape Station ; Belvidere, 38, Captain the Hon. George Gray, from the Mediterranean ; Cambrian, 36, Captain Henry D. Chads, C. 8., commodore and second in command on the East India and China station ; Thalia, 46, Captain Charles Hope, from the Pacific - Volage, 26, Captain Sir Wil liam Dickson, Bart., flag-ship of Rear-Admiral W. Bowes, C. 8., commander-in-chief of the Irish station ; Ap , 110, 26, armed troop-ship, Commander William M'Lean ; Carysfort, 26, Captain Lord George Paulet, from the Mediterranean ; Spartan. 26, Captain the Hon. C. G. J. B. Elliot, from the West Indies. CORVETTLS, BRIGS, AND CUTTERS.-Aigle, 24, Capt. Lord Clarence Edward Paget, from the Mediterranean ; Dido, 20, Captain the Hon. Henry Kepple, from the East Indies ; Electra, 18, Commander Arthur Darby, from the West Indies ; Scout, 18, Commander the Hon. James R. Drummond, from the Mediterranean ; Harlequin, 16, Commander the Hon. George Hastings, from the East Indies ; Pelican, 16, Commander Philip Justice, from the East Indies ; Bittern, 16, Com mander Edmund Peel, from the coast of Africa ; Snake, 16, Commander the Hon. W. B. Devereux, from the Mediterraneen ; Scylla, 16, Commander Robert Sharpe, li.Ei., from the West Indies -, Ringdove, 16, Com mander Sir William Daniell, Knt., from the coast of Africa ; Heroine, 10, Lieut. Commander Henry Foot, from the coast of Africa ; Rapid, 10, Lieut. Commander Edmund Wilson, from the coast of Africa ; Viper, 6, Lieut.-Commander James Carter, from South America ; Cockatrice, 6, Lieut.-Commander Justus Oxenham, from South America ; Ferret, 10, Commander Josiah Oake, from the coast of Africa ; Linuet, 6, packet brig, Lieut. Henry P. Dicken, from Falmouth ; Speedy, 3, Lieut.-Commander George Beaufoy, from Sheerness station ; Seaflower, 6, Lieutenant-Commander Nicolal Robilliard, from.the Jersey station ; Lynx, 6, brigan tine, Lieut.-Commander John T. Nott, from the Irish station ; Sylvia, 3, Lieut.-Commander Edward Tumour, from the Jersey station ; Snipe, 6, Lieut.-Commander George Raymond, from the Plymouth station, STEAM-VESSELS. - Styx, 6, Captain Alexander J. E. Vidal, from the Azores (surveying); Alecto, 4, Lieu tenant-Commander William Iloseason, from the Medi terranean; Vesuvius, 6, Commander Erasmus Omman ney, from the Mediterranean ; Devastation, 6, Com mander William Kitchen, from the East Indies; Medea, 6, Commander Frederick Warder, from the Mediter ranean ; Fearless, Commander W. L. Sheringham, from the surveying service ; Growler, 6, Commander Claude M. Buckle, from the coast of Africa; Geyser, 6, Commander Edward J. Carpenter, from the Mediter ranean; Ardent, 6, Commander John Russell, from the coast of Africa; Meteor, 4, Lieutenant-Commander George Butler, from the Irish station; Eclair, 6, Acting- Commander, Henry C. Harston, from the coast of Africa; Dwarf, Lieutenant-Commander H. B. Proctor, from Sheerness station; Polyphemus,:Lieutenant-Comma nder Thomas Sparks, from the Mediterranean. TOTAL.-5 line of battle ships , 10 fri g ates, vettes, brigs, and cutters , and 13 s teamers. Correspond ing number in 18 44 : -5 line of battle s hi ps, 3 frigates, 21 cor -20 corvettes, &c., 6 steamers. SHIPS LAUNCHED IN 1845. The Terrible, steam frigate, 800 horse p ower, at Deptford, built on the design of Mr. Oliver Lang, master shipwright of Woolwich D ock y ard ; Spitfire, steam sloop, 140 horse power , at De p tford, b uilt on the design , o p f o Ni ck r y . aOrldiv;erßLioaondgh,ojuunnd., master shipwri g h t o f Ch atham , Jackal!, Li zar d , and Harpy, i ron s t e amers, of 120 horse power ea c h, a t Gl asgow , navy ; u F 4 i b r y Y' D s built on the desi g ns of Sir William Symonds, Knight, surv eyor of the i t t e c a h m b u tender d to Mare the ;Weeß o Royal Yacht, at Blackwell, Pet, steam tender, at Malta ; Avenger, frigate, steam at Devonport ; Inflexible and Dragon, at Pembroke ; Cen taur, at Portsmouth ; Bull -dog, at Chatham ; and Fury, at Sheerness, steam sloops, of from 500 to 600 horse power, on designs by the surveyor of the navy; Trident, of 400 horse power, at Blackwall ; and Birkenhead, of 500 horse power, at Birkenhead, iron steamers, built by contract ; Kingfisher, 12, at Pembroke ; Alarm, 26, at Sheerness ; Calypso, 20, and Active, 36, at Chatham ; and Creole, 26, at Devonport, on designs by the surveyor of the navy •, and Raleigh, 50, at Chatham, on the de sign of Mr. Fincham, master shipwright of Portsmouth Dockyard.-Total-4 frigates, 1 corvette, 1 brig, and 16 steam vessels. SHIPS BROKEN UP IN 1845. Ville de Paris, 112 ; Donegal, 72 ; Swiftsure, 72 ; Magicionne, 26 ; Pylades, 16 ; Clio, 16 ; Jasseur, 16 ; Termagant, 10 (sold) ; Skylark, 10 (wrecked) ; Fair Rosamond, 6 ; Lynx, 6 ; and Basilisk, 6, condemned as unseaworthy in South America. SHIPS IN COMMISSION ON THE IST JANUARY, 1846. Line-of-battle ships at sea, and ready for sea in every resin ct Line-of-battle ships and frigates in commission as ordinary guard ships and receiving ships, but unfit tor service at sea Frigates at sea and fitting out at the several ports, carrying from 26 to 50 guns Corvettes, brigs, and cutters (excluding the Fal mouth packet brigs) of from 2to 24 guns each B3 Steam frigates, steam sloops, and ordinary steamers (excluding the mail packet steamers) of from 1 to 12 guns each Armed troop ships of from 10 to 20 guns Discovery ships, viz., Erebus, Terror and Pagoda 3 Total of all classes in commission ...... . ..... 245 Wcolanca, DEc. 31.—The. Princess Alice "u m " " - , veßset, Commander Smithett, arrived at Woolwich, yes, terday, froth' Ostend, accompanied by the Monkey steam_ vessel, which had been. sent to assist Av. The Myrmidon was commissioned to-day by Lieu tenant-Commander Jenkins, and the following appoint ments have been made :—Lawrence Casey, assistant surgeon ; William Byford, second master ; William J. Jenkins, clerk in charge. The ManecuVerer sailed yesterday, for Portsmouth and Devonport. A PPOIN TMENTS. To the Grampus —M. R. C. Wilson, master's assistant. To Black Eagle—H. J. Cunningham, master's assistant. EMBARKATION OF CON VICTS.—The Sylph and Nymph Woolwich steam• packets brought down the river 199 conviets this morning, from Milbank prison, and put them on board the China hired convict ship off the Royal Arsenal, for conveyance to a penal settlement. DEATH OF THE EARL OF I~9RTARLINGTON. The Noble Lord just deceased was in the 65th year of his ag , , having been born on the 26th ot February, 1781. He had the misfortune to lose his father sale n only 17 years of age ; shortly before which event he entered the army, tied served with his regiment curing the disastrous campaign in Holhnd. when the late Duke of York had the command of the forces there mph)) ed against the soldiers of the young republic of France. Lord Pertarling ton also joined the expedition which we nt to Hanover in 1505, and served throughout the Penin sula campaign of 1809, including the battle of Talavera. 11 is military ca. eer was further extended to the catnpaign of 1815, during which the actions of Quatre• Bras and Wa ter:oo wers fought. In 1814, he was included in the pro motion which took place ou the King's birthday in that 3 ear (June 4), whorl he was raised to the tank of colonel in the army. It does not appear that he reached say higher dignity in his profession; and this will appea- the more remarkable, when it is recollected that the length of his war services extended over seventeen year; of the greatest struggle in which this country was ever en gaged. Besides, it rarely happens that a man possessing the rank of an Earl goes through so much service for so moderate a reward. It will, probably, be inferred that he was singularly destitute of influence at • the Horse Guards, or remarkably unfortunate, or that he be trayed some special inaptitude for the duties of a mili tary officer. His Lordship's father was the first Earl, and his mother was the fifth daughter of the third Earl of Bute. The Noble Lord just deceased, how ever, does not leave any issue, having died unmarried ; but there is no present danger of the Portarlingten family becoming extinct, for his Lordship's relatives form rather a numerous race. The title devolves upon Henry John Reuben Dawson Darner, son of the late Hon. Captain Henry Dawson, R.N., who assumed the names of Darner for himself and issue ; this gentleman Was second son to the first Earl. The family of the deceased peer had fur its founder Marmaduke D'Ossone, who came to this country with William the Conqueror. The ancestor of the Irish branch of the Dawsons was William, who held the office of Collector of the Revenues of Down and Antrim in the reign of Charles 11., and whose son purchased estates in the Queen's county, where eventually ha settled. It appears, however, that these estates proved of very little advantage to the Noble Earl, whose death to, k pace on Sunday last, for it is understood that his pecuniary difficulties occasioned him so much anxiety as to have been the proximate cause of his sudden removal from this world. INQUEST ON THE BODY. Yesterday an inquiry took place before William Carter, Esq., coroner for East Surrey, in the drawing room f the residence of the deceased, in the Kenning ton-road. The jury having viewed the body, Miss S. Barr was examined, and stated that the deceased Earl had resided with her and her father for the last two years ; his age was about sixty-three. On Sunday last he had been writing in the drawing-room, and ob serving a boy selling oranges in the street, had made a a remark that he thought it ought not to be permitted. He appeared then to be in excellent health, and after wards went to his bedroom to wash his hands. While he was there she thought she heard a gurg ling noise, which induced her to go to the door, and he appeared to have fallen down, as if in a fit. Mr. Nairne, surgeon, was sent for and came immediately, but he said he was quite dead. The Coroner—Did you observe anything fall from his hand at the time? The witness replied that she did not. The Coroner—Have you reason to think that be took prussic acid or any other poison? Miss Barr said she was satisfied he had not, for he clung too fondly to life; and his death was most unexpected, for he always boasted of the excellent health he enjoyed. He had been much distressed in his mind of late, arising, as she believed, from pecuniary difficulties. In her opinion he died from natural causes. Mr. C. Nairne, of 8, China-terrace, Kennington, surgeon, deposed that about 2 o'clock on Sunday a very urgent message was sent to him to go to the deceased's residence, as he was in a fit. He 'did so immediately, but on his arrival found him dead. There was no external mark of violence, and nothing 'to indicate the cause of death. The Coroner said, that on the previous day, when the inquest was to have been held, he had been informed that such was the fact, and he had in consequence ad journed the inquiry for the purpose of making a post mortem examination of the body. Mr. Nairne continued, and said he had made the examination in the presence of Mr. Wildbore and Mr. Parrett. On opening the chest, he found the large vessels of the heart greatly ossified ; the substance of the heart was quite healthy. There was congestion of the vsssels of the brain, and considerable effusion of serum in the ventricles. The state of the heart and brain a as quite sufficient to cause very sudden death. There were no signs of his Lordship having taken anything. The Coroner having shortly adverted to the evidence, the jury returned immediately a veirdi.:t of "Died from natural causes." FRENCH PLAYS.—That charming actre , Madame Albert, will make her first appearance this season at the St. James's Theatre to-morrow evening, in the celebrated comely of Desforges' La Femme Jalouse, and also in the favourite vaudeville of La 21Ieuniere de Manly. Colonel Reid, the recently-elected M.P. for Wind sor, took leave of his regiment, stationed in that town, on Tuesday afternoon; his retirement from the 2d Life Guards, upon half-pay, having been notified in the London Gazette on Tuesday evening. The Gallant Colonel intends to reside at Windsor, having engaged a house in the cloisters of St. George's Chapel, within the Castle precincts. NEW POTATOES.—Mr. Murchy, the gardener of W. P. Ruxton, Esq., of Red House, furnished that gentle man's table with a dish of new potatoes for Christmas-day. At a time when serious apprehensions are entertained for the success of the seed of the present season, it must be most gratifying to find that an experiment made with them at so early a season has proved so very successful, as we are as sured that these potatoes were of excellent quality, consider ing the early season in which they have been produced.— .Newry Examiner. FREE-TRADE, BIRMINGHAM.—The Committee of the Anti-Corn-law Association have had a meeting on the subject of the proposed League Fund of a quarter of a million, and arrangements are in progress for aiding the League in this great effort. ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY HIGH TIDE.--.Yes. terday morning the banks of the Thames were overflowed by another tide, which rose several inches higher than the mark by which high-water is measured. The overflow in" the neighbourhood of Deptford and Greenwich was seriously ob structive to business in the vicinity of the Creek, and several of the nursery-grounds asd cottages, as far from the banks as the terminus of the railway at Greenwich, lay for many hours under water, The general damage, however, is not so great as that which followed the late high tide. ARRIVAL OF THE MASSACHUSETTS, LIVERPOO/. 4 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.—The auxiliary steam packet-ship Massachusetts reached this to• day, after performing the voyage from New York in twenty days. She brings a great many passengers, but the news contained in the papers sent by her have been anticipated by the arrival of the Cambria, THE LEAGUE QUARTER OF A MILLION FUND.— It will be seen by the advertisement elsewhere, that this great subscription, great in its very birth, a Hercules in Its cradle, grows apace, and is already ripe for strangling a few of the hydras of monopoly. Up to our publication of Saturday last, the amount subscribed was 65,403/. ; and the addi tiompainteizst,hobruotu,gahs free e ir liberal addi tional subscriptions of Saturday, Monday, a nd yesterday, amount to 6,3701. ; making a grand total of 71,7734 Amongst the subscriptions is one of 1,000/ from Messrs. Richard, John, and Alfred Pennington, of Hindley, gentle given 1,0001. Messrs. G. Andrew an 4 traders. Mr. William Brown, of Liverpool, " one of the future repre pCtoionnsesrsign-atiifivcane po t l y nica in l repre sentatives of South Lancashire," as he has been called by m su e b n sc o r f i Son, of C o mpstall-bridge ; Mr. John Leech, of St 1 , b 'd • ae3 n ge . and Mr. Alfred Orrell, of Stockport, have • given 500/. each. B es ides these large amounts, there have been in three days two _ two subscriptions of 2501. Mr. Cobden, has also ; three of 2001. ; two of 100/ eight of 100'. ; and seven • I of SOL In one week, then, front its commencement, thesubscription of 71,773/• has reached the amount ~ averaging more than 10,0001. daily.—Manchester Guardian. THE FOREIGN MAILS.—The following notice was issued on Wednesday at the General Post-office :—The next mails for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Islands, Egypt, India, Ceylon, and China, will be made up on the morning of Saturday, the 3d of January, to be forwarded by the Achilles steamer via Southampton. By the over land mail to the Mediterranean, India, &c., Marseilles. _ _ _ _ . . . on the evening of the 7th. The mails for Vigo, Corunna, Oporto, Lisbon, Madeira, Cadiz, and Gibraltar, are made up on the mornings of the 7th, 17th, and 27th of each month, and forwarded via Southampton. The next mail will be made up on the morning of the 7th of January. The Pacha due on the sth of January. British Colonies in the West Indies (except Honduras and Bermuda), Foreign Colonies in the West Indies (except llavannah). New Granada, Venezuela, and Madeira, are made up on the mornings of the 2d and 17th of each month. Mexico, Honduras, and Ha vannah, on the morning of the 2d of the month. Ber muda and San Juan de Nicaragua on the morning of the 17th only. The next mail will be made up on the morning of Friday, the 2d of January (to-morrow), to be forwarded by the Thames steamer rid Southampton. Next mails due from the West Indies, Mexico, &c., Jan. 7th. British North America, Bermuda, and the United States. The mails are made up on the evenings of the 3d and 18th of each month, except in December, January, February, and March, and then only on the 3d, and forwarded via Liver pool, Halifax, and Boston. The next mail will be made up on the evening of Saturday, January 3, to be forwarded by the Hibernia steamer. Sext mail due at Liverpool, the Acadia steamer, on the 15th. Madeira, Brazils, and Bathos .passage i.. Sydney, New South Wales , P ort i Ayres. The mails are made up on the evening of the first and t h e otheraudßahia,aai authority, t m Tuesday of each month, and forwarded by sailing p ackets rid Falmouth. The next mail will be made up on the even ing of the 6th of January. Her Majesty:s b ri g Crane due on January 23. Fiom August to January i nclusive the packet t t touches u R e h i o e s at Pernambuco Janeiro, o P f h t il h li e p, m an on d t N h el; Zealand - on the evening of the las t da y , y sailing outwardher homeward. e packet from Gravesend. We understand , on good x hooonrntiht her y s , on that jesty's steamer Resistance is to return to Monte Video as soon as she is refitted, and is to carry the 45th Regiment to the Cape of Good Hope, its original destination before it was diverted to another purpose by Mr, Hamilton. We are in formed, also, that Mr. Hamilton is recalled.—Chronicle. Th e British Museum closed yesterday until Thurso d a y, the Bth inst. SOMETHING IN A NAME. The second P titl of the No: folk family is that of Earl of Surrey. We ""nderstand the present head of the illustrious e race ip+- nds to change Surrey " into Curry ; f or he • • + h sts t a mu title of —l.: I it 444 t h 6. e... _ Lee latter was the original Lurmer is merely a oorruptiou.—Punch. '~' eW ng )st be