The Sun. — London, England, 1865-02-23 00:00:00

Naval •and Military Intelligence. VAL E" orA, Feb. 17.—The Ma g i c i enne , 16 , paddle wheel, frigate, Capt. W. Armytage, left port on Tl'Axrsday last for Corfu, to be present during the f 33arnival and the elections. The Orlando, 46, screw frigate, Capt. G. G. Randolph; left the same clay for the coast of Syria, to relieve the Phoebe, 35, screw frigate, Capt. T. D. Fortescue. The Hydra, paddlewheel surveying sloop, Capt. A. L. Mansell, also left port on Thursday to resume her surveying duties on the west coast of Greece. The Firefly, 5, paddlewheel surveying vessel, Commander G. R. Wilkinson, is still in dock. The Caradoc, 2, pad diewheel despatch vessel, Lieutenant-Commander E. H. Wilkinson, was undocked on the 10th inst., and will leave to-morrow (18th inst.) for Alexandria, to embark Sir Henry Bulwer, who is about to return to Constantinople. On Tuesday last .the Victoria 101 ( fl agship of the;Commander-in-chief, , Vice-Ad iniral Smart, K.H.), Capt. Goodenough, left her moorings in the Grand Harbour, and put to sea for target practice andizeneral exercise. She re-entered port this afternoon. Thikmagnificent ship has lately en thoroughly overhauled, and is now in splendid order. The Pelican, 17, screw sloop, Cora. H. W. Comber, has been recalled from Bengazi in conse quence of it having been' impossible to complete the necessary repairs to the Bengazi and Alexandria section of the Malta and Alexandria cable. It ap pears there is not sufficient length of cable on board the telegraph ship Fanny Lambert to replace the faulty part. The Fanny Lambert will also return to Malta, and proceed to England. Another section of the cable, that between Tripoli and Bengazi, has latelyproved defective. Thisistheflrsttime that any thing has gone wrong with this portion. It is sup posed the fault lies near Tripoli, and has been caused by the late storm. Two Prussian war brigs the Rove, 12, Lieut. E. Arendt, and the Mosquito, 10, Lieut. Nurnberg, have arrived during the week, the former on Sunday from Palermo, and the lat ter on Tuesday from Naples. They are bound for Cadiz. The long services of Mr. Thomas Hamshaw, Superintending Engineer of the Royal Naval Dockyard at this station, have been recognised by the Admiralty, and an augmentation of salary has been granted to him. Mr. C. J. Nelson, assist master of the dockyard school, h as applied for and received his discharge, and proceeded home in her Majesty's storeship Supply. The following super numeraries, brought to Gibraltar by her Majesty's steam sloop Geyser, have arrived at Malta on board the Gibraltar, 81, Capt. R. Coote, and have been distributed as follows :—Sub-Lieuts. —Messrs. C. P. G. Hicks and Owen ; Midshipmen Messrs. Voy sey, Findlay, Mann, Prothero, Mackenzie, Walcot, and Chichester ; Naval Cadets—Messrs. Spring, Jones and Rogers, to the Victoria, 101, flagship of the Commander-in Chief ; Midshipmen—Mr. St. John to the Gibraltar, 81 ; Mr. Baker to the Magi cienne, 16 ; Mr. Barry to the Phoebe, 35 ; Mr. Gamble, Mr. J. Hicks, and Mr. Mandeville to the Meeanee, 60 ; Mr. Cochran and Mr. Lowe, to the Royal Oak, 35 ; Mr. King to the Cossack, 20 ; Mr. Gresley and Mr. Holbech, to the Phoebe, 35 ; Mr. Beauclerk to the Revenge, 73 (flagship of Rear- Admiral R. H. Yelverton, C. 8.) ; Naval Cadets— Mr. Henderson to the Meeanee, 60 ; and Mr. Leckie to the Cossack, 20 ; Masters'-Assistants—Mr. Fil mer to the Royal Oak, 35, and Mr. Snell to the Or lando, 46. Mr. Bradshaw, sub-lieut. of the Victoria, has been appointed to the Enter prise. Mr. Compton, masters'-assistant of the Caradoc, has been appointed to the Orlando. The English screw steamer Laconia, Capt. John Cain, ar rived yesterday from Alexandria, having in tow the English schooner True Blue, 96 tons, of Jersey, which she had met with about 240 miles to the east ward of Malta, abandoned and foremast cut away. The corpse of a sailor, having his face bruised, was found lying in the cabin. The schooner was laden with wheat and bound from Ancona to a port in England. There were three feet eight inches of water in her hold. The logbook showed she had been navigated till the sth inst. ; and on the slate it was written that she had continued her navigation until the following day. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Ripon, just arrived, reports that that she took off the master and three men from the True Blue, on her passage to Alex andria, and that they are coming on in the Delhi, Mr. Hadow, one of the directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, having granted them a passage to England. The man found on board the Laconia was killed by the fall of the foremast. The body was left in the ship in the confusion of getting to the Ripon, the mas t er an d crew believing their ship was foundering. The following is an extract from a letter received at Southampton from an officer of her Majesty's ship Liffey, dated Gibraltar, Feb. 15 :—" We have got thus far, and find 230 supernumeraries waiting to be taken to Colon for the ships in the Pacific. Our orders are to sail with them immediately, but the.ship is in such a fearfully bad state that we can not go until at the soonest the 22d. Thirteen days making the passage from Malta ! Two of the heaviest gales I have seen in the Mediterranean, both dead foul winds. It is a shame to send us across the Atlantic. Both outside and inside the ship is to pieces, and they are endeavouring to patch us up by caulking inside only. A mess they are making of it, as the oakum comes right through every seam. They are not to caulk the sides in our cabin, although the water comes right through. I have not slept in a dry bed the whole of this month, as there is a con stant drip through the main deck and sides on my bed and all over the cabin. Half our tanks have broken through the working of the ship. They cannot be replaced here, so we take them with us, and shall have to distil the whole way across. Another heavy gale and we expect them all to go, as they have been upwards of six years in the ship, and are as thin as wafers. In fact, we ought to go to England. A survey of the ship there would condemn her. Several beams have started, bolts in knees drawn, as well as the copper bolts in the side. The decks are too thin for the guns ; and, to sum up, by the carpenter's report it would take three months to patch the ship up in one of our dockyards at home. She requires a new stock, lock, and barrel, as the soldiers would say. W e might weather out six months longer on this station, but are unfit for the West Indies. Our hope is that the Admiralty will send us home soon, before the sickly season sets in, otherwise we shall suffer se verely from fever, as the ship is filthy below, owing to the state of the sides and tanks. It is believed that a large number of rotten planks and timbers will be found when they examine her bottom by and by. W e have just lost two marines, drowned alongside, and but for the gallant conduct of Dundas of the 15th, who was officer of the guard, and happened to be near the jetty at the time we should have lost two more. He jumped into the water, and kept two up until a boat came to his assistance." The Torch, 5,428 tons, 80-horse power, was com missioned yesterday at Chatham for the West Coast of Africa. She is to have a complement of 65 officers and men, including marines. The Torch is fully rigged and has the greater portion of her sea stores on board. She has just undergone extensive re pairs at Chatham-dockyard, during which she has been almost entirely rebuilt. The iron screw stea m t roo p s hi p U rgen t, 4, Capt. Samuel 11 . leCiHenderson,.llo from Portsmouth, arrived yesterd ay (v e e SdaY) morning at Ply m outh. She is appointed to ment, commandedlivbey to Queenstown the 2d Regi now quartered in thy Col. Thomas Addison, C. 8., Including th e d e t4whi al i l L ,n Ba rrac k s, D evonport. the regiment m usters po but the h ea d- quarters, a t : at Cork a detachment of about m np en p . ,-, On arrival nd, Roche Island, will be sent to Youghal, s p i ke -tall-- company each tiwChhina, the 2d and Haulbowline. After ser v i n they re- Regiment landed at Portsmouth4.occupled mained nine months ; they then at Aldershot for 14 months; after which they ill p art : rs ceeded to Devonport, where they have beenne . a ov two years. Their quarters in the Raglan Barracks are are appointed to be occupied next by the 28th R eg i_ ment, the right wing of which embarked on the sth of November on board the transport Tiverton, Capt. Smith, at Bombay. The left wing were to embark shortly after. The Urgent landed a company of artillery from Portsmouth. The French gunboat Cuvier, Capt. De la Mure, from Dartmouth, bound for Falmouth, arrived at Plymouth yesserday. She is employed in watching the progress of the French fishing vessel. A general regimental order, signed by Col. G. Gambier, C. 8., Deputy Adjt.-Gen. Royal Artillery, has been received and promulgated at Chatham Garrison, announcing the next examination for ad mission of officers of the Royal Artillery to the ad vanced class at Woolwich will be held in the month of October or November next, under the direction of the Council of Military Education. Officers ap pointed to the class will be required to join in April, 1866. Candidates for this class must have undergone a course of instruction at Shoeburyness, or they must pass satisfactorily a preliminary examination in practical artillery. No officer will be admitted who will not have completed six years' service on March 31, 1866. The subjects in which the candidates will be examined and the relative importance attached to each are as follows—Mathematics, 700 marks ; che mistry and physics, 300 marks ; French, qualifying. Mathematics include plane t r i gonome t ry ( so much of it as is included in the first 16 chapters of " Tod hunter's Treatise") ; co-ordinate geometry of two dimensions (Hymer's or Todhunter's)—viz., straight line referred to rectangular, oblique, and polar co ordinates; the circle, parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola referred to rectangular and polar co-ordinates. The equation to the tangent and the normal to the cir cle, parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola referred to rec tangular axes, the sections of a right cone made by a plane. Applications of the above to solutions of simple problems. Differential and integral calculus —the earlier portions of " Todhunter's Treatises." Practical mechanics " Twisden's Treatise." French will be qualifying for the purpose of ascer taining that the candidates have such an acquain tance with the language, and especially with tech nical terms in common use as to be able to consult with facility professional works, such as " Piobert's Traite d'Artillerie," or the " Aide Memoire d'Artil lerie." Candidates will be expected to obtain 75 out of an assumed maximum of 100 marks in this subject, the examination being confined to transla tions from French into English. There will be a probationary examination at the end of the first year, and at the end of the second year a final exa mination, when certificates will be given to success ful candidates. The following appointments and promotions have been made at the Admiralty :—Commander G. A. Douglas to the Torch, commissioned ; Matthew B. Grundy, assist-paymaster in charge to the Torch ; William J. Grundy, second master, to the Torch ; Henry J. Weaver, assist.-clerk, to the Torch; John Johnson and James C. Sanders, supernumeraries in the Indus, promoted to the rank of engineers : Lieut. J. G. M'Hardy, to the Excellent ; Robert Crosswaite, engineer, to the Asia, as supernumerary ; and Edward Lewis, engineer, to the Liverpool. New Railway Bridge. Whatever may be the shortcoming of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, they are certainly not those which arise from want of enterprise. They have given their passengers the best and most commodious stations ever seen, and they are about to give the working classes the boon of shilling weekly tickets over the whole extent of their metro politan line, and now, at their own expense, with the exception of a contribution by the Brighton Railway, they are about to more than double the width of their bridge into Victoria Station, over the Thames, the frequent stoppages on which now in ' terfere so much with that serenity of mind and urbanity of manner so characteristic of the British travelling public. The value of this widening of the bridge will consist in the improved access it will afford to the Victoria Station, which is now literally choked at certain periods of the day. The widening of the Battersea-bridge has, therefore, long been felt to be a matter of urgent necessity. Over its two lines of rails and along the narrow entrance into the Victoria Station, reminding one of the very narrow neck of a very wide bottle, there passes the whole of the west-end traffic of the Brighton Railway, and its lines to the Crystal Palace and Epsom ; the mainline traffic of the London, Chatham, and Dover, and its metropo litan extension to Ludgate ; and the Great Western trafficby way of Kensington. Upwards of 400 trains and engines pass over the Battersea-bridge per day, and it is quite usual to see two or three trains stand ing on the bridge at a time, waiting for the signal to get into the Victoria Station. The works have been in preparation on the east side of the present struc ture for some time past, and yesterday the founda tion-stone of the new bridge was laid by Lord Harris, K. 5.1., the chairman of the company. This new bridge, when united with the present bridge, will form together the widest bridge in the world. Ac cording to the plans of Sir Charles Fox, who is the engineer, the new structure has four river spans of 175 ft. clear each, and two land openings of 70ft. each. The river openings are segmental in shape, and the ribs of wrought iron have a rise or versed sine of 17ft. The three piers in the river have each at the level of springing of ribs a thickening of 12ft. The two abutments are 20ft. thick each at that level, so that the total length of the whole bridge is about 310 yards. The width of the bridge at the rails' level will be 110 feet, wide enough for eight lines of rails, some of mixed gauge. This width is carried by seven main ribs to each span. The mode of construction adopted for the two abutments is to carry them down to a depth of over 15ft. below low-water mark, with the brickwork in cement. Ordinary cofferdams are used in the con struction of these abutments, the piles for which are all 45ft. long. The excavations for these abutments are of great size, owing to the extraordinary width of the bridge and form of the ribs. The excavation has to be 125 ft. long and 48ft. wide. The piers are supported by brickwork in cylin ders. These cylinders are four in number to each pier, and are sunk to a depth of 45ift. below high water mark. Each is 21ft. in diameter, and made of cast-iron, in lengths of Bft. ; each length com posed of eight segments. After being sunk to the required depth, and the brickwork taken up to low water mark, those portions of the cylinders above the bed of the river are removed, and arches turned from one to the other of the circular pillars, so that all are connected above low-water mark, and the piers will thus form one continuous wall for its whole length, and will be faced with Portland and York shire stone. The length of each pier at the level of the cylinders will be 130 ft. It will be observed that there will be 12 such cylinders in all for the entire bridge. The general elevation will correspond ex actly with the present railway bridge ; but, as will be seen from the above dimensions, the new bridge will be no less than four times the width of the present one. The weight of iron in susuperstructure and cylinders, &c., will be about 3,000 of stone will be used, 16,000 Cub 100 ,000 cubic feet brick work, and some 250,000 to 300,0 c o y o ards of cubic feet of timber. Each of the cylinders as it is completed will be weighted with no less a load than 1,300 tons to test the foundations, and to prevent any settlement after the work is finished. At the low-water mark cast-iron girders are fixed between these cylinders, and similar ones are placed between the cylinderse, and the existing pier. Arches of brickwork of vast strength, every part set in cement, are turned between the cylinders and between the old and new work, and upon all these continuous piers of brick work and masonry are constructed, corresponding in general appearance with the existing piers. There are three of these massive piers, each of which rests upon four cylinders. Thq ribs of each span, seven in number, will be considerably deeper than those of the present bridge, and will be cross braced to avoid the vibration now experienced in crossing. The girders are at the same time made continuous over the pier, and the section is consider ably larger. All the cross and rail girders are rolled beams, which being in one piece give very great strength in proportion to the small quantity of metal.._ The parapet o n the east side of the present °ridge will be removed and re-erected on the new one. The width the • • of existing bridge is 33ft. 9in. and the new portion 98ft. • width9in., thus giving a total of 132 ft. G . other Word s, 521 in. between the parapets, or, in the n ew westrati bin. greater width than that of Victoria -bridge ns f ter-bridge—thus making the Thames, or, byindeed, over the Widest bridge over the At present there ver any river in the world. are two lines of rails of mixed THE SIM, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1865. gauge, to which will at once be added two more, and width will be provided for another line—thus giving accomodation for five lines of rails, of which two will be mixed gauge. The broad gauge will be re moved from the existing roadway of the bridge, and the London and Brighton Company will be fur nished with an additional line of rails on the new portion. From the Victoria Station to the bridge the line will be considerably enlarged, and corresponding facilities to those given by the bridge will of course be provided. Starting from the Victoria station the line will run parallel to the existing Victoria Sta tion and Pimlico Railway, but it will have easier curves up to the bridge, and will be provided with three lines of rails, one of which will be narrow and two of the mixed gauge; thus, with the two exist ing lines, making six lines of railsbetween the bridge and the station. On the Surrey side under the arrangement with the London and Brighton, with respect to their South London extension, the whole of the line from the Thames to the Wandsworth-road will be widened in proportion. The new line will be on a viaduct the arches of which are elliptical, of 30ft. span and 10ft. rise, and it will be laid with three lines of rails. The course of this line will be through and across the labyrinth of railways which exist at this point. It will first cross over the West-end and Crystal Palace Railway of the Brighton Company, near to the bridge which crosses the Prince of Wales-road over that line. It will next cross the London and South-Western, and at a short distance will pass a second time over the West-end and Crystal Palace Railway. 'Thence it will pass over the present London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, close to the Stewarts-lane junction, and then continue its course alongside the London, Chatham, and Dover, at Wandsworth-road, when it will fall to the same level as the existing line at that point. The bridges over these railways will in themselves be large and most important works, the girders being on an average 250 feet in length, each being more than one-third of the entire length of the bridge over the Thames at Battersea, or as long as the centre arch of Westminster-bridge. From Wandsworth the widening of the line is to continue throughout the whole length of the Metropolitan Extension to Blackfriars-bridge. From the bridge over the Thames, on the Surrey side, there is a new line running down to the Stewarts-lane junction for the purpose of enabling the trains of the Great Western to pass over the London, Chatham, and Dover line to Victoria, and for that purpose two of the lines over the bridge will be laid with the mixed guage. The list of new works, however, is not yet exhausted, for a new line is being made from the Wandsworth viaduct of the London, Chatham, and Dover, passing on a viaduct through the workshops of the company, to form a junction with the London and Southern at the Longhedge Junction. From this, again, there is anotherlineto that bewilderment of travellers, the Clapham Junction. This latter ex tension is being made jointly by the London, Chat ham, and Dover, and the London and South-West ern, and it will run parallel with the West London Extension, as far as the South-Western line, and will pass under it by the side of the present bridge, and then keeping to the north of that line will run up to Clapham Junction, thus enabling the trains of the London and South Western to pass over the London, Chatham, and Dover Metropolitan exten sion to the city. At the ceremony yesterday Sir Charles Fox, Sir Cusack Roney, and the contractors for the work, Sir Morton Peto, Mr. Betts, and Mr. Crampton, were present, with Lord Harris. Mr. Forbes, the general manager, was unavoidably absent at his duties as chairman of the Clearing House Commit tee, appointed to consider the question of establish ing communications between passengers and guard. In laying the foundation-stone of the bridge, which was, of course, the usual routine piece of business, Lord Harris said— I have great pleasure in declaring this stone to be well and duly laid. It is the corner-stone of a bridge in which I am sure you will all feel with me a great interest, and you will, I am confident, join me in the congratulations which wo have reason to feel in this the laying the foundation stone of a bridge which will form an important portion of the London, Chatham, and Dover system. Many of us have seen other important undertakings commencedin connexion with this system of railways. Tho bridge which wo have seen thus successfully commenced will be for the use of all sections of our line. As you are all aware there are great difficulties in carrying on the traffic over the present bridge. It may be hoped that The completion of the work now com menced will afford great facilities for carrying on the traffic. It is not more than 20 months since we were as sembled to witness the laYing of the foundation-stone of the Blackfriars-bridge. We have lived to see that com pleted, and the bridge now used, and I have no doubt that the present extensive and important work will be carried out with the same energy a s was displayed in the case of our first bridge over the Thames. The stone was then duly laid, and at the conclu sion of the ceremony the party returned to the board-room of the company, where an ample lunch was provided to do honour to the occasion. Sir M. PETO, who presided, proposed " Success to the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Com pany," coupling with the toast the name of Lord Harris. He said : " That although they had had the pleasure of seeing a stone of the new Victoria-bridge laid that day, he should not be doing justice to their companies did he not mention that the Brighton Company had contributed £125,000 to wards the undertaking, paying for 17 feet of the width of the whole bridge. The necessity for the additional works arose from the immense increase of traffic, not less than one train passing the bridge- every four minutes during the entire day. (Hear, hear.) Looking to the future, if he were speaking in the year 1875 instead of 1865, what would be the position of the railway ? In that year the Metropolitan Extension and the whole of the inner circle would be com pleted, the London, Chatham, and Dover would be con nected with the Great Northern on the one hand and the Midland system on the other, and they would be running trains round the 12 1-3 miles of the inner circle every three minutes. The line to the Crystal Palace, with its high level station, would have been in use something like four years, and the Kent Coast line, with all its various branches would have been in active work five yearo ; while the Green wich line and the Woolwich and Chatham extensions, and the South-Eastern, with all its stations, would be in con nection with this company. He thought, therefore, that they might well look forward to the success of the under taking, and that Mr. Forbes was right in anticipating that within two years the ordina r y s t oc k o f t h e company would L co o n rd cl it ud ar ec r l is by for obs th e e rv z in ea g l were vigrdeenado.y(C indebted(Cheers.) er to He e t b e h a P a t (h i n e y g and ability he had brought to the undertaking." Lord HARRIS, having returned thanks, proposed the health of the contractors, which was acknow ledged by Sir M. PETO, and the thanks of the guests having been tendered to Mr. Forbes, the general manager, and the principal officers of the company, the party separated. While on the subject of railway bridges we may call the attention of the Chatham and Dover Company to the condition of their viaduct over Ludgate. For many months past not a thing has been done to this work. No attempt is being made to put up its handsome external castings, to remove the unsightly planks with which it is hung about, or to do away with the bill-stuck hoardings which still shut in the ornamental stonework of its abut ments. It was only on condition that they erected a handsome bridge, and that they improved and widened the approaches, that the railway company were allowed to cross this important thoroughfare at all. In place of the handsome bridge the pre sent eyesore only seems forthcoming, the approach from Fleet-street is still as narrow as ever, and the houses to be removed further back and replaced with fine buildings, still remain in clingy emptiness placarded with bills of all the music-halls in Lon don. When the public have a very general disbelief of the metropolitan improvements promised by railway companies, is it wise to thus conspicuously disfigure one of the best known and most frequented thoroughfares in London ? Such laxity cannot now much hurt the Chatham and Dover, but it may be taken as certain that it will affect' tha.chances of other companies which yet hope to make their way over the streets of London. The example offered by the present condition of Ludgate-hill is not likely to be forgotten. VDVERTISEMENT.]-Holloway's Pills and Oi n t men t .— In uenza, colds.—ln diseases of the throat and che s t, so prevalent in this country, nothing so speedily reli eves or so certainly cures as these inestimable remedies. These dis orders are too often neglected at the commencement or are injudiciously treated, resulting in either case in disastrous consequences. Whatever the condition of the pati en t Holloway's medicines will restore, if recovery be possible:; they will retard the alarming symptoms till the blood is purified and nature consummates the cure gradually, res toring strength and vital nervous power. By persevering in the use of Holloway's preparations t?ne is conferred on the stomach and frame generally, the fluids are regenerated, morbific matter is expelled, and A happy revolution occurs throughout the system. Railway and other Companies. SALISBURY AND YEOVIL. The directors of this company have agreed to reconi mend a dividend on the ordinary shares at the rate of 5i per cent. per annum for the half-year ending the 31st of December last. some years ago, and concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors, and the proceedings termi nated. BIDEFORD EXTENSION. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes terday at the offices, East India-avenue, Leadenhall-street, Mr. C. Braginton in the chair. Mr. Chanter, the secretary, read the report, which stated that on the Ist January last the amalgamation of this com pany with the London and South-Western Railway Com pany took place. The stock was agreed to be commuted in value for the 4-1 per cent. preference stock of that company, and on the completion of the deed, which required the ap proval or signature of each proprietor to this arrangement, the certificates of the Bideford would be called in and ex changed for the South-Western stock. The expenses of amalgamation had absorbed a considerable part of the rent usually appropriated for dividend, and from the balance of £450 it was recommended that a dividend of ls. 3d. per share should be paid, leaving a balance of £6l. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said the Bideford line formed a continuation of the North Devon line to Bideford, and they had been enabled to make better terms for their proprietors than the North Devon Company. The report was then adopted, and a dividend of Is. 3d. per share was declared, payable on the Ist of March. STAINES, WOKINGHAM, AND WOKING. The report of the directors states that there had been no receipt or payment on capital account during the past half year. There was a small increase in the amounts of deben tures at 5 per cent. and 4 per cent., owing to the high rate of interest which had recently prevailed. The increase on passenger traffic during the past half-year amounted to £142, and on goods to £46. The directors trusted that the extension of the London and South-Western Railway into the heart of the city, and probably also to the west-end, combined with the speedy construction of the Sunningdale and Cambridge-town Railway, and Chertsey and Virginia water branch, would produce a more rapid increase of their traffic. The balance now standing to the credit of profit and loss account was £2,782, out of which the directors re commended the usual dividend of 5 percent. per annum on the preference shares, amounting, lees income tax, to £1,219; and a dividend of 2s. 6d. per share, being at the rate of II per cent. per annum on the ordinary shares, leaving a balance of £8 for the next account. GREAT WESTERN AND BRENTFORD. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes terday at the offices, Great George-street, Westminster; Mr. P. Davey in the chair. Mr. Eley, jun., the secretary, read the report. It stated that the traffic returns, as supplied by the Great Western Company, showed a falling off in general goods as compared with the corresponding period of last year of 12,515 tons, while in coal, coke, and stone there had been an increase of 15,255 tons. The award of the arbitrators on the question at issue between this company and the Great Western had not yet been received, although the directors had been unceasing. in their endeavours to procure it. In adverting to the powers proposed to be taken by the Great Western Company by a bill now in Parliament for the pur chase of this railway and dock, the directors stated that, while viewing such a proceeding with satisfaction, they were unable to submit any proposal on the subject from the Great Western Company. The balance of revenue account, £2,780, would, after providing for the usual preference dividends, admit of a dividend upon the original share capital of 21 per cent., which dividend was accordingly recommended. The CILURMAN, in moving the adoption of . this report, observed that the gross tonnage for the past year showed an increase of nearly 3,000 tons on that of 1663, and ever since the construction of the line there had been a gradual, al though slow, increase of tonnage. As compared with 1862 the increase had been nearly 30,000 tons. Wherever a de crease had occurred it had been in goods sent into the country. In the coal traffic there had been a large increase, notwithstanding that they had now to compete with the London and North-Western, which had formed a direct communication with the coal districts in South Wales. A line was now being constructed which would materially reduce the distance from South Wales, and thereby prove a great advantage to this trade. The Great Western Company had taken powers by a recent act for the purchase of this railway and stock. The directors of the Brentford desired to state openly that they were ready to entertain any offers that they considered fair and equitable, and which they should feel justified in , recommending the shareholders to adopt. (Hear, hear.) There could be no doubt that it would be a most desirable 'purchase for the Great Western Company. There were three or four projects before Parlia ment for communications with this railway, one of which they must resist, because it sought to run over the line in a prejudicial manner. The other two—the Acton and Brent ford, and the Brentford and Twickenham—they should, as individuals, do all in their power to promote; but the com pany would not be put to any expense whatever for such promotion. (Hear, hear.) Mr. H. G. DAY seconded the motion, and the report and accounts were unanimously adopted. • The dividends as recommended in the report were then declared, and the retiring directors and auditors were elected. A vote of thanks to the chairman and directors concluded the proceedings. LONDON, TILBURY, AND SOUTHEND. The report of the directors states that the revenue account as furnished by the lessees showed that the receipts for the half-year ending Dec. 31 amounted to £36,271, and the expenses to £21,369, leaving a balance of £14,902. The gross receipts for the Tilbury line during the half-year, in cluding tolls paid to the Great Eastern, London and Black wall, and North London amounted to £52,600. A prospec tus had been issued for raising the capital for the proposed docks at Dagenham, which, if completed, could not fail to be of advantage to the company, as the docks would neces sarily create a large traffic on the line. LEEDS, BRADFORD, AND HALIFAX. The report stated that the dividend to be paid for the past half-year, ended Dec. 31, added to that of 3 per cent. paid for the half-year ending June last, Would make the 'dividend for the year at the rate of £7 2s. 6d. per cent., or the same as the average dividend of the Great Northern for the year 1864. The sum of £27,000 would be added to the capital account, chiefly Paid for works on the Paley branch. The cost of constructing the Bowling siding (.£1,228) had also been placed to the capital. During the past-half-year important enlargements, required by increasing traffic,•had been made at the Bradford station. In conjunction with the Great Northern Board, a bill had been again presented to Parliament for power to amalgamate this company with the Great Northern. The construction of the proposed branch to the Lancashire and Yorkshire station at Brad ford would be commenced shortly. SOUTH YORKSHIRE. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes terday at Doncaster ; the Hon. W s 6. Eden presided. The report was taken as read and adopted. The CHAIRMAN moved the Payment of dividends upon the guaranteed stock, and of 5 Per cent. per annum upon the ordinary capital of the compa,,7 ; which was seconded and agreed to. , _ _ _ The Right Hon. J. Parker, Col. Packe, M.P., and Dr. Scholfield, were re-elected directors and also Mr. J. Rhodes, the retiring auditor. The meeting was then made spool, and the directors were authorized to contribute a fur{her sum of .£30,000 to the Trent, Ancholme, and Grimsby kailway ; and a vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded ge proceedings. TRENT, ANCHOLME, :VD GRIMSBY. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at Doncaster yesterday ; the Hon. William Eden in the chair. The balance-sheet showed that £191,054 had been ex pended on capital account. The eigineer reported that the construction of the line was progressing in a satisfac tory manner. The CHAIRMAN moved and - Mr. tfurrox seconded the adoption of the report, which was agr ee d to. Mr. Dawes and Mr. Hutton were re-elected directors, and Mr. Rhodes auditor. Capital to the amount of £60,000, in 6,000 shares of XlO each, was created, and the directors were authorized to borrow .C 20,000 in respect thereof at the proper time. NORTH DEVON. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes terday at the office, East India-avenue, Leadenhall-street Mr. W. Tite, M.P., in the chair. Mr. Harris, the secretary, having read the notice con vening the meeting, the report was taken as read. The CnAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, said he believed it would be the last meeting of the company. They com menced operations 20 years ago, and were assisted by the South Western Company. When the line was opened for traffic Mr. Brassey leased it for seven years, after the expration of which an arrangement was come to with the South Western Company for leasing the line, with a view to ultimate amalgamation. On Jan. 1 all the stock on the North Devon was convertible into South Western ordi nary stock on the terms agreed upon. He thought the South Western would have no reason to regret their bar gain ; the line was about 40 miles in length, and was an advantage to the country through which it passed. They were contented to be absorbed by the large company, as the expenses of a short line bore no proportion to those of a long line. They were winding up, and about to return the shareholders 13s. per cent. on the original stock, leaving a small balance to carry on the affairs of the company for a few weeks, and he believed that within a month from that time everything would be wound up and the company would cease to exist. The report was then adopted. Mr. W. HARTRIDGE said he thought it right to propose that some acknowledgment be presented to the secretary, Mr. Harris, who had served the company faithfully and well for upwards of 20 years, and concluded by moving that £3OO be voted to the secretary for past services. A SHAREHOLDER objected to the motion, as £7OO had already been voted to him. The CHAIRMAN said there could be no difficulty in pay ing the proposed dividend and voting that sum out of the balance. He thought it would be an act of justice to re coup the secretary for the portion of his salary that he had relinquished when the company was hard pressed and re ducing its expenses in every way. Capt. WARREN, a director, explained that ten years ago the secretary gave up £lOO a year out of his salary, and the directors thought it right on winding up the company to compensate him for that sacrifice during the ten years by giving him £7OO, and if the shareholders voted the £3OO that object would be accomplished. The resolution was then carried. Dividends were declared at the rate of 265. per share per annum on the ordinary stock, at the rate of 13s. per cent. per annum on the A stock, and at the rate of £2 12s. per cent. per annum on the B stock, leaving a small balance to wind up the affairs of the company. The retiring directors, Mr. G. Braginton, Capt. J. G. Johnston, and Capt. Warren, were re-elected, and also Mr. W. Bartridge, the retiring auditor. Mr. HARTRIDGE said he thought tae Bristol and Exeter Company had made a groat mistake in not securing the line TAFF VALE. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at Bristol on Tuesday ; Mr. J. Poole in the chair. An abstract of the report has appeared in The Sun. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, congratulated the proprietor on the results of the past half year's proceedings. Although the revenue had not been so large as that of the corresponding half of 1863, he had no he sitation iu saying that the decrease had arisen from excep tional causes. In the early part of the hali-year great dissa tisfaction arose between the working colliers and their masters, and they restricted the hours of labour, and conse quently the supply of coal. Succeeding that there was a dis pute between the ironmasters in Staffordshire, and a large amount of traffic whichwould have come to Cardiff had been taken northward, and thus interfered with the traffic of the line. No sooner was that difficulty removedthan the severe weather interfered with the arrival of vessels at the port of Cardiff, and that accounted for the difference inthe revenue. That was the gloomy side of the account, but on the other side the prospects of the company were as bright as ever they had been. He then adverted to the Dare Valley Rail way, the proposed Aman Vale Railway, to the Penarth Dock, &c., and pointed out the great traffic which would be brought upon the Taff Vale line from those undertakings. A long discussion ensued relative to the accounts and the mode of electing directors, and after explanations from the Chairman the report was unanimously adopted. The divi dend at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum was declared, and a vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro ceedings. The half-yearly meeting of the Taff Vale Waggon Com pany, and the Llantrissant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Company were subsequently held, when the reports of the directors were adopted without discussion. WHITEHAVEN, CLEATOR, AND EGREMONT. The report states that, notwithstanding a reduction of 10 per cent. on the gross tolls for iron ore, commencing on the Ist of July, there had been a considerable increase of re ceipts as compared with the corresponding half of last year. After providing for all charges against revenue, there re mained a balance of £10,486, out of :which the directors recommended the payment of a dividend at the rate of 12 per cent. per annum. Arrangements had been entered into with the Whitehaven and Furness Company, whereby they had led the directors to postpone for the present the contem plated extension of the line southwards ; but the directors had applied for power to construct a branch from the Big rigg iron ore fields to join the railway near Moor Row. The construction of the Marron Valley Extension, for connect ing this line with the Cockermouth Railway, progressed rapidly. SOLWAY JUNCTION. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on Tuesday at Whitehaven, Mr. A. Brogden in the chair. Mr. C. J. Tahourdin, the secretary, read the report, which stated that the construction of the railway would be accom plished at the expense considerably within the engineer's Parliamentary estimate. The works would commence early in March. The proposed works for crossing the Solway still occupied the attention of the Board of Trade. The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report. The shareholders, he thought, would consider that the directors had exercised great discretion in suspending proceedings during the late state of the money-market. They had not lost any time, but had made good use of it, as by going carefully over the plans and sections with the engineer they had been able not only to improve the line, but to economise the outlay necessary in its construction. The requisite ex penditure, in fact, had been brought down £5, 000 below the Parliamentary estimate and the share capital which it was proposed to provide for its construction. Parliament this Session had decided that they should make the line from Abbey Holme to Brayton, and the North British were ac corded running powers over that portion of their scheme, while negotiations were pending with the same company to grant the Salway Junction running powers over their line from Kirkbride to the Abbey. Though they had made apparently no great progress last year the directors had been engaged in maturing the scheme as passed in Parlia ment. A very satisfactory arrangement had been made with the contractors, Messrs. Waring Brothers and Eckersley, for the construction of the line, and the works would be commenced at once and carried out vigorously. The works as at present arranged would cost something like £300,000, including land and stations, or an average cost of £12,000 per mile. It was calculated that they would require a re ceipt of £lslos. per mile to enable them to pay a dividend of 5 per cent. Mr. J. DEES seconded the motion, which was carried. A. vote of thanks to tho chairman concluded the proceed ings. GREAT EASTERN. It appears that every exertion is being made to push forward this company's metropolitan station in Liverpool street and the suburban lines in connexion with it. In some cases satisfactory arrangements have been made with landowners and owners of house property for taking imme diate possession. Contracts for the works have been let, and instructions given to proceed with the utmost vigour in order that no time may be lost in affording the accom modation and convenience so much needed to develope the resources of this company's railways. The present station at Shoreditch is to be made available for the accommoda tion of goods and mineral traffic. DUBLIN AND BELFAST JUNCTION. The report of the directors states that the total receipts for the year 1864 amounted to £65,434, and for the year 1863 to £65,211, showing a small increase of £223. The total income of the company for the half-year ending the 31st December last amounted to £39,406 ; the working expenses to £12,478, being less than 33 per cent. of the receipts, and the total expenditure £22,490, leaving a profit of £16,216, out of which the directors recommended a dividend at the rate of per cent. per annum, less income tax, leaving a balance of £1,630, which added to £6,925 brought from the preceding account, would make £8,555 to meet any loss there might be on the sale of the Government stock held by the company. Since the last half-yearly meeting the Newry and Armagh Company's extension to Armagh had been opened for traffic, and it was satisfactory to state that the general receipts of the company had improved, notwithstanding that the traffic of the district inter sected by that extension had to some extent been diverted from the section of the company's line north of Goragh Junction. Further progress had been made with the remodelling of the portion of the line laid with Barlow rails, and it was expected that within the current year it would be most substantially renewed_ throughout its entire length. The report of Mr. D. J. Rowan, the engineer, stating that the total quantity of de cayed sleepers replaced since 1859 was about 36,000, or an average of 7,200 yearly. The broad-flange (or Barlow) section of road, which had been for the most part modified by timbering and other improvements, gave every satisfac tion, and justified the extra outlay he (Mr. Rowan) had recommended. The bridges and works on the line were in sound condition. The expenditure on capital account amounted to £1,077,846, leaving a balance of £3,024. RAILWAY BILLS. Yesterday, before Mr. Frere, the following bills were de clared to have complied with the standing orders : GREENocx.—For the construction of railways from Greenock to the Glasgow and South Western and Bridge of Weir Railways. Capital £300,000 ; loan, £lOO,OOO, with power to Glasgow and South Western to contribute £150,000. VENTNOR AND BONCHITIICH.—For a tramway between those places in the Isle of Wight. The Bill for the Bembridge railway and Pier was with drawn. Other cases were partly heard and adjourned. SELECT COMMITTEES ON STANDING ORDERS.—Yesterday the committee reported that in the case of the Crystal Palace Railway Company's Bill for new lines the promoters might be permitted to proceed with their Bill, provided cer tain notices were published. In the case of the London and North Western (new works, Wales and Ireland) the com mittee report that the promoters may proceed with their Bill, provided that all powers relating to the construction of Nos. 1,2, 3, and 7 railways be struck out of the Bill. The committee report the same decision as regards railways No. 2,3, 4,5, 6, and 9, proposed for the North of England Union Railway. Between 200 and 300 petitions for and against railway Bills were presented during yesterday and Tuesday. WEST INDIAN AND PACIFIC STEAM NAVI- GATION. The annual meeting of this company was held in Liver pool yesterday—Mr. F. A. Clint in the chair. The report and accounts, proposing a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum, having begn taken as read, The CHAIRMAN said that in a short time they would have a fleet of 19 steamers, nine of which would be new. They had now thoroughly organised the company, and they believed that the general prospects of increased trade apd of - to the company were hopeful and increased progptlnty cheerful. 4 ;nn of Mr. B. HALL moved as an amendment to the actop.— the report, with reference to the management of the com pany, that it be taken away from the present managers, and that the number of the directors be reduced. After a stormy discussion the amendment was negatived by 25 votes against 16. The report and statement of accounts were then adopted. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—The Navy Estimates, of which we yes terday gave an outline, may be expected to suggest considerable discussion, for the topics of interest in cidentally furnished by some of the proposed votes are unusually prominent. Foremost of all stands the actual, or rather the comparative, efficiency of our ironclad fleet. The Estimates tell us of the sums to be expended, but are silent about the re sults to be produced. Yet we cannot avoid mea suring these results by the results obtained else where and under different systems. This time it will not be the navy of France, but the navy of the United States which will challenge comparisons. There will be no escape from the discussion, for the Americans themselves are at once candid and con sistent in forcing it upon our notice. Their journals argue as if peaee with the South necessarily meant war with England, and so freely is the contingency debated that within the last few weeks a Federal Admiral, in an official report to the Secretary of the Navy upon the performances of the fleet under his command, describes one of his ironclads as compe tent to " destroy any vessel in the French or British Navy, lay their towns under contributions, and re turn again—provided she could pick up coal—with out fear of being followed." We trust that the occasion for such international visits may not arrive; we entertain grave doubts of the justice of the Ad miral's estimate ; and we are not much alarmed for the reputation pf the European navies. But at the same time we are bound to take such speculations into our consideration, the more so, indeed, as we have once before found the Americans unexpectedly ahead of us in the construction and armament of ships of war. There is no need of a new " panic." We believe that both in actual strength and prospec tive resources we are prepared for any emergency ; but it will certainly be asked whether the proposed expenditure of ten millions places the British Navy on that footing which our position requires. The question will turn mainly on the turret prin ciple and the capacity of armament which that principle furnishes. For the Americans, it may be said that they have succeeded in sending very heavy guns to sea in small vessels. Their Monitors are only of about 1,000 tons burden, and yet they carry heavier ordnance than we have yet placed on board ironclads of six times the tonnage. That the casual ties among vessels of this class have been numerous is true, and that they are incapable of taking long voyages without eminent risk is true also ; but they have been known to ride out a gale on the Atlantic coast with as much ease as their wooden consorts, and they are certainly, therefore, effective in their own waters. Nor is it clear that they could not on an emergency, and at a certain hazard, be sent across the ocean, so that it is incumbent upon us to examine their alleged capabilities without prejudice, and to ascertain, if possible, on what presumption the Americans have adhered so tenaciously to this peculiar model. In this inquiry we cannot do better than take the Monadnock as a specimen of the navy which is compared with our own. This is the ship of which Admiral Porter so confidently boasted, and if we cannot undertake to say what she might do upon trial, we can, at any rate, describe her construction, and infer her probable qualifica tions. The Monadnock is a vessel of the Monitor type, built in the Government navy-yard at Bos ton, but she is half as large again as the original ships of her class, measuring 1,564 tons instead of 1,000. Admiral Porter spoke of her sides as par ticularly " strong and thick," but we can state with greater precision that her armour consists of five or six one-inch plated, screwed to her sides and to each other by numerous small bolts. She carries, we presume, as Admiral Porter does not record any exception on this point, the usual Monitor arma ment of 450-pounders. If we proceed, however, to examine the grounds of the Admiral's confidence in this vessel we shall be somewhat perplexed to dis cover her advantages. He says of the Monitors in ~general that their fire, compared with that of a broadside vessel, is " very slow and not at all cal culated to silence heavy batteries ;" and also that it is less accurate than that delivered from a broad side. He further says that he " does not know yet what their real durability is," or how they would sustain a continuous fire against their turrets, adding, indeed, that he himself would prefer going into action in a wooden vessel. Still be sub joins, " the principle is a good one, if the vessels were all built like the Monadnock ;" but he does not tell us that the Monadnock excels the other Moni tors in any of the respects above-mentioned, that she can deliver her fire more rapidly or more accu rately, or that he is better persuaded of her durabi lity. Indeed, at last he upsets the case on her be half, for he frankly states that no vessel that he had ever seen—not even the Monadnock—" came up to his idea of what was required for offensive opera tions as much as the Ironsides." But the Ironsides is a broadside vessel, one of the few which the Ame ricans have constructed on that principle, and not comparable in tonnage or armour to our largest fri gates. True, he thinks she " would be no match for the Monadnock in a fight;" but this is solely on ac count of the Monadnock " having more speed ;" so that it is by speed alo n e, and not by either offensive_ or defensive strength, that this wonderful vessel would be expected to beat even a second-rate Iron clad of the European model. Now, the speed of a fighting ship is undoubtedly a most important point in her capacities, but what the speed of this Monad nock may be is the very thing which we are not told. All we know is that she beats the rest of the Moni tors and the Ironsides ; but we also know that the ordinary speed of the American Monitors does not exceed seven knots an hour, so that the Monadnock may well eclipse them, and yet be a slower vessel than ordinary ironclads of the British Navy. Our readers will be rather puzzled to imagine, after this explanation, how the Monadnock could do such great things as Admiral Porter expects from her. If our theories are correct and our experiments trust worthy, a single 68-pound shot from one of the old smooth-bore guns would, at short range, go through her armour. Unless h er s p ee d i s f u ll y d ou b le that of the Monitors generally, she would have little advan tage over our ships on that head, and though she does carry a very heavy gun or two her fire from these ponderous pieces o f or d nance wou ld b e com paratively slow and uncer t a i n. W e d o not, t h en, think it very probable that in the event of a war with America our ships and seaports 'would be at the mercy of Admir a l P or t er an d t h e M ona d noc k ; but . it would be u nw i se i n t h e extreme to pass the subject without noti ce or inquiry. The Americans are certainly placing hea v i er gwis on smaller ships than any other people, and though their favourite cannon has just been unequivocally condemned they have other patterns in use. We think we must be entitled to say, after the action in Mobile Bay, that the Federal artillery cannot be superior to our own. On that occasion a dozen vessels, together mounting the most powerful guns known to their service, ham mered half through the day at a single iron-clad ram without knocking a hole in her, though we must be strangely deceived in our calculations if one of our own ships would not have sent her to the bottom in ten minutes. At any rate, we can riddle with our guns targets three times as strong as the sides of the Tennessee. So we do not profess to be alarmed by the predictions of American Admirals, but-it is still only prudent to keep our eyes open to events. They could meet our 100-pounders with 300-pounders or 450-pounders. Would this advantage compensate their inferiority of armour and general lack of speed? Would one of these enormous shot, though propelled with a low velocity, produce a fatal effect on the plating of frigates ? Will weight of metal tell de cisively in action : and, if so, must we have turret ships to carry this weight of metal ? These are in quiries which will inevitably be suggested by the proposals to be made on Monday next. We do not believe that we are on a wrong course, but it is at least remarkable that the nation which professes to be our rival and speculates on being our enemy has taken a very different course, and believes that course to be the right one. HERALD.—EarI Russell takes considerable credit to himself for having prevented the war between Denmark and Germany from becoming a general war. He is never weary of boasting that ; by his dis cretion and coolness, he averted a conflict which his prophetic eye foresaw would have deluged Europe with blood, and (upon which he lays even more stress) irretrievably damaged " the cause of pro gress." With arms akimbo he denounces those reck less politicians who would have conjured up a war to prevent the disintegration of Denmark, which disintegration he proves to his own satisfaction Denmark thoroughly deserved. His utterances in Parliament and elsewhere show that he is now de cidedly of opinion—or rather that he considers it convenient to express the opinion—that Denmark was wrong throughout the quarrel, and was entitled to no assistance fr o m th e P ower s who were parties to the Treaty of 1852. He invites the nation to offer up thanksgivings th a t a statesman of such eminent prudence and patriotism was charged with the con duct of its foreign relations during the past year, and his one time fire and fury breathing organs— now very lambkins—take up the same strain, and proclaim him the saviour of his country. A more impudent political fraud was never attempted even by the noble lord. The fact is, that Earl Russell did his utmost to make the war general ; that he proposed to the neutral Powers, not once but thrice, an to go to the assistance of Denmark, and address ultimatum to Germany ; and that the outbreak of a terrible war was only prevented by the refusal of Fran z , to act with a Minister whose treachery she had so, shortly bei ' t; such immense importance. , In January, 1864, to lordship invited France, Russia, : s e experienced in a matter enter into a new quadruple alliance, with e ° d Sy l, cden b t ect re of maintaining the Treaty of London, to explain, in reply to the inquiries of those C , l ° if as to what he really meant, that he proposz4g, moral force was not sufficient, to appeal t ° P r e cal force. The proposal was refused • i t wa A s srtil and took. r u : tg newed shortly after with the same effect. 'hip this fact the country called upon by hi s lords con, to thank him for keeping peace, and to t Sider Denmark the true author of the war, (1,11F,D0 to be familiar—his lordship's dispatches have n't, published. Very few persons, however, 03 e s aware that six months afterwards, when the, dr, o f were in possession, not only of Schleswig Jutland, when the Danish army was annihilated, and the Danish people exhaustedL., dispirited, his lordship invited France to j oin ---- 1 7 d land in addressing an ultimatum to Austria r, Prussia, imposing upon those two Powers than, ticular terms of peace which his lordship ha Suc h, Covered for himself to be the fitting ones• however, is the fact ; the Minister who a tP;i e ch of June declared the quarrel to be one in r u p a rt England ought not to interfere, whose tender heart was so affected at the idea of extending he gar, • it and especially at the thought of the inis e r„ . )t might occasion to Austria and Prussia, who til°T: er . Denmark had brought all her calamities u p on the self, and had no title to ask help, ap plied t° to French Government in the beginning of to Jti , li d e oo agree upon a division of Schleswig—i.e.l. his lordship's line of the Dannewerke and the and to compel Austria and Prussia by force 01 " - v i e if need should be, to accept the arrangement. jilt, French yellow book supplies this interesting 04 tration of the noble lord's candour, consis te i l l' c tivo good faith. Buried in that dull and una ttra to volume is a. despatch from M. Drouyn de , 11 0 , the Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne, the Fren e ' t i, of bassador at the English Court, dated the 10 Go' June, which gives the reasons of the Frenc h do vernment for declining this proposal. M. Pr e l v er- Lhuys says in substance that he had had sation with Lord Cowley, in which his lordship a nd of establishing an agreement between Frau c i , e tbeY England as to the tracing of a frontier, w nie l, 3fid should sustain as an ultimatum. The Fren4ord nister proceeds to say that he had remincl eu i o va Cowley of the position which France had „ throughout upon this question. „We said, " obliged to act with a circumspection i a ,, ° pea; posed upon England. ThatPowerwas bounur and mark by the relationship of the two dynast'e; no by other ties, and had an interest which sve„ ignore in affording her assistance ; whil e t';,,,`" st all tion of the British Isles, sheltering them aga-so to reprisals, the danger of such a struggle W as ' Of' speak, for England.nothing. We, on the 0 .4 ° ion ea had no interest to embrace the cause proP.T;,' Get' to the considerable sacrifices which a war ww, gay many would have imposed, and, therefore!n•ttia; England only a diplomatic help." " tneA-ei and tion changed ? Should we modify our attitg - ,,, 1 - ' take arms to preserve to the Crown of P e il - e tter, 25,000 to 30,000 souls more in Schleswig ? anted to have made war for the treaty which gu ar- r itio l° the integrity of the Danish monarchy. A ina a demonstration would mean for us war by rifice could not localise hostilities or limit our s : ro se we must employ all our resources. In the r o d of an eventuality of this nature would El i . l g r otlY n disposed to give us unlimited support ?" de Lhuys then remarks that Lord Russe ll 5e t ad think that a maritime demonstration wo uldli fi ° oo t° to a conflict, and that it Would suffice to o'o4 bring Germany to reason, and po i n t s out th e 0 1 , 01 of such an expectation, concluding w ith th eS gg it 06 significant words, " Before the re gretable rta Pola's che ck, our common action in the affair of authority of the two powers had suffered bu t 0 0, 1 they could employ it without hesitation , to the n A words not followed by action would be fa ts ' ale' dignity." The French Minister, thereforel,soo u ltw- ev o r that Germany would have answered with defiance, and that war would have /0 11 . ° ,1, c i to s that France and England must have subin i i t ',,Wen; humiliation destructive of the prestige ancl ii r e l i tli° and he could not, after the way in w e o a th e English Minister had left him in the lur e ' eal''' . Polish question, feel confident that Frances,,u, or by 10 1 ;00' not be left to vindicate her dignity compelled to eat the leek. The blundering, t 1 , 1 ,„ $ the ful conduct of Earl Russell in 1863 was tu„ s lls' cause of the disaster which English diploru ac „ J r tained in 1864. Upon that question how e' l o ve will not now enlarge. It is enough 'that we,, i ,a3 shown from this dispatch of M. Drouyn de that this peace-loving English 'Minister, this go statesman, who has saved, as hetells us, his coniiiejj from a tremendous war on behalf of a stat e els had no claims to its aid, endeavoured so late i7 for month of June to get up a general war, and the comparatively petty question whether Sl o• hs should be divided by a line drawn by the Seidel de• ro . Dannewerke, or beyond from Flensberg torro°,oo. We are judging Earl Russell by his 01111 profe_'croilo We do not say that England should not hav c , f, a vo to war last June, much less that she should n os b e ' t ho gone to war in January. We onlY elc P co nrii 4 arrant fraud which the Government is ende a I „iia k e pt Eng c o to commit in taking credit for having 4-- o ns Ave ace ra out of war, when its most strenuous extend the v employed to involve her war, and to over the whole of Europe. COUNTRY MARKETS le of HULL—TUESDAY. At our market to-day there was a mo d e rate surP ' o r ele c home-grown wheat, which sold readily at last a nd weer P' o. rency. Grinding barley held for more morsel, c bale afloat were cleared off ; malting steady withou t aa t 0 Beans in request at late rates. Oats in activa done ° . (1 , per qr. advance. Linseed firm, and higher Prte es Pt° NEWCJASTLE-ON-TYNE.—TvEsDAI(;., „ A r ~e l The weather keeps extremely inclement in thf.,,,.'" ( lee,s the country, and in some districts the snow IS IY l ' P l fee * Wheat, both English and foreign, maintained last i ~ 0 , 0 rates, with an average consumptive demand. 13 ,,,,aCi ee t i . Oats were in the sellers' favour. Be_r, h "ts 1 ' were steady. Flour was in limited request, v . " - 1 unaltered. Northumberland wheat sold from 32s to 4 4 s7' .kl e f :t i o_.1 1'611 1 ; Suffolk, 39s to 45s • Dantsic, 39s to 46s ; oats, Ig - g • ev" barley, 26s to 31s ; 'beans, 36s to 40s; rye, 270 to ov" ' 51s to 62s per qr. ; flour, 26s to 28s per sack. ..--- ad LYNN .—T UESDAY .. . n lf , h , Of The weather since this day fall l e e k f h sn as e . l be v 43] 2 T "l ie te oPl i :cif/ ( 1 on Thursday we had a heavy wheat was again small, and the trade was veil „iTi l ag,. extreme rates of last week. Barley, both e r r and oats each i t i d es io m i grinding qual' ' • . 0 0, a s m pe ta r in g e r d .m las gh t e Tzesday 0 P •te, bi. New wheat, 43s to 44s ; new red, 37e to 395; el ' jilve af64°f 41s to 42s ; old red, 38s to . 3 pe - r 3 6 r et.o. n u l e --•* , 13 2 1.6's t' - 3 S g° malting, 32s to 345; seconda 9 ri, 30s ; o d 8 5 . larg e ' per qr. Oats, 20s to 22s per 4 stone. Bet" — 6(I i to 34s ; small 34s to 36s per 38 stone. 2 86 • 4°Y' The averages were—wheat, 37s 6d; b ar oats, 21s 7d ; and beans, 31s per quarter. , 6 MARKET HARBOROUGE—TirO)II Pe:ciSr• New white wheat, 40s to 44s ; new red, 3 6 s t ° ;l 9 ,3 s P e * ids stone. Barley, fine, 34s ; other kinds, 26s to 1 ,1 0 0, ° Oats, new, 20s to 24s ; old, 25s to 28s per q r ' -e 40s fo 42s ; new, 348 to 38; per qr. 0 4° SALISBURY.—TuEsDAY• ()ro ta p it The supply of wheat offered at market this T ro od ` 1 : 4 11,3/1 moderate, and the quality and condition 35 _ .. ,°,0, 103 ,0P, week. There was a better attendance of fe." -- 1, - the oe" and dealers, and the trade ruled firmer, althoug• 0 . to ? co o business done was limited, buyers only operstfirsed s : 408 . their present requirements. Wheat today t9asty:or 36s to 428 ; barley, 28s to 84s; oats, 19s to 2 85 ; act, to 46s ; and peas, 34s to 48s per qr. DeS t household ditto, 9d per 81b. loaf. pe r'' Births. - gi Cirr P. BATHURST.—On the 21st inst , at 10, 17pPg r , of a 6 :10 gardens, the wife of Algernon ' Bathurst, --u) s 'i l + the ' BRUCE.—On the 21st inst ,at 13, Hertford -Wee" 0 of the Hon. Thomas . Bruce, of a son. ~ f kTi lf D'AETH.—On the 21st inst., at Ro lin the Jo O Hughes D'Aeth, Esq., of a son. w g' _ 1.44 if i ERSRINE.—On the 21st inst., at 30 Devonshlre'r the wife of Claude Erskine, Esq.,' of a 'la :llsWe' rc l/ Marriages. . 00 ,., 0 BAcox—BEAN.--On the 21st inst., at Holy Tria iti f 1 14 " f• S., Marylebone, Maunsell John Bacon, 561. ' e ° f e.-- War-office, to Alice, third daughter of the latsses, 5 , 4, F. Bean, Esq., formerly of Clapham House , 6ti ,ruol'liti JEFFERY—BARBER.—On the 21st inst , at S.,,t• ai Olaer Stamford-hill, George Augustus iefferL , _-",1 - '",,,."thfe e o rk House, Eastbourne, Sussex, to Henrietta - , '"7 - 0 ?".- daughter of Alfred Kinsford Barber, Egli 0. hill, Middlesex. Deaths. ,iiiile lo°l' --- CO E LL sci IN ., G o W f 0 1 0 3 D 7: — N O ew n t N h o e rt 2 h l - s ro t a in d, s a t g ., eci Th 7B oll : ll " s Co Cock Otli COCXE.—On the 21st inst., at Dover, William +,ll°. J.P., aged 71. the -11°j' ''- COAILEY.—On the 20th inst. at at }farrow -0n- 0. ( .11 ri Thomas Comley, of the Railway Hotel, age d g e r, i' a m E;HAßSiteßairEcKsYcy..---, wifOonnettohhfeeL2io2etouhtth...inam.setns.,te.r:atiaßtsoilßoj:goili jor;ler-arser9::strett Colonel William Henry Meyriek. GrosYe ll° or , I t ° theCßol N l Colonel Ajo a rtli l li oe s e p° ° On the 19th • sitt.e,gatt. Braunton, el Oliver Robinson, formerly and for . Queen's Royal l] gr. jOS e r il WRANGH.AM.—On the 20th inst., at Cror l°l3 ' -•••• Wrangham, aged 80. • Lo of nPrintednbli-sh--d- L 141.40 1 ° No. 112 , Strand Plinter e a t TuE SUN ° friCe r:oo otl Strand, in the Precinct of' the Savoy, in tllo Middlesex.—Thursday, February 23,1865. 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