The Sun. — London, England, 1866-09-07 00:00:00

--- The Inventor of the Needle Gun. (From a Correspondent of the Times.) On entering Sommerda, a small town near Erfurt, the traveller has no difficulty in finding out the residence of the most renowned individual in it. Herr von Dreyse, the inventor of the needle-gun, lives in a mansion of modest yet substantial;appear ance. Over the gateway is an inscription, accord ing to the old German custom. " Bete and arbeite"* is the significant motto by the carver of his own fortune. Not many weeks since the writer waited upon the master of the mansion, with letters of introduction from eminent gentlemen in Berlin. Our conversa tion became animated. My reception was so ex tremely friendly that I was soon encouraged to hint at the object of my visit. " There is scarcely an ency elopmdia," I said, " which dees not contain either a short notice of the inventor or a long description of the invention ; still, none of those who write about you, though perhaps living within a few miles, have as yet taken the trouble to make your personal ac quaintance. In a word,'Sir, it is with you, as with many other discoverers —in astonishment at the invention the inventor is forgotten." " Oh ! that is a matter of very little consequence," he said, "if only my invention is rightly appreciated." "But surely you can have no misgivings upon that score?" " On the contrary, more is made of it than it deserves. All the newspapers are profuse in their praise of our guns ; but when I read down the list of killed and wounded 1 cannot help thinking that the weapon has not done its duty as it ought, or, indeed, anything like what might have been expected of it." "Indeed ! you surprise me," said I, "you are the first whom I have heard hint a word against the needle gun since the campaign in Bohemia. Has it not then answered your expectations ?" " The list of our slain and wounded is far too numerous. The needle gun cannot have been so effective as I meant it should be, more especially when we take into considera tion the experienced hands that wielded it. It is true, I have never yet been able to form an accurate conception of the appearance made by an army of 200,000 men in the field, spread over many miles of ground with our needle gun in full operation. I must, therefore, confine myself to numbers, and I cannot but own to you, that notwithstanding the satisfaction 1 feel at having my work, after many a hard struggle, rightly appreciated at last, these very numbers greatly moderate my exultation and make me sad. I have, too, an especial cause for being so," he continued with a sigh, as he pointed to a little girl who at that moment entered the room, dressed in deep mourning, " This is my daughter's child, her fatherlell at Koniggratz at the head of his regiment. Yes, sir, we have fought battles in which the Austrians counted no more dead and wounded than we did, and though we may partly attribute this to the position occupied by the enemy yet still such things ought not to be reported of the needle-gun." The conversation then turned on the latest events of the clay, and while communicating my own im pressions on the subject, I asked him if he had ever seen a battle-field immediately after a battle had been fought. " Once, and once only," he replied, " that of Jena; it is a long, long time ago, and it was while contemplating it the dea first forced itself upon me, that the Prussian firearms required improvement, if Prussia ever intended becoming a first-rate military Power. At that time 1 was a journey man locksmith, and with my knapsack on my back was travelling through Germany on my way to France, the only country where in those troublous times anything could be learnt in my trade. I arrived in Jena Oct. 15, 1806, and saw the heaps of slain on the battle-field, and their pigtails strewed in all directions. I cannot tell you what a horrible impression it made upon me. I took up a gun and examined it closely. I do not know whether the expression urn die Ecke schiessen (to shoot round the corner) then existed or not, but it could only have re ferred to the Prussian musket of that period. I tell you, I never saw anything like it in my life. It was the very worst weapon you can imagine; while the French flint gun, made from the model known in 1799, was the most successful and perfect thing of the kind then in use. But, pray tell me if I weary you. I can quite imagine that to the uninitiated all this must be somewhat tedious." " On the contrary, I am greatly interesteq..Besides, I am not quite such a novice as you take me for. And from that moment you were seized with a desire to improve the Prus- sian gun ?" " Yes, from that day forward; but you can easily con ceive how vague and indistinct was the idea in the head of the young journeyman locksmith." " Did you reach Paris ?" " That I did, and I may say I there laid the foundation of whatever knowledge or skill has enabled me to do for the improvement of firearms. I was frequently employed by the most celebrated officer in that line—you may possibly have beard his name Col. Pauli, a Wurtemburg officer, who with his Sovereign had joined the Emperor Napo leon), and under his guidance I learnt very much." "And the idea of improving the Prussian firearms was still busy in your brain ?" "Always, I thought of it constantly day and night, and made some trifling experiments, but nothing succeeded,' for I only imitated the model gun of 1799. An actual step in the right direction, and indeed, I may say a giant stride, was when Pauli, for whom I had been at work, but for what parp9se the weapons were to be employed I had no idea. It was in the year 1809—confided to me that lie had been commissioned by the Emperor to construct a breech-load- ing musket." " Where could Napoleon have got this idea from ? Was it the produce of his own brain or had it existed previously and been suggested to him ? Tho first breech-loading muskets were constructed two centuries ago. Old speci mens aro to be found in many German arsenals." "I know not ; but it seemed to let in a new light upon me. I felt better than I could understand how that it was the right idea, because it was the most simple (children's guns are loaded in this manner), and for months so great was my impatience to know the success of the gun Pauli was constructing, I could scarcely sleep at night. This gun - was a complete failure—that is to say, so extremely com plicated that, though in expert hands not without some solid worth, yet for soldiers in the field it was perfectly useless. Notwithstanding this, Pauli received from Napo leon a present of 1,000 Napoleon d'ors, the Cross of the Legion of Honour, and a ten years' patent for the inven tion. Pauli's courage failed him after this first rebuff, and he gave up the idea, but it was firmly rooted in my mind, feeling thoroughly convinced it would furnish me with a clue to the reconstruction of the Prussian firearms." "It certainly must have cost you much thought and anxiety to carry out this idea ?" " You cannot have the remotest conception of the trouble it caused me. You must have read somewhere or other of those torments and sufferings which have ever fallen to the lot of the inventor. With the exception of bodily torture, which does not belong to our day, I may say I have gone through everything it was possible to endure, and that for 30 long years. When at last I gave out my new igniting material accompanied by the needle gun, imagine the revo lution it caused. I was looked upon as a madman." "Had you you to encounter any spec i a l enemy ?" who opposed me with such obstinate • perse verance t i la had atl was oft en on t h e very verge o f d espa ir, vh om oven now, after the campaign in Bohemia. I have not yet succeeded in vanquishing. That is Routine ! She is a bitter enemy, I can assure you, sir, and as often wears the uniform of a general as the jacket of a soldier, oretahres coat of a Minister Of War , and woe be to him who has to contend against her. I could talk to you by the hour toge ther what I have gone through, but all would be as mere dust in the balance if my invention had not likewise had calumny, derision, and mocking insult to put up with. You said a while ago that my name was in everybody's mouth, at least all such as interest themselves in the mili tary glory of Prussia; but do you suppose that those who assisted me in wrestling with that infernal spirit Routine do not deserve equally honourable mention. Without their aid I certainly should never have been successful.", " Would you have any objection to mention the names of these men?" " The then Captain, now Lieut.-General, von Priem, and the late General von Witzleben, aide-de-camp to his Majesty Frederick William 111, I had a manufacture of percussion caps here in Sommerda, at that time first in Prussia, and supplied Government with the article. It was while preparing the igniting material that I liscovered the secret of the undipiegeLf, General Priem, who was then in garrison here, witnessed my first experiments, and did not rest till he had convinced General !von Witzleben of its importance. Then began a struggle indeed. All I asked s, for was a fair trial, but the answer invariably re ceivedit was sheer nonsense. The General men tioned was, subject to the King in the most urgent manner, and orders were issued that my invention should undergo scrutiny. I was given to understand that the whole constr u ctionColonelofthe gun was totally at variance with the theo ry of on the subject in Prussia B. a Braun then the greatest autho rityolvell as in Europe ; that after the tenth sh o t , on accounts the quantity of tinder in at the it, which would of c ourse collect lower end of the barrel, the gun would exp l ode of itself. In t short, atw it a was an so clearly mud technically explai ne d to maav h a rrant fool for my pains that any ono s ver ily have believed it. My scientific knowledgeemyself would w ß as ra at so low an ebb that I could not demonstrate where to .ver un's theory wae a t fault. My simple a nsevery charge was, Only gi vo it a trial.'" "And, at length, you had the satisfaction of seeing this done ?" "Stop, stop, not so fast. My greatest fear was that some unforeseen accident might postpone the long-desired ex periments to an indefinite period. General Witzleben, one morning addressing me, as he often did, as the 'Reformer of the gun,' said You will have, like Luther, to pass through a Worn:t! The essay was to come off in the Liasenhaide,l * Ora et labora. t This is the name of tho bit of pastboard placed at the bottom of the Prussian cartridge, which on being pierced by the needle ignites tho powder. Hareheath, near Berlin, where the soldiers exercise. Prince Augustus,!of Wurtemberg, being at the head of the special commission appointed for the purpose, and my cele brated opponent, Braun, likewise included in it. I had brought with me a hundred cartridges to be ' of off from the same gun. It was a long time before Vie gentlemen of the commission relaxed a muscle of their coin' tenances, but when one shot followed the other in qu ck succession, the ammunition gradually decreased, and the gun would not oblige them by exploding in their faces by degrees became longer and longer. I did not utter a word, but rejoiced at the unmixed pleasure evinced by General Witzleben. Prince Augustus became very red. He rode up and down gazing with astonishment at the heap of cartridges, which was diminishing one by one. For the space of ten minutes the firing was kept up, till at last the riflemen declar4he could shoot no more, for the barrel was too hot to hold. Fifty cartridges had been fired from it. You may imagine the expression on these gentlemen's visages when upon opening the barrel they found the breech instead of being stuffed full as they anticipated, as clean as that of a common double-barrelled gun. Prince Augustus was visibly moved. `Shoot again,' he cried, as soon as the barrel had cooled a little, and in ten minutes more not a cartridge was left. In less than half an hour 100 shots had been fired from the same gun, and not one of all the mischances prophesied by the gentlemen of the commission had taken place." " Your triumph was complete," I cried, "after enormous difficulties, it is true, but still perfect and entire." " You are mistaken," said the old gentleman with a sigh. " I had now another difficulty to combat. It was asserted that a common soldier could not possibly learn to use the weapon properly, and when years of experience had silenced this objection it was only to give place to another, and this again to a third. When at last I received orders to furnish no inconsiderable number of the weapons they were all safely stowed in the arsenal ! Thanks be to God, for hav ing blessed our country with a long interval of peace, for if war had broken out before the manufacture of the needle gun had been finished, I think I should have gone out of my mind." " And was not opposition silenced at last ?" " Oh, yes. Let us say no more about it. The desire of my life has been fulfilled, and to God be the praise. All else is easily forgiven and forgotten, if I can only bring myself to believe that my invention has helped to secure our victories. But the number of wounded drives me to despair, for it is a convincing proof that our weapons are not yet what they ought to be, and must be made to be." "But how do you suppose that the greater perfection of our weapons is to protect our soldiers from being wounded in the fight ?" _ _ _ "Of course, I do not mean entirely, but the proportion must not be so large. In many cases we must, by better weapons, be able to prevent the enemy from occupying those impregnable positions which have occasioned our losses." " I have not an idea how you will bring this about." " You see," said he, " it is the most likely thing in the world, that after this war, almost all other nations will in troduce the needle gun into their armies. They do not know the secret of our Zundspeigel, but they will make some sort of a substitute more or less like it, and have this advantage in constructing their new guns that they can avoid all the faults they observe in ours, while we must put up with what we have, and thus other nations will excel Prussia in this particular. I fear France especially, having a very high opinion of the French manufactories of arms, and am convinced that though they have not the Zundspeigel the French will succeed in producing a very capital needle gun, with all those improvements which it may, perhaps, be too late to make in ours. In a word, they will try to surpass us once more in weapons of warfare ; but this ought not to be—it must not be." You, sir, will take good care, I am sure, that such a thing does not come to pass," I said, full of admiration at the youthful zeal of the old man. "But what if it be too late to prevent the mischief," he replied. "I am now 78 years of age, and it was my duty to have provided against such a chance. Here I possess the answer to whether foreigners can improve on our needle gun or not." As he said this he rose, fetched a gun from the corner close to his writing-table, and showed it me. I was quite struck with the singular appearance of th() weapon. He began to explain its construction to me. Stop," said I, interrupting him, " I ought to apprise you that it is my intention when I take my leave to write down as faithfully as my memory will allow all I can recollect of this conversation, which in a few days will be perused by thousands of readers. Will you, then, be kind enough to determine how far I may venture to describe this new weapon, the very existence of which is a profound secret to the public at large ?" " Pray do not describe it at all," was his reply ; " say merely that it is three pounds and a half lighter than our present gun, entirely made of iron, having just as long a range and sure an aim as those now employed; much better adapted for the soldier's use, whother for drill-practice, marching or shooting ; that neither fire nor water has the least effect upon it ; that it is superior to any similar one of the kind, for bayonet action—which in a battle is by no means to be despised that each gun costs three thalers, or 95., less than the price given for the weapon now in use. And now I will explain its management, for an instrument, which is to be handled by hundreds of thousands ought to be so simple that every one can be taught how to use it." 1t was the work of a few minutes for Herr von Dreyse to do this. I went through the evolutions, held the weapon in every possible direction, and loaded and fired—of course without cartridges—as quickly as possible. I have before alluded to my being no novice in the art, for I have shot with guns from the best manufactories in the world, of all sorts and sizes, and I must confess, without in the least wishing to set up my judgment as a standard, that I have never yet seen or handled an implement which so completely and perfectly came up to all its requirements. An officer in the Go vernment Commission permanently stationed at the foundry in Sommerda, who had repeatedly shot with this gun, told me that he certainly shot as far, if not further, and with as true an aim as did the present gun. - - Several other firearms newly invented by him were shown me by Herr von Dreyse ; also his fal conets and explosive balls, which can be projected from ordinary firearms. " And what may this be ?" asked I, taking upsomething that looked like a bomb-shell. " That," he replied smiling, "is a surprise intended for the army—do not let us speak of it. I will only just pre mise that, being fully persuaded that light artillery must be light, in all my inventions I have made this the basis of my operations—viz , light weight." "Does the Government know anything of these new ideas of yours ?" "His Royal Highness Prince Frederick Charles visited me a few months ago, inspected the whole of my under takings, encouraged me to persevere, and presented me his portrait with his name written underneath." " You compared yourself just now with other disco verers," I said, as I rose to take leave, " but you cannot, as they, reproach your generation with ingratitude and unmindfulness of your extraordinary services." " That indeed I most willingly admit I cannot," ho re plied, with all the fervour of youth. "I am more honoured than I deserve, especially by the Royal family, who have most signally distinguished me. I have had several orders and titles conferred upon me. My whole family has been ennobled, and my foundry has made me rich. I can but thank my Royal master with my whole heart, and regret that only a few more years remain to me in which to de vote my knowledge and experience to the improvement of the Prussian war implements." We still passed a short time longer in comment ing upon th e t eem i ng even t s o f th e d a y ; an d, after y lef t m having uttered acknowledgments hi, for his ex treme kindness, with the feeling, but rarely experienced, of having been with a man of whom I had great expectations, and had found those expectations fully realised. The more minute details of his life, which could not be asked of the worthy inventor of the needle gun himself, I was obliged to glean from the inhabitants of the small town where he resides. He is now 78 years old, and, notwithstand ing his advanced age, his mind is so fresh and his whole appearance so vigorous, energetic, and ac tive, that he may well be taken for 20 years younger. He rises at four every morning, an d dif ferent inventions. The Government foundry is spends the whole day in working out his von completely under the direc tion of Dreyse, while his his highly esteemed son, Herr Rath father's attention is chiefly engros sed with the recti fication and perfecting of the weapons he has in vested. He has several workshops for this purpose, to which but very few persons have access, where he is busy several hours a day. When the weather is fine, he practises shooting in the neighbouring fields, and he is so scrupulously exact and conscientious in testing the powers of his new improvements that often whole months elapse before he pronounces himself satisfied with this or that weapon. Perpe tual changes and readjustments have to be made, and he is so painfully anxious upon all matters of the kind that he does not speak to his most intimate friends, not even to his own son, about a new dis covery until he himself can say he approves it. A physician with whom I spoke told me that Herr w hn - li i mi t g h hw t t h ie e tnh n voy e u e t d h l i e itm, g u ah n ni sd t u h tn a hl‘ t a, et l a i f rn e i von Dreys e h a d so thoroughly identified himself a w dn o sy u t r l av bnyounger i r n gmp per fection. "Pray and work" does not seem to be merely a motto adopted by him, but the very pith and mar row of his existence. Through him, the place of his birth has not only become renowned, but opulent too, from the great influx of workmen and officials, both civil and military. Nothing can be more touch ing than the universal respect and love manifested towards him by all the inhabitants of Sommerda. In conclusion, I will just add a rumour which is circulating in the place—viz., that Herr von Dreyse is about shortly to submit to the King of Prussia a newly-invented cannon calculated to work as im portant a revolution in the Prussian artillery as the needle gun has in the infantry. Kr. Roebuck on the Late Administration. SHEFFIELD, Thursday Night. The " Forfeit Feast" of the Sheffield Cutlers' Company was held to-night. The principal guest was Mr. Roebuck, M.P., who has been the guest of Mr. Brown (the Master Cutler) for a month past, and has greatly improved in health. In replying to the toast of the "Borough Mem- bers," Mr. ROEBUCK, who was received with loud cheers, after returning thanks for the personal compliment, said,--Here, sir, if I were wise, I should end ; if I considered merely my own safety and your comfort I should at once sit down ; but you must know that since the last time that I have addressed a meeting of gentlemen in this assembly great events have taken place. Upon these events, by a dire calamity, I have been unable to express an opinion ; but the old feeling remains, the old horse has been running the course, and I wish on the present occasion, to use a clerical phrase, to improve the occasion— (laughter)---and, if you will permit me, I will do so. (Hear, hear.) Before Ido that I would say one word about myself, a subject upon which Byron said all men were fluent, none agreeable. But, sir, I have a very long experience, I am sorry to say, and I believe I may say at the same time that I had only one interest in speaking, namely, the interest of my country. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, if I com mit error say it is error, and not crime ; and if I say anything not consonant, not agreeable to any gen- tleman present, let him say that I am wrong, but let him not say that I am criminal. (Hear, hear.) I say this because men have been accused, and very shortly since, who have maintained opinions which they thought right of almost everything under heaven. Those gentlemen, whether they be right or wrong in their opinions, were justified in ex- pressing them ; and lest the same misfortune should fall on myself which fell upon them, I make this appeal to you. Since I last addressed an assembly in this town events have happened which have been of the greatest importance to this country and to the world. The first of these to which I allude is the advent and life and death of the Russell - Gladstone Administration. The next is the Fenian conspiracy. The third is the great war in Europe. The two last I don't mean to touch upon, for if I did I should exhaust my own strength and your patience ; but if you will allow me, I will say a few words on the first. I have no doubt that every gentleman in this room has seen a ship start from her port with all her sails full, with her rig. ging all complete, her hull shining with paint, and her streamers flying ; and they have seen, I have no doubt, that same ship seeking a harbour of re- fuge, with her tackle torn, her sails split, her hull shattered, her cargo thrown overboard. That is a type of the Russell-Gladstone Administration. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) I want to inquire why this has been ? and, if you will permit me, I will explain what I believe to have been the cause of that failure. Lord Russell, I have no doubt, looked back upon the career he has run, and saw one event there in which he was distinguished in the annals of Europe and of England—namely, the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832, but be was like the fly upon the wheel. The wheel made a terrible dust, and the fly said, " What a terrible dust we make !" (Loud laughter and applause.) lle be lieved that the Reform Bill was carried by himself. No such thing ; it was not carried by him nor by his Administration—it was carried by the people of England. (Cheers.) But he looked back, and with his flatterers at his back, he thought he was the man who carried that Reform Bill. He believed that in his old age, although he had been called " finality John," at the present:time he could carry a new Reform Bill. (Hear, hear.) Now, when he inquired about that there were two questions that ought to have presented themselves, and I have no doubt did present themselves to his mind. Was there any need or necessity for a Reform Bill? And if there were, was it practicable to carry one? Now, Sir, I would answer first, that there was a need for a Reform Bill, and I will say, in answer to the second, that with good j algmentit could have been carried. (Cheers.) If you will permit me I will ask why there was a need of a Reform Bill, and I will ask what' were the circumstances that enabled it to be practicable to carry it. And I will ask first, was there anything in the House of Commons that rendered a Reform Bill necessary ? I answer boldly to that question, No. (Cheers.) I say that the House of Commons represented the people of England. (Cheers.) (Mr. Dunn—" 'Totnes.") Stop a moment, Mr. Dunn, I will answer you about Totnes. (Loud cheers, and cries of " Order," and " Hear Mr. Roebuck," and " Fair play.") Don't, for Heaven's sake, let any difference of opinion enter into this assembly. (Applause.) I think lam not verging upon anything that ought to be kept back. (" Hear, hear," and applause.) lam merely calmly stating what I believe to be the circumstances that led to the failure of Russell's Reform Bill. If Mr. Dunn will only confine himself—(cheers, and a voice "he interrupted you.") No, don't say a word. If he could only confine the ebullient spirit that be longs to him, I have no doubt we'll get on quietly, (Laughter and cheers.) I was asking why it was that the House of Commons needed Reform, and I said that the house represented the people of Eng land. Now, this House of Commons, the produce of the Reform Bill of 1833, has run a race of legis lation unexampled in the annals of the world. (Hear.) They found the people of England at the time of 1832 in a situation which required Reform. Reform was given ; and what did they do ? Why, almost the first thing they did was to wipe out from the annals of England the stain of slavery. (Cheers.) They then relieved the municipal government of this country from narrow, I might almost say corrupt, administration, and they threw it into the hands of the people. (Hear.) They then went forward and made a code of laws that was the most sanguinary in the world the least sanguinary and the most merciful that the world knows ; and, last of all (for I won't mention many other good deeds), they freed commerce, and they made the people of England communicants of their power and their wealth to all parts of the world. And this was done under the Reform Bill of 1832 ; but I will state in one short phrase the result of their action—that every man in England might say what he thought, and might do awtrheyer. of eh iw t io h hu e wiscei what he liked, so long as he did not injure his neigh uponoounnindthes bour, and that he was the freest man that walked f e t a na u en surface l ec t ee o sss f e ne 0 . sdme rendered od h yn e ss n ßt t , aeht l f aeo t s r alm what h , there a t renderedthe eil e sl ir en c f h g ll olof p r bC e r neces sary ; but I am now stating what was not. The next thing is—Was there anything like a natural right in in n f n go contemptuous h p elt c t t r y ies u a t p t hu o er n em a oe m fa In a ai n Nnv g w . h o sgi Right s ht 3 1 r at p 1 onsae Right, opposed to be rep resented ? Now, I look with a sort to wrong. Well, if they want that, let us inquire if it be the interest of the people of England to alter the Bill of 1832 ; and it will not be helped or aided by stating that there was any natural right on the part of anybody to have the power of voting. But, sir, I pass by that. What, then, if there be no ladies in the House of Commons, and there be no natural right on the pait of anybody to have the p ower of voting— what is it that makes me say that there should beare form of the Constitutional Government of England? It is this. It is not enough that we should have justice. Justice is not justice unless th e p eo p le think it be j ust tice. Well, then, I say that in the distribution of now the power of voting, but who have the faculties power in England there are certain m en who have not and the capacity. Capacity in every sense to en title them to a vote, but they have it not; an d there fore, for the purpose of putting aside discontent, I THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 7, 1866. would have brought in a Reform Bill that should have satisfied the discontented of the well-inten tioned, well-conducted, and educated of the working classes of the country. The working classes is a most unfortunate name. There are comprehended under that term persons of very different qualities. There are working men to whom I pay every respect. They are well-conducted and they are instructed men ; they behave well to their families ; they do their duty to that station to which it has pleased God to call them, and they deserve in every sense the respect and consideration of their fellow citizens. (Hear.) But there are others in that class to whom I do not pa, any respect—(applause)—they are fractious ; they are drunken; they beat their wives ; they ill treat their:children ; they don't do their duty as men ought to do. (Applause.) Now I suppose, sir, it will be said that I am an enemy of the working classes ; I am not an enemy of the working classes. The well to do, the well-conditioned of those I hail as equal with myself and worthy of every con sideration. But never will I condescend to flatter the drunkard, or to give power to those who are totally incompetent to use it well. (Cheers.) There fore, I say, sir, in any well considered Reform Bill care would have been taken to separate those classes one from the other, and that whatever power you conceded it would not be in that wholesale way of giving it to the number of pounds, but that they would have taken some means of separating the good men from the bad among them. (Applause.) I want to know what was done. He was for a cer tain time in the House of Commons before my pain ful illness drove me out of the house, but what was the result? Why, I found a bill which I supported, because I could not help supporting it ; because I found a bill which was, in fact, an attempt to cajole the House of Commons. (Applause.) There were two things that were really necessary—the one to enlarge the suffrage, the other to regulate the towns to which that suffrages hould be given, and when it was inquired why they were not combined what was the answer made ? " Why, you know that if we bring in a bill to affect the distribution of seats we shall give offence to certain members, and they will vote against us ; but if we bring in simply the bill to regulate the elective franchise they will vote for us, and we shall carry that measure. (Cries of " Hear, hear," and a voice, " Oh, no.") Oh no ! I like that gentleman who says " Oh, no !" I was in the midst of it. I heard it said. I know it was felt, and I know that that was the reason why the two measures were separated, and that we were com pelled to fight the battle of the Administration upon a wrong point. Well they brought in their double bill, and then at that time I was forced to leave the House of Commons. What took place ? Why, _ . at first, Mr. Gladstone, for whom I have every admiration as far as regards his talents, but he is far too clever. (Laughter and cheers.) Mr. Glad stone endeavoured first of all to cajole the House of Commons—he endeavoured to persuade them to pass his single bill, and when he couldn't do that he endeavoured to bully them. Now, the House of Commons is such an assembly—l have known them for many years—that to cajole them would be very difficult, but to bully them impossible. (Cheers.) He assumed to do both, and he failed in both ; and then at last he threw his cargo overboard. He sought the nearest harbour of refuge—resignation. Well, sir, that is my story of the Russell-Gladstone Re form Bill. (" And a very good one.") The attempt at first was to cajole the House of Commons, and, second, to bully them. (Hear, hear.) They failed in both, and lost their bill and their places. Look ing at the future, what shall we see? My answer is that the present Administration are there from no power of their own. They came there in spite of themselves, and it is our duty to give them a fair trial. (Hear, and applause.) As far as lam con cerned they shall have a fair trial. (Cheers, and cries of " Bravo.") I believe the result will be this —that the two great parties now dividing the State will be united into one. (Hear, hear.) There is really no difference between the two, except some small rays of bigotry and intolerance that stick un willingly to them. (Cheers.) Let them get rid of them. Let them throw overboard the talk about church-rates, the talk about the Universities, and they will do it, and we the Liberals, the moderate Liberal party, will join them, and form such a strong Ministerial power in England that will enable us to maintain the power of England throughout the world, that will make her feared by her enemies and loved by her friends, and the protecting power over people. (Cheers.) lam sure that will take place. lam sure that Lord Derby will disappear. I hope that Lord Russell will disappear—(cheers and laughter) —and that other men will rise up in their places representing the united feeling of -Eng land, and that then we shall be enabled to preserve the people of England from the control of ignorance and vice (cheers) with which we are now threatened-'-(cheers)—and, in spite of all the dema gogues in the world, the people of England will ride triumphant. (Loud cheers.) The other toasts were of local interest. Naval and Military Intelligence. The paddlewheel steamer Adder, Master W. J. Blakey, embarked at Chatham, yesterday afternoon, a party of 100 convicts, from the convict establish ment, St. Mary's, for conveyance to the Nore, where they were received on board the convict ship Corona, for removal to Western Australia. A convict guard, consisting of 30 military pensioners, with their wives and families, embarked on board the Corona previ ously to that vessel leaving the Thames. The guard, on their arrival in Australia, will become military settlers in the colony. The official trial of the screw sloop-corvette Rein deer, 7, 200 horse power, which was to have been made yesterday at the Maplin Sands, near Chatham, has been countermanded by the Admiralty, to en able the trim of the vessel to be improved by the addition of a supply of iron ballast. Her Majesty's ship Medusa, Commander Thos. Potter, which sailed from Woolwich on Monday last laden with stores for transhipment on board the Orontes, troopship, at Portsmouth, for conveyance to Canada, has returned to the Thames with a large portion of her ammunition still on board. It appears that, after the departure of the Medusa, counter in structions were given to Capt. Hire, commanding the Orontes, to embark troops at Queenstown, in which case the order for the reception of ammuni tion was cancelled, and 1,000 quarter barrels of ball cartridge only were taken on board the Orontes. The remainder, consisting of 2,600 quarter barrels of ball cartridge and 360 half barrels of blank am munition, has been returned to Woolwich. The Medusa's arrival at Gravesend was yesterday tele graphed to Woolwich, whither she was under orders to proceed by the earliest tide. Two foremen and gangs of labourers belonging to the Military Store Department awaited the Medusa's coming along side the powder buoy off Woolwich Arsenal, in readi ness to go on board and hand out the ammuni tion as detailed above, which was to be re placed in a couple of Sale's lighters, to be remitted to Gravesend, there to be transhipped to the char tered steam transport Achilles, now in the Victoria Docks, and ordered to proceed with all despatch to North America. The transfer of the ammunition will be the work of two or three days. The Achilles has other Government stores shipped from the Tower. Her Majesty's iron steam storeship supply from Malta and Gibraltar, having landed her cargo of re turned stores at Woolwich, has been taken into the fitting basin to be surveyed by the shipwright de partment, to undergo some necessary repairs in ship and machinery. An order has been received at Chatham garrison directing the detachments of Royal Artillery, cavalry and infantry, placed under orders to proceed to Ma dras, to be held in readiness to embark at Gravesend on Tuesday,llth inst., onboard the Walmer Castle, which has been chartered by the lion. Council of India for the conveyance of reinforcements for the various corps serving in the Madras Presidency. It is stated that Col. Farren, C. 8., commanding the 4th Depot Battalion at the camp at Colchester, has been selected by the Commander-in-Chief to proceed to Jamaica to sit as president of a general court-martial to assemble for the trial of certain offi cers in con nec ti on w i t h t h e recen t ou tbreak in that island. A draught of the 100th Regiment has been ordered to be detained at Colchester until further orders, the ship Tamar, which was chartered for the conveyance of troops to Canada, having been cm- ploy ed on other service. Capt. Adcock, Ist battalion 16th Regiment, is under orders to join the depot at Colchester to relieve Capt. Lea, who will proceed to the service companies in India. The hired transport Holmsdale, 1,257 tons, Capt. W. J. Ferris, belonging to Messrs. Shaw, Lowther, and Maxton, from Auckland, New Zealand, arrived in the Sound this - morning. She brings the head quarters of the 40th Regiment and 16 officers, viz., Lieutenant-Colonel L. L. K. Nelson, Capt. and Brigade-Major G. 0. Bowdler, Capts. N. Armstrong and J. S. Mansergh, Lieuts. A. Moller, M. Morphy, E. Stack, and C. F. Hulme, Ensigns F. H. King and J. D. Gregson, Adjt. J. T. Whelan, Paymaster H. C. Ryder, and Surgeon G. W. Peake, wife, and two children ; Chaplain L. Parsly and Deputy Pur veyor Adamson. Mr. Pring, purveyor, died on the passage. Mrs. Hassard, widow of Col. Hassard, who was shot in the New Zealand war, is also a passenger. The total of the troops is 16 officers, 3 ladies, 29 children, 329 non-commissioned officers and men, 31 women, 60 children, and two officers' servants. The Holmsdale sailed June 17, rounded Cape Horn on the 30th, and crossed the line on the 47th day out. Off the Cape several large icebergs were observed. This ship left England seven months and 15 days since ; she went to Melbourne, thence to Auckland, and back to Plymouth. Constant Water Supply. It is gratifying to find that, upon the principle " better late than never," the parishes are at last taking up the matter in earnest. Years past it must have been evident to them (it has been to every person who thinks at all upon the subject) that in the water supply and means of storage in London there are active causes of disease, which have over and over again been proved to be full of peril. It is unnecessary to repeat the oft-told instances, the facts upon a large scale, which Mr. Simon, Dr. Adana, and others have placed on record. That there is a remedy for this evil is sufficiently clear ; and it is quite time for the people'of this country to reconsider this question of expense versus health, versus humanity, versus our duty to our neighbour. A report upon this same subject, by Mr. Rendle, formerly the health officer of Saint George's, Southwark, has been issued by the vestry of that parish. It appears to us to merit the most serious consideration of the authorities. ,The statements in this report, and the points which will occur independently to every mind, compel us to ask why the water supply in such a place as London has been suffered to remain so long in this scandalous state. In former days, before the sewage of the towns was poured into the river, the water, no doubt, appeared far worse than it now does. But it must not be forgotten that it then brought down little else than earthy matter; the streams had not then been generally polluted with cesspool drainage. Now the apparently clean water may, and does, bring with it the minute germs of cholera and like diseases to those drinkers lower down the stream who happen to have their supply from it. For this reason careful people are now boiling the water before they drink it, and it is no doubt very necessary to do so. A very little leaven, so small even as not to be at present amenable to microsco pical or chemical research, may leaven the whole in a most dangerous manner. Let us, then, have pure water, and plenty of it. The impurities of food are, as a rule, far less dangerous than the impurities of water ; matters in solution pass so rapidly into the system. As to storage, Mr. Rendle says :—" Inspec tions made within the last year have shown that in numbers of cases (he might have said numberless cases) the poor have no water receptacles properly so called, at all. In others they have, as makeshifts, tubs, jars, barrels-;:wholly unsuited for. the purpcise —these, moreover, kept in overcrowded and un cleanly living-rooms, or in extremely filthy yards. In others there are receptacles in bad repair, or more or less rotten and tainted. In most cases these receptacles are without covers, notwithstanding they are almost necessarily placed in situations full of offensive emanations, or where they must in various ways receive dust, smoke, and the like." We may as well quote the passage throughout :—" To show the almost impossibility of keeping water reasonably pure in the receptacles in use, let it again be noted, and never forgotten, what kind of receptacles are generally in use among the poor; chat they are usually placed of necessity near to closets, privies, dustheaps, untrapped sinks, open drains, and in filthy, sloppy yards—that from these and other causes it is impossible to keep water other than in a tainted atmosphere. The full force and vital con sequence of this argument will be understood by calling to mind how largely water absorbs deleterious and other gases. One thousand gallons of water are known to dissolve, at the common temperature, 46 gallons of oxygen ; 25 of nitrogen ; 2,500 cf sulphuretted hydrogen, a sewer and privy gas pro ductive of fever; 1,000 of carbonic acid; and 500,000 of ammonia, a product of animal decom position, as in urinals. The result of all this is, among the poor especially, that the supply is very impure indeed ; and in quantity it does not perhaps exceed, on the average, five gallons per individual among this class of people. This, whether a little more or less, is altogether inadequate; consequently, filthy houses and filthy habits ; and the result of these, disease, personal degradation, and neglect.— The Lancet. Fatal Collision on the Thames. Wednesday afternoon an inquiry was opened before Mr. Richards, deputy-coroner for Middlesex at the Town of Ramsgate Tavern ; high-street, Wapping, into the circum stances attending the death of George Roe, a lighterman, on Monday last, when the skiff which the deceased and a man named Carr were navigating was run down by the Woolwich passenger steamvessel Doris, both men being drowned. Mr. Geo. Fry, solicitor to the Woolwich Steam Packet Company, and Mr. W. R. Jackson, a director, were present to watch the proceedings on behalf of the company ; and Mr. Jolly, boat builder, and well acquainted with the navi gation of the river, was chosen as foreman of the jury. Henry W. Marshall identified the body of the deceased as that of his brother-in-law, George Roe, aged 45. He had left a widow and four children. Samuel Hill, of 2, Regent's-road, Burdett-road, Bow, said he was an out-door officer of customs, and between the hours of land 2 o'clock on the afternoon of Monday, the 3d inst., he was standing on the barge off London-wharf, between the Tunnel-pier and London-bridge, when he saw the _Doris steamvessel going up the river, in the middle of the stream, at the ordinary rate of speed. He then saw a skiff with two men, one of whom was lowing, coming down the river, and at that time the skiff was meeting the steamer at about six yards distance. The tide was about three quarter. ebb running strong down the middle of the river. He saw the deceased pulling the left hand sculfto get clear of the steamer ; before he could do so the steamer struck the skiff about 4 feet from her stern and nearly cut her in two. The skiff remained fixed on the stem of the steamer for a minute, and was then swung round by the force of the tide under the paddle-box of the steamer, and imme diately capsized. When he first saw the vessels there was one man on the bridge of the steamer and another at the wheel, and the man with the deceased was sitting at the stern of the skiff. When the skiff struck the paddle of the steamer the engines of the latter were reversed. By the Coroner—lt did not appear that either the de ceased or the other man on board the skiff could see the steamer coming up. His attention was first called to them by hearing a shout ; but whether it came from the steamer or tho skiff he could not say, The skiff was laden with cases of stores. The river was not crowded at the time ; there was plenty of room for vessels to pass. In his opi nion the steamer was in fault, as her course ought to have been altered, and that was not done, as far as he could see. The Coroner—But when you first saw the vessels they wore within six yards of each other; and, as your attention was chiefly confined to the skiff, you could scarcely know whether the course of the steamer was altered or not. By Mr. Fry—He could not say whether the skiff shot suddenly out from between the tiers of vessels just before she met the steamer. The steamer might have changed her course—it should have borne off to the left. The Coroner—There are regulations laid down on these points, but they cannot always be carried strictly out; much depends on circumstances. The witness then expressed an opinion that the steamer should have ported helm, but the foreman having expressed an opinion that such a course would have been improper, the witness candidly confessed that ho'did not understand the nautical terms used. Mr. Fry said the directors of the company wore most anxious for a full investigation. He had a largo number of witnesses to call, many of them passengers on board the steamer, who resided in London and had not been commu nicated with. He, therefore, asked for an adjournment of the case. The inquiry was then adjourned. CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAT.—Yes terday the admissions on payment were 6,890 ditto by season tickets, 1,994; total, 8,884. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. HERALD.—Every Englishmen has read the reply of the King of Prussia to the Hanoverian deputa tion with a sense of sorrow not altogether referable to sentiment or sympathy. By a chain of events absolutely without a parallel, the fortune of war has placed the fate of central Europe in the hands of the House of Hohenzollern, and has made the occu pant of the Prussian Throne the arbiter of destiny, whose will it is hopeless to resist, and whose decrees it is vain to question. The calamities of Austria and of her allies among small but independent States, which culminated at Sadowa, extinguished the last lingering spark- of hope which might have been cherished,either by Sovereign or subject, of the now extinct kingdom _of Hanover, that the chances of war might yet so far change as to render the exer- tions of Austria effective to save herself from dis- memberment, and her allies from being driven to accept any terms the conqueror might offer. After the course which Prussia had pursued it was not to be expected that she would relinquish the spoil for which she had ventured so much, and in gathering which she had shown herself determined to brave the disapproval and displeasure of her nearest and most powerful neighbours. Von Munchausen him self must have felt that undertaking to play the part of spokesman at such an audience as that at which be appealed, ad misericordiam, on behalf of himself and his compatriots, he was consenting to lead the most desperate of forlorn hopes. That such was the feeling of the deputation when they entered the royal presence no one can doubt, nor can we suppose that the few touching words with which, as they retired, they expressed their regrets at the refusal of their prayer, were one whit more despon dent in tone than they had from the first known that they must of necessity utter when submit- ting with bursting hearts to the decrees of Pro vidence, as interpreted by grand battalions and needle-guns. Admitting that, after what was known of the plans and purposes of the Prussian Cabi net, no one could have expected the King to accord permission for the Hanoverians to preserve a sepa rate existence, to enjoy their own organisation, and to obey their own Monarch, we can but regret that the Power which has gained so greatly by the late war should have deemed it wise and politic to forget, in its hour of triumph, how to be generous to a State which has for Centuries held no unhonoured place in the great European system. The submis sion of Calais burghers to our own Edward was scarcely more abject than was that of the Hanove rian deputies when supplicating the mercy of the Prussian William; and the answers of Napoleon himself to the discrowned Kings who swelled his triumph and formed the most conspicuous portion of his retinue did not more completely manifest his calm consciousness of command than did the some- what lengthy reply of William I. to the lately con quered subjects of King George : He does not blame the Hanoverians for loving their former Sovereign and their old dynasty—on the contrary, he would have esteemed them less if they had failed to show their loyalty to the one and their attachment to the other. But neither love nor loyalty can be allowed to influence his policy or turn him aside from the course which he has marked out for himself. Though the wicked world has failed to give him credit for it, his im throughout the war has . been to win none' but moral conquests. The policy of Bismarck and the power of the needle gun, the perfection of state craft, and the latest appliance of the machinery of slaughter, have alike been enlisted on behalf of the moral elevation which Prussia has thro ug h ou t b een solicitous to display. Austrian influence has been used to counteract this lofty, transcendental purity, and to baffle the disinterested endeavours to which it gave rise. Hanover has cast in her lot with Prus sia's rival, has listened to his seductions, has pan dered to his purposes. The beneficence which would have infused unity into the Bund has in part been thwarted by the efforts of Hanover as a nationbent on maintaining itself as a distinct integer in the sys tem on whose overthrow Prussia had resolved. By overt act and covert agency Austria had striven with Prussia for the preponderating p ower i n Germany—had again and again attacked and dis turbed her—and only recently had carried inter ference in Holstein to a degree which all the magnanimity of Prussia was unable to bear. Hence came the resolution to make war, which has been crowned with a success alike beyond precedent and expectation. " The visible interposition of Provi dence" was manifest as soon as the struggle had begun, and when its progress agreed so thoroughly with Royal inclinations, it would, of course, be both foolish and wicked to attempt to control them. The annexation of Hanover is necessary to compensate Prussia for her heavy sacrifices, and now that the irrevocable fiat has gone forth, his Majesty trusts that those who at present feel themselves aggrieved by it will receive his declarations in such a way as to get that " mutual confidence which may ulti mately lead to content." We need say nothing in praise of the dignity with which the Hanovarian deputies deported themselves both before and after this communication of their conqueror's will. But we cannot help regretting that any Sovereign should have thought it well to refuse success to such a petition. The days are over in which we could afford to make and meddle in every continental con troversy ; to engage in hostilities for the _sake of abstract justice, or to make war, asFrance does, for an idea. But even we cannot contemplate without emotion the fall of a kingdom whose history is so intimately connected with ours, or hear, with indif ference, the dirge of a dynasty from which our own Royal house has sprung. The hauling down the Hanoverian flag, with its well-worn motto, " Nec aspera terrent," was a sight sad to contemplate, even from a distance, and with the feelings of mere spec tators. Ilow infinitely more keenly must those have suffered who saw in its involuntary lowering the cessation of their being as a nation, the destruction of their hopes, the falsification of their most cherished traditions, the transformation. of. themselves from the members of a small but independent kingdom into the mere unconsidered atoms of a great and grasping monarchy, which it is impossible for them successfully to resist or willingly to endure. And it would have been well, both for Prussia and for Europe, had the former so far deferred to the public sentiment of the latter as to forbear from pushing matters to this last and most repulsive ex tremity. The campaign which has just concluded has shaken the security and jeopardised the exist ence of all but the largest states. It has shown that the securities hitherto afforded by public faith, by private attachment, by regard for the wishes of a brave people, by desire for the perpetuation of an ancient dynasty, may henceforth be set at nought by any power with a great army and a formidable weapon. It teaches that the era of territorial ag grandisement, which the Emperor of the French assured us was " gone, never to return," is not yet over, and that with the characteristically absorbing tendency of modern times it may now be pursued without stint or stay. Napoleon, in the zenith of his power, dealt not more despotically with Prussia when he stripped her by successive spoliations, and exhausted her by continual contributions, than Prussia herself has dealt with Hanover. She has pursued towards her unhappy neighbour a policy of exceptional severity. She might have taken her Under her protection, have constituted her neutral territory like Switzerland, she might even have me diatised her like Saxony. The command of her army, the control of her policy, might have been with Bismarck and his successors; or she might have been virtually ruled from Berlin, have been, to almost all intents and purposes, Prussian, if only the separate nationality. .and sovereignty had been preserved to those by whom traditions of the past are cherished, and by whom consequently the transitions of the present are most deeply and painfully felt. In the exercise of his discretion, or rather of the irresistible power which the events of the war have placed at his disposal, the King of Prussia has thought fit to disregard these considerations, to make the iron enter deeply and visibly into the souls of those he has subdued, and to proclaim that henceforth the right of mind is the only title whose validity is to be recognised when the fate of nations and peoples is to be decided, leaving to Kings discrowned by hostilities undertaken without plausible pretext, and pressed " to the bitter end" without pity or enlight ened policy, no heritage but the love of subjects whose only duty henceforth becomes " an endeavour to convert the bitterness and excitement created by annexation, into the sentiment of hopeless resigna tion to the unavoidable decrees of Providence." TIMES.—We have felt ourselves very reluctantly called upon to animadvert on the conduct of one colonial governor, who, after having been most properly relieved from his duties on account of con duct for which there may be urged many excuses, but certainly no justification, has had the bad taste to accept a public festival held in his honour by persons acting in worse taste than himself. We have now to notice the conduct of another colonial governor, also removed from office with the general approbation of men of all parties and opinions, without the excuse of necessity and emergency which palliates Mr. Eyre's errors, hut involved in the folds of a net mainly of his own making. We have no wish to bear hardly on the conduct of Sir Charles Darling, but we cannot pass it over without remark, lest an evil precedent of the gravest impor tance, which Sir Charles Darling has seen fit to create, should escape the repudiation it deserves. We have before us further papers on the troubles in Victoria. Sir Charles Darling had been cen sured, very properly, because he had continued to levy customs duties under the authority of a bill passed by the Assembly of Victoria, which the Council had refused to entertain. He was told that the decision did not affect the practice usual in this country of collecting duties under - - Resolutions of the House of Commons, before the bill has had time to pass, with the view of pre venting a loss to the revenue. But he chooses to consider himself as placed, by the censure of a nd hl Colonial-office, in an unfortunate dilemma , proceeds, with what we can only call mock gravity, • to point out the injury that would occur to the venue if the duties were not at once collected. PI further dwells on his inability to construe an A 3t o f Parliament without legal advice—an evident sneer at the censure he most properly received for e nte r., ing into a plan to deprive one branch of the Vie torian Legislature of its power over the revenue/1i although that course was sanctioned by his i la hf officers—that is, by the law officers appointeo. "‘' the Government in whose interest he was aot.e?e; He concludes by asking for an authoritative decisl°. to guide him for the future, although he must hs" . perfectly well known that no such decision was re d quired, that it could only be given in one sense, O f that a request for it, if made bona fide, would itself prove him unfit to hold the office of Gove rn ' r t of Victoria. Who could justify the intrusting cesie and important interests in one of the most r ein, of our colonies to a man incapable of distinguishing between the collection of revenue in accordsoc with English precedent, with the certainty of future indemnity, and revenue collected for th e /e l purpose of embarrassing and overawing one boa r of the Legislature, with a certainty equally lea that the indemnity would be refused? Or wan would continue such a trust in the hands of a f or capable of affecting ignorance on such a point I d the purpose , . as he believed, of involving his ofac',. superiors in a logical difficulty ? Equally wanting; a just perception of what was due to himself an rt his official superiors is the despatch in which Su Darling replies to the announcement of his disra l 7 o He " bows respectfully to the commands of. t. Queen," and enters his " respectful, but unhes i . t to ing, protest against the grounds of the advice glgve to her Majesty," and then goes on to re-open dlr whole case, and to reiterate arguments aire'! refuted. He denies that he went on colleen% the duties after an adverse decision of Court, because, as we understand, the dece te was only that of a judge and jury q and he ins that he acted under an overwhelming emerge nc .„, Jl because he acted at the request of the Legisla t i Assembly and Government—the very essence " t the case being that he did so without the risen t of the Council. The ground of dismissal was t ?!„ he occupied a position of personal antagont; to almost all those whose position pointed th'; out as most likely to be available to him on O° J. change of Ministry. This was undoubtedly true ig and the only answer Sir Charles Darling offers that he has since entered into an unsuccessful neP to tiation with one of these persons with a ve.v i vi g placing the Government in his hands ; and this, y , are told, provds that " the single reason for re m ing .°b Sir Charles Darling prematurely from the lawa e st and most lucrative office in the Colonial Sallee is entirely baseless." Sir Charles Darling exlar ess o . a hope that his case may be investigated by a e° he mittee of the House of Commons, and if th ere t o thought to exist any reasonable grounds of doM b i ng; to the propriety of the decision which remova l o. from office, this is undoubtedly the proper an d : stitutional course. He announces his intent l be t ' apply for such a committee, and we doubt not it his application will meet with all the attenti 0°,4 deserves. He is quite right to put his case or re V in the form of a memorandum, but we wish he tep stopped here. Unfortunately, he has taken a issod which, if other evidence were wanting, would. s ' o f his unfitness for the high and responsible ofiletbe which he has been deprived. He communicate frog despatch of the Secretary of State recalling hi E° .,l f the colony, together with a minute which he 'al; ce, fore the Colonial Ministry, to his assistants anu m adjutors in the recent transactions—a naill ° biS ,- which, under the form of a narrative, he giY",,,go own version of the affair, and incidentally 1 10 defence of his conduct. That is, he, the repr eee r tive of the Queen, the organ of the Queen's GI, OS ment in the colony, has forgotten himself so , 0 7, 0 38 to submit questions between himself and the - 1 - 1-- 00 . Government to the very persons whom he is t. ° a c i d trol and guide in all matters relating to thor to the Crown and the mother country. The Q ue ,ible Government in England is in no sense respo l ' ea o to the Queen's Government in Victoria, and w°, to imagine no line of conduct more calculateu weaken the connexion between the mother co llo r to and her colonies than an appeal by the Goverl, his Ministers—and through them to the pe°l 3 , - 0 , the country which he has been sent to gove-eci against a decision of the Home authorities, eeP atie t , ally when that decision refers to his own o° l3 „aer This proceeding will hardly be forgotten vib - t ioll Sir Charles Darling makes his promised app is, for redress to the House of Commons, no; 1 „. o our opinion, in itself quite a sufficient justi n of his removal from office. A man who alhltbe the first instance, an attempt by one branch ° ^oa Legislature to oppress and overawe the other . ; „; c 1 who, having thus brought matters to a desui" to lends himself to an illegal combination in or t he obtain the possession of public money w ithout te j, consent of the authorities to whom it is WO% o9 and who appeals to his partners in these offenc'eo• judges between him and the Government thg l ' isg 'ill ployed and trusted him, is certainly not fit t ° t ioDt a new country in the ways of order, mo de° and obedience to the law. COUNTRY MARKETS. BIRMINGHAM—THURSDAY. f At this day's market there was a short supplY ° , d 5 14 1 4 ' lish wheat, and new realised an advance of 4s, gril3'; foreign, 2s per qr. Fine ne .v barley much dearer ;, is t ing unaltered. Old oats maintained their value , 11% jeo 2s per qr. lower. Beans dull, but not cheaper. Ve` firmly held. BRIS T OL—THURSDAY. to PI The weather is excessively wet. On our mar ke t English wheat was in short supply, the condition 100'; ral damp, and the sale was good at fully is per g.,,,r• Foreign held for an improvement of 2s per qr. •E °. 1:0 14 ':1 lug a large consumptive trade, and, notwitbstandnico 0010 arrivals, 6d per qr. more money was realised. P ; e , col pretty freely, at about last week's values. slow, at 6d per qr. dearer. In beans not much d°'"". MANCHES TER—THURSDAY. Do The weather since our last report has been vl r Ja to t o o tied, causing considerable apprehension with reg,3o.lo;fot crops, a large portion of which are still outstandlletouoi district. A little more disposition has been f business during the last day or two, an d sellers y and flour have had the advantage of prices in thei r t o° mark There was a full attendance at this day's imar t o r leo moderate amount of business was transacted 3' provement of fully is per qr. on old wheat and &S r Ae ct,,, of new, while damp and inferior sorts were Pelitol!„'(1 Flour was generally held for Cd to is per sack go re plet v e il but with F.ttle demand. Oats and oatmeal dull of . tai rather easier. Beans and Indian corn bteadily late rates. EDINBURGH—WEDNESDAY. e a ocio. average, Wheat on the top, 2s Od up 2s vla do Barley on the top, is Od up average, 1 0 i d 0? Oats on the top, Os 3d down average, Beans on the top, is Od down average, Os 'fici 0t Total supply and sales. 11 16)1 Wheat Barley Oats 685 (Irs ............ soli /0 Beans lll qrs .... ; ....... sola Average prices. 1 6 5 2 8 9 q q r r s s ..................... ... 5 5 0 0 165 Wheat, 49510 d ( Oats, ......... 310 2 1 AO Barley, 33s lld 1 Beans 530 ~1 6d; vr Town-made floui• sells as follows :—White, pd. superfine, 40s Od ; superfine, 38s 6d; fine, 975 " ----- 00 0 • GLASGOW—WEDNESDAY. , oi a o fo To-day's market was fairly attended. Wb eav d, l dis 'co t ' realised fully previous prices • barley waiting supplies of the present' crop ; new e i t ts ,i ' e o, v meal in good inquiry, at stiffer rates; bea'"_ . Indian corn the turn against buyers. :unaltere „lid .3 I'o Births. BLUNDELL—On the sth inst at 10 Stratton-eef dilly, thee ltietract.,o,.orN of w a ife da o u f g t h la t e er ß . ev. ” T. 11 8.,. Blundell , : 00 ru frj 0. —On the 2d inst., at Syd en hara. th e ' 110 Harrison, Esq., of a son. - 0 0° SUTTON—On the sth inst., at Benham P ark, de wife of Richard Sutton, Esq., of a daughter. 0 ffi . VENNEE—On tho sth inst., at 42, Gloucester-Ptcoihef park, the wife of F. T. S. Veneer, Esq ., of ' Marriages. CO' n „ iv itt,lo, GRIFFITHS—HUBBERT—On the sth inst., st,,ii-0 1: 1 , gregational Church, Croydon, James, son 130,,51,4, Griffiths, Esq., Philpot-lane, and Rooks DieslD, 11 0 Surrey, to Emily Jane, eldest daughter of '' , st , Esq., Croydon. oi rhaP ei Y WOOD —LIFFORD— On the 4th inst., at the ---.., e 1 Anne, Mean Glas, Donegal, John G. d ' I' 3t e .: ll/ji son of John Wood, Esq., of Thedden Grangf ir o the lion. Mary Anne Hewitt, eldest daughter ° Lifford. 9 Deaths. 00 1 1) , ASHBURY—On the 3d inst., at his London ret o rt-,„ 10 4 9, Sussex-place, Hyde-park-gardens, after a $ do e, 1 ." 1 1. John Ashbury, Esq., of Manchester and Vrltivaatl°, 61st year. Friends will kindly accept this I° _ yo r T AfiLnunN—On the 3d inst., at Cintra Lodge, l'u 0 hill, Brixton, Robert Milburn, Esq.,_age d _ 73. w , l'a.,. PIKE— Oa the 3d inst., at Gothic Lodge, relivee'eau.. Pike, Esq., of 10, Water-lane, T 0 WOI-StrOo Il_tz7.,,,ife%r POWER—On the 4th inst., at Ileiallam 1 1 ° 7 ." 1" r ton, aged 56. Wl° x , Power, Esq., barrister, of South Tank--terrace, 00,400, SMITH-On the 6th inst., at Trotton Cottage/ ifeci °l4 l7 B C v Surrey, Robert D. Smyth, Esq. w aiter xr a TEwsos.--On the 4th inst., at Caterharn, . cie a nv youngest son of Mr. E. Towson, of The 13, Clapton. 0.007 W h i fth X , ° R II 0 i f 00 IP — ob O nt wthilecosxthoni,nroist., .a,tag7e,dT6h6e. Para° London : Printed and Published by WILLIA O. ‘" -.4 aim, t y 0 TO 0 of No. 112, Strand, ranter, at Tim S tbe cv Strand, in the Precct the Savoy' , in • litiddleseS.—Friday,September 7, WB6. O ICE urt a i,!,v l et t h Artei - ere. th 1(IN A This c D ublin P; It o p 101 n. 8 01 d i n b y th e Wholesale 8, G RE : 111 4 1 5' fr r enipt -e ap --..________ r r° L] abl e f Thi o fOr .: t i 1 ........_,._ 11" Offices- Fire Fir I Life ti tr o2 ; s la n s Paid b ' a ° ' ' RPtio Th e au en' i l the Clai ms IVhole DER 1 111 E 40CIEIP, I LI VES arOtirabl 17, Wat Vltlcial to° bEAI eerie It It tion a fr t 0 ,eords ttll l ,, r a T , Alb ern A.Ce( NoT Tr s t ate for b' T URI .-renaise th t e., L on s d 1 4 -'4ll p a msay e tort gen th e pon ZP( 1 u ce .,_ ll, e S a e ""Pt th C ° : CC r r ilE D " th , tl Fil'l ports wi ,l ai ( .. r tE; ti _ti re of