The Sun. — London, England, 1866-01-26 00:00:00

The Compasses of Iron Ships. In the course of last autumn a correspondence took place between the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty, the President of the Royal So ciety, and the Board of Trade on the subject of the variation of the compasses of iron ships. This correspondence was towards the close of the year forwarded to the Committee of Lloyd's Register, and has just been printed and circulated under their auspices among the owners of that class of vessels. It opens with a letter from Staff-Com mander F. J. Evans, R.N., Chief Naval Assistant in charge of the Magnetic Department under the Hydrographer of the Admiralty, in which, after briefly adverting to the defective character of the compasses employed in the Royal Navy previous to 1837, and the appointment of a committee of officers conversant with magnetic instruments to inquire into a state of things which had been found to be so pregnant with mischief, he points out that the result of the investigation had been not only the improvement of the compass itself, but the esta blishment on board men-of-war of a system of compass adjustment which continued in opera tion up to the present time, and which proved to be very advantageous. The principal features of this system he describes as being the having in each ship a standard compass distinct from the steering compass, fixed in a position se lected, not for the convenience of the helms man, but because of the moderate and uniform amount of the deviation observable, and the requir ing each ship to be swung and to be navigated by a table of errors. To the neglect of the use of a standard compass he attributes many of the dis asters which have overtaken merchant vessels, and therefore strongly recommends that the em ployment of an instrument so simple in itself and in practice so secure should, as far as possible, be enforced. Assuming that some such system will eventually be adopted in the merchant service, Commander Evans, in an appendix to his letter, offers certain suggestions which he thinks might be found to be of considerable practical utility. lie would have, so far as the requirements of a ship would permit, special arrangements made in the course of her construction to provide a suitable place for the compass, which should be fixed at such a height as to command a clear view of the horizon above the bulwarks, and to be out of the way of the sails, while care should be taken that at least ten feet should intervene between it and any elongated mass of iron. Ile also recommends that every iron ship after being launched should, to as great an extent as was practicable, be kept in a position opposite to that which she occupied while on the building slip, observ ing that when arrangements are made forplacing the compass in the after part of a vessel, building her with her head to the north would produce exaggerated errors, both when upright and heeling. For many years, it appears, the formation of a table of errors by the process of swinging a ship—a place to fix the standard compass having in the first instance been duly selected—was found to answer the purposes of the Admiralty in those cases in which the deviations happened to be moderate in amount. In several of the iron vessels which have been recently constructed, however, the extent of deviation has been so great that magnets had to be employed with a view to its reduction. This mode of correction--perfect though it may be—has not at the same time been allowed to supersede in our navy the system of obtaining a table of errors, and navigating the ship by that table. The benefits which on the score of safety have ac crual to the navy in consequence of the adoption by the Admiralty of the plan which he thus sketches Commander Evans thinks cannot be over estimated, and he points out, iu proof of its efficiency, that the " Admiralty standard compass," which has with but little modification stood the test of 23 years' use, has been copied in every country where attention has , been directed to the subject with which his letter deals. Ile adds that in the manufacture of compasses for the mercantile marine much expense is at present in curred for purposes of mere ornament, and is of opinion that considerable advantage would be the reb•ult if a model compass of sufficient delicacy and accuracy could be fixed upon and furnished at amo derate price. That being done it would, of course, be necessary to secure the services of a sufficient number of persons competent to perform the work of adjustment, and also to determine the line at which the adjustment should be examined. In deal ing with these points Commander Evans observes that several persons were to be found at some of our great mercantile ports who, without having any clear knowledge of tho principles of magnetism, were yet, from constant practice, skilful adjustors of com passes, and suggests that the registration of the names of such men might be desirable as a prelimi nary step. As to the periods for examining the ad justments, he is of opinion that the following re commendation of the Liverpool compass committee fully meets the difficulties of the case : " There appears sufficient reason for requiring that a new sailing ship or- steamer should be swung im mediately before each of the first two or three voyages ; that all iron vessels should be swung im mediately before the first voyage, following any considerable amount of repair, whenever a change has been made in the position of the standard com pass, whenever there is . a change of captain, unless the new captain had charge of the vessel during the preceding voyage as chief officer." • Commander Evans concludes by remarking that the present state and prospects of the science and practice of the correction of the compass render it impossible to offer with confidence any complete set of suggestions as to the system to be adopted in the mercantile marine. The latter is dated the 11th of September, 1865, and in the month of November following the Pre sident of the Royal Society, in replying to a com munication on the subject which he had received some time previously from the Board of Trade, gives expression to his own disappointment and that of the Council at learning that the Board of Trade was not prepared to give effect to the recommenda tion that a system which had been found to work so successfully in the Royal Navy should be ex tended to the mercantile marine, seeing that in sever4l instances of recent occurrence the loss of iron steamers had, in all probability, been occasioned by errors of the compass. In answer to this commu nication Mr. Farrer, the Secretary to the Board of Trade, after remarking that the department which he serves does not yield to the President and Coun cil of the Royal Society in its anxiety to prevent losses at sea, expresses the regret of the Board that the opinion which they felt it to be their duty to form should be at variance with that of so distin guished a body. He then goes on to say that a wide difference exists between the relations in which the Admiralty stands to the Royal Navy and the position occupied by the Board of Trade in reference to the Mercantile Marine, inasmueh as the Admiralty are the owners, designers, and generally the builders of the ships of the nation, and as such are bound to use every means in their power to construct them in the best manner, to pro vide them with the best equipments, and to dictate to those engaged in building, equipping, or navigat ing them such arrangements as science and experi ence suggest, while the Board of Trade are not the owners or designers of merchant ; ships and if they were to take upon themselves the responsibility of regulating the construction of every such ship, and requiring that she should be provided with what the Board might deem necessary and proper equipments, they would be usurping a power which they do not possess, and with which, as a matter of policy, they ought not to be intrusted. The Board, Mr. Farrer adds, do not deem it desirable that they should take upon themselves the discharge of a function which properly belongs to shipowner, and which it is his interest, us well as his duty, to perform efficiently. The interference of Government, as proposed, would, they feel satisfied, be injuri ous to trade, while it would in the end be no less prejudicial to the safety of the public and the advancement of science. But, altogether independent of such consid . era tions, the subject of the deviation of the compass is, in its pre sent state, peculiarly unfit for administrative inter ference, because of the number and dissimilarity of the causes and effects of the deviation, varying, as they do, according to the build of a ship, the nature and quality of the material of which she happens to be built, the direction of the line of her keel while in course of construction, the quantity and stowage of her cargo, her position for the time being, and her distance from the magnetic equator. The ques tion is one, moreover, on which the highest autho rities are not agreed, inasmuch as, while the Royal Society approved the system employed by the Admi ralty, the totally differentprinciple acted upon in the Mercantile Marine received the support of no less an authority than the Astronomer-Royal. " For these reasons," Mr. Farrer concludes by say ing, " the Board of Trade, while prepared to pro cure the best scientific help in investigations into wrecks, are not willing to assume the responsibility which would be involved in appointing an officer or officers whose duty it would be to superintend the compasses of merchant ships, and to enforce upon shipowners and navigators compliance with what such officers may believe to be the latest re quirements of science. In coming to this conclusion, the Board of Trade believe that they are doing what is most calculated to promote the free and healthy development of scientific results as applied to the Mercantile Marine as well as to further what are their own proper objects—the benefit of trade and the public safety." It only remains to state that of the determination thus announced by Mr. Farrer, on behalf of the Board of Trade, the Committee of Lloyd's Register have, while calling the attention of the Mercantile Marine to the importance of the subject, signified their entire approval. Naval and Military Intelligence. Our Malta correspondent, under date of Valetta, January 10, announces the return to Malta, on the Bth inst., of Her Majesty's gunvessel Surprise, 4, Commander G. Tryon, having in tow the English bark Energy, J. Jones master, which had gone ashore on the sand near l'ozzallo, and for the re covery of which the Surprise had been despatched by Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Smart, at the request for assistance made to him by the agent for the Liverpool under-writers. Her Majesty's frigate Arethusa, 35, Capt. R. J. J. G. Macdonald, left Malta harbour on the Bth inst. for Corfu, conveying a general mail for that island. She is to relieve the Terrible and send her to Malta. The Assurance, 4, Commander H. B. Woollcombe, left on the follow ing day for Patras, to relieve the Chanticleer, and send her to Malta. The Meeanee, 60, Capt. G. Wodehouse, was under orders to be paid off, and be put out of commission. It was expected she would leave about the 18th of January for England. No news had been received of the Telegraph Expedition for the repair of the Alexandria and Benghazi sec tion of the cable, and it was supposed it had been detained by bad weather. Yesterday a general order, signed by Lord W. Paulet, K.C.8., Adjutant-General, and issued by command of Field-Marshal the Duke of Cambridge, was promulgated to the officers at Chatham gar rison, announcing the finding and sentence of the general court-martial which assembled some time back for the :trial of Quartermaster Malcolm Keir, of the Military Train. The prisoner was arraigned on charges of having, when stationed at the Cur ragh Camp, in the years of 1863, 1864, 1865, re ceived pecuniary gratuities in several instances from ' Messrs. W. and B. Wright, of Clonmel, the con tractors for supplying the Military Train with forage, the total amount so received being £125, and of endeavouring to obtain from the same firm a loan of £2O, promising that he would be useful to them. The Court found the prisoner " Guilty" on both charges, and sentences him to be cashiered. In accordance with the directions of the Duke of Cambridge, the charges preferred against him, with the finding and sentence of. the Court, and her Majesty's confirmation of them, were entered in the general order-book, and read at the head of every regiment in her Majesty's service. The Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief trusts that the example which has been made in this case will put an end to the pernicious system of receiving money as a bonus from the contractors for forage and other articles supplied to her Majesty's troops, which, there is too much reason to believe, has prevailed to a considerable extent. The following officers and troops at Chatham have been placed under orders to proceed from that garrison to embark for the stations named : —Lieut. William Nangle, two sergeauts, and 85 rank and file of the 2d Battalion 15th Regiment, for Gib raltar ; Lieut. F. B. Sandys, Lieut. J. W. G. Telfer, and 50 non-commissioned officers and men of the 24 Battalion 4th (King's Own) Regiment ; Capt. J. N. Bamford, Lieut. J. Tennyson, Ensign J. W. Bazalgette, 63 non-commissioned officers and men, and one armourer-sergeant of the 29th Regiment, for Malta ; Capt. A. N. Adams, Ensign J. 11. Ford, one sergeant, and five men of the, 2d Battalion 20th Regiment, for China ; total, eight officers and 211 non-commissioned officers and men. The brigades and batteries of the Royal Artillery now on garrison duty were yesterday drawn out on parade in front of their barrack quarters at Wool wich to witness the presentation of medals and gra tuities for good conduct and long service in the re giment conferred by the Field-Marshal Command ing-in-Chief of the Army. Some of the recipients, whose term of service exceeded 21 years, received gratuities of £l5 each ; and others, of minor periods, £lO and £5 each. Their names are as follows : Sergt.-Major Osborne, Sergt.' Grooves, Quarter master-Sergt. M. M'Gregor, and Sergt. J. Newton, all of the Coast Brigade ; and Sergeant Little of the Depot Brigade. The whole of the re wards were presented by Major-General E. C. WTarde, C. 8., commanding the district, who, ad dressed a lengthened discourse applicable to the juniors who were present, encouraging them to pursue a similar career, which would obtain for them simi lar mark's of the Sovereign's bounty and theircoun try's admiration. The general afterwards handed over various other medals and gratuities to officers commanding brigades, with instructions to present or forward them to the non-commissioned officers and men whose names were appended, and who were entitled to them by their exemplary characters and length of service. The War Department steam storeship Lord Pan mum, from the western yards, yesterday completed discharging her cargo at 'Woolwich Arsenal. She is under orders to be docked at some private yard, under contract about tobe issued. She is to be fitted with new boilers and to undergo the necessary re pairs to ship and machinery. The chartered ship Arcadia yesterday completed loading a cargo, consisting of about 700 tons of hut ting stores, from Woolwich Arsenal, for Bermuda, and sailed this morning. The Investigator, also hired and taken up for the shipment of butting materials for Bermuda, went down to Woolwich yesterday, and hauled alongside the T pier. Her Majesty's 17 gun screw sloop Zebra, 951 tons, and 2001orse power, recentlypaid out of com mission on being ordered home from the West Coast of Africa, was yesterday towed up to Woolwich dockyard by the Otter and Wildfire, to be docked and to undergo a thorough refit for service. The Otter and Wildfire, together with the steam-tug Bustler, afterwards embarked a large number of seamen and lads berthed on board the flagship Fis gard, ordered to be removed to the naval barracks at Sheerness, and proceeded to that port. The Minotauriron frigate, Capt. G. Herbert (pro tem.), with Capt. A. C. Key, of the Excellent gun nery ship, left her anchorage at Spithead yesterday morning to commence her series of trials. She pro ceeded as far as St. Alban's Head without any ap pearance of being able to accomplish the object The weather was beautifully fine, with a calm sea, consequently it was deemed advisable to return to Spithead, where she again anchored, and will remain until a favourable opportunity presents itself. The screw steam corvette Rattlesnake, 21, Capt. Arthur P. Eardley-Wilmot, went on Monday af ternoon from Plymouth Sound to the dockyard jetty in liamoaze, where she was inspected on Tuesday morning by Port Admiral Sir Charles H. Fremantle, K.C.B. The screw steam frigate Topaze, 31, vacated No. 2 dock at Devonport on Tuesday, and was placed at her moorings in Hamoaze. The crew of the screw steam-frigate Galatea, 26, Capt. Itochfort Maguire, were paid off on Tuesday morning alongside the dockyard at Devonport. The Commander-in -Chi e f has approved Ensign Crockett, of the 84th Regiment, exchanging from the service to. the depot companies with Ensign Hamilton. Mr. D. Lamont, who has for score time past held the post of superior barrack sergeant at Colchester camp, has been appointed barrack master at Canterbury. The Tamar troopship, Capt. Sterling will shortly be out of the hands of the dockyard authorities and be ready for service again. She is coaling in the steam-basin Portsmouth. The Conqueror, screw, Captain Swan, is hourly looked for at Spithead, from the China station. She is bringing home a battalion of the Royal Marine Light Infantry from Japan, and a large number of naval and military invalids from different ships and Regiments in China. It is expected they will disembark at Portsmouth, after which the Conqueror will proceed to Sheerness to be paid off. The screw steam storeship Fox, 2, Staff Com mander, Henry A. Moriarty, having discharged her freight, was put out of Keyham Steam-yard on Wednesday, and taken to Devonport dockyard. She has on board boilers and engine gear for the Hima laya, and left the Sound yesterday for Portsmouth. The iron-cased screw steamship Lord Clyde, 24, was removed on Wednesday from dock No. 3 to the basin in Keyham Steam-yard, where she wil be com pleted for the first division of the Steam Reserve. The paddlewheel steam storeship Dee, 1, Master Commander George Raymond, from Woolwich and Portsmouth with stores for the dockyard, arrived at Devonport yesterday. The following appointments were made yesterday at the Admiralty :—Benjamin Renaud, master ad ditional, to the Fisgard, for transport duties ; the Rev. C. H. Harbord, chaplain to the Princess Royal, vice Yeoman invalided; Valentine D. Hughes and F. H. B. Sorell, master's assistants, to the Topaze ; James Maitland and George C. Webb, master's-assistants, additional, to the Topaz° ; Frank Pittman, assist.-paymaster in charge, to the Investi gator ; and Charles B. Willcocks, assist. -paymaster to the Indus. The Cattle Plague. LIVERPOOL. At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon a meeting, con vened by the Mayor of Liverpool, was held at the Town Hall, Liverpool, for the purpose of memo rialising the magistrates of the West Derby Hun dred " to vary their order prohibiting cattle brought from places beyond their jurisdiction being driven along the public highways, so as to allow such cattle to be driven along the roadway between theborough boundary at the cattle-market at Stanley." The mayor, Mr. John Farmonth, presided ; and among those present were Mr. T. B. Horsfall, M.P., Mr. Charles Turner, M.P., and Mr. Graves, M.P. Mr. Hugh Cullen, of the firm of Messrs. Verdon and Cullen, cattle salesmen, proposed the following re solution :—" That this meeting is most anxious to co-operate with the magistrates of the hundred of West Derby in preventing the spread of the cattle plague ; but that, in the opinion of this meeting, the order made by the justices on Tuesday, the IGth of January, in its present form, will be productive of considerable inconvenience to persons engaged in the cattle trade, and also to the public. That no cattle are kept or fed on the route to the cattle market, which is less than a mile beyond the borough boundary, within the jurisdiction of the said magis trates. That the regulations of the magistrates in prohibiting the traffic of cattle on the road to and from the market will therefore be of no avail in pre venting the spread of the plague, but will be most injurious to the trade, and will increase the present high price of butchers' meat, so as to place it beyond the reach of the labouring population, and by re ducing their scale of diet increase the great amount of sickness within the borough." Mr. Hall seconded the motion. He referred to the inconsistent con duct of the Mayor of Salford, who, when he came down to Liverpool, urged that they should close the Liverpool market and keep open the Salford ' one, because there was such an enormous population in his locality. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. Anger moved, " That in the opinion of this meeting the housing of unusually large numbers of cattle in tended for the Liverpool cattle market within the borough, without proper accommodation, would be a serious evil, and injurious to the public health. Mr. Wilson seconded themotion, which was adopted. Mr. E. Robinson moved, " That his Worship the Mayor be respectfully requested to forward the memorial to the magistrates," which prayed them to vary their order to such a degree as to permit the transit of cattle between the borough boundary and the cattle market at Stanley. Mr. John Gibbon seconded the motion. Mr. Stephens suggested that, if the West Derby magistrates did not accede to the request of the memorial, steps should be taken to open a temporary market within the borough. Mr. Robertson Gladstone did not think a more import ant question could be offered for consideration than that which involved not only the supply of the ordi nary comforts of the community, but of positive support for the great masses of,the people. He there fore considered—though far from being disposed to speak disrespectfully of the county magistrates— that this question had scarcely received that fair and full consideration to which it was entitled. They knew very well that Liverpool was supplied with meat from the Stanley cattle market. And what must be the effect to the community when the source of supply was, as it were, constantly and un mistakably cut off ? The effect would be to paralyse trade, and to raise the serious question which was most to be complained of—the remedy of the dis ease. It appeared to him that the orders of the countymagistrates were un n ecessarily and excessively strict, and they certainly were so as compared with those which were to be found in London and other large towns. In London an area of four miles round Charing-cross was allowed ; in Liverpool, cattle salesmen and others were not even allowed to remove their cattle on the road to the extent of three-quarters of a mile, or less. He could not see what there was on that road to cause alarm. It was mostly lined by houses and walls, and there certainly was no cattle-feeding going on. At one time it was proposed to extend the borough boundary in that direction beyond the market, and if that had been done there would have been no need for this meet ing. Then, again, the cattle coining into the town by sea were all strictly examined, and could not be passed unless they were in perfect health. It was impossible that Liverpool could obtain a supply from the district around, for cattle feeding was not car ried out in this district. He trusted, therefore, that the West Derby magistrates would reconsider their decision, and grant the memorial, otherwise people would be found who would attribute to them some other motive than the necessary requirements for preserving the health of the people. (Cheers.) Mr. Horsfall, M.P., said that the cattle from Ire land were landed here in sound health and were examined, and, this being done, he could not see what harm there could be in sending them three quarters of a mile beyond the borough boundary. Mr. Charles Turner, M.P., expressed himself to the same effect, and the resolution and memorial were then adopted. Mr. S. R. Graves, M.P., moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor. He quite agreed with his colleague that the Mayor, as the head of that large community, should endeavour on Monday next to present the memorial in person, and, in addition to that, that he would also endeavour to impress upon the magistrates some of the weighty reasons which had been urged at the present meeting. Mr. C. Turner, M.P., seconded the motion, which was adopted, and the proceedings terminated. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY ErENING, SANUART 26,. 1866. NOTTS. Au adjourned General Sessions was held on Weil nesday at Newark to take further steps with regard to the cattle plague. Lord Belper occupied the chair, and there were also present the Right Hon. J. E. Denison, M.P., Col. Monckton, Mr. Manners Sutton, Mr. Burmell, Mr. Barrow, M.P., Col. Boddam, &c. Mr. Denison, M.P., said before they entered into the question of further action upon the cattle plague, he should like to ask Lord Belper if he could give them any information as to the effect of vaccination in the county of Cheshire, and whether he had not re ceived information which, at all events, would go to show that vaccination could not be considered to be perfect security against the plague. Lord Belper said he had received some information from Mr. Tollemache, who had devoted a good deal of time to the subject. Mr. Tollemache, it appeared, was very much inclined to think at first that vaccination would effect great results, but, although the experi ments were at first successful, cows had since been attacked after vaccination. He (Lord Belper) there fore thought that although vaccination might be useful as a safeguard, it was not a perfect one. As Mr. Paget had mentioned to him, so long as an animal was suffering under one disease it was not so much liable to take another ; therefore so long as the effects of vaccination were going on, an animal would probably not be so much likely to take the disease. Although vaccination was not a perfect security, the general feeling was that it might be useful. Mr. Denison said he asked that question of his lordship because, if vaccination could be regarded as a security, it might alter the opinion of people with regard to any other stringent step to be taken with the plague. But as Mr. Tollemache's own herd had been attacked by the disease after vaccination, it must of course tend to shake the confidence of the public in vaccination. He would now ask whether there was any hope of any other remedy at all? He had seen a letter written by the Consul at Odessa, which stated that no remedies which had been tried, whether fumigation, bleeding, or medicine, had been successful, and which would therefore warrant re commendation. The letter gave an account of the treatment of the disease in Russia. But coming nearer home, he might say that he had written to the veterinary colleges and to the Cattle Plague Commissioners, and they all said that they could not see that there was any specific which could be specially recommended for preventing the disease when once among the cattle. Well, the veterinary inspectors all said the same thing. The state of things going on at present in this county was this : —The disease spreads itself to a farm, and a farmer who has a good many cattle hopes he may have success in getting rid of it, and he therefore tries various remedies. He was sorry to say he had seen it going on, and had witnessed cattle which were first slightly affected get worse and die. When cattle got into the last stages of decomposition they had no idea of the amount of contagion. (Hear, hear.) They became so fetid that when they were taken away to be buried after death men turned sick while digging the graves and burying them. Well, therefore, might they suppose that if 50 or 60 animals died on one farm in the course of a few weeks, the air must be impregnated with this noxious virus to a very great degree, and the conse quence was that it forced its way to the next farm. He had been to a meeting that day of farmers held in Newark, and he was sorry to say that this was just what was going on. The plague was now dreadfully bad at Mr. Cartwright's farm at Marn ham, 74 beasts having died out of a herd of 80. The contagion became so intense that it affected the next farm, and now it had reached Grassthorpe and Normanton, and so it would go on all through their villages. This would be the case, undoubtedly, unless something were done beyond what they were doing at present. He felt sure that it would thus go through the whole country, and carry off all the cattle. This was a very serious contemplation, and the question was whether it was possible to take any steps that would be more efficient than those at present adopted. The magistrates had done what they could to restrict traffic, but as the disease had got among them he felt quite certain that what they had done was not sufficient to check it. Well, then, was there anything that would assist in stop ping it ? He had been looking about to see what had been done elsewhere, and he found that in the county of Aberdeen they had taken steps which had been attended with remarkable success--(hear, hear) —and with most valuable consequences. (Hear, hear.) He then read an extract from the ac count which had appeared in the newspapers of January 19, of the meetieg of the Highland Agri cultural Society, stating the course which had been taken in Aberdeenshire, in which county they had adopted a system of voluntary rating of ld. in the pound, and by acting in consort had stamped out the disease seven times, and had now been • free from it a month. Now, Mr. Hcpe, a speaker at that meet ing, said that the people of Aberdeen had treated this matter in a much more sensible way than any body else, and he explained how they treated it. They had stopped the disease, and secured them selves from immense expense. Ile (Mr. Denison) could wish that this county was as yet in a favour able position for trying thesarne experiment. (Hear, hear.) The centre part of the county was at present free from disease, and in the Vale of Belvoir, up the county to Mansfield, it had appealed. It was down in the villages near Newark to a certain extent, and where it had spread it had destroyed their cattle. In the north of the county, in Bassetlaw and about Retford, there had not been many cases, and he thought that if the matter were thoroughly taken in hand, and all acted well together, they might stop the disease entirely, and he was sure they might do which would be as eenxspeense it must be if the s n o ot a h t in p g ro o d o i m gi p o a u r s e ly d l t e o ss wh ex a p t thing were allowed to go on as at present. . He had written down to Edinburgh for more complete details of the system of rating, as to what basis it had been done on, wad what their organisation had been. He had no doubt that they instituted an active canvass among the farmers. If they considered what a penny in the pound was, they must acknowledge it was not much. Suppose a farmer was paying £2OO per annum, he would have to pay 165., and if they went to the large landowners who paid £l,OOO they would get £4 and a few pence. Bypaying that sum they would be placing themselves in a position of comparative security. But what he chiefly locked to was the chance of stopping the disease. At pre sent, however, there was no kind of unanimity ; everybody was left to do the best for themselves. Nothing was to be done by treatment. He advo cated the adoption of the same scheme as in Aber deenshire, and said it was a question for themselves. (Hear.) By adopting the Turkish Bath on one of his farms he had done himself the greatest injury. Mr. Paget supported the observations of Mr. Deni son, and after some discussion it was agreed to obtain the necessary information by Wednesday next, and that the county meanwhile be prepared for carrying out the scheme adopted in Aberdeenshire. YORKSHIRE (NORTH RIDING). A special Quarter Sessions for the North Riding of Yorkshire was held at Northallerton on Wednes day, to adopt such new rules and regulations as might be thought desirable to prevent the spreading of the cattle plague. Earl Cathcart, who presided, read the report of the police committee, which pointed out the way in which the Court was fettered by the Orders in Council, and suggested a resolu tion to the effect that to the extent of the limited powers confided to them the justices of the North Riding had done their very utmost towards cattle plague prevention, but they desired to record, and they begged to convey to her Majesty's Government their decided opinion, which was, that the authorised means were utterly inadequate to that end. The non. W. E. Duncombe, M.P., moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr. Pulleine, and carried. Lord Teignmouth urged theimportance of united action throughout the country, and said the newspapers were calling for prompt and instan taneous action in this matter. He moved that this Court, feeling the inadequacy of the means of pre venting the cattle plague placed at its disposal, were of opinion that Government ought to assume the responsibility for uniform and united action, and that the chairman be requested to communicate this resolution to the Secretary for the Home Depart ment. The Earl of Zetland seconded the motion, which was supported by Sir J. Lawson and Mr. Cayley, and adopted. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNORS.—A week or two after wards this matter was brought under the notice of the vestry. The proceediugi aro thus reported in the leading organ :—" The bill of expenses for perambulating the boundaries of the parish, amounting to £133 18s. Gd., was presented from the general purposes committee. Mr. N. said the expenses had been much increased by persons not vestrymen being at the dinner. Mr. D. had seen per sons there who were not vestrymen, or connected with neighbouring parishes, and who wore busy bonneting ves trymen." (My conscience, bonnet a 'vestryman !) "He could name the coroner's beadle for one. He had been told that plates of meat had been sent from the Argyle to the house of Mr. B. Mr. B. rose indignantly and denied the assertion. Mr. D. could give his authority, namely, Mr. F. Mr. B.: Then Mr. F. is a liar! A riotous scene than took place between Mr. B. and the other vestrymen, after which the resolution was adopted."—Dickenis "All the Year Round." The Colliery Accident at Wigan. WIGAN, Thursday. The names of the two deceased whose bodies had not been identified yesterday are Seth Helleck, 30, a collier, residing at Rose-hill, Ashton; and George Pollitt, 20, drawer, living at the same place. As soon as all had been identified, and tickets stating their names and residences pinned to the clothes of each, a dozen persons employed by the firm com menced the task of washing and laying out the bodies. One-third of the coffins required were made on the premises, and a score have been obtained from Wigan, and in these the corpses have now been placed, to await the inspection of the jury. This will probably take place to-morrow morning, when the inquest will be opened, formal evidence of iden tity taken, and then adjourned for a week or more. The excitement caused in the neighbourhood by the accident appears rather to increase than diminish, as large numbers of persons hourly visit the pit, where there is but little to be seen, and crowds of relatives and friends hang round the shed in which the bodies have been placed. It has already been stated that the fireman of the pit, William Marsh, was on his way back to the workings from the pit eye when the explosion oc curred, and by the side of this may be placed the fact that the leading partner in the firm who . own the colliery, Mr. Mercer, was actually waiting on the pit bank to descend the shaft when the explo sion took place. He was about to accompany Ash croft, the underlooker, into the place of a man named Hill, but Ashcroft was busy superintending the lowering of a pony down the No. 1 shaft, and, fortunately for Mr. Mercer, this operation took rather longer than usual. The mine in which the explosion happened is one of the most peculiar in the kingdom, owing to the number and variety of the faults which interrupt the seam, and which it is next to impossible to de scribe without the aid of a plan. From the fact of its being a maiden coal field, and the irregular cha racter of the seam, every possible precaution had been taken to ensure the safety of the men. Extra firemen were appointed, the use of naked lights were forbidden, and, as the mine is not generally a fiery one, the men considered they were working as safely as possible in a coal mine. It is not to be believed that the quantity of gas which exploded was very large, but all agree that the effects of the explosion must have been terrific. Many of the de ceased are burnt very seriously; but few, if any, have lost their lives by the choke-damp, and it is thought that the great majority have been killed by the concussion. Yesterday, Mr. Higson, the Government inspec tor ; Mr. John Higson ; Mr. Evans and his brother ; Mr. Watkin, from Messrs. Blundell's ; Mr. Pickard, miners' agent ; Mr. Clarke, of Pem berton ; Mr. Clarke, of Ashton ; Marsh, the fire man ; and Ashcroft, the underlooker, made a thorough inspection of the workings ; but it is be lieved that not a single fact was gleaned which would show the cause of the explosion. At present, therefore, the mystery which surrounds the explo sion remains still unsolved, the only conjecture as to the cause being one which Mr. Mercer is taking measures to test. Ile believes it possible that there may have been a " blower," or sudden outburst of gas, from the floor of the mine at the spot which is fixed as that where the gas was ignited, and that the rush of this may have blown the light of the safety-lamp through the gauze, and so caused the accident. It is stated that the most careful inspec tion has not discovered that any lamp top was off. The lads who were recovered from the bottom of the jig brow do not appear to have been much hurt. Mr. Higson, the Government inspector, will make another examination of the mine before the inquest. The Shropsbire Murder. -0- STOTTESDEN, Wednesday. To-day the inquest on the unfortunate young man Edward Edwards, who was so brutally mur dered at Duddlewich Mill, near this place, on Sun day week, was resumed before Mr. 'Prow, the dis trict coroner, at the Cock Inn in this place. All sorts of rumours as to the perpetrator of the foul crime have been rife, but we forbear giving currency to them. Mr. Backhouse, of Bridgnorth, attended to watch the evidence on the part of the family of Mr. Mere dith, the uncle of the deceased, with whom he lived. Before taking any fresh evidence the coroner re examined all the witnesses who had given evidence on the first inquiry. These were Elizabeth llarris and Samuel Harris, servants to Mr. Meredith ; Mr. Meredith, and Wm. Dorrell. The additional testi mony given by them added very little to their first depositions. The servants in their re-examination stated that on the Sunday morning of the !murder Mr. Meredith, the uncle of the deceased, was in the house an hour after Harris had seen the deceased go to the mill. He went out of the house. Harris was attending to the cows in the yard and Mr. Meredith ordered him away. Mr. Meredith went to the mill before church. He did not say anything about the deceased's accounts when he returned from the mill. Timothy Fletcher worked for Mr. Meredith and slept in the house. Deceased always helped him to feed the mare and pigs. The deceased usually kept the key of the mill, and when he was away and wit ness wanted it witness had to wait until he came home. Deceased had a book in which he kept an account of things sold out of the mill. Wm. Barber, another of Mr. Meredith's men, de posed to hearing the deceased and Mr. Meredith quarrelling in the mill on the Saturday before the murder. The deceased afterwards told witness that Mr. Meredith had been " on with him" about Mr. Hyde's grist. Had seen the punch produced (a piece of iron about ten inches long) in the mill. Saw de ceased using it a few days before his death. Mr. Hodges, the surgeon, who made the post mor tem examination of the deceased, deposed that he assisted in carrying the deceased upstairs on the Sunday evening. There were 16 or 20 wounds on the scalp. He did not know, in fact, how many. The punch produced would have been very likely to produce the wounds. The Coroner said the skull should have been pro duced. Witness said he expected Dr. Thursfield, who bad the skull, would have been present for that purpose. The punch would not have produced all the wounds. The scalp wounds must have been produced by some sharp instrument. The bleeding had ceased, but a little blood might have escaped from the de ceased while he was being carried upstairs ; the sheet round the body, however, would have caught it. Had known the deceased some time. He was a weakly boy. By Mr. Backhouse—lt would take a strong man to inflict the wounds, which had penetrated to the brain ; but a person of the deceased's own age (18) might have inflicted many of the 30 or 40 wounds found on the head. Police -constable Brownwell deposed that about seven o'clock on the Sunday night he was called in by Mr. Meredith, who informed him of what had happened. Witness asked if he had any suspicion who had done it, and he said he had not. Went with him to the mill, and found on the middle floor an account-book (produced). It was lying on the floor open. There was blood on it, and in one place two large spots of blood, which had been besmeared as if with the intention of wiping it off. There was a good deal of blood on the floor. The book ap peared to have been struck with something hard, the blow penetrating through several pages. They then went to the lower floor of the mill, and here was also a good deal of blood. There were three pools of blood, and blood had been spurted against the wall reaching from the floor about a yard high. Here they picked up a walking stick and the iron punch (both produced). They were near a pool of blood, where Mr. Meredith said the deceased's head lay. Finger marks of blood were also found. Superintendent Christie, of Wellington, proved that he examined the clothes of all the people at Mr. Meredith's on Sunday. He found twenty or thirty spots of blood on the leg of a pair of trousers of Mr. Meredith, in the inner part of the leg. He had sent the trousers to London to an analyst. Mr. Meredith's jacket appeared to have been washed. The inquest was adjourned for the return of the officer who had gone to London with the uncle's trousers. SPIRIT OF THE PITBLIO JOURNALS. TIMES.--The report of the Commissioners on capital punishment, now for the first time regularly published, contains the divisions of the Commission on the most important points at issue in the inquiry. It appears that Mr. Ewart moved a declaration to the effect that "capital punishment might safely and with advantage to the community be at once abo lished." This, however, received the assent of four only out of the 12 Commissioners—namely, Dr. Lushington, Mr. Bright, Mr. Neate, and Mr. Ewart himself ; but Mr. Justice O'Hagan appended his opinion in favour of the principle theoretically con sidered. He thought that " the weight of evidence and reason was in favour of the abolition of capital punishment," but he doubted whether public opi nion was ripe for such a change, or whether it could be introduced without practical difficulties. Ano ther division took place on the substitution of pri vate for public executions ; and here it is remark able that all the four Commissioners who had voted for the abolition of capital punishment altogether voted against this proposal for inflicting it privately. In this protest they were joined by one other Com missioner, Mr. Moncrieff. Although, therefore, the report itself conveyed no expression of opinion on the critical question of retaining or abolishing the last penalty of the law, it is plain that an absolute majority of the Commissioners were, if not in fa vour of its retention, at any rate unwilling to re commend its abolition. A perusal of the evidence taken will at once suggest the case with which any variety of inferences might have been drawn from it. We have already observed that before any conclusion could be generally accepted it would be requisite to settle a previous question, more difficult than the question itself. " Ought we to hang a man ?" is the immediate inquiry ; but this would be preceded by another, " Why is a man hanged ?" If we consider that society, in taking the life of a murderer, is only exacting a retribution justly due and most distinctly prescribed, almost all the ob jections against capital punishment would at once disappear. From this point of view it signifies comparatively little whether the spectacle of an execution has a deterrent or a brutalising effect, or no effect at all. The assassin has forfeited his life, and the forfeit is exacted. He has rendered himself liable to punishment, or rather has left it incumbent upon society to in flict this punishment upon him. The punishment so deserved must be inflicted, and it is a matter of secondary consideration only in what manner or under what circumstances the execution should take plaee. It is well known, of course, that a theory is entertained which is exactly the reverse of this—a theory which condemns the taking of life for any crime, however enormous, as unbecomine, a Chris tian community, if not opposed to Christian b law. The advocates of these principles have no common ground with the partisans of the former doctrine, nor would any amount of evidence be likely to bring them together. The main question, therefore, is not so much a question of evidence or authority as of conflicting forces and ultimate preponderance. One of the contending parties is, undoubtedly, more active than the other ; but we are not prepared to say that is the more numerous, or even under the deepest convictions. As regards the secondary question of prevention, there is, at any rate, one guarantee acquired by society from the retention of capital punishment. It is quite certain that a man who commits a murder and is hanged for it will commit no more murders. No other punishment of a murderer would give us this certainty ; for it is obvious to remark, after what we know of penal servitude, that no sentence of imprisonment for life could be regarded as irrevocable or final. It was given in evidence that no criminals would believe in a life-sentence, though, if they could believe in it, it might frighten them more than death. Strong testimony, too, was given to the fact that such sen tences could not not be practically carried out. The criminal would become insane or desperate, and utterly unmanageable, if deprived of all hope of relief. Mr. Denman even recognised the pos sible necessity of using chains or cages for such people ; but it may be reasonably questioned whether such a punishment could hold its place after the gallows had been abolished. If the in fliction of death is to be avoided in deference to humanity, it is clear that inflictions believed to be worse than death could hardly be retained. Mr. Denman's evidence is exceedingly curious, especially if regarded as the expression of practical experience. In his capacity as a barrister he made a point of attending every case of murder tried on his circuit for some years, and he was himself not unfrequently engaged in these trials. He now tells us very distinctly that in his opinion the chief effect of Capital Punishment is to enable a prisoner's counsel to obtain an acquittal from a jury. Not only the jury, indeed, but the Judge, the witnesses, and all parties together, are involuntarily influenced by the prospect of a capital sentence in case of con viction, and disposed, if possible, to escape so awful a conclusion. The consequence is that murderers " as bad as Palmer and even Rush" are acquitted and let loose again upon society, and Mr. Denman is anxious to protect society by the substitution of a penalty less likely to interfere with conviction. " It is open," said he, " to those who are acquitted to commit fresh murders." No doubt, but might it not be also open to those released or escaping from confinement ? If the protection of society is the one Object to be insured, there is certainly no prison so safe as the grave. If there are men as bad as Palmer and Rush abroad in society, at any rate the actual Palmer and the actual Rush are not among us, and never will be again. The present system, contemplated from this view of the case, gives us absolute security for the future in what we must needs presume are the most dangerous instances ; the other system, while releasing us, possibly, from some danger now encountered, would deprive us of absolute security altogether. If there were no gal lows, says Mr. Denman, we should have no Painless among us defying the law. If there were no gal lows, we answer, we might have Palmer himself among us at this moment on ticket of leave. The question of private as opposed to public executions can be argued more independently of foregoing principles than that of Capital Punishment itself, and we can hardly recognise in the evidence so de cided a preponderance of opinion as the Report suggests. Supposing hanging to be both lawful and expedient, we are clearly at liberty so to regulate the execution as may conduce most to good and least to evil. It is said to be an evil that those who attend an execution arc " brutalised," or, at anp rate, not beneficially impressed by the spectacle; but if it is a greater punishment or indignity, as nobody doubts, to be publicly hanged than to be privately hanged, society is entitled to the advantage of the greater effect. It is certainly possible that a mau who would not be frightened by the mere prospect of death might be frightened by theprospect of death on a public scaffold, and thus deterred from crime. It is admitted also that there are certain other ad vantages in publicity, while, as far as we can see, the particular persons presumed to be "brutalised " are too brutish already to be exposed to much in jury. The opinions of the Judges ow the question were much divided. Lord Cranworth is in favour, " on the whole," of private executions, but he rea sonably remarked that the actual sight of a man hanging would be more likely than any other lesson to teach another man that if be committed murder he would be banged. Baron Martin is for public executions. Baron Bramwell would have them neither entirely public nor entirely private, but he added that his opinion on the subject was not de cidedly formed. Mr. Justice Willes was equally undecided, but " had not been able to make up his own mind to make any change." Lord Wensleydale would have executions iu private. We do not ima gine that Mr. Bright and his friends really object to the privacy of executions, if executions there must be, but rather that they were unwilling by their recommendation to give their sanction to executions of any kind whatever. In the same way we should interpret their adhesion to the suggestions of the actual report, as placing the best limitations on Capital Punishment, if such punishment is to be retained at all. But the inquiry has shown more clearly than anything else the inevitable complica tions and embarrassments of the whole question. There is a feeling, no doubt, against the taking of life, but there is also a feeling the other way, though it is less openly expressed, and it might be mani fested, as was admitted before the commission, in very undesirable forms upon any great provocation. Opinions may change, perhaps, in future genera tions, but instincts are strongly conflicting at pre sent, nor are they likely, we fear, to be effectually reconciled either by investigation or discussion. HERALD.—In times of political trouble and great emergency we cannot expect to meet with Justice in that robe of decorum, an i with that patient expres sion on her face, which she is accustomed to wear when surrounding circumstances are as decent and orderly as she is. The punishment of malefactors must needs be sharp and quick when it is necessary to create an impression, which the delay of a day, or an hour, may do much to remove. We should not like to have repeated in our day those summary executions, which in old times were wont to follow a revolt, when men were hanged on mere suspicion or on hearsay evidence. There is something in the very nature of martial law which is repugnant to the English temper, and it is well that it should be so. Yet that in extreme cases it is necessary no one can deny, and especially in places 'where the power of Government is so weak and so ineffectively sup ported by armed force that the latter when chal lenged must act with vigour or be in danger of being overwhelmed. Such seems most emphatically to have been the case here. This mountainous country gives every opportunity to a rebellion. The blacks in one district broke out in October last into bloody revolt, and a conspiracy was known to exist among the other negroes in the island. The coloured out numbered the white people by more than 30 to 1, and there were b u t t wo or th ree h un d re d soldiers altogether in the island. That the Governor and the white people should have been alarmed at such a conjunction of circumstances can be a matter of surprise to no sensible man. To accuse them of "senseless panic" is as unjust as it is absurd. The occasion was just such a one as called for prompt measures of severity, and excused the trial by court martial instead of civil tribunal of men ac cused of complicity in this dangerous plot. e publish to-day the o ffi cial account of the trial of George William Gordon, about which so much has been said. It is prefaced by a history of the circumstances of his arrest at Kingston, with which we have been favoured by an o ffi cial high in authority at Kingston. It was the disagreeable duty of this gentleman to have to execute the Governor's warrant for the arrest of Gordon and personally to convey him on board the Wolverine. According to his statement, Gordon was conveyed to Mora,nt Bay simply because the courts of law at Kingston had no jurisdiction over acts committed in St. Thomas-in-the-East. It was for such acts that Gordon was arraigned. In one special particular this evidence is of much value. Gordon had been a leading member and a most punctual attendant at the meetings of the vestry of St. Thomas. At the meeting of that vestry on, October 17, the day of the massacre, when all the loyal members were present, his absence was re marked. The writer states that the prisoner wa s il l at anxious to convince everyb o dy th a t h e was at the time, though " there was no doubt that he was moving about between Cherry Gardens and Kingston." It is remarkable, too, that almost im mediately after his arrest he expressed his convic tion that he should have to suffer death. "It was an unfortunate chain of c i rcums t ances, " he said. In weighing the eviden ce on w hi c h t hi s wretched man was convicted we should desire to divest our selves of all prejudice against him derived trom the fact of the almost unanimous belief of whites and blacks in the island that he was the chief instigator and prime mover in the rebellion.. Such a feeling can hardly have existed without some foundation ; but suspicion, however strong, must be corroborated by evidence, even in a drum-head trial. The evi dence in this case, though hastily collected, was abundant. It was not positively proved that Gordon was connected with the murders on Oct. 17 ; it was, however, shown that they were committed by his dis ciples, men to whom he had spoken of the necessity of killing the whites. Men who had the sentence o f death impending over them poi n t e d t o hi m as their adviser and counsellor—the leader of the revolt. The statements of these "miserable blacks" cannot be questioned by those who are in favour of raising the black man to an equa lity w ith th e w hite. Whatever colour they were, the fact that they were standing over their graves gave solemnity to their words and an air of credibility to their statements. John Anderson swore that Gordon went to Paul Bogle, and said to him, "We I must get up some men to go to Morant Bay to seek about the back land, and if we do not get the back lands all the buckra they will die." This was in the month of June or July last. The words were said publicly at the Baptist chapel at Stohy Gut after the meeting. James Gor don stated that G. W. Gordon sent a letter up the valley to say " there would be a war, and that the whole people must be prepared for it." Thomas Johnson, on his deathbed, deposed to the seditious meetings convened by Gordon and the inflammatory language used by him. " Mr. Gordon's people made the disturbance and Mr. Gordon teach th em ." One speech made by Gordon at a plac e ca ll e d Th e Alley was reported on oath before a justice of th e peace at Vere. In this he denounced Baron Ketelholdt, the Governor, and the sin of Sabbath-breaking, told the people they were starving and tyrannised over,. and ended by saying, " You must do what Hayti does. You have a bad name now, but you will have a worse then." It was next proved that Gordon was in active correspondence with the leading rebels Chisholm and the Bogles. A black of the name of Thomas swore to the continual conferences and good understanding between these three. Thomas had heard Gordon advising the black people not to pay for their land, but "to s e ek f or th e whi▪ te people first." Particular reference was made in t he' trial to a meeting on July 29, t o w hi c h G or d o n in• - vited all the negroes of the district, and to the pla card called " State of the Island." which was proved to have been written by him. The placard is couched in violent and seditious language, and the meeting was followed by many others, among the rest that one on Sept. 4, when Gorden advised them to imitate the example of Hayti. We are not sur prised that Gordon spoke of circumstances being against him. Th e y were very muc h aga i ns t him in deed. If even we put aside the statement that he talked openly of killing all the whites, though w e cannot say that we find an y reason t o di scre dit it, there was abundant evidence that he was at the head of a seditious organisation, that he engaged 1 11 3 long course of agitation, the pl a i n o bj ec t of which was to drive the blacks on to a violent outbreak against the authorities of the island and the land owners who employed them. If to plan and counsel a revolt be treasonable, Gordon seems to have been guilty of treason, and to have justly suffered death. COUNTRY MARKETS MANCHESTER--TRtntsnAr. At our market this morning there was a moderate de mand for foreign and the best dry samples of Enesh wheat at the extreme prices of this day se'nnight ; damP parcels neglected. Flour moved slowly, but sellers were firm. Oats no material change ; the same may be said of beans. Indian corn was the turn in favour of buyers. BIRMINGHAM—TuunspAy. We had a somewhat limited show of wheat at our mot: ket to-day, for which a fair demand waskexperienced to , fully late rates. Barley was in request at rather more money. The demand for oats was healthy, and the change . in prices was not import an t. B eans a b ou t recen t rates; peas had a downward tendency. Currencies :—English wheat, white, 45s to 50s ; red, 395 to 48s per 36 stone. Malti ng b ar l e y, 30 s t o 35 s ; grinding , 22s to 25s per qr. Oats, 24s to 30s ; Irish, 21s to 24s per 30 stone. Beans, 42s to 450 ; and peas, 40s to 42s per qr. BURY ST. EDMUND'SLWEDNEsDAY. The trade in wheat ruled firm, and last week's pric e ? were supported. There was a large show of barley, 1311 ' prices for all sorts were fully maintained. There was fair demand for oats, beans, and peas. White wheat, 53s to 555; red ditto, 45s to 475; WWI 37s to 40s; secondary ditto, 30s to 32s per qr. Averages :—Wheat, 5,944 qrs, 43s lld ; barley, 2,07 2 1 qrs., 33s ld ; oats, qrs, Os Od. LYNN—TUESDAY. The supply of wheat at this market to-day was sho rt ' and the best samples wore rather dearer ; damp qualities met a slow sale at late rates. Malting descriptions 01 barley were is. per qr. higher, New wheat, 46s to 48s ; new red, 42s to 445; old wilitei Ms to 52s ; old red, 46s to 48s per 36 stone. Barley for malting, 34s to 365; secondary, 26s to 325. Oats, nevi , 18s to 24s per 24 stone. Beans, small, 43s to 46s ; larto 40s to 42s per 28 stone. EDINBURGH-WEDNESDAY. At to-day's market there was a good supply of countri wheat, which sold slowly at is per qr cheaper. Wheat on the top, ls Od up avera Barley on the top, Os 6d up average,Ooss 49dd down' . Oats on the top, Os 3d down' average, Os 8d down' Beans on the top, Os 6d down average, Os 6d dewy' Average prices. Wheat, 47s 3d I Oats, 25s 6d Barley, 33s 10d 1 Beans 42s 7d Total supply and sales. Wheat B9l qrs sold 522 Barley 1906 qrs sold 1267 Oats 3295 qrs sold 1777 Beans 409 qrs sold 178 Town-made flour sells as follows :—White, 42s Od; 0 014 superfine, 40s Od ; superfine, 38s 6d ; fine, 37s Od. Births. --- CUMMINS.—On the 24th inst., at 4, Sion College-garde n* the wife of the Rey. Henry J. Cummins, of a son. GORE.—On the 24th inst., at 99, Gloucester-terrace, HP.- park, the wife of Augustus Gore, Esq., of a son. HANCOCK.—On the 23d inst., at Alexandra Villa, Elthanit Kent, the wife of T. Hancock, Esq., of a daughter. AllifAnoN.—Ou the 24th inst., at 41, Grosvenor-place, th• wife of Colonel Sir T. 3/1 'Mahon, Bart., C. 8., of a sou. Marriages. ALEXANDER--Jonrir.—On the 24th inst., at 50, Wime it street, Cavendish-square, David Lindo Alexander, p 56, Cantab, second son of Josh ua Al exan d er , Esq., s. Wimpole-street, to Hester, elder daughter of the ist o J. Joseph, Esq., of Montague-place, Russell-square. PALLETT— Cox.—On the 24th inst., at St. George's,r r i , over-square, Mr. G. Pallett, of Berners-stkect, to ~ a. second daughter of Benjamin Cox, Esq., of Frill"' • street, Hanover-square. Deaths. APTHORP.—On the 22d inst., at Orwell Lodge, Toia' Col. C. Apthorp, late 11.31.'s Bengal Army, aged 5 7 ,„• BIGG.—On the 23d inst., Jane, wife of Win. M. Bigg, 18, Stratford-place. .deth DRYDEDL—On the 23d inst, the R e v. L. G. G. 1)* vicar of Ambrosden, Oxfordshire, aged 72. f UPP er JUDKINS.—On the 23d inst., S. J u dki ns , E s q., - - Tooting, and St. Olave's, Southwark, aged 87. ho z MAYBANK.—On the 20th inst., a t D or ki ng , J o hn 3 18 1,V69. Captain in the General Steam Navigation Co., ag e- v ife SHULDHAM.—On the 22d inst., at Brighton, Frane., i - es ' ltonr of M. Shuldham, Esq., Comm an d er R.N., of aae Suffolk, aged 70. IVb London : Printed and Published by WIL LIAM AN A - 112. of No. 112, Strand, Pointer, at Tim SuN Strand, in the Precinct of the Suroy, in the ‘-'''- ididdleies.—Fridsy, January 26, 1860, i/~ I'~ I