The Sun. — London, England, 1865-02-25 00:00:00

INPARIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at the u.sual hour. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read asecond time :—Contract Corporation, St. Clement Danes Improvement, United General Gas, Utilisation of Sewage and Land Recla mation Ireland, Assam Company, Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire Railway, Kilrush and Kilkee Railway and Pnlnasherry Reclamation, Ryde Pier (Tramway), Southern Railway, Ventnor Harbour, West Cornwall Railway, Bray and Enniskerry Railway, Burnley Market, Dundrum, Foxrock, and Kingston Junction Railway, Stourbridge Canal. In reference to two other private bills upon the paper this evening, Shepard's Patent and Wright's Patent, Lord REDESDALE said he would call attention to these, and questions arising out of them, on Monday next. REMUNERATION OF SOLICITORS. The LORD CHANCELLOR introduced a bill for the purpose of amending the laws relating to attorneys and aolictors. The main point in the improvement he hoped to make by the bill was that a solicitor should be able to make a contract with his client for the doing of a certain work for a certain sum. This improvement would work with especial benefit in the case of drawing a deed. The solicitor was not paid ac cording to the skill with which he drew the deed, 'or the labour and care required to draw the deed, but ac cording to the yard, irrespective altogether of its clearness or excellence. The bill was read a second time. The Earl of LONGFORD called attention to the report of the select committee of the House of Commons upon metropolitan sewage of last session, and asked if it were intended to take any steps to carry out the recommenda tion of the committee ? He described the defects of the system of drainage that led to the construction of the great lines of intercepting sewers, and the exertions of the Me tropolitan Board of Works down to the period when the several schemes were proposed for applying the sewage of London profitably to the improvement of land in the vici nity. The value of this sewage for application as manure had been much disputed ; but the question of applying it to agricultural purposes was now before Parliament. He then recapitulated the chief recommendations of the committee on the means of preserving rivers and watercourses from pollution by allowing the drainage of small towns to flow into them, and concluded by asking if any steps would be taken to carry these recommendations into effect. The Earl of ESSEX having had much experince in the application of sewage to land, was exceedingly glad to find that this most important question was aboutto be seriously taken up by Parliament and the country. Not only in the metropolis, but in all large towns, considerable sums of money were expended in the disposal of the sewage ; in some places the sole object being to get rid of the sewage, and in others endeavours were made to benefit the land by utilising the refuse. In a sanitary point of view anything which could be done to prevent our rivers and streams, which should be sources of health and pleasure, from further pol lution would be a great public benefit. But, beyond that, if what had been a nuisance could be converted into a source of profit to the ratepayers and the agriculturists, an advan tage could be conferred upon the whole country. It had been ascertained by men eminent in science who had closely examined the sewage of towns, that it contained all the elements necessary for the fertilisation of land. That being a settled point, it became a mere question of cost as to how this valuable substance could be best brought to the land. He believed that if any of their lordships having land in the neighbourhood of large towns could procure the sewage of those towns to be brought upon their land at a cost of Id. per ton neither they nor their tenants would have any cause to regret the outlay. It cost him about lid. per ton to obtain sewage, and he was well satisfied with the result of his operations during the last 10 years. The results were not so satisfactory as they ought to have been—not from any inherent fault in the system, but because, like all pioneers, he had suffered from imperfect knowledge and want of experience. Those persons who would now adopt the system would have the benefit of all past experiments, and would avoid many of the disappointments which at first presented themselves. He had suffered at first because he had been under an erroneous impression as- to the amount of sewage to be applied to land. He had calculated that the amount of sewage at his disposal would be suffi cient for 230 acres, but he had since found that the utmost he could obtain would only suffice for 75 acres. Earl GRANVILLE, who was indistinctly heard, was un derstood to say that theirlordships must have deriVed much pleasure from the speeches which had been delivered by the two noble lords, who had directed not only theoretical but practical attention to the subject. His answer to the ques tion of the noble lord opposite would be a very simple one, for he was happy to say that the noble lord who presided over the committee with great industry and ability in the other house was himself prepared to introduce a bill upon the subject into Parliament. He was afraid that the House of Commons would hardly consent to the measure in its present form, but the Home-offico was at this moment in communication with that noble lord, and the result would, he hoped, lead to the framing of a satisfactory bill. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS--LAsT EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Mr. SCHNEIDER took the oaths and his seat on his elec tion for the borough of Lancaster, in the room of the late Mr. Gregson. The hon. gentleman was introduced by Viscount Bury and Mr. Fenwick. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Great Northern and West Yorkshire Railways Amalgamation, Midland Railway (Barnsley to Kirkburton) and Belfast Borough. _ _ LIVERPOOL LICENSING BILL. On the motion for the secondreading of this bill, Mr. LAWSON moved, as an amendment, that "the granting of licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors is a subject which ought not at present to be dealt with by any private bill." Mr. W. FORSTER objected to any legislation on tho subject as being without the practical sphere of the opera tions of the Houses of Parliament. Mr. HORSFALL supported the bill and said that, not withstanding the great improvement which had taken place in regard to measures for diminishing the means of obtaining intoxicating liquors, he thought legislation on the subject would be advisable. It appeared that intemperance prevailed to a considerable extent in the district to which the bill referred, and therefore it was desirable that the sub ject should be dealt with by the Legislature. Sir G. GREY supported th e bill. _ _ Mr. ROEBUCK opposed the bill, on the ground that the subject to which it related should be dealt with by a public and not a private bill. Lord STANLEY contended that there was no ground for introducing legislation on this subject, and dissented in toto from the principle of the house proceeding to deal with a general matter merely on local grounds as in the present instance. He strongly objected to such bills as the pre sent, which proposed to deal by penal measures what really should be considered by Parliament. He did not object to legislation on this subject, but it must not be by a private bill. (Hear, hear.) The motion for the second reading of the bill was nega tived without a division. NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER GODAVERY, INDIA. Mr. SMOLLETT asked the Secretary of State for -wlndiat hether any despatch es had recently been rece i ved. re garding the works propos e d f or openingup the n gation of the River Godavery ; and if h e would la y the avl same upon the table of the house ; and, wh e th er a flotilla ont m h e e Godavery is now maintained at the expense of the State ; and whether the Government of India is still re solved to persevere in carrying out the projects of the lqcal engineers, and at what estimated cost ? Sir C. WOOD replied in the affirmative, and said that the estimated cost of the works in question was .C 300,000. THE REPUBLIC OF URUAGUAY. Mr. MAGUIRE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he had received any information as to the Government of the Republic Uruaguay having sent commissioners to Paris to solicit the protection of the Emperor of the French against the Brazilian troops now besieging Montevideo; whether any similar aid has been asked from her Majesty's Government; and, whether her Majesty's Government have received any information by the French packet as to the condition of affairs in the River Plate, especially in reference to the threatened blockade of Montevideo, and the action, if any, taken by the corps diplomatique at Montevideo respecting such menace. Mr. LAYARD replied in the negative. • RATING OF MINES AND TIMBER. Mr. LYALL asked the President of the Poor Law Board w hether he would bring in a bill this session for the rating of all mines and timber. Mr. VILI, to br year.in LitS said th a t h e did no t d eem it a d v isable this g ny bill of suc h a descr i ption before Parliamen a CAPTAIN SAYER'S LIFEBOAT. Sir J. HAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if it was th the inteaptantion of the Admiralty to give any further tr Captain Sayer's lifeboat, which seems a valuable invention for saving life? Lord C. PAGET said that it was not considered expe dient to make any further trial in regard to the invention in question. PROTECTION OF VOT ERS. Mr. BERKELEY asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to bring forward this session any stringent and decisive measure for the prevention of corruption and the protection of electors at Parliamentary elections? Sir G. GREY said that it was not intended on the pa r e of the Government to introduce any such measure. DECLINE OF THE POPULATION IN IRELAND. On the motion for going into committee of supply, Mr. HENNESSY moved the following resolution : " That this house observes with regret the decline of the population of Ireland, and will readily support her Ma jesty's Government in any well-devised measure to stimu late the profitable employment of the people. That an address to the Crown be prepared, founded on the foregoing resolution. He denied that there was any truth in the political doctrine that emigration to a large extent was desirable as far as Ireland was concerned. He cited in support of his views the statements of the Marquis of Clanricarde, and contended that that enlarged view should be taken by Government, not of promoting emigration, but by a promotion of public works in Ireland, which would render such emigration unnecessary. (Hear, hear.) The motion having been seconded by Colonel FRENCH, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he readily admitted that the decline of the population of Ire land was a subject for regret ; but to feel and express that as a sentiment was one thing, and to place it solemnly on the records of the house until the social and economical bearings upon the remarkable diminution of the population had been ascertained was another and a different thing. Moreover, to utter a vague and an indefinite intention to support the Government in any well-devised measure to stimulate the profitable employment of the people was, he thought, undesirable, because it was calculated to raise ex pectations which, if not fulfilled, would be attended with bitter disappointment hereafter. It would, therefore, be pmcticallypalming a delusion upon the hopes and anxieties of the people. The question of draining the great basin of the Shannon was at present under the consideration of the Government ; but with regard to reclaiming waste lands, it should be remembered that they were not the property of the nation but of individuals ; and it would not be just to divert the public funds to the execution of a system of internal drainage in Ireland in preference to England and Scotland. Mr. P. DAWSON did not despair of the well-being of his country, although he was compelled to admit that its condition was far from satisfactory. He did not attribute the declension which had taken place in the population to misgovernment, but rather to a succession of adverse cir cumstances, and particularly to a series of inclement seasons. Colonel DI7NNE repudiated the idea that Ireland was a province of England, and protested against the country being governed for the benefit of Great Britain. Sir F. HEYGATE remarked that the circumstances with which Ireland had to contend were such as no Eng lish colony had ever had to deal with. For example, it was impossible for her to establish manufactures in the face of the keen competition which she would have to meet in this country, whilst the colonies were enabled to levy pro tective duties. He deplored the evils that existed, whilst confessing that he was at an utter loss to suggest a remedy. Mr. G. P. BENTINCK was of opinion that free trade had much to do with bringing about the present state of things in Ireland. Another cause was the fact that that country had been made the battle-ground of party, the policy of successive Liberal Governments having for many years past been to create agitation, disorder, and confusion there. For political ends they had encouraged one portion of the population which was neither the most quiet nor orderly, and discouraged, repressed, and created a feeling of dissatisfaction amongst those who were naturally the more quiet, orderly, and well conducted portion of the people. Mr. MONSELL supported the motion, and, replying to the observations of Mr. Bentinek, said that Liberal Go vernment in Ireland had at all events done this good, it had delivered the country from the dominancy and ascen dancy of men like that hon. gentleman. With regard to the motion before the house, its object, and not the means which the mover had suggested, was the real essence of the question. Sir R. PEEL, in resisting the motion, granted that the condition of Ireland was not . all that could be desired, but that she was making great progress in material pro sperity was apparent from various statistical facts. Thus, during the year 1864 the number of cattle produced was 113,000 head, and of sheep 54,000 head, in excess of the previous year. Emigration had fallen off to the extent of 3,000 souls. There was a great improvement in the rela tions between landlord and tenant as indicated by the fall ing-off in the number of evictions in the course of the last four years. The flax crop had increased. Wheat, too, had augmented. She had potatoes ; and in fact the only crops that had disappointed expectation last year where the hay crop, which was belo A the average, and oats, which were not so favourable as in 1863. Lastly, there had been fewer agrarian crimes ; the poor-rate was diminishing ; and the deposits in the savings banks diminishing. Lord R. CECIL said that whatever might be the cause of the evils of Ireland, there was no doubt that those upon whom we chiefly relied to fight our battles were quitting their homes at the rate of an army in a year, he feared, to fall into the ranks of our bitterest enemies. With reference to one of the remedies that had been suggested, his impression was that any measure which altered the existing state of property between any two men, disguise it as they might, must partake of the nature of confiscation. At the same time he could not agree that the state of land tenure in Ireland was all that could be desired, or that it was not susceptible of some improve ment. In his opinion it was not the demagogue, the Romanist, or the Celtic character of the people that was the parent of the misery of that country, but with Mr. Pitt he believed that •the true origin of the mischief was the Government of England. Tho present generation might not be responsible for this state of things, but it could do much to retrace the past, and so remove a moral slur from the honour of the country. Mr. GREGORY hoped the Government would regard the debate of that night as the expression of a great amount of discontent and misery in Ireland, and that they would endeavour to take such measures as would restore content and public confidence. After a speech from Mr. MAGUIEE in support of the re solution, on the motion of The OVONOR DON the debate was adjourned till Monday. The Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Ireland) Act Amend ment Bill, and the Felony and Misdemeanour Evidence and Practice Bill went through committee. Leave was given to Sir 11. BRUCE to bring in a bill to amend the law regulating the shooting and sale of game in Ireland. On the motion of Mr. DUNLOP a select committee was appointed to inquire into the present system of valuation of lands and heritages in Scotlandfor tho imposition of local rates. Leave was given to Sir F. HEYGATE to introduce a bill for the further protection of sheep and other property from dogs in Ireland. The house adjourned at 20 minutes past 12 o'clock. Vacancies, Promotions, and Appointments, in the Civil Service• (From the Ciril Service Gazette.) FOREIGN-OFFICE.—The vice consulship at Trinidad de Cuba has become vacant by the death of Mr. W. S. Smith ; Mr. F. Carstensen, vice-consul at Saffee, Morocco, has been appointed vice-consul at Moga dor ; and Mr. W. J. Elton, vice-consul at Mogador, to be vice-consul at Saffee. THE Posr-onacm—Mr. J. S. Brown, second clerk, has been promoted to be first clerk at Derby ; and Messrs. R. Smith and R. M'Clintock from the probationary class to the second class of clerks, sorting-office, Dublin. CUSTOMs.—Mr. T. B. Burke has been appointed 18th clerk, Dublin ; and Mr. J. Moir, an extra clerk, Leith ; Mr. R. Partridge, clerk, second-class, has been promoted to be clerk, first-class ; Mr. J. M. Goldie, clerk, third-class, to be clerk, second-class; Mr. S. Frost, clerk, fourth-class, to be clerk, third-class; and Mr. G. Godson, clerk, fifth-class, to be clerk, fourth-class, Controller of Accounts'-office, East and West India Docks, London. LNLAND REVENUE ExasE BRANCH.—Mr. T. Nicholson, surveying general examiner, second-class, has been pro moted to the first-class ; Mr. J. Robertson, surveying gene ral examiner, second-class, to be chairman of the second class. THE EAsT LNDIES.—Lieut.-Colonel Lawrence, C. 8., De puty Commissioner of Simla, has been appointed to officiate as mr re T side G nt inNepaul during the absence of Col. G. Ramsay. to madra:rjeatnt,ciptpiistr.msastutarert,ofroßsounmalley,rh of Madras,b een to transferredß oßom bay. Mr. H. D. Sandeman, civil paymaster, Bengal, has , n a Mr. Iv .Al e v p a u t t e y rfi a e u i d d it t o o r b a e n d civilttc c accoun tant -general, -- been appointed to offi c i ate ' as d L Mangles Lieutenant te t n o a Il b e t n c . ivi l l L p pay master, 0 - t a m m a s a s at - t te e g r r e : ll ß e N r in rt b ß h ai w n - gal ; Mr. H. North-West Provinces, commiss e i , on o er u , d has been promoted Montmorency, assistant fcraopmtatinhe Shaw; second atnodthLeiefiurstetnant W. pra e ir c e o , rami ss i onv i c vice Lieut. assistant-com missioner, from the third to the g rade, second he M m r sig j i; D tra . magistrate and i c n o te lle a c t t o or o o ffi f T a i - r: po lt in H ted . De an M as on s t is m ta o n re t n t cy o t . Maclean has been p hoot. Mr. A. J. R. Bainbridge has been appo as joint magistrate and deputy collector of Moorshedacbaiate Dr. A. Christison, officiating principal assistant to the opium d. agent of Benares, has been con fi rmed in th a t appointent; Mr. E. Thompson, M.A., has been appointed Professor of English Literature at the Presidency College, Madras, vi ce Mr. Bowers ; Mr. W. H. Craig, 8.A.,t0 be prof essor of logic and moral philosophy in the Presidency College, Madras, vice Mr. Thompson; the Hon. A. K. Forbes, Judge of her Majesty's High Court of Judicature of Bombay, to the office of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bombay ; Mr. W. H. Maher, an assistant to the collector and magis trate of Tanna ; Mr, J. W. Robertson, to act as collector and magistrate of Kaira:; and Mr. H. Showell, to be assistant commissioner of customs, salt, and opium of the second-class. In honour to the memory of the late Duke of Northumberland, its valued President, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has instructed all its branches through out the British Isles that they should to-day hoist the flags of the lifeboats half-mast high from daylight to sunset. [ADVERTISEMENT.]-1101.0Way the m i nd an dreary days of winter depress i yields the best body ; to the former condition occupation Pills are safe and remedy, for the latter state Holloway's every noxious 's Pills.—The dark sdoardrker and certain relief ; they cleanse the blood from matter, and exert such a general good effect upo it the eYls: tem that indigestion, biliousness, headache, dimness of Si g ht ' I°BB of a _ppetite, debility, an d nervousness di sa pp e ar both sexes, u under their innderen ce flu . These Pill s may be relied upon by family medicine th all climates and circu ms t ance s. As a ey are invaluable, because they maY be fearlessly administered the moment pain or indisposition is perceived, and thus annoyances. avert a lo ng i llness and its many RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON AND NORTE-WESTERN. The half-yearly general meeting of this company was held yesterday at the Euston Station; Mr. R. Moon, the chairman, presided. Mr. C. E. STEWART, the secretary, having read the notice convening the meeting, the report, which has ap peared in The Sun, was taken as read. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said they had no reason to complain of their traffic with one exception, and that was the cattle traffic. In that traffic they had had a decrease of £14,500 in the half year, chiefly between England and Ireland. The receipts for goods averaged about the same amount per ton per mile as last year. There was some improvement in the passenger traffic, and a falling off in the goods. On the other side of the account they had reduced the expenses by 14d. per mile. This had been chiefly accomplished in the locomotive de partment. On comparing the receipts of the past half year with those for the corresponding half of 1860 there was an increase shown of £79,000. They expected to derive some advantage in maintenance of the permanent way from the use of steel rails as compared with iron, notwithstanding the extra cost of the material. The permanent way and rolling stock were in first-rate order. The accounts were well kept, and he trusted that the dividend they wero about to declare would be considered satisfactory. Mr. BROWN-WESTREAD, M.P., deputy chairman, seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and statement of accounts. Mr. BELOE said there were rumours as to the manner in which the Irish mail service was conducted, and it was reported that the Irish traffic was not carried on as it ought to be. Mr. WuxiAms thought the powers sought in the two Bills mentioned in the report respecting the improvement of the company's existing lines, by widening the approach to Liverpool, and extending the Conway and Llanrwrst Railway to Bettws-y-Coed, were not required. Mr. YATES, in reference to a letter from the Queen to railway companies, requesting that more care in future bo adopted to avoid accidents, said it washis opinion that high speeds and low fares were the two main causes of accidents on railways. (Laughter.) In the transmission of the mails to Ireland he believed the time specified was far too short for safe performance in all weathers, and that the Govern ment was most unreasonable in that respect. (Hear.) Mr. GARTSIDE said he was glad to see that although they had an increased amount of stock to pay interest upon, and notwithstanding the prevalence of distress in some of the manufacturing districts, their property stood so well in the market, and that they wero enabled to pay a 7 per cent. divi dend. He trusted that as they got on so well last year that their resources would increase by good management, so that they might again obtain such a dividend as they had formerly, and maintain something like a minimum dividend of 10 per cent. (Hear.) He felt very much obliged to the Board for for the manner in which the affairs of the company had been governed during the past year. The increase in the traffic had been greater, and the cost of working less, than in any preceding year. He suggested that as a great deal of their success was due to the exertions of the officers of the com pany, he thought that those exertions should be recognised either by some per centage addition to their salaries, in proportion as the dividend rose above 5 or 6 per cent., or in some other way. Mr. GOEZ said that the system of allowing the officers of a company to have an interest in the prosperity of a company had been successful in some cases. The CHAIRMAN, in reply, said with respect to the letter of her Majesty, that every attention had been paid in the past, and would be paid in the future, to the safety of the public using their line. They had directed the best efforts towards ascertaining what improvement could be made. The letter of the Queen was not addressed to them specially, but to all of the metropolitan companies. With regard to Mr. Beloe's question, the contract for the Irish mail service had three parties to it—the Postmaster-General, the city of Dublin Company, and themselves. It was also in three parts—the performance of the land journey, an intermediate period to get to the pier, and also for the sea service. The Government had not fulfilled what they undertook to do with regard to the works at Holyhead. The company had redeemed their pledge under that agreement, and had faith fully and successfully performed what they undertook, though it has been at very great cost, and had been a severe strain on their exertions. They had been rather hardly used in this matter, and the statements which had been made that the contract was not fulfilled with the regularity which was required, did not apply to their part of it. Of course they had nothing to do with the performance of the sea service—that was the business of the City of Dublin Com pany. He then read an extract from a statement drawn up by Mr. Stewart. The Post-office having complained of the late arrivals of the mails, they were able to reply, that during the nine days to which the complaint referred, the down-train from Euston-square station reached Holyhead within four-tenths of a minute on the average of the ap pointed time (2.5 a.m.), and the night mails within one tenth of a minute of the appointed time (3.5 a.m.) The time allowed under the contract from quay to quay, that was, from llolyhead to Kingston, was 5 hours 45 minutes. For the first fortnight of the psesent year the time actu ally occupied was, on the average, with the down night mails, 4 hours 23 minutes; with the clown day mails, 4 hours 28 minutes ; with the up day mails, 4 hours 6 mi nutes, and with the up night mails, 4 hours 43 minutes. Having replied to the various observations, he concluded by moving the adoption of the report and statement of ac counts, which was carried unanimously. A dividend of £3 10s. per cent. on the consolidated stock of the company was then declared for the half-year ending the 31st December last. The CHAIRMAN said this was the highest dividend they bad declared for 17 years. Their mode of management was that they had joint committees and special committees, and the board to govern the whole. They would see it was well for the directors of a railway company to offer inducements to persons to exert themselves for the general body. This was absolutely necessary to the well-being of the company They had come to this conclusion that in order to reward a gentleman who had exerted himself, and made use of more than ordinary abilities, they should take the opportunity of asking the proprietors to reward such a gentleman by a special grant. And this was what he was about to ask them. It was a very exceptional case, and referred to Mr. Bancroft, one of the directors, who had rendered great services to the company, and in that view every member of the board concurred, and he believed they ought to re tain his services by allowing him £l,OOO a year, Mr. B. WESTHEAD seconded the motion. Mr. HORSFA.LI, M.P., hoped the shareholders would agree to that proposition. Mr. GARTSIDE and_Mr. CROSFIELD, the auditor, concurred in that view. The resolution granting £l,OOO per annum to Mr. J. Bancroft for his services was then unanimously adopted. The CHAIRMAN hoped that the adoption of this plan would give them the services of many valuable men. A formal resolution, voting £562,692 for providing addi tional engines, carriages, and waggons, and increased ac commodation at various stations on the railway, was then carried. --- Thesum of £6,135, expended on the improvement of the permanent way, was ordered to be transferred to capital under a distinct head. Mr. W. N. Hodgson, the Hon. C. W. G. Howard, M.P., Mr. G. H. Lawrence, and Lord A. Paget, M.P., the retiring directors, were unanimously re-elected. Mr. S. P. Edwards and Mr. W. Tipping were elected directors of the company. Mr. Crossfield, the retiring auditor, was unanimously re elected. The meeting was then made special, and a formal agree ment for working the Lancashire Union Railway so as to give 5 per cent. on its cost was confirmed ; and the direc tors were authorised to create £1,283,182 ordinary stock in the company, to be issued from time to time in substitution for an equivalent amount of stock or shares in the Stour Valley and Shropshire Union Companies. Mr. TAYLOR moved a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors, which was carried unanimously, and the proceed ings terminated. - WHITEHAVEN JUNCTION. The report of the directors states that the revenue shows an increase of £2,622 over the corresponding half of 1863 while the expenses show an increase of only £522. The line, works, and rolling stock, at the same time, had been kept in a thoroughly efficient condition, and several im provements effected. The total receipts for the half-year ending Dec. 31 amounted to X 26,637, and the working ex penses to £10,558, leaving a balance of £16,079. After the payment of all preference charges the balance was £11,329 out of which the directors recommended a dividend at the rate of 18 per cent. per ann um , carry i ng £2 , 000 t o th e con tingency acc oun t, and leaving a balance of £253 to the next account. WHITEHAVEN AND FURNESS JUNCTION. The report of the directors states that the receipts for the half-year ending the 31st of December last amounted to £24,966, showing an increase of £2,068 over the corre sponding half of 1863, The working expenses amounted to £9,802, being £1,024 less than for the corresponding period. The revenue had been debited with £l,OOO to wards the renewal of the permanent way. All renewals of rolling stock were at once charged against revenue. The balance available for distribution among the original share holders was £9,299, and the directors recommend the de claration of a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum, leaving £199. The expenditure on capital account during the half-year had been £3,224, including the cost of one new goods engine, which had been added to the rolling stock. With a view to increase the traffic in iron ore and to meet the requirements of the trade, the directors had entered into a new traffic agreement with the Cleator Rail way Company for a further term of ten years. rHE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 25, 186 a MADRAS. The traffic receipts on this company's South-West liue for the half-year ending the 31st of December last amounted, on 447 miles open, to £155,572, or £325 per mile, against £121,089, on 407 miles open, or. A 297 per mile, for the corre sponding period of 1863. On the company's North-West line the receipts for the six months have been £12,229, on 60 miles open, or .£204 per mile, against £6,616, on 41 miles open, or £l6l per mile, for the same period of the previous year. On the two lines together the increase for the six months has been £40,096, or 31 per cent. in receipts, and 59 miles, or 13 per cent. in length of way open. RAILWAY BILLS. Yesterday in the two following cases the standing orders were declared not to have been complied with :-- LYME REGIS JUNCTION.—For railways from Lyme Regis, Dorset, to Chard ; capital £120,000, loan £40,000. BRADING, NEWPORT, AND YARMOUTH.—For a line be tween these places. The Ventnor and Bonchurch Bill should have been re ported as having complied with the standing orders. LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS (LIMITED). The dividend for the half-year ending the 31st December last, to be declared at the general meeting of this company on the 21st of March, is to be 3s. per share, being at the rate of 7-1 per cent. per annum, free of income-tax. Railway Traffic Returns for the Week Miles Opened. Receipts. Railways. „,-......_____,,..---__........_ 1864. 1863. 1864. 1863. X Z Belfast and N. Counties 136 136 1,860 1.739 Belfast and Couuty Down 49 49 702 637 Bl'th and Tyne 2B 28 1,842 1,490 Bristol and Exeter l2li 121 i 4,961 6,2 W Caledonian 2Bl} £ 62} 18,419 16,*98 Cambrian Cork and Bandon 2O 20 332 2 0 Cork, Blackrock, & Passage 6} gi 110 :1C Cork and Youghal ... 32} 32} 405 422 Cornwall . 651 65} 1,3.8 1,391 Deeside l7 17 26.1 191 Dublin & Belfast Junction ... Dublin and Drogheda 75 75 1,429 1,47.1 Dublin and Meath Dub. & Wicklow and Wextd 9l} 911 2,2i5 2,25 i Furness, &c 5O 5, 2,808 3,280 Glasgow & South-Western 663 28,150 26,894 G G Great . e E a a t stern Northern N rik ~&E.Union 387 353 31.160 30,491 Great North of Scotland 99 99 2,327 2.217 (it, Northn. & Westn. (Irel.) 7ll 71i 4.3 449 Gt.Soutlin. & Westn. ( l rind.) 3B7} 3731 70,6 7 , 05, Great Western _ 1225 118,4 57,829 51.842 inveiness & Aberdeen June 117 1171 1,007 826 Inverness t& Perth Junction 1 194 1194 1,321 968 Irish North-Western 145 145 1,489 1,573 Kent Coast 27 27 440 260 Lancashire & Yorkshire 403 402 35,235 34,9.0 Limerick and Ennis.. 24 24 6 1 175 1:9 Limerick and Foynes Llanelly 461 4 511 578 Llynvi Valley London & North-Western London and Biackwall 5l 51 1,612 1,617 London & South-Western Lond. Brighton, &S. Coast 267 2613 14,182 13.5. 7 London, Chatham, & Dover 72 721 4,213 3,878 Do. Metropolitan Extension 11 101 1,315 600 Lon., Tilbury, & Southend 1 Man.,Shetfield, & Lincolnsh Manch. S.Jun.&Altrincham 94 94 1,175 1,242 Maryport and Carlisle 2B 28 1037 1,305 Metropolitan Midland (incL N.-Western) 6631 611 14,035 41.14) Midland Gt. Westn. of hind 282 2591 4,318 3.922 Monkland 7ll 714 1,403 1,623 Monmouthsh. Rail. & Canal 44 44 2,620 2,566 North British, ,Edin., Perth and Dundee N-Eastern and Stock. & DarL 1095 1095 52.210 51,914 North London 9 9 2,956 2.971 North Staffordshire 254 251 7,083 8.461 Rhymney 194 191 913 983 Scottish Central Scottish North-Eastern....., 138 138 5,400 4,786 Somerset and Dorset 66 66 734 581 South Devon South-Eastern 3OB 306 15,553 15 . 4:0 Taff Vale 57 57 5,469 5,738 Ulster Vale of Clwyd. Vale of Neath 431 431 2,574 2.38 Waterford and Kilkenny 3l 31 320 358 Waterford and Limerick 77 77 1,005 930 West Cornwall 274 274 750 800 W. Hartlepool Harbr.&RaiL 524 524 3,81 4.079 W'haven,Cleator,& Egrmnt lO 10 659 676 Whitehaven Junction l3 13 897 1,053 Whitehaven & Furness Jun 35 3 5 811 1,034 FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.Austrian B2B 826 20,942 30,021 Bahia and San Francisco - Belgian Eastern Junction 261 261 319 265 Bombay, Baroda, & Cen. India 1851 1854 3,5; 7 3,353 Central Italy Detroit and dilwaultie Dutch Rhenish Eastern of France 1176 1428 61,012 53,148 Eastern Bengal East Indian ....... Grand Trunk of Canada ...... 1:,77 1335 20,r54 21,2.2 Great Central of Belgium_ _ 295 272 P,612 - S L o u ti x t e h m ern b° o f Luxembourg.,.,,,.... India .. Great Indian Peninsul a 5 3 533 15,313 11,169 .. . GGrr e ee a aat t t Western of Canada 345 315 10,6 50 18 3 13, 4 09 9 9 2 Great Madras 571 448 7,710 4.954 Madrid, Saragossa &Alicant 6B') 650 17,989 21,031 Northern of Canada ......., ~ 91 91 1,659 1,172 Northern of Franoe ....... Norwegian Trunk Ottoman .. ...... ... ... • . 484 484 620 3i l Paris, Lyons, & Mediterna 1967 1781 124,9 , 3 124,769 Paris and 0r1ean5..........., 1616 1611 6 ', 0 56 60 . 740 Pernambuco 771 774 1,941 1,590 Scmde. .. . 105 105 1, 2 31 1,9 3 Do. Punjab, ~tc ... • South Austrian, &c .. .. 1461 1360 38,152 38,084 Southern of France.......... 623 770 25,637 21, 80 7 Vi.,toria • 251 196 13,51 1 9.838 ••• Welland W. &N- %Vesta of France lOl 93 40,531 40, 12 Naval and Military Intelligence. - The Megera, screw troopship, Capt. M. B. Dunn, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning from Gibral tar. She sailed from Gibraltar on the 18th inst., and experienced fine weather throughout the voyage. The ship's machinery worked very satisfactorily during the voyage out and homeward. Her passen ger and troop list comprises Capt. Percival, Rifles ; Lieut. Savage, 9th Regiment, and Mr. Sendy, civil service, home on leave ; Mrs. and Miss Prevost, wife and daughter of Capt. Prevost, R.N., Naval Superintendent at Gibraltar ; 25 military invalids, and several time-expired soldiers, with two women and seven children, in charge of Lieut. Wilson, 15th Regiment, and a number of naval invalids. Fourteen convicts were also brought to England from Gibral tar in the ship, and were transferred yesterday to the convict prison at Portsea. The troops and seamen were also landed yesterday from the ship, the seamen being transferred to the Victory guard ship, and the troops quartered in Portsmouth garri son for the night, to be sent on to the Royal Vic- toria Hospital at Nettey this morning. The Megwra awaits orders at Spithead, b ut as her cranes and some other of her fittings are lying at D evon p or t dockyard, it is expected that she will proceed to that port. Orders from the Admiralty were received yester day afternoon on board the Prince Consort, 35, C. 8., Hamoa ze , t o d espatch aCbaoPutt. G. 12.0 o Of W h ill er e c s r ' ewby the paddlewheel Wexford,steam vessel Ireland, to th e assist ance of M the dus steamship Lord a War to Department Pan mure, Commander Moore, w hi c h is ashore there. She left Woolwich on Satu r d ay last with four 600- e pounders for the armament of the Scorpion, fitting out at Birkenhead. The Medusa may leave this morning. The sum of nearly £lOO,OOO has been taken by the Admiralty in the Navy Estimates for 1865-6 for the new works to be executed during the year for enlargement and improvement of Chatham dockyard, as well as for the other undertakings connected with the extension of that establishment. Of this amount the sum of £700,000 will be required this year for the construction of the additional docks and basins and the other works for the enlargement of the dockyard. The original estimate for the ex tension of the dockyard by throwing into the estab lishment the whole of St. Mary's Island, containing between 300 and 400 acres, was £943,876, a further sum of £306,124 being required for additional work now proposed to be executed by contract, making the total estimated outlay £1,250,000. The sum already expended on the works is £130,868, which leaves about £1,026 to complete them. Hitherto the whole of the works have been executed by con victs, some 800 or 900 of whom have been daily employed on the undertaking for some years past, but the Admiralty have decided on supplementing their efforts by the employment of skilled labour, at an additional outlay of £300,000. Among the other works proposed to be carried outat Chatham Dock yard during the present year is the enlargement of the smithery, at a cost of about £4,000, this work being rendered necessary from the increasing de mands made on that establishment consequent on the Admiralty having decided on making Chatham an almost exclusively i ron s hi p b u ildi ng yar d. The sum of £10,240 will a l so b e taken f or new ma chinery, and a further sum of £2,500 for preparing the foundations for the new machines proposed to be erected, together with £5,600 for the repairs of existing plant. The present surgery having proved altogether inadequate, it is proposed to erect a new one in the dockyard at a cost of £1,090. The other works proposed include the erection of a new angle iron smithery and other necessary buildings, at an estimated outlay of about £2,000. With regard to the staff of Chatham Dockyard, the Estimates show that several important alterations are proposed. The offices of store receiver, master sailmaker, foreman of painters, and measurers are all abolished—a new appointment, that of cashier, with a salary of £5OO per annum, together with an inspector of stores, at £350 per annum, being made. The salary of the principal converter of timber is reduced from £275 to £l5O, and that of the foreman of riggers increased from £l5O to £l9O per annum. There is also pro vision made for a foreman of sailmakers at £l6O per annum. Admiral Fitzroy's drum, indicating dangerous gales, was hoisted a t noon yester d ay a t Pl ymou th . The French gunboat C uv i er left on Th urs d ay after noon_ for Falmouth. Five hundred men belonging to the 2d Regiment embarked yesterday on board the troopship Urgent, at Plymouth, which has not sailed for Queenstown in consequence of the stormy weather. The colonelcy of the 73d Regiment has become vacant by the death of Lieut.-General B. Orlando Jones, 1.H., X.T.S. The deceased officer origi nally served with the 36th Regiment in Hanover, during the campaigns of 1805-6. He also served during the whole of the Peninsular campaigns, without having been absent from his duty for a single day. He was present at nearly all the battles fought in the Peninsula, and was twice wounded. The commissions of the deceased General bore date as follows :—Ensign, May 29, 1805 ; lieut., Oct. 23, 1806 ; eapt., Sept. 9, 1812 ; brevet major, Sept. 4, 1817 ; major, July 6, 1826 ; brevet lieut.-col., Jan. 10, 1837 ; col., Nov. 11, 1851; major-gen., Aug. 31, 1855 ; lieut.-gen., Nov. 12, 1862 ; col. of the 73d Regiment, Sept. 15, 1860. The deceased officer was a knight of Charles 111. of Spain. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—No subject of more truly imperial interest could be brought to the attention of the House of Commons than the condition of Ireland and its people. The pertinacity and querulousness of some Irish members may make the House forget this, and look upon an Irish debate as the very best to stay away from. But every thoughtful person who dwells upon the state of that unhappy island, which must ever , for weal or woe, be united in destiny to our own, will admit that if inquiry, or legislation, or able administration! can remove the evils or even still the complaints that now prevail, no exertions on the part of Parliament will be too great to attain such an end. Feeling this, we come to the considera tion of Mr. Hennessy's speech last night with a real desire to find something in it which is practical, and worthy to be adopted by statesmen legislating on sound principles and with a due share of political knowledge. Mr. Hennessy has great opportunities. He is an Irish member, one of the spokesmen of a considerable political and religious party. He is known to be a champion of the Irish people against the alleged injustice or neglect of England, and has, therefore, no doubt, been furnished with all the arguments that can support their cause, and with the demands which they think will iremedy their wrongs. Yet, when we find what Mr. Hennessy wishes the house to .declare, • and what he wishes the nation to perform, we feel that we are only listening over again to the declamation of former years. An unmeaning expression of regret at the state of Ireland is to be followed, if we take his advice, by one of the most questionable schemes of relief that were ever proposed to a Legislature. Parliament is first to echo thepopular orators of the Irish platforms, and then to establish a system of Im perial works, in comparison with which the nationa 1 workshops of the French Republic would be but trifles. The Resolution itself, though apparently harm less, contains two very doubtful propositions—the first, that the House " observes with regret the decline of the population of Ireland," and the second, that it is the duty of her Majesty's Government to prepare some " well-devised measure to stimulate the profitable employment of the people." If the terms of the resolution are objectionable, the eluci dation they received from Mr. Hennessy's speech was not such as to recommend them to reasonable politicians. There were, of course, the old argu ments concerning the unhappy social condition of Ireland. Although Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, and has been so for 65 years, Parliament is still legislating for that country by special Acts. There is nothing that an Irish member will not com plain of, and Mr. Hennessy makes it a grievance that at the present time nearly one-half of the Go vernment bills already introduced are Irish hills Having uttered this complaint, it is characteristic that he should go on to demand, in the course of his speech, the most gigantic piece of special legislation that Parliament was ever asked to embark in. But first we have the reasons why the Irish population decreases, and why we should lament its decrease. The absence of such a tenant-right as should secure a farmer a return for the laying out of capital is set down as one of the chief causes of the lack of improvem6nt in the land. Doubtless it is expedient that law or custom should secure to the Irish tenant that power of making improvements and being compensated for them which obtains in Eng land, and must obtain in every country where agriculture is carried on with skill and capital ; but the evils of Ireland lie far deeper than the mere terms of agreement between the owners and the cultivators of land. Tenant-right might be established all over Ireland to-morrow, and make no diminution in the number of emigrants who are yearly passing from her shores. What, then, is the cause of depopulation? This is thequestion which people must ask themselves before they agree with Mr. Hennessy in lamenting it. Certainly, at first sight, it is a very melancholy fact. All that is said about the physical qualities of the Irish peasant is no doubt true. He is strong and active ; he may be called lazy in his own country, but in Great Britain, in the Atlantic cities of America, in the Far West, there is no more hard working and, we may say, docile mortal than the Irish emigrant. Of course, there will be people to say that all this is owing to political and social causes, to the Irish Church, to the legislation of Protestant ascendancy, to the domination of a poor and reckless aristocracy, and so on. But these com mon-places will hardly satisfy any one who considers the question fairly. The Irishman works hard and is prosperous and contented not only in republican America, but in Liverpool or London, where he suffers just as much, and as little, from the aristo cracy and the presence of a Protestant Establish ment as at home. There are even parts of Ire land where there is but little misery, and only a small emigration. People do not starve in Ulster ; they do not fly from its ports as from Cork and Galway. Surely, then, there must be some causes other than political which make this excellent raw material, the Irish people, useless .and discontented at home, always on the verge of star vation and sedition ? Mr. Hennessy, we think, unconsciously lighted on the true cause when, in order to persuade the house to adopt his Imperial drainage scheme, he dwelt on the physical deficien cies of Ireland. The conformation of the country, which makes so large a part of the soil mere bog ; the dampness of the climate, Which unfits, the island for the growth of corn ; the want of minerals which prevents the establishment of manufactures else where than in the North, are among the chief causes of the backwardness and misery of Ireland. In fact, the country has a population living by agriculture alone on a soil and under a climate the most unsuited in the world to that cultivation which is necessary to feed large masses of people. Exposed to the almost incessant rains of the Atlantic, covered with mists, saturated with moisture, the soil of Western and Southern Ireland, though excellent for pasture, was never intended by Nature to bear large crops of corn. But as long as even six millions of people are to be supported by agriculture alone, with hardly any help from commerce or manufacture, the soil must be devoted to the production of those crops for which it is manifestly unfitted. The Irish people are prolific, and as they increase there must ever be a pressure on the means of subsistence. So it was up to 1847 •, so it would be again but for emigration. What, then, is more natural than that the people should seek in America an easier life and more abundant comforts ? Ought the House of Commons, then, to express its regret at the decrease of Irish population ? Doubtless, the decrease is a sad thing in itself, but if it be granted that there are no manufactures or commerce to employ the people, it seems unreasonable to lament their going. The House of Commons, especially, ought not to indulge in sentimental regrets. Can we say, then that even six millions of people are not to o many t o be supported in comfort by the Irish soil ? Com pare the country with England or Scotland. How large a part of the English population subsists by pure agriculture ? Not a third. Were it not for the prodigious manufacturing industry of England, its people would be hurrying across the Atlantic like the Irish. It was remarked at the last Census that the population of the Eastern Counties, which are the most purely agricultural in England, had actually declined. This is precisely what has taken place in Ireland, what must take place everywhere under the same conditions, and it would be as reasonable for a Norfolk or Suffolk member to propose a resolution of regret to the House of Commons as for Mr. Hennessy to do so with regard to Ireland. Look, then, at Scotland. That is a cou n t ry i n h abited by one of the most energetic and educated populations in the world ; it is of great extent, it has a most elaborate and suc cessful system of agriculture, and yet it numbers less than three millions of people, of whom a very large part are dwellers in towns. One of the most striking features of Ireland, on the contrary, is the absence of this urban population. When from the 3,000,000 Scotchmen are subtracted Glasgow and Greenock with not far from half a million of inhabi tants, Edinburgh with 170,000, Aberdeen with up wards of 70,000, Dundee with 90,000, Paisley with near 50,000, Leith with 45,000, and so on, how many are left to sub s i s t on th e agr i c ulture of the country ? Ireland, with double the population, has but Dublin with 254,000, Belfast with 100,000, Cork with 86 , 0 00, and Limerick with 52,000, which can be called large cities, and the number of towns of moderate size is much less in iaroportion than in Great Britain. It is impossible that a country with such a disposition of its inhabitants can fail to wit ness a large emigration. Great Britain keeps up its numbers, not by means of beneficial legislation, but because it is becoming the workshop of the world. Our increase is an increase of towns, and unless Ireland can develope such an industry as will cause the growth of towns, her people must, as heretofore, steadily diminish. HERALD.—The letter of Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams, in which he gives for the edification of the European public, his own account of the meeting with the Confederate commissioners at Fort Monroe, is a marvellous specimen of the lowest order of diplo matic craft. We pass over the inflated periods, the clumsy historical parallels, with which the Northern statesman ushers in his report of a meeting of which he pretends to give an honest description, while he carefully conceals its origin, distorts its circum stances, and most palpably falsifies its end. " Mr. Francis Blair, of Maryland, obtained," he says, " from the President a simple leave to pass through our lines without definite views known to the Go vernment." As if the wishes and views of Mr. Blair were not known to his most intimate friend ! As if it was not notorious to every one in America, in Europe, in the world, that Mr. Blair was bound to Richmond on a peace mission ! Mr. Seward may have wished to guard himself against the imputa tion of direct falsehood by the use of the word " definite." But a suppressio yeti is not the less a suggesti_o falsi in this and in other parts of this letter of Mr. Seward. It is clear that the North took the initiative in these overtures of peace, and the attempt to show that the South made the first approaches, and to imply that such approaches amounted to a Confession of weakness, is made in the very teeth of all the facts of the case. It is likely enough that Mr. Lincoln was half-hearted in the matter. At the last moment he was in clined to turn a deaf ear to the urgent importu nities of his friends, and refuse the commissioners access to his august presence, when a letter in their favour from General Grant was so strongly worded that he could not venture to deny them an inter view. This fact is attempted to be hidden in the second obfuscation with which Mr. Seward besieges our undertakings. By an ingenious confusion and misplacement of dates, and a miscellaneous amount of information respecting the proceedings of a cer tain go-between named Eckert, he endeavours to convey the impression that it was the Confederate commissioners, and not Mr. Lincoln, who yielded to the last moment. These matters are of small amount when compared with the history which the Secre tary gives us of the meeting ; but they prepare us for the tissue of misrepresentation which follows. While telling us that the North insisted on the sub mission of the South as an indispensable preliminary to further negotiations, Mr. Seward wishes us to believe that, although the Southerners refused to admit this basis, although " the confe rence came to an end without producing an agreement of views on the several matters discussed, or any of them," yet there *as no dis tinct claim made, no definite ground taken by the other side. **hat could the Southern commis sioners do more than absolutely reject the prepos terous demands of the North? What else could they do but endeavour to probe to the fullest the arrogant pretensions of their enemies, that they might go back and strengthen the hands of their Government, by telling the men of the South what terms were offered to them ? Negotiations having thus broken down at the outset it would have been undignified, to say the least of it, had they made " categorical de mands," tendered " formal stipulations or absolute refusals." It was their business to let the obstinate Northerners run to the end of their tether, and show the world that it was the No r th, an d no t the South, which stood in the way of a cessation of hostilities. One single plan of accommodation now suggested itself to the commissioners. They might propose an armistice, if they were not permitted to negotiate a peace. A short breathing time might give space for reflection and allow the passions to cool. The bless ings of peace once tasted, an opportunity given to North and South to meet on other ground than that of the battle-field, to exchange arguments instead of bullets, compliments and polite speeches instead of bayonet-thrusts, tenders of commercial exchange instead of yells of defiance, might so enamour the people of both sections with the rest and security which neither has known for four years, that at the close of a truce both sides would be more ready to accept the status gno than to risk all again on the desperate chances of the future. The crowning falsification of Mr. Seward's letter is found in the manner in which he misrepresents this humane pro posal of an armistice. He admits that it was a pro posal of " a truce or armistice," and was so regarded by Mr. Lincoln ; but he is careful to invest it with an artful array of words, the plain object of which is to place the Confederacy in a painfully false po sition as regards Europe. " What the insurgent party seemed chiefly to favour was a postponement of the question of separation upon which the war is waged, and a mutual direction of the efforts of the Government, as well as those of the insurgents, to some extrinsic policy or scheme for a season, during which passions might be expected to subside and the armies be reduced, and trade and intercourse between both sections be resumed." Seldom has more guarded language been used in an official document; seldom, indeed, have such malignant insinuations been conveyed in it. Mr. Seward's expressions, strictly analysed, meant next to nothing. " Seemed chiefly to favour." Perhaps only seemed, perhaps it was an innocent misun derstanding on the part of Mr. Seward. They chiefly favoured this plan, if Mr. Seward was not mistaken. It may nevertheless have been put for ward by their adversaries; it may have been the least unacceptable of many proposals made to them. Then what was the plan ? " Some extrinsic policy or scheme for a season." This may mean anything or nothing ; it is certain that the words convey no precise meaning to us. It may have been only a plausible way of commending an armistice. Taken to pieces, Mr. Seward's statement implies no accu sation of a definite sort against the South. Yet, taken in its entirety, it conveys the impression that the Southerners had some important proposition to propose, some scheme of common action, some "ex trinsic policy"—whatever the phrase may mean. What more natural than that, being fully informed as to the lying rumours at New York and Washing ton of proposals made by the Confederates to invade Canada and Mexico, and make war upon England and France with the armies of both sections, the diplomatists of Europe should take alarm, and jump to the conclusion that some wild scheme of this sort was actually proposed by the Confederate commis sioners at Fort Monroe. This was what Mr. Seward intended to suggest, though he has been careful not to assert it. It is in this that consists the full malignity of the despatch to Mr. Adams, in which he designs to represent the South as the enemy of England, and convince us that we are immediately interested in her subjugation. With out waiting for the disclaimer of Mr. Davis and his Government, we may confidently assert that nothing can be more repugnant to the wishes of the Southern people in its present temper than a war with England, with France, or with any other nation with which it has no quarrel. The states men, the press, the diplomatists of the South have, over and over again, repudiated the slanderous im putation of their adversaries, that they are ready to purchase their independence by an unjust and aggressive combination against the foreigner. The bait thrown abroad by Mr. Seward has gone straight to its prey. The Times, among other papers, has swallowed it whole. It offers so good an excuse for the neutrality of the British Government, so ad tnirable an opportunity for a castigation of the weaker party in the war, on which Lord Russell frowns, in pursuance of his natural instincts, that the apologists of the Administration are only too eager to devour it. The inuendo, as interpreted by them, is calumnious and false, and here, as else where, the truth will assert itself ere long, to the confusion of the so-called statesmen, the little puppets of the hour, who, to further their ends, will stoop to almost any meanness. ST. CROSS HOSPITAL, WINCHESTER.—It is with much pleasure that we make an announcement which proves the interest that is felt in the restoration of the Church of St. Cross Hospital and the desire that is manifested to bring it to a successful issue. When the Bishop of Winchester visited the work in November last it was observed by his lordship and many others who were then present that the admirable effect produced by the very small dash of colour introduced at the east end of the church was such as to render a further and judicious application of the same kind very desirable, especially as there were such evident remains of similar work. The funds, how ever, contributed by " Z 0." and the public were insuffi cient to justify such an attempt, and the hospital, it is well known, has no surplus fund at disposal. Under these cir cumstances a gentleman of high position in the county, a lessee of the hospital, who was present on the occasion, has undertaken, at his own expense, the decoration of the eastern wall after a pattern carefully prepared by the architect, Mr. Butterfield, and approved by the master. The concluding paragraph of the letter in which this very handsome offer is made is well worthy of attention : " That this work of restoration should be brought to a suc cessful issue in a manner worthy the subject is a matter of not merely local interest, but one which has a claim on the sympathy of the whole county. As one who has an interest in all that concerns this county, I therefore trust that I may be permitted to offer as a gift to the church the decoration of the east wall, according to Mr. Butterfield's design. It would give me the highest satisfaction if others should be induced thereby to apply to the two side walls of the choir similar decoration, so that all this portion of the church may be brought into harmony." It only remains to add that the generous offer has been gratefully accepted, and it is expected this special work will be commenced forthwith. We hope that other friends will follow so good an example and undertake the side walls of the choir under the direction of the same eminent authority. WILLS AND BEQUESTS, (From the Illustrated London News.) The will of the Hon. Penelope Powys was Proved„ , in London, on the 3d inst., under £9,000. 1' testatrix was the relict of the Hon. and Rev. Little ton Powys, Rector of Titchmarsh, who died in 18 1' and was the daughter and coheir of James l iatse ,' Esq., and sole surviving representative o f Jo' Ilatsell, Esq., of Warden Park, Bencher of til? Inner Temple, and Chief Clerk of the goose Commons. Her son Littleton, in 185 3 , t eek n r e Royal license the additional name of Hatsell• testatrix has left some small charitable beclue s ";„ viz., to the Church Missionary Society, Ho pi Society at Thrapstone, and St. Mary's Paddington, each £lO. The will of William Bide, Esq., of Yeovil , Snu f setshire, was proved in London under £7 0 , 000 H o f sonalty. The executors are Henry G. Andr, e/gl : fie t ; Rimpton ; Francis Berryman, of Shepton I Y l ', - o f and Henry Marsh Watts, of Yeovil. To each he them there is a legacy of £lOO. To his w ife „ 00, leaves an annuity of £l,OOO and a legacy of JP also the residue of his property, together with ; residence and furniture, for her life; whin„, ll ', ll , P° o her decease, he bequeaths to his nephew, '-ol n- i t y William Dampier, to whom he leaves an se nti " of £5OO, and appoints him reversionary res id :d. legatee of both the personal and real estates, inc . ' . a ing his freeholds in the counties of Somer set :s Dorset. There are annuities of £250 to each 010 two nieces, Elizabeth Bide Dampier and Marl t o f Whetham, who are to receive £6,000 each the residue upon the decease of the relict• es - The will of William Sollory Grey, Esq. , 13 . 1 A, chant, of Cullum-street, City, and of St. Lenn on-Sea, was proved in London under £45,000 Per; sonalty ; the acting executors and trustees bei n g partners, John Alexander Russell and T. ile rsg : .v Coles, Esqrs. The other executor and truste e `;;; pointed, John Grellier, Esq., of the Royal FAc chav p ; renounced. To each of the executors he leavios legacy of £2OO, free of duty. To his wife 11 ? ture , bequeathed the sum of £20,000 and the fulittely carriage, &c., and leaves her the estate be purchased called Malcolm Peth, at St. Len'.. filas . He leaves liberal legacies to his sister-in- I W , a- ta ict beth Grey, and to other relatives and friends' the to Ragonath Abbajee, of Bombay, £2OO. 1 : e o f Benevolent Society of Blues, £lOO. The reel his property he leaves to his brother-in-law' said John A. Russell. bus h ' The late John Hayes, Esq., of Shephercre",oo died intestate. His personal property vr as s ore under £30,000, and letters of administration of granted to his nephew, the Rev. Charles Kay es' Edgingswell House, Torquay. . COUNTRY MARKETS L IVERP OL.—FRIDAY. cetc es' With only a limited attendance of buyers at °u 11 0{ 0 1 change this morning wheat has remained verY bas and the slight improvement obtained on Tuesch'Y pcll 3 t, vanished. Flour is neglected, and prices Nv,„vaig b corn rules steady at the quotations of this daY ~ P 7 ,~¢ a but sales in quantity can only be effected by st duction of 3d per qr. Oats and oatmeal are :cierifra, rates. Beans, peas, and feeding barley are each, 113 00 at a trifling advance. Market closes very dull Or ing articles. peer B+ LINCOLN.—FRIDAY. 40S 1 3e 4 New white wheat, 39s to 44s ; new red, 36s '_() er isno stone. Barley for malting, 31s to 34s per C 1 0,, 11 .& 5 35 28s to 30s per 30 stone. Oats, 21s to 245. J'''"" 40s per qr. 56 DERBY—FRIDAY. fn 405 per g New white wheat, 41s to 448; new red,: 37B rin`A stone. Barley for malting, 30s to 33 per qr. ; g 250 - s id, ,9$ 27s to 28s per 30 stone. Oats, new, 23s to 255; ° g o to 27s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 42s to 45s ;, new/ per qr. WA. „ The wheat trade is KE slow. Prices areFIELD.—FnruK without 9.o.fees from last Friday. Barley in limited demand ; favour of the buyer. Beans and oats fully as d e l encl ii4 The following are the averages for tho wee, 06 4 0 : Feb. 20 ;—Wheat, 2,518 qrs., at 39s Od; barley , at 29s ; oats, 100 qrs., at 18s llid ; beans, cl-1 Od ; peas, qrs., at —s Od. LAY• stone. Barley, ~er 0 " m S a T lt A in 3l: 3 o 2s ß to D..- 3 - 4 F s New white wheat, 40s to 425• new red, 360 to 89S r - gs grinding, 268 to .00. per_ qr. Oats, new, 18s to 245; old, 25s to 28s per 24 Beans 38s to 40s per 38 stone. Peas as heretofore. BRISTOL SUGAR—FRIDAY. of eked There is a fair demand for most descriptions ft e filie d and prices are rather higher for fine qualities. je t, sells steadily at late rates. Rum— the market is (1 but little doing. COAL MARK Price per ton at the FEn. 24. close of the market. a, 0. 0 22 0 Hartlepool...... ,s„ East Hartlepool ...... 9 Walker Prinirosea;;• 14 9 Tanfield 11. 94 ° .20 6 T uns tall ................ 21 Cassop ................ 22 6 South sew ... 22 6 Walls Endue W e " 21 0 P ens her P l)B 0 Eden Main .......... 21 Hough ............ 6 Braddylls Hetto n ...... . South Keno ° ........ 115 ; sold, 50. s. d. Buddles'WestHartley. 15 0 Davison's W. Hartley 15 0 Byass's Bebside West Hartley l5 0 Walls End Hetton Holywell Main l6 6 Stewart's Kelloe North Pelton Gas l4 0 Hotspur 2O 9 Lambert's W. Hartley 14 9 Carway andpuffryn Malting 22 0 Ships at market Foreign Mail Packet Lie,. . Australia and New Zealand, via SouthalMPON' .. .. . sot. lf Ditto, via Marseilles .......................... 3or. Brazil and Cape Verde, by British pac.et ......... Feb' -I. Ditto, by British packet . .......... •$ joil. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.;•;:b China, Penang, and Singapore, via Sou hampto . . • / 0 . P• Ditto, via Marseilles .................... . ..... Falkland Islands .................. ............. .Feb. Gibraltar, via Southampton. ...... . ........... Feb* ~6, India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Scuthampton•• . ce p ; 6. Ditto, via Marseilles • ..... Feb. ,e, India (Bombay), via Southampton.. ................ rep. Ditto, via Marseilles ....................... .g6r• ' s ; Mauritius, via Southampton ................... • oar' ,5. Ditto, via Mandl e 3... .................. ••• • 3 110. Newfoundland ..................................... so.. Portugal Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon... ........ j United States and British North America, by' lar• tish packet ....... • Ditto, by United States packet, via Southato9" tcn .... . .......................... as. Ditto, via Girk • ......... • ... Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londondcrrf•pr, )•"" West Ccast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe ... West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas , Cuu7l'eb• and Mexic0.................. ................ 16. Bahamas, via New York. ..................... yl+r' ; 6. Bermuda, ditto ......................... . ............. :Feb. Cuba and Mexico ........................... • • • • AUXILIARY NAVAL 0 FORCES.—The 0 0 af i l e! mates make provision for 7,000 Coastguardraen, and 4,000 on shore, with a civil establishment 0 1 1 " vo te " f among whom are 663 boatmen. There is 1,18°,11 g 1 21.° .; £22,000 for Royal Naval Coast Volunteers, I-licit:T:oi; vision for the drill afloat of 5,500 men. 1101. 1 „ . Naval " Reserve the charge will be £205,052, her c annual retainer of 16,000 seamen, drill paY' a n ' re 6 ;4j r dental expenditure, some of whi c h being inc lirre- A i s P iDe e ' 11 of the drill ships appears in other votes than that - - applied to the Naval Reserve. The Ili (Limi RaiN Tectt Const In 45,00( intere Gover 15,00 ) 11 1 T Der ealla 11,j Al gol "tlarles k an ric( L r ~Y. '' )s Ck t ll?k' P 4 a ti, I h E a,, e Aa allot t the 4 " oh„ L. ft% t°1114.41(1 )1 0. a , /irk] . o ubt ,Is i Dr ed ` t i kt t Ot 1 141 8 1-1 1 , i 1 : 3 4; ) ,,a134 t th' t q e Dit4'3,l43,l°Ti I,htAll c o theD it gel: me, 4 911 De kr e 4 t y, e to t o Zte t i mitt.. t Births. e, Ijrs. ADLEII.—On the 23d inst., at 16, Fula' 1 3111.5 ' 541.114 :00 611 Adler, of a daughter. BERNHARD.—On the 22d inst ,at et Ri ch ji, the wife of Louis Bernhard, ' Esq., of a s c' n ' 1 01E4e JORDAN.—On the 22d inst., at 21, Bedford-015%01.f' 6t' square, the wife of Reuben J. Jordan, Ea+, c" - ~ ly e h. WOOLF.—On the 22d inst., at 26, Sunderland-telltte-a0 bourne-park, the wife of S. B. Woolf, 80C1.7 C '' ter. V# l* ; Marriages. „ tr oll, h i- GREF I N—FIGGINS.—On the 23d inst., to ' daag of Woodlands-terrace, Blackheath, to Caro line ' et of James Figgins, Esq., Forest-hill. Or ic ,4 a t e t t. MARTYN—HUDDLESTON.—On the 23d inst., f t he i sfol• Church, Bath, Cecil Edward Martyn, En.,,0 0 Do . biniers, to Gertrude, youngest daughter ol t" Huddleston, Esq., Madras C.S. ojor Deaths. .—On the 17th inst. at SouthataPt°7l' *di BuLLocx General Stanley Bullock, M a dras Cavahl. vir. 0 0 ' COLLARD.—On the 23d inst., at Mer e, Wilts' ' Esq., aged 65. , i . l e Elig °re HOLBROOK.—On the 20th inst., at Lower ' E 1' James B. Holbrook, Esq , aged 64. A , torr A , cc i : ti til ST. JORN.—On the 23d inst . ., at 10, St. Po n ' CaP' 6 1:1 late ~4 0 ham, St. Andrew Beauchamp St. Jo hn, 0 Royals, aged 0. 00' 0 0 - STERRY.—On the 23d inst at his residenc,t?, cattO Lodge, Croydon, Richard ” Steri e n street, city, aged 81. 1,0 51, ~ 53. WILLIAMSON.—On the 23d inst., at Syden - ageu darn We. of 2u, owe Williamson, sen , Esq. , late of Assam, Indial „I t 'ci r s - ' WARNS.—On the 2 1st . inst., at Camberwell, .1014°4" Esq., of Fairacres, near Oxford, aged 5 8 - __...-• ___.---------'lgB' 00 g, lA3I O pto I I t London : Printed and Published by WILL-- nin e, I o• of No. 112, Strand, Punter, at Ton StIS y he COO Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy' i n Middlesex.—Saturday, February 25,1865•