The Sun. — London, England, 1866-03-20 00:00:00

Her Majesty's Ship Bellerophon. Yesterday one of the latest additions to her Ma jesty's iron navy, a ship whose merits and demerits have possibly been more largely discussed than those of any other in times past or present, commenced her " competitive examination" for official classifica tion as a ship of war by entering upon the first section of her speed trials over the measured mile in Stoke's Bay, near Portsmouth. The measure of the ship's qualifications can only be taken from the final results of the trials which commenced yesterday at Portsmouth at the ship's light draught of water, and which will conclude at her load line, or sea-going draught of water, when she is ready to proceed to sea with all her armament, crew, stores, &c., complete, as has been the casewith all our other ironclads, from the renowned Warrior downwards. The orders of the Admiralty are that the trials of the Bellerophon be made as complete in every way as may be possible. So far as the ship was tried on a measured mile course, previous to sailing from the .Nore, there have been contradictory statements made. The trial was made on the 22d of September last, the ship at the time drawing but 16 feet 6 inches of water forward, and 25 feet 5 inches aft, carrying nothing inside her hull but her engines and boilers, 80 tons of coal for the day's consumption, and her three lowermasts only shipped. On that occasion the ship was fitted with a four bladed screw, the upper edge of the topmost blade of which was ten inches above the surface of the water. The ship thus literally " sat upon her screw," an d in that position was sent to make an official trial of her speed over the measured mile ! Any result obtained under such conditions must neces- sarily be valueless as giving even an approxi mate idea of the ship's speed when in seagoing trim ; but one great fact was obtained--the proof that a four-bladed screw was the worst possible form of propeller for engines designed to attain a maximum number of 70 revolutions, and the full power of which could only be developed by that rate of speed. The revolutions of the engines consequently only reached a maximum number of 58.25, and a mean number of 57.83, the mean pressure in the cylinders being 19-681 b., the speed of the ship (a mean of six runs) 13.515 knots, and the indicated horse-power 4,707-876. The four-bladed screw had a diameter of 23ft. 6in., a pitch of 21ft. 81in., and a length of lft. The results of this trial were precisely what ought to have been foreseen. The screw locked the engines at 12 revolutions short of their maximum number, the power of the engines remained undeveloped, and the ship only attained a speed of 131 knots, when she ought to have made 141 at the lowest computa tion. The published accounts of this trial raised a cry of derision from those opposed to the new regime of the Chief Constructor in the department of the Admiralty presided over by Rear-Admiral Robin son. The four-bladed screw was not so well under stood then as at the present time, but its unsuitabi lity for quick moving engines was also not only con clusively established by this first day with the Bel- lerophon under full steam, but it was also as clearly established that a two-bladed screw of the best Grif fifth form was the one most suitable, and with that a very different result in the speed of the ship might be confidently predicted. The opponents of the ship laid the entire blame of the ship's failure upon her submerged plough coulter-shaped bow, with its in-falling stem ; while those interested in the ship, and outside admirers, rushed upon the unstable do main of Theory in search of Negatire Slip, whom they denounced as the culprit. The four-bladed screw, however, was the chief culprit, although the ship's bow, with its immense wave of water thrown up and hung upon the nose of the ship's stem, as so much dead weight, was sadly in fault. Immediately after the trial the frigate was placed in dock, her four-bladed screw unshipped, and an improvised " Griffith" of two blades shipped in its place. A false head and upper stem of light iron was also built up in front of the ship's infalling stem from the beak point below the water line throwing the curve of the upper part of the stein—above the hawse-pipes--outwards, instead of inboard, as it was originally. This has not only vastly improved the ship's appearance at her bows, but the false stem serves to split vertically the wave thrown up by the plough bow and heave it off from the ship's stem. The Bellerophon, as a plough-bowed ship, does most undoubtedly raise a tremendous wave in front of her bows when under full steam, which ordinary observers cannot but believe must very materially detract from the ship's speed. Our own Chief Naval Constructor, who has designed the ship, and M. Dupuy de Lome, the Chief Constructor of the Imperial French navy, who has designed the bows of the Magenta, Solferino, and Belliqueuse on the same plan, both, however, declare that the wave of water does not affect the speed of the ship. They argue that a certain amount of water lies in front of a vessel's midship section which must be got rid of, that this water is ploughed up by the submerged portion of the ship's bows, and that this water exists thus broken up in the wave in front of the ship's bows, and is hurrying forward in the direction in which the ship is moving. The measured mile and after Channel trials of the Bellerophon ought to satisfactorily define the soundness or unsoundness of this theory. The great visible fault of this system in the Bellerophon has been partially remedied by the false stem given to her, while the vertical floor of her bluff bow, combined with the ship's moderate length, gives her a turning power possessed by no other single screw steamship in her Majesty's navy of proportionate tonnage and engine power. In justice to the designer of the ship, it must be said that if she only proves satisfactory in speed when tried ready for sea he will have combined in her the two great qua lities of speed and handiness under steam in a man ner that has never yet been accomplished or even attempted. The true speed of the ship yet remains to be established by her trial at deep-load draught, independently of the trial of yesterday, although this latter may foreshadow pretty accurately what will follow. If the plough bow theory as embodied in the Bellerophon should prove correct in its prin ciple, Mr. Reed's triumph in his peristent advocacy of it will be great and well-deserved. If it prove incorrect in some of its main features, Mr. Reed must modify - his opinions and the form of the bows of his ships at the same time, extending the latter and finishing them off less abruptly ; losing, per haps, by so doing some portion of their present handiness, but at the same time allowing his ships to gain the rate of speed due to their engine-power and tonnage. The Bellerophon got under way on Wednesday and Friday last, and made two preliminary trials of her machinery under steam, Mr. E. J. Reed, Chief Constructor of the Davy, and Mr. John Penn, the designer of her engines, being on board on each occasion. On Wednesday her engines reached a maximum of 68 revolutions, with an indicated horse-power of 5,135, the excess being, over what was obtained on the ship's trial off the Maplin Sand s , in revolutions of the engines 11, and in in dicated power 473 horse. On Friday the revolu tions of the engines reached a maximum number of 71 i, and the indicated rower 6,035 horse. This was i enxcess of lir. Penn's requirements requirments in his design for the engines: and at the conclusion of the day's trial that gentleil a n an t?im p e ro d fessin g to be perfectly sa tisfied for the first a long business life, handed the ship over to thue.riGenrogvernment officials for them to put her through h trial of speed on the following Monday. taken by The frigate we i g hed her anchor at S 10.30 a.m., a nd soon afterwards w as to the measur ed mile course in Stoke's Bay, c h arge n of Captain H. Cald well, C. 8., eommandincr her ma_ jesty's ship Asia and the Steam Reserve at Ports.. mouth. The officers and officials on board coin_ prised Rear-Admiral Superintendent G. G. 'Welles ley ; Mr. A. Murray, Chief Superintending Engi neer of Portsmouth dockyard ; Messrs. Ward and Murdoch, of the dockyard steam factory and re serve, to superintend the trial ; the Master Ship wright's staff of the dockyard ; and Mr. Willing, from Chatham yard, who superintended t the build ing there of the ship. Mr. E. J. Reed, he Chief Constructor, was also on board, and Mr. John Penn the maker of the engines, was also again present. The ship's draught of water was 18ft. 10in. for ward, and 24ft. 9in. aft; a mean draught of 21ft. 9 k n., and a mean. draught of 2ft, lea than ber eeti- mated load-line draught. All the ship's spars were aloft, with topgallantmasts on end, her chain cables and hempen ones all complete, with her comple ment of anchors, &c., 31 tons of water in her tanks, and 123 tons of coals in her bunkers. On the other hand, she has yet to receive her guns and their car riages, with their ammunition ; her sea stores of all kinds, has to complete her water to 100 tons, and her coals to 6-10 tons. The following are the re sults of the trials over the measured mile and in making circles, the safety valve of the engines being loaded at 301 b., the wind at a force of 3 from E.S.AV., and the water perfectly smooth : FULL-BOILER POWER. Time. Speed of ship. No. of Ru n. 1. 4 min. 4 sec. 14.634 knots. 2. 4 „ 22 „ 13.740 „ 7, 3. 4 „ 2 „ 14.876 „ 4. 4 „ 29 „ 13.383 „ 17 ~ 5. 3 77 56 77 15.354 „ 77 6. 4 „ 37 „ 12.996 „ Mean speed of the ship at full-boiler power, 14.227 knots, maximum revolutions of the engines, 70.5 ; maximum, 70 ; steam pressure, 261 b ; vacuum, 23.5 inches. lIALF-BOILER POWER. No. of Run, 1. 77 2. II 3. 4. Tim©. 4 min. 0 sec. 6 15 9 ~ 4 „ 12 „ 6 7, 5 71 Speed of ship. 15-0 knots. 9.756 „ 14.285 „ 9.863 „ Mean speed of the ship at half-boiler power, 12.226 knots, maximum revolutions of engine, 59 ; mini mum ditto, 47. In turning the circles the ship dis played extraordinary activity, under the influence of her helm, and they were made at full and half boiler power as follows :—To starboard—Full power. —Ship's helm up in 60 sec. ; angle of rudder, 36 deg. ; men at wheel, 6 ; half-circle made in 2 min. 13 sec.; full ditto, 4 min. 28 sec. ; revolutions of the engines, 67 to 60. To port.—Ship's helm up in 41 sec.; angle of rudder, 34 deg. ; men at wheel, 6 ; half-circle made in 2 min. ; full ditto, 4 min. 22 sec. ; revolutions of engines, 67 to 60. Half-boiler power. —To port.—Ship's helm up in 35 sec. ; angle of rudder, 35 deg.; men at wheel, 6 ; half-circle made in 2 min. 32 sec.; full ditto, 5 min. 11 sec. ; revo lutions of engines, 56 to 48. To starboard.—Helm up in 40 sec. ; angle of rudder, 31 deg. ; men at wheel, 6; half-circle made in 2 min. 28 sec. ; full ditto, 5 min. 14 sec. ; revolutions of engines, 58 to 51 ; diameter of circles, 550 yards. The engines were stopped to order from time of moving telegraph handle in 26 sec., started ahead in sec., and turned astern from full speed ahead in 24 sec. The indicated horse-power of the engines was not worked out in full, but it exceeded 6,100-horse, over six times the nominal power of the engines—the greatest proportion of indicated to nominal horse power yet achieved by any screw engines. In the preliminary trial of the ship and her machinery on Friday last the indicated power of the engines was 6,035 ; nominal power of the engines is 1,000-horse. They have been designed and built by Mr. Penn, at about 10 per cent. less weight than others of the same power, and at the same time were intended to develope 6,000 horse on the indicator cards, with a maximum number of revolutions of the engines of 70. The steam is superheated, and then expanded greatly, and finally condensed with surface con densers. The cylinders have a diameter of 112 in., a diameter of trunk of 41in., and an effective disc of 104; in. -8,535.756 area in square inches. The condensers contain upwards of 14 miles of tubing, having an interior diameter of bore of It is all but superfluous to say that the engines of the Belle rophon are magnificent specimens of metal work, and their performance yesterday was fully equal to their appearance, and the world-wide reputation of their makers. To this efficiency of her machinery the speed of the Bellerophon yesterday is in no small degree due. The " heaped up wave of broken water," as it is termed by Mr. Reed and M. Dupuy de Lome, was yesterday present in front of the Bel lerophon's bows in full strength when she was run ning over the mile course at full boiler power, run ning up level with her hawse-pipe, fully Oft. above' the surrounding water level. The result of the trials at full and half boiler power, highly satisfactory as they were, does not settle the question of the dis puted merits of the Bellerophon, nor can they be defined with accuracy until the next trial, which will be made at her seagoing draught. The plain results of yesterday's trial may be considered to be : —l, The development of power by the engines, in proportion to others of the same weight and ton nage, unequalled on any previous occasion ; 2, a speed attained by the ship on her light trial half a knot in excess of what had been anticipated. The propeller used yesterday was an imperfect two-bladed Griffiths' of 23ft. Gin. diameter and 21ft. pitch. Its imperfection consisted in its two blades being of iron, cast by the Messrs. Penn, at a pitch of 23ft. Gin., and set on a square loss, in lieu of the ordinary sphere, as fitted to all perfect Griffiths' screws. A new and perfect Griffiths' will now be provided for the ship of metal by the Messrs. Penn to Admiralty order. _ _ As a means of comparison, we subjoin here the results of the trials of our latest ironclads, exclusive of the Agincourt :—Achilles—drew 25ft. 11in. of water forward, and 26ft. llin. aft; speed, 14.322 knots. Black Prince—drew 26ft. of water forward, and 27ft. aft. ; speed, 13.502 knots. Prince Con sort—drew 23ft. Bin. forward, and 25ft. Biin. aft; speed, 13.199 knots. Minotaur—drew 23ft. lin. forward, and 24ft. lin. aft ; speed, 14.781 knots. Warrior—drew 25ft. 6in. forward, and 26ft. sin. aft ; .speed 14.356 knots. The Warrior, at seagoing draught of water, still remains the fastest _ship under steam in the British navy. The Minotaur was tried at light draught only ; so was the Agincourt. The Warrior was tried only at deep-load draught. She has yet to stand comparison with the Minotaur, Agincourt, and Northumberland in their deep-draught trials ; but the Bellerophon cannot be, nor ever was, ex pected to equal her. After the trials of the frigate had been brought to a conclusion Mr. Penn entertained the officials and the company on board to luncheon in the wardroom of the ship, where the usual exchange of congratula tory speeches took place. Mr. John Penn expressed his extreme gratification with the working of the ship's engines, and said that it was the first time in his professional career that he was enabled to say conscientiously that he felt perfectly satisfied and unable to find a fault or suggest an improvement. Mr. Reed, Chief Constructor, and designer of the ship, in a speech of considerable length, referring to the various vessels he had designed for the Ad miralty, said that in designing the Bellerophon he had entered the field against the long, unhandy ships of the Minotaur class, and endeavoured in the Bellerophon to combine speed with handiness, that while a ship should have the maximum amount of manceuvring power she should be but little inferior in speed to the ships of 380 ft. and 400 ft. in length, the Bellerophon's length being 300 ft. Mr. Reed also complimented Mr. Penn on the working of the ship's machinery, and stated that it was economy in the Admiralty to give Mr. Penn an extra price per horse-power for engines that could drive ships of moderate length, at a speed all but equal to ships of one-third greater length and unwieldy in the extreme from their disproportionate length. The frigate has attracted much attention since her arrival at Portsmouth. A vessel of almost preter natural ugliness was expected, which, when first seen quietly anchored at Spithead, turned out to be a bold, handsome-looking, well-rigged three-masted ship, with a bow on her, as seen from a distance, very like that of a monster China clipper, and a stern as graceful as could be wished in the conical armoured finish of the after end of an ironclad. A nearer view of the ship discloses the nose of the submerged bow, which could not b e s een from a distance, but even this bit of positive ugliness does not destroy the effect of the graceful sheer of the ship's o utline overhead. from b e l ow the mat. Th er_l e in ß e e t l o ler h o e p r h u o p n pe h r as de b a ut about 100 f t, on each of , her sides covered w ith ar mouraanndunis,arcmonosureqeudensthlyi; for, abov e her 100 ft. on ea c h s id e rwa vulnerable belt of exte to s armour, and throu g h out this space shells. The water-line b e l t of armour extends round the ship upwards to th e beams on which th e gun-deck planking is laid, and the bows and stern of the vessel in all parts as seen direct from ahead or a ea d or astern are also incased in armour, two ports being fitted at each end, through which four 6k-ton Tin. rifled guns will be mounted, to fire in a line with the vesr3el's keel. The central armour on each side of the ship is the side armour of the main battery of the ship enclosed in a space about 100 ft. in length by t l Lie breadth of the ship by a 51in. armour-plated blf.ikhead thrown across the gundeck at each end of the outer plating. Sitting in a boat alongside the ship it is impossible to detect where the line of plating begins on the ship's hull or where it ends, so beau tifully is the work finished, The lower masts of the ship are of iron, and all spars above them, with the exception of the three topgallantmasts, the wizen topsailyard, and the studdingsailbooms, are of steel. The general smartness of the rig adds greatly to the outward appearance of the ship. Inboard, the ship appears to much greater advantage than when viewed externally. Those portions of the main deck for ward and aft of the central battery, where the offi cers and crew mess and sleep, are of unusual height, and have an amount of light and ventilation beyond that of any other ship in her Majesty's navy. The ship's battery 'occupies a central position between these two portions of the deck, and is entered by an ascent of two steps at each end from the mess deck. The guns, 10 12-ton wrought-iron 9-inch rifles, will be mounted in the battery 15ft. apart, and will be trained by the machinery on Mr. Reed's plan, which is fitted to each gun. The gear is somewhat heavy and costly, but it has the advantages of having none of its parts on the gundeck except a radial arm of metal, which works in a slot underneath the gun slide, and the six men who work it are placed with the working gear on the deck below the battery, out of all danger from the shot or shell of an enemy. In point of comfort to the crew the Bellerophon's arrangement of her main deckis immeasurably supe rior to that of the Warrior, Minotaur, and other ves sels whose crews mess between the guns on the battery deck. When the Warrior was in commission and the ship was coaling it could only be effected by render ing the mess-deck dirty and uncomfortable to the crew. At quarters, too, the men's messes were all capsized to give room for working the guns, and this was another piece of discomfort to the men, who were often heard lamenting the loss of the wooden frigates, which gave them a clear lower deck to mess and sleep upon, and kept all above that for duty. In the Bellerophon the ship is coaled through the battery only, and the mess-deck is never disturbed or covered with coal dust. At quarters, too, her crew simply walk out of their messes into the battery. The men's messes, therefore, under the new condi tion of things on board the ship, can be kept as permanently clean, dry, and comfortable as in the best days of the wooden frigate, and with an un limited supply of air and light. In all the fittings of the frigate the old dockyard rules of " ponde rosity" of material, without any reference to utility, have been abandoned, and the eye can rest on nothing in which lightness combined with strength has not been the guiding principle. The frigate altogether, in workmanship and finish of her hull and fittings, far exceeds anything of the kind seen previously at Portsmouth. She is a great credit to the skill and abilities of the officers and workmen of Chatham yard. Great Berkhampstead Common. The exceptional character of the recent proceed ings at Berkhampstead must not blind us to the real question at issue. Underlying the dramatic element, upon which sufficient stress has been laid, is an important constitutional principle, and one the public would do well to consider. The point is not whether an experiment is bold, but whether it is necessary ; not whether an act be spiritedly de vised and skilfully executed ; but whether the chief actors have had the common good at heart, and the broad principles of justice on their side. It is the more necessary to insist on this, from the fact of the Daily News' narrative having gone the rounds of the press, and elicited comments, some of which, as it seems to us, have been altogether beside the question. What we have to consider is whether Lord Brownlow had a right to convert an open common into a private park ; and, if not, whether the practical rebuke just administered by his neigh bours was constitutional and sound. We will not hamper our argument by reference to past negotia tions, or local gossip. Whether a particular vestry meeting was more or less packed; a nominally public gathering more or less under influence and control ; a talked-of compromise between one landed pro prietor and another more or less irregular ; the proffer of a swamp for (we presume) amphibious " recreation" more or less worthless ; are matters of profound indifference to the public at large. What England generally wishes to be informed on is the extent of the powers of her great landed pro prietors. If these may use their giant's strength cruelly, and by negotiation, inti midation, and, finally, by confiscation, take the people's commons to themselves, we may be sure that the toilers of great cities — the rank and file of humble bread-winners will soon find their knowledge of nature con fined to a surreptitious peep through a rich man's railings, at a rich man's park. We protest, how ever, against any such conclusion, and are satisfied that the common law of England is sufficient for its purpose. We protest, too, against the spurious generosity which would, in the exercise of an assumed right, confer a purely imaginary benefit to the lasting injury of the recipient. The kind thoughtfulness which seeks to substitute a play-ground, or a huge trimly-kept garden, for the wild luxuriance of a breezy heath, is to be especially dreaded, for it is invariably accompanied by an unconcealed hostility to ancient landmarks, and a scarcely hidden covetousness after adjacent, lands. But when, in stead of this mock regard for the interests of the poor man, those concerned take the law into their own hands, and acting on the fine old border motto,. Thou shall want ere I want," deliberately filch a track of country from the neighbours who have enjoyed it from time immemorial, it may be fairly asked what legal redress the latter have ? If, as we believe, the pulling down a fence is the only effec tive protest in their power, then fences must be pulled down. If, as the law stands, disputes of the character under discussion between lords of manors and their fellow subjects can only be brought to an issue by resorting to such measures as have been successfully adopted by Mr. Augustus Smith, the inference is that his public spirited example must be followed, until an amendment of the law is brought about. There is something grotesquely unfair in the idea that rights of a shadowy and undefined cha racter are to be suddenly endowed with form and substance by their possessor ; that no breakwater is provided against the interest of one man and the inheritance of many, and that, by the simple process of putting up a stout railing, an earl's possessions may be substantially increased, and a people's pro perty ruinously destroyed. It is not too much to say that the matter under con sideration is one involving the liberties of the people of England. The spirit of encroachment is abroad, and Lord Brownlow's " bold experiment" has been attempted on a smaller scale by landowners else where ; and is, it is said, meditated by many others who look wistfully towards Berkhampstead for ex ample and encouragement. In the vicinity of large towns, where land is valuable for building purposes, and where grazing is impracticable, the aggressor's cry frequently is let us " preserve" the common for the public ! Let us have lodge keepers, drainage, gravel walks, flower beds, and formality; and let us defray the cost of all by the sale of out lying portions of inconsiderable value, and which interfere with the symmetry and usesulness of our benevolent plan. But the answer to these fair spoken proposals has hitherto been, let us keep our common to ourselves. The evils you wish to pro tect us from we do not feel; the good you promise we do not appreciate ; and the public injury you seek to inflict is only equalled by the vast private benefit you endeavour to insure. _ It is impossible to gainsay the fact that a com mon, as a common, whatever imperfections and shortcomings it may have, is of infinitely more ser service to the public, on all grounds, whether pic turesque, sanitary, or moral, than any " gift" they are likely to receive in exchange. What if clearly wanted, therefore, is some simple legislation to confirm existing rights, It should not be lest either to Earl Bre, wnlows, or Mr. Augustus Smiths, to decree or dis pute as to the limits of trespass, or the form of admonition to be visited on trespassers ; and while we congrr4ulate the public upon the con stitutional protest just made, we earnestly hope its effect will be, ncrt merely to preserve Berkhampstead Common from further encroachments, but to so simplify the law, that " annexing" our neighbours' commons will be as severely prohibited as filching our neighbours' goods.---Hertford Mercury. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. RACING IN FRANCE. THE VINCENNES iSTEEPECHASES. PARIS, March 18. The Vincennes Steeplechase was run to-day with the following results : PRIX DE LA IOLTRELLE. Vaueresson Dotty Eleven ran. PRIX DE L'EMPEREUR. Astrolabe Ossian Niger Eight ran. PRIX DII DONJON. Katiuka .. 1 Zora STUD NEWS, Lord Clifden's subscription is full. On the 11th inst., Mr. C. Peck's Saxony, a filly by Thor manby, and will be put to Dollar. Mr. Saxony has put Loma (darn of Pretty Boy) and Lady Superior to Defender; and Consort has also ar rived to him. Mr. Cartwright has decided upon sending Fairwater to Thormanby, and she arrived at Cawston Lodge, near Rugby, on Wednesday last. Mr. S. Naughton has let Change for the present season to Mr. Newcomon, and ho will stand at Tuam, Ireland. The stallion Elmsdale, by Annandale out of The Nugget, has been purchased to go to Australia. Mr. B. J. Angell's brood mare Helena (formerly Captain Scott's) died at Rawcliffe on Wednesday night, after foal ing to Rapparee. Ess Bouquet, by Orlando, who was purchased by J. Watson, Esq., of Kidderminster, for 360 guineas, at Don caster, on Wednesday, will shortly pay a visit to Saun terer. Mr. Bidgood's Rattlesnake has been destroyed. Mr. R. If. Jones has sold Grand Master to go to the stud. Mail Train has changed hands, but remains at Wood yates. Mr. McGeorge has received the appointment of starter at Worcester. Church Militant was struck out of the Two-mile Handi cap Steeplechase at Warwick at 1.10 on Wednesday. Mr. Spencer Lucy purchased El Ole, at Warwick, on Thursday, for 110 guineas. Mr. R. R. Bignell's brown filly by Voltigeur out of Wom bat, 2 yrs, is named Prairie Flower. Le Jockey states that Baorn Von Grootvon has disposed of all his steeplechase horses to Mr. Riddell, the purchase money being £1,400. Mr. G. Payne bought Stilton, 3 yrs, winner of the Rac ing Stakes at 'Warwick, on Tuesday last, for 110 guineas. The race horse duty has already been for upwards of 250 horses this season. Mr. Reginald Herbert will shortly bo married to Miss Giffard, daughter of the late Walter Giffard, Esq., of Chil lington Park, Wolverhampton. Mr. Naylor's Wild Briar left Hooton on Wednesday last, for Wadlow's, to be trained for her engagements. Le Sport announces the return of Lucette and Mistake to Clairfontaine, from Liverpool, on Saturday morning last. We regret to announce the death of Mr. Lionel Herbert, well known in racing circles, which took place on the 10th inst. at Bath. The new edition of Admiral Rous's work on " The Laws and Practice of Horse Racing," was published on Friday by Messrs. Bally, of the Royal Exchange. The Doncaster authorities intend paying a special visit to Ascot, to inspect the offices there, before proceeding with their new alterations in the Doncaster Stands and enclosure. It is Mr. Topham's intention to increase the attractions of the Liverpool autumn meeting by giving £l5O to a Grand Military Steeplechase. Mr. J. Turner has named the three-yr-old filly by El lington out of Clotilde (whom ho purchased at auction for 85 guineas at Warwick on Tuesday last) Flora. Chessman was bought in after winning the Municipal Stakes, at Doncaster, on Tuesday, for 40 guineas, the value placed on him in his two previous sales. We have authority for stating that Valiant was no; struck out of the Doncaster Spring Handicap ; nor was ho at Doncaster, as announced. The following, in Mr. C. Peck's stable, have lately been added to the list of geldings—Liveryman, 2 yrs, Chepstow, 3 yis, and Chessman, 3 yrs. CHESTER AND LIVERPOOL—A great variety of stakes at these meetings close and name to-morrow. Prince, by Artillery, the property of Mr. Afylod, has ar rived at Kildare, to be trained for his engagements by John Whelan. Lady Whiteside, the property of Mr. O'Keeffe, of Waterford, is also under his care. LEWES SPRING RACES.—We are requested to draw at tention to a new stake to bo run for on the second day of this meeting. The conditions are set forth in the pro gramme. We also remind subscribers to the Loaves Spring Handicap that it is necessary to decrare acceptances for that race by noon to-morrow. El Ole, after winning the Three-furlong Handicap at Warwick last Thursday, was bought in by Prince de Soltykoff for 80 gs; but later in the afternoon, after pull ing off the Guy Sweepstakes, he was again put up by auction, and purchased by Mr. Lucy for 110 gs. Under the new rule as regards selling stakes, Mr. Stevens, the owner of Newnham, the second horse, received 40 sovs. The two-yr-old colt by Trumpeter, reported to be doing good work at Hednesford during the last fortnight, has been in the stable all the time, dead amiss, and blistered ! The Hednesford training grounds are the private property of the Marquis of Anglesey, who has lately warned off the touts, consequently the latter, like their brethren else where, have to resort to invention ; and their employers " stand it like lambs !" NEWMATtIiET IMPROVEMENTS.—ConsiderabIe progress has been made in the erection of the now stabling shed at the weighing stand on the flat, which will afford accom modation for 30 horses to be saddled there. The enclosure is being enlarged, and posts and rails have been erected at the finish of the Rowley mile, extending 100 yards down the hill, on the stand side. The toll house and gates at the top of the road, near the old Portland Stand, have been commenced, and all will be ready by the Craven mooting. PEDESTRIANISM. BROMPTON. On Saturday there was a first-rate attendance of the ad mirers of this athletic exercise on Mr. E. Jones's West London Cricket Ground to witness the concluding heats of Mr. G. Brown's 120 yards Handicap, which was commenced on the preceding Saturday. The 18 winners of heats were divided again into four heats, and began as follows : First Heat.—Cole, with a start of 14 yards, came in first by three yards ; Harrison, 10, second ; and Cuthbert, 11, third. Second Heat.—Newton, 7, and White, 9, were both put back three yards for starting before the pistol was fired. White afterwards got the start, and held the lead nearly all the distance f but Tuck, 10, coming to the front, won by two yards, White second, and Newton third. Third Heat.—Howden, 11, was put back one yard; Ar lington, 9, won by 21 yards; C. Paskins, 13, second ; and Vernon, 12, third. Fourth Beat.—Jenks, 11, was put back one yard, but eventually won by half a yard; Ford, 3, second ; and Webb, 11, third. Final Heat.--Cole, 14, Tuck, 10, Arlington, 9, and Jenks 11, now toed their respective marks to run off for the final heat. The men being so eager to get away, all were put back—Jenks and Arlington two yards, and Tuck and Cole one yard. Tuck got the start, and won a good race by two yards; Arlington second, and Colo third. QUARTER OF A MILE EACE.-A. H. Woolley and R. C. Holms, two amateurs, now came to run off their race for a silver cup. It was a close affair up to the half distance ; Holms now began to, slacken his speed, and was compelled to pull up 150 yards from home, leaving Woolley to win at his ease. A HOPPING MATCH.--R. Woolley, brother to the former, and R. C. Holms ; the latter to hop 75 yards whilst Woolley had to run 100. Holnl4 won by half a yard. Two MILES WALKING MATCH.—Smith and Gilps walked for £5 a side, but the referee properly disqualified Gilps, as his walking was anything but fair heel and toe. MILLS AND BLANDFORD.—There was a spin of 100 yards for a small stake. Mills got the start, and won a capital race by two yards. Mr. H. Woodstock was referee. MANCHESTER. On Saturday, at the Royal Oak Grounds, T. Aldcroft, of Pendleton, and P. Pilkington, of Salford, decided their 440 yards race, for £5O. Pinkington won easily, Aldcroft giving up 20 yards from the tape. The betting was 2 to 1 on Pilk ington.—J. Flinn and E. Mansell (both of Manchester) ran 110 yards, for £lO After an exciting race, Flinn won by one yard. The betting was 6t04 on the winner. NEWCASTLE. On Saturday, at the Fenham Park Grounds, M. Wright, of Howdon, and an Unknown of Willington Quay, ran 80 yards, for £2O. Wright proved the winner by two yards. The betting was 6 to I on Wright.—G Steel, of Gateshead, and T. Fraak, of Newcastle, ran 440 yards, for £2O. Freak was declared the winner by nearly a yard Ruda half. The betting was 6t04 on Steel. Messrs. Scott and Sterling officiated as referees. BIRMINGHAM. On Saturday, at Aston Cross Grounds, G. Stevens, of Birmingham, and Bra.ham's Novico, ran 110 yards, for .£lO. The Novice won by two yards. The betting was 2to 1 on the winner. Mr. Marson was referee. ATHLETIC SPORTS. THE THAMES ROWING CLUB ATHLETIC SPORTS. The above club held their annual athletic meeting at the Prince of Wales Ground, Bow, on Saturday last, and although not quite so successful as some other societies of late, still it was another instance of the growing popula rity of those sports. The following is a brief return : THE RACE OF 100 YARDS.— The competitors were divided into two heats, and resulted as under : First Heat. - J. Foster came in first by a yard and a half ; H. Harvey was second, G. Wright was third. Second Heat.—Although there were only three starters, it was a clipping race from end to end, the result being that W. Swale and E. A. King ran shoulder to shoulder all the way, and the referee being unable to separate them decided that it was a dead heat, so it was arranged the two should both run in the final heat. J. Harvey was placed as third. Final Heat.—Another exciting contest ended in J. Fos ter coming in first by a short yard befor E. A. King, who vas second, and Smalo was third. TIIE RACE OF A QUARTER OF A MILE —J. K. Pauline won very easily all the way : W. Page was second, and R. Harvey was beaten off a long way. THE HALF-MILE HANDICAP.—J. K. Pauline, who went from scratch, came in first ; W. Page, 10 yards start, was second ; and J. Hopkins, 25 yards, was third. Hopkins kept his lead until 160 yards of home, when Pauline, who had previously passed Page, came with a fine spurt, and won a good race by about yards. A SCRATCH RACE OF 150 YARDS.—The entries, made upon the ground, were open to all comers, with the excep tion of members of the club. The prize was a cup. They were divided into two heats, the first and second in each to run in the final., First Heat.—W. A. Simpson (W.L.R.C.) won by three yards, and A. King (L.R.C.) was second. Four others started. Second IL:lat.—a Popo (Civil Service) won a fine race by a yard, and W. 11. Luther was second, before four others who also went. Three of the above four named next came to run for the Final Heat.—Pope did not put in an appearance ; W. A. Simpson won by a couple of yards, A. King was se cond, and W. IL Luther was third. It was a' good race between the last two for the barren honours of second place, a short yard only separating them. Mr. Talbot was the starter. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TlMES.—Fenianism has been from the beginning a compound of audacity and absurdity, but one in particular the absurdity now predominates very strongly. We have the benefit, never before enjoyed in a conspiracy, of seeing and hearing all that one half of the conspirators either say or do. In Ire land the Fenians conceal themselves, but in America they speak out, and tell us all their successive im pressions, plans, and expectations. The latest reve lation beats all others in the prodigious depth of its nonsense. As the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland has driven apparently even the chief leader of the plot to despair and flight, the Ameri can Fenians argue that the conspiracy ought to be recognised as practically successful, and that, inas much as they have abandoned all idea of war, they are entitled to the character of belligerents. This demand, it is said, they are actually pressing on the Government at Washington. They have nothing whatever to show for it. There is not a Fenian belligerent anywhere, unless, indeed, it be in the Fenian Congress in America, where two factions are undoubtedly ready to fly at each other's throats. But, excepting this, there are no " forces" of the " Irish Republic" to be found, nor does anybody expect to find them. We had lately a good many strangers in Ireland, evidently there for no good, and in order to keep these visitors from mischief we removed certain impediments in the way of locking them up. They took the hint, and those who escaped the first sweep of the net made the best of their way to other parts. It was all done very neatly, but nobody except a Fenian would look at the proceeding as " virtually establishing" an independent Republic at war with Great Bri tain. The Fenians are indignant at the measures of the British Government, but at the same time they are careful to justify them by the most open and unreserved avowal of their designs. They complain that we have nullified a constitution which, as Mr. James Stephens told us, not one of them recognised as existing, and they are transported with rage at our injustice in not allowing them a favourable op portunity of exterminating us. They sent " mili tary officers of distinction to move silently into Ire land," and take the command of an insurrectionary army, of which proceedings they gave us due notice. Some of these visitors we have now got in prison, and the Fenians meet to express sympathy with their envoys and denounce the arbitrary and unconstitu tional conduct of our Government in arresting them. Their design was to ravage Ireland with fire and sword, but we had no business to avert the consum mation. Our policy is monstrous. We have pre vented a sanguinary commotion, which ought to have come to pass, and which would have come to pass if we had not adopted extraordinary measures of protection. The Fenians never so much as pre tended to say that we have mistaken their purposes or that their designs were less than we assume. They only declare that they might have accomplished the mischief if we had let them alone, and that our interference was tyrannical and unjustifiable upon any constitutional principles. Mr. John Mitchell, too, has improved the occasion to condemn the whole Irish policy of the British Government on precisely similar grounds. He has stated in a letter that Ireland really has wrongs and grievances of her own, inasmuch as Irishmen aro not allowed to meet in convention, or to train themselves to the use of arms, or to enroll themselves in Volunteer battalions, or ,to regulate the constitution and practice of their courts of justice. If, says he, Irishmen were not debarred from these legitimate privileges, their rights would soon be secured. The first thing they would do with their arms would be to exterminate the English in Ireland, and the Queen's rule would cease of itself, because no Irish court of Law pro perly constituted would find any Irishmen guilty of any offence against the Crown. Unfortunately, under the tyrannical system of divorcing Irishmen from their bayonets, and packing juries impartially for criminal trials, peace and British dominion are preserved together ; but it is abominable, he adds, to maintain that Irishmen, under such circum stances, are not "exceptionally" governed. Nothing could surpass the frankness of this public argu ment, but Mr. Mitchell has left one point of con sideration. It is, indeed, not impossible that if Irishmen were suddenly released from the control of Government they might fly to arms. They have certain national propensities which render this re sult by no means unlikely, but it is not at all likely that ,their first aim would be the " English gar risons." They might, perhaps, attack each other first, and none know better than Mr. John Mit chell the probability of the contingency. He and his own accomplices in treason quarrelled and fought in 1848, and the very Fenians themselves are at dag gers drawn in the home of their adoption. It is one feature of our Government in Ireland that it keeps the peace between rival creeds and parties, and prevents the war with which Orangemen and Catholics are perpetually threatening each other. We wish to see Irishmen united, but the spectacle of the Fenian camp is enough to show the difficulty of the conclusion. We do our best to keep them from open disunion, and we trust some day to see the benefit of the policy. The two leading doc trines of Fenianism were that all Fenians should love each other and should hate the English. They have never yet kept the first of these pledges, and are more likely, of the two, to make war upon each other than to attack us. THE " SATURDAY REVIEW " ON THE DEBATE ON REFORM.—Whatever the merits of the Reform Bill may be, the debate on it has been lively and interesting, and has been signalised by some of the best speaking that has been heard by this generation in the House. The panegyrists of the Parliaments which ten-pound householders return may derive much pleasure from a comparison, if they will take the trouble to institute it, between the mode in which the' present house is addressed and listens, and the tone and character both of the speeches and the audience at the time of the Reform Bill of 1832. There is much more pith and argument in our modern speeches, much more comprehension of the wider bearing of political changes, a much greater apprehension of the views of opponents, a far higher respect for the audience . addressed, as capable of appreciating and understanding the best thoughts as well as the best language that the speaker has to offer them. It is true that, on the present occasion, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was not up to his usual level. His speech was skilful, for it delayed as long as possible the key to the great mystery ; but nothing could prevent the sense of bathos when the mystery was revealed, and it appears that the announcement of the new franchise of £7, the fran chise that was to work a silent revolution and to in spire all Englishmen with a renewed confidence in the justice and equity of their rulers, was actually received with much laughter. The mouse that had been brought forth was so small a one that a sense of the ludicrous overcame for a moment every other feeling. In no part of his speech did Mr. Glad stone stir his audience, except in his peroration, the effect of which soon faded away, as the effect of all perorations must do. It was evident that he did not believe in his own measure. He himself said openly that he thought a different measure would have been a better one. He was but the voice of the Cabinet, and a man who is only the voice of an absent host of wavering discordant politicians can never speak as great speakers speak when they utter their own thoughts, and strive to impress on others what they honestly believe. Mr. Gladstone does not believe in a one-barrelled £7 franchise bill as he has in his time believed in the repeal of the paper duty and in the French treaty. He knows that he is only conforming to the needs of a supposed party crisis, and not acting with freedom and deliberation for the benefit of the nation. He therefore spoke as a clever advocate speaks, honest to his employers, but still looking on a brief as nothing more than a brief. It was very wise in him to take the unusual course of closing such a debate without a reply, for there was nothing more to say. He had done his duty ; he had undertaken to lay before the house the pro posal of the Government, and he had laid it. There was nothing left except for the country to be invited to take a month to consider it, and to say how it liked it. But if Mr. Gladstoup had been the spokes man of a measure that satisfied himself, that seemed to him worthy of himself and of his political posi tion, that inspired him with the consciousness of serving a great cause, and that rested on arguments which he thought intellectually incontestable, we may be sure he would have a tenderer care for the offspring that he loved, and would have finally com mended it to the public with zeal and earnestness, as he would also, in the introduction of it, have dis played those higher qualities of oratory which were wanting in his speech of Monday. The speech of Mr. Lowe was, as a piece of a rgumen t, f ar th e b es t that was heard on either side of the house. But then he had selected much the easiest ground for argument when he discussed the question whether there should be any Reform Bill at all. That the present House of Commons is not bound by the opinions of its predecessors is exactly one of those plain truths which it is very easy to see when they are well pointed out. As Mr. Laing justly observed, in a calm and thought ful speech which made a great impresion on the house, the statistics show an overwhelming case for redistribution, but only a slight case.for reduction of the franchise. And it must be owned that the general arguments againit the reduction of the franchise aro easier to put, are more definite and telling, than the arguments for it. That there are arguments by which Mr. Lowe's arguments can be met we need scarcely say, for the criticisms made on his speech of last year will in the main apply to his speech of this session. But we confess that we find much that is weighty and solid in Mr. Lowe's argu ments, and are satisfied that there is no more than a balance of reasoning against them. Lord Cran borne justly remarked that far too much is habitu ally made of the argument from a possible revolu tion with which Mr. Bright once threatened us all if the bill were not passed. It is right and wise to admit a large number of the working-men to the franchise, and if we think there are reasonable grounds for supposing that, as a body, they will make a fairly good use of the privilege, let us admit them ; but to admit them when we think they will do harm, because if we do not, they may one day break our heads, is contemptible. But although the argumentative part of the debate was good, the personal, abusive, and epigrammatic part was much better. The speeches of Mr. Lowe and Mr. Hors man, and especially of the former, abounded with clever things. Mr. Lowe's use of his Virgil was neat and happy in the extreme, while we must own that we envy the quickness and scholarship of the vast audience which is supposed to have seen on the spot all the neatness and all the happiness of the use of the word " quater " as bearing upon the abortive efforts of Lord Russell's latter career. It really was quite kind of Virgil to have written so aptly, and to have provided Mr. Lowe with two lines so appro priate as those beginning—" Instamus tamen im memores." [Mr. Gladstone, remarks the Spectator, had said— " We cannot look upon it as the Trojan horse ap proaching the walls of the sacred city, and filled with armed men bent on ruin, plunder, and con fiscation. We cannot join in comparing it with that monstrum infelix, we cannot say : " Scandit fatalis machina muros Fo3ta armis, modiaequu minans illabitur urbi.' I believe that those persons whom we ask you to enfranchise ought rather to be welcomed as you would welcome recruits to your army." And the Spectator adds, Mr. Lowe caught up the image, and ingeniously pressed it into the service of the Con servative cause. " The right honourable gentleman," he said, " who had not time to give us a reason for introducing the bill, found time to give us a quo tation, and it was a quotation of a very curious kind, because not finding in his classical repertoire any quotation that would exactly describe the state of perfect bliss to which his bill would introduce us, he was induced to take the exact contrary, and make a quotation to show us what the bill was not— " Scandit fatalis machina muros Rata armis,' At length the fatal fabric mounts the walls Big with destruction . . . • • . . then descending down, It enters o'er our heads and threats the town. (Dryden's Virgil.) he exclaimed—' that,' he added, is not my bill.' Well, that was a very apt quotation, but there was a curious felicity about it he little dreamed of. The House remembers that among other proofs of the degree in which public opinion is enlisted in the cause of Reform was this—that this is now the fifth Reform Bill that has been brought since 1851. Now just attend to the sequel of the passage quoted by the right honourable gentleman. lam no be liever in sortes Virgilianz, and the House will see why in a moment. 0 patria, 0 divum domus Ilium et inclyta bello Mmnia Dardanidum ! quater ipso in limine portn Substitit, atque utero sonitum quater arma dedero.' " But this is not all : "' Instamus tamen immemores csecique furore Et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.' 6 0 sacred city built by hands divine, O valiant heroes of the Trojan line ! Four times it stuck ; as oft the clashing sound Of arms was heard and inward groans abound. Yet mad with zeal and blinded with our fate We haul along the horse in solemn state, Then place the dire portent within the tower.' (Dryden's Virgil.) " Well, I abominate the pasa,ge contained in the last two lines, but I mix my confidence with fear." Mr. Lowe was of course rewarded with even more acclamations for his classical ingenuity than Mr. Gladstone for his eloquence, and the house, as we said, appeared to take a good deal m ore inte r est i n the Trojan-horse question than in the £7 franchise.] But far the best speech in this line was that of Mr. Bright, which may be counted among the most suc cessful specimens of playful abuse of opponents that have ever been addressed to Parliament. Mr. Lowe and Mr. Horsman had challenged him, and had tried to get the laugh of the h ouse aga i ns t hi m . That he should in reply justify himself, and make a serious and vehement appeal in favour of the bill, might have been expected. But it could scarcely have been expected that even so consummate and masterly a speaker could, with ease and perfect con fidence of success, abandon this higher ground of oratory, and descend into the arena of personalities, in order to cover two intellectual 'gladiators with a playful ridicule. Every hit was admirable, not be cause it was forcible or convincing, but because it was so extremely witty, novel, and captivating. The suggestion that Mr. Horsman had entered into a political Cave of Adullam, whither he in vited.very one that was distressed and every one that was discontented ; the discovery that Mr. Lowe and Mr. Horsman had resolved to make a party of two ; the comparison of them to a hairy terrier as to which no one can say which is the head and which is the tail ; the disposal of Mr. Lowe's and Mr. Marsh's Australian parallels by the remark that they Seemed to take a Botany Bay view of their countrymen ; and the picture of Mr. Lowe taking, like a polypus on a rock, his coulour from the hun dred and seventy villagers and seven working-men of Calne, were flights of Parliamentary humour that have seldom been surpassed. The accusation against Mr. Lowe, that he had changed his opinions, that he forgot out of office what in office he had advo cated, and that Mr. Lowe was still casting a longing, lingering look at the office the warm precincts of which he had been obliged to quit, would have been as unjust as it was in part notoriously untrue had it not been a retort to a similar charge against Mr. Bright himself, in which Mr. Horsman tried to affix the worst possible sense to expressions which Mr. Bright had used lohg before in addressing one of the gatherings of his admirers. Even, however, in this contest of personalities, Mr. Lowe and Mr. Bright found occasion to be civil to etch other. Mr. Lowe declared that he should be happy at any time to walk ten miles to hear Mr. Bright, and Mr. Bright thanked the Marquis of Lansdowne for send ing to Parliament an intellectual gladiator. There was really no more bitterness in the debate on the bill than there seems likely to be iu its reception by the country; and just as we may guess that a man who thinks a £7 franchise the solution of all diffi culties may still feel a kindly indulgence for a friend who thinks it would do more harm than good, so we may hope that Mr. Bright and Mr. Lowe, in the midst of their interchange of abuse, have a respect and esteem for each other. A DANGEROUS PASSENGER.—An unfortunate ac cident has just occurred at Hongkong. A lady coming ashore in a sampan, while trifling with a revolve; acciden tally shot one of the boatmen, who was engaged hnisting the sail, and he died almost immediately. The jury re turned a verdict of accidental death.--China COUNTRY MARKETS. NORTHAMPTON—MARcH 17. Not much passing in wheat. Barley sold at recent cur rencies. Oats were steadily disposed of at former quota tions. A healthy trade in beans at quite last week's prices. Peas a heavy sale. New white wheat, 43u to 47s ; new red, 40s to 465 ; old white, 48s to 53s ; old red, 43s to 48s per 36 stone: Barley for malting, 39s to 41s per qr. ; grinding, 28s to 40s per 30 stone. Oats, old, 30s to 34s ' • new, 20s to 28s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 46s to 49s ; new, 39s to 44s per 38 stone. Peas , 34s to 39s per 36 stone. CHELMSFORD-MARCH 17. There Was a fair show of wheat, which made the prices last quoted. Barley was in short supply, and the turn dearer. WheAt, old white....46s 50s Peas, Partridge 36s 403 new . 433 5 , 8 old red 424 47s White ...... ....2 .3 8 3 4 4 i: Th. Bing new. Ws 45s Dun. . ..... 3s 351/ , Barley... 36s 42s dit o, new... —$ 7,": Chevalier 2,s 418 Beans, Tick, old ......40r3 J.' Grind ng 3is 318 new. ...358 393 Malt 58s tOs Harrow i ickB.3BB 42s Chevalier 6 8 (23 new.... 363 4 r s Oats .. 24s 26s Maz3gan . 348 •83 COLCIIESTER—MARcH 10. Wheat, white 48s 58s Beans, Mazagan......34s 4438 10 red 40s 508 Middle and small. 3ds Barley ... 3 , s 4ts Peas, white 388 4 2 $ Oats.... ..20s 25s grey ...368 42° GRANTHAM—MAncn 17 , A fair show of wheat, which met a quiet demand at barely late rates. Last week's prices of barley were fully supported. A limited supply of oats, which sold at full prices. Beans were in good request, and the trade ruled firm. Not much doing in peas. Old white wheat, 52s to 545; old red, 48s to 50s; new white, 50s to 52s ; new red, 44s to 47s per 36 stone. Bar ley for malting, 34s to 40s per qr. ; grinding , 30s to 33s per a 4 30 stone. Oats, old, 28s to 325; new, 25s to 30s per - 4= stone. Beans, old, 47s to 495; new, 43s to 45s per 38 stone , Peas, 38s to 40s per 36 stone. ABERDEEN-MARCH 16. The tone of the market was firm to- day at our quo tations. -White wheat 40s Od 0 0 cl a to 45s 4 4 5 8 5 s 0 0 .1 1 Red wheat Potato oats 24s )d to 25s Od L 40m v b us hel. Common oats 22s Od to 22s 6df Bere 531 V bushel. 30s Od to 31s Od t 62111 V bushel. Barley 31s Od to 32s 001) V Oatmeal 17s Od to 18s 6d boll of 14 01 b• Flour, fine 37s Od to 38s Od V sack of 2801). KIRKCALDY--MARcn 17. Small supplies of all kinds of grain. Wheat and barley brought the prices of this day week. Oats 6d per quarter dearer. Wheat. Barley. Oats. First...... 435 Od ' 835 8d 2ss Od becond.... 155 Od i 355 61 266 Od Taird..... 465 Od 3is 6d 275 61 COAL MARKET. Price per ton at the close of the market. s. d. s. d• Holywell Main l5 6 Kepler Grange l6 n 9 Wylam l5 9 Caradoc lB u„ Walls End Gosforth 15 3 Hartlepool Harton Wharncliffe Braddyell's Hetton.... 17 3 Kelloe Walls End Haswell... 19 .0 Tees Walls End Hetton ... 19 0 Shaw's Hartley lB " 0 Hetton Lyons l5 3 N. Staffordshire ...... 17 Ships at market, 35 ; sold, 26. Foreign Mail Packet List • MAILS DUE. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton., Mar. 2 2 * Ditto, via Marseilles April 13. Brazil and Cape Verde. by British packet April 6 Ditto, by French packet Mar. 2!. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.— Mar. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Mar. 22 ' Ditto, via Marseilles Mar. 31 Falkland Islands India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Mar. 3 1 Ditto, via Marseilles Diar. 3 0 India (Bombay), via Southampton. Mar. 31. Ditto, via Marseilles Mar. 35 Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Mar. 22 * Ditto, via Marseilles Mar. 33 ' Mauritius, via Southampton IS Ditto, via Marseilles Newfoundland Portugal Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon... United States and British North America, by Bri tish packet . ........ 2 2 . Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp ton Ditto, via Cork Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry—Mar. 21 West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico Mar , 31 ' Cuba and Mexico Bahamas, via New t ork. April 3. Bermuda, ditto April West Coast of Africa. Madeira, and Teneriffe .... April 12 THE SHANNON.—At last a change has taken place in the weather; the frost and snow have disappear ed ' and the river being now at a nice level, angling is loo kiab up. On Tuesday Captain Fletcher (12th Lancers), kill,t two fine salmon on Sir Richard de Burgho's &hell !: Castle Connell. Upon their arrival at Limerick they We': weighed at the Club, and turned the scale at 351 b and 201 ; Later in the week a good many fish were taken ne ar Limerick. There was a regular raid made last night 1 1 0 11 the angling cots above the Lax Weir, every one of they , he were cut into bits something the size of herring staves, it 1 ' thought, by some evil-disposed individual, jealous of , success of his betters. This, unhappily, is not an un ceal a mon trick on the Shannon near Limerick, and means slit!, be taken to punish the delinquents when discovered. take of salmon by nets and lax weir has not been equal the catch up to the same period last year. This may accounted for by the fact of the wind having been steal from the east for such a length of time ; but, as it has uo gone round to the opposite point, an improvement in run of fish may be expected. THE MOY BALLINA.---Owing to the high flo °d : and bad weather nothing could be done till lately' , t e e , - Mr. Dizney tried for a few hours at the Pontoon Br i ,l Lough Oonn, where he rose ten salmon, hooked eight, killed three. They gave him great sport, as the water Sr; high and very rapid. Pat Hearns has landed four in 3 ° go hours, one of which was nibs., and gave great sport• was hooked between the upper bridge and the ea Ll3° D , weir ; he took long runs, and tore down the rapids, dt, r ing right through one of the arches of the bridge, but it" 4" a hard fight for an hour he was landed. There I S °Te ; appearance cf good spring fishing from the present;,,n f as the river and weather are now all right, and pleatYere° salmon are running up the river into the lough , vi t ec t there is no charge made for angling, and the angler is all! "fr e a to keep all his fish to himself. The river angling 311 a l e %from charge, and on most parts of it tho angler is alle to keep one salmon each day to himself ;on other 1 , 0 all the fish are given to the angler ; permission from ,t proprietors is freely given to strangers, and the re IS Vat doubt anglers will have first-rate sport from the p ry time. ag'grE ADVERTISEMENT.} -Avoid medicines: they always - : g ar vate chronic complaints, but Du Barry's Delicious Restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, which Adds three t' cos s its to; the nourishment of the best meat, saves fifty times in other remedies, and invariably restores perfect die d ' strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, pure blo )u ra ' o st freshing sleep, functional regularity, an d en ergy to t he ,; (l oo° , disordered or enfeebled. We ex t rac t a few out " m a, Cures :—Cure No. 58,216, of the Marchioness de 131 :0 of seven years' liver complaint, wasting away , d , e , f - ver nervousness, with a nervous p a lpit a ti on a ll over, la" 7.; 0 51 tion, constant sleeplessness, and th e mos t i n tolerable I : l e'i o rd agitation.—Cure No. 1.771. Lord Stuart de Decie!• ' So Lieutenant of Waterford, of many years' dyspePs' a ;;sitt , 49,832. "Fifty years' indescrib a ble agony from dY s ., P ;jicl , nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, fiat% se. spasms, sickness, and vomiting.—Maria Jolly.” —Car t uirti 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey , °, 1 ,. 5 , ge . years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver G' -- eto ment, and partial deafness.—Cure No. 47,121. Miss 10 4 Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherMg: . jot spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure No. 54,816. The ilforpl T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, "of indigestion an d at' dity of the liver, which had resistel all medical trea ted In tins, 11b, 25 9d; 21b, 4s 61; 51b, lls ; 121 b, 22 , 9 200; l' COs.—Bar ry Du Barry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, .'„orpe also Phillips, tea (balers, 8, King William-street ; at 61, Gracechurch-street ;4, Cheapside ; i t s o ll°P t i rtil ld street Within ; 63, 150, and 298, Oxford-street ; ' Sd; on, 54, Upper Baker-street ; 103, Tottenham-court-roa Close Upper-street, Islington, N. ; Harvey, Notting - b ill st' Brothers, 65, High-street ; and Stubbs, Queen's -terr " , John's-wood, London; and all respectable grocers sn' mists.—Beware of sourous imitations. BARRETT—On the 19th Births hlst., . at 46, Bartholorea" A N.W., the wife of W. Barrett, Esq , of a daught e . a r " fo roO t BLACKWELL—On the 18th inst., at The Cedars , '''' Weald, Mrs. T. F. Blaekwellof a son. bridge' CB D, 1)' 0 EMERY—On the 18th inst., at Regent House, c the wife of the Von. Archdeacon Eine* 13.. daughter. y it, the LOWRIE—On Passion Sunda , at The Castle,. - °r h os'. wife of W. F. Lowrie, Esq.,yGovernor, of a a 3u g - Marriages. rriai LONGHURST lIEWAT -On the 15th inst , at S t T a loiv ° Henry Longhurt.t, Esq., of ohertsey, to . Afar3r ! .: h ire. the late James Hewat, Esq., of Wyken, Wa rty"kso°6 Ebert''a RAE—ROBERTS--On the 14th inst., at Bett Church, Capt. G. H. Rae, of Llanrwst, to Mrs. C. of the Royal Oak Hotel, 'Bettors-y-Coed. Deaths. c 01 111 ' 3 . 7 BENBOW -On the 18th inst. at 32 1, B a nkside, wcli ... James Benbow, Esq., aged' 71. f 133" BOTT—On the 18th inst., Thomas Bott, Esq., ° street, Lloyd-square, Pentonville, aged 79. Go areit GODFREY—On the 16th inst. ? at Romsey, M r. C. aged 74. . Gre elv. PARNELL—On the 17th inst at 2 Morden -terrace, '7 ,' with, William Parnell, Esq., aged 79. PIRKIS—On the 17th inst., at 18 . Park-road Ar., mg. libel ' sea, George Pirkis, Esq., aged 73 . Wa d RAILWARD —On the 17 th inst., at Frankley Iforise' ford-on-Avon, Miss Railward, aged 74. ------- A N` N a London : Printed and Pubiiehed by WILLIAM Isio . 1 i of No. 112, Strand, Painter, at Tun SIIN 0 tli c°; ' ~ a nt/ ° Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in th e `- lliddleseX.-_—Tltesday, uaroli 20, 1866.