The Sun. — London, England, 1866-05-01 00:00:00

XONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE, In the bullion department of the Bank there was a withdrawal of £106,000 yesterday afternoon for the Continent. The Imperial Mercantile Credit Association have notified that they are having a complete audit of the accounts by their auditors, Messrs. Coleman, Turquand, Young, and Co., in conjunction with Messrs. Quiller, Ball, and Co., and that their re port to th e s h areholders will be made in a few days. This I rocedure has been deemed necessary in con sequence of various rumours respecting the position of the company. The Committee of the Stock Exchange have appointed Thursday, the 3rd of '", -( 7, a speci a l sett li ng d ay i n t h e s h ares o f t h e Lon "n, Windsor, and Greenwich Hotel Company (Limited), which are not to be marked. Accordi ng to Reuter ' s telegram this morning the French Rentes were 65f. 75c. Firm attention absorbed in the settlement. A close holiday is being observed in the Stock Exch ange, which as usual on the first of May, is shut for the purpose of enabling the authorities in the transfer office of the Bank of England to strike the half -yearly balances. The money market continues to present symp toms of activity, and the brokers are consequently aski ng full te rms f or th e nego ti at i on o f th e b est short dated paper. Owing to this firmness in the rate s a good i nqu i ry f or accommo d a ti on preva il s a t t he Bank of England, but there has been no pres sure anywhere. O n th e St oc k E xc h ange th e c h arge for daily loans on Government securities has been advanced to per cent. The foll ow i ng not ifi cat i on h as j ust b een ma d e : Ban k of England, Ist May, 1866.—Notice is hereby g i ven, That in order to prepare the dividends due the sth July, 1866, the balances of the several accounts in the following Funds will be struck cn the night of Friday, the Ist June, 1866 :—£3 per Cent. Con so lid ate d A nnu i t i es, N ew £ 5 per Cent. i\-`tinnuities, New £3 10s. pe r Cent. Annuities (1854), ew los. per Cent. Annuities, Annuities for terms of years, India £5 per Cent. Stock. On Sa t,urday, the 2d June, the above-named Funds will st h transferable without the dividend due on the th July next. East India Stock shut Wednesday, 13t h June, 1866 ; open Friday, 6th July, 1866. In the Foreign and Colonial Produce Markets, durin g - the la s t f ew d ays, a fi rmer tone h as prevai l e d . Sugars have been in moderate request, and late r.a.tes are well suppo r t e d. C o ff ee h as con tinued in d emand, and superior qualities of both plan. In and native Ceylon have supported full values. J rice ther e h as b een no mater i a l a l terat i on i n r n. limited , while th e t ransac ti ons on t a ll ow h ave b een su ited at ab ou t prev i ous quotations, for b oth pre sent and future delivery. T he Australian Mortgage Land and Finance £l2 ny have decl are d a di v idend at the rate of pas per cent. per annum. The directors of the Trust and Agency Company Of Australia state in their report that there is an available balance of £17,823, after payment of the interim dividend of November last. Besides car ryingt £5,000 t o reserve, the d i rectors recommend thepayment of a divide n d an d b onus equa l ( w ith interim dividend) to 20 per cent. per annum on the capital called up, the extinction of the prelimi nary expense and furniture accounts, and the car rying forward of £4,310. BRITISH FUNDS-CLOSING PRICES. YESTERDAY. , GOVERNMENT FUNDS. i ° Per Cent. Consols 871 iiii 861 t , Do. Account, May 9 ° „Per Cent. Reduced B5 4 5 4N ew 21 per Cent. Jan. 1894 — Do. 5 per Cent. Jan. 1873 — A nnuities, 30 yrs, expire sth Jan., 1880 Do. for 30 yrs, expire sth April, 1885 — Do (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug., 1908 — March. June. 4 nhequer Bills, £l,OOO, 3 per Cent, — Do. £5OO — Do £lOO and £200 sa nk of E ng l an d Stock, 5 per Cent _ Do Account , hnituki GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. indian Stock, 101 per Cent., April 1874 — Do• Account Do. 5 pe r C ent. July, 1870 lO5l o. 4 per Cent., Oct. 1888 D o. Ce r tifi cates . _ :1„),0. Enfaced Paper 4 per Cent _ ..,',-,' o . 5 per Cent., Jan. 1872 "°. Debir Cent., May 1879 _ D u. 4 per Cent., Aug. 1866 15 O. Bonds, £l,OOO Do. under .£l,OOO ArgentineßElGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES. Iiri Republic, 6 per Cent., £l5 pd P tustriala Bonds, 5 per Cent, 1859 Do. 41 per Cent 1852-58-60 ~ Do. 1863 „ 1863 Do • "Jo Account 7 . ° 13„ 1)° • S enP, £45 paid uo 1 per Cent. (Deferred 3 per Cent ) Chi, -,04n 6 .Per Cent 9Bl u crip, £25 paid Do pm 41 per Cent _ _ 6pe f,,uolonabian scentper Cont. — V lb Et, 6 per Cent. banish per Cent., 1825 nAllubia Principalities— . ~, •ii Account -v-,Vader New Consolidated, 1 per Cent — el.ll-4)..., Previsional Land Warrant — B°.is tlan 7 per Cent — Do £lOO Bonds Do. 1861 B6 7 1:2Do £lOO Bonds 9Ol ,0. Government Railway Debentures — (},.." ° ,1 X 35 paid -ee °- 5 per Cents., 1821-5, ex Coupons Do. Account . Do. Coupons rtilatenaala o per Cent. — D o n 5 per Cent 1865 Account ' l ' o - T , . Ifn zdt.mernmana Railway — U 0• 11ean per Cent ~ Do 1864 len 6 per Cent. Anglo-French — f,caste 6 per Cent., £3O paid „toorish Imperial 5 per Cent , — D°qeW Granada — D ° 2 per Cent — D ,-, D eforred I.'o Land Warrants (Hectares) D°`'. 6.per Cent, 1864 — _ p Livaranteed, 4 per Cent eruvian 5 Cent 1865 _ N per ~ _ „Account rortsguese 3 _ per Cent., 1853 1:) ° 3 per Cent., 1856, '7, '9, '6O, '62, '3, Do. Russian Account 5 per Cent., 1822, £St — DO 41 pe r Cent. 1850 .1)41 per Cent., 1860 ~0 3 per Cent. 1859 901 90 uo 5 per Cent. 1862 Do 5 per Cent. 1861 S ardni an i 5 per Cent — N Account Spanish 3 per Cent _ Do Account _ , i 1 ; / ° New D e f erred D O Account .... Do Passive _ 6 Do Account 251 i 1 1 %,nish Cert. of Coup not funded _ uo Account 13 .151 1 1 I Do 4 per Cent. Do P ~ • per C en t . 1864 'erkish4} 6 per C en t . 1 854 — Do Account B7} D o Do 6 per Cent. 1858 ,0 Account — uo 4100 Bonds D o , 6 per Cent. 1862 uo Ace° Went. D 11 Do £lOO Bonds — u e 6 591 B Por Cent.,1863 ,-, 0 5 per Cent 1865, paid up Scrip — DO-"0 Ace . . %Int v• 1 per Cent. Guaranteed — euTzea, 3 per Cent. Ditto D o account 6 per Cen 1)0 Account t ''*lB62 — t '). 1864 I ': 7l :lends on t h e above payable in 32 London. J 1 ''' o •A•cc 0, - Cent., 1861, Ex. 25f. .... ount C ~ , THREE O'CLOCK. ° , 7B( ns for mo ney 86-Z 1 -00. Account - 861 1 GROCERS.—Th e grocers of the cities, tows, he vill ages of England, being desirous to he pin 6 g re at work o f sav i ng life from shipwrecks on our e u °44 tm, hav e contributed the handsome sum, from sixpence IN -I) .: v t arcis, of £ 4 35 to defray the cost of a lif e b oa t . T ho an 1"al Lifeboat Institution has undertaken to find iine eli g ibl e station , for the Grocers' " Lifeboat. h „ of the credit to this successful unde r t a ki ng 4` 1 e 'me to Mr. William Reed, of the Grocer and Oil T ra d e M onument-y ar d , who has been for many months tPliak,eteion!efatigable in his b enevo l en t exert i ons i n co ll ect i ng vreth b ' of the lifeboat. Th e d rapers, emu l at i ng the i r roll the grocers, also hope, at no distant period, to uontribute the vat of a lifeboat. SHARE MARKETS. ORDINARY SHARES AND STOCKS. Share, Railways. I Paid.! Closing 1 Business Price. done. Bristol and Exeter Caledonian Cambrian Cork and 8and0n...... Cornwall Dublin & Belfast June ' Dun„Perth, & A b.J une E. London, scrip Certi _ Do. Glasgow & S. Western Great Eastern, Ord. stk.l Do. E. Angl. st. No. 2 Great North of Scotland ) Great Northern Do. A stock Do. B stock Do. New, Is. at 25 pm GtS, and W. of Ireland Gt. Western -Original Do. S. Va►. Rail gua. Do. South Wales Do. W. Mid.— Oxi ord Do. Newport Do. Hereford Lancashire &Yorkshire Linden and Blackwall Lon., 13righ.,& S Coast 'Lon., Chat., and Dover Do. Metrop. Ex. A Lon. & orth Western Lon. & South Western Man., Shel., & Lincoln Metropolitan.... Do. New Do. Extension...... Metropolitan District. Do. do. do. Do. and St. John'slV'd Mid and Do. £9 Share Do, tiirmiu . & Derby vtid Kent .. North British Do. Ed., Pth., & Dun. Nth. Eastern—Berwick Do. lU.N•E purohabt Do. Leeds Do. York Do. Carlisle ...... Po. Stock. & Darling. Do. do. 1860-61 North London Do. do. 1804 Do. do. 1865 - - North Staffordshire N. & S. W. Junction S.cottish Central I Scot. N. E . Aber. stock 1;o. Scot, Mid. stick Shropshire Union South Devon south En stern ;taines, Wok., & Wok Taff Vale Do. C Vale or Neath Waterford AT Kilkenny Waterloo & Whiteha 1 West Cornwall BRITIS Ii Atlantic Az St. Lawrence 80m.,8ar0da..4 Cen.ln. gu. 5 per cent... Do. 1' shares Buffalo Ss Lake Huron Do. Preference Buff.,Brant, & Goderich 6 p.c. 872-3-e Calcutta & S. E., lira e Town & Dock, gu Demerara, 7 p.c. per. p: East. Ben. 4 al, gm, 5 do East Indian, gu. 5 p.c. Do. J Extension Grand Trunk of Canada Do. Equip. Mort, Bonds 1 charge 6 p.c Do. Ist 'ref. Bonds Do. do. deferred Do. 2d Pref. 'tonna Do. do. deterred Do. 3d Pref. stock Do. do. deferred Do. 4th Pref. stock Do. do. deterred Gt. India Pen. gua. sp.c I 'o. Gua. 5 per cent Do. New gua. 5 p. c Gt. South of India gua. 5 per cent D. 41 per cent Do Great W( s. of Canada.. DJ. New ..... Do. 6 p. c. Bds. pay. 1873' Do. 54 do. pay. 1877-8.. Indian Branch, limited, Madras, gua. 5 p.o Do. 4, do Do. 43 do Do. Fifth Extension Melb. Cor. 6 p. c. Bnds. Mel. & Hudson's Bay N. C'da, 6pc Ist pf.bs Scinde Do. Delhi cS Do. do Do. Punjaub I ti Do.lndus St. Flo 100 100 2 100 100 89 91. 127 128 55 65 13 15 4 6 87 70 70 72 20 15 (11 114 116 394 4 1 ,1 6 7 1 122 124 1 6i 137 6, L7} 571 57 59 33 101 31 3i 10) )02 1201 12ii 06 Os 27 20 ILO} :21}ii 9't 430 61 63 1331 134 2 3kp k Ip 92 95 123 1234 1 2 92 44 8 27 109 IIU 71 72 101 110 38 384 10 It p 120 121 1 2p 1 2p 74 78 108 112 199 151 66 68 49 61 75 76 8 9 140 143 1 3 ) 100 103 52 t,4 ESSIONS, 64 56 IC3 104 ti ) 4i 5 8 9 76 80 96 98 62 67 100 102 101 102 IC3I 1041 22 24 65 S 7 63 C 6 55 6 1 55 57 50 55 41 41 49 41 25 27 25 27 , 1005 5105 15 2pl 15 2 pi 99 101 91 93 15i S 6 5 40 94 E 6 83 ~5 I} 01 , .1 100 101 91 /3 86 88 61 63 8 82 99 100 98 99 td 97 99 cOLONIAL GOVERNSIENT SI CEJI{ British Columbia, 6 per' cent., Dec. 31,1872 Can.Gov.6 p.c.Ja.& July 1877-84 Do. 6 p. c. Feb. & Aug Do. 5 p. c. Mar. & Sept 1 )0. 5 p. c. Jan. & July Do. 5 p Inscribed sk Cape G.llope, 6 p.c. 1873 Do.Apl.&001 1890-1900 IDo. do; 1880-9 Do. Jan. &July, 1890-91 Do. 5 per cent. 15 April 92 94 90 03 90 93 74 60 76 79 108 194 IG2 101 102 104 102 194 and 15 Oct., MO - Ceylon, Nov. 1868, 6 p. Do. 1878, do Mauritius, 6 p. c, 1873, Jan. and July 86 8) 102 101 1(5 17 Do. 1 , 78 .. Do. 1882, Slay 15, Nov. Do. 1895, Feb. ctz Aug Natal ',3v. 6 per cent N. 8.G0v.6 p.c.Ja.bzJ ul) N. S.W. Gov. 5 lye., 186 t) Do. 5 p.c. 18;1 to 1871 Do. 5 p.c. 1888 to 1892 New Zealand, 6 p. cent Do. 5 per cent.... Nova Scotia Gov. 6 p. c. 103 105 107 109 104 (06 104 106 99 101 90 93 90 95 87i 88h 91 95 72 73 sterling, 1875 - Queensland Gov. 6 p. c. S. Aus.Gov. 6 p,c 1868-v Do. 1878 & upwards.. Vic,Gov. 6 p.o.Ja &July Do. do, it pril & Oct.. 190 100 100 110 100 100 98 100 98 100 105 107 ITIES. 103 101 19R1TISII MINJIIS. Cam. ConsoL G old, lim Chiverton Clifford amalgamated Devon G. Cons. (Tavist Drake walls East Bassett (Illogan) East Caradon East Carn Brea East Grenville East Gunnislake East Loved E. WI Russell (Tavistk Gam.& StAubyn(G wen. Grcat L ixey, limited Great South Tolgus Great Wheal Busy._ G. Wheal Vor (Heist Grenville lierod's Foot •••• iiingston Downs M arga ret (Uny Lelant Marke Valley nwyndy Iron Ore, lire N en , Se ton North Roskear N.Wh'l Bassett (I tlog,Yan North Wheal Crotty Prosper United.. • • • • • Pr,,vidence Uny I,lant S. Caradon (St. Cleer) South Coudurrow S.Wheal Fran. (Mogan Stray Park Tin Croft Vigra and Clugan, lirn West Bassett (Mogan. W. Caradon (Liskeard West Chiverton West Seton Wheal Bassett 'Mogan Wheal Buller (Redruth Wheal Mary Ann (Men. Wheal Seton whem T,eiawney (Lis, 6 7 10 12 520 5(0 18 20 64 74 2.1.0 29i 2.14.tl 31 2.14.0 8.3.6 3.9.0 10.8.0 3 41 3 4 I 8 - 3 3.1 5 7 21 1 > 1 14 224 23 24 3 38 40 5 4 6 24 35 40 13 15 t 32 34 375 900 11 2 15 20 4 6 13 15 3 5 1 2 8 9 7211 774 130 140 80 8 5 20 22 3 5 20) 2 0 13 15 rttEFEREN(JI: SltAitN: London and Brighton, 5 per cent. gua. stock, No. 1, 104 Midland, Leicester and Hitchin 4 per ct.. North Eastern, Cons. pref., 4 per cent., Bg, South Eastern (Reading Anne., £1.0.6). 221 PREFERENCE SHARES AND STOCKS. Great Eastern 41 per cent. pr., Ditto, 5 per cent. pf., 651 5 Ft) REI G N RAIL WAYS Antwerp and Rotterdam, 101 Bahia and San Francisco, 11. n., ottoman (Smyrna to Aidin), si Recife and San Francisco, lira., San Paulo. lien., gua. 6 per cent South Austrian and Lombardo Rua. 7 per cent., 141 glslua. 7 per cent., 121 ~ Venetian, 14i Ft)II.ICION MIN Chontales Gold and Silver Mining, 21 I Don Pedro, Nor.h Del Rey, Linares, lira., 2 Scottish Australian, Urn.. I _ BANKS, Agra and Masterman's, 1im.,:46 61 Alliance, lim., 220 3 21 2} Bank of British Columbia, 20 Bank of London. 23f Brazilian and Portuguese, Um., 8} Colonial, 47 Consolidated Bank, lim., 9 ti East London, lim., 31 4 Eng ish Joint Stock, 1im.,:7 13/1 European Bank, Um. 7} 8 7 Hindustan, China, and Japan, 11M., llk 111 I it o, issued at 2 pm., Ditto, new, Oi:llf Imperial Ottoman, 11 101 Ditto, new, f 10 London and Brazilian (lim.). 43 London Chartered Bank of Australia, 24 London and 11 estminster, ¶Hi Metropolitan and Provincial Bank. lim., 141 National Provincial of England, 159 Ditto. 23 and :id issuo, 46i Oriental Bank Corporation. 47 gl Provincial Banking Corporation, lim., 51 Union of Australia, 52 if Union of London, 54 31 DOCKS. Surrry Commercial, 109 MISCELLANEOUS. Consolidated Discount, lim , 4 Credit Foncler and Mobilier of England, 41 f Crystal Palace, i 9 Ditto, Prcierence, 111 Discount Corporation. 8 Egyptian Com. and Trading, lim., 3,} 3 Electric Telegraph, 134 English and Foreign Credit, 4 3i 2i Gen. Credit and Finance of L moon. Urn., 3i i 2} 3 Home and 1: donial A ssurance, lim, Hudson's Bay, 16 IQ Imperial Mercantile Credit Asso.,llrn., I 1 0} International Financial Society,:lim.' I 4 3} London Financial Association, lint , 15 19} + dras Irrigation and Canal,ll3l Ditto (all), lia Millwall Freehold Land and Dock, 6 National Discount Company, 12i Ditto, issued at 5 prem., or which n is to pay, 5} North British Australasian, 50 Overeud, Gurney, and Co., Urn., 141 a 1 11 Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Mail, Um., 8} Viceray of hp,ypt, Mortgage, Loan, 161 Warrant Finance, Bin., 51 The course of exchange at New York on London for bills at 60 days' sight is Wei to 107 per cent. At these rates there is no profit en the importation of go'd tram the United States, ross 10 tOO 100 all 100 100 THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 1, 1866. LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day). COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. (Before Mr. Justice Willes and a Common Jury.) MILLS V. UNDERWOOD. This was an action brought by William Henry Mills, the proprietor of a paraffin oil warehouse, to recover a box of trinkets and some silver spoons. The case of the plaintiff was, that being very much en gaged in business, and his wife, who had been a widow with two children by a former husband, being very ill, the property in question was entrusted to the care of Mrs Underwood, the defendant, who was a cousin of Mrs. Mills. The plaintiff also gave the defendant £2O, but there was no question about the money against which there was a set off which was not disputed. Last year Mrs. Mills died, and the defendant refused to deliver to the plaintiff the property she hell, on the ground that it was entrusted to her for the benefit of the children of Mrs. Mills by her first husband. The plaintiff admitted that the property was given into the care of the defendant by his sanction, but he denied that it was given for a specified period. Mr. luderwick appeared for the plaintiff, and M. D. Seymour, Q.C., for the defendant. His lordship said that the only question was whether a trust so created was recoverable or not. Ho did not know of any authority bearing on the question. The Lord Chancellor had considered the subject, but he did not know what was the decision. After some discussion, it was agreed by counsel to take the decision of the Court as to the point of law. His lordship said that ho considered the trust was too loose to be binding on the plaintiff, but he had no objec tion to the question being discussed before a full court next term. A verdict was then entered for the plaintiff. COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE. (Before Sir J. P. Wilde.) JENNER T. JENNER AND BALLINGER.-JUDGMENT. His lordship delivered judgment in this case, which had come originally before his predecessor. It was an applica tion on the part of the petitioner for an order of the court enabling him to obtain a portion of a sum of £7OO, which had been settled on his wife at her marriage, with a rever sionary interest to her children at her demise. Ho said ho had carefully read the notes of Sir Creswell Cresswell, and saw nothing in the circumstances of the case to take it out of the general rule applying to settlement of property. It appeared that the wife had been duly served with the notice of the present application, and did not offer any opposition, but seemed desirous that her husband should have the money he required. The Court did not feel jus tified in any way dealing with a fund ultimately settled on the children, but the trusts might be administered as if the wife had died during the lifetime of her husband. LORD MAYOR'S COURT. (Before Mr. Boden, Q.C., and a Common Jury.) IMPORTANT ACTION AGAINST A FIRE INSURANCE OFFICE CUMBERLAND V. THE ALBERT INSURANCE COMPANY. This was an action to recover damages in a case of al leged trespass by the defendants, after a fire had occurred on the plaintiff's premises, and a point of the very greatest importance 3vas raised as to the right of insurance com panies to take possession of the property of their insurers when a claim is made under the policy. Mr. Telford Salter (instructed by Mr. Steadman) ap peared for the plaintiff ; Mr. Shaw (instructed by Mr. Wal ker) representing the company. Mr. Salter, in opening the case to the jury, said that his client sought to recover damages for a trespass committed by the defendant, under circumstances of very great im portance. The defendants were the Albert Fire Insurance Company, and the question for the jury and the. court would be whether a fire insurance company had a right to put a man in posse ssion upon the plaintiff's premises after a fire had occurred. No doubt a fire company was entitled to look after the salvage under certain circumstances, but the learned counsel contended that they had no right whatever in law to put a man in posses sion, much less against the will of the insurer. Now the facts of the case were these :—The plaintiff was a bird stuffer and dealer in bird skins, of London Wall, and he had insured his premises with the defendants for £550. His occupation consisted of a ground, first, and second floors. On Nor. 28, 1865, a fire broke out and consumed the first and second floors, leaving the ground floor com paratively uninjured. On the morning after this fire no tice was given to the company, and they put a man in possession, and that person kept possession for two months. Plaintiff considered himself very much ill-used by this, and he brought his action to recover damages. The claim of the plaintiff was considered by the insur ance company as excessive. Mr. Shaw, for the company, urged that there had been no unreasonable occupation. Mr. Salter said that although it was reasonable for the company to enter premises, there was no law under which they were entitled to do so. He trusted the jury would give substantial damages. His lordship, in summing up, said in the first place the jury had to say whether plaintiff could recover at all, and in the second what damage he had sustained, supposing that the jury should consider that he was entitled to re cover. In point of law, in the abstract, the company had no right to go on the premises at all, but when a fire oc curred the jury would say whether they had a reason, and a good reason, for going in to investigate it. If the jury thought that the defendants kept the man in an unreason able time, then the jury would say what damages he had suffered. The jury conferred and found a verdict for the plaintiff, £5O damages, the full amount claimed. POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. COMBINATION AGAINST A FOREMAN.—David Ryan, a la bourer, was charged as follows : Mr. George Rotten, foreman in the employ of Messrs. Scrivener and White, builders, at some works going on in Riding-house-street (the building of the Portland British Schools), said the prisoner was employed at the works as a labourer, and he had to discharge him in consequence of absenting himself from drinking. On his doing so prisoner said, "You —, you discharged me, and I'll knock your brains out," and then struck him in the face and turned him out of the office. Ifugh Facey, another foreman in Messrs. Scrivener and White's employ, said that he was going to pay the pri soner for what work he bad done, when he said, " I'll knock your brains out," and the prisoner then laid hold of Hotton and struck him a violent blow in the face, and afterwards incited a number of the labourers to leave the job. Thos. Rosekilley, ono of the warrant officers, said that when he went to execute the warrant ho was surrounded by the friends of the prisoner. The prisoner, who was very violent, made a rush at the witness Facey, who would have been violently handled but for his (Rosekilley's) in terference. In answer to the charge, the prisoner called two wit nesses out of a number of labourers in attendance, and from the rambling statements they made it was clear that they were actuated by far from friendly feelings towards the complainant. Mr. Tyrwhitt said he considered the assault a very bad one, inasmuch as it was setting a bad example to the other men, and was likely to create a feeling of insurbordination amongst them. He should therefore fine the prisoner £5 or two months' imprisonment. ELECTION COMMITTEES—This Day. Mexico. WHAT AN AMERICAN TRAVELLER SAW AND SAYS. • A correspondent of the New Orleans Picayune, who left the city of Mexico on the 13th February, furnishes some late and interesting information as to the state of the country. The Picayune says He travelled in his own pri va t e carr i age to the city of Mexico, and thence to Paso del Macho, where he left his carriage and took the cars for Vera Cruz. He passed through the great cities of Queretaro, Mexico, Orizaba, Puebla, &c., and m e t with no casualty whatever. The whole country was quiet and apparently prosperous. Corn and wheat were both up and promised excellent crops. The corn also was everywhere rich and abundant, as also fruits of every description. New cotton was likewise up on the Rio Verde, and promised well. The cotton factories in the vicinity of San Luis Potosi, Saltillo, and San Juan de los Lagos were all thriving, and had as much business as they could do. Also the woollen factories of Queretaro. The city of San Luis Potosi was very dull, because of its .being cut off from communication with Tampico and Matamoras. The city was full, however, and rents unacountably high. The French kept the road clear to Saltillo and Monterey ; but with the Mexican Gulf seaboard, or Rio Grande, there was no safe communication. Our friend and informant preferred to make the entire round-about trip to the States by way of the Capital to Vera Cruz rather than risk the journey to Tampico or Matamoras. The city of Mexico he found dull, but fuller than he had ever known it before. There were, how ever, but few Americans there. They had almost all gone to Cordova, the Confederate colony. He passed, however, between San Luis and Cordova, many other American colonies or resi dences, and generally our compatriots domiciled in that country are doing well. Agriculture especially was very prosperous. The mines in. the vicinity of San Luis Potosi, especially the celebrated Real Catorce mines, were all being assiduously worked and prospering. During the last eight months $1,500,000 of silver was coined there. Our informant also learned that the Real del Monte mines, near the capital, were doing well. He brings along with him a piece of the new imperial coinage. On one side is the Mexican coat of arms—the eagle, the ser pent, and the cactus—on the other the handsome face of Maximilian. As to the political state of the country, our in formant does not think it to be yet perfectly settled, though much better order prevails than in former days. But the future is uncertain, and to us a blank. He thinks there are about 30,000 French troops and employees in the country, and I ;about 10,000 native Mexicans in the Imperial service. Mejia was Maximilian s most trusted General. Of other foreign troops—Belgians and Austrians—he is unable to make an estimate. THAMES. THE LATE CASE OF ABDUCTION.—Mr. Charles Young, Solicitor, who is engaged to conduct the prosecution against Christian Olifius, a Dutchman, who carries on the business of a pickle and fruit merchant in Crispin- street, Spitalfields; and Ellen Houghton, a woman of indifferent character, who were committed by Mr. Paget for the ab duction of a young lady, named Elizabeth Telly reported that both prisoners wore brought up from Newgate yester day on a writ of habeas corpus, and offered bail to the presiding judge at Chambers. He (Mr. Young) opposed the application for bail on the part of Mr. Telly, the father of the young lady. Mr. Justice Lush, after hearing Mr. Besley, counsel for the prisoners, and reading the affidavits, decided that both prisoners might be safely bailed ; and that as the law presumed all persons to be innocent until found guilty, there was no necessity to detain them if they could find good security for their appearance at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court. He fixed the amount of bail as follows : For Olifius, his own personal recognisance in £2,000, and two sureties of £750 each ; and for Houghton, her own personal recognisance of £3OO, and two sureties of £l5O each. Olifius immediately put in the required Lail and was liberated. The woman was unable to put in the required sureties and was sent back to Newgate. She was called upon to give 24 hours' notice of bail. FLYOCKING A MAN'S EYE OUT.—A dock labourer, named James Savage, was brought before Mr. Paget, charged with assaulting Mr. Tagtman. Robert Smith, a police-sergeant, No. 47 K, said he had just taken the prisoner into custody for assaulting a man in Bluegate-fields, Shadwoll, on Friday last. I 1• produced a certificate from the house surgeon of the London Hospital, stating that Ernest Tagtman could not be removed at pre sent, and was in danger. The man had received a fearful injury, and the sight gone. The eye would have to come out. He believed a poker was used. The prisoner said that Tagtman was his landlord, and fastened a quarrel on him because he was unable to pay his rent. Tagtman called him an Irish —, and he re torted by calling Tagtman a Dutch —. They fought, and Tagtmau's sister tried to bite him. He was not aware he used any poker, and never intended to hurt the landlord. Mr. Paget said the case must be further investigated, and remanded the prisoner for a week. THE DOCK LABOURERS AT LlVERPOOL—Yester day, at noon, the labourers at the docks north of the Prince's Dock struck work for au advance of wages and terms as to time similar to those demanded by their fellows at the south docks. They congregated in largo numbers at the gate entrance, but were very orderly and quiet. HARIVICII. The members of this committee, consisting :of Mr. Ga thorne Hardy (chairman), Mr. Sergeant Armstrong, Mr. J. Floyer, Mr. K. Hodgson, and Mr. Huddlestone, met to-day for the first time to try the merits of the two petitions against the return of the sitting members, Captain . Jervis and Mr. Kelk. Tho first petition was presented by Mr. M. Wells, one of the unsuccessful candidates at the last election, and set forth that, under a statute of Anne, was disqualified from holding a seat in the House of Commons, by reason of his holding the situations of assistant superintendent in the Royal Small Arms establishment and deputy-clerk' in the office of the Secretary of War. The petitioner prayed that Captain Jervis's name should be erased from the return, and his own substituted. The second petition proceeded from Mr. Burt, M.D., and other electors of Harwich, and alleged corrupt practices on the part of both members. Mr. Phinn, Q.C., Mr. Fitzjames Stephen, and Mr. Phil brick appeared for the petitioners ; and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. H. James for the sitting members. Mr. Phium, on opening the case in the first petition against the return of Captain Jervis, said that the petition did not involve the usual question which formed the sub ject of inquiry of election committees in general. The whole case would turn on the construction of an old statute, and ono of more modern times, and the points that he would have to establish were that the situation held by Captain Jervis was clearly contemplated in the Act of Queen Anne, and rendered him ineligible for a seat in Parliament at the time of the election, and that duo notice had been given to the electors of Harwich that it would be useless for them to record their votes in favour of Captain Jervis. The learned counsel proceeded to argue the case at consider able length, and quoted the authority of some of the most eminent writers on constitutional law. The inquiry promises to be rather protracted. HUDDERSFIELD. The further evidence on behalf of the sitting member was resumed this morning. CHEITENILA.K. Evidanc• in this case was also proceeded with. Great Destruction of Property by Fire. THIS'DAY. This morning, at a few minutes before One o'clock, the quiet neighbourhood of Leytonstone, in Essex, presented an universal scene of excitement in consequence of the out break of an extensive fire in a newly-erected 10-roomed house belonging to Mr. W. Ideate, situated in Belgravia, Leytonstone. In the course of a few minutes the entire building presented a great body of flame, and the fire seized upon another house equally as large. Capt. Jones was soon on the spot with the West Ham engine, followed by numerous others. Plenty of water having been pro cured, the firemen went to work, but the fire could not be extinguished until both buildings were totally de stroyed. The sufferer was insured in the Royal-office. About half-past 3 o'clock a fire, attended with great loss of property, took place in the premises of Mr. Hawkes, grocer and tea dealer, No. 1, Wellington-street, Holloway. The Volunteer and Metropolitan Brigade quickly attended, but the fire could not be extinguished until the shop and con tents, and the upper part of the house, were nearly des troyed. A fire likewise broke out in the tea warehouses of Mr. Eves, No. 24, Skinner-street, elerkenwell. Con ductors Dunshire and Puty attended with two of the Royal Sfollowed by numerous engines, but the fia o n c i t e e s ty's escapes, couldnotbe extinguished until they had travelled through the building. Another fire broke out at No. 6, Church-road, Dalston, occupied by Mr. Oliver, a green grocer, which destroyed the lower part of the building. Liverpool Cotton Market-.-This Day. The market opens flat, at drooping prices. Sales probably 5,000 bales. MARKETS.—This Day. lIAY. SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover, £5 5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 4s per load. Trade slow. CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs Od; clover, £5 5s to £6 15s Od; and straw, £2 Os to £2 5s per load. A. limited inquiry. WHITECHAPEL.—MencIow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs; clover, £5 5s to £6 15s Od; and straw, £1 18s to £2 4s per load. Trade heavy. COLONIAL. TEA.—There has been very little business transacted the trade having deferred their operations until the public sales, which commence to-day, when about 8,300 packages will be offered, chiefly without reserve. SUGAR.—There has been a better enquiry, and prices have shown more firmness. In the refined market also a fair amount of business has been done at fully previous rates. COFFEE.—A moderate amount of business has been re ported in both Plantation and Native Ceylon, without material change as regards values. RlCE.—Business has been dull, and the few parcels that have changed hands have been at former quotations. CINNAMON. —At public sale, just concluded, the prices realized were irregular; superior qualities, however, brought an advance of 3d. to 4d. per lb., and inferior id. to 2d. per lb. on previous current rates. FATAL FIRE IN SUFFOLK.—On Saturday an in quest was held at Cavendish, Suffolk, on the bodies of two men named Reeve and Deeks, who had lost their lives on the preceding day at a fire in the cocoa-nut fibre manufactory of Mr. Churchyard, at that place. It is cus tomary to lay cocoa nut fibre which has been wetted for any purpose in the yard to dry previous to its being manu factured, and on Friday a quantity of fibre was lying in the yard attached to Mr. Churchyard's factory for that pur pose. Shortly after 2 o'clobk this fibre became ignited by some unaccountable means, and the flames communicated with other fibre in the factory. An alarm was given, but such was the inflammable nature of the material that the flames spread from floor to floor with very great rapidity. Iu less than five minutes every part of the building was in flames. There were between 20 and 30 persons employed in the factory at the time. All wore saved, however, ex cept the deceased. Decks was taken out of the third floor window by a ladder, but he had received injuries which terminated fatally on Saturday. Reeve's body was not dis coved until the fire was extinguished. The fire is sup posed to have been caused by some one smoking. At the inquest on Saturday no satisfactory evidence could be ob tained on this subject, and the jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally burnt." TIIE MURDER IN IRELAND.—DUBLIN, Monday.— The jury have found a verdict of wilful murder against Richard Kearney, the man charged with having shot a policeman on Sunday in this city. The report that a soldier was with the murderer is false. A private, named Murphy, of the sth Dragoon Guards, who was passing at the time, tried to seize Kearney, but meveral persons pre vented him, and threatened him The jury commended Murphy. Kearney is known to be a Fenian. No arrest was made, but one of the witnesses at the inquest was taken into custody. He was supposed to be concealing impor tant information. THE EXPENDITURE ON THE BRITISH MUSEUM for the past year was £lOl,BOB 14s. 4d., and the sum required for the ensuing year will be about £102,744. During the past few years there has been a continuous decrease in the number of visitors, exclusive of readers. The num ber of visitors have diminished considerably. During the past year there were 30,000 fewer than in 1861. 29,686 volumes have been added to the library. The number of de liveries of manuscripts to readers during the years is 2,311, and to artists and others in the - rooms of the department to 4,199. Tho collection of manuscripts has been added to by 1,177 documents, 180 original charters, and 231 casts of seals • The Egerton collection has been increased by forty manu scripts. At the sale of the celebrated collection of the late Count Pourtales a number of antiquities were purchased for the Greek and Roman departments. In coins and medals we learn that the great collection formerly in the Bank of England, and numbering with the medals collected by Messrs. Hoggard and Cuff about 7,700 specimens, have been deposited in the museum by the Bank authorities. Professor Owen reports 16,700 additions in the department of zoology, 10,078 in that of geology, and 3,623 in that of mineralogy. THE PRUSSIAN PROJECT OF FEDERAL REFORM.-- According to the Journal de Bruxelles the following are the bases of the plan proposed by Prussia to the Diet : —l. A Parliament to be elected by universal suffrage, with some restrictions in respect of the qualifications of depu ties. 2. An executive power shall be constituted, in which Austria:, Prussia, and Bavaria alone shall exercise prepon derating influence. 8. Germany shall be divided into three military groups, formed by Austria, Prussia, and Bavaria. 4. Prussia and Bavaria to have the superior command of the military forces forming the two last-men tioned groups : Prussia to have command of the Federal fleet, which will bo at once created. 5. The Diet will cease to guarantee the possessions of Austria, but an ulte rior understanding upon that subject may be arrived at. 6. Tho Parliament shall have the function of voting the contingents of the subsidies for the army and marine, and all laws applicable to the entire Confederation. 7. The diplomatic direction to be left exclusively in the hands of Prussia, which, however, will allow of the different other States retaining the power of naming their respective Consuls. IADYERTISEMENT.I --Holloway's Pills and Ointment.— A frequent cause of gout and rheumatism is the inflamma tory state of the blood, attended with bad digestion and general debility. A few doses of these pill s t a k en i n t i me aro an effectual preventative against put and rheumatism ; but any one who has an attack of either should use Hol loway's ointment also, the powerful properties of which, combined with the effect of the pills, must infallibly effect a cure. These pills act directly on the blood, which they and improve. They also regulat e th e secre ti ons and pliifr g y ive tone to the stomach, and th us t h e whole system is invigorated and put into a conditi on w hi ch enables it to stop the approach of divas°, or throw it off. FRENCH THEATRICALS. GRAND OPERA.—Once upon a time, when Lumley suc ceeded Laporte at Her Majesty's Theatre, there was a fine old admiral who used to come to the opera in a blue coat with brass buttons, such as Fyshe, Palmer, and Sir Francis Burdett mad to wear. He never missed "Don Giovanni," and on his arrival, he used to sweep the horizon of snowy shoulders with a Dollond's telescope, after which he would subside into a peaceful slumber in the tail of his box with smiling instructions to the wife of his bosom, " Wake me, my love, when the ghost comes." A man cannot take his wife with him to the stalls of the French Opera, and so it happens that many occupiers of those pretty stools snore soundly to the end of "Don Juan." Let chemists ransack their Pharmacopeia, they will find no such opiate as this. The magnificence of the scenery is greatly to be praised, the ballet is beautiful, but the Don is put upon the stags in all the pomp of easy circumstances, arising from a splendid subvention, but it is a pompe funebre. Five long dreary acts which make those who can keep awake, and who fancy that they must see it out, long for the last scene impatiently as the boy who whispered to his schoolfellows in the pew, when he saw the clergyman turn to the fly leaf of his sermon, "Courage, lads, I see land." Elvira, Anna, and the Commendatore have some reason for this sadness—one has lost her lover, the other her father, and the last—his life. But the Don and his ballet should be roystering revellers—reckless libertines with boisterous spirits—pet Faure and Obin walk about the stage as though they were engaged to do the "Heavy Fathers" of the drama. They seem to think that they have a very un pleasant duty to perform, and they go through it with a solemnity which is at times absolutely comic. Don Juan is sedate as the Rev. Mr. Chadband at a tea fight, and Lepo rello disports himself like a Puseyito parson. We shall see how Mane. Carvalho will get up the opera next week at the Lyrique. She will take Lulina's role with Mlle. Nillson for Elvirst, and limo. Charton Denzeure for Donna Anna. M. Barre will make his debut as the Don, and M. Troy as Loporello. He is said to have been disinclined to play Leporello, but his scruples have been overcome, and Mme. Carvalho, like the well-buskined Greeks, has triumphed at the siege of Troy, as she has indeed in Marguerite, and everything that she has undertaken. FOLIES-DRAMATIQUES AND DELASSEMENTS-COMIQUES.--- T his is the very pursuit of novelties under difficulties. Wherever we go we find nothing new but what has been long forgotten. And yet not so altogether, for who could ever forget Mrs. Yates playing "Victorine, or I'll Sleep on it ?" They who enjoyed the rare privilege of seeing that incomparable actress in that part must remember how they crammed their kerchiefs into their mouths and made other efforts to keep back those tears which flowed from every eye. Bah ! Mrs. Partington might as well have striven to drive back the advancing tide with her mop. Lord Eglinton used to say that the best means of stopping a woman's tears would be to " dam" her eyes ; but what dam could keep back those sacred waters before Mrs. Yates' Victorine, for she was a Castatia who made fountains flow from every eye at her will. Ladies used to be carried out sobbing from their pigeon -holes, which they call boxes at the Adelphi, and gandins and Liteguardsmen used to retire and stifle their emotion in the lobby. How many years ago was this ? don't let us talk of things which make us so horribly old—but they who can remember this play, and wish to revive their reminiscences, may go if they please (though they will be better pleased if they stay away) to the Folies-Dra matiques, where they will see this very old friend with a new face—and a very pretty face she has---Mme. Derville, but she is not Mrs. Yates. They may also see the " Cadeau d'un Horloger." The "Chapeau d'un Horloger" was one of the best plays ever put on the French stage, which the " Cadeau," from one of the same craft, is not. Imagine a damsel becoming enamoured of the nigger which you may have seen at a shop on the Boulevards carrying a clock on his abdomen ! The proprietor of this bellygerent piece of horlogerie presents it to the lady, who has, however, pur chased one privately, and on the same day she receives another from her lover. "It never rains but it pours :" "Il pleuvait des pendules ce jour lk ;" but this sable trium virate of timekeepers fails to make the time pass very plea santly. Nor shall we find any Delassements at the neigh bouring playhouse which professes to be comique. In lieu of Delaassement we return, unlike Messalina, lassata, but also satiate. Moreover the troupe is not remarkable either for youth or beauty: " C'est comme un bouquet de fleurs— fan6es." GREAT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, CALEDONIAN-ROAD. —The members of the Alexandra Dramatic Club gave a first-class entertainment on Saturday last at Myddbeton hall, for the benefit of this useful and much-needed charity. The hall was well filled in every part by a delighted au dience, who, by their oft-repeated applause, fully appre ciated the praiseworthy exertions of the club. This is the only free hospital in the extreme northern district of Lon don. Additional funds are very urgently needed to pre vent refusal of admissions. There is no endowment what ever. Cases are freely admitted day and night, without tickets or delay. Some time ago there was instituted in the island of Cuba a real Abolition Society, devoted to the task of liberation, and proposing to free all the negroes in that ever-faithful isle. In Madrid a similar Society had been instituted, and has not been disturbed ; but the Royal Government would not permit the existence of the Cuba Abolition Society, and by official decree it was suppressed. The members, it seems, have submitted to the order, but they have resolved to get as near abolition as they can without infringing upon superior'command. They have, therefore, formed an association against the African slave-trade, and resolved to discourage the traffic which keeps the " peculiar institution" in Cuba in life. They pledge themselves not to,ac quire property in imported slaves, and to discourage others who may be inclined to take the stolen negro into their service. This Society hopes to obtain general membership throughout the island of Cuba. It ex pects to control sections and districts, and by means of local Vigilance Committees and a Central Directory, to insure obedience to the Royal decrees which now denounce the enslavement of native Africans, and make the acquisition of these poor creatures a crime. The association will be produc tive of good if it is not interfered with by the Spanish officials. The latter, although bound to carry out the Royal rescripts, manage to evade them, and the reason is because disobedience is to their profit, 122% 1361 7 57 1 83 1201 f 1 91 27 1 21 f 92i 3 02 f 133 f 3 123 21 loot 7i 32 411 IC4} 1 1 111 RD EDIT lON. SUN OFFICE, o'CLocic. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day. ASCOT RACES.—THIS DAY. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRKPIL] A HANDICAP PLATE OF 100 SOVS, • for 3-yr-olds and upwards, added to a Sweepstakes of 5 soya each ; winners after April 26, at 10 a.m., 51b extra ; the second to receive 20 sow; out of the stakes. Half a mile. 18 subs. Mr. Saxon's Lord Craven (Clarke) 1 Mr. J. 11. C. Wyndham's'Kirig Christian (Whitehorn) 2 Mr. Pryor's Qui Vive (Loates) 3 The following also ran d'Etat and In dian Star. Betting at Starting-7 to 4 agst Qui Vive, 2to 1 each agst Indian Star and Lord Craven, 5 to 1 agst Ring Christian. Won easily by a length ; bad third. THE GRAND STAND PLATE of 200 soya, added to a Sweepstakes of 15 sovs each, 10ft, for 2 -yr-olds ; colts Bst 81b, fillies Bst 61b ; winners 31b extra, penalties accumulative ; maidens if they have been beaten allowed 31b. Five furlongs. 42 subs. Col. Pearson's Achievement (French) 1 Mr. H. Savile's Clairvoyante. Mr. Pryor's Friponnier (Loates) 3 The following also ran :—Marksman, Wombat f, Charles the Second, Oxford f, and Harpenden. Betting-6 to 4on Friponnier, 2to 1 agst Achievement, 6 to 1 bar two. Won by three quarters of a length. • THE DUKE DE BRABANT STAKES of 400 sovs, added to a handicap of 25 sovs each, 15ft, end 5 only if declared ; winners of a handicap after April 19 at 10 a.m., 51b extra, weights accumulative. New Course (1 mile 5 furlongs). 74 subs, 49 of whom declared. Mr. Payne's Pintail (Carroll) 1 Mr. Perry's Hollyfox (Cameron) 2 Mr. R. Sutton's Split the Difference...... (Carter) 3 The following also ran :—Helen, Eakring, Fil bert, Merry Wife, Gomera, Brahma, Cutaway, Plutus, Hasketon Maid, and Monitress. Betting-2 to 1 agst Eakring, 4to 1 agst Brahma„ 6 to 1 each agst Hasketon Maid and Monitress, 8 to 1 agst Pintail. THE SPRING BIENNIAL STAKES of 100 SOTS, added to a Sweepstakes of 10 sovs each, for 2-yr-olds ; colts Bst 91b, fillies Bst 71b. Half a mile. 37 subs. Mr. Hugh Smith's Seville 1 Mr. F. Dark's Th e R escue 2 3 Mr. T. Parr's Opoponas Five ran. A PLATE OF 100 SOUS, for horses which have never won 100 sovs before starting ; 3-yr-olds 7st 91b, four Bst 101 b, five, six, and aged Bst 121 b ; maiden 4-yr--olds allowed 51b, five and upwards 121 b ; entrance 2 sovs, to go to the second horse. T.Y.C. 7 subs. Raven - 1 Kingfisher Little Gentleman 3 Five ran. A PLATE OF 50 SOVS ; 2-yr-olds 6st 21b, three Bst 101 b, four lOst 21b, five, six, and aged lOst 61b; the winner to be sold for 100 soy; if for N allowed Mb ; entrance 1 soy, to go to the second horse. The Old Mile. 7 subs. Bavard's dam 1 Glacier .. 2 Euphony 3 Three ran. THE DERBY TRIAL PLATE of 100 soya, added to a Sweepstakes of 10 soya each ; 3-yr olds 7st 21b, four Bst 121 b, five, six, and aged, 9st 21b ; mares and geldings allowed 41b ; if entered to be sold for 500 sovs allowed 51b; if for 100 101 b. Swinley Course. (Did not fill.) ITALY. POPULAR ENTHUSIASM FOR WAR. FLORENCE, MAY 1. Intelligence received here from the provinces to day announces the universal enthusiasm of the people, the troops, and all political parties, in view of the probability of war. A great popular demonstration has taken place at Naples in favour of the Government armaments. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS.—THIS EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at fit , . o'clock. PETITIONS. Several petitions were presented against the abolition of church rates, alteration in the church returns, in favour of the admission of Roman Catholie clergymen, &c. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Ross and County Roads, Train Water, and Sheffield United Gas. The following bills were read a third time and passed:— East India Irrigation and Canal, Madras Irrigation Canal, Dublin and Antrim Junction Railway, North Eastern Railway (Durham New Lines), Rathmines and Bathgate and Improvement North Eastern Railway (Yorkshire New Lines, &c.) LAW OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AMENDMENT BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR, on rising to move the second reading of this bill, said that he would ask of their lordships to give the bill their most serious attention, as the subject had excited the greatest attention in Parlia ment from its importance, and had been frequently de scribed in both houses. Mr. Ewart, in 1864, moved for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the subject, but his right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department promised that if the committee were not proposed for, he should move that a commission be appointed. That commission was issued, and was composed of distinguished noblemen and gentlemen. The inquiry was directed to two points, namely, whether the punishment by death should bo retained, and, if so, in what manner it should be carried out, and a great deal of information was acquired beasing on the subject with with reference to foreign countries. The committee consisted of twelve members, four of whom were in favour of the abolition of capital punishment, but the remainder were in favour of its retention in case of murder. If their lordships came to the conclusion that capital punishment acted as the strongest deterrent to the commission of crime, then it followed that it should be re tained for the crime of murder. He considered that capital p un i s hment did not act as a deterrent to crime, and he was also of opinion that the infliction of capital punish ment was most desirable, as it was calculated to prevent, persona committing murder, at which they would not hesi tate if that punishment were abolished, because criminals would naturally desire to destroy the principal testimony that could be adduced against the other crimes, as dead men men told no tales. He referred to Tuscany, where capital punishment had been abolished under peculiar circumstance, but it was a fact that crime had increased, but in France no less than 25 executions took place during the last year. The commission divided the crime of murder into two classes. In the first degree they considered that where murder, with express malice and aforethought was proved, capital punishment should be retained. The second de gree excluded malice and aforethought, and in these cases the commissioners recomm en d e d th e substitution of penal servitude at the discretion of the judge before whom the case had been tried. He said that he proposed to introduce amendment s ,i n t o th e bill . The commission also recommend penal servitude instead of death in cases of infanticide in certain cases. LEFT SPEAKING.] HOUSE OF COMMONS—THIS EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed:— Holyhead Water, and Neath and Brecon Railway (Capital). WORCESTER AND BIRMINGHAM CANAL BILL. On the motion that this bill be read a second time. , Sir J. PARINGTON opposed the motion because it would prejudicially affect several of his constituents. It was proposed to convert the canal into a railway, • at least so it was supp ose d, b u t i n th e e vent of a promise being persevere with that such was not the case; he should not , with his motion. He should conclude that the bill breau a second time that day six months. Mr. PRICE seconded the amendment. that the canal Mr. BROMLEY, •on the part of the pronlip ters, they had already given an undertaking, a , y, and the y were should not be converted into a rbe Zodified. quite willing that the tolls shouIdDODSON thought after said After a short discussion, Dlr. . gtvthe bill might be post the intimation that bad been promoters, the second readin the galoteratious proposed would ponod in order to see that who opposed it. i_ en on the part of the f S t State t e for the meet the- views of those agreed to, and the further proceed_ proceed ings The suggebtion was NORTHeford intelligence Secretary fortnight. o 0 f ing li w n i A th D t p he En bil L l e o postponed sa L kd e e Legislature e ct l he a ie t v u r e o f Nova Scotia favour able N E 'r y a AMERICAN confederation of the North to the American Provinces ? Mr. CARDWELL said it was quite true that such in telligencehad been received: TILE CATTLE PLAGUE. Mr. CIIEETHAM asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government Would suspend the operation of Part I. of the Cattle Diseases Prevention Act, relating to the slaughtering of animals and compensation for the same after the 10th of May. Sir G. GREY said that an order of the Privy Council had already been issued extending the operation of the act beyond the original term fixed until the 10th of May ; but in conseghence of information that had come to hand from all parts of Ur) country, they thought it was again _________,.....,........ the duty of the Privy Council to further extend the time beyond the 10th of May. TOTNES ELECTION. Mr. BOUVERIE rose to move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty praying for the appointment of a commission to inquire into the corrupt practices which had been proved to have taken place at the last election for the borough of `retries. He said the evidence appeared most conclusive that extensive corrupt practices had existed, and that the mode pursued was either by promises of obtaining situations for different persons, or by direct money bribes, the market prices for the votes, it appeared, being £2OO a piece. The committee came unanimously to the conclusion that ex tensive bribery existed at last election, and it became his duty as chairman to move that a commission should be appointed in accordance with the law as it at pr , sent existed. It had been said that these cam_ missions led to no good results, and therefore their appointment was useless, but he thought that as it was the only way to probe the matter to the bottom the inquiry would be at once made. Mr. BAXTER thought the appointment of these com missions led to no good results. Ile had known three or, four of them that had in former times been appointed, and yet in no one instance had the recommendations b aen followed by any legislation. The commissions cost b e _ tween £1,500 and £2,000, and to spend such sums 'without any results was worse than useless. The house had quit e sufficient evidence before it for any practical purpose. lie thought that every person proved to have taken or offered moneyr. D. G money at an l e t l i e F c F tici T i ns t o w ul i d sh b e e d a t t h o e ne p e en p a ro l sepotteedrs of th e . M house, in regard to bribery at elections, were more severelty carried into operation than was the case at present. Major EDWARDES objected that the borough which he had the honour to represent—viz., Beverley—should be paraded in that house and throughout the country as a corrupt borough. Since the Reform Bill of 1832 there had only been three petitions against the return for Beverley, in two of which the petitioners entirely failed to prove, their allegations. He thought one of the first alteratiore t in the law with respect , to elections should be an alte - „-,_ tion with respect to the mode in which petitions comp] win ing of undue elections were presented. In many Cases they were got up for the purpose of extorting money from the members elected, and failing in this, the petiti on a t the last moment was withdrawn, aft er it had been. b anging over the head of the member for two or three mon'.lls. Sir G. GREY thought the motion ought to , kie agreed to as - the committee had reported that bribery and corrupt extensively enp p u r t evailed at the last 'election. from the chair and agree d to practices Thewithoutm a o h i o division.n was then GREAT YARMOUTH ELECTION. Mr. MOWBRAY moved the appointment of a similar commission for the borough of Great Yarmouth. The motion was agreed to. REIGATE ELECTION. Mr. 11. VIVIAN made a similar motion with respect ta the last election for the borough of Reigate. [LEFT SITTING.] Sir G. GRE Y HOUSE OF COMMONS--LAST EN - END A G . any time d ur i ng the slitbet' ng OATHS OF MEMBERS. the oath required . b y l aw, at orders of the d ays and notil moved the following :—" A t mom before the bers may take and subscribe b : ef f mot t he o h n o a u h s'ai ave been en tered upon, or aft er they haevees i for th a t p urpose. debate or business shall be inte rru pter That the standing order o f the 15th day of A ugust , 1 8 60, relative to the swearing of pers ons professin g th e J ewish religion, be read and repealed. , The motion was agreed to. Sir G. GREY moved a resolution providing that hers might take and subscribe the oath required by law r menl ":, any time during the sitting o f the h ouse before the or i -- of the day and notices of mot i o ns had been e ntered -croon er after they had been disposed of ; but no debate cm. busi ness should be interrupted for that purpose. He also pro posed that the standing order of the 15th day cif august, 1860,relativeto btli:eresawd and repealed . earingofpersons professing the Jewish religion, These propositions were agreed to. A brief conversation arose on the subject of the Irish Militia, and the reasons which had induced the Govern ment to doubt the expediency of callir.g out that force during the present year. The house then went into committee of supply on the, Civil Service Estimates. The following votes were agreed to :—.£45,000 for purchase of site for eamrgement of the National Gallery; £20,000 for the expenses of erecting a new building for the University of London ; £7,000 for the repair and restoration of the Chapter House at West minster; £25,000 for erecting and improving Sheriffs Courts in Scotland; £20,000 for rates on Government pro perty; £2,500, the amount of contribution towards the funds for the establishment and maintenaice of a fire brigade in the metropolis; £2,000, harbours of refuge £31,111, on account of the new harbours at Holyhead and Portpatrick ; £60,663 on account of public build ings in Ireland; £1,571 for new Record Buildings at the Four Courts, Dublin ; £7,000 for purchase or erec tion of buildings for the Queen's University in Ire land ; £5,000 for the restoration of the works of the Ulster Canal ; £32,160 for lighthouses abroad ; £2,000 for a criminal lunatic asylum in the Isle of Man ; £53,431 salaries and expenses of the Houses of Parliament ; £38,432 for the Treasury Office ; £19,471 for the Home Office ; £47,840 for the Foreign Office; £23,124 for the Colonial Office; £14,709 for the Privy Council; £48,285 for the Board of Trade; £1,538 for the Privy Seal Office; £6,007 for the Civil Service Commission; £14,588 for the Pay master-General's Department ; £3,380 for the Office of the Comptroller-General of the Exchequer; £25,862 for Office of Works and Public Buildings ; £20,815 for Office of Woods, Forests, and Lands; £15,119 for the State Paper Office ; £222,984 for the Poor Law Commission ; together with the whole of the salaries and expenses of the other public departments, including the secret service money, £32,000, and the printing and stationery votes. The estimates for \ the administration of law and justice in England were also passed, and the house resumed. The Contagious Diseases Bill was read a third time and the T E hi sta ad b i l o is u h rn ed ed ch d u eb r i c t h te ( o l passed. n rel S atd) o w hn as G po ra s y tp 's o re ne s d ol u u n ti t o il n t o h n e 23d of May. The Hope Trade Bill passed through committee. LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND) Mr. C. FORTESCUE, in moving for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law of landlord and tenant in Ireland, admitted that the act passed in 1860 by Mr. Cardwell had proved a failure, owing to the cautions and legal restric tions with which it was surrounded. Profiting by the ex perience gained since that time, it would be proposed to alter the law in accordance with the facts of the case, in which the tenant and not the landlord, as in Scotland and England, effected the improvements; and, in accordance with natural equity, extending the term of leases for im provements from 21 to 31 years, and for buildings from 41 to 61 years ; to give the tenant, where there was no agree - ment to the contrary, a title to all improvements, without notice to the landlord being required ; a lump sum, accord ing to the increased rental of the farm, not exceeding £5 an acre, to be settled in event of a dispute by a valuator sent down by the Commissioners of Public Works, with an appeal to the chairman of quarter sessions. After some discussion, leave was given to bring in tho bill, which was read a first time, and the house then ad journed. LONDON GAZE T TE• —This Evening. FOREIGN-OFFICE, APRIL 28. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. W. Martin Jones as Consul at Clifton, Canada, for the United States of America. WAR OFFICE, PALL-MALL, MAY 1. 94th Regiment of Foot—Major-General Edward W. P. Walker, C. 8., to be Colonel, vice General Geo. Powell Higginson, deceased. 4th West India Regiment—Lieut.-Gen. George Thomas Colomb to be Colonel, Tice. Lieut.-General John Julius William Angerstein, deceased. Ist Regiment of Life Guards—Cornet and Sub-Lieutenant Alfred Charles Duncombe to be Lieutenant, by pur 'chase, vice Henry John Robert Osborne, who retires ; Arthur Wills Blund e ll T rum b u ll S an d ys Roden, Earl of Hillsborough, to be Cornet and Sub-Lieutenant, by pur chase, vice Duncombe. 3d Dragoon Guards—Sergeant-Major Robert Ward, from the Cavalry Depot Staff, to be Riding Master, vice Lieu tenant Blenkinsep, promoted. 4th Hussars—Cornet William Birkett to betu e t 4 w D el an yn t ; without purchase, vice William Mengel Dyiwri deceased. COURSE OF EXCHANGE—This Evening. Short. 11 151 . 11 1 1 1 1 Rotterdam Ditth ..... Antwerp 12 0 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 41 3 12299 7 1 : 25 47 Brussels '''''' 25 47 Hamburg '''''''''''''''''''' Short 25 10 13 25 17 25 42 25 42 120 i FMrtiarnsk-cifloirels 0 n ... t '''''''' ''' ;lie : 5 11 1 11 34 10 90 281 6 27i 47 Leghorn .................. 31:FTVPAinstelfuriladizrtanneiLisis.ntstteba.o.rdam.....1...i....:g........i..li.:: ...................................................... --..". 120624868::2.50 47t 26 40 Genoa gadrid ......................................... --: 2 6 6 4721 2 7 0 26 40 Naples ..................... 26 20 26 40 "'••• 26 20 26 80 T you Eeu assailp COCK- LANE told that m L ANE SPI RIT .-At the present time, when a t n h y e p p e r r e s o t e n n s s i o o n f s high of th e i n t S e p l l i e r e i t t u u a e l l i s t i l i s t , t a i y Sou - Ments, men of l earn i ng , p ro f es so rs w e ll v e rs e d i n the sciences, pious divines, and others, are disciples of the new revelation. Who are you, that you should dare to scoff at what these eminent men believe ? But Dr. Samuel Johnson was an eminent man, intellectual, learned, pious, and he for a time believed in the Cock-lane Ghost. Does anybody believe in the Cock-lane Ghost now ? 1 will not venture to say that there ar e not some believers ' still left; for it is an ascerta ined fact that in the year 1851 there were s everal congregations who met to worship God i n the name of Joanna Southcott. It is quite p ossible, therefore, that some of the tappings disciples wereof Mr by the r . 11n the " murdered spirit Round.''of Fanny.”___Dickefo,, produced,ite may believe that the C oc k-l ane llthee i The quotation of go ld at Paris is ab out i per mine pm., and the short exc h an ge on London ill 25.15 per £1 sterling. On o comparing these rates with the English Mint price 01 £3 ears that gold 15 aribso.ultoi2d..lopteureo?nenrcesefnotr standard 4eta g r ol ar d il i t app _ than in Ligkdou, Loo ( st 20 20i 10 100 261 8 781 i 1 { }~