The Sun. — London, England, 1865-05-18 00:00:00

Festival of the Sons of the Clergy. The 211th anniversaryof this festival took place yesterday afternoon, under circumstances more than usually propitious. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales having consented to become a Steward of the charity further promised to grace the Festival with his presence, and, according to custom, kept his promise. There was full Choral Service under the Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, beginning at half-past three, and lasting till half past five. The Prince arrived so punctually that Service commenced precisely at the appointed hour. His Royal Highness entered by the west door—the prominent object of interest in a sort of State pro, cession. - We need scarcely remind our readers that the Festival of the Sons of the Clergy is in aid of the funds of the corporatioh for assisting necessitous clergymen, pensioning their widows and aged un married daughters, educating, apprenticing, and providing outfits for their children. Its history has been recorded year after year. That the first Fes tival was held in 1655 by a private association, com posed exclusively of members of the Church, which led to a public body being incorporated by Royal Charter from Charles IL, and that it owes its name —" Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy"—to the fact that the first promoters of the Festival were all sons of clergymen is familiar to all, and the number should be legion who interest themselves in the welfare of the poorer and not least laborious workers in the most sacred of offices. As, however, too much publicity cannot possibly be extended to an object in every way so deserving, we publish the statistical part of the programme circulated in the Cathedral yesterday afternoon : " The society annually assists by pensions and donations about 1,250 persons—clergymen, their widows, aged single daughters, and children. During the last year £19,000 have been distributed among these classes, but so numerous are the applicants that the funds permit only of very limited, and often inadequate, grants being made. The Governor; grateful for the means which enable them to effect such a large amount of good, would earnestly invite the continu ance of that support which the corporation has so long re ceived from the clergy and laity. It is especially desired to raise the amount of the pensions to the widows and aged single daughters of deceased clergymen, of whom there are at present no less than 712 receiving pensions from £lO to £25 per annum ; and the Governors feel confident there must be many wealthy and benevolent individuals who would be happy to assist in so just and good an object did they know the extent of the pecuniary distress, and consequent suffering and privations, into which a large number of excellent ladies are thrown by the death of husbands and fathers, whose life-incomes as clergymen afforded no means of laying by a provision for their widows and orphans." Whether such labourer in Christ's vineyard should, under any conditions, be forced to exist on such " life-incomes," is a matter for consideration else where. The musical festivals of the Three Choirs of Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucester tell much the same story, and are likely to reiterate it for ages to come. Happily, among the lay community the Church has countless friends and well-wishers ; and of this the result of yesterday's service and dinner (at Merchant Taylors' Hall) will, no doubt, afford one proof among many. The Choral Service, under the superintendence of Mr. Goss, organist of St. Paul's Cathedral, assisted by Mr. Geo. Cooper, of St. Sepulchre's, his able and zealous " deputy," was in all respects satisfactory. The choir, one of the most efficient to which we have ever listened, was composed of the choral members of her Majesty's Chapels Royal, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, St. George's (Windsor), &c., with female singers employed at the special Sunday services in the Cathedral which the Bishop of London is entitled to call his own. The music was really first-rate. That the " suffrages" were by Tanis may be taken for granted. A century hence it might De foretold that any reporter of the 311th anniversary of the Festival of the Sons of the Clergy would have to write the same sentence, or words to the same effect. Hardly as much could be prophesied in favour of the pretty but somewhat trivial chant in E, by W. Russel (formerly organist at the Found ling), sung to the 89th Psalm. Hardly as much could even be predicted for the anthem, " I was glad when they said unto me, ' We will go into the House of the Lord,' " written by Attwood, Mr. Goss's prede cessor for the Coronation of George IV., in 1821. And yet this anthem is stirling music, and its com poser was one of the favourite pupils of Mozart, whose music Attwood was among the first to pro pagate in this country. But on the " Preces and Responses" of Thomas Tallis time has written " no wrinkle." The " Magnificat" (My soul cloth magnify the Lord), after the first lesson, and the " Nunc dimitti,s" (Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant de part in peace) after the second--both in F major— were the compositions of Mr. E. J. Hopkins, of the Temple. They were admirably sung by the united choirs ; and, to be brief, we have only to say that we are enchanted to find our English organists— among whom Mr. E. T. Hopkins stands in the very first rank—willing and able to write such thoroughly pure and excellent church music. There is freshness as well as grace and musical knowledge in these really charming pieces. The third collect was followed by " How lovely are the Messengers," the chorus from Mendelssohn's " St. Paul," about the ineffable liveliness of which it would be supereroga tory to write one word. Its execution and effect were perfect. The sermon was preceded by the most important and the most interesting musical performance in the whole service—the most important because of its extended plan, and the most interesting became it was a new composition by Mr. Goss. We have often in these columns urged this learned and genuine master to write more for St. Paul's Cathedral, of the musical fame of which he is the veritable columnus. The present occasion was auspicious, and he has availed himself of it in the happiest manner conceiv able. The words of his Anthem (in E flat) are by the Dean of St. Paul's, partly original, and partly, if we are not mistaken, borrowed from a poem by himself, called " The Martyr of Antioch." Here are the first two verses : " Brother, thou art gone before us, and thy saintly soul is flown, Where tears are wiped from every eye, and sorrow is un- known : _ From the burthen of the flesh, and from care and fear released, Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. " Tho toilsome road thou'st travelled o'er, and borne tho heavy load, But Christ hath taught thy languid feet to reach his blest abode. Thou'rt sleeping now, like Lazarus upon his father's breast, Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." • Mr. Goss has set the foregoing to one of the most melodious and expressive movements in the whole range of modern music for the Church. The solos are for a bass voice (extremely well delivered bylkir. Winn in the choir) ; and these play almost as conspicuous a Part as the chorus in a composition which the lovers of genuine art will not willingly let die. The other paw of the anthem a r e e n titl e d t o scarcely less Praise for the fidelity with which the sentiment of the /v°r(l4 is Conveyed, an d f or h armon y a l wa y s p ure an d rich, without ever being far - fetched (" simplex munditi i 3 ") ; but the opening andantino is a model. The anthe m of l Ir. Goss, remem b er i ng th a t it i s entirely new, and could not have enjoyed the ad vantage, at any rats rehearsal, wasmarvellously of more than a single general well sung, and must have deeply impressed every° attentive hearer. We are glad to learn that from the same accomplished pen may be expect e d a Te Deem, composed ex pressly for the next meeting of the Charity Child ren in SC -Paul's (June 1). Mr. J. H. Coward, M.A. (minor ca Cathedral), " intoned" and read th e pr Z e - rs - of the ,The Dean of St. Paul's read the lessons, and th e sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Harvey Goodwill, D.D. (Dean of Ely), who selected for text a signi ficant passage from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. 16, ver. 1 : " Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given word to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye." The dis course—eloquent, emphatically delivered, not a bit too long, and quite to the purpose —evidently inte rested the most illustrious of the assembled congre gation, as it cannot fail to have interested all who were sufficiently within hearing to catch every word of it. The last and by no means least interesting of the choral performances was a psalm ( 46 Cluny")—one of the earliest of the renowned "371" by John Sebas tian Bach, selected from the Oxford edition of Mercer's comprehensive and invaluable " Church Psalter and Hymn Book," and sung to " Jerusalem the Golden," in lieu of the far inferior tune to which we have hitherto been accustomed. The first section of the melody, harmonised by the sublimest of har monists, is almost identical with the " Old Hund redth," but the rest is quite different, and nothing could be more solemn and impressive than the whole. The first and last verses were given in unison—a graceful challenge to the congregation to add their voices to those of the choir. The " blessing" was then pronounced by the Bishop of London, and the State programme slowly quitted the Cathedral by the same door through which they had entered, the voluntary selected, and admirably executed by Mr. Goss, being the magnificent gravamente from Bach's Fantasia in G major. THE DINNER. The banquet in the evening took place as usual, in Merchant Taylors'-hall—the Lord Mayor pre siding. The Prince of Wales was present in the capacity of one of the stewards, and in attendance on him were Earl Spencer, K.G., Lieut.-Gen. Knollys, and Major Teesdale, C.B. Among the general company were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of London, Oxford, Winchester, Salisbury, St. Asaph, Lincoln, Ripon, Liandaff, Glocester and Bristol, Moray, Brisbane, and the Bishop Designate of Nel son ; the Dukes of St.Albans and Manchester, Earl Manvers, Lord Cranworth, the Attorney, Sir H. Holland, Sir J. P. Boileau, Sir W. Stirling, Rev. Sir L. T. Stainer, Sir T. Heron Maxwell, Sir R. Alcock, K.C.8., the Deans of St. Paul's, Ely, West minster, and Manchester, Alderman Copeland, and the Sheriffs of London. The first toast given from the chair was "Church and Queen," which having been duly honoured, The LORD MAYOR proposed the " Health of the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and the Royal Family." His Royal Highness, the Lord Mayor said, had come among them not merely as a guest, and not merely as a steward, but his object and desire was to do all the good in his power (hear, hear) to an institution in which he took the deepest interest, and to give it the benefit of all the encou ragement and the prestige which his name was sure to carry with it. (Cheers.) The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm. The Prince of WALES, who was received with loud cheers, in acknowledging the toast, said—My Lord Mayor, and lords and gentlemen, I return you my most sincere thanks for the way in which you have proposed my health and that of the Princess of Wales and the royal family, and for the still kinder manner in which it has been received by you all. (Cheers.) I need hardly assure you with whatplea sure and gratification I find myself assisting at the festival of this incorporation, which renders in estimable benefits to the poor clergy of the Church of England. (Cheers.) All will admit it is of the greatest importance that our clergy should be men of education, and not only so, but that they should be able to devote a portion of their time to study and reflection, as well ar, to the more active duties of their profession, free from the harrowing distrac tion of poverty. How great must be this distrac t tion in the too frequent case of a poor clergyman with a large family, and a scanty income during his life, and the prospect of nothing at his death I Yet it has always been considered desirable in our Church that if possible the clergy should marry. (Cheers.) It is to meet such cases that this society has been formed—to mitigate the anxieties and sorrows of many a hard-working clergyman, to soothe the aching heart of many a widow and orphan in the hour of afflietion.:(Loud cheers.) In conclusion, I must not omit to mention one important feature in the administration of the funds of this charity—that it is secret. (Hear, hear.) Nobody knows to whom they go; and thus none seeking its aid have the mor tification and humiliation of knowing that their dis tress has been paraded and published to the world. (Cheers.) We must all admit this is a wise provi sion, and that it completes the claim which this so ciety has upon our sympathies and support—(hear, hear)—and I cannot better conclude than by calling on you all to stretch forth your hands liberally, and do your utmost to support so estimable and so noble a charity. (Loud cheers.) The next toast was " The Army, Navy, and Vo lunteers," which was acknowledged by Qeneral Knollys, Sir T. H. Maxwell, and the Duke of Man chester. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY, in returning thanks as president of the society, said that though the society might well congratulate itself on having carried out the benevolent desire of its founders, yet there was great reason for anxiety when they looked to the future and saw the great increase which was taking place in the demands upon its funds. There were at least ten thousand clergymen in this country whose incomes were under £2OO a year, and these 10,000 men must be among the most deserv ing of the population, because while, with the edu cation they had received, they might in other lines of life have obtained not merely a competence, but affluence, their zeal for their Divine Master had led them to devote themselves to his service. He ear nestly hoped, therefore, that the response made to the appeal on this occasion would be such as befitted it. (Hear, hear.) He remembered well the influ ence which the weighty words of his royal high ness's respected and illustrious father had brought to bear when on a memorable effort of the institu tion he had honoured them with his presence, and he earnestly hoped that a similar result would fol low now that his royal highness had followed that worthy example. (Cheers.) He could assure his Royal Highness that the words which hehad spoken that night in advocating the cause of the institu tion would moisten many an eye with the tear of gratitude, and would fill many a heart with thank fulness. (Cheers.) His Grace concluded by pro posing " The Health of the Lord Mayor," and ex pressed the great pleasure the friends of the society felt in maintaining their close connection with the chief magistrate and the citizens of the metropolis. The toast having been duly honoured, The LORD MAYOR next proposed " The Health of the Bishops and Clergy," for which The Bishop of LONDON returned thanks. In the course of his speech the right rev. prelate said that by the year 1890 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners would have the gratification of being able to raise the stipends of the clergy generally to £3OO a year. But as an advocate of the claims of this evciety he demurred to appearing before them in forma pauperis, for notwithstanding the great privations which many of them had to undergo, and notwithstanding the larger sums which were obtained in secular professions, there would ever be found men to devote themselves to a profession which was honoured not only on ac count of its religious usefulness but on account of the great place which it had always held in this nation. (Cheers.) The most useful clergymen were often those who had been educated in parsonages—(hear) —and it was on that account that he called on them to support a society which would enable clergymen to educate their sons for the Church. (Cheers.) " The Health of the Stewards," acknowledged by the Bishop of Oxford ; " the Judges" and " the Bar," acknowledged by - Lord Cranworth and the Attorney- General, and other toasts were drunk ; and in the course of the evening the Secretary announced that the collection at the Cathedral amounted to £312, and that £1,489 had been collected at the dinner. The name of the Prince of Wales appeared as a subscriber of 100 guineas, and 44 other stewards contribute £1,350. The whole income of the society for the year from voluntary contributions was stated to be £4,689, which was entirely independent of the in- I come from landed estates and funded property. The musical arrangements, as usual, were under the direction of Mr. Francis, who was assisted by Mr. Shonbridge, Mr. Fielding, Mr. Walker, Mr. H. Buckland, Mr. Winn, andthe choristers of St. Paul's. AID TO ENDOWED &ROOM—A new minute, made by the Privy Council Committee on Education on the let inst., has been laid before Parliament. The minute pro vides that the public grant shall not be reduced "in any school " on account of any annual endowment as long as the grant and the endowment together do not make a sum total exceeding the rate of 15s. per scholar, according to the average number in attendance in the year. Naval and Military Intelligence. The Russian frigate Alexander Newsky, with the corvette Wilias and clipper Almas, from Lisbon, entered Plymouth Sound yesterday (Wednesday) morning. She was preceded by her Majesty's ship Defence, and followed by the United States' frigate Niagara, Capt. Craven. On anchoring the band on board the Russian frigate which btought the body of the Czarewitch performed a dirge. The frigate saluted the British flag on the citadel, when the Union Jack was partly lo wered, and the Rus sian flag hoisted half-mast high. Her Majesty's ship Black Prince, 41, Capt. Lord Frederick Kerr, was in the Sound. She bore the Russian standard at the main, the ensign at the peak, and the English Admiral's flag at the mizen—all half-mast high. Shortly after the citadel had commenced the Black Prince began to fire a similar salute. The Plymouth Corporation standard was hoisted on the Hoe and at the Guildhall half-mast high, and similar tokens of respect were exhibited at the Government-house, Mount Wise, and on board the Admiral's and other ships of war in Hamoaze. When the Niagara was moored she exchanged a salute of 21 guns with the citadel, and of 17 with the Royal Adelaide, 26, Capt. Frederick B. P. Seymour, C. 8., flag of Port-Admiral Sir Charles H. Fremantle, K.C.B. It is expected that the Russian squadron will re main two days at Plymouth, and that Admiral Sessofsky, who is in command, will stay with Ad miral Fremantle, while General Annenkow, Aide de-Camp-General (who has charge of the body of the Imperial. Prince) will be entertained by Lord Templetown, the commander of the forces in the west. There are now nine ships of war in Ply mouth Sound, viz.:—Russian—The Alexander Newsky, Beg, Willa% and Almas ; United States —Niagara ; and British—Achilles, Black 'Prince, Gladiator, and Sphinx. The Russian ships and the Defence and Niagara, besides exhibiting flags half hoisted, had their yards topped up so as to form crosses ; the lower yard, topsail-yards, and top gallant yards of each mast being topped reversely. The Alexander Newsky bears the Prince's flag half mast high. Baron Brunnow arrived yesterday afternoon, and is gone to Lord Templetown's ; also M. Sabouroff, Attaché, and M. Tapoff, chaplain, who performs Divine service on board the Admiral's ship to-morrow. The Terrible, 21, paddlewheel frigate, recently commissioned by Capt. Gerard J. Napier, at Sheer ness, was inspected by Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief at Sheerness, on Tuesday. She was yesterday taken for trial to the measured mile off Maplin Sands, and will leave this day to join the Chatinel squadron, to await the completion of the shipment of the Atlantic telegraph cable on board the Great Eastern, after which she will accompany that vessel while she is employed laying the cable. With reference to the remarks made on Monday last by Gen. E. C. Warde, commanding the garri son at Woolwich, regarding the appearance of the men on parade of Major Simpson's and Capt. Wil son's batteries, the General has been pleased to in form the officers, for their satisfaction, that what he said was intended to convey his displeasure to a portion of the men only, to mark his disapproval of the careless manner in which they wore their accoutrements. The remainder, he added, were in a high state of military discipline. They will be again inspected this morning at nine o'clock, in the Roy a* Artillery Repository, by Col. Gardner, com manding the sth brigade, to which the batteries belong. The following appointments have been made at the Admiralty :—Tuesday.—Lieut. John B. War ren, to the Frederick William ; Lieut. Frederick de V. Sanders, to the Canopus ; Lieut. W. R. Ken nedy, Lieut. Edward J. Jermain, Lieut. W. E. Fitzgerald, and Lieut. W. H. Jocelyn to the Scout ; Sub-Lieut. Pelham Aldrich to the Scout ; Francis J. L. Blackwood, midshipman, to the Sutlej ; W. U. Moore, midshipman, to the Hydra ; Christopher J. Naylor, Eustace D. Maude, Hon. Dudley 0. Murray, Edward H. Bayley, and Edgar Bogue, midshipmen, to the Scout ; Alexander J. Bal lantyne, Jelinger E. Symont, and Frederick Papillon, midshipmen, to the Sphinx ; Henry W. Saville, Augustus H. Coker, and Edward. H. Genn, naval cadets, to the Scout. Wed nesday—Capt. Julian F. Slight, to the Scout ; the appointment of Capt. Way to that ship has been cancelled ; Capt. Geo. G. Randolph, to the Cum berland, for service in the Reserve at Sheerness, vice Hall ; Capt. John B. Dickson, to the Orlando, vice Hall ; Capt. John Borlase to the Irresistible, vice Dickson ; Capt. Geo. Hancock to the Trafalgar, vice Borlase ; Sub-Lieut. Gerard R. Bromley, to the Terrible; Montjoy Squire, Reginald G. Fair fax, and Leo A. Parkinson, midshipmen, ;to the Caledonia ; Gerald W. Russell, midshipman, to the Victoria ; llugh M. Tyler, midshipman, to the Liverpool; Charles M. Luckraft, Geo. Hunting ford, Arthur N. Heathcote, and the Hon. Assheton . G. Curzon Howe, naval cadets, to the Caledonia ; Henry C. U. Morshead, navel cadet to the Sphinx ; James N. Hurt, naval cadet, to the Scout ; Maurice S. R. Bayly and Nugent R. M. Lo Geyt, naval cadets, to the Victoria ; John E. Meryon, Daniel F. P. Barton, Harry H. Glaybrook, and Walter H. Anson, naval cadets, to the Terrible. The undernamed have been nominated to naval cadetships :—Archibald E. C. Kennedy, Charles W. P. Allen, George L. Sunderland, and Henry E. M'Alurdo. National Rifle Association. Yesterday afternoon the general May meeting of the Council and members of this Association was held at Willis's Rooms, St. James's, for the confir mation of rules and by-laws and for the transaction of ordinary business, Among those present were—Lord Elcho, Earl Ducie, Hon. Col. Lindsay, Hon. A. Kinnaird, Lord Bury, Gen. Sir J. Burgoyne, Capt. S. John Mild may, Capt. Ross, Col. Harcourt, and many officers of London and provincial corps. Lord ELCHO, in taking the chair, said ho had hoped that on that as on former occasions his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge would have been able to preside,:but he had just received a note from his highness, stating that he was confined to his house by an attack of gout, and therefore was re luctantly compelled to absent himself on that occa sion. He (Lord Elcho) being thus called upon unexpectedly to preside might congratulate himself that there was very little to call for unusual ex planation from him, and therefore ho need detain' ; them but a very short time, and only bring under the consideration of the meeting the few points which were worthy of their attention. He had first of all to congratulate them upon the steadily in creasing success with which the operations of the as sociation were being carried on, a success which showed itself not only in the increased number of its members, and therefore better condition of its funds, but in the largely increased number and value "of prizes to be awarded at the Wimbledon meet ing, and the almost certainty that there would be a corresponding rise in the entries of competitors. The value of the prizes to be given at Wimbledon this year amounted to £7,116, while last year the value of all was only £5,118, showing an increase for 1865 of £1,242. In the first stages of the Queen's Prize last year £955 were distributed. This year the value of the first stage prizes would be £1,345. The Enfield rifle prizes for last year were of the value of £2,974, while this year they would amount to £4,293, or an increase of £1,319. With reference to the restriction which had been at one time intro duced, and which deprived the, winners of the great prizes from further competing for other great prizes, that rule had now been done away with, and all the chief prizes were open to properly qualified competitors. Last year the Council of the Associa tion had added a Wimbledon prize cup for small bores, and that prize was still retained on the list, and to it had been added another cup . of a similar kind, to be competed for by large bore rifles. The International Challenge Trophy was another new feature of this year. The value was no less than £l,OOO, and this fine prize had been mainly gained through the exertions of a member of the Associa tion to whom they were already so much indebted —Col. Lindsay. (Hear, hear.) This prize would be competed for annually by the volunteers of England and Scotland, 20 champions appealing for each country. With raerenfll to another international trophy—the ElchoShield—he had only to state that, instead of the competition being limited to England and Scotland, their Irish fellow subjects would this year; and - for future years, take part in the contest , for its possession. Another new prize which was offered to them was the China Cup—a piece of plate of the value of £5OO, presented by the Volunteers of Shanghai, Hongkong, and Canton to the Volun teers of England, with £lOO added in money for distribution among the winners. This permanent prize would be competed for by the best 10 shots from each county. Lord de Grey, Mr. Bass, and the other noblemen and gentlemen who gave prizes last year, had again offered them at the forthcoming meet ing. Besides these, Captain Ross had offered a prize, the directors of the London and South-Western Railway another prize of £5O, and Mr. Watherston, Mr. White, Mr. Gardiner, and the editor of the Spectator all gave fresh prizes for this meeting, and he had every reason to hope that they would be com peted for for years to come. With regard to the Albert Prize, he wished to say that the Council had decided upon giving up the first stage of shooting for this honour at the 200 yards' range, and in future the ranges would be only 500 and 600 yards. At the same time, they had agreed when they made this change that no change should be made in the money value of the objects competed for, which would now simply be divided between the two ranges, instead of, as heretofore, spread over three. The question of mechanically fitting bullets for this contest had also occupied the attention of the Coun cil, and they had come to the conclusion that they might fairly be used in the first stage of the Albert prize at 500 yards, though not in the second stage at 600. In order to induce as early entries as pos sible, it had been determined to raise the charge for entries made beyond a certain date, for late en trances were always a fertile cause of embarrass ment and often of confusion. He was sorry to say that the state of Captain Page's health rendered it not improbable that the Association wouldle unable to avail themselves of his invaluable services at the shooting points this year, and such a temporary loss all who knew the earnest manner in which Cap tain Page had interested himself to secure the ar rangements for the Volunteers was one which he was sure the meeting would regret. (Hear, hear.) The Swiss targets which last year had proved so success ful would again be improved upon at the July meetings, and their numbers increased to 11. The competition which had been announced for the breech-loading prize would come off at Woolwich on the 30th of this month, and the Association gave a prize of £lOO for the best weapon among the six competitors who intended to come forward and dis pute it. Last year they had offered a prize for a 151 b. rifle, to be tried at a distance of 2,000 yards, but the difficulty of procuring a level range of such a length had delayed the arbitrament. He now, however, believed that such a range could be ob tained, and the date and conditions of the match would be announced as soon as possible. Another important matter to which he wished to direct the attention of the meeting was that the Artillery had followed in their footsteps, and were making strenuous efforts to worthily imitate the success of of their example. As to the objects which the Ar tillery aimed at, there had been an amalgamation between their members and the members of the Council of the Rifle Association, and the mutual arrangement which had been entered into he was sure would be satisfactory in every respect. The funds of the Association, exclusive of the sums in vested, showed the same steady increase as was dis played in otherbranches connectedwith their general objects ; and altogether he was thankful to say that he had little more to do than congratulate them upon their slow but sure progression. In reply to a question from Col. BOWERS, of the Hants Mounted Rifles, asking why a prize was not awarded to the five-grooved rifles, with which his and some other corps were armed, Lord Eton() said at once that the matter should be taken into consideration by the council, and further intimated that though he could not of him self promise in the name of the association to offer such a prize, yet he felt little doubt, as the request was a very reasonable one, but that a prize would be offered. Mr. LUXMORE wished to know what had been the result of the trial of last year between the muzzle loading rifles. It was generally understood that the competition between the rifles of Mr.Whitworth and Mr. Rigby had been a very close one, and many were anxious to know how it had eventually ter- ininated. Lord ELCIIO said that in those trials the council had reserved to themselves the right of ordering any further trials which they might think necessary. They had ordered a further competition, which Mr. Whitworth had declined to go on with, and under these circumstances the council had no option but to award the prize to Mr. Rigby. (Hear.) After a few suggestions from Capt. GOODLIFFE, Lord ELCHO proceeded to state that fresh ar rangements having been made by the Council they felt that they were enabled to do away with the limitation as to the numbers of those who wished to take part in the camping of representatives of their corps on the occasion of their next meeting at Wimbledon. The restrictions that at least-two-fifths of the members camping should al so b e mem b ers o f the National Rifle Association was the only one which would be now adhered to. The motion for the adoption and confirmation of the new bylaws was then put and carried nem. con. Col. HARCOURT, on the part of the Artillery, having thanked Lord Elcho for the kindness with which the Association had met them in their endea vours to follow their example and bring artillery to as much certainty in practice as the Association had brought the rifle, Lord ELCHO replied that he believed it would add essentially to their defensive strength if field guns were as much studied in their precision as small arms. He believed that the attention bestowed lately on small arms had led to some of the most important improvements. He hoped that the new Artillery Association would obtain the use of Armstrong guns for their practice, and he was sure that the addi tional results of their workday experience would do much towards hastening committees on gunnery to decide at once which was the best weapon for land and sea service. A vote of thanks was then passed to the chairman, and the proceedings terminated. A NEW LIZARD.—A paper was received last week by the Academy of Sciences from M. Paul Gervais, on a now fossil kind of Saurian, which he proposes calling Mesosaurus. Most of the reptiles belonging to the fauna of the secondary period have certain peculiarities which dis tinguish them from the reptiles of the present day, and there fore render it impossible to classify them together with the latter. The conformation of the Mesosaurus approaches to that of terrestrial reptiles in certain points of osteology, but in others it bears greater analogy to the marine species, such as the Simo-saurus and the Plesio-saurus. The only existing indication of this animal is a hollow impression in a slab of slate, 23 centimetres long and 10 cents. broad,much resembling those of the marls of the Has formation. This slab boars the impression of the anterior ventral face of the reptile, viz., the head, neck, forepaws, and a considerable portion of the thoraco-abdominal region. These different parts have left very minute impressions. The Saurian was of the same size as the Lacerta Ocellata, but its form must have been quite different. This piece of slate was sent over from Africa to M. Edouard Verreaux, upwards of twenty years ago, by his brother, who bad found it in the country of tho Griquas, a people of the Hottentot race, north of the - Orange River. Tho precise site it was taken from was unknown, the slab having been found in the hut of a Griquas, who used it to cover his kettle. It now belongs to the Museum of Natural His tory at the Garden of Plants. The head, only the under part -of which is visible, is but eight millimetres broad at the snout; it gradually increases in breadth of two centimetres at the occiput. The length of the head is six centimetres and a half. . There wore about 40 long and thin teeth. The nine cervical vertebra) which follow form a length of five centimetres, and the maximum length of the fore-paws is five centimetres and a half.—Galignani. FORFEITURE FOR TREASON AND FELONY.—The Attorney-General's Bill proposes that property shall not bo forfeited for treason or felony, but shall vest temporarily in the Treasury, and that the Treasury may apply it in payment of the costs of the trial and the debts of tho con vict ; in making restitution or compensation to those who have suffered through his criminal or fraudulent acts ; in making an allowance for the support of his wife and chil dren, or other relatives ; and the balance or surplus is to revert and be restored to him on the expiration of his sen tence, or to his representatives. The Alleged Murder of a Woman in the Caledonian-road. --4- Yesterday Dr. Lankester resumed at the Prince Arthur Tavern, Frederick-street, Caledonian-road, the investiga tion into the circumstances of the alleged murder of Cathe rine Costello, aged 27 years, by a man named Michael Killduff, with whom she cohabited. The accused, Michael Killduff, was brought up in cus tody of Inspector Bush, under a warrant from the Secretary of State. Daring the evidence of the landlady he cried bitterly. Crowds of persons, principally of the female sex, assembled in the neighbouring thoroughfare, in order to obtain a view of the prisoner as ho was being brought to the court. Mr. Ricketts defended the accused. The Coroner opened the proceedings by informing Kill duff that he would read over the evidence of the father of the deceased and of Dr. Slate; taken on the last occasion, and would receive any statement, r in explanation with re ference thereto. The depositions in question were to the effect, that the deceased had often complained of the accused's violence to her. That on the Morning of Wednesday week Killduff went to her father's house and said that she was dead, and that ho had struck her, but only with his open hand, and that ho knew he should " get in for it," and should never get back. Dr. Slater proved that there were marks of blows or falls on the head and of fingers upon the throat, and that she died from the effects either of the blows or of the strangulation. The prisoner made no remark in reference to those state ments. Harriett Franklin, 2, Frederick-street, said that Killduff and the deceased lived in her house two months, and she believed they were married. Deceased was often tipsy, and witness gave her warning twice on account of her drinking habits. They used to quarrel and fight. Witness never saw the man drunk. Deceased used to go out as a washerwoman until a quarrel took place a month back, and since that time she did not do any work. On Tuesday week, at seven o'clock in the evening, Killduff came in asking for his wife. She was out, and he went out to seek her. She then returned and began to insult witness. Mr. Franklin came down and told her to go into her own room. She went out saying, "If lam Irish I will fetch 20 more, and you shall have no sleep to-night." Coroner—What made her say that ? Did you call her Irish ? Witness said that her husband did. Killduff came in apparently sober about two o'clock. Witness asked him to be quiet, and not to have any disturbance ; and he answered, "No ma'am, I will not." He was very civil and quiet. The deceased came in afterwards, and ho met her and said, " Where is my tea ?" striking her as he said the words. She called out "Murder," and said, " Don't, don't ;" and then there was no more noise. Witness thought that the cessa tion of the noise was duo to Killduff's promise to be quiet. It never occurred to her that the woman was dead. There had often been greater disturbances before. That night it was all over in ten minutes. At six in the morning Killduff came to witness, and said that his wife was either dead or dying. Witness went into the room and found her quite dead and black. Witness never heard Killduff threaten to kill deceased. Lydia Delford, a lodger in the same house, said that she had often seen the deceased drunk, but ICillduff never. But she believed that he did take a little drink that Tues day night. She had heard him say that if deceased did not leave off drinking she would remember it, but he never threatened her life. On Tuesday night witness heard him say, " What a shame it is that I should be kept out in the street; I'll stiffen my lady's nose before morning." When deceased came in she said " I shall catch it, I know, when I get upstairs." She seemed to swing over the bannisters to look up and see if there was a light. She then said, " Well, here goes," and entered the room. Directly she got into the room Killduff said,' Where is my tea,' or 'my key, witness could not tell' which, and he struck her. There was a dreadful scuffle, and one or both fell. Deceased cried out " Murder . " and " Don't," and there was another scuffle. Then all was quiet. The next morning witness saw Kilduff come down and wash himself in the back yard. Prisoner—ln the wash-house . I washed myself. The witness Said it was all the same thing. He then went upstairs into his own room ; ho came out almost directly, and said to the landlady, " Good God my wife is dying or dead." Dr. Slater was then sent for. Sergeant W. Marsh, 55 N, said that on the night in ques tion he saw deceased quarrelling in the Caledonian-road with some respectable persons who Were jeering her. Wit ness saw she had been drinking, and said, "You must be drunk to insult persons inthis way." She said, "I am more mad than drunk ; I had a quarrel with my husband a fort night ago, and to-night with my landlady ; she insulted me by calling me ' Irish,' and if I were to tell my husband that he would kill her." She then ran across the road and en tered her own house. By Mr. Ricketts—Witness saw no marks on deceased's face then. She had her bonnet on. She was drunk. John Delford, a lodger at 2, Frederick-street, said that after the quarrel and scuffle he heard deceased give three prolonged groans, as if she could not draw her breath. There was no sound from the feet of a second person after that. There were three falls. After the third scuffle and fall he heard the groans. Mr. Ricketts said ho did not wish the prisoner to say anything. Tho Coroner then summed up, and read over the deposi tions at length.. Ile said if the prisoner intended to kill the deceased, it was a case of murder; if the injuries were in flicted during a quarrel, and without any intention of kill ing, the case would be one of manslaughter ; if the death arose from effusion on the brain from excitement from being struck, the case would not be ono of a criminal cha racter. The court was then cleared of strangers. The jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict that deceased was found dead from the effects of certain inju ries inflicted upon her by Michael Killduff ; and that the said Michael Killduff was guilty of the manslaughter of the said Catherine Costello. The Coroner then issued his warrant for tho committal of Killduff to Newgate on the charge of manslaughter. The case was also brought before the Clerkenwell Po lice-court yesterday, when Mr. Barker also committed the prisoner for trial. HEALTH OF LONDON. (From the Rvistrar 7 G 4 e b- ne . rats Weelf y Return.) In the week that ended on Saturday, May 13, the births in London and ten other large towns of the United Kingdom were 3,307 : the deaths 2,453. Tho annual rate of mortality in the week in those eleven towns was 22 per 1,000 persons living, and was lower than in the two pre vious weeks, when the rates were 25 and 24 respectively. In London the births of 1,008 boys and 991 girls, in all 1,999 children, were registered in the week. In the corre sponding weeks of ten years, 1855-64, tho average number corrected for increase of population, was 1,971. The deaths in London in the same period were 1,167. The average number for the nineteenth week in ten years (corrected) is 1,306.. Tho deaths in the present return are less by 139 than the average number. This is the healthiest season of the year in London, and the mortality in May is generally low. The actual morta lity in the two last weeks is much below the low average. If the London boards put the great sewers in communica tion with every house, and if every family get a supply of pure water from the companies, while the population itself does its duty in promoting cleanliness of person, house, and street, the mortality in summers to Como will not be excessive. Two hundred and thirty-two persons died from zymotic diseases, the corrected average number being 295. Eight deaths occurred from small-pox, 18 from measles, 22 fro.n scarlatina, 5 from diphtheria, 27 from whooping-cough, and 49 from typhus. - - Phthisis proved fatal to 151 persons, 96 deaths occurred from bronchitis, 54 from pneumonia, and 67 from diseases of tho heart. The son of a publisher's assistant, 11 years, died on the Bth May, at Dean's-court, Old Bailey, from hydrophobia, having been bittenby a. clog in Holborn about threemonths previously. A female, aged 22 years, employed at lead works, Limehouse, died on the bth May, at 4, Garden plate, Stepney, from lead colic. A chemical labourer, aged 52 years, died on the 11th May, at Lombard-road, Batter sea, from lead poisoning. A painter, aged 26 years, died on the 7th May, at 2, Church-street, Chelsea, from lead colic. A tool dealer, aged 60 years, was found dead, on the 26th April, at 20, Lamb-gardens, Bethnal-green, from dis ease of lungs, accelerated by privation. The rate of mortality last week was 20 per 1000 in Lon= don, 24 in Edinburgh, and 22 in Dublin, 31 in Liverpool, 27 in Manchester, 19 in Salford, 18 in Birmingham, 23 in Leeds, 21 in Bristol, 25 in Hull, and 29 in Glasgow. The rate in Vienna was 39 per 1000 during the week ending the 29th ult., when the temperature was 3.7 deg. Fahren heit higher than in the same week in London, where the rate was 23 per 1000. In Liverpool the births wore 374, the deaths 281; in Manchester the births 221, the deaths 182 ; in Salford the births 74, the deaths 40 ; in Birmingham the birth 253, the deaths 115; in Leeds the births 218, the deaths 99; in Bris tol the births 108, the deaths 65; in Hull the births 73, the deaths 50; in Edinburgh the births 144, the deaths 80 ; in Glasgow the births 357, the deaths 238; and in Dublin the births 145, the deaths 136. There were 420 deaths in Vienna during the week ending the 29th ult. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29.639. The barometri cal reading decreftsed from 29.90 in. at the beginning of the week to 29.35 in. on Wednesday. The moan tempera ture of the air in the week was 50.7 deg., which is 0.7 deg. below the average of the same week in 50 years (as deter mined by Mr. Welsher). The highest day temperature was 70 deg. on Tuesday. The lowest night temperature was 38.9 deg. on Monday. The entire range of tempera ture in the week was therefore 31.1 deg. The mean of the highest temperatures of the water of the Thames was 59.3 dog. ; that of the lowest was 58.2 dog. The difference be tween the mean dew-point temperature and air tempera ture was 5 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was 84, complete saturation being represented by 100. Rain fell to the amount of 2.69 in., which is equivalent to a fall of 272 tons of rain per acre. The direction of the wind I was variable. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.-Jn spite of a vigorous resistance by Mr. Whiteside and a somewhat hesitating opposition by Mr. Walpole, the Roman Catholic Oaths Bill was read a second time yesterday by a decisive majority, and in spite of the continued opposition threatened by Mr. Newdegate, we may hope that so reasonable and simple a measure will be allowed to become law. It is, however, somewhat surprising to what an extent the old familiar warnings of danger to the Church still hold a place in the House of Commons. We expect such language, of course, from Mr. Whalley ; but it is astonishing that it can be used in earnest by such a speaker as Mr. Whiteside. In a cartel which Addison proposed in 1715 for the management of arguments among the ladies he pro poses " That no coquette, notwithstanding she can do it with a good air, shall be allowed to sigh for the danger of the Church, or to shiver at the apprehen sions of fanaticism." A parallel restriction might usefully be laid upon Protestant rhetoricians. At this time of day, 300 years after the Reformation and 150 years after the Act of Settlement, if our Protestant Church and the Protestant dynasty, and the settlement of property connected with them, have not taken sufficient root in the country to be safe from the attacks of an insignificant minority of Roman Catholics, they will certainly not be pro tected by the few lingering remains of the old fences which protected their early growth. More particu larly if the Church and the Protestant Establish ment have survived the momentous change of Catholic Emcipation, they may look with supreme indifference upon a slight alteration in the terms, if we should not rather say in the language, of that great measure. It should be distinctly remembered, however, that the present proposal does not arise from a gratuitous wish to interfere with what Mr. Whiteside is pleased to call " the compact" of 1829. The bill simply proposes to do in the case of oaths administered to Roman Catholics what has been already done in the case of oaths administered to all other members. By the Act of 1858 the then existing Oaths of Allegiance, Supre macy, and Abjuration were replaced by one simple oath, and Mr. Monsell merely proposes that the oath of Roman Catholics shall be in like manner simplified, and shall be made as nearly as possible the same as the general oath. _ Nor should it be forgotten that the of 1858 was introduced in direct connection with " the relief of her Ma- jesty's subjects professing the Jewish religion." The Roman Catholics may fairly think it a hardship if, while oaths are simplified and altered for the relief of every other religious community, they, and they alone, should be burdened with the offen sive declarations imposed by an obsolete state of public feeling. It is urged, in reply to this repre sentation, that there are peculiar tenets in the Roman Catholic religion which place, those who profess them in 'a different position from all other communities. We are reminded by Mr. Whiteside that the Pope expressly claims a jurisdiction in compatible with the laws and liberties of this country, and that he is so far from being disposed to waive it that he has just re-asserted it in an Encyclical Letter, and is even now giving a prac tical illustration of his assumption by appointing a new Archbishop of Westminster. The argument, however, is quite irrelevant to the issue. Thb point at issue is whether this oath is necessary, and this depends not at all upon the question of what may be the principles of the Papacy. We do not frame oaths against every form of religion or of politics which involve principles antagonistic to our Con stitution. The question is whether the objec tionable principles are at all likely to spread to a dangerous extent in this country, and whether we can check them by the form of an Oath. The first portion of the question will be answered at once in the negative by nearly everybody except Mr. Whalley and the Potestant Alliance. What ever clanger threatens the Church and Constitution of this country, it certainly does not spring from the pretensions of the Church of Rome. At the moment when the whole of Europe is restless under the Papal yoke, it is idle to suppose that there can be any reaction in England towards it. A signifi cant illustration was afforded yesterday of the quar ter from which, if from anywhere, danger to our present religious establishment might be apprehended. The suggestion that the Bishops might be spared from the Honse of Lords was loudly cheered, not from the Roman Catholic, but from the Radical and Nonconformist quarter of the House, and by this circumstance Sir G. Grey pointed an unaswerable retort to the argument we are considering. If it is proper to impose an Oath on all members who are ill-affected to the present constitution of the Church, then, beyond all question, such an Oath ought to be exacted from the members and friends of the Libe- ration Society. It was further argued, with equal justice, that all the restrictions of the existing Oath which can possibly possess any force are retained in the proposed form. The first clause omitted is that which abjures the opinion that " Princes excommu nicated by the See of Rome may be deposed or mur dered by their subjects." Can it be believed that any English or Irish Roman Catholic capable of sitting in Parliament would now even dream of this detestable doctrine ? And if there is such a person, would he be restrained by any conditions whatever from the far inferior crime of breaking an Oath ? The next omission is the Oath "to defend the settlement of property within the realm." What sane person, again, would propose to sub vert titles 150 years old ? The next is that abjuration of any attempt to subvert the Protestant Establishment which, as we have shown, is in the first place unnecessary, and in the next place cannot reasonably be required of the Roman Catholics without being at the same time required of the Non conformists. Lastly, there is that renunciation of any equivocating intention which, as even Mr. Walpole admits, is ineffectual against any one who allows equivocation at all. In every other respect the proposed Oath is. the same as that of 1829, and contains exactly the same words respecting the jurisdiction of the Pope. Nothing, therefore, is retrenched but what is superfluous, and to abridge superfluity has been the chief object of all our• recent legislation respecting oaths. Many of these arguments were admitted by Mr. Walpole, and, indeed, he almost:professed his readiness to surren der the old form of oath, it a form were introduced which should be the same for all members alike. This is to give up the -whole principle of the oppo sition as represented by Mr. Whiteside and his friends, for it is to admit that the Roman Catholic Oath may be wisely altered without injustice and without danger. It would, no doubt, be desirable that all questions of this sort should be set at rest by framing one form of oath for all members alike. All should be on an equality as legislators, and it is alike impolitic and unreasonable to fetter the action of any special class of representatives in a delibera tive assembly. This object, however, as Sir G. Grey pointed out, might be attained by a slight alteration in Committee, and if the Opposition would rather pass a general than a special Bill, Mr. Monsell and his friends may gladly accept the alter native. But the principle of the Bill is now too plainly established to be further resisted, and in one way or another the Roman Catholics must be relieved of this offensive relic of their former disabilities. POST.—The two main grounds on which the ad vocates of the abolition of the Roman Catholic test oath rest their arguments consist in the general inu tility of all oaths of a similar nature as safeguards against the evils which they are intended to pre vent, and the peculiarly offensive tenor of this oath in particular. By the act which was passed in 1822 for the relief of Roman Catholic subjects a certain form of oath was prescribed to be taken by them in lieu of the oath of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration ; and, dismissing for the moment the consideration of its utility, it is certainly im possible to contend that it is not couched in a form as grossly offensive to the feelings of those called upon to take it as can well be imagined. The Roman Catholic desirous of occupying a seat in Parliament after declaring that he will bear true allegiance to the Sovereign, and do his utmost to maintain the succession to the Crown as by law established, is further required to swear that it is not an article of his faith, and that he abjures the opinion, that princes excommunicated by the Pope may be de posed or murdered by their subjects ; that he will defend the existing settlement of property within the realm ; that neither the Pope nor any other foreign potentate possesses any spiritual or civil jurisdiction within the realm ; that he disavows any intention of subverting the existing Church Establishment ; that he will not abuse his privi leges to disturb the Protestant religion ; and, finally, that all these declarations are made in their ordinary sense, and " without any evasion, equivoca tion, or mental reservation whatsoever." Such being the substance of the oath, it is urged with great plausibility that it is framed from beginning to end on the supposition that the person taking it is to be regarded as a disloyal citizen, who renounces sedi tious doctrines previously entertained by him, and who, even at the moment of declaring himself a good and faithful subject, is justly open to the sus picion of lying and equivocating, in order the more easily and securely to carry into effect his disloyal designs. Against an assumption so odious the Roman Catholics very naturally protest, and, in the discussion which took place in the House of Com mons yesterday, those who objected to the abolition of the oath were necessarily compelled to defend the truth of this assumption, inasmuch as they had to maintain that the oath offered a safeguard against designs, which, without it, would probably imperil the constitution. Mr. Whalley stated this in express terms when he said that a Roman Catholic entering Parliament and taking this oath to a great extent changed his character, and separated himself from the great body of his co-religionists; and Mr. White side apparently endorsed this opinion when he pointed out that the oaths acknowledging the royal supre macy imposed by Henry VIII. and James I. were regarded with such disfavour by the Holy See that all persons administering or accepting the oath were forthwith excommunicated. Of the tenor of the oath imposed by the Roman Catholic Relief Act there can be no diversity of opinion, and the only 15511e i left to the House of Commons to decide was w hether . however offensive the language in which it 10 couched, and- however odious the imputation it conveys- on the loyality and veracity of the re cipient, it does not in effect furnish a guarantee against covert attacks by Roman Catholics on the established form of government, and on the Protestant Church, which it would be impolitic• to remove. After a warm debate the house decided this question in the negative, the motion for the second reading being carried by 190 against 134 votes. If a Roman Catholic entertains the desig• n s which the existing form of oath obviously attributes to him, the mere acceptance of that oath will not, it is urged, deter him from carrying those designs into execution. This is an argument, however , which, as Mr. Whiteside justly remarked, would equally apply to the ordinary oath of allegiance. If a man can be guilty of high treason he would have no hesitation in committing perjury, and COW sequently an oath of allegiance can never operate to prevent a person becoming a rebel. It is certainly true that those objections which are based on th e insufficiency of the oath to secure the objects for which it was framed cannot be limited in their application ; but there is on the face of the oath administered to Roman Catholics so transparent an admission of the possibility of its being &Bre' garded by the recipient, that its form cannot, be justified either according to the canons ef logic or of good taste. It is intelligible to eau upon a man to swear allegiance to a particular individual, and to abjure doctrines which, either rightly or wrongly, are supposed to be held by members of his creed ; but it is manifestly ab surd to require him to declare that the oath 0 0 administered is taken by him without equivocatio n or mental reservation. If a Roman Catholic can be capable of placing, by some mental operation, a different construction on the several declarations he is called upon to make in respect to the dis charge of his political functions, he is equally ear able of doing so with that final declaration in which he disavows all intention of equivocation. In poin t of fact, the fallacy on which the concluding decla ration of the oath is based is so gross and transpa rent that its admission -into the formula can only be accounted for on the supposition that those 30° framed it had some vague notion that they could shackle the operations of the human mind. There are, however, more broad and general grounds on which the expediency of retaining oaths such as that imposed on Roman Catholics may fairly be ques" toned. The tendency of past legislation, and me re especially of that antecedent to the present centurif undoubtedly was to fence off the Protestant section of the population from the remainder ; whilst that of more recent legislation has been to place all sub jects of the Crown as nearly as possible on the same footing. Viewed in. this light, the preservation 01 test oaths can only be regarded as rnischieven However extravagant may be the authority the Holy See from time to time claims to exercise+ all classes of the people are equally satisfied that these pretensions are purely nugatory. In Roniau Catholic countries—such, for instance, as France-:" the principle that the jurisdiction of the Pope. l ' 4 completely subsidiary to that of the State is cit . ' tinctly understood, and no attempt is made, nor it considered necessary that such should be mad e ' to require Frenchmen, no matter what their creed, to affirm on oath so self-evident a proposition. T he oath imposed on Roman Catholics in this counts): cannot make them loyal if they desire to be other a wise, and the House of Commons have only see, in true accordance with that growing spirit of t ole ' ration which has distinguished the past half centu r i t in refusing to retain on the statute-book a der which is simply an insult to a large section of Ile` Majesty's subjects. COUNTRY MARKETS --.+--_ HULL.—TUESDAY. of At our market to-day there was a moderate suppl Y.. English wheat, which met a fair sale at 41s to 42s per q,„`"; and some choice fresh thrashed sold as high as 43 5 , b° l ll an advance of about is per qr. In foreign wheat not weed was done. Grinding barley 6d per qr. less. Beans all peas firm at former rates. SALISBURY.—TUESDAY. Thero was an averago show to-day, and an advance ti is per qr. In malting barley nothing offering. Oats 1 33 % a moderato sale, and no alteration. Beans and peas tll same. The following aro present prices :—Wheat realised fr?„ 0 111 36s to 44s ; barley, 23s to 29s ; oats, 19s to 28s ; beans, `‘g, 4 to 465; and peas, 34s to 48s per qr. Winter taros, froie to lie per bushel ; Best bread, 10d ; household ditto, per 81b loaf. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.—TUESDAY. At to-day's market there was a fair supply of wheat frol . the country, with a large coasting and foreign anion Holders required more money,and there was no dispo.s. to do business. Barley for grinding at former pri ee ,.. Malt firm, beans and peas rather dearer ; oats is cleareh' flour 6d per sack higher. LYNN.--T UESDAY. The supply of wheat at market to-day was fair• t r r i . l l e growers commenced by asking is per qr. advanccsivq; e r was in a few instances granted for picked samples; °' descriptions as last week. Spring corn firm. New wheat, 45s to 47s ; new red, 41s to 435; old wh for 42s to 43s ; old red, 38s to . 41s per 36 stone. Barley 284 malting, 33s to 35s ; secondary, 30s ; ordinary, 26$ to 00 per qr. Oats, 22s to 24s per 24 stone. Beans, larg o, " to 36s ; small, 37s to 40s per 38 stone. MARKET HARBOROUGII.—T UESDAY. 3 6 New white wheat, 41s to 46s ; new red, 38s to 43s P er m , . stone. Barley, fine, 33s ; other kinds, 26s to 28s " Pe r „?j, Oats, new, 18s to 23s ; old, 25s to 28s per qr. Beans' 40s to 425; new, 34s to 38s per qr. GAINSBOROUGH—T UESDAY. 10 3 Our corn exchange was only thinly supplied with 0 10 to-day, but trade ruled firm, and a brisk business 9 00 0 1 all descriptions. The best qualiti e s of white wheat ol eo ready purchasers at is per qr. advance over last N v o fi ,l 0,1 rates. Inferior full prices. Barley, beans, and peas '- quite as much money. MONMOUTHSHIRE—Moir - DAY. the Buyers were backward in purchasing, and sellers, ° 0,3 other hand, did not push sales, as they expect 'better.P,,rem to prevail. Barley for millers was in fair consumpt iy a for quest, and in malting little doing. An average €1 0131511 oats. h a, 4° The following vrj are the average quotations : lls , 10 _ _ 10d to 5s Gd per bushel ; barley - , 3ild to 3s 7cl; lld to 2s 6d. COAL MARKET. Price per ton at the close of the market. 0 . s. d. i g Hastings Hartley l6 9 Hetton Lyons .......... Hartlepool Ships at market, 15 ;:sold, 3. M. Sandon, an advocate, who w as confined 11.1 lunatic asylum in Franc e some y ears ago, an d ,: v i , ll ec o ° : when liberated, had an angry correspondence Billault, then Minister of the Inte r i or , o n the 13ti ;,: c ta lately brought an action for damages against the 'l,y,r and director of the establishment. He pleaded - 00 cause, and made a great impression on the court DiD i lt grave, calm, and rational character of his speec i t it 11 0 before sitting down he told the presiding judge lint 0,0 desisted from his claim. " I have been the victims the error," he said, . "and in bringing before your tribun':vitt persons who committed it, my object was not to ov jou money, but to prove that I am in my right senses . I thrce I have succeeded, and am content." This pororaticol ducod a burst of applause in court. Births. ileP BAILEY.—On the 16th inst., the wife of Edivar' Esq., of Streatham, of a daughter. n -s• 10 1 r. GASKELL.—On the 15th inst., at Canno Mount, head, the wife of Richard Gaskell, Esq., o f twill tors. GREEN.—On the 15th inst., at Nethern House, Tu1513-of the widow of the late Major Theophilths G rc°li ' son. • Marriage& . 8 . g tia3' BROOMS—Potrivos.— ,ur On the 16th inst., at St. 0- 01 -00 0 e, r - leno, Bermondsey, Mr. John Broome, of Low e , tile, jp street, city, to Martha, youngest daughter 0' Captain Thomas Pounds. Ve l t ' SCOTT—DEELEY.—On the 16th inst., at City-r°lla Cb` ea orti tc l} o f W. F. Scott, eldest son of Wm. Scott, BSc! , , lite r friars, and Regent-terrace, to Sarah, second daub Joseph Donley, Esq., East India-road, Poplar' AD A D d i d so is ic o . n - 7 O Esq n the e 15thiDnseta., Deaths. Gloucester , Irlic)n° -1'311 4. 11 0 aged 58. 8 33 E A R B B E a . — r E b I L o e rn----, the St ls ' inst., at Holloway, 964 n eedl th s7 . t e 6h. l6th inst., at Hertford-heath, Idrs. rotor 13ee' Mr. 57. scll CIiBITT.—On the 17th inst., at 25, Beelestull i, ,g 0 Thomas Wilfred, son of Geo rge Cubitt , Beck, ll' .7 t six years. wit/ I°ll4 IN_GLEDEW.—On the 16th inst., at 4, Bishopegal° - Matilda., wifo of Joseph Ingledew. SMITH.—On the 15th inst., at Kew, Alexander sllllt • b 7 f°' merly curator of the Museum, aged 33. W°°cll .°of, Of 3°' WOODROOF.—On the 16th inst., Thomas Worship-street, Finsbury, aged 83. ~....................-----; London : Printed and Published by WIL L1A,,,--- $0 a t of No. 112, Strand, Plinter, at THE SUN OwCedowa - Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the Middlesex.—Thcuiday, May 18, 1865. .-...-'-' THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 18, 1865.