The Sun. — London, England, 1865-03-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at the usual hour. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Birstal Gas Bill was read a third time and passed. THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND NATIONAL GALLERY. The Earl of SIT AFTESBITRY presented petitions from Operatives connected with the zinc trade, lithographers, and others, in favour of opening these institutions three times a week in the evening. PUBLIC SCHOOLS BILL. The Earl of DERBY appealed to the noble lord (Claren don) not to press the second reading of this bill before Monday next, as the subject was one of great importance and required ample consideration. Lord CLARENDON said that he would accede to the wishes of the noble lord, but expressed a hope that the bill would not be further delayed. After a few words from Lord BT. LEONARDS and Earl GRANVImP, the subject dropped. SITE OF THE NEW COURTS OF JUSTICE. Earl STANHOPE moved fora return on this subject. He thought that this return should be laid on the table with the least possible delay, in order that the house might have time to consider the question care fully before they were called on to determine on the merits of any particular site. The Government were in favour of a site behind St. Clement Danes Church, but he thought there should be some deliberation before they adopted that plan. He thought that the Thames embank ment afforded the means of selecting a more eligible site which would allow of a noble frontage facing the Thames. There would also be the advantage of water communica tion. _ . _ The LORD CHANCELLOR thought the present dis cussion ill timed, as the whole subject was still before the House of Commons. He defended the selection of the Carey-street site, as more convenient to the legal profes sion and the suitors than any other available locality. It was also less costly than the site proposed on the Thames Embankment, which would necessitate the purchase of considerable property between the Strand and the river. As to the motion, a plan of the ground selected was attached to the bill in the Private Bill-office, and in the evidence already taken would be found a return of the number of houses and the names of the streets, lanes, and courts that would be taken for the 7 acres of ground required. Lord HARROWBY said the plan suggested by Lord Stanhope deserved every consideration. It was impossible to say at present that the Carey-street site was the best, when such an opportunity as that afforded by the Thames Embankment was rising. Lord LONGFORD observed that one plan of the Thames Embankment contemplated placing all the public offices along the bank of the river. Lord REDESDALE regretted to hear that so much as seven acres of ground were required. He believed that the more space was given to an architect the less conve niently he was likely to arrange the building. The legal profession had never cared to reside near the courts of law during the many ages they had been held at Westminster. And as the House of Lords must still be the highest Court of Appeal, he suggested that a site cheaper than either of those proposed might be found for the law courts in their ancient locality. The motion was not pressed, and their lordships adjourned at a quarter to 6 o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : —Glasgow Markets and Slaughterhouses ; Mistley, Thorpe, and Walton Railway; Sheffield Water; White chapel and Holborn Improvement; Great Eastern Rail way (Somersham to Ramsey); Ilfracombe Railway ; Lon don and South Western Railway (New Lines in Surrey) ; Merthyr Tydfil Local Board of Health ; and Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour, and Dock. The following bills were read a second time :—Chipping Norton, Banbury, and East and West Junction Railway ; East and West India Dock Company ; Ely and Ogmore Valleys Junction Railway. PETITIONS. Mr. Cox presented a petition in favour of opening the British Museum and other public institutions on Sundays. Mr. A. Sminr presented a petition from certain Indian officers praying for redress. Mr. HUNT presented similar petitions. Sir C. O'Louoramr presented five petitions in favour of the bill for the amendment of the law of libel. Mr. Loci presented a petition from the stage-coach proprietors in the metropolis in favour of a reduction of the mileage duty. Alderman SALOMONS presented a petition from Deptford in favour of a reduction of duty on fire insurance. Mr. LONGFIELD presented a petition in favour of the bill for the amendment of the law of libel. Mr. ROEBUCK presented a petition in favour of the con centration of the courts of law. EAST INDIA (TROOPS AND POLICE). Mr. ADAM moved an address for copy of all correspond ence between the Government of Bombay, the Supreme Government of India, and the India Of f ice, relative to the grant of the medal to the troops and police employed in suppressing the mutiny and rebellion in the Bombay Pre siden cy.—O rde re d. THE CAWOOD CHARITIES Mr. HADFIELD moved for a copy of the report of the inspector of charities, F. 0. Martin, Esq., on the Cawood Feoffment Estate Charities, in the West Riding of the county of York; returns from the charity commission of the religious denomination of the schoolmasters under the trust during the last 40 years ; from the charity commis sion of the scheme now proposed for the settlement of the Cawood Feoffment Estate Charities ; copy of a memorial presented to the charity commissioners by the Wesleyan Methodists and other inhabitants of the parish of Cawood against the said scheme.—Ordered. THAMES EMBANKMENT. Mr. TITE moved for a copy of a report from Messrs. Hawkshaw and Harrison to the Metropolitan Board of Works, dated the 26th day of October, 1864, relative to the Thames Embankment.—Ordered. NIGHT REFUGES IN LONDON. Mr. HANBURY asked the President of the Poor-law Board whether he had received a return concerning some of the night refuges in London, similar to that ordered (on the 10th February last) to be made from each workhouse in the metropolis ; and whether he would bo willing to lay that return upon the table of the house. Mr. C. VILLIERS said it had been received, and if the house desired it, it would be laid on the table. He, how ever, did not know from whom the document proceeded. THE WHITWORTH RIFLE. Sir F. SMITH asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he would lay upon the table of the house the reports of the officers of the Rifle Brigade in reference to the Whit worth rifles, with which the men of the brigade are armed. The Marquis of HARTINGTON said there would be no objection to lay the substance of the reports referred to be fore Parliament as soon as they had been received. Up to the present time only five out of the eight colonels of bri gades poposed to be so armed had sent in reports. MAIL CONTRACTS. Mr. CAVE asked the Secretary to the Treasury when the two new contracts with the West India and Pacific Steamship Company, for carrying mails to Jamaica, &c., would be laid upon the table. Mr. PEEL said there was no necessity for laying the contracts on tho table, as they were terminable by a six months' notice. THE CASE OF MR. EDMUNDS. Mr. HODGKINSON asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he would lay upon the table of the house the offi cial report made to the Treasury in January last by M r . Eindmarsh, Q.C., and Mr. Greenwood, the commissioners appointed to institute inquiries in reference to the Patent Office accounts ; and in the event of his declining to do so, then, on an early day, to call attention to the case, and to move that the above-mentioned report, and the evidence on which it was founded, be laid upon the table of the house. Sir G. GREY said there was no objection to the produc tion of the papers. There were other documents connected with the matter that the hon. gentleman might have if he wished for their production. BRITISH PROPERTY IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. Mr. GREGORY asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any, and what, steps were being taken to protect the property of British subjects, purchased . and paid f or i n th e S ou th ern St a t es o f N or th America be fore the commencement of the war, where proof had been afforded of the bond fide nature of the transactions ? ' Mr. LAYARD said he supposed the question referred rather to Property than persons, and that property was cotton. With respect to foreigners having cotton in those States, if it was destroyed for a bond fide purpose, they had no right to Complain, as th ey were aware of the risk they ran. With respect to the second question, which he sup posed referred to the seizure of cotton at Savannah, no full and reliable report had yet been received by the Govern ment. WATERWORKS BILL. Mr. FERRAND asked th e Board ioliljtirade when the clauses for the protection of lif e and serted in Waterworks Bills, would bepr, laid upon , to be in the table of the house ? Mr. BARING said he hoped to lay the clauses referred to on the table before Easter. THE RIVER THAMES. Mr. D. DAMER asked the Secretary of State for the Rome Department whether he was aware that, at a short • distance below Hampton Court Palace, there was last sum mer hardly four feet of water in the River Thames, and that when the waterworks near Kingston were pumping the river ceased to flow over the weir at Teddington during the period of such pumping? Sir G. GREY said ho had no information in the matter. The hon. gentleman had better put his question to the Pre sident of the Board of Trade. There he was in his place. GREENWICH HOSPITAL, _ . Sir M. PET 0 asked the Secretary of the Admiralty what were the intentions of the Government with regard to Greenwich Hospital. Mr. CHILDERS said last session a commission :was appointed, and amongst those gentlemen one u :c rtunately had been unwell, but a report had been agre .41 to and for warded to the Admiralty and Treasury, ail he hoped to be able to lay the documents on the ta,bl ,, , nd also bring in a bill to carry out its recommendation 3. ROADS IN SCOTLAND. Mr. LESLIE asked the hon. member for Hathlington shire whether he indended to introduce during the present session of Parliament a general road bill for Scotland; and if so, when ? Lord ELCHO said it was his intention to move for leave to introduce such a measure. SUPPLY—COAST DEFENCES. On the motion that the house go into committee of supply, Kr: BERKELEY rose to call attention to the possibility of a war with America, and to the absence of guns capable of protecting our coasts from the aggression of a naval power. He said we had alienated both parties in America, and it would be no matter of surprise to him eventually to see them both unite in hostilities against us. The hon. gentleman then proceeded to argue that this country did not possess means sufficient to repel such a state of affairs should it unfortunately arise. He said that tho miserable bickerings between gun inventors had been allowed to consume too much valuable time, and the result was the country was left without the possession of a gun worth the name of a serviceable and effective weapon of warfare. Mr. PEACOCK controverted the statement which had been made that Canada would not be defended, which he urged was not the best way to disincline the Americans from aggression. He mentionedinstances which had already occurred in which the conduct of subordinate and high officials of the Western States might have involved this country in an American war. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY deprecated the policy of discuss ing such a question at the present moment. Mr. H. BAILLIE said the great want of the service was a gun capable of firing a steel projectile ; but great as the country was in other matters, it was still behind other countries in this. Even the Danes had guns for firing steel projectiles, and as it took a considerable time to perfect one of these much-vaunted weapons, he supposed that if the country was unfortunately to be involved in war, it would take twelve months before we could have a supply of effi cient guns for the army. Mr. MONSELL thought it highly necessary that the experiments at Shoeburyness should be pressed forward with greater activity, because it was of the highest im portance that the superiority of one gun or the other should be known as soon as possible. The Marquis of HARTINGT ON said he did not think there was any possibility of this country being involved in a war with America. (Hear, hear.) It had been said that the coast defences of the country were not sufficient to meet the attack of a hostile enemy ; but he did not agree with that assertion. (Hear, hear.) True, it was that the new fortifications were not fully armed yet as far as they were completed. They were armed with the utmost despatch ; but he contended that the old batteries, with their usual armaments, were quite sufficient to cope with wooden ships. With respect to the inquiry whether we had yet got a good gun with a steel barrel, he might say for our land defences we had, but it had been thought necessary to pause before a great supply of the guns were made for the navy. With respect to delay in the experiments, he must admit that there had been very great delay between Sir William Armstrong and Mr. Whitworth, but he believed he was correct in saying that the delay was occasioned by Mr. Whitworth, who had not produced his gun at the specified time. He hoped in a short time that the report of the commission would be received, and then the most active steps would be taken to put its recommendations into effect. With respect to the assertion that it would take 12 months to make a 600-pounder gun, he doubted whether such was exactly the fact. As far as Captain Palliser's gun had yet been tried, he might say at once it had given the greatest satisfaction, as it had stood some very severe trials with perfect success. Mr. W. E. FORSTER regarded it as contrary to the dignity of the house to invite them to throw themselves into a war with a great and friendly country simply because of the language used by one or two Ministers. If England were to go to war every time that her Ministers had used irritating language towards foreign nations, by this time she would be at war with the whole human race. Sir F. SMITH believed that we should have no war with America ; but that was no reason why we should not put our colonies into a state of defence. The command of Lake Ontario was a part of the projected scheme for the defence of Canada, but he understood that up to this moment not a single gunboat had been prepared for that purpose. Mr. G. P. BENTINCK was of opinion that it would be a work of time and money to attempt to defend Canada by land. As to the feeling that prevailed in the United States, there could be no doubt that it was one of decided hostility towards this country. Captain JERVIS characterised the debate as the revival of the Old Bogie cry which used to be periodically heard when certain parties found it to be for their interest to affect an apprehension of a French invasion, The subject then dropped. Colonel SYKES directed attention to the alleged inabi lity of the British Government to enforce orders in Council and ordinances by superintendents of trade relating to Bri • tish subjects in China. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied that there might be cases in which Englishmen still remained in the service of the local mandarins contrary to the orders in Council ; but the consular courts could not issue a roving commission to search out such instances in the vast empire of China, and could only deal with them when they came within the consular jurisdiction. A question put by Mr. H. SEYMOUR elicited an explana tion from Sir C. WOOD relating to the proceedings of the Indian authorities with regard to the Back Bay shares at Bombay, and the house went into committee of supply on the army estimates. The consideration of the items included in the - vote of £5,434,567 for staff and regimental pay and allowances was resumed, and a suggestion offered by Colonel North that the present allowance of ls. a day increase of pay to lieu tenants of seven years' standing should be extended to all subalterns of seven years' service, and by Mr. Percy Wynd ham for giving small civil service appointments to soldiers of 18 years' standing and good character who might qualify for the same. The vote was ultimately agreed to, as were also the votes of £1,205,800 for the commissariat, £574,256 for clothing, £609,900 for barracks, £44,335 for Divine service, £26,300 for martial law, £246544 for the medical establishment, £786,400 for disembodied militia, £91,000 for yeomanry, £334,900 for the volunteers, and £46,000 for enrolled pen sioners and army reserve. On the vote of £972,900 for manufacturing departments, Sir M. PETO called attention to the statement made by the Under Secretary for War on a former evening, that the cost of armament of the new forts would not exceed £3,000,000, and inquired upon what calculation that state ment was made. The Marquis of HARTINGTON explained that, al though the total number of guns required to arm the coast fortifications was 1,944, still only 1,200 of the new and more expensive description would be used. The remainder, being for land defences, could be taken from the stock in hand. Under these circumstances the whole cost of the guns, including 200 rounds of steel shot, ammunition, car riages, and platforms, would not exceed about X 2,750,000. Sir M. PETO observed that when he estimated the cost of the new guns, ammunition, &c., at £17,000,000 sterling, he did so upon calculations supplied him by the most emi nent manufacturers, who were making guns of smaller calibre for the Russians. Mr. WATLIN contended that all inquiry and the dictates of Common sense went to show that the expense could not be less than £14,000,000. The question of small arms also underwent discussion, and the vote was agreed to, as was also £485,000 for stores. The Consolidated Fund (X 175,650) Bill was read a third time and passed. The Marine Mutiny Bill and the Mutiny Bill was read a second time. Other bills wore forwarded a stage, and the house ad journed at 10 minutes past 12 o'clock. "And then he drew a dial frem his poke, And looking on it with lack lustre ey Says very wisely, '_lt is ten o' c l oc k ' ' Thus we may see,' quoth he, ' how the world wags." SHAREWEARL Benson's Pocket Dials are artistic, accurate time markers, made in every size, suitable for everybody, and are sent to every part of the kingdom, safe by post., at 5, 6 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1 3, 14 , 15 , 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 , 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 guineas in gold cases; and at 2,3, 4,5, 6,7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 guineas in silver cases. A descriptive pamphlet post free for two stamps. -J. W. Benson, 'Ludgate-hill, watch and clock wirer to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. BREAKFAST BEVERAGE.—Howo3wathie practitioners, and the medical profession generally, recmimend cocci as being the most healthful of all beverages. When the doe trine of homoeopathy was first introduced into this country there were to be obt hied no i.rcpar:Ai :ns of cocoa either at. tractive to the taste or acceptable to the stomach ; the not wza either supplied 13 the crude state, or so unskilfully manufactured as to obtain little notice. J. Epps, of London, Homoeopathic Chemist, was induced in the ye ix 18;J to turn his attention to this subject, and at len4th succeeded, with the assistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first to produce an article pure in its composition, and so refined by the perfect ti ituratioa it receives in the process it passes through, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach. For general use Epps's Cocoa is distinguished as an invigo rating, grat e t u l b reakf ast beverage, possessing a most deli cious raduit:ti° roma. Dr. Hassi'l, i n hi s wor k , "Food and its A says _"Cocoa contaios a great variety of Im portant ntr itive vrinciples—every ingredient necessary to the growth nutritive, cocoaa sustenance of the body." Again : "As a stands very much hi g h er th an e th er co ff ee or tea." Dirtations—Two teaspoonfuls breakfast cup, fill e d u of the p owder in a p with bo li ing water ck o e r t milk. Secured in tin-lined i1b.,1b., and 11 b.labelled ') all grocers, confectioner s , and chemists - [A ll' and sold by THE CONFEDERATE HATES. (From the Times' Special Correspondent.) WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, Jan. 31. I desire to revert to the recent capture by the Federals of Fort Fisher—an event which possesses surpassing interest for England, and in regard to which the minutest details seems not undesirable. Pausing for a day at Wilmington on my road back to Richmond, with a view to gaining information, I have had the good fortune to fall in with one of Gen. Whiting's staff, who accompanied the General on the 13th, 14th, and 15th inst., and did not leave the fort until late in the afternoon of the last named day, when Gen. Whiting, after receiving a wound, sent him away upon an errand which, though fruit less in itself, was the occasion of my informant's escaping imprisonment. The narrative of those three eventful days, which I attempted in my letter from Charleston of the 23d inst., and which was derived chiefly from naval officers, needs enlargement and correction in many particulars. These lam now in a position to supply, and at the same time it is my desire to do justice to the great ability displayed by Admiral Porter and Gen. Terry in their guidance of an attack conducted by land and sea forces simul taneously, which demanded intelligent concert be tween both arms, in which the lane forces of the assailant took part without field artillery, and with nothing but muskets in their hands, and which was resisted by an aggregate of Confederates inside and outside of the fort scarcely inferior to the attacking colmnns of the Federals. In my previous letter I stated that late upon the evening of the 12th tidings reached Gen. Whiting that a large flotilla of Federal ships was drawing near to Fort Fisher, and that a second bombard ment was imminent. About 8 o'clock on the morn ing of the 13th the fire opened. Five ironclad ships, consisting of the Ironsides, one double tur reted, and three single turreted Monitors, ap proached within 800 yards of the land face of the fort, and opened fire, which was steadily sustained until 5 p.m., at which hour three frigates, supposed to be the Minnesota, Colorado, and Wabash, joined in the action, pouring in, together with the Moni tors, a terrific storm of fire until 6 p.m. Col. Lamb, commandant of the fort, anticipating an attempt to carry the fort by storm after dark, made repeated applications to Gen. Whiting for reinforcements. The sailors, 60 in number, attached to Battery Buchanan, repaired, in compliance with General Whiting's summons, promptly to Fort Fisher, and six companies were brought across the Cape Fear River from Forts Caswell and Campbell to Fort Fisher, at 8 p.m. In addition 150 men, under Major Reilly, arrived at 3 in the morning of the 14th. A restless and fatiguing night was passed by the garrison, as they manned the palisades and peered anxiously into the night, in momentary ex pectation of a general attack. At intervals the Confederate guns upon both faces poured grape and shrapnel along the beach leading up to the Fort, and covered its land approaches, while General Whiting and some of his staff passed most of the night on the works and beach, keeping such watch as they could upon the enemy's movements. On the morning of the 14th the ironclads again opened upon the land face, which mounted 16 guns, of which five had been dismounted by the first day's fire. It may be remarked that during the 13th the Monitors, lying at 800 yards' distance, did far more injury than they and many of their wooden sisters effected at double that distance, in two days during the Christmas-day bombardment. The five Monitors were shortly joined by 15 wooden vessels, which moved into position behind the Monitors, and, lying much further off, kept up a terrible fire during the whole day upon the land face, dismounting every gun upon it, with the exception of one 8-inch Columbiad, ploughing great furrows in the traverses, tearing the palisades into shreds, and filling the ditch with sand, which slid down from the scarp and glacis. The Confederate guns replied with great accuracy, but apparently with little damage to the Monitors, while the wooden vessels kept out of range ; but it is generally conceded that the gun ners displayed unflinching gallantry during the whole of this trying day, although exposed to the moat tremendous fire that ever fell into a fort. It must be understood that all day long upon the 13th, and also upon the 14th, while the Federal monitors maintained an unintermitted fire, Federal transports were engaged in landing troops upon the beach three or four miles to the north of Fort Fisher. Much and angry comment has been audible on the inaction of Gen. Hake's 6,000 Confederates while the Federal forces under Gen. Terry were being thrown upon the beach. Upon the afternoon of the 14th a line of Federal sharpshooters approached Fort Fisher, sunk riflepits in the sandy beach, and greatly an noyed the Confederate•gunners by picking them off as they served their guns. The dismounted guns could not be remounted, nor could the work be re paired during the night by reason of the incessant fire kept up by the fleet. But fiery as was the ordeal through which Gen. Whiting and his garrison were passing, the sun upon the evening of the 14th went down upon confident hearts among the defenders of Fort Fisher, for a telegram had previously been re ceived from Gen. Bragg promising to throw Gen. Hagood's brigade into the fort as reinforcements. It seemed not improbable that, in spite of the dis mounted guns, the garrison of Fort Fisher, reinforced by 1,000 or 1,200 veterans, would be strong enough to repel a land attack, especially as co-operation and assistance from without, through the agency of Gen. Hake's division, was confidently relied on. About 4.30 on the morning of Sunday, the 15th, the first of General Hagood's regiments, the 21st, was landed at Battery Buchanan, and was imme diately marched up to Fort Fisher. Shortly after wards it was followed by the 25th Regiment, which was moved up behind Lamb's Mound, where it found temporary shelter from the appalling fire of the enemy, and did not advance to Fort Fisher until later in the day. These two regi ments, amounting together to rather more than 400 men, were all the reinforcements from Hake's division that ever reached Gen. Whiting. The vessel which conveyed the other regiments of Hagood's brigade down the Cape Fear River unfortunately got aground, and I believe ended by landing its liv l i - ing cargo at Fort Caswell instead of Fort Fisher. The garrison of Fort Fisher, including Hagood's two regiments, numbered on the morning of the 15th about 2,200 men, all told. About 8 o'clock in the morning of the 15th there was rained upon the de voted fort undoubtedly the severest fire which fort or earthwork ever sustained. In combination with the five ironclads more than 50 wooden vessels joined in the attack, and it is believed that more than 700 guns played simultaneously upon both faces of the fort. At intervals some 30 or 40 guns concentrated their fire upon the same spot, and never desisted until they had converted the traverse or the glacis at which they aimed into a shapeless heap of ruins. During the entire morning the iron tempest knew neither pause nor abatement. Simultaneously the attacking columns of the Federals stretched about noon right across the tongue of land upon which Fort Fisher stands, having their rear protected from Gen. Hake by a force of Federals hastily intrenched within works, for the rapid formation of which the abounding sand furnished admirable facilities. As the attacking column d rew near t o th e f or t a por tion of the fleet moved in single file ahead of the skirmish line, and poured in a heavy fire, thus en filading the entire land face and covering the ad tov throw e wp y t f ns gt murderoush e s s k i g i s in h a e ml r s 8 . p oilTsehi t orne into,m a e i nv neveredr y e r p o c f oe r t t a h s e e o dn f 1 e to of t the work, until most of the garrison, worn down by sleeplessness, hunger, and the strain of a bombard ment ceaselessly sustained for more than 60 hours, shrunk within the bombproofs, mastered by a fire which filled the whole sky with projectiles, and rent the air with one loud unintermitted roar, in compa rison with which the thunder of the field artillery of Borodino or Leipsic must have sounded faint and insignificant indeed. Suddenly a shrill steam whistle is heard, and in an instant every gun is hushed. Upon the left of the Federal lines a large body of marines dashes s a e n a d s advancing along ldiyat the b sw eat t h ly o u s t e o fdotwhen smoke, Quickly k a y drawing sea e Oft fort rt h oiftsthebombproofs, outer palisades. Gen. Whiting throws himself upon the assailants, is an m d en gains out THE SttN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVEINIAG, MARCH 21, 1865. and after a short and bloody struggle drives them headlong back along the beach. But while the at tention of the garrison is engaged in repulsing the attack on the extreme left of the Federal line a body of Gen. Terry's soldiers dashes forward along the river bank on the Federal right, and before their advance is noticed they occupy the sallyport which enters the fort from the direction of Col. Lamb's house. Not until Gen. Whiting, flushed with the exertion of his hand-to-hand combat with the marines, saw his enemy's flag mounted upon the third traverse of the land face, did he recognise his danger. In vain, with desperate courage did he call upon his men to follow him, and rush forward to tear down the hated ensign with his own hand. In vain did Col. Lamb second his leader's efforts with conspicuous gallantry. In a few minutes both officers are carried bleeding to the rear ; all attack on the part of the garrison ceases ; the Federals hold the sallyport into which they have glided, and, although their work of conquest is not completed until 10 o'clock at night, at 3 p.m., the fort has vir tually ceased to be the property of the Confederates. Those who, after reading this narrative, talk sneeringly of the feebleness of the resistance offered by the defenders of Fort Filer have probably little experience of the tremendous strain to which both body and mind are subjected when a man is ex posed for 60 or 70 hours, without the respite of a moment, to such a fearful bombardment as was hurled into Fort Fisher. It is not probable that any wise man who has had experience of war will presume to say of this garrison, " Had I been in their place I should have done other than what they did." Better explanations of the fall of the fort than allegations of cowardice on the part of its defenders may probably be found. I do not deny that it is possible that 2,200 veterans, if they had been bound together by an association of many months within the fort, and had been ably officered, might have successfully resisted the joint attack at two different points of Admiral Porter's Marines and General Terry's soldiers. But it must be remembered that the 2,200 men in question were a heterogeneous body, lacking cohesion and know ledge of each other, without officers of experience with two exceptions, and with morale to a certain extent sapped by the unparalleled bombardment to which they were subjected. It is not wonderful that after the fall of General Whiting and Colonel Lamb all vigorous effort should have ceased ; but I am in clined to think that military critics will hereafter be more prone to censure the inactivity of the Confe derates outside than the feebleness of those within the fort. From the configuration of the ground it was impossible for General Bragg to have interposed with Hake's division between the assailants and Fort Fisher without uncovering Wilmington and without exposing his men to an enfilading fire from the sea. But nothing is more certain than that great risks must be run at times by commanding Generals ; and the most cautious of great captains would have dared greatly to save a work of such momentous import ance as Fort Fisher. There are other circumstances, however, which in my judgment satisfactorily ex plain the fall of Fort Fisher, and among them I may prominently mention the absence of any large guns, and especially rifled guns, upon the land face. En couraged by his experience of the feebleness of the fire from the 'land face upon Christmas-day, Ad miral Porter carried his ironclad vessels within 800 yards of the Confederate guns, and for three days poured an incessant fire at short range into the work, whereby 15 out of 16 guns were dismounted. Experience has firmly established the fact that against ironclad vessels any projectile which weighs less than 100 pounds is altogether impotent. But upon the land face of Fort Fisher the largest smoothbore gun was a 68-pounder, and the largest rifled gun, I believe, a 42-pounder. Your readers will remember that in the attack upon Charleston of April, 1863, the Keokuk was sunk at 900 yards by a projectile from a rifled Brooke gun, which, I believe, weighed about 1501 b. Two similar Brooke guns upon the land face of Fort Fisher, or two such Armstrong guns as were mounted upon its sea face and at fort Caswell, would have made it impossible for the Federal monitors to lie for three days within 800 yards of the fort, and would have preserved Wilmington to the Confederates as a poit of entry. But, in addition, the resistance of Fort Fisher lacked one element which is essential to the defence of all earthworks or sand forts. Unless the damage done by day is repaired by night, such works must crumble away to nothing, if pommelled long enough. We know that upon Morris Island the little sand fort called Battery Wagner resisted for 60 days, although subjected to a terrible and almost incessant fire from the Federal ships, solely because the gar rison worked vigorously by night, and repaired the damages of the preceding day by cramming san db ags and loose sand into the rents and yawning chasms torn by the enemy's shot. It is true that the gar rison of Battery Wagner was constantly relieved and recruited by fresh men ; but it is difficult to believe that if the defenders of Fort Fisher had pos sessed practical experience in the defence of such works they might not during the first night have remounted some of the five gu ns di smounte d during the first day,in spite oft e h vi e ouset enemy's lte) rfi it s ß e u em t, s to after m all e t ( h a a s t l t s h a e giidrne:y question for military previous engineers to solve is how to casemate guns in an earthwork which is meant to be permanent. It is certain that ironclad vessels can resist the impact of 100-pounder or 150-pounder smo o thb ore projec tiles long enough to give the m a c h ance of dis mounting the guns that throw these projectil es , unless protected by casemates. It seems desirable not only that sand forts should be defended by very heavy rifled guns, but also, in view of th e cons t an t tendency to improvement in ironclad naval archi tecture, that the guns should be ensconced in case mates, wherever the earthwork they defend is de signed to be permanent. LAW INTELLIGENC JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL. MAncli 20. (Present—The Lord Chancellor, Lords Kingsdown and Cranworth, and the Right Ron. Sir S. Lushington.) EX PARTE THE BISHOP OP NATAL.-JUDGMENT. At half-past three o'clock this afternoon the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council delivered judgment in the appeal of Dr. Colenso against the decision of the Bishop of Cape Town, whereby he was deprived of his bishopric. The court was densely crowded, there being amongst others present the Earl of Shaftesbury, Archbishop of York, and Lord Monteagle. The Lord. Chancellor delivered the judgment of their lordships in this long-pending case. The Bishop of Cape Town, in December, 1863, had pronounced sentence of de position of Dr. Colenso from the see of Natal, on the ground that he had power to determine the proceedings against him on a charge of heresy. The Bishop of Natal had ap pealed to her Majesty, and after argument before the Judi cial committee, to whom the appeal had been referred, the Lord Chancellor proceeded to read a long printed judgment before a crowded court. His lordship, after adverting to the position of the parties, stated that Dr. Gray was ap pointed Bishop of. Cape Town by letters patent in Decem ber, 1853, and he was constituted the Metropolitan of Gra ham's Town and Natal. On the 23d Nov., 1853 (15 days before the letters patent to Dr. Gray), Dr. Colenso was appointed Bishop of Natal, also by letters patent, and on the 30th of the same month took the canonical oaths of obedience to his metropolitan. In December, 1863, Dr. Gray had pronounced sentence against Dr. Colenso, depos ing him from his office as Bishop of Natal. His lordship said three questions had been raised in the appeal. Ist. Whether the letters patent granted in 1853 to Dr. Gray, of Cape Town, constituting him the metropolitan of the other sees, were valid and good. 2nd. Whether such letters patent conferred any coercive jurisdiction on him ; and 3rd, whether the canonical oaths of obedience conferred any power of deprivation of a bishopric on him. After referring to former acts of Parliament, and mentioning one in the reign of Henry VIII., whom the Lord Chancellor desig nated "that absolute monarch," his lordship said :—Their lordships had arrived at the conclusion that where a colony had been established with a Legislative Assembly, the Crown had no authority by letters patent to confer the authority which had been exercised. And on the second point their lordships were of opinion that there was no jurisdiction in the Bishop of Cape Town to exercise coercive authority over the Bishop of Natal ; and as to the oaths of obedience, that there was no authority to take or to require the same. His lordship concluded by saying, "We shall therefore humbly advise her Majesty that the proceedings against the Bishop of Natal, and the sentence of depriva tion, are both null and void in law." PATENT OFFICE, MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON.-- Number of visitors for the week ending March 18, 1,795 ; total number since the opening of the Museum free daily (12th May, 1858) 903,137. ELECTION INTELLIGENCE. NORTH WILTS. DEVIZES, Monday. The election to fill the vacancy in the representa tion of North Wilts, caused by the retirement of the Right Hon. T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt, took place at Devizes, yesterday. It was generally understood in the district that there would be no opposition to the return of Lord Chas. Bruce ; but, to the surprise of a large number of electors, a candidate in the Conservative interest was brought forward at the last mcment. The proceedings were opened by the High Sheriff (Mr. T. H. A. Poynder), who called upon some gen tleman to nominate a fit and proper person to repre sent the northern division of the county of Wilts in Parliament. Mr. S. W. TAYLOR then stepped forward and proposed Lord Charles Bruce, than whom, he said, there was no person better fitted to occupy the place of their late excellent and exemplary member, Mr. Sotheron-Estcourt. Having paid a high com pliment to his virtues, Mr. Taylor alluded to the position which Lord Charles Bruce gained at the University of Oxford, and the interest which his family had in the welfare of the country, and espe cially in the county of Wilts. Lord Charles Bruce's interests were the same as the interests of the elec tors, and he was confident that his lordship, by his efforts in Parliament, would show that he had the interests of the county at heart. What the electors and the country wanted was good government, and peace with all the world, so long as the latter could be maintained consistently with honour. We also wanted an amelioration of the condition of the poor, and also a progressive improvement in our laws ; and he asked who was more interested in maintain ing and in increasing these blessings than Lord Charles Bruce? (Applause.) Mr. E. EDMONDS, in seconding the nomination of Lord Charles Bruce, alluded to the universal regret which prevailed owing to the retirement of Mr. Sotheran-Estcourt, and then proceeded to speak of the policy of the administration of which Lord Charles had declared himself a supporter. He re ferred to the Parliamentary Reform Bill, the Muni cipal Reform Bill, and the repeal of the Corn Laws, all of which had been brought about by a Liberal Government. He, therefore, warmly recommended Lord Bruce to their notice. (Applause.) Mr.WILLIAms, amid much confusion and uproar, came forward and nominated Mr. Fowler, of the firm of Dimsdall, Fowler, and Co., London, as a candidate for their suffrages. He denounced in strong terms the compact which he said had been entered into between the Whigs and Conservatives to hand over the vacant seat to the Liberal party on the understanding that the Conservatives should retain the other seat. He condemned the apathy which had been shown by the Conservatives since the retirement of Mr. Estcourt was announced, and maintained that if they had had fair play the Con servatives would have carried their candidate. Mr. Williams also dwelt upon the injustice of the malt tax, and severely censured the conduct of Parlia ment in yearly exempting personal property from taxaeion, an exemption which, if they elected Lord Charles Bruce, his lordship, as a supporter of the present Administration, would be bound to main tain, instead of making a stand against it. In con clusion, he protested against those proceedings, and observed that the farmers and electors of North Wilts were determined that this should not go off as a sham election. The nomination of Mr. Fowler having been seconded by Mr. CHANDLER, Lord C. BRUCE, who was received with loud cheers, then addressed the electors. After thanking them for the flattering manner in which he had been received that day, and expressing his deep re gret at the retirement of Mr. Estcourt, who, he said, so entirely devoted himself to the service of the county and the country at large, his lordship pro ceeded to speak of the general principles which he professed and the causes:which he supported. Those principles were the principles of the Liberal party, and those causes were the causes of progress and of improvement. (Applause.) For more than 30 years these principles had been in the ascendant in this country, and the benefits and the changes which had been accomplished during that period must be admitted by all. Among other improvements had been witnessed a general reform in Parliamentary representation ; the Church had also been reformed, municipal institutions had been established upon a more liberal and satisfactory footing, a general sys tem of education had been introduced and extended among the humbler classes ; and free trade, the blessings of which no one would venture to dispute, had developed itself in our commercial system. (Cheers.) The trade and prosperity of this country had increased to a pitch which was unrivalled in any other land, or in any other time. A treaty of com merce had been concluded with France, whose alli ance was as important and as desirable for the gene ral civilisation of the whole world as it was for our own country. Commercial treaties had likewise been concluded with:Belgium, Italy, and other foreign Powers, and if welooked away from home we should find that fresh markets had been opened in China and Japan. The public revenue had increased so enormously that tax after tax had been taken off, and still it continued to increase. Since 1839 no less than eight millions of ,indirect and five millions of direct taxation had been annually reduced. (Ap plause.) A great reduction had also been made in the custom and excise duties, and in four years no less than 4 millions hadbeen remitted. Thus, while our taxes had been diminished our prosperity had increased, and notwithstanding the war in America he showed that our trade had enormously increased. The Government had been striving as much as pos sible to reduce the public expenditure, which was necessarily very large. Our armaments had been in creased, at a :great cost, in a degree corresponding with the progress made by other nations, but at the same time the Government had steadily kept in view the principle of non-intervention. (Applause.) This was particularly exemplified in the case of America, where neither taunts nor pressure had induced the Government to swerve from that perfect neutrality which it had professed to maintain. (Cheers.) No greater calamity could befal this country than a war with America—unless, indeed, it was a war with France ; in his judgment, therefore, the Government must be supported in its indeavour to carry out its principles of neutrality, and he asked, what man was more capable than Lord Palmerston, who had an accumulated experience of two generations of statesmen, to guide the counsels of this na tion in those principles which, in fact, were universally admitted to be right ? (Applause.) With regard to the malt-tax, he considered that in the abstract it was not a good one, and there were many objections to it ; but it must be looked at from a financial point of view. (Applause.) It was his firm belief that the only way to get rid of the impost was by persevering in the present system of Government by extending our trade, and by a policy of peace, which alone would enable us to dig.; pence with the six millions produced by the tax. His lordship concluded with a few general remarks. Mr. FOWLER also addressed the electors, princi pally dwelling upon the so-called compact between the Liberal and Conservative parties in that divi sion of the county. He also criticised Lord Bruce's general policy, and concluded by repudiating that a coalition existed between the two parties, and an nouncing that under the circumstances in which they were placed it would be wrong to the noble lord as well as to that division of the county if they went to a poll. (Cries of " Oh.") ThelllGH SHERIFF then called for a show of hands, when nearly all present held them up for Lord Bruce, only 12 being shown in favour of Mr. Fowler. Lord Bruce was accordingly declared duly elected, as no poll was demanded. After briefly returning thanks for the high honour which had been conferred upon him, Lord C. BRUCE proposed a vote of thanks to the High Sheriff for his impartial conduct on that occasion. This was seconded by the Hon. Mr. BOUVERIE, who, amid great interruption, made some remarks upon one or two of the speakers. The HIGH SHERIFF briefly replied, and the pro ceedings terminated with much cheering for Lord C. Bruce. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TlMES.—There was a supplemental American de bate in the House of Commons last evening. Any sermon, it is said, may be preached on a n y t ex t, an d so members will talk of what is uppermost in their minds, no matter what may be the original subject of discussion. On this occasion it was guns and coast defences • but these were quite enough to g i ve Mr. Berkeley an opportunity of entering into American politics, and denouncing " that atrocious Monroe doctrine which was opposed to all rational law, and to everything in the sh a p e of civilisation and civil liberty." Mr. Peacocke followed on the same side, and made a warm South ern s p eec h, eulo gising Mr. Laird for his efforts at " pacification" in the equipment of the Alabama. This produced a speech in the course of the debate from Mr. Forster on the other side, and had not the chief speakers on American politics had their say before there might have been a regular discussion on these important matters. But fortunately the house was not dis posed to be discursive, and so the debate was pretty well confined to ships, guns, and fortifications, mat ters which at the present time never lack eager dis putants in any society. The complaint of Mr. Berkeley and his followers is that the country is not protected. Many of our harbours are not armed at all, others are armed only with guns of obsolete construction and inadequate calibre. The French or Americans, or any other maritime Power, might come into the Channel and si n k, b urn , an d destroy at will. On foreign stations it is just as bad. Mr. H. Baillie declares that at Quebec obsolete guns are mounted on rotten carriages which would break to pieces at the first discharge. The same might be said of our military stations. At Malta, Gibraltar, and the Channel Islands, there is nothing but obso lete guns. What was worse, the projectiles were obsolete. They had no steel projectiles,which were necessary for modern warfare. Such were some of the statements of the anxious partisans of more effi cient defence. The visions of these gentlemen are ,most gloomy. To their minds we are always on the verge of a catastrophe. We have no gun fit to fight an enemy, or ships to carry the guns if we had them. In the port of our future adversaries, on the contrary, are mysterious vessels which could sweep our fleets off the seas, and then destroy every sea-coast town of the three kingdoms. In vain have we spent 60 millions within five years, in vain do we purpose to spend 10 millions more during the coming year. Whatever may be said by the ignorant or the professionally prejudiced, it is beyond a doubt, they think, that we are in danger, and, in fact, depend for safety mainly on the for bearance of our enemies. It is rather reassuring to an honest outsider who reads all these terrible warn ings to find what very magnificent notions are en tertained as to the arming of our coasts. In order to avert danger from British property and possessions Mr. Berkeley, for instance, thinks that " every roadstead and place where merchantmen take refuge should be protected by an adequate gun." In fact, the alarmists would fortify us all over. The works. at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and the othe naval sta tione would only be the more prominent parts of a system which would extend over every part of all the coasts of the three kingdoms. Everywhere the Go vernment would have to place its new gun when it gets it, and in the meantime to rifle old ones so as to make the best possible defence against a sudden attack. From the excessive demands of these critics we may fairly judge of the unreason ableness of their fears and suspicions. When Mr. Baillie suggests that Mr. Gladstone's expected sur plus should be expended in placing the country in a state of defence, as otherwise, in case of war, we " could not fail to have a great disaster," the public may see how far these well-intentioned alarmists would lead them. To spend a surplus in erecting forts along 1,000 miles of Canadian frontier, and at least that length of English and Irish coast, requires a stronger conviction of coming disaster than calm and self-confident Englishmen possess at present. Lord Hartington explained at some length the actual position of the country. It is true we have not in our coast batteries guns capable of beating off iron dads, but what we have are completely efficient against wooden vessels. The chief naval stations of the country are armed with artillery quite able to repel any attacks likely to be made at present, and the new batteries which it is intended to arm. with the new gun are advancing slowly, and will not be ready for arming for some time to come. There is, consequently, time for consideration and for further experiment, as it would be unwise and absurd to hurry on the making of guns at a time when the fortifications are not ready to receive them, and be fore the best principles of construction are fully un derstood. Nothing is more clearly the duty of Govern ment than to avoid any kind of panic, and to set about the task of national defence with calmness and good sense. If it be desirable to fortify the dockyards and naval ports of England, it must be against a Power capable of keeping the sea against us and of sending a formidable force across the Channel or the Atlantic. If the vessels despatched on this service be of wood, there is probably at present a sufficient defence, and it is not likely that any Power will be able to send to sea a squadron of iron ships for some years to come. The iron ships of our rivals are few; they are, whatever may be said, inferior in number and power to our own, and not likely to bring us to extremities in our own waters. The Government may then, with a good conscience, ' let the construction of th ese f or tifi ca ti ons and the arming them with powerful guns be a leisurely and well-examined process. It may be that we shall never want fortifications ; but, on the other hand, it is almost certain that if the construction and arming of them were to be hurried on they might prove to be useless in the hour of need, and the whole of the guns mounted on them be found obsolete. It should not be forgotten that the 68-pounder, which is now considered as obsolete as Mons Meg, was the very best gun only ten years since, and the 110-pounder Armstrong was only called into exist ence by the Trent affair. It is much better, then, to wait until it is ascertained that we have got the best possible gun before large sums are spent on this branch of the national defence. England will really be much more likely to avert a war by inspiring foreign nations with a consciousness that her ener gies have not been too severely taxed, and that dur ing peace she has been adding to those resources from which hostilities are maintained, than if she were to mount a 600-pounder at the mouth of every creek on the coasts of the .three kingdoms. The clamourers for more efficient defence leave out of account the political influences which have so large a part in determining the decisions of Sovereigns and nations. They cannot see that the enemy which an ambitious Power dreads is one capable of sup porting along war, and one also so lightly burdened as to be ready to act with alacrity and effect when circumstances demand. Such will this country be as long as it resists the tendency to mistake exces sive caution for wisdom and elaborate preparations for strength. England in its immense industrial establishments has facilities for war which are not possessed by any other nation. Ships, guns, pro jectiles, and all the rest of the machinery of war which Mr. Berkeley and Mr. Baillie would have us store up in untold quantities may be produced, if necessary, with a rapidity which no adversary could rival. The duty of Government is rather to create models on which the national defences may be inde finitely increased on occasion than to maintain enormous armaments. It should make experiments which will give the country the best ship rather than a number of ships, the best gun rather than so many thousand guns, and for the rest trust to the pa triotism and enterprise of the country, which such a policy will invigorate by lightening its burdens. We have now, we believe, the best ships and the best artillery. In neither ought any nation to approach, and we believe that no nation does approach, this iron-producing country. What need is there, then, for us to be periodically told that we have become helpless through the stupidity of Administrations and the alleged parsimony of the people ? HERALD.—We have in the political market just now two Whigs in a very high state of reservation. One is anxious to find favour with the electors of Leeds, the other with the electors of Westminster. Both belong to the " families," and neither, as it appears, has achieved what we may call years of political discretion. Of the two, however, the Hon. Captain Grosvenor, who is anxious to sit in Par liament for the metropolitan borough, is decidedly the more advanced in opinion, taking opinion to mean stability of thought. Still, this Pompey and this Caasar are, indeed, very much alike; for they are both strongly marked by a desire to " re serve " their course of action, and to " have liberty withal, as large a charter as the wind, to blow on whom they please." Amberley the Doubter is kept in countenance by Grosvenor the Judicious, for while the one will not pledge him self to vote for a £6 franchise for boroughs, unless he has liberty to change his mind, the other will not vote for household suffrage, supposing such a suffrage to interfere with the state of things con sequent upon the existing parliamentary representa tion. To this complexion has advanced Whiggism come at last ; to this kind of shilly-shallying have the cadets of the " families " descended. We must take it that these men who ask the electors for sup port are either very clever and very tricky, or they are very foolish. Lord Amberley really believes that a lowering of the borough franchise would de grade the franchise, and yet, upon pressure, he con sents to the degradation. The Hun. Captain Gros venor knows well enough that an extension:of the franchise would alter the character of our parlia mentary representation, and yet he.pledges himself to a measure of household suffrage upon condition that it shall not democratise the country. Are these two gentlemen really cunning of fence, or are they not ? Have they sound opinions which they mean - - artfully to manage, or have they no opinions at all to which they intend to adhere ? To get money honestly, if you can, but at any rate to get money, was lago's advice to Roderigo. To get into Parlia ment, honestly if possible, but at any risk to get into Parliament, seems to be the moving principle of these Whig candidates. Do what they will, the electors cannot bind Lord Amberley and the Hon. Captain Grosvenor. They are as shifty as Proteus, and their politics are as many-hued as the chameleon. They are favourable to causes without effects ; they are • prepared to do anything pleasant the natural re sults of which can be avoided. Generally speaking, when a man contemplates political or any other action he accepts the necessary changes that such' action will bring about. If he opens a door to a crowd demanding entrance, he agrees to an inva sion of his hall or a caucus in his drawing-room- If he steps from this piece of firm ground to that untrodden marsh, he must take the consequence s of so different a standing, and consent to the penalties of his progress. Ordinary men, at least, must do this ; but those extraordinary men , Lord Amberley and the Hon. Capt. Grosvenor , have cultivated a theory that they can move 03 and yet stand still. We have heard of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, and we have thought the feat almost, if not quite im possible. But Viscount Amberley and Captain Grosvenor think differently. In effect they are sporting with the electors in this very way, and try ing to show how well they can do two exactly oppo" site things at the same time. What is this but blowing hot and cold in one breath ? They warm their hearers with promises, and then freeze them with afterthoughts and reservations. That everlast ing " if," which leaves the speaker open to take almost any course, is always in their mouths ; and with such political trimming they try to beguile the electors of two great cities. W e venture to think that this is a question of poli tical morality. Whether Lord Amberley and the Hon. Captain Grosvenor should or should not sit in Parliament, must yield in importance to the greater " whether" implied in the question—M° Leeds and Westminster prepared to send to Parlia ment two gentlemen of immature opinions or of no opinions at all ? When a lady receives the addresses of a lover, Paterfamilias is apt to look in at the tryst ing place, and to ask Lovelace something about his " intentions." Supposing the young gentleman to reply that his intentions/are thoroughly honourable, except that he reserves to himself liberty to marry or nett() marry, it is just possible that the enraged father would violently ring the bell, call up the footman, and send the highly reserved suitor about his business. He might do more; he might kick this " unprepared" candidate for marital suffrage down stairs. True' a borough is not so tender, so delicate a thing as a trusting woman. It may be deceived, betraya l / and doomed to wear the political willow for a time, and yet not lose caste, or be compelled to bring an action for breach of promise to reinstate its charac ter. But even for a borough, it is as well not to be .. deceived. Parliaments sometimes arelong-lived, a n d even indignation meetings may not send a political betrayer to the Chiltern Hundreds. There is no Court of Divorce for constituencies and their mem' bers—no Sir James Wilde to pronounce a decree a vinculo in cases where incompatibility of feeling, accompanied by positive infidelity, renders a sever' ance between a borough and its representative ad visable. A candidate should, therefore, not be taken upon trust—not be accepted because he may happen to keep his promise and cast away his reserve. Leeds and Westminster are asked to accept candidates °'• whom this can be their only hope, Leeds especially' - Westminster generally. The two gentlemen 1N 71 % press for the electoral favours of these boroughs slightly loose in their politics. Their political cr eeu, abounds in " ifs, ,, and their speeches are full of tha t kind of promise which looks made to be broken. ~.„s °o far as we are concerned, did Lord Amberley and Hon. Capt. Grosvenor absolutely pledge themsel_ i v y to do all that they palter about doing, they wo w of course, be beyond the pale of our approbation' The principal measures upon which they T r, so doubtfully would, in our opinion, be anytw ei '. but salutary measures for the country at large and so far, if we could approve of tergiver sations upon important public questions, the chanc e that neither Lord Amberley nor Captain Grosv en , t ; will act up to their implied predilections, / 1 0'4 event of their being returned to Parliament, nalP induce us to regard their return with eq uaninlkti; t But one of the cardinal points of political ac ts t e itt should be truthfulness, and to work with tools WA we should decline to trust would be repugnant to Conservative feeling. To send these men to rat, liament would possibly be to disappoint the Liber.r., electors of Leeds and Westminster, and to ,play, by a roundabout method, into the hands of IConser: vatism. But, for ourselves, we should prefer ; plainer course, and decidedly favour candidat e upon whose known and distinctly expressed opinio ns , we could rely. So, no doubt, would the electors whom Lord Amberley and the Hon. Captain Gros venor address themselves. But as the case stands , what the constituencies would prefer appears to be overruled by certain Whig influences of a peculiar. character ; and these two vacillating politicians in the shell are paraded at public meetings to bala nce themselves as they may. A queer business the y make of it, it is true ; and already there are . syml„ 3 : gomg toms that the unanimity they ask for is pieces. How it may all end, at this early period . e l; is impossible to say. But Leeds and ntle should really not be made the sport of one another man who does not know his own mind and allow who professes political stultification. W estininst COUNTRY MARKETS. NORTHAMPTON.—MAR= 18. oia New white wheat, 38s to 42s ; new red, 36s to 3 8 . rt s,H o r white, 43s to 44s ; old red, 38s to 39s per 36 stone. for malting, 31s to 33s per qr. ; grinding, 26s to 3 18 PZ il e. stone. Oats, old, 25s to 26s ; new, 18s to 24s per 24 o . oe ' Beans, old, 36s to 40s ; new, 35s to 38s per 38 ston e. 33s to 38s per 86 stone. Ancit A small supply of wheat. The TER-3 trade ruled firrat. llll , a 0 00 many instances 1s per qr. advance on last week's prl cew ort 4 obtained. Fine barleys are making full prices, other ,gO. less plentiful, and better sale. Beans and peas no c ' 3 ,s Wheat, white 40s 46s Beane, Mazagan...•••,,q! 4 05 red 3eB 426 Middle and 5ma11..... 381 Barley .. •,8s 35s Peas, white. .......•• i° 365 .30s Oats ...20s 26s grey ......... ... GRANTAH 18. 11 Our market to-day was II only sparingly suPP— e 14 wheat, and prices were 6d per qr. higher. Old white wheat, 41s to 445; old red, 38s to 41s ; 13 /1f a l , white, 40s to 44s ; new red, 37s to 40s per 36 stcu° 2 ley for malting, 29s to 33s per qr. ; grinding, 24s to _r 30 stone. Oats, old, 25s to 27s ; new, 22s to 24s Pi o °. stone. Beans, old, 39s to 41s; new, 36s to 38s per 38 Peas, 34s to 869 per 36 stone. CHELMSFORD—MAncn 17. A d at u , - There was a fair show of wheat, but trade Wits and last week's prices. Very little doing in spring c°' -,,, ' prices without alteration. 3 18 6s Wheat, old white....4os 45s Peas, Partridge ..... *., 0 so new ,4os 455 White ....... .••; 80 li, old red 39s 40s Boiling ....... '3O ~A new. 37s 40s Dun.... ..... •• '--0 , s 8ar1ey...... 25s 32s dit , o, new••••• 310 0 Chevalier 26,,i 338 Beans, Tick, old • •••• '..0 ...,' 0 Grinding 408 8s nevr-,:::3.59 „ii Malt 61s 67s Harrow Lic'''" . --0 3,711 Chevalier 64s 683 new••• :339 Oats .• • 203 26s llazigan. .... ABERDEEN—MARCH 17. ro 1/9 ' 4 The tone of the market was generally firm ; but the not a great business doing. el• White wheat 34s Od to 37s Od t 62 0 v ba sh Red wheat 33s Od to 34s °di hasli el Potato oats 16s Od to 16s 6di 4 01 b V - Common oats 15s Od to 15s 9dj h°l•Bore 19s 6d to 20s Od t, 53/15 V lA ° th. Barley 19s Od to 20s Od j Oatmeal il of 4°P. th• 13s Od to 14s Od V 1 30 -; o f 0 0 - Flour, fine 31s Od to 32s Od 11 1 sac' KIRKCALDY—MARat 18. t 0 16 Small supply of barley and oats, fair of w hea ' quick for all kinds at is per qr. advance. • Wheat. Barley. Oats First. i m s 4d 328 Od I 238 Od I .„-- o d .s.-e,.,,,nd.... 3 a Od 245 Od l'!: t ,d _,. Tuird ..... 358 Od 26s Od 2 " 1..........---- Births, -a iteO efv. EvaL.—On the 17th inst , at Lyncombe 'louse J-t-,,,hter* rise, the wife of William . Evill, jun Esa Souse, io - oei ., ....7 FILGATE.—On the 17th inst , at 19, Wilton-Ae-0 ofq) grave-square, the wife of T. M. Filgate, Bag:, 14t Scots Greys, of a son. ~, I,oC l g:' MACANDREW.—On the 20th inst , at RoeharaPt°—,,ndro" Roehampton, Surrey, the wife of James Ale" Esq., of a son. A t, Pi e r MARKHAM.—On the 19th inst , at Clarges-sre-,, 0- s ' dilly, Mrs. Markham, of Becca Rail, orket"' daughter, stillborn :Aarriages. isil + t e 1 )3 2v MATRAVERS—OVERETIRY.—On the 18th inst., 3 - 11 ,1)01 , —,!' church, Eltharn, John Howard Matravers, of (Y e ''' . Wilts, to Mary Evill, daughter of the late Na tbl. 'Ol bury, Esq. • t g al PREECE—AnmsrnoNG.—On the 14th • t at S 5lll WO' Hemel Hempstead, Mr. Richard Preece, of C ileiteij P il to Maria, youngest daughter of Henry of Hemel Hempstead, and Ludlow, Salop- Xnustroog, Deaths. ..„. j ot.' ILEY.—On the 19th inst , at Cole-greenjfertford, ticeroi BA Colonel Charles Bailey, late of - the lioY al °l5 B B E A R NEcDhGe ga t e ,GstOse.or—D, Thomas.-0 n B th e e dg l g 9t o h od, inS E t ;q a , t T ag h e nr 11°11°' aged 62. p ilig: K On eit t h he ßa l rn 9th es, in E s bci_ t.,. , place, aged 64. wkoooc l-13 10 0 / Busu.—On the • 17th inst., Miss Bush, of 5A.... Brighton _......." al.tatCeaottfisBto, cultpiteperctfart'lo4. London: Printed and Published by WIL LIAM I kNp plo I / 1 of No. 112, Strand, Pilnter, at Tits SUN tice6 0 01 Strand, in the .Precinct of the SavoY, t"- Middlesex.—Tuesday, March 21, 180.