The Sun. — London, England, 1848-12-25 00:00:00

Now ready, in 2 vols., 21s. bound, SAM SLICK'S NEW WORK, THE OLD JUDGE Or, Life in a Colony. By the Author of "Sam Slick, the Clockmaker," &c. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. MR. AINSWORTH'S NEW ROMANCE. Now ready, at all the Libraries, in 3 Telt., T HE LANCASHIRE WITCHES. By W. HARRISON AINSWORTH, Esq. l enry Colburn, publisher, 13, Great Marlberoagh-street. - - • THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. r. B. Webster, Sete Lessee and Manager, Old Brompton. The publio Is respectfully laformed that this Theatre has, during the re , ,ess, undergone very extensive repairs and alterations and the whole re-decorated. TO-MORROW ETENINE, Will be performed the Tragedy of THE GAMESTER. Beverley, Mr. Charles Kean; Mrs. Beverley, Mrs. Charles Kean. After which, a pew Farce, entitled TOUR LIFE'S IN DANGER. To conclude with an Arabian Night's Entertainment, entitled CAMARALZAMAN AND BADOURA ; or, The Peri whoiLoved the Prince. Characters by Messrs. Bland, Keeley, Mrs. Keeley, Miss Horton, and Miss Reynolds. THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPHI. Linder the direction of Madame Celeste. During the Recess this Theatre has been entirely re-decorated, the original designs by Digby Wyatt, Esq., executed by Mr. Sang. A new Stage, Curtain, Act Drop, and Chandelier. An approved sys tem of Ventilation, &e., &c. The Private Boxes enlarged, Backs added to the Seats, and Stalls rendered more comfortable. TO-MORROW EVENING THIS EVENING Will be performed a new Drama, founded on Mr. Dickens's Christ mas Book, entitled THE HAUNTED MAN. Mr. Redlaw, Mr. Hughes : the Phantom, Mr. 0. Smith ; A. Tetterby and Co., Mr. Wright ; the Boy, Miss E. Chaplin; Milly, Miss Woolgar ; Mrs. Tet terby, Mrs. F. Matthews. To be followed by THE ENCHANTED ISLE. Alonzo, Mr. Paul Bedford ; Prospero, Mr. 0. Smith ; Ariel, Madame Celeste. Ts conclude with a hew Farce called SLASHER AND CRASHER. Mr. Slasher, Mr. Wright ; Mr. Crasher, Mr. Paul Bedford. itoTAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the Management of Madame Vestris. Sole Lessee. Mr. Charles Ma. he Rs. TO-MORROW EVENING, Will be performed A CURIOUS CASE. Characters by Messrs. Parselle. Selby, Charles Mathews, and Miss H. Gilbert. After which, a new Fairy Extravaganza, entitled THE KING OF THE PEACOCKS. Characters by Messrs. Harley, John Reeve, Selby, H. Hall, Marshall, and H. Marshall ; Miss Kathleen Fitzwil- Ilam, Miss L. Howard, Mrs. Macnamara, Miss Marshall, M lBB L. Marshall, Miss Coleman, an d M a d ame V es t r i s . To conclude with AN APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC. Dress Boxes, ss. ; Upper Bo x e s , 4 .3 ; Fit, is.; half-price to any part of the house. Gallery, is. No The New Box-office, No. I. W e lli ng ton. stre,-4, is open to the public every day, from Ten till Six. PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Mr. J. M. Maddox, Sole Lessee and Manager. Daring the Recess this Theatre has- bees re-decorated and embel lished In a superb and costly mannsr.ty Mr. Hurwitz- A new Chan, delier has been fitted, and the best arrarigementshairs been made for the due Ventilation of the Theatre, and the couiLort and cenyealsnce ef tits audience.- TO-MORROW ETENTN 0, Will' be perforated a new Rolled Opera, entitled ROBIN GOOD FELLOW. Ts co - sends with a new grand Pantomime, entitled fiLLIT SING HAL ; or, Harlequin and the Charmed Arrow. ST. JAMES'S TIIIATRE. DUMBOLTON'S SERENADERS. This eelebrated Troupe, whose performances hare excited univer sal admiration throughout the United. States, will repeat a short Series of their pop u l ar ETHIOPIAN ENTERTAINMENT at the above Theatre on Wednesday and Friday Evenings. The Programme will Include a variety of original Songs, Glees, &e., entirely new to this country. . Doors open at Eight. Mr. ROBERT-HOUDIN will repeat his SOIRPIRS FAITTIS TIQUES TO-MORROW EVENING, and on Thursday, and Saturday The Programme will include numerous experiments entirely new. Poore open at Eight. Boxes and Stalls may be secured at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library, 33, Old Bond-street ; and at the Box-office. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. - Proprietor, Mr. W. Batty. Under the Patronage of her Majesty - the Queen, his Rbyal Highness Prince Albert, Jac. Novelties for Christmas Holidays most astounding in the Metropolis. --A gorgeous Spectacle:—Brilliant Scenes of the Arenm—The Arabs in their wondrous Performances.—A new comic rantomime. - • TO-MORROW-EVENING The curtain will rise at Seven o'clock precisely to the magnificent . Spectacle of the WARS OF THE JEWS ; or, The Fall of Jerusalem. To be followed by an inimitable display of SCENES IN THE CIRCLE, supported by the first Equestrian talent of the day. To conclude with a new Equestrian Pantomime, entitled BOLD RCBIN HOOD ; or, The Pretty White Horse and Enchanted Prin cess of Sherwood Sorest. The, Celebrated ARABS will appear. Box-office open front Eleven till /11%1- SW* Manager, Mr. W. West. TO CORRESPONDENTS. No communication can be attended to unless autheati cated by the name sad-address of the writer. aeiketed communications cannot be returned. Tim WEATHER—SUN OFFICE. DEclonsan 24. THSRMOBIZTICH, Lowest, 25; Highest, 31; Noon, 32, BAR(' X ETEB, 30.08. Sirrtm E.; sharp stiff breeze, with fine sunshiny frosty weather. DECEMBER 25. TuEnmomv.vsn, Lowest, 32; Highest, 38; Noon, 42, BAROMETER, 29.94—the mercury went down to 29.88 since Friday evening, 54 points, and has risen this morning 6 points. WIND S; slight rain in the morning: now mild sun. shiny weather. lima WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY. Morning .. 41 min. after 1 I Evening .. 0 ntin. after 2 - - ~ . .: . ,-4.-,, . ..4:-...:, r - :- , i:- -.. . .: 4 4,1txt - - .a.. A's,-,. 'it '''';`,, =,,-*•:-.,-.-- ...., - - ( 1 2; !aleinil • 4 4. LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1848. On no day in the year are politics less heeded than on the twenty-fifth of December. Were it not so the present pcoition of the European continent might furnish a text for many a most appropriate and most effective sermon. What a memorable example is here afforded of the mutability of human fortunes. Little did King Louis PHILIPPI, or Pope Pius, or Prince Louis NAPOLEON, on the twenty-fifth of December, 1847, dream of a Christmas at Claremont, at Gaeta, or at Paris! No soothsayer could have predicted what a year has brought to pass. The events which have transpired since last Christmas have baffled all divination. We have seen that the wisdom of the serpent has been vain ; no political sagacity has been able to maintain the modern Ulysses on his throne. We have seen also, unhappily ! that the virtues and liberality of_ a most admirable Sovereign have been unable to preserve Pius from the machinations of the factious. The liberal Sovereign of Rome and the arbitrary ruler of France share a common exile. He whose voice was the first among Sovereigns to recognise popular rights, whose hand was the first to confer popular liberties, and whose example gave the impetus to the Crusade of Liberty, he shares the fate of the King who in another way was also one of the prime agents in the Revolution. Yet very different is the exile of the once rulers of France and Rome. The one carries with him the execra tions, and the other the love and admiration of all Europe. With such experiences, who shall venture to surmise what may come to pass before a future Christmas? We will hope, however, that the next year will worthily consummate the good initiated by its predecessor. As yet we have only witnessed the terrible agitations and disorders inseparable from the transition state. The benefits of the Revolution are yet to be enjoyed. They have only, hitherto, been visible to the true disciples of liberty, whose faith in the principles they advocate has upheld them in all danger and difficulty. Those bene fits are now to be diffused among the mul titude. If this be righteously accomplished, it will be seen that the recent dliorders have been only precursors .to a more perfect order, that appa rent anarchy has led the way to just that bloodshed ha s purchased peace. If government this be so it will be admitted that on Christmas-day even on Christmas-day—we may conscientiously exult over the events of the past year, because, however lamentable in some particulars, they have tended to the ameliora tion of the sorrows of humanity. Gen grant it m ay be so. No matter whether the people of Christendom be governed by Emperors, Kings, or Presidents, so that the liberties of the people be guaranteed and the principles of Christianity diffused among them—the true principles of eivic obedience and civic fraternity. But while our attention is engrossed by foreign affairs let ' - us -'remember that the condition of our own country may very justly be the theme of ap propriate Christmas meditations. True, our rulers are not in exile, and our country is at peace; amid almost universal confusion England has preserved her wonted security. Yet " all is. not gold that glitters." The condition of many thousands of our fellow -countrymen accords as ill with this festive season as do the wars and rumours of wars which agitate our neighbours. In how many an English dwelling is this day no true Christmas ! How many thousands are there ignorant of the very meaning of the word. " Amid our joy and uproar, Let. us think on those who weep." The Liverpool Currency Reform Association have replied ,to 'certain objections urged by a morning Contemporary against the propositions contained in the manifesto; to which we directed the public attention EV§ h instant. The arguments put forward by on, are of the most convincing and 8 1_44f1f.ter t ypharactsr. The fallacies of the bullionists arilexpiiiiit - with a master hand. It would indeed be . . ft4OWPIOI,-"" 444, r~-~ ~►<- ~~~~ II Al IIE SUN, LONDON', MOSTDAY "fortunate for the country if all currency reformers would array themselves under the banners of the Association, and adopt their principle. It is owing to the minor differences that exist among the opponents of the present monetary code that the iniquitous 'system has so long prevailed. " Union is strength," and if all those conscientiously opposed to the Acts of 1819 and 1844 co-operated together cordially and efficiently in supp•rt of the plan which should receive the greatest number of suffrages, there would be a speedy alteration in the law, and the country would obtain a circulating me dium or currency adequate to its wants and ex- Agencies. The Act of 1844, which has been described by its authors, and we believe justly, to be a necessary con sequence and corollary of the Act of 1819, has had the effect predicted by the merchants, bankers, and traders of the city of London in 1819, and set forth in their petition against that unwise and impolitic measure. In that petition they submitted that the resumption of cash payments by the Bank of England would " tend to a forced, precipate, and highly injurious contraction of the circulating medium of the country ;" and that " the consequence of that contraction would be to add to the burden of the public debt, greatly to increase the pressure of taxes, to lower the ;value of all landed and commercial property, seriously to affect both public and private credit, to embarrass and reduce all the operations of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and to throw out of employment (as in the calamitous year 1816) a great proportion of the industrious and labouring classes of the community." How faithfully hare these predictions been verified, _hew singularly have those prophetic forebodings been realised. Has there not been a forced and precipitate contraction of the currency, and who can have the hardihood to deny the injurious results thereof? Has not the burden of the public debt been increased, almost to the extent of double what it was, owing to the increased value of money, and the large amount of goods or labour that must now . be given in pay went thereof? Has not the pressure of the taxes been increased for the same reason ; hare not proper ties, whether landed or commercial, been fearfully depreciated in value, and the operations of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce been embarrassed and Induced ; and, finally, have not thousands of our industrious classes been thrown out Of employment Alas 1 these facts are but too notorious. The nation has passed through an ordeal of the most trying character. All classes (save the usurers and money brokers) have suffered in common. These persons have, indeed, doubled their wealth, but it has been torn from the vitals of their unhappy country. The active circulation of bank paper; which, even in the calamitous month of October, 1847, stood at 20,832,7504 has been reduced to 16,735,7151., as ap pears by the return- from the Bank of England for the week ending . the 16th Deeember instant: Thus we find, within little more - than twelve months, a falling off in the actual currency of 4,097,035/., or nearly 20 per cent. on the . entire. Again, the private securities which in the same month of October stood at' 21,431,4431., are now -10,669,6171. The accommodation afforded to the manufacturing and commercial- community is less than one-half of that which was granted in 1347, although the notes unemployed now amount to _11,246,410/., and the stock of bullion lying uselessly in the 'coffers of the Bank is no less than 14,789,8?21: If such a system of management should be continued much longer we suspect that the dividends on Bank Stock will become " small by degrees and beautifully less," and that the proprietors will share the common lot, and behold their accustomed profits vanish into thin air. By making Consols tike measure of value, as proposed by the Liverpool Association, the ruinous fluctuations that have taken place of late years will be completely averted—and these fluctua tions have been stated by Mr. COMMIN (in his evi dence before the Committee of the House of Com moni on banks of issue, in 1840) to have occasioned " greater evils—pecuniary, social, and moral—than the direct failure of all the banks of issue since they were first established in this country." It is manifest that but little variation could take place in the rate of interest, or, in other words, in the value of money, Whenever it fell to three per cent. the notes would be funded, because that rate could always be obtained on the best security—that of the nation ; when it in creased much beyond it, Consols would again be con verted into the circulating medium, and a currency exactly proportioned to the wants of the community would be obtained. The pound of account, as it may be termed would, at all at times, preserve nearly the same purchasing power, or the same command over the necessaries and comforts of life, that would be given by a sovereign, or 5 dwts. 3 grs. of gold, on ordinary occasions—it would, therefore, serve as a better measure of value, being more equabl e an d l ess su bj ect to fluctuations. This is the true solution to the bullionist problem, " What is a pound ?" that has been put forward with so much apparent triumph by the advocates of bank restriction. Never was a more ridiculous fallacy gravely put forward than "that the proposed currency would be founded on a debt, and not upon a capital." It is undoubtedly capital, and capital of a very satin - factory description to the fundholders. It is the capital on which 14,000,000/. of the present Bank issue is based. It is capital secured on all the resources of this mighty empire. Not merely the existing and realised property of the country, but even the labour of the people—of thousands yet unborn—are mortgaged for its security. There is no other description of property that possesses so many guarantees. All that is intended is that the holder thereof should be enabled at pleasure to convert a certain portion thereof into notes, of denomieations suitable for general circulation, the in terest being suspended so long as it may be circulating from hand to hand, and those notes which would be made a legal tender, and receivable in payment of taxes and - all other imports, can at any moment be again converted into Consols, when the interest would again revive. It is equally absurd to assert " that the holders of Consols would wish promiscuously for notes." It is sufficient to say that they must be perfectly insane to adopt a course so truly- ridiculous. When satisfied that at any moment they can obtain notes they will not rush so precipitately therefor, in order to keep notes lying idle, mere particularly whia they forfeit three per cent. interest during the time they indulge in the hobby, which will be rather too expensive to be generally adopted. Nothing is more certain than that a greater amount of currency cannot be forced into circulation than is required by the wants of the community. THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. We have received the Paris papers of Saturday and yesterday. There was a grand review yesterday of all the troops and National Guards stationed in Paris. ' The Prtsident BONAPARM who was dressed" in the uniform of la General of the National' Guards, and who was !•,9 0 rnpanied by a brilliant stiff, reviewed the troops. I.l:3rhp - a p u r e ec di au bu ti t on u s p t aken for n fo a r - il t_ w he as preservation of the pdiu,lblritni,ttranq:usitt7 were very strict, and the greatest he app,„i ntm ..,.. yin _o_rthe: peoPle.- Great excitement peaceable. ent or Marshal - Buozsun to the cons mar of the A rmy °tow Alps has -rendered the Pre- at and his new Ministry unPopularity 'which- watbee - very unpopular, an G eneral , c :l3reatlyincreased by the appointment of fection to the Republic is lielifrialginii' whose disaf :lt, to the command --the hands terms on the of the troops in Pada and the :It , tuadei h G is ard ord es er . a . ' more The Siecle remarks in the f ollowing immense P is o z z g e e:_ r uer p al la w ce h d u u ands of General . . . C f! , AZA e ll i rt s than 100,000 troops of the line, 15,000 and from 140,000 to 150,000 National G uards. , 23 ,1'i1e, tre, according to the opinion of every one , -L Thy most exor -sitant powers, and unheard-of attributions, if they e mu be exercised with perfect independence, even withi n the limits traced out by the decree of the Executive Go. verrisaent. But it is said he is under the orders of the Minister of War, as regards the line, and of the Minister of the Interior as regards the National Guard. This makes it the greater anomaly, and increases the strang_ ness of such a command. When it was first made we asked, ' If such a concentration of power is considered indiipensable, why was it.not placed in the hands of the Minister of War?' The Constitutionnel considers itself very cunning and answers, ' It is, Apparently, because the Minister had confidence in General Changarnier.' Vdry well; but, apparently, he has not less confidence in himself. And here comes another of our questions. 6 Why, instead of lessening the ttOthority of the Minister of War, did not General Changarnier take the portfolio with all this power? Was it that General Rulhier e s was ..1 . :i:..,: .._. first thought of ? Was not his nomination when - first spoken of heard with surprise?' "General Oudinot, who had for some time been on intimate relations with M. 0. Barrot, was spoken of, in the first place, bat he refused, because he would not con sent to have the authority of his situation lessened for the benefit of General Changarnier, and this was a still further reason why the latter should have had the port folio. There is evidently something very inexplicable in all this. What gives us uneasiness, and what we shall re peat, although it may displease the ConstitutionneL that there exists men whose purpose it suits to have a great power vested in the hands of General Changer nier and Marshal Bugeaud, without their being in the Ministry. Is it from pure modesty, and to have the honour of supporting the Government with more moral authority, that these men appear to keep themselves back? It is positively said so. We shall be glad to be mistaken and we shall b e t h e fi rst to acknowledge our error. We seek for guarantees of stability; we shall not refuse to encourage those who' set themselves cou rageously to the work, and devote all their energies and devotedness to the service of the country." M. Tams has refused to represent France at the conference at Brussels. The Assembler Nationale has the following com municated note : " Last evening the Council of Ministers was occupied with the Italian question. It is stated positively that a diplomatic intervention altogether favourable to the tem poral sovereignty of the Pope has been resolved upon. A note drawn up in this sense will be addressed to the Government of Rome. It is desired that this step should be taken in common with Austria, which would give a sense and legality to the conference of Brussels, since they would spricg from a certain basis, the maintenance of the treaties of 1815." NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, the son of JEROME, who has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary to London, bears it is said, a striking likeness to the EMPEROR. He is to visit the Hague and Brussels on his way to London. In one of the Committee-rooms of the National Assembly, on Saturday, M. MARTIN, of Strasburg, was asked to give some explanation respecting a con versation which be had bad with General CHAN-. GARNIER. The General, it appears, when asked whether he was not afraid of some outbreak at the review to-morrow, replied, "Mon Dieu I it would be just as easy to proclaim the Emperor as to buy a box of bonbons ; but we have _sworn to keep to the Constis tution, and we will' stand to our bond. We s h a ll know how to ;defe nd it and to respect the Republic." M. MARTIN confessed that :the General had Made use of those expressions, and every one knows that General CHANGARNIER is a man who never makes statements lightly. The Meniteur contains the following : " FRENCH REPUBLIC. "LIBERTY—ESUALITE—FRATERNITY. " Paris, Dec. 28. " Monsieur le President,—The Cabinet you have honoured with your confidence submits to you a measure that it regards as the expression of the universal senti ment of France. If our country has traversed' with such calm and dignity the greatest---the most difficult—trials to which could be exposed& free people, it must be at tributed, without doubt, to the 'progress of our political manners;. but the honour may also be attributed to the happy influence of this name, which has left in the hearts of our fellow-citizens a Bouvesir ao precious and so glori ous. It is a glorious homage rendered to the memory of the Emperor Napoleon, this re-union in one sentiment of all parties—thi s r e conciliation o f opinions, lately so divided. It was given Co this great man to render even after his death such a service as this to his country. Could we forget at such a moment that the last brother of Napo leon, that General:Jerome Bonaparte, lives in the midst of us, a stranger to human agitations? General Jerome Bonaparte, charged in 1806 with the command of a corps d'arinie, has since been associated with all oar glories; he commanded, after the cruel day of Waterloo, the heroic remains of the armies. He was the last to despair of the safety of France. Could the entire French people be consulted, we are assured that with a unanimous voice they would proclaim that the place of Napoleon's brother ought to be near the sacred deposit of that brothers's remains, and a t the head of this noble phalanx of veterans where come to unite and melt away the successive gene rations of our brave soldiers. We are therefore but the interpreters of public opinion in submitting -to your sanc tion the following decree:— ".Article 1. The General of Division, Jerome Bona parte; is named Governor of the Hotel of the Invalides, in place of Marshal Molitor. " Article 2. - Marshal Molitor is named Grand Chan cellor of the Legion of Honour, in place of Gener a l Subervie." A committee has been appointed to prepare the project of the electoral law, consisting of the follow ing members :—MM: DB TOCQUETILLE, FATOLLE, REONARD, DOUESNIL, CHART(); VESIN , BILLAUT, LUGNER, DURAND (DE ROMORANTIN), CHARLE2dAGNE, ST. Robotic. A great-number of the representatives have spoken on the subject in the bureaux. The chief questions debated were, what offices or functions would render a candidate ineligible, and where the polling places should be fixed. The majority seem disposed to extend very much the number of offices incompatible with the character of a representative. It was also generally agreed that the polling places should be the chief places of the canton, and not o the commune. The Association Dentoeratique des Antis de la ' Constitution has addressed to its correspondents a circular, on the occasion of the election and the proclamation of the President of the Republic. The following are the principal passages of this publi cation : " Our association, formed on the day following that on which the fundamental compact was promulgated, had, as you are aware, for its object the maintenance and the defence of the Repulican Constitution. From its commencement it knew that it would have to pro nounce on a solemn question—that of the President ship of the Republic. Now that universal suffrage has declared its,will, what will be the attitude assumed by the friends of the Constitution P Full of respect for the majority —strangers to all party spirits— placing principles above personal considerations— but incapable of "gratitude towards citizens who have been twice pointed out by the National Assembly to the thanks of the country—inca pable of forgetfulness towards him whose heroic elo quence saved the flag of France, as towards those who founded the Republic —we shall give, within legal limits, an example of the obedience due to the supreme magistrate, charged to carry the laws into execution. We shall await with impartiality the acts of the new Government, equally ready to accept and to second the good, and to legally oppose what may appear to us reprehensible ; but, above all, firmly re solved to defend the Constitution and the national re presentation, from whatever quarter :it may be at tacked. We shall, therefore, observe towards the new Government a reserved and attentive attitude, without any hostile intentions ; but we shall wage an energetic and irreconcileable war against such re trograde factions as may prepare to overthrow the nascent Government, which they yesterday boasted of having raised; against those factions who may seek to make the place of President the stepping stone to - a restoration. Let them well understand that, if counter-revolutionists attempt to prevent the National Assembly from completing its constituent work, they will find all Republicans between them and the representatives of the people. Let us rally round the sacred standard of the Constitution." This document is signed. by BUCHEZ, representa tive of the people, president . ; and the secretaries of the association. The following is a return of the situation of the Bank of France on the 21st of December, 1848: - Cash and ingots 'ASSETS. Ditto in bratich banks f. 139,572,208 66 . . 113,727,815 00 881,398 11 Bills past due ••• ••• ••• Bills falling due in Paris, of which 14,761,242 f. 47c. are from the branch banks 56,750,711 89 Bills in the branch banks ... 110,910,460 49 Advances on coins and ingots... ... 15,908,200 00 Ditto on Prench public securities 33,423,038 75 Ditto by branch banks... ... ... 1,523,337 00 Ditto to the State on Bons du Tresor... 50,000,000 00 Ditto on the loan of 150 millions ... 50,000,000 00 Rentes of the reserve fund ... 10,000,000 00 Rentes, disposable funds ... ... 34,736,288 62 Investments of the new branch bank_ sin the public funds ... ... 12,806,741 39 Hotel and furniture of the Bank ... 4,000,000 00 Real property of tbe'branch banks ... 2,478,324 00 Loan of 10,00Q,000f. to the city of Paris 5,500,000 00 Interest in . National Discount Bank ... 200;000 00 Dit,to branch banks ... 230,000 00 les protested at Paris - 11,667;460 59 Ditto at the branches ... ... ... 6,565,952' 00 Expenses of administration of the Bank 1,081,675 57 Ditto of the branches ... ... . ... 732,857' 25 Miscellaneous ... ... ~. ... 617,308 46 CoUsolidation of _Treasury Bonds ... 7,848,032 50 f. 671,262,310 28 LIABILITIES. Capital ... .., . '. ... f. 67,900,000 00 Ditto of the new Branch Banks ... 23,350,000 00 Reierve fund .... .. ... ... 10,000,000 00 Ditto of the branch banks ... .. 2,980,000 00 . Reserve-immobiliere ... ... .. 4,000,000 00 Notes to bearer, in circulation ... ... 388,938,600 00 D uD i tl t tl t ts o o Ditto of the branch banks ... ... 16,771,425 00 Ditto to order (post-bills) ... ... 395,852 00 Account -current with Treasury creditor 29,608,956 32 oa i in ft branches hr r a a e n n c c bh h r e e a a s n c h Various accounts current ..• ... 80,756,861 26 ••• ... ... 26,550,450 00 Bills payable at sight ... ... ... 2,838,300 00 Li)iicivunlidaendtis npaoyfabthlee Algiers ... banks able by the Bank payable ... 821,487 00 _Di . tt . o of the Bank payable by branches,. 5 2, 3 5 7 1 0 1, 0 4 5 9 6 6 00 . Bank . ...... Discounts, • Ditto b 354,649 2 04 5 s, Interest, and expenses ... 3,795,794 81 ranch banks Re-dismini, o fth l ••• ... ... 2,882,938 00 Ditto in•branch ba nks six months ... 422,932 27 Miscellaneous 615,789 00 • • , "' •.. . ''• 220,300 16 . ... • 1 f. 671,262,310 28 BUSINESS DONE IN' PORE!GN RAILWAYS AT THE LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, DM 2. BOulogne &nd :Amiens, 77j.;.L.Lttzenibourg (71. N uce - Cio a117ge.31t4111 Of: I .J u~- EVENING, DECEMWER 25, 1848 Ditto (100, 2 1 4—Northern of Franee, 7 1 4—Orleans and Bordeaux, 24—Rouen and Havre, SPAIN. Madrid journals of the 19th have arrived. They contain no news. MADRID BOLSA, Dzc. 19.—The Three per Cents. 21 account ; after Bolsa, 20, 15-16 k cash. Five per Cents., 9i account. After Bolsa, gi cash. Passive Debt, 4 paper; after Bolsa, 3i cash. Coupons, 6 clash. Bank of St. Ferdinand, 60 paper. Treasury bills, 78 cash ; 80 paper. Exchange on London, 48 paper. the outposts were pushed close to the fortifications of that important city. M. Sturbinetti announced to the Roman Chamber of Deputies, on the 12th, that the Upper Chamber had approved the choice of the three members of the Provisional Government. General Garibaldi had been appointed Honorary Secretary of the Political Circle. Having heard that Cicervacchio was among the people assembled before" the house, he descended into the street and embraced him. The_ Ministry intended to appoint Garibaldi Commander-in-Chief of the army. The Pontifical troops were expected at Ravenna, from Venice, on the 13th. An assembly of thirty-one delegates, representing the circles of twenty towns of Romagna,— Ferrara, Bologna, and Perugia, was held at Forli on the 13th, under the presidency of Count Saffi. After a long discussion the Assembly unanimously voted an address, in which it recommended the Chamber of Deputies to endea vour to compromise matters with the Pope, to ap point a Provisional Government, and afterwards con voke a General Assembly, the members of which, elected by universal suffrage, should regulate the form of the Government. The meeting next con curred in the project of a constitutional assembly, presented by the Tuscan Government. - The Tuscan Monitor, of the 15th inst., announces that the Pope was only awaiting the election of the President of the French Republic to proceed to France. A RUSSIAN FLEET IN THE ADRIATIC. The statement of a Russian fleet hating appeared in the Adriatic is confirmed by the Correapondent of Austria. It says, " According to letters f rom G ra t z , a Russian fl ee t o f 20 sail has cast anchor in the road stead of Trieste. The operations against Venice will commence immediately. " I past night, that the navigation may be locked upon as stopped for the season. Steamers only could come into the harbours; for sailing-vessels it is quite out of the question, unless they are in tow. The pilot vessel entered the harbour this morning injured ; the Princess Royal steamer, which quitted the harbour yesterday, having come into contact with her. A good deal of injury was done, but the crew were all happily saved.—Hambtergh Borsenhalle, Dec. 22. GERMANY AND THE NORTHERN STATES, AUSTRIA and UNITED GERMANY. FALL OF PRESBURG. The Silesian Gazette has thelfollowing under the head Vienna, Dec. 18 : The Imperial army proceeds victoriously from place to place. Presburg has surrendered. A courrier ar rived here from head-quarters to-day, at noon. stating that it had come into our possession yesterday at noon. This intelligence has caused great satisfaction, and occasioned an immediate rise of the funds. We have no particulars. The last portion of the troops which form the reserve of the army operating against Hungary left us yester day. Two batteries of Artillery accompanied them. Prince Windischgratz also took his departure yestei day. A wing of the army had advanced upon Presburg, the assault upon which it was determined should take place yesterday morning (the 17th). Marmoraaeh, a large town in Hungary, has already fallen into our hands, as well as the important places of Eperies and Kasehan. If our troops succeed in their first confli c t w i t h t h e Mag yars, the Pesth Cabinet will: be glad to come to terms The Magyars are everywhere attacked and overcome. Magutto, of the Coeropieri Regiment, has been shot for deserting his colours and enlisting in the late Aca ' . demical Legion. A woman has been found murdered in her bed, in consequence, it is given out, of having denounced a rela tive to the public authorities; and a yager was shot , yes terday for discharging his piece at his superior officer just as his regiment was leaving his quarters. Count Stadion has' had the good sense to s e t on f oo t a popular journal, freni which the best effects are antici pated, in giving the minds of the lower classes a more wholesome direction,- and • the Government has won golden opinions by promulgating a very liberal com munal law. The tone of public opinion has much improved, for the character of the individuals composing the present Ca binet inspires confidence and good hopes for the future. According to the latest intelligence from Gallicia, the fostered animosity between the Polish and Luthenian races is more violent than ever. It is now clear that the 'Austrian Government rely upon the latter for doing—in• case of another Polish insurrec tion—the sanguinary work which the Gallician peasants some time ago performed, and now bitterly regret. - - The foll Owing is the programme of the new Mi nistry of the Empire with respect to the Austrian question. It was read to the German Parliament by the new Minister Vois GAGERN, in the sitting of the 18th "A feeling of necessity, and an evident desire per vades the people that the work of forming the consti tution should be carried , through as quickly as pos • sible. The Constituent Assembly of the empire has recognised this necessity, and the aim in view is approaching attainment. It is true that the central power is shut Out from participation in the establish ment of the constitution; but the object of showing the way by which the constitution is to be carried out, and by Which all' obstacles must be overcome— such a co-operation on the part of the central power in the . Work of the 'constitution appears to be in so great a degree a condition of future welfare, that the Ministry of the Etripire considers it to be of the greatest imPortance. The position which Austria has assumed with regard to the German National AsSeinbly, and'towards the Provisional Central Power for Germany, renders it _ imperious on the Ministry of the Empire to - make the Assembly acquainted with it. The programme of the Austrian Ministry of the 27th of - November says, first, that all Austrian countries must remain bound by unity of state ; and, secondly, that the relations of Aus tria to Germany are not susceptible of being legally and constitutionally fixed until each of these combinations of states (staaten cempleze) has received a permanent internal organization, i. e., until the con stitution of each is completed. This view of the position of Austria - with regard to Germany has not only received theapprobation of the Austrian Diet at liremsier, but seems else to express the wishes and views of thegreater part of the inhabitants of German- Austrian countries. Herewith is given on the part of Austria the answer to the question which was put to that power in the conclusion of the National As sembly on the project of constitution, viz., in the paragraphs 1-3, in the chapter of the empire and government of the empire. The Ministry of the Empire, in its judgment of the relative position of the central power with regard to Austria, thinks it necessary to put forth the following propositions :- 1. On account of the nature of the union of Austria with non-German countries, the duty of the central executive for the present, and whilst it is merely a provisional executive , is to maintain the existing federal relations of Austria to Germany in general. But the separate relations of Austria as a confederate state, the coming to an understanding respecting all mutually existing or future federal duties, rre to be arranged through the medium of ambassadors. 2. Austria will be considered ac cording to the decisions come to by the National Assembly, by which the nature of the confederacy has been determined, as not forming part of the pro posed German confederaoy. 5. The relations of union between Austria and Germany will be arranged by a special act of union, of which all the relative spiritual, political, and 'material exigenCies will be reconciled, as far as possible,. by which Germany and Austria have been hitherto bound together. 4. As Austria stands in an indissoluble union with Germany as re presented by the provisional central power, but as she has not entered into the confederacy, the agreements and other bonds of union and rights must be regu lated by ambassadors. 5. The constitution, however, of the German confederate states (the final settlement of whiCh constitution is a matter of mutual interest), cannot form the subject of negotiation with Austria. Whilst I submit (added the Baron von Gagern) these propositions to the 'National Assembly I request for the Ministry of the German Empire the authorisation to effect in the name of the central power a diplomatic conjunction with the government of the Austrian em pire, in order to treat of the relations I referred to. I venture to request also that those propositions be speedily understanding yupossible, referred to a committee, ux b cp u i t taes w ds i with tha T t h a is r p ep ro o g rt ra b m e m br e o h u a g s ht e the greatest disgust. "It cannot be discussed," exclaimed VsNIIDT "it must be rejected at once; We are here to unite and strengthen the whole of Germany : and are we now to be expected to allow a great portion of our father land to be cut off?" - - _ 'REUTHER said—l coincide with the words of Herr VENED; as it must be seen whether Germany is to be a second Poland, and to be betrayed to Russia. WESENDONCR, whilst he recognised the feeling of love for his country shown in the words of Herr -VA NED; would propose that the project be submitted to a committee, but not to B IEDERMANN ' S Committee, which had already dealt with the Prussian question. It was finally determined to take into consideration the relations by which Austria claims exempton froth entering into the future German confederate state, under conditions which alter the state conjunction of the German with the non-German- Austrian portions of the confederation ; consequently Austria is not to be considered as entering into the future German confederate state, in accordance with the resolutions passed up to the present time by the National Assembly, and determining the nature of that confederate state. It will be' reserved for a future, but not distant time, to regulate, by means of a sepirate act Of union, the relations of Austria to Germany with respect to that union, and to satisfy, as far as possible, all the kindred, moral, political, and material wants which have hitherto ,united Germany and Austria, and which may still more closely unite them. In the plenary sitting of the Constitution Commit tee, on the 17th, the majority declared ' ' against an here ditary imperial di gn i ty. Letters from' Vienna of the 18th, Says—Field- Marshal • Lieutenant *elder), • the Governor of Vienna, has just received a telegraphic dispatch from Tyrnau*nfitheinh_i n g., tAting that the insurgent Magyars,jamfotenrichws corps,avingrtired before the approach of General to Szered, have been coannsdidmeraadbelyg Presburg, and re s i s t e d the march of the Imper i a l o r o e d in t f h or e c i r e d retreat fro m troops near Tyrnmi. General Simonich attacked them in their positions at 4 o'clock P.M. on the 10th inst., and beat them after an engagement of two hours' duration. The Magyars lost fire pieces of artillery, one standard, 766 prisoners, and 43 horses. The setting in of the night prevented the Imperial troops from following up their , advantage. The corps of General Simonich took possession of the city of Tyrnau and its environs. Major Lainingen, who commands a troop of horse, reports from Kaschau, of the 11th, that the strong for tifications of this town were on the 10th stormed by the corps of Field-Marshal Lieutenant Count Schlick. Several imperial officers, and amongst them the Adjutant of Count Schlick, were killed. Field-Marshal Prince Windischgratz advanced yesterday his outposts on the right bank of the Danube, opposite to Presburg. The left bank of that river was occupied by an other corps, without meeting with any resistance, and ITALY. The Roman journals, of the 15th, announce that the Pore, before consenting to return to Rome, re quires the dismissal of the present Ministry, the dis solution of the Chambers, the suspension of the liberty of the press, the dissolution of the national guard, and the suppression of the clubs. Letters from Gaeta, of the 13th, say that, if the POPE does not go to France he will go to Caserta, near Naples. He was to have held a consistory on the 11th. The King of NAPLES has, it is said, requested the POPE to remove from Gaeta. The Alba of Florence, of the 16th, publishes the following letter from Plus Ix. to Count SPAUR : " The assistance and support we have received from you, Count, at the moment of our departure from Rome, im poses upon us the duty of giving you a proof of our gratitude. It is therefore we name you a Grand Cross of the Order of Pius, and your son a Knight of the Order of Christ. We hope, however, that more propitious circumstances will soon permit us to express to you all our sentiments. And, in the meantime, we pray the Al mighty to shed his grace upon you, upon your consort the Countess, and upon your son. Receive the apos tolical blessing we give you in the effusion of our heart. Pius IX. Gaeta, Nor. 24. A ciange of ministry is, it is said, about to take place in Naples. FILANGIERI will be the new Presi dent of the Council. Advices from Ancona of the 12th state that on the following day the Sardinian fleet would sail for Venice and Trieste. Roman troops were being embarked for Venice. The Austrian naval commander had been changed. Rear-Admiral SORDA had replaced GUDRIATMI. The Spener Gazette announces, on the authority of a Vienna letter, of the 17th, that Venice had entered into an armistice for two months, on condition that the negotiations for the independence of Italy should be continued. The citizens were allowed to pass the barriers, and provisions were carried into the city. The Genoa Gazette of the 18th says that DOMI NIQUE BUFFA, the Minister of Commerce, and royal commissioner, on arriving at Genoa, published a pro clamation, preceded by the words " Viva In Consti tuante Italiana 1" in which, after stating that ithe Ministry was resolved to adopt the " constituante," and had, in fact, already proclaimed it, he said they had appointed persons to go to Tuscany and Rome, to concert with these Governments the mode of immedi ately effecting it. The proclamation ordered the troops to leave the city, and offered to the National Guard the occupation of the forts. The Univers publishes the following address to the Pope, agreed to on Sunday last at the Cercle Catho lique -" Most Holy Father,—The Catholic world shud dered with indignant grief at learning the violent at tack lately made on your Holiness at Rome. May the unanimity of the public sentiment afford some consolation to the heart of our well-beloved Father ! Your Holiness, with that kindness and benevolence which you derive from Divine sources, loaded Rome and Italy with benefits ; you guaranteed the rights of the weak and recalled the memory of their duty to the strong ; you made use of power to establish li berty ; you spoke to the populations, and the popula tions, inspired with the sacred enthusiasm of each of your words, transmitted them to each other as a strength and as a light to march more surely towards the future. The universe, moved by a voice so tender and so lofty, learned once more the civilising virtue of that holy seat of Rome, which substituted right for force, which created the Christian Republic and snatched Europe from its barbarous state, and the world from chaos. The spiritual sovereignty of souls, borrowing from the so vereignty of that city, which is doubly queen, its in dependence, its serenity, and its splendour--that was what struck men's minds, and was a light for all con sciences ! The supreme pontificate and the sacred principate formed at Rome a glorious and necessary union ; for it is useful that there should be at preent a throne where the Prince is a Father, and a State where men are less subjects than sons ! This union cemented by ages madmen have sworn to break to pieces. They have sworn to destroy that temporal sovereignty of the popedom which is the guarantee of the indepen dence of Catholic consciences in the whole world ' • they have sworn thi s b u t th e i r ev il d es i gns will perish The true Romans reanimated by their an cient love, will arise from the torpor which freezes their courage ; they will return to you their father. Your enemies will fall under universal reprobation. Most Holy Father, that is our hope; but should it not be realised your children in France will cry out to you, ' Come to us !' or rather, Here we are, our arms, our property, our life. Speak, most Holy Father, we await your words, bowed down in our grief at the venerated feet of the visible Head of the Church, the Spouse of Christ.' As Catholics, we are ready to follow you as Peter followed the Lord; as French men, we wish to maintain the foundation of Pepin and Charlemagne. Such is the French tradition The popedom at Rome is not merely Italy, it is Christendom I And meanwhile with our brethren, with our pastors, we conjure God to touch the hearts of these madmen and to enlighten them ; may Rome return to its senses, may it restore you to its affection, and may it thus resume that glorious' path in which it marched after you, under the reign of the whole world." MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS. CITY, QUARTER TO THREE. All the places of business and public resort in the City are closed, and we have, consequently, nothing to report under this head. MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.) SMITHFIELD. The imports of foreign stock into London last week were seasonably extensive,-or as under:— From Beasts. Sheep. Calves. Harlingen ... 104 ... 1,041 ~, Ostend... . • • 168 Antwerp ... • 30 Rotterdam 398 ... 1,010 Amsterdam ... 527 Hamburgh ... 24 54 Tonningen 102 ... 54 Figs. •• - ... 133 .....1 • • • - - - Total 628 ... 2,8 M ... 144 Corresponding "' week in 1847 4lO ... 2,400 ... 64 ... Difference ... 203 more. 484 more. 80 more. At the northern outports, the arrivals have been con fined to about 1,200 head of stock, mostly.from Holland. For the time of year, our market to-day was very scan tily supplied with Beasts both as to number and quality. Although the atteudance of buyers was limited, the Beef trade was somewhat brisk at, in most instances, an advance in the quotations of quite 2d per Blbs, and at which a clearanee was readily effected. At least two thirds of the beasts came to hand from Lincolnshire. The supply of Sheep (5,500 head) was very small. All breeds were in good request, and the currencies had an upward tendency. Only four Calves were in the market, and which sold at late rates. The sale of Pigs was steady, at fully previous figures. - Per Sibs. ti el a. d. to s. d. Inferior Beasts-- 3 4 3 8 Second quality •• 3 310 Prime large Oxen.. 3IS 4 • Prime Scott; •• .• • • 4 2 4 4 Ink the •ffal. Large coarse Calves 310 4 Prime small ditto .. 4 6 4 19 Suckling Calves .. Inferior Sheep • • 3 2 3 6 TOTAL SUPPLY I Sheep. 5,5 nO FOREIGN I Sheep. 1,210 Beasts. 1,017 s. d. to I. d. Second qual. Sheep 2 8 4 0 Coarse-vreolled ditto 4 2 4 6 Southdown Wether 4 8 Ditto out of the wool 0 0 0 0 Large flogs Small Porkers •••• 4 6 4 8 Quarter old Pigs • • Lambs ••• • •• 0 0 0 0 AT MARKET. Calves. I Pigs. 4 60 Beasts. 101 SUPPLY. Calves. I Pigs. NEW'GATZI AND LEADENHALL. An inamense supply of country killed meat has arrived for these markets since this day se'nnight, viz., 2,100 carcases of Beef, 1,800 ditto of Mutton, 400 ditto of Veal, and nearly 5,000 carcases of Pork. We have been rather heavily supplied with Meat slaughtered in London; nevertheless, owing in a great measure to the comparatively low prices ruling here for the time of year, a very large business has been transacted, at our quotations. Clearances have, however, not been effected. About 500 carcases of foreign Meat have appeared on sale. From Hamburgh 60 packages of Beef and Pork have come to hand, in good saleable condition. At per stone by the Carouse. e. d. to s. d, s. d. to I. d. Beefainferior.... • 2 6 210 Mutton, inferior 3 2 3 4 - middling .. 3 0 3 2 --- middling.. 3 6 310 - primelarge 3 2 3 4 - prime •• 4 0 4 4 - prime small 3 6 3 8 Pork, large.... ••. • 3 6 4 4 Vea1.......... - small . . 4 6 4$ WOOL. A very moderate quantity of wool was imported into London last week, it having amounted to only 171 bales from Portland Bay; 30 do. from Odessa; 271 do. from Alcxandretto; and 134 do. from llamburgh. Very little inclination is manifested by the merchants to get into stock; yet the demand for the best qualities of wool must be considered steady, at full prices. The supplies in warehouse aro by no means large for the time of Tear. INCONSISTENCY.—It is singular sometimes how men will encourage their neighbour in what they would dis approve of in themselves. Not long since nearly all the diamond merchants in London were Quakers, who would not have worn jewels themselves, nor allowed them to decorate any of their families or friends; and it is no torious that doctors, who disapprove of luxurious eating, generally give to their friends and patients the most splendid entertainments. “l• A SQUARE YEAR.—Next year will be the square of 43. We have not had a square year since 1764. and another will not occur until 1936. If everything should be squared up next year, what a glorious time we shall hare.—Burrites Christian Citizen. LITERATURE. THACKERAYS CHRISTMAS BOOK. DR. BIRCH AND HIS YOUNG FRIENDS. By BRIGGS IN LUCE. " Enter the Knife Boy.—Hamper for Briggses! 'L. " Master Brown.—Hurray, Toni Briggs I 1 7 11,,knd you my knife !" DUVAL THE PIRATE. (Jones Minimus passes laden with tarts.) " Duval. —Hullo! you small boy with the tarts! Come here, Sir. " Jones Minimus.—Please, Duval, they ain't mine:" " Duval.-0 you abominable young story-teller. [He confi the goodie" In a different s t ra i n Mr. l'itmarsh scates writes of Chain pionthe Lion thus:— " When, I say I reflect as I go up and sat him a sum, that he could whop me in two minutes, double up Prince and the other assistant, and pitch the doctor out of Win dow, I can't but think how great, how generous, irpw magnanimous a creature this is, that sits quite quiet'ftnd good-natured, and works his equation, and ponders through his Greek play. He might take the school room pillars and pull the house down if he liked.l-,He might close the door, and demolish every one of ua,,like Antar, the lover of Ibla; but he lets us live. He never thrashes anybody without a cause, when woe betidelhe tyrant or the sneak!" Thereupon he propounds the following sentin r ient: " I think that to be strong and able to whop .every body would be the greatest of all gifts I" We'4Ould extract many of the capital passages, such for example as the " Tragedy" enacted by Master Backhottieand Master Lurcher, or as the preposterously absurd scene performed in the dormitories by IVraster .ffew lett (in bed) and Master Nightingale (in his Alin); but we desist from a solicitude not to participate in any manner in the piratical character of Du ral , the Corsair of Rodwell Regis. Th e book is •ailiood, jocose, merry, well -natured extravagance—al, book fit for the joyous season when the children are Ibst in the fun of snap•dragon and blindman's buff, mut when the stripling lures his partner in the country-dance under the pendant snare of the mistletoe. • ORACLES FROM TIM BRITISH POETS. By James Smith. Taking a suggestion from the American " Oracles" of Poetry, Mr. Smith has here produced a chill:sling little volume for the drawing-room table—consisting of quotations from the bards of England. A question is propounded, and in answer to this question come a series of sentences from one or other of Our fa vourite poets. For example :—" What is your :cha racter ?" Dryden replies— " Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, ' You're everything by starts (?) and nothing long." Again ; "What is the personal appearance of your ladye-lave ?"—Keats responds with his elegant Or traiture of youthful beauty, when " behind each ample curl • Peeps th e richness of a pearl. Downward, too, flows many a tress With a glossy waviness, Full and round like globes that rise 4 From the censer to the skies." Or Ford quaintly tells us of the variety visibii is her countenance— " For colour, lips; for sweet perfumes, her breath"; For jewels, eyes; for threads of purest gold, Hair; for 'delicious choice of flowers, cheeks." Or Ben Jonson exclaims in rapture that her —" soft lip Would tempt you to eternity of kissing." " What is the'personal appearance of your lover ?" Fluellen, or Sir Hugh Evans (we forget which) answers us from Shakspere—" His face is all bu buckles, and whelks, and knobs, and flames of fire; and his lips plow at his nose, and it is like a coaloffire, sometimes blue, and sometimes red." Fancy a young lady coming suddenly upon such a delineation at a " round party !" Or, fancy her, in answer to the query " What is the character of your lover ?" haring to say with Pope— " A bookful blockhead, ignorantly read. With loads of learned lumber in his head I" "Of what musical sounds are you fond ?"—Keats replies— " A trumpet's silver voice:" Shelley, in a different strain— "Sound of vernal showers On the twinkling grass:" Or, in a loftier tone, he prefers— " Winged storms, chaunting their thunder•psalm." Then of flowers I beautiful flowers I flowers that Robert Montgomery has some where exquisitely called " Orphans of dead Paradise !" flowers that cry out to us in the delicious rhythm of Leigh Hunt— " Oh pray believe that Angels, From those blue dominions, Brought us in their white laps down, 'twirl their golden pinions I" " What is your favourite flower ?" is the question.• Keats says, the " Woodbine Of velvet leaves and bugle-blooms divine;" Or at another moment he is enraptured with— " A bush of may-flowers with the bees about them." L. E. L. prefers— " Carnations, laced with many a streak Of blooming red on their leaflets bright." Croly, in a similar mood, demands "The perfumed pink, that studs The earth with clustering ruby." Such are the jewels amassed into this Christmas casket— " Jewels five words long That on the stretch'd fore-finger of all time Sparkle for ever'!" The book is an elegant source of amusement, and evinces considerable taste and a large amount of industry. THIRD EDITION OF " NOW AND THEN." The avidity with which this simple and beautiful narration has been received in England, in America, and in France, and the rapidity with w hi c h i t h as passed through two editions, speaks nobly for the purification of the English, American, and French multitudes. True it is, unhappily, th a t the New York Stabbers, and the New York Gougers, and the New York Key-hole Spies, still find their readers beyond the Atlantic—true that Eugene Sue can still violate the decencies of Parisian life by his wanton pictures of "voluptuousness"—true that the author or (may we whisper ?) the authoress of " Mildred Vernon" has the audacity to clothe the seductions of sin with the garb of virtue —yet, in spite of all this, we take the brilliant success of " Now and Then" as a splendid testimony of the purification of the public taste in England, in France, and in America. The brief but manly " Preface" prefixed to the Third Rditien explains with exquisite simplicity the origin of the quaint title— " Now and Then." The explanation is merely a footnote, and the footnote is nothing more than a verse from the epistles of St. Paul ; this is the verse : ..;40,11,0 Mr. M. A. 7 itmarsh. Following in the wake of the immortal " Boz," not only in monthly serials, but also in written stories, Mr. Thackeray, otherwise "Michel Angelo Titmarsh," otherwise " Yellowplush," otherwise " Fitzboodle," otherwise " Jeames," otherwise the " Fat Contri butor," re-appears at this festive season as a writer of facetious narratives. In their peculiar way, the little pink glazed books published at Christmas by Mr. M. A. Titmash are agreeable to us, as affording ample pro mise of drollery and amusement. In the serial novels which have long been popular, pleasant to us in their several ways have been the green of Dickens, the crimson of Lever, the yellow of Thackeray, the stone colour of Jerrold, the cowslip colour of Albert Smith, and the rest of the parti-coloured fraternity. Among the winter fictions, beyond all the innumerable competitors of 1847 have stood pre-eminent Mr. Thackeray and—Dickens, the originator both of the Christmas books and of the serial publi cations. " Our Street" last year, and Mrs. Perkins's Ball" the year before, acquired for Thackery, in - Christmas literatur e , th e pos i t i on which "Vanity Fair" and " Pendennis" have acquired, or are SC' qufring for him in per . elical literature, They placed• him immeasurably above the mere dead level devoted to those who can only be designated as imitators. The notion, the plot, the manner, the embellishment of the Christmas book of Thackery are altogether characterised by the originality of his observant and sarcastic genius. Take the present volume in illus tration. Doctor Birch is no mere transfer of Doctor Blimber, but a gentleman on whose cranium, we doubt not, the phrenologist would find a rather pro minent development of the organ of individuality. Then, again, his niece, Miss Raby (who appears in a most interesting tableau in the last engrave iug) ; and horrible Miss Zoe Birch (a faint outline suggested by that terrible master.. piece of a harridan Mrs. Pipchin) ; and Mr. Prince the tutor; and George Champion the Cock of the School (a beautiful, brave, noble cha racter, of whom 1V , 2 shall speak further on) ; and the pugnacious Boxalls ; and Master Hulker (the type of a class familiar to every man amongst us) ; and Lawrence the Prefect; and Backhouse the Pill- Garlick; and Bullock the Sharper; and Duval the Pirate ; and the honourable Plantagenet Gamut Gamut, the idiot aristocrat; and Captain Davison the old Pupil; and even Mother Ruggles the tart, apple, and brandy-ball seller— they are all known to us personally, bodily, actually, by experience, in the days of our boyhood, We could alter their names to the names of veritable beings who were our familiars in childhood. They are not creations—they are exact copies from originals. They are literary and pictorial daguerreotypes, and in embody leg them upon the pages of his Christmas book= Mr. Thackeray has taken wit as his iodine. He hask turned the feather of his goosequill into a paint brush( • and has taken his colours from the palette of nature. His keen intellect has penetrated into the heart of,the • boy as well as into the heart of the man. Of the truthfulness of some of his subtle touches of nature take as examples:— POLAND. PoSIN, DEC. 17.—The vanguard of the army now coming from Lithuania to replace that which has gime towards the south of the kingdom of Poland has arrived at Plock and Cols. This army consists of 25,000 men, which brings up to 200,000 the Russian troops on the southern frontier of Poland. It is cer tain that the Emperor NICHOLAS has taken on him self the protection of the eastern provinces of Austria ii 4 ease the election of Louis NAPOLEON as President or France should lead to Austria being obliged to send all her disposable troops into Italy. PRUSSIA. jThe Preuniche Staats-dnzeiger, of the 21st, pub lishes the law respecting the entire or partial abolition oP feudal dues and certain other burdens on land. There will be a conference in Berlin, on the 15th proximo, of teachers deputed from the communal schools, gymnasia, colleges, and universities of the kingdom, with the view of' aiding ministers in pre paring a good law on education. The state of siege will be raised before the begin ning of the elections, but not until a provisional law has appeared for repressing the abuses of the liberty of - the-press-and the right-or association. In consequence of the octroi of the constitution, the Russian envoy at the court of Berlin has been charged to send a note to the Prussian cabinet, which con tains a detail of the dangers to which the King of PRUSSIA. exposes himself thereby, declaring that Rus sia can no longer give his Prussian Majesty any aid against his revolutionary subjects. MINISTERIAL.- CRISIS IN PRUSSIA. ; _ On the 18th the Ministers had a loriii-;on ference, in which they were principally en wed in the discussion of the events of the d n y, and the line of cond uc t t o b e pursue d , es pecially in the chinge which: has taken place the position of France, and in regard t o th e ques tion o f the unity of 'Germany. The result of this conference is of the highest importance. It was re solved that , all the . Ministers should immediately ten der their resignation to his MAJESTT. The Minis ters themselves have proposed their successors, and the new Cabinet will have for its Premier, M. Vort KiNa a, if he will consent to accept the office. This intelligence is positive, but the exact time for the withdrawal of the Ministry is not stated. It is said that the KING intends to recall M. BODIIIACHI. but this is mere report. FRANKFORT. The Committee appointed to examine the Minis trial propositions relative to the Austrian question let on the 21st.. Two-thirds of the Members voted ;ainst the proposition 'of GAGERN. BRUNSWICK. I The Legislative Assembly of Brunswick was opened on the 19th instant by the Dux in person, who, in a brief bnt pithy speech, declared in favour of the unity of Germany, and expressed the hope that the decisions of the Assembly would respect well-earned rights and Constitutional or legally exist ing prescriptions. HOLLAND. THE HAGUE, DEC. 24.—The Amsterdam Courant contains the budget of the city for 1849. The receipts are estimated at ... _12.640,457 301 The expenses at ... 2,636,342 05 Being a surplus of ... 2,115 25i By the overland mail we have received letters from Java to Oct. 28 ; they , do not contain any intelli gence of importance. At Bali the Netherlands' armed force keeps the coast strictly blockaded, and the im portation of opium is impossible. It is expected by this means the insurgents will be the sooner com pelled to surrender ; they are now preparing for a fresh attack. Violent shocks of an earthquake have been felt in different districts of the • island of Seva.—Ditich Papers, Dec. 23. DENMARK , AND THE DUCHIES. The following proclamation was issued by the King of DENMARK. OR the 15th instant : " When we agreed to the stipulation of the convention of the armistice of the 26th of August last, that without priejudice to the conditions of the final peace a joint Ad ministration should during the armistice be instituted for the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, which, accord ing to Article 7, were to be administered in our name, we supposed that the men to whom these functions might be transferred would consider it their duty to regulate their conduct in every respect after the tenour of the ar mistice, and we hoped that thus an endurable state of things might be effected until the final settlement of the relations, particularly for the gteat-majority of the population of Schleswig, which had preserved unbroken their oath of allegiance to their King ; and therefore had been exposed to the oppression of the former revo lutionary Government. 4 ' This supposition and this hope have not been realised. The present Administration entered on their functions by abusing the power granted in the seventh article of the convention; by renewing laws and ordi nances which openly infringe our right of sovereignty ; and the protest made against such conduct on the 28th of October last by bdth`Commissaries, .in the name of our Government and that of the Provisional Central Power in Germany, has received an irrelevant answer. The Administration has continued its activity in the way before pointed out by the ieeolutionary Government, and while persecuting every individual who, in the Duchy of Schleswig, remained_ loyal and faithful, it has not hesi tated to invoke the authority of our name, p art i cu l ar l y in the proclamation to the inhabitants of North &hies wig, of the 29th of November. "From the moment 'that the joint Administration re fused to comply with the piotest of the two commissaries against its arbitrary and illegal conduct, it has been out of, the question on the side of our Government to treat with it as with a legal authority. The Danish commis sary has been recalled, and by an official note of the 25th of November, which has been communicated to the friendly Powers, and the main contents of which have been published, the envoy of the Provisional Central Power has been informed of the position in which our Government must be placed towards an Administra tion that continues to infringe the most essential stipula tions of the armistice. " But now the joint Administration having - ventured so far in the above-mentioned public document as to take refuge under the shield of the King's name, although in open hostility to our Government, and so to claim obedience to illegal ordinances 'in the name of the legal Sovereign, we fulfil a duty equally due to our R o y a l dignity and to our people, particularly to our faithful subjects in Schleswig, by protesting against the way in which these men, chosen to maintain right and justice, dare to abuse our . Royal name for the purpose of palli ' sting their lawless conduct towards our subjects in Schleswig. " We cannot at the present moment, and chiefly in the interest of the Duchies; decide upon adopting mea sures for discontinuing the abuse of power and re-esta blishing the legal state of things except by means of negotiations. Until this is obtained, which we trust soon will be the case, it is with deep regret that we de clare that there does not exist in our Duchies of Schles wig and of Holstein any legal authority acting in the name of the Prince, according to the words and the spirit of the armistice, and which our subjects are bound to respect and obey. But is as far as urgent ne cessity may force them to cede to the demands of the ruling power, we hereby give all our faithful subjects the assurance that such forced obedience never by ns shall be considered as an acknowledgment on their part of the legality of the usurped power, and consequently not as a desertion of their duties and oaths as subjects. " While far and,near faith and laws are broken, the inhabitants of Schleswig. beset with sufferings and temptations, have given a bright example of unshaken loyalty to their King and devotion to their fatherland. This fidelity has given us great consolation in the days of darkness, and shall never be forgotten by us when, by the grace of the just God, brighter days rise for us and our faithful people. " (Countersigned) " Fredericksborg, Dec. 15." "FREDERICK R. A. W. MOLKE. HAMBURGH. DECEMBER 22.—We learn by telegraph from Stade, Schulau, arid Blankenese, that there is already a great deal of floating ice at those places. Here there is such a quantity of float ing ice, which has' *rimed much during the 4 i s t i , n F go g r face t o know eve Spealtin the nev i strained of thi s N . + in 0 Illy hear the opin !Merits +3 by the t horated Surely 1 Will act 'HE The turday, and Mu the AIN nitignific for the ten roo effect• Varied, a With, gr kene in *hips ad enrges A The cloy lind the thatteret Confidgrl Daßt Clent to korning tice Per time eve oon-pub decision order, oonclusio Olould b eeedings Its Lor !ome to had take to the f occupied fatter, another tage can rent an the trial renew t' Only ser been mal The kerning against cc:4l'6 . lldt time for terminal by the ( adilurn€ The I last nigt crowded not even in the b( Lord C efforts t Were, ha this mor cuthusia fenn y . intignifie , The / little int( has•h lot and nun has been ERUA fvening, Into the valleys.. " nice di We need the corn the type flight b NM of To Eactt.-7 derately Careful! until th As a hi the moi fully sh ThAlb, eulogil Indepe