The Sun. — London, England, 1866-04-27 00:00:00

XONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE, TWELVE O'CLOCK. The Money Market is more active to-day, owing to the settlement at the Stock Exchange. The quo tations of the brokers are firmer, few-first-class bills having been negotiated under 6 per cent. Loans On Government securities have also advanced to 5 and 51 per cent. from day to day. There were no gold operations at the Bank of England yesterday afternoon. The alterations in the Bank of England return are not of great importance, and the position of the establishment is still far from strong. The follow ing are the particulars : Active Circulation ••• Decrease Bullion £22 161 115 ••• • . • .. ... 142,680 D • ' ... 13,855,776 •• • ••• ••• ••• 33,336 ecrease •• ... ... ... ... Lest 3 20 9 4 852 ,044 Increase ••• ••• ••. ••• public Deposits ... ... ..• •.• ... 4,417,147 Increase ... ... ... 371,688 ... Other Deposits ... ... ... ... ... 13,294,641 Decrease 677 149 Seven D _ , ay and Other Bills 427,129 Decrease 13,101 Government Sedurities 10,694,254 Increase •.• ••• ••• ••• 50,000 Other Securities 18 507 854 Decrease 468,862 }Totes Unemployed ::: 5,844,205 Increase •.. ... 106,185 The Stock Exchange C omm itt ee h ave appo i nte d A following special settling days : Anglo-Mexican Telegraph Company (Limited) shares, Wednesday, 2 d proximo, to be marked ; in the scrip, represent ing Paid-up ordinary stock of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, Thursday, 3d proximo ; and the committee have also ordered the Bonds of the San Paulo Railway to be officially quoted. Mr. Coleman, of the firm of Messrs. Coleman, Turquand, Youngs, and Co., of London, and Mr. K. W. Banner, of the firm of Messrs. Harwood, fanner, and Son, of Liverpool, have been ap- Painted by the Master of the Rolls joint provisional °facial liquidators of Barned's Banking Company (Limited.) The Bank of France return presents some fa . - Yourable features. The bullion has been increased 28 8,000, and the notes in circulation have been r educed £440,000. The commercial bills, however, have received an addition of £260,000, and the advances on stock, &c., £B,OOO. The Treasury b alances have been augmented £576,000, and the Vent accounts £466,000. Two O'CLOCK. According to Reuter's telegram, this morning, th e 3 per Cent. Rentes were 66f. 80c. Flat. The English Stock Market has presented a rather . b uoyant and favourable appearance. Several deal lags for investment ha ve t a k en place,and quota tions are general:y a little higher. - Consols have 'approved * per cent., the prices being 86/ to 87 for money, and 87 to 1 for the account. The New Threes and Reduced Annuities are 851 b L e ; ditto R e d S ea T e l egra ph, 191 ; E xc h equer 3s. dis. ; Bank of England stock, 242 to 243 ; India Five .per Cents., 1061 to ; and ditto 4 per cent. debentures, 1011. I In the Foreign Stock Market the operations have n Principally confined to the settlement, which be concluded this afternoon. Spanish. Passive have risen t o 251 26 ;. and Certificates to 151 26 ; Italian are weak at 501 ; Turkish 5 per Cents. are 33 1 ; Mexican, 201 1 ; do. New, 181 1 ; Greek, 12 13 ; Chilian Loan, 111 prem. ; and Bra zilian Scrip, 32/ dis. ; United States Government 6- 20 Bonds, 70 1; Erie Shares, 52 1; and Illinois, 80 I. Business in the Railway Share Market has con tinued exceedingly dull, and in several instances Prices are a shade flatter. Great Western have declined 1, Great Eastern and Metropolitan each 1, South Eastern 1, and Midland 1. The Foreign and Colonial lines are without material variation. South Austrian and Lombardo Venetian have receded to 151, Grand Trunk of C anada to 211 4 , and Great Indian Peninsula have qaProved to 1101. Bank and Mi sce ll aneous Sh ares rema i n i nactive. Ban k n of London are de a lt i n a t 24 ; I mper i a l '4011:Ian at 111 ; Overend, Gurney, and Co., 1,. 4 dia. ; Intern a ti ona l Fi nanc i a l , i bi ker dis. ; London 'l,aancial , 4 tr 1 dis. ; and Credit Foncier and Mo of England, 1 prem. ex div. t r. Edw ar d Gibb on S wann h as announce d hi s etirernext from the Oriental Commercial Bank, for l l th e Purpose of concentrating his attention upon Is private business. BRITISH FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES. a OCV7eRNMENT FUNDS. tr Cent. Consols a 0 . Account, May 9 B7l 7 New 3 Reduced 8 54 11 1 New 9 per Cent B5 - - I * ' 2 i Per Cent. Jan. 1894 — A D °. per Cent. Jan. 1873 — Do lities, 30 yrs, expire sth Jan., 1880 for 30 yrki, expire sth AprilBBs — D° (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug., 1908 l9l 4 t, March. June. et,equer Bills, £ 1,000,3 per Cent, •Uo. • £5OO — -1)0 £lOO and ea() 6- G.r Engl an d St oc k, 5 per C en t tz Account — Im l AN GovERNMENT SECURITIES. D4l Stock, IA per Cent., AprillB74 — °,. Account D o , k Do. - Per Cent. Oct 1870 b". 4 per Cent., Oct. 1888 r,°. Certificates — Do. Enfaced Paper 4 per Cent — t i ° ,* ! Per Cent., Jan. 1872 0 • '4 Per Cent., May 1879 o°. nab., 4 per Cent., Aug. 1866 I) ° ' 11 ° 11 d; 1,000 0• under 41,000 4r D . IPOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES. A'eutine Republic, 6 per Cent., £ l5 pd —pm is,srliaa!,,r.ian Bonds, 5 per cent, 1859 S' i ml 5 per Cent — cl '' tt Per Cent., 1852-58-60 o. 1863 DDo 0 A 1865 7ll o A ccount ag•„°crl „ •p, £45 paid P"all 7 Cent. D o ~,., Sec!ondper Issue — .uo £lO3 Bonds Do D o • ~, 4100 1864 BB 7 Bonds 9O/ 1 I) 0 '"°. Government Railway Debentures. 89 9 . - tir . 4.3 e paid n eek Per Cents., 1824-5, e x Coupons 3 2 dm -;:,'0. Account Do Coupons Itri.:4teraala 5 per Cent. n' a tt 5 per Cent 1865 1,-0. Account DO . I Slaremmana Railway r ,lican 3 per Cent ' O . Account 1 , Do 1864 11 -° 6 per Cent. Anglo-French 110atevideanfi per Cent., £3O paid New° Imperial 5 per Cent — Do Granada • 1D)0 2 per Cent — D o 0 Land Warrants (Hectares) L axer Cent, 1864 P ~,°k -Tu sranteed, 4 per Cent 6 6m 5 per Cent, 1865 1 , 0 Account g' l nese 8 per Cent, 1853 -n ° 3 per Cent., 1856, '7, '9, '6O, '62, '3, 451 5 1 5 , -.Jo. Account . 4 assi a . b n 5 Per Cent., 1822, £St BBl 8 D ° 4 1 per Cent. 1850 1) 3 /I - per Cent, 1860 r i ° ? Pei Cent. 1859 — Do 9 0 per Cent. 1862 9Ol / / 1 Mardi 5 , Per Cent. 1864 spao 5 per Cent a n . Account i sh - t Acc ount er Cent b° _o 4, ou — Ne w Deferred 0 0 c 'coUllt 13 p assive 2s} 11 i - 1°, 41 -cc iunt 26 51 ifo'sh Cert. of Coup not funded — BNr : A-c count l6 i 151 Do A „, D o. ,r, 't Per Cent xarki I .,.Per Cent. 1864 t, S . 0 per Cent. 1854 n,./„ccount 0`,..: ° Per Cont. 1858 I), A ccount T, 41-00 Bonds ... , 0 6 b Per Cent. 1862 „0 Account to 410 0 Bond s 641 1 be,' - p per Cent., 1863 — to bo Acc Pe ount Cent., 1865, p a id u p Scrip.- 3 81 I Ve t , 4 Per Cent. Gra -anteed ettiela 3 Ditt o , , Per Cen t. — D o 6 (-count — D 0 Per Cent., 1862 — D o . Accouut 186 4 — it m . Ili vidends on the above - able - in London. layi f- LO) Ac unt ay • 5 Per Cont., 1861, Ex. 25f . 5 e 1 sot li n- Flo co ,, , - m THREE O'CLOCK. for tn.oneY 86i 7 DD' ACCQUIIt ........ 1.. ............... SHARE MARKETS.—This Day. ORDINARY SHARES AND STOCKS. Railways. I p a id . / Closing I Businese Price. done. Bristol and Exeter Caledonian Cambrian :.... Cork and 8and0n...... Cornwall . . Dublin & Belfast June Dun„Perth, & A b•June. 111. London, scrip Certi. Do. Glasgow & S. Western Great Eastern, Ord. stk. Do. E. Angl. st. No. Great North of Scotland Great Northern D,). A stock • • Do. B stock Do. New. is. at 25 ptr. Gt S. and W. of Ireland Gt. Western -Original Do. S. Val. Rail gua. Do. South Wales ..., Do. W. Mid.— Oxford Do. Newport Do. Hereford Lancashire & Yorkshiry London and Blackwall Lon., Brigh., & S Coast Lon., Chat., and Dover Do. Metrop. Ex. A Lon. & North Western Lon. do South Western Man., Sllti., d; Lincoln Metropolitan.... Do. New Do. Extension Metropolitan District Do. do. do. Do. and t. John'sW'd Midland Do. £9 Share Do, Birmin.. & Dort , mid Kent North British .... Do. Ed., Pth., & Dun. Nth. Fa3tern—Berwick Do. G.N "1.1 purchaat Do. Leeds ..... Do. York Do. Carlisle . . ... Pb. Stock. & Darling. Do. 10. 1860-61 North London Do. do. 1864 Do. Lib. 1865 North Staffordshire N. & S. W. Junction Scottish Central Scot. N. E . Aber. stock uo. Scot, Mid. stick Shropshire Union South Devon South Eastern itaines, Wok., & Wok Taff Vale Do. C Vale or Neath Waterford & Kilkenny Waterloo & Whitcha West Cornwall BKITISII Atlantic & Si. Lawrence Bom., Baroda, x CCII.III. gm 5 per cent... Do. F shares Buffalo & Lake Huron Do Preference BufT,Brant, & Goderich p.c. 872-3- • Calcutta & 8. E., lim 'af e Town & Dock, gu Demerara, 7 p.c. per. pi East. Bur_tal, gu., 5 do East Ifldian, gu. 5 p.c. Do. J Extension Grand Trunk of Canada Do. Equip. Mort, Bonds 1 charge 6 p.c Do. Ist ?ref. Bonds Do. do. deferred .... Do. 2d Prof. Bonds.. Do. do. deferred .... Do. 3d Pref. 5t00k.... Do. do. deferred .... Do. 4th Pref. stook .. Do. do. deterred .... Gt. India Pen. gua. 6p.C. so. Gua. 5 per cent Do. New gaa. 5 p. a Gt. South of India gua. 5 per cent Do. 4f per cent Do Great Wt a. of Canada.. Do. New Do. 6 p. c. lids- pay. 1873 1 Do. 5i do. pay. 1877-8 Indian Branch, lizultedl Madras, gua. 5 p.o Do. 41 do Do. 43 do Do. Fifth Extension Melb. Cor. 6 p. c. Bnds. Mel. do Hudson's Bay.. N. Ell.C`da, 6pc Ist pf.bs. Scindo ..... Do. Delhi Do. do ./ ti Do. Puniaub.... Do. Indus St Flo C , -0 LON IAL tiO VERN MEN (British Columbia, 6 per] cent., Dec. 31,1872.; Can.Gov.6 p.c.Ja.& July 1877-84 Do. 6 g. c. Feb. & Aug Do. 5 p. c. Mar. & Sept Do. 5 p. c. Jan. & July Do. 5 p. c. Inscribed alt Cape (.lope, 6 p.c. 1873 t)o.Apl.&Oct , 1890-1900 I Do. du: 1830-9. Do. Jan.&July, 1890-9 i Do. 5 per 0ent..15 April, anti ►5 Oct., 1900 Ceylon, Nov. 1364, 6 p.i Do. 1878, do 3ttauritius, 6 p. C, 1873, Jan. and July Do. 1.78 Do. 1882, Mayls, Nov. ,1 Do. 1895, Feb. & At m Natal f4ov. a per cent N.B.Gov. 0 p.c.Ja.&July N. S.W. Gov. 5 we., 188. Do. 5 p.c. 18:1 to 187( Do. 5 1).o. 1888 to 189. New Zealand, 6 p. cent Do. 5 per cent.... Nova. So Ala Gov. 6 p. c sterling, 1875 queensland Gov. 6 p. c 6. Aus.Gov. 6 p,c 1868-V Do. 1878 dr upwards Vic,Gov. 6 p.c. Ja &July Do. do, April & Oct 89 91 27 128 55 65 13 15 4 6 67 70 70 72 20 15 d 114 116 395 4 6 6 7 i 22 121 1 7 :3 Si, 671 SSI, 57 59 39 41 31 31 :01 'O2 1201 :21 96 03 27 29 riOt :211' 92) Q 3,, 61 63, 1334 t 34 2 & 30 1 1 1 liP 92 95 123 123 11 2 i 92 04 57 E 8 6 27 109 110 71 72 109 110 36 36i 10 11 p 120 121 1 2p 1 2p 74 76 108 112 149 151 66 68 1 49 M 75 70 8 9 140 143 1 3 100 103 52 54 ;ES lONS. 54 53 103 104 i 1 , 4; 5 8 9 76 80 96 98 62 67 100 102 101 102 103} 1041 2! 24 85 F 7 63 CO 55 6J 55 57 50 55 41 41 41 41 25 27 25 27 1096 1101 1i 2 p 16 24. 99 101 91 93 15i S 6 5 40, 94 e 6 83 ,5 1} 01J 100 101 91 93 86 86 6L 63 8 Be 99 100 98 99 Id 97 99 104 1' 10 15 1 2 i 1001 1 1 T SECUR 92 e 4 ‘0 93 90 t 3 74 80 70 79 10t M 4 102 104 102 104 102 ILA N 8) 12 101 Its 17 103 105 107 109 104 106 104 106 99 101 110 93 90 25 871 FB, 9t 00 72 73 f 8 100 98 100 105 107 103 104 BRITL Cam. Consol. cold, Rm Chiverton Clifford Amalgamated Devon G. Cons. (Taoist Drake walls East Bassett (Illogan)„ East Caradon East tarn Brea cast Grenville East Gunnislake East Loved E. W'i Russell (Tavistk Gam& StAubyn(G wen. Great L txey, limited Great South Tolgus G rea t Wheal Busy G. Wheal Vor (Relst , ) Grenville Herod's Foot •••• Liingston Downs M arga ret (Uny Lelant Marke Valley Nnynewwsdeyconlro..n..O... .... North Roskear N.W h ' 1 I3as sett (Mogan North Wheal Crotty • • Prosper United.. • • • • • • Pr .vidence Uny ',dant S. Caradon (St. Cleer) South Condurrow S.Wheal Fran. (Mogan Stray Park Tin Croft Vigra and ClJgan, lim West Hassett (Mogan W. Caradon (I.(skeard West Chi verton West Seton. bi 1111Nh'S. Wheal Bassett (Mogan Wheal Buller (Redruth Wheal Mary Ann (Men Wheal Setoff Wheal Trelawney ads 6 7 10 12 52) 540 18 z 0 61 74 3} 41 31 4 8 9 3 31 5 7 21 22 ti I 1i 22} 23, 21 3 38 40 4I 5 4 6 n 24 140 35 40 13 15 I 2.1.0 29{ 2.14. e 31 2.'4.0 8.3. e 3.9.0 10.8.6 32 34 375 400 2 15 20 4 6 13 15 3 5 1 '2 i 9 72# 77i 130 140 80 85 20 22 3 5 20) 2 0 13 15 vitEIPER NAN CB tillA HES. Bristol and Exeter 4 per cent. stock, 874 tireat orthern, 5 per cent., lOge Ditto, 5 per cent., redeemable at 10 per cent., 1(7 LINES LEASED AT FIXED ItENTALn. Birkenhead, 86 London and Blackwall, 87 if London Tilbury, and Southend, pa roIiEJGV IiAIL WAYS. Dutch Rhenish. 2 Namur and Liege, qua. 6 per cent. pf., 19 ottoman (Smyrna to Aidin), 81 Sambre and Meuse, 5i per cent. pf., 9 San Paulo. lion., ua. 6 per cent., 161 South Austrian and Lombardo Venetian, 15/ 15 FM:IEIW! NM Et 4. liapunda, lira., i Scottish Australian, Rm., 2 Washoe Gold, lira., 22 2 - - BAN' Agra and M%sterratin's, lira., 451 5 61 Alliance, Urn., 20 4 Anglo Austrian, 5; 6 Bank of British Columbia, 201 Rank of Egypt, 3l Bank of London. 24 31 • Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, 201 Consolidated Bank, lim., 91 i Eng ish Joint Stock, lira., European Bank, lira., ttsi 8 Hindustan, China, and Japan, ilm., 11 101 111 I 'it o, issued at 2 pm., Ditto, new, , 11 Imperial Bank, Bra- 231 imperial Ottoman, 111 a Ditto, new, 14 Land Mortgage Bank of India, lira., 4 London Bank of Mexico and S. America, lim., 111 London and River Plate. 531 London Chartered Bank of Australia, 22} London and County, 774 London Joint Stook, 48 Midland Bank, lien., 191 Provincial Banking'CorPoration, Um., ei Standard of British South Africa, 13 Union of Australia, 51i Union of London, t 4 MISCELLANEOUS. British American Land, 24 3 Ceylon Company, 111 China Steam hip and Labuan Coal Company, City Offices, Um., 31 1 Commercial Union, Insurance, 6 51- Credit r °tinter and Hobilier of England. 15Z Crystal Palace, 6 per cent. perpeti. deb., 10:41 Ebbw Vale, 161 Egyptian Corn. and Trading*, lim., 31 Gen. Credit. and Finance of Landon. Um.. 41 3,1 4 tml erial Mercantile Credit A sso.,llrn., 11 I Land securities, I'm., 31 London Financial Association, Um , 15; M .dras Irrigation and Canal, Ditto (ail), 73 3 National Discount ompany. ln National Provincial Marine, lim , New Zealand Trust and Loan, lim., 23 Overend, Gurney, and Co., Jim.. l4i Panama, New Zealand, and Australian aliail, lira., Quebrada Land, hall, and Minim,;, lira., 21 2 Rio de•Janeiro City Improvements. lim.. 22 Viceroy of Egypt, Mortgage, Loan, 17 161 171 A dividend of 3s. in the pound, payable on Mon day next, is announced on the estate of Messrs. Paget, Bainbridges, and Co., Bankers, of St. Paul's Churchyard, who suspended payment on the 15th ultimo. FOSS THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 27, 1866. ELECTION COMMITTEES.—This Day. WAKEFIELD. The committee reassembled this morning at 11 o'clock, and the evidence in support of the sitting member's case, which was opened yesterday, was proceeded with. Mr. Clarkson, cashier to Messrs. Lee, the manu facturers at Wakefield,' gave evidence tending to show that the money advanced on behalf of Mr. Leatham was legitimately applied to electioneering expenses. William Smith, a member of the London de tective force, proved having held a warrant in his possession for the arrest of Henry Barrett, whose name has figured so prominently in the proceedings, and who levanted in October last, not being able to account for a sum of £3OO which had been en trusted to his care. Other evidence to the same effect was adduced. HUDDERSFIEfD. The evidence on behalf of the petitioners against the return of Colonel Crossland was resumed this morning, and several cases of bribery were deposed to on the part of the recognised agents of the sitting member. NORTHALLERTON. Mr. Price, Q.C., addressed the committee this morning on behalf of the sitting member, but called no witnesses, as he contended that no case had been made out against his client. Counsel on the other side then addressed the corn mittee, but no decision was given up to the time 0: our going to press. KING'S COUNTY. This committee, which adjourned from Wednes day, resumed sitting this morning, and the polling clerk to the sheriff for the county was examined, but his evidence was not material, as he had been obliged from illness to delegate his duties to an assistant daring the election. Some witnesses were then examined in support of the petition of Mr. Pope Hennessy. Li werpocl Cotton Market. —This Day. ~. The Market opens with a moderate demand. Sales probably 6,000 bales. SHIPPING INTELLIGENGE.—This Day. Lois-Dos, April 27.—Wind this day at noon—South- Westerly; moderate breeze, and fine weather. LIVERPOOL, April 27.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Fanny, from Demerara. OFF LIVERPOOL, April 27.—Arrived—Stromboli, screw steamer. OFF KINSALE, April 25. Arrived—Erromanga, f rom the 'West Coast of Africa. Sailed—Alice, for Valparaiso; Home, for Barcelona. PLYMOUTH, April 26.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Her Majesty's ship Pelican, from Malta ; left Gibraltar on the 14th inst. DARTMOUTH, April 25.—Wind W.—Sailed—Mystery, for Bermuda. PLYMOUTH, April 26.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Medusa, screw steamer, from London for Madeira and Rio de Janeiro. QUEENSTOWN, April 25.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Specu lator, from Callao; Conjuror, from Barbadoes. Sailed— Arbiti ator, for Miramichi. BRISTOL, April 26.—Wind S.W.—Arried—Julie, from Havannah ; British Ensign, from Smyrna; Marie Eliza beth, from Bayonne. • CLYDE, April 26. Wind S.S.E.—Sailed—City of Montreal, for New York. SWANSEA, April - 25.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Alma, for Quebec. TROON, April 27.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Chevalier, from Belfast, for repairs. LEY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.I GRAVESEND, Friday Morning. Arrived, April 27.—Forest Queen, steamer, from Oporto ; Citizen, steamer, from Bordeaux ; Cologne, steamer, from Boulogne ; Bidwell, from New York ; Victoria, from Dant sic ; Sir R. Peel, steamer, from Dunkirk. DEAL, Friday Morning. Passed, Aprii 26. Odessa, screw steamer, from London, for Constantinople. Passed, April 27.—Juanpore, for Shanghai : Glence, for New York—both from London. French Theatricals. ITALIAN OPERA.--" Si vousn'avez rien a me dire."—Thrice fortunate wore they who happened to be at the Italian Opera the other night when Mdlle. Patti sang the charm ing melody which Mme. do Rothschild has composed to these words. Instead of condemning us to the peine forte et (lure of Rodi's air with variations, which every Rosins without variation introduces into the singing lesson in the Barbiere, Mlle. Patti sang the famous air from the Vepres Siciliennes, and after the loud plaudits had subsided before the eager desire to entice the little songstress into an en core, she came to the rampe and sang this melody, which will soon be ground to dust by the street organs, whistled by the cabmen, and hummed by cocottes in high spirits over a new parure or a fresh batch of worshippers. Everyone has of course heard it by this time, and the pub lic voice has aheady endorsed the euloguium which it had elicited from the most competent critics of the day. Alas ! the refrain of this ravishing melody rings discordantly in your critic's ears, for he knows full well that your readers will say to him, " Si vous n'avez rien h me dire"—why do you chatter ? But, as'Ancient Pistol observes, " young ravens must be fed." That inexorable dragon, the public, awaits its morning prey, and must have its weekly allowance of pabulum. Lions are best seen at feeding time, as the Rev. Peter Plymley observed to his friend when he invited him to dinner. It would be the most unpropitious moment to see your readers when this indigestiblo stuff is put before them. See in Monday's lioniteur the straits to which an unhappy critic is reduced. M. Theophile Gauthier begins and ends his "Revue des Theatres" with a review of Dickens's " Bleak House," an idea probably suggested by the temperature, since rude Boreas is visiting us too roughly. There is absolutely rein a vous dire, gentle reader, but as your Sisyphus must roll his stone up the hill, he will not appeal in vain either to Jupiter or Venus to put their shoulders to the Gros-Caillou. The only piece of news is bad news. Mlle. Patti is going. She will leave an " aching void," but M. Bagier is not an impressario who stays shivering on the brink of the abyss, like Curtius —he does not " crane " but plunges boldly in, and pro mises to amuse us to the best of his ability with the Italiana in Algieri with a female tenor, Mlle. Mela. A female tenor will look oddly on the stage—a sort of "Veluti in speculum." The Price of Gold. The quotation of gold at Paris is about per mille pm., and the short exchange on London is 25.15 per £1 sterling. On omparing these rates with the English Mint price of L 3 ►'rs. 100. per ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is about 2- Jails per cent. dearer in earls than in London. _--- ----- By advic:s from Hamburg the price of gold is 4•:.7 per mark and the short exchange on Londoh is 13.5 i per £1 stcrlinJ.. Standard gold at the Englieh Mint price is, there:ore, at about 2.loths per cent, dearer in Hamburg than in London. IMPORT OF COTTON AT ANTWERP.—An Antwerp letter states that the ship Due de Brabant has just arrived there from India with 3,500 bales of cotton, representing a value of 2,000,000 f. For the last eight or nine years not a single bale had reached that port direct. CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAY. THURSDAY, APRIL 26.—Admissions on payment, 1,903 ; ditto by season tickets, 1,358; total visitors, 3,261. PRINCE ALFRED'S CITY FREEDOM.--It will be in the recollection of our readers that a short time since the corporation unanimously decided upon presenting the freedom of the city of London to his Royal Highness Prince Alfred at a grand ceremonial to be held next June, and the date of which is not yet fixed. On the same occa sion it was also determined to depart from the usual rou tine of the gold box, and topresent the time-honoured scroll of freedom in a casket that should be more characteristic of the great profession which Prince Alfred follows. In the circulars, therefore, which were sent out to the chief jewel lers who were invited to compete in designs for the casket the specification was limited to a carved polished oak-box inlaid and enriched with pure gold. The oak of which the casket is to be made is, we believe, to be taken from one of the massive beams which lately supported the roof of old Guildhall, and which were put in after the partial destruction of the building in the great fire of Loudon. These designs for the casket wore submitted yesterday to the General Purposes Committee at Guildhall. Among other competitors were Messrs. Hunt and Roskell, Mr. Hancock, Mr. Benson, Mr. Brooke, &c. After a very short discussion the design of Mr. Benson was uuani mously chosen. It is a very exquisitely carved oak cabinet, somewhat similar in general style, though, of course, not in material, to that made by Mr. Benson when the City's freedom was preSented to the Prince of Wales at the great Guildhall ball. Its delicate tracery will make it almost unique of its kind, and its massive chased gold mouldings and inlayings relisve the darkness of the oak, and give great richness to the whole design. The arms of Prince Alfred, with the shield of Gotha, are enamelled in gold on the front and back, with nautical emblems in dark blue panels supporting them, while the ends of the casket, which is oval shaped, are closed with a scroll work of foliage surmounted with masks. A more beautiful work of art has seldom been presented by the city, and, though perhaps not equal in cost, it almost surpasses in design the celebrated casket which was given to the Prince of Wale'. THIRD EDIT lON. SUN OFFICE, 7 O'CLOCK. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] CHESTER RACES.—THIS DAY HANDICAP PLATE of 100 sous; winners 101 b extra. Ha' a mile. Mr. Law's Lucy Long, 4 yrs, 7st 101 b (Kenyon) 1 Mr, Phillips's Persuasion, 5 yrs, Gst illb ...(Highstead) 2 Marquis of Hastings's Pantaloon, 4 yrs, Bst 121 b (includ ing 10Ib extra) (Cannon) 3 The following also ran :—Ozone and Lucy Locket. Betting at starting-7 to 4on Pantaloon, 2to 1 agst Ozone, sto 1 agst Locket .[icy, 6 to 1 agst Persuasion, 10 to 1 agst Lucy Long. Won by a length ; a .neck be tween second and third. The FIRST BEAUFORT BIENNIAL STAKES of 25 sous each, with 100 added, for 3-yr-olds ; colts, Bst 101 b ; fillies and geldings, Bst 61b ; certain winners 51b extra ; maidens allowed 81b. Ono mile and &quarter. Lord St. Vincent's Lucifer (Morris) 1 Capt. Gray's Terror (Challoner) 2 Duke of Beaufort's Mr. Pitt .. (Cannon) 3 Betting-6 to 4on Mr. Pitt and 3to 1 agst others. Won by half a length. THE STEWARDS' Cup of 200 sovs in specie, added to a sweepstakes of 5 soya each; 3-yr-olds, Gst 121 b; four, Bst 51b; five, 9st 41b; six and aged, 9st 71b; m and g allowed 31b ; penalties and allowances. lm. 7fur. Mr. Kirby's Treasure Trove, 3 yrs (Carroll) 1 Count de Lagrange's Plutus, 3 yrs (Salmon) 2 Mr. Saxon's Monitress, 3 yrs (Saxon) 3 Betting -7 to 4on Treasure Trove. Won easily. The BADMINTON STAKES of 10 Soya each, with 100 added, for two-year-olds ; colts, Bst 101 b ; fillies and geldings Bst 61b ; certain winners extra. Half a mile. Duke of Beaufort's Lady Hester (Cannon) 1 Mr. Mackenzie's Thermometer (Morris) 2 Capt. Williams's Knightsbrige Betting at Starting-2 to lon Lady Hester. Won easily. The CHESHIRE STAKES of 3 sovs each, with 100 added ; certain winners 101 b extra. About one mile and a quarter. Marquis of Hastings's Redcap, 5 yrs, 7st 101 b 1 Capt. William's Distraction, 3 yrs, sst 71b 2 Won by ten lengths. THE STAMFORD WELTER HANDICAP of 5 sous. each, with 100 added; winners 10 extra; gentlemen riders, jockeys 71b extra. Im. lfur. 64yds. _ _ Mr. Handley's Custaloga, 3 yrs, lOst 61b...., Mr. Alexander's Stafford, 4 yrs, 10st 101 b . Won in a canter. THE LADIES' PURSE (Selling Stakes) of 3 sous each, with 50 added ; two-year-olds, 7st 121 b ; three, lOst llb ; four, I.ost five and aged, list 21b; m and g allowed 31b ; penalties and allowances. Three-quarters of a mile. Rosaline colt Dusty Miller ~ . Jack's Alive 3 Won in a canter. DERBY. 1000 to 60 agst Redan (taken freely) YORK SPRING MEETING—THURSDAY, MAY 10. Acceptances for The Flying Dutchman's Handicap. One mile and a quarter. Age st lb r Age st lb Lozenge 4 8 12 Castanet 3 6 1 Raglan Harry Brailsford ... 4 7 12 . Murillo Holstein 4 7 11Bob Chambers 3 5 11 Molly Carew 5 6 11 ' Duty Fre e 3 5 11 Dean Swift Missile Chapel Royal ASCOT HEATH SPRING MEETING. TUESDAY, MAY 1. Acceptances for the Duke de Brabant Stakes of 400 soya, added to a handicap of 25 sous each. The Now Course, 1 mile 5 fur. Ago st lb Age st lb Baragah 3 9 5 Eleanor 6 6 13 Redmire • 4 8 4 Eakring 3 6 12 Sandal Merry Wife Brahma 4 8 01 Sealskin Auditor 4 7 12 lon Gomera 4 7 11 Split the Difference 3 6 9 Holly fox 5 7 7 Lincoln Green 3 6 2 Filbert Merry Hart Pintail Helen 5 7 2' Haphazard Cutaway 5 7 2 1 Hasketon Maid 3 5 7 lIVIPERIA.L PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS.—THI s EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Hudders- Water, Manchester Improvement, Frome Gas, Bryclough, Shaw, and Rochdale Roads, Stafford, Church-bridge, (to., Roads ; Butterton Moor End Road ; Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay Railway (additional capital), and Drayton Junction Railway. Tho following bills were road a third time and passed :--- Paghain Harbour, Metropolis Sewage and Essex Reclama tion, Kidwelly and Burry Port Railway and Burry Port Amalgamation, Dement and Shotley bridge Road, West Middlesex Water, and Dublin Corporation Water (with amendments). THE IRISH CHURCH. The Earl of BELMORE presented a petition from Tip perary against the disendowment of the Established Church in Ireland. SHEFFIELD WATER BILL. The standing order of the house, No. 179. sec. 1, having been considered and dispensed with, this bill was put through its several stages and passed. PUBLIC OFFICES (SITE) BILL. On the motion of Lord STANLEY of ALDEREY this bill passed through committee. Their lordships then adjourned. MOUSE OF COMMONS--THIS EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : —Ellesmere and Glyn Valley ; Hoylake Railway ; Lanca shire and Yorkshire Railway ; Uxbridge and Rickmans worth Railway ; Winchcomb and Midland Railway ; and Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay Railway (Ex tensions). ELECTORAL STATISTICS. Mr. DISRAELI presented a petition from Rochdale impugning the accuracy of the electoral . statistics, and stating that instead of 58, the working men affected by these returns amount to 226. The petitioners prayed for inquiry. THE CATTLE PLAGUE. Mr. H. LEWIS asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he had received information that the provinces of Friesland and Groningen were en tirely free from the Rinderpest ; and, if so, whether it was his intention to take steps to modify the existing restric tions on the importation of cattle and sheep from those provinces. Sir G. GREY said that representations had been made to the Privy Council that the cattle plague had greatly decreased in the places referred to, and asking that the strict regulations with respect to importation might be relaxed ; but before any step was taken it would be right to make inquiry whether the places from which cattle might be brought were also free for discussion. MIXED MARRIAGES. Mr. DA "VSON asked the hon. and learned member for Sligo whether in the Marriages (Ireland) (No. 2) Bill to be read a second time upon T ues d ay, Ist May, any provision was contained which would legalise the celebration of marriage between two Protestants by a clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church ? - Sergeant ARMSIRONI3 said the bill did not interfere with the law as it existed with respect to marriages of two Protestants by a Roman Catholic. THE REFORM BILL—THE ADJOURNED DEBATE. The adjourned debate on the second reading of the Re form Bill was resumed this evening by Viscount CRANBOURNE who commenced his observa tions by condemning the speech delivered by the Chan cellor of the Exchequer at Liverpool, and denied that it was fair to impute to members of his side opinions in aversion to the working classes, He was quite aware when the Ministry had nothing to say in favour of the bill it was very easy to shower dirt over its supporters, and this course had been most unscrupulously adopted. He felt they had beard in that house two much about the working man, as if he was different from other persons, and he could not understand how their nature, for better or worse, should be considered better than others. He said their nature not their temptations, and the election committee that had been sitting proved that the possession of the franchise was looked upon by many as a saleable commodity, and to give this power to persons who might bo tempted was scarcely wise or prudent. He did not say that the rich were free from vices, because they were not, but the temptation to the humbler possessor of the franchise was far more dangerous, because the offer of a bribe of £2O or £3O was a circum stance which it would be scarcely possible for many of the humble class to withstand. Various party tactics had taken place during the progress of the discussion, but he believed that the last move of the Government was to announce from the mouth of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that they would proceed with the Distribution of Seats Bill part passu with the Refcrm Bill. He did not think that such an announcement would answer much, because it was decidedly opposed to the announcement he had made in introducing the bill. But, be the matter what it may, he did not like to see unnecessary humiliation, and if the Chancellor of the Exchequer did take this course it would be a piece of useless humiliation. It was painful at any time to see a man eat dirt, but when any one did so uselessly it was most pitiable ; and if the move he had al luded to was to be played, he warned the right honour able gentleman it would fail, because he would not secure one additional vote by such a party move. The Government said they would take the bill for the redistribution of seats pan passu, which part passu the Reform Bill would meet one after the other, but what they on his side of the house wanted was, that they should proceed with the two matters at the same time, and in the same bill. (Hear.) Until you know out of which of the constituencies you were going to take the persons to whom the franchise was granted hcw was the house to know whether they were fit for the privilege or not. He could not agree at all in the arguments of the hon. mem ber for Westminster, because he ,never attempted to show that the bill as it now stood would not give a pre pondemnce to the working classes. Th e very stone o f a ll ref od by thewnaesopierectponderan htn. Preponderance and yet this had been entirely m , bor. It had been said that his party were not the proper persons to arrange the re-distributio n o f seats, d i because they were not in a position t o grapple with question—pir. BRIGHT here interrupted th e noble lord ) with the observation, " You might dest ro y it"j —that might be the opinion of the hon. member for Birmingham, but this he k new , th a t if it was left to the ho n . member who had interrupted him, the result would be that democratic power would b e th e only thing left in the c oun t ry. hear, and cheers.) He should like to know u p on what ' ground the bill was urged through the house • he denied there was a necessity for it ; but he was told ' that it was urged on solely on pledges—that the house was pledged toref (Hear.) `there was the pledge? What was th t e h p t e n d l t ie ? The e o c hes subject bu but pledge, as far as he collect, was simply had been mentioned in two or three Queen's,le set downie not the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he thou s exactly the person to be bound by what was Queen's speeches. The house was told that if they passed in the bill they would hear no more about Reform for x 20 or 30 years, but the Reform Bill of 1832 was statedetnoebt• final measure, and the present bill would be about as final as that was. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He knew the opinion of the hon. member for Westminster on prope r ty and landlords, the ]tttar of whom ho had wr i tten that they might be discarded at any time. In the bill wherever you go you find concealment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer would not tell the house where the first blood was to come from, and the Loa. member for Westminster would not tell them what sort of measures the new Parliament would pass. 'He for one desired to know what he was going to vote for before he voted. (Hear, hear.) He was not going to ,speculate in reform, and the house, in his opinion, had 'the courage to vote honestly. The Government was offering an indignity to the house in the course they were pursuing. They were attempting to break and bend down the independence of Parliament, and, therefore, their first duty to their country was to resist it to the utmost of their power. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Colonel GROSVENOR said he intended to give his sup port to the Government. [LEFT SPEAKING.] LONDON GAZE T TE..—This Evening. - - FOREIGN-OFFICE, APRIL 24. The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint George Lenox-Conyngham, jun., Esq., now a Third Secre tary, to be a Second Secretary in her Majesty's Diploma tie Service. APRIL 25. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. L. F. Power as Consul at Gibraltar for his Majesty the King oi the Netherlands. The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr. James William Musson as Consul for the Bermuda Islands fcr the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg. DOWNING-STREET, APRIL 26. The Queen has been pleased to appoint Captain Ame lius Beauclerk Fyers, RE., to be Surveyor-General for the Island of Ceylon. CROWN-OFFICE, APRIL 25. MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PRESENT PARLIAMENT. Borough of Cambridge—John Eldon Gorst, Esq., in the room of William Forsyth, Esq., whose election for the said borough has been determined to be void. ADMIRALTY, APRIL 25. Commander George Annesley Phayre has been pro moted to be a Retired Captain under Orders in Council of Ist August, 1860, 9th July, 1864, and 24th March, 1863. Thomas Owen Joynson, Esq., was promoted to the rank of paymaster in her Majesty's Fleet on the 16th instant. - Aim', 26. Mr. William Pratt has this day been promoted to the rank of First Class Assistant Engineer in her Majesty's Fleet, with seniority of April 20, 1866. Mr. Ivie Alex. Cooper has this day been promotedto the rank of First Class Assistant Engineer in her Majesty' Fleet, with seniority of March 19, 1866. COURSE OF EXCHANGE--This Evening. Amsterdam Short. 11 16 11 17 Ditto 3 Months. 11 19! 12 0 Rotterdam Antwerp — 25 421 25 47 Brussels Hamburg Paris Short 25 10 25 20 Ditto 3 Months. 25 371 25 421 Marseilles Frankfort on the Maine —119 k Vienna. — 10 85 10 90 Trieste — 10 85 10 95 Petersburgn - 281 281 Berlin Madrid Cadiz Leghorn Milan Genoa Naples 46i 47' 47/ 47/ 26 26 o 26 26 5 25 92/ ' 26 10 26 26 5 Foreign Mail Packet List +-- MAILS DUE. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton May 2Q Ditto, via Marseilles May 14 Brazil and Cape Verde. by British packet May 4. Ditto. by French packet Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena May 25. China , Penang. and Singapore, via Southampton May 3 Ditto, via Plarseilles April 27 Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton April 2F. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton May 3 Ditto, via Marseilles India (Bombay), via Southampton April 28 Ditto, via Marseilles Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton April 28. Ditto, via Marseilles April 27. irlauritius, via Southampton Ditto, via Marsethe 3. May 8 Newfoundland Portugal Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon.. United States and British North America, by Bri tish packet Ditto. by United States packet, via Southamp ton Ditto. via Cork Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry.. April 27. West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas and Honduras) April 29 Cuba and Mock* April 21 Bahamas, via New York. May 3. Bermuda, via Halifax May 9. Vest Coast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe „May 13 WRECK OF A LIVERPOOL STEAMER.—A telegram was received in Liverpool yesterday from Cadiz, announc ing that on Wednesday afternoon the steamer Nile (Capt. Horsfall), stranded off Trafalgar. The vessel was herself full of water. The crew had failed to laud at Couil on ac count of the surf, and had been taken to Cadiz, where they arrived on the 25th. The Nile was a steamer plying be tween Liverpool and Alexandria, and belonged to Messrs. Moss and Co., Liverpool. All the officers and crew were saved. The Rev. J. Young, M.A., succeeds the Rev. J. Keble as the vicar of Hursley, Hants. There has been very little business transacted in the Foreign and Colonial Produce Markets during the last few days. Sugars have been in very limited request, and no public sales have been held. Coffee in some instances has sold at rather lower prices, while in rice, fruit, and spices the operations have led to no material alteration as regards values. Tallow has been in fair demand at steady rates for both present and foward delivery. THE POWER OF STEAM.-- The South-Western Railway Company now possess a monster engine which has been named the Colossus. It has been built to draw a train of 80 loaded waggons 80 miles in three hours, each loaded waggon weighing about 10 tons. It can drag nearly 1,000 tons from London to Southampton with almost the speed of a bird flying. RACING. FIXT RES FOR 1866. Y. West Drayton Manchester Wye Paris Ascot Summer Ascot Spring.,.. 1 Salisbury ..., B Bath 8 York Spring • 10 Harpenden lO Epsom Summer l5 Windsor Summer 5 Newton Hampton : 7 Odiham Beverley l3 . Bibury l3 Stockbridge Chelmsford l9 Liverpool Summer Ipswich Hungerford Newcastle on-Tyne 26 Worcester Carlisle Newmarket July Pontefract Abingdon Reading Nottingham ' Down Royal Corp lB Stamford l9 Radcliffe 23 Spilsby Winchester 24 Southampton 25 Huntingdon Caen Goodwood 3l Deauville Brighton 7 Brighton Club Lewes lO Egham l4 Wolverhampton l4 Stockton l5 Oxford l6 Hastings 2l UST. York August 2l Dover 23 Plymouth Lichfield Tunbridge 2B Y armou th I Derby Summer ' 29 Weymouth 29 Baden Baden 31 ;MBER. Richmond I Monmouth Manchester Autumn 2l Newmarket Ist October 25 Walsall )BER. SEPT: Warwick September 4 Leicester 6 Doncaster Brecon l7 Canterbury lB Bedford Northampton 2 Royal Caledonian Hunt and Kelso Newmarket2d October.— 8 Newmarket Houghton ... 22 IRISH RACING FIXTURES. APRIL. Cork MAY. Curragh Baldoyle Spring B, 9 I JUNE. Curragh ` ) 6, 27, 28, 29 JULY. Carlow SEPTEMBER. C arragh ____ ______ 4, 5, 6 OCTOBER. Curragh l6, 17 11 FRENCH RACING FIXTURES. Bruxelles 3, 6 M I AY Vissembourg ............. . 21 Chantilly (Derby) 6, 10, 13 Parisr(Sunmer) 2o, 27 " Marche 21 1381 8 5 7 fi 8 27j 21 i 631 :331 4 2i 123 j 21 1091 IC4 I 31 103} 21i i 2} rrir.s. AUG OCT , IMPERIAL PARLIAMENi HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Croydon Commercial Gas, North Eastern Railway (new line), South Staffordshire Water, North Eastern, and Yorkshire (Dur ham new line, &c.), North Eastern Railway (Yorkshire now line), South Staffordshire Works, and the Sheffield Water. SALE OF LAND BY AUCTION BILL. Lord ST. LEONARDS, in moving that the house should go into committee on this bill, explained some of the leading provisions of the bill. Ile contended that the law as it stood at present required revision, as it inflicted much hardship. After some discussion, the bill went through committee, ❑nd was ordered for third reading. POOR PERSONS BURIAL (IRELAND) BILL. This bill was read a second time. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COAIMONS—LAST EVENING. The SPEAKE R took the chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed:— Brighton and Hove General Gas ; Bristol rind Exeter Rail way ; Congleton Gas and Improvement ; Glasgow Houses of Refuge; Maidstone and Ashford Railway; Metropolitan District Railway ; presteign, Clun, and Bishops Castle Railway; and W orcester, Bromyard, and Leominster Rail way. WINDSOR ELECTION. The report of the committee appointed to try the merits of a petition against the sitting members, Sir H. Hoare and Idr. Labouchere, was brought P. It stated that the two hon. members were not duly elect e d, and that they had, by knowledge their agents, been guilty of bribery, b u t not w i th their . WRECK OFF CORK -HARBOUR. In reply to Mr. MAGUIRE, of thet had Mr. M. GIBSON said the attention of the Government had not recently been calle d to the wreck of t New York, now on Daunt Rock, off Cork Harb our , I t of been, however, brought to the attention vernment about a year ago. The Government hacl no official notice of another casualty taking place at the same spot in consequence of the wreck. The power of the Government to compel the owner to remove the wreck was doubtful. The Board of Trade and the Trinity were not authorised to remove sunken vessels, but to lay down buoys. The Government intended to take steps to obtain the power they were at present without. ___ CHURCH RATES. Lord JOHN MANNERS asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he had prepared amendments to the bill for the abolition of church rates; and, if so, when he proposed to lay them upon the table of the house. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said his suggestion, on the second reading, had been embodied with clearness, and before they were brought under the consi deration of the house, they would be submitted to the hon. member for Bury St. Edmunds. ST. PANCRAS BURIAL GROUND. Mr. MEVOY asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was aware that the Midland Rail way Company, having obtained an act (27 and 28 Vic., c. 231) which by its 23d section allowed them to pass a tun nel under the old churchyard of St. Pancras (a closed burying ground) were about to make an open cutting through said churchyard, thereby disturbing the tombs and bodies; and whether Government would interfere to protect the place from such desecration. Sir G. GREY said inquiry had been made, and it ap peared the railway was to be made in a tunnel twelve feet below, and the upper cutting was to be made to construct the tunnel. The trustees had refused to sanction the opening of the ground, and certain arrangements had been made with the company, to whose proposals they acquiesced. THE REFORM BILL. Mr. FERRAN') asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he would pledge himself to withdraw the six teenth clause, disfranchising the dockyard electors, in the event of the Representation of the People Bill being read a second time. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it would be premature for him to answer the question before the second reading had been decided. OYSTER FISHING. Mr. S. CAVE asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether it was true that the Customs authorities of New Shoreham had strict orders to seize and destroy all oysters brought into that port from the deep sea beds between the 30th April and Ist September, but that no such orders had been issued in respect of ports north of the North Foreland ; and in fact oysters taken from the same beds were landed from these ports during the above period ; if so on what principle this distinction was made, as the words of the Act 18 and 19 Vie., c. 101, s. 2, empowered officers of the Customs to seize " any oysters imported into or landed in any port of the United Kingdom." Mr. GIBSON said it was quite true, as stated by the hon. gentleman, but it was solely for the purpose of the Act of Parliament being put in force which prohibited the importation of oysters during the close months between May and August. JLDGES IN IRELAND. Mr. WHITESIDE asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, having regard to the amount of business in the Landed Estates Court, Ireland, it was intended to fill the pace of third judge, now vacant in that court by the death of the late Judge Hargraves? Mr. a FORTESCUE said it was not intended to fill up he vacancy caused by the death of Judge Hargraves. ITALIAN VOLUNTEERS. Mr. H. SEYMOUR asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if her Majesty's Government had re ceived any information with regard to the alleged raid of Italian volunteers on the Austrian territory; and whether it had anything to do with the temporary refusal of the Emperor of Austria to receive Count Arese and Signor Venosta ? Mr. L IYARD said the Government had reason to be lieve that the whole matter was unfounded. No informa tion on the subject had been received. THE BUDGET. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said as ii was intended to finish the debate on the Reform Bill to morrow evening, he should, on Thursday next, bring for ward his financial statement. THE REFORM BILL.—ADJOURNED DEBATE. Mr. LOWE roseand said—As we are now on the second reading of the bill for the purpose of reducing the electoral franchise it is not inopportune to ask what is the principle of the bill. (Hear, hear.) Our information upon this subject at the present moment is very meagre. (Hear, hear.) We have learnt from my right hon. friend the President of the Board of Trade that the principle of this bill is to reduce the franchise;and we have learnt from the Solicitor-General for Scotland, as I understood, that the principle of the bill is to fill upwith figures two blanks, which the Government propose to fill up with £7 and £l4 respectively, but which we can fill up withany number we think proper. These are the rather shady-colouredviews which have been imparted to us on this important question. I submit that they neither of them answer the question at all, because the principle of a bill does not mean the scope and tenor of the bill, it does not mean the thing the bill professes to do, but the ground or reason on which it is based, and upon that, as far as I am aware, her Majesty's Government have been entirely silent. I can only imagine two grounds on which this bill can be proposed to the house, this bill for lowering the elec toral franchise. The first of those grounds is, that the franchise ought to be given for its own sake ; and the se cond is that it is the means for obtaining some ulterior ob ject. Which of these two is the principle of the bill ? The first principle has at any rate the merit of extreme simpli city, and those who profess it are very little troubled either with proof or investigation. According to their theory, all they have to find is a person fitted to have the electoral franchise—and they are not very particular in exacting proof of fitness, nor very strict in the presumptions which they apply to it—and that having that person tie giving of the franchise to him follows as a matter of immediate and cogent necessity. According to this view this is not a ques tion of politics at all. It is a question of morality, of right and wrong. It is a debt, to use the words of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and when you find a man presumably fit, or whom you choose to consider fit, for the franchise,accord ing to this view you are as much bound to give it him asyou are to pay your own ordinary debts, and that to deliberate about it is as much an act of turpitude as to deliberate when you will pay your creditors. Thus all those citizens who are not admitted to the franchise become creditors of t the state, and every day, and every hour, you withhold it from them is, according to this view,, wrong accumulatedopro Upon wrong, a denial of justice, a disgrace and is iV view brium to those who act in this manner. That toow whether that may be taken. It is very important it is the view on which this bill isugehrtittfosoirtwhaarsd;ebnetcnsye it is a view which, whatsoever other e e l i u ti d ie e r s flanieystshoinhgiglhikoerresianskosn so o r a rgutruhoulant o f arguments pttnoidit,icbs apostles is of a new t it foinlar p , s e s a ib r l .) e It to dreeaaltwpihthuoistobpyh argument.philosophers—they tsy tnissoTy.fhabo:lsone:sowst Inspired propound odlay doi vn i t th m is ay do be e_ g ey religion of humanity. usingythhee artother (Conservative chee • doc trine ne t doctrineshe y ar w e not ithi politicians , rs,an j 3Telhoysnemoi oranaycr,eeotnohret i evrircot s T o h f e t y h am; have u e m r i s e t a k fallacyen the h e a m n e d a n t s h e f o r u g l t t ohoesext attainp:nebrd a: t i he d s ee ofin ftetr, that t t tbehecaeuiescetwivee allfra franchise e e is f a ro g m oo o d u t r hi l n on g end of good g overnment, that, therefore, it is necessarily a good thing in itself. They have this great advantage, as all enthusiasts, all persons believing in immediate intuition, establishing arbitrary connection of ideas have over those who are not so fortunate, that they entirely emancipate themselves from the necessity of looking to conse4uences. (Cheers.) They are free altogether from those complicated, those troublesome, and embarrassing contemplations of the future effects of their measures. They divest their minds altogether froth these things, and fall back 91Z the principle that if the thing be right in itself why embarrass it With consequences? That is one view of the quostion. The second view is a much humbler one, but I believe very "etch sounder—not a sounder principle of the bill, but a sounder doctrine to maintain—and that is that the franchise, ono class classes, f e ) ns , b t oa a finn order over obtained)— expedi ency, another ) e1 p. in x vP the endt like every oth er po li t i cal expedient, is a means to an end(that end, lik e o th er political action, being the greatest good that ne can re b eahnnicys p r i n c i ple , y , country g o predominance to k e ep g k o v e 1 i e p ,ct,hh m eoa g o v e rnment, ,s tyranny pre. of told is not one o f th e British constitution, and I will, therefore, of with the permi ss i on of the house, refer to a few words of the preamble of the s t atute, the 7th of Henry VI. This is the first statute, as far as I sin aware, that contains any declara tion with regard to e l ectoral right; and has allusion to th e body from which the kni g ht s of the shire were elected. By that act it was determined th a t "no man shall h a v e a vote fur a knight of the shire unless h o b e possessed of a free hold amounting in value to 40s. an nually. " Look at the principle here laid down. In the first pla ce i t recites that too reee.T i great a number of people have been involved in the right of election. That is the danger—the too great size of electoral districts, so as to make them unwieldly. In the next place, it contemplates the fact that a class may be swamped by am:J . - ther class of less importance aud of less weig,ht in the country and, in the third place, it establishes that a voter ought to possess a certain qualification —a principle embodied in the doctrine that the franchise ought not necessarily to be given to any man not qualified for it, or to any man unfit for it. (Hear, hear.) So that the vote isnot to be referred merely to the fitness of the person on whom it is proposed to confer it, but we ought so to deal with the question that no single class should be allowed to swamp another. (Hear, hear.) The same authority lays down this second ground, that how ever we may differas to the quantum of the franchise, we ha.ve a common ground of argument, and if that be so it may not be impossible to arrive at some sort of compromise. As to the advocates of the first principle there is no common ground of reasoning, and no man who holds the theory that everything in politics must be referred to the safety andgood government of the state; can agree with the Under Secre tary of State (Mr. Layard) that it is better to be governed less effectually by a largo representative body than more efficiently by a small representative body. (Cheers from the Opposition.) Which of these principles does the bill go upon? To ascertain this you must ask what the bill will do ? What will be the number of persons enfranchised under this bill? If we know that, then we know the manner in which these di mo o n u it n y de o r n s os ta s n io. d ne b d y it. But numbers will be distributed ;we then have data up to which give, either according owsetean argue as to what her Majesty's Government intend franchised, or t( and therefore • tot h ß e u t G I e a , v m e r n m m e e t n t here h Government —( hear, the it e a g o ' el t impossibleb ~manneriiht to theif n o forme which t : ioel number tof guide fe pe will h siol e ln v sb o te t : I b h e a e v e e from us information distri buted. , and to chooses to with hold(Hear, hear.) con clusion without it. Wahferanoto his to bi d ll irect us to come to a hiso bill brought in, it was and the Chanc e llor n a strange ri ra n ti ciple of which intended to be merely s, fore b r e - the press of the change. That was satisfactory. But of the Exchequer, acting upon I never heard, in order to assist our dale) fore us statistics of what might be exp ected to and certain members of this house, bore do wn upon the Government, and they began to slide. First of all, the Chancellor of the Exchequer declined to lay on the t a bl e a bill for the redistribution of seats ; but ultimately h e said he would lay such a bill upon the table ; and then, advanc ing another step, growing bolder the further he went, he said he would proceed with the bill upon the t able,,a nd ho laid down a formula, that when they had laid before the house the two parts of the bill, they would be prepared to stand or fall by it. (Hear.) Well, then, thewhole question becomes changed. When the Government made up their minds to bring in a Redistribution of Seats Bill the obvious course would have been to withdraw the Franchise Bill and bring in the additional measure, so that the two might be considered together. (Hear, hear.) Plain, downright common sense could see no other course. Self-love and pride, and a number of other things, caused the Govern ment to desire to appear to concede as little as possible. So the challenge they made was one by which they deter mined to put the Administration in jeopardy because of the bill. I never heard or read of any conduct on the part of the Government so utterly irrational and unintelligible. (Cheers from the Opposition.) Until we know the distribution of seats we do not know the number of persons to be brought into the constituency. If you take the borough seats, there is one which many people would prefer to take rather than any other. (Laughter.) And sup pose you were to transfer the rig ht of returnin g a member from it to a constituency, say in Lancashire, if you did that you would not merely be transferring political power from one body of men to another, but you would bo enfranchis ing a great number of men of the class of £7 householders who up to this time have never enjoyed political existence of any such kind. Before we make such a change we ought to know the number of persons to bo enfranchised and the proposed distribution of seats. (Hear, hear.) The hon. member for Birmingham says that you might establish universal suffrage, and yet that you might continue to neu tralise its effect so as to make the representation less popular than it was before. We are ignorant at present of what is proposed to be the second part of the Government measure, and, therefore, we do not know in the least what the effect of the whole change is likely to be. It is quite right that in a matter of great Imperial policy, on which it is desirable that certain information should be kept secret, the Govern ment should call upon their supporters, and even upon the Opposition, to trust them. But in this case important infor mation is kept back apparently from mere wantonness. (Cheers.) It seems as though it were a trial of power, in order to see whether the Government can make the House of Commons pass under the yoke or not. It seems to be their desire to see whether they can exhibit us t d h e o gr f e n e di o g f n i f n ty di o g f n h it s y v ( in h g ea s r, g h r e e n a r t ). pa W rt e o h f p b be o e n v f s s u i o b n j s e c o t f e d t h t e o to the count r y as p ersons content to be treated with this a th v e e bill concealed from us until we have given a vote upon the subject. (Hear.) Look at the language that was used by the Chancellor of the E xchequer whe n h e spo k e at Liverpool. He said he knew the people with whom he had to deal. Was that the sort of language that ought to have been used ? It seemed to indicate that the House of Commons was better known than trusted. (Cheers, and laughter.) Then let me refer to the language of my right hon. friend the President of the Board of Trade, who avowed that the Government 'Wanted to bring in the mea sure in such a way that the House of Commons should be compelled to pass it. Was that respectful to the House of Commons ? If you were dealing with a horse, and were trying to discover whether it was a roarer or not (great laughter)—l could undershirt(' your getting iu into one cor ner of the stable and giving it a sharppunch to see whether it would grunt. (Renewed laughter.) But the commons of England are not exactly the class of people to be_ treated in this manner. (Hear, hear.) Then, again, look at the lan guage of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Goschen), who observed, " Some people say that we have divided the bill into two parts, but we thought we could not carry the whole; but we thought we could carry it in two halves, and therefore have acted as we have done." There fore, on the one part there is an attempt to force us, andou the other there is a desire to take us in. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) It is possible that the two parts of this bill, pre sented separately, may amount to more than would have been obtained if they bad been presented in the first in stanceGg r o e v a e t r n advantages h i o s f h h o a n v s i e n g i s t h t h e a l t e a t h d i e n y g o m w e e m a as a whole. It has also been said by Halla m th a t o b n e r e s ) o f f t t h h e e double allegiance—one, as leading members of tke Govern ment to this house, and the other to the Crown ; and that, while not wanting in d u ty t o th e one, they will not be wanting in respect to the other. Mr. Hallam was a very good historian, but he was not a good prophet. (Hear.) If he had lived to this time he might have seen that, while allegiance might be shown to the Crown, there might also exist the desire to humiliate and degrade this house in the eyes of the country. (Loud cheers.) I might here quote, with slight alteration, an old epigram— " Whatever the pain may cost, It is time we should say each adieu, For your confidence in us is lust, And we have not sufficient in you . " (Loud laughter.) That is a remarkable position, and very f t e h w e C m h e a n nee co l n lo t r ri o v f e t t h o e Egextchiengto it twice in the ir lives. But When the right hon. gentle he proposed a ref orm to Tonie li j oy u e t d a t s h a L t h o a r p d pin li e i gs ser h . Commissioner Extraordinary to the an Islands, and .. Exchequer ha: the Chambers of the lonian Islands, and ono part of the Government of Lor d D erby, that reform was that the powers of the Lord hi g h Commis sioner should be defined by an act of the assembly, ing and arbitrary, but and they were very sweeP the right hon. be e • gen tl e man said there must exceptions, and that excep tion must be that all the powers that her Majesty exerc ise she might might choose to o. do b (Laughter-) Then, as was urged b Y order in council. member for King's Lynn (Lord St y my noble friend the admit that we ought to have e Stanley), the Government to us before we go into co extra information furnished prodace it immediately if committee, and they promise to and yet they refuse to • the bill be read a second time, corner." It is a task worthy it us until they "get us into a Chancellor of the vorthy of the subtle genius of the is so estranged Exchequer to show us that this informa tionnot necessary to be consideredfromthe principle of the bill that it is second reading of the bill. Butbdton the question of the tsarily this knowledge is neces intertwined with the proper consideration of the bill at this stage, why is it not communicated to us before we go into committee? (Hear, hear.) We are told rumours are abroad, l and perhaps we must not be unwilling t o be ieve them, though I think the Government have gone far enough in conceding what is to be done after the second reading, but I am told that we are to be offered one more concession, and that, if we will only con descend to give the Chancellor of the Exchequer a victory over us, when we get into committee the two bills shall advance pari passu. (H e ar, hear.) Wo u ld ft show that you were properly treated? would it show that you were doing your duty to the Government and to your constituents, would it show that you were acting worthily of the dignity of this great assembly, and consistently with the pelations between this house and the executive Govern ment--(hear)- to allo w a proposition of this sort to be broached at the last moment, when it would be too late to reply ?—(loud cheero—and I beg hon. membsrs to Observe th i n b e f ore it is tin We l and if they do e 0 they will *II Share ;NO 100 100 all 100 100 190 100 100 1( 0 100 100 49 I