The Sun. — London, England, 1865-12-19 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND• (From the Correspondent of the Times.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. The Government proclamation of last month de claring the West Coast war at an end has unfortu nately not only been treated with contempt by the natives, to whom it granted a general amnesty, but they have treacherously murdered the agents em ployed in its circulation. On the 21st September a native policeman named Kereti was despatched by Brigadier-General Waddy to the Waitotara tribe. Kereti, who himself belonged to that tribe, made the assembled natives acquainted with the fact of the issue of a peace proclamation, and the Governor's intention to send copies if they felt inclined to receive them. On their professing themselves anxious that copies should be sentKereti returned to the Wereroa redoubt to report progress, and set off next morning with a full supply. He bad hardly got out of sight when the report of firearms was heard, and on Col. Trevor despatching a party to his relief he was found stripped of his clothes and with six bullets in his body. He survived two days and was able to name his murderers. At the same time that Kereti started on his first errand, another messenger (a released prisoner named Tarin) started with a bundle of the proclamations in another direction, and was nearly meeting with a similar fate. For some time it was discussed whether he should be shot or sent as a prisoner inland, but eventually the influence of a couple of th e principal chiefs prevailed over the voices of the mob, and Tarin was sent back, proclamations and all. It would have been thought that there could be no mistake in interpreting the temper of the rebels when they deliberately committed such outrages as these on their own relative and friend ; but the events of the next week furnished another instance of that blind confidence which still induces many of those who have known the natives long to ignore the change which Hau-hauism has made in their charac ter and conduct. - Towards the endof September some natives planted a white flag in the neighbourhood of a military post at Patea, with a letter apparently requesting a friendly interview (face to face, voice to voice") ; whereupon Brigadier-General Waddy at once sent Mr. C. W. Broughton, interpreter to the forces, to ascertain what it was they wanted. On Saturday, the 30th, Mr. Broughton, accompanied by an officer and a friendly native, reached •the trysting-place, and were there met by a rebel bearing a white flag, who asked them to visit the natives at their village, a little way further inland. Recognising him as hav ing been apprehended some time ago for horse steal ing, Mr. Broughton distrusted his representations and refused to go unless he firstfetched an old native friend named Ruka, known to be living there. Ruka was accordingly fetched, the rebels at the same time endeavouring to remove any lurking feeling of dis trust by hoisting a large white flag on a very con spicuous hill. Ruka gave assurances of safety, and intimated that the rebels were desirous of receiving information about the peace proclamation, of which they had casually heard. Mr. Broughton felt no hesitation about going on himself, but at the urgent request of the friendly native who had accom panied him from the camp he determined to wait until next morning. Early next day several of the rebels came down to invite Mr. Broughton up. Among them were some who were personally known to him, but as Ruka was not one of them he re fused to go. Ruka was again sent for, and came with fresh assurances of safety. There were many circumstances calculated to excite suspicion, and Mr. Broughton's European and native companions both endeavoured to dissuade him from venturing. He, however, requested them to return to the Patea camp, and, expressing his confidence that all was right, accompanied Ruka and the other rebels to their village. On the following morning about 7 o'clock three shots were heard, a red flag was at the same time hoisted at the spot to which Mr. Broughton had gone, and shortly afterwards the white flag on the bill was hauled down. That he was purposely entrapped and murdered there can be no doubt. Attempts have since been made to com municate with the natives concerned, but in vain ; and they have shot one of the Military Train Corps. The Colonial Government, immediately on hear of Kereti's murder, issued a notice offering a reward of £l,OOO for any one of the three natives implicated, and an additional £lOO for each of the other two. A similar reward will probably be issued relative to to the murder of Mr. Broughton as soon as it is ab solutely known that such is a fact. Anywhere else than in New Zealand the troops would have at once been put in motion, and condign punishment at tempted; but here the rule has hitherto been to treat such outrages as mere episodes—almost as mere matters of course. There is reason, however, to hope that such is not in this instance to be the case. The Governor was desirous of immediately proceed ing to Wanganui to concert measures with Briga dier-General Waddy ; but, as General Chute was daily expected, it was deemed better that his Excel lency should wait his arrival. The General arrived on the Bth inst., and the most frank explanations and cordial desires for mutual support have taken place on all sides. Three days ago the Native Minister announced that military movements in con nexion with the late murders were on the Lapis, and if ever a commander is called upon to show the stuff he is made of it must be on such an occasion as this, where Government agents are entrapped and shot down in the manner in which Mr. Brough ton and Kereti have been. Colonel Gorton, of the Wanganui Militia, immediately on receiving the news offered to head a volunteer expedition, but Brigadier-General Waddy considered his instructions did not warrant his sanctioning any other than defensive measures. Whether Gen. Chute will alter this miserable state of things re mains to be seen, but whether he does so or not the feeling is little short of universal that we are on the eve of a war of utter extermination throughout the whole of the Ngatiruanui country. Even the Abo rigines' Protection Society must admit that further trifling with such vagabonds can do no good. The only effect of the late act of leniency—the issue of a general amnesty—i s to excite the contempt of friends as well as foes. The friendly natives see with considerable surprise that every proclamation is more and more favourable than the one that pre ceded it, and I am serious in sayi ng that there is a conviction in the minds of many of them that if the rebels continue to hold out they Will get all th e i r confiscated lands returned and seed potatoesinto the bargain. When the troops do go, and the wecoolrk willenists are allowed to fight as they please, short be made with the West Coast rebels. Great as is the indignation of the colonists, I understand that no one feels more indignant than does the Native Minister. For years Mr. Fitz gerald has manifested a chivalry on behalf of the rebellious natives detrimental in the highest de gree to that influence in the State which his brilliant abilities would otherwise have given him. His accession to office two months since was at first regarded with no little dismay, and was tolerated only because the Weld Ministry was sufficiently strong t o d o w h a t i t p l ease d w i t h ou t r i s k. It wa s, however, hoped that the responsibility of office would render Mr. Fitzgerald's views less visionary, and the hop e was soo n His moderati on in found to be well grounded. office has, with, perhaps, one or two exceptions, been most marked, and now the murder of his messengers carrying his peace proc lamations has opened Mr. Fitzgerald's eyes more thoroughly than any one had ant i c i pate d . A few days m ore, and m os t persons feel convinced that, so far, at least, as the rebellious Ngatiruanuis are concerned, his policy will be the exact converse of his hitherto favourite axiom, " The w e C v i r e r c , u p m r s o tbaanbel eys,l3etnobe presently narrated, have, brou g ht mightier than the sword." is his official career prematurely to a close. The news from the East Coast, although of an en tirely cheering character, is soon told. At Waipu Major Frazer's volunteer party has been reinforced, but some ugly pahs stop the way, and the want of artillery is seriously felt. At Opotoki the colonial forces, whose arrival and early success I mentioned in Et Postscript last month, have completely cleared the coast country, driving the Volkner-murdering rebels before them. The skirmishing (for it has been little more) does not present points of interest requiring detail, while our casualties have been con- fined to Captain Percy and one or two privates wounded. Upwards of 100 of the Whakatane na tives have voluntarily submitted, and, a 3 tley sur rendered all their arms, it may safely le assumed they are in earnest, otherwise scarcely anything will induce the nativesto give up more than an old worn- out musket or two. None of the murderers of Mr. Volkner or of Mr. Fulloon have yet been captured, but they are known to be still in the neighbour hood. In the Opotoki district, as in that of Waipu, pahs are springing up which will try the mettle of the forces. Matters are quiet at the Waikatoi and there is nothing new from Taranaki. In political circles the absorbing event is the re signation of the Weld Ministry, which took place on the 12th inst. When the Assembly opened, 11 weeks ago, the Opposition was of the most weak and desultory character ; but in some measure, from that want of tact which so often accompanies strong Ministries, the Opposition has gradually made head, or, more properly speaking, Mr.Weld's supporters have one by one dropped off into what are called the independent ranks, until the position of the Ministry had become one of sufferance. Although the policy of self-reliance--i.e, the de- pendenee on a purely colonial force—had been and still is much applauded in sentiment, yet, as it be came daily reduced to money figures, much of its roseate hue has faded away. The long unmarketable character of New Zealand loans has brought about temporary financial difficulties in several of the Southern Provinces, and every shilling of revenue is consequently wanted by them. The reduction of the proportion of the Customs' revenue hitherto granted to all the Provinces, which will more or less cripple the whole of them, was, perhaps, not unnaturally a very unpopular step for Mr. Weld's Government to take at such a juncture. Then came the conaidera- tion of Militia, Volunteer, and other Defence Bills, involving large expenditures, together with one authorising the imposition of £lOO,OOO or so of fresh ;taros in the ships of stamp dutie.s. Unpopular as measures for the increase of taxation always are he Assembly saw plainly that there was no help for t, as the large demands which the war is likely to make for a long time to come must be provided for in anticipation, even if only on the Statute. book. A proposal for fresh loans was out of the question, seeing that a million and a half of the last loan re mains hypothecated because the debentures cannot be sold at legitimate rates. There was, in fact, no other resource but the very business-like one of making the year's income pay tlie year's expenses. Bitter as the pill was (especially to Middle Island members) it had to be swallowed, and the Assembly was prepared to swallow it accordingly ; but, as Parliament expires in a couple of months, members have been anxious to put the best face on it, with a view to the coming election, by proposing and voting for all sorts of substitutes for the proposed taxation. With a good working majority, whenever it actually came to a pinch, Ministers found themselves daily embarrassed by propositions most inimical to their own policy, securing votes now of this and then of that section of their supporters ; the House all the while either mustering strongly in favour of the Government whenever the threat of resignation had to be held out, or else counselling the Opposition members to retire on a division. As a notable illustration of this I may mention that a few weeks ago a motion asking for information relative to the exemption of certain murderers from punishment by the peace proclamation was carried on the voices, but on the division the " ayes" walked out. The mem. bers left in the house being all on one side (that of the Government) no division could be recorded, and the motion was therefore decided in favour of the voices, and against the Ministry. This result was purely accidental, but Ministers determined to re- sign unless the vote was rescinded. Next day the vote was rescinded, several members reversing their opinions of the previous evening rather than the Government should go out. Ten days ago Mr. Cardwell's despatch of July 26 arrived, in which he holds out no hope of assistance in the shape of a guarantee to the remainder of the loan, a grant in aid of expenses, or in any other way whatever, leaving the colony to get out of the mess in the be& way it can. Ministers did not choose to ask the house to discuss this despatch ; they were prepared to accept the self-reliance it inculcated as soon as the Governor or general, or whoever is acting as the agent of the Imperial authorities, removed the troops, and there was to be an end of it so far as the house was concerned, except that it not only made taxation more inevitable than ever, but held out a prospect of its indefinite increase. Last Tuesday Ministers called their supporters together, and found that they could carry all their measures if their friends would but attend and vote any further fancy propositions. On that night Ministers were beaten in their opposition to a motion for adjourn ment, and were saved a defeat on the following evening only by the casting vote of the Speaker. They could stand this mode of conducting busi ness no longer, and, next day (the 12th) tendered their resignations. Mr. Stafford (who was Premier in Governor Browne's time) was immediately sent ; for, and is now engaged in endeavouring to form a new Administration. The difficulties in his way are very great, and he may not succeed, but, as his name has of late years been looked upon as a tower of strength to any Ministry he might join, it is thought that he will probably be successful, though certainly no other man could be. His chance mainly rests in the approaching general election, as some members with shaky seats will feel inclined to support him, in the near view of the huftings, who would not have done so otherwise, in the hope that a little claptrap on the taxation question may return them again. Allied closely to the Auckland section of the house, Mr. Stafford will necessarily seek the retention of as many of the Imperial troops as possible, and in this policy he will, no doubt, be backed by the Governor, if only for the reason I explained last month. An income-tax may, pro bably, be substituted for stamp duties; for, as Mr. , Stafford is one of the last men in the house, or out of it, to shrink from crushing the rebellion by the most vigorous means in his power, money must be raised in some way or other, especially as the Im perial Commissariat is stoutly kicking at making any further advances. In many respects, if not in most, Mr. Stafford's policy must tend in the same direction as Mr. Weld's. It will, however, be a matter of much regret to nearly all, the portions of the colony if the Weld Ministry have to go out at this crisis. It is regarded as able, honest, and hard working ; but these or any other qualifications seem insufficient to enable a New Zealand Ministry to re tain office more than a single session. We had changes i n 1861, 1862 , 1863 , 1864 , an d now aga i n in things ln must be obvious.B6s. The serio u s d raw b ac k o f suc h a s t a t e o f The ships Rob Roy and John Temperley carry away the 65th Regiment from Auckland this month. It has been a favourite regiment wherever it has been stationed, a n d a ll the North Island has a good have wo y been b es t owed by the last mail rd t Fouro c. sa .,s for it. on officers serving in New Zealand. A despatch from Lord De Grey was laid on the table early in the session, refusing the Victoria Cr oss to Min Heaphy, of the militia, for an act of conspicuous gallantry at the Wakaito in February, 1864 . The Governor had strongly recommended it, and as the militia was co-operating with the imperial troops, and the major's bravery was exhibited in saving the life of a wounded soldier, it was confidently hoped that the honour would be conferred. The refusal is grounded on the fact that Major Heaphy is only a colonist, and on the assumption that he would meet with a " substantial reward" in land. It is a pity that there should have been any comparison drawn between the relative value to a brave man of three pennyworth of bronze and a few dirty acres of waste land; but to insinuate that the latter were more highly prized than the former by men outside the imperial army was only adding insult to injury. Mr. Cardwell supports Lord De Grey's view. Imperial officers on retiring from the army to settle are al lowed by several of the provincial Governments handsome grants of land, but the militia are not ; yet none of us ever think of ascribing such sordid motives to gallant officers in her Majesty's service as Lord De Grey and Mr. Cardwell join in attribut ing to colonial braves. There are, however, prece dents for granting the Victoria Cross outside the imperial army and navy. Mr. R. C. Mangles, of the THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 19, 1865. Bengal Civil Service, received it for an act rendered in connection with the relief of Arrah on July 29th, 1857 ; and Mr. Patrick Kavanagh, also a civilian, was similarly rewarded for his services in carrying despatches from Lucknow in November of that year. There is a special star for India. Could not her Majesty be advised to create an order for dis tinguished civil and military services in the colo nies ? Its benefits would be very great here if in stituted at once. The goldfields on the West Coast of the Middle Island are yielding more and more abundantly, and the rush from Australia and all parts of New Zea land is increasing. The wrecks on that harbourless coast have been of almost every-day occurrence. Five years ago no one had crossed the Southern Alps, dividing the Eastern from the Western coasts of the Middle Island. There was a tradition that a party of natives had once attempted it and perished ; now diggers land at Canterbury, and travel overland by thousands. Bridle tracks have been cut by several routes, and a railway is seriously entertained. OCT. 15. The detention of the steamer by the Governor gives me the opportunity of setting doubts at rest in reference to Mr. Broughton's murder. The Go vernment have received information from the resi dent magistrate at Wanganui that a native has de posed to the facts. It appears that Mr. Broughton was brutally tomahawked on the Sunday afternoon almost as soon as he reached the village, and that his body was afterwards burnt. The three shots and the hoisting a red flag on Monday morning were intended as acts of defiance. Sad as it is to think of his fate, it is in some measure still more sad to think that up to this moment not a single step has been taken to avenge it. General Chute is not prepared to take the initiative of what may be extensive operations without the Governor's orders. The Governor is not prepared to issue any orders until his Ministry advise him. The Ministry are not prepared to advise his Excellency until the Assembly re-seats them or supplies their place, and the Assembly cannot do anything before Tuesday, the next sitting-day. Did any colony ever present such a series of complications as New Zealand is perpetually doing? Mr. Stafford has not yet formed his Ministry, and appears to be hard pushed to get presentable men. Mr. John Williamson, late Superintendent of Auckland, has consented to take charge of native affairs ; and Mr. Russell, the Defence Minister in the Whittaker-Fox Administration, has consented to fill the same office under Mr. Stafford. These are the only offices yet filled up ; both are good men. The other offices have been offered to the leading men in the Opposition ranks, but as yet without success. Should a " scratch" Ministry be formed with the intention to fill up with suitable men after the dissolution, it is the intention of Mr. Weld's supporters to refuse a vote of credit, and in that case, with the present state of Victoria in view, it is not thought possible that the Governor would grant an immediate dissolution. The supporters of Mr. Weld, alarmed at the consequences of their own supineness, are now clamorous for his return to office, and a meeting has been called for to-morrow with a view to decide on the course of action to be pursued should Mr. Stafford meet the house on Tues day as the head of the Government. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. " THE EXAMINER" ON KING LEOPOLD.-Consti- elude the remainder of his life, already more than half past, in the agreeable and peaceful abode he had inherited from his ancestors. Here and now, with his wife and numerous retainers upon whom to vent his ill-humour when he should begin to pine for past pleasures, he really began to live. His powers of observation were of the highest order, and had been judiciously exercised. Hitherto he had been in school. The time for medi- tation had now come, and he felt desirous of ascertaining what progress he had made. To the question, Que scais-je? he was continually asking himself, we have for answer the three books which form the famous " Essays." Montaigne is the type of every man of culture at a certain stage 1 of his development. He looked upon mankind, and chiefly upon himself, diversely; and the conclusion to which he came is the same as that to which others had come before. He thought all was vanity and vexation of spirit. Every one of us knows this ; but most of us desire to forget it, or will not remember it. Montaigne does not hide this from himself: He never gives himself the air of one who is going to reveal secrets. You want to know what is ? He can- not satisfy you. You must go to others '• he can, at the most, only tell you what is not. It is possible that all organisation is tending to perfection, but he does not know it. He is not sure even of immorta- lity, and carefully abstains from saying that he is. Indeed, with respect to this and other great problems that interest us, he had no view at all, and did not, we suspect, think it necessary to have one. Many before and since Montaigne's time have troubled themselves with these questions, and for certitude have experienced only doubts. Some there have been who eliminated these doubts by main force ; or, without .• • , having them resolved, consented for their peace of mind to believe them insoluble, and thenceforward arrogantly assume that the opinions theyhave aban doned were unsound. But does it follow that he who changes sides necessarily goes from darkness to light ? If change of opinion were in itself pro gress, the popularity and influence of such a writer as Montaigne would never be much. Before we can decide what is truth, we must have an undisputed titors might watch their experiment for the purpose of escaping their losses and of dividing their gains. It is difficult to understand how, even under exist- ing conditions, money can have' been provided for some of the costly lines. The alliances of the great companies have almost put an end to the practice of forcing a new line on one rival by threats of introducing a competitor into a district ; yet it is found that contractors are willing to pay themselves in shares for an outlay which often seems entirely unremunerative. For some years Parliament has declined to inquire too closely into pecuniary re sources which are always forthcoming after a rail way act has passed. Committees have shown habi tual favour, even to unpromising undertakings, where projectors, who may be supposed to be the best judges of their own interests, apparently rely on the profits of a new or imperfectly developed traffic. Attempts to extort from existing companies a share of their receipts. ought to be vigilantly watched, though they are not necessarily to be con demned. " THE ANGLO - AMERICAN TIMES " ON THE CONFEDERATE COTTON LoAN.—The adjourned meeting of the holders of the Confederate Cotton Loan is announced to be held at the London Tavern, on Thursday, the 18th day of January, when resolutions will be proposed in con formity with the report of the committee, now in the hands of the bondholders. The report in ques tion contains the correspondence between Messrs. ERLANGER and Co., the contractors of the loan, of Paris, Messrs. SCHRODER and Co., their agents in London, and the committee's solicitors, Messrs. FERRALL, CHAMBERLAIN, and BLAKE. Messrs. ERLANGER and Co. state that they have no funds under their control, and they refuse the inspection of the contract made by them with the rebel Go vernment. They also state that they hold a large amount of the loan. Messrs. SCHRODER and Co. state that they are not at liberty to furnish a state ment of the money received in respect of the loan or its application, but they give the amount of bonds issued, viz., £3,000,000 ; amount exchanged for cotton certificates, £376,600 ; amount redeemed by drawings, £204,600 ; amount at present in circula tion, £2,418,800. Messrs. FRESHFIELD and Messrs. CROWDER and Co. also decline to allow the inspec tion of the contract for the loan, or to furnish the Act of the Confederate Congress authorising it. The committee, in fact, find difficulties in every quarter from those who were the chief instruments in the issuing of the loan. They are evidently men of the Tite Barnacle class, surprised that the bond holders should want to know what has become of criterion. THE " SATURDAY REVIEW" ON RAILWAY LEGIS LATION.—It is not a little surprising that, after two unusually heavy sessions, an increased number of private bills should have been deposited for the en suing year. Although, however, the great addition to the capital already invested in public undertakings renders fresh applications to Parliament necessary, the list of bills but loosely indicates the amount of labour which must be devoted to private legislation. A large proportion of bills will be unopposed, and many petitioners will agree to a compromise before their claims are ready for adjudication. Experience will show whether many litigants avail themselves of a late standing order which enables the referees, by consent of parties, to dispose of the entire case. Some questions of great importance must be decided by . select committees, unless contending parties can agree among themselves to some satisfactory ar rangement. It is proposed to open new routes to Brighton, to the South Wales coalfield, and to Scot land, and it may be confidently assumed that in each case local feeling wine favourable to the pro jectors. There are few inviries more difficult than the comparison of vested interests in existing rail ways with the public convenience which is appa rently involved in the establishment of a competing system. Those who have occasion, as parties or as judges, to consider similcr questions, are aware that it is impossible to refer decisions on complicated facts to any general rule. Popular opinion inclines alternately to extreme zeal for the interests of shareholders and to exclusive regard for the sup posed advantage of the public. Professed econo mists sometimes declare that railway companies re quire rest, that capital accounts ought to be speedily and permanently closed, and that competition is but another name for combination ; yet the same theorists are ready when the fashion changes to de nounce the opponents of mmecessary undertakings as monopolists, and to protest against their being even heard against a scheme vhich may perhaps reduce a flourishing company to poverty or insolvency. The evils of wasted capital have been greatly exagge rated, for nine-tenths )f the railways constructed in England are legitimate undertakings, which may, under proper management, be fairly ex pected to return a reasonable profit ; but thd wildest adventurers wouuld ne - ter have sunk their money in railways if they had thought it possible that they were to be submitted to unlimited competition at the will of private perms. It has often been sug gested lately that the only parties really concerned in an inquiry as to a proposed railway are the capi talists who offer to make the line, and the land- owners who are to be expropriated by contract or compulsion. It is argued, therefore, that Parlia ment ought to approve of every bill which is unop posed by landowners; and the further inference that a private owner ought not to place a veto on a public undertaking follows with a certain logical force. The Lands Clauses Act provides compensa tion for property wbtdris-t-aken, aial the interest of the projector is represented as a sufficient security for the public utility of the enterprise. It is a start ling discovery that every man has a right to take the property of every ether man for purposes which he may consider profitable to himself ; yet, if it were true that the public interest would be promoted by the sacrifice, it might be difficult to oppose the doctrine which has been so loudly proclaimed. It is strange, however, that the professed advocates of the Continental plan of exclusive concessions should also recommend a system which is characteristically described as free-trade in railways. Much ignorant praise has been bestowed on the reports of 19 years ago which were publisied under Lord Dalhousie's sanction, because they discouraged the competition of new-comers where existing companies were wil ling to construct necessary or desirable branches. The entire withdrawal of all preference and protec tion is recommended by the same popular instruc tors, without any apparent consciousness of incon sistency. A general antipathy to railway directors, and to all their supposed accomplices, is equally gratified by charges that they are neglecting the in terests of their shareholders, and by complaints that the proprietors themselves enjoy a pernicious mono poly. Common enmities are said to cement friend ships, but those who depend for their livelihood on railway dividends will rot easily be persuaded to join the assault which, through their agents, is directed against themselves. A board which has been repeatedly attacked for not closing a capital account cannot le expected to watch pas sively the opening of a capital account by a rival, for the professed purpose of abstracting traffic, or rather of obtaining power to abstract it. Additional accommodation would thus, it is said, be provided for passengers and freighters, and the landowners would receive the value of the property which would be taken. The illustration may ap pear extravagant, from the absurdity of the sup posed results ; but it is by no means certain that the enterprise would not be profitable and safe. The owner of a second line between the same ex treme points can at once compel the older compe titor to divide his profits—and if the mileage, the gradients, and the other conditions are equal, the new-comer can claim half the proceeds of the com mon purse. Half the receipts of the Great North ern main line would perhaps pay a fair dividend on a capital which would be considerably less than the cost of the existing undertaking. The fares would be lowered, the number of trains would probably not be increased, and the interests of the two com panies would be in all respects identical, although the junior partner had forced himself into a share of the business. If the new line were longer, or if the gradients were heavier, it might not improbably be found profitable to send the entire traffic by the existing line, although the new proprietors would take their share of the profits. In this case three or four millions would have been expended for pur poses of plunder, without producing the smallest commercial or material advantage to the general community. The supporters of a theory have no right to object to an extreme case which shows the fallacy of their doctrine. It is not improbable that direct piracy of the plan Df a flourishing undertak ing might be the most profitable application of the system of unregulated competition. It would, how ever, be better for both parties that a contractor should be brought off tilts' that he should waste his money in making a duplimte line. There is scarcely any limit to the amount if black mail which would be levied on railway proprietors if Parliament no longer required proof 9f the necessity or expe diency of a proposed indertaking. When ade quate advantages are rally offered by a compet ing line, it is almost invariably sanctioned. Every great commercial town is now reached by two, three, or four railways There was a time when the London and North-Western Company carried all the Northern traffio, and Lord Dalhousie re ported against the utnecessary competition of the Great Northern. Is far as a rule can be ex tracted from a legislation which necessarily follows the diversity of circumstances, it is now a settled principle that, when irtermediate districts require railways of their own the new parallel lines are allowed to extend themselves to terminal points, although the.through traffic has been sufficiently accommodated. It is not likely that parliamentary committees will adopt the fallacy that existing in terests have no claim consideration. A reason able amount of certairty is an indispensable condi tion of the expenditureof capital on useful enter prises. The contractors who have pushed railways into some of the leatt promising districts of the country have conferred grea t an d unexpected benefits on theinhabitants aid on the owners of property. In some i ns t ances t l ey create a pro fitable traffic, anda have e beenthey their own adventure. Their capital would never h m ris a k y ed fa i i:l t y ie ex y p b e s e d t toreap the benefit of supposed that compe- tutional government, in our days, and for a certain portion of the world, is on its trial. It is not so for us, who have made up our minds fully. But there exists doubt and dispute elsewhere. In that dispute theory and discussion can avail little ; example is everything. And never certainly was a more emi nent and salutary example given to the world of what thorough constitutionalism could do than is offered by the reign of the late King Leopold of Bel gium. A more helpless or more difficult task was certainly never given to a Sovereign than that of taking the Low Countries in the very convulsions of revolution, uniting and pacifying them so as to ren der the political existence tolerable to themselves and to their neighbours. What with the Radical party, the French party, the Dutch, the Aristocrats, the Democrats, the Ultramontane, and the Anti-Reli gious, the Belgians were cut up into a hundred fac tions, which differed, not upon trifles, but on the very essential foundations of government. Add to such divisions the territorial ones, the want of sympathy between Flemings, Brabanters, and Walloons, and we have one of the most insoluble problems which polities can offer. The Sovereign too was not the first choice of the people. Others were elected before him, and the choice cancelled. Then he was a Protestantand a stranger. His German connexion did nothing for him, his English connexion did him more harm than good. Out of this chaos Leopold had to produce a peaceable realm • to content his people, conciliate them ; give no umbrage to England ; establish relations, com mercial ones were indispensable, with Holland and soften the anger of the Czar, displeased with the whole transaction and with the alliance of the West which had imposed its will upon the rest of Europe. All this Leopold did, founding at once the freest and most prosperous country in Europe. It was not merely in the grand experiment of establishing and working constitutional government that Leo pold of Belgium distinguished himself. He suc ceeded also in the noble venture of exposing reli gious freedom to the assaults of a Catholic party, while maintaining an active system of education amidst factions equally balanced, that took diame trically opposite views of it. Nowhere in Europe or in history have the religious and the secular party been allowed to struggle in such perfect freedom, or been enabled so fully to develope and demonstrate by partial success what would be the incon venience and injustice of either exclusively dominating. Leopold sat as an impartial arbiter and umpire over the great struggle, out of which we in our future government of Ireland may derive many a useful lesson, as well as an honour able and successful example. That such was the best and wisest policy, not only to render Belgium enlightened and prosperous, but independent, is now fully obvious. What empire could give to Belgium, in annexing it, the same advantages, or the equivalents for those they already possess? Neither Liberals nor Ultramontanes would gain by annexation to France ; on the contrary, both would lose much, and neither can desire it. Political and religious freedom has opened a gulf between the two nations. The industrious and commercial pe culiarities of either country render the union of Belgium to France as distasteful to the north of France as it would be to the Belgians. It is for tunate that there are these guards, for undeniably the state of Europe is but little favourable to the defence of Belgian independence were it attacked. With Lord Palmerston has expired the old policy of maintaining the balance of posi er in Europe by force of arms. Prussia is not to be depended upon in any quarrel that does not lead directly to its own aggrandisement. And Belgium is linked in mar riage with Austria, the most vulnerable and least fortunate of European Powers. In the north of Europe the great .Powers were never more in clined to aggression, and the smaller Powers less able to resist them. So that it must be a relief and a source of congratulation to those who dread and dislike large military empires to observe that the present dangerous epoch is likely to be tilted over. In the future, absolutism and aggression may be less in the ascendant, less the fancy and the fashion, than they are at present. " THE READER" ON MONTAIGNE.—The fame of Montaigne is on the increase. In France there are men who make the old Gascon the study of their lives, who devote themselves to the elucidation of his writings, and who quarrel over the interpreta tion of one of his phrases with as much zest, if not with as much acrimony, as scholars among our selves quarrel over the meaning of a passage in Shakspere. Since the revival of letters no foreign writer has e xerc i se d as muc h i n fl uenc e upon our own literature. Essays" acyisv'il' i h s a ed ve n b a e t e i n on t s ran an sla d te edi d into tion after edition has been called for awl exhausted in each. They have not in any country had for readers What is known as the general public,have but only obtained what Mr. Emerson calls a chosen circula tion—namely, among courtiers,soldiers, pries, men of the world, and men of w itand nc .ty. There are signs, ho wever , t h at the ene rOßlappre ciation is extending. A s h ort time ago, a " family" edition appeared in England, and the reception lately given to the eloge pro nounced on their author by the younger Guizot upon the re-opening of the college of France, may be fairly taken as indication of an increasing interest manifested in the life and works of the great essayist in the country of his birth. Montaigne was 38 years old when, in 1571, tired of courts an d p u b l ic em ployments,' but rich in 20 years' experience of the ways of men in court and camp, he retired to his chateau in Perigord. Neither by circumstances nor temperament, we suspect, was he fitted to make a great figure in the barbarous, cruel, and deceitful court he had abandoned ; and now, without much regret at his absence from the game he had left, he sat down in quiet indifference to all things, to con- the money. The report contains a report of the decision of Vice-Chancellor WOOD in the case of the UNITED STATES v. PRIODEAU and others, better known as FRASER, TRENHOLM, and Co. The committee state that " they have consulted Mr. FLEMING, Q.C., who has a reputation for the knowledge of inter national law." The following is the substance of his opinion, which he states " has been come to with much anxiety and hesitation, and is given with great diffidence :" "If the view which I have formed as to the original validity of the loan be well founded, then the United States have taken the property of the Confederated States, sub ject to the charge for the loan, and applying the principle expressed by Vice-Chancellor Wood in the 'United States v. Prioleau ' ' a principle fully admitted by the most learned commentators on international law, any property in this country which was subject to the charge, and can only be ' obtained by the United States, continues liable to the charge, and can Duly be obtained by the United States, subject to the liability which previously attached to it. The case is different in fact, but not in principle, in regard to property in America and under the immediate control of the conquerors. • With that of course the successful party can deal. and if it be their pleasure to deny the validity of the loan, 1 do not see any means by which their right to take the property of the States which they have conquered, repudiating its liability to creditors under the loan, can be questioned in America." Mr. FLEMING, also gives the following opinion as to the liability of Messrs. ERLANGER and Co., the contractors of the loan : "1 have no doubt that if the contractor have any por tion of the loan in his hands unapplied, or if he have in his hands any property or funds forwarded to him by the Confederate Government or their agents, to meet any liabi lity or payments on account, or in respect of the loan, that he is liable to the contributors ; and it appears to me that, if there be reason to suppose that he has any such property or funds in his possession, it would be prudent to file a Bill in Equity against him." The committee made an application to the Com mittee of the Stock Exchange, asking that the Con federate loan might be officially quoted, but they received no reply. The committee comments very severely upon Mr. SEWARD'S statement " that there is no likelihood that any part of the Confederate debt will be assumed or recognised by the United States' Government," and of his non-acceptance of Vice-Chancellor WOOD'S decision. The following is a specimen of their specious reasoning on this point : "'The Government of the United States has, by the indiscretion of Mr. SEWARD, thrown away as glorious an opportunity as ever a nation had to establish its credit in Europe at a small sacrifice, for had the American Govern ment been politic aria magnanimous enough to nay. acknowledged this insignificant foreign debt of the Go vernment they have superseded, instead of shocking Europe by proclaiming a policy of repudiation and defiance of international law, their financial credit would hava risen to the highest possible pitch ; instead of which, ever since the publication of Mr. SEWARD'S despatch, the demand for United States securities has fallen eff, and as the United States debt may be computed at £650,000,000 sterling against the Confederate Cotton debt of £2,418,000, the loss occasioned by a fall of even 1 per cent. in the United States debt would pay off the Confederate debt three times over." The Committee recommend that the bondholders pledge themselves to allow five per cent. on the amount of the debt, payable in bonds, if the Com mittee are successful in making satisfactory arrange ments for the payment of the bonds, and it is their intention to despatch an agent to the Southern States. It has been suggested that Mr. JUDAH BENJAMIN would be a proper person for this mission. One of the closing paragraphs of the Report is most interesting. For cool audacity it is unequalled : " Your committee, in conclusion, beg to remind those whom it may concern, and especially Mr. Seward, that the Cotton Loan was strictly a mercantile transaction, based and subscribed for on an hypothecation of cotton, which has been seized on by the United States, and which, by the condition and terms expressed in the bonds, the holders had the option of exchanging for cotton at 6d. per pound six months after the conclusion of peace, and which option made every cotton bondholder a promoter of peace ; and, moreover, without such a condition and hypothecation , they would not have advanced their money.' The proceeds of the Cotton Loan were turned into arms and ammunition, and kept the Confederacy afloat for twelvemonths longer than it could have otherwise existed, and this at a cost of tens of thou sands of lives on both sides, and now the bond holders, through their committee, claim that they were promoters of peace. The only mischief that the present agitation for the payment of the cotton loan can render is that it might enable a few of the holders to obtain a purchaser at probably a trifling advance on present prices, but even this is not likely. The fox in this case cannot induce the goat to jump into the well, that reynard may make use of his body for the pur pose of getting out of it. No one dreams that the United States will pay the rebel debt ; the Southern States cannot if they would, and would not be allowed by the Federal Government if they could, and manifested any intention of doing so. The only hope that the bondholders have, and the committee think it unworthy of mention, is that of obtaining something from Messrs. ERLANGER and Co., or from some of the rebel agents in this country who are known to have part of the assets of the Confederate government in their hands. THE LESSON OF JAMAICA.--Many English papers of the Tory order, and American Copperhead journals are professing to find an argument against emancipation in the rebellion of the blacks in Jamaica. The London Standard says: "The reports of the West Indian Governors leave no doubt upon the mind of any impartial person that eman cipation has fulfilled none of the promises which were so confidently made by its advocates. It has not made the negro a better or a wiser, scarcely even a happier, man. He is more brutal and less useful than he was as a slave ; he is further from the level of the white man ; he is more savage, more vicious, less amenable to reason, less grate ful for kindness, less sensitive to religious influences, and in every way a worso man than the Virginia slave of 1860. Emancipation has not even given us security against negro rebellion." While we deny the general statements above made, we would contrast it with the fact that in Brazil the emanci pated negroes have risen to the highest positions, socially and politically, in the empire. The majority of the Empe ror's Cabinet officers, of his army and naval commanders, and of the elective officers, judges, &c., of Brazil are negroes or of mixed blood. Wherein is the difference ? Simply this—ln Brazil there has been no distinction of caste, color, or race, and every person having property worth $3O per annum has a vote. On the contrary, in the Island of Jamaica, the scene of the recent rebellion, there are but 3,000 voters, all white, in a population of 400,000, of whom 300,000 are black, and the officers whom they elect have no influence in governing the island. The mistake made in the British West Indies is in eman cipating the negroes as individuals and enslaving them as a population—in governing them without their consent. Some men are foolish enough to wish to repeat the same experiment in this country. It is wholly unne cessary. We freely admit in advance that if emancipation is to be no more complete in the South than in the British West Indies, if the negroes are to remain an oppressed and down-trodden race, then it will have no better 'result here than in Jamaica. On the other hand, if emancipation is Ito be as complete as it i s f or th e emanc i pa t e d c l ass i n Brazil, then they will exhibit the same progress and up- I ward tendencies here as there.—Chicago Tribune. The population of Paris is rapidly overtaking that of London, and has increased more rapidly. It is now 1,700,000, whereas London must still be under 3,000,000. Formerly the difference between the capitals was much greater. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE TAT TERSALII'—YEsTERDAY. The approach of the "festive season" is proverbial for scaring members from the Subscription-room, and this afternoon proved no exception to the rule. The attendance was limited, and speculation on the Derby inactive, only two or threo animals being inquired after with any spirit. The "fishiness" about Lord Lyon last week made its pre sence felt again to-day. Layers were in a majority, for after eight fifties were laid, another gentleman, who had only a small hedging commission, "managed" to book tho same odds to £lOO. John Day's stable has for some time exhibited signs of coming into great form, and Rustic was again in force, 8 to 1 being taken so kindly that at last 15 to 2 was the highest offer. After 10 to 1 had been accepted about Student, a point less was put down to a small sum, but we doubt if even that price could have been obtainable to money. The only feature of the afternoon was the im proved position of Redan, about 1,000 to 45 was booked on the quiet. 1,000 to 30 was laid five times against the Bribery colt, a succession of investments which gave occa sion for unkind remarks, such, indeed, as would lead to the belief that this colt is in the hands of certain clever "mor tuary artists." After 50 "fifties" had been laid against the Midsummer colt, 1,000 to 15 was offered. TWO THOUSAND. 7to 2 agst Student (offered) 7to 2 agst Lord Lyon (offered) DERBY. Bto 1 agst Rustic (taken freely) ' Bto 1 agst Lord Lyon (taken and offered) 9to 1 agst Student (taken) 22 to 1 agst Redan (taken) 25 to 1 agst Janitor (taken) 28 to 1 agst Blue Riband (taken) 30 to 1 agst Stabber (taken) 33 to 1 agst Bribery colt (taken) 50 to 1 agst Maravedis (taken) 66 to 1 agst Knight of the Crescent (taken and off) 66 to 1 agst Tom King (taken) 100 to 1 agst Doralice colt (taken) The Subscription Rooms will not be opened until the Ist January next. The following was posted in the Subscription-room in the course of the afternoon : "NOTICE.— THE SHEFFIELD INUNDATION FUND.—Those noblemen and gentlemen who subscribed to this fund through Mr. J. Stephenson and Mr. J. B. Morris, are in formed that, in consequence of the Central Committee having returned 50 per cent. of the collection, they can receive back the proportion of their subscription on appli cation to Mr. J. Stephenson, 56; Inverness-terrace, Bays water, or at Tattersalls', before the Ist of March next. All moneys unclaimed by that date will be paid over to the Bentinck Benevolent Fund.—December 18th, 1865. AQUATICS. SCULLERS' RACE FOR £lOO. Yesterday afternoon another of those events which always create an unusual amount of interest came off be tween a Manchester man and a Londoner, but although the stake was £5O a-side certain circumstances had indi cated the result, and the betting fraternity were justified in the odds they laid. The competitors were Thomas Wise, of Hammersmith, and Edward Barratt, of Manchester, and they had engaged to row for £5O a-side from Putney to Mortlake. Wise had earned unto himself a name by his easy victories over several well-known men, while Barratt, who had won several races in Manchester, had earned ad ditional renown by defeating Frank Kilsby, of Lambeth, a short time since. As, however, Wise bad meanwhile also disposed of Kilsby in a rather easy manner, a suppo sition arose that Barratt would have but little chance against his present opponent, and in many instances as much as 3 to 1 and 4 to 1 was laid that Wise would win, a state of odds which, as we have said before, was warranted by the result. Citizen M, Capt. Whanslow, accompanied the race, but owing to the foggy weather had but few people on board. Mr. Ireland was referee ; Mr. Wilcox umpire for Wise, and F. G. Barratt for his brother. Harry Kelley showed up Barratt, and Tom Hoare looked after Wise, who had the best station. The instant they started Wise drew to the front, and increased his lead in tho easiest possible manner, so that by the time they reached the Point there were two lengths between them. Barratt rowed pluckily, but in a most awkward fashion, and simply fell behind rather than that Wise went ahead. At Ham mersmith-bridge Wise led by four or five lengths ; he merely paddled the remainder of the distance, and ulti mately won by six lengths, in 26 min. 30 secs., Barratt being much distressed. AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE• _,.... - 4). .`" interests of soldiers and soldiers' families. The following is the list of contributions from Europe :-- England Scotland $ll 080 33 ' 74 75 France European Branch (Paris) London Branch Belgium lOO 00 Germany Italy Turkey 5O 00 A New Bedford paper gives a list of forty-xis American whaling vessels, with ten thousand two hundred and fifty-two barrels of oil, destroyed by rebel pirates during the late war. The value of the vessels is esti mated at one million one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and the value of the oil at half a million dollars. Mr. D. C. Johnson, an American artist of con siderable merit, died in Dorchester, Mass., November 9 • He was distinguished for his satirical and comic etchings and drawings. Mr. Johnson was sixty-seven years of age. The New York Commercial, of the 27th ultimo, has the following: -- A well-known contributor to the press is not the only New Yorker who believes that the Collector of your port still lives, and that a method in his madness has enabled him successfully to deceive his friends and the public. A lady, whose husband occupies high political rank, has written a most ingenious paper on the subject, and forwarded it here under injunctions of the strictest secresy, as she endeavours to prove that Mr. sing is unmolested in a retreat which he provided for himself, and will in a few weeks recover his reason. Improbable as this may seem at first sight, the theory is supported by some curious facts not generally known. There has been an argument lasting through two day's, in the United States District Court in New Orleans, before Judge Durell, regarding the constitutionality of the test oath required by act of Congress to be taken by practi tioners in all United States courts. It is said the Judge has intimated that he considers the law prescribing this oath unconstitutional. There is trouble between the Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad Company, and the farmers along their line. The farmers have mortgaged their farms to the amount of a million of dollars, and the mortgages are now being foreclosed. Recently part of.the road was torn up and the bridge was destroyed, eighteen miles from Milwaukee, and it is said the farmers threaten to destroy the entire lino unless the company make provision for the payment - of the mortgages. The gm.mship Western Metropolis, Captain W. B. Hilton, arrived here on the 30th inst., from Apalachicola, Florida, on the 15th ult., bringing three thousand bales of cotton, the largest cargo ever taken from that port in a steam vessel. There have so far been shipped from Apa lachicola about thirty-six thousand bales of cotton, and there were ten thousand bales on hand there on the 15th. There are some forty thousand bales still up the .Apala chicola River, which will come down while the depth of water permits, making in all over eighty thousand bales that will be shipped thence this season. Freights were firm at one penny per pound to Liverpool, two and a half cents per pound coastwise by steam, and one and a half cent per pound by sailing vessels. Last year nine thousand new buildings were put up in Chicago. Six of them cost $lOO,OOO each; forty others cost $30,000 each ; and eight hundred were worth $l,OOO each. The total amount of capital employed in building during the year was $6,000,000. The number of new churches was seven ; of schools, two ; of public halls, four. Governor Holden, of North Carolina, has tele graphed to President Johnson stating that the Legislatur e had ratified the Constitutional Amendment, and elected five Judges. Three of Governor Holden's personal appoint ments have been confirmed. The Louisville (Kentucky) correspondent of the New York Tribune says :—" Gen. Palmer has given recog nisance to appear for trial on an indictment found by the grand jury for assisting slaves to escape. It is rumoured that a similar indictment has been found against General Fisher, who has given passes to about 11,000 negroes to cross the Ohio river during the last eight months." The Matamoros Rancheros charges the Federals with firing on the French steamer Antonia, and aiding generally the Liberals at that point. The pirate Stonewall has arrived at Washington. The charges of her keeping made by the Cuban authori ties wero $18,064. Rumors are current in Washington of a collision between the French and United States forces on the Rio Grande. Last news from Mexico state that the French are rapidly preparing for war with America. Reports come from several of the commanders of the Liberal cause in Mexico, to the effect that over 9,000 Mexicans have been summarily tried and executed by order of Maximilian's Courts-martial. The vote of North Carolina, as far as heard from, is as follows :—For the anti-slavery ordinance, 4,833, against, 1,109. For the anti-secession ordinance, 5,239, against 906. A French Club has been organised at Montreal for the purpose of urging and securing the annexation of Canada to the United States. It is estimated that the receipts from customs during the next year will amount to between one hundred and forty-five and one hundred and fifty millions. The boot and shoemakers are on a strike in New York. If their demands aro acceded to it will bring up the prico of first class calfskin boots from $l9 to $2l, and patent leather to $22 or $24 a pair, Northern prices. A great manufactory of steel is soon to be established two miles below Harrisburgh, Penn., on the Susqnehana River. A thousand skilled workmen aro to be sent from England, and fifteen hundred others will be gathered in America. The establishment will be much the largest on the American continent. A petition has been signed and filed by Senator Wilson, of Massachusetts, for the pardon of Mallory, late A tsecreary of the rebel navy. collision has occurred at Grenada, Mississippi, between the military and the armed negroes, who were discovered concealing a large quantity of arms. The Federal Government had restored to the tele graph companies the full control on the Southern lines, at the same time removing the censorship ou the press and other matter which has been in force since the close of the war. The Mobile Times has reliable information that 4,000 bales of Government cotton were destroyed by fire at Columbus, Mississippi, on the 25th ult. Loss, $1,000,000. The fire was caused by an incendiary. It is stated that the agents of the Southern plan- ters who went to Brazil to negotiate for lands have met with a cordial reception, and a large emigration from the United States was expected. Texas despatches state that 30,000 bales of cotton had been received along the Texas coast, including Houston, since September 1, and the probable receipts this year will be 150,000 bales. In the month of December 1864, there were 495,592 persons in the city of New York, packed in tenement houses and cellars at the rate of nearly 240,000 to a square mile. Of these about 10,000 in the aggregate are yearly imprisoned for crime. The number of families relieved last year by the association onieting for that purpose was 5,573, comprising 22,285 persons. When the war broke out the wealth of the people of Georgia was estimated at $840,000,000. Now it is said to be less than $419,000,000. Of this decrease the value of the emancipated slaves constitutes nearly one half. As they all remain in the State, however, there is no real loss as far as they are concerned. Their labor, which was their value, is not lost. _ A striking curiosity has lately been discovered in the Nevada Territory. It is a mountain of rock salt, situated about twenty miles from Meadow Valley, and and only eighteen miles from the head of navigation on the Colorado River. It rises abruptly from the plain, about four hundred feet in height, a mountain of pure, sparkling, crystalized salt. _ . _ . From a document issued by the Sanitary Commission we glean that from June 27, 1861, to July 1, 1865, at which latter date the active work of the organisation closed, the receipts were over four million eight hundred and thirteen thousand dollars, of which Massachusetts contributed $15,511 35c., and through the Boston branch, $77,689 51c ; Maine, $24,938 43c. ; New Hampshire, $1,926 840. ; Vermont, $3,521 17c. ; Rhode Island, $11,823 96c. ; and Connecticut, $8,418 55c. Of the above-named sum ($4,813,750 64c.) the Commission disbursed four million five hundred and thirty thousand dollars, of which amount $322,472 19e. were for general expenses ; $88,908 50c. for publications ; $609,011 15c. for hospital expenses ; and $3,212,488 39c. for supplies, their purchase, distribution, &c. A balance of cash in hand on July 1 amounted to $282,975 69c. At this period, when the relief bureau of the Commission closed, there wore vast stores and mate rial on hand, all of which has been turned over to Gen. Howard's bureau, and roceipted for by the officer in charge. The claim Bureau, which has been associated with the Commission, will close on the Ist January, and turn over to the Central Bureau at Washington all the papers and documents in its possession. From that time the Com mission will devote itself to three objects indicated :- 1, the preparation of a historical record ; 2, the prepara tion of a final and full report ; 3, the settlement of its general affairs, closing up the accounts of its numerous agencies. What will be done with the surplus funds has not yet been determined. They will undoubtedly be trans ferred as an endowment to some institution devoted to the COUNTRY MARKETS. NORTHAMPTON-DEC. 16. Here to-day there was a good supply of wheat, there being a fair sprinkling of white and red descriptions. A healthy demand was experienced, and the extreme rates of last week were made without difficulty for all good con ditioned samples. Barley was pretty well represented, and there was a steady inquiry, late rates being generally rea lised; common kinds, however, were rather lower than last week. In oats a tolerable share of business was done. The supply was short, and prices in some cases had a ten dency to advance. The quantity of beans at market was limited, and there was a healthy demand at quite late rates. Peas moved off at former terms. New white wheat, 44s to 528 ; new red, 40s to 47s ; old white, 48s to 535; old red, 45s to 50s per 36 stone. B a rley for malting, 36s to 40s per qr. ; grinding, '26s to 37s per 3 0 stone. Oats, old, 30s to 34s ' • new, 20s to 28s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 46s to 50s ; new, 36s to 40s per 38 stone. Peas, 34s to 40s per 36 stone. COLCHESTER—Dm. 16. p Supply of wheat not so l arge . The best conditione d arcels made last week's prices ; damp and inferior ties rather lower. Fine barleys compa rat i ve ly scarce, and fully as dear i tlio middling qualities a h ea vy sale at SOlllB decline in prices. Peas and beans without any cha n g e in value. quail- Wheat, white 40s 54s Beans, Mazagan......33s 384 red 388 488 Middle and small,. 35s 40s Barley ... '.Bs 40s Peas, white. 38s 92s 0at5........ ....... 2os 25s grey ...30s 408 CITELMSFO There was a steady trade day, and former rates were al report may be made with res: Whett, old white....4ss 52s new .43s Os old red 39i 43e new. 35s 39s Barley- 24s 316 Umvalier • 27d t9s Grind ng <3s 6s Malt sBs COs RD—DEc. 15. Chevalier 60s 82s Oats ... 2os 26s ----- in wheat at this market to )out maintained. The salsa pea to barley. Peas, Partridge 375 398 White ....Ng 31s B cling 388 !L s Dun—. ..... 3ls 35 dit o, new ,-8 Beans, Tick, old 348 310 new -8 Barrow i•icks 358 0 Mazagan. 328 378 GRANTHAM—DEC. 16. Old white wheat, 54s to 58s; old red, 48s to 545; ne ° white, 50s to 56s ; new red, 45s to 50s per 36 stone. Ba r ley for malting, 35s to 39s per qr. ; grinding, 28s to 30s Pef 2 30 stone. Oats, old, 28s to 30s ; new, 20s to 2 6 s per 3 stone. Beans, old, 46s to 50s; new, 40s to 44s per 38 stolla• Peas, 35s to 39s per 36 stone. ABERDEEN—DEC. 15. The market to-day was well attended, but not 1 1101/ business doing. No alteration in prices. White wheat Red wheat ;6 8 s s 8--g t t o o - 4 45 05 s 0 0 d d l 621 b Potato oats 22s 6d to 23s 61 . 40115 Ifi bushel. Common oats 22s Od to 22s 6d Bere S3M, bushel. 27s 6d to 28s Od t II bushel. Barley 27s 6d to 28s 6df Oatmeal 18s Od to 19s Od Is boll of 140Ib• Flour, fine 36s Od to 38s Od V sack of WM' .41 KIRKCALDY—DEc. 16. Moderate supplies of all kinds of grain. Wheat and ost°r brought the prices of this day week. Barley, 6d Per dearer. Wheat. Barley. Oats. First...—. 478 6.1 I 298 fid I 24s Od second.... 49s Od 31s Od 158 cd Tuird ..... 518 Od 32s 6d 258 9d COAL MARKET. Price per ton at the close of the market. s. tl i s. d. Wallsend:— Holywell Main l9 6 Hotspur l9 6 Carway and Duffryn Pittington l9 9 Malting 24 0 Hartlepool ............21 6 N.Staffordshire .......... 17 Ships at market, 100 ; sold, 68. LADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway's Ointment and Rheumatic and Nervous Pains.—The chilly mornings evenings provoke these tortures in constitutions sus% tible of.such maladies. Nothing affords so much relio,ed Holloway's ointment rubbed upon the skin after repeab to fomentations. Thousands , of testimonials bear witn ess ,,le the wonderful comfort obtained from this safe and 5i733.. treatment, which all can adopt. Holloway's ointment,.ce. sisted by a judicious use of his pills, is especially sisrv:her able in assuaging the sufferings from cramps a n u ° A l, muscular pains, whether they be acute, chronic, exter%f.. or internal. it is earnestly recommended that every, s o ferer from these pains should give Holloway's remedieit,. few days' trial, which will fully convince the inva lid th cure will be the reward of continued perseverance. Births. 10' GRANT.—On the 18th inst., at Angell-town, Brildon , George Grant, of a son. w ife HENNIKER.—On the 16th inst., at Leinster-square, the of A. Henniker, of a son. the 15th inst., at R.edleston, ScARsDALB. Onperb9oll°l the Lady Scarsdale, of a son. g W. , THURSBY.—On the 18th inst., at 20, Eaton-place' "• the wife of James L. Thursby, of a son. Marriages. PINCHES—LLOYD.—On the 16th inst., at the 1 03+ New, Surrey, Edward E. Pinches , Esq., of La dbt e jate square, Notting-hill, to Rhoda, only daughter of th li. E. L. Lloyd, Esq., of Christchurch, Blackfriors. ar ish RADCLIFFE—GARTSIDE.—On the 14th inst., at th e P ES9•' church, Ashton-under-Lyne, Samuel Radcliffe/wr of Werneth Park, Oldham, to Elizabeth, third (W i g' ne• the late J. Gartside, Freo House A ht n under -DI B 0 - PariSh Cbtlnv, Deaths. a , Eellt BLYTH.—On the 13th inst., at Hull, Robert 13 1 Y tu ' - J.P., aged 76. ER P , a , air' BRODIP.—On the 15th inst., at Brom ton, Vir• '" ci Esq., late of Lincoln's-inn, aged 5 4 . Va in ; Fat:rms.—On the 14th inst., at 14, Lynedoch-plaee, nterit• burgh. Lady Foulis, widow of Major-General Si r ' Fouli, K.C.8., of Caknio Lodge, aged 72. 4 ( V II HARRIS.—On the 16th inst., W. Harris, Esq., ut i li rwe r " Villas, Wellington-road, Stoke Newington ~,.,,'° 4 . iffil surgeon of Bolsover, Derbyshire, and late Of ' . 5 " . '" D I, Liam-street, City, aged 68 . i nort h JACKSON.—On the 1 5 th inst., at 47, Lorn-roaut Brixton, Mr. Thomas Jackson. -kik /# 1 MARKs.—On the 16th inst., at Great Dia;vern, .--- -- 63 aged 63 10 London : Printed and Pubnohed by WIL t A' 1) ,.! 1 0 : of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Titer Strand, in the Precinct of th e Bsvoy.in the v v Middlettex.—Tuesday, DeCcemtter 19,1860 OND 1-4 R 0( VAN S' a --_____ kI.NA ,Ttr cele ‘rize ift Merl It ii Pur Bold in I the AMU 8 , OR . Observe 'qualm IVIUT 11 , lwss] A.Dv A Treehold N 4 three ee, or an , year Tscaunted ,',4lde ' 5 Years tow a eaVei(VC. iviErn NoTICI the rate of UAL s•end °I I AION of II 1 ,, , 111 h e PA 47 , Austin s roi s t o , i 0 the R eg u ead Warr 27, Aunt 110 S DI 1811 . Thi ttnutly of ; there are ,„Madeiragouge Cl Soliot! \ Es titrt tr adred at I Table d 4 ° o los —C 2 3 tug ro witveraat and other kokived 41traerous 4 !,oaesan t privhe .. 'ince day B Peakin g a DE: • att thigh f e o v r rifect cc uses STl M E lid from COW - went, w A.STI '` ice--_ J T. • j J, tlesi ft I ,f J~ I J. 1 CL 1 ,I ] • J, , NA, —I eging N our. 4 1 5 'n t J 16 and 4, Gr(