The Sun. — London, England, 1866-05-01 00:00:00

CONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE, In the bunion department of the Bank there was a withdrawal of £106,000 yesterday afternoon for the Continent. The Imperial Mercantile Credit Association have notified that they are having a complete audit of the accounts by their auditors, Messrs. Coleman, Turquand, Young, and Co., in conjunction with Alessrs. Quiller, Ball, and Co., and that their re port to the shareholders will be made in a few days. This Irocedure has been deemed necessary in con lequence of various rumours respecting the position of the company. The Committee of the Stock E nge have appointed Thursday, the 3rd of 4 Jay, a special settling day in the shares of the Lon den, Windsor, and Greenwich Hotel Company (Limited), which are not to be marked. According to Reuter's telegram this morning the Fr ench Rentes were 65f. 75c. Firm attention absorbed in the settlement. A close holiday is being observed in the Stock Exchange, which as usual on the first of May, is abut for the purpose of enabling the authorities in the transfer office of the Bank of England to strike the half -yearly balances. The money market continues to present symp toms of activity, and the brokers are consequently as king full terms for the negotiation of the best Short dated paper. Owing to this firmness in the ratest good inquiry for accommodation pre v ails at t he Bank of England, but there has been no pres sure anywhere. On the Stock Exchange the charge for daily loans on Government securities has been advanced to 5i per cent. The following notification has just been made : Bank of England, Ist May, 1866.----Notice is hereby given, That in order to prepare the dividends due on the sth July, 1866, the balances of the several accounts in the following Funds will be struck en the night of Friday, the Ist June, 1866 :—.£3 per Cent. Consolidated Annuities, New £5 per Cent. Annuities, New £3 10s. per Cent. Annuities (1854), New £2 10s. per Cent. Annuities, Annuities for terms of years, India £5 per Cent. Stock. On Sa turday, the 2d June, the above-named Funds will be t ransferable without the dividend due on the s th July next. East India Stock shut Wednesday, 13 th June, 1866 ; open Friday, 6th July, 1866. In the Foreign and Colonial Produce Markets, Sugary the l as t f ew d ays, a fi rmer tone has preva i led. °llgar.3 have been in moderate request, and late rates are well supported. C o ff ee h as con ti nue d i n lair demand, and superior qualities of both plan ?tint' and native Ceylon have support e d f u ll va l ues . rice there has been no material alteration in ,ta lus, while the t ransac ti ons on t a ll ow h ave b een limited at about previous quotations, for both pre sent and future delivery. CoThe Australian M or t gag e L an d an d Fi nance h e have declared a dividend at the ra t e o f ' l - 2 10s. per cent. per annum. ,The direct ors o f th e T rus t an d A gency C ompany °' Australia state in their report that there is an available balance of £17,823, after payment of the interim dividend of November last. Besides car 17ing £ 5 ,000 to reserve, th e di rec t ors recommen d the Payment of a dividend and bonus equal (with t he interim dividend) to 20 per cent. per annum on the capital called up, the extinction of the prelimi nary expense and furniture accounts, and the car rying forward of £4,310. BRITISH FUNDS-CLOSING PRICES. YESTERDAY. ~ GCVERNMENT FUN DE. 8 Der Cent. Consols Do. Account, May 9 B6l t a per Cent. Reduced B5 q 5 41 1 Nev i 3 per C en t B4l New 21 p er C en t. J an . 1894 — Do. 5 per Cent. Jan. 1873 — Annuities, 30 yrs, expire sth Jan., 1880 Do. f or 30 yrs, expire sth ApnrlBBs — Do (Red Sea T e l egra ph), A ug ., 7 1908 — March. June. Exchequer Bills, £1,000,3 per Cent. — Do. £5OO — B D o £lOO and £200 15 ank of Do Account La:lux GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. lodian Stock, 101 per Cent., AprillB74 - DO. A ccount _ I - 1 0. 5 per C en t . J uly, 1870 1051 b O. 4 pe r C ent., Oct. 1888 o Certificates - Do. Enfaced Paper 4 per Cent 1) , 0 . 5 per Cent., Jan. 1872 D 0. ., " I °. leper Cent., May 1879 — ~., b., 4 per Cent, Aug. 1866 15 ' c '' 13°I ols, £l,OOO 15 —O. under £lOOO A F OREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.. n'rgentine Republic, 6 per Cent., £l5 pd 1 pm ,Austrian Bonds, 5 per Cent, 1859 Urazil i.ln 5 per Cent Do' 4 1 ~ per Cent 1852-58-60 ....... Do. 1863 Do. 1865 Do Account 7O Do, s ak i di s 8 4 ' V, £45 paid eoos Ayres 6 per Cent — D e 1 ch• . - P er Cent. (Deferred 3 per Cent.) DO ' ll an per Cent 9Bl S •- . Do. crIP, £25 paid - ', O . 41 per Cent , 4 , - ' O . 6 per Cent ;,'olombian 6 per Cent. — V lb al 6 der Cent. Dan ubian per Cent., 1825 11aohian P rincipalities ~, L 0• Account .v..000.d0r New Consolidated, 1 per Cent — 13 °•' P rovision a l L and Warrant D o — OPtian 7 per C en t — Second i 1)0 £lO O Bondsssue Do. 1864 B6 7 BDO XlOO Bonds 0. Government Railway Debentures — D o - (ir i. ' 43° P a id a e- 5 Accountents 1824-5, ex Coupons uo• 1. Do. Coupons 1 1 :Iteu la j a 5 C Cent. — . 1: 11 an 5 per Cent 1865 0. Account Do. M e . 1r mo mmana Railw a y — /an per Cent , D o 1864 _ ....• 0 6 t u per Cent. Anglo-French _ i.ontevidean 6 . per Cent., £3O paid 'low Granada Do 2 per Cent _ Do Deferred 1.,,p0 Land Warrants (Hectares) D 0" • 6 _ yer Cent, 1864 Guaranteed, 4 per Cent pe r llvian 5 per Cent, 1865 11-Nueso 3 per Cent., 1853 1-"° per Cent., 1856, '7, '9, '6O, '62, '3, p 'lO. Account I „sian 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St ",0 41 per Cent. 1850 " n o 4i per Cent., 1860 Do 3 per Cent. 1859 — l l ° 5 per Cent. 1862 -° 5 per Cent. 1864 — Do'lVinin 5 per Cent Span. Account Dosh 3 per Cent Account N New Deferred -uho Account ° 0 Passirn ,ive _ 2 5i 1 1 1 0 '''° ACC*llllt ''brittish Cert. ~, of Coup not funded b o Acc ount 15 1 I I I ilv edish 4 per Cent. T O. 4i per Cent. 1864 orkish 6 per Cent. 1854 — D o bo Account B7l 1, 6 Per Cent. 1858 Do Account bo .£lOO Bonds 67 D ,0 6 per Cent. 1862 ,4-10 Ace° lit 631 4 3* Do XlOO bonds — D o 591 0 6 per Cent.,1863 ° 5 per Cent 1865 paid up Scrip — Do1)0 Aceo 1 ' 32 1-1- 21 11 211 . unt s,:. '1 per Cent. Guaranteed — uezuela 3 per Cent.— Ditto account - 13 1) 00 6 per Cent., 1862 — A ccount 3 - 11- 1.4.6 .. London. itni; I".‘ri'lends on the above payable in VIII ArcPs. Cent 1861, Ex. 25f. ...... -.Jo ount " 461 76, THREE O'CLOCK. C ons for moue 861 i P 9. Account n©y 861 1 'l' and _FIE GRo cErts.--The grocers of the cities, towns, th e villages of England, being desirous to help in acts ' work of saving life from shipwrecks . on our up, w r'allave contributed the handsome sum, from sixpence N ti l - s, of £435 to defray the cost of a lifeboat. The -nal Lifeboat Institution has undertaken to find 4 4. 1 1 c eligible station •or the " Grocers' " Lifeboat. ~ 4 , 4 °I the credit to this successful undertaking I . p et, ( t . oe to Mr. 'William Reed, of the Grocer and Oil Trade p a , t e .w, Monument-y ard, who has been for many months . ~ indefatigable hi his benevolent exertions in collecting 43 0 8t f L ret e i. _ 0 the lifeboat. The drapers, emulating their 'roil the grocers, also hope, at no distant period, to VC)4triblite ths Cost Of a lifeboat, SHARE MARKETS. ORDINARY SHARES AND STOCKS. Share Railways. I Paid] Closing Business Price. done. 'Blistol and Exeter Caledonian Cambrian Cork and 8and0n...... Cornwall Dublin & Belfast Juno Dun„Perth, & A b.Junc E.London, scrip Certi Do. Glasgow & S. Western) Great Eastern, Ord. stk.' Do. E. Angl. at. No. 2 Great North of Scotland Great Northern Do. A stock Do. B stock 89 fl 127 128 55 65 13 15 4 6 67 70 70 72 20 15 dl 114 116 391 4 6 7 122 124 1 6i :373, Do. New, le. at 25 pm GtS, and W. of Ireland Gt. Western -Original Do. S. Val. Rail gua. Do. South Wales Do. W. Mid.— Oxford Do. Newport Do. Hereford .571 571 57 59 35 ioj 34 3 , 3 101 'O2 101 124 Lancashire &Yorkshire Ljndon and Illackwall Lon., Brigh., & S Coast Lon., Chat., and Dover Do. Metrop. Ex. A Lyn. & North Western Lon. & South Western Man., Shet., & Lincoln Metropolitan Do. New Do. Extension.— Metropolitan Do. and St. John'siV'd 3lid•and Do. £9 Share Do, Birmin.. & Derby *lid Kent 'North British Do. Ed., Pth., & D un . Nth. Eastern—Berwict. Do. G.N•E purchase Do. Leeds Do. York Do. Carlisle ..... ho. Stock. & Darling. Do. do. 1860-61 North London .. Do. do. 1864 .. Do. 10. 1865 North Staffordshire N. & S. W. Junction .: Scottish Central Scot. N. E , Aber. stock •o. Scot, Mid. stick Shropshire Union South Devon , outh'E, stern Staines, Wok., & Wok raft' Vale Do. C Vale of Neath Waterford & Kilkenny Waterloo & Whiteha I West Cornwall BRITISH Atlantic & St. Lawrence Born., Baroda, Cen.ln. gu. 5 per cent Do. F shares Buffalo & Lake Huron Do. Preference Buff.,Brant, & Goderich! 6 p.c. 872-3-4 ••• • • Calcutta & 8. E., lirn jape Town & Dock, gu Demerara, 7 p.c. per. PT East. Bengal, gu., 5 do East ludian gu. 5 p.c. Do. .J Extension Grand Trunk of Canada Do. Equip. Mort, Bonds 1 charge 6 p.c Do. Ist Pref. Bonds Do. do. deferred Do. 2d Pref. Bonds Do. do. deferred Do. 3d Pref. stock Do. do. deferred Do. 4th Pref. stock . Do. do. deterred ... Gt. India Pen. gua. Lo. Gua. 5 per cent 1 Do. New gua. 5 p. Gt. South of India gua. 5 per cent 41 per cent Do Great Wcs. of Canada Do. New .. Do. 6 p. c. Bds. pay. 1873 Do. 51 do. pay. 1877-8 , Indian Branch, limited i Madras, gua. 5 p.o Do. 41 do Do. 4i do Do. Fifth Extension Melb. Cor. 6 p. c. Bnds. Mel. & Hudson's Bay N.M.C'da,6pclstpf.ba Seinde Do. Delhi Do. do ti Do. Punjaub Do.lndus St. Flo, LiiiN IAL GO Vlg British Columbia, 6 per' cent., Dec. 31,1872 1 Can.Gov.6 p.c.Ja.tiz July 1877-84 Do. 6 p. c. Feb. & Aug.. DD. 5 p. c. Mar. & Sept )o. 5 p. c. Jan.. July Do. 5 p. e. Inscribed sk Cape G. Hope, 6 p.c. 1873 Oct . 1890-1900 ID°. do: 11;80-9, , Do. Jan. &July, 1890-9 Do. 5 per cent. 15 April and 15 Oct., 1900 - Ceylon, Nov. 1868, 6 p.c Do. 1878, do Mauritius, 6 p. 0, 1873, Jan. and July Do. 1 , 78 .. Do. 1882, Mayls, Nov. Do. 1895, Feb. & Aug Natal 4 ,0 v. c per cent N. B.Gov. 6 p.c.Ja..t.luly N. S.W. Gov. 5 pv.,1861 , Do. 5 p c. 18;1 to 187 1 . • Do. 5 P.c. 1888 to 1894 New Zealand, 6 p. cent Do. 5 per cent.... Nova Scotia Gov. 6 p. c sterling, 1875 Queensland Gov. 6 p. c S. Aus.G ov. 6 p,c 1868-1 Do. 1878 Az upwards Vic,Gov. 6 p.c. Ja July Do. do, April A: Oct 96 08 27 29 1201 :211' 9zl 4:15, 61 63 : 1334 134 2 3kp lk Ilp 92 95 123 1231 1f 21, 92 04 87 58 6 27 109 110 71 72 109 110 38 3 10 11 p 120 121 1 2pj 1 2pl 74 76 108 112 149 151 66 48 49 51 75 76 8 I/ 140 143 1 3 ) 100 103 52 C 4 ESSIONS, 64 56 1(3 104 3 to 44 5 8 9 76 80 96 98 62 67 100 102 101 102 11:31 1041 22 24 85 87 63 66 55 60 55 57 50 55 41 41 40 44 25 27 25 27 1091 Ito 3 / 4 1 3 / 4 2 i, li 2 p 99 101 91 93 154 1 6 5_ 441 94 26 83 o 5 11 Old 100 101 91 03 86 88 61 63 81 B'2 99 100 98 99 i td 97 99 IC4I Al ENT SNCUIt. 92 94 90 i 3 90 43 7i 80 76 79 102 104 102 104 102 104 102 104 86 8) 102 104 1(5 1 7 103 105 107 109 104 106 104 106 99 101 90 93 90 95 87i 88i 94 95 72 73 P 8 100 98 100 105 107 103 104 BRITISH MINES, Cam. ConsoL Gold, lim Chiverton Clifford A malgamated Devon G. Cons. (Tavist Drake walls East Bassett (Illogan) East Caradon East Carn Brea East Grenville East Gunnislake East Loved E. W'l Russell (Tavistk Gam.& StA übyn(G wen. Great Laxey, limited Great South Tolgus Great Wheal Busy._ G. Wheal Vor (Heist. , t, Grenville Herod's Foot •••• Elingston Downs M ar garet ( Uny Lelant Marke Valley il ew wynsdett y to lron Ore, U s M North Roskear N.Wh' 1 Bassett (Mogan North Wheal Crofty Prosper United... Pr, vidence Uny LEdant S. Caradon (St. Cleer) South Condurrow S.Wheal Fran. (Mogan Stray Park Tin Croft Vigra and Clogan, lim West Bassett (Illogan W. Caradon (Liskearff West Chiverton West Seton Wheal Bassett 'Mogan Wheal Buller (Redruth Wheal Mary Ann (Men. Wheal Seton Wheal Trelawney (Lie 6 7 10 12 520 640 * 18 YO 6i 76 3t 41 4 4 8 9 2.1.0 296 2.14.6 31 2.14.0 8.3.6 3.9.0 10.8.6 3 31 5 7 21 22 1 ill 22} 23. 24 3 33 40 41 5 4 6 31 4} 21 1/c1 35 40 13 15 1 t all 0.14.6 14.9.6 40 8.18.0 8.10.0 5.10.6 13.17.6 4.10.6 '2l 41 381 4.4.0 2.13.0 7.1.6 10.6.7 1} 3.2.0 1818.9 35.15.6 9 all 32 34 375 400 11 2 ,5 20 4 6 13 15 3 5 1 2 9 72} 130 140 $0 85 20 22 5 20) 2 0 13 15 [IIG SHAKE.. kua. stock, No. 1, 104 in 1 per et— b 7 )er cent., 891 £1.0.6), .ItES AND STOCKS. FICEFEUEN( London and Brighton, 5 per of Midland, Leicester and Ilitehi North Eastern, Cons. pref., South Eastern (Eteading Anne, PREFERENCE BRA Great Eastern 4t per oent. pr., Ditto, 5 per cent. pf., 85i 5 roitEiGN RAILWAYS Antwerp and Rotterdam. 101 Bahia and San Francisco, 7 per cent.. 141 Ottoman (Smyrna to Aidin), 8f Recite and San Francisco, lim., gua. 7 per cent., 12i San Paulo. lim., gua. 6 per cent., 1 South Austrian and Lombardo Venetian, 14/ I Fint fa in Chontales Gold and Silver Mining, 2/ / Don Pedro, Nor.h Del Rey, Linares, Urn., 2 Scottish Australian, lim., I BANIKK Agra and Masterman's, 1im.,:46 ; 51 61 Alliance, lirn., 22; 3 21 21 Bank of British Columbia, 20 Bank of London. 231 Brazilian and Portuguese, lim., 81 olonial, 47 Consolidated Bank, lim., 9 8; 1 East London, lim., n 4 Eng ish Joint Stock, lim., 77 61 European Bank, Um., 71 8 7 s Hindustan. China, and Japan. Urn., ll; 111 it o, issued at 2 pm., Ditto, new, • 0S:11; Imperial Ottoman, 11 :01 Ditto, new, P ; 1 10 London and Brazilian (lim.), 43 London Chartered Bank of Australia, 22; London and 11 estminster. 961 Metropolitan and Provincial Bank, lira., 141 National Provincial of England. 159 Ditto, 2d and issue, 16} Oriental Bank Corporation. 47 9; Provincial Banking Corporation, lim., 5; Union of Australia, 52 1; Union of London, 54 31 DOCKS. Surrey Commercial, 109 MISCELLANEOUS. Consolidated Discount. Rm., 4 5: Credit Foncler and Mobilier of England, 4f51555 Crystal Palace, , 9 Ditto, Preference, 111 Discount Corporation. 8 Egyptian Com. and Trading, lim., 35 3 Electric Telegraph, 134 English and Foreign Credit, 4 35 25 Gen. Credit and Finance of London, lim., 35 25 3 Home and e ilonial A ssurance, lim, 35 Hudson's Bay, 16 155 Imperial Mercantile Credit Asso., tim., 4 1 05 International Financial Society,lim., 45 434 London Financial Association, lim , 15 144 51:dras Irrigation and Canal,tl3 Ditto (all),^ I ia Millwall Freehold Land and Dock, 6 5 National Discount company, 125 Ditto, issued at 5 prem.. of whioh 35 is to pay, 55 North British Australasian, 50 Overend, Gurney, and Co., lim., 141 a Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Mail, Um., 85 Viceroy of Egypt, Mortgage, Loan, 161 Warrant Finance, The eourse of exchange at New York on London for bills at BO days' sight is 1061 to 107 per cent. At these rates there is no profit on the importation of go'd from the United States. POSS THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 1, 1866. LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day). COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. (Before Mr. Justice Willes and a Common Jury.) MILLS V. UNDERWOOD. This was an action brought by William Henry Mills, the proprietor of a paraffin oil warehouse, to recover a box of trinkets and some silver spoons. The case of the plaintiff was, that being very much en gaged in business, and his wife, who had been a widow with two children by a former husband, being very ill, the property in question was entrusted to the care of Mrs Underwood, the defendant, who was a cousin of Mrs. Mills. The plaintiff also gave the defendant £2O, but there was no question about the money against which there was a sot off which was not disputed. Last year Mrs. Mills died, and the defendant refused to deliver to the plaintiff the property she hell, on the ground that it was entrusted to her for the benefit of the children of Mrs. Mills by her first husband. Tho plaintiff admitted that the property was given into the care of the defendant by his sanction, but he denied that it was given for a specified period. Mr. Inderwiek appeared for the plaintiff, and M. D, Seymour, Q.C., for the defendant. His lordship said that the only question was whether a trust so created was recoverable or not. He did not know of any authority bearing on the question. The Lord Chancellor had considered the subject, but he did not know what was the decision. After some discussion, it was agreed by counsel to take the decision of the Court as to the point of law. Ms lordship said that ho considered the trust was too loose to be binding on the plaintiff, but ha had no objec tion to the question being discussed before a full court next term. A verdict was then entered for the plaintiff. COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE. (Before Sir J. P. Wilde.) JENNER V. JENNER AND BALLINGER.-JUDGMENT. His lordship delivered judgment in this case, which had come originally before his predecessor. It was an applica tion on the part of the petitioner for an order of the court enabling him to obtain a portion of a sum of £7OO, which had been settled on his wife at her marriage, with a rever sionary interest to her children at her demise. He said he had carefully read the notes of Sir Cresswell Cresswell, and saw nothing in the circumstances of the case to take it out of the general rule applying to settlement of property. It appeared that the wife had been duly served with the notice of the present application, and did not offer any opposition, but seemed desirous that her husband should have the money he required. The Court did not feel jus tified in any way dealing with a fund ultimately settled on the children, but the trusts might be administered as if the wife had died during the lifetime of her husband. LORD MAYOR'S COURT. (Before Mr. Boden, Q.C., and a Common Jury.) IMPORTANT ACTION AGAINST A FIRE INSURANCE OFFICE CUMBERLAND V. THE ALBERT INSURANCE COMPANY. This was an action to recover damages in a case of al leged trespass by the defendants, after a fire had occurred on the plaintiff's premises, and a point of the very greatest importance was raised as to the right of insurance com panies to take possession of the property of their insurers when a claim is made under the policy. Mr. Telford Salter (instructed by Mr. Steadman) ap peared for the plaintiff ; Mr. Shaw (instructed by Mr. Wal ker), representing the company. Mr. Salter, in opening the case to the jury, said that his client sought to recover damages for a trespass committed by the defendant, under circumstances of very great im portance. The defendants were the Albert Fire Insurance Company, and the question for the jury and the court would be whether a fire insurance company had a right to put a man in possession upon the plaintiff's premises after a firr had occurred. No doubt a fire company was entitled to look after the salvage under certain circumstances, but the learned counsel contended that they had no right whatever in law to put a man in posses sion, much less against the will of the insurer. Now the facts of the case were these :—The plainiiff was a bird stuffer and dealer in bird skins, of London Wall, and he had insured his premises with the defendants for £550. His occupation consisted of a ground, first and second floors. On Nov. 28, 1865, a fire broke out and consumed the first and second floors, leaving the ground floor com paratively uninjured. On the morning after this fire no tico was given to the company, and they put a man in possession, and that person kept possession for two months. Plaintiff considered himself very much ill-used by this, and he brought his action to recover damages. The claim of the plaintiff was considered by the insur ance company as excessive. Mr. Shaw, for the company, urged that there had been no unreasonable occupation. Mr. Salter said that although it was reasonable for the company to enter premises, thore was no law under which they were entitled to do so. He trusted the jury would give substantial damages. His lordship, in summing up, said in the first place tho jury had to say whether plaintiff could recover at all, and in the second what damage he lead sustained, supposing that the jury should consider that he was entitled to re cover. In point of law, in the abstract, the company had no right to go on the premises at all, but when a fire oc curred the jury would say whether they had a reason, and a good reason, for going in to investigate it. If the jury thought that the defendants kept the man in an unreason able time, then the jury would say what damages he had suffered. The jury conferred and found a verdict for the plaintiff, £5O damages, the full amount claimed. POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. COMBINATION AGAINST A FOREMAN.—David Ryan, a la bourer, was charged as follows : Mr. George Hotten, foreman in the employ of Messrs. Scrivener and White, builders, at some works going on in Riding-house -street (the building of the Portland British Schools), said the prisoner was employed at the works as a labourer, and he had to discharge him in consequence of absenting himself from drinking. On his doing so prisoner said, " You —, you discharged me, and I'll knock your brains out," and then struck him in the face and turned him out of the office. Hugh Facey, another foreman in Messrs. Scrivener and White's employ, said that he was going to pay the pri soner for what work he had done, when he said, " I'll knock your brains out," and the prisoner then laid hold of Rotten and struck him a violent blow in the face, and afterwards incited a number of the labourots to leave the job. Thos. Rosekilley, one of the warrant officers, said that when he went to execute the warrant ho was surrounded by the friends of the prisoner. The prisoner, who was very violont, made a rush at the witness Facey, who would have been violently handled but for his (Rosekilley's) in terference. In answer to the charge, the prisoner called two wit nesses out of a number of labourers in attendance, and from tho rambling statements they made it was clear that they were actuated by far from friendly feelings towards the complainant. Mr. Tyrwhitt said he considered the assault a very bad one, inasmuch as it was setting a bad example to the other men, and was likely to create a feeling of insurbordination amongst them. He should therefore fine the prisoner £5 or two months' imprisonment. ELECTION COMMITTEES—This Day. HARWICH. The members of this committee, consisting ;of Mr. Ga thorne Hardy (chairman), Mr. Sergeant Armstrong, Mr. J. Floyer, Mr. K. Hodgson, and Mr. Huddlestone, met to-day for the first time to try the merits of the two petitions against the return of the sitting members, Captain Jervis and Mr. Kelk. The first petition was presented by Mr. M. Wells, one of the unsuccessful candidates at the last election, and sot forth that, under a statute of Anne, was disqualified from holding a seat in the House of Commons, by reason of his holding the situations of assistant superintendent in the loyal Small Arms establishment and deputy-clerk' in the office of the Secretary of War. The petitioner prayed that Captain Jervis's name should be erased from the return, and his own substituted. The second petition proceeded from Mr. Burt, M.D., and other electors of Harwich, and alleged corrupt practices on the part of both members. Mr. Phinn, Q.C., Mr. Fitzjames Stephen, and Mr. Phil brick appeared for the petitioners; and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. H. James for the sitting members. Mr. nine, on opening the case in the first petition against the return of Captain Jervis, said that the petition did not involve the usual question which formed the sub ject of inquiry of election committees in general. The whole case would turn on the construction of an old statute, and one of more modern times, and the points that he would have to establish were that the situation held by Captain Jervis was clearly contemplated in the Act of Queen Anne, and rendered him ineligible for a seat in Parliament at the time of the election, and that due notice had been given to the electors of Harwich that it would be useless for them to record their votes in favour of Captain Jervis. The learned counsel proceeded to argue the case at consider able length, and quoted the authority of some of the most eminent writers on constitutional law. The inquiry promises to be rather protracted. HUDDERSFIELD. _ _ The further evidence on behalf of the sitting member was resumed this morning. CHELTENHAM. Evidence in this case was also proceeded with. Great Destruction of Property by Fire. THIS DAY. This morning, at a few minutes before one o'clock, the quiet neighbourhood of Leytonstone, in Essex, presented an universal scene of excitement in consequence of the out break of an extensive fire in a newly-erected 10-roomed house belonging to Mr. W. Keate, situated in Belgravia, Leytonstone. In the course of a few minutes the entire building presented a great body of flame, and the fire seized upon another house equally as large. Capt. Jones was soon on the spot with the West Ham engine, followed by numerous others. Plenty of w ater having been pro cured, the firemen went to work, but the fire could not be extinguished until both buildings were totally de stroyed. The sufferer was insured in the Royal-office. About half-past 3 o'clock a fire, attended with great loss of property, took place in the premises of Mr. H aw k es, grocer and tea dealer, No. 1 , Wellington-street, Holloway. The Volunteer and Metropolitan Brigade quickly attended, but the fire could not be extinguished until the shop and con tents, and the upper part of the house, were nearly des troyed. A fire likewise broke out in the tea warehouses of Mr. Eves, No. 24, Skinner-street, Clerkenwell. Con ductors Dunshire and Puty attended with two of the Royal Society's escapes, followed by numerous engines, but the flames could not be extinguished until they had travelled through the building. Another fire broke out at No. 6, Church-road, Dalston, occupied by Mr. Oliver, a green grocer, which destroyed the lower part of the building. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING. ROYAL COMMISSION. The Royal assent was given by commission to the fol lowing bills :—Exhibition of Art, Cattle Sheds in Burghs (Scotland), Forsyth's Indemnity, Parliamentary Oaths Amendment, East Indian Military, &c., Funds and Transfer, Columbia (Bethnal Green) Market and Approaches, Central Wales Extension Railway, Banbury Gas, Derwent and Shotley Bridge Road, and West Middlesex Water. The Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, Viscount Sydney, and Lord Foley. After the different bills had been gone through, the house suspended its sitting until five o'clock, when the LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack. SUNDAY TRADING. On the motion of Lord CHELMSFORD, a bill amend. log the law in respect to Sunday trading was agreed to. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Stour bridge Gas Act Amendment, Thames Tunnel Company, Eastern Bengal Railway Company, Thames Subway, Dagenham Dock Railways, Roach River'Fishery, Hatfield Chase Warping and Improvement (Railway), Ardmore Harbour, and Putney and Fulham New Bridge. The following bills were read a third time and passed: — Wesleyan and General Assurance Society ; Heywood Water; North Eastern Railway (Gilling, Helmsley, and Pickering Branch); Leicester Water; Dublin Port Acts Amendment; Dublin Port (Docks); Leicester Cattle Market, &c. On the motion of Lord CHELMSFORD the Attorneys and Solicitors (Ireland), 1866, Bill passed through com mittee. The house went into committee on the Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Bill, and the clauses with some amendments were agreed to, and the bill was ordered for third reading. The report of the amendments on the Sale of Land by Auction Bill was brought up and agreed to. POOR. PERSONS BURIAL (IRELAND) BILL. The house went in committee and the different clauses were agreed to. PUBLIC OFFICES (SITE) BILL. On the motion of Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY, this bill was read a third time and passed. The house then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS-=LAST EVENING. The SPEAKER took tho chair at four o'clock. Mr. RUSSELL GURNEY took the oaths and his seat for Southampton. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed:— Bury Gas ; Cleethorpes Gas; Congleton and Buxton Road ; Ebbw Vale, Beaufort, Licc., Water ; Llynvi Valley Railway; Macclesfield and Chapel in the Frith Road; Manchester and Stockport Railway ; Manchester, Shef field, and Lincolnshire Railway (Liverpool Extension); Merrybent and Darlington Railway ; and Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay and Hoylake Railways. THAMES. THE LATE CASE OF AEDIYCTION.-31r, Charles Young, Solicitor, who is engaged to conduct the prosecution against Christian Olifius, a Dutchman, who carries on the business of a pickle and fruit merchant in Crispin- street, Spitalfields; and Ellen Houghton, a woman of indifferent c haracter, who were committed by Mr. P age t f or th e ab duction of a young lady, named Elizabeth Tolly, re p or t e d that both prisoners were brought up from Newgate yester day on a writ of habeas corpus, and offered bail to the presiding judge at Chambers. He (Mr. Young) opposed the application for bail on the part of Mr. Tolly, the father of the young lady. Mr. Justice Lush, after hearing Mr. Besley, counsel for the prisoners, and reading the affidavits, decided that both prisoners might be safely bailed ; and that as the law presumed all persons to be innocent until found guilty, there was no necessity to detain them if .thoy could find good security for their appearance at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court. He fixed the amount of bail as follows : For Olifius, his own personal recognisance in £2,000, and two sureties of £750 each ; and for Houghton, her own personal recognisance of £3OO, and two sureties of £l5O each. Olifius immediately put in the required bail and was liberated. The woman was linable to put in the required sureties trnd was sent back to Newgate. She was called upon to give 24 hcurs' notice of bail. KNOCKING A MAN'S EYE OUT.—A dock labourer, named James Savage, was brought before Mr. Paget, charged with assaulting Mr. Tagtman. Robert Smith, a police-sergeant, No. 47 K, said he had just taken the prisoner into custody for assauting a man i n Bluegate-fiolds, Shadwell, on Friday last. He produoed a certificate from the house surgeon of the London Hospital, stating that Ernest Tatgman could not be removed at pre sent, and was in danger. The man had received a fearful injury, and the sight gone. The eye would have to vome out. He believed a poker was used. The prisoner said that Tagtman was his landlord, and fastened a quarrel on him because he was unabie to pay his rent, Tagtman called him an Irish -, and ho re torted by calling Tagtman a Dutch. They fought, and Tagtman's sister tried to bite him. He was not aware he used any poker, and never intended to hurt the landlord. Mr. Paget said the case must be further investigated, and remanded the prisoner for a week. THE DOCK LABOURERS AT LlVERPOOL—Yester day, at noon, the labourers at the docks north of the Prince's Dock struck work for an advance of wages and terms as to time similar to those demanded by their fellows at the south docks. They congregated in large numbers at the gate entrance, but were very orderly and quiet. Liverpool Cotton Market---This Day. The market opens flat, at drooping prices. Sales probably 5,000 bales. MARKETS.—This Day. HAY. SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover, £5 55 to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 4s per load. Trade slow. - _ CUMBERLAM—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £slos Od; clover, £5 5s to £6 15s Od ; and straw, £2 Os to £2 5s pe r load. limited inquiry. WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover, £5 5s to £6 15s Od; and straw, £llBs to £2 4s per load. Trade heavy. COLONIAL. TEA.—There has been very little business transacted the trade having deferred their operations until the public sales, which commence to-day, when about 8,300 packages will be offered, chiefly without reserve. SUGAR.—There has been a better enquiry, and prices have shown more firmness. In the refined market also a fair amount of business has been done at fully previous rates. COFFEE.—A moderate amount of business has been re ported in both Plantation and Native Ceylon, without material change as regards values. RlCE.—Business has been dull, and the few rarcels that have changed hands have been at former quotations. CrinuioN.—At publio sale, just concluded, the prices realized were irregular; superior qualities, however, brought an advance of 3d. to 4d. per lb., and inferior id. to 2d. per lb. on previous current rates. FATAL FIRE IN SUFFOLK.—On Saturday an in quest was held at Cavendish, Suffolk, on the bodies of two men named Reeve and Deeks, who had lost their lives on the preceding day at a fire in the cocoa-nut fibre manufactory of Mr. Churchyard, at that place. It is cus tomary to lay cocoa nut fibre which has been wetted for any purpose in the yard to dry previous to its being manu factured, and on Friday a quantity of fibre was lying in the yard attached to Mr. Churchyard's factory for that pur pose. Shortly after 2 o'clobk this fibre became ignited by some unaccountable means, and the flames communicated with other fibre in the factory. An alarm was given, but such was the inflammable nature of the material that the flames spread from floor to floor with very great rapidity. In less than five minutes every part of the building was in flames. There were between 20 and 30 persons employed in the factory at the time. All were saved, however, ex cept the deceased. Deeks was taken out of the third floor window by a ladder, but he kad received injuries which terminated fatally on Saturday. Reeve's body was not dis coved until the fire was extinguished. The fire is sup posed to have been caused by some one smoking. At the inquest on Saturday no satisfactory evidence could be ob tained on this subject, and the jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally burnt." THE MURDER IN IRELAND. —D ÜBLIN, Monday.— The jury have found a verdict of wilful murder against Richard Kearney, the man charged with having shot a policeman on Sunday in this city. The report that a soldier was with the murderer is false. A private, named Murphy, of the sth Dragoon Guards, who was passing at the time, tried to seize Kearney, but several persons pre vented him, and threatened him The jury commended Murphy. Kearney is known to be a Fenian. No arrest was made, but one of the witnesses at the inquest was taken into custody. Ho was supposed to be concealing impoz - tant information. THE EXPENDITURE ON THE BRITISH MUSEUM for the past year was £lOl,BOB 14s. 4d., and the sum required for the ensuing year will be about £102,744. During the past few years there has been a continuous decrease in the number of visitors, exclusive of readers. The num ber of visitors have diminished considerably. During the past year there were 30,000 fewer than in 1861. 29,686 volumes have been added to the library. Tho number of de liveries of manuscripts to readers during the years is 2,311, and to artists and others in the rooms of the department to 4,199. The collection of manuscripts has been added to by 1,177 documents, 180 original charters, and 231 casts of seals. The Egerton collection has been increased by forty manu scripts. At the sale of the celebrated collection of the late Count Pourtales a number of antiquities were purchased for the Greek and Roman departments. In coins and medals we learn that the great collection formerly in the Bank of England, and numbering with the medals collected by Messrs. Hoggard and Cuff about 7,700 specimens, have been deposited in the museum by the Bank authorities. Professor Owen reports 16,700 additions in the department of zoology, 10,078 in that of geology, and 3,623 in that of mineralogy. THE PRUSSIAN PROJECT OF FEDERAL REFORM.-- proposed by P russ i a to the Diet : —l. According to the Journal de Bruxelles the f o ll ow i ng are uttivecsal suffrage, with some restrictions in respect of the qualificati o ns of thedepu ties. p b a a rl s i e a s m o e f he n t 2. An executive power shall be constituted, in whi c h Austria, Prussia, and Bavaria alone shall exercise tto be elected by prepon derating influence. 8. Germany shall be divided into three military groups, formed by Austria, Prussia, and Bavaria. 4. Prussia and Bavaria to have the superior command of the military forces forming the two last-men tioned groups : Prussia to have command of the Federal fleet, which will be at once created. 5. The Diet will cease to guarantee the possessions of Austria, but an ulte rior understanding upon that subject may be arrived at. 6. Tho Parliament shall have the function of voting the contingents of the subsidies for the army and marine, and all laws applicable to the entire Confederation. 7. The diplomatic direction to be left exclusively in the hands of Prussia, which, however, will allow of the different other States retaining the power of naming their respective Consuls. - - - rADVERTISEMENT.I --Holloway's Pills and Ointment.— A frequent cause of gout and rheumatism is the inflamma tory state of the blood, attended with bad digestion and general debility. A few doses of these pills taken in time are an effectual preventative against gout and rheumatism ; but any one who has an attack of either should use Hal loway's ointment also, the powerful yon pills, he blood, whi c h th e y m pt u - o s p t e i r n ti f e a s ni o b f ly w e h ff ic e h et , cht a regulate th e secre ti ons theel lso pillsee.fra s ec t etT o tdhoi a efry e et h, and th us th e w h o l e system apa nucdriufgiy. combined eiy. aontTdohn with These nstepo rot thevhe m is invigorated and put into a condition which enables it to stop the approach of disease, or thrcly it off. BANBURY ELECTION. Mr. MOWBRAY brought up the report of the com mittee appointed to try the merits of this election petition It was to the effect that Mr. Saniuelson was duly elected. NORTHALLERTON ELECTION. The report of this election committee was brought up. It stated that C. H. Mills, Esq., was not duly elected, .and that the last election was a void election. WAKEFIELD ELECTION. The report of this committee was brought up. It stated that W. H. Leathani, Esq., was duly elected. It also stated that bribery had taken place in some few instances, but there was no reason to believe that corrupt practices extensively prevailed. The concluding paragraph elicited some laughter. MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER. Mr. MILL presented a petition in favour of a bill for legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister. Mr. T. CHAMBERS also presented a number of peti. tions with a similar prayer. NEW WRITS. On the motion of Mr. BRAND, new writs were ordered to issue for Sandwich and Reading ; and on the motion of COL TAYLOR, a new writ was ordered to issue for North Devon. PARLIAMENTARY OATHS. Mr. MAGUIRE asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether it was the intention of the Government, now that the oaths hitherto taken by members of Parliament had been replaced by a simple and uniform math, to introduce a bill in the present session to substitute a similar form of oath for that now required to be taken by all persons ac cepting municipal or other offices in Ireland. AMENDMENT OF THE POOR LAWS. Mr. KINNAIRD asked the President of the Poor Law Board if the proposed measures for amending the adminis- tration of the Poor Law Board in the Metropolis would give proper controlling power to the Poor Law Board over the parishes at present governed under local acts ; whe ther it would abolish the election of guardians for life; and if he knew whether the guardians of Clerkenwell had discontinued that ill-treatment of paupers which had been repeatedly commented on in the public press. Mr. VILLIERS said a measure would be shortly laid before the house with a view, as far as possible, of embody ing the recommendations of the commission that had re ported on the subject. The guardians of Clerkenwell had greatly improved the accommodation afforded to casual paupers. Mr. C. FORTESCUE said the Government did not at present propose a bill, but they did intend to appoint a commission to inquire into all oaths taken by the holders of municipal and other officers. OATHS OF MEMBERS. Sir G. GREY moved the following :—" That mem bers may take and subscribe the oath required by law, at any time during the sitting of the house, before the orders, of the day; and notices of motions have been en tered upon, or after they have been disposed of ; but no debate or business shall be interrupted for that purpose. That the standing order of the 15th day of August, 1860, relative to the swearing of persons professsing the Jewish religion, be read and repealed." The motion was agreed to. THE REFORM BILL—THE GOVERNMENT EXPLANATIONS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he stated after the division on Friday night, or it would be literally more correct, on Saturday morning, that he would make known the course the Government in tended to pursue with respect to the order of public business. Of course, after such a decision, the Govern ment have not seen any reason or warrant for desisting from passing into law the measure brought forward by her Majesty's Government for the amendment of the represen tation of the people. It was clearly to be understood from the tone of the debate that one moiety of the house was in favour of proceeding with the measure as proposed by the Government, and the other moiety did not declare itself unwilling to enter into the consideration of the question of Reform. The important condition however was that before it did so it desired to have the whole of the in tentions of the Government not only on the representa tion of the people, but with respect to boundaries and mea sures of reform from Ireland and Scotland. Therefore, it appeared to him that the whole house was agreed to take the subject into their consideration when in possession of the requisite information, and in order to lose no time the Government intended to place the bill for the redistribution of seats on the table of the house as early as possible. It could not be done on Thursday next, because he had already announced that the first Government night after the second reading of the Representation of the People Bill would be the finan cial statement, and there were important commercial rea-, sons why that statement should be made as originally an nounced. On Monday, therefore, he proposed to intro duce the bill for the redistribution of seats, and also to fix a time for going into committee on the Reform Bill. With respect to the Budget, the old practice had been for hon. members at the conclusion of the statement to put questions where further information was required, so that a completeness was given to the subject,but of late a practice had sprung up of raising a general debate on the subject. He thought the old practice the one best suited to the purpose, and he therefore respectfully suggested that it might, as far as possible, be adopted when ha should have the honour of m akin g his statement. With respect to the subject of church rates, he was not yet in a position to make any positive announcement, but he hoped he should be better prepared on Monday next. Mr. H. BAILLIE asked whether the Government pro posed to take the bills together or separately. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he should proceed conformably with the notice he had already given. Until the bill for the redistribution of seats was produced he did not desire to say anything to fetter the discretion of the Government or the private members. Mr. WHITESIDE asked whether the Irish Reform measure would embrace a bill for tho redistribution of seats. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said as far as related to Ireland the bill to be brought in for Ire land would be a complete measure. (Laughter.) Sir L. PALK asked whether they would take the second reading of the Redistribution of Seats Bill before going into committee on the Reform Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he could not bind himself to any plan until the Redistribution of Seats Bill was before the house. Sir J. FERGUSON asked when the bill for Scotland would be introduced ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said his hon. friend the Lord Advocate would on Monday next introduce the bill. (Hear.) Mr. BOUVERIE, in order to put himself in or der, rose to move the adjournment of the hous e. He said he con- un sidered the course the Government intended to pursue der the circumstances right and' proper, and he trusted that no obstruction or delay would be attempted by hon. gentlemen opposite. It appeared that all were agreed that somereform wan required , a nd, under ouch circuuvtaucep, ho hoped they would all unite to produce a good and ell cient bill. Mr. WHITE said he should have thought that after the miserable majority of the Government they would have resigned. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) But they had heard so much about standing and falling that he should like to know, supposing in committee the .£7 qualification was in creased to £B, they (the Government) would consider that a fatal amendment to the bill, and that they would fall with it--(hear, hear, and laughter)—as a necessary conse quence. (Laughter.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, as long as the bill stands, the Government would stand—(laughter)—and when it fell they (the Govern ment) would fall. He had made no announcement with respect to amendments that might be made in committee, and until those amendments had been proposed he could not be supposed to know the course the Government would adopt. The motion for the adjournment of the house was then withdrawn, and the house proceeded to consider the orders of the day. During the time the Chancellor of the Exchequer was addressing the house it presented a very animated ap pearance. The different portions of it were crowded to excess and the greatest interest was manifested to hear the determination of the Government. On the conclusion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's remarks four-fifths of the members quitted the house, leaving the rest listening to the speech of Mr. O'Reilly, who had a notice on the paper to call the attention of the house to the propriety of extending the Saturday half holiday to those branches of the Civil Service who did not yet enjoy it. Mr. CHll,lsERSentered at length into the particulars of the Commissioners on of the case, in order to show that, notwithstanding the re portn tothe subject, it had, up to Sir G. GREY moved a resolution now, been found impracticableo grant the desired favour. 0 0 : t roviding that mem bersany time during the sitting of thehhaodusheee might take and subscribe the required before the by law orders at ,but no n de e h n a tered upon, of the day and notices of motion s or after they had been disposed of August, ness should be interrupted for that purpose. He teor busi ness also pro posed that the standing order of the 15th day 0 1860, relative to the swearing of persons p ro f essing the Jewish religion, be read and repealed. These propositions were agreed to. A brief conversation arose on the subject of the Irish Militia, and the reasons which had induced the Govern ment to doubt the expediency of calling out that force during the present year. The house then went into committee of supply on the Civil Service Estimates. The following votes were agreed to :—.£45,000 for purchase of site for enlargement of the National Gallery; £20,000 for the expenses of erecting a new building for the University of London ; £7,000 for the repair and restoration of the Chapter House at West minster; £25,000 for erecting and improving Sheriffs, Courts in Scotland ; £20,000 for rates on Government pro . perty ; £2,509, the amount of contribution towards the funds for the establishment and maintenaice of a fire brigade in the metropolis; £2,000, harbours of refuge ; £31,111, on account of the new harbours at Holyhead and Portpatrick ; £60,663 on account of public build ings in Ireland; £1,571 for new Record Buildings at the Four Courts, Dublin ; £7,000 for purchase or erec tion of buildings for the Queen's University in Ire land ; £5,000 for the restoration of the works of the Ulster Canal; £32,160 for lighthouses abroad; £2,000 for a criminal lunatic asylum in the Isle of Man ; £.53,431 salaries and expenses of the Houses of Parliament ; £38,432 for the Treasury Office ; £19,471 for the Home Office ; £47,840 for the Foreign Office ; £23,124 for the Colonial Office ; £14,709 for the Privy Council ; £48,285 for the Board of Trade; £1,538 for the Privy Seal Office; £6,007 for the Civil Service Commission ; £14,588 for the Pay master-General's Department ; £3,380 for the Office of the Comptroller-General of the Exchequer ; £25,862 for Office of Works and Public Buildings ; £20,815 for Office of Woods, Forests, and Lands ; £15,119 for the State Paper Office ; £222,984 for the Poor Law Commission ; together with the whole of the salaries and expenses of the other public departments, including the secret service money, £32,000, and the printing and stationery votes.'. . . The estimates for the administration of law Lind justice in England were also passed, and the house resumed. The Contagious Diseases Bill was read a third time and passed. The adjourned debate on Sir John Gray's resolution on the Established Church (Ireland) was postponed until the 23d of May. The Hope Trade Bill passed through committee. LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELANIS) Mr. C. FORTESCITE, in moving for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law of landlord and tenant in Ireland, admitted that the act passed in 1860 by Mr. Cardwell had proved a failure, owing to the cautions and legal restric tions with which it was surrounded. Profiting by the ex perience gained since that time, it would be proposed to alter the law in accordance with the facts of the case, in which the tenant and not the landlord, as in Scotland and England, effected the improvements ; and, in accordance with natural equity, extending the term of leases for im provements from 21 to 31 years, and for buildings from 41 to 61 years ; to give the tenant, where there was no agree ment to the contrary, a title to all improvements, without notice to the landlord being required ; a lump sum, accord ing to the increased rental of the farm, not exceeding £5 an acre, to be settled in event of a dispute by a valuator gent down by the Commissioners of Public Works, with an appeal to the chairman of quarter sessions. After some discussion, leave was given to bring in the bill, which was read a first time, and the house then ad journed. Mexico. WHAT AN AMERICAN TRAVELLER SAP AND SAYS. A correspondent of the New Orleans Picayune, who left the city of Mexico on the 13th February, furnishes some late and interesting information as to the state of the country. The Picayune says : " He travelled in his own private carriage to the city of Mexico, and thence to Paso del Macho, where he left his carriage and took the cars for Vera Cruz. He passed through the great cities of Queretaro, Mexico, Orizaba, Puebla, &c., and met with no casualty whatever. The whole country was quiet and apparently prosperous. Corn and wheat were both up and promised excellent crops. The corn also was everywhere rich and abundant, as also fruits of every description. New cotton was likewise up on the Rio Verde, and promised well. The cotton factories in the vicinity of San Luis Potosi, Saltillo, and San Juan de los Lagos were all thriving, and had as much business as they could do. Also the woollen factories of Queretaro. The city of San Luis Potosi was very dull, because of its being cut off from communication with Tampico and Matamoras. The city was full, however, and rents unacountably high. The French kept the road clear to Saltillo and Monterey ; but with the Mexican Gulf seaboard, or Rio Grande, there was' no safe communication. Our friend and informant preferred to make the entire round-about trip to the States by way of the Capital to Vera Cruz rather than risk the journey to Tampico or Matamoras. The city of Mexico he found dull, but fuller than he had ever known it before. There were, how ever, but few Americans there. They had almost all gone to Cordova, the Confederate colony. He passed, however, between San Luis and Cordova, many other American colonies or resi dences, and generally our compatriots domiciled in that country are doing well. Agriculture especially was very prosperous. The mines in the vicinity of San Luis Potosi, especially the celebrated Real Catorce mines, were all being assiduously worked and prospering. During the last eight months $1,500,000 of silver was coined there. Our informant also learned that the Real del Monte mines, near the capital, were doing well. He brings along with him a piece of the new imperial coinage. On one side is the Mexican coat of arms—the eagle, the ser pent, and the cactus—on the other the handsome face of Maximilian. As to the political state of the country, our in formant does not think it to be yet perfectly settled, though much better order prevails than in former days. But the future is uncertain, and to us a blank. He thinks there are about 30,000 French troops and employee's in the country, and about 10,000 native Mexicans in the Imperial service. Mejia was Maximilian s most trusted General. Of other foreign troops—Belgians and Austrians—he is unable to make an estimate. THE COCK -LANE SPIRIT.--At the present ti me , ppeii...stoonn:ioonfs highof th e i n t S e p u i o r iettuuaal attain list ; you ail attain ments, men of lea rnin g , p rofessors well versed a w r h e e to n l y d ot t t h a a s t s ta t i i ; in the sci„the new , es , pious divines , an d others, are di sciples of reve l a tion. Who are y ou, that you should darn to sco ff at what thes e eminent me n believe ? But Dr. Samuel Johnson was an eminent man, intellectual, learned, a nd he for a time believed ' pious, in the Cock - land Ghost. Ghost Does a nybody believe in the Cock -lane now ? I w ill not venture to say that ther e are not some believers still left; for it is au ascertained fact that in the s year 1851 there were everal con grega ti ons w h o met to worship Godin Southcott. It is qu it e the name of Joanna disciple possible, therefo re , th a t some o f th e s of Mr. Hom e believe that the Cock-lane rappings were produced may Fgnrty.,,....,.c,,by the spirit of the " murdered 4.4 Ow 6 AU thf Ycar Round." SORTING INTELLIGENCE ---This Day s _ _ _ ASCOT RACES.—Tms DAY. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] A HANDICAP PLATE OF 100 SOVS, for 3 -yr-olds and upwards, added to a Sweepstakes of 5, sous each ; winners after April 26, at 10 a.m., 51b extra s , . the second to receive 20 sous out of the stakes. Lia.)l, mile. 18 su b s. Lord Cravan • • • King Christian . Qui Five...... . ................. `••• ... 2 ......... ....... a TATTERSALLS'—Last Evening. 122} 1361 7 57 1 i i 1 86 1201 1 1 27 9 1 II 2i 3 82 I 133 i 3 12325 109 f 36i 71 3j 41! ITIES. DEIIIIY. 5 to 2 agst Rustic (taken and offered) 5 to 2 agst Lord Lyon (taken and offered 10 to 1 agst Redan (taken) 100 to 8 agst Vespasian (taken) 20 to 1 agst Bribery colt (taken) 28 to 1 agst Stalker (taken and offered) 28 to 1 agst Blue Riband (offered) 30 to 1 agst Monarch of the Glen (taken) Student was struck out of the Derby at 3 p.m. to-de... RACING FIXTI M Ascot Spring ,-. 1 Salisbury Bath 8 York Spring Harpenden lO Epsom Summer l5 'RES FOR 1866. West Drayton • ~ 2l Manchester Wye i Paris s t Summer rNE. JU. Windsor Summer 5 Newton Hampton : 7 Odiham Beverley Bibury l3 Stockbridge Chelmsford l9 Liverpool Summer ..... 19 Ipswich ..................... 21 Hungerford .............. 26 Newcastle on-Tyne ...... Worcester .................. 29 LY. Carlisle Newmarket July Pontefract Abingdon heading Nottingham Down Royal Corp lB Stamford l9 Radcliffe Spilsby Winchester . ..... 21 4.. .... Southampton....... 2l2a Huntingdon . A Caen Goodwood. 31 Deauville AUGUST. 4 York August 2l. . 3 Brighton ..................... 7 Dovero Brighton Club Lewes ........................ 10 Lichfield E_gham ........................ 14 Tunbridge Wolverhampton ........... 14 Yarmouth .... 28 Stockton ~,,•,,, 15 Derby Summer .... 29 0xf0rd.................. 1G 1 Weymouth 29 Hastings .................... 21 1 Baden Baden . 3l SEPTEMBER . Warwick September ~,,,• 4 1 mu lt a i o c ian h em tu hoe o ll nil ehr ..... u. ... t. . u. ... in. ... n. ...... ............... , I i ? !1 . 5 .. t .. 0 .. c . t . October .. 2 2 8 5 Leicester 11 6 I Doncaster Brecon 1817 NWeaMalr k . Canterbury OCTOBER. Bedford 2 Newmarket2d OctolJer... g Northampton 2 Newmarket Houghtonghten ... 24 Royal K C e a l l so edonian Hunt 3 ad IRISH RACING FIXTURES. APRIL. Cork 26 MAY. Curragh Baldoyle Spring B, 9 JUNE. Curragh 26, 27, 28, 29 JULY. Carlow SEPTEMBER. Curragh OCTOBER. Curragh l6, 11 18 FRENCH RAC: .NG FIXTURES. N.Y. Bruxelles B, 6 - 1 Vissembourg 2l Chantilly (Derby) 6, 10, 13 Paris (Summer) 26, 2t, La Marche 2l JUNE. Vincennes 3 Toulouse 24, 28 I Montaüban JULY. T ou l ouse 1 Le Pin St. Omer Rouen Metz B, 9 Saintes 2 B, 29 Amiens AUG UST. 4,5, 6 I Le Mans Rochefort 5 Leon l9, 20 Bourges... Valenciennes . Moulins Cherbourg SEPT: Baden-Baden 3, 5, 7 Chantilly :11BER. Paris (Autumn) 23, 30 OCT IBER. Paris 7 1 Vincennes Chantilly l4, 18 I FRENCH THEATRICALS. GRAND OPERA.—Once upon a time, when Lumley sue . . _ ceeded Laporte at Her Majesty's Theatre, there was a fine old admiral who used to come to the opera in a blue coat with brass buttons, such as Fyshe, Palmer, and Sir Francis Burdett used to wear. He never missed "Don Giovanni," and on his arrival, he used to sweep the horizon of snowy shoulders with a Doßond's telescope, after which he would subside into a peaceful slumber in the tail of his box with smiling instructions to the wife of his bosom, " Wake me, my love, when the ghost comes." A man cannot take his wife with him to the stalls of the French Opera, and so it happens that many occupiers of those pretty stools snore soundly to the end of "Don Juan." Let chemists ransack their Pharmacopeia, they will find no such opiate as this. The magnificence of the scenery is greatly to be praised, the ballet is beautiful, but the Don is put upon the stage in all the pomp of easy circumstances, arising from a splendid subvention, but it is a pompe funebre. Five long dreary acts which make those who can keep awake, and who fancy that they must see it out, long for the last scene impatiently as the boy who whispered to his schoolfellows in the pew, when he saw the clergyman turn to the fly leaf of his sermon, "Courage, lads, I see land." Elvira, Anna, and the Commendatore haVe some reason for this sadness—one has lost her lover, the other her father, and the last—his life. But the Don and his ballet should bo royatering revellers—reckless libertines with boisterous spirits—pet Faure and Obin walk about the stage as though they were engaged to do the "Heavy Fathers" of the drama. They seem to think that they have a very un pleasant duty to perform, and thoy go through it with a solemnity which is at times absolutely comic. Don Juan is sedate as the Ray. Mr. Chadband at a tea fight, and Lepo rello disports himself like a Puseyite parson. We shall sae how Mine. Carvalho will get up the opera next week at ,he Lyrique. She will take Lulina's role with Mlle. Nillean for Elvira, and Mine. Charton Demeure for Donna Anna. M. Barre will make his debut as the Don, and M. Troy as Leporello. He is said to have been disinclined to play Leporello, but his scruples have been overcome, and Mme. Carvallo, like the well-buskined Greeks, has triumphed at the siege of Troy, as she has indeed in Marguerite, and everything that she has undertaken. FOLIES-DRAMATIQUES AND DELASSEMENTS-COMIQUES.— This is the very pursuit of novelties under difficulties. Wherever we go we find nothing new but what has been long forgotten. And yet not so altogether, for who could ever forget Mrs. Yates playing " Victorine, or I'll Sleep on it ?" They who enjoyed the rare privilege of seeing that incomparable actress in that part must remember how they crammed their kerchiefs into their mouths and made other efforts to keep back those tears which flowed frotusterirveeryn eye. Bah! M rs . P ar ti ng t on m i g ht as well hav e her mop. to drive back the advancing tide with besto b t ~m ans " u L f ord stop E p g i l u in g to u n w u u s m e a d u,s to tu sa ar y s would that the be dam e her eyes ; but what dam couldvi keep bask those w i no , for she was a sacred waters before Mrs. Yates' e every eye at h er Castatia who made fountains flowfrom out sobbing from their w;11. Ladies used to be car ri ed l , b o xes at the Adelphi, and used to retire and stifle their • rdsmen l t e h a s i e e very ry (thoughold th e andins and Lifegua __ w man y years ago was this 2 g emotion in the lobbiye.gs.uwobich make us so horribly old —but pigeon -holes, which they call don't let us talk of t e h rab. r this play, and wish to revive their they who reminiscences! .. they stay away) to the Folies-Dra better please d i ' matieues, where friend yw w il i l th b a e and a very pretty face she has—Mme. Denville, Can rinera t a h y e th ey oii will they h s ey ee p w face — ne s ot Mrs. Yates. b u t she is n They may also see the " Cadeau d'un Sorloger." The " Chapeau d'un Ilorloger" was one of the best plays ever put on the French stage, which the' Cadeau," from one of the same craft, is not. Imagine a damsel becoming enamoured of the nigger which you may have seen at a shop on the Boulevards carrying a clock on his abdomen ! The proprietor of this bellygerent piece of l wriVerie presents it to the lady, who has, however, pur chased one privately, and on the same day she receives another from her lover. "It never rains but it pours :" " Il pleuvait des pendules ce jour ii ;" but this sable trium virate of timekeepers fails to make the time pass very . p . lea_- santly. Nor shall we find any Delassements at the gb Inl bouriug pl ay h ouse w hi c h p ro f esses t o be cotroupe ue s . sata, but lieu of Nlaassement we retina, unlike Messalin a' la also satiata. Moreover the troupe is not ticiuet de remarkableflours— either for youth or beauty: " C'est comma un bo fan6es." GREAT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, CA LEDO NI Ali-RoAD . —The members of the Alexandra Dramatic Club gave a first-class entertainment on Saturday last at Itlyddloton hall, for the benefit of this useful and much -needed charity. The hall was well filled iu every part by a delighted at.- dience, who, by their oft-repeated applause, fully appre ciated the praiseworthy exertions of the club. This is the only free hospital in the extreme northern district of Lon don. Additional funds aro very urgently needed to pre vent refusal of admissions. There is no endowment what ever. Cases are freely admitted day and night, without ticketo vr delay. Lou et I too WO 100 100 all 100 100 190 100 100 1( 0 100 100 261 6 781 } I