The Sun. — London, England, 1866-02-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at live o'clock. THE CATTLE PLAGUE. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH presented petitions from the Scottish Farmers' Club, praying for compensation to far mers in cases where it had been found necessary to de stroy cattle, and for the adoption by Government of vigorous measures to arrest the further progress of the cattle disease. RAILWAY COMPANIES BORROWING POWERS. The Earl of BELMORE asked whether it was the in tention of the President of the Board of Trade to intro duce any measure to give effect to the recommendation of the select committee of that house, in 1864, on railway com panies borrowing powers ; whether if such a measure should be introduced, it would be framed so as to meet the case of the obligation of joint stock companies generally. In consequence of the anomalies that existed, a commission was appointed which sat for two sessions, and which made some valuable recommendations, on which a bill was founded which passed through their lordships' house. It was road a first time in the House of . Commons, but re jected in consequence of some defects relative to the re gistration of debentures, which it was contended would give a certain class of shareholders undue advantages. He thought that the objections to the bill had been fairly stated in the other house. After some further observa tions he concluded by impressing on the house tho im portance of the subject. Earl RUSSELL said that the President of the Board of Trade had given great attention to this subject, but the Government had not yet prepared any bill in reference to it. Lord OVERSTONE said that under the circumstances it was desirable that the President.of the Board of Trade should give the matter his most serious attention. (Hear.) The Earl of CLARENDON said that he concurred in what had fallen from the noble lord who had just addressed the house. THE BRITISH MUSEUM. Lord HOUGHTON asked Government whether they intended to introduce any measure respecting the adminis tration of the British Museum and the disposition of its contents. He alluded to the rumours relative to the prin cipal librarian, and said his resignation must necessarily lead to great alterations in regard to this great national insti tution. There were also rumours of proposals having been made to her Majesty as regarded alterations in the present constitution of the governing body of the British Museum. He did not wish to cast any aspersion on the trustees, who, he believed, were a most honourable body, but at the same time it could not be denied that the present administration of the British Museum was not popular, and therefore it was desirable that there should be some modification of the existing arrangements so as to meet the requirements of the public in a more satisfactory manner than at present. Earl RUSSELL said that some suggestions had been made to the trustees of the llritish Museum, with a view to the introduction of improvements, but it was not the in tention of Government to introduce any bill on the subject at present. Lord TA:TINTON expressed his approval of the present librarian. Other noble lords expressed themselves to the effect that the subject should receive the most careful attention. The house then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING. MO SPEAKER took tho chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. Mr. SCOUBFIELD called the attention of the house to the mode of transacting and the amount of private busi ness before the house at the present moment. He thought it absolutely necessary that some improvement in the machinery of the house was required. Mr. WILSON-PATTEN sail the great event was the number of continuation bills which wero presented this session, but he did not think private bills ought to be dealt with in any other than the usual manner. There were 633 private bills to deal with, and therefore he thought the Court of Referees ought to be strengthened. If an additional Court of Referees was appointed, ho thought it would be highly advantageous, as two Courts could sit at tho same time instead of only ono as at pre sent. UNDUE RETURN. A petition was presented complaining of an undue re turn for Maidstone. . REGISTERED VOTERS. Mr. BAINES moved for returns of the number of per sons on the last register as voters in tho represented cities and boroughs of England and Wales in the right of being freemen, scot and lot voters, or of other ancient rights, who occupy premises of the gross estimated rental of £G and under 17 ; of £7 and under £8; of £8 and under £9 ; of £9 and under £lO a year ; and of the same class of voters who occupy premises at £lO gross estimated rental and upwards, and those who occupy premises below tho gross estimated rental of £G a year.—Ordered. REPRESENTATION OP THE PEOPLE BILLS. Mr. LOCKE KING moved that the undermentioned bills be reprinted, viz., "A Bill to extend the right of Voting for members of Parliament, and toAmend the Laws relating to the Representation of the People in Parliament, 1852 ;" "A Bill further to Amend the Laws relating to the Representation of the People in England and Wales, 1834;" "A Bill to Amend the Laws relating to the Representation of the People iu England and Wales, and to facilitate the Registration and Voting of Electors, 1859 ;" and "A Bill further to improve the Laws relating to the Representation of the People in England and Wales, 1860." Ordered. CATTLE PLAGUE. Mr. AYRTON moved for a copy of the report of com mission ordered by the Government of Bengal to inquire into the cattle plague which broke out in Calcutta in 1861 —Ordered. METROPOLITAN ASSESSMENTS. Mr. LOCKE moved for returns from each parish and extra-parochial place within the Metropolitan area under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works, of the assessment upon which such parishes and places were assessed to the property tax, schedule (A), police rate, county rate, and poor's rate, for the years ending Lady day 1864 and 1865 ; and, from the city of London of the assessment upon which such city was assessed to the pro perty tax, schedule (A), and the consolidated rate, for the Same years in continuation of Parliamentary paper, No. 321, of session 1864. Ordered. THEATRICAL LICENCES. Mr. LOCKE asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention had been directed to the present state of the law as to the licensing of theatres and other places of amusement in the metropolis ; and whether it was his intention to bring in a bill on the subject? Sir G. GREY said his attention had been called to the matter, which was a very complicated one, and principally retained in old and obsolete statutes. The Under Secre tary of State intended to move for a committee to consider those laws, and that inquiry had better take place before any alteration was attempted to be made in the law. The committee would be moved for on an early day. - POOR IN THE METROPOLIS. Viscount CRANBOURNE asked the President of the Poor-law Board whether it was his intention to introduce any measure for more effectually securing the execution of the laws relating to the poor in the metropolis ? Mr. VILLIERS said it was the intention of the Govern ment to introduce a bill on the subject. Tho measure was founded upon the report of the committee appointed in the last Parliament. SUEZ CANAL. Mr. SANDFORD asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the award of the Emperor of the French in the affairs of the Suez Canal had been definitively accepted; and, if so, whether her Majesty's Government adhere to that award, and whether they would lay the papers relating to it upon the table of the house ? Mr. LAYARD said the award of the French Govern ment 1 , , was not yet complete, and therefore e could not at the present moment give the hon. member the information he required. TUE ELECTION FOR KING'S COUNTY—BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. 3v l : z ; ., ,_ 'ZltTON called attention to what he considered very grave breach of the privileges of Parl iament. r i ghts o f The: members elected to seats in that house had been greatly violated, and some very stringent notice ought to b e take n of the matter. At the last elec tion for the, King'sa County, at which there were throe candid a t es,d made a return that for which the returning officer Sir Patrick O'Brien had been selected, u it afterwards tur ne d i on il the poll books b e i ng coun t e d p t h t ad That gentleman was preve l:Pon Mr. Pope Hennessey. h ou se in consequence of hi s n tl a taking his seat in the rno not having been re turned at the top of the poll Under-Sheriff of the county, who acted as returningyetffihe mitt :c a r b on the occasion. by the returning Be characterised the blunders committed and imagined, tnextent of the officer as a disgrace to a schoolboy, evil, he said, could not be fully his PO s S e S a l t bl i e the mistake of a returning officer, i t Was because , through for a Prime Minister to be kept from taking sequence of the blunder of one of the returning ° fa n con_. He moved that the Sheriff for King's county b e ' `'re• called to the bar of the house, a nd be examined with respect to t he matter. The motion having been seconded, Sir P. 0. BRIEN pledged his honour as a gentleman that he believed that he had a majority of votes on the occasion of the last election for the King's county. Ho would say no more, but leave the house while the matter was under discussion. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought the house ought not to agree to the motion of the hon. member, because there were rules laid down for their guidance, which it would be unwise to depart from. In the matters Of disputed elections a petition was to be presented and recognisances entered into, and then a thorough in vigation was made into all matters connected with the said.s eleetion. He did not think it would be advisable that Practice ae ti should be altered and its place taken by an axami . ct . race at the bar of the house. He thought aft,r 4 an " °ll . member of that house had pledged his honour that he believed he had been duly elected, the hon. mem ber for the Tower Hamlets would withdraw his motion. Mr. AYRTON said, after the declaration of the hon. member, he should not persevere with his motion. The motion was then by leave withdrawn. THE CATTLE PLAGUE BILL. Sir G. GREY, in rising to bring in this bill, said it was unfortunately but too true that the cattle plague had be come so prevalent that some action on the part of Parlia ment was urgently and immediately required. The right hon. gentleman having alluded to the various efforts that had been made to stay the plague withoutocuccess, said meetings had been held all over the country, and one of the last resolutions passed at the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, and which had been placed in the hands of the Government that day, was that "no method of dealing with the cattle plague at the present time will be of any avail unless it provides for the immediate slaughter and burial at least 6 feet deep of all cattle suffer ing from the disease ; making compensation to the owners in such mode and extent as shall be considered advisable.'' That was the opinion of various important bodies, amongst which was the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scot lane ; and as all efforts to arrest the progress of the disease had signally failed, and all suggestions had failed to effect a cure, it appeared to the Government that the only way of stopping the dangerous disease was the immediate slaughtering of all animals affected with the terrible disease. (Hoar, hear.) It had been strongly urged on the Government that during the exist ence of the cattle plague all imported cattle, sheep and swine should be slaughtered at the port at which they might be landed, and that their hides, skins, and fat be disinfected there, but he might as well mention that Ireland would not come under the general bill, but would be dealt with in a separate measure. The bill of the Government directed that the local authorities of counties and boroughs should at once order that all animals affected by the dis ease should be slaughtered, and that adequate compensa tion be given. The scale of compensation would be lower for animals affected in comparison with those not at present visibly so. The scale of compensation would be two-thirds of the value of the animals slaughtered. On the subject of the removal of cattle the bill laid down statutory restric tions applicable to the whole of the country, leaving it open to the local authorities to apply them. For a limited period the removal of cattle by night would be entirely prohibited, and there would be a general prohibition to move cattle at other times except by licences given by the local authori ties under certain conditions. Instead of a penalty of £2O, the driver would be liable to arrest, and the magistrates would be empowered to direct the slaughter of the cattle without compensation. The local authorities would be empowered to declare a district infected, and upon their notice being issued to that effect no further removals in that district would be permitted under any circumstances. The public sale of lean and store cattle would be prohibited for a limited period, and no market for fat cattle would be allowed to be held except with the licence of the local au thorities. No beast once brought to market should be re moved before being slaughterd, and in small boroughs the ccncurrent licence of the county magistrate would be ne sary to holding a fair or market. The bill further provided that foreign cattle should not be removed from the port of entry before slaughter —with the exception of cattle from Ireland, if they were immediately sent forward from the port without passing into a market where they might meet with infected cattle. On the difficult question of compen sation, which was to be retrospective, Sir George proposed that two-thirds of it should be provided from the county rate, the remaining third by a cattle-rate net exceeding five shillings per head, power being given to borrow money from the Public Works Commissioners on secu rity of the rates, and a discretion being also vested in the magistrates to remit tho whole or part of the rates in cases where farmers had suffered severe losses. It was also 'proposed to confer facilities for convening general sessions for the purposes of the act. (Hear, hear.) Great inconvenience had arisen from transferring these matters from the special sessions to the quarter sessions.. It had been suggested that the magistrates should have some power vested in them of adjourning, from time to time, for the purpose of dealing with this subject. He had a letter addressed to him immediately after the holding of the quarter sessions, telling him that the magistrates believed they could not give effect to the law. To meet this diffi culty, it was now proposed to give power to two magis trates to sign a notice to the clerk for convening general sessions, and that two days after such notice the sessions should be held, and that session should have power to per form all the duties imposed on the local authorities in coun ties, by virtue of the present act. It was also proposed that the local authorities should have power to appoint com mittees tergive effect to these provisions. These committees were to assist the magistrates, and to give effect to the re gulations they had made. It was suggested that there should be associated with the magistrates other persons—such as tenant farmers, who might co-operate with them. (Hear, hear.) The Lord Advocate would prepare a clause on this subject as regarded Scotland, and they also thought it desirable to give power for combined action between the different local authorities. That principle was recognised to some extent already, and they proposed to give the par ties in question the power of combining for this purpose, and that the joint committee should have jurisdiction over the combined district they represented. He now came to one of the most important and one of the most difficult subjects connected with the matter, namely, the fund which was to be raised for compensation for animals slaughtered by the local authorities, and for paying the expenses of the county in dealing with the sui.ject. On this point they had not been very much assisted by the expressions of opinion en the part of those bodies who had given them some really valuable and important information with re gard to the principle on which they ought to legislate, and 1 it was but natural that they should not commit themselves to any specific propcsal. The deputation which he had re ceived from the conference held last week in St. James Hall, and representing 44 counties in England and Scotland, dis tinctly said they had no opinion on the subject, but left it to the consideration of the Government and the wisdom of Parliament. But the Royal Agricultural Society, in their 4th resolution, distinctly pointed to the county rate as the source from whence this fund should be derived. The Scotch Chamber of Agriculture suggested that a portion of the fund should come from local sources, and a portion from the public funds. (Hear, hear.) The objections to going on the consolidated fund appeared to him to be con clusive. Coming, then, to the local film], they had the opinion of the Royal Agricultural Society that the county ; rate should be the fund. The Scotch Chamber of Agricul- I tura and the Highland Society were in favour of dividing the burden, and they had the proposal from Scotland that the rata should be levied on the lands and hereditaments, which was, in fact, similar to a county rate, and that it should be divided between the owners and occupiers. The proposal made by the hon. member for Lincoln the other night the Government thought was perfectly sound. It was not the losses occasioned by the slaughter of those animals, but the expense of carrying those provisions into effect which were necessary for checking the disease which ought to be borne to a certain extent by the whole com munity, because the whole community were interested in checking the disease, though there ought to be a special burden borne by those on whom the losses primarily and immediately fell. (Hear.) The Government principle was, that in the counties the county rate should furnish part of the funds, and in boroughs the borough rate or borough funds should furnish its propel tion, and that the proportion in which the burden should fall upon these two funds should be, as far as possible, two-thirds of the whole, leaving one third to be borne by the cattle owners. (Hear, hear.) They had proposed clauses to carry out this suggestion. What we propose with respect to a cattle rate is this, that it shall be imposed on all cattle above one year old, that it should not exceed in any one year ss. a-head for six cattle, that it may be levied at intervals of six months, and that power should be given to the local authorities, when the rate exceeded a certain amount, to borrow money on the security of the rate, either from private sources, or, through the Commissioners of Public Works, from the Treasury, repayable by instalments extending over a period not exceeding seven years. With respect to the cattle rate we think the provision should be made to prevent its fall ing too heavily on those who may have already suffered by the plague, and that it should also fall not too heavily upon occupiers of farms. He had now gone through the main provisions of the bill, which, he hoped, would receive the sanction of the house. There were several clauses in the bill relating to Scotland ; but as he was not so con versant with the law and practice of Scotland as he was with the law and practice of England, he had left these clauses to be explained at a future stage by his right hon. and learned friend the Lord Advocate. He bad been in frequent communication with the Irish Government on the subject, and though the disease, happily, had not existed in Ireland, he thought it right that a bill should be pre pared for Ireland also, and his right honourable friends the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General for Ireland were engaged in preparing a bill for Ireland. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the second reading of the bill, he was in the hands of the house. (Hear, hear.) The Government were desirousl that the bill should be read a second time at the earliest possible moment, and with that view he should fix the second reading for Wednesday. (Hear, hear.) If, after seeing the bill, it should be thought that further time was required, it would bo impossible for the Government to refuse it. (Hear, hear.) Their intention at present was to proceed with the measure de dien in diem, as it was important that the essential provisions of the bill should be passed at the earliest possible period consistent with duo considera tion of so important a measure. (Cheers.) 111 answer to Mr. BRIGHT, Sir G. GREY said that the fund for compensation would beTleheaolly raised and locally administered. HUNT havin g gone g e o. v n e ein th to at e i o t was mmittee, clear from the state ment of the Home Secretary that r, he had been educated by of the last few days, and th w at. the deputations which h waited upon him in the course Still he was not satisfied with the stringency magnitude of the evil with which e was th at last awake to the ne , y i :f the mea sure was afflicted. sure now proposed, and should therefore the bill of which he had given notice upon the t v l t l o e place the same time he should consider the proposal of the . AGo vernment impartially with the view of converting it into a measure that would make it effective for the purpose con templated ; and if lie found that it could not be improved it would then be his duty to ask the house to reject it. lie believed that if Parliament had been called together two months earlier and a measure brought in by the Govern- ment to stop the movement of cattle altogether, and stamp out the disease wherever it existed, the cattle plague would not have prevailed to half the extent that it now did. For his part he would prohibit altogether the movement of live stock by rail and road. The hon. member also criticised the leading provisions in the bill of the Government, and shadowed forth the details of a scheme which he thought preferable for meeting the circumstances of the crisis. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER assured the hon. member that Ministers would regard it as a great ad vantage to have his bill laid upon the table, but he pointed out the inconvenience and delay that must arise if indivi dual members pressed their own peculiar views upon the house. He exhorted them, therefore, not to lose precious moments, but to render their assistance to the Government in adopting effectual measures for putting a restraint upon this great calamity. Mr. NEWDEGATE was not disposed to cast unde served imputations upon the Government, but admitted that in August, September, and October, notwithstanding he had endeavoured to raise a note of alarm in his own county, he was not responded to by his friends, and there was no doubt that public opinion was at that time very much divided on the subject. After the issue of theßoyal commission, however, Ministers certainly showed less promptitude and energy than the country had a right to expect from them. With regard to the scheme before the house, as it was designed not only to meet an emergency, but comprehended provisions that were to last for years, it would have been better if the Government had proposed resolutions with regard to the cattle traffic and cattle im portations, and issued orders in Council upon such resolu tions without one day's delay. As he viewed the bill it fell short of its purposes by reason of its not proposing to regulate the cattle traffic by railway ; and the provision with respect to the ports was defective, inasmuch as it did not limit the number of ports at which cattle might be disembarked, or provide for the establishment of a system of quarantine. _ _ _ _ In reply to a question of Mr. LEEMAN, Sir G. GREY explained that the bill would provide that the tenant should be permitted to deduct half the amount of the special rate levied upon him from his rent, and so divide the burden with his landlord. Mr. C. BRUCE mentioned several points in respect of which the bill was susceptible of improvement, especially he thought that more improvement might bo derived from the adoption of a proper system of disinfection than the very rude method of pole-axing. Mr. LIDDELL urged the danger likely to arise from allowing the removal of town manure into the country. Lord J. MANNERS blamed the Government for not having convened Parliament for a winter session, and concurred with Mr. Newdegate in thinking that it would have been bettor to proceed in the first instance by resolu tion instead of by bill. The discussion was continued by Lord R. Montagu and Mr. Marsh. Mr. G. HARDY admitted all the difficulties of the ques tion, and pitied those whose duty it was to initiate a mea sure relating to it; for to whichever side they turned there were conflicting interests to be reconciled, and he thought the way in which to reconcile them was this. The house should bear in mind that they had to deal wit* question, he alluded particularly to the movement of cattle—which must be decided within a period of from four to six weeks ; and on that ground he trusted the house would take upon itself to say imperatively what should be done in that period, and not leave the power proposed to be created by the bill in the hands of the local authorities. Sir C. RUSSELL spoke in favour of the establishment of dead meat markets at railway stations, and mentioned that the Great Western Railway Board had expressed their readiness to provide facilities for the sale of the carcases carried by them at the Paddington terminus. Mr. AYRT ON hoped the Government would take into consideration how the metropolis was to be dealt with— whether it was to have a special authority conferred upon it, or the justices in quarter sessions were to exercise a divided authority over it. Sir F. KELLY believed that oven now, by adopting three distinct and intelligible measures, binding and com pulsory upon the whole kingdom, within ono month the cattle plague would be at an end. These were, first, the destruction of all stock infected; secondly, the isolation of all animals suspected of being infected ; and, thirdly, the absolute and immediate stoppage for one month of the passage of all beasts from one part of the country to an other. After a few remarks from the Lord Advocate, Mr. B. Stanhope, Lord Burghley, and Colonel Barttolot, Sir G. GREY, in reply, said one of the questions that had been put to him was, who were the local authorities who were to take charge of the act ? The local authorities were the quarter or general sessions of each county. It had been said that there was a want of unanimity in the regulations made by the justices, and to a certain extent that was true ; but it had been pointed out to the chair men of quarter sessions in October that it would be advis able for them to ascertain the opinion of the county for the purpose of obtaining as much uniformity as possible. Ho (Sir G. Grey) had also been asked for information in regard to the proposal that committees should be formed. The proposal was that the sessions should have the power of appointing an executive committee, associating with them a number of persons qualified, as the sessions should determine, but possessing the essential qualification that they should be rated occupiers of the district in which they were to act. The hon. and gallant baronet the member for Berkshire (Sir C. Russell), remarked that he (Sir G. Grey) had asserted that an absolute prohibition had been en forced in no county. He (Sir G. Grey) did not think he had quite gone to that extent. The hon. and gallant member for Berkshire stated that in the county he repre sented an absolute prohibition had been enforced, but he (Sir G. Grey) believed that so strict a prohibition had not been adopted in any other county. And shortly of ter the absolute prohibition was adopted in Berkshire the quarter sessions met by adjournment and qualified that order by certain exceptions which they found absolutely essential. (Hear, hear.) They made exceptions for the purpose of breeding, and exceptionsin the case of cattle removedfrom one farm to another. Sir C. RUSSELL—That was because the disease had been stamped out of the county. Sir G. GREY continued—The hon. and gallant baronet had said that great facilities might bo afforded for substi tuting a dead meat market for a live meat market, and he (Sir G. Grey) admitted that it was most desirable that that change should be made ; but it would take a long time to enforce it all over the country. He did not thinkit would be possible to do it in a week or a month. There had been some misunderstanding, too, as to what he had said with regard to cattle from Ireland. What he meant to say was, that cattle coming from Ireland were to be subject to the same restrictions as other cattle coming to the country. It had been said again by the hon member. for Northamptonshire that they must have absolute, un conditional, immediate prohibition throughout the whole of Great Britain, but after making this large assertion he began to make exceptions, observing with regard to the counties in Wales which were quite free from disease, that it would be unreasonable to subject them to the same regulations. (Hear, hear.) He thought they might trust to the intelligence, the good sense, and the right feeling of the magistrates to whom the execution of the act would be committed as to the exceptions to be made. It was im possible to lay down rules that would be applicable to the whole country, for what would suit one country might be unsuited to another, and it was better to leave a discre tionary power with the local authorities. With regard to what his hon. friend the member for the Tower Hamlets had said, he might be allowed to remark that that district, for the purposes of this act, was comprised in the area known as the Metropolitan Board of Works district, which was different to that comprised in the Metropolitan Police district. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL obtained leave to intro duce a bill to amend the law relating to the granting of pensions to persons holding certain offices connected with the administration of justice. Mr. CHILDERS also obtained leave to bring in a bill enabling the Public Works Loan Commissioners to make advances towards the erection of dwellings for the labour ing classes in populous places. Mr. HUNT obtained leave to bring in a bill to check the spread of the cattle plague in Great Britain. Lord PnonY, the Comptroller of her Majesty's House hold, brought up the reply of the Queen to the Address of the Commons in answer to the Speech from the Throne. The house adjourned at five minutes to 12 o'clock. A COMPLIMENT OF THE STREETS STREETY.—III the neighbourhood of the Strand, George-street, Villiers street, Duke-street, Of -alley and Buckingham-street —were selected to commemorate the style and title of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. ADYERTISEMENT.I -Avoid medicines: they always aggra vate chronic complaints, but Du Barry's Delicieus Health- Restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, which yields three times the nourishment of the bat meat, saves fifty times its cost in other remedies, and invariably restores perfect digestion. strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, pure blood, re freshing sleep, functional regularity, and energy to the most disordered or enfeebled. We extract a few out of 60,000 Cures :—Cure No. 58,216, or the Marchioness de Brehan, of seven years' liver complaint, wastin ; away, debility, nervousness, Voith a nervous palpitation all over, bad diges tion, constant sleeplessness, and the most intolerable nervous agitation.—Cure No. 1.771. Lora Stuart de Decies. Lord Lieutenant of Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No. 49,832. "Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, fiatulen y, spasms, sickness, and vomiting.—Maria Jolly."—Cute No. 16,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungi, spitting of blood, liver derange ment, and partial deafness.—Cure No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherbgs, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure No. 54,816. The Rev. Jas. T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, "of indigestion and torpi dity of the liver, which had resiste i all medical treatment.' In tins, 11b, 25 9d; 21b, 4s 61; Mb, ils ; 121 b, 225; 241 b, 10s.—Barry Du Barry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London ; also Phillips, tea dealers, 8, King William-street ; likewise at 61, Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 49, Bishopsgate street Within ; 63, 150, and 298, Oxford-street ; 330, Strand ; 54, Upper Baker-street; 103, ottenham-court-road ; 96, Upper-street, Islington, N.; Harvey, Notting-hill; Close Brothers, 65, High-street; and Stubbs, Queen's-terrace, St. John's-wood, London; and all respectable grocers and che mists.—Beware of spurious imitations. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1866. The Loss of the Steamer London. The official inquiry, instituted by the Board of Trade, into the circumstances attending the foun dering of the steamer London, was resumed yester day at the Greenwich Police-court, before Mr. Traill, the district stipendiary magistrate, and Cap tains Harris and Baker, the nautical assessors. Mr. O'Dowd, addressing the court, said he had communicated with the Collector of Customs at Plymouth, with the view of securing the attendance of Captain Price, of the Courier, who was stated in some of the newspaper paragraphs to have passed close to the stern of the London on the day pre ceding the disaster. He had received a telegram to the effect that Captain Price, in consequence of the very heavy sea which prevailed at the time of his seeing the ship, was unable to discern her name, but she was evidently in distress and heading to the westward, and it was a mere conjecture on his part that she must have been the London from the dis abled state in which she appeared to be. As Cap tain Price was not able to give any evidence of a more satisfactory character, he (Mr. O'Dowd) did not think it his duty to send for him unless the court expressed a wish to have him present. Mr. Traill thought it would be advisable to ascer tain from Captain Price whether the ship was going head to wind, and to know whether any attempt had been made to secure assistance from him. Mr. O'Dowd said he held in his hand the Western Daily Press (a Bristol paper), in which there was a paragraph stated to have been written by the editor on the authority of Captain Price. It was as fol lows :—" Last night the captain of the ship Courier arrived in this city from Plymouth, and kindly furnished us with the following in formation. On the afternoon of Wednesday, the 10th of January, the day preceding that on which the emigrant ship, the London, was wrecked in the Bay of Biscay, he was on his voyage to Ply mouth, and was in the same latitude and longitude as that ill-fated vessel has been shown to have been in at that time, and observed what he believed to be the London, evidently in great distress. Her fore topgallantmast and jiboom were gone, and she was labouring very much. No smoke was issuing from her funnel, and she had no way on. Her head was to the westward, and his inference is that after the London had put back for Plymouth her course had been again changed by the violence of the storm. The Courier passed within a quarter of a mile of the steamer, but owing to the heavy state of the wea ther he was unable to make out her name or discern whether any one was on deck, although the Courier passed so close. No signals of distress were displayed from the steamer, Had the captain observed any such signals he would have hove to, and would, if circumstances had permitted, havetaken all the pas sengers and crew on board his ship. A few hours after the Courier passed the steamer a fearful hur ricane arose and continued during the night. The Courier did not arrive in Plymouth until Monday last, having been unable to reach that port earlier in consequence of the violence of the storm, and having been driven up as far as Torbay.'' Under all the circumstances he believed it was essential they should have the captain. Mr. Traill—l think so. Mr. O'Dowd—With reference to the allegation of the ship having been excessively laden, we have gone into some evidence on that point, but upon an in quiry of this important character it seems to me that the very best evidence in regard to the weight of machinery, boilers, water, cargo, and provisions should be adduced. Mr. Humphreys has been ex amined, but there was an omission in not asking him as to the weight o f machinery, boilers, and water, and I hold a certificate signed by him to the effect that the weight of these was about 160 tons. Mr. Traill expressed a wish to hear some oral evidence on this point. James Johnson, a draughtsman in the employ of the Messrs. Wigram, was then produced by Mr. O'Dowd. He deposed he had made drawings of the London, and had the necessary calculations as well as the scale of displacement. On referring to these calculations, he found that the weight of hull, masts, rigging, anchors and chain, water tanks, kantledge (210 tons), coals (45 tons), and engines and boilers, amounted to 2,020 tons. The water in the boilers weighed about 40 tons, the boats 10 tons, sails 4 tons, water in tanks 78 tons, provisions 55 tons, stores 20 tons, passengers, officers, men and effects 24 tons, coals 473 tons, cargo (dead weight) 345 tons, measurement goods 950 tons, which, taking 100 tons measurement to 35 tons of weight, would leave 341 tons. Total weight, 3,410 tons. - The witness in reply to Captain Harris said the tonnage would give a draught of water of 20f t. 3M. according to the scale of displacement. The heads of the combings of the fore, main, and after hatches were 12 inches each. The combings of the enghte room hatch were not given in the drawing, but he should say they were 11 inches, the distance from 7 inches more. the frame to the skylight being Mr. O'Dowd said he proposed to produce what was called expert evidence as to the condition of the ship and her seaworthiness, as admitted by Lord Ellenborough to the judges in " Beckwith and others against Sydebotham," 1 Campbell's reports, p. 116. The marginal note ran thus, "After the evidence of persons who have examined the ship's condition, ex perienced shipwrights who never saw her may be called on to say whether upon the facts sworn to she was, in their opinion, seaw or th y or not. " Wm. Bascomb, 39, Ashburnh am - grove, Green wich, deposed he was Admiralty overseer for ship building under contract for the government, and was at present superintending the building of the Northumberland. He held the rank of foreman of the shipbuilding yard at Devonport. He superin tended the building of iron and wooden vessels, and was overseer at the building of the Warrior. He was directed by the Controller of the Navy to attend the present inquiry. The Clerk of the Court, at the request of Mr. O'Dowd, read the evidence of Mr. Waum, surveyor at Lloyd's, respecting the construction and sea worthiness of the London. The witness was also furnished with a drawing of the ship. Mr. O'Dowd—Will you state your opinion as to the proportions of the ship London, bearing in mind the evidence you have heard read ? Witness—She is well proportioned. She assimi lates to the Adventure, a screw steamer, used as a troop ship in her Majesty's service, and a very good ship ? Mr. O'Dowd—When was the Adventure built ? Witness—l do not know. I think she was built by Messrs. Laird, at Birkenhead. The witness continued to say that he was pleased with the thickness and quality of the material of the London. The combings of the ships, the construc tion of which he was now superintending, were 15 inches. The combings of iron cased ships were higher than those in wooden ones, inasmuch as the former were more liable to take in water than the latter. He saw a gun vessel, the combing of which was not more than ten inches. With regard to the engine-room skylight, according to the sketch pro duced, he did not thi n k it u nsafe. The only ad vantage as regard s combings which the Admiralty ships had over wooden ones was that they had an iron grating on the top of their combings. He per ceived that the beams of the London ran through at the engine -room hatchway, and he considered this a great improvement in merchant ships, By Mr. Traill—On looking at the drawing of the engine hatchway of the London, he considered it substantial, although he should not have passed it for the Admiralty w ith ou t th e iron grating or dead lights fitted on th e t o p o f th e combings. Mr. Traill—O n o b serv i ng th e skylights would you have anticipated such an accident as that which has taken place ? Witness—l would not. By Capt. Baker--1 believe the means of escape of the water through the scuppers and plug-boards to have been sufficient. Replying to Mr. Traill, witness said if he had been on board of the London at the time the skylight was washed away he would have put planks across the hatchway, and if they were not easily available he would have ordered the carpenter to tear up the lower deck in order to procure some. The witness, in reply to Capt. Baker, said he con sidered it would be advisible to protect the engine hatchways of steamerswith iron gratings or shutters fitted to the combings. Capt. Baker—Did you ever hear of a skylight being washed away before ? Witness—l did not. Capt. Baker—Nor I. The witness _said that, looking at the drawing of the upper deck, he perceived there was a deck-house, of the existence of which he was not aware pre viously, and he considered from this circumstance that the combings of the London ought to have been higher. The inquiry was then adjourned till to-day. Charin;-cross Hotel Company (Limited). THE COMPLAINTS WITH REGARD TO VISITORS. The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders was held at ten o'clock yesterday morning at the hotel —the Hon. James Byng in the chair. The report stated that the house had been well filled from the beginning, and numerous applica tions for apartments had constantly been declined. Dxring the winter months a slackness of business might have been anticipated, but on the contrary, the demand had frequently exceeded the amount of accommodation the hotel was capable of affording. The public had also largely availed themselves of the Railway Restaurant, and the Shades in Villiers street, both of which had been very successful. The directors had thought it desirable to supply what had hitherto been felt by continental travellers as a great want in London hotels, namely, a table d'hote. A superior table d'heite at 6 o'clock every evening was accordingly established in November last in the spacious apartment overlooking the trains and plat forms of the Charing-cross terminus ; and it had been highly appreciated by guests visiting the hotel. The trade receipts from all sources during the seven and a half months ending the 31st December, 1865, amounted to £46,482 3s. Id., and after placing £2,000 to the credit of the reserve fund for depre ciation and renewals, there remained a balance of £13,265 ss. 5d., and the directors recommend that a dividend be declared at the rate of 12 per cent. per annum, or 15s. per £lO share, free of income tax, for the seven and a half months, leaving £1,265 ss. sd. to be carried over to the next half-year. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report and accounts, said—l have much pleasure in being able to congratulate you on the successful operations of the company as referred to in the re port and accounts now submitted. It appears that the habits of the English are changing, by rail ways and other causes. Our countrymen begin to find hotels preferable to lodgings. Indeed, I ex pect a large portion of the population will in time be resident in hotels in the same manner as on the Continent—thus avoiding the anxieties of house keeping and obtaining a greater change of society. 'There are visitors now staying at the Charing cross Hotel who have lived in it almost from the first day it was opened. We find that in the dull season of the year we have been just as busy as in May and June. The great number of visitors ac commodated has severely taxed the energies of the staff ; and, looking at the difficulties in organising , all the details necessary to put such an establish ment in working order, I cannot but state in all fairness:that we are much indebted to the officers and servants of the company. With reference to the complaints of incivility referred to in the nines, the chief barmaid, the person alluded to, had left the service of the company before those letters came under the notice of the directors. You can easily understand that where applications for acccommo dation are more numerous than the place can afford some inconvenience must naturally occur. The circumstances have been investigated, and it has been found that great difficulty arises when parties keep their rooms for a longer period than they have previously arranged. The apartments are fre quently re-let to guests who wish to come in. The crowded state of the house renders it impossible even to provide temporary rooms in the meantime, and disappointment has been unavoidably occa sioned. The number of sleeping guests who have visited the hotel since the opening is 45,000, and that of casual visitors 5,000. You must bear in mind that when visitors change their minds we can not compel them to vacate their apartments. The directors are exceedingly anxious that everything should be done to insure civility and comfort ; and with every disposition in the world to afford conve nience to guests, it is obvious the house can only give accommodation equal to its capacity. The directors, as well as the manager, express the greatest possible regret that anyone should have had cause for complaint, and we beg to assure you that no effort shall be wanting to conduct the hotel in a creditable manner. We have every confidence in the manager, who in opening the hotel selected the most efficient employes, but if in the cases named they failed to carry out his instructions he much re grets it, as we do all. The profit on the hotel management has been considerably higher than could have reasonably been anticipated when compared with undertakings of a similar nature. The general satisfaction which has been expressed and the con tinued support the establishment meets with show these instances to be of an exceptional character. With regard to the question of keeping the house open throughout the night, the directors are care fully considering the matter, and if they find that any beneficial change can be made so as to meet the further requirements in this particular, without act ing prejudicially to the comfort of the guests gene rally, they will only be too happy to make such arrangements as will meet the case. But we must, above all things, be particularly careful that we do not get the hotel a bad name by making it what is commonly called a " night house" in such a locality. We pride ourselves, and have been highly compli mented, on the quietness of the house. Guests speak of it, that after a certain hour it is as quiet as their own homes. I may, however, state that since the hotel has been opened guests who expect or are likely to be late, having previously ordered supper, it has always been ready for them on their return. It should also be borne in mind that the hotel is kept open for passengers arriving by the tidal and other trains of the South-Eastern Company, at whatever hour of the night the trains may come in, when it is especially taken care that the requisite accommodation is prepared ready for them in the coffee-room. We shall, however, be glad at all times to meet the public requirements, as far as can possibly be done in this respect. In conclusion, I would add that we must not overlook the fact that not only has the hotel been successfully opened, and a vast amount of business done, but a most satis factory result has also been produced, with every probability of its being maintained. (Cheers.) Mr. G. SMITH said although he read the letters which had appeared with great anxiety, he felt con fident from his knowledge of the chairman and the other directors that a satisfactory explanation would be given. (Hear.) It now appeared that the lady in question had left when the compilaint was made, but even if she had not he should have felt satisfied that the directors would take the proper course. A 12 per cent. dividend was very pleasant, but it was also desirable that the hotel should stand well in the estimation of the visitors. Another SHAREHOLDER also expressed his satis faction at the explanations given by the chairman in relation to the charges of incivility. He added that having resided in the hotel he could testify to the sati s f ac t or y nature of the accommodation afforded both to individuals and families. The report was adopted, and a dividend at the rate of 12 per cent. per annum declared. The meeting was then made special, and a reso lution agreed to for raising £20,000 on debentures, making the total debenture debt £40,000. A vote of thanks to the chairman and the other directors terminated the proceedings. THE FENIAN CONVICTS.—At a very early hour on Saturday, the 10th inst., 13 Fenian prisoners, lately convicted, were conveyed from Kilmainham Prison, escorted by a great number of warders and mounted police, to the Westland-row station in Dublin. They left the station by the 6.15 a.m. train for Cingstown, and were in trusted to the charge of 25 marines from her Majesty's ship the Royal George, with a number of warders, to be con veyed over the Channel, on board the Royal mailpacket the Ulster to Holyhead. It being a very rough morning at sea the prisoners were all very sick during the whole voyage. Having hrrived at Holyhead, and the mail bags with the ordinary passengers being landed, a portion of the Marines marched up before the Fenians, and formed a line to guard them from the packet to a third-class carriage attached to the limited mail train, which left Holyhead at 11 40 a.m. for London. Thirteen warders from London had been commissioned to meet them at Holyhead. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TlMES.—Thebill which was presented to the House cf Commons last night by Sir G. Grey bears wit ness to the rapid advance of opinion in favour of stringent measures in the case of the cattle plague. After three months of disinclination and wavering the public have at length given their full assent to the recommendations of the Commissioners, which at the time they were made naturally seemed tyran nical and unnecessary. As week by week the returns have been more and more alarming, the objections of those on whom the loss and inconvenience must in the first instance fall have been one by one dis sipated. The present month is not yet half over, and yet it has seen the desire for stringency and promptitude of action increase until it is impossible for any Government to neglect it. Sir G. Grey admits that he has changed his mind within a very limited period—he would not say within a few weeks, but actually since the week preceding the meeting of Parliament. The House of Commons, which so largely represents the agricultural interest, is evi dently now fully in earnest. The seven hours' debate of Tuesday night, the meeting of the Agri cultural Society on Wednesday last, and the Confer ence at St. James's Hall on Thursday, show the paramount importance attached to strong and im mediate measures. If Sir G. Grey had come for ward last night with such a bill as he probably would have thought sufficient a fortnight ago, the Govern ment would have had to dread the indignation of the house. Happily, he has managed to overtake public opinion, and now asks Parliament for powers which, if the cattle plague can be stayed by human precautions, seem likely to effect that object. The choice of the house lay between the Go vernment Bill and that of Mr. Hunt. With a good deal of similarity in the machinery to be employed, Mr. Hunt's Bill, which is based on the resolutions of the St. James's Hall conference, differ from the Ministerial proposal principally in totally pro hibiting all movement of cattle whatever till the 31st of March, while Sir G. Grey's Bill empowers the local authorities to issue licences for removal under general regulations. We must confess that at first sight there is a good deal to recommend Mr. Hunt's more absolute proposal. If we are to stop the movement of cattle by Parliamentary legislation, it seems as well to do the work thoroughly. Grant ing that the disease is the most infectious that has ever been known in man or beast,—that it may be conveyed in the hair of an animal or the coat of a man, that it clings to the dust of a road, the leaves of a hedge, and even the surface of a post or gate, —the natural conclusion is that if it is to be con quered by isolation, that isolation must be complete and liable to not even the chance of contagious in tercourse. If one infected cow, which is, perhaps, in the first stage of the disease, and has escaped notice, be allowed to pass along so many miles of road, what is to prevent the infection spreading as much from her as if drove after drove passed daily? This question of absolute or approximative prohibi tion may, in the present temper of Parliament, lead to serious difference of opinion ; but we are not pre pared to say that Sir George Grey is in the wrong. Undoubtedly, total cessation of intercourse would be desirable, if feasible ; but the question is whether it can be enforced without injury to other interests which have a right to be considered. The Govern ment proposal is that a magistrate's licence may be given for removal, on a certificate that the animals, and also the premises on which they are kept, have been inspected within a certain time, that the cattle are perfectly healthy, that no disease exists at the place from which it is proposed to remove them, or within a certain distance from the line of route along which they are to be moved. The Bill will give power to arrest persons who are found to vio late the law, and carry them before the nearest magistrate. Now, with the present strong feeling throughout the country, that the disease can only be suppressed by the strictest precautions, these provi sions will probably be found sufficient. We presume that no licence would be given except in cases of ex treme necessity, and only when there exists a practical certainty that the disease does not exist in the place from which the cattle are taken. Discretion is left to the local authorities—that is, the county magistrates—but then they are just the persons who will now be most eager in prohibiting unnecessary movement for their own sake, and may, we think, be trusted to keep a sharp watch upon anything like deception or carelessness. At any rate, this may be said, that the Government bill is the most strin- gent that is consistent with anything like local ad ministration. If the present system is to be enforced at all, it must be by allowing some such discretion as the present measure permits. The provisions for giving compensation for the slaughter of cattle are elaborate, and will no doubt create a great deal of discussion. The Government proposal is, that it should be imperative en the local authorities to order the slaughter of all infected animals, and to give them a discretion with respect to the slaughter of those which have been exposed to infection, granting compensation in the former case to the amount of two-thirds and in the second to the amount of three-fourths of the value of the animal, the maximum not to exceed £2O and £25. This will probably be accepted as a satisfactory arrange ment •, but the source from which the compensation is to be drawn may perhaps cause discussions calcu lated to impede the progress of the bill. This, how ever, may fairly be a matter for further considera tion ; and if, as Sir G. Grey indicates, it may be expedient to divide the bill into two parts, and pass at once those clauses whi c h a d m it o f no delay, and about which there is not likely to be a difference of opinion, the question of th e ra t es f or compensa ti on may be left for the more leisurely discussion of the second measure. Of the other propositions of Sir G. Grey, with respect to markets, slaughtering, and the importation of foreign cattle, we need not speak at present ; all that is necessary to observe is that the bill met with sufficient acceptance from the house, and that there is reason to hope that its leading provisions will be at once passed into law. There can be no doubt that both Govern ment and country are now fully alive to the necessity of action, which to be effectual must be within the next two months. The most important national interest is threatened, and those who talk of " selfish agriculturists" and " undue alarm" should recollect that what is the calamity of a sec tion of the public to-day will be the calamity of the whole to-morrow. If the disease spread at its pre sent rate, not only the meat of this year, but of the next two or three years, will be at almost a famine price. The public has not yet felt the weight of the misfortune, but in two or three months more it will begin to tell on prices, and inflict hardships upon all classes of the community which they can now hardly estimate. Speedy legislation, followed by a' vigorous enforcement of the new act, is what the country now desires. HERALD.—The resumption of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Brazil may be dated from the interview between Mr. Thornton, our Minister to the Argentine Republic, and the Emperor of Bra zil, in his camp at Uviguayana, on Sept. 23 of last year. The papers relating to this happy renewal of intercourse, which have just been presented to both Houses of Parliament, show that it was not effected without a good deal of discussion and letter-writing —sometimes amiable, sometimes acrimonious in tone—between the irritable Minister who had in volved his country in a dilemma from which it was not easy to extricate her without dishonour, and the representative of the neutral power which had un dertaken the difficult task of reconciling the claims of Great Britain with those of outraged Brazil. The correspondence was conducted with great temper, and yet with commendable spirit, by Count Lay radio, the Portuguese Minister. On the part of Lord Russell it shows an ill-disguised eagerness to escapefrom a troublesome business without discredit, side by side with an obstinate persistence in impos sible demands, from which he was glad at last to escape by a subterfuge. The Government of Portu gal, despairing of bringing him to reason, at one time threw up the mediation in despair. At this critical moment Lord Russell, conceiving perhaps that he had gone too far, proposed the renewal of relations by a sort of back door, accrediting with a special mission the popu lar British Minister at Buenos Ayres, and to the tact and moderation of M. Saraiva, the Brazilian Foreign Minister, who closed with the proposal in default of better, we owe it that this foolish quarrel has been brought to an end. The difference with Brazil had its origin in an untoward event which occurred in June, 1861 ; it was itot terminated until the autumn of 1865. In June, 1861, the barque Prince of Wales was shipwrecked on a desert part of the coast of Brazil. The British consul supposed that the seamen, who were found dead, and the cargo, which was not found at all, had met with foul play at the hands of the wild people of this region. The Brazilian authorities being unable to bring the guilt home to any of the supposed offenders, the British Government made demand of a repara tion in money for an outrage for which it argued the Government of Brazil was responsible. The question was stil undecided in June of the next year, 1862, when a collision between some officers of the Forte and the police of Rio furnished our irritable representative, Mr. Christie, with a new grievance, which decided him on prompt action. The British Admiral Warren was instructed to make reprisals. He seized five ships, and carried them off to the Bay of Palms, in Brazilian waters. Under this coercion the Government of Rio con sented to pay the small sum demanded of it as com pensation for the wrecking of the Prince of Wales, and offered to submit to arbitration the question of the officers of the Forte. The award of the King of the Belgians, given on June 18, 1863, was unre servedly in favour of the Government of Brazil. No insult, it decided, had been either intended or offered to the British navy. Meanwhile the Brazilian Mi nister in London had demanded his passports ; and Mr. Christie having left Rio, diplomatic intercourse between Great Britain and Brazil was suspended. So far her Majesty's Government had very much the worst of it, and had to back out with the best grace it could, from the half of its demands pre ferred against the Government of the Emperor. The other half, the question of the Prince of Wales, had been settled by the payment under protest of £3,200, the amount claimed from Brazil. But di plomatic relations were interrupted, and could not well be renewed without some atonement being made to the wounded feelings of the country which had been violently coerced, in the sight of its sub jects, by the fleet of a Power with which it was not at war. On June 26, 1863, Count Lavradio, the Portuguese Minister in London made formal proffer to the Courts of L on d on and Rio of the good offices of the King, his master, as mediator. The offer having been accepted by both Governments, not without some delay, M. Lavradio forwarded to Lord Russell on May 27, 1864, a memorandum which he proposed to adopt as a basis of reconciliation. Re capitulating the facts to which we have just briefly alluded, he maintained that some sort of satisfac tion was due to the Emperor of Brazil for the arbi trary proceedings of the officers of the British Go vernment. War had not been declared, but the blockade of the port of Rio was an act of war. Re prisals were made on account of the affair of the Forte as well as on account of the alleged plunder of the Prince of Wales. They were thus carried out in order to avenge an insult which, according to the decision of the King of the Belgians, was never offered. While the seizure of the ships in the har bour of Rio was an offence to the dignity of Brazil, their being taken under guard to the Bay of Palms was a violation of the territorial sovereignty of the Empire. Accordingly, Count Lavradio proposed that in order to assure a just, palpable, and full reconci liation, the British Government should accredit to the Court of Brazil a Minister Plenipotentiary charged with the following mission :—" 1. To assure the Brazilian Government that the British Govern ment never intended to offend the dignity nor to violate the territorial sovereignty of the empire of Brazil. 2. That, whereas, by the sentence of the King of the Belgians in the case of the arrest of the three officers of the Forte, no insult had either been intended or offered to the British navy, her Britannic Majesty's Government declare that they regret all the acts which were perpetrated in order to resent an insult which never existed. 3. That her Majesty's Government also declare that they regret some of the events which accompanied the reprisals. 4. That the English Government consent that the claims for losses arising out of the seizure of the five Brazilian vessels should be sub mitted to a mixed Anglo-Brazilian commission, or to liquidation by means o f ar bit ra ti on. " Lord: Russell replied to this memorandum on June 6, 1864, declaring that the question of the Prince of Wales had been settled by the payment by Brazil of the sum demanded, and that Of the Forte by the relinquishment of the demands of her Majesty's Government, in accordance with the award made by the King of the Belgians. It was for Brazil, w h o had first broken off diplo matic relations, to take the first step towards re conciliation. A British envoy might be instructed to apologise for the violation of the territorial sovereignty of Brazil in the temporary detention of the vessels in the Bay of Palms. A Brazilian envoy must be dispatched simultaneously from Rio, and no further reparation could be made by her Ma jesty's Government. This missive was answered by Count Lavradio, who insisted on his terms, on which followed another letter from Lord Russell, again rejecting them. On February 2, 1865, the Portu guese Minister announced that his Majesty the, King of Portugal renounced " with deep sorrow, a negotiation which he felt that he could not conduct to a successful issue. The Emperor of Brazil had declared that he could not accede to the terms proposed by the British Government. It was just when this correspondence seemed thus to have come to an end without any result that Lord Russell, for once in his life, set himself down to write a conciliatory letter, in which he said all that he could say to sooth th e amore propre of the offended representative of Portugal, and of the Government of Brazil, which he had so long affected to despise. Giving up his demand of the simulta neous despatch of envoys from the two Courts, he requested the King of Portugal to make the follow ing proposition :—" That her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary to the Argentine Republic, Mr. Thornton, should proceed on a special mission to Brazil • that he should then solicit the honour of an audience of the Emperor ; that he should express to his Imperial Majesty the concern with which her Majesty has viewed the circumstances attend ing the suspension of friendly relations between the two Courts ; that he should declare that her Majesty's Government disavow most solmenly all intention of offending the dignity of the Brazilian Empire; that her Majesty accepts fully and unre servedly the award of the King of the Belgians, and will be happy to appoint a Minister to Brazil when ever his Imperial Majesty shall be ready to renew diplomatic relations." This proposal, after some demur on the part of the Portuguese Government, was submitted to the Emperor of Brazil, and ac cepted by him. Mr. Thornton has been accredited as British Minister at Rio, and M. Moreira, Baron de Penedo, has resumed at the Court of St. James's the functions which he discharged for so long to the full satisfaction of the Governments of Great Bri tain and Brazil. So ended a dispute which was entirely of Lord Russell's seeking, from which, with the kind aid of Count Lavradio, he extricated him self with much difficulty, and with small credit either to himself or his country. COUNTRY MARKETS. NORTIIAMPTON—FEB. 10. New white wheat, 43s to 47s ' • new red, 39s to 46s ; old white, 48s to 50s ; old ro d, 45 s to 47s per 36 stone. Barley for malting, 37 s t o 40 s per qr . ; gr i n di ng, 2 6s to 37s pe r au stone. Oats, old, 30s to 34s ' • new, 20s to 28s per 24 stone . Beans, old, 46s to 50s ; ne w , 36s to 40s per 38 atone. rea`i 34s to 39s per 36 stone. COLCHESTER—FEB. 10. The supply of wheat was small, but the bulk in VII soft condition, and such was a slow sale at 1s decline 011 last week's prices. Barleys of all descriptions were rather dearer. Beans and peas as before. Wheat, white 40s 54s Beans, Diazagan......33s 3 85 red 36s 48s Middle an d sma ll 35s 405 Marley . , 8s 40s Peas, white 385 42s Oats CHELMSFORD-FEB. 9. Wheat was in fair supply, but business was dull owing to so much of it being out of condition. Spring corn wa s very dull, at about former rates. Wheat, old white.... 458 52s Peas, Partridge 3 . 0 428 new . 43s tOs White ...... -..308 3 " old red ...... 39a 13a Boiling... .381 3 " new. 35s 39a I)un ...31s 3 5 ! Barley . 240 31s ditto, new....-1 Chevalier 27a :i9a Beans, Tick, 01d......3f 8 37s Grinding 'as •Os new....—s - ° Malt 58s Os Harrow l'icks.3sB --$ Chevalier 80s U. Oats ... 2os 268 new....-8 -° Mazagan. 32s 37° GRANTHAM—FEB. 10. Old white wheat, 54s to 535; old red, 48s to 52s ; ne w white, 50s to 56s ; new red, 438 to 48s per 36 stone. Bai— ley for malting, 36s to 40s per qr. ; grinding, 28s to 30s per 30 stone. Oats, old, 28s to 30s ; new, 20s to 26s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 46s to 50s; now, 40s to 44s per 38 stone. Peas, 35s to 39s per 36 stone. ABERDEEN—FEB. 9. There was a fair attendance at our market to-day, an d a fair share of business was done at previous rates for all kinds. White wheat 40s Od 0 0 d d to 43s 4 4 3 6 as 0 0 d d.} 621 b Red wheat Potata oats 23s Od to 24s Od bushel. t 40/b V bushel. Common oats 22s Od to 22s 6d V Bere 28s Sd to 29s Od 531 b bushel. Barley 29s Od to 30s Od) Oatmeal 17s 6d to 18 s Od V boll of 14 01 l). Flour, fine 37s Od to 38s Od V sac k of 2801 b. 11 KIRKCALDY—FEB. 10. Good supplies of wheat, barley, and oats. 'Wheat 1$ per qr cheaper; barley 6d up; oats at previous rates. Wheat. Barley. Oats. First 43s Od ' 32s Od 23s Gd .`z.econd 44s 6d 33s Od . ..4s 6d Third 46s 6d 34s Od 21s 6d Births. CRAUFURD.—On the 11th inst., at 89, Be!grave-road, S• WI the wife of Edward H. J. Craufurd, Esq., M.P., younge r of Auchenames, of a daughter. HALFORD.—On the 10th inst., at 14, Chapel-street, ar°S venor-square, the Hon. Mrs. Halford, of a son. KEExE.—On the•lOth inst„ at Tiddington, Oxon, the wi fe of Major Ruck Keene, of a son. Marriages. LEAF—MAJOR.—On the 12th inst., at Putney, A. T-', e , 4 Esq., barrister-at-law, youngest s on o f W m . Leaf, hr of Park-hill, Streatham, to Rosa Mary, seco nd daugu' e " of C. J. Major, Esq., of Cromwell House, Putney- VEREE.ER— GOSSET.—On the 10th init., at the B. tish Embassy, Paris, the Hon. Prendergast Verektf: LL.D., her Majesty's Consul at Ch aren te, to Louisa 157 Gosset, daughter of the Marquise de Vinchiaturo an the late C. Bagot Gosset, Esq. Deaths. Asx.—On the 11th inst., at 8, Victoria-square, COO , it• Ash, Esq., J.P., aged 85. BRIDGES.—On the 11th inst., at his residence, 406, Oxford' street, Mr. Henry Bridges, aged 52. HALWES.—On the 10th inst., at Lavender-hill, Batteroor Miss Hawes, aged 92. ONsLow.—On the 11th inst., Charles H. Onslow , Esq., late of the Royal West India Mail Service, aged 46. Loudon : Printed and Pnbitehed by WILLLIM AN:AIEW 11 2. of No. 112, strand, Pilat e r, at Tan Syr/ Office: No. Strand, in the Preci n ct of the Savoy. in the County 0t Aliddiesen.—lueeclay, February 13, 1860'